Bellatrix looked so guilty about losing Mossen that she wished she knew how to comfort her. Strangely enough, the very last person she expected to do that ended up doing it. Enyalius’ words were comforting even if in a grave way. Andromeda didn’t like the idea of abandoning Mossen either, but then the notion of splitting up was brought up.

Pluto spoke first, saying that she would go with Shadow. Then Ganymede and Leviathan followed. Andromeda knew that their main mission was to save this entire planet, not just one person, and she understood Enyalius’ need to continue on.

She also knew how precious a person’s life was.

And yet. The threat at the castle was likely bigger, and she didn’t want the group to split up too evenly. They’d need all the help they could get for whatever was waiting for them in that castle. Though it pained her to do so, to feel like she was abandoning someone, she knew what was the right thing to do for her at this point.

“I’ll go with Enyalius to the castle.”

Achelois thought the group would stay together but before they could continue on down the path Shadow asked about going after the gnomes to possibly find Mossen.  She watched as others volunteered to go with him after Enya told them the choice was theirs to make.  Achelois didn’t like the idea of not knowing what happened to Mossen and if they had the time to spare she would want to go after him.  However their mission was to save the Queen and they needed to get to the castle as soon as possible.  The longer they took to get there, the less their chances of success were.


Achelois positioned herself by Enya; she didn’t want the other group to face peril but the castle took precedence.  “I’ll head to the castle, the quicker we get there, the higher our chances of saving the Queen.”  Achelois looked thoughtfully at the ground for a moment, “I don’t want to leave anyone but we have no assurance of where he is, if he’s alive or unconscious or even dead.”  She looked back up and glanced at Enya, “We have sustained a lot of injuries and we haven’t even reached the castle yet.  If something terrible has happened to Mossen…”  She stopped for a moment before continuing on, “Everything we’ve gone through will be for not if we can’t save the Queen.” 

I didn't think it was going to cause such a rift..

Shadow breathed out a sigh, then shook his head briefly. "Let me make myself clear; I'm not looking for tracks just out of sentimental value. I suspect that our attackers also know of a safe route to the castle."

He glanced over the other senshi who had flocked to his side, intent on seeking out clues to what had happened to their lost faerie guide. Pluto's declaration to accompany him was heartwarming, and a small voice in his head was cheering - but it was only one voice. Shadow didn't have the power of the Legendary Silver Crystal at his side, just his own guilt and battered wits.

Was this the kind of pain that Neo Queen Serenity had to bear throughout her long life? He wouldn't know until he followed in her footsteps. He wouldn't begrudge Achelois, Enyalius or the others who followed them; their mission was indeed that important.

"Let's fight with caution if we have to fight at all. We've got others counting on us as well; remember that as we search."

Sailor Bellatrix

It surprised her to see Enyalius step up, her words to the point, but comforting in their own way. Bellatrix respected everything about Enyalius, and so, hearing such things from her cut through her self-depreciating thoughts far more than perhaps if it had been anyone else to say the same things.

She wanted to thank Enyalius, but the moment passed, and everyone began to talk of how they will continue forward. It seemed that the group would be splitting up, but Bellatrix knew exactly where she was going to go.

"I will continue forward to the castle as well." A part of her felt as though she should go find Mossen because it had been up to her to protect him. But the main mission was far more important. She had to continue on, regardless of anything else. The fairies depended on their success.

Bellatrix stepped over to stand near Enyalius once again, and then turned to look at the other group who would be following the footsteps. "If... no, when you find Mossen, please apologize to him for me."

Castle Group



Enyalius nodded a welcome as others joined her, glad to have their strength and their wits; the trek ahead of them was uncharted, and their destination questionable. 

In the end, a good number of their original ten had decided to split from the group and would attempt to learn Mossen's fate. She was not comfortable with their decision - the squat yellow-skinned enemy was far from docile or stupid. They had given her trouble, and she was stronger, faster, and better armored than they. They did not know where they would end up or what troubles they would face, let alone how many of these little creatures they might find themselves up against wherever the surviving gnomes had made their way off to, and even if they survived all that, there was no guarantee that Mossen was alive, or even was taken by those enemies. They chose to travel in a sizeable group, so a covert mission would be difficult, yet they did not travel with enough strength or healing powers to sustain themselves in a fight if they were evenly matched, let alone outnumbered.

But she had told them they should make up their own minds, and they seemed settled in their decision. As the parting members said their goodbyes and a private conversation was held between Pluto and Venus, Enyalius went back to the path they had just left by the lake, and used her tiara to mark the tree on the right-hand side of the path with the letter X; that way, if this proved to be the wrong path, they would know not to back track that far. She would continue marking trees on their path as they went, should the team following the footprints attempt to follow after them later.

Goodbyes and well-wishes complete, the castle group took the center path, and started on their way.

DM wrote:

The afternoon sun sinks towards the horizon; it will be getting dark soon.

Sailor Venus's eyes widened as Pluto voiced her decision. Alarmed and slightly panicked, the senshi of love grabbed her fellow Sol Senshi's arm and pulled her aside.

"Pluto, wait. Serenity gave us our mission. We need to save the Queen, first and foremost. Mossen would want us to save the Queen. If we don't head to that castle and save this planet, Earth could be next," she hissed.

Venus realized she sounded far too harsh and took a deep breath. "I'm going to the castle. Serenity's wishes are my top priority. But, if you do decide to go with Shadow..." Venus took Pluto's hands and looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please be careful," she said.

Footprint Group

Pluto watched as the group divided in two. She felt anxious, but she had chosen her path, and she would stand by it. Venus had come to her in a panic, and she smiled a little as she calmly answered her. “I know...but...I also know that if she were here....She would want to save Mossen. You know how she is...She is the brightest star in the galaxy, the one whose heart encompasses all, no matter what. The one who refuses to sacrifice one for many. If we can save Mossen, we have to try.” She stepped forward, gently hugging the blonde senshi. “Don't worry. I promise I'll be careful...take care of your team, Minako. Be the leader you always have. And keep your eyes open for the danger.” She met her eyes, garnet to blue. The meaning was clear.

And then the team was heading for the castle, going down the center path. She took a deep breath then turned to the others. “Alright, let's get moving. Let's try to do this quickly, but not foolishly.” she directed her gaze downward and stared. After a moment of staring, the shape of the footprints began to clarify in her gaze, and she slowly followed them. She found herself standing to the path left most, ironically enough the one Leviathan had almost stumbled down. She turned to the others. “The tracks lead this way.”

The night came quickly from when their groups had parted, and suddenly they were at another fork in the road. Dutifully, Enyalius removed her tiara and used its sharp blade to carve an "X" in the trunk of a tree to the left of the path they had just left, and then glanced down either avenue. Left, or Right? One generally north, from her reckonings, the other dead south; which would be the better option if they were to continue east? And what difficulties could they face, now that night was creeping up on them? 

Despite their battles since, she still felt like she could continue on, for a while at least. They could cover more ground... but turning back to those who had chosen to continue forward, she knew well that both Andromeda and Bellatrix had been severely wounded twice, with Venus not far behind. Were they willing to continue on? And which way would they choose, if they decided to do so?

She pulled out her water gourd and took a long sip; they had had a moment after their battle against the gnomes to freshen up, but a small brake now would not be seen as a negative, she thought. "How are you feeling?" she asked open-endedly to all three standing before her.

Castle Group

Walking away from Sailor Pluto had to be one of the hardest things Sailor Venus had ever done.  

She walked silently next to Bellatrix, looking straight ahead.  Her lips formed a thin line, and her eyes were focused on the pathway before them.  They came to a fork in the road, which was definitely the icing on the senshi of love's cake of disaster.

Enyalius's question caught Venus off guard, and she realized how tired and weary she was.  Her skin still burned from the acid explosion, and her eyes were red and irritated from her brief exposure to the yellow smoke.  Her muscles ached, and her mouth was parched.  

The sky was getting darker by the second, and with it, the temperature decreased.  The cool air felt good against Venus's skin, but at the same time, she felt herself shivering from the exposure.  She was used to the warm, comfortable walls of the Crystal Palace - it had been a long time since she had journeyed outdoors.

She looked helplessly at the fork, wondering which way they should go.  A part of her just wanted to throw her hands into the air and say screw it, she needed rest.  She could tell by the looks on her companion's faces that they needed rest just as much as she, if not more.  They were all exhausted.

But Sailor Venus was not ready to quit.  Her legs did not want to stop moving, her powers did not want to stop activating.  Her desire to fulfill her queen's wishes and save the universe from possible danger was more than enough to give her a burst of confidence.  Determined, she walked ahead of the group, towards the left pathway.

"I know we're all exhausted, but we have no time to lose.  Queen Serenity is counting on us to find this planet's queen and save her from the threats that are endangering her and her people.  Any second wasted is a second of her life that could be cut short.  If we push ourselves and keep going, we will make it in time.  I believe that we can do it, and I'm not letting the lack of sunlight prevent us from our goal."  She turned around, gazing down the left pathway.  Turning her head back towards the group, she said, "Left is the best way to go.  I can feel it."  

She knew that what she was saying probably sounded like utter nonsense to the other senshi, but she hoped that they would understand how important this mission was to her, and how vital it was that they keep moving.  She was telling the truth about the left pathway, though.  There was a voice in the back of her head telling her to go with her gut on this one, and her gut told her to go left.

Footprint Group

Ganymede Knight trailed after Pluto, letting the more experienced senshi follow the tracks. He hadn't expected Leviathan to follow them, since they had no idea what to expect as they followed the path. As the sun set, Ganymede sighed and finished wiping the blood from his face. He felt better than he did after the explosion at the lake, but he was still pretty sore, and he had barely recovered from the smoke's effect on his senses. They were all weak from the last two events, so they really couldn't afford a night ambush after all that.

"So...are we planning to make camp, or keep going?" he asked.

Enyalius could tell that Sailor Venus was tired, and the blonde's sudden burst of enthusiasm brought a small smile to her face. With no better option and neither path veering eastward as far as she could tell, she nodded and strode forward to carve a left-facing arrow in the tree at the head of the path, completing their trail mark, and let Venus lead on. 

With dusk upon them, her eyesight was getting worse and worse, and while she wished for light to help distinguish shadows from threats, she knew that light would only bring on the creatures that would oppose them. It was unnerving for her, not to be able to read the world around her with her most basic sense, but she tried her best then to read the people around her and get a feel for the morale of the group. The darkness did not scare her - what would happen would happen, and she would react as she always did - but she had known many who feared it and wanted to stave off the anxiety for as long as she could, if she needed to. 

Not knowing how else to go about it, she hung back to walk side by side with Achelois, and asked of their other companions casually, "Are either of you afraid of the dark?"

DM wrote:

Night is falling; everyone but Shadow drops 4 perception points.

Footprint Group

Shadow followed close to Sailor Pluto, attempting to detect the finer details of the footprints that remained otherwise hidden to his eyes. When Ganymede presented his question, Shadow glanced over his shoulder to establish eye contact with the young man before redirecting his own attention back to the darkening woods. If he sacrificed a bit more of his own resting time, they could rest longer and be in somewhat better shape to tackle the challenges that lay before them.

"I want to keep going for now. As for following the trail or keeping watch when we make camp, I have nocturnal vision; my eyes adapt equally well to light or darkness."

Footprint Group

"So, like, if you were stuck in a room with no windows, you'd be able to see it in?" Sailor Leviathan asked. "That's really creepy, Shadow."

Leviathan was stuck among titans, though that was what she had planned. Sailor Pluto, Shadow and Ganymede Knight were no one to mess around with. She could never imagine in her wildest dreams that she'd ever amount to half the power these warriors possessed, but she was content enough now to be here with them, even when, in her opinion, this search and rescue would turn out as a failure.

The thing was, her memory was still hazy of the explosion. She was likely suffering from a concussion, as she couldn't even remember Ganymede's attack leading up to it in the first place.

"I'd like to take a break soon if possible," Leviathan continued. "Something doesn't seem right here. How long have we had these burns? If we were hurt this badly, think what could have happened to the fairy. Spooky."

The senshi shivered and frowned as the realization came over her that night was truly settling in.

Pluto continued walking, though she squinted as the light faded. She bit her bottom lip a little, wondering if it was worth the risk... She could hear the others talking and was relieved to hear of Shadow's night vision. That could make things a bit easier. “Shadow, then here, let me show you what I’m seeing. I have a little lantern with me...but I’m afraid if I use it, we'll become a target. I'd like to keep moving...it wasn't too long ago since they fled, we may still have a chance of catching up to them and finding Mossen. Let's go for a little longer and then we'll take a brief rest, alright?”

She glanced over her shoulder and her gaze hardened a little. “Don't talk like that,” she snapped a little, “There's still a possibility Mossen is alive, and we can save him. Real senshi don't shy away from 'spooky' things.” Her tone was a little cold. She hadn't forgotten Leviathan's ramblings, and her dislike for the girl had increased. But she would not flat out say who she was.

Footprint Group

"Well, at least someone can still see after dark." Ganymede Knight said. He could keep going too, but he wouldn't be able to see his own hand in front of his face if it got any darker. He looked back at Sailor Leviathan and saw her shiver. "Does somebody need a night light over there?" he asked with a grin. "I can check for the spooky things if it makes you feel better."

Castle Group

As the original ten ended up evenly splitting for their own missions, Andromeda felt as if things were looking more worrisome than ever. They’d all barely survived when they were together, and there was a greater threat at the castle. Now their chances were cut down yet again in half. She couldn’t help but think this was a very bad idea, but what could she do? She wasn’t the leader of this team or in charge of them. She couldn’t make anyone do what they didn’t want.

She just hoped the other group’s mission wouldn’t be for nothing.

As they parted ways, she realized night was slowly falling. Had it only been one whole day since they started the journey? It seemed as if it had been decades. She was weary, for sure, but Achelois’ recent healing had actually taken some of her aches that didn’t come from battle and she’d felt as if she had been supplied with new energy. “I could continue on, no problem,” she answered Enyalius’ question, and watched Venus come alive all of a sudden. The senior senshi had not been talking much for a while and Andromeda was surprised by her burst of energy. It was infectious, though, and soon she realized this was precisely Venus’ intention. She wanted to keep up morale, and she’d done it.

As for the fork in the road, Andromeda was also surprised that Venus seemed so certain about where to go—how would she know and how come she’d never displayed this ability before?—but who was she to question a senshi who’d fought for hundreds, maybe thousands of years? She supposed it was good someone was taking charge. She was fine with being a follower.

They continued on with the path Venus chose and she began to feel the temperature dropping. It was actually nice after all that burning. Though of course, the night might hide even more dangerous creatures. Andromeda was tired of thinking about what-ifs; she’d decided she’d face whatever was going to come out when it happened.

To Enyalius’ second question, she smiled. “Not particularly. I used to sneak out during the night to swim in the ocean back home…”

Thoughts of home once again invaded her thoughts, and she felt a painful longing for it. If—when—she got out of this alive, she had some sorting out to do with her family.

Footprint Group

Shadow spoke with a quiet resolve, responding to Leviathan's query as he watched the dusky woods for signs of predators, jaundiced gnomes, or other unpleasant inhabitants. "I suppose it is creepy, Leviathan, but that doesn't compare to the vindictive spirit I used to have."

When Pluto called for him, Shadow moved up beside the daughter of Chronos to observe what she was signaling. "You've got my attention. We won't need the lantern when I can be your eyes."

Castle Group


When Enya dropped back to walk with Achelois and asked the group about the dark she remained silent.  She wanted to hear what Andromeda and Bellatrix would say.  She knew that Enya already knew that she had no fear of the dark.  There was no artificial light on her own planet; just the stars and the moon.  She had spent many nights lying awake in a field where her view of the sky was unobstructed drinking in the silvery light.


On the other hand she was feeling weary.  She’d had to expend a lot of energy just to keep people from losing consciousness.  She had also taken damage herself, from the explosion and from the yellow cloud.  Achelois’s brow furrowed just a bit as they walked along, her staff clinking against the ground as it swung with every step.   How would they handle the castle in the state they were in… if they even made it to the castle…  Achelois closed her eyes for a moment as she breathed in and out slowly.  As she opened them up again she pulled her water out of her pocket and took a few swigs before putting it back.

She was glad that the group wanted to keep going but she wondered if it would help them recover energy if they rested a bit.

Castle Group



Continuing to keep a steady stride, a smile crept across Enyalius's face as she turned to look at the water-warrior in the dim light, her eyes and nose crinkling in amused approval.

OOC:

DM wrote:

Both groups should reach their next fork in the road at about the same time.

The last light is fading; the darkness has arrived; the woods are strangely quiet.

If any group chooses to sleep and a majority of their members agree, their group will "sleep". I'll roll to see if they make it through the night without being disturbed; if they are disturbed, we'll have a battle. If they aren't, I'll announce it is morning for them.

I'm keeping track of time by having each group move at about the same pace on my map.

Footprint Swag Group

Sailor Leviathan sighed when she was told off by Sailor Pluto again. She respected the sailor senshi more than others for her experience, but she couldn't help but recognize that her time with her wasn't pleasant. She almost wished she had gone into further unknown danger with her hero, Sailor V.

Further proving her maturity, Leviathan stuck out her tongue at Ganymede Knight. Her ears perked when Shadow commented that his eyesight wasn't nearly as frightening as his former demeanor.

"Guardian Leviathan said my past personality was different too... that I was more reliable or something. Whatever that means. Probably that I was a push over."

Pausing, she groaned at the pain in her legs.

"Are you sure you guys don't want to rest? Well, I guess if we were to rest, it'd mean that we'd be putting that fairy's life further in danger. Still... my legs really hurt. I can't imagine how the others are fairing in heels..."

Footprint Group

Pluto pointed at where she had seen the footprints. “Here. You have to kind of take in everything at once, and they'll stand out more because they are different. It's getting harder for me to see though, so I think you should take over now. We're relying on you, Shadow.” She smiled gently. Until she heard Leviathan's comment. She scowled darkly and looked slightly at her, her voice a bit colder. “No. Reliable means that others can trust you to help them when they need it, instead of worrying about yourself constantly. Reliable means you don't lie.” she fairly spat out the last sentence before she turned her attention forward again, gripping her staff tightly in hand. “Like I said, let's keep going. Any delay could mean Mossen's death, if it isn't too late.”

Footprint Group

"I'd have never guessed you were a troublemaker..." Ganymede said sarcastically in response to Shadow. He probably did all sorts of shady things for the Dark Kingdom, he thought. Sailor Leviathan's mention of a past personality was interesting though. Had she also reincarnated at some point in time? And why was Pluto suddenly so irritated? Sure Leviathan was being a brat, but no more than usual.

"You want me to carry you since you're so tired?" he asked. "I can go on for at least a couple more hours, Ms. "Real Senshi"." He knew full well that he was baiting her, but if she was busy annoying him, then she wasn't complaining.

Footprint Group

Shadow lingered close to Sailor Pluto, following her outstretched hand and the accompanying directions for locating the tracks of the vicious gnome kidnappers. He smiled inwardly when Ganymede expressed predictable suspicions of character shortly before the tall knight proceeded to jest further with Sailor Leviathan. "And I had such high hopes for you," came Shadow's reply in a deadpan tone.

I still do, but that boy worries me sometimes. Shadow shifted forward to walk beside Pluto, attempting to share in her burden before he took over the search entirely. It was impossible for him to tune out Pluto's scolding of Leviathan, but he could add his own commentary.

"We will have a chance to rest. Be glad you're not me right now; I'm going to spend most of the night awake."

"I know what reliable means," Sailor Leviathan pouted. She understandably felt irritated at being lectured at, but something inside of her proded her to think that she was supposed to be better than this. She should be on Sailor Pluto's level now, talking with her as an equal. She wasn't sure why she felt this way. It wasn't prideful or arrogant, but rather regretful. She simply thought Was this a feeling carried over from her past life? She wasn't sure.

Hearing Ganymede's teasing, Leviathan's head turned slowly toward him

"Yes. Carry me. Right now."

Leviathan's voice was completely dead pan. Her eyes were blank.

"Carry me like you did for her earlier!" she proclaimed, pointing directly at Sailor Soul. That would be alright, wouldn't it? You wouldn't back down on your promise, right? It would be against your manly man honor!"

A sneer came over her face. She held her arms forward and shook her hands about as she gleefully snickered.

"Carry me!"

Footprint Group

Ganymede Knight's fists clenched at Shadow's words, and his temper took over at the insult. "And what the hell do you mean by that?" he asked. He was quickly derailed by Sailor Leviathan.

"W-what?" He looked at her in surprise. Ganymede hadn't expected Leviathan to actually take him up on that offer. "I was just joking!" But she did have a point, in a twisted sort of way. "...Fine," he grumbled. "But no more whining until we stop." He bent and picked her up like he did with Sailor Soul earlier, looking mildly annoyed.

Castle Group - Sailor Bellatrix

It was strange to see just how many of the others had gone off to investigate after Mossen and those footprints. She understood their concern for the little fairy, but she couldn't understand the decision to delay the main mission. It was important to get to the castle. And, bluntly put, what was the life of one fairy when thousands more depended on them to save the queen?

But it was their decision, and she wished them luck all the same.

When the newly formed group reached the fork in the road, Bellatrix was surprised to hear such conviction in Sailor Venus's decision. How was it that she knew where to go? Both ways had looked pretty similar to her, but then, she was perhaps not the most experienced or observant of senshi. Maybe all the years of battle had honed Venus's intuition in a way that most couldn't comprehend.

At least the decision had been made with relative ease, and they were on their way once again.

Her body ached, each step reminding her of the battles the group had faced earlier. The lingering burns pulsed and stung, but she tried her best to ignore it all. She had to keep going. With darkness falling, it only made it feel more like time was running out for all of them to save the fairies. And that couldn't be an option. They had to get to the castle and save the queen.

"Let's continue," Bellatrix agreed. "I feel as though we are already behind, and I don't think we can afford to waste more time."

Even though she knew it would perhaps be the more wise decision to rest since they were all injured in various ways, but her stubborness would not let her admit just how tired she was. She could keep moving. She would keep moving.

At the next line of conversation, Bellatrix wasn't sure how to answer the question. After a moment, she replied, "I'm not so afraid of the dark either." She paused. "However, I am wary of the things that might lie in waiting within that darkness. I dislike that it gives such a good cover for potential enemies. It makes me feel paranoid." 

It seemed too much to hope that they would be able to reach the castle without more incidents. Not after all the trouble they had already faced before the groups split up. Now with fewer numbers, how were they all going to fare against the enemies they might face?

Castle Group



"I feel the same," Enyalius replied to Bellatrix as the night continued to close in. Her face returned to a neutral expression as she elaborated, "Darkness makes me feel as though I am unwillingly surrendering primary defenses to an outside force, and it can be unnerving. Back on Enyalius, a long time ago, the captain would make us stay up all night in hostile training conditions and frighten us terribly with unseen threats and attacks at random," she shared, suddenly feeling nostalgic. "After about the third such night, we were not so easily perturbed - what would happen would happen, and worrying about it would not change reality." She paused; she had already said so much, but just thinking about that time in her life, with the thrill of learning and taking action such a sharp change from the years before, she couldn't help but feel uplifted, and another memory came to mind. "There was this chant he used to say, passed down from his grandmother -- 

disclaimer: