Last time on Starburst Crystal: Tsugiko saw her first. "Yumi!" she yelled, running towards her friend who was slumped against the tree. She raised her hammer, and then realized that it probably wouldn't be very effective in cutting the ropes. "Here, let me," Kyouji stepped forward, unsheathing his sword and slicing through the ropes in one smooth movement. Tsugiko caught her friend as she slumped forward. "Yumi, are you okay? Speak to me!" She gently shook the unconscious girl. Yumi's eyes slowly opened. Blinking, she looked at the other two. "Hi guys... when did you get here?" "Are you okay? Did he hurt you at all?" "Um, Riesen was here, but he ran off after Kit Kat... after that, I guess I just fell asleep." Any sweatdrops were cut off by the arrival of a fuzzy streak entering the clearing. Kit Kat skidded to a halt in front of Tsugiko, shaking his head at her with the Cherry Shard in his mouth. Starburst Crystal Chapter 12: Candy-coated Water Drops Written by Nathan Created by Ardweden Queen Wintergreen massaged her temples. She did so to keep herself from vaporizing her servants for their incompetence, and to soothe her growing migraine. Mediocre help was hard to find these days, much less good. She had arrived at the Gumdrop Palace minutes before, teleporting into Princess Clorets's private quarters. Twix (male), Twix (female), Reisen, and Krackel appeared within seconds of her arrival, bathing her in choruses of "I live to serve," "It wasn't my fault, it was his/hers/theirs," and "May you live forever." The meeting had quickly devolved into petty name-calling as each of her "trusted" lieutenants attempted to shift the blame for the lost crystal and Warrior Priestess onto the next person. Wintergreen once again wished for worthy lieutenants such as the ones who had worked for her a thousand years ago, before the original Warrior Priestesses thinned the ranks. Pity the last of the old guard perished by her hand minutes before the Warrior Priestesses arrived to seal her away in the accursed Starburst Crystal. She wished that she could wipe her present help out, and start over with new troops. Their failure certainly warranted such an action, but killing one's lieutenants only discouraged people from joining her side. Wintergreen could be merciful when she must. Besides, she only needed dominion over a few more kingdoms. Then she'd have enough followers to fill in incompetence-related vacancies. She stared over the heads of her bickering troops, soaking in the rainbow splendor of the royal quarters. If Clorets's abilities matched half of her tastes, Wintergreen would have allowed her to join the ranks of her lieutenants. Then again, if Clorets had shown any competence, she would have delivered both the Gumdrop Palace and the Cherry Shard long before the Warrior Priestess and the Knight Protector reappeared on Mars. The bickering crescendoed. Krackel's sword rang as it slid from its sheath. Riesen readied an energy sphere. The Spear of Mint in Wintergreen's lap shone with magical light resonating with a magic circle glowing on the rug underneath Krackel, signaling that the Twixes were seconds away from pulling some Thing from its home into the royal suites. This was not helping the evil queen's migraine. She slammed the butt end of the Spear of Mint into the floor, creating a satisfying "whump" that cut through the pre-battle posturing. "Silence!" Wintergreen commanded. The quartet snapped to attention before the Queen could level her lethal stare at them. The various magic energies and circles faded away, and Krackel sheathed his sword. "My queen, had not the Twixes-" Riesen began, only to be silenced as Wintergreen leveled the Spear of Mint at his throat. If Wintergreen's arm twitched, blood would flow. "Each of you held and lost the Cherry Shard, Riesen, and each lost it in your attempts to win favor with me. In fact, you held it twice. Do not deny it," she said, cutting off Riesen's continued attempts to absolve his guilt. "Don't you know that when you capture someone, you're supposed to get her dog, monkey, ferret, or whatever sickeningly cute little animal capable of untying ropes and filching keys that happens to follow her around. Or in this case, capable of stealing the shard and luring you into the path of a wild Trident." Riesen stared at his queen in apparent calm betrayed only by a lone bead of sweat running down his forehead. He would not rise to the obvious bait. Wintergreen conceded that his lack of response showed wisdom, but she wanted to see something other than that damn attitude of his for a change. The spear flicked upward, missing his jaw by millimeters. The twin sweat beads rolled down the other side of Riesen's face were Wintergreen's only reward. A slight smile cracked her lips. There were cracks in his façade after all. "Now, what shall we do next?" Wintergreen asked. Her lieutenants remained silent. One quickly learned that answering her rhetorical questions obtained pointed responses, including the point of the Spear of Mint buried in the offender's vital organs. Wintergreen closed her eyes and concentrated. A millennium of imprisonment inside the Starburst Crystal and the frequent attempts to weaken the crystal before its final demise had attuned her body to the crystal. She tried to detect the crystal shards, hoping she was close enough to sense one. She gripped her spear, shifting her weight so that the Spear of Mint supported her. Wintergreen was well acquainted with the overwhelming pain caused by mental contact with a Starburst Crystal shard. She would not show weakness in front of anyone. Her mind searched the nearby lands, darting here and there in an attempt to sense the mentalic effects of a shard. She clenched her teeth, steeling herself for the blow seconds before locating two shards in close proximity. It felt as if some giant tried to kick her mind apart from within. Her migraine, intensified by several orders of magnitude, throbbed in time to the energy pulsing between the two shards. Although his earlier display of bravado had been impressive, Riesen would envy the self-control that Wintergreen exhibited. The aura of regal authority she usually exuded never waned once while she struggled with the crystal's effects. With considerable effort, she freed her mind from the two shards. Normally, she could handle the strain alone and in private. However, the added strain of not showing weakness in front of her lieutenants taxed her abilities to the fullest. Somewhere beyond the fierce agony brought about by the two shards that the Warrior Priestesses carried lay another, lesser agony. This time, chills joined the headaches brought about by touching a shard with her mind. At times Wintergreen could sense aspects of the lands surrounding the crystal shards. She traced a line between the Gumdrop Palace, the two shards, and the cold shard on a mental map of Mars. Then, certain of the shards's locations, she broke off contact. She allowed herself the luxury of two deep breaths before stepping away from the spear's shaft. "I will give each of you another chance. Do not squander it," Wintergreen snarled. She would let their imaginations run wild with the consequences of failure. Whatever they dreamed would be mild compared to her reality. "The closest shard that the Priestesses do not possess is in the Snow Cap Mountains. To get there, they will have to go through the Black Forrest." She paused for a moment, watching the faces of her lieutenants. The Twixes were eager to leave. They most likely wanted to improve their poor standing with her, Wintergreen thought. Krackel gazed off into space, as if to compare the cost of serving Wintergreen to his sister's life. Riesen listened intently. "You will each have a job to do, and I trust there will be no interfering in each other's jobs," she snarled, shooting glares at her lieutenants. "Yes, My Queen," the quartet replied in unison. "Krackel, I want you to go to the Snow Cap Mountains. Find the shard and return it to me personally," Wintergreen said. "Yes." Unlike the others, Krackel spoke plainly and without ornamentation. Then again, unlike the others, he did not serve her by choice. "And Krackel, don't fail me. Else I'm afraid Rollo will soon have a turn for the worse." Krackel gripped the pommel of his sword tight enough to turn his fingers white. Wintergreen looked at her unwilling servant's eyes, which exuded an unspoken challenge. It did not matter if Krackel hated her so long as he fulfilled her commands. He strode out of the room. Wintergreen chuckled to herself. Krackel's sister Rollo was as good as dead. She only lived to keep Krackel loyal. Wintergreen would never let Rollo recover from her illness as long as her brother proved to be useful. As soon as Krackel became more liability than asset, both brother and sister would die. However, Wintergreen trusted Krackel as long as he never realized that there would always be one more job until his sister's recovery. But by the time he learned that, Wintergreen would have worked her hooks in his soul. "Twixes." Wintergreen addressed the summoners, adding a thick helping of disgust to her words. Most of it was not feigned. "My lady, we live to serve," the twins said in unison. Wintergreen feasted on the look of terror in their eyes. She let the Twixes languish in uncomfortable silence before speaking. "What are you going to do about the Warrior Priestess?" She leveled her stare at the male Twix. He quickly averted his eyes. "My lady, we will face them again, if you so desire, with another Tictac. Our previous one almost killed them," the female Twix said. She stumbled over her words. "Almost? Almost killed them? I don't want the Warrior Priestesses 'almost dead,' I want them completely dead!" Wintergreen hissed. The Twixes flinched, drawing towards each other and away from her. "I've had enough of this. All you've done is strengthen them on a diet of gradually stronger opponents. If you don't have something that can kill them in one blow, I suggest you find something nasty enough to do the job right. Or else I'll show you what completely dead means." As she spoke, the Spear of Mint divided into two, one spear for each hand. She strode forward, spears in ready position. If they failed, the Twixes would learn how a suitable opponent fought. "Yes, My Lady," the Twixes chorused. A bow and a quick curtsy later, the Twixes speed-walked out of the door, but not before Riesen flashed a feral smile at the summoners, drawing his index finger across his throat. The door slammed shut. "Riesen, I have a special task for you," Wintergreen said, when the Twixes left. "My Queen?" Riesen said, bowing. Ten minutes later, palace servants saw "Toblerone" emerge from Princess Clorets's quarters. Rumor held that he muttered something about "Warrior Priestesses" and "Black Forests" as he walked towards the palace gates. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Kyouji stood some distance away from the two tents that passed as the night’s camp, but not so far away as to not respond to anything that might threaten the girls. He closed his eyes, breathed deep, and unsheathed his sword. With slow, deliberate movements, he settled into a fighting stance. His sword ran parallel to the ground and his free hand gripped the sword's point. He held the stance, waiting for an unseen signal. The sword point dropped when Kyouji released it, arcing downward as the blade pivoted at his sword hand. A flick of his wrist later, and the sword shot out before he hastily brought the sword up to parry an invisible downward slash. Kyouji frowned, shaking his head before practicing the parry at half speed. The speed increased after each parry, until he added a riposte counter-attack to the drill. Lunges and thrusts soon joined the practice routine until he stopped, panting. He once again resumed his earlier fighting stance. The point fell and he flowed from parry to riposte to attack and back with the exaggerated movements of the beginning sword fighter. "Kyouji-san!" The bout with his invisible enemy stopped. Kyouji turned towards Yumi, sliding his sword back into its sheath. The Knight Protector concerned himself with the group's safety outside battle as well as in. There was no need for anyone to get hurt due to a preventable accident. "Hello, Yumi," he replied, smiling at the Warrior Priestess as she approached. "Have you seen Kit Kat? I haven't been able to find him since Tsugiko- chan left for the pond we found," Yumi asked. Kyouji's eyes twitched. That cat-ferret had an annoying tendency to disappear before a battle. "No, I haven't seen him," he said. Yumi nodded. "I'm sure he'll turn up. So, practicing your sword?" Kyouji nodded. "I'm not sure we can rely completely on our powers until we have better control over them." "I understand. You've protected us well." Kyouji winced. "What about Krackel, Tsugiko's crystal, or the Gobstopper?" His shoulders slumped. "You did rescue me," Yumi said. A faint blush spread across her cheeks. "And you helped bring Tsugiko-chan back from her fears." The Knight Protector mulled over Yumi's words. "But I failed to protect you and Tsugiko. Everything I did was after the fact." The Warrior Priestess smiled a sad smile, full of commiseration and understanding. "You don't need to worry about your possible failures. Wintergreen said that Tsugiko and I would fall at your hands. That would be the third failure, not the Gobstopper or my kidnapping. And neither Tsugiko-chan nor I believe you'll harm us, Kyouji-san. You've been a great help to us so far, and we wouldn't be as far as we are if it wasn't for you." "I'm sorry, Yumi," Kyouji said, shaking his head. A slight smile crossed his lips. He straightened, but not completely. Some burden still weighed on him. "I've been so confused since the first time we met Riesen. Thanks for helping to put things in perspective. And you are right, I wouldn't hurt you, Yumi. Or Tsugiko, for that matter." He looked at Yumi, then looked again. Her expression had changed, as if emotions were warring for supremacy. Yumi was happy, probably that Kyouji had contested with a personal demon and won, but a strange vein of anger, maybe even sadness, settled about her eyes. They narrowed, as if Yumi became preoccupied with her own thoughts. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" Kyouji asked, concerned. The Knight Protector aspect manifested itself, reinforcing his natural concern. "Riesen." She sighed the name, making it more breath than sound. Yumi shook her head, then laughed. "I know, why don't we eat now? It'll give us a chance to relax and we can talk about more pleasant things," Yumi suggested. The strange vein passed, leaving a contagious and genuine smile upon her face. "Alright," Kyouji agreed. He allowed himself to be led away by Yumi, who talked not of ships and kings but more mundane things. As Kyouji walked away, something caught his attention. Teru stood, sword flashing as it danced through form and drill. She stopped long enough to glare at Kyouji, as though she expected him to return, before returning to her drill, a perfect mirror of Kyouji's earlier practice. He looked away, purposefully losing himself in Yumi's chatter. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Tsugiko stared at her reflection in the light blue pond away from what served as camp. One day had passed since Kyouji had found Yumi and the Cherry Shard. Rather than return to the Gumdrop Palace, where Wintergreen's servants and Princess Clorets and the rest of Wintergreen's minions were undoubtedly searching for them, the Warrior Priestesses had set out on the road, putting as many kilometers between themselves and the Gumdrop Palace as possible. Fortunately there had been no sign of pursuit, allowing the Warrior Priestesses a chance to rest and relax. She sighed. The mirror-Tsugiko's skin was several shades darker than usual due to the layer of dirt that traveling had deposited on the real Tsugiko. She dipped her cupped hands in the water, then rubbed the water over her face. Once again, like myriad times before, Tsugiko's fingers brushed against the jewel in her forehead. She knew the feel of every line in that crystal, from the seamless way it molded into her skin to the jagged lightening cracks that marred the beauty of the large green crystal. This time, it was different. The crystal felt rough in spots previously smooth. She bit her lip as she slid a fingernail over the crystal. It caught as it slipped into a crevice, then popped out as Tsugiko continued to drag her fingernail across the crystal. She lowered her hand and waited for the water to settle, all the time fearing what she would see. She knew, from the touch, that the crack had grown, and she also knew that the crystal was in no danger of falling into pieces. Not yet, anyway, but Tsugiko was convinced that it was only a matter of time. As she waited for the pond to settle to mirror-like tranquillity, Tsugiko's mind entertained fearful and fanciful notions of her crystal breaking. Patty had implied that the crystal was linked to her powers as a Warrior Priestess. The damage to the crystal could cause her powers to fail without warning. Also, if the crystal shattered, Tsugiko would forever lose all her attacks and enhanced abilities. She winced at the thought. That battle with Tictac had been difficult enough with her powers. She could not imagine fighting one without her powers, much less fighting Wintergreen. She would just get in the way. If the crystal was destroyed, perhaps she could follow Patty's footsteps and help her friends by finding needed information. It was the only way she could help, without possibly endangering herself or her friends. But all three Warrior Priestesses were needed to recreate the Starburst Crystal. If her powers left her... At least Patty was certain Tsugiko would live if her crystal broke. Until Wintergreen found her, that is. More troubling than Patty's declaration was the Starburst Temple spirit's claim that the crystals represented Mars's favor. Tsugiko wondered if she had done something to cause her to fall out of favor with the planet during the fight with Wintergreen. A damaged crystal would certainly be a sign of Mars's disappointment with her. What had she done? The planet had brought Yumi, Tsugiko, and Kyouji to Mars, and Mars was the only entity who could return the Terrans to their own world. Would the planet send her home if she was out of its good graces? What were her responsibilities? Did she serve the planet, its people, or herself? How would that change the way she acted? Tsugiko shook her head. There was so much she did not know about Mars or its people. Indulging in rhetorical questions was pointless. She resolved to put the matter out of her mind until she learned more from Patty or the temple spirit. The water settled into a placid mirror. Although the ripples distorted her reflection, she was pleased to see that her sense of touch, as well as her fears, had magnified small details by an order of ten. The fracture had indeed grown and branched, its flaws spreading, although not rapidly enough to threaten the crystal's existence. She would, however, need to remake or restore it before too much time passed. Tsugiko wondered, not for the first time since the fight with Wintergreen, why this had to happen to her. It seemed that life on Mars had begun to echo life in St. Hebereke. Nothing like this ever happened to perfect little Yumi. Even under the worst circumstances, Yumi would be fine with a few days rest. Hell, Yumi was too good for the dust from their travels to cling to her. Perfect Little Yumi, with her perfect little crystal. So delicate and cultured, like the ideal woman. Perfect. Not at all like Tsugiko, with her flawed crystal and less than perfect life. Tsugiko glanced over at the camp where she could here Yumi's laughter mixing with Kyouji's. No wonder Kyouji spent his time around Yumi. She sat back, sighing once more. Once again, Tsugiko compared herself against Yumi, and found herself wanting. She still desired to prove herself better than Yumi in something, anything. Tsugiko's competitive nature still existed, even if it was somewhat tempered due to Yumi saving Tsugiko's life a few times. However, she could not escape the feeling that she was destined to remain in Yumi's shadow, even here on the new world of Mars. Tsugiko took a deep breath to calm herself. She needed to settle down, relax. If she was going to get home, she needed to help Yumi defeat Wintergreen, not to compete with her. Besides, Tsugiko owed that witch for breaking her crystal. The Warrior Priestess's eye twitched as she remembered her fight with the Wintergreen. Even if a doppelganger had damaged her crystal, as Riesen claimed, it did so under Wintergreen's orders. Tsugiko sighed, clearing her mind of that train of thought, then leaned back until she could look up at the clouds. "So peaceful, much like the ones back home," she murmured. Not like Mars at all, where each town brought another set of problems to solve, traps to avoid, and henchmen to defeat. "Home," she sighed. Anything else she might have said disappeared as a raging swirl of emotions bubbled within. She sat motionless as images of her life in Tokyo flashed before her eyes in a melancholy dream. Tsugiko awoke, jarred out of her meditations by something soft nuzzling her hand. She looked down, only to see Kit Kat look up at her, concern evident in his large expressive eyes. "Gi?" "Hi, Kit Kat," Tsugiko answered. She scooped up the cat-ferret, holding him close. The attention felt good, even if Tsugiko would have rather Kyouji... "Kaaaaaaaa..." Kit Kat purred, rubbing his head against Tsugiko's arm. She scratched behind his ears, turning the cat-ferret into a perpetual purring machine. They sat in relative silence, punctuated by soft content purrs. Tsugiko smiled for the first time since seeing her reflection. It failed to reach her eyes, giving her face shades of melancholy joy. Time passed, and the absence of thought and Kit Kat's presence comforted Tsugiko. The cat-ferret's ears perked. Kit Kat thrashed his paws about as he broke free from Tsugiko's grasp. She had to move quickly to avoid getting scratched. Kit Kat walked a few steps from Tsugiko, and turned around. "Gi." He looked at Tsugiko expectantly, then walked a few more steps. "Gi." Tsugiko stood up, brushing dirt and leaves off of her legs and skirt. "I guess you want me to follow you," she said. Kit Kat ran next to Tsugiko, paused, then ran away, stopping a bit farther than before. "Alright, I'm coming," Tsugiko laughed. She followed the cat-ferret until he broke out into a full run. A merry chase soon ensued, ending at the camp. "Tsugiko-chan! You're just in time for dinner," Yumi said, spooning a thick syrupy broth into a bowl. Tsugiko smiled, sitting down next Kyouji, ready to enjoy a pleasant evening with her friends. The next day, they would travel through the dark forest on the horizon's edge. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< The Black Forest lived up to its name. The tall hardwood trees formed a thick canopy of black-green leaves. A thick coat of debris combined with thick tree trunks created myriad nooks and hiding spots for a variety of monsters, some of which the Warrior Priestesses had already encountered. Tsugiko pulled her hammer out of the ground. Her final attack had missed, leaving her wide open to counter-attack, only to be saved when Kyouji impaled the latest monster. She eyed the tree line, waiting. Fortunately, there were no monster reinforcements waiting in the trees to avenge a fallen comrade. "Tsugiko-chan, Kyouji-san, are you okay?" Yumi asked. Her wand was warm to any other touch but hers. Most of the residual heat from her magical attacks had dissipated along with the danger. Yes, everyone had emerged from the battle relatively untouched, except for some slight abrasions. "Is the furball back yet?" Kyouji said as he pulled his sword free from what used to be a giant multicolored worm. He frowned, then wiped the blade clean on the monster's hide. "Gika!" Kit Kat answered, as if on cue. The cat-ferret scurried up Kyouji's cape, finding a comfortable spot on his shoulders. "Never mind," Kyouji groaned, shivering as the cat-ferret nudged his head affectionately. "Could someone help me here?" Yumi slid the cat-ferret off of Kyouji's shoulders. The cat-ferret purred as Yumi cradled him. "Are we going the right way?" Tsugiko wondered. After a while, one tree looked much like another. The only navigational aid the Warrior Priestesses had was Kit Kat's ability to sense the Starburst Crystal shards. She realized that they would be lost if anything happened to the cat-ferret. "Let's get going," Kyouji said. They had learned not to stick around the monster corpses they had slain. The local scavengers were fearless, ill tempered, and hard to kill. The Warrior Priestesses continued their trek through the Black Forest. Kit Kat scurried in front, somehow managing to walk a straight line through forest and underbrush without straying left or right. Time passed, until a half hour later, they reached a clearing about 15 meters in diameter. A loud bird call, part songbird and part raptor, broke the monotonous silence that had descended upon the Warrior Priestesses. Kit Kat vanished. "Wait," Kyouji said, thrusting his hand out to stop Yumi and Tsugiko. His eyes darted from tree to tree, trying to find whatever had triggered his sense. He freed his sword from the sheath, holding it in a ready position as he stepped a wary circle around the Warrior Priestesses. Tsugiko bit the inside of her lip as she readied her hammer. Kyouji's warnings held, as they found out walking through the monster-infested Black Forest, an uncanny accuracy. Some of the monsters made Tridents seem like ideal pets. She looked over at Yumi, whose wand glowed pink as she trained it on a successive series of shadows and mirages. A resounding cry filled the forest, part melody and part animal screech. Tsugiko backed closer to Yumi and Kyouji, readjusting her grip on the now slick hand of her war hammer. "Lower your weapons," a harsh voice commanded. It seemed to echo off the trees as though it came from all sides. The trio spun about, trying to find the source. Tsugiko heard Yumi gasp, then Kyouji's shout of "No way!" She turned towards her friends, finding their weapons lowered as they stared in shock. She followed Yumi's gaze. A young woman, around Tsugiko's age, stood before a thick column of black oak. Tsugiko swore that the newcomer had not been in front of the tree last time she checked. At least she hoped she would be able to pick out a tall bronzed woman carrying a long spear and wooden buckler from the surroundings. Both had been blackened with soot. Never before had Tsugiko seen anyone so fearless. The twin red bears tattooed on the woman's cheeks accentuated her sharp features. Her hair was cut short enough, that, while feminine, the length would not be a liability in battle. The woman stood as tall as Tsugiko, but while Tsugiko moved like a schoolgirl, the woman warrior moved with feline grace. She resembled a angry cat, ready to pounce at the first provocation. "Well met, Warrior Priestess," the warrior said. There was very little greeting in her voice. "Hello?" Yumi answered. Her grip shifted on her wand. "We ask that you not step foot in our village." Tsugiko held no doubt that she had received an order. The statement was too direct, delivered with uncompromising frankness. "We?" Kyouji asked. His stance shifted as he tried to watch every tree and hiding place at one. He still missed the dozen warriors that appeared as out of thin air. One minute, all he could see was forest. A frightened gasp from Yumi later, and he could see a forest of spears as the warriors faded out of the background. Each warrior held a spear leveled at the Warrior Priestesses, and wore rainment similar to the speaker's. All had bear tattoos etched on their expressionless cheeks and fire-blacked spears, even if some eschewed bucklers in order to carry more spears. "Are you the chief?" Yumi asked. Her voice wavered before settling back into Yumi's high friendly soprano. "You must leave and you must not set foot in our village." The woman's eyes narrowed. There would be no pleasantries exchanged. Tsugiko's stomach rumbled. "If you won't let us into your village, can we buy some food before we leave?" she asked. "The Bear Clan of the Gummi Tribe has been warned against giving the Warrior Priestesses aid of any manner," the nameless warrior replied. "You are hunted, Warrior Priestesses. The Despoiler stalks you. Lands that once gave you shelter when the Despoiler first walked Mars lay in ruins. Nothing grows in these places. So say the tales of old that the bard told us." "The Despoiler?" Tsugiko asked her friends in hushed tones. "Wintergreen," Kyouji replied. Yumi nodded her assent before motioning to Tsugiko to be quiet. "The Bear Clan is the greatest of all the clans in the Black Forest, yet greater clans than ours who opened their lands to you are no longer. We do not wish to share their fate," the leader continued. "We're the Warrior Priestesses," Yumi said. "We can help protect you if you help us. You can rely on us." "You never saw us until we wished it. How can you help us? We would protect you and be destroyed," the woman scoffed. "Enough, you must go." "But," Yumi began. Tsugiko put a hand on her roommate's shoulder. Yumi turned towards her friend. Tsugiko shook her head. Now was not the time. Yumi spoke again. This time her voice was filled with a sigh of defeat. "Very well, sorry for any trouble. We'll be leaving." The speaker let out a loud shout, similar to a raptor's cry. Her followers ran until they reached set positions. The warriors stopped, forming a cordon of leveled spears. "You will follow me," she said, as she walked on the path formed by her warriors. The Warrior Priestesses followed in silence. Kyouji walked behind the girls, eyeing each individual fighter, assessing threats. Yumi walked slowly, biting the inside of her lip. She too glanced at each warrior, sending them pleading looks. Tsugiko guessed that Yumi searched for anyone willing to help or let them stay. The expressionless faces brought no solace. They paraded past two scores of warriors stationed 5 meters apart on alternate sides until Tsugiko began to recognize the guard's faces from earlier down the line. She estimated that she had walked almost a full kilometer when the speaker turner around. "Good bye, Warrior Priestesses. Please do not return this way," the speaker said. A quick salute, and she vanished behind a tree. Kit Kat dashed into Yumi's arms. She held the cat-ferret tight against her, almost smothering the animal. The Warrior Priestesses walked away from where they had last seen the speaker. No one spoke as each pondered what he or she had seen and heard. "Why, Tsugiko-chan? Why" Yumi asked. She had to know, had to voice her opinions before they overwhelmed her. "We're here to help them." "I think they are plenty capable on their own," Kyouji said, searching the trees for the sentries he knew had to be there. "They fear Wintergreen's wrath," Tsugiko said, rubbing her forehead jewel. "But they recognized us as the Warrior Priestesses," Yumi countered. "We can defeat Wintergreen!" "She damn near beat us! My crystal got cracked, she messed with Kyouji's mind with that prophecy of hers, and all three of us lived because she wants to toy with us before she kills us," Tsugiko hissed. She turned to face her roommate, ready to unleash some of her frustration. "We know about her Spear of Mint," Yumi continued. Kyouji took a deep breath. "Girls..." "Yumi, she has more tricks than just the Spear of Mint," Tsugiko interrupted. Kyouji sighed and shook his head. "We can't beat Wintergreen, Yumi." He said this in a low voice, as if it pained him to speak. "Not without the Starburst Crystal. Even then, she can still win. She defeated the original Warrior Priestesses. The Starburst Crystal defeated her, not our previous incarnation." Yumi turned to Kyouji, staring at him with lustrous eyes. "I am not going to let people suffer on my behalf, Kyouji-san" "That's why we need to move on, Yumi," Kyouji whispered. "They could suffer if we stay." "Yumi, finding the Starburst Crystal is the best way to protect the Bear Clan from her," Tsugiko added. "But to deny us food?" Yumi said. Her mind still struggled to understand why the world's saviors should be so hostily greeted by the people they were to save. "Yumi," Tsugiko pleaded. "I don't understand," Yumi said, as if voicing her frustrations would help her understand. "Neither do I," Tsugiko admitted. "But we must move on. It’s all we can do." "Let's try the next village," Kyouji suggested. "Maybe we'll have better luck there." >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Riesen smiled as he ran down the trail. There was nothing quite like the feeling of a job well done, especially if the job entailed convincing people to do what you wished. He had learned early in life that the right word could open doors that a squad of soldiers could not open. The Gummi Tribe further reinforced his beliefs. A proud people, they would have never taken orders from Wintergreen, even if they worked for her. Coercion would have resulted in shed blood, most of it Riesen's. They would, however, welcome a traveling bard with open arms. He adjusted his pack as he ran. The lyre inside jabbed his ribs with each step. Once again, he marveled at the power of mere words. A handful of stories had deprived the Warrior Priestesses of a safe place to rest and provisions. A few more, and runners had been dispatched to nearby clans, warning them of the danger of helping Wintergreen's enemies. Now Riesen had to make sure he reached the next settlement before the Warrior Priestesses. After all, they must be greeted properly. Author's notes: Candy Coated Water Drops is taken from the Plumb song of the same name. Thanks to Rick Dumond for letting me run some ideas by him and for giving me a copy of the "Evil Overlord Rules" which influenced Riesen and aspects of Wintergreen. The Snow Cap Mountains are named after Nestle Snow Caps. The Black Forest is named after a brand name of gummi bears and worms and such. Do I need to explain what candy the Bear Clan of the Gummi Tribe is named after? As always, you can email me with C&C at Achariyth@aol.com -Nathan Evil Overlord Rule #147. I will classify my lieutenants in three categories: untrusted, trusted, and completely trusted. Promotion to the third category will be awarded posthumously.