Off to Mexico (3)
Sixth Sense Dreamer -- 6th and Artickat had just finished...
tying up a ton of food into a giant rug laying in the floor when the ship listed sharply to portside.
"WOAH!" they both shouted as they were flung to the side of the galley. 6th found herself half leaning, half laying against the wall. She looked over at Artickat.
"This ship's going down faster than I thought it would." 6th said. "Quick, let's haul this rug up on deck.
Together, the two girls dragged the rug up topside, where they met the other girls.
"Where's Spyral?" Mouse cried.
"They must be down in the treasure room." KaraS said.
"You girls look around and see if you can figure out a safe way off this tub. I'll go get Spyral." 6th said and hurried back down towards the treasure room.
When she got there, 6th drew up short of the door.
"Oh, crap." she muttered. When the ship had listed, a ton of equipment had fallen across the doorway. 6th shouted,"Spyral? Malachi? Parrot?" she heard their voices shout back through the door, but couldn't make out what they were saying. 6th began tossing equipment every which way, trying to uncover the door.
Back topside, the girls had quickly figured out that the only way to get off the boat and onto the island would be to swim for it. The pirates had a few smaller boats tied to the side, but the listing of the larger craft had made it impossible for the smaller baots to be lowered into the water.
"There's no way I can swim that far without dumping most of this food." Artickat sighed. She undid the knots holding the rug closed and started tossing some of the supplies out.
"Kara, come hold this other end for me. It's slipping." Artic said. Kara took hold of one corner of the rug. It jerked itself out of her hands.
"HEY!" Kara yelled, as food and supplies went rolling off the carpet and down the slanted deck.
"What the..." Artic said, as the rug shook itself and floated up off the deck.
"Wow!" Mouse and Rae gasped at the same time.
"It's a flying carpet!" Kara cried.
"Hey, maybe we don't have to go to that island!" said Artickat. The rug curled itself around and one corner raised up to Artic's face. The tassles brushed her cheek.
"Hey! I think it likes you!" giggled Mouse.
"Um, hi there Carpet." Artic said slowly, patting the carpet. "Would you like to rescue a bunch of damsels in distress?" The carpet made a fuzzy purring sound, and swirled itself around Artickat. Then it floated down about a foot off the deck and flicked one corner at the girls.
"Cool!" Mouse cried and stepped up on the carpet. The other girls followed, and the carpet began to rise.
"Wait!!!" Artickat cried. The carpet hovered, waiting.
"There are more of us coming. Go back down." Artickat said, and the carpet made a shrugging motion and floated back down to the deck. Rae jumped off and headed towards the treasure room, calling over her shoulder "I'll be right back. I'm going to see what's taking 6th and the others so long."
"Hurry!" KaraS yelled. "We don't have much time before this boat sinks!"
Raven-Kat -- Rae walks into the treasure room
"Sheesh! Never let a guy do a chick's work!" Rae pulls a bobby pin out of her hair and begins picking the locks one by one.
"Rae!" Spyral says. "I had no idea you were of a larcenous bent."
"It's amazing the things you learn in girl-scouts." Rae says quickly, pocketing some of the treasure for herself. "Ohhh, look at this dagger!"
Sweetiepie Parrot -- “I’ve never been so happy....
to see anyone in my life!" Sweetiepie shreiked as Rae and Sixth opened the door to the treasure room.
Quickly he flew out past them and up the stairs to the deck. The others weren't so lucky. The rising water was now up to everyone's waist.
"Oh me, oh my. My beautiful ship." Malachi moaned.
"Help me with him." Spyral told the girls.
Rae and Sixth helped Spyral pull Malachi across the junk blocking the treasure room door and the four of them started up the narrow stairs. But the water was rising fast.
"Hurry up." Rae panted.
"We're trying." Spyral replied.
They slogged down the corridor to the next hatch and went up another deck. But the old man was slowing them down. The water was climbing faster than they were. Suddenly there was a crash and the boat listed to starboard. Everyone smashed into the wall. The lights flickered and went out. It was pitch black.
"Oh, I've hit my head. I've gone blind." Malachi moaned.
"It's not you, it's the lights. No one can see anything." Sixth reassured him.
"Hold on." Spyral said. There was a clinking noise as Spyral fished through all the treasure in his wing. Then he pulled out a high powered flashlight and turned it on. By it's light the little group saw that the passageway up to the next deck had been blocked by more falling debris.
"Is there another way up?" Sixth shouted at Malachi.
"No no, this is the only way"
"Damn." Sixth swore.
There was a moment of silence.
Then the angel sighed.
"It looks like I'm going to drown today after all." he said.
Meanwhile, up on deck...
"Sweetiepie, what's taking them so long." KaraS said. "This ship is sinking fast."
"How should I know? I'm up here with you."
"Well, you WERE down there with them." Mouse pointed out.
"We should go down and find them." artickat said.
"Then we all drown." Sweetiepie said. "If they're not back soon, we leave without them."
"What???" the others gasped. "No way!"
"I'm not waiting for them to come back." Mouse said. "I'm going to find them."
"I'll come too." Kara said. "Arctic, you stay with the carpet. We don't want it to fly away without us. Sweetiepie, you're coming too."
With that Karas grabbed the small parrot (who squaked in protest) and she and Mouse dashed back into the sinking ship.
Raven-Kat -- Is this a bad time to mention
that I can't swim? Do you have any scuba gear in your wings, Spyral? Can we fit the old dude in there?"
Spyral -- “S#$T, This ig gonna hurt”..
...Spyral quickly rips feathers from his wing and passes them to the others.
"Put these in your mouths like straws and you will be able to draw air thru them," he says.
"Sixth, take Malachi, and keep him close. Rae, I want you to put your arms around my neck and..."
"But I...You...We.." she hesitates.
"Look", Spyral says, "If I'm gonna pick a time to get romantic, it is not gonna be on a sinking ship, believe me there will be wine, candles, lots of roses, and we can talk about that if we get out of this alive."
"Damn", Sixth says in admiration.
Rae says nothing, stepping to Spyral, placing her arms around his neck.
He pulls her close, "Hold tight and don't let go," He says as the waters began to rise above their heads. His large wing them folds forward, shielding Rae from harm. Yelling to Sixth, "Whatever you do, stay behind me."
Moving forward to the pile of debris and reaching into his wing, Spyral pulls forth that which he had intended to pull out back on the speedboat....a large gleaming sword, looking more like a long silver cone with a handle.
Ramming it forward into the pile, the debris began to disintegrate into smaller pieces, clearing a path to freedom....
artickat -- Not knowing
what else to do artickat tries to make small talk with the magic carpet. "So...you come here often? he,he. Only kidding...How about this one? Any more like you at home? he,he."
The MC makes a move as if to say *yes*.
"You mean...there are more magic carpets?" artickat looks at the MC.
*No*
"Then, what are you talking about?" artickat asks in frustration. The MC jerks forward and artickat has to cling to the carpet so she doesn't fall off. "Watch it! I've been knocked on my butt enough! Next time, give a girl some warning."
The MC goes to the Captains body and with a corner picks up a bag that is tucked into the Captians belt.
"What is it?" artickat asks as she peaks in the bag "A lamp? Is this what I think it is?" artickat looks at the MC.
*YES*
"Why didn't you tell us this before?"
*shrug*
"Here goes nothing!" artickat starts to rub the lamp and smoke begins to come out. #%}
Sixth Sense Dreamer -- Pink, swirling smoke....
Began to pour out of the lamp. Artickat set the lamp down on the MC, and watched as the smoke coalesced into a human form. As it took shape, it began to wave its arms around in the smoke, and cough. Artickat helped wave away the smoke, and looked up at the smokey form in front of her.
"Um...Hi." Artickat said shakily, hoping that this was a nice genie. The genie stretched his arms, then placed his hands on the small of his back, cracking it.
"Shades of Allah, its sure feels good to get out of there!" he said, his voice booming. He looked down at Artickat. "Are you my cute, furry new master? Uh, Mistress?"
Artickat smiled at the genie. " I guess so...what's your name?"
"Apu. Apu Mahasaphenipephalan." the genie crossed his arms and smiled.
"Your'e named after that guy who runs the Quik-E-Mart in 'The Simpsons'?" Artickat began to laugh, but stopped quickly at the hurt look on the genie's face.
"Where I come from, being compared to the Great Apu is the highest of complements!" the genie said, hurt.
"Oh, I didn't mean to make you feel bad!" artickat said, patting the genie lightly on the arm. "I've just never heard anyone pronounce that name before so...beautifully!"
"Really? You are a very nice mistress. What would you like me to do?"
"Can you send us all back to Mexico?" Artickat asked hopefully. The genie shook his head sadly.
"Sorry." he said, "I'm not a very powerful genie." he stopped and thought a second. "Did you say us? There are more of you furry people?"
Artickat giggled "Yes and no. There are more of us, but they aren't all furry! They are all down in the treasure room?"
"I'd like to meet them. With your permission, may I bring them up here?"
"Um...I guess so...How many wishes do I get?" Artickat asked
"Two."
"TWO???" isn't that a bit of a gyp?" Artickat asked. Apu shrugged.
"hey, I don't make the rules."
"Does wishing the others up here count as a wish since I didn't say it and you did?"
"I'll give you that one for free." Apu snapped his fingers.
The entire gang appeared several feet above the carpet, all in different positions.
"Ack!" they all cried, and fell in a heap on the carpet.
"Hey watch that Sword, spyral!" Mouse cried, as the glowing sword swung about, nearly giving Mouse a really close haircut.
"Sorry." spyral said, slightly embarrassed. He put away the sword.
6th looked around, one of Spyral's feathers dangling from her lips. Her gaze caught sight of the genie.
"Wow..." she breathed, her eyes growing wide,the feather dropping from her mouth. The others looked in awe at the semi-transparent genie floating in front of them.
"Are these your friends?" Apu asked Artickat.
"Yes. Guys, this is Apu. Apu, guys. He says I have two wishes."
"WIshes!!!" cried Sweetiepie. "Wish us back home with the golden Jaguar!"
"I can't." Artickat said. "But we do have the MC..." she said patting the rug, who purred. "It can take us back to Mexico, and Apu can hang out with us, in case we get in another scrape."
Great! Let's go!" Rae cried.
"As soon as we get back to Mexico, I can make a phone call. I need some more supplies..." 6th began making a mental list to herself.
"Who are you going to call?" KaraS asked 6th.
"My connection in one of the bureaus. He can send us all the stuff we need. It won't take long, I'll use ACME delivery. You guys know how fast THEY are!" 6th grinned.
"Let's go carpet!" Artickat cried, and the MC took off.
"Wow!" Rae yelled over the woosh of the wind. "This is almost like flying!"
The carpet was roomy enough to let everyone stretch out. Artickat, KaraS, Sweetiepie, and Malachi began discussing with Apu possible wish ideas. Mouse, Rae and Spyral started talking about what exactly WAS in Spyral's "storage compartment" wing.
6th lay back on the MC and smiled happily to herself. The wind wipped her long red hair around, and 6th sighed blissfully. *Finally* she thought *things are getting back on track!*
KaraS -- But suddenly....
The flying carpet began to cough and chug and black smoke began to pour out of the tassles at the back.
"Oh no! What's wrong carpet?" artickat asked worriedly.
"By Allah." the genie swore. "This load is too heavy. We are over the carpet's maximum weight capacity. I think we're going down."
"The island, arctic. Try to land us on the island." KaraS gasped.
Arctickat steered the carpet toward the island but they didn't quite make it. They landed in the surf just short of the island. Still, it was shallow enough here that everyone could stand and they quickly made their way to the beach.
"I've had enough salt water to last me for several lifetimes." Spyral said unhapily. His clothes were soked through and water dripped from his hair and his wing. He looked bedragled and miserable.
"I know what you mean." said KaraS wringing water from her long blond hair.
"So do I." said arctickat, trying to fluff out her soaking fur.
"Well this is a fine prediciment." said Sweetiepie who still didn't have a drop of water on him. "Now what are we going to do?"
"Let's just keep together until we find out where we are." Sixth said. "Is anybody hurt?"
No one was hurt but the carpet was in bad shape.
"Oh dear! Poor carpet." arctic said. "Can we repair ir Apu?"
"It just needs a little time to recover." the genie said. "But it will not be able to transport all of you to Mexico."
"Damn." Sixth swore. "There goes that idea. Let's take a look around. We'll split up but nobody go off the beach."
So they split up and explored the beach.
"Hey!" Raven_Kat called from the north end. "Everybody come look at these tracks!"
Everybody came to look at the tracks that Rae had found. They were very large tracks.
"Um," Kara said. "Don't those tracks remind you of the T-rex tracks in Jurassic Park?"
As everybody looked down at the tracks they heard a loud roar in the distance.
"Hey!" Sixth said suddenly. "Where's Mouse?"
.......
Raven-Kat -- Spyral, hand me some binoculars
You have some in there, righT?"
"Yeah, Rae. Here."
"Thanks." Rae peers in the direction of the roar. "Is your wing going to be okay?" she asks. Before Spyral can answer, Rae screams. "Holy drenn! It's a T-Rex! RUN!"
"Where's Mouse, though?" Artickat asks.
"Just RUN!" Rae pulls out her pulse-rifle (gee, I hope these things are water-proof) and gives artic a shove.
The little group starts running...
mouse in the lab -- Washed up on the shore
Mouse looks at herself in disgust. Wet, sandy, and miserable, she is NOT in a good mood, but she IS happy to be alive.
*Maybe I'll just lie down for a minute and dry out.*
Mouse finds a partially shady tree, and with the group within shouting distance, closes her eyes.
Raven-Kat -- Run that way!”
Rae shouts and points to a strange green-glowing disc a few hundred yard away. "Run for it!"
"But, Rae, what is it?" Kara asks.
"It's a plot hole! Aaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" Rae bellows and jumps through...
Sweetiepie Parrot -- Jump for your lives!
Sweetiepie Parrot
All the adventurers (except Mouse) jump through the glowing green hole in the air that Raven found. They found themselves dumped in a heap higher up the large volcano which comprised the island.
"Well, THAT was useful." Sweetiepie said acidly as he shook his wings and flew up to a nearby branch.
"Let's se YOU do any better." Rae said. "It got us away from the T-Rex."
"And seperated us from Mouse." Kara pointed out. "How are we going to find her now?"
"We'll just have to go back down to the beach and look for her." Sixth said. "But we don't all have to go. Spyral, why don't you stay here with Malachi and Rae and artic. Kara and I will go back and look for Mouse."
"What about Sweetiepie?" Spyral asked.
"I'm not sure where he will be most useful. Do you want to come or stay?" Sixth asked the parrot.
At that point, the group heard native drums start to beat in the distance.
"I'll come with you." Sweetiepie said. "But the angel should come too."
"I'll stay here with them." Spyral said. "But when this magic carpet dries out and is ready to fly again I'll come down and help you search."
"Let's get started." Kara said. "I'm worried about Mouse."
Meanwhile, down on the beach....
Mouse was still sleeping under her tree in the sunshine. The T-Rex had missed her and gone on it's way to look for dinner elsewhere. But something else WAS there. A shadow fell across Mouse's feet. Her suddenly chilly feet woke Mouse up from her comfortable nap. She looked up. Standing above her were five natives in grass skirts carrying spears. One of the natives pointed his spear at Mouse's belly and said....
"Noktoc, droolinik varoonik momph."
We pan upwards as Mouse's scream rings out over the peaceful island.....
Spyral -- “AAAAAHHHHH!!!”
"Hey that sounded like Mouse," Spyral said.
"DoYaThinkTheT-RexGotHer?", Artickat asked.
"If it did, it probably has blood gushing out of its ears after that scream," Rae said.
"Should we go back down?" artickat asked.
The ground begins to shake violently as a loud eruption of smoke blasts from the summit of the volcano.
"S$@T", Rae shouts over the din, losing her feet and falling to the ground.
"AAHH God, It had to happen...didn't it?", Artickat says to Rae, "It just had to happen...Didn't it?", to Spyral, "It just had to happ..."
Rae quickly grabs the furry feline and begins to lightly stroke her soft fur.
"I don't believe this island is entirely stable," Malachi said from his position on the ground.
"Not entirely stable," Spyral replied from his prone position on the sloped ground of the rummbling volcano. "I'm glad you're hear to tell us these things."
Pushing himself to something resembling a sitting position, he added, "You know anything about these things?"
"Geology is a hobby of mine," Malachi replied.
"Is it gonna blow?" Rae shouted over the din.
"Judging by the severity of these seismic concussions,I'd say that in the next few minutes, we will all get the opportunity to observe the eruption firsthand," the scientist replied. "I do not believe we can make it the bottom in time on foot before being consumed by the Flow."
"Flow?...FLOW?...What about the carpet....He can fly us down right?" artickat shouted. "Hey", shaking the carpet, "Hey...HEY...Wake up...for Gods sake..Wake up!!!"
"I really think we are on the virge of losing all sense of rationality here," Rae said to herself, observing the felines throttling of the unresponsive carpet. Louder to Spyral. "You said you could fly right...Can you fly us off of this thing?"
"If I can catch an updraft, I can sometimes fly," Spyral shouted. "But I can only fly up," he shrugged. "The only way to get back down would be for me to fold up my wing and plummet to the ground."
"So we're either gonna be toasted alive, or splattered on the ground for the seagulls to eat???" artickat shouted increduously. "WAAAAAAKE UUUUUPPPP!!!," she shouted, resuming her throttling of the Majic carpet.
"I don't know how we're gonna get outta this one," the One-Winged Angel muttered to himself.
KaraS -- Halfway down the mountain...
Sixth and KaraS were thrown from their feet by a strong earthquake.
"Ouch." said Kara from where she had been bounced into a palm tree. "That was a strong one."
"A very strong one." agreed Sixth.
"Why do these things always happen to me?" Sweetiepie complained. "Let's hurry up and get to the bottom."
"Yeah, that's a good ide..SIXTH, LOOK OUT FOR THAT SNAKE!!" Kara yelled.
As Sixth spun around to look, a huge python shot out of a nearby bush and grabbed her in it's jaws. It wrapped around her and s-q-u-e-e-z-e-d. Kara shreiked and hit the snake with a handy branch but it didn't let go. Sixth would have screamed but the huge snake was hugging her so tightly that she couldn't breathe. Sweetiepie, unable to do anything else to help fluttered around the snake's head and battered it with his wings, but the snake, unimpressed, ignored him.
Suddenly, the two women, the snake and the parrot were surrounded by natives in grass skirts waving spears and machetes. The one with the purple face paint grabbed the snake's head and started sawing it off. The snake fought but, wrapped around Sixth, it could do little to save itself. Soon it was dead and the natives unwrapped it from around Sixth.
"Sixth? Sixth, are you ok?" KaraS asked with concern.
"No, I'm not." Sixth whispered. She was pale and sweating, going into shock. Blood trickled from the snake bite and several ribs were cracked or broken.
"Mamba! Jolambik nobbik verembi." stated the native with the purple face paint. He helped Sixth to her feet, then, seeing what bad shape she was in, picked her up in his arms.
"Gloopa, nobbik nue." he said.
Then, carrying Sixth, he lead his men up another path.
"Should we follow them or go look for Mouse." Kara asked Sweetiepie.
"We follow the natives." Sweetiepie stated. "Mouse could be ok but we know that Sixth is hurt."
Kara looked after the natives. Then she squinted down the path toward the beach. Then she looked after the natives again. With a sigh she started off after them.
Raven-Kat -- “This is not
how plot-holes are supposed to work!" Rae mutters as they carefully pick their way down the mountain. "Darnit. We're supposed to be better off now. Like in the X-Files..."
"Shut up, Rae!"
"Okay, okay! Whatever... But," Rae stops in her tracks. "We could slide down!"
"Slid down?"
"Yeah! Yeah, we could slide down the side of the mountain. Spyral, I don't suppose you have a sled in there somewhere?"
artickat -- Spyral gets
a surprised look on his face and starts digging around for his shield. "No sled…but I do have a shield and that is almost as good." Sypral quickly pulls the shield out "Hurry! Hop on we don't have much time!"
Everyone hoped on the shield (it was a tight fit!) and down the mountain they went!
Artickat starts to get worried as they just go faster and faster! "Do you have any brakes on this thiiiiinnnnngggggg?" #%}
Sixth Sense Dreamer -- 6th slid in and out of consciousness
She couldn't think clearly enough to remember if Pythons were poisonous. It hurt to breathe.
Looking up into the native's face, 6th started rambling.
"oh Kara look at the sky!...so beautiful...ooo...I like...<gasp! ouch!> your feathers, Mr. Native!...I don't like snakes any...more...Kara, why...haven't the guys...come to help...us?..." 6th drew a ragged breath, feeling a sharp pain in her side. One of her ribs was definately broken.
kara hurried by the natives side, stroking 6th's head as they all followed the trail.
"Shhh, 6th. it'll be ok!"
"hurts, Kara! Hurts so...bad...I'm sorry...I...dragged you all...into this...didn't mean for us...all to get in so...much danger...Mouse...where is...she? <ooh my side, gasp!> ...Why haven't the...guys come...yet?"
"They don't know we need them, 6th." Kara sighed.
"better...that they...aren't here...don't want to let them...see me...like...this...I'd only get< oh! ouch!> ...them in danger...too...anyway...at least...they're safe..." 6th sighed, her head lolling to the side, " you...ought to...go save Mouse...shouldn't worry...about me, not...worth it..."
"Don't say that 6th!" kara cried.
"Look...if I don't...get out of this...you gotta...get the girls back home...forget about <gasp!> that...stupid idol...just go, make...sure they're safe..." 6th's eyes rolled back in her head, and she slid into darkness.
"6th!!!" Kara yelled.
Raven-Kat -- “Stupid idea! Stupid idea!”
Rae shrieks as the shield/sled goes faster and faster. "I'm gonna' kill that bird!"
Suddenly, the sled/shield hits a bump and the group goes flying.
Rae stares at the dirt. "Going to kill that bird." She groans. "Dream-catcher with his name on it..."
"Uh, Rae." Spyral hisses.
"Not now. Busy."
"RAE!" artickat shrieks. "Company!"
"Huh?" Rae raises her head and stares at the group of native warriors. "Nap-time now." she whispers, passing out.
mouse in the lab -- Mouse stifles a scream
as she sees the natives surround her. She shakes her head, and the natives step back with a gasp. She realizes that they can see her ears now. Funny thing about Mouse is, she doesn’t LOOK like a mouse at all, except for her tiny ears that are usually hidden by her hair. With her hair still wet, her ears have stuck up on the top of her head. Apparently the natives had no clue what this was about, and taking advantage of the situation, Mouse rose to her feet dramatically. She wondered if there were any English speakers in the group. “English?” she said, hesitantly.
“English!” one of the smaller girl natives spoke proudly.
“You speak English?” Mouse clarified. “Yes, I speak the English” the little girl replied. “Which goddess are you? We don’t have a mouse goddess...”
Ahh - finally to be appreciated as she should be!
“I’m the goddess Mousina. I have some to your island with a band of other gods and goddesses - have you seen them?” Mouse asks.
“No, ” the young islander replies, “but how will we know them?”
“They are all unique, powerful, and beautiful. One has sharp claws and fur like a cat. One has Raven’s feathers on her head like hair. Our goddess of the animals has a parrot that communes with her. Our powerful god has a radiant glow about him, and our dreamer goddess is fragile, but has beautiful auburn hair that flows in the wind. They travel with an elder who is respected by all, and a carpet that will fly!” Mouse tries to make it sound like the group should be feared, and respected. Who knows how they will show up. Plus, she hopes the islanders will help her looks for her friends. She getting pretty scared being alone like this! “My own damn fault for falling asleep...” she mutters.
“Bring me to your camp, and then I must search for them.” Mouse demands as regally as she can.
The islanders rush to obey. Ahhh, a little power is a good thing!
As they enter the camp, Mouse sees that Kara and 6th are already there. 6th does NOT look good.
"Do you have a healer?" Mouse asks the girl.
"Yes, and she is very old and respected. I will bring her at once."
Mouse walks to 6th and Kara and fills them in on the story while the healer is fetched. "Hold on 6th. Pythons aren't poisonous - they just squeeze you to death. Good thing they got you out! Oh and try to remember to call me Mousina!"
Raven-Kat -- The Natives
escort Artickat, Spyral and Rae (well, the carry Rae) back to their village.
"Are you the gods that Mousina has spoken of?" One of them asks.
"Gods?" Spyral laughs.
"Yes!" Atrickat nods repeatedly. "Gods! Do normal people look like us? No, of course not! Of course we're gods!"
Good thinking, Mouse!
artickat -- As they lead
the gang from they're crash landing to where 6th and the others are, the natives speak to each other in they're own language.
"For Gods...they need practice on they're landing!"
"YEAH! They are a very weird looking bunch."
"Quiet you two! They are Gods! They know what you are saying!" the natives look at the Motley group and smile/bow.
"What do you suppose they are saying?" Spyral whispers to artickat.
"I don't know but it can't be too bad….they smiled at us." Artickat replies as they reach the village.
Running to the gang KaraS starts babbling about a snake and 6th. "What are you saying? Talk slower."
Spyral grabs KaraS by the shoulders and gives her a little shake.
"6th...she got crushed by a giant Python!" KaraS has tears in her eyes "I tried to warn her but it was too late!"
Artickat runs to where 6th is lying. "How is she?"
Mouse looks up "The healer is checking her out but she has some broken ribs."
Artickat unrolls the rug and takes the lamp in her hands. She rubs a paw along the side of the lamp and waits.
"What is it that you wish for?" the genie asks as he appears.
"Make 6th better, fix her, that is what I wish for." Artickat looks pleadingly at the genie.
"Consider it done!" the genie replies and there is a flash of light.
#%}
Sixth Sense Dreamer -- Artic looks down at....
where 6th had been laying. A huge tub of butter sat on the grass mat.
"I said BETTER not Butter!" Artickat cried.
"Oops! Sorry!" Apu snapped his fingers again, and 6th reappeared. She yawned and stretched.
"Hey! What happened?" 6th put her hand to her side. "I don't hurt anymore!"
"I wished you better." Artickat smiled, and 6th hugged her furry friend. Artickat gasped. 6th sure was strong!
"Thank you, Artic! Thanks Apu! I feel great!"
"So..." 6th stood up and joined the others. "What's going on?"
"The natives think we're gods." Mouse whispered.
"Cool!" said 6th. She was feeling better than great. She was feeling fantastic! So full of energy. So happy to be alive. She did a few cartwheels, and landed in front of Mouse. 6th grabbed Mouse in a huge hug.
"Oh ouch! 6th you're squeezing me too hard!" Mouse gasped.
"What? I've barely got a hold of you..." 6th trailed off as she let go of Mouse. She looked around, and picked up a large rock off the ground. She squeezed it in her fists. The rock shattered.
"Woah!" 6th breathed. The others looked at the bits of rock in her hand, amazed.
"I didn't realize you were THAT strong 6th." Kara said.
"Neither did I!" 6th smiled shakily.
Artickat picked up one of the rock fragmants, and turned to Apu. "What did you do to 6th?" she asked the genie slowly.
"I made her better." Apu shrugged.
"And how!" 6th yelled, extatic, "I feel I could take on an ARMY of PK's and be the only one left standing at the end! This rocks!"
"How long will it last?" asked Artickat. Apu shrugged.
"maybe a day...maybe forever...I don't know"
"Can you control that strength?" Spyral asked.
6th shrugged. "I don't know...I've always been a klutz..."
"That's all well and good, Woop-te-doo, 6th is really strong, and now she'll be more of a danger to all of us than she ever was but HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET OFF THIS ISLAND AND GET THAT JAGUAR IDOL???" screeched Sweetiepie
artickat -- “Grrrrrrr!”
Artickat turns on Sweetie "Quityourbitchen'!!!! I'd just as soon eat you as look at you! So for once keep your beak shut!" artickat's eyes get wide and she puts her paws over her mouth.
Everyone looks at artickat in shock. "Where did that come from?" KaraS stands in front of Sweetie so that artickat can't hurt him.
"I don't know….I guess I'm just hungry. I get grouchy when I'm hungry." Artickat blushes as her stomach gives a loud growl.
"Well…you just stay away from Sweetie he isn't your dinner!" KaraS snaps back.
"Sorry!" artickat looks at the natives "You have anything we could eat?" #%}
Malachi Supergenius -- “Aren’t they ever
going to feed us?" Malachi asked.
"I'm more wonder WHAT they're going to feed us." Spyral commented. "We angels have a very sophisticated palate..."
Raven-Kat -- Rae wakes with a start....
"Yikes! I had the most horrible dream... And you were there, and YOU were there, and... Oh my gods. It wasn't a dream, was it?"
"No." Spyral shakes his head.
"And they think we're gods?"
"Uh-huh."
"Alright. Let's see. We're going to have to bluff this. Any ideas?"
"Gee." Artickat whispers, "I hope this isn't one of those tribes that sacrifices their gods."
"Interesting thought." Mouse mutters.
"I'm more worried about what happens if they find out we AREN'T gods." Rae says.
"Well," Kara says cheerfully, "At least 6th can pass off as one now."
Rae nods. "The rest of us are just going to have to talk the talk."
"Oh, drenn, Rae has another plan!"
"Shut up tweetie-puss! I STILL have a dream-cathcer with your name on it! Excuse me." Rae smiles at a passing native. "I need to talk to your chief..."
Spyral -- rrRRUUMMBBLLEE!!!!
...A huge tremor shakes the island, knocking everyone off of their feet.
The chief runs to Mouse, "The land god, Mesowhateverhisnameis , has been angered. If we do not appease him, he will surely consume us all."
"So what do we do?," Spyral asked, "Don't you guys like have a virgin to sacrifice or something?"
"But you are the Gods," the chief replied increduously," Only you can appease Him."
The natives move in a bit menacingly, "That is, unless you are not who you say you are."
"Impersonating a God is a very bad thing," the little girl from the beach whispers to Mouse.
"What do they do?" Mouses returns.
"First they peel your flesh off, just a piece at a time...."
Sweetie immediately falls from his perch, out cold.
*On second thought, Let's pass on that* Spyral thinks.
"Um...So..what do we need to do?....Got any magic rocks or something like that?" Spyral asks.
"You must go within Meso...Whaterverhisnameis and seek to convince him that his people are not deserving of this punishment." the chief replied.
"INSIDE..?!?," artickat asks " Back up there..?!?!"
"Lemmegetthisstraight!!, These clowns want us to climb into the volcano and talk it out of erupting??!," Sixth hisses.
"Well, outta the frying pan," Spyral says.
"AND INTO THE VOLCANO!!!!!" the natives say as one.
KaraS -- The virgin sacrifice
"It helps if you are virgin gods." the chief said. "Mesowhatsisname respects the purity of virgins."
The group looked at eachother in consternation. What were they going to do now?
An elderly woman, the high priestess, approached the group. She inspected each of the adventurers closely. She put out a withered hand and touched Spyral and KaraS.
"Migso nanturata nigsok." she said.
The chief translated. "The high priestess says that you, Wonder-with-one-wing and you, Goddess-who-speaks-with-parrots are virgins. We will escort you to the summit of the mountain to converse with the great God."
"What is she talking about?" Sixth hissed. "You two aren't virgins, are you?"
"Well," said Spyral, turning red. "I've only reciently been reincarnated into this mortal body. I haven't, um, done anything, since I've been back. Technically, I am."
Sixth turned to KaraS. "Well, you can't be a virgin, can you? I mean, you're in your thirties!"
"I don't want to talk about it." Kara said.
"But..." Sixth said.
"I said NO, Sixth. I do not want to talk about this now."
Just then, the chief returned. "Come with us, oh virgin God and Goddess. The procession of honor awaits you. You, oh Wonder-with-one-wing, these young warriors will walk with you to the place-of-God-speaking. And you, Goddess-who-speaks-with-parrots, you and your parrot spirit will be accompianied by these beautiful maidens. Your goddess companions and their wise one will wait here in our village. We will hold a great banquet in your honor and all will rejoice in your great bravery."
Not having much choice, Spyral and Kara went with the natives back up the mountain. There were two minor earthquakes and one real earthshaker during the journey. At last they reached the top.
"Now oh brave ones." one of the young warriors said. "You must enter the home of the great Mesowhatsisname here."
KaraS, with Sweetiepie still on her shoulder, stepped up to the platform that the young warrior pointed to and looked down the maw of the churning volcano with horor. Spyral joined her. It was a long way down. And there was a foaming pool of glowing lava at the bottom.
Kara cleared her throat. "Um, Spyral? Does being dead....hurt?"
"No, but dying sure does."
They looked at eachother then looked at the natives.
"You must enter the home of the great God now." the warrior intoned. "If you do not, if you prove that you are not gods, both you and your companions will die."
"Sweetiepie!" Kara hissed under her breath. "Fly back down to the others and tell them what's happened."
"Gotchya." the bird said, taking off.
Then, hand in hand, Kara and the angel stepped off the ledge and fell into the mouth of the volcano....
artickat -- As they fall
KaraS grabs Spyral in a death grip. "Let go KaraS! I need to open my wing!" Spyral struggles to free himself but it is too late and they hit the bottom.
<WHOSH>
They lay there for a while with they're eyes closed. "Are you dead?" KaraS asks Spyral.
"No…" Spyral sits up and looks around to see a little man hiding behind a curtain. "Who are you?"
KaraS sits up and looks around in surprise. It wasn't a volcano at all and they landed in a giant pile of leaves.
The little man behind the curtain hit a button and said in a loud voice "I am Mesowhaterverhisnameis."
"Talk about Aunty Emm!" Spyral mumbled to KaraS.
#%}
Sweetiepie Parrot -- Sweetiepie winged his way...
back to the native village as quickly as he could. As he was a magic parrot, that was very fast indeed. The group was gathered around a large fire eating shishkabob fish and pineapple. Sweetiepie landed on Sixth's shoulder and squaked...
"AAAAAGH! They've jumped into the volcano! You have to DO something!"
"Oh no!" Sixth exclaimed. "This is terrible! What can we do?"
Quickly, artickat grabbed the magic lamp out of her pocket and rubbed it. Apu the genie appeared.
"What is your..." he said.
Artic interrupted him. "Apu, I wish you would save Spyral and Kara from certain death!"
"Your wish is my command." the genie intoned. Then the lamp evaporated out of artickat's hands.
"Well," Sweetiepie demanded. "What did he do?"
The 'Scapers looked at eachother in perplexity.
Meanwhile....
Up on the mountain, the bizarre scene of the pile of leaves and the man behind the curtain faded away. Kara and Spyral found themselves on a ledge halfway between the rim of the volcano and the glowing lava beneath. It was very hot and there was a fierce updraft.
"Might it not be time to try out that wing of yours?" Kara asked.
"Um, yeah, ok." the dazed angel said. He unfurled his wing and flapped it a few times. KaraS grabbed him around the neck and wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Don't let this give you any ideas Ace." Kara said.
"I wouldn't dream of it." Spyral replied. Then he extended his wing to it's fullest length and caught the burning updraft. As they caught the updraft they started to rise, circling up into the air.
Kara looked down into the lake of molten lava and closed her eyes. She burried her head into the angel's shoulder and gritted her teeth. The spiral motion was making her dizzy and nauceous. Suddenly, Sweetiepie was there.
"He did it!" the bird crowed. "The genie saved you!"
"So that's what happened." Spyral said. "The only problem is, how do we get back down?"
"Glide over this way." the parrot said. "You can land back up on the rim."
"I don't steer very well." the angel said. "But hold on, I'll try."
It took a while but Spyral managed to angle his spirals to put them over the rim of the volcano and he dropped down to solid ground. He stood there, panting with exhaustion and sweating from the heat.
"You can let go now Kara. Kara? Kara, are you ok?"
KaraS continued to clutch the angel and shiver with fear.
"We've landed now. You can open your eyes. Kara, c'mon. Let go."
But Kara continued to hold on to Spyral for dear life.
"I'll get her loose." Sweetiepie said. He landed on the angel's head, leaned down, and bit Kara's hand. Hard.
"OUCH!" Kara yelped as she let go of Spyral's neck. She fell to the ground and lay there, stunned.
"You didn't have to do that." Spyral said as he helped her back to her feet.
"Oh yes I did." Sweetiepie said. "Let's go back down to the village and join the others."
Spyral -- Now What???
As the trio arrived at the base of the volcano, they heard screams and the sounds of pulse rifle fire coming from the direction of the village.
Rushing quickly thru the undergrowth and pausing at the edge, they watched as a dozen hungry T-rexes circled the small reed fence surrounding the village. The only thing seemingly stopping them, from crashing thru and consuming everything in their path was seemmingly endless supply of ammo Sixth and Rae continued to pump into them..
"Damn", looks like they've been busy since I left.
"And their out of wishes," Spyral observed.
"What are we gonna do?" KaraS asked.
"I dunno," the angel said. "Seems like those pulse rifles are doing little or nothing to them."
"They're doing something alright," Sweetiepie said. "They're pissing them off. Only thing worse then a hungry T-rex, is one that's hungry and pissed-off ."
"God, I so love your observations," KaraS said to the parrot. "Why don't you observe them a bit closer?"
"How quickly one forgets who saved your lives." Sweetie said.
"You're right, And we'll both thank artickat when we see her," Spyral said.
Shaking his wings menacingly, Sweetie said, "Remember angel, Two-to-one."
"Alright, Alright, we owe you our lives, we bow to your grace oh mighty bird of prey," Spyral said. "Are ya happy now?"
"Perfectly," Sweetie said, holding his head high in recognition of Spyrals noble words.
"Now if we can get down to the business at hand?" Spyral said. "What are gonna do about the rexes?"