Welcome to Gaia! ::

Moonstone teleported back home, the darkness and slow pulse of energy from the Negaverse reassuring her, enveloping her and bringing with it a welcoming calm. Her heels clacked against the darkness as she walked ever deeper into their base; she hadn't really left while her civilian side had been vacationing in Canada (having been teleporting back quite often for training sessions), but it was good to return full time.

Her dark eyes sought out familiar faces as well as some that were not-so-familiar ones - there was a long-overdue meeting she wished to get taken care of. Zinkenite. Toki had offered to introduce them, but so much had happened between now and then that such a meeting had never taken place. "No time like the present."

And so Captain Moonstone sought out the small-of-stature General, her potential team-leader, team-mate. But where would she find him? At least she could start by seeking out the stronger - but not strongest - energy signatures!

Her intended target may have had familiar haunts, but without Toki's help and guidance, she never would have found him so quickly. It wasn't that he was unknown to her (there were few within the Destiny City Negaversians that didn't know of Zinkenite, the Information-specialist!)...but really, Toki had been a massive help on that fateful day they'd gone trail-riding.

Moonstone nodded back to the General, lips curving a bit in greeting. "Thank you, General Zinkenite. I appreciate your words." The woman came closer, standing at a relaxed military rest with eyes flashing pride at how she had finally broken free of the chains holding her back, keeping her fighting skills mediocre...trapping her as a Lieutenant for so long.

"Yes sir, as a civilian. As you know, I was teleporting back often for trainings." She paused a bit; oh yes, she'd had a purpose in coming to see Zink, but was it still something that would suit them all? Would Fayalite be happy to see her as part of that team? Had Toki...moved on? Briefly thinking about her friend and comrade put a small rock in the pit of her stomach. "Fayalite suggested that I may be a valuable addition to your team, Sir. I wanted to speak with you and see if a partnership would be beneficial."

A pretty speech, more eloquent than she typically was...but Moonstone had been working on it for quite some time now.

Her eyes took in his interest, the way his jaw and face moved under the mask into what looked like a smile - predatory or otherwise, it was a smile. When Zink indicated that she should walk with him, she did not hesitate but moved quickly to pace herself to his stride.

"Of course. I'm searching for a way to be a more effective part of the Negaverse. If that means going it alone or working as part of a team, I want to do it." She blushed just a little bit, like the girl Pandora Sagan could still sometimes be - she didn't know she had a reputation, but knowing that it seemed to be good and existed at all was kind of thrilling.

She was a Captain of the Negaverse, but she was also a woman yet - and one that could appreciate some praise. "I have become quite skilled in removing starseeds - directly or by ambush...I do whatever I need to, General."

Pandora shook her head a bit; truthfully she didn't care which way she was assisting the Negaverse - though it was true that harvesting star seeds...brought a greater kick than just siphoning energy from the masses. "I've done more energy harvesting than star seed retrieval, but both serve my Queen. Star seeds are...more powerful, of course - of more use to us - but I'll do whatever I have to." Here, she paused to take a breath, to resettle her stride to his once more. "No Sir, I have not. I came very close to killing one during the dreamspace battles for Elysion...but I have not had the honor of destroying one."

There was something in Zinkenite's tone that sent a bit of a shiver down her spine; he sounded like he could show her things she had yet to see, would help her to get back at those senshi bastards the way that she and Fayalite had dreamed of together.

"I would like that too Sir, very much." Still being polite, still bowing to his rank...but she was also excited. She would part of a team, she would gain further instruction like what she had gotten frome Linarite. Ah, there was something she could ask him - Moonstone had not seen hide nor hair of the bluenette General for some time, but she had assumed that Linarite had been sent out on a mission. Though they likely had much to talk about regarding her new appointment to the team - she felt compelled to inquire.

"May I ask...where is General Linarite? She helped to train me before and I wanted to see her now that I am back."

Moonstone's eyes went wide as she watched the General - now her General, specifically - pull a starseed from his pockets; when it was dropped into the warm, waiting cradle of her hands she gasped. It was incredible. Intoxicating and absolutely...well, it was something akin to what all those godawful romance novels (that some of the girls from school or the stables were always sighing over) claimed an orgasm was. But it was so much more - in that moment she felt something inside her breaking, a wave of intoxication that all but drowned out Zinkenite's painful words.

"Wha-at?" Pandora stuttered, eyes opening to find that she had clutched the precious starseed to her breast, the item still cradled in her hands - so precious. Infinitely so. And he was sharing it with her, sharing this moment...even though she had obviously touched a very very raw spot.

"She...left us?" Moonstone's eyes widened further, impossibly wide - the pain of betrayal, rage at the senshi, Castor, that had taken their beloved General Linarite and ruined her...she felt that she would be violently sick. Only her training - training that Linarite's hand had once guided - kept her from falling over. "I...oh Queen save us, those bastards....those bastards!!" Moonstone's voice was a harsh whisper filled with hate; the dark energy surrounding her blazed briefly before settling down. Zinkenite understood. He knew and felt and...hated as much as she, perhaps more so.

With regret, she offered the starseed back to the short-statured General. "Castor. I do not know him." Dark eyes focused back on Zinkenite, narrowed with hatred barely held in check. "I want to know so that I may rip his starseed from his chest...for the General's honor!" Oh! Once more Moonstone felt as though her knees might buckle; the thought of how Tanzanite must have felt at Linarite's defection and betrayal. "How did...how is the General Queen?"

"Prince!?!?! Does their treachery have no bounds? Rewarded with more power for destroying our Earth! Ah!" Pandora felt her heart breaking for this planet that they both loved so; for the damages caused by those parasites prancing around in pastels, tiaras and frilly butt-bows! And now, Linarite's corruptor honored by ascending to a prince!? She thought she might be sick but once more pushed it down, hatred hardening the rolling of her guts and putting steel back into her spine.

"General Queen Tanzanite will destroy him. I know this with all my soul." The dark-haired girl hissed the words, agreeing whole-heartedly with her companion. "I...will not be so swayed, Sir. Linarite must have...had some weakness we did not know about, for such offal to have ruined her so."

Moonstone's dark eyes flashed anger and disgust, but she calmed herself so as not to embarrass herself before the diminutive General before her. She nodded and crossed her arms over her chest for a moment; what was her weakness? Toki? Probably Toki. No, definitely Toki. Her best friend. Her secret crush and the person that she cared about deeply enough that she'd been supremely pleased that they got to work together for the honor of the Earth.

"You're right, Sir." The girl shifted her weight from one hip to the other and dropped her hands to her sides more casually; time to change the subject. "Sir, may I make a request?" With fingers of one hand idly tracing the line of piping on the glove of the other, Moonstone made her request. "I was not able to enter the Rift before...I would very much like to see it, perhaps find my own Youma. Would you be willing to take me there?"

Zinkenite's chilly expression only made Moonstone's lips curve into a slight smile as he began leading her away towards the Rift; she was pleased that she would get to see it finally...if a little apprehensive towards the whole thing. The Rift was a scary place...wild and unpredictable. Yes, it was theirs, Tanzanite had found it, caressed it and called it open. She bid them all go below, tread carefully; things that even Moonstone knew though she had not been there to hear such things from the General Queen's mouth.

People talked. Negaverse agents talked.

"He was there the whole time..." She shook her head as they walked, musing over the idea of living down in the Rift with the wild Youma. It was a horrible thought, but in the back of her mind she wondered if they shouldn't start calling General Obsidian 'Dances with Youma'...