It was laughter. Deep, mocking, inhuman laughter.

She should have listened. Next thing, after throwing a transportation magical token (a gift from her friend, Minestus) so he could study one of these strangers (so ODD and intriguing) in further detai. . .

...

Next thing that happens is all Hell breaking loose, ending with the mortally wounded dragon's last sight in this world being a rather stocky man in leather jacket screaming at here: "Where is ZORA you BITCH!!?"

But, how rude of me!!

Here's something of a lead in, of sorts. A reposting of the last episodes before these two worlds . . . collided.

. . .

That's the thing about the ones called Champions. Goodness knows where they'll pop up next, making a scene. Making a mess....

First, the elf's last episode, as told by his sister (Inquirer):

Inquirer

Tyrell didn't betray us, surprisingly enough. It was someone else within.

Yeah, stuff like that happened all the time back on the worlds still ruled by the Company. It's Corporate politics, getting ahead by stepping over the blaster bolt ridden bodies of those who are in your way. Creator knows when I'd DMed games set in the cyberpunk genre, I'd played it out that way! Or perhaps the cleanup crew is part of some OTHER mega- corporation (a kick murder squad not much unlike what Zora had belonged) taking an opportunity to hit their rival where it would hurt most, the CEO.

Creator, what a mess, whatever the truth is! And I sort of blame myself for it, in a way. Must be all my years living on Terra Prime as a civilian. Gotten out of practice, I guess. Had been good, being out, but looks like we've seen the downside (and everything has its downside).

Whatever, that's not important at this moment.

. . .

Being that when Elrondir had opted to vacate his role of Bladerunner, we no longer have an inside view to know for sure. Probably never WILL know, now. Perhaps we could have avoided this. Then again, I have to trust my brother when he'd said that things would soon, his opinion, untenable so he'd opted out early.

That said, it was Tyrell who gets the first hit. Man never say what hit him. What killed him.

Sigh.

It became a chaotic mess, the next few moments. In the shuffle of things our group got split up into two. Contacting friends via combadges (a form of communication not likely to be eavesdropped on by this world's technology, advance though it is in many ways) I learn that one group (which contains the current holder of the detector wand and all the blocks, as it happens) has a bead on our last few targets (somewhere near the drop point, as luck would have it). That group is made up mostly of the more stealthy members of the group, as it were. My group is composed of those who are (cough, cough) able to deal out a lot of hurt. Either side are almost equal (all considered, leaving out the Doctor in the mix) but you see we . . .

Well, never mind group dynamics and all that rubbish. The short of it is that my group takes up the task of giving the "cleanup crew" (i.e. the assassination squad) some Hell so they are more busy with US than the others. Let the others do their business. Then, the plan was to regroup and we get away in the TARDIS.

. . .

Yeah, yeah! Not much of a plan, but best we could come up with on the spur of the moment with all Hell breaking loose! Just things going south so unexpectedly we. . .

...

Of course, something goes wrong. With such a rather lame plan, can you expect anything different?

Elrondir's last communication tells it all. The targets had been recovered and blockified (without much as "by your leave" but well, hey)! Turns out that Leon (by the exclamation we overhear in the background) had already met them. Some rather simple minded "milkmaid" named Ilsa and a (by Creator) a cow!! Given the fact that a lot of the Component carriers are usually people that had caught the ire of Randall Flagg (i.e. Freds and Astras) for some reason, it's rather likely that these are . . .

Well, we'll try to sort that out later IF we get a chance. IF the opportunity presents itself after the Rules and Agents back in the Tower (i.e. the victims opt to visit us on Terra Prime or whatever) are done with them.

Right now we have other concerns.

No, not the threat of capture. After what had befallen the other group we'd managed to make our escape in the TARDIS back to the regrouping point (i.e. the Farscape universe, ala Season 2, where we blockified Talyn).

We fall back, appearing back on Moya. . . and . . . have to wait for the others to make it back the long way home!

"Well," the Rule sighs. "While you and your friends did finish your Quest successfully and . . . those who'd opted to return with you back to Terra Prime are back on Moya. Those who could fit inside. Talyn's just appeared right next to her, so there!"

The last part is said with a trace of a smile.

"But the problem here is your . . . . friends." the Celestrial gestures to the goggle eyed Replicants Leon and Zora (who'd seen things they'd never DREAMED of while their unexpected visit within this Dark Tower).

They look a bit shell shocked.

I take it we'd be asking too much for fixing their accelerated decrepitude? Sovay ventures. That or just zapping us all back home so friends of ours could attend that problem?

Fear you'd be correct on both counts, comes the reply. I could have "zapped" you Champions back to Terra Prime if you'd come alone, but being that these mortals are . . . mortals I and the others cannot directly intervene. Cannot zap them home or cure them. Being that you, because of your ethics prevent it, will not abandon them means we can't send you home directly. BUT instead we have another, rather indirect means open . . .

Turns out it's taking the Beam and a roadmap back home, opening Doors to other worlds with proper Keys . . . Rather torturous route, but best that could be managed, given circumstances. Some even might allow that "accelerated decrepitude" problem to be fixed in route, but that's by the by. Elves (Elrondir and B'Elanna) and Demifoxes (Sovay and Demifox Synizn) are thinking that the best chances of helping Zora and Leon lay back home, and not en route (and thus plan accordingly).

....

There were faster routes by the Beam to the rendezvous point for the Champions, but not exactly through worlds one could survive in for long...

As it stands, there are several "crossovers" in the making here soon. But first as it stands they're on a world parallel to Terra, ironically enough.

The Champions are in the process of finally explaining to them what is going on (now that the Replicants have gathered up their wits after being exposed to such an alien environment, inside the Dark Tower) when . . . the mistress of this Island (of Moreau) pays a call.

She'd detected a rather jarring magical disturbance and gone to investigate. NOT too soon after an inhuman screaming begins. Her screams.... Preceded by deep, inhuman laughter. Mocking laughter at the warnings that she SHOULD have listened to, really.

Elrondir, of all of them, didn't take too well to being mocked!

Of course, the noise brings a lot of people running. One particular red whiskered manimal, in particular. But others as well!!</A></LI>

And now for that other side, as seen through the eyes of a newly transformed fox Manimal, Frederigo D'Honaire:

Fred cursed inwardly. He had never been so nervous before in his life, not even when facing the monsters he had had to kill, perhaps not even upon his initiation as Dragonslayer. He had felt uneasy ever since he'd been transformed into a man-animal, a form he'd been in for less than a day. The strange new perceptions that had been opened up to him made him feel slightly dizzy. And then, he'd... he'd... He'd given into his animal lusts, he'd dishonored himself, he'd used a woman selfishly as an instrument of pleasure, he'd broken the sacred laws of God, he'd sired illegitimate children! Of course, there would be no shame upon the father among noblemen for such things back home, but that merely made Fred all the more angered. He'd thought he was better than that!

And what kind of a woman was Alicia for not wanting to marry him, for bringing dishonor upon their children? Did she hold honor and God in contempt? How could she have gotten him to--no, he must not hold anger against her for what she had done, for what he had done. He bore as much responsibility as her for what had happened, if either of them truly bore responsibility for it. And to be honest, he couldn't bring himself to hate her. Fred had thought that Astra might have made a good match for him, but she had nothing on Alicia. She was so beautiful, so vibrant, so compassionate, so enchanting...

"You look lost in thought," said the rough voice of Loam teasingly. "I wonder what you're thinking of?"

"Oh--er," said Fred. "Hello Loam. Is--did she make it?" Fred looked through the crowd of manimals that had gathered here. He noticed that most were dancing only with members of their own species. Several fox women were looking at him interestedly, but he did not see the bright eyes of his--of Alicia.

"She was here a minute ago," said Loam. "She said that she thought she'd heard something outside and went out to investigate it. She hasn't come back yet, but I didn't hear any sounds of struggle or anything, so she's probably out enjoying the night air." It was indeed a beautiful night, cool and clear. Fred only wished he could ignore the waning moon that loomed overhead.

"Alright. I'll go look for her. Er, could you come with me?" said Fred.

"Nope. I've got to watch over things here, and besides, there's someone who wants to have a dance with me." Loam smiled wryly. "You're on your own, kid. Anyway, you nobles often aren't great dancers. You'd be surprised Even Alicia is only starting to do it well."

Fred seemed shocked. "But she's so graceful and--"

Loam laughed. "Even she's not perfect, Fred. You've got to stop putting women on pedestals. Trust me, kid, I've been there. If you're going to love Alicia, you'll have to love her as a human being. Well, you know what I mean. Damn, even I haven't gotten out of that way of thinking, after all this time..."

"You sound quite articulate for a commoner, Loam. Er, no offense."

"Well, I've been learning a few things too. Even if none of us knows how to read. That just makes it all the more important for knowledge to be passed on orally, so that even if we never escape the island..."

"We will escape the island!" said Fred vehemently. "We will. I am a D'Honaire, and I have sworn to kill the vile wyrm, so I will do so no matter what the cost!"

"If you say so. But you've got another quest right now." Loam nudged Fred roughly. "Go get 'er, tiger."

"But I'm a fox, not a--oh, never mind." Fred walked uneasily into the night. His heartbeat quickened with every step. He could hear all the sounds and smell all the smells of the night with infinitely more clarity than he had as a human. Among the mingled scents, he picked out that of his love Alicia coming from the forest nearby. It was so vibrant, so intoxicating--he could really experience other beings as a man-fox more fully than he could as a human, and he loved it, and in his heart of hearts he was ashamed of that. As he followed her scent deep into the forest, all but enraptured, he heard a noise.

It was laughter. Deep, mocking, inhuman laughter.

Which ended in that inhuman screaming and that shouting man (which is named Leon) as you saw earlier in this episode!

1. Kind of a heck of a way to crash a party, eh!?

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