The First Storm

Episode XXXII

The Wisher Games

Sakura sighed in happiness as she and her new friends were allowed out of the hospital a few days after the battle and they stepped outside into the fresh air. The hospital is situated in this beyond huge castle but has its own entrance and exit, and they wanted to go outside before they get rooms.

Minako had been to see the eye specialist and was beyond happy to report that she will soon be able to see properly. They had even had a short send off for Luna, the familiar that was killed though the girls wanted to wait for Serena they didn't know when they'll next see her.

"Hey girls, and Julian…!" Rose chimed in happiness startling them all as she was floating upside down above them wearing some creamy shorts and a tight tee shirt but no shoes or socks.

"Hey I'm a boy too you know!" Kero said shaking his little fist with a tick mark on his forehead.

"Umm…" Rose made a nose of condescension. "Well, anyway girls, you want to play a game?" she asked hopefully.

They all nodded in agreement. "Sure, this will keep our minds off things. It beats watching our friends sleeping," Will agreed for her friends old and new, being the only team leader here (other than Sakura but she does things mostly alone) had been taking charge.

"OK," she said grinning. "If you win, I'll grant you one wish!"

"Anything?" asked Rini hopefully, she got a nod. "Even if I wish for Serena…?"

"You name it it's yours," she replied before quickly continuing. "As long as it's not for immortality, eternal youth, or the destruction of any world or person… oh, and you can't be king or queen of anywhere either."

"So what are the rules?" asked Hay Lin eagerly. However, she grimaced as Rose gave her a look and sighed rolling her eyes. "I know, I know… you can't bring back the dead either. I know that's impossible, I have another wish silly."

"OK…" she said smirking in amusement. "The first to fly without wings wins."

"WHAT!" they all screeched out in shock.

Rose giggled and shook her head. "Only joking, that could take months," she laughed in happiness.

"Excuse me Miss. Rose," Julian interrupted. "But Kero and I do not need to participate as that would give Sakura an unfair advantage."

"Then I shall make my leave to," Artemis agreed as he hopped up into Julian's arms and the three left them to their games.

"Ah… that's better," Rose giggled before smirking. She clicked her fingers and everyone caught a notepad each looking confused. "It will write the name of everyone you kiss. You have three hours to kiss on the lips as many people as you can. It just has to be a peck, but if you want to go straight in with tongue I don't mind. You can ask the person or you can just jump them. The book with the most kisses wins."

Most of the girls were blushing deeply as they looked at each other but Irma with a small blush spoke. "What if we draw?" she asked with a cheeky grin on her face.

"Then I'll grant all your wishes," she said smilingly. She knew what the girl was going to try selling to the others.

"The rules don't say it has to be boys," Irma said smugly. "So if we each kissed one person from this group we'll each get a wish," she said smugly, which surprisingly brightened the others though they blushed.

"Why don't you give it a try then," Rose said too smugly for their tastes.

"OK Will, front and centre!" Irma demanded and the red head embarrassedly moved to her and without any hesitation Irma's lips pressed gently to hers. They kissed, their lips moving in perfect tandem, and Irma had even licked Will's lips before they breathlessly pulled back blushing as the other girls just stared at them.

Will looked at her first page and Irma's name was on it with a red strike through it with a note saying other contestants don't count. "Y-you tricked us!" both girls complained to the giggling red head as she now sat in the air cross-legged while other girls laughed too.

"Kissing boys or girls count. However, no boy over seventeen," she said in thought. "There are a lot more girls here, and some of them will probably agree to the kiss it you ask. Also, it isn't limited to humans, just those who can talk. You can team up and share the wish if you want or try to draw by hitting the same people together! Your time starts… NOW!" she said and they all started as their books now had digital countdown timers.

She then giggled as she faded away to watch the show. The girls all looked embarrassed as they look at their pads but each of them have a wish they would like granted, and if they have to make fools of themselves then so be it.

"I don't really have a wish," Minako said to Sakura. "Maybe we could team up and try to get one each though?" she suggested feeling bad that Sakura doesn't have a really good friend to play the game with.

Sakura blushed and nodded her head. "Thanks… that would be great. I don't think I would have the guts without help!"

0oo00oo0

"Rose?" asked Ginny smiling as she found her in her/his very own stupidly huge office sitting behind her desk no doubt not doing anything productive, and looking at the computer monitor she gave her a sheepish grin as it had a radar map on it with little dots and names, and she noticed a handheld tablet had just finished loading up a program. "Why have you… why are you…"

Rose giggled as she shutdown her computer and got the map working on her palmtop. "I figured they needed something fun to do, and that a wish won't hurt if I can grant it. After all they need the incentive."

Ginny sighed shaking her head and rolling her eyes as she gave her girl a loving kiss on the lips. "And if they wish for something like more power?"

Rose grinned smugly. "More power will leave them sore of an evening because I hear the Amazon chicks are up for training some of our weak little witches," she said giggling evilly.

Ginny grimaced before laughing. "That would be totally evil!" she said stifling her giggles. "Though, it would be really funny and take their minds off things," she said. "I hope you have one of those things for me?" she asked hopefully as Rose passed her the one she had and pulled out her own from her pocket.

"Of course, I was going to come and bring it to you," she said smilingly. "This is going to be so much fun… look! Will and Irma have stumbled across the Lagoon… ah well, that's what they get for exiting through the hospital without forewarning, and lucky those books are proofed from the elements."

"Yeah, well, I'm going to go and save their innocents," Ginny said rolling her eyes but looked highly amused anyway. "Those mergirls can be a lot to handle."

"Have fun," Rose said as they stole a kiss from each other and disappeared in swishes of white light.

0oo00oo0

Sakura was feeling really embarrassed as she and Minako entered the strangely giant castle that seemed to go on forever stalking their first victim. It was Minako's idea to just jump the person… well as long as they're attractive, but neither knew where to find anyone. At least they had been told about the Gates for travelling around Dragonspear.

"Oh, hey!" they were startled as a copper haired girl came skipping down the stairs they hadn't noticed to their right. "I'm Vanille, are you girls lost?"

"I-I'm Sakura," she introduced herself.

"And I'm Minako," she also introduced herself. She could just tell this girl didn't really need jumping. "We're competing against our friends for a wish from Rosette, which means we have to get kisses from either girls or boys," she said straight to the point hoping she'll oblige.

"Oh," Vanille said with a grin. "Sure I'll kiss you both," she readily agreed. "But don't think just asking will always get you a kiss. After this I'll come help hold some girls and guys down," she said in happiness as she leaped forward and gave Sakura her first ever real kiss, and it wasn't half bad she silently thought before Vanille pulled back grinning before she gave Minako the same treatment.

0oo00oo0

"I hate the sewer!" Serena complained to the Slayer and witch as Daren pulled her alone. It stunk and the water felt disgusting as they wadded through it. They had just sent the other four Slayers away to safety as one of them was seriously hurt in the last battle.

The only reason they hadn't left too is because two of the Slayers companions had left and they hadn't returned yet and neither would leave without them, so Serena and Daren being saps wouldn't leave either.

Though, she had some giggles as Buffy mocked Daren's choice of super costume, and she has little doubt he'll be wearing something new in the future.

"Yea… well we don't like it either," Buffy whined rolling her eyes as Willow was lighting their path through the filth with magical glowing orbs. "We offered to send you to your friends but you wanted to stay and help."

"We couldn't just leave you," Daren said with a sigh. "You saved our lives, it's the least we could do. Though, I do have to wonder what happened to the Black Moon Clan and why they haven't tried capitalising on our weakening."

"They're probably dead," Willow said shocking the two. "I mean… they may have resisted The First, so The First got rid of them just like its trying to get rid of us because The First considered them a threat!"

"Just great…!" Serena complained. "My enemy gets destroyed by my enemy! That isn't as good as it sounds."

"Finally thinking, huh Meatball Head?" Daren asked laughingly.

Serena just glared and pointed to her head. "No more meatballs doofus!" she said angrily. "Or do you want to meet the Lunar Demon Blade first hand?" she asked fingering the quad-blade on her back.

Daren grimaced and shook his hands in defence. "Whoa… n-no thanks… that thing is dangerous!" he said whimpering. "You're not a weak little Princess anymore are you?"

Serena just turned her head away and sighed. "All those times I fought those Dark Kingdom, and Black Moon guys… they weren't… if I had to fight them now. I would kill them with ease! The Moon Kingdom is gone Daren! So what's a Princess without a Kingdom?"

"You know, we don't know what you're taking about!" Buffy interrupted in annoyance. "If you're going to talk about something please do so if you think we're in the loop. Its hard trying to decipher your code..."

0oo00oo0

"S-say what…?" Hay Lin asked as she was with Rini and Makoto and the three of them had tried to jump some unsuspecting blonde girl outside, but now looking at her she has powerful looking muscles wearing strange armour and they hadn't seen the huge sword because she had been leaning on it.

They also hadn't noticed the other three older women with smaller swords on their hips near now glaring with swords drawn. It was a bit of a bad situation as Rini hid behind Hay Lin.

"You heard me girls!" the blonde girl spoke in a regal tone and accent. "I accept your challenges for a duel. Who dares face my might first? I am Amethyst! Princess of the Amazons…!"

Hay Lin and Makoto looked at each other wondering whether this girl was crazy over exaggerating her words so much. "W-we don't want to challenge you," Hey Lin was quick to say. "I-its just we're in the middle of a competition, see," she showed her notepad. "A-and… if we kiss more people than the others, a-a powerful girl named Rosette said she'll grant us a wish!"

"A wish…!" the Amazon girl said quietly to her self in thought. "I know of this Rosette girl of which you speak. She has bested me in combat. Very well, if only one of you can best me in combat I will grant each of you this kiss. However, if you lose I shall take one of these kiss logs so that I might claim this wish by winning this competition!"

"OK!" Makoto said bravely as she stepped forward she pulled out a weird pen. "Star Prism Power!" she called out and Hay Lin watched in awe as the girl lit up with different colours before she was wearing a weird but cute uniform in green and white. "Do I get a sword?" she asked hopefully.

"Try this one," interrupted another blonde, though this one is older and only having two guards looked amused as she threw a beautiful curved katana sword and it landed at Sailor Jupiter's feet. She pulled it from the ground and couldn't help but notice how well crafted it is. She took kendo at school so knows how to use a sword, but she had never actually fought with a real one.

"Mother, why do you interfere?" Amethyst demanded as Makoto prepared for a fight.

The older woman just smirked. "I figured it would be nice to grant her a weapon she will be more familiar with. After all, you don't want rumour to spread that you only won because your opponents were not well equipped do you?"

"Of course not!" she growled out facing her opponent. Hay Lin was quick in grabbing Rini and moving her off to the side lines with who by her guess is the Queen of the Amazons. "What is your name, girl!"

Makoto growled herself. "I am Sailor Jupiter, Makoto Kino!" she growled as the Queen called 'fight!' she charged, annoyed with this girls arrogance. She knows what this girl will wish for. It will be selfish, so she won't let her have the wish!

0oo00oo0

Ginny couldn't help but laugh as she carried Will and Irma to safety after the make out session with a couple of randy mergirls they were unfortunate enough to meet tried molesting them, at least they have a name each in their logs now.

She placed down both soaking girls still giggling as she clicked her fingers they were blown dry so they stopped glaring at her. "That was not nice…" Will groaned. "T-those mermaids tried to drown us with their saliva!"

Ginny rolled her eyes still chuckling. "You aren't going to win the competition if you can't deal with a few mergirls playing. They didn't mean any harm. They just liked you both a lot!"

"W-wait… you're a person," Irma said as her smile returned. "We haven't kissed you…" she trailed off as Ginny's lips first caught hers and then Will's straight after, and she used tongue too.

She smirked as she pulled back from the breathless girls. "The names Ginny and I think it might be fun to help you out."

"Really…?" Will asked hopefully, and getting a nod as she got over the kiss. "That's great, thanks… I don't want another near death experience anytime soon if I can help it!"

Ginny laughed as she pointed to their books. They were curious so took a peak and were surprise to see that the mergirls names were in black with a times one next to them. However, Ginny's name was in green with a times four next to it.

"I… I don't get it…" Irma said looking confused.

Ginny smirked smugly. "You see… the better the person you get a kiss from the higher the grade. It's a secret rule Rose didn't mention. It's that low because I didn't resist and gave you the kisses. If you managed to take the kiss it would have been about eight at least, but it was only four because of my power."

"So if we take a kiss from a strong fighter we'll get a higher score?" asked Will eagerly, she got a nod. "So we either go after many small fries or go after someone who will fight us and then we kick their butts?"

"Exactly," Ginny agreed smilingly. "And as far as I know you're the only ones who know this so far."

"So we have the advantage," Irma said smirking. "And with you Ginny… you can lead us to the big bosses!"

"Okidoki," she agreed smilingly. "Oh, I know of some girls that will fight you," she said running off into the woods with them hot on her tail.

They didn't have time to stop to watch some blonde girl sword fighting with Makoto as Ginny failed to care much about it, but they did have to duck or lose their heads. Then they carried on chasing after Ginny.

Makoto slid back as she and the Amazon girl glared at the retreating backs of the three girls that just ran by before returning focus. They clashed sword on sword, strike on strike, and neither girl giving an inch. The Amazon Princess was reluctantly impressed.

Rini smirked as she snuck up on the queen. However, just as she was about to jump her, the queen picked her up and gave her a motherly kiss on the lips, smirking. Rini pouted as the woman held her, but relaxed as she continued to watch the fight, not realising the queens name was written green with a times three next to it.

"Here we are," Ginny said smiling at her new found friends as they entered an awing village of beautiful tree-houses. However, not one had a step-ladder or anything. However, they could see the beautiful silver haired girls and women up above.

"Hey Ginny…!" Sirius called from up on one of the bridges leading from one huge tree to the other before hopping on a broom and flying down.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny asked with suspicious eyes.

He just shrugged sheepishly. "Umm… well," he chuckled nervously. "You see… Harry kid…"

"Ginny?"

She looked up and groaned to see her eldest brother Bill come flying down with his wife straight after. "Did Harry kidnap you two without telling me?" she asked with a sigh.

"Well, kind of…" he agreed chuckling. "He also kidnapped Gabrielle, but she's at the castle somewhere. Fleur wanted to visit the Veela village, and Sirius tagged along too… who are your friends?"

"Oh, Will and Irma," she answered. "Will, Irma, this is Sirius… my boyfriends' godfather, and Bill my brother, and Fleur, my brother's fiancée."

"Umm… nice to meet you," Irma said looking them over.

"What are you three doing here anyway?" Bill asked after a moment.

Ginny grinned. "These two are in a competition for a wish," she said smirking. "They have to claim as many kisses as they can so they're here to fight a Combat ready Veela chick to earn high kiss points!"

"You brought them here to get their bottoms kicked?" Fleur asked looking sorry for the girls.

Ginny rolled her eyes shaking her head. "I wouldn't have brought them if I didn't think they could do it."

Fleur leaned in closer to them causing them to shift uneasily. "Well… they do seem a lot stronger than the average human girl. Well, I suppose you'll just have to challenge them and find out whether you have what it takes."

0oo00oo0

Sakura was huffing and puffing for breath with red cheeks as Windy held their prey. He was tough to catch, but not as whiny as the girl he was with.

"Taloph and Dawn…!" Vanille cackled in glee as she cuddled Artillery, the little creature finding the whole thing amusing.

Minako smirked smugly at their captured prisoners. "We're going to kiss you both now," she said sing song as one after the other Sakura and Minako kissed them both quickly on the lips before the wind card dispelled dropping them to the floor.

They quickly looked at their log books to find a surprise. The logs had both names in green with times two's. This made them realise that fleers gave them extra marks. So what would happen if someone actually fought them?

0oo00oo0

"S-so a wish?" the twelve year old white haired green eyed girl asked as she stood with Rose looking around the Entrance Hall in awe after she had a medical exam. She looked tired and ready to fade from the world but at Rose's grin and nod she clutched the little log book close to her chest. "Then I'm not going to lose. I can't lose!"

"Good for you girl," she said smilingly. "Now I've even told you rules I hadn't hold the others since you're starting late."

The girl smirked and before Rose could blink their lips were connected for a quick kiss. The girl's smirk widened as she floated for a moment looking at her log. She grinned outright as it read Rose Trance in green with a times ten next to it.

"YES… now I'm getting somewhere," she said in eagerness before flying off and phasing through a wall out of sight.

Rose sighed shaking her head with a smile. "Well, I'll give you that one. You need the wish more than them," she said shaking her head feeling sad for the girl but she knows it doesn't really matter too much.

Watching the raging battles the girls got themselves into was quite amusing. Makoto managed to transform her powers for battle into a simple green and white modern battle kimono, transforming the sword she was gifted with into a long gold katana bound in white with a green sheaf in her left hand, which was capable of blocking attacks. She and the Amazon both looked the part.

That was quite the amusing battle and Makoto won by fluke, but the princess reluctantly gave the three girls their prize before Rose found herself watching Will and Irma fighting a Veela each. The match wasn't as fascinating as the last but both Irma and Will leant a lot about fighting a decent opponent one on one.

Rose followed the girls all over the place to watch as sometimes the boy or girl tried running away they were captured in the end. Hermione was the most vocally against her kiss from Raye and Ami as she and Connor were found 'studying' something together.

The eight new Slayers to the island didn't stand a chance as Sakura and Minako found them in the hospital and got a good two points for each of them.

However, it was the amusing white haired girl jumping both Vanille and Ginny when their teams had bumped into each other. She had been pleased that in total for them she got twelve points.

Rose waited for a guide to bring each girl to the courtyard cross legged and floating, waiting for them. They each handed over their logs and she smiled as she saw the winners.

"Well, Sakura and Minako are the winners," she said pleased for them.

However, the white haired girl went wide eyed with horror. "No… pleased," she begged. "Please, just ten more minutes, I can get way more kisses."

"Sorry Dani," she replied regretfully while the girl had tears leaking from her eyes.

"What was… your wish?" Sakura suddenly asked looking heartbroken as the younger girl sobbed.

Rose sighed stroking her hair from her face. "Dani is a clone, and she was growing unstable. She would have been gone in a few hours."

"Y-your just going to let her?" asked Will in horror.

Rose shrugged with a grin stretching her lips. "I offered the same chance you had. I even let her take a kiss from me to give her a ten point advantage, and she lost. It was really close too… two more points and she would have actually won."

"T-then I'm pulling out," Minako said without hesitation or doubt.

Rose just laughed as Dani looked hopeful. "Well, Sakura, that means you're the winner."

"No," she said shaking her head in defiance. "I can't have the wish if it means someone has to die."

"OK then, Dani wins," Rose said shrugging in amusement as the white haired girl looked so hopeful. "Though, I'm surprised you haven't noticed that you were… 'repaired' while you were having the medical tests. It was just a matter of stabilising your spectral and human imbalance. After all, everything needs a balance."

Their eyes all widened and she shrugged. "Hey, I'm not a bitch you know. So what is your wish Dani?"

"B-but you already," she said as she realised she hadn't ever felt this good before. "I… I don't need it… but… I've… always wanted to have a party?" she asked hopefully. "T-that way, we can all enjoy it."

Rose grinned and ruffled her hair. "A party it is then squirt."

0oo00oo0

"BEN!"

He was startled as he dodged this swarm of icky green, black and grey bug things. So, this swarm is seriously huge, and the bugs are bigger than him. They're like a cross between a cockroach and wasp. They even have the annoying buzz down, but these things have some kind of straw/stinger on their noses. It almost made him vomit as he saw one suck some poor old man dry leaving him as a dead almost mummified corpse.

It was lucky he, his cousin and Kevin his best friend were out late this evening when they came across this commotion. The brown haired, green eyed sixteen year old grit his teeth wondering what these things are and what they want.

"Shit!" he whined as he had to roll out of the way from being bug-slushy. He raised his left wrist where a white and green watch was strapped with a black square on top with green marks making it look like an hourglass. He activated it and circled through the different green holograms until touching one.

In a burst of green light he transformed into a green vine man/monster with the watches symbol on his chest. "SWAMPFIRE!" he called out shooting some huge flames that caused the bugs to screech out in pain as they turned round to escape. Though, most in his fire were burnt to death.

He stopped firing and was breathing heavily as he realised he had just killed countless aliens. However, they started it and he needs. He grit his teeth in anger and concern as he saw Kevin in rock form getting pounded by more bugs, and Gwen his red haired green eyed cousin holding up a pink shield that they kept crashing into to weaken it.

Therefore, he rushed to her aid blasting bugs before they all swarmed him, he span shooting flames, incinerating bug after bug. It was moments later that Gwen was covering him in her shield.

"These things keep coming," Swampfire was saying when he saw something through the swarms he didn't want to see. That look will forever haunt him as he watched his best friend finally lose.

He looked to Gwen and grimaced as he knew she saw. "XLR8!" he cried out as he became a black and blue serpent like creature seemingly standing on wheels, a face plate hiding his expression as Gwen let her shield drop as she looked sick.

XLR8 grabbed Gwen, holding her bridle style, and with a burst of speed they were gone. The bugs could tell which way but they had no real way of keeping up with them.

Ben didn't go home. He had a weird feeling they were after them and he would always protect Gwen first and foremost. He knew if he ever told anyone (especially her) that he feels this way he'll get weird looks, and people calling him a freak, (well, other than the alien thing). Its not his fault he's grown so attached to her is it? He remembers when they didn't get along, and wishes he could feel more like that, but try as he might he can't.

He only stopped running when his Omnitrix ran low on energy and turned him back. He still held his cousin as she started sobbing in his arms before sitting down on a bench with her in his arms, cuddling her soft form, holding her, stroking her beautiful red hair, and keeping her close to his chest.

Ben cared… about Kevin sure, but he had never liked the thought of Gwen liking him that much. Though, he knows they had never worked as a couple they were all still close friends.

He looked at his watch and sighed as he stroked a certain panel getting up a green holo-screen. It was seconds later that a large old man came into view looking surprised and pleased to see him.

"Grandpa, Max," he said before the old man could speak, holding in the lump in his throat. "Kevin's dead and I took Gwen and ran away!"

"Where are you?" he was quick to ask, worry now etched on his face.

Ben looked around. He realised he was in a park and found a sign. "Umm… well, this sign says Amity Park park, so I guess some place called Amity Park," he said holding Gwen tighter as she clawed at his jacket whimpering. "I… I just took Gwen and ran… there were so many of these… these bug monster things. I… I couldn't risk losing Gwen too."

"I understand," Max said with a soft understanding smile. "According to my GPS, I'm just an hour away. So don't you worry, we'll sort this out in the end like we usually do."

"Thank you," Ben muttered as he hung up the communication before looking at Gwen. He brushed away her tears as she had fallen into near silent sniffles. "Come on Gwen, where's the strong independent hellfire girl that I… umm… I mean that we all love so much. Crying is fine, but not when you could get hurt to. I can't… I won't lose you too."

She looked at him and nodded as she took a few shaky deep breaths and sat up on his lap but refused to move. "Thanks Ben," she said with a wobbly voice, she kissed his check causing him to blush. "T-those things were just too much."

He smiled as he held her. "Grandpa Max will be here in an hour or so Gwen," he said with a sad smile. "He'll know what those things are, and how we can destroy them."

She smiled softly and snuggled into his arms. "I… I don't think you've ever really held me like this before," she commented with light pink checks. "It's… its nice to have someone care about me so much Ben… thank you," she said quietly as her exhaustion over came her and she drifted off to sleep.

Ben chuckled lightly and before he could chicken out he leant in and kissed her lips ever so softly afraid he would wake her. "I love you," he whispered so quietly he wasn't sure anyone could have heard.

However, in her hazy sleepy mind Ben's word's echoed loudly causing her a small smile in the real world, a smile Ben hadn't noticed.

To Be Continued…