The Return
Chapter 5: Mischief
by Richan
Beryl stared at her beautiful collection. She had all of the sailor senshi trapped in those dark boxes. She caressed the one that held Usagi. Laughing, she left the room, never noticing the cracks around the bottom of the box that held the senshi. Walking down the hallway of the castle she had taken, she stopped at a window. Beryl gave a contented sigh as she saw the wasteland the Earth had become.
Finally, she was the true Queen of the Earth. There was no Metallia, and no generals, either, to ruin her enjoyment. About to head to her chambers, she felt a presence nearby. Looking to her right, she saw a dark shadow.
"Aa, Beryl," came an eerie voice. "I believe that you have used the power I gave you well."
Beryl felt a chill run up her spine. The creature that stood before her was far more powerful than Metallia had ever hoped to be. She started to wonder if she was in over head, before thinking that she had control over what she had sought for so long.
Nodding, Beryl went towards the dark figure. "I believe that the Sailors won't be bothering us again, and that your enemies are buried under the ice that covers Tokyo."
The figure shifted slightly, the lines fading. "I will be counting on you to keep watch, then, Beryl."
As the figure disappeared, Beryl turned and headed to her room.
******
Outside the windows, Anteros hovered. He had been coming to report to Beryl that Venus had escaped the trap that he had rigged. When he saw the figure appear, he had hesitated. Now he was worried. He had figured that by keeping Venus trapped, he had been able to get in on Beryl's good side, thus better enabling him to spread his power over those humans left on the Earth. However, that figure scared him more than he liked to admit, and he was having second thoughts. That figure seemed familiar, and the power surrounding it was bad.
Anteros looked out on the Earth. Even in his wildest dreams of ruling Olympus and the Earth were never like this. There was nothing green, and the only thing moving was the brusk wind. If this was what this planet had become, what would become of his home, he wondered. Shaking his head, he headed back to Venus.
Arriving at Venus, he made his way over to the castle that his brother guarded.
"Eros," he called through the front door.
Eros opened the door, hesitant about letting Anteros in. Looking at his face, Eros was decided.
"Come in. I see that you have news."
With that, the two entered the castle.
******
The largest planet in the system of Earth was filled with mayhem. There was an argument similar to the one that had happened on Venus, but only the brave argue with the king of the gods. Venus had no compunction about arguing with her father, nor did Minerva. These brave goddesses were always willing to side with each other about their father and disagree about everything else. Ceres stood to the side listening to the 'discussion' and shook her head every so often.
Demeter and Vesta were sitting on a bench on the edge of the garden, Vesta on the lookout for the guard.
"Do you notice something different about Ceres," asked Demeter.
"What? What's different," Vesta wanted to know. "That she's willing to listen to anything Jupiter has to say?"
Demeter shook her head. "That she's letting someone else do the arguing. Watch," she said. Looking over at Ceres, they saw that she was nodding along with whatever Minerva was saying. "I think something happened on Venus when they fought Anteros."
Vesta looked at her again before turning back to Demeter. "Even Seiya wasn't this bad with Usagi. Minerva can't weave love spells, can she?"
The two looked at each other for a couple of seconds. "Nah..." they said in unison.
Across the garden, Mithra watched Juno and Janus wander through the roses. They were carrying on a conversation in low voices, and he couldn't make out the words. Even though Juno was the queen of the gods, he was still attached to Unazumi, his mortal sister. While he was happy that Juno no longer had a scared look on her face, he wanted to pull an 'older brother' act and separate the two. Deciding that he wouldn't be able to hear anything, he went over to the group that was arguing.
"I say that we should get Mars," Minerva was saying. "His hot temper will go well with Pluto's sense of humor." The others looked at her strangely, wondering if she had lost her mind. Suddenly she started laughing.
"Oh that was so good," she said loudly, still laughing. Venus and Ceres started laughing as well, Mithra joining in.
Jupiter was not amused. "Daughter, thou hast a terrible humor if thee thinkest that Pluto has a sense of humor."
Venus tried to stop giggling, but found she couldn't. She started to speak but had to catch her breath as she broke out into laughter again. "Minerva, you shouldn't say things like that! Father and Pluto have always been poker buddies forever, it seems. Like either one has a sense of humor."
The others slowly joined the group as their laughter died. Juno went over to Jupiter and touched his arm lightly. "I believe that you had best give up this argument before you lose everything."
Jupiter fumed lightly before remembering the books that he had read over the last several hundred years. Taking a couple of deep breaths, he calmed down. "We still haven't decided where we are going next."
Vesta spoke up. "It will be faster if we split up into three groups."
Demeter agreed. "We need to wake the others up as soon as possible or there will be no Earth left to protect."
"I'm with Juno," Janus said. He mentally cringed when Jupiter looked over at him. He relaxed when he saw the hint of a smile on the god's face.
"I'll go with them," Mithra added. Janus really cringed, since he had a feeling why Mithra was joining them. Mercury nodded, joining as well.
Venus stood beside Minerva and Ceres. "I'll go with these two."
Minerva and Ceres looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.
Demeter looked at Jupiter. "Then I guess that we are the third group, Jupiter."
Vesta was not happy. The king of flirts was joining her group, and Ceres was in another. She felt the trio that had been her mortal life begin to crack. There was a soft hand on her shoulder, and she looked up into Demeter's purple eyes. "I'm worried about her as well, Vesta."
The groups decided, they needed to figure out who would go where.
"I'm not going to wake up Mars," Minerva said. Remembering her breaking out into warrior mode, Ceres agreed.
"Uranus," she said.
Venus pouted. She had wanted to flirt with Mars, but Uranus was an old man who wasn't flirtable[1]. Outnumbered by the others, however, she had to go along with it, especially since she had said she would go with them. She did look forward to teasing her sister, though, and that would make this trip worthwhile.
Mithra spoke up. "We are going to go to Mars, then." He looked at Juno, Janus, and Mercury to see if they agreed. All three nodded their heads.
"Then we will go to Pluto," Jupiter said.
Vesta sighed. 'Great,' she thought, 'two really cranky guys who think that they are THE best in all of the universe.' She saw a similar expression on Demeter's face and giggled mentally. 'Well, at least I'm not alone in this.'
******
Speeding towards Uranus, Venus looked at her two companions. 'I shouldn't have picked these two,' she thought. 'I could have at least picked Mithra or Ja...Mithra. I can't flirt with these two.' Looking over at Minerva and Ceres again, she noticed that they wouldn't quite meet the others' eyes.
'Aha! Anteros shot them with one of his lust arrows, and now they're embarrassed.'
She thought back to the defeat of her younger son and sighed. 'My sister is powerful, but Anteros should have more sense to get into such trouble.' Thinking, she couldn't understand why her son had turned so suddenly. Especially since the Earth...
"That's it," Venus said softly.
"What? What's it," Minerva asked, confused.
Ceres looked over at Venus. "What are you thinking about?"
Venus nodded her head, as if in agreement. "I think I know part of what's going on."
Minerva and Ceres were surprised.
"What?"
"Anteros was keeping Eros and myself in one castle while he had that fake one, right?" Minerva and Ceres nodded. "And he shot you with one of his arrows when you got too close, right?" They nodded again, with blushes staining their cheeks. "He was keeping me from being freed," she said triumphantly, raising her fist into the air.
"Excuse me," Minerva said, getting agitated. "When did you figure this out?"
Ceres put her hand on Minerva's shoulder, as Venus watched her sister calm down at the touch. 'This is something I'm going to have keep watching,' she thought. 'I might have to apply some of my magic touch to this friendship.'
Looking at Minerva and Ceres, she explained that Anteros, who would leave every so often, had kept her in the palace but neither she nor Eros could figure out where he went. The only thing that puzzled her was that this happened just before the Earth was essentially destroyed. She stopped when she heard a heavy sigh.
She and Ceres looked at Minerva in question, but she was deep in thought. Coming up on Uranus, they switched their attention to the planet searching for the nearest place to land to the castle.
They set off for the castle, Minerva lagging behind, still in thought. As they approached the doors, she stopped. "It's all connected," she muttered to herself.
This caught up Venus and Ceres. They looked at Minerva, waiting for her to continue.
"This is all connected," Minerva announced. "And I think that it has something to do with the woman that took over the Earth."
Ceres and Venus were shocked, but they were even more so when Minerva continued, "Somebody has given her the power of a god."
******
Beryl sat on the old throne that she had used in the Dark Kingdom. She gazed at the objects before her. The three glass boxes where of different sizes, but that didn't matter. What really mattered were the contents.
Gloating, she didn't notice the large crack running along the floor of the largest, or the faint glow within it. Beryl was too busy thinking of her victory as she slowly sipped from her wine glass.
Looking at them one last time, she headed for the surface and her palace there. She had been on the lookout for Anteros for a couple of days. He had missed his assigned time to report the mission that she had given him. Well, the entity that had given her her powers had given. Shrugging her shoulders lightly, she continued her way to the throne room.
Stopping inside the door, she noticed that somebody was sitting in her throne. Clothed in black, the figure stood up and walked towards her.
"Mischief," Beryl said. "What have I told you about staying out of here?"
The eternally young girl shook her black hair. "To stay out of it, I know, but there's just something about it that pulls me in."
Beryl actually sighed. 'This could take awhile.'
******
Mithra stood on the surface of Mars. Before him was a large house, not enough to rate it a second glance if it had been in Tokyo. On the planet of Mars, however, it stuck out like a black thumb in a flower shop. Surrounded by red sand dunes on all sides, it was dark and there was no movement.
Turning around, he glanced at the other three. They were looking up at the house when Juno gasped. Pointing up at one of the windows on the second floor, her eyes opened wide. The three men followed her finger and saw a shadow at the window.
The figure in the window looked at them before turning around. As it disappeared, the four standing below were stunned.
"That's not Mars," Janus began. "Is it?"
"No," Juno said.
Mithra shook his head. "That was definitely not Mars, unless he grew wings."
"I'd say that wasn't him," Mercury agreed.
The door opened on the house, and the figure stepped out and stopped.
They all looked up and saw Anteros standing there, looking a little confused. "Aren't there more of you?"
Mithra shook his head again. "Yes."
"Why aren't they with you? And where's my mother?" Anteros asked.
"She is waking up Uranus," Juno began defensively. "And it'll be too late to stop her by the time you get there."
Anteros sighed. When he had decided that he would, reluctantly, tell the others what was happening on the Earth, he knew that it would be difficult, but he certainly wasn't expecting this much hassle. He raised his heads in supplication.
"I know that I treated you horribly when you came to gather up Venus, but I beseech you to listen to me."
Janus thought for a couple of seconds, before saying warily, "No tricks, ok?"
Anteros nodded his head, and began walking towards them. As he did, there was a bright streak in the sky. He stopped and, motioning the others into the house, went back in the open doors. "I smell trouble."
Mercury stopped inside the door, finding that the small entryway opened into a living room. He went and looked out the window. "More like some Mischief," Anteros said.
"What," Janus asked. "How...?"
Anteros led them down into the basement, opening up a trap door laying in the floor. Holding it up, he followed the others down into the large room that was before them. In the middle stood Mars, his feet wide apart and arms crossed. At the sound of the others entering, he turned, showing that he was wearing a scowl.
"Juno, Janus, Mithra, Mercury," he nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to the screen he had been looking at. "I had been following the events happening on Earth, and when Anteros showed up, I figured it wouldn't be long before others showed up."
Janus went over and looked at the screen that Mars was watching. He inhaled sharply at what was before him. The Earth had become barren, and as the picture changed, the scene did not. They finally came upon some humans, but they were living in wretched conditions, in which animals would have hard times. He looked up at Mars. "How did you happen to be awake?"
"I felt the destruction on that planet. With it, I felt a shift in the balance of human energies. They began looking for life, while before there was always somebody in search of a war. That destruction," he pointed to the screen, "was not meant to happen unless it was in the name of war."
"Or peace," Juno said softly.
Mars nodded. "What has happened is someone interfering with the work of the gods. Anteros confirmed what I was already thinking. Some creature has given the woman that did this the power of a god."
Mithra looked at the screen sadly. 'So much destruction,' he thought. 'How will the world ever recover from this?'
Janus and Juno came over, with Mercury and Anteros close behind. All three looked at the screen in shock, even Anteros who had already seen some.
"This is even more than when I was there so recently," Anteros began. Seeing that he had the others' attentions, he continued. "I was given the mission to keep my mother on Venus for as long as eternity or the destruction of the universe. However, when Minerva and you showed up, you were able to defeat me, the nodcock I am, and I was left to return to Earth to report." Here he shook his head, whether in defeat or self-pity the others didn't know. Raising his head again, he went on.
"At the castle where I was to meet with Queen Beryl, I saw her in conversation with a strange being. It was almost as if it were surrounded by darkness itself. Rather than using a voice, it almost transmitted its thoughts through the air.
"Now I knew that Beryl hadn't been the one who had given me my orders, but this creature. All of a sudden, I knew that I had been duped into keeping Venus and Eros hostage. I stayed until the end of the conversation, and when the being left, I followed Beryl down below the surface. Making sure I was hidden, I saw her speak to Mischief. Knowing that we were in serious trouble if that little girl was involved, I stayed longer to gather more information. Beryl kept on going down, reaching an old castle. She stood before three glass boxes for a while, then headed back to the surface. When she left, I peered in, and..."
Here he drifted off, almost in agony.
Mars took over for him. "She captured the Sailor Senshi that have guarded the galaxy since we Guardians went to sleep. I think that awakened some of us from our slumber, like Venus and myself." They all looked at Anteros, who nodded. "With their imprisonment, Beryl was able to overtake the planet. I am not happy with this, since Sailor Moon had destroyed her once. Something brought her back for purposes not yet revealed."
Mithra looked at the floor before raising his eyes to his companions. "With this information, we should get a hold of the others. I have a feeling that...that the Erinyes are involved."
The others gasped in shock.
"The Furies?" Juno asked in a tiny voice.
"Impossible," Mercury began. "Not even they have this kind of power."
Janus agreed. "I think that they are the pawns of whoever gave this Beryl power."
Anteros shook his head. "I agree. Even at their greatest, they wouldn't have been able to pull this off. Besides they never separate, and I only saw one being."
Suddenly there was a faint knock on the front door. Falling silent, the group listened as it opened and their were light footsteps. "Hello? Anybody home?" asked a little girl.
"We're in trouble now," whispered Janus. Everybody nodded their heads, willing the most troublesome goddess ever known to leave[2].
They weren't in luck as they heard the trap door open and they saw a figure walk down the stairs. "Oh, you were waiting for me, weren't you," she said sarcastically. "Is this a private party, or can I join?"
Mars went up to her and grabbed her arms tightly. "Private, but I believe you are the guest of honor." He dragged her over to a screen and pointed out what was happening on it.
Mischief squealed, and became engrossed in what was showing.
"What," Mithra began to ask when he stopped. He saw Mars had grabbed some rope and went over to Mischief to distract her some more. "My dear Mischief," he began. "I believe that I have a joke I would like to play, and you're the perfect person to ask."
She brightened, and looked up at Mithra, who smirked. Behind Mischief, the others had amassed and assembled a nifty holding device made just for her.
"Yes," he went on. "I do think that only you could pull this off."
The others pounced at this point, and several seconds Mischief was tied up tight. She struggled against the bindings, but they were too strong for her to overcome.
"Think that this will hold her?" asked Anteros.
Janus nodded. "This held Minerva for at least three days before she got out of it, and you know how smart she is."
Mars nodded his head slowly. "Unfortunately, yes I do."
Juno walked up to Mischief, who cowered before the queen of the gods. "I believe that you have some information to share, young lady?"
The young girl looked at Juno, then those behind her, before nodding shallowly and gulping. "Uh...I...um," she began a little breathless. "Could you loosen these ropes?"
Everybody shook their heads, indicating that she wasn't going anywhere soon.
"Well," she yelled, "I ain't going to tell!"
"Mars," Juno said, sweeping her hand to Mischief. "I believe this one is yours."
Mischief's eyes widened and fear crept in. "Wait, wait! I do have something."
The others waited patiently, but their faces were stoic masks, gave her an indication that no amount of procrastination would put them off the trail now. "Uh, the Erinyes are driving Beryl's rage."
"And...?" Mercury stared at her.
"And...and Beryl is afraid of something in those glass boxes. Did you know that one is cracked?"
"And...?" Mars looked threateningly.
"And...she's also afraid of whoever gave her power, but I don't know who it is," she said fast. The others saw the pleading in her eyes, and understood that she really didn't know.
"Very well," Janus said. "I believe that you are telling the truth. However, we must leave you where you can't cause trouble." He turned to Mars. "Do you know a place here where she can't mess with your things?"
Mars nodded, and, hefting Mischief, bindings and all, went up the stairs. Following, they saw that he had headed towards a shed behind the house. Opening the door, he put the young, screaming girl in and shut the door. There was a flourish and ten locks appeared on the door. "I think that takes care of her for awhile, I believe. Should we join the others?"
Juno shook her head. "I believe that we have something to do on Earth. The others will soon figure out that time is fast running out on that planet."
Janus nodded. "Soon, there will be no chance of a new beginning."
"So," Mithra began. "I believe we have a new mission."
Anteros looked at the Earth, a small dot in the northern sky. Off to the west he could see the bright shine of Venus. "I believe I know of somebody who would like to join us."
Mercury nodded. "He will probably already be there when we arrive."
Anteros looked at him, puzzled.
"He usually knows what you are doing if you feel passionately for it," Mars said. "Especially since he is the god of passion."
"I...I am the god of passion," Anteros stammered.
Mercury nodded, but didn't say anything else.
******
Jupiter, Demeter, and Vesta landed on Pluto. The land was desolate, and the wind made eerie noises. Jupiter snorted. "How he let this place fall into ruins is what I want to know," he began stiffly.
"More like, he's a guy, and guys don't know how to keep house," Vesta said, crossing her arms across her chest.
Demeter laid a hand on her shoulder. "I believe that we had best find Pluto before time runs out for humanity."
The other two nodded.
Walking for what seemed forever, with either Jupiter or Vesta complaining about how long it was taking, Demeter sighed, relieved, at the castle that stood before them.
As they went up to the doors, they opened and an older man came flying out. "Jupiter!"
"Pluto!"
"Up for a card game, I see," Pluto began. He stopped when he noticed Demeter and Vesta standing nearby. "Hellooooo, ladies." He stopped again as he saw Vesta glow slightly.
"I'd stay away from her," whispered Jupiter. He continued out loud, "Besides, we have something to do before any games."
Demeter went up to Pluto and told him what had been happening so far.
"What!" he shouted. "All those pretty ladies gone? Damn, I miss going to that planet for the last thousand years and something like this happens." He turned to go back into the castle. "Wait here, and I'll be right back."
Standing there for a few minutes, Vesta let her temper grow. She could just imagine Pluto hunting for his poker chips and his 'stud' clothes. Even in Olympus he had a reputation for thinking he was a ladies' man. Her temper deflated when he returned, dressed in his royal robes with his staff in hand.
"I would like to see whoever is behind this stand up to the god of death," he proclaimed regally.
The other three stepped back, even Jupiter, in awe. 'Since when did Pluto do this,' Jupiter wondered.
Pluto laughed. "Gee, I guess that doesn't just work on the ladies."
He was not amused when Vesta blew her top.
******
[1] Is flirtable even a word? If it isn't, can I claim it as mine and send it into Webster's?
[2] Like that would ever, ever happen. Anybody know the story of Pandora? Anyone? Anyone?