Last time on The Starburst Crystal:

	A horn blast cut through the night air. As one, the Warrior Priestesses 
peered out at Wintergreen's camp. Men scrambled in and out of tents, grabbing 
pikes and whatever weapons and armor they could carry. A sentry pointed to a 
space further to the left of the Warrior Priestesses. 

	Mallo's rabbit-horse-riding knights rode into view in a line thirty-
wide. Like Mallo, their armor glistened in the sunlight. Each held a thick 
lance ready for the attack, with swords strapped to each knight's back. Mallo 
rode in the center of the line. Unlike his knights, he held his lance in the 
air. 

	When the knights were two hundred meters from Wintergreen's soldiers, 
Mallo's lance fell forward into a forty-five degree angle. The knights spurred 
their mounts to faster speeds, but not to the full charge lest a ragged line 
ruin the shock of the attack. Wintergreen's troops finished the flanking 
lines, and the last soldiers from the camp scrambled to finish the fourth line 
of the infantry square, a defensive formation almost completely impervious to 
attack by cavalry alone. The rabbit-horses would not charge into a mass of 
pikes. Instead, they would flow around the square like a stream around a rock. 
A stalemate would occur, unless one side or another added archers to either 
formation. However, if the knights could ride inside the hollow square before 
it was finished, the entire formation would break apart, allowing the knights 
to ride down most of the infantry in a medieval turkey shoot. 

	At fifty yards, Mallo's lance dipped again. The knights worked their 
mounts into a frenzy, causing the beasts to thunder across the ground towards 
the almost-finished square. A shrinking gap in the line existed, large enough 
allow the knights inside, if the knights could ride fast enough. 


>o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o<

Starburst Crystal: Legend 41 - Sweetness of Villainy
			Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bottle Pops
	Written by Grysar
	Created by Ardweden
 
>o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o<


	Kyouji nodded as he saw the Knights of the Sparkling Elite successfully 
penetrate the pike men's formation.  On that signal, the Crystal Warriors 
rushed into the military camp.  Their target was obvious: a central house-
sized tent that certainly held the Bottle Pops.  Fortunately, if Kit Kat's 
guidance was correct, it was also the home of the stolen Crystal Shard.  It 
was truly kind of the opponent to store both objectives in a single, now 
unguarded, location.

	Even so, Kyouji was cautious, he was the Knight Protector and he would 
be negligent to let his guard down in such a dangerous place.  However, he was 
increasingly confident.  After all, this was not the first time he and the 
Warrior Priestesses had raided an enemy camp and, as the attack by the 
Sparkling Elite had cleared out the sentries, the task should be child's play.

	Nonetheless, a sense of foreboding began to mar his confidence, and it 
grew worse as he raced towards the center of the camp.  The large tent was no 
more than twenty-five yards away, and was again clearly visible over the tops 
of the ubiquitous four-man tents.  The Crystal Warriors were almost upon the 
small clearing that surrounded the garish orange and purple central tent, when 
Kyouji began to feel a clear sense of danger.  The feeling had grown all too 
familiar since arriving on Mars and was one that he would not ignore.

	The Knight Protector motioned for the group to halt and slowed himself 
to duck into one of the smaller tents.  Unfortunately, Tsugiko, who had been 
the lead runner in their infiltration, either did not notice or ignored his 
signal.  Kyouji ran after her.  As he caught up with the impulsive warrior, he 
hissed, "Tsugiko, stop now!"

	This time, thankfully, Tsugiko came to a halt and acknowledged him with 
a glare.  Kyouji had not previously believed a look could convey complex 
concepts.  Nonetheless, the glare from Tsugiko unmistakably clearly stated, 
"Don't hold me back you overcautious twit."

	Both Kyouji and Tsugiko now stood in the ten-yard wide clearing that 
surrounded the main tent.  The ground was bleak and stripped of the red grass 
that no longer seemed exotic to any of the party.  Kyouji suspected this area 
served a dual function as a parade ground and a firebreak to protect the rest 
of the camp from the volatile Bottle Pops.  Unfortunately for the Crystal 
Warriors, the cleared ground also left them vulnerable to attack from any area 
save those blocked by the large tent itself.

	Kyouji's danger sense flared into outright terror.  As if the previous 
sense of disquiet were a small fire just augmented by a barrel of gasoline.  
Now, the workings of such a sense are fairly complex and integrate a few 
factors.  Often the danger to one of the Warrior Priestesses would be overt 
and transmitted to Kyouji by the bond that they shared.  Subconscious 
observation has also been a critical influence. In this case, the subtle hints 
of an ambush; the sounds of whispering and rustling troops, shadows that 
seemed to have a humanoid source, a light crackling sound, and a feel of 
static in the air that made one's hair stand on end, all combined with the 
tactical disadvantages of their present condition.  Although Kyouji could 
later not say whether he noticed these things or if he was simply informed by 
magical precognition.

	Regardless, Kyouji contemplated none of these things; he felt intense 
danger and his instincts, training, and emotions all strongly sent one 
message: protect Tsugiko!

	He shouted "Get Down!" but the annoyed Tsugiko hesitated for a critical 
second.  Unwilling to wait, the Knight Protector launched a flying tackle 
against her.  This turned her annoyance to confusion as the fall knocked the 
breath out of her and she fell to the ground covered by her Knight Protector.

	Kyouji never had a chance to discover if Tsugiko intended to respond 
with a harsh comment or a hammer blow.  Three arcs of blue-white energy shot 
over the ground where a human lacking the magical agility of the Crystal 
Warriors would still be standing.  Tsugiko herself was unharmed, but at a 
cost.  Kyouji was spasming after two of the bolts burned their way across his 
back. Sadly is affinity for electrical poppies seemed to redouble rather then 
dampen his pain.  He was also now an easy target for a heretofore-unseen group 
of archers, four of whose arrows swiftly joined the scorch marks disfiguring 
Kyouji's body.  Three more arrows would have joined them had Tsugiko not leapt 
to her feet, knocking Kyouji's limp body to slightly safer ground.

	As the Warrior Priestesses readied to counter-attack, a figure 
possessing a regal bearing, and wearing her full armor far better then is 
typically possible, called out orders to her troops.  "Finish the boy first!  
If any of them dies, we've already won."

>o<   >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<

	An hour before the arrival of the Crystal Warriors, Clorets had been 
anxiously pacing in the camp's main tent.  She was pondering her present 
plight: the warriors, along with that psychopath Twizzler, had already been 
the bane of her existence in Ferroro Rocher.

	"So why am I so eager to challenge them now?"  Clorets said with a sigh.   
It was a question she'd debated for the past few hours.  She'd rushed to 
Guylian with the fastest available escort as soon as she'd heard word that a 
Shard had been captured.  She'd pushed her ride, a wiry many-legged Sixlet, to 
death by exhaustion, but it had been worth the time it bought her.  She'd also 
sent word to Wintergreen, who had not deigned to contact her since an icy 
reprimand on the loss if the Bottle Pops in Ferroro Rocher.  It was times like 
this that she deeply regretted not having a magical adept on staff for 
teleportation and communication purposes.

	"Of course, if Toblerone, err, Riesen, wasn't busy scheming somewhere 
then this situation would be well in hand," Clorets thought with disgust.  
"Even odds whether he's plotting against Wintergreen's enemies or her 
lieutenants. No strike that… he's almost definitely plotting against both."

	Clorets deeply hoped that the Crystal Warriors would not come for the 
Shard until Wintergreen had been contacted, or the reinforcements she sent for 
caught up with her.  But only fools trusted in luck and Clorets was no fool.  
"Which is just as well.  After all, Wintergreen does not suffer fools. Well, 
not for long anyways." Clorets smirked as she thought back on the Twixes.

	Besides which, luck had not been on her side.  The camp lacked 
ammunition for the Bottle Pops, and no matter whether these weapons had a 
greater capacity for the explosive fluids and were more mobile than the ones 
in Ferroro Rocher, without ammunition they were nothing but highly expensive 
bombs.  Bombs had their use of course, but artillery was far more valuable.

	Worse yet, the decision to not send replacement ammunition had been made 
by Clorets herself a week ago.  The campaign in Guylian, while highly 
successful, would not require a siege for another few weeks.  Clorets did not 
mind administrative duties; after all, as a princess and heir apparent she was 
trained in it.  However, it was an administrative nightmare to maintain a 
sustained multi-front military campaign when one's Queen devoted all of her 
attention to teenagers and shiny rocks.  Twizzler's 'promotion' to permanent 
display in Wintergreen's court had been a great relief, but even without the 
deranged demon, the trouble caused by the destruction of the Bottle Pops had 
prevented Clorets from having a peaceful moment until just before she received 
the 'happy' news of the captured Shard.

	Clorets suddenly slammed her fist into a Bottle Pop, a safe part 
thereof, nonetheless startling one of her officers who was standing by 
awaiting orders and pretending not to notice her ill temper.  

	"It's not as if the work I do is acknowledged. I'm barely a lieutenant 
and if I fail here I somehow doubt Wintergreen will remember my past loyalty 
and service."  Even so, Clorets didn't doubt her decision to serve.  Even her 
father, who wisely had taught her only part of what he knew about craftiness, 
had been no match for Wintergreen's schemes and Clorets knew it.  Defeating 
him had been difficult, a fact never acknowledged by her colleagues or 
Wintergreen, but it had also been inevitable.  Clorets backed winners; it was 
better to be a bureaucrat in an austere war camp than to be former royalty 
lying slain in a beautifully decorated thrown room.

	Clorets sighed.  "Even so, this is possibly the ugliest and most spartan 
camp I've ever seen.  It's a shame my general's brilliance in matters of 
strategy and tactics does not carry over to his sense of aesthetics or luxury. 
And the best bed in camp, which my servants in the Gumdrop Palace would not 
have deigned to sleep on, he placed it in the middle of the Bottle Pops!  This 
is not a location that allows for untroubled sleep even when the camp isn't 
under immediate threat!"  

	"Shall I moved the bed to a safer location?"  A nearby officer piped in, 
anticipating her desires.  

	Clorets smiled, but shook her head. "Now is not the time."  Clorets also 
took this opportunity to remember that she should keep her thoughts in her 
head, not muttering them for all to overhear.  "Well, at least after capturing 
the Shard, the General had the sense to immediately recall half of the troops 
he had in the field.  My plans would be far riskier if I had only the camp's 
standard complement of two hundred soldiers.  Thank Mars for small favors."

	For the first time in a while, Clorets allowed herself a genuine smile.  
Despite the strength of the Crystal Warriors and the limitations placed on 
her, the princess had planned out a rather vicious ambush.  Because a platoon 
of soldiers had failed to kill the Crystal Warriors in Ferroro Rocher, Clorets 
had decided to only use the best troops, about two-dozen pike men and a dozen 
archers.  With surprise and good tactics that force might be capable of 
victory, but the success of the ambush rested not on standard troops, but on 
the Mambos.

	The Mambos were Wintergreen's most fanatically loyal and destructive 
followers.  They could be trusted, but also could not function as lieutenants 
because they had no initiative or ambition.  Even so, they were monstrously 
effective and they had fallen under Clorets' command several days ago after 
successfully completing their most recent mission.  They had massacred the 
popular assembly of Abba Zabba, which had been 'courageous', more like 
foolish, enough to vote to resist Wintergreen's plans.  Within two minutes, 
the entire assembly had been killed, including those collaborators that had 
allowed the Mambos to slip in, but had not been clever enough to skip the 
meeting.

	The Mambos were holdovers from Wintergreen's first reign of terror a 
millennium ago and had only recently been recalled to the service.  They were 
a product of the depraved experiments Wintergreen used to fill her time once 
she had conquered much of Mars.  Some of the more dangerous monsters that 
presently roamed Mars were the descendents of creatures that had been 
'enhanced' by Wintergreen.  However, through generations of breeding, those 
dumb beasts had long lost any connection to the Dark Queen. In contrast, the 
Mambos had neither aged nor changed in the long period of their mistress' 
absence.

	Defilement of all that surrounded her was one of the few things that 
gave Wintergreen true pleasure.  As such, she took special pride in these 
creatures, which were her ultimate act of desecration because of who they 
were.   Their power was great because it originated in that which makes life 
worth living, that which poets prattle endlessly about, that which conquers 
all, that rare and precious commodity that stymies villains and drives heroes, 
and that which the naïve call the most powerful force in the universe: love.   

	The first pair of Mambos were said to have been a pair of great heroes, 
who had fought for many years and with great valor and distinction against the 
rising Wintergreen.  However, in the end, both had been captured and brought 
before her throne.  Each had pleaded for the life of the other and would have 
willingly sacrificed all that the other might have been spared.  

	This dedication and unselfish devotion had amused and impressed 
Wintergreen.  She had made this couple an offer that she would later extend to 
the few dozen other great loves of her day.  If they would serve her, she 
would not only spare them, but also grant them an eternity together.  Some had 
had the principle to refuse, and thankfully the stories of what happened to 
them have not survived to this day.  However, most did not, and for once the 
Dark Queen kept her word in full.

	The Mambos had sacrificed their will to Wintergreen to preserve their 
love.  She in turn had given them abilities originating in the strength of 
their emotions.  The beings could float above the ground at will and thus move 
with great speed.  However, their sheer capacity for destruction came from a 
beam that traveled between the extended arms of a pair of lovers.  So long as 
they were with twenty yards of each other, nothing could stop this beam, which 
resulted in an often deadly electrical shock to any organic beings unfortunate 
enough to come between the pair of lovers.

	Clorets had never been one for fanciful legends, and as a child had 
wholly rejected the story.  Later, upon serving Wintergreen and encountering 
the Mambos for the first time, she had been inclined to accept much of the 
myth.  Indeed, there was only one element that maintained the doubt in 
Clorets' heart.  After all, contrary to the legend, Wintergreen never kept her 
promises.

	Regardless, Clorets had the eight remaining Mambos at her disposal and 
she relied upon them to guarantee the success of the ambush.  Nonetheless, 
even though her father, King Ju'Jube, had instructed a young Clorets in the 
worst that the denizens of Mars could do to one another, the Mambos disturbed 
her.  They were very wrong somehow.  However, Clorets had no time for such 
sentimentality, and tried to take comfort in the fact that they looked like 
normal creatures.  Albeit ones hovering ten feet above the ground, charged 
with energy, and perhaps not quite tied to her reality.

>o<   >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<

	The Mambos' energy attack had taken Kyouji out of commission but failed 
to kill him.  Had the trap not been sprung prematurely, then at least one of 
the Crystal Warriors would have been dead. Had they gone to the courtesy of 
being nicely lined up, none would have survived.  But sadly, if not 
unexpectedly, the initial onslaught resulted in no fatalities, so Clorets' 
band reorganized itself.  

	Clorets smiled to see pike men pouring out of their hiding spaces in the 
tents and forming up in twos and threes to block any easy exit.  Clorets' four 
man personal guard, chosen for being the bravest and most skilled of the 
soldiers at the camp, quickly positioned themselves between the two Warrior 
Priestesses and their mistress.  The two groups of archers formed lines on 
opposite sides of the great tent.  They were drawing arrows and preparing to 
launch another volley into the fallen Kyouji.  At the same time the Mambos 
floated to new destinations such that they could hit multiple warriors at once 
and have a clear line for finishing the Knight Protector.  It was a beautiful 
exercise of well-trained troops adapting to a liquid situation with mechanical 
precision.

	However, Clorets was troubled to see what her order to kill the fallen 
protector inspired in the Warrior Priestesses.  Green flames licked Tsugiko's 
hammer and shot up her back.  At the same time, both Yumi and Tsugiko's 
Crystals flashed brightly, startling those looking directly at the 
Priestesses, and both were surrounded by bright auras.  Clorets had heard of 
these effects and had anticipated that the Crystal Warriors would fight with 
superhuman strength and abilities, but even so it was a bit intimidating.

	In fact, Clorets had not yet seen the Warriors fight at all, much less 
at the peak of their strength.  However, given the strength of her troops and 
the fact that Twizzler's much-vaunted Kyouji already had been knocked out, she 
continued to project confidence. 

	Although it wasn't hard for Clorets to see what had appealed to 
Twizzler, she thought to herself, "He is kind of cute and is willing to 
sacrifice himself for a woman he has no control over.  Quite the chump really, 
probably just what Twizzler looked for in a man."  Clorets let herself smirk 
at that idea; the men would probably interpret it as a further show that 
victory would be imminent.

	Unfortunately, the pink girl attacked while Clorets' troops were still 
forming up.  In rapid succession she blasted two pike men who took up 
positions dangerously close to her just outside of the clearing.  The power of 
that wand was not underrated; the blast of pink light knocked each man to the 
ground.  Clorets sighed; they were dead or at least did not seem inclined to 
stand up again.  "But let her run through the gap," Clorets thought.  "She can 
always be hunted down later, without her knight to protect her."

	The other warrior defiantly stood directly over Kyouji's body.  She 
seemed ready to take on all challengers, whether they wielded electricity, 
arrows, or pikes.  She did not let her hammer rest, or even stand ready to 
strike, instead actively swing it to ward off the inevitable next assault.  
All in all, her stand was impressive, if completely futile.

	Yet this was new; the flames on her back had grown into a fire that 
flared behind her.  The surging green inferno appeared as a pyre for bearing 
Kyouji's spirit to the sky, but it resolved itself into a pair of glowing 
green wings, with flames for feathers.  The spectacle hurt Clorets' eyes and 
drew out fear in her stomach.  She had heard reports of this technique in the 
battles in her home, but the reports had not prepared her for the terribly 
beautiful sight of the flaming wings.  The green clad warrior almost seemed 
the embodiment of destruction itself: the wings, the flaming hammer, and the… 
miniskirt?  The trance was broken and Clorets snickered.  "She'd be a truly 
awe-inspiring figure if that dress didn't make her look like a harlot."

	Clorets then swelled with pride upon seeing that the spectacle did not 
cow the archers; they proceeded to fire in unison.  Sadly, a well-timed 
downdraft from the winged Warrior Priestess knocked their shots off course; 
one arrow was even knocked aside by her blazing hammer and it found new 
purpose disrupting the flight of Mambos positioning themselves for the next 
attack.  In addition, one of her bodyguards fell to a bolt of pink energy from 
the wand bearer, who apparently was not fleeing.
 
	Clorets was quite impressed by this show of force and demonstrated her 
appreciation for the Priestess' skill by summoning five pike men, who had 
previously been guarding somewhat remote exits from the camp, to guard her 
instead.  

	Meanwhile, the pink Priestess screamed for help, apparently hoping to 
gain reinforcement from the Sparkling Elite.  She would be disappointed.  The 
general had told Clorets that, faced with a retreating foe, the 'Elite' 
warriors would attack with considerable bloodlust, but lose sight of the 
overall tactical situation.  This proved to be the case and only a few knights 
seemed to be coming to the Crystal Warriors' aid.  Happily, those pike men 
guarding her would be more than sufficient to hold off a small group of 
cavalry.  Clorets gave orders for the infantry to prepare for an attack by the 
Sparkling Elite.  This would mean they wouldn't be available for the rest of 
the fight.  However, as neither Warrior Priestess seemed prepared to run, the 
exits no longer needed to be guarded.

	Clorets then confidently returned her attention to the hammer holding 
harlot.  "Let her try to blow down or knock aside the beams of the Mambo."  At 
this very moment three pairs of lovers were in position to blast the raging 
green warrior and fallen boy.  The girl looked strong enough to perhaps 
survive a single direct blast, but even a glancing shot should finish 
Twizzler's boy-toy and win the day.

	And yet, the pink girl with the wand yelled, "Don't worry about Kyouji. 
I'll protect him."  This statement puzzled Clorets; she knew that the wand 
could heal, but the pink warrior could certainly not raise the dead.  Moreover 
the girl had never demonstrated a way to prevent the coming attacks, unless 
she was willing to vaporize the boy's body with a huge blast. 

	The three properly positioned pairs of Mambos simultaneously raised 
their arms, which were already glowing with energy again.  Fortunately, while 
the Mambos did have to line up with their targets, they did not have to be at 
the same altitude, as they were capable of simply arcing their beams down or 
up as need be.  Clorets smiled as she felt the electricity in the air and saw 
the blue-white energy form at the fingers of the levitating lovers.  "This 
should do it," she thought as three beams briefly flashed into existence.

	However, the renewed bolt attack, this time arcing a few inches above 
the ground, that should have fried the boy and incinerated the legs of the 
green Priestess, failed completely.  There was now a brilliant pink bubble, 
about six feet in diameter, protecting the fallen boy.  The Mambo's bolts had 
clashed loudly with the barrier, but it held and the energy flew harmless over 
the fallen Knight Protector.  A second wave of arrows also bounced off of the 
shield, although the bubble briefly contracted with each impact.

	Of course, the redirection of the energy from Kyouji would have meant 
more energy flowing into the exposed legs of the green warrior.  Except that 
she was no longer by the boy.  That obnoxious girl had leapt into the air, 
faster than should have been possible even for a winged creature.  She was now 
floating, her blazing wings keeping her up and coming perilously close to 
alighting the central tent.  It was a terrible spectacle: the Warrior 
Priestess floated eye to eye with the largest Mambo target, the male half of a 
pair of Spree.  Mars had no myths of angels, but even so a glowing, floating, 
enraged Warrior Priestess with wings of fire and flaming hammer was a sight 
that could inspire its own legends.  Clorets had always considered Twizzler 
the more dangerous, and demonic, of the rivals for Kyouji's affection, but 
this vision made her reassess that position.

	Well before the Mambo had a chance to recharge to defend himself, 
Tsugiko's hammer came crashing down, knocking the once-Spree into the great 
tent.  Clorets' terror briefly switched from that green demon to the volatile 
Bottle Pops that could brake the Mambo's fall. Clorets had not anticipated 
this particular danger.  The Mambos' attacks only effected organic life, but 
she had forgotten that their bulk was very real and quite capable of breaking 
the glass spheres that contained the volatile chemicals that made the Bottle 
Pop such a dangerous weapon.  But thankfully, while he did knock down part of 
the tent, he landed between two of the weapons. 

	Fortunately, the Warrior Priestess had as much to lose by accidentally 
setting off the Bottle Pops as did Clorets' forces.  The green Priestess could 
not set off an explosion without being vaporized herself.  In contrast, the   
pink Priestess could destroy them, but she'd have to drop the shield defending 
the boy, so he would be killed.  So the princess pushed her worries about that 
danger out of her mind and again steeled herself for battle.  She rallied her 
troops, screaming invectives at any that still stood stupefied by the sight of 
the berserk Warrior Priestess.  

	While Clorets outwardly was in complete control, inwardly she was 
bemoaning her situation.  She turned back to the boy whose continued breathing 
gravely disappointed her.  "Since when can that wand make a shield? Why 
couldn't one of my 'betters' have killed this rabble before they gained full 
use of their powers!?"  

	Clorets then dismissed these unhelpful thoughts from her mind and 
concentrated on that cursed shield.  It seemed to have been weakened by the 
attacks and was now a more muted shade of pink.  However, the princess could 
not waste the time needed to find out how many more attacks the barrier could 
withstand.  Clorets again stared at the pink bubble; it had no obvious point 
of weakness.  Yet, there was a glowing pink line connected to it originating 
in the wand of the pink Priestess.   Perhaps interrupting the line would stop 
the shield, but the Warrior Priestess could always renew the barrier from a 
new position.  

	The princess then focused her attention on the wand bearer, whose noble 
act of protection had left her quite vulnerable.  With a few quick mental 
calculations, Clorets confirmed her suspicions that even if that demonic 
Crystal Warrior, Tsugiko, was capable of killing one of each of the three 
remaining pair of Mambos before they could fire again, she could not also 
protect the pink one from the archers.  With a cruel smile, Clorets called 
out, "Forget about the boy and the green wench!  Focus all attacks on the pink 
one!"  

	Immediately after giving her order, Clorets was distracted by a green 
flash from Tsugiko's Crystal.  The princess turned towards the source and 
suppressed a surge of panic as she realized that the hammer wielder, in all of 
her blazing glory, was now bearing down not on another Mambo but on Clorets 
herself.  Clorets no longer smiled as she found herself sharing Twizzler's 
opinion of that cursed girl.

	Tsugiko's hammer swung up as she flew down to the ground directly in 
front of Clorets.  The blow easily caught one of the unprepared pike man.  He 
had made the mistake of being primarily concerned with the partial collapse of 
the great tent.  This unfortunate soldier's armor proved little more 
protection than tissue paper, and he was sent, crumpled over, into two of his 
compatriot swordsmen, clearing the path between Tsugiko and her royal target.  
Clorets grimaced as she faced the age-old peril of those who personally lead 
their troops into battle.

	Tsugiko's follow-up swing was partially deflected by Clorets' sword, and 
harmlessly brushed the platemail the princess had sensibly chosen to equip 
herself with.  If that wretch had thought that Clorets would tremble or 
collapse before her onslaught, she was badly mistaken.  Admittedly, the 
princess was no match for Tsugiko in battle, but Clorets' training would be 
enough to protect her for at least a while.

	Playing defensive was not such a terrible thing: her five remaining 
bodyguards were now surrounding their mistress' attacker, her archers were 
poised to launch another volley, and the Mambos were presumably moving to 
attack the pink one.  Clorets took some further comfort in seeing Tsugiko's 
wings of flame dying down, if not before pushing back a few of the bodyguards 
who were behind her.  The fading of the wings was almost a sight to equal 
their glorious appearance; Clorets had never before seen flames fold and 
retract themselves.  However, the girl still glowed and her hammer burned as 
brightly as ever, if not more so.

	Clorets tried to parry Tsugiko's next blow, but it still dented her 
amour.  Unfortunately, Clorets' skills lay in finesse, not strength, so she 
could do relatively little to defend against the flaming hammer.  Furthermore, 
she would not risk attacking and increasing her vulnerability against a faster 
and more skilled opponent.  Fortunately, the five remaining bodyguards had now 
surrounded the over-powered Priestess and while they might not kill the 
wretched warrior, at least she would have to focus her attention on other 
targets.  Reinforcing that happy thought, a volley of arrows launched from the 
far bank of archers.  While the pink girl dodged, maintained the shield, and 
was able to avoid most of the arrows, one of them stuck in her leg and seemed 
to hamper her movements.

	But Clorets' pleasure at the Warrior Priestess' pain was short-lived.  
When the princess glanced up to see why a second volley of arrows have not 
been launched, she saw that the female Spree had led an enraged charge to have 
her revenge against the one who had killed her mate.  In her delirium, the 
Mambo surged through the closer bank of archers and brushed aside the two pike 
men standing between her and the hated green harlot who had slayed her mate.  
It further disturbed Clorets to see that the rest of the Mambos were violating 
her orders and moving to surround Tsugiko rather then the more vulnerable pink 
Priestess.  However, the remaining archers would be enough to bring down the 
wand bearer with a few more rounds of arrows; all Clorets had to do was to 
survive the crazed Crystal Warrior's onslaught.

	Even better, Tsugiko, apparently recognizing the danger from another 
berserk avenger, turned her back to Clorets to launch an attack on the Mambo. 
The green Warrior Priestess used her weapon well, swinging it in a wide arc 
that drove back two of the flanking bodyguards and hit the Spree with a 
resounding thud.  Yet despite this attack the Spree still stood, perhaps 
through sheer force of will, or maybe the Mambo's spirit had died when her 
partner had been killed, leaving only body too stupid to recognize pain.  
Regardless, the Mambo's arms sparked with electricity and the Spree counter-
attacked.  Based on the skill Tsugiko had already demonstrated, Clorets could 
tell the attack was doomed, yet it gave an opportunity to stab that insolent 
whelp's unguarded back.  Clorets seized this chance with glee, as did the one 
member of her bodyguards who had not been knocked down or driven back.  But 
while the swordsman briefly pierced Tsugiko's side, the princess' more 
carefully aimed strike was interrupted by the renewed attack of the 
Mambos.

	The shot was premature and only grazed the side of an actively weaving 
Tsugiko.   A pair of Mambos, in their eagerness to avenge their companion, had 
not waited for a clear shot or for the other two pairs of Mambos to be in 
position.  This would have greatly annoyed Clorets had she not been busy 
yelping in pain.  Her side was hurting and a numb tingling sensation was 
spreading throughout her body.  Worse yet, some of the electricity seemed to 
have discharged into the plate mail armor; it had a slight red tinge and was 
dangerously hot.  It was as if Clorets had suddenly been transported into a 
furnace; with an intermediary layer of leather armor her only protection 
against being burned alive. The opportunity to skewer the back of that 
accursed girl was lost as Clorets took the time to regain control of her 
muscles and suppress a sense of dread.  Tsugiko looked fazed, but was able 
bring down the female Mambo Spree with another two hits.  The princess took 
meager comfort from seeing the Warrior Priestess' arm damaged in the Mambo's 
final attack.

	A livid Clorets for the first time lost her aura of command and screamed 
"Stop you fools, don't fire if I could be hit."  Unfortunately, that wretched 
warrior took the chance to press the attack.  Tsugiko charged; her flaming 
hammer brushed aside Clorets' pathetic parry and bashed the already heated 
metal into a far less pleasing shape.  The princess felt a rising sense of fear.
Clorets could feel the burning metal pressed against her skin; its twisted new
shape making movement painful if not impossible. Even this green demon's weak
close shots were enough to crumble the best of armor!  Worse yet, she realized
that the green wench's close range would make it difficult for the Mambos to 
hit Tsugiko without also hitting her.

	A ghastly sneer lit across Tsugiko's face as she taunted her opponent.  
"Shall we dance, princess?"  Clorets suppressed a surge of hatred; she 
couldn't afford to make any mistakes.  She looked around to see the other two 
pairs of Mambos were preparing to fire and seemed in no way troubled by the 
fact that she as well as Tsugiko stood between the males and females.  The 
hatred was now a pleasant memory as fear clawed at her heart instead.  This 
was not the usual everyday fear of failure and Wintergreen, but instead the 
horror of expecting one's life to be ended within several seconds either by a 
purported ally or a dreaded enemy.

	There are people who laugh in the face of danger, who serve their 
mistress no matter the cost, who would sooner be tortured for hours than face 
the shame of running away, Clorets always referred to these types as idiots.  
She lashed out at Tsugiko and then backed up a few paces and turned tail and 
ran.  The Princess managed to flee at an impressive speed for one dressed in 
twisted full plate-mail.  Her movement was awkward and hobbled by the 
painfully warped armor, but fortunately the desire to live proved more 
powerful. Thankfully the psychotic Priestess only gave chase for a few seconds 
before turning to finish the Mambos.  "Wintergreen can rot. I hope Tsugiko 
kills the lot of them, ideally letting each of them see the death of their 
lover even if that isn't physically possible."  The princess glanced back to 
see that her wish was likely to be granted; her troops had joined her in 
exercising the better part of valor.  Without Clorets to hold them in line, 
even elite troops feared Tsugiko's credible shouts that she would emasculate 
anyone who so much as looked at the wand bearer.

	Now that she was away from immediate danger, Clorets automatically 
launched into a mental review.  "I was so close!  Another few seconds and that 
pink one would have been shot or stabbed with a pike. I could rally the troops 
but…" The princess glanced back to see her fears confirmed; with the pike men 
out of the picture several of the Sparkling Elite had joined the fray.  "And I 
wouldn't go back to that great tent to destroy the Bottle Pops for the most 
ornate dress in Mars.  I suppose there's nothing left to do but think of 
excuses and initiate Plan C.  That, and to never again trust anyone or 
anything magical."
 

>o<   >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<

	Krackel had had a great deal of time to think while returning to 
Wintergreen's Palace.  The bulk of the time of his journey from the Great 
Library of Toffifay was spent raging against Riesen.  Not to mention the time 
he had spent contemplating a range of interesting and satisfying ways of 
fulfilling the pledge he had made against Riesen's life.  Nonetheless, despite 
Riesen's biting jibes, Krackel was quite capable of thought, and realized that 
now was certainly the time for it.  Even so, with everything that was on his 
mind and the rage coursing through his veins, he had been having a hard time 
concentrating.

	Ideally, Krackel would simply ignore Riesen's demand and use the 
knowledge he would gain by reading the 'Legend of Starlite' to spirit Rollo 
away from all the villains that would do her harm.  Unfortunately, he had not 
yet gained the knowledge and equipment he needed to allow Rollo to escape.  
Admittedly, there was no man, or group of men, in Wintergreen's castle capable 
of keeping Krackel from his sister, but they were not the problem.  The trick 
would be to get her, and ideally himself, out of Wintergreen's reach before 
the Dark Queen had a chance to react.  After all, if Krackel were capable of 
slaying Wintergreen, he would not be in this predicament.

	Unfortunately, there was also no easy way of determining if Riesen's 
threats concerning Rollo were genuine.  That horrid man would die for the 
threats, even if they were bluffs, but Krackel had no means of determining who 
Riesen's agents were.  Unless he could find a way to protect her he would have 
to obey the villain.  Which would mean stealing back the Knight Protector's 
sword.  Krackel scoffed to himself, "And that wouldn't be a hard task.  I know 
exactly where it is: hanging immediately in front of Wintergreen's throne 
room!"

	Krackel pondered to himself why Riesen had made this move.  "The most 
obvious explanation is that he means to get me killed and eliminate a rival 
via this ridiculous task.  The alternative is that Riesen actually had been 
up-front with his goals. Yet if that is the case, why then didn't he just go 
to Wintergreen?  Perhaps he is simply setting up a scapegoat in case the plan 
fails."  Krackel's head began to hurt.  He had no idea why.  Court intrigue 
was not his forte, but recently he had begun to find any complex thought 
difficult.  "Regardless, Riesen has some conspiracy in mind.  Perhaps one 
against the Queen he claims to be so loyal to.  I should be able to use that."

	When Krackel arrived at the palace, he first went to the servants' 
quarters to visit poor Rollo.  When the Dark Queen did not demand his 
presence, as she did not now, then his sister's quarters were always his first 
stop after any time away from the palace.  He could not risk arousing 
suspicion by breaking routine.   Besides, he genuinely wanted to see his 
sister.

	The servants' quarters had no separate palace entrance.  However, to 
improve service speed, they did have a fairly direct connection to most parts 
of Wintergreen's fortress.  The guard patrols were typically meager, just 
enough to keep anyone from forgetting that the guards were there.  But much to 
Krackel's dismay, two guards now stood watch near his sister's room; by all 
appearances they'd been stationed there for some time.

	Krackel approached the door with a glare meant to inform the guards that 
challenging him was not the sort of thing one does if one wishes to live to 
see the end of the day.  Much to his annoyance, this proved insufficient; the 
two guards blocked his path.

	"Don't stand in the way of your betters," Krackel snarled.

	"Rollo is not here," the guard put forth.  He was a poor liar and his 
sweat and nervousness gave him away.

	"Well then, I shall simply wait in her room until she returns."  Krackel 
moved to walk between the guards, to make good on his word.

	The guards stood their ground.  "I'm afraid you are not allowed to pass 
sir."

	 "As if you could stop me."

	The other guarded laughed.  "You won't lay a hand on us.  You know the 
consequences for your sister for any such act of disloyalty."

	Krackel simply stared at the man, whose laughter died in his throat.  
"Since when am I not allowed to see my own sister, who is the Queen's 
attendant and not a resident in her dungeons?"

	The younger guard started. "We got our orders this morning…" 

	"It is not for you to know the details of Lord Riesen's orders."  This 
came from an officer who had just arrived to investigate what the commotion 
was.  By the look of his uniform, this fool had been newly promoted.  

	"Lord Riesen's orders?" Krackel's dark smile matched his mocking tone.  
"When I last left, this palace only had one liege: Queen Wintergreen.  As I 
remember it, Riesen was a lieutenant of the same rank as I.  Perhaps Lord 
Riesen has dethroned Wintergreen while I was away?"

	The guards quaked at Wintergreen's name, but the officer lacked their 
sense.  The idiot had apparently found a patron to protect him from his 
Queen's arbitrary rages.  "The august Lord Riesen, the equal of treacherous 
backwoods scum such as yourself?  That's preposterous! When I tell him…."

	Krackel wasted no more time on this fool. "Wait, no, I clearly recall 
seeing Wintergreen's banner when I entered.  Perhaps I should go to her right 
now and report that some of her guards have forgotten who their mistress is."  
Krackel then grabbed the officer by the collar and held him a foot off the 
ground.  "Even better, I may just carry you with me to save the Dark Queen the 
inconvenience of hunting you down.  It would displease her to have to wait 
overlong to put a disloyal office to the question."

	The officer's confidence had flown away when his feet left the ground.  
"Please, that won't be necessary, sir!  I'm sure there has been some mistake. 
I'll simply go check the orders with my commander."

	"In the interim, I shall see my sister.  Alone."  Krackel entered 
Rollo's room, and this time no one stood in his way.

	"Brother!" Rollo cried with delight as the swordsman entered the room.  
"I was afraid they wouldn't let you see me.  The guards have been around all 
day whenever I'm not with Wintergreen.  And I've learned not to ask questions 
about such things."

	Krackel closed the door and picked up his sister in a great bear hug.  
"Worry not.  The man who thinks he can keep me from you will be dead before he 
hits the ground."

	Rollo recoiled at this violent bravado.  She dropped her end of the hug 
and scolded the great warrior.  "Don't talk that way, brother.  The actual 
guards weren't mean to me.  They're only doing this because they are afraid of 
Wintergreen, just like us.  And if you keep talking like that I'm horrified of 
what she might do.  I see her cruelty everyday, it's terrible…."

	Krackel sighed and replied to his naïve sister.  "I somehow doubt your 
rosy view of those men.  But you are right about their Queen; except that she 
probably plans to kill us in the end either way."

	Rollo looked as if she was about to cry and Krackel silently cursed 
himself for further adding to the worries of his dear sister.  He took her 
hand and looked into her eyes.  "Which is why we're going to escape.  I've got 
a plan to get you out; it is not ready yet, but it will be soon."  Rollo 
looked up with hope in her eyes.  "But I need you to always be ready.  We may 
need to act fast.  You must always be able to leave at the slightest notice."

	Rollo laughed at this.  "Do you think there has been a second since 
Riesen kidnapped me that I haven't been ready to escape?  I hate this life 
with all my being."

	Krackel's free hand moved to his sword at the sound of the hated 
lieutenant's name.  "I swear he will pay for what he has done to you."

	Rollo gently removed Krackel's hand from his sword.  "Revenge doesn't 
matter, brother.  I don't like to see you so angry; don't let them corrupt 
you!"

	Krackel let his sister's words calm him down.  "You're right.  We've 
both been here too long, and I hate what it's doing to us.  But fear not.  The 
villains will be punished, but only after you are free."

	The sound of footsteps in the hallway silenced the two siblings.  
Krackel said his goodbyes and stormed off before the newly returned guards 
could say a word to him.  The once-hero kept up the punishing pace until he 
found himself in front of the throne room of the accursed woman who was the 
origin of all of his, indeed all of Mars', troubles.  He stared at the sword 
of the Knight Protector; it was a handsome blade but seemed to have more 
aesthetic than combat value.  The weapon may have had some powers, but the boy 
Kyouji had not demonstrated any ability to call them out.  It galled 
Wintergreen's unwilling servant that he would have to risk his life to 
retrieve an unimportant blade by the orders of a treacherous lieutenant.

	Krackel stared at the sword for several minutes.  He was uncertain 
exactly how much time had gone by, but many times he heard the guards behind 
the antechamber doors patrolling back and forth.  In the end, he decided there 
was no way to remove the weapon without the Queen noticing.  That fact left 
the great warrior with only one option; he drew his sword and knocked the 
blue-gemmed weapon from its trophy stand into his waiting hand.

	Wintergreen's summons was immediate. A squad of guards burst through the 
antechamber doors and at sword-point escorted the great warrior into the Dark 
Queen's throne room.  Krackal was almost relieved that he did not have to make 
the pretense of walking out of the front gate.  Instead he paid little 
attention to the drawn weapons and confidently strolled into the throne room 
and gave its malevolent denizen a curt bow.  "Yes, M'lady?"

	The Dark Queen stared down at Krackel and aimed her spear at his throat.  
For a moment, Krackel saw Wintergreen looking as one suddenly aroused from 
sleep, with her dress thrown on and her hair in disarray.  Yet a second later, 
she again possessed her full terrible but regal bearing.  She dismissed the 
guards and then proceeded to question her supposedly loyal servant.  "I 
haven't the patience for this.  Drop the sword and explain yourself."

	Krackel let the blade clatter to the ground and with some satisfaction 
watched Wintergreen start at the sound.  "I was instructed by Riesen to 
deliver the blade to the Crystal Warriors in order to…."

	The Dark Queen cut the audacious fighter off.  "What?!"  Her spear 
glowed and her eyes, although mercifully covered by her green hair, seemed to 
glint.

	Yet no pain came and Krackel finished his statement.  "In order to lead 
them into a trap of Riesen's devising.  I take no pleasure from participating 
in this plan, but everything I've said is quite true."

	For a moment, although the Dark Queen's hair did not part, Krackel could 
see into her eyes.  They were dark but did not even possess the black of 
nothingness.  The once-hero stared into wells of evil that showed no hint of 
humanity.  Indeed, they displayed quite the opposite: a pure contempt for life 
itself.  He expended all of his great will to remain standing, limiting his 
response to a shudder that shook his entire body.  And then time, breath, and 
pulse resumed; pale green hair was again all that was visible on the Dark 
Queen's brow.

	"You speak the truth."  She said, with almost a hint of disappointment.  
Her spear no longer pointed at Krackel's throat, but instead rested in her 
hand in its usual position.

	"I take it Riesen has not yet informed you of his plan," Krackel 
observed dryly.  He did not attempt to feign surprise or confusion; he was no 
actor and at the first hint of deceit the game would be up.

	The witch ignored Krackel's comment and stood deep in thought for 
several moments.  She then resumed her hard gaze at the bearer of this 
disturbing news. "Go to your quarters, Krackel.  I will soon have new orders 
for you.  Leave the sword on the ground."

	This would not do.  Even if Wintergreen did catch her 'trusted' 
lieutenant in an act of treachery, Rollo would not necessarily be safe.  That 
trickster was sure to have some contingency plans and would not go to his 
grave alone.  Krackel nursed this fear for a moment, and then realized that 
the threat was also an opportunity.  "If indeed Riesen plans to betray you, 
that treacherous slime would have a plan ready.  If I do not leave here with 
the sword, he will know that he has been discovered."

	The Dark Queen listened, but appeared unconvinced.  The warrior decided 
his best option was to reveal the rest of his fears.  "He directly threatened 
my sister if I failed to follow his orders.  It was as if he would be able to 
strike down your handmaiden, in your palace, without your permission.  In 
fact, earlier today I went to visit her and was impeded by guards and an 
officer that seemed loyal to him, not you.  Is Rollo's escort operating under 
your orders?"

	Wintergreen again did not respond to the question, but the uncertain 
expression had left her face and was replaced by a troubled one.  Krackel 
began to speak further, but restrained himself when Wintergreen made a gesture 
demanding silence.  The swordsman stood painfully and nervously at attention 
for several minutes without a word from the witch.  Then, without warning, she 
spoke again.  "Perhaps it has been too long since I've purged my palace guard.  
The disappearance of the sword will be an excellent excuse.  And worry not 
Krackel, I cannot allow one of my lieutenants to blackmail another.  Rollo 
will be moved closer to my quarters and shall be protected by my personal 
guard.  No one else will be in a position to harm her."  The swordsman 
grimaced at the Dark Queen's use of the word 'else,' but he was hardly 
surprised.

	The Defiler of Mars then tossed a small mirror to the fighter.  "Take 
good care of that artifact and keep it on you at all times.  I will use it to 
regularly check in on you.  Press the green gem on the back to contact me 
immediately if you learn anything of Riesen's plans.  Take the sword and leave 
now.  For her own sake, I will keep Rollo completely isolated until this 
matter is cleared up."

	Krackel picked up the sword from the floor.  The hilt fit comfortably 
into his hand but he did not dare brandish the weapon in Wintergreen's 
presence.  He gave the Dark Queen another curt bow and walked down the long 
hall towards the doors he had entered by.  As he opened them, he breathed a 
sigh of relief.  That was a mistake.

	"Wait a moment, Krackel!  What are you hiding?"  Wintergreens' voice was 
smooth, silky, but above all dangerous.  The courageous fighter's heart 
skipped a beat as his mind whirled for something, anything, to say.  Yet all 
that would come to him was rage and curses against the stain on the surface of 
Mars that called itself Riesen.  Krackel's face then broke into a dark smile; 
once again the truth would suffice.  "Your traitorous servant has threatened 
my sister and sought to use me as a tool.  He will die by my hand."

	Wintergreen shook her head and seemed displeased, but accepted the 
answer.  "I appreciate your enthusiasm, but Riesen's life is mine.  Any harm 
you do to him without my permission will also be visited on your sister, 
including death.  However, let none say I am not good to my 'loyal' 
lieutenants.  Follow my orders in letter and spirit, and if Riesen proves 
false, you shall be his executioner."

	Krackal nodded and again attempted to leave the palace.  He made it into 
the antechamber before Wintergreen spoke again, the sound of a voice like an 
icicle shooting through his stomach.  "What, no thanks for my generosity?  How 
rude."  

	Krackel again grimaced, but now was not a time to resist the Dark 
Queen's taunting.  "Thank you for offering me the privilege, M'lady."  He then 
walked out of the palace and towards Guylian.  He did not breathe comfortably 
until there was an hour between him and Wintergreen's castle.

>o<   >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<

	Tsugiko took a moment to breathe and revel in her sense of triumph.  
She'd beaten Clorets, or at least a general wearing Clorets' crest.  The 
Warrior Priestess' pursuit of Clorets had been dangerous, but bravery, 
strength, and a few credible threats had driven off the general and her 
regular troops. Now, all that remained were three pairs of those floating 
electrical creatures and they should not be too much of a challenge now that 
the Sparkling Elite were appearing on the scene.

	Even so, Tsugiko was hurt.  An electric bolt had made her entire body 
feel numb and unresponsive.  Her right arm in particular was still tingling 
from the blow that the enraged Spree had dealt her.   But her most immediate 
source of pain and most troublesome wound was the gash that one of Clorets' 
cronies had put in her side.  The wound was small but deep, and the Warrior 
Priestess now kept a hand on her side to help staunch the bleeding.  Her 
Crystal Warrior powers and the adrenaline that rushed through her system kept 
any of these injuries from being life threatening, but they did make life 
painful and combat difficult.  

	"Not that I would let that woman enjoy my pain," Tsugiko thought to 
herself, and then giggled morbidly.  "If I keep this up, Yumi will stop fixing 
my uniform.  I wouldn't blame her.  I just keep letting it get torn up again."  
The green warrior then glanced over to see if healing was to be forthcoming 
from Yumi, but the pink Priestess was trying to heal Kyouji now that the 
imminent danger was gone.  Tsugiko suppressed a flash of annoyance.  "She's 
right to heal him.  I can handle myself and Kyouji was badly hit."

	The thought of Kyouji's injuries, wounds inflicted by the things that 
were now hunting her, gave Tsugiko a second wind.  She wanted to take the 
offensive, and so ceased her running and introspection.  The Warrior Priestess 
had been constantly moving since Clorets and party fled, because staying still 
was not a good way to stay alive.  Oddly enough, the few Sparkling Elite that 
were in the battle weren't attacking the levitating mages.  They all either 
were chasing Clorets' broken war-band or were slaughtering wounded pike men.  
Tsugiko called out to the closest knight, "Stop running around, get some men, 
and help me kill these things.  But don't come between them or you'll be 
hurt."

	The knight nodded and then immediately ran out of the camp.  However, 
before she could vocalize her opinion of the knight's apparent cowardice, she 
grasped the situation.  The more levelheaded officers were reforming the troop 
outside of the camp, apparently unaware of the Crystal Warriors' plight.

	Tsugiko barely dodged a bolt that helpfully reminded her that she should 
begin running again.  Her attackers were, of all things, a floating pair of 
Skittles, but their small size did not seem to weaken them in the slightest.  
All she could do now was wait and look for an opportunity to attack the 
creatures who were now floating some distance out of her reach. 

	She had loved her wings.  Flying was fun and let her attack enemies she 
previously had had to leave to Yumi, but she still didn't understand how she 
had summoned them.  She was more confident using her hammer, or sending a wave 
of energy to finish off her enemies.  However, she couldn't take them all out 
in one blast and that technique would leave her too tired to fight off the 
survivors.

	As her frustration level rose, the Warrior Priestess turned to rage and 
fury; her constant companions and dependable allies.  In life she had to 
control herself and wanted to experience the full range of human emotion, but 
in battle she needed only her anger channeled into whatever task her body or 
her intellect demanded.  She was furious with these beasts; they had ambushed 
the party, hurt her and nearly killed Kyouji.  Even now they hunted her past 
any reason or hope of success.  

	Tsugiko's gem flashed and confidence and power flowed through her body.  
Her pain no longer demanded her attention. Instead she focused on the hammer 
that glowed in her hands and called out for the blood of those who presumed to 
hunt her.  The Sparkling Elite returned in force, now organized and ready to 
finish the creatures.  The Warrior Priestess smiled; she wouldn't need Yumi, 
and besides those flying monsters had made it personal.

	Tsugiko danced around the battlefield.  She allowed the levitating 
lightning bearers to form a circle around her but frustrated their attempts to 
hit her.  She was impressed by the effectiveness of the Sparkling Elite, which 
was managing to hit most of the creatures with blow after blow.  The cavalry 
literally rode circles around the pack of monsters foolishly concentrating on 
the green-clad warrior in the circle's center.  The rabbit-like appearance of 
the Sparkling Elite's mounts did not belie their nature.  The beasts were 
capable of leaping no small distance in the air making the monsters easy prey.  
The spectacle of seeing heavily armored men on giant leaping rabbits was quite 
a sight and amused the Warrior Priestess to no end.  Even so, the monsters 
seemed capable of withstanding a good number of hits when the blows did not 
come from Tsugiko's flaming hammer.  Nonetheless, the six opponents would soon 
be dead, and the green-clad warrior was sad to be missing out on the fun.

	After dodging yet another blast of energy, Tsugiko glanced up to see 
that the pair of floating Skittles were now flying above the reach of even the 
Sparkling Elite's able steeds.  Suddenly she saw a means to hit them; the 
Warrior Priestess dropped her hammer and leapt to seize the eight-foot long 
weapon of a fallen pike men.  The pike was well balanced and could also 
function as a throwing spear.  Tsugiko launched it at one of the super-powered 
Skittles with an accuracy that surprised even her.  The teenager would truly 
miss these abilities if, when, she ever got home.  

	However, despite the Warrior Priestess' unerring aim, her target still 
hung in the air.  Tsugiko couldn't have that.  She gathered her strength and 
leapt to catch the pike imbedded in the chest of the Skittle.  The length of 
the weapon was more than enough and the Warrior Priestess landed having 
captured the skewered Skittle.  He was dispatched with a satisfying grunt when 
Tsugiko whirled the weapon around and drove the point into the ground, through 
the electrical enemy.  With a flourish she lifted the weapon and caught the 
dead monster's partner.  The fool had attempted to avenge her mate by diving 
at the pike-bearing warrior.  Tsugiko grinned as she tossed aside the no 
longer balanced pole and retrieved her hammer.  She heard cheers from the 
Sparkling Elite, who had now finished the rest of the larger levitating foes.  
Her grin broadened into a wide smile when she realized they were cheering not 
just for themselves, but also specifically for her.

	However, Tsugiko did not let the acclaim get to her and she rushed to 
Yumi and Kyouji.  Unfortunately, before she reached her friends, her pain 
returned and she again had to hold her wounded side.  Kyouji still looked bad.  
The charred and bloody remains of his uniform would be difficult to repair.  
Yet more importantly, his body was no longer bleeding and his chest rose and 
fell, indicating natural comfortable breathing.  Although perhaps it was 
better that he wasn't yet conscious, for Kyouji's green and orange nemesis had 
decided that the situation was safe enough to return and sit by his body.

	Yumi glanced up and gasped as her friend approached.  "Tsugiko!  That 
cut on your side looks terrible."

	Tsugiko nodded.  "That's not the half of it, but it doesn't matter.  We 
beat them."

	Yumi complained, "You should have told me you were this hurt.  Kyouji 
could have waited..."  But her words were more worried than scolding.

	"Don't fret, Yumi, if I needed you I would have called for you.  Of 
course, I wouldn't complain if you healed me now."  Tsugiko smiled as Yumi 
sheepishly began the work of healing her.  Tsugiko sat down as she was bathed 
in pink light.  It felt good.  The Warrior Priestess was well used to having 
even deep cuts healed, but having her body de-electrified was a new and 
ticklish sensation.

	Tsugiko's momentary calm was broken by the arrival of Mallo, leader of 
the Sparkling Elite. "We've crushed all remaining resistance in the camp. 
Child's play really, they never stood a chance.   Not that any of our 
opponents ever do."  A cheer rose among the men.  Although, having heard them 
root for her, Tsugiko no longer found the constant shows of bravado headache 
inducing.  Once the shouts died down, Mallo continued, "And now, if you are 
ready, you may finish your mission, and we would be honored if you would 
accompany us as we hunt the remnants of the army.  From what young Clark tells 
me, your performance in battle was exemplary."  When Mallo mentioned Clark, he 
indicated the young knight Tsugiko had ordered to bring reinforcements.  The 
boy cut quite a dashing figure with his helmet under his arm and the sun 
shining behind him.  

	"You were amazing."  The boy, no man, named Clark said, echoing his 
commander.

	The Warrior Priestess glowed to receive the compliment, in manner 
entirely separate from the pink light that continued to surround her healing 
body.  "Thank you.  They had set a nasty trap for us.  I'll be happy to repay 
the enemy general, Clorets, in full for her hospitality."  Tsugiko grinned as 
Clark raised another cheer to second her sentiment.  Then suddenly a worried 
expression crossed her face.

	"Are your injuries acting up?" inquired a concerned Mallo.

	"No… I'm fine.  In fact, Yumi, you could go help some of the men."  Yumi 
nodded and started to help those knights whose armor did not sufficiently 
protect them or their steeds from the dangerous pikes. "But something feels 
wrong.  Why were they ready for us, but not for you?"

	"Perhaps this Clorets did not anticipate that we would attack together, 
or in her arrogance she underestimated the Sparkling Elite.  Such a mistake 
has been the downfall of many before her."  Another cheer struck up.  Tsugiko 
began to find the shouts obnoxious again, until she glanced at the cheering 
band and saw that Clark was hardly the only handsome young one among them.

	"Maybe..." the Warrior Priestess offered as she looked in the direction 
Clorets had fled.  "But haven't the pike men led your people into traps 
before?  There could be quite an army hiding in the woods they retreated 
into."

	Mallo nodded and grabbed what looked to be a small telescope from his 
saddlebag.  He put it to his eye and stared at the forest some distance from 
the camp.  His expression was a far less jolly when he lowered the telescope.  
"You're right.  There's a large group of men formed up and waiting for us.  I 
can't tell how many, but they far outnumber the unprepared lot we slaughtered 
here.  We can't hold this ground."  Mallo then let up on his somber tone.  
"But we can destroy the camp, and strike again and again at this force until 
none remain!"  The inevitable cheer was perhaps louder than the previous ones 
but it seemed more fearful and less genuine.  Mallo then spoke to Tsugiko in a 
quieter voice, "You should find that Crystal and destroy the camp quickly.  
They had a great number of archers and will probably begin firing once they 
realize we aren't giving chase."

	Tsugiko nodded and entered the orange and purple tent that nicely 
epitomized the difference between Martian and Terran aesthetic sensibilities.  
On the inside she found five Bottle Pops.  They were on wheeled carts and were 
smaller than the ones the Crystal Warriors had encountered at Clorets' 
previous camp.  The weapons were also different in that the blue and yellow 
combustible liquids were in large glass cylinders close together towards the 
back of the cannon, rather than in spheres on each side. The proximity of the 
two liquids would make it even simpler to combine them and destroy the camp.  
However, Tsugiko was more concerned with the apparent absence of the Crystal 
Shard.

	She had not been surprised that it wasn't simply lying in the open 
awaiting pickup by the Crystal Warriors, but the lack of potential hiding 
places worried her.  The interior of the partially collapsed tent was 
minimalist to an extreme.  There was only a few tables, some chairs, a board 
with a map, and a bed.  There was only one chest in sight and it held only 
military sundries.  Perhaps Tsugiko was missing something, or the Shard was 
hidden in the collapsed part of the tent.  "Yumi, could you come in here, 
please?  Bring Kit Kat."

	The other Warrior Priestess quickly arrived. "No luck?" Tsugiko shook 
her head.  Yumi then turned to the Carret.  "Could you find the Shard for us 
please?"

	The Carret wandered the tent, pausing briefly at the chest before 
slipping out of the tent in the direction that Clorets had fled.  Yumi shot a 
troubled look to Tsugiko and the two Warrior Priestesses followed the Carret.  
Once they were outside Kit Kat indicated that the Shard, the objective of 
their quest, was waiting in the forest along with a legion of Wintergreen's 
men.  Tsugiko turned to Yumi.  "You know, I never cared before, but now I'm 
really starting to hate that woman."

	The two Priestesses went back into the tent and Tsugiko poked her head 
out to ask Mallo to join them.  The giant man strutted into the tent but 
seemed far more downcast once he was out of sight of his men.  "You do not 
have good news I take it."  His voice was still deep, but it lacked the over 
abounding confidence that was his trademark.

	Tsugiko shook her head.  "The Shard isn't here.  We think the general 
carried it with her when she fled.  We need that Shard in order to defeat 
Wintergreen."

	Mallo nodded.  "And we need to kill that general.  Smashing the camp 
will delay only the fall of Guylian.  We must defeat them here, before the 
general can slip away.  The trouble is, by my estimate, about half of the 
troops Wintergreen has in Guylian are waiting for us."  His tone suggested 
that victory was not the probable outcome.

	"We could wait until they make camp again."  Yumi bent down to scoop up 
the Carret.  "If the general has the Shard then Kit Kat will let us find them 
both.  And either the troops will be sent out in the field again or the 
skirmish tactics will be far less effective."

	Tsugiko nodded.  What Yumi was saying made sense.  Once again the girl 
wonder had saved the day, except...  "What if Clorets just takes the Shard 
immediately to Wintergreen?  Then we lose the Shard and won't be able to find 
the camp for the Sparkling Elite."

	"I don't think the general can afford to abandon her troops and she 
probably won't trust anyone else with the Shard.  She's probably stuck here a 
few days until Riesen or someone shows up to retrieve it."  Yumi wasn't really 
arguing, just pointing out what she thought were facts in a friendly matter.  
After all, Yumi was always right.  Well almost always...

	"But what if Clorets isn't the general who came up with the skirmish 
tactics?  Her strategy in Ferro Ranchero was completely different and her camp 
was nothing like this one.  She probably just showed up to take the Crystal 
and to try to kill us when we tried to steal it back.  Now that we beat her, 
she'll run away.  We can hunt her, but the knights won't be able to find and 
kill the strategist leading the attack against Guylian.  Mallo is right.  We 
have to fight here!"  Tsugiko's sense of triumph in the discussion was broken 
by the sound of arrows hitting the tent with what sounded like many more 
landing outside.

	Mallo ducked out to give a few orders to his men, then returned.  "So, 
as I said before, we have to fight them here.  It's a bloody shame that we 
can't use these cannon, but I don't know how.  And if they are explosive as 
you say, then there's no way the general will allow her troops to get anywhere 
near this camp now that we've captured it."

	Yumi quickly walked over to one of the cannons to study them.  With 'A'-
in-Chemistry Kyouji out cold, she was their best hope.  Tsugiko and Mallo 
walked out of the tent as another wave of arrows fell to the ground.  The risk 
to the heroes was fairly small, as most of the arrows fell short and were 
widely dispersed.  Tsugiko looked to the forest and saw a dishearteningly long 
line of archers, a few ranks deep.  Behind them, based on the flashes of 
metal, were another few ranks of pike men, who doubtless would rush in front 
of the archers in the event of a cavalry charge.  Wintergreen's company had 
realized that their arrows weren't reaching the target and had emerged from 
the woods.  They now continued to march forward slowly, keeping formation.

	Mallo mounted his horse.  "These 'archers' are mere pike men given bows 
and arrows.  We should easily be in range by now, but most of them aren't even 
coming close."  His grousing cheered the men, but he then continued in a 
quieter voice to Tsugiko.  "But once they are in range, my men and the 
Binaca's they ride on will start to die.  With that many archers, precision 
doesn't matter.  You just need to get enough arrows into the right area.  It 
doesn't take much skill at all."  Then suddenly genuine vigor returned to his 
voice.  "Which is why we won't sit here waiting to die!  We'll rush to each 
side of the line and outflank them.  As these are Wintergreen's armies, the 
officers are probably hiding in back, thinking they're safe.  We'll show 
them!"  The company burst into cheers loud enough to startle the opposing 
army.

	The largest knight of the company, one who made the mountain that was 
Mallo look like a school boy by comparison, then chimed in with a deep base 
voice that Tsugiko could feel as well as hear.  "I'd be honored to carry the 
hero of Mars on my steed.  There's room enough and if I can get her to that 
accursed general he won't stand a chance."  He bowed at Tsugiko and another 
louder cheer broke out, only to be silenced by a sudden gesture from the girl, 
who was rubbing her temples.

	"We'd understand if your mission did not allow..." Mallo started, only 
to be cut off by the Warrior Priestess.

	"No, I'd also be honored to ride with you, but there may be a better 
way.  Remember what you said about the archers?  Well, we have a weapon too 
and we just need to bring it to those troops.  Our lack of skill won't 
matter."

	Yumi, who had just emerged from the tent, replied, "No, Tsugiko.  The 
Bottle Pops have propellant to spare but they don't have any ammunition to 
launch at Wintergreen's forces.  We could try to load the cannons with metal 
scraps, but they would probably just break, quite possibly killing anyone 
nearby." 

	Tsugiko wasn't deterred.  "We don't need to fire them.  We just need to 
blow them up next to that army.  Those Bottle Pops are on wheels; a team of 
those Binacas could pull the cannons up to the enemy line.  When they get 
there, you could blast the liquid explosives.  Your wand is easily powerful 
enough to break the glass and then boom!"

	Mallo, for the first time since the discovery of the opposing army, 
looked truly happy.  Before Tsugiko even finished explaining her idea, he had 
ordered his men to connect three of their steeds to each of the five Bottle 
Pops.  The great tent lent the operation cover from the spying eyes of 
Wintergreen's army.  The men worked with lightning speed and within a minute 
all five cannon were ready.  The fifteen knights who retained their Binacas 
prepared to launch a diversionary maneuver.  At the same time, Mallo and four 
handpicked men each mounted the lead horse-rabbit of a cannon team.

	When Yumi realized the implication of the five riders guiding the Bottle 
Pops, she cried out in protest.  "No!  You're sacrificing yourselves!  There's 
got to be a better way."

	Mallo turned to look down at Yumi and replied in a sympathetic tone, but 
one that would accept no disagreement.  "There isn't another way.  Our losses 
would be far worse with my original plan.  This way we smash Wintergreen's 
army in one decisive blow, not lose man after man in a doomed campaign of 
attrition.  Any of the Sparkling Elite would fight for the chance to lead this 
charge, but it is an honor I've reserved for myself and our four best riders.  
Our Binacas are noble and wise, but they still must be lead.  In addition, the 
Bottle Pops must be driven into the enemy line for us to achieve maximum 
effect.  This is what must be!"

	"But... I can't." Yumi stammered.  A new wave of arrows showed that the 
majority of the enemy archers were no longer out of range.  One steed reared 
to protest an arrow that landed in its side, but its rider managed to calm it.

	Tsugiko grabbed Yumi by the shoulders.  "There's no time for this, Yumi.  
I don't want these men to die any more than you do.  But they're soldiers.  
It's their job to save their land!  Would you prefer to let Wintergreen's 
armies pillage Guylian?"

	"But I'd be killing them!" Yumi cried out.

	"You're being selfish," Tsugiko snapped, but then she took a gentler 
tone.  "I know it will be hard.  I'd do it for you if I could, but you're the 
only one who can use that wand.  It will hurt like hell but it's the right 
thing to do."

	Yumi meekly nodded.  She had already begun to cry.

	Mallo then looked down at the Priestess and said gently and softly.  
"Please do it for us and for the families and friends that we are fighting 
for."  His voice then retook its bravado.  "Besides, we'll drop the pull lines 
connecting us to the cannon when we reach the enemy.  If any of my men can get 
away, it will be us five."  Another cheer went up.  It was deafening.  The 
time had come.

	The fifteen knights who retained their mounts split into two groups and 
pretended to implement the original flanking maneuver.  They rode out whooping 
and hollering and attracting as much attention as human possible. The ends of 
the enemy army adjusted to this maneuver and most of the archers switched to 
pikes.  Tsugiko could see why the casualties would have been so high; the 
officers were in back but could easily melt into the line.  The rear pike men 
need only turn around to make attacking the back as deadly as attacking the 
front.

	However, just as the fifteen men reached the other side of the enemy 
line, the Bottle Pop teams moved into action.  First Tsugiko led the numb Yumi 
to the front of the camp, where she could fire without tents getting in the 
way.  The teams of three Binacas did not need to worry about obstructions and 
simply trampled the four-men tents as if they were merely a field of wheat.

	The Bottle Pop teams split up, each aiming towards the center of a 
predetermined fifth of the enemy.  As they came into view, Wintergreen's line 
began to visibly waver.  The fifteen knights behind the line fell back to be 
safely out of danger while picking off survivors.  As the Bottle Pops were 
driven closer, the rows of pike men broke into a full retreat; the men lost 
any sense of order and discipline and only wanted to get away.  But for the 
vast majority, it was too late.

	The five Bottle Pop teams easily charged into the ranks of the fleeing 
enemy, screaming at the top of their lungs.  As near as Tsugiko could figure 
out, they were shouting their names and the name of their corps.  She smiled, 
it was a nice tradition, making sure the enemy knew who it was that sent them 
to their deaths.  But the time was now; the Bottle Pops were arriving in 
staggered order to give Yumi a chance to hit each liquid explosive at the best 
time.  But the pink Warrior Priestess had to fire now or the retreating men 
would block the line of sight to the first cannon.

	"Yumi! Now!" Tsugiko ordered.  Yumi seemed almost to be a lifeless 
puppet, but she complied.  A burst of pink energy shot out and the middle of 
the line exploded.  It had been Mallo's section.  The sound was ghastly, but 
somehow to Tsugiko it seemed less real than Mallo's shouts a few seconds ago.  
Following Tsugiko's commands, Yumi detonated each of the remaining cannons.  
The field was covered in billowing smoke, but the outcome was quite clear.  
Death and the stench of burning flesh hung in the air.  After firing for a 
fifth and final time, Yumi collapsed sobbing into Tsugiko's arms.

>o<   >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<

	Two hours had passed since nightfall.  The Sparkling Elite was reveling 
and it seemed like the party would continue well into the next morning. The 
party and the knights had made camp in what remained of the looted and ravaged 
army base.  The bulk of the knights were gathered around a bonfire that had 
taken the place of the central tent.  It was a huge conflagration fed by 
captured tables, chairs, papers, blankets, and anything else that would burn.  
The food and drink were of low quality but plentiful.  Besides which, the 
knights gorged and quaffed the captured stores with such vigor that the night 
had the feel of a great feast.

	Tonight was the first time in a long while that Tsugiko had felt truly 
happy.  Not sleeping on the ground was always a pleasure and tonight she'd 
have an entire cot-equipped four-man tent to herself.  Even so, the Warrior 
Priestess doubted she'd get much sleep that night.  The Sparkling Elite held 
the sort of party where every house in the neighborhood would have called the 
police, who probably wouldn't show up if they knew what was best for them.  
"But who needs sleep," Tsugiko said to herself. 'I'm having a great time and 
how often do I get to hang out with people I respect who enjoy praising me?"

	Indeed, the volume of the celebration, in this case, matched its 
quality.  The knights loved to tell exciting, swashbuckling stories of heroes, 
exploits, and monsters that the Warrior Priestess found a bit hard to believe, 
even with all that she'd seen on Mars.  Many of the tales seemed to be old 
favorites and the other knights knew just when to cheer or groan.  They'd also 
sometimes mock the teller for making a mistake or praise him for adding 
something new and exciting.  None of this leant any more credence to the 
stories, but all involved sought entertainment and they found it in great 
measure.

	Many of the tales concentrated on the adventures of now fallen members 
of the Sparkling Elite.  These stories brought more than a few tears to the 
listeners' eyes and many a round of toasts to the dearly departed.  The five 
men who had died in battle, particularly Mallo, were accorded great praise and 
deference and had now entered into the pantheon of Guylian's legends.  Four 
knights had perished when the Bottle Pops exploded and one more had died in 
the ensuing massacre of the retreating troops.  However, that knight did not 
pass in vain.  He had taken the head of the accursed general who had been 
organizing the raids.  After which he had chased Clorets far into the woods, 
where in the end she had killed him. Much to the knight's honor, his attacks 
on the princess had left a long trail of armor, including a pouch containing 
the shard she had failed to protect.

	Tsugiko had loved every minute of the celebration, particularly the 
tales told of her victory over the ambush party.  The green-clad warrior had 
been amused that the numbers of the enemy and the ferocity and spectacle of 
her attacks grew with each retelling of the story.  She had made no attempt to 
quash the tales of her breathing fire, spearing six of the levitating mages in 
a single strike, or hitting the head of one enemy with such strength that it 
was torn asunder and knocked down a band of archers.  "After all," she had 
thought, "it wouldn't do to dampen the morale of the men."

	In fact, Tsugiko had noticed that she was accorded special status not 
just as a Crystal Warrior, but also as a woman who could easily go toe to toe 
with any of the Elite.  In addition, it turned out that Clark was far from the 
only knight to be pleasing to the eye. A dozen of the knights were men not 
much older than the Warrior Priestess and were perfect specimens of physical 
fitness.  The teenager had never considered herself much of a flirt, but she 
found it came quite easily when so many attractive man were willing to lavish 
attention on her.  It wouldn't go anywhere.  The Crystal Warriors would soon 
leave Guylian and Tsugiko was far from certain how human the natives actually 
were, but that safety only enhanced the fun.  For the first time on Mars, home 
didn't look great by comparison.

	Here, at long last, she was completely out of Yumi's shadow.  The men 
did pay some attention to the other Priestess.  Indeed, the new commander had 
dedicated an hour to try to cheer the poor girl. However, it was obvious to 
Tsugiko that even if Yumi had been in the mood to celebrate, her roommate for 
once would have second pick of the guys.  "I shouldn't gloat though," Tsugiko 
thought.  "She's hurting and I should try to help. She's often done the same 
for me."  The green-clad warrior walked away from the celebration, only to be 
interrupted by groans and pleas from the knights.

	"Not going to bed so soon…"

	"The night is yet young and you haven't heard the tale of what lies at 
the center of the Tootsie Pop mountains…."

	"Have mercy M'lady.  Don't leave us alone with only ourselves to look 
at."

	Tsugiko turned back.  "I'll be right back, you hams."

	"Promise us."

	"Of course."  Tsugiko's promise was met with one of the Sparkling 
Elite's cheers.  They had one ready whatever the occasion.

	Yumi and Kyouji were some ways away from the central bonfire.  The 
Knight Protector's strength had not yet returned, but he was capable of non-
strenuous activities such as conversation.  Yumi had spent most of the time 
after the battle tending to the wounded.  She had even treated some of 
Wintergreen's soldiers who were lucky enough to have been captured alive, no 
mean feet when facing the Sparkling Elite.  Kyouji had woken up in time for 
the celebration, but the two of them had excused themselves about an hour ago, 
not that anyone really noticed they were gone.

	"I know, Yumi, I know, but you've got to forgive yourself.  You didn't 
do anything wrong."  It figured, Kyouji was spending his time trying to 
improve the mood of his favored Priestess.  Yet for once Tsugiko's jealousy 
was only a rote response, lacking any real passion or pain.  The green-clad 
warrior noted its absence and was quite pleased.  She felt as if a she was a 
claustrophobe who had spent the last three months in a closet and was just now 
allowed to go outside.  Admittedly, Kyouji still looked good, even compared to 
his reveling competition.  He also might just have saved her life with his 
quick action earlier today.  Even so, for once he was not the only game in 
town and she could talk to men who were brave and bold, men who were 
interested primarily in her, and best of all men capable of making decisions.

	Even now, Kyouji abandoned what looked like a near hug with Yumi and 
guiltily slinked away from the moping Priestess.  Tsugiko was not in the mood 
for his apologies or explanations so she spoke first.  "We've missed you two 
at the party.  Feeling any better, Yumi?"

	The pink Priestess nodded her head, which Tsugiko was glad to see was 
not only a gesture.  Most of the girl's tears had dried and she looked sad, 
but not depressed.  Apparently whatever the new commander and Kyouji had said 
to her had made a difference.

	Kyouji was still cautious around Tsugiko, which was probably for the 
best.  He carefully stood up and excused himself.  "I'll let you two talk 
alone for awhile, if you like."

	The green-clad warrior nodded but gave the boy a friendly smile; at 
least he had the sense to know his presence would make this harder.  She the 
turned to her fellow Priestess and tried to offer some comfort.  "You do know 
you did the right thing, Yumi?"

	The girl nodded.  "I've realized it intellectually.  And everyone has 
been so nice and supportive.  I should thank the knight's for their kind 
words."

	Tsugiko laughed.  "Don't worry about them.  They couldn't be having a 
better time.  So you're OK?"

	"Yeah, I'll be alright, I guess." Even Tsugiko could see that Yumi's 
smile was more than a bit forced.  She probably would be better soon; she 
hadn't gone catatonic like after Winis' death.  Yet it was obvious that she 
was still hurting at this point.

	"You don't have to put on a brave face for me, Yumi.  It isn't wrong to 
be hurting, just feel better soon.  I'm sure Mallo would want you to be 
happy."

	Yumi smiled and nodded again, but mentioning Mallo had clearly been a 
mistake.  New tears welled up in her friend's eyes.  This was so frustrating.  
Tsugiko could clearly see the problem, but she couldn't make Yumi feel better.  
The green-clad warrior would gladly smash another squadron of pike men to see 
Yumi genuinely happy, but life wasn't that easy.

	"Don't worry about me Tsugiko.  I'll be fine.  Go enjoy the party.  You 
deserve it."  Yumi was selfless to a fault, as always.  However, despite the 
teenager's inner feelings of rebellion, she complied with the pink Priestess' 
suggestion.

	"She's right, of course.  I can't help her, so I may as well try to have 
a good time."  Tsugiko rationalized to herself.  Fortunately, the constant 
exuberance of the knights and the attention of so many handsome men quickly 
restored her ability to enjoy herself.

	After another twenty minutes had passed, Kyouji slowly wandered back 
into the fire circle.  The Sparkling Elite welcomed him; his sacrifice and 
devotion were admirable, although he wasn't really treated as one of the boys.  
He waited to speak until Tsugiko had finished flirting with a young dark 
haired knight who was happy to be teased.

	"… You should come to visit the capital of Guylian.  The sugar springs 
are truly delightful this time of year."

	Tsugiko blushed slightly.  "Well, that may be a bit much for a first 
date."

	The knight pretended to be offended, "My honorable intentions are merely 
to give you a tour of my city.  At least promise you will visit once you have 
defeated the Dark Queen."

	Tsugiko nodded.  "I'd love too."

	Kyouji let a few beats pass to be sure he wasn't interrupting.  "Hey, 
Tsugiko, I haven't really talked to you tonight.  I didn't mean to spend all 
my time with Yumi but…"  The boy was trying to be casual, but it was apparent 
that he was cautiously attempting to avoid giving offense.

	"Don't worry.  I'm actually capable of having a good time without you."  
Tsugiko's reply came out a bit more curtly then she intended it.

	"I didn't mean to say that you…"  

	"It's alright, I know what you meant.  And I am having a great time.  
How are you doing?"

	"Not so bad.  The fur ball was harassing me, but ran off when a few of 
the knights started to talk about Carret filets.  I pointed them in the 
direction it ran off."  Kyouji gave a wry grin and Tsugiko laughed, although 
she wasn't quite sure if he was being serious.

	"You know, the Sparkling Elite are a lot of fun.  You and Yumi have been 
missing out."

	Kyouji looked a bit embarrassed, "I don't think she's really in the mood 
to party.  I wouldn't mind, but I thought I should try to help her.  Besides, 
my body isn't quite up for the level of activity that celebrating with the 
knights seems to entail."  Kyouji flashed a slightly pained smile.  His wounds 
were no longer visible now that he had borrowed a set of clothes from one of 
the knights.   Yet it was still obvious from the way he was holding himself 
that he needed at least a night's rest to have the energy to take tea with the 
knights, much less party with them.

	Tsugiko nodded.  "You're probably right about that.  But I am sure going 
to miss this place.  It's only been about two days since we arrived, but 
everything feels so different.  I love spending time with people that are 
willing to fight against Wintergreen and that can actually win a battle or 
two, even if they are crazy.  I had felt as if no one on Mars was actually 
willing to meet that evil witch's corruption with anything but a sense of 
resignation.  Good thing that promise Krackel made to meet us in Guylian gives 
us an excuse to stay around here a few more days."  Kyouji cringed at the 
proximity of 'Guylian' and 'promise,' as if the two words in combination were 
an augury of forthcoming doom.

	Tsugiko almost immediately fulfilled his fears.  "Which reminds me, your 
promise to decide if you want to go out with me still holds.  I know Yumi's a 
bit down, but you'll be there for her either way.  And your excuse that I'm in 
no state to take it won't work any more.  If the news is bad for Yumi, she can 
wait to know for a few days, but it is my right to know now."

	Kyouji looked as if he would try to make some excuse, but then he 
thought better of it.  "OK, you win, but not here."  He led the Warrior 
Priestess to a quieter spot away from the noise of the camp.  Tsugiko was 
surprised to find hope was actually soaring in her heart.  Bizarrely enough, 
she actually still wanted him, even when there were alternatives.  Her doubts 
had been conquered and while victory was not assured, beating Yumi for once 
seemed possible.  This optimism made the sting of Kyouji's words far worse.

	"I've been thinking about this for a while, because I knew you'd keep 
demanding an answer.  And I'm sorry, Tsugiko, but now that answer is no.  I'm 
not choosing Yumi, but I don't want to be pushed into a relationship and I'm 
not at a point where I can be in one with you.  I'm really sorry, this may 
change someday and I hope it won't ruin our friendship."  Tsugiko's crystal 
flashed and Kyouji flinched, but no blow came from the Warrior Priestess' 
flaming hammer.  Instead Tsugiko just stood there impassively.

	In contrast to her motionless body, the green-clad Warrior's thoughts 
were fast and vicious.  "Bastard!  He still wants to be friends!  Well, that's 
a cute and original sentiment.  He didn't even pick Yumi!  It's not that she's 
better than me, but that I'm just not good enough.  Why couldn't we have 
gotten a real Knight as our protector, a comrade in arms like Clark who can 
find the joy in battle and would appreciate me?!"  The thought of the adoring 
crowd of men Tsugiko would soon be returning to helped calm the Warrior 
Priestess and put her back in control of her emotions.

	"Are you okay, Tsugiko?" Kyouji asked with a tone showing genuine 
compassion.  

	Tsugiko nodded; she was strong and she wouldn't allow the 'Knight 
Protector' to see what weakness she had.  "Thank you for keeping your promise.  
It hurts, but at least I can finally move on."  It was a lame expression and 
sounded stupid as she said it, but at least it was a start.  "Go back to Yumi.  
She's still a bit down and I think when we talked it only made matters worse."  
Tsugiko was a bit surprised at her own magnanimity, but it felt right when she 
said it.  Apparently her confidence had not fled along with her hope.

	Kyouji gave a relieved smile.  "I doubt that.  Yumi really likes you.  
Even if you couldn't find the right words, you probably helped.  But she'll be 
okay and, if you can stand the sight of me, I'd be happy to hang out with you 
at the celebration for a while.  Our friendship really matters to me."

	The boy's chipperness was a bit much for Tsugiko's newfound sense of 
generosity.  "She needs you and I don't!  You are far from the only or best 
man on Mars."  Kyouji looked hurt and Tsugiko flashed him a weak smile and 
continued, "Really, I'll be fine.  I appreciate the offer but you've had more 
than enough chances at this point.  You can still be my friend, but if you 
think we'll be able to hook up at some point down the road when you can 
finally make up your mind, you're deluding yourself.  Now go.  There is 
nothing more to say."

	This seemed to assuage the boy's sense of guilt and he walked back in 
the direction of Yumi.  "Hpmh, he didn't resist much. I guess he's eager to 
get back to the Warrior Priestess he actually likes.  But what do I care?  
Its' over."  The green-clad warrior was a bit disturbed to discover that she'd 
been unconsciously fingering her hammer as the Knight Protector walked away.  
She eagerly rushed back to the celebration and found the cheers that greeted 
her return took much of the edge off her pain.  Happily, in her absence those 
young men who where gathered around the fire seemed to become even more 
attractive.  

	The Warrior Priestess stayed awake for quite some time, telling her own 
stories, celebrating the lives of the dead knights, and taking full advantage 
of the appreciative looks she was receiving.  For once she didn't mind her 
miniskirt.  Also, those knights who where clumsy and touchy in a manner that 
would have landed Kyouji a concussion drew little more than a giggle and a 
gentle push away.  Once or twice she glanced over at her fellow two Crystal 
Warriors but she stopped after she saw Kyouji give Yumi what seemed to be a 
bit more than a compassionate friendly hug.

	Tsugiko went to her tent as the pink rays of dawn began to lighten the 
night sky.  Most of the knights were also getting to bed; the day had been 
long and the next would be as well.  The wake for the fallen soldiers would 
continue tomorrow and their bodies would be escorted with full honors to their 
home cities.  The journey would be slow, as quite a few knights had lost their 
Binacas to the Bottle Pops.

	Oblivious to all this, Tsugiko collapsed onto a cot and tried to get 
some richly deserved sleep.  But while she quickly lost consciousness, she 
gained no rest from the hours of tossing and turning that followed.

>o<   >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<

	Tsugiko's final comment left little room for interpretation; Kyouji had 
accepted it and went to rejoin Yumi.  The angry Warrior Priestess would 
perhaps be less liberal in complaints about his indecisiveness if she knew how 
much will power it took for him to respect her wishes and not turn back to say 
something.  He had taken her ultimatum seriously. Her feelings were important 
to him even though he hated being coerced.  However, he'd hoped she was 
bluffing.  In his mind the way it would play out was that he'd say no, she'd 
be angry, maybe knock him out, but the status quo would be back in a few days.  
That wasn't going to happen this time. Tsugiko had taken it surprisingly 
maturely and removed herself from the running.

	Even though he hadn't expected this to happen, he had known and accepted 
that losing his chance with the green-clad warrior was a possibility.  The 
choice that had been offered him was a fairly simple one: now or never. He had 
chosen never.  It wasn't that he didn't like her.  He certainly did; he might 
even love her.  The trouble was he liked and maybe loved Yumi too.  Tsugiko 
really was a great girl, passionate, strong, bold, although these were 
admittedly all qualities that could also drive him to distraction.  
Nonetheless, If Yumi wasn't involved, even as much has he hated to be forced 
to choose, his answer would have been yes.

	"Hey Kyouji, what's on your mind?"  Kyouji glanced up to realize that he 
had been so enveloped in his thoughts that he was now standing only five feet 
away from Yumi.  He inhaled sharply.  She deserved an honest answer; whatever 
would happen tonight, it had to be based on honesty.  The Crystal Warriors had 
already been hurt badly enough by secrets.  
 
	"Well, you see, I went to talk to Tsugiko and she called me on my 
promise.  She said she was now in a position to handle an answer and she 
deserved one."

	"And?"  Yumi's voice was a medley of hopes and fears.  Despite his 
connection with her, he had no idea which emotion was prevailing right now.

	"I told her that I couldn't be in a relationship with her at this 
point."

	"Poor Tsugiko.  How did she take it?"  Yumi's voice was as compassionate 
as always, but she was unable to disguise the wellspring of hope and joy 
beneath the surface.

	"She was alright.  I can actually see her over with the Sparkling Elite 
right now. It seems as if she isn't having much trouble looking for a 
replacement."  The Knight Protector's voice was wistful but not particularly 
bitter.  "She then told me to look after you.  She seemed rather concerned 
with how you were feeling.  Then she told me that this had been my chance and 
I wasn't going to get another one."

	The two sat in silence for a few minutes.  "So how are you feeling now, 
Yumi?"

	"You two don't have to worry.  I'll be alright in a while.  Though the 
wake tomorrow is going to be pretty tough."  Yumi looked momentarily as if her 
tears would return, though her disposition was far more complex than her mopey 
mood earlier in the night.  

Kyouji gave her a hug, "We'll both be there for you."  She hugged him 
back and held on for a while.  After she broke it off he leaned back against a 
tent pole and was somewhat surprised, if in no way displeased, to find Yumi 
resting her head on his chest.  They stayed like that for a long time, the 
question of what would happen next looming over them.

The Knight Protector had never accepted Tsugiko's caricature of 
'indecisive Kyouji'.  She had failed to realize that the status quo was also a 
choice.  He had realized that doing nothing hurt both of the Warrior 
Priestesses, but it always seemed to him that the pain of not being chosen 
would be far worse.  He didn't want to inflict that on either of them.  But he 
had never found a way to resolve the love triangle without someone being hurt.

Yet now the situation had changed.  Because Tsugiko had forced the 
issue, he had had to commit to Tsugiko or lose her as an option.  Now that he 
had lost her, he had only two choices: to try a relationship with Yumi or to 
just keep going as things were.  Kyouji listed the advantages of Yumi in his 
mind.  "She's smart, beautiful, and compassionate.  She always listens to me 
and cares about me.  And although she wanted me to chose about as badly as 
Tsugiko, she didn't force the issue.  And come to think of it, I really like 
the feeling of her leaning against me. Yumi is willing to wait, but it would 
hurt her.  My indecision has caused enough pain already.  Moreover, nothing 
would likely change in the hours, days, or weeks to come.  The question is 
simple, now that Tsugiko is out of the question.  Am I ready to begin a 
relationship with Yumi?"

He shook his head.  "The answer is yes, but the question is wrong. Of 
course I want to date her, but am I willing to do that to Tsugiko?  It'd hurt 
her, a lot.  It's not like I'm that amazing and sometimes it feels like she 
doesn't care about me, but she would be hurt.  I'm supposed to protect them, 
and I've slowly learned how to come between them and physical threats.  But 
emotionally, that's a far sorrier story.  Either the Warrior Priestesses 
suffer from slow torture by indecision or one of them suffers rejection by a 
man who she must trust her life to and spend every single day with.  It's not 
fair, not in the slightest."  Kyouji frowned and glanced down at Yumi, the 
beautiful, loving Priestess who wanted a relationship with him.

"But then, neither is life.  Everybody gets hurt; the best we can do is 
try to be happy and try to be strong enough for whatever a cruel world throws 
at us.  Even though she's rejected me, this will hurt Tsugiko, but the real 
question is whether she's strong enough to take it." He knew the answer to 
that question.

The two Crystal Warriors rested in silence for what seemed like hours.  
Then Yumi turned and looked up, "Kyouji…" Before she could finish, he bent his 
head down and kissed her.

>o<   >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<  >o<

Author's Note:

Well, I didn't get in everything I wanted, because I didn't want to skip, err 
no, I got in everything I wanted by skipping.  Sorry about that, hope you 
think the wait was worth it.  I'll leave my decisions in the part to speak for 
themselves.  Although I will note that the perspective in all parts in quite 
subjective.  Comments are welcome.  There's the Impro Message Board or email 
it to me at gsanders@terpalum.umd.edu  

I have a few people to thank.  I initially used friends Omar and Capfox as 
sounding boards for ideas.  Later Nathan was kind enough to pre-read and 
particularly helped me slightly trim my wordiness and fine-tuned some elements 
of the big ambush.  Special thanks go to Ardweden for her patience.

And I cannot thank enough my main pre-reader Nicolas Juzda, slayer of comma 
splices, terror of typos, and catcher of 'the' when put before names.  I'm 
sure he spent more time editing and making suggestions for this part than I 
did writing my last one.  It wouldn't have been the same without him.  ^_^ 

As always, the polish is there because of my pre-readers; the errors are there 
because of me.

I got all the Candies I used from candydirect.com
Sixlet -- A candy bar and the beast Clorets rode to death.
Mambos –- Another candy bar and the baddy of the week/month/season, has been a 
while since the last part hasn't it?
Abba Zabba -- Also candy bar and the country that has no assembly thanks to 
the Mambos.
Clark -- From Clark Bar and the only other named member of the Sparkling 
Elite.
Binaca –- A mint and the rabbit horses introduced in Nathan's part.
Tootsie Pop –- Used as a mountain range in a throw-away line

Tsugiko's wings came from part ten.  Yumi's shield is new, and the extent of 
its power is intentionally left to the discretion of future authors.  I don't 
think anything else I used that was important was too obscure.  Though thanks 
again go to Nathan for the Sparkling Elite.  They were a lot of fun for me.