"Circles - Part Twelve: Change"
By : Naru Molly

Cerulean squinted around the formerly barren clearing in wonder. The youma, most of them having never seen the sun, squinted, some cowering from the warm light. The unicorns, moving from their places on the fringes of the Circle, moved to lazily crop the grass. He felt a tug on the sleeve of his shirt, and looked down to see the unicorn foal pressing her head into his side, presenting the itchy skin around her horn to be scratched, but not damaging his clothing any more. Then he realized.

The spell had chosen HIM leader.

"Heya, dreamer!"

He turned to get thoroughly hugged by Lita, her pony tail bobbing, sweat dampening a few tendrils of hair that had escaped from the tail in the dance. She still wore the blocky shoes that she had been given to dance in, her usual ankle boots tied together by the laces and slung over her shoulder. "Wow! You're the leader."

Cerulean grimaced as a few of the minions and youma came closer, including the peacock-haired Gallia. "I...had no idea..."

"Of course you didn't, Lord," said Gallia shaking back her hair easily. "Lord Nephlite said he didn't know who the spell would choose. And it is a good choice, I think." The other minions and youma present nodded.

Lita reached out and stopped Melvin as he crossed the clearing quickly. "Hey--Snoop. What's wrong?"

Melvin stared at the tall girl a moment, then pointed across the clearing to where the remainder of those present had clustered. "Malcolm went down when the dance was over."

Cerulean exchanged a sharp look with Lita, then trotted in the direction of the crowd. The youma parted respectfully, as did the cluster of the bird-men that were in his path. The silver-haired musician's body was sprawled bonelessly on the velvet grass, but cradled against Bridgette's shoulder, her arms around him, her cheek resting on his head. Cerulean's eyes widened and he gripped Zoe's shoulder where she stood, her face curiously blank to one side. "Is he dead?"

Zoe jumped, then her face flooded with worry. "No. But he's hurt pretty badly. And Bridgette says she can't heal him."

Cerulean started in shock. "What? What is wrong that SHE cannot heal--"

"It's not that I am unable, Cerulean," Bridgette's voice rose, quavering in strain, "I simply do not have the power right now."

Cerulean stared. The strange woman's wings dropped, spread in the grass to her sides, the pearly feathers seeming duller. Her face when she looked at him was drawn tight in pain and weariness, and the hand she had impaled to spill her blood was wrapped in a scrap of the iridescent cloth that she had obviously torn from the hem of one of the flowing skirts. Blood had seeped through the fabric and smeared a bit on Malcolm's jacket where she supported his shoulder. "How is this?"

"Healing a world...is not easy." She closed her eyes, holding Malcolm closer, though the platinum-haired musician didn't stir. Cerulean waited for her to continue, then looked for help from Jared and Nathan who both sat on the glass, looking as helpless as HE felt. "Lords...what..."

"What you see here, is nothing more than the surface of what must take place to revive our world," said Jedite, the more serious expression replacing Jared's helpless and worried one, though the blue eyes were wrinkled in a bit of concern. "It is not as simple as returning the plant life..."

Nathan sighed. "I don't suppose," he said, holding Molly close to his side, the unicorn foal's, Kali, head in his lap. "I don't suppose you know anything about, ah, ecosystems and geography and what not?"

Cerulean looked at him blankly. "I suppose not, then," Nathan said, his free hand twining in the foal's mane, as Cerulean realized HE was doing with his own admirer. "It's not as easy fixing things as sticking a few plants and animals back on a piece of barren rock, you know. You've got to make soil, make systems of rain work again..."

"Not to mention," said Zoe, her face taught, the jacket of her uniform tossed over one shoulder, her emerald eyes fixed on the fallen man, "bloody plate tectonics. If you've got none of that, you're going to run out of land once you start the rains again, thanks to erosion."

"AND there are many life forms here that you ALL take for granted," put in Nuada, his silver arm crossed, the metal fingers drumming idly on his shoulder. "Earth worms, for example. Ants." The sidhe lord shook his hair over his shoulder. "They must be either reintroduced, or turned back from whatever they had been twisted into. And Kae'ayla's life force is committed to doing just that."

"Life--" THAT got everyone's attention.

Nuada raised a silver eyebrow. "Surely you all saw her use Blood Magic. That form of magic is always risky; even when you are relying on the life forces of others as Beryl now does. But it takes Blood Magic to counter Blood Magic."

Jared's lips pursed into a scowl. "This...'Balance' again."

Nuada turned his gaze on Jared. "What else is there when it comes down to it? There are always sides, and sides will always battle."

Jared managed to glare back. Bridgette raised her head. "There is no time for this. You must attack while Beryl's people are confused."

"And OURS aren't?" said Rei.

Bridgette locked her tired, but still unnerving gaze on the raven-haired girl. "Granted. And I suggest you all find something to mark yourselves as your own people. A banner, a sash..."

"How about bloody sunglasses," muttered Nathan. "I'd gotten used to being underground and in darkness. It's bloody bright out here."

"What about Malcolm? And you? You said you can't leave here," Zoe said.Bridgette's eyes took on a dark gleam. "Always thinking of working with magic alone?"

Zoe colored. Bridgette casually drew a gleaming arc of silver and crystal from the sheath at her side. "Use the obvious."

"I will stay as well," said Quicksilver. "My healing is useless on Malcolm for now, and I care little for battles. I can and will defend myself, though." His huge eagle fluttered his wings in a nearby tree, the crystal mail the bird wore tinkling. "And Aewlah will go where I do. He will play sentry."

"Melvin should stay, too," said Jared, coming looking up.

"But--"

Jared shook his head. "Look, kid, you're no good in a pitched battle, all right? Use those traps we've still got set up. " He looked at Malcolm's still form once more. "They're going to need help here, all right?"

"But--"

Nuada nodded. "I will go battle; I will be needed, I think. But I will leave a few here to help you, Kae'ayla."

Bridgette looked up at him sharply for a moment, then nodded. "I suggest...you spilt up. There is a Gate on the far side of that hill there." She pointed through the trees to a green, flower-covered hill nearby. "Some of you go there. The others...take the anchor off the boat and let the whales pull you."

"I'll go through the Gate," Nathan muttered, glancing at Malcolm. "I'm not setting foot on another boat for at least a year."

****

"What are those things that they are wearing?" asked Cerulean, watching Jared and Zoe in the bows of the ships, Jared apparently explaining the use of the glass orbs in the padded cases.

Lita looked and grinned. "Microphone headsets. So they can talk to one another. Bridgette's got one, and so does Nathan. Oh...here."

She held out another. "This was supposed to be for Malcolm, but..."

Cerulean took the headset curiously, looking at how Jared and Zoe wore theirs as the ship lurched into motion on the waves. "...'a THREE hour tour!.' " Jared's cheerful tenor rang through Cerulean's head.

"Jared Sims," came Zoe's reply, a faint bit of static crackling, "sing one more verse of that damn song, and you're swimming."

Cerulean blinked. "I--"

"Hullo, Cer!" said Jared, turning and waving cheerfully from the bows to where Lita and Cerulean stood at the rail before the wheel.

"Hello, Cerulean. Figured the blasted thing out, then?"

Cerulean blinked at Nathan's voice. "Aye, Lord. How do--"

"Technology, not magic," said Zoe, her voice sounding amused. "Beryl won't be able to listen in as easily."

"Umm."

"We're in position here," said Nathan. There was a slight pause. "The girls, are making flower chains. We now look like we're all in a bloody May Day celebration."

"Should make you easy to spot," Jared's voice said.

A raucous noise filled the headset and Cerulean winced. Nathan had apparently blown a raspberry.

"That's very cute, Nathan," said Bridgette's voice.

"Trying to please, Bri."

"How is Lord Malcolm?" asked Cerulean hesitantly.

"The same," Bridgette seemed to sigh. "At least he is no worse."

Jared's voice came over again, but the tones and accent to the words were Jedite's. "And how are YOU faring?"

Bridgette paused a moment. "Trying to remember how to create moss again, Jedite."

There was a bit of laughter over the headsets, and Jared's light tones came over again. "Moss?" he spluttered between laughs.

"If you think that it is that simple, Jared, perhaps YOU would like to do this?"

"Um. I'll pass."

"About the attack..."

"Oh, we're ready with the gas bombs I made," said Jared. "Be sure not to go through the Gate without hearing me clear it, first."

"I've no intention on ruining my singing voice, Jar. No worries."

Cerulean took the headsets off. "I think I can do without."

****

Joerdan stared as the youma he had sent out as a scout came and bowed at his feet. "Commander--the changes are everywhere. Except...except the Black Lake. Queen Beryl is gathering a large force there."

Joerdan nodded, pale eyes fixing on the horizon over the rolling waves. "Very well. Be prepared for an attack. And tricks. Jedite has picked up cunning from somewhere."

"Yes, Commander." The youma moved off to join the ranks. Joerdan's adonni closed back around him and he returned to staring across the waves, his already sore eyes watering in the glare.

****

Darien sighed as Serena draped another flower chain over the brim of his hat, but submitted and then let her snuggle under his arm. "Nathan--what's going on?" he asked.

Nathan pushed the mouthpiece back up away from his mouth. "Nothing much. They're still traveling." The auburn-haired man shoved a flower decked pony tail back over his shoulder, where one of the unicorns promptly began to pull the flowers out with velvet lips, before sniffing and then chewing on Nathan's hair. He seemed not to notice. "We wait until Jared sends the signal, then open the Gate and go through fighting."

Nuada nodded. "Simple enough, except for getting to the place that we must. If what the young Commander said is true, there is no direct way to anywhere in here, and we will have to fight our way through at least five such gates." The silver-armed man shook his gleaming, silvery hair back over his shoulder.

Darien sighed, holding Serena closer. "It's the getting there that bothers me. As for Beryl...it will be almost a relief to get there."

Nuada nodded. "That is always the way. No matter how awful the end of something, all look forward to it, for and end is always the beginning of something else."

"That sounds like something in a fortune cookie," muttered Serena with a giggle.

Nuada raised an elegant brow. "Perhaps such silly things should be taken more seriously."

Darien watched the sidhe lord carefully. For all that Lord Nuada was closer to being mortal than Bridgette physically, the Lord's stiff manner and aloof language made him seem even less human. Nuada returned to keeping the waiting (and flower decked) minions in line. "What is it about him?" he asked Nathan who scowled after the sidhe lord.

Nathan turned, wincing when his hair was pulled by the unicorn. "Well, then, for all that HE can die, he's not been about mortals for the past 10,000 years, now has he?"

Darien paused, then nodded. "I guess that's right."

Nathan sighed, "So, Darien...how're you and Serena doing, then? I mean together wise."

Darien shrugged. "Okay, I guess."

Nathan paused. "Does the age gap bother you? I mean, I'm no immortal anymore...at least I don't think I am anymore, but...Molly..."

Serena blinked. "Well--she's not exactly mortal either anymore. She's part of the Moon Court."

"Aye, granted, but--" began Nathan.

Darien frowned, looking down at Serena's head as she stared at him. "I...thought about it, sure. Serena being only fifteen and me being...but...well..."

Serena paused. "But...we've been together so long...in the past and all. And..."

"But you were saying, Serena, that you keep wishing for a normal life, yet you constantly go against that." Nathan spread his hands. "Not that I'm any different. Here I am saying I'm not Nephlite, and what am I?"

"A unicorn chew toy," said Mina with a grin, coming over with Molly.

Nathan sighed and rolled his eyes. Darien paused a moment, then said, "Well, Nathan, I...it's just this; Serena and I are...well...I don't really want anyone else..."

Rei looked at him a moment, then watched Molly peering at Nathan a bit tensely. The musician nodded finally and freed his hair from the unicorn's teeth. "Neither do I, I just hope the bloody authorities can see it that way." He reached out and pulled Molly against his chest, kissing the top of her head gently.

****

Jared squinted at the horizon, then leaned over the bows, yelling to the whales pulling the ship to stop and hold still. Cerulean, Lita on his arm stumbled forward as the ship lurched to a halt. "What is it?"

"I can just see the shore. We should be in range for the bombs." Jared grimaced, loading a case of the divided floats onto one of the catapults.

"You have done this before?" Cerulean asked.

"Nope."

"Great," said Lita.

"Relax, Jupiter," said Zoe hopping down a rope from the rigging. "He's a master of flinging things across the room with his spoon."

Jared shot her a look, then grimaced, "Wish I could bloody see to aim, though."

"Perhaps one of us may assist you?"

They all turned to look, seeing a few of the bird men coming over, their strange, armored bird companions flying to land on the rails. "We ARE, after all," said one of the huge hawks, "known for our eyesight."

Jared grinned. "Cool."

"I am called Riversong," said the lead bird-man. "My friend there is called T'uri," he pointed to the hawk that had spoken. "Permit me."

Riversong went to the rail, squinting. "There is a large group spread out along the shore line there." He pointed. "There seems not to be a well defined leader that I can see, though."

Jedite took over. "Joerdan would never make himself stand out without direct orders, and even more protection."

Cerulean paused. "Riversong...can you see any adonni?"

"What are they?"

"Large creatures...usually in black with painted masks on."

Riversong and a few of the others all peered at the shore. "Mm...yes. Several."

Jedite frowned. "That means there are several ranking people scattered out there." He scowled again. "What of the numbers?"

Another one, who introduced himself as Fallingleaf, looked closer. "It is difficult to say, with the forms of some of the creatures there, but I would say that we are badly outnumbered...at least five to one."

"Nuts," said Lita.

"Well," said Zoe, "shall we see if youma have lungs?"

****

"What's going on?" Serena asked, tucked in the curve of Darien's arm while Nathan paced.

"They launched the globes, but the bird-people can't see because of the haze they're causing." Nathan grimaced. "Bloody hell."

Molly watched him a moment, then moved up to his side. "Well...can't someone there make a breeze or something?"

"I--" Nathan broke off, listening to the low hum of someone's voice. "Wait...it's clearing..." The small army all leaned closer, intent on the former general. "Damn!"

"Didn't work?" asked Rei.

"No. It worked, but they're bringing more in to replace those who fell." Nathan grimaced. "It's time."

Rei smacked her fist into her palm. "All RIGHT!"

****

Joerdan glared as the seething gas swirled harmlessly on the far side of the force wall he had erected as his reinforcements poured through. With a snarl, he sent a mental command, and one of his underlings who had managed to survive the initial gas attack called a breeze to clear the beach. He looked at the water...and saw a tall ship of a design he had never seen before cutting rapidly towards them, drawn by some huge water beast. Grimly, Joerdan moved to hide and wait his chance.

****

"What's wrong?" asked Nuada, frowning as Nathan struggled before the gate, a faint sheen of sweat covering his brow.

"The bloody Gate's not responding!"

"DAMN!" Darien cursed. "We've GOT to get to them!"

"I know, damnit!" Nathan snarled back. "I'll have to try to blast it open. Everyone behind that side of the hill!"

"Nathan!" Molly moved up to his side.

"Get going, Mol-love. I dinnae want to see that pretty hair of yours any redder." He paused a moment and kissed her cheek. "I'll be all right. I've died enough, thanks."

****

"WOW!" Cerulean stared as Lita blinked at the swath of distruction her lightning blast had caused. Charred corpses littered the path of the lightning blast. "When Bridgette said she was enhancing our powers, she wasn't kidding."

Cerulean sent a flare of his light-blast at a nearby youma, though the attacking youma were keeping their distance from them for the most part. "What was that that she gave each of you scouts? The thing she said to use as a last resort."

She shrugged, watching as the youma with the strips of cloth tied around some upper portion of their bodies to identify them as theirs, pushing their way up the beach. Riversong and his people fought up one side, their crystal blades swirling gracefully, sometimes flaring with the energy of spells. Their birds dove and tore at enemy eyes and their crystal mail crackled with energy. "I don't know. It looks like a rock to me. She said to hold it and concentrate on it if I needed a boost, but she said it'd probably only work once."

Cerulean nodded, then spoke into the mouthpiece of the headset Jared had convinced him to put on. "Lord Nathan! Where ARE you!?"

Nathan's voice crackled through the ear piece once, mostly smothered with wailing interference from the energies being flung around...just as the Gate flared to life. "Sorry...knew I should have taken that left, bloody turn at Albuquerque."

****

Zoe ducked the adonni's swipe again, then grimaced. Not so much as a scratch on the damn thing, and she had broken two of her blades trying. And she had slashes on her arms and one over one eye that occasionally dribbled blood into vision. She had known that the adonni were bad news, but she had had no idea how much power that Beryl had instilled in the things when she had warped them into what they were now.

The earth beneath her feet suddenly shook, throwing her to the ground and stunning her. Fortunately, the adonni also went down, similarly stunned as a high voice called over the cacophony near by..."Earth Crystal Crash!"

A fissure ripped open the ground a few yards away, spilling several youma and one adonni that had knocked down one of the human mages Bridgette had brought with her, and who had killed at least one unicorn. Zoe looked at the adonni SHE had been fighting. It was already getting to it's feet. No time to even think about making another blade.

Quickly, Zoe scrambled to her feet and sprinted towards the fissure. She dodged past several battling groups, flinging away her jacket as she ran. She picked up more and more speed, but the adonni were deceptively fast for their size, almost blindingly fast. Grimly, she worked her arms, leaning lower...the fissure was coming up fast...and then...the edge...

...she leapt...pebbles raining from the edge of the cliff as her foot left...

...and she hit near the edge on the far side, nearly 10 feet away. She fell hard, scraping her palms on the rocky ground. She rolled to her feet and turned to see the adonni leap...

...and fall short, clawed hands grabbing the rock at the edge. Zoe blinked, then tossed her head, flecks of blood from the gash on her forehead flaring out to splatter a flower-decked youma who had stopped in his drive towards the next Gate on the way to the Black Lake to stare at Zoe's leap. "Twelve years of ballet," she said, shrugging. Her eyes gleamed as she walked a bit closed to the crumbling edge of the fissure. The adonni growled up at her, daring to free one hand to reach for her leg. Zoe casually moved the leg he was reaching for out of the way...setting it down on the adonni's other hand. "Oops..."

It fell with a hideous shriek. Zoe turned away, tossing her head and grinning at the stunned youma. "Well...what are you waiting for?! Let's go kick Beryl's damn head in!"

****

Molly winced as the attack tore a huge hole in the ground. Nathan grinned strainedly at her, then flung a powerful blast of power at a nearing group of attacking youma. Then, something struck her HARD on the back, several parallel lines of pain flaring up in fiery agony on her back as she fell. "MOLLY!!!" Nathan screamed.

Yen was suddenly there, fire roiling in a controlled blast over the adonni who had struck Molly. The fire didn't seem to phase it much, but then Yen's jaws closed on it, crunching. Youma fell away from the raging dragon, but Yen took out several anyway while Nathan thumped to his knees at her side, gathering her up against his own already blood smeared and torn jacket. "Ow..." she said faintly.

"Damnit, Molly...if _I'm_ not allowed to die, then YOU are definitely not."

"S...sure, Nathan..." she fainted.

A heavy weight crashed into the back of Nathan's head, sending him slumping over her as Yen roared in fury.

But the dragon was too late.

****

Jedite fell hard, breath driving out of his chest as he held the long gash in his thigh, his carefully gathered power flying away from his grasp. The sneering visage of Andracite...one of the minions in charge of the youma hoards...and one of Jedite's worst enemies... loomed over him with a black crystal blade. "So it ENDS, Jedite...and your life force goes to Beryl where it belongs..."

**Jedite! Let me forward! Now!** Rather than argue, the Negaverse general let the musician come to the fore. Jared quickly raised his hand, careful to keep the same furious look on his face as Jedite had been wearing. **Can you manage a bit of fireworks around my hand?**

**I think so...but I lost most of my power when we fell...it will take a moment for me to get a hold of it again.**

**Ever think of practicing more?** Jared ignored Jedite's mental snarl. **Just do it!**

Jedite sulkily complied and white-blue light swirled around Jared's raised hand. Slowly, Jared squinted one eye, pulling the raised hand closer to his eyes, though the light hurt. Carefully,he pressed the thumb and fore finger close together, centering them around Andracite's head. "What ARE you doing, you incompetent fool?"

Jared grinned madly. "Something I picked up from the mortals. Joerdan DID tell you we had gained in powers, didn't he?" Jared let out a maniacal laugh that the worst B-movies would pay millions for. "Don't worry...it will only hurt for a minute..."

"What in..."

Jared grinned, squinting. "Don't worry...I'm only going to...crush your head!!!"

Andracite's eyes widened as Jedite increased the flare of energies and Jared brought his fingers closer together. Then a silver-metal blade poked through the minion's chest from behind. Blood splurtted from Andracite's mouth as he fell. Nuada calmly leaned over. "Are you all right, Jared? Jedite?"

"Yeah."

**What in the name of the Black Lake did you think you were doing?!**

"Improvising, Jedite. Who would expect you...I mean me to lower themselves to bad earthling humor?"

"What?"

Nuada helped the yellow-haired man up. "Come. We have a few more gates to fight through."

****

Melvin jumped, hearing a loud cry from the direction of the beach. He ran over to Bridgette where she held Malcolm's still form against her shoulder. "They're here! They just hit the spray traps!"

Bridgette looked up, face pained, then she tugged off a shawl of the strange material and balled it up, gently laying it under Malcolm's head as she set him down gently, Quicksilver's cloak draped over him. "All right..." she stood, drawing her sword, and setting the silver-etched crystal blade point down in the grass. She looked at the small handful of others who had stayed with them. "Get hidden. You too, Melvin. I only want them to see me at first."

"But you are weakened, Lady," said one of the sidhe. "Perhaps..."

"You can die, I can not, no matter WHAT the wounds. Get hidden."

The sidhe paused, but sighed and bowed. "As you will, Lady."

END PART 12

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