I'll Be There For You
Part 7 - The Battle for Serenity

Her head was pounding-- her body was sore and on fire.

Her mind tried to register what had happened, where she was, but
there was only fuzziness and choruses of voices talking to her, adding
to her headache. Her crystal blue eyes blinked open, tempting her sur-
roundings-- but there was only darkness. She could see nothing, not
even shadows.

She realized she was laying on her back, something cold and hard
pressing against her, and she tried to sit up. The rattle of chains
and vain struggles met with the attempt.

Her heart began to race, choking in her throat. She pulled again at
her arms and legs, only to discover she couldn't move them an inch.
Metal bit sharply into her wrists and ankles, furthering her frenzied
panic. She thrashed out, yanking at her arms and legs, pulling muscles.
All without the result she desired.

Laughter drifted out through the darkness.

She froze, her panting the only sound in the darkness for a long moment.

A second later a tiny light flickered to life. Her head snapped to the
left, her eyes squinted against the sudden flare of light, small though it
was.

She saw the tall brown haired woman first, standing only a few feet away
from where she was laying. The woman's dark brown hair was pulled back
into a ponytail. She wore a noir-vinyl jumpsuit that started somewhere
inside the noir-vinyl boots with two-inch heels that rose to above her
knees. It stretched up over her full hips and flat belly, pulled tight
at her rather large breasts, stretched over her shoulders and down her
rather well shaped arms, and ended at the base of her skull and her wrists.

The brown haired woman shifted and she could see another woman standing
behind her. She knew this woman.

Blond hair, held back at the sides with a three skull clip; a long dark
dress with a slit from hip to toe on one side; burning blue-gray eyes,
fueled by the fires of hatred; red lips curved in a distorted smile.

This woman was the reason why she was here, in this place, instead of at
home with her family and friends. This woman was the reason why her life
during the Moon Kingdom was brought to a halt by Queen Beryl. She was the
reason why her baby was dead.

She yanked at the chains once again, willing them to break, to free her,
but after several seconds, she fell back to the stone slab that was her
bed, exhausted.

Alicia smiled, pleased with the girl's reaction.

"Oh, do continue to struggle," she said, stepping closer to the bed.
"The more energy you waste, the more we attain." She leaned over the bed,
her face inches away from the girl's. "And the more we use against your
silly little friends."

The girl struggled again, and Alicia pulled back out of the way, laughing.
The girl stopped suddenly, scrawling at her.

"I must say, Serenity, you surprised me," Alicia said, turning to walk
back towards the other woman.

"Don't call me that," the girl hissed.

Alicia smiled. "I did not expect you to try something so soon after
losing your dear baby," she said with mock sympathy-- with the desired
effects. The girl began to yank at her bonds again. After a moment,
the girl visibly weakened.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, sounding hurt, pained, tearful.

Alicia whirled, anger wrenching her beautiful face into a hideous con-
tortion. "Because, my dear sweet Serenity," she said, spitting each word
out. "I want you dead. I want you to die-- very painfully. I want to
hear you scream. I want you to feel all the pain you've caused me simply
by breathing. I want you to suffer like I have had to suffer. I want you--"

Beep beep beep.

The candle wavered as the brown haired woman raised what looked like a
cell phone to her ear. "What is it?" Silence. "We'll be right there."
With a snap the phone thingy disappeared.

Alicia looked over her shoulder, expectantly.

"They have made it to the passage way," the brown haired woman said.

Alicia nodded, a smile returning to her lips. "We must send a welcoming
party out to meet them, then." She looked back at the girl on the bed.
"Go, Jewels, take care of it for me. I have something I want to finish
here."

Julie made to protest but Alicia stopped her. "Serenity is hardly in a
position to cause me harm," she pointed out.

"Very well, princess," Julie said, frowning but bowing and leaving the
room.

Alicia approached the stone slab again, raising the candle Julie had
given her.

"You can't kill them," she hissed. "They will find you and defeat you.
You will not win. You will not win!"

Alicia grinned. "Oh, my dear sweet Serenity. Maybe I can't kill them
all... maybe the will find me... but they will never find you... not alive."

The girl yanked at the chains again. "Stop calling me 'Serenity'! It
is not my name!"

Alicia ginned. "Oh but it is, it is." She lifted the candle higher and
then tilted it.

Burning hot wax dripped over the edge and fell to the girl's exposed
flesh. The girl hissed, tears springing to her crystal blue eyes. Red
welts began to form along side the waxy puddles on the milky white skin
of the girl.

Alicia smiled. "Pain is a very wonderful thing, Serenity. It is
amazing how much pain the human body can endure. I intend for you to
find out first hand," she leaned over the slab again, "My dear sweet
Serenity."

"Stop it," she hissed with controlled pain, tears straining freely down
her cheeks. "Stop calling my Serenity. Stop trying to hurt me. Your
tricks and games will not work on me."

Alicia laughed, as though she found that remarkable funny. She pulled
the candle away, however, still smiling. "I have matters to attend to.
But do not fear Serenity. I will not leave you alone."

She turned and walked to the door, not stopping till she reached the
entrance. She looked back, one hand resting on the doorframe.

"Don't miss me too much, Serenity." She tapped a button, the door slid
opened and then sealed tight behind her.

Serena pulled at the chains binding her wrists and ankles. After several
moments, she gave up, panting, drained. A weak defeated sob rocked her
fragile frame. She wanted to wipe the tears from her face but the biting
iron bracelets restricted even that basic movement.

"Where are you?" she asked the darkness sadly. "Why are you not here?"
She turned her face away, hiding it in her shoulder. "My friends...my
love," a whine caught in her throat as more tears were squeezed from her
shut eyes. "I need you, please. I can't do this alone."

There were clatters of chains. Startled, Serena looked up at the
ceiling-- or where the ceiling should have been.

She gasped, shocked and horrified.

Hanging twenty feet about the ground where chains upon chains of cold
iron links. And tangled in those chains were bodies: 5 men, 1 woman, all
strikingly familiar.

Serena screamed.

***************************************************************************

"I don't like this," he stated, pacing the length of the floor.

Luna looked up at him, watching silently, not knowing what to say, and
finally just laying her head back on her paws.

"They've been gone too long," Artemis continued, stopping to look out
the door.

Luna looked away, shutting her eyes against the tears the slid silently
down her furry face. She sniffled, catching Artemis's attention. He
softened, watching his mate cry silently.

"Hey, Luna," he said, padding over to where she laid on a mat in the
fire room. She looked up at him, watery red eyes staring up into what
felt like his very soul. "Don't worry," he said softly, curling around
her. "They'll find Serena and return."

"I hope you're right, Artemis," she said in a choked voice. She stared
out the door. "I hope you're right."

*******

"I don't like it."

"We don't have a choice," Mercury said, touching an earring. The blue
visor slid away into non-existence. "It's the only way to get to the
fortress."

"Well, I still don't like it," Uranus said, scrawling.

They all frowned at the narrow passage way that separated them from the
fortress where Serena was.

"It's probably a trap," Euclase said.

"I'd be surprised if it wasn't," Endymion answered.

"I have a bad felling about his," Mars said, eyeing the stone walls.

"We have no choice," Meliphane told her.

"We must get to the Princess," Sardonyx added.

"Right, everybody stay alert," Venus said, stepping forward and into the
tunnel.

They nodded and then followed in behind her, two by two, Venus leading.
Endymion followed immediately, Jupiter and Mars behind him. Mercury had
both her computer and visor out, analyzing. Meliphane followed beside, but
slightly behind her. Sardonyx and Uranus were on his heels.

Pluto and Saturn held back, looking at one another and talking softly.
Euclase, seeing this, also held back.

"What's going on, P?" Both women looked up, startled. His frown
widened. "What aren't you telling us?"

Pluto closed her eyes and looked away. "I am sorry, General Euclase,
but I am afraid you know I can not tell you that."

Euclase's fists clenched. "You can't tell me but you can tell her! Is
that it?" Both women were silent, staring at him. "Arr! You know what,
P? Forget it! Just forget it!" He whirled around to follow the way the
others had gone.

"General Euclase!" a small voice called him back. He turned half way, and
looked at Sailor Saturn. The small woman stood straight, but was still over
shadowed but the Senshi of Time.

"As the Senshi of Life and Death I, sometimes, am permitted to know the
future." She looked at him. "So that I may prepare accordingly."

He looked at her. And then he looked at Pluto, frowning. "We're not
going to survive this, are we?" Pluto showed no emotion. He nodded slowly
and swallowed. "That's what I thought." He sighed. "We better--"

Screams from the passage way cut off what he was about to say. Together
the three turned and ran.

*******

"I don't like this," Uranus repeated as the passage narrowed.
Sardonyx reached for her hand and squeezed it. She frowned at him; he
smiled back at her.

"I think you've already said that," Mars said weakly. Jupiter kept a
close eye on her.

"And I'll say it again if I feel like it," Uranus snapped at her.

"Only a--"

"Quit it," Venus snapped at them both.

"This whole passage is swamped with negative energy!" Mercury said before
anyone else could say something. "It's messing my scanners up
majorly!"

"Put the computer away," Endymion told her. "No sense in ruining it if
it can not help us." Mercury frowned but did as he say. "Everyone stay
alert."

They had gone only ten paces when pebbles scattered down the side of one
of the cliffs. Venus yelped, jumping high, and landing in Endymion's arms.
The blond-haired senshi gave a nervous giggle.

"Well, you know what they say--"

"No now, baka," Mars hissed as Endymion lowered Venus back onto her own
two feet.

More stones tumbled down the cliff-- this time from behind. Everyone
whipped around, ready for danger, but faced only empty space.

"Hey! Where are the others!" Jupiter shouted.

"I thought they were right behind us," Sardonyx said, taking a step back
in the direction they'd come.

"No," Endymion stopped him. "They can find their own way. We must
continue."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Sardonyx said as they turned back
around and continued on their way.

It was then that the screams tore through the passage, shaking the walls
on either side, sending cataracts of pebbles and dust raining down around
them.

*******

"Status report," Alicia barked the second the door to the command
center slid open. Julia looked over her shoulder at the woman and then
returned her gaze over another girl's shoulder to a computer screen.

"They entered the passage way ten minutes ago," Julia answered, pushing
away from the chair where the lime-haired girl was seated. "Defense systems
are ready and waiting. We can hit them all now while they're vulnerable and
destroy them once and for all. Just say the word, Princess--"

"No!" she shouted. "I will not allow Endymion to be hurt."

"Princess--" Julia started to argue.

"No," Alicia refused to listen. "I will hear no more of it." She sat
down in the large command chair. "Is our little present ready also?" she
asked, sounding calm once more.

The girl at the computer swiveled around in her chair. "Yes, my Princess.
The amipiphones are up and operational."

Alicia smiled. "Good." She looked over to Julia. "Let them hear the
voice of their precious little Serenity."

Julia nodded to a young man with bright red hair sitting at another
computer. "Yes ma'am," the man replied, leaning forward and typing
something into his computer.

**************************************************************************

She thrashed out, crying loudly, straining against the iron
restraints. In the end, she fell back against the cold slab, too weak
for further struggle. All she could do was lie there, staring up at the
hanging bodies of her friends. Tears ran rivers down her cheeks unchecked.

"Why," she asked softly. "Why?"

******

The screams stopped as suddenly as they had started. Cautiously, they
readjusted themselves, standing up, brushing dirt off.

"Well that was interesting," Jupiter said, helping Mars up.

"Wh-- what was that?" Venus asked, brushing sand and gravel from her
long tresses.

"I don't know, but what-ever-the-hell it--"

"Is everyone okay?" General Euclase asked, cutting Uranus off as he,
Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn rushed up to them.

"Where in the name of the Moon have *you* been!" Sardonyx shouted.

"Help me over here!" Meliphane interrupted before Euclase could say
anything.

"Mercury!"

"Amy!"

They circled around Meliphane as he cradled an unconscious sailor
Mercury, blood streaming from a gape on her temple.

"Is she--?" Venus asked, kneeling down beside him.

"I don't think so, but I'm not a doctor..."

"Saturn?" Mars asked, looking over to the girl only to see her near
fainting and leaning heavily against Sailor Pluto.

"What about you, Endymion," Euclase asked, looking up at the prince.

Endymion frowned. "It didn't work for Kunzite," he said softly.

"That was poison," Venus bit out, looking at him with tears pooling in
her large blue eyes.

"Elios said the Golden Crystal is like the Silver Crystal," Euclase
reminded him.

"Yea! And we know the Silver Crystal can heal!" Jupiter shouted.

There was a moment of tense silence...before Endymion finally nodded and
knelt down beside the watery senshi. The Golden Crystal began to shine,
glowing brighter and brighter. Everyone held their breath.

Slowly the wound at Mercury's temple began to close, the flow of blood
slowing until it stopped completely. The Golden Crystal flashed... and then
went out. Endymion slumped forward.

They cried out, catching Endymion.

"We have wasted time," Pluto said, still supporting Saturn. They looked
up at her, frowning. "We must hurry."

"What was that sound?" Venus asked, standing up to face her.

Pluto stared at her, her large maroon eyes pooling with unshed tears.
Behind Venus the others began to stand. Meliphane lifted Mercury in his
arms. Sardonyx swung Endymion over his back piggyback style. Eight bodies
stood facing her, waiting for her answer.

"They were the screams of Serenity," she answered softly.

********

They began to run, running faster then they could ever remember
running before. Their arms and legs pumping so hard the pain was next to
unbearable. Their heartbeats roaring like rampant thunder in their ears.
Their lungs burned.

And still they ran.

Slabs of stone began jutting out from the stone walls. They dodged,
nearly missing the razor sharp edges.

And still they ran.

And with each step the got closer and closer to their destination.

********

"Alicia, you must do something," Julia hissed softly so no one
else in the room could hear.

"I will not harm Endymion," the woman said, staring forward at a large
view screen that showed the senshi and moon generals running through the
passageway. "Estimated time?"

"Five minutes," replied the red-haired boy.

"Let me send someone," Julia pleaded, her eyes darting towards the view
screen. One of the senshi dodged a stone slab as it thrust through the
face of the wall.

Alicia grated her teeth, watching the view screen intently.

"Very well," she said after another moment.

Julia turned away immediately, but a hand snaked out and wrapped itself
painfully around her arm. She turned back to look at Alicia.

"But they are not to hurt Endymion, do you understand me?" the woman a
sked, deadly silence followed her words.

There was a clash of wills, as Julia and Alicia refused to look away from
the other. Finally Julia nodded, which seemed to content Alicia, for the
woman released her grip on her guardian. She stood up, walking away from
the room, leaving a very angry Julia in her wake.

"Mervas, Varidius, command center, now!"

********

The door slid open. Every muscled in her body tensioned, preparing
for some new mode of pain and torment.

Alicia saw this and laughed. "Are your friends keeping you company?" she
asked as she walking into the room, her heels clicking on the stone slabs
that made the floor.

Serena was silent.

"Or would you like some more?"

"No!" she shouted, her struggles resuming. "Don't hurt my friends, you-
you- you witch!"

Alicia smiled, pleased. A moment after, the girl fell back, drained.
"Oh, don't stop," she said, approaching the 'bed'. "With each passing
moment you make yourself weaker and weaker... and me stronger and strong."

Serena turned her head, her lifeless blue eyes staring up at the woman.
"Why?" she asked plaintively. "Why?" she repeated on a whispers.

Alicia leaned over, strands of blond hair falling into the other girl's
face. "To- see- you- suffer," she whispered. She reached over to a control
panel, and typed something in. "Suffer," she repeated as electrical shocks
and pulses began to rack Serena's convulsing body. "And die."

Screams filled the hallowed passages of the fortress.

***************************************************************************

I'll Be There For You
Part 7 - The Battle for Serenity
Chapter 68

"Serena..."

It was a soft groan, but enough to make Sardonyx stop. "Hold up!" he
called to the others.

"What's wrong?" Venus said, her hair flying over one shoulder as she
stopped mid-stride and turned around. The others stopped also, turning
to look at Sardonyx.

"He's coming through."

"We can stop," Jupiter shouted. "We have to keep going. We have to--"

And then the screams began again.

They leaned up against the stone cliff walls for what little protection
there was from the falling debris. Euclase helped Endymion off Sardonyx's
back, giving Sard a break. Beside him, Jupiter huddled unconsciously closer,
her arms up over her head to block the raining stones and dust.

Sardonyx looked across from him, where Meliphane was hovering protectively
over a still-uncounscious Sailor Mercury. To his friend's left Sailors
Pluto and Uranus were trying to shield a wheezing Sailor Saturn. Sardonyx
glanced a look up ahead and saw Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars shouting some-
thing to each other. He strained his ears and could just barely hear what
the two were screaming.

"This can't keep up much longer!"

"We have to get to Serena!"

"Yes, but we can't chance to run with this going on!"

"But can we chance to leave her alone for this long!"

"We don't have--"

He felt more than saw the shifting of the stone wall behind him. A second
later, before he had a chance to do more than push Sailor Jupiter away from
him, the wall spit out another razor-sharp stone slab. He heard Jupiter's
shout of surprise... and then the other's.

Surprisingly, though, he felt... nothing. He coughed, and could taste the
saltiness of blood on his tongue. He looked up, into the horrified eyes of
Sailor Uranus.

"Ha-ruka-chan," he whispered hoarsely.

And then the screams stopped.

*********

"You know what you are to do," she said staring at the freakish
woman before her.

"Yessss," the woman hissed, the snakes on her head spitting.

"Good, then go," Julia said, turning away."

"Ma'am!" cried the lime-haired girl at one of the computers. "A moon
general has been wounded!"

"Really? Which one? How? How bad?" she fired off as she approached the
girl.

"I believe it is General Sardonyx, ma'am," the girl said, clearly nervous.

"Hmm. Pity," Julia said with a small frown. "He was actually cute." The
girl said nothing. "How bad?"

She cleared her throat. "Dead, ma'am."

Julia's eyebrows rose. "That's a little bit better than wounded, Emerald."
The girl flushed and looked away. "Tell me, Rubius, how did we gain this
trophy?"

The red-haired boy looked up. "One of the defense blades, ma'am.
Practically sliced him in half!"

Julia smiled. "No need to be so enthusiastic, child. There are still
more on their way. Here. To kill you, me, our Princess."

The eager glint in the boy's eyes died. "Yes, ma'am," he mumbled.

"Tell me, were any of the others hurt?" Both children turned back to
their computers.

"Minor damages, ma'am," Emerald said. "Cuts and bruises it seems."

"Sailor Mercury is still unconscious," Rubius added. "And it appears
Sailor Jupiter has received a more serious wound to her side."

"Oh really?" Julia smiled. "We'll take them bit by bit if we have to,"
she said softly to herself. "But we will win."

********

"We have to keep going," Pluto said, looking away from the impaled
body of General Sardonyx. Sailor Uranus was motionless beside her, staring,
not looking away from the body of her lover.

The others tore their shocked eyes away from the body to look at her.

"R-right," Venus said weakly, a little dazed.

"Serena," Endymion groaned again. Euclase shifted him in his arms. The
prince struggled to stand on his on two feet. "We have to find Serena."

"Right," Sailor Mars cried.

"R-right," Sailor Jupiter gasped, clutching her side. The others looked
at her, and saw the blood seeping past her gloved fingers.

"You're hurt!" Venus cried.

"It's a scratch," Jupiter said, pushing her way. "We gotta keep going."

"Let's go then," General Euclase said.

"What about--" Mars looked at the body and then at Uranus and Meliphane.

"Leave it," Uranus said coldly. "It would only weigh us down." She
looked at Meliphane. "Leave Mercury, too." The Inners made to protest but
she stopped them. "We need to get to Serena as quickly as possible."

There was a silent battle of wills as they looked at her.

"The princess weakens every moment we delay," Sailor Saturn said softly.
Eyes shot to her small face. "If we do not get to her soon... I will have
no choice but to call the Silence."

There were gasps. Eyes flew Pluto's face, saw the pinched look there,
and realized the girl was not bluffing.

"Let's go then," Jupiter said. "Anyone who can't keep up will have to
make it on their own." And she took off running...

"Forgive us," Meliphane said softly as he placed Sailor Mercury gently
down on the rubble-covered floor of the passage. And then he took off
running after the others.

He chanced a look back, and what he saw made him stop.

A portal opened, and out of it stepped the Senshi of Time. She collected
the bloodied body of General Sardonyx in her arms and turned to leave back
the way she came. Before entering the portal, though, she looked back,
looked directly at him.

"Go now," she said in her timeless voice. "They need your help."

And then she was gone, the portal swallowing both her and his friend in
the winds of time.

********

Serena heard the rattle of chains but was afraid to look up. Alicia
had left some odd minutes again... her body was on fire, and soul felt ripped
in two. She dared a glance to the space overhead. And let the tears fall.

***************************************************************************

"Report."

"Everything is in place, my Princess," Emerald answered.

"Good," Alicia smiled, sitting down in the command chair. She looked
over to Julia. "And our guests?"

"Approaching the Entrance," the woman replied.

"And you have sent--"

"Yes."

Alicia smiled again. "Good, good."

"They will not survive."

"Did you think they would?"

********

"Damn!" Jupiter shouted, coming to an abrupt halt.

"Now whadda we do?" panted Mars as they stared at the dead end they'd come
to.

"We make a door!" Uranus grunted as she powered up her energy. "World
Shaking!"

There was a crackling of electricity and a flash of light that made them
look away, but when they looked back there was no sign of Uranus's attack,
and the stone wall that blocked their way was still very much intact.

"What do we do know?" Jupiter asked, staring dumbstruck at the wall before
them. "Wait for another attack?"

"Well you know what they say," Venus started before Mars could stop her.

"Say it and I'll flame you!"

"No need!" Meliphane stopped her. He smiled. "Not everything is what is
seems," he said as he powered up his own energy. "Waning Moon Choir!" A
thousand voices were heard as the blue waves of Meliphane's attack washed
over the stone wall that blocked their path. When it faded away there was a
black hole in the wall, its edges smooth.

"Whoa!" They stared into the black hole that led who-knew-where.

"Let's go then!" Venus shouted starting into the darkness.

"Wait!" Saturn called out. "Be careful," she said as they looked at her.
They nodded and then filed into the darkness.

A door slid shut behind them.

********
"What the--"

"Ah! What is that!" Mars screamed as she bumped into something, trying to
see in the darkness.

"I can't see a thing!" Venus cried.

"Maybe I can--" Endymion started.

"No, save your strength," Euclase stopped him. "By the powers of the Full
Moon!"

Of a sudden the darkness faded to shadows. They looked to see the large
pendant hanging around Euclase's neck aglow with a light of its own. And
then they looked at where they were.

"What--?" Jupiter wondered.

"It looks like a crystal maze," Uranus said walking up to one of the walls
and striking at it with her sword. The sword sliced half way through and
then become stuck. She yanked at it several times with little avowal. "What
the hell!"

They gathered round, staring at the stuck sword.

"Man I wish Amy was here to tell us what this stuff is!" Jupiter said.

"It's not natural, what ever it is," Mars stated. "There are negative
energies at work here."

"Oh really?" Uranus sneered. "Well could you asked them to give me back
my damn sword!?"

"Here, let me try," Meliphane said, yanking at the sword, for no good.

"Clay?" he said, looking over to Euclase. The Head of the Moon Generals
gave the bejeweled sword several yanks, without result. The sword didn't
even budge.

"Here, let me," Endymion said as the other two moved away.

"You've barely strength to keep yourself upright," Meliphane said as he
moved to make space.

"It has nothing to do with strength," he replied, laying his hands flat
against the crystal that engulfed the sword. Golden energy radiated from
his hands and into the crystal. "Try-- it-- now," he grounded out.

Uranus seized hold of her sword and yanked-- the blade sliding free from
the crystal like a warm knife through butter. She held the blade up and
looked at it, searching for scratches. "Not bad," she murmured looking over
to Endymion.

Just then crying wails flooded the room, forcing them to cover their ears.

"Agh! What is it?" Venus shouted.

"What ever it is, it can't be good!" Mars shouted back.

"C'mon!" Endymion shouted. "Let's try to get out of here!"

"I don't think that will be happening," an unfamiliar voice hissed in reply.
The wails stopped and the crystals parted, revealing a freakish woman covered
in scales with snakes for hair.

"Ugh!" Saturn cried pulling back between Pluto and Euclase.

"You guys go on," Jupiter cried. "I'll take care of this viper! JUPITER
THUNDER CRASH!"

"Go on!" Mars added. "Find Serena! We'll catch up later!"

"Oh, no," said another voice. "You wouldn't want to leave so soon. We've
just met. It would be rude!"

The mists parted to reveal another woman... grayish pale, sickly looking,
long matted hair fell past her hips, a drab robe of moldy material draped
about her.

"MARS CELESTRIAL FIRE IGNITE!" Flames swallowed the woman. "Go!" she
shouted to the others.

"Right!" Venus yelled, and then without looking back they began to run
through the maze of crystals.

*********
"They've split up!"

"Good," Alicia said, leaning back into the chair. "Divide and conquer!"

Julia leaned into a computer. "Nizana, Nevena, attack!"

Alicia stood up. "I think I shall go to the thrown room to greet our
guests." She smiled. "I think it only fitting that I should greet the
Prince of Earth, my future husband there." She through a look over her
shoulder to Julia. "See that he finds himself there.