Serenay Moon
Part 42: Tricks and Traps
©2001 Kitty Ocean
"And more Tempus, I will not tolerate any failure any more! These brats need to be stopped!" Queen BlackHeart sat down on her throne.
"My Queen." Tempus looked at the ground. "Please forgive me. I've underestimated them. They...."
"They will get here and free my prisoner, that is what you mean!" Queen BlackHeart went on and on and Tempus sighed. This was so annoying. Suddenly, he heard a soft giggle. He looked up, how dared someone to giggle at the Queen's presence? But the Queen hadn't noticed it.
Suddenly, there was the giggling again. And the next moment, someone whispered in his ear: "Hiya Uncle... I'm back!"
"You are what?!" Tempus exclaimed.
Queen BlackHeart jumped up. "How dare you raise your voice to me?" She bellowed. "I still have the power to crush you Tempus!"
"My... my Queen, I apologise." Tempus bowed. "I... thought I heard someone familiar."
"So you weren't paying attention?"
"I was... I was!" Oh man, this was going wrong! Suddenly, the Queen of the NightWing threw a key at him. "What...?"
"Use this." She said. "With this you cannot fail."
Tempus bowed humbly. "But, my queen, I work alone."
"Not this time!" She said down. "Now go and leave me."
"But..."
"No buts, understood?" She yelled. "Leave!"
Tempus left growling, clenching the key in his fist. Queen BlackHeart sighed. "If he fails this time, they might get here before the link is broken." She whispered.
"Mom?" Queen BlackHeart looked up and saw her beautiful daughter.
"Vena, my sweet, what is wrong?"
Princess Vena sat down next to her mother. "Why did you gave Tempus a key? What does it seal?"
Queen BlackHeart smiled. "It's the key to those kids' doom."
In the mean while, Zach, Kitt, Mika, Moka and Derak left the forest. "Look at those dark clouds." Mika noticed. "I think it will rain."
At that moment, it started pouring. "Great Mika." Zach whined. "You just had to say that, didn't you?"
"What are we standing here?" Moka said. "Let's look for shelter!"
"Look, a building!" Derak pointed. "Maybe...." But the rest was already gone. "Hey, wait up!"
Tempus sat at his own throne and looked at the key. "She didn't trust you, did she?" Someone said giggling. "Poor Uncle Tempus."
"Shut up!" Tempus yelled. "Why did you came back anyway?" He looked at the faces of his servants, who looked if their boss was going crazy! He was talking to thin air!
"They can't see me." She giggled. "Only my enemies can see me. And since you killed me...." Courage leaned on his shoulder. "Oh man, the afterlife is soooo boring!"
"Go and hunt someone else." Tempus growled. "I don't have any time. I have to think."
Courage rolled over. "That never was your strong point anyway huh?" She laughed.
"Stop it!" The servants stopped. "Not you!"
Courage couldn't handle it anymore and burst out into laughter. "What are you going to do? Kill me?"
In the mean while Zach and his friends reached the dark house. "It looks abandoned." Kitt said.
"Then we can go in without invitation." Zach opened the door. "Hello? Anybody here?" He walked further. "Guess it's really abandoned."
All walked in and tried to dry themselves a bit. "Man, I'm hungry." Moka sighed. "Kitt, could you...?" Suddenly someone kicked him over! "Derak!" He yelled. "Why did you do that?"
"What did I do?" Then Derak got kicked too and Derak slammed to the ground.
Zach looked around. "What's happening?" He asked, but then HE got kicked also!
Kitt and Mika looked around. "What? Huh? Who?" Both exclaimed. Then Kitt saw something black coming and she grabbed. "It's yours Mika!" She smiled and released it. Then Mika kicked the black creature as hard as she could.
"Auch!" They heard when the creature stood up. Zach took his flashlight and shone at it. It was a young girl with bright red hair, tied in one long braid.
"Who are you?" Zach asked and came closer, when suddenly he received another kick! Kitt caught the flashlight. "I've had it!" He growled.
Kitt shone with the flashlight and saw suddenly another girl! She had yellow curly hair. "Who are you?" Kitt asked.
"The NightWing will never invade our house!" The older girl said with a determent face.
Mika had found a switch and turned on the light. "But we aren't from the NightWing, we are against them too!"
Derak tried to recover from the kicks he had gotten. "Yeah, we also met rebels and I got this flute from them." He showed the flute. "We are good people."
The older girl let her guard down. "Really? But... then.... Oops!" She became red. "Sorry!"
"It's okay." Moka smiled when he helped Zach up. "Don't worry."
A few minutes later, Zach and his friends were in the dinner room and waited for the dinner the girls had promised them in exchange for attacking them. "I wonder what it will be." Zach thought. "Maybe it will be noodles, or beef, or.... Or...."
"Or snails." Mika shivered. "Oh man, this will be horrible."
Then the 2 girls came back. The oldest with yellow hair showed dinner. "Dinner is here! Roots from the Yako-tree. Very tasty!"
Slowly Zach took a piece and a small bite. "Hey, this actually tastes good!" Then all started eating. "You know." Zach started. "You never told us your names."
"I'm Ariës." The yellow haired girl said. "And that's my baby sister Reia."
"I'm not a baby." Reia growled.
Moka ate like his life depended on it. "Do you live here all by yourself?"
Ariës nodded. "Yeah, mom and dad died when Reia was still young and we decided to stay here. We are actually acrobats in a circus, but the circus was going to perform for Queen BlackHeart and we didn't want to go. We are staying here until they come back."
"Why didn't you go along?" Zach asked.
"We have our reasons." Reia sighed.
Derak smiled. "You know, my grandfather was in the circus too! He was a magician and he thought me some tricks. Wanna see some?"
"Oh please, have mercy." Kitt sighed.
Ariës smiled. "I'll get something to drink." She stood up and walked away.
In the kitchen, a shadow suddenly appeared. "You know what to do...." Tempus said.
"I don't want too." Ariës said angry.
Tempus showed the key he had gotten. "If you don't do it, you know what happens to him, don't you?"
Ariës nodded. "But you have to give him back after this is over! You promised."
"Yeah, yeah, buzz off you!" Ariës looked at Tempus. "Just an annoying fly." He growled and turned around. "I told you to shut up!"
"Totally crazy." Ariës sighed. "But, if this will bring Kaim back...." She walked back to the dinner room and looked at Reia with a sad face. Reia now knew what the plan was.
Tempus waited on his throne until a servant would bring the message. Courage sat on the top of his throne polishing her nails. "You know, I never had time for this. And by the way, Ryu forgives you. He's such a softy. And Aletheia said she would wait for you. All those boring dead people! I was bored to death there!" She yapped on and on and Tempus thought to himself where he had deserved such faith. He was only a poor villain!
Suddenly, a servant came in and bowed.
"Finally!" Tempus jumped up and ran away.
Courage jumped up too. "Hey, wait for me! I haven't driven you crazy enough! I planned to stay until you defeated those brats!"
Ariës stood firm and looked at Tempus. "Where are they?" He eagerly asked.
"First Kaim." Ariës only said.
"Where are they?"
"First Kaim..."
"I could crush you if I wanted."
"First Kaim."
"Okay, okay, have it your way." Magically a little boy appeared. "Sister love, yuck!" The young boy ran at Ariës and Reia. Courage yawned.
"Let's get on with the show." She sighed. "You are boring me."
"Shut up!" Tempus yelled.
Reia folded her arms. "We didn't say anything."
Angry, Tempus exclaimed. "Where are they?!" Reia and Ariës removed a curtain and Tempus saw Zach and his friends lying on the table, fast asleep. "Finally!" He sighed. "The sleeping potion worked. I've finally defeated them!" Tempus cheered.
"That was fast." Courage said disappointed. "Man, what do I have to do now?"
"Leave me, because you promised that!" Tempus cheered and gathered energy. "Thunder Slam!" He yelled and thunder blasted to Zach and his friends.
But instead of hitting them, a mirror blasted into shards. "What the? What the?" Tempus was astounded.
"Haha! I knew they weren't that stupid!" Courage laughed. "Where are they? Where? Where?"
Tempus looked around. "Don't look further." He they heard. "Ariës, Reia, leave this to us." Ariës and Reia obeyed and took little Kaim away.
"Only a coward uses hostages." Derak folded his arms. "And especially little boys."
"You meanie!" Mika yelled.
"Oh yeah, oh yeah, party!" Courage celebrated.
Tempus tried to smack her. "Get out of here!"
"What are you doing?" Kitt asked.
Courage smiled. "They can't see me... yet."
"Then why don't you go and help me?" Tempus ordered.
Courage sat down. "You never gave me a second chance... Good luck!"
"He's insane!" Zach whispered.
"All that thunder went straight to his head." Kitt added.
Tempus went madder and madder. "I'll get you guys! Lightning Blast!"
"Pineapple Canon!" Derak yelled and small green balls went right to Tempus and stopped his attack.
"Well done Derak!" Zach smiled.
Tempus sweated of anger. "Electric Cage!"
Derak suddenly got a rose: "Gaia's Rose!" He yelled. The rose planted itself for Tempus. Then suddenly vines snapped out of the ground and trapped Tempus so he couldn't attack. It also started to drain him.
"You are winning Derak!" Kitt and Mika cheered.
Zach and Moka cheered also for Derak. "I'm glad he's on our side." Moka smiled.
Zach suddenly realised it. "Only a few months ago we were sworn enemies... and now... we are best friends... I never would have thought that..."
"No one knew what to expect." Moka answered. "Look, Derak must have really practised without us knowing it! He shows another attack!"
"A third?" Zach, Kitt, Mika and Moka were astounded.
"Green Leaf Kick!" Derak jumped up and then made a sliding with his foot before him. It was if he was pushing forth a green ball and when he stopped, the green ball got released from his foot and blasted to Tempus.
But before it would hit Tempus, Tempus gathered all his energy and suddenly vanished. Instead of hitting Tempus, it hit the wall and blasted an enormous hole in it!
Tempus stormed in his room. "It failed!" He growled. "How could that happen?"
At that moment Courage appeared. "Man, you were gone quickly! Oh man, I can't wait till our little Queenie finds out!"
"Tempus?"
Tempus looked up and the Queen stepped in his room. "You failed me... again...." Tempus bowed but when he looked up again, he saw that Courage was doing all kind of funny faces and things behind the Queen! "Now those acrobats are no longer in my power. And they are powerful rebels... I won't pay you tonight."
"But, my Queen." Tempus tried. Oh man, Courage was laughing herself to death.
"Oh man, look how he's sliming!" She laughed. "Stop it, you are killing me!"
"If only...." Tempus growled.
The day had cleared up. Ariës shook Zach's hand. "Thank you so much for rescuing our brother." She said. "If Reia hadn't decided to tell you about Tempus... then...."
"Don't worry!" Mika smiled. "That didn't happen so don't worry about that."
"She's right." Kitt added. "And don't thank us, thank Derak!"
Moka nodded. "Yeah, he was the one who decided to use the mirror-trick."
"And he showed today 3 awesome new attacks!" Zach patted him on the back. "What exactly happened?"
Derak chuckled. "Nothing much. I know Pineapple Canon for a while now, but never used it because it sounds so stupid."
"I agree with that." Kitt replied and Zach smacked her upside the head. Reia giggled.
"Gaia's Rose sounds stupid too, but is very handy." Derak continued. "It drains the enemies powers which I release in my Green Leaf Kick. The more powerful the enemy, the more powerful the attack!"
"Well, for those attacks you surely deserve a kiss!" Mika gave him a peck on the cheek.
"Hey!" Moka exclaimed.
Kitt saw how Moka reacted. Why not have some fun? "You know, Mika is right. Well done Derak." And she also gave him a small kiss.
Derak was in 7th heaven; Moka and Zach were annoyed. "We also did good stuff!" They growled.
Ariës and Reia giggled. "We'd better leave now." Ariës said. "We are going to look for the DayWing Rebels and join them. Be careful!"
"We will." Zach said back. "You just be careful too."
Both went their own ways. Ariës and her sibling were heading to the far away desert were Derak got his flute and Zach and his friends went on to the NightWing Castle... which came closer with each step they took.
End of episode 42