CHAPTER EIGHT STRIKE! “Beware the Sorceress with a plan.” --Terran proverb “Prince Topaz...Prince Topaz!” The white-blond head rose from his hands, and bright yet somewhat bleary blue eyes stared out from his face. “Yes, Counselor?” he asked dryly. “Your Highness, with your coronation less than a week away, we need to start reviewing more of the rituals. It is but five days...” The Counselor stopped abruptly as the man sat fully upright, eyes losing their tiredness. “Your...your Highness...” “I fully realize when my coronation is, Counselor,” he snapped. “And I am concerned with the rituals of it as well. But there are other things on my mind--these delegations, for instance. And the Moon...” He let out a low sigh, then took a breath and composed himself. “You must pardon my words, Counselor, but this has stressed me to my limit. Is there any news?” The Counselor, whose name was Yon, shook his head gravelly. “Our trackers and hounds have been at it for days, but the rain that came with their arrival obliterated most traces of their path. And after that...” Topaz sighed, and rubbed his hands nervously. “Are there any other ways to track them, Counselor? Anything we have not thought of yet?” “Your Highness, I am afraid there is nothing we can do. We shall just have to wait,” he replied. “Counselor, if I wait anymore, I shall go tracking them myself! It is only this damn ceremony that holds me here, and barely at that. The loss of this Moon contingent is abominable, Counselor--absolutely disgusting! And our inability to find them...we have yet to hear from Selenity, and that is the only good thing that has happened in this whole mess!” His voice rose to near anguish, and the Counselor lowered his head. “Your Highness, I...” “I think the Princess should calm himself,” came a soft, sultry voice from the shadows. Yon abruptly paled, paler than his saffron skin should’ve allowed--but the Prince smiled. “Ah, Sor-sama,” he said quietly, relaxing back into his seat. I was wondering if you ever make yourself known.” “And I wonder if you will ever drop that foolish Moon address you have for me,” she replied, slipping into the light. Yon paled even more to see her, not only was her reputation dangerous, but she dressed like a common doxy on top of it! Oh, she had allowed some modesty in wearing a black shawl over her low cut, tight purple gown, but all of her flame red hair was down--how disgraceful!!--and dark red smeared her lips, large black stones dangled from her ears... He shuddered visibly. She caught his look, and with a dismissive move said, “Go, Yon. This shall be a private,” she flashed a bit of fang at him, “conference.” He nodded quickly, then scurried from the chamber, sketching a ward against evil as he did. She gave a quiet chuckle at such an ineffective thing, then turned back to the Prince. “As I was saying, you need not use that silly ‘sama’ with me,” she told him, voice a touch sharp. “Addressing me as ‘Lady’ is just fine for a Jewel Prince.” “Ay, but it does not convey the respect I have for you,” Topaz replied with a grin. “Anyone can call you Lady--but only I can address you as ‘sama’.” “Perhaps the ‘chan’ ‘twould be more appropriate, then,” she mused aloud. “Nay! That would be too rash...but come, tell me, what brings you out of the bottom sewers of this palace?” “To the point then, Lovely Prince,” she replied. “I believe I have found the missing Moon party.” His eyes and face lit up like light through a gem. “You have? Oh, Sor-sama, that would save my life!” She nodded, and he continued, “But...but why tell me? You have the power to call a rescue party; the order wouldn’t even have to be signed by me. There is no need for this conference.” “I wish it ‘twere so, my Prince,” she replied, eyes lowering in a tragic, tragic look. “But for the fact that your cousin has them.” The Prince’s face grew cold, and strange, and his light eyes flashed into crystals of ice. “My cousin,” he said slowly, drawing her eyes up to meet his. “Sor-sama, do you mean...the Amethyst?” She shook her head, keeping her eyes quiet. The Topaz Prince had a large family of relatives and sub-relatives and bastards; there were bound to be enemies amongst them. But he would soon hit upon the cousin that would endanger him the most...or she would toss him enough bones to lead him to it. “No, he lives a distance from you,” she replied smoothly. “Hm...cousins...no! Not Quartz! He was so wonderful at the hunt...and it couldn’t be Jet...nor his brother...Lady, I have aspired to keep good ties with all my family, as my father taught me. My years assisting the regent have brought prosperity to their lands. Why would they...” He stopped, and met her eyes completely. “It could not be them!” she thought, then let that drop to say, “And it is not them. Think beyond, to the hunt, and where the Ladies were lost.” she thought. In her mind, Topaz was half the Prince his father had been, though he once had been remarkably like his father--until she had stepped in. He would be the greatest King ever, though, with enough strength (backed by her magic) to challenge the Moon. ‘Twas a pity that she’d had to subdue a good deal of his personality to achieve this goal--most of his brain seemed to go with it--yet, that was the price of Power. She held in the evil laughter of her thoughts as his eyes slowly widened, and he sat up straighter. “You don’t mean The...The...Others, do you Lady?” Her mind snarled, but she flowed with his thoughts. “Why, they could’ve had something to do with it, due to their connections with...” “The Beast!” he gasped out, and she nodded immediately, pleased that he had followed that trail. She thought she was going to have to give him an even simpler clue... “Yes, my Prince. I have kept an eye on Rush Castle, and though it has been long dormant, I have sensed a great disturbance there recently. It seems that he has made the Lady Serenity his prisoner through some sort of verbal trickery, and is intent on keeping her there for both of their lives. Her Guard stayed with some struggle, though it was probably intended that to lure the Lady Serenity into a false sense of security while the Beast plants his dishonorable intentions.” “And his Guard? Has he killed them yet, or do they yet live?” Topaz asked. “They live, but probably only because they ‘protect’ each other,” she replied, eyes mocking. Inside, she twisted in internal glee; he swallowed her lies so naturally, and this little bit of fairy dust she’d just sprinkled on the Guardians was just the right touch. Topaz had always looked askew on men with men, probably because it’d been assumed of him so many times. In truth, she knew that the Guard were far more interested in the Ladies--perhaps TOO much so--but he needn’t know that. True to her thoughts, Topaz’s eyes hardened. “We must get them out of there, somehow. Have you a plan?” “Indeed I do, my Lord Prince,” she replied graciously. “However, it will require your blue stone.” Topaz paused for a moment, fingers nervously tracing the wood on the arms of his throne, then said, “When will you need it?” This took her aback, and thought for a moment before saying, “About an hour to mix up the right magicks.” “I will be there,” he said shortly, and with that, she was dismissed. The Sorceress moved about her rooms with a humming expectancy, the magic she was working with giving her aura an extra dark sheen. She felt the urge to flash her fangs more now, or to Dominate someone’s soul, or to let loose a flurry of mild curses that would trouble those of the festival she hated. But she held it in, letting the magic build and seethe within her, insuring a certain potency when she worked the spells. They weren’t difficult, just taxing on the spirit, a little due to distance but mostly because of her rather effective wards and weaves. It was odd to encounter problems with her own spells, but that was what Diamond had requested--“spells to make light solid and men bear young,” if she recalled his words correctly. This is what sent her upstairs to procure Topaz’s blessings; or more specifically, the jewel that he now wore. It was the King’s Pendant, the Terran jewel of office that represented so much power to those they ruled. It was said to guide and protect the King with its own voice, and the successes of the Kings of Terra had helped to propagate the legend. Personally, she believed it to be nothing more than a catalyst for the powers of the Terrans themselves; but it certainly did have something to it. She would use its magic to catalyze her own reaction...and that thought nearly sent her into a ferocious giggle fit. Oh, the ability to strike at both the Beast and the Moon...it filled her with a certain delicious delight to hit two great enemies with one single stroke... she thought as she glided over to the teapot to check the water. The tea was for both her and the (sure to be late) Prince; it would aid the two of them in the first part of the Spell, that of looking back. Such thoughts brought her around to her dreams again, and for a moment her bright mood was besmirched. Ever since her first visions of that silvery-white light brightening a field of darkness, she had been plagued by an afterimage of death...her death it could be, but she wasn’t sure. And oddly, she did not WANT to find out; she had never cared for her latent precognitive ability, as there was a family tradition of ruination associated with it. Only by using her own mind had she gotten this far--and she would not revert now, when her ambitions were coming to fruition. “Smells good,” came a soft, almost weary voice from the entrance. She didn’t need to look to know it was Topaz, but she did--if only to convey her surprise. The Jewel Prince was on time--nay, early, and he knew it by the wonder on her face. “I told my advisors that I had something much more important to do,” he said with a slight, teasing grin as he made his way over to her. “Is everything prepared?” “Except for the tea, yes,” she replied, bowing slightly to him. “I did not think you’d take pleasure in tea, Sor-sama, when there is so much to be done,” he said, taking a seat and reaching out to help her. She managed to ward off his hands, admonishing, “Nay, a King does not touch his own tea!” “My father lived beyond his years by doing so, Sor-sama,” he reminded her. “But you have nothing to fear from my hands, Topaz,” she replied sweetly, privately acknowledging the rightness of his words. She had been the one to instruct the Diamond King in such ways, so long ago, and indeed had kept him alive beyond his years. But those were her secrets... “That I do not,” he sighed. “But still, Sor-sama, you have not answered my question--why the tea?” She ignored him for a little longer as she prepared both of their cups, then looked up at him with a fanged smile. “Because you must see the first to understand the rest,” she replied quietly. “Now...come...” His eyes widened, but he accepted her cup of tea and moved with her over to the fire pit. The magic fire was already burning, its blue-green flame shifting brightly among the embers. She took a whiff of the smell, and sighed as the power tingled up her nose and inside her lungs, expanding to sluice through her veins. She took a seat near it and pointed out a place for Topaz to sit; he moved uneasily to take it, the smell sifting through his nostrils, teasing thoughts and areas of his mind he did not want to be touched. The Medallion about his neck took on a soft glow, the gold sheen brightening into the quiet light of the blue stone to take on an aura of...power. “Drink,” the Sorceress commanded with languid ease, “and watch events that took place earlier this morning. Events that will be very beneficial for us in the long run--events that will make today a success.” She wove a hidden spell in her words with the tones of her voice, bringing his eyes to the fire before him. She watched him drink the brew she had concocted for him to see with magic eyes (along with general warding, just in case), and then quietly held out her hand. “The Medallion,” she hissed softly. He nearly threw it at her, such was his haste to obey her words. She gave him a gentle, knowing smile, flashing a little fang, as she took the proffered item. She let the chain run slowly through her fingers, indulging for a moment in the sensualities of cold metal gliding over her warm hands. She then took up a small rod and wrapped the chain about it, then thrust it into the fire. Before Topaz could protest, she spoke the !Words!, and a shaft of shimmering light enclosed the fire, beaming through the stone to cast a flurry of images on the wall. She then eased her magic into it to clarify the vision, as well as direct the time and place, and soon the images on the wall cleared completely at a time satisfactory to her. She then twisted the rod in the fire, and a yellow spark jumped from it to the images. Immediately a gold flare surrounded them, and with a small tug on the rod, she pulled them off the wall and into a three dimensional position. Topaz let out a small gasp as the figures of Serenity, Mars, and Venus-- she thought to herself--expanded and took on a true shape, each becoming about a foot tall and lined in aural light: silver for Serenity, black darkened maroon for Mars, and orangey-gold for Venus. All was outlined with the blue-green of the gem that still sat easily among the embers. “Wha...how...Sor-sama,” Topaz gasped out. “These events are from earlier this morning, Topaz, just after the sun broke the sky over the Castle at the Rush,” she intoned softly, voice dark and in a chanting groove. “Watch carefully, as what you will see here will be very important to us.” Stunned, the Topaz Prince focused his attention on the vision as it shifted to the meeting of three women in a quiet place... "Serin, you are a brat," Aiko spat quietly as she hauled once again on the Princess' nightgown sleeve. "A spoiled, conniving, scheming, girly brat!" "Venus, you are making this too hard," Hiko chided quietly behind her. "And you should probably talk softer--we don't want to wake the others." "I don't care if we wake up the whole castle--she'd still be asleep on her feet," Aiko grumbled back at her. "And watch the name..." "The Lord Prince okayed its use within the Hall of Flowers--and we are most certainly in the Hall of Flowers, neh?" Hiko pointed out, a shading of cheerfulness in her voice. It was a treat to watch Venus struggle with the ever sleepy Serenity, who ranked as far below "morning person" that there was no word for it. The job of waking her usually fell to Aras...Jupiter or herself, and even after years of waking up the Princess, there had never been a morning when she had come willingly from the covers. And now, to see Venus finally struggling with it...it made her smile to know that their Leader had just as many problems getting her up as the rest of them. "Hai hai to the Lord Prince," Venus grumbled. "Wish he would...stop keeping...Serin up all...hey, is this what you were talking about?" She had stopped in front of a set of dark paneled doors, the wood shining and slick to the eye, a series of small floral engravings creeping over it. Hiko had explored the whole wing a few days prior, and had declared this to be the place to go. Aiko had been a little uneasy about the whole thing--she was always unsure about places she herself had not checked--but it was the only free room in the Hall far enough away from the other two. Serin had decided they would not tell them; it might hurt their feelings not to have been involved, but truthfully, Hiko wondered if it was because even their use of magicks might call down every General in the castle. Yet Serin was sure they'd be safe, and the other two took her word for it. "Yes, 'tis," Hiko replied softly. "Ah...nice doors," Aiko replied, then shook Serin gently. The woman had dozed off against the wall during this short break, and it took a little to get her eyes to open. Aiko's face creased in frustration, and finally Hiko gave off a soft laugh and said, "Let me." "Oh, I was willing for you to take over LONG before this," Aiko shot back softly, stepping back. Hiko moved to Serin's side and gently took her hand, leaning over to whisper in her ear, "Wake up." At the same time she let a trickle of ki flow into the woman, twisting it slightly so as to send the pulse racing across Serin's nerves. The effect was immediate; Serin jolted fully awake and looked around them. "What...ah, are we here?" Aiko gave Hiko a wide-eyed, questioning look, to which Hiko simply smiled quietly and moved to the door. As Aiko calmed the Princess with a, "This is it, Serenity," Hiko softly touched the handle, sensing the interior for any presences or danger. Naught but the magic of the castle pressed back at her, and she twisted the handle to let them all in. Inside, they found it dark; Hiko quickly summoned flames to light the candle wicks, and the room was revealed to be a calm blue color. Aiko took another step inside, and then suddenly sniffed the air. "Moisture," she said. "There's water in this room, isn't there, Hiko?" "Yes," she replied, then gestured to the center of the room. There, a large leather rise covered the floor, and if one looked carefully enough, the silver of step handles could be seen. "It appears to be a small pool or bath of some sort, probably to serve this room only." "A bath?" Serin perked up. "That would be nice." "Serin?" Aiko asked, voice unsure. She knew the rest of them had been going to the ones shown by Jade and Naosu, but... "A private bath, I mean," Serin corrected, giving the two of them a shy smile. She looked about her in innocent wonder, then mused aloud, "I wonder if the Generals know about this room." "They should--they've had years to explore," Aiko replied quietly. she questioned herself, thoughts straying to worry. After all, every castle, especially these "Pleasure Castles"--as Jade had called it--had their spy nooks and crannies. And if she was right as to what purpose this Hall had actually served, the walls would be thick with them. So...what did the Generals actually know about them now? "Yes, but the Hall of Flowers probably held little attraction for them," Serin replied. Catching Aiko's eye, she added, "And stop worrying, Mina-chan! They are forbidden to come here--the Prince told me as such. This Hall is our sanctuary." Aiko sighed, then nodded, sublimating her fears to the Princess' words. "As you say, Serin," she replied. Her mood then lightened a little bit, and she asked, "So, shall we do this, or what?" "Always impatient, Venus," Hiko replied softly, shaking her head. "And you NEVER know when to move," Aiko shot back. "But in this case, we DO need to get started. I don't know what spell you two have chosen, but I doubt it's short enough for us to dawdle so much. The castle will be awake soon." "She is right, Hiko," Serin said. "Pick your place for this spell to begin, and then we must proceed with haste." She paused and yawned, and Aiko shot her a look. "Yes, Venus?" "Don't tell me you're going back to sleep after this," the woman said. "I might," Serin replied, smiling a little. Aiko groaned in response, and Hiko and Serin shared a small grin; the woman was quite the sleeper herself, but she wasn't a big fan of going back to bed. Once she was up, she was ready to do something--an enviable trait to some, but silly to the two other women. As Aiko bemoaned the sleeping habits of her liege, Serin turned to Hiko. "Have you chosen a spot?" she asked. "But a moment, m'Lady," she replied, then closed her eyes. The powers within her, perfected so many years ago under the sharp eye of harsh teachers, spread out to the room, searching for what she could only call "knots" in the spells there. She moved a little, straying towards the center of the room, and there stopped. She opened her eyes, gave a little grin, then pointed to the tub. "Here," she said. "We should do it here." Fifteen minutes later, after dragging the cover off the tub and stripping down, the three women all stood in the center of the tub. To their surprise and relief, the water was warm; despite this, Aiko still groused to Hiko, "You just had to find the most inconvenient place, didn't you?" "It was where my power pointed," she replied calmly. "Do you not trust my abilities?" Aiko blew out a sigh, pushing a little of her hair away from her face. "No, of course I trust them," she replied. "But...but..." "Aiko, hush," Serin said. She had let her hair down as well, and the silvery-blond streams fell to pool around the water level, which rose to about her hips. She stepped forward and reached for their hands. "We must begin." "Aye," Hiko replied, and the three of them joined hands, moving as close to the center of the pool as they could. The power that they normally held so close within jumped at the link, and the three of them quickly dampened it down to a trickle, allowing it to seek out the others and meld before they did anything major. "Shield," Aiko said in a soft, powerful voice, a tone that none outside of the Senshi had ever heard. At the sound, a fuzzy wall of power immediately screened them off, protecting their activities from any Seekers or other prying eyes--except for, of course, the Sorceress and a stunned Topaz. "Link," Hiko pronounced, and the power that they had held back was now let forth to meld even more intensely with each other. The symbols of their planets appeared immediately on their foreheads, but these were dominated by the soft glow of a crescent moon that filled the space between them. It only took a minute, and the link between the three was complete; if one had an aural eye, they could see the glows of that energy form a thick triangle between them, so that the overall look was a circular shield circumscribing a multi-colored triangle. They held the link for a moment, making sure it was steady, and then Aiko and Serin intoned, "Transfer." Immediately the bulk of their energy flew into Hiko, rocking her on her feet. Within, /Kage/ rumbled ominously, echoing across the link--and for a moment, Serin and Aiko wondered if they would have to break it... And then, upstairs on a Golden Table, a crystalline red rose began to glow... The scent of flowers swept through the room, and the rumblings of that potent force died away. Hiko found her center once more, and using the power at hand, began the methodical process of studying the castle spells. It took half an hour. It felt like half a day. When it finally ended, and the three women had backtracked along the lines of the ritual they had set earlier, they dropped hands and immediately sat back into the water. Hiko and Serin sat back on seats, but Aiko floundered a bit before she managed to get her butt on something solid. Once there, she gave a cool hair flip and said, "Well?" "Give her a moment," Serin murmured in reply, trying to hide a yawn. she thought to herself, brushing a wet strand of hair back. "Actually...I've got it," Hiko replied, voice coming out somewhat strained. "Though I must say, whoever came up with these spells was a Dark Master...Mistress." Her eyes hazed for a moment, and then refocused, she saying, "They said it was a Sorceress, didn't they?" "Who?" Aiko asked. "The Generals," Hiko tried to snap, but it came out rather tamely. "Ahhh...uh-huh. Though they never identified..." "They couldn't, Aiko," Serin said. "She attacked too quickly." Aiko paused, then nodded. "You're right, you're right-- and how would they have known her anyways? They don't seem to be the type to have truck with dark magic." "They don't," Hiko replied, voice clear and definitive now. "It's in their nature, their own powers, not to." Both of the women nodded, and there was a quick silence before Aiko asked, "So, what did you find out?" "Well, basically...the spells that lay on this castle are in three tiers. The lower level spells are those that sustain life here--pretty basic stuff, actually. The middle level of spells are those that bind the men and their liege to this place..." "Wait, wait, wait," Aiko said, holding up a hand. "You mean, they can't leave?" Hiko paused and thought about that for a moment. "No...no, I don't think it's that they can't LEAVE this place. It's..." She paused again, brow creasing in that. "Actually, I'm not sure what it means, for the Prince left to seek the Lady Serin, and there is no way it can be tied to all of that ground." "But I could feel a similar evil out there," Serin pointed out. "And from what we've seen, this evil has access to all places--the incident at the Rush with you, Aiko, and then later with Ryuu are just some of that." "I know, Serin," Hiko replied. "Maybe with some time I'll be able to figure it out--but not right now. Not when I can barely muddle through this explanation." Serin nodded, giving her a cheering grin. "I understand, Hiko. Continue." Hiko nodded. "The highest tier of spells, from what I can tell, is that which binds the Generals and their liege to the specifics of the curse; that is, it makes the men invisible and warps the form of Prince into that of a Beast. There are some extremely complex interconnections within these spells, things that I could not even begin to fathom without longer hours of study. But everything--every tier--is connected into the curse of the Beast." Hiko paused, and for a moment the two other women simply looked at her. Then Aiko asked, "Are you saying that his curse must be broken for everything to be broken?" "Succinctly, yes," Hiko replied. "Oh..." Aiko sighed, sliding deeper into the water. "Then... then..." "It's all up to me," Serin replied. "I'm the one he trusts the most..." "You're the only one he trusts, Serin," Aiko cut in. "He trusts his men," the lady protested, but Hiko cut her off. "She is right, Serin," she said. "The Prince does have some trust in his men, but not the overwhelming...well, FAITH, that I sense he feels towards you. You are his friend, my Lady, and as with all of us," she paused and gave her a radiant smile, "you have become dear to him in such a short time." Serin stopped and looked between her ladies to see them both wearing encouraging, yet somewhat reflective, smiles. She rewarded them with a brilliant smile back. "I understand," she said softly, and then raising her voice proclaimed, "And I will match his faith in me by breaking his Beast curse. I, Serenity, do proclaim as the heir to the throne of the Moon Kingdom!" "Hai!" the other two chorused, raising their fists to her. "And this I will begin immediately, as soon I figure out how to break the spell!" she added in triumph. "Ha..." the two began, then stopped. "You don't know?" Aiko asked. "I thought Jade...oh," Hiko said. "What?" Aiko asked. "Jade did indeed tell me the story of the Curse and how this place came to be as such, but he gave no specifics," Serin replied calmly. "In fact, Lady Mars, that is what we sought from him that day, yes?" "Yes, yes we did," Hiko replied. "But he got rather caught up in the tale, and by the time he finished telling us how it felt to have his form melted away, something came up..." "Dinner, I think," Serin grinned. "And you know how she cannot resist food," Hiko finished. "So the tale was postponed for another day...but that hasn't come about, has it Lady?" "No, it hasn't," Serin replied. "But I think this time I shall go directly to the source." "The Prince himself?" Aiko asked. "But wouldn't that be...dangerous?" Serin sat up a little straighter, and met Aiko's blue eyes with her own. "No," she replied quietly. "Not for me." Aiko was mesmerized for a moment by the power in her voice, and then quickly ducked her head. "Yes, yes... you're right, Serin," she said lowly. She looked to the water for some moments, and then raised her head to grin at the two of them. "And Hiko and I can work on it from other angles, yes?" "What?" Hiko asked. "Why, we can quiz the men, of course!! Perhaps Ju-chan and Ry-chan can get involved too...yes, yes, I think this might work!" "Oh dear, she's got a plan again," Hiko murmured to Serin. "It's not so bad, Rei," Aiko shot at her. "I think it has a lot of potential." Hiko looked to Serin with despairing eyes, but Serin merely smiled. "She's right--it does have potential," the woman replied. Hiko looked away and sighed, then stood up in the tub. "In that case, we should probably adjourn back to our rooms in order to think this over some more. It is approaching the time when the others will be up, and it would be..." "That it would," Aiko cut in, rising. She moved to Serin and helped her up and out of the tub, and then let Hiko pass, and then got out herself. The three found some large, fluffy towels obviously suited to the room, and quickly dried their chilled skin and redressed in near silence, the only sounds the quick rustlings of replacing clothes. There was but one moment of speech when Aiko pointed to a mark on Hiko's back, something she had not seen before due to the woman's heavy mat of obscuring dark hair. "What is that?" she asked. Hiko did not even have to look. "It is the mark from the Ceremony," she replied quietly. Aiko's eyes widened, and she hastily said, "Aye, Rei-chan, gomen! I didn't mean to..." Hiko cast her a look. "It's all right," she said softly, then finished sliding into her nightwear, fluffing her hair out from the back of the well made gown. She turned and looked over the others, switching into aural vision to make sure that they did not have any undue traces on them. She paused when she got to Serin, and then smiled softly. "Aiko," she called. "Yes?" the woman quickly responded, nearly bounding to her assistance. "Serin needs to be covered," Hiko said, voice taking on a mysterious tone. "But she's...OOOH," Aiko replied, and then stepped to Serin. She stretched her hand out a little, and a golden shimmer formed within; reaching out, she gently brushed it over Serin's forehead, saying, "You were showing, my Lady." "Ahh...glad you caught that, Hiko," Serin replied, then yawned loudly. "And now, my Ladies, I think to our rooms we must go." "Ah, to rest," Aiko said as the three of them made their quiet way back to the door. "Are you going back to bed, Aiko?" Hiko asked, arching an eyebrow. "I am going to go plan," Aiko replied, voice a touch prim. "Ahhh...and how much planning does one accomplish with their eyes closed?" Hiko asked, tone edging sarcastic. Aiko's eyes narrowed, and she started to reply, but Serin turned back and hushed both of them. "Do you two ever stop?" she asked. The glares the two exchanged in reply answered her question, and with a soft sigh she crept back into the hallway, making her way back to her room as her Ladies bickered quietly behind her. Once there, she tripped over to her bed, then stopped. Turning about, she spied the flower from the night before, and her face split in a wide smile. The whole of her inner self seemed to sigh at the sight, and it was within this peace that she crept into bed and fell deeply asleep. Topaz's eyes finally came back to their normal size as the scene ended, yet it took him several minutes to process the whole of what he'd seen. When he finally did, the first thing he said was, "Lady Serenity is magnificent." The Sorceress looked up from the fire, and nodded. "Ay, that she is; takes after her mother in that respect." "I did not know before...oh, Sor-sama, we must get her out of that dreadful, dark place! Such magnificence...it should not be locked away!" She smiled calmly at him, and then moved away from the fire, taking the rod with the Pendant still hung on it with her. He watched her go for a moment, then leaned back in his chair. rolled his mind again, and he let out a strained sigh. He sat up straighter, a determination entering his mind. he thought. When the Sorceress returned, she gave him an arched eyebrow, for he bore the most interesting expression of love numbed determination. "Well?" she asked. "I will marry Serenity," he rasped out in reply, his eyes so full of passion he could barely work his tongue. "I will have her away from him." "So...you authorize me to do anything I must?" the woman replied, mentally chalking up a point for her. She had not anticipated such a high attraction to Serenity upon first sight--but neither had she thought that the woman would disrobe during the vision, either. It had been, she decided, a great plus. "Anything, as long as the Lady Serenity herself is not harmed," he replied, strong, strange eyes turning to her. "Very well, my Lord Topaz," she said. "Then, I suggest you return upstairs and see to any duties you need to, for I will be long in my preparations and concoctions. I will call for you when it is time." The Prince nodded, and then stiffly moved from his chair, his mind more on the vision that had been before him then on how to move like a Prince. She watched him go with an almost fond smile, and then turned back to the fire, giving it her best wicked grin. she thought as she began to sprinkle a fine powder into the fire. She checked now to make sure he was gone, then let out a low, dark laugh. Oh yes...this was going to be fun. She paused for a moment, then summoned her staff to her, working her hands around the hand clutched globe for a long moment. Then, she reached out, a black bead of power forming in her hand, and the Pendant came flashing over to her. Placing it around her neck, she slowly spoke a !Word!, and immediately it and her staff flashed. She paused again, concentrated, and then trilled out a few aligning notes. The power hazed for a moment, and then a crystalline blue beam filled the globe, and power erupted about all of it. She grinned wickedly, then reached out to touch the globe... Across the forests, Q'ar suddenly looked up, and shuddered. All about her, the magic in the castle seemed to suddenly PULSE--and then, just as abruptly, it died. She scanned the room with her Sight for a moment, then sighed and nodded her head to her breast once more. The Sorceress watched eagerly as the spell she had cast ignited in the castle, and then pulled away from the haze of power, slowly tuning it down to a fine trickle. She did not need to control the magic she had ignited, the magic that would mark the three women and persist after them; it was only a matter of a simple alteration to the spells set there. Which, though it sounded simple, was rather tiring; she found herself suppressing a yawn. Rising, she glided over to fetch herself the cup and the teapot, and then returned to sit, a warm cup of tea in her hand, and watch the destruction that would ensue. * * * * Jade looked up as Hiko opened the door, and gave her a brilliant, unseen smile. She had seemed rather tired at breakfast, and he had been unsure whether or not he would join him--but, it seems, she had gotten over that. She offered him a shy smile back, as if knowing his happiness from just his aura, and then moved over to join him at the table. "Is the weather like this much?" she asked as he unrolled that morning's crossword in front of them. "You mean the lack of sunshine?" "Aye." "Hrm...mostly yes," he replied, shaving off a bit more to the pencil before placing it done in front of her. "Mostly yes?" she asked quietly, turning to him with a puzzled and questioning look in her eyes. He nodded. "Rarely do we have brilliant days; fog and haze like this are normal, though they usually burn off by now to reveal an equally gray day. The sunshine you had when you first came was unexpected," and here he smiled again, "but as welcome as you ladies." She found herself blushing a little, and looked away so as not to meet his unseen eyes. "My thanks," she murmured politely. "Anytime, Lady," he replied, with a warmth he himself did not hear. Yet it would not have surprised him to know his voice radiated such, for he had found himself increasingly looking forward to these quiet moments with Lady Hiko. He grinned internally, for this raven haired, quiet woman was not the type he would've ever chosen to be in such close contact with; yet the air of mystery, of a hidden past, and of the pain that seemed to linger there...he could not resist it. He wondered how anyone else did, or if anyone else truly saw. he thought to himself as the two of them bent over the crossword. It was once again connected to the Five Elements, though this time was related to Items of Power--something that had given him mental pause when he had first looked at it. How was HE supposed to know such arcana? He was just a farm boy, born to a bloodline of innate power; yet, Naosu persisted in handing him these chores, and he turned it over to Hiko. he thought, looking about them. They had taken residence in the Flame Room again; she had seemed to like it so much he could not stray from it. It was lined with Items of Flame...that should make THAT part easy. And he hoped Hiko, scholarly Hiko (though she was missing Nao's fading inkmarks), would know the rest. He paused for a moment as she studied it, studying her. When had he come to rely on her brain so much? When had he decided that she should take the place of Kishi, who had helped him previously? Ahh, but Kishi was off with the Lady Arashi, and a fine match that had turned out to be. came the sudden snatch of a thought, and he found himself reddening. Matched...with Hiko? A woman of questionable ancestry, who would only be with them...five more days? He shook his head at such a romantic notion; though they seemed to work well together, that meant nothing in the long run. She would be leaving... And he would miss her. He gulped that thought down with a swallow of air, and the intake brought Hiko's velvet eyes away from her puzzle to look curiously at him. "Pardon, Lady," he quickly gushed out, "I was just admiring Naosu's talent at presenting me with something I have not the faintest clue about." She gave him that slight smile, eyes lightening a bit, and then reached out and took up the pencil. "We shall see, Jade," she replied. "I have often found that things I think I know nothing about are just things I don't remember everyday. It will come to you, to us, so worry..." She stopped, and paled so abruptly he thought she would faint. A soft clattering caught his attention; it was the rattling of the pencil against the top of the table, her hand shaking hard upon it. He looked back to her and with worry in his voice asked, "Lady, are you all right?" She looked up at him, and her purple eyes watered, as if she were concentrating so hard on something it was causing a physical reaction. She cocked her head a smidge, and then softly whispered, "Kage?" Out of nowhere, a breeze swept through the room. The pencil clattered out of her hand. Jade looked at it, watched it roll, his eyes somehow unable to stray from the moving object and the quivering hand she had placed upon the table. "Jade..." The voice was the merest whisper, so faint he didn't recognize his name at first. He moved closer to her, reaching for her other hand; he had a bare touch upon it before she snatched it away and scooted back, holding it to her chest defensively. But he had caught enough of her skin to know that it had been ice cold. "Lady," he said, moving to kneel in front of her. "Hiko, talk to me... what's going on?" He recognized the worry in his voice this time, and so did she, for she suddenly stood and moved towards the wall. "Kage...Jade ist..." She paused and shook her head suddenly, as if fighting something within her head. Eyes clenched tightly shut, she whispered again, "Jade..." And then, in a whisper-shout, managed to add, "run!!!" His eyes widened, and he stood up completely now, moving towards her. He didn't get within two feet when a sudden burst of purple light seemed to explode from her chest, slicing across her body to touch the carpet before twirling about her in a bright burst, leaving her entrapped in a cone shape of bright, so violet it seemed black, power. Her skin had gone frightfully pale, the hair seemed to have risen off her head, and she managed to get out, one last time, "JADE! RUN!" He did not heed her. And so he saw as the cone flashed rapidly, nine times, before finally dissolving back into her body. Sped forward to catch her as she fell, form limp and unresisting to his touch, and though her skin was pale, it was warm, nearly hot, to the touch. He looked her over once as if it would provide some clue, and then shook her gently. "Hiko," he said. "Come on, Hiko...Hiko...talk to me...Hiko!" He pulled her towards him more, head bent over her for a long moment, inner power beginning to unravel and trace over her body in soft, blue swathes, cloudy-gray and barely visible to the normal eye. He nearly dropped her when a jolt of energy fed back along them; how he managed to hang on, he was not sure, even as he felt his body being pushed back. He grunted in effort and tightened his grip again, the rag of her body unstirring in the face of the power. When the push finally stopped, he opened his watering eyes to look down at her face again--and this time, found her eyes open to his. He did drop her now, though he didn't mean to; his reflexes just acted, and he was at a stand with her on the floor, eyes blankly open, their whole of their shape filled with the same velvety purple color he had seen before. No pupil, no iris, no white--just a deep, deep purple, so dark it seemed black. He watched her for a moment or so, and then began to kneel by her side again, when suddenly she pushed herself up and looked at him, cocking her head to the side as if studying her. And then she opened her mouth and laughed--and Jade felt his hackles rise, and backed away. For he had never heard something so sinister issue from anything, and he had seen many things. "So," the being said coolly, voice nearly like Hiko's but twisted, darker, almost evil, "you are Jade." At this, he found himself nodding--and the being before him, that which looked as Hiko but was NOT her, threw its head back and laughed, the sound high, dark, and so grating Jade nearly covered his ears. "What are you?" he managed to get out. The being paused, and raising itself to its full height, struck a pose of poise. "I am," it said carefully, effort going into the working of its lips, "Kage." "You're going to wear a trench in the rug." The Prince barely looked up from his pacing to sneer at Q'ar, then returned to it. At her perch, Q'ar sighed, softly shaking her falcon's head. He had been at this for...oh, a good time now, since before she had come to bring him news that Lady Serin would meet him here after her bath. That hadn't been that long ago, but it seemed to touch off some sort of energy in him, and his clawed feet stroked deep furrows into the lovely carpeting. "My Lord..." she began quietly. "Is there..." "Where IS she?" he roared back, not letting her finish the question. There was such a force to his reply that she fluttered her wings to stay on the perch. "She is a Lady, Prince," she replied softly. "She takes some..." "How much time? What could she be doing to keep her so...moist... warm...tender..." He stopped, and to Q'ar's shock he seemed to be drooling on himself. He barely paused to wipe it, flashing an odd amount of fang, and then resumed his pacing. There was a quiver to his skin, his movements, as if something lurked beneath his skin, ready to leap out. Q'ar wondered, and she peered at him more closely now. Strange how there was an odd, predatory look to him today, something in his movements that seemed to suggest...danger. Hunger. Something to that effect. His fox coloring was also oddly dark today, the normally lovely crimson seemingly drying to a deeper maroon color, something that unsettlingly resembled blood. Despite her feathers and form, she found herself suddenly shivering--and that quick movement brought her a dark, angry look from the Prince, his jaws quivering upon sight of her. "She...she does have...a lot of hair...your Prince," she managed to get out, amazed to find herself stuttering over the words and yet...not so. "It will take t-t-time to wash it...comb it..." "Such hair," the Prince muttered, pacing over to look out the window at the gray sky and area. "Such silky hair...a nuscience...attached to such warm...warm flesh...lovely eyes...skin like cream...creamy... pale, little blood..." He paused, and then suddenly he smacked his fist into the window, drawing a squawk from Q'ar at the noise. "Lord Prince!" she cried out. "Blood," he repeated softly, simply, turning to face her with an unnatural glint in his heady blue eyes. He paused and regarded his cut fist, and then reached down and lapped at it with his tongue. A shudder went through his frame, and he leaned his head back with a look of...of... Ecstasy. "Prince..." she whispered, and suddenly his eyes snapped open, and his form went smoothly rigid. He stalked towards her for a moment, and then paused and looked down at himself. With the smoothest of motions, he shredded away the silks on his body, seemingly oblivious to the nicks and shallow wounds his long nails-- Q'ar realized--gave him. He then looked up at her again, and a low chuckle escaped from the back of his throat. "Blood," he whispered again. "Lovely, yummy, birdy blood." Her eyes widened, and then she acted--just in time, too, for he lunged for her perch. Yet she was not there; her form had automatically shrunk, and she had plunged into the air and out of the window in one long leap. There she expanded once more, great hawkish wings catching the currents as the Prince came to the window and stared down at her. "Birdy blood," he whispered to himself, licking his paw once more. He turned about and fell to his four hands, shaking out the awkwardness of a two legged stance with graceful ease. He shook once more, letting his fur fly up and around, and as he did, it seemed to thicken and lay back more smoothly, the deep black and dark crimson and bright white ruffling up and taking on an almost eerie sheen. He stalked purposefully about the room for a bit, sniffing at everything: his shredded clothes, the perch, the tea set laid out for two, the crystalline rose on the table--and then stopped for a moment. He hunched back and threw his great hands to land on the table, only they weren't so much hands anymore, and their nails had turned into the claws Q'ar had seen. Leaning over, he gently snuffed the cup Serenity had continually used, and beneath the soft scent of scrubbed clean, he caught a hold of something that made him drool. his mind whispered in the ways of the wild, and he flung himself from the table. Padding across the room on all fours, he easily knocked out the door, and then turned down the ever-darkening hall. Torches that had finally stayed lit blazed out, and shadows seemed to swirl around his great, heavy paws. Through all of this, though, his eyes remained unceasingly blue. "This is it." "About time," Aiko murmured to herself as she stood just a touch behind the blurry form of Ryuu. "Impatient, Lady Aiko?" he asked quietly, passing his hand over the lock to trigger the spell within. "Uh...ay...umm, yea. One of my lesser qualities," she replied, blushing a little. she wondered as she nervously brushed a piece of hair away from her cheek. Ryuu gave a tiny smile, no more than the corner of his mouth raising a hair. "Hai," he said, "mine too." "You?" she asked, but by then he had gotten the door open, and holding it for her, allowed her to step inside first. She gave him a mystified look as she passed, but in truth, she was glad to be out of that cool, gray hallway. He had taken her the most direct route to his rooms--after all, now that she was helping him track the evil on these lands, she needed access to the maps of the place that were located there--and therefore she had bypassed the great stretches of personally decorated hallway Kiri had seen pieces of. But she did not know of her comrade's experience, and it wouldn't have done much for her anyways; she felt rather iffy being down her with him in the first place. Alone. she thought quietly as she moved further into the room, allowing him to follow behind her and close the door. But that didn't squelch the sudden jump in fear when he clicked the lock back on the door, and she turned suddenly to face him, her face full of mixed emotion but her eyes deadly. On Ryuu's end, he had gone through all the motions with the same routine as always, and it was a start when he looked up to see her staring at him with vivid, intense blue eyes. He found himself moving into a battle stance, and her form seemed to read and copy those movements; tension split the air between them, something old and painful creeping out in that distance. He caught it, and his eyes widened; deliberately, he turned back to the door and unlocked it, hands trembling slightly, before turning back to her. "My apologies, Lady Aiko," he said quickly. "I did not mean...it was but habit to lock my door." "Ahhh," she sighed quietly, and then unconsciously stepped down. Looking about, she questioned, "Do you also keep your room this dark when you bring down visitors?" She cast him a sly look. "Or is that simply for me, Lord Ryuu?" He found himself suddenly off guard again, and ruefully his mind chuckled. came the thought, and a cross expression filled his features. Without thinking, his hand came up, and the set candles in the room burst into flames. She barely flinched, and he suspected it was only because one of those flames had shot up near her hair. She did give him a cool look, though, and he found himself saying, "I do not have guests often, Lady. Please forgive my...discourtesy." Aiko gave him a rough glance, then shook her head. "It is no discourtesy, Lord Ryuu. Merely a trace of...humanity." At the last word, she arched her eyebrow at him, as if inviting his comments on that. "What makes you think I am not human, Lady?" he asked quietly. "What makes me think you are?" she replied quietly, then turned to survey the room. Once it had been white, but over the years of burning candles in such a closed place, the walls had been blackened by soot, and she could see delicate shapes beneath the plaster. She walked over to one and ran her finger over it, and was not surprised it came back dirty. "After all, you don't appear to sleep...or at least, not here." "Hm?" he asked, moving closer to her. She moved to meet and face him, holding up her finger in an almost accusatory way. "Little dirty in here, Lord Ryuu," she said lightly, a soft smile twitching her lips. He looked for a moment at it, and then out of nowhere a gray cloth appeared, and before she knew it her hand was sheathed in it, a hand gently messaging the stain into the cloth. "It has been awhile since I have stayed here, Lady," he replied, the tone of his voice akin to softness. "My duties and training carry me elsewhere during the nights." He, of course, did not mention his days in the other rooms, bent over parchment with a brush in hand...that was unnecessary to tell her. Yet, as she looked from her hand to his eyes, somehow seeming to meet them, he thought he saw a flicker of understanding there. He stopped rubbing her hand, and her lips pursed as if to speak, but instead caught a breath. They stood like that for half a minute, just looking at each other for no other reason than it felt right--until she broke the silence. "At least I can trust you would not try to seduce me here," she whispered. "You seem the type to prefer clean sheets." He dropped her hand immediately; the gray cloth flickered towards the ground for a moment before she grabbed it, it disappearing silently within her sleeve. She could almost hear him goggling at her, and giggled within; the comment had just flowed from her for no reason or purpose other than to break...that silence. It bothered her when people were too quiet; they were always too quiet when they had something nasty on their minds... She had turned away to examine the room some more before he finally regained his voice, and then he said, "Lady Aiko, I hoped you would not think me so rude as to...do such a thing." She paused for a moment before a tapestry, an old thing that showed four scenes: a cave, a cliff, a volcano, and a lake, each glowing with a particular soft color. She absentmindedly touched the scene of the cave, hand clearing the dust from the soft silvery threads; a soft shock of power touched Ryuu's spine with it, as if she were touching him through the tapestry. He felt himself begin to blush, and then began, "Lady..." "Nay, Lord Ryuu...it was just a passing comment. A small slight I should not have made against a...a...a friend," she replied, voice quiet as her hands tickled the threads, the last word sounding more forced than she wished it to. Yet across the room, Ryuu did not hear the forced sound, or if he did, it did not register. Instead, he found something bright swelling within him for a moment, a silvery haze he had not felt since his first training days... "Lord Ryuu?" She turned away to look at him, and caught signs of a silver and blue power twisting its way across his form. "Sirrah?" she asked, stepping closer for a moment. "Nay, nay, I am fine, Lady," he said, projecting a confidence he did not feel. He looked towards her for a moment, and was surprised to note a rather soft, worried look on her face, as if she did not buy what he had just said. "Truly, Lady, I take no slight at your inference; it would be logical with..." And here he stopped, recalling the comments of Serin the day before. The blush that had threatened before truly rose now, and he had to stop himself from fleeing to a corner until he could figure out what was wrong. She took note of his stop, and used it to fill in her own words. "I am glad I do not offend you, Lord Ryuu," she said, a smile easing onto her face. "My mouth has been known to..." The blur that he was separated a little, as if he was lifting a hand, and she stopped obediently. "I understand, Lady," he replied. She began to reply, then stopped, peering at him. What did this laconic warrior understand of shooting off one's mouth? She doubted if he had ever done such a thing, and then wished she could've been present when he had--if only because she felt the person on the other end would've deserved it. The moment of silence strained on, and finally he filled it by saying, "I will look for the map," he said, his form moving off towards another part of the room. "Hai," she replied softly, eyes tracking his movements with an almost hungry motion. She caught herself as he disappeared, and goggled; what did she think she was doing? Watching Ryuu as if he would...like he was going to...as if there were... She growled to herself in frustration, then started after him-- then stopped herself. Deliberately, she turned to another doorway, and with the stealth, caution, and quiet that were apart of her magic, she crept over, unlocked, and slipped inside of it. It lead, to her surprise, to a small hallway, the floor and walls of a flecked marble. It was odd to step onto hard flooring after trundling through the thick, dusty carpet, and she nearly fell after a few steps. she growled at herself, and within moments she had regained her footing and her poise. Now steady, she walked quietly down the hall, looking about, seeking a clue as to what this was. Yet unlike the other parts of the castle, no tapestries or paintings hung here; the walls were bare and hard and cold, and the chill was apparent after a few feet, penetrating even the thicker overtunic she had thrown on this morning. Still, what was a little cold to figuring out this mystery, and Aiko was by far the most curious of any of the Senshi, even if one included the Princess. She had found that being inquisitive--even if it was called "nosy"--could bring rewards greater than the price of being caught. And in this case, once again, she was right. The room did not open up into merely a circle but a domed area, the floor now slicking into a darker marble, the walls fragmenting to mosaic art. She peered into it before she stepped all the way in, feeling out the room with her senses, especially the last three; however, all that came back to her was the underlying hum the castle always gave off, tinged with something a touch more personal. As she crept the rest of the way into the room, taking in its unique and somewhat chilling beauty, she attempted to figure out what that touch was... In doing so, she nearly knocked over one small pillar--there were four of them at the corners, and then a fifth in the middle, all glass covered and apparently quite fragile. Turning quickly, she edged away from it, and the contents of the fifth pillar came into clear view. Her eyes widened, and one hand came up to stifle her gasp of surprise. Quickly she moved over to the creature, and peered in at it--and to her utter amazement, the small silver dragon within peered back at her. she thought as she ran her hands over the top of the cage-like enclosure. The creature within seemed still for another moment, then cocked its head and examined her, deep red eyes meeting hers in the friendliest of ways. She did not break the stare, her thoughts running at a million miles an hour, her hands stroking the glass now as she and the dragon examined the psyche of the other. Then, abruptly, the dragon moved, its silvery body flashing from the rock where it had been laying up to the highest point in its enclosure. It stretched out one feeble looking claw to her, cocked its head, and mewed softly. That was all it took for Aiko. How she got the creature of its cage, she wasn't sure she could ever explain, for one moment it was staring quite pitifully at her, and the next it was climbing up her shoulder. For all its size, the creature was surprisingly heavy; Aiko grinned as she immediately recalled why, and the dragon seemed to sense her feelings, for it let out what could be only called a chuckle. For the first time in years, Aiko's face split into a full out, gorgeous smile, one that was not just for show, but accompanied by a true feeling of happiness. Now twined about her upper arm and shoulder, the dragon looked at the young woman with its deep, odd, crimson eyes--and understood. Darting forward, the tip of its tiny tongue lapped out, and Aiko found herself being slobbered on by a dragon happy for a reason she would've never guessed at. You see, the dragon had found... Of course, it was at this moment, as the dragon reveled in this thought, that spell went to work. Separated by the thickness of two walls, Ryuu still heard the scream. Naosu studied the marble board in front of him, the jade pieces of his side arrayed in what he hoped would be a formidable attack. Ruefully, he wondered again what had prompted him to accept the invitation to chess this morning. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the game, but after so many years of playing himself or going through scenarios in his head, he was a trifle rusty. And while no one could call him fiercely competitive, he truly did not like to lose. He looked up at his chess companion, lips pursing a little as he watched her. Lady Kiri was studying the board as well, her bright blue eyes concentrating on the move he had just made. With her hands in her lap and her head lowered the way it was, she was the perfect picture of a quiet, demure lady, so like the ones he had found when he'd come to court. Except, of course, that those ladies had so rarely challenged him in a game of chess...and slaughtered him at it. She raised her eyes for a moment, then slowly reached out to move a piece. His eyebrows rose, and he hissed out a small breath. "You have no sense of mercy, Kiri," he whispered quietly. "Pardon, Naosu?" she replied as she collected his rook, placing it delicately next to the other pieces she had taken. He paused, then reached out to slide his knight into something of a decoy assault. It was a rather shoddy move, but there was a chance... Fat chance, as it turned out, and he watched Kiri's eyes brighten, the barest hint of a smile on her face as moved her own piece. He let out a sigh of defeat, and within a few moves had been checkmated. "No sense of mercy, Kiri," he repeated, sitting back. "That's what...the third game you've taken this morning?" She looked up at him, and to his surprise there was a blush on her cheeks. "I am sorry, Naosu," she said quietly. He shook his head. "It is I who should be sorry, Kiri, to be taking up your time like this. Your skills are much better suited to someone who could possibly beat you." "Lord Naosu, do not downgrade your skill," she reproved gently as she sat away from the board. "We all have days of...less than perfect attention." She toyed with a pawn, and then added, "And please, let me not remind you of who slaughtered who when we played but a few days ago." He felt the smile, and let it flow over his mouth. "Then I will not, Lady," he replied. "But as for now, I could use a short break from chess." "Perhaps you'd like to come outside then!" The voice was energetic and loud, and both of them looked to see--well, only Naosu did--Kishi enter the room. He was dressed for harsher weather, and wore his hair tightly braided back, a style that was unusual for him under most circumstances; he also wore a sort of smirk as he approached them. "Outside?" Kiri asked. "Hai, Lady Kiri," he replied. "Arashi and I are going out to enjoy the grounds for a spell, and some company would be..." He paused, looking at Naosu, and then lightly trilled, "...acceptable." He paused, looking over the remnants of the board. "She trounced you, neh Nao?" "It's going to storm, Kish," Naosu replied, feeling the normal slight irritation when he was faced with the man's off planet manner. It died quickly, as they had been comrades for years, but it never failed to surface when they first met, especially when he took the time to lightly mock his old accent. "The best weather for an outing," Kishi replied, brown eyes almost frothy with energy. "At least, so says Arashi," he added, looking over to Kiri. Kiri nodded slightly. "She would agree," she replied. "She enjoys it most when there is some sort of challenge, be it the elements or from another person." "Well put, Kiri," came Arashi's voice as she stepped into the room. She, too, was dressed for the outdoors, hair pulled back tightly, emerald eyes flashing. She stepped easily to Kishi's side, grinning up at him. "Are you ready?" she asked, a light teasing edge to her voice. "I was just trying to persuade the fair Kiri and stodgy Naosu to join us," he replied, voice equally as light. "Ahhh...but Lord Kishi, the Lady Kiri is not one for outdoor expeditions," she replied, voice dropping to a stage whisper. "Neither is the Lord Naosu," he replied, taking on the same tone. "The stories I could tell of dragging him from the lab..." "Or the library..." she added "...oh, that as well," he replied, and as one, the two of them grinned. As to the objects of their teasing, both had looked away towards the other, with Kiri shaking her head slightly and Naosu nearly rolling his eyes. "Pardon my preferences, Lord Kishi," Naosu began. He never finished his sure-to-be scathing retort, for it was then that Q'ar appeared within the room. No one was sure how she got in, and frankly, the sight of the distressed bird drove all those questions from anyone's mind. Her chest heaved, her feathers were ruffed, and her deep blue eyes whirled in distressed. She landed on Kiri's chair and panted for a long while, drawing everyone's shocked attention. Finally, after calculating the rest time needed, Naosu asked, "Lady Q'ar, do you have news?" The bird took in two more deep breaths, then nodded. "It concerns the Prince, and..." She paused, and looked at the two Senshi, her mind racing for a moment. "What of the Prince?" Kishi asked, voice edged again, and not with humor. "Serin?" Arashi demanded, the rest of her question unspoken and known. "I..." Q'ar sighed again, ruffed up for a moment, and then settled her feathers. Her head dipped for a second, and then she raised it, her eyes much calmer than they had been. "The Prince has gone feral," she announced. The change in the room's mood was instant; all humor drained from Kishi's face, and Naosu's eyes tightened to thin flakes of green. Arashi's body tensed without her understanding why, and Kiri felt herself pale, hands clenching the sides of her chair. "How?" Kishi asked, voice yet smooth but filled with war. She shook her head. "I know not, nor do I know to what extent he has progressed...except that it is worse than anything ever before." "Why say you this?" This from Kiri, quiet and firm. The bird's calm look turned a touch bemused as she looked down at her young friend, and quietly said, "He tried to eat me." Kiri's eyes widened in shock, and Kishi let out a muffled curse. Yet it was Arashi who spoke next, her tone one that was not to be trifled with. "Q'ar, we will handle this now," she said. "You need to go and find Serin, and then bring her to us." "Serin?" Naosu asked, and Kishi gave her a blank look. "Arashi is right," Kiri replied. "Serin is..." She paused, then touched the chessboard. "Serin is hope." The two men felt something balk inside them, and yet at the same time, something slid over that coolly, whispering in musical tones of a silvery, soft truth. Each looked briefly to the other in confirmation, and then Kishi said, "Q'ar, do as she says." The bird nodded, saying, "Give me but a moment, and I will be on my way, Lord Kishi." "Good." Kishi turned to Naosu. "Assemble the kit." Naosu's eyebrows rose. "That seems to be taking things a bit far," he replied. "It seems it is needed," he replied, then he looked to Arashi. "Can you handle a crossbow?" She seemed taken aback a little, though not by the question but by the fact that he was asking the question. "I can handle anything," she replied. "Good. With me," he said, palming her shoulder gently to indicate his direction. The two set off, leaving Q'ar, Kiri, and Naosu looking at each other. "Are you hurt, Lady?" Kiri finally asked, turning to Q'ar. "Hurt?" the bird asked, blinking. She raised her wings and looked herself over, then shook her head. "Nothing this old bird can't handle." "Good," Naosu said softly, rising. He started to move out of the room, then looked back to Kiri as if to say something... and found her already out of her seat and following him. "Lady?" he asked. "This is a situation for quick action, for two pairs of hands as preferred to one," she said, voice somewhere between decisive and unsure. She looked at him, mouth trembling but eyes a firm navy blue. "I can assist." He met her eyes, and softened immediately. "That you can, Lady," he replied. "Come, we have much to do." "What is it that we are doing, Naosu?" she asked quickly. "The 'kit' that Lord Kishi refers to is something the four of us came up with a long while ago, when the danger of the Prince's feralness was keener than it was now," he explained as the two of them made their way toward the lab. He noted that, despite their fast pace, she moved silently, feet seeming not even to touch the ground. "It consists of several strong tranquilizing mixtures, and a few plant toxins..." "Toxins?" she questioned immediately. "But for what?" The entered the basement, and Naosu pondered quietly how to explain this. "Lady, the Prince in his best moments is a man given to...extremes. Actions of...darkness. Should he be feral, as Lady Q'ar proclaimed, then...then..." He paused, the words weighing on his heart and mind. "He would be truly dangerous," she whispered. "And in that case, Lady Kiri, we would have no other choice but to subdue him once and for all," Naosu added. "The form mixed was in magic, though, and with his wolfish strength..." "Death," she said. "Exactly," he replied as they strolled into the lab. "Death would be the only way to stop him." Topaz looked up at the Sorceress, who was watching the scene with a maddened joy in her eyes. He, however, was starting to lose his understanding of this plan. How could what she started drive the ladies from the castle? His mind couldn't seem to wrap around it, though he was sure that the transformation of his cousin would play a major role. He shuddered at the thought, glad that he really did not have any of that foul Terran blood within his delicate body. He knew some of his relatives did, and while they seemed to posess the Jewel form, their minds were as cruel as the family they came from. An involuntary shudder rippled his form again. The Sorceress caught the movement. "Does this distress you, Lord Topaz?" she asked, voice a razor sharp sweetness. "A little, Sor-sama, though it confuses me as well," he replied, a small frown on hius face. "What purpose does the unleashing of this dark magic serve? It seems to have frightened them, yes, but the ladies are not..." She waved her hand at him, crimson eyes sinking into him with their frenzied power. He felt their red color whoosh into him, darkening to blood as they stabbed through his feeble question. His mouth dropped slightly, and his whole body felt *pulled* towards her, pulled despite his most fervant wish to stay where he was. "The answer is quite simple, my Prince," she seethed, voice whispery and as cool as silk. "It is an auxillary action to the purpose that the ladies flee--a side effect, if you will. But this side effect only augments the true purpose, for it brings..." She paused, and he found himself hanging on the words as if his soul depended on it, as if his next breath would be pulled from him were she not to speak. "Yes?!?" he found himself saying, shouting, whispering--he couldn't judge his voice. "Chaos." With that, the world flickered, and her eyes snapped back to normal, back to their usual dull crimson color. Slowly he found himself sitting back, for the first time comprehending the power she had over people. It scared him, and not just because being on the receiving end of it had stolen his mind away. No, not just that...but the feel of her coursing through him had thrilled him to no end. It was as if something within him had leapt up in joy and happiness, as if crawling from the light into joyous shadows. "My apologies for my intrusion, Lord Prince," she said, returning to his chair. He blinked up at her in almost horror, for he had never realized that she moved. Yet there she was with a comforting smile on her face and the normal, almost bemused look in her eyes. "Are you all right?" "Yes...yes, Sor-sama, I am fine," he replied slowly. "Just...a little..." "Ah, yes. I understand how this much magic can be an ordeal for someone such as yourself, unused to its potent effects." came the sharp thought, but he simply nodded in return. "Thank you for your kindness," he said, voice somehow vacant. "My pleasure," she replied. "But I would not have you experience such a fit again, my dear Prince...perhaps you could occupy yourself with something else as I watch?" "But Sor-sama, I have nothing..." he began, but she smiled calmly and gestured to the other table. "I believe you spoke of marrying Serenity this morning, did you not?" she asked, moving away, and he rose with her to follow. "I believe that this is an unprecedented event of Sol...perhaps it would be best if you started to draw up the marriage contract now?" As she said this, she laid her hand on the dark table, upon which now lay sheets of neatly laid out parchment, a quill, and an ink bottle. "Con...contract?" he asked. She nodded, features serious. "You must state your marriage demands up front, my Prince," she intoned darkly. "After all, while Serenity is full of virtue, her mother," her features darkened considerably, "is not. Do you not recall the injustices the Moon has dealt us in the past?" At the moment, he could think of none, and yet her words rang true, and he settled himself in the seat she indicated. She made a smooth gesture, and a cup of tea floated over to sit by him. "I will watch over the progress at Rush Castle," she said, voice gentle, eyes full of feeling. "There is nothing for you to worry about." "Thank you, Sor-sama," he said, voice once again vacant. "Anything for you, my Prince," she said, and then turned back to the fire and the flurry of events on the wall. A dark smile creased her mouth, fangs digging pleasantly into her lips. she thought to herself, With this, she sat down, smug smile still creasing her face, and began, once again, to watch. Q'ar flew through a house in darkness. The day outside was cloudy, and the lighting was always of the subdued, moody sort, but that was not the darkness she felt. The shadows about her seemed to breathe, and as she flew towards the Hall of Flowers and the Princess within, she could feel them reaching for her, their dark tendrils creeping from their places on the floors and the walls to pluck at her feathers. She could only fly close to the ceiling, and even this was dangerous, for the shadows dripped there as well, a skittering giggle echoing among their depths when she came too close. she thought. A chill swept through her. A shudder rippled her form, and her wings beat faster until her body had blurred to nothing but a blue-gray streak. So great was her fear, her near-panic, that she barely noted the great darkness that seemed to have clustered about the Hall of Elements. Even then, she flew by, never taking stock of what was happening inside the Room of Fire. "I am Kage." The annoucement rang in the air with the sound of power, like the deep throated bells of an ancient shrine. Jade stood still and silent long after the words had rung clear, for the nerves of his body were frayed by the power throbbing in the room. The shift had been so dramatic, the time so short, that all of his senses had gone into a frenzy, and he had been hard pressed to calm them. Hiko, now Kage, shifted slightly in her chair, adjusting her refined clothing. She had been obviously disgusted by the choice Hiko had made that morning, and with a little application of shadow, had turned the woman's soft dress into a low cut, high slit gown of deep, deep purple. She watched him with a faintly bemused air, as if his adjustment was comical to her--which it was. Oh, how he had gawked when she had shifted the clothes, when the hair on her head had lengthened to the floor, when the lights had dimmed in her presence! She wanted to laugh out loud so that she might break his nerves--but now, now was not the time. She had not been this free and with a body for so long... "I see little Hiko forgot to mention me," she joked, her obscene parody of Hiko's voice lightening. "Even though I grant her a great deal of her power...how careless!" She chuckled. "But there are so many secrets to this Silence of yours...would you like to know some? I took no oath, after all." "What...what are you?" he finally managed to get out. "Ah, such a cliche response from such a handsome young man!" she cried in response. "I had been hoping for something bolder, less classic, more original. After all, someone posessed with the Fire in your lovely eyes should be able to think a creative thought, yes?" It took him a moment to comprehend what she said; her tongue had slurred slightly, augmenting the soft accent the woman already had. When it did hit, though, it was like a brick to the back of the skull. "You can *see* me?" he gasped out. "See you?" she scoffed. "Of course!" She shook her head sadly. "And this is what makes you the least of the Four Generals, Jadeite--that is your name, yes?" Satisfied by the shock that had crept over his form, she continued. "You with your puny powers and puny form cannot comprehend the tools at MY disposal--but in this case, it's really simpler than that." She tapped the corner of her eye. " 'Eyes of the altered,' yes?" He was running out of ways to gape, but he managed to express an affirmative. "Splendid, splendid! I knew it was that as soon as I stepped into this place...and though little Hiko," that word was more of a snarl than anything, "has kept my form locked up for all of her miserable years, that spell and I are old friends." She clapped her hands lightly in joy, and Jade found himself hard pressed to reconcile the image to his senses--this young, very attractive and joyful young lady was full to the brim with darkness? It seemed so impossible... "I don't understand..." he whispered, and she cocked her head at him. Gathering up his courage, he said louder, "I don't understand what you are, Kage, aside from your name--'Shadows.' You are more than..." Kage waved her hand and let out a soft, feminine sigh. "I cannot believe you have let yourself rust this much, Jadeite. The First One would be mightily offended by your lack of power...but I suppose, with you, that was inevitable." She extended her hand to rest on the crossword puzzle on the table, and made sure his eyes followed. A small smile crossed her face, and her purple eyes flickered once. The crossword puzzle burst into flames. "What are you..!" he began, but she held out a hand towards him, and a tendril of shadow held him in place. Taking her hand away, she allowed the puzzle to burn to shreds of ashes, then waved once. The fire seemed to bow to her, and then flickered completely out--leaving not a scorch mark on the table. "This is what I am," she said, looking back to him. "The Fire of Mars is in me, and the Iron Shadows of the worlds are mine to command. That, my little blond bird, is what /Kage/ is." "You're Martian," he whispered now, looking down at the tendril that still lay snaked around his leg, quivering slightly. "Fire and iron and blood...and pain." His sight seemed to turn inward for a moment, and he saw her once again, down at the Rush, the sun dyeing her hair to match her eyes. And her words... /"I have a long acquaintance with pain."/ His mind was forced by back a long, light laugh from Kage. "Martian?" she said. "Oh, how long does it take for your poor brain to figure out the clues! I...I cannot wait to watch you follow the trail I lay out for you, little Jadeite, little golden bird. Oh yes." She let out a happy sigh, then fixed him with a sudden intense look. "But in this case, you are only nearly right. For I am not just Martian, toritito...I am Mars." *schnikt* The bolt of the crossbow lodged firmly in position, and Kishi looked over to Arashi, watching her reaction. She was nodding slowly to him, then said, "These weapons have been used recently." "Ryuu and Jade occasionally go hunting," he replied, voice low and gruff, causing Arashi to hide a smile. She had watched him slowly sink into Battle Mode ever since they'd come to Armory, and for some reason, it seemed so...cute. She wrinkled her nose at the adjective, but she couldn't put her finger on it any other way. Perhaps the excitement flooding her own veins had something to do with it, her heightened instincts overiding the more rational parts of her brain. "I'll have to thank them for that later," she replied. "How many bolts do you think we'll need?" "It depends on your ability," he said, and she gave a small shrug and picked up a handful for each of them. She could feel his eyebrows raise, and he asked, "So many, Lady?" "This is magic at work, is it not?" she asked. "It most certainly has to be," he replied. "Then you can never be too careful," she replied, handing his share to him. He nodded, glad that one of them was still thinking about anything but how to handle the Beast Prince. "Good instincts, then," he said. "I am sorry for expressing any doubt." She felt herself blush, and covered it by picking up her own bow. "Nothing to be sorry for," she replied, her voice now strained. She moved towards the door, then asked, "Where are we to meet Naosu and Kiri?" "Top of the lower hall," he said, moving out the door with her. The two of them marched towards it together, stride matching stride, a woman with a crossbow accompanied by a quiver and another floating crossbow. It would've made a comical scene even to the residents of the Castle, but all hopes of comedy had been dashed by Q'ar's words. Now it was time for action and not words, movement without thought, instincts without rationality. In other words, a perfect time for that pair. Naosu and Kiri were indeed waiting for them, Kiri carrying a small satchel at her side, Naosu loaded with two of them and a knife at his hip. He saw Kishi give him a look, and quickly said, "I'm going to stay out of your way, Kish. But I will not leave myself or the Lady Kiri totally undefended." Only Arashi saw Kiri open her mouth as if to speak--after all, she COULD defend herself--and the blush that stained her cheeks. Kishi cut off any of her words, though, by saying, "Good. We are ready to go, then." "What about Serin? Or the others? You said Ryuu and Jade hunt," Arashi asked. Both Kishi and Naosu shook their unseen heads. "We have no time, Lady," Naosu said, anticipating Kishi's words. "Even if Serin is as great a help as you say, we cannot let the Prince roam the halls for too long. He is capable of too much destruction now." "Ryuu and Jade would be helpful, but unless Q'ar warns them to come, I doubt they will appear. After all, we don't need anymore targets," Kishi added now, voice deepening. Arashi's eyes widened, but Kiri touched her arm and shook her head. She gave the woman a tight nod, then turned back to Kishi. "Let's go, then," she said. He didn't even acknowledge her; he just turned, and with crossbow in hand, disappeared towards the Prince's wing, leaving the rest to follow. Ryuu was so wrapped up in his thoughts and the scrolls before him that when Aiko screamed, he literally jumped to the ceiling. It took him a moment more to ascertain what the sound was, and it was then that the map scroll in his hands fluttered to the ground. "Aiko," he whispered, and was through the walls in a second. On her side, Aiko found herself clutching at the little dragon on her neck, the creature hissing venom at the shadows about them. She had not meant to scream, really, but watching the marble walls ooze darkness had thrown her sense of balance totally off. Well, that, and she wanted to know if this was Ryuu's idea of theft protection. If it was, then she was going to apologize long and hard and retire to her room for the next five days in order to heal the pieces of her fear burst heart. However, based on the little dragon's reactions, she doubted that any of these creatures were of Ryuu's doing. The fact that they had coalesced not when she had touched the creature, nor taken it out, but at some random moment...it spoke of something entirely different, as did the darkness on the air. This was not what she sensed in Ryuu; this was something completely, frighteningly different. "Stay close, little one," she whispered to the dragon, pulling herself straight and cupping her hands. "I think I can..." It was then that Ryuu appeared, a silvery-blue tinge to his normal blur, footsteps pounding hard on the floor. He seemed to slide through the shadows that rung her with ease, and one could hear them shriek with that sudden, bright pain. He skidded to a halt near her, his breath coming in small gasps, and his eyes seemingly on her. "Lady, Lady, are you..." he began, and then stopped. "I...uh, Ryuu...I'm..." "The dragon has awakened, I see," he said lowly, finally catching his breath. "I'm...I'm sorry, Ryuu...I don't know what happened, he was just..." She stopped sputtering, and drew in a full breath. "I formally apologize, Lord Ryuu, for my discourtesy. But I must ask--are these shadows yours?" "Lady..." he whispered, then shook his head. "No, Lady, no. This is not my doing." He looked about him for a moment, a line of black filling trickling through the blur, and then he shook his head again before turning to look at her. "This is nothing of mine. And as to the little one there..." The little beast let out a soft mewling sound, and it seemed to Aiko that his aura softened. "Unexpected, but perfectly all right, I assure you." He reached out and touched its head, hand cradled next to her cheek. "So don't...don't worry." Her eyes softened as she looked up at him, and she nodded slowly. "Thank you, Ryu..." Suddenly her eyes widened, and with a small cry dove into him. He understood not until a dark blade whizzed over them, and then she had rolled off of him to one knee, dragon scampering to curl about her arm and catch the next strike, sending a shower of silver sparks to the floor. Both Aiko and beast cried upon contact, but held their ground, even as the fluid shadowy figure pressed upon them. Ryuu made it to his feet and let out a sharp sound, which immediately scattered the shadows back. The figure with the sword, his viscous form pooling up in great waves to form an almost flame-like image, looked up at him and seemed to smile; he then disengaged and lashed out with his foot, sending the lady and the dragon sprawling across the floor. Ryuu didn't feel himself move as he appeared in front of them, standing over the pair in a stance of protection, eyes beginning to spark crimson. "What are you to invade my sanctuary?" he demanded icily, teeth gritted together. Behind him, Aiko curled upon herself and slowly made to rise, dragon crawling up to her head, their movements assuring him that they were all right. The shadow paused, and when it replied, its voice was a multitude of sounds forced into one channel. "We are that which you have captured and detained all of these years," it rumbled quickly. "The stones, talismans, devices of power and artifacts of old that you have scraped together and studied for so long have released their power, and it is this magic, this rage at captivity, which comes before you to challenge you today." Its dark bladed sword rattled at him, and a low growl escaped some dark part of it. "I bound you before, and I shall bind you again," he responded. "We are not what you once knew," the shadow replied. "We have been brought to freedom by evil, released to wreck our havoc with the unknowing aid of the one you protect. Our new power shields us from you, and your death and hers shall be one." he thought, and without thinking he tapped the air in front of him, shielding the two of them from the darkness for a moment. The creature outside roared, but could not be heard, as he turned to look at the woman behind him. She had managed to make it to a sitting position, but did not look well, and he could see the beginnings of a bruise on her arm where she and the beast had caught the sword strike. Yet it was her eyes upon him that were most telling, those wide, painfully beautiful blue eyes that currently brimmed to full with tears. "Unknowing aid," he whispered aloud now, standing near her, looking down. She let out a tempered breath, blinking at the tears in her eyes, cursing herself all the while. her mind harranged. "Lady," he said softly, kneeling by her. "Are you hurt?" The words jolted her, and she stared at him, uncomprehending. He, without knowing why, was drawn to her eyes for a long moment as well... The dragon on Aiko's shoulder watching with crimson eyes flickering, and let out a soft sigh as it felt a measure of finality fall into place. It then sighed again as it noticed the thinning of the silver barrier, then let out a small mewling sound to alert Ryuu, who started upon realizing what he had been doing. He started to move away, but Aiko's eyes followed him, something new beginning to well within them. Without any thought, he reached out to truly cup her cheek with his hand now, one gloved thumb brushing at the corner of her eye. She blinked, and then gently touched the back of it with two fingers. "Good luck," she whispered. He nodded, then slid his hand down to touch the purring dragon. "Protect her," he said. "At all costs." The dragon trilled in return, then snugged up around Aiko's neck as he rose to return to the barrier. A snap of his fingers caused it to collapse, and the sudden plunge of his soul into ice told him he was ready to fight. "You have invaded my place of rest," he said, voice hard and bitterly cold, drawing the shadow's attention to him and the power now flowing out of him. His eyes flowed to crimson as a soft breeze began to stir around him, fluttering his hair as he held his hand out, palm flat, in front of him. Twisting it, he drew a sword out of the air, and set the blade in front of him to gently touch the shadow's. "This is a crime that can only be paid for in your death. Are you prepared?" The shadow let out a smooth chuckle, then ran its blade down Ryuu's a touch. "We are prepared for your death," it hissed. "Then you are prepared for nothing," Ryuu snapped, and those were the last words spoken as the shadow lunged, swords catching, clashing, the battle begun.