Sorry for the long delay between Amethyst posts! They are time consuming so when I am busy with my not very glamorous life, I don’t have much time to put them together.

This issue is a bit of a filler story before Amethyst gets caught up in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. It has a guest writer (Mindy Newell) and a guest artist (Colleen Doran).

The cover proclaims “Once upon a time….But did they live happily ever after?” and there’s a nice sketch of Amethyst and Topaz riding on her winged unicorn. The title of this issue is “Love Story?”

On Earth, Amy arrives for a babysitting gig. The kids are fighting and their parents are running around trying to get ready. The fraternal twins Nicole and Larry are decked out in orange t-shirts that say “Yes, we’re twins.” Amy restores the peace by promising to do the kids’ chores if they settle down and get into their pajamas. She’ll also tell them a story.

Amy talks about a princess and prince, “Her name was Amethyst and his was Topaz. They had magic powers and lived in a place called the Gemworld. It was a very beautiful land and the people were happy, but one day something terrible came….”

(Click to make the images bigger)

Amethyst struggles with her magic shield as she battles a fire-breathing dragon. She kills it with a magic sword, only to face a new threat. Golden bars form around her and a voice says “Ha! Ha! The fair lady of Castle Amethyst should not gloat over her victory yet! See, your victim fades away!” It is Prince Topaz, inexplicably acting evil! Amethyst begs Topaz to remember everything they’ve meant to each other, and he continues to threaten her only to be surprised when she vanishes. Amethyst wraps Topaz up in purple bonds which he slices through with his sword.

They are interrupted in their game of Dungeons and Dragons when Laral (one of the servants at Castle Amethyst) runs up, her skin discolored. Laral faints, turning into stone when she hits the ground. Topaz explains that Laral has a horrible plague called the Black Onyx. When her life-gem turns black, Laral will die. Amethyst feels that she must help her. Topaz explains that the Black Onyx has afflicted the Gemworld before, and is a sickness sent by the Ancient Ones. Amethyst is worried that her journeying back and forth from the Gemworld to Earth might have left magical traces that will cause the people of Earth to be vulnerable to the plague as well.

Amethyst asks Topaz if he remembers anything else about the previous plague, and he says that there was a story about Citrina and the Emissaries of Varn. Even though Amethyst shares Citrina’s memories, she can’t recall the incident. Topaz speculates “Perhaps it is because the Emissaries demanded payment for their help and that payment was that the truth remain only with Citrina.” Amethyst decides to go find the Emissaries and demand help. Topaz tells her that she’s still unfamiliar with the dangers of the Gemworld and he is going to go in her place. Amethyst says “No. You chose your destiny with Lady Turquoise. Now you cannot interfere in mine! Just wish me luck.”

Amethyst takes off on her flying unicorn to search for the Varn dimension. She sees other kingdoms in the Gemworld have been stricken with the plague. She isn’t sure where to go. Topaz calls out to her, and says that he won’t let her pride deny his help. Topaz leads them to Varn and they start flying into the sun.

On Earth the twins debate if Topaz loved Amethyst. Amy says “Only as a best friend or as a brother.” Larry requests more action in his story. Topaz and Amethyst fly through a doorway in the Gemworld’s sun. They are protected by a cool layer of magic, but the heat of the sun starts to break though. They are suddenly whisked away to the Varn dimension, a world that seems to be set in the cold of outer space. There’s very little gravity there.

Amethyst asks the Emissaries for help, they tell her that the answer is within her, and she shouldn’t waste her years on earth. Amethyst and Topaz are sent back to the Gemworld and she makes an unfortunate discovery – she has the plague!

Amethyst thinks back to science class and remembers vaccines. She decides that she has to teach Topaz how to make the medicine, complete with a quote from Star Wars.

Topaz is pretty when he cries!

He then makes the vaccine and cures Amethyst!

Amethyst gets another idea for delivering the vaccine to the Gemworld – she seeds the clouds, creating a healing rain. Everybody lives happily ever after!

The twins still debate over the possibility of Topaz and Amethyst getting married. Amy says it would have been nice, but some things just stay in the land of make-believe.

This was a very nice self-contained issue. Topaz was much less jerky than usual and the friendly relationship between him and Amethyst was a nice break from all the angst. Unfortunately it all goes downhill from here when Amethyst is pulled into one of the first big comics crossover events, the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Next: Bad things happen to Amethyst! Very bad things! Nooooooooooooooooooo!