Chapters 61 - 70
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Æ Angel Ivy: (*looks up to the heavens*) It is time, the world is in peril: Guardian of Memory, Eternal ruler of Magic, I ask you for your presence.
*A cloud of smoke appears the pink haired guardian steps out*
Mnemosyne: Yes, child?
Æ Angel Ivy: (*kneels down before Mnemosyne*) I ask, teacher, that you help me and my friends. Guide us to the Shrine of Heaven so we may have the breath of Life, the seventh and final elemental.
Mnemosyne: How many have you gathered?
Æ Angel Ivy: We have only gathered one, the Fire Ruby
Mnemosyne: Can't you sense it, that your group has another elemental key in their possession?
Æ Angel Ivy: Huh? What do you mean? All we have is the Fire Ruby
Mnemosyne: No you have one more, the earth plate
Jeff: Earth Plate? You got to be kidding me! Who thinks up these cheesy names?
Mnemosyne: The Guardians of Magic of course, so if you don't want to be cursed with bad luck I would suggest not making fun of us
Jeff: HeeHeeHee, they're good names, I mean great names
Mnemosyne: Good, Warteen that item you have, it's the Earth Plate
Warteen: (*takes out CD case object() really?
Mnemosyne: Yes really. And in order to get to the Shrine of Heaven we have have to transfer to the spiritual realm, the realm where only magic may be used because you will be figting spirits, so just regular attacks will not be of any use.
Jon: So, what you're saying is that the people who can't use magic will not be of any use, that we will only be a liability if we go?
Mnemosyne: Yes, that is correct
Luna: So I guess Me, Cosmo, Ivy, Mnemosyne, Keeper, Jeff and Lone Wolf should go.
Lone Wolf: No, I shouldn't go
Luna: Wha? Why?
Lone Wolf: My magical abilities are still only manifesting, and I still don't have complete control over them. I might do something that could cause serious problems in the spiritual realm.
Luna: I guess that makes sense
Mnemosyne: I guess that settles it
Warteen: Wait!
Mnemosyne: Yes child, what is it?
Warteen: What are me, Lone Wolf, Raistlin, Garreth and Jon are going to do?
Mnemosyne: Track down the other elemental keys
Gareth: And how exactly are we going to do that? (*takes out pen and paper*)
Mnemosyne: Use this (*a light appears in her hands and transforms into a small crytal*) Just spin the crystal around and it will point you in the direction you need to go. (*she hands the crystal to Warteen*) Now don't lose it, sell it, or break it or you'll have to deal with me when I get back. Shall we be off?
*Luna, Cosmo, Ivy, Keeper and Jeff gather around Mnemosyne*
Luna: To think, we are going to another realm, it's really rather exciting isn't it?
Keeper: It really is. I hope my old heart can take it
Jeff: Don't worry keeper, me and Ivy are with you. We'll make sure nothing happens
Ivy: Yes, and since your magic is so powerful, in the spirit realm you are as strong as your magic. So you will be fine
Cosmo: Well since this realm is so powerful I may be able to pick up some new powerful spells to add to my collection.
Mnemosyne: Well then, I guess we should go. TELEPORT!!!!
*The 6 are teleported to the spirit realm to find the Heaven Shrine and the Breath of Life which dwells in it*
Warteen: So, I guess we should get on with our mission and spin this crystal
Raistlin: Hold it... I'm not sure what you guys will do, but I am getting broke hanging around people like you. I'm an assassin for hire and I can't live off the meager scraps of money that the hero business is bringing me. So I guess this is where we will part ways.
Garreth: So this is where we will part ways
Raistlin: Yep
Jon: Sorry to hear that. Hopefully we'll meet again, and hope that you don't have contract to snuff us out
Raistlin: You'd better hope that, because I am a master assassin and by the time you figure out that I was after you, you'd be dead (*Raistlin walks away*)
Warteen: Well, I guess I'll spin the crystal if no one else is leaving
Lone Wolf: Just spin the thing
*Warteen spins the crystal. It points northbound*
Warteen: I guess the closest elemental key is northward, come on!
*Warteen, Lone Wolf and Jon start to walk away*
Jon: (*yells*) Hey Gareth, you coming?
Gareth: (*yells*) Yeah, just continue walking and give me a minute to collect my thoughts
*Warteen, Lone Wolf and Jon continue to walk. Sootdust appears in front of Gareth*
Sootdust: Have you got any new information?
Gareth: (*feeling guilty*) Here! (*gives Sootdust his notes*) This is all the information I got. It's about a Heaven Shrine and the Breath of Life. Now will you let my family go?
Sootdust: No, you still may prove useful to me
Gareth: Oh, please?
Sootdust: Sorry, continue collecting info for me and I may consider letting your family go. (*Sootdust disapears in a cloud of dust*)
Gareth: (*yells*) Hey guys, wait up! I didn't think you would get that far ahead! (*talks normally*) Sorry, but I must do this for my families sake...
-- Meanwhile in the spirit realm --
Mnemosyne: We have entered the spirit realm
Jeff: How far is it till the Heaven Shrine?
Æ Angel Ivy: Still quite a while
Luna: Oh my! Ivy, we forgot to tell them about Jons demon possessed Monkeys!
Æ Angel Ivy: No need to worry, I put a sealing spell on those demons before we left. That spell should be able to contain them.
-- Mean while where Kudam-Sa is --
Kudam-Sa: Now how am I supposed to find those brats? Well at least I can get the Brain of Ice for EPI
*teleports to the ice shrine and looks into the hiding spot*
Kudam-Sa: What, it's gone? But if I don't find it I will be dead for sure! Well, those brats must have it. I have to find them and force them to give it back to me. Now where are those brats?
Lone Wolf
*Midnight*
Marril: Marril!
*Yes, that's what I just said.*
*gar, þlacebø and Marril are standing in a field, waiting around.*
þlacebø: Eh, so what be th' plan again?
gar: þlacebø, this is the 15th time you've asked now.
þlacebø: That be a lie…an' you know it.
gar: Okay…
*Long pause.*
gar: It's simple…check out the pattern in this field.
þlacebø: Pattern? I an' I thought it be a crop circle.
gar: Just look at it…go on.
þlacebø: 'kay mon.
*The huge crop circle in the field forms the following shape:*
(V)
gar: Basically, this is where (V)'s bomb is going to land.
Marril: Marr…
þlacebø: No' a dam suicide mission?!
gar: Of course not…basically, a huge reflective field should be able to stop the bomb…
þlacebø: How did you make a huge reflective shield, mon?
Marril: Marril, marril, marr. Rill, rill, marril marril, marril.
þlacebø: You think this be enough t' stop (V)'s bomb?
gar: Yes.
þlacebø: Seriously?
gar: Yes.
&Another long pause.*
þlacebø: ARE YOU F***IN' CRAZY?!?!
gar: What?! Hey, c'mon. We're talking about a 1200 year-old GF here! How hard can it be?! I mean, remember the Brothers? Everybody can defeat them in our time!
þlacebø: Study you history, mon! (V) was created 2 years ago!
gar: WHAT!?!
þlacebø: Don' you remember? (V) be a man-made GF, which that loony scientist Vin Val created! It's far more powerful than most GFs of this time.
gar: Oh…my…god…
*Yet another long pause.*
gar: There's absolutely no way we can stand up to this monster.
þlacebø: Well you better have a decent plan then…the bombs ready to hit in 2 minutes!!!
Marril: …(*frozen*)…
gar: Hoo boy…(*looks up at the sky*)
*A huge missile is heading for where the trio are standing. Up in the sky, there is a large star crossing the sky.*
Large star: sssschhhhhh…On to tha' next planet…must find Vin Val….psssffff
gar: Run back a bit! Try and see what bomb he's dropping!
*gar casts a speeding up spell on everyone. The trio speeds 5 miles away from where they were previously standing.*
þlacebø: Well that were a good idea, donkya bwoy! We got 20 seconds left.
gar: Oh no…(*looking at the sky*)…it's a chain bomb!
Marril: Marril!
gar: Yeah, we'll have to teleport out.
þlacebø: But…where to?
gar: Somewhere…in space…it's the only way. The bomb will engulf the entire planet after an hour or so.
þlacebø: I an' I 'ope you know what you doin'.
gar: Of course I don't!
þlacebø: Well come on then!
gar: Yeah, I'm just quickly searching for some decent co-ordinates…
þlacebø: 3 seconds!
gar: Oh hell…
Marril: MARRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIL!!!!
gar: HERE GOES NOTHIN'! TELEPORRRR…(*the group teleports out*)
*The bomb hits and a big vertical explosion (shaped like a stalagmite) hurtles upwards leaving a big crater in the field. Then several similar detonations occur round it. This process continues across the planet's surface, destroying everything in it's path…*
---------------
*Meanwhile, in space…the trio warp in…*
gar: ……
þlacebø: ……
Marril: ……
*gar mouths the 'f' word.*
*The trio are, quite obviously, floating about in space.*
*Marril produces a sheet of paper from out of nowhere and hands some sheets to gar and þlacebø, and a couple of pens.*
*þlacebø writes something on his sheet of paper.*
þlacebø: (*on paper*) Can we breathe?
gar: (*also on paper…the following conversation is on paper*) Yes.
þlacebø: How come?
gar: That chemical (V) left in his path is breatheable, for some reason.
þlacebø: I can't speak.
gar: Neither can I.
þlacebø: Look other there.(*points*)
*gar turns around (slowly) and sees the explosions travelling 'round the planet.*
gar: We were lucky.
þlacebø: Is that (V)? ?
*gar sees the thing that dropped the bomb travelling off into the distance. His mouth drops open.*
gar: That's not (V)! That's…
TO BE CONTINUED
Marril
-- Evening before the arrival of the star, in the library of the town --
Editor: So that's basically the story so far.
Jim: So what are we going to do about the situation? We've got to do something.
Editor: If I know Gareth, he won't give in to that lousy Sootdust.
---------------
*Where the other group is*
Gareth: (*thinks*) I've given in to that lousy Sootdust
---------------
Editor: But Just in case, we've got to think of something. Been a while since I've done field work anyway
Jim: Are you sure Hood? I mean...
Editor: Nonsense, you're as young as ya feel.
Jim: Fine sir. Now, what do we know?
Editor: I've been doing some research on the topic while you were getting here, I haven't wasted my time you know. (*He points to a pile of books on the table*) Basically what Shootdust...
Jim: Sootdust, sir
Editor: Fine, don't correct me. Well he used a Link spell. They're basically easy to undo with a dispel. You only need to cast it on one of the linked members and the whole network goes down.
Jim: Sound simple enough
Editor: One or two major problems, firstly, we can't just go casting a dispel on a wizard like Sootdust, he'd fry us. So we have to cast it on one of Gareth's family members. There been held in Lokin Castle, if I am correct. Two, neither of us even knows how to do a dispel.
Jim: We'll have to worry about that later, find a gypsy or something. You sure you're up to this Hood?
Editor: You're as young as you feel. Now come along. Just let me get my bow (*blows off the dust*) Been a long time since I even used this. Been a long time since I did any field work at all, too long. If those maniacs think they can just help themselves to my newspaper, they've got another thing coming!
Jim: Good to have you back Hood.
-- At Lokin Castle, just outside the gate. --
After a quick teleport, the Editor and Jim appear behind some bushes*
Jim: That icy town sure has good public transport.
Editor: Shush. We've got to find a way in. (*thinks for a second*) Ok, you see those guards, in the window there?
Jim: Yes?
Editor: (*Explains plan*) Got it?
Jim: Yes (*Removing long bow*)
Editor: Good (*Getting an arrow ready, he chants*)
Oh forces of good,
Make this shot a profound hit!
*The Editor fires an arrow. It flies through the window and hits a painting just a second before the guard steps there
Jim: He'll go tell his masters that they're under attack.
Editor: We might as well use this time to conceal ourselves. (*He chants a quick vanish spell*)
*The gate to the castle opens and five ninjas jump out*
Editor: I've been saving this arrow for just such an occasion. (*He get out an emerald green arrow*) I'm sure it does something special, I have no idea what though. (*Fires the arrow*)
*the arrow lands perfectly in the middle of the ninjas. A puff of green smoke enshrouds them. When it clears there are only frogs.
Jim: Well I wasn't expecting that.
Editor: Come on, into the castle while the bridge is down.
*They rush into the castle, and head down some deserted tunnels into the dungeons*
Editor: (*Looking through a door*) This is the one, help me here.
Jim: Hello, is there anyone in there?
Female voice: Huh? Hey, stop torturing us like that!
Jim: We've come to rescue you.
Voice: Oh, sorry. Hey, the keys are on the hook out there.
Jim: (*Nods, the Editor goes to grab them*)
Voice: Who are you?
Jim: We're from Gareth's work. You sound a little young to be grown up.
Voce: I'm only 12, my mother died when I was very young. My name is Elcey. There's also my little brother Mat in here too
Jim: (*Hangs head*) I'm sorry, I didn't know.
Elcey: She was always an explorer like Gareth. They never really settled down.
Editor: Here they are (*Unlocks the door*)
Elcey: Hey, where are you?
Editor: We're invisible. (*Chants a few lines*) You're invisible now, but you should be able so see us.
Elcey: Ah, yes.
Mat: That old man looks funny.
Elcey: Not the time Mat
Jim: Don't you think this has gone too well? We're invisible, but this place seems deserted.
Elcey: The guards left a while ago. Something about something called (V) and the shadow in the sky
Editor: Well that's not important. We have to get out. We'll work that out later.
Jim: No, I know what (V) is, it is important. But you're right, there's no time to explain.
*They make for the exit*
---------------
Keeper: I haven't felt so young in years!
Jeff: Nether have I, and I'm young
Mnemosyne: You will feel much younger here, you're are free the leaden weight of a corporal form.
AE Angel Ivy: Hey, what's that over there?
Mnemosyne: That dark cloud, (*focus*) That is (V)!
Jeff: What!
Mnemosyne: (V)! (V) is coming.
AE Angle Ivy: What is (V)?
Mnemosyne: A destroyer of worlds, a power so forceful that I'm mot sure I will even stand a chance of beating it. Wait, that isn't (V)! It's an offspring of (V)!
*Flash*
Uforious: (*Spreads hands*) It is twilight of this imperfect universe
Cosmo: It's you again!
Mnemosyne: Child, was it you that released the beast?
Uforious: You! Don't call me that!
Jeff: Aren't you dead?
Mnemosyne: Uforious has been dead for 1500 years.
Uforious: As night approaches, I become ever more strong.
Mnemosyne: You could call his a sort of ghost.
Cosmo: It fired. The planet going to die.
Mnemosyne: That's not even the real (V). When it arrives all hope is lost.
Uforious: We will meet again when you have the breath of life. It is what I require to recreate the universe once this one is destroyed
*Flash*
TO BE CONTINUED...
UFO
*The offspring of (V) crashes into the Earth*
(V) Jr.: I am which envelops all with darkness
*a blaze of fire bursts out engulfing the world*
(V) Jr.: I am the source in which all chaos is born from
*a blaze of fire erupts, strengthening the existing blaze*
(V) Jr.: I am your final judgement, the final source of doom
*(V) Jr., previously in a form of a meteorite, transforms into a demon made of fire and travels away from the now burnt planet*
(V) Jr.: I am the offspring of (V), I am Chaos!
-- Elsewhere --
Warteen: What the...!!!!
Jon Spike: Ack!!
*the flame envelops them all*
-- Meanwhile on the spiritual plane --
Æ Angel Ivy: Auggghhhh!!!!
Mnemosyne: What is it, child?
Æ Angel Ivy: Can't you feel it?
Jeff: Feel what?
Æ Angel Ivy: The cry, the cry of millions of innocents being slaughtered
Keeper: What? No, you must be mistaken
Æ Angel Ivy: The scream is unmistakable! I almost passed out from the sheer force of it
Luna: Then Lone Wolf, Warteen, Jeff, and Garreth are...
Mnemosyne: Possibly, but we won't know until we arrive back on earth
Luna: Then send us back
Mnemosyne: I can't, not while the monster who has caused this is still near the earth. The shrine of the heavens has a mirror. When you look into it you can see anything in the cosmos
Luna: I can't wait that long, I need to go back now!!! (*grabs Mnesmosyne*) Now send me back or your death scream will be the next one we hear!
Mnemosyne: (*Mnesmosyne slaps Luna*) Don't challenge a guardian, or you will be sure to die
Luna: I don't care, I want my friends back!
Mnemosyne: Come on everyone, follow me to the Heaven Shrine. We will see all when we arrive
Cosmo: Are you ok Ivy?
Æ Angel Ivy: (*tears streaming down her face*) yes, fine
Cosmo: Umm... How come you were the only one to hear this scream?
Æ Angel Ivy: With my new powers and my strong connection with the world, how could I not hear it?
Cosmo: Oh? (*thinks to self*) could Uforous have sent this child of doom to Earth so that his ultimate universe can exist? Well, he'll have the fight of his life ahead of him, as long as I and my ragnarok are still here. He'll never get close enough to the breath of life!
-- meanwhile --
Warteen: Aughhhh!!! Huh? I'm alive, but I can't see anything besides fire surrounding me. How can this be...?
Lone Wolf: I am not sure either, but we're alive. Isn't that all that matters?
Jon: Guys, look! (*points upward to the Fire Ruby and Earth Plate*)
Garreth: It's protecting us
Lone Wolf: But while we're in here our world is being destroyed!
Jon: Oh no, I just thought of something. If we're being protected by these elemental keys...
Garreth: Then so are Evil People Inc. and the others who've gotten these elemental keys!
Warteen: So I guess this is the true power of the elemental keys. Or at least one of them
Garreth: No!!! Then my children, they're....
Jon: and our world its gone....
*The fire clears. The elemental keys stop emitting the shield and fall to the ground. Warteen picks them back up and puts them into his pocket*
Lone Wolf: Oh my...
Warteen: The world, it is like in my dream
Lone Wolf: It's complete chaos...
Warteen: The dream of doom is becoming reality
Lone Wolf: Looks like the final scene is set, but there's still time to change the ending before the final curtain comes down!
-- Meanwhile gar, þlacebø and Marril out in space still writing on pieces of paper --
gar: (*writes*) seems the explosions have stopped
Þlacebø: (*writes*) yeah, but what good does that do to us? We're stuck here is space
gar: (*writes*) Well then I'll just cast a teleportation spell
þlacebø: (*writes*) Um, mon how are you supposed to cast the spell without chanting in the incantation?
gar: (*writes*) Darn, you're right. Then I guess there is no choice
Þlacebø: (*writes*) wot you going to do?
gar: (*writes*) Marril, give me the psi-eye
Marril: (*mouths the word*) Marril! (*gives gar the psi-eye*)
*gar concentrates hard on the psi-eye and they are teleported back to earth*
þlacebø: Hey mon, how'd you do that?
gar: Easily. The elemental keys protect the keeper, so when the keeper is in mortal danger it protected us. Other than that, the only power the keys possess are when they are all gathered together
þlacebø: So mon, we da keeper?
gar: of course we're the keeper. The keeper is the person who has possession of the elemental key. Generally the elemental keys are only given to priests and priestesses, that's where the idea that only priests can be keepers of the elemental keys came from
þlacebø: oh
gar: and so we got to gather the elemental keys to save this world?
þlacebø: huh? Why?
gar: just think for a minute.... if we don't save this world we won't exist in the future and sooner or later, since we won't exist, we will just disappear from existance!
þlacebø: oh.. den one mor question... why were we after the elemental keys before?
gar: I got tired of garden gnomes in the front yard, so I decided to spruce things up by putting magical keys which could destroy the world in my front yard, to give it that mystical feel
þlacebø: really?
gar: NO! NOT REALLY! WE WERE ONLY GATHERING THEM TO SELL THEM ON THE BLACK MARKET SO WE COULD LIVE THE HIGH LIFE!
þlacebø: oh I see now
gar: Somehow, I highly doubt that
To Be Continued
Lone Wolf
*The group on the ground has walked in the direction which the compass points for several hours. It's now approaching dawn. Everything is scorched, the trees are ash, the ground is gray, the sky is red. Despite being further north than the Ice Shrine, the air is scorching. Every so often a glowing spark drifts down from the sky and lands on warm earth. There is an increasing feeling of tension and guilt. After coming over the top of another hill and looking down on another empty valley, Lone Wolf suddenly shouts out, frustrated and tired:*
Lone Wolf: WWWHHHYYYY!?
Gareth: (*taken by surprise*) Yarrr, oh boy that was loud.
Lone Wolf: WWHHYYY!? (*begins to shamelessly cry looking at all the destruction*) All this destruction, for what? [AN: I think anyone would do this considering their entire world was destroyed. I'm not trying to offend anyone]
Jon: Is something wrong?
Lone Wolf: No, it's kind of funny. I guess you really can't cheat fate. It's exactly what was in my dream. It all came to pass. Why did we bother?
Warteen: I feel kind of the same way, I dreamt that a creature would come down and destroy the world.
Gareth: Perhaps we should get some rest, you look tired. Even the strongest can't keep going infinitely
Jon: Don't forget, the dreams have now come to pass and the future is once again uncertain.
Warteen: Come on, you can't give up now. Remember what Ivy...
Lone Wolf: Ivy was a fool. She should have gone on with her life and left me there. I'm not special, what have I done? Have I prevented the end? No! We're still stuck here wandering these wastes.
Jon: Don't say such things about Ivy.
Lone Wolf: You're right, that was uncalled for. It's, it's just so hard knowing Ivy trusted me that much to do something significant. I've been under so much pressure lately to fill boots which seem too big for anyone to fill.
Warteen: (*with tear in eye*) We all have, remember when we fist met at the Forest shrine gate?
Lone Wolf: Seems like yesterday, and yet an age ago.
Jon: You rescued Ivy, Luna, and the keeper. You faught all those Ninjas in Castle Lokin.
Gareth: If my notes are correct, you haven't failed us at all throughout.
Warteen: Hey, remember that night just after we found Jon? When he couldn't get to sleep on the rough earth but found he could sleep better when tied up?
*The group giggle for a while, thinking about the good time's they've had, and the funny things people have said in and out of chapters*
Gareth: (*giggling*) And when Cosmo turned Raistlin into a anteater?
*Suddenly, the group stop, subconsciously realizing that times like that will never happen again.*
<
Gareth: The explorer, old Hood, my children, they'll never be again.
Lone Wolf: I guess you have to live each day of your life to the full, because tomorrow you could be dead. Come on, let's sleep. I mean we need it. Look at us, giggling like this.
*They do*
---------------
*The group wakes up around evening when the world is somewhat cooler. They eat breakfast and head out north following the compass.*
Gareth: How much farther North can we possibly go? I thought there was nothing much further than the ice shrine.
Warteen: Perhaps there'll be something over this next rise.
Gareth: Hope so.
Lone Wolf: That's what you've said about every other rise we've passed over.
*They walk up over the top.*
Gareth, Jon, Lone Wolf, Warteen: Whahahhahat the?
*They're looking over the top of the rise. Stretching before them is a city, but like no city they've ever seen before. There are huge Hi-tech buildings, flying transports and other weird stuff.*
Gareth: This is definitely not on any of the maps I've seen.
Warteen: We're further north than anyone's ever been before. If it wasn't for the heat of the (V) bomb, we would have frozen by now.
Lone Wolf: (*Suddenly, with more enthusiasm, and more like his old self*) Come on, let's have a look!
*The intrepid band of heroes rush down the valley wall to the entrance to the city. There's a sign that says:*
Wellcom to the City o Unity
Gareth: These people can't spell.
Jon: Could be a local dialect.
Warteen: (*looks at narrator*) Could be 'cos you're writing this and we all know you can't spell, that's why you'll never be a wizard.
*They walk around the city for a few minutes, flabbergasted at things they've never seen before. Lone Wolf looks at a photograph*
Lone Wolf: I have never seen such art before, the painter must have been a fantastic artist.
Jon: Just amazing.
*Suddenly a group of robed figures marches up to the flabbergasted group*
Red Robed figure: Presenting the president of the kingdom of the northern region.
Blue Robed figure: Hello Price Lone Wolf, I have always hoped for the pleasure of meeting you, although I always hoped it would be at a happier time. No need for words now, just follow us. We will explain all.
-- Later in a large room --
President: Let's see, where should I begin?
Gareth: The beginning?
President: Very good, er...
Gareth: Gareth, this is Jon, Warteen, and you seem to know Lone Wolf.
President: We'll I'd better start. Several thousand years ago down south, we were all one people, the people of your kingdom, and our cities. Then came the great disaster. No one knows what happened, just that it did. People wanted to know where to turn. Some chose magic, those were your descendants; some chose science, they were ours. Both groups thought that the other was wrong. Eventually we decided to move away, possibly for many reasons, maybe because we wanted to hide that fact that you were ahead at that point. We don't know why any more, but we moved north. Nether side worried to much about the other until the freezing of the mountains. By the time ether the technology or the magic was developed to cross the range, each had forgotten about the other.
Lone Wolf: (*Looking like he can't quite believe what he's hearing*) So why have you remembered now?
President: Because one of us found documents on magic, which had previously been laughed at. He tried them out. He found results, but without guidance he turned evil. That was about 1500 years ago. This individual was eventually caught and sentenced to death. But even then his spirit lingered, his will to create a "prefect universe" was too strong. He headed south. Ever since then we've been watching the south. We really should have tried to make contact, but we were too proud and we soon lost interest. An suddenly, 1500 years later the shadow emerges again.
Jon: What was this person's name?
President: He had a really weird old name... Uforious F. Octus, I think.
Jon: We've met.
Lone Wolf: Wait, how did this city survive the (V) bomb.
President: We used a force field to deflect it.
Lone Wolf: I don't understand what that is.
President: And how did you survive?
Lone Wolf: We used the Fire Ruby's magic to protect us.
President: I don't understand what that is, but it shows magic is as good a technology in it's own way.
Lone Wolf: Together we probably could have stopped the (V) bomb.
Jon: Hey, wait, have you ever seen something like this? (*describes robotic octopus*)
Prudent: That's what we call a robot.
Jon: So that's where Evil People Inc. got it from.
President: You have head of Evil People Inc.?
Gareth: Have we head of them!
President: Well I suppose you'll want to know what a corporation is (*explains it, none of the party understand*) never mind. So Evil People have learned that unity is strength have they? The seem to operate in both our worlds, only differently. You probably need rest now, it's getting late.
*The group are shown to rooms with comfortable beds where they sleep uneasily*
TO BE CONTINUED...
UFO
*The next morning, the group is getting into a transport.*
President: We can take you as far as the northern boundary, but that's it. From there on you'll be on your own.
Lone Wolf: What's the northern boundary?
President: That's a very good question. The pilot will tell you more about it when you get there. Take care! (*The helicopter lifts off*)
-- With the Spirit plane party --
*They've been floating along for many hours without speech. Suddenly there is a bright flash*
Mnemosyne: So it is agreed, we try and help Lone Wolf.
Cosmo: Come on, lets do it.
Luna: Teleport us back.
AE Angel Ivy: Wait, there's something not right about this. It's like trying to remember something you know that you know, but you just...
*Flash*
Mnemosyne: Very well, I will begin the spell.
AE Angel Ivy: Wait, I was about to say something. It was important, but I can't remember what.
Luna: Can you remember anything about it? What is was....
*Flash*
Luna: Lone Wolf may be in grave danger, we have no time to lose.
Cosmo: Have you had the feeling we've had this conversation before?
Jeff: Yeah.
AE Angel Ivy: That was it! I think...
*flash*
Mnemosyne: What was it child?
AE Angel Ivy: What was what?
Jeff: You just said "that was it! I think..." then stopped.
*Flash*
Jeff: Let's just get on with this.
Cosmo: After all that journeying in the spirit plane, doesn't that seem a waste? Could we split into two groups? One to...
*Flash*
Cosmo: Naw, too complicated. Let's just get on with this.
Keeper: What's to complicated?
AE Angel Ivy: I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall.
Jeff: Ivy, what's wrong?
*Flash*
Jeff: Ivy, get a hold of yourself, we're going back.
AE Angel Ivy: You didn't say that a second ago.
Jeff: Say what?
*Flash*
AE Angel Ivy: There it goes again.
Jeff: I think I feel something.
Cosmo: What are you blabbering on about? We're going back.
Keeper: Come on.
AE Angel Ivy: No, there's something wrong. We're being manipulated.
*Flash*
AE Angel Ivy: But it's not working.
Cosmo: What are you blabbering on about? We're going back.
Jeff: No we're not, this is a trick, keep strong Tom, clear you mind.
Cosmo: I sort of feel something...
*Flash*
Cosmo: No nothing, lets go.
Jeff: Who's doing this?
Cosmo: You seem pretty convinced.
AE Angel Ivy: Stay strong.
Cosmo: Ok, I'll try.
*Flash*
Cosmo: Oh yeah, if you're expecting it, it doesn't affect you.
Mnemosyne: So it is agreed, we're going to try to find out about Lone Wolf
AE Angel Ivy: Wait! Focus you mind and expect something to try to shove ideas in to it.
Mnemosyne: Why, Child?
AE Angel Ivy: Just do it.
*Flash*
Keeper: Good grief, I've never felt something like that before.
Luna: We almost gave up our quest.
Mnemosyne: We must keep out minds strong here. There could be other tricks like that.
Jeff: Who's doing this?
Luna: Someone who doesn't want us to make it to the Heaven Shrine.
AE Angel Ivy: Uforious?
Mnemosyne: We will have to look out for more tricks like that.
-- Back with Lone Wolf, Gareth, Jon and Warteen --
Gareth: Wow! Have you seen the view from up here!
Jon: Uhhh, I feel sick
Warteen: So do I.
Gareth: Don't you think it's inspiring? We're flying! Like birds! You know, when this is all over I'm going to write a book on this adventure. Forget a newspaper story, it'll be a best seller!
Lone Wolf: So what is the northern boundary?
Pilot: Oh, that. Well, at the very north of this planet, there's this wall of magic. We're not sure what it is, but we can't get thorough it. Anything we try and send gets fried.
Lone Wolf: (*thinks*) Hmmm, could a shrine heart get through it? Is that why Reod needed the brain of the ice? Obviously, Reod needed the brain of the ice to get through. We're going to have to follow him
Pilot: Fine, now let me concentrate.
-- Back on the spirit plain --
Jeff: We need to know, who is Uforious?
Mnemosyne: (*deep in thought*) What was that?
Jeff: Who is Uforious?
Mnemosyne: You could call him a child with a loaded wand. I'm not sure what he thinks he's doing, but at this rate he's a threat to the entire universe. We will perhaps find more answers when were reach the Heaven Shrine.
-- Back to reality. Our heroes are at the northern boundary --
*The boundary looks like a blue wall of flame. Nothing can be seen though it. Warteen spins the compass, and it points directly though the barrier*
Lone Wolf: This is it. We have to take a leap of faith. We may get fried or we may get a chance to win back the Brain of the ice. And find out who Reod is. (*They all stare at the wall of flame for a moment*)
Warteen: We should all go at once.
Lone Wolf: No, one should go alone and then report back. Only when we know it to be safe should we risk everyone.
Jon: Then, we'd better hope our enemy knows what he is doing.
Gareth: They've protected us gained a (V) bomb, this is probably child's play.
Warteen: Who shall go?
Lone Wolf: I will. (*The other stare at him*)
Warteen: Why?
Lone Wolf: If I am truly to do something special, then I can't die here. So I will go.
Warteen: Here is the Fire Ruby, good luck my friend...
*Without another word, Lone Wolf hesitates for a second then leaps boldly into the flames*
Gareth: I hope he's ok.
Warteen: Don't worry. If he gets into any more trouble he'll have Luna to deal with.
-- With gar, þlacebø and Marril --
þlacebø: So if that is the offspring of (V), why are you getting all worked up mon?
Gar: Because if it can reproduce, we could have a Universe full of them! We already theoretically don't exist.
Marril: Marril
þlacebø: So why are we still here, mon?
Gar: I think this thingy is protecting us (Indicates the Psy-Eye) We can't let anyone take it or we'll cease to exist.
-- With Lone wolf --
*It all goes white, then black, then silhouetted against the darkness a very familiar shadow seems to be laughing at him. "Fool" it seems to say "Fool, the end is nigh, you have already lost! (V) will cometh just like I commanded, and this time you shall not be spared!" Then suddenly, Lone Wolf finds himself on the other side...*
UFO
*Lone Wolf looks across the baren landscape before him. It is covered in huge drifts of snow and sheets of ice as far as the eye can see, and it is nightime. The only distinguishing part of the scene was a bright aurora off in the northern sky.*
Lone Wolf: ... how beautiful.. but barren....
*Lone Wolf turns and walks through the wall of flame for a seccond time*
---------------
-- Angel Ivy and the Magic wielders have made it through to the Shrine of Heaven --
Æ Angel Ivy: We've finally made it. Now, who will go inside and retrieve the breath of life?
Jeff: I'll go in. we made it this far as a group, I want the spotlight for a minute! (*winks*) Is there anything I should do to get it?
Æ Angel Ivy: you just have to ask the cherubs inside for it.
Mnemosyne: They are 3 in number.
Jeff: (*pulls his shoulders up*) OKay! I'm going in! (*walks to the entry of the Shrine*)
---------------
Warteen: there ya are! what'd you see? (*Lone Wolf fully withdraws from the wall of fire*)
Lone Wolf: It sure is cold over there. there's snow all over the place. I didn't see much else, except for an aurora. I also thought I saw some smoke.....
Raistlin: Well, we're not getting anywhere just by sitting here. Let's go find the smoke. Maybe there's someplace to go out there.
*so, the group packs up and heads through the fire 2 at a time, one comming back with both the plate of earth and the fire ruby, and taking someone else over. The group stops just a few feet from the boundary, staring up at the beautiful show the aurora is putting on for them*
Gareth: Wow! I wish i had my photographer with me.
Lone Wolf: (*Silently heads off towards the small, barely visible plume of smoke*)
---------------
-- Inside the Shrine of Heaven --
Jeff: Uh... Hello?
*three small, childlike figures pop up from behind a tall Desk*
1st Cherub: Yes?
2nd Cherub: Can
3rd Cherub: We
1st Cherub: Help
in chorus: You????
Jeff: (*slightly confused*) yeah.. I'd like to use the Breath of Life.
First Cherub: Oh! well then! (*come out from behind the desk. He had obviously been standing on some sort of stool or box, because he was only slightly over 2 feet tall*) This is Meeny (*points at 3rd Cherub*) and Miny (*nods towards the 2nd*) and I'm Moe.
Jeff: okay! Glad to meet you.. Meeny, Miny, Moe.
Meeny: You're going to have to address us all correctly, without any mistakes (*Meeny and Miny come from behind the desk. They are practically identical to Moe.*)
Jeff: ahhh.. how long will this be?
Miny: We're going to give you a tour around the shrine.. one at a time.
Jeff: one at a time?
Meeny: yep (*evil glint enters his eye*)
---------------
-- two hours later with Lone Wolf --
Gareth: I think I see a light!
Raistlin: OOOOhhh. even Ninjas aren't too fond of the cold... lets get there. [CONTINUITY?-- no Raistlin... same for rest of Rasitlin's lines]
*the four sludge across another dune, and are faced with a wonderous site*
Warteen: (*falling to his knees in thanks*) It's a House!!!! (*jumps up and starts running towards the cabin*)
Lone Wolf: (*shouting*) Stop!
Warteen: (*stops in his tracks. turns to face Lone Wolf*) What is it? I bet it's warm in there!
Lone Wolf: Who is in there? For all we know, it could be a EP inc. headquarters!
Raistlin: OH! you stay out here in the cold then! I'm going in! (*joins Warteen and Jon, they start running for the house*)
Gareth: you know.. they could be right. I don't like frostbite anymore then the next man. you can follow me in, I'll yell to you if there is somthing wrong.
Lone Wolf: (*to self*) ~I don't know if i exactly trust him..... but he hasn't done anything to hurt us yet......~ Alright. that sounds fine.
*so,the group is heading for the snow-covered cabin, in the hopes of food and warmth*
---------------
-- an hour later, in the Shrine of Heaven --
Jeff: ungh.... Moe.... what is this place?
Moe: this is the pantry closet. We keep all of our love-sweetened apples and cherries in here.
Jeff: Plod... Plod... Plod..... (*Moe runs around corner and is replaced with Meeny*) uhm...... oh so tired! Meeny.. where are we off to?
Meeny: we're going to the keeping room.
Jeff: The Keeping room?
Meeny: yes, it's where we keep the breath of life.
Jeff: (*perks up*) The breath of life?
Meeny: (*smiling*) yep.
Jeff: (*sigh*) so.. how far?
Meeny: We're almost there. hold on a minute. (*Meeny runs into an alcove, and returns in a seccond*)
Jeff: Meeny, are we there yet?
Meeny: aw! yes.... (*sing-songy*) we're here!
*Jeff looks around the room before him, and his gaze locks onto the pedistal at the center. on it is a small indigo bag.*
Meeny: C'mon out guys! (*Miny and Moe step out from behind columns*) Okay. you passed our test, you may use the breath of life. But afterwards, Mnemosyne must bring it back to us.
Jeff: (*nods*).... can i ... take it?
Miny: yep.. it's all yours. just, don't open the bag until the spell is redy to be cast.
Jeff: (*confused*) okaaaay..... (*snatches bag and runs out of shrine. falls to hid knees in front of Æ Angel Ivy*) I got it.... finally.
Æ Angel Ivy: good. Let's go, we need to meet up with those on the ground.
Tom: how are we doing that?
Æ Angel Ivy: there is an aurora somewhere below us. It connects the two worlds together. Kinda like a kiddie slide, one way only.
Cosmo: okay.. i guess.. let's get to the slide.
---------------
*The door opens*
???: Oh! Hello! who are you?
*warteens Mouth falls open when he sees the woman who opens the door.*
Warteen: Hi! I'm Warteen.. this is Raistlin and Jon, and those are Lone Wolf and Gareth. (*points over his shoulder*)
Raistlin: Hey, miss... could we come in? It's a little cold out here.
Woman: oh! Of course, you must be frozen! Come in. I'm Emily.
*eventually everyone, including Lone Wolf is inside, having cocoa and talking to Emily*
Emily: So, you guys came from behind the boundary?
Jon: yes, madam. We are on a quest which landed us here.
Emily: well, you must be looking for the aurora source then!
Lone Wolf: (*Sittig up in his chair*)
Emily: it's not too far from here. I'm the only person who lives out here, so I'll have to take you. (*in a concerned voice*) Have one of you lost a loved one?
Garett: no! Why?
Emily: because usually people attempt to come so they can see their family in heaven.
Jon: does it transverse the gap between the two worlds?
Emily: yeah.
Warteen: then... we can get in touch with Luna and Cosmo!
Lone Wolf: do you think you could take us there?
Emily: yes. Let's go today, after your clotes dry.
---------------
Jeff: The Cherubs said that a spell was going to be cast.
Mnemosyne: yes.
Jeff: Don't Make me pull teeth!
Mnemosyne: (*sigh*) when all of the different elements are placed together and are cast upon, a creature will be made from the different parts. Depending on the true wishes of the spell caster, the earth will be rejuvinated or it will be distroyed.
Keeper: I've kept the heart of the forest for my whole life, trying to prevent the creature from being created.
Æ Angel Ivy: oh, Keeper! (*runs up and gives the keeper a hug*) You know that you did the best that you could have done!
Luna: hey guys...? I think we're at the aurora....
TO BE CONTINUED........
-- Inside Emily's hut, near the top of the world --
(*Though small, Emily's hut is a cozy, home-y place. It is well insulated from the cold outside and the fire in the large fireplace on the back wall heats it well. Her bed is in the right front corner along with a chest of drawers. Along the left wall is spread a wash basin, pantry, and a neatly organized collection of pots, dishes, and utensils. The floor between is taken up by a massive, thick white fur rug. Oddly enough though, it is perfectly circular, with no signs of what used to be legs or a head. It must have been a very large animal. Emily herself is about medium height and pretty, but in a functional sort of way (functional is key when one lives in a frozen wilderness), and looks to be in her early thirties. She wears a thick, plain brown dress, tightly knitted from some kind of yarn, tho apparently not wool (even if sheep could survive out here, noone would be able to find them). Her large fur coat hangs by the door above massive, fur-lined boots. Both are made of the same white fur as the rug. The outer clothes of the travelers are hung out on ropes that stretch across the low roof of the cabin. The four travelers themselves, all with as few clothes on as decency will allow, sit on chairs around the fire. Emily bustles about between the pantry and fireplace, preparing soup while they wait for thier clothes to dry.*)
Gareth: (*feeling his coat*) these are getting pretty dry
Emily: Let them keep drying until after we eat. It's not often I have visitors who aren't terribly anxious to get to the Auroras...
Warteen: (*still rubbing color into his cold-whitened feet*) Fine by me...
Emily: So tell me about yourselves, your quest...
Lone Wolf: Well, we're trying to save the world. Or restore it.
Emily: Restore it?
Warteen: A huge creature dropped a bomb on the Earth and turned it into a wasteland
Emily: How did all this happen? Where did it begin?
Lone Wolf: Warteen and I had been having terrible dreams of destruction-
Warteen: Before any of us had met...
Lone Wolf: Yes. So we both sought out the Forest Shrine, in the southland, looking for answers.
Emily: What did you find?
Warteen: Just about everything BESIDES answers.
Lone Wolf: Massive conspiracies, powerful wizzards, madmen bent on destroying the world-
Jon: They found me, too...
Lone Wolf: Jon was a prisoner in one of the strongholds of a group called Evil People Inc.
Emily: Never heard of them
Jon: I rescued these guys, then they rescued me. It was really kind of entertaining.
Emily: Huh?
Warteen: Never mind... It's too complicated.
Lone Wolf: Anyway, we've come through so many different goals to this: recover several stolen magical items, bring them together, and restore the world.
Emily: (*musing*) At least it wasn't (V) that attacked. Had (V) attacked, there wouldn't even be a world to restore...
Gareth: (*confused*) What's (V)?
Jon: (*surprised*) (V)? I thought (V) was from the south... There was a Cult of (V) that my dad fought (he was a Warrior-priest Protector, hired by southern kingdoms to fight such things). How do you know of it?
Emily: (V) is part of my people's lore, stories going back 1500 years... I come from the City of Unity, a marvelous city born of Science, not magic.
Gareth: We've been through there
Emily: Oh have you? You must have taken a very hard route to come through there. How did you survive the frozen mountains?
Lone Wolf: The bomb that was dropped heated up the entire world, enough that the mountains were clear of snow. It must have evaporated.
Emily: Wow. Well then, how did you survive the fires?
Lone Wolf: some powerful magic protected us
Emily: Fortunate. The soup is ready (*she serves it to the travelers as she talks*) Like I said, I came from the City of Unity. (V) was origionally created there, by a madman named Uforious
All four travelers: UFORIOUS?
Emily: You know of him?
Jon: Boy do we. The jerk killed my father.
Emily: My sympathies. He could be a monster, it was true. He experimented with magic as well as science. His most powerful melding of the two was called (V). It took all the technology we had at that point to save us from it. Only just barely did we manage to send the creature into hibernation and across the Galaxy. It would not have bothered heating anything up. It would have simply eaten the planet.
Lone Wolf: Our monster was definately not (V) then.
Emily: Tell me what happened.
Lone Wolf: It looked like a huge, boiling comet until it landed briefly, assumed the form of a gigantic demon, and flew off in a blaze of light brighter than the sun, dropping it's bomb as it took off.
Emily: How close were you to it when it landed?
Lone Wolf: It must have landed thousands of miles away, but it was big enough that we saw it briefly, before the explosions engulfed us. It wasn't big enough to actually _eat_ the planet, tho.
Emily: How odd.
Jon: And worrisome... That means there might be more huge space-monsters out there, ready to do nasty things to us.
Warteen: Well, I'm done and I want to get going. Enough talk. Save-the-world time
Gareth: (*putting on his coat and boots*) Yes, we need to get moving
Emily: Then we shall be off...
(*Emily gathers the bowls and all five bundle themselves up, preparing to venture back out into the icy tundra*)
Jon: (*a thought occuring to him*) Emily, how come this place wasn't heated up like the mountains were?
Emily: The flamewall must have stopped the explosion. It's a very powerful magic spell. Some even say it was cast by Uforious himself...
(*The group ventures outside and starts toward the undulating Auroras that fill the night sky*)
[A.N.: PLEASE keep it down to just (V) and (V)jr. Jon is just thinking of possible implications. The last thing we need is to have to save the world two or three times over. If that's gonna happen, we might as well just call in Godzilla.]
-- Up in the sky with our other group --
(*Luna is the first to reach the crest of the cloud-hill they had been climbing.*)
Luna: Hey guys... I think we're at the aurora...
(*The sight they are approaching is truly an awesome one. The hill they have reached the top of decends several thousand feet into a circular, almost craterlike valley a hundred miles across. A few hundred feet above them floats a shining city. It's massive column shape stretches outward for miles, and upwards into the heavens much, much farther. The structures of the city look as though they have been carved from pure clouds, and between these huge spires upon spires upon spires dart millions of angels about their business, flying on silvery wings. In the center of the circular city there is a great hole, and the aurora, a mass of pure shimmering light in as many shades of blue, pink, yellow, and green as can be imagined, undulates down, down through the ground of the valley and back into the physical world. Two glowing staircases spiral upwards from the mouth of the hole to the base of the city, surrounding the aurora in a DNA-like double helix. At the bottom of each stair, a small guard complex can barely be seen. High, high in the sky above the city is a great jewel of a light, one constantly dancing and changing shape. Looking at it for any time at all induces a fierce piercing sensation in their hearts, as well as a deep longing in their souls for something that they could never hope to attain by themselves, only with the help of the Jewel itself.*)
Mnemosyne: (*placing one hand on Ivy's shoulder and gesturing with the other*) Welcome to our home.
Ivy: (*slightly overcome*) It's a nice place
Jeff: (*wide-eyed*) Jeez!
Keeper: I have often dreampt of this place... But I never thought I'd see it until I died
Tom: uh... er... what is all this? (*gesturing to the stairs, etc.*)
Luna: (*in a rare intrusion of real-life*) Ivy, you've gotta let me sleep over sometime...
Mnemosyne: (*chuckling*) This is the Great City of Heaven, Clou'dalem. The guard houses keep watch over the bottom of the aurora. When someone arrives at their base, any loved ones who reside in Clou'dalem are summoned down the stairs so those in the physical world may see them from the ground.
Jeff: Can we go see?
Mnemosyne: Ivy is welcome here anytime she likes, but I'm afraid the rest of you will have to wait until your lives have run their course before you can enter it. To do otherwise would cheat death and bring punishment.
Luna: (*staring upwards, bracing against the odd effects of the high-up Jewel*) What is that?
Mnemosyne: That is the throne of Yahzin, my master, Creator of and Lord over all gods, guardians, humans, and the universe itself.
Luna: Why doesn't Yahzin just stop (V)?
Mnemosyne: (*gesturing to the group*) In a way, He has
[A.N.: Mnemosyne doesn't say this to imply that Yahzin is actually a he or a she (since He thought up both), it's just that "He" sounds more respectful than "It"]
(*Ivy giggles and waves up at the Jewel*)
Ivy: Hi Dad!
(*For a moment, the Jewel looks as if it is waving back*)
[A.N.: She's not talking about her *literal* dad...]
Mnemosyne: (*chuckling again*) We should get going...
(*The group lets out a collective sigh and proceeds down the slope toward the hole, and the aurora that leads back to the physical world. As they reach the bottom of the slope, they pass the body of what could only be described as a guardian angel. Though human in form, it would have been at least twelve feet tall were it standing, and had a muscle mass pretty much impossible for a human. It lay awkwardly in the snow, it's wings bent under it's body, and it's sword lay several feet away, abnormally bent to resemble a boomerang*)
Mnemosyne: (*drawing her sword*) There has been a battle here? In Heaven?
[A.N.: her sword is the magical kind that actually works in the Spirit Realm]
Jeff: What could've killed _that_?
Mnemosyne: I don't know
Jeff: (*gulp*) And you're sure we want to keep going this way?
Mnemosyne: Teleporting still-living things into the Spirit Realm is easy. Getting living things out is much harder. This is the only way I know of...
(*The group continues on toward the aurora. They pass several more bodies of guardian angels along the way*)
Ivy: I thought things couldn't die in Heaven.
Mnemosyne: They can't, naturally. Very powerful magic did this. Yahzin will have the final say, but until then, these are... unfortunate casualties (*a tear runs down her face. Ivy sniffs*)
Tom: (*trembling slightly*) You're _absolutely_sure_ we want to keep going this way?
(*The group heads off again. It takes a lot less time to walk the fifty or so miles to the edge of the aurora than it should have. It's another one of those nifty features of Heaven... As they approach the nearest guard house, a guard steps out. He is completely concealed by a highly-polished suit of armor. Through paper-thin cracks between the plates of armour a pitch black is barely visible.*)
Guard: Greetings Mnemosyne!
Mnemosyne: Hello. (*gesturing behind, towards her fallen comrades*) What happened to all of those soldiers back there?
Guard: Would you believe, an evil creature acended from the bottom of the aurora and attacked our guard stations. We defeated it, though, and cast it's broken body back to the Earth.
Tom: Whew. Glad to hear that.
Guard: (*to Mnemosyne*) What brings you here? And especially with companions... Don't you usually work alone?
Mnemosyne: We are taking the Breath of Life back to Earth, to restore it from the attack of (V)'s offspring.
Guard: That won't be nessecary.
Luna: What?
Guard: I can handle things from here...
Mnemosyne: I'm afraid that isn't possible. I have specific directions from Yahzin Himself.
Guard: (*shuddering slightly at the mention of Yahzin's name*) I must insist.
Ivy: You heard her. We can't.
(*The armor shimmers, glows red hot, and finally melts, revealing a dark form in it's place*)
Mnemosyne: Uforious! What are you doing here?
Uforious: Yeesh. I already explained that... Give me the Breath of Life! You saw what happened to the (*sneering*) "guardians" back there.
Ivy: NEVER!
(*Instead of wasting more words, Uforious simply attacks. He fires a jet-black ball of flame at Mnemosyne and catches her right in the chest. She flies backwards and lands some distance away, smoke pouring from her torso. She glows briefly and stands up, mostly unhurt.*)
Mnemosyne: (*Yelling to the group*) Be careful! He's far more powerful than the last time I dealt with him. (*looks down towards the Earth and sees that the night below is at it's fullest*) Crap.
(*And so the combat begins...*)
-- Back a few spirit-miles, in the Shrine Of Heaven --
(*Meeny, Miny, and Moe are watching Mnemosyne and co.'s progress on their magic mirror.*)
Meeny: Things don't look good-
Miny: Not at all-
Moe: I hope they make it.
(*Suddenly, there is a banging on the front door of the Shrine. Meeny scampers off to get it*)
Meeny: (*peering through the peep-hole in the door*) Uh-oh
(*He dashes back toward the other two*)
Meeny: (*yelling*) Guys! Help! We've got problems knocking on our front door!
(*Meeny is at the far end of the main hall when the other two reach him. A loud crash is heard in the distance*)
Meeny: There goes our door.
Moe: What is it?
Meeny: Ever heard of Evil People Inc.?
Miny: We're in for it.
Moe: Hey, the Breath of Life isn't here-
Miny: We could run-
Meeny: We could hide.
Moe: Let's do it!
(*The three scamper off in different directions from the main hall. Slayer and Scalene stalk in, swords drawn, followed by nine or ten ninja guards.*)
Slayer: (*yelling*) We know you're in here, somewhere! Bring us the Breath of Life and we may let you live!
All three cherubs: (*voices echoing from distant corners of the shrine*) Not by the hair of our chinny-chin-chins!
Slayer: (*to his companions*) Spread out. Find them.
(*Within minutes, Miny and Moe are dragged, thrashing madly in futile attempts at escape, before Slayer*)
Slayer: Where is the Breath of Life?
Miny: We don't-
Moe: Have it.
(*Slayer charges a small but potent spell and flicks it at Miny. He drops, dead*)
Slayer: I hate it when two people say one thing. (*turning to a visibly terrified Moe*) Now will you tell me where it is?
Moe: We don't have it! I couldn't give it to you even if I wanted to!
(*Slayer shrugs and flicks an identical spell at Moe. It has the same effect. Meeny has been watching from a doorway. He runs off silently and returns with three of the love-sweetened apples from the pantry.*)
Meeny: (*dashing towards Scalene*) DIE MURDERING B*ST*RDS!
(*The whole group is caught completely off guard. Meeny shoves an apple down Scalene's throat, and the two others in his nostrils*)
Scalene: Gack! Poison!
(*Scalene falls on the floor, thrashing from the love-sweetness, and suffocating too. Meeny is quickly grabbed by two ninjas. Scalene stops moving. Slayer turns to Meeny.*)
Slayer: Now look what you've done.
(*He flicks a third spell at Meeny and hits... The room seems to darken a bit, and Sootdust stalks in.*)
[A.N.: Sorry about this segment being a little more hard-core than usual. I thought EPI maybe needed to be able to be taken a bit more seriously. Before you get too mad and start sending me hate-mail, tho, keep in mind that this is Heaven and the three cherubs CAN be revived.]
Sootdust: Well?
Slayer: It's not here.
Sootdust: Crap. Guess I'd better pick up the garbage, tho. (*walks over to Scalene*) LIFE!
(*Scalene picks himself up, coughs up an apple, sneezes, sending the other two to the far end of the hall, shakes his head, and is fine (for Scalene, that is) *)
Sootdust: We must continue our search. Slayer, spin that compass again.
(*Slayer spins a small crystal that looks exactly like Mnemosyne's, except that it is jet black*)
Slayer: (*pointing*) This way
(*All exit, leaving a deathly silence in the shrine*)
-- Down below, under the aurora with the no-magic group --
(*The night sky is crystal clear, though most of the stars are drowned out by the light of the aurora. The band trudges through knee-deep snow and over slippery frozen lakes toward the base of the aurora. It is bitter cold and they mostly walk in silence. Suddenly, a figure appears in a puff of white smoke about ten feet in front of them. It's Kudam-Sa. Upon seeing who it is, Emily quickly hides her face under her hood.*)
Kudam-Sa: I need the Brain of Ice. It's urgent.
Lone Wolf: I'm sorry, we don't have it. And why do you need it?
Kudam-Sa: I just need it. And any other elemental gems you have.
Lone Wolf: (*demanding*) _What_ _for_?
Kudam-Sa: (*looking distracted*) I can't say.
Lone Wolf: Then you can't have them. Too much is at stake.
Kudam-Sa: I was afraid you'd say that.
(*Kudam-Sa raises his hands and says a couple humanly unpronouncable magic words. The snow behind him trembles. Suddenly, it spews forth a huge monster, twenty feet in height and shaped eerily like a human, only far more ape-like. It's pure white hide stands out in stark contrast to the blackness of the night sky, almost glowing in the light of the aurora.*)
Warteen: What IS that thing?
Emily: (*from under her hood*) A Yeti. (*shrugs nonchalantly*) They're around...
Jon: And we're supposed to fight it?
Kudam-Sa: Actually, I was hoping you'd plain-old die...
Jon: Oh. Crap.
Emily: (*flipping off her hood*) Enough, Sa!
Kudam-Sa: Emily Octus!
Gareth: You know him?
Emily: (*looking only at Kudam-Sa*) You know I'm better than you, Sa.
Kudam-Sa: How are you still alive? The Wizards' Guild hasn't heard from you in almost 1500 years!
Emily: We don't have time for your tricks, Sa. Leave.
(*Emily pulls a gloved hand from her pocket and points her palm at Kudam-Sa. A gray, barely visible, pencil-thin line streaks from it onto Kudam-Sa's chest.*)
Kudam-Sa: (*shaken visibly*) Emily, it's a matter of life and death.
Emily: Yours, maybe.
Kudam-Sa: (*pleading*) You have no idea.
Emily: You know the spell I'm charging. You never could master it.
Kudam-Sa: (*now angry*) Fine. You'll hear from me again. And I'm leaving the Yeti.
(*Kudam-Sa dissapears in another puff of white smoke.*)
Yeti: ROAR!
Warteen: Crap.
(*Emily calmly points her palm toward the Yeti now. Another line like the one she aimed at Kudam-Sa hits the Yeti. It freezes in place. As Emily charges the spell, slits begin to cross the Yeti's belly and arms. There is no blood, but they are clearly cuts. Suddenly, when the lines have traced a proper path, the whole pelt flies off of it, leaving it standing there skinned. Next the spell dices the rest of the Yeti and wraps the edible parts in butcher paper for easy carrying. As a finishing touch, the Yeti hide is cut apart and folds, stitches, and cuts itself into a rug, pair of boots, and coat somewhat like the ones owned by Emily.*)
Emily: (*heading over and packing as much of the wrapped meat into her pack as she can*) C'mon! (*gesturing to the others*) Waste not, want not.
Warteen: (*to the other three*) Remind me not to make her mad.
Jon: (*laughing*) No wonder Kudam-Sa was afraid of you. You were gonna make him into boots!
Lone Wolf: How exactly did you do that? You said you were from the science city...
(*Emily suddenly stands bolt upright, caught with conflicting information that she didn't really want known. She turns around slowly.*)
Emily: I was Uforious' wife...
-- To Be Continued --
*Mnemosyne realized that they weren't going to win the fight against Uforious. He was just too powerful. Now would not end things. Mnemosyne sent a telepathic message to Æ Angel Ivy.*
Mnemosyne: Ivy, go now and leave me to take care of this. Take the others and the Breath of Life back down to Earth. Even if Uforious follows you, he is weaker on the Physical Plane. Do not question me, just go!
*With that, Ivy threw a ball of light and flew up while Uforious was blinded. She grabbed Luna and Jeff and beconed the others to follow. They all made a mad dash to the Aurora. They could hear Uforious's cries, fighting Mnemosyne while still trying to recover from Ivy's spell. Desperation is the mother of unknown strength, and the group made it just in time. They got back to the physical realm to find themselves freezing cold. They were on a barren landscape of ice. Ivy flew up and looked around.*
Angel Ivy: I see people a little ways off! I can cast a spell to keep us warm until we reach them, in hopes that they have something to help us. I can't keep spells going as well in physical realm, and you should know that we wil all freeze without help.
Keeper: I can help.
Cosmo: I can, too. You are not the only one here who can take charge, Ivy.
Ivy: Right... I apologize.
Coming down to the ground, there after with wings fluttering in irritation at herself, Ivy took the lead to the dots. Between Keeper, Cosmo, and her, they stayed warm enough not to freeze to death. But it was still horribly cold.
Ivy: We are drawing near. Be on guard, I cannot see eaxactly who these people are.
*They came close to the group of travelers, and suddenly Luna cried out.*
Luna: Love Wolf! It's you! You're safe!
Lone Wolf: Luna? You made it back!
Jeff: And we come bearing the Breath of Life!
Warteen: Oh, good!
Gareth: We come bearing onformation on the end of the world, (V) Jr., and Uforious. Perhaps a companion.
*Everyone in the magic-group looks toward Emily. She looks at the newcomers.
Emily: I may not be a good one. After I tell you about my marriage, you may not want me.
-- Meanwhile with Sootdust... --
*Scalene now has an unnatural shadow following him. Scalene walks somewhat listlessly, stopping every so often.*
Sootdust: SCALENE! Do not try to think to get away from my spell; it is too powerful. You are now nothing more than a cadaver, and you WILL come at my call.
*Scalene's soul is trapped, connected to his body. He is unable to go to the Afterlife or truly live again. Sootdust now controls the simple mind of the cadaver, with the soul only able to go along helplessly. Only a very strong and good soul could break away from the spell. Unfortunately, Scalene doesn't fit the bill.*
Scalene: Follow... Master... Yes...
Sootdust: Good.
[A.N. These cadavers have to be literally hacked to pieces to stop fighting. Even then, their souls are connected to the pieces of body. I wouldn't put it past Sootdust to kill one of his own guys simply to get them this obdiant. Sootdust had been working on this spell while people forgot to write about him, so that's why he hasn't done it to anyone else.]
TO BE CONTINUED...
Æ Ivy
Ivy: What do you mean by that?
Emily: I... I might as well tell you. I... I was married to Uforious
Cosmo: What!?
Luna: I always imagined him to be a bit of a loner
Ivy: Yes, you're right there.
Gareth: You'll never believe what we also found. Back there (*Pointing to wall*) is a city full of strange things
Emily: We call it technology. The city is based on science.
Jon: Emily lived there, and that's where Uforious and (V) came form.
Emily: Uforious asked why to magic, something you wouldn't expect. As a result, he's the only one save perhaps Yahzin who knows why magic works, instead of just how to do it. That's why he gets so powerful, especially in these dark times. Let's get going, we can all explain more on the way. I personally am feeling a bit chilly, and you southerners must be ready to freeze!
Jeff: Where?
Emily: Well, where does your compass point to?
*He spins it. It points to the east. Without another word, the reunited band sets off*
-- With Mnemosyne. She is looking weaker that before. --
Mnemosyne: Surely you know you cannot win against Yahzin!
Uforious: You take me for a fool do you? (*throws another bolt at Mnemosyne*)
Mnemosyne: I know your weakness, you are less powerful when there is hope
Uforious: The world destroyed? They is very little hope now. You will regret calling me a child.
Mnemosyne: The world will soon be restored. There is hope. As night falls the shadow lengthen, but by the coming of day they retreat. (*hits Uforious with Carne magic, knocking him back a little*)
Uforious: The last night has come for this world, and the shadows are longer than they have ever been before. (*he casts a Grudge spell. Mnemosyne is forced to experience everything she's ever done wrong and everything anyone has against her. But she has a strong mind and survives it*)
Mnemosyne: (*becoming angry*) You are the... (*she never finishes, because of a revelation from the psi spell he just used on her. Something else had leaked through.*) So that is what you are planning. That is how you will get around Yahzin. There is hope yet. Teleport
(She vanishes knowing this: Uforious will send (V) to suicidally fight Yahzin. In the half hour or so that it will take for Yahzin to defeat (V), Uforious will create his perfect universe, which is something that Yahzin would not normally let him do. It also means this: it will be up to them to fight Uforious when the time comes.)
UFO
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