Memoirs of a RAFian

[Cloak]

'Nother chapter, methinks, before I go for the day . . .

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:
The Stone is Seal'd

Cloak's battle with Guardian tiger was becoming very viscious.  Granted, Cloak was bipedal and his foe was a quadruped, Cloak was managing to hold his own.  But neither managed a neck bite.

Yet the RAFians were continuing to take turns destroying the stone, but without their powers it was neigh-on impossible.  Even the mods were unable to destroy it.  It seemed to resist all of their efforts.

Meanwhile, back in the tiger vs. tiger fight, Cloak had wrapped his cloak around his foe's eyes.  It would have been quite a cool manuever . . . if it wasn't only by pure accident that this happened.  Cloak yanked his cloak, forcing the white tiger to do a midair pirouette.  It would have been funny, but Cloak wasn't in the ha-ha kind of mood.  He had a rip in his cloak, and it was made by his own efforts.

"This was my favorite cloak." Cloak growled.  He wasn't aware that he spoke in the tiger language.

"Now maybe you can get a man's cloak," the white tiger replied back in the tiger language.

Cloak glared at his foe for a moment, then hissed, "Let me ask you a question."

"What?"

"A simple question."

"What is it then?"

Cloak sped toward it, and gave it a swift kick in the right flank, as he said, "Die!!"*

Meanwhile, back at the stone, Goom called out to Horse.

"Horse!  You still have your powers, right?"

"Yeah.  I'll give it a shot. . . ."

Horse tried using her hydrokinesis, but that failed.  Then she froze the stone solid.  It was actually kind of pretty like that.  Then Horse drew her Pinniped Dagger, a weapon given to her long ago by Cloak (he had found it discarded in one of the Realms when he was Walking).

Then she struck!  And struck!  And struck!  And struck again!!

The stone shattered to nothing.

Meanwhile, Cloak was still giving the other tiger a viscious beating.  Although it managed to bite his left leg.  He was savaging its side though.  Until the point where it collapsed into nothingness.  Into vapor.

"Well done, guys," Cloak said to the others, "I must admit, I never thought --"

No one was there.  Cloak was alone.

"Where'd you . . ."

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Malice . . ." he growled.

-----
*Yes, an obligate TeamFourStar, DBZ Abridged, reference. . . .

[Blazing Angel]

They stole EVERYONE?

[Darth Revan]

She's sneaky.

[Cloak]

Yep, she's captured everyone.  And you'll find out how in Chapter Nineteen, I think.  I may change my mind.  My cat slashed my fingers severely yesterday, so it's a little hard to type.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:
The Last RAFian

Cloak walked sedately, yet fuming, to RAF to be sure that his suspicions were true, and not just his imagination.  But, upon approaching the site, he found that he was right in his assumption.  They were gone.  All his RAFbrothers and sisters* were gone.

Cloak knew not whether this thing was temporary or . . . or permanent.  Cloak did not want to think the latter.  He was afraid of the latter.  Without the RAFians, RAF would truly be dead.  Without the RAFians . . .

Cloak milled broodingly around the General Board, then the personal Threads, and finally, the Bored Board.  It was true.  They were not there.  They were all gone.  Denial of that fact would not help him.

He must save the others, if, indeed, it was possible to save them, Cloak decided firmly.  But the question was how.  He did not even know where they were being kept if they were . . . if they were still . . .

"Uncle!" a voice shouted, although it was not necessary.  The air was oh-so-woefully devoid of shouts of laughter, jokes, and friendly revelry.  It was not how RAF should be.  Cloak swore the site looked a little more decrepit, like a house that had long since been abandoned.

Shadow dashed up to her uncle, looking around, clearly unnerved.  "Uncle, WHERE is everyone?  Where have they gone?"

"I don't know, Shadow," Cloak said differentially.

Shadow seemed to take that into account, then looked over the horizon, lost in thought.  She, naturally, was confused about all this.

"Uncle?"

"What?"

Cloak didn't mean the irritated tone.  Shadow hesitated a moment, then decided to follow through with her question.

"What's that over there?"

"What's what?"

Cloak turned to see where his niece was seeing.  It was a dark spike reaching up to the sky.  It had a castle-like motif.  It was a citadel.  It wasn't there before this whole stone mess.  The others had to be incarcerated in there.  There was no other explanation!

Of course, it could be a trap.  But Cloak waved that voice of caution away and began running full-tilt to the citadel.

"Hey!  Wait up!  Wait for me!" Shadow protested.

----
*Make RAf sound like a bit of a cult, doesn't it? 

[Cloak]

'Nother chapter, methinks.  This'll start wrapping up soon.  Shortish chapter.

CHAPTER NINETEEN:
The Citadel's Matron

Cloak easily broke through the citadel's defenses, and annihilated any opposition on the inside.  He didn't restrain himself as he normally would have.  However, it never occured to him that the citadel's defenses could have been flimsy on purpose.  Shadow followed behind him like Tails would follow Sonic, except she didn't make the hits before Cloak.

Soon enough he came upon what appeared to be a grotesquely grandoise throne room.  If Cloak hadn't had so many conflicting emotions, he might have just thrown up over the decor.  There were two flowing waterfalls two the side of the room, torches in imperial gold holders, earthen walls, watery plants in a trench around the throne, and even a metal sculpture so abstract that no one could tell what it was supposed to be of.

And there she was.  Sitting on the throne, all relaxed, almost bored, even.  Malice was aware of the intrusion, but in an irritatingly benign way.

"Cloak," she said as a form of greeting, "you're right on cue.  You like my collection?"

It was then that Cloak noticed that surrounding them were shards of a blue stone looking much like evolutionary stone, but each had encapsulated a single RAFian.  Some, like Parker, Faerie, Blaze, and Faerie, just looked really, really, really ticked off.  Some, like Gaz, Horse, Dameg, and Noelle, just looked puzzled and confused.  The majority however looked shocked or frightened.  But Cloak could not tell whether they were alive or . . . or . . .

"LET THEM GO." Cloak snarled.  It wasn't a request.

Malice sat up straight on her throne and snarled back, "Not a chance, Cloak, they're mine now!"

Cloak clenched his teeth and glared at Malice.

"But, if you were to, say, give up your soul, life and power . . ." she donned sinister smile upon her face.  "I might reconsider."

She might reconsider.  But Cloak couldn't have made a selfish decision, he must think about the others and their fate.

"No 'might'." Cloak said.  "Do it, and . . . and . . ."

"No, Uncle!"

"Be silent, you stupid pup!!" Malice shrieked as she struck Shadow down.  This was a very stupid move on Malice's part.

Cloak's body started to radiate energy in first scarlet, then gold waves, alternating one after the other.  Golden-scarlet energy began to leak profusely from his eyes.  Cloak's feelings of rage and anger were reaching a fever pitch.  Cloak was feeling far more rage and anger than he had ever felt before, than he ever was aware that one being COULD feel.

[Blazing Angel]

*Make RAf sound like a bit of a cult, doesn't it? 

An RAFian cult would be so much fun!

AND EPIC FINAL SHOWDOWN!

[Darth Revan]

The whole religion idea was put forth; and then promptly... put down.


I don't think Malice is going to recover from this one.

[Cloak]

Maybe, maybe not, Parker.  She's a slick one.

CHAPTER TWENTY:
Unchecked Emotion

The water started to churn, as if it was uncertain what it should do.  The earthen walls shattered, except for small columns that held the torches (whose flame blasted up into the heavens), and the earthen debris began orbiting the place.  The metal sculpture shattered into strapnel and began orbiting Cloak benignly.  The air itself was quickly whipping up into hurricane gale winds (Shadow did not seem to be buffeted at this at all, but whether this was due to her own ability, her uncles refusal to harm her, or both was hard to say).

Cloak's fists were clenched, but his head was bowed a little.  Then he snapped his head up, and for the first time in a very, very, very long while, Malice was afraid.

"Oh dear," she claimed, a valiant attempt at her usual nonchalance.  She failed that attempt, as her voice quivered at just the wrong moment, "what's happening?"

"What's happening?!" Shadow shouted at her.  "YOU TOTALLY PEEVED HIM OFF, THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING!!"

Shadow did not lose control over herself with that burst of emotion, but she was concerned for her uncle.  She knew that killing Malice would not be good for her uncle, and she knew this is the EXACT reason that he kept such a tight control over his emotions.  Why he always impressed this upon her during training.  This is what he was afraid of -- losing control of his powers . . . and of himself.

There was several shattering sounds as Cloak pulled his hand back, and all the elements began to collect there into a ball of energy and substance.  The other RAFians had been absentmindedly released from their prisions due to Cloak's paramount wrath, looking somewhat dazed, confused or ticked.  Cloak was so far gone he hadn't even noticed.

Shadow grasp and clasped his hand tightly and firmly, begging him to remember himself.  Pleading with him to let his emotions go.  Cloak gave a moment's hesitation, which was enough for Malice to Walk out of the realm.

Cloak closed his eyes.  Took a deep breath.  The elements returned to their innert state.  Cloak had control of himself, but all of the other RAFians saw him lose control.

[Darth Revan]

*Parker stands, nodding his head with impressed approval. *

Very cool.

[Blazing Angel]

Blaze is shocked at the break in Cloak's normally calm demeanor. "AWESOME!" he cries.

[Cloak]

Okay, those posts are now canon.

I'll announced the title of the next book in the Random thoughts thread.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:
Reprecussions

RAF returned to its normal zany and wild self.  The posts were flying, not literally of course.  The discussions were being held civilly, with trolls booted back to the Bannedlands.  The Pootang escaped no less than six times -- the RAFians had a ball trying to subdue it and recage it.

Cloak however was not part of these usual celebrations.  He took to the hill overlooking the forum, and he would stand there, sometimes pacing a little, like a tiger in a substandard zoo.  He was thinking, thinking about how he lost control of himself, and his power.  It was the very thing that terrified him ever since he discovered just how much power he wielded.  Ever since his Elements teacher, his beloved grandfather, impressed upon him the danger of losing control, just as Cloak had done with Shadow.

He remembered the reactions of Parker and Blaze.  He wondered if he knew that he had lost control.  His approval unnerved him a bit.  It was quite serious, he could have killed Malice.  Granted that might have been for the better, but would he be able to live with himself afterward?  What would his mother, Ursa, say about it?  What would Faith think of him?

These thoughts circled his mind, as he fretted about his decisions and indecisions.

***

Meanwhile, Malice was in the darkest part of some unknown realm.  She was fuming, and absolutely livid.

"I miscalculated, that's all." she muttered to herself.  "Miscalculation and underestimating the power of Sage's pupil.  I must be smarter next time.  And there WILL be a next time.  I must find another plan.  Another method.  I will destroy that BOY.  What's this?"

She picked up what looked like a meteor.  She examined it carefully, with such scrutiny, that it seemed to be very important.

"Could this be . . ." she murmured, then her tone changed to a cooing one, "oh, it is!  It is!  I could use this exoporon . . ."

[Blazing Angel]

Yay, nother chapter coming!

[Cloak]

'Nother book.  Soonish -- oh, yeah, I need to get my chapter-by-chapter notes (I'm actually working on Book IX on there). . . .

BOOK VIII:
ATTACK OF THE RADIOACTIVE SEAL FROM A FORUM CALLED RAF

Chapter One:
Past Reflections

RAF was bustling and as busy as ever.  The frivolity and free-wheeling was as common as ever.  Threads and posts being made, karma being exchanged.  Pootang escaping and causing havoc, which was easily quashed and dealt with.

But Cloak remained, standing stock still, upon his little hill, overlooking the forum.  His thoughts on his past . . .

He was raised in the Nexus as a child, as most Realm Walker children were at the time.  When he was a young child, before Dagger's Egg was even formed -- uh, Realm Walkers are born from when a male and female Realm Walker's mix energies, occasionally forming a small egg of energy called a Life-Light Egg (sometimes abbreviated to LLE, but that's not often). Then after a few months, the egg hatches into a Realm Walker whose form matches their identity.  Cloak was born a tiger cub, Shadow was born a monkey.  Faith, a fox.  Ursa, a bear.  Sage, an eagle.  Brute, somehow became a demonic creature.

Soon enough, Sage discovered his elemental abilities at that young age, and waited only a few more years before he began to train him in the elements.  Cloak knew that he wasn't exactly a disiplined student, but Sage understood him better than Brute, and Cloak saw Sage as more of a father.

Anyway, when Cloak was in early adolescence, his parents began fighting.  Dagger was a comfort then.  Then his father, Brute, ran away, but still managed to fawn over Dagger, and neglect Cloak -- not only his only son, but his firstborn!!  For years, Cloak wrongfully blamed Dagger for this treatment.  It was only relatively recently that he realized the wrongfulness in that assumption.

Of course, with Brute gone, he realizeds just how domineering and overprotective his mother Ursa could be.  He had to escape, be free from the trapped feeling that his mother so kindly gave him.  Cloak Realm Walked to many different Realms spending a limited time there.

Then Sage passed away, shortly after Cloak had succeeded in mastering the elements.  This left Cloak bereft and feeling hollow inside.  He still misses his grandfather, his mother's father, to this day.  He couldn't help but wonder what his life would be like had his grandfather not passed.

But he eventually came to RAF, but he did not become RAFian immediately.  He noticed the forum once, but then Realm Walked elsewhere, before coming back in a few years and finally joining.  That was nearly four Earth years ago.

Cloak looked up into the now-starry sky.  Night had fallen without Cloak even realizing it, so wrapped up in his thoughts.  Cloak noticed a strange comet . . .

[Blazing Angel]

The title itself deserves an award.

[Cloak]

It's a name of a previous RAFparody, Blaze.  Obviously based off the Weird Al song "Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters From a Planet Near Mars".  'Nother chapter, methinks.  May not be on tomorrow at all (don't hold me to that).

CHAPTER TWO:
The Meteorite

As Cloak continued to watch it, he gradually realized that it wasn't a comet at all, but a meteor.  Cloak watched idly as it fell through the planet's atmosphere.  Cloak assumed that it would evaporate into nothingness soon.  He was wrong as any terrakinetic could feel the slight tremor of the impact not that far away from RAF.  But he ignored it.  It couldn't POSSIBLY be anything important -- meteorites fell all the time, right?  Granted not all of them make it to the ground . . .

Damn this innate feline curosity of his.  He had to go to check it out.  But when he got there, all was left was an impact crater roughly the size of a bowling ball, if a bowling ball had the shape of a cigar.

Then Cloak realized there was a fresh scent here.  A familar one at that.  It was definately Nyac.  So Cloak immediately headed out to the laboratory that Demos and Yarin had come to share uneasily.

Demos was absent, but Yarin was present.  His four arms working feverishly over what Cloak assumed to be some sort of diagnostic machine.  Then he noticed the cigar-shaped rock in the opening of the machine.  It must have been the meteorite.

"You know, that could be very dangerous," Cloak commented quietly.

Yarin jumped, then looked over his shoulder, "Don't do that!"

Cloak chuckled, then said with a smirk, "What do you mean?"

"You know precisely what I mean!" Yarin said, still working the consol of the machine.  "Sneaking and stalking around here like that!"

"I wasn't sneaking," Cloak replied, and added, coyly, "what? Couldn't you sense me coming?"

"You know very well that I can NOT do that," Yarin said primly.  "Not for Realm Walkers, anyway."

Then Cloak lost the blythe manner, and got serious.  "Still, it's dangerous bring a meteorite like that from its impact site.  It could have lifeforms in it.  Perhaps of a parasitic nature."

"There are no life forms in it," Yarin stated, "that's a B movie cliche."

"You'd be surprised how often that can happen," Cloak said, remember a particularly nasty visit to one Realm.  "All we need now is to have a plague of Starros.  Or RAFian DNAliens, or something."

"There's nothing on this meteorite, though," Yarin insisted.  "It's exporon."

"Meaning it's hollow." Cloak countered.

"It's FINE." Yarin asserted.

"Fine, okay, whatever you say," Cloak said, raising his hands in mock defeat, "but, mark my words, something very bad will come of this. . . ."

With that, Cloak left.  Yarin continued his work without even noticing.  Yarin could always be a little testy when questioned with his new projects.  But Yarin seemed to be right.  There was not one evil presence in that room, but Cloak didn't like the fact that he was meddling with exoporon.  That could cause rather . . . large . . . problems.