Ceremonies and surprises.....

"Semper what?" everyone asks the AI/Golem.

"I assume all know what semper means, right?" Inuirer asks, silently berating herself for using Alliance Military slang. Every one had heard of the meaning of semper.

"Well, gumbi was a. . . . .character from a play who was VERY flexible in his body." The golem explains.

Looks of enlightenment flash through all around the Golem, and then the dragons throw Inquirer for a loop.

"Inquirer, since you're the captain of this. . . .ship," Fred states, pointing to the shuttle in the cavern. "I was hoping that you could do something for me and my mate."

"Such as?" the Golem asks, not seeing where this is going.

"Could you perform a wedding for us?" Malachi D'Honaire asks, clasping her love's hand. "We've been searching through scrying. . . .during the times when we weren't scrying for information. . . .for those of the Order who believes that nonhumans have souls. . . .and can be baptized into the Church. . . . .and can make our relationship official. But YOU can. . . . . . "

"I am looking forward to our wedding night," Fred mutters, rolling his eyes.

The meaning of THAT registers immediately.

Inquirer decides not to live up to her name. . . .and ask for details.

". . . .and I now pronounce you. . . .Dragon and Dragoness." Inquirer says, looking up at the two dragons in her midst. They look majestic. . . .though a bit out of place. . . . .in this deserted section of this worlds version of the Grand Canyon. The abandoned city of the Cliff Dwellers makes for an eerie counterpoint to this gay ceremony.

The wedding march plays through the PA system built within Inquirer, and echoes off the walls.

I bet the Forestry Agency never would have allowed this, the Golem thinks with a smirk as the dragons hold hand and muzzle each other. Crimson and silver scales rub together, and clawed hands hold each other tenderly.

"We didn't have much time for wedding gifts," Rosepaw says drooly. "But we think that this 'gift' will be appreciated by all. . . .especially after all Inquirer told us about what was damaged by the Enemy."

"This will be the longest part of the healing process," Carradene states, coming forward with his Crystallic in hand. "And considering the fact that the other Malachi probably will be rather anxious to get her lands cleaned up of all the poisons and damage to her beloved adopted lands. . . . . . "

"They'll concentrate on lands first. . . .then skys," Malachi D'Honaire says, smiling. "We'll do something tonight. . . .and keep doing sessions until. . . . .it's alright up there."

But, unfortunately, a pair of airborn dragons and a demifox magi prove to have NOT come to the same conclusion as the dragoness says. . . .so. . . . . .

So with that three Crystallics find themselves working in concert, bring about immense power that should slowly undo the damage caused by the burning of millions and millions of burnable (and not so burnable) items ignited by nuclear devices. But. . . .on another continent entirely in a section of a large hole in the ground near a newly established dragon's lair. . . . .two Crystallics are already addressing the issue. The three other Crystallics just pause for a second, and figure "Why not? It'll make this go quicker. . . . ."

2 Crystallics and 3 Chrystallics =

BBBBBBBB AAAAAA ZZZZZZZZZZZZ AAAAAAAAAAAAA PPPPPPPPPP !!!!

At the risk of repeatition. . . . .

Above Terra . . . . . halfway around the world in what would have been called the Grande Canyon. . . . .in the air above Afrika . . . . . and from monitoring stations in various Alliance spaceships . . . . . the same things shouted at the same. . . . exact time (those still not knocked daffy by the experience, that is . . . . . ). It was:

WHAT THE F$$K WAS THAT?!

Nobody know. . . .nor can really guess. . . .for nobody has ever seen that before (though suppositions are forming. . . . .to be fair. . . . .though no solid evidence is forthcoming since this doesn't match the "symptoms.") Frankly, until the gravity started to go strange. . . .nobody was going anywhere near Atlantis . . . . . there was still much to do . . . . . . .

Nobody. . . . that is . . . . except five Cyrstallics. . . . who mentally "high fived" each other for the funny looks they'd detected on their masters' faces. They had rules against harming or disobeying . . . . .but they allowed themselves a tad of 'fun' now and then.

They were alien in mentality . . . . .but even the Crystallics had a sense of humor. Sick, yes. . . .but a sense of humor!

All over the world, human and other eyes widen and mouth open in awe and fright as the sky turns a deep shade of turquoise . . . .and then returns to normal.

The party grownups in the Grand Canyon stagger and stumble as something like a hammer blow. Carradene 2 and Sigin Vulpine find themselves on their furry rumps, dazed and shocked the backlash.

The kits of Sigin whine and mob the downed mage, licking and whining in worry.

The magic show had been entertaining, but their sire wasn't looking too good!

"I'm alright," the demifox murmurs in reassurance as he finds a dozen wet tongues licking his face and hands. "Your daddy's okay, my lovely kits."

"Love?" Rosepaw asks in a unsteady. . . shakey yipping voice. "What just happened there?"

"I'm. . . .not very much on the magic business," Inquirer says softly, leaning down to scritch behind the ear of one of the demifoxes. The AI/Golem then looks up meaningfully. "But frankly, I think that that was FIVE Crystallics in concert. . . . .if I can hazard a guess."

Malachi shakes off her dizziness, and then orders everyone BACK inside the cavern.

1. "Lord knows what the Others will think of this," the dragoness thinks aloud as the last kit, Kitcheka, is heard back inside....out of sight of prying eyes.

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