Crystal surveyed the barren wasteland before her. Sand dunes and rocky outcroppings were all that greeted her eyes. She sighed at the depressing sight. "A fish out of water, literally," she said to nobody in particular. Crystal sighed again, picked up her rucksack and started walking. "Well there certainly isn't any sense in trying to call a cab," she mused.

As she walked her mind drifted back to happier times, before Ginhton had chased her family to this old reality. With her eyes half closed she hummed idly and daydreamed of the warm current slowly rocking her to sleep and the endless hour’s of play with other dolphins of the islands where she had been raised. Her attention snapped back when she caught sight site of a patch of green amidst the depressing browns and tans. She hurried forward smiling gratefully. She noted that the oasis was small but beautiful, a much needed relief in this part of the world. As Crystal reached down to fill her flask in the cool water she caught a glimpse of her refection in the pool. Her skin was the color of ivory, and her hair, shoulder length and an irritating shade gold had an unusual blue tinge to it whenever it fell into shadow. Blue eyes stared back at blue eyes until an angry slap of her hand wiped away the image; she looked too much like her mother. Quickly Chris pushed away that painful memory. "Now I need a direction," she mumbled as she looked about for something that might help her. Crystal’s eyes fell upon the waterfall at the other end of the pool. She shrugged her shoulders. "Well tsunami's, why not? "Crystal summoned her power and focused on her subject. Slowly a lens like object took form from the falling water with a mirror like substance behind it. The sun's rays touched the structure sending forth a brilliant beam of blue light that encompassed Crystal in watery magic. She smiled; she was getting better at tapping into the source of her kind’s magic. With her head held high like a proud ship's mast, Chris set out following her beam of light wherever it might take her.

###

The blue light bathed Mozenrath’s palace with such intensity that there was no place for shadows. Mozenrath looked up for what seemed the hundredth time that day.

"Something wrong?" Queried Xerxes in the impudent and annoying manner that the eel had. Mozenrath scowled Xerxes malevolently and turned back to the spell he had been studying, but it was no use the blue light made it almost impossible to concentrate. He slammed the ancient tome closed, momentarily blinding himself when the light reflected off the silver and gold emblem on the front. Mozenrath snarled dangerously holding his good hand in front of his eyes, he felt like demolishing something.

###

During the progress of the day the sand beneath her feet had slowly darkened into a morbid shade of black. Even with the strange happenings beneath her feet Crystal continued on oblivious. Sand was sand in her opinion. It was times like these, facing a new adventure alone that Crystal imagined herself as brave and cunning as her elder sister Willow. It was every Guardians dream to be like her, with her timeless knowledge, bravery and natural born leadership abilities; she was truly incredible both as a sister and as her leader. Plus her boyfriend was quite cute, once you got used to the fact that he was a fire-breathing dragon. Chris grinned and looked up to inspect her beam. The blue light had faded slightly, strangely enough not because of the setting sun but because of thin smoky vapors that had come out of nowhere and seemed to devour light itself. Crystal peered ahead into the gloom, in front of her was the dark outline of a city. She narrowed her eyes in curiosity. "Who would want to live way out hear in the middle of nowhere?" She thought mildly to herself. She shrugged, as she had learned from her trips into the Sahara, desert towns had a habit of popping up in even the most unlikely of places. Perhaps she could stock-up on some supplies for the mountain. Some fruits and vegetables would be a welcome change to their usual carnivore diet. She smiled lightly of the thought of a fruit salad and continued on into the suburbs.

###

"Master! Someone approaches!" Cried Xerxes as he swam into Mozenrath’s library.

"So have the Mamluks take care of it," came a dark voice from the chair in the least lit corner of the room. He was slouched down, gloved hand supporting his pale chin, eyes dark and forbidding. He looked rather malevolent about the world in general. That accursed light had put a real damper on his plans for world demolition.

"But intruder powerful!" Exclaimed the eel, swimming forward bravely.

Mozenrath snapped his head up interested. "What do you mean powerful?"

"Magical intruder! No
Mamluks get close!" The eel said, "Blue light, Mamluks in pieces!"

Mozenrath arched one thick eyebrow and with one smooth motion was up and smiling wickedly at the eel. "Then let us welcome our guest," he said slyly.

###

Another group of the hideous zombies appeared out of the murk, groaning terribly and brandishing swords that glinted wickedly in the dim light of the street.

Crystal recoiled in disgust. "Not again," she sighed, ever since she had entered the strange city these revolting creatures had been trying to disembowel her. She summoned her power and hit the things with her magic. The unfortunate victims of her spell fell apart instantly, becoming nothing more than a sodden, rotting pile of flesh and cloth.

"Very impressive my dear," said a voice that came, seemingly from a dimly lit alleyway to her left.

Crystal whirled towards the place where the voice had come from, only to be greeted by the mists and shadows of this strange land. "Who are you and where are you?" Crystal asked the shadows suspiciously, greeted only with silence. Out of the corner of her eye Crystal thought she saw something moving within another dark alleyway she turned again to face empty air. Crystal hissed angrily at the deceiving shadows. "Come out where I can see you, whoever you are!" She growled ominously reading her power.

"Oh, I don't think that will be necessary," came the voice from directly behind her. Before she could react a heavy hand griped her shoulder and spun her around as another hand griped her other shoulder, Crystal caught a quick glimpse of a pale handsome face before something burned her arm and the world went dark.

As the young girl slumped to his feet, unconscious, the bright blue light faded into nothing. Mozenrath arched an eyebrow curiously, and then turned his attention to Xerxes. "You're lucky," he said coldly to the nervous eel. "If she had proven to be anything less Xerxes..." He let that threat hang as he wedged his boot under her shoulder, turned her over and knelt down to inspect his prize. There wasn't anything exceedingly remarkable about the girl’s appearance save for the pointed ears, unusual hair color and clothing, which was unlike anything he had ever seen before. However the magic within her was more than exceptional, it surrounded her slim figure like a blue aura. Mozenrath frowned faintly; a shadow of a memory flickered over his mind so quickly that it could have been one of the vapors typical of his kingdom that never quite let in even the brightest of light. He shook his head to clear it then focused back on the girl. He smiled, "Her power will undoubtedly turn out to be useful against those fools in Agrabah," he thought as he picked up her limp form. Mozenrath invoked his own magic and the three of them disappeared in auras of blue black flame.

###

Slowly Crystal regained conscious, to find that she was lying on the cold marble floor of some type of immense library. Cautiously she raised her head at the sound of a page being turned. Across the room was the outline of a human in a grand black and gold cloak, pouring over a large and ancient volume. Some sort of creature, that vaguely reminded her of an electric eel hovered over the figure's shoulder, luckily nether noticed that she was back in the world of the conscious. Slowly she twisted her hands free from the rough rope that held her. Keeping her eyes on the sinister figures Chris painstakingly slowly began to get to her feet, one sound and she knew that she would be caught. Suddenly something crunched underneath her foot. Crystal froze, her eyes locked on the two beings that had stiffened at the sound. Her heart pounded in her chest so loud that Chris was afraid that the two figures could hear it. She closed her eyes in concentration and focused on the sound of her heart. Using the methods she gleaned from a blue whale she managed to get her frantically beating heart under control. Crystal was concentrating so hard that she didn't hear Mozenrath come up in front of her. When she opened her eyes his face was merely inches from hers. The girl's eyes widened but there was no scream as he had expected, instead she went into action. Crystal shifted into her true form and knocked the mans legs out from under him with a powerful swipe of her tail. Then, shifting back to her humanoid form, Crystal scrambled to her feet and ran for the door. She slammed into the heavy wood painfully, but to no avail.

"Screea!" She hissed angrily as she shouldered the door again with equally little effect. She was about to demolish the accursed thing with a blast of water when a brilliant glow from behind her caught her eye. Instinctively she leapt out of the way just as Mozenrath’s magic hit the door, blowing a rather substantial hole in it.

Mozenrath regained his footing as regally as possible and scowled in the direction that the girl had disappeared to. "Impressive, I'll give you that," he muttered
to the shadows as he began searching the room.

Crystal pressed her back against the marble pillar and prayed that the sorcerer wouldn't see her. However he wasn't holding her attention as much as the large hole in the door was, It was merely an Orca's length away and just large enough for her to squeeze through. She waited until the sorcerer had passed her, steeled herself and raced for the door. Xerxes spotted her just before she reached it and swam straight into her face in the hopes of stalling her until his master could stop her more permanently. Crystal attempted to dodge the eel-like thing without success until she swatted the creature away with a vicious left hook, plastering him into a nearby wall, and she lunged through the door just in time.

The sorcerer blasted the door in fury just after the she had leapt through. Bits of wood and sawdust flew every where, and Crystal covered her head to protect herself from flying kindling as she raced blindly down the hall.

Mozenrath smiled coldly, his home was a labyrinth of hallways and rooms. There was no way she could get out alive or dead for that matter. He summoned a troupe of Mamluks. "Find her!" He growled to the first Mamluk as he grabbed the pitiful creature by the collar, threw it aside, and set of down the hall after her.

###

Crystal skidded to a halt at yet another dead end; she had been running for nearly an hour and was close to collapsing from exhaustion. She sank back into a pillar in despair, glancing up she spotted a small window high in the wall. Repulsive groaning alerted her to the approaching zombie guards as she scrambled to her feet. "Looks like I don't have much of a choice in the matter." She grumbled as she began to struggle up the pillar towards the window. As she climbed she slipped slightly as her tiny claws failed to find purchase in the marble. "What I wouldn't give for claws like Will’s or Pujax’s." She gasped as she continued to clamor up the pillar.

Mozenrath and the Mamluks rounded the corner just before she reached the window. Before Mozenrath could stop him Xerxes flew straight into the girls face hissing. Startled Crystal lost her grip and began to plummet to the floor. Crystal shut her eyes and prepared to meet her demise on the floor below, instead she smacked into a pair of arms. Too scared to even think Crystal wrapped her arms around her savior’s neck in a death grip and buried her face in his shoulder, she loathed heights. Mozenrath, who had floated up to catch her, wasted no time in taking advantage of the situation. Using his magic he bound her wrists with iron shackles. Crystal jerked her head up in surprise. Smiling ruthlessly at her was the sorcerer.

"What do you want with me?" She growled angrily as she checked the manacles for weakness. She winced slightly when they dug harder into her wrists, probably courtesy of the sorcerer’s magic.

"What I want from you is your magic, and possibly whatever services you can do after that." Mozenrath replied still smiling icily.

If her hands hadn't been bound Crystal would have slapped him. "You'll have Ginhton’s own task doing that!" She snarled dangerously giving her fangs full credit.

"You seem to forget the predicament you're in my dear." He warned her indicating their elevation with his head.

The two descended into the midst of the zombies who stood back out respect and fear of Mozenrath. Crystal looked at the undead creatures with a mixture of pity and disgust. They had undoubtedly been human once.

"What are they?" She asked no one in particular.

"Mamluks." Mozenrath said matter-of-factually. He looked down at his latest capture, who was still dangling from around his neck and regardless of her height had to stand up on tiptoe to maintain a respective distance from him. She was still watching his Mamluks and pointedly ignoring him. He reached behind him and grasped her wrists. Instantly Crystal whirled back to find the sorcerer’s face closer to hers than ever, dark shadows played across his face reminding her vaguely of Ginhton when she had first met him. She shrank away from him in haunted terror, and fell onto the hard stone floor, catching the sorcerer off balance she pulled him down too. He landed with a heavy thud beside her in an undignified pile of dark finery. Chris vaulted lightly to her feet and started to scramble away, the next thing she knew she crashed into a Mamluk, which where much more solid than they first appeared, and fell back into another one who quickly grasped her bound arm's wile the sorcerer got to his feet.

"You are just full of surprises my dear." He said as he traced the line of her chin with his good hand as he crouched down beside her.

Crystal shot him her best "I'm going to annihilate you." Look. She felt like biting his hand off. "I am not your dear!" She enunciated slowly jerking her head away. "I am Crystal, Guardian of the Waters!"

"Now where are my manners?" Mozenrath asked chuckling
lightly. "I am Mozenrath ruler of the Land of the Black Sand, and you have just made my task much easier. My. Dear. Guardian!" At these words he grabbed her chin, forcing it upwards and brought his mouth down on hers and kissed her savagely.

Crystal was at first stricken, when she realized what was happening she got profoundly angry. This Mozenrath may be a ruler but she was one of the Guardians. Crystal opened her mouth slightly, exposing her small but still deadly fangs and bit him. Not quite hard enough to draw blood but definitely hard enough to get her message across. Mozenrath jumped back in surprise. "If you ever do that to me again I will not hesitate to turn you into human shishcabob!" She hissed barring her fangs.

"Bring her!" Mozenrath snapped angrily at the Mamluk who was restraining her, while he fingered his mouth where she had bitten him. Crystal was dragged to her feet and propelled roughly down the hall by creatures from beyond the grave.

Crystal watched Mozenrath walk down the twisting corridor; tall and straight like the arrogant princeling he was. "He may have won this battle but the war has just begun!" Crystal thought seething with anger. The Mamluks halted suddenly in a large barren room save for one wall, dominated by a large mirror; Crystal didn't like the looks of this. The Mamluk let go of her only for its revolting touch to be replaced by Mozenrath’s viselike grip.

He dragged her closer to the mirror, once they where close enough to touch the smooth silvery surface Mozenrath pulled her close, trapping her against him. He held up his gloved hand, pointed at the mirror and began chanting. "Freedom be taken from a Guardian of the night, caged with stone and glass to be reflected throughout eternity, Guardian of Water is mine!" He hissed as he put power into the incantation.

Crystal's eyes went wide, an unearthly glow emanated from the gloved hand and a thin blue mist began to surround her and the mirror. Mozenrath stepped away from her as she was enveloped, still chanting the incantation over and over. Crystal’s mind began to go slack, she struggled against the spell, but it was turning her mind and body to water. "How ironic." She thought as she shut her eyes and started falling.

Mozenrath lowered his hand as he completed the spell, his last words echoed hollowly throughout the vast chamber. He turned and walked over to the once more unconscious Crystal. No longer wary of her sharp fangs and talons he freed her of the manacles and put two fingers to her throat to check her pulse, strong and steady as he had expected. A thin smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he felt her magic practically humming at his fingertips. He ran his fingers over her strange pointed ears and through her short golden hair, it shimmered with a blue cast, as though reflected through water. "Magical and beautiful in one, quite the combination." Mozenrath thought blatantly as he picked her up and carried her through the mirror.

###

Crystal came about slowly, whatever that spell was that Mozenrath had placed on her it still lingered in her mind making movement hard. Groggily she sat up holding her hand to her head.

"Ah good you're awake." Came Mozenrath’s calm voice.

Crystal jerked her head up and instantly regretted it. Her head throbbed painfully and her vision blurred, she felt like throwing up. As she moaned softly in agony a shadow of emotion flickered across Mozenrath’s face.

"The pain will pass in a minute." He said almost gently.

"When I get out of here I'm going to kill you!" Crystal shouted, a look of pure hatred written across her face.

"I'm sure you will." Mozenrath retorted once more the arrogant princeling as he leaned against a nearby pillar. "I'm sure you will."

Crystal turned away enraged towards a large window and possible freedom. However upon looking down she was greeted with the sight of an impossibly high cliff. She took a great breath and climbed onto the windowsill, while Mozenrath watched with raised eyebrows.

"You're not thinking of jumping are you?" He asked nervously pushing away from the pillar and moving towards the mirror.

Crystal burst out laughing as she sat on the sill with her back against the archway. "That was my fist intention. However I'm not exactly partial to becoming street pizza and unfortunately there doesn't appear to be any of my sister’s allies about, so it looks like I'm stuck here, with you." She grumbled sardonically. She turned away to face the half moon that shone in through the window. Though more than annoyed with her situation she decided to at least try talking with her captor, if only to find some way to be rid of him and put this accursed place behind her. "So what happens now?" She asked still facing the celestial globe.

"Now, I keep you here until I can control your power and you." Mozenrath said matter-of-facility leaning back against the pillar.

Crystal made a noise that sounded
halfway between a guffaw and a snort. "Is that all you care about, controlling power?"

"It’s a hobby of mine," he said as he examined his gauntlet.

"I feel sorry for you," she said dryly.

"Sorry, for what?" Mozenrath asked cynically.

"For having nothing but the thirst for power," she said glancing over her shoulder at Mozenrath. The sorcerer's face was unreadable.

"And your point would be?" He asked haughtily.

Crystal ignored his snide remark and returned to her stargazing. She smiled as she spotted her favorite star constellations, even at this distance the small pinpricks of light brought her comfort and memories of better days. Swiftly she slid off the sill; she didn't need to be homesick, most certainly not now. She walked over to the cot she had awoken on, lay down and stretched out to her full length, completely aware that Mozenrath was still watching her.

Mozenrath regarded his unusual guest with fascination. Contrary to her youthful appearance she had an aura of ancient timelessness about her, it was almost as if she was as old as the element she guarded. She wasn't half bad looking either. He frowned that nagging feeling was back, the strange feeling that he had seen her before. Something slid over his shoulder from beneath his cloak effectively distracting him. Absently he began to stroke the smooth skin of his familiar while still watching Crystal examine the ceiling.

Crystal sighed and rolled over onto her stomach, rested her head on her arms and glared at the floor. She noted a thin trickle of water emanating from beneath her cot. "And where there’s a trickle," She whispered as she reached down and felt about under the cot. "There's my canteen." She finished as she fished out her water flask. "So I won't die of thirst after all." She mused. She placed the canteen by her side and slipped into a weary sleep with her back to the sorcerer.

###

The knife rose into a lone patch of light throwing its shadow over her face as she cowered in the damp corner. She watched in horror as the knife descended in a streak of silver that suddenly became crimson. She heard someone scream and knew it to be herself.

Crystal awoke with a start in strange surroundings, she turned right and left frantically trying to get her bearings when she spotted a familiar figure. Mozenrath! The sorcerer was standing just a few feet away from her. With a roar of furry she leapt at him only to collide with the unforgiving surface of magically strong glass. As she lay sprawled on the floor her head began to ache dully and when she put her hand to her forehead she pulled away quickly when she felt something warm and sticky, her fingers came away covered in blood, her blood. She stared at her hand in horror; bringing back the nightmare that was all too real before Mozenrath’s grip jarred her back to the present. She struggled against him until he had to drain her strength with magic to get her to hold still. He brushed away her hair with his good hand and quickly touched the bleeding cut with his gauntlet. Crystal felt a meager amount of pain as Mozenrath healed her wound and she blacked out.

Mozenrath sighed melodramatically. "She is definitely making a habit out of falling unconscious at my feet." He thought, suddenly she swung her legs around knocking him flat on his back. With the speed of lightning she pulled a dagger out of her sleeve, pined him with her knee on his chest and held him still with the knife at his throat. Two seconds was all it had taken this time. Crystal smirked proudly; she had beaten her old record. "Perhaps I should have warned you that I always keep a little something up my sleeve." She said coolly.

The force and speed of her attack at first stunned Mozenrath but he quickly regained some of his smug arrogance. "You know this is getting old. So, what are you going to do now?" He asked.

"Scorch the seven seas and sear my skin. Now I get out of here, all I wanted where some supplies for my home, but of course I would have to end-up locked behind an oversized hand mirror, that’s what’s now." She glowered.

"Leave?" Asked Mozenrath jauntily. "You can't leave, your stay with me has barely begun and I so love captive company..." He was suddenly interrupted by her hearty laugh.

"More like you are my captive now!" She told him with a snarl, bearing down a little with the knife.

Mozenrath winced slightly as the cold steel bit into his throat. It was ironic that he didn't even need to blast her, at least not this time. "Not quite my dear. You see, you and the mirror are like two identical poles, you repel each other as will anyone else but myself so you are quite securely trapped."

Crystal eyes widened as she realized the truth of the situation, she screeched angrily. Eyes aglow with blue fire she sprang to her feet and hurled her dagger at a nearby statue, neatly decapitating it with the sheer force of her throw. With her back still turned to the sorcerer Crystal let
out a regretful sigh.

"So I'm never to see my home again?" She asked still facing the wall in which her dagger had imbedded itself, the light and anger fading from her eyes. For the first time in his life Mozenrath could not think of anything satirical to say, he watched with mixed emotions as Crystal’s bold heroism fell into despair.

Mozenrath slowly got to his feet and turned to leave but a soft sound halted him. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see Crystal choke down on another sob. He hesitated, normally he would frown upon tears as useless emotion but Crystal was different. She was brave enough to battle him and several hordes of Mamluks for her freedom and only when she knew that she couldn't escape did she show any emotion. Then there was the strange niggling in the back of his mind that kept telling him that he had seen her before, but for the life of him he couldn't remember where. His expression softened as she wiped the tears from her face and clamped her jaw shut in an attempt to regain some of her composure. Silently he stepped up behind her and placed his hands gently on her shoulders.

Crystal froze, rigid with fear at his icy touch and waited for him to cast a spell on her or something equally painful. Nothing happened, confused Crystal turned to face Mozenrath who did nothing more than remove his hands from her shoulders. Crystal raised her eyes to his face. Mozenrath’s eyes widened, his mouth began opening and closing like a beached fish and, though she didn't know how he could possibly do so he paled visibly.

"Alora!" Everything else melted away except for those eyes. Why hadn't he noticed them before? From the inky starlit wells to the palest possible blue not even the sky could imagine, they where the same. The absolute same as Alora’s, his real sister. But that was impossible, wasn't it? She had died just as everyone else had at the hands of Disdain when he was little more than twelve hadn't she? It was this systematic murder of his family that had ultimately compelled him to over-through Disdain and rule over the land of Black Sand in his stead. He reached out to touch her face but she shrank away. The illusion shattered into a thousand fragments, this was not his sister. Crystal had golden hair instead of ebony black and had grown up in a much different home than the desert. He glared down angrily at her, all the memories fading except one, those blue eyes still stared at him, although filled with a magical light all there own they still where the same as Alora’s. Mozenrath’s expression softened just a little.

"Murder always seems to deal the cruelest hands." Crystal whispered bitterly.

"What!?" He snapped harshly.

Crystal winced at the sudden change in Mozenrath. "I understand Mozenrath, I..." Crystal stopped. She suddenly remembered that Mozenrath was her enemy. Her expression lost all of its pity and hardened into one of hate. She turned away, furious with her self for letting her guard down.

Mozenrath’s temper snapped. He stormed through the mirror and annihilated any unlucky Mamluks that were patrolling the halls on the way to his library. Once he reached it he plunked him self in front of a spell book and began to study furiously.

Crystal sighed softly as she watched the sorcerer stride away infuriated. She shook her head with a twinge of regret, she was beginning to understand the poor man, he had lead a life filled with pain, suffering, and revenge. "Much like me," she muttered. Crystal sighed, walked over to where her dagger had imbedded itself in the wall, pulled out the wickedly gleaming weapon and began searching for away to escape. The rest of Crystal’s day was hardly spent in earnest. She found her pack and most of her supplies intact, minus all her food but, luckily including the Seaflame gate. Also upon experimentation on various parts of the mirror she found that her hand almost passed through the spot that Mozenrath had walked through. After a great deal of theorizing and planing she was ready to make her escape.

###

It was shortly after sunset that Mozenrath returned to check on his current 'guest’. Crystal was seemingly absorbed in sharpening and polishing her dagger to take very much notice in him. As he passed through the mirror she glanced up and without saying a single word she systematically put her tools away, sheathed her dagger and gave him an ice-cold glare. Mozenrath quickly understood why the silent treatment was so much more unnerving than threats.

"I brought you something to eat." He said slowly while he toyed with the emerald green apple that he had so carefully picked as to be irresistible for her to eat.

"Thanks." Crystal hissed dryly as she slowly got to her feet. Her mind was hardly on food right now no matter how empty her stomach was.

Her hand rested on her dagger hilt for just a little bit too long, Mozenrath’s eyes narrowed. "A trap she is about to spring a trap!" He took a step back and
was about to blast her but it was already too late.

Crystal leaped forward, using her momentum to knock both of them through the mirror. The enchanted glass glowed brilliantly and seared Crystal to her core. She uttered one anguished scream as she passed through the mirror in a blinding array of color and light. Mozenrath slid painfully across the floor, all the breath knocked from his lungs. Although he was in agony he was grinning in delight, the legends where true. A Guardian was a very precious and very powerful commodity; her magic would make him the greatest sorcerer ever. It had paid to go through those ancient tomes. It had amazed him at first on how much information there had been on Guardians, but then again Disdain had always been looking for a way to gain ultimate power. Mozenrath smiled wickedly, the old fool had been trying for years to find the Guardians, and he had one in his very grasp. If only he could get her to stay put long enough for him to put his plan into effect.

Crystal was in worse shape than Mozenrath, deifying that spell's purpose had left her strength consumed. Yet somehow she managed to get to her feet and ran for the window. She looked down the same cliff that she had seen in her reflective cage, however this time she was ready, she dug her claws into the side of the building and slid down leaving impressive gouge marks in her wake. As little as she believed it she was beginning to appreciate not eating anything for the last twenty-four hours, otherwise she would have most certainly lost her lunch. Crystal crawled around to the front of the citadel until she reached the massive and intricately carved front doors. Dropping to the street she confronted yet another troupe of Mamluks one of which was riding a coal black horse.

"Ah, I see that you've met Disdain, my old mentor." Said Mozenrath as he appeared beside her in a flash of magic, cool and calm as ever. Before he had a chance to grab her, Crystal had leapt up behind his former teacher and unsaddled him. The ebony stallion reared up imposingly before of the troupe with Crystal looking quite fearsome on its back. She wheeled the magnificent creature around and urged him into an all out gallop. Chris leaned forward encouraging the powerful equine on faster. He laid his ears back and stretched his legs out farther, his hooves pounding on the sand. Crystal’s hood and cloak whipped about behind her like a wild thing, she felt like they were flying. "There is no way anyone can catch me now!" She thought as she screamed out a triumphant cry as they raced through the ghost town towards freedom. It was just as they where nearing the very outskirts of the city that Crystal spotted the barricade. Her narrowed eyes glowed darkly and a low growl rumbled deep within her throat. "Oh no you don't, I've come to far to be captured again." Crystal hissed. She ripped of her cloak and whirled it about her head. Letting it fly straight into the faces of the oncoming troupe of Mamluks, the coal black horse crashed through the ranks of the undead and out into the open desert.

"We made it!" She exclaimed as she reined up and stroked the sweaty neck of her noble charger.

"Not quite my dear," said the horse. Crystal instantly recognized the sorcerer’s low, taunting voice.

"Mozenrath!" She cried leaping from the horse's/sorcerer’s back. The sorcerer smiled as his disguise dissolved away with a bright flash, much to Crystal’s disappointment he wasn't even out of breath. "How long have you been in that form?" She growled as she coiled into an attack crouch.

"Since your last attack on my Mamluks." He said dryly, noting her defensive position he rolled his eyes. "Crystal, don't make this any harder than it has to be." He said warningly extending his left hand while quietly readying a spell just in case she proved difficult.

Crystal gawked at his hand disbelieving what she was hearing. "If you think I'm just going to surrender, think again!" She roared as she invoked the Seaflame Gate just as Mozenrath grabbed her arm, the two disappeared in a ball of blue flame leaving only the faintest signs that they had ever been there at all.

A blinding flash of blue fire, out of which two beings emerged battling furiously, shattered the peaceful darkness of the oasis. Mozenrath twisted Crystals arm around behind her painfully. She in turn gave a hash cry and jabbed her free elbow into his midriff. The sorcerer doubled over sharply and Crystal scrambled away from him, turned around and slammed her joined fists onto his unprotected back. Mozenrath gasped sharply and fell face first into the sand. Crystal turned and ran towards the safety of the oasis, reaching out to the water. Mozenrath lurched unsteadily to his feet and lunged towards the fleeing form. He tackled her, pinning her arms to her sides. Crystal screamed another battle cry and flipped the sorcerer over her head. Unfortunately this time he didn't let go and the two tumbled head long
into the water. The cold night air sucked all the warmth from her body as she rose above the silver crested pool but Crystal didn't care. The fight was hers now. Crystal glared down at Mozenrath, who in his current predicament had all the dignity of a drowned rat.

Mozenrath’s jaw dropped, she was glowing from head to foot and was standing on top of the water, a rather difficult feat to perform. Crystal raised one of her dripping hands and with one quick gesture the oasis seemed to explode upwards. Mozenrath backpedaled frantically but the muddy bottom proved his undoing, he slipped into water over his head and was sucked to the middle of the deep pool. Crystal’s eyes widened as she watched the helpless sorcerer get drawn to the middle of the pool. She hadn't cast that spell to drown him! Without a second thought she dove in after his struggling form. Mozenrath must have been the world’s worst swimmer for he flailed about madly for the surface. Suddenly something grabbed him around the waist and pinned his arms to his side.

"You can't stay here." Whispered an annoyed voice in his ear and someone began to haul him back to the surface. Mozenrath came to the surface coughing and spluttering and would have certainly sunk like a stone had it not been for...he turned around to face his savior and his jaw dropped again.

"You!" He yelled, but before he could say more he inhaled more water and began another fit of coughing.

"Well that’s gratitude for you." Grumbled Crystal as she shook her head and began to tow the miserable sorcerer to the small beach. She dragged Mozenrath onto the sand. Mozenrath sat forward and spat out several mouthfuls of water then began to get up. "Sit still for a moment to get your breath back." Crystal ordered tiredly.

Mozenrath turned and glared at her but did as he was told. As he brushed his dripping wet hair out of his eyes he noticed for the first time that Crystal no longer looked even remotely human. He knew that she wasn't human in the first place but still it was impressive to see her in her other form up close. Crystal was more or less human from the waist up save for her double pointed ears, fangs, talons, silver skin, and glowing blue eyes. Below the waist she was dolphin, pure and simple, with smooth bluish gray skin with a line of silver running down one side of her long powerful tail.

"What are you looking at?" Crystal asked slightly out of breath, despite his slim appearance Mozenrath was much heavier than he looked and dragging him up onto shore in this form hadn't helped her empty stomach much.

"You," he said flatly. Then he smiled lightly as he held up another light green apple that he had just conjured. "Hungry?" He asked equally expressionlessly as before.

Crystal’s mouth twitched. "If you think I trust you Mozenrath, you are sadly mistaken," she growled, her eyes locked on the light green fruit.

He smiled a little more. "True, but that doesn't stop your hunger dose it?" He asked as he held the tantalizing apple out to her. With some effort she turned away to escape the temptation. Mozenrath frowned. "Crystal you haven't eaten for a long time, I'm merely surprised that you're not comatose." He said it so softly that Crystal turned back to find the apple still taunting her. Growling she gingerly took the small green fruit from him.

"I'm going to regret this." She hissed as she bit into the sweet flesh of the apple. The second she swallowed the last bite she knew it had been drugged, she had been caught again. "Dame you Fate!" She hissed as she reeled backwards and the world went fuzzy.

Mozenrath smiled. "Guardians," he demurred. No matter what the person had done they could not watch anyone die by the hand of their element. This was a real advantage if you knew how to exploit it. He smiled wickedly as he picked Crystal up yet again. This was getting a bit routine but he found that he really did enjoy her company. Guardians where not the annoying heroic type like that accursed Aladdin. They like himself where on a quest for power. Even if was to protect the elements. Personally he approved of their quest; although had he the chance he would probably have a much different use for such power. He threw his head back in a wicked, triumphant laugh as they where wrenched away in a blaze of black magic.

Crystal awoke again on her cot behind the mirror. Mozenrath was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes glowed dark blue with anger. "A curse on you Fate." She growled sharply under her breath. She sighed as she sat up; at least Mozenrath had the decency to use a painless spell this time. Crystal moved to the window that showed a spectacular view of the setting sun. She crossed her arms on the wide sill and lay her head down on them. This was her favorite time of day, well next to midnight of course. Crystal smiled and moved to her pack and shook her head. "You never learn do you Moz?" She smiled at the sorcerer's foolishness, as long as she had the Seaflame Gate
she could always escape. Gently she removed the talisman from its case, the silver edging and symbol catching the last dying rays of the sun and throwing them across the walls. "Freedom." She whispered as she traced the graceful lines on the Seaflame gate. "Freedom."

###

Crystal smiled mischievously. Her alchemy had grown in strength since Mozenrath had captured her; she could now control rainfall with ease and had just summoned up quite the tempest. She laughed happily as raindrops soaked her hair and face. The droplets perched precariously on her cheekbones and slid down her face and neck as she stood on the makeshift balcony of water. She forgot that she was a captive here and simply felt the pure joy of rainfall, the life-giver of the world. "Let it rain on me." She sang out to the sky.

"Rain, rain go away, come again another day." Grumbled a voice from behind her. Crystal turned to find Mozenrath standing just inside the window.

"Party pooper." She griped stepping back inside her personal 'glass dungeon’ as she had come to call it. She walked passed the sorcerer dripping small pools of water onto the floor, over to one of the many chairs and crossed her arms over the back. It had been nearly a week now and she still hadn't seen her chance for escape. Mozenrath always seemed to appear just as she got enough guts to attempt another breakout. "You know, you take all the fun out of existence." She told the sorcerer flatly. Crystal dug her claws into the cloth backing of the chair and systematically began shredding it.

"Really? I had no idea I was that boring." Mozenrath retorted as he walked up behind her. He frowned as she began to shiver. "You know you could catch pneumonia that way." Almost without thinking he pulled off his cloak and dropped it over her shoulders.

Crystal began to chuckle. "You sounded like my sister when you said that."

Mozenrath’s frown deepened. "don't you mean your mother?" He asked. At those words Crystal instantly froze.

"No." She said softly. "My mother died over a century ago."

Mozenrath winced; he knew the pain of loosing his own mother under the decimating hand of Disdain. "Sorry." He told her out loud. Mozenrath frowned again; he had never apologized for anything before in his life, why was he starting now?

Thankfully Crystal didn't reply, instead she walked over to her cot and sat down cross-legged and pulled the cloak about her. "Just tell me one thing." She said suddenly changing the subject.

"What?" He asked as he glared beyond her at the receding storm clouds.

"Why do you put up with the pain and suffering of your gauntlet?" At his startled expression she continued. "Aye, I know of the hand of Fehar Ah Damon. Most talismans have a price but the one that you endure is so severe."

Mozenrath fingered his gauntlet tentatively. "True the pain is great and the price is high but controlling its power is reward in itself."

"But don't you have a great deal of power anyway?" She persisted.

"Not as much as I control now." He answered flexing his hand slowly to relieve some of the ache that was his constant reminder of the price he had paid.

"This is true." She said considering her next words carefully. "But when will you control enough power, I know that even now you thirst after mine."

"When I have the world at my feet is when I'll have enough power." He said without hesitation.

To his amazement Crystal started laughing. "You sound like every other villain I've met! The world is a very large holding to control. How do you plan to pull it off?" At his dumbfounded look she nodded her head. "Uh-huh, thought so. No one can rule the world Mozenrath, it gets much too complex for any person or even group to handle."

He frowned thoughtfully, all of what she said seemed to make sense but still... "What about your quest for power?"

She smiled at his deviousness. "Hmmm, you've got a point there but it seems to me that Guardians don't have much of a choice about gaining power. Fate and Chaos play a large role in controlling our paths. Besides we don't conquer anything, merely protect and believe me that’s more than enough." Crystal shrugged her shoulders. "It’s a Guardian thing."

What about your battle with the lord of oblivion?" Mozenrath asked as he looked down his nose at her. The second he mentioned that name she turned glacial and a look like none he had ever seen before appeared on her face. He could only describe it as pure, unbound rage.

"Ginhton murdered my mortal parents for their power and would have done the same to me had I not escaped." She said quietly as the horrific nightmare replayed itself in her mind. She clenched her fists and her eyes began to glow almost black with anger.

"One hint of advice Crystal." Mozenrath said as he hastily turned to leave. Crystal looked up at him curiously, rage dying from her eyes. "don't let revenge consume you as it did me." With a swirl of blue, black smoke he was gone.

"That’s
it!" Crystal hissed jumping off the small bed that she had grown to hate and threw Mozenrath’s cloak against the wall. "I am sick and tired of living behind a piece of glass!" With that she pulled out the Seaflame gate and willed her self away. Something felt terribly wrong; she reappeared face to surprised face with Mozenrath. Crystal’s temper from their last conversation quickly got the best of her, snarling angrily she leaped at him with all her fury. Too late she saw Mozenrath in a blind panic throw his glove up in defense. Fiery energy came streaking towards her. She twisted her body in a desperate attempt to evade the fireball; it missed her head and hit her square in the stomach. Crystal doubled over in pain and crashed into a nearby pillar, there was a sickening crunch and everything faded away. The incredible agony brought her back to consciousness, half blinded by tears of pain she desperately tried to stand. As she put weight on her left leg pure torture lanced through her whole body. A scream ripped from her throat and she fell back to the floor trembling. A shadow fell over her; slowly Mozenrath knelt down next to her with the oddest expression she had ever seen on his face, worry.

Mozenrath looked her over quickly. Her leg lay at an unusual angle, obviously broken and the amount of injury his magic could inflict was not to be taken lightly. It was a wonder she wasn't dead. Crystal shot out her hand and grabbed him around his right wrist. Her eyes where wide open and glazed with pain, her mouth was clamped shut but her expression was more than enough. "Help me!" She seemed to scream at him. "You did this to me! Help me!"

Crystal’s leg was nothing compared to the pure torture the rest of her body felt. It was like being ripped apart in far too many directions at once and then being shoved back together into a messy heap. She wanted to scream, She wanted revenge, and she desperately wanted to get away from the pain. She realized that she really wanted to die. Crystal glared up at Mozenrath. "What are you waiting for? Get it over with, kill me! Let me get away from thisss!" She hissed through clenched teeth.

Mozenrath jumped back shocked. All of his victims in the past had begged for mercy, not one of them had ever wanted to die. Than again none had ever survived long enough to actually want death. He looked down at her, nothing was evident to the eye but the damage he had caused was there. It was like having your innards crushed from inside out Mozenrath leaned back over her, summoned his power, and set to work.

As Mozenrath’s magic touched her the pain flared up again. Crystal screamed again, closed her eyes and welcomed the peaceful nothingness of oblivion.

The spell completed Mozenrath sat back and turned back to Crystal’s face. It had started to turn blue from asphyxiation. "No!" He hissed as his fingers flew to her throat. "You can't be dead, not yet." He cried as he felt frantically for a pulse, he found it. Faint, terribly faint but there. Carefully he tilted back her head covered her mouth with his and forced air into her lungs. Nothing, furiously he tried again.

Crystal felt herself being torn away from the peace of oblivion and back into the awful pain of her body. She tried to scream but something was covering her mouth. Air was suddenly forced into her raged lungs, starting a fit of coughing. When she finally opened her eyes she was greeted with the sight of Mozenrath’s anxious face hovering over hers. Slowly she started to move but the pain flared up in her leg again, she gasped and fell back to the floor. She looked back up at Mozenrath who turned away looking almost embarrassed.

"What?" She asked as gently as pain would allow.

"I don't know what to do about your leg." He growled sounding both very annoyed and worried.

Crystal raised an eyebrow, hadn't anyone ever taught him the basics of the healer's art? Then something else dawned upon her. "You treated my other injuries."

"What is caused by magic can be cured by magic." Mozenrath explained smugly.

Crystal smiled at him. "Well there’s irony for you. I know how to set and bandage a broken limb, if I tell you how..." She left off at his solemn nod. "First set the bone so it will heal properly."

He nodded, griped her leg and began to straighten it, ignoring her pain filled hissing. That done he turned back for further instructions. Crystal didn't say anything for a moment than turned away and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"You bit yourself?!" Mozenrath asked eyebrows raised.

"I forgot I have fangs." Crystal muttered as she wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth.

Mozenrath raised his eyebrow again. "I'm glad you didn't bite me that hard when I kissed you." He commented completely impressed.

"Like I said, that was only a warning." She told him calmly. "Anyway you'll need splints and bandages to hold the bone in place."

He nodded coolly and began to conjure up the items specified.

"Mozenrath?"

"Hmmmm?" Came his gruff reply.

"Why did you save my life?" Crystal asked slowly.

Mozenrath glanced back at her. "Does it matter?" He asked sourly tuning back to his work so she wouldn't see the look on his face.

"Yes." She answered. The sorcerer just continued to ignore her, Crystal rolled her eyes at the back of his head, sat forward and held the splits in place while he wrapped the bandages around them.

Mozenrath sat back to inspect his work. "A little shoddy but it will do until I get you back to the mirror."

Crystal frowned. "Do you really need to keep me under lock and key? After all It’s not like I can really go anywhere with a broken leg."

Mozenrath narrowed his eyes at her. "During the many years I spent as Disdain’s apprentice one thing that I learned is never turn your back on a more powerful appoint."

Crystal quirked her mouth in grudging respect. "Than you learned well." She murmured as she effortlessly got to her feet. "I am in your debt," Crystal sighed somewhat reluctantly as she held out her hand. "And as you also probably learned, a Guardian’s debt is much stronger than any simple chain or dungeon."

Mozenrath nodded as he took her hand and rose to his feet. "Agreed." He murmured as he pressed his lips to the back of her hand. "A mortal life for an eternal life. Now we are allies."

Crystal nodded her head. "Allies," she repeated, liking the word.