This is the sequel to my earlier work, "Mars Fire Ignite". If you haven't read that one, you probably should. Some parts of this come from my first work. Also, if you are wondering where this fits in in the Sailor Moon timeline, don't. It doesn't fit anywhere in that universe. The Inner Scouts are around 17 years old right now, some two to three years after "Mars Fire Ignite". Disclaimer-wise, Sailor Moon and her friends are the property of Naoko Takeuchi, and they're copyrighted by her, and to a lesser extent, DiC (those manglers!). Also, there is a good bit of Forgotten Realms flavor in here, and they belong to TSR (or Wizards of the Coast, depending on how you look at it). Most of the other things spawned from my own imagination, so I'd like credit for such. Enjoy! Note: For those of you familiar with Forgotten Realms, and more specifically, the drow warrior Drizzt Do' Urden, I would like to make it clear that Chaszmyr is NOT, I repeat, NOT a copy of that copyrighted and fabulous hero. Chaszmyr was a character created by my best friend long before I made him read the Drizzt novels. Both of us were rather surprised at the likenesses. Comments, criticisms, compliments to meech@mindspring.com ------------------------------------- Quest for the Silver Imperium Crystal by Soumitra Choudhury Chapter 3: Adventuring Can Be Fun ------------------------------------- Surprisingly enough, Serena was not the last person to wake up. As the faint light of dawn seeped through the sentinel of trees, the princess hid under her blanket, muttering for someone to shut the window so she could sleep a bit more. When no one replied, her eyes crawled open, focused on her surroundings, and she bound out of bed, transformation brooch quickly finding her hand. No, Serena most definitely was not the last to wake up. That honor, strangely enough, fell to Ami. She had mumbled something about her internal clock being off. By the time the sun had crested the unseen horizon, eight individuals were gathered outside the large stone dwelling. Five of them were clothed in short pleated skirts and nearly sleeveless body suits, complete with a large bow attached to their chests and lower backs. To ward off the morning chill, each of the Scouts also wore a long woolen cloak. By a minor cantrip Serena and Mina had wheedled out of Szaravel the night before, each cloak matched the color of the respective Scout: red for Mars, blue for Mercury, orange for Venus, green for Jupiter, and because there couldn't be any repeat of colors (at least in Mina's stylistic opinion), white for Sailor Moon. On the whole, the Scouts looked like the cosmic princesses that they were. On the other hand, the three drow were decked out in more practical terms. Chaszmyr had opted for stealth mode: black tunic, black trousers, black boots, black cloak. Even his weapon belt and scabbards were black. A number of small leather pouches hung from his waist, along with a pair of daggers in his boots. He also had a small backpack strapped to his back, though it was hidden in the folds of the cloak. Finishing his ensemble was a quiver of arrows, and a wondrous short bow that looked as if it were crafted of glass-encased mist rather than wood. If Chaszmyr was the Cloak, then Xune most definitely was the Dagger, or in this case, the Sword. She had donned a suit of chain mail that gleamed in the rays of sunlight. A gift from Chaszmyr to Xune, the chest area of the mail had a runic symbol worked into the armor, though the chain links of the symbol were crafted of sapphire. The symbol had been the mark of the Arabani House, Chaszmyr's family name. She had added a leather belt to cinch the mail about her waist, so it seemed Xune wore a dress of chain linked armor, though it only reached down to her mid-thigh. Knee-high boots and a simple forest green cloak completed her outfit, creating the image of an incredibly sexy, if formidable, warrior. Once again, strapped to her back was her sacred sword, Orthae Abban. Upon her brow rested the silver and diamond circlet, her holy symbol to her goddess. Szaravel looked the most vulnerable of the group. Her garb consisted of a simple, if finely-tailored, velvet grey robe with gold runes embroidered into the hem, a gold and fluttering sash tied about her waist, and a plain dawn grey cloak. She carried only her staff, a five and a half foot shaft of some dark wood, iron shod on the bottom. The top ended in a bronzed dragon head clutching a three inch diameter crystal sphere within its jaws. The ruby eyes of the dragon sparkled vermilion when they caught any light. "Are we all ready then?" Xune asked, throwing everyone a glance. Each nodded in turn. "Then, I suppose we should be leaving." The Scouts joined hands around the drow, took a deep breath, then cried simultaneously, "Sailor Teleport!" A flash of white light engulfed them all, blinding them into shutting their eyes. When the light disappeared a moment later, they checked their location, caution taking over their movements. They had ended up on the beach of a small island. To the soothing sounds of crashing waves and squawking seagulls, they scanned the horizons for signs of danger, though they needn't have bothered. The only thing they could see was the pair of mountains that jutted up, side by side, in the center of the island. From this distance of a few hundred yards, they could see the entrance of what looked like a canyon or narrow valley between the mountains. Mercury drew out her computer and tapped on it a few times. She frowned and glanced around, then tapped a few more times. "This is strange." "What?" inquired Sailor Moon. "I can't get a fix on the Crystal. It's definitely on the island, somewhere in the center, but there is some sort of interference preventing me from pinpointing the exact location." Szaravel raised her staff, and the crystal ball glowed a pale sickly green. "Yes, there's definitely some magic at work here," she muttered. "Magic that isn't going to be friendly." Chaszmyr slid out his blades. "Well, the faster we get this done with, the faster we can leave. I'll take point and we'll head towards that canyon. Mercury, I'll need you to come with me to make sure we're headed in the right direction. The rest of you, stay no less than fifty paces behind. Xune, I'll let you know what we find as we go." "You're going to keep coming back and forth?" Jupiter asked, unsure of the point in that. Chaszmyr shook his head. "No, the earrings Xune and I wear allow us to communicate to each other mentally." He twisted around and headed off, Mercury in tow. "Kind of like our communicators, but better, huh?" Venus said, nudging Jupiter in the side. The canyon quickly became deep and cloistering. The mountains made for perfect, sheer cliffs on each side, walling them into a passage no more than two or three body lengths wide. In addition, this was no worn down trail of dust and powdered dirt, but rather a carefully cobbled pathway of interlocking pieces of carved stone. "The trail should end in another hundred yards," Mercury whispered, focused on her visor. "There's a large opening into the base of the mountains up ahead, approximately 20 feet wide and 50 feet tall. Definitely intelligently made." Chaszmyr sent the information back to the rest of the group, tightening his grip on Lyonesse and Azariel. His instincts told him this was a dangerous place, and rarely were they wrong. They rounded the last sharp bend in the trail, and stopped, waiting for the rest. The opening, a gate threshold perhaps, gaped before them. Forming the mammoth frame were two twisting and curling statues of huge, detailed serpents. At the top of the gateway, the heads of the statues entwined, both turned out towards the canyon, frowning in warning. Each head was bigger than all the Scouts combined. "There is a welcoming sight, eh Lady Mercury?" Chaszmyr muttered in false bravado. The girl shivered, continuing to scan for danger within the opening. A few minutes later, the rest of the women arrived. "Whoa, there's something you don't see every day," Jupiter said, gazing at the giant serpents. Szaravel, likewise, peered at the statues. "No need to worry. They are merely statues." The Scouts blinked at her comment. "We've run into creatures that pretend to be statues until you're close enough to intrude upon their grounds. They aren't easy foes," she added in ways of an explanation. "Do we have to go in there?" Sailor Moon asked, a slight tremor in her voice. Mercury nodded. "I still can't get a better reading, but I'm positive it's in there." "It looks dark," Venus whispered. "Did anyone remember to bring a light?" Szaravel tapped her staff upon the ground, and the crystal sphere lit up like a blazing torch. "Will this do?" 'I have GOT to get me one of those,' Mars thought to herself, her eyes twinkling in the light, 'or, at the very least, make one of my own.' As a group, they entered the Serpent's Gate. ***** The gate led into a long, vaulted hallway, all finely chiseled stone blocks. In the light of the staff, they could make out the bas-reliefs that lined the passage walls: scenes of destruction and chaos, bloody wars fought between devilish creatures and various demihuman races, mostly elves. Lands formed and lands fell, but there was a constant in the murals that defied the changes in time. In the background of all, a grand serpentine dragon watched, apparently pleased. It was a dragon like none of them had seen, and hopefully never would, for even in the murals, the dragon beckoned their deaths. It was a wingless dragon, yet it soared over Toril, and if the murals were correct, many other worlds as well. It spied, manipulated, played with the mortals as if they were pawns to a game only it knew how to play. It greatly enjoyed the chaos it created. The hallway lasted some several hundred feet, before it opened into a vast chamber of white and black marble. Absolutely empty, except for the pair of double brass doors across the room from them, the party could not detect any danger here. Only the floor demanded interest, for it was made of gold and silver ten by ten foot squares arranged alternatively, similar to a checker board. In fact, there were exactly 64 squares, arranged as eight rows of eight. "Looks like a chess board," Mercury commented, her gaze a bit distant as she concentrated on readouts from her visor, "but there is definitely magical radiation saturated throughout this room, especially the floor. I suggest extreme caution." Venus sidled up to Mercury and giggled. "Thanks. Next thing you know, you're going to wave your arms about and yell 'Danger! Danger!'" Mercury blinked. Twice. Szaravel confirmed Mercury's readings. "The whole room is reacting to my sight. I don't trust this at all. Perhaps we should just teleport ourselves over to the other side?" "Is that safe?" Rei wondered aloud. "There might be a trap or something." "Of course it's a trap," Szaravel sighed, exasperated. "Otherwise, we wouldn't worry about it, don't you think?" Rei fought the nigh overpowering urge to punch her in the jaw. "Alright then, everyone gather around," Sailor Moon said, taking Jupiter's and Mars' hand. The drow stood in the middle of the Scouts' circle, waiting for the flash of light that occurred during the transfer. "Sailor Teleport!" Nothing happened. "I was afraid of that," Szaravel murmured, mostly to herself. Mars growled at her. "What?! What were you afraid of?" "The trap in this room was apparently designed so that you have to cross the floor. I tried to enact a spell that would allow me to fly. It didn't work either." She shrugged nonchalantly. The dark haired sorceress took a step towards the drow woman, her temper getting the better of her. "Would it hurt you to notify us of these things beforehand, or are we too stupid for you to care for?" She clenched her fists, and, unbeknownst to her, Mars' pupils had faded away, leaving only white. Tiny wisps of flames danced over eyes. Taken aback by the unnatural display and surprising fury, Szaravel stumbled back, raising her staff in a warding gesture. Chaszmyr and Xune interposed themselves before the enraged woman, and Sailor Moon and Jupiter each grabbed one of Mars' arms. "Mars, stop. You're overreacting," Jupiter warned in a low tone. Mars whirled on them, her pupilless eyes wide with outrage. "I'm overreacting?!? What would have happened if we tried to teleport and had triggered the trap? We could be DEAD now!" "Lady Mars," Chaszmyr began, "anger will not help-" "The hell it won't!" she screamed back. "I'm sick and tired of that arrogant little twit acting like she's the reason the universe came into being! You're not! There are others to think about here!" At this, Szaravel flushed with her own indignation. Shoving past her guardian parents, she cried, "How dare you-?" Mars burst into a being of living opalescent fire, and though the flames did not injure Moon or Jupiter, they withdrew their holds and jumped back. Chaszmyr and Xune slipped out their blades, wondering what was going on here. For her part, Szaravel felt fear. Here was a being far more powerful than had been expected. The fire child gave Szaravel one cold, hard look, then turned to the room before her and raised her left hand, palm facing up. With what looked like considerable effort, she began closing her hand, ever so slowly. As she did this, translucent winds of cerulean ripped out of the floor, streaking about the room, and eventually, to Mars, who gathered them into her hand as a marble-sized pulsing stone. + When no more energy emerged from the floor, the sorceress closed her hand over the stone. "Quickly now. Get across the room," she commanded, her voice strained in effort. The Scouts and the drow hesitated for only a moment, then ran across the room, Mars stumbling behind. When they all reached the safety of the other side, Mars turned back to the room and threw the stone. At the apex of its flight, the stone exploded silently, and the numerous magical gales settled back into the squares upon the floor. The flames about the dark haired girl died down, and her pupils returned. She leveled a piercing gaze upon Szaravel. "I am sworn to protect Princess Serena. I don't care if you hold your own life in disregard, but if you ever endanger hers or any of ours with your arrogance again, I will personally rip your tongue out so you can never cast another spell again. Do I make myself clear?" Szaravel nodded meekly. = Mars maintained the look a moment longer, then sighed, swaying with fatigue. Venus lent her a supportive arm. No one said a word for an uncomfortable minute or so. Finally, Mercury coughed delicately. "Perhaps we should continue with out quest. The signal for the Crystal is getting stronger," she said in a small crystalline voice. Chaszmyr checked the huge brass doors for locks, but didn't find any. He pressed one of them, and it opened, hissingly, like introducing the world to a long closed crypt. The doorway revealed a similar corridor to the one that had brought them to the marble room, though this one smelled faintly of stale air and dust. Chaszmyr motioned them to follow as he strode forward. Hanging back, Venus helped Mars onward. "You wouldn't really, you know, do that ripping thing, would you?" the blonde Scout asked in a hesitant whisper. Mars sighed softly. "The princess is the most important person in our lives, Venus," she replied enigmatically, then chuckled lightly. "Listen to me. I'm starting to sound like Pluto." Secretly, that scared her more than a little. The hallway turned into a ten foot wide staircase leading downwards. It was fairly obvious no one had been down here for some time, for the stairs were coated in dust, no footprints but their own marring the uniform blanket of fluffy dirt. Random strands and nets of cobwebs arched about, fluttering lazily in the breeze of their passing. The only noise they could hear was the dull clap of Sailor Moon's, Mercury's and Mars' footwear on the wooden stairs. Jupiter and Venus didn't seem to be making too much noise, and the drow were quite adept at silent movement. Try as she might, Mars couldn't hear the dark elves' footsteps. About two-thirds of the way down, there was a sharp crack and shattering of wood, followed by a string of healthy cursing that would have shamed even the hardiest of sailors. The sounds came from the back, and it was Mars who did the cursing. Chaszmyr sprinted up the stairs with Szaravel in tow for light. "What is it?" Venus was inspecting the stairboard Mars had stepped on. Apparently, the latter's foot had broken through a weak point, causing her to stumble. She had managed to catch her balance before twisting her ankle or worse with a fall. "Does it hurt?" the blonde asked, carefully checking the hole that had caught the sorceress' foot. "No, no. It's fine. I'll just pull it-" "No! Wait!" Chaszmyr hissed, having been scanning the aperture himself. His instincts told him this was no normal break, and the glint of metal within told him he was right. "Don't move you foot." "Why? What's wrong?" "See those wooden shards from the board? Well, just behind them, underneath, there are some metal razors. No, you can't quite see them from your angle but trust me. They're facing down at a 45 degree angle, so your foot wouldn't get cut on the way down. Removing it is another matter." Venus called for Szaravel's light and squinted to see. "Oh yeah. I see them know. That's pretty sneaky, but nothing to worry about. We'll just do this nice and slow, okay?" *THUD* A pair of scimitars and a bastard sword flew to hands while Mercury's visor dropped down. *THUD* *THUD* "There's something big coming from the bottom of the stairs!" the blue Scout cried. "Ten feet tall, vaguely humanoid in shape, composed completely of stone and earthen materials!" *THUD* *THUD* At the very edge of the light given off by Szaravel's staff, a faint outline of a giant materialized. It took a step upon the stairs... *THUD* ... and another... *THUD* Craggy in some places, smooth in others, the creature looked like something patched together with a bunch of dirt and rocks, with all the strength imbued in such substances. Great bulging arms and legs exuded with severe power. Huge ham-fists clenched and unclenched methodically. Xune and Chaszmyr took up frontal positions. "An earth elemental!" Xune cried to the others. "Get Mars' foot free as fast as possible! The rest of you better have some of those powers handy!" Three steps brought the elemental another ten feet up, where Chaz and Xune stood stoically. The creature raised its fists to make quick work of the drow, but each leaped nimbly out of the way. Chaszmyr whirled in just as he landed, cutting nicks and gouges where he could, his blades glinting and sparking like a miniature storm. A rumbling roar echoed from the monster as it turned its attention to the painful nuisance. Xune, flanking the monstrosity, raised a hand and shouted, "Eilistraee grant me the power to strike Your enemies!" Four bolts of silvery white light erupted from her outstretched fingers and struck its exposed side, each blast spraying the area with a cloud of earthen debris. Meanwhile, Venus continued to work on removing Mars' foot from the trap while Szaravel held the light, all three of them showing uncommon poise in the face of such an immense danger. Mercury and Jupiter took up positions a few steps above the battling drow, in line with the elemental's head. A few steps above them, Sailor Moon stood, gawking at the awesome size of the creature. "Supreme Thunder!" "Shining Aqua Illusion!" "Moon Tiara Magic!" Another roar of pain escaped the creature as frustration settled into its movements. Too slow to dodge, the three strikes of Scout power slammed into it, faltering its steps and ripping out chunks of stone in its gnarled chest. Chaszmyr continued to hamper and harry it with quick jabs and slashed at its legs and lower torso, amazing dexterity keeping him out of harm's way. He knew that one blow from those rock fists of its would mean a great deal of pain. "Wow!" Jupiter yelled. "For something that big, it sure is slow! A couple more hits and we'll have nothing but a pile of rubble!" The creature raised its great arms in a motion to pound Chaz to the ground, so the drow leapt back out of range. The motion was a ruse, however. As Chaz jumped back, expecting the arms to fall like mallets, Xune took her turn to strike with Orthae Abban. The closer arm came down, then swept back... slamming into Xune with considerable force. At the last minute, Xune managed to parry awkwardly with her sword, but the force of the blow threw her backwards into the air a good distance. She smashed up against the wall of the passage, and in her ears she heard several 'snaps' of breaking ribs. Her eyes felt like they were going to pop out of her head, so much was the pain as she slid down into a crumpled heap. A switch within Chaszmyr's mind clicked, and the muscles in his face clenched into iron. With the speed and strength of adrenaline running through his veins, and the horrifying thought that Xune had been injured, Chaz sprinted to the other wall of the passage, leaped and twisted in the same motion so that his feet landed on said wall, and sprung up and out, scimitars held wide. As he neared the elemental, his blades punched forward, and Lyonesse pierced through a patch of dirt on its right shoulder. Hanging for a moment by his blade, Chaszmyr pulled his feet under him, scrambled onto its arm, and jumped lightly onto its massive head where he locked his legs around its neck. There, he proceeded to pound the creature's head with all the force he could muster behind his enchanted swords. A moment of stunned awe ran through the remaining Scouts, but Mercury snapped out of it quickly. "Jupiter, the arms! We've got to blow them off!" She raised her hands for another attack, as did the green Scout. "Aqua Rhapsody!" "Oak Evolution!" The elemental raised its arms once again, expecting to smash the infernal bug off of its neck. Just as they came down, a hail of leaf-shaped lightning ripped through its left shoulder, blasting away that arm, along with a flurry of icy spear-like beams tearing through its right arm. Chaszmyr screamed something unintelligible and drove both his blades into the head all the way to the hilts. The elemental gaped, then sighed, almost happily. It lost its form, crumbling into a large pile of debris. Chaz jumped out of the way and ran to his beloved, already being ministered by Sailor Moon. "I think... I broke... a few ribs," Xune gasped out feebly, trying to sit up. Chaszmyr gently held her back down. "Shush. You know better than to talk. Now stop trying to move." Sailor Moon blinked back a few tears, catching Xune's attention. "Why are... you crying? It's... nothing to... worry about." "But you're hurt! And I don't have the Silver Imperium Crystal to heal you! We have to get you to a doctor or something!" Xune smiled comfortingly. "Ah, child. You... are very... kind. Watch... and learn of... faith." With that, she closed her eyes and pressed her hands together. "Eilistraee, my Lady of All Things Generous and Kind, please lend me your healing breath so that this devoted follower may continue to strive in your divine footsteps and show the world that there is peace and harmony in all races." As she spoke, her circlet sparkled silver, and then her hands, and then her whole body. With awe, Sailor Moon watched as Xune healed herself of her injuries. As the light faded away, the drow priestess opened her eyes. "Remember, child. This is not your world. Many things work differently. It is faith in ourselves and the gods that provides us with the healing that we require. How can we heal if we have no faith?" Chaszmyr chuckled at Moon's incredulous stare. "Enough preaching, Beloved. They have newly come to our world. Don't give her more to think about than she already has." To the blonde, he said, "Unlike Xune, my faith in the gods is somewhat lacking, for I have seen some of their horrors. Still, I believe in myself, in Xune, and in Szaravel, and for me, that is enough. Now come, we have a Silver Imperium Crystal to retrieve." By the time the combatants had gathered themselves in the aftermath of the battle, Venus had Mars' foot released. "Darn, you could have at least waited for us to finish before blowing it up, you know," she huffed in mock indignation. Chaz bowed low. "My apologies, Lady Venus, Lady Mars. Had I but known you would be offended, I would have asked the elemental to pause in its rampage and join me in a drink or two until you were ready." Many giggles followed, along with a number of fluttering hearts at his eloquence. 'Even Cole can get some pointers from this guy,' Mars thought with a chuckle. They quickly continued on their way after that, though they were especially careful for more traps. With the help of a spell by Szaravel and Chaszmyr's skill at finding such nuisances, they made their way past four more traps. After several hundred yards of hallway, the group found themselves before a simple door of plain wood with a nondescript gold handle. After a careful check for something explosive, acidic, or likewise nasty, Chaszmyr picked the lock and clicked open the door. It opened into a simple room, about twenty feet square, carved out of the mountain. The ceiling was only about ten feet above them, smooth as the rest of the room. The only feature of the chamber seemed to be the exquisitely sculpted fountain in the center. About ten feet in diameter, the fountain was made of some shimmering stone carved into two stone snakes that twined about the sides to form the bowl. The two heads emerged on opposite sides of each other, and each spilled water out of its mouth into the pool. The odd thing about the fountain was the whirlpool that churned within it, down to some dark depth. There were no other exits to the room. Mercury brought her visor down again. "Well, the Crystal is here somewhere. We're practically on top of it. I guess we should spread out and search the room." They did just that, but after half an hour, it was obvious that the Crystal wasn't there. "I thought you said the Crystal was in this room," Jupiter said, sitting on the edge of the fountain. Mercury pinched her face, lost in thought. "If not in here," she mumbled to herself, "that leaves... the whirlpool?" "Well, there's no telling where it is now!" Szaravel cried. "For all we know, that could lead to an underground lake or something. How are we supposed to get there?" Venus shrugged. "The Crystal is most probably down there. One of us can go down there and try to get it. What's so difficult about that?" "Have you ever been in a whirlpool?" "No, but it's not that big." Venus glanced around. "Chaszmyr, can we use that rope you have? You know, tie it around someone's waist and lower her in?" Chaz rummaged in his bag for the rope. "I'll even be the one to go down," he added confidently. Mars shook her head. "That won't be necessary. I will go down. I can prevent myself from drowning with my magic." "And how will you let us know to bring you back up again?" "Didn't you just hear what I said? I'll use my magic." Chaz shook his head. "I'm sure you could, as could Szaravel if she chose, but such use will drain you of strength, if I'm not mistaken. Mars frowned. "Are you saying I'm not strong enough?" "Of course not. I'm just saying that if there is an easier way, why not take it?" Sailor Moon held out a hand to prevent any more arguments from Mars. "What have you got in mind?" "Well," he replied, reaching into his backpack once again, "I just happen to have this," and he pulled out a sapphire blue crystal helm with an open face. Mars smirked. "Very pretty." Chaz smiled deferentially. "Ah, but this is much more than a pretty helm." He clapped it upon his head, barked a short foreign phrase, and suddenly, a clear faceplate magically appeared and sealed off the outside. He began speaking again, but none of them could hear. "He's saying he can then communicate with me through our earrings," Xune said, indicating for Chaz to remove the helm. Mars was fascinated. "Wow! Are there any other little trinkets of enchantment in that little bag of yours?" "Ah, but if I told you, I could not glimpse the expression of surprise upon your beautiful faces," he answered as the faceplate disappeared. Xune used to his flirting, ignored him. Mars blushed furiously. Chaz quickly tied one end of the rope to his waist, and handed the other end to the girls. "Now, I'll tug on the rope when I want to come back up, okay? Just try not to let go." He slipped the helm back on, activated its magic again, and climbed atop the fountain wall. Jupiter, Venus, Xune, Mars and Moon wrapped the rope around their hands and signaled the thumbs' up sign. He turned around, and dove in. The rope unraveled from its pile very quickly, and a few seconds later, the four girls braced themselves as it grew taut. "How's he doing, Xune?" Moon asked. "That was a pretty quick drop." Xune remained silent for a moment, then answered, "He says that he can't see anything because the water is so dark, but he doesn't think it would hurt to let him go. He thinks the water widens out after a few feet." "Is that wise? I can create another longer rope with my magic," Mars said. Xune went silent again, then returned. "No, he's swinging about, and he thinks the water is actually falling into another chamber below this. Not more than a couple hundred feet." "A couple hundred feet!" Moon cried. "We'll die if we fall that far!" "No we won't. It'll just be like falling down a waterfall," Xune replied innocently. Moon looked at her in shock. "You've done that?!?" "Of course. Haven't you?" Moon blanched and shook her head. "Hey, it might be fun," threw in Jupiter. Suddenly, the rope grew slack, throwing the girls back and on the floor. Xune panicked for a moment, then relaxed. "Well, the least he could have done was warn us," she muttered angrily. "What? What happened?" Xune sighed and stood up, brushing herself off. "Chaz cut the rope. Apparently we were taking too long to decide." "Figures," Mars bit back, pulling herself up. "Well, I guess it's our turns." Moon sidled up to the dark-haired sorceress. "Uh, Mars? You wouldn't be willing to, um, you know, teleport us down there or something, would you?" she pleaded forlornly. "Oh, why not? Everyone gather around." Xune, Mercury, and Szaravel moved in closer, while Moon fairly wrapped herself around Mars' waist. Venus and Jupiter looked at each other, and grinned impishly. "If you don't mind, we're going to take the more exciting route," the brunette said, and dove into the pool, Venus right on her heels. They faintly caught the two yelling "Wheeeeeee..." before it faded away in the roar of the water. Mars summoned a globe of shimmering jade about them. It rose in the air, then plunged into the whirlpool, holding back the waters as it descended into the next chamber of their search. To Continue Later...