Hosted by www.Geocities.ws Legalities: All rights go to Naoko Takeuchi, Blah, blah, blah... There's nothing you need explained. CHAPTER 7: THE IVORY TOWERS ********************************************************** The black eyes of the bed-ridden scout fluttered open. "Te...Terra...?" Kneeling beside her and taking her younger sister's hand, the silver-haired princess whispered to her lovingly, "Yes, Hohtaruu, I'm here. We're all here, and we've healed you. You're getting better by the moment." True to her word, the black clad scout's color was coming back, even though she had precious little to gain in the first place. Slowly, Hohtaruu sat up and coughed. "What happened?" Leaning down to look her in the eyes, Serenity said quietly, "After you threw yourself to your death, I discovered, or rather, my younger visage Serena, discovered that she posessed a heart purer than the purity chalice. So I went in to help you. There, I met a bright silver being whom I couldn't see, but she whisked you away just as the thing died, leaving your mortal father a child to love." Shaking her head to clear the remaining quicksilver light from it, she began to remember. "Serena? Sailor Moon was, is, my sister?" All nodded in agreement. Nodding to each other, Serenity and Terra became scouts again, the dresses fading away in a pelt of feathers that never touched the ground, but were whisked away by an unnatural wind. "Now," Rei spoke up from her post near the door, "For those explanations." Sighing, her silver hair shimmering brightly in the candle light, Silver Sailor Saturn replied, "Yes, I suppose. But we must do it as we travel, for there is a sinister force on this world that will destroy you all unless you go to confront him." It was Ami's turn to speak. "Would it happen to be residing at a white tower, very far to the south of here?" Her answer was a mute nod as she helped her short-haired sister to her feet. A strange wind blew outside, rippling the leaves. It was quite unnatural. "What is this? We've been on this planet for hours, and no wind?" Lita took a defensive pose as she glanced warily around her. "I'm afraid he knows you're here. Don't be suprised if a portal shows up somewhere along our journey." They set off, each lost in her own thought, but each waiting for the scout to start speaking. "When we were kidnapped, the person who kidnapped us put a seal on this place, determined we would never return. After that, we grew as immortals grow in such circumstances, overnight. After that we began to explore. We roved all over this planet, and soon found an ivory tower. Inside, was a man. His name was Alexander." The wind picked up at the mention of that name. "He told us his story, about how he was banned here by an evil creature. So we went to live with him. And everything was fine, for a while. Then he told us about the magic he had put into the scrying pool of his. He could send us spiritually to the present, to any place. And physically to the past and future. That's how Hohtaruu managed to go help you. For in the time of the Silver Millenium, she sent herself to the future to help you. I was dancing at your ball, your engagement party, with Alexander, who had come to be my lover. I had forgotten all about the fact that you were my sister, so I didn't say anything. The years went by, and the solitude got to him. He slowly went mad. He started doing things we could not agree with. So we moved out. And for so long now, he has lived by himself, alone in his tower, brooding his revenge on the world for it's faults." Then, as they took one more step forward, they were all whisked away, far, far to the south. To an ivory tower, a place where the cycle of hate and revenge would finally be broken...