Jurassic Guide

[drinkandforget]

She's been dreaming of Earth lately. Why she should be dreaming of that distant planet is not a question Sailor Lethe cares to consider too deeply; she knows it's said to be one of the last territories holding out against Galaxia.

There's no sign of that in the Earth she visits. The lush vegetation is almost tropical, vibrant ferns alongside tall trees. They grace the banks of a winding river, tranquil and quiet. Visible at intervals, small groups of dinosaurs go about their own business, largely ambivalent to her presence.

Lethe poles her small boat silently through the water. When she acquires an extra passenger, she shows no surprise, but be careful; passage is not free. Those in the boat will lose something before they disembark, whether as small and simple as a pen or as disastrous as an irreplaceable keepsake.

Comments

[histrionic]

Kuja has no need of vessels. He can float in the air; he can glide, and he does so, moving through the air easily, propelled by his own power. He comes up next to her and slows there, flying alongside her boat rather than riding in it.

He need depend on no one, not for anything. Not now. He is no more human than those dinosaurs are. Less so, as he is not an ordinary creature, who was born, who developed, who was truly alive in the way animals are. The dinosaurs themselves don't startle him. They're not familiar species, but he's used to monsters.

In some ways, he is one.

No, his attention is on her for the moment, this one humanlike creature in the wilderness.

"What rare bloom is this?"

[drinkandforget]

She would not call it monstrous, but his existence is one Sailor Lethe has never encountered, if only she knew it. She smiles blandly at the man floating alongside (not taking the proper route, not the proper waters).

"This is an ancient period of the planet called Earth," she says, apparently deciding to interpret him to mean their surroundings. "The life is very different from the Earth if today."

And yet, though she has no particular personal bond to it, she can't help thinking it's a pity this, too, will be destroyed one day when Galaxia comes.

[histrionic]

He considers himself a monster, depending on how one defines the term. Monsters are as monsters do.

"Ah, is that so? I've never heard of such a planet, so it would make no difference to me whether ancient or modern. From my perspective, it would no doubt be similarly unfamiliar." He nods his head politely as he floats easily nearby, above the water. "But I was referring to you, my dear, as pink and petaled as a flower."

[drinkandforget]

"You're flattering," Lethe returns easily. She doesn't precisely warm to it, but she doesn't turn it away, either. He should be careful; these plats have strong defenses, as do these animals. It is a wilder, and harsher, time. "Do you have a name to give me?"

He is not in the boat. The thought keeps tugging at her, persistent, instead of fading. It disturbs the natural order and thus, it disturbs her.

[histrionic]

These dangerous plants and animals are not too different from the ones that are common on Gaia. Gaia far much more dangerous than modern Earth, and he has no need to fear there. If his manner seems light and easy, it is because he can behave in such a manner without risk. He remains aware of his surroundings.

"Have you no name of your own, so that I must give you one?" He smiles. If she's asking for his name, he considers that he asked first, by inquiring as to what kind of bloom she was.

[drinkandforget]

"I am Lethe, guardian of this river until I return to my own." She gives the introduction no fanfare.

"Hop on, stranger, and see the rest of this planet's wilderness." The offer is mild enough; though her ferry does not come free. She takes no memories here, but there may be something else gone before the boat reaches the distant shores.

[histrionic]

"Why should I? I can explore it for myself and follow my own paths. Why limit my movements to your slow little craft?"

He's been limited for too long, forced to dance to a melody of another's choosing.

"By whose authority do you guard this river? And for what purpose?"

[drinkandforget]

"That is who I am." She has long since forgotten - of course - any existence other than the one tied to her waters, the ferryman to the next life, the shrouded robe she wears.

She does not make any attempt to force Kuja into the boat; this is not the time he must go to its end point. Instead, she keeps up the conversation as if it's perfectly normal.

"Yet soon enough, this planet, too, will be under Galaxia-sama's dominion." She says this neutrally, neither expressing fear nor pride in the inexorable advance of the galaxy's strongest senshi.

[histrionic]

"Is it?" He considers this. "Is that truly all you are, the guardian of a river, with no other sense of self? And who do you act for? Is it yourself?"

He keeps pace with the boat easily, remaining safely above the water, as do his trailing sleeves and robe, not a drop on them.

"Or perhaps it's for this Galaxia-sama. Who might she be? Yet another boring tyrant, I suppose. They all seem to be. Destroyers of worlds. Conquerers of worlds. Vanquishers of variation." He might be considered the same, or formerly so, but he has no love for tyrants now. The thought agitates him slightly, though his manner remains seemingly careless.

[drinkandforget]

She doesn't flinch at those names applied to Galaxia. It'd be hard to deny their truth.

"In the end, she'll bring peace," Lethe says simply. That's enough for her, no matter what kind of peace it is. No matter what she's done to achieve it. As long as Mnemosyne is safe, as long as they both survive.

It can be called ignoble. The ones calling it that have never seen terror.

[histrionic]

"Peace? A word that has so many meanings, all meaning has been stripped from it. The only absolute peace is nothingness. Is that what she brings? How fatally dull." He might be talking about himself, for that's what he'd tried to do. But then, he so often talks about himself.

He shakes his head. "No, I'm afraid that's what tyrants always say. Your Galaxia-sama needs to work on her patter, try for something more original. Who would believe such a charmless lie?" For a moment, his gaze is cold, fixed on her, but then his expression returns to its earlier careless mask.

[drinkandforget]

That loosens some of the frustrated anger, but it isn't directed at Kuja; not precisely. It's directed at the situation.

"If we hadn't gone with her, we'd already have died," she says bluntly. Survival is a valid option. Besides, even if it's the peace of nothing, it's an end to the constant wars she lived through all her life.

"Our planet was already tearing itself apart by war. If this ends it, that will be for the best."

[histrionic]

The anger doesn't bother Kuja. Nor do mentions of war and death, both things he's caused himself. Her statement has little emotional impact on him. He's more interested in this tyrant and her puppet.

"So is that all you are now, a guardian, a servant? Do you merely follow orders, fulfill your purpose? Have you nothing else in your life?"

[repudiate]

[ Ange's not surprised to find herself in a boat by now, and even dinosaurs of all things don't seem to faze her enough to make her look surprised. Instead she looks a little on the bored side as she leans back, staring at the surroundings. Apparently she hasn't noticed yet what she's missing, but it's probably more that she doesn't care - even if she does keep cash under her clothes which is gone now, she never really found a use for it either way. ]

Dinosaurs, huh? Are you kidding me? [ Apparently she hasn't even really noticed Lethe yet. ]

[drinkandforget]

It's no joke.

[Lethe calmly poles the boat through the river. What's lost here isn't due to maliciousness; it's simply the nature of who she is.]

This is an ancient period of planet Earth. Do you know it?

[repudiate]

[ There's brief surprise at the voice, her head snapping up but no other emotion shown about it on her expression, at least, before she looks away to stare at the dinosaurs again. ]

I think they gave it a name once at school, never bothered to remember it. But it's been million years since then for me.

[drinkandforget]

That's appropriate. After all, this is also a million years in the past from the state of Earth in my time.

[As the guide, she finds herself knowing these answers.]

[repudiate]

So we're time travelling now in these dreams, huh?

[ She's fairly sure she's asleep, either way. ]

Great, it's almost turning into some sort of movie. Let's hope they don't attack us and have it become some sort of Jurassic Park-like situation, then.

[drinkandforget]

If this is a dream, anything is possible inside it. The laws of reality no longer exist.

[Jurassic Park?]

[repudiate]

Of course, dreams aren't supposed to make sense. There's plenty of talk about how most of this dream stuff is all symbolic, after all.

[ hence why she could have seen this girl practically dying in one dream and be okay again here. ]

You don't come here often in your dreams?

[drinkandforget]

No. The star seed of this planet is already in Galaxia-sama's hands. The only thing left is to obtain the other star seeds still here.

[repudiate]

[ it isn't like she recognizes much of that terminology, but she's at least good with just rolling with things as they come. ]

And what's the consequence for this place then, that its.. star seed was taken?

[drinkandforget]

[It's easy enough to figure out that the star seeds are supposed to be important, and that Lethe doesn't have much to do with Earth outside of them.]

The consequences for this place? [She glances away, and briefly her face is shadowed.]

Maybe nothing. It will be whatever Galaxia-sama decides. [It's the crystal carriers she wants, though; the planet itself.. there's still a chance for that to be left alone. She'd like to think so, at least.]

[repudiate]

Stuck at the mercy of someone else's whims.. [ for a moment she pauses, and even though the topic is pretty heavy her glance shifts to the dinosaurs again and she makes a more lighter and casual remark out of it. ]

Poor dinosaurs. The meteor was probably a better fate.

[drinkandforget]

[Here among the dinosaurs, she knows what Ange is referring to.]

They were already gone for many centuries by then.