He still had no idea who the young woman was , but how she’d known he wasn’t a native of England had been quite plainly due to the fact that Colin had a very ‘American’ accent compared to pretty much everyone else he’d met while attending R.A.D.
Whomever the Super Senshi really was, he’d almost been surprised that for the whole of the time he’d spent in Battlesea she had been the only Senshi he’d met, even if he’d meant to live as a civilian as much as possible. There had certainly been moments when he’d felt the Order-based energy signatures (and some others, as well) during those rare times when he’d powered up as Sailor Aegir or even times when he’d seen them pop up on his phone’s radar the few times he’d actually opened it. Naturally Colin had taken both the phone Derpraline had given him as well as his transformation pen - it had not made sense to leave either item behind where someone else might find it whilst he was away (like his sister or mother) and with how dangerous things could be in Destiny City he could only assume it would be just as bad anywhere else. Reasoning that he’d rather be prepared should he need to fight as Aegir had been a good decision on his part, but as he had made the decision to devote himself to dance he did not go seeking the others, he only stepped out when there was no other option. Colin’s internal moral compass would not allow him to stand idly by and watch someone die when he could prevent it (or rather, when he thought he could prevent it.)
Perched atop the roof of one of Destiny City’s multi-story business offices with one knee drawn up under his chin, the other leg dangling carelessly over the edge, Sailor Aegir thumbed through the Primer with an intent expression on his face. The section at the start about how star seeds could be corrupted - for he understood that was what Thraen referred to - made his stomach twist and ache unpleasantly. No doubt but that was what the dangerous and creepy General Obsidian would have enjoyed doing to him had he met the man as a Senshi instead of a civilian, if not simply killing him outright for the sheer joy of it. How close had he come to death, that night? With a shake of his head he returned to his reading, lips pursed with concentration.
There was list of Mauvian Guardians listed in the Primer along with some interesting information about them he hadn’t known before. Aegir was quite pleased to see that Derpraline was yet included in that list, though he had not seen the tiny cross-eyed kitten since she’d ‘woken’ him as a Senshi. ’I hope you’re doing well, little cat, with lots of waffles and no dogs chasing you…’ Pray wasn’t his, of course, but he did still think of her and worry after her health and well-being. Thraen had offered to introduce him to Ash…it would be nice to know another of the Guardian cats. Especially one that didn’t snap or growl for whatever reason. Laoise wasn’t on the list…did that mean she was no longer around or that Ash, Thraen and Kallichore simply didn’t know about her? Should he try to give them that information, as little as it was? Hi, there’s another Guardian named Laoise out there - she’s got a sharp tongue and…maybe useful to them, maybe not. He didn’t know. And what of the other Mauvian Derp had mentioned? Astraea? Something like that. Would Ash know?
“Of course, you’d be the one to mention the uniforms changing.” He chuckled and shook his head a bit - what would his costume end up looking like, if he advanced to Super Senshi - or Eternal? ’Hopefully a bit less revealing, if nothing else. This really leaves nothing to the imagination…’ Only it did, thanks be to god, or he’d never bother transforming in the first place! Bad enough the fabric was white but…yeah. He knew well the dangers of wearing such a brief costume without the appropriate additions to keep it from becoming even more horrifically embarrassing.
Inasmuch as the information in the Primer was sound and worth knowing, Aegir could not help frowning as he read the sections regarding the Negaverse and Dark Mirror Senshi. Yes, he had run into members of both factions that wanted nothing more than to rip him limb from limb but he’d also met a goodly number that seemed…concerned? Worried? As intent on ‘protecting’ the Earth as he himself was. Knowing they could be demoted was interesting and he flashed back to the dark-haired Captain that he and Penthesilea had fought. Certainly she had wanted to destroy them and used her weapon with brutal effect - no chance of talking with that one! But what of General Obsidian? He’d clearly been dangerous, likely extremely so, yet he had not only let Colin live, he’d answered his questions (the verity of those answers was still subject to some question but he’d seemed to speak true.)
And Navi, the Dark Mirror Senshi. She’d been fairly kind to him, even if what she’d spoken of had disturbed the ever-loving hell out of him. Maybe Chaos agents got…less human as time went? That was a startling thought, but it would make sense. Thraen had mentioned that the Negaverse agents could pour Chaos energy into starseeds and that the result could make one something more - and less - than human. Was it not probable to think that the same happened to those within the hierarchy? Most of the Lieutenants he’d met were skittish and unsure (like new-found Senshi), but Captains and beyond seemed to have much more focus and less inclination to mercy or other ‘human’ emotions. A thought for later, when he wasn’t trying to brush up. “Sailor Sparkle!? God that’s awful. Wow.” Tricky bastards. He’d heard about that meeting and what had finally been decided had happened - knowing that the Negaverse had caused such damage made him feel sick. Obsidian had said that they - the Negaverse - had made mistakes in the past…would he have counted that as a mistake? It certainly wasn’t in the past the red-head had spoken of, not at that point. So either he’d been lying…or there were different sections (Thraen mentioned that, didn’t he?) that had different goals. Aegir sighed and scrubbed at his eyes briefly; nothing about the whole Order-Chaos-Earth-Aliens thing was simple…more like an ever-growing headache, in his opinion.
Tsui’s note that youma were once humans, turned into monsters by the Negaverse made him snap the phone shut for a moment lest he throw it - or be sick. He’d killed youma, beaten them into dust and a memory….and they had once been people. Like his mom or sister. Or Björn. “Oh god, forgive me…” Aegir was going to have nightmares for years thinking about that; staring out at the lights of the city helped to calm him some as his mind frantically sought reason. Maybe..it was better to take them down..like a mercy killing. Something. Anything to make it hurt less to know he’d helped to kill some of the very people he’d sworn he would protect. ”Some youma are intelligent enough to hold conversations with you. Beat them down before they can.” Christ.
After some time the green-eyed Senshi took a steadying breath and reopened the phone and Primer, finding his place with a shaky hand and forcing himself to continue. This was a War, war was hell. He would handle it, he had to.
Continuing to read with a heavy heart and roiling guts, he came to the information about space travel and Senshi home-worlds. The phone could help him travel through space to the planet he called upon to transform? Well, stranger things had happened on Star Trek…hell, maybe some of the plots and ideas from the show came from someone that knew something of this Senshi business? Reincarnation didn’t bother him in the slightest, Colin actually found it quite beautiful. Mention of the Silver Millennium made his lips quirk because Castor had mentioned it - and it’s missing Princess - once before, long long ago. ’I suppose I should…try visiting Aegir sometime…see whatever there is to see there.’ It was a thought and a good one - more information was always good - and he found his mind wandering and eyes drifting closed.
There was the soft hum of the City, electricity and life, but above that and around him a very low thrumming; the stars glinting and winking even in his mind’s eye. He didn’t mean to travel anywhere just then, but once the thought had been planted in his brain…he found himself drawn inexorably to the idea and eventually he felt it, rather than heard it. Or thought he did - the ‘song’ of his world - Aegir. It was there, far above and away, beyond where sight would have shown it’s face to him from the Earth’s surface, but it was there. Aegir’s eyes flew open in time to stop himself from pressing that middle button; he was almost surprised to find that there was a planet Aegir! It seemed that despite all he’d read and learned, Colin had still felt that he was of the Earth, not some alien from another place. “It’s…wow.” Green eyes looked up towards the heavens, “Not tonight. Definitely not tonight.” But held within his breast was the knowledge that he would go, and soon. Curiousity killed the cat…but more curiosity brought him back..right?
Whatever that old saying was, Aegir wasn’t about to go planet hopping just yet. He wanted to pick the time carefully lest Björn or his family got worried because he was ‘missing’ (people went missing all the time in Destiny City…it was never a good thing and he wished to spare his loved ones the pain and upset that might happen.) Attention returned to finishing the Primer, he sighed and snapped the phone shut with a definitive click. It was late and getting later, he should get his butt home before too long…get something to eat and a shower, crawl into bed with Björn. Perhaps remind himself that for all there was another planet out there some part of him called ‘home’, he was quite human and could prove it in a thousand little ways…though if he really thought about it there was nothing about his life, save that he’d been born on Earth, that could truly ‘prove’ he was human and not some alien. Which he was. Dammit.
As he made his way home, the thought that since he’d been back he hadn’t shared much of what was going on (Senshi-wise) with Björn, but for whatever reason it flit through like quicksilver and didn’t stick; leaving him only with the faintest of feelings that he was forgetting something…important or other-wise.
Word Count: 2,098
