Tokyo Tower. At three hundred thirty three meters high, it is the tallest structure in all of Japan. For decades, it has dominated the skyline, and is considered one of Tokyo's most popular landmarks, offering a spectacular view of the city. It should be no surprise that numerous schools take field trips to the tower every year. Incidentally, it is also the most concentrated source of magical energy on the planet. Tsugiko didn't know about any of these things, but she was still the most eager to get to the tower of anyone in her class. Her dark green eyes stared out the window as she tried her best to ignore her roommate, who just so happened to be sitting next to her. "This is going to be so cool!" her roommate babbled. "I always wanted to see the Tokyo Tower! Our teachers talked about it a lot in class, didn't they? They said it's the tallest structure in the country, and that..." Tsugiko inwardly groaned as she waited for Yumi to finish rattling off statistics and tidbits about the tower, then turned and eyed the other girl. Yumi beamed back at her, all bubbly and sweet and cheerful. Her intelligent blue eyes shone beneath her perfect blonde bangs, her long, lustrous hair tied up in a brilliant red bow. Yumi was easily the most beautiful girl at the St. Hebereke School for Girls, but she would never admit it. In fact, she was sweet and friendly to everyone. Tsugiko despised her. So perfect, so bright, so innocent. And they were living in the same room, so every day she had to hear about Yumi's test scores, Yumi's progress in music, Yumi's every achievement. She had to watch the other girls flock to Yumi because Yumi was so wonderful, while she was always left in the background. When she did find she was good at something, Yumi was always better. She was forced into living in the other girl's shadow. It just wasn't fair! "I'm just glad we got out of school for this," Tsugiko said, then looked back out the window. "Well, that's a good thing, too," Yumi replied. "This is going to be so much fun!" Tsugiko proceeded to tune out her oblivious chatter. Hopefully, when they reached the Tower, she'd be able to lose her roommate and not be compared to her, if only for a day. That would be a nice change. The bus screeched to a halt, and schoolgirls tumbled out the door. The teachers ran around, trying to keep the Hebereke girls in line. Ms. Okubo, self-appointed leader of this little expedition (nobody was willing to argue with her), peered over her glasses and at her clipboard. "Okay, girls. We're going to assign partners." "Okubo-sensei!" Ms. Okubo looked up to see Yumi running towards her. "Yes, Yumi? You have a partner?" she asked with a faint smile. The girl's enthusiasm was infectious. Yumi nodded. "Yeah! I'd like to group with Tsugiko, please." She pointed back to the bus, where Tsugiko could be found leaning against it, watching her classmates. The teacher nodded. Tsugiko looked so alone, like always. It was just like Yumi to want to help someone out. "Very well, Yumi. Here you go." She handed the girl a pair of buttons with the number one on them. "Put these on and don't get separated. We'll meet back at the bus at two o' clock." "Okay! Thanks, Sensei," Yumi said with a smile. She took the buttons and ran to Tsugiko. Ms. Okubo chuckled as she checked their names off her list. Back by the bus, Tsugiko sighed to herself. She probably needed a partner, even though she would much rather wander off by herself. Hmm... maybe someone willing to break the rules with her? That would work... "Tsu-gi-ko-chaaaaaan!" Turning her head, Tsugiko watched Yumi run up to her. Yumi grinned, not even out of breath, and pressed a button into Tsugiko's hand. "What's this for?" Tsugiko asked, a feeling of dread was growing in her stomach. "We're going to be partners! Isn't that great?" Oh, wonderful. Tsugiko eyed the bouncing, bubbly girl as she pinned the button to her uniform. She knew this field trip was too good to be true. * * * * * The Starburst Crystal By Ardweden Legend One: Sweetness of Light * * * * * "Ooh, I can see the school from here!" Yumi cried with delight as she looked through the pay-binoculars. "Yeah, yeah. That's nice." Tsugiko glanced around. Good, no teachers. Maybe she could sneak away. One step, then another, then Yumi grabbed her arm. "Ne, Tsugiko-chan. Don't you want to take a look? The view is spectacular." "I... uh..." Tsugiko racked her brain for an excuse to get away. Something, anything... got it! "I forgot my money." She smiled as sheepishly as she could. "Oh." Yumi sighed, and Tsugiko was almost tempted to say she was sorry. Almost. "Well, I have extra!" Yumi brightened back up. "You can borrow some, okay?" And with that, she started fishing through her purse. Now was her chance. Acting quickly, Tsugiko tiptoed away as quietly as she could. She breathed a sigh of relief when she rounded a corner; at last, she was free of Yumi's influence! Well, until she got caught, of course. But that didn't matter; at least she could be by herself for a change and maybe not be compared to- "Ow!" she cried as she fell to the floor. "I'm sorry. Here, let me help you," offered the boy Tsugiko ran into. He reached down and grasped her wrist firmly, pulling her up. Tsugiko sniffed as she brushed herself off. "You really should watch where you're going," she admonished. "Someone could get hur-" Her eyes widened as she looked up at the boy before her. He was gorgeous! About her age, with thoughtful brown eyes and jet-black hair. And a nicely defined chin, too, and his nose wasn't too big... Oh, this was a find. Going to an all-girls' school really cramps one's dating prospects. "Er... are you okay?" he asked. And considerate! "Yes. Yes, I'm all right," Tsugiko replied, trying her best not to blush. She blinked as she realized he was still holding onto her, and she put even more effort into keeping her blush back as she pulled away. The boy smiled, and Tsugiko felt her heart melt. "That's good." Slightly nervous, he put his hand to the back of his head. "Ah, you wouldn't have seen my group anywhere around here, would you? I sort of fell behind." Tsugiko shook her head. "I don't recognize your uniform." "Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized again. "That was rude of me. I'm Kyouji, from Shinonome High." Kyouji... what a nice name. "Tsugiko, of St. Hebereke," she said, trying to speak as normally as possible. "St. Hebereke? Isn't that a girl's school?" Kyouji mused. "Yes," Tsugiko replied almost giddily. "You heard of it?" Kyouji nodded. "One of my cousins went there." He looked around and sighed. "I guess I fell behind for good." Turning back to Tsugiko, he glanced at her button. "What about you?" "Wha... oh! Um... I lost the girl I was partnered with." She laughed uneasily. If Kyouji noticed any falseness in Tsugiko's laugh, he didn't give any indication of it. Instead, he smiled at her again. "Want to get something to eat, then? I'm feeling kinda hungry, and I think I saw a vending machine somewhere around here." "S- sure." Tsugiko felt her heart melting once again. Kyouji led the brunette girl around, looking for the vending machine. Tsugiko was in heaven. She was *finally* away from Yumi, and was doing quite successfully on her own. In fact, given enough time and patience -- she glanced sideways at Kyouji -- she'd actually have something that Yumi didn't: a boyfriend. Where was it? Kyouji tried in vain to look through the crowd, but he couldn't... there. "Hey, I think I see it." Kyouji hurried forward with Tsugiko in tow, pushing through the crowd of students from various schools. He finally reached the elusive vending machine... and froze. A vision of loveliness was standing in front of the machine. Her eyes were half-closed as she studied her choices, tapping on the glass with perfect, soft hands. She was wearing the same uniform as Tsugiko but, to Kyouji's delight, wore it considerably better in some areas than the other girl. "Kyouji? Why did you stop? What's going- oh." Tsugiko scowled. It was *her* again! And just when she thought she'd lost her, too... well, no matter. She'd just take Kyouji and- "Kyouji?" "Need help deciding?" Kyouji asked smoothly as he sidled up alongside Yumi. "Ah, yes," Yumi responded. "I can't quite figure out which one I want. Oh!" Her eyes settled on a simple Hershey's chocolate bar. "Let me buy that for you," Kyouji offered as he dug in his pockets. "It would be my pleasure." "No, that's all right." Yumi smiled up at him. Kyouji felt his heart melt. "I can get it myself, thanks." She pulled out a piece of paper money and fed it to the machine, then made her selection. "Okay." Kyouji's mind reeled; a girl never turned down an offer like that before. She must be something special. He reeled a bit more as Yumi bent over to pick up her candy. Oh, she was *definitely* something special. "Do you want some?" Yumi asked as she delicately opened the wrapper. Kyouji shook his head. "Suit yourself." Yumi blinked at Kyouji's uniform. "Hey, you go to Shinonome High, don't you?" "Huh?" Kyouji tore his gaze from Yumi's hands and reattached it to her face. "Uh... yeah." He laughed nervously. "I go to Shinonome. I'm Kyouji." "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kyouji-san. My name is Yumi." She did a little bow, the bow in her hair bobbing a bit. Kyouji blinked at the button pinned to Yumi's jacket. "You wouldn't someone named Tsugiko, would you?" Yumi's eyes widened. "Tsugiko? You found her? Where is she?" "Right there." Kyouji jerked his thumb over his shoulder, pointing at Tsugiko, who was trying her hardest not to be noticed. "Tsugiko-chan!" Yumi cried, nearly tackling her roommate. "Tsugiko-chan, I was so worried about you! Of course, I knew that you'd be okay and all, so I decided to go to the vending machine over here and get you some change so you could use the binoculars, so here you go!" She pressed a fifty-yen piece into Tsugiko's hand. "That's nice, Yumi." Tsugiko tried in vain to untangle herself from the other girl, then looked up and met Kyouji's slightly confused gaze. This was a bit embarrassing. Kyouji mentally shrugged. It figured that two pretty girls would be in the same group. He started making his way over when his toe nudged something. Kneeling down, he picked up the half-wrapped chocolate. He chuckled as he walked over to the girls. "I'm okay, Yumi! Really." Tsugiko finally managed to detach herself from her roommate. Yumi nodded, then turned to Kyouji. "Thank you for finding my friend, Kyouji-san!" She bowed. "The pleasure was all mine," he responded, turning on what he hoped was a winning smile. "Here, you dropped this." He held out the chocolatey goodness. "Oh! Thank you." Yumi giggled as she reached to take the proffered treat. Tsugiko's eyebrow twitched. Already, Yumi was flirting with Kyouji. She should just give up now, since there was no way she could compete. But still... still, she wanted to prove that just *once* she was better at something than Little Miss Perfect. She had to stop this. "I don't know if that's the right one," she said as calmly as she could. She reached out to snatch the chocolate. The three teenagers touched it at the same time, and the room was filled with a blinding white light. And then they were gone. * * * * * Butter purple clouds swirled and eddied around Yumi's figure. She blinked and looked around, but that was all she could see. Butter purple clouds. Those were the only words she could think to describe them; the heaviness, the creaminess of the clouds reminded her so much of butter for some odd reason. No, wait. They were parting. She could see three people facing... a woman? Yes, a smiling woman, but with fangs and pale green hair that fell to cover her eyes. She wore a slinky black dress and held a slender, glowing blue spear in one hand. There was something wrong about her somehow... something terribly wrong. And the people were spread out, ready to attack. While Yumi could see the details of the woman, the people were obscured. The one directly in front of her -- it looked like a girl, but she couldn't be sure -- was pointing at the woman, yelling, but she just smiled. And then a large crystal floated between them, unseen light reflecting off and through it, and it radiated all the colors of the rainbow. Yumi knew the crystal was important. She needed that crystal. She tried running forward, but it was no use; her feet sank into the butter purple clouds before she could even take a step. The crystal started pulsating. The three figures looked to it, and the woman raised her spear. Yumi tried crying a warning, but the words stuck in her throat. Then the spear shot out, whirling in the woman's hands. The three tried defending themselves, but it was too late, and they found themselves falling, dying, one by one. The crystal flared, and the clouds dissolved, and Yumi ran forward. Maybe it wasn't the most intelligent thing to do, but she didn't care. She had to help them. The woman looked at Yumi and smiled that unnatural smile, but didn't make a move stop her. Reaching the person that was pointing and yelling before, she knelt. The figure lay face down in the nothingness that used to be butter purple clouds. "Come on!" she pleaded, shaking her shoulder. "Come on, wake up!" The figure didn't stir. Tears glistened in Yumi's eyes as she tried to flip the body over. It couldn't end like this. They worked too hard... she blinked once in surprise. Why was she crying? *What* couldn't end? She didn't know anything, but was thinking these thoughts just the same. There was no time to dwell on it, though. She was finally face up. Yumi brushed the bangs from the figure's face. The eyes were open. She could suddenly see her with perfect clarity, and a scream ripped from her throat. They were her own. * * * * * Kyouji's eyes snapped open. He couldn't breathe! No, wait. He could, but he felt awfully stifled. Must be the pillow on his face, then. Silently cursing his habit of sleeping with his pillow over his head, he reached up to remove it. He pushed upwards, but something was wrong. The pillow was a lot heavier than it usually was. Warmer and squishier, too... The sleepiness instantly left Kyouji as he remembered what had happened and realized what was likely on top of him. His eyes widened as he thought of the unavoidable torture soon to come. Well, no. He still had a chance. If he was quiet and careful enough... Then there was a scream. Tsugiko shot up, blinked a couple times, then looked down at Kyouji. More specifically, she looked at where his hands were. Her eyebrow twitched. Kyouji winced. This was going to hurt. * * * * * When Kyouji regained consciousness a second time, there was no pillow in his face. Or anything else, for that matter. The sky was a lovely orange shade, yellow clouds floating lazily across... Wait a minute. Orange sky? Yellow clouds? Kyouji shot up. "Where are we?" he cried. Then he clutched his poor throbbing jaw in pain. "I don't know," Tsugiko answered from his right. Kyouji turned to face her, and she blushed slightly. She was sitting on red grass, but after seeing the sky and clouds, Kyouji kind of expected that. "Sorry I hurt you. It's just..." "Yeah." He rubbed his jaw some more. At least it wasn't broken. "I'll be okay. I was expecting it." He smiled at her, and she smiled back a bit uncertainly. He blinked. Something was missing... "Where's Yumi?" Tsugiko smiled sheepishly. "She decided to scout the area. I hit you pretty hard, so I wanted to stay and... well, watch over you." She blushed, which didn't go completely unnoticed by Kyouji. "And I didn't want you to get eaten by a wild animal or something." "Oh." They sat in silence. Kyouji turned his attention to the landscape, looking for a clue, any clue, as to where they were. It looked like they were in some sort of forest, but the trees' leaves were red as well. At least the bark was a comfortable brown. He sighed. "What is it?" Kyouji turned to Tsugiko, who seemed to be studying him. "Um." 'Where are we?' would be a pretty stupid question right about now. Something else... "Do you know why I heard a scream earlier?" "Oh, that." Kyouji watched some of the tension leave Tsugiko's face. Funny, he didn't even notice it was there before. "That was Yumi. She said she was having a bad dream." A corner of Tsugiko's mouth quirked. "Tsugiko-chan!" a voice called. Tsugiko and Kyouji looked up to see Yumi running to the clearing. "Tsugiko-chan, I think I found something!" She blinked, then smiled at Kyouji. "Oh! Good morning, Kyouji-san." "Morning," he returned as he stood and brushed off his pants. Tsugiko stood as well. "What is it?" Tsugiko asked. "Come on and see!" Yumi laughed. "It's a village! I think we're going to be okay." Kyouji turned to Tsugiko and raised an eyebrow. Even she was smiling a little. He gestured for her to lead the way, breaking into a grin as she graciously accepted. Chuckling softly, they both picked up the pace to catch up with Yumi, who had already happily skipped her way out of sight into the woods. * * * * * Tsugiko examined the building before her. It only reached up to her shoulder, but was made of stone and wood, as would be expected. She took a small amount of comfort in that, even though the inhabitants were incredibly small, buildings were still buildings. There were carvings in the wood of it; the work put into it must've been extremely delicate, she realized. Crouching down, she wiped at the window and peered in. Tiny furniture to go with the tiny house, but no tiny people. She tried knocking on the door. "Hello? Is anybody there?" There was no answer. She sighed and eased back to a kneel, before rising to her feet. Nearby, she could see Kyouji trying the same with another house. He banged on the door a few times in vain, then shook his head. "It's no use. This place is deserted." Tsugiko scanned the village. There was nobody and nothing, not a trace of life. They were at a ghost town. She idly wondered what happened to make whoever lived here abandon such a place. It was probably something really horrible... and if there was no one around, then nobody could help her and her friends. "How could this *happen* to us?" she complained. "I want to go home." "We all do." Tsugiko could hear Kyouji walking up behind her, and she tried to keep her blush back. Now was *not* the time to act on some silly schoolgirl crush. "I'm sure we can survive here," Kyouji continued. "Somehow. I mean, even if we don't find whoever built these, we can figure out how to live on our own." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Right?" Tsugiko turned and looked up at Kyouji. His breathing was a bit heavy, and his eyes were glistening. He looked so worried and... scared? For him or herself? She couldn't tell. "Kyouji," she began shakily. "Kyouji, I-" "Hey!" Kyouji whirled around to see Yumi waving at them, a huge smile on her face. "Kyouji-san, Tsugiko-chan! I found someone!" They followed Yumi through the town, Tsugiko scowling all the way. Just when she was going to get somewhere with Kyouji. Of course Yumi had to interfere, and it had to be something *important*, too. Tsugiko almost frowned at that thought, then caught herself. If this someone could get them home, then it didn't matter. But that didn't make her feel much better. "Here!" Yumi declared as they reached what must have passed for the village hall. It certainly was a bigger and more impressive building than all the others, though it was still miniature. Tsugiko blinked, then smirked inwardly. Finally, Yumi screwed up. This was just another empty building. "I don't see what you mean," she said as casually as she could. "There's nobody here. Come on, Kyouji." She started to leave. "I beg your pardon." Tsugiko blinked and turned to the voice. There was a middle-aged man staring up at her, hands on his hips. He wore a ruffled black shirt, purple velvet trousers, and large black boots. Atop his head rested a round, purple cap. Oh, and he might have made it to Tsugiko's knee, if he stood on his toes. "Hey, look," Kyouji laughed from behind Tsugiko. "It's a munchkin!" Yumi glared at him and made shushing gestures. "I am not a munchkin!" the little man snapped at Kyouji. "I'll have you know that I am a Skittle. The current *leader* of the Skittles, actually." He continued, grumbling under his breath, "Not like I was *forced* into taking the job or anything. Neeever." Noticing the strange looks the teenagers were giving him, he cleared his throat and raised his voice. "Anyway, I figured I would greet you, since the rest of my clan is a bunch of cowards." Yumi nodded. "He's going to try to get us home!" She knelt next to the man. "These are the friends I was talking about. Tsugiko and Kyouji." She gestured to each in turn, then stood again. "Guys, this is Snickers." Snickers eyed the group. "You look just like... no. No, they were all female." He shook his head. "At any rate, Yumi explained the whole problem to me. Sounds awfully peculiar, but since you all didn't try to kill me on sight, I don't think you're with Wintergreen." "Wintergreen?" Tsugiko frowned. There was something about that name... The Skittle chuckled sadly. "Just someone who's raping our world, that's all. She broke free of her prison, and... no, that's not important. You all just wanna get home, right? Nothing you can do to stop her, anyway. Nothing any of us can do, until the heroes of legend appear." Yumi bit her lip. "I want to help. But we have to get home. Our parents must be worried about us." Kyouji and Tsugiko nodded. "I know." Snickers chuckled again. "I have kids of my own. If anything happened to them, I'd... well, anyway. Your best hope of getting home is to speak to the Starburst Temple spirit. Just follow that path." He pointed to a well-worn path to his right. "At the end, you'll see a wall of vines. Push them aside, and you'll see the temple." "Thank you." Yumi hugged the man. "Everything will work out okay. I promise." "Eheh." He blushed, then looked around nervously. "I hope my wife didn't see that." "Really," Yumi beamed. "Thanks." Kyouji nodded. "Yeah," Tsugiko managed to put in. They started down the path, and as they walked, Tsugiko mused. The man looked so resigned to his fate, but there was nothing she could do about it. Was there? She glanced at Yumi, and saw the smile completely gone from the other girl's face, replaced by incredible sadness. It was almost creepy. She couldn't actually want to stay and help, could she? "Ack!" came a shout from behind them. The two girls whirled as one. "Kyouji!" Kyouji paid them no heed; instead, he was staring at a patch of green and orange in the grass. Funny, Tsugiko didn't think there was *anything* green in this crazy world... and then the green and orange spread, and a head popped out of the grass. "Gika!" it cried. The furry little creature twitched its whiskers as it regarded them curiously. It had cat ears and a long tail, but it was slender, like a ferret. Orange patches covered its green body. "Aww, it's so cute!" Yumi cooed. Tsugiko stared at her roommate in surprise. "What, that scruffy thing?" "Guys," Kyouji began as he edged away. "It's... staring at me." "Yeah. It probably wants to eat us or something," Tsugiko grumbled under her breath. She raised her voice. "Just ignore it. We really should get to this temple." She started walking down the path, Yumi following close behind. They didn't walk five minutes longer when Kyouji complained again. "Guys!" "Now what?" Tsugiko asked with a sigh as she turned back around. "It's... eep! It's r- rubbing against my leg!" And sure enough, the cat/ferret was doing just that. Kyouji looked at the girls with a helpless expression on his face. Tsugiko signed into her hand. "It's not going to hurt anybody," Yumi said as she knelt, holding her hand out to it. "Are you? Come on," she coaxed. One of the creature's ears twitched in Yumi's direction, and it approached her warily. After taking a moment to sniff her hand, it jumped into her arms. "Gika!" Yumi laughed with delight. Tsugiko scowled. A way with animals, too. That was something she'd never had the... pleasure of seeing from Yumi before. They didn't exactly allow pets in the dorm. "Let's get going." She turned on her heel and marched off. They traveled in silence until they reached the wall of vines. After taking a moment to glance at each girl nervously, Kyouji pushed the plants aside. Everything was so bright that Tsugiko found herself squinting. But when her eyes adjusted, she could see a crystalline structure, one that was actually considerably taller than they were. In fact, it seemed to be built for people their size. It was surrounded by a small moat of pure purple water (or what passed for it), and a wooden bridge crossed the gap between where the teenagers stood and the island the temple was standing on. She marveled at the beauty of it; the light danced across the polished surface of the walls, creating miniature rainbows. The archways and windows were filled with stained glass. It was a rainbow crystal temple. "Giiiiiika," the creature Yumi was carrying yawned. It blinked a couple times, then hopped out of her arms, scampering into the underbrush. "Hey! Where are you going?" she called after it. Kyouji laughed. "I guess it decided you carried it as far as it wanted." He grinned. "I know I wouldn't pass up a free ride in a pretty girl's arms." Yumi's slight blush didn't go unnoticed by Tsugiko. She cleared her throat noisily. "Excuse me, but we have to get home. Or have you forgotten?" "Oh, right." Great. Now Kyouji was blushing, too. "Let's go." The three approached the building. It might have been her imagination, but Tsugiko felt the air shimmer around her. She blinked in surprise, and saw her companions react similarly. Things were getting really weird. Yumi took the first step into the building, followed quickly by Tsugiko and Kyouji. The walls on the inside weren't made out of crystal. They were wood. There were more tiny carvings everywhere -- the floor, walls, and ceiling were covered with them. A triangular, polished stone table stood in the center of the room, an empty stand sitting in the center. It looked like it was made of silver, but like everything else in this world, there was no way to be sure. *Welcome, heroes of prophecy,* a soft voice whispered. A gust of wind ruffled the teenagers' hair. Yumi stepped forward. "Are you the spirit of this temple?" *Yes. I am the spirit of the Starburst Temple.* The ghostly image of an eerily beautiful young girl in robes appeared, hovering over the table and stand. Her hands were clasped before her, and her eyes were closed. "Great! Then you can get us home!" Kyouji enthused. *I can not do that. I am sorry.* Kyouji blinked. "What do you mean you can't? The little guy at the village said-" *The only one that can send you to your world is the one that brought you here. Our planet, Mars, did so. And so only Mars can send you back. I am sorry.* "What?! We have to appeal to a world?" Kyouji cried. "We're never going to get home!" Tsugiko placed a hand on his shoulder, then blinked. "Wait a minute. You said Mars? I thought it was uninhabitable!" The spirit looked thoughtful. *It used to be. Maybe it will be later. Perhaps this Mars is not the Mars you speak of. You are standing here now. Does it really matter?* "Yeah, but-" "So how do we get Mars to send us back?" Yumi interrupted. Tsugiko glared at her. *You three are the Warrior Priestesses who must save our world. Dark Queen Wintergreen has been freed, and she is slowly turning Mars into what you think it is: barren, uninhabitable, and hostile. The planet wishes for you, the reincarnated souls of heroes ages past, to stop her once more.* "Warrior Priestesses?" Kyouji gaped. "There's got to be a mistake!" *No mistake,* the spirit insisted. *You are the three. I can see it; your souls are the same as they were a millennia ago.* "Really! There's no way I can be a priestess! And I don't want to save your stupid world," Kyouji groused. The spirit's face contorted, and a powerful gust of wind knocked Kyouji back. *You must! If you don't...* She sighed, then regained her composure. *I am sorry. You must be tired and hungry. Please, stay here during the night. We shall discuss this in the morning. If you still do not wish to help us, I will help you look for another way home.* She gestured, her eyes still closed, and a trio of beds appeared, as well as a table laden with food. Well, it looked like food, at any rate. Tsugiko's mouth dropped open in shock. Had the spirit just used magic? Sure, it kinda made sense, given the color of the sky and the fact that they had to appear in this really strange world somehow, but to actually *see* it... she regained her composure and bowed. "Thank you." *You are welcome. Now, I must recuperate. Rest well.* And with that, she faded away. "Well, that was different. Don't you think, Kyouji?" Tsugiko turned to the boy, who was shaking his head and muttering about how crazy the world was. He looked up at her. "Uh, yeah. It was." He glanced at Yumi, who was staring at where the spirit used to be. "Yumi? Are you all right?" There was a nod in response. Tsugiko sighed. It was going to be a long evening. * * * * * After a fulfilling meal of some unidentifiable dish that tasted surprisingly like chicken, Kyouji lay back on his bed and watched the flickering ball of light, hovering close to the domed ceiling. He could feel Tsugiko's eyes on him. "So, what are we going to do?" she asked. "I mean, if the planet brought us here..." Kyouji snorted. "I don't believe a word of it." "You don't?" Tsugiko blinked. "Then what can you believe?" "I don't know, but think about it. The spirit chick said we're Warrior Priestesses, right?" He turned his head and looked her in the eyes. "Do I look like a priestess to you?" "Well, no, but-" "Besides," he continued, "There's no way for us to know if she's telling the truth or not. No way. She could be setting up a trap for us, for all we know. She could be listening right now." "But what about Snickers?" "He must be in on it, too," Kyouji waved her off. "There's no way any of this can be right. No way." "I think we should help them," Yumi said, barely above a whisper. The two teenagers started. Yumi hadn't said anything since their meeting with the spirit, and Kyouji didn't want to interrupt her, as she seemed so deep in thought. But now she was staring at him, and the look in her eyes was fierce and determined, and almost... angry. Kyouji sat up. "Why?" She fidgeted. "Do you remember, this morning, when I screamed?" Kyouji winced and rubbed his jaw. "Do I ever." Tsugiko had the decency to look embarrassed. "I thought it was just a bad dream. But I think I knew, even then, that it was something more." She gained a faraway look. "And now, now I think... no, I *know* that it was me remembering." "Remembering what?" Kyouji asked curiously. Yumi gestured vaguely. "I saw myself battling this lady with a blue spear. I'm pretty sure she's Wintergreen. And there were two other people helping me. I think they were you guys. And there was this... crystal. She killed us, or knocked us into paralysis, or something." Drawing her knees close to her chest, she shuddered. "But I think we won anyway, because the crystal was pulsing. So you see, I think we should do what the spirit says." There was silence as the other two digested what she just said. Then Tsugiko exploded. "What makes you so special that you get dreams and visions, huh? Couldn't it have been just a coincidence? I mean, really! And Kyouji's right: he can't possibly be a priestess," she ranted. "And anyway, maybe *you* are someone that went and saved Mars a thousand years ago, but that doesn't mean we are!" Tsugiko scowled. "Tsugiko-chan, please," Yumi pleaded. "We have to help them. They're in trouble!" "Oh, that's what *they* say. Do we see them suffering? No. And I don't see any reason to believe you. End of discussion." Tsugiko huffed and kicked off her shoes, then slipped under her blanket and shut her eyes. Kyouji stared at Tsugiko until heavy, steady breathing could be heard from her bed. The light in the middle of the ceiling dimmed. He turned to Yumi. "What's her problem?" he asked in a hushed voice. Yumi shook her head. "I don't know. She's not normally like this. Maybe it could have something to do with being transported to an alien world and being told to turn into a Warrior Priestess that has to fight an Evil Queen." Kyouji's eyes bulged slightly. "Or," Yumi continued, "She could just be on a sugar high." She looked at Kyouji, her blue eyes wide and expressive. "You believe me, don't you, Kyouji- san? That we really are the priestesses?" "I-" He wanted to say yes. He really did. "I don't know." "Okay." Yumi smiled at him, a sad smile, and Kyouji almost wanted to cry. "She likes you, you know." Kyouji blinked. "What? Who?" "Tsugiko." Yumi cocked her head to one side. There was a pause. "Oh." "Yeah. I just figured... I just figured you should know." Yumi wiped at her eyes and tucked herself in. "But Yumi," Kyouji began, "don't you-" "Good night, Kyouji-san." She lay down, facing away from him, and was silent. Kyouji looked back up at the light, and watched it until it flickered into darkness. * * * * * "Wake up, Tsugiko-chan! Rise and shine!" Tsugiko yawned, trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes. "What? Morning already?" Yumi giggled. "Of course it is!" "I really don't want to go to school today, Yumi. Maybe I'll call in sick or something." Tsugiko buried her face in her pillow. "Neither do I," a male voice put in. "Ack!" Tsugiko fell out of her bed in a tangle of blankets and sheets. "Yumi, what's a guy doing- oh." Kyouji and Yumi laughed, and Tsugiko halfheartedly joined in. *I trust you slept well?* The teenagers blinked as the girl once again appeared over the table and empty stand. Tsugiko squealed from her spot on the floor. "Can't you wait until we're all awake?!" The spirit turned to face her, even though her eyes were still closed. She smiled. *But you are.* "I don't see what the problem is, Tsugiko-chan," Yumi chided. "She did say she would be here this morning." Tsugiko frowned as she eyed Yumi. Of course Yumi wouldn't have a problem with it; she never had anything even approaching a bad day. Why did she have to be a morning person? "Okay, fine. You want to know what we decided, don't you?" The spirit nodded. *Yes. I do. But before you tell me your decision, allow me to explain. Each of you, stand to one side of the table. Please.* Yumi immediately walked up to the table. Tsugiko looked back at Kyouji, who shrugged. They both did the same. *A long time ago,* the spirit began, *A cruel sorceress named Wintergreen gained enough power to do whatever she pleased. With her magical powers and her Spear of Mint, she was unstoppable. She slowly took over the planet, enslaving, controlling, and corrupting every race on Mars. *Hundreds of heroes died by her hands. But it did not stop there. Her bloodlust was so great, she turned it to the planet. She burned forests and drained rivers; her will would not be denied. Mars was dying.* The spirit sighed. *There seemed to be no hope,* she continued. *But three women appeared: the Warrior Priestesses. With the strength and goodness in their hearts, they fashioned the Starburst Crystal, the most powerful artifact Mars has ever seen, even more powerful than the legendary Spear of Mint. They trapped the queen within it. *The crystal was placed in this temple and watched by me for over a millennium. During this time, the kingdoms of Mars recovered and flourished, and Mars became a land of happiness and peace once again. But Wintergreen was not content to remain still in her prison. Over the millennia, she chipped away at the crystal, the hatred in her heart strengthening her spear and weakening the sweet powers of goodness that forged the crystal in the first place. Finally it shattered, and she broke free. I did what I could to contain her, but ultimately it did not matter. *Once again, Mars is falling to her will. Already, many of the races bow down to her, and the planet is growing bare. But we took heart in a promise the Warrior Priestesses gave. The promise that, should Mars ever face such great danger again, they would return. That time is now.* The spirit fell silent. Tsugiko searched for the right words. This was silly. Even if the spirit was telling the truth, what could she do? She was just a schoolgirl, and she didn't even get visions of the past, like Yumi did. "Maybe that time is now," Kyouji finally said, "But you've got the wrong people. I'm no priestess." The spirit laughed softly. *Of course you are not a priestess. You do not have the power within you unlocked. I shall assist you, though.* "Powers?" Tsugiko gasped. "I'll do it." Yumi looked up at the spirit, that same fierce determination evident on her face. "I'll become a Warrior Priestess and help save this world." Tsugiko scowled. Even after what she told her last night, Yumi persisted in this... how could she be so unselfish? "Me too." Tsugiko blinked in surprise, almost clapping her hands over her mouth. Where did that come from? *How about you?* The spirit turned to Kyouji. "No way! I am *not* a priestess! I never was a priestess, and I don't want to be a priestess!" Kyouji protested. The spirit sighed. *A pity. Without your help, the other two will never be able to remake the Starburst Crystal and defeat Wintergreen.* Kyouji blinked. "They won't?" *No, they will not. It takes the three Warrior Priestesses together to do so. Without one, the other two will surely fall.* "I..." He looked from Yumi to Tsugiko and back again. They watched him silently, but he could feel their eyes begging, pleading, wanting him to take part in this and become a Warrior Priestess... "No. Sorry, lady, but you kidnapped the wrong person." He started to leave. *The planet will not send you back until it wishes to do so, Teru.* Kyouji stopped. He looked over his shoulder. His eyebrow twitched. "What did you call me?" *Teru. That is your name. Rather, it was a thousand years ago. Do you not remember?* "No! I..." An inkling of a memory, worming its way into his brain. "I'm not a girl! I'm not!" He winced and clutched his head. Yumi ran to his side. "It'll be okay, Kyouji-san. You'll see." She hugged him. *Of course you are. You can not be a priestess otherwise.* The spirit shook her head, eyes still closed. "You stupid spirit!" Tsugiko yelled. "Can't you see how much you're hurting him? He doesn't want to be a priestess, so leave him alone! Yumi and I can take care of this ourselves." There was a pause, as the spirit tilted her head at Tsugiko. *He?* She regarded Kyouji again. *Look up at me.* And she opened her eyes. Kyouji gasped as the gray eyes of the spirit looked at him, into him, and through him. He could see it. The suffering of an entire planet, of so many people, all at the hands of one woman... He couldn't take his eyes off it. *No!* She closed her eyes again, thankfully releasing Kyouji from her gaze. *No, this can't be! You're a boy!* "Duh I'm a boy!" Kyouji responded one he got his voice back. "Isn't it painfully obvious?!" *This can't be,* the spirit repeated as she clasped her hands behind her back and started pacing as well as she could. *It can't! You can't be a Warrior Priestess when you're a male! Mars'll die!* She turned to Kyouji and snarled. *How could you choose to be a guy?!* "Hey, I didn't have a choice, okay? I was born this way!" *Actually,* the spirit mused, *Come to think of it, last time you were awfully affectionate with the other two.* Tsugiko and Yumi stared at Kyouji. He turned bright red. "Hey, stop that!" *So I suppose it is not that far off. Still, I must consult with the planet.* She paused, seeing Kyouji but not looking, and for a while he was afraid she would open her eyes again. *Do you wish to help?* "Um." Kyouji rubbed the back of his head. He couldn't really deny what was happening, not with what he'd just seen. And the girls did need his help. Even if it meant... "Yeah. Yes, I do." *Very well.* A gust of wind blew into the temple. The spirit lifted her chin up, as if listening, then sighed softly and brought it back down. *You must take part in your destiny, and help defeat Wintergreen. However, you have a choice.* Kyouji's ears almost visibly perked at this. "A choice?" *Yes. You may change your path, though it likely leads to the same destination. You may be the Warrior Priestess, or you may be the Knight Protector.* "Hmm. So you're saying that I either get fantastic powers, a gender change, and probably a dress, or I have to wear a cheap tuxedo and uselessly throw flowers." *That is one way to put it, yes.* "I'll take the tux," Kyouji decided without hesitation. "Where are the roses?" *No roses. Poppies.* "Darn," Kyouji almost pouted. The spirit chuckled. *Well, then. Each of you, come back to the table, and take your positions as you did before. Put your hands on it.* They did so. "What are you going to do?" Tsugiko asked. *Over a thousand years, some of the power from the Starburst Crystal seeped into the stone. I am going to draw it out and into you. This should give you a quick start in learning your abilities. Understand, Warrior Priestesses, that the power of your abilities is mostly determined by the strength of your hearts and the emotion which drives you forward.* Kyouji blinked. "Hey, what about me?" *As a Knight Protector, you must do exactly that: protect the Warrior Priestesses. You will gain a subconscious desire to save them, a sense as to when they are in trouble, and you may act without knowing it. Do you accept this?* So he might not have complete control all the time. He eyed the girls, then sighed. It was a small price to pay if he could keep them safe, get home, and avoid the gender change. He nodded. *Very well. Embrace your destiny.* The spirit opened her eyes and looked to the ceiling, raising her arms in some sort of prayer. The would-be heroes of legend felt the table vibrate and turn warm beneath their fingers, and then a pillar of light surrounded each one. * * * * * Tsugiko blinked rapidly, eyes adjusting once again. Did that light really have to be so bright? The wind blew by again and she shivered. Really, it was awfully drafty. Wait a minute. The wind hadn't been so cold before. Slowly, very slowly, Tsugiko brought her hands up before her face. She was wearing fingerless green gloves. She rubbed one with her other hand; they were smooth and satiny. Looking down, she could see that she was wearing a strapless white blouse and a dark green jacket over that. Then she gaped. Her legs weren't covered! No, they were... the skirt was just really short. And the boots did come up to about mid-calf. She sighed with relief, then blushed furiously. It was awfully short. She tore her gaze off herself and looked around the room. Yumi wore a simple, pale pink dress that went just below her knees and swished in the wind. It was probably pretty light. The large red bow was in her hair, as always, and while she had no gloves she did have a number of silver bracelets. She wore red lace-up boots that went just a bit above her ankles as well. Tsugiko scowled. It just wasn't fair! Yumi got to look like a princess while she... she was stuck in some sorry excuse for a skirt! Why couldn't she get a break for once? "What, no tux?" Turning to the voice, Tsugiko saw Kyouji wearing a dark blue dress shirt, black slacks, and white gloves, along with the obligatory black cape and leather boots. She blushed when she noticed he was looking back at her, then blushed even more when she realized exactly where he was looking. "I think you look very handsome, Kyouji-san," Yumi complimented. "Guh?" Kyouji tore his gaze from Tsugiko's legs. "Um. Thanks." The light glinted nicely off the blue crystal embedded in his forehead. Wait a minute. Crystal? Tsugiko glanced at Yumi; sure enough, she had a pink crystal. Reaching up, she tested her face for one. Yep. There was one in the middle of hers as well. What did the spirit do to them? *The crystals are symbols,* the spirit said, answering the unasked question. *They show that you are in the planet's favor. They also have some of the Starburst Crystal residue inside them, if you can figure out how to use it.* "Wow. I feel a lot faster." Yumi twirled around. "And stronger, somehow." *Yes. Enhanced physical abilities.* The spirit smiled. *You have weapons as well. Just concentrate, and they will appear.* "Okay." Tsugiko held her hands in front of her and closed her eyes. A weapon, she needed a weapon. She had a weapon. She was face first in this crazy quest, and the spirit might as well be telling the truth all the way. The first thing she felt was a metal rod, the same one in both hands. Just the right size for gripping, she realized. It was heavier on one end, so she adjusted her grip to compensate and opened her eyes. It looked like one of those two-handed hammers from the medieval times, except considerably more beautiful. She doubted they normally put a green gem near the head, or carvings all over it, or used some sort of shiny metal to make the handle, or colored the head a nice, emerald green. She took a few swings and blinked. It was her first time handling something like this, but it felt incredibly natural. Tsugiko looked over at Kyouji. He had a scabbard buckled to his waist, and was swinging some sort of sword. Again, there was a large, predictably blue gem in the hilt, and the funny carvings or runes ran down the blade. He looked back at her and winked roguishly. "At least I didn't get a cane." Yumi laughed. "Yeah. I'm not sure how much a cane would help." Tsugiko turned her attention to her. She held a wand, made of that same silvery metal. The ever-present carvings were all over it, but instead of a gem she had rosy pink orb set at the top. Yumi eyed the wand speculatively. "It's probably magic or something." *It is,* the spirit informed them. *It can hurt from a distance, and it can heal as well, if you master it.* Tsugiko's eyes widened. It can hurt *and* heal? And Kyouji's sword was probably really good at slicing things to bits... Tsugiko sighed at her weapon. It didn't seem so special anymore. Not that it ever was, really. Better put it away. She blinked. "Where do I put this thing?" *You can sling it across your back. Yumi has a belt with a loop she can place her wand in, if she wishes.* "Ah." Tsugiko nodded and did so. "So we're supposed to remake a Starburst Crystal and defeat someone named Wintergreen, right?" Yumi asked as she put her wand away. *So eager to help,* the spirit smiled. *Yes, you must do so. Without the Starburst Crystal, I doubt you can defeat Wintergreen for good. And in order to remake it, you must find all of the shards.* "Shards?" Kyouji prompted. *Yes, the shards. When Wintergreen broke free of the crystal, it burst into nine pieces and scattered throughout Mars. Without the remnants of the original crystal, you cannot hope to create it once again.* "Great," he grinned. "You can tell us where they are, right?" The spirit shook her head. *Sadly, no. While I once would have been able to, my strength was greatly weakened in my effort to contain Wintergreen. At the moment, the only area I have power over is this temple. However, I can summon something of a guide for you.* She brought her fingers to her lips... and whistled. "Giiiiiiiiika!" came the ferocious battle cry as the creature ran into the temple. "Yay!" Yumi stooped down and picked it up. "Hi. Did you miss me?" she cooed as she scratched it behind its ears. The carret purred. "Oh, great. *That's* our guide?" Tsugiko sighed into her hand as Kyouji edged away from it. *Ah, I see you met. Yes, Kit Kat will be able to sense a shard if it is close enough. Also, should you need to return, it can lead you straight here.* She smiled sadly. *Now I am afraid I must leave. There is nothing more I can do for you right now, and all of this magic has taxed my powers.* She started fading away. *Take good care of them for me, Kit Kat!* "Gika!" chirped Kit Kat as it nodded rapidly. "Wait!" Tsugiko cried. "How do we use our powers?" *I cannot teach you that any more than I can teach you how to walk. You must learn for yourselves. Good luck, heroes of legend. Mars is depending on you.* And she disappeared. The teenagers stared at the space the spirit occupied, then looked at each other. "Now what?" Kyouji asked. "Well," Yumi said thoughtfully as she adjusted her grip on Kit Kat, "Maybe the Skittles know where a shard is. At the very least, we can probably get some supplies from Snickers." The other two nodded, and Tsugiko sighed. "Let's go." She led the way out into the sun, Kyouji not far behind. Yumi turned to leave, then glanced back and smiled. "Thank you." * * * * * The village was bustling with activity. Tiny men, women, and children, all wearing colorful round hats on their heads, were travelling from house to house, trading and talking. Snickers greeted them at the Town Square. "So you really *are* the heroes of prophecy!" He grinned. "Returned to save us once again." Tsugiko nodded. "I guess we are. Can you help us? We need to find Starburst Crystal shards, and we also need supplies..." "Hmm." Snickers scratched at his beard. "We can certainly do something about supplies, yes. And there have been rumors-" "I'm afraid we'll have to cut this journey short," a deep male voice announced from above. They looked up to see a purple-eyed man, arms folded and a smug expression on his face. His long flowing hair was tied back in a ponytail. He wore a blue vest over his gray shirt, along with gray pants and black boots. Floating nearby was a woman who looked almost exactly the same, except her hair was red instead of silver. "The summoners!" Snickers yelled. Before the supposed heroes could even blink, the town was deserted once more. Snickers waved from his doorway. "We're rooting for you!" And he shut the door. "They're good at running away," Kyouji muttered. The woman chuckled. "They have good reason." She eyed the teenagers. "Strange. I expected the planet's chosen to be more than mere children." Tsugiko growled. "I'll show you mere children!" She brought her hammer to ready position. "Oh!" the woman gasped in mock horror. "She's going to hurt me with that toy! Save me, brother!" The man smirked. "Come now, dear sister. There's nothing to be afraid of." He patted on her shoulder. "See? It can't even reach you." Yumi set Kit Kat on the ground, who promptly scampered behind her. "Who are you and what do you want?" "How rude of us," the man commented. "I suppose you should know our names before you die. I am Twix, and this is my twin sister." "I, too, am also named Twix," the woman added. "And what we want," they said in unison, "Is to kill you." Kyouji stepped forward, making sure he was in front of the girls, and addressed the Twixes. "You're going to have to get through me first." "So this boy wants to play hero?" the woman laughed. "You're out of your league, boy. We were sent by our Queen Wintergreen to destroy those two girls you're so intent on protecting." "Wintergreen," Yumi hissed as Kyouji drew his sword. "Let's get on with it, then," male Twix grinned. "I will enjoy this." He pointed his right hand, palm first, to the ground. The female Twix did the same. "We summon thee..." "Whatchamacallit!" female Twix finished. Yellow light shot from their hands and hit the ground, which rumbled and split open. Water spewed forth, and out of it crawled an odd cross between a lobster and a human. It stood on six spindly legs and wore a glistening orange shell, and purple skin showed though at the joints. At the end of its arms clacked giant claws, and its head consisted of a mouth and eyestalks with eyes that refused to blink at the same time. The theoretical heroes of legend collectively stared at the monster. Kyouji was the first to speak. "What... is it?" "I think she called it a whatchamacallit," Yumi answered. The creature clicked its claws at the mention of its name. "Gika." Kit Kat tried its best to hide behind Yumi. "You can't scare us with that thing!" Tsugiko declared with a snarl. One of the whatchamacallit's eyes fixed on her. She swallowed nervously. Female Twix laughed. "Whatchamacallit should be more than a match for you children." The other eye swiveled its gaze to her. Tsugiko winced. That woman's laugh was beginning to grate on her nerves. "Oh yeah? I'll pound its face in!" Male Twix sighed. "This is getting us nowhere," he stated as the eye that was fixed on Tsugiko looked at him instead. "Whatchamacallit, take care of them." Both of the whatchamacallit's eyes turned to the teenagers and blinked, right eye first. It gurgled and raised an open claw, which started glowing white. A small ball of energy formed at the tip, then the claw snapped shut. "Look out!" Kyouji shouted. The teenagers (and mascot) scrambled away, making it just before the beam struck where they once stood, leaving a smoldering scorch in the ground. Its eyestalks writhed as they tried to follow its targets. Yumi skidded to a stop. Noticing neither of the eyes were on her, she pointed her wand at the monster and concentrated. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to use it, but they were in trouble, and she didn't want Kyouji or Tsugiko to get hurt... The orb glowed warmly, and a pale pink light shot out from it and struck the whatchamacallit in the face. It squealed in pain, bringing both its claws to its face and covering the eyes. Noticing his chance, Kyouji reached behind his back, under the cape, and pulled out a handful of long-stemmed poppies. He blinked in surprise. "Wow. It worked." Eyeing the monster, he drew his hand back, and threw. Each flower stuck itself in the monster's uncovered flesh. It staggered back, bringing down a claw in an attempt to pull them out. Kyouji inwardly cheered; he never thought playing darts would come in handy. Tsugiko ran forward, hammer held high. It was her chance. Kyouji and Yumi did their jobs, and she would not stand feeling useless. Maybe, with a well-placed hit, she could crack open that crustacean's shell and kill it. That might even put her on even footing with Yumi... in the area of combat, at least. She brought her hammer to the side and swung at the whatchamacallit... And its claw was there, snapped shut around the hammer's handle. "What?" Tsugiko managed as she tried to yank out her hammer away. "Let go, you stupid thing!" It just blinked lazily at her, then opened its mouth, a bubble popping out and floating slowly to the girl. "Tsugiko!" Yumi shouted. "Let go of the weapon! We can't get a clear shot!" Tsugiko scowled and tugged harder. She wasn't about to let Yumi beat the monster for her, and she needed that hammer. Just a little more... there! She smiled triumphantly as she freed her hammer from its grip. The whatchamacallit scooted away from her, scared no doubt, and she smiled nastily. She stepped forward and blinked. The bubble was now considerably larger. She swung at it, intent on popping the thing, but the hammer stuck in the bubble. Before she could react, the bubble covered her arms, then swallowed her up, and continued expanding about five more feet in all directions, then stopped. The Warrior Priestess blinked. It all happened so fast... well, no matter. She'd just break her way out. She tightened her grip on her hammer, ran up to the edge, and swung. The bubble stretched forward, resisting, and Tsugiko frowned, pressing harder. But when she pushed it as far forward as she could, it flung her back. Tsugiko screamed as she fell to the ground. She shook her head and looked to her friends. "Tsugiko-chan!" Yumi cried. Readying her wand, she concentrated. She had to help her. A pink light grew at the tip, stronger than before, and it fired and hit the bubble... and nothing happened. It simply bounced off. Yumi blinked. "What? Why won't it work?" She tried again, only to get the same effect. Kyouji frowned and reached under his cape, throwing a volley of poppies at the bubble. But they had the same effect the beam did: nothing. He blinked and shook his head. "Maybe if we take out the whatchamacallit, Yumi!" "Right!" Yumi redirected her beam at the monster, which was simply standing next to the bubble, watching them. It hit the monster in the face. Kyouji threw a few poppies into the mix, which were aimed at the stomach. All hit, and the monster hissed and staggered back. Female Twix laughed. "If you kill the whatchamacallit, the little priestess will die. Look, the bubble is becoming smaller." Sure enough, it was a good foot shorter in radius. Her eyes gleamed. "She will suffocate. You can't win." Yumi shook her head. "No! No, I won't accept that. Tsugiko- chan!" she screamed as she ran to the bubble's edge. Tsugiko picked herself up off the ground and ran to the same edge. She peered out, afraid of touching the lucid, transparent wall. The girl in pink was there, pressing her hands against the barrier, yelling something, but Tsugiko couldn't hear her. She laughed bitterly; she often wished there was a mute button on her roommate, but never like this. She blinked. Was Yumi... crying? "Oh, don't cry," Tsugiko protested. Yumi shook her head, mouthing that she didn't understand. "I'm the one that should be sorry," Tsugiko continued. "Because I'm so jealous of everything you do, and I just couldn't like you for some reason. But I'm sorry! I am!" Yumi looked at her quizzically, but Tsugiko didn't care. Saying that felt really good, for some reason. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Tsugiko spotted Kyouji screaming something in the distance. Tsugiko watched in horror as Yumi whirled to face him, and the whatchamacallit blasted her with one of those beam things. She flew forward, Kyouji moving to intercept her, and they tumbled to the ground. Their lips met. Tsugiko growled, tightening her grip on the handle until her knuckles were white. How dare they? How *dare* they? They go and kiss... he was going to be Yumi's... and after she apologized, too! The crystal on her forehead pulsed along with the gem in her hammer, and green flames formed, licking the entire weapon, but not burning the priestess. Her eyes squeezed shut in rage, and the crystal flared. Male Twix flinched as the light reached him. "What is this? Surely it can't be happening so soon!" "It is," female Twix responded. "Queen Wintergreen must be informed immediately." "I agree, Sister. Let's go." They clasped hands. "What? Hey!" Yumi was on her feet, her wand pointed at the summoners. "Don't run away, cowards!" "Sorry, but we don't have time to play," male Twix replied as he and his twin vanished, barely before the area was covered with a brilliant green light, and Yumi could see no more. * * * * * Kyouji blinked. "What happened?" he groaned as he sat up. "I think we won," Yumi quietly said from her position to the right of him. "Rather, she won." She pointed forward. Tsugiko stood there, facing away from them. Her skirt ruffled in the wind, and her hammer was being held loosely in one hand. There was green fire all over her, and the whatchamacallit was nothing more than a pasty smear on the ground. She looked different somehow, the fire aside. Otherworldly, powerful. Dangerous. "Wow," Kyouji breathed. Yumi nodded mutely. And then the fire was gone, and she turned towards them, eyes fixing on Kyouji's. He inhaled sharply. Her eyes... they were green, a deep beautiful emerald green. He had never noticed them before. Forcing himself to tear his gaze away from hers, he turned to Yumi. "So," he started, "I guess that spirit wasn't kidding. We should probably start looking for those shards. I think that old Skittle said..." He trailed off as he felt a presence behind him. He spun around. Tsugiko was walking towards him, hammer hefted over her head. "Um. Tsugiko?" Kyouji began shakily. "The monster's gone now. You can put that hammer down..." She continued walking. "Really." He backed up. "You killed it really good. Um. You're not mad at me, are you?" Her eyebrow twitched, and he winced. This was going to hurt. A lot. "Giiiiiiiika." Kit Kat covered its eyes. WHAM. * * * * * Author's notes: First of all, I'd just like to say that if you don't vote for my starter, my Tsuin-chan and I will hunt you down, rip your heart out, and feed it to her puppy dog... who, incidentally, is Cerberus' twin sister. Now that that's out of the way, I have prereaders to thank. In alphabetical order they were Chameleaon, Ravi Duvvuri, John Evans, Sean Givan, and Richard Lawson. They were a great help, and preread and offered suggestions at various stages of this starter. Thanks also to Twoflower for creating Improfanfic. Wai. Hugs for all. ^_^ Really, I wasn't expecting it to be this large. It's far and away the longest chunk of writing I've ever done. ^_^; I hope you had fun reading this (and are maybe even considering signing up), because I had an insane amount of fun writing it. ^_^ Now, please excuse me while I crumple to the floor. :P Ardweden