Chapter 9: Pfft, this is hardly a fight


Deirdre's head snaps up as she frowns, "Something's...wrong."

Chryses blinks watching her sister stand and moving to leave before she too got up, "Deir? Where are you going?"

"We must find Lady Seiya." She said, "I think something might have happened to the boys."

"Eh?" Chryses frowns, "But the guards are looking for them. There's nothing too bad that could've happened."

"It doesn't matter!" Deirdre hurries down the hallway with her sister at her heels.

Aigle blinks as they rushed by her and turns, "What is wrong?"

"We have to find lady Seiya!" Chryses said to her breathing, "Deirdre thinks something's wrong."

"Oh.. Jareth's room. Try there!" Aigle had turned and started following them, "What do you think she felt?"

"I don't know." Chryses said to her, "But it must be something." Then without the orange haired girl ran off down the hallway after her older sister.


"Hm..." Aigle frowns a bit before she heard it. The sound of someone shuffling down the hallway. Her back stiffens as a sudden and unseasonal cold breeze wafts by her causing her to shiver.

No way... She thought but almost unwillingly she turns to look back and saw the broken body of Verbena shuffling down the hallway making an unholy breathing sound that seemed to be louder then what it should've been.

Fear froze her in place as the body moves faster then it should've. Why? Why couldn't she run? She opens her mouth but only a faint squeak came out as all too soon Verbena was in front of her.

And she didn't.. look happy.


"This is unprecedented!" The priest said to her, "To start them now? So soon? Why they only-"

"Look there, Tumbulin." She gestures to the four stones, "Look at how they glow so ominously! We need to commence it now before they seek out their own hosts!"

"Hm..." He frowns a bit before nodding, "I must go and check on the other one."

"Surely that one shouldn't be-"

"It shouldn't, but if these reacted as it did, who knows?" He said moving, "Things may not be as they appear."

"Well then hurry up, you old goat." The woman told him huffing, "Stars above- you move slower every day."

"So you say, sister." He shook his head vaguely amused but went down another corridor that was off limits to most that lived there. In his mind he didn't believe it would be active, but then again...

"We've been wrong before.." He mutters.


Darius landed hard on his feet before falling forwards and rolling towards the strange coffin-pedestal where the child was still sobbing. The crowd was frozen for a moment, unsure what had fallen into their midst as Darius stood up on shaky legs before looking up at them with anger in his eyes. He didn't say anything but moves quickly to take the child away.

The boy only clings to him, thankful for being away from such a scary thing but was still hiccuping.

"What the fuck is wrong with you people?" Darius yells, "Sacrificing a child? Are you nuts?"

That was all it took to snap them out of their stupor, "Seize them!" The woman shouts, "We'll sacrifice them all!"

He turns to run while she was shouting , barreling his way though the crowds when one of them pulls out a sword, stopping him in his tracks.

Defiantly, he held the child protectively in his arms as if to dare the man to even try it.

However the man pitches forward and crumples to the ground as Jareth stood behind him, "Come on, idiot!"

Darius flashes a grin before running towards him as the two headed towards the door with the mob chasing them. Darius pants heading to the towering sinister door. "This must be the way out."

"There's no choice, now is there?" Jareth pushes on it, "Come on, stupid thing, open up!"

"We better hurry." His ocean blue eyes turns towards the roaring mob, "They're getting closer!" The child in Darius's arms, shook with fear and clung tightly to him.

"Damn it!" Jareth hits the doors, "It won't open!" He turns looking back readying himself for the inevitable.


"Lady Seiya! Come we must-" Deirdre stops in mid-sentence, "Lady Seiya?"

"How could he?" Seiya wasn't looking at them, but at what she found. Cloak and a tailsman from a notorious group they had been trying to stop but were undermining them so much. "Jareth..."

"Lady Seiya!" Deirdre could understand it, but at the same time, "Darius and Jareth are in trouble if we don't do something!"

"Do you know where they are?" Seiya seemed to have snapped out of it but was now looking at her, "Have you known?"

The pink haired woman shook her head, "No, but that doesn't matter! We have to find them. Now."

"Where should we start?" Chryses glances worriedly between them.

For a moment all were silent until Deirdre turns, "That place. The one Verbena's Aunt owned. We were talking about it not too long ago."

"Are you sure?" Seiya asks frowning. "That place has been off limits for a reason."

"There's no where else it could be!"


He stood in front of them, ready now, " Listen, Darius, if this is our last moments here..."

"I like you." Darius said cold pit of fear pool in his stomach as they drew near and moves to shield the child, even though it was pointless. So pointless.

"Well, I can die with that." Jareth said raising his fist, "See you on the other side!"

Just as he was about to charge, a bright light appears between them and the mob and out stepped four figures in strange clothing.

One in a green-yellow, gold and black outfit with long sandy blonde hair and a golden mask. The outfit sported black shorts with green trim just below the knee and black boots.

The second, taller then the first, had slicked back orange and red hair with a few strands out. Wearing mostly red and black armor, only one arm covered in a red metal armor while the other was nothing but clothe. With a golden mask shaped like a skull, this one looked more intimidating then any of the others.

The third looked as if he belong to a circus missing an acrobat. The colors were more like water then not with sheer half sleeves shaped almost like fish fins. Black pants and a sleeveless top completed this outfit, His mask was also gold and like the others had a jewel on the top. It covered his face about 3/4 the way. The hair black and aquamarine-or was it teal- strips in it. Most of the hair was pulled back but only one side of long bangs covered half his face.

Then finally was one with short white hair and blue bangs wearing a similar golden mask that was shaped like wings at the end. Wing-like pale blue cape with gold lining it. A tunic over dark navy blue pants with daggers strapped to the thighs. Like the others, this one had dark gloves.

The four of them stood before the mob that stopped so suddenly seeing them appear as they had.

"Pfft, this is hardly a fight." The one in light blue huffs annoyed, "But if we must."

"Khem-Roots entwine!"

There was a rumbling sound as roots began to surge up from every direction and attack the mob even as they try to hack away at it.

"Thetis drowning spheres!" The one that had spoken before raises his hands and water flew out and encircles many of the people in mob until they started to retreat, running from them.

"Oi, don't kill them, we might need them." The one in green said, "Now, ..."

They turn and look towards the two princes and the boy.

"Which one of you is Prince Darius Endymion of Crystal Tokyo?" The one in Dark Blue asks.

"Who...are you?" Darius stares at them in amazement. "What do you want with me?"

"They.." a new voice.. A familiar voice said walking up to them. "Are your guardians, my prince. The Elysian Guard." The figure of Helios appears between the group.

"Helios..." Darius breathes unsure at the moment if he could take any more surprises.

Jareth looks between them and the blonde frowning more. That's Helios? What is all this?

"Why are you here?" Darius couldn't help it but he felt glad that they were.

Helios only smiles, "Because, your highness, it's time for you to awaken to your powers."


Serenity breathes out slowly and looks down at her stomach. It was ok now, she just shouldn't work herself up so much. Then again, now that Ami had decreed that, most of them wouldn't even let her do the simplest of things but rest.

To be honest, it was starting to get on her nerves just a bit. Still, she rubs her lower back as she walks the halls thinking to herself.

The sun was setting and she could see it through the crystal walls outside of the castle windows. Sometimes, she misses being out there again. Ever since Chibiusa came, she kept herself inside. With Darius she thought the rules didn't apply any more and she could run off whenever but then again...

"Oh, that hurts you know." She said to her stomach at the life that had unceremoniously kicked her in the rib. "Alright, geeze, I'll get some food. Worse then Chibiusa! Darius didn't give me this much of a hassle."

Thinking of him, she thought back mostly to that time before Chibiusa had been born and even some time after.

"I won't make that mistake again." She said to herself and found Minako and Zoicite were talking ahead of her. It was sort of amusing in a weird way. One would've thought of them as rivials, but here they were discussing something serious.

It was..interesting.

"Ah, Usagi." Minako smiles turning, "We were just talking about what to do with the nursery!"

"I was suggesting some soothing colors should help. Nothing uniformed." Zoicite said to her smiling a bit.

She nods, "We did that with Darius and Chibiusa, I think something better should be made." She smiles, "Why don't you two be in charge of it? Surprise us?"

He nods but turns seeing something glow brightly down the hallway and took up a similar stance as Minako. "What is that?"

"We're about to find out!" Minako said watching.

Serenity looks on as four teenagers stepped out into the crystal hallway dressed as Sailor Senshi. Her eyes widen as she recognized them.

"You... you are...!"

The pink haired one smiles, "The Asteroid Senshi. The priest, Lord Helios, sent us here to wait for the return of the princess."

"Helios..?" Minako blinks slowly, "Why..would he?"

"It's a long explanation." green haired- Juno- told them.

Zoicite shakes his head confused, "I hope someone will explain it to me as well."