Intermission Interruption...

"By now I am sure you got at least PART as to why we are doin' what we are doin'." Chiana begins.

Conflicts inside their heads or not, they'd been able to follow along to catch the basics so that was no problem. A good thing, that, all considered.

"To begin . . .," the dragoness starts, only to freeze in mid- sentence. That and the growing war within their skulls recedes (if only for the moment), leaving them . . . clearheaded.

"I believe you may go now," a calm male voice says to their side.

"Concur," another says. Though similar sounding, it is flat and . . . atonal. Monotone, actually, in inflection and all that.

Without emotion.

Curious, the "new" elves turn and gasp, dropping to their knees and bowing towards the Rules they see before them. Both look the same, but one of the Rules seems more . . . . stiff and starched. That one disappears without even a flash, leaving the other muttering something about that particular "Unelightened Rule" being a bastard and a half if nothing else.

"Hate having to work with that particular series," he sighs and then waves for the elves to rise.

"Hey," Rule 179 sighs. "I know that such things are expected and required from THIS particular incarnation you'd been born into, but stop that. I . . . don't want that."

It would almost be like them praying to him, and he's not about to cross THAT kind of line. Not only would it be a serious breach of etiquette, it would land him in hot water with the Higher Up(s)!

Besides, wouldn't having worshipers (ala of the church going kind) obligate him to dish out some kind of divine? No, better his way than that...

"I see you remember at least your Inductions?" the Rule observes.

Not the ceremony (or the lives they'd lived prior this current reincarnation they'd entered into here on this world), but the elves knew . . . they had a special destiny.

Inquirer was right, these WERE Champions. Old school, generation 1 brand Champions (as opposed to "her" current brand, generation three).

One and two, as an aside, were made to "blend in" with the background, back before the Office of Good and Office of Evil (i.e. the Angels and Demons) knew that the Rules and Agents were more than just drones. The first generation, one, hardly had anything at all in the way of "special" senses. None, really, in a way to tell a Champion from one department from another (or even the same department). That was remedied in part with a slight "smell" in later "upgrades" and all that, but . . .that's not really important right now.

. . .

Did that make any sense?

Oh well . . .

Anyway, that lack of ESP (as it were) was why the new elves didn't know that they were in danger. If the Doctor hadn't intervened, the dark ceremonies to induct Fred/Fertal and Astra/Artizza into the ranks wouldn't have worked. Would have appeared to be one of those rare cases of instead of creating new Dark Elves, it would have shattered their minds. The competing knowledge patterns and identities would have driven the elves insane....

Things are a bit different on this world than what the Terra Primers were aware of. Still, they did good and allowed . . . this meeting.

A meeting that the Drone Rule had strode to prevent even though Rule 179 was within his right to do. The Drone Rule seemed dead set on NOT allowing one of "his own" to be compromised by the other Departments...

Nevermind.

"What is going on here is that I am afraid . . . your lives are going to take a detour," Rule 179 begins.

Before they'd been destined to end their long lives as one of the Forsaken elfin kind (elves who'd lost their sanity for one reason or other permanently), only to be used again later on in another incarnation after a few hundred years.

He explains that they were stuck as elves, period. No going back. Something that their new bodies, so sleek and swift, a strong siren song within was making them not regret the lose of old forms. Besides, as it happened a lot of their prior incarnations had been elves (long lived ones SIMILAR but not exactly like Terra Prime ones, but still) . . . it was actually like home really.

Knowledge patterns and new identities finally DO come together and the heroes are reborn in a fashion. Just instead of before (IF it had been allowed by the Rules and Agents) their old selves would have been lost and gone (leaving evil entities in their stead), they were rather like the Doctor's Fertal and Artizza.

Rule 179 also explains that any prior quest or oath they had as human beings just got trumped. Their old lives were over and a new destiny awaited them . . . on Terra Prime.

That one causes rolling eyes and muttering about picking up strays here and there everywhere they go, but that is in the future yet

He also explains that they were to be "upgraded" (to the kind of Champions that the Doctor and his Companions were)

In that vein, they were no longer Fred or Astra (or Fred/Fertal or Astra/Artizza). Yeah, they were now by decree Fertal 5 D'Honaire an Artizza 5 Thessamer!

Whether or not they are going to join up with the Doctor's gang isn't answered by the Rule. For them to decide (or not)...

(How original).

....

Anyway, the elves (NOW proto-Dark Elves JUST like the Doctor's) have a LOT to tell Chiana and the others once the Rule leaves and allows time to resume.

. . .

That is, after they finally come up for air. See, it appears that in the final "seconds" (or whatever you could call that stuff that passes for tiem in quasi-real place between ticks of a clock) their elven nature kicked in . . .

1. " . . .hey, get a room why don't ya?" Chiana sputters, noticing the elves are rather busy (tonsil checking maybe?).

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