Dark Kingdom Renegades : Titanite's Bogus Journey
by Mark Latus

Part 1 : Departures
 
     Margrave studied herself in the mirror and nodded.  Yes, this would do
fine.  Perhaps the skirt was slit a bit too far for a business lunch but she
didn't think she'd hear any complaints.  She was dressed to kill.  In the 
human sense of the phrase as she wouldn't want to ruin this outfit with blood.
A final touch remained.  She concentrated momentarily and the face in the 
mirror shifted.  The catlike face and white fur vanished to be replaced by a
stunning women with long flowing white hair.  The way she imagined she'd have
looked if she'd been born human.  There was one last change to make.  While 
her legs looked gorgeous (as always) they also looked bare.  That wouldn't do.  
It would be simpler to wear stockings but she'd quickly learned that they 
snagged on fur which was a real irritation.  Clothing was difficult to create 
illusions for because you had to animate it in a way that never happened when 
you overlaid a glamour on your body.  There the glamour flowed smoothly as 
long as it was only skin deep.  Fortunately skintight clothing was another 
matter.  A minor effort and her legs' pigmentation shifted to create the 
illusion of black stockings.  Perfect.  Of course.  
     Satisfied she carefully sat down on the bed not wanting to wrinkle her 
clothes.  About the only use she had for it.  Though she'd been given this 
room after her arrival it was a place to store clothes and change rather than 
spend her time.  For beds she used Calcite's or found other accomodations for 
the night.  Or afternoon, or morning, or whenever the urge struck.  Calcite's  
remained her favorite and was the only one she actually slept in.  Dozing off
outside this house ran the risk of a glamour collapse and stories about 
catwomen circulating could be very unhealthy.  There was a group out there 
whose attention she had no desire to attract. 
     From downstairs she heard Calcite and Pyrite's voices filter up.  It 
sounded like the move was on.  Praise Metallia ... no wait it's dead.  Praise
whoever was in charge of giving her all these lucky breaks.  No more Azurite 
hanging around the place.  Stuck up bitch!  No more practical jokes either 
which was the downside unfortunately.  Ah well you can't have everything,
where would you put it?
     While Margrave chuckled over the Stephen Wright joke Pyrite and Calcite
talked on.  Azurite nodded to herself.  They were discussing financing the
new house rent out of the Renegades hidden cash reserves without exposing 
their existence to the taxation authorities.  Pyrite was worrying about 
cutting into the principle while Calcite reassured him that it wasn't going to 
damage group finances.  They'd be a while which gave her the perfect 
opportunity to have that little talk with Margrave she'd been promising 
herself.  Putting down her magazine she glided silently up the stairs.  A 
minor shift to the local air currents kept her scent from carrying.  Engrossed 
in her latest favorite show Titanite remained entranced by the television and 
didn't look up.    
     Margrave's gaze flicked towards the door in time to see Azurite arrive.     
She shouldn't have been able to get that close.  Or rather Margrave would feel
a lot better if Azurite couldn't get that close before she noticed.  Fact was,
while she'd joke about Azurite being loud and clumsy that was bullshit.  The
other woman lacked her feline grace but was fast, quiet and possessed a 
phenomenal sense of balance.  You have to be damn good to fight a running
battle while wearing four inch heels.  She was also lethal when she had to be,
a combination which would have made her an excellent ninja.  Luckily the
profession was extinct and Azurite didn't go looking for trouble.  But when
it came looking for her she was always ready.  
     Margrave studied her visitor warily, what did she want?  Azurite had 
always been somewhat mysterious to her.  Back in the Dark Kingdom she'd got 
worried after smelling Azurite's phermones and realizing she wanted Calcite.  
When a more powerful youma became a rival you had three choices; strike first, 
run or die.  She'd quickly realized that surprising Azurite was unlikely but 
was too stubborn to take the second option.  Things had been further confused 
by Azurite's interest in Pyrite, the scent was subtly different, and her 
restraint in acting against Margrave.  After a nerve wracking few weeks she'd 
realized that, for whatever reason, Azurite wasn't going to challenge her 
over him or arrange an accident.  Say a sudden gust of wind when Margrave was 
near a cliff edge.  She hadn't understood why but had taken full advantage of 
the fact.  The recent discovery that Azurite and the others were Renegades 
explained a lot.  To an extent.  Dark Kingdom lore held that Renegades were 
cowards and weaklings.  Neither Azurite and Calcite qualified as that.  Pyrite 
lacked physical power but had demonstrated his own courage on several 
occasions.  If Titanite had a failing it was recklessness and lack of 
judgement rather than cowardice.  Experience would provide restraint, if she 
survived long enough to learn.  Ti was maturing but she still had a long way 
to go.  At any rate with the security this discovery gave her and Calcite's
pledge of protection provided she left humanity alone Margrave had felt 
safe in needling Azurite.  A security that had grown when Azurite defended
her, against all logic, from those new Senshi.  Yet deep inside a few traces  
of her old uncertainty remained.  Traces that were making themselves felt 
by inducing sweat on her paws and a dry throat.
     Azurite broke the silence.  "Nice dress."  A neutral comment to start.
The black and white contrast was quite striking.
     "Uh yes ... I picked it up at that boutique in Shinjuku."
     "The one we wrecked?"
     "The one you wrecked!"  Azurite raised an eyebrow but didn't dispute 
this.  "Yes well, Calcite figures we should throw some business their way
after the trouble you caused.  Bit of an overreaction, after all they had
insurance.  Anyway this caught my eye." 
     "A little flashy for this early in the day."
     "Look he asked me to come along while he talks to this client and look
decorative.  As he asked rather than ordered I agreed."
     Azurite's voice was noncommital.  "He should have hired an escort.  Less 
risk of screw ups."
     Margrave's temper rose.  "Contrary to what you think I do have some self
control!"  This was delivered in a hiss.  Azurite looked about to reply then
sighed.  She tried again in a calm tone.
     "This is getting me sidetracked, it's not why I came to see you."
     Margrave sniffed.  "The odds of the two of us managing a civil 
conversation are pretty remote.  Besides you took some effort to arrive  
unnoticed which doesn't exactly inspire confidence."
     "I just want to have an undisturbed little talk with you on a few serious 
matters."  Azurite stepped inside and closed the door.  The soundproofing 
would keep their voices from carrying.  Margrave tried to piece it together.
This must be connected to the move somehow.  Something she wanted to say 
before leaving.  It was unlikely to be a fond farewell.  A few parting 
insults?  No, they did those publicly all the time.  So what was it all about?  
Azurite finished marshalling her thoughts and began.
     "Margrave, we aren't friends now and that's never going to ever change
however much Ti wants it to."  Margrave nodded, fact was they were both 
comfortable with their mutual antagonism.  "I'll concede that you're unlikely
to cause major trouble.  I thought you would but I've observed you closely
enough to know you've got a firm commitment to survival and realize you're
hopelessly outmatched."  That elicted a snarl, while Margrave couldn't deny
the facts she didn't welcome them.  "The real problem is Titanite."
     "Titanite?"  What was wrong with her.  She'd into human society easier 
than any of them.  So much less to unlearn.
     "Ti likes you.  I'm not too comfortable with that but that's her choice. 
All I can hope is that she'll grow out of it as she gets to know you better.
The real problem is that she trusts you, and I definitely don't like that."
     "That's her choice."
     "Unfortunately true.  The problem she doesn't know just how untrustworthy
and treacherous you really are."
     Margrave bit back the smart remark she'd been about to make.  Azurite
looked very cold right now.  While her Kingdom rep hadn't been as bad as
Calcite's she'd carved out her own ice bitch act through her actions.  Nobody
trifled with her if they could avoid it.  This would be a very good time to 
remember that.  Azurite continued.
     "Titanite's important to me.  She's both the little sister I never had 
and the carefree girl I wanted to be.  I don't want you spoiling that.  So
if you start getting her to follow your own warped path then I am going to
eliminate you.  Even if that means alienating my fellow Renegades.   Is that
quite clear."
     Margrave nodded slowly.  "Yes, your threat is quite clear."
     "It's not a threat.  Threat implies some ambiguity about carrying it out.
There is none.  I will do this if necessary.  This is a statement."
     "I believe you."  What else could she say?  Admitting she liked Ti the 
way she was would be an unyoumalike statement.  As the last true member of her 

race she had standards to uphold before the others.  With one exception.  She 
didn't understand why but that was how she felt.  Besides Azurite would never 
believe her.  Safest to make her think she'd scared Margrave into compliance.  
Azurite looked and smelled dead serious, Margrave wasn't planning to see if 
she was bluffing.  So now she knew of two things that would push Azurite past 
the point of no return.  Corrupting Titanite and seducing Pyrite.  Good thing 
she hadn't intended to do either.
     Azurite watched her for closely then nodded fractionally.  "I think 
that's I needed to say."
     "I hope so."
     With that said Azurite shook her head and asked semi rhetorically,
"Titanite's just too young to know any better.  Why does Calcite put up with 
you?"  She wasn't really expecting an answer.
     The catwoman shrugged nonchalantly.  "He could have done a lot worse.
I was hardly his first."
     "So what was he to you, your hundredth?"
     "I wasn't quite that popular back in the Kingdom.  There are reasons 
beyond our old association that make a lot of sense.  But after your little 
announcement I don't feel like sharing confidences with you.  Figure it out 
for yourself."
     Azurite nodded and opened the door.  To find Titanite standing outside
about to hammer on the door.  "Uhm ... I was looking for both of you but I
only expected to find Margrave in here.  The guys are done talking and ready 
to get going."  Azurite and Pyrite were visiting the owners of their new 
accomodations.  A few final formalities and some socializing remained.  So  
that the family they were renting from would be assured they weren't planning
to wreck or westernise the place.  Also so they could get entertained at the
renter's expense.  No shortage of formalities in this country.  But as the 
Otonashi's seemed like nice folks they didn't object.  For some reason 
Titanite found the landlord's name amusing.  Must be some otaku thing.
     "So what were you two talking about?"
     "CLOTHES!"  
     "Uh huh."  If they hadn't glared at each other before speaking in unison
she might have bought it.  She decided to hope they were making a first step
towards getting along and not inquire further.  Why risk disappointment?
     "I'd better get going.  See you later Ti."
     Azurite headed out and Margrave muttered, "I hope everything works out
for them."
     "Really?"  That was the first nice thing Titanite could recall her saying
about Azurite.
     "Absolutely.  If it does then she's out of here!"  Titanite sighed but 
forbode to comment.  She really should have known better.  Well maybe putting
some distance between them would improve matters.
     "It must be pretty near a done deal.  Most of their stuff is already
packed."  In what appeared to be cardboard boxes but were, as Margrave could
testify, made of camouflaged lightweight paperthin crystal sheets.  Impossible 
to pry open, having genetically coded locks, and capable of chipping a claw if 
you accidentally tripped then instinctively lashed out (which should have cut
the sodding things open) on your way down.  Not that she cared or was at all
curious what was in them, of course.  She just wanted to make sure Azurite 
wouldn't be walking off with some unspecified possession of hers.
     "Guess I should head downstairs.  Shouldn't keep your brother waiting.
Looks like it's just you here today.  Or are you heading out with friends?"
     "No such luck.  I've got a pile of homework to get through."
     "Ah yes the good old human education system.  Kingdom methods were a lot 
faster.  Direct implantation of basic knowledge then learn whatever seemed
useful to you."
     "Big brother mentioned something about 10% getting their frontal lobes
burned out."
     "I'm not saying it was perfect."  None of Beryl's "tutors" ever mentioned 
that until the telepathic transmitter was pressed to the child's forehead.  
This enabled them to savour the moment of pure terror without fear of 
escapees.  That fear had a one in ten chance of being the last thing you ever 
felt.  If you survived you were fairly useless the next few weeks as you tried 
to sort through the pile of randomly organized data they'd fired into your 
brain.  This is probably why most youma took a dim view of learning and didn't
try to teach themselves afterwards.
     "I don't think it's going to catch on around here anytime soon."
     "I suppose not."  Margrave finished checking her dress for wrinkles.  
"How do I look."
     "Beautiful."
     "Naturally.  At least as naturally as it can be when you're using a
glamour."  Margrave regarded her critically.  "A few more years seasoning
and you'll be drawing attention away from me."
     Titanite flushed.  "Don't be ridiculous."
     "Seriously once you shed that gawky adolescent look you've got you'll be
a real heart breaker."  She grinned.  "After all you've already got one 
admirer."
     Titanite's flush increased, she had only herself to blame for that mess.
A few months earlier she had needed to see a few old laserdiscs so she'd 
charmed them out of her school's ultimate otaku.  Toji Kimua fit all the 
stereotypes of fandom ; overweight, painfully shy, socially maladroit and 
not in the habit of bathing frequently enough.  Titanite had underestimated
the effect of her visit on him.  This had evidently been the first time a
female of his own age group had ever acted nicely towards him.  He'd 
overreacted and decided he now had a girlfriend.  He seemed oblivious to hints
and Ti didn't want to publicly humiliate him so she was stuck with him hanging
around.  It might be an anime tradition that the attractive outsider always
falls for the geekiest guy in school but Ti felt you had to draw the line 
somewhere.  Only her guilt feelings over just using him to get hold of the
BGC discs and background info kept her from telling him to get lost.  Margrave
had offered to seduce him, thereby giving him a new obsession, but Titanite
didn't feel right about that either.
     Margrave paused at the door.  "By the way you mentioned some new boy you
were interested in?"
     "Yeah.  Actually I'm thinking about doing something about him today."
     "That's the spirit."  Margrave winked.  "Have fun and don't do anything
I wouldn't do."
     "Do I really want to ask what qualifies under that?"
     "No.  I don't think you do.  Bye."
     "I'll see you later."
     After a moments thought she headed for the stairwell to call goodbye to 
her brother and her ...well honorary older sister.  Which was also how she  
thought of Azurite.  Although in different ways.  Azurite was the type to
use as a role model while Margrave was more like the black sheep of the family 
who rode with bikers.  A bad girl type, always fun to watch but not to 
emulate.  At any rate everyone else was out of the house and gone for hours.  
Today was the perfect day and she was ready.  So why was she suddenly feeling
so edgy.
     The impulse to head directly for the lab was almost overpowering.  She
forced herself to march to her room.  She'd spend an hour working on her 
homework then get to work on her own project.  Just in case anyone suddenly
came back for anything they'd forgotten.  She had enough self control to wait.
     Thirty nerve wracking minutes later she was creeping through the empty 
house starting at every noise.  The lab door opened without any trouble.  The 
security system was programmed to recognise and admit all of the Renegades.  
Margrave's suggestion that she be programmed in had been politely ignored.  
Or, in Azurite's case, loudly rejected.  
     Pyrite had already packed most of his equipment for transport so what
she was looking for was out of the safe.  They should be ready for easy 
access, perhaps the first box?  Jackpot!
     To casual inspection the device appeared to be a tricorder as seen on
Star Trek (orignal series model).  The shell concealed the intricate magick
empowered crystalline heart of the machine.  It was, quite simply, a key.
A key to a very special gateway.
     Shortly before becoming reacquainted with Margrave the Renegades had
discovered that their hasty exit from the Dark Kingdom had caused a tear in
the integrity of this continuum.  They had accidently created a weak spot
between this plane of reality and others.  Initially this had seemed the 
solution to their worries about the Senshi.  If they could find a counterpart
to the synchronistic zone which enabled them to survive in Tokyo they could
emigrate to a world without Senshi.  Which seemed a great idea to everyone
except Titanite.  There were only two drawbacks.  The first was unconfirmed
but it appeared parallel worlds operated by slightly different laws of 
physics.  So each world encountered had its own character.  There was some
evidence that entry from an outsider into a new continuum lead to the 
outsider being absorbed into the dimension's pattern.  In short you'd change
to fit your new home.  If there'd be any resemblance between the original and
new version of yourself was questionable.
     The second problem was more serious.  To date all the alternate worlds
they'd probed had shown a resemblence to anime series.  Perhaps just some
bizarre coincidence (given an infinite number of dimensions everything has
to happen somewhere) or cross dimensional contamination (psychic leakage from
an alternate universe impinged onto a receptive consciousness, now we now
where they get their crazy ideas) or some other reason they hadn't come up
with yet.  Whatever the cause the resemblance of other dimensions to anime 
couldn't be denied.  Hence the problem.
     There is quite a bit of apocalyptic anime.  You wouldn't want to find a 
world being invaded by aliens/demons/cute bigeared elves and then have them 
follow you back to your own world.  Imperfect as this one was it was all they 
had.
     Following their last two experiences Calcite and Azurite had shelved the 
project.  From their descriptions Titanite had identified the first as 
resembling "Wicked City".  The second was currently unknown.  They'd described
a Tokyo under seige by a variety of monsters who'd been concentrating on 
hunting a clumsy teenage girl with a habit of exposing very garish underwear.
The aforementioned teenager kept being hauled out of danger by a green 
blooded, snake eyed fellow with organic blades in his forearms.  Titanite 
hadn't been able to find a match for it yet.  Perhaps that series wasn't on 
the air yet.  At any rate dimensional travel seemed more trouble than it was 
worth.  They retained the keys as an emergency escape device should the Senshi 
decide the only good youma was a dead youma.  Beyond that they served no 
purpose.
     Titanite hadn't been on any of the cross dimensional expeditions and had  
had to sneak into the BGC world.  Perhaps if she had been included she 
wouldn't be doing this.  She turned the device over thinking if she wanted to      
go through with this.  On reflection it wasn't so much a crush as curiosity.
If anime series could be found in parallel worlds then it followed that the
Ranma 1/2 series was out there somewhere.  The title character fascinated her.  
With so many girls falling for him he must be really special.  Or, she 
conceded, that all the girls in that version of Nerima were mentally deficent.  
It was possible to interpret events as illustrated either way.  The only way
to know for sure was to go and see.  Unfortunately she didn't know where to
find it.  So the only solution was to hop from world to world until she found
it.  She didn't think it was nearly as risky as the others believed.  They
tended to be overly cautious and pessimistic in her humble opinion.  A result 
of their upbringing
    She checked her notebook.  The keys were supposed to be programmed to
not return to any of the worlds visited to date.  Still she'd avoid punching 
in the codes she'd copied down just in case.  She wasn't totally reckless.  
Which was why she withdrew what appeared to a small scale model of the 
starship Enterprise and a copy first ST series communicator.  Pyrite's own 
fannish interests tended to manifest themselves in his equipment disguises.  
Folks would take her for a Trekkie, at least if they saw this junk.  She 
didn't normally carry a large handbag so she'd picked up this cheap plastic 
one a few days ago.  There was one last precaution to take.  A quick trip to 
her brother's room and the deed was done.
     She headed out the door and straight for the bus stop.  It'd be a lot 
quicker to teleport but she still had some problems with warp sickness.  Her 
trip to MegaTokyo had taught her interdimensional travel was a lot easier to
handle.  Besides it would be best not to waste power needlessly.  Just in 
case.  Funny she'd thought of that.  All the training must be paying off.
     Almost an hour later she'd arrived in the right park.  How long this   
green space would endure in this sea of concrete was anybody's guess.  One
thing you had to give the Dark Kingdom was they'd had greater respect for 
their environment.  Perhaps because it had been so hazardous and sealed in
they knew they'd have to live in whatever mess they created.  Perhaps
because they'd never developed industrial civilization and massive population
growth.  Funny to think humans might have been able to learn something from
youma.  
     The place wasn't very crowded with the weather turning colder.  Colder
by local standards anyway.  She seemed to be the only unattached one in the
place.  Everyone else was walking in twosomes using the temperature as an 
excuse to huddle together.  It gave her a funny feeling to watch all the
couples.  Well she'd worry about that another day.  The place she stopped at 
didn't seem in anyway remarkable but she'd never forget it.  This was the 
first place on earth she'd been.  It was also the sight of the serendipitous
reality fracture.  Obscurely proud that she knew what serendipitous meant Ti
fumbled in the bag and activated the key.  She'd punched in a sequence at
random before she left the house.  As good a method of getting started as any.
     A small gateway opened, visible only if you knew just how to look.  No 
one was in sight so she tossed the Trek model through the gate then loitered 
aimlessly for the next ten minutes.  A flicker of motion caught her eye and 
she snatched the Enterprise out of the air.  As casually as possible she 
reached into the bag and slotted the probe into the space on top of the faux 
tricorder.  The device downloaded the data and gave its answer.  
     Optimum conditions for youma.  She could thrive in the world next world
as easily as here.  At least within the twenty kilometre radius of the gate
entry point.  Something nagged at her momentarily then was gone.  She'd
taken all the precautions she could.  Time to get going.  She expanded the 
gate and waited a moment for a couple to walk past.  Odd, the one with the 
blue tinted hair was obviously a girl but she couldn't decide if the blonde
was male or female.  As soon as they were gone she stepped forward and 
vanished.  After a few moments the gate dwindled to standby mode.
     It was getting towards evening when Calcite and Margrave returned home.
Both were in a fairly relaxed mood and Margrave was feeling a familiar itch.
The house seemed dead quiet.
     "Ti?"
     "Waste of time, her latest scent's a few hours old."  Maybe she'd after 
the boy she'd mentioned the other day.  About time, by Kingdom standards she
was way behind schedule.
     Calcite loosened his tie, "Everything went smoothly."
     "Of course it did.  With him drooling over me you could have got him to
agree to anything.  But who can blame him for that?"  Humility was just a word
in a dictionary to Margrave.  There was something else she'd been meaning to
ask.  "Not that I mind but I still don't understand why you bother working.
I know we need to make money as we'd be squeezed if we just lived on those
reserves but you don't need a job.  All you have to do is go into any bank,
make eye contact with the president and zap!  He'll give you anything you want
then happily agree to forget meeting you and coverup all traces of the loss."
     "Let me ask you this.  Would you feel secure if I felt free to implant
thoughts in the minds of anyone I chose.  So you'd never know if you were
thinking for yourself or following orders I'd programmed in?"
     That was a very good point.  She was already uncertain enough about her
mind these days.  There seemed to be increasing changes in her behaviour.
"I think I'll just be thankful for Renegade scruples and let this drop."
Take Titanite, she'd once thought of the kid as cute and amusing.  Rather like
a pet.  Now?  Now she was ... what?  A friend?  Ridiculous, only Renegades
made friends.  Pyrite had checked, she was 100% normal youma.  So what was
happening to her?
     Calcite had noticed the answering machine blinking.  Azurite's voice
rolled out.  "Looks like we've got ourselves a home.  I've run into some
friends so we're celebrating the news.  Don't expect us back until much later.
Bye.  Oh a word of advice, put the cat out."  Very faintly, "Down would be  
better."
     Margrave supressed a snarl then purred, "Just you and me then."
     "For the time being."
     "Seize the moment I always say."  The predatory look vanished.  "But
first I'd better ditch this outfit.  Don't want it getting torn."  She 
disappeared upstairs.
     Calcite was mildly surprised.  It seemed she was getting a bit more 
propriety about her material possessions.  Not long ago she'd have torn it off
and jumped him if she'd felt the urge.  She wouldn't feel the same way about
his clothes and he didn't want to waste this suit so he'd better hang it up.
He shut off his glamour and headed upstairs.
     As he entered his bedroom he saw the envelope sitting on the bed.  It
was addressed to him in Titanite's hand.  Must be her whereabouts.  He opened
the letter and began to read.
     Margrave had dropped her glamour and was carefully hanging her clothes
(making a note about drycleaning) when she heard Calcite swear.  He wasn't
one for overeacting which meant something had just gone very wrong.  She 
dashed down the hall.
     "What's wrong?"  Most men (and women) would be startled by the sudden
arrival of a catwoman in lady fatal black lingerie.  This wasn't that unusual
for Calcite so instead of staring he said, "My boneheaded sister seems to have
done it again!"  His tone was a mix of anger and worry.  "Take a look at 
this!"  Margrave took the proffered note and read out loud.
     "Dear big brother, if you're reading this then I didn't get back in time
to destroy it so I guess something's gone wrong.  I've been thinking about 
this for a while and I've decided to borrow one of the dimensional keys.
There's a boy I'm interested in meeting but he's only a fictional character
in this world.  Course so were the Knight Sabers and we met them."  Margrave
had a sudden sinking feeling.  She'd told Ti to go after whoever it was.
"Uhhh ... So I've decided to go have a look for myself.  I don't know if I can
find his world so I'll try opening a few random doors and see how this works.
The coordinates for my first gate are down bottom.  If I find the right 
world I'm not planning a long stay.  I'll just log the world then head back
when I have more time.  If all goes well I'll be back between 3 and 4 pm.  
Of course if you're reading this then I'm not back yet.  Or you're back early. 
Either way I'm in trouble."
     "That's an understatement."
     "...So I'd appreciate a rescue.  Thanks a lot, Ti.   PS Don't worry I'm 
not dumb enough to jump into another dimension without checking if it's 
habitable first."  Margrave gave a low whistle.  "She's really done it this
time, huh?"
     "Ti all the worlds we visited were habitable.  It was the inhabitants
that were the problem."  Calcite looked unhappy.  "First I'm going to find
her than drag her back here.  Then I'm going to kill her."
     "It'd be more cost effect to leave her wherever she's wound up."  The
look Calcite gave her made it clear he wasn't amused.  "Small joke.  So now
what?"
     "Now I dig out a key and a tracker, follow her and get her out of  
whatever mess she's got herself into."  Assuming that's still possible, a 
small voice in the back of his head whispered.  He ignored it.  Should he 
call in Azurite?  No.  No sense endangering them for Titanite's folly.  This
was partially his fault.  He should have considered this a possibility but
he'd thought she was maturing.  She's always bounced back from problems 
without a scratch.  No injuries that didn't heal within a day.  It's given 
her an exaggerated opinion of her capabilities.  She still doesn't believe she
can get really hurt.
     "Uh ... Cal?"  Margrave was looking uncertain.  "Mind if I tag along?"
     "Why?"  That didn't make sense.  She couldn't be seriously concerned
about Ti.  Margrave was wondering the same thing.
     "I ... well if you don't come back then that brings it down to Azurite,
Pyrite and me.  Frankly I don't want to hang around here with her as the
boss!  I'd rather be stranded with a few universes between us."  
     That made a certain amount of sense.  "Allright.  But you'll need to
wear something a little more substantial.  That outfit is a little too
conspicuous.  Especially in late autumn!"  Margrave sniffed then headed for 
her closet.  Calcite quickly drafted a note to Azurite then clipped Ti's note 
to it.  Tossing his suit to the floor he dressed in haste in a pair of jeans
and a slightly baggy sweater.  A moment's concentration made his hair shift 
from green to blond and removed the green pigment from his fingernails.  He 
tossed the note in Azure and Pyr's room and met Margrave in the hallway.  
She'd opted for jeans and a tight fitting sweatshirt emblazoned across the
chest with the legend "Silicon free zone."  A leather jacket with "Hellcat"
across the back completed her ensemble.  He forbode to comment.  She'd
already reactivated her glamour.
     Margrave followed him into the lab but stood aside from the container he
opened.  She didn't want Calcite thinking she was using the situation to grab 
a few odds and ends for herself.  Her first time in here.  Not that there was 
much to see, everything was neatly packed up.
     "That's the key?"
     "Right."
     "What are those?"  Calcite was holding a halfdozen bluegreen crystals.
     "Spare batteries.  It's possible she just exhausted her key's charge and
simply can't open a gate home."
     "Certainly possible.  It'd be just like Ti to set up a really intricate
plan then forget something obvious."
     He grunted a reply and punched in the code Ti had given.  Now since he
couldn't count on her staying in the next dimension the tracker would be
useful.  Finding and recreating dimensional gates only a few hours old 
shouldn't be a problem.  The equipment went into a battered looking backpack. 
It had taken a bit of wear in previous cross dimensional journeys.
     Obviously worried about Ti.  Natural enough for him.  So why was she  
worried?  "So do we take the car or ..."
     "No."  Calcite wrapped his arms around her and suddenly her senses went
berserk.  They were standing in a shaded spot in a clump of trees.  There  
were a few moments dizzyness while she adjusted to the abrupt shift in 
sensory data.  Teleportation was rough on those with heightened senses.  Most
people just had to adjust to a visual shift.  She had to face an instant 
change in scent and background noise level that almost no one else perceived.
     "A little warning would have been nice."
     "Sorry."  She had mentioned the problem before.  "But you'd better get
used to it.  Dimensional shift will have the same effect or worse."
     She hadn't thought of that.  Calcite checked no one was watching them
and activated the key.  Margrave felt the invisible warpgate open.  She was
about to step forward when Calcite blocked her.  He tossed something forward.
"Probe.  Just making sure.  Now we just need to kill ten minutes."  Margrave
smiled.  Not enough time for anything serious in a public place but she'd do
her best.
     Ten minutes later the probe (Klingon bird of prey design) reappeared.
Calcite grabbed it and slotted it onto the readout sensor.  
     "Everything's fine over there.  Ready?"  She nodded.
     The gateway expanded at the key's prompting.  Looking like a couple out  
for a walk arm in arm the two stepped forward and vanished.
     Undetected in the shadows a woman whose dark hair tinted to green 
watched the gateway flicker shut behind the couple.  She wasn't too keen on 
anyone recklessly punching holes in the fabric of spacetime but she knew that 
this was necessary.  Another thread in the great tapestry of fate.
     "What will be, will be."
     She grasped her staff and faded from view.

End of part 1

Next : Valantine's Day comes a little early for Setsuna Meiou as a tall, dark
       handsome fellow steals her heart.  Also the obligatory grim stuff all
       Sailor Moon related stories seem to need these days.  Oh yes, plus the 
       title character makes an appearance.
       Part 2 : Dark Interlude