Memoirs of a RAFian

[Cloak]

This book might be under the prerequisite twenty usual chapters.

CHAPTER ELEVEN:
Stalemates

After Shadow stormed out, the other two -- the two fusions -- stormed out soon thereafter. Richard resisted the urge to tell them not to leave forum grounds. It would do nothing but exacerbate the problem, making the two composite RAFians feel like prisoners, which they would essentially be. And they would call him out on it.

There were no easy answers in this dilemma. No clear cut right and wrong, no black-and-white solutions. In the end, whatever happened, someone will cease to exist. Whether it will be these amalgams or the RAFians who made them up . . . it wasn't clear. And there will always be the guilt, because only one, the fusion or the fusees, would survive.

Richard feel so very old in this moment. He was drained physically, emotionally, and emotionally. He couldn't make the decision to kill either side . . . that would be murder. No point beating around the bush, it would be murdering a sentient mind if they defused them. And it would be murder to leave them fused.

It was also complicated by the fact that the fusees weren't voluntarily merged together. They were unaware of this possibility. In that manner, it wasn't like the Fusion Dance, and wouldn't reverse itself after a time. These fusions also seemed to be permanent . . .

Another complication was Shadow, and her resolve to get her uncle back. One could say that it was motivated by childish selfishness, but the RAFians all knew better (well, except for Rotiart -- he never takes the time to understand things that he sees in the most superficial of ways). They knew of the rollar coaster ride that Ursa, Cloak's mother, put them on. Shadow just wanted to free her uncle, and, yes, she wanted him back.

Richard wasn't even entirely sure that process even could be reversed. Even if it could, what could the possible ramifications be afterwards? Every action or inaction has a ramification, be it a rewarding one or a consequence. What will happen here?

Whatever would happen, there would be no winners in this one. Only losers.

***

Underseen was conflicted. Two of his most trusted friends were now part of Composite. He felt somewhat numb inside. He pondered their fate as he looked into his thread's mirror and saw his reflection. It was a handsome reflection, with his hair coiffed just so.

He wondered if the face looking back him had always been his face, true face.* Back before . . . before he could remember. . . . The age of this basic form of his seemed to fluctuate with the shifting memory of how old he was before . . . before that thing he couldn't remember happened. He'd get flashes of it now and then, but then retained nothing. . . .


*Okay, yes, this is laying down some framework for future books. I won't say more, as this is spoiler enough already and I don't like the look of that skillet in Saffa's hand.

[redtailedsaffa]

That book is waaay in the future though.

[Cloak]

Eh, so it's the second time I've done that. Only difference is Underseen's past will play a more major role in books down the line then Maul's siblings. Er . . . maybe.

And, besides, look how long it took Marvel to release Wolverine's real name (James Howlett), fifteen, thirty years from his introduction, I think. Hopefully, you guys won't have to wait that long.

Anyway, still planning through Book CCCXXV, just got to Chapter 10.

CHAPTER TWLEVE:
Seeds of Doubt

The two stormed and fumed away from the auditorium. They were furious at the indignity of being on display, though they did it of their own violation. They could have left the forum forever, they probably even should have. But the mere thought either never occured to them or was so repugnant that they dared not give it any consideration.

". . .We have a right to live, to love, to feel. Why can they not see this?" Prodigy said, fuming. He had Cloak's propensity for anger, but also Phoenix's usual temperance, so the elements around remained in control.

Composite said nothing for a moment. She had tiraded right along with Prodigy a few moments ago. But then something made her stop, made her think.

"What's wrong?" Prodigy asked, at once, as a brother would ask a sister.

"What if she was right?" Composite said, quietly, in a small voice.

"What?"

Composite turned to him, and her eyes shone brightly, as if fire dwelt behind them. "You heard me. What if Shadow was right? What if we are being selfish, Prodigy?"

"She isn't . . . we aren't!" Prodigy said, with some difficulty.

"But you cannot deny that the cost of our existance is the lives of the material RAFians that make us up!" Composite said, emotion bursting forth. She actually had been thinking about this during their tirades. She couldn't rationalize away, couldn't outright deny, the facts. "For us to continue on like this at the cost of their . . . Prodigy, we can't ignore it any longer."

"We aren't ignoring anything!" Prodigy protested, having inherited Cloak's obstinate nature as well. "We live! We breath! We exist!"

"We are an affront to nature!" Composite said, deprecating herself. This was really out of the blue as far as Prodigy was concerned, but Composite had been thinking about and pondering it ever since they argued with Shadow. "We should not exist."

"We are not Nobodies*!" Prodigy proclaimed passionately.

"We might as well be!" Composite said, matching his passion. "We were not born, Prodigy, we were created. We were made."

"Does that mean we can legitimately and outright deny our right to existence, Composite?" Prodigy said, indifferent to the crowd watching on. "We are not second-class citizens, we are not so worthless that we are beneath concern, contempt or consternation! We have a right to be, to just simply be. And you are advocating that we be slain? And slain for what?"

"To return what has been made wrong right!"

"Our existence is NOT wrong!"

"For the cost of our existence, Prodigy . . ." Composite said, now genuinely believing the cost wasn't worth the means. "For that cost . . . it is."

"How can you say that, Composite?" Prodigy said, and there was cry to his voice. He was hurt -- it was like hearing a dear sister sincerely advocate fratercide. "I . . . how . . . ?"

"The cost doesn't justify the means, Prodigy." Composite said sadly. "It just doesn't. It isn't fair, I know, but I know that when Shadow comes up with a way to defuse us . . . I am going to accept the process, whatever it may be."

"What?"

"And you will decide what you want to do, I won't hold you back, I . . ." Composite said, turning her back to him and walking away, "I won't stop you if you run away."

*"Kingdom Hearts" reference.

[Cloak]

You know, I'm tempted to put Dino in every Book ending in a thirteen, even if it's relegated as a brief cameo. Would that be just pure evil, considering her triskaidekaphobia?

Now, a new chapter!!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
An Essential Accessory

It was an empty dwelling when a dark, slight figure who clung to the shadows infiltrated the homestead. There wasn't much to say about the room in question, as it was pretty nodescript and dark. The figure hesitated, listening hard with her ears and feet.

This home was not in the Prime Universe, and usually inhabited by blue-skinned hominids with pointed ears, possessed either bald heads or white hair, and had very flowing and poofy clothling. The figure had heard that they were called Kais, but didn't know or care very much. They had the accessory that Shadow required.

She didn't want to steal them, but she had little recourse. The best that she could do is hope to take a matching pair of the item in question, without them being missed. The question was how to do so without arousing suspicion, without calling attention to herself. As far as she knew, this was a land without knowledge of Realm Walkers. She didn't fear for her life, as only a Realm Walker can kill a Realm Walker. Everyone knew this . . .

Except for the denizens of this universe. And this universe had some particularly powerful beings that seemed to just keep on getting stronger and stronger. Realm Walkers might be required for own of their own to be slain, but that did not stop them from feeling discomfort, pain, exhaustion. In many cases, it could prove to be more damaging than actual death.

So, instead, Shadow worked stealthily and sneakily. It wasn't totally ouside her character, being a mischievous little monkey, but she didn't enjoy it as much as she did when she was little. She sneaked and slunk ever so quietly, ever so deftly, towards the closet. At least, she assumed it was the closet.

She rifled through it, careful to replace everything exactly like how it was before she moved it. She eventually came upon the two items she was after. Yellow orbs attached to a metal ring by a small silver chain.

Potara earrings.

When one is placed on the ear of one person, and the other placed on the opposite ear of another, they two are fused together permanently. Bodies, minds, and clothing merged together, much like the effects of the Concoction. These were exactly what she needed.

She quickly Walked out the universe mere seconds before someone entered the room.

[redtailedsaffa]

Wait. The earrings give the same effect of the concoction?

I suppose for a process to be reversed you need the thing that started it in the first place.

[Cloak]

Nope, Saffa. *smiles most irritatingly*

An answer will come in Chapter 16, more than likely. Anyway, new book ideas!

• Book CCCLVI: "Infiltration Initiative" -- The RAFians must battle robots with the stolen specs of Rocklobster's holograolphic emitters.
• Book CCCLVII: "Cloak's Match?" -- Cloak battles a powerful Airbender, Waterbender, Earthbender, and Firebender. Each, alone, poses a significant challenge to Cloak. All four together . . .

Yes, the last one was inspired by the new season (oh, excuse me, book) of The Legend of Korra. Anyway, new chapter!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
Tempest Within

Prodigy could not believe it. He could not believe that Composite would turn on him so suddenly, without any hint of it before. She was now advocating everyone murdering them both! So what that the five RAFians that made him up would cease to be as the others knew them.

They would live on. They would live on inside himself. He is the culmination of their minds, their bodies, their powers at their peak. This also made him potentially a very dangerous enemy, as he possessed all Cloak's power, Blue's skills of stealth and ninjitsu, Phoenix's phoencian regeneration, Hunter's sensory abilities (augmented with Cloak's own), and Yarin's telepathy (fundamentally useless against a Mark-Bearer, otherwise Yarin would have been able to route out Itellsya immediately as the Traitor so long ago) and telekinesis. A very dangerous being indeed, as he did not possess Cloak's pseudo-weakness of requiring to were a cloak at all times outside his thread, while in-universe. "Danger" probably would have been a better nome de plume.

Yet, given the open to leave, to strike out on his own, he stayed. He could not bear to leave the place, though he wanted to. He just could not, and yet he understood the attachment. While the other four may have had a strong bond with the place, they didn't always stay olat the forum. They visited relatives, went on vacations. Heck, Estelore charts out new species light-years away. Cloak, however, spends a good majority of his time at the forum. He's made a home here, where he could escape his mother's persecution. Where he could feel like he belonged. Even now, now when his body and mind have been blended so finely into Prodigy with the other four, he could not leave the place forever.

But he also dwelled on the fact that, he felt, Composite betrayed him. Prodigy was perfectly fine just being this way. He had a right to live, to simply be. But now Composite is conspiring with the others to kill them both. In Composite's case, it would be a simple suicide. In Prodigy's case, it would be murder. Plain and simple. Black and white.

Nothing would change that. Nothing.

He couldn't read the thoughts of the other Mark-Bearers to know they were against him. That they wanted him dead. There wouldn't even be a body to bury. No one else would have known he had existed. He would be quickly forgotten . . .

He despaired over this thought, feeling like he was nothing to anyone else. He was nothing more than Bruticus or Devastator or Voltron or a minute Megazord to them. Prodigy withdrew into the shadows, wishing to be alone and not gawked at. Rotiart's friend Clown Boy was the worst offender of this.

[Cloak]

Now a new chapter.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
Apologies

"I'm so sorry," Composite was saying. "I know the costs don't justify the means. I know it isn't right to live, depriving Horse, AniDragon, Abby, and Saffa their right to exist as well. I . . . I just didn't . . . didn't want to . . . to . . ."

Richard held his hand up to stop her.

"Every thinking feeling being wants to live. Have instincts to ensure survival." Richard said. "I persoanlly think that it is perfectly understandable that you two would lash out like that. You were defending your right to exist."

"Perhaps we can find a way to give everyone a happy ending in this," Helen said, hoping beyond hoping, "maybe there is a way that you can coexist alongside Horse and the rest?"

Composite looked at Helen, almost pityingly, and then shook her head. "No, Helen. That can't happen. Everything that I am, everything that I think, everything that I feel -- it comes from those four. If any attempt was made to try to make us coexist together, neither they or I would be complete. Not truly."

Composite sighed deeply, cherishing the feeling of the air being both drawn in and expelled from her lungs. Cherishing the way her heart so valiantly pumped blood throughout her being. But was it really, truly her being? She felt like she was stealing. Stealing precious moments from these four's lives. Though she did not want to die, she wanted to do what was right, and couldn't believe that Prodigy could be so selfish.

"I should have never existed. It was a mistake, an accident. I may not be a Nobody, but I am most certainly like one." Composite said, solemnly and seriously. "It pains me, but I must do the right thing. I must be defused."

"And we thank you for making such a mature and well-thought-out decision, " Broken said, "but, I must tell you that I do not know how we could do just that. We do not know what fused you together in the first place."

"We could try a simple defusion spell," Faerie shrugged.

"No!" Broken said firmly. "We do not know what the possibly outcomes of mixing magicks could be! Faerie, you know this! We could just make it worse."

"Shadow had a plan," Gaz said. "I think we can trust in that."

"Shadow's also a child," Jess said. "She may have bitten off more than she could chew."

[Cloak]

And now for the last item that Shadow must get. (Yes, the Potara earrings only counted as one item).

And this is the second time I'm writing this chapter, since I decided to briefly check one of my other tabs, and didn't save this in my email. Ugh. But what else can you expect from Gmail?

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall

The lighthouse was dark and unusually clean. The top of the light house was strangely dark as there was dark clouds outside, necessitating its light. Shadow did not question this as it was not her mission. She was vaguely aware of the rules of this realm, and was glad that she came when she did.

The item she needed hadn't yet revealed itself to the forces of good and evil jn this universe. The Heylin and Xiaolin both remained ignorant of this powerful artifact. Shen Gong Wu, she believed they were called. Both the dragon and ghost where busy concerning themselves else where in the world, which means that Shadow had to be quick and stealthy. But she had to take care and be careful not to break the thing. She never handled Shen Gong Wu before, and didn't know if it would be light or heavy.

She quickly found the item, and secretly thanked all those hidden object games she's played. She examined the item -- she had to be sure it was the right one. It was a mirror, with black framework. It had a symbol that looked like either a double helix or the infinity symbol, with a yin-yang sigil at its center. It was not very big, either. It was about the size of a serving platter.

The Reversing Mirror.

The Reversing Mirror, like its name implies, reverses the effects of other Shen Gong Wu. It was Shadow's hope that the Reversing Mirror would be able to be used in conjunction with the Potara earrings. The Potara earrings were usually used to fuse someone permanently, but when under the effects of the Reversing Mirror, Shadow hoped, would instead permanently defuse the RAFians.

Both items being from different universes . . . there was no guarntee that this would even work as Shadow hoped. It may very well not work at all and then she'd be back at square one again. And even Itemsmith, the greatest authority on items throughout the known universes and the Nexus, didn't have a better idea than this. But that didn't mean it could couldn't outright fail.

It was worth a shot. She had to act now before either side, be it the Heylins or the Xiaolins, discovered it and got to it before her. She really had no interest in competing in a Xiaolin Showdown, and wasn't even sure she could, as she had none of her own to wager for it.

Shadow deftly took the mirror from within the lighthouse's light assembly, and (wondering idly if breaking it would bring seven years of good luck, since that's the reverse of bad luck) quickly Walked away.

Neither side was any the wiser.

*This:

[redtailedsaffa]

Whoa! Suddenly three chapters! Good rest for my broken back.

[Cloak]

Right. Now, I don't know if I can post any chapters today, waiting for a call and may have to leave at any moment.

Ugh. I really wish they'd stop playing this cat-and-mouse game with me. They said that I was a new hire, yet they won't tell me when I should come in to work. UGH! I wonder if it is really worth it. I mean I'm taking a pay cut -- goin' right back down to minimum wage ($7.25, and part-time [and potential for full-time], but it's a job).

So I need this right now.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:
Without A Fight

Shadow had Walked back to the forum, not really knowing what to expect. She was anticipating a fight, sure. She had the Reversing Mirror and the Potara earrings in her possession, but she remained a little uncertain at their effectiveness on this kind of fusion. She and the other RAFians still remained ignorant of the Concoction, but this was the best possible solution . . . as she kept trying to convince herself.

Shadow had figured that she would have to get the earrings on to one of the fusions, one not both. Had she put them on both, one on each ear, then it would have permanently fused Composite and Prodigy together. The Reversing Mirror might not be enough.

She was anticipating a struggle, a fight. She had not been expecting what had actually took place.

"Shadow," a gentle voice asked, "did you find your solution?"

It was Richard.

"Yes, Richard. But the hard part will be getting the Potara earrings on them," Shadow elaborated quickly, "now, we'll have to act swiftly. Have you managed to keep them in the forum?"

"Well," Super Nate said, arriving hearing Shadow, "Composite won't be as hard as you think."

They took Shadow where Composite sat on her knees, hands pressed togther and fingers interlocked. Her head was bowed, her eyes shut, and her face wore a morose look. She knew Shadow was within hearing distance, and she said, clearly, "Make it swift. Turn what went wrong right."

Composite shed quiet tears from then on. Shadow felt suddenly like the bad guy. She looked down at the Potara earring and Reversing Mirror. Was she just being selfish? Was she truly doing the right thing?

"Do not doubt yourself now," Composite said, looking up. Shadow was surprised to see that, beneath Composite's sadness there was a dazzling strength and unwavering determination. "Do not doubt yourself, Shadow. You were right in what you said. The lives of AniDragon, Saffa, Horse, and Abby cannot be forfeit. Not even for the sake of my own existance. Defuse me!"

***

While the RAFians still remained in the dark about the Concoction, Malice had grown bored with it, with the entire scheme, already. She rather recklessly disposed of the stuff as Mauler stood mindlessly, standing at attention by the door. He felt nothing, thought nothing, remembered nothing of what Mega-Maul went through to get those Geryon flowers to make that Concoction. Mauler didn't care. Mauler also didn't think, speak, or feel, either. It was as if he had been Shyamalanized*.

Malice, instead poured over old, yellowed scrolls of parchment which littered her desk with clear chew marks from its former owner's pet. So intent she was on the scrolls, written by Realm Walker hand, she didn't notice Mauler's chest open up and show a holographic, two-dimensional image featuring Composite's solicitation of Shadow to defuse her.

Malice, instead, murmured while contemplating the scrolls, "Yes . . . if this is right . . . then the Great Merging  will happen within a Dweller Earth month's time."

*Coined by the Nostalgic Critic, not me.

[redtailedsaffa]

Ugh, good luck with the job, Cloaky.

[Cloak]

Getting close to the end of this book.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:
Defusing the Situation

"What must I do?" Composite asked.

Shadow took out the earrings, which in retrospect, looked rather gaudy. But a simple gaudy. She passed them to Composite, who looked at them with a raised eyebrow. Only at Shadow's insistance did she put them on as she stood. They didn't dangle, but practically rest on her shoulders.

"Nothing's happening," Composite said.

"Give me a second will you?" Shadow said, taking the Reversing Mirror and holding it as if it were a board that Composite would break in a karate class. Only Shadow held it upright and shouted, "Reversing Mirror!"

Suddenly, the earrings flashed and Composite appeared to just get fat, as if it was an improper fusion by way of the Fusion Dance. She remained this way for only a second or two. She was furthered pulled outward, and a bright flash lit the area.

When the flash had abated, Composite was gone. Gone for good, gone forever. AniDragon, Horse, Abby and Saffa looked uninjured, but physically drained of energy. Abby was wearing on Potara earring on her left ear and Saffa had the other in her right. Under ordinary circumstances, this would have fused them together immediately, but the earrings would still be under the effect of the Reversing Mirror until the two removed them.

"Anyone get the number of that polar bear?" Horse said, woozily.

Shadow wasn't entirely surprised at the lethargy spawned from the defusion. When the Potara earring fused someone together, it increased their power level to be greater the parts that made him or her up. The Reversing Mirror had reverse that into making them tired and lethargic after defusing. But they'd get up to their normal strength levels soon enough.

"Abby, Saffa," Shadow said sharply, aware of what must be done next, now that it was guaranteed to work. "I'll need those earrings back."

"Wha . . . I not wearing --" Saffa said groggily. But she felt the earring and detached it, and handed it over. Abby followed suit. As Shadow watched, she saw the Mirror lose its effect over them. No problem -- she'd just use the Mirror again.

Saffa snapped to attention, recognizing instantly the vibrations from the Earth. Shadow swiftly surmised, "Prodigy must have seen everything via Earthsight. He's coming."

She looked to the others, deadly serious. "He's coming and he's angry."

[redtailedsaffa]

Oh my goodness.

[Cloak]

Yes. Might finish this book today. Depends.

CHAPTER NINETEEN:
That's Just Distracting!*

"How dare you!" Prodigy roared, appearing mere moments later. Shadow deftly passes the Potara earrings to Cerulean when Prodigy wasn't looking. "How dare you kill her!!"

"We didn't kill anyone," Shadow said, calmly.

"Don't lie to me, whelp!" Prodigy raged, unaware that Cerulean was conspicuously absent. "Don't you think that I can see through the earth just as you can?! Cloak is a part of me, and he was the one who taught you!"

"I do not dispute that." Shadow said. "But Composite wanted to be defused."

Prodigy knew this to be true, but refused to acknowledge it as fact. Refused to believe eyewitness testimonial. So arrogant to think that he was always in the right. All were, at least in part, Cloak's fallacies.

"Well, you won't do so to me, whelp!" Prodigy snarled. "You can't . . ."

Prodigy realized that he didn't know how Shadow managed to accomplish this. He brushed it aside, opting to deal with it later. She couldn't be him. He had the powers of telekinesis, telepathy, phoencian regeneration, ninjitsu, and all six elements. Sure, Shadow had access to all six elements as well, but she was the student, not the teacher.

Shadow stomped her foot, then made a graceful sweeping, scooping motion that brought up two water whips that soon became towering hydrokinetic tentacles. The young monkey's eyes glowed as if she was in the Avatar state. Then the tentacles began to interlock around Prodigy as Shadow began a technique rather like Dark spirit purification from the second season of  "The Legend of Korra". The water turned into a lavender color with swirled-in mauve -- Shadow was using her own natural energy with the water.

It did nothing.

Then again, the technique wasn't designed for this purpose. It was designed for quite another, but that's another story. Shadow used it anyway, despite knowing this already. Why? Well, the answer to that was simple. A distraction.

For when Prodigy broke it, he was unaware that he was wearing some garish, gaudy earrings. Earrings of which Cerulean used his super speed to adorn him with when he was distracted by Shadow elaborate light show.

"Fool! Your attack failed!" Prodigy, soaked and disgruntled, snarled.

"Did it now?" Shadow said, with a shrewd smile.

"Wha . . . WHY are you smiling? And what are the--" Prodigy began, noticing the earrings for the first time.

"REVERSING MIRROR!!" Shadow yelled, presenting the item just as she did with Composite.

Suddenly, a bright flash illuminated the area. When it passed, Yarin was wearing one earring in his right ear, and Phoenix had the other in his opposite ear.


*Yes, a Dragonball Z Abridged ("DBZA") reference.

[redtailedsaffa]

My friend has been pestering me to watch DBZA for a while now. I need internet.