Last time on the Starburst Crystal: The piercing sound of a horn filled the air. Boats looked to his men. "What's that racket?" Someone opened the tavern's door, revealing a commotion outside. People were rushing about, holding buckets in one hand and weapons in the other. The men inside the tavern rushed out, heading for the nearby docks. Boats and his card partner pushed their way to the front of the crowd. In the distance, at the edge of the nighttime horizon, a crimson glow tinted the sky. "Great Mars," swore the one-eyed sailor, his wispy hair flaying against the prevailing winds coming off the ocean, "fire ships!" A great commotion broke out among the half-drunk sailors, fear suddenly overcoming any calming affect from the night's intake of booze. Boats turned about and shot a fist into the air, demanding his crew's attention. "Come on boys, we've got to save the Penguin!" The sailors, following Boats' lead, sprinted for their ship. "Somebody's coming," he shouted, rallying his men, "and if they want a fight, damn it, we're gonna give they'll one never forget!" The Starburst Crystal Created by Ardweden Funk #49: A Cordial Before Battle Written by Nathan Minor seconds. In music, the difference between mi and sol or “E” and “F”. “Gi...” Tsugiko swore she could hear a tune in the background, almost beyond conscious notice, pedaling between the two adjacent tones of a minor second interval. The notes slowly sped up, suggesting an ominous countdown as though something massive, toothy, and hungry circling her in an ever- shrinking spiral just like a great-white shark in the moments before it struck. “...ka...” Now if she could only figure out what around her caused her to think of the music to a shark movie. Not that it mattered much; she felt it was the perfect background music for Mars. “Gi...” Granted, her stay on Mars consisted of fighting numerous fiends, human and otherwise, traps, and all out wars in rapid unending succession, justifying her unease. She was waiting for the next shoe to drop; the first eleven or so had dropped earlier. “...ka...” “Kyouji-kun, when we get to Ganache, I’d like to try a restaurant Cosmopolitan recommended,” Yumi said in front of her. The hair on Tsugiko’s neck raised as the priestess recognized the familiar subtext: I want to be alone with Kyouji but I don’t want to upset Tsugiko-chan by suggesting that she should find someplace else to be during our dinner. “Gika...” Okay, so it seemed silly to still be upset about Yumi and Kyouji’s relationship after Tsugiko had claimed she had given up on the Knight Protector, but she still choked down the words “he’s mine; I saw him first” before they escaped her mouth. She admitted that they were a cute couple whenever she felt charitable, and Tsugiko realized that she had lost Kyouji’s heart during the escalating competition with Twizzler. Now all that mattered was Kyouji’s happiness, or so she lied to herself. “Gika...” What really mattered was that the three Crystal Warriors survived this alien world and returned to Home Sweet Japan. They had finished the easier part, hunting down eight of the nine pieces of the Starburst Crystal. Now they needed to steal the final piece from Wintergreen, reform the Starburst Crystal, and defeat Wintergreen before she killed them, as she had killed their earlier versions. “Gika... ...gika...” Never mind that Wintergreen herself was an unbalanced killing machine with centuries more experience in the killing arts than the Crystal Warriors and their predecessors combined. Never mind that the earlier versions of the Warrior Priestesses had only just sealed Wintergreen at the cost of their lives. Never mind that there was an entire realm of people, animals, constructs, and plants willing to do Wintergreen’s bidding separating the Crystal Warriors from their goal. “Gika gika...” No, the planet had decided that Wintergreen needed killing. Instead of doing the deed itself, it had pulled three teenagers seemingly at random from Earth, given them powers straight out of a magical girl’s nightmare, and a hearty slap on the back and a prayer for success. It could have picked soldiers, martial artists, master statesmen, or even, the gods forbid, orators and demagogues. Instead, the planet had picked three normal, unqualified teenagers who had never swung a hammer or thrown a poppy in anger. Such was the wisdom of the most venerable planet Mars. “Gika gika gika gika...” Tsugiko wondered which one out of the many known and unknown gods that littered the pantheons of the universe she needed to complain to. Excuse me, your holiness, but your planet’s broken and I’m wondering what you’re going to do about it... “Gika gika gika gika...” She shook her head and turned towards Kyouji. Out of the corner of her eye, a green and orange shape slithered through the red grasses. She stopped to watch as it aimed itself at its target, crouched into a ball, and leapt. “GIKA!” “Get OFF!” Kyouji shouted, batting the carret off of his head. Yumi giggled. “Isn’t Kit Kat just so cute?” Tsugiko rolled her eyes. “You just wish you pounced instead.” Yumi turned away, her cheeks reddening. “I meant he seems almost human sometimes, that’s all.” “Now or when he was Walnetto?” Kyouji asked, as he dropped Kit Kat to the ground. “I think she meant Walnetto. After all, nothing says ‘human’ more than murder, mayhem, mass destruction,” Tsugiko said, smirking. “Well, what does that make you, then?” Yumi said. “A credit to my species,” Tsugiko said, caressing the hammer at her back. “’For the female of the species is more deadly than the male,’” Kyouji recited under his breath from an old poem first read in his English classes. Tsugiko beamed with pride. The Crystal Warriors reached the crest of the hill. Once there, she was vaguely aware of Kyouji stopping next to her. “I think you’ve got some competition in mayhem and mass destruction,” Kyouji said, transfixed by the panorama before him. “What?” Tsugiko said, hurrying towards the Knight Protector. “Look.” Kyouji pointed towards the bay below. “Oh, no...” Yumi whispered. The sight of an armada of hundred of green-sailed ships of the line clogging the bay brought the Crystal Warriors to a halt. Built in the only viable seafront for hundreds of miles, Ganache and its port were nestled at the edge of a plain sheltered between two arms of cliffs that dropped straight into the ocean. This formed a placid bay that sheltered Ganache’s extensive network of trading ships set out on commercial ventures throughout Mars. Today, the scenic bay was filled by Wintergreen’s armada, black smoke, and white steam. The smoke obscured the docks where they had first landed at Ganache. Burnt out hulks could be seen through the smoke, some still lashed by angry white flames of the type spreading through the city. The Crystal Warriors watched in horror as one of Ganache’s golden towers slid off its foundation and crumbled, flattening the buildings beneath it. Black smoke obscured the flash of a ship’s broadside. They heard several low booms and high pitched whistles. Another tower fell as Wintergreen’s great white navy shelled the city mercilessly. Yet the battle was not one sided. Six rockets rippled away from one of the oddly shaped carriages carrying a katyusha mobile artillery launcher inside the city. The rockets flew erratically, spiraling and weaving through the air. Only three fire lances found their mark. The first two caused cosmetic damage, shredding rigging and sending splinters flying. The third rocket entered an open cannon port, setting fire to the ship’s magazine. Seconds later, when the magazine exploded, blowing the ship in half. As the halves of the doomed ship slid under the waves, two ships of the line replaced the fallen vessel. Their gunners traced the rocket smoke to its origin and fired. The katyusha and its crew died under the combined shot of thirty-two cannon. The resulting fireball from exploding shells and rockets leveled two nearby towers. Yet the remaining katyushas fought on, sending rippling waves of rockets to tear into Wintergreen’s armada. Many missed, but more attacking ships joined the first at the bottom of the bay. While cannon smoke and rocket trails obscured the sea between the ships and shore, Tsugiko’s eye caught movement in the clearer water beyond the armada. Dozens of sluggish ships sitting low in the water assembled with difficulty into a ragged line facing away from the city. Little more than raised off-ramps with hulls, the transports rowed forward, soon passing the rearmost ships of the fleet. Tsugiko hissed as she saw where the wave of landing craft was heading. Ganache, while expansive, had yet to build up all the seafront between the two lines of cliffs. Open plains along the sea still separated the cliffs from the city of Ganache. “We’ve got to get down there.” She took off running. “Kyouji, Yumi, get a move on! Those ships are going to cut us off from the only port within hundreds of miles.” “Hey, Tsugiko-chan, Kyouji-kun, wait up,“ Yumi said, as she lifted her skirt just enough to run unimpeded. “I can’t run that fast in this.” >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< As the Crystal Warriors ran, with the thunderous booms of cannon and the whistled screams of katyusha rockets assaulted their ears. To Tsugiko’s surprise, the katyusha fire from the city concentrated on the ships-of- the-line, leaving the troop transports unmolested by rocket fire. Couldn’t they see that the pike companies barreling out of the city would not reach the beach in time to form an organized defense? Wintergreen’s gunners decimated any unit that left the safety of the city. As usual, the heaviest fighting would belong to the Crystal Warriors. Tsugiko hoped Yumi was holding up underneath the horror of seeing thousands of men trying to do their best in killing one another. While the Crystal Warriors ran, there was little to do besides watch the ensuing bloodbath, knowing that they could do little to affect the outcome of the battle. Slipping past the amassed armada, two galleys rowed into the oncoming landing craft. Once in range, each sprayed an oily tar over the nearest boats. On contact, the tar burst into flames, incinerating the unsuspecting landing craft within seconds. The galleys rowed towards their next targets, but one burst into flames as its fire-weapon leaked. Tsugiko blanched at how quickly the fire reduced the ship to ash. Thankfully, she was ashore, even if she was running to the sound of the guns. At least Wintergreen’s navy could not sink the shore out from under her. As the Crystal Warriors reached the beach, they watched as the surviving galley was showered in the spray of missed shots. Two frigates had sailed to the landing boats’ rescue. The frigate gunners soon found the correct range and pounded the galley into splinters. The transports surged towards the shore with each rowing stroke, beaching themselves a hundred meters away from their target against shallow spurs and bars. With the rattle of chains, the front ramps of each of the transports slammed into the water, disgorging massive amounts of armored men and the crouched men-lizards known as Eat-Mores. The soldiers splashed through the surf, yelling battle cries and obscenities. “Now what?” Tsugiko asked, keeping her eyes on the rushing horde. Green fire rushed from her body’s core towards her extremities as her flame aura sprang into existence. Next to her, Yumi crouched, her wand at the ready, a pink glow flaring at the end. Tsugiko’s flame aura sent steam into the air as she cocked her arm back as if to throw a baseball. Both girls inched away from the splashing horde. “There’s thousands of them and three of us,” Kyouji said and gulped. He shied away from the waterline. “Running sounds good,” Yumi said, staring at the armored wall charging towards them. The howls and jeers of thousands assaulted her ears. “No arguments there,” Tsugiko said. “Kyouji?” Kyouji stepped towards the city, turned towards the Warrior Priestesses, and paused, his eyes unfocusing. The gem in his forehead gleamed once before flaring into a brilliant blue glow. “Oh, hell,” Tsugiko hissed, trading fireball for warhammer. The Knight Protector’s abilities sometimes thought and acted for the body they inhabited, usually to save either Yumi or her. She recognized the signs of Kyouji’s powers acting on their own and gulped. Whatever surprises the Knight Protector’s aspect might have, chances were that when Kyouji regained control of himself, he would find himself surrounded, leaving the rescued to save the would-be rescuer. With hundreds of enemies for each Crystal Warrior, they would find themselves with only two options; fight until they died, or fight until they dropped of exhaustion. Neither one held any promise of survival. In a rare prayer, Tsugiko pleaded wordlessly with whatever gods that might be listening to her to keep the Knight Protector’s aspect from running towards the surf. Her prayers proved in vain. As Tsugiko suspected, the Knight Protector’s aspect had taken Kyouji over. Under its impulse, he ran out into the surf and drew his sword. Yumi cried out for him to stop, drowning out whatever curses Tsugiko muttered under her breath. He stopped when the water reached his knees. Reversing the sword grip, Kyouji held the pommel above his head, the blade pointed towards the sea below. His free hand grasped the handle, and poppy stems grew from his hands, intertwining around the sword’s blade and his forearms. A translucent blue corona sparked around blade and flower. She watched as the Knight Protector stood motionless as the foemen surged towards him. Already, the first javelins skipped past him. She cried out as a leaf-bladed assegai shredded his cape. Yet the Knight Protector stood still, his face serene as the foemen howled with rage. Next to Tsugiko, Yumi shrieked, “He’s going to get himself killed!” Tsugiko dashed towards Kyouji. Time to save him and see how many she could make die. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Following in Tsugiko’s wake, Yumi sprinted towards Kyouji, hoping she could reach her boyfriend in enough time to save him from himself, as well as from the thousands of screaming foes. But to her horror, the lurching Eat-Mores reached the Knight Protector first. But at fifteen meters away, the charge faltered as man and beast wondered about the type of man who could stand alone before thousands without flinching. Yumi just wondered whether she would kiss or kill Kyouji if he survived. With a wordless cry, the Knight Protector thrust his blade into the sand below. Electricity scythed outwards in a searing blue glow carried through the saltwater towards Wintergreen’s invasion force. The front ranks vaporized, filling the air with the stench of burned flesh. Behind them, the reserve ranks collapsed into the water, drowning whenever shock failed to drive life away. Yumi froze in her tracks, throwing her arms before her eyes to shield from the blinding glow. Peering through the searing glare, she saw Tsugiko in front of her. The green Priestess had turned away from Kyouji, still covering her eyes in her free hand. Past Tsugiko, in the center of the energy maelstrom, Kyouji still stood, gripping his sword as he still forced it into the ground beneath the water. She guessed that the Knight Protector’s aspect was the only thing keeping him from electrocution. Kyouji’s knuckles whitened against his sword’s guard. The death storm reaped a third of Wintergreen’s forces, yet the army still fought toward the shore and safety. The Knight Protector forced the electromagnetic storm further through the waters, driving color and strength from his body at the same time. His knees buckled, and only the sword now anchored in the now glassy seafloor kept him from falling. Yet the waves of blue lightning pushed out further and further. Without warning, Kyouji fell to his knees. As Yumi gasped, The blue glow faded and retreated towards the Knight Protector. The irate foemen jeered and honked, and the javelins flew again. Following the subsiding energy, first the bravest men, then the majority of the foe, swarmed towards Kyouji, calling out unintelligible taunts and promises of death for the one who had killed so many. Without conscious thought, Yumi found herself running through the steam towards the Knight Protector, a spectator in her own body. Her horror at watching her boyfriend essentially committing suicide before her eyes faded into astonishment. As she hit the waterline, she knew she would be safe from the energy threshing the sea. Kyouji’s mind, or what was left of it under the Compulsion, guided the weakening flows away from the Priestess. As long as the Compulsion held, both Priestesses would be safe from any of his attacks. She ran up behind her boyfriend, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and covered Kyouji’s hands with her own. Taking a deep breath, the Priestess prayed, and released her power through her hands and into her boyfriend’s sword. Once again, those closest to the Crystal Warriors vanished as the searing energy passed through them. Yumi shuddered as Kyouji’s power drank heavily of her own, pulling more and more strength from her body as it hunted down the few remaining groups of invaders struggling to find boat or shore. The Compulsion demanded more power, all but tearing it from Yumi’s grasp. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came forth. Her vision rapidly grayed until she could only see the top of Kyouji’s head. The Pink Priestess staggered, yet held on, sliding towards unconsciousness. Kyouji-kun wouldn’t hurt me, she prayed, as the Compulsion demanded even more power than she could give. She closed her eyes, and released herself to the maelstrom ripping her power away. Darkness closed over her eyes, and the Pink Priestess slumped over, her muscles lacking the strength to keep her upright. But when her strength had all but vanished, Yumi found another to lean on. Tsugiko’s hands had reached Kyouji’s blade. As the never-satiated Compulsion demanded even the smallest scrap of energy from Yumi’s body, it found the green fire of Tsugiko’s pure fury shoved into its maw. Yumi shuddered as the Compulsion no longer fed its storm from her. Where Kyouji and Yumi together had churned the nearby waves, the sea boiled under Tsugiko’s rage. Men and beast vanished once more in a searing tide of energy that set fire to the pitch-caulked landing boats. As it faded, men died quickly, as if some divine hand had reached down and turned them off. The unfortunates that escaped instant death drowned. The last foeman slid under the waters, paralyzed by the combined energy of the Crystal Warriors. The sea stole his life moments later, shrouding him in sand. The Compulsion’s avaricious hunger suddenly vanished, allowing the once churning waters to calm. As it left, waves of fatigue washed through Yumi’s body. Without the strength to keep her eyes open, she swayed once, twice, and fell forward. It was time to rest. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Tsugiko cried out as both Yumi and Kyouji fell forward into the water. “Don’t do this to me.” Her pulse raced as she scrambled after her friends, pawing at them until they floated face up. Adrenaline swept aside fatigue as she struggled to keep her friends alive. She hooked her an arm underneath Yumi’s arm and shoulder before repeating the process with Kyouji’s still form. With each step, she pulled the unconscious Crystal Warriors towards the shore until the water could no longer cover their bodies. In turn, she dragged Yumi and Kyouji out of the surf and onto dry sand. Instinct and CPR training took over, as she checked each for pulse and breathing. Breathing a sigh of relief that her friends still breathed and lived, she rolled Yumi on her side, placing the pink Priestess’s arm underneath her head and flexed her top leg. If Yumi should throw up, she would now no longer be in danger of suffocating in her own vomit. A minute’s struggle later, and Tsugiko had placed Kyouji in a similar recovery position. With her friends out of immediate danger, Tsugiko fell to her knees and sighed. The panic left, taking with it all of Tsugiko’s strength. Yet she forced herself back to her feet to stand watch over her friends as she fading in and out of coherent thought. Yet she rallied herself until help came in the form of a squad of crossbowmen. A tall soldier in the most elaborate uniform of the squad stepped up to the Priestess. “Rest now, Priestess, you are among friends,” the officer said. “Hurry, get them to the city.” Tsugiko slumped against her warhammer, still conscious but weary. She allowed herself to be led away as the skirmishers improvised litters and carried Kyouji and Yumi’s still forms towards Ganache. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Kyouji groaned, his mouth forming nonsensical words that might have been “Millennium hand and shrimp” in High Anoziran or the measurements of the newest Playboy centerfold in Attic Greek. Either way, it did not matter; mind and mouth existed on separate, feuding sections of his brain. He turned his head, his eyes still clamped closed. He appeared to be in the middle of something...fluffy. Was seashore sand fluffy? His mind cast about for an answer. His ruminations were cut short by the combined voice of billions of cells crying out a single word: Pain. Muscles ached, protesting their overuse in the battle and neglect in the days since. His skin itched, dried out through the heat and electricity of the battle. His stomach protested, trying to replace the vast amounts of energy consumed in the lightning storm. His lower body hurt as his liver and kidneys struggled overtime to rid his body of the various toxins accumulated in the magical attack. Even his bones and hair hurt. And his mouth had dried out, leaving it coated with a thick film of cottonmouth. He moved his tongue around, and tasted fur. No, that wasn’t cottonmouth he had, but cottontail... “Get off me, Kit Kat,” he said, spitting as he sat up, still with his eyes closed. The carret leapt off of his head and behind Tsugiko. Kyouji opened his eyes, and stared into Tsugiko’s eyes, mere inches away. The Priestess’s cheeks grew pink as she blinked, then reclined away from Kyouji. She let go of the vase of flowers she had just set down on the shelf in the far side of his bunk. “Er, hi,” she said, turning her head as she stepped away from his cot. She sat in a nearby chair, pulling it closer to his bunk. “Where are we?” Kyouji said, using his teeth to scrape carret fur off of his tongue. He spat. “Keep the furball away from me please.” Tsugiko picked Kit Kat up by the scruff of his neck, holding him away from her body as the carret scratched the air. “We’re on another ship, the ‘Pramandine’. This one’s different from the ‘Penguin,’ though. Looks more like those American riverboats with the revolving wheels. No smokestacks, though.” “After the last few months, you could tell me that we’re on a spaceship to Venus and it wouldn’t phase me,” he chuckled. He winced, holding his side as his muscles protested. “But why are we on another ship?” Tsugiko laughed nervously, shifting in her chair as she spoke. “I asked them to.” Kyouji just stared at Tsugiko and waited. She sighed and turned away from Kyouji’s gaze. “Okay, so I threatened to destroy whatever Wintergreen hadn’t unless they snuck us out of the city while Wintergreen’s armada was regrouping.” “What did you do that for?” Kyouji yelled. Tsugiko placed a finger on her lips. “Not so loud. You’ll wake Yumi.” “How is she? I could feel that lightning move I did rob her of most of her energy.” Kyouji turned to face Tsugiko, his eyes lit with concern. “She’s still asleep,” Tsugiko replied. A hint of relief crept into her voice. Kyouji’s eyes widened and the remnants of smile became strained. “How long has she been out?” “Three days, same as you,” Tsugiko said, her smile also wearing thin. “Is she okay? She’s not hurt, is she?” Tsugiko sighed, rolling her eyes skyward. “She’s fine. The ship’s doctor has been checking on the two of you while we waited for you to wake up. Aside from the fatigue, both of you have a clean bill of health.” Kyouji sank back into his bunk. “That’s good. I think. So where are we heading? And why did you have to threaten Ganache?” Tsugiko sighed. “I thought I had gotten away with not telling you. It’s not like they’re upset. Sending us to Wintergreen’s lands gives them the chance to divert her attention away from their land.” Kyouji thought for a moment. “Okay, so you got them to help us get the final shard. So why did you have to threaten them.” “I want to go home, Kyouji,” the priestess said, pleading. “Their generals wanted to keep us in Ganache to defend the city until we or Wintergreen died. We can’t go home if we don’t defeat Wintergreen, and we can’t beat her without the last shard. I’m sure that Yumi could have been nice about it, but the two of you were asleep and I needed to stop their plans as soon as possible. It didn’t take long for them to figure out the military advantages of sending us on our way.” Kyouji shook his head. “Well, whatever works. So, anything else happen while I was out?” The green priestess reclined away from Kyouji. “After dragging the two of you out of the sea, I convinced Ganache to sneak us out of Godiva. They sent us out on one of their newest blockade runners. You wiped out most of the invasion wave, so Ganache is gambling that we can kill Wintergreen before she can organize another invasion wave. We’re heading towards her shores now. The Captain said he’ll sneak us onto the beach, but he’s been pretty quiet as to how.” “Thanks, Tsugiko.” Kyouji yawned. “I think I’m going to take another nap. Could you tell me when Yumi wakes up.” “Okay, I’ll let you know. Oh, and Kyouji?” Tsugiko poked her head through the open door. “Yes?” A feeling of dread overcame the Knight Protector. “I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” The Priestess left, slamming the door behind her. Kyouji sighed. Once again, he wondered why “suave Kyouji” had decided to stay behind on Earth. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Since she first begun learning the basics of sailing on “Crazy Mint’s Satisfied Penguin,” Tsugiko’s appreciation of all things nautical had grown. She had asked if she could help, but she was informed that the “Pramandine” was a steamship, and that, with the exception of mopping, none of Tsugiko’s skills carried over to the newer vessel. While skilled with a mop, she was a Warrior Priestess, and had been told respectfully that she was expected to worry about Wintergreen instead of menial shipboard tasks. With little to fill her time, and Yumi and Kyouji still recovering from the effects of the lightning storm at Ganache, Tsugiko wandered the corridors of the “Pramandine,” searching for anything, be it art, architecture, or company that would be of interest. As she walked on the main deck for what seemed like the thirtieth time that day, her ears caught a low sound, different from the rumbles characteristic of the steamer’s operation. Out of the portholes, a rhythmic chant emanated, floating skyward. Intrigued, Tsugiko stopped to listen. “A, e, i, o, u, y, w...” She blinked and peered around the corner. No one was in sight, and yet the chant continued. “Da, de, di, do, du, dy, dw...” Her curiosity aroused, she followed the chant through corridor and bulkhead, down ladders and portals until she found a sailor leaning against the bulkhead, calling out the syllables. “Cha, che, chi, cho, chu, chy, chw...” “Excuse me, sailor, but what are you doing?” Tsugiko asked. The sailor snapped to attention. “Ma’am, I-“ Tsugiko groaned and shook her head. “Relax, I’m not an officer; I actually get my hands dirty.” “As you say, Ma’am,” the sailor said as he assumed the position of parade rest. His eyes flickered towards Tsugiko’s hands. Tsugiko buried her head in her palm. “Don’t they teach you sarcasm here?” “Ma’am?” The sailor stared at Tsugiko quizzically. The priestess rolled her eyes. “Never mind. So what were you up to?” The sailor beamed with pride. “Ma’am, I was sending Mars the letters.” Tsugiko blinked. “Letters?” “As in the alphabet, ma’am.” “I’m not sure I want to know, but why?” Tsugiko asked, shaking her head. “Ma’am, since Wintergreen’s been killing off the priesthoods, no one’s been teaching us the prayers. So I thought that if I sent Mars the alphabet, Mars could make the prayers out of it,” the sailor said. Tsugiko stood speechless. The sailor stared at Tsugiko, a look of uncertain expectation crossing his quizzical face. “Ma’am, you’re a priestess, right?” Tsugiko laughed nervously. Speaking with exaggerated calm, she said, “So I’ve been told.” “Could you teach me the prayers?” the sailor spoke, smiling. Tsugiko blanched as she recoiled from the sailor. She had never been religious; at home, the religious made the rules, Tsugiko preferred breaking them. She was hard-pressed to remember even the basic tenants of Shinto, much less the doctrines and prayers of a planet she had never known of before her arrival. Her eyes sought out the nearest escape while the sailor waited. Where was Yumi? She would know what to say, the words of consolation and belief that the sailor craved. All Tsugiko could do was bluff, but the sailor’s expectant face stopped that cold. Tsugiko sighed, tapping her hammer for comfort. “I’m more of the Warrior than the Priestess. Tell you what, why don’t you keep on sending Mars the letters. Maybe the planet could make the prayers for both of us.” “As you say, Ma’am.” The sailor turned away and resumed his long chant. The Green Priestess scurried away, red-faced. She wandered through the hall absent-mindedly until she reached a tall hatch complete with a wheeled latch uncharacteristic of the rest of the ship. She reached out to touch the wheel, when a husky voice growled: “Ma’am, you don’t want to go in there.” Tsugiko turned away from the hatch. She linked in surprise as, instead of the old sea salt she expected, a young woman with close cropped blonde hair, no older than Tsugiko herself, stood with her arms crossed under her breasts, a wrench in her hand. Unlike the sailors abovedecks, she wore thick green coveralls of a denim-like cloth, with one silver pip on each side of her collar. The coveralls were covered in dark splotches, and brown grease darkened the woman’s hair and face. “Why not?” Tsugiko asked, stepping away from the hatch. After listening to Bos’n Berry’s gruesome stories of sea mishaps, she learned to listen to others aboard ship. Life and limb could depend on it. “Ma’am, the fuel supply is in there. Please don’t mess with it.” The young woman spoke calmly, without the fawning subservience seen in the younger sailors. Tsugiko liked her already. “Please don’t call me ‘Ma’am,” Tsugiko said, grimacing. “It makes it sound like you’re talking to my mother instead. Trust me, I’ll be careful with my flame.” “That’s not the problem,” the young woman said, sliding between Tsugiko and the hatch. “Our fuel’s a resonating polymerized sucrose-fructose crystalline lattice undergoing morphic decay-“ The priestess’s eyes glazed over. “You’ve lost me.” “They don’t have morphic steam engines in your homeworld?” the engineer said, surprised. “Morpho-whassits?” Tsugiko’s head began to spin. The engineering officer enthusiastically began her spiel. “It’s the cutting edge of naval technology. Really, this is just the test bed for my father’s design, but with Wintergreen’s invasion, we’ve been pressed into service as a blockade runner-” “Yeah, sorry about that...” Tsugiko said, trying to keep her eyes from glazing over. “-we’re still working out the maintenance, though. The crystalline fuel’s been giving us fits. I’ve lost a tech through improper handling-” “WHAT?!” Tsugiko’s jaw dropped. The engineering officer continued, heedless of Tsugiko’s interruption. “-It’s a shame, really. Poor Chief Zours had a fiancée and everything. I wonder how she’s going to feel about marrying a woman instead.” “Hold on a moment, this stuff turned a man into a woman?” Tsugiko shrieked, edging away from the hatch lest she become a Priest. Kyouji was going to throw a fit when he heard about this. The female officer shrugged. “The crystal’s morphic field is unstable. Every object and every person has a field that defines its shape. With the right amount of energy at the right part of the field, it’s possible to changr an object’s shape.” “And I thought Mars couldn’t get any weirder,” Tsugiko said, groaning. “So why do you use these crystals then? “The crystals were bombarded with energy from Atomic Warheads in order to disturb the morphic field, forcing the crystals to rapidly change shape. Each crystal generates a sizable amount of heat as its morphgic field seeks to reassert the shape it had before the bombardment. That heat powers the steam engines. It’s an elegant system-“ Tsugiko rolled her eyes at the ongoing lecture. It was almost as bad as being at high school. She tried to slide between the bulkhead and the officer. While bringing her dangerously close to the rampaging shape-changing energy, it would get her away from the lecture and standing out in a hallway perhaps inundated with said shape-changing energy. “Except for the entire gender-change issue.” The engineer stepped in front of Tsugiko, blocking her escape. “I think I’ve gotten that worked out.” “I hope for the Chief’s case that you do.” A stray thought crossed Tsugiko’s mind. “Wait a minute, are you saying that these crystals remember their previous forms?” The officer nodded and said, “You could say that. It’s characteristic of the morphic fields every thing possesses.” Tsugiko glanced at the door, eyeing it wearily. She pursed her lips as her eyes flickered from the door to the engineer and back again. Sighing, she said, “So, something broken could remember how it was before it broke?” “Are we talking about the Starburst Crystal?” the officer asked. After Tsugiko nodded, the engineer massaged her jaw as she thought. Then, as her eyes lit up, she said slowly, “It might be possible with enough energy to get the crystal shards to remember when they were one crystal instead of nine shards.” “But couldn’t the crystal be partially reformed if we had only had eight of the shards?” Tsugiko said, inching away from the door. The officer shook her head. “I don’t think so, unless there was a time when the crystal could remember being only eight-ninths of the Starburst Crystal.” “What type of energy?” Tsugiko asked, her eyes narrowing. The engineer shook her head, rolling her eyes. “Energy is energy, Priestess. You just need enough of it to overcome the energy barrier that keeps nine pieces from becoming one. Luckily, it’ll be easier to put the Starburst Crystal together than it was to break it.” “I’m afraid to ask, but why?” Tsugiko glared at the young officer who had, in the course of her report, shifted back into the position of attention. “Creating new forms is energy-intensive; but once a new form is created, it is easier to shift between forms as the item remembers what it once was.” A shrill two-toned whistle rang out. The engineering officer swore, and started running. “If you’d excuse me...” “No problem,” Tsugiko said, as she, too, sprinted away from the shape- changing peril behind the door. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Tsugiko walked into the “Pramandine’s” dining hall, shaking her head at the gilded blue livery that filled the room. A mirrored crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and paintings and status lined the walls. Less practical than showy, she would have found it impressive visually if she had not stayed in pre-attack Ganache. Idly, she wondered if Ganache could have paid for a second “Pramandine”-class vessel out of the cost of furnishing the dining hall alone. The midday meal on the “Pramandine” proved to be a more formal affair than in the mess onboard the “Penguin.” The sailors waited in silence until the Captain was seated before filling their plates with the sweet biscuits and fresh vegetables that the “Penguin’s” fare lacked. Far from the only ceremony on the ship, no sailor ate until the Captain’s Blessing had been given. Unlike the “Penguin,” “Pramandine” depended upon a segregation of the crew into enlisted and officer castes, with the officers receiving the lion’s share of privileges and rights. While the “Penguin” lacked the ornate livery and ceremony of the “Pramandine,” Tsugiko thought that its crew seemed closer than the current vessel’s compliment. Tsugiko scanned the room, looking for the familiar pink blur that would be her roommate. Upon finding her, she sat down next to the Pink Priestess, spotting the empty chair next to Yumi. She said, “Yumi, where’s Kyouji?” “He said he was checking the ship out for weirdoes. I think Xocolatl- san was the last straw for Kyouji-kun,” Yumi said, before biting into another sweet roll. Tsugiko shuddered as she filled her plate. Xocolatl had dealt with the Crystal Warriors with an honesty and candor, unlike Riesen, Twizzler, and others who had sought the Crystal Warriors out. “We lucked out there. I can see why Kyouji’s worried. For all we know, the next one he meets could be another Twizzler.” As Yumi coughed frantically, Tsugiko slapped her on the back. After a long swallow, Yumi gasped once, massaging her throat. She did not look forward to defending her boyfriend from another top-heavy, obsessive madwoman. She took a sip of the juice set before her. “Let’s hope not.” “So, Yumi, has it sunk in yet?” Tsugiko said between bites. “We’ve got eight of the shards. One left, and then we’re practically home.” Yumi sipped her juice again. “There’s still Wintergreen. I know I told you how quickly she killed our previous selves in that vision I saw when we first got here.” Tsugiko nodded. “At least we know what won’t work. That’s more than Akie, Mia, and Teru had. Besides, if Xocolatl’s right, we might not even have to face her at all.” “I don’t know about that, Tsugiko-chan. We know less about the Time Wheel than we do about the Starburst Crystal. How do we know what Xocolatl-san says is even possible, or if it is, how we can rewrite Wintergreen’s fate so that she stays good instead of going power- crazy?” Yumi said, speaking between mouthfuls of food. “Either way, we’re still getting closer to home. Just think, no more monsters, no more crystals-“ Tsugiko said, shrugging. Yumi set her fork down. Staring at the ceiling, she sighed. “No more Kyouji-kun.” Tsugiko had the grace to look embarrassed. “Oh. Yeah. Well, I’m sure he’ll keep in touch.” “He hasn’t asked for my phone number,” Yumi said, pouting. “Yumi, I don’t remember my phone number. Besides, you don’t even have a phone here,” Tsugiko said. Yumi turned towards her friend and long-time roommate. “Tsugiko-chan, this is important. I don’t want to lose him when we get back.” Tsugiko groaned. “Did you ever think to give him yours, or has the kissing finally driven out all your common sense?” “Tsugiko-chan...” Yumi said, her eyes narrowing. Tsugiko shrugged, raising upturned hands. “Okay, okay, that was a bit much of me. The two of you have been better about that in public lately. Still, my point stands. What have you done besides worry?” “It’s not that easy.” Yumi said, crossing her arms under her breasts. “Sure, why talk when it’s easier to kiss away your worry and pretend nothing’s wrong,” Tsugiko replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Yumi’s eyes narrowed. “Didn’t you say you were over Kyouji-kun?” The Green Priestess pointed at her roommate, her finger waving emphatically. “I didn’t say that it didn’t still hurt. And I’m not going to stand by and watch you do something completely stupid either. Stop worrying about what you can’t control and work on what you can. You know that you can still talk to him over the phone or online. But I forgot. You’re a traditional girl. You can take the initiative when it comes to killing monsters, but not with guys.” “Tsugiko-chan, you’re not being fair. Besides, it’s not like you’ve got any more experience in these matters.” “Ah, I see. Why should you listen to me? Where’s Tsugiko’s boyfriend after all? Don’t pin it on me just because you’re uncomfortable-” “Okay, okay, I’ll ask him. Are you happy now?” Yumi shouted, standing up. The conversation in the dining hall stopped as everyone turned to stare at the Priestesses. Yumi blushed, and sank back into her chair. “No, but I’ll bet you will be afterwards,” Tsugiko said in low tones. Yumi cleared her throat. “So what are you looking forward to when we get back, Tsugiko-chan?” “Blue skies, normal food, more boys, and teaching that leotard-wearing freak a lesson or two for making my life hell during gym class.” “Tsugiko-chan-“ Yumi warned. “Don’t worry, Yumi, I’ll make sure she doesn’t know what hit her. Repeatedly.” Tsugiko grinned, her eyes flashing with the promise of mayhem. “That’s not why I’m worried.” A sweatdrop formed on the Pink Priestess’s brow. “Worried about what?” Kyouji said as he sat down next to his friends. “Kyouji-kun!” Yumi said, her eyes shining. “What’s up, Kyouji? Find your weirdo yet?” Tsugiko said, passing the Knight Protector a plate full of sweetened biscuts. Kyouji shook his head. “No, and it’s not for lack of looking either. I still have this feeling that something’s going to jump out at me.” Tsugiko cringed. “Kyouji, I take it that you haven’t met Chief Zours yet?” Kyouji shrugged. “I haven’t met her. Why?” Tsugiko swallowed before telling Kyouji of the gender-changed warrant officer and the shifting morphological fields belowdecks. As she suspected earlier, the Knight Protector exploded. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< “Tsugiko-chan! Kyouji-kun!” Yumi shouted as she bolted upright in her bunk. Breathing rapidly and deeply, she placed a hand over her heart. A sheen of cold sweat covered her flushed face. She sat still, calming her breathing, and suppressing the occasional shudder. Rolling to her side, she examined the bunk below. Her roommate lay beneath her, sprawled out across the bed and snoring quietly. “Tsugiko-chan?” Yumi whispered, her hair cascading towards the floor. The Green Priestess snored once more and turned on her side. Yumi released a breath she did not realized she was holding, and rolled on to her back. “Another nightmare,” she whispered, staring at the ceiling. Twix had died again in her dreams, her corpse morphing into images of Kyouji and Tsugiko slain as Wintergreen cackled in the background. Sometimes, all three died quickly, peacefully, in other nightmares, they fell in showers of gore and with screams than only ended when Yumi woke. Twix’s death, more so than Winis’s, more so than anyone else’s, slammed home the cold truth that anyone precious to her could be ripped away; just like the sister Twix from her brother and from life. It was that tragedy that Yumi had felt so empathically, and haunted her to this day. She willed that image and the most recent death dreams from her mind. Better to think instead of tomorrow’s date. Think instead of gentle Kyouji, and bury your concerns in the joys of the moment. Don’t let Kyouji or Tsugiko know about your troubles; someone has to be the rock to which they can cling when the cares of life bear down. The time for pain and selfishness is later, after Wintergreen is killed, if even then. As much as Yumi waned to do nothing more than cry on Kyouji’s shoulder, she could not let herself break the mould into which she had cast herself. To her friends back home, Yumi was always confident, always, certain in what she wanted and what she should do. Many times, her friends at school had drawn strength and comfort from Yumi’s self- assurance. To give that up, to admit to others that, not only was she afraid, but that she did not know what to do or where to turn with her fears hurt as much as the thought of losing her two closest friends forever. Throughout the Crystal Warriors journey through Mars, people and events had toyed with Kyouji and Tsugiko, finding their weaknesses and hammering away mercilessly. Yumi had stood next to them, offering advice when asked, support when needed, and emotional strength always. It had helped bring them through the many trials and battles in the past. How would they deal with the pillar of strength supporting them breaking under the strain? What if that caused the very thing that started Yumi’s fears, the deaths of her friends? She had to stay strong, which mean walling her fears away from her thoughts. She could not fall apart if she refused to think about her fears. Forcibly, and with great effort, Yumi cleared her mind and stared at the ceiling, willing herself to sleep. Three hours later, at the first signs of the new shift stirring, she got up and performed her morning ablutions. If she looked okay, it would keep others from asking unwanted questions. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Tsugiko leaned against the railing at the stern, staring into the choppy water trailing in the wake of the “Pramandine.” As the sun set, the wake phosphoresced an eerie green contrast to the brown sea water. Kit Kat yawned, curled up in a ball in comfort on his perch atop the priestess’s head. “Well, those two got their date finally. So, Kit Kat, what should I do now?” Tsugiko said, her eyes craning upwards in a vain attempt to see the carret. Kit Kat’s tail flickered once and was still. “You’re a lot of help,” she muttered, closing her eyes. Her lips formed a moue of disgust. “Gi...” the carret said, nuzzling the priestess with his head.” Tsugiko continued her dusklight vigil, watching the waters. Much to her amazement, the sea looked like it had been cut in half by a thin black pen. On the far side of the clearly demarked divider, brown waters flowed past the ship. On the near side, the water was blood- red. Maybe it had something to do with the currents. She wished that the Bos’n had made it to the “Pramandine;” while she had no reason to doubt the seaworthiness of the crew, no one onboard the vessel would explain what was happening in the sea with clarity and without the fawning obsequience typical of the Godivan crew. The engines died, and the paddlewheel spun to a stop. She heard a splash followed by the clacking of chains against the deck as the ship’s anchor sank to the seafloor. The time for action neared. Unlike the “Penguin,” the steamship could travel under almost any condition, even through the Calms that crippled sailships. The “Penguin” had dropped anchor during the Calms; the “Pramandine” would only do so when it neared Wintergreen’s lands, as it must have. Tsugiko was glad; she could feel the first twinges that heralded the onset of cabin fever. Besides, her nerves could not deal with a full week without something trying to kill her. Being the hands-on type of girl, Tsugiko found it easier to deal with the myriad monsters and soldiers trying to kill her than with the relationship problems typical of the Crystal Warriors’ stay on Mars. At least the monsters stayed dead after they were killed. Tsugiko’s feelings for Kyouji, on the other hand, died a daily death. While the time for action neared, it could not tell Tsugiko just what action was needed. Sure, before anything else could happen, the Crystal Warriors needed the final shard, and to get that meant crossing into Wintergreen’s territory. That was easy to discern, unlike forming the Starburst Crystal and ending Wintergreen’s reign. It did not help that the previous versions of the Warrior Priestesses seemed to always challenge Wintergreen or her counterpart evil in the same fashion, as though they could only act to set rules. Maybe there was something to Xocolatl’s Time Wheel; the various Priestesses throughout time had never managed to completely defeat the evil that resurfaced time and again. Neither did they survive they final battle. The pattern continued through each revolution of the cycle of good and evil that drove the history of Mars, as if a great being of questionable judgment had set forth rules before the beginning of Time on Mars. A chronic rulesmasher, only somewhat reformed, Tsugiko’s soul fought against the constraints. If the rules said that they would kill Wintergreen just to have another version of her evil pop up, condemning another three souls to fight her, and so on until the end of eternity, then it was time to shatter the rules. Forget rewriting the Time Wheel, it was time to smash it, breaking it into millions of pieces so that the people of Mars could live out their lives as they sought fit, not as Fate decreed. Shatter the Wheel, and Tsugiko would not find herself as the spectre in the mind of the next Green Priestess as she fought Wintergreen’s successor, assuming that the past predicted the present. No one had predicted the Knight Protector, and little incidents along the way cast the occasional doubt as to how durable the Time Wheel might be. It was the only humane and realistic choice; who knew if rewriting the Wheel would even work, or if they’d actually improve life for Mars in the process. In high school, she had been forced to read too many stories where characters who sought to improve the world ended up ruining it because they were too short-sighted. While Tsugiko just wanted to get home, she did not know if she could live with Yumi if her friend knew that they had made things worse for millions of innocents. But before she returned the fate of the entire planet to its people, Tsugiko knew that Wintergreen must die. What was the use of smashing the Wheel if it freed Wintergreen to terrorize Mars unfettered and unopposed? She shook her head. Kill Wintergreen, smash the Time Wheel, it sounded easy until it was time to match deed to word. The Crystal Warriors still needed the last shard and a way to put the Starburst Crystal whole. “Begging your pardon, Ma’am,” the sailor began, standing at rigid attention with his hands cupped along the seams of his trousers. Tsugiko groaned. “Relax, please. If you stand there with your legs locked like that, you’ll pass out.” Much to Tsugiko’s chagrin, more than one seaman had collapsed as they tried to impress her with their military bearing. The sailor nodded and swallowed before sliding his feet shoulder-width apart and clasping his hands behind his back. Tsugiko sighed. Was it too much to expect to be talked to like a normal person? “Sorry for the interruption, Ma’am, but the Captain presents his compliments and requests that you and the other Crystal Warriors be present at the stern before dawn. He says that he should be able to sneak the three of you ashore at that time,” the sailor reported, staring straight ahead instead of looking at Tsugiko. “Thank you. Tell the Captain we’ll be there,” she said. “Yes, Ma’am.” The sailor left Tsugiko alone with her thoughts. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< An hour before dawn, the Crystal Warriors assembled at the stern of the ship. A landing had been cleared atop the quarterdeck and bathed in pale blue light. Except for the lighting, nothing new could be seen at the meeting place, neither crew nor vehicle. “I don’t see anything, how about you?” Kyouji said as he stepped over an indigo rug on the stern. “Please tell me that I didn’t wake up for nothing,” Tsugiko said, covering her mouth as she yawned. “Now, now, Tsugiko-chan, Kyouji-kun, it has to be here somewhere,” Yumi said, peering over the rails. “Yeah, whatever ‘it’ is,” Kyouji said, walking off the rug and leaning against the bulkhead. “That’s it, I’m going back to bed,” Tsugiko said, sliding to the deck. She curled up in a ball and closed her eyes. Yumi stood over her friend and shook her by the shoulders. “Tsugiko- chan, wake up! The Captain’s gone to a lot of effort to get us here and to try to sneak us into Wintergreen’s lands-“ “Zzzz-“ Tsugiko said, rather than snored. The corners of her mouth turned upwards as she snuggled into a tighter ball. “If you don’t wake up, I’ll tell Kyouji-kun-“ Yumi said, crossing her arms. “Please leave me out of this-“ Kyouji said, nervously rubbing the back of his head. A slight smile crossed Yumi’s face. With a twinkle in her eye, she said, “I’ll tell Kyouji-kun about that one time when you-“ Tsugiko sprang to her feet, glaring at her roommate. “Say anything more and you’re a dead girl, Yumi.” “Thank you, Tsugiko-kun,” Yumi said, smiling innocently. “Attention on deck,” a nearby sailor bellowed. The Crystal Warriors leaped to their feet, standing ramrod straight in awkward parodies of the position of attention. “As you were,” the Captain said, rolling his eyes. He muttered under his breath, “Bloody civilians...” “So, Captain, are we ready?” Kyouji asked. “I don’t see any boats or anything to get us ashore.” The Captain smirked and pointed to the rug at their feet. “It’s right there.” “The air?” Kyouji said. “No. On the ground,” the Captain spoke, rolling his eyes again. “You mean this rug?” Kyouji asked, pointing at the carpet. The Captain nodded. “That ‘rug’ is the YUM-238 Mk. 3A Light Aerial Reconnaissance and Transport Vehicle. We like to call it the ‘Trident.’” “Sir, why a ‘Trident?” Tsugiko asked. “Because ‘YUM-238 Mk. 3A Light Aerial Reconnaissance and Transport Vehicle’ is too hard to say in conversion, Priestess,” the Captain Said, suppressing a groan. “I meant why a ‘Trident?’ It doesn’t look like a three-headed wolf. Hell, it just looks like a carpet. There isn’t even a Trident sown into the design,” Tsugiko continued. “Tsugiko-chan, behave!” Yumi said. “No, it’s alright,” the Captain said. “I’ve often wondered that myself.” “How does it work?” Kyouji asked. The Captain shook his head. “Unless you wish to hear the minutia from our technicians, it would do you best to consider it a magic carpet.” “Great. Any magic beans as well? I’m thinking of trading for a cow,” Tsugiko muttered under her breath. “Mmm, hamburger,” Kyouji said. “I can’t wait to go home and have one.” “Reminisce later,” Tsugiko growled. “Job first.” Kyouji sighed. “You’re the one who had to bring up cows.” “A magic carpet?” Yumi said, her eyes widening. A smile brightened her face. “This is going to be so much fun! How fast can it go?” “She never changes,” Tsugiko said, shaking her head. “Perhaps your crew will be able to tell you when you are airborne,” the Captain said. “Now, if they would be so kind...” “Coming, sir,” two voices sounded in unison. Two figures walked into view. The taller, a man of wiry frame and ever present smirk, shoved his arms through a grayish blue overcoat as he walked to a tasseled edge of the carpet. The smaller of the pair, a lithe young woman wrapped in a hooded green leather tunic and khaki trousers, took station at the opposite end from her partner. Owl- lensed goggles dangled from a cord around her neck, and she cradled a bundled package longer than her arms. With a flourish, she pulled the wrapping free. “This is for you while we fly,” the spotter said, handing Kyouji an automatic crossbow bearing some resemblance to a Chinese Chu Ko Nu. “Work the lever forward and back to fire. It’s inaccurate, but fires fast enough that you can walk you bolts into the target if you can pump the lever quickly. I don’t think we’ll need it, but Wintergreen has too many surprises out there, and I’m going to be too buy ‘steering’ to keep an eye out for her tricks. Give a shout out, though. I’ll have one of my own.” Kyuoji nodded, keeping his hands away from the lever and holding the bow down and away, copying the spotter’s earlier stance. “’Steering,’ she says,” the pilot scoffed, flashing a heatless glare at his copilot. “Typical, I do all the work and Crème takes all the credit. Say, navi-guesser, would you like the reins this time?” “Miroir, Crème, enough,” the Captain said. “Yes, sir,” the airmen said in unison. “You may depart whenever you are ready. Good flying,” the Captain Said, turning and walking through the portal leading to bridge. “I don’t get it. Steering can’t be that hard. All you have to do is go in the direction that Kit Kat points,” Tsugiko said. “Well, we could do that, but it’ll take a little more than that to remain undetected,” the pilot said. “You might want to leash your pet, though. We don’t want to lose him.” “Could you arrange that for five oreo?” Kyouji asked innocently. “Kyouji-kun!” Yumi said as she collared the yowling carret. The pilot laughed. “Not this time. Just remember to secure yourself as well. I didn’t bring a pole, so it might be difficult fishing you out of the drink.” “Nougats would get them first, anyway,” Crème said. “Nougats?” Kyouji asked. “I’m not going to speak of them here. If we’re unlucky, I’ll have the chance to show you them from above. If we’re really unlucky and see them up close...” Crème trailed off, shuddering. Kyouji considered his luck, and paled. “Don’t worry about that. We’ll be pincushions long before we’d have a chance to see a nougat up close,’ Miroir said, motioning for the Crystal warriors to board the carpet. “Anyone else think we’re crazy for doing this?” Kyouji asked as he sat down on the carpet. Yumi sat next to him, while Tsugiko made for the opposite side of the woven vehicle. “You think that flying the Crystal Warriors over nougat infested waters so they can steal the final shard and kill Wintergreen is crazy? You’ve seen how she’s ravaged and terrorized our world. Helping you is the height of sanity, in the desolation that is Wintergreen’s world. Not trying to sneak you past uncounted nougats, that’s folly,” Miroir said, his fingers dancing across the pattern on the rug. Individual threads glowed under his fingertips, until the carpet shuddered beneath them. Yumi let out a small shriek as the carpet levitated, sliding away from the “Pramandine” on a cushion of air and magic. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< “Lie down and hold on!” Miroir shouted as he crouched into a ball at the carpet’s rear. At the front, Crème rested on her stomach, twisting her ankles as she used her feet to wrap a thick cord loop around her legs. She held her ever present spyglasses against her eyes. The Crystal Warriors followed suit, holding firm to the loops provided. Kyouji turned to Yumi as she slipped he hand into his. His heart skipped as she smiled. She said, “It’ll be okay.” The spotter gave a thumbs-up gesture with her left hand. “The hell it will,” Tsugiko muttered, her face blanching as she looked over the edge of the carpet to the water below. Her heart lurched into her throat as the pilot banked the carpet to the left, giving Tsugiko a larger view of the ocean before it dove towards the waves below. While Tsugiko bit back a scream, Yumi laughed. She turned to glare at her roommate, only to see Kyouji clench his eyes closed. At least someone felt the same way as she did. The carpet straightened, leveling out mere feet from the trough between two waves. Tsugiko’s heart leapt in her throat again as the carpet lunged forward, accelerating faster than any car she knew on earth. “I’ve got to get me one of these,” Yumi shouted. Tsugiko shuddered at the thought. “Knight Protector, crossbow,” Crème said as she gestured with a free hand to Miroir behind her. With each new sign, the pilot adjusted the carpet’s altitude, speed, or heading to keep it skimming the troughs between the wave crests. Kyouji nodded, holding the crossbow out in front of him and sliding the lever forward, locking a bolt in place. He tried to ignore Yumi’s pout as she released his hand. Instead of looking through the makeshift iron sight, he lifted his head away from the bowstock, scanning the skies and horizon for any malicious dark speck. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< “There’s land ahead. Keep your eyes out for traps or beasts,” Creme commanded. Yumi’s heart chilled and she bit back the gorge in her throat. She recognized this feeling from that stone desert Wonka led them through to get the Ring Pop. Sure enough, as Yumi glanced at the approaching land, the entire landmass on the left side of the carpet was pale white behind a thin strip of pink beach. The right side appeared to contain a sickly pale orange land, but whether it was forest or grassland, Yumi could not tell at the current distance. Meanwhile, Tsugiko pointed out a set of black specks on the sea to the left of the carpet’s path Crème swore loudly, scooping up her Chu Ko Nu from her back. “What’s wrong?” Miroir said. “There’s a pod of nougats on the horizon,” the spotter turned her head and yelled, pumping her fist twice. “Keep that crossbow ready.” Miroir grunted, and the carpet shot forward, kicking up a rooster tail of spray behind it. The seal-like nougats patrolled Wintergreen’s seas, acting as aquatic commandos and an early warning system against any foolish attempt to attack her empire. Voracious predators with prehensile fins, they had been known to carry crossbows and other weapons. If the pod sighted the carpet, Miroir would have to dodge incoming bolts and Wintergreen would have accurate knowledge of the Priestess’s position. The carpet grew silent as everyone huddled into the fibers, willing themselves not to be seen. Yumi’s hand squeezed Kyouji’s tightly. “Come on,” Crème muttered under her breath as she watched the pod with her field glasses. The black pod appeared to be retreating. Crème breathed a sigh of relief, allowing her eyes to close and the tension to drain. “They’re turning away. Hurry up, Miroir, and land before they get back.” >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< The carpet slowed to a halt, settling against the pink sand. While the Crystal Warriors hugged the carpet, Crème leapt off the carpet before it touched the sand, setting the stock of her repeating crossbow against her hip as she landed. The notched bolt transversed a 180 degree arc many times as the diminutive spotter traced high-low-high repeatedly. Behind her, Miroir settled into the prone position, his crossbow tracing arcs through the ocean swells. “Clear front,” Crème called out, lowering her crossbow into the low ready, the bolt pointing towards the ground and away from her body. “Clear aft,” Miroir said, standing up. He looked towards the carpet, to the Crystal Warriors as they scrambled to the beach and the pink sand blowing onto his beloved vehicle, and sighed. “Be careful, it’s going to take me days to beat the sand out of my carpet, and she won’t fly right until then, either.” Yumi opened her mouth before Crème cut her off. “Don’t worry, it’s just Miroir. He doesn’t wan to be here any longer than he has to.” “I can speak for myself,” Miroir hissed. “Well, we don’t want to be here any longer than we have to either,” Tsugiko said. “This place gives me the creeps,” Yumi admitted. “Well, we’re off,” Kyouji said. “Thanks for the ride and do you need anything from us before you go?” “Wish us luck. We might have to go nougat hunting to keep them off of you,” Miroir said. “I frickin’ hate nougats,” Crème muttered, caressing her automatic crossbow. “We hadn’t noticed,” Kyouji deadpanned. “One last thing, which way does your carret tell you to go?” Miroir asked. Yumi held Kit Kat up by the scruff of his neck. The carret yawned, pawed his eyes, and pointed towards the barren white rock. “I was afraid of that,” the pilot said. “Try to go around the Scar if you can. It’ll be easier going, and you’ll find some shelter against the elements. Besides, you’ll stick out crossing the white rock. Even a blind Eat-More would be able to pick you out if you passed it on the scar. Also, don’t trust the water in Wintergreen’s realms. Boil it first. The land isn’t the only thing she befouled.” “Thanks for the advice, Miroir-san,” Yumi said, bowing. “Kill Wintergreen. That’s all the thanks we need,” Crème said, sliding into her normal position. “Take care, Crystal Warriors, and good killing.” The carpet levitated, rotated so that its tasseled front faced the sea, and, disappeared in a spray of sea and sand. The Crystal Warriors turned away, guarding their eyes and lungs from the abrasive blast. “Thanks, I think,” Yumi said, waving after the sand had settled. “Now what?” Kyouji asked, looking around. His hands nervously clasped the automatic crossbow he still carried. Tsugiko looked at the desolate white Scars and ruined forests at the horizon. Hefting her hammer into a ready position across her chest known as Port Arms, she stepped away from the beach. “Let’s end this,” she said, voicing the thought on every Crystal Warrior’s mind. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Author’s Notes: Blockade runners and flyboys; one would think a soldier would write about ground battles instead. At least I got in a rare fantasy airmobile operation... ...and be grateful I didn’t see “The Producers” until after I wrote this. I’m not sure Mars is ready for Twizzler’s musical return as she sings “When You Got It, Flaunt It.” I learned an important lesson this time around. Don’t try to write when on PCS leave. Please forgive the attempts to create a written language for Mars on my part. Based on earlier indications that the written script might be similar to katakana, I chose a syllabary that, while similar to Japanese, includes a few extra vowels. Don’t ask me to pronounce them. I’m not a linguist; I only play one when I’m acting in my accustomed role as one of the devils of Mars’s theology. I think they’ve got me down as Ba’alzebozo. Today’s poetry snippet is from Rudyard Kipling’s “Female of the Species.” Used without permission and with the hopes that Mr. Kipling isn’t rolling in his grave over the cavalier use of his poetry in fanfiction. The sailor sending the letters to Mars is based upon a Chasidic folktale found in Eric Flint’s novella, “The Wallenstein Gambit,” part of the “Ring of Fire” anthology. Katyushas were mobile rocket artillery used by the Soviet Union in World War II. More information and pictures of an actual system can be seen at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyusha/ The morphological field ideas grew out of readings of various Discworld novels. Whether or not the idea is used is up to the next authors, as is how Wintergreen is defeated. But I can’t help but toss out the occasional brainstorm along the way. The title, “A Cordial Before Battle,” breaks with my tradition of musically inspired titles. Instead, it is a nod to John Ringo’s “Legacy of the Aldenata” series. However, there are references to songs, including “Funk #49” by the James Gang, “March of Cambreadth” by Heather Alexander, and “Magic Carpet Ride” by Steppenwolf, as well as the Jaws theme. There are also nods to Rooster Teeth’s machinima series, “Red vs. Blue.” The opening excerpt is from Starburst Crystal #48: “The Soft Nougat Center Cannot Hold,” by Doublemint, and was used without permission. Miroir, Crème, and Pramandine are all candies found in Godiva assortments. There’s some good names still left unclaimed from that site if any future authors are interested. Eat-mores and Zours are non-Godivan candies. Thanks go out to Ard for being gracious and with the deadlines and prereading and to Nicolas for reminding me of the Yumi-female Twix plotline and prereading. Any mistakes are my own. It has been a while since I’ve last written, and I can only hope I haven’t muddled things up too badly. Feel free to send and comments, concerns, and plain old screw-ups to my email address. I’ll be off-line for a couple days, but I will get them. Nathan achariyth@aol.com 07 Jan 2006