[FFML] [fanfic][Sailormoon] Moonshadow, chapter 7 (first draft)

[The Eternal Lost Lurker]

And here we go! Previous chapters may be found at www.lurkerdrome.com.

Disclaimers and such are wherever they are. C&C is welcome.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercury cried out in pain as an exploding origami crane slammed into her,
throwing her against the wall behind her with crushing force. She slid down
the wall, dazed and sore.

Serenity dove out of the path of several razor-edged streamers, firing off
several blasts of silver energy as she slid across the ground. A paper
airplane clipped her in the shoulder, and she landed next to Mercury,
clutching her wounded arm with a pained grimace.

The youma, Amami, laughed wickedly as she approached the two Senshi, malice
in her eyes, a paper ribbon twirling lazily in her right hand. "You fight
well, Senshi, but I'm afraid you--"

Something wrapped around her wrist, crackling with electricity which coursed
up her arm, forcing her to drop the ribbon. Snarling, she ripped her hand
free of the intrusive attack, rubbing her wrist with a sound like crinkling
parchment as she glared into the thinning mist. "Who dares?!"

"You know...you're a real bitch. But you know what? I can be an even bigger
bitch."

Serenity and Mercury looked up as a figure landed heavily in front of them.
Tall, with long legs and an Amazonesque build, she wore a Senshi uniform
with ankle-length green boots, a green collar and skirt, and pink bows at
the small of the back and over her impressive chest. Her brown hair was done
up in a high ponytail, held with a green beaded ornament, and pink
rose-shaped earrings graced her lobes.

Amami hurled a brace of paper shuriken at the interloper, who swatted them
away with a long, thorn-studded green vine she held in her gloved hand. The
vine crackled with static electricity, sparks popping and snapping as it
slapped down the paper projectiles.

The tall girl's green eyes narrowed, and a predatory sneer curled her lips.
"I don't think so."

"You insolent little whore!" the youma screeched.

The green-clad Senshi stiffened, tension flooding her posture. Then, she let
out an almost inhuman snarl. "Oh, you'll pay for that one, bitch. I don't
know who the fuck you are, or what your problem is, but you just pissed off
the wrong girl."

Mercury looked over at Serenity. "Is that--?"

The brunette smiled grimly. "Call me Jupiter. Now...let's dance."

=-------------=



Studio ELL Presents

MOONSHADOW

Adapted from "Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon" by Takeuchi Naoko.

7: No satisfaction

=-------------=

Serenity and Mercury could only stare in horrified fascination.

Even Luna, a decidedly wild and feral creature of the night, looked mildly
taken aback.

In just thirty seconds, the newest Senshi had ruthlessly, savagely taken
apart the youma.

Literally--writhing shreds of Amami were strewn all over the courtyard.

Now, the tall brunette stood just a few metres away, a twisted, savage grin
of triumph marring her pretty features as she held the shrieking, struggling
head of the youma aloft in one gloved hand.

"Any last words, bitch?"

The youma snarled several truly foul obscenities.

"Yeah, that's about right." Jupiter smirked. "Just be glad we've got an
audience--if this was a private fight, I'd be wiping my ass on what's left
of you right now."

Serenity buried her reddening face in her gloved hands. "This isn't
happening..."

"She is...very spirited..." Mercury offered, her own cheeks flushed.

"LET GO OF ME, YOU STUPID HUMAN SLUT!" Amami screamed, trying to bite
Jupiter's hand, struggling to summon her shredded, flailing remains to her
defence. Whatever Jupiter had done to her, it had been incredibly
thorough--her control over paper was utterly broken.

Jupiter shrugged. "Yeah, okay." Casually, she tossed the youma's head high
into the air. Green eyes tracked its arc as it sailed up, then down...

The newest Senshi dashed forward, aiming a perfect spinning roundhouse kick
which sent the shrieking youma flying through the air. The severed head
continued to spew profane insults at Jupiter until it was well out of sight;
had anyone present been capable of seeing through walls, they'd have been
amused at the youma's touchdown point: directly into a recycling bin.

Jupiter dusted off her hands, then looked around at the schoolyard. "Yech,
what a mess." She glanced over at the other two Senshi, and waved. "Yo, you
okay?"

"Um...hai..." Serenity returned rather weakly.

The tall girl jogged over to them quickly, hauling them to their feet. She
grinned at Serenity. "Not sure what the heck you did to me, but...hey,
thanks, yeah? I feel better than I've felt in I don't know how long."

"Um...you're welcome?"

Jupiter glanced down at her hands, flexing them. "So strong...I'm so much
stronger now..."

"That's part of the powers of a Senshi," Luna explained. "All of your
natural abilities increase sharply, in addition to the powers you gain which
are unique to each Senshi."

"Really? That's cool." Jupiter stretched, popping her back, and let out a
relieved sigh. "And I'm not even sore anymore. Heh." Suddenly, her happy
expression turned rather savage, twisted. "Hey, I gotta run. I've got stuff
to do." She cracked her knuckles, and a feral gleam entered her green eyes.
"Yeah, there's a couple chumps I really need to have a little chat with..."

Before anyone could think to protest, Jupiter was over the wall and gone.

=-------------=

Mina tapped her pen against her cheek and studied her new acquaintance out
of the corner of her eye.

Monday evening, Rei had ridden the bus to the next-to-last stop on the
route. She had bade Mina farewell, citing that she would be expected to help
around the house before starting her homework, and could not entertain a
guest on such short notice. Mina had been a little disappointed, but after
all, she *had* come on a bit strong...

The previous day, and again today, Hino Rei had agreed to eat lunch with
her. However, the raven-haired girl was not much of a conversationalist, and
seemed almost embarassed when Mina tried to get her to open up.

Rei had not taken her bus home on Tuesday afternoon, citing the need to run
a few errands for her grandfather. Mina hadn't minded in the least; she had
plans to meet Timothy.

Today, however, she was determined to try to get the quiet girl to open up a
bit, even if it took a pushy, thoroughly gaijin hard-sell to crack that
damnably reserved Japanese cocoon Hino Rei had hidden herself away in.

*Mum would positively LOVE this girl. Except for the Bible-freak thing,
she's a total stereotype.*

=-------------=

"We're attracting attention, Tsu--" Mercury caught herself. "Princess."

"Yeah...probably a good idea to get out of here. I'm just glad we don't look
like US in these outfits. That'd be REALLY embarassing to explain."

"Less talking, more fleeing the scene!" Luna hissed at them, before
launching herself over the property wall with a powerful leap. The two
Senshi quickly followed suit, though with considerably less grace.

"I would love to know what line of reasoning led to the design of
these...costumes," Mercury muttered as they sailed through the air, skirts
flaring. "They are completely impractical as battle attire..."

"The material is magical, so what they look like doesn't really matter,"
Luna explained as she slowed to let the two girls catch up. "The Senshi back
in the Silver Millenium didn't look like you two. Their uniforms were
more..." She paused. "Well, they looked like a cross between a very short
cocktail dress and a garment I believe you call a negligee."

Serenity and Mercury both nearly missed their next jump, thoroughly
embarassed by the mental image conjured from Luna's description.

"So, part of the purpose of the Senshi uniform is hormonal distraction?"
Mercury asked.

Luna's ears twitched. "Not really. The magic just shapes itself to conform
to whatever the current fashion style is. Since this is Japan, and there's
thousands of teenage girls walking around in seifuku..."

Serenity grimaced. "Speaking of which, how are we gonna sneak back into
school?"

"Returning would be pointless," Mercury said dismissively. "Classes will not
resume today, and the building is likely already cordoned off again." Her
jaw tightened at the far-too-raw memories the thought of police cordons
dredged up.

Sighing, Serenity touched down on the fire escape of a small apartment
mansion, and reversed her transformation. "Well, at least our stuff will be
safe."

Mercury likewise reverted to her normal self. "Of more immediate concern is
what our new ally meant to do when she departed."

Usagi blinked, and her brown eyes widened in horror. "Masaka...you don't
think she's planning to use her powers on *people*?!"

"That was the impression I was given by her comments," Ami said with a
frown, leaning on the railing.

"Then what are we doing wasting time here? We've gotta change back and go
after her! MOON--"

"I have no intention of pursuing a renegade Senshi all over Tokyo," Ami said
flatly, already making her way toward the fire escape ladder. "I have
performed my duties for the day, and the whereabouts and actions of Jupiter
are not my concern."

"--but--"

Ami paused. "Tsukino-san, do you have even the slightest clue where she
might have gone?"

Usagi faltered. "Well...no..."

"If she causes too much damage, it will not take long to learn where she
went--if you truly intend to pursue her after witnessing how dangerous she
is. Otherwise, I suggest simply waiting until tomorrow, and speaking to her
when we return to school--I am correct, am I not, in assuming that Jupiter
is Kino Makoto-san?"

"Hai..."

"Then good day, Tsukino-san."

Usagi watched the short-haired girl descend the fire escape. A soft rumbling
at her side drew her attention. "She's right," Luna said quietly. "You'd
never find Jupiter in this city, not with the head start she has on us."

"But, Luna...what if she hurts someone...? What if...what if she..."

"If she does, she does. You're better off discussing it with her when she's
rational again, after the initial adrenaline rush wears off." The youma
paused. "She reminds me far too much of some of my old brood. When they make
their first kill, the rush..." She shook her head. "It makes them a little
crazy. It'll wear off. There's not much in this city that could actually
KILL a Senshi, so the best we can do is, as Mercury suggested, wait."

Usagi was silent for a long moment. Then, she sighed and nodded.
"Alright..."

=-------------=

The man with the brown mark through his name in the work ledger of a teenage
prostitute now had a matching set of brown marks all over the walls, floor,
and ceiling of his one-story home, not to mention several on his face,
hands, and clothes.

Jupiter smirked. *He's gonna have fun explaining THAT to his wife.*

Now...who was next? The football players had already left Japan, and much as
she would love to make good on her threat against Motoki, it wouldn't be in
the best interests of her bank book.

Now, the bastard teacher who ratted her out...that was another matter
entirely. And she knew JUST where to find him...

=-------------=

"Tadaima!"

"Usagi? What're you doing home at this hour?"

Usagi slipped off her shoes and stretched. "There was some kind of bomb
scare or something. I don't know what exactly happened--I dozed off at the
start of lunch, and the next thing I knew everyone was screaming and running
out of the building. I got swept up in it all, and..." She shrugged. "Well,
when I heard the sirens, I figured school's pretty much out."

Ikuko paled. "That's..." She peered at her daughter intently. "Are you sure
you're not making this up?"

"Mama, see me here without my bookbag? That got left behind in the
classroom? And I didn't get this dirty in history class."

"It's just that...I mean, so soon after that awful mess with that
teacher..."

Usagi grimaced. "Yeah, life at that school is getting a little *too*
interesting lately."

"Maybe we should transfer you..." Ikuko rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

Usagi snorted. "With my grades?" She yawned. "Well, I don't have my books,
so I might as well catch a nap..."

"Hold it right there, young lady," Ikuko said sternly, hands on her hips.
"Just because your school things are in fact still AT school, doesn't mean
I'm going to let you lay around when you can do something productive!"

"Like what, Mama?" Usagi half-whined.

"Well..." Ikuko paused, then smiled. "Since you have a free afternoon...we
should go shopping for your dress for Saturday night."

The tea-haired girl slumped. "Oh right...THAT."

"You know, you're lucky to have Chiba-kun," Ikuko snapped, scowling. "You'll
appreciate what we're doing for you someday."

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Hai, Mama. Can I at least change before we go?"

Eyeing her daughter's rumpled appearance, Ikuko sighed, irritation replaced
with motherly concern. "Alright, but be quick about it."

"Haaai..."

=-------------=

Ami locked the door behind her as she entered the flat. She jumped at the
sound of a door further inside closing.

"Okaasan? You're home?"

Mizuno Sayoko emerged from the toilet, still wiping her hands on a
handkerchief. She raised an eyebrow at her daughter. "Yes, I'm off duty
afternoons until next week...more importantly, why are *you* home?" She
frowned; her professional demeanor slid into place. "You're not feeling ill
again, are you?"

"Iie, Okaasan. The school was merely closed due to an emergency." She
sighed. "And my books are still there."

Sayoko relaxed, then smiled. "Well then, since I'm off work and you can't
hide your nose in a book, why don't we just...talk? We never just talk
anymore...I feel so distant from you these days..."

Ami sighed tiredly. "Alright, we can...talk."

=-------------=

The bus pulled up to the last stop on the route, one stop past where Hino
Rei debarked. Gathering up her bag, Mina stepped off the bus, glancing
around to get her bearings.

Rei had been somewhat evasive concerning Mina's offer to come over after
school to study. The British girl was beginning to suspect Rei was ashamed
of something at home.

Curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she decided to do some snooping.

Spotting an oddly vacant kouban nearby, and glancing around to make sure
nobody was watching, she slipped inside, crouched low so as not to be seen,
and quietly whispered, "Moon Power, Transform."

Five seconds later, a blond Senshi was racing back up the street at twice
the speed the bus had travelled.

=-------------=

Usagi and her mother were not the only ones taking advantage of the abrupt
school dismissal to do some shopping. As it turned out, Osaka Naru and her
mother were on a similar expedition, and the four of them encountered each
other by chance at a boutique three blocks from Osa-P, the jewelry store
Naru's mother owned.

"We're shopping for gowns for a gala ball," Naru told Usagi, a note of
importance creeping into the redhead's voice.

"Really?" Ikuko asked, overhearing. "So are we, isn't that funny?"

Naru's mother blinked. "Surely you're not talking about the Yamagoto gala?"

"That's right," Ikuko replied. "Usagi-chan's fiance is taking her."

"Really?" Naru tilted her head, glancing curiously at Usagi. "You didn't
tell me about that."

Usagi rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Gomen, Naru-chan. I've had so
much else on my mind lately, I'd more or less forgotten about Saturday
night."

Naru frowned pensively. "Yeah, you *have* been a little out of it lately. I
mean, more than usual..."


The conversation dissolved into rounds of good-natured teasing between the
two girls--and less well-natured one-upmanship between the two mothers--as
gowns were selected and tried on.

By the end of the afternoon, Usagi felt a bit more cheerful, despite the
various problems weighing on her mind.

And, she thought privately, the very nice dress she'd gotten would ALMOST
make it worth having to date the Chiba jerk.

*Poor Papa,* Usagi mused as she and her mother lugged several large shopping
bags onto a bus. *He's gonna FREAK at the charge slips for all this...*

=-------------=

*We may have a problem.*

*Oh? Explain.*

*First, I must report two occurrences. One: there was a youma at the school
the Princess and Mercury attend.*

*I knew I sensed a draining field within the city...has the youma been
destroyed?*

*Yes.*

*Then the Princess and Mercury are improving in battle.*

*Well...yes, but...*

*But?*

*They did not dispatch the youma. Jupiter did.*

*...Jupiter. When was she Awakened?*

*Today, during the youma incident.*

*Ah. That would be the second occurrence, then.*

*Hai.*

*So the problem then is...? Is she as reluctant to accept her destiny as
Mercury?*

*Quite the opposite. Master...I'm afraid Jupiter may have gone rogue.*

*...I beg your pardon?*

*After she destroyed the youma, she took off before anyone could stop her.
It sounded as though she planned to use her Senshi powers for...personal
issues.*

*That could prove...troublesome.*

*The Princess favored chasing her down and stopping her, but Mercury pointed
out the futility of such a course. We will confront her tomorrow, at school,
when she is not as...invigorated.*

*I suppose that's the best we can do for now. Keep me advised.*

*Hai.*

Timothy sighed. A rogue Senshi...

"No...we can't have that. We can't have that at all."

=-------------=

Mina crouched in the bough of an ancient tree, watching her new friend, mind
whirling.

She had VERY nearly missed seeing Rei emerge from the Shinto temple, dressed
in traditional robes and clutching a very old bamboo broom.

"Rei-chan, don't forget to wash down the stones!" an older man's voice
called from within the shrine.

"Hai, Jijiue," the raven-haired girl replied.

As Rei swept the steps, a pair of large crows fluttered to land near her,
cawing loudly. The shrine maiden smiled, and produced a packaged bread roll
from her robes. Opening it, she broke it in half, and offered a piece to
each bird. They took the offerings eagerly, taking wing to roost in the
trees within the courtyard.

Rei watched them eat for a long moment, then returned to her chores.

Mina watched silently for a while. Surely Rei didn't *live* here, did she?
She probably just worked here for pocket money, or...

An extremely shrivelled old man with a large, bald head emerged from the
main shrine, busying himself with the omamori kiosk. As he worked, he called
out, "So, Rei-chan, how are things at school?"

"School is fine, Jijiue." Rei paused. "Actually...I have a new friend."

The old priest blinked. "A friend? Really? That's great!" Suddenly, his
heavy brows drew downward. "A girl, though, right? Not some boy...?"

"Yes, it is a girl," Rei replied, flushing. "She recently transferred from
overseas."

"A gaijin, eh?" The short, bald old man frowned.

"She is half-Japanese, and she is very nice...if a bit forward."

Rei's grandfather seemed slightly mollified by that. "She Buddhist?"

"I have...not discussed matters of her personal beliefs with her," Rei
replied.

The old priest snorted. "Probably Christian, damn gaijin are always
Christian, looking at us like we're fools..."

Rei's grip on her broom tensed. "In any event, she is very nice, and I have
enjoyed taking lunch with her, even though I do very little of the talking."
A slight smile broke through her strained neutral expression. "She certainly
loves to talk."

Rei's grandfather chuckled. "Well, bring her by sometime, okay? I'd love to
meet this friend you speak so highly of. Or at all, for that matter."

The raven-haired girl was silent for a long moment. Finally, she sighed. "If
she will come, then...hai, Jijiue."

"Yosh'. Hmm...it's getting late. Go start dinner, I'll finish up out here."

"Hai."

As Rei disappeared into the shrine, Mina watched the open door for a long
time. Then, she quietly departed, her enhanced Senshi speed carrying her
into the heart of the Juuban district almost as fast as her mind was
churning with this new insight into her quiet friend's life.

=-------------=

Kanzou Mitsuhiko was a morally upright, civic-minded citizen and a stern
believer in strict discipline. He believed in the virtues of proper,
socially acceptable behaviour, and the time-honoured tradition of hammering
down nails that dared to stick out.

Ironic, then, that he was about to be hammered down himself. By an
incredibly angry girl in a ridiculous costume.

Who was strong enough to lift him over her head. And whose fist was
crackling with static electricity.

"Any last words?" the Amazon snarled, drawing back her fist...

...only to have it caught by a tall man who had suddenly appeared behind
her. "Alright, that's enough," the newcomer said in a cultured,
even-tempered voice.

The improbable girl whirled, eyes narrowed at the interloper. "Who the hell
are you, and do you want that hand shoved down your throat or up your ass?"

The new arrival raised an eyebrow. "You're rather crude, has anyone ever
told you that?"

"Fuck off," the brunette spat.

The man clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "We'll need to work on that, I
see."

"Look, whoever you are," the girl began angrily, "I don't know what your
deal is, but I've got unfinished business with this little shitbag. Just go
back wherever you came from and let me do what I gotta do, and maybe you
won't be the next to get some."

The strange man sighed. "I see my agent understated the situation. You're
not just a rogue, you're a psychopath on top of that. No, this will not do
at all."

The Amazon's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Alright, you want some? Fine." She
snapped a hard glare at Kanzou. "Don't even THINK of going anywhere. I know
where you live."

Kanzou gulped nervously. The insane girl dropped him hard on the ground; he
stayed where he landed.

"Okay, fancy man, bring it," the costumed girl said, brandishing a long,
thorny vine as though it were a whip.

The interloper sighed theatrically. "Children. It's always the same." He
snapped his fingers, and spoke a strange word that echoed heavily in the
air. With a thunderous roar, a miniature green and silver whirlwind erupted
around the Amazon. She screamed angrily, sparks blasting through the walls
of the vortex to no effect; after a long moment, it faded away, the roar
dying down with it.

Kanzou had only a moment to register the shock of what he saw next:

The girl who had very nearly just killed him had somehow disappeared,
leaving the delinquent Kino whore in her place.

Makoto stared down at herself, eyes wide with shock. "No...NO!" she
shrieked. "What did you DO to me, you--"

"I have nullified your Senshi abilities temporarily," the other man said in
calm, even tones. "It would be prudent for you to return home, calm down,
and take stock of what you have done this day. This is not the manner in
which these powers are meant to be used. You exist to FIGHT evil, not to
BECOME it." For the briefest of moments, his eyes glowed with a brilliant
silver light. "By sunset tomorrow, you will be able to become Jupiter again.
Use the time wisely. Talk to the Princess. She is very anxious to have words
with you, after your abrupt departure earlier."

Makoto still looked incredibly angry, but her posture had relaxed slightly.
"The...Princess?"

"Go home, Jupiter. I will cover up for your misdeeds--this one time only. If
you go off on a rampage like this again, however..." He let the threat hang
in the air, ominous as a thundercloud.

Makoto stared hard at him for a long, tense moment...then bowed her head.
"Alright." She glanced at Kanzou, then, and scowled. "You owe this guy your
life, you piece of shit." With that, she stalked off as fast as dignity
would allow.

Kanzou swallowed thickly. "Thank...what...who...?"

The second man regarded him with a cold gaze. "Now, as for YOU," he said
softly...

Several hours later, police would find Kanzou Mitsuhiko lying naked in a
public park, marinated in cheap potato whiskey, babbling incoherently in a
strange mixture of French, Russian, and Yiddish.

He was one of the lucky ones.

=-------------=

Makoto buried her face in her hands, choking back a sob as she sat in her
living room.

*What the hell got into me?*

Her parents had taught her better than that. And she'd sworn to herself to
never stoop to the level of the people who...

*But I did. The second I had a little power, I went crazy and turned into
some kind of damned bully.*

She stared listlessly at the emerald green bracelet on her wrist.

"I should rip this thing off and throw it away. I don't want..."

*No, that's not right. I DO want the power. I LIKE the power. I just...*

*I need to learn to do what's right with it...*

She sighed, shoulders slumping wearily. "Yeah...tomorrow I'll talk to that
Princess, whoever she is. God, I'm such a screw-up..."

Her last thoughts before exhaustion claimed her were of the stranger who had
stopped her from making a horrible mistake.

Odd...she'd been mere centimetres away from him, and yet she couldn't quite
remember his face. There was a nagging sense that he seemed
familiar--something in his voice, perhaps, or his eyes...

His eyes...what color had they been again?

*I just...can't remember...*

She fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, all thoughts of Senshi, monsters, and
strange men with blurry faces flowing out of her mind like bathwater down a
drain.

=-------------=

"Jadeite."

The blonde Shitennou appeared in Beryl's throne room, bowing and saluting.

"I specifically ordered no confrontations with the Senshi."

"Regrettable," Jadeite replied. "The youma assigned to the collection site
operated against my orders. I did not authorise the engagement."

"Nevertheless, the Senshi are now aware we have placed agents in the human
world."

"It is of no consequence," Jadeite said, smirking triumphantly. "A
significant amount of energy was obtained before the site was deactivated.
Additionally, I have successfully installed the Mobius Driver at the second
site. We can draw human energy much more efficiently, and use less energy to
transit from this place to the human world."

Beryl considered this. "Very well. I will ignore the matter of the
engagement with the Senshi for now." She fixed Jadeite with a cold glare.
"See to it your future minions are kept under tighter rein."

"Hai, Queen Beryl-sama."

Beryl stewed silently upon her throne once the blonde man had teleported
away. After some minutes had passed in dark contemplation, a sibilant voice
intruded upon her musings:

[They cannot be trusssted. You sssee that, don't you?]

The dark queen's eyes narrowed. "You again."

A swirling, etheral mist without defining boundaries or any semblance of
proper shape hovered in the air a metre from Beryl's throne. Its only
distinct features were a pair of holes inset with twinkling violet star-like
sparks, and a long, misshapen break in the mist which looked like a mouth,
cracked wide in a mocking leer.

[Thossse traitorsss...betrayersss...loyalty and honour and integrity?! BAH!
What nonsssenssse...better to kill them all now and...]

"They have served me faithfully since the Fall," Beryl said frostily.

[But you do not trussst them.]

"And what concern is that of yours?" Beryl demanded of the misty face.

[Oh, I could care lesssssss...] The phantasm cackled. [But yesssss...I sssee
why you do not kill them. You need them...no. You do not kill them becaussse
you are too weak...]

Beryl scowled darkly.

[Oooooohhh? Have I ssstruck a nerve?] The cackling rose in pitch.
[Yessssss...too weak to kill four traitorsss...what a pitiful queen you
are...]

"GET *OUT*!" Beryl roared, black power snapping furiously around her.

[My my...assssss you wissssh, your Majesssty...]

The apparition vanished, its derisive laughter echoing long after its
departure.

Beryl remained in a foul mood for several hours.

=-------------=

to be continued

=-------------=



================================
The Eternal Lost Lurker
www.lurkerdrome.com