Fun with Stealth Sprites

[Cerulean]

As Rydia slipped out of her room, the spot above the cat basket shimmered and an elongated shadow plopped out. It nosed around suspiciously, checking for banana skins and dictionaries (easily scared by yellow things and even more so by items that could legislate that fear into language.) One paw flickered in front of its shadow whiskers and then dabbled behind a dark ear. Crinkle-nosed it sniffeted something unusual and idled over to where Carp's bowl sat on top of a wrought iron stand. One or two nano-moments later, the shadow was backing away, tail down. A smaller more defined shadow launched itself from the vicinity of the basket like it'd been self-ejected from somewhere without chicken. It tumbled against its companion, rubbing noses and headed over to Starlight's sexy chair before leaping up onto the lusciously plumped cushions. The shadow trod the fat purple grapes, careful not to pluck, trod the purple, sleepy, purry, rhythmic, sleepy - before it was batted round the face by the less patient other. Comfy shadow bumbled off the chair, tummy wobbling and yawned a fantastically theatrical yawn - before following-my-leader out of the door and into the familiar corridors.

[Kikuyu_Black_Paws]

Kikuyu's face twisted in confusion. "Erm...do you need an appointment to guard clothes? I didn't know Orlan already had an appointment...uh...and I'm not going to be naked to guard clothing."

 

Degorram cast Kikuyu a glance that conveyed a whole conversation between the two sisters. Kikuyu turned back to the two naked women. "Ok, we don't really know what we're doing. Like I said, Wyvern sent us, and trust me he'll be in a world of hurt later, but at the moment it looks like Orlan's clothes are in danger, if it is ever possible for clothing to be in danger. So will you please just tell us where to go and set up battle stations? Or...at least get us an appointment pronto so that we can explain what little of the situation we know to Orlin." Kikuyu gave a faint smile, not feeling at all smart, witty, or even convincing, waiting anxiously for a yea or nay while Degorram tapped a foot beside her. If worse came to worse they could just say they tried, oh well. And she would be talking with Wyvern about this. But for now, they just had to do their best and try to get to those clothes, which currently seemed to be behind the very tall, very formidible looking women.

[Wyvern]

"Awwww Mynxy, don't look at me like that, pleeeaaassse?" Wyvern treaded backwards, facing Mynx, his claws outspread in an almost dragonic plea. "Won'tcha forgive me? I realize the whole dragging-you-across-the-floor thing probably seems excessive-"

 

Mynx glared at Wyvern with enough feline anger to intimidate an armed veteranarian.

 

"Wyv, do you have any idea of how sensitive this tail is?"

 

"I can only imagine." Wyvern winced at the thought of how cute and innocent kittens always yowled out when their tails were pulled, and tried to apply the thought to Mynx's appendage. "And I'm sssorry. Would ya believe me if I said I had your best interesssts in mind? I certainly didn't want ya hanging around Degorram or Kikuyu, they seem a lil' too happy-go-lucky-powerful for comfort. A couple bumps on the noggin is probably better than another Blue Blazes of Oasis Flame Whirlwind®, right?"

 

Mynx stared at the ground glumly and mumbled to herself. Wyvern turned himself to get out of her way, then moved up closer to her. He raised a claw to one of her perking ears.

 

"Between you and me, I doubt Orlan's clothesss need any defending... he probably hasn't worn a thing in years, given his schedule. It'sss more a matter of distracting those two, if ya get my drift." Wyvern nudged Mynx with a shoulder, then handed her a small jar. "Ssspeaking of which, here are some 'No-Doze' pills, in case Degorram ever tries to invade ya via dream altering. We're gonna have to find a way to contain those two... but with the stealth sprites and all, there're too many things to handle at once. Finding Cerulean and taking out the stealth sprites remains a priority. Until then, we can live with two potential fire hazards."

 

Wyvern and Mynx paused as they reached the door to Cerulean's quarters. Wyvern grinned a bit at the sight of the elegent blue gylph engraved on the door, but the smile quickly faded as he knocked on it to no response. The overgrown lizard carefully turned the handle of the door, finding it unlocked. He went still as he gazed over the countless spandex uniforms that coated the room's interior, promptly raising his claws to his snout.

 

"Are we too late...?"

 

Mynx closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to sense a presence from within the room. She perked her head up and turned, however, when the only presence felt was one behind her...

[Degorram]

(It has been brought to my attention that I made a great mistake in my last post. My greatest apologies for the caracters that were written about: I actually had no idea that the two women were actual characters and I abused them terribly without any intention to make an actual person seem like they would do something they would not. The post will be deleted. And again, I apologise!!!!

 

~Degorram)

[Alisha Readman]

Ran sighed, crumpling the sheet of paper up and throwing it over her shoulder. It bounced off the edge of the overflowing wastebasket and joined a growing pile on the floor. She reached for her over-sized mug that had the words "RAN YOKO ONLY" stenciled on the side, only to find that it was empty.

"Ninja Minion, get yourself over here now!!" Ran yelled.

The Ninja Minion appeared at her side, looking extremely tired. "Yes?"

"More coffee, now!"

"I'm afraid we're out of coffee grounds."

"All right then, tea."

"We're out of tea bags, also."

"Cocoa?"

"Nope."

Ran felt like screaming, but instead she stood up, her long hair that was black, the bottom four inches dyed blonde, reaching to her waist. She turned to the Ninja Minion.

"Then get yourself down to the Keep's 24-hour Convenience Store and get some more!!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

 

Ninja Minion(OOC: Her real name is Miho Kusanagi. To save space, I will refer to her as Miho. ) walked across the grounds, feeling ready to crash for about 48 hours, if only the stupid author would let her.

"Is there even a convenience store around here?" she muttered, looking around. Miho had only moved in recently, and didn't know that much of the layout or even the people who lived there.

Suddenly sensing danger, she whipped out her two sais from the inside of her sleeves, and took up a fighting position. She noticed about five ninjas around her, looking ready to attack.

"Only five of you?" Miho scoffed. "If you want to kill me, Miho Kusanagi, heir to the Kage-Tsubasa clan, you'll have to come at in larger numbers!"

She charged, taking out a ninja, her eyes widening slightly as it deflated, leaving behind spandex.

"Fine, then," she said, pulling out what looked like a small rock. She flung it at the remaining four ninjas, and it exploded, taking care of them.

Miho returned her sais to her sleeves, frowning slightly. "Interesting," she muttered, suddenly wide awake. She jumped in the air, landing about ten feet closer to the west wing where Ran was living. Her boss would be interested to hear about this.

[Orlan]

Orlan sighed and hung up the phone. He hated salesmen....seriously. I mean there's hatred and then there's what Orlan feels when he's in the presence of a salesman, and then some. Orlan picked up the phone and chucked it halfway across the room, where it spontanteously exploded into a fountain of chocolate. Orlan was violent sometimes but there was no reason to break things when they can be transmogrified...I mean, really now.

 

Orlan, the Sexy Sexy Man, leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the fabulously expensive ebony oak desk that dominated his office. It was fabulous because Orlan had spent a good 130 years talking to the damn tree to get it to turn itself ebony so that he could make his desk. But it was a Sexy Sexy Desk, and he had some fun Sexy Sexy times on it with....

 

 

...Something tugged at his brain. Well, let's be honest, it was not so much a tug as a large mace nammed lobotomy that seemed to storm around in his head, bashing the depths of his often times limited mind. Oh snap...

 

"Tzimfemme!" Orlan shouted to himself, launching himself from his chair. He felt the tingling in his hand all of a sudden. Rapier was getting his attention, which meant Tzimfemme was outside, which also meant he was late....which also meant the planned chocolate tango lessons would be shortened....and that was NOT acceptable.

 

"Now let's see here....I can either turn time back or I can threaten to have bolivian freedom fighters kidnap the instructor's family and hold them ransom until he gives extra tango time...hmm" Orlan said to himself as he walked over to his wardrobe. His face screwed up in a moment of pondering, and then he smiled. "The bolivians it is!" Orlan swung open his wardrobe to find a hideous being staring him right in the face.

 

"Hi there! I'm Mr. Tumnus!" said the hideous creature of nightmares beyond which none may.....alright it was a faun but seriously a half goat man? That's just creepy.

 

"Crivens!" Orlan shouted and promptly headbutt the unsuspecting faun and then slammed shut the doors to the wardrobe and flicked his wrist at it. Chains obetiently appeared from nowhere and wrapped them around the wardrobe, Masterlocking themselves together. Orlan flicked his other wrist at the wardrobe and it was promptly swallowed into the black oblivion of shadows....never to be seen again....god I hate those freaky fauns....Orlan shivered himself free of the willies.

 

"Damn kids today and their wardrobe changing tricks...." Orlan grumbled to himself. He took a few more steps down and opened the correct wardrobe. Once again Orlan saw something hideous. His favorite Armani shirt....the one used to perform chapters 874 to 99173 in the Orlan Chocolate Kama Sutra, was defaced! Orlan's head had to tilt slightly to the side to read the poor handwriting on the shirt.

 

"I can't stand the train,

A free ride costs seven bucks,

oh no! It's a blimp!"

 

A terrible americanized haiku....here....on one of his favorite shirts! What foul villany is this? What knave doth protest to thine criminality wouldest....oh crap I've slipped into ol' Bill Shaky! Orlan growled to himself. Still, someone needs to pay for this. That was when Orlan noticed he was being written upon. He looked down and saw a ninja attached to himself, writing on the front of his shirt.

 

"What the f-" the ninja looked up, suddenly aware of Orlan staring down at him. With a sterotypical HIYA! the ninja launched himself from Orlan, flipping backwards 10 times in an impressive display of agility. Impressive, that is, until it slammed hard into the open door of the wardrobe. There was a snap, a crackle, a pop and then some fizzing as the ninja just deflated...leaving just the costume. Orlan squinted and squatted down to pick up the costume. Orlan leaned out and sniffed. The smell was familiar....almost as if....someone Orlan knew very very well was involved....maybe he wasn't the cause but when things happened to Orlan's stuff, there was usually one culprit...

 

"WYVERN!!!!"

 

The doors to Orlan's office exploded outward as he shouted and he noticed 4 people standing in his waiting area. Well scratch that, he saw 3 people standing, the 4th was a sudden nekkid blur of speed as Tzimfemme, the obsession of obsessions, slammed into him. Normally Orlan would allow himself to be bowled over and roll behind the couch for some "Phun and Chocolate" but raw anger stood him fast and resolved...though he did catch his obession in his arms as she nuzzled against him. Orlan's no moron.

 

"Where is he? I know he's here somewhere and I know he's involved in this. Nothing goes horribly wrong in this place without him or the damn rubber chicken in the middle of it!" Orlan shouted. Rapier and the two others were now all leaning to thier sides as they stared at Orlan. Orlan squinted at Rapier. "What?" She responded.

 

"Turkey is not bad,

did you see that bass over there?

It's Deal or no Deal!"

 

Orlan sighed as they read the haiku off of his shirt. "Some times I hate ninjas..."

[Ran Yoko]

sorry if this doesn't make much sense, i wrote this after an all-nighter. yes, i was studying geometry for my college class.

 

Sora slammed her geometry textbook closed, and leaned back in her chair. "I hate geometry," she muttered, reaching for her bottle of root beer, only to find it missing. She looked up, prepared to glare at her pets, only to find a ninja hanging from the ceiling and drinking her root beer.

"Oy," she said, glaring at him. "That's mine." She realized then that she was talking to a ninja intruder. "Hey," she yelled, grabbing her pen. "How the heck did you get in here!?!"

She flung the pen, but the ninja dodged it, leaving the pen stuck in the ceiling, point first. The ninja landed on the ground and took a step backward, only to trip over Sora's Siberian Husky, Jacki. the ninja then cracked his head on the stone wall and deflated, leaving behind a spandex suit.

"What was that?" Xiao, a Siamese cat, asked, regally uncurling herself from around Sora's pillow on the bed that was rarely ever used.

"Whatever it was, it tripped over me," Jacki complained, standing up and shaking herself.

"Hey, Sora, is this okay to play with?" Blackjack, a beagle, asked, touching the dubious spandex suit with a paw.

"It might give you fleas," warned Yue, a black and white ferret. "I wouldn't touch it if I were you."

"It smells familiar," said Foxy, a Somali cat. "Like that big dragon dude."

"Wyvern?!" Sora exclaimed. "I don't believe this." She got up and stalked over to her wardrobe and flung it open. Muttering to herself about geometry, hated teachers, stupid ninjas, and never getting any sleep, she pulled out her battle costume. Cargo pants with small weapons stored in the pockets, combat boots, a sleeveless shirt with a zipper, half gloves that extended up to her elbows, and a trenchcoat that went to her knees. Her eyes glittered with anticipation as she lifted up what seemed to be an ordinary staff. But it was the legendary Staff of Many Weapons, that could turn into whatever weapon the wielder desired.

"Whoa," Jacki said, her blue eyes shining. "It's been a while since we've seen the whole outfit."

"Indeed," Xiao said, stretching herself regally back out on the pillow. "And the staff is nothing to sneeze at either."

"Alright," Sora said, taking the spandex suit with two fingers. "Blackjack, Foxy and Yue, you're coming with me. Xiao and Jacki, stay here. If any more ninjas get in here, you have my full permission to get rid of them in any way you see fit. Just don't destroy my room too much."

"Yes, ma'am!" Jacki said, saluting with her paw.

"Oh boy, oh boy!!" Blackjack said. "We get to go huntin'!"

"Wyvern, where the heck are you!?" Sora muttered as they left the room.

[Alisha Readman]

Ran leaned back in her chair, already craving a hot cup of coffee (caffeine addiction much?) She pushed herself up and wandered into the kitchen. she opened a cabinet and groaned.

"Dang," she said. "Forgot to tell Ninja Minion to get some instant ramen."

Settling instead for a stale donut, she wandered back to her desk, expertly walking around the piles of old newspapers, dirty clothes, stacks of books, cobwebs, etc. She sat back down at her desk and picked up her ink pen again. "Lessee," she muttered, re-reading the sentence she was working on. "'Sakura looked up to see a giant pink and green Cat in the Hat.' What the. . .!?!?"

She stared at the paper, the words "a giant pink and green Cat in the Hat" written in writing that was not hers. She heard giggling, and looked up to see a ninja hanging from the ceiling. She narrowed her eyes, instantly realizing that the ninja was the culprit. She vanished, and reappeared behind the ninja in mid-air. She hit it with her fist, and it fell to the ground, toppling a stack of old textbooks. Ran landed on the buried bed, and walked over to where the ninja had landed, finding a spandex suit.

"What in the name of Yagyu Jubei is going on here!?" she exclaimed.

"Miss Yoko!!" Miho said, coming through the door. "You'll never believe what I just . . ." Her voice trailed off as she saw the spandex suit. "Oh. they've been here too?"

"What do you mean, 'too'?" Ran asked.

Several minutes later, Miho was done explaining what she had seen. "And on my way back here, I saw several more."

Ran thought for a few more moments, then snapped her fingers. "Ninja Minion!"

"Yes!"

"Get me my battle costume. We're going to find Wyvern and figure out what the heck is going on!"

"Why Wyvern?"

"He seems to be fairly knowledgeable about goings-ons around here. Besides, when something happens around here, he's normally the cause of it." (no offense, Wyvern, but it sounded good.)

Ran dressed in her battle costume, a knee-length dark blue kimono with silver flames on the ends of the sleeves and the bottom on the kimono. She pulled on her sandals and handguards, tied her hair back into a ponytail, and fastened her two katanas on her back.

"Let's go!" she shouted, as she and Miho charged out of the room.

[ryurei]

As Ryu wandered through the keep more than a little pissed off about Keiko leaving. The last time Keiko had been away (kidnapped would be more exact) he had almost destroyed a plane of existence trying to find her. This time she had chosen to go on a trip and would be back soon he hopped. So what to do to pass the time? He wondered as he saw several shadows pass him by. If only there was a out break of..oh maybe ninjas..then I’d have something to do. he thought with a sigh. wait a minute shadows passing me!!!! Ryu spun around as a shuriken hit his amulet releasing a hiss of gas. "To the darkness I call come to me Shadow of death TAURA!"

In front of Ryu a black pit opened up as scraping sounds were heard crawling out of the pit was a young girl wearing a dirty off-white shirt that hung down to her knees. Her waist length Ebony hair hung down in front of her equally dark eyes. Her skin was pale and sun deprived. As the area seemed to darken she asked with a voice sounding to be from the abyss, "What do you need Master?!?"

"See those ninjas?? they attacked me," Ryu calmly said as the pit vanished.

"Then they shall die!" she shouted as the swung her arms at them her arms suddenly became elastic and covered the 10 ft. between her and the ninjas before they could react they were absorbed in to the exposed flesh of her arms leaving behind the..um...spandex suit.

"um is that what i think it is??"Ryu asked genuinely confused as Tarua's arm returned.

"Master what ninja clan wears Spandex????"Taura asked even in a voice sounding even more confused than her masters.

"I have no clue.... hey didn't i hear of a ninja moving in here? lets go ask her since she knows more about ninja's than I ever would," Ryu said as he set off to find Kikuyu black paws.

"Of course my master!" Taura said as she hurried after him dropping the spandex.

 

Unknown to them a small shadow crept over and stole away the suites….

[Ran Yoko]

Sora was getting very annoyed. Not only had her writing been interrupted by ninjas in spandex, she couldn't find Wyvern anywhere, plus the fact that the stupid ninjas had been creeping up on her every time she turned around.

Yue easily dispatched another ninja by simply biting it's ankle, while Sora turned her staff into a broadsword and took out two more. Blackjack and Foxy where having the time of their lives by butting into ninjas and knocking them down. They were calling the game "Ninja Bowling Points".

"Whoo!" Blackjack said, after knocking one into a tree, causing it to break it's neck. "5 more points for me!"

"10 points for me," Foxy said, after causing two ninjas to crash into each other.

"WYVERN, WHERE IN ALL THE FREAKING PEN KEEP ARE YOU!?!?!?!?!?" Sora screamed, her voice echoing.

[Kikuyu_Black_Paws]

(So happy this is back up!!! Sorry if this post is utterly random in and of itself, I can't really explain myself right now. Enjoying summer a little too much I guess!)

 

 

Kikuyu sat calmly in the middle of the hall. Or, at least, she hoped it was calmly. Normally she was reknowned for keeping her temper. It was something she and her unwilling twin sister had worked on diligently before they had separated. But, hey, the entire Keep was going to pot, so why shouldn't her anger. Small licks of smoke began to rise from her hand where she had been digging her fingernails into the carpet for the last hour. If she lost her temper now, though, Dego would never let her forget it, anymore than she let her forget those few times in the past she had lost her temper and caused some sort of explosion or crash or random escape of high-security zoo-animals. It didn't matter that she justified her causes ("They're meant to be free I tell you!!!"); Dego brought it up every chance she got.

 

No, exploding would not be the thing to do right now. Hmmmmmm....Kikuyu looked up at her twin, who was still standing awkwardly in front of the doorway. She couldn't see what was going on inside, but she had heard some sort of ruckus including a cheery elfish voice calling "Mr. Tumnus" and random haiku readings. She really didn't want to know.

 

Kikuyu stood up suddenly. "I'm going to go find Wyvern again," she said icily. She fingered one of her blades with dark humor, a small smile curling her mouth. "We have to talk." Suddenly, she blinked. "Wait a minute, this is stupid!" She turned to Dego, her eyes flashing. "Everyone is rushing all over the keep trying to find each other or Wyvern. Mainly Wyvern." The ninja paused to muse. "Why is everyone searching for Wyvern anyway?" she muttered. Batting the air in front of her face to dislodge her bantering thoughts, she turned back to the matter at hand. "Does this Keep have a meeting hall, or a really big bell, or something???"

 

She didn't wait for Dego to answer. Turning, she leapt out of a conveniently placed window at the end of the hall and, moving her feet as quickly as she could, ran down the side of the building and leapt to a more level roof. She uncerimoniously landed on top of a spandex-clad ninja who promptly deflated. The ninja was holding a permanent red marker and was writing something on the ceiling. "Sorry," Kikuyu said, shifting the spandex suit with her foot. She peered at the lettering.

 

"What's with overalls?

Denim is just itchy

Working nine-to-five."

 

For a testy moment Kikuyu stared at the letters. "And yet," she said. "I appear to have retained my wits through that meaningless piece of irrelevant dialogue with only half of a fart-brained thought to it. No, not even half." She scuffed her foot across it, trying to muff up the letters so that no other unsuspecting Pen member or guest might be tricked into casting their eyes upon it, but it was in permanent marker and resolutely stood against her efforts. "Whatever," she muttered. Slowly, she turned a full circle, looking for a bell-tower.

 

There it was! Right near the Assembly room. In fact...it was on top of the Assembly room. Perhaps thats why it's calledthe Assembly room. Again Kikuyu blinked and contemplated the deeper meanings of life before deciding that her brain was far too confused to make any sense of life, the universe, and everything. So she simply leapt out towards the tower.

 

"What's with today?" she muttered as she ran. "These stinking Stealth Sprites are not only vandalizing our stuff, they're also addling our brains. Or at least my brain." She paused again. "WHY AM I TALKING TO MYSELF?" she wailed. As she approached, she threw all of her frustration and random thoughts into a kick that sent the huge bronze bell swinging. But nothing happened.

 

Kikuyu threw herself under the bell with a cry. About sixty sprites were crammed into the bell (obviously practicing really-big-bell-stuffing) so of course the clapper couldn't ring. She stared open mouthed at them for a moment before she slammed one of her many knives into one. It deflated with a small explosion, which caused it to bump into the ninjas next to it, causing them to explode and deflate. Soon a massive chain reaction had ensued and spandex suits were falling all around Kikuyu. Draped in them, but with the bell finally freed, Kikuyu heaved on the ropes. The huge clamor of the bell pealed across the Keep complex. "Please please please," she begged. "Somebody hear!"

[Wyvern]

Wyvern whistled an upbeat rendition of "Your Geld is My Geld" as he marched down one of the central halls of the Pen with pride. The overgrown lizard grinned from ear to ear as he paced forward, the echo of Ran Yoko's deafening cry lost on his thoughts as he stared down at his clamped claws. The search of Cerulean's chamber had been fruitless, but when Mynx had scuffled with another of the ninja minions in the hall, Wyvern had seen it. Standing on a ledge of expensive Pen pottery, frozen, trying its very best to blend in... but Wyvern had destroyed that ledge at least ten times in previous accidents, and knew it by heart! And now, he was going to be widely respected and adored by the Pen for his thrilling accomplishment. Indeed, the discovery of the guilty stealth sprite would propel Wyvern to fame, glory, and eventually sex symbol status.

 

"lemme out, lemme out!" A high-pitched prankster voice echoed from the cramped space within Wyvern's claws. "i'll lay off the ninjas, i swearz!"

 

"Quiet, you." Wyvern growled in the direction of his claws. "You've causssed quite enough mischief around here, even for me! After I parade you around like a trophy and take the credit that's due, yer gonna be ssscolded so badly that you'll stop playing ninja pranks for life."

 

"nooooooooo!" The tiny voice wailed. "not scolding, anything but that!"

 

"Hrmph, serves ya right! You'll rat out all yer buddies hiding in the Keep by the time I'm done with you as well." Wyvern snorted, then raised his head up and noticed a group of pennites slowly forming and moving down the hall towards him. Ran Yoko, Sora Hikari, Orlan, and many others... the perfect opportunity to brag about his find. Wyvern raised his clamped claws with a gleefull hiss. "Hey folksss, guess what I found?"

 

Wyvern grinned to himself as the pennites continued approaching, but his smile faded once he saw the anger and frustration in their eyes. He stepped back as the mob began shouting curses in his direction, and turned to run as Sora Hikari's Staff of Many Weapons tranformed into an Anti-Wyvern mallet. Wyvern skidded down the hall and gritted his teeth as he turned into the Assembly Room, instantly slipping on the spandex ninja suites that now entirely covered the floor. He lost grip of the stealth sprite as he fell, watching in horror as it darted under the spandex.

 

"QUICK, sssomebody catch that sprite!" Wyvern pointed in the direction of a small shape under the ninja spandex on the floor, which appeared to be moving in the direction of an air duct on the Assembly Room wall. "Ah geeze, MOVE! The fate of the Pen's ninja infestation depends on it!"

[Kikuyu_Black_Paws]

Kikuyu whirled as a huge explosion rattled the Assembly Hall, nearly knocking her off her feet. The bell clanged wildly by itself, giving her a ringing in her ears that she knew wouldn't quit for weeks. "Why does everything happen without me?" she snarled, her rage turning black. As it always did when she was angry, dark lines appeared around her eyes, painting the shadows and contours of her rage. Her frustration slashed around her lids in dark purple shades. The dark shadowed her brow and melted like smoke off of her shoulders as she leapt from the building, charging down the side of the huge tower. "Gotta get faster!" she hissed, drawing her two slender katanas. "Faster!"

 

The entrance to the Assembly room was coming up. She wasn't hitting the right amount of speed. With a scream that shattered the sound barrier, she propelled herself forward with an extra boost. She made contact.

 

Leaves were blasted from the Keep all the way to the outer neighborhoods and grass ripped from the soil. A tree bent precariously as Kikuyu's feet touched the ground. Then she was speeding into the Assembly Hall, her katanas whirling as she cut through a massive horde of ninja sprites. Her scream had dissipated and now she attacked with cold fury, ice spreading on every surface the tips of her katanas touched.

 

Movement to her left made Kikuyu jerk, her reflexes saving her life not for the first time. Leaping out of the way, Kikuyu watched dumbfounded as a huge globe (which in fact had several spandex suits sticking to the Asia continent from a previous squishing) went hurtling below her. Kikuyu turned her gaze to see a dozen sprites staring guiltily at her. Kikuyu grinned, changing direction in mid-air to hurl among them.

 

Her path of anti-spandex destruction and doom led her through the Assembly Hall to the central hall on which the official Assembly room was located. She paused, her hair drooping about her face, drenched in sweat and sprite-dust, which did not smell at all nice; in fact, it almost smelled like moldy, unwashed spandex. Her katanas shook gently in her hands and she could feel the darkness slowly leaving her glare. Surprised pennite gazes turned her way, and Kikuyu grinned when she saw a very eager Sora holding a truly gigantic mallet over Wyvern's head. Sheathing one of her katanas, Kikuyu brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes and grinned, her eyes glittering. "Anyone need a ninja around here?" she asked, leaning her weight on one leg and licking her lips.

[Orlan]

Spandex....everywhere....it was all so.....tacky. Orlan's fashion sense was tingling more than Spidey's at an arachnaphbia convention. The utter pain of it all was overwhelming. Don't people wear silk anymore? Yeesh. Then Orlan saw him crawling along, his one true target. The bane of his exsistance (not really but it makes for more drama this way).

 

"WYVERN!" The almost dragon flinched at that tone. He had heard it before a great many times. Orlan was angry and there was a scheme involved somewhere. Wyvern scrunched himself up, hunching his shoulders up and crouching slightly to not expose the scruff of his neck. Orlan always went for the scruff of the neck, and Wyvern was determined not to let him this time. Orlan skidded to a stop over some spandex and looked down on Wyvern, his face toughtful.

 

With a flick of his wrist Orlan tossed out a shiny gold coin which seemed to sparkle more with each rotation it made in the air. Wyvern's brain turned off and he acted purely on instinct. With a shout of glee he sprung after the coin, catching it after four and a half flips and immediately bit down on it to make sure it was real. He realized his mistake when he tasted chocolate. Orlan moved faster than his usual pace....almost Tzim tacklin speed. He had Wyvern by the scuff of his neck in an instant.

 

"Oh dang, I fell for it again, didn't I?" Wyvern said, continuing to eat the tasty chocolate candy.

 

"4,827 times and counting," Orlan said nodding. "What did you do, Wyvern and how do we stop it?"

 

"It's not my fault this time, I mean it!" Wyvern said.

 

"Yah, right," Orlan said rolling his eyes.

 

"No really, this time it's not me. Trust me!" Wyvern said. Suddenly the entire room was filled with canned laughter from a Sitcom. Orlan gave a dangerous look suddenly around the room and the laughter slowly died out.

 

"I can't believe we still have that laugh track installed for your 'Trust me's" Orlan grumbled. "Ok, let's assume I tru.....er have faith that this was not your issue...yeah that should get around it....what is?" It was then Orlan noticed the skittering somethingerother that was making its way across the floor and towards the air duct.

 

"Stop that thing!" Wyvern shouted....though it came out more as "Glqyuzmb gushb flwrng!" since he had gotten to the caramel center of the candy. Orlan took a step into action, and was promptly caught off guard when Kikuyu blasted in through a swirling vortex of pain and spandex. Orlan held up Wyvern and faced him towards Kikuyu.

 

"That's one of our ninjas, correct?" Orlan asked. No reason is causing pain and torment to the wrong ninja. That's just not very polite.

 

"Bwekjoj kfhie! (Ya huh!)" Wyvern replied. Orlan nodded and turned back to where the scuttle of movement was, only to not see it anymore. The air duct was hangin off of it's hinges and swingly slightly. Orlan sighed. Wyvern became frantic. "Ondsihj Behajhii gfloqj wbeghs! (You have to go after it!)" Orlan slowly turned the chewing Wyvern so he was face to face. Wyvern gulped.

 

"Orlan....does not...do air ducts..." Orlan said in a slow, dangerous voice.

 

"What about the time we broke into the chocolate factory....we went through the air ducts then," Tzimfemme spoke up. Orlan turned to his obsession and subconsciously turned Wyvern around as well.

 

"Comepletely different, Tzimmy, cause those were chocolate fume removal ducts....it's completely different," Orlan said. "Now then, obviously whatever that is, needs to be stopped...so who's going to go after it, eh?" Orlan glanced around at the assemblied....uh...assembly room...yeah...thats' the ticket.

[Kikuyu_Black_Paws]

Kikuyu grit her teet and the tattoos around her eyes flushed from purple to maroon when Orlan asked if she was one of the Pen's ninjas. Do I look like I'm wearing spandex, she thought darkly to herself.

 

The air duct was an issue, to be sure. Kikuyu examined its dimensions carefully, the mutter of Wyvern and Orlan's voices just an annoying buzz in the background. The scent of sprite dust was giving her a headache, doing nothing to help her already fouling mood. The scent of chocolate tinted the air, but the scent of sprite could not be diminished: it led straight into the air duct. Kikuyu covered her nose as she caught a very strong whiff of not only sprite dust but something akin to rotten eggs. "Sheesh," she growled. "What died in here?"

 

Kikuyu turned back to the group behind her. Orlan had just raised the big question. Who was to go into the air system and find the little bug. She heaved a sigh. "I'll volunteer," she said. "But we'll need more than one person. If I go through the air system, then it'll find another way out of the air system. I'll be the so-called 'flusher'. Who will be the catcher?" Kikuyu looked around and frowned briefly at Orlan. "Where's Dego?"

 

Orlan blinked blankly at her. "Who?"

 

Kikuyu shook her head. "Never mind. She'll show up...eventually." Kikuyu looked around at the crowd, rubbing her fingers along the hilts to her katanas. "So I'll head in after the little sprite. I can't volunteer any of you, though I can tell who would probably be the best for this." Her eyes slid over Mynx, Sora, Cerulean, Run, and other pen members whose fighting prowess was reknowned. Then she started, feeling a touch of numbness run over her left side as a certain carbon-copy approached at maximum speeds. Dego, she thought. What ticked you off?

[Degorram]

Degorram knew she was losing her temper. She knew that she was dangerously close to losing the control she had spent seven years coaxing into barriers around her power core, tempting the raw magic to stay silent and obedient to her will. As she flew down the halls, her feet sending cracks through the marble, she could see the tendrils of blackness preceeding her, covering the walls as she descended towards the area where she had heard bells. The shape shifter could only guess at what she looked like: a blackened shadow of herself, crackling with anger and magic.

 

She bared newly sharp fangs, her eyes sparking as she remembered why she was late at following the others. As she had stood there, in front of the room with her twin, a stealth sprite had snuck up from behind and frozen her with some sort of poison. Her anger was mostly at being distracted enough to allow the vile pestilence to freeze her, but she also despised being late. The sound of bells had woken her and, unfortunately, woken the monster that was herself. She had specifically asked Wyvern to abandon the bell for such reason. And now there was nothing to do but hope that she didn't hurt her friends.

 

Degorram burst into a wide hall, skidding to a stop as she caught her reflection in the perfectly polished marble. What she saw shocked and pleased her at the same time: her hair had grown longer and now coursed through the air as the magical energy of her abilities poured into the surroundings. Her skin had been scorched black, with silver lines (the same color as the magic she held within) jaggedly covering it in strange tattoo-like patterns. Her eyes had turned into the blank, white orbs of a demon, and her ears and tail no longer resembled that of a fox, but that of something sharp and unpleasant, caressed with spines and scales. The shape shifter looked up and found that she had entered, not only the Assembly Room, but a hall filled with other Pen members.

 

I have to find Kikuyu, Degorram thought as she struggled to breath past the suffocating aura of her power. Before this gets out of hand, I have to get his under control.....

 

(sorry it's so rough....I haven't been on in a while)

Edited June 8, 2007 by Degorram

[Kikuyu_Black_Paws]

Kikuyu saw Dego before her twin saw Kikuyu. "Oh no!" she breathed, fighting her way towards the misshapen shape-shifter. "Dego!" she cried out.

 

Her twin's head snapped toward her, the blank orbs that had become her eyes widening slightly. "Keep fighting!" Kikuyu said. She gripped her twin's bicep as she reached her side. "You did it once, you can do it again!"

 

"It's....strong...." Degorram muttered, her limbs shaking as energy coursed through her body. "The....bells..."

 

Kikuyu nodded. "I know, it's my fault! I had to! I'm sorry!" She turned and reached into her back pouch and pulled out a tiny bubble of violet and red light. A piece of Dego's untainted power, just for this occasion. It had taken them two years of study and worry to figure the correct configuration out, so that in the event of Dego's erruption, they could contain the demonic energy before it exploded and took over her mind as well as her body. Without asking her twin's permision, she pushed the bubble into her chest. Dego screamed and stumbled back, red and violet shock-waves rippling across her body. Slowly, though, the darkness ebbed, leaving only a hint of shadow at the edges of her vest. Kikuyu trembled from worry, keeping her eyes fixed on Dego's eyes. "D-Dego?" she whispered. "Are you alright?"

 

Her sister heaved a heavy sigh. "That hurt," she said.

 

Kikuyu gave a short laugh and turned to look at the other Pennites. They stood, stunned, watching them. "Er," Kikuyu said. "So.....I'll be the flusher...erm...yeah, flush it out...and now we need the one to catch the nasty thing."

 

Dego's skin grew hot under Kikuyu's hand and she turned back to her twin. "I'm coming with you," she said, smoke trailing from the corner of her mouth. Kikuyu grinned. "I never thought otherwise," she said.

[Degorram]

Degorram shook her head vigorously, trying to fight the pain that came from the rapid containment. Shadows of black and red lights still clouded her peripheral vision, and she struggled to stand as they waited for another volunteer. On a normal day (though she didn't explode like that on normal days) she would be bedridden for hours after the containment. The flashes of heat through her body were strong warnings that if she didn't rest soon, she would transform again and no bubble of untainted power would save her.....or her sister. But the matter at hand was important: no one, not even she, could afford to give in to fatigue.

 

She braced herself against Kikuyu and closed her eyes, blowing the smoke that eminated from her lungs through her nose, jaw clamped shut against the pain. It was how it had been since they were kids: Degorram, always injuring herself, and never uttering a word about it. She smiled in spite of herself. It was how she had always been, and it was how she liked it.

[Alisha Readman]

Ran sighed, not completely understanding what had just happened between Degorram and Kikuyu, but understanding that something had to be done about the sprite who had gotten away.

"Ninja Minion!" she said.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Go with 'em and get rid of that. . .thing that got away."

"Through. . .that little air duct?" Miho asked, glancing up at the duct in question.

"You're a ninja, aint'cha?" Ran said, staring her minion in the eye. "You can get in there and get rid of the sprite, or you can commit seppokku right here and now."

"Yes, ma'am," Miho sobbed. "I'll go."

Ran chuckled evilly, as the others looked on in amazement and maybe even a bit of fear. . .

[Ran Yoko]

Sora shook her head, after witnessing Ran Yoko's evilness(if that's even a word). She knelt down and motioned to Yue. The ferret scampered over her and jumped on Sora's outstretched palm.

Sora whispered to Yue, "I want you to go with them and make sure it's taken care of. And if you get into a bigger space and the sprite is causing trouble, just go ahead and transform and get rid of it, okay?"

Yue grinned as she nodded. Sora straightened up and said loud enough for everyone to hear, "If it's at all posible, Yue has volunteered to come with you."

"A ferret?" Wyvern asked.

"Oh, trust me, she can be very. . .helpful," Sora said, smiling mysteriously. She pulled out of her pocket a small crystal vial and tossed it to Degorram, the shape-shifter catching it.

"What's this?" she asked.

"It's a potion made from sundew," Sora answered. "It'll give you some energy. I don't want you transforming again and maybe destroying part of the building before Kikuyu Black Paws can contain it again. Just remember, I want the bottle back."

 

OOC: Degorram, if you don't want the potion, just toss it back. And if you guys decide to have Yue transform and I'm not here to add along, she transforms into a large silver wolf-like creature with horns. Please don't say that she turns into a huge ferret, it's just wrong.

[Quincunx]

Tzimfemme insinuated herself into the crook of Orlan's unoccupied arm while the two faces of Kikuyu quarreled, somewhat further down the room. The Pen dampened down the violence of Degorram's reaction and, with some surprise, the naked mage realized she was reading the sigils without a flicker.

 

Orlan noticed her divided attention. "Yes, they're interrupting the lesson. . ."

 

". . .and you _could_ go over there and snap her out of it with a feel," Tzimfemme capped the statement. Her nose twitched, seeking out Orlan pheromones, ". . .A _touch_, yes finefinefine, shock the girl with your raw unbridled Sexyness. However," fingertips flipped into sternum, head elevated, "it _might_ be impolite to interrupt. . .and I'd be slightly irritated at another interruption. By the way, you're still hanging onto Wyvern's scruff."

 

*****

[Kikuyu_Black_Paws]

Kikuyu cut at the air with a firm hand. "Enough idle chit-chat," she said, looking around at the small party that had volunteered to be sprite-catchers. "Dego's coming with me. Yue and Miho, you two go together and cover the other end. I suspect the ferret has a very keen nose: you can smell where it's going to try and come out. Everyone ok with this?"

 

The pale-faced Ninja Minion and the sage ferret nodded, their eyes glittering with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Kikuyu glanced at Dego as she gulped down the crystal bottle's contents, a little color returning to her skin and her hair flushing wildly as power burst into her veins. "Alright then," the ninja said, grinning wryly. Her eyes lit up as tiny tendrils of darkness flowed from her skin again and the tattoos around her eyes turned from flesh-color to dark blue. With a small shout of exertion, Kikuyu lunged into the air vent, her feet and hands finding the sprite trail easily. Behind her, Dego's eyes glowed in the dark, and she kept a hand close behind Kikuyu's feet. The twins worked as an unseperable, undefeatable pair. In silence, they moved through the vents, leaving the Pen group far behind.

 

Yue and Miho glanced at each other, both slightly apprehensive of working with a ferret or a ninja minion. Somewhere, however, they reached an unspoken understanding, and in a flash of silver-black fur and dark ninja-stockings, the two went quickly down the wall, Yue's unbridled sense of smell leading the way.

[Degorram]

Dego let her thin form mold to fit more comfortably with the air vent's tight struture. Her long hair was still flashing like a cuttlefish from the potion she had gulped down, and her eyes glowed so bright a white color that the air vent was lit up with a flash. She watched as her twin lead the way and concentrated on keeping her energy output low, just in case.

[Orlan]

"Hmm...you're right," Orlan said to Tzimfemme. He turned Wyvern around once again faced the almost-dragon. "Now then....you know where you get to go, don't you Wyvie?" Wyvern's eyes opened wide for a moment in abject horror and then he sighed in resignment.

 

"Down the duct?" Wyvern asked.

 

"Down the duct," Orlan replied nodding.

 

"But I actually didn't have anything to do with it this time!" Wyvern protested. Orlan gave the almost-dragon a rarely seen warm grin.

 

"I know, buddy," Orlan said. "But someone needs to watch over the kids these days. Who knows what kind of Old Pen Horrors are awaiting down there...that's what the Edlers and Ancients are around for." Wyvern looked at his old friend and gave a small grin back and nodded.

 

"You're right," he said.

 

"Well of course I'm right..." Orlan said. "I'm Orlan." Orlan's warm grin suddenly turned back into its usual slyness and, winding up like a pitcher he took aim at the duct the small team just burst through. There was an audible GULP from Wyvern before he was launched into the duct. A trailing echo of "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee......." followed him for a bit. Orlan stood back up and wrapped an arm around Tzimfemme.

 

"You're thinking odd thoughts, again," Tzimfemme said, looking up at him with a little squint. Not much gets by Tzim....especially if it's chocolate.

 

"Eh, I keep thinking we should help too," Orlan said.

 

"I do believe I was on your schedule first."

 

"This is true...." Orlan gave a pondering look....full of Sexyness though, and somewhere young women were fainting in response. "I believe we were doing some Tango lessons...." Orlan looked down at his delicious obsession and gave her the Darkest Chocolate of wicked smiles. One of her eyebrows shot up. Orlan held out his now empty hand and snapped twice.

 

Tango music started from nowhere and suddenly Orlan's outfit was changed. He wore a pair of black linen pants and sports coat with a red button silk shirt and his hair had been slicked back Antonio Banderas style. Tzimfemme changed as well, though the nekkid mage could in no way wear any clothes...I mean, she IS the nekkid mage, what floated around her in a miasma was what was the essence of a Latin dress mixed with the essence of nekkidness (just, go with me on this...it worked...she made it work). She also found a rose was in her mouth. Her eyebrow never left it's rasied state as she reached out and took the rose from her lips.

 

"And are we going down the duct as well?" she asked him.

 

"Oh, hell no," Orlan said. He pointed to a door right next to the air duct. "We'll take the stairs." Orlan spun Tzimfemme into his arms and in classic cheasy tango fashion took a leaping step to the door.

[Alisha Readman]

Miho crawled through the air duct, feeling a pain in her lower back that refused to go away. (Man, I wish I knew a ninjitsu that would make me a little smaller) she thought, looking ahead at the ferret, who was scampering ahead.

She suddenly realized that she was smelling something akin to burning spandex, and increased her speed. . .