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 Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 6:23 am
Resuming her nightly patrols hadn't been hard, with Grayson going out at the same time as her every night. In fact, it had been downright easy; she just waited for him to go, and then out she went. All she had to do was be back before he was, which wasn't hard because she usually came back around one in the morning--and he came back around four, not having school to deal with like Virgo did.
So it was around midnight she was climbing the old familiar tree. Then, precariously crouched by a closed window, she peered inside. There, a green head in the bed--her Princess. Virgo's mouth tightened at the corners as she jiggled the window open. How could she had thought of denying this? It was her birthright, practically built into her at the basest, core level. As she stepped into Chronos's room, she straightened the skirt of her fuku; she gingerly approached the bed and ran her hand over Serenade's hair.
"Princess, wake up," she said, "I need to talk to you. Princess?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:36 am
Serenade wasn't exactly sleeping. Her eyes were closed, but she was mostly drifting in and out of sleep, without even sinking into dreams. It was a dreamless sleep, and she didn't know if she should find it aggravating or peaceful. Still, she felt relieved when she was shaken out of it and when she rubbed her eyes and looked up at the intruder, she smiled. Virgo!
It made her feel good to see Virgo again in this room, remembering how it had been like when they had henshined up in their room and patrolled together. She brushed Virgo's cheek with her hand, eyes shining. "You look well." And that really, was all that mattered, especially when she thought she had lost her best friend, her soldier, forever.
"What is it?" She murmured, gaze questioning. It had to be urgent if she was being woken up, although actually, this was the time of the night when patrols usually started. Guilt settled into the pit of her stomach; that was something she hadn't being doing lately. At all.
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Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 10:47 pm
"I am well," she confirmed; she slipped a hand behind Serenade's head, kissed the Princess's cheek. The Princess's smile made it all worthwhile--very little was worth more to Virgo or Elke Arma than the Princess's happiness. (Grayson was, in fact, the most important; but that was still within the Zodiac, and still amounted to devotion to the Princess.)
The blonde girl settled herself on the bed; the veil settled around her shoulders as she reached for the Serenade's hand. She laced their fingers together, settled the joined hands in her lap. Her smile was virginal, sweet, happy. "I want to talk to you. But it can't be here... Will you patrol with me, Princess Chronos?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 7:56 am
It was a relief to hear Virgo say so, even though she looked well; Serenade remembered a time where she had stumbled upon poor Elke suffering from bruises from a terrible fight. Perhaps it was because she had powered up and was stronger now. It was a sign that one had battled enough to be chosen to receive a power up, and also a greater responsibility.
At the question, Serenade hesitated but looked at Virgo, who looked so content that she couldn't bear to refuse. "Of course." She confirmed, squeezing Virgo's hand and returning the smile. Her hand slipped underneath her pillow to retrieve her henshin compact. "Chronos Princess Power, Make Up!" There was a slight catch in her voice as she enunciated the words; it seemed as though she hadn't spoken the words in what seemed like forever. It was strange to feel that surge of familiarity as she transformed and yet, it also felt so right, like settling into her own skin.
Princess Chronos gripped her staff with both hands, taking in the familiarity of handling it again before her left hand released her hold on it and reached out to hold Virgo's hand again. "It's a little strange." She confessed with a laugh. "I haven't henshined up in a while."
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Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 3:45 pm
Virgo stepped back to allow the Princess her space; it was saddening to see that in the time between her disappearance and her return, the Princess hadn't regained the Opal Crystal. It didn't mean the Princess hadn't tried very hard to find it, but it also didn't mean that she had. It was worrying, and with the Captain gone, it was something that could not be condoned.
She bypassed the Princess's hand to hug her tightly; her palm ghosted down the older girl's arm to take her hand. Fear confirmed. The Princess was, thought Virgo, frightened. And that had always ended badly, a frightened Zodiac was a dead one. "Come on," she said, leading her liege lady out the window. They were silent on the way off Crystal's grounds, until they reached the shadows of their old patrol route. If Virgo was afraid of the darkness, as she had once been, it didn't show. This was unfamiliar; it was more old Virgo than the new.
"Princess... I hear a lot of things," she said, swinging their hands between them a bit. "I hear Wiseman has disappeared... did he take the Crystal with him, when he left? We must regain it." Business immediately: also un-Virgo.
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Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 10:45 am
Chronos hadn't known where to look.
Even if she had found Wiseman and demanded the Crystal back, would it have helped? She knew her limits, knew she couldn't defeat him. Why try something when you knew it was hopeless? She didn't even know what to do, how to formulate a plan, and had instead, retreated back into the life of Serenade Soriano. It was cowardly, she knew, but she was simply just stuck in a rut.
And perhaps, Virgo was right; she was frightened too. She had met death before and didn't want to go back again, although sometimes she had contemplated... and then promptly abandoned that very thought. He had given up his life to let her live, and she couldn't disappoint him...
"I'm not sure." Princess Chronos said, eyes gazing off into the distance. "I'm not even sure how or why he disappeared... was that in, or outside of Tartaros?" She had, woefully, fallen back in senshi news and information due to her hiatus, and she told herself that she needed to keep up. She couldn't stay hidden in the Crystal dorms forever.
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Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 3:21 pm
She stopped walking on a street corner, caught the Princess's shoulder and pulled her close. The Princess couldn't be afraid; Virgo would be there to protect her, always, and it was something she was worried that her Princess was starting to forget. "Princess," said the soldier, letting go of Chronos to look her square in the face. "May I speak freely?"
It wasn't bad, what she wanted to say. It was simply very pointed, more pointed than she ever would have gotten away with when the Captain had been alive. She wanted the security of the Princess knowing she meant no harm or disrespect by her words first, though.
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Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 7:47 pm
Chronos held her breath, and then nodded after a long pause. "I know." She confessed; using the warmth of Virgo to give her strength. "I know I haven't been doing much." But since the Halloween Masque Ball, Chronos had found a renewed strength and determination to go after her Crystal. It sometimes wavered, wondered if she could accomplish this, but sometimes all she needed was one hard push.
And now, that would come from Virgo.
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Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 11:14 pm
Deep breaths. Virgo visibly steeled herself, directed her Princess to a nearby curb; this was a quiet, residential part of the city, a safe place and a sturdy one. The curb was high enough that they could comfortably sit on it, knees tucked up to their chest, and Virgo wrapped her arms around both of them as they perched there.
"Princess, our numbers are ever decreasing. Fate isn't kind, to take the Prince and Sagittarius and the Captain and Capricorn away from us--" she looked alarmed when Chronos glanced away, curled her fingers around her princess's chin to pull the cerise gaze back to her. "--but we have Leo back, we have all the Handmaidens. We're doing better! Scorpio has upgraded--and this means that others of us might soon make the leap to Soldier, too." Virgo paused, brushing her fingertips along the curve of Chronos's cheek.
It was hard to say this, to reprimand the Princess as she was going to; this was her leader, the woman she had always looked to for orders and answers. "We're your guard, Princess. Your guard. Your wish is our command, so command us! Give us orders! If you tell us to patrol, we'll patrol--tell us to seek the Opal Crystal and we will." Which brought her to her next point, and she took a third deep breath.
"As for the Opal, wasn't Tartaros said to be a dream world? If Wiseman was there, and maybe it is that he was, the Opal could still be in dreams. Ask Helios, Princess--take initiative. You are White Moon royalty. And the White Moon is always characterized by not being--not being hands-off rulers. Patrol with us. Be one of us--but remember we're yours to command. All of us are. We'll have to train the Hands but they can become as strong as we are."
She fell silent for a moment, frowned. "But it can be done. I remember it. And-- and-- Remember--remember how we always were alone? It was always just us. But it's not that way anymore. You hold a Great Crystal--a Crystal of Protection, Princess." Her smile was wide, the look in her olive eyes earnest. "What all of these people need is protection! So--so let's ask Helios, let's get permission to go to Elysion, find the Crystal and--and remember how to use it! We can do this, Princess. With you to lead us, we can."
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Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 11:48 pm
Being reminded of all those losses were hard, but Chronos remembered that Virgo too, had experienced those losses. At least her and Leo weren't dead, at least the Seasons were whole; she nodded along as Virgo spoke these reassuring thoughts.
She stood firm, listening, taking in Virgo's advice. Everything made sense, and she nodded slowly. "I will see Helios." She affirmed with a nod; she would do this the very next day. "Still, Virgo, I need a Captain." She couldn't patrol, not just yet. Not without her Crystal. Not until she trained with the others, helped to train the Hands, and felt more secure. Too many things had been ripped away from her to risk herself.
And then she smiled, cupping Virgo's chin with her hands. "Will you be my Captain, Sailor Virgo?" It was strange, perhaps, for this question to be posed to the Senshi of Innocence. But Chronos knew Virgo. She knew how much she had grown from everything she suffered, and knew Aries had faith in Virgo too. It was the right choice.
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Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 12:27 am
Relief flooded her mind as she heard the Princess acknowledging her points; she smiled again as the Princess agreed to talk to Helios. She hadn't been sure as to how that would go over, and she was pleased when Chronos seemed to agree. What she wasn't sure about was the problem of a Captain.
Aries was dead, and Taurus had... vanished. She missed Topher, knew Grayson missed him too; the Zodiac was drifting apart in their new life, and that was sad. They just all had to remember the common bonds they had--the princess, their former lives, everything. She was opening her mouth to say this when the Princess interrupted her, and then she flushed red.
"Princess, I'm not--what about--" but there was a feeling of warmth, a glowing in her chest, an echo in her ears of a voice from long ago.
The change was short and sweet, a faint cascade of sparkles and yellow-green light; when it cleared, Soldier Virgo perched next to Chronos where Sailor Virgo had been. Over both of them was draped a pearlescent veil. "It would be my honor, Princess," said Virgo. "For you, anything."
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Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 1:11 am
They needed someone there for them. To pull them together, to encourage Chronos when she needed it, and this was what Virgo was doing now. Innocence was a ray of hope all of them needed to brighten their lives, to make them remember what they were.
Chronos smiled, as she looked upon the new Virgo, eyes brimming with tears of pride. The Princess of the Zodiac kissed Virgo on both cheeks and declared. "Then, Solider Virgo, from henceforth, you are the Captain of the Zodiac." Then with a smile of confidence, she whispered,"We will find the Opal Crystal. I know we can do this. Everything will be better." Perhaps she was channeling the optimism from the Senshi of Summer, or perhaps it was the delight of having her new Captain power up before her very eyes.
It didn't really matter. What mattered was that Chronos was, right now, content in this little moment of happiness.
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