The Quincuinox

[Alaeha]

"...then playing an intense game of Twister with me?" Wyvern asked.

 

Alaeha tried to slowly count to ten, reminding herself that Wyvern was just naturally tactless and couldn't help himself. Still, she couldn't stop her hand from assuming proper slapping position even as she reminded herself that an almost-dragon couldn't be expected to have a basic sense of decency.

 

"It could be interesting..." She admitted, "but I really have to find a couple of people right now. Have you seen Aleyn or Jirah?"

 

"But..." Wyvern whined, "that was a great pickup line! The almost-dragonic surveys said it was the best one around!"

 

And that was that. Giving in, Alaeha graced him with her finest slap.

 

Now she had to find the restroom in this mess so she could wash almost-dragon drool off her hand.

[Gwaihir]

Gwaihir surveyed the circumstances and decided that he wasn't half enough of a crowd person to want to jump into chocolate. Such a mess. It was one thing to get all messy because one got so into the plants, but jumping into a big pond of stuff that looked like mud, but wasn't nearly as good for growing plants? No thank you!.

 

He went over to get some snack things instead, because last meal he had was....didn't have lunch, because the roses said they were much too pretty to be put off at all didn't want to wait until after lunch to be replanted. In fact, they had said that no rose of their breeding had ever even heard of some messy humanoid who wanted to eat before pleasing them. Breakfast before that? No, not that either he realized, because he'd gotten to excited talking to a robin on his window sill and then there wasn't time, because he was already late for his meeting with the roses. So yes, Gwaihir realized. The last meal he'd eaten was twenty-four hours ago. It was a good reason to be hungry.

 

In fact he was so hungry that in his excitement one of his sleeves knocked a whole plate of cream cheesey dip onto the floor. Gwaihir frowned down at the mess. Never realized Zadown made my sleeves this long, but they certainly are big. No wonder I spilled.

 

A slice of cake, a huge salad and a few fish crackers later, Gwaihir felt rejuvenated. So refreshed that even though he was at a party, he went capering across the floor with great cheer. Until *crash* he almost fell on Cambronne as the confused creature tried to fix its hair.

 

Cambronne left in a hurry, offended at the clumsy oaf, but Gwaihir lay there a moment, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. He was pretty sure that it was his pant leg that he'd tripped on. Funny, he could have sworn it wasn't that long before. But, it certainly was long. It was downright dragging on the ground. Gwaihir sat up and looked at his pants, angry that they had made him fall.

 

He probably should have been the first person to realize that his strangely made set of clothes still remembered its leafy past and somewhat come to life. They were growing quickly and he should have realized it, but he was spacey as usual, so actually quite a few people fell on his huge outfit before anyone quite realized what was happening.

[Racouol]

Racouol looked at the huge line leading into party room. He then looked back at the invitation. "Hmm, this looks to be the place." Racouol said as he looked back at the line. A smile then grew on his face and then he pulled a strange sphere out of his pocket. He then closed his eyes right before the sphere created a blinding light that instantly blinded everyone who saw it. Racouol then quickly took his pants off and slipped into one ot the pockets.

After about a half an hour the crowd calmed down. While many of the party goers were severly injured the only ity was that of a small dog. Those that remained returned to the line to wait their turn to enter the party. No in the line noticed a pair of pants slowly drifting towards the enterance.

Melba scanned the crowd to make sure that no one was trying to sneak into the party. She knew that the strange light was a diversion of some sort. Just then she noticed what looked like a tattered pair of pants drifting by her. "Nice try." she shouted as she grabbed a pant leg. She then summoned the ogre bouncers to search the pockets.

Two hours had gone by with no luck as to find the owner of the pants. The ogre were still pulling strange and unusual item from the various pockets and adding it to the third pile of junk. One ogre was in the corner still trying to pry his arm from the bear trap he was unfortunet to find. Melba was sitting down watching the ogres work while drinking her third cup of coffee. After finishing that cup she got up and ed the pants from the ogres and thrusted a hand into a pocket and pulled Racouol out. "uh...hi" racouol said while putting on his most smile.

"You could have saved everyone a headache if you just payed the enterance fee to get in." Melba growled "Now surrender those boxers." she said while pointing at white silk with little red hearts boxers Racouol was wearing. The ogres to this as their que to surround Racouol and take the boxers by force.

"Of course" Racouol said, "but not these" he added quickly. Racouol then reached into the pocket of the pants Melba was still holding onto. He then pulled out a frying pan that had two holes in it. "here it is" Racouol said as he held the frying pan.

"Uh, Racouol.....that is a frying pan you know" Melba said. "Besides those holes are too small for any legs to fit through."

"Just watch" Racouol said as he grabbed an Ogre and threw it into the air. He then swung the frying pan up so the creatures feet hit the holes in the frying pan. The frying pan than formed into a very, very snug fitting pair of metallic no-stick underwear on the ogre. Racouol then let go of the handle still attached to the back of the newly formed underwear, grabbed his pants, and walked in.

[Merelas]

Merelas is quickly surrounded, and so he quickly surrenders...

 

"All right, all right! I'll pay the fee! But... I didn't bring any spares, so... just don't look, ok!"

 

He starts to take off his pants, and watches when all of the trolls look away...

 

Quickly, he calls a flame, merges with it, and dissapears, out of the grasp of the trolls.

 

"Idiots," he says to himself, with a smile.

[Peredhil]

Oooohhhhh.

Very distracted, Peredhil gets a feel for the whip by popping gnats out of the night air.

 

Once he's remembered old skills and has introduced himself properly to the whip, he practices with more popping - those gnats fly on, but will never reproduce.

 

Once the happy glow of a thoughtful gift begins to fade, he starts to wonder and he murmurs...

 

A Rosemary gift of a Rydia whip while Minta plays below.

A toothy Tzigg of a troll while Tzimfemme's in chocolate.

A wise old Man dances with stars in his eyes and love in his heart

While Rydia twirls and smiles.

 

The patterns flow.

 

~~~

 

Prince considers biting people just because he's bored without violence...

 

~~~

 

Prince has now reached the stage and grabbing up the white guitar which happens to be there, plugs in the jack. An ear-piercing squeal modulates into a driving riff and then into rhythm guitar as the purple one sings

I'm not a woman!

I'm not a man!

I am something that you'll never understand!

and the impromtu Prince concert is on - with several types of Princesses drawn helplessly toward the stage and nearly all the Princes wondering what strange power this little strutting guy in makeup holds over Princesses.

[Wyvern]

Wyvern whimpers to himself and glumly rubs first his right cheek, then his left cheek, recovering from the iron glove slap and Alaeha's slap respectively. Grumbling to himself and wandering towards the buffet tables, the overgrown lizard raises a brow as he notices the interesting developements in Gwaihir's rapidly evolving uniform.

 

"Hey Gwai." mutters Wyvern, narrowly dodging a vine that whips out of the elf's outfit as he slowly approaches. "Why are you lying on the ground like that? Looks like you've already had too much to dri-"

 

The overgrown lizard suddenly pauses as he notices that Gwaihir's suit has roots growing out of it that have become embedded in the Conservatory's floor, and jumps as four more vines sprout out of the outfits central body and begin reaching towards the air. Noticing several princes that have become caught within the weeds of the outfit and recalling a certain failed party that involved large plants eating things, the reptilian Elder decides to take evasive action.

 

"Note to self: do not ask the Dreamer for advice concerning future tailoring schemes..." mutters the lizard to himself as he reaches for the nearest bottle of Almost Draconic Tango Mandarine Bitter-sweet Stomach Mailting Crawfish Wine,™ quickly opening the cork with a claw and pouring its contents onto the area surrounding the plant suits base. The overgrown lizard watches happily as the vines that had once sprouted with such energy begin rising and descending woozily in a slow and uncertain manner. Wyvern scratches his scaly chin for a moment as he watches the spectacle, the motion of the vines vaguely reminding him of amusement parks, until an idea suddenly hits him.

 

"I've got it!" exclaims the overgrown lizard, rubbing his scaly claws together as a money-making scheme enters his diabolic mind. "Stay right here Gwaihir, I'll be back in a sec!"

 

"As if I had much of a choice..." mumbles the Deputy Loremaster, trying to budge unsuccessfully as the roots of the plant firmly hold him down. The elf raises a brow as he notices Wyvern wandering back carrying several large silver food platters left over from buffet table #2, the table that Stick had previously devoured.

 

"Wyv, what the heck are you doing?"

 

Wyvern ignores Gwaihir's question as he gleefully attaches a giant animal-shaped food platter to the tip of each vine, and watches as the vines proceed to slowly carry the silver animals up and down. Scratching his scaly chin again, the lizard mumbles:

 

"Now, to find a way to get these vines slowly spinning in a circle..."

 

Carefully examining the base of Gwaihir's suite and poking at various areas to see if it causes any reactions, the greedy lizard accidentally touches a ticklish spot on Gwaihir's shirt, causing the elf to laugh and fidget in spite of himself. Much to the lizard's surprise, the laughter and fidgets of Gwaihir cause the weeds on his shirt to shift, which in turn causes the vines to slowly move in a circle.

 

An evil grin suddenly makes its way across Wyvern's face.

 

"Wait a minute." exclaims Gwaihir, suddenly realizing the nature of Wyvern's scheme. "N-no, you wouldn't!"

 

But before Gwaihir can continue to protest, Wyvern has taken a giant feather from the peacock platter at buffet table #9 and gained the attention of Mitch the security guard.

 

"Mitch..." hisses Wyvern sinisterly, rubbing his scaly palms together with glee. "I have an important job for you this evening. You are to survey Gwaihir and his suite here, now to be collectively referred to as the 'Gwerry-Go-Round,' and charge people two geld per ride on an animal. To get the attraction spinning in motion, simply tickle Gwaihir with this feather until it starts to spin. All profits will be going to me, of course."

 

Mitch stares uncertainly at a rather nervous and infuriated-looking Gwaihir as Wyvern sets up a sign in front of the partys newest attraction that reads "Gwerry-Go-Round! Only Two Geld Per Ride!" With that, the overgrown lizard lets out a triumphant laugh and runs off, only to be promptly run over by a mob of Prince fans headed towards the stage.

[Xaious, Master of Time]

Standing next to the table covered with bottles of the newly invented and mighty powerful beverage, Xaious had been watching the odd plant move with great tenacity for some time, until it started moving in slow, almost rhythmic circles, even moving to the beat of the music.

"Hmm..That's odd.. I wonder if Wyver....Yup, there he is." Xaious spoke softly to Gno Wunne, a Prince who was standing nearby, sampling the drinks.

Of course, this was in vain, as Gno sampled the uber strength liquid, and promptly fell flat on his face, drooling.

"Ah, very very much nothing less than I expected." Xaious chuckled to himself as he began a calm stride towards the rhythmicly circular motion of silver.

As was only to be expected, Wyvern was standing none too far from the base of the mighty plant and ride sensational. Not surprising, considering the incredible profit one can achieve with such a low price.

Unfortunately-or was that fortunately?- Xaious didn't have any Geld at the moment. All of his current currency originated in a nation which was only beginning to to grow foundations. And also on another planetoid. In a reality that will, in about five hundred and thirty 9 years (plus 9876 days, 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 39..no, wait, make that 38 seconds, but who's counting?) fall into nothingness, crystalize into the first perfectly circular and 2-dimensional wall mirror plane, and make its way into Celes' basement, one which she doesn't know she has yet.....

So, needless to say, it was going to be of very little use to him now.

An ever so minutely bit disheartened over his inability to afford the ride seeped into him, but this left when the first accident happened.

It wasn't much. very little, in fact.

I mean, someone gets hit with a stray limb everyday, right? Exactly. Not a big limb, mind you, a small one. It may have belonged to someone's cat. But someone got hit with a limb, and that's all he needed to convince him to avoid hopping on the ride.

"Well, I think I'll just..slowly..back...away...." Xaious whispered aloud to himself, hoping not to have to deal with a money-grubbing Wyvern....granted, any time you dealt with Wyvern, you dealt with a money grubbing Wyvern.

And he slowly backed away....

Edited May 23, 2004 by Xaious, Master of Time

[Ayshela]

"Auntie Ayshela, we're late! Hurry, we've got to go!"

 

Ayshela looked down at Kaitlyn in fond amusement. "I know we are, dear, and we'll go along in just a moment. Now, what are the rules for the evening?"

 

Kaitlyn thought for a moment, then said "Don't eat or drink stuff unless i ask you first. Stay where i can see you. And don't do anything Mr. Wyvern says to."

 

Ayshela nodded then asked Kaitlyn to raise her arm. Clasping a bracelet gently on her wrist, she said "Just in case things start getting strange -" then she broke off as Kaitlyn looked oddly at her. "Okay, stranger than usual - and you want to come back to me but can't see me right away, just squeeze this a little bit. It will tug your arm gently toward me, so you can always find me. Remember that, okay?"

 

Kaitlyn nodded, and bounced impatiently. "Why aren't we wearing dresses tonight?"

 

"Because, dear, this is a Wyvern party. This will be much better." Looking over Kaitlyn's blue and green jumpsuit she nodded approval. "I'm almost ready." Ayshela checked herself in the mirror, approving the swirling black and grey pattern of her closely fit bodysuit. Buckling her polished black belt low across her hips so she could wear dagger sheaths strapped below, she nodded at the neat silhouette. She made sure her boots were laced tightly, then flipped her long hair back over her shoulders and went to pick up her cloak.

 

No, she thought. Not tonight. Concealment is not the object here... and with a soft chuckle she conceded that even if it were, a cloak would be no help. Laying it across the bed, she took Kaitlyn by the hand and they left.

 

~~~~~

 

Ayshela and Kaitlyn wandered slowly down the line of bored people standing in line for the party. They stopped and talked to a few who looked vaguely familiar, but on realizing that they'd been at one of Wyvern's previous failed schemes, smiled and went on their way.

 

Kaitlyn began to hang back a bit as they got closer to the entrance, and upon seeing the trolls nearly pulled herself loose from Ayshela's hand. Wishing she *had* brought her cloak, Ayshela stepped back and calmed Kaitlyn, reminding her that it was Melba there, there was a lot of illusion about, and it was okay for her to be there. Kaitlyn calmed a bit, and nervously walked toward Melba again.

 

"Hi Melba, going to be a long night out here, isn't it?" Ayshela said.

 

Melba grinned evilly and commented on the joys of catching gatecrashers, then asked for the entrance fee.

 

"Of course! We each brought our haiku, as requested." Ayshela and Kaitlyn each gave Melba a small sheet of soft green paper with purple lettering on it, before passing on inside with a cheery wave.

 

Melba looked at Ayshela's and read:

 

Sleeping cat, beware -

unnoticed foot approaches.

Bite that ankle, now!

 

She looked at Kaitlyn's then -

 

My kitten pounces

on the motes of dust which dare

invade her domain.

 

Looking back and forth between the two she wondered if she'd gotten them mixed up? Deciding that it really didn't matter, she set them aside to deal with the next arrival.

[The Big Pointy One]

Floundering in the chocolate lake like the fool he often was, Stick had a look of fright painted upon his face. Not because his sugar high was wearing off, and he was beginning to realise he was still stark naked, no it was much worse.

 

"The chocolate! Somebody's taking the chocolate!"

 

This was responded to of course, with the continuation of all previous actions that were taking place as Stick began to speak; that action which did not interrupt the going-ons at all. Hurredly he scooped up handful after handful of chocolate and tried to put it in his pockets which were probably being trampled on the dance floor by now.

 

"We've got to save it! Hide it! It's getting away!"

 

And on he went...

[Knight]

"ALL HANDS ON DECK! BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

 

A tall man, in gleaming black plate mail, of a metal unknown to this world, is standing aboard the deck of a spacecraft. A very heavy spacecraft, about to impact upon a planet.

 

And he had no idea where he was.

 

"First Officer, status report!"

 

"Sssssir- We no longer have controlllll... desssscent issss sssurviiiivable, and damage whill be minimhum, but it ahppears we will crash... hhhhhere."

 

The Lizard-like first officer looked at the taller man, and was obviously upset about this prospect, despite the assurances he'd provided. Of course, crashing 500,000 tons of Tacnull sheathing, and other various alloys into a planet would make a man upset. But not a man who had fought his way through many hundreds of years of battles as an Archmage- a man who had not seen the planet he was seeing now- a man who was about to crash in on some old friends, albeit unknowingly...

 

 

The ship continued it's descent, and the partygoers began to see a bright fireball getting bigger in the sky. Some were beginning to take it as an ill omen- afterall, what could be worse than a fireball in the sky on the 666th Vernal Equinox Lunar Eclipse?

 

 

Aboard the ship, the crewmembers were frantically strapping themselves into their crash positions, only the captain was standing on his feet. The man exhuded an eerie confidence- he knew that this was destiny, of a sort. He almost recognized this place- In fact, he did. It was a conservatory of days gone by- the recognition that flashed in his face was evident by the expressions of his crewmen- they were astounded by the calm reserve, to the sudden gleeful expression on his face..

 

 

And then it happened.

 

The ship ploughed straight into the dirt, merely hundreds of feet from the conservatory- and skidded to a stop at the door way of the building. Right in front of the panicky line.

 

And out strode the Archmage formerly known as Knight.

 

 

And the Trolls never missed a beat. "OY! GIMME YER UNDERWEAR!"

 

 

And Knight simply looked at him.

 

 

And the Troll looked back.

 

 

And Knight handed him a pair of boxers, and walked into the party.

 

 

The familiar faces astounded him, Wyvern, Zool, Aegon, Yui, Quincunx, TBPO, Peredhil and the boys, Racouol, Gwaihir, and a host of others were all assembled.

 

It was good to be home.

[Valdar and Astralis]

Valdar was almost to his quarters when he felt a familiar presence moving about the Pen's compound.

 

Ah, he's here after all.

 

He stopped and turned, absently shifting his weight off a sore kneecap and covering the bloodstained hole in his trousers

 

with a cloak. Causing some discomfort to nearby magically sentinent beings still in line, Valdar locked his ears in an

 

expression of intense concentration as he isolated the Dreamer's signature in a noisy mana flow.

 

Surrounded by a pale blue aura of undistilled mana from the nearby Astral, the Planewalker prepared to push himself outside

 

time to translocate himself to within the general vicinity of the Dreamer. The arcane spell screamed with power, draining

 

mana from nearby spells as it rushed towards it's climax. . .

 

And then a ship ran over it.

 

Valdar coughed and pushed himself out of the hole he had made in the ground, much to the amazement of the nearby survivors, an elf-shape of dirt and wild crackling mana. They did not recognize the out of control spell, nor did they have any chance of escaping even if they had.

 

The broken spell of translocation exploded, ripping the ship apart, translocating random guests up and down the queue and causing several princesses to froak impolitley.

 

Valdar stumbled past Knight back into the Immortal's queue and thrust an indiscernable piece of cloth that may or may not have been someone's underwear once into Melba's hands. Still trailing dust and stray mana particles, he stalked in past those staring in search of something to drink. . .

[Knight]

Knight, having seen his ship explode, blinked.

 

Well, there went 3billion credits for naught... But then.. he had his powers back.. He could feel the mana flowing through him once more- Shouldn't be too difficult to fix- he had once created Volcanoes in the lairs of those who had merely miffed him....

 

At any rate, Knight had ad least managed to get his gifts off in time. He had to create a way to return himself back to the proper universe for the occassion- in the other place, space travel was then norm, and space combat was even more the norm, as his now destroyed ship could attest...

 

Waaaait a minute.

 

 

That ship was designed to take Doomsday Fusion bolts and laugh. Just WHAT the hell had destroyed it?

 

"Who's the numbskull that blasted my ship with a volatile spell?"

 

Valdar looked back sheepishly-

 

"Oy.. Just Valdar. No biggy then. Carry on."

 

Yes. Knight would definitely have to finagle that spell out of him one of these days. One of these days...

 

Knight continued into the party and in doing so, ran smack into Wyvern. The not-a-dragon flashed his toothy grin, and looked at Knight. "My old friend... so glad you could come...."

 

Knight looked at Wyvern.

 

Wyvern beamed at Knight.

 

Knight finally said, "What is it that you have planned this time, my old associate?"

 

Wyvern merely chuckled...

[Wyvern]

"Well, old buddy old pal, I've got this party game I've been playing. The game's called 'Extort Money from Old Friends to Pay for Wyvern's Extraordinary Party Expenses,' and I'd love if you'd participate, old buddy/friend/associate/nemesis!"

 

Knight frowns and quickly turns away from Wyvern upon hearing this, only to be met by the same leather-jacket sporting troll bouncer that had previously confronted Celes Crusador and Cambronne.

 

"'Scuse me sir..." the troll growls, holding up a pair of plain boxer shorts. "Dese wouldn't happen to be your boxers, would dey?"

 

Knight frowns again, deeper this time, and slowly nods.

 

"Why yes, they are... is there a problem?"

 

The troll spits a small imp he had been nibbling on to the ground and searches through his jacket for a moment. He then pulls out an extremely crumpled invitation sheet, which he quickly unfolds. Pointing at the area labeled "entry fee" on the parchment, the troll growls:

 

"Says here it's gotta be an original form of underwear, not da generic variety. I'm afraid yer gonna have to cough up some original undies, otherwise it's the boot for ya."

 

Knight frowns yet again, even deeper this time, as the troll gives a thumbs up to Valdar's entry fee, labeling it "indiscernable piece of cloth undies." He continues to frown as he notices Wyvern wandering off towards the buffet tables, hissing something about searching for mutated tomatoes to toss at Prince under his breath.

 

"Oh, and annuder thing." grumbles the troll, pointing a muscular thumb outdoors. "If that's yer heap o junk of a 500,000 ton Tacnull spacecraft sitting outdoors, it's in a 'No-Parking Zone.' You'll have to move it three feet to the left fer it to be legal."

 

Knight's frown deepens yet again, his scowl slowly ressembling that of a gargoyle...

 

"B-but, it isn't even a functioning vehicle anymore!"

 

----

 

Meanwhile, at a familiar ancient observatory located several miles East of the Pen, on top of a hill that ressembles a gigantic stone version of Zool's toupee...

 

"Coordinates! Coordinates!" screams Verteniun frantically, his eyes still gaping wide from the flaming comet he had just witnessed.

 

"Cord of Nates, Core dynamite, Coor's Light... damn it, I can't find any coordinates here!" yells Daliarus, practically pulling his hair out as he shoves the "Astronomers Digest - Alien Swimsuit Issue" he had been glacing through to the side and rapidly searching through a pile of papers.

 

"They're not just lying around! We were supposed to be recording them, stupid! Great, just great. That's the last time you convince me that watching an episode of that banned show "Melba-Rose Place" is more important than star-gazing. Whatever we missed, it sure looked important!"

 

"By the stars..." mutters Daliarus, slowly paling as he continues to desperatly search through papers in the hopes of miraculously finding pre-written coordinates for the comet. "What are we going to do, Vert? What are we going to do?! Master Calzoo will have our HIDES for missing such an event!"

 

"N-now, calm down Dal. There must be some solution to this situation. We just have to think it through."

 

"W-w-w-we actually have to think?!" sobs Daliarus "This is not what I had in mind when I took the position of assistant astronomer. *sob*"

 

"Shut up Dali!" growls Verteniun loudly. "Just give me a second to think this through or we'll both be permanently seeing stars when Master Calzoo gets here."

 

A long moment of silence passes in which Verteniun thinks and Daliarus laments over the process of thinking. Then the former perks up and quickly reaches for a backpack sitting next to his chair, rapidly filling it with leftover junkfood and drinks.

 

"Vert..." mutters Daliarus, staring at his associate glumly. "You know that running away is for sissies, right?"

 

"We're not running away." counters Verteniun, tightening the straps of the backpack on his shoulders. "We're tracking down the comet manually. Come on..."

[Knight]

Knight shrugged- he had to give it up, afterall. After all this time- and from that flying angel fellow... And they were comfortable too...

 

 

"Well, these are the undergarments of the Crown Prince of Taenaria.. one Prince Malan Caesis.... supposedly, in addition to the hole for tail feathers, they're supposed to generate a field of psionic protection.. Haven't had the chance to test that theory myself.."

 

 

Now looking to the semi-destroyed ship, he shrugged. His crew was doing it's best to assses the damages, and repair what could be repaired. This wasn't how he'd intended to arrive, after all... They were supposed to make a short jump through the fabric of the multiverse, back to this universe, from whence Knight originally came, and pay a visit to some old friends. Knight still hadn't figured out how in the name of the nine hells Wyvern managed to get him the message, but he was thankful nonetheless. It meant that he had a chance to return, at least for a visit. Now that his destroyer was wrecked, he would be here for considerably longer...

 

"Ok Troll. As far as moving that, you can put this on Wyvern's tab... he won't mind.. Seriously.. Wyvern and I go waaaaaaaaay back.. in fact, we're joint partners in the Bruteweiser corporation... Any which way.. If you can get ahold of a group that can possibly move that thing, pay them straight out of Wyvern's tab... and have them tow this thing about a kilometer south of here.. Thanks there, pal..."

 

And with that, Knight went to retrieve his gifts from the ship...

[Elvish Presley]

An odd figure stumbles inn, holding a stick in one hand and a deck of cards in the other.

"Hello, all! I was told you needed some entertainment here?"

Wyvern raises an eyebrow at the sound of the all too familiar voice and turns around to see his worst fears brought to life. But before he manages to scream that everybody must evacuate at once, the sheer horror of the situation knocks him out cold.

 

And while most of the guests try to awaken the unconcious Wyvern, the Elf in green clothes starts chanting some obsure magical incantations.

"Doesn't that Elf look strangely familiar?" whispers Rydia to Starlight.

Starlight nods, but isn't quite able to pinpoint the newcomer.

"Hey! You are supposed to bring gifts!" shouts the Happy Buddha, as the Elf's face starts to shine with a...twisted?....grin.

"I see we have a volunteer in the crowd," the Elf smiles and takes a good hold of the Buddha's arm. "C'mere, you lucky little thing, you."

The Buddha tries to squirm his way away, but the fingers holding him seem incredible strong. How can an Elf be that strong? The Buddha looks into the eyes of the self proclaimed entertainer and notices a mad shine in his eyes, almost like a vast ocean with a turtle swimming around, snapping at everything.

"Hey! I know you!" screams the Buddha. "Somebody......"

And then a yellow spark lits up the room, before the crowd starts clapping and cheering. The mighty wizard had just made the Buddha vanish into thin air!

 

"That was odd," muttered the mad Elf, but no one seemed to hear him.

"Do another one!" shouted one of the guests.

"Yes, pick me!" exclaimed Orlan before he got a chance to realize what he was getting himself into.

 

"Well, ok," smiled the wizard and held out his deck of cards. "Pick one."

Orlan pulled a card and looked at it. Now that was weird. That wasn't a normal card, it was just a picture of an enormous dragon.

"What's this?" Orlan asked and showed the card to the wizard.

"Oh," mumbled the Elf. "It seems I brought the wrong deck. I better run."

 

Then he hurried out and was gone.

"Now I know," smiled Rydia to Starlight. "Wasn't that Elvish Presley?"

A cold chill ran down Starlight's back and he looked at Rydia. Her smile was gone, replaced by a worried grin.

 

Then a swooping sound was heard outside, as if something extremely gigantic flew over them. and the guests were barely able to maintain their balance as the floor shook from a loud thump outside. Then a roar like a tornado shook the walls, just before a crispy guard staggered into the the party. His armour was red hot, and his flesh was coal black. The smell of.....bacon......filled the room as he spat out a final word before he fell over and turned to ashes before them.

 

"Dragon..."

[Peredhil]

Elrohir gave a friendly wave to Knight and went out to look over the parking situation. Elladan, still smiling from the frogs, joined him.

 

"Knight needs to move his starcraft," Observed Elrohir.

"Poor chap. Do you feel all the power latent in the engine? Remember that Traveller universe?"

Elrohir started edging back in toward the party. Elladan reached back without looking, grasped the hand limp in mounting horror, and dragging him back forward.

"It will be fun!"

 

The forces in the power cores of the mighty ship began undergoing quantum changes - without the Heisenberg uncertainty. For a brief moment of time, everything aligned and a pulse of power was released - to be intercepted and diverted, pushing and reflecting off the molten core and surrounding magnetic bubble of the planet. Not a true perpendicular force, but just ever so slightly angled so that...

 

The great ship reared up as the earth shrugged, and settled with a jolt four feet away.

 

Elladan sitting collapsed against the wall with Elrohir unconscious on his lap, had a brilliant smile as he pictured the surprise of the crew.

 

His smile grew even broader as he watched the dragon's flight curve into sight from over the Pen Keep.

The line dissolved into screaming panicked runners, denoting the actors and actresses hired for the line job, and the actual visitors who stood and assessed the situation calmly.

He noted the beautifully skilled and controlled glide path as the dragon angled in and the lack of secondary drip when it flamed the troll guard.

 

This was one experienced dragon.

 

This should be FUN!

 

Melba would want it's underwear. And with what he'd discovered about Melba's past before she arrived at the Pen, all sorts of hell was about to break loose.

 

Hopefully.

 

With a contented sigh, he cradled his twin and sat back to watch.

[Lady Celes Crusader]

Meanwhile, back at the Manor of Tongue, Carbone is strolling around the different floors of the Manor, missing the presence of her mistress. The grey tigered striped cat spot a door she never saw before. She hesitently walks over it and explores shyly the new basement. She then spots the mirror and appraoches it and slightly sniffs it. The mirror makes an eerie glow that immediatly scared the cat who is now scrambling away from the basement in an extreme speed, even for a cat. Now, with her hair all fluffed up thanks to her fear, Carbone ran over where she could smells her mistress presence and directly heads over the Conservatory.

 

Once she entered the Conservatory, the troll catches her but only to be scratched and bitten. While the troll tries to immobilize Carbone, the nimble feline twists in any possible way to defend herself and finally slips out of the troll's hands, hissing and spiting along the way. Suddenly, people stopped their light chatter when they heard the feline's growls. Chased around by the troll while the troll himself is chased by Melba, Carbone jumps over any obstacle she meets with ease, without even disturbing it. Celes gets up and calls her pet over.

 

- Carbone? Come over here.

 

Hearing her mistress's calling, Carbone heads directly toward the telescope area, heading straight to where Celes is. Meanwhile Melba tries to calm down the troll, convincing him that chasing a scared feline is a bad idea. Finally, when the feline reachs her mistress, it calms itself down and everyone slowly returns to their activities. Melba walks over the half-elven mage who is now cuddling her cat.

 

- It's pretty rare that this one shows up in gatherings and she was in sheer panic. However, you'll still have to pay her entrance.

 

Celes makes a content filled with a blue balm in the palm of her hand and gives it to Melba.

 

- Here's an healing balm for the trolls. I suggest that you tend to his wounds before they're infected. I'll think of an haiku while you're doing so.

 

While Melba is tending the trolls wounds, Wyvern walks over Celes.

 

- Madame Crusador, I am surprised to see that even Carbone showed up here but why she was so aggressive.

 

- Since when you call me Madame Crusader? You know you can call me Celes. Anyway, I think something scared her outside the Conservatory because I really don't understand while she'll show up when there's so many people. I fact, she is very stressed right now. I apologies of any of her attics.

 

- It's understood, did you paid Melba with another haiku?

 

- No, but I was about of thinking of one while she's caring for the troll. Carbone clawed him badly. Oh, well, there's Melba.

 

Melba wanted to give Celes the healing balm back but the Bleu Mage refuses

 

- Keep it, I can conjure many of these.

 

- Well, I don't know what it is made of but it is very efficient. Now, about that haiku.

 

- Sure, here it is:

"Scaredy Carbon'

Cuddly for me and none

Even Cambronne"

 

Wyvern refrains from wincing, knowing that poetry is definatly not Celes' strenght.

 

- Well, it seems that you paid your fees. Is there anything I can provide so you can sooth Carbone.

 

- I think that being calm and quiet around her will help.

 

Celes strokes the shy feline who starts to pur on her mistress' lap.

[WrenWind]

Cat perched on the fence

Howling his pain into night's clear air

Unrequited love

 

Her cat hiaku clutched in her hand Wren is about to enter the hall when she is suddenly pinned to the ground by a large piece of the crashed space ship. Although unhurt, she is a little stunned and just lies there watching the curious goings on. She does notice that her carefully coiffed hair and her lovely silk dress are now in a totally wretched state.

Edited May 28, 2004 by WrenWind

[DL_Snake]

Gasping for air as his syrup-drenched face reflects his dismay, Snake quickly performed a transfiguration spell that transferred the liquid to the floor before it stained his clothes. Looking around in amusement, he spotted Wren's wretched state and smiled to himself.

 

"M'lady, you do look like you are in need of assistance,"he observed.

 

"Oh, hello there, Snakie, it's been awhile since I saw you. SO you've finally managed to extricate yourself from your secret cavern at last?"answered Wren sarcastically.

 

"Touche. That's no way to treat an old friend now, is it? Especially as I am about to help you,"Snake waved his hand as he spoke.

 

"Help me? Hahaha, since when have you ever had the heart to hel-,"she was cut off as her gown was returned to its original state without the tattered conditions it was a moment ago.

 

"I'm sorry I can't fix the hair, Wren dear, but you know my sense of style has really gone down the drain,"said Snake with a smile.

 

"Oh my, thanks a lot, Snakie!"she cried as she gave him a hard hug. "Now to find someone to fix my hair for me...."she muttered as she released Snake and looked around.

 

"While you are looking for your remedy, please permit me to be your excort?"Snake asked hopefully.

 

"Oh, would you? I don't see why not?" Arm-in-arm the duo went around the party, hoping no one noticed Wren's state of hair, as it was....

Edited May 28, 2004 by DL_Snake

[The Big Pointy One]

Completely unaware of his surroundings, (okay, more than usual) Stick notices his old friend Knight entering the room. With much effort, he makes his way over to seek some assistance. Of course, all Knight sees is this chocolate-covered wretch lurching his way. He isn't exactly sure whether it'd be a good idea to draw his sword or not, so he decides to just watch extra carefully. With his hand on his sword.

 

"Kni---kinniggit... no, Knight! You gotta help me!"

 

Knight raises an eyebrow curiously, "Stick? Stick, is that you?"

 

"Yeah... uhm... I think I have a problem..."

 

 

Elsewhere, a familiar cloaked rabbit stands patiently behind a rather rude dragon who seems content on crashing the party...

[Xaious, Master of Time]

Xaious backed away..Slowly backed away....Until Wyvern was out of his sight, then he turned around and decided to find someone who might need his help.

As he went to take his first forward step from after backing away, Carbonne ran across his path.

"Hmm..Must've noticed something...or something..." Xaious mused to himself.

After that, he stopped, and loked around; someone had to need his presence.

He looked around for a few minutes, and then he noticed a rather messy clump of hair, and his face lit up with a smile.

"Hair! I am needed!" And he ran over to Snake and Wren, dodging the yet unaware party-goers and trying not to trip over their feet.

When he got there, he bowed to them, one after another, and then he said...

"I notice you are in need of a hairstylist."

However, before she could say 'Yes', 'No', or 'Who the heck are you?', he had frozen time, gone home, retrieved a brush (and a couple of bottles of incredibly sugary kool-aide), gone back to the party, un-knotted her hair, brushed it, and then infested it with hundreds of very attractive little curls, placed one bottle of kool-aide in her hand, and then unfrozen time after getting back right where he was before.

"There you go, m'lady. You now have curls. Very..attractive..curls.." Xaious said, then smiled, bowed, and began to walk off into the party, with no true direction.

[WrenWind]

Wren thanks Xaious and looks at her reflection in the mirror that Snake hands her. WoW!!! I should have got you to do it the first time around It looks great. *bounces her hand in the curls and smiles*

[The Death of Rats]

In the chocolate pool, something stirred. Bubbles began to rise, and slowly, a figure emerged, bolt upright, chocolate covering a long robe, dripping from its hood, ivory teeth, and scythe balde.

 

plip

 

plip

 

plip

 

...the rivulets of chocolate went, as the figure surveyed its surroundings, and eeire blue glow lightin ghte backs of empty eye sockets.

 

Quickly divining the nature of its current circumstance, it threw its head back and issued a challenge.

 

SQUEAK.

 

Just then, Silly the Elder dwarf wandered past, wooden picture frame still swinging around his neck, and mai tai balanced comfortbaly in his left hand. He looked down with some interst at the chocoalte coated form that did not quite reach the height of hi sknees as it gazed up at him in turn.

 

SQUEAK, it said, more matter-of-factly.

 

"I heard you the first time, small chap.", the Dwarf drawled. "But I don't think that's the kind of wrestling Wyvern had in mAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEE-!", he finsihed, as a pair of great, chocolate coated arms sliglhtly lonegr than Silly himslef seized him by the ankles and swung him bodily into the ring.

 

As Silly splooshed with emphasis into the none-too soft surface beneath the chocolate, another form raised itself out of the pool, a short (yet much taller than the first newcomer) mound of a thing that upon losing sight of Silly raised a long arm to scrathc it's head.

 

"Ook?", said the new thing.

 

 

Meanwhile, at the enterance, a rather sheepish looking Raven did its best to appear endearing to Trolls.

 

It was not succeeding.

 

"AwK! Underpants, you say? Heh! Heheh...

 

...

 

Bollux."

[Knight]

"Stick my old friend... What have you done this time?"

 

With that, Knight looked up, and got a glance at the dragon summoned with the power released off his ship's frontal fusion reactor. Oy that was a lot of damage...

 

He watched the onlookers fleeing in terror, and he simply chuckled at Elladan and Elrohir. No doubt that they were behind it- he wondered what their father would say about it all, afterwards. He would have to track old Peredhil down later. At any rate, he would do his best to help Stick- because Stick had helped in an old situation, a rather long time ago.... Years and years ago- by Knight's perspective- not sure how long by the current world's. Oh the joys of hopping through the multiverse...

 

"Well Stick, since you are a friend.. and you are in need of assistance, let me see what it is that I may do for you.. I have already returned Wyvern's favor- I just stuck him with the bill to relocate my ship, after he attempted to get me to help pay for this. I'm a bit short of geld- my universe runs on Federation credits, not golden coins."

[The Big Pointy One]

"Good, good... Well, as you can see, there's a giant lake of chocolate over there, and well, I think it's getting away! We gotta go scoop it up before it's too late!"

 

Well, that explained why he was covered in chocolate... "I... see..."

 

"Hurry! Before it get's away!" Stick ran back towards the chocolate pool at full board, and Knight was about to follow when Mr.Bunny hopped in the way.

 

"..." the little carrot summonner said wisely.

 

Knight, being of few able to understand True Bunny without a translator device nodded. "Ah, so he *is* on another sugar high. Crazy ol' Stick..."

 

"..."

 

"Alright, I'll leave him be. Thanks, Mr.B!"

 

Mr.Bunny nodded sagely, and looked for the birthday girls...

 

 

 

 

A few minutes previous...

 

The dragon had begun to wreak havoc on the line and Melba was about ready to step in, when Mr.Bunny had finally lost his patience. Not wanting his finest blue cape and matching black eyepatch to get stained, he motioned for Melba to step aside.

 

"..."

 

"Of course I can handle this, l'ilun! It's just a *dragon*!"

 

"..."

 

Melba blushed at Mr.Bunny's compliment on her looks, and how he wished that she didn't mar her appearance on such a petty beast such as this 'dragon'. She motioned for him to do whatever he wanted to do and stood there, smiling.

 

He hopped into the Dragon's line of sight, turned his backside to it and taunted it to make sure he had it's full attention. This of course released a torrent of bright flame directly in Mr.B's direction. Of course, by this time Mr.B had already cast a fire-barrier around himself, as to ensure he didn't get scorched to death. Wagging his nose at the dragon as if saying 'tsk tsk tsk, naughty dragon!' Mr.Bunny responded with a spell of his own. An illusionary carrot appeared in front of the Dragon's eyes, and began to swing in a pendulous motion. Because of the odd nature of the spell (and being one completely unknown to dragonkind) the Dragon was quickly mesmerized. Mr.Bunny then said the command word, "..." and the dragon was...

 

...turned into a dragon-shaped carrot statue!