Crystal Magicians
By: Anime's Angels
Part Ten
Cat ears suddenly perked up. 'What was that sound?' she thought. Quickly she
took off in the
direction of the sound, Sano and Kenshin hot on her heels. Kaoru and Yahiko
had been sent
ahead to the closest base to warn them to keep they're eyes open for the
other girls.
Cat ran until she reached the cave. Hearing sobbing, she cautiously entered
the cave. What she
saw was Aurora sobbing on the floor, clutching a shred of fuchsia materiel.
The same fuchsia
materiel Cherri's sweater had been made out of.... *Oh no!* Cat thought.
"Aurora!" She called out.
The girl looked up. "Cat?"
Cat stepped into the light.
"Oh Cat!" Aurora said getting up. The two girls ran at each other and shared
a fierce hug. Cat
then reached up and brushed some of the tears from Aurora's face.
"What happened Rora?" She asked in a sympathetic voice.
"I... I came into the cave... I saw the pit and... and... and I found the
sweater." This was said
between gasping sobs and at the end the older girl, burst into tears. Cat
was in shock... *No...
no... it's not possible... no....* she thought as her mind rejected the
idea.
Someone cleared they're throat and Cat turned back to see that it was
Kenshin. He pointed to the
other end of the cave. Cat turned to look. They had company. Cat shoved
aurora behind her, the
girl was in no condition to fight, Sano and Kenshin came up beside her.
~~~~~~~~
Ryo looked at the picture in his hand, then at the girls. The red-head
wasn't in the photograph but
the brunette was. They must be some of the girls Cherri was talking about.
The Ronin guys had
heard the wail of despair and had come running to find the two girls and the
two men.
"Do you girls by any chance know someone named Cherri Armstrong?" he
inquired, lifting an
eyebrow.
The girl in tears looked up at that.
"You know Cher? She's alive? Where is she?!" With each word more and more
hope filled her
voice. Suddenly she rushed forward (carefully avoiding the pit) and grabbed
Ryo by the shirt.
"Tell me please!" She pleaded, a fierce light invading her eyes.
Ryo carefully disentangled the girl's fingers from his shirt before
speaking. "We found her in that
pit about a week or two ago, almost dead. We nursed her back to health. This
morning, she took
off and left us this letter and these pictures." He handed the letter to
Aurora who grasped it
eagerly. Cat, Sano and Kenshin had been slowly making they're way towards
Aurora and the new
men. Cat read the letter over Aurora's shoulder.
After she finished her mind only came up with one thought which she voiced,
"Not good,
definitely not good."
"So, which ones are you?" Sage said indicating the pictures.
"I'm Aurora, that one," the brunette said pointing to the pictures.
"I'm Cat, the new girl," Cat said absent-mindedly.
"And you're friends?" Cye asked.
"I'm Kenshin Himura and this is Sanosuke Sagara. We're from one of the scout
teams," Kenshin
explained.
"Now you know who we are, but we know nothing about you," Sano said.
"I'm Ryo Sanada," said the one with the letter.
"I'm Sage Date," said the second one.
"I'm Cye Mouri," said the third.
"I'm Rowen Hashiba," said the fourth.
"And I'm Kento Rei Fuan," said the fifth.
"We're the Ronin Warriors," said Ryo.
************
JJ didn't WANT to be processed on Io! She wanted to be back on Earth, with
the girls. This was
two times two many, two times in haste she had used it and two times it had
let her down.
She was beginning not to like her pendant as much.
She had to get back soon, something was going down, she could sense it. God
damn it! She
wanted to be there! To help. What good was she doing here? She looked
down at her cup, the
bad coffee already half gone.
She wanted to go, but she had to wait for clearance and a ship that they
could squeeze her in on,
the pendant seemed not to return her. This thing wasn't making a very good
impression, that's for
sure.
Flopping back down in her seat, she sighed. She was NEVER gonna get of this
rock.
"I just want to get out of this place!!!"
"Really?" a male voice asked. "Couldn't tell."
~~~~~~~~
Ryo looked on... trying not to let his anger get the best of him. After
all, Aurora and Cye had hit
it off, Cat seemed to keep Kento's attention, well her and her other band of
friends.
Things where looking up... there!
There in the middle of the road was Cherri's back pack, waiting her. She
was gone. The white
horse there neighed and looked on, as if in sorrow.
*Cherri... where did you go?*
~~~~~~~~
Her head hurt, her eyes hurt, everything hurt. She was in a dark room,
with several spot lights
giving of visible light... like what jewelry stores had on the really
expensive pieces.
The once smokey quarts had taken on a blueish hue, and she found she could
walk straight
through. Upon removing herself from the box, she noticed everything had
changed.
A double-layer deep, blue, silk dress covered her body, starting at a normal
shade at the tiny
straps and ending at midnight at her feet. Long satin dinner gloves, the
same shade as the lighter
blue adorned her arms, and her ring was still in place. The low cut of the
dress showed quite a
bit of cleavage, but not enough to make her feel totally naked --not until
she realized her bra was
gone and that these WEREN'T her undergarments at all. God, she had always
hated thongs....
A simple chiffon wrap had been left in the box, but with all the jewelry,
she had no idea on how
to wear it without ruining it. A large sapphire sat on her chest,
surrounded by diamonds, and
lighter sapphires. Each wrist had a small silver bracelet and a tear-drop
sapphire that hung right
on the center of the top of her hand. Her long hair was up in curls, some
gracefully tumbling out
of the sapphire and diamond tiara she wore. Some small braids also crowned
her head, giving
her the look of royalty. Matching tear-drop sapphire earrings brushed her
chin, mixed among
the golden curls.
Her make-up was done to make her look more sophisticated, her deep maroon
lips with a hint of
red and a frosted coat, her eyes in deep browns and tan's to bring out her
naturally high cheeks,
which had rose blush on them.
Looking in the mirror, although the girl was beautiful, even by Cherri's
standards, it wasn't her.
Looking around, which was hard in the form fitting dress and the four-inch
heels, she saw, not
only her tomb, but four others. Three where still grey, but Ariel's....
Hurrying over, as fast as she could, she tried to wake her up. To no avail.
The box was taking on
a red hue, she noted, not as vibrant as her blue on... it was a matter of
time.
Ariel had been fitted similarly, rubies dropping off every place, the deep
red velvet, plush and
hugging the smaller girl, her leg barely sticking out the slits on the
sides. Cherri thank the people
for that... but about this low back.... Her face had been done similarly,
with red's instead of brown
and bright red lips. Oval choker, oval earrings, large oval bracelets, ruby
studded sandals, and a
tiara of gold and ruby, on gem. Her original necklace still dangled from
her neck.
Cherri in blue and silver. Ariel in red and gold. Looking at the others,
she could see the colors -
amber and black, green and white, and purple and rose. This wasn't
right....
In the center of the room was a simple jewel stand, and it awaited five gems
besides the ones
already there. *No....*
'They only want the jewels! Ariel, you gotta wake up!'
"Are you awake?" a female voice asked.
"Why?"
"Yes.... You're thinking of escaping aren't you?"
"The first duty of a prisoner is to escape," Cherri replied.
"So if you are of love, you must escape - to loneliness? If you are a
prisoner of joy, must you
escape to sorrow? From life, to death? your logic is flawed. Good day,
princess."
"I'm no princess."
"You will be, once Morkela has his way with you."
"Will you stop him?" she asked.
"I can try," the voice replied.
"How will I find you again?"
"You'll know. I bid you farewell, for now. I'll see you again... when the
time comes."
Cherri had barely time to remember the conversation when a six-foot-four man
appeared in the
room, followed by another one, about 5'11". The shorter one started
starring at Ariel, while the
taller one approached her.
"My, my, my... are we lovely. Are you okay? Kwena didn't harm you?" his
rich and deep voice
asked.
"Other than kidnap me, running in my brain, and separating and/or killing
everyone I ever knew
or loved?" Cherri asked, sarcastically. "Nope, she left me alone mostly."
The mas tsked. "Such an attitude. What a shame. You know, you're ALMOST
perfect. Just the
eyes... they aren't blue. Such a pity. We will have to fix that."
Cherri averted her gaze for a moment, Ariel was getting out. "What do you
mean... fix that?
They are fine... not perfectly colored, but fine. I like them as they are."
She turned and glared.
"Don't you talk back to me, wench!" Morkela said, grabbing the smaller girl
in his muscular
grasp. "I'm in charge here, and I'll do what ever I want to you, bitch!"
Then some one pulled him off. "Get her and run, Sapphirine!" That
voice....
"Insubordination!" Morkela roared, trying to get the attacker, but failing
before the tranquilizer
she had given him kicked in.
Cherri needed no other order, She ran, breaking her heels, pulling up
skirts to run from. *I'm
probably giving them all a free show,* she thought. *And of course, Morkela
had a thing for
thongs and garters... just my luck....* Grabbing Ariel away from the other
man (who was
backing away slowly) she ran for the door.
Up one corridor, down the next until they reached a dead end.
"Pst! Hey girls! Come with me!"
The sixteen year-olds saw a servant girl in a rather large dumb waiter.
Climbing in, the maid said
that one of the Nine had sent her to help them escape. And that the went
left, down two doors
and to the gates. Then, with any luck, they should be taken back to where
they where taken -- if
their gems still worked correctly.
Thanking her, the MHHS girls jumped out, Cherri hitching up skirts, both
carrying heels (which
Cherri's had miraculously *not* broken, and followed directions. Soon they
were on their way
back.
~~~~~~~~
Ryo looked at the pictures. It couldn't be. She wasn't really gone, she'd
be back.
*Who am I kidding? She'd probably dead. No one comes back alive. I should
have been more
forward about our whole situation. If I only hadn't protected her so
much... if I would of listen
more and loved her less... she might be here today!*
A crack of light filled the air, blinding Ryo from his room in a small hotel
that the group had
"checked" into.
Ryo came out running, the others quick behind. Aurora was the first
to recognize them - despite the clothing change and the dirt smudges..
"Cherri! Ariel! You're alive. Oh my God, you're alive!"
Cat and Aurora rushed the girls, hugging and crying at the other two did the
same. Cat and Rora
shuttered Ariel off for introductions, leaving Ryo and Cherri to there much
needed... ahem...
*quiet* time. Not undoubtedly to find a good spying spot and fill Ariel in.
"Ryo."
"Cher."
"Ryo!!" she said, tiredly, excited, happy and sad at the same time. She
rushed in for her hug. She
didn't realize... how much she had missed *him* in particular. Only two
days... but... it was
enough.
Ryo hugged her back, gladly accepting her back. Holding her tight... he
vowed not to let her go
off like that again. She was crying. What had he done to her?
Slowly, he led her back inside, listening and comforting.
"Man! They moved!" Cat said angrily yet teasing.
"I see them!" Aurora said smugly. "And I think little miss Ariel has found
her own hunkasauris
in Mr. Date."
"No way," Cat said. Looking over, she noticed that, yes, Ariel had taken a
shine to the quiet boy
in green... glancing over she say Ryo and Cherri. "Has Cherri ever had a
boyfriend? A date?
Her first kiss?"
"No... why?" Aurora asked giving Cat a weird look from her tree to the
red-head's one.
"Lookie at Pryo and Cher-Bear."
Aurora gasped and smiled. "This should be interesting... we've got to ask
her tonight!"
"Right! Embarrassment, big time! And we are only one way from getting back
together! Bet
Cher will be glad to work things out."
"Yeah," Aurora added. "If we can find JJ. And if we can get out of these
trees without the other
two knowing!"
Cat realized, that even if they did come down perfectly, they would be
caught. *Uh oh.....*
By: Anime's Angels
Part Ten
Cat ears suddenly perked up. 'What was that sound?' she thought. Quickly she
took off in the
direction of the sound, Sano and Kenshin hot on her heels. Kaoru and Yahiko
had been sent
ahead to the closest base to warn them to keep they're eyes open for the
other girls.
Cat ran until she reached the cave. Hearing sobbing, she cautiously entered
the cave. What she
saw was Aurora sobbing on the floor, clutching a shred of fuchsia materiel.
The same fuchsia
materiel Cherri's sweater had been made out of.... *Oh no!* Cat thought.
"Aurora!" She called out.
The girl looked up. "Cat?"
Cat stepped into the light.
"Oh Cat!" Aurora said getting up. The two girls ran at each other and shared
a fierce hug. Cat
then reached up and brushed some of the tears from Aurora's face.
"What happened Rora?" She asked in a sympathetic voice.
"I... I came into the cave... I saw the pit and... and... and I found the
sweater." This was said
between gasping sobs and at the end the older girl, burst into tears. Cat
was in shock... *No...
no... it's not possible... no....* she thought as her mind rejected the
idea.
Someone cleared they're throat and Cat turned back to see that it was
Kenshin. He pointed to the
other end of the cave. Cat turned to look. They had company. Cat shoved
aurora behind her, the
girl was in no condition to fight, Sano and Kenshin came up beside her.
~~~~~~~~
Ryo looked at the picture in his hand, then at the girls. The red-head
wasn't in the photograph but
the brunette was. They must be some of the girls Cherri was talking about.
The Ronin guys had
heard the wail of despair and had come running to find the two girls and the
two men.
"Do you girls by any chance know someone named Cherri Armstrong?" he
inquired, lifting an
eyebrow.
The girl in tears looked up at that.
"You know Cher? She's alive? Where is she?!" With each word more and more
hope filled her
voice. Suddenly she rushed forward (carefully avoiding the pit) and grabbed
Ryo by the shirt.
"Tell me please!" She pleaded, a fierce light invading her eyes.
Ryo carefully disentangled the girl's fingers from his shirt before
speaking. "We found her in that
pit about a week or two ago, almost dead. We nursed her back to health. This
morning, she took
off and left us this letter and these pictures." He handed the letter to
Aurora who grasped it
eagerly. Cat, Sano and Kenshin had been slowly making they're way towards
Aurora and the new
men. Cat read the letter over Aurora's shoulder.
After she finished her mind only came up with one thought which she voiced,
"Not good,
definitely not good."
"So, which ones are you?" Sage said indicating the pictures.
"I'm Aurora, that one," the brunette said pointing to the pictures.
"I'm Cat, the new girl," Cat said absent-mindedly.
"And you're friends?" Cye asked.
"I'm Kenshin Himura and this is Sanosuke Sagara. We're from one of the scout
teams," Kenshin
explained.
"Now you know who we are, but we know nothing about you," Sano said.
"I'm Ryo Sanada," said the one with the letter.
"I'm Sage Date," said the second one.
"I'm Cye Mouri," said the third.
"I'm Rowen Hashiba," said the fourth.
"And I'm Kento Rei Fuan," said the fifth.
"We're the Ronin Warriors," said Ryo.
************
JJ didn't WANT to be processed on Io! She wanted to be back on Earth, with
the girls. This was
two times two many, two times in haste she had used it and two times it had
let her down.
She was beginning not to like her pendant as much.
She had to get back soon, something was going down, she could sense it. God
damn it! She
wanted to be there! To help. What good was she doing here? She looked
down at her cup, the
bad coffee already half gone.
She wanted to go, but she had to wait for clearance and a ship that they
could squeeze her in on,
the pendant seemed not to return her. This thing wasn't making a very good
impression, that's for
sure.
Flopping back down in her seat, she sighed. She was NEVER gonna get of this
rock.
"I just want to get out of this place!!!"
"Really?" a male voice asked. "Couldn't tell."
~~~~~~~~
Ryo looked on... trying not to let his anger get the best of him. After
all, Aurora and Cye had hit
it off, Cat seemed to keep Kento's attention, well her and her other band of
friends.
Things where looking up... there!
There in the middle of the road was Cherri's back pack, waiting her. She
was gone. The white
horse there neighed and looked on, as if in sorrow.
*Cherri... where did you go?*
~~~~~~~~
Her head hurt, her eyes hurt, everything hurt. She was in a dark room,
with several spot lights
giving of visible light... like what jewelry stores had on the really
expensive pieces.
The once smokey quarts had taken on a blueish hue, and she found she could
walk straight
through. Upon removing herself from the box, she noticed everything had
changed.
A double-layer deep, blue, silk dress covered her body, starting at a normal
shade at the tiny
straps and ending at midnight at her feet. Long satin dinner gloves, the
same shade as the lighter
blue adorned her arms, and her ring was still in place. The low cut of the
dress showed quite a
bit of cleavage, but not enough to make her feel totally naked --not until
she realized her bra was
gone and that these WEREN'T her undergarments at all. God, she had always
hated thongs....
A simple chiffon wrap had been left in the box, but with all the jewelry,
she had no idea on how
to wear it without ruining it. A large sapphire sat on her chest,
surrounded by diamonds, and
lighter sapphires. Each wrist had a small silver bracelet and a tear-drop
sapphire that hung right
on the center of the top of her hand. Her long hair was up in curls, some
gracefully tumbling out
of the sapphire and diamond tiara she wore. Some small braids also crowned
her head, giving
her the look of royalty. Matching tear-drop sapphire earrings brushed her
chin, mixed among
the golden curls.
Her make-up was done to make her look more sophisticated, her deep maroon
lips with a hint of
red and a frosted coat, her eyes in deep browns and tan's to bring out her
naturally high cheeks,
which had rose blush on them.
Looking in the mirror, although the girl was beautiful, even by Cherri's
standards, it wasn't her.
Looking around, which was hard in the form fitting dress and the four-inch
heels, she saw, not
only her tomb, but four others. Three where still grey, but Ariel's....
Hurrying over, as fast as she could, she tried to wake her up. To no avail.
The box was taking on
a red hue, she noted, not as vibrant as her blue on... it was a matter of
time.
Ariel had been fitted similarly, rubies dropping off every place, the deep
red velvet, plush and
hugging the smaller girl, her leg barely sticking out the slits on the
sides. Cherri thank the people
for that... but about this low back.... Her face had been done similarly,
with red's instead of brown
and bright red lips. Oval choker, oval earrings, large oval bracelets, ruby
studded sandals, and a
tiara of gold and ruby, on gem. Her original necklace still dangled from
her neck.
Cherri in blue and silver. Ariel in red and gold. Looking at the others,
she could see the colors -
amber and black, green and white, and purple and rose. This wasn't
right....
In the center of the room was a simple jewel stand, and it awaited five gems
besides the ones
already there. *No....*
'They only want the jewels! Ariel, you gotta wake up!'
"Are you awake?" a female voice asked.
"Why?"
"Yes.... You're thinking of escaping aren't you?"
"The first duty of a prisoner is to escape," Cherri replied.
"So if you are of love, you must escape - to loneliness? If you are a
prisoner of joy, must you
escape to sorrow? From life, to death? your logic is flawed. Good day,
princess."
"I'm no princess."
"You will be, once Morkela has his way with you."
"Will you stop him?" she asked.
"I can try," the voice replied.
"How will I find you again?"
"You'll know. I bid you farewell, for now. I'll see you again... when the
time comes."
Cherri had barely time to remember the conversation when a six-foot-four man
appeared in the
room, followed by another one, about 5'11". The shorter one started
starring at Ariel, while the
taller one approached her.
"My, my, my... are we lovely. Are you okay? Kwena didn't harm you?" his
rich and deep voice
asked.
"Other than kidnap me, running in my brain, and separating and/or killing
everyone I ever knew
or loved?" Cherri asked, sarcastically. "Nope, she left me alone mostly."
The mas tsked. "Such an attitude. What a shame. You know, you're ALMOST
perfect. Just the
eyes... they aren't blue. Such a pity. We will have to fix that."
Cherri averted her gaze for a moment, Ariel was getting out. "What do you
mean... fix that?
They are fine... not perfectly colored, but fine. I like them as they are."
She turned and glared.
"Don't you talk back to me, wench!" Morkela said, grabbing the smaller girl
in his muscular
grasp. "I'm in charge here, and I'll do what ever I want to you, bitch!"
Then some one pulled him off. "Get her and run, Sapphirine!" That
voice....
"Insubordination!" Morkela roared, trying to get the attacker, but failing
before the tranquilizer
she had given him kicked in.
Cherri needed no other order, She ran, breaking her heels, pulling up
skirts to run from. *I'm
probably giving them all a free show,* she thought. *And of course, Morkela
had a thing for
thongs and garters... just my luck....* Grabbing Ariel away from the other
man (who was
backing away slowly) she ran for the door.
Up one corridor, down the next until they reached a dead end.
"Pst! Hey girls! Come with me!"
The sixteen year-olds saw a servant girl in a rather large dumb waiter.
Climbing in, the maid said
that one of the Nine had sent her to help them escape. And that the went
left, down two doors
and to the gates. Then, with any luck, they should be taken back to where
they where taken -- if
their gems still worked correctly.
Thanking her, the MHHS girls jumped out, Cherri hitching up skirts, both
carrying heels (which
Cherri's had miraculously *not* broken, and followed directions. Soon they
were on their way
back.
~~~~~~~~
Ryo looked at the pictures. It couldn't be. She wasn't really gone, she'd
be back.
*Who am I kidding? She'd probably dead. No one comes back alive. I should
have been more
forward about our whole situation. If I only hadn't protected her so
much... if I would of listen
more and loved her less... she might be here today!*
A crack of light filled the air, blinding Ryo from his room in a small hotel
that the group had
"checked" into.
Ryo came out running, the others quick behind. Aurora was the first
to recognize them - despite the clothing change and the dirt smudges..
"Cherri! Ariel! You're alive. Oh my God, you're alive!"
Cat and Aurora rushed the girls, hugging and crying at the other two did the
same. Cat and Rora
shuttered Ariel off for introductions, leaving Ryo and Cherri to there much
needed... ahem...
*quiet* time. Not undoubtedly to find a good spying spot and fill Ariel in.
"Ryo."
"Cher."
"Ryo!!" she said, tiredly, excited, happy and sad at the same time. She
rushed in for her hug. She
didn't realize... how much she had missed *him* in particular. Only two
days... but... it was
enough.
Ryo hugged her back, gladly accepting her back. Holding her tight... he
vowed not to let her go
off like that again. She was crying. What had he done to her?
Slowly, he led her back inside, listening and comforting.
"Man! They moved!" Cat said angrily yet teasing.
"I see them!" Aurora said smugly. "And I think little miss Ariel has found
her own hunkasauris
in Mr. Date."
"No way," Cat said. Looking over, she noticed that, yes, Ariel had taken a
shine to the quiet boy
in green... glancing over she say Ryo and Cherri. "Has Cherri ever had a
boyfriend? A date?
Her first kiss?"
"No... why?" Aurora asked giving Cat a weird look from her tree to the
red-head's one.
"Lookie at Pryo and Cher-Bear."
Aurora gasped and smiled. "This should be interesting... we've got to ask
her tonight!"
"Right! Embarrassment, big time! And we are only one way from getting back
together! Bet
Cher will be glad to work things out."
"Yeah," Aurora added. "If we can find JJ. And if we can get out of these
trees without the other
two knowing!"
Cat realized, that even if they did come down perfectly, they would be
caught. *Uh oh.....*