Arieslily: Back again, and though I really don't think more than three people are reading this, I suppose I will go on. It's just starting to get good anyway. And remember, all comments are welcome!!!

Chapter 4: Distant Shadows, Cloud, and Shade


"This was not meant to happen so soon. I had it all carefully planned!" A deep voice, gruff and dark echoed through the cavernous space of a shadowy, dilapidated Great Hall. The man, tall with broad shoulders, was a bit shadowy himself. There was an air of royalty around him as he held himself with perfect posture and paced across the room. He was dressed in the fashion of a prince, complete with crown, and his wavy black hair fell across his grey eyes as he turned and bent to peer into a massive crystal sphere set on a clawed stone base.

"I can't even get a read on her from the crystal now! I have to recalibrate all the charms I placed on everything," he shouted angrily, and whirled around to walk to one of many tables strewn with papers, potions, candles, and various crystals. In a burst of anger, he swept the bits of parchment from the table, sending them flying. "Arhhhhhhhhhhhh!" He growled, "Why isn't this going as planned? Seer!" He yelled, demandingly, "Come to me now! I want answers!"

A beautiful woman appeared, sitting on the throne at the apex of the old Great Hall. Her long, wavy, raven hair with dark red streaks running through it was half tied back with small braids woven in it, an elaborate, silver, bejeweled circlet adorning her forehead. Her body was clad in black leather- a two piece set of armor with highly wrought silver patterns on it. Wrapping around her wrists were similarly designed bracers, and silver arm bands snaked round her upper arms. Matching knee-high leather boots and an ornate sword strapped to her back completed the picture. She crossed her legs and spoke. "I do have a name, you know," her voice echoed through the hall, startling the dark prince.

He quickly recovered and sneered with contempt, "Yes, yes, Phoenix." Taking in her attire, he inquired, "Did I miss something? Are we going to war?"

"It's Lady Phoenix to you, 'Lord Malus'," she claimed, with a bit of contempt staining her voice as well, "and you would do well to remember that. And no, no war yet as far as I know, although at the rate you're going, we'll all be dead in a few days! Besides, I need a way to protect myself from you," she shouted angrily.

"Forgive me, My Lady." Malus made a mock bow and brought and energy ball to his hand, "but last time I checked, we were in MY KINGDOM! I hold all the power here!" Anger came billowing forth at this and he flung the energy ball at the wall above the Seer, sending rock and debris everywhere. She fazed out and appeared behind him.

"As if I didn't see that coming. I'm a seer, remember?" Her voice turned serious, "It will take a bit more than that to kill me, little boy," she whispered in his ear, "Besides, you NEED me, and you know that. Who else will help you predict what the outcome of this ridiculous plot will be?"

"I don't NEED you. I only keep you around because you remind me of HER," he claimed, defeated, as he turned around to face her. "And besides, you've not done a very good job of it so far. Everything is going wrong! She's remembering everything too soon." He held his face close to hers, his eyes trained to hers in an attempt to intimidate her, yet she remained calm.

"It is not MY fault. I predicted only what COULD be, in its most probable form. You didn't take into account the fact that she is a senshi, and could therefore have her magic interfere and cause complications. Not only that, she is a special senshi. Her magic is different from the others, and more powerful than any save your other half."

"NEVER bring up that wretched, meatball haired, would-be princess. She and her family took everything from us, and I intend to get it back. And what do you mean, 'more powerful'? My Lady is just a senshi, the same as all the others. What aren't you telling me?" He replied.

"I can not tell you anymore. It would disrupt the balance too much. You will find out in time." With that, she extracted herself from their battle of dominance and moved back a few steps. "Beware, my Lord Malus. Many have gone up against them in the past. None have succeeded."

He watched puzzled, as she began walking away, and called out, "I will not make the same mistakes my idiotic predecessors made. Their incompetence is why they could not win. That is why I am watching the whole lot of the senshi, and waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Unfortunately, the calibrations for all the observing spells are off now, because she is awakening to soon. That is why I called you here." She paused and turned to look at him, and he bowed properly before entreating her, "My Lady Phoenix, do you have any useful insight for me?"

"I am aware of the reasons why you called me here. They don't call me a seer for nothing." She replied. "In any event, the reason why the spells are not working is because they were too finely tuned to HER. I suggest that if you are sincere in your desire to defeat the senshi, you actually watch all of them. Or at least, put less emphasis on the Martian. Recalibrate the spells to encompass all of them. It won't be hard to do. Here," she said, conjuring a vile with a dark blue-ish potion in it and tossing it to him, "this should help you. Sprinkle a little on your crystal." And with that, she fazed out in a burst of flames.

Malus looked at the small vile in his hands and then to the giant crystal ball. He strode over to it and uncorking the tiny bottle, sprinkled a few drops of the potion on it. Muttering a spell under his breath, a vision of the sleeping Martian senshi appeared under the crystal's surface. The dark prince laid his hand on the crystal, about where the image of her cheek rested. "Soon, my princess, soon. We'll be together again soon. For now though, it will just have to be in your dreams." Speaking another spell, Malus disappeared in a rush of fog, and the image of the peacefully sleeping Martian senshi began to frown, then writhe and shake as the nightmare took over once more…

Arieslily: Please review. I know this is short, and I apologize, but it wasn't meant to be long. I just meant it to be a brief insight into the mind of the enemy. Hey, at least it was out sooner than my updates usually are! Plus my head is full of ideas to keep going, so it may not be so long before another chapter is out. Up next: A history lesson! I think. I've not really decided yet if we're ready for that, or if it's going to be the chapter after next. But do tell me what you think, I thrive on it! ) And PS: Why won't this blasted document manager allow me to have spaces and indents in my story? I hate it! Sorry for the crap structure.