Jade Blossom: Part 2

The figure stepped forward into the evening light, still on the outskirts of the garden. He was tall, handsome, with a silk flow of black hair in a neat ponytail and was wearing a uniform not unlike those of Russian noble heritage. His eyes were bright and alert; they gleamed with their own light like a cat. He walked with a cane, which had a glowing black sphere on the top, but he didn't really need it. His stance was of someone who needed a butler or a servant to announce his entrance. He smiled seductively and Sailor Jade felt a blush rise to her cheeks. She tried to look tough and asked again "Well? I asked; what is this about? You said it was urgent."

He brushed away a strand of black hair from his illustrious face "I have news of great importance Sailor Jade. It will no doubt lead to a mystery about yourself that I believe you have been meaning to solve for a long time."

"What?!" cried a little voice by Sailor Jade's foot. Grace was starting to get irritated. The little white rat leapt up onto Sailor Jade's shoulder (it was quite a feat!) and regarded the young man coldly.

"My name is Constantine Von Feline, I was once a proud servant and child of the Moon Kingdom like yourself and Lady Grace," he bowed respectively to the rat "Now I am a poor wondering soul seeking only to do good in the world." He paused dramatically to wipe a tear away.

Sailor Jade felt slightly disgusted at herself, she felt a little sorry for him. "What about me?" She asked anxiously.

"That your mother is not far off, she has been searching for you for a long time and intend to help her," he said.

A million questions rose in Jade's mind, how was she? Does she miss me? Would she recognise me? Would I recognise her? "Where- how? I mean-" The questions fell away under his gaze.

"The artefact that will help me, you and your mother is needed. I believe you could help me find it."

"What artefact?"

"The Jade Katana."

Sailor Jade raised an eyebrow "The what?"

He held his cane up, the sphere clouded for a moment and there were shadows, almost like clouds, moving around inside it. Then suddenly it produced a light, a purple light and in it was a shape. On closer inspection the shape turned into a beautifully crafted Japanese Long sword; a katana. Sailor Jade stared in amazement "That's the…"

"Jade Katana, it is a priceless, powerful weapon that belonged to your family. The blade is not made of metal, but of jade. The handle is embroiled with hummingbirds, the official servants to the Jade Garden, and it was lost in the battle for the Moon Kingdom one thousand years ago," Constantine explained. He waved his cane and the image was gone. "It is vital you claim this sword back. It is the only thing that could kill Mantissa-"

"Oh no!" Cried Grace.

"She's alive?!" Sailor Jade felt a stab in her heart.

"Well, not quite. Her body was long ago destroyed in the battle, but her spirit lives on. It is hiding somewhere, on this planet I believe."

Sailor Jade felt a twinge in her mind. Mantissa's spirit? A dark ghost hell-bent on killing her was floating around somewhere? This wasn't good.

"Never fear, the sword will protect you Sailor Jade. Once I find it of course."

Sailor Jade glared "Once you find it? No! It's my family's sword, I should be the one to find it."

"Certainly! I am sorry, I do beg your pardon."

He pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve and dabbed his nose as he stepped into the garden "I am sorry, but the flowers give me hay-fever, you will excuse it of course?"

"Yeah, yeah of course," Sailor Jade said waving a hand.

"Thank you, now we must be going."

"Where?"

"There is a place I need you to go to, there are some details I'd like to talk to you about." Constantine waved his cane and in a blink there were at a… it was hard to tell at first, it was a bit dark, but as her eyes grew accustomed to the gloom Sailor Jade saw they were in a warehouse of some kind. "How-?" She began. Constantine smiled again "Magic my dear."

"He is being very suspicious Sailor Jade, be on the look out-" began Grace.

"If I had been planning something, would I have not unleashed it in the garden?" He asked politely. Grace fell silent.

"Now, the sword, once we find it, we find your mother and the possible location of Mantissa," Constantine said.

"Right." Sailor Jade suddenly looked past him towards a shadow at the back of the building, "Oh God…" she breathed and leapt forwards, knocking him over. A fireball flew over her head, slightly singeing her hair.

Emerging from the shadows was a… humanoid shape, tall, female and slender. It was composed utterly of a living fire and it had a fireball forming in its hand. Sailor Jade felt a rising panic in her throat.

"SAILOR JADE! USE AN ATTACK!" Cried Grace "SHOUT JADE STING!"

Sailor Jade gathered her bearings and stood up.

"JADE-" A green ball of light formed in her upraised hand, "STING!" The ball of light formed into a cannonball of green spikes, each one filled with venom and flew at the fire monster with an unstoppable force. It hit the thing hard and shot it into the wall.

Sailor Jade's heart missed a beat, was it- her question was answered with a lashing whip of fire. The monster stepped forward and Sailor Jade could feel the heat through her clothes.

Fire, she was so scared of fire, she shook at the knees. She wished this would end… she dodged the whip of fire once, but it caught her on the back as it returned hitting her hard and sending a burning pain through her body. She screamed "GRACE! HELP ME!"

"Use Emerald wave!" The voice was so quiet; Sailor Jade could barely hear it. All she could hear was her blood pumping in her ears. She stood up, the thing scythed her legs from under with the fire whip, her sending her knocking to the ground. She landed heavily, rolling to avoid a fiery foot in her stomach. She got to her feet "EMERALD-" A wave of green energy appeared in the air above her "WAVE!" She shot it forward and it rumbled across the ground, shaking the building and it hit the monster again, this time causing it to scream like an animal in great primeval distress and it disappeared like someone like someone blowing out a candle.

Sailor Jade stood for a moment, the only sound she could hear was a roaring in her ears and a penetrating silence. Her vision was blurring and her body ached and burned at the same time. She turned "Grace? Constantine?"

She saw Constantine's blurry outline and he was holding something in his hands, it was squeaking and struggling desperately. "Grace!" She cried.

She stepped forward, but found that her legs didn't want to co-operate and they buckled under her. Her consciousness slipping away, she looked up at Constantine "You… ba-" she began and everything went dark.