When Shadows Rise

by Lisa Williamson

  “Destiny does what it does. We can’t control it. You know that.” He stood and turned back to door. “Are you sure he doesn’t remember you?” Mamaru knew a little about suppressed memories after all.

  Suteko’s weak smile and nod saddened him. “The magic was thorough in removing me once it was decided I was not to be this generation’s guardian. The guardian must be focused on what he is entrusted with, not on his possible rivals.” She sighed. “When Mother and Grandfather tried to make him into the perfect assassin and sent him out to kill those he loved, only the fact that we shared the same curse that kept him from becoming what they wanted.”

  “The curse? Do you still carry it?” When the cat told them of the curses at first it was just one too many facts but now. Well it could be a problem if the other side knew of it.

  “No, Chris broke the curse somehow when he made me Unicorn.” She closed her eyes for a brief shudder. “It would have been a little hard to do battle in the damn skimpy outfits we wear if I was turned into a guy every time I got wet.”

  She forced out a chuckle and then gently placed the harp back into its case. “Thank you for bringing this. It means a lot to me.”

  “Can you talk to the others now?” He asked softly.

  Suteko nodded and headed into the well lit room beyond. She knew that the story of her past would leave the people in the other room even more questions. Ones that she either didn’t know the answer to or couldn’t answer. As much as she trusted the Princess there were family secrets that she could just not talk about. Things that would give away some of her advantages. But she would answer as many questions as she needed to and hope that they stayed away from those.

  Mamoru went over and settled next to Usagi and took her hand. She rested her head on his shoulder and cuddled up close. The picture they made was almost too sweet for the Star Knight. They reminded her of her lost brother and and the girl who must now be his wife. She sighed and went over to the window. Her movements were a lot more relaxed now that she was back in her preferred jeans and loose top but she was still radiating tension. “So, did you tell them the whole sordid tale cat?”

  Persephone snorted from her perch on Saturn’s lap. The beast knew that her charge was referring to things from her more recent past but she would never reveal the heart secrets that the lonely young woman held. She may have only joined her in the past week but she had kept an eye on this young woman from the time she was a child.

  “Just brought them up to date on the Crystal kingdom and your ancestors.” The cat purred as the young woman stroked her back.

  “How long have you known about the Crystal kingdom Suteko?”

  She shook her head and sighed. “By that name, only since the Cat came but I knew some of what she told you. Grandfather used to tell me stories, stories I thought were just tales to entertain a child. A few things he taught just to me as his heir.”

  “Did you get to pass those stories on?”

  She sighed before answering. “I told a few stories but they are part of the memories wrapped in the spell. At this time I am the only living person who knows the tales.”

  “Would any of these tales help now?”

  Suteko thought for a moment. While the tales were not secrets they were family tales. “Possibly,” Suteko thought back to the early tales. Leaning against the window sill, she looked out. Taking a deep breath she started telling a story, changing it to the facts she was slowly remembering. “In the days before there was once a young teacher. This teacher was assigned to the emperor’s court. She would tell tales to the young prince, teaching him to think before reacting. Combining the tales with physical training she helped the prince grow into a fine young man. They were friends and more.

  Only those who were part of a certain clan were allowed to teach the royal family. Cousins as teachers and sensei. The woman had grown close to her student. They were friends and it was to his friend that the prince went with his concerns.

  Among the royal family there were those who had magic. The Sensei was one, as was the Prince. In secret she taught the Prince how to channel his Chi, to send the power through his hands and outward. The Prince was quite powerful and he could hit any target with his Chi but he had not developed any finesse yet.

  Each day passed like the next for many months but there was a subtle rebellion brewing. Whenever mankind was at peace for too long the darker side would rise, deciding that they knew better how to steer the world. In the Crystal Kingdom the dark was lead by the Lord Seneschal.

  The Seneschal, Lord Shyama, was uncle to the Prince. He felt he was robbed of his rightful throne but he hid it very well. He made a pact with creatures outside of the kingdom, creatures that were aligned to strife and war, those who worshiped the Darkness.

  When the Sensei took the prince out for one of their training missions deep into the mountains surrounding the kingdom, he struck. In one night of treachery and blood, Lord Shyama killed or imprisoned most of the royal family. The King’s younger sons fought like whirlwinds but they could not overcome the monsters of the Shadows. They died with swords in their hands. The daughters, some were seduced and joined their uncle in the darkness while others were killed in their beds. A set of tiny twin daughters were smuggled out of the city by their caretakers. Soon the once bright and happy kingdom had fallen to the dark powers. Daily battles led to death squads roaming the countryside and the city looking for the missing Prince and his baby sisters.

  The only thing keeping hope alive was that the crown Prince was still alive. Legends of the Prince and his advisor started to trickle into the beleaguered city. Shadow assassins were sent out and they never returned. With each group that disappeared the legends grew.

  In the mountains above the city a small enclave of the Light born existed. It was here that the tiny princesses were brought and it was there that two wandering priests started their travels. They moved from village to village no matter the season or the weather. At each gathering of huts they healed the sick and taught the ignorant and occasionally they took on apprentices. By the time they left the villages for the city there were six traveling together by foot. The legend goes that the six were the Prince, his Sensei, two guardsmen and two priestesses.”

  The listening senshi were all sitting forward as Suteko paused her tale. Iriko slipped into the kitchen and brought Suteko a large cold glass of water. She swallowed most of it down before turning to the room. “You have to understand that when this tale was told to me it was over the period of a year, just before my great uncle died. He did not tell me names but…” she frowned.

  “You are starting to remember aren’t you?” asked Mamaru.

  Suteko started to nod but then shrugged. “Not so much a memory. The story was always something told, or so my uncle said but now, years later, I realize that Uncle only told these tales to me. At the time I thought nothing of them, but now?”

  “Now you realize that he was teaching you your history?”

  Suteko nodded and continued. “The details are fuzzy from the time they entered the city. They would fight the shadows in battles that lit up the night. The Shadows controlled the palace guard and the police. Many battles it took to reach the castle and the cost was high."

  Once more Suteko fell into the storyteller’s cadence. “The priestesses fell in the third ring, fighting shadow demons. Their powers we strong but the beasts were stronger. The guardsmen died in the second ring, filled with arrows of steel infused with shadow poison. It was the Prince and his Sensei that fought their way into the palace. Using steel, wood and magic, they defeated the police, then destroyed the guard.” She paused and closed her eyes as if to concentrate.

  “After a night, a day and another night, the Prince and his Sensei reached the throne room.” Her voice started to change as the rest spilled out. No longer was it Suteko telling the tale. A glow started under her skin, clean and white.

&
nbsp; “We stood facing our uncle, the man who betrayed all our people stood for. He was no longer the tall, handsome man who had taught us to ride. He had become twisted and strange. As her words flowed an image formed in the air. Usagi sat up and changed to Princess Serenity as magic filled the air. She waved a shushing hand to quiet her court as Suteko’s voice spun magic from light.

  The image of Lord Shyama at first was tall, broad of shoulder and dark of hair and beard. Obviously related to both of the young people standing proudly before him in simple robes of traveling priests. Iriko looked from the image of the sensei to Suteko. Barring clothing and hair style, they were identical.

  “We tried to save our uncle, using my gift of music and Hiro’s strength but our uncle had been consumed. No longer a man, he had become a Shadow Master. Chi flew from us both, wounding the Shadow Master, tearing hunks from his form but still he fought.

  He had the power of all shadows and had sucked in the hatred and fear that his creatures had generated in the people of our land.”

  The silent scouts watched as the two fought separately and together. Defeating each sending but slowly being defeated themselves.

  “When we thought we had destroyed him, we collapsed into each other’s arms, sobbing in pain and sadness for our lost family and home but Shyama was not dead. He rose up and struck us once more.”

  The images of the Prince and his sensei looked up as the Shadow Master sent a bolt of purest black toward them. Somehow the sensei pulled herself in front of her Prince and took the blast to her back.

  “The pain was more than any I had ever felt. It ate through my bones, killing me but I had to protect Hiro. He was my Prince, my lord and my life.”

  Suteko’s voice took on the suffering of the sensei as she died. Then the voice changed, it echoed now, sounding ghostly. “Hiro screamed my name and went berserk. He threw blast after blast, draining his soul in anger and sorrow. My Prince was trying to kill Shyama with his pain but I could not let him. For he would have become what he hated if he did.”

  Serenity slowly stood and moved to Suteko’s side. “How did you stop him?”

  “My spirit slipped from my broken body and I did the one thing I was told never to do. I slid inside of Hiro’s body and joined my soul to his. Together we raised the Light. A Light brighter than the sun and we ended the Shadow master.”

  “Ended him how?” This one thing could be the way to end the threat of the Shadow Master to the last generation of the Chi Masters.

  Suteko’s gazed turned to Serenity. Her large green eyes had changed to pale silver as the spirit continued. “As Hiro destroyed his body, I took his soul and locked it into a limbo cage. Using the last of my powers to seal him in. Forever trapping him in the Shadow realm, or so I thought.”

  “He has broke out of his prison by gaining the aid of the heir of his powers. The boy who wanted my Heir as his bride.”

  Serenity nodded. That part of Suteko’s story they had all ready heard. “This boy Kaneda. He has become your Uncle?”

  The ghostly sensei nodded Suteko’s head. “Yes, the boy wants my heir for his own selfish reasons but the Shadow Master wants to destroy her because of who she is.”

  Serenity softly asked what everyone was thinking. “Sensei you have told us your Prince’s name and even the Shadow Master but what was yours?”

  “My name was Sutemi, Princess. This vessel is my child and heir to my power. She was returned to my charge.” The features superimposed over Suteko’s softened. “She was originally born on a mountain top and left in the care of your great grandmother. A gentle and loving soul who promised to care for my child and my nieces. She and the children were gone when Hiro returned to get them.”

  There were soft gasps as the listeners realized that Hiro and Sutemi were more than teacher and student and that Suteko was also royalty, though she did not know it. The spirit gestured to Serenity and they silently communed for a long moment before the silver eyes closed and the light started to dim.

  Serenity slowly faded back to Usagi and put a finger to her lips. The people in this room now knew a big secret that even Suteko didn’t know.

  Suteko opened her eyes with a frustrated look. “I’m sorry but that is all I remember.”

  Iriko, Hana and Ami all looked at each other and then to the Prince and Princess, stunned. Persephone let out a long yawn. “It is all you need to remember Unicorn.” The cat gave one last head stroke to the teenager holding her and leapt down.

  “So you see there aren’t any secrets to the tales. No power or attack that I can pull out of it.”

  Hotaru joined the princess as Suteko went to put the glass in the kitchenette. Softly the youngest Senshi asked, “What did Sutemi tell you there at the end?”

  Briefly Usagi let her more serious self out. “She asked that we keep the secret of who Suteko is. Her child was the last heir of that dynasty. Another family rose to fill the gap when Hiro gave up his throne.”

  “He never married?" The teenager, though normally very serious, was reacting like any star struck girl.

  “No, he spent his life looking for his tiny daughter and his sisters.” Usagi looked across the apartment toward the Star Knight. ”But my ancestor disappeared from the kingdom with the children and she never returned to the Moon kingdom.”

  “So your ancestor took Suteko and raised her out kingdom, brought her to ancient Japan?”

  Usagi shrugged and spoke up brightly. “You tell stories so well Suteko. Where did you learn?”

  Hotaru smile her secret smile. The Princess was distracting the Star Knight with her bubble headed persona, wisely setting the mood in the room.

 

  Chapter four

  Two out of Three ain’t bad

  Aki leaned his shoulder casually on a wall that wasn’t there. The game was shaping up interestingly. The man that had become the Shadow Master was a fool. Instead of focusing on the current guardian of the Gate of Shadows, he was focusing on the woman. She, while powerful, was not the one keeping the gate from opening. Aki would not admit to himself understanding the allure of the warrior of Light had for the Shadow Master.

  Yes she was a striking creature with her pale skin and ink black hair. The large green eyes and generous curves would definitely attract the attention of any fleshy man but the Shadow Master was no longer fleshy. Though he did have a point. The warrior had nearly destroyed him when she tried the suicide ploy and from reviewing the intel he had on the woman he knew she would protect her brother the guardian even more fiercely then she had the Prince that was her leader.

  Calling to one of his own cadre of lieutenants he set them about looking for other chinks in the Star Knights armor. That the Moon Princess and Earth’s last prince were now part of the battle just made him smile. They may have defeated the Dark Kingdom and all those who followed but those were outsiders. They were not the other half of the human heart. In the end shadows would rule as they always did. The difference being this time the Chi Masters of Light would not be there to pull the bacon out of the fire for the Silver Moon Kingdom.

  ***

  Pluto and Time materialized in the clouds above Star Ocean. They listened to the offer given to the Kouhei and waited for him to make his decision. They knew how it would go but there was always a chance that he would not betray his friends and comrades. When the pact was made they faded from the skies and headed back.

  Hana was silent as they reappeared in her current apartment. Gregor was not there and she was glad. She turned to her mentor with a troubled look. “I had thought he was the least touched by darkness of the team. That he would have made it past those days.”

  Setsuna took pity on her young student. “Each of us, no matter which team we belong to, has to fight the battle with our inner darkness. Star Ocean never fought his. This is his challenge. He will have to fight this battle alone as each of you has.”

  “This will shake R
age to the core, Pluto. He and Star Ocean go way back.”

  “Rage is stronger than you give him credit for my student. He fought and won his battle, as you did. He will deal with Star Ocean when the time comes. For now we need to gather about us those allies that will be needed.” Setsuna then took her to the time pool and gave her the back history of the battle that they had now entered.

  ***

  In another part of the mega city a young man with large blue eyes and his black hair pulled back into a tight braid fought and laughed with his wife. Their battles had brought them together finally and all was good for them. There had been no attempts on the gate in a month. No new women claiming to be his bride, no men trying to take his wife. Life was good. As he snuggled down with his pregnant bride he tried to grasp something that his mind kept telling him was important. Something that was missing. Something he had for only a short time. With a sigh he gave up and closed his eyes. He was sure he would remember if it was important.

  ***

  In the place outside of time and space Setsuna appeared. “Your majesty, things are flowing as expected. Soon we will need to send them back.”