The Best Laid Plans...

Meanwhile, Astra 9, Annafrid, and Jarlath awake in each others arms after a....er....long and happy night.

Ans so they awaken together the next day, and smile and rise to face a new day.

"We have a fun day ahead," Jarlath sums it up, helping the others up out of bed, "So let's get to it?"

They dress and freshen up. Annafrid washes the red dye from her hair, returning it to it's normal golden color. Being a red head had been fun, but after a while the dye had been making her head itch like mad.

They step out of their honeymoon suite and, after bidding Queen Astra's group a fond farewell, they settle down for the day's festivities. Usually, These festivities are held before the wedding day. Usually, gifts are given and entertainment done before the big day, but the three lovers could nor would not be swayed from having the wedding ceremony ASAP. So while the lovebirds were on their honeymoon night, arrangements were hastily made for the party to be given afterwards.

So Annafrid, Jarlath, and Astra enjoy the gifts given to them by those who had been able to come (and the presents sent via courier) as well as the festivity entertainment. Andrea 2 is providing a small "light show" with her magic while her friend, Joan, has slipped into her dancing outfit that she'd arrived on Terrra Prime in, and is dancing in time to the beat of Andrea's magic. Looking very much like the character from the Arabian Nights (Shaherazad perhaps for the more traditionalist....or like Jasmine from the Walt Disney cartoon), she was a lovely sight indeed and many appreciated her skill and beauty as she danced. Joan danced for many reason, including the shear thrill of it, but she'd grown very fond of being admired for her beauty (basically she was as human as the next person, and was allowed a bit of vanity now and then).

Soon came the part where the wedding gifts were to be handed out. Some were of the type one could expect at any wedding (that is, things like luggage that one would rather not own....but the gift recipient is too polite to say anything but "Now nice!" or something like that). Some was well thought out and heart warming indeed to the three. One in particular from Doctor Vincent Priceless (for once who's left the Bobos, those purple toaster headed gorillas, back home, wonder of wonders), draws gasps of amazement and perhaps a few mutters of jealousy.

For the last ten years, on the side, Doctor Vincent had been working on recreating the magical machine that had originally been able to pinpoint the reality that Astra 3 and Fred 3 with (re: 2933) so as to locate his (and their) homeland. Due t some technobabble reason that need not be gone into right now, the eccentric doctor had been able to locate the rather unique magical signatures of "his" Fred and Astra (due to the lingering after effects of "their" Crystallic). Truthfully, not even he thought that he'd be able to locate their home reality amongst the infinite versions, but it was a fun hobby. Truthfully, he wasn't sure what he'd really do if he found his old home ("old" because he'd grown rather fond of this new world where they didn't laugh at his ideas, but instead revered them!) Yes, it'd make a good hobby, and...he'd always been something of a maverick (everyone said it couldn't be done....so it seemed to ber an open invitation to attempt it). He'd branched out and tried to also find the home realities.....

Of course he'd not succeeded yet in finding any of the home realms, but he'd found some realities in this wizardly crystal ball that were really close looking. He doubted that he'd ever hit "pay dirt" and succeed before his few remaining years ran out and he passed on (he was getting on in years), but with a quirky thought he realized what his creation could well be.....

....it could well make the perfect wedding gift/vacation gateway. His friends were adventurers, and the relative peace and quiet (while nice) had been not sitting well with them. They wanted excitement....to feel the thrill of challenge.....daring do. Righting wrongs and all that good stuff!

"...and I've tested it extensively before hand so feel sure about it," Vincent finishes, "With the Key you and a few friends can return safely, when activated at the point of insertion, you will be returned. As for time differentials like you and the others experienced over in Annafrid's reality, that factor had already been eliminated over 80 years ago....."

He'd mated a surplus Military "Jump Unit" with his magical applications, and created a machine of science and magic that made him drool. Indeed, the Military had solved the tau problem (different comparative rates of time passage of different universes) without realizing it......

"So a week there will be a week here and such....." Jarlath nods, seeing it.

"I...don't know," Andrea 2 says, looking over at Joan, "It sounds......"

"It sounds like fun," Joan smiles back, and Andrea's fox tail sank, realizing that the siren call that Joan was hearing....was calling for her as well. She'd tasted adventure, and wanted more...and more....

"So tell me about this world you want to send us to," Astra 9 says softly, face aglow.

"See, from what I can tell it's like the world that Astra 5 and Fred 5 came from," Vincent explained. "While I rather doubt that....situations have....er....developed like they had with the Fred and Astra that might be there....."

Fifteen minutes later the three lovebirds, Joan, and Andrea 2 are one their way with Vincent to use his machine. This would be a perfect honeymoon trip for them (things there were less peaceful than Terra Prime....and if there were "relatives" in need of aid......).

(Author's Note: this next part is taken in part from episode 12107 by Time Warrior) [But then again, you remember that.]< p>Laying unnoticed in the library room was a book. It was different from all the other books. It was much older, and was written in runes rather than in English like the rest of the books in the library. It contained immense magic power. It was also alive.

It had been created, millennia ago, to serve one purpose. It would record the lives of certain individuals throughout the multiverse, and in other multiverses as well. When the time came, it would pull into this reality the most heroic versions of these individuals into its own timeline so they could accomplish the task its creator had intended. The book did not know what this task was. It had been created merely to observe. To watch. And, whenthe time came, to act.

For many years, the book had watched. It had followed the lives of various versions of Fred and Astra and some others, recording them in the other books. Then, a signal had been sent. The time had come to act.

So the book had begun to collect versions of Fred and Astra throughout the many worlds it was monitoring. All the peices were in place now, almost.

Soon, the book's creator would arrive. Soon, the time would come.

Suddenly, if the book could blink, it would!

It sees the indicator that it had been looking for for all these centuries....but it's from a realm that it had only been recording from (but not found a suitable candidate for abduction). The potentials were right this second in route (somehow) to another realm. Why it didn't notice this final piece before is puzzling, but the book isn't going to ask needless questions and let this opportunity wait longer than need be. There was something....odd...about the mode of transport, but the opportunity was too great to resist for the book. It reaches out to snare them....and suddenly finds out that it proves to be a mistake! You see, while the book is perfectly capable at snatching people traveling by magic or by this strange, eldritch process called "science", this is different. It could have perhaps send out cohorts to herd the potentials to teleports once they arrived at their destination, but the book didn't want to wait. It proves to be a mistake, since the party it was trying to grab onto is being teleported by Doctor Vincent hybrid magic/science teleporter!

As Silverhand reads this, he realizes just how much has gone wrong. Some of this information is obviously wrong. The Book system could easily pick up someone using a transportation device that is a combination of magic and science, in fact, it is made of such a combination itself. And it has no "cohorts" save for the heroes it has picked up. The problem is far worse than he has imagined, if the diagnostic system itself has been affected.< p>The book's powers go wild as it's intended target slips out of it's grasp, and several things happen. The power goes wild and drags forth several several unintended victims (depositing them in various locations on the world that the book's intended target was heading). The other thing is that what passes for the books mind gets majorly scrambled (causing it to sing dirty little limericks for the next few days aloud). It'll recover eventually, but not for a while....and while it's recovering it's left a trail of sorts......back to the pyramid......

It also deflected it's intended target's flight path so they land somewhere else.....slightly more "public" than originally intended. But first, the victims.....who'll find there have been a few changes beyond a change in location!

(Author's Note: this next part is taken in part from episodes 14100 and 14250 by JH and Bill L.)

"Oh, have no worries on that score, young lady," Count Yorga said as he stepped out of the coffin.

"You have nothing to fear from me."

"Really?" Louise said, a touch sarcastically. "So despite the fact that you were sleeping in a coffin and the sunlight would have burned you to a crisp, you're not a vampire?"

"Oh, yes, I am a vampire all right," he replied as he lit a candle. "But I suggest you not believe everything you hear or read about vampires, my dears. Not all of us are as vicious and cruel as the madman Drakul."

Thelma looked at him sidewise. "So then you don't drain people's blood and turn them into your undead slaves and children of the night?"

Yorga laughed pleasantly. "I am sorry to disappoint you, but no. Oh, we must drink blood to survive, but it need not be human blood - blood from any warm living creature will do. I myself prefer a good sheep's blood, though an occasional dram from an ox or a bear is often quite invigorating." He smiled and produced a platter of bread and cheeses for the three sisters.

"Thank you," Sigourney said. "Listen, we're very sorry about the sunlight and entering the house and everything."

The count waved it off. "My fault, really. I should have made sure the door was locked before retiring from the sunlight."

The three ladies sat and talked to the Count for hours. He turned out to be a charming and entertaining man, far superior in every way (except for being undead) to the vain and boorish prince they had just left.

Finally, though, the count stood up. "Ladies, I can't remember when I last had such a pleasant afternoon, but in all fairness to you, it is getting quite late. You are welcome to spend the evening here in my abode if you like, or if you prefer, there is an inn about two miles down the road. I will be happy to lend you the money for a night's stay there if you'd like."

The girls agreed to accept his hospitality and spend the night there. "Thank you." said Sigourney, "but we couldn't possibly accept a loan from you, since we have no idea when - if ever - we'll be in a position to repay you." "So you'll spend the night here? Excellent." Damn! thought Louise. It looks as though Sig has left us with no option but to stay the night. I'd have felt much happier if we'd gone to the inn.

The Count had two adjacent guest rooms, one with a double bed and one with a single. Thelma and Louise took the former and Sigourney the latter. Louise was not greatly reassured that the doors could be locked from the inside. "Can't a vampire turn into a cloud of mist and seep under doors?" she asked. "You've been listening to too many old wives' tales," Sigourney reassured her.

At midnight... "Thank you." said Sigourney, "but we couldn't possibly accept a loan from you, since we have no idea when - if ever - we'll be in a position to repay you." "So you'll spend the night here? Excellent." Damn! thought Louise. It looks as though Sig has left us with no option but to stay the night. I'd have felt much happier if we'd gone to the inn.

The Count had two adjacent guest rooms, one with a double bed and one with a single. Thelma and Louise took the former and Sigourney the latter. Louise was not greatly reassured that the doors could be locked from the inside. "Can't a vampire turn into a cloud of mist and seep under doors?" she asked. "You've been listening to too many old wives' tales," Sigourney reassured her.

Silverhand shook his head and sighed. The Book's diagnostic system was actually repeating information. It must be severely damaged indeed.

At midnight...a horrendous sound echoes throughout the cottage, scaring the bejesus out of everyone. Frightened eyes look down at their bodies, and begin to see themselves fade away...and then flicker out to elsewhere!

(Author's Note: this next part is taken in part from episodes 9130 and 9197 by JH and Time Warrior)

From the diary of Lord Fredrigo D'Honaire

All seemed lost. There seemed to be no way of avoiding my transformation into a dragon. Astra could only think of two solutions. Cutting off my arm seemed too drastic, and it may very well not work. Going to the court magician, on the other hand, would take too long, and the transformation would probably be complete by then. But I had an idea...

"Wait a minute," I said. "Doesn't our route to Aquilaria pass near the Caves of Vantoris in the Shrekken Mountains?

"Yes, it does," said Astra. "Why?"

"Well, when the dragon's minions became free of his influence, and decided to form a nation of their own, some said that they should go there. It has been said that a rogue dragon lives there, a dragoness named Malachi who is benevolent, rather than malevolant the way most Dragons are. Perhaps she could help transform me back. And even if she can't, she was somehow able to transcend her Dragon nature, and she could help me do so. Even if I have to become a Dragon, I do not want to become a monster."

"That's a great idea!" said Astra. "Malachi it is then. We shall seek out her aid when we reach the Caves of Vantoris."

Astra seemed pleased that I had found another solution. I realized that she admired me as a noble knight, and was grateful to me for rescuing her sisters. She even seemed to be starting to care for me as a friend. She wasn't madly in love with me yet, but it was a start.

1. Continued...