The Adventures of the SOL

 "Lynda?"

 "Hmm?"

 "Where are you going?"

 "Nowhere, go back to bed."

 A tall girl with long black hair that spiked out in all directions was gathering things up for a long journey.  Behind her there was a young girl watching her.

 "I know where you're going," the girl, who's name was Lacy, said.

 "No you don’t, Lace," Lynda replied, "Just go back to bed.  I'll be down in a minute okay?"

 "You've talked to Luke?" Lacey asked.

 "Yes, I talked to him," Lynda sighed, "He'll be on his way too.  I'm sorry Lacey but I can't allow you to go."

 "But Lynda, I…"

 "Lacey, it's too dangerous, but I can't just…" she closed her eyes, "Rei's still a child, I can't leave her like that."

 "Who told you?" Lacey asked, "what had happened?"

 "I just know," Lynda said, "I may not be a psychic like Rei but every now and then I just know.  And when it comes to my sister I always know."

 "Take me with you!" Lacy cried, "She's my sister too!"

 "You're too young," Lynda told her.

 "I am not," Lacy replied, "I'm just as strong as you and Luke and Rei.  I can handle it, just let me go, Lynn."

 "I need you here to take care of the house," Lynda said, "Not most people would leave a ten year old by herself in the house, feel honored."

 Lacey was silent.  Her hair was a lot straighter than Lynda's was and she wore a long band across her forehead.  She kept a large bow on top of her head, but perhaps the strangest part of her was the two wings on her back.  She was an angel.

 "If you go, I'll follow you anyway," Lacey spoke up again.

 "Lace, don't…"

 "Daddy said we have to look out for each other and help each other when we're in trouble," Lacey reminded her, "And Rei's in trouble and you guys will be too.  I want to be there."

 "You can't remember Dad," Lynda replied.  She had known their father the best because she was the oldest.

 "I remember some things!" Lacey cried, "I know he said something like that.  I was five when he died, and I remember a little bit."

 "What color were his eyes, then?" Lynda asked and Lacey didn't answer, "They were grayish blue like Rei's."

 "What about Charlie?" Lacey asked, "Is he okay?"

 "I don't think so," Lynda said, shaking her head, "Several things are wrong in Lizerton, and I have to go help.  Luke and I can handle ourselves, we don't need your help."

 "Liar!" Lacey said.

 Lynda paused.  "You're only ten, you…"

 "She's my sister too and I'm worried," Lacey stomped her foot, "Just let me go, please.   Daddy would have, you know he would have."

 "He wouldn't have let any of us go," Lynda corrected her but nodded, "Okay, but you have to promise me, if it gets too tough for you, that you'll run."

 "I can't run, that's…"

 "Lacey!"

 "Okay fine," Lacey agreed begrudgingly, "I promise."

 "Good," Lynda shook her head, already regretting her choice, "Now help me pack some things, we leave tonight.  Luke will meet us in Smine."

 "Why not Ahoray?  It's more along the way," Lacey asked.

 "I would have said the same thing but we don't have time to send another letter.  We'll just have to go a little out of our way," Lynda replied, "Besides, maybe Luke did it for a purpose."

 "Okay," Lacey said and ran off to pack.

Luke Wallace looked around the town of Smine.  It was just in the afternoon and he didn't expect his sister until much later that day.  He noticed that instead of a sleepy merchant town like Smine usually was, everyone seemed excited about something.

 A child ran by and Luke stopped him quickly.  "What's going on around here, little guy?" he asked the child.

 "A strange boy landed in the middle of the town," the boy told him excitedly, "I heard someone say that he knows Princess Rei."

 The kid continued to run and Luke watched.  "Rei?  Who is this kid I wonder?"  He walked quickly to where everyone else flocked.  They were all trying to get a peek inside a certain house.  Luke marched through the crowd and knocked on the door.

 "Yes?" an older woman poked her head out.

 "You have a boy in your midst who knows the Princess Rei?" he asked.

 "I think he might, he mutters her name in his sleep," she replied, "But he is unconscious right now and can not see any visitors."

 "Please ma'am," Luke said, "It's important that I speak with him."

 "He is unconscious," she repeated, "Good luck on getting him to say anything back."  She allowed him inside anyway and he looked around the house.  It was a normal house of someone who did not have much money.  There were two small children on the floor that stopped playing and watched him with wide eyes.

 "My husband is away," the woman said, "And he just appeared right in the middle of town without warning.  I couldn't stand to see him lay there outdoors with no shelter so I asked a couple of men to bring him in for me."

 Luke walked into the room that she led him to and saw a boy he had never seen before unconscious in a bed.  He was tossing his head.

 "The Princess," he muttered, "She's… Someone help her…"

 "He's been talking like that a lot," she told Luke, "Says things about Princess Rei, once heard him say something about a girl named Mina."

 "Mina," Luke murmured and recognized her name as one of the girls who worked for Rei in her Society.  She was the animist.  Luke kneeled down next to him and murmured a small spell.  It sank into the boy's chest and suddenly his eyes snapped open.

 "Help!" he called and sat up looking around.

 "Calm down," the woman said, a little surprised, "You've been unconscious for some time.  Just lay steady."  Slowly he lowered himself back onto his elbows.

 "Where am I?' he asked.

 "You're in a town called Smine," Luke answered.

 "I'll go get you some food, you must be starved," the woman bustled off, telling her children that he was awake.

 "Who are you?" he asked Luke.

 "Forget that, what do you know about Princess Rei?" Luke asked him, sounding more threatening than he had intended.  The boy looked at him suspiciously.

 "Why, what's it to you?" he asked.

 "I'm Luke Wallace," he said, softening his voice a little, "Please, I'm her older brother, do you know what happened to her?  Is she okay?"

 He looked down.  "I don't think she is."

 "What happened?" Luke asked.  He told him the story and Luke listened.  The woman came by once, heard them talking and decided to wait.

 "So what's your name?" Luke asked him.

 "Omi," he smiled, "Omi Jenson."

 "And you were there?" Luke asked and Omi nodded, "This is bad, my poor little sister.  Poor Charlie.  I've got to stop this."

 "I'm going with you," Omi said.

 "Are you sure?" Luke asked.

 "Yes, I feel that I'm somewhat responsible for what happened," Omi said and sighed, "Maybe if we had told her sooner..."

 "Told her what?" Luke said.

 "About the prophecy," Omi said, "I don't know a lot but I know that a very long time ago, a battle was waged called the Battle of Light and Dark.  There was a Prince who had great powers and a Queen who matched him.  The queen, the one who has taken over Rei, had an army of darkness, one that could not be struck down and threatened to destroy the world with it.  The Prince, unable to fight alone, engaged the help of a woman named Sharondia and a General named Varess.  Together they all three found the Sacred Warriors who, together, sealed the army away and stole the Queen's soul from her body, then encased her body in ice.  It is prophesized that the Queen would rule again and that the Sacred Warrior's reincarnations would be destined to fight them."

 "And my sister, she's one of the reincarnations?" Luke asked.

 "Yes, she is the warrior Sharondia," Omi nodded, "Besides the Prince she was in charge of everyone.  She was a great leader."

 "So she was suppose to fight the queen and win?" Luke asked, but Omi just shook his head.

 "That isn't the way it works," Omi replied, "The prophecy said they would fight, it never said they would win.  It's not a given.  None of it is."

 "But they will," Luke said, "I can feel it, we have to.  Besides, Lynda and I will help."

 "Lynda?" Omi asked.

 "Lynda Wallace, Rei's older sister and mine.  She's stronger than even Rei," Luke grinned, "That Queen won't know which way she's going."

 "What if she hasn't found her body before we fight?  Then you would be fighting your own sister," Omi reminded him, "What will we do if she uses Rei against us?"

 Luke paused for a long time.  He wasn't willing to fight his sister he didn't think.  "There's no way to separate them?" Luke asked.

 "Yes," Omi said, "But we wouldn't want to do that."

 "How is that?" Luke asked.

 Omi took a deep breath.  "We'd have to fight until she is rendered helpless and weak, then she might leave Rei's body in an attempt to survive, but… Well, just because she can't control her own body doesn't mean Rei can't see everything that's going on.  I couldn't fight Rei knowing that she's in there and can see us…"

 "I couldn't lay a hand on her when I was younger.  I could never do that," Luke said, shaking his head, "Of course she didn't talk when she was younger."

 "It may be the only way," Omi said, "But…"  They were silent.  The woman who owned the house came in to feed Omi who ate ravenously.  Luke was left deep in thought.

 How could he hurt his own sister?  How could her friends?  There just had to be another way.  He wouldn't be able to he knew.

 "And what about Charlie?" Omi mentioned suddenly, his mouth full.

 "We'll have to hurry," Luke nodded, "I remember him telling my father that the merge only lasts three days and can't be repeated until after three days.  I was kind of a little bit of an eavesdropper when I was younger."

 "It's been how long?" Omi asked.

 "Miss?" Luke called and the woman peeked inside, "When did Omi here appear?  How long ago?"

 "Three days ago, sir," the woman said and Luke thanked her.

 "So we have to fight within the next three days," Luke looked up at the ceiling, "but still, what about Rei?"

 "Maybe we can somehow trick the Queen into coming out of Rei," Omi suggested, "And you know, I say we have to fight her, but fighting Rei with her powers combined into the Queen's is no easy feat.  Even if we could hurt her, the chances of us actually winning are slim."

 "Good point," Luke said and sighed, "I should have been there..."

 "How could you have known?" Omi asked.

 "Rei never tells anyone anything. She never would tell anyone her problems," Luke rubbed his temples, "I mean, she didn't start talking until she was five.  There isn't a way I could know.  I just hope that her stubbornness isn't the end of us all."

 "Should we leave?" Omi asked.

 "No, Lynda is on her way," Luke said, "We'll meet up with her and be on our way.  What about the others?"

 "I'm not sure," Omi replied, "They probably ended up somewhere else, though I wouldn't be surprised if they landed nearby somewhere.  There's only so many places you can go on this continent."

 "True," Luke nodded, "When we set off we should ask about the others wherever we go.  It isn't too far to Evilopolis from here."

 "I wish I knew if everyone else was even alive," Omi looked deeply worried, "I don't think we can win without all of us there to fight."

 "If you're alive I'd bet everyone else was, unless they ran into something unpleasant," Luke laughed, "And those girls can take care of themselves, I'm sure.  And that one kid, Rais is his name."

 Omi looked away.  "He may not be alive."

 "What do you mean?" Luke asked.

 "When Rei said she was going to go into the pentagram to save our lives, something came over him and he broke free," Omi explained, "The queen struck him down and he wasn't with us when Rei transported us away."

 Luke blinked.  "He… He tried that hard to save her?" Luke asked.

 Omi stared at Luke.  "Yes, their connection is unlike anything I've ever seen," he told him, "Couldn’t you tell?"

 "Well she is my lil' sis," Luke said.  Omi shrugged.  They both left then, Omi thanking the woman who had housed him generously.  Luke and Omi both waited at the entrance of the town for Lynda.

 "What?" Luke cried.

 Omi had been looking away and was startled by Luke's sudden exclamation.  "What's the matter?"

 "She brought the baby!" Luke exclaimed.

 Omi stared out and saw a tall girl and a very young one trailing behind her.  As they approached Luke's scowl tightened.  "Why did you bring Lacey?" Luke asked as soon as Lynda was in earshot.

 "She would have followed me anyway," Lynda replied calmly and sounding like she never sounded otherwise, "You try to convince her to stay home."

 "She's my sister too," Lacey pouted.

 "Yeah, and you're my baby sis," Luke growled down at her, "I don't want you hurt in all of this.  You're still a kid."  Lacey just pouted some more.

 "She'll follow us one way or another," Lynda pointed out, "We might as well have her along.  I've already explained to her what she should do if things get serious."

 "Run away," Lacey rolled her eyes.

 "Just how many brothers and sisters does Rei have?" Omi asked, looking at the striking resemblance between all of them.

 "Just us," Lynda told him, casting him a strange, yet impassive glance, "Who are you if you don't mind my asking?

 "Omi," he said, "I'm a friend of Rei's.  I was there when… it… happened."

 "So you know what happened?" Lynda asked, still calm, "Is she okay?  Is she hurt at all?"  She leaned in close to Omi who sighed and told them the story again.  The all sank into a depressed silence after he had finished.  Luke was leaning against a wall and Lynda stared at the ground with her fists clenched.  Lacey took one of Lynda's hands and held it tight.

 "What should we do?" Lacey asked.

 "We have to save her," Lynda said, "We set out tomorrow."

 "Wow, what a cutie."

 "Hey, I saw her first!"

 "Yeah but how could she resist this face?"

 "Who?" Chiru heard voices standing above her and she slowly opened her eyes.  When she could see regularly, she saw two people standing above her.

 "What do you mean resist that face!?" one of them shouted, "We have the same one!"  She looked at them and wondered if she was seeing double.  There was two of the same person.  No, she realized, they must have been twins.

 "I think she's awake," the other said instead of answering.  They both stared at her and she sat up.  "Are you okay?"

 "I think so," Chiru said, rubbing her forehead, "Where am I?"

 "Just outside of Ahoray," the first one said, "My brother and I found you here unconscious."  Here he made a muscle.  "Anyone you need us to beat up?"

 Chiru gave a dry laugh.  "I'd like to see you try to fight this guy," she said and stood up.  She looked up at the bright sun and turned away.  Despite rumors Vampires couldn't survive in the light, Chiru was perfectly fine.

 "Come on, we can take him!" the second said, jumping up.  They had rusty red hair pulled back by a bandanna and green eyes.  Their resemblance was uncanny, even for twins.

 "Let me guess?" she asked, suddenly smirking at them, "You're Tweedledee and your Tweedledum."

 They paused.  "No actually I'm Tweedledee," the second said.

 "You have to be kidding," Chiru said.  She had thought they were serious but the twins started to laugh.  This two were encouragable.

 "No, I'm Garnet," the first said.

 "And I'm Coral," the second waved.

 They were maybe sixteen years the both of them.  "No really," Garnet said, "Is there something I can help you with?"

 "We can help you with," Coral stuck in.

 "Not unless you feel like dying sometime soon," Chiru said, flipping her hair at them, "Though I am a little hungry..."

 "Alrighty then," Garnet said, sticking his arm into the crook of Chiru's elbow, "Come we shall go to my house."

 "Our house," Coral added, taking her other elbow and leading her towards the nearby city.

 "You don't have to…" Chiru began to protest but she was looking at the city.  She had heard of Ahoray before, it was the largest city in the continent.  She hadn't really thought about it before.  It was huge, the buildings a little taller and the castle a little larger, she had never seen something so large in her life.

 The twins led her from the entrance into the grubby back alleys.  Their home wasn't large as some of the others; in fact they lived in a slum area of the city.  Chiru saw that there was sometimes a bad area to everything that was pretty.

 "What are you hungry for?" Coral asked.

 "Um, about that…"

 "Don't tell me, you're a vegetarian?" Garnet asked.

 "Not exactly…"

 "Well, if you're hungry you should tell us what you want so we can get it for you," Coral said, "Aren't you still hungry?"

 "Yes, but that's a rather tough story to tell," she said pulling away, "I have unusual taste.  I don't eat what normal people eat."

 "What do you eat?" Garnet asked.

 "I'm a Vampire."

 Silence filled the alley where their quaint home was made.  The twins looked at each other and then both rubbed their chins in thought.

 "That would be rather difficult to fix, hmm?" Coral nodded.

 "You eat people?" Garnet asked.

 "Well, no, I never really could," Chiru shrugged, "Usually just small animals and such.  I can wait until…"  She coughed.

 "I see," Coral nodded, "Well, no problem, is there anything else we can help you with in the meantime since there are very few animals in town?"

 "You mean my being a Vampire doesn't bother you?" she asked.

 They looked at each other.  "Only if our being twins bothers you," Garnet said.

 She raised an eyebrow.  "It doesn't…"

 "Well, then," Coral said gave a nod, "What else can we help you with?  Do you need a place to stay or some such thing?"

 "I should probably leave soon," Chiru said darkly.

 "You never told us your name," Garnet said, reminding her, "We need a name before we do anything else, sister."

 Chiru smiled.  "I'm Chiru."

 "Well, Chiru," Coral smiled, "Tell us where you need to go and we'll take you there.  Anywhere on the continent.  Anywhere in Dania, just say so."

 "Evilopolis," she said.

 "Not there," Garnet said flatly, "Why on Dania would you want to go to Evilopolis?  Are you sure your head is okay?"

 "My head is fine," Chiru replied, "And I don't want to go to Evilopolis, I have to."

 "Don't you know that that's where Creton of Darkness rules?" Coral asked, "With his soldiers that cannot be defeated?"

 "Yes of course I knew that," she snapped, brushing her hair back irritably, "But… Well, I'm not sure if I should tell you, you might not believe me."

 "Try me," Garnet said.

 "Us," Coral put in.

 "Okay," Chiru said.  She told them what had happened and they listened without interruption.  She approached the end and they were nodding gravely.

 "Wow," Garnet said, "This is a toughie.  Well, Coral said we'd take you anywhere you needed to go and we'll do just that."  Chiru blinked.

 "So you'll help?"

 "We'll get you there and fight these punks!" Coral cried.

 Garnet grabbed his shirt and pulled him to his face, speaking so Chiru couldn't hear.  "You have a big mouth!  We can't do that, we'll die!"

 "But," Coral added, holding up a finger in explanation, "We might pick up a hot Vampire chick before we die."

 "You're right," Garnet said, putting him down, "There can't be a better way to die, maybe we should take advantage of this."  He turned back to Chiru.  "After a brief discussion it is agreed that we will help in assisting you to Evilopolis and help you and your friends fight."

 "You will?" Chiru asked, "Great!"

 "We should pick up some supplies first though," Garnet added, sounding very diplomatic, "So as to be on our way more prepared."

 "A regular Boy Scout," Chiru muttered, "Okay fine, but I have no money with me."

 "What kind of guy makes the woman pay?" Coral asked, "Leave the money to us, babe."  He guided her out of the house and down the street.

 "I don't think I've ever seen a town so huge," Chiru said, looking around.

 "It's not so great when you get past the big buildings and that impressive castle over there," Garnet shrugged.

 "So why don't you leave?" Chiru asked.

 "And go where?" Coral asked, shrugging, "Nah, we have a home down here, we should be fine.  And home is where the heart is."

 "But if you aren't happy here you should find another place to stay," Chiru said, "A home isn't home if you don't enjoy it."

 "Maybe you're right," Garnet smirked, "Maybe we'll discuss homes after this is all over hmm?" He winked at Coral who gave him an OK sign back.  They reached a store that sold some supplies.

 Coral dragged Garnet to the side.  "We don't have much money," he said, "What should we do?"

 Garnet smacked him upside the head.  "Don't be dumb, we're going to die," he said, "Let's just spend it all."

 "Oh, right," Coral said.  Chiru left the shopping to the twins and she looked around, waiting for them to finish.  She heard a bell tinkle at the entrance of the store and she turned that way.

 She grew tense.  There were two large beasts sitting there, looking around.  They didn't even look alive; they were all black with glowing red eyes.

 "Um, guys?" she asked, backing towards them.  They were arguing about something.

 "I want to take the pots and pans," Garnet was saying, "Look they're all shiny and pretty."  He held up a copper pan.

 "We don't need pans," Coral snapped at him, "We need the basics, put them up.  Let's spend our money buying useful things."

"Guys!" Chiru snapped and they both looked up.  They then turned to the beasts in the store.

 "Whoa, what are those?" Garnet exclaimed.   He ducked down and out of the view of the creatures and Chiru and Corel did the same.

 "I'm not sure," Chiru said, "But I have a good guess as to where they come from."

 "You don't think…?" Coral asked, "Evilopolis?"

 "I think so," Chiru nodded, "Where else does something like that come from?"  They listened as their heavy footsteps went across the floor and paused, daring to not even breathe.

 "Can I help you?" the man at the counter asked.

 "We are in search of the chosen ones," the voice said and Chiru winced.

 "Who are the chosen ones?" Garnet asked.

 "I think they're my friends," Chiru said, "Come on, let's try to get out of here."

 "What about this stuff, don't we need to pay for it?" Coral asked.

 "We'll come back later," Garnet said, then brightened, "We'll be dead, it's not like he can make us work it off, right?"

 "Quiet you two!" Chiru hissed and she inched, hunkered down, towards the door.  She looked slowly around the corner and watched as the beasts questioned the store clerk.  Their backs were turned.

 "Now!" she hissed and they all three ran for the door.  The bell sounded as they ran out but they were gone before either of the creatures was able to turn around to see them.

 "Come on," Chiru said, "We have to get out of this place!"

 "This way," Coral nodded and he and Garnet led her towards some more of the back alleys where they ran along.  Every now and then Chiru would capture a glance at the soldiers as they filled Ahoray.

 "What's the nearest town?" she asked Garnet.

 "Um, Wet I think," he said, "Doesn't have a great name and it's almost next door to Evilopolis, it'll be worse than Ahoray."

 "We have to chance it," Chiru shrugged.

 "Okay, I can get us out of here," Coral nodded, "But I don't know Wet as well as I do this place.  Wet is a lot smaller though, so maybe there won't be as many."  They reached an exit but there were four of the beasts standing at the doors.

 "I'll get those two, you guys handle those two," Chiru said and they stared at her.

 "Why do you get two?" they both asked but Chiru just rolled her eyes and surged forward.  Before the beasts had time to even see her she cried, "Wind" and they all blew backwards.  The twins ran forward and Chiru went to the first of her two.  She dealt it a blow to the head and it shrank as though it was melting.  She whipped out a dagger and slashed the next across the throat and it did the same.

 The twins had taken care of their two with magic.

 "That was almost too easy," Garnet said.

 "There's probably a catch but let's not sit around to see what it is," Chiru said and grabbed them by the wrists.  They ran out, checked the landscape for anymore of the beasts and saw none.  They made their way for some nearby trees to wait.

"Is this Ahoray?" Lacey asked of the large town, but it was swarming with great beasts.  They stayed in the shadows just out side the town, hiding behind a great house.

 "It's being taken over," Lynda said gravely, "The queen is beginning her campaign."

 "What should we do?" Luke asked.

 "Go around," Lynda said.

 "What about all the people in there, we can't just stand by while they're being taken over!" Luke growled at her, "We have to do something."

 "There isn't anything we can do," Omi said, sensing from Luke's tone that he and Lynda often had similar arguments, "Not without the help of all the others.  We need to regroup before we can begin to do anything."

 "Don't you care, if…"

 "Of course we care," Lynda said, ever placid, "But there isn't anything we can do.  Let's go around.  Anything that tries to attack us will be destroyed but other than that…"  Lynda took hold of Lacey's hand and they made their way swiftly around the town.

 "I'll go check ahead," Omi told them, getting ready to run ahead of everyone else, "Make sure we can get by without being ambushed."

 "Isn't that dangerous?" Lacey asked.

 "I'm a spy," Omi smiled, "It's what I do."  Then without a sound he took of ahead to check the path, disappearing into the shadows.

 "He's kinda cute," Lacey giggled.

 "He's a little old for you," Luke said.

 "He's still cute!" Lacey protested.

 "Shh, you two," Lynda quieted them and they waited for Omi.

 Omi ran among a line of tree, hiding under their cover.  He managed to get all the way across the town only seeing a few of the monsters.  He watched one entrance for a second.
All at once he saw three people run by, take out the monsters and run for the trees that he was hiding in.  One of them looked familiar.  Two of them looked exactly the same.

 "That was close," one of the boys said.

 "Yeah that was…" Chiru looked over and found herself face to face with Omi.  Omi blinked and she blinked back.

 "You look familiar," Omi said, "You were with Rei when…"

 "And you were one of those boys that we…"

 Omi smiled.  "Good, we have to regroup and this is a good start."

 "But where's everyone else?" Chiru asked, keeping an eye out for anymore of the beasts.  Omi shook his head and she nodded.

 "But I have some people with me, they’re Rei's siblings," Omi reassured her, "They should be able to help."

 "Good," Chiru nodded, "All I have is these bozos."

 "You don't mean that do you?" Garnet asked.

 "We've been rejected," Coral sniffed.

 Chiru sighed.  "See what I have to put up with?  Where are these other people?" she looked around, seeing no one.

 "I went ahead to make sure the path was clear, I'll go get them," Omi said and ran off through the trees.

 "Hmph," Garnet sniffed, "I don't trust him."

 "He was one of the people Rei transported away," Chiru hissed at them, "That means he's on our side.  And if he has Rei's siblings with him than I'd be willing to bet that we're home free."

 Omi came rustling back, three people following him.

 "Lynda, Luke, Lacey, this is Chiru, I believe?" he smiled at Chiru when she gave him a strange glance, "Sorry but I was spying on you guys after you showed up in Lizerton so I picked up your name."

 "Pleasure," Chiru said.

 "The pleasure's all mine," Luke smiled and waggled his eyebrows, kissing her hand.  Chiru blushed a little.

 "Luke!" Lacey said cuffing him across the head.  Luke shrugged innocently.

 "Hey!" Coral cried, "I'll have you know she's already pledged herself to us!" He grabbed Chiru's arm and pulled her towards him.

 "I have?" Chiru asked.

 "Enough," Lynda told them, "we can't stay here, come on."  Garnet and Coral watched as Lynda walked past them and stared.

"You can have her," Garnet told Luke as they continued to watch Lynda.

 "Hey!" Chiru growled.

 "Seems like the only person not in this love circle is you and I," Omi said, looking at Lacey.  His eyes widened a little as he saw Lacey staring up at him.

 "I guess not," Lacey said, holding on to his arm.

 "Come on," Omi muttered, a little embarrassed, and ran after Lynda.  They all seven managed to get past the town and made their way towards Wet.  They only occasionally ran into the beasts, which Lynda took care of efficiently.

 Luke wasn't lying when he said that Lynda was even stronger than Rei.  It took no more than a flick of her hand to get rid of the beasts.  As they got farther away from Ahoray the path became free of the monsters.

 "I wonder what we'll find at Wet," Coral said, becoming serious.

 "It's a lot smaller," Luke shrugged, "Maybe we can take care of it.  There are seven of us, and they aren’t that hard to defeat."

 "Let's get there first," Lynda said.

 They made their way towards Wet slowly and cautiously.  It was almost dark when they reached the town.  They all ducked behind a hill looking out over the town.

 "It seems quiet enough," Garnet said.

 "I don't see any of those things, do you?" Chiru asked.

 "Maybe they were kept safe for some reason," Omi replied, "Maybe there's a powerful magician living there who took care of them."  Lacey sat beside Omi crouched down staring hard at the town.

 Suddenly they heard a small growl and Lacey screamed.  One of the beasts had picked her up by the ankle and held her upside down.

 "Lacey!" Lynda cried, but didn't dare attack for fear of hitting her little sister.  Lacey held forward a hand and blasted the beast in its chin and he growled then melted.  She flew over and landed in Omi's arms.

 "Oh Omi," she blinked, "Thank you…"  Omi looked very nervous all of a sudden and dropped her.  As soon as he did he put a hand over his mouth.

 "Ouch," she said, landing on her rear.

 "Oops, sorry," Omi said.

 "Shhh!" Luke hissed, "Lacey are you okay?"

 "Yeah," she said, "I'm fine.  I guess that answers that question."  She lay back on the hill.  "But why can't we see any inside the town?"

 "Of course!" Lynda said, "It's an ambush."

 "What?" Luke asked.

 "An ambush," Chiru agreed, "They must have known someone would have had to come to Wet to go to Evilopolis so they’ve sat up an ambush for anyone who comes by.  Or any chosen one that comes by."

 "But officially we aren't chosen," Omi said, "Only the Society is."

 "You aren't chosen?" Luke asked Omi.

 "No, I don't think," Omi said, "Maybe… I'm not sure."

 "That was helpful," Garnet snorted and received an elbow in the ribs from Chiru.

 "Well, we either have to be able to go to Wet or just give up," Luke reminded him, "That's the perfect place for us to regroup."

 "You're right," Lynda said, "We'll have to ambush the ambush."

 Omi smiled.  "But the ambush isn't for us."

 "What?" she asked.

 "Even if I am chosen, they don't know that," Omi said pointing towards the town, "The only ones they know for sure are chosen are the ones we know for sure.  And they're suppose to ambush the chosen ones."

 "So," Coral smiled also, "If we were to attack it would take them awhile to figure out why because we aren’t chosen.  We have the advantage of attacking first."

 "I think I see what you mean," Luke nodded, "Okay let's go."

 Lynda stepped up first and scanned for the ambush.  "The thing is, is that we don't know where the ambush will come from because I can't see them."

 "So let's just go into town," Lacey said, "We'll probably find them there."

"Yeah let's go," Garnet said and he and Coral made their way down the hill and towards the town.  They all approached the gate and seemingly out of nowhere two guards appeared.

 "What is your purpose?" it asked.

 "To have fun and save damsels in distress," Coral said.

 "And pick up hot magic babes when the chance occurs," Garnet nodded.

 The guard didn't reply.  "What is your purpose?" it repeated, but sounded a little confused this time.

 "Oh, that purpose," Coral nodded as the others caught up.

 "He couldn't mean that purpose could he?" Garnet asked Coral.

 "You don't want our purpose," Coral shook his head at the monster.

 "What is your purpose?" it said.

 "Okay," Garnet said, "You asked for it!" Together they both attacked both of the guards, which melted into the ground.  Suddenly there were several of the creatures in the town.

 "Storm Cloud!" Lynda called and a slab of lightning rained down upon them all, taking care of several of them.  They charged the small army and managed to get all of the beasts.

 "They're so easy to beat," Luke said, putting away his sword, looking at the now empty town.  They had gone down quickly.

 "Try fighting them at their source," Omi said, "Then it becomes impossible."  They walked through but the town seemed empty.

 "Who are you!" came a voice.

 "I'm Lynda, sister of the Princess Rei, who are you?" Lynda asked, unable to see who had asked the question in the darkness.

 There was a long pause.  "You know Rei?"

 "Yes," Omi called, "We're her friends.  We’ve come to save Lizerton."

 There was silence and out of the darkness a tall girl came.  She had red hair that was short and wavy.  "I'm Jade.  What do you know about what happened to Lizerton?"

 "Everything," Chiru said, "We bring you no harm."

 "Chiru?" they heard and a small figure came running out of the darkness from where Jade had been standing.

 "Koty!" Chiru cried as Koty jumped into her arms.

 "Is Amy with you?" he asked.

 Chiru shook her head.  "But I bet she's coming soon!"  Koty nodded and Chiru put him down, ruffling his hair.  At least he was okay.

 "Who's this little guy?" Luke asked of Koty.

 "He's been staying in Lizerton Castle for awhile now," Omi explained, "After you left last I believe."  He grinned as Luke raised an eyebrow.

 "How long have you been spying on my sis?" he asked.

 "A while now," Omi admitted.

 Jade stepped forward.  "Come on, I have a hiding place near here."  They followed Jade to the center of town until they reached a cellar.  Jade opened the door and they all went underground.  Inside they saw Cloud, Sady and all of Mina's animals.

 "Hey is TK okay?" Omi asked, kneeling in front of the panther and patting his head.  He had some scratches on him.

 "Yeah, he leaves every now and then and comes back," Jade said, "I'm not sure why, only Mina can talk to him."  Omi ran his hand over TK's jewel on his forehead.

 "Looking for Mina aren't you boy?" he asked a little sadly.  TK purred and nuzzled against his hand.  Omi saw Cere and saw his little arm was wrapped in a bandage.  Black was sitting in a corner bathing herself and the small bird named 'Nary was perched on a rafter.

 Sady sniffed at Omi just to be sure and sat back down.

 "Poor guys," Chiru said sadly, "They haven't seen their owners for awhile."  She reached down and stroked Black.

 "So what should we do?" Luke asked, frowning impatiently, "We can't sit down here while everything is happening up there."

 "We have to wait for the others to come," Lynda insisted, "Then we can advance.  But I think Omi's right, we can't beat the queen unless all of the chosen ones are present."

 "So how long will that take?" Luke asked.

 "As long as it takes I suppose," Garnet retorted.

 "Yeah funny," Luke replied, "Apparently you don't recognize the seriousness of this situation.  The world could end."

 "We're here aren't we?" Coral said, "We plan to help fight."

 "What exactly is going on?" Jade asked, "I went to Lizerton and it was completely empty except for Koty and these animals.  I'm worried, it's not like Amy and Mina to be away from their creatures."  Chiru gave Omi a break and told Jade the whole story.  When she had finished Koty had fallen asleep in her lap and the twins were asleep on each other's shoulders on a nearby couch.

 "Did I leave anything out Omi?" Chiru turned and saw he was asleep also, curled up next to TK.  Lynda held Lacey in her lap who had fallen asleep too.  Chiru picked up Koty and kicked one of the twins in the leg.  He sat up with a jolt waking the other up.

 "Shhh!" Chiru hissed, "Move so this child can have the couch."  They grumbled but got up and Chiru gave Koty the couch.

 "There's a bed in the next room," Jade said, "if anyone wants that."

 "Let's give it to Lacey," Lynda said and gave her to Luke who in turn put her in bed.  Garnet and Coral watched enviously.

 "Why didn't you wake him up?" Garnet asked of Omi.

 "Because he's sleeping in the floor not bothering anybody," Jade replied.

 "Yeah and that furball must be warm," Coral yawned.

 "I'm going outside for a walk," Luke said, "Anyone wanna come?"

 "Are you sure that's safe?" Lynda asked.

 "I can take care of it," Luke said and went out of the cellar alone.  He walked the empty town, searching for any sign of life.  They must have chased all the creatures away because he was not confronted.  He got to the edge of town and stared of into the just rising sun.  He could barely see but for a small line down the horizon.

 He thought he saw something on it.

 He squinted and thought he saw three objects moving towards him.  He placed a hand on his sword and waited.  As the sun got a little higher and the objects got closer he could see them a little better.

 "Horses?" he asked himself and peered out over at them.  Yes there were three people on horses coming their way.  As soon as they were close enough Luke called, "Halt, who are you and what is your purpose?"  The horses stopped in surprise at the sound of Luke's voice.

 "My name is Donavan Crossfire and my friends are Ellen Cambridge and Ran Whiska," he heard, "We are trying to get to Evilopolis."  A pause.  "Who are you?"

 "My name is Luke Wallace," he replied, "The older brother of Princess Rei Wallace.  Are you coming to save her?"  Instead of answering the horses shot forward in a gallop and pretty soon Donavan Crossfire was standing right in front of him.

 "Rei's brother?" he asked.  The red haired girl behind him was leaned over curiously and there was a Felinus Sapien just behind her, also watching.

 "Yes, her other two sisters are here, along with a Vampire named Chiru and a young boy name Omi," Luke said.

 "Omi?" Ran leaned forward, "He's with you?  Where?"

 "You know him?" Luke asked.

 "He's only my best friend," Ran said, jumping off the horse and pulling it along.  He gave a stretch and yawned.

 "What about you two?" Luke asked.

 "He's a friend of mine," Donavan answered.

 "I just sort of came to help out, I don't know anyone," Ellen shrugged.

 "Come on, I'll take you there," Luke said and led them to the cellar.  He opened the doors and Ran all but fell down the stairs.

 "Where's Omi?" he asked.  Everyone stared at him wide eyed for a moment until they saw Luke.  He blushed realizing no one really knew him.

 "They're part of this," Luke said, "Looks like this is the place where we'll regroup."

 Ran walked over to where Omi was sleeping with an arm draped over TK and grinned.  "Guess I should let him sleep."

 "So what are we doing here?" Donavan asked.

 "Waiting for the others," Garnet replied.

 "Prepare for boredom," Coral nodded.

 "It won't be long," Chiru assured him, "I think we were drawn to this place.  And I'm pretty sure everyone else is alive.  We wait until at least all of the Society show up."

 "Okay," Ellen nodded, "What about until then?"

 "We could check out what's going on around us," Lynda suggested.

 "We'll have to wait," Luke said translated.

 "I hate waiting," Donavan grumbled but he did anyway.

Chapter 26