Crystal Magicians
By: Anime's Angels
Part Four
They appeared in a cave, looking out at the people running around and
shouting.
JJ looked out at the chaos that greeted them. "This is a battle right?" she
asked cynically.
Trista took out her transformation pen. "PLUTO CRYSTAL POWER!" she yelled
and
transformed into Sailor Pluto.
The girls stared.
The enemy saw them.
Cherri stood frozen in fear when she saw them. She was afraid that they
would get into her mind
again and she didn't want that.
"Stay back girls!" Sailor Pluto yelled standing between them and the Queits
that were advancing.
JJ growled and put the others behind her as they backed up. She paused next
to Cherri and
tugged her sweater. "Come on girl," she said tugging harder.
Cherri didn't move. Her feet were frozen to the ground.
Aurora grabbed Cherri's other arm and dragged her along with Ariel and Cat
back, deeper into
the cave.
The Queits attacked.
Sailor Pluto blocked the weapons they carried with her Time Key. Then she
fought back.
Landing well placed kicks, punches, and blows with her Time Key she knocked
back and out
their attackers. Breathing hard she looked back at the girls then back out
at the battle...
....and the new group of Queits that were approaching.
"Run girls!" she yelled at them.
They didn't need to be told twice and headed down the tunnel deeper into the
cave.
"Here!" JJ yelled and tossed Cat her backpack. She slipped her purse over
her neck and prepared
it as a possible weapon.
She risked a look back and a sudden thought about what happened to Sailor
Pluto crossed her
mind as she saw three of the creatures following them.
"Don't look now but we're being followed!" she yelled to the others.
Cat and Ariel put on a burst of speed and Cherri whimpered, still being
dragged by Aurora.
There was a sharp turn up ahead.
As JJ ran after the others towards it she tripped.
She laid on the ground her world spinning as she tried to focus again,
having hit her head on a
rock in the exact same place the wall had hurt her when she was fighting the
'Nurse'.
"JJ!" someone yelled from nearby.
She looked up to see who it was. But her attention was completely taken by
what she found
laying on a rock in front of her. It was a pendant. A tear drop shaped
amethyst hung from a
stone of amethyst, a gold etched dragon carved around it. She felt drawn to
it.
"JJ look out!" Ariel screamed as a Queits reached her.
JJ moved. She grabbed the pendant and got to a crouched position all in one
move. She kicked
the creature's legs out from under it and he went crashing down into his
second companion. JJ
got to her feet and performed a high kick followed with a strong uppercut
with her right hand to
the third creature which fell back onto her companions and furthered tangled
them up.
JJ didn't waste time and turned and ran, still clutching the pendant in her
hand. "Move!" she
ordered the others who had stopped to help her.
They moved. Around the corner and down the tunnel.
"There's a light!" Cat yelled suddenly.
And there was. The light at the end of the tunnel.
Slowing down a bit they happily reached it. And found themselves looking
out onto the battle
again. They had gone in an arch shape through the cave. They had gone
nowhere to avoid the
enemy.
************
They ran out the doorway, not yet realizing the arch they had just ran
through.
Cat looked around, her sharp eye picking up every detail from the look in
Cherri's eyes, to the
strange pendant JJ was carrying, to the losing battle in a slit second.
She quickly glanced at the entrance they had gone into and saw a limp body,
green hair and a
shredded black uniform swimming in a sea blood.
*Not good, definitely not good!* she thought worriedly.
The five had yet to leave the cave. Hidden in the shadows, the enemy had yet
to spot them.
"Pluto's in serious trouble, any of you have any medical experience?" Cat
asked in a flat
monotone almost soldier like voice.
"I can treat minor stuff" said Ariel.
"So can I," JJ added.
"Good enough" said Cat. "Okay, here's the plan. Ariel and Cherri, I want you
two to go help
Pluto, if she's still alive, drag her into the opening of the cave and try
to stop the bleeding, if not
we leave her and run. JJ, Aurora and I, we cover them. On my signal, we run
full speed. If
someone falls behind or gets in a fight, forget them and keep moving,
Pluto's life may depend on
it. Got it? " Cat said in a quick militaristic voice.
"Got it," said the other four though some seemed slightly reluctant.
Cat peeked out of the cave entrance. The coast was clear with the exception
of one of the black
things... now was their chance.
"Now!" Cat said. She rushed out of the cave, completely surprising the
crustacean. She charged it
an knocked it flat on it's back with Cat straddling it. She quickly grabbed
hold of the front and
back of the creature's head and gave it a sharp twist. There was a sickening
snap, barely audible
over the roar of the battle, and the creature lay still. Cat looked up,
Ariel and Cherri were
dragging Pluto into the cave, she was alive. She quickly got up and joined
the others in defending
the entrance. JJ was performing incredible martial arts moves, pendant still
in hand, Aurora was
defending pretty well as well, landing some pretty good punches and dodging
most of the hits
thrown at her. Cat for her own, was putting her years as a competition kick
boxer to good use,
landing incredible kicks and paralyzing blows to her opponents.
This kept up for a good 5 minutes but the girls were getting tired. No
matter how many lobsters
the knocked down, two more took their place. The girls were quickly out
numbered and were
slowly being driven back.
"There's too many!" Aurora shouted.
"Arg!" Cat yelled out as one of the creatures stabbed her left leg. She
quickly upercutted the thing
with enough strength born from pain to snap it's neck in two from the back.
"Damn! I can't hold 'em back!" Cat yelled in response.
Suddenly a bright purple light blazed through the air surrounding them
causing the Queits to
recoil as if in... pain?
Cat stopped to see if the light affected her... If anything it made her feel
renewed. She turned her
head to see the source of the light.
It was JJ. She was surrounded by it and floating between her two hands was
the pendant she had
found, glowing with a purple aura.
************
JJ stared at the glowing pendant in her hands, and then at the reactions of
the girls and creatures
around them. The girls were healing and gaining more energy, the creatures
were falling back as
if in pain. "What's going on!" she yelled in fear and excitement.
"Just stay there and hold them off while we get to safety!" Cat yelled at
her as she and Aurora
helped Ariel and Cherri carry Pluto towards the cave.
JJ whimpered but stood her ground. She whimpered louder as she noticed the
light growing
dimmer. "Please stay lit. Please stay lit...." she muttered over and over
again. It didn't help.
With a jade green twinkle the purple light went out.
"Uh oh...." JJ stood ready and looked up for an incoming attack. But none
came. All the
creatures near her were gone. JJ wasn't one to push her luck any. She
darted for the cave and
safety.
The glow had attracted more of the Queits, and their mecha.
But it had also attracted another group of fighters.
The two sides began to converge on the mountains the glow had come from.
Aurora was busy throwing things out of JJ's backpack, looking for the first
aid kit she always
kept in there. "Got it!" she cried triumphantly as she pulled it out.
"I don't really think that there's a need," Trista said softly opening her
eyes slowly.
"Are you okay?" Cherri asked worriedly.
"I'm fine now thank you. What happened?" Trista asked sitting up.
"Me... pendant... glowing... drove back lobsters... healed...." JJ replied
breathless.
They screamed and ducked as an explosion happened from behind them. They
turned to see that
other mechas had arrived and were fighting the 'fighting sea food' as JJ now
called them.
"Get farther in!" Cat yelled.
The obeyed quickly and hid farther into the cave as the two forces destroyed
each other. It was a
few hours before all was quiet.
"Stay here," Trista told Ariel, Aurora, and Cherri. She gestured JJ and Cat
to follow her out to
see what had happened.
The two forces had fought and destroyed each other. Nothing seemed to
remain. Both forces
were gone. They returned to the others.
"Well?" Cherri asked.
"They're gone," Cat said.
"You will stay here tonight. I think JJ's pendant will protect you all if
need be. I need to get to
HQ and tell them about what happened and you," Trista said.
They looked at each other and shrugged then nodded.
"Be careful," JJ told her before she turned and headed out of the cave.
Trista nodded and disappeared down the tunnel.
************
Cat stroked the emerald on her charm bracelet. For a bracelet like hers, it
probably needed more
than one charm. Then again, when had she been one to conform.
She stared out into the fire. Trista had left to find the base or some such
nonsense after JJ's gem
had destroyed the CPU's in the sloppy organic machines.
Unfortunately Cherri had THEN decided to unload on them that these where the
"older sloppy
models. The others were being made now. Sleeker, faster...."
Ariel had looked... nauseated? Either way, her closest friend of the group
was feeling better now,
looking at the flames as well. JJ sat across the campsite, staring at her
pendant, not sure what it
did, tapping it occasionally. Aurora was talking with Cherri, helping her
map it all out.
Cat knew that suddenly, the whole ball game had changed. The relationships
had changed. It
wasn't the same. *Don't it figure, by the time you figure stuff out, they up
and change the rules on
ya. Figures.*
Her had dipped down to the bracelet yet again. Ariel had fallen asleep,
fitfully, evidently scared.
Cherri looked on sympathizing. Of course Cherri could feel similarly, she
was a telepath.
It...was strange... weird like. She knew the others felt the same way. The
same way they felt
about the pendant.
Aurora had walked a little ways off, prancing in the shore, waiting for
Trista's return. And,
Cherri's best bud would do that thing wouldn't she. It was sensible
enough... but....
Okay, she felt weird -- they all did-- but... AT LEAST they knew each other!
Some times... she
felt so... different. It was in her head, but the psychology behind it
wasn't making it go away
either.
She looked down at her bracelet yet again. It was simple, an oval emerald
with onyx chips
framing it. Beautiful. It was her grandma's. She still loved it, and her,
although the time had
long ago faded away.
She noticed, the engravings on the back where similar to the jewel JJ
held.... *No way...*
~~~~~~~~
Cherri ran her had through the packet. It was... wonderful. It was like
she was the Q or
something, whatever she wanted... needed... and it appeared.
Sure, this was probably cowinky dink, but it was enough to make her believe
in miracles.
The clothing was a God's send, that was for sure. But to have names on
them? And accessories?
It was creepy.
On a hunch and a feeling, she had worked her way back into the cave, using
the mental imprints
that the others had left.... Yup, she was definitely going psycho... but
strangely, it worked. She
stopped and looked down. This spot. This spot right here was where the
necklace first appeared.
*Or rather, pendant.*
She knew it was magical, she was beginning to get a grip on this stuff. It
still... overwhelmed
her; if someone could understand it, some one with experience. Trista said
that there were
numerous telepaths and witches (as Trista now thought she was).
Witches! She didn't want to be a witch! A telepath was more than enough.
Far more. But,
without her consent or though, she had begun to pick things up.
*This cave... it used to be home to some one with high power.*
In her mind's eye, the place was light up like a Christmas tree, the psyche
of the older dweller
blasted on each wall... and here, where the pendant once laid was the secret
hiding place.
*It's been opened.*
But, she still dug out the wooden box, removing an old book, and packages
with their names on
them. Plus one ruby necklace. It fell out of Ariel's bag, and from the
inscription, she knew that it
would only work with Ariel and that it originated from the same place as
JJ's pendant.
*This is to weird.*
A sudden shuffling told her some one was coming. Cherri picked up her stuff
and ran.
She wasn't stupid enough to wait around and find out who.
~~~~~~~~
*It's gone. All gone.* Trista Meiou thought. The entire HQ had been
blasted to smithereens.
*Well, there goes MY plan. If they all separate, maybe we can find them.*
That was a fool's idea. She had promised to salvage anything of use for
Cherri and JJ though, so
she began her search. After a few hours, she came up empty handed, except
for a pair of amber
gauntlets that had 'Aurora' written all over them. Trista never knew that
some simple jewelry
could lift her spirits, but these heavy bracelets did.
Strange....
~~~~~~~~
JJ continued to stare at her. What was she doing? Cherri had com busting
back speaking in clips
and phrases about ancient people and weirded out soldiers, of gems and
jewels, legend and
myth. And she had handed out these odd packages to them, but no one had
opened theirs yet.
A large book was in her hand and she was referencing to Cat's bracelet, her
pendant, and the
simple jewel of Ariel's new necklace.
Some how, it made sense, but didn't. The fact that only telepaths could use
the power to activate
them didn't help her at all. What did that mean? That she was now to
become scared after seeing
a Queit like Cherri did?
She didn't think so.
It was fine, escalating only when Ariel and Cat decided to jump in. Now the
two where having a
glaring contest to beat all. Neither had blinked yet.
"Guys!" Aurora whispered, "We're not alone!"
Sure enough a few smaller, quicker Queit mobiles were heading towards them.
Cat's bracelet
shone, then Ariel's necklace, then her pendant. These things seemed to work
better in a group....
One jumped after Aurora but Cherri did something unexpected, jumping in
front and slitting her
eyes. JJ couldn't help but question her sanity -- until she could make out
what was really going
on.
Despite the black spider appearance that blended with the inky night, she
could still see what was
happening -- Cherri, using her newly developing psi powers, had stopped the
monster in mid air,
halting it.
It wriggled and Cherri hissed, her eyes darkening with concentration. It
moved again.
"Come on guys, kill it!" she shouted as a blood vessel broke, sending a
trickle of blood down her
face. "Before it sends out a distress message!"
With a quick efficiency, and without JJ's knowledge of how she was able to
do it, the pendant
shot a purple bolt of light at the Queitsian, taking care of it. Cherri
looked away with a wince
and wiped her face.
"Good job!" Ariel yelled.
"It... hurt you, when it died, didn't it?" JJ asked, quieter.
"No." Cherri answered back, "It was a bad job, I nearly lost it, twice!
And I'm fine."
"That's not what I asked," JJ said, voice raising.
"So?" Cherri said, her eyes, still black and glittering, all the time
slowly contracting to normalcy.
"Don't do it again," JJ ordered.
"YOU'RE not my MOM!" Cherri she yelled, almost seeming to change into
someone else.
"I could of killed you!" JJ yelled back. "If you were holding that tight,
I could of killed you
while you were controlling it!" her pendant shimmered, picking up on her
clothing.
"Furthermore...."
Cherri picked up her book and her stuff. She didn't want to hear it. And
she decided to voice her
opinions, rather loudly.
"So what?" JJ countered. "I'm the oldest. I have to look out for you
guys, and that included you
Cheron!" she said, calling Cherri by her first name instead of her preferred
nickname. The purple
jewel was beginning to shine in sequences.
"I don't need to be protected!"
"FINE! Don't ask me to help you any more!"
"I WON'T!!!"
"Then get out of my way," JJ growled. And after the last syllable, the
light surrounded Cherri
and she simply vanished.
By: Anime's Angels
Part Four
They appeared in a cave, looking out at the people running around and
shouting.
JJ looked out at the chaos that greeted them. "This is a battle right?" she
asked cynically.
Trista took out her transformation pen. "PLUTO CRYSTAL POWER!" she yelled
and
transformed into Sailor Pluto.
The girls stared.
The enemy saw them.
Cherri stood frozen in fear when she saw them. She was afraid that they
would get into her mind
again and she didn't want that.
"Stay back girls!" Sailor Pluto yelled standing between them and the Queits
that were advancing.
JJ growled and put the others behind her as they backed up. She paused next
to Cherri and
tugged her sweater. "Come on girl," she said tugging harder.
Cherri didn't move. Her feet were frozen to the ground.
Aurora grabbed Cherri's other arm and dragged her along with Ariel and Cat
back, deeper into
the cave.
The Queits attacked.
Sailor Pluto blocked the weapons they carried with her Time Key. Then she
fought back.
Landing well placed kicks, punches, and blows with her Time Key she knocked
back and out
their attackers. Breathing hard she looked back at the girls then back out
at the battle...
....and the new group of Queits that were approaching.
"Run girls!" she yelled at them.
They didn't need to be told twice and headed down the tunnel deeper into the
cave.
"Here!" JJ yelled and tossed Cat her backpack. She slipped her purse over
her neck and prepared
it as a possible weapon.
She risked a look back and a sudden thought about what happened to Sailor
Pluto crossed her
mind as she saw three of the creatures following them.
"Don't look now but we're being followed!" she yelled to the others.
Cat and Ariel put on a burst of speed and Cherri whimpered, still being
dragged by Aurora.
There was a sharp turn up ahead.
As JJ ran after the others towards it she tripped.
She laid on the ground her world spinning as she tried to focus again,
having hit her head on a
rock in the exact same place the wall had hurt her when she was fighting the
'Nurse'.
"JJ!" someone yelled from nearby.
She looked up to see who it was. But her attention was completely taken by
what she found
laying on a rock in front of her. It was a pendant. A tear drop shaped
amethyst hung from a
stone of amethyst, a gold etched dragon carved around it. She felt drawn to
it.
"JJ look out!" Ariel screamed as a Queits reached her.
JJ moved. She grabbed the pendant and got to a crouched position all in one
move. She kicked
the creature's legs out from under it and he went crashing down into his
second companion. JJ
got to her feet and performed a high kick followed with a strong uppercut
with her right hand to
the third creature which fell back onto her companions and furthered tangled
them up.
JJ didn't waste time and turned and ran, still clutching the pendant in her
hand. "Move!" she
ordered the others who had stopped to help her.
They moved. Around the corner and down the tunnel.
"There's a light!" Cat yelled suddenly.
And there was. The light at the end of the tunnel.
Slowing down a bit they happily reached it. And found themselves looking
out onto the battle
again. They had gone in an arch shape through the cave. They had gone
nowhere to avoid the
enemy.
************
They ran out the doorway, not yet realizing the arch they had just ran
through.
Cat looked around, her sharp eye picking up every detail from the look in
Cherri's eyes, to the
strange pendant JJ was carrying, to the losing battle in a slit second.
She quickly glanced at the entrance they had gone into and saw a limp body,
green hair and a
shredded black uniform swimming in a sea blood.
*Not good, definitely not good!* she thought worriedly.
The five had yet to leave the cave. Hidden in the shadows, the enemy had yet
to spot them.
"Pluto's in serious trouble, any of you have any medical experience?" Cat
asked in a flat
monotone almost soldier like voice.
"I can treat minor stuff" said Ariel.
"So can I," JJ added.
"Good enough" said Cat. "Okay, here's the plan. Ariel and Cherri, I want you
two to go help
Pluto, if she's still alive, drag her into the opening of the cave and try
to stop the bleeding, if not
we leave her and run. JJ, Aurora and I, we cover them. On my signal, we run
full speed. If
someone falls behind or gets in a fight, forget them and keep moving,
Pluto's life may depend on
it. Got it? " Cat said in a quick militaristic voice.
"Got it," said the other four though some seemed slightly reluctant.
Cat peeked out of the cave entrance. The coast was clear with the exception
of one of the black
things... now was their chance.
"Now!" Cat said. She rushed out of the cave, completely surprising the
crustacean. She charged it
an knocked it flat on it's back with Cat straddling it. She quickly grabbed
hold of the front and
back of the creature's head and gave it a sharp twist. There was a sickening
snap, barely audible
over the roar of the battle, and the creature lay still. Cat looked up,
Ariel and Cherri were
dragging Pluto into the cave, she was alive. She quickly got up and joined
the others in defending
the entrance. JJ was performing incredible martial arts moves, pendant still
in hand, Aurora was
defending pretty well as well, landing some pretty good punches and dodging
most of the hits
thrown at her. Cat for her own, was putting her years as a competition kick
boxer to good use,
landing incredible kicks and paralyzing blows to her opponents.
This kept up for a good 5 minutes but the girls were getting tired. No
matter how many lobsters
the knocked down, two more took their place. The girls were quickly out
numbered and were
slowly being driven back.
"There's too many!" Aurora shouted.
"Arg!" Cat yelled out as one of the creatures stabbed her left leg. She
quickly upercutted the thing
with enough strength born from pain to snap it's neck in two from the back.
"Damn! I can't hold 'em back!" Cat yelled in response.
Suddenly a bright purple light blazed through the air surrounding them
causing the Queits to
recoil as if in... pain?
Cat stopped to see if the light affected her... If anything it made her feel
renewed. She turned her
head to see the source of the light.
It was JJ. She was surrounded by it and floating between her two hands was
the pendant she had
found, glowing with a purple aura.
************
JJ stared at the glowing pendant in her hands, and then at the reactions of
the girls and creatures
around them. The girls were healing and gaining more energy, the creatures
were falling back as
if in pain. "What's going on!" she yelled in fear and excitement.
"Just stay there and hold them off while we get to safety!" Cat yelled at
her as she and Aurora
helped Ariel and Cherri carry Pluto towards the cave.
JJ whimpered but stood her ground. She whimpered louder as she noticed the
light growing
dimmer. "Please stay lit. Please stay lit...." she muttered over and over
again. It didn't help.
With a jade green twinkle the purple light went out.
"Uh oh...." JJ stood ready and looked up for an incoming attack. But none
came. All the
creatures near her were gone. JJ wasn't one to push her luck any. She
darted for the cave and
safety.
The glow had attracted more of the Queits, and their mecha.
But it had also attracted another group of fighters.
The two sides began to converge on the mountains the glow had come from.
Aurora was busy throwing things out of JJ's backpack, looking for the first
aid kit she always
kept in there. "Got it!" she cried triumphantly as she pulled it out.
"I don't really think that there's a need," Trista said softly opening her
eyes slowly.
"Are you okay?" Cherri asked worriedly.
"I'm fine now thank you. What happened?" Trista asked sitting up.
"Me... pendant... glowing... drove back lobsters... healed...." JJ replied
breathless.
They screamed and ducked as an explosion happened from behind them. They
turned to see that
other mechas had arrived and were fighting the 'fighting sea food' as JJ now
called them.
"Get farther in!" Cat yelled.
The obeyed quickly and hid farther into the cave as the two forces destroyed
each other. It was a
few hours before all was quiet.
"Stay here," Trista told Ariel, Aurora, and Cherri. She gestured JJ and Cat
to follow her out to
see what had happened.
The two forces had fought and destroyed each other. Nothing seemed to
remain. Both forces
were gone. They returned to the others.
"Well?" Cherri asked.
"They're gone," Cat said.
"You will stay here tonight. I think JJ's pendant will protect you all if
need be. I need to get to
HQ and tell them about what happened and you," Trista said.
They looked at each other and shrugged then nodded.
"Be careful," JJ told her before she turned and headed out of the cave.
Trista nodded and disappeared down the tunnel.
************
Cat stroked the emerald on her charm bracelet. For a bracelet like hers, it
probably needed more
than one charm. Then again, when had she been one to conform.
She stared out into the fire. Trista had left to find the base or some such
nonsense after JJ's gem
had destroyed the CPU's in the sloppy organic machines.
Unfortunately Cherri had THEN decided to unload on them that these where the
"older sloppy
models. The others were being made now. Sleeker, faster...."
Ariel had looked... nauseated? Either way, her closest friend of the group
was feeling better now,
looking at the flames as well. JJ sat across the campsite, staring at her
pendant, not sure what it
did, tapping it occasionally. Aurora was talking with Cherri, helping her
map it all out.
Cat knew that suddenly, the whole ball game had changed. The relationships
had changed. It
wasn't the same. *Don't it figure, by the time you figure stuff out, they up
and change the rules on
ya. Figures.*
Her had dipped down to the bracelet yet again. Ariel had fallen asleep,
fitfully, evidently scared.
Cherri looked on sympathizing. Of course Cherri could feel similarly, she
was a telepath.
It...was strange... weird like. She knew the others felt the same way. The
same way they felt
about the pendant.
Aurora had walked a little ways off, prancing in the shore, waiting for
Trista's return. And,
Cherri's best bud would do that thing wouldn't she. It was sensible
enough... but....
Okay, she felt weird -- they all did-- but... AT LEAST they knew each other!
Some times... she
felt so... different. It was in her head, but the psychology behind it
wasn't making it go away
either.
She looked down at her bracelet yet again. It was simple, an oval emerald
with onyx chips
framing it. Beautiful. It was her grandma's. She still loved it, and her,
although the time had
long ago faded away.
She noticed, the engravings on the back where similar to the jewel JJ
held.... *No way...*
~~~~~~~~
Cherri ran her had through the packet. It was... wonderful. It was like
she was the Q or
something, whatever she wanted... needed... and it appeared.
Sure, this was probably cowinky dink, but it was enough to make her believe
in miracles.
The clothing was a God's send, that was for sure. But to have names on
them? And accessories?
It was creepy.
On a hunch and a feeling, she had worked her way back into the cave, using
the mental imprints
that the others had left.... Yup, she was definitely going psycho... but
strangely, it worked. She
stopped and looked down. This spot. This spot right here was where the
necklace first appeared.
*Or rather, pendant.*
She knew it was magical, she was beginning to get a grip on this stuff. It
still... overwhelmed
her; if someone could understand it, some one with experience. Trista said
that there were
numerous telepaths and witches (as Trista now thought she was).
Witches! She didn't want to be a witch! A telepath was more than enough.
Far more. But,
without her consent or though, she had begun to pick things up.
*This cave... it used to be home to some one with high power.*
In her mind's eye, the place was light up like a Christmas tree, the psyche
of the older dweller
blasted on each wall... and here, where the pendant once laid was the secret
hiding place.
*It's been opened.*
But, she still dug out the wooden box, removing an old book, and packages
with their names on
them. Plus one ruby necklace. It fell out of Ariel's bag, and from the
inscription, she knew that it
would only work with Ariel and that it originated from the same place as
JJ's pendant.
*This is to weird.*
A sudden shuffling told her some one was coming. Cherri picked up her stuff
and ran.
She wasn't stupid enough to wait around and find out who.
~~~~~~~~
*It's gone. All gone.* Trista Meiou thought. The entire HQ had been
blasted to smithereens.
*Well, there goes MY plan. If they all separate, maybe we can find them.*
That was a fool's idea. She had promised to salvage anything of use for
Cherri and JJ though, so
she began her search. After a few hours, she came up empty handed, except
for a pair of amber
gauntlets that had 'Aurora' written all over them. Trista never knew that
some simple jewelry
could lift her spirits, but these heavy bracelets did.
Strange....
~~~~~~~~
JJ continued to stare at her. What was she doing? Cherri had com busting
back speaking in clips
and phrases about ancient people and weirded out soldiers, of gems and
jewels, legend and
myth. And she had handed out these odd packages to them, but no one had
opened theirs yet.
A large book was in her hand and she was referencing to Cat's bracelet, her
pendant, and the
simple jewel of Ariel's new necklace.
Some how, it made sense, but didn't. The fact that only telepaths could use
the power to activate
them didn't help her at all. What did that mean? That she was now to
become scared after seeing
a Queit like Cherri did?
She didn't think so.
It was fine, escalating only when Ariel and Cat decided to jump in. Now the
two where having a
glaring contest to beat all. Neither had blinked yet.
"Guys!" Aurora whispered, "We're not alone!"
Sure enough a few smaller, quicker Queit mobiles were heading towards them.
Cat's bracelet
shone, then Ariel's necklace, then her pendant. These things seemed to work
better in a group....
One jumped after Aurora but Cherri did something unexpected, jumping in
front and slitting her
eyes. JJ couldn't help but question her sanity -- until she could make out
what was really going
on.
Despite the black spider appearance that blended with the inky night, she
could still see what was
happening -- Cherri, using her newly developing psi powers, had stopped the
monster in mid air,
halting it.
It wriggled and Cherri hissed, her eyes darkening with concentration. It
moved again.
"Come on guys, kill it!" she shouted as a blood vessel broke, sending a
trickle of blood down her
face. "Before it sends out a distress message!"
With a quick efficiency, and without JJ's knowledge of how she was able to
do it, the pendant
shot a purple bolt of light at the Queitsian, taking care of it. Cherri
looked away with a wince
and wiped her face.
"Good job!" Ariel yelled.
"It... hurt you, when it died, didn't it?" JJ asked, quieter.
"No." Cherri answered back, "It was a bad job, I nearly lost it, twice!
And I'm fine."
"That's not what I asked," JJ said, voice raising.
"So?" Cherri said, her eyes, still black and glittering, all the time
slowly contracting to normalcy.
"Don't do it again," JJ ordered.
"YOU'RE not my MOM!" Cherri she yelled, almost seeming to change into
someone else.
"I could of killed you!" JJ yelled back. "If you were holding that tight,
I could of killed you
while you were controlling it!" her pendant shimmered, picking up on her
clothing.
"Furthermore...."
Cherri picked up her book and her stuff. She didn't want to hear it. And
she decided to voice her
opinions, rather loudly.
"So what?" JJ countered. "I'm the oldest. I have to look out for you
guys, and that included you
Cheron!" she said, calling Cherri by her first name instead of her preferred
nickname. The purple
jewel was beginning to shine in sequences.
"I don't need to be protected!"
"FINE! Don't ask me to help you any more!"
"I WON'T!!!"
"Then get out of my way," JJ growled. And after the last syllable, the
light surrounded Cherri
and she simply vanished.