Chapter 15: Shadows and New Wind

“Why the library?” Emily groaned, earning annoyed looks from the surrounding patrons. “It’s so boring.”

“It’s free from distractions, which will aid our concentration,” Sofia explained, rolling her eyes. With a smile, Mara noted the unusual sign of annoyance from her studious friend. Their little impromptu study session should prove interesting at least.

“Maybe we should get a table before we are thrown out,” Mara suggested, earning surprised glances from her friends. It was rare when she played the peacemaker in the group.

Capitalizing on the moment, Sofia ushered them to a vacant table. For the next few moments, each girl was busy pulling out textbooks, notepads, and writing instruments from their schoolbags. With one final, wistful glance out the window, they began their homework.

Emily peered down at her literature breath, studying the passage she would have to recite later that week. There was one section that she was struggling with. “When Zephyrus ached with his sweet breath,” she muttered.

Sofia dropped her trig book with a resounding thud. “What did you just say?”

“It’s just something I have to memorize for English. It’s part of the Canterbury Tales.”

“I know that,” Sofia cried impatiently. “Just repeat it!”

Puzzled, the blonde read again. “When Zephyrus ached with his sweet breath . . .”

“Shit,” Mara hissed, “you can’t be serious!”

For once, Sofia didn’t lecture her friend about her language. Instead, she nodded. “And with Boreas, it all makes sense, Mara. It can’t be just a coincidence.”

“You guys aren’t making sense,” Emily said. “What are you talking about?”

Taking a deep breath, Sofia focused on explaining. “Zephyrus refers to the west wind, a pleasant, gentle wind. Think about it, Emily. Zephyrus. It sounds an awful lot like Zephyr, doesn’t it? And Zephyr had powers over wind.”

“The names are important,” Mara whispered, echoing Selene’s words.

“So, what about Boreas?” Emily asked. “What’s her connection?”

Mara answered, “I intend to find out.”

* * * * *

“Here it is,” Sofia called, trying to keep her voice low. She turned the book around for Mara and Emily. “In Greek mythology, the winds were personified. They were given names.”

“Such as Boreas or Zephyr,” Mara added.

“Yes.”

Emily peered closely at the book. “So how many are there?”

“There are four principal winds: Boreas, the north wind; Zephyr, the west wind; Eurus, the east wind; and Notus, the north wind. The winds had a king, Aeolus, who ruled over them. He appeared in some of the legends, like the return of Odysseus.”

“Well, if this is right,” Emily said, “then there are only two more left plus the king. It doesn’t sound that bad. We’ve already managed to defeat Boreas and Zephyr.”

“No, it will be worse,” Mara stated. “Zephyr was much more powerful than Boreas. Whoever will replace him will be that much stronger. The battles won’t be easier, Emily. There going to be much more difficult.”

“Aren’t you a ray of sunshine and hope?” the blonde spat. “And how would you know anyway?”

“I don’t really know, Emily. Just call it a feeling I have.”

“Let’s hope you’re wrong,” Sofia murmured, shutting the mythology book with a definitive thud.

* * * * *

For once, Celeste was glad of the warning signals. She wanted a battle. She needed to hit something.

Ever since the defeat of Zephyr and the appearance of Sailor Hecate, she had been restless. She spent most of the night scouring the city for any possible attack. When she did try to sleep, her slumber was riddled with nightmares. As a result, between the patrols and the nightmares, Celeste didn’t sleep. The exhaustion had begun to mount.

Keeping an eye on the afternoon crowd on the sidewalks, she made her way into an alley. She quickly climbed up the fire escape of the older brick building and reached the roof. Assured that no one could see her, she pulled out her transformation pen.

“Sol Star Power, Make-Up!!”

In a flash of light and fire, she had transformed. She produced the Sun Staff a moment later. Satisfied that she would need no help with this battle, Sol ran toward the scene of the impeding attack.

* * * * *

The girls were grateful to leave the stuffy atmosphere of the library as they walked toward the bus stop. They had spent the majority of the afternoon raiding the religion and mythology section, searching for any references to Boreas, Zephyr, and the other winds. Although they gained little information, they read and reread each myth and legend they came across.

“I wonder if Selene could tell us anything,” Emily mused aloud. She paused to glance a dress in a store window but kept up with the others. “If she couldn’t, maybe the other Sailors in Japan could. What’s the name of the one who can talk to fire?”

“Rei,” Sofia supplied. “I don’t know if she or Selene could help us. If they knew anything, surely they would have told us by now. I doubt that our discovery of some old Greek myths and legends are going to get us any new information.”

Mara remained silent, lagging slightly behind the others. While Emily and Sofia had searched for any references to the winds in the library, she had looked for any mention of Hecate. Her search hadn’t been very successful or enlightening.

“What do you think, Mara?”

“Huh?”

Sofia smiled. “Do you think that Selene or Rei may be able to give us some more information?”

“I don’t know,” Mara said slowly, shrugging. “I think the problem with Selene would be if she could tell us anything rather than if she knew anything. It would be the same thing with Setsuna.”

“Whoa, wait a minute,” Emily interjected. “You mean they probably do know something and aren’t telling us. Whose side are they on?”

“What is it with you and sides, Emily?” Mara demanded, whirling toward the blonde. “Both Selene and Setsuna have knowledge about the future, which puts them in delicate situations. There would be serious repercussions if they told us everything. They’re doing their best to help us.”

“I guess I will have to take your word for it, for what that’s worth.”

Sofia grabbed her as Mara made a lunge at the other girl. “Do you have a problem with me?” Mara demanded.

“Haven’t you always had a problem with me?” Emily countered coolly, incensing Mara further.

“Guys, stop fighting" Sofia cried, trying to place herself between the other girls. "Come on! Bastante! Come on, stop!”

Neither girl paid attention to Sofia’s pleas. Flipping her hair, Emily stared down at Mara, her beautiful face marred by disdain. Mara continued to lunge at her, but with surprising strength, Sofia still held her back.

“You know you’re the reason behind the attacks,” Emily said. “You’re the one they want. Why don’t you make it easier for all of us and just give in?”

“Emily, shut up!” Sofia snapped, turning to glare at the other girl.

Mara capitalized on Sofia’s distraction. In a blink of an eye, she broke free and swung at Emily. The blonde couldn’t evade the clean upper cut to the chin. Mara was raising her fist for another punch when Sofia screamed, the cry almost immediately muffled by a violent gust of wind.

“Sofia!”

Forgetting about Emily and their fight, Mara ran toward her friend. However, Sofia was already back on her feet, transformation pen in hand. She motioned for Mara to run before raising her hand in the air.

“Athene Planet Power, Make-Up!”

As Mara glanced back, Emily had found her transformation pen as well. She wore a determined expression as she stared up above her. With a shout, she held out her pen.

“Aurora Star Power, Make-Up!”

Mara ducked into the shadows of the buildings, searching for the new enemy. Up on the rooftop above them, a tall figure stood watching them. Mocking laughter filled the air as the transformations were completed.

“So these are the Sailor Soldiers that I’ve heard so much about.” With surprising ease, the figure jumped and landed in the alley, standing between the Senshi and Mara. “Appearances are definitely deceiving. I wouldn’t think that you would last five minutes against Zephyr, let alone me.”

“We’re just full of surprises,” Aurora replied. “Aurora Sunbeam Entangle!”

“Athene Sudden Revelation!”

The ribbons of light surrounded the man briefly. However, with a smile, he easily shredded the bindings and eluded Athene’s attack. “Come, Sailors, surely you can do better than that.”

The blast of wind caught both girls off guard. With a grunt, Athene slammed into a dumpster. Aurora screamed and landed in the middle of the street. Cars swerved frantically to miss her and amazingly succeeded in missing the blonde.

Satisfied with the results, the man brushed his long, light blue hair back from his face and turned to Mara. “Now, come out, Hecate. The shadows can’t hide you from me. I know exactly where you are.”

Beyond him, Mara saw Sailor Athene labor to her feet. She raised her hands, drawing on her powers. “Sudden Revelation! Pool of Reflection! Know thyself!”

The first attack caught the man on his side, knocking to the side. With wide eyes, Mara was helpless but to watch the glowing pool form before her. Everything around her faded as the last command “Know thyself!” rang in the air.


Shadows and New Wind “Why the library?” Emily groaned, earning annoyed looks from the surrounding patrons. “It’s so boring.” “It’s free from distractions, which will aid our concentration,” Sofia explained, rolling her eyes. With a smile, Mara noted the unusual sign of annoyance from her studious friend. Their little impromptu study session should prove interesting at least. “Maybe we should get a table before we are thrown out,” Mara suggested, earning surprised glances from her friends. It was rare when she played the peacemaker in the group. Capitalizing on the moment, Sofia ushered them to a vacant table. For the next few moments, each girl was busy pulling out textbooks, notepads, and writing instruments from their schoolbags. With one final, wistful glance out the window, they began their homework. Emily peered down at her literature breath, studying the passage she would have to recite later that week. There was one section that she was struggling with. “When Zephyrus ached with his sweet breath,” she muttered. Sofia dropped her trig book with a resounding thud. “What did you just say?” “It’s just something I have to memorize for English. It’s part of the Canterbury Tales.” “I know that,” Sofia cried impatiently. “Just repeat it!” Puzzled, the blonde read again. “When Zephyrus ached with his sweet breath . . .” “Shit,” Mara hissed, “you can’t be serious!” For once, Sofia didn’t lecture her friend about her language. Instead, she nodded. “And with Boreas, it all makes sense, Mara. It can’t be just a coincidence.” “You guys aren’t making sense,” Emily said. “What are you talking about?” Taking a deep breath, Sofia focused on explaining. “Zephyrus refers to the west wind, a pleasant, gentle wind. Think about it, Emily. Zephyrus. It sounds an awful lot like Zephyr, doesn’t it? And Zephyr had powers over wind.” “The names are important,” Mara whispered, echoing Selene’s words. “So, what about Boreas?” Emily asked. “What’s her connection?” Mara answered, “I intend to find out.” * * * * * “Here it is,” Sofia called, trying to keep her voice low. She turned the book around for Mara and Emily. “In Greek mythology, the winds were personified. They were given names.” “Such as Boreas or Zephyr,” Mara added. “Yes.” Emily peered closely at the book. “So how many are there?” “There are four principal winds: Boreas, the north wind; Zephyr, the west wind; Eurus, the east wind; and Notus, the north wind. The winds had a king, Aeolus, who ruled over them. He appeared in some of the legends, like the return of Odysseus.” “Well, if this is right,” Emily said, “then there are only two more left plus the king. It doesn’t sound that bad. We’ve already managed to defeat Boreas and Zephyr.” “No, it will be worse,” Mara stated. “Zephyr was much more powerful than Boreas. Whoever will replace him will be that much stronger. The battles won’t be easier, Emily. There going to be much more difficult.” “Aren’t you a ray of sunshine and hope?” the blonde spat. “And how would you know anyway?” “I don’t really know, Emily. Just call it a feeling I have.” “Let’s hope you’re wrong,” Sofia murmured, shutting the mythology book with a definitive thud. * * * * * For once, Celeste was glad of the warning signals. She wanted a battle. She needed to hit something. Ever since the defeat of Zephyr and the appearance of Sailor Hecate, she had been restless. She spent most of the night scouring the city for any possible attack. When she did try to sleep, her slumber was riddled with nightmares. As a result, between the patrols and the nightmares, Celeste didn’t sleep. The exhaustion had begun to mount. Keeping an eye on the afternoon crowd on the sidewalks, she made her way into an alley. She quickly climbed up the fire escape of the older brick building and reached the roof. Assured that no one could see her, she pulled out her transformation pen. “Sol Star Power, Make-Up!!” In a flash of light and fire, she had transformed. She produced the Sun Staff a moment later. Satisfied that she would need no help with this battle, Sol ran toward the scene of the impeding attack. * * * * * The girls were grateful to leave the stuffy atmosphere of the library as they walked toward the bus stop. They had spent the majority of the afternoon raiding the religion and mythology section, searching for any references to Boreas, Zephyr, and the other winds. Although they gained little information, they read and reread each myth and legend they came across. “I wonder if Selene could tell us anything,” Emily mused aloud. She paused to glance a dress in a store window but kept up with the others. “If she couldn’t, maybe the other Sailors in Japan could. What’s the name of the one who can talk to fire?” “Rei,” Sofia supplied. “I don’t know if she or Selene could help us. If they knew anything, surely they would have told us by now. I doubt that our discovery of some old Greek myths and legends are going to get us any new information.” Mara remained silent, lagging slightly behind the others. While Emily and Sofia had searched for any references to the winds in the library, she had looked for any mention of Hecate. Her search hadn’t been very successful or enlightening. “What do you think, Mara?” “Huh?” Sofia smiled. “Do you think that Selene or Rei may be able to give us some more information?” “I don’t know,” Mara said slowly, shrugging. “I think the problem with Selene would be if she could tell us anything rather than if she knew anything. It would be the same thing with Setsuna.” “Whoa, wait a minute,” Emily interjected. “You mean they probably do know something and aren’t telling us. Whose side are they on?” “What is it with you and sides, Emily?” Mara demanded, whirling toward the blonde. “Both Selene and Setsuna have knowledge about the future, which puts them in delicate situations. There would be serious repercussions if they told us everything. They’re doing their best to help us.” “I guess I will have to take your word for it, for what that’s worth.” Sofia grabbed her as Mara made a lunge at the other girl. “Do you have a problem with me?” Mara demanded. “Haven’t you always had a problem with me?” Emily countered coolly, incensing Mara further. “Guys, stop fighting" Sofia cried, trying to place herself between the other girls. "Come on! Bastante! Come on, stop!” Neither girl paid attention to Sofia’s pleas. Flipping her hair, Emily stared down at Mara, her beautiful face marred by disdain. Mara continued to lunge at her, but with surprising strength, Sofia still held her back. “You know you’re the reason behind the attacks,” Emily said. “You’re the one they want. Why don’t you make it easier for all of us and just give in?” “Emily, shut up!” Sofia snapped, turning to glare at the other girl. Mara capitalized on Sofia’s distraction. In a blink of an eye, she broke free and swung at Emily. The blonde couldn’t evade the clean upper cut to the chin. Mara was raising her fist for another punch when Sofia screamed, the cry almost immediately muffled by a violent gust of wind. “Sofia!” Forgetting about Emily and their fight, Mara ran toward her friend. However, Sofia was already back on her feet, transformation pen in hand. She motioned for Mara to run before raising her hand in the air. “Athene Planet Power, Make-Up!” As Mara glanced back, Emily had found her transformation pen as well. She wore a determined expression as she stared up above her. With a shout, she held out her pen. “Aurora Star Power, Make-Up!” Mara ducked into the shadows of the buildings, searching for the new enemy. Up on the rooftop above them, a tall figure stood watching them. Mocking laughter filled the air as the transformations were completed. “So these are the Sailor Soldiers that I’ve heard so much about.” With surprising ease, the figure jumped and landed in the alley, standing between the Senshi and Mara. “Appearances are definitely deceiving. I wouldn’t think that you would last five minutes against Zephyr, let alone me.” “We’re just full of surprises,” Aurora replied. “Aurora Sunbeam Entangle!” “Athene Sudden Revelation!” The ribbons of light surrounded the man briefly. However, with a smile, he easily shredded the bindings and eluded Athene’s attack. “Come, Sailors, surely you can do better than that.” The blast of wind caught both girls off guard. With a grunt, Athene slammed into a dumpster. Aurora screamed and landed in the middle of the street. Cars swerved frantically to miss her and amazingly succeeded in missing the blonde. Satisfied with the results, the man brushed his long, light blue hair back from his face and turned to Mara. “Now, come out, Hecate. The shadows can’t hide you from me. I know exactly where you are.” Beyond him, Mara saw Sailor Athene labor to her feet. She raised her hands, drawing on her powers. “Sudden Revelation! Pool of Reflection! Know thyself!” The first attack caught the man on his side, knocking to the side. With wide eyes, Mara was helpless but to watch the glowing pool form before her. Everything around her faded as the last command “Know thyself!” rang in the air.


Chapter 16: Shadows and New Wind (cont'd) Sailor Sol: Battle Against the Winds