Dropping off and moving on . . .

Inquirer

Flash of light. Feeling of displacement and voila, back on Terra Prime we ARE.

And . . . we have company.

"I see that you had yet another interesting time abroad, sister?" a male voice calls from the side. Turning I see a young appearing man (who's eyes speak of a person who's seen much and generally is MUCH older in spirit than anyone should have a right to) pointing slightly at the figure at my feet.

A slightly raised eyebrow speaks words here for this gunslinger: he finds the rather abbreviated skirt (the entire scanty dress) of Fred rather . . . odd. A slight gesture on my part causes the illusionary clothing to vanish (restoring the rather more modest if slightly utilitarian peasantry clothing), which in turn lessens the questioning look Roland has (but does not erase it entirely).

"I see," he says nods slightly. "Another set from the 'Two Girls' prophecy motif I take?"

Ah yes, my adopted brother: Roland Deschaine. Knew that he'd come soon enough with the rest of the family and lend a hand here or there where he could (this is something of a family effort, helping the displacees and such). While perhaps not flashingly brilliant as his friend and companion from Midworld, Cuthbert, the guy isn't slow. That and pretty effective (and deadly) in his own ways...

As it stands, I could use a helping hand with the latest set here.

"Yeah, they are at that," I say, gesturing at the unconscious Fred (at my feet) and the cautiously staring Belboz off to the left. "The short of it is that we had a brief run in with some rather . . . unfriendly law enforcer types who wouldn't take too kindly with our kind. Express it in . . . deadly ways in the end."

"Oh, bad guys," Roland says, following. While he himself belonged to a kingdom with medieval values (albeit under a "Western motif") and was himself a "law enforcement" type (which may be partly why Chiana keeps a distance from him even now), he knows where I am coming from. Yep, might have broken some laws back there with running away from Logan and his gang (who'd been flanking us for whatever reason . . . probably nefarious reasons). However, we had moral authority and . . .

Well, you know. Logan's world isn't exactly a healthy place to play and live. Rather sick, when you get right down to it so it was a good thing to leave, right? And whatever the case, I wasn't going to just leave Fred in a deathtrap (but couldn't waste time explaining it to her).

Coldcocking her was mean, but leaving her would have been heartless.

"She's going to be a bit pissed at me when she wakes up," I continue, pulling a PADD from a pocket and plugging into it (via cyberjack). "Could you give this sitrep to father which details the latest? That and explain to our rather obstinate 'Lord Fred' here about the pincher movement which would have captured here rather quickly if we'd either left her alone? The details are all here."

Unplunging, I hand the PADD to the gunslinger. My friends, meantime, have already pulled the still slumbering (heh) "Lord Fred" off to the side, out of the teleportation circle and to a bench. Fifi is muttering something about the unconscious girl that does NOT sound very complimentary.

Bambi looks like she'd like to ask her human counterpart a few questions (like perhaps how in the heck two girls, prophecy or not, should be able to bring down an entire invading Amazon army). Being that that part of her old life was beyond recall, I know that she'd been at a loss as what her plans had been.

Did she really have a good plan? That was in question, being that she'd been in what could have been the first stages of Delgrado syndrome (a Alzheimer's like condition that effects magic users). She could have been, back while still a man, been in a delusional state. That is something that she'd like to determine for herself, but . . . right now it doesn't look like she'd be well received by Belboz, who looks a bit skittish right now. Meaning, I don't think she wants to do anything more with us than she has to (and that would include talking).

. . .

I think my little display of plugging things into my own head kind of put her off.

"Definitely fey folk," she mutters to her self, shaking her head to clear it.

Okay, whatever.

Now, while my brother is taking care of both of the new girls (eventually to get them rooms of some type . . . or some transportation if they wish to do nothing more with us) I and the others have one last world to explore.

And for Creator's love, by process of elimination it's just GOT to be Fifi's and Bambi's home reality if it is to be FOUND in the teleporter's scrambled databanks. There are NONE left besides this last destination!!

"Consider it done," Roland says from off to the side, out of the teleporter's area of effect. "And by the Dark Tower, the Beam, and all it's Guardians, be careful! I . . .do not want again to have to explain to Mother and Father that you and your friends had gone astray for a bit like you'd done in the Star Wars reality."

?

Okay, once we get back I'm going to ask my brother over there what exactly that last comment meant. Yeah, back when we'd gotten back the folks had been frantic and all from our overly long stay in the Star Wars universe we hadn't heard all of the things which had been going on beyond some basics.

Did my brother have some kind of prophetic dream or some such? You know, as a Gunslinger from Midworld those things do not pay to be ignored and while Cuthbert is more known for that kind of metaphysical stuff . . .

. . .

Or is that outburst have to do with something we may face? Whatever the case, it will be something (like our guests, just bunked up and recently arrived) to handle when we RETURN!

One crisis at a time, Inquirer. We'd known that we might have been facing a lot of . . . strays, being that we'd be dealing with parallel realities (with similar problems in each).

Same but different, the stuff my ol' job entailed with reality hopping....

As the Champions and their centaur companions disappear yet again....

"What?" Belboz asks, looking oddly at Roland. "What have the Fey to do with the Dark Tower, the center of all reality?"

"First, I and the others are not fey," Roland begins, giving Belboz an odd look. "As for the Dark Tower . . ."

Meanwhile, at the Champion's destination . . .

Elrondir

You have GOT to be kidding me!

I recognize this . . . scene, if not exactly in "living color". As something of an elf with an artistic bent, I've purveyed some of the more interesting mangas and animes from Japan . . .

. . . .

Author's Note: Do not own or claim to own "Neon Genesis Evangelion" story, characters, or story props. Don't sue me!

Including that one rather controversial Japanese anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion. And THIS particular little taboo we're gapping at right now . . .is where a glowing ribbon of light energy (a glowing WORM if you will right now) is trying to . . .

. . .

1. Bore it's frelling way INTO the giant combat robot known as "Unit 0" and merge with it's occupant, Rei Ayanami!

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