Part I:   The Way We Were

Gatoris couldn’t help but notice there were two women in the picture he had yet to see.
One looked to be twenty, the other a few years younger.  He looked at the younger
person... she seemed familiar to him...  “Akane...” he whispered.  Gatoris fell to his knees
in tears.  Almathea had not recognized her.  “Who is Akane?” she asked.  “2100 years
ago, on Earth... one of the few lives without you and Angelina... Akane was my sister...”
He closed his eyes, trying to avoid remembering a painful moment.  “...something
happened to her, and you wish you could have saved her, right Charon?”  Gatoris cried
harder.  “I know I  could have...  It’s my fault she died...”  Gatoris suddenly got the sense
that danger was about.  He stopped his self-pity session for a moment and left
unexpectedly.

“I can’t believe this!  Us, the Turks, reduced to highway robbery!”  Reno was griping.
Ever since Gatoris let them out of prision, the Turks had resumed their dirty dealing.
Rude gave him a cold stare.  “Listen.” Elena explained.  “We need money some way or
another.”  The three continued to argue as two women approached their location.  Both
were dressed in fukus similar to those worn by the Sailor Senshi.  “You sure this is the
way to Gatoris’ castle, Stardust?” one said.  “Yes, Comet!  It’s what Sailor Moon told
me.”  ‘Stardust’ replied.  The Turks saw their opprotunity.  Reno jumped in front of the
two, holding a rifle.  “Give us your money.”  he said, in a plain tone.  Elena slapped him.
“You fool!  These two aren’t going to have any money!  They’re Senshi, for crying out
loud!  You have sealed our deaths!”  Before Rude could reply or the two Senshi could
attack, Gatoris appeared.  “You guys again?”  He was disgusted at the Turks.  Without
raising his sword, the Turks went packing.  Gatoris turned to the ladies who he just saved,
and kneeled.  (He had decided to do that to all the Senshi, save Almathea.)  “You have no
need to worry about them...” he said as he looked up.  He recognized one of the two as
“...Akane...”  The Senshi looked confused.  “My name is Sailor Stardust, good sir...”  she
replied.  “...but your name was once Akane.  You were my sister in a past life.  You have
come back as a Senshi to extract revenge...”  He handed her his sword.  It was if Gatoris
was accepting what he thought was an imminent death.  Instead of beheading him,
Stardust knocked him out with the hilt of the sword.  The two Senshi lugged Gatoris back
to the castle.

“Gatoris!”  Aerith yelled when the Senshi brought him in.  “What happened to him?”
Stardust looked at Aerith.  “...so he’s Gatoris.  I apologize, Aerith.  He was acting odd,
saying that I had come back to kill him.”  Gatoris came to.  When he saw Stardust, he ran.
Almathea walked into the room.  “So you are Akane...”  Again, Stardust was confused.
“Madam, I am Sailor Stardust!  I have no clue who this ‘Akane’ is, but it isn’t me!”
Almathea looked at her.  “What is your other name?”  Stardust could sense Almathea was
a Senshi, so she tol her.  “My name is Himeno Hikari, Princess of Celestia.”  Almathea
then told Stardust her true identity.  “I think I know why Gatoris thinks you are ‘Akane’...
You may have well been...”  Stardust looked at Almathea again.  “Akane was from a life
of his long before you were princess of Celestia.”  Stardust began to think.  Was Gatoris
right?  She could not remember any life before Celestia...  “Let me help.”  Almathea began
to chant a spell.  Suddenly, Stardust’s mind became clear.  She remembered all her past...

Gatoris was in the courtyard crying.  All he could think about was Akane’s death 2100
years ago.  “I could have saved you...  I was a fool to not defend...”  he was going through
the event in his mind.  As usual, his name was Garret.  He and his younger sister Akane
lived off the streets for years.  Their parents died when they were young, leaving them
homeless.  One day, when Garret was eighteen, a man tried to attack Akane.  Garret went
to punch the man, but he was shoved out of the way, and the man stabbed Akane.  The
man left the two.  Garret held Akane in his arms.  She said her farewell, and died.  The
rest of that life was a blur.  “I let my guard down, Akane...  It’s my fault you died...”
Gatoris then thought of Aerith.  The same thing had almsot happened to her.  “I am a
living curse...” he muttered.  he placed his sword in the ground, and began to walk out of
the castle again.

Sailor Stardust walked into the courtyard a split second too late.  “Garret...  It wasn’t
yoru fault!” she shouted, hoping he was still in earshot.  He was already gone, however.
He went searching for a cave to crawl into and die...

Aerith ran into the courtyard as well.  She saw the sword without its owner and wept.
“He’s abandoning me...”  Her tears turned into rage.  “He thinks he is the reason for all
the hardships around him?  He thinks running will solve it?  I’ll show him hardships!  I
show him not to run!”  Aerith slipped away to their room.

When Gatoris found his cave, his sleep was turbulent yet again.  Angelise appeared to him
again.  She was full of tears.  “Dad... you’re literally killing me...”  Gatoris did not know
what she meant.  “You abandoned mother.  And unless you do something quick, I will
never be born...”  Gatoris looked down.  “You want to be born into my family?  You want
my curse?”  Angelise grabbed him by the neck.  “Dad, you are a fool to think everything
that goes wrong is your fault!  I thought my mom and Aunt Almathea taught you better...”
As she said this, her body began to fade slightly.  Gatoris looked in shock.  “Hurry dad...”
was all she said.  Gatoris woke up and teleported to his castle.

Aerith was in a hot tub, relaxing as much as she could.  She saw Gatoris enter.  “You
come to watch your precious Angelise die?”  She said in anger.  Gatoris began to cry.
Why was she doing this?  “You abandoned me, Gatoris.  Just call it revenge.”  He tried to
pull her out, but she threw him across the room.  “You care more about this precious child
than you do me!” she said before she passed out.  Gatoris pulled her out, and he cried.  he
could see Angelise fading away.  He also felt himself begin to fade away.  No... this meant
that Aerith was dying.  He began to see the blood.  She was trying to force a miscarriage,
but she was dying in the process.  He failed again...

Stardust walked into the room.  She saw Aerith lying on the floor.  “She didn’t...” she
gasped.  Gatoris nodded his head.  “I failed again...”  Stardust slapped him upside the
head.  “It’s never been your fault, Garret!”  she yelled at him.  She grabbed her Crystal
Light Wand and held it over Aerith.  “Please, Aerith... live...”  Stardust began to cry.
Aerith slowly opened her eyes.  “At lease someone still cares for me...” she mumbled as
she awoke.  Gatoris kneeled in front of his wife ahd handed her a dagger.  “you did not
have to kill yourself, Aerith...  It’s my fault, and don’t tell me otherwise.”  He pointed the
dagger at his heart.  “I am willing to die for this mistake...”  Aerith looked at him, and
placed the dagger on the ground.  “No, Gatoris... I overreacted.  I should never have done
this...  I now must bear this dark spot on my soul...”  Gatoris cried.  He had indirectly
killed Angelise before she was ever born...  Stardust shot a glare at him.  “She’s not dead
yet...” she said, wand still over Aerith.  Gatoris began to get a mental image.  He could see
Angelise coming back into view.  Stardust was saving her.  When she was done, Stardust
collapsed, drained of all her energy.  Gatoris held her in his arms.  “No, Akane... don’t
leave me again...” he said as his tears began to flow.  One of them reached her body, and it
energized her.  When she came to, Starudst hugged him.  “Thank you, brother...” she said.
Gatoris had been correct: this was his sister Akane.  he looked down and spoke to Aerith.
“I know you will never trust me again.  Hell, you probably hate my guts!  But I will still
protect you.”  Aerith kissed Gatoris.  “I still trust you.   And I still love you.  I just was
full of anger.”

Sailor Comet walked in.  “You okay, dad?” she asked.  Gatoris looked at her.  “What do
you mean by that?”  “You don’t remember, do you?  I was your daughter 2100 years
ago.”  Gatoris began to focus on his memories of that life.  He remembered the death of
Akane in more detail.  It wasn’t just her that died... Angelina died, too.  The man had
killed his wife, and mortally wounded him.  The only one unschated was a baby girl.
Garret wandered around, trying to find someone to take care of his daughter.  He finally
found someone willing to take her in.  It was the Queen of the Comet Kingdom.  Garret’s
last words were to her: “Please... take care of my little Jessica...” and he collapsed, dead.
Gatoris looked at Comet.  “I’m okay now, Jessica.”  He hugged her, as did Aerith.
Angelina remembered, as well.  “At least now Angelise will have all her family here when
she is born.”  Gatoris said.

Part II:   Requiem for a Queen

After everything settled down, Almathea came to speak with her brother.  “You almost
blew it, Charon...”  Gatoris nodded in agreement.  “I made a mistake, and I admit it.  I
also know not to dwell on it.”  “You have put up with a lot of grief and depression in your
time.  I personally could not survie it...”  Almathea began.  “...you could.  I remember
your most painful moment.”  Gatoris conjured up an illusion (using residue powers from
Pikachu’s possessions) to show her what he meant.

A despondent mood was over Dryad Castle.  Queen Zeal was on her deathbed, slowly
slipping away.  She had been ill for the past few months, and weakened every day.  She
summoned King Cronus, Princess Chastity, and Garret into her chamber.  Garret was
dumbfounded as for why the queen wanted to speak with him.  He kneeled beside her.
“Garret...” she began.  “Your family has served me for may years.  I remember your
mother and father so well...” Garret bowed his head in sorrow at the mention of his
parents.  His mother died in childbirth, while his father died when Garret was no more
than five, saving the king and queen from an assassination attempt.  “I raised you like you
were my own son... and you have become like a brother to Kiyorakasa... I ask of you now,
Garret... please watch over her...”  Garret looked at the queen.  “I swear to you, on my
eternal soul...” Garret started.  “I will let no harm come to Almathea as long as there is a
breath in my body and a pulse in my veins...”  he began to tear up, and he stepped aside so
the princess could speak to her.

“My Kiyorakasa... I love you with all my heart...” Queen Zeal spoke.  Princess Chastity
could not stop crying.  “I will always watch over you...  Please do not remember me like
this, but think of happier times...”  The princess was crying harder, feeling sorrow.  With
these last words to her daughter, Queen Zeal closed her eyes for the final time.  “Farewell,
your majesty... may the angels of Heaven be as beautiful and kind as you and your
daughter...” Garret said through his tears.  He felt as if he had just lost his father again.
Princess Chastity was obviously distraught over losing her mother.  She ran out the door
and out of the castle.  “She will get over it in time.”  King Cronus said with a tear in his
eye.  “She’ll come back...”  Garret stood up.  “I’m going after her.”  The king looked at
his loyal retainer.  “You will do no such thing!  I said she will be fine.”  “But I must.”
King Cronus gave Garret a stern look.  “Are you disobeying an order, Garret?”  Garret
gave him a calm look in return.  “No.  I am just keeping a promise.  And my word is my
alliegence...”  Garret walked out the door without another word.

Chastity was still crying by the time she reached a small cabin.  Her mother’s last words
were running over in her mind... ‘Think of happier times...’  She walked into the cabin.
This was the place her mother took her when she wanted to be alone with her daughter,
away from servants, to personally be with her only child.  Chastity immediately sat in a
corner and cried.

Garret’s horse raced to the cabin.  He had a hunch the princess would go there to ease he
mind.  from what he heard, her mother did the same thing at her age.  As the tears dried
out, he could see the vine-covered wall of the cabin in the horizon.  When he arrived at his
destination, he noticed the door ajar.  He also heard wailing from within.  Garret entered
quietly, as not to startle his friend.

Princess Chastity’s tears were beginning to form a small puddle on the floor around her.
With her vision blurred, she did not see Garret come in until he hugged her.  “I understand
how you feel, Alma...”  Garret attempted to comfort her.  She rested her head on his
shoulder.  “I remember when I lost my father... I cried for weeks.  In fact, I did not get
over it until last year.  I learned the only thing you can do for comfort is to have good
friends to begin with.”  She looked up at him, and paused the tears for a moment.  “Th...
thank you, Charon...” she said before she continued to cry.  “It’s all right, Almathea... let
it all out.”  Garret began to hug her tighter.  “She was right.  You are like a sister to me.  I
will always be there for you...” the princess began to crack a faint smile.  She hugged
Garret back with the grip of a wrench.  “No problem.” Garret replied.  “Just remember I
will always be ther for you...”

Almathea cried.  “You’re right.  You will always be there for me.  And I will always be
there for you.”  “That is because you are my soul ister... my eternal sister.” Gatoris added.
“Our relationship goes deeper than blood.  It goes down to our souls, bonding us
forever...”