An Error Has Occurred! A sequel to Revenge of the Banned

[HiImshort]

Makes me happy I'm piling wood.

[Horsefan1023 (Seal)]

Chapter Six--The Lab

   "See how he likes getting thwacked with a chunk of ice."
   "Oh, Blocky, don't--"
   THUNK!
   "Ow!"  Said Blue, sitting straight up, hand flying to his aching head.  He stared accusingly at Blocky, who was holding a chunk of ice and looking satisfied.  "What'd you do that for?"
   Blocky thought for a moment.  "One, revenge, two, to wake you up."
   "This really isn't the time to be hitting each other with blocks of ice."  Said Marie.  "Where are we is a more important question to face."
   The three RAFians looked around.  They seemed to be in a giant glass tube of some sort, in the middle of a large room.  There were blinking lights and computers lining the walls, with more gadgets and gizmos scattered around.  Most of it was along the walls, however.  There was a small gap, where two glowing...things stood that caught the eye.  One looked like a tube with a chunk taken out of the side, but perfectly evenly so that it was mostly just two metal discs connected by a sheet of metal.  The discs glowed gently with blue light, and even in the tube and at the distance they were at, they could hear and almost sense the energy humming through it.  The other one was identical and standing next to the first one, except it glowed with purple light.  Above these things was a large flat screen monitor.  It was off, but cords ran from these tubes to the moniter.
   Blue, Blocky, and Marie looked around, taking it all in.  Eventually, Blue ran his hand along the wall of the tube.  "We're obviously prisoners.  But, glass?  Not a good idea.  We can break right through it."
   Blocky's face cleared.  "Right!  All we need are sharp instruments.  Ice, you think, Blue?"
   "Yeah," said Blue, raising his hands to create his breaker.  "Make it sturdy, but with and edge."
   Blue and Blocky began constructing such things out of ice.  They raised their hands, and ice formed in the air.  Gently moving their hands around the breaker, the former dragon and the ice ninja formed it and shaped it according to their criteria.  Kitsune watched them.
   "It probably won't work, you know."  She said thoughtfully.
   "Why not?"  said Blocky without looking up from his work.  "It's only glass."
   "Look around you!"  Said Marie, waving her hand at their surroundings.  "This doesn't look primitive.  It has to be better constructed than glass if they wanted to keep foreign specimens like us prisoner. 
   "Foreign specimens?"  Said Blue, looking up.  "We're foreign?"
   "I'm guessing," said the ex-kitsune, scratching her ear.  "Look at that."  She pointed at a nearby console, which had cords connecting to the tube.  The keyboard had strange runes or something on it.  "That's not any alphabet I know."
   "Hmmm."  Said Blue.  "I suppose you're right.  But it doesn't hurt to try, I guess."
   "Yeah,"  Said Marie, sitting down and running one hand thoughtfully along the glass as she examined the console screen nearby. 
   Eventually, Blue and Blocky finished their tools.  "Ready, Blocky?"  Said Blue, hefting his ice thing a bit higher in the air.
   "Ready, Blue!  At the same spot and at the same time?"
   "Yeah, on three.  One...."
   Marie stared hard at the console.  On the screen was a picture of the tube, with cords running to console.  It seemed that electrical currents were running along the cords and into the bottom of the tube.
   "Two...."
   She thought hard about what that could mean.  In a flash it came to her.
   "Don't do it!"  Gasped Marie, jumping up.
   "Three!"
   Blue and Blocky swung forth their ice things, not hearing Marie, too focused on their task.
   THUNK!
   ZZZZZZZZZZAP!
   The bottom of the tube lit up, electricity pouring in from the cords attached to the console.  Unfortunately, there were only three things for it to travel into.
   Blue, Marie, and Blocky.
   Blue fell to his knees, the electricity seeming to set every atom on fire, pain seared through him, these volts  had to be fatal, (Note from Guy:  "Volts hurt, Amps kill.  It may hurt, but he will not be dead...but put volts anyway, more people will understand") how could they not be, causing such pain?
   Gentle darkness washed over him once more.

   "Benny, didja see the look on that chump's face when we came out of the alley?"
   "Sure did, Mercy!  Priceless."
   "I got a photo, dudes."
   "Great!  Let us see."
   Mercy snatched Bergson's phone out of his hands, looked at the picture, guffawed, and gave it to Benny.  Bergson grabbed at it, but Benny held it away, then looked at it, laughed as well, and handed it back to Bergson.
   "Ey, Mercy, where we smackin' next?"
   Mercy turned and smacked Babe, the one who had asked the question in his annoying whining voice.  "We smackin' right here, Babe.  We smackin' you for bein' such a whiny little brat.  Jesus, yer like a 5 year old."
   "Don't call me Babe!  I ain't no babe!"  Whined Babe.  "I told you, th'name's Blade, 'cuz I have this blade 'ere."  He held up a pitiful little pocket knife.
   "I'll keep that in mind if I care at all, Babe," said Mercy carelessly and turned away. 
   Mercy was the leader of what he called "The Smackers."  They were a ruthless gang that prowled around the city and beat up helpless passers-by.  Each one had a nickname.  Mercy gave the reason of his name about 10 times a day.  He always said.  "Ya know why I'm called Mercy?  'Cause I didn't kill ya.  I'm merciful!"  Babe, was, well, a Babe in the gang's eyes.  A "Whinin' baby."  Bergson and Benny were just modifications of their names.  And the others would be revealed later.
   "But that gal was creepy," said Panther (an African-American guy who crept in the shadows) "She shot fire out of 'er 'ands."
   "Yeh," said Tank (a huge beefey dude who had a fist like a bullet) "She burned me wrist.  I'd like to give 'er a kick up the--"
   "Hey," interrupted Mercy, not caring about Tank's problem.  "What say you we go give that firestarter a smack.  She scared us of from our intended smackee!"
   "Yeh!"  squeked Rat (a scrawney little thing with unusually sharp teeth--that unfortunately for the victim he used) "I say we give 'er a good smackin'!  Teach 'er right!'
   "Fine.  Give me a good 'smacking' if you want."  Said a dangerously level voice from the end of the alley the gang was resting in.
   The gang whirled around to see the firestarter that they had just discussing.  She was standing there, glaring at them.  Her eyes were and voice were positively murderous.  A voice called from behind her--"Este, this isn't the time!  We have to get Horsie to safety!"
   "Who are yew to offer yerself up for a smackin'?"  Blustered Hunter (a shotgun wielding maniac) "We decide 'oo we smack, tank yew."
   "And we wouldn't want to smack such a pre'ee litt'le thing, would we?"  Said Vulture (a guy who was thin as a rail with a beaky nose)  "Just come 'ere, sweet'art and let's 'ave a chat."
   "I wouldn't chat with you, you foul, evil, scrawny little ****roach!"  Spat the firestarter.  "And if you're trying to flirt, you're doing a horrible job.  I feel sooooooo attracted to you because you said you weren't gonna "smack such a pre'ee litt'le thing."
   Vulture stared, so did the gang.  Nobody could take that standing down, Vulture had to do something.  Before he could, however, the firestarter smiled wickedly.  She raised her hands, palms out.
   "That's right.  Burn."
   When she said "Burn," fire poured out of her hands, rushing towards the gang.  Vulture screamed like a little girl and ran, beating at flames that appeared on his shirt.  Mercy dove behind a dumpster to avoid the flames, cursing the firestarter. 
   "No!  No!  Augh, no, mercy!  Noooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooo..."  Wailed a voice from the middle of the alley
   Mercy peeked out from behind the dumpster.  "Benny!"  Cried Rat from beside him.  "Mercy, Benny's gettin' burned alive!"
   "Shut up!"  Whispered Mercy, slamming Rat's face into the dust.  "She'll 'ear us."
   Benny's voice gradually cut off.  The sound of the fire stopped as well.  "I know you're still there!" yelled the firestarter, pure anger in every word.  "Yeah, come out and chat, whoever you are!  Beating up Horsie and no doubt others?  I'll give you what you DESERVE!"
   The whole gang was completely silent in their various hiding places.  A slightly quavering voice spoke from somewhere behind the firestarter.  "Este...you're really scary sometimes, you know that?"
   The firestarter, Este, took a few deep breaths.  The sound traveled to Mercy from his hiding place.  "Yeah, I know, Gaz."  She said.  "I know.  But it had to be done.  It...it had to."
   "We have to go, now."  Said Gaz.  "Horsie might not make it."
   "Right, I'm on my way."  Este's voice was slightly unsteady now, as if she couldn't believe what she'd done.  Their footsteps echoed as they started walking away.
   Mercy waited, holding his breath until Este and Gaz were gone.  Then there were slight grunts from them, like they were carrying something.  Probably the girl, Horsie or whatever.  When he was sure they were gone, Mercy stood up, leaving Rat sniffling over his bleeding nose and walked over to Benny.  Bergson was already there.  No surprise, thought Mercy.  They were best friends--they came to the gang together.  Bergson put his fingers on Benny's wrist, feeling for a pulse.
   "Well?"  Said Mercy after a little while.  Bergson dropped his friend's wrist.  There was pure anger and fury set in every line on his face.  "Dead."  He said shortly.  "Benny is dead.  And I'm gonna kill that firestarter.  I don't care what yew say, Mercy, I'm goin' t'kill 'er.  She killed 'im.  She killed 'im, Mercy."
   Mercy couldn't really feel much sorrow--he wasn't friends with anyone.  He just had followers.  But letting Bergson get his revenge meant that Bergson would be happy, happy followers meant loyal followers, and besides...Este...he was pretty sure that was a RAFian.
   "Don' worry, Berg."  Said Mercy, clapping a hand on his shoulder.  "We gonna smack her reeeeeeal good.  So good she won' get up.  But first we give a report.  I reco'nize their names--Este, Gaz, Horsie.  I think they RAFians.  So, yeh.  First, we report to Queen.  Then give that firestarter a good smackin'."

   Alic stumbled.
   Yet again.
   Taiyoh steadied her.  "Is it really that hard?"  He said in wonder.
   "Yes.  You have no idea.  Uh.  Ideeeeeeeeea."  Said Alic.
   "Must you do that?"  Said CANADA, checking their position to make sure they were heading the right way.
   "Yes."  Said Alic, then grinned, and added as an afterthought.  "Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees."
   CANADA rolled his eyes.  "This is gonna be a long walk."
   "Not really."  Said Taiyoh, shading his eyes and looking into the distance.  "We've been walking for about half an hour, and I guess we're about halfway there."
   "Another half-hour with her going bun-zuh and falling every few steps?"
   "Yep.  Pah."  Said Alic.  "At least there's no food anywhere.  Then you would really be in trouble!"
   "Good God lady, control yourself."  Chuckled Taiyoh.
   "And, Gumby, I am not falling every few--oof!" Said Alic as she tripped.
   "Yeah, my point exactly."  Said CANADA with a smirk.
   "Oh, shut up," said Alic, punching him not so lightly on the shoulder.  "Tuh.  Pah.  Shut-ah up-ah."
   "Hey," muttered CANDADA softly, rubbing his arm.
   "Guys?"  said Taiyoh suddenly.  Alic and Gumby stopped, realizing that Taiyoh was slightly behind him, stopping and staring ahead.  Their friend raised his arm and pointed behind them, slightly off to the right, towards the city.  "Who's that?"
   They both turned and looked where he was pointing.  Three figures were coming towards them, at a run.
   "They're running."  Said CANADA, tensing instinctively.  "Why are they running?  And who are they?"
   "Let them come," said Alic.  "They may have answers.  And you have a gun."
   The people continued to approach.  "Who are you?"  Called out Taiyoh, stepping forward to stand evenly with Alic and CANADA.
   The three people halted.  Then they continued at a walk.  "My name is demos666."  Called one of them in a deep, cold voice, a strong, dangerous looking man with pitch black hair that swept over one eye, and the other one which showed was red.  "And these are ThinkAgain," a gracefully built young man with light blue eyes and brown hair nodded "and Genies9." A tall, slim woman with blond hair and blue eyes gave a little wave.
   Smiles of relief broke out on Taiyoh, Gumby, and Alic's faces.  "Demos!  Think!  Steph!"  Said Alic, stepping forward, then adding "Ffffff.  Steffffffff.  Um, sorry."  She added after a look from CANADA.  "It's us--Alic, CANADA, and Taiyoh.  Yoh...never mind."  She looked at her feet and muttered "Mind-uh."
   "Alic!"  Said Genies happily, running forward and hugging her.  "I'm so glad to see you!  I haven't seen anyone but demos and Think since I woke up!"
   "Woke up?"  Said CANADA as Alic disentangled herself from Steph's hug.  "What do you mean?"
   "I was unconscious--these guys too."  She said, scratching her arm thoughtfully.  "I woke up in the middle of the field--demos was standing over me with a knife.  I flipped out on him and nearly got a knife rammed up my throat.  It was only when I gasped out my name and told him that his demonsis was Jess that he let go."
   "I had to make sure you were you, didn't I?"  Said demos.  "Fine thing that would be if you were someone disguised as you and stabbed me as soon as my back was turned."
   Genies frowned at him.  "No apologies, I notice."  She said, then turned back to Taiyoh, Alic, and Gumby.  "We walked for another minute and found Think waking up.  I practically had to strangle demos to stop him from attacking him."
   Demos said nothing.
   Think stepped forward and cut in.  "I was confused to see this girl," he gestured towards Steph  "Wrestling with this guy," he nodded to demos "and yelling 'Let the poor man have a chance to speak before you ram a knife up his throat!'  I was on my feet and running in an instant.  Then I heard the guy yelling, 'Genies, look what you've done, now he's running!'"
   "Then the guy who was running stopped."  said demos, taking up the story.  "He turned around, and walked a few steps toward us, then said 'Genies?  Did you just call her Genies.'"
   "'Yes, I'm Genies, Genies9.' I then said."  Said Genies.  "'And you are?'"
   "'A RAFian!"  Said Think, now just reenacting the meeting instead of saying "I said."  "'Thank God!'"
   "'You still haven't told use who you are.'" Said demos sharply. 
   "'Oh, sorry.'" Said Think nervously.  No doubt when he said that when it actually happened, he was thinking of the knife.  "'I'm Think--ThinkAgain.'"
   "And then they hugged and everything was happy, and we started walking and saw you."  Said demos, getting slightly impatient.  "And then here we are."
   "Well," said CANADA, "RAF is that way."  He pointed towards RAF.  "Shall we walk?"
   "Strength in numbers," said Steph, stepping forward.  "Let's go."

   Marie groaned inside her head and came to full consciousness.  She was staring up at the top of the tube, lying there, twisted in an awkward shape, no doubt from the shock.  Pain splintered through her.  It seemed that every atom of her body had little needles jabbing it.  She tried to sit up.  Even more pain--was that possible?--filled her, then the big thing hit her.
   She couldn't sit up.
   Panic filled her.  Paralyzed!  She was paralyzed!  What was she going to do, she couldn't move, how could she call for help, and what about Blue and Blocky?
   "Do not be afraid."
   A cool, level, reassuring voice filled the chamber.  Marie was reminded of Prince Elfangor, first encountering the Animorphs.
   "The shock will not kill you.  It has just caused temporary paralysis.  Soon it will wear off."
   Marie said nothing.  She was physically unable of saying anything.  So she said nothing.
   "Your companions will soon awaken.  Please relax--we have no intention of harming you."
   After a few more minutes, Marie's muscles relaxed.  She sensed the paralysis was gone.  She began to disentangle herself from the knot shape she was in, and more pain filled her.  She stopped, breathing heavily, orienting herself.
   "Wait for a little while."  Advised the voice.  "Allow your muscles to relax some more."
   "Urg," moaned Blue, a little to her left.  "Wah--argh!"
   "Do not move!"  Said the voice.  "Relax.  Lie still.  Your body is still recovering."
   "Uh...Marie...Blocky ..."
   "Do as he...she...it...say s."  Said Marie in a hoarse voice, working to choke out the words.
   "Please, do not speak.  Breathe deeply.  You too, Blocky97."
   "Who...they...my name..."  Croaked Blocky to Marie's left.
   "As I said, please do not speak.  Do not strain yourself."
   The three lay still for a little while longer.  Eventually, Marie was able to slowly sit up.
   "Yes, you have rested long enough.  Feel free to move.  But slowly."
   Soon, Blue and Blocky were sitting up as well.  Wincing, they stretched and flexed, stretching and relaxing their muscles to throw off the stiffness according to murmured instructions from the voice..  Marie did the same.
   Once they were all stretched out and relatively relaxed, Blue licked his lips, and said.  "Um...whoever is listening...I assume you're still listening...where are we?"
   "You are at the Peletaran Research Laboratory."  Said the voice.  "Your unknown specimens are being processed as we speak."
   "Peletaran...who are the Peletarans?"  Said Marie.
   "We are a group of advanced peoples living in what we call The Cliff ("Real creative name," muttered Blue) and separating ourselves from the primitive peoples in the Internet."
   "Where is The Cliff?"  Said Blocky stretching his arms.  "I've never heard of it."
   "Not many know of The Cliff.  The few who do know about it either live here or alone around here.  The Cliff is about as far away from The Center of the Internet as can be.  Go three miles more west and you hit The End of the Internet."  (Author's Note:  The End of the Internet is a joke online.  I couldn't think of any other way to show the distance from The Cliff to RAF, so the Internet is not round.  The Internet is flat, and it has an end.)
   "The End!"  Cried Blue.  "But that's hundreds and hundreds of miles away from--"
   Blue broke off as Blocky clapped his hands over Blue's mouth.  "Shut up!"  Hissed the former dragon.  "We don't want them to know about us."
   "I'm afraid, though wise, your choice does not matter, Blocky97.  When you were still unconscious from our tranquilizer darts, we accessed your memories.  We know you are KitsuneMarie, former Kitsune, Blue the Kid, a former, well, according to you, 'Ketran/ice ninja thing.'  And we know, obviously, that you are Blocky97, a former ice dragon or ice block.  And we also know that RAF, where you are from, is near the Center of the Internet."
   There was a stunned silence.  The voice laughed gently.
   "As I said, RAFians, we are very advanced."
   "Can't you let us go?"  Said Marie.
   "I am afraid not, KitsuneMarie."
   "What?"  Cried all three of them at once.  "Why?"
   "You are alien.  You are fascinating pieces of research.  We must keep you here until we are done examining you."
   "Alien?!"  Yelled Blue.  "Right now, we're human!  You're not human?!"
   "I am afraid not, Blue the Kid."
   "Show yourself!"  Challenged Blocky, gesturing angrily at the tube, but not touching it.
   "Very well.  Do not be alarmed.  We will tell you our story of the Peletarans and The Cliff.  You will not relate it, so there is no harm in telling you."
   "What do you mean we won't relate it?"  Said Marie.
   "We shall show ourselves now."
   "Thanks for answering the question," muttered Blue.
   Nothing happened for a second, then Blocky said "Look!"  He was pointing at the strange device, the two metal discs connected by a sheet of metal in the back glowing with blue or purple light.  The one glowing with blue light was beginning to glow brighter, and brighter, till it was white.  A high pitched humming came from it.  Eventually, there was a flash of light, like lighting bolts flashing in the room--like they wanted to think of electricity--and there was a....thing standing on one disc.
   It was tall and extremely thin, with four long arms, three fingers on each arm.  It's legs were also long and thin, a cloudy gray color, and looked like they should be unable of carrying any weight, as they were so thin.  The face of the thing was the same cloudy gray color as it's legs, with dark purple eyes.  Like the theme of the creature, it was long, and thin, the cheekbones pronounced, the nose rather beaklike, the mouth a thin slit with no color.  It had no hair, but two long oval things Marie supposed were ears were attached to either side of the head.  But it was none of this that made Marie recoil.
   The creature's torso was transparent.
   Two hearts were clearly visible, along with three lungs, swelling and deflating at an alarming rate.  Other organs were also visible, not moving--luckily for Marie's stomach--but still there.  The creature's slit mouth curled into a smile, and it lifted it's top right arm, which held a small black ball to it's mouth.  It spoke, and the voice echoed around the tube once again.  Marie realized there must be speakers somewhere in the tube, and the black ball must be some sort of microphone.
   "I can see you are alarmed by my appearance."  Said the thing.  "It is alright.  My name is Feletaros.  I am pleased to make your aquaintance."
   The trio said nothing, until Blocky found his voice.  "You said...you said you would tell us about the Peletarans..."
   "That is correct."  said Feletaros.  "Let me begin..."

   "Doesn't this place have a hospital?"  Cried Gaz, looking around wildly.
   "Based on what we've seen..."  said Este, her gaze panning from side to side.  Her eyes landed on a door.  "Look!  We can ask for directions there."
   The two had carried Horsie awkwardly away from where she was attacked, but now it was clear that they shouldn't have carried her at all.  They were looking for a hospital, something.
   Gaz nodded.  "You go--I'll stay with Horsie, I don't think it's safe to move her any more in this state."
   Este nodded as well.  "Good plan.  If The Smackers or any other gang come, give a shout, I'll come and help."
   When Gaz murmured her agreement, Estelore ran towards the door she saw, and knocked politely, though vigerously.  The door slowly creaked open, and an eye appeared in the crack between the door and the wall.
   "What do you want?"  Cautiously asked the person in the doorway.
   "I'm sorry to come to you like this, a complete stranger and all," said Este.  "But I was wondering if there's a hospital anywhere in this city.  It's...kinda urgent."
   The door opened an inch wider.  "Is someone...injured?"
   Throwing caution to the winds, Este nodded.  "Yes.  My friend.  It's...bad."
   The door opened fully, reavealing a woman looking to be in her mid-sixties.  Her hair was a soft shade of gray, with a few reddish streaks here and there, revealing that she wasn't terribly old, but by no means young.  Here eyes were a dark green, and she was slighly short.  There was an altogether kind look about her.  She smiled at Este.
   "My name is Emma," said the woman, inclining her head politely.  "The hospital closed years ago, no one bothered to keep it running, but I used to work there.  I still have some knowledge of medicines and whatnot.  I can help you friend, if you'll let me."
   Este siezed the chance and nodded quickly.  "Yes, please."
   Emma smiled.  "Let me get a stretcher...it is best for people to keep the injured as still as possible, and carrying her by hand wouldn't fufill that qualification.  Then please take me to your friend."
   Emma disappeared from the doorway, calling  "Julia!  Please bring me a stretcher!"
   A few moments later, Emma reappeared, with a 18-year old girl with long red hair, wheeling along a stretcher  "This is Julia, my grandchild."  When Este looked surprised, she smiled and said "Evan and I--my late husband Evan--married young, and so did my child, Kate.  Julia is their offspring."  She looked fondly at the girl, who was looking steadily at Este, her eyes showing no emotion.
   Estelore gave a little cough.  "My friend, Emma..."  She said quietly, reminding the woman about Horsie, as she was just about to go on a long story of their family.
   "Right, right..."  Said Emma.  "Julia you go get..."  She looked inquiringly at Este. 
   "Estelore."  Said Estelore.  "But most just call me Este."
   "Ah," said Emma, looking mildly confused at the unusual name.  "Ahem...Julia, go get Este's friend, I shall stay behind and prepare."
   "Mmm."  Said Julia, pushing the stretcher, and then looking at Este.  She quickly led the way over to Gaz, who was keeping watch over Horsie.
   "Who's this?"  Said Gaz.
   "This is Julia."  Said Este.  "Julia, meet Gaz.  Gaz, meet Julia.  Can we hurry?"
   Ignoring Gaz's "Nice to meet you," Julia lowered the stretcher on the ground, and muttered "Put her on the stretcher.  Try not to move her so much."
   Gaz frowned briefly at Julia's rudeness, then knelt by Horsie.  She slid her arms under the young RAFian's back, while Este gripped her legs, with a brief mutter of "Awkward..."
   "On three?"  Said Este.  Gaz nodded, and Este said "One, two, three."
   They lifted Horsie briefly off the ground, and slid her onto the stretcher.  Julia nodded, extended it back to full height, and started wheeling it back to Emma's house.  Gaz and Este glanced at each other.
   "She isn't very friendly."  Gaz said quietly.  Este shook her head.
   "What can we do?  Her grandma, Emma, is nice enough, though.  Emma used to work at the hospital."
   "Used to?"
   "Hospital closed down years ago, she said.  But, come on...let's go."
   Estelore and Gaz followed Julia back to Emma's house.

[Gaz]

Great part! Love it!

[HiImshort]

awesomesauce seal.

[Gumby]

Nice, very nice! Question, is Mercy based slightly off my Character form the Maw RP?

[Horsefan1023 (Seal)]

I jacked the name, yeah.     I was just thinking and letting my mind wander, and then I decided that that would work.  Thanks for the inspiration!   

[Gumby]

Welcome!

[KitsuneMarie]

Wooo, I'm so behind on reading fanfics! I just caught up! Thanks for including me in the cast! Very exciting, Seal! I can't wait to read more.

[Horsefan1023 (Seal)]

Thanks, Marie!

Unfortunately, I'm getting busy with school, Orchestra, Student Council, and homework lately, so the next chapter might not be up for a little while.  I'm making good progress, but it's slow and steady.

[Venom]

im not special enough to be in this


is this because of all the clubbing seal jokes?

[Horsefan1023 (Seal)]

Dang it!  Sorry, Shank!  You'll be in it soon.

I'm running out of ideas of where to send people.  o_0

[Terenia]

SEAL! COME BACK TO US WITH MORE CHAPTERS!!!


That is all.

[Gaz]

Agreed! I must know what happens next!

[Horsefan1023 (Seal)]

I'm sorry!  I've been very lazy lately, and editing RotB to post the final version later so that people don't have to dig through the discussion thread to find the chapters.

I'll start typing again tomorrow, I promise!  I didn't realize it had been so long.


EDIT: I lied.  Next chapter.

Chapter Seven--Stories

   "No, Shadow."  Said Jess patiently for the forty-second time.
   "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeaase?  Just a biiiiiiiiit more?"
   "No, Shadow."  Said Jess, mentally counting forty-three.
   "Well, then, can I go outside?"
   "Certainly not."  Faith appeared in a slight swirl of cloak in the middle of the room.  "It's raining, you'll get wet and sick."
   "You're no fun," pouted Shadow, springing upstairs to her room.
   "I haven't able to find anything out yet, Jess.  I'm sorry."  Said Faith,  shrugging.  "I've been to the scientists that I'm on speaking terms with."
   "Nothing?"  Said Jess dully.
   "Nothing."  confirmed Faith.
   "Would Cloaky know?"  Said Jess, tipping her head to one side thoughtfully.
   Faith bit her lip.  "He...might."  She said delicately.
   Jess's head snapped up to look at her, a ray of hope beaming through her.  "Can you ask him?  Have you seen him?"
   Faith's hung her head miserably.  "We haven't seen him for over three months now."
   Jess shook her head sadly, her hope vanishing.  "Neither have we.  He dissapeared after Claire's anneversery."
   "He came to visit after that."  Said Faith quietly.  "He came to us, said 'It's been Claire's anneversery.  It's Dagger's fault.  I'm hunting her down.  I may not see you for a while.  Be well.' Then he vanished.  Why is he hunting down Dagger if Claire got married?  And how is it Dagger's fault?"
   Jess smiled, but her sadness and anger showed in her eyes.  "It's not Claire's wedding anneversery...it's her death anneversery."
   Faith's head snapped up.  "And this is DAGGER'S fault?!"  She yelled.  A normally gentle Faith had suddenly started shouting.  Anger radiated from every line in her cloak.  "No WONDER Cloaky was hunting her down!"
   "Mom?"
   Jess and Faith looked up, the latter's shouting interrupted by the small voice.  Shadow's head was poking down from the top of the staircase.  She looked a little wary.  "Mom, what's wrong?"
   Faith forced a small laugh.  "Nothing, dear, nothing...go back to bed.  I'm sorry to have bothered you."
   Shadow hesitated, clearly not believing her mother.  "Mom...you know I'm not five anymore."  She said.
   Jess chuckled.  "No, you're...how old are you?  Eight?"
   Shadow stuck out her tongue at Jess, a gesture Jess couldn't see.  "Nyah,"  She said, and vanisehd again.
   Faith turned back to Jess, and opened her mouth to speak.  Then, it seemed like lighting filled the room.  Jess fell flat on the floor and covered her head as the electricity crackled around her.  She hoped that none of it would hit her.  Eventually, it abated, and Jess carefully looked up, unharmed.  A lone cloaked figure was standing in front of them. 
   "Well, well, well."  Said Dagger silkily.  "This isn't what I expected.  A RAFian, here?  Clearly Queen's plan worked better than expected..."
   "DAGGER!"  Yelled Faith.  "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, NOW!"
   "Oh, trust me, I have no pleasure being here."  Said Dagger, turning away and marching towards the stairs.  "It's just a grubby little task I must do.  Now, is she upstairs...?"
   Faith gave a little gasp.  Her voice radiated hatred, anger, and fear as she spoke.  "No, not my daughter you--"
   Dagger twirled around.  "Aha, as wise as ever, I see, Faith, knowing my mission.  But that tells me she IS upstairs, thanks much..."
   "NO!"  Shouted Faith, and in mirror movements, Faith and Dagger both twisted their cloaks and vanished.  Jess, grumbling about not being able to teleport, ran upstairs.
   As she burt into the room where all the commotion was coming from, Jess immediately tripped.  "Jess, move!"  Yelled Faith, and instinctively, Jess rolled.  Dagger's foot came down where her head had been.  Jess saw Dagger's leg, and kicked it, hard, springing to her feet and running towards Faith.  Faith's arms were resolutely wrapped around Shadow who was spitting hatred at Dagger and trying to free her hands to use them.  Dagger was yelling threats unheard because of Faith and Shadow's yelling, hopping up and down one foot and shooting energy bolts at them.  Then, Faith leaned over, grabbed Jess, twisted her cloak in a teleportation spiral, and they vanished into nothingness.

   "I have been coming up with a new song, my friends!" 
   Faerie could have nearly moaned aloud, but was afraid they would take it for something "happy!" or "nice!" 
   She, Sakki, and the ponies had been walking towards the large ghastly pink castle, which they learned to be called the Celebration Castle.  They had spent the whole walk laughing at jokes that weren't funny (such as "Why did the pony cross the road?"  "Why?"  "Because she was nice!") or creating songs that all went something like this, what Pony 7, a mint green pony with a pink mane and tail and a mark on her rump (called the "Cutie Mark"--every pony had it) that looked like three mints, was singing.

"Happy happiness all around
the happy sights and the happy sounds
from side to side and up and down
happy family--Pony Town!"

   "Very well done, Minty!"  Cried a pink pony with a lighter pink mane and tail and three balloons as her Cutie Mark.  "But no song will ever rise above the Theme Song!"
   "Yes, Pinkie Pie!"  Said a peach colored pony with a purple and pink mane and tail, the mane in a ponytail, and a butterfly as her Cutie Mark.  "Nothing can beat the Theme Song!"
   Gasps and squeals of horror rose from the other ponies, and Minty looked over, eyes wide.
   "Scootaloo!" Said Minty, her plastic-looking legs trembling.  "The word you said is mean!"
   Scootaloo (Faerie agreed with Sakki's look of disgust and her whisper "Scootaloo?") looked confused.  "Wh-what word?  Oh, Minty, how could I?  A bad word!  What word, what word?"
   Trembling, a white pony with a few different shades of purple in her mane and tail, one lock of pink in the mane, a horn like a unicorn and a heart with sparkles around it for her Cutie Mark, leaned forward and whispered, "B-b-beat."
   Scootaloo looked horrified.  "Everyone, I am sorry, so sorry!"  She moaned.
   Pinkie Pie patted her back.  "There, there, Scootaloo.  You can have some Happy Cake when you get home."
   Scootaloo seemed to grow three inches.  "Happy Cake!  You really think They would let me, Pinkie Pie?"
   "They would let you have Happy Cake anyday.  They are kind, They can cheer you up.
   Sakki and Faerie, mesmerised and sickened by the scene, tore their eyes away from the disgust of the happy and nice words issuing from the mouth of the ponies.  They found comfort in each other's gaze, and Sakki whispered what Faerie had been thinking.  "Happy Cake?  They?  What is going on here?  And Happy Cake sounds like a drug.  Drugs?  In my little pony?"
   "I have no idea."  Said Faeire, just as baffled as Sakki sounded.  "I mean, They sound conspiritorial to me, but--"
   Sakki interrupted with a peal of laughter.  "My Little Pony?  CONSPIRACIES?  Faerie, you're out of--"
   "Yes, friend Sakki, laugh!  Laughter will make Scootaloo feel better, and if we are unhappy, They get concerned.  You laugh too, friend Faerie!"
   "Heh, heh."  Said Faerie weakly, looking down at the endlessly green grass beneath their feet and wishing it was brown and dead.  Anywhere but here.

   "Once, The Cliff belonged to humans."  Said Feletaros, scratching with long talons (Blocky found himself wishing for his huge claws back) at the back of his neck.  "Advanced people--for humans, at least.  Scientists.  They considered their knowledge to superior to the other human's knowledge, so they went into the Internet, found the least inhabited part, and settled here.  I believe we are somewhere in the Gambian Internet."
   "I've never even heard of Gambia."  Muttered Blue.
   "Exactly why the humans chose it."  Said Feletaros, smiling.  "They began to use their knowledge.  Abuse it.  You see, they had discovered the secret of life."
   "Life?"  Said Marie, leaning cautiously against the side of the tube, as if she feared she might get zapped.
   "Life."  Confirmed Feletaros, striding over to one of the consoles and checking it.  His stride was bizzare, more of a shuffling slide than anything else.  His feet were insubstantial blobs that seemed to not retain shape, but flow and squish however he walked.  "Yes, life.  How to twist it, how to mutate it.  Humans, of course, already knew too many ways to end it.  However, the monumentous thing they had discovered was how to create life."
   "Create it!"  Exclaimed Blocky, pausing his pacing of the tube (6 paces across every time) to stare at their bizarre captor.  "But that's impossible.  U.S. scientists are studying it.  It's impossible."
   "Ah.  The U.S.  Yes, I confirmed where you reside off the Internet from your brains."  He slid over to a different console, punched a few buttons, and a map of the U.S. appeared.  Three dots appeared on it, showing the exact location of their homes. 
   "How long were we being your guinea pigs?"  Said Marie, half scared and half bold.
   "Three days, three hours, three minutes, and thirty-three seconds."
   There was silence.  Feletaros looked at them.
   "Are we Peletarans not allowed to have a sense of humor?  When we saw the three days and three hours, we decided to wait to replace you in the Relaxation Vault after three minutes and thirty-three seconds."
   "Relaxation Vault?"  Said Blocky.  "Really?"
   "We discovered the strange coincidence between this and the human game Portal--which we find very amusing to do in real life--after we named the chamber."
   "How is this relaxing?"  Said Blue, wincing as he found a new ponit of pain from the shock to stretch.  "Getting ZZZZZZZZZZZZZAPped?"
   "I apologize."  Said Feletaros, not looking up as he perused through functions on the console.  Gibberish runes and other stuff popped up on the screen above his head.  "It is a safety precaution.  Something of that strength hitting the wall is considered...well, tougher than humans are.  To these tougher specimens, it would merely be a painful shock to warn them not to do it again."
   "We aren't normal humans."  Said Marie softly, running one hand along the wall of the tube as she did before.
   "No," agreed Feletaros.  "But, anyway.  My story.  As I said, the humans had figured out how to create life.  These were twisted humans.  They only had greed and their own needs when they began to use the gift.  They turned on their own, on the more peaceful of their own.  They decided to use their lives for their experiments."
   "Let me guess."  Interrupted Blue.  "They created the Peletarans."
   Feletaros dipped his head to Blue.  "You are wise as well as strange.  Correct.  The Peletarans were created from the humans.  The scientists used people of their own kind, forced them into the experimetns, and mutated them beyond recognition into Peletarans.  I remember my human life--and yet, as a Peletaran, I see how foolish it was to be human.  But, I digress...the Peletarans were made.  Advanced fighting machines, to one day come back to the Lands Beyond the Internet and control Earth when an army was made!
   "It soon became clear to the Peletarans that we were smarter than the humans.  We did not have human thoughts and feelings to impediment us.  We saw that what the humans were doing was wrong.  And so we fought back.  We did not want war, we wanted merely to experiment.  Use science for the good of the world.  Not fight everyone in it.  So we fought.  Of course, being smarter than the humans and better equipped with natural weapons for the cause, we won.
   "We could not just drive the humans out.  They had discovered life once.  They could create it again, and learn from their mistakes they made with the Peletarans.  We could not kill them either.  We did not have the darkness in our heart to kill."
   The RAFians looked at each other, sadness shadowing their eyes.  Once they would have said that, but Queen ripped their old lives apart.  They had been forced to kill so that they could survive.  Forced to end other's lives.  It would haunt them to the end of their days.
   "So, we decided to show the error of their ways to the humans.  We used their lives and created new Peletarans.  Peletarans that looked different, so as not to strike fear, but Peletarans that could live peacefully for science."
   A new image appeared on the screen.  It was a Peletaran that looked very much like Feletaros, but with noticable differences.  Its whole being was one solid color, a kind of a silver--its torso too.  No transparant parts anywhere.  Its eyes were lavandar.  It didn't have talons, but hands with long thin fingers attached to all four arms.  It also looked less muscled than Feletaros.  Now that he thought about it, Blocky noticed that though he was thin, Feletaros was almost like a spring.  He could see that Feletaros was almost superhumanly built.  The Peletaran on the screen was not.  Also, Feletaros's teeth were razor sharp and the teeth beside the front two teeth were longer, and...green.  Violent, acid green.  Screen-Peletaran had normally shaped white teeth.
   "The first Peletarans were fighters.  Talons in their fingers, talons on their toes, pointed teeth, poison in the upper lateral teeth (Author's Note: The lateral teeth are the teeth described earlier--teeth next two the front two teeth) and even a whip on each lower arm."
   "A whip?"  Said the RAFians together, confused.  They didn't see a whip.
   "Yes.  A whip."  Feletaros held out both lower arms, and what seemed to be cloudy gray thick cords rose out of them.  They were very long, and their thickness could very easily be deadly.  The cords cracked once in the air, then went back down onto their captor's arms.  They realized that the whips were tightly wound around the arms of a Peletaran, and the precisely same color, therefore blending right in.
   "We created the new Peletarans so that they would not fight, but be scientific.  Like we wanted to be.  We also changed their brains so that they would not have the fighting instinct that the original Peletarans have."
   "And...you've stayed here, away from society because you thought the world would be afraid of you and because you didn't like the human ways and so you've done experiments and science since then?"  Said Blocky.
   "An admirably succint and yet accurate summary."  Said Feletaros.
   "And you're keeping us here..."  Began Blue.
   "For science?"  Finished Marie.
   "Again, admirably succint and yet accurate."
   "But we want to go home!  Find out what happened!  See if everyone else is there!"  Said Blocky, banging his fist on the glass.
   "I am sorry for imprisoning you.  You will be able to leave soon, and create a new life."
   "A new life?"  Said Marie, standing up.  "But we like our current one as RAFians.  What do you mean?"
   "I am afraid I cannot tell you."  Feletaros sounded regretful.  "But our existence must remain a secret.  For now, rest.  Wait one moment..."
   He slid/shuffled over to the console by the tube and punched some keys on it with one long claw.  Blocky, Marie, and Blue suddenly felt like gravity turned off.  They drifted into the air, suspended like three, weird, struggling balloons.
   "Feletaros, what is going on?"  Yelled Blue, paddling at the air.  "What are you doing?"
   "Put us down," Yelled Marie, trying to find purchase on the smooth glass wall.
   "Wait one moment."  said Feletaros softly, and he punched a few more keys.  The floor beneath them sank down into the ground and slid out of sight.  After a few moments, a new floor slid in, this one complete wtih three beds.  Gravity turned on again, and they crashed down to the floor with a thump or two.  Only two thumps, because Blue landed on bed and bounced a few times.  He got off the bed, giggling.
   "Oww..."  Moaned Marie, wincing and putting one hand on her ribs.
   "I apologize."  Feletaros's voice echoed through the tube again.  "We are still perfecting that part.  Now, rest, these beds are--"
   "Feletaros!  Feletaros!"  A new, faint, panicky voice came.  The three looked around and saw a different Peletaran coming in.  He or she was exactly like the Peletaran on the screen--a newer one.  Feletaros looked up.  They realized the mic in one of Feletaros's hands must have been very sensitive, because it was picking up this Peletaran's voice too.
   "Lellina."  Said Feletaros, an affection lighting up his eyes when he saw the newcomer.  "What is wrong?"
   "Feletaros, it's the other new ones.  They've--"  The new Peletaran, Lellina, cut off.  "Feletaros, is that me on that screen?"
   "Ah, yes, I apologize, Lellina," said Feletaros, sliding over to that console again, and the screen went dark as he prodded a few keys.  "I was merely showing the difference between the original Peletarans and the newer Peletarans, and decided to use you as an example."
   "Must you always show our experiments the difference?"  Said Lellina.
   "Yes.  Trust me, Lellina, dear. I wish I was like you."
   Blocky and Blue exchanged glances.  "Dear?"  Said Blocky.  "Feletaros likes her?"
   "And she likes him."  Said Blue.  "At least, I'm assuming it's a she.  Feletaros could be gay, you--"
   "Shush!"  Said Marie.  "I want to hear what's happening."
   "Anyway, Feletaros," Lellina was saying.  "It's the other new ones, they've--"
   "You are using contractions, dear."  Interuppted Feletaros gently, with a meaninful tilt of his head towards the tube.  Lellina spotted the RAFians watching them. 
   "Ah.  Yes.  I'll tell you outside, you were just shutting down, weren't you?  I didn't mean to interrupt."
   "Yes, I was."  Said Feletaros, sliding with her toward the door, then adding as an afterthought.  "You know, you are still using contractions."
   The door slammed behind them, and Feletaros's voice echoed one last time through the chamber.  "Settle down.  I will turn the lights and the machines off soon."
   The RAFians looked at each other for a moment.  "What's so special about using contractions?"  Said Marie eventually.
   "Ah, KistuneMarie," said Blue, imitating Feletaros's voice in a pretty good impression.  "Not using contractions makes you sound more scientific and less barbaric, what we Peletarans want to sound like."
   Marie and Blocky chuckled.  Then, real Feletaros's voice echoed through the tube.  "Settle down, or the lights will turn off and you will be left in the pitch black and be unable to find your way back to your beds."
   The RAFians blinked at each other, then climbed into a bed.  It was actually very comfortable. As soon as they were nestled under the covers, the lights above them and the machines winked out, leaving them with nothing but haunted thoughts to circle around their heads.

   "How did she get like this?"  Said Emma as she bustled around, doing whatever she was doing.  Horsie was lying on a bed in the middle of the room, Gaz and Este were sitting around trying not to notice how messed up she looked, and Julia was...somewhere.
   "Gangs."  Muttered Gaz staring at the ground.  If Horsie died here, Gaz would feel awful.  If only I had got to her sooner, the thoughts in her head muttered treacherously, if only I carried her faster, if only...
   If only, if only!  Too many if onlys.  They chased each other in her head, driving her insane.
   "Will she...she..." Began Este, examining a fly buzzing around the light in the middle of the shabby gray room.
   "Will she live?"  Said Emma, scrutinizing Este for a moment.  "Maybe.  Likely.  She's a fighter, isn't she?"
   Gaz and Este nodded.  "When she was brought in--she's been kidnapped before--the first thing she did when she woke up was scream several words I didn't even know she knew and try to kill her kidnapper, even though she was bound down.  During the battle--she was in this ginormous battle before too--she fought like three people..."
   Emma raised her eyebrows.  "Kidnapped, enormous battles?  Eventful life."
   "Yeah, pretty much so."
   Julia leaned against the door to her room, listening silently.  That was her job.  Listen, and don't speak.  Horsie's story came in through the door.
   "Her brother, Mr. Guy, joined the forum.  She did too, seeing him on the site.  RAF was peaceful.  Then Queen came..."
   Julia zoned out slightly as the already familiar story of Queen was told.
   "...started kidnapping people.  First to go was Blocky97.  Then...me.  After that, Guy--Horsie's brother--and CloakedFigure.  There was a huge battle, then.  We won, but Queen managed to capture Duff.  Later, her goon, Dagger, who was disguised as a newb, captured Horsie and Faerie Larka.  After that, the mods went on a desparate rescue mission and managed to get Blocky, Duff, and Gaz back.  After that, there was another huge battle, only this one was perhaps twice as big as the other one.  We won, but one of our mods, Claire...well, Claire was killed.  After that, we lived in peace for a while.  But then...the strangest thing happened the other day.  This pod of green...stuff fell from the heavens.  Then it exploded and went everywhere, and there were these pictures...light... words...suddenly I'm waking up in this city with Este standing over me."
   Julia sighed and went back to the computer.  She quickly typed up an ISM--Inter-Site Message--or a message from one website to another.  This one was to Queen's website.
   
   Queen:
RAFians Estelore, Gaz, Horsefan here.  Horsefan beat up by gangs.  Emma caring for her.  Este and Gaz unharmed.

   She pressed the send button and smiled.  "I'll soon have much more than a tottering old granny in a crappy old home.  The day I met Queen changed my life."

   Another villan! 

   Everything is linking back to Queen--she has spread her evil everywhere.

   Will the RAFians all get home safely?

   I'll tell you later...

[KitsuneMarie]

Yay for updates! Seal, I love your descriptions. You're a very talented chica, you know that?