OOC Information:

"Sparkles and sunshine, as always," the Guardian thought aloud happily, humming as she toured the innards of the Galaxy Cauldron. One might not expect it to always be so, but those senshi who chose not to be reborn were generally a peaceful and happy lot, while the violent shadows that would become or recently were agents of Chaos usually clung to the far reaches of the realm, leaving the rest of them to their harmonious existence. She visited the shadows on occasion, not in an attempt to change their ways but instead to understand them, just as she strove to understand the 'retired' senshi, and, in some circumstances, managed to talk the defeated shadows into joining their tranquil community. She loved her job.

But recently she had become a little bored... with their deaths many of those she watched over had already finished telling her their stories, else had forgotten them when they crossed the river Lethe, and she craved the company of those whom she had never met before. Or, perhaps, a visit from old friends...

The Knight stepped forward through the corridor, following his intuition. A voice compelled him forward and guided his footsteps. Ken reached the opening to a large room full of manuscripts and in the middle sat a large Black Cauldron to which galaxies are born. "Hello' the good knight called forth..."It is I...Ken...Tuxedo Jupiter...I've followed my way here"

Ken looked around the room for sign of movement.

Cosmos Guardian startled. As though a wish had been fulfilled, more company had arrived! She glanced around her, searching for the new arrival, but only saw familiar faces surrounding her. And at that, only girls at the moment. It was rare for men to be born with crystals, so the number of male spirits in her community could be counted with fingers and toes, and this unfamiliar voice belonged to none of them. She stood, puzzled for a moment, and then realized that what she heard originated not from within the cauldron itself, but from without. The ladies around her continued about their business normally - only the Guardian had the sense for living visitors - so, with a nod of her head to Sailor Okeanos, a senshi who had been with her for a long time, Cosmos Guardian blinked out of the cauldron...

...and reappeared standing on the lip. She was a little figure, a sprite, dressed in a strange, orb-like gown with long white hair that stretched on for ages. She smiled at her visitor with warm welcome, "Hello, Ken of Jupiter. Welcome to the Galaxy Cauldron. What brings you here this day?"

ADDITIONAL OOC NOTE:

Ken was startled to see such a delightful sprite in front of him. He thought for a moment and then said "I'm here seeking old friends I once knew and new friends that I have yet to meet" "What is your name?" Ken said as he bent down to her level.

The guardian smiled happily, "I am Guardian Cosmos, keeper of the Cauldron. You have come to the right place, Ken! For in this place of all places, dimensions and timelines become one. Those whom you have lost may appear here, just as you have, and there may appear a few whom you do not yet know - "

She looked up, her bright pearl-colored eyes spying another behind him, but she then shook her head - it was only the shadow of someone on their way, someone who would arrive very soon.

"While you are here, you will know only peace, knight."

"Thank You Good Sprite, I shall stay awhile and see who arrives to meet us" Said ken as he turned around and waited for someone to come.

OOC NOTE:

A sudden jolt followed by sharp pain snapped Steve Rogers back into reality. His back hurt like hell, and it wasn’t entirely clear why. The last image he could recall was a flash of light, preceded by a shout of, “Look out!” More likely than not, Banner had been the first to realize fussing around with alien artifacts probably endangered the wellbeing of everyone in the room; Stark was too preoccupied adjusting all sorts of devices that Steve didn’t quite understand, nor was inclined to study. Stark, being the self-described “genius billionaire” of the group with access to unbelievable technology, asserted that there existed minimal risk; he never bothered to go into the technical details—or, at least, Rogers lacked the scientific knowhow to identify the jargon. All he knew was he never felt too comfortable with the project, and the sirens and alarms which followed shortly after the experiment began seemed to justify his concerns.

So much for being right.

Steve rubbed his back slowly, attempting to gather his bearings while numbing the pain. He definitely landed on something hard, and that surface happened to be marble floor. Marble floor? Unless he had been knocked out for another seventy years and S.H.I.E.L.D. decided to remodel the laboratory, then it was unlikely he was even in the lab by this point.

In fact, as Rogers glanced about, he had absolutely no idea where he was. As Dorothy might say, he definitely wasn’t in Kansas anymore.

“What is this place?”

The décor felt both familiar and alien. With that in mind, Rogers’ thoughts ran quickly through a checklist. Given his basic knowledge and suspicions, he figured that somehow he was launched, or teleported, to another location. It definitely looked like a place on Earth, perhaps a bit on the fancy side. Scratch that, Rogers thought: definitely on the fancy side. This made Penn Station—at least the last time he visited it, which would have been many years ago—look like a boutique shop. The size alone took him aback, not to mention the stunning architecture. It reminded him vaguely of St. Patrick’s Cathedral; although he had the sense this place dwarfed even that landmark.

Rogers, having nursed his back, stood up straight, deciding to indulge his curiosity. He felt completely out of place in this vast, cavernous structure: first of all, skinny kids from Brooklyn rarely paid visits to large, palace-like buildings; second, in his Captain America uniform, he stood out even more than he normally did, the red, white, and blue of his uniform clashing with the soft colors of the walls, ceilings, windows... practically everything. Steve thanked his lucky stars that he at least brought his shield, leveling a playing field against a potential foe. He preferred to be out of fashion than unprepared.

But he wasn’t here to pick a fight. Rogers just wanted to know where he was and how he could return home.

Strapping the vibranium shield to his forearm, Rogers began to cautiously scour the halls of this magnificent building. He swore he could hear whispers matching his footsteps, causing the Avenger to remain on guard and on alert. As he progressed, Rogers wondered who happened to live in this enormous structure, unless it happened to be a church of some kind. He couldn’t see, or at least couldn’t identify, any religious iconography, adding to the enigmatic quality of his newfound setting. Maybe it was a castle? Could he be in Europe? The whole notion seemed ridiculous.

Then again, he was acquainted with a Norse god.

Steve followed the light glistening down an enormous corridor, presumably the main one. Once he reached its edge, he paused at the foot of a magnificent staircase to decide his next course of action.

“Go into the mysterious light, or head in the opposite direction?” Rogers asked himself, still very bemused. He drew in a breath and narrowed his eyes. “Guess I should leave no stone unturned.”

With that, Captain America ascended the stairs and approached the archway from which the light shone. Rogers shielded his eyes partially with the tip of his shield, hoping that he wasn’t walking into some sort of deadly contraption. The light, however, radiated no additional heat; in fact, it felt strangely soothing. The sound of rushing water accompanied this sensation as he drew closer.

Either these were hopeful signs or ominous portents of imminent disaster.

Once through the archway, Steve’s vision adjusted to the light. Looking about, he realized the environment had given way to the vastness of a starlit sky—a sky which completely enveloped him. The sight was far beyond words, though it unnerved Rogers as much as it amazed him. Glancing forward, he spotted one… no, two figures in the distance, both of whom were standing at the edge of this platform. He could only make out one figure distinctly; the other… well, Steve Rogers didn’t quite know how to describe it—or her, if the small, feminine build was any indication.

The two were apparently engaged in a conversation. Once Rogers judged he was within earshot, he cleared his throat and spoke, doing his best to remain firm yet cordial:

“Uh, excuse me! Mind if I ask you two—”

Steve paused as one of the persons, a man, turned to face him. He once again cleared his throat, caught off guard momentarily.

“Mind if I ask a few questions? I’m a bit lost.”

OOC Note:

The Guardian peered around the Jupiter Knight to better examine the new arrival, a look of curiosity crossing her small features as an eyebrow lifted in interest. This man was unlike the senshi she usually associated with, but the feeling she sensed about him gave her no uncertainties about his heart: a hero, a guardian and protector of his world as surely as any of her senshi were. His attire and build were those of a warrior, but his expressions betrayed a much softer side, an understanding of those weaker than he. She immediately approved.

Smiling encouragingly for him, she considered answering but decided to see how the Jupiter Knight reacted first. It would be Ken's first meeting with a person from another dimension, and it would be interesting to see how the two interacted.

'Well Hello There...uh ye you may ask me a few questions, but I have one of my own. Who are you my good man?" Ken asked as he was surprised to see him here with the guardian.

Rogers remained momentarily silent. His eyes shifted to the pixie-like woman with hair that seemed to be endless. He was taken aback by her diminutive appearance, one which undoubtedly confirmed that she was other than human. And since this location suggested little connection with Earth, Steve’s mind began to work with the assumption that this woman, this sprite was a native to this world. So, if anybody knew what was going on, she probably held some of the answers. Her amicable smile gave him hope.

But who was this other guy? Given his build and attire, he appeared to be human, perhaps a soldier, though Rogers suspected there was more to this stranger than met the eye. In all likelihood, that type of assessment was going to be par for the course around here…wherever here was exactly.

Rogers glanced back and forth between the two figures, disparate as they were. Though his lack of response lasted for barely a second, it felt closer to an hour for Rogers. Fearing that he had gawked for far too long, Steve extended his free hand, the one which did not bear his trademark shield, for a handshake. These two had given him no reason suspect malevolent intent. Why not be cordial?

“Steve Rogers,” he said at last. He bowed forward ever so slightly, uncertain of the customary greeting these two used. Rogers kept his hand extended and hoped for the best.

"Kenneth Storm...Welcome Steve...this is Cosmos Guardian" Said Ken as he extended his hand in friendship, gripping tightly to show his respect.

Ken eyed the man, and felt that there was something familiar about him. He felt that there was something strong and confident within him, an inner drive and pride in humanity and in good deeds.

"So what brings you here with us Steve?" Ken asked this knowing the answer

“Ken,” Steve repeated, quietly relieved to hear a familiar sounding name. “Good to meet you.”

He reciprocated the firm handshake he received; Rogers sensed, though he couldn’t put his finger on it, that Kenneth Storm was an honorable fellow, the kind of guy who was well grounded. As such, it felt good to get off on the right foot. Despite the welcoming atmosphere, Captain America nevertheless had the nagging impression that he was somehow in over his head.

And then there was the sprite, apparently called the ‘Cosmos Guardian.’ That feeling of being overwhelmed only mounted as Steve recited the name several times over in his own mind. Still wishing not to be impolite, Rogers nodded his head gently toward the Cosmos Guardian, whoever or whatever she was.

Steve then turned his attention back to Ken as they broke hands. “I’m not sure what I’m doing here, honestly. I think I got here by accident. Speaking of which,” Steve continued, slowing himself down a bit, “where am I exactly?”

When the Guardian spoke her voice seemed magnified, carrying through the vast space without echo, as it landed incredibly softly and welcoming upon the two gentlemen's ears in response to the question posed by Rogers. "This is the Galaxy Cauldron, at Sagittarius Zero Star: the place where stars, and possibilities, are born."

It wasn't a very good answer, but really, it was the best she could give him. The fact that they were in space was a large enough concept to grasp without adding the mythology and wonder of the workings of the universe into things.

Rogers blinked when the Cosmos Guardian’s response reached his ears. Her one sentence answer had opened a floodgate of inquiries in Steve’s mind, yet he refrained from unleashing those numerous inquiries at once. After all, this was not the first time he had awoken in an environment so alien to his own sense of the world; not that one became instantly accustomed to the sensation, however frequent it was experienced. Furthermore, Rogers would not go so far as to rationalize that there was a perfectly logical explanation for what had happened; in all likelihood, the logic of the answer probably eluded his grasp.

“The Galaxy Cauldron?” asked Rogers. His tone was not incredulous but rather bemused. “We’re in space right now?”

“…the place where stars, and possibilities, are born.”

That statement alone would be difficult enough for Steve Rogers to wrap his head around. For now, he would do his best to take things one step at a time. Hopefully the Cosmos Guardian, and perhaps Ken, would be kind enough to humor his questions and obvious bafflement.

(OOC: Well, I guess I better get some practice role-playing Ami).

"Hello?"

Sailor Mercury gently placed a hand along the wall and cautiously peered around the corner. Calculations and important information quickly sped across the screen of her goggles. She paused for a moment to read the flashing message, which revealed her current location. A look of disbelief flashed across her face and for a moment she looked skeptical.

Sailor Moon had mentioned this place, but only briefly. It had happened after the fight with Galaxia. That is when Sailor Moon had once journeyed to the Galaxy Cauldron, the place where stars are born and legends die. The story had been fascinating.

But, why was she here?

Other people were here. The Mercury Computer registered the presence of beings. In fact, they were nearby.

The hero’s mind seemed open and appreciative of his surroundings, the sprite evaluated as she continued to observe her new companions; it was a charming characteristic. Still standing, quite small, at the edge of the precipice overhanging the cauldron itself, the guardian threw her gaze skyward, lovingly regarding the gathering of stars in the seemingly-infinite cathedral surrounding them. Each shone brightly, hovering around the place of their birth, waiting for a senshi to guard them and the knowledge to guide them to where they were destined to be.

“Yes,” she answered for the curious visitor, “You are in space, Steve Rogers, at the exact center of the Milky Way Galaxy.”

---

Meanwhile…

The girl landed nimbly on the balls of her feet, but as she looked around she came to the stark realization that she wasn’t in Tokyo anymore. Gone were the rows of houses, the calm sunlight and the early morning noises, as well as the very fence she should have just jumped; in their place were huge windows, enormous doors, hallways and open rooms as far as the eye could see, all in an architectural style her friend Hikaru would probably recognize… She took a deep breath and let out a long, low whistle, holding it as long as she could and listening as the echoes bounced off of the walls and ceilings. Even after she stopped the tune continued eerily, travelling farther and farther away from her.

Well, now, where the heck was she?

Walking quickly and quietly, the blonde strode to the first opening she could see and peered down a long hallway. Nothing that way told her anything about her location. She whipped her head around to try the other direction and jumped – someone was there!

Quickly the girl peeled back inside the room, pressing herself against the wall in surprise. It had been an older teenager wearing the strangest blue sailor outfit she had ever seen. … but probably the cutest, too, she admitted as she relaxed. Even the strange bulbous sleeves and the long ribbon-like bows on the back had been pretty neat… maybe she could talk to her manager about making an outfit like that. Not in blue though – maybe orange. Or out of gold! Hey, maybe she could just ask the girl where she got the outfit!

Without hesitating a moment longer, she about-faced and headed back out the doorway into the hall, intent to ask the blue-haired stranger about her outfit.

And so she appeared before the senshi, her bright blue eyes eagerly determined, her long golden-blonde hair a bit on the frazzled side, but her trademark bright red bow solidly in place.

“You are in space, Steve Rogers, at the exact center of the Milky Way Galaxy.”

The Cosmos Guardian did not sound as though she were being dismissive or nonchalant; nevertheless, Rogers’ brows furrowed at conciseness of the response. As was the case with Nick Fury in the streets of New York City, Steve wasn’t so much angry with the messenger but taken aback by the honesty of the response. True, Steve would be the kind of guy to be straightforward without being uncaring; so he had no qualms with hearing the facts, painful or confusing as they were. He just preferred not to be the one person in the room who was totally out of the loop.

The 21st century seemed to be such a simple concept now.

Captain America gazed briefly across the expanse of the stars. This was the center of the Milky Way Galaxy? Unbelievable! In the pit of his stomach, Steve actually felt a twinge of excitement; who else could say that they had traveled to the center of the galaxy? Maybe Thor, if anyone, could make that claim. Rogers was floored when he learned about the moon landings, among other things. But standing in the very middle of the entire galaxy? No Brooklyn kid could have ever dreamed of such a story, let alone actually imagined living it.

Steve got a hold of himself. Amazed as he was, he also had duties which called him back to Earth. Now that he knew where he was, he needed to find a way back home.

“Somehow I managed to go from New York to the center of the galaxy in a second flat,” said Rogers, now turning his attention back to the Cosmos Guardian. “I know I keep asking questions, but I’m at a loss as to how I got here. Actually, I think I know how…”

Steve’s mind flashed back to the lab. Whatever they were testing, it must have possessed the power to send him hurtling through space. Fury was probably having a conniption, especially since he explicitly warned Stark not to fuss with unknown tech. Like a mischievous kid, Stark instinctively had to do the exact opposite of what he had been instructed.

“Is there a way I can get back home, to Earth?” Rogers inquired earnestly.

Captain America remained unaware that a few new guests had already arrived…

Slowly the guardian broke eye contact with the vast fullness of space around her, turning her silver gaze on the Star Spangled Man once more. She smiled encouragingly, hoping to convey peace and security in her eyes as she attempted to lay his trepidation to rest. "Fear not, Steven, you are not dead," she said, the last statement made sweetly in a matter-of-fact manner. "To go home, all you need do is make your wish. Imagine what you want and will yourself to be there, and it shall be so.

"But," she suddenly interjected warmly, "before you leave, would you care to join me for some tea? I feel more shining stars are on their way, and that so many are arriving so close together leads me to believe that everyone should meet. Ken of Jupiter, if you might join me as well?"

“Tea?” Rogers then stammered slightly in his answer: “I, uh, sure. Of course. I don’t see why not.”

Well, this meeting continued to take a turn for the unusual. Rogers would have otherwise decided to leave if not for the Cosmos Guardian’s welcoming manner. Her speech and disposition had kept him at ease, and she appeared to be genuinely interested in the idea of holding tea time in the center of the whole of the galaxy. Steve now partly sympathized with Alice’s confusion as she passed through Wonderland; curiouser and curiouser with each additional explanation. His belief in the trustworthiness of his newfound companions, however, had not wavered.

Accepting the explanation of the Cosmos Guardian, Rogers figured he could spare some of his time for her while the rest of the Avengers scrambled about. Perhaps, Steve considered in a rare moment of devilish thought, Stark would have to suffer through one of Nick Fury’s lectures while one of his teammates watched on disapprovingly—probably Agent Romanoff, given her occasional animosity toward the bombastic billionaire. It would be a pinch of payback for being launched through space.

Rogers adjusted his shield slightly and cleared his throat, figuring the Cosmos Guardian would be the one to lead the way.

Ken turned to Sailor Mercury and was surprised to see her there. "Ami?"

His eyes blinked with confusion. "What are you doing here? I thought Serena told you to stay with the scouts?"

"Marvelous," the guardian replied happily. "There are a few things I need to arrange before inviting everyone inside; I fear it makes me a terrible hostess, but might I ask you both to remain out here while I take care of some business below? I sense there are two others standing just outside the doors and I would like to invite them, as well."

OOC:

Ken looks to Mercury and Steve and then says "Sure thing, we will wait here"

The computer beeped once and a message flashed across Sailor Mercury's goggles. One of the beings was terribly close and the signature was similar to that of a close friend, but something was different. A look of puzzlement etched across her face, than one of surprise when a perky blonde teenager appeared before her. The teenager looked like...

"Minako?" Sailor Mercury questioned. "You surprised me. I did not know that you had followed me." She whispered, unsure as to who the other beings were and if they were listening to their conversation. "Sailor Moon has mentioned this place before. I believe that we are in the Galaxy Cauldron." She motioned toward where her computer has last indicated where the others beings were located. "Other beings are nearby. We should be cautious. You should transform at the earliest opportunity."

Something did not seem right about Minako and it bugged Sailor Mercury. Before she had a chance to examine that feeling further, the senshi heard a male speak her civilian name. Pausing for a moment, she heard the rest of what the male voice had to say. The information made her nervous. In those two sentences, the male voice revealed that he knew her civilian name and her identity as a sailor senshi.

(OOC: Unfortunately, Kenneth. I know next to nothing about the dimension that your character is from, because I can't find his character profile. I'm afraid that if I don't have enough information to role-play as if our characters know each other.)

As the blue-haired stranger spoke, the smile on Minako’s face first became even bigger, from a ‘hello, nice to meet you, where do you shop?’-smile to one of barely contained excitement – her eyes all but sparkled in her glee; a stranger, in a strange place, seemingly very far from Tokyo, knew her name. Her name! She had debuted as an idol only weeks ago, and yet this person had heard of her! ‘Maybe I’m better at this than I had thought!’ she thought “humbly.” … but as the stranger kept talking, the balloon that had been Minako’s ego began to deflate, as did her chipper smile.

Followed her? … The blonde thought back to only minutes before, strongly remembering that she had been practically alone on her street before she jumped that fence. There definitely hadn’t been someone who jumped over before her. A look of confusion stole over her pretty face, her eyebrows knitting together as she tried to keep up.

Sailor Moon? Galaxy Cauldron? Were those even nouns?!

“Other beings… transform…” she repeated, tasting the words on her tongue as she tested them for any relevance. Other beings – did she mean aliens? Mutants? Maybe just other people? A ‘being’ is anything that’s alive, right? Like zen and stuff – the whole ‘state of being’ means something about consciousness… she was pretty sure, anyway. And by transform – did she mean like Mighty Morphin Power Ranger style? Wait, this had to be a set up; a trick or something put together by the agency to test her acting abilities! … but was Manager Ando crazy enough to do something like this? To knock her out as she was jumping over a fence, transport her to a new and impressive set, and then expect her to ad lib with this actor? She mulled it over for a moment; … probably. He was such a weirdo, but he did get her great appearances and the best trainers around, so he was a.o.k in her book! And this meant that the adorable costume was already designed! She could have one too!

She fought the urge to clap excitedly, attempting to stay in whatever character they had planned out for her. Despite the look of mild puzzlement in her blue-haired colleague’s face, she bravely and enthusiastically continued forward, trying her best.

“Good thinking, er…” she hesitated, unsure of what to call her apparent partner. Rather than making up a name, she just smiled charmingly and continued without one, “What do you know about these ‘other beings’?”

OOC:9444:

EDIT (Pluto): Here you go. Just use

Spoiler:

For a moment, Minako seemed to struggle with the situation, which was rather uncharacteristic of her. Sailor Mercury assumed that Minako was likely confused by the prospect of being in the Galaxy Cauldron. The sailor senshi of water had been thrown for a loop, as well.

When Minako asked a question concerning the 'other beings' that Sailor Mercury had mentioned earlier, the blue-haired woman clicked a few buttons on the screen of her vizor. "One moment, let me see if I can learn more." A few moments passed. She quirked her mouth, pressed another button, than shook her head. "I know very little. Several are humanoid, if not human. They are very close." She looked up, then pointed toward a large set of doors. "I believe they are right past these doors."

She looked toward Minako. "I have not heard the voice of that male, again. I believe he is also past these doors. Please, transform. We have no idea what these beings are capable of and it is best that we go prepared."