Act II - Continued
"Warning: Manual override of the system. Virus scan advised."
"What!?!" Melvin screeched, gaping at the screen in shock. "We were so close! No one could have scrambled it if they hadn't gone to the main console..."
Rei and Ami jumped as sirens suddenly screeched. Ten different dialects of Mercurian calmly broadcasted: Warning! Intruders in the forward spacedocks! Please flee to the nearest exit. All generals to the Queen's recieving hall immediately. Warning!
Slowly, the message fizzled, then zapped completely out in flatline static. "Oh no! My records! This will take weeks to repair!" Melvin cried. "What about the list of possible names?" Ami shook the historian's shoulders. He took off his glasses and sniffed; his mild brown eyes welling up in tears. "All gone! I won't be able to reboot until this entire city has been rewired! Whoever did this knew what they were doing. This is a grade A virus! Do you know how long this will take to reboot? MONTHS!!" Melvin spun wildly in his chair.
The two princesses looked at each other, completely bewildered. Rei gritted her teeth. "All this for nothing!" A small beeping was heard. "What now?" she asked crossly. Ami paused, then pulled out a small computer laptop from her kirtle pocket. Flipping it open, a fuzzy screen showed a faint image of a woman. Ami? Amiko, this is Mother. Report to the recieving hall at once, do you read me? We will discuss our plan of action there! Move!
The princess of Mercury sighed. "Let's get going."
"Negotiation? We have put up with this foolishness long enough!"
"Nothing will be gained by sending infantry from our already limited resources to die."
"It is ridiculous that Mercury, the innermost planet of the Moon Kingdom, should have to put up with these terrorist attacks! It is simply inconcievable, Ryo."
Empress Suisei of Mercury sat on her silver throne, shadowed in cascades of bluish light from the ice crystal windows. She held up a small pale hand. "Calm yourselves. The Black Diamond has been rampaging across the Inner Worlds for years. Our technicians may still be able to crack their telecommunication codes...if our database does not completely die down."
"Mother!" Princess Mizuno Ami hurriedly ran to the royal entryway and bowed deeply. Rei followed, trying desperately not to slip on the ice marblerock. "What is going on? We recieved your transmission from Melvin's records room."
Suisei stood up, her somber blue eyes betraying great fatigue and wisdom. "It is the Black Diamond again...only this time it seems they know we've been trying to decipher their codes. And the leader sent me a garbled transmission stating that he wanted something from me...and only then would he leave us alone." The Queen sighed, raking her fingers through her silver shot hair.
"Princess Mizuno Ami and the Martian Royal Princess should leave immediately, your Grace." One of the generals stood up. Compared to Mercurian men he was rather tall, but short by Lunarian standards. Ebony strands fell over his dark troubled eyes, his warm tan skin bringing out the silver tones in his lapis lazuli armor. "If your Grace would have it, I can arrange for a shuttle to conceal their escape."
"That won't be necessary, Urawa Ryo." The other general, a tall lady with unusual wheat-gold hair coiled to her waist, stood up as well. Strangely youthful, she was dressed in a common vibrant blue kirtle, with sapphire armor and a sheathed rapier. Her pale blue eyes glared cold as ice at her fellow officer. "I have a squadron already stationed in the lateral spacedocks, ready for action. I don't need another refugee ship getting in the way of possible artillery fire!"
"Please," Ami gestured anxiously with a hand. "Spare the trouble, Rebekka Li. I am staying until we have this matter settled. I am, after all, Mercury's only princess heir."
With that she sat down near her mother. Rei was given a specially equipped heated seat for her use. "Finally," the Martian muttered. "Alright then." The two generals sat back down after the ceremonial pause and brought out a transmission chip. General Urawa cleared his throat and inserted the chip into his display console. "This is the message that was given approximately seven minutes ago."
The screen snapped and hissed, still trying to work around the general powerdown. Urawa Ryo grumbled and hit a few keypads. Immediately the lights flickered on. "Just needed a kick." he muttered. A holograph appeared, showing a tall man garbed completely in black shimmering armor. On closer inspection, Rei was startled...for the shimmer came from thousands of miniscule diamonds adhered to the jet metal. "High Empress Suisei," the man bowed derisively. "Either give...the...me....suffer... consequence!" The holograph tilted, showing the melting streets of eastern Mariner Palace. Hundreds of Mercurians fled screaming, stumbling over their dead companions. They were fleeing from the explosive charges set off by women, dressed in "...ninja attire!?!" Princess Hino Rei leaned forward.
"You know these terrorists?" General Li looked at Rei with her piercing ice blue eyes. The Martian's dark eyes were transfixed to the holograph in horrified wonder. "Yes...they were the ones who..."
Sirens blared shrilly, once, twice, then were silenced by some outer force. Thunk! Ryo stared numbly at the metal ninja star that had cleaved his hissing display console in half. "They're here!"
"Y'think?" Bekka Li had already drawn steel, Ryo unsheathing his blade as well. General Li clicked her tongue; a dozen Mercurian Imperial guards ran towards them from the steadily closing doors. "Guard the Queen! Protect the Princesses!" In a gruff voice they simultaneously yelled "Hai!" and ran to surround Suisei and the young royals. Looking disgruntled, an insulted Rei tried to push her way past the guards and a bemused Ami. "You idiots! This princess can take care of herself! Let me out! Ungh!"
"Don't be so eager to die, little girl."
Slithering from the shadows came the ninjana. Black, darker than night, they encroached upon the tightly closed knot of soldiers in the middle of the recieving hall. One tall woman with a striped belt walked forward, a lethal energy whip in her hands. Easily snapping the lash, she instantly killed three guards, then faded into the shadows cackling. Ryo took their places, grimly killing two ninja who came too close with his flashing sword. Empress Suisei tensed up, tightening her hands into fists. If she wants to play with energy...then let's do it my way. Bringing the palms of her hands together, the Queen of Mercury closed her eyes and focused her powers. Glowing bluish light swelled up within her fingers, causing the ninja to cringe. "Hydrolocus Impetimente!"
Pillars of ice smashed as the icy energy formed a wide globe around the royalty and their guards. High pitched female screams were heard as ninja were hurled bodily away by the energy halo against the hard icerock walls of the palace. Minutes passed, through the misty haze of the barrier Rei could see the surviving ninjana women groaning, clutching at their wounds. Suisei let her arms fall to her sides with a low sigh. "That will hold us for about five minutes...help should be on its way by then." General Ryo sheathed his sword quickly.
The young man's dark eyes stormed with conflicting emotions as he turned around to look at his Princess. "Lady Mizuno, we should have delivered you to a transport right away. I can sense that we have a bigger threat coming, something dreadful. We should never have sat down to discuss this in a committee!"
Rebekka Li idly thrusted her rapier tip against the oneway shield, easily severing an ambitious ninja's jugular vein. The dead ninjana fell backwards, bright red blood squirting over the glowing barrier. "Calm yourself, Martian. We cannot change what has already happened, so stop fussing. However," Whipping her golden hair back into a messy bun, her keen blue eyes glanced at the swiftly approaching spiderlike forms of ninjana. "We do have company."
"Nothing from the outside can get through this barrier unless I will it to," spoke Suisei tranquilly. "If there is an emergency, we may simply walk out. Have patience."
Hissing derisively, the ninjana surrounded, like so many moths, the flickering energy halo. "How much time do we have now?" Whispered Bekka to her Queen. Suisei pulled her convoluted plait up into a bun, mouth set in a firm line. "About two minutes."
"Doesn't leave much for idle chitchat. Pity."
Alien eyes snapped and sparked, inches away from their faces...black swathed limbs brandishing all forms of motley weaponry. The leader with the energy whip strode forward, pulled down her mask and spat upon the barrier. Sputum crackled as it boiled to tendrils of steam. "Surrender now, it is futile to resist the Black Diamonds!"
"Go to Hades, fool!" Her cerulean eyes defiant, Ami walked towards the leader. "Your superior must be either cowardly or an imbecile to be absent from battle with royalty. Particularly if the fool incited this conflict!"
A dark masculine chuckle echoed from the deepest recesses of the recieving chamber. Ninjana looked up in shock, then abruptly bowed low. "Nay, merely wise, my young princess. I couldn't get in the way of my ninja slaughtering your guards, now could I? And fool is not an apellation I tend to use, I prefer simply Diamond."
"Show yourself!" Drawing steel, General Bekka Li lapsed into fighting stance, Ryo following her lead. The princesses held up their hands in attack form, preparing their magic powers. Empress Suisei merely stood, watching in sadness.
"As you wish..." Skillfully leaping from the icy ceiling beams, a disguised man walked towards the dying energy barrier. That same diamond studded jet black armor covered his lean form, blinding their sight. A battle sword hung at his side, a large sparkling cut diamond embedded in its pommel. Ami squinted at him...his eyes were a stunning dark ocean blue.
Halting a few inches away from the barrier, Diamond leaned close. Ami felt her insides melting under that dark commanding gaze. Slowly, adrenalin ceased and she began to smile. Her tense muscles relaxed, turning into gelatin. Her thoughts tripped over one another, clouding her thinking; finally blanketing all cognitive thought. One last sentance ran through her mind...mind...hypnotism...
"The terms are still the same. Hand over the Moon Princess Tsukino Usagi or face the consequences!"
Rei flinched slightly. In front of her, General Ryo tensed up in shock. Pushing her way past him, the Martian princess looked up at the forbidding man. "Princess Serenity is gone. We know not where she is, now leave us be and never come here again."
He tilted his head, eyes narrowing, considering. "Not good enough," he growled. In one deft motion, Diamond grabbed Princess Mizuno Ami as the barrier evaporated into glittering dust. Suisei's cry echoed with the clang of drawn steel; as the leader of the Black Diamonds pressed his blade against Ami's neck. Ami became limp, sighing softly in his arms. Savagely glaring down Bekka and Ryo, he stared at the Queen of Mercury. "Let us try this once more. Where is Serenity?" Adjusting his bundle, the man pointed to his enclosing ninjana. "If I do not recieve an answer, your royal genius here will become my soldier's fencing target!"
General Urawa Ryo stepped lightly forward. Slowly, he lifted his sword straight up, pointed at Diamond...and let go. Cold steel clattered against the icerock marble. Collapsing at Diamond's feet, his dark eyes welled up in tears. "No! I'll do anything to save Ami!"
Diamond smiled a very catlike smile, showing white teeth. "At least one of you has some degree of common sense."
"What are you doing?!? You traitor!" Bekka cried, steadily being surrounded by ninjana. Queen Suisei let herself be captured, a single tear seeping from her tightly closed eyes. Princess Rei Hino readied a sphere of fire and stood back to back with Bekka Li. Distance between the two warriors and the ninjana grew minute, a black energy volt searing through Rei's kirtle. Weaving a fire spell, she muttered an incantation and scorched some ninjana who came too close. "Ryo, stop! I command you as the heir to your race's crown to cease this stupidity at once! Ami wouldn't want it this way!" Ryo kneeled down at Diamond's feet in obeisance. His head tilted slightly, warm dark eyes studying hers. Rei gasped as his voice sifted into her mind, not noticing the ninjana leader creeping up behind her. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.
"Serenity's whereabouts, if you please." Diamond shifted Ami to one arm, delicately tickling Ryo's throat with his swordtip. The general bowed even lower, muttering incoherently. Steel pierced his skin, causing a brilliant blue drop of blood to seep out. Diamond smiled, creasing his black mask. Ryo leaned his head back slightly, his eyes opening wider. "C- come down here, and I'll tell you everything." he glanced furtively to the knot of guarded captives. General Li and Rei had been tied back to back with the ninjana's leather whips. Bound and gagged, Bekka Li glared ferociously at Ryo. Rei stood proudly, head turned away from General Urawa. Empress Suisei whispered a prayer to Selene under her breath, eyes tightly shut.
The Black Diamond smiled unpleasantly. "Traitors gain nothing, fool. But if what you say is true, I will spare your miserable life." He tilted his head, leaning over. This is what Ryo had been waiting for. With all the strength he possessed, the Martian punched Diamond's jawbone, which audibly cracked. As the man dropped Ami with a grunt of surprise, Ryo caught her carefully. In the blink of an eye, he had taken out the ninja guarding the joyous captives. Bekka grinned nonstop as she slit the bonds that held them together. "You almost had me fooled, Ryo! Don't ever do that to me again!" She wagged her finger under his nose and laughed impishly. A thought popped into Ryo's mind. You had me very worried. Good work. He looked up to see Rei wink slightly, a warm smile lifting her lips. Ryo relaxed. Thank you. Telepathy is quite useful, ne? He grinned.
Suisei opened her eyes. "My eternal gratitude, Selene." she whispered. Running to her daughter's side, she slowly waved her hand over Ami's relaxed features. Eddies of air hovered over her slack face, turning into pinpoints of bluish light. "Unh..."
Their revelry was cut short by Diamond's roar of anger. Tenderly pressing his broken jaw, his glance betrayed pure hatred. "Kill them! Kill them all!" With a faint glimmer of something unearthly, his body vaporized into the air...his brooding tempestuous eyes fading out last.
Within milliseconds they were fighting for their lives. Guarding Ami's inert form doggedly, Ryo cleaved through bone and sinew, their bodily fluids squirting all over his lapis lazuli armor. Rei and Suisei focused elemental attacks together; fire and ice intertwined in a tendril of death. Ninjana howled, killed by the platoons; yet still more poured in. As she dodged stinging whips and arcs of black energy, Bekka's heart beat faster. This might be her last battle, she realized. In the flash of memories long gone, her mind shifted to the images of her family. Her youngest sister looked up from feeding a unicorn foal at their ranch, and smiled brightly. Her mother joined her, along with her two elder brothers and her oldest sister. The grass was lush and ethereal green on the Jupiterrian ranch, the sky clear and sweet with fresh air. Silvery unicorns galloped past, carried by the wind, neighing joyfully. Amyrlis, the unicorn mare she had raised since it was a foal, silently cantered towards Bekka. Her twisted horn shone moonbeams, parting cloudy light with prisms of pearl. Tossing her rippling ivory mane, Amyrlis neighed come home...
Low cries escaped her throat as she pushed herself harder. The steel rapier she had trained extensively with hummed and sang, its keen edge whistling in the cool air. Acrid blue blood was spattered over her kirtle, welling up from some of General Li's deeper wounds. In the corner of her eye she saw Ryo go down, yelling defiance at the hordes of enemies hurling themselves atop of him, crushing him to the ice cold ground.
Like the whispered echo of a ill forgotten nightmare, the ninjana leader levitated slowly to where Ami lay, struggling to breathe. Coiling her whip, she laid it aside and drew a contorted Vyper dagger; gently pressing its handle as a single acid green drop of poison fell from its point. It fell to the ground, hissing as it dissolved a hole through the solid icerock.
A ghastly smile came over the ninjana leader's face, dark eyes glinting in malevolence. Knocking two ninja senseless with her sword pommel, Rebekka Li crept her way to where her princess lay, azure eyes dilated in fright. One single scratch of a Vyperian dagger was lethal. The moment blurred in time, her footfalls pounding inside her skull. Dimly she wondered if she knew any magic spells...the general had given up her right to her Jupiterrian blood as well as the elemental power of storms when she became a Mercurian citizen. Now she had limited influence over water...yet strangely enough was very good at controlling ice...Can that help me now? I just...don't know anymore.
In the milliseconds before the ninjana leader sensed her presence, a thought appeared at the edge of Bekka's thinking. She paid it no heed. The ninjana captain turned, murder hazed eyes glancing in surprise at her new opponent. Her teeth were bared in a snarling grimace. As the Vyper dagger hissed through air, seeking her heart, Bekka suddenly began to choke. Her vivid blue eyes slowly glazed over, tattered remnants of her kirtle tugged by the open wind. Strange thoughts were roiling inside her mind, like the floodtides of a newly born lake. Somewhere in this confusion she considered that she should probably try to evade the poisoned dagger, yet the river thoughts quickly submerged the notion. "Bekka! Run before she kills you! Wake up!" screamed Ami, straining to get up. But she was shocked to silence when a flash of light seared her soul. The Mercurian princess found she could easily stand, despite her many wounds. Time seemed to pause as Ami reached up with trembling fingers, touching what she knew to be there on her forehead. The gleaming sigil of Mercury glowed dark blue above her startled eyes. Pale cerulean light refracted from the same symbol upon Rebekka's forehead. "It can't be!" she cried. "We're the..."
The dagger fell from the ninjana captain's hand as she slumped over, killed by the energy waves emanating from the two young women, reaching a cataclysmic brightness. Empress Suisei gasped as the two girls levitated into the air...stars of light revealing twin henshin transformation wands. Ami reached for a dark sky blue wand, with the word wisdom engraved at its base in purest silver. Rebekka Li stretched her fingers, grasping an icecap blue wand, intellect melded in pale silver.
"Mercury Planet Power!"
"Mercury Guardian Power!"
"Warning: Manual override of the system. Virus scan advised."
"What!?!" Melvin screeched, gaping at the screen in shock. "We were so close! No one could have scrambled it if they hadn't gone to the main console..."
Rei and Ami jumped as sirens suddenly screeched. Ten different dialects of Mercurian calmly broadcasted: Warning! Intruders in the forward spacedocks! Please flee to the nearest exit. All generals to the Queen's recieving hall immediately. Warning!
Slowly, the message fizzled, then zapped completely out in flatline static. "Oh no! My records! This will take weeks to repair!" Melvin cried. "What about the list of possible names?" Ami shook the historian's shoulders. He took off his glasses and sniffed; his mild brown eyes welling up in tears. "All gone! I won't be able to reboot until this entire city has been rewired! Whoever did this knew what they were doing. This is a grade A virus! Do you know how long this will take to reboot? MONTHS!!" Melvin spun wildly in his chair.
The two princesses looked at each other, completely bewildered. Rei gritted her teeth. "All this for nothing!" A small beeping was heard. "What now?" she asked crossly. Ami paused, then pulled out a small computer laptop from her kirtle pocket. Flipping it open, a fuzzy screen showed a faint image of a woman. Ami? Amiko, this is Mother. Report to the recieving hall at once, do you read me? We will discuss our plan of action there! Move!
The princess of Mercury sighed. "Let's get going."
"Negotiation? We have put up with this foolishness long enough!"
"Nothing will be gained by sending infantry from our already limited resources to die."
"It is ridiculous that Mercury, the innermost planet of the Moon Kingdom, should have to put up with these terrorist attacks! It is simply inconcievable, Ryo."
Empress Suisei of Mercury sat on her silver throne, shadowed in cascades of bluish light from the ice crystal windows. She held up a small pale hand. "Calm yourselves. The Black Diamond has been rampaging across the Inner Worlds for years. Our technicians may still be able to crack their telecommunication codes...if our database does not completely die down."
"Mother!" Princess Mizuno Ami hurriedly ran to the royal entryway and bowed deeply. Rei followed, trying desperately not to slip on the ice marblerock. "What is going on? We recieved your transmission from Melvin's records room."
Suisei stood up, her somber blue eyes betraying great fatigue and wisdom. "It is the Black Diamond again...only this time it seems they know we've been trying to decipher their codes. And the leader sent me a garbled transmission stating that he wanted something from me...and only then would he leave us alone." The Queen sighed, raking her fingers through her silver shot hair.
"Princess Mizuno Ami and the Martian Royal Princess should leave immediately, your Grace." One of the generals stood up. Compared to Mercurian men he was rather tall, but short by Lunarian standards. Ebony strands fell over his dark troubled eyes, his warm tan skin bringing out the silver tones in his lapis lazuli armor. "If your Grace would have it, I can arrange for a shuttle to conceal their escape."
"That won't be necessary, Urawa Ryo." The other general, a tall lady with unusual wheat-gold hair coiled to her waist, stood up as well. Strangely youthful, she was dressed in a common vibrant blue kirtle, with sapphire armor and a sheathed rapier. Her pale blue eyes glared cold as ice at her fellow officer. "I have a squadron already stationed in the lateral spacedocks, ready for action. I don't need another refugee ship getting in the way of possible artillery fire!"
"Please," Ami gestured anxiously with a hand. "Spare the trouble, Rebekka Li. I am staying until we have this matter settled. I am, after all, Mercury's only princess heir."
With that she sat down near her mother. Rei was given a specially equipped heated seat for her use. "Finally," the Martian muttered. "Alright then." The two generals sat back down after the ceremonial pause and brought out a transmission chip. General Urawa cleared his throat and inserted the chip into his display console. "This is the message that was given approximately seven minutes ago."
The screen snapped and hissed, still trying to work around the general powerdown. Urawa Ryo grumbled and hit a few keypads. Immediately the lights flickered on. "Just needed a kick." he muttered. A holograph appeared, showing a tall man garbed completely in black shimmering armor. On closer inspection, Rei was startled...for the shimmer came from thousands of miniscule diamonds adhered to the jet metal. "High Empress Suisei," the man bowed derisively. "Either give...the...me....suffer... consequence!" The holograph tilted, showing the melting streets of eastern Mariner Palace. Hundreds of Mercurians fled screaming, stumbling over their dead companions. They were fleeing from the explosive charges set off by women, dressed in "...ninja attire!?!" Princess Hino Rei leaned forward.
"You know these terrorists?" General Li looked at Rei with her piercing ice blue eyes. The Martian's dark eyes were transfixed to the holograph in horrified wonder. "Yes...they were the ones who..."
Sirens blared shrilly, once, twice, then were silenced by some outer force. Thunk! Ryo stared numbly at the metal ninja star that had cleaved his hissing display console in half. "They're here!"
"Y'think?" Bekka Li had already drawn steel, Ryo unsheathing his blade as well. General Li clicked her tongue; a dozen Mercurian Imperial guards ran towards them from the steadily closing doors. "Guard the Queen! Protect the Princesses!" In a gruff voice they simultaneously yelled "Hai!" and ran to surround Suisei and the young royals. Looking disgruntled, an insulted Rei tried to push her way past the guards and a bemused Ami. "You idiots! This princess can take care of herself! Let me out! Ungh!"
"Don't be so eager to die, little girl."
Slithering from the shadows came the ninjana. Black, darker than night, they encroached upon the tightly closed knot of soldiers in the middle of the recieving hall. One tall woman with a striped belt walked forward, a lethal energy whip in her hands. Easily snapping the lash, she instantly killed three guards, then faded into the shadows cackling. Ryo took their places, grimly killing two ninja who came too close with his flashing sword. Empress Suisei tensed up, tightening her hands into fists. If she wants to play with energy...then let's do it my way. Bringing the palms of her hands together, the Queen of Mercury closed her eyes and focused her powers. Glowing bluish light swelled up within her fingers, causing the ninja to cringe. "Hydrolocus Impetimente!"
Pillars of ice smashed as the icy energy formed a wide globe around the royalty and their guards. High pitched female screams were heard as ninja were hurled bodily away by the energy halo against the hard icerock walls of the palace. Minutes passed, through the misty haze of the barrier Rei could see the surviving ninjana women groaning, clutching at their wounds. Suisei let her arms fall to her sides with a low sigh. "That will hold us for about five minutes...help should be on its way by then." General Ryo sheathed his sword quickly.
The young man's dark eyes stormed with conflicting emotions as he turned around to look at his Princess. "Lady Mizuno, we should have delivered you to a transport right away. I can sense that we have a bigger threat coming, something dreadful. We should never have sat down to discuss this in a committee!"
Rebekka Li idly thrusted her rapier tip against the oneway shield, easily severing an ambitious ninja's jugular vein. The dead ninjana fell backwards, bright red blood squirting over the glowing barrier. "Calm yourself, Martian. We cannot change what has already happened, so stop fussing. However," Whipping her golden hair back into a messy bun, her keen blue eyes glanced at the swiftly approaching spiderlike forms of ninjana. "We do have company."
"Nothing from the outside can get through this barrier unless I will it to," spoke Suisei tranquilly. "If there is an emergency, we may simply walk out. Have patience."
Hissing derisively, the ninjana surrounded, like so many moths, the flickering energy halo. "How much time do we have now?" Whispered Bekka to her Queen. Suisei pulled her convoluted plait up into a bun, mouth set in a firm line. "About two minutes."
"Doesn't leave much for idle chitchat. Pity."
Alien eyes snapped and sparked, inches away from their faces...black swathed limbs brandishing all forms of motley weaponry. The leader with the energy whip strode forward, pulled down her mask and spat upon the barrier. Sputum crackled as it boiled to tendrils of steam. "Surrender now, it is futile to resist the Black Diamonds!"
"Go to Hades, fool!" Her cerulean eyes defiant, Ami walked towards the leader. "Your superior must be either cowardly or an imbecile to be absent from battle with royalty. Particularly if the fool incited this conflict!"
A dark masculine chuckle echoed from the deepest recesses of the recieving chamber. Ninjana looked up in shock, then abruptly bowed low. "Nay, merely wise, my young princess. I couldn't get in the way of my ninja slaughtering your guards, now could I? And fool is not an apellation I tend to use, I prefer simply Diamond."
"Show yourself!" Drawing steel, General Bekka Li lapsed into fighting stance, Ryo following her lead. The princesses held up their hands in attack form, preparing their magic powers. Empress Suisei merely stood, watching in sadness.
"As you wish..." Skillfully leaping from the icy ceiling beams, a disguised man walked towards the dying energy barrier. That same diamond studded jet black armor covered his lean form, blinding their sight. A battle sword hung at his side, a large sparkling cut diamond embedded in its pommel. Ami squinted at him...his eyes were a stunning dark ocean blue.
Halting a few inches away from the barrier, Diamond leaned close. Ami felt her insides melting under that dark commanding gaze. Slowly, adrenalin ceased and she began to smile. Her tense muscles relaxed, turning into gelatin. Her thoughts tripped over one another, clouding her thinking; finally blanketing all cognitive thought. One last sentance ran through her mind...mind...hypnotism...
"The terms are still the same. Hand over the Moon Princess Tsukino Usagi or face the consequences!"
Rei flinched slightly. In front of her, General Ryo tensed up in shock. Pushing her way past him, the Martian princess looked up at the forbidding man. "Princess Serenity is gone. We know not where she is, now leave us be and never come here again."
He tilted his head, eyes narrowing, considering. "Not good enough," he growled. In one deft motion, Diamond grabbed Princess Mizuno Ami as the barrier evaporated into glittering dust. Suisei's cry echoed with the clang of drawn steel; as the leader of the Black Diamonds pressed his blade against Ami's neck. Ami became limp, sighing softly in his arms. Savagely glaring down Bekka and Ryo, he stared at the Queen of Mercury. "Let us try this once more. Where is Serenity?" Adjusting his bundle, the man pointed to his enclosing ninjana. "If I do not recieve an answer, your royal genius here will become my soldier's fencing target!"
General Urawa Ryo stepped lightly forward. Slowly, he lifted his sword straight up, pointed at Diamond...and let go. Cold steel clattered against the icerock marble. Collapsing at Diamond's feet, his dark eyes welled up in tears. "No! I'll do anything to save Ami!"
Diamond smiled a very catlike smile, showing white teeth. "At least one of you has some degree of common sense."
"What are you doing?!? You traitor!" Bekka cried, steadily being surrounded by ninjana. Queen Suisei let herself be captured, a single tear seeping from her tightly closed eyes. Princess Rei Hino readied a sphere of fire and stood back to back with Bekka Li. Distance between the two warriors and the ninjana grew minute, a black energy volt searing through Rei's kirtle. Weaving a fire spell, she muttered an incantation and scorched some ninjana who came too close. "Ryo, stop! I command you as the heir to your race's crown to cease this stupidity at once! Ami wouldn't want it this way!" Ryo kneeled down at Diamond's feet in obeisance. His head tilted slightly, warm dark eyes studying hers. Rei gasped as his voice sifted into her mind, not noticing the ninjana leader creeping up behind her. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.
"Serenity's whereabouts, if you please." Diamond shifted Ami to one arm, delicately tickling Ryo's throat with his swordtip. The general bowed even lower, muttering incoherently. Steel pierced his skin, causing a brilliant blue drop of blood to seep out. Diamond smiled, creasing his black mask. Ryo leaned his head back slightly, his eyes opening wider. "C- come down here, and I'll tell you everything." he glanced furtively to the knot of guarded captives. General Li and Rei had been tied back to back with the ninjana's leather whips. Bound and gagged, Bekka Li glared ferociously at Ryo. Rei stood proudly, head turned away from General Urawa. Empress Suisei whispered a prayer to Selene under her breath, eyes tightly shut.
The Black Diamond smiled unpleasantly. "Traitors gain nothing, fool. But if what you say is true, I will spare your miserable life." He tilted his head, leaning over. This is what Ryo had been waiting for. With all the strength he possessed, the Martian punched Diamond's jawbone, which audibly cracked. As the man dropped Ami with a grunt of surprise, Ryo caught her carefully. In the blink of an eye, he had taken out the ninja guarding the joyous captives. Bekka grinned nonstop as she slit the bonds that held them together. "You almost had me fooled, Ryo! Don't ever do that to me again!" She wagged her finger under his nose and laughed impishly. A thought popped into Ryo's mind. You had me very worried. Good work. He looked up to see Rei wink slightly, a warm smile lifting her lips. Ryo relaxed. Thank you. Telepathy is quite useful, ne? He grinned.
Suisei opened her eyes. "My eternal gratitude, Selene." she whispered. Running to her daughter's side, she slowly waved her hand over Ami's relaxed features. Eddies of air hovered over her slack face, turning into pinpoints of bluish light. "Unh..."
Their revelry was cut short by Diamond's roar of anger. Tenderly pressing his broken jaw, his glance betrayed pure hatred. "Kill them! Kill them all!" With a faint glimmer of something unearthly, his body vaporized into the air...his brooding tempestuous eyes fading out last.
Within milliseconds they were fighting for their lives. Guarding Ami's inert form doggedly, Ryo cleaved through bone and sinew, their bodily fluids squirting all over his lapis lazuli armor. Rei and Suisei focused elemental attacks together; fire and ice intertwined in a tendril of death. Ninjana howled, killed by the platoons; yet still more poured in. As she dodged stinging whips and arcs of black energy, Bekka's heart beat faster. This might be her last battle, she realized. In the flash of memories long gone, her mind shifted to the images of her family. Her youngest sister looked up from feeding a unicorn foal at their ranch, and smiled brightly. Her mother joined her, along with her two elder brothers and her oldest sister. The grass was lush and ethereal green on the Jupiterrian ranch, the sky clear and sweet with fresh air. Silvery unicorns galloped past, carried by the wind, neighing joyfully. Amyrlis, the unicorn mare she had raised since it was a foal, silently cantered towards Bekka. Her twisted horn shone moonbeams, parting cloudy light with prisms of pearl. Tossing her rippling ivory mane, Amyrlis neighed come home...
Low cries escaped her throat as she pushed herself harder. The steel rapier she had trained extensively with hummed and sang, its keen edge whistling in the cool air. Acrid blue blood was spattered over her kirtle, welling up from some of General Li's deeper wounds. In the corner of her eye she saw Ryo go down, yelling defiance at the hordes of enemies hurling themselves atop of him, crushing him to the ice cold ground.
Like the whispered echo of a ill forgotten nightmare, the ninjana leader levitated slowly to where Ami lay, struggling to breathe. Coiling her whip, she laid it aside and drew a contorted Vyper dagger; gently pressing its handle as a single acid green drop of poison fell from its point. It fell to the ground, hissing as it dissolved a hole through the solid icerock.
A ghastly smile came over the ninjana leader's face, dark eyes glinting in malevolence. Knocking two ninja senseless with her sword pommel, Rebekka Li crept her way to where her princess lay, azure eyes dilated in fright. One single scratch of a Vyperian dagger was lethal. The moment blurred in time, her footfalls pounding inside her skull. Dimly she wondered if she knew any magic spells...the general had given up her right to her Jupiterrian blood as well as the elemental power of storms when she became a Mercurian citizen. Now she had limited influence over water...yet strangely enough was very good at controlling ice...Can that help me now? I just...don't know anymore.
In the milliseconds before the ninjana leader sensed her presence, a thought appeared at the edge of Bekka's thinking. She paid it no heed. The ninjana captain turned, murder hazed eyes glancing in surprise at her new opponent. Her teeth were bared in a snarling grimace. As the Vyper dagger hissed through air, seeking her heart, Bekka suddenly began to choke. Her vivid blue eyes slowly glazed over, tattered remnants of her kirtle tugged by the open wind. Strange thoughts were roiling inside her mind, like the floodtides of a newly born lake. Somewhere in this confusion she considered that she should probably try to evade the poisoned dagger, yet the river thoughts quickly submerged the notion. "Bekka! Run before she kills you! Wake up!" screamed Ami, straining to get up. But she was shocked to silence when a flash of light seared her soul. The Mercurian princess found she could easily stand, despite her many wounds. Time seemed to pause as Ami reached up with trembling fingers, touching what she knew to be there on her forehead. The gleaming sigil of Mercury glowed dark blue above her startled eyes. Pale cerulean light refracted from the same symbol upon Rebekka's forehead. "It can't be!" she cried. "We're the..."
The dagger fell from the ninjana captain's hand as she slumped over, killed by the energy waves emanating from the two young women, reaching a cataclysmic brightness. Empress Suisei gasped as the two girls levitated into the air...stars of light revealing twin henshin transformation wands. Ami reached for a dark sky blue wand, with the word wisdom engraved at its base in purest silver. Rebekka Li stretched her fingers, grasping an icecap blue wand, intellect melded in pale silver.
"Mercury Planet Power!"
"Mercury Guardian Power!"
