The entire assembly had gathered outside on the terrace in back of the palace, lounging leisurely in the warm sun after Une, Sally and Setsuna had returned with a strange young girl. Although she was quiet, she seemed to have a very fierce power about her. The group of warriors were waiting to find out what the next major step was, now that all the Senshi had finally been gathered.
“Saturn! We’re a full team now, right?” Noin asked.
“Almost,” Setsuna said. A loud groan reverberated from the group.
“But you said this was the last thing!” Zechs griped.
“It is the last thing we needed to try to do. All we have to do now is release Endymion from his resting place,” Setsuna said.
“And where is that?” Catherine asked.
“Deep in the Earth. But once this is all over with, you’ll be able to get there easily,” Setsuna replied.
“Saturn! Wow! It’s kinda unusual to think that a kid like you is a Sailor Senshi,” Dorothy mused.
“I am not a kid anymore. I am over 900 years old. I have been sleeping deep in the core of Saturn, waiting for the time when I was called,” Saturn replied.
“Excuse me, but what do we call you? If we just called you Saturn, it would stick out a little, don’t ya think?” Quatre asked.
“Quatre, you know names mean nothing,” Trowa scolded.
“I know but… Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to be rude!” Quatre pleaded.
Saturn chuckled. “It’s okay, don’t worry. I’m the same person as I was 900 years ago, so I guess you should call me Hotaru. Tomoe Hotaru.”
“Tomoe Hotaru? What a beautiful name,” Une said, reflecting on the name.
“Wait, what about the Knight of Saturn?” Wu Fei asked quickly. “Won’t she have one too?”
“Yes, I do,” Hotaru said.
“He should be here very soon. Trust me, no searching will be needed for this one,” Setsuna replied enigmatically. The rest of the assembly just gave each other confused looks.
“Will we ever be able to understand you?” Yuuichirou whined softly.
“No.” Setsuna smiled, pleased with herself. Yuuichirou grumbled inaudibly at Setsuna and trudged back inside.
Heero looked at his watch and suddenly stood up. “I’m gonna use the bathroom.” Duo should be here any minute.
As Heero walked past Setsuna, she grabbed his arm and smiled at him. “He’ll be on time, and don’t worry. Everything will be fine.” Heero looked quizzically at Setsuna and walked into the palace.
Quickly, Heero ran to his room to make sure things were in order and to be sure he could remember where everything was. When Duo hits, nothing’s the same… Heero quickly straightened his room in normal Heero fashion and left to wait by the badly beaten main door. All that fighting is taking a toll on the palace… Relena will have to get that fixed soon. Heero sat down on the main steps, waiting for Duo. After a few moments of silence, the door flew open and Duo, done up in all his black splendor, burst into the main hall.
“I’M HERE!!!!” he cried, throwing his bags on the ground and holding his hands triumphantly in the air. Heero looked at him, startled, then jumped up from his seat on the steps and threw himself into Duo’s arms. “Wow! Down boy! There’s time for that later!” Duo teased. When he felt the soft shaking of Heero’s body and heard the muffled whimpers from Heero buried face, Duo knew something was wrong. “Heero, what is it?”
“I’m scared Duo,” Heero replied, fear actually showing in his voice.
“Why?” Duo had only seen Heero like this a few times and it was starting to scare him.
“Something has happened.”
Duo rolled his eyes at Heero’s extremely vague response. “What’s happened Heero? And why are you all worked up like this?”
“I can’t tell you what’s happened. All I can tell you is that I’m scared. Scared because I don’t know how it will effect US.”
Duo didn’t like the way Heero emphasized the word ‘us’ like he did. “What do you mean, US?”
Heero looked Duo right in the eye. “You know what I mean by us. You and me. Heero and Duo. As a couple.”
“Why can’t you tell me then? I know we’re not exactly open, but I’m sure everyone knows.”
“That’s not it! I… Just be here with me…” Heero exceeded any of Duo’s expectations and broke into tears. They streamed down his face, dripping off his chin and landing on Duo’s shoulder.
“Wow, Heero! It’s okay…” Duo quickly grabbed Heero into a tight embrace, gentle patting his back. “Don’t worry, things’ll be fine.” Heero’s sobs reduced to sniffles as Heero tightened him grip around Duo, nearly crushing the other boy. “Heero, that kinda hurts!”
“Sorry,” Heero whispered to Duo.
“It’s okay. What room are we staying in anyway?” Duo asked.
“Go down the west wing to the end. We’re the second to last room on the right. Here, let’s get your bags.” Heero turned to pick up Duo’s bags, only to come face to face with Hotaru. “What do you want?” he asked, paling visibly.
Hotaru looked right through Heero to Duo. “You, now.” She snapped her fingers and the two shot off. Heero could see them through the main windows, streaking through the sky and disappearing.
“What the Hell?” A very bewildered Heero blinked, still in mid grab for Duo’s bags.
* * *
Duo watched as he flew away from Earth, the whole sphere shrinking down in a mere speck in seconds. Duo panicked, not sure if he sure try to stop the creepy girl who was dragging him across space, somehow without a spacesuit, or if he should just assume that he was crazy. He looked up to see the little girl was looking straight ahead, not being distracted by anything. He watched with amusement as they went zooming past Mars and approached the asteroid belt. Duo was completely taken back by the vastness and beauty of space. It never ceased to amaze him how wondrous a place it truly was. Suddenly, it hit him. He had no idea where he was going or why. He started to panic again. “Where are we going?” he shouted to the girl. “And who are you anyway?”
“My name is Tomoe. Tomoe Hotaru. But that is not important right now. We are going to Titan Castle on Saturn,” she told him, not even looking back.
“SATURN!? But we’ll be killed!” Then again, I am flying through space faster than light without a spacesuit. Okay, nevermind. “Ignore that. Why are we going to Saturn?”
“We’re going home,” Hotaru said very matter-of-factly.
“Home? Kid, I live on Earth!” Duo said sarcastically.
Hotaru turned and smiled at Duo. “You do now. But you have lived on Saturn. Just wait until we get there. You’ll see.” She faced forward again and accelerated, moving at beyond impossible speeds.
Duo watched as they passed Jupiter and it’s many moons, catching the occasional glimpse of some volcanic action or the swirl of a gas cloud. He saw many moons pass him by, and slowly, the huge orb of Saturn came into view. Duo could feel as they slowed down, passing the rings and approaching the surface, getting ready to enter the planet’s atmosphere. Hotaru held her hand in front of her and the gas around the planet parted, giving way to a huge castle, hidden from view. Duo gapped at its enormity, seeing that the castle must have been build thousands of years ago from the state of decay it was in. Their descent slowed and they came to a gentle stop in front of the huge double doors that lead into the ancient stone building.
“Here we are.” Hotaru pushed the door open and indicated for Duo to follow her inside.
Duo stopped dead in his tracks, refusing to follow Hotaru into the castle. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me why you brought me here,” he demanded.
Hotaru scoffed and rolled her eyes slightly. Remember, he knows NOTHING of his destiny, she reminded herself. She took a deep breath and calmed herself. “You are here for testing.”
“What kind of testing?” Duo asked, arching an eyebrow.
“To see if you are fight to be the Knight of Saturn. Every time you are reborn, you come to me and we fight in the Royal Arena to see if you are fit to assist me,” Hotaru informed him.
“WHAT?!” Duo’s eye bugged out of his head. He was sure that something had happened and he was dreaming. “The Knight of Saturn?! Kid, look at me! I seriously doubt that I’M the guy you’re looking for!”
Hotaru peered at him with her bright violet eyes, staring deep into his soul. “No, I would know your eyes anywhere. They’re nearly the same violet as mine. And besides, I can see it on your soul. You’ve definitely done this before.” She smiled innocently at him, then grabbed him by the arm and, with surprising strength, dragged him into the castle.
“Fine, what do I have to do?” Duo said, defeated.
Hotaru pointed down the long hallway that lay before them. “Go to the Arena. You’ll remember what to do when you get there.” She patted Duo on the back and headed down to the long corridor.
Duo looked around the castle with wonder as he walked, bits on memories coming to him as he went. Not enough to make sense, just flashes of stuff he was sure he had seen. Suddenly, he saw a corridor that lead to a very dark door and something in him snapped. “What’s that room!” Duo asked, jumping up and down excitedly, alive with child-like awe.
“That’s the Knight’s chamber. That’s your old room,” Hotaru said, smiling at Duo. “You were quite the lady’s man if I remember right,” she teased.
Duo blushed slightly then hurried on his way. As the huge door came nearer and nearer, more memories started to seep into Duo’s mind, bringing him visions of fantastic battles and magnificent powers. As he stood before the door, he swore he could hear people cheer and shouting through the door. Excitement started to tingle in his veins and he could feel the drive of greatness growing in his heart. He took a deep breath as Hotaru pushed open the vaulted door and for a split second, he saw the stands of the huge Arena packed with cheering spectators, all waving flags of purple and black, sounding blasting in his ears. Then as quick as the vision had come, it was gone, leaving only a ghostly silence and very empty bleachers behind. The huge Arena was totally empty, the huge dusty coliseum abandoned for centuries.
“You’re here Duo.” Hotaru began the long walk to the center of the huge Arena, her black outfit nearly the color of the dimly lit sky.
“How do you know my name?” Duo asked, following her.
“I know lots about you. And that’s why I brought you here.” Hotaru bowed her head for a moment then looked at Duo again, her violet eyes vacant as if she were possessed. “This is the test for the Knight of Saturn. If you had been born in this kingdom and raised properly, you would have also have two previous tests: one for mental reaction and physical abilities, and one for your loyalty to peace and justice. Since you were born as a soldier in this life and fought hard in the long war with your huge machine, you have proven already that you are mentally and physically ready to take on this task. The cause you fought for was also a noble one, passing the second test. All that remains now is to see if you are truly worth to be the Knight in this life. This is the test of ultimate balance. There is only one objective; defeat me in one on one combat.”
Duo tried not to laugh as he heard the challenge from the little girl. “Hey kid, I don’t want to fight a baby like you! I’d beat you down in no time!”
Hotaru raged at Duo’s insolence. “You will pay for that remark, child! I am over 900 years old!” He was not raised in the proper fashion, Hotaru reminded herself. She calmed and raised her hand into the air. “SATURN CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!!!” The ground glowed for a second, waves of incredible power washing off the planet’s surface and submerging Hotaru. The girl she was withered away and blossomed into a proud Sailor Senshi, Sailor Saturn. In her hand she held her polearm, ready to fight. “I, Sailor Saturn with the Silence Glaive, symbol of my planet, call on you to begin the Test of Unity!” she shouted, pointing the glaive at Duo.
Saturn leaped into the air, overcoming the large planet’s gravity, and sliced her blade down through the air. Duo reacted just in time and dove out of the way, avoiding her attack by mere inches. Duo suddenly realized that he was in way over his head. Oh shit! Oh shit! I’m screwed! Way to insult the deadly little kid! he cursed at himself. Saturn charged him, blade ready to impale him, but he ducked and slide tackled her, landing her flat on her butt. Saturn dug the point of the glaive deep into the ground, swinging off it and nailing Duo in the face with a kick. Duo recoiled, trying to stay on his feet, knowing that if she got him down, he was a dead man. She’s out for blood! Duo waited until Saturn attacked again, this time with a spinning kick/slice move. He flipped over her and with a quick hop kick, sent Saturn sprawling.
“You’re doing well!” Saturn said, a maniacal look in her eye. “Let’s see how you handle this!” Saturn raised the glaive above her head, waiting to see what Duo would do. Not getting a reaction, she shouted, “SILENCE GLAIVE…” and smashed the point to the ground, “SURPRISE!!!” The ground erupted, blowing a huge crater into the battleground, sending Duo flying. Seeing that he was one the ground, Saturn jumped to him, trying to impale him with the glaive again.
“Hey! How come I don’t get any special powers?!” Duo whined as he rolled out of the way.
“You could, but you need to hear your inner voice first! That’s what this test is for!” Saturn exclaimed. “The faster you learn to embrace it, the sooner the test will end!”
“Inner voice?” Duo thought about it for a second, then saw Saturn charging him again. He stumbled out of the way just in time, then decided it was time to run. What the Hell is my inner voice? How do I hear it? Duo had heard plenty of voices in his head at times in his life, but none of them were actually him.
*Listen to me…* a voice whispered. Duo didn’t stop to look around, certain that no one else was there. The voice was hoarse, like it had been screaming for a while. *Listen to me…* it whispered again, louder this time. Duo ignored the voice again, trying to avoid Saturn’s attacks. Duo returned Saturn’s blows as best he could, but her glaive was sharp and unrelenting. In his head, the voice kept speaking, growing in volume then fading back and growing again. *LISTEN TO ME!!* the voice boomed at last. Duo stopped, tired of having to hear the voice shouting at him.
“WHAT?!” he shouted at the sky, exasperated. The comment caught Saturn off guard and she paused for a moment, not sure what to make of the situation.
He hears it! I have to let him go through with this. Saturn stood still, not wanting to disrupt Duo’s one chance at survival.
“What do you want?” Duo shouted.
*Took you long enough!* the voice said, scoffing at Duo.
Duo realized that the voice was not coming from around him but inside his head. Who are you?
*You,* the voice told him calmly. *I am a part of you as you are truly a part of me.*
What? What are you babbling about?
Suddenly the Arena wavered away, leaving a dark void behind. Duo stood, looking into the darkness, not sure what was going on. Soft footsteps echoed through the void, a second being walking into the void from nowhere. The creature was dressed in an all black garment much like the Reaper would wear. The figure stopped a few feet from Duo, laughing a little. The figure pulled back its hood and revealed something that shocked Duo. He found himself staring face to face with his exact double. Same violet eyes, same chestnut brown braid, same goofy grin, everything.
“You’re…? You’re me?” Duo said breathless.
Duo’s double grinned at him. “Yep. And you are me. I’m just here to help you out a little. You came to this test totally unprepared. That’s bad.”
“Gee, really?” Duo 1 said sarcastically.
“I’m here to do what you need. You need to embrace your inner voice. Guess what?” Duo 2 grinned wickedly. “That’s me! All you have to do is accept me into you life and you’re set!”
“What are you?” Duo 1 asked.
“I am your soul. All of your strength and power comes from me. This test will unite your body and mind with your spirit, thus completing yourself. Just reach out. I’m here.” Duo 2 stretched his arm out, revealing a black gloved hand.
As Duo 1 looked at his mirror closer, he saw that the other was older, more mature by at least ten years or more. He looked carefully at the hand extended before him, staring thoughtfully at the detailed pattern in which the glove was sewn. Another memory came to life in him, one in which the gloves lay on a bed in some foreign castle. On the bed next to the gloves was a figure, small and soft looking, but in truth, solid and well-built. The memory became more vivid and Duo saw the person’s face. Heero. Smiling up at Duo was the Knight of Mercury, dark and mysterious. The memory snapped as Heero’s hand came up to touch Duo’s face and Duo found himself looking at his mirror’s hand again. Duo looked straight into his mirror’s eyes, examining the brilliant violet irises, not sure what to make of everything he had seen. That was Heero. It can’t be a trick… Something came over Duo and he nodded. “I understand.” Duo reached out a took the gloved hand, Duo 2 becoming vaporous and seeping into Duo’s body. Duo’s black clothing faded away, the symbol of Saturn glowing bright on his chest.
The black void gave way to the Arena, Saturn bowing before Duo. The sign of Saturn glowed bright purple, his body being wrapped tightly in black cloth. Once his body was covered, the flowing black robe he had seen in his vision encircled his body gently, falling into place, hood back.
“You are almost there. Now you must defeat me,” Saturn said as she raised her glaive to attack again.
Almost there?!? Now what? Duo began to panic again, not sure of what was left to do. Instantly it came to him. My weapon.
“SILENCE GLAIVE…” Saturn raised her lance into the air and prepared to bring it down and strike when she felt her power being stolen from her. “What the…?”
Duo had folded his arms over his chest like a corpse, the energy swirling into a vortex around his heart. From deep in my heart I must pull my weapon. This is the final step in the test. Duo extended his arms, pulling the vortex into a thin line, power ebbing around a pitch black space that formed between his two outstretched hands. The power drew inward, fusing into a solid object, a long gleaming scythe. Duo lowered the scythe to chest level and smiled evilly at Saturn. “Let’s rumble! DEATH WAVE!!” Duo swung the scythe as hard as he could, a thin line of purple energy arcing out from the path of the blade.
“SILENCE WALL!” Saturn kneeled and smashed the Silence Glaive’s butt into the ground, Duo’s attack crashing into the invisible wall she had created.
Damn. Gonna have to think of some way around that one. Wait, I have an idea! Duo swung the blade around again, running at Saturn and slicing the blade through the air, forcing her to retreat. Duo used his Knight attack again, but this time he followed the wave of energy and when it hit the wall, he went barreling into Saturn, knocking her down flat. Got her! Duo stepped on Saturn’s arm that was holding her glaive, then stood over her, pinning her. He held the scythe to her throat and smiled at her. “I win.”
“Not yet!” Saturn launched a kick from behind, connecting with Duo in the middle of his back and sending him flying.
“OOOWWWW!!!” Duo screamed as he sailed through the air. Landing on his face, he rolled over, trying to make sure Saturn didn’t get the drop on him, but as he wheeled over, he accidentally sliced his blade through Saturn’s right arm as she approached. Blood spilled from the wound, obviously very deep. She dropped her glaive and sank to the ground.
“Help me…” she said quietly.
“How?” Duo walked to Saturn, kneeling next to her.
“We are the warriors of destruction, but death cannot come without life. This balance is true for us as well. Saturn grants us the power to heal. I can heal with a mere touch.” Saturn looked up at Duo, seeing if he was catching her drift. “Since you are my Knight, I believe you can as well.”
“Now hold on, how am I supposed to…?”
Saturn cut him off. “Just hold your hand to the wound like this.” Grabbing Duo’s hand, she placed it on the wound in her shoulder, blood seeping out from under his hand. “Now concentrate. Put all your focus on mending the wound. Force it to be fixed.”
Duo nodded to Saturn and closed his eyes. Tightening his grip on her arm, he felt energy travel from all across his body, flow through his hand into Saturn’s arm, and work to seal the wound, binding blood vessel to blood vessel, healing the torn skin and mending the wound shut. Within seconds, the wound was completely gone. The only indication that something had happened was the torn shoulder pad on Saturn’s fuku. Duo gazed down at Saturn, dumbfounded by what had happened. “I did that?”
“Yes, you did.” Saturn smiled up at him, pride shining in her eyes. “Now you win. I, Sailor Saturn, declare the Test of Unity over! Duo, you are now the Knight of Saturn!” Saturn waved her hand over her body, quickly transforming back into Hotaru, the might Sailor Saturn gone.
“Now what?” Duo asked.
“I would take you back to Earth, but my energy is drained from the fight. I need to rest for a while, then we can return. In the mean time, why don’t you go explore the castle? There isn’t anything else to do and we’re the only ones here,” Hotaru said peacefully. The strain of the battle showed in her face, her eyes drooping.
Duo was suddenly aware of how tired he was as well. “Rest sounds like a good idea. Can I stay in the Knight’s room?” he asked, the child-like wonder coming back into his voice.
Hotaru smiled sweetly. “Of course. It’s yours by right, you’ve earned it.” Duo cheered and bounced out of the Arena, Hotaru trudging behind him.
Duo flung the doors to his room open, not quite sure what to expect. The room was decorated in very ancient fashion, Medieval it seemed. The first thing Duo saw was a huge canopy bed, a tattered black curtain hanging around the bed frame. The bed itself was dressed in what once would have been very fine silk, but the material had aged and was torn and dirty. Duo looked around the rest of the room. A large chair sat in one corner, upholstered in black silk to match the bed. Both furniture items were made of a dark wood that, somehow, remained intact and looked relatively undamaged. Across from the chair was a stone fireplace. The inside was blackened from use, but it was completely empty, not even ashes remained inside. I wonder what happened here? Duo continued his search around the room, seeing only a bookshelf that was lined with old rotting books. He took a glimpse one of the few books that looked salvageable, opening it and thumbing through a few pages. It was a book filled with drawing, a picture book. There was a girl and she seemed to be trying to beat some monster. Alright! A manga! But when Duo tried to read the text for plot, he realized that the book was written in a script he didn’t know. Putting the book back on the shelf, he picked up another. Same thing, a magical girl manga written in a completely foreign script. Fed up with attempting to learn anything about his past from writings, he turned to the last thing in the room: a wooden dresser.
The dresser went up to his chest, just tall enough for him to rest his elbows on comfortably. He went through the top drawer of four, finding it to be filled with clothes that were moldy and ruined. Some of the material still looked okay, but the garment as a whole was lost. Most of this is black… I see I have the same tastes now as I did back then! He sifted through the next two drawers, nothing of any interest catching his eye. Then he realized that a few of the garments he pulled out of the draws, definitely male, were smaller in size than the other things he had seen. I wonder who these belonged to? Duo got down to the last drawer. Pulling it open, he saw more clothes, but realized that most of the things in this drawer were smaller and less baggy than the other things he had seen. Wow! My old underwear drawer! he thought with excitement. This is where I keep all the juicy stuff nowadays. I wonder if I did the same thing then? He rummaged through the drawer, finding nothing but clothes. Damn. Hmmm, I wonder what the past me would have done with secret stuff? His question was answered when he found a small metal box crammed into the back of the drawer. Bingo. The box was shiny and very new looking, even futuristic. He fiddled with the box, not quite sure how to open it since there were no latches or a lid of any kind. He shook the box, hearing something rattle inside. He shook it again, then tried to pull on it. “Stupid box! Open up!” he said frustrated, setting the box down on the dresser. Reacting to his voice, the box began to unfold, flipping apart and spilling its contents onto the dresser top. A book, much like the ones on the shelf but smaller, fell open, revealing pictures of scantly clad people doing obscene things. Wow! Cool! He looked at the magical girl hentai manga for a few minutes, noting to shove it into his pocket later and take it back with him.
While his mind wallowed in the gutter, a glint of something shiny caught his eye. It was a flat disk made of pure crystal. He looked at it for a moment, trying to figure out what it was. When he tried to pick it up, it flared to life, projecting a three dimensional hologram into the air. It was an exact double of Duo, standing with his arms around a smaller boy. Duo saw right away that it wasn’t a boy, just a short teenager. They both looked to be about 17 or so, although Duo couldn’t tell for sure. Suddenly, the Duo from the hologram began to speak. Clearly it was a tongue he didn’t know, but the voice was exactly the same. Duo watched the hologram for a moment, seeing the projected Duo snuggle up to the other boy. Hey, that kinda looks like Heero! Duo thought in amazement. The Holo-Heero began to speak, the same language as Holo-Duo had spoken in. Sounds like Heero too… Hey wait, that shirt that he’s wearing… Duo kneeled down and poked through the drawers again, finding the same shirt that Holo-Heero was wearing. So these are HIS clothes eh? I’m sure Heero would like this! Or he’d just get homicidal. Whichever. It would still be fun to see! Duo watched the hologram for a while longer, the talking continuing. He began to pick up on some words, ‘trra’ being a word of affection he figured since every time one of the holograms would say it, the other would snuggle closer. ‘Jo’ seemed to mean ‘you,’ ‘kir’ was ‘I’ and ‘inshwa’ seemed to be ‘like/care/love.’ Duo noticed that ‘kir inshwan jo’ was used a lot in their conversation. A holographic declaration of love! How sweet! The mood started to change between the two people, each becoming more and more into each other.
“Kir inshwan jo Nerock, Nerock trra,” Holo-Duo said to Holo-Heero, kissing his neck lightly.
“Kir inshwan jo Dohrin,” Holo-Heero replied. He reached for a button on Holo-Duo’s shirt as Holo-Duo reached out, probably to turn off the crystal disk somehow since the image blinked off.
Duo looked at the crystal for another moment, tired and ready to sleep. He looked around the room, knowing he didn’t want to sleep on the floor, but not sure if he wanted to trust the bed. Finally he gave in and flopped down on the bed and found that it was still very soft and billowy. He closed his eyes and fell right to sleep.
* * *
Duo awoke several hours later, not sure what time it was or where he was, but he felt strangely comfortable in the foreign bed. Duo looked around the dark room, remembering what had happened the previous day. "Wow. That's a mind trip." Duo noticed that sometime during his nap, he had managed to crawl under the sheets and gotten himself entangled. Wrenching himself free from the twining sheets, Duo stood lazily next to the bed, stretching with a yawn. He noticed that the garb he had worn as the Knight had disappeared, his normal black outfit replacing it. "Hey, the manga!" Duo sneaked over to the dresser, grabbing the manga and stuffing it into his back pocket like a child sneaking a cookie. Remembering the crystal disk, he picked it up carefully, putting it into a secret pocket in his jacket, hoping it didn't get broken when they left the planet. Then Duo noticed something he hadn't seen before. On top of his dresser was a small black bundle, a small cloth sack tied with a purple string. He picked up the soft package, eyeing it cautiously. Carefully he pulled the string, letting the sack fall open. Inside, he found the black leather gloves that he had seen in his vision during the battle. Gingerly, he put them on. The gloves were loose at first, but slowly they shrank until they fit his hands perfectly. Holding his hands up to admire them, Duo waved his arms around, imitating a battle to see how they might look when he fought. "Cool!" But like a fading dream, the gloves were absorbed into his hands, disappearing before his eyes. "What the Hell…?" A knock on the door interrupted Duo.
"You all rested?" little Hotaru said from behind the door.
"Yeah, I'm ready!" Duo checked the room one last time, not sure if he would ever be able to see it again, then turned and left the room.
* * *
"What happened to Duo?" Heero shouted, stopping through the Sanc palace to the terrace. "Where is he?" Bursting onto the terrace, he knocking over Une who was about to walk back into the palace.
"Ow! Hey, Heero, watch it!" she said from the ground, rubbing her head.
"Where did she take him?" Heero shouted. "Where did Hotaru take Duo?"
Setsuna grunted and pulled him aside. "Stop shouting, it's rude!" she said harshly. "Hotaru took Duo to Saturn to perform a test. They'll be back soon. Now calm down. Would you like some tea?" Setsuna broadly indicated the wrought iron table she was seated at. Heero snorted a conceit at Setsuna's offer, plopping down into a spare chair.
Sally suddenly stood up, looking around tensely. "Do you feel that?" she asked sharply.
Suddenly Hirde looked up, seemingly shocked by something as well. "Yes, I feel it. There's something coming… Get ready!" She stood tense, getting ready for the first attack…
* * *
Duo watched the stars streak by him again as he soared back to Earth. "How come it was always so dark on Saturn?" he asked Hotaru.
"That's about as light as it does get. I brought you there at noon. Because Saturn is so far from the sun and no one is there to cast the magics that brought us light before, it was at peak natural lighting. Fitting for the planet of death. But then again, we get SOME light, which is more than Uranus, Neptune or Pluto get," Hotaru replied. The small talk seemed to make the few minutes that passed in travel even quicker. "What's that?!" Hotaru shrieked as a dark blot came hurtling toward Earth. "The enemy's attacking!! We gotta move it!!" Hotaru sped up her flight even more, the sky becoming a blur. Within minutes, the two arrived on Earth, the sounds of a battle coming from behind the palace. Saturn transformed and kicked open the door, ready to attack.
Duo ran past her to the terrace where the battle was taking place. "Over here!" he whispered. Saturn crept over to him, watching the battle that was well in progress. There were only three Darklings, but both Malore and Drakala were attacking from above. The Outers were focused on Malore, the Inners against Drakala and the Knight were holding off the Darklings. With bravery, Duo stepped out into the battle. "GET READY!!" The action stopped almost immediately, the Knights taking down one of the Darklings with the distraction.
Duo, looking the part of the Angel of Death, grinned wickedly at the fighters. "I, Shinigami introduce to you the most deadly force in the galaxy! She's small, she's weak, she's ten. But she walks softly, carries and big stick, and if she has to, she'll get Medieval on your ass!"
Saturn leapt out from behind Duo, the Silence Glaive raised his above her head. "SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE!!" The glaive came crashing down, obliterating a Darkling in the shockwave that followed.
Duo summoned his weapon, the black gloves materializing on his hands. Instantly, he felt his power increase beyond what it had been for his test. "DEATH WAVE!" He let loose his attack, trying to hit anything that wasn't wearing a fuku or Knight armor. The wave was nearly twice and bright and traveled with much greater speed, Malore and Drakala barely avoiding the attack.
"WORLD SHAKING!!" Uranus let loose a blast that smashed into the last Darkling, tearing it apart.
"Damn it! We're outta here!" Drakala screamed, vanishing with Malore.
"Duo, you're back," Heero said, excitement nearly creeping into his monotone voice.
"Of course!" Duo replied, sauntering to Heero.
"Alright, we're all assembled. It's time that you come clean!" Moon commanded Pluto. For the first time, Pluto kneeled before Moon and complied.
"I know. Tonight at dinner, I will tell you everything that I can."
Moon looked at Pluto in shock, not sure what to say. "Well then, let's get dinner rolling!"
