Memoirs of a RAFian

[Cloak]

Wanted to up another chapter.

CHAPTER EIGHT:
Phoban Cliffs

Cloak walked forward, the same gray mist hanging around.  His grandfather stayed right by his side.  Apparently, to go on the Epiphany Road, you required "a predeceased guide of emotional significance".  In laymen's terms, a loved one that had already gone "on".

Cloak noticed the ground taking on a cold, stony feel.  The mist around them went from gray to a brilliant yellow.

"And now we're on Venus," Cloak muttered.

"Nice try," Sage said, "We're at the Phoban Cliffs."

"Phoban?  As in, phobos?"

"Well, I certainly didn't mean a Martian moon," Sage quipped.

"Great," Cloak grumbled, "I'm in an existential crisis, and you're cracking wise."

"Where'd you think you got it from?"

"Never mind that," Cloak said, bit irrably, "why are we here?"

"You must confront the deepest fears you possess."

"Uh, do I have to?" Cloak said, instantly feeling like a cub again.

Sage looked at Cloak, very seriously, and said, "We all must confront what frightens us.  You'll have to do this, sooner or later.  There's no point in denying it.  You must conquer your fear, not let your fear conquer you."

That was, word-for-word, Cloak's first instruction by Sage.  Cloak was anxious, afraid of what he'd see.  He was unsure if he was strong enough to overcome whatever lay ahead.

"Cloak, my dear grandson," Sage said, speaking in a very paternal way, "I cannot sugarcoat this for you.  You must go forward, you ARE strong enough.  You are stronger than you give yourself credit for.  Now . . . let's go."

Sage's words had a solidifying effect on Cloak's resolution.  He stood to his full height, and walked onward.  The yellow mist parted to reveal a horrid creature.  A creature that was large enough to snack on Ankylotyranni.

"A megaloscorpius." Cloak sighed.  It was a creature of a realm where Earth had roughly 92.129% more oxygen than in the Prime Universe.  It was a poisonous yellow color with beady violet eyes -- whereas actual megaloscorpi were midnight black with eyes to match -- though they take on an opaque, milky white with age.  It's claws were like scapels, it's venom could bring instant death to creatures Cloak's size.  Although he knew the venom would be eviserated before it even touched him, Cloak still found them foul.

Cloak knew why it would appear here at the Phoban Cliffs.  Cloak had always suffered from scorpiophobia.  He never liked the creatures.  Cloak had froze upon seeing it, and Sage looked concerned.  But not from the creature, which he could see, but from his grandson.  If he froze up here . . .

Then Cloak took a deep breath, and leaped to the side when it fired its left claw forward.  Cloak knew they wouldn't waste their venom unless they had prey in it's claws.  Cloak realized that this thing wasn't a real megaloscorpius, just a manifestation of everything he's ever feared.

Cloak leaped onto it's back, but was slightly distracted when he saw his other fears reflected in the creatures unnaturally shiny shell.  Cloak saw himself losing control of himself, as he did with Abomination, the death of his RAFian friends, the destructive power of fire (the element that he was most reluctant to learn), the death of his sisters, scorpions, the death of his mother, being unable to prevent disasters that he was quite capable of preventing (and some cases, could not logically prevent), the death of Shadow . . .

The overlarge scorpion nearly stung him, but Cloak realized that he was dawdling.  So he dived to the left, grabbed the tail, and, with all the force of will that he could dredge up, forced the tail into piercing its own shell.  Now, real megascorpius is immune to it's own venom, but this one collapsed into yellow mist and was absorbed into the surrounding yellow mist.  Then the mist dulled into a dreary gray.

"Good, Cloak.  Very good."

"Well, that was fun.  Can I go home now?"

"Surely, you didn't think this journey would be that easy?"

No, Cloak did not do the "Don't call me Shirley" joke.

[Blocky97]

Man, you put these out fast my friend!

[Cloak]

Yep.  I did mention I was sitting on this story for a long time.  So, it's been kicking around in the back of my mind for that length of time.

CHAPTER NINE:
Mother Knows Best

<It's been three days,> ND said, like she was forcing herself to, <shouldn't we bury . . . bury him?>

No one said anything about this.  It had been a full three days since Cloak fell, and just over a half hour when Shadow stormed away.  Cloaky looked so weak, broken and beaten, so utterly defeated.  It clawed at the hearts of the RAFians who knew him.

"That would be his family's decision," Gaz said, her voice was dull with the emotional stress of the last few days.

"Yes, well, that would be fine and all," Parker said, arms folded, looking intently at his feet.  "But how exactly do we contact them?"

Blue nodded, face expressionless.  "Right, only a Realm Walker can get to the Nexus.  He was the only RAFian Realm Walker."

"They may not even know," Horse put in.

"Not likely, I'm sure Shadow told them." Guy said.

"Then they will come here?"

"I don't see why not." Nate said.

"Then what's taking them so long?" Darth Poseidon inquired.

"Don't forget," Richard spoke for the first time in a long while, "they are Realm Walkers as he is.  They may not be in the Nexus."

Richard heaved a heavy sigh, then continued, "And who knows how many realms there are out there."

"Cloak inferred to me that there are more realms than stars in the sky," Dino recalled.

But, before the conversation could continue further, then the door burst open, and an ursine Realm Walker in a scrubs-green cloak burst in.  All at once, you could tell that this was NOT a person to trifle with.  She was very intimidating and frightening when riled.  She was Cloak's mother, Ursa.

She was followed by a vulpine Realm Walker in a royal blue cloak, and Shadow, who wore a deep violet cloak.  The vulpine Realm Walker was Shadow's mother, Ursa's firstborn, and Cloak's elder sister -- Faith.

"Where is he?  Where is my son?" Ursa demanded without so much as a hello.

"Who --" Richard said, who looked genuinely flummoxed at this interruption.

"My meemaw, Ursa," Shadow explained.  "And my mom, Faith."

"Never mind that," she said, uttering a growl which the RAFians took to be Shadow's true name, "I won't say this again, WHERE IS HE?  We need to take him back to the Nexus, I doubt your medical staff could cope with his needs!"

The RAFians tried not to look offended (some of them not succeeding very well).  But Ursa seemed oblvious that she even said anything offensive.  But such is her way.

"He's right over there." Genies said, as gently as she could.

Ursa strode over to him, and checked out his injuries.  She seemed very agitated, but let a small sigh of relief leave her.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Ursa, for your loss," AniDragon said, sweetly.

"What are you on about, child?" Ursa said imperiously.

"Huh?"

Faith intervened to explain, "Realm Walkers are born from energy, and, when we die, we return to energy.  Cloak is still corporeal.  He's not dead."

Before anyone could really take this in, Ursa finished her diagnosis.  "He cannot be moved.  His CSI is barely stable.  To move him would be to destablize it."

"His CSI?" Aquilai queried.  "His crime scene investigation?"

Ursa glared at him.

"Are you trying to be stupid?" It was a quite sincere question -- she wasn't sure if he was joking.  "Everyone knows that 'CSI' doesn't stand for 'crime scene investigation'.  It stands for 'corporeal structural integrity'.  It means that he hasn't translated to energy yet."

"Point is, he's alive." Blue said, mostly for the other RAFians' benefit.  And he was trying not to be smug about the fact that he was right.

"I will stay here and give him the medical attention he needs." Ursa said.

"And I'll serve as his replacement in any meetings you have. . . . Er, can I, Mom?"

Faith was concealing a small smile at her daughter's forwardness.  "Yes, you may."

[Darth Revan]

Gives new meaning to the term "mama bear".

[Cloak]

Exactly why I chose a bear for her -- that, and her basically preventing Brute from killing me that one time when he was drunk.

CHAPTER TEN:
Rivers of Culpam

Cloak and his grandfather stode onward in silence.  Sage knew what Cloak was going through.  He had gone on the Epiphany Road once in his youth, and became a stronger person because of it.  He knew the same would happen for Cloak, he hoped the same would happen.

Suddenly, the mist took on a lurid pink color, and the ground beneath their feet became unstable.  Violently rocking back and forth, then forward.  It was like riding atop a bullet train, and, yet, like riding on a raft.  Sage acclimated to this change long before Cloak.

"What's . . . what's going on?!"

"Calm yourself, Cloak," Sage chided.

"Easy for you to say." Cloak grumbled.  "Where are we?"

"This is a River of Culpam," Sage stated, but did not explain further.  This irrated Cloak a bit, but he kept his feelings to himself.  Cloak had no idea what to expect here, and, while Cloak enjoyed RAFing, he did not enjoy rafting.

Suddenly, the ride smoothed out and appeared to be stationary, but that was only because they could not see what they were passing, if indeed they were passing anything.

"Prepare yourself, Cloak, it begins."

"What begins --"

But it became obvious when a sheet of water rose up exactly perpendicular to the river, which seemed to have become a very large stream or brook.  From the raised water, images began to form.

The images of Cloak losing his temper with Shadow, losing control of himself with Abomination, and more . . . Cloak felt struck, quite literally, with guilt.  Horrible things that he blamed himself for.

"Cloak," Sage said, his voice a light in darkness, "you must confront these images.  You must look!  I know this is hard, but you haven't a choice, Cloak!"

Cloak did, albeit reluctantly.  Sage looked at the images, as well.  More images surfaced, things that Cloak should not have felt guilt about at all, but still he blamed himself.

"You must accept the fact that these things happen." Sage intoned.  "You must forgive yourself."

"I . . . I can't."

"These things were not your fault," Sage said, a return to his grandfatherly tone, "you cannot always bear the weight of the world on your shoulders.  You have a heavy heart, and I know that means it's difficult to forgive yourself for these things, but you must.  You CAN."

Upon hearing this, Cloak resolutely looked at the images.  Then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled.  He actually felt lighter, and better.  Then the stone raft thing began to move to the right as the risen water splashed back down into river.  And the mist took on the gray color again.

They were on their ways to . . . well, somewhere else.

[Cloak]

Gonna go ahead and put up another chapter.

CHAPTER ELEVEN:
Translate This

Back at the council of war, Shadow was awkwardly taking her uncle's usual place.  She was seated between Horse and Faerie (whose wings were mended).  They were discussing tactics for getting the forum back.  Shadow was a little unnerved when the others told her that Abomination had stolen the powers of the Twelve, as their actions were bad enough to warrant entry into Realm Walker history books, much like Pearl Harbor and 9/11.*

"Does that mean he's impossible to beat?" Gaz asked Shadow.

"I think so. . . . If Uncle could beat him . . ." Shadow said, still thoroughly shaken at this news.

"But that's impossible!  No one's all powerful!" Blue protested.

"True," Richard offered, "but until Abomination has a weakness we can exploit, that we can capitialize on, there is little we can do about it."

"There has to be some venue, some strategy, that we're overlooking," Broken put in.

"Yes, but the question is, what is that strategy?  I'm drawing blanks, and I don't like it." Faerie said with a bit of a pout.

"Well, we mustn't expect a solution to fall out of the sky." Nate stated.

Gaz's expression brightened a bit.  "Wait a minute, perhaps one has."

"What?" Nate blinked bewilderedly.

Parker got the gist.  "That boulder with the writing on it."

"What boulder was this?" Phoenix inquired interestedly.

"Well, three days ago -- or maybe four -- when we were battling the Pootang and Shadow and Cloak took on that Howler --"

"Oh, that's what that thing was called?" Shadow said quietly.

"Anyway," Guy said, taking up the story, "a boulder was unearthed that had strange writing on it.  I couldn't read it, nor could anyone else.  Including Cloak."

"But Cloak was lying," Horse put in, "you could see it in his eyes."

"Could I see this boulder?" Shadow asked.

"No, it was back at . . . at the forum."

"But I happen to have taken a pic of it." Guy said, immediately setting up a projector.  Then he displayed it on the right hand wall, which was flat enough.  Shadow walked up to it, eyes darting back and forth, reading it.

"It's Realm Walker." she said.  "It's one of Prophet's old predictions.  No, several actually.  No wonder Uncle didn't tell you what it said, he didn't put much faith in prophecies."

"Prophecies?" Marie asked.

"Could you translate them for us, Shadow?" Richard asked.

Shadow nodded, and begun to recite the few lines visible.

"The Son of the Elements shall fall to the Abomination.
     Rings seal his destruction.
The site of creativity will submerge.
     And only the faerie can purge.
A revenant's deadly obsession
     Only one can stop the horrid possession.
Time crime goes forth
     And proves a man's worth.
Techno-organic beings will assimilate
    A cure they will create.
Darkness shall befall upon a few
    Healing will prove a big to-do.
A ball of destruction hangs in the air
    The youngest will bounce it out of there.
The band of trolls will be led by Malice
     Their actions will be cruelly callous.
A gender schism will banish one
     The smallest will have it undone.
The machinations will convert
     Others to the ideals they assert.
The heroes will find themselves violated
     Creatures of which they are closely related."
An unholy union will unleash
     The horse-eating beast.

Silence greeted these words, as Shadow turned to see their reactions.  Shadow knew they were thinking of the first line.  The Son of the Elements.  Abomination.  Cloak was the Son of the Elements and he had named his would-be murderer Abomination.

"Cloak knew this." AniDragon said.  "He knew this, and he still fought Abomination."

"Shadow said it," Faerie replied, "he didn't put much stock into prophecies."

"But it didn't tell us how to defeat Abomination." Phoenix said.

"Yes, it did.  'Rings seal his destruction.'" Parker said.

"Yes, but what does that mean exactly?" Phoenix countered.

Silence.

----
*I hope this isn't in bad taste.  If so, I'm sorry.

[Darth Revan]

Ooo... riddles are fun!

Don't worry about the 9/11 reference; it happened 11 years ago, we'll be fine.

This is shaping up nicely. I like the chapter titles, they're like episode titles. It's fun.

[Gaz]

I'm all caught up! Really enjoying this and can't wait to see what happens next! ^_^

[Cloak]

[...] I like the chapter titles, they're like episode titles. It's fun.

Well, about that, I actually changed the title of the second chapter -- it was originally called "The Prophecy Stone".  But I thought that gave away too much.

Anyway, I'll post another chapter a little later.

CHAPTER TWELVE:
Island of Ignominia

Their little stone raft on which Cloak and Sage were floating bumped into land.  Cloak strode off the raft beside his grandfather, onto sandy soil.  Then the gray mist changed into an awful psychedelic violet.

"Did a hippy get vaporized?" Cloak grumbled.

Sage said nothing, and did not even crack a smile.  But Cloak was sure that he heard him.  Sage's hearing was even better than Cloak's, as was his eyesight.  Perhaps he saw more than Cloak did.

Soon the sandy terrain changed into mossy vegetation and overgrown undergrowth of a still-wild forest.  Cloak sensed trees, mostly due to his mastery over the Wood element . . . of course he never said that he mastered that element without mentioning the five others, because then the jokes never stopped. . . .

Cloak knew that he would have to confront something here, but hadn't a clue what.  He was so involved in his own thoughts, he didn't even see the sign.  He walked head long into it, and both toppled over.

"Where'd that come from?"

"I didn't jump out of nowhere, Cloak.  Do try to pay more attention."

Of course, Sage knew perfectly well he did the exact same thing when he was here last.  But he didn't relate this to Cloak, although he did smile inwardly.  Cloak picked up the wooden sign, it was quite worn and erroded.  But he could just make out what it said: "The Island of Ignominia".

"What's 'Ignominia'?  Is it related to 'ignominous'?" Cloak asked.

"I've never thought to ask."

"What do you mean 'you've never thought --'?"

"That's not really the point," Sage said, "look there."

Then, on a trunk what looked like a morbidly obese baobob tree, images started to appear, as if carved in the bark.  It showed Cloak trying hard but always failing.  Cloak being, what he felt, a utter failure, a humiliating loser.  And all the things Cloak found shameful.  Cloak actually felt tears on this one.  He could not overcome this one.

"Cloak, you must." Sage prodded.

"Grandfather, I --"

"You MUST."

Cloak looked at the images, shifting in the bark.  He couldn't bear it.  He couldn't bear the burden of these memories.  He felt like he wanted to run . . . then he remembered he was on an island.

"Cloak," Sage said, resuming his grandfatherly tone, "you are not as you see yourself in these images.  You are not a loser.  You are not a failure."

"I wish I could believe that. . . ." Cloak said, arms crossed, head bowed, shoulders arched.

"Cloak, look at what you've accomplished!  You are an Elements Master!  You have friends.  You are not alone. . . . You . . . are not . . . alone."

He spoke those last four words with the most emphasis.  Cloak was starting to believe it.  He did.  He did believe it.  He was not worthless.  He had meaning.  Cloak relaxed his shoulders, took a deep breath, and exhaled.  Then he looked up, feeling lighter, better, than he had before.

"Good, Cloak.  Very good."

Suddenly, the terrain changed of its own accord.  Becoming as flat and smooth, like glass.  It was also quite cool to the touch.  The mist had become gray again.

[Cloak]

Time for another chapter.  Probably a short chapter.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
The War Council

Back in the makeshift RAF HQ, the council of war -- which was broaded to include RAFians up to a RAFmonth old -- was getting underway again.  They were making decisions on how to get back into RAF, and take it back.

"It's our site," Blaze was saying, "we should take it back and give it to its rightful owners.  Us!"

"Good idea!  Any idea how?" Rad replied with the vaguest hint of sarcasm.

"I'm open to suggestions," Richard said more wearily than he had ever sounded.

"The problem isn't the Banned or the trolls," Sakki said, "they're pushovers.  Abomination is the main problem here."

"Yes, but I don't anyone short of Estelore can stand up to him." Blue said mulishly.

"Can we contact Estelore?" Aquilai asked.

"No, she's probably at the farthest edge of the galaxy by now." Gumby said.  "Even if we could establish communication with her, it'd probably take several years to reach her, and more years to reach us again."

"Then there is no hope," Faerie said bluntly.

"No, we mustn't give up hope." AniDragon asserted.

"Not another friendship speech."*

"Hey!"

"Enough, you two." Richard said.

It was amazing on how aged they all seemed to be.  They had never lost the site before, not this severely.  Cloak may have been alive, but according to Ursa, he was on the brink of death.  And they were all well aware of the fact that Abomination had enough power to outright kill anyone of them.

"Abomination." Goom said.  "Anyway to get rid of him without getting killed?"

"Or stomped into putty?" Parker said, with an exhausted tone.  It was clear that this meeting had been going on for a few hours.  Goom gave him a scandalized look -- apparently Goombas have strong feelings about being stomped.**

"There is nothing more that we can do, I fear," Gaz said.

"But that cannot be true," Horse said emphatically, "there has to be something we have not yet tried!  Some path not seen!  Some stragedy unapplied!"

"Don't break out into song, Horse.  We just don't have the time." Mr. Guy groaned.

"Besides that's a different thread," Shadow muttered.

"What was that, Shadow?" Kelly asked.

"Oh, nothing."***

"Now, the business at hand, people!" Phoenix insisted.  "We need to find out how to defeat Abomination.  He's just too competent when compared to the Banned and the trolls.  There has to be some way to defeat him.  Some weakness to exploit.  Everyone has a weakness.  Even . . . even Cloak had a weakness." Phoenix finished, deliberately not looking at Shadow.

"Cloak said something about Abomination stealing the powers of the Twelve****, right?" Parker asked.

There was general sounds of ascent.

"Wouldn't there be some way to strip them from him?  Take them away?"

"What, energy-bending?" Blue asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Shadow said.  "I know of no way to bind his powers."

But, then again, Shadow was eleven.

-----
*Yes, I've made AniDragon into the RAF's version of the YGOTAS (Yu-Gi-Oh! the Abridged Series)'s Tea.  Sorry, couldn't resist.

**

*** Yes, we Realm Walkers can break the Fourth Wall.  But it's proper etiquette we don't.

**** No relation to the One or the Five.

[Cloak]

'Nother chapter, 'bout seven more left.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
Mists of Luctus

Cloak looked around wearily.  He wondered what fresh emotional hell this would be.  Would this road ever be over?

"It's nearly over," Sage said, as if he read Cloak's thoughts.  "Just one more trial to go through.  And it's probably your hardest one."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out momentarily." Sage replied repressively.

So, that's where I get it from, Cloak thought aimlessly.

Suddenly the gray mist seemed to percipitate, to rain.  Only this was more like the mist was . . . crying?  No, that's not possible. . . . Althought, he's a member of a forum that has Andalites, Yeerks, dragons, Time Lords, a demon, and even a sentient star.  He shouldn't be surprised by things like this.

"We're in the Mists of Luctus, Cloak," Sage said, voice calm.  Then when he spoke again, the calmness faltered.  "The images will appear soon . . . be ready."

Suddenly the mist itself convorted into three-dimensional images. . . . Cloak saw his grandfather's death.  Sage had died of old age, even by Realm Walker's long standards -- Realm Walkers can live for centuries, millienia in Dweller's conception of time.  Cloak felt the horrid grief well up in him.  He was not there when Sage had passed, Sage was with his wife.  Cloak was alone, having finished babysitting young Shadow, when Faith had contacted him . . . he knew immediately something was wrong.  He knew by her tone.

Cloak had never felt such grief in his life.  He never realized how much that he would miss Sage when he was gone.  How much he took for granted that Sage would always be there.  That his humor would uplift him.  How much more that Sage could have taught him, but Cloak never thought to ask.

He constantly would ask himself later if he was letting Sage down, as Sage had always been more of a father to him than Brute, his biological father.  Cloak looked to him as Zuko would look to Iroh.  He felt lost when he passed on.  He . . .

"Cloak," a voice said.  It was Sage.  "Cloak, I know my passing away from this life had caused you grief.  I know it had caused you pain.  But that's the order of things, when our time's done, we move on to the next life."

Cloak said nothing, but sniffled a bit.  He felt like a cub again.  He . . . didn't know how to feel.  He didn't know what to think. . . .

"Cloak, the love I had for you, your mother, your aunts, your grandmother, your sister, Shadow . . . none of it went away.  It remains with you, as you do with me.  It will never end or fade.  But it was my time to go, and I went. . . ."

Cloak acknowledged this.  "But . . . I still miss you."

"Yes, and you will still, if . . . well, love is a form of energy, you know.  It can be used for the most powerful good or used for the vilest of evil.  But it cannot be destroyed.  Voldemort in Realm, well you know what happened to him."

Cloak heard these words, accepted them with some difficulty, and took a deep breath.  He strangely felt stronger, lighter, and clear-headed.

"It is done.  You're at the end of the Road."

[Darth Revan]

:'(

[Cloak]

*nods*

Next chapter.  Probably short.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
Here We Come!

Back at what was once RAF, the Banned and trolls were still singing "We're the Banned", much to the irritation of Abomination.  Abomination had cobbled together a throne of sorts from the rubble.

The grounds had turned dingy, all trees leafless, and soil bare, without a single blade of grass.  The threads were horribly crumbling, looking like stale pastry.  It was a horrid sight to those who would love the forum.  It was painfully corrupted.  The air smelled smoky, the waters moved more like oil, the metal heavily corroded, and there were burn marks everywhere.

Back at Abomination's throne, Abomination apparently had enough of the singing.

"SILENCE!!!!" he roared.  "Four days!  Four days, you've done nothing but singing that STUPID song!"

Sudden silence greeted this outburst.  Abomination smirked at the abject "respect" (if you can call it that) that his power granted him.  His ill-begotten powers.  His STOLEN powers.  He was so sure that no one could take them away from him.  So sure no one knew how he stole them to begin with.

He was still feeling elated that he killed Cloak, or so he believed.  Killed the most powerful RAFian, or so he believed, as he never met Estelore.  He felt that no one could best him.  That no one could ruin him.

A cricket started to chirp, but was barbequed by Abomination's flame-breath.

***

The RAFians were preparing to retake RAF.  They were wearing more armor than they usually wore.  Parker's usual armor looked somehow thicker, bulkier.  Although he looked like he didn't think it would matter.  The mods wore plate armor of an unknown, alien metal, that were highlighted in gold.  The other RAFians were also looking bulky, serious and uncomfortable.

Only Shadow wore no armor.  It wasn't in the Realm Walker's nature to wear such things, although occasionally they would take on corporeal forms with natural armor, like Tomekeeper -- the ancient (even by Realm Walker standards) Nexus librarian, who is a turtle-form Realm Walker.

Goom was also not armored.  He was staying behind to act as medic, while Cerulean would deliver the injured back here, using his super-speed.*  So, he wore light-weight armor, that wouldn't impede his movements.

Shadow was surrounded by the armored RAFians, as they looked up to a raised platform.  Richard was standing upon the platform -- which Shadow made terrakinetically -- preparing to address the gathered RAFians.

There was a low rumble of anticipatory chatter among the RAFians, though Shadow remained silent and unusually focused.  This was a way to release pre-battle nerves, especially when everyone essentially knew that this was a suicide mission.

Richard cleared his throat, and the chatter died down in an instant.  Then Richard took a deep breath, and began.

"My fellow RAFians, today we take back our forum.  I will not lie to you.  There is a chance that we may not survive.  A great chance.  But we must do this, or die trying, because RAF is ours.  It's what we made it to be.  And it's been taken, stolen from us.  We cannot allow this.  We must fight for it. . . . And I don't what else to say on the matter.  Let's go."

----
*Yes, I know, Cerulean hasn't confirmed this ability himself.

[Cloak]

Yet another chapter -- catch me if you can.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
Cloak's Choice

The mists had turned back to their wispy gray.  Sage stood before Cloak, hands clapped on his shoulders.  He was looking with paternal pride.

"You did it, Cloak.  You made it to the end of the Road.  But," Sage took his hands off Cloak's shoulders, and looked at him in the eye, quite seriously.  "You must make a choice, now that you are no longer weighted down by emotional baggage."

"What choice?"

"You know what choice."

Cloak did.  Whether he would go on, with Sage at his side, or . . . go back.  Back to a world where pain and emotional cluttering would be certain to ensue.  Back to where he was needed, where he had responsibilities, where everything was hard and difficult, where the choices were heavy and wearing.

Cloak knew that he would want to go on with his grandfather.  Go and see the other Element Masters that preceded the both of them, right up to Avatar*, the fabled first Elements Master, and Cloak's distant ancestor.

Cloak knew that this choice was a Hobson's choice, that is, a choice that is no choice.  Cloak knew that he would go back.  He knew he had to.  The RAFians, short of Estelore, had no hope of defeating Abomination in his current state.  He was just too powerful.

But Cloak had no hopes in defeating him, either.  Abomination very nearly killed him.  Cloak, of course, was aware now of Abomination's rather glaring weakness.  And how he stole those powers to begin with.

"But, Grandfather . . ." Cloak said, hesitantly.  "How can I defeat Abomination?  How can I strip him of his stolen abilities?"

Sage was silent for a few moments.

"Cloak, you know I'm not permitted to tell you."

Cloak's heart plunged to somewhere around his knees.

"But, I will advise you, that you could look to the stars to give the rings of truth."

"Huh?  What are you . . . oh.  Great."

Cloak got the hint.  It would not be easy to obtain them . . . or even find them.  But Cloak had a shrewd idea how to procure them.  Cloak stood a bit taller, which Sage beamed at with his cruel-looking, yellow eagle beak.

"I will go back now, Grandfather," Cloak said, voice stronger than it had been in years, "and I will miss you."

"I shall miss you, as well, but we will meet again, but when, I cannot say."

Cloak raised an eyebrow.

"That is to say, I do not know."

---
*Yes, yes, yes.  A shameless "Avatar: the Last Airbender" reference.

[Cloak]

Another chapter, I think.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:
Clash of the Cyber-Titans

At the site that once was RAF, Abomination was forcing Queen, Aloth, and Yorick to do a humilating form of "Stupid Pet Tricks".  They dare not question him, or risk their own destruction.  But it was clear that he was starting to get bored from it, and the three were starting to sweat.

"Enough!" Abomination snarled.  "Get outta my sight."

They did not hesitate, although Queen threw Abomination a look of deepest loathing, before hastily retreating to their . . . barracks, if you can call it that.  Abomination stood up from his throne, and began pacing around.  He was clearly itching for a fight, but he didn't want to attack his own forces, whatever he made them think that he would.  He halfway hoped that the RAFians would organize a coup, that'll make things far more interesting.

RAF was a derelict mess, as the RAFians noticed as they stealthily approached from the south.  Some RAFians were silently shedding tears at the sight of it.  It was a horrible sight to behold, even to the gruffest of RAFveterans, who have seen many a battle.  Granted, they'd never lost the forum, like now . . . .

Abomination sensed the approach of the RAFians, as he climbed up to the top of the Bored Board, the tallest thread in the forum, whereas the Member Threads were the longest.  He climbed up there to survey the forum, and then he levitated, using the stolen powers of Galloflight, He smiled that horrid smile of his, a more sinister form of the one he used when Cloak "died".

Back at the RAFian encampment, Richard was whispering in hushed tones.  "Good, we don't appear to have been spotted.  As long as we can keep the element of surprise, we might have a chance.  So, no unnecessary sounds.  No unnecessary movements.  Do not make yourself stand out.  Stay inconspicous."

But Abomination saw all this, albeit not hearing it.  He was thoroughly amused.  He would not enter the battle.  Not at first.  He would string them along a bit, as a slaughter wouldn't be that entertaining for him to watch.

The RAFians walked slowly, cautiously back into the forum that was rightfully theirs.  The ground seemed to rejoice quietly at their return.  But the grass dare not poke up from their subterranean slumber, and the trees were seemingly terrified to open their leaves.  The very site itself seemed aware that this was a suicide mission.

Abomination waited about thirty minutes to an hour, using Silentslither's stolen ability of invisibility to keep the RAFians unaware of his presence.  But some seemed to sense his evil, although could not pinpoint the location, and assumed it was from the site itself.  Abomination smiled again.

"NOW!  My trollish minions!  Attack the loser RAFians!"

"Loser" was kinda harsh label, and most RAFian facial expressions reflected this.  The RAFians expertly began dispatching the trolls, which seemed to have multiplied tenfold.  But they seemed to be holding their own.

Of course, this was because Abomination hadn't joined the battle yet.