There was something decidedly deceptive about the crystal that now sat on her bedside table. Rayna was not sure if she believed the claims about the unique properties of the crystal however she had seen the effects first hand. Since powering down after the meeting the crystal had been sitting, innocuously, among the other debris in her room. Rolling over on her bed the teen shifted restlessly before eyeing the crystal once more. She could drain energy from plants and animals but according to Caedus the energy of humans was the best source. Still new to the war in which she now fought Rayna contemplated what it would make her if she went out and used the crystal on unsuspecting locals.

Rolling over once more Rayna pushed herself into a sitting position and reached up to smooth a lock of her hair out of her line of sight before getting up. The teen walked over to her dresser. Rummaging through her junk item drawer came up with just what Rayna was looking for. A lone, yet long, scrap of fabric would work well to protect herself from leaching her own energy as she handled the crystal. Rayna was intrigued by the paranormal and Caedus and his tale had sparked something deep inside. A chord had been struck and Rayna was sure that she would not be able to rest until she tested her theory, and the properties of the tiny crystal.. As she stood contemplating her next move Rayna found herself wrapping the fabric around the length of the crystal leaving only the tip exposed. The teen grabbed her henshin pen and walked out of her house with nary a word to her parents. If she was really going to do this, it would be wiser to do the deed as Sailor Myrrha. At least that way she would not be able to be identified by anyone who knew her.

Reaching a deserted intersection Rayna paused before stepping off the street and into a nearby copse of trees. Casting an anxious glance over her shoulder towards the street Rayna held up her henshin pen and spoke the words that cued the transformation into the senshi of scents.

Myrrha brought out the crystal and loosened the fabric covering it, exposing the cold, hard surface. Like the night that she had taken one she rolled it back and forth on her gloved palm before closing her fingers over it. At least out here there was no one around to witness something that they should not see. Myrrha held the crystal up to her face and peered into the clear depths before lowering the item to the exposed skin just above the line of her gloves. Almost immediately the interior of the crystal turned milky white in color. Glancing down at her wrist Myrrha watched the crystal glow just a little as she began to silently count. She was only going to maintain contact with the crystal for five minutes. She wanted to test this on herself for that length of time before taking it around town.

This was the best method that Myrrha could think of. If after five minutes she still felt alright she would consider this field test a success. Finding willing or unwilling citizens of Destiny City though would be the harder issue to tackle and the one that was causing the most stress. She could not keep powering the crystal with her own energy but the moral implications of using it on other civilians was the only other option, was it not?

Reaching the five minute mark of counting Myrrha pulled the crystal away from her skin and admired the soft glow that now was reflected inside the crystalline object. At least she had gathered a little energy for the cause. Steadying herself Myrrha rose to her feet and briefly stumbled before catching herself. Apparently five minutes was too long to safely donate energy for. She would take it down to three minutes if this was indeed the case and if she were lucky to. Stumbling once more Myrrha threw her palm up against the nearest tree for balance. Resting her head against the tree’s rough bark offered little too no comfort. Had she overestimated a safe time frame of contact with the crystal? She paused and held the crystal against the tree. There was no visceral reaction, not like the reaction that had been observed when she leached her own energy. Shaking her head to clear the mental confusion Myrrha powered down back. She was going to head home now and it would not do to lead any agents of chaos to her home. This had been the ideal location to test her theories. It was far enough from her home and relatively concealed from prying eyes. This first field test had been rather insightful but at the same time she felt like she had done too much and too soon for scientific inquiry. Grabbing the scrap of fabric from the ground where it had fallen was almost her undoing. Weakened by the donation of energy Rayna struggled to rewrap the crystal as to prevent further, unwilling, taking of her own energy. The teen dropped the crystal into her pocket once more and began the trek home. It was harder than the trip out had been but she still made it home in one piece. Surprised by how drained she now felt Rayna stumbled up the stairs and to her room where she collapsed on her bed. Her last conscious thought was to fetch the crystal and return it to the surface on which it had sat earlier in the night. With that deed done Rayna believed she felt gravity pulling her down into the soft mattress of her bed. Her eyes struggled to stay open. Giving into the need for sleep that was pulling at her body Rayna had one last fleeting thought before her eyes drifted shut of their own accord.

Guess I overdid it.

(word count = 1000 words)