Clorets studied the sword, her stormy eyes tracing the blade, 
following the odd etchings upon it down to the hilt, where a large, 
brilliant blue gem shone.  She traced it with her fingertips and 
frowned.  Twizzler was taking entirely too long, and her scouts hadn't 
returned with word of the Priestesses.

	She sighed and turned the blade in her hands.  Somehow, Twizzler 
had to have been behind the girls' mysterious disappearances.  And, 
somehow, the Knight Protector was not only found, but mostly unscathed.  
The red sorceress was entirely too smug about the entire thing for her 
not to have had a hand in it.  Clorets wouldn't mind so much if she 
were sure the Priestesses were dead, but...

	Her head snapped up as she heard the rustle of a tent flap.  
Turning her head to the interruption, she spotted one of her personal 
guards stepping through.  He saluted.  "Lady Clorets, you have a 
guest."

	She scowled.  "Twizzler, isn't it?  Send her in."

	"Ah."  The guard coughed.  "No.  It's-"

	The flap rustled again, opening to reveal another figure.  
"Return to your post," he said smoothly as he nodded to the guard.  "I 
don't require any introduction."

	Clorets' eyes widened even as she waved the guard away.  Her 
visitor stepped in, looked around, and nodded appreciatively.  "It's 
not as ostentatious as your palace, but you've managed well."

	She nodded dumbly as she watched the caramel-colored man, and 
then she shook her head and sighed. First Twizzler, now this.  "What do 
you want, Toblerone?"

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

The Starburst Crystal
Started by Ardweden

Legend Twenty-Nine: Devil's Pocky
By Ardweden

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

	The man smiled as he walked towards the princess.  "You know 
that's not my real name," he almost chided.

	Clorets sighed.  "Riesen, I know.  I'm just so used to knowing 
you as-"  She cut herself off and frowned up at him.  "You didn't 
answer my question."

	Riesen sat next to her, all traces of a smile fading from his 
face.  "Twizzler."

	"Twizzler?"  Clorets' gaze hardened.  "What about her?"

	"She's been giving you trouble, hasn't she?"  Clorets cursed 
inwardly and turned her face away.  She had forgotten how easily he 
could read people, especially her.  Riesen chuckled.  "Don't worry.  
I'm here to remove her from your hair."

	"About time," she groused as she toyed with a lock of said hair.  
"Do you have any idea how much trouble she's been?"

	"Yes."

	There was bitterness in that word, and it forced Clorets into 
looking back at Tobler- Riesen, who was scowling at the table, his 
fingers twitching slightly.  She smirked as she realized he was 
grasping for a wineglass that wasn't there.  "Well?" she prompted.

	He sighed and looked up from his fingers, golden eyes staring 
ahead.  "It..."  He blinked.  "It doesn't concern you.  Suffice it to 
say that I've spent enough time following that witch around."

	Clorets nodded sympathetically.  It was more information than she 
had expected, really.  "I see.  Well, you're going to have to wait for 
her to return.  She's off questioning a prisoner of mine."

	"Oh?"  Riesen turned his attention away from the hanging map, and 
Clorets stiffened under his gaze.  He raised an eyebrow upon seeing 
what she held.  "The Knight Protector?"

	She felt her grip tighten on the hilt of the sword, then forced 
herself to relax.  "Yes.  She insisted."  Fumbling a bit, Clorets slid 
the sword into its sheath.  "This is a present for our Queen."

	Riesen nodded.  "I'll personally deliver it for you.  Along with 
Twizzler," he added with a smile.

	"She's in trouble, isn't she?" Clorets asked with a gleam in her 
eye.

	"More than you know."  He chuckled and leaned back.  "Hopefully 
it won't be long unti-"

	He was cut off by a demanding female voice, then a scream.  A 
guard poked his head into the tent, eyes wild.  "L- Lady Twizzler-" he 
managed, before he was yanked backwards.

	"Speak of the devil," Clorets murmured, before she stood and 
raised her voice.  "Twizzler!  Stop that at once!"

	Clorets winced at the crack and thud that followed her order.  
That was another reason to get rid of the sorceress.  She glanced at 
Riesen only to find him disturbingly unfazed.

	The flap was thrown open, a red whirl flying in and practically 
tackling Clorets.  "It's awful!" it cried.  "He loves her instead of 
me!  How could he?"

	The princess staggered back, barely maintaining her balance, and 
exchanged a look of long-suffering with Riesen.  She coughed.  
"Twizzler, let go-"

	"How could she?" Twizzler snarled, releasing Clorets and storming 
around the tent, waving her arms.  "After everything I did!  I even let 
her live for him!  And this is what I get for it!" 

	They both blinked.  "Spared her life," Riesen commented, the 
interest in his voice badly hidden.

	Twizzler just grabbed the map, yanking it down.  "It was a good 
idea at the time," she snarled as she proceeded to tear it to pieces.  
"I shoulda won him with that move alone!  But nooooooo, Green stole him 
from me."  Map shreds erupted in flames.  "That bitch."

	Clorets grimaced, her fingers tightening around the Knight 
Protector's sword, but Riesen put a hand on her shoulder.  She glanced 
back at him in surprise as he looked to Twizzler and said, "That really 
isn't fair."

	"No!  It's not!"  Twizzler stomped on the burning scraps, already 
looking for her next victim.  "And I visited him and told him I liked 
him and this is what I get for it!  'Let's just be friends, Twizzler!  
I don't like you that way, Twizzler!  I'm worried about them, 
Twizzler!'"  She screamed, grabbing a nearby bottle of wine.  Riesen 
and Clorets dove out of the way as she hurled it at the table.  "What 
about that kiss!  You seemed to enjoy that, didn't you!"

	The bottle exploded, reddish liquid and glass shrapnel flying 
everywhere.  Twizzler just stared at it, near tears.  "This is all 
Green's fault," the girl growled.  "I can tell.  All of it.  Kyouji 
loved me!  He did!"

	"Yes, Twizzler, I'm sure he did," Clorets soothed from a safer 
corner of her tent as she calculated the cost of the damages.

	"And he still does," Twizzler continued, giving a smoldering 
scrap an extra hard stomp and twist.  "Yeah.  He still does.  He's got 
to still love me."  She giggled.  "If I can just get rid of her, 
everything will be fine.  I'll make her suffer.  I'll make her-"

	"They're here!" a guard gasped, entering the tent with a hasty 
salute.  "Lady Clorets, the Warrior Pristesses are here!"

	Twizzler's eyes narrowed.  "Green."

	"Orders, my lady?" the guard requested.

	"Don't do anything, Clorets.  I'll handle this," Twizzler 
promised as she strode forward, magic already gathering at her 
fingertips.

	"That might not be wise, Twizzler," Riesen said.  "Wintergreen 
requests your presence.  Let us handle it." 

	"Shut up, Riesie," Twizzler snapped.  She roughly shoved the 
guard out of the tent.  He knew better than to protest.  "I have more 
important things to do."  And she was gone.

	They stood in silence, then grinned as one.  "More important 
things?" Clorets asked, eyes gleaming.  "She did say more important 
things, didn't she?"

	Riesen nodded, the look in his eyes matching Clorets' own.  "She 
did."  He sighed dramatically.  "We tried to warn her."

	Clorets shook her head.  "She just wouldn't listen!" she 
bemoaned, before breaking off into helpless laughter.

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

	Tsugiko crept ahead of the other two, eyes alert and hammer just 
above ground.  The journey to Clorets' camp was easy enough, as was 
creeping inside; the outer perimeter was practically deserted, and Kit 
Kat had wisely decided to scamper off to wherever that it went when 
they needed to be quiet.  But now they were in deep, and they couldn't 
afford to be discovered.

	"Tsugiko-chan," Yumi whispered from behind, "Make a right.  We're 
starting to overlap."

	The Priestess nodded and started padding around the worn tent to 
her right.  Who knew a camp could be so huge?  They'd been at it for 
what felt like hours, checking every possibility as discretely as they 
could, and they hadn't tripped any alarms yet.  But for all the tents, 
it was oddly quiet... something that made her nervous.  Very, very 
nervous.

	"Green!" a familiar voice yelled, and Tsugiko grimaced as she 
almost bit through her tongue.  She glanced back and saw Yumi looking 
about with similar surprise, then quickly sneaked towards the voice.

	"You've got a lot to answer for, Green!"  Twizzler did not sound 
happy.  Tsugiko shook her head.  What else was new?  "And I know you're 
out there!"

	Finally peeking around a stack of crates, she saw the voice's 
owner.  Twizzler was wearing the most stunning red dress Tsugiko'd ever 
seen, standing in an open area of the camp, her pretty face twisted 
into a snarl.  Tsugiko scowled as she realized just how good Twizzler 
looked, even with the reddish-purple stains that dotted the dress.  No 
wonder Kyouji let her hang off him all the time.  No wonder he might 
even-

	"What's she doing here?" she heard Yumi murmur.

	"She-"  Tsugiko's eyes widened, jealousy forgotten.  That's 
right; they were in the middle of an enemy camp, and Twizzler was just 
standing in the open...  Tsugiko sucked in her breath.  "I knew it.  I 
knew it, I knew it, I knew it."  She turned to Yumi and Winis.  "I'll 
stall her.  You rescue Kyouji."

	"No, Tsugiko-chan.  You'll just make her angrier.  I-"

	"Do it!" Tsugiko hissed.  "She's after me, not you.  And if she's 
really working for... just go!  I'll buy time."  She adjusted her grip 
on her hammer.  "Besides, it's about time we had a talk."

	"What's going on?  Who is that?" Winis asked, trying to look 
around the girls.

	"An acquaintance of ours," Yumi replied, Tsugiko almost smiling 
at her companion's choice of words.  "Let's get going."  She nudged 
Winis away, and he complied.

	Yumi followed, but she cast one last worried glance at Tsugiko.  
"Be safe, Tsugiko-chan," she whispered.

	Tsugiko nodded to Yumi before standing and turning, stepping into 
the open.  She stared unblinking into the furious sorceress' eyes.  
"You wanted me, Twizzler?  Here I am."

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

	Yumi sighed as she passed an unconscious soldier.  "Another one," 
she said, eyeing the burns and bruises that covered the man.  "How many 
does that make it?"

	"Counting the one that was babbling incoherently?  Twelve."  
Winis brushed some aqua-colored hair from his face and glanced around 
nervously.  "Let's keep going."

	The Priestess nodded, and she continued, following the trail of 
broken soldiers.  What could have wreaked such havoc, right through the 
center of a camp?  No wonder the place was so quiet.  All of Clorets' 
troops had to be hiding from whatever cut its way through.  She 
shuddered as she spotted another soldier.  Whatever it was, she didn't 
want to run across it.  From what she could tell, it enjoyed its work 
entirely too much.

	Her eyes widened.  Kyouji... what if it was after him?  That was 
just the sort of thing Wintergreen would send, and if she gave warning, 
it would also explain why people weren't running in panic from this.  
Yumi quickened her pace.  She had to find him before it did.  She had 
to-  She stopped, causing Winis to bump into her.

	"Yumi?  What's going on?" Winis whispered.  He got a better look.  
"Oh."

	Ahead of them was a small, battered tent.  This wasn't anything 
particularly unusual -- the camp was filled with them -- but there were 
four guards surrounding it.  Four very dead guards.  Four very dead and 
very mangled guards.  Yumi grimaced.  Whatever did this... no.  Now was 
not the time to worry.  She had to think clearly, to save Kyouji.

	She started padding towards the tent.

	"Wha- hey!"  Winis hurried to catch up.  "Why are we going that 
way?  Isn't whoever's in there dead by now?"

	"Then it wouldn't hurt to look."  Yumi had to fight to keep the 
tremble out of her voice.  Kyouji dead...  "Why would they need to 
guard a small tent like that, anyway?"  They were closer now, stepping 
around the bodies.  Yumi put her hand to the tent flap.

	"Yeah, but... what if it's in there?  I don't know if I can 
handle something like that."  He watched the tent, eyes willing her not 
to continue.

	Yumi steeled herself.  "Then let me handle it."  She grabbed her 
wand with her free hand and opened the tent.

	A figure, a boy, sat in the center, chained and tied to a chair.  
He jerked his head up at the rustle of the flap, and his brown eyes 
filled with shock, then delight.  "Yumi!"

	"Kyouji!"  A smile spread across Yumi's face, and she practically 
flew to the back of the Knight Protector's chair.  "I'm so glad you're 
all right.  We have to hurry," she said as she started undoing the 
ropes that bound Kyouji's arms. 

	Kyouji nodded as Winis entered the tent as well.  "Winis!  What 
took you so long?"

	The younger boy rolled his eyes and moved forward, kneeling to 
inspect the chains.  "Good to see you, too.  Let's get you out of these 
things."

	"You have no idea how glad I am to see you guys," Kyouji smiled.  
"After Twizzler refused to free me, I thought I'd be stuck like this 
forever."

	Winis looked up from his work.  "Twizzler?" he asked.

	Kyouji nodded.  "Yeah.  I don't really blame her.  I mean, I 
kinda snubbed her.  She showed up and said that this was the only time 
we'd really get to talk, but..."  He grimaced and looked at his knees.  
"Anyway... uh... where's Tsugiko?"

	"Stalling for time," Yumi said quietly as she tugged hard on the 
ropes.  "That's why we have to hurry.  She's on the other side of camp, 
fighting."

	"Twizzler.  She's fighting Twizzler, isn't she?"  Winis stood.

	"Yes," Yumi sighed.  She pulled again, finally loosening the 
knot.  "I'm worried about her, Kyouji-san.  And Twizzler, she was just 
standing there in the open, like she belongs here.  It's awfully 
suspicious-"

	"No!"  Kyouji blinked in surprise at his own voice.  He licked 
his lips and continued, "She's done some weird things, but they were 
accidents.  You believed her, right, Yumi?"  He craned his neck in an 
attempt to look at her.

	"I- Sometimes, and I thought she deserved another chance, but..."

	"Twizzler is a demon."  The Crystal Warriors looked up to see 
Winis methodically checking weapons, a dark look on his face.  "She 
will do nothing but gain your confidence and lead you into 
Wintergreen's claws."

	Kyouji gaped at the younger boy, then his eyes flashed with 
anger.  "How do you know?  You never met her!"

	Winis met the Knight Protector's eyes with his own, and Kyouji 
turned away from the suffering they held.  "No, I've never met her," 
Winis stated.  "But my mother has.  And that demon will pay for what 
she did."

	Yumi stared.  "Winis-san, I-"

	The boy smiled bitterly as he raised his right hand so the back 
faced his friends.  A teardrop the color of Earth's ocean stood out 
against his pale skin.  "I'll always remember."

	Kyouji's eyes widened.  "Winis!"  But the boy was already gone. 

	"He's going to get himself killed," Yumi murmured as she freed 
Kyouji of his ropes.

	"Do you really think what he said...?"

	"I don't know anymore."  Yumi examined the chains around Kyouji's 
legs, then the manacles around his wrists.  "I used to think... but did 
you see the look in his eyes?"

	Kyouji grimaced, but nodded.

	"He'll die.  And I don't think he cares."  Yumi sighed.  "I'm 
sorry, Kyouji-san."

	"Yeah, well."  Kyouji frowned, trying to work his mind around the 
concept of Twizzler duping them all that time.   Especially him.  The 
way they had kissed...  He coughed.  "Any luck?"

	"No.  But I do have an idea."  Yumi knelt in front of Kyouji and 
looked up at him with impossibly blue eyes.  "Do you trust me?" she 
asked.

	The Knight Protector stared.  "Ah.  I... uh."  His eyes wandered, 
and he blinked at what she held.  "You are not!"

	"I'm going to try to concentrate my power enough so it won't hit 
anything but the chains."  Yumi tapped Kyouji's knee with the tip of 
her wand.  "Have any better ideas?"

	"N- no, but..."

	"Thought so.  Hold still," Yumi instructed as she angled her wand 
so it pointed to the chains.

	Kyouji stared straight ahead.  He started to sweat.

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

	"You wanted me, Twizzler?  Here I am," Tsugiko said, surprised by 
the strength in her own voice.

	Twizzler shook with barely-controlled fury.  "Green," she spat.  
Her fingers flexed, ice forming in one hand.  "Tsugiko."

	"You said I have a lot to answer for," Tsugiko stated, almost 
conversationally.  "But I think you've got more.  What are you doing 
here, in the open like this?  Don't you know Clorets works for 
Wintergreen?"

	"You took him from me."

	Tsugiko blinked.  "Who?"

	"You turned him on me!" Twizzler shrieked, bringing her arm up 
and around.  "He's mine!  Sorbert!"

	Tsugiko's eyes widened in surprise as she dove out of the way, 
her skin feeling a chill as the spell missed her.  She rolled, ended up 
on her feet, and raised her hammer in a defensive position.

	"He loves me!  I can tell!  He was all ready to... but then 
*you*-!  Flambe!" Twizzler screamed as she unleashed a torrent of 
flames at Tsugiko.

	"Kyouji?  What did you- ack!"  Tsugiko jumped aside as the fire 
scorched the ground.

	Twizzler seethed, glaring at Tsugiko.  "Why don't you hold 
still?"

	"Because you're trying to kill me!" Tsugiko snapped, glaring 
right back.  The crystal in her forehead flared, and she acquired a 
faint green glow.  "What did you do to Kyouji?"

	"Do?  I'd never do anything to my Kyouji!" Twizzler snarled as 
she readied another spell.  "Flambe!"

	Tsugiko tried to dodge again, but this one came uncomfortably 
close, singing her skirt.  Her eyes widened, and she sidestepped 
another blast.

	"What do you have that I don't?  Huh?" Twizzler screamed as a 
stream of energy flew from her hand.

	The Warrior Priestess tumbled forward, barely avoiding it.  She 
swallowed.

	"I'm prettier!" she heard Twizzler say as she braced herself.  
Another blast, and she was moving again.  "More powerful!"  Still 
another.  Tsugiko narrowed her eyes.  Almost within reach...

	"I don't abuse him like you do!"  Twizzler pushed her hand in 
Tsugiko's direction.  "Tiramisu!"

	Tsugiko stiffened, and this time she was thrown backwards, ribs 
screaming in protest as water slammed into her.  "Abuse him?" she 
whispered.  "But I-"

	The sorceress sneered, and she readied another spell.  "That's 
right, you witch.  That's how you did it.  Sorbert!"

	The ice darted forward, thinly encasing the Priestess and 
knocking her into a tent, which collapsed around her.  She shivered.  
"I- I didn't-"

	"Liar!  You hit him, you beat him, don't tell me you didn't!  You 
threatened him, didn't you?  Took him for granted!"  Twizzler pulled 
her hand back and threw another icy blast.  "You ruined him!"

	Tsugiko struggled, but the ice just accumulated.  She hadn't...  
She had.  She had hit him.  She got angry at Twizzler, and she took it 
out on him, even when it wasn't his fault.  It was his choice.  He had 
to decide.  And she and Twizzler...  Her eyes widened.  "His choice!" 
she tried to yell, but her lips refused to move.

	"I gave him all the attention he could ever want!"  Twizzler 
raised her hand, energy cackling around it.  "He loves me!  Me!  You 
tricked him!"  She growled.  "I should have delivered you to 
Wintergreen and been done with it."  Desperation filled Tsugiko as she 
watched Twizzler, and she felt warmth build around her, but it was too 
little too late, because Twizzler was pulling her hand back and she was 
screaming and she was falling...

	Falling?

	Twizzler sprawled on the ground, her face twisted in pain.  She 
rolled over and sat up, gazing numbly at the spear in her left calf.

	"Is that what you were going to do, Twizzler?  Deliver them to 
Wintergreen?" a voice rang clearly through the camp.

	The sorceress looked up and saw the owner of the voice.  It was a 
slight boy with aqua colored hair, sword at his side and spear in his 
hand.  He looked directly at her, unflinching.

	Twizzler reached down and grasped the spear.  With a hiss, she 
pulled it from her leg.  "What if I was?" she sneered as she stood 
shakily.

	Winis raised the back of his free hand.  It was a remembrance 
mark.  "Then I suppose I have another reason to kill you," he commented 
as he hefted his spear.

	Twizzler stared for a moment, then laughed.  "You?  Kill me?"  
She laughed harder.  "Not even Licorice, with all her power, could stop 
me, even after she discovered what I was doing!  You know that, don't 
you?"  She giggled.  "Let me guess!  You're related to one of 
Licorice's maids, right?  Or would that be a cook?  A random noble?"  

	"It was fun.  Really fun," she continued as Winis' face twisted 
with rage.  "See, I could do whatever I wanted with nearly everybody, 
after Wintergreen got what she wanted.  She just has no imagination 
when it comes to these things."  Twizzler's eyes twinkled with glee.  
"But I do.  Why, there was this one lady, with hair a lot like 
yours..."

	His eyes filled with shock and horror, and he threw his spear 
with a feral scream.  Twizzler smirked, releasing her spell.  
"Meringue!"

	The wind shrieked as a gale sprang forward, tearing through the 
spear, and then the boy.  He screamed as the wind slashed into him, 
then fell to the ground, breathing in ragged gasps.  Twizzler grinned 
at the small pool of blood that began to form.

	"See," she said, "the lady got in my way.  I don't like it when 
people get in my way.  They get hurt."  Her eyes gleamed, and she 
turned to the frozen Tsugiko.  "Just.  Like.  Green."

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

	Something was wrong.  Kyouji could feel it, and he ran, hoping 
Yumi kept up.  The camp was a literal maze of tents and supplies, but 
he wove through them with ease as he continued his breakneck pace.  He 
had to get there.  He had to.  Tsugiko's in trouble, a part of him 
screamed as he tried in vain to move faster,  You have to protect her.  
Tsugiko's in trouble.

	There, he could hear voices, and he knew he was close.  Very 
close.  He sacrificed speed for stealth and listened.

	"Reason to kill you," he heard, and he blinked as he realized it 
was Winis' voice.  And then there was laughter, but there was an edge 
to it that set his teeth on end.

	"You?  Kill me?"  It was a girl's voice, one that sounded darkly 
amused, and then more of that same laughter.  "Not even Licorice, with 
all her power, could stop me, even after she discovered what I was 
doing!  You know that, don't you?"

	Kyouji frowned, and the voice continued to speak.  It sounded 
familiar.  Very familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.  He continued 
onward.  He was almost there.  He felt it.  Just around one more tent, 
then a right, then straight to that clearing.  He spotted a green light 
that had to be Tsugiko, and he ran forward, intent on-

	"Meringue!"

	There was a scream.  Kyouji stopped and stared as the wind 
whistled, and Winis -- he was sure it was Winis -- fell before him.  
Kyouji crept towards the boy, feeling bile rise to his throat as he 
watched the puddle of blood grow.  "See, the lady got in my way," he 
heard that same voice say.  That same familiar voice.  "I don't like it 
when people get in my way.  They get hurt."  There was a pause.  "Just.  
Like.  Green."

	Tsugiko.  Kyouji tore his eyes from Winis, pulling his gaze up to 
look ahead.  Whoever did this...

	Her back was turned to him, her red dress smudged with dirty 
purple.  She had her hand raised.  Before her was a huge chunk of ice, 
pulsing green with such intensity that Kyouji couldn't see what was 
inside.  But he knew.  And, he realized with a certain chill, he knew 
who stood before him.

	"But it's over, Green, don't you think?" Twizzler asked.  She 
smiled.  "It's all over, because you manipulated my Kyouji.  You tried 
to take what's mine."  Dark energy cackled around her raised hand.  
"You'll never get in my way again."

	The Knight Protector stiffened as he watched her bring her hand 
back.  This couldn't be Twizzler.  It couldn't.  She wouldn't talk like 
that; she wouldn't actually kill anyone.  Not like that.  She wouldn't 
kill Winis, kill Tsugiko, kill-

	"Too bad you're not going to end up with Wintergreen," he dimly 
heard Twizzler say.  "But I want you gone now."

	Wintergreen.  Twizzler couldn't be working for Wintergreen, could 
she?  Kyouji's fingers twitched as he stared.  Kill Tsugiko.  That's 
what Twizzler was going to do.  But-

	'I love you with all my heart, Kyouji-san,' she told him, 'I love 
you with every fiber of my mind, my body, and my soul.'

	But she loved him.  Twizzler loved him, didn't she?  And he 
didn't want to, but he had to, he *had* to...

	'I won't let you down again.  Trust me,' he laughed, and Tsugiko 
smiled with him.

	He had to choose.

	Recognize what you have, a part of him once whispered, and let no 
one break it, not even yourselves.

	So he did.

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

	Twizzler smirked as she felt the power in her hand.  Just one 
spell, and it would be over.  Green would be nothing more than a 
memory.  "Death," she began, and then her power fizzled as her hand 
spasmed in pain.  She brought it down, gazing at the thin stem sticking 
through her palm, then the flower embedded in the top of her hand, 
crackling with electricity.

	"Kyouji," she whispered, almost in wonder.  She looked up and 
around to see him standing near the fallen Winis, his face a picture of 
shock and betrayal.  "Why?"

	The Knight Protector almost flinched at the hurt in her voice.  
"Because," he started, then stopped.  He licked his lips and tried 
again.  "Because of a bond-"

	There was the sound of shattering glass, and then a sickening 
crack as a hammer connected with Twizzler's side.  She fell and rolled, 
then shook her head and pushed herself to her knees.  "Kyouji, you... 
my Kyouji."  She clutched her side and coughed, a metallic taste 
filling her mouth.

	"You were right," Tsugiko said quietly, and the sorceress fought 
to meet those hard emerald eyes with her own.  "It is over."  And the 
crystal in the Warrior Priestess' forehead flared as her aura 
intensified, flames snaking around her as she ran forward.

	Twizzler snarled.  "Never.  I'll never lose my Kyouji to you," 
she said as her face twisted.  "I promise you this."  And as Tsugiko 
raised her hammer, Twizzler smiled and vanished.

	Tsugiko stared at where Twizzler once had been, and the flames 
died almost instantly.  "He was never yours to lose."  Fighting the 
urge to collapse, she turned to Kyouji and tried to offer him a weak 
smile.  He opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by 
a gasp.

	"Winis!" Yumi knelt by the boy, turning him on his back and 
grimacing at the amount of blood she saw, the gashes that covered his 
body.  He was pale.  Much too pale.  She closed her eyes in 
concentration, and a warm, pink glow surrounded him.  She could feel 
Kyouji and Tsugiko, her friends, step over and kneel nearby, but she 
didn't look up from her work.  Winis was hurt badly, and it was a 
wonder he wasn't already dead.  Yumi furrowed her brow.  Maybe she 
could...  No, she *would* heal him.  He wasn't lost to them.

	After what felt like forever, the cuts started to close, and the 
bleeding slowed, but it wasn't enough.  He was still too pale.  The 
glow brightened, and she prepared to pour everything into it, even 
though Yumi knew she was weakening.  And then his eyes fluttered open.

	A huge smile broke onto Yumi's face.  "You're awake!"  She turned 
her attention to the wound in his midsection, forcing it to close 
faster.

	Winis' eyes flickered from Yumi to Tsugiko and Kyouji, who were 
watching with concern.  "Don't bother healing me," he said, a slight 
tremble to his voice.  "You won't be able to.  I'm as good as dead."

	Yumi shook her head.  "I have to."

	"Don't!"  He started coughing uncontrollably.  "Please.  It's 
pointless, and you need what you have to get out of this place.  
Twizzler-"

	"Twizzler."  Tsugiko's face darkened.  "Tough, Winis.  Yumi is 
going to heal you.  She's too stubborn not to."

	Winis smiled shakily at that.  "I did what I lived for.  But I 
always thought..."  He looked over at Tsugiko and was almost surprised 
to see the tears in her eyes.  "Did- did you get her?"

	Tsugiko hesitated, then nodded.  "Yeah," she murmured.  "Yeah, I 
did."

	"Thanks.  At least someone did."  He looked over at the Knight 
Protector, whose hands and teeth were clenched as he gazed at a point 
in the red grass.  "Kyouji."  The boy looked up and blinked at Winis in 
surprise.  "Protect them."

	Kyouji nodded jerkily.  "I'm sorry I didn't trust you earlier," 
he said, finding his voice.  He closed his eyes.  "Really sorry."

	Winis smiled crookedly.  "That's okay.  I probably wouldn't have 
trusted me either."  He looked over at Yumi and gently said, "You can 
stop trying now."

	"No," the girl replied, somehow finding strength in her voice.  
The glow intensified.

	Winis shook his head.  "Yumi," he said quietly, and the girl 
looked up from his midsection to his face.  He sighed.  "Thank you.  
For everything."  He shuddered, and then his eyes went blank.

	"No," Yumi sobbed.  "Don't die, Winis.  Don't die!"  She shook 
him, but he didn't respond.

	A pained wail filled the camp.

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

	"How good of you to answer my summons," a cold voice stated.

	"My Queen."  Twizzler looked up from the floor to the throne, 
where Wintergreen sat, the ever-present Spear of Mint in one hand, a 
poppy in the other.  Twizzler winced as she realized that it was the 
same poppy that had been extracted from her hand just moments ago.  
Riesen smirked from his position to the queen's left.

	Wintergreen twirled the poppy between her fingers.  "You 
disobeyed my orders."  She raised her spear.

	Twizzler's eyes widened.  "I can explain!" she said hurriedly.  
"I thought Riesen was lying, and-"

	There was a glint beneath the hair that covered Wintergreen's 
face, and Twizzler's eyes filled with pain as she arched backwards, her 
mouth open in a soundless scream.  "Never lie to me again," Wintergreen 
warned.  Twizzler managed to nod, and the pain subsided.  She crumpled 
gratefully to the floor.

	"You also spared one of the Priestesses," Wintergreen continued.  
"Is this true?"

	Twizzler growled from her position on the floor and glared at 
Riesen, whose smirk only widened.  She looked back at her queen.  "N- 
Yes.  Yes, it's true."

	Dark Queen Wintergreen nodded.  "Then tell me, why shouldn't I 
kill you?"

	"Because."  Twizzler started to tremble.  "Because i- it's not my 
fault!  I had the Knight Protector, I swear I did!  He was wrapped 
around my little finger!  But that Green..."  She snarled, and fear 
turned into rage.  "She got in the way!  She tricked me into letting 
her live earlier, and right when I was about to kill her, Kyouji showed 
up, and now she's... with him-"

	"The Knight Protector," Wintergreen interrupted.  "You say he has 
fallen for you?"

	"Yes, that's exactly it!"  Twizzler nodded enthusiastically.  
"And he's still mine, I know it.  All I need to do is get Green out of 
the way."  She grinned and added, "Preferably in the most painful way 
possible."

	Wintergreen stood.  "Think about what you have done, Twizzler," 
the Dark Queen ordered as she strode forward.  "Think about the 
priestess, and how she took your knight from you.  How you could get 
him back."  She smiled maliciously.  "If you had the chance."

	Twizzler's eyes widened.  "No!  No, you can't!"

	The queen slammed her spear on the floor.

	Twizzler shrieked as the room filled with a blinding, malevolent 
blue.  When it cleared, she was encased in transparent crystal, fear 
etched on her face and arms thrown up to protect herself.  Wintergreen 
nodded in approval and motioned for her guards.  "Take this... statue 
to the main hall.  Don't break her."

	She turned away, walking back to her throne.  "Thank you for 
delivering Twizzler to me, Riesen."

	"My Queen."  His voice was insufferably smug as he swept into a 
low bow.  "It was my pleasure."

	"I'm sure," Wintergreen replied dryly as she sat on her throne.  
"Is there anything else you wish to report?"

	"Actually, yes."  Riesen stepped before Wintergreen, then dropped 
to one knee, unbuckling a scabbard.  He could almost see his queen 
raise an eyebrow as he withdrew the sword with a flourish and held it 
before her.  "A gift.  The sword of the Knight Protector."

	Wintergreen looked it over.  The runes, the gem, the 
craftsmanship, all pointed to the fact that Riesen was telling the 
truth.  She set the poppy down on her armrest and reached towards the 
hilt.  Just as her fingers brushed its surface, a blue shock leapt from 
the sword, and she reflexively jerked her hand away.

	Riesen started.  "My Queen?" he asked.

	"Linked," she hissed.  "The boy and his weapon are linked."  
Wintergreen snapped her fingers, and Rollo stepped forward, head bowed.  
"Mount this sword before this room, so all may see what shall come to 
pass," she ordered.

	The girl looked up at Wintergreen through her bangs, the smallest 
flash of defiance entering her eyes, before she took the sword and 
scuttled towards the exit.  Riesen shook his head as he stood, a 
bemused expression on his face.  "Why do you keep her as your 
handmaiden?  Why not simply imprison her and be done with it?"

	"Questioning me, Riesen?"  Wintergreen smirked at his reflexive 
flinch.  "Her continued servitude imprisons her better than any cell, 
and her spirit breaks more every day.  Just like her brother's."

	Riesen snorted.  "Krackel?  I'll admit he's good at what he does, 
but he is still defiant.  He-"

	"Has already gathered the fifth shard, and is returning with it 
now."

	Riesen blinked.  "Excuse me?"

	"Isn't that what you once told me that's all Krackel is good for, 
Riesen?  An errand boy?"  Wintergreen chuckled at Riesen's flustered 
look and continued, "Your instructions are as follows: make life hell 
for the Crystal Warriors.  I don't care how you do it.  Stall them, 
separate them, kill them if you can."

	"As you wish."  Riesen bowed and prepared to depart.

	"Oh, and one more thing."

	Riesen turned to see a cold smile grow across Wintergreen's face, 
her grip on her spear tightening.  He fought the urge to shudder.

	"If you can find a rift between them, make it wider," she 
ordered, a gleam coming from beneath the pale green hair that fell over 
her face.  "Without one, the other two will surely fall."

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

Author's notes:

Oh my God, you killed Winis!  You bastard!

And I'm not sorry I did it, either. :P  I thought long and hard before 
I decided to give Starburst Crystal an actual body count.  I have my 
reasons, but I'm not going to list them here (on risk of feeling the 
need to justify myself to a hostile audience).  If you like you can ask 
over the message board, e-mail, chat, or any number of ways to get a 
hold of me, and I'll be more than happy to explain.

Besides, sometimes it's best just to take a death without the author's 
explanation.  I'm sure whoever reads this will think up their own 
reasons for certain things happening, and that's good, too. ^_^

Many, many thanks go to Nathan, Capfox, Nicolas, and Jesse for 
prereading at various stages, as well as listening to me whine and 
helping me with idea bouncing and the like.  They're wonderful, 
tolerant people, especially when I get high on orange soda.

Oh, but that was a kick. ^_^  It's been a long time since I've written 
an impro part, and it took me a little while to get back into the feel 
of things, but I'm glad I did it.  That was so fun!  I should do it 
again!  Yay!

Thankee for reading, and I hope you enjoyed your stay.  Give me 
feedback!  Please?  Feedback good.

Ardweden