"..under what tree...?" (2)

"..under what tree...?" (2)

RagnarRB -- Now if I were the perfect x-mas tree

*where would I hide in here? Kitten wondered to herself looking around at all the piles of neat stuff. She could find lots of treasure in here!

"Hey!" Spyral exclaimed at the suprise assault of artickitten. The last thing he needed was a loose cat in there.

Ragnar watched the exchange between Rae and the angle. He too had had some experience with the angles wing. The longer they waited the longer it would be to find kitten. Grimacing, he looked down at Elvis...and had an idea.

Picking up the hound dog he carried him over to Spyral"Hold still a moment Spyral, will ya?"

Ragnar spoke directly to Elvis, in words that made Elvis's eyes go wide! He quickly nodded in agreement, at which the big viking proceeded to stuff him in the wing after kitten. Ragnar of course kept hold of the leash.

**************************

Kitten was busy humming enie. meanie. miny. moe to herself when Elvis's jaws clamped down on the scruff of her neck. <<<Ah...it's for your own good kitten>>> He mumbled as with a paw he tugged on the leash.

Ragnar pulled them out.

Raven-Kat -- “Bad kitten”

Rae says loudly, taking Kitten from Elvis and holding her tight. "Bad girl! You should know better!" Holding kitten up to her face, Rae whispered, "So, any good stuff in there?"

Scorpiodoc -- Oh the joy of the holidays

Scorpio thought as she looked around at her new friends and at a very (pride) wounded Kitten who aat this point has been simultaneoulsy grounded by every one in the mansion.. for her christmas tree hoopla.

Scorpio looked down at the viral codes she had to translate(IRL for my genetics final) all 9661 base pairs being on number 8896 she decided it was time for a break. "Well I think maybe I will go out side and play in the snow...Inviting Jila's children and Asking to take mousling out for a bit she bumped into a One Winged Angel named spyral.."Nice to meet you spyral,"

Kitten looked sad as scorpio gathered up the Kids and "Pets" seeings how she may not be going out for awhile she munched on her "Own box of Crunch" and wondered if we are ever going to get a christmas tree......

RagnarRB -- You okay Scorpi?

Ragnar asks with concern...

"Uh what?" Scorpiodoc replies, blinking and clearing her mind. Did you say something Ragnar?"

The big viking exchanges looks with Jila and the others. Turning back to Scorpi "Well uh yes. You were starting to recite genetic codes again. Something about defining pairs."

"Oh..."Scorpi murmers "Real life I guess"

The gang smiled. Oh yes real life they knew.

"Come on lets go find us a x-mas tree. Anybody care to point us in a direction?"

Kaybe0 -- What size tree

do you think we should get? I mean, the mansion and ballroom are huge. We could even get a 12 foot tree, with no problem, right?

KaraS -- Arriving at IQ’s lab

Kara knocked and went in. Three of the IQs were puttering around on various projects.

"Can one of you spare me a few moments?" Kara asked. "I think Raegun's hurt."

One of the IQs came over to examine Raegun.

IQ tisked. "This is very serious. The energy reintegration circut is broken."

"Do you have any spares?" Kara asked, concerned.

"Not as such." IQ said. "But I'm sure we can jurry rig something. Come back for him in 2 hours."

Chryse74 -- After Kara left with the DRD

Chryse finished cleaning up and decided to go looking for the tree on her own. She wrote a little note and stuck it to the refrigerator door (after making sure it was just the normal refrigerator).

"Hey, I could tell the others where you are going, you know." said the toaster. "You didn't have to write that note."

"I know, but sometimes, it's nice to do things the old fashioned way." smiled Chryse. She bundled up some more and took a bit of ribbon as she walked out the door. *Good thing the kids are visiting their grandparents this winter. It's really cold now.* She walked out to the woods and started looking around for the perfect Christmas tree.

Mouse2000 -- “Fifteenth Century?”

Mouse murmured as she followed Spyral and the group back tot he Mansion, "That would be something to see..." But she had a feeling that finding anything in Spyral's wing might be harder than convincing IQ that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Maybe if she tied a string around her arm... hmmm... she'd have to think about this.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, back in the lab... (he hee, reminds me of the old "Batman" show, and my former days as a chemist...)

IQ's # 4 and 9 examine Raegun and assemble a strange array of parts and pieces. Good thing Raegun was out of it, or the little pulse-rifle would have blanched at the sight of what they were attempting to do.

------------------------------------------------------------

And on the way back to the mansion...

Rae and Kaybe stop at the same time as they round a corner and the rest of the group narrowly avoid a pileup, except for Spyral, who walks right into Ragnar, because he was too busy elaborating to Mouse and everyone else who would listen about his days in the astral Light Brigade. Mouse suspected some of it was made up, but she enjoyed the story enough to let him go on...and on.

Ragnar, being the immovable object he can be, merely look at the now-sprawled-out Angel, and gave him that "watch it" look, while Mouse tried not to laugh. Failing miserably, Mouse doubled over in laughter. Spyral took the opportunity to shove snow down Mouse's coat, to which she retaliated. But they were both brought up short from their escapades when they noticed the rest of the group was staring at the most beautiful, tall, well-proportioned Christmas tree they'd ever seen. Mouse even ignored the snow melting down her shirt to stare at it.

It seemed like the Heavens opened, Glories streamed, and birds sang - it was that kind of tree. Now, the question was, cut it down??

SeventhAngel -- Shall we?

"Gee! I don't know!" Mouse said. "It sure IS a pretty tree, but I think it would be a shame to just Whack it down, for our own pleasure!"

"Yeah!" Kaybe agreed.

Kitten COULD NOT BELIEVE what she was hearing. >>WHAT ARE THEY THINKING??!! CUT IT DOWN!! CUT IT DOWN!!!<<

>>Duh! Maybe they're right kitten<< Elvis murmured.

>>WHAT?!<< Kitten shouted at him. >>I lost the last one, I AM NOT GONNA LOSE THIS ONE!<< With that, she once again leapt forward into the tree and clamped all four little paws around the trunk of the tree.

"Well, I guess Kitten likes it," Ragnar said.

"I STILL think it would be a waste to kill it," Mouse said.

"Well, who says we do?" the angel asked.

"What do you mean, Spy?" Rae asked.

"Well, theoretically, if I pass my halo thru the base of the tree, thereby separating it from the trunk, it should remain well preserved, and when Christmas is over, we can then place it back onto the trunk, remove the halo and the tree should be whole again!" the angel said simply.

"Now lemme get this straight," Ragnar said. "You wanna take the tree, then put it BACK?"

"Can that really work?" Mouse asked.

Raven-Kat -- “It should work...”

Spyral said slowly. "If things go well."

"Well, I know one thing." Rae said. "No one is cutting it down."

*WHAT!?!?!?!?!* Kitten demanded furiously. *We just HAVE to!!!*

"Abso-frelling-lutely not!" Rae snaps. "We are not killing some poor, inoffensive tree just so YOU have something to hang guady ornementation on!" Rae walks through the group and stands in front of the tree. "This tree is under my protection!" She lays a protective hand on the trunk.

JilaCosa -- “I kind of agree with Rae.”

Jila speaks up from the edge of the group. "Oh not her statement about 'gaudy ornamentation' but the killing of such a beautiful tree just so that we can have it in the Ballroom."

From inside the bows of the tree comes _The Most_ pitiful meow of all time <<<Pleeeeeeease, we Got to have this tree. It's the One.>>>

"Okay, okay, what if Spyral's halo trick doesn't work. What then?" Jila asks the group.

Heads tilt, thoughts of pros and con can be seen passing on the faces of the group.

"What if we tried it on a smaller tree?" Kaybe asks hoping this will help.

"Yeah, if it works on a smaller one it should work on this big one just fine." Scorpi chimes in.

"But the big one will be separated from it's roots for about three and a half weeks." Mouse looks at the tree again. *It is beautiful, and perfect, but....* "That might have a definite effect on the bigger tree. What do you think, Spyral."

Just as Spyral begins to answer..

"I told you," Rae says loudly "No one is moving this tree. In any way, shape, or form."

"Meeeeeoooooooooowwwwwwwwwwww"

RagnarRB -- Ragnar looked at Rae

"And just how did your sabacion translators teach you christmas trees are harvested here? On other worlds you may value the life of a tree more than its uses but here we whack it down and take them inside for the holidays!" He blustered, suprised that he was hearing all this concern for a TREE!

<<<Yeah this one, this one! cut it down!>>. Kitten mewed from her clutched position.

Rae glared back. "You heard me, you are not harming this tree. It's a living thing just like you."

"Wrong." Ragnar replied. "It won't be living any more once I chop it down."

"Oh dear...." Jila murmered.

Scorpiodoc -- “Now guys I’m sure we can come up

with a solution" said Scorpio as she looked between the Head strong Viking and the determined Madame Rae.. "How about we...Well never mind" She said as she saw both of the guys beginning to look at her rather strangely.. Kay told Scorpio "it is best just to let them be in situations like this,, They are good friends and they will fiqure it out"

Just then a sound of a machine cranked up and the huge magnifent fir came crashing down with a thud ...

Ever one knew who did it.... "Kiiiitttteeennn" the tree-hunting scoobs yelled simutaneously.."Where on earth did you find a machine saw" Yelled Kay Sternly(being a mom she yelled in her best mom's voice) Jila gave the "Mom is mad glare" and Kitten looked sheepishly at the ground as Rae was between anger and hysterical giggles(being that would have been something she would have done.. had she had been younger and less in awe of the Trees beauty)

Well said kay what is done is done.. Spyral looked at the tree and said" Well my idea still may work.. Kitten did a pretty clean break " Ragnar picked a squirming kitten him and her where going to have a"Disscussion" when they got back to the Mansion......

RagnarRB -- Ragnar looked at kitten reprovingly

but managed a hidden wink when Rae wasn't looking. Kitten at least knew how you were supposed to get christmas trees!

Setting her back down he watched as she scampered back over and hopped up onto its trunk ,posing like a conquering hero. She gave it another hug, it was a nice tree, then began meowing instructions to her band of pets on how to get it home.

"Well I gues we know where she got the saw." Mouse commenting holding up one of Rae's bags of holding, one with the incriminating tip of a chain saw still sticking out. And here Ragnar thought she might have slipped into Spyrals wing again.

"So, Angle how best should we take this thing home?"

************************************

Watching from a distance, the two young children, one boy and one girl, looked on with a certain humble yearning. They were not dressed fancily, poor if one chose to use that word. They were simple, and a bit skinny for their size. The little girl pulled the towel she was using as a makeshift hood tighter about her head. Her ears were getting cold again.

She sure wished they could have a tree this year...

Kaybe0 -- As the gang walked around the tree

discussing the best way to transport the lovely tree, without doing any damage to it, none of them noticed at first the children looking at the tree, as if it were the greatest treasure. But, Kitten noticed them. She saw them out of the corner of her eye. At first she just glanced at them. Then, on closer inspection, she noticed the look in their eyes. The same look she had had. They wished for her tree. But, this was her tree! Not theirs. Wishing them to go away, and not wanting the others to notice them, she did her best to keep the attention on herself. Prancing up and down the trunk, and preening to the group, and batting her little lashes with all her heart. "Go away children. My tree" She kept thinking and wishing them away. But, they just stayed in the same spot. Kitten noticed the little girl shivering in the cold. Oh no. Her humans were compassionate. This was not good. This was hers. Kitten glanced their way once more. Kitten was very spoiled. Through no fault of her own, mind you. She was just so cute. And clever. She couldn't help it that everyone loved her and gave in to her so much. But, alas, she did have a heart. She wanted the children to go away so badly. But, she was also starting to feel guilty. She didn't want to look at them, but, she just couldn't help it. They looked so sad. Her little head started to hang. She just wanted to take her tree home.

IQ120 -- Meanwhile....

...in the driveway of the mansion, IQ wheeled out a device that vagley resembled a snow blower, with toaster oven duck taped to the top.

"So what is this thing?" asked the toaster oven.

"This is your new wheels!" said IQ, "that button is the ignition."

(I haven't been online for a few days because of computer problems. Hi Spyral. Long time no see!)

toaster oven -- “WEEEEE!”

The toaster oven yelled, after having cleared the driveway. He was now going for a joy ride.

"Woooooooooohooooooooooooo!" said the toaster oven as it passed the scoobies standing next to the fallen tree.

KaraS -- KaraS went looking for Rae

to tell her about Raegun's injury. She arrived at the site of the fallen pine just as the toaster oven whizzed by attatched to a snow blower.

"Now THERE is something you don't see every day!" Kara said to herself.

Rae and Ragnar were squared off across the Christmas Tree.

"Help me get it set back up. I can heal it if we hurry." Rae said.

"No, we're taking this tree back to the Mansion and setting it up with lights and decorations." Ragnar said.

"It's a living thing." Rae protested. "We have to help it."

"It's a tree. There are plenty of other trees in the forest." Ragnar stated.

"You're just another human." Rae said through gritted teeth. "There are plenty more of those around."

Rae reached for her pulse rifle, which, of course, wasn't there.

"Hang on." Spyral said. "We can work this out without violence."

But for some reason, neither Rae nor Ragnar seemed to want to work it out without violence.

JilaCosa -- Rae closes the distance between....

herself and Ragnar in a couple of steps, stopping about a foot short of stepping on his toes. Bringing herself up to her full height (which was still short compared to the Viking) Rae looked up into the Vikings eyes.

"I said we're going to heal the tree."

Glaring down at Rae, Ragnar bent down so that his head was fairly close to hers.

"And I said we're taking it into the Ballroom." Not looking away from Rae, Ragnar says to the group "Spyral you grab the bottom of the tree, IQ you grab the top. If you ladies would be so kind as to open the Ballroom doors, we'll get this inside in no time."

"Uh, Rag, I'd rather not." Spyral notices a bright red aura becoming visible around Rae.

"Us, either." The IQ's agree, also noticing the aura. Nobody moves.

"Look Rae, the tree is down, it might just as well go inside." Ragnar growls.

"Over my dead body." Rae growls back.

"If this tree doesn't go into the Ballroom right now," Ragnar threatens, grabbing Rae's bag of holding that still has the end of the chainsaw blade sticking out of it. Just as quickly he yanks the chainsaw out of the bag and grabs the t-handle on the pull-starter "there won't be a tree to heal because I'm going to cut the frellin' thing into firewood." Then, to show his seriousness, he yanks on the pullcord and starts up the chainsaw.

"NOOOOO" cry two tiny voices within the trees.

"MEEEOOOOOOOOOW!" *NOOOOOOOOO* cries artickitten.

Everybody stops and looks around. The 'meow' obviously came from kitten but where did the other cry come from?

"Jila, that wasn't your children was it?" Kaybe asks.

"No, they're at the Mansion-run daycare right now." Jila looks at her watch to confirm her statement in her own mind. *Yes, that's where they would be right now.*

Where could that cry have come from?

SeventhAngel -- The Angel twitched

as he seemed to recognize the small voice that shouted from within the tree.

*NO!* the angel thought. *IT COULDN'T BE! SHE'S still UP THERE!*

Spyral walked slowly to the tree, from where the voice had come.

"Angel?" Mouse asked, uncertainly. "Spy, what are you doing?"

"...no way......." was the angels only reply. He stopped just short of the tree, then plunged his hand into the mass of needles and branches, and felt around.

"HEY! WATCH YOUR HANDS YA DWEEB!" came a voice from within the tree. "HEEEYYYYY!" the voice came again as the angel began to bring out his hand.

Opening his emerging hand, the angel revealed what appeared to be, on first inspection, a small ball of light. It flashed intensely, as it fluttered from his grasp, then glided up to a position in front of Spyrals nose.

"ALRIGHT! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA? LIKE, ARE YOU ALL HANDS OR WHAT," the light pulsed.

"Twig?" the angel asked.

The pulse of light hung there in silence, then quickly darted to the right side of Spyrals head, then the left, then back to the front of his nose.

"SPYRAL? LIKE OMIGOD! What're YOU doing down here?" the voice squealed.

".........long story......" the angel decided. "But what about you? Last I heard, you were Archiving."

"Yeah, Well, Y'know, It like didn't work out, you know?" Twig replied. "Those Barding Angels are just SO stiff. And they have, like NO IDEA what's important and stuff. Moriden and I sort had like a falling out you might say."

"Over what?" Spyral asked.

"Can you believe the Barney cut my projects? Twig simmered. "Like there is NOTHING redeeming about the first 10 years of MTV. SURE, RIGHT, DEF! My fashion Police archives, Cosmo, HE CUT THEM ALL! The Sups, thought is might be a good idea for me to take a small.....Sabatical. So here I am."

Suddenly, Twigs attention was drawn in another direction. "OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she squealed, as she sailed over to Rae.

"OOOOOOOOO! I SO like those earrings!" she said, as she sailed around Raes head in quick dizzying circles. "OMIGOD! Where'd you GET 'em?" she came to a halt, hovering at the tip of Raes nose.

Raes hands shot to her temples, in an attempt to steady herself. "th....The third moon of Theta Eight," Rae replied.

"OH DONTCHA JUST LIKE HATE THAT PLACE?" Twig said. "The guys there are just SO TOTALLY grabby! Like Anyone would be interested ? For SURRRREE!" Twig then sailed back to the angel andlanded atop his shoulder.

"Uh...Spy?" Kaybe asked. "Something you wanna share with the rest of the class?"

"Sorry." Spyral replied. "This....this is Twig. She's an Archivist for the Barding Angels. They record all the history and.... you know.... the important stuff that they think should be recorded for future times."

"IMPORTANT STUFF? SH'YEAH RIGHT!" Twig added sarcastically.

"So she's an angel?" Ragnar asked. "Looks like a ball of light to me."

"HELLOOOO!" Twig fluttered indignantly. "Do the words "DIVINE ENTITY" mean anything to you LUNKHEAD! And, Like, The Barbarian look went out maybe just a FEW CENTURIES AGO?" she added.

"Shes what we call a Whisp." Spyral said. "Not quite an angel. but......someday.....maybe....anything is possible...."

"Well, Aren't you just a BUNDLE of confidence," Twig said. I don't believe I'M the one doing the Happy Trip thru the woods thingie, Kosh? I mean, IT'S JUST A TREE! GAH! oooo, i think i chipped a nail...."

Kaybe0 -- Tinkerbell from the valley

Thought Kaybe, smiling, after the first intitial shock of seeing Twig wore off. How cute. Seeing the other Scoobs with their mouths open, she thought to herself, well, we have Pandora, and Geradan, and Thor. Why not? Walking up to Spyral and looking at Twig, Kay said, "Hi there Twig. Nice to meet you. I'm Kaybe, but, you can call me Kay if you want." Pandora flew up to Twig, and then back to Jila, whirling, and curious. A tiny human like creature. How curious. Pandora had never seen one before. And she could fly too. As the group learned about Twig, no one noticed the two young pairs of eyes watching them with fascination. And, no one heard the childish whispering going on in the woods. "Don't let him hurt the tree." "I won't. But, he stopped now. Don't worry, I'll stop him next time".

Raven-Kat -- Rae reached into a pocket

(causing Ragnar to dive for cover) and pulled out a stick of gum. She shoved it into her mouth and began chewing hard. CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH

"Is that the gum making that noise?" Spyral whispered to Twig.

"I think it's her jaw-bone popping in and out." Twig giggled. "Like, what's her hang-up, man? It's only a tree."

"It is NOT only a tree!" Rae yelled, springing over the fallen tree and grabbing Twig firmly between her thumb and index finger. "How about we try a little experiment on you. Cut you off at the ankles and see how you like it? Hmmm?" Rae smiled at the whisp.

"Let me go! She's crazy! Spyral!"

"The tree goes back up." Rae announced firmly. "Or I will turn each and every person who had a part in this abomination into a tree also, and leave them to fend for themselves in this grove during the Christmas season." Her red aura began glowing even more brightly. "You have not lived until you have seen the world through the eyes of a tree, and you have not died until you have felt what it is to slowly starve and dehydrate after having your feet chopped off. Anyone care to give it a whirl?"

"What is her problem?" Ragnar demanded.

"She talks to trees." Jila pointed out.

"They talk back." Rae told him, bending over the fallen tree. "And this one hurts." She looked around the group. "Kitten!"

*Who? Me?* Kitten made her best attempt to look innocent.

"Come here." Rae told her in a gentle voice.

"Rae, don't you dare!" Ragnar snapped, suspecting Kitten was about to be on the recieving end of a very painful lesson in life.

"That's right." Rae said softly as Kitten approached. "I want you to meet my friend Doug."

*Hi, Kitten...* Doug whispered, his needles rattling.

*It's alive!* Kitten's hair stood up as she backed away from the tree, hissing in confusion.

"That's right, genius." Rae snapped, caressing the tree's bark. "You cut down one of six intelligent trees in the whole frelling forest!" Rae stared around the group in disgust, finally demanding. "Where the hezmana is Raegun?"

KaraS -- “Um, Rae? That was what I wanted...

to talk to you about." KaraS said nervously. She had arrived after the tree had been cut down and had voiced no oppinion about it's fate but it did not look like Rae was in a reasonable mood. If she decided to start turning people into trees, well, Kara WAS standing with the rest of the group...

"Um, somehow, I don't know how, Raegun, um, well, got broken." Kara stammered.

Rae got an expression like she had just been punched in the stomach. "Broken? How?"

"Um, I'm not too sure. I kinda found him at the bottom of the stairs. I guess someone must have taken him out of your room and thrown him down there, I guess..."

Kara trailed off and started looking around for places to hide as Rae's expression went from shocked to furious.

"Who would dare." Rae hissed.

"I, ah, don't know."

"What did Raegun have to say about it? And where IS he?"

"Well, he wasn't in much shape to talk. So I took him to IQ's lab..."

"Well, that's just DANDY."

From the forest floor at her feet, the tree moaned.

RagnarRB -- Six Intelligent Trees?

Ragnar kind of rolled that thought around. Possible, this was near the mansion after all. Hmmm...

"Okay, Rae, say I agree with you that this is an intelligent tree. You said there were what? Six?"

Ragnar looked around. "Well they look all the same to me. Which are the other five?"

Kitten looked at him in shock. Being intelligent just maid her tree even more special. It might even be able to tell her what was in all the wrapped packages! She needed to get it back to the mansion before those nosy kids over there caught on.

She began whispering in Elvis's ear. She was going to need some help.

Grackene -- eenie meenie minie mo

I don't know I can't help you rea me so sorry

Kaybe0 -- I have an idea

Kay said, looking from Rae to Kitten to Ragnar. "If this tree is intelligent, Rae, since it is allready cut down, why don't we get a huge planter to plant it in. It can re-grow it's roots then, and still be taken in and decorated. And, the tree can have a beautiful Christmas to enjoy. What do you say, Doug? Would you like to be a part of Christmas, and have the Angel (ornament, Spy) as your crown this Christmas?