Memoirs of a RAFian

[Gaz]

Wow, we are some busy, busy little vampire bees, aren't we?

[Darth Revan]

Aw, fine, be that way.

Good chapter, keep 'em coming.

[Cloak]

Well, Parker, you'll get a Gen 1 Megatron (robot mode) blaster, if that's any consolation.  And Blaze, that's the exact sword I imagined you with . . . only coated in fire.

Possibly a shortish chapter.

CHAPTER SEVEN:
Cloak and Swagger

Cloak broke off his conversation with Richard as now the chill had become an all-consuming cold.  Richard seemed to recognize that Cloak sense something was wrong.

"What is it?"

"I -- I don't know."

The Mark should have protected the RAFians from anything . . . but little did he realize there was a way to circumvent that little hurdle.  If someone else bore the Mark had a parasitic nature, the Mark would not stop it from doing what it does.  Hence why the Yeerk RAFians were not immediately ejected from their hosts after the Mark was initiated.

Unfortunately, this allowed Evil Gaz to turn RAFians into vampires, RAFians whose physiologies would support it.  There were RAFians whose physiologies would reject the vampire virus: Sakki was a robotic lifeform, thereby having no blood to spill; Ash, Demos, and Phoenix own regenerative abilities would heal the virus; Richard simply because he was Richard; Blaze and Cloak's natural physiologies made it impossible to support the curse.

While Cloak was comtiplating this, Gaz and her horde turned Gotchaye, Terenia, RYTX, AniDragon, Tyler, and ND.  Adding six more vampires to her horde, all under her beck and call.

"Does it seem somehow darker to you?" Richard asked, uncertainly, looking around.

Cloak was slightly disappointed, he had hoped he was imagining it, "You notice it, too, huh?"

Ever the busy vampiric bees, the horde then turned ND, DP, Yunyun, Rad, Alic, Whammy, and Blocky.  Another twelve vampiric drones for Evil Gaz, the Madre de Vampyra, and for Malice's evil mechinations.

Cloak and Richard actually encounter a vampiric Parker, Blocky, and Evil Gaz.  They glared at each other and Cloak immediately knew with that cold sensation was coming from.

"Cloak . . . show me you neck . . ."

"You're kidding, right, Gaz?"

"Cloak . . ."

"Gaz, or whoever you've become now, you should remember that hypnosis is a form of mind control," Cloak lectured.

"Cloooooak. . . ."

"And," Cloak continued to lectured, "REALM WALKERS ARE IMMUNE TO MIND CONTROL!!!"

Gaz looked taken aback.  "Fine then, Cloak, then I'll turn you the hard way."

"You really have forgotten yourself, Gaz.  You have forgotten that if you attempt to bite me, your fangs will be melted, disintergrated from existence."  Cloak said.  "I have been very open about this facet of my biology, haven't I?  But, something's taken you over, hasn't it?"

"Wait -- I thought you killed Mr. E." Richard interjected.

"I did.  This isn't his work.  He was a brute, and had little mind for this subterfuge . . ." Cloak said.  Something then clicked, but he didn't say anything.  Time for plot dumping was over, although, this was an admittingly small plot dump . . .

"Richard, we cannot stay here.  We must flee."

"Oh my word," Richard said, seeing Evil Gaz's horde.

"I feared as much," Cloak commented.

"Flee?  We're are you gonna go?" Gaz taunted.

"Oh, somewhere nice, I think," Cloak bantered, "the Bahamas, perhaps."

Then Cloak used fire to inscribe crosses above and in every doorjam of every thread.  Then the horde hissed, and Cloak and Richard dashed to the boundary of RAF's land.  Then Cloak told Richard to wait a minute.  With a stomp, and a reaching gesture, wooden crosses lined the borders of RAF.

"There.  The sun's nearly up," Cloak stated.  He knew what would happen to them in the sun, but preferred not to think of it as they dashed for the hills.

Unfortunately, Cloak's efforts were all for naught.  There was plenty of shadow for the horde to survive the daylight hours.  And Cloak neglected to remember that vampires could transmogrify themselves into bats . . .

"A futile effort," Evil Gaz mused.

"Should we go after them?" Rad asked, voice more husky.

"No point, they cannot be turned.  We will finish off RAF.  There are more RAFians that need . . . persuading."

[Gaz]

Lol! You used the line! That totally made my day. I'm loving this, Cloaky! You rock. Now, time to get more Beast Wars recaps ready.

[Blazing Angel]

Explenation for my bizarre biological makeup: This is based off of two obsure books series that I never got into, but are great for a back story.


Blaze is a mix of an Angel and a Genie. Humans are made of earth. Carbon to be precise. Angels are made of light. Genies or "Dajin" are made of fire. The crossbreed made him somewhat of a holy flame, with the wild unpredictability of the Dajin, and the moral compass of an angel. Could be a Paladin.

[Cloak]

Then the weapon "upgrade" I have in mind for you Blaze would totally fit . . . but that will probably be a different book.

Gaz, what line was that?

*sigh* 900 more posts and I become a RAF God . . . anyway, a shortish chapter.

CHAPTER EIGHT:
Reluctant Refugees

Richard, Cloak, Blaze, Ash, Phoenix, Demos, and Sakki met up in a forest clearing in dappled light.  Cloak and Blaze stood, both looking quite surly.  Richard and Phoenix stat on stumps, looking thoroughly woebegone.  Ash looked uncertain and anxious.  Demos looked thoughtful and introspective.  Sakki just plain looked angry at having become a refugee . . . for the fourth or fifth time.  They all lost count by now.

"What do we do now?" Blaze asked Richard, rather harshly.

"What do you mean 'what do we do now'?" Richard countered, weary.

"We're refugees!  How do you propose that we get the forum back?"

"Blaze, this isn't the place for hostility." Cloak scolded with narrowed eyes.

"We need to exterminate all the vampiric scum from the site," Blaze replied coldly.

"That would mean killing RAFians," Sakki pointed out.

"They are gone.  They cannot come back."

"You don't know that," Cloak and Ash countered at the same time.

"So, you would have killed me without a second thought when . . . when he took over me?"

Phoenix hadn't referred what had become known as the "Dark Phoenix Incident" in quite some time.  All RAFians knew it was a sensitive point, so they never brought it up until he did.  Blaze faultered, and said nothing.

"You see, it isn't so easy." Cloak elaborated.  "The sun's up now, and the wooden crosses I put at RAF's boundaries should contain the turned, while allowing any other RAFians to escape."

"But what about nightfall?" Demos said, quietly.

"What?"

"Nightfall.  They could turn into bats and come after us."

Cloak looked crestfallen.  How could he overlook this?  How could he fail to consider this eventuality?

"The mighty Realm Walker forgot something?" Blaze said, snidely.

Cloak wanted to attack him, but restrained himself.  Not a lot of Realm Walkers would be able to restrain their anger -- but, as an Elements Master, Cloak was adept at concealing and burying his emotions.  It was not healthy, however.

"This bickering is getting us nowhere!" Richard exclaimed, standing up.  "We need a plan!  We need a stragedy.  We need . . . a stragedy."

"Phoenix.  Demos.  Didn't you get bit?  But you're regenerative abilities healed you?" Ash asked.

Cloak nursed an idea at this, but said nothing.  He probably should have, but he wasn't really in a receptive mood.  Besides, the others would have vetoed it.  He would do what must be done.

"Yes, what're getting at, Ash?"

"Couldn't we synthesize a cure?  Using your antibodies and such?"

"Goom, Yarin and Aquilai are the only ones with such technical expertise.  And they're vampires now." Sakki pointed out.

"Ah." Ash said, looking somewhat deflated.

"What we really need," Cloak said, in a silkily soft voice, "is Estelore."

[Gaz]

The busy vampire bees. Unless that was coincidence.

[Cloak]

Ah, I was thinking you meant a quote, that is to say, dialog.

'Nother rather stubby, short chapter.

CHAPTER NINE:
RAFian Gothic

Meanwhile, back at RAF, Evil Gaz and her horde had succeeded turning the rest of the RAFians, and imprisioning the ones that could not be turned.  After this, RAF became more gothic in architecture, and virtually unrecognizable.  It emitted a creepy feeling like plutonium emits radiation.

It was heartbreaking to the RAFians that retained their faculties, and whose mind was not distorted by the vampirism disease.  The cry went up from the imprisioned RAFians, basically singing "Deliver Us".

"RAF is now under your control, Mistress Gaz," the vampiric Goom said, whose fangs seemed to be more of a burden than anything else.

"Yes, and no, little Goomba sire."

"No?"

"There is one left to turn."

Goom's eyes went wide, and uncharacteristicall y greedy.  That sinister smile didn't suit him at all, either.  "You don't mean . . ."

"Yes, I do." Evil Gaz as she swept off to a staircase that led deep into the bowels of RAF.  They paid no mind to the pitch darkness.  "And it must be turned before Mother comes."

If Goom knew who this Mother was, his face didn't show it.  Goom kept it expressionless as he tottled down the stairs behind Evil Gaz.  Eventually, they came before a locked trapdoor.  Glowing, round red eyes were peering out, and a piercing snarl filled the air.

"How are you going to do it?"

"I haven't figured that out yet." Evil Gaz confessed.  "But it will be one of us before too long."

[Blazing Angel]

I feel bad for acting like an angry prick in a fanfiction. This is illogical.

[Darth Revan]

Oh snap, Pootang's gonna get bit!!!

[Cloak]

Well, Blaze, something important (RAF) has been taken from you.  You have a bit of a right to be a little bit prickish.  We're all goin' through stress, so such things are to be expected.  Of course, you wouldn't react in such a way if we weren't under such stress.  Eh, just wait until battle . . . but that will be soonish.

And, yes, the Pootang getting bit would be very bad for the immune RAFian side . . . we have enough trouble with a nonvampiric Pootang.

Shortish chapter

CHAPTER TEN:
Mother's Day

Gaz prepared her horde for the coming of Madre de Vampyra.  Madre had fed previously, and took on a more fleshy physique.  Her skin was still somewhere between chalk-white and corpse gray.  Her hair wasn't so limp anymore, but silky, shiny and long.  Her eyes now possessed black irises and visible pupils.  She had claw-like fingernails painted black, and had an air of being venomous.  She kept her fangs pristine and bone-white.  She wore a floor-length black formal silk gown.

When the sun set, and the shadows were long, she appeared a few feet from the boundaries of RAF.  She hissed at the wooden crosses that barred her from just strolling in.  She transmogrified herself into a German Shepard-sized bat, and flew in.  It took all of two seconds.  Of course, she was well aware that she was being watched.  Watched by the one who awoke her.  The one that she must cater to.  The one that her most fervent desire is to rend to shreds of flesh -- unaware that Realm Walkers do not die in such a way.

"Mother," Gaz said, on her knees, bowing profusely.  Her horde did the same . . . well, the ones that could bow profusely.  "We are at your beck and call.  We await your command."

Madre looked impassively over the horde.  Which happend to include a pale yellow, pink-cheeked, fanged Pootang.  Gaz had managed to turn it without any harm to herself.  Although it took two hours.

"Report, my Sigma Daughter," she said in haughty tones.  The "sigma" ranking depicted Evil Gaz's order of siring.  "You did well to convert all these . . . what were they called?  RAFians?"

"Yes, Mother," Evil Gaz said.

"But there is much more work to be done.  Some have escaped from here, have they not?"

"They were incapable of being turned," Evil Gaz said, but it sounded like an excuse.

"Incapable or not, they could have been food." Madre's tone never changed from this hardened tone.

"With all due respect, Mother," Evil Gaz said, bowing even lower than should have been possible, "no, they couldn't.  Several of them had toxic blood -- the Realm Walker, the angel/genie hybrid --"

"Then they should have been destroyed." Madre said, harshly yet passively.

"Begging your pardon, Mother, but it isn't that easy.  They don't die easily."

"Still you should have been able to do it.  You bungled this mission, Daughter."

"But --"

"Never mind your past blunder.  Who put the wooden crosses at the boundaries?"

"The Realm Walker."

"What?!  You allowed him enough time to carve those crosses and place them around this site?!"

"He has control over the wood element, Mother.  He took all of two seconds."

Madre was unnerved, but she did not show it.  She looked at the horde, and wondered if it was not enough.  She actually worried.  She hadn't done that in centuries.

"We must continue with the mission.  Expand outward.  There," she pointed to the Bannedland.

[Cloak]

Probably gonna be a stub of a chapter.

CHAPTER ELEVEN:
Refugee Camp Iwannahurtthem

The refugees were arguing amongst themselves.  Except Cloak and Blaze.  They stood apart, aloof.  They looked very angry at the predicament.

"Cloak, I'm sorry about my prickish comment before," Blaze said, and he, as was Cloak, leaning against a tree.

"Don't be," Cloak replied, "we've lost RAF again, it's natural for stress levels to run high, natural for people to say things that they'd regret later."

Blaze nodded and fell silent for a moment, before stating, "It's just a matter of time before they find us, you know.  We're gonna have to fight them sooner or later."

Cloak's voice was hard as he said, "I'm aware, Blaze.  Believe me, I'm well aware."

"They'll be trying to kill us," Blaze said, using Cloak as a bouncing board, "if we hold back, if we pull punches, if we relent at all, they just might very well succeed."

The note of concern and reluctance in Blaze's voice did not go unnoticed by the Realm Walker.  Cloak continued to think.  The only solution he could come up with is Estelore.  But she had decided to go an explore the Andromeda galaxy . . .

But perhaps there was a way to get her attention. . . .

[Blazing Angel]

Like a 40 mile long fire spelling out "HELP US!"

[Darth Revan]

Doubt that.

[Cloak]

Doubt she'd see that, Blaze.  Perhaps replace "miles" with "light years", but never mind that now.

Shortish chapter.

CHAPTER TWELVE:
The Array

The refugees decided to signal Estelore, but it would be difficult.  The array would pretty much give away their hiding place.  That would be quite undesirable, naturally.  And then there was the problem of building it.  None of the refugees, with possible exclusion of Richard and Sakki, were technologically competent enough to build such and array.  But it was the only option, lest they enter RAF and just indiscriminately kill their former colleagues.

Cloak could do it easily -- as one of the Six Elements served as the weakness of the vampires.  Worst yet, night would be approaching in a few hours.  They had to cobble this thing together quickly, and activate it during the day.  It was a tall order, and who knows what the vampiric peons at the forum were doing.

They decided to move underground, so they would not be visible to aerial foes.  But that means that they would still have to move into the open to use the accursed device.

"What if they turn the Pootang?" Ash asked suddenly, as the refugees began to cobble together the parts for the array.

"What?" Richard asked, securing a makeshift bolt.

"The Pootang.  It was still caged up when Blaze and I fled." Ash explained as she attempted to secure another bolt.

Silence met these words, as the refugees exchanged glance.  If it had been turned, that means their work would have become all that much harder.  The Pootang was a handle when it was normal, if it had its strength and speed augmented by vampirism . . .

"We'll deal with that later," Cloak said, heavily, "if it comes up.  What we need to focus on now is this array.  And we need to finish it."

"But I don't think we'd be able to use it." Blaze said.  "Not until tomorrow, anyway.  We do it at night and we might as well as just send them a map to us."

It was true.  They finished the array over the night, and the next day, at first light, they prepared to use it.  Cloak fired off his golden scarlet energy at the array and it magnified it and sent it into space.  Then the array promptly fell apart.