[He blinks in surprise because, well, they're intelligent birds then. Guardians. Whatever. He tilts his head and before he can stop himself:] So they're kinda like feathery Baymaxes. [He grins a little at the comparison.
…that grin fades a tiny bit at the question. That's a complicated question.] He's okay. He came back in one piece and his code seems okay…he was taking a nap when I left. I shouldn't be gone for long. [It's clear that he's still a little anxious about being away from Tadashi for too long after everything and after the conversation they had that morning.] Baymax is watching him to make sure he keeps resting. What about you and your friends? You guys are actually okay?
[Deflecting the conversation: A Hiro Hamada story.]
Ah...something like that. [The two birds bow and then hop off her shoulders, landing neatly on the ground and bow again before going over to peck at something that'd caught their eyes.]
And see? I told you. Everything's okay. [Not...really but as okay as things can be. But since he's deflecting, she'll play into it and catch that pitch, but do bet that she's going to double back on you soon, Hiro.]
Just so for us. Minako-chan and Ami-chan are both just fine. Tired, disgruntled, and currently using both our bathtubs, but fine. And not about to go traipsing back into the jungle anytime soon. Especially not with a poisonous atmosphere.
They're kinda cool. [Trained birds. He's half-tempted to follow after them just to study them a bit more but that's rude. Nodding in response, he doesn't verbally respond to the notion that everything's okay. There's plenty that isn't okay but he's not quite ready to unpack all of it yet. Best to focus on the girls instead.]
The jungle wasn't really good for any of us. I don't really blame 'em. [There's a slightly sheepish smile.] I'm probably going to do the same thing when I get back. [This was more important than resting or soaking in a bathtub.] It's dangerous but…I might want a second look now that we know what's out there. We can prepare ourselves, you know? But definitely not anytime soon.
Might skip the mountain this time though unless I've got a snowsuit.
[Let's focus on that. Because her birds are more than cool. They're superhero alien princesses from a half a galaxy away. And only in Rei's world is that not a completely outlandish thought. So. Don't make her correct you and tell you how they are incredible friends and hero birds.]
How do you intend to deal with the atmosphere? [There's a pause, and she quirks her head to one side.] Because you aren't planning on going out alone. You aren't that foolish. You must have some plan.
[He actually looks a bit cowed for a moment because...well.]
I mean I haven't thought of that yet? I'm not going back out without a real plan and until I make some upgrades on me and Baymax. But it's there, Rei. I have to try when I come up with a good plan. And I've got a helmet, maybe I can figure out an oxygen tank or something to help.
[Or he can be an air elemental and be totally fine. Whatever. He doesn't know that's going to benefit him.] It wasn't that bad out there until the last day when it was too cold to move. I could breathe just fine.
It was different for myself, and Ami-chan. We were struggling with it for most of the time there. Just...the air was heavy, and it was definitely affecting us by the end of it.
[Yes, she'd had a way to communicate with other areas.]
Maybe it's because you're smaller than we are and got less of it, or it might be the locations. I mean, I was in a volcano. I'm surprised I don't smell of brimstone. [Wouldn't that be a treat?]
And atmosphere aside, what are you going to go looking for?
[He actually gives her a skeptical look at the idea that she could communicate with someone in another area and he's about to ask how when she officially distracts him.]
I don't think it's because I'm smaller. [How dare you insinuate such, Rei. He's still growing, gosh.] But I wouldn't think there's a lot of air inside a volcano either. There's a big difference between that and a mountain.
[He pauses again.] I'd like to learn more about the planet before Vincere bought it and before Cerealia was formed. We're going to find more hints out there than in here, don't you think?
[He is still growing but he's still a shrimp. Don't go all Edward Elrich on her now, Hiro...]
It's possible, yes. Though are you really going to go out into danger for xenoarchaeology? I'm sure there are clues about the natives and they might have information but is that really relevant to our current situation is my question.
[It's just a thought, and she actually agrees with him, but...devil's advocate.]
Rei, the colony's dangerous, too. Think about what happened inside the research tower. History's always relevant to our current situation when the science is fueled by past trial and error. That's what I want to find out. I want to find out what they've done before and what's happened here before that's creating all of our problems now.
I swear I'm not going out there without a plan, but…I can't just let it sit like this. It's not good.
[Rei nods at that, understanding and still agreeing. She wasn’t going to push the devil’s advocate thing, she just wanted to listen to his reasoning without prodding too much and felt it might be easiest that way to do it without sounding patronizing. She still was trying to step carefully around Hiro, given that he’d found his brother dead less than a week ago, after all. Teenage boys were…hard…for her sometimes and even she had to admit her logic was probably a little circuitous but the results were what mattered. He wasn’t rushing in blind.
And the way he was talking to her showed her something else. Something she found equally interesting. He actually cared about what she thought, or he wouldn’t be swearing.]
Hiro-kun. It’s not a bad idea. Especially when you put it like that. Learning what came before, as far as CERES is concerned is smart.
I was more worried you were just in a hurry to rush out and get back to feeling active without really taking a little time to put together a logic train. [Folding her hands in front of her, Rei’s attention focuses on Hiro’s eyes, trying to gauge his reaction.] I just don’t want you rushing into things because you think you have to. I know you’re a brilliant, reliable young man, and I agree one hundred percent that we have to do something. I just want you to slow down and think, because when I was younger I was a lot more like that. And I got myself into a lot of situations that could easily have gotten me killed. I’d hate for you to fall into the same pitfalls I did, when they’re easily circumvented by that big brain of yours.
Though…[Rei looks away, rubbing her left arm with her right a little awkwardly. Admitting this was hard, and it was likely a large part of why she was so worried about him. But she’d promised that she’d help him out, and that makes this eat at her a bit. Too many bad memories, too much time feeling trapped.] I think in this case, I’m not I’d be able to come help. Not…anytime soon, anyway. Mentally I don’t think I’m prepared for that right now.
[She's very wise that way and she seems to know precisely how to handle him. He's grown up a little since Tadashi's first death and since becoming a superhero. Normally he'd charge right in (and sometimes, of course, he still does just by nature of being an overenthusiastic and sometimes arrogant teenage boy) but he's stopping and thinking now. He refuses to go back in without finishing his new gear and without means to protect themselves. He's still a little raw from losing Tadashi twice and still a little lost on how to really proceed...but he's trying.]
I think what bothers me is that they're letting us willingly leave now. I want to go out there before they have time to hide any incriminating evidence we could use against them. [It's nervous energy, the need to constantly gogogo and seek answers.
But he can respect that. And for a moment, he watches her carefully before bowing his head a bit and shrugging almost awkwardly. Now's not the time to close back off, but it's still complicated in places.] I've already done a lot of things that've almost gotten me killed. A lot of things happened right after Tadashi died and I...[He trails off. It's obvious that Tadashi doesn't know any of these things and that he doesn't want to really explain right now. He told Ruby a few weeks ago. That was enough for now.] I know. Trust me, I know.
But I do have to do this. [It's then he looks at her.] I have to do this for the people who can't. The people who deserve to know but can't right now...I can do this. You just have to trust me. And I'll tell you if we find out anything out there this time, but it wouldn't make sense for you to go now if you're not okay. What's the point of making it worse?
[Hiro Hypocritical Hamada, ladies and gentlemen.] It's my job, Rei.
[She's in perfect agreement with him right up until the end. She does trust him, surprisingly. Hiro has been perfectly competent, and if not as emotionally stable as her other superhero allies, she can attribute that to age. But the final part. That this is his job? That somehow implies it's not hers. And while technically no, it isn't? It's not something she wants to hear. Her job is to protect the future queen of the Earth, not to go traipsing around in the jungles of some alien planet, but by the same token his job is to protect his version of Earth. And she can't let that stand entirely unchallenged.
Her eyes flicker up, meeting his, suddenly flashing with heat and her voice carries a note of command that usually only Mars can manage. It was more difficult to keep that side of her locked away when she was unstable. And that instability is exactly why she knew she shouldn't be going into the jungle. No matter how powerful she might be, she wouldn't be thinking clearly and that would endanger others. But his line of thinking was arguably worse in her mind.]
No. [flatly.] It's not your job. I do trust you, Hiro-kun, because you've proven to be a competent and reliable person. I don't extend my trust to men easily. But do not take on a risk like this just because you think it's your job. That kind of cavalier attitude leads to nowhere good.
[Her feet crunch on the loam of the clearing's floor, feet crossing the distance between them in a span of heartbeats. One hand drops to his shoulder, squeezing it firmly, The other balls up into a small fist.]
Don't be a hypocrit, Hiro-kun. It's not something you have to do. There are others who can and will if you don't. I don't doubt that you'd be good at it, or that you want to do it, but if you are just haring off because you think it's your job while telling me it's alright to stay home? That's not right.
[After all, who's the elder, more seasoned superhero here? Guardian of the actual galaxy.
There's a moment where she seems like she wants to say something else...but she stops, takes a breath, and slumps forward just a little bit. It's hard to avoid keeping worry out of her voice, but his attitude just doesn't...sit well with her. Nevermind that she does this all the time herself but when someone she actually likes does it? She worries herself sick.]
I'm not saying don't go. I encourage it. I'm just saying think very hard about why you're doing this, and about what might happen. You've never died, Hiro-kun.
[And then she pauses, swallows, and drops one of her other bombshells. This is important.]
[Oh god why is this happening. Why are girls horrifying. He actually shrinks back a little when she gets closer because this reminds him of a few different times he's found himself cornered (not to mention Rei's taller than he is), but he stands his ground and tilts his chin up to keep their gazes locked.
It's true. It's true that he doesn't have to take the risk and that the blase attitude will absolutely ruin everything, but at the same time...he looks at her hand for a moment before looking up again.]
It's not entirely hypocritical if this is something I signed on to do. You didn't get a choice to become Mars, did you? I did. I chose to protect people and do the things to keep them safe, and that includes things that might scare me. It's...I've put a lot of thought into it. It has to be okay.
[Granted, he doesn't get much further in his line of thought before that bomb's drop and he's left gaping at her, eyebrows lifting in surprise and mouth moving a bit to try and form words. Words. Words are hard. How does...why would...]
...wait, what? But...aren't you...[There are Questions here.] What do you mean? [A bit more tactful than "how" or "why" but it indicates the same thing.]
I'm sorry Rei is such a shitter, using her own death to break his train of thought XP
[Rei peers down at him, trying not to seem all that menacing. It's hard, given that yes she is taller, and yes she is an imposing woman, but she's trying okay? She'll get to the bombshell in a moment, but first she wants to address the first topic.]
I didn't have the choice, no, I was born to the role. However I did have the choice to continue fighting after the first time. I could have walked away.[She releases his shoulder at that and takes a breath.]
If it's a choice you've made, then don't act like it's something you have to do. I just don't want you thinking it's expected of you. Because it isn't. It's your choice.
[She pauses one more time, and smiles again, actually smiles.]
And it's the right one. I also don't want you thinking I'm doubting you. I just don't want you to thinking you have to bear the weight of the world on your shoulders and do it all. You don't. If you need time then you need time. Just like you told me to do.
[Jerking her head to the picnic table, she continued.]
And please, let's sit? I'll explain what I meant. It's a lengthy story. And you may not like what it entails, but it's all in my past. [Holding up a finger, she adds:] And rest assured, my story has a happy ending.
[She's trying and that's important, and more importantly she's successful in getting him to shut up really think about what she's saying. There's something to be said about people who're more experienced in these things than he is. He's silent, listening to her talk about choices. She's right. It's not something he has to do since he's making the choice. Maybe that just sounds better and less suicidal than wanting to do it.]
...it's complicated. [He finally says, and he nods in response to her gesture.] If it's your past, then I want to hear it. All of it. The good parts and the bad parts. [With that, he leads them to the table and settles on the bench, expectantly waiting for her.]
[He doesn't have long to wait. Rei nods solemnly and goes to sit across from him on the other side. It's a familiar setting, but this time she has no hot chocolate. An oversight she'll rectify next time.
And taking a breath, Rei begins. She won't dwell on the past conversation, and she'd walked into this knowingly. Mission accomplished.]
You know I am Mars. But I don't think I ever really told you what that means, did I? To really understand what this is about, I need to explain the background. All of it.
[If she has the mun has forgotten.]
I am a soldier, the guardian goddess of flame, war, and passion. [A beat, and a wry smile.] And yes, I am actually a Martian. The last one, in point of fact. Mars is...me, and I'm her, but there's a lot more to it than that. I have, as I have said, allies. One for each planet, and one for the moon.
And I know this might seem hard to believe...but long, long ago, before the ice ages on Earth? There were kingdoms on each planet. My allies and I were the rulers of our respective kingdoms, and we were all sworn in unity to protect the Moon Kingdom. Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus were the Royal Guard of the Moon Kingdom's princess, while the other planets were the sentinels that guarded the edges of our solar system. This was a time we called the Silver Millennium. It was a time of peace, prosperity, and magic, as well as technology so advanced even Cerealia can't come close to matching it. Paradise, in a way, with us as the immortal figureheads and protectors.
[With that context out of the way, Rei pauses, looking to Hiro, fully expecting questions. She'll go on if he has none, but she's prepared to answer in full.]
[Nope. This is all pretty much news to him and so he leans his elbows on the tabletop and stares at her, listening very closely and matching up facts and shoving them into the tiny mental file labeled Rei Hino. Mars...Mars is the Roman name for Ares who was the god of war, right? That makes sense. All of that makes sense and he can't help the tiny laugh that escapes when she labels herself a martian. Most people wouldn't put it so bluntly.
That's why he likes Rei so much though. The fact that she is Mars though doesn't escape him. Actual guardians of the galaxy...he nods sagely, urging her to continue.
It's when she starts explaining about the kingdoms and the Moon and princesses and other stuff that things get questionable.]
...I think so, but does that mean you have like millenniums worth of memories from being Mars for so long? You don't look old for being a martian. And you should tell me about the tech sometime. [Even if he'll meet Ami in a few days and find her compact computer and that'll be good enough for him.]
[Guardian of the galaxy, princess, goddess, pyromaniac. She's many things. But the questions she answers readily enough.]
It does, yes. I have several thousand years of memory, though generally I try not to think too hard on it. It's hazy at times, but I get flashes of deja-vu about silly things. And I have reflexes for things I shouldn't necessarily have. I've been an expert marksman with a bow since I was old enough to hold it, for example, even without training. And I can speak Martian, and sometimes I just know things I shouldn't know. Just to name a few things.
As for my age? My body is currently 18. But the Sailor Guardians like myself? Are effectively immortal. I won't appear to age much after I reach a certain point.
As for technology, I can show you some, later. But for now, you understand the basic framework of the tale I'm going to tell, yes?
Some people would just say you're a prodigy, and I don't know what Martian even sounds like. But I'd believe all of that. [Mostly because it makes an awful amount of sense. The idea of the senshi being immortal is a little intense, too. He has to wonder how long Rei has before she essentially stops physically aging. That's not something he wants to ask right now, and with the promise of learning more about the tech he finally shuts up.]
[With that done, Rei nods and steels herself a little. This conversation was one she’d had a few times in the past, but it was never particularly pleasant. It was morbid in a way, but she’s committed.]
Even paradise has enemies, Hiro-kun. In this case, the Silver Millennium was opposed by a demon known as Metalia. It lived in the sun, inside a sunspot, I believe, and it fed on pain and suffering, using them to grow stronger. I don’t know much about it’s origins, I just know that it was very real, and very evil.
[There were a lot of things that she didn’t understand about Metalia and their enemies, but the origins of it were probably the most confusing.]
It used it’s power to corrupt the hearts of certain humans; A sorceress and four warriors who functioned as bodyguards for the Prince of the Earth chief among them. The Prince, the lover of the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, was the object of the sorceress’s desire and Metalia was able to turn that jealousy into control. The four warriors were mistrustful of us, due to our long lives and distant homes, and were easily tainted as well. Together with Metalia’s taint, they raised an army and assaulted the Moon Kingdom, burning and destroying it. During the battle, the Prince of the Earth was slain, and in her grief, the Princess took her own life.
[Rei’s fists ball up on the table, a sudden heat welling inside her. She hated that image, that thought, the end of something so great. It stung even now, thinking about how they had failed, all these eons later.]
The sorceress was slain by Venus, and Metalia itself took to the field. We…the four of us…were no match for her, empowered as it was by the suffering all around it, and we died as well. However the Queen of the Moon, Serenity, used her power to seal Metalia back inside the sun. It was not a complete seal, she knew, and with the last of her power, she ensured that the four of us, the Princess and the Prince would be reborn in the future. That…was my first death. I remember very little of it, as it was so very, very long ago.
[She’s leaving out any mention of the Outer Senshi, specifically Saturn and the role she had played in the final ending of the Silver Millennium. That was a frightening reality even for her, and if Hotaru Tomoe did arrive in Cerealia Rei would much prefer that she arrive without people already fearing her command of life and death.]
And I was reborn, in this body, on April 17th, 1978. As you know me now.
[None of it sounds real. Absolutely none of it sounds real and yet he knows for a fact it is because Rei has never had a reason to lie to him. The fact that it is so very real is what keeps his mouth shut even as he's trying to picture all of this. He's making images up for what Metalia must look like, trying to picture demons that could live in the sun and leech off of negative emotions.
Humans had a lot of pain and suffering sometimes. It makes sense that it would manifest and feed a creature that would be used to target galaxies.]
But why wasn't there any way to fix the corruption? Of they were just sort of brainwashed...there had to be something. [It doesn't matter now, and in a way he knows it's disrespectful to ask. So he bows his head and goes quiet.] ...sorry. I...sorry.
[How very Romeo and Juliet. He's carefully monitoring Rei though as she continues.] If Metalia was sealed and you guys were reborn, and the magic that the Moon Queen or whoever used was only powerful enough to keep Metalia locked up in the sun...does that mean everything's going to repeat itself when the seal wears off? What about the rest of you? Were you all born again at the same time?
It's fine. We just...didn't know they were brainwashed until it was too late.
[She takes a breath and continues answering questions. Slow and steady.]
We were reborn together, within a year of one another. I'm the oldest, born in April. The youngest was Jupiter, born in December. As for repeating itself?
[Well, he wanted to know.]
It already did, in a way. Metalia broke free in part, and revived it's minions. Beryl and the four bodyguards. And...we awoke slowly ourselves. The five of us, one by one. In the end, a lot of things happened.
The seal is back, and permanent, complete, and whole. Metalia is locked away for all time. We regained memories of our past lives as well. And...in the final battle we were killed defending the Princess. But it was a price I'd gladly pay, to save the world.
[Death two. But...she forestalls questions with a finger.]
It was a temporary state. The Princess, or as she's known in this age, Sailor Moon, has a powerful artifact. A vessel of near limitless power called the Ginzuisho. With that, she revived us, restored us, and we went on about our lives for a time.
[For a time.]
But see, Metalia? Is just the first enemy. That's just the beginning.
[Rei...are you really telling him about a potential tool that could revive people? He's immediately hung up on that, committing the name to memory even as he builds the mental timeline for himself.]
So Sailor Moon only survived because you guys protected her and the seal in the sun was made whole so Metalia can't come back. And you guys came back without having to go through the rebirth cycle because of some thing that the princess had. Can it be used more than once? And what came after the Metalia?
Just Metalia, not the. It's a name. But yes, you've got it.
[Simple as that.]
And yes, it can be. It's used multiple times, of course. It's...really the most powerful object in our universe, as far as I know. I've never seen anything it couldn't deal with. But next.
[Shaking her head, Rei laughs a little, because this is going to be hard to believe.]
Nemesis came next, and the Black Moon Clan. A family of wicked beings similar to Sailor Senshi, from the tenth planet in the solar system. Nemesis. A planet made of black crystal, and protected by spells that obscure it from sight. It's impossible to view without knowing it's there, and that's why astronomers have never located it.
[Yes, she said tenth planet. So...lets just keep on going.]
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[The duo peers carefully at Hiro, chirping and not at all menacing. They're just birds, huh?]
They're more like guardians. I share a bond with them in a way. But anyway. That's not why we're here, is it?
[A beat]
How is your brother? [And how are you...by extension?]
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…that grin fades a tiny bit at the question. That's a complicated question.] He's okay. He came back in one piece and his code seems okay…he was taking a nap when I left. I shouldn't be gone for long. [It's clear that he's still a little anxious about being away from Tadashi for too long after everything and after the conversation they had that morning.] Baymax is watching him to make sure he keeps resting. What about you and your friends? You guys are actually okay?
[Deflecting the conversation: A Hiro Hamada story.]
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And see? I told you. Everything's okay. [Not...really but as okay as things can be. But since he's deflecting, she'll play into it and catch that pitch, but do bet that she's going to double back on you soon, Hiro.]
Just so for us. Minako-chan and Ami-chan are both just fine. Tired, disgruntled, and currently using both our bathtubs, but fine. And not about to go traipsing back into the jungle anytime soon. Especially not with a poisonous atmosphere.
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The jungle wasn't really good for any of us. I don't really blame 'em. [There's a slightly sheepish smile.] I'm probably going to do the same thing when I get back. [This was more important than resting or soaking in a bathtub.] It's dangerous but…I might want a second look now that we know what's out there. We can prepare ourselves, you know? But definitely not anytime soon.
Might skip the mountain this time though unless I've got a snowsuit.
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[Let's focus on that. Because her birds are more than cool. They're superhero alien princesses from a half a galaxy away. And only in Rei's world is that not a completely outlandish thought. So. Don't make her correct you and tell you how they are incredible friends and hero birds.]
How do you intend to deal with the atmosphere? [There's a pause, and she quirks her head to one side.] Because you aren't planning on going out alone. You aren't that foolish. You must have some plan.
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I mean I haven't thought of that yet? I'm not going back out without a real plan and until I make some upgrades on me and Baymax. But it's there, Rei. I have to try when I come up with a good plan. And I've got a helmet, maybe I can figure out an oxygen tank or something to help.
[Or he can be an air elemental and be totally fine. Whatever. He doesn't know that's going to benefit him.] It wasn't that bad out there until the last day when it was too cold to move. I could breathe just fine.
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It was different for myself, and Ami-chan. We were struggling with it for most of the time there. Just...the air was heavy, and it was definitely affecting us by the end of it.
[Yes, she'd had a way to communicate with other areas.]
Maybe it's because you're smaller than we are and got less of it, or it might be the locations. I mean, I was in a volcano. I'm surprised I don't smell of brimstone. [Wouldn't that be a treat?]
And atmosphere aside, what are you going to go looking for?
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I don't think it's because I'm smaller. [How dare you insinuate such, Rei. He's still growing, gosh.] But I wouldn't think there's a lot of air inside a volcano either. There's a big difference between that and a mountain.
[He pauses again.] I'd like to learn more about the planet before Vincere bought it and before Cerealia was formed. We're going to find more hints out there than in here, don't you think?
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It's possible, yes. Though are you really going to go out into danger for xenoarchaeology? I'm sure there are clues about the natives and they might have information but is that really relevant to our current situation is my question.
[It's just a thought, and she actually agrees with him, but...devil's advocate.]
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I swear I'm not going out there without a plan, but…I can't just let it sit like this. It's not good.
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And the way he was talking to her showed her something else. Something she found equally interesting. He actually cared about what she thought, or he wouldn’t be swearing.]
Hiro-kun. It’s not a bad idea. Especially when you put it like that. Learning what came before, as far as CERES is concerned is smart.
I was more worried you were just in a hurry to rush out and get back to feeling active without really taking a little time to put together a logic train. [Folding her hands in front of her, Rei’s attention focuses on Hiro’s eyes, trying to gauge his reaction.] I just don’t want you rushing into things because you think you have to. I know you’re a brilliant, reliable young man, and I agree one hundred percent that we have to do something. I just want you to slow down and think, because when I was younger I was a lot more like that. And I got myself into a lot of situations that could easily have gotten me killed. I’d hate for you to fall into the same pitfalls I did, when they’re easily circumvented by that big brain of yours.
Though…[Rei looks away, rubbing her left arm with her right a little awkwardly. Admitting this was hard, and it was likely a large part of why she was so worried about him. But she’d promised that she’d help him out, and that makes this eat at her a bit. Too many bad memories, too much time feeling trapped.] I think in this case, I’m not I’d be able to come help. Not…anytime soon, anyway. Mentally I don’t think I’m prepared for that right now.
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I think what bothers me is that they're letting us willingly leave now. I want to go out there before they have time to hide any incriminating evidence we could use against them. [It's nervous energy, the need to constantly gogogo and seek answers.
But he can respect that. And for a moment, he watches her carefully before bowing his head a bit and shrugging almost awkwardly. Now's not the time to close back off, but it's still complicated in places.] I've already done a lot of things that've almost gotten me killed. A lot of things happened right after Tadashi died and I...[He trails off. It's obvious that Tadashi doesn't know any of these things and that he doesn't want to really explain right now. He told Ruby a few weeks ago. That was enough for now.] I know. Trust me, I know.
But I do have to do this. [It's then he looks at her.] I have to do this for the people who can't. The people who deserve to know but can't right now...I can do this. You just have to trust me. And I'll tell you if we find out anything out there this time, but it wouldn't make sense for you to go now if you're not okay. What's the point of making it worse?
[Hiro Hypocritical Hamada, ladies and gentlemen.] It's my job, Rei.
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Her eyes flicker up, meeting his, suddenly flashing with heat and her voice carries a note of command that usually only Mars can manage. It was more difficult to keep that side of her locked away when she was unstable. And that instability is exactly why she knew she shouldn't be going into the jungle. No matter how powerful she might be, she wouldn't be thinking clearly and that would endanger others. But his line of thinking was arguably worse in her mind.]
No. [flatly.] It's not your job. I do trust you, Hiro-kun, because you've proven to be a competent and reliable person. I don't extend my trust to men easily. But do not take on a risk like this just because you think it's your job. That kind of cavalier attitude leads to nowhere good.
[Her feet crunch on the loam of the clearing's floor, feet crossing the distance between them in a span of heartbeats. One hand drops to his shoulder, squeezing it firmly, The other balls up into a small fist.]
Don't be a hypocrit, Hiro-kun. It's not something you have to do. There are others who can and will if you don't. I don't doubt that you'd be good at it, or that you want to do it, but if you are just haring off because you think it's your job while telling me it's alright to stay home? That's not right.
[After all, who's the elder, more seasoned superhero here? Guardian of the actual galaxy.
There's a moment where she seems like she wants to say something else...but she stops, takes a breath, and slumps forward just a little bit. It's hard to avoid keeping worry out of her voice, but his attitude just doesn't...sit well with her. Nevermind that she does this all the time herself but when someone she actually likes does it? She worries herself sick.]
I'm not saying don't go. I encourage it. I'm just saying think very hard about why you're doing this, and about what might happen. You've never died, Hiro-kun.
[And then she pauses, swallows, and drops one of her other bombshells. This is important.]
I have.
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It's true. It's true that he doesn't have to take the risk and that the blase attitude will absolutely ruin everything, but at the same time...he looks at her hand for a moment before looking up again.]
It's not entirely hypocritical if this is something I signed on to do. You didn't get a choice to become Mars, did you? I did. I chose to protect people and do the things to keep them safe, and that includes things that might scare me. It's...I've put a lot of thought into it. It has to be okay.
[Granted, he doesn't get much further in his line of thought before that bomb's drop and he's left gaping at her, eyebrows lifting in surprise and mouth moving a bit to try and form words. Words. Words are hard. How does...why would...]
...wait, what? But...aren't you...[There are Questions here.] What do you mean? [A bit more tactful than "how" or "why" but it indicates the same thing.]
I'm sorry Rei is such a shitter, using her own death to break his train of thought XP
I didn't have the choice, no, I was born to the role. However I did have the choice to continue fighting after the first time. I could have walked away.[She releases his shoulder at that and takes a breath.]
If it's a choice you've made, then don't act like it's something you have to do. I just don't want you thinking it's expected of you. Because it isn't. It's your choice.
[She pauses one more time, and smiles again, actually smiles.]
And it's the right one. I also don't want you thinking I'm doubting you. I just don't want you to thinking you have to bear the weight of the world on your shoulders and do it all. You don't. If you need time then you need time. Just like you told me to do.
[Jerking her head to the picnic table, she continued.]
And please, let's sit? I'll explain what I meant. It's a lengthy story. And you may not like what it entails, but it's all in my past. [Holding up a finger, she adds:] And rest assured, my story has a happy ending.
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...it's complicated. [He finally says, and he nods in response to her gesture.] If it's your past, then I want to hear it. All of it. The good parts and the bad parts. [With that, he leads them to the table and settles on the bench, expectantly waiting for her.]
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And taking a breath, Rei begins. She won't dwell on the past conversation, and she'd walked into this knowingly. Mission accomplished.]
You know I am Mars. But I don't think I ever really told you what that means, did I? To really understand what this is about, I need to explain the background. All of it.
[If she has the mun has forgotten.]
I am a soldier, the guardian goddess of flame, war, and passion. [A beat, and a wry smile.] And yes, I am actually a Martian. The last one, in point of fact. Mars is...me, and I'm her, but there's a lot more to it than that. I have, as I have said, allies. One for each planet, and one for the moon.
And I know this might seem hard to believe...but long, long ago, before the ice ages on Earth? There were kingdoms on each planet. My allies and I were the rulers of our respective kingdoms, and we were all sworn in unity to protect the Moon Kingdom. Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus were the Royal Guard of the Moon Kingdom's princess, while the other planets were the sentinels that guarded the edges of our solar system. This was a time we called the Silver Millennium. It was a time of peace, prosperity, and magic, as well as technology so advanced even Cerealia can't come close to matching it. Paradise, in a way, with us as the immortal figureheads and protectors.
[With that context out of the way, Rei pauses, looking to Hiro, fully expecting questions. She'll go on if he has none, but she's prepared to answer in full.]
Do you follow me so far?
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That's why he likes Rei so much though. The fact that she is Mars though doesn't escape him. Actual guardians of the galaxy...he nods sagely, urging her to continue.
It's when she starts explaining about the kingdoms and the Moon and princesses and other stuff that things get questionable.]
...I think so, but does that mean you have like millenniums worth of memories from being Mars for so long? You don't look old for being a martian. And you should tell me about the tech sometime. [Even if he'll meet Ami in a few days and find her compact computer and that'll be good enough for him.]
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It does, yes. I have several thousand years of memory, though generally I try not to think too hard on it. It's hazy at times, but I get flashes of deja-vu about silly things. And I have reflexes for things I shouldn't necessarily have. I've been an expert marksman with a bow since I was old enough to hold it, for example, even without training. And I can speak Martian, and sometimes I just know things I shouldn't know. Just to name a few things.
As for my age? My body is currently 18. But the Sailor Guardians like myself? Are effectively immortal. I won't appear to age much after I reach a certain point.
As for technology, I can show you some, later. But for now, you understand the basic framework of the tale I'm going to tell, yes?
[It's fantastic and mystical, yes...]
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I get it. So...go on.
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Even paradise has enemies, Hiro-kun. In this case, the Silver Millennium was opposed by a demon known as Metalia. It lived in the sun, inside a sunspot, I believe, and it fed on pain and suffering, using them to grow stronger. I don’t know much about it’s origins, I just know that it was very real, and very evil.
[There were a lot of things that she didn’t understand about Metalia and their enemies, but the origins of it were probably the most confusing.]
It used it’s power to corrupt the hearts of certain humans; A sorceress and four warriors who functioned as bodyguards for the Prince of the Earth chief among them. The Prince, the lover of the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, was the object of the sorceress’s desire and Metalia was able to turn that jealousy into control. The four warriors were mistrustful of us, due to our long lives and distant homes, and were easily tainted as well. Together with Metalia’s taint, they raised an army and assaulted the Moon Kingdom, burning and destroying it. During the battle, the Prince of the Earth was slain, and in her grief, the Princess took her own life.
[Rei’s fists ball up on the table, a sudden heat welling inside her. She hated that image, that thought, the end of something so great. It stung even now, thinking about how they had failed, all these eons later.]
The sorceress was slain by Venus, and Metalia itself took to the field. We…the four of us…were no match for her, empowered as it was by the suffering all around it, and we died as well. However the Queen of the Moon, Serenity, used her power to seal Metalia back inside the sun. It was not a complete seal, she knew, and with the last of her power, she ensured that the four of us, the Princess and the Prince would be reborn in the future. That…was my first death. I remember very little of it, as it was so very, very long ago.
[She’s leaving out any mention of the Outer Senshi, specifically Saturn and the role she had played in the final ending of the Silver Millennium. That was a frightening reality even for her, and if Hotaru Tomoe did arrive in Cerealia Rei would much prefer that she arrive without people already fearing her command of life and death.]
And I was reborn, in this body, on April 17th, 1978. As you know me now.
[Again, let’s open the floor for questions.]
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Humans had a lot of pain and suffering sometimes. It makes sense that it would manifest and feed a creature that would be used to target galaxies.]
But why wasn't there any way to fix the corruption? Of they were just sort of brainwashed...there had to be something. [It doesn't matter now, and in a way he knows it's disrespectful to ask. So he bows his head and goes quiet.] ...sorry. I...sorry.
[How very Romeo and Juliet. He's carefully monitoring Rei though as she continues.] If Metalia was sealed and you guys were reborn, and the magic that the Moon Queen or whoever used was only powerful enough to keep Metalia locked up in the sun...does that mean everything's going to repeat itself when the seal wears off? What about the rest of you? Were you all born again at the same time?
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[She takes a breath and continues answering questions. Slow and steady.]
We were reborn together, within a year of one another. I'm the oldest, born in April. The youngest was Jupiter, born in December. As for repeating itself?
[Well, he wanted to know.]
It already did, in a way. Metalia broke free in part, and revived it's minions. Beryl and the four bodyguards. And...we awoke slowly ourselves. The five of us, one by one. In the end, a lot of things happened.
The seal is back, and permanent, complete, and whole. Metalia is locked away for all time. We regained memories of our past lives as well. And...in the final battle we were killed defending the Princess. But it was a price I'd gladly pay, to save the world.
[Death two. But...she forestalls questions with a finger.]
It was a temporary state. The Princess, or as she's known in this age, Sailor Moon, has a powerful artifact. A vessel of near limitless power called the Ginzuisho. With that, she revived us, restored us, and we went on about our lives for a time.
[For a time.]
But see, Metalia? Is just the first enemy. That's just the beginning.
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So Sailor Moon only survived because you guys protected her and the seal in the sun was made whole so Metalia can't come back. And you guys came back without having to go through the rebirth cycle because of some thing that the princess had. Can it be used more than once? And what came after the Metalia?
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[Simple as that.]
And yes, it can be. It's used multiple times, of course. It's...really the most powerful object in our universe, as far as I know. I've never seen anything it couldn't deal with. But next.
[Shaking her head, Rei laughs a little, because this is going to be hard to believe.]
Nemesis came next, and the Black Moon Clan. A family of wicked beings similar to Sailor Senshi, from the tenth planet in the solar system. Nemesis. A planet made of black crystal, and protected by spells that obscure it from sight. It's impossible to view without knowing it's there, and that's why astronomers have never located it.
[Yes, she said tenth planet. So...lets just keep on going.]
And...what are your thoughts on time travel?
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I'm so sorry for this infodump haha.
this canon is amazing.
It's actually pretty insane isn't it?
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aaaah Im sorry this is so late
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