She has an odd scent...

Fertal 1

There it is again, that double scent! It is odd, really. Not that I can smell it. No, rather it's the nature of the I'd already made note of it aloud to the others and this strange female dragon (presently in human form....never new that they could do that) also examined it, snifffing a little bit to sample.

It's a combination of some species that I'm not familiar with AND something that sounds CLOSE to human, but not quiet.

"What the frell?" Chiana mutters. "Smells like me . . . and Aeryn, mixed together! How-how is that possible?"

"Unrealized Reality?" whispers Betty softly to Ragan. Doubt that anyone else besides me and the intended recipient am able to overhear this conversation, whatever it is.

"Maybe," Ragan mutters, glancing nervously at the formerly gray girl, Chiana. "God help us if it's Prayer!"

?

What in God's name is this about? Yeah, strange...

....

Strange. Another thing here. The fact that I, a dragon slayer should be standing next to a . . . a pair of mated dragons and not feel even a hint of . . . anxiety. Much less . . . friendship!

But then again, what would you expect of me and my wife? Anything less?!

Memories of Hell are vague, but enough remains to know that I did not have a good time down there.

Due to some kind of twist of fate I and Artizza were spared further time down there. Spared the Herculean task of resisting their "persuasion techniques" (torture) in handing over our fates . . . our very souls. But any questions of whether or not we had even a ghostly chance of winning free (souls intact . . . much less keeping our rightful forms) was null and voided by the fact that somewhere along the way (probably some time whilst I and my love were intoxicated from the "happy smoke" from those burning/eternal trees (re: 25237). Honestly, while I remember that much . . . I don't remember much else during that period of time but that would have been the perfect time for this rogue demon, Flagg, to have placed those Key components to the Dark Tower within both of us.

As an aside, I almost have to feel sorry for the Hell crew (hah!). After all, this R.F.'s actions must have ruined so many plans they had for me and Artizza. So many plans, I'm sure. Plans at the very least "frelling" with us (as Chiana would put it) to trick us into doing exactly what they wanted us to do. Plans on using us after we'd signed over our souls. . . .

At the very least having fun watching us struggle very much, giving up our rightful forms as part of whatever deal there was in our escape from their clutches. See, it's very simple. Yet one last, very big, temptation that Hell had over us would have been would be forcing us to give up what we had gained in becoming elves (returning to "normal" human beings).

But with that thing put in us, it FROZE us in our present forms (pretty much ruining that line of temptation for the Hellcrew). So sorry to hear that.

Yeah, it breaks my heart...

So many plans ruined for those of Hell. Or at least one faction within Hell. Place is full of strife and factions, vying for a bit more power, position. Whatever the case, R.F.'s actions placed our fates in a much more hopeful light (re: 29526).

First time I and Artizza knew something was up (besides some hazy memories of meeting several different versions of me and her).... Well, there was this one version of the one known as Betty who'd sung a bizarre song (re: 29524) and next we're dazedly looking around, somewhere in another cavern with mummy's looking for us. We stumble across the Doctor's group, and I and Artizza (still out of it), are asking stupid questions about songs (re: 35231).

The rest is pretty much a blur. Not due to being "stoned" still. Rather, due to the fact that for the most part, I and Artizza (Artizza 1 to be technical) spent most of our time as small crystal blocks (which, somehow I find romantic in a sense, couldn't be separated with anything short of lots of explosive black powder)!

Then, due to some kind of . . . strange business that violated some kind of Celestrial agreements, I and my love find ourselves free earlier than expected. We gladly (and gleefully) join up with these Offices of Order and Chaos, becoming Champions just like our rescuers. Now, tasked with this Validation Quest, we're on a Wilde Hunt for others who'd had encounters with Key Components.

In this case, the victims also happen to have been fed Forbidden Fruit, similar to but not the same as what got both Adam and Eve (Biblical characters reputed to be mankind's origin, if you don't know) kicked out of the Garden of Eden. Only this fruit is reputed to make the eater unaging and deathless. Something akin to US, really....

What will be done with other victims of the Key Component business I cannot really say. Was told by that one Rule, Rule 1, that like with us is the They would do as good as possible. As good by them as the Higher Up(s) allow them to do.

Exactly what that entails I'm not quiet sure. Each subject is different. In our case, we got a choice. We got a choices of which Office we could join, and I and Artizza joined up with Eternity Inc.

Know that the others in this group were curious at what the fates of their recent clients, Hannah and Belinda, were. Beyond what I just told you I cannot say, but I trust Rules and Agents. In good hands....

But that said, after that reassurance, I and Artizza suddenly find ourselves away from the inside of the Dark Tower and dropped off at Terra Prime, right in front of elves who escorted us to meet Solik'tril Jones and Ti'mma D'Honaire.

http:// www.geocities. com/rule179 /Pictures/ TwinsMeeting. jpg

However....

Uh, see they'd taken one look at me and Artizza. Saw how we were hugging and laughing, glad to be alive and be with each other and...

....

I'm an elf now and so is Artizza. Only difference between us and the "regular" brand of elf of Terra Prime is we have a bit higher sensitive senses. A few cosmetic differences (sharper facial features, longer pointed ears, pitch black eyes). The only difference between us and them are that within US the . . . well, let's just say the magical life within us burns a bit brighter and a bit stronger. That said, us and them being elves it was easy enough to see what we wanted. What we needed.

....

Did I mention the fact that elves never sleep? Of course that means that businesses (for profit or for other) never sleeps as well. In our case, after asking religious preference, we got taken to a priest and...

We're now married, Artizza and I. Officially married to each other forevermore. Happily ever after with each other, to quote from old bards tales. Being what we are, that's too true except they never tell you it's ELVES who usually are the real source of such stuff. That and much to my chagrin the famous bit about love at first sight actually existing, but it's with Dragons!

This all said, it's easy to see that I've got a lot to adjust to here. But by GOD, it's going to be fun!!

Meanwhile, while I'm still trying to figure out the best way to broach a question I'd been dying to ask ever since having accidentally overheard what both Betty and Ragan were whispering about. Basically, I can see that they might know something more about this matter than I do, but HOW to broach the subject without embarrasing myself (and them). How do I do it without letting them know I overheard them.

As it is, right before I'd begun to ask it's Elrondir who beats me to the punch!

Elrondir

"Betty. Ragan. I do believe that this is your thing," I say, looking up at them. "In Farscape was there anything about a Chiana/Aeryn combination?"

"Uh....yeah," Betty says slowly, coughing. "There's one episode in the fourth season called Unrealized Reality."

Ragan supplies an image via magic, showing a possible view to our quarry.

http://www. scifi.com /farscape/ journeylogs/ season4 /images/ ep418_img3 .jpg

Somehow, I believe that there is more than just the one episode. She's hiding it well, but I'd been involved in . . . things while in the Miliary as an Inuit AI (a series noted for intelligence work). Know that there might be something more than what she's letting on, and at a guess it has something to do what happened to this Aeryn-Pip.

1. Something that she and Ragan do not wish to share with Chiana right now. Something that I think would hit her hard....

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