It started out as such a nice day, really. It was just before dawn, one of those tranquil moments that most people miss. A rare rainstorm had swept over the city earlier, giving the population a bit of relief. A few merchants were already opening for the day, hoping to get a little extra business. Children brave enough to sneak past their parents annoyed the sentry as they splashed about in every puddle in sight. In what passed for the slums, a figure slowly staggered out of one of the most disreputable bars in Elmekia, The Sands of Solitude. The kind of place where the conversations were whispered, life savings were exchanged and eye contact was a potential free pass to the Healer Guild. The building he came out from, combined with his spiked armor and the constant low maniacal giggling kept him safe as he wobbled to his destination. It had not been luck that caused his run-in with the cryptic old man last night, more like divine intervention. It merely proved that the Gods were finally on his side in his quest for vengeance. He paused and gazed in glee at the crystal-tipped wand that was the result of a hard night of bargaining. It had taken everything he owned to purchase this blessing from the Gods. Everything. He would succeed this time, for he had no other choice. And he was tired...so very, very tired. After today, he would finally be able to find peace. The Captain threw back his head and cackled, almost stabbing himself on his shoulder spikes. "Naga! Your time is up, for I have been chosen and transformed to end your evil ways!" He suddenly posed and pointed at a passerby, causing him to flee. "Beware Naga, beware...HEAVEN'S KNIGHT!" Back at the The Sands of Solitude, the few customers who were still there warily eyed Zasquez the Mad as he thoughtfully munched on a few coins from the enormous bag on the table. His next project was funded and it was time to worry... * * * * Slayers Glorious #14- written by Ilmater Disaster! Big Problems come in Small Packages! * * * * "OOOHOHOHO!" Actinaea winced and burrowed deeper into the bed. "Must you do that *every* day?" "Come, come Praetor! The rest of us have been up for at least an hour. As much as I'd like to agree that you need more beauty sleep, we have work to do!" An unintelligible mumble and a thrown pillow was the only response to her comment. Naga smirked for a moment then raised her voice a bit. "Mari-chan! Practice! Let us start with...Demona Crystal." The bed seemed to explode as Actinaea bolted to her feet. "I do *NOT* think so! Why-?" She blinked as she realized that Naga was already well on her way downstairs, leaving nothing but that damned echoing laugh behind. Cursing under her breath, she hurriedly dressed and stormed downstairs to stop them from freezing half the town. Halfway down, she saw Mari get up from her seat and turn towards the door. "MARIPOSA!" Mari squeaked and turned around in time to see Actinaea clear the rest of the stairs with a Raywing and grab her. "Don't you DARE do what that...that woman told you to!" Mari glanced at Naga in confusion, who shrugged. "Ano...I shouldn't order your breakfast?" "That kind of power is ver- er, breakfast?" When Mari nodded slowly, she straightened up with a faint blush and smoothed her clothing out. "Breakfast would be nice. Thank you, Mari." Actinaea managed to keep a pleasant expression on her face until Mari was out of earshot, then whirled to face Naga, who didn't quite manage to hide her smirk behind her cup in time. "Pray that I never have the chance to wake you up." Naga raised an eyebrow and quickly bounced to her feet, distracting all the men in the general area. "Ohohoho! So, the kitten has claws? Perhaps then, it is time for the elegant White Serpent to clip those claws! OHOHOHOOOOO!" Actinaea reddened further and took a step forward when Naga abruptly looked past her, towards the entrance. "Ah, Getehl-san, what did you discover?" she called out impatiently, causing Actinaea to choke on her reply and spin around in time to see a rather puzzling sight. Getehl was leaning almost casually against the door, doing his best to look out the small, barred opening without being seen from the outside. At the sound of Naga's voice, he started and quickly scanned the room until he spotted Mari at the counter. Hesitating for a few seconds, he seemed to come to some inner decision and intercepted her on the way back to the table. Bending to her level, he whispered something brief and made a few cryptic gestures. That combined with the earlier snubbing seemed to annoy Naga, much to Actinaea's delight. When Getehl finally straightened up, Mari eagerly nodded and ran upstairs. Naga scowled at Getehl as he reached the table and took a seat. "Do you care to answer my earlier question now?" "Hmm? Oh, sorry. It's a bit odd outside right now." Actinaea blinked and leaned towards him. "How so?" "There apparently is some kind of market festival going on today. A lot more people are out there then I expected." he paused briefly and looked towards the door again. "Also, I got the strangest feeling I was being followed, but I could never pinpoint anybody." "And what of the guide, the reason you left in the first place?" haughtily asked Naga. Getehl sighed and shook his head. "No sign yet. Feyik was due back yesterday, but I was informed he is late on occasion." The group went quiet for a moment as Actinaea's breakfast and drinks for the rest of them were delivered. After a couple of bites, Actinaea pointed towards the stairs with a fork. "And where did you send Mariposa?" Getehl shifted uneasily in his seat. "I asked her to check the street for anybody who seemed interested in this Inn...and to get some money." Actinaea narrowed her eyes. "I thought you lost all yours gambling. You aren't taking any of hers, are you?" "No, I still had a bit for an emergency." He suddenly smiled and swept his arm towards the door. "We'll need supplies and I, for one, am curious as to what exactly is going on today. Care to join me?" * * * * The Captain awoke with a start as a particularly loud conversation was carried on below him. Sitting up, he shielded his eyes from the sun and crawled towards the edge of the roof he had claimed. He almost fell off as he stared at the street in horror. Colorful tents seemed to have sprang up overnight. People, people everywhere! Had the White Serpent somehow transported him to another town? Was all his wealth and bargaining in vain? He almost began to weep until he spotted a familiar outfit out of the corner of his eye. Ah, the Gods have not forsaken him after all. Oh, even better! She was coming this way! Reverently, the Captain took out the wand and shook with silent laughter as he imagined The White Serpent's final expression, something he had dreamed about for weeks. "My aim be true..." * * * * Actinaea cursed as she was jostled yet again. This crowd was intolerable. Where in the hell did they all come from? To make matters worse, she had slowed to help Mari through an especially dense group and consequently fell behind. As expected, Naga didn't seem to care; why should she? Her very presence and attitude made a small pocket of space around her. But she at least THOUGHT that Getehl would have noticed. Oh no, he was all too busy talking to Naga. She scowled as he pointed out something in the distance, causing Naga to laugh and clap him on the shoulder. Stupid bas..."Agh!" Her thought process was interrupted as somebody stepped on her foot for the sixth time that day. She impulsively decided to levitate to one of the roofs. It may startle the crowd, but anything was better then this. As she scanned for a decent landing spot, a small red flash of light made her wince. What was-- It took all of his willpower not to shout out a heroic battle cry as Naga came within range. Quickly scanning the instructions a final time, he stood up, closed his eyes and thought only of his hated foe. Thus he didn't see when the wand suddenly started to pulsate with a eerie red glow and orient itself on-- Actinaea redoubled her efforts to get through the crowd as she strained to see what was causing those annoying pulses of light. It helped a bit that some of the crowd noticed the flashes and had broke off into small, murmuring groups, making it easier to shove past them. After what seemed like an eternity, she barely managed to make out an stooped figure in battered, archaic armor through the gleam. Hmm, the last time she saw something like that was- The Captain winced as his arms began to vibrate from the strain of holding the wand. He also couldn't hear anything anymore except for a strange little whine. And still it continued to track-- "NAGA!" yelled Actinaea as she took to the air. "NAGA, LOOK OUT!" Damn it. The crowd was too loud. And Naga's attention was on a booth on the wrong side. Ignoring Mari's cries, she quickly calculated who was closer and Raywinged for all her worth to-- Getehl frowned as the shopkeeper abruptly stopped haggling and edged away, gaping at something behind him. He spun around, hand on his sword hilt and immediately regretted it as he was blinded. No wonder the crowd had quieted a few seconds earlier. He crouched, eyes watering as he turned to warn-- "NAGA! DAMN YOU, TURN AROUND!" screamed Actinaea as she raced towards her. No good. Judging from the tingling sensation she was starting to feel, whatever he was doing was going to go off any second, and there would be no time for Naga to react. Only one option presented itself. She winced, lowered her shoulder and corrected her flight pattern-- And The Captain finally fired-- To her credit, Naga *had* heard the final warning and was already halfway through a spell when Actinaea slammed into her side, bowling her over an instant before a concussive blast sent everybody in the area to join her. Silence... * * * * Getehl opened his eyes, which was a mistake. It gave the angry kamikaze sunbeams a chance to flood into his brain and explode in rather nasty ways. Closing them wasn't much better as by now, his body seemed intent on celebrating consciousness by proving that, 'yes everything *can* hurt at once, including hair!' Hmm, perhaps he should die. Yes, that sounded pretty tempting, but first he'd have to get Mariposa to stop shaking him...and since when did she have redhot needles for hands? "Nngh...?" "Getehl-san, get up, please! What...what happened?" Getehl sat up with a hiss and struggled to focus on his surroundings. Everybody else around him was still down, so he assumed he hadn't been out for more then a few seconds. "I...I don't know. There was this red light and then...Naga? Ace? Where are they?" "Naga is over there and...Acti...Ac..." Mari suddenly sniffed and latched on to him. Getehl awkwardly held her and quickly scanned the area. After a moment, he spotted Naga draped over a collapsed booth. He also noted that where she had been was now just a big smoking hole. With a sense of growing unease, he repeated his question. "Mari...where is Actinaea?" Mari started to cry and hugged him tighter. Unease was quickly turning into panic as he looked everywhere, even straight up. No Ace. He finally paused on the hole. "Actinaea?" No answer. Adrenaline helped him to his feet and he lurched towards the hole, barely noticing Mari still clinging to him. "A...Ace?" Still no answer. His strength gave out as he noticed a empty boot near the crater. Ace's boot. Dear gods, no. Please. Not like this. The world stopped for a moment... Until Actinaea's empty shirt sleeves clutched the rim of the crater. Getehl blinked for a moment then leaned forward in time to see a face pop up... He looked in disbelief at a smoking, dirty little girl. The little girl looked back at Getehl wide-eyed, her lower lip quivering. "ACE?!?!" "WAHHHH!" wailed Actinaea. "Geeeethal-sama, the mean, mean man made all my clothes toooh big!" Fortunately, the insane laughter that started just then saved them both from facefaulting. The Captain sat back up and surveyed the area. Impossible! He had missed, she was still intact! However, he had hit the next best thing, a cultist of The White Serpent, and it had rendered her helpless, just as the old man said it would. Surely this would weaken her unholy power enough for him to succeed in the next shot. Surely. Almost vibrating with glee, he aimed the wand at Naga and concentrated. Actinaea flailed a shirtsleeve at the laughing figure. "There he is, There he is! We gotta go beat 'im up now, right? We goin' to beat 'im up, Geethal-sama?" When neither one of her companions responded by anything other then blinking, she scowled and erratically Levitated towards The Captain. "..." thought Getehl until Actinaea's pants fell on his hat, obscuring his view and knocking him out of shock. Shaking his head, he noticed it was raining clothes, including... he blushed and prayed that something stayed on. The Captain scowled as the wand failed to do anything. Reading over the instructions again enraged him. "A fifteen minute recharge period? Heaven's Fury waits for nothing! Feh, I shall end this with my own blade." "Hey!" He blinked and looked up at a floating little girl, who seemed to have a funeral shroud for a body. "Away, foul spirit, Heaven's blade must be felt this day!" "I'm not a spirit, I'm a Prae..Pre...I'm Ace and I gotsta punish you now!" The Captain snickered and waved the wand at the insolent child. "Foolish little spirit, how can you harm the champion of Heaven?" She showed him. "Wai!" (Aero Bomb!) "That had to have hurt," noted Getehl as The Captain fell screaming from the roof and hit the ground with a satisfying little thud. "Wai!" (Mono. Volt.) "Ano..." began Mari. "Should we really be letting her jump up and down on his face like that?" "Er, yes?" offered Getehl, as he watched The Captain being forced into interesting shapes. Mari stared at him for a moment, then sighed and continued watching as well. The show went on...until three squads of sentry and every healer in town decided to drop in. * * * * Roofs were a very popular place that day. Several blocks away, a telescope was lowered in frustration. It was a mistake to have let the mercenary's paranoia scare her off. Even if the little twit in the Inn had almost managed to spot her, no harm done, really. It just took a change of clothes and a alleyway to remedy that. That explosion didn't sound promising, and if she failed her first mission, she could kiss her career and dreams goodbye. She smiled proudly as she remembered that her mentors had practically wet themselves when they found out who had hired her. She wasn't supposed to know, but she had heard the name while eavesdropping: Lady Erika. The mission was obviously very important; they had just given her scant details, in case she got caught: follow/infiltrate until they reached a certain area, then report. She had already decided that they were some kind of relic thieves and amused herself on the way here with daydreams of her outwitting them at every turn until they gave up before they faced her wrath... Shaking herself back to alertness, she scanned the area a final time until she noticed a particularly young looking guardsman. Hmm, if the mercenary was so paranoid, maybe he'd feel better with a little...protection. She hadn't gotten close enough to "imprint" on any of them. Besides, it would give her a chance to try out those Seduction skills they taught her. Smirking, she relatched her grappling hook and swung back down into the alleyway. * * * * "...Shield!" Getehl started as Naga suddenly cried out, flailed her arms and fell off the cot they had set her on. "Welcome back." She sat up with a groan and tore off the damp cloth covering her eyes. "Oho...ow. Where-?" Getehl started pacing as Mari helped Naga to a chair and handed her a steaming cup. "Orlin Desse's house. He's a retired Priest. Apparently, they thought Actinaea's condition was important enough to consult him." Naga drained the cup in one pull and gasped out. "Actinaea's condition?" He sighed and slumped against the wall. "That crazy old man who's been chasing us all over creation somehow got ahold of an item that was actually dangerous and knocked half the market out. He tried to blast you, but Ace pushed you away at the last second." Naga stiffened and looked down at her hands. "I...see." "Oh, she's fine," Getehl quickly added before she got the wrong impression. "She's just...well, you'll have to see it to believe it." He was spared from further explanation when the door to the inner chambers opened and a very elderly man hobbled out, gently supported by another priest. "Ah, quite a case, quite a case. Like nothing I've ever seen." Getehl shot up from his resting place with a hopeful expression. "Can...can you do anything?" "Oh, I can do something, lad." Orlin stated quietly. "But I'm not going to." Getehl's expression darkened and he took a few steps forward. "Why not? If it's about money, I can-" Orlin chuckled sadly and waved him off as the other priest helped him into a chair. "Lad, I'd gladly cure her for free. Documenting the case alone is worth more then anything you could give me." He steepled his hands in front of him and started to talk, almost to himself. "It's her aura, lad. It's chaos, utter chaos. Whoever made that wand is clever. Very, very clever. There's traps within traps within traps. I'm afraid to even sneeze near her, let alone try to dispel it." "I don't understand. It just made her younger, why make that so difficult to cure?" Orlin nodded thoughtfully. "Why indeed? Think of it this way, lad. You look like you could handle that sword of yours well enough. How effective would you be if you were say, six?" Almost as a afterthought, he added, "Which, by the way, seems to be close to the physical and mental age of your friend now." "But Naga is a mage, what would be the point of using it on her?" wondered Getehl. "I mean, Ace still blasted him with no problem." "Her control was off." said a quiet voice from the corner and everybody focused on Mari. After a moment she looked up, hollow-eyed. "When she flew up at that man, she was wobbling all over the place. A couple of times, I thought the spell was going to fail mid-flight." She closed her eyes for a second, thinking. "And her Mono Volt and Aero Bomb were a lot smaller and slower then normal. I've practiced with her enough to know the difference." Orlin cackled and rubbed his hands together. "There, you see lad? What better way to get rid of a powerful enemy then by robbing them of their life experiences?" He paused for a second, frowning. "Hmm, your friend must have had a interesting life indeed to know any magecraft at the age of six..." Naga suddenly leaped to her feet in mid-pose. "What must be done to cure her? Ask for any herb, any component and The White Serpent shall find it!" "Well..." began Orlin, as he rubbed his chin. "You could get me the breath of a banshee. Hmm, yes..and the horns of a brass dragon." Naga was looking less and less confident as he went on. "A drop of blood from a Mazoku Lord. Yes, indeed!" Getehl and Mari stared at the rambling old man in horror. "Oh, and I see a possible use with the ichor of a Werespider." He trailed off for a few seconds then suddenly looked up and grinned. "Or, you could just wait for it to wear off!" People in the street looked around in puzzlement as a massive trio of "NANI!?" suddenly echoed across the city. "It..." started Getehl, as he slid down the wall in relief. "Wears..." added Naga, from her position on the floor. "Off?" Mari weakly finished. Orlin eventually brought his laughter under control and eyed them like they were idiots. "Of course! Do you think a spell that powerful would last forever? Not likely." He quickly held up a hand before they started trying to hug him in joy. "I don't know *when* it will wear off. It could be five minutes from now, could be a month down the road. I just can assure you it *will.*" He then painfully got to his feet and waved the other priest away from him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go see if my wife is finished pampering the subject." Before he could even take a step, the door opened and a slightly irritated voice emanated from the chamber. "I heard that, and don't be creaking around anymore then you have to be." Orlin snorted and sat back down as the voice melted into a sweet, soothing murmur. "Come child, let us see your friends now." The group anxiously leaned forward, Naga most of all. In spite of what she had heard, she still held a faint hope that there had been a mistake and none of this was real. Thus she was the most affected when Actinaea finally toddled out. She...she was... Cute. That was the first word that sprang to mind as Naga stared at her in disbelief. Cute. Definitely. Actinaea (if it were her), looked freshly bathed, and her hair had been brushed and braided. A bright blue ribbon was intertwined down the length of her hair. They had even found travel clothing for her, consisting of a yellow tunic and red slacks, topped off with a cute black cloak. Hmm, something about those clothes- Naga thought about it for a second... and her eyebrow TWITCHED. As Actinaea shyly looked at them, Orlin's wife came out and handed her a sky-blue hat that bore a remarkable resemblance to Getehl's, complete with a feather that looked like it was scavenged from a pillow. As the group continued to stare at her, she pouted and spoke up with "Aw, what did I do now?" Naga was the first to speak, the others seemed to be waiting for her reaction. "Actinaea?" Actinaea's face screwed up in disgust. "Naga-oneechaaaan, ya gotta call me Ace!" "You...know who we are?" Act...Ace giggled and cocked her head to the side. "How silly. 'Course I do!" She pointed at each one in turn. "You're Naga-oneechan and you hunt bad guys and laugh scary at 'em until they give up...and...and...that's Mari-chan, who I gotsta teach how to beat up bad guys." She then paused and scuffed her feet before smiling shyly at Getehl. "And that's Geethal-sama, my bestest best friend in the whole world!" She then proceeded to put her hat on and adjust it until it was just like his. "We gotsta go find a big bell now, let's goooo!" "..." was the best way to describe the response of the room. * * * * Jegard Stanton patrolled the marketplace with a wide smile. One week after joining the Sentry and already a terrorist action! His parents would be proud. Granted, it was over before they arrived, but they, and a certain girl he had his eye on, didn't have to know that. He already had half his story down when somebody tapped him on the shoulder. Quickly putting on his "official" face, he turned to address whoever it was. "Yes, citiz...guh?" It was, quite frankly, the most gorgeous women he had ever seen. Tall, exotic, with the face of a goddess, golden hair cascaded down her trim, athletic shape, teasing the eye into following it and accentuating the fact the her clothing was a bit too tight in certain areas. And what areas those were. As he stared at her, trying to think of what to say, she flashed a smile at him, revealing perfectly white teeth. "Um..." "Sir," she seemed to breathe into her words, more then saying them. "I am a visitor here and I seem to have lost my way, can you direct me to The Sands of Solitude?" Jegard recoiled in horror at the name. "Er, miss. Why would you want to go there?" The woman smiled sweetly and leaned forward a bit, distracting him further. "I was told that was the best inn your fine city has to offer, is this not the case?" "No, ma'am." Jegard slowly stated, frowning. "That is *definitely* not the case, it's a bar, not an Inn and it's in a very nasty part of town. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody like you..er...no offense." The woman gasped and put a hand to her chest. "Oh my, my servant has already gone ahead with my bags. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to them!" She then leaned into him and looked at him hopefully. "Will you escort me there, kind sir? You will be-" She paused and let her eyes wander over him. "-amply rewarded..." Jegard straightened up self-consciously and let himself hope. Even her perfume was heavenly. "Uh...of course, miss. I'll have to go get backup fir-" The women's eyes misted up as she leaned farther into him, her chest pressing against his shoulder. "Oh, there's no time! They left quite a while ago and I'd couldn't bear it if they got hurt because of my stupidity. Perhaps we could catch them if we hurry!" she paused again and ran a finger across his arm. "Besides, you don't seem to need backup at all." Really, hormones make you do such stupid things. Jegard wildly looked around. Not seeing his captain, he turned to the woman with a nervous grin. "Well, perhaps we *can* catch them if we hurry." A thrill ran through him when she smiled and linked her arm in his and let him lead her towards the slums. As they got closer, Jegard got more and more cautious. He'd never been unlucky enough to be stationed down here, and he wasn't sure what to expect. Besides, the woman next to him looked like she wouldn't hurt a fly, so friendly and beautiful, that might attract trouble. He was so focused on looking for trouble, he never noticed her mouth his distracted replies to her questions. Finally she nodded to herself and after checking to make sure they were isolated enough, pointed towards an alleyway. "That...that man had one of my bags! Stop him, stop him!" Jegard scowled and drew his sword; the nerve of scum stealing from her! He sprinted over, fumbling for his whistle, just in case of trouble. Using the deepest voice he could muster, he called out "Halt!" When no response was given, he cursed and stepped into the alleyway. Hmm, he didn't see anybody, and they couldn't have run that-- his thought process was broken as he was kicked in the back, causing him to stagger several steps into the alleyway. How had they gotten behind him? Trying to turn to meet the new threat, he almost fell as somebody leaped on his back and pressed a sweet smelling cloth into his face. As he struggled to stay on his feet, a voice gleefully whispered in his ear. "You snooze, you lose... I creep, you sleep!" Still trying to turn, he rammed the person into the wall, receiving a grunt of pain in response. No, it could...n't...b...e... His last thought before passing out was wondering why the skin of her hand was so pale compared to the rest of her. He would also have been suprised to the fact that she had grown several inches shorter...in many places. She winced as he fell with more noise then she would have liked and dragged him farther into the alleyway. Quickly stripping him of his outfit, she took a dagger out and pressed it to his throat. She bit her lip and stared at the trickle of blood the dagger made. Damn, it was so easy to do on the training dummies. She finally sighed and took the dagger away. Cover blown be damned, she wasn't about to kill a innocent bystander, no matter what her instructors said. Besides, she'd be hidden again before he even stirred. He also was sorta cute and honorable, if a bit stupid. She still couldn't believe he had actually fallen for her little act. It personally made her want to retch, especially this godawful perfume she swiped. Perhaps her espionage instructor was smarter then she had given him credit for. On a whim, she pressed a few coins into his hand after she had gotten dressed. "Good luck getting back with these on." she whispered as she bent over the slumbering form and concentrated... A minute later, Jegard Stanton walked out of the alleyway. Brushing himself off a bit, he started back, whistling cheerfully. He had perfume to wash off, questions to ask and people to find. Oh yes, people to find... * * * * The way back to the inn was interesting to say the least. Already Getehl had shown himself to be a pushover for a pleading child as Actinaea was now the proud mother of several stuffed animals. She had commanded Mari to carry them *and* to make sure she memorized their names, so they could, as Ace put it, "Get them to be good guys too, wai!" She even whined to buy them spellbooks until Naga finally "OHOHO'd" at her, making her shut up and cling to Getehl. Getehl swallowed nervously as Actinaea held his hand and happily chattered up at him. It was so strange to see her act like this compared to how he expected her to. Was this how she really was, all those years ago? If so, what had happened during her life to change her so much? If...No, when she changed back, maybe, just maybe he would ask... His musings were broken when one of his distracted replies made her briefly giggle and hug him. No, make that he would definitely find out what had happened. Even more confusing was how protective she was making him, as he was finding himself glaring at anybody who got too close to her, or showed any interest in her at all, for any reason. He got worse when a guard came over and sheepishly stated he had been commanded to escort them until they arrived back at the inn, since they were already attacked once before. Getehl didn't know why, but he didn't like this man at all. It was a number of little things. His moves were a bit too practiced. His stare was a little too intense. This in turn made him notice that his smile never really reached his eyes. And he could have sworn the guard was muttering something to himself after any of them replied. The clincher, however, was when the guard seemed shocked for a moment when Actinaea happily told him her name. He was about to say something to Naga when an elderly woman passing by commented on how pretty Ace looked in her outfit and he eyed her just because she had a basket of sewing needles that she could drop or one could fall out and Ace could... He suddenly realized how stupid he sounded and took a very deep breath. Nobody was after them. Especially Ace. He was probably still a little off because of the explosion. To force himself out of his mood, he started telling Ace any silly story he could think of and by the time they got back to the inn, he was much more relaxed, and had forgotten everything he was worried about. Pity he didn't see the guard's expression as they closed the door. * * * * Look, a roof. And it seems to be occupied. The figure stuffed the last of the discarded clothing in a bag and took out a simple glass crystal. Frowning, she concentrated until it obediently lit up. There was a pause. Then a longer one. Finally, a gruff voice cautiously said, "Who is this?" Mari put a hand up to her mouth and went, "OHOHOHOHO." The crystal somehow managed to look annoyed. "Lilen..." "HOHOHOHO" "Lilen..." "Ohohoho...no, wait, that's not it." she pursed her lips and reached into a pocket. "Let me check my notes." "LILEN!" She blinked and looked back at the crystal. "Eh?" The crystal sighed and said in a resigned tone, "I take it you have found your assignments?" "Yes, sir." "And take off those damned disguises when you make reports!" Mari/Lilen rolled her eyes and seemed to shimmer for a bit. When it cleared, a very gaunt girl with extremely pale skin, blond hair light enough to pass for white and slightly red eyes winced and tightened her hood to block more of the sun out. "That's better. Now...?" Lilen excitingly started her report. "The guide has been delayed briefly, so I had time to gather information. Imprinting was much easier then I expected, so now I just have to wait until they leave, maybe look around. I heard they have a nice casino. Hmm, or perhaps-" "Lilen..." "-I could pickpocket a bit and get me a few alternative sets of clothing, you never know when I'll need any, or-" "Lilen!" "I could infiltrate right now! Y'know for relic thieves, they aren't very cautious, I could probably-" "LILEN!" She blinked and then abruptly scowled at the crystal. "By the way, the information you gave me on one of them was way off. Actinaea is only a little kid, certainly not the dangerous mage you told me about." "Oh?" the crystal asked in an interested tone. "Tell me more." * * * * Naga stretched and slowly glided down the stairs. A nice, warm bath always improved her mood. Reaching the dining area, she spotted Mari reading a list with a growing expression of dread. "Ah, Mari-chan, where are the others?" "They," Mari mumbled without looking up, "are playing hopscotch." Naga smirked and took a seat. "Our companion seems to have gotten a much needed personality boost. Hopefully, she will learn to appreciate life when she returns to normal." When Mari failed to respond, Naga frowned and leaned closer to the list. "I can barely read that childish scrawl. What is it?" "My training for tomorrow," Mari said in a monotone. Naga squinted a bit. "Braid her hair?" "Braiding my hair will make your fingers faster, Mari-chan," robotically recited Mari. "Tea Party?" "Makin' new friends is 'portant for us good guys, Mari-chan." "Spy Stuff?" "That is a secret, Mari-chan." "Familiar Training?" Mari twitched. "I...have to buy her another doll." Naga started to snicker. "I...see." Mari slumped onto the table and moaned. "Did you know I had to pretend not to know Levitation because she started to cry when she found out I already knew Aero Bomb and Mono Volt?" "What's so bad about that?" Mari held up a jumprope. "You have to make yourself lighter first, Mari-chan." "OHOHOHO!" Mari abruptly stood up and snapped at her. "It's not funny! She found her spellbook and got mad because she didn't understand anything in it and accused me of cheating, *then* she threw a fit because I wouldn't order her four desserts with dinner. *Then* she cried *AGAIN* when I stopped her from making the Inn's cats levitate all around the room. *THEN* Getehl yelled at me for being mean to her, which is when she made this training list, because..." She altered her voice so it resembled Actinaea's. "You gotsta listen to your teachers, Mari-chan or the bad guys will beat ya up." Naga patted Mari on the shoulder. "There, there, she'll eventually be back to her nasty, humorless self. Enjoy it while you can!" A voice came from upstairs. "Time for our bath, Mari-chan! I found some soap that looks like little ducks! Wai!" Mari sighed and slowly dragged herself up the stairs, looking more pitiful by the second. "Oho..." "I heard that." * * * * "Interesting," replied the crystal thoughtfully. "I will pass this information onto your employer. Until I contact you again, your orders remain the same. Follow or Infiltrate." Lilen narrowed her eyes. "Wait a sec, why do relic thieves have a kid with 'em? Hostage? Thief in training? "Who says they are relic thieves?" Lilen sighed and asked a specific question even though she knew the answer. "Then what are they?" The crystal glowed mightily for a second and boomed out, "That information is unimportant." "Sure, sure." Lilen tossed the crystal from hand to hand and boomed back in the exact same voice. "We are paid to do, not to ask." "Oh, stop that." * * * * Nightfall. Getehl blushes as Actinaea sleepily asks for a goodnight kiss and quickly gives her one. Mari eyes her new Familiar for tomorrow, a stuffed bear named "Boo", then slowly smiles and turns over in her bed. Naga sips a cup of wine and giggles at Mari's training list. One day, she hopes to ask if Actinaea used the same one, all those years ago, just to get a reaction. The Captain lies brooding on a cot in jail, a bill for damages neatly tucked in his pocket. The wand is locked up in the jail's safe. He knows where it is, because he can *feel* it. Orlin Desse nods off in a chair, a half-written documentation of Actinaea's condition lies in front of him. He has hopes it will publish and pay for his grandchildren's schooling. His wife smiles and covers him up as the light fades. Lilen yawns and sharpens her swordbreaker for a final time before looking up at the stars. One step closer to greatness is she. And it's a long fall down if she stumbles. Jegard Stanton never did make it to dinner, but he did manage to make the Captain of the Guard laugh for twenty-five minutes straight, which is impressive, in and of itself. Feyik curses as he stumbles yet again in the sand. Just a little bit more, and he'll be home. And if he ever finds out who lamed his pack animals, they and the next five generations of their family will pay. Dearly. And Torr? Torr had been edgy all day. He was currently taking a walk to regain a bit of calm. The guide was late, and the explosion had riled his contacts up and he didn't dare do anything about it. He wasn't sure if Getehl had told the others, but he really wasn't up for another confrontation at the moment. No orders, no fighting. And what a shame, no communication. He smiled briefly at the thought of that moment. It had felt pretty good, though he was sure there would be repercussions later. He heard a muffled sneeze as he passed an alleyway and paused. He could barely make out a shape in the failing light, who didn't take kindly to being seen and tried to snuggle deeper behind the crates. Judging from the clothing and health of the boy, he had no home. Children, always children... Not looking directly at the boy, he dropped his moneypouch and "accidentally" kicked it into the shadows and continued on. Funny, that had reminded him of Mari... * * * * Author Notes: Wow. I didn't think I'd finish this one on time. The last 18k was written in one sitting. Overtime weeks at work are a pain, eh? Still, despite getting no real sleep, I had a lot of fun. This is my third Impro chapter, and I think I'm sorta improving. No horrible mistakes yet. Here's hoping for a Hat trick. ^_^_v Special thanks to: Ardweden, who puts up with my daily antics, and who pointed out grammar rules I've forgotten about long ago. Todd Harper: who started this wairiffic fic, and gave me a bit o' Slayer knowledge that I was lacking. and also ravi, also for Slayer Spell info. Thanks for reading this far. Send any comments, flames or donations to Chronos@flink.com. Tune in next time for: "Wai!" giggled Mari as Naga sensuously covered her in whipped cream. "Training is no much fun!" Er, wrong one. "Oh, too bad," said the green garbed man with a well practiced air. "You fall in Spring of Drowned Xelloss." "M...Mari, is that you?" "Sore wa..." Todd: And the [rivers] run RED!!!! Ilmater: Agh! Todd begins to twitch. "Must stop...before masses...read." Ardweden abruptly pops out of Ilmater's closet. "Quick, to the Lutemobile!" "Er...what were you doing in there?" Ardweden blushes, "You *really* don't want to know." Todd eyed her suspiciously for a second. "Does a Lutemobile mean we get to wear tight pants and capes?" Ardweden happily nods and spins around, transforming into Ardwaidan. "Oohola!" "...Oh god." Meanwhile, in the castle of the evil administrator... Calculus sits at his computer, wearing a multi-unit headphone set. Strains of "Midnight Blue" and the "Free Software Song" float about the room. He makes a few adjustments to Impro just as a giant lute crashes through the door, ejecting Todd and Ardwaidan, who sails over Calculus's head. "Wheeeee... ooh, pretty stars..." Ardwaidan wobbles away trying to catch one. Calculus raises an eyebrow and slowly spins his chair to face Todd, just like he learned in "Cliched Actions 101." "So...we meet at last, Mr. Harper." "Must...warn..." "You are far too late to stop me, for it has been [POSTED.]" Todd eyes Calculus in disbelief. "You...you ACCEPTED that from him? You would let the story suffer in return for instant gratification?" Calculus: Is that a trick question? Todd: I...hate you. Calculus: Wai! Amelia-chan! Ardwaidan dizzily taunts a bulk eraser. "Lutaze! Ohwahji!" "Oh, do shut up..."