Memoirs of a RAFian

[Cloak]

Geesh, I didn't realize these chapters would be so long!  I suppose I got a little carried away -- this story is starting to write itself.  Too right, Blaze.  Now you know why I thought that this could be RAFian movie material.

CHAPTER SIX:
Intent of Malice

The four were marched up to a horrid citadel covered with what appeared to be stone briars.  The citadel itself was little more then a thorn raking the sky with insectoid appendages exploding out from its midway point and its base.

"Looks like a cartoonist's nightmare," Shadow sniffed.

"I heard that!"

It was a small child speaking.  The Empress was obviously speaking through this little one.  And soon it became clear that the Empress had sent this child down to escort them up the citadel.  The sight of it made Shadow queasy, to see this young child treated as nothing more than a mere stringless puppet.

As soon as they made to the throne room, the child stood off to one side.  The small eyes shut, and then snapped open.  The little body stood motionless, not appearing to even breathe.  But it was clear, the child now was just a shell.  This idea sickened three of the RAFians.  Demos didn't seem too bothered -- but he was a demon, he must have seen this kind of thing all the time.

Then they went into the throne room and saw who the Empress really was.  Shadow and Demos wasn't really surprised.  But Screamer and Flores were because they had never seen the Empress.

She was dressed in a cloak reminescent of Maleficient.  She even a staff smiliar to hers.  But the face was shrouded in darkness, but there was no mistaking who it could be.

"Well, Hatchling, what do you think of my empire?" the Empress asked of Shadow.

"I think Disney's gonna sue, Malice," Shadow replied.

"Who's Malice?" Screamer asked, again not bothering to lower his voice.

"Gone." Malice said swiftly.  "Malice is gone, I'm the Empress of Worlds now!!"

"You are a slave-maker, a depraved individual, the Bane of Existance." Shadow corrected.

"Uppity Hatchling!" Malice growled.  "Keep that up, and you'll end up like your uncle!  DEAD!"

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HIM!"

"Cloak died at my request, child," Malice intoned.

"LIAR!" Shadow screamed.  The tylee chains exploded, taking out all the guards in the room.  Shadow's eyes were leaking energy . . . just like her uncle's did during the stones incident.  She was allowing her emotions to get the better of her.

"Oh, yes, that's right.  You've inherited his power." Malice said, trying to regain her composure.  She wasn't too brave when Cloak had confronted her just like Shadow was now.

"Yes, I did."  Shadow said, the timber of her voice dangerous.  "And you'd do well to REMEMBER IT."

But Shadow did not attack Malice, but blasted the side out of her citadel.  She made a large, paper-thin energy disc for the others to get onto.  Shadow turned to Malice.

"I will be the one to take you down." she said.  "But now's not the time.  Just know, I will make you pay for all the evil you've done."

"Your uncle couldn't stop me.  Your great-grandfather couldn't stop me." Malice stated.  "What makes you so arrogant to think that you can?"

"It wasn't their destiny," Shadow said, stepping on the disc.  "But it's mine."

And with that they left.

[Cloak]

CHAPTER SEVEN:
Avalon-1

"Where do we go now?" Flores asked, after they landed in an alleyway.

Shadow didn't answer at first.  She was allowing the anger to flow out of her system, something she's been more adept at than her uncle.  She took a couple of calming breaths, then she looked at the two new charges.

"It's time you learned," Shadow said.

"Learned?  Learn what?" Screamer said.  He finally figured out what a hushed tone was.

"About . . ." Shadow's voice was clogged with emotion.  She cleared her throat, and finsihed, "About RAF's past.  You need to know what happened.  You have a RIGHT to know what happened."

"Are you going to tell us?" Flores asked.

"Probably, but we need to go to the Alpha HQ.  The mausoleum and history tracks are stored there."

And, with that, off they went to the Alpha HQ.  It was at the ruins of the old forum.  But, beneath it, several miles underground.  Carved out by Shadow herself.  Impenetrable to anyone but a terrakinetic.

When they arrive in the tunnel, they go through a series of six traps and puzzles inside the labryinth that came after the tunnel.  Shadow mentioned there is a path with no traps and puzzles -- in ended in an open drop beneath a cliff.

Soon they came upon a door with a keypad.  Shadow quickly and deftly input "2-8-2-5-6-6-1-1" -- "Avalon-1".  The door opened, and lights clicked on, one after another.

"What is this?" Flores asked in an awed voice.

"The mausoleum." Demos answered.  "Where all the remains of the RAFians who lost their lives are interred."

[Cloak]

CHAPTER EIGHT:
The Lord and Lady

"WHO GOES THERE?!" a voice boomed out.  Male.

"BEGONE, BEGONE, BEGONE!!" another voice belted out.  This one was female.

Shadow and Demos stood passively, almost unimpressed and bored.  Flores and Screamer were scared out of their wits.  Then they saw the other two's reactions.

"You know those voices, don't you?" Flores asked.

"Yep," Demos said.

Suddenly, a tall man with a floor-length silver beard and butt-length silver hair stepped out.  He was wearing a dark blue robe and a navy blue wizard's hat.  Then the equally tall woman stepped out behind him.  She resembled an elderly Katara.

"Drop the disguises, Aquilai.  Aila." Shadow said, with folded arms.

The man dropped his etheral tone, and said, "Aw, how'd you see through our disguises."

"Aquilai, you and Aila are the only ones down here."

"Touche." Aila piped in, removing her disguise.

"Scream, Flores, this the Eleventh Aquilai and the Tenth Aila." Demos introduced.

"Huh?" Screamer said, perplexed.

"Aquilai and Aila are Time Lords, guys." Shadow said warmly.  "They can regenerate -- what was it?  Thirteen times?"

Both nodded, and Shadow continued, "As such, they can be as long-lived as Realm Walkers."

Aquilai and Aila seemed to really take notice of Screamer and Flores at this moment.  Aila smiled, "Two new RAFians?  We haven't had new members since 2040!"

"What?  Why?"

"It's a long story --" Aquilai began.

"We've got time," Shadow interjected.

Aquilai nodded and went to a circular console in the middle of the circular room.  He touched the orb in the middle and buzzed to life.

"Let's begin with the Banned massacre and Malice's usurption of the trolls. . . ."

[Blazing Angel]

Wow. Heavy stuff *pounds chest*

[Cloak]

It'll get darker -- this chapter will make it seem a bit light-hearted, but . . .

CHAPTER NINE:
The Usurper and the Banned

Malice had come to the Bannedlands, and confronted Queen, Aloth, Yorick, and the rest of the Banned.  She ordered them to submit to her will.  They refused to so. . . . So, Malice killed them all in a single blast each.  It was a forbidden technique among Realm Walkers -- Cloak and Sage didn't even know about it, it was SO forbidden.  Unfortunately, it only worked on Realm Dwellers -- it just causes discomfort in Realm Walkers.

Then Malice turns to the trolls, who witnessed all this.  And Malice . . . began to sing.

"I remember a time
When forum crime was sublime.
There was plenty of loot in your lair.
You'd plunder and pillage
And ransack a RAFian village
With nary a worry or care!
Then along came this queen
With her obsessive dream.
But she got killed in the end!
So rally the troops!
You were meant to re-group
And return to your roots once again!
Are you in or out?
Gotta know without a doubt
I'm the one you need for a dirty deed
I'm the best!  Success is guaranteed.
Are you trolls or mice?
Take a slice of my advice!
You want a fearless leader, one that's strong and stout,
Better vote for me.
Are you in or out?"

Then the trolls seemed to be attracted to this, and sang:

"We used to be smart.
Yes, horrendously heartless.
In ravaging raids, we were rough!
We knew what we had
To be blissfully bad
Then she brought this obsessive stuff!
And we strayed from the path
Of our rigorous wrath
Now we're taking a bath in the dust!
But we'll reclaim our winnings,
Our humble beginnings,
In turmoil and torture, we trust!"

Malice, then in full flow with her devious plottings, sang:

"Are you in or out?
Double-crossers or devout?
Put your faith in me
Pretty soon you'll see
I'm the empress of generosity!
Are you foe or friend?
Here's the path I recommend
You want a ride to fame?
I've got the fastest route;
What's it gonna be?"

The trolls began drooling and dreaming as they sang:

"We'll go robbing in all the right places,
From RAF dunes to Serebii.
Imagine the fear on their faces
When we drop by for cookies and tea!"

Malice crowed:

"Come along, trolls!
Follow me!
Are you in or out?
If you're with me, give a shout!"

The trolls cheered loudly.

"I'll lead you all the way
Into the glory days
We'll begin a life of power that pays!"

The trolls intoned:

"Are you out or in?
Make your choice now, sink or swim!"

Then Malice made her last verse:

"You can stick with me, or stay behind and pout!
What's it gonna be?
Consider carefully.
Are you in or out?"

***

"Are you kidding me?  They broke out into song?" Screamer sneered.

Aquilai shrugged his shoulders, "It was a different time.  Anyway, Malice apparently got wind of a RAFian shuttle that was carrying cargo that was, at the time, unknown to us.  Then that's . . . well, here's the footage. . . ."

[Gaz]

Awesome! Today was such a crazy morning, I'm glad there were new chapters to come home to.

[Blazing Angel]

"Are you kidding me?  They broke out into song?

I always thought you were paraphrasing when you wrote out the songs.

[Darth Revan]

Great stuff so far Cloak. This is definitely an interesting story. My Force ghost should be there some place, though.

[Blazing Angel]

I still need to write "rules for my death." I feel like angel and genies aren't the kind to truly die. Perhaps a pheonix style resurection. Reincarnation with no memory of past lives? Reincarnation with memory of EVERY past life? Strike an Angel down and he will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine? Or just become something like a force ghost that can appear near any open flame?

I'm going with fire ghost until I can write a more original afterlife.

[Darth Revan]

Strike an Angel down and he will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine? Or just become something like a force ghost that can appear near any open flame?

I'm going with fire ghost until I can write a more original afterlife.

Can't think so copying Star Wars lore? Since you're an angel, you could've ascended.

[Cloak]

Actually, Blaze, your death and mine will be connected.  In a way.  And, Parker, you're a SPARTAN here.  Although, that Force ghost thing could come into play . . . hmmm . . .

CHAPTER TEN:
The Shuttle Incident

The seven RAFians on the shuttle checked their monitors and piloted it with such bored ease.  It was 2032, and this was nothing but a routine mission, bringing a cargo of an as-of-yet-unnamed zoodeitium isotope for Aquilai and Yarin to study.  And name.  Aquilai was pushing for aquilaite and Yarin was preferring yarinium.

But, unfortunately, this was the shuttle that Malice heard about.  This was the shuttle that Malice planned to attack.  She easily intercepted the shuttle, atmosphere but beyond RAFian sensors, and blew a hole in the side of the hull.

Jess was the first to react, only managing to fire a single shot, before she got shot from Malice.  She collapsed on the ground, lifeless.  Goom, somehow not quite clear, was holding a Dracon Beam and only managing to fire off a shot that caught a troll in the shoulder, but is stomped flat by the selfsame troll.

Malice manages to blast Parker, incapacitating him.  Fortunately his armor absorbed a sufficient amount of the energy so that it wasn't lethal.  But Parker was still severely injured.

Faerie took out her double-headed battleax, but this was not the place for melee combat, and she was blasted into oblivion.  Gumby's weapon was out of juice and he threw it at the horde entering the shuttle, like flies on a wildebeest carcuss.  Gumby was actually melted into nothingness.

Hunter was killed and his body mutilated by a cannibal troll, before Malice smacked the troll upside his head.  "Work first!  You'll get your pleasings later!!"

Blaze charged forward, his blade glowing the vividest red that it had ever glowed.  He was madder than he had ever been -- having seen six of his comrades, six of his friends, slaughtered!  Of course, he didn't realize that Parker had survived barely.

Malice looked at Blaze with contempt.  She easily snapped his blade from it's hilt with such force that it shattered to dust.  The shards of the blade that stuck stubborning with the hilt started to glow the sickest shade of yellow.

Then Malice slowly slayed Blaze, taking a sociopathic, masochistic enjoyment of it.  His screams would be forever etched into the hull of that ship.  It was because of his RAFspecies, Malice enjoyed this, that Malice did this slowly.

Then Malice and her troll horde took control over the shuttle, elating at the fact that they can bypass the RAFian security with this shuttle.

"But why couldn't we just charge into RAF?" a troll asked.

Malice smacked him upside his head, for no other reason than she felt like it.  "Because this was more fun, fool."

She looked at the cargo.

"And that could be useful to my plans," she added quietly.

But then she felt a hand grip her leg.  It was Parker, no longer able to stand or move his right arm.  His helmet hat been knocked askew.

In a stuttering, hoarse, weakened voice, he said, "No . . ."

Malice looked down at him, with distain and indifference.  "Such heroic nonsense," she snarled.  Then she blasted Parker point-blank.  Parker was gone.

***

"She killed seven RAFians in cold blood?" Tores gasped.

"It wasn't over yet," Shadow said, darkly.  "The massacre was still to come."

[Cloak]

Okay, I've decided to divide this chapter up into several.  One, to give the RAFians who are about to be massacred their own little moment.  Two, because it would just be too long otherwise -- maybe.

CHAPTER ELEVEN:
Crash and Burn

Meanwhile, Cloak and Shadow were in a nearby field, training and honing their elemental skill.  Cloak was feeling proud of the prowess, strength and skill his neice was showing.  He knew that she had EARNED the master title.  But then . . .

"Shadow, hold up."

"What?  Afraid that I'll beat you again?" she said, cheekily.

Cloak said nothing.  He did not smile.  He felt the presence of evil -- something only feline and avian Realm Walkers seem to be able to sense.  Suddenly, he felt a horrid tinge of pain . . .

Blaze . . . the Mark . . . Blaze . . . dead . . . yet he somehow Blaze had strengthened the Mark . . . but how?  How was that possible?

Then Cloak looked up, and saw the shuttle heading for the forum . . . it wasn't slowing down.  It . . . it had a hold in its hull!  It was hard to make out, but it was definitely there!  The shuttle was gonna crash into the forum!  Cloak shelved his worry about the RAFian crew -- he'll worry about it when there was time to do so.

"Shadow, we have to get to RAF!!"

"What?  Why?"

"Talk later, run now!"

And they did so, while Cloak attempted to contact the forum.  "Cloak to RAF!  Cloak to RAF!  Pick up [Realm Walker curse] you!!"

"This is Genies," a voice crackled on the communicator, "what's got your cloak in a bunch?"

"Try a rogue shuttle about to crash into the forum, Genies!!"

That got her attention.  Cloak used his feline hearing to hear Genies over the loudspeaker in the forum to announce the impending crash.

"Uncle, energy discs!!"

Of course, why hadn't he thought of that?  The two Realm Walkers formed energy discs, just as Shadow would in the citadel two and a half millenia from now.  This was a technique that Shadow herself invented.

They zoomed along, hoping that they'd make it in time.

***

"Arm the anti-air cannon!" Richard commanded.

"But what about the RAFians onboard?" Yunyun asked.  "You can't just sacrifice them!"

Richard look haggard and distraught at the idea.  But what choice did he have?  They were probably already dead.  But he would take the responsibility, he would have to.

"Do it."

The cannon was being primed when Rad stumbled upon the security camera feed.  "They're dead.  They're all dead!!"

Horrid silence met this pronouncement.  No one wanted to believe it.  But they could not mourn now.

"Cannon is primed," Phoenix acknowledged thickly.

Richard only hesitated for a moment, before he said, "Fire."

[Cloak]

CHAPTER TWELVE:
Morose Combat

The shockwave from the annihilated shuttle rocked not only the forum, but half of the tristate area.  The RAFians stood in a line, prepared to fight, with Cloak and Shadow only just arriving to take their place in the line, next to Gaz.

And, just as expected, the trolls, Malice, and, for a bit of a surprise, Abomination, dropped to the ground, and lined up just as the RAFians did.  Only there was far MORE trolls than RAFians.  And THAT'S saying something.

Abomination glared at Cloak with the utmost loathing, which Cloak returned.  However, Malice stood off to the side, and then vanished.  The coward.

Then the two sides met!  Dracon beams fired.  Shredders flared.  Bone and flesh met claw and fang.  It was a very, very, very vicious struggle.

Yarin levitated crates over trolls and dropped them on one-at-a-time, squashing them like bugs.  Until he was skewered by a troll who resembled Frieza in his second form -- only uglier.

Sakki fought like a madwoman, managing to find and use Faerie's battle-ax -- the only real item to survive the shuttle explosion.  Unfortunately, it was brittle, which Sakki found out to her costs.  She was slashed and her VOLCAROID body ripped to shreds by a trollish Slash Man impersonator.

Blue used a variety of weapons against his foes.  Taking out ten at once, then more with his Keltran ninjitsu.  But . . . there were still too many!  He fell due to sheer numbers.

Gaz was using all her vampiric wiles and powers to manage to defeat ten, twenty, twenty-five trolls.  But one was a Buffy buff, and managed to stake her, killing her instantly.

Ash used her shapeshifting skill to elude and attack.  Any damage she incurred was just a form change away from healing.  Until a trollish MIB buff freezes her and shatters her to pieces.  And while she reformed into her base form, she was attack repeatedly until even a shapeshifter couldn't cope with the injuries.

Rocklobster could not fight, but hide the injured.  He managed to succeed to hide a severely-injured Aquilai and near-fatally wounded Phoenix.  But Rocklobster was found out and ripped to shreds.  Aquilai had already regenerated into the Fourth Aquilai*, and Phoenix was engulfed in flame, being healed from them.

Broken fought with all his might, but a sniper troll shot him in the back, and he lay crumpled where he stood, trampled by the escaped Pootang.  The Pootang was looking for some seal meat, but Horse could not be found.  It did find and attack DP, however, and slayed him.  But not before DP actually killed Pootang.  Both were gone.

It was madness!  A blood bath.  A charge of the light brigade. . . .

Then there was Cloak and his embittered rival, Abomination. . . .

---
*What happened to the Third Aquilai -- well, twenty years is a long time. . . .

[Cloak]

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
A Rivalry Dies

Cloak and Abomination stood across from each other, staring each other down.  Cloak remembered all too clearly being in this position twenty years ago.  But this time . . . this time Abomination doesn't have the stolen powers of the Twelve.  However, Abomination didn't look exactly like some pushover.

"Today, Cloak," he announced, "you will fall to me.  And this time, you won't come back!"

Cloak said nothing, but narrowed his eyes, not breaking his gaze.  Abomination took this as a sign of weakness.

"What's the matter, scared?"

Cloak spoke in a low voice that nevertheless carried.  "You wish."

Then they were locked into a vicious, brutal battle.  Cloak was still holding back his power, still afraid of losing control.  But managed to knock Abomination onto his backside after a few hours battling.

"Please!  Have mercy!" Abomination suddenly cried.

Cloak strode toward Abomination, distain spoken in his body language with every step.  "You, who are without mercy, now demand it?  You're pathetic.  As a boy and now.  You're pathetic."

"Perhaps," he said, with a sly smile.  Then he lashed out with a blade of energy that sliced into Cloak's side, but he deflected the rest of it before it could penetrate too far.  But there was no mistaking this . . . this was a severe wound.  His ichor, his golden blood, was leaking out copiously from the wound.

Abomination hovered above Cloak, who had fell to his knees.  "I've waited eons for this moment."

"UNCLE, NO!!"

Shadow tackles Abomination bodily away from her uncle, but then Abomination uses Shadow's momentary dazing to take her hostage as Cloak yells, "Shadow, no!"

"Perhaps I'll make you see you're precious little protege die first," Abomination said.  "For the humilation I suffered all those years ago."

"LET . . . HER . . . GO!!!!!!!"

Cloak's roar was so loud that the battle momentarily stopped, and the trolls, being too stupid to realize that they still have the advantage, flee like lemmings before this sight.  The earth trembled.  The air agitated.

Cloak pulled his hand back, and the elemental energy gathered there into an elemental tentacle of sorts.  Then he slammed it down on Abomination, which freed Shadow and she wisely fled.

There was a massive explosion, and it was clear.  The Abomination was dead.  Cloak collapsed to the ground.

"Uncle!  Uncle!"

[The Spectre]

Ok, dying to see the green lantern themed book.