Starburst Crystal Legend Twenty One – On the Big Rock Candy Desert Written by Nathan Created by Ardweden Yumi ran through the halls of St. Hebereke, weaving through clusters of gossiping girls. She bit her lip as she ran. She would not make it in time. The bell rang. Yumi burst into her classroom, and stopped in the doorway panting. "Yumi, could you have the decency to be on time?" Mrs. Okubo said, pointing to Yumi's desk. "Yes, Okubo-sensei," she stammered. Her cheeks burned as she spoke. She almost never was late for class. Yumi bowed and took her seat in the front of the class. The classroom looked different, yet enough aspects were similar to provide reassuring comfort that Yumi had finally returned to Japan. Posters and people stood in their proper places, even if their appearances different from Yumi's recollections. Much to her surprise, however, empty desks peppered the classroom. "As I was saying before we were interrupted, class, we have a new student," Mrs. Okubo said, gesturing to a familiar figure dressed in royal blue. "My name's Kyouji," he said, exuding charm. Yumi heard a couple girls swoon behind her. Her heart fluttered too. They let boys into St. Hebereke?! "Let's see, where shall we seat you?" Mrs. Okubo asked, ignoring the occasional "By me" shouted by the more excitable girls. Yumi sat still, hoping that fate (and Kyouji) would smile upon her. Her pulse raced. "Why don't you sit by Yumi?" Mrs. Okubo suggested. A collective groan greeted the suggestion. Mrs. Okubo ignored it, motioning for Kyouji to sit. Yumi turned to greet her new classmate, when a flash of green over Kyouji's shoulder caught her eye. Tsugiko glared at her, a green aura surrounding the hot-tempered young woman. Tsugiko's desk clattered to the floor as she stormed towards Yumi. "Tsugiko-chan, please, calm down," Yumi said, backing away from her roommate. "Yumi!" Tsugiko shouted. Yumi's eyes blinked. The classroom vanished, replaced by a simple yet elegant guestroom. Tsugiko shook her by the shoulders. A grim expression darkened Tsugiko's face. Yumi blinked once, twice, then screamed. She leaped away from her roommate, bouncing against the wooden headboard. Tsugiko stared at her friend. Yumi held a hand over her heart, taking deep breaths before she spoke. "I'm sorry, Tsugiko-chan. I just had a strange dream." "I'm sorry, but we need to get moving," Tsugiko said. She tossed a pink robe to Yumi. "Something's happened." The post-dream woozies cleared, replaced by a sinking feeling in Yumi's gut. "What?" "Goody burst in a couple minutes ago. He talked too fast for me to understand him, but he seems shaken up. Sounded like he said something about an explosion." "WHAT?!" Yumi said as she pulled the robe's belt tight. She winced. Not that tight. Tsugiko, also clad in a robe, grabbed her hammer from the convenient hook by the doorway. "I can't say for sure, but that's what I though I heard." Yumi snatched her wand from the nightstand. "C'mon, Tsugiko-chan, let's go!" The Warrior Priestesses ran through the halls, snaking around throngs of shocked Oompa Loompas. Sometimes an adult would console a weeping a child. Yumi passed by without stopping, as much as it pained her. She wished Tsugiko had learned more from Goody. For all she knew, someone could be hurt, even Kyouji. Yumi banished the thought as she ran. "Yumi, Tusgiko!" "Kyouji-san! Are you alright?" Yumi called. Kyouji and Twizzler stood at the end of the hallway. Somehow he had found time to change into his uniform. Twizzler, on the other hand, wore a red robe that revealed a fair bit of bosom. Yumi prayed Tsugiko would not notice. She could not think of a more inappropriate time for Tsugiko and Twizzler to fight. "We're fine." "What happened?" Tsugiko asked. She ran down the hall as she spoke with Yumi at her heels. "Kyouji, I'm scared," Twizzler said. She latched onto his arm, burying her head in his chest. Kyouji had the decency to look embarrassed. Yumi placed a hand upon Tsugiko's shoulders. Tsugiko turned around, and Yumi shook her head. Tsugiko glared at Yumi, before nodding. "Take a look," Kyouji said. He pointed into a room with his free hand. Yumi looked and gasped. The once majestic library was now a blizzard of paper, vellum, and parchment. Bookcases had been tossed about, often resting on different floors from where they first stood. The sound of paper ripping broke the silence. Occasionally, shredded paper fluttered from the upper floors. Wonka lay face down in the middle of the library, as teams of silent, sullen Oompa Loompas chased floating papers and moved bookcases. "Wonka, are you all right?" Yumi said. She ran towards him, wincing as the occasional paper tore under her feet. She knelt next to the old man. "I'm fine," he wheezed. He stood up. "I'll be fine. It's just a shock. The work of a lifetime- It's overwhelming." "What happened?" Tsugiko asked. "A tornado tore through here." Wonka's voice was weak, as though he had been stricken by a case of laryngitis. "Sure looks like it," Kyouji said, whistling at the damage. He had just walked in, all but dragging Twizzler with him. "Someone must have used magic or a device to create the winds that caused this," Wonka rasped. "I don't know why. The villagers have always left me alone." Twizzler cried out, trembling as she clung to Kyouji. "Who else could have done something like this?" Yumi said. Shock had faded to anger. "I don't know. I just don't know," Wonka said. He shook his head and sighed. "It will take weeks to put the library back in order, and the restoration effort-" "Um, Wonka, this might not be the best time to ask, but where was the map?" Kyouji asked. "In the li-brar-ry," he said. He sighed. "I'll have to take you to the cave myself." "Oh, there's no hurry. We can stay here and help," Twizzler said. "Nah, the Oompa Loompas can handle this by themselves. They've been working on the library for months. Thank you for the offer though." Wonka looked around. "Goody!" "Yes, Master Wonka!" "Have someone ready five Kudos," he said. Wonka frowned and crossed his arms. "Can they be ready in thirty minutes?" "Sure thing. I'll get on it right away." "Have someone else do it. I'll need you to lead our guests to the stables." "What's going on?" Yumi asked. "Well, we're all awake, and we'd just get in the way of the work. Besides, Tsugiko needs that ring so she can remake her crystal," Wonka answered. "Why don't we all get dressed and meet in my stables in a half hour? We might as well start while it's still cool outside." >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< The stables turned out to be a strange mix of zoo, aquarium, natural history museum, and stable on the grand scale of the library. Yumi wondered where Wonka found the space for his vast rooms. Probably underground. The complex did not look so grand from the outside, and certainly not capable of holding the array of creatures, some fantastic, others outright bizarre, that filled the stables. The Warrior Priestesses, Goody, and Twizzler walked past rows of large pens and aviaries and the occasional wall of glass tanks. Completed skeletons of monsters ad animals hung from the ceiling. "How much further?" Twizzler shrieked, hiding behind Kyouji. A cross between a tapir and a bear crashed against its wooden enclosure, snapping its jaws at the sorceress. "We're almost there," Goody said, ignoring the animal. "You said that after the one with the teeth and the one with the spines and the one..." "Aw, is widdle Twizzler afraid of the big nasty creature?" Tsugiko said, holding onto Kit Kat. "Shut it, Green!" Twizzler spun about, facing Tsugiko with clenched fists. The tapir-bear threw itself against the fence again. "Kyouji!" she shrieked. Twizzler hid behind the Knight Protector. Tsugiko stared at the cowering girl and smiled. "Could someone remind me why we brought her along?" She paused. "Oh, yeah, I forgot. Monster bait." "Tsugiko-chan, enough!" Yumi said. She turned away to avoid Tsugiko's accusing stare. "Please, try to keep up," Goody called out from further down the hall. "Sorry," all four teens said. They ran to catch up. The hall emptied out into a large open space. Wonka stood in the middle of five creatures, adjust bit, bridle, and saddle. Each animal looked like an ostrich-shaped lizard with a long neck ending in a spiky frilled wolf's head. "Oh, how cute!" Yumi said as the closest animal walked over and nuzzled her. "If you say so," Tsugiko said. She kept a close eye on the animal as her hand crept towards her hammer. "I see Peanut's taken a liking to you, Yumi," Wonka said. He leapt into the saddle of the tallest animal. Then, pointing to each animal in turn, he spoke. "The others are Butter, Chocolate, Chip, and this here's Raisin. They're short frilled Kudos." He patted Raisin's rump. "That's nice, but shouldn't we be leaving now? The cave's only an hour and a half away, and the sooner we start walking-" Kyouji began, stepping away from Peanut. "You could, but it would take you three days on foot. But if we use the Kudos we can reach the cave in ninety minutes. Maybe less if we make good time," Wonka said. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Yumi overheard Kyouji mutter. "Relax, Kyouji-san. It can't be as bad as you think," she said. Yumi climbed into Peanut's saddle, shifting about until she sat sidesaddle. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< "I think I'm going to be sore for a week," Kyouji groaned. He squirmed in the saddle. The Warrior Priestesses had quickly leaned that while Kudos were quick, efficient methods of transportation, the constant bouncing, jostling, and jarring took most of the glamour out of the ride. "Why don't you come with me, Kyouji? I wouldn't drag you along on some selfish quest,” Twizzler said, shooting a glare towards Tsugiko. She rode next to Kyouji, partially due to her inexperience riding. Twizzler's mount fought her at every turn. Yumi, however, quickly mastered the art of riding a Kudo. She slowed Peanut, drifting from her position by Wonka into the pack behind her. She grew tired of the constant bickering. Whenever Twizzler and Tsugiko grew near, tempers flared. In the beginning, Twizzler sought every opportunity to goad Tsugiko, who was now more than willing to return the favor. She missed Tsugiko's retort, but by the way Twizzler's face match her clothing, Yumi knew that her roommate had drawn blood. "Kyouji, come away with me. Stay with someone who appreciates you," Twizzler cooed. "Over my dead body," Tsugiko snarled. "Can we?" Twizzler perked up. "Y'know, Green, you don't appreciate Kyouji the way I do. I for one don't hit him." "I do not!" Tsugiko protested. Yumi rolled her eyes. Twizzler was right, as much as Yumi wished otherwise. "And my name's Tsugiko, not Green." Kyouji inched away from the fighting girls. A strained expression of confusion crossed his face. "You've hit him one, two, three, four times since I met you. None of them love taps either, not like you'd know anything about love. Whenever you get frustrated, you take it out on my Kyouji," Twizzler said, counting on her fingers. "And Green suits you. I think you're jealous of my relationship with Kyouji." "We have a relationship?" Kyouji wondered. "Why don't both of you think about how Kyouji feels instead of yourselves and this petty rivalry," Yumi shouted. Silence descended on the group. "She started it!" Tsugiko and Twizzler spoke in unison. Each girl pointed to the other. Yumi groaned. "What do you think, Kyouji-san?" But Kyouji had ridden away. "Kyouji! Wait for me!" Twizzler said. She spurred her Kudo, but the creature walked backwards. Tsugiko snickered and rode on. Yumi grabbed hold of Twizzler's reins. "If you treat Chocolate gently, she'll respond better." "I just think it doesn't like me." The two girls rode in silence. "You know, Miss Twizzler, you shouldn't antagonize Tsugiko-chan," Yumi began. "I'm not going to let her embarrass me in front of my Kyouji," Twizzler said. "Maybe if you-" "I'm not leaving my Kyouji alone with the Great Priestess of Violence," Twizzler said. "Tsugiko's a nice girl-" "Ha!" If she's so nice, why does she slap my Kyouji around so much? And what about yesterday? I made one mistake and she heckled me all day. I just hope Kyouji can see her for what she truly is," Twizzler argued. "Then I can have him to myself." Yumi opened her mouth to speak, then paused. "Never mind," she said, shaking her head. A light kick to Peanut's flank, and Yumi rode past Tsugiko and Kyouji, until she reached Wonka. "Finally got tired of the others?" Wonka asked, adjusting a leather pouch draped over his shoulder. Yumi sighed. "I thought so," Wonka said. "I can't help it. It's just..." She turned her head. "Complicated." "They'll keep at it until Kyouji makes a decision. Until then, it will be frustrating. But it's his choice, and I fear the wait will be difficult for you to bear," Wonka said. He laughed. "Pay no attention to the ramblings of an old man." He laughed again, then sighed, withdrawing unto himself. "Is something wrong?" Yumi asked. Wonka looked out to the horizon. "Can't you feel it?" "Feel what?" Yumi said. "You'll see soon. On top of the next hill," he said. His voice sounded distant, hollow. Then it softened until it was barely audible. "I would have thought you could." The group crossed the fool of the hill, beginning their ascent in merciful silence. Yumi closed her eyes and concentrated. What did Wonka mean? All she could fell was a slight...pressure in her stomach, but that could be anything. Where was Wonka leading them? The crest approached. Yumi sat as straight as she could, craning her neck. A few more strides, and on the top of the hill Yumi could see... White. A vast featureless plain of bleached bone white marred only by heat waves stretching from the foot of the hill to the horizon. She squinted as she looked. The glare was dreadful. "What is this?" Yumi asked. She shielded her eyes. "A dead land. Nothing lives here. All soil and water is gone. Only barren rock exists," Wonka said. He bowed his head, closed his eyes, and gestured, possibly to ward off evil. Yumi recoiled in shock. "You're kidding, right? I mean, it's not...who would do something this, this," she stammered, barely aware of similar reactions from her friends. "To sate her frustration over the unsuccessful attempts to obtain the ring Pop, Wintergreen denuded the land of all life. And when that did not please her, she destroyed the soil, until only rock remained." Wonka spoke in clipped tones, then his voice faded to a whisper. "She made war on the land itself." He bowed his head before riding off in silence. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Tsugiko gulped down the last remnants of her first canteen. Traveling on the polished rock slowed the band's progress, as did the heat that grew as the sun rose. Without the faintest hint of a breeze, time stopped, becoming an everlasting oven. The group drudged on, following Wonka's lead, too affected by the heat to speak. At least she did not have to listen to Twizzler's endless insults and attempts to impress Kyouji, thank Mars for small blessings. "How much longer?" she rasped to Wonka. "A few more minutes." A few more minutes? She had wandered about in the Mars-forsaken land for a year, or so it seemed. But a careful comparison of the sun's position revealed that they had only been in what Yumi described as a scar on Mars for the greater part of an hour. All this for a ring that may or may not restore her crystal. She wished for an easier, cooler, way to fix her crystal. Might as well wish to return home while she was at it. Tsugiko tried to remember as much as she could about Japan. Snow covered mountains. The sea. Swimming pools. Ice cream... But it was too hot to think, and her mind returned to two things, the heat and the endless journey. Tsugiko envied men. When it grew too hot, they could shed more clothes than women. She did not dare take off her jacket, for her clothes clung to her skin. "Why couldn't we have traveled at night?" Twizzler panted somewhere behind Tsugiko. "Would you rather have frozen to death?" Yumi said. The heat had affected her to a greater degree, or perhaps it was that empathic sense Yumi had developed. Not that it mattered. The heat was unbearable. "Frozen sounds good," Twizzler said. As much as Tsugiko hated to admit it, she agreed with Twizzler. "We're here," Wonka said. He slid off Raisin and watered her from a waterskin. Tsugiko sighed in relief as she dropped off her mount. She wobbled as she walked, her balance affected by the long ride. "I've got you," Kyouji said, supporting her with an arm around her waist. Tsugiko leaned against Kyouji until the world stopped swaying and a bit longer than necessary. A wide smile lit her face. "Kyouji!" Tsugiko slid, then fell off Kyouji's shoulder as Twizzler pulled the Knight Protector away. She stood up, wincing and rubbing her hip. There would be a nasty bruise for a few days. Tsugiko spun about, ready to tear into Twizzler. "Tsugiko-chan, come here!" Yumi called out. "Do I have to?" Tsugiko said, glaring at Twizzler. "Please, just come over here," Yumi insisted. Tsugiko walked towards her roommate. "What is it? Oh!" Tsugiko and Yumi stood at the lip of a sinkhole large enough to swallow the Gumdrop Palace. She knelt at the edge. The cave appeared as deep as it was wide. "The ring's down...there?" "It's only ninety meters deep," Wonka said. He circled the sinkhole, examining the ground. "Only," Tsugiko gulped. Something pushed against her backside, disturbing her balance. She looked down into the abyss and shouted. Yumi grabbed hold of Tsugiko's arm, steadying the green clad priestess. "Careful, Green. You might fall," Twizzler said as she walked away. "Over here. The stairs are over here!" Wonka shouted. He waved his arms. Tsugiko groaned. "Can't we leave her down there when we're done?" Yumi shook her head. "Tsugiko-chan..." "What? It's not like anyone would miss her if she's gone. Tell me the truth, would you miss that self centered brat?" Tsugiko asked, holding her roommate's gaze. Yumi pursed her lips. "Can we not talk about this now?" she said, pointing at Twizzler. "Right. The ring. As if I could forget," Tsugiko said as the girls walked over to Wonka. "I have illumination globes like the ones back at the lab inside this pouch. We'll be using them once we get to the cavern floor, but until then, these bracelets should suffice. They're faint, but there will be enough light to see as we walk," Wonka said as he handed each person a bracelet. Tsugiko examined hers. Someone had carved intricate designs into the clear crystal. As a piece of jewelry, it was an impressive piece. As a machine, well, if any of the stories Goody told her were true, something strange or embarrassing would probably happen. She shrugged, sliding it over her wrist. The bracelet shone with a faint gold glow. "Stay close. The stairs aren't steep, but they can get narrow at places," Wonka said. "What about the Kudos?" Yumi asked. "There's a side chamber halfway down that the old priests used to keep their animals at," Wonka said. He walked down the first steps. The steps were rough cut, hewn into the walls of the cavern at a gentle slope. Tsugiko was happy to be on her feet. She preferred walking to riding. Fewer body parts grew sore, and at least she could sit down after a long walk. Also, she was in the cave, a much colder place than the rock. She shivered, but it felt good. As the temperature dropped, nagging doubts crept into her mind. First, just what the hell was she doing here on Mars anyway? She never chose to come here, and after all the close calls and nearly losing Kyouji to that Peanut Brittle curse, she doubted she would have volunteered. What made her so special? Out of six billion people, why was Mars cruel enough to choose her? Was it design or an accidental resemblance to a past Warrior Priestess? They tied the Kudos to a stalagmite formation on a wide ledge some forty meters from the surface. The light had dimmed until only the diffuse glow from the bracelets surrounded the Warrior Priestesses and auxiliaries. "Tsugiko-chan, what's wrong?" Yumi asked, gripping the cavern wall. The stairs grew steep and slick as they descended. Tsugiko sighed. "I just have a lot on my mind," she said, keeping her voice low. Yumi squeezed Tsugiko's shoulder. "Don't worry, Tsugiko-chan, we'll find the ring and fix you as good as new." Tsugiko snorted. "It's not a sure fix, Yumi. It might not do anything." "But Wonka said that it's tied to Mars. Maybe it could tell you how to fix your crystal?" "What has the planet ever done to help me?" Tsugiko shouted. "Keep it down, Green," Twizzler said, covering her ears. The echoes passed. "I'm sorry, Yumi," Tsugiko said. "I didn't mean to yell. Maybe it's a waste of time to be here." "Even if it doesn't help you, it keeps the ring out of Wintergreen's hands. Surely that's not a waste of time?" Yumi said. "Only the pure in heart can touch the ring, or so Wonka said. It's safe from her now," Tsugiko said. "I'm sure that's what everyone said about the Starburst Crystal," Wonka said. The girls jumped. He had been quiet since they left the ledge. "What do you think will happen if Wintergreen gets her hands on the ring," Yumi asked. "Nothing at first, but if she can corrupt the ring, anything could happen. Maybe we'll see more stone deserts like the one we passed through." Tsugiko gulped. That was not comforting. "Why would she do something like that?" "Because she's an evil queen bent on twisting everything to her own will?" Twizzler chirped. "Sounds like a good enough reason for me." Wonka sighed. "Who knows for certain? Most of the records from Wintergreen's time have either vanished or been destroyed. All that remains is myth and legend. A thousand years can shroud the truth in rumor and conjecture." His voice faded. "Are you okay?" Yumi asked. "It seems like something's been bothering you. You've been awful quiet." "My library. It's my life's work. I doubt I'll be able to rest until I know the full extent of the damage," Wonka choked up. "I've been going over anything I can remember in case a volume was destroyed. I doubt I would have left my library if we could have found the map." "So, what were you thinking about?" Yumi asked. "We haven't had a chance to learn much about Mars, so maybe it could help us too." "Just a tale a wanderer long gone told me. He claimed to know Wintergreen's past, before she appeared in the Empire of Ghirradelli." Wonka chuckled. "Not that it meant much. Everyone on Mars has their own opinion on the matter, most of which are the usual tavern rumors. But his tale was different enough that I remembered it. "Many of the tribes on Mars are nature worshippers, with a few carrying their worship to their government. 'The king and the land are one. As the king fares, so fares the land,' was how he put it. This traveler claimed that Wintergreen came from such a people. "Long before her name became synonymous with evil, Wintergreen worked as a force for good, advising a king who only had his subjects’ interests at heart. But another advisor, one more capable than one so tremendously talented as Wintergreen, held the king's favor. She turned her talents away from helping her people to ruin her rival, who eluded every snare. "Eventually, the king grew old and lay on his deathbed. The priests had selected Wintergreen's rival as the next king, for kingship was not passed down by blood, but by Mars itself. Wintergreen heard of this, and acted. She framed her rival for the murder of the king and seized the throne for herself. "'The king and the land are one. As the king fares, so fares the land.' But in a realm where Mars approves the king, it works the other way as well. Since Wintergreen was not the chosen ruler, the land rebelled against her, sending fire, flood, famine, and disease upon the land. The people, fearing for their lives, expelled Wintergreen from the land. "The account grows hazy here. Apparently, she wandered for some time before her rise to power in the Ghirradelli Empire. However, he did say that her wars of conquest were driven by the burning desire to avenge herself against the people who expelled her and the planet who would not recognize her rule. He also claimed that Wintergreen had all the people and even the animals put to the sword before she salted the earth. Nothing can live in the once prosperous land anymore. "But why didn't Mars try to run her out of the empire?" Yumi spoke for Tsugiko as she asked Wonka. "I've often wondered the same, but the wanderer left before I could ask him." "Do you actually believe that?" Twizzler snickered. "I don't know. I haven't found anything to support it," Wonka said. He raised a braceleted hand, spilling light across the cavern floor. "We're here." Tsugiko peered into the darkness. "Where's the altar?" Wonka pointed. "Over there." "Uh, I can't see anything," Tsugiko groaned, watching as Wonka knelt down. To her surprise, light flowered along the general direction he indicated. The cave's floor was as flat and featureless as the land above, although the occasional stalagmite broken the topological monotony. Twizzler dashed ahead of the group in the direction of the light. "Where are you going?" Tsugiko shouted. "If I can get the ring first, it'll prove that I'm the better match for Kyouji," she shouted before vanishing behind a stalagmite. "Will she ever stop?" Tsugiko groaned. "Hey, has anyone seen the furball?" Kyouji asked. "I left him with the Kudos," Yumi said. Kyouji and Tsugiko stared at her. "He was sleeping...and I didn't want to disturb him." She shrank under their gaze. Kyouji drew his sword and stepped in front of the Warrior Priestesses. "Do you think that's necessary?" Wonka said, frowning. Kyouji nodded, his eyes darting about the cavern. "Hey! I found a tunnel!" Twizzler shouted. She waved her arms above her head, her bracelet casting strange shadows upon the cavern wall. "Why's she wasting our time?" Tsugiko said. "The tunnel probably doesn't lead anywhere." "It leads to the altar," Wonka said as he walked towards Twizzler. Tsugiko shook her head and followed. The tunnel's mouth measured around sixty centimeters tall and about twice that in width. Fortunately, the mouth opened at ground level. Wonka rolled an illumination globe into the opening. "Er, how long is it?" Yumi asked, backing away from the passageway. "Five meters," Wonka said. He glanced at the tunnel, standing up only after the light had faded. "I'll go first," Kyouji said. He sheathed his sword, before dropping to his knees, then his stomach. Tsugiko watched as first his head, then his body, and finally his shoes vanished inside the tunnel. "Wait for me!" Twizzler said, crawling after him. "Oh no," Tsugiko said. She dove for Twizzler, catching the other girl by her foot before dragging her out of the passage. "Wait until he's through." "Why should I listen to a jealous girl?" Twizzler said. She kicked free of Tsugiko's grasp. "Because Kyouji would need to back out if he could not go farther," Wonka said. "It's clear. Come on over," Kyouji yelled. "I'm coming, Kyouji!" Twizzler said, diving into the tunnel. Wonka followed, only after Twizzler called out her "all clear." "Would you like to go next?" Tsugiko asked Yumi. She slid the hammer off her back. There would not be room for it. Yumi looked ashen. She had crept away from the opening until Tsugiko was far closer to the hole. "I'll stay out here. After all, you aren't going to be long, right?" Tsugiko stared at her roommate. "Is something wrong?" "I'm just a bit...claustrophobic," Yumi whispered, huddling against a wall. She blushed as she spoke. "Who's next?" Wonka called out. "Don't worry, Yumi. We'll be quick," Tsugiko said, placing a hand on Yumi's shoulder. Yumi nodded, but chewed her lower lip. Tsugiko slid into the tunnel, taking great pains not to smack her head against the roof. She pulled herself through with her arms and legs. The crawl was not as bad as she had thought. Kind of cozy. No problem, no problem at all. She felt a quick tug on her skirt. She shrugged, then continued her crawl. Tsugiko shrieked as her skirt slid down her hips. "Tsugiko, are you all right?" Kyouji called out. "I'm fine," she stammered, groping about herself. Her cheeks burned as she spoke. She freed her skirt from a small rock, then crawled the rest of the length of the cavern with her skirt clenched tight about her. Kyouji knelt down and helped Tsugiko to her feet. "You okay?" "Yeah," Tsugiko said. She dusted her skirt off. "Yumi, you can come over now," he called through the tunnel. "I'll stay out here...and guard the tunnel," Yumi's voice echoed back. Kyouji frowned. "What's that?" Twizzler gasped, pointing to an irregular boulder of lapis rock. The rock moved as she spoke, expanding and contracting as parts slithered past each other. A closer examination revealed thick coils entwined about themselves. The coils parted, and a giant eyeless serpent's head poked through. "The altar," Wonka said, writing on a small piece of parchment. He looked up at the altar, then scribbled a bit more. "I thought you said there wouldn't be a vicious monster guarding it," Kyouji said. His eyes traced the head as it undulated through the room. "There's a field surrounding it. I doubt you could get near enough to attack it," Wonka said. "Now we can get the ring!" Twizzler chirped, running towards the altar. "Uh, Tsugiko, why's she helping you all of a sudden?" Kyouji whispered. His eyes never left the serpent-altar. "You'd know better than I would, Kyouji. We don't really talk," Tsugiko deadpanned. She too watched the altar. "Hey, it's not like we talked much before she snuck into my room last night," Kyouji said. His eyes widened. "She didn't stay- Ow!" Tsugiko removed her foot from his. She glared at the Knight Protector. "I didn't need to know that," she growled, resolving to lock Twizzler in her room when they returned. "Anything I should know about this?" Twizzler asked. She stood next to the stone serpent altar. The head of the serpent approached her, winding about itself, until it opened its mouth an arm's length away. "A stone ring? We came all this way for a stone ring? Why would Wintergreen want this?" She looked at Wonka, who searched through his leather pouch. "Hey, old man, aren't you listening to me?" "This is the first time I've been able to watch a person interact with the altar. This could be useful to my research," he said, pulling free another piece of parchment. Twizzler groaned. She reached for the ring in the serpent's mouth, but stopped. "It feels like I'm pushing against water," she said. She tried again, pushing through the invisible barrier. The air about the altar sparked, then turned bright orange. Twizzler shrieked as her hand was pulled through the barrier. The mouth closed, and the head dove between a set of coils. As the stone moved, the field intensified, then turned red. Twizzler flew backwards, screaming. She covered her ears as she ran, until she dove through the tunnel. The field shimmered orange, and vanished. "Interesting," Wonka said. "Why was this time different?" He scribbled furiously, then flipped the sheet over to write more. Tsugiko's heart fell. "You couldn't touch the ring?" If the man who saved the Oompa Loompas couldn't... Wonka shook his head. "I could never push through the field. It never came close to the light show when Twizzler tried." Tsugiko sighed. If the altar only allowed the pure in heart near its treasure and Wonka failed its test, how could she pass? The man was odd, but kind hearted and generous. Tsugiko had been the rebel back in Japan, and petty too, not to mention the lingering jealousy she felt towards Yumi. Add to this mess the fact that Twizzler brought out the worst in Tsugiko. Purity? Not by many standards, and definitely not by one that would exclude Wonka. "I think you should go first, Kyouji," Tsugiko said. "No," Kyouji answered, his attention split between the altar and the tunnel. "I think you need to. Call it a Knight Protector hunch." He smiled. Tsugiko groaned, staring at the altar. A thin bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. Her flaws probably allowed Wintergreen to crack her crystal, the sign of the planet's favor. If the crack meant that Mars lost faith in her... Once again, Tsugiko wished someone could tell her why her crystal fractured. Maybe then she would be able to put her fears to rest instead of wallowing in conjecture and worst case scenarios. "Tsugiko?" Wonka asked. "Are you ready?" "No," Tsugiko sighed. "Might as well get it over with." She stepped towards the altar. The serpent's head slithered out of the coiled mass. Tsugiko stared, watching as it approached. The head tilted to one side, as if the eyeless face were examining her. The jaws opened just out of reach, revealing rows of glistening red teeth, waiting. Tsugiko reached towards the mouth. Her hand stopped as it hit the magical field. Twizzler was right, it did feel like water, but firmer. The field turned orange, and it drew her hand inside the field. Tsugiko pulled away from the field, but it resisted. "Hey, let go," she said. But where the field once felt like water, it now felt like concrete. The serpent's head grew close. Tsugiko stared. A stone tongue flickered out, tasting the air. "Greetings, you who have the favor of Mars," a voice spoke inside her head. "But you smell also of Wintergreen's corruption. Yet she does not control you? How is this?" Tsugiko cried out in surprise. "Did anyone else hear that?" she asked, but no sound came forth. “Tsugiko...” Kyouji said. He drew his blade, hovering close to the stone statue. “Interesting. Telepathic communication,” Wonka said. “And I wish you wouldn’t do that all the time,” he said to Kyouji. "Explain this mystery to me," the voice said. Tsugiko gasped. The head had spiraled around her body, surrounding her in a loose helix of serpent's body. The watery feel of the field surrounded Tsugiko's body. She trembled, her eyes frantically darting between the coils, the head, and the tunnel. "A Warrior Priestess? But not the one from before, yet you do resemble her." The serpent's head drew level with Tsugiko's, giving the frightened girl the notion that the stone creature was staring at her. "That explains the planet's favor." The watery feeling settled upon Tsugiko again. "So you too are a victim of Wintergeen's evil. The taint comes from that cracked crystal in your forehead. Why do you want the ring Pop?" "My friends and I hope it can help us remake my crystal so we can defeat Wintergreen," Tsugiko answered. "Then it is yours, because you will avenge the land," the voice intoned. The serpent slithered backwards, freeing Tsugiko from its coils. The mouth opened, revealing a plain stone ring carved into an endless knot. Tsugiko took the ring from the mouth. She backed away from the altar. "Let's go, please." >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Yumi sighed as she slid down the cavern wall. "How much longer?" she groaned. She twisted Wonka's bracelet about her arm all the way eyeing the tunnel mouth. "Oh, come on, Yumi," she said. "You've faced Wintergreen and a score of monsters, crossed that stone desert without fainting, and managed to be first in your cram school. It's only a tunnel, a tight, cramped, uncomfortable tunnel..." A high pitched shriek interrupted her. Yumi sighed. More relationship problems, no doubt. Since Twizzler first tagged along, civility had vanished, especially since Tsugiko insisted on answering her challenges. Not that Yumi could blame her. Poor Kyouji, stuck between those two. Yumi hoped Tsugiko had not hit Kyouji again. If she was not careful, she might drive Kyouji towards Twizzler. She sighed again, a common occurrence since the others left. Twizzler was a bad match for Kyouji. Way too possessive. Not healthy at all. Too bad Tsugiko saw him first. "Now's not the time for that," she sighed, closing her eyes. After all, Wintergreen was ruining Mars at every opportunity. Riding through the barren land reminded Yumi why she fought. She suspected that Tsugiko just wanted to go home, and Kyouji, well, ever since Twizzler came, it was impossible to get near him for anything other than a casual greeting. She did not know Kyouji well. By what seemed like an unspoken agreement, no one talked about Japan, only Mars. While Yumi had a decent grasp of his personality, she knew next to nothing about his past or his interests other than girls (Yumi had seen the way he looked at Tsugiko and her when he thought they weren't looking). She knew more about Tsugiko, having roomed with the girl, but recent events showed her how little she really knew about her roommate. She sighed again. Not like she would get to know him better. She was too busy playing peacemaker to talk much with her fellow Warrior Priestesses. That would end, though. The constant bickering was unhealthy. Kyouji needed to choose soon. Maybe, just maybe, he would choose her. Twizzler bolted out of the tunnel, screaming at the top of her lungs. Yumi leapt to her feet and chased the frightened girl. "Miss Twizzler, what's wrong?" Yumi asked. She wrapped her arms about the frightened girl, wincing as Twizzler clawed at her arms. Twizzler blinked. "It's...gone? It's gone!" She laughed, then slumped against Yumi. Yumi lowered Twizzler to the floor. "What happened?" Yumi’s pulse raced, but not because of her earlier thoughts. Twizzler just shivered. "Shhh..." Yumi cooed. "It's over. Whatever it was, it's gone. You're safe now." "Oh, I very much doubt that, Warrior Priestess," a voice boomed from the shadows. "We still have some unfinished business from the Gumdrop Palace." "Riesen," Yumi said. Her breath hissed as she inhaled. "I just came by to give you the same greeting your furball gave me. Some friends of mine want to meet their new chew toy," Wintergreen's lieutenant called, stepping into the light. He led four Tridents as he walked. Twelve heads focused on Yumi, with the occasional flame bursting from a lupine mouth. Yumi screamed. Author's notes (or the musical portion of the show): One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them- Whoops, wrong story. Anyway, my apologies on the cliffhanger. Time just ran out on me. This was a blast to write, even the sections that were difficult, and those were many. Thanks go out to Jesse, for telling me exactly why I needed to kill one of my writing darlings, Capfox, for prereading, and Ard, for giving me an extension and offering to preread. “On the Big Rock Candy Desert” is a play on the “Big Rock Candy Mountain” song found on the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack. As always, comments and criticism are encouraged, even welcome, either on the Impro board or at Achariyth@aol.com. Fire away. I’m out.