Memoirs of a RAFian

[Cloak]

Or it is the Universe of Bella Swan, which would suck

Of course, I have no idea who that is.

Feeling a little down -- depression often creeps up on me like that.  Hopefully posting a chapter or two will help me feel better. . . . Writing ususally does. . . . Warning: This chapter'll be a little dark. . . .

CHAPTER NINETEEN:
The Final Fractured Realm

Cloak arrived in the Fractured Nexus, and looked around for the final portal.  If he can procure that last jewel, and deny it from Malice, this whole mission would not be for naught.  There it was.  Cloak made to charge towards it when he felt a blast from his left, which knocked him off-course.

"It's not gonna be that easy, boy!" Malice snarled, making her own way to the portal.  Cloak fired off a golden-scarlett energy ring which bound Malice, pinioning her arms to her sides as she screamed obscenities.  Cloak charged forward, bypassing Malice, who shrieked like a madwoman -- which, in many ways, she was.

Cloak was mere feet away from the portal when Malice broke the energy ring (Cloak had let his concentration slip), and viciously blasted him with her energy.  Then she formed the energy tentacles, one from each of her hands, and pounded him anywhere from five to ten times with the two tentacles.  Cloak was a little dazed, but snapped out of it long enough to see Malice just enter the realm -- Psychesp*, where the violet-haired Psychespian humans all possess psychic abilities, which they refer to as psychemagic and practitioners as psychemagi.  Some possessed stone jewels within their foreheads and some didn't. . . .

Cloak dashed through the portal as a thought occurred to him.  A horrible thought.  And Malice was just ruthless enough to do it . . . by the Veil**, no!  On his grandfather's memory, he could not let this come to pass.  The Psychespian people were in grave danger.  Cloak was already behind Malice, but perhaps she wouldn't figure it out.  But Cloak's underestimated the Tasmanian devil Realm Walker before.

Cloak ran and saw Malice approaching Psychespian township.  Malice turned, and blasted Cloak, which he dodged by taking a leaf out of an Airbender's book, and blasted Malice with a blast of air.  She attempted to strike again, but Cloak somersaulted over it, using all his feline agility.  Malice was not backing down and fighting as viciously and ruthlessly as she could, as all Tasmanian devil Realm Walkers would.  Although, granted, not all Tasmanian devil Realm Walkers are evil, as Malice is.

Then she decided to change her mark and began to aim at Cloak's feet, which Cloak made sure not to stand on too long, although it made it harder to use his favored element, but he still managed to dodge her attacks.  Cloak's plan was to get Malice so worked up with him that she'd forget all about her own plan.  But this scheme of Cloak's had holes the size of an aircraft carrier -- as Malice would never forget about her plan to procure the ultimate power.  But little did Cloak know, she also had a backup plan*** should she fail to procure it or should she fail to hold on to it.

She managed to strike Cloak in the gut, then the head.  This left Cloak in a momentary daze, and when he came to, she was gone.  Cloak cursed obscenities to himself as he tracked Malice to a village who were very distraught -- five children were missing.  They were the few that had jeweled-foreheads.  Cloak pressed himself into the shadows, eavesdropping to hear more.  But there was really no more to be said, no trace of them, and they had no idea what or who could have taken their children.  Cloak quickly left the township and continued to track Malice, but now with exceedingly more intensity and urgency.

Those children . . . those poor children . . . Cloak was well aware of just why Malice wanted them . . . and they didn't have to be alive for her to get what she wanted. . . . Had to hurry . . . had to get there before she could harm them. . . .

Cloak arrived as Malice was setting an energy orb containing the children, mouthing furiously and pounding the orb's sides, tears pouring furiously from their eyes.  They didn't look any older than ten, eleven.  They reminded Cloak irresistibly of Shadow.  One had a ruby in her forehead, another had a sapphire in his forehead, yet another had an emerald in his forehead, another had a diamond in his forehead, and the last one had a pearl in his forhead.  All their eye colors matched there forehead-jewels.  They seemed to know what Malice was planning, and were, naturally, terrified.

"MALICE, STOP!!" Cloak roared so loudly that Psychespian humans two miles away were bound to hear.  Of course, Cloak hadn't such luck, as this place was too remote, which is what Malice planned.

"No, I will not, fool!" she said, with a crazy, insane smile on her face.

"Malice, leave the young ones!  They've done nothing to you!" Cloak pleaded.  For the first time in a long time, Cloak felt genuinely afraid.  But not for himself, but these five young innocents, who've done nothing to warrant such a dramatic and tragic end.  "Malice, please.  If you've any decency in you at all --"

"They've something I want," Malice said, as if this was all the explanation in the world that she needed.  It was.  "And I've come to take them."

"Malice." Cloak's voice sounding more authoritive now.  "Your fight is with me.  Leave them out of it."

Malice looked at Cloak, and he could see that insane glint in her eye.  "You?  My, my, my.  The world doesn't revolve around you, dear."

Cloak felt major creeps being called "dear" from such a psychopath.

"I cannot allow you to do this."

"What makes you think I care about what you allow?"

"Malice, you WILL NOT do this."

"Who's gonna stop me?  You?  Look at you!  You're exhausted!  You haven't the energy to put up a decent fight with Abomination!"

Wait . . . how'd she know about him?

"Now," Malice said, using the same energy ring trick he used on her on him, "let's begin."

Cloak struggled against his binding ring, but found that Malice was right.  He expended far too much of his energy without even realizing it.  Malice knew that the other realms held jewels she wouldn't need, but acted as if she did.  Just to exhaust Cloak, and prevent him from being a threat!  He was a fool to think that he could do this alone. . . .

Malice approached the bubble and ran lightning-like energy across the surface, as Cloak turned away, still struggling aganst his binding rings -- Malice had formed another one around his ankles and knees, pinioning his legs and tail together.  Cloak could hear the screams, then the eerie silence that fell after. . . . Cloak would never forgive himself for this, for allowing this to happen.  His tears would never touch Psychespian soil.

---
*Psychesp = Psyche + ESP

**The Oblivion Veil, first revealed in the Intro Randomness RP.  All those that pass through the Veil cannot ever return, a la Order of Phoenix.  The Oblivion Gate was built in front of it, which houses Realm Walker criminals.

***Which you'll find out about in the next book.  Probably.

[Cloak]

'Nother chapter, methinks.  Let's just lighten things up a bit, considering just how dark the last chapter was. . . .

CHAPTER TWENTY:
Well, That's Just Prime*

Malice had formed a staff with a transparent orb atop it.  Such was a signature weapon of those with the Forbidden Power.  Malice laughed as she took Cloak back to the Fractured Nexus, and back to what he had considered his home, the Prime Universe.  She continued laughing that annoying laugh, of which Jafar would have been proud.

Malice elated, "It’s mine!  It’s finally mine!  The power to create . . ."

Cloak managed to spit as she created the ugliest unicorn you could ever see, "You wretched crook!"

Malice, ignoring Cloak, continued, "The power to change . . ."

Cloak snarled as she change the unicorn in a bright, cartoony puppy, "You despicable --"

Malice, with a smile of upmost triumph upon her face, gleefully said, "The power to destroy. . . ."

Cloak roared, "Oh, you horrid woman!"

"The power of the Forbidden Arts is mine.  All mine!" Malice shouted with full elation.  Then she turned to Cloak, and did the worst possible thing she could have done.  She began to sing.

"You may not like my newfound power,
But I think it’s totally hot.
You may hate the way I use it,
But am I concerned?  I’m not!"

She began to attack Cloak, and he felt a whole new definition of the word "pain".  Then she stopped and began to sing again.

"It’s the power to create this ban and strife,
And the power to change, oh joy!
The power to rearrange your life,
And the power to destroy!

Now I’ll be givin’ the orders,
And you’re goin’ to take them!
Things are goin’ to be the way I’m make ‘em!
I’m gonna be the one that gets every break.
You gotta love it!  Yeah!
You gotta love it!

Every day is goin’ be a vacation.
Now I’m the queen of gratification.
I do whatever I want, every day,
You gotta love it!  Whoo-hoo!
You gotta love it!

I’ll take aim at any target,
I’ll stake claim to any wealth.
I think I’ll fill the cup of power.
And drink it to my health!

You gotta love it! Hey-ey-ey yeah!
You gotta love it!
You gotta love this power of mine!
Oh, yeah!
Oh, yeah!
Uh-huh!

Oh, yeah!
Aw yeah!
I’ll take aim at every target,
I’ll stake claim to everywhere!
And I think I’ll the cup with power,
And drink to my health!
You gotta love it.
You gotta love it!
Yeah!
You gotta love it!
You gotta love this power of mine!

Then she laughs maliciously, as RAFians began to pour out of RAF to see just what was going on. . . . Cloak's friends and comrades were coming. . . . The thought seemed to galvanize Cloak. . . .

---
*Obligatory Beast Wars reference.

[DinosaurNothlit]

Excellent chapters, as usual.  I loved the twist where Malice was running through all the universes for no other reason than to wear Cloak out, that was brilliant, I never saw that coming.

Bella Swan is the female character from the Twilight books, by the way.  She's half the reason those books are so terrible (Edward obviously being the other half).

[Cloak]

Thanks, Dino.  I actually came up with that on the fly.  And ah, I had small idea of who she was after I remembered the Nostalgia Critic's Top 11 Dumb@sses in Distress video.

Third chapter today . . .

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:
The Ends of the Earth

Cloak felt the others come closer, and felt his strength returning.  He knew the kind of power that Malice now wielded, and the RAFians weren't prepared for it.  He had to stop Malice, or at least relay to the others the fundamental weakness she now possessed.  Cloak righted himself, his Mark on his right hand shining very noticeably.  Cloak summoned all the strength he could muster and broke his bindings with a moment of supreme effort.

He faltered on his feet for a moment, and nearly stumbled, but he continued to glare at Malice, who witnessed it.

"Bravo, boy," she said in cold tones.  "Those Dwellers mean a great deal to you, don't they?"

Cloak said nothing, but his hateful glare never left Malice.

"Pity that they'll turn on you soon enough," she taunted.

"Liar," Cloak said, surprised of the haggard sound of his voice.

"Am I?" Malice said, smiling maliciously.

When the RAFians had all gathered, Malice . . . started singing again.

"Cloaked figure, yes, it's he,
But not as you know him!
Read my lips,
And come to grips
With reality.
Yes, here's a blast from the past,
Who's lies were too good to last.
Say hello, to your
Precious - cloaked - figure!"

She took this moment to blast Cloak several times.  But what he didn't know was that she was causing the others to see different things that were untrue about him, but what exactly varied from person to person.  Noelle, Aquilai, Dino, Gaz, Blaze, Parker and Yarin were prominent in vehemently and vocally refused to believing such things.  But others, like Rotiart, a fairly new RAFian, gullibly believed.

"So he turns out to be
Merely as cowardly as sin,
Just a con,
Need I go on?
Listen to me.
His personality flaws
Give me adequate cause
To send him packing
On a one-way trip
So his prospect take a terminal dip!
His karma frozen,
The destination chosen
Is the ends of the Earth,
Whoo-whee!
So long!
Ex-RAFian!

She did send Cloak to the ends of the Earth, with a blast of her new staff.  Cloak was limp as a ragdoll when she did this.  So much pain.  Too much pain.  Cloak lost consciousness.

Back at RAF, Parker turned to Yarin, who needn't read his mind to know what he was thinking.  Parker, Blaze, Gaz, Noelle, Phoenix, and Yarin boarded his ship and followed after Cloak, who was going faster than Yarin's ship could follow, atmosphere.

"Good riddance, liar," Rotiart was heard to say.  Faerie smacked him upside his head.

[Cloak]

Let's see if I have energy to do this. . . .

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:
Rescue RAFians

Cloak couldn't feel much of anything anymore.  The knowledge that he failed to protect those five youngsters, failed to prevent Malice from procuring all she needed to take the Forbidden Power for herself, failed to stand against her when it really counted.  All these failures, they weighed heavily against his conscience.  How could he ever be forgiven for them?  How could he ever forgive himself?

WHUMF!

Cloak landed hard on what felt like snow.  He could hear the howling wind, feel the icy bite of cold.  Cloak lay there motionless, reflecting on his past mistakes and failures.  Sure, it wasn't the most proactive thing to do, but Cloak had used up the last of his energy.  It took energy just holding his form together in one piece.  Cloak wondered idly if this would be the place where he finally died.  It would be so easy to just lay there . . . lay there and wait for the Grim Reaper with his spectral scythe to come.

"Get up," a voice sounded from his left.  He ignored it, sure that he was imagining things that probably was just wind.

"GET UP," the voice said again, more insistingly.  Cloak ignored it again.  Perhaps it was just the pain causing him to hear things.  It couldn't possibly have been him.

"GET UP!" the voice said again, more forcibly.

"Leave me alone!" Cloak moaned.  In his rather delirious state, he was thinking that the voice was his grandfather.

"Young one, you haven't failed yet!  You mustn't give up!  You cannot blame the actions of others on yourself!"

Cloak opened his eyes to blurry vision.  He said in a groggy and stupid way, "Gr-grandpa?"

"Get up!"

Cloak tried, but he couldn't get the energy.

"You must.  Your friends need you!"

This galvantized Cloak, he managed to force himself to sit up.  He forced himself to his feet, though he was still wobbly.  He was still in a great deal of pain.  But most of the pain wasn't physical.  The knowlege that he could fail in such a colossal way was the biggest blow that he had ever suffered.  Then Cloak looked around, and, had he not known better, he would have thought that he was back in Cryolacier.  He had no idea what direction would be back to RAF. . . .

He did not see any ghost of his grandfather.  Perhaps his delirious mind conjured up that voice to keep him alive.  But that didn't matter.  Now that he was up and on his feet, the burden of his mistakes were again upon him, like the world upon the titan, Altas.  Cloak winced but started to hobble away from the spot where he landed.  It was extremely slow-going.

***

In Yarin's ship, the six were plastered to the windows.  The had made it to Antartica -- the so-called "Ends of the Earth" -- and now were scouring it for any sign of Cloak.  Gaz voiced what they were all thinking.

"Wh-what if there's nothing to find?"

Gaz knew that when a Realm Walker dies they are translated to energy, and dissipate.

Phoenix sighed heavily.  "If we find an empty cloak, well . . . then we'll assume that, Gaz."

Realm Walkers usually leave their cloaks behind when they die.

"Antartica is a big continent . . ." Blaze said, brow furrowed with concern. "We could easily overlook something."

"There!" Parker said, pointing.  "He's on the move . . . but . . ."

<He appears injured.> Noelle noted worryingly.

"After the journey he's had, I'd be surprised if he weren't," Yarin said, taking the ship down.

***

Cloak just looked up numbly, seeing Yarin's ship, but he wasn't sure if it were real or another delusion.  Cloak toppled to his knees, still quite tired.  Parker and Phoenix dashed out of the ship, picked an exhausted Cloak up and brought him back within the ship, where he promptly collapsed on the floor.
"Cloak?" Gaz asked, gently.  "Are you alright?"

Cloak breathed heavily, barely having sufficient energy to stay conscious.  "The staff.  You must destroy the orb atop the staff.  Then the Forbidden Power will leave her.  And nevermore be obtainable to anyone. . . ."

Then he collapsed into a dreamless sleep.

[Blazing Angel]

I still say the twilight zone universe would be awesome.

Anyway, these stories are pretty incredible.

[Cloak]

Thanks, Blaze.  Shortish chapter.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:
A Game Plan

Meanwhile, back at RAF, Malice was having the time in her bicentennial life.  She delighted at blasting at the RAFians, changing some of them in various things, and back again.  She laughed screeching laughs as if she were a child playing with a favored toy.  The RAFians had no defense against Malice with this Forbidden Power.  She was even more powerful than Cloak.

Yarin's ship approached, but cloaked, and slowly, cautiously.  He set his ship down a prudent distance away.  The six (Cloak was still unconscious) watched Malice's rampage.  Such pain she caused.  Such fear.  And she was not only enjoying it, she was revelling in it!

She tauntingly sang "Rubber Ducky", that old Seseme Street song, as she turned Unseen into a rubber ducky, and then she, done singing, blasted him, causing him to fly up and a considerable distance away.

"Don't toy around with me!" Malice said, as Dino, full-sized, charged at her, roaring her full fury.  Malice turned her into an ankylotyrannus toy, and gavea hearty laugh of which Jafar would be secretly jealous.

Blocky charged Malice from behind, but she was fully aware of this.  "Down, boy!" she said, whipping around, reverting him back to an egg, laughing heartily about it afterward.

***

Meanwhile, back at the ship, the six were making a gameplan.

"Noelle, can you take Cloak to the infirmary?" Phoenix asked.

<Can do.> Noelle said, affirmatively.  Thus, Cloak was drapped across her back, and she left the ship, galloping full-tilt to the infirmary, easily passing the notice of Malice, who was turning Ash into a tub of goo, whilst making a horrible pun about it.

"That's done," Phoenix said, heavily.  "Now, the only matter that remains is getting the staff away from Malice and destroying that orb on it."

"Yeah, 'coz that'll be so easy." Blaze said, snidely.  "She'll never let that thing go.  She'll know our intentions immediately after we make an attempt to take it from her."

"Perhaps a distraction," Gaz suggested.  "People don't like bats in their face.  I could go into bat mode and get in her face.  Literally."

"That could work," Parker said.  "But we really should have a continency plan.  As a backup."

"Right," Phoenix concurred.  "Yarin, we need you to sneak into the communications.  Contact Estelore.  We may need her."

"But she was exploring another sector of the galaxy," Yarin pointed out, "it could take her days, months, or even years to return.  And time is one thing that we're not blessed with!"

"True," Phoenix said, "a valid point.  But we'll need her just the same."

"Okay.  Just don't bank on her comin' to the rescue."

"The rest of us . . . well, we know what we must do." Phoenix said, standing straight and tall. "Let's go."

***

Malice could not remember a time when she laughed so much, had so much fun, or felt so powerful.  She had just turned poparena into a box of movie popcorn, as well as making the obligatorily lame pun.  Naturally, she threw her head back and let out a ghastly guffaw.

But then, suddenly, she had a face full of bat wings and angry screeches.  Her good mood instantly evaporated.  She was annoyed.  Irritated.  But not harmed at all.  She swatted the bat away with her staff -- or tried to.  She used her own energy to blast the bat -- Gaz -- away, to discover Parker, Phoenix, and Blaze attempting to pull the staff from her.  She felt a wave a rage, a feeling she was most accustomed to feeling.  She blasted the three away with bolts of red lightning.

"YOU . . . DARE . . . TO . . . TAKE . . . WHAT'S RIGHTFULLY MINE?!" she roared.  She waved the staff, and, in the sky, hundreds of sharp daggers appeared.  Then it began to rain down on the four. . . .

[Blazing Angel]

Knife storm.

[Gaz]

Finally all caught up! I was out of town last week so I wasn't able to do a beast wars recap update. I am do get one up tomorrow.

[Cloak]

Excellent, Gaz.

Knife storm.

Yeah, pretty much like that Blaze.  Only they're stationary right now.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:
Malice's Shattered Dreams

Malice was prepared to send the knives down on the three, where she eyed Parker's armor.  With a quick zap, she turned the armor into green gelatin dessert.  What this did to Tyr was unknown.  Then she made a snatching movement with her staff, and the knave knives began to descend. . . .

ZZZZZZZZZZZIIIIIIP!  ZZZZZZZIIIIIP!

Cerulean had shown up and collected the knives, tossing them aside harmlessly.

"Nice timing," Blaze said, wearily.

"I'm all about timing," Cerulean quipped.

"Bravo, RAFian," Malice said, with a heavy-lidded look.  "But it's all for naught!"

She tried to zap Cerulean again and again.  But he easily zipped out of her way.  Malice was undeterred, however.  She stomped her staff upon the ground, and the ground beneath Cerulean's feet began to liquefy, and become like quicksand.  Cerulean uttered a cry of surprise as he sunk down to his neck with the ground began to become firmer again.

"Don't trifle with my power, boy," Malice snarled at Cerulean.

"What about me, then?" said a voice behind Malice.

Malice whipped around to see a lovely-looking woman in a bright yellow sundress and long-brimmed hat to match.  Estelore had arrived.  Malice blinked a bit, then regained her composure nearly instantaneously.

"The star," she growled.  "Even you cannot stand up to my power."

"Perhaps," Estelore said, conversationally.  "But, dear woman, you know I'll try."

"No!  Just die!"

She zapped Estelore . . . but all she seemed to manage to do is make Estelore's hat and dress into a royal purple and her hair was now more wintry*.  Estelore looked at her clothing with feigned interest.  Suddenly the dress became a form-fitting Kevlar bodysuit, the hat gone completely, and her hair -- summer again -- was drawn up into a tight bun.  Hellooooo, Warrior Estelore.**

"A costume change?" Malice snorted.  "You think that will save you?"

Estelore smiled benignly at Malice's barb, giving her a coy look, but said nothing.  This incensed Malice, and she tried to zap Estelore again, who leaned ever-so-slightly to the left.  The bolt missed Estelore completely and turned the thread behind her into a hamburger.

"A hamburger?  Really?" Estelore said, brightly.

Malice seemed to take Estelore's refusal to take this seriously as a personal insult, and, in her rage, started blasting things left and right.  Several threads were turned into a duck, a moai head, a clock, a candelabra, among others.

Meanwhile, Parker, Blaze, and Phoenix were gathering their senses.  Gaz was still knocked out cold, although still in bat mode.  In an instant, though still unconscious, she resumed her human form.

"Parker, shoot it now!" Phoenix commanded.

"Don't look a me!  Blaze is the one with a weapon!" Parker said, indicating his gelatin armor***, which felt cold and strange against his skin.

"Oh," Blaze exclaimed.  "Right.

He held up his sword which was glowing mostly green with a bit of red tossed in.  He changed it into a javelin, which surprised him a little -- Cloak had told him that it could turn into only melee weapons.  Apparently, Cloak was wrong.  The tip of the javelin still glowed green with that bit of red.  Blaze ****ed his arm back, and the threw it with all his might.

SMASH!

The sound of tinkling glass was heard after the impact.  Blaze whooped with exhilaration.  Parker was relishing in the fact that all that changed was being reverted to normal, and, as such, his armor was back -- cleaner than it was when it was changed, Parker noticed.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Malice roared loudly.  "I'll have my revenge upon you, star.  Mark my words!"

Then she vanished, as RAF was returning to normal.  The RAFians were celebrating . . . but in the infirmary, Cloak still slept on.

---
*Something I remembered from "Fairly Oddparents", actually.

**Animaniacs reference.

***I don't think that this'll be a fashion statement that'll catch on.

[Cloak]

Last chapter of Book XIII.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:
Hidden Distrust

Cloak awoke nearly two days later.  His body still felt a little stiff and sore.  He saw Goom nearby, sitting on a stool, gazing intently at some sort of computer diagnostic.  Cloak raised himself into a sitting position with a small groan.  Goom heard this, and turned.

"Ah, Cloak.  You're awake!"

Suddenly, Cloak remembered everything that happened.  Goom saw the reaction, and made a calm-down gesture -- which for goombas involved their feet, and looked quite odd.

"Relax, Cloak.  The staff's orb was shattered by Blaze two days ago.  It's gone."

Cloak let out a deep sigh, and relaxed a little.

"Okay," Goom said, hopping off the stool -- which probably took a bit of effort getting onto -- and looked up at Cloak, "how do you feel?"

"A bit sore," Cloak said, his voice a bit muddied due to lack of use.  "But that'll go away in a couple of days."

"Okay," Goom affirmed.  "I'm afraid that I won't be much help to you medically.  Realm Walker physiology is still an unknown.  Maybe if I can converse with your mother --"

"That's a bad idea," Cloak said roughly.

"Oh, okay." Goom said, noticing Cloak's reaction.

"It's not you.  It's her.  She can be . . ." Cloak fished around for an appropriate term or phrase, "difficult to be around."

"Right," Goom said, still eyeing Cloak carefully.  "You're discharged from the infirmary.  Please, do be careful."

***

Cloak became aware over the next few days of quiet whispering by RAFians who did not know him and he did not interact with often.  They were questioning where he went and why he had to go alone.  Cloak would not tell any of them.  He did not want to remember.  RAFian friends of his -- Blaze, Gaz, Noelle, Parker, Aquilai, Dino, and Esty among them -- honored this and left it alone.

But things were exacerbated by the hopped-up little despot, Rotiart, seemed to want to stir up trouble by opening questioning Cloak's motives, actions, and inactions.  He did it subtly and carefully.  Cloak quickly found himself not liking the little upstart.  Little did Cloak or the others know the truth about Rotiart. . . .

***

"I had it all!" Malice raged in her hideout in the Nexus.  "The Power was mine!!  That star . . . she distracted me while one of her stupid little minions destroyed the orb . . ."

Then her eyes narrowed to the minutest of slits.

"Cloak . . . he's the one who caused me to lose all of my Power." she decided.  "Cloak was the one who told them the weakness . . . how else could they have known?"

Then she smiled sinisterly.  "And I think I have a way of making him fall out of favor with his beloved RAFians. . . ."

Then she laughed loudly and raucously.

[DinosaurNothlit]

Another awesome book.  And, I'm already intrigued by the next one!

[Cloak]

Thanks Dino.  We really have crossoverfan . . . er, balrog, to thank for giving me the idea for the next book.

BOOK XIV:
A FORUM OF CARDS
CHAPTER ONE:
Distrust and Suspicions

Four months had passed without incident from Malice.  But Cloak was well aware that the same RAFians that expressed distrust in him were now getting more open about their positions, led by the upstart Rotiart*.  Cloak had found himself to not only dislike the guy, but downright loathe him nearly as much as Malice, Jerry Falwell, Laura Mallory, the Butler Act, and anything by Lucas Cruikshank.

Cloak attempted to keep his feelings to himself, still refusing to relate anything of what happened all those months ago in the Fractured Realms.  He still felt those five younglings on his conscience.  He would never relieve that burden from his soul.

Cloak tended to spend a lot of time within his thread these days.  Some could say that it was a self-imposed isolation, but Cloak didn't know or care.  He spent his time in there trying to exorcise the guilt from his mind and soul.  But still . . . he would hear the whispers . . . doubting his motives, demonizing his actions and inactions, speculating on his positions.

Cloak was tired of it all.  Tired of the covert suspicions, the overt distrust, the glaring stares.  Time and time again, he considered that he would leave RAF.  This time permanently.  But, his RAFian friends, who vehemently denies and refuted all the subtle accusations, the lingering misconceptions, kept coming 'round to convince him otherwise.  So, Cloak put it on the back of his mind, but still considered it worth contemplation.

<Cloak?> a thought-speak voice said behind him.

"Hello, Noelle." Cloak said.  His voice had taken on a woebegone tone over the past few months.

<What are you doing?> she asked gently.

"Nothing," Cloak lied repressively.

<Cloak,> she said, her tone uncertain, <Cloak, you shouldn't listen to the dissenters.>

"Easier said than done," Cloak replied.

<Cloak, listen to me -->

"I have, Noelle," Cloak snapped uncharacteristicall y, "and I've listened to Phoenix, Gaz, Parker, Aquilai, Goom, Blaze, Rad, Yarin, Estelore, Dino, Horse, AniDragon, Faerie, and even Richard himself!  Their words do nothing to change the stares.  The talking behind my back -- don't think I don't hear it! -- all I've done for this forum, and they still doubt me."

Cloak took a breath, and continued in a calmer tone, "Noelle, it's just too hard to put up with right now.  I'd love to say that Malice is behind this somehow, somehow manipulating the other RAFians, but I know it cannot be true.  She cannot control minds."

<But she can manipulate people.  You just said yourself.>

"Doesn't mean she has a hand in it," Cloak said, feeling hollow and empty as he often did nowadays, prone to depression.

***

Meanwhile, in the Nexus, Malice was well aware of what happened to Cloak's relationship with the RAFians he did not have day-to-day interactions with.  She was elated, but not too much.  She was still smarting over losing the Forbidden Power forever.

"They turn on him," she mutters, "such foolish creatures these RAFians be.  The smallest imperfection, the minutest inconsistency, and they turn on each other.  That was far too easy!"

"Yes, my love," said another Realm Walker, hidden in shadow.

"Now, go!" she said to this hidden Realm Walker.  "Go and lure him away from the forum.  Let's make dear Cloak's predicament worse."

---
*Has anyone guessed the truth about this guy yet?  Answer this in PM!

[Cloak]

I think there'll only be one new chapter today.  Not feeling my best creatively now.  But don't hold me to this.

CHAPTER TWO:
Old School Chums

Cloak stood upon his favorite hill overlooking the forum.  He recalled that had once relocated the entire forum, using his mastery of the Earth Element, to this precise spot.  He had done it initially to prevent an invasion of the forum -- and you all know how well that worked out.*  Cloak stood there, arms folded tight against his body, tail swishing agitatedly beneath his cloak, and his head bowed.

Those were happier times for Cloak.  They weren't exactly easy, and Gaz has never forgotten how the vampire queen took her mind over, although she tries to downplay it.  Cloak, Esty and the mods haven't forgotten the state of suspended animation they were in when encapsulated by the ooze.  Cloak could still remember when the forum was overrun with the Technarch Phalanx, and there haven't been any relapses in that department.  No one would forget the battles with the Knights of Humanity.  Phoenix would never forget the ultimate invasiveness of being possessed by a revenant toting the eye of Sarnoth Odin.  No veteran RAFian or yearling RAFian present would forget the four stones Malice used against them, nor would they forget Malice with the Forbidden Arts.  Cloak remembered nearly losing control over his emotions that first time Malice struck Shadow.  Mr. Guy and Horse will never forget when she grew to monstrous proportions.  The battles with the Xenomorphic Brood would never be forgotten from the team who had to endure the horrors of that warship.  The subspace translocation bomb -- the STB -- that introduced the RAFians to the other Lanterns. . . .

Cloak looked at his right palm, and saw the blue stylized "R" mark glowing faintly.  The Mark of a RAFian.  He remembered how he and Goom had come to make it, under the auspices of Richard.  He remembered giving Parker the Ride Armor Matrix and Blaze that sword of his, which Cloak could see that he was polishing right now.  He loves that thing, and it amuses Cloak for some reason.

"So, how do you like it that your buddies are turnin' on you?" a voice behind Cloak said.

Cloak did not dignify the speaker by turning around.  "What do you want Abomination?"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

"Did you come to get beaten up by a little girl again?" Cloak said, smirking, still with his back to Abomination, who was incandescent with rage.  "Sorry, Shadow's not here to do such.  Perhaps I can find a hatchling to beat you up?"

"YOU BLOODY WELL KNOW THAT FIGHT WAS UNFAIR!"

Cloak smirked still, but turned to face the uppity would-be despot.

"Unfair?  She was a little girl."

"She was an Elements Master as you very bloody well know!  You trained her!!"

Cloak was starting to get bored with annoying Abomination.  It was too easy to do.  "So what do you want?"

"For you to follow me."

Cloak gave him a heavy-lidded look and said, tonelessly, "And just why would I do that?"

"Don't you trust me, Cloak?  We're school chums!"

"We were never chums," Cloak said flatly.  "perhaps, once, there could have been a chance of friendship.  But then you turned into an oversensitive bully."

Now Abomination returned Cloak's heavy-lidded look with one of his own.  "Granted.  Are you coming or not?"

"I think not," Cloak said, conversationally.

"Even if the lives of the RAFians known as Ken and Anna are on the line?"

---
*Referencing both "Intro Randomness" thread and previous books.

[Underseen]

Great book Cloak!