<$> An unusual thing was happening at an obscure corner of the city-ship Heticus, but nobody took any special notice. The turmoil of the previous day's uprising had barely released its icy clutches on the minds of the populace, and few were inclined to be very observant. In any case, no unaided human eye would have seen the imperceptible shift in space-time that very quietly plopped a structure in a spot which had previously been the negligible space-- nothing more than a vertical crack, really-- between two adjacent buildings. Equipment existed that could have detected peculiar energy readings around the area, and it was conceivable that certain specialized instruments had a good chance to spot the abberation had they been at the exactly right spot at the exactly right time... but perhaps, not even then. However, despite its relative oddness and rarity in the region, the occurence was one of the most natural things in the world-- well, the multiverse, actually. This is because the center of the spatial distortion was merely a small part of a whole other universe of dimensional walkers, manipulators of destiny, and those who would be stewards of gods. In this universe, the thing that was now settling in its newfound spot had every right to twist ordinary geodisics into something that could accomodate it, had every reason to suddenly appear as if it had been there since time immemorial when, moments ago, it had looked as if it had been made of real *wood*. That was alright. After all, it was just... <$> __________________ One of Those Shops ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ Begun by Farsan de Arnibia Herein continued by Mads _____________________ Chapter Six, Branch A ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ * Staying Afloat in a Sea of Stars * <$> That was funny. Knelta didn't remember there ever being a store around these parts... But there it was, small, modest and looking comfortably nestled in the middle of a seedy residential cube and the back wall of a plant that manufactured cheap ration pills. It even had the graffiti to match those around it. Well, it wasn't small, truth to be told-- more like tiny. Maybe that was why she'd never noticed it before... Oh, PLEASE. Knelta knew that she could be absent-minded at times, but surely even she couldn't be THAT bad. Right? A cursory inspection didn't reveal much... only that the structure was made of the same durasteel composition that most buildings were made of these days, and that the door had a big, friendly "OPEN" sign on it. The pubescent girl scratched absently at her suit sleeve trying to decide what to do. Reaching into a plasticloth pocket, Knelta patted the contents to see whether or not her meager supply of credit chips had or had not been lifted off her during her short traverse to the area from the city-ship's central valley. Law and order had been sketchy ever since yesterday's disturbance, and one couldn't be too careful. Not that she could do much about it if she did, indeed, discover that she'd been robbed. This time around at least, it didn't seem that way, so now she could snoop around the inside of the weird shop with the security of knowing that she could buy something as a valid excuse for nosing around in case anyone objected. Knelta made a face as she counted the small plasticon chips on her palm. It would have to be a *small* something... Bracing herself, the young girl in bright yellow stepped closer to the store, waited for the automatic sliding panel to allow her in, and then edged inside cautiously. Assorted items lined the shelves, and more than a few caught her eye, making her wish she had more credits despite herself. But what grabbed her attention the strongest was the smiling dark-haired boy behind the counter. He looked happier than anyone had any right to be considering the city- ship's state of martial law. "Hi there!" the shop owner greeted in an unusually high, lilting voice. "Welcome to my shop! What can I do for you?" <$> Inside Miro's shop, a tense scene was unfolding. "Alright, girl," Alea growled, remembering an earlier encounter involving eavesdropping and dirt. "What did the Mad One want from you, and again, WHY exactly are you SPYING on Miro and I?" Miro placed himself in front of Reia before the irritated Traveler could reach her. "Move out of the way, Miro," Alea warned. "She could be in cahoots with that Lich." "That's not possible," Miro said stubbornly, staying where he was. "You saw what happened-- he was going to hurt her in some way. Besides, she's a friend." Alea's eyes thinned to smoldering slits. "You're still too trusting for your own good." "Maybe and maybe not," Miro said noncomittantly. "In cahoots or not, I'm more ready to believe in the 'not'... for now, at least. But until she does anything untrustworthy, I think she's just a scared girl right now who's in a strange world away from home, and I think it best if--" "Oh, WOW, who put the SKY way down THERE!!?" Reia asked in amazement, staring through the shop window down at the complex's floor which had a rather breathtaking display of a katrillion or so stars, along with the faintly blue-greenish glow of a nearby nebula. The former tavern servant pressed her hands and face against the glass to get a better look at the astounding beings walking by. "Oh, WOW!!" Both Alea and Miro sweatdropped. Finally, Alea backed off, taking her hand off her holstered firearm. "Fair enough. If you trust her, then who am I to contradict a Shopkeeper in his own Shop?" "I STILL want to know how she got near us so fast. *squawk*" Miro stepped up and regarded everyone with a strict look. "Okay, hold up-- we're all confused, but some of us might be able to answer the others' questions, and we'd better do that in a CALM, CIVILIZED manner. However, my concern for the moment is fixing up this shop so that it won't stick out like a sore thumb. I'll need concentration for this, so everyone... quiet, okay?" Alea agreed readily, and Reia took a little prodding and poking before she took notice of either person in the store with her ("Why, those lamps are burning without smoke! Ooooh, ooooh! That carriage is moving without an animal! How wonderful! What kind of magical place is this???"). Shop, on the other hand, squawked quite a bit before settling down, and even after becoming quiet, the bird would just sit there and glower at Alea as best as a bird could glower. Fortunately, the Traveler ignored it. Moments later, the building had altered appearance from the outside, though of course, no mere mortal saw or heard. From a typical medieval shopface, features flowed into that of a more futuristic look, complete with random wiring and steel plating. When Miro had finished perusing his work from outside to see if anything was out of place, he stepped back in and was greeted by Shop, who flitted to his shoulder. "How come cleaning the shop up wasn't as easy as this?" he quizzed the colored bird. "*squawk* This time, you merely altered what people would perceive as they looked on at the store," Shop began to explain. "Actual sanitary condition, however, may be masked as well... but it'd still be a sty if you'd left it as it was, no matter how clean it'd have looked with a spell. *squawk*" Was that mischievous irony in the Shop's voice? Nah. Suddenly, Alea stood before Miro. This got his attention because she was older, and somewhat taller than the young man as well. Miro found it hard not to focus on the way the Traveler's new gear molded itself almost perfectly to every contour on her body, the sleek curves only occasionally broken by piecemeal pads of armour. Reia, on the other hand, was close by and unashamedly examined the material of the suit with wide-eyed wonder. "Smoother than Dacrian silk," she marvelled, "but stronger than chain mail!" Alea coughed once and Reia lowered her voice to keep her findings to herself. The woman then turned to lock eyes with Miro, the Shopkeeper. "Just so you know, I could have left at anytime-- I'm where I want to be, and I have no more need of you," she said bluntly, making Shop ruffle its feathers in agitation. Alea kept an eye on the bird as she went on. "However, that wouldn't have been polite... and there's still the matter of payment. Your Shop took me here inadvertently, and against its will even, but a delivery is a delivery." Miro grinned and waved a hand to dismiss the notion. "Bah-- you helped us escape from that maniac with the skeletons. I believe that's more than enough payment... in fact, I think I owe you one." Alea smirked. The boy had a sense of honor. "Think nothing of it." "Also," Miro said, eyes twinkling, "if you really think it was nothing, I'd say that the Traveler story was good enough as fare. Add that to the opportunity to meet you, and I'd say it was a fair deal." "Thank you, Miro," Alea said softly as she walked past him towards the door. "I don't think any other Shopkeeper would have been as tolerant and understanding as you... we don't have to be enemies, you know." Her eyes were gentle as she spoke, almost sisterly. She found herself liking this naive young man more and more. "It's only sad that most of the older Shopkeepers can't seem to unlearn old prejudices." She looked up at the parrot on Miro's shoulder. "And quite a few Shops as well." "*squawk* Good riddance," Shop sneered, and Miro bopped it lightly on the tail for its manners. "Well... I suppose I'll be seeing you around," Miro said, unused to farewells. "You will. You have a friend among the Travelers," Alea reminded him, turning to the walkway. "And that is not something to take lightly." Before she entirely left the premises however, Miro lifted a hand as if to hold her back a moment, but kept his distance. "Uhm... I'm still curious about why you wanted to come here in the first place, though," the young man said. "Or don't you want to..." Alea paused from her exit and just stood on the walkway a moment, back to Miro. And then she turned, approached the boy. Before either he or the Shop could do anything, the Traveler had reached up to cup Miro's chin and then leaned over slightly to plant a light, fleeting kiss on the startled Shopkeeper's lips. Before anyone could recover from the shock, Alea had straightened and smiled at Miro, though in a strangely sad and reflective way. "There is someone here who rightfully deserves that," the Traveler said mysteriously, eyes half-lidded. "By taking me here, you've given me the chance to meet him again... and the chance to have a few questions answered. Thank you. Your involvement in my personal troubles ends here. Farewell." At that, the woman vanished. "WOAH-- Shop! What just happened?" Miro asked in alarm, whirling his head about for the Traveler who had disappeared into nonexistence. "Looks like she used her Traveler ability to do a simple dimension jump to the same dimension, but a different location nearby," the Shop provided. "A cheap Traveler trick, really. *squawk*" Miro was about to say something else as he re-entered his store, but then he caught sight of Reia's face. "Reia... what's wrong?" The girl's bright blue eyes had brimmed with tears, and her lower lip was quivering with emotion. After simply staring at Miro awhile, she blinked and two perfect drops of saltwater fell from her cheeks to plop on the floor almost audibly. The next moment, she shoved Miro away and ran for the door, stifling a string of sobs. "HEY! REIA!!" Miro managed a surprised shout amid his parrot's wild squawking and flapping around. Reia had just reached the door when she bumped into a taller body that had placed itself before the entrance, effectively barring it and conveniently providing Reia with someone to crash into. The stranger, whoever it was, shook a little at the impact, but was a long way from losing balance. "Hey! You almost knocked my glasses off!" And then everyone got a good look at the newcomer. Miro's first thought: "Those glasses sure look good on her..." The stranger blinked down at the slightly shorter girl who was leaning on her and staring up with an uncomprehending expression on her face. "Reia-chan? What are YOU doing here?" the nameless red-haired Shopkeeper asked with genuine surprise, taking the younger girl by the shoulders and putting her at arm's length to verify that it was, indeed, her onetime errandgirl. Miro pointed at one and then the other. "You... you know each other?" "RED!!! *YOU'RE* one of the Shopkeepers to answer the Request!?" the parrot screeched from its perch on Miro. Miro pointed at the parrot and then at the red-haired woman who'd walked in. "You... you know each other?" "Indeed, Shop-- nice to see YOU up and about again," the red-haired girl in glasses said, and then regarded Miro before letting her gaze fall on Reia and then back to Miro again. "Looks like it'll be Miro who'll be telling a story this time," she said with a lopsided grin, adjusting her thin, rectangular glasses. <$> Miro took the opportunity to use a small receiving room he fashioned at the very back of the shop to accomodate Reia and the newcomer. After preparing them all tea and some sweets, they'd talked a little, and a few questions had been answered, though there was still a lot left to talk about, it seemed. "Well, looks like you got what you wanted, Reia-chan," the peculiar new woman said good-naturedly. She appeared oddly at ease, and not only because of the tea Miro had served, or even the soft easy chair she was sitting on in the backroom everyone had retreated to to talk. It was as if the idle confidence in the woman was part of her very nature, that she would go on smiling and sipping tea should the whole of the multiverse turn on its ear and chaos reign. "This is good, Miro-kun," the guest complimented before turning again to Reia, who was silent and staring down at her clasped hands, which she kept on her lap. Her tea sat untouched before her, on a small table. Miro mumbled a thank you and sipped at his own tea, keeping an eye on the newcomer, still not quite sure what to make of her. "You complained that I required you for but a short, unusual service," the woman with glasses went on, still speaking to Reia. "And now you have a full-fledged Adventure on your hands. I certainly hope luck finds you well in this new life you've gotten for yourself." "*SQUAWK* So it was YOU who brought the tavern girl here!" Shop happily interjected. "I suspected that a Traveler, or a Shopkeeper was behind it, but I would never have guessed..." "Wait, how do you KNOW this woman??" Miro interrupted, brow knitting at the rush of information. Things were getting uncomfortably fast around here... "What was it that you called her agai--" "Your Shop called me 'Red'," the woman smiled. "You can call me that as well. Everyone does." "Oh. Okay," Miro said, nodding. "Uh... Who exactly ARE you?" The Shop in parrot form was practically sparkly-eyed by then. "Oh, Master Miro!" it swooned. "You're much too new at Shopkeeping to know, but Miss Red is one of the most famous Shopkeepers around! We don't have to worry about HER-- she's every new Shopkeeper's guardian angel and she's one of the GREATEST saleswomen the multiverse has ever seen! We should be flattered that she's paid any attention to us-- she only takes the brightest and most promising new Shopkeepers under her wing!" "You're too kind," Red said modestly, still smiling. "So YOU sent Reia to spy on me?" Miro prompted, eyebrow raised. He looked towards the girl in question. The former barmaid was still absorbed in her own thoughts. Miro looked back at Red. "Why?" "Simply to keep tabs on you until I could introduce myself properly, you understand," Red explained herself. "Reia-chan's employment under me was meant to be temporary from the beginning, but... well, you know more than I do how she's here now." She lowered her head a bit, the effect being that her eyes became hidden behind the glowing rectangular shapes that were her glasses reflecting the lights. "It's... an old habit of mine to know a little about the Shopkeepers I might choose to visit personally. It is, as you will find, a very prudent and sensible policy, Miro-kun..." Something clicked at this, and Miro stared at her dumbfoundedly. "If YOU'RE here, then who's minding your store?" "Psh, I'm not here to compete with you, boy," the experienced Keeper reprimanded him, but with a soft giggle. "The Bazaar of Wonders is closed for the moment. I have more than enough energy to spare for a little indulgence in my favorite... hobby." She finished with a wink at Miro and another sip at her tea. "..." said Miro. "So... basically... you go around helping new Shopkeepers get by? That's kinda nice. But... may I ask why?" Red just smiled. "That... is a secret." "Uh... right." There was general silence about the room for a few seconds as everyone simply enjoyed the simple comforts of the humble furnishings and the tea... well, almost everyone. Reia still appeared to be sulking, and Miro was beginning to get worried. Maybe he should ask-- "You ran across Weren, you say," Red suddenly said, the intrusion of the voice loud relative to the silence that had been shattered. Miro opened his mouth to speak and then shut it. He simply nodded. "Then you now know better than to go traipsing about on your own, away from the protection of your Shop," Red concluded, an eerie, scolding quality surfacing on her smile. It became sinister, warning. "You still have a lot to learn about being a good Keeper." Miro made a face. "Reia would have been hurt if I hadn't gone out. Besides, *you're*--" "You are but a *fledgling*, child," Red grinned, this time much more amiably... but with a trace of the earlier warning. "Did you know that it was *I* who prevented other Shops from answering that last Request? Make no mistake-- I can take care of myself both inside AND outside my Shop if the need arises." The parrot on Miro's armrest gasped. "YOU did THAT, too!? I thought we were just lucky that time! Oh, Red-sama! We didn't realize... We are ever so GRATEFUL!" Miro's eyes, however, had narrowed and he looked at Red with a little annoyance. Suddenly, all that effort he'd thought had payed off all through his own hard work, without outside help, seemed less... fulfilling. "Thank you then... I suppose. But really now-- if you decide to help me in any way like that again, I'd appreciate it if you would let *me* know first." "Master Miro!" the parrot said, scandalized. After a moment, Red smirked but said nothing. And then she laughed. "Want to be independent, eh?" Red said with approval, smiling even wider, glasses glinting. "Good, GOOD... don't worry-- I don't have any intention of spoonfeeding you. I just like giving new Keepers a small push at the beginning of their careers, that's all. And some friendly advise." Her eyes became sharp again, revealing once more an almost lethal intelligence that lurked underneath her constantly smiling face. "That is, of course... if the new Keeper will have it." They stared at each other for a few moments, Miro and Red, new and old. Miro leaned back on his chair, letting out a deep breath. "The new Keeper will have it," he said. "I knew you were a bright boy," Red said happily. "It would appear that you've made quite a few friends since the last world you visited, though. A former serving girl, a Traveler, and a Lich? Not bad." A laugh played on the Keeper's features as she spoke. "I don't think you'll have to worry about Weren too much this time around, though. He's been making the rounds, it seems-- he visited me earlier in my Shop one night..." "Why, the cad!" the parrot cried. The Shop appeared to have more to say, but Red had raised a hand to silence it. "Sadly, I failed to neutralize him, even with the opportunity right before me. So I suppose, in a way, it was my fault he was still in circulation when you decided to explore," Red said in apology. "Still, it's highly unlikely you'll be seeing him around these parts." "Why?" Miro quizzed her. "For one thing, he isn't privy to Requests, and he'll have a time trying to find where you Shifted-- came to me for a way to follow you around, in fact." She paused to give a snort and an ironic smile. "Apparently, he's never heard of me or my... proclivities before. How unusual." She turned to Miro again, a conspiratorial smile on her lips. "Liches are creatures that feed off the energy from the dead, you see. Not many of that here-- at least, not yet. More to the point, you've been told of the low Faith levels in this world, yes? Liches are beings that need a minimum of people who believe in their existence for them to be really effective. Otherwise, they're severely weakened, and may have a rough time even maintaining their staple illusion spells to disguise themselves." Red beamed. "In other words, Weren doesn't know where you've gone, and even if he did, he'd know that he's almost powerless here, and even if he DID come, he'd certainly be no match for me." "Well, that's a relief to know at least," Miro opined, refilling Red's cup and his own. He noticed that Reia's cup was still full and he gave her an uneasy glance before speaking to Red again. "You mentioned advise..." "You know that OTHER Shop that answered the Request?" Red suddenly interjected. "The Keeper's new, too-- one of the fastest learners I've ever seen as well. Maybe we'd better go have a look, shall we?" She said this as she rose, ignoring the full cup before her. "Wait, HOLD ON, TIME OUT," Miro protested. "Why are we--" "Oh, and... WHEN are you going to get out of that *ridiculous* form?" Red asked in Miro's direction. At first, Miro thought she was talking to him, but then he noticed that the parrot beside him was... *blushing*? "It's... it's the form I find I can best interact with my Master in, and I..." "Oh, don't be absurd," Red chided the parrot, walking over to look down at it reproachingly. "Your true form is *lovely*. I haven't seen it in ages. Show me." Miro couldn't understand the exchange, not immediately... but when Shop, the parrot, suddenly started to grow larger and larger, he began to grasp what Red had been talking about. Even Reia looked up to stare at the growing mass of multi-colored feathers in the center of the room. When the feather pile had reached Red's height, they unfurled and revealed themselves to be wings of magnificent hues and sheens. In the middle, attached to them, was a golden-skinned, dark-haired young woman in a simple white dress. She smiled up shyly at Red and Miro. "Shop?" Miro began, awe in his voice. "Theeeere you are," Red crooned, hands on her hips. And then, she took the Shop's new form by the shoulders and stared at her intently. "I'm sorry about Rinku," she said after a few moments of tense silence. And for the first time since he met her, Miro saw no smile on Red's lips. In its place was a firm line of remorse, and the laughing eyes were gone, transformed into shimmering pools of loss. "Rinku was a good Keeper, but I didn't get word in time. I didn't know where you'd escaped to. I didn't know where you had disappeared to, where you'd been hiding. If I'd known, I would have... You must have... I... I'm so sorry." For a while, Shop said nothing... and then she buried her face in the other girl's chest, crying, sobbing, letting the words rush out as if something inside her had finally broken. "Red-samaaa! It was horrible! Weren! He just... just... *broke* in when Master Rinku was weakened, and he... he..." "Shhh," Red said comfortingly, stroking the smaller girl's black hair soothingly. "It's over now. You have a new master now and I swear on my life that what happened to Rinku won't happen to him." She looked up from Shop to smile sadly at Miro, who was shuffling uncomfortably. "Your Shop isn't just some kind of slave or machine, you have to understand," Red told him. "They have feelings as well and are more than simply your 'shops'-- they can be your friends." Red made the sniffling Shop sit on Miro's chair before turning back to the Keeper-in-training. "Still plan on calling her 'Shop' after this?" she joked. "SURELY you can do better than that." "I HAVE been thinking of alternative names," Miro said defensively. "But I... couldn't come up with any yet... Uhm... how about 'Mi-se'?" he said brightly. Red deadpanned. "That *means* 'shop'," she pointed out. "I like it fine, Master," Shop said from her seat, wiping away the last of her tears. She smiled up at him and Miro found that Red was right-- she WAS lovely. "Mi-se. I like it. Simple and feminine." Red chuckled. "And here I thought you preferred Keepers with more imagination..." Mise blushed again. "Well, now that THAT'S settled," Red said dramatically, making her way to the door. "Mise-chan shall take care of things here. Miro-kun... Let's be off." "To the other Shop?" Miro asked. "But why? What'll we find there?" "Your next lesson, Miro-kun," Red said, disappearing into the front of the Shop. "Your next lesson..." <$> Reia couldn't understand herself. Red made her uneasy... she was awfully pretty and shapely for a woman who at least *acted* a whole lot older than she looked... and then there was the matter of Shop... Mise... whatever. Now that she was out of parrot form, what would Miro think? Not that Reia cared, or anything. Sure, she *kinda* liked him... but not enough to be insanely jealous of a spur-of-the-moment kiss, right? Right? RIGHT!? Wrong. <$> Transit from Miro's Shop to the third Shop on the Plane had been... interesting. Reia began to register a little more life as she looked about in open amazement at everything she saw. Several oglers wanted to know what species Reia and Red were from, and the older Keeper had to turn them all away, sometimes with the threat of physical violence. However, none of the scenes on the road could have compared with what followed as Miro stepped into the Magic Treasure Chest. "OH MY GOD, MIRO, IS THAT REALLY YOU!!?" "RIKURA!?" Miro coughed. "What are YOU doing here?" The dark-haired young woman had flung herself across the counter to land on the other side, startling the costumer who'd been looking at items on display. She ran over to Miro's side and took his hands before beginning to jump up and down like a mad dashboard ornament. "So YOU two know each other," Red mused. "Small multiverse." "What happened!? Why are YOU a Keeper now?" Miro managed, half-shocked and half-delirious with happiness to see his old friend again. "Oh, it was GREAT, Miro!" Rikura gushed, still bouncing in her extreme state of emotion. "I came back to the store with all our friends, and they were all like, 'oh, Rikura, you baka-- there's nothing here', and were, like, 'thanks for interrupting a perfectly good game'. So I got REALLY mad and wanted to show them all so I waited there a bit, even when they left me all alone, and then GUESS WHAT!? ANOTHER magic vending machine thing showed up and it TALKED to me, can you believe that? And it told me stuff about the Shopkeepers, and collecting energy and stuff so you can make stuff, and the Cycle of Faith thing. Hey! Did you know that by selling our stuff, we change fates, and-" Miro clapped his hand over his friend's mouth to dam whatever else might have followed. "I... kinda know a few things about that now." Rikura was almost pounding a small dent on the steel floor from her hopping. "Anyway, it sent me to this other world thing that was EXACTLY like I imagined that Icewind Dale place, and then a bunch of girls came to buy stuff, and they were all giggly for some reason... until they found out I wasn't a boy. After that they all left without buying anything... but quite a few of them came back to chat and asked about me and what I like, isn't that weird? Anyway, some of them offered payments of backrubs instead of money, and--" "Master Rikura!" a voice called out from behind the counter. Up stepped a funny-looking animal that resembled a living stuffed toy, eyeing Miro suspiciously. "Everything alright?" "Your Shop?" Miro asked. "Yup!!!" Rikura squealed. "Isn't he just KAWAAAAIIIII!!?" Red raised a hand in greeting. "Hey there, old timer-- what's the name this time?" "Red!" the Shop said in recognition and a smile spread on its own lips. "Mog this time-- this Keeper with you?" "Yup. Taking him for the rounds," Red said, winking. "Heh," Mog said and regarded Miro with a critical eye before turning back to Red. "He doesn't look like much. Good luck." "I'm REEEEEAAAAALLY glad to see you're okay, Miro!" Rikura beamed. Was it just him, or did she grow slightly... *prettier* since he last saw her? Maybe it was just that he'd missed her so much. "Who're your friends?" she asked, wide eyes taking in Red and Reia. "Long story," Miro sweatdropped. "Listen," the young woman said, ceasing her bouncing and letting go of Miro's hands. "I've got some customers to attend to right now, so guys just wait here and I'll handle stuff way over there, okay?" "Sure," Miro said, feeling a little estranged by Rikura's apparent dedication to her responsibility. "Notice anything by now?" Red asked when Rikura had gone. "What?" Miro said. "Oh, sure, sure. Rikura looks pretty fine, though I'm STILL kinda freaked that she's a Keeper, too. How many hours passed in my dimension while I was in that first world again? Couldn't have been very long. Say, what's the time speed ratio for THIS wor--" "Quiet. Look around you, boy," Red ordered. "What do you see?" Miro blinked. "It's a shop, just like mine." "NOT like yours. Not at all. What do you *see*?" Miro looked around and, after some time to think, he saw. Reia was the one to talk first, though. "Everything here... everything has a theme," Reia mouthed with the air of having solved a moderately difficult puzzle. "Precisely," Red nodded and then she turned to Miro. "You would do well to remember this, Miro-kun: For a Keeper, Requests and the altering of fates is secondary. The first thing you are, now and forever, is a Shopkeeper-- you sell things to those who don't have it, to those who need it... and you gain a profit from it as well. A merchant is nothing without his profit. It's that simple." Miro frowned. "I don't see how that--" "A theme helps you focus, Miro-kun," Red interrupted again, a lazy smile on her face, as if she were teaching a favorite pupil. "When your shop has a theme, you are called upon to make objects that are more closely related to each other, and that means a lower energy cost for making your objects. The costs get lower still as you begin to specialize and become adept at a particular mode of making. What's more, themed objects from themed stores affect fates in very *specific* ways, which means a higher energy yield from the change incurred." Miro nodded. It made SOME sort of sense. He looked around, and, indeed, he saw. Rikura's shop wasn't just a hodgepodge of peculiar objects thrown together. It was, true to its name, basically a collection of small trinkets and baubles, items that were not exactly utilitarian... but not without their uses either. But this was merely the secondary common trait in all of Rikura's wares. In truth, the most obvious theme to be seen was that all of the goods were... "Oooooooh, SHINY," a costumer said in a hypnotized voice as he padded over to where a line of snowglobes were set up. "Wow," Miro mouthed, staring around at the assorted gaudiness. "And I thought Sho-- I mean, Mise said that Rikura had no imagination..." "You don't really need imagination for this job," Red laughed softly. "Just intuition and a sense of what it is the customer needs. If you can't make something up, you can draw from an experience of yours, or something you've seen or read about. That's what your friend, Rikura appears to be skilled at. She's simply a *genius* at coming up with items from the right universes." Miro looked around and saw that, once again, she was right. He even recognized almost all of the things on the shelves. Real elven mithril. Actual Thran powerstones... whole ROWS of them... small jewels which he knew to exist only in certain roleplaying worlds he'd played together with Rikura and the others... The Keeper stopped his thought short-- something caught a sense of his. Not sight, sound, smell, feel or taste... just a *sense*. He turned to peer intently at a small girl in a lurid yellow bodysuit toying with a spherical pendant. "That girl..." Miro choked, the sense filling his world. "Her fate..." "SO... your Keeper senses are getting better now, eh?" Red spared the girl a glance before looking at Miro again, arms folded. "Yes, the Request gravitates around her fate. Of course, the Request also specifies that if you manage to sell enoug items to a certain number of the local bounty hunters the effect will be the same, but basically, that girl is the focal point of a lot of potential energy." But Miro was not listening. He was reading the girl, her movement, her life as it was revealed to him in her minutae and behaviour. "She's troubled about something," Miro decided. "And she's looking for answers." He straightened from the slight slouch he didn't even realize he'd slipped into. "Whatever it is, she hasn't found it here. Not yet." The yellow-clad girl stared up around her at the objects for sale. She stared at something in her hand, shook her head and then left through one of the Magical Treasure Chest's exits. "Darn," Rikura pouted, walking over to where Miro was. "I was hoping she'd buy something." She pinned Miro with her intense brown eyes. "That was Knelta-- she was my very first costumer of the day! But... she's been here reeeally long and she hasn't bought anything yet. It's too bad... I really wanted her to have something..." "She's looking for something specific," Miro told her. "But even she doesn't know what it is exactly yet." Rikura blinked and turned to stare at Miro. "How did you know tha--" Gears turned, and a connection was made. "Oh, heeeeeeeeeey, that's RIGHT!" Rikura said, slapping a fist on an open palm. "You have a Shop of your own, too now, right? Waait a sec. If *you're* here, then that means your Shop's nearby... then THAT means you're here to answer the Request thingy, too!!!" "Uhh... yeah... that's kinda how it is," Miro sweatdropped. Rikura leapt back a full three meters at the realization, an accusing finger raised and pointed at Miro, who gaped at the girl. "WAH! Then you must be a RIVAL DESU!" Rikura said with feeling, though her challenging tone was mostly just exaggeration. She powerposed and Miro could have sworn that the image of Japan's sunrise over a crash of waves splashing on the shore flashed behind Rikura as she did so. "HMPH! Don't think that because we're friends I'll take it easy on you, Miro-kun!!!" "Um... okay, I won't," Miro conceded easily, scratching at the side of his cheek in embarassment. "As Keepers, you're my great rival!" Rikura pronounced, hands on her hips. And then a smile broke on her face again. "This'll be so much FUN, Miro! We're gonna be all CUTTHROAT and stuff, and we're gonna STEAL customers and Requests from each other! We'll see who can get the most energy out of a world! Ooooh! I can't wait! But we're still friends, right?" "Of course," Miro facetwitched, his smile becoming more unstable. "WAI!" Rikura yelped in glee, launching herself at Miro and then planting a big, wet one on his cheek. "You're the greatest! Whoops-- looks like I'm needed in the back room. I'll be seeing you later, Rival-chaaaaaaaaaaaan!!! Let's trade stories sometime!!! I'm sure you have a lot by now!" At that, she spun on her heel and then took off at the summons of her Shop. "Well THAT was both happy and strange," Miro observed, turning to his two companions. Reia was gone. "Hey!" Miro looked left and right, but found no trace of the girl. "Where'd she go?" Red simply shrugged and jerked a thumb over her shoulder to indicate that she had gone out the door behind her. "Oh, damn, she could get in trouble by herself," Miro spat. He turned to Red as he rushed out. "You go ahead to my Shop. I'll try and go find Reia." When Miro had gone, Red stayed where she was, apparently contemplating the path he'd taken out to follow Reia. She brought back to memory how Reia had looked when Rikura had first greeted Miro, her reaction to how Rikura had taken the male Keeper's hands, how the by then flushed barmaid took the innocent peck on the cheek. Red closed her eyes, a knowing smile on her lips, and the Keeper shook her head slowly in a resigned manner. "Kids." <$> Reia didn't know where she was running to... didn't care. She had to get away, just get away from-- *THUD* "Hey, watch it there-- oooh, what have we here?" Reia looked up to see a group of men in what looked like patterned uniforms look back down at her. They didn't appear very friendly. "Hey, miss," said one, a lazy smirk behind his visor. "Don't you know that minors ain't allowed out without guardians after curfew hour?" "Yeah," adjoined another. He made a show of looking around as if to see whether anyone was listening, and then he leaned over to whisper. "Confidentially, I hear that... questionable elements have been seen around in the area." The troop of four laughed at the small joke. They smelled of alcohol. Reia backed off slowly, knowing full well that she had run straight into trouble again. She'd had experience with men like these before-- it was all the same in any universe. There were always men who measured bravery by the number of weak they oppressed, galvanized their wills by mingling with their fellow brutes, deadened their pity with drink, and thought of women as only one thing. Speed was Reia's only chance. A rough hand clamped down on her wrist as she tried to spin around and run, so she turned back and bit into the fingers-- survival demanded the shedding of some scruples. The armed guard, however, did not let go. "OHO! Look here! She's trying to bite through my mesh fiber! You think it means she likes me? HAHAHAHA--" "Mebbe she thinks she's a Steel-toothed Varmidian!" his friend guffawed with gusto, ambling over to assist and grabbed Reia by her other wrist. "Sorry, girl, I'm afraid we'll have to arrest you for disturbin' the peace! Namely, MY piece! HAHA!" "HEY! Who here wants to search her first, eh?" "Sounds fine by me!" "Let her go." Everyone turned to stare at the figure at the mouth of the narrow road. It was a small, petite silhouette, clad in a bright yellow that was contrasted by the newcomer's rich, black hair. "Don't make me say it again," the small figure warned when the guards made no move to release Reia. "Or what, liddle girl?" one of the patrol guards sneered, drawing a wicked-looking gun from his hip. A press of the button had it humming in a decidedly threatening manner. "You're gonna kick our butts with your KUNG FU?" "Actually," said the girl, stepping into the light and holding something up where they could all see. It was a badge of some kind, and the small girl's expression matched the grim look of the golden symbol. "I'll just have you all executed." Reia found her wrists free as all four guards suddenly stood up straight and executed salutes that almost made them pass for real soldiers. "GENERAL! SIR!" they chorused. "We're sorry, SIR! We didn't know it was you, SIR! What can we do for you, SI--" "Just get out of my sight, you sorry sacks," the 'General' grumbled, rubbing at her head and entering the alley. "SIR, YESSIR, SIR!" the troop called out as they marched out in single file. Reia noted with some bemusement as the soldiers passed their superior that the girl in yellow didn't even come up to half their heights. "You alright, miss?" the small military leader asked. "Uhm... yes... thank you," Reia stammered, unsure what to do. "You were in that store--" "Knelta," the diminuitive commander introduced herself. "Knelta Damin. Glad to be of service." "Uhm... the pleasure's all mine," Reia responded, a little dazed, taking and shaking the hand the little girl offered. "I'm sorry about the actions of my troops, madam," Knelta said with sincerity, taking her hand to lead her out of the dark corner. "I'm afraid discipline hasn't been as tight as it should be. Soldiers harassing the very citizens they're supposed to protect is simply unforgivable. What WERE you doing in that dingy corner, miss?" "Uhmm..." Reia began, reddening. "REIA! There you are! I thought I'd NEVER find you!" Knelta regarded Miro for a moment before studying the reddening face Reia got at his arrival, and the general physiological change that had siezed the girl at the man's appearance. Knelta made the only possible inferrence from it. "Boyfriend?" she queried, making Reia choke on her spittle. <$> "I'd... better accompany you to wherever it is you two are going," General Knelta said to the pair striding along behind her. "Best to see that you get home safely." Miro nodded and then turned to speak to Reia in a low voice. "So she saved you from a bunch of goons?" "Yeah, she's quite something," Reia confirmed, closely following the child leading them. "Don't you think she's a little... *young* to be an army's general?" "Try not to think about it," Miro advised, a weak smile on his face. "Makes life easier. Oh, why'd you run out on the Magical Treasure Chest back there? Did anything bother you in there?" At that, Reia fell silent once more, and she hid her face from Miro's view. "Reia?" "Here we are. Helloooo," Knelta said with a soft whistle, looking the front of Miro's shop up and down. "I don't remember THIS store being here either..." Miro almost gagged at the statement. This girl was VERY perceptive. He'd have to improvise if he didn't want to be found out. "Um... I just set up," Miro said casually, ending the explanation with a short laugh. "The store's new, so I suppose you really haven't seen it before... hehe." "Oh. Well, that's fine then," Knelta decided, appraising the shop from outside. She turned to look up at Miro with curious eyes. "Are you open? May I come in?" "Sure, why not?" Miro said, smiling. "In fact, we're having an opening sale, so please feel free to browse at your liesure." When they all three stepped inside, Mise was there to greet them, but Red was nowhere it sight. Hm. Probably went back to mind her own Shop. That was fine. What the expert Keeper was doing for newer initiates into the craft was laudable, and Mise certainly seemed to have a high opinion of her, but personally, Miro was still grappling with all the implications of Red's self-imposed obligations to the young Keepers of her choice. Perhaps he'd be better able to understand after a good night's rest. Right now, more pressing matters were at hand. "Uhm... Miro..." Reia began, looking like something was troubling her. "I... I'll be in the back room. I need to sit down a while." Miro was a little anxious to know what the problem was, but decided not to press Reia for something she wished to keep to herself. He nodded, and the girl disappeared into the small chambers. "Master, Master!" Mise began urgently, tugging at Miro's sleeve when Knelta had strolled past earshot. "That small girl! She's a really important person in this world! If an item she buys here changes her destiny, the energy we could get from it would be--" "I know all about her," Miro said to the excited Shop, putting a hand on her head to calm her down. "Red and I saw her in that other Shop.." "WHAT!?" Mise burst out in horror and then clapped her hands over her mouth. Knelta whirled her head to stare at the winged girl curiously before returning to her examination of the wares available. When they were sure the general wasn't listening, Mise began again, whispering this time. "What!? She... she didn't BUY anything, did she?" "No, no... she appears to be looking for answers..." Miro mused again, looking back at Knelta to see if it was still the case. "And we both know that that's one commodity that almost never comes pre-packaged..." For the moment, Knelta was the only customer in the Shop, and Miro watched her with interest for a few minutes as the slender young girl picked this up, turned that around, poked at something by the corner. At last, collecting himself, the young man got up and walked over to her. <$> "Curiosities," Knelta thought to herself as she looked around. The items were of an assorted nature, most probably a collection of small novelties from different planets. They were much less bright and attractive than those products sold at the Treasure Chest, but they were more friendly and less intimidating... almost homy, in fact, just like the store itself. Knelta paused in her idling when she saw the proprietor approach her. Young man, dark hair, late teens, nice, friendly attitude, she'd gathered. What did he want to talk to her about? "Hi again, Miss Damin," Miro smiled. "Please, call me Knelta," the young girl said, raising a hand and then lowering it. "Is anything the matter?" "No, no, not really," Miro assured her, turning to regard some of the stacks of his own merchandise. "It's just that I don't think I've really introduced myself yet." He looked down at her again, and offered his hand. "My name's Miro and I'm the owner of this Shop. Thank you for saving my friend. It's a pleasure to meet you." Knelta took the hand and Miro found that her grip was strong. She pumped it twice before releasing it again. "Don't mention it. This is a nice place you have here." "Thank you," Miro said graciously before hunkering down to sit on his heels so that he was a little below Knelta's eye level. He turned his gaze to the shelf Knelta had been looking at when he walked over. "Found anything of interest yet?" "My teachers always used to say that to ever find something, you must first know what you are looking for... I guess that's my problem," the young girl laughed a little bitterly. "I don't even know what exactly it is I'm searching for." There was a silence as Miro considered this. When he said nothing in comment, Knelta reached for one of the items-- a small cylinder with a crystal floating freely inside it-- and looked it over. "At any rate, I don't think I can afford to buy anything even if I wanted to," Knelta murmured. "I bring as little money as I can help-- I don't like spending government funds." Miro smirked. This girl was appearing more and more unusual by the second. Perhaps... *ahem* "You really don't have to worry all that much about money," Miro said cheerfully. "Like I said, I have an opening sale right now, and besides..." He leaned stood up and then leaned over to wink down at a blinking Knelta. "I have a store policy you might find interesting." "Go on," the small girl prompted, suddenly curious. "I deal in many currencies, but my favorite coin is a story," Miro told her, enjoying the disbelieving look that settled on Knelta's face at the revelation. "If you manage to tell me a decent story, I can significantly lower the price on anything you choose to purchase." "I don't know... sounds a little strange to me," Knelta admitted. She couldn't keep the interest from her eyes, however, and the girl looked down at her feet. "Besides, I'm not good for any stories, not really. Everyone I know agrees that I'm a horrible storyteller, and--" "Just tell me about your story then," Miro invited, taking a seat on one of the chests near him. "For one thing, I think I'd greatly appreciate it if you told me how it is you got to be a general." "Heh, you really ARE new here, aren't you?" Knelta smirked. "If you really don't know about me yet, then someone must have kept a lot of things from you. You can read about me in almost any news network. Sure you want to hear this from me?" Miro made himself comfortable on his seat and he closed his eyes to begin to listen. "Positive." <$> Project Gigaman was designed to produce the perfect strategic minds, a grand undertaking with the aim of genetically manipulating bloodlines to come up with ideal military men in the service of Heticus' armies. They got a girl. Undeterred, the Project went on, but Knelta Damin could still be used. It wasn't easy being reared from childbirth to command armed legions, but Knelta managed, and actually managed excellently. At five, she was beating the grandmasters at all the classic board games, and at seven, she could disarm a grown man three times her size. Life was a rigorous cycle of training, field deployment, and intense psychological drilling and intellectual stimulation. The result was this: Heticus' youngest army general at twelve full years old, and one of its craftiest, skilled and most deadly. And most confused. The city-ship had definitely seen better times. Only recently, about a couple of cycles ago, a mass of bounty hunters had boarded from God knew where. The mercenaries were peaceful, and wished to stay in the city-ship, but the residents had grown uneasy. Fights had broken out among the city-ship's older inhabitants and the newer, hot-tempered mercs... but that would have been fine had that been all that happened. Later, things got even more serious. A resident had been killed, and it was unclear who the culprit was. The men of the Heticus, of course, blamed the mercs. The bounty hunters swore on their honor that they killed no one. Riots had started all along the city-ship's levels, and several were hurt before the army could restore order. <$> "So now I've declared martial law in the Heticus," Knelta finished, sighing in a world-weary manner. "It's been effective somewhat, but I know the peace won't last... another conflict is inevitable. The greatest risk is of civil war... but I don't know what to do. All my skills fail me. So, there you have it-- my story." Strangely enough, upon ending her tale, Knelta felt better than she had a in a long time. Perhaps all she'd really needed was someone to talk to. No... The problem still stood. Miro was nodding in understanding, rubbing his chin in a meditative manner, eyes still closed. Knelta watched him for a while, waiting for a reaction of some kind. After some time had passed, and still Miro had not offered comment, Knelta began to become impatient. "Well?" It sure was some story, Miro decided in a satisfied manner. Here was a young girl raised since birth to become something other than the child she should have been. Perhaps if he made her something that could call on that lost side of hers... "Mister Miro?" Knelta said with concern. The young man had been 'meditating' for a full minute now. The necessary energies had coalesced-- now it could take on a corporeal form. Miro chose one, and had a little trouble getting it right... he'd never attemoted anything like it before, but the principle was simple enough... all he needed was a little more time. Finally, Knelta couldn't take it any longer and she walked over to maybe prod the sleeping Shopkeeper awake. It would just figure that she'd bored him to death with a story like her-- Eyes flying open, Miro suddenly whipped something out from behind, where he'd been keeping his hands. At first, Knelta thought it was some kind of weapon, and she fell into a stance of defense... but then again, she'd never seen such a furry weapon... or ever heard of one going 'mew'. The preadolescent general blinked in confusion. "It's a creature of some kind," she said, peering cautiously at the wriggling thing in Miro's hands. "Where have you been keeping i--" "It's something special I've been keeping around," Miro lied. "Here, see how you like her." Before Knelta could protest, Miro dropped the entire affair into the girl's arms. She gasped, and almost dropped the small creature in her arms. Finally, she managed to cradle it somewhat awkwardly in between her arms, where it looked up at her with large, feline eyes. "Mew," it bleated, and pawed at the air up at her. "It's so small and fragile..." Knelta said softly, mesmerized by the creature's movements. It looked like a cat, and Knelta knew cats... but it really wasn't. For one thing, no natural cat had a tail so long, or fur so sleek and speckled with the most fascinating patterns. It even seemed to be changing color as it lay there, reflexively blending into, and imitating the shade of Knelta's arms, becoming harder to notice from afar. A product of specialized evolution... a living being with a specific survival apparatus, designed to be a predator, a killer and yet it was just really an infant, weak, small, vulnerable, and in need of someone like her to care for it... Knelta looked up despite herself, a thought having rushed across her mind, a thought inspired by the squirming animal in her arms. She turned to Miro again, and this time, her eyes were aflame with a renewed life. Miro smiled bemusedly as Knelta held her prize out, holding it by its tiny body. "How much for this creature?" she demanded. Her expression was set, and she looked as if she was afraid of the price Miro would name, as if she were sure that it was considerably more than she had. "Uhh... Well... what do YOU think is a fair price for..." "Don't play games with me," Knelta cut him off. "I know nothing about this animal, but YOU, of course, know much more than I how much it's truly worth. Name a price." Miro swallowed. Finally, he decided on a halftruth. "I... I'm sorry," he apologized with a sheepish laugh. "I say I'm setting up a business here... but I'm really unfamiliar with the money here, and... I really don't know where the current exchange rate stands, so..." At first, Knelta just stood there, open-mouthed at Miro's apparent incompetence. Finally, she tucked the mewing creature under her arm (where it promptly turned a bright yellow), and then reached into her pockets to grab at its contents. She presented her upturned fist to Miro and then opened it, revealing what looked to Miro to be a small pile of colored plastic chips. "Say this is enough," Knelta said urgently. "Say it at least SEEMS like enough. I know my story wasn't all that good, but if this isn't enough, just ask any military personnel-- they'll tell you where you can--" Miro held his hands up, a shaky smile on his face. "Woah, woah, woah, slow down," he said, laughing. "That seems more than enough, and I assure you, your story was anything but bad. The creature is yours." Miro took the plastic chips from her hand, but Knelta took her time withdrawing her hand. Hugging onto her new possession, she stared at Miro with half-lidded, calculating eyes. "You're not even going to count it?" she asked after a moment. "Uhh..." Miro said, bringing his open hand up to begin at least a pretense of counting. "Then our transaction is over?" "Huh? Oh, oh, yes. The deal is closed. I--" Holding on to the tiny cat-thing as if the very wraiths of Hades would snatch it away from her, Knelta rushed to the Shop door with a speed that made Miro jump back in surprise. The undersized general halted upon reaching the portals, though, and she turned to spare Miro with a final glance. "It was a pleasure doing business with you. Thank you," she said. "You don't how much this means to me." "Oh, no," Miro said as Knelta took off into the street. He smiled. "It's YOU who don't know how much this means to me." "You did it! Oh, Master, you did it!" Mise was shouting with glee, jumping her way to where Miro had slumped against the wall tiredly. "You closed the Request in a single swoop! Oh, I never had any doubt!" Miro, however, was thinking of something else. What was it that that girl realized when he gave her that animal? Ah... but that would be a story for another time. <$> "Braaaavo," said a slightly awed voice from the other side of the Shop. "Bra-VO." This was accompanied by soft clapping. Miro turned to see Red grinning from ear to ear, with Reia behind her. "Sorry if I didn't let you know I was here," the old Keeper apologized with a teasing voice. "I wanted to see that imagination of yours in action... and it looks like you've managed fairly well, EVEN without a theme..." "You still don't get it, do you, Red-senseii?" Miro asked, though he did so in a perfectly friendly manner. "Get what, Miro-kun?" Miro closed his eyes, feeling the contentedness of a job well done. "I've *always* had a theme." Red smiled bemusedly, and Mise went on making happy noises from beside the resting Miro. When Miro opened his eyes again, Reia emerged from behind Red to look at him with a strange look in her eyes. It almost looked as if she was angry, or something. Well... at least she wasn't sad anymore. "Now that you've completed the Request, Miro-kun," Red began, striding over, Reia in close tow. "I have a little something to talk about with you regarding a certain habit that some young Shopkeepers have..." "Which would be...?" "Well, you very well know how hazardous it can be for a Keeper to leave the sanctuary of his or her Shop... quite a few Keepers have gotten around that quite easily, especially those who require obtaining raw material from outside." She looked up at Miro, a faint gleam in her eye and glasses. "Miro-kun... have you ever thought about employing a familiar?" "A familiar?" Miro echoed, but already, he had some idea what Red was describing, but he let her talk anyway. "A familiar," Red repeated. "A willing helper who can go out of the Shop in lieu of yourself, especially in times of high risk. Your familiar could do small errands for you, obtain things--" "That sounds muc too dangerous for the familiar," Miro said in a toneless voice. "I don't think anyone sane would ever agree to be--" "I've decided to become your familiar." Miro blinked. The voice was Reia's. "Wh-WHAT!? But you *can't* be my familiar! FOr one thing, we have to take you home as soon as possible. Your family's probably worried sick about you by now, and--" The firmness in Reia's voice alone made Miro stop talking. The look on her face made him somehow re-evaluate her hardiness as a familiar. "I have no more family, not back in that other world," Reia said. "Ask Miss Red-- I'm an orphan and have no home except where I happen to be working at the moment." Her eyes became serious. "If you turn me down, I will have nowhere to go back to." Miro facetwitched and Red actually laughed at his difficulty. Throwing a friendly arm around the boy's shoulders, Red laughed some more and adjusted her glasses. "It's no use, Miro-kun," she said, still giggling. "I offered her passage back, but she refused. It looks like she hasn't had enough of Adventure, yet." She chuckled. "And, also, if you haven't noticed, she has more at stake here than even SHE realized." "Whuh?" Miro gulped, unsure how he had been cornered into this. He turned and eyed Reia warily as she stepped closer. She looked as if she was about to bop him or something. "Miro." "Uh... Reia?" Miro managed through a suddenly dry mouth. "Damn you," the pretty young girl said with a cute pout, glaring death at the male Shopkeeper. "Uh..." Miro said, unsure how to take the curse. "Damn you for forcing my hand, Miro," Reia went on, steping closer... a LOT closer actually. "I'd better do this before anyone ELSE beats me to it." Miro was beyond confused now. "Huh!?" And that was all he got out before Reia smothered his lips with a deep, loooooooong kiss. Red watched amusedly. Mise appeared shocked beyond articulation. Reia finally parted lips with Miro, who had become short of breath and more than a little tinged with red, especially around the face. "Your friend Rikura was wrong," the former barmaid said with conviction in her voice. She turned to walk away into the back room once more. "YOU aren't anything she should be worried about," she said as she disappeared into the room. "Because her only rival around here is ME." Mise, sputtering with indignation, followed Reia in, presumably to... well, Miro didn't know WHAT to presume at this point. "What was THAT all about?" he asked nobody in particular, a dazed look in his eyes. Red just shook her head, still smiling. "You still have a lot to learn, Miro-kun... and not just about being a Keeper." She stared up at the ceiling, lively light dancing in her eyes. "A LOT to learn...." <$> Author's Notes (kinda long... I'm warning you): GRAH. I had to finish this thing in two days after having just finished my Shinji's Alternate Universes part, which came up AT THE SAME TIME as my turn for THIS impro. Not that I'm complaining, though. I'm sure one of YOU *will*, however-- this part, despite the limited time I had to write it in, is longer than the last three parts combined. YIKES. But... I just had SO MANY IDEAS! This was fun. Yeees, yes, it was. Anyway, hope I cleared miss redhead-with-glasses up a bit-- gave her a name AND a character profile, yay... brought a bit of closure to the whole Alea thing, decided to nail Shop's name, AND give it a better, cuter form (the parrot was okay, but you have to admit, all that SQUAWKING was beginning to get annoying-- besides, Segev introduced the plot point of an alternate form in HIS part =p), and yes, I did, indeed, find it justifiable, if not *necessary* to make Rikura a Shopkeeper as well. It returns her to the story, and in a different way from the alternate branch. =p The only idea I didn't manage to work in was how Miro only got the gig as Keeper because he was looking for a job in the first place. Someone's going to have to remind everyone that Miro STILL has a mom waiting at home for his report. =p Oh, and did anyone notice how suddenly filled with girls the story became? I didn't mean to do it-- HONEST! Well... maybe a little. XD And as for all the kissing... uhh... heehee. ^.^ The girls so far: Rikura, Reia, Red, Mise, Alea, and even Knelta, if you count a temporary secondary character. Why is it that somehow, all these dimension-travelling stories with a young boy as a hero always manage to end up with a higher girl to guy ratio (El Hazard, Dual...)? Probably because of people like me. XD Bah. I'm not sorry if I introduced any plot points someone may dislike-- it's about time someone around here was unapologetic for his own bad judgement. FLAME ME FLAME ME FLAME ME. ^__^_v I am, however, sorry that this has become my first EVER part that I send in without at least ONE person to have preread it. Hence, any continuity goofs and spelling/grammar errors I may have commited. I was in a hurry so as not to get my FIRST SKIP EVER. I have NEVER skipped. NEEEEVEEER. GOMEN. THANK YOU to Cham and Calculus for the extension. You guys ROCK. Good luck to the next author, and I sincerely hope people liked this despite everything I've done. ^_^ Godspeed! -MtB <$> The woman stared down at the revolving starscape that was the city-ship's most prominent feature. Her thoughts however, were on anything but the striking beauty of the galaxy in view. "So it IS true," she whispered hoarsely. The blonde finally stared up to take in the figure standing with his back to her, arms folded, back straight and proud. A single question left her trembling lips. "Why?" "Power, my dear Alea, has always an end in itself," the man answered in a dark voice, not turning. "You should not even have asked." "NO! I wasn't *talking* about the Artifact," Alea hissed, stepping forward, barely able to keep herself under control. Her fists clenched and her eyes shimmered with moisture from behind her visor. "I was talking about US. Why have you joined the Mad Ones? Why--" "I am NOT mad," the man snarled, finally sparing her a glance from over his shoulder, revealing eyes of the darkest purple below bangs of jet black. "I have never thought as clearly." He turned away again. "As for that other matter..." "Well?" He didn't answer for a few moments. "Goodbye, Alea," the man finally said, stepping over the edge and into open air. "Do not follow me again. It is what is best for you. Forget about me. Go on with your life. We never were." He launched himself from the ledge and began his downward plunge for the Heticus' floor over hundreds of meters below. "REILL!" Alea screamed, her legs breaking out into a full out dash for the precipice. She stumbled a few feet from the edge and stared down the steel cliff at the lower levels of the Heticus city complex. The man was gone. And the Traveler was alone with her tears.