As the group moved closer, and then all went to follow after the speck of light the Crone had become, she realized that none had answered Leviathan's question, so as she moved to follow - as the last thing she wanted was to be left behind or seen as a burden yet again - she pulled Leviathan along gently and explained as much as she knew quietly and as plainly as she could, hoping that, to the Senshi's ears, she wasn't all that off mark. "They won," she said simply, "They did what they came here to do, and more; thanks to them, and your efforts in getting them here, I'm sure, the Galaxy is on its way to being good again. They killed the leader, you see, and somehow Achelois - the blonde one in the green dress - got more senshi out of a deal, too. One of them - Sedna, the one in black with -- well, you don't remember her anyway -- but anyway she stayed behind to guard this place in case Chaos tried to come back through. I think we're leaving now, once we travel through the forest here." 

As they entered through the trees, Ribbon struggled with keeping on her toes so her heels wouldn't get caught in the ground again - lucky for her, the trees were close enough to use for supports. Unluckily for her, there were a lot of bushes that scratched against the strip of pale, unprotected thigh between her high boots and dress, and she was getting scratched like no-tomorrow. Still, though, she tried to introduce everyone to Leviathan - or, at least, tell her their names. "Okay so the one in the lead up there in red is Sailor Mars - she's got powers over fire and something like a fifth sense, so it's hard to sneak up on her. Beside her is Sailor Mercury; she's super smart and has a computer and display system that helps her see and calculate even more - her powers are over pure water, usually cold --" She paused for a moment, hiding it over slightly tripping as she realized that she was repeating the intel she had been given before they had laid the trap back on the maze planet. She shrugged it off and kept going. "Then there's Sailor Achelois - or Achelois? There was something about her not being a Sailor Senshi anymore - anyway, she's a healer, and she's holding a baby who's -- see this is where I'm lost because that's supposedly Sailor Enyalius? But Enyalius was apparently recently murdered by Achelois - He had her crystal for a while at any rate, and I think crystals hold souls or something like that? Okay that's a mess and I don't really get it - Achelois and baby and their -- their three headed pet thing.


"Then there's Sailor Andromeda, with the blue hair and uniform - she has a sword - or had a sword? and a trident and stuff, and Nocturn---Sailor Nocturnus, the young one in black - she attacks with starlight and is incredibly brave, despite her age," there was the slightest hint of admiration in her voice, "And behind them is Callisto in green - her uniform has seen better days, I don't think the last place they went was too good to her - and Shadow, but you know Shadow. Then there's Oberon with the fairy wings and blonde hair - he can create shields and connect minds together - and the girl in orange ahead of us is Sailor.... um, I didn't really catch her name, but as you can see, she's got a big spear."


Ribbon took a deep breath, trying to rack her brain for anything else, and then laughed quietly, "Oh yeah! And I'm Ribbon; you saved my life once - you and Nocturnus. You stuck up for me when others weren't so sure; you believed in me, and it means a lot, especially as I was originally trying to trick and kill you guys. Aah!"

Quote :

As they traveled through the forest, they were beset by the random creature - spiders primarily, but accompanied by odd, camouflaging lizards and the like, but the team made quick work of them. 

Eventually the trees thinned ahead of them, and as they broke through the final line, they found themselves at the shore of a small lake.

"There," croaked the voice of the Crone from the speck of light that danced over the waters, "The Waters of Mnemosyne. While your memories had not been taken by the River Lethe, these waters should restore them still. No deal need be made for these - consider them thanks for attempting this journey in the first place. One good gulp should do, then let's keep moving."

She followed the wisp of light almost in a trance, keeping close to Nocturnus as she tried to comprehend everything that happened and how everything would change from now on. Other information and conversations around her got filtered through the haze, sending her bits and pieces as she tried to focus. She felt so untethered, so lost, in this new world where everything seemed uncertain. There were a few people she could come back to, but in a way, it almost felt like her days of adventuring would be over. At least for a little while, anyway. She felt like she could use a week worth of sleep. Despite the small break between the events of saving her planet and the mission after that, it felt as if she hadn’t really stopped since the maze planet. And now, there was no more mission, not immediately at least.

What would it feel like to be on a mission without Achelois? She realized with a start that it was something she had never done in the year since she’d met the other senshi.

The brief battle forced her to pay attention again, but after that, they came face to face with another lake.

The Crone instructed them to drink it, and she moved forward cautiously, before kneeling by the water. Her ragged reflection surprised her; she looked so tired and hollow despite the absence of physical injury. She almost didn’t recognize the girl in front of her.

Did she even want those memories back? Of Nocturnus, yes, but…

She knew she was incomplete as she was now, and who knew what other memories had been lost?

Steeling her resolve as she looked at her reflection one last time, she cupped the water in her palms, brought it to her lips, and drank one full gulp.

They didn’t come back instantly—not quite like flipping a switch. She stood, walked back to the group, and then it started.

When she looked at Nocturnus, the universe seemed to shift, lifting the veil of an unknown stranger and slowly, gradually, recreated the paths of memories that were blocked before, revealing connections and recollections of events, everything that had happened between the two of them. Like a fast-forwarded movie, every single adventure they’d been together played in her mind, and with it the love and care that she shared with the younger senshi surged anew like a dam of emotions that had been broken.

In those adventures, she also saw someone else.

She didn’t even realize she was crying until she felt the wetness on her cheeks, felt the droplets of water upon her skin. At first she thought it was raining.

But then… the pain of losing Enya punched her in the heart all over again, like she was experiencing it for the first time. Her last embrace. The bloody scene she came upon with her and Achelois. Having to let go of the shield. Coupled with everything else, it was just too much.

She looked then at the baby in Achelois’ arms, and a smile appeared through the tears. She sidled closer and looked into those familiar brown eyes, wonder and amazement filling her heart. She hadn’t lost Enya after all. Maybe it would take a long time for her to grow old again, but she’d still be here. At some point in the future, Andromeda would be able to meet her again, properly, and talk to her again. “Hello, baby Enya,” she whispered, caressing the child’s tuft of hair.

She then glanced back at Nocturnus beside her and fell to her knees as she embraced her, hugging her tightly with a new, clear vision of what this girl meant to her. There was only one thing she could say. “I’m sorry,” she whispered only for Nocturnus to hear. “I’m sorry I forgot you.”

Though Jasper had no specific desire or obligation to eavesdrop on Ribbon's massive debriefing, he ended up overhearing certain key details while proceeding through the forest. Camouflaging lizards and spiders attempted to waylay the senshi, but he and nearly every other alert soul had recognized them and taken the appropriate countermeasures.

The man in black, whom Ribbon insisted on calling Shadow for some unclear reason, started his approach to the waters of Mnemosyne. He stopped at the edge of the pool, then looked towards the woman whom he was most readily able to connect with his fleeting memories of Sailor Achelois. It wasn't too difficult to find her; she was never more than mere feet away from the very large gestalt creature. His gaze lowered to the infant in her arms, but only for a few fleeting moments.

Jasper had only one question to ask, yet seemed skeptical of the infant's identity in spite of the miracle that the senshi had witnessed. "Is that really Enyalius? I thought she had died."

Feeling that embrace, once more renewed with the knowledge of the group's shared history, blotted out that sense of isolation. Andromeda was fully Sailor Andromeda again, restored to herself. She wasn't the semi-stranger, that person that Nocturnus knew who knew not Nocturnus. There was clear recognition in those aqua eyes, replacing the wary skepticism that had so gently wounded the younger girl's heart. The awful separation between the two of them was gone now.

In a way even more tangible than Sailor Enyalius's salvation with the acts of Sailor Achelois, someone lost had returned to the child of the night.

Sailor Nocturnus returned the hug fiercely, her own tears of relief now impossible to hold back. She was remembered and it was wonderful.

"It's okay," she whispered back, her quiet voice trembling with emotion. "I would never abandon you." She sniffled again, the tears glistening on her dark cheeks. "But I'm so glad you remember now."

Achelois and Enyalius might be leaving, but hopefully she would still have her friends—friends like Andromeda and Ribbon. Right now, they were some of the most precious people in her world.

Achelois had quietly followed along with the others, staying near the chimera, should any kind of assistance be needed. There was no way she'd allow anything to hurt Enya now...  Her staff was nestled in the belt wrapped around her waist, easily within reach when needed.  This helped her to be able to move through the forest more easily while carrying the child in her arms.

They reached the lake, the blonde looking on hopefully as Andromeda moved to regain her memories.  A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth as she watched recognition flood the senshi's face among the tears.  Warmth filled her chest as she continued to watch the interaction between Nocturnus and Andromeda, at least they would still be together.  Having grown so attached to them, she felt as though she was abandoning them, but the deal had to be made.  Her attention was drawn away by Shadow's questioning.  It seemed he had also regained his memories.  

"It is indeed."  She offered no more, he could ask her more if he felt the desire, but she wasn't going to go into the full explanation.

The senshi's success was confirmed. If Achelois was holding the infant Enyalius in her arms, then her crystal was now safe.

Jasper was still angry, but he couldn't be upset at the child; that ire belonged to the unpleasant circumstances that had created this situation. She was given a fresh start at life, and by that definition, her hands and conscience were clean of the one-sided vocal exchange that had torn such a rift between the pair. He was left holding the bitter memories, only able to reflect on the fact that the universe at large was bereft of warmth and compassion. It wasn't inherently fair to anyone.

"I want nothing to do with her."

Jasper kneeled down to the edge of the lake, gathering a handful of the water with his cupped hands and raising it to his lips.

Sailor Leviathan

Sailor Leviathan blinked when no one went to answer her question. Why wouldn't they answer? As the stillness progressed, her heart sank. Did they not succeed? Did they succeed and then perhaps lost someone?

Fortunately the strange girl who had hugged her cleared everything up. She explained they had succeeded indeed and who some of the others were. She couldn't help but pause when she explained what had happened between Sailors Achelois and Enyalius. Why would Achelois kill Enyalius and then want to take care of her new incarnation? It didn't make much sense... unless... Achelois had a goal of bending the new Enyalius to her will. The though disturbed Leviathan.

She had hoped the names of the others would trigger some kind of memory but nothing came. She smiled sadly as the girl did her best to describe them all and facefaulted when she admitted she couldn't remember Sailor Bellatrix's name.

Ribbon finally introduced herself and revealed that she had saved her life, even though the others had doubted her. She felt an odd warmth. So this was a friend she had saved once. Maybe she was a good person after all.

After squeaking and squirming in fear due to lizards and spiders, Leviathan finally arrived with the others to the Lake of Memories. She watched timidly as some of the others drank from it. The ones named Andromeda and Nocturnus were happily reunited in their memories. Jasper, on the other hand, seemed hesitant. He had mentioned something about Enyalius, the girl that Leviathan herself was concerned of. Then, out of nowhere, Jasper was antagonistic toward her. Just what was going on?

Leviathan herself approached the water but only ended up staring into it.Was it right to drink from the water? What if this Sailor Leviathan person was indeed someone awful?

But then she remembered Ribbon's words, that she had saved her when no one else would. She recalled the image of the woman who appeared to her in the river, who claimed to be a "piece of her." She felt in her heart that if she wasn't a good person, she was at least a decent one. She owed it to her friends to get her memories back.

Just like that, everything became clear again. She slowly turned toward the others with wide eyes. She remembered what she had come there to do. She had come to save the universe from a threat her best friend Enoch though the other group couldn't handle. That very group, in her perspective, left Enoch to die on a war torn planet. She then bottled up her rage and went to sacrifice her memories so that Mars, Mercury, Bellatrix, Shadow and her could get to the others in time. But she was trick and nearly killed and the only one who came back to save her was Shadow.

Anger flooded her being. How could she have been so stupid to assume this place was the same as it had been since she worked there under Galaxia? And why did only Shadow stay to help? Could she blame Mars, Mercury and Bellatrix? Would she have pressed forward?

As before, she sighed and swallowed her anger deep within her. She had to put on a good face. She had to win favor with Neo Queen Serenity. She had to see these people as her allies. She had to... if not, Enoch, Planet Leviathan and any others she loved could pay the price again.

"I... I don't know what to say, guys," she said with a fake, bright smile. "I guess, ummm... good job, everyone!"

She blinked and facefaulted.

"Wait a second. Ribbon... why are you here? I mean, good to see you and all, girl, but... ummm... this place is kind of dangerous. You saw what that river did to me. You want to crash at my place? Got a ride coming to pick me up apparently."

Again, she seemed all too casual when it came to the topic of Ribbon and any possible betrayal.

Mars removed her glove and took a drink from the river, but nothing immediately made itself apparent in the aftermath. A delicate brow raised at Shadow's reaction to the baby, but she didn't say anything - she didn't know the history there, and it was his choice if he didn't want to bury the hatchet with a new life. Wiping her wet skin on her skirt, she then worked at replacing the glove, and finally turned to Leviathan. She approached the younger senshi calmly, and extended a hand, maintaining eye-contact on her end. 

"Sailor Leviathan, thank you for what you did back there. The sacrifice you made to get us across the river might have been what made the difference between victory and defeat today," she thought, recalling how Mercury had found the enemy after he had disappeared, and how her attack, along with Andromeda's, had hurt him greatly. Their little team might not have been there for the entire battle, but she felt that their involvement had an effect on the outcome. "I had misjudged you completely, and I apologize for that. If you ever need anything, I owe you."


Ribbon was about to speak when Mars approached, but while the other spoke, Ribbon remained quiet, letting that conversation happen first.

While Achelois had thought her answer the end of the conversation, Shadow's statement gave her a little a surprise.  She laughed lightly, then realized he was being serious.  "That was indeed the plan, Shadow, why you had considered there would be any other option, I'm not sure.  Have no fear, her life will be just fine without you."  She still wasn't sure why he felt the need to vocalize anything, there had never been any doubt.  Not to mention that the one person she assumed he wanted aware of this, would never hear of him again, at least not from her anyways.  

She looked back down at Enya, no, that was off.  Because this child wasn't Enya, at least not yet anyways.  She wasn't, Enyo or Enyalius either.  She was different, who knew how different?  As she looked into the copper eyes, that seemed so transfixed on their surroundings, she decided that she would call her Liera for now.  Those she knew she would continue to see, she would inform later, when there was time.

Callisto wasn't sure what Bellatrix, Mercury, and Mars were hurrying back to see, but she got her answer when the group ran into Sailor Leviathan and Shadow. They were also victims of the River, and Leviathan didn't seem to remember anything at all. She hadn't expected the Crone to lead them to a solution though. This second lake looked deceptively normal, but she didn't really trust water after this last journey.

But seeing Andromeda regain her lost memories and interact with the people that should never have been strangers to her was enough to make her smile slightly. She was happy about Leviathan and Shadow's recoveries as well, especially after hearing Mars talk about a sacrifice. Whatever price that had been paid must have been truly terrible for Mars to indebt herself, but it had all worked out in the end, just like the senshi that had been revived.

After Mars had her turn at the lake, Callisto decided to try it for herself. She didn't feel like she had a gap in her memory, but it was better safe than sorry. She approached the shore and crouched down, catching her reflection for the first time in a while. Wow, Ribbon was right about her appearance. She certainly didn't look alright after those last two trials, and she really hoped that her helmet came back after being melted into slag. She liked it.

Callisto dipped her hands in the water and used them as a cup to sip from. She didn't immediately feel any magic, but it did taste good after going who knew how long without a drink. She wiped her hands on her leather chest piece and walked away, and then the holes in her thoughts filled in. Her eyes widened and she instinctively froze, as if experiencing them all over again. They may not have been mission critical memories, but they were cherished by her, and knowing that she had come so close to truly losing them stung in a new way. 

Her muscles untensed, and she gave a slow exhale, mastering her emotions once again. They needed to get home. Callisto finished crossing the distance back to the group, though she said nothing. There was no need to worry anyone about it, it was over now.

Seeing Leviathan and Shadow alive and not at the bottom of a twisted river was possibly the most relieving thing she had seen since they had all landed here today. Leaving them to essentially die was a hard decision to have in the back of her head as they moved on, guilt weighing them down. She could justify it as for the greater good as much as she wanted, but she knew deep down how wrong it was. They shouldn't have had to do it. Leviathan shouldn't have had to sacrifice anything, and Shadow shouldn't have been left alone to go after her. But things often didn't work out in a fair way.

Everyone outside Neo-Queen Serenity's court thought the sailor senshi could do anything, but nothing could be further from the truth. Mercury wished it was true though, it would stop her from feeling so helpless at times like these.

She wasn't even sure how to approach them to speak, and so she ended up not saying anything as she searched for the right words.

Mercury hadn't expected the Crone to lead them to the cure, however, and as soon as everyone was fully restored, she joined Mars's side, though she looked a bit less stoic.

"What you were willing to do for the sake of everyone counting on us was one of the bravest things I've seen over these last few months," she said.

"We were almost backstabbed on the boatride over, and in hindsight we shouldn't have trusted those ferrywomen at all, but you took the risk anyway. And Shadow..." she turned to the man she had assumed was also forever lost.

"You went in after her, even though you had no idea how the waters would affect someone with no Sailor Crystal, just for the chance to save her. And you somehow did. Thank you both..." Mercury gave them a polite bow.

Lost memories began to trickle back into Jasper's awareness as Mars and Mercury came forward to express their sincere thanks to Leviathan. Bellatrix wasn't too far away, but she had been quiet in comparison. It suddenly made sense! He had jumped in to save his friend when the ferrywoman's deception became clear.

Resentment would have been a natural response to perceived abandonment, but it quickly vanished when he witnessed that the senshi were in a state of contrition. Bellatrix and Mars kept their distance for the moment, while Mercury took it upon herself to address him directly. She called specific attention to his lack of sailor crystal, offering her apology and a heartfelt thanks.

Jasper, or Shadow as he was commonly called, exhaled and nodded to Mercury in acknowledgment. It felt relieving to have that one weight off his chest; now he could address the other.

In addition to one other unpleasant, yet important memory that had returned, Shadow recalled that he was still damp from taking the plunge to save Sailor Leviathan. His own workboots were waterlogged, and a few annoying ounces of liquid were still lingering just beneath his feet. It was a disgusting and unpleasant sensation, and one that would serve well to temper his growing emnity for someone that he previously considered a friend.

Shadow turned towards Achelois, addressing her with a leading question spoken in a dry and poignant voice. "Speaking of your plan, how many lives did it cost you to get her back?"

The clock was ticking.

The magenta wisp of light bobbed impatiently above the water, then whisked back towards and around them, becoming pricklier by the second. Oh, yes, have a conversation while taking a drink, sounds good, not like people are dying out there or anything, she muttered, all the while knowing that many of these conversations were necessary for one party or the other. She just wished they had them while walking instead of kicking their heels up here, and she wasn't going to let it continue for much longer. While roaming about with agitation, she tended to orbiting near her apprentice; what she knew of the girl was her potential, her alignments, her strengths and the general feel of her. Her conduct during prior meetings along with that potential was what had stood out to the Crone, but she did not know much about the girl's personality beyond those short meetings, and, as they would be spending a lot of time together, she took up unashamedly eavesdropping on conversations to see just how much aggravation she would be dealing with in the future.

So far, so good; she didn't stupidly flare up at being prodded with questions or reactions she didn't care for - she, the Crone, much preferred a quiet smart mouth to a hothead any day: much less water conjuring to do. She figured the conversation to be over between her Apprentice and the Earth-man, and as others were finishing up their conversations, too, she was reorienting to find the fastest route out of the forest to the other side, but then the Earth-man returned to Achelois after having been thanked by Sailor Mercury and prodded at her again with a sarcastic take at remorse in reference to losing Senshi lives in exchange for the Enyalius senshi, and the Crone's attention returned to the exchange immediately. The ignorant fool had no idea what had gone on, and yet charged in looking for a confrontation anyway - with Achelois's powers, his stupidity could've killed him on a normal day, but now? With the powers of Cosmos slowly starting to grow in her already? She wasn't going to start off Achelois's training with 'how to deal with a murder', that was for sure.

"I would not be so confident if I were so ignorant to the situation," she had started to croak in response, but the fiery Sailor Mars stepped in much louder than she, and so she remained quiet, silently keeping Achelois's powers in check, that she not kill him by accident without realizing her growing strength.


Mars could barely believe Shadow's reaction to Mercury's thanks was to nod at it and immediately go back to needling Achelois and a baby. Mercury had even bowed politely to him, and he couldn't even manage a verbal response? She didn't know what had exchanged in the past between him and these others, but at this point, she didn't care. The sarcastic comment was obviously meant to start a fight, and she was not about to let that slide. "Stand down, Shadow," she commanded, striding forward to stand nearer to him and Achelois, placing her hand supportively on Mercury's shoulder as she passed her, moving closer to the potential confrontation, "before you further embarrass the Solar System. If you wanted to know what happened, ask, like an adult, before you go slinging thinly-veiled accusations around." The last thing they needed was to start off with the Solar System cast in a bad light towards the Crone and her apprentice, let alone every other senshi allied with them here. She took a breath and continued, "For your information, no one died to get this life back; in fact, Sailor Achelois made a deal that revived the hundreds of senshi who had died in this War, including Sailor Venus, so show her some respect." She mentioned Venus because she knew Jasper had a crush on her - something Mars didn't exactly care for, but it was painfully obvious nonetheless - and wanted to make the point to him on a personal level. That, and saying her name aloud again made her feel warm and alive and more like herself than she had been in the days since Venus's untimely death. 

She wasn't meaning for her words to diffuse the situation or the tension or resolve any hard feelings - she just wanted him to shut up and move on before things could get any worse. They needed to keep going - she needed to get back out there, to find Venus, and lead this unexpected second wave of reinforcements through to the end of this War; stopping a fight would only delay that goal.

Sailor Leviathan


Sailor Leviathan's face had never been more red. Here she was, standing in front of two of her heroes and they were THANKING HER. Steam practically flew out of her ears as she flapped her hands in excitement. She became somewhat distressed that Sailor Mercury mentioned the ferry woman still betrayed them. What a terrible situation. What would Leviathan have done if she was there? She imagined getting into a fist fight with the woman.

"No," she said nervously. "It's OK! I just did what I thought I should do, that's all. I mean, you guys are super powerful, you know? I only fake the image of power. And from what I've been able to tell, these guys see right through my illusions. Don't worry about it... though I will take you up on that offer, Sailor Mars. That is so freaking sweet."

She made a silent promise to never write that Sailors Mercury and Mars were making out in their free time ever again.

Then, Shadow started to confront the situation. Her heart sank. She knew Shadow wanted to fight for good. She believed Shadow was right.

After all, she thought Sailor Achelois and the others betrayed Enoch.

Enoch was left behind.

Enoch almost died.

But she knew one solid truth. In order to save him, she had to put on a brave face for the others. She didn't have to forgive them for what they did, but she could look past the incident. With Neo Queen Serenity's and the others' help, they wouldn't touch Enoch again. She had to stay in good favor. She wanted to stay in good favor.

"H-hey guys. Come on. We saved the universe! How cool is that? I mean, who would think that I'd be able to invite all of you to drinks at my planet! Sorry, Nocty. You'd only be able to drink a Squiddy Kiddy Cocktail.

"I know a lot went wrong but the result is this. We're here and we're OK. We made it through."

As much as she was trying to defuse the situation, Leviathan actually believed her words. They really, really did it.

It hardly came as a surprise that Sailor Mars would interject to Shadow's barbed query. For as long as he could recall, the priestess had always been critical of him. He had chosen to provoke Achelois into thinking about the events which led her to this moment, disregarding the social consequences. After all, if Jasper had no plans to see Achelois or Enyalius again, why would he have reason to care what they thought of him?

Mars went on to suggest that he was embarrassing their solar system. What a load of garbage, Shadow thought to himself. He did not represent the system as a whole, much less any single planet or satellite. And if that wasn't enough, she then revealed that Achelois brokered a bargain to revive multiple senshi that had perished.

He had not expected Sailor Venus to be named at all. After a momentary gasp, Shadow clenched his teeth and set his jaw; it was his turn to be offended. Not by the withholding of her death, nor what might have been a taunt about the fact he had a crush on the senshi of beauty. No, those were far less severe than the knowledge that Mars would invoke the name of her dear friend, living or dead, to spite his emotions as part of her demand for him to stand down. The only justified response was to double down.

Shadow glared at his accuser through cold hazel eyes, speaking through his posture rather than his words. His cause was a righteous one! The priestess may have been speaking the truth, but Shadow was not going to let his emotions be upended by personal feelings for Venus or for the miraculous revival of several hundred senshi. No matter how vital they were to the galaxy's safety, Shadow would not have traded Enoch's life for such an outcome. And though he had interfered with Leviathan's own self-sacrifice, he had guessed (correctly) that a treacherous villain had planned to take advantage of her motivations.

It was not until Leviathan abruptly spoke up that Shadow relented. He first looked at the pink-haired senshi in disbelief, then breathed outward and shook his head. The issue would have to be resolved later, if ever.

"You're right; I could use a drink." He turned back towards the crone's wisp, looking ready to follow after it once more. He wanted to get off this accursed star and consign everything that transpired here to the darkest recesses of his mind.

Well that was tense. 

Anything Ribbon had been about to say to Leviathan completely went out of her head as the exchange happened, and she found herself nervously looking for Nocturnus, only to find her on the other side of Shadow and Achelois and the Chimera. She took a breath and stepped back, keeping her head down until Shadow backed off at Leviathan's prompting. It wasn't like it was a long fight or anything, but the intensity still made her nervous. That was probably part of it, too; they were all a little high strung, and she couldn't be the only one who just wanted to press pause on the universe to process everything that had happened - to learn everything that had happened, too, would be nice. She had only heard from His sources what had been going on, so anything she "knew" was probably tainted one way or another in perspective, but there apparently was truth in it, as they had reported that Sailor Venus had died just before she arrived and Mars just listed her as being among those who had been revived. What else had she learned? Should she be telling this now?!

"Sailor Mercury, I think I could have information that could help you guys - there were planets that were named, and movements - shipments - of things that would make the takeover easier -" she shook her head, "I can't remember all of it, and I don't know enough of the galactic layout for names to make sense, but I might be able to help in some way, and - " she turned to Leviathan, her eyes blurring, because if they had been right about Venus, why would they have lied about the fishperson on Enyalius? "and," she stammered, her chest aching for what her friend must have gone through - finding out that one of her loyal subjects must have followed the other team, had tried to be a hero - like she herself had tried to be on planet Leviathan - and lost their life because of it. "Leviathan," she restarted, blinking hard as she tentatively took Leviathan's hand, "I'm really sorry about what happened to the fishperson on planet Enyalius. Did you know them? Personally?"

While the ever active mind of the green eyed woman turned to the plight of the revived senshi, a response unexpectedly came from the only male voice in the group.  Was he... complaining?  Complaining about the lives she had saved by making a deal.  Something that would only have happened because she had followed Enya's crystal here and realized just how out of balance the world was.  The lead chaos agent was dead and the fallen revived.  It seemed some people were never satisfied.

Achelois had only begun to grin at her own thoughts, it was like a little secret, that she had saved lives instead of taking them in exchange, when she heard the crone's voice at first, followed by Mars's.  Now that was an excellent surprise.  Achelois chose to remain silent, allowing the voices of others to speak for her, feeling that would be louder than her own words.  The conversation moved on, there was no point in defending against some accused insult she honestly wasn't really aware of.  The universe was so much bigger than whatever perceived conflict had arisen some time ago in the past.  For those with long lives, a day was a mere blip in the memory, if that.

She hummed a little to Liera, ready to keep moving, to head back to their planet and begin the long journey of returning balance to the universe.  No bard would sing of her acts, no grand tales would be written of her choices, and that was wonderful in itself.  Acknowledgement was not a necessary part of living one's life, it never had been, probably never would be.  She was content with things as they were.

Sailor Leviathan


Sailor Leviathan smiled nervously, hoping that the situation was truly resolved. She could listen to Shadow complain later about whatever he felt was necessary. She just knew that now, with tensions already so high, would be a terrible time to bring up past wounds. She thought she and the others were in the clear.

Then Ribbon mentioned Enoch.

Her pupils dilated as some of her fear and anxiety broke through. Her smile twitched slightly as her heart began to race. Enoch's frantic, confused words pounded through her memories.

When I woke up, no one gave me a straight answer as to what happened to me. They left me there alone without any help. Leviathan... I don't want to assume but what else can I do at this point? Malicious or not, I'm not sure if they can be trusted.


"Naw," Leviathan said with a brilliant, yet fake smile. "I mean, well, I know Enoch. He's my best friend but he made it through. He'll always make it through, at least when I've got his back."

She was telling a partial truth again. She would do her best to keep Enoch safe under Neo Queen Serenity's protection, even if it meant being allies with those she couldn't trust.

"Don't worry about it."

She didn't pay attention to anything that was going on between Shadow and Sailor Achelois at first—her attention was fully focused on Sailor Andromeda. There was so much to be thankful about now that the young woman she cared about so much had regained what was lost. It was plenty to occupy the young sailor soldier-in-training. But then Sailor Mars spoke up, and the child peered up from where her tears had damped the aqua sailor collar of her dear friend.

There was so much tension. Sailor Nocturnus automatically drew closer to Andromeda. Didn't anyone realize that this was far from the end? The balance still shifted too far towards Chaos. That was why Achelois' bargain had been granted—to improve the odds of adjusting it back towards Light. The battle here had been won, but the war waged on. As much as anyone (herself included) might long for rest and respite, they could not celebrate just yet. It would be premature.

Instead, the child tilted her head up towards the light that signified the Crone, wondering if the mysterious ancient one would hear her quiet voice.

"What now?" she asked, thinking of all the others fighting out there, still trying to drive back the agents of Chaos who threatened to darken the universe. Their leader may be gone, but they would not abandon their cause so easily. Thoughts of Sarastro, her mother's foe, flashed through her mind.

After all, if there was one thing the child understood, it was the perpetuity of war.

I would never abandon you.

Those words were the exact ones she needed to hear right now; there was no other reassurance she had wanted to get. To know that at least one person would stand by her was enough. For once, this time, Sailor Nocturnus was the one who encouraged her and gave her strength, made her feel like she was important enough to stand by. “Neither will I,” she replied softly but sincerely.

While they were submerged in their own little world, Andromeda could hear rising voices in the background as the others’ interaction began to trickle in once more. She slowly stood back up, though her hand slipped easily into Nocturnus’ like old times, not wanting to let her go just yet. There was too much grief in this world already—why were people on the same side fighting now? She didn’t get it.

As Nocturnus drew closer to her, she, too, pressed her body against the smaller soldier’s in an attempt to both seek and offer comfort.

She had no answer for Nocturnus’ question, but every part of her ached and hurt and she was tired enough to sleep for at least a week. She waited until they moved on so she could do just that. The war wasn’t over, but her part in it was, at least for the time being.

The twitch to Leviathan's smile, and its renewal, was seen to be fake by the well-practiced actress, and Ribbon wanted to offer Leviathan a hug -- but then her words gave her pause. Enoch had been the fishperson? She would've been sad - she had met Enoch - but the references were all in the present tense. Know, is, 'made it through'. Ribbon's brows furrowed together, her eyes lowering. "He said he was dead," she stated, her confidence in being able to help the Senshi wavering, "He was angry about it - about how there was an entire room filled with senshi, but the only person Enyalius had managed to kill before being taken out had been a fishperson." She glossed over the other choice words he had used, and how he had destroyed a room of furniture, and nearly crushed the sailor crystal in his fury. "I'm glad he's alive," she said, her eyes flicking back to Leviathan's, "But He was so sure about him being dead - maybe my information won't be helpful after all." She turned back to face Mercury and Mars, "But I'll still tell you, if you want it."

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This Thread will close tonight.

Hearing that the others would be able to restore their memories was yet another wash of relief, and Bellatrix let out a breath of air, relaxing her tight muscles. That was good - really good. At least they wouldn't leave those precious memories behind on this planet.

She heard conversations going on, but it was Mars and Mercury as they approached Leviathan and Shadow. Their words brought back a lot of the feelings Bellatrix was trying so desperately to push back down. But now was not the time to feel sorry for herself - now was the time to make amends.

Bellatrix stepped forward, about to add in her own words into the mix, but a fight broke out between Mars and Shadow. The tense situation was broken in part by Leviathan. Then things kept going, moving forward and Bellatrix felt like she was being left behind. Stuck.

But time was running out now - if she left it for much longer, the dark pit would only grow larger. And who knew when she would see either of them again? She had to get these feelings out in the open, to apologize - she had to say something. It was building up inside her like a wave at the top of its crest waiting to crash down.

And the words just came out in a burst. "Leviathan! Shadow! I'm really sorry... about everything. You were both so selfless and courageous and we just left you and nothing can change that or make it better. But we thought you were lost and--and the ferrywoman was so cruel and--" She cut herself short there, calming herself with a deep breath. "No, there are no excuses for it... but I hope that someday you can understand. And I'm--I'm just really sorry."

A blush came to her cheeks now that the tirade was over. After the rush of emotions, it left her feeling rather foolish and strangely exhausted but also glad that at least the words were out in the open. There. It was done. She had said what she needed to say.

Like most things that had happened in this place - it wasn't good, it wasn't over, but it was better.

Shadow kept a relatively straight face while Ribbon began her exposition, seeming content to let her talk without interruption. If the senshi that had made the journey to planet Enyalius were paying attention, they could piece together the puzzle of his ire for themselves.

Up to now, Bellatrix had been silent. Sailor Mercury, to her credit, had approached Leviathan and Shadow to thank each of them in turn for their own acts of heroism. Mars had kept her distance, but likely had forgotten any kind of guilt when he asked Achelois of the human cost to bring Enya back to life.

Shadow met Bellatrix's eyes with his own, and his shoulders slumped. In that moment, he looked more like a tired old man in a young man's body than the defiant devil's advocate that Mars had accosted. "I'm not going to hold it against you or Mercury.." He looked briefly to the senshi of wisdom, then back to the tall warrior whom he had managed to keep out of the river. He chose not to look towards a certain firebrand, trusting in the ability of her critical ears to find his words without a visual cue.

"..or even Mars. We were all duped by that boatmonger; she forced the choice on you and jeopardized Leviathan's life." Shadow breathed in, trudging off after the crone's wisp. Perhaps they could entertain the idea of rest once they were off of the star.

Sailor Leviathan


Sailor Leviathan felt ill when Ribbon began talking about Enoch. It was fairly easy to put together that "he" meant that strange person she had been working for. Why was she talking to him again? Did she challenge him herself? Did she convince the others to team up with her? Or did she feel tempted or threatened and had to join him once again? If it was the third case, she made a silent reminder to herself to thank Sailor Nocturnus. The kid also had Ribbon's back and any bitterness she had ever placed on her seemed neutralized by that fact.


But there was that very important detail. Apparently it was Sailor Enyalius that had taken him out. She had only seen Enyalius transfigured in her new Chaotic form for a brief moment on Planet Leviathan, but even she could tell how frightening a person twisted with darkness and with nothing to lose was. No wonder Enoch was so hurt. She was so grateful he had lived, she momentarily forgot that the others still had left him behind confused. For this moment, her grudges were put aside and even when they were revisited, she looked at them with a calmer, more patient outlook, especially since the others had taken out the enemy who was so casually disappointed in just the "fishperson" being dead.

"Thanks, Ribbon," she said with strange relief. "But what do you mean by information?"


She paused when Sailor Bellatrix also apologized for what had happened. Leviathan slowly turned toward Shadow with a puzzled look as sweat began to pour down her face.

"What is she apologizing for?" she whispered.

Leviathan gasped when she finally remembered. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate Bellatrix's apology. It was just that she was so caught up with other revelations that she nearly forgot about her recent dump in the river.

"Bellatrix, it's cool," she said, this time really meaning it. "I think I would have done the same if it were you. Maybe. I don't know. Besides, I should have really told you guys what I was doing before I did it. Then you wouldn't have had to make that choice in the first place. Shadow's right. That ferry woman had it in for us no matter what. The real Sailor Lethe would have just told us straight out that she wanted us dead. Never thought I would miss that.

"You know, I only wouldn't have forgiven you guys if you didn't save the day after that."

She smiled smugly before quickly clarifying.

"That was a joke."

Sailor Nocturnus kept a firm grasp on Sailor Andromeda's hand, her dark eyes watching Ribbon. This war wasn't over; they had to keep going. Sailor Achelois wouldn't be with them, now. She had other, different, extremely important duties. Enyalius, too, could not join them—at least not for a while. And it was hard for Nocturnus to say in this moment if the babe in the blonde's arms would be the same woman, or someone different. There was so much left uncertain in that regard.

The child took a deep breath. As soon as the others were ready, they would leave. She looked up, above them. Even from here, she could still see and feel the stars above them. Somewhere out there was her home... facing the same struggle as the rest of the universe. Maybe someday she would make it back. Perhaps when that day came, she'd be strong enough to stand alongside her mother and fight with her. Until then, she had to keep going and learning all she could among other sailor soldiers. She couldn't rest now.

Achelois's powers didn't fluctuate at all; the girl remained calm and in control of herself, despite what went on around her. She approved, dropping the track on her powers. She heard Nocturnus's faint question and paused in her flight, "Now?," she answered the young warrior, "We keep going."

"C'mon," she called, flitting back over the lake, "The Galaxy isn't going to save itself, and I'm on a tight schedule. Move it! One-two, one-two, or whatever that ridiculous business is."

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As they moved, Ribbon started relaying information that she had overheard after she had rejoined her former leader, information that Sailor Mars committed to memory. She finished just as they left the forest, and, after quickly checking to see if she had anything else to add, Mars thanked her and promptly ran until she was free of the odd pull the disk-like place had, then jumped up, and promptly flew away, her hand going to her ear to relay information to Sailor Jupiter, back on Earth. 

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 Mars leaves Sagittarius Zero Star, intending to find Sailor Venus to give her a piece of her mind. She shares relevant information learned from Ribbon with Sailor Jupiter, back in the command center on Earth, as well as sharing the good news about the resurrected Senshi, Venus and Vesta foremost of note.

Jupiter shares that she knows - that reports have been pouring in about unexpected reunions and redoubled efforts on planets, how planets are being cleared, and those that appeared to be lost are now back under contention. 

Things are looking up on the Galactic Scale.

The war wasn't over, but this battle was concluded. The group fragmented, some choosing to go back to a planet and rest, others choosing to attempt to continue on, calling for Jupiter for new placement orders. 

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If you would like your character's plans published in this post, please PM or Skype me their choice. Remember, also, to include where they ended up going in your history, should you choose to include this event in your character's canon timeline.

 The Crone, Achelois, infant-Enyalius ("Liera"), and the Chimera make for Planet Achelois.
Leviathan and Shadow have returned to planet Leviathan
Andromeda has returned to planet Andromeda

Unknown Destination:

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EXP from the boss has been added in!
 Andromeda has leveled up! Andromeda is level 8!
 Achelois has leveled up! Achelois is level 10!
 Callisto has leveled up! Callisto is level 6!