Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the "Sailor Moon" series. This goes along the lines of the original series, but an alternate dimension. Trust me, eventually, my knight will meet the scouts. Patience is a virtue, so awaiting that moment won't be so bad. REVIEW!!
Chapter 10
Friends in Wonderland
~ The Dark Universe ~
- Raven's Grotto -
"Ooooo!!!! I was beaten, that damn loser human wasn't worth the darkness I infected him with…..I should have chosen a far better subject than some skinny punk," she hissed, then her face softened,, her leather clothing clinging to her tightly," But I'm not like Viper, I learn from my mistakes."
She looked behind herself, at the young man she'd chosen hours after Flux had been defeated. He was strong and handsome, cerulean hair cropped tight on his head and bright blue eyes looking at her blankly. He'd been wonderful to her senses, and very easy to seduce. He was still being conditioned with her dark essence, she wanted plenty inside the boy before she sent him back to his world.
"It's be a shame, my pretty one, I wanted that red-haired lovely so much, but Flux failed me. But you, you won't fail me, my strong, handsome slave. You humans are so easily controlled, yet so much fun to offer. You will make me proud, find the red-haired beauty I seek and bring him to me. I want him to be a part of the Dark Universe, don't dare fail me." She said sweetly, taking his stiff lips in her sweet, dark ones.
Xeno stood prone in the shadows, a sneer coming to his pale lips. "Be careful, my dark beauty, don't get too attached to your toys or they might get broken. Very broken." He said, stepping out casually.
Raven slowly pulled away from the stiff human and walked around him with a sultry grin, draping herself against Xeno's body languidly. "Don't be jealous. Once he does his job, he's going to feed the dark goddess, just like all the other lovely people I've…touched. You'll be so proud of me when you see what I've got cooked up for those armored geeks." She cooed, licking his chin.
Xeno stared at her stiffly, a look of indifference apparent on his face. "You play to much with your toys, dark child. Playing with your food is unbecoming of a dark Universe lady, especially a princess. What makes him so special?" he grunted.
"Jealous, you get jealous of the silliest things. Humans are cattle, our food, not our lovers, not our friends. We only have each other, darkling," she said sweetly, walking back in the same sexy manner as she had come to him," And he is quite special, seems he has a bit of a psychic ability, which is very good. The knights can't be psychic or they would have tracked this dimension down by now, so they'll never see this coming, let alone be able to fight it. My plan is perfect….just like me."
"I know that. Psychic humans are very….plentiful. Don't waste him, precious one, losing him won't be a good way to try for a comeback. Flux was a colossal failure because you chose a weak human, well, they are all weak, but that one was pathetic. You are capable of snaring something much better…and you have….When will you begin the wonderful game with our foes?" he asked, still looking disinterested.
"Tomorrow….we strike at the festival and get some luscious children, boundless energy for the Dark Goddess. And more. Trust me love, now leave me. I have to continue….preparations." she smiled, rubbing the side of the statue-like youth.
Xeno took his leave as she started feeling up the unresponsive human, a slight sneer crossing his lips, his face brought close to cracking with hate.
'Power has gone to her beautiful head. She best prove to Specter that her tactics are sound. Failure might cost her more than her pride this time….I can't allow her to fail, she can't, she has too much….potential, for a lot of things.' He thought, Raven's image flashing through his mind.
~ Tsukikage Household ~
"Casey, you little larva!! Open this damn door right now!! You are not making me take your bratty rear to the carnival! That's it! Open the damn door!" Stephen yelled through the closet door, with one of the kitchen chairs propped under the knob to prevent his escape.
Casey was sitting on it, her arms crossed over her little chest, her pink dress and shoes dully rippling as she did. "No! Mom and Dad said you had to take me or else you're grounded for another 2 weeks. Come on, you feather brain, you take me there or I'm never letting you out. And I know you had a lot to drink this morning, so you can't hold out forever. Do it or be stuck having to relieve yourself on Dad's leather shoes, which'll get ya life, big brother." She sassed, her brown hair shift unevenly over her petite shoulders, her face scowling.
"Yeah right, I'll just say you did it. You're the one who wets her bed every damn night. You're worse than Grandma was before she croaked, you leaking loser. Why they took you out of diapers is beyond me. You're like leaky faucet, you brat! Let me out of here!!" Stephen shouted, kicking the door.
Casey barely flinched at his threat, thinking about what a jerk her brother was. Her parents had promised her they'd take her to the carnival once it came to town, but then their jobs got in the way and Stephen was put on the job. He had waited until they left that morning to say "Go to your room. Deal's off, brat. I already made plans to go with a friend to the carnival, not with a little tick like you. Now you'll know what its like not to get what you want when you want it. Eat it up, shrimp."
When he had gone into the hall closet to grab his coat, she'd slammed the door on him and locked it, but he had begun hitting it moments later and struggling with the lock. She'd used the chair to seal him in, and he had been like that for 2 hours, and she bet his bladder was close to bursting by now. 'He has to take me, Mom and Dad can't, I want to go now!' she thought, thinking she'd walk off to the carnival herself with his wallet he had foolishly left on the counter and let him wet himself while she had fun alone.
Then came the ringing of the doorbell, and a few minutes later a knocking with a muffled voice, a guy's voice. 'Must be his geek friend. I'll go tell he's all tied up, heh, wish he was. I'm the favorite, not him, he's going to learn what it means to mess with the queen bee of this house. She quickly got off of the chair and ran for the door, undoing the lock on it slowly, just to make the guy wait a little longer, then pulled it open to let in the sight of the young man.
"Hi there, little lady. You must be Casey." Said a energetic and charm filled voice. Casey's wide brown eyes looked up from the pair of jeans wearing legs, lithe and tightly fit, up to a green coat and then a smiling, creamy colored face with dazzling green eyes and fiery red, spiky hair. He was gorgeous, and smiling right at her.
"Uh….yes. Who….who are you?" she said stupidly, his eyes even more brilliant the more she stared. 'He's cute. Like a prince in those mushy fairy tales mom reads. Wow!' she thought, clasping her small hands together with an admiring smile.
"Lamont Inabikari, Casey, I got to school with your brother. He said we were going to hit the carnival today, can you get him? Or may I come in?" he asked politely, still smiling.
"My brother?…what brother? OH, my brother!" she squeaked running back into the house, Lamont at her heels.
"Man, I gotta go to the bathroom! Let me out you little…I mean, let me out, and I'll take you to the carnival, Casey, just let me out!!" Stephen's voice rang out, making Lamont speed ahead of Casey, yanking the chair away from the closet to let Stephen out.
Stephen fell out, since he was leaning against the door backwards and smashed into the carpet hard, staring up puzzled at his little sister, then at Lamont, who looked equally shocked. Casey was smiling weirdly. "That's all I wanted to hear, big brother. Your friend and me will wait outside for you. Hee….hee." She giggled, happily in fact.
'She never does that…oh damn forget her. Nature is screaming a banshee's tune in my gut!' he thought painfully, shooting up from his sprawled position and sprinted for the bathroom saying, " Fine, just don't bother me!"
~
"Little spit-fire, ain't she? It's cute. You said she was a holy terror all right, but you never said how adorable your baby sister was. You could make a franchise with that face. "Lamont said, loud enough that Casey could hear it as she walked between the two taller boys. She was blushing as he spoke, his kind words something she'd only heard from her parents, never her brother.
Stephen grumbled audibly and gave a scowl off towards Lamont. "Stop encouraging her, pretty soon she'll be begging mom and dad to let her model diapers. The little larva locked me in the closet, not mentioned million other huge annoyances she's given me ever since she could speak and walk. Isn't that right?" Stephen said, ruffling his sister's hair. She didn't really notice it, staring up at Lamont with admiring eyes.
"I would have liked a little brother or sister. I grew up with just my parents, sort'a." Lamont commented, his bright gaze suddenly glossing over. "I won't pry, Lamont. You know me….unlike some people here, I don't butt into other peoples' business." Stephen said, glaring at Casey, who was still, oblivious to everything but Lamont.
'The little imp is sweet on him. Yuck….she's just a little kid. And he doesn't even see it. Life just keeps kicking me whenever I least expect it. Maybe we'll lose her….nah, I'll never get out for that house if I do that. Just take the day as it goes and make sure she behaves, as always. I guess this is the age Mom and Dad start ignoring her, couple more than I got.' He thought harshly, picking his sister up with sigh into his arms, holding her up like a doll.
She didn't even seem to acknowledge the fact he was touching her. 'Just like when she was born, Mom let me hold her. Was the only time, and the only time we got along. Heh, leave it to parents to turn her into a spoiled brat. I might as well enjoy the quiet while it lasts.' He thought, smiling fondly as he saw hear the festivities of the carnival reached his ears.
~ Yoygi Park ~
"Whee!! Mom and Dad should make you do things more often. Yay!" Casey yelled, slamming into Lamont's then her brother's side in the tea cup ride she had begged to get on, for the 10th time.
"Yeah, yeah, I just would like continue seeing sunshine. Don't you dare puke on us, Casey, or we're taking you back home." Stephen mumbled, his stomach heaving as the pink teacup they were inside twirled. Lamont looked fine, not even a shade of green or boredom on his ever energetic face. His eyes and coat were the only things that were green.
Even after finding out he was super hero called Jupiter Knight, Lamont's charm and energy never faded a bit, but it was what Stephen liked about him. He was honest and open, rolling with the punches if whatever was thrown at him, regardless if his obsession with blonde females was a bit frightening.
He had been charming up a storm with Cici all week, and the airhead was more scared of his forwardness than anything. He couldn't blame her, after convincing herself that she had nearly been raped by the pretty boy that had vanished mysteriously, he knew she was a bit timid now. 'If she only knew what really happened. She'd never come out of her house then.' He thought, feeling a pang of pity for her.
The ride came to a close with Stephen's thoughts, and his stomach heaved again when Casey asked to go on again. He looked to Lamont for support, almost pleadingly. 'Should have taken some Dramamine, Casey loves this whirly rides to death. If she hadn't pissed me off so early today I would have thought about that." He thought mildly, then his sickness seemed to lift as Lamont smiled, nodding his fiery head.
"Hey little lady, go easy on your bro, you'll spoil his big surprise." Lamont chirped, only looking to Casey with a sidelong glance.
"She will? Huh?" Stephen asked, just watching Lamont raise his eyebrows gently. "What surprise?" Casey asked.
"The one we've been planning for you since the beginning….I guess your brother got cold feet about it cause he wasn't sure if you'd like it. This was all planned. Trust me, you're going to get a great surprise if you follow us." Lamont went on, as if he took great pride in speaking.
"Lamont…."Stephen began, but his friend waved him off slightly, then grabbed him by the arm to pull him along through the sea of carnival visitors. Casey followed them with a wide-eyed curious look on her small face, grabbing onto to her brother's pant leg to keep up.
The trio looked odd, all holding each other as if separation would spell disaster for them, Lamont leading them the entire way without so much as a falter in his steps. He finally stopped at a small train ride, Lamont and Casey releasing their grip on Stephen when he did.
"My surprise is a train ride? That's boring…." Casey whined, but Lamont merely wagged his finger at her with a knowing smile. "Ah, the train only leads to the surprise. Never assume that what you see is what you get, there's usually much more. You'll ride in between us, since being bored tends to put people to sleep. Don't want you falling off when you doze and mangled, your parents would never forgive us." Lamont said simply, putting a frightened look on the child's face. Stephen loved how blunt Lamont could be, even when talking to a child, he treated them like an adult, with very adult words and situations. 'Chew on imagining that for the ride, Casey girl. She'll never call trains boring again.' Stephen thought, a smile forming on his face.
"All aboard for the Bumper Cars, the Fishing Hole, Petting Zoo, and our final stop…..the Candy Castle. All of the candy is absolutely free for children." The engineer announced, tipped his floppy blue hat and then adjusted his trademark red-scarf. Lamont picked up Casey without much protest from her, and gestured gallantly for Stephen to go on first. Stephen nodded and walked up the metal steps, then walked alongside the small train with the two following close behind, searching for a free car to sit on.
He found one at the very end of the train, empty and it looked very much like the end of a train you'd see on train sets, red with a black roof. 'Looks like a pizza restaurant on wheels…..how degrading. I hope no one sees us on this thing, then they'll have something else to gossip about.' He though, sitting himself down gingerly behind a young man wear a maroon suit jacket. His sister was placed behind him, then Lamont, who took hold of Casey gently when she refused to hold onto Stephen's waist.
The train started with a jerk, then slowly made its way along the track through the park. As the train made its first stop, all sitting stiffly on the back of train, Lamont spoke up. ""The final stop is our surprise. Your brother said you had one heck of a sweet tooth. Happy, little lady?"
Stephen heard his sister squeal with delight a few seconds before she wrapped her tiny arms around his waist, digging her finger into his shirt and nearly piercing his skin. "He told you about that?! And this! Oh Stephen…..Lamont!" she squeaked, hugging him so tight he couldn't breath for a second. He pulled away nodding head to appease, making himself ram into the back of the guy in front of him.
"Ow! Watch it…..hey, meathead, funny meeting you here." Said a hauntingly familiar voice.
Stephen lifted his shock-white head up to see the dark-haired young man known as Gary. "Huh? Gary what are you doing on a kiddie train…with no kids??" Stephen quipped. Gary's mouth grimace, a slight blush forming on his creamy cheeks. "Well, I have my reasons….weren't you the guy that said I should have a little fun and relax? I'm relaxing now by not walking. What's you excuse, meathead?" Gary explained.
Stephen pointed at the tiny hands still gripping his stomach and squeezing. "My littler sister Casey is behind me….me and Lamont were…forced to take her with us. This is the only weekend anyone can take her, so my parents conveniently dropped her in my lap. Business as usual." Stephen grumbled, then yelped as he felt his sister bite his arm.
"Ow! You little larva, you want you precious candy. I'm not what you're supposed to take a chunk out of." Stephen snapped, shoving himself into Gary's back again. He felt Lamont pulled her off, then he leaned back to his spot to glare at the little girl. She looked at him innocently, grinning with her bright, whitened teeth. "Hey, that's dirty fighting. We should leave that to Miss Angela, little lady. Bet she gets more bites in than you do on him." Lamont teased, making Stephen turn bright red.
"Hey now!" Stephen and Gary said in unison, then looked at each together in surprise. Lamont and Casey started laughing and kept on doing so even as the train started up again. "Nice going, meathead, now I'll have to hear about that nutcase today from your sister too." Gary grumbled, his soft voice ceasing as he turned back to face front.
"Meathead, that's a good name for him. Dead from the neck up, he's so lame, aren't you meathead?" Casey giggled, Lamont's laughter ending. Stephen could see he regretted his teasing now, with an uneasy look pouring down his features slowly. He cleared his throat and seemed to squeeze Casey a bit, and she noticed. She kept the smug look on her face, batting her small lashes up at him.
"Thanks a heap….some friend." Was all Stephen could say, turning his back on them both the entire way to the Candy Castle.
~ The Candy Castle ~
Gary had gotten off the train at the Petting Zoo, offering a small wave to the trio before disappearing into the crowds. He still looked depressed, but showed it quietly. As the candy castle came into view, Stephen was shocked he hadn't noticed it earlier. It was at least the side of a three-story house, light pink in color with white roofs and pink flags. Extra large foam gumdrops, lollipops, and candy canes lining the walls, looking and smelling real even at such a distance. Stephen swore he could smell them, the sweet, intoxicating scent of sugar sweets filling his nostrils.
He heard content tiny sighs coming from his sister, who was sniffing away at the air with a vengeance. Lamont wasn't making a sound and if he was, Stephen had to guess he was sniffing at the candy treats too, mixing with theirs. 'Maybe we can all relax now. Casey will be too busy stuffing her face full of candy to talk….That means very little lip.' Stephen thought, smiling as the train came to a stop. Stephen went on ahead, letting Lamont carry Casey along behind him.
The castle entrance was white and ivory like, decorated with an assortment of candies. It was wide open as well, two women with long, frosty blonde hair wearing pink and yellow dresses standing on either sides with stampers. As Stephen neared one, she gripped his arm, shaking her head. "All adults must be stamped to bring in their child, sir." The blonde on the right said, nodding to the one that held Stephen.
"She's my baby sister….but if it will get her to the candy any faster, stamp away." Stephen said, wrenching his arm out of the woman's grip, then gave her his hand. He felt a cool spark kiss his hand as the stamp met with his skin. He looked to the other woman and saw she was stamping Lamont's hand, but he looked pretty dazed, smiling stupidly at the dressed up female. 'His blonde fetish….He'll probably stand there all day trying to get her phone number.' He thought, walking up behind Lamont to give his hair a tug.
"Ow, hey, what is it?" Lamont grumbled, and angry look on his face. "Charm later, let's appease the little worm you're holding first. You can chat up all the girls you want once Casey starts stuffing her face. Cool your jets till then. Last thing we need is for her to start crying." Stephen whispered harshly in the other youth's ear.
"All right, all right. I can't help it if she likes me. I have a sparkling personality." Lamont said quietly with a bright smile, then walked inside the Candy Castle. He set her down as soon as he reached the first glittering table piled high with sweets, letting the young child dig her greedy little hands into the pile. Her mouth was soon filled with candy of all kinds as her brother and his friend moved off, Stephen grabbing up a lollipop and a few gumballs to keep his mind focused on other things. Lamont was heading back for the entrance, so Stephen expected him to be occupied for the entire stay.
He was a bit startled to see his friend pass him by, grabbing up a few lollipops of his own and shoved a bright red one on his mouth angrily. "What's eating you? That girl already spoken for?" Stephen asked around his own bright blue lollipop.
Lamont shook his head. "No, the doors are locked. I guess they do that to make sure no one takes too much candy. The ad in the paper said this place only lets you eat your fill….then well, you can't take any candy out unless its in your mouth or stomach. Silly rule….free candy is free candy, no limits. Now I'll never get that girl's phone number."
"Just the one girl caught your eye? I thought you loved all blondes." Stephen quipped, and Lamont smirked. "The one I was talking to was a real blonde. I have a sixth sense about women. I know what's real and what's not, especially their hair. I could see that other girl's red roots a mile away." He said, as if he'd spoken true genius.
"Whatever….Hell, I'd rather be with Gary than be in a house full of screaming kids….Maybe the petting zoo isn't the best smelling area, but at least its more interesting than eating candy. This'd be better if it was cupcakes or softer sweets, cakes and pastries….this stuff rots your teeth worse." Stephen stated, rolling his lollipop in his mouth a few times as he tosses the gumballs back on a pile of candy.
"Then why bother rotting them right now….sure, candy rots your teeth, but there are exceptions. Have you ever tries a homemade lollipop or gummi bear. Fudge? Anything that was made fresh, not shipped out from some big company?" Lamont asked, lifting up his untouched lollipops to Stephen's nose, tapping the tip lightly. Stephen's nose scrunched up a bit, but he shook his head the question, considering the concepts.
"I thought they only did that in amusement parks and those colonial villages in America….sweet shops, right?" Stephen said, too embarrassed to say he didn't go out much. He was always at the arcade, never anyplace else. Lamont almost looked skeptical about Stephen's reply, but didn't act on it. "I make it at my house, Stephen….call it a gift. Its actually a lot cheaper to make your own sweets than it is to buy them. Trust me, I may not be a lover of mathematics, but its not to hard to see your wallet is fuller after buying supplies that'll last you months than sweets already made that last less than a week. I've been cooking things since I was 10, I know."
Stephen smiled a bit. "A cook….yeah. You'd know better than me. I can cook too, just probably not that passionately. If I was left alone in a house full of food for a month, I could survive. Not all of us guys are the "nuking or nothing" type. It helps to know how to cook….just in case the woman you marry can't cook….or to be helpful."
"My, we have a sensitive side too….Lady Glamour I suspect? Huh? Huh? When you going to ask her out….and how come I never see her?" Lamont said quietly, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Stephen's cheeks when a slight pink at his friend's words, starting to suck on his lollipop a lot harder and louder suddenly before biting down on it with a loud crunch. "I don't know why she hasn't shown up….last time I saw her was when Raven dropped a ceiling on me….haven't seen her since then. And I've tried to tell her I want to take her on a date…but she never sticks around long enough for me say much of anything to that effect." Stephen said, crunching away at his shattered candy.
"How about we make a deal, pal?" Lamont spouted, finishing off his first lollipop and putting a new yellow one in his mouth," Next time the mystery lady in black shows up, you will ask her out….no matter what, you'll get it through to her that you think she's a goddess, your dream girl. If you don't, well, you owe me a favor. Each time you don't do it, you owe me a favor. Nothing dangerous, just favors, like help and stuff. Do we have a deal?"
Stephen smirked, shaking his head. Lamont was looking so terribly innocent about the deal, so blunt, he couldn't help but let himself smile. 'This is getting addictive. Haven't smiled this much in years.' He thought, rubbing the back of his neck gingerly.
"Ok, deal, as long as these favors aren't nutty or dangerous. I'll give it my best shot, man….yawn…." Stephen spouted, making a light yawn. He saw Lamont made one too, shaking his spiky red head gently to rouse his senses.
"You're tired too?" Stephen asked, yawning again as his friend nodded. They both began to scan the room, noticing that all of the adults and children were yawning heavily and rubbing their eyes. Stephen walked groggily past the, Lamont in tow, to his little sister. She was still eating candy, but her eyes looked very heavy. Her entire mouth was stained with chocolate and taffy of many colors.
Lamont picked her up without much of a fight, but he looked like he would fall over any second from her weight. "The door…Lamont, give me my sister….you go….ugh, find out what's doing this…." Stephen mumbled out, getting his sister slumped against him along with Lamont's body. Lamont fell in a heap fast asleep as Casey was wrapped in her brother's arms. He shook her poor little form as hard as he could to keep her awake, stumbling groggily for the door. 'Damn Dark Universe….my sister may be a big fat pain in the butt, but she's doesn't deserve to be your dinner. No one does….have to get to the door….its still made of wood….I have to get her out….of here, to get help.' Thought ramming into one of the large doors with a hard thump. It hurt for a few seconds, then the pain left him as he busied himself with kicking the bottom board of the door with his left food. He kept kicking, getting weaker in the head the longer he stayed in one place.
He smiled, at least he thought he was, as the board cracked outward, sunlight blasting across the floor. Stephen set his sister beside it, continuing to shake her to keep her eyes from closing, using his free hand to pull away the rest of the board. When a well sized square hole was created, Stephen shoved his sister outside, faintly hearing a few more people fall onto the ground with loud thumps.
He waited a moment until Casey started to become more active before trying to go outside with her, trying his hardest to fit through the small space. Stephen groaned, his head still swimming with whatever the castle was being afflicted by, as his right shoulder bumped against the door. "Damn, I'm too big to fit....ugh." he mumbled, seeing his sister eyeing him curiously. "What the heck are you doing….no bathroom in there for you?" she snickered.
She let out a tiny scream as she saw her brother's face falter, his body getting jerked backwards in the hole. She gripped tightly onto his arm, futile trying to help him. "What's going on? Stephen!" she screamed, her little fingers only succeeding in scratching him up rather than helping. "You remember Angela's phone number….? Don't you, squirt? Argh!" Stephen let out, kicking back at what was yanking on his leg.
"Yeah, so what? What is in there? Where's Lamont!?" she cried. "That's all I needed to…argh, hear. Call her house collect, I don't care….just call her and tell her Lamont and me are inside the Candy Castle at the amusement park. Tell her D.U., that's it....can you, ow! Do that? Tell me you'll do that! OWWW!!" he yelled, slipping further back inside the castle.
"Yes…I'll do it! What about you and Lamont?" she squealed. "Never mind us, Angie will know what to do….but don't you go getting ideas that I like her. She just knows….the right people for this. Trust your big brother for once….Go, run now! NOW!!" Stephen yelped, suddenly vanishing from his sister's sights. She heard a sickening thud and short yelp a few seconds later, then began to run with tears in her eyes.
~ The Furosuto Condo ~
Angela was laying on her bed when the phone rang, staring at her framed picture of Stephen, the one that his little sister had sold her three months ago. The kid had been an annoying little beast, but Angela wanted the very cute picture of her Stephen desperately, as Stephen always ran off or covered his face up when she tried to snap a shot of him. The picture was a full body shot of Stephen standing next to his little sister at his last birthday party. He wasn't smiling, Stephen never smiled to Casey or his parents knowledge, they'd told her as much. They did like because she was strong and Stephen's age, someone to keep their depressed and smart mouthed son in line. 'He does need taming….he can be so wild and vicious when he shows his true self, the stallion fighter he is. Hmm….either way….his parents don't need to know I like him either way. Mmm, Mrs. Stephen Furosuto-Tsukikage….mmm, needs work….but so does my precious Snowflake. Mm, some gentle, loving taming. Heh, heh….huh?' she was thinking, then the phone rang.
She stared at it a moment, letting it ring a few times before taking the receiver in her hand. "Hello?" she asked, then her eyes widened as she heard someone crying on the other end, a child crying and whimpering terribly. "Angela? This is….Ca…Ca….Casey. Stephen's sister….sniff….Please, you have to come to the amusement park….to the Candy Castle. Lamont….Stephen, waahhhhhhh!!! Ah hah wahhhhh!" she was crying loudly and uncontrollably, blubbering all the way.
"Hey, slow down! Uh, please don't cry, I can't understand you. What about the amusement park and those two? Where is my Snowflake, Casey?" Angela asked harshly. The sniffling went on, but not as loud. "Stephen said you knew people who could help him. Everyone just fell asleep in the Candy Castle. Stephen got me out, but then he got yanked back in, I think whoever grabbed him was beating him up. It sounded like an action movie or something….sniffle….he said to tell you D.U. before he got taken. Can you help now? Please, Lamont and Stephen are still inside, please!" the child cried.
Angela froze a moment as she heard the little girl say D.U., making her blood run cold with anger at the thought of the Dark Universe having taken her Snowflake from her. "Angela?" the child asked.
"Stay where you are, Casey. I'll get help. Just stay put." Angela said quickly, slamming down the phone, then lifting it up again, quickly dialing out a number. She got the tone for a minute before a husky voice answered. "Sacred Phoenix Dojo, Ray Hitodama speaking."
"Hey Ray, D.U. business. Quit playing receptionist and meet me at the local amusement park, the Candy Castle is where we have to go."
"What have they done now? Hostages?" Ray asked. "Worse….they have Stephen, Lamont too. Some kind of sleep inducing beast….according to a source. Quit asking stupid questions, brute, and get your transformed butt to the Candy Castle." She replied, slamming the phone down swiftly before running out of her room.
~ Candy Castle ~
Lady Mercury made her transformation in the bushed beside the castle, thought she was less subtle in her entrance and Mars Knight, who had arrived before her and was skulking behind a tree. He yanked her back with him as people passed by, getting a knee in the gut. "Hey….if we're seen, we might cause a panic or something. Then the people inside might be killed or kidnapped to avoid interference. We just go in quietly through that window up there. It's not high up and its made out of colored cellophane, I tested it with a couple pebbles. Our swords can easily slice it so we can get the drop on whatever's in there. Our friend's lives depend on us being subtle…up until whatever Dark Universe creep rears its ugly head." Ray snapped, but didn't strike at Angela. She just sniffed at him like a spoiled child, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Fine….good thing you did this early instead of wasting our time now. Can we do this already?! My Snowflake could be dying while you flap your gums. Let's go already!" Mercury said venomously. Mars shook his head, then stuck his armored body out partially from behind the tree. He was still a moment, then turned towards mercury, gesturing to her with his hand to follow him out. She grudgingly did so, then watching him walk up to another tree, scaling it easily up to the colorful window that seemed to bend inward like jelly.
Mercury followed Mars up the tree, nodding to him as he slowly stuck his blade into the plastic window, cutting around the edges. Mercury held onto he sticky "glass" and pulled it out. Both peered inside, seeing nothing but shadows for the longest time. Then they saw something, and it made Mercury growl angrily in her throat.
It was the slim form of Lady Glamour in her sexy black dress and armored boots creeping within the place, walking half crouched past tables covered with candy. Mercury's last nerves snapped as Mars squatted on his armored heels and stared at seemingly empty room, to think she suspected. She climbed inside before he could stop her, sick to death of waiting for Glamour to steal her opportunity to save Stephen. 'If she's even on our side….this could all be a ruse to lure Stephen in for the kill. For all we know she's already in bed with the Dark Universe already.' She thought, ignoring the whispered protests of Mars as he followed her inside.
"This is not the time….Cork it, Mars or she'll spot us." She hissed back at him, keeping her eyes trained on the black clad female who was already well ahead of them. She had stopped by a wall, or what Mercury took for one. Mercury sucked her breath in as a dim light poured out of the wall as Glamour pushed lightly on it. 'A door….now how would she know where the people are….she's hiding something, I'm sure of it.' Mercury thought, continuing to sneak after the woman. Glamour vanished swiftly through the door, the end of her dress the last part to be seen before the door closed soundlessly.
Mercury quickened her pace, blade drawn and her eyes narrowed for the slightest movement, reaching the spot where Glamour disappeared in mere moments. Mars came up beside her as she leaned her ear on the door, shaking her head slightly. "She's fast, I don't hear footsteps….let's get going before she beats us to the punch. She might not be on the up and up, Mars." She said quietly.
"Not that its any of my business, but I think Glamour might be all right, and not cause of her dress. She has saved our hash more than once….Personally, I think you're jealous of her and how Stephen feels about her." Mars whispered, pushing his way gently through the door. What he could see of Mercury's face was beet-red with anger. He didn't like making her mad, he wanted to make her happy really, but with her madly in love with Stephen, a guy that didn't love her at all, made it a bit hard not to try for a reality check with her. He wanted so much to date Angela, but he was dirt to her and Stephen was her knight in shining armor, literally.
'And I'll always be her frog….never her prince. Why is she so stubborn…..?' he thought, surveying the dimly lit hall of stone he'd stepped into. Mercury let him know she was unimpressed by the place after letting out a haughty grunt. Mars shrugged and went on with her down the hall, keeping his eyes and ears open as much as he could manage to listen for signs of foul play. He heard nothing except his own and Mercury's footsteps dully sounding on the raunchy carpeted floor. After a few more minutes of walking, Mars saw a small wooden door up ahead, a brighter light and voices wafting from behind it. It sounded a lot like arguing.
The knights quickened their paces as the arguing grew louder. 'Definitely a man and a woman....Glamour?' Mars thought mildly, charging at the door at full speed the second he heard something crash. Mars knocked the door inward, Mercury flying past him as he steadied himself to see what was going on.
Glamour had barely looked up the fight she was in with a young man with cerulean blue hair. The young man's body was alive with dark energy, the same energy Mars had seen the Dark Universe princess Raven shoot at Glamour months before. He didn't see Raven anywhere, but to know she had tainted another person with her power was enough to know she'd been there.
The young man had stopped fighting, floating out of Glamour's striking range to avoid her blade. He looked so evil and innocent at the same time, Mars couldn't help but feel sorry for what he would have to do to him to find his friends. "Ah, you've come for the pretty ones my mistress wants so terribly, have you not? The shock-haired angel and the fiery red-head….Their energy is so delicious for her. She had a few tastes of their life….being close to them. I can just see her rewarding me handsomely for providing her with real flavor. Hah, I dare you to take me on….you can't win….I am a very special Dark Warrior! I am Dream Weaver, master of the astral plane!" the youth cackled, his body distorting suddenly. Mars took a step back as the young man started to shift in form, hair ripping through his clothes, seemingly endless strands of cerulean fur, his mouth becoming angular and jutting out. When it stopped, all Mars saw was something that looked like a werewolf with thick and spiky blue fur, drool dripping down his sharp fangs, and some strange body armor on his chest. The jeans the young man had been wearing were all that remained of his real clothes, now shorts due to the youth's rapid growth spurts.
Dream Weaver growled at them, landing nimbly before them, right beside a pair of curtains Mars had not noticed earlier. The werewolf looked terribly smug about being outnumbered, then reach up to the curtains, tearing them away as if they were nothing.
Mars felt his heart jump straight up his throat when he saw what they had been hiding, the bodies seemingly untouched, but were being assault with dark energy.
"Oh my God, S….let those young men go! They have nothing to do with this!" Mercury screamed, positioning her blade before her. "Yeah, come and fight us like the bastard you are, dog-face! Pick on someone who can defend themselves." Mars countered.
Dream Weaver laughed and shook his head, his eyes flashing moments before Stephen and Lamont's bodies were assaulted once more by dark energy. Mercury couldn't take it anymore and let out a feral scream, charging at the monster full speed. Dream Weaver didn't move, he remained in place grinning like a madman.
Mercury flew at him, her blade aimed for what should have been his heart. She let out a startled yelp as she felt something grab her leg and yank her backwards, slamming her onto the floor. Mercury looked up with rage at none other than Lady Glamour, who still held onto her ankle, with her own silver blade aimed at Mercury's heart. "You can't hurt him….not like this." She said simply, getting a ferocious growl from Mercury.
"I knew it, you're in on this whole thing. You're a Dark Universe whore! Ow!" Mercury yelled, yelping in pain as Glamour squeezed hard on her ankle. Mars came up beside them, ready to defend Mercury when he realized something. Dream Weaver was still near where Stephen and Lamont were suspended, still grinning, but he hadn't moved a breath from where he stood.
"Why isn't that thing moving?" He said, asking himself more than anyone else. He was shocked when Glamour answered him. "He is baiting you….he is an astral based monster that has taken possession of a human's body. Only Moon Knight can restore him to his humanity, but he is not present at the moment. You can only destroy him if you bring him out of the astral plane or those two will be destroyed. A battle on the astral plane will destroy all the minds of those that Dream Weaver has affected. You'd have to have good control over your own mind to combat with him….and to release his victims. Then he will be trapped here, and he can be fought here without risking his victim's lives."
Mercury stared up at her, ever hatefully. "Then why did you stop me for gutting him now?!" she spat. Glamour looked at Mars instead, which made Mercury angrier. "I stopped Lady Mercury as anyone that touches this creature will be affected and sent into the astral plane….helpless if they do not have control over their own minds. I have more control with my mind than both of you. I am the one who must go and save your friends, so when I awaken, if I do, you can destroy him. This might, I pray, give you long enough to contact Moon Knight to cure this creature once I do my part."
Mars looked at Dream Weaver, then at Mercury, and back to Glamour, looking a bit skeptical. "What happens if you can't get him out of there?" he asked.
"I will die….as will they. Princess Raven never intended this to be as simple as fighting blades and fists….The monsters only get more troublesome with that sultry succubus. You just contact Moon Knight once I go in. From then on….its all up to me, and I don't give up so easily. This thing will not win." She said frankly, swiftly putting her blade on her side before leaping over Mercury's head. Mercury managed to get up a only seconds before Glamour collided with Dream Weaver's protected form, a dark mist slipping out of his mouth that shot down Glamour's throat. A slight gasp erupted from her, then the woman in black fell backwards in a heap. Dream Weaver stood triumphantly as he used his dark energy to lift Glamour up above his head to drain. "Let's see who has the stronger mind, human….as if I had to ask. Ah ahaha haha haaaaaaaaaa!!" he cackled, the two knights backing up with blades drawn, hoping silently that Glamour could do all she said.
~ Astral Plane ~
Glamour found herself standing in what she thought were ancient ruins, but then she reminded herself quietly that the astral plane normally reflects what the dreamer feels, their silent thoughts and desires. She prayed nothing further would come of that, she was here to rescue the young men Raven had taken an obsessive liking to. 'So where is the top dog anyway. He knows what I am up to….he's probably waiting to sucker me into a mind trap….or use those young men as shields against me. All I have to do is cut him and those guys and they'll awaken….wish it was as easy as it sounded. Weaver won't be up for a trim.' She thought, entering the ruins quietly. She was content her powers were activated, but she didn't know why it had happened. Moon Knight was no where around and wasn't even in danger. She only transformed when he was in danger, she knew that from her dream, as short-lived as it had been. It beat her other dreams, by a lifetime it beat them.
'At least I have my blade like this. I'd never beat this thing with a nail file or my shoes, we'd all be dead meat. Come on, where are you Dream Weaver! I know you can hear me….no thoughts are hidden here!' she silently screamed, drawing her blade.
"Rah! Take this!" a loud, deep growl bellowed behind her. She leapt out of the way as the rush of air touch her backside, then whirled about to see the form of Dream Weaver land hard where she'd been standing, sending chunks of debris flying everywhere. He was standing in a crater now, drooling and growling at her mockingly. She stood her ground as she spoke. "Where are the people, you beast!? I want to see them now, coward!" she said, her voice stiff and without soul.
Dream Weaver just laughed heartily, slashing his claws about in the air, almost as if he were showing off. As she watched, she saw the white-haired young man and the redhead appear on a staircase that was near crumbling. The two of them were tied up and awake here, just lying there limply on the stairs, but their eyes were on Glamour. "Oh, the delicious ones, right? They are the ones you really want, Raven does. You can't beat me, but I'm a fair warrior. If I kill you, they are Raven's. If you manage to defeat me, well, let's just see who gets to them first. Bring it on, bitch!" he howled rushing at her again
Glamour leapt out of the way again, but felt his fist connect with her stomach, knocking her away from the young men flat on her back. She got up as fast as she could to see the werewolf was rushing towards the two shocked young men, the one with white hair shouting out to her. She knew she could use her own powers in this place, she would risk everyone's lives, including her own by letting anything powerful go off in her mind.
Glamour made a sprint for the werewolf, grabbing up a piece of stone from the ground as she went along and hurled it at Dream Weaver. It connected with the back of his head, knocking him down on his front and sent him sliding across the stone floor. He stopped moving under a crumbling archway.
Glamour wasted no time in propelling herself in the air with her blade over her head. She slammed down on the archway as many times as she could coming down, making it come crashing down atop Dream Weaver's fallen form. Glamour landed simply atop the rubble, but it was a brief moment. She ran for the young men seconds later, cutting their bindings away. The one with the white hair was looking at her adoringly, almost as if he wanted to know her. He was looking at her face only, not the rest of her, which puzzled her. 'Poor guy….he deserves better. If he only knew what I am, how my destiny could cost him his life.' She thought, not even smiling at him. The red-head looked a little flustered, but his was trained behind her at the rumble that had collapsed onto Dream Weaver. "Thanks for helping us, ma'am, but how do we get out of here. We were running all over this place before Shaggy hunted us down. We couldn't even find the other people." He said, his voice charmed and frightened.
The other one nodded, cocking his angelic head to the side. "Yeah….we were just trying to find a way out, then he came along and started draining us, that's what it felt like. Like he was sucking out of blood through his hands. We fought him, but he tied us up after that….do you know the way out, miss?" the white-haired youth said, almost dreamily.
"A simple application of pain, a cut….but I have to be quick….he can harm your true bodies out there as well as mine, and the Galaxy Knights. You have to get to safety before that. Forgive me for this, but it's the only way out for any of us. Give me your hands." She said. The red-head didn't look terribly thrilled about it, but the white-haired young man put his hands out immediately. His face was solemn, but she could see a slight blush on his cheekbones. "Its worth the pain Lamont. We'll be in the way if we're stuck in here. I believe her….if she says it will get us out, it is worth doing." He said lightly, the smile lost from his pale face.
Glamour wasted no time in cutting lightly and swiftly across his palms as he finished, the dream blood flowing for a few moments before the he vanished from sight. The red-head still looked pensive, and only stuck out one hand. She shrugged and cut along one of his fingers, to soften the pain for him. He vanished a few moments later.
As she prepared to slice her own hand, she heard an ear-shattering howl. "Dream Weaver…." She spat, whirling around to meet head on with the blue monster. "Not this time, ugly!" she added, flipping herself over the enraged beast before it could sink its claws into her and rammed her sword through its back, shooting it straight out where the thing's heart was. Then she felt him slash her, the pain brief as the dream world began to fade.
~ Candy Castle ~
Glamour felt a mild sensation in her back, warm and cold at the same time. As her vision cleared she found herself in Moon Knight's arms, and she was bleeding all over him. "Moon Knight?" she asked, feeling a twinge in her heart as he was staring at her hard. "Its all right….Mars and Mercury weakened him before he could get to you. Thank you so much, you did it Lady Glamour, you got Dream Weaver into reality." He coaxed, holding her very close to his body.
"That's good, now please stand me up….you're getting all bloody. And, sorry, but one of your armored fingers is jabbing my wound." She said, and she felt his body tense. He obeyed her and leaned her against a nearby wall. "Ok….only one thing left to do now. I only wanted to be sure you were all right before I did anything," he said quietly, taking out his sword and raised it up high, which seemed to come alive with light," Celestial Healing Light!"
His sword glowed a gentle white now and released out swirls of white petals out from the soft glow. The shimmering white petals encased the body of Dream Weaver elegantly, the light from them pouring into his furry body until all the knights could see was light. It faded after a while to reveal the young man Mars and Mercury had seen before, his bright blue hair cradling his bruised face, his torn jeans hugging his body with all their might. He stirred a bit, but didn't wake up. Mercury simply picked him up in her arms and walked out of the room. Mars and Jupiter were doing nothing but watch Moon Knight and Glamour until they all heard shouting.
It was coming from behind a door off to the right of where the young men had been held by the dark energy, the door Glamour had suspected was housing the rest of the Dark Universe's victims. She watched the two knights rush to the door and start smashing at the knob to free the people when a sudden headache hit her, making her grip her head in pain.
Moon Knight was too busy watching Mars and Jupiter releasing a bunch of people out of the side room. He'd been in there briefly, before Dream Waver had pushed him into the dream world, or astral plane as the creature had put it. He'd found Lamont simply by thinking about him, but transforming and fighting in there was impossible. He had been overjoyed to see Glamour had come to his rescue, but he saw in her eyes that she didn't recognize him as Moon Knight, and perhaps for now it was best that way. He also felt deeply relieved that his wounds never lasted as long as they should normally, the cuts she'd given him and Lamont already fading out of existence once he'd woken up. Mercury and Mars got them both down as Dream Weaver's form started to have spasms, giving them just enough time to transform.
"Oh….I forgot about Glamour….she's still hurt!' he thought suddenly, turning back to where he'd set her.
"Gone….again." he blubbered out, staring in shock at the stain of Glamour's blood upon the gray wall, a slight trail of it leading out the door. Moon Knight sighed, knowing he'd have other chances to see her. He was a full time Galaxy Knight, there was no way to avoid the woman that had stolen his heart.
"Gone and received, Moon. You remember the deal, you don't tell her, so you owe me a favor." Jupiter snickered in his ear, but Moon knight just shrugged. "You're my friend, Jupiter….not my enemy. A favor to a friend isn't something to snicker about. Let's just get these people out of here and go home….Uh, Mercury…oh damn, I have to catch up with her." He said, getting out of the room quickly without even glancing at Jupiter.
He found Mercury had laid the young cerulean-haired man out atop a candy pile, leaning against it as if she was expecting Moon Knight to follow. "Yes, dream? Come to thank me?" she purred, blowing him a kiss. He grimaced and shook his head furiously. "No….my sister. Where is my sister?" he asked icily.
"Oh, the brat….I told her to stay where she was. I guess it was at a payphone….Hey! What are you doing?" Mercury said sharply as Moon Knight transformed back into Stephen, who was sprinting past her. "Tell Lamont we had a wonderful time and I'll see him in class. I have to get Casey home or we're both dead meat." He said quickly, climbing up onto one of the tables to get out the cut out window. He was gone in an instant, his footsteps fading into the distance as Mercury stood there, a strange smirk on her face. "Shy….I'll fix that….soon. You just wait, lover boy." She chuckled, taking out her sword as she approached the doors of the castle entrance, smashing her blade through it repeatedly.
~ Telephone Station #5 ~
Casey sat on the bench near the telephones, her little eyes sore and red from crying so much. She'd never liked her older brother for the fact that he was older and acted pretty much like a zombie to the family. He acted as if getting a big allowance, and spoiled rotten with presents wasn't great. She loved all the stuff Mom and dad gave her, even if they weren't around a whole lot. Stephen was quieter than she was, unless their parents challenged him on his behavior, then he had a rotten temper. It was if noise drove him crazy and teasing made him enraged. He seemed to take it better with schoolmates than his own family, male schoolmates.
The moment she could walk, Stephen had stopped being a sweet big brother, and had been nothing at all but the quiet guy who was never home since their parents were never home. He had stopped speaking to the family unless they spoke to him loudly. Her brother, even for the brief times he was home, daydreamed constantly, drifting off for hours and became dead to the world. It was like he slept with his eyes open. She'd thought he was sick at first, but their parents informed her that he was just depressed because he was getting older and more was expected of him.
Teasing him seemed like the best way to get a rise out of her older brother so he'd stop being so boring. She actually had fun bothering him and invading his space. He looked like a large child himself with his baby face, and when he got mad, he looked like a child about to throw a temper tantrum. To see him react to something meant to her that he was alive and there for her, but she'd never tell him that. 'I just hope he's ok so I can never tell him I was never going to tell him.' She thought, sniffling again.
"Casey! Caseeeeyyy!? Where are you, you little larva? Come on, this is not funny! Answer me, Casey!" she heard faintly, growing louder as it went on. It sounded just like Stephen, like her annoying, moody big brother. Exactly like him.
"Casey! Thank God!" she heard vibrate above her as a pair of arms suddenly whisked her off the bench and pressed her against a solid, warm shape. She looked up in fright to see her older brother, a little bruised around the arms, but still her brother looking down at her, holding her in his arms with a smile on his face. 'Him? Smiling? They must have hit him hard….' She thought, giving in and smiling back as she hugged her brother's neck. He choked and grumbled at her, making Casey sigh. 'Short lived emotions….what a zombie boy.' She thought, but kept hugging.
"I want to go home, Stephen….I've had enough fun for one day." She spouted, smacking his head hard with her little hand. He scowled at her, the smile long gone, as if it had never existed. "Fine, but I'm never taking you to any castles made out of candy ever again. Its hazardous to take you anywhere, you little beast….but…." he said, his voice softening slightly as he looked away, in the direction of the phones.
"What? You never stop yelling once you've started, big bother." She teased, but he didn't seem to notice. "I may be a bother to you, but so are you, you brat. However, you did what I told you to do for once and Angie got help to Lamont and me. You did good, squirt. For once, you did very good, might have saved a lot of lives, I think….but….you can't tell anyone or those things that tried to kill me and all those people will come and get you. They'll hunt you down and kill us all, understand?" he said swiftly, suddenly shifting his eyes back to her.
"Yeah, I understand. Dying is a bad thing….I won't tell….if you buy me an ice cream cone and a dolly." She spouted, a triumphant grin on her face. "Fine." he said, startling her," Now can we go?"
She nodded dumbly and felt him start to walk again. He went to the first vender he found and bought Casey a double scoop fudge ripple cone and handed it to her. He bought her a doll from one of the gift shops of her choice before he took her out of the park area, his face unreadable. This was the first time Stephen had ever given in so quickly and coldly to blackmail, his eyes just glossy orbs in his head that only moved when he turned down the sidewalks and streets.
She shrugged it off and licked her cone again, hugging her doll tightly. 'Least this day wasn't a total loss, but Stephen's being major weird. What on Earth happened to him?' she wondered, but her questions went unanswered as her brother led them home, never speaking a word to her the entire way.