Chapter 7 - Divided

It was several days after the attack on the Moon. The Inner senshi gathered in Elysion, and the newly awakened Suisei, Kasei, and Mokusei were summoned to the Temple.

"Welcome," Eleanor said warmly. Unlike the girls, she was untransformed, wearing only the flowing lavender robes of a priestess-in-training. "Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I summoned you here instead of sending you to Nemesis with the Outers.

"That was on my mind, my lady," Mokusei said, still put out that she was here instead of strengthening the Dusk Millennium's defenses.

"Well, despite the fact that the invaders were dispelled, you three are untrained and inexperienced, unlike the other senshi," Eleanor said. "They were lucky enough to pursue their training at a more leisurely pace, seeing as the only trouble they faced at your age was the attack by Lady Medusa and the Gorgons on the Nemesis colony."

"But surely after the last attack we've proved our mettle!" Mokusei said.

"No, you have not," Kanemi said, stepping out from behind the pillar she'd been standing behind. "You attacked without orders and without thought to who your allies were, for starters. Then Miyuki stood like a sitting duck while she was under fire. No, I'd definitely say you guys need some training."

"I think we should show rather than tell them, Kanemi," Eleanor said. "Midori, attack me."

"What?!" Midori said, confused.

"You heard me," Eleanor said, opening her arms wide. "Attack me."

"Foolishness," Suisei murmured under her breath.

"Midori, you obviously can't follow orders, so you definitely need training. Miyuki, you attack the Princess," Kanemi said, having overheard Suisei.

"I will not," she said stubbornly, folding her arms together.

"Well, it seems you won't follow orders, which is probably worse," Kanemi said, turning to Kasei. "Izumi, attack Eleanor."

"Would it be wrong to disobey if I had a good reason, Shiratori-san?" Kasei said. She felt bad enough not noticing the auras of the rouge senshi before the attack, the last thing she wanted was to be a dissapointment again.

"And what would that reason be, Izumi?" Eleanor asked, cocking her head to the side.

"So long as she is on Earth, Elysion protects you," Kasei said. "It would be a waste of energy to try and attack you, Eleanor-sama."

"Excellent," Kanemi said, clapping her hands. "Let that be your first lesson; know your enemy. Anyone can go into a battle screaming war cries and swinging a sword. But to know what you're fighting is to win half the battle."

Kasei smiled uneasily at the praise, as Mokusei and Suisei glared at her. They'd never believe it, but at that moment their thoughts were one. What does that airheaded idol know about anything?

****

"Where did you get this?" Aaron asked, running his hands over Hana's henshin brooch.

"I just woke up one night, and then I had it," she said. It was mostly true, she'd just left out the part that his dead sister had given it to him.

"I see," he said sadly, handing it back to her. "Well, there must be a reason you have the Swirled Orb now, Hana. I know you'll be as good as senshi as your aunt was."

"Thank you," she said. But she wasn't as good as Aunt Chiharu, she knew it. Why did she have to leave when Hana needed her most?"

****

"I've changed my mind, Eos," Solange said. "I'm not sure I want you to be a senshi just yet."

"I'm not sure I want to be one, after yesterday," Eos replied. Actually, she was disappointed, but her normally tranquil mother had been harsh on Princess Kanemi and Princess Eleanor, and Eos wanted to avoid a tongue lashing from her mother. "I leave it up to your wisdom."

"Very good. You're dismissed, Eos," Solange said, and Eos left.

"No, she's not ready for this yet," Solange murmured to herself, running her hands over the Jewel. Eos had lived a happy life, but an easy one, while Solange had faced great evil and sadness in her life. Besides, Sidra had not laid down her power, why should Solange?

****

Meanwhile, in another part of Serenatis Castle, the Kokab senshi were making plans to return to Star. Sidra, however, would have none of it.

"No, I'm staying here," she said. "You children must go back and protect the Prismatic Millennium, but I will stand and fight these invaders. I owe it to Shizuki."

"Our duty is to protect you," Adair said. Besides, her parents would have her hide if they didn't bring the Empress back.

But Sidra just shook her head, adamant. "Adair, I know your parents are using you to spy on me, I wouldn't expect or want them to do anything less. But I am your Empress. I don't want to command you."

"Her Majesty is right," Patricia said, seeing a chance to ingratiate herself. "We are her subjects, and thus subject to her whims."

Anastacia rolled her eyes, but held her tongue as Donovan smiled knowingly at her. Besides, the sooner they got home, the sooner she could be out of the princess's infuriating presence.

****

"Aurora," Solana said, sighting Aurora as she headed for the gardens, and the girl froze. "Granddaughter, do not be afraid of me."

"I'm not," Aurora replied, barely able to keep her voice from shaking. "What do you want from me?"

Solana opened her mouth to speak, but paused. Indeed, what did she want with the girl? She'd be better off with Eos, at least she trusted her. But something told the ancient Sun Princess that she needed Aurora before this was all over. "Walk with me in the gardens, child," she said.

****

Hitomi sighed, looking out from her window at the barren red landscape of Mars. Nathan was still n the Moon, but she wasn't alone.

"How do you think she's doing, Chie-chan?" she said, looking to her left. No one was there, but she kept talking. "Yes, Mother, I agree. Izumi is like Grandmother Rei, she will be as good a senshi as she is a seer. No, Aunt Megumi, I still don't know where Grandmother is. I thought she was with you." Hitomi sighed again, tracing a line around her wrists where the Shinka had never been. "Maybe she's like Isabel, she's only pretending to be dead."

****

Despite his efforts to head it off, Sidra's insistence on staying led to another argument between Patricia and Anastacia. Instead of reconciling them as he usually did, he threw up his hands in defeat, leaving them to Adair to stalk the palace. As he did so, he saw the familiar swish of a black braid, and his heart stopped for a moment.

"Lady Daniella," he said, hurrying to catch up as she turned around.

"I can hear them from here," she said, smiling softly as he approached. "I thought it was your job to keep Springstar and Winterstar out of each other's hair."

"It's a thankless job," he said, and she laughed.

"My sister has the same problem with Mokusei and Suisei. It's one of the reasons I'm thankful not to be a senshi," she said. While she'd only spoken to him a few times before, during his exchange to the Seijitsu Minako Academy on Kinsei during their high school years, she'd always felt an affinity with him, not unlike the one she had with Daniel. But she usually just wrote it off to the feact that they looked alike and had the same retiring nature. "I was going to look in on Daniel-san, maybe those two will be out of earshot in hin rooms."

"I'll be glad to escort you," he said, extending his arm in a gallant gesture he'd picked up from his father.

****

"No...." Kasei whimpered, falling to her knees as a feeling of... wrongness... filled her with dread.

Terra, who'd been sparring with her, stopped as she noticed the Shinka burning brightly on the girl's wrists. Kasei looked to be oblivious to it though, simply staring at nothing, her face contorted in a pained grimace. "Izumi, what do you see?" Terra asked urgently, rushing to her side.

"Nothing," Kasei replied, breathless. "But something very, very wrong is happening."