History Written On Silver Leaves
2051 Words [SOLO35+36]
2051 Words [SOLO35+36]
Themis needed to get away for a little while. Just a little while. He had to get out of what was now their bedroom and try to chase some of his misery away.
The nineteen years old had gotten better, in the past year, at not outright running away, at keeping some of his male ego in check, at talking when he felt about to break. He'd gotten better through sheer discipline and want to change, to be a better person - but every now and then, his base nature caught back up with him, and he had to give into it.
That was why Eternal Sailor Themis took form on the ground of his barren asteroid, that night. He had too much to think about, so much to ponder, sought answers to so many questions, and as much as he loved them both with all of his heart, he couldn't quite do so with Bell and Ainsley around.
He remembered Cora nested in his lap, earlier, while he'd been zoned out under the pretence of watching the news. She had licked at his fingers with her raspy, cat-like tongue, catching his attention to ask him if everything was alright, if he was fine.
He'd smiled, petted her head, and told her that everything was alright. It hadn't been a complete lie – he'd certainly been worse off, certainly had been in much deeper emotional pits than this – but it hadn't been the complete truth, either.
No one could see the things he had seen and be completely and utterly alright. No one in their right minds, anyway. How much of the negaverse even felt wrong from their actions ? He wasn't sure, and that was worrying in itself.
But here, he felt better. In a way, it felt like too long, much too long – the last time he'd come home he had still been a super senshi, with a very curious and wide-eyed Soldier Virgo in tow. It seemed alien to think it had even been that long, and even more alien that, as far as he knew, Bellatrix still hadn't sought out her own star.
But those were her choices, not his own – just like she did not judge him for his own choices, he would do likewise for her. They were different people with different beliefs and different opinions, and he would never force his own opinions on her. Never.
He remembered the way, innately, and followed it without much thought needed on his part – followed his own footsteps back to the council room, passing by the huge tree in the courtyard and pausing by it for a minute. The silver leaves were still there, the tree still full off leaves even through it was fall on Earth. How... strange, in a way. But yet, it was perfectly fitting. His asteroid was bound by it's own rule, it's own ecosystem.
Or had once been, anyway. Now most of it was dead and gone, and he still didn't know why.
When he entered the council room, a flash overtook him, quick but clear in a way he had never experienced before. Suddenly, the room wasn't broken down anymore, suddenly it wasn't empty, not at all, and he was sitting in the large chair that his father had been sitting in in the last vision he'd had with Virgo, with many faces looking at him. They all seemed distant, blurry – with only one standing out, with only one name standing out in the forefront of his mind. Klymene.
...KLYMENE ?!
Themis had to pause, for a moment, remaining still even when the vision faded and the council room was once more empty and broken, remained still and wide-eyed long after the room became once more empty of people. Klymene, Adelaide, Addie, his cousin...
No, that hadn't been his cousin. That had been the Klymene that had once been, not the Klymene he now know as Adelaide Avery. But that revelation, that sudden connection, hit close to home in a way he could never have thought or predicted, in a way that he would never have dared even think about. Did she know ? No, stupid question – unless Klymene had gone to her planet, of course she wouldn't know. He'd been coming here since he'd been a normal senshi and he'd only seen this now...
Confusing. It seemed that the visions, his memories, were doing whatever the hell they wanted, like they always did – and certainly weren't coming out in any kind of order, leaving the eternal senshi to puzzle out a timeline on his own. Or try to, anyway. He didn't know enough to truly begin to start pulling his visions in some sort of chronological order.
Finally, he entered the room proper, mentally prepared – he found that once the flashes started, the longer visions started pouring in, and that was at super. He was right to be prepared, because the visions came, indeed, this one stronger than anything he'd ever seen before. It hit him like a tidal wave and, as always, made him forget who and what he was, replacing reality with something long gone...
Suddenly the council room was pristine, again, the frost worked into the silver wood of the large table glimmering under the light from the tiny wisps of lights that danced freely, along the ceiling. Always free to go but mostly remaining to their duty whenever they were needed.
There were two pair of small eyes trained right of them, identical, vivid purple – twins, younger, but he could recognize them as the two children he'd seen in his first vision – clad in the blue and black robes that matching his own, that he now knew were colors of the highest castes of Themisian society, overruled only by the royal purple. The same pale skin, the same pointed ears, that he'd seen in all the asteroid's inhabitants so far. Short, snow white hair, for the both of them, a contrast with his own long, ice blue locks.
He remembered, suddenly, being this young when his own father taught him of this – the very history of his people. Well, the very base of it. They were certainly much too young to be told all of the complexities, much like he had been.
“You two listen, now.” He said, amused, teasing - foreign words flowing out of his own mouth, words that he didn't and yet understood perfectly, in complete paradox. He could not understand them, couldn't translate them, but knew what they meant.
“Yes, father.” The girl – the older, he knew innately now. The older, the one who had the same birthmarks that he was, his successor - answered, quickly followed by the nod of her brother.
“When the first senshi of Themis rose, the asteroid belt was still young. All these asteroids-” He gestured to the mural at his back – in the memory, it was easy to see that it represented the asteroid belt. “Stood alone, each their own little presence in the sky, completely separate from each other.”
“How did the asteroid belt form, anyway ?” The boy asked, clearly interested in the concept. Dae'Maern let out a soft chuckle. “Well, you certainly got me there, Cy'Norre. I have to admit I don't know that. It happened so long ago, and there was probably no one there to write about it, see ?”
“But you're supposed to know everything !” The boy argued back, and again Dae'Maern laughed. “Well, that would certainly be handy if I did, no ? But no, I certainly don't know everything. Everything wouldn't fit in my head, you know. It's already cramped enough in here as it is – imagine all the things I'd forget !”
Both children laughed at that.
“But really.” He cleared his throat. “Focus, please, my dears. This is extremely important, something you must become utterly familiar with, for it is our purpose. Our destiny.” He knew that they were young, and that he was asking much of them... But it had to be done. They had to understand what made Themis what it was – they had to understand what they would one day, inevitably, would have to protect with their very lives, if it came down to that.
He hoped it wouldn't, but...
“Yes, father.” The twins replied as one this time.
“Where was I ?” Dae'Maern seemed lost in his own mind – finite as it was – for a moment – but then remembered. “Ah, yes. At first all the asteroids stood alone, and it remained this way for generations. Until, eventually... They reached out of each other. Some were warlike, some came in peace, some sought trades of goods and skills. But ultimately... They all remained separate. And separate they were weak, easily picked by the forces of Chaos. This was before the Zodiacs, before the Surrounding. The universe was a very dangerous place back then.”
“Eep !” Du'Norre, the girl, reacted with wide eyes, and Dae'Maern knew better than to chide her for it. Children were children, after all.
“Then one day one Themis thought... Would we not stand stronger together ? United ? Would it not be safer, for all of our people ?”
“And that was how the cluster was made !” Cy'Norre chimed in, seeming quite proud of knowing this particular fact.
“Well, not just like that, no.” If only it was that easy ! “The important things are often the hardest things to make happen. It took a long time. It took many senshi, not just of Themis, who worked together, toward one goal – the goal of the safety of their neighbouring nation, of understanding that while they were all different, that they might not always see eye to eye and might not always understand each other, both as nation and as individuals... Ultimately they still had to work together, should anything ever happen. Alone, they were weak, and easily defeated. Together... Together they were stronger. Together they could protect all those whom they cared about.”
“And that is why unity is so important, my dear. This is what you will one day seek to preserve.” He smilled. “But now... Go play a little, won't you ?”
Let children be children... They grew up fast enough as it was.
There were two pair of small eyes trained right of them, identical, vivid purple – twins, younger, but he could recognize them as the two children he'd seen in his first vision – clad in the blue and black robes that matching his own, that he now knew were colors of the highest castes of Themisian society, overruled only by the royal purple. The same pale skin, the same pointed ears, that he'd seen in all the asteroid's inhabitants so far. Short, snow white hair, for the both of them, a contrast with his own long, ice blue locks.
He remembered, suddenly, being this young when his own father taught him of this – the very history of his people. Well, the very base of it. They were certainly much too young to be told all of the complexities, much like he had been.
“You two listen, now.” He said, amused, teasing - foreign words flowing out of his own mouth, words that he didn't and yet understood perfectly, in complete paradox. He could not understand them, couldn't translate them, but knew what they meant.
“Yes, father.” The girl – the older, he knew innately now. The older, the one who had the same birthmarks that he was, his successor - answered, quickly followed by the nod of her brother.
“When the first senshi of Themis rose, the asteroid belt was still young. All these asteroids-” He gestured to the mural at his back – in the memory, it was easy to see that it represented the asteroid belt. “Stood alone, each their own little presence in the sky, completely separate from each other.”
“How did the asteroid belt form, anyway ?” The boy asked, clearly interested in the concept. Dae'Maern let out a soft chuckle. “Well, you certainly got me there, Cy'Norre. I have to admit I don't know that. It happened so long ago, and there was probably no one there to write about it, see ?”
“But you're supposed to know everything !” The boy argued back, and again Dae'Maern laughed. “Well, that would certainly be handy if I did, no ? But no, I certainly don't know everything. Everything wouldn't fit in my head, you know. It's already cramped enough in here as it is – imagine all the things I'd forget !”
Both children laughed at that.
“But really.” He cleared his throat. “Focus, please, my dears. This is extremely important, something you must become utterly familiar with, for it is our purpose. Our destiny.” He knew that they were young, and that he was asking much of them... But it had to be done. They had to understand what made Themis what it was – they had to understand what they would one day, inevitably, would have to protect with their very lives, if it came down to that.
He hoped it wouldn't, but...
“Yes, father.” The twins replied as one this time.
“Where was I ?” Dae'Maern seemed lost in his own mind – finite as it was – for a moment – but then remembered. “Ah, yes. At first all the asteroids stood alone, and it remained this way for generations. Until, eventually... They reached out of each other. Some were warlike, some came in peace, some sought trades of goods and skills. But ultimately... They all remained separate. And separate they were weak, easily picked by the forces of Chaos. This was before the Zodiacs, before the Surrounding. The universe was a very dangerous place back then.”
“Eep !” Du'Norre, the girl, reacted with wide eyes, and Dae'Maern knew better than to chide her for it. Children were children, after all.
“Then one day one Themis thought... Would we not stand stronger together ? United ? Would it not be safer, for all of our people ?”
“And that was how the cluster was made !” Cy'Norre chimed in, seeming quite proud of knowing this particular fact.
“Well, not just like that, no.” If only it was that easy ! “The important things are often the hardest things to make happen. It took a long time. It took many senshi, not just of Themis, who worked together, toward one goal – the goal of the safety of their neighbouring nation, of understanding that while they were all different, that they might not always see eye to eye and might not always understand each other, both as nation and as individuals... Ultimately they still had to work together, should anything ever happen. Alone, they were weak, and easily defeated. Together... Together they were stronger. Together they could protect all those whom they cared about.”
“And that is why unity is so important, my dear. This is what you will one day seek to preserve.” He smilled. “But now... Go play a little, won't you ?”
Let children be children... They grew up fast enough as it was.
Then, the vision faded, the room became once more dark and devoid of life, many of the elaborate chairs broken, the silver table dull, and Dae'Maern Eriso Denore was once more Xavier Avery who, for the first time, understood the true nature of this room.
It was the meeting place for a cluster. An alliance. An... holy s**t.
Holy s**t.
He'd never thought...
He blinked, once, twice, still trying to mentally process the very vivid, very clear memory that had played out in front of him. He always lost himself to the visions, lost his awareness to the echoes of the past, but somehow, for some reason, this one had seemed so real, so overpowering, in a way that the others hadn't been.
Unity. To think one Themis had managed to unite an entire cluster was mind-blowing, when you thought how senshis of Destiny City couldn't even manage to work together for more than one battle.
And yet... Yet it was how they'd won against odds that seemed impossible to overcome. All of them, together, had managed the impossible.
Maybe...
Maybe he could try to do something about that.
His phone suddenly took form in his hand, and Themis dialed home – dialed Earth, where his loved ones waited, leaving the flickers of Dae'Maern and his own loved ones to rest for the moment being. As always, Themis left his asteroid with about as much, if not more, questions than he might have had when he'd touched the frost-covered ground.
But this time, he left with something else, with the shadow of an idea, something that had taken root deep within him, and he left to return to his loved ones, to Bell, to Ainsley, to Cora, and to everyone else, with one single word forever engraved in his mind.
Evrantilen.
Unity.
