The Crystal Palace
the guard hall
night
Talia stood before the great portrait of the royal family. She looked at their painted eyes and faces, knowing how easily the canvas would tear should she touch it.
She sighed and crossed the hall to sit on a velveteen bench.
She had warned the queen not to let the entire guard off, but the queen, generous and warm as always, had insisted. And had her way.
"My, my," a laughing voice said behind her ear, "Don't you look familiar."
She didn't flinch.
"What do you want, Zoisite?"
He materialized beside her on the bench, "Only to speak with an old friend."
"Then speak."
"You're dressed as you would have been had... well. I take it you were one of the lucky few who were caught and sent to the future."
"Yes."
"Ah," he pulled off his glove and stroked the velvet cushion.
Talia stood up, "If you're going to kill me, do it."
Zoisite actually looked surprised, "Why would I."
"Ask the crystal in your hand."
Zoisite grinned.
"Damn."
Talia ducked as the shard flew past her face. She leapt into the air and kicked Zoisite neatly in the chin, sending him sprawling to the floor. He recovered quickly and held a hand to his bleeding lip.
"Not very wise, Talia."
"Shut up."
He lunged for her, shard forming in his palm. She dodged, but the shard caught her side and ripped a long, shallow gash. She fell, balance lost.
"Ahahaha!"
Talia screamed and rolled away from Zoisite's hands an screeching laughter.
She scrambled to her feet, red hair in her eyes. She pressed her hands together and yelled, "GUARDIAN SHIELD!"
Zoisite was thrown back by a curtain of translucent energy. He snarled and thrust himself back up.
"You don't learn, do you!"
Talia saw it coming, but hadn't anticipated it soon enough.
A storm of rose petals surrounded her and whipped at her eyes. She cried out, unable to see through the solid wall of flowers.
She heard his voice from outside her prison.
"No hard feelings, eh, Talia?"
"NO!"
"Hahaha! ZOI!"
Talia screamed as a crystal spike lodged itself in her side. She felt something give and moaned as her white uniform began turning red.
The roses vanished.
Talia slumped and balanced precariously on her knees.
Zoisite caught her as she fell.
"This is for leaving me to die."
He kissed her hard on the lips. He pulled away only after her body went slack.
Smiling to himself, he licked blood from his lips. Talia lay murmuring. She was trying to tell him what had happened that day on the battlefields of Earth...
Zoisite heard a word and leaned closer, listening.
"...Prince... pulled... me...way...didn't..."
Zoisite leaned back quickly and held a hand to his mouth. He had just killed the wrong person. He curled a finger around his lip and watched Talia shake and gasp for breath
"I'll make that up to you."
The Crystal Palace
outside the guard hall
night
Endymion heard the loud crash in the guard hall and ran for the doors. He knew Talia was the only one in there...
"Talia!"
He slid to a halt beside her fallen body. Hands hovering over her, he saw the shade of the crystal buried in her flesh. Zoisite.
He rolled her head to face him and realized with a jolt that she was still breathing.
"Shh, Talia, you're going to be alright," he lied to her.
She didn't respond, but her bleary eyes fluttered open and focused on him.
He looked around, trying to find the source of the crash— and the crystal. He saw the portrait of his family in pieces on the ground.
Talia clawed at his arm with one hand, making croaking noises. He bent to hear her.
"Prince..."
"Hush, Talia, save your energy."
"You bastard."
Endymion found himself on the ground, looking up at the crazed, dead face of the guard captain. He tried to get up, but her foot hit him in the chest with far more force than possible.
He sputtered, windless.
"You made me believe you," she said, mindlessly pulling the thick shard from her body, "I trusted your word!"
"Talia, what!"
Endymion saw her face inches from his, "Talia's dead."
The king shook his head, confused and almost scared, "You are Talia!"
"Wouldn't that be nice!"
Endymion saw the punch aimed at his face and held up an arm to block it. He screamed when the crack of breaking bone echoed.
"Talia's dead!"
A kick found it's mark in his abdomen. Two more cracks rang out.
"TALIA!"
"Talia's DEAD, dear prince!"
Endymion's eyes widened as realization hit.
"Zoisite..." he coughed, unable to speak. His mind was telling him he had two broken ribs.
Talia's body fell to the ground as Zoisite separated himself and threw fire into the air, "I never thought you had lied to me, not even after I became your enemy."
"...didn't!"
"Ha! You left me bleeding in a ditch, my prince!"
Endymion ducked painfully away from the fireball that threatened his life.
"And I plan to do the same to you."
Another fireball... too close...
"Except, I won't leave you, dearest prince! I'll stay," he pushed gold hair out of his eyes, "and I'll make sure to let your lovely Serenity watch you die."
Endymion clenched his fist behind his back. He only needed a little more power, then...
"You'll know how it feels to be observed like an animal."
...almost...
"Enough talk, prince, let's play."
"SMOKING BOMBER!"
Zoisite shrieked as the attack his him in the legs. He fell and rolled onto his side, crystals between his fingers.
"Zoi!"
Endymion was forced to scream against his broken ribs when the shard sliced through his shoulder. Zoisite laughed triumphantly and stood, shaking.
"Die."
Two more crystals flew.
Endymion shut his eyes.