Chapter 1-Tables for Five

            One blond-haired, blue-eyed woman bit her lip nervously, fiddling with the long strands of lemon-blond hair that cascaded over her shoulders. The airport had been very crowded, since thousands of people journeyed to the Riviera each summer. Unfortunately, Kenton was impatient beyond belief. Glancing over at the pair to her right nervously, the blonde wondered how her friend could deal with him. Of course, there were many positive aspects about Kenton, but personally, Serafina couldn’t see how Alia could get along with someone as bull-headed, stubborn, and brusque as he was. Then again, Alia could be just as stubborn, but she had patience and compassion. Smiling reassuringly at her friend, who had turned away from her fiancé partially to suppress her annoyance and partially to hide the tears of rage and hurt in her shockingly bright blue eyes. Before Serafina could say anything, a hand from the left tugged her gently away.

            “Come on, Sera. They’ll need to work things out on their own if they’re going to get married.”

            Looking into very blue eyes, she looked down sadly. “I know, but don’t you think they’re rushing things a little? They know each other pretty well, but...I don’t know. I’ve just got this uneasy feeling.”

            Raking back his sunny blond hair, Jedidiah Knight scolded gently, “You worry too much. Relax, we’re here on vacation. And yes, they are rushing things, but it’s Kent’s father who wants things over and done with. The typical cold-hearted bastard who’s completely into business and heirs and nothing else, especially family.”

            “What if Kent becomes just like him?” Serafina whispered.

            “Sera. We’ve known Kent forever, even longer than we’ve known Alia,” Jed pointed out reasonably, hiding his own doubts. “They’re the perfect couple, and she’ll make sure he doesn’t change. Besides, don’t you think we know him to be a good person?”

            “Well, yes,”she answered honestly, “but sometimes, it just seems like he’s another person, in his own world. There are times when I don’t think I know him.”

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

            Later that night, those same five people found themselves at a nice restaurant known for its isolation and peace. They managed to carry on a sane, normal conversation without various journalists and news reporters above the soft clinks of glass and silver utensils. It was an interesting quintet of five that dined together, all of them extremely important people in the business world.

            Serafina Aurore, inheritor of the Aurore Associated, which was linked to at least ten different companies all traced back to one major owner. And that major owner was her father, and when he either died or retired in a few years, she would be in charge of all those businesses. Surprisingly, she was a social worker–not for the money but because she loved children. None of them could resist her bright smile, and she had come to a compromise with her father, who had agreed to her impermanent career if she took business courses by night. Her friendship with Kenton Sola-Kane cemented his approval.

            Jedidiah Knight also had a sizable fortune to his name, but he liked working as a freelance photographer away from the petty squabbles of his family. He hated falsity, delicate, air-headed women (especially ones that threw themselves at him), and getting drunk. While he wasn’t exactly against alcohol, he scorned men who didn’t have enough control to know their own limits. Jed was popular with the women, popular with the men, and popular with everything in between, being extremely tolerant of almost anything in the world. It was his philosophy that most things should be let be without interference for the best results.

            Beryllium Izaia-Talon was the only legitimate child of her father, who was the founder of Izaia-Talon Incorporated. She had been neglected as a child, because her mother was always away at parties and socializing while her father barely remembered her existence until he was inebriated. Then he sought out a handy scapegoat, his terrified daughter. In college, she had met her first friend ever, Alia Anderson. They were both alone and abroad, and Beryl had found solace and understanding in her friend. Alia had thrown a new light upon the workings of upper-class society, and she had also introduced Beryl to a few other friends at the same university.

            Kenton Sola-Kane had few intimate friends in the world besides Serafina Aurore and Jedidiah Knight. The three had become acquaintances at a business gathering, where they had been the only youthful people around. He had immediately taken a liking to both of them, blond-haired and sunny-spirited. They, in turn, admired his integrity and resolution. Throughout the years, they had become closer and not farther, and they supported him through most of the major decisions in his life. He valued their opinions, their views, and, most of all, their friendship. Sera and Jed had taught Kent one of the truest meanings in life...

            Alia Anderson, despite her family’s wealth, had led a normal life like any other person until her parents had died and left her with an estimable fortune. Immediately afterwards, she had gone back to France, where her mother had gone to college, and met Beryl. Alia had fallen for one of the most desired (single) men of the business world and kept it a secret, shy in general and shying away from the coldness of the manner. She hadn’t realized that she had been acting the same way all of her life until they had both admitted their feelings for each other. Still, she didn’t know how she was going to deal with the illusions of the upper class every day of her life when she married.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

            Watching them from a far corner of the restaurant were five other people. They were the Three Lights, their songwriter, and their friend. The Lights were Japanese, as was their songwriter, but their friend was French. Kou Seiya, Kou Taiki, Kou Yaten, and Hime Kakyuu made up the famous singing group. Amina Amoura had been a famous Parisian model readying herself for the world’s stage in her first debut in pictures. She spoke quite a few languages, but the ones she was most fluent in were French, of course, English, and Japanese. Kakyuu’s deep brown eyes seemed to gold an unearthly red-gold shade in certain lights, as they did when she lifted her fluted glass in the direction of those they had been surveying in near silence. “I propose a toast...to the newly-engaged and soon-to-be married couple, Alia and Kenton. May they have a wonderful wedding and a prosperous future.”

            The other woman, seated across from her, smiled brightly, light blue eyes sparkling cheerily. “That’s so sweet, Kakyuu-chan! I second.”

            “Third.”

            “Fourth!”

            “I just hope that nothing deserves their little ‘secret’ vacation.”

            The blonde woman turned and glared at him, as did the other two men. “Masaka, Taiki-kun, do you always have to be so pessimistic? Nothing is going to happen.” About to reply, the brown-haired man merely smirked victoriously when someone beeped Amina. Sighing, she excused herself and exited into the main foyer of the restaurant. Opening her cell phone, she dialed a number well-known to her.

            “Hello? Mina?”

            “Yeah, it’s me, Ruka-chan. I’m guessing you guys beeped me together?”

            “One second.”

            A few minutes later, the woman who had originally beeped her came on, her velvety voice smooth and melodic. “Hello, Mina. I hope you’re having a nice vacation?”

            “I _was_. I thought I told you I didn’t want any business calls.”

            Lunaria Lux-Lucis sighed heavily and explained, “We tried, Mina, but there’s no choice this time. Something is brewing by the Riviera, and you’re nearby and the closest. Keep an eye out. We don’t have much information yet, but I’m pretty sure that the League has finally melded with Izaia-Talon, Inc.”

            Brow furrowing, Amina inquired, “What’s their plan?”

            “I can’t tell you over the phone, you know that. Just tell the Lights and Fireball to be on their guard. I’m sending Lita over with her boyfriend on the pretense of a nice, romantic honeymoon. They’ll be posing as husband and wife. She’ll have as much information as we’ll be able to get by Tuesday, and she’ll get in touch with you.”

            “Do the others know?”

            “I haven’t been able to get in touch with the Amazon Quartet, but Ail and Ann and the Ayakashi Sisters know.”

            “What about the Amazon Trio?”

            Biting her lip hard enough to draw salty blood, Lunaria finally said, “I can’t tell you that, either.”

            “Oh, God. They were dispatched, weren’t they?”

            “They took down the DGG with them, at least. Very messy affair. We’re having problems covering it up, and I hate to lose Lita at a time like this. Take care now, I’ve got to go. This conversation has already been too long.”

            “Bye, Luna. You take care, too.”

            “I always do.”

            Amina gave an apologetic look to the people waiting in the lobby as she slipped back to her seat. Interrupting the soft discussion going on between her four friends, she announced, “That was Luna. With the usual two.”

            Glancing around, Seiya knew that there was always the opportunity for eavesdropping but decided to take his chance. “What’s up now?”

            “Emergency with the League and Izaia-Talon, Inc. No one can get here, so they were forced to contact us. Lita’s flying over on Tuesday with her supposed ‘husband,’ really Ken. Everyone’s been contacted, but the Amazon Trio’s been dispatched.”

            Drawing in his breath sharply, Yaten asked, “What happened?”

            Grimly, she told them, “They had a little spat with the Doom and Gloom Girls. But they’re all dead now, and Luna’s got to keep the press from finding out everything.”

            Sighing softly, the red-haired woman murmured, “It may not be possible with something of this magnitude. Damn. I didn’t really like those guys, but I was willing to work with them. We were on okay terms.”

            “Look on the bright side of things. At least the DGG girls are gone.” Taiki rubbed an old scar running along his forearm that one of the quintet had given him. He still remembered that particular battle with frightening clarity.

            Amina glared at him venemously for the second time that night and snapped, “Always the crowd-pleaser, aren’t you? There are eight people _dead_, and three of them were on our side!”

            “But the other five are on theirs. It’s not that I don’t care, Mina, but there’s nothing we can do for them but keep alive and get revenge for them.”

            “Revenge is pointless,” his oldest brother drawled, raking a hand through his previously-gelled raven hair, “we’re more...civilized than that. Or we’re smarter. In any case, we’re protectors. Secret protectors, but guardians nevertheless–of the general public.”

            “If you say so, Seiya-kun.”

            “I do, Kakyuu-chan.”

            Catching the look that passed between then, Amina smiled a bittersweet smile to herself. They were in love–blindly, but still in love. Too bad love was a dangerous thing among those with the Alliance. Too bad Amina herself wished for love herself...(after all, “Amoura” was basically the word “love” in French)...and didn’t have it. Perhaps one day things would change, but for now, she was alone and useful to the Alliance, and she contented herself with her life–both of her lives.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

            The Dark Moon Family, one of the most prominent appendices of the League, had decided to have a little get-together and not just by whim. Kaiou Michiru and Artemis Lumen had specific plans for this little night, and they had been at the Cote d’Azur for weeks in preparation for a few monumental, upcoming events. The head of the family was known only as the Wiseman, always heavily cloaked in public. It attracted odd looks, especially at the beaches, but he didn’t really spend that much time tanning. Most people backed off when they saw his shriveled, bloodless hands emerge from his cloak, and if they didn’t, they found out quite a few things about the old “grandfather.” He had three sons and one daughter. The oldest son was Diamond, and his closest brother in age and relationship-wise was Sapphire. Between Sapphire and Ruby, the youngest brother, was Emerald, the only daughter. Her eyes were the color of her name, and she was as vindictive as Diamond. Sapphire and Ruby were less maliciously-inclined, although they did have their little tendencies. They were mostly followers and obeyed their ring-leading brother, sister, and father.

            Smiling cruelly to himself, the Wiseman croaked to his offspring, “Well, well, well. We have quite a gathering here tonight. The expected five and an unexpected five. Sapphire! Are you listening to me?”

            Glaring at his father with intense dislike, the dark-haired man replied sullenly, “Yes. I see Kenton Sola-Kane, Alia Anderson, Serafina Aurore, Jedidiah Knight, and Beryllium Izaia-Talon. I also see Amina Amoura, Kakyuu Hime, and Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten Kou. Have I passed the test now?” With the last pointed question, he slumped down further in his seat and scowled darkly.

            While the Wiseman was inarticulate with rage, Diamond sighed in boredom. He was used to digging his little brother out of scrapes. Ruby needed no help getting of his problems, he was a shameless kisser-upper with barely enough brain matter to function properly. But Sapphire, Sapphire was brilliant. Unfortunately, he hated his father, he hated being controlled...come to think of it, he hated almost everything in the world. Despite this, he and Diamond were loyal to each other, something often lost in the present day and age. Clearing his throat when he noticed that the old man was about to berate Sapphire, he asked quickly, “Isn’t that Galaxia over there?”

            “Yes. How surprising. And the Anima-mates with her, too. Ruby! Go and invite them over.”

            Raising his eyebrows, the red-haired man merely nodded and slid out of his chair like a puppy on an errand.

            After he had left, Emerald accused the Wiseman, “You’re setting him up for trouble, aren’t you? It’s pathetic!”

            “Who are you calling pathetic, girl?!”

            “I didn’t mean _you_, of course. I meant my asinine brother. He just does whatever you tell him, and he always takes the blame. I admit it’s a handy circumstance, but you shouldn’t betray blood that way.”

            Diamond asked, “And in what way, Emerald, is Ruby going to get in trouble just by talking to Galaxia? She’s a very..._interesting_ woman, shall we say.”

            Glowering at him, she retorted icily, “I wouldn’t know. But knowing Ruby, he’s going to try and flirt with her first. I hope he remembers what happened last time.”

            Noticing an odd look on Sapphire’s face, the Wiseman barked, “What are you laughing at, boy? Think that’s funny?”

            “No.”

            “Good. You'd better keep thinking that it's not funny.”

            Suddenly, a long flow of golden hair came into view, and the four looked up. Galaxia Caementarius had sashayed casually (if such a thing was possible) over to their table, enjoying the reactions of the other diners. “Good evening, gentlemen, Emerald. Long time no see.”

            “It’s nice to see you again, Galaxia. Please, have a seat. I’ll just ask the waiter to bring more chairs.”

            As Ruby called over a waiter imperiously, the Wiseman turned his gaze over the four women following her, previously overshadowed by her dominating presence. “Mouse. Siren. Crow. Nyanko.”

            Aluminum Siren inclined her head graciously and accepted a seat. “Wiseman. So, have you heard from the League recently?”

            Chuckling darkly to himself, the old man nodded. “Oh, yes, my dear. I have heard from the League...very interesting and important things. But it’s nothing that interest extraordinary women such as yourselves.” No, no. It wouldn’t be interesting to the Anima-Mates or Galaxia...it would be important to five beautiful women across the way. Twelve successful, accomplished, desirable, exquisite...unsuspecting women. A game for more than five was being played, and not all the opponents were aware of their participation–yet.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~