Author's Note: I do not own Shadow Raiders or the characters presented by Mainframe Entertainment. All other characters are my original creation. I love Shadow Raiders/War planets but sadly have not seen all of the episodes. The bases for this fanfic is based on a future series concept by Beastplanet, a fanfic writer and friend. If I get some details wrong in this fic, I apologize in advance and ask that you let me know by a review of email so that I can fix them. This fic begins six years from the last episode produced with flashbacks to past events. Well, I hope you enjoy it. Again, this is my first SR fanfic, so be gentle hehe. Cheers!
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THE RETURN
Chapter 1:
"I still cant believe its been six years." Graveheart took in a deep breath as he prepared the ship for landing. Glancing over at the King that sat beside him, he realized that his feelings were not unshared. So much had changed in the six years, and so much had remained the same. They had beaten back the Beast, wining the almost endless struggle. The alliance, to the surprise of many, had survived after the defeat of the Beast Planet. Now, instead of fighting together to win the war, they worked together to survive with mutual trade agreements and aid. The Alliance of Planets had become stronger after the war, when everyone was able to understand that working together, despite being enemies for so long, was the best way to live. Despite being one of the first and strongest members of the alliance, however, Planet Ice had grown as cold and silent as its many wasteland ice sheets. The supply trading and peace had continued, but the planet itself had chosen to keep its distance. The day the silence started was a day Graveheart would never forget. He breathed out another long sigh and glanced back over to the King beside him. So much had changed, and so much had remained the same.
"King Pyrus, we will land on Planet Ice in approximately ten minutes." Graveheart smiled slightly as Pyrus waved his hand at being called King. When they were away from the courts, Pyrus always preferred to be called simply Pyrus. Graveheart leaned back in his chair slightly as he watched the young King think to himself, wondering where his youthful but wise mind was at that moment.
"Yes, it has been a long time." Pyrus finally stated after a pause for thought. "Too long."
"I am actually surprised we got through this time, after so many failures." Graveheart nodded to himself. The six years of silence with Planet Ice had not gone unchallenged, but each attempt to talk with its new leader had ended up in diplomatic sessions or one excusal or another. "I guess I can understand the silence, just not six years of it."
"Some wounds take time to heal." Pyrus rested his chin on his hands as he looked out into the stared blackness of space. "Others never heal."
"Do you think she will be glad to see us?" Graveheart checked the landing status again after looking at the young King again. The aged wisdom that existed in the youth of Planet Fire's body never ceased to amaze him.
"I truly don't know." Pyrus continued to stare out into the vastness of space, his thoughts distant in both place and time. His mind drifted back to where it all began. The day Planet Ice fell silent.
***********
Six years ago, the Beast had been driven back and defeated. Great was the celebration and levity of the peoples of the Planetary Alliance, their cheers filling the vast void of all that had been sacrificed. The calm peace that settled over the planets left a few of its inhabitants restless.
"Now dodge." The young Prince Pyrus spoke as he swung his staff toward the limber Zera who easily avoided it.
"Is that all you've got?" Zera leaned on her own staff with a prideful smirk. After Jade had taken the throne of Planet Rock, Zera was forced to find a new sparing partner. She refused to call Pyrus her trainer.
"No." Pyrus crossed his arms and returned the smirk. "What do you have? C'mon frosty, attack me."
"Alright lava breath, but you asked for it." Zera jested with the young prince before taking up her staff in an attack maneuver. He easily dodged her first two moves, but he had trained her well. Her next quick jarring motion with one end of the staff distracted his eyes just long enough for her to up end him with the other. With a loud thud, he landed hard on his back against the thin mat. "Was that good enough for you, your highness?" She poked fun again with a prideful laugh and mocking bow.
"Yes." Pyrus closed his eyes and winced in what seemed a great amount of pain.
"Are you alright?" Zera's face grew a look of concern as she dropped her staff to the mat and walked to his side. "I didn't mean to hit you that hard, you big baby."
"You didn't." Pyrus's face suddenly changed to a large smile of glowing ember teeth as he grabbed her leg and pulled her down to the mat. He landed himself on top of her, pinning her to the mat with his staff aimed at her throat.
"Hey! You cheated!" Zera fumed because she knew she had been caught off guard.
"Never show mercy for your enemy, and never drop your staff." He noticed her embarrassment and stood up, offering her a hand. "If it had been real, your mercy would have cost you your life."
"I know." Zera frowned, having the lesson he had just taught her forever burned in her mind by her immense embarrassment. She accepted the offered hand after a moment of her normal stubbornness. The strange sensation that came from touching his fiery skin was something she still wasn't used to. It had been even more surprising that first day on the bridge when they realized that touching each other didn't hurt, it just felt odd. Countless generations of stories and rules from both the people of Fire and the people of Ice had been thrown out by one touch of the hand between two youths. It had always been believed that one touching the other was sure to cause horrible pain and possible death. How truly strange and eye opening it had been. They both assumed the rumors were started during the very beginnings of the horrendous wars between their peoples generations ago. Generations of believes had vanished. It was for this reason that they chose to keep it just between the two of them. They both believed that their peoples were not yet ready to accept the death of such an old and honored belief. As he let go of her hand, Zera's thoughts returned to the room around her. Her loss of pride also returned. "It was foolish of me."
"At least this mistake you can learn from. " he gave her a reassuring smile. "And walk away from." He joked, causing her laugh away her prideful show for a moment.
"I will remember it for next time." She assured him and herself.
"Want me to show you a move you could have used to counter the leg grab?" They were both a little tired, but he decided that one last lesson for the day couldn't hurt.
"I do know a move, but if you insist." Her haughtiness returned to her voice, causing Pyrus to only roll his eyes and laugh silently to himself.
"I do." Pyrus bent down and grabbed her leg again. "Now, I have, or your enemy has, one of your legs and is about to pull it out from under you."
"So I use the opposite leg and kick him away." She finished, assured it was the right answer.
"Try it." He held onto her leg and felt the shift in balance as she brought her other leg up to kick him away. He simply grabbed onto that foot with his free hand, causing her to loose her balance. Zera fell hard against the mat without Pyrus having to put in any effort at all.
"Ouch!" She winced after saying a few small curses on her way down. She brought all four arms up to her head with a continued wince.
"Zera? Are you alright?" Pyrus leaned down to her, realizing how loud the thud against the mat had been. He realized his own mistake after the same loud thud was created again by her tail banging against the mat. He looked up just in time to see a foot heading for his chest. After a flipping motion, Zera landed on top of him with a prideful smile and his own staff pointed at his throat.
"No mercy for your enemy." Zera chided the prince below her with a wagging finger.
"Very cute." Pyrus rolled his eyes, his own pride hurt slightly.
"I thought so." Zera leaned in closer with a grin, wanting to rub in her victory a little more.
"Ahem." The sound of Graveheart clearing his throat filled the hanger, causing the two youths to jump slightly.
"Graveheart, hello." Zera said as she stood up, a mask of false calmness shielding the nerves that fired inside of her. She wondered if Graveheart had seen them touching. If he had, she knew he would ask for an explanation before gossiping about it to the people of Fire and Ice, or worse yet her father King Cryos. She and Pyrus had been so careful, but after the war had ended they had unconsciously been less careful.
"Hi." Pyrus waved after standing. "The 'queen' here was just teaching me a lesson."
"I bet." Graveheart smiled slightly. "Lady Zera, your father needs you back at the general hall."
"Alright, thank you." She nodded to Graveheart respectfully then turned to Pyrus. "Thank you for the spar."
"You owe me a rematch." He watched as she headed up the stairs.
"If you think you are up to the challenge." Zera called over her shoulder with a haughty laugh.
"I think I am." Pyrus said quietly as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"She's getting good." Graveheart stepped closer to the young prince.
"Almost too good." Pyrus cracked his neck slightly after a few winces.
"Pyrus, " Graveheart spoke after a moment of silence. "I know its not my place, but unless my eyes were deceiving me…" He broke off as Pyrus turned to him with a nod.
"Yes." Pyrus answered the question he knew Graveheart was about to ask.
"But I thought the people of Fire and Ice hurt each other if they touched. Are all the old rules and legends wrong?" Graveheart asked.
"Yes, they are. We will not cause harm to each other, despite what the old beliefs say."
"That's great! Does King Cryos know?" Graveheart's mind still dealt with the new information. If the peoples of Fire and Ice had know this sooner, it may have ended the wars between them generations ago.
"No, he doesn't." Pyrus looked up to Graveheart. "And I need you to not tell him, or anyone, about it."
"But it could change…"
"Zera and I believe that our people aren't ready for such a drastic change. My people have lost their home and those small traditions of life is all they have left to cling to. Zera also believes that, despite her father's great moves toward peace, many would be frightened by the concept." Pyrus hoped that Graveheart would understand the ruler's point of view.
"So it could do more harm than good right now." Graveheart said in a solemn understanding.
"Yes, so we must keep it between the three of us, at least for now." Pyrus smiled at how loyal a man Graveheart of Rock was. How a man of Graveheart's caliber had ended as a minor was beyond him. This man of Rock was so much more.
"Agreed." Graveheart nodded and pushed the subject as far out of his mind as he could.
"Graveheart!" The Ice-soldier caused both Pyrus and Graveheart to look up. "Prince Pyrus."
"What's wrong?" Graveheart took notice of the look on the soldier's face.
"Beast drones! They are coming into the planet's atmosphere!" The soldier huffed out, longwinded after the run to get Graveheart.
"What? Stragglers." Pyrus frowned. Over the past few weeks they had been flushing out the last of the beast drones, and ever so often dealing with suicide mission type attacks.
"Yes. They attack the surface." The Ice-soldier confirmed.
"Alert King Cryos." Pyrus commanded.
"We can not. We have tried, but the signals are jammed." The soldier frowned.
"Jammed? Where exactly is he? I just sent the Lady Zera to meet him." Graveheart frowned himself, not liking how this situation was getting worse.
"He and Lady Zera have gone out to the Mineral Ice Plains to take care of a supply dispute with Planet Bone."
"Let me guess, " Graveheart hated when the worst possible scenario turned out to be the true one. "the Beast Drones are heading for the Mineral Ice Plains."
"Yes Sir." The soldier confirmed.
******
"What is the dispute that Planet Bone has with the supply order, father?" Zera looked up at her father as the transport landed beside the Bone supply vessel.
"They believe, or Emperor Femur believes rather, that the last shipment was not sufficient enough." King Cryos told his daughter as they walked across the flat snow sheet toward the Bone vessel. King Cryos had come to learn that nothing was ever 'enough' for Femur.
"My King." The Ice soldier knelt in front of King Cryos and the Lady Zera. "We have been unable to restore communications with the palace."
"A storm perhaps?" Zera questioned.
"No storms were on the last available readout, Lady Zera." The soldier replied. "But my readouts may have been wrong." The soldier finished, not wanting to correct the Lady Zera in public.
"Of course." Zera nodded. A glint in the day light caught her eyes. "Father, what is that?"
"What?" King Cryos looked up to try and see what his daughter was looking at. "Commander, is that what I think it is?"
"King Cryos, " The solder positioned his telescope up to the sky and followed the glimmering object. As the glimmering object became several glimmering objects, the soldier nodded. "I am afraid so."
"Zera, go back to the ship." Cryos looked down at his daughter.
"But father, what is it?" Zera kept her eyes on the sky.
"Beast Drones." Cryos frowned. "Summon the forces!"
"Yes, my King." The soldier bowed again and headed to get the troops that were available. Without communication to the palace, however, their numbers were limited.
"Zera, go…" But before King Cryos could finish, the small fleet of Beast ships opened fire, tearing up the snowy ground under the Ice-soldier's feet.
*****
"I hope we make it in time." Pyrus called out over the radio as their forces headed to intercept the Beast Drones.
"We will. We have to." Grave heart replied.
"Don't worry kid, I have Bone Soldiers on that supply ship." Femur joined in the conversation.
"Femur?" Pyrus was surprised to hear his voice.
"Just got here to make sure my shipment was being filled. Miss me?" Femur laughed and took the rear, as usual, of the fleet.
"Incoming!" The call of the Ice soldiers broke over the radio through static interference. The jamming signal had been fixed. "I repeat! We have…" Then the radio went silent again. The static went in and out as sounds of yells, blaster fire, and a loud rumbling movement filled the ears of the ship fleet.
"What was that?" Femur spoke nervously.
"Look!" Pyrus pointed out across the flat plain of ice. The Beast ships were firing relentlessly at the few soldiers on the ground. Pockets of ice and snow began to collapse and fall into a great cavern that lay below the ice sheet. "Alright troops, lets get those drones to attack us for a while and take them out!"
"Understood!" One of the Ice commanders replied. They engaged the Beast ships and the beast drone with what seemed an unusual ease. These straggling forces had proven to be more of an annoyance than a threat. When the beast ships turned desperately suicidal, however, they became a great danger.
"Pyrus, look." Graveheart pointed as three of the Beast ships broke off their attack and set their course in a deathly nose dive for the planet surface.
"Great Fire protect them." Pyrus sent his ships to intercept, but he knew they would never make it in time. They could only watch as the Beast ships tore through the ice sheet and exploded in the deep cavern below. The ice plain trembled with the force as the cavern began to swallow it whole. Everyone on the ground began to scramble for a part of the ice sheet that wasn't collapsing into the dark depths of planet Ice. As the ice sheet began to reestablish its stability, all eyes were on the gaping hole that now existed where the Bone supply ship and Ice convoy had been. Pyrus took grasp of the situation and asked a question he feared the answer for. "Where are King Cryos and Lady Zera?"
*******
"Father, you're slipping!" Zera grasped desperately at her father's hand with all four of her arms. She could feel the edge of the glacier cracking beneath their weight, and the look in her father's eyes tore at her heart.
"Zera." King Cryos looked up at his beautiful daughter with a calmness that frightened Zera even more. He smiled at how much she looked like her mother. Another cracking sound in the ice beneath Zera's outstretched body brought a gentle commanding sound to his voice. "Zera, it cannot hold us both for much longer."
'I know. I am going to pull you up!" Zera lost all prideful mannerisms as tears began to run and freeze against her cheeks. She knew that she was unable to pull her father up. What was worse was that she knew that her father was well aware of that fact.
"Zera." Cryos looked up at her with the pride and love of a father.
"They will be here any minute to help!" Zera could hear the distant voices of the reinforcements through the wind that blew across the barren plain.
"Zera." He repeated in the same calmness.
"No, I wont!" Zera knew what her father intended, and she would have no part of it.
"Let go, my daughter." He smiled up at her through tear filled eyes, knowing it would be the last time he would see her face.
"I can not! I will not!" Zera tightened her grip as she felt her father loosen his. The edge of the glacier made another large cracking sound. "Please." She whispered through the winds.
"Be strong, my daughter."
"Please, no."
"I love you." As the last words to fall past his lips came forth, the ice sheet beneath Zera crumbled away, sending them both into a fall.
"No!" Zera cried as her father's hands slipped from hers and a strong arm of rock wrapped around her waist, pulling her away from the edge. "Father, no!" She screamed through the tears and wind with her empty arms outstretched, Graveheart carrying her further and further away from the collapsing edge of the glacier. All hopes disappeared down into the endless dark cavern that her father had fallen into.
"Zera, I'm so sorry. I wasn't fast enough." Graveheart ached with sorrow at the loss as he set Zera down onto the stable ground.
"Father." Was all she could manage to whisper as she knelt on the ice and looked at her empty hands.
The Ice soldiers began to close in around the group of Pyrus, Graveheart, and Bone soldiers from the supply ship. Zera slowly looked up from her empty hands and raised her tear filled eyes to the blowing wind and hazy sky. With all the sorrow, blame, anger, and emotional devastation she held, she opened her mouth and let forth a deathly howl to the sky. Graveheart and Pyrus took a step back as they listened to her heart-wrenching call. One by one, the ice solders all knelt and took off their helmets. They lifted their faces to the wind and sky and joined their Lady in her call of sorrow. The haunting call echoed across the barren wasteland and seemed loud enough to have been heard from the far reaches of space. As suddenly as it had begun, the howling ended, and Planet Ice fell silent.
********
And silent the planet of Ice would remain for six long years.
"Pyrus? Control to King Pyrus!" Graveheart had been trying to get the young king's attention for several moments after the ship had successfully landed in one of Planet Ice's hanger bays.
"This is the same hanger bay, on that day when.." His words trailed of slightly before he stood and faced Graveheart. "Ok, Graveheart, lets get this over with."
"Still don't like diplomacy I take it?" Graveheart raised an eyebrow. King Pyrus was very capable at diplomatic missions, but it was obvious how much he hated them.
"Its not the diplomacy itself, it's the people I must be diplomatic to." Pyrus sighed and pointed down the corridor where a group of Ice-soldiers escorted Consul Shard.
"He is a little on the frost-bitten side." Graveheart nodded.
"Frost-bitten? More like frozen solid." Pyrus got in one last smile to Graveheart before he was forced to put on a more 'kingly' guise.
"King Pyrus." Consul Shard only half bowed before Pyrus, and he didn't even acknowledge Graveheart. "Welcome again to Planet Ice."
"Thank you. You will remember the Ambassador of Rock, Graveheart." Pyrus hated when Shard did not acknowledge Graveheart.
"Consul Shard." Graveheart nodded a small greeting, after a slight flinch at being called ambassador. He had nearly begged Jade to leave him out of politics, but she remained adamant that she could trust no one else to represent her and the people of Planet Rock. Diplomatic missions, what fun, he thought as he and the Consul Shard exchanged a less than friendly glance.
"Well, if you will follow me, we will get to business immediately." Shard began to walk off down the corridor. "We have several supply issues to discuss, as well as a new aid agreement with Planet Bone. They want us to split up the dividend or some such unfathomable nonsense."
"Wait." Pyrus called after as he and Graveheart began to follow. "Are we not to see the Empress?"
"The Empress is very busy. She need not be bothered by such pettiness as supply orders." Shard replied without stopping.
"We have news that she would do well to hear, and that you would do well to inform her of our presence." Pyrus stopped in his steps with growing agitation at Shards disposition.
"Very well, I will tell her your news." Shard sighed and turned around.
"No. We will tell her ourselves." Pyrus inflamed his eyes to get across his point. Time and time again Shard had found ways of keeping the Empress from meeting face to face with the other planetary leaders. Now there was no time for diplomatic avoidance.
"As you wish." Consul Shard bowed slightly again, a cool anger rising in his throat. He truly did not favor the rude boy who played king of Planet Fire. Shard didn't think much of King Pyrus's pet rock either. "Follow me then."
"Very well." Pyrus hung back with Graveheart for a moment and gave him a small smirk. "I don't think he likes us."
"I know. My feelings are hurt." Graveheart smirked sarcastically. The sound of Shard clearing his throat caused Graveheart and King Pyrus to drop the smirks and follow after.
******
"I can not do this." The young Empress Zera sat down heavily on her bed with a low melancholic sigh. "I will just say that I am busy."
"My Empress, you cant keep avoiding them like this." Crystal sat down beside her Empress and began fixing a hair pin that had slipped.
"It has been to long. So much has changed." Zera frowned and folded her hands in her lap as Crystal used all four hands to try and manage Zera's icy mane. The crown she wore had grown heavier with each passing year.
"Its has been to long, my Lady, and that is why you must see them." Crystal smiled as she folded her two back arms against her shoulder blades. "I know what worries you, but they will not be angry at your avoidance. You had your reasons."
"Six years of reasons?" Zera looked at Crystal who had always been her voice of reason.
"They are understanding. They are your friends." Crystal gave her lady a smile of confidence.
"Yes, my dear friends. I hope they do not think that I have forgotten them, or all that they did for my father and I." Zera frowned again. Her father would have been disappointed in her avoidance of diplomacy, and especially disappointed in her avoidance of her alliance friends.
"Which is why the silence must end." Crystal stood and waited for her Lady to follow.
"You are right. Thank you for your continued council." Zera nodded and stood from the bed. Crystal had begun as a simple attendant, but her loyalty and friendship had proven ever more valuable than her grooming skills.
"It is my honor to, My Lady." Crystal bowed to Zera out of deep respect. "They await you in the Great Hall."
"Very well." Zera took in a deep breath and took on the air of an Empress as she began down the long empty corridor. Her tall and slender blue ice frame was one of beauty and grace. It commanded the same awe that her mother's own presence had demanded. Her swift footsteps and muscular tone also demanded acknowledgement of her physical attributes, and the crown that sat upon her icy mane demanded respect. A crown of respect she did not always carry willingly. Her staff rang and echo against the crystalline ice corridor as she stopped before the large doors of the Great Hall. After looking over herself in the icy reflection, she nodded to Crystal who stood only a few steps behind. "Let us end this silence."
*******
"You will wait here for the Empress." Shard almost commanded as he gave the two another look over. He took in a deep breath and turned to leave.
"Thanks." Graveheart said in a barely audible tone. As the large doors closed, Graveheart and Pyrus had to stop themselves from laughing. "I think he gets more stiff every time we see him."
"He did seem to have more ice-fleas up his robes than usual." The young king hissed a muffled laugh through clenched teeth.
"I think its because he has finally run out of excuses to give us and the Empress." Graveheart still fought back a laugh at Pyrus's ice-flea comment.
"Ah, so you are thinking the same as I?" Pyrus nodded.
"It makes sense. I think these six years of silence owes itself to him. It makes more sense than the Empress being conveniently busy every time we came. It would also explain his uneasiness with us finally meeting with her." Graveheart spoke as he looked about the large hall of ice. He glanced over at Pyrus who had his eyes set on the large throne that set at the top of a large flight of steps.
"Perhaps, or perhaps she simply didn't want to see us." Pyrus kept his eyes on the empty throne before them. "After what happened its understandable. We let her down. We let her father down."
"She pardoned us all from blame in her coronation speech." Graveheart countered, though he had always carried a small tinge of guilt with him about the matter.
"Words are words, Graveheart." He let out a small sigh and longed for a change in subject. He let his mind slip back in time again to way things had once been. He let a small laugh escape him as he remembered what a stubborn and strong willed girl Zera had been. "Do you think she has changed at all?"
"We are about to find out." Graveheart whispered as the large doors behind the throne began to open.
"Leave us." The voice that echoed into the room from beyond the door was feminine yet strong and commanding. The sometimes shrill commanding voice of the young princess had been replaced by a calm gentleness that brought an air of age and wisdom to her words. The four guards left the room in silent haste. The tall, slender, and regal figure that followed the voice into the hall caused both Graveheart and Pyrus to pause in their breaths. With her graceful stride, she made her way to the front of the elevated throne with her attendant Crystal a few steps behind. The doors to the Great Hall closed behind her as she looked down at the two before her. She felt undeserving in her position so high above them. With a deep and silent breath, she made her way down the several steps to bring herself eye-level with her guests.
"Empress Zera." Graveheart broke the silence as he bowed his head in respect to her. As he rose to meet her eyes again, he caught a small glimpse of the strong and happy child he once knew in the melancholic stillness of her gaze. "It has been a long time."
"Too long. " Her soft voice smiled at him, though her lips did not. After Graveheart gave her a nod of agreement, she turned her solemn gaze to the young king before her.
"Empress Zera." He too bowed his head respectfully to her, but did not lower his eyes. The change that had occurred in the young princess he had know was startling. After a long glance between them, he grew tired of the imperialistic guise and broke a small smile. "You got taller."
"One tends to do that with age." At first, her calm gaze remained. As King Pyrus rolled his eyes at her comment mockingly, however, a small smile made its way across her lips. Much had changed, but other things had not changed at all.
"Its good to see you." Pyrus returned her smile.
"And you." She turned and faced Graveheart with the small smile still on her lips. "Both of you." More smiles and glances passed between the three before she noticed Graveheart's eyes drifting to the silent youth of Ice who stood a few paces off. "Please come forward Crystal. I would like you to meet…my friends."
"As you wish, Empress." Crystal spoke in a gentile and soft spoken voice as she stepped forward. She bowed before Graveheart and King Pyrus. "I am honored to meet you."
"Crystal has been my personal attendant for some time now, and she is my friend." Zera motioned toward Crystal who slowly raised to meet their eyes.
"The honor is ours, I am sure." Graveheart gave a small bow to Crystal, causing her to smile humbly.
"A pleasure." King Pyrus nodded his head to Crystal with a smile. "So you are the one who has kept the Empress in line all these years?"
"Oh no, I mean…The Empress does not need.." Crystal found herself unsure of how to respond to such a question.
"It is alright, Crystal." Zera smiled at the shy girl then gave Pyrus the evil eye that only a woman possesses. "King Pyrus is just being rude."
"Oh." Crystal blinked, even more confused now that her usually stoic Empress and the two guests were laughing slightly.
"Perfectly good question." Pyrus shot back.
"I see Graveheart has been keeping you in line." Zera retorted.
"No comment." Graveheart had to stifle another laugh.
"Thanks Graveheart." Pyrus crossed his arms.
"Any time, Your Highness." Graveheart replied through a grin. Slowly, his grin faded as he remembered their true reason for the visit. "Empress, I am afraid there is motive behind our visit besides a long overdue reunion."
"The Consul Shard has informed me." Zera put all joking aside returned to her somber visage. "What is this matter that you were unable to discuss with him?"
"It is important that we keep this between the planetary leaders at the present time." Pyrus said as he gave a quick glance to Crystal.
"I understand." Crystal bowed her head respectfully. "I shall be waiting beyond the doors if you are in need of my services, Empress."
"Thank you." Zera nodded to Crystal with a small smile as she watched her attendant leave the room. Her smile ended as she turned to face Graveheart and Pyrus. "What is this secretive news?"
"Zera, " Pyrus gained a small look at remorse about having to be the bearer of such news. "We believe that the threat of the Beast Planet has returned."