Daikirai slammed her fist down on the arm of her dark, garnet-red throne.
"What?" she shouted.
Kinan, Daikirai's own steward, cringed back. "I—I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but it seems that our forces were decimated and the Princess got away. The only ones we found in the Palace—on the entire moon, in fact—were the Queen and King, and the few court members who hadn't gotten out. There is some good news," he amended as Daikirai's eyes began to glow red.
"Out with it," she said in a dual-toned voice.
Kinan swallowed hard. She only used those tones when someone was in real trouble. "We captured the queen and killed her husband, and she waits in the outer chambers for Your Majesty's judgment, in chains. The queen must have heard of the expedition of Your Majesty's sister, because she is dressed in black, a sign of mourning among this people. Apparently, your sister killed Her Majesty's sister, my Queen. Queen Beryl's attack was a success—"
"Nonsense," Daikirai interrupted him. "Beryl was locked away into Serenity's crystal, and Serenity's daughter Serenity still lives. And I don't want to hear either of those names again! But speaking of crystals, where is the yumezuishou, the Dream Crystal I so desire?"
"Ah…Your Majesty, I'm afraid it is not on the planet."
Daikirai's eyes began to burn red. "Are you sure," came the dual-tone.
"Quite sure, Your Majesty," Kinan said as he edged toward a protective statue. "Please, Your Majesty…I can get Beauty to tell me where her daughter is—that's the only person she could have given it to. Your Majesty—"
"Then do it!" The red glow grew brighter.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Kinan bowed as he disappeared from the throne room. Outside, he strode up to the Queen of Omega Nine, whom he had chained against the wall. He struck her across the face, not the first of the blows she had received. "All right, you stubborn b*tch, tell me where your daughter is."
"Never," Beauty managed. Michael had been killed, during the attack on the palace itself. Beauty would rather die and join him than give up her secrets to this slime bag. He slapped her again. Beauty summoned up all the strength she had left. It wasn't much, because she had been placed under harsh conditions and had used her magic with Beauty's in that trap- net of power, but it was enough for what she had in mind.
In the throne room, Daikirai felt the stirrings of power. But neither she nor her officers were capable of this type of power. It was the power of he Dream Crystal! 'That b*tch must still have it on her! She tricked me! I'll do far worse to her than—' Daikirai stopped. That wasn't the type of power one could command with the Dream Crystal present. The crystal itself was far away, with her daughter. This was a calling, not a strike. And she was planning to—! "NO!"
Beauty opened her mind to the presence of the Dream Crystal. *Take my spirit,* she asked, and the Dream Crystal responded. Beauty's spirit was lifted from her body into a pool of light that Kinan couldn't see. She was free. Her soul now rested in the World of Dreams, in the light-filled universe controlled by the Dream Crystal.
She had died.
Daikirai burst from the throne room. "B*tch!" she cried in dual-tones. The Dark Queen leveled her deep garnet-red staff at the dead queen's body and blasted it with a shaft of crimson light. Speaking to the empty air, she shouted, "You'll pay for stealing that victory from me, I swear it! You or your b*tch of a daughter!" The rest was an incoherent howl as the Dark Queen's double-voice rose in intensity, too great for those once listening to bear. They fled the room leaving their Queen to plot her revenge wisely undisturbed.
Kinan, Daikirai's own steward, cringed back. "I—I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but it seems that our forces were decimated and the Princess got away. The only ones we found in the Palace—on the entire moon, in fact—were the Queen and King, and the few court members who hadn't gotten out. There is some good news," he amended as Daikirai's eyes began to glow red.
"Out with it," she said in a dual-toned voice.
Kinan swallowed hard. She only used those tones when someone was in real trouble. "We captured the queen and killed her husband, and she waits in the outer chambers for Your Majesty's judgment, in chains. The queen must have heard of the expedition of Your Majesty's sister, because she is dressed in black, a sign of mourning among this people. Apparently, your sister killed Her Majesty's sister, my Queen. Queen Beryl's attack was a success—"
"Nonsense," Daikirai interrupted him. "Beryl was locked away into Serenity's crystal, and Serenity's daughter Serenity still lives. And I don't want to hear either of those names again! But speaking of crystals, where is the yumezuishou, the Dream Crystal I so desire?"
"Ah…Your Majesty, I'm afraid it is not on the planet."
Daikirai's eyes began to burn red. "Are you sure," came the dual-tone.
"Quite sure, Your Majesty," Kinan said as he edged toward a protective statue. "Please, Your Majesty…I can get Beauty to tell me where her daughter is—that's the only person she could have given it to. Your Majesty—"
"Then do it!" The red glow grew brighter.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Kinan bowed as he disappeared from the throne room. Outside, he strode up to the Queen of Omega Nine, whom he had chained against the wall. He struck her across the face, not the first of the blows she had received. "All right, you stubborn b*tch, tell me where your daughter is."
"Never," Beauty managed. Michael had been killed, during the attack on the palace itself. Beauty would rather die and join him than give up her secrets to this slime bag. He slapped her again. Beauty summoned up all the strength she had left. It wasn't much, because she had been placed under harsh conditions and had used her magic with Beauty's in that trap- net of power, but it was enough for what she had in mind.
In the throne room, Daikirai felt the stirrings of power. But neither she nor her officers were capable of this type of power. It was the power of he Dream Crystal! 'That b*tch must still have it on her! She tricked me! I'll do far worse to her than—' Daikirai stopped. That wasn't the type of power one could command with the Dream Crystal present. The crystal itself was far away, with her daughter. This was a calling, not a strike. And she was planning to—! "NO!"
Beauty opened her mind to the presence of the Dream Crystal. *Take my spirit,* she asked, and the Dream Crystal responded. Beauty's spirit was lifted from her body into a pool of light that Kinan couldn't see. She was free. Her soul now rested in the World of Dreams, in the light-filled universe controlled by the Dream Crystal.
She had died.
Daikirai burst from the throne room. "B*tch!" she cried in dual-tones. The Dark Queen leveled her deep garnet-red staff at the dead queen's body and blasted it with a shaft of crimson light. Speaking to the empty air, she shouted, "You'll pay for stealing that victory from me, I swear it! You or your b*tch of a daughter!" The rest was an incoherent howl as the Dark Queen's double-voice rose in intensity, too great for those once listening to bear. They fled the room leaving their Queen to plot her revenge wisely undisturbed.