Crystal Points
Emania, Land of Infinite Gods
What shall we look for, as signs of distress?
Mass suicides?
Revolution? Terrorism?
No, of course not. Those come much later, when the water is scalding hot....
-Daniel Quinn, The Story of B
Quick note: *Italics* are psychic speaking.
Episode 3- A Crystal Point Found? The Fire In The Volcano.
The night grew chilly, and Makoto was glad to have the crackling fire so
close by. She warmed her hands by it, small though it was, and felt the heat
permeate her skin, almost as though it pushed though her bones. Good smells
rose around the Soldier of Thunder, since she was practicing her renowned
culinary skills, this time on a duck and a fish, both caught that morning in
the river far below them. She rubbed her cheek, afraid that the cinders from
the fire would leave black smears. It didn't really bother her so much, to
be dirty in such a strange situation as this. But thinking about eating
dirty food just disgusted her.
It was very quiet, in the little clearing they had found, Rory and Minako
getting bored with watching Makoto and Balan gut and clean fish and fowl.
They had left some time earlier, just before sunset, and before the fog set
in. It wasn't too bad, at this altitude, but below, it was as thick as a
blanket, rolling over the valley below in a pure white haze, hiding the
river completely. "Has it lightened at all, Balan-san?"
He was standing on top of one of the boulders surrounding their campsite,
arms folded and face frowning at the mists. Above, the sky was clear, and
Makoto could see the stars scattered in unfamiliar patterns behind his head.
"No. If it's this bad in the morning, we may not be able to descend...won't
be able to see."
"But it's not that far. We could see the castle from here during the day."
He shrugged and turned away from the valley so far below him. The coiling
tendrils of fog writhing around as he moved. It was lighter where they
camped, but the mist was enough to cast ghostly shadows about. "We'll get
there tomorrow, if the weather clears up. I don't like it. It stinks of
magic."
"The fog? Why?"
"Came up too fast. There's no rain on the wind. And the sky is clear. See?"
His eyes turned skyward, and Makoto followed his gaze, seeing the heavy
moons hang in the sky. Three were visible, two waning, one waxing, each
pale, a different color. "Protect us," he said to the moons, leaping down
from the boulder he stood on.
To those words, Makoto blinked in surprise. "The moons? Protect you?"
"Sure," he said as he walked over, taking an offered plate from Makoto. It
was filled with the fish she had baked in the coals of the fire. "You don't
know the stories, do you?"
He said it so quietly, Makoto was afraid that he knew something...then
again, maybe he did. It didn't seem like she had much of a choice. "No. But
the moon always protects what's below it, doesn't it? Will you...tell me the
story?" She tucked her knees up under her, and rested her cheek against
them, smiling as she looked at Balan. The firelight reflected in his eyes.
He thought about it for a moment, not taking his eyes from her face. "They
say that dragons live in the moons. And look down on us as they travel
though the sky. Doesn't your world have similar fairy tales?"
She felt her heart stop for a moment. But there was no reason to keep it a
secret, not really. And she had already said as much, by telling him she
didn't know the stories of his world. "Yes, actually. Of a rabbit pounding
mochi on the moon."
"Mochi?"
"Rice. Making rice cakes."
He lifted his eyebrows, then smiled, looking up. "Can't say that I see any
bunnies up there. But look. Can you see the dragon's tail?"
Makoto looked at the greenish moon, waning in its path. If she tilted her
head, she could, just slightly, see how the dragon had its back to them, the
tail curving down and into the darkness of the new moon, its head looking
over its shoulder, wings spread and wide. "Hai, I can see it. What do you
call your moons?"
"That one, the green one, is Air. The red one is Fire, and the yellow that
you can just see is Earth. You can't see Water tonight. It's still dark."
Laughing as she looked at him, she said, "Those are some pretty original
names, for moons. Air, Fire, Earth and Water."
"Oh yeah?" Balan shrugged, looking a little smug. "What are the names of
the moons on your world?"
"Uh...."
"What?"
"Well...we just have one...and...um, we just call it 'the moon.' So I guess
I shouldn't talk."
"Don't worry about it," Balan told her, stuffing some of Makoto's fish
paste into his mouth. His eyes flew wide. "This is fantastic."
"Arigatou," she smiled. "I like to cook."
"I wouldn't have thought that princesses cooked."
She laughed a little, shaking her head, the ponytail bobbing. "That is much
more complicated that you must think, Balan."
"I know it is. I'd like to know how you got here, Lady Lightning."
"I don't know magic. Not really. The High Priestess called us. I'd still
like to know how."
Balan thought about this, chewing Makoto's cooking carefully. She was still
looking up at the green moon, arms wrapped around her knees. It was
childlike, and with the moonlight and firelight, she was beautiful, even if
still looking somewhat trail-worn. Leaning back against one of the rocks
surrounding them, he let his eyes roam up to the moons again. They had
chosen this spot since it was surrounded by large boulders, safe from wind
and out of sight from the valleys below.
"They say that when more than one moon hangs in the sky, the barriers
between worlds grow thin. And that travelers sometimes get lost in the mists
between."
Makoto felt his blue eyes on her. It was eerie, her skin prickling as
though a static charge were crackling though the air around them. She fought
to keep herself from blushing. It was embarrassing, and very unlike her.
What was she thinking? Baka.
She was trying to sort this out. It was confusion, but a good kind. And
electricity was her element, not a thing to be afraid of at all. Needing a
moment, she tried to divert his attention. "Well, if the mist gets people
lost, we should start worrying about Minako-chan and Rory-hime.
Minako-chan will probably wander off somewhere."
"Hey! I heard that!" They heard Minako's voice echo though the fog. Then
there was a pause. "Mako-chan? Where are you?"
Makoto sighed, standing. "Minako-chan! Follow the smell of the food!"
"I am not Usagi, Mako!"
"Oh, for the love of..." they heard Rory exclaim as she emerged though the
mist. "Mina! This way!"
A moment later, the red bowed head came into sight, coming though the thick
fog. "Hi, minna! Look at what Rory and I found!" She held open a bag filled
with blueberries. "There's bushes full of them down the slope. You should
see them all!"
"Not that we could see them very well, ourselves," Rory sighed as she sat
down next to Balan, shaking out her skirts as she did so. "This fog is
creepy. I hope the witches aren't out."
Makoto handed Minako and Rory plates of their own, taking the blueberries
and checking for any sticks still stuck on them. Seeing none, she began to
pass them around. "What would the fog have to do with those witches?"
On their way, they had told Balan and Rory an edited version of their
story. Makoto made a mental note to tell Minako that Balan knew they were
from another world, and seemed to be taking it okay. Neither Balan or Rory
had commented on the disappearances of Ami or Rei, unsure what to say.
Anything, it seemed was possible, but the evidence clearly pointed the other
way.
It was Balan who replied to Makoto's question. "Anything that covers true
sight is an illusion. It obscures what really is. Demons ride in the mist,
and things that should not be spoken of, or else call them to us."
Makoto nodded in agreement, as did Rory. Minako, though, felt a chill run
down her spine as she thought. She remembered battles that involved fog as
thick and blinding as this. Never in this massive amount, but with the same
coldness in otherwise warm air. It reminded her of Mercury. And their sister
senshi was hardly evil. Mercury didn't have the power to make a Shabon Spray
this large. But it was enough to make Minako wonder, and when she drifted
off to sleep later that night, her hope was growing.
Flames, when a body is consumed, course over the flesh with such heat and
intensity that the pain seems exquisite. And when they fill the blood of a
person, power can melt though their flesh, either giving them power they
never had before, or killing them for their lack of strength. There is no
time for a flame, only life, death, and existence. Shifting shades of yellow
and red, orange and white filled the eyes of one girl, princess yet soldier.
There was the feeling of being disintegrated and reintegrated, burning. Ruby
droplets of blood surged though her body, flaming and fiery, consuming and
incinerating doubt and pain. She felt no time, no sense of space or sound.
Only power, circling her and filling her as she burned.
And then, after a time, this feeling of fire ended, as all things must. She
opened her eyes, and was, at first, afraid. Dim shades of red and gold
glinted off every surface, gleaming from what seemed to be far away. She
felt no pain, and so tested out her arms, then her legs, standing and trying
to take in her surroundings.
"Hino Rei," she said into the silence. "My name is Hino Rei, and I am not
afraid of anything."
She looked at the polished surfaces, trying to convince herself of those
words. Not afraid of anything. Not Sailor Mars. She was fearless.
As she stood, she tried to turn around, but found that was the limit of her
strength. She became dizzy, and had to sit down. "Hino Rei. Not afraid of
anything."
She breathed a few times, hard. Then she once again stood, looking up
carefully, then around. There were no doors, on any side, and no hole above
her.
But there were jewels.
Golden coins and armor, heaped in mounds around her. She stood on them, and
they clinked against each other as she moved forward, the facets of a large
ruby glowing balefully, catching her eye. It was stuck out of the rest of
the heap, loose pearls resting around it, undone from a string. Wealth such
as she had never seen, and it reached high in the cavern. She stared, and
laughed chokingly, disbelieving, then ran a finger over the edge of the
gemstone. "One handful of this, and I would be set for life...." She turned
around, and heard the unmistakable dribbling of water. Then, she realized
how thirsty fire can make a person, and she scrambled for the fountain,
hands bringing water to her lips over and over again.
When she was done, her face and hair were wet, though steaming. It was hot.
Very hot, and sweat was mingling with the coolness of the metallic water.
"Hino Rei, and not afraid of anything."
She stood, and headed towards the source of the fiery light. "If there's a
way in, then there must be a way out," she told herself, tone defiant. Some
might think it strange, that she said these things out loud. But alone,
after battle, she needed to hear the words as much as think them, and she
felt stronger for it.
As Rei moved forward along the passage, the light intensified, as did the
heat. Waves of warmth rippled though the air around her, and she placed a
hand against the cave wall to steady herself. "Hino...Rei...." then she
continued forward, face set. There was a sound like a furnace, a dull roar
that never stopped for breath, and as the Soldier of Fire came to the end of
her journey, she looked across what lay before her.
A lake of fire.
Yellow waves of molten rock swirled in eddies of orange flame, spouting out
of the whirlpools. Pinpricks of crimson light swirled upward, dancing in the
unbearable heat. One of these struck the ceiling, sending a chunk of rock
down into it, only creating further sparks as it sunk.
There was no entrance, and no exit.
A geyser of fire erupted before the ledge she stood on, and forced her to
stagger back, arms up and in front of her face to protect her eyes. Slowly,
very slowly, she backed away, back down the corridor in the cave, returning
to the treasures on the floor of the cave.
There, she sat down beside the fountain, and did something she did very
rarely.
She cried.
In the dawn's beautiful, gleaming white light, the walls of Ansur castle
shone clearly. Only in fairy tales did people see such lovely castles,
spires high and straight, stones whitewashed and clean, free of lichen and
moss and age. A high wall ran around Ansur, and palace sat embedded into the
side of a mountain, looking down over its valley with the loftiness of a
ruler. There were many trees skirting the castle, though they had been
cleared back and some were fading into brownness.
It took the four riders until midmorning to reach the shadow of the castle,
and they had to pull over to the side of the road abruptly as they heard the
steady tread of feet on the path.
"Balan?" Makoto asked as they watched ranks of men in armor file past.
"What's going on?" The standard bearer marched among them, the white unicorn
on the field of blue, symbol of the North, leading the way. "Is the North at
war?"
"Not that I last knew. This isn't good. I wonder what's going on."
"Best way to find out is to ask Father," Rory said as she turned the head
of her mount. "Come on," she kicked the horse into a run, and each of them
turned and followed, charging up the slope, clouds of dust still unsettled
from the tread of feet a few moments earlier.
They were forced to pull to a stop at the gates, which were unusually
closed, the portcullis down, though the bridge was still open. It was
strange, to Rory and Balan at least, to see the castle this way. Merchants
came and traded within the walls, and were usually open to everyone. It made
the two of them more nervous, since they had seen soldiers armed and on the
march. "Open the gates!" Rory called to the two men as she reined in, and as
she did so, reached up and unbound the knot holding her braided bun in
place. The full length of her hair fell down over the horse's rump. "By
order of the Princess Aurora!"
The two guards left to guard it blinked from under their helms, then
scurried to shout to the men behind the portcullis, to pull it up. Slowly,
it lifted though its slats, the heavy weight groaning as it grew into
passable height. Once open enough, Rory kicked her horse forward again, and
raced forward, the other three following her lead.
Minako and Makoto did not have enough time, with their haste, to look very
much at the inside of Ansur. They were aware they passed though an outer
wall, with the empty shells of market stalls. There were men in the inner
courtyard, armed and armored, these mounted, horses prancing in
anticipation. Another standard bearer held up the unicorn, and the flag
flapped idly in the wind.
Rory and Balan seemed to know where they were going, and after a moment,
Minako became aware that they had stopped, and that the halter of her horse
was being held by a boy, a groom. Swinging down, she nearly had to run to
keep up with the other three, who were already disappearing into the
darkness of an archway, then up steps that led into the main portion of the
castle.
Even as she walked, Rory once again became Princess Aurora, any laxness she
had gained over their trip about her demeanor and poise fading away as she
strode forward. With familiar knowledge, she turned corridors in the palace,
bringing them to tall, gold-etched mahogany doors, a page leaning casually
up against the wall beside. "Announce me," Rory told him. The boy blinked,
then gave her a quick appraisal, then the people with her.
"How'd you get in? Peasants aren't allowed...."
"Peasant?" Balan stepped forward at that, towering over the boy. He was a
tall man, and used that to intimidate, staring the younger one down. The
page began to realize he had just made a bit of a mistake. "Announce the
Princess!"
"Prin...Princess...Auror..."
"Yes, fool! Open the doors!"
His eyes were massive in his face, and he leapt to obey the orders,
grabbing his trumpet as he shoved the doors open, raising the instrument to
his lips, letting the room echo with the loud blast. "Lady Princess Aurora,
or Northland!" He shouted, then retreated quickly to his former post, nearly
hiding in embarrassment.
Looking out over the crowd of people, Minako could clearly see they were in
the court of the king. High windows allowed in the morning's misty golden
light, and intricate carvings soared high into the arched ceiling. Men and
women in rainbow shades milled on the stone floor, silks and damasks, light
furs and linens spilled in a riot of color around the room as the people
turned to look at the newcomer. Rory stood before them, Balan just behind
her, and Minako and Makoto beside each other, last. Not hesitating, Rory
moved forward, and came to a low curtsy before the dias in the room, a
curtain draped throne upon it, and in it, a man, sitting with a frown on his
face.
Balan bowed low, keeping his head down, and Minako and Makoto copied Rory,
sinking low to the floor, their dull, dirtied brown skirts settling around
them as they kept their eyes lowered politely. The man on the dias looked at
the four in front of him, as did the assembly in the room, which had slowly
grown silent.
"Father," Rory said quietly.
From under her lashes, Minako looked at the man, to see what kind of king
he was. And as she did so, her heart sank. It wasn't that he wasn't a
fitting image of a king; in fact, the heavily lined face suggested much
experience. He was a powerfully built man, broad shouldered and with
callused hands, dark brown hair streaked with steely grey. But the fact that
his eyes were set back in his face, almost set into the deep pockets of
flesh around his eyes...it disturbed Minako, the fact that she could feel
his dark eyed gaze settle on her so coldly, then dismiss her so quickly
again. She didn't like it. It made her blood run cold. And when he spoke, it
was in low tones, though easily heard though the assembly of shining
nobility.
"Aurora. You have returned. What is the news you bring us?"
When Rory replied, her tone was equally formal. "Father. I am saddened to
report, that I was not determined to be one of the four princesses, for my
lack of magic. The High Priestess gave thanks for our attempt, and blessings
to the land of the North for their care of the land."
"A shame," he told her, not taking his eyes away from the still bowed head.
"I am somewhat surprised at your appearance. Explain yourself, and the fact
that your retinue has not returned with you, but a pair of," he hesitated,
then let the word fall from his lips, as though dirty. "...mercenaries."
Minako watched Rory now, unsure of what she would say. The hands of Aurora
had been resting easily on the folds of her skirt, and now they tightened.
Minako felt a little glad for it. Rory was still on their side, and didn't
like her father's near-name calling. It was insulting, especially since he
had assumed it. Minako took a little solace in the fact that she could
probably Love and Beauty Shock the guy into the next room if she wanted. She
stopped herself from a satisfied smile.
"Father," Aurora's voice had taken a particularly frosty tone, and Minako
was sure the whole room heard it. "These two with Sir Balan and I have the
blessing and promise of safe passage from the High Priestess herself. It is
thanks to these two that my lord protector and I are with you now. Nearly as
soon as I had left the Fire Mountain, we were attacked on the trail, by the
demons that are breaking into this world through the Seal. The dame knight
Minako saved me as the carriage horses bolted. You should thank her for my
safe return."
Murmurs rippled though the crowd, who were now watching this drama with
complete fascination. Seeing the eyes of the king was to see a distant fury.
Aurora's final line bordered on an order. "I do thank her. Rise, all of
you."
Each stood, Balan from his bow, the girls from their curtsies. As was
polite, they kept their eyes from meeting those of the king, who continued,
"Dame Minako," he looked between Minako and Makoto. Minako curtsied again,
very slightly, to acknowledge herself. His focus centered on the red bowed
one, and with a slight breath, she met his eyes fully, and kept her chin in
the air. She nearly missed it, but a faint smile twitched at his lips. "And
your companion?"
"Makoto," the Senshi of Protection replied, glancing at Minako from where
she stood.
"Dame Makoto, and dame Minako. I am grateful to you for guiding my daughter
back home safely. If there is anything you require...." his face reflected a
certain disdain, most likely for their current appearance, "I will provide
it for you, in gratitude."
Together, the senshi replied, "Thank you," and curtsied again.
In the dusty sunshine, the king shifted on his throne, and the silver crown
he wore glanced in the light, sapphire stones catching prisms.
"King Boreas," Balan then spoke up. "Upon our return, we saw Your Majesty's
soldiers and cavalry, prepared for battle and on the march. It worried us
that the Northland has gone to war."
Boreas did not appear at all surprised. He looked at his knight, and it
could be seen that there was a slight contest of wills between them, the air
growing tight. Balan had spoken out of turn, and it did not please the king
that he had done so. But Boreas answered anyway. "The High Priestess has
issued the Edict of Cleansing. We received word yesterday of it. There is a
center of these witches hiding in our lands, and they have grown active
again over the last few weeks, attacking supply caravans. We have assembled
a force to remove them from their hideaway ."
To this, Minako and Makoto's faces grew hard, knowing that these witches
seemed to be everywhere. Makoto, reacting more quickly, interrupted, "Sire,
if I may ask a thing of you?"
His eyes turned again to the taller senshi.
"You may."
"Two of our friends were killed by a witch. We ask if we can go and help
your soldiers remove them."
He arched a slightly shaggy eyebrow, and then replied, "Granted."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," and they curtsied. Having seen too many movies
each, both knew enough not to turn their backs on the king immediately, but
to back away a few steps first. Then, as they left Rory and Balan to face
the king alone, they ran.
"At least we can get revenge for Rei-chan and Ami-chan," they ran down the
halls, Mako in the lead, which was probably a good thing, considering Minako
would get them lost.
"I still don't agree that they're dead."
They turned another corner, backtracking, and arrived in the courtyard.
Each was growing short of breath, but it hardly seemed to matter. They were
tired from their traveling, sleep last night or not. "Minako-chan, they
couldn't possibly survived that...."
"It's not like you to give up on them so fast, Mako. Who knows? Maybe they
were taken, and we'll be able to rescue them!"
Makoto shook her head as she ripped the reins of her horse out of a
startled stableboy's hand. "Keep dreaming, Minako. What are the odds of that
happening?"
"I don't know, but when we find Ami, we can ask her!"
Makoto frowned, sighed, then kicked her horse. The last legion of cavalry
was now exiting, just clearing the gate, and the two mounted senshi had to
spur their horses faster to just barely slip under it as it closed. Calling
over her shoulder, Minako said, "We'll have to be careful! They won't like
seeing us henshin! Remember how Rory and Balan reacted to the differences in
appearance!"
"Hai! Then we come from the sides!"
"Hai!"
And, in agreement, they chased after the cavalry.
"Good," Caitlyn was saying as Ami finished pulling her hands over her hair.
It was strange, to Ami, looking down slightly and seeing the length of her
hair on her shoulders. "It's unusual for a woman to have short hair. It's a
mark of dishonor here. A few silver eyed women have it, but you should make
as little notice of yourself as you can. We don't trust strangers easily."
"Hai," Ami agreed, somewhat nervously. For the last ten minutes or so,
Caitlyn had been giving her a crash course in basic illusionary, and it felt
strange. "My eyes, then? The same way?"
To that, Caitlyn shook her head, considering her thoughtfully. They stood
several feet apart, Ember wandering off to the side, and Ami could swear the
horse was amused at the situation. "No. It'll be easier if you use your
water magic than a glamourie. It's strange, teaching you this. I've never
seen an illusionist without silver eyes."
"Well," Ami took a breath. "Now you have, ne? How?"
"Eyes always have a thin sheen of water over them. Alter the color of the
water around the iris."
Ami thought about this for a moment, feeling her stomach churn. If she
could cast a glamourie over her hair, then she could do the same over her
eyes. It was very strange, this world. In hers, she never could do such
things. There had to be differences in the structure of the physics, or
something.... Her eyes closed, and when they opened again, they were a dull
silver color. "How are they?"
"Dark. Almost grey. But passable, I think. Keep your head down, do as I
say, and no one should notice. Understand?"
"Hai," Ami replied. "This camp...what will the people there do, when they
find out that there's a demon army headed this way?"
"We've been attacking arms caravans for months around here. The king,
Boreas, has been collecting quite an armament. He'll be plenty ready for it,
but we like to keep an eye on things. We may evacuate the site, if it's
likely there'll be a battle too close. We have wards up, and we're well
hidden, but things hidden always get found, eventually."
With that, Caitlyn swung herself up onto Ember's back, and reached down for
Ami's offered hand, settling her down behind. "Be careful. I can't be with
you the whole time we're there. If we get separated for too long, remember
the cover story. We'll be in and out as fast as possible. Not many know
about why I left. Eliana didn't want to send the entire contingent of silver
eyed up the Fire Mountain. Probably best, since most would not take to
having you be from another world very well. Many of us think we should just
destroy the Crystal Points. They're afraid the priestesses will use that
power to seal us away, as well."
As they started forward, Ami couldn't help but ask, "But wouldn't
destroying them keep anyone from replacing the Seal?"
"Yes. That's why we didn't tell many people."
Ami looked up to the branches over head, considering that. So, even among
the silver eyed, there were factions.
They only traveled a few minutes, before the sounds reached their ears. Ami
peered over Caitlyn's shoulder, and after a moment, they cleared the rise.
And, looking down, they saw the first smudges of smoke rise from newly lit
fires, where men in armor ran between breaks in the trees. On the currents
of wind, the unmistakable sounds of screaming reached their ears. From where
she sat, Ami felt Caitlyn shudder once, almost as a convulsion, and she
could sense the energy drain out of her, as a feeling of despair swept in.
Then, like the tide, it turned, and her back straightened, a forced gesture,
and when Caitlyn spoke, it had lost any of the kindness Ami had begun to
hear over the last couple days.
"Get off."
"But I can...."
"No. Get off." Caitlyn nearly pushed Ami from her seat, keeping a grip on
her arm, but still sending her staggering as she hit the ground. "This isn't
your fight. Get out of here."
With that, Caitlyn wheeled Ember around, and gave her a sharp kick, sending
them flying down the hill, and Ami saw Caitlyn draw her sword for the first
time as her cloaked winged out behind her. Ami sighed, tired, closing her
eyes, then opening them again to look down into the forest. There was a rise
in the middle of the starting fires, a sign there may be a cave. That made
sense, a good place to hide. But also a trap, if not cautious. Over the
treetops, something caught the eyes of Ami, a blast of electricity that
arched over the foliage, as though surrounding something. She started
forward, then hesitated. It was possible, of course, that one of the
sorcerers below was using magic. Then, a moment later, another burst of
energy, yellow and orange stars that ribboned up and spiraled, then, they
too faded away.
It was confirmation enough for Ami.
Hand lifting into the air, she began to run forward, the flood of shining
water encircling her again.
They let no one see them henshin, and when two more figures entered the
field of battle, few, if any noticed, save maybe any who came into their
path. If any thought the armor, or lack of armor, was strange, they didn't
have time to comment. Around them, men seethed, horses charging back and
forth as men cut their way into the defenders, who were still streaming out
of the mouth of a cave in the thickest section of the swirling melee.
Colored lights punctured the fight, rainbow colors in blue and red hues,
yellow and purple and green, then others colorless, the more deadly sort,
silent and without warning, and many soldier fell without knowing what had
happened. But there were many more soldiers than witches, and each was
armed, steadily gaining ground. And as these two new fighters entered, the
enemy fell much faster.
They broke, eventually, the lines, and it dissolved into chaos, men and
women running, shrieking as they were cut down, soldiers calling out in pain
as magic struck them in turn. It did not take long for blood to stain the
earth, covering the brown leaves that had fallen to the forest floor.
In the panic of battle, Sailor Venus found herself separated from Sailor
Jupiter, though occasionally she could see the electric bolts of lightning
that accompanied her attacks. Venus looked around her, and chose her next
target. One of the soldiers was backed into a tree, sword up, blood from a
gash running into his eyes as two male silver eyed approached, one armed
with a sword, the other's fingers lit with dazzling blue sparkles, their
eyes brightly lit, glowing as they approached their victim.
"Venus Love-me Chain!"
The armed man saw the attack coming, but had no time to turn. It pierced
his heart, and he collapsed to the ground, his companion a moment later, the
glitter of blue dying as he died. The man she saved looked at her, and
Venus smiled at him, waving that she had been recognized. The soldier stared
at her for a moment, then grinned, tapping his helm in a salute to her. She
saw him mouth the word, 'thanks' then turn away, running back into the mill
of murder that was being run before the cave mouth. Appreciation was always
welcome, and she saw another witch go down under his blade a moment later. A
little more revenge, for what was done to Mars and Mercury. Then she saw a
new, familiar faced witch on a dark red horse charge into the thick of
battle, screaming as she hacked her way into a knot of soldiers.
Eyes narrowing, Sailor Venus chose her new target.
Jupiter faced off with the man, a silver eyed who was fighting with such a
sense of desperation she couldn't understand why he was even there. Again he
lifted his hand, and again she rolled out of the way of the shockwave, a
silent blast that she remembered experiencing before, at the monolith at the
Fire Mountain. This time, she was ready, and landed neatly out of its way,
electricity already crackling around her as the antennae grew out of the
gemstone in her tiara, and the energy gathered into her hands.
A single target. A single blast, concentrated in one place.
She thought of the battle on the slope of the volcano, of Mercury, and of
Mars.
She summoned the lightning, and then, with its added energy....
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
He had blocked her Supreme Thunder a moment earlier, a shield of some kind
blossoming out around him like petals on a cherry blossom tree. This time, a
more powerful attack, aided by the same rage that gave her the power she now
used. Her leaves flew out as she spun, and they struck the same point in the
shield repeatedly, pounding down on it, and she heard a horrible, ear
shattering scream as his ward cracked like glass, then shattered, the points
glistening in the red firelight around them, the last of her leaves slamming
into him and sending the warlock back and to the ground.
Breathing hard, Sailor Jupiter stayed bent for a moment, gathering herself.
She was sweating with effort, and ran a hand over her forehead to wipe away
the salty water before it trailed into her eyes, blinding her. But as she
hesitated a moment, she watched the space behind the man blur and swim,
rippling and fading away as he died on the ground, clothes charred and
giving off a burned smell.
From where she stood, Sailor Jupiter felt a strange kind of sickness at
what was revealed by the death of the man. Unable to maintain his magic, it
had fallen away, revealing a small huddle of children, the oldest of which
was a girl no more than ten. This girl, the eldest, was already urging the
younger ones to run. She turned, and Jupiter saw gleaming tears in her
silver eyes as she placed her arms outward, shaking. She was terrified. But
at the same time, there was an incredible amount of determination in her
small face.
Suddenly, Jupiter wanted to throw up.
Instead, she turned and ran back into the carnage that was going on around
her. And if, perhaps, she had looked behind her, she would have seen the
little girl suddenly sag and stumble away, the mental preparation for her
death seemingly premature, the anticlimax of it sucking any strength from
her body.
"There are...children here...."
It didn't make sense.
"There are children here....."
If this was the base of witches, where they plotted and planned to kill and
kill, to destroy Emania, to bring the Silence, to break the Seal, to let in
Chaos...to...to....
Then there was another man in front of her, and Jupiter could only scream,
"Supreme Thunder!"
Sailor Mercury ran though the carnage and milling murder, the blood and the
magic and the death. Too many fell under blade, and too many fell under
spell. It was so different, than battles she had seen before. Oh, the lights
were the same, perhaps, but battles never had so much...blood. No one got
hurt, just youma. Or daimon, or droids, phages or whatever was clearly evil.
Not people. People were supposed to return to normal. They were supposed to
unfreeze, or regain their memories, be healed from whatever it was that had
caused them to turn. Their Star Seeds returned to them. Mercury squeezed her
eyes shut as she ran through the thick of it, her goal within her sight.
Caitlyn was still mounted on Ember's back, and was slashing her way though
a thick knot of soldiers, her sword now charged with pure white energy, her
eyes, which always glowed faintly, were now blazing, and Mercury saw that
there was a similiar reaction in the faces of the other silver eyed.
Emotions, too clearly written.
At the same time, she was also scanning with her eyes, looking for Jupiter
or Venus. And as her gaze found the Soldier of Love, they widened in panic.
She saw Venus pulling her hand up, kissing her fingertips as she prepared
her attack.
Mercury launched herself into the air. She could not let Venus kill
Caitlyn. Venus didn't know what was going on. Didn't know that the silver
eyed weren't evil. Didn't even know that this was no more than a witch hunt.
Mercury felt herself hit Caitlyn and she sent them flying from the saddle,
tumbling to the ground as the line hearts flew around Sailor Venus, and her
cry could be heard over the clangor of swords. "Venus Love and Beauty
Shock!"
It struck the tree several lengths beyond where they fell, and the tree
splintered, the branches on fire, crashing down as people cleared the space
below it, smoke wafting up into the air, darkly. It burned the lungs, and
filled eyes with water as people ran.
"Ami?" Caitlyn asked as Sailor Mercury pushed herself to her feet, facing a
shocked Venus, who was staring, seeing what had just occurred. Both Caitlyn
and Venus watched Mercury's face show conflicting emotions, calculating,
then settling on a course of action.
Venus had seen Mercury's movement countless times, but never from this
particular angle. Her arms went up and around her, centering before her as a
ball of white light glowed between her palms, then flying around her as she
spun in a circle. "Shabon...Spray!"
The cold fog flew out, dispersing. Within moments, the entire area was
covered in the haze, and Venus stared at the swirling mist in disbelief.
Mercury was alive. And she was fighting against her.
What was going on?
Sailor Mercury then turned, watching the scared Ember bolt off into her
fog, and she saw figures of men vanish in and out of sight as they searched.
Red glows burned in the sunlit fog. She knew, with the light and heat of
day, that the Spray would not last long. But it would be enough.
"Shine Aqua Illusion!"
The water doused the burning tree, sending the stink of wet char into the
air. Then, Mercury turned to Caitlyn, her face carefully neutral. "Your
people are outnumbered, and they're going to lose."
"I know," Caitlyn agreed, and around them, the swirls grew thick. "It seems
our alliance is over, Ami. Good luck. And hopefully, when we meet again, you
won't have to use any of those tricks I taught you against me."
Then she turned, and the silver eyed sorceress vanished into the mist.
"Venus! Jupiter!"
Mercury waded her way into the fray, the people quickly losing their will
to fight as their vision left them. "Venus! V-babe!"
"Mercury!"
Though the strands of sunlight, Venus saw Mercury appear, waving, pushing
her way though the clouds she had created. "Venus!" Suddenly, they both had
arms full of a laughing senshi, both relieved.
"Mercury-chan, I thought you were going to try to kill me!"
"You know me better than that, Venus! Where's Mako?"
"I lost her in the battle. It may take awhile, in your fog. Why did you
save that witch? She's the one who-"
"I'll explain later. Is Mars with you, too?"
Mercury's face fell as Venus' did, looking away and releasing her friend
from the hug. "Come on. Let's find Jupiter. I knew you weren't dead. And if
you're not, then neither is Mars." Venus brightened as they broke though the
whorls of fog. "We're Sailor Senshi. We can't die!"
It took them only a few minutes to find Sailor Jupiter, sitting beneath a
smoldering oak tree. She sat there, eyes staring down emptily in her lap,
and at the head that lay resting there. A little girl, with a heavy gash
down the side of her face, blood dried.
"I couldn't stop him in time. I couldn't save her." Jupiter looked up at
the two other senshi, and in her sadness, didn't react at all to Mercury's
reappearance. Her voice was flat when she told them, "There were children
here."
Venus and Mercury stood there, looking down at their friend in the misty
sunlight, cradling the little body of the girl. "Jupiter," Mercury said
softly, leaning down and offering her hand, "don't let her have died in
vain."
Sailor Jupiter looked at the peaceful little face, eyes dry. She couldn't
feel anything but emptiness. It was wrong. It was all wrong. "We have to
stop it, Ami-chan. All of it. They were just kids. What could they have
done?"
"Hai, Mako-chan. Come on."
Laying the limp body down on the charred remains of the leaves, Sailor
Jupiter took Mercury's hand, and joined her sister senshi.
They returned to Castle Ansur, and for having so much to say, they spoke
very little. Detransforming, they slipped in the gates with other returning
soldiers, women rushing with bandages and cloths, medicines and herbs, all
to help their returning husbands and sons. The three girls watched this in a
strange state of disbelief. Who was right?
Battered and exhausted, Minako and Makoto's introduction of Ami to Rory and
Balan took only a few moments. Then, Balan was shouting for servants to
prepare a large room, and Rory shooing away any curious onlookers. Three
battered young women, returning with the troops. It was unusual, but the
majority of people were too busy with their own battle wounds to care.
Ami foggily kept up enough energy to keep the small glamour on her hair.
Why that seemed to be the only thing she could focus on, she didn't know.
Maybe it was its irrelevance that made it important. Something else to
concentrate on. Each was distantly aware that Rory herself had produced
medicines, and was patching them up, a gash on Minako's leg, a burn on
Makoto's arm. It didn't seem to matter. After a little while, she packed up
her bag and ordered them to sleep. But the three waited until they were
again alone, and moved out onto the verandah, knowing that before they
slept, they would have to talk.
And so Makoto leaned up against the half wall, the sun setting on the hills
beyond her, splashing red and yellow across the green tops of the trees, and
tinting the creeping ivy around them in fiery shades. Minako sat down on one
side of the doorway, arms around her knees, leaning back against the stone
wall. Ami kept herself just under the archway, still half in the shadows of
their room. Quietly, they spoke, catching up on what had happened to each of
them over the last week or so. So much, in so little time.
Minako and Makoto spoke of the village of Shaking Pines, of how they met
Princess Aurora, and of Balan, their journey to the north, and how they had
presumed Ami and Rei dead when they awoke after fighting the silver eyed
sorceress.
Ami, in turn, spoke of what had happened to her, of Caitlyn's goals, the
hatred for things illusionary, how it seemed that she herself had this
power, and then of the demon army that she and Caitlyn had stalled in the
valley.
"We're glad to have you back, Ami-chan," Minako told her as she rubbed her
eyes sleepily. They were red, and slightly puffy. "But if there was an army
of those goblins coming, they would be here by now."
"Hai," Ami agreed, and pulled out the Mercury Computer. "I've been
monitoring since this morning. There is no sign of them within a two
kilometer radius of Ansur Castle. That suggests that the Castle is not their
target."
"Then what?" Makoto asked, shifting on her position on the half wall. She
kicked herself up onto it, feet still tapping the ground below her. "None of
this fits. There's way more going on here than we first expected. If the
silver eyed aren't evil, then who the hell is the enemy?"
"The man I saw on the black horse," Ami replied instantly. "Just looking at
him, I get this horrible feeling. But you're right. Too many people are set
against each other. Caitlyn-san suggested that there were even factions
within the ranks of her kind."
"Then we'll have to be careful," Minako concluded. "How'd you get her to
bring you north, anyway?"
"I said that was where we thought the first Point lay. Caitlyn-san didn't
argue. No one seems to know anything about where these things are. Which is
why the fact there is a goblin army marching this way worries me so much. If
the castle isn't going to be placed under siege, then where are they going?"
"I don't know. But you slowed them up a day or so, ne, Ami-chan?"
"Hai."
"Then you bought us some time to sleep," Minako sighed, blearily pulling
the red ribbon out of her hair, and sending the pale yellow hair down
loosely around her face. She wrapped the bow around her wrist, then stood.
"We won't be much good if we're all about to keel over. We'll go out and
look for this army tomorrow. But right now...I need some sleep."
She yawned again, and turned back into their room, the rustling sounds of
bedcovers being undone heard. Ami looked at Makoto, then moved to stand
beside her at the edge. Makoto looked over her shoulder from where she sat,
seeing Ami looking down and out at the space below them. "We'll find
Rei-chan, Ami-chan. I didn't think you were alive either. You said you came
north because that was the plan. Rei knows that too. She's on her way. She
has to be."
Ami nodded, but the foreboding feeling was ghosting around her eerily. It
wasn't the same without them all here. "Minako-chan is right. We do need
some sleep."
"Un. You look strange, with long hair." Mako slid off the wall, and began
to walk inside. "Are you sure you can keep it up?"
"Hai. I think so. Such a little thing, though," she sighed. "Good night,
Mako-chan."
"Good night."
Then the shadows of the sunset deepened into purple, and the hour of the
sunset drew to a close.
Somewhere, if she thought about it, Rei could swear she read that people
could survive for weeks without food, so long as they had water. Water she
had, and it was cool enough to drink, circling in the pool. She had found
its source, a tiny, narrow crack large enough for her to wriggle her fingers
in. She was so hot, and was glad that the water flow was constant. She would
have been dehydrated in short hours without it.
After a time, she had gathered herself, and begun to methodically search
the cave. Her mind wrapped around a single thought.
If there is an entrance, then there is an exit.
That was logic, wasn't it?
She wandered her cave like a maze, burrowing around the infinite wealth,
searching for a trapdoor, or a crack in the cave. She tapped on the surface
of a highly tarnished mirror, thinking of how mirrors were sometimes
considered doorways. But the fact that it was cracked and covered in coins
made her doubt its being a portal. Rei ran her hands over the walls of the
cave, searching for hidden passages. Once, she even henshined, gathering up
enough strength to send a Flame Sniper shooting up into the ceiling, hoping
to blast a hole. The result was for her to get showered with dirt and
fragmented pebbles. She fought with despair. There was no way out.
But there had to be. There was an entrance.
Somewhere.
So, she continued to stumble around her prison, blindly looking, blindly
searching. She didn't want to face the fiery lake again. Too much heat, too
much fire, even for her. But as she slipped in and out of dark
consciousness, she thought of her prayers at the Great Fire in her shrine,
of how her scryings there had shown her things.
If she could do it there, would it also work here?
This fire was far larger, and not under any control, especially not hers.
Soldier of Fire or not, the idea of commanding the inside of a volcano was
terrifying. Though, slowly, as she again sipped cool water from her hands,
she decided she had no choice. She had to try.
Her clothes were soaked with perspiration, sleeves heavy and plastered to
her arms, her hair damp and clinging to her neck and back. "Hino Rei. Sailor
Mars, Soldier of Fire. And not afraid...of anything!" With grim
determination, she once again walked towards the burning light, waves of
heat rippling thickly around her as she tried to breathe in the sulfuric
stench. Into the inferno she walked, and again stood on the ledge of the
lake.
Her knees hit the ground gratefully, since she could rest. So drained of
energy, she felt dizzy as she brought her hands up before her, chanting
softly as she prepared her meditation. The mantra came brokenly, and with
gaps and pauses as she tried to breathe, the gouts of flame spiring up
before her in swirling sparks.
"Please...show me...the way out...."
Something steamed on her face, and Rei realized she was crying again, the
heat turning the tears to vapor even before they rolled off her cheeks.
"Someone...show me...the way...."
Blackness gathered at the edges of her vision, rimmed with a ring of fire.
*Who is it, that summons me?*
The words echoed in Rei's mind, deep and low, with a slightly acid tone.
"Someone...please...." her violet eyes closed, and she felt herself falling
forward, palms smacking into the stone as she collapsed, lying lengthwise on
the ledge.
*Who are you, to call for me?*
"Hino...Rei...and not afraid of...of...anything....."
The heat around her grew so thick, she could reach out a hand and touch it
with her fingers, the clear waves of intensity.
Looking out through black lashes, scattered with droplets of water, Rei
could see the fiery forge before her grow high and tall, solid. Something
large grew from the molten rock, and it peered over her, looking down with
great crimson eyes.
*You do not live well, here. A pity. You should, since it is your element.*
"Who...."
*In the speech of old tongues, to ken a thing is to know it. It was the
torch, the light of a fire that brings knowledge. So it is with me. Share my
strength, Princess of Fire. Share it, and grow strong.*
Rei felt the consuming heat around her contract, instead filling her heart
with flames. And she found the strength to push herself upright, meeting a
molten set of whirling eyes, which watched her out of a heavily scaled head.
A long, sinewy neck arched up out of the inferno, and heavily taloned claws
rested on the lip of the ledge. Such a creature existed only in the myths of
her land, giant, scaled creatures that breathed fire, and brought with them
either good luck or death. The head of this creature pushed close to Rei,
and she touched the snout, using it as leverage to sit herself up. The wedge
shaped head moved back a bit, and Rei saw a stone set into the space between
the eyes, a ruby that glittered in the firelight, the delicate prisms
refracted within the edges.
"You're...a dragon...."
*Come. It is time for you to leave this place. Your friends will have need
of the Soldier of Fire.*
Rei had no time to react, as the creature moved forward with lightning
speed, and she felt herself falling onto the back of this dragon, as wings
spread out behind her, and then, instead of flying, they plunged into the
fire below.
************************************************************************
That felt good.
Rei-chan is back!
Told you this chapter or the next, didn't I? I decided to add that earlier
scene as I went along. This chapter ended up being a touch shorter than I
thought it would. Just a couple pages, but the first two came out to be
18-19, and this one only 16. I'm just picky, I guess. The next one is
probably going to be long. Oh well. Hm. Not much of a random babbling this
time. Should be interesting from here. I have the next couple scenes in my
head right now, but beyond that....a rough idea of what needs to happen, but
not the scenes between. We'll see.
Ja until next chat.
-Queen
iceaffinity@hotmail.com
(
geocities.com/tokyo/shrine) (
geocities.com/tokyo)