Kingdom of the Wraiths
The Terran line of succession was born of the link between the Kinzuishou and its successors. There were five points on the planet’s surface forming a pentagram of boundless magical power governed by the ruler of the Blue Pearl and the four Shitennou.
I sit upon the horizon of that demarcation between hope and fear, dark and light, I am shaped by my thoughts and actions, duality of the moon and anvil of the Terran sphere. But can I know these? Am I malleable? Am I simply a tool, an instrument of fate’s guilty play? Am I complicit despite my ignorance?
If I am sage, am I the sapling nurtured by the blood of the deserving, or am I the usurper, the foreign seed, the blazing dark, the hungry aloneness that blinds me to my invisible fury that acts independent of my will. Am I still to be tried, judged and condemned for my actions as an unwitting marionette? Am I to be forgiven, pitied and then reborn, cast upon a virgin age, my obscurations cleansed?
Diary of a Terran Princess Crystal Kingdom (Myolan Archive 3039)
Diamond lamented. Sure, they’d succeeded in evacuating most of the civilian population of Nemesis to Calypso. Lord Aubergine was a generous host to his people, but to fight the Wiseman would take all his courage, skill as a warrior and determination. He had to resist for all their sakes and by doing nothing his family would die anyway, so he had conceived a brilliant plan, for what else could he do but betray those closest to his one undying love; his Serenity. But it was for her and all their sakes, including himself that he took the risks he had.
Diamond had everything arranged ahead of time. Yes, time was such an ephemeral concept, fragile like the petals on a Moon Rose. The image made him think of his Bunny. He missed her terribly, but they would be reunited soon enough. He would visit Serenity in Crystal Tokyo and spend a year together, perhaps longer if possible before she would return to a point in time prior to her next birthday in the Silver Millennium after Acura was born. His plan was as perfect as he could make it and he was ready.
Truth was, Wiseman didn’t possess the Garnet Staff; he did, a ruse? Yes, absolutely, and a barefaced lie, yes, definitely, but a necessary deception if he were to achieve his ends, there was no other option. But he needed the mysterious magic of the Garnet Rod to make it work. The plan was fraught with countless dangers. His friends, and indeed even his own blood relatives, with the exception of Sapphire, were not to be trusted if he were to succeed.
The darkness was, he knew, soft, velvet blackness in the voice of a seductress, a lover that would give nothing back if he yielded to its temptation. The only thing that saved him from its grasp was his Moon Bunny.
“Diamond, we’re outside the capital now, should we de-cloak?” Rosh questioned.
“Not yet, Wiseman’s allies, who or whatever they are have sent raiders and the alliance have thought these pirates and we know better. Let the Silver Wing of the fleet take them on and while that battle is going on, our Synth operatives will cripple their ships then we’ll de-cloak behind them. Then, and only then, do we let the Doom Fighters have it and hit them with all we’ve got; shall we?” Diamond said, standing on the small battle bridge of his flagship in a midnight blue uniform with the white crescent insignia that denoted the Kingdom of Nemesis ablaze upon the right side of his chest.
Doom Fighter Lead Ship
Obsidian knights marched rank upon rank down the long corridors of the Doom fighter, these five abreast looked fierce and relentless under the cold lighting of the ship’s luminous panels flanking them as they marched, sending dark shadows along the causeway before them.
Galatea, leading her team of specialist Synth operatives, was ready to knock out several enemy warships. She gestured for her operatives to slip inside the engine room. They then began deploying phase orbs to collapse the power core.
“I have a feeling Wiseman is not going to be a happy boy after we finish up here. Deploy and activate!” Galatea said, as the orbs hovered before them and melted through the subatomic membrane of the core’s shield. The pale blue metallic surface of the wall began to warp. Parts of the plating were phasing in and out of space-time. As the engines began to overheat, Janilia, the blonde rookie winked at her leader and the Synths were gone in a flash. The temporal bubbles shielding the team from Wiseman’s forces had slipped out of phase with their surroundings and teleported them back to Diamond’s flagship.
“Welcome back and well done, Galatea…all of you!” Diamond said, and Galatea and her team smiled at the prince.
“We are ready, my Prince,” Galatea said, smiling as Diamond slapped her none too gently on the shoulder and she stumbled, but righted herself and sighed, then laughed. “My lord, I may be a Synth, but I can feel that from the tips of my toes to the visual fibers behind my eyes. I feel shaken, not stirred,” she giggled.
“Apologies Lady Galatea. Oh, I am not familiar with that euphemism. I like it. Where is it from?” he chuckled, “Forgive me. I get carried away sometimes. I am just glad you’re not organic, as I tend to be, dare I say, a little heavy handed. I best be careful of Sapphire for he will have my head if I damage your systems!” he added, his tone apologetic, but laced with a little humor.
“Lord Janus dropped that one,” she said, arching an eyebrow at Diamond’s quirky expression. Galatea straightened her short skirt and sighed, “ But Lady Amydarainia has a more interesting sense of humor, and satire is her specialty, my lord Diamond. I love it. Are you all right, my prince?”
“Yes, daydreaming is all, there is someone I miss.”
“The princess?” Galatea ventured, blinking at the holo-imager displaying the enemy ships being taken down by Silver Alliance warships in the background behind her.
“Yes, I miss her terribly and wish I was with her and not out here in the icy frontiers of the star system fighting that bastard, Wiseman. Oh, but that little gem, you were saying. Hmmm. I like it, have you others?”
“Lots, my lord. I will produce a crystal pod for you. Over 20000 references. I think you’ll enjoy them all!”
“Good, please I would appreciate that, Galatea. Now, good people, more fun to be had. Battle stations!”
The Doom Fighters were firing on the gliders descending upon them. Then a massive explosion, then another…and another followed on the heels of a cascade of fireballs appearing over Chiron and Pluto’s northern pole.
Arana, the bridge commander of the Silver Raven, leading the alliance fleet into the warzone stared at the holographic display of the theatre of battle in stunned awe and disbelief. “Do you believe those signatures, Venus, chronophasic signatures; where in the Kamis’ names did these come from ? We’ve nothing like that. Only in legend have such craft appeared, these people are far in advance of anything we have. I’d give a month’s Alliance Credits to know who they were and where they come from!”
The enemy was being ripped to shreds. Arana whooped and shook her head in amazement, and a huge grin spread over her face.
The Nemesean fighters, each possessing a temporal drive core built to Sapphire’s specifications, made for a welcome sight. Arana sent a communiqué off to Serenity City and the Jovian capital to inform them that the battle had swung their way and a new mysterious ally was wiping out the invaders.
“By the Kamis if we’ve not got some anonymous friends out there! I don’t care who you people are, but thank you!” she declared, blown away by the sheer power of the strange warships that began to fade into a pinpoint of light and were gone.
“Commander! The crew is gone and the crystal foot soldiers are dead. The ship is otherwise empty. Oh, by the Kamis, the self destruct is going into-”
A bright ball of fire lit the void of space as one, and then another of the stranded ships exploded.
“Get them the hell out of there and fire upon the remaining ships!” Arana cried.
---
Diamond’s thoughts soon returned to Serenity. Once she was in Crystal Tokyo with Acura, he could breathe easy. Pluto would look after her until she came to term and the princess was born. Then he would send the Garnet Rod back through the crystal portal after he’d left so as not to arouse suspicion by the Senshi of Time. This was important if he were to call upon her again. He had set temporal beacons through out the corridors of time that were linked to the DNA of himself and Sapphire or any other he so chose to allow access to the Time Gate. He wanted to spend some quality time with his lover and the future mother of their child before returning to Nemesis to wage war against Wiseman and his forces in earnest.
They had developed a time bubble to conceal Galatea, the Synth beauty, so lovely that Sapphire had actually fallen in love with her. With a honey-cream complexion of a skin with the hint of a metallic glow as soft as flower petals, hair long and deep brown, eyes of lapis, a little larger than those of humans; Sapphire was smitten. She was the subject of sibling jibes and teasing. It was all in good fun. But fate, as it so happened made his dream come true. Galatea shared his feelings.
---
“Lady Daphne, it is good to see you!” Lord Janus declared, bowing. She smiled and took his hands and nodded.
“We are risking a lot, but Wisemans’ incursion has forced our hand. The Princess Pluto is unaware of Diamond’s possession of the Garnet Rod.”
“I don’t envy her that journey. But it must be so; sacrifices have to be made for all our sakes,” Janis replied, allowing Koriyama, a young fair-haired acolyte of the Temple of Chronos to take his cloak and escort them to the watch shrine, where comfortable chairs waited along with attendants and good food and wine for their pleasure.
Terra
There are four cardinal points on the surface of Terra, these marking the territories of the Shitennou. Nephrite is in charge of the West, Zoisite overlooks the South, Jadeite the East, and Kunzite is the Lord of the North, and each of these great kings leads their respective class of warriors attributed to their stations that have their correspondences throughout the galaxy. This order established by the legion of incarnadine that preceded the mighty Shitennou, these intergalactic warriors were known as, the Lords of the Scimitar, their female counterparts designated, the Celestial Senshi.
Four magnificent crystal temples were constructed by the warrior priest class under Queen Gaea within the regional capitals, guarded by the four king’s armies, and overseen by the representatives of Elysian. The sentinels of magic functioning to draw the maximum power from the Kinzuishou.
Many throughout the heavens marveled at the magical beauty of the enchanted world known as Terra or colloquially as The Blue Pearl. Its silver satellite, the Moon Kingdom, was the hub of the Terran System ruled by the house of Selene/Serenity. Terra had built its capital on the lands known by many in the future, as Atlantis. But the capital would eventually move to the ancient lands of Japan. The global federation was an amalgam of celestial kingdoms spanning the entire Terran system. But if the Terran Kingdom were ever compromised, the Kinzuishou would be placed into the protective custody of the Guardians of Elysian. The current holder of the Kinzuishou: King Solaris and his wife Arjirea would pass on the mantle to their son, Endymion. This, after losing a daughter who would have otherwise ascended the Terran throne as Senshi Queen of Terra as had her ancestors: Lady Myola and Queen Sule. But the princess had disappeared, assumed dead. Her name, Princess Beryl.
Endymion’s parents never spoke of the sister he’d never known he had; such was their grief. She was the most beautiful child and gifted in so many ways. Arjirea blamed herself for letting her go to the Northern Kingdom to train and knew deep down she was far too young and felt a great sense of foreboding but ignored it. She would never forgive herself. Solaris for his part, still kept searching for her. But it was hopeless, the Kinzuishou hadn’t traced her and her young golden light was snuffed out without a hint of how and why.
Atlantari City
Eight years after Princess Beryl’s disappearance
“Do you believe in portents, Lord Nephrite?” Antigone breathed, standing beside the tall warrior king on the veranda of the Terran Palace staring into the night sky.
“Depends, my lady,” he said, in a soft, almost disembodied voice.
Here they were, watching the stars together, alone. Antigone felt a heady sense of anticipation and excitement washing over her having waited so long to meet this man. He was a Kami, or very close to one as were his contemporaries. She had read of the history of these beings, well aware that they were once part of a great race of such noble soldiers said to have settled in this galaxy long before records began. What was fact and what legend, she didn’t know exactly, nor did she care at that moment.
She had always dreamt a handsome Shitennou warrior would sweep her off her feet and she hoped her dream would now come true. After hearing so much about him from her ambassadors sent to his court to negotiate on everything from silks and fine wines to weapons and technology, her interest was piqued. Princess Antigone would finally get her chance to fulfill a life-long dream. He was, after all, a Shitennou, a warrior mage and elemental king. Like his fellows, Lord Nephrite was gifted in the magic of which she longed to understand.
She moved a little closer to him on the balcony. She sighed as she took in the glittering vista of the night sky, her body shuddering with the pure power of the man’s presence beside her. Antigone, a noble born princess and priestess of Jupiter, venerated and much loved by her own people, was in awe of Lord Nephrite.
“They’re beautiful, are they not?” she said, her voice laced with wonder.
The night air was warm, her white robes with their indigo motifs sewn into the folds of the light summer garment adorned with her bountiful waves of gold enchanted Nephrite as he observed her out the corner of his eye and liked what he saw.
Her smooth tanned shoulders, arms and legs were festooned with goosebumps, these she knew, weren’t brought about by the pleasant night air, but the flame of desire that fought with her rational mind for supremacy as she looked up at him with expectant eyes.
“You know, lady, one can never really be sure of the nature of those stars in the night sky,” Lord Nephrite murmured, becoming acutely aware of her floral perfume. “You have to tame them, get to know them intimately, and make them your own,” he said, looking at her with an intensity that had her heart racing with need of his touch, and how she wanted him to touch her.
Smiling, he opened his hand to reveal a bloom cut from amethyst. Nephrite placed it in her palm, stroking the backs of her fingers, this an invitation to intimacy and she blushed. Antigone smiled and bowed her head in acknowledgement and trembled as he slipped his arm about her waist and pulled her to him. They fell into a comfortable silence. Both now gazing up at the sky.
“I am content my lord Nephrite, for I am a woman blessed by the Kamis this night,” she said, standing up on tiptoes kissing the warrior mage. Feeling the warmth of her body, the beginnings of passion flaring to life within, each of them struggling with their courtly manners and diplomatic sensibilities, the couple welcomed the power of their desire and made no move to hold it back.
“I am traveling to the Jovian capital and then meeting up with Lady Flora upon the sphere of Pluto. Would you like to accompany me?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” she breathed and smiled, grinning up at him as she kissed him once more, letting him deepen the kiss. The mighty Shitennou ran his hands up and down her bare arms; this sending her into a frenzy of desire as their tongues danced like crystal blades in the duel of lovers.
Aboard Nephrite’s warship, the Moldavite
“Like what you see my love?” Nephrite whispered, kissing the back of Antigone’s neck, and moving to her shoulder blades. “The view is spectacular and I always wanted to make love to a beautiful woman under the stars and we’re so close it’s as if we’re surrounded by them.”
She sighed as she felt the gentle tug that freed her breasts and as Nephrite disrobed her once again, she yielded to his ministrations and giggled as he explored her body with a sensitivity and skill that had her responding to him as if she were a finely tuned instrument.
He handed her a crystal goblet of the finest Terran wine and she sat naked sipping the beverage as he undressed. Soon they were losing themselves in each other and as the hours moved by, Antigone felt herself floating on a celestial cloud.
They spent the following day in each other’s company within the Jovian capital. Jadeite, Kunzite and Zoisite joined them outside the music auditorium where a meeting of dignitaries from across the Silver Alliance was to meet before heading for Pluto. Nephrite was impressed by the sights and sounds of the magnificent city, smiling and nodding as Antigone pointed out various landmarks and waxed lyrical about the city’s past and entertainment.
“I told you you’d like it, my lord,” Antigone purred, squeezing his arm as he smiled down at her.
Jadeite winked. Kunzite continued to take in the sights. Zoisite rolled his eyes at the couple so besotted with one another he wondered if Neph would get his head out of the clouds long enough to contribute something of substance to the gathering of which all of them were to attend within the hour.
“Apparently, we have some new benefactors. I don’t know all that much about them, but these people whipped them in short order. Did you know of it, Lady?” Kunzite asked.
“No, I hadn’t heard, my lord, feel free to enlighten me,” she said, turning her eyes to the leader of the Shitennou as he gave her a brief history of the galaxy.
“Well let’s go, the other representatives are filing inside, come on, everyone lest we be tardy and we can’t have that now!”
---
She was beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Nephrite tried to control his racing heart and remembered he was in the company of a lady, an equally lovely young woman and so to avoid offending her, he averted his gaze.
He was determined to find out who she was. Her tall and lean body, definitely athletic. Her long braid, bejeweled, fell to the backs of her knees in a shimmering display of something akin to tribal mystique and courtly elegance. The look almost regal, a motley fusion of conflicting styles that on any other woman would be garish, but perfect for the auburn haired beauty standing before him. But the fine garments and the incredibly short skirt and lavish ankle length cloak bedecked the Amazon with the burning green eyes who had almost drawn him into her soul. This sent a shudder of excitement through him and he reached for a crystal goblet atop a platter, gulped half it down, and plastered a smile on his face. Moving closer to Antigone, he brought her delicate hand to his lips , kissing it, closing his eyes. But that face. He had to open his eyes to center himself.
‘Who are you!’
Terra
Atlantari Capital (Old Quarter on the city outskirts)
The girls scattered when the redhead slinked down the dirty streets of the area designated “off limits” the plague had taken hold and an energy shield had kept the “Unders” as these people were now labeled from entering the heart of the city. The metropolis so vast it was built over several thousand years, perhaps tens of thousands. But the old quarter was for the most part abandoned as the scourge claimed more souls for the armies of Metalia.
Beryl, now living a twilight existence as Metalia’s mindless minions set about recruiting for the Dark Kingdom amongst the discontented members of the population.
The people who survived were accosted by droids, pirates, mutants, the occasional traveler and those seeking fortune or a good time from the young women often forced into prostitution to bring food and wine to the tables of their homes.
Beryl was clad in a cut-off red dress that stretched over her comely frame. She was eye-catching to be sure, but deadly. Her hair, though bedraggled, was clean. As she took in the sight of a less than clean soldier whom had stepped up and clamped his reptilian hand on her well-rounded rump, she shook her head and waved him off, pointing to a nearby hermaphrodite examining the potential of this possible paying customer from the veil of shadow under a granite portico. The shape shifter, assuming the form of a nymph, not minding such unkempt men, as she was a wraith, a blood drinker.
The soldier smiled, leering at the shapely limbs of the deadly siren that had picked up on his thoughts, assuming the fantasy image and personifying it. Gold credits exchanged, Beryl continued on her way leaving customer and nightwalker to their tête-à-tête.
She had been stalked by nightmares, jumping at shadows. She gave herself only to the elite, who were delighted with her lithe body and magical power that transcended sex itself. She was considered a love mage. But for all this, Beryl kept seeing the hideous visions of the one calling herself, Metalia, the accursed visage scarcely left her a moment’s peace. She possessed the former Terran Princess leaving little time for her to cry herself to sleep for all that monster made her do; telling her, “You need to be prepared child, street smart they call it my young apprentice: sex, money and power will instruct you on how to seize what is yours by right.”
She wished she could end it all, and had tried, but Metalia had stopped her, even after jumping from the tallest monument in the capital, it was no good. Metalia was determined to groom her to take the Terran throne.
Others appeared in her visions, memories of a joyous time in her life all but forgotten. They meant something to her, but she could not remember what exactly.
Who had she been, and why was she so sad, aggrieved and lost. She was seventeen solar cycles now, a woman.
She had gotten drunk, woken in a strange bed and the room was empty. Beryl grabbed her clothes and dressed leaving via a series of floral laden vines that descended from the rooftop gardens, these hanging over the balcony like a rope. Crying, she climbed to the lawn below then ran for over an hour towards the sea and dove into the cold waters, washing away her dark iniquities.
Metalia would assume human form, and take on the visage of a hag with a face that was more cruel than ugly just to frighten her. Metalia was a parasite, draining her lifeblood, her mind and sanity. She felt herself melting away by degrees and hated her mistress with a passion.
“Beryl, you have a task to perform.”
“No, I don’t want to listen! Leave me alone, leave me-“
The mirror shattered, she wanted to grab a shard of glass and draw it across her throat, but couldn’t do it, pressing the point instead against her breast.
“Child, but you will scar yourself. Please end this foolish resistance. Your destiny lies in ruling this world as its dark queen, bringing the glory of the Dark Kingdom to this prissy planet and its so-called civilization!” she spat, the Smokey simulacrum convulsing at the thought. Beryl through the glass shard at the image and Metalia laughed as it shattered. “Feisty are we, then see if you can enter the royal court and visit the queen and offer to serve her.”
“And how, pray tell, do you propose I do that? The royal house of Atlantari is the most fortified, and it is near impossible for anyone to enter without clearance. I would be laughed at, and likely arrested Metalia!”
“But Beryl dear, you will succeed as you look like the lost daughter of the queen. That child had red hair, and looked a lot like you do,” Beryl sat on the bed, studying her nails as Metalia continued -- her silhouette reappearing beside her on the bed, making her jump. Metalia laughed, “Arjirea will embrace you and have you constantly at her side. Solaris will allow it, for he wishes only for his wife to be happy. And so, child, your opening awaits you and glory and the power!”
“I don’t want to have glory…power or anything, I just want peace and quiet, no more darkness and no more…this!” she motion with her free hand before pulling away from Metalia. She stood up and looked down at the petite woman whose teeth were now bared, much like those of a vampire. Beryl turned away. “I am tired of it all, I want out of this nightmare!”
“If you do this one thing for me child, you will see an end to the nightmares and you will have peace. I promise you that. Trust me, you’ll see the darkness as a new glory, with a darker light. Obsidian is most becoming this time of night. The black rose may hide from the sunlight, but it is no less magnificent and beautiful. Think of the nocturnal things of beauty: the sky, stars and the moon, the bats and the creatures that bring their symphony to your ears. You are most fortunate to be heir to that splendor. The deathless dwell here. Statues dance, and magic hums in the air. Beryl, it is so beautiful. Why do you fight me?”
“Very well, if it will end the torment and put my mind at rest, I will do this last thing for you. But I won’t be your servant any more.”
“As you wish, dear.”
“Thank you, now may I please have some peace and a chance to sleep?” Beryl yawned.
“Sleep child, sleep, you have earned it, and on the morrow we shall make preparations.”
