Chapter 15 - The Daughters of Kasei

"This is most unsettling news," Sailorchaos said, drumming her fingernails against her obsidian throne. "I thought her children were neutralized."

"I never thought her capable of such subtlety, my lady. Truly, the Lady Astraea is a more formidable pawn than we'd believed. Should she find the mate of my sister's sword," Sailorquintessence said, shuddering before she could finish. Actually, she wasn't all that afraid of Galaxia's former lackey, but it didn't hurt to make it look like the Silver Sniper was overly clever. It kept Quintessence's skin safer, if nothing else.

"We must make the proper counter moves, then. The current Queen of the Gold Star has had a hand in foiling too many of our plans. Neutralize her, and the Nesheph senshi will be no threat to you any longer."

"Yes, my lady," Quintessence said, bowing and turning to leave.

****

"You could have told me, you know," Kanemi said. It had been a few days since the last attack. Saiousei's abrupt appearance and Metal's reaction to it had sent the Elemental senshi into a hasty retreat.

"I didn't know," Daniella replied, toying with the familiar bracelet. She'd never seen Daniel-san without it. Her father. It should have been obvious, but something told her that she was better off not knowing until now. For one reason or another, the children the love of Isabel and Daniel had brought into the world had to be hidden. The fact that their mother was supposedly dead probably was one of the reasons, but there were more.

"You know that Sarah and Midori are this close to hysterics, right? Your skills in hand to hand combat put them to shame, and you disarmed them both when you were training them in swordplay. They always had the whole senshi thing over you, but not anymore."

"I'm sure that you're bearing their suffering with fortitude, dear sister," Daniella said with a perfectly straight face. "Don't you have anything better to do today than gloat over Sarah and Midori's misfortunes?"

"You're absolutely no fun, Daniella, did you know that?" Kanemi said, rising. "Let's see, the Kokab senshi should be back from Star today, now that Empress Sidra's passed on her powers Adair forced Sidra to go back. If only Princess Solange would listen to my advice like that."

"From what Princess Aurora's told us, her mother is toeing the line between madness and sanity."

Kanemi shrugged. "Queen Utako will set her straight, she always has."

"And did you ever figure out why Hotaru never appeared when the Elementals attacked?"

"Geez Dani, you don't have to tell me how to do my job. She said she had to go check up on her mother, so she was on Saturn. Besides, now yiu're the big scary senshi that the Elementals are scared shitless over, remember? Justice must scare them more than Death."

"Kanemi, Daniella-san, come quick!" Midori cried, running into Daniella's room. "Izumi's having a fit!"

****

"Daniel, you can't go," Electra said. "You don't even know where Isabel is, and you have no way of finding her!"

"I've done my part in all this. What little power I had left is gone now, nobody needs me anymore but her. Something big forced Isabel to abandon me and our children, I know she needs me now!"

"Let him go," the Oracle's quavering voice said as she entered the room. "Despite what he believes, his part in this is not yet done. He must be reunited with the Silver Lady."

"Milady Oracle," Electra gasped, rushing to the aged woman's side as she staggered, falling to the floor. As she did so, the deep red hood of her cloak fell back, and Daniel couldn't help but think that the ancient woman was the slightest bit familiar. "You shouldn't have left your rooms without help," Electra said, helping the woman into a chair.

"Go, Prince of the Judge King Star, take the Queen of the Fire Star to the Throne of Winter," The Oracle said, her violet eyes boring into Daniel. "The path to the Silver Lady begins there."

****

Amalia was bored, and that was just putting it lightly. Empress Sidra had taken no chances with the safety of her Empire. Everything that wasn't considered vital to security was shut down. Even Nova Coimbra University was closed down. Her best friends were gone, and her mother was leaving for Star, giving the daily running of Lusitania to her father. Amalia didn't really have a place anymore, so she decided to go with her mother to the Prismatic Citadel. All the former Zodiac in the Empire were flocking there, so at least something would be happening there.

"Absolutely not," Rafael said with uncharacteristic firmness as soon as Amalia mentioned going to Star. "Your sister's already endangered, and your mother very well may be as well. You need to be kept safe, in case you have to inherit the throne."

"It's not as if the Winter Throne's as important as the Line of Star," Amalia said, her voice bordering on a whine. "And if Patricia does or doesn't become Queen of Lusitania, Prince Aster's going to need someone who's used to this sort of thing when he becomes Emperor. Think of it as practice."

Sofia was quiet during the exchange. In fact, she didn't really hear it. Her mind was filled with a different voice, calling to her from across the millions of light years spanning between the Dusk Millennium and the Prismatic Empire.

I'm coming back, Sofia. We need to finish what we started with my last visit.

Is she ready, Hitomi?

She doesn't have a choice.

"Amalia, your father is right," Sofia said. "For now, it's probably best that you stay."

"You had a visitation from Queen Hitomi," Amalia said. The blank stare of her mother's face just moments before had been a dead giveaway.

"Yes," Sofia rose. "She's coming to speak with you. Before she does, I have to give you something. Follow me."

****

"Cursed are the traitor daughters that served that First Daughter," Izumi shrieked, gripping her head in her hands. The Shinka were ablaze, but that was usual when she was having a vision. The fact that the Princess of Mars was entirely on fire, however, was not.

"We have to help her," Hotaru said, reaching out to heal the girl.

"I tried," Midori said, holding her cousin back. "The flames don't seem to be hurting her, but that doesn't seem to apply to everyone else." Midori held out her free hand, which was slightly burned.

"That was rash," Miyuki scoffed.

"I'm sorry if I wanted to help my friend," Midori bit back at Miyuki. "You wouldn't know, seeing as you have no friends."

"Stop it, both of you," Kanemi said. "Listen, whatever Izumi's saying is probably important."

Miyuki was going to make some comment, but a glance from Megami stopped that. "Just listen, Miyuki-chan," Megami said, putting an arm around her sister's shoulder.

"Forgiveness can never be wholly be theirs. Madness, isolation, and failure shall be the rewards for serving the First Daughter, for madness is the doom of Selestia's chosen Line." She screamed once more and then fainted, the flames dying away.