A/N: I have no idea why I suddenly got the urge to write more of this story a good 5 ½ years after I last updated, but something happened and here I am. This is the only one of my five stories that I had written a complete outline for and decided on an ending, so even though it isn't my most popular story, here it goes (I do hope to finish "The Test of Time" at some point, though).
Disclaimer: I don't own the original Jewel Riders, but everything else is mine.
The dark of the night, intensified by the gloom of the forest, provided the perfect cover for the nemesis of the Imperial City. Archer had planned the attack and set the trap for the Jewel Riders keeping this darkness in mind. She stood in the middle of a sparse grove of trees, stock-still so as to blend in. Her short hair seemed as wild as the crown of a tree, the berry juice and mud that she used to darken its color only adding to the effect. She was dressed in brown pants made of a coarse material and a tight-fitting black blouse, and her long black cloak was wrapped tightly around her body in an attempt to blend in and cover the gleam of her gloves and knee-length boots. Only her eyes shone in the darkness, scanning the area and waiting to make her move.
When Fallon and Moondance emerged from the darkness, dodging trees and gaining ground, Archer smiled to herself. Such agility in the darkness could only mean that the girl and her unicorn were being guided by their stone, which created a state of mind one step away from reality. This will be even easier than I thought, the woman thought to herself, painfully aware of her Darkstone's reaction to the Moonstone's presence. Beside her, Archer felt a slight movement and was aware of a deep hatred edging into her consciousness. Calm yourself! she snapped mentally. You will have your chance.
Fallon was absorbed in the act of running with her Companion and didn't notice the danger ahead until they were on top of it. Moondance leaned right to swerve around a short, scraggly tree when something suddenly leapt out and grabbed the unicorn's mane. Unable to turn, the unicorn was jerked to the left, nearly unseating his rider. He struck out with his front feet in an attempt to free himself, but just then a dark mass barreled into his shoulder and retreated into the shadow.
Off-balance, Moondance spun on his hind legs in an attempt to re-orient himself. Fallon grabbed onto the saddle, determined to stay on. She leaned forward for security and, seeing the hands still entwined in her Companion's mane, beat at them with her fists until they finally released their grip.
Freed from his captor, Moondance set down on all fours and wheeled around to face his attacker. Fallon sat up, but saw nothing before her. The copse of trees looked the same as before the assault, with no sign of what had just happened.
But Fallon was not to be fooled. "Come out, Archer!" she called into the darkness. "We know that was your treachery, and we are here to put an end to it! Stop this cowardly hiding and come out to face us!"
After a moment of silence, a chuckle emerged from the gloom of the forest, first low and quiet and then growing in volume and strength until it seemed to be coming from all corners of the grove. The two Companions looked around wildly for the source of the laughter and were a little surprised to see a tree begin to move off to their left. Moondance recognized it as the small tree they were passing when attacked and growled, Archer.
"Why yes," the woman said grandly, spreading her arms as she emerged from the gloom and approached the pair. "How good of you to recognize me. One would think that after all this time, you would think of me a little more quickly. And if I may say so, I feel that your defense has gotten quite lax. I think it's Rule 27 in the Jewel Rider Codex: Never use a Jewel Trance for reconnaissance…"
"That's enough, Archer!" Fallon called out, but not quite as sharply as she had intended. Jewel Trances was one of the subjects taught to Cadet Jewel Riders in their first year and was the first power that a newly-bonded individual tried to become used to wielding a stone's power. It was considered an elementary topic, and the misuse of these trances was considered a novice's mistake, certainly above being made by a full-fledged Jewel Rider. "This area is within the jurisdiction of The Imperial City. I demand you leave at once!"
Archer smirked, knowing that she had hit a nerve with the Jewel Rider. "The Forest of Nismath is under the jurisdiction of no one, the least of which being the people of your precious city. Hiding behind their walls, letting their entire lives be run by the good-for-nothing Royal Family, who only care about themselves and keeping their subjects in check – the people of The Imperial City are a disgrace. They call themselves a beacon of light in the darkness of the forest, and yet they are unwilling to help those seeking refuge or looking for a home."
Fallon sat and listened to Archer's tirade, growing more angry by the second. But she couldn't tell if her anger was toward Archer or the people she was admonishing. Memories of how she had been treated flooded back to her: the teasing, the sneers, the rejection, the abuse. Let's get her, Moondance, she thought.
No, Fallon! the unicorn said. We need to wait for the others to arrive. She's too powerful for us to defeat on our own. It would be madness.
Archer saw the emotion building in Fallon's eyes and knew that she was struggling to keep herself in check. Except in a dire situation, the Jewel Riders were obligated to stall and wait until they could fight together, so the woman knew she had a precious few moments of freedom.
"I don't even know why someone would want to live in that ugly city," Archer continued. "So full of light and beauty, but deep down, it's all ugly. Ugly people, ugly buildings, and ugly morals. Anyone comes around who is a little different, a little less ugly, and their true colors come out. So intolerant of change, of beauty. But then, I don't have to tell you about that, do I, Fallon?" The woman now began to inch closer to the pair, never taking her eyes off of Fallon's. "You understand all about the true colors of that city. Those people are afraid of what they see as different, what they see in you. Just like they were afraid of what they saw in me."
Stop it! Moondance called out as Archer prepared to take her final step and stand directly before him. The unicorn lowered his horn and made as if to strike when a voice rang clear in everyone's head.
I wouldn't do that if I were you.
Moondance froze and slowly raised his head to face the speaker. Emerging from the shadows in the direction Archer had come was a dark shape. As it neared, the shape defined itself as a unicorn. She was large and lean, almost as big as Moondance but without the bulk of muscle. Despite this, there was no doubt that she was dangerous. There was an aura of malice that radiated from her deep purple coat, and her eyes gleamed with mischief and hatred. Her long horn, made of translucent black crystal, was sharpened to a point and aimed right at Moondance.
"Moonsong," Fallon said softly. She could sense Moondance shaking beneath her, both out of fear and hatred. Archer and Fallon's Companions had always had a special hatred between them, one which the Jewel Rider didn't understand. She knew that if the situation wasn't diffused immediately, Moondance would disregard his own advice and every rule in the Codex to attack the other unicorn.
Moondance, you need to calm down, Fallon tried to reason with her Companion. It's as you said: it would be madness to try and defeat them on our own. On your own. Wait for the others.
Fallon, stay out of this, Moondance snorted back. This doesn't concern you, don't get involved. This is between Moonsong and me, and it always will be.
An evil smirk appeared on Moonsong's lips as she imagined what was going through the minds of the other unicorn and his Companion. She glanced at Archer, who nodded approvingly. The two knew how to work together to best take advantage of the emotional responses they each elicited from the Jewel Riders, and this time their plan had gone off perfectly.
Archer opened her mouth to restart her attack on Fallon's psyche when her Darkstone began to glow, signaling that the Sunstone was nearby. "Damn," she said to herself under her breath. She had planned on having more time alone with Fallon, and she would have cued Moonsong earlier as well. She glanced over at the still-tense situation between the two unicorns and knew that she had made an impact on the Jewel Rider and her Companion, however small. It would still work to her advantage in the end.
Fallon had noticed the faint glow of her Moonstone as well, so she wasn't surprised when Gwen and Sunstar came crashing through the canopy to land behind Archer and Moonsong. The Princess, oblivious to the heated situation before her, entered with all the bravado of the leader of the Jewel Riders. She raised her Sunstone and announced, "By the power of the Sunstone and The Imperial City, I have come to vanquish you from these lands! Archer, surrender now!"
Archer gave a short laugh and turned to face the Princess. At that moment, Pearl and Thunderbolt, with Tamara and Drake astride, bounded out of the darkness and into the clearing, taking their positions and surrounding their two enemies. Moonsong gave Moondance one last look of hatred, then turned outward to face the others.
Gwen turned to the others and, with jewel still raised, called out, "We are the Jewel Riders, ready and able to defend these lands in the name of The Imperial City! It is our duty to rid the world of evil like you. United we stand, together we fight. What do we say?"
"Jewel Power!" the eight called out in unison, Fallon and Moondance only a little less whole-heartedly.
"Are you ready to surrender to us and leave these lands at once, Archer?" Gwen asked.
Archer turned to look at all four Jewel Riders and their companions and surprised them all by beginning to clap, slowly and pointedly, plainly mocking them. "Bravo, bravo!" she called out, clapping once more for emphasis. "I do love the formality and tradition of the Jewel Rider way. So proper and official, makes me want to give myself up right now. I always was fascinated by how such a droll-sounding speech seems to work every time, especially during my time in the Academy."
"How dare you speak of such things?" Gwen retorted. "We are here to drive you away and protect our city, not to listen to you blab on and on about nothing. Now, will you do as we demand, or will we have to force you?" The Jewel Rider's leader deliberately positioned her Sunstone, and the others followed suit.
"Oh, come now," Archer replied. "You all know that I have the Darkstone, so there's no point in threatening me with your little rocks. There can be no defeat when we are pitted against each other. Unless, of course, we change the rules."
"What are you talking about, Archer?" Drake asked loudly.
"Ah, the pretty boy speaks!" Archer sneered, turning toward Drake and Thunderbolt. "Well, I'll try and use small words so you can understand. You see, as long as we are in this world, neither of us can win our little ongoing disagreement. We are all too similar, you four and I."
"Liar!" Gwen shouted. "There is nothing similar about you and us."
The short-haired woman turned to Fallon and gave her an almost imperceptible wink before continuing. "Oh no, my dear Princess, there is more alike among us than you could ever imagine. But as I was saying, these similarities are what make this struggle a never-ending inconvenience for all of us. But I know a place where we can settle this once and for all, where our common traits are canceled and there is a more definite distinction between good and evil. I can take us there, and this can all be over."
"What makes you think we'll follow you anywhere?" Tamara responded, shocking the others. She usually remained silent during such antagonistic exchanges.
"You forget that I know the Jewel Riders," Archer explained, while Moonsong chuckled by her side. "I know the oath that you all foolishly took in order to start your life on this ridiculous path. You have to follow me, wherever I go, or else your beloved people will turn on you, call you traitors and say you let me get away. Yes, I know how the world works. Or, at least the world according to The Imperial City."
With that, Archer turned to Moonsong and called, "By the power of the Darkstone!" The stone in her hands glowed and emitted a beam of light, which rested on a spot between two nearby trees. The beam intensified until a swirling vortex appeared at its end. Archer then pocketed the stone and turned toward the Jewel Riders.
"This portal will be open for exactly one minute. If you choose to accept my challenge, we shall meet on the other side and battle according to the rules there. If you don't, you can try to tell those fools in The Imperial City that I escaped, but trust me, they will learn the truth. Are you ready to face the disapproval of the very city you fight for? Choose wisely."
Leaving the Jewel Riders speechless, Archer grabbed Moonsong's mane and swung onto her back. With one final sneer, the unicorn bounded forward and galloped into the portal, disappearing from sight.
After a moment of silence, six sets of questioning eyes turned toward Gwen and Sunstar. "What should we do?" Drake asked, once again voicing what was on everyone's minds.
"I, I don't know," Gwen admitted.
We have to follow her! Moondance interjected. We can't let her win!
"We can't just follow her to another dimension," Tamara pointed out. "We have no idea what's waiting on the other side of that portal."
Time's running out, Sunstar said gently.
"Let's go, Moondance," Fallon said quietly, urging her Companion forward.
"What are you doing, Fallon?" Gwen demanded.
"Going after her, as we should have done from the beginning," Fallon responded, moving past the Princess toward the portal.
"Fallon, you can't act on your own!" Gwen shouted after her. "I'm the leader, we all have to decide what to do together! I am your Princess!"
But Fallon didn't hear the last part of the blonde's call because she and Moondance were already on the other side.
I hope you liked this, the first update in five years. I really enjoyed writing it, so hopefully I'll have some more updates soon. Reviews are always appreciated, especially to see if people still like this (or are still even reading it!). Thanks!