Welcome to Gaia! ::

“It has been nearly four years since I was last here…” Einhornhohle murmured, her gaze sweeping across the reception area. The castle was jus as she remembered it; unchanged, timeless. This time, at least, those gathered were in good health… no desperate battles, no near-defeats.

But that didn’t mean there was no cause for concern. The storm was not just affecting Destiny City or the planets and wonders of this galaxy. Even the Codepiece on her own Wonder had fallen victim to it. It’s light dimming and flickering erratically before flaring too brightly as if caught in a cycle of being drained and forcefully recharged. To what purpose, she didn’t know.

She nodded in thanks. “I appreciate you bringing me here,” she murmured to her escort as a couple approached the Senshi of Prayer.

Curiosity drew her toward the hologram of Queen Serenity where she listened to the questions others posed. When silence stretched long enough, she found the courage to ask her own.

“I’m sorry, Queen Serenity.” Einhornhohle hesitated, the words catching in her throat. She feared judgment, another admonishment like the one she had faced on Erytheia’s world, when she felt scorned by the Code.

Clearing her throat, she continued. “May I ask… what is the connection between you and Cosmos? There have been times when she has intervened in a battle against the Negaverse, saving us and bringing us here. A sanctuary where we can rest and heal or wound before returning to Earth. But this place, the Moon, is your kingdom. But if that is so… how is she able to bring us here, rather to a place within her own domain?”

Unless, of course, everything was her domain. After all, everything existed within the vastness of the cosmos.

Queen Serenity seemed a bit surprised by Halle’s request, and the smile on her face was soft and kind, and for a moment she looked like she might have laughed. “No, but thank you. I don’t think this will be the last you see of me.” She looked to Santa Maria Novella and explained, “These batteries, I do not know. There may be others in the Palace but I do not know where. I was not programmed with that information, nor how to recharge them.” To Realta, “There should be backups, assuming they have not been lost or destroyed. The chip I am stored on should still be running at optimum efficiency. I detect no decay. I was recorded for preservation purposes. Truthfully, because I did not think I would survive forever. I have lived a long life. My kingdom has been prosperous, but eternity is not guaranteed. I had hoped to leave guidance for the ones I would leave behind. I did not expect it would be a group of strangers seeking my aid.”

Her smile lessened, and there was a sorrowful look in her eye. “I thought it would be my daughter. But no matter. The Moon and Earth are allies, and I will help however I can.”

She looked at Eupheme next, but she had no recognition of the notebook she was being offered. “I am afraid I do not recognize that. It is not mine to give. But if there are no others to claim it…” She searched the room and found no familiar faces. She saw only the decay of the palace, and exhaled. “When you unlock it, you will have to tell me what’s inside.”

She drew in a breath and stood a little taller. The last orb was still going strong, but not strong enough.

Ganymede received an apologetic glance. Queen Serenity did not need to ask for the specifics about the Surrounding to understand, but she knew what its fall meant, too. “My advice is to trust in yourselves and your worlds. You have so much power within you. Do not be afraid to use it. You cannot do this alone,” she said, to each and every one of them. “So do not hesitate to ask for help. There is no price which can be paid in hubris. So please, nurture your worlds. Find your strength and know your weaknesses. You will be stronger when you come together. There is a power in you that will grow when you share it with others. I am not speaking in riddles, I know this. I have seen this. Never give up.”

She spoke sincerely, with both strength and vulnerability. “The Surrounding was built because so many came together to do so. I believed in its strength, and I am saddened to hear that it has fallen to disrepair. I can only hope that it served its purpose well. But, we survived before it, and you will survive after it. If you can manage it, invest in long distance surveillance. Create a network to monitor what you can.”

The crystal flickered. She spoke quicker. To Byakko, “The spikes were meant to be kept in one place, together. There is no tracking device within them. It is unprecedented that they would be separated, we did not factor that into their creation. I am sorry.”

Lucien asked of the spikes, too, but a shadow crossed her face. “I could not tell you. Perhaps the information is somewhere, but I cannot recall the specifics.” She sounded sorry for that, too. “I know only that it was necessary.”

Metis had her attention next, so she carried on, “The Heralds of the Dark Star are akin to otherworldly deities, I suppose. We don’t know much about them, only that they are tied to the same lone star. In truth, I have not seen the Dark Star. It is a bad omen. Many claim to see it in dreams, shortly before a Herald arrives. I don’t know if anyone knows. The Dark Star is an omen of death on an impossible scale. No star of its kind has been found in this universe, not to my knowledge. There are other prisons, yes. The Calamitous Hollow was, perhaps, the most renown only for its insatiable hunger. The others were more discrete. There may be files, but you must understand how dangerous these things were. If the information fell into the wrong hands…”

The crystal was darkening. Queen Serenity’s eyes darted to and from it. She cut herself off. “There may be files here. I do not know where, I do not know under how much security. I do not know if they have been deleted or stolen. You may find them here. Do not stop looking.”

Oberon, next. “I do not know if Cosmos is aware of their containment. She rarely left the Cauldron. But these were a threat to her as well. She called the Heralds a disturbance. She knew of our involvement, but perhaps not the specifics of it. I do not think she would send anyone there.” She paused in her thoughts to speak to Einhornhohle. “Cosmos is a welcome guest of the Moon, but the Cauldron is her domain and her priority. Her duty kept her there, and mine here. She was here rarely but my world is open to her. If she intervened, things must have been dire.”

There was a clear strain in her voice, be it from the topic or her efforts to remain for as long as possible.

“The Moon is a sanctuary. She could not take guests to the Cauldron, undoubtedly. It is a sacred place, far away and well protected. She may not have had the energy to spare, but she did not entertain guests there. The Cauldron is sacred. If you were in danger, the Moon would been sufficient protection for you. I am surprised to hear that she has come to you. I wish I could ask more of that. But time is not on our side.”

She returned to Oberon’s questions, “I have heard of those hunters–can you call upon them? I would not know to reach them now. They were an unscrupulous group but they were effective, even if only for personal gain.

“The Calamitous Hollow is serpentine, but by Earth standards you might disagree. It is mostly snakelike in appearance. It has two appendages, short arms and sharp claws. It has a tail like a blade, split in two. Its skull is protected with a layer of bony armor. I don’t think these are characteristics to serpents on Earth, but I would call it that all the same. I know that it most certainly devoured entire worlds. When we intervened, we were able to weaken it. The less energy it has, the less mass. The less of a threat. Let us hope that it was trapped for long enough that it never regains its full strength. I don’t know how to measure the length it was. It was immense, and always growing. It could have stretched around the Moon a few times over, probably. Now, I suppose it depends on how long it was trapped, how long it has been freed, and how much it has recovered.”

But, she glanced at Saiph, “I think all hope is not lost. If its energy made you stronger, then it cannot possibly have complete control over its abilities. Its magic may be erratic, but that too can work in your favor. It is a better sign than not, but do not let your guard down. It could regain control at any time.”

Her eyes drifted from Surtur to Solaris. “If you could manage it, I think a shield is a wise endeavor. If you had a guarantee Earth could be protected, it would allow you the freedom to focus on an assault and not just defense. That is as close as I can imagine to preventing it from ripping through space, I’m afraid. Distraction is your best option, there. You need to preoccupy it. I don’t think it can travel while distracted. Weakening it, as well.”

When it came to Alastor’s questions, “I did not attend the party that enacted the containment. Most of them returned alive. We lost many prior to this final battle, but to lay the spikes there were far fewer of them than there are of you. It was a concentrated strike, we had been trying to damage it for weeks to no avail. Its scales are thick, I don’t know if we were able to penetrate it with weapons. Not at first. We had to target it with a great blast of energy, the creature overloaded. And then, it was incredibly susceptible to magic, and the more we struck it, the more unstable it became. It could not maintain its form. Even standard weapons were effective, but only after it had been weakened. I think that will be your advantage. You have such numbers. Traveling away from Earth will pose difficulty, but…give me a moment, I will return to that thought. The spikes help. But you should not use them until it’s already weakened. Once the barrier is enacted, you should be able to pass–provided you have all the spikes. I cannot guarantee anything if they are not being used as intended. It could be dangerous. You might be trapped inside with it. And once the spikes are laid…they are meant to be permanent. I can promise you nothing. It will be dangerous whatever path you choose, but keep that in mind as well.”

Her eyes traveled to Valhalla, and Sessrumnir, and Murikabushi.

“If you could get back to the subchamber, that may prove dangerous as well. If the containment has been breached, I suspect there is an incredible amount of toxic energy in the area. It could be lethal. I encourage you to do your due diligence and ensure you have a reason to return there before making too great of an attempt. There was a guardian who was meant to handle such things, but if you arrived there and found no one to assist you, I am afraid I’m at a loss. The Celestial Theatre may be able to help you locate the prison, but you would need a means to travel there. I may be able to assist, but…”

The crystal was almost entirely dim by now, and Queen Serenity’s hologram flickered several times. She looked pained, and though she had been reserved and carried herself with such dignity, now she seemed at a loss.

She was out of time.

Resolved, she stood tall. Proud. Determined.

“I will open the palace to you. The power supply is all but spent for tonight, you will gain nothing further. Give me until the New Moon. I will send a summons. I may not be here, but my will persists. Please trust in me. I will not abandon you. When I call, please be prepared. It will not be time for battle, but for preparations. I may be able to secure you passage to confront it before it reaches Earth. But make preparations for the worst case scenario all the same.”

Her mouth opened as if she wished to say more but suddenly she was silent.

The hologram faded, but her promise echoed.

Halle Knight of Lysithea
location: Reception Room

One of the adult knights caught Halle's eye after he'd spoken up and gave a small, affirmative nod. It was such a normal, adult-to-teenager interaction from his everyday life, that he couldn't help but feel chagrined at the profound sense of comfort it gave him now, while powered. Like some measure of this pseudo-adulthood was lifted from Halle's shoulder, even if just for a moment. He nodded back and tried to be extremely normal about it.

There was a bit of pride that welled up at Santa Maria choosing to step forward and ask a (really good!) question. The other knight usually chose to hang back and well away from attention, even in school, even from the first time Halle had met him. This felt like a really good and positive step for him becoming more informed and involved. Just as Halle was about to whisper a bit of encouragement, he looked over and saw an expression he'd never seen on the other's face. Just a glimpse because then he was turning his head away, hiding whatever emotion was there. Or had Halle not seen it right?

No...that question didn't seem casual in the least. Even if Santa Maria seemed pretty calm by the time he'd turned back. "Um...I don't know the specifics, but yeah."

The assurance that it wasn't the last they'd see her, and what that could mean, helped bring Halle back to the lighter, more productive mood he'd come here with. There was nothing better for worry than making solid plans. In the words of Magnus Carlsen, 'Be well enough prepared that preparation won't play a role.' And he was finally working with people who, at least most of them, seemed to feel the same. Between tonight and working with the people who had gathered at Celadon's meeting, Halle was feeling more confident in the collective strength of Order than ever before.

And they were, at last, receiving the advice and help from one of their leaders, even if she wasn't wholly present, this was enough to start softening some of the brittle, cynical edges that had been growing since he'd first awoken as a page. It instilled a new and firmer desire to help in Halle. If she was going to do her part, then he had better do his.

Sailor Mönch of Popcorn!

Well! That was a lot! Mönch was really over her head! Watching the hologram disappear, after a moment of silence she announced, "Well! That was a whole lot and I am so totally in over my head here!" She sounded like she just won the lottery. "But I'm happy to help however you need me!"

She'd just joined the team, but she was sure with the power of friendship and faith in one another they could save the world!