Writers round table

[meg_evonne]

"It came to me in a flash that no one with their own inner magic could truly understand what it was I was doing.  They could see me calling the powers but that they were not filtered through me - they were the raw power bent to my will, imagination or feelings.  I blinked then sat down suddenly very tired. 

I was distantly aware of a small tornado close by and Debbie fighting a group of the dwarves, then she landed and got a small ovation.  I would have joined in but I felt oddly out of touch with things at this moment." quote Kristine

No time for the weary.  Debbie was on steroids or something, Humbert was still laughing at me, and a bunch of little green men pulled their swords and made a huge circle around me.  Debbie had a strange smile on her face before yelling, "More training time!"  Immediately they were all on me.  I scrambled to my feet and decided I'd keep the thinking process  for later. 

This time the Wildflower sang into lightsword form with a whosh of energy that tossed me backwards through the green men towards a stone embankment.  It sent a few of them laughing into the background, but Debbie and her "tutor" had lofted and were attacking from overhead, Humbert was coming on head first and the greenmen were filling up any extra space.  For once though, I didn't feel like I was behind the game, not this time.

I opened myself to the energy filling me and directed it to my will.  The lightsaber sang violet and I disappeared, fading into the air.  It was for-real this time, no footprints in the sand, no physical me hidden by light twisting.  I laughed as I re-materialized behind the hoard.  I leaped into the air, sending my feet into Herbert's hindside where he was propelled directly into the rock with a shattering sound that would have broken any normal person's skull open.  It didn't of course, the man was unstoppable.  Too bad he wasn't willing to fight with us. 

At the same time, I swung the light saber, turning it back into it's plastic toy form and swiped a blow at Debbie's delightful rear end.  She turned and shot me a look of anger, then realized what I had accomplished and she bowed to me from her point up in the air.  She only bobbled a little.

"Humbert, I want floor plans to that Fortress.  I think it's time the Emperor and Cloudicus Gassius met their end."  We settled in a circle and I turned the hard dirt at our feet into soft sand with a wave of the Wildflower--yellow.  I wondered what I could turn Cloudicus into, but maybe it would be better if I headed for the Emperor and let Debbie have it out with the flying fart cloud.  I also wondered how I was going to "free" all the magic sorts that were forced into spider warrior form. 

We had barely begun when another set of leather clad warriors showed up.  The first did a summary appraisal of who was who and noticed the Wildflower still in my hand.  Their leader a tall, dark haired woman approached and bowed on one knee. 

"Holder of the Wildflower, your rainbow alert from the village has notified all of your supporters in the kingdom.  Your warriors await your command at the boundaries of this kingdom.  At your word they will attack."

"How many strong?"  I asked and tried to look unimpressed by their timely appearance.

"Seven legions of 100 warriors each.  A quarter are calvary, one quarter have human weapons of machine guns, rifles, grenades etc, one quarter archers, and one quarter simple warriors with axes, clubs, knives, and swords.  We have no magi--as they were all impressed into service of the Emporer.  If you can release them from the Emperor's control they will join in the attack.  However we have received word that the Emperor's forces have retreated to the area surrounding his fortress.  The Emporer will be prepared for your attack."

I looked at Debbie and grinned.  Things were definitely looking up.  I waved the Wildflower (orange) this time and a feast was spread out before us.  Geez, I was hungry.  I checked the sun, if Humbert was correct and Andre's execution would be set for sundown, we had at least half an hour to eat before we started.  Plenty of time to coordinate an attack plan based on the floor plans Humbert had supplied.

[Qualapec]

Dark prisons were a universal constant.

Of all the worlds he'd been to, of all the universes he'd visited, of all the kingdoms that had condemned him for various reasons, they had all been extremely dark prisons. In general they had also been unsanitary, uncomfortable, and the guards had always eaten his designated last meal (usually slop anyway).

This wasn't like the other prisons Andre had been in.

As a matter of fact, it was downright nice.

The Emperor himself sat across from Andre, at the end of a long table, an almost pleased expression on the sovreign's face. He calmly sipped a glass of wine that had been waiting for almost a hundred years for this moment. Andre had his own glass of wine and a meal consisting of the finest food in the empire. Despite the fact that he was desperately hungry, and the Emperor was unlikely to poison him when a public execution was more showy, he still refused to eat. Just being in the presence of the other man was enough to make him ill. He drank the wine though, maybe death wouldn't be so bad if he could somehow manage to be incredibly drunk on the way up the gallows.

Andre had no fantastical ideas about living through this. Because out of all those who had imprisoned him, none but the man across from him truly had the power to end him.

"So," He said after a long while of staring at the man across from him, "You look smug."

"I'm just pondering your complete and total defeat," The Emperor said with glee, "A century, Andre, a century we have been at this game. Surely you tire of it as I do?"

Andre shrugged nonchalantly, "I'll admit I was getting tired of the same old mind games...although honestly I planned on it ending differently. It's the funniest thing, in my version: you die, I live to get the girl, and happily ever after, that kind of thing."

The Emperor did something unexpected: he laughed. A truly jovial laugh from the most sadistic man in seven worlds send shivers down Andre's spine, and left him dumbfounded for a moment. When the laughs settled down the Emperor kept smiling, "Oh yes, dear Yamila...I sometimes made the mistake of considering you a driven genius, when really you are just a love-sick fool, ammusing but non-threatening." He leaned further onto the table, the vicious smile never leaving, "Andre, did you honestly believe that after a century as my consort she would still want a worthless vagabond like you? She was in rags, now she's in silks and lace. As a criminal she never had the freedom she has as a member of my court. And...as soon as she gives me my heir, she will be given a place of honor, and her own land." The smile widened, "What? You didn't know?"

Andre sat there, hazel eyes widened in shock at what he was hearing. Surely it couldn't be coming from Yamila...This was a trick, a way to gain a complete defeat. While it was true she hadn't dressed in the best clothes, they had more freedom than anyone.

And her being pregnant...that had to be a lie. She would have faught any such attempt. "No," He said with finality, he couldn't allow himself to be sucked into the lie, "I want to hear it from her."

"I expected such denial - Reza! Bring her out."

Reza entered the room...and following her was Yamila. The two women looked very much alike. With light chocolate skin and dark hair. Yamila's face was softer, her golden eyes looking less likely to snog or stab you without a moment's notice than Reza's. Also, where Reza was dressed in sharp, skintight leathers, Yamila had the most beautiful Chinese-style silks he had ever seen, all red and orange colors adorned with a pheonix and dragon. She looked regal. "Andre..." she said, the slightest shock on her voice, the recognition on her face made his heart flitter.

It was crushed again moments later when she turned to the Emperor and said, "You said I didn't have to see him."

The Emperor shrugged, "I'll make it up to you later."

"Yamila," Andre lost control and threw himself up from his seat, it should have been a hint when nobody made a move to stop him. He walked up to her and stopped just short of touching her, "Yamila..."

"Don't," She said harshly as she shrank away from his touch. "Just...don't...I have so much with him, more than I ever had. More than I ever dreamed of."

Her words were like a vice on his heart, "Are you happy?" he asked, staring at her under his hat.

With a tight voice, she responded, "...Yes. I am happy."

Andre forced a smile, even though he felt more like crying. Everything he'd lived for, everything he'd sacrificed. He'd relinquished raising their daughter, almost destroyed himself learning spells that should have taken thousands of years, learned dozens of languages, stolen the Wildflower...

...and she was happy with his mortal enemy. "Well then," in barely above a whisper he added, "I'm glad..." He flicked his hat down over his eyes, a nervous attempt to cover his absolute desire to die right then, "If you'll excuse me, I believe I have a date with the angel of death, you know, now that I'm single again and everything..."

Yamila bit her lip before bringing a hand up to his face, "I never stopped loving you. But you know how it is as well as anybody, when you grow up a thief it is with a mentality that you will risk, and sacrifice, everything for a better life," her hand briefly touched her stomach, "A child of my bloodline will one day rule this world. That, Andre, is a better life. I'm so sorry that your chosen path has led you here." Her hand reached behind his head and pulled him close, he didn't have the strength to fight her. She laid a kiss on his hat and he inhaled her scent for the last time.

Nothing else was said before the guards came to escort him to a fate that no longer mattered to him.

(AN: I didn't know what happened with the third person v. first person thing, but I just really wanted to write this. Sorry.)

[meg_evonne]

Love it, myself   

As Andre left the room under escort, he passed Yamila.  He wished otherwise and his anger seethed, but he couldn't deny his need to connect with her and he tipped his head for one last gaze beneath his hat.  Their eyes connected.

As his guards pulled him towards the door, Yamila cried out and almost collapsed--her hands on her belly.  Reza was beside her instantly, her own hand on Yamila's stomach confirming the contraction.  "She is in labor.  I think she may have been for sometime.  The contraction is strong and the baby rides low."

"Perfect timing, Yamila, but there was no reason to keep the good news a secret.  Reza call the healer to attend to my future heir.  Guards, you may continue your mission."    The Emperor lifted his glass to Andre with a parting, "So now the plan is complete.  Your death, Andre, will simply be an easily overlooked footnote in history.  Goodby Andre, I'll make sure your daughter joins you shortly."

Andre struggled against his guards, but gave up quickly, despondent.  What was the point? Yamila didn't love him, the ruby bracelet on his wrist left him useless, and the gallows waited below.  He could only hope that Debyone had the good sense to leave this world immediately and seek safe harbor.   

[Qualapec]

All the nobles in all of Wildfire had gathered to watch Andre die, it seemed.

Andre struggled against his guards, but gave up quickly, despondent.  What was the point? Yamila didn't love him, the ruby bracelet on his wrist left him useless, and the gallows waited below.  He could only hope that Debyone had the good sense to leave this world immediately and seek safe harbor.

Debyone, as it turns out, did not have the good sense to leave Wildfire for a backwater world.

Her surrogate parents had insisted she learn certain spells to conceal her appearence and to bend the air around herself so as to appear invisible. While generally effective in areas that were not heavily populated, the central execution grounds were packed, and guards or any spiders would notice her moving through the crowd. So she'd been forced to settle with an appearence altering spell. They clung to the skin and were less likely to give her away.

She felt uncomfortable for various reasons. The execution grounds were not filled with soldiers as Joey and the small army's leaders had anticipated. It was filled with the highest nobles of the Emperor's court. Open slaughter was not an option, most of the nobles were good people who had been appointed to their position because they would be popular with the people. A lot of them were honest, hardworking and fair. Debbie knew that the 'hack and slash' plan that Joey had would no longer fit.

As she worked he way through the crowd she saw a sight that made her heart ache. There was a small child with two lower ranking nobles, she sat in the dirt, unable to see the site that was about to unfold, and hence she was happy to be out with her parents. Debbie remembered a childhood of outings just like this. As in, outings that she didn't understand until she got a little taller. Of course, as a child she had had many nice outings with her parents that didn't include someone's destruction.

As a matter of fact, there was a time, long ago when she'd been in a field playing with her older brothers. All of them were dead now, but back then they'd been alive and to her five-year old eyes, fun to play with. Andre and Yamila were still the only parents she'd known. They had sauntered behind the rest of the family, both as relaxed as she had ever seen them. Debbie remembered falling, she hadn't skinned her knee, but it had suprised her. To a child all you need is to be suprised. She started crying. Before she'd known it Andre had been at her side, first making sure if she was all right, then cheering her up. Debbie smiled at the memory, and immediatly winced at the others it conjuered.

Not too long after that they all left...

And the only one she had seen since then was Andre.

In her time as a lower noble's changling she had come to mourn her taken mother, and resent her brothers' choices.

But Andre, she had come to hate him. It spawned sometime in her teenage years, blaming him and his games for all the evil that had befallen her. She hated him for the fact that he had not loved her enough to stay behind. She hated him even though her new father was kind, she wanted the old one that had jumped to her side to make sure she wasn't hurt. Debbie met him for the first time when she was thirty and her noble family had...retired in the same way as her first. They were both locked in the same prison cell, and had argued over the most enterprising way to escape. Once they'd managed to escape she realized who she was with, and had debated between hugging and killing him. After that they'd met up several times over the years to relieve people of prized possessions that neither could get to by themselves. Dangerous and professional attempts at father-daughter bonding.

And now, she stood there, getting ready to kick-start a risky mission to save a man who was little more than a sperm-doner and aquaintance to her. Or at least that's what she'd been telling herself for years.

Suddenly trumpets blared and guards brought him out into the crowd. The bubbly chatter around her ceased as they brought him across the courtyard and up the gallows steps. Her heard lurched painfully as they read off the charges and lowered the noose.

If this plan didn't work. He would die.

The man who cheered her when she fell would die.

It would be her fault if she messed up.

Could she live with that?

Perhaps it was best not to mess up.

[meg_evonne]

I shimmered in next to Debbie, masked invisibily, and blew in her ear.  She wisked her hand past her hair, as if to shoo away a fly.  It took three tries before she figured out it was me.  It was good she did because she looked like she was going to knock the big oaf next to her out, thinking it was him.

"Joey?" she whispered.

"None other.  Okay so the nobles here puts a lot of stuff on hold.  I'm having the army hold back in the forest, but all those spider soldiers are getting antsy out there.  I think they know something is up.   Speaking of up, Humbert's figured out how to get me into the women's quarters and then it's a short walk to the Emperor's balcony.  I'll give you a sign when I'm ready.  Listen Debbie, if I'm late---you can't go it alone, you got that?  Andre doesn't need to see his daughter killed just before he buys it.  I don't know him well and I know you two have 'issues' but he doesn't want you to die.  So let's work as a team this time, okay?  The people here are saying that the Emperor will be giving a speech first from the balcony and Cloudicus Gassious is going to be on the gallows to make sure no one tries anything.  Hold steady until I'm in place and give the signal, right?"

She grudgingly nodded, knowing a coordinated attack was the only way this was going to work, but it would be hell for her in the meantime.  Debbie's personality didn't seem to include an attribute for team sports or patience.  I gave her an invisible hug, that apparently worked because she smiled back at me.

I quickly shimmered out of the fortress and around to the back of the huge walls.   Debbie's tutor was waiting for me.  Just as Humbert had said, there was a lavoratory that stuck out over the moat from the top floor.  Yuck, this was not going to be fun. I had tried but the Wildflower apparently preferred that I keep my feet on the ground, flying wasn't one of my new talents.  I materialized and he nodded, grabbed my hand, and we started rising slowly.  I'd also been unable to make myself and another go invisible.   Luckily all the spiders were focused on the edge of the forest.  They knew something was out there, but they must have been ordered to stay near and guard the fortress.

We rose straight up to the jutting overhang.  I listened for noise overhead; there was none.  Then I took out the Wildfire and in cutting mode made four swipes and the wood seating with the round hole dropped, falling down into the mote below. The splash it made wasn't noticed by any of the nearby spiders.   A couple green men quickly pulled it onto the bank and hid it beneath a handy nearby bush.  They gave me a thumbs up and Debbie's tutor gave me a push before he dropped back down to the ground, again un-noticed.  I climbed and quickly crouched over the opening on all fours, the Wildflower back in its scabboard.  I was in a small bathroom about the size of a closet.  The wood door was open a crack. 

From the other side came a woman's scream, followed by a lot of moans, quickly followed by a lot of panting.  Hell, what was I walking in on?  I quietly climbed from my perch and shifted position for a better view.  A woman was on a bed, my healer (remember the mental case fan of the Emperor?) was working with her.  Another woman's back was to me.  She wore a short bronze colored leather jacket and her lower half was damn right stunning in super tight black jeans.  Not much was left to the imagination.  The woman had a memorable hindside and her slim, but muscled thighs only added to the attraction.  From the back, her exposed neck was ebony smooth and her hair was cropped short and tight.  She wore strangly feminine, large, round gold earrings.  Yep, she was amazing, but she was also our lesser niminesis, Reza.  Great.  Now what? 

[Qualapec]

She wore strangly feminine, large, round gold earrings.  Yep, she was amazing, but she was also our lesser niminesis, Reza.  Great.  Now what?

I stood there for a moment pondering what to do. As heroic as it would be to deliver a baby while simultaniously overthrowing a cruel patriarch and saving my friend's father I didn't want to deal with Reza.

"Mr. Gardner," She said, and I did not almost jump out of my skin, and I did not scream like a little girl. "Mr. Gardner," She said a little harsher, "Either enter or leave, but you are making a stressful situation worse for this woman, she thinks you might be a spy or an assassin."

As much as I would have liked to make Reza think twice about that little statement, I didn't feel the need to make the woman giving birth worry about me any more than she already was, "I'm no threat to this lady."

"Then who are you a threat to?" Reza said without even looking at me.

"The same person I've always been a threat to, the Emperor."

Reza laughed and looked back at me, "You are far from a threat to him. Trust me. However, if you insist on this foolish path, I will not stop you. Either you will bring about his fall, or he will bring about yours and the power of the Wildflower can wait for a more worthy man. Either way I could care less."

I blinked, "Why?"

Reza shrugged, "Because I win either way, and I lose either way. Therefore it does not matter."

I kept watch of her as I passed to the other end of the room, just in case. As a result I got a good look at the woman giving birth. She looked very much like Reza. They had to have been sisters. But what struck me more was the birthing woman's similarity to Debbie. They had the same nose, same eye-shape, same face-shape.

I figured it out just as I walked through the door. I pondered saying something, but decided against it. I couldn't rescue her right then, if only because it would cause more problems than it solved. I needed to focus on making sure Andre didn't hang, first and foremost.

The best way to do that was to take the Emperor out the equasion.

I followed Humbert's directions to a fault the rest of the way up to the Emperor's balcony. I didn't run into trouble, which was amazing considering how the rest of my week has gone.

The farther up I got the more decorated everything became, a sure sign that I was going in the right direction. As I reached the top of a final flight of steps I prepared myself for what lay beyond. The Emperor was a serious force. If he had enslaved and imprisoned all those worlds he had to have been a great magic power in his own right. What had happened to the last bearer of the Wildflower that caused the Emperor to gain possession of it?

I sighed, I had never been a man of faith, or belief of any kind. It was something I was going to put aside as long as possible. But all that aside, I knew my place in all of this. I knew that I had to go through that door, otherwise Debbie would have to watch Andre die, or she would become impatient and react out of anger, then die herself. All those soldiers who finally thought they would overthrow an evil empire would retreat as yet another chance cowered away. Earth would fall to the empire, and even if it somehow stayed free the whole idea that magic existed for a fact would tear the civilization apart.

My resolve refilled with thoughts of those depending on me, and I kicked my way through the door like a cop. I was about to add some bravado laden challenge to the grand entrance when I stopped in my tracks.

The Emperor stood before me, with a harsh, cruel smile on his face. I suddenly became overwhelmed with the feeling that even if I had a physical one-up on the man, he had this battle won mentally long before this even began. I saw why.

At his feet Debbie was slumped to her knees, defeated by some kind of a binding spell. Weakly she looked up at me, defiance burned in her eyes, even as her body remained defeated.

"I have an army of mages, young Wild-Bound," He said musically, "And I expected such a foolish rescue attempt. Did you honestly think I wouldn't catch her?"

Anger flowed through me, a child's anger at having been caught in the act, energy flowed through my hand to the Wildflower. Faster than I could register, he whipped out a beautiful Chinese sword (a less worn-down twin of the one Andre had used) and placed it to Debbie's neck, "I worn you, you are powerful, but I am older, and I could slice her throat even in the freak chance you managed to slay me. Sheathe your sword, we need not be enemies."

As much as I hated to admit it, he had me by the short ones. I couldn't bring myself to be responsible for Debbie's death. I sheathed the Wildflower.

"There," He said as though speaking to an animal he was training, "Now we can be civil." The Emperor sheathed his sword and gently guided Debbie to her feet, didn't jerk her up by her hair like most villains. He must have seen the look in my eyes, because he sighed, "Oh...I understand. It's the girl isn't it? Why you're doing all of this? While I'll admit that I had originally intended to kill her in front of Andre as a parting gift if she would be better served keeping you happy then I'll be happy to let her live. You need just say so. No sex though. That's my one condition."

I wavered a little. We were in a bad position, perhaps it was best to just go along with it, "It isn't just her. I came for Andre too."

He gave a small laugh that seemed fake, "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about Andre. He dies today. You, however, can limit the casualties."

The offer seemed tempting. I would be saving the lives of Debbie and the men standing out ready to attack the Imperial Palace. I let myself be tempted, just a little more, "And what of my homeworld? Earth? Will you refuse to invade it and absorb it into the Empire if I give you my assistance."

Debbie struggled against her captor and the binding spell, "No! Joey!" The spell tightened and she broke off.

The Emperor smiled warmly, "I would be perfectly willing to spare your world, again, if you ever need anything from me to make your stay more enjoyable all you need is to ask." Great, now he was giving me the Hotel manager sell, right before dropping back to 'evil emperor'. "There is, however, one catch."

"Isn't there always?"

"I want proof of your loyalty." He motioned out onto the balcony that the room connected to. Not believing myself lucky enough for him to turn his back to me, I went ahead and walked out to survey the sight before me.

Andre stood atop the gallows, the noose draped over his neck and tightened like a demented choker necklace. His hands were bound behind him, his ankles tied together. But his head was held straight, there was no fear on his face, just a sad, knowing smile. The man was smiling with a noose on his neck. I was a little imprssed. Debbie wasn't impressed so much as crying hysterically. My heart twisted a little, a part of me knew what was coming.

The Emperor knew I knew, and a cruel smile worked it's way across his features, "I want you, Joey Gardner, to be the executioner for this special event." His hand tightened around Debbie, a silent reminder of all I stood to lose and all I stood to gain by one simple action.

~She-Wolf

[Anduriel]

Great.

Just great.

“And if I don’t?”

Yeah, like I didn’t already know.

“Andre will die anyway. I will slaughter the girl, travel directly to your world not only to enslave, but to  completely annihilate it, as you watch on. Millions more will die, and it will all be your responsibility; Joey Gardner.

He paused before offering up an afterthought:

“And then I will kill you.”

“Thought so…” I mumbled.

That little twisting feeling in my heart turned into a desperate contortion. There had to be a way out of this.

“There’s no way out of this, boy.” The Emperor intoned, as if he had read my mind.

Could he read my mind? I hoped not. Debbie had stopped crying by now, her eyes filled with rage, whilst the Emperor stood there with a smug look on his face. All I could do was stand there in silence. Well it was safe to say that this situation both sucked and and blew; did I kill Andre? Or did I destroy the world as we know it… by default?

[Qualapec]

Well it was safe to say that this situation both sucked and and blew; did I kill Andre? Or did I destroy the world as we know it… by default?

I'll warn you ahead of time, throughout this entire disaster, I never came up with a classic, honest to God plan.

I was biting my lip so hard it hurt.

Reasonably, it made no sense to start a war I couldn't win. It had been foolish for me to even go back to the Imperial Palace. I was simple minded to think that just because I had some shiny new talents I could stand up to a man several times my age, with several times my attack force, and several times my IQ. What was I thinking? Now I was trapped, without having accomplished anything.

"Joey," Debbie's soft voice cut through my conflicted thoughts.

I looked at her eyes, they were wet, but there was a strength behind them, "Do what you have to do Joey."

I don't know what exactly she meant by that. Was she telling me to sacrifice her for Andre? Or was she telling me to do what would be best for everyone, wich included offing Andre?

I took a deep breath. "Alright...your honor," Because I refused to call him 'highness', "I'll do it."

I don't know whether Debbie was relieved or crushed by my announcement, it was hard to tell as she sank to her knees and burried her face against the balcony railing. Her shoulders shook in silent sobs.

The Emperor seemed pleased that I had taken this path, "Good boy...Now get down there."

I nodded, feeling sick to my stomach. The Emperor snapped a finger, and before I could register what was happening white energy swirled around me. Spindles of energy enveloped me and lifted me above the balcony. I gulped. It was quite a way up. Apparently the shining entrance of floating energy caught the attention of the nobles gathered below. The crowed began a raucus cheer and chanted in a language I didn't know. I was a hero to them, decending to smite the enemy of the Empire. Not one of them seemed to recognize that the enemy of the Empire was the Emperor.

The shining energy carried me down to the gallows, my boots touched down on the wood with a dull click. Everyone in the audience was staring at me. Andre was staring at me. I couldn't meet his eyes. Premptive guilt was already eating a whole in my chest.

The Emperor stood up and gave his speech. Words in a language I didn't understand, both melodical and gutteral at the same time. They were entrancing, beautifully weaved together, he must have had the audience in the palm of his hands.

Aside from the Living Cloud, and a couple of guards, Andre and myself were alone on the gallows. Executioner and executionee. About halfway through the speech, "So...how about those Yankees?"

I tried to register what I'd just heard, I glanced quickly at Andre, the sight of the noose quickly made me look away again.

"Jesus, kid, it's just a length of rope," He whispered, as if it was no big deal. As if I was being silly about the whole thing.

I was a little confused, "Um...Aren't you going to die as soon as this is over?"

"Eh," He replied, "Everyone dies. I've had a good life, I guess. I've survived longer than most people of my upstanding profession. Outlived my sons, even." There was the slightest trace of pain in his voice.

I felt my own eyes watering, it couldn't have looked good, the executioner crying during the execution, "I'm sorry, he has Debbie. I had no choice."

Andre nodded, his smile widening a little, "You did the right thing. Although, get her out of here as soon as possible, there's too much bad blood between the Fearless Leader and myself for him to let her live for long."

The Emperor's speech was wrapping up, my heart was smashing around in my rib-cage. "Guess this is it, huh?"

He clicked his tongue, as if bored, "Yep. Nice knowing you." It was a formality, we hadn't exactly been fond of each other. Then honestly, "Good luck."

"You too." I don't know what I was wishing him 'good luck' for, his luck had pretty much just run out. Maybe I was wishing him luck on getting to heaven or wherever it was these people believed they were going. Or maybe it was a formality.

The Emperor finished his speech. The silence that fell after the applause, and the implication of it, was like having knives thrust in my ears. I swallowed and made my way to the lever. My mind involontarily started going over all of the things I'd seen on the History Channel about hanging's and executions. As my hands slid over the wood of the lever I remembered that most human necks traditionally didn't break. Andre could hang there, strangling, and it would be my fault.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Andre take a deep breath, and close his eyes. At peace.

Could I live with myself for that?

I sighed, and let my hands slide off of the lever. I couldn't do this to him. No matter how much of a jackass he was...

"Is there something wrong?" The Emperor's silky voice whispered in my ear. More magic.

"This is cruel..." I whispered back and assumed he could hear me. "I have a faster alternative."

I told him my faster alternative.

"...I'll think about it." He said in my ear, and a pop of energy signaled an end to the connection.

About a minute later I got his reply. The Emperor stood up for an announcement to the confused nobles. "Honorable nobles, due to the unwavering honor of the Wild Bound, this shall no longer be a hanging. But a beheading by the Wildflower itself!"

Oh God...what had I gotten myself into?

[Anduriel]

There was a loud cheer from the gathered masses as The Emperor signalled to a couple of spider-men guards before sitting back down. He turned to look at me with a contented smile and all I did was stand there like the gormless fool I was. It was another one of those times when I hadn’t throught this plan through entirely. There was no closing my eyes for the gory-bits this time. This time it wasn’t a movie, I was actually going to cut off somebody’s head. Andre’s head. I wasn’t sure I had it in me.

By now Spider-thug one and two had made there way up to the stage. The first went over to Andre, removed the noose from his neck and practically dragged the condemned man front and centre, past me to where the second Spider-goon had set up a block. Andre was still wearing that damned hat, and was he still smiling? Yeah; he was definitely crazy… but brave with it.   

“Looks like you really are born to be wild huh kid?” he jibed as I withdrew the Wildflower, my hands were starting to sweat.

“Gonna get y’chance to off me with the sword after all.”

I had no choice; I needed to execute Andre to save Earth.

Need.

And it was at that moment I realised that I; Joey Gardner, am a complete idiot.

How could I have been so stupid as to forget? More than an idiot; I was the Wild-bound! Connected to this plain of existence. What was it Andre had said back in the helicopter? “Circumstances will go your way, things that are unlikely, and a few that seem impossible might happen if you need them to bad enough”. It was the most important part of my legacy, and it had only occurred to me now.

“I should be so lucky” I jibed back as I walked closer to the kneeling man; his head on the block.

I was feeling positive for the first time since I arrived at the fortress. For the first time I had the makings of a plan.

Debbie had told me to do what I had to do, when really I should have focussed on what I needed to do. And what I needed was to stop The Emperor, defeat him and liberate worlds. But I needed Andre and Debbie for that. We had to go.

We needed to escape

All three of us. Alive.

With that in mind I raised the Wildfire high above my head for everyone to see and focussed on my connection and our needs.

I waited.

And waited…

[meg_evonne]

"I waited.   
And waited."

Andre's hands were positioned on the block, his head in the center.  The ruby bracelet that locked his power was on his left wrist.  Andre was right handed. 

I heard Debbie scream as I pulled the Wildflower down and it bit into the wood block to the left of Andre's head, severing his hand from the wrist.  The magic ruby bracelet locking Andre's power slipped to the ground along with Andre's left hand and I watched where the bracelet fell.  I'd need that later.  Andre screamed but the Wildflower had cauterized the wound and he shimmered into none existance.  I prayed he was re-materializing on the balcony where Debbie and the Emperor stood.

A simple twist of the Wildflower and I swung it to my right without looking and sliced Cloudicus horizontally in half.  For good measure, I followed up with a smooth counter slice of the Wildflower again and brought it down through the mage from the crown of his head through his smoking, stinky middle.  "How's that for slice and dice?"  No smoke, no movement, no more Cloudicus.  That was just a little bit too convenient, but once in awhile the Gods must smile and let's face it, there was nothing I needed more than Cloudicus to be permanent history. 

I reached down and scooped up the ruby bracelet--just the right size for the Emperor, who shortly would have no clothes--okay I obviously meant power.  The court yard was a mass of Nobels in movement, but going no where fast.  They'd be safer if they stayed where they were--but so be it, whatever happened at this point happened.  I'd think about the consequences of my soul later.  I raised the Wildflower and the rainbow of lights burst out heavenwards--the sign of attack for the forces at the forest's edge.  We needed the army to attack now.  If Andre was successful, the mind binding would be broken.... if not, we still needed to end this today.  I couldn't shimmer to the balcony and i needed to get there to add the power of the Wildflower to the attack AND I needed to make sure the Debbie was still alive. 

[Qualapec]

Andre's left hand was gone.

Yet still it seemed young Gardner had leveled the playing field. It only took Andre a few moments to shake the shock of losing a limb to the back of his mind. Literally. He used his internal magic to push the searing pain and shock to some dark, unused corner of his mind. At the same time he repressed the shock of survival. He couldn't leave those things there for too long; it would tear his subconcious apart if left there.

But this wasn't going to take that long.

The Wildflower created a current of energy under his feet, carrying him to the balcony. In the mere moments it took for him to get up there he summoned his sword. It appeared in his right hand in a flash of crimson. He didn't give the Emperor time to register his presence there. Andre lunged and quickly cleared the short distance between them.

The Emperor brought up his hand, and within seconds a twin of Andre's own sword blocked his strike in a flurry of red and white sparks.

The Emperor smiled at him, Andre knew, as satisfying as an execution was, winning a battle against him would secure victory in the Emperor's mind. As far as he was concerned the risk was worth it. They exchanged blow for blow, each meant to kill.

Andre received a slice at his head with a twist of his neck to carry vitals out of reach, before bringing his blade up to slice at the Emperor's stomach. The Emperor's sword darted in front of Andre's, deflecting the blow. More sparks of energy dispersed into the air. He swung the sword in a downward arch. With a parry Andre burried the other sword in the marble of the balcony. Andre let a little bit of his energy wash through his body, causing a familiar warmth to spread through his limbs. Twisting his body in an acrobatic display he sent a roundhouse kick flying at the Emperor's head...

...And the Emperor caught it in his hand, endowed with defensive energy to counter the murderous. Quickly, though, the desire of the energy in the hand became that of offense. With superhuman strength it tightened on Andre's ankle.

Oh crap.

Andre screamed as the Emperor jerked and dislocated his right ankle. Alarm flared through him and he let a burst of emergency energy carry him to the other end of the balcony. Hopefully out of the Emperor's reach.

He was wrong.

Within moments the Emperor followed, suddenly the one on offense. Andre tripped on his useless limb, and just barely stopped a blow that would have sent his head flying, or at very least turned him into a Pez Dispenser. In a desperate attempt he risked his one good leg to send the Emperor back. This time the kick paid off, it burried itself in the Emperor's solar plexis, and the stored energy in it spilling out it pushed the other man back, flying into the opposite railing of the balcony. The landing was hard enough so that a little bit of the marble cracked, and it took the Emperor a little bit longer than usual to get back to his feet.

In the break-time, Andre managed to scramble to his feet, and took the time to look for Debyone.

She was in the room that connected to the balcony, binding a long cut on her chest and stomach with some of the Emperor's expensive silks. She had also somehow managed to work her way through the binding spell.

Despite the situation, Andre let a little bit of fatherly pride flow through him. His baby was already unraveling S-Class binding spells.

He turned his attention back to the Emperor, who was staggering to his feet, "Andre, why do you fight? Don't you see, all you have fought for is lost to you. Your arm and leg are useless."

Andre pondered it for a moment, before shrugging and saying, "Because I'm alive when I know I should be dead, I suppose. I can't help but shake the feeling that stopping you is supposed to be my Good Deed, old dad always said every thief needs at least one of those before they die..." He motioned to Debyone, "As a matter of fact, I suppose even if I don't kill you, if she lives then I consider my Good Deed complete."

The Emperor gave a wolfish smile, "You are a fool. Do you really think that after all the evil you have done you will be allowed to end on any sort of a spiritual high point?"

Andre shook his head, "Karma doesn't work that way. At any point we have the chance to start atoning for the things we've done."

"If I remember correctly, Andre. You failed the last time you attempted something like this. Four boys died, very young for mages of their power, in their fourties. It seems as though that was an act of punishment for your karma."

An old familiar pain began to work its way into Andre's chest. An old fear crept into his mind.

The Emperor was touching on something he'd always feared. That his wife, and his sons were all taken from him as punishment for his sins.

And here he was, in a position to lose his daughter, his only remaining child, the very same way. Fear as old as time clutched him as images flashed through is mind. Each one of his children, all of them mangled at the hands of his greatest enemy.

He knew he couldn't live with himself if that happened.

Andre knew the only way to protect Debyone was to kill the man who threatened her.

Even at the cost of his own life.

Andre lifted his sword above his head, using as a conduit for the energy inside his body to spill out and gather strength from the world around him. A scarlet column of energy enveloped him body and soul as every last bit of his magic swelled out of him.

The Emperor rose to his feet, and lifted his own sword to the heavens. White energy gathered around him matching Andre's in size and intensity.

Andre couldn't help but ponder how the people of earth had the silliest tendency to believe that the ones wearing white were the good guys.

He stood there, letting his intent to kill flow over the other man, and accepting the Emperor's intent in turn.

Like he'd told Gardner, he'd lived a good life. He was ready, and would die happily as long as Debyone could be saved.

A century's worth of mind-games and combat...It ended here. Whoever was left standing when the credits rolled, kudos to them.

Andre released his charged up energy just as the Emperor released his. It was like the force of tidal waves colliding. A beautiful locking of explosive, raw power that sent waves of concussive blast echoeing through the courtyard causing damage to the building in some places. Light that outshone the clouded sun filled the courtyard, exposing the battle between the Spider Guard and invading forces, between Gardner and the Living Cloud (oh boy, was he in over his head). Wind seemed to blow both towards and away from the battle of wills and power.

Andre let out a wordless scream. The Emperor followed suit. The force of maintaining such high levels was wearing down on both of them. It was a question of who would give out first.

Suddenly, the marble beneath their feet began to shatter and break under the pressure of their battle. They both held their connection to the magic of the world around them as long as they could; even as they began to plummet to the ground below, even as the balcony twisted as it fell and they felt themselves seperate from the marble as they fell. Everything they had so focused on their one destructive spell that neither bothered with any sort of levitation.

Their concentration never wavered.

It was the kind of battle that, long ago, their mutual teacher had told them made mere mages into the great sages of legend.

Sometime during the fall, the mass of energy became too large for either to hold up, it needed to go somewhere.

So the mass of energy pushed its way into the opposing force, fusing together. It collapsed under its own weight...

...and exploded outward in a way that no one in the courtyard should have survived, much less either of the men at its center.

(AN: Sorry, got a little carried away. I just really wanted to write this battle.)

[meg_evonne]

...and exploded outward in a way that no one in the courtyard should have survived, much less either of the men at its center.

Joey stood fixated as Flying Cloud's drawn and quartered body simply vanished, through a portal of some sort that immediately closed.  "Damn, I'm betting that isn't the last time I run into that floating fart cloud." 

The noise overhead drew his attention in time to see two great masses of magical energy interlocked, each struggling for control.  Joey looked desperately for Debbie, but he couldn't find her.  He needed to get up there fast and the Wildflower didn't allow him to loft upwards.  That left him with one option.  He did have wind power.  He grabbed the noose, dangling from its gallows, and with a running leap spun out towards the crowd and the rope gave him centrifugal force upwards in an arch.  He'd only have one chance at this.  He sent out a rush of wind power which added to the force and, if he timed the release right, should land him on the balcony. 

It worked, sort of.  When he got to the balcony, already under the stress of the magical forces, it collapsed under his added weight and Joey fell with it.  The Wildflower slowed time as Joey twisted about trying to keep from falling.  He had time to see Debbie on the safe side of the balcony doorway in the room beyond.  Behind her he saw Reza coming into the room with an infant wrapped in blankets.  He continued his endless slow spin to see Andre falling, the Emperor falling, and the deadly combustion of the magical forces falling.  Far below, he saw the terrified faces of the nobles and their families in the courtyard below.

He felt the wave created as the explosion began at the subatomic level.  He felt the magical energy forces as they raced to join the party.  It was like he was part of the explosion, part of the destruction, and the Wildflower surged--unwilling to let so many die senselessly.  COLD, impossibly cold power surged through him--a match for the heat of the explosion growing atom by atom.  The ice blue cold shot out from the Wildflower enveloping, encapsulating, and encasing the explosion. The magic energy conflagration feed the explosion outwards while the Wildflower's ice cold power surrounded it and matched forces shoving the explosion back in on itself and on the Emperor and Andre within. 

Time returned to its normal pace and Joey felt gravity pulling him down--rapidly and Joey realized he was half way to the ground.  He screamed out, "Crap!" and pointed the Wildflower downwards, willing wind to counter act the pull of gravity.  In slowing his own fall, he also slowed the blue ice encased explosion.  In a freak twist of light through the ice, Joey saw the frozen figures inside as the ball struck the ground below him and he watched it shatter into tiny fragments.  Giving up on protecting himself from the fall, Joey willed the power of the Wildflower out to contain the shards of ice that would have ripped through the nobles and their families.

Joey's wind had slowed his descent, but his body crumpled as it hit the ground and pain exploded through him.   Amazingly, he didn't lose consciousness.  Staring upwards he saw Debbie in the exposed balcony doorway.  She was looking upwards.  Joey's eyes followed hers. 

"Holy shit!"  Joey whispered, all he could manage, as he realized a body was coming down fast, a body with a hat and it was heading straight for Joey who was unable to move.  Through the unbelievable pain, he realized he still had the Wildflower in his hand.  He willed a cushion of air over himself.  Andre hit it and bounced, slowing his descent, and he landed in a broken clump next to Joey.  Together they bore their pain and stared heavenwards, wondering what miracle had saved them both.

Andre twisted his still hat covered head, "You cut my hand off, kid.  I ought a kill you for that."

"Just try it." Joey replied and weakly waved the Wildflower in self-defense. 

"Cloudicus' body parts disappeared through a portal.  Please tell me he isn't headed to Earth."

"Nah, he probably headed to the next world in.  One Emperor down, this world saved, but there are five worlds left, kid." 

Joey still didn't have the strength to turn his head.  The sky looked nice and he had a nice view of Debbie up there crying.  "Five, huh?  That's just super." 

He closed his eyes for a minute and when he opened them he was staring up at Humbert's beefy face looking down at him saying, "The Emperor's power has stopped.  The spider soldiers are once more themselves.  The battle is won."

"That's super, Humbert, heal me.  It freaking hurts everywhere."

[Anduriel]

"That's super, Humbert, heal me.  It freaking hurts everywhere."

Sometime in between my left shoulder being pushed back into it’s socket, my right knee being relocated and the pain in my head went from feeling like a jumbo jet had been dropped on it to just an elephant dancing a merry jig; Debbie had shimmered from down from what was left of the fortress and was tending to Andre. Even through the pain, it was indescribably good to see Debbie and knowing she was ok. Unimaginable relief flooded through my body at the realisation that we were all alive… or maybe that was just the healing magics.

Humbert was surprisingly good at this healing gig and Debbie seemed to be doing just fine with her father. In. very little time at all; the pain had subsided enough for both Andre and I to sit up.

“You should rest master Gardner,” said Humbert “Your body is still weak, as is Andre’s.”

“I still can’t believe you cut off my hand boy!” replied Andre.

That’s right; I save his life, and all the ungrateful ass can do is complain about the little things.

“Can’t you just re-grow it or something?” I said, a smile crept onto my face. “Or maybe you could attach a nice hook? Andre the pirate!”

I received a vicious glare in return for my musings. Well, it looked like we’d saved the day… and a world, which is more than I usually did, so it’s safe to say I was feeling pretty proud of myself, but that only lasted for a while because Andre piped up with:

“So Debyone, which world should we travel to next?”

“Andre, no. Now you know me; I’m always up for some ass-kicking action and I enjoy liberating as much as the next planetary-enslaved mage, but you need to rest. It was a miracle you didn’t die.” was her reply.

Though neither had said it, the relief that that the other was alive and their love was more than apparent in their eyes. My own orbs of jelly only belied more questions. Questions of which I promptly voiced.

“Yeah what’s up with this liberating worlds thing? The Emperor’s dead… isn’t our job done?”

And then I heard a voice that made my balls try to crawl back up into my body.

“Not quite Mr Gardner. If I’m correct your work has only just begun.”

Reza!

Damn. Now where did she come from?

[Kristine]

Damn. Now where did she come from?

She quirked a diffident little smile, "I told you Joey, I win either way" she said softly.  I realized my face must have been very easy to read as I was too tired to be cagey.  As if reading my mind she continued, "As I said before - You with the Wildflower are the emperor's equal on opposite ends of a spectrum.  You did not destroy him.  As you have little enough magic power of your own that you can use the Wildflower effectively - The Emperor has been... Enhanced... in his own way to make him almost entirely magic." she tilted her head to one side as if considering, and I realized she must be tired too as the expression told her honest surprise.  "You managed to sever his magical ties on this world when he released too much of himself and you encased the power.  The only way he could escape is to poke a hole within the energy orb and go through to another world." her brows drew together for an instant, "he would usually never have done that but for the fight with Andre.  He wouldn't have done that for a fight with any other mage either.  You were just the right group of people at the right time." 

I felt I should correct her on the part about 'enough magic' - I had NONE of my own and the people around here just didn't seem to get that.  I felt like my eyes were getting dusty and rubbed them, but that only seemed to grind it in deeper into the back of my eyeballs. Suddenly I felt very frustrated, "So where did he go?"

"Why, further in, of course."

"I can't believe you cut off my hand..." Andrea mused again looking at the stump at the end of his arm.

I didn't know what to say to that.  'It's not like you don't have another one', 'Oooppps',  'I was aiming for your stupid head and I missed' or 'It seemed like the right thing to do at the time'?  A hundred different things went through my head but all I managed was; "Sorry Andrea." I was sorry he had to loose his hand but glad he had kept his life so the apology didn't sound horrified, or abashed, just slightly regretful.

He looked up and for a moment I thought I saw sympathy for me, "S'all right I guess.  I was ready to loose my life so a hand is sort of a bargain."

I nodded oddly calmed until he followed the understanding statement with, "I just can't believe I was maimed by you."

I was about to say something about idiots who would have killed anybody in the vicinity of there little grudge match explosion when a woman walked in with a baby.

"Andrea?" she said looking at him with large doe eyes.

[seradhe]

(Gah, sorry to break the storyline all, just wanted to say I haven't forgotten this. Work decided that I had too much life and gave me psycho hours. Working on building the storyline so far into one lump document for those of you who want it. msg me, but no replies to this.. on with the story!)