A Little....Off (1)

Sunny's Yellow Duckie slippers quickly changed to Elmo slippers. Sunny really didn't like the Yellow Duckie Slippers...but she didn't want to hurt Spy's feelings...he gave them to her after all.

"Now, you Elmo's...we are NOT going to go to your world...we are going to MINE!" Sunny yelled at the Elmo Slippers. The big eyed slippers just looked at her. They don't speak...but being that Sunny is "not quite right" atm, she didn't know that. In her mind...they spoke.

Sunny stared at the Elmo Slippers then tried to pull them off. She was tired of them always choosing where they went. Only problem was...they wouldn't come off. Sunny was hopping around on one foot, trying to take one of them off. She slipped and landed on her eema. She prombtly began to cry.

"WAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaa." She then started really screaming...actually pitching a tantrum. Good thing her pulse pistol safety was on...otherwise...the holo-simulator room would be full of holes. Sunny realized that it wasn't on...and threw it across the room.

to Geradan after slamming the garden wall one last time. Geradan swings his large head around, his eyes roll around their sockets ever so slightly. (Dragons may have hard heads but too many tries at being a battering ram will make even a Dragon a little off.)

"There!" Jila says pointing at the tallest tower of the Mansion. "There he is, the blackguard. Ragnar RedBeard." Geradan looks up toward the tower, and he too can see the Viking standing proudly on the battlements. "His Majesty, King Bialar will most certainly be held captive up there. We Must fight our way through the castle!" Jila seats the much too large helmet more squarely on her head and shoulders, and wrangles the Viking spear into a better grip. "We must batter down the front gates my friend, it is the only way."

Geradan lowers his head once more and gallops for the front door of the mansion. As the dragon's head connects with the Thick oak door a near sonic boom resonates through the Mansion. In the kitchen dishes and food fly out of cupboards, and around the mansion books jump from shelves, people stumble and trip, and the water in the baths slosh in great waves. The door itself gives a mighty creak but shows no sign of damage.

Geradan, on the other hand, drops unconcious to the ground. Jila, not having strapped herself down, flies off the dragons back, the Viking spear going one way, the helmet another. She lands with a large <<thud>> which pounds the air from her lungs. When she is Finally able to catch her breath she slowly stands and walks out to where she can be seen from the battlements.

"Do you think you can stop me that easily?" Jila grabs the spear and waves it in the air. "I will have your Head, RedBeard!" she threatens. Now to find a way to wake her steed.

Spy was doing no one any harm and did not seem in serious distress. He could wait. Jila MIGHT be dangerous, but was out for the count. Sun was probably not dangerous, but definitely in distress. Ghost was in distress, and Rae did not yet have sufficient data to draw any conclusions about her level of dangerousness.

Ghost was top priority, then. Rae put a motherly arm around her shoulder. "What does your mommy look like, sweetie?" she asks gently. "Come on, let's get you a nice cup of cocoa and we can try to sort this out..."

"Years and years ago." Rae assured her, smiling. "Which may be why I'm the only one not affected now. Look, I'm taking HER to the kitchen. Find Crais, and if he's normal tell him to meet me there. WITH Raegun."

is whinning because after so many hurls at the wall, her pulse pistol finally broke. "I don't know where this bit goes." Sunny whines...picking up the broken pieces of her pulse pistol.

Sunny looked down but couldn't figure out where the voice was coming from. "I am looking down...now where are you?" she demanded.

"Oh, this is just frellin' great! My Elmo slippers are talking to me." Sunny whined...sliding down the wall to a sitting position.

"Ouch! Frell! Where is the bloody door?" Sunny yelled...rubbing her nose. She headed for yet another wall, hoping for the door.

Sunny's bottom lip started to quiver, faster...the tears came quicker and from way down low a really loud scream started.....

"I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE!!! STOP TALKING TO ME! I DON'T LIKE BEING IN ROOMS WITHOUT WINDOWS! LET ME THE FRELL OUT!!! NOW!!!" Sunny screamed...it was so loud that everyone heard it.

Mouse heard from the holo-simulater and decided to investigate. As the door slid open, there was Sunny, with her broken pulse-pistol in her hand, talking to her feet. Mouse said quietly, "Sunny? Are you ok?" just to hear what sounded like a very frightened Sunny crying in frustration about not being a a closed room...

Sunny latched onto her hand, and together they walked out of the simulator. As they passed the kitchen, they saw the fridge door was open, and Mouse steered Sunny, who seemed to be a little calmer now, but still staring at her feet, into the kitchen.

"I MUST say," Dot, the very polite ladybug who sat directly across from Spyral said, "these are the most delicious crumpets that I have ever been favored with, Mr. Wren."

"Why, Thank You Dot!" Spyral replied, flushing with pride at the compliment. And the formal use of his last name. His MORTAL name, why, he hadn't heard that in.....

To the people of Sirens Laugh, he was simply Talis Wren, owner, operator, and head bartender of 'The Three Kegs Inn'. But to those in the Underworld Knowhow, he was Talis Wren, Master thief. And Glavius was expecting delivery of the Talisman by tommorrow. How oculd he have forgotten a job like this? One of his biggest yet. (Definitely not beyond his abilities, of course! After all, HE was the one people sought out to do jobs like this!)

Talis Wren rose quickly to his feet and moved to the window. He immediately spied the huge stone building that stood against the horizon

AH! The Castle Agincourt! The Talisman was inside! But ...... who was the strange lady with the dragon, attempting to bash in the door? Last he had heard, the Agincourt was deserted.

Talis quickly changed into his dull black leather garb and gathered his gear. A quick recon might be in order to determine this Dragon Ladies intentions! Perhaps SHE was after the Talilsman too! This Talis could NOT have. To fail a job? To be beaten to the prize? THAT could ruin his reputation! And this must NOT happen!

He swept out of the 'High Hide' in the tree with uncanny speed and agility and made his way across thesurrounding field to a line of heavy brush within hearing distance of the Dragon Lady, who seemed to be speaking to her dragon.

"The King is in there, and we MUST free him!" she said to the dragon, as she resettled a helmet that was much too large for her, atop her head. "We are his only hope," she added as she attempted to climb back atop the dragon, struggling against the helmet that tried to topple her over, as it fell off her head and clamored to the ground.

This had now become more than just a thieving mission then. The Crimson King must not be allowed to take possession of the Talisman. To be in control of such a powerful object.

Well, that was none of his concern. He was here for the Talisman. Let the Dragon Lady save the evil king. He had a job to do.

Wiz limps toward the tree house...starts to wave and trips and falls on his face. As starts to get up he sees Max wrapped around his leg with all four paws. "Max!" Tears coming down his cheeks Wiz gently unwraps Max from his leg and hugs him. Max is purring like buzz saw...eyes closed and tail wagging back and forth, gently licks the scars on Wiz's face.

Looking around Wiz sees Rae & Twig, "Hello Rae! Hi Twig! How are @##*&^ !#@% #@#"...Wiz startled at the sounds coming from his month tries to speak again. "@##!@!#$# ^&^*&*^9*&d" JaeLithe screaming like a war-dragon launches herself up into the air!

Wiz gets up leaning on his staff with Max still held in his arm walks slowly toward Rae & Twig. ("Something must be up I can't say anything right or even in any language I know")

could reach Wiz, Kay comes across the lawn, pushing an old fashioned baby carriage. "OoohBoy!" Twig said in Rae's ear, as Kay spotting them, waves gaily, and comes toward them. She is wearing a long white dress that looked like something straight from Mary Poppins. As she passed by a stunned Wiz, she smiles gaily up to him, and gives him a quick hug.

"Why William, You are home from that nasty ol' war! And, look at what they did to you." she said, clicking her tongue and touching his scar. "Never mind, you are still a very handsome gentleman." she said, smiling again, and waving as she continued on. Luckily Wiz didn't have to speak, are attempt to speak as she chattered away, until she reached Rae and Twig.

"Why Ruth! There you are!" she said, making Rae turn to see who she was speaking to. Seeing that it was obviously her, she said, "Uh, Kay, are you allright?"

"Now Ruth, you know Mama likes us to use our real names. Nicknames are so foolish." she said in a high pitched voice, thinking she was immitating someone. "You must call me Melanie. That is only proper. My, this heat is so torturous. I must be getting the little ones into the house for some rest. Now, RC, Buttercup, Tell your Auntie Ruth bye bye." she said, smiling proudly into the carriage.

Rae peaked in, and saw a blue teddy bear, and a porcelon doll with long curls and a similar dress to Kay sitting in there. Rolling her eyes, she just smiled at Kay.

"I know, I know. They want their naps. That is why they are so cranky." Kay replied. "Why Ruth, what a lovely butterfly you have circling your head. Must be good luck in store for you." and, Kay was off, rolling the carriage in front of her, crooning softly to her 'babies'.

"Well," under the circumstances around here right now, I guess she could have called you something far less attractive. Be glad." said Rae, frowning after her. Rae remembered seeing the bear and doll on Kay's shelf in her room. She remembered Kay laughing and explaining their names one day. RC for really cute was the blue bear's name. And, Buttercup was the name on the doll tag, that the doll had on, along with the buttercup she held in her hand.

Shaking her head, Rae turned toward Wiz. "Wiz, you are back!" she said, grinning from ear to ear. Wiz opened his mouth to speak, but, nothing intelligent came out. "@###$%%^^&&%$$%". He tried again, with the same results. Finally, he just looked at Rae in frustration.

Jila saw Kay pushing the carriage into the mansion as she tried to awaken her might steed. Shaking her head at the dangerous way people were just walking around the place as if they weren't in grave danger, she had more than she could handle trying to keep Ragnar Redbeard at bay, and saving the king.

Rae nods. "Most decidedly." She quickly fills him in. "Look, Jila is going to HURT someone or herself if she keeps this up. Take care of her." She grabs Raegun from his arms and ushers him off.

Rae eyes her with exasperation. "He's a slightly insane alien who I've been breaking the Commandment against adultery with for about thirty years now!" She stalks off, muttering under her breath.

Crais stares after her in surprise, then turns his attention to Kay. "Terribly sorry about that, miss. She's been under a lot of stress lately." He bows hastly, then hurries over to Jila and Spy. "Jila!" he calls.

is going on!" Rae snaps to Raegun as soon as they are safely away from the insanity outside. "I want complete scans of frelling EVERYONE!"

"Baby, you know it." Rae replies, stowing him safely away on a high shelf. "It's time to test out that new transponder I had put in my ear-drum. Let me know as soon as you find anything."

*How.....?* Is the only word she can think of. She just can't imagine how he could be out here on the grounds instead of tied up somewhere.

"Your Majesty." Jila says as she quickly moves into King Bialar's path and kneels. She removes her helmet quickly and bows over it, then looks up into her king's face. "How have you come to be here? I was told that you were being held prisoner by the ruthless Ragnar RedBeard."

"I.... uh......" Crais stutters, searching for the proper words. Rae hasn't taught the Mandroids much about play acting and he's not sure what to say. "I, uh, slipped my bonds while my captor wasn't looking. I, uh, was able to, uh, escape unnoticed."

"My liege," Jila says, climbing back to her feet. "My steed seems to have knocked himself unconcious with the last attempt at ramming the castle door. We shall have to flee on foot. There!" Jila says pointing to a copse of trees. "Those trees will give us adequate cover for the mean time." With an apologetic nod, Jila grabs King Bialar's arm and leads him quickly to the treeline.

"Um, well, because....." Crais replies trying to think quickly "because you're bleeding." <whew> Crais pulls a handkerchief from his pocket.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness." Jila said pushing Crais' hand and handkerchief away. "I'll worry about that when I've defeated Ragnar RedBeard for you. But for now, I need to try to wake poor Dartagnon."

"Dartagnon!" Jila points to Geradan "My trusty steed. I could not possibly hope to vanquish your captor without him." Jila checks her helmet and places the too large piece of armor back on her head. She sways slightly from its weight but stays erect, then she tries again for a better grip on the Viking spear.

"Sir Jila, Your Majesty." Jila says through the holes in the helmet. "Don't you remember? You bestowed the knighthood on me yourself. Perhaps you should sit down, Sir."

"Jila wait!" Crais calls out as Jila slinks across the Mansion grounds and back over to Geradan. "Frell. Rae's not going to be very happy that I couldn't stop her."

Mouse gave her a look and thought they better stop by at the mansion's medic to see if Sunny had a concussion. Mouse asked the refrigerator for a coke, and it handed her a philips head screwdriver and a tube of caulking. She blithely passed them onto the IQ's and went to the machine outside the ballroom to get one there.

Meanwhile, Sunny's slippers got antsy and demanded she go back to the holo-simulator. Sunny complied, because they REALLY wanted to leave. She knew Mouse would understand.

As Mouse fished in her pocket for some change, she pulled out a rather large ankh-shaped metallic object with what looked like an antique coin on the top. There was a small hole in the coin, with a faded leather strip through it. It was obviously a necklace, so Mouse slipped it over her head, and settled it under her shirt. She'd ask around the Mansion to see if anyone lost it. It was too pretty and seemed awfully old. It must belong to someone.

half way to the holo-simulator room when Sunny finally had it. She was tired of taking orders from a pair of red fuzzy slippers with big white ball looking eyes. She sat down and proceeded to pull the slippers off.

"I'm taking you off. I'm tired of taking orders from you. You are slippers...you don't order me around. Besides, Elmo is a sweet loveable little monster...and you two aren't!" Sunny said...managing to get one of the slippers off. She quickly planted her slipperless foot on the ground...so the slipper couldn't sneak back on while she pulled the second one off.

Sunny, still sitting on the ground, looked at the ElmoSlippers, grabbed them. She took off running...towards the lake. Before the Elmoslippers knew what was happening...she had tossed them into the lake.

"You're slippers....of course you can't swim. Now, be good and sink to the bottom. You'll be ok down there...it's just like being in the goldfish tank on Elmo's World." Sunny told the slippers as she watched them sinking.

to the edge of the hedging, watching as the Dragon Lady literally dragged the man who had approached her to the nearby treeline.

An accomplice? Talis wondered. Couold HE be after the Talisman? And who was this Ragnar Redbeard the knight lady kept shouting of? Talis had never heard of him before.

She MUST be one of the Red Kings mindless slaves, Talis thought. I MUST get in now. While everyone is distracted by the Dragon Lady.

Talis watched as the Dragon Knight attempted to revive her dragon again, then when her attention was completely focused on her unconcious steed, he dashed from the bush to the wall of the castle, where he crouched, watching for any sign that he had been observed. Seeing none, he quicly slipped on his climbing claws and began to scale the castle wall, heading for the roof.

Something had deffinately changed in his working relationship with Mr. Lee. Chores, chores, chores seemed to be the order of the day. See if he'd agree to help in the clinic again!

Grinning at his own cleverness he sat down the big bucket long enough to open the window then with a bit of a tug, snatched up the container of soapy oily water and emptied it out. After all there was nothing below but the shrubs right? Who would know?

children, RC (bear) and Buttercup (doll), Kay frowns as she sees water gushing past the window. She didn't hear the yelp below, or see anyone. Those chambermaids throwing cleaning water out, instead of walking down with it, she thought. Mouse came in as she was gently placing the bear in a cradle.

"Why Missy?" I didn't hear you come in, she said in a whisper, holding her finger to her lips to let Mouse know not to wake the children. "Of course I am okay. But, everyone is sure acting strange today. Maybe it is a little touch of the vapors going around. Aren't the little darlings sweet when they sleep?" she asked smiling down at the toys.

"Ummm, yes, they are, but, why don't you come lay down and take a nap Kay, while they are sleeping. I can look after them for you." she said, really worried.

"Now, Missy, I guess it's okay to call me a nickname when we are alone, but, just so you don't when Mama is around. You know what she thinks of that." Kay said. "And, thankyou for your offer, but, I really need to make sure those chambermaids are doing their job right. I fear they are getting lazy on us."

Chambermaids? Now, Mouse knowing the drd's did all the cleaning wasn't exactly sure how Kay, in her state of mind would take that, so she quickly offered. "Kayde, why don't you just sit and relax. I'll go make sure everything is okay."

"Why, thankyou Missy dear. I could use the time to cheer up this room. You would think peasants lived here." with that, Kay went in search of a sewing machine. Finding one in a storage closet, and grabbing a scaper to haul it to the living room for her, she grabbed another poor young scaper and sent them scurrying to the 'village' for some bolts of lace. The poor thing was too worried to object, and soon returned with some bolts of ivory lace.

A few hours later, Rae walked into the ballroom. "What the..?" there were lace curtains everywhere, and lace doilies. and lace covers on the couches. She opened her mouth and looked at a smiling Kay, who was obviously pleased with her efforts.

Mouse paused every couple of stairs to look around. Her meeting with Kay was strange, and when she wasn't looking, Sunny slipped away too. Really weird. But maybe if she talked to Rae or Rag or Spyral or Jila, they would know what was going on.

Talis fairly slid up the side of the castle Agincourt. He paused to look down for a moment, to assess his position, and progress. He was about five levels up the castle wall. Another few minutes and he would reach the roof.

Resetting his foot claws into the stone, Talis made to start climbing again, when a pair of hands holding a bucket reached out of the window just above him and dumped a bucket over the side.

Before the thought was finished, the thief felt the impact of the soapy water which soaked his head and entire upper body. His feet and one hands lost purchase and as he felt himself falling, Talis slammed one hand desperately against the wall, the claws digging into the stone and stopping the effect of gravity.

Dangling by one arm, and looking down at the ground five stories below him, Talis muttered, "Well, at least it wasn't the flaming oil. God knows I HATE that stuff."

"I'd CERTAINLY like to give that serving wench what for," the thief muttered again, swinging himself around to where he could once again get purchase with his other three claws. He began his climb to the roof again, carefully skirting around the rest of the windows of the castle on his way to the roof.

swimming up to her discarded ElmoSlippers. The ElmoSlippers were scared and started crying. Sunny couldn't stand to see anything cry...especially if it was Elmo related. Sunny waded out to the ElmoSlippers and reached out to grab them, when, the Giant Goldfish tried to eat her. She smacked it on the snout, "Bad Goldfiddy! You don't eat meat, you eat plants. I am not a Delvian. I am Sebacean!" Sunny scolded it while grabbing her soaked ElmoSlippers

The Giant Goldfiddy was crying, "Why did you smack me? I was just going to help the ElmoSlippers to the shore. They missed you."

"Well, you had your mouth open like you were going to eat me. Besides, your breath stinks. You should brush your teeth more often." Sunny told the Giant Goldfiddy, from shore. She was headed towards the mansion. The Giant Goldfiddy swam back to his home...and brushed his teeth.

Sunny was walking with two very wet, wiggley ElmoSlippers. She was heading to the mansion. She noticed someone that looked like Spy climbing the wall.

"Hey Spy, whatcha doing? You know...if the DRD's catch you...They'll do more than poor water on you. They'll give you a shock." Sunny giggled

"Hey, you stay out of my room. I don't want you two smelling it up. Did I forget to mention that it's Dark all the way down to my room?" Sunny yelled after the slippers. They started running around the mansion...Sunny chasing them.

in her attic room. To the normal, "Rank and Regiment NOW" (how Rae answered her door), Mouse replied her usual, "You freak - it's me. Let me in before something ELSE strange happens." (Rae and Mouse have had this doorway exchange before. Freak is used as a term of endearment in this case.)

"Well, I 'rescued' Sunny from her slippers that were ordering her around, so I'd say yaeh to the strangeness going around. And then there's this." Mouse reached inside her shirt and pulled out the necklace that she found in her pocket. "Can you make anything of it?"

"Oh this? Well I can make a hat..." Rae starts into the monologue from Airplane but cuts herself short when she looks closer. "Wait. Can you take it off? I need to look at it under the light."

Mouse reached to take it off and the leather strap shrank. All in one piece. Around her neck. Now it was more like a choker, but not uncomfortable. Just like it was... holding on?

"Um... that was strange." Mouse remarked. "I guess you'll have to look at it while it's around my neck, cause this baby's not coming off."

"Hey, quit running. I mean it...my room is way down in the darkest part of the mansion. You won't like it down there. I don't leave the lights on. It's also not very warm down there. I don't like heat." Sunny told the ElmoSlippers. They had finally quit running away.

"K, tell you what, you quit whining...and bossing me...and I'll see what I can do about getting you back to Elmo's World. Deal?" Sunny offered, setting the ElmoSlippers under the sun lamp. She stepped back before she turned it on...she didn't want to get burned. Sunny told the ElmoSlippers to stay there until she came for them. She set the timer for 15 microts.

"That should get you nice and dry. I'll go look for a way to send you to Elmo's World. Now, Do not move from that spot!" Sunny told the ElmoSlippers.

"Hey, Spy, I need your help. Come on...come down from there...before you get hurt. Spy....come on! Come down. Help me out here." Sunny said...sounding a lot like a little sister. "Spy, if you don't come down here and help me...I'm gonna tell Rae on you...she'll take away those silly claw gloves of yours!" Sunny yelled, loud enough that Mouse and Rae both heard her.

She shouts, "Spy! If you fall and break a leg, I am NOT fixing you up! The frelling VET can do it for all I care! Sunny! It's time to put your frelling foot down! Show the slippers who's boss!" She grabbed Mouse by the arm and jerked her back into the bedroom.

"Sorry. Just a bit tense." Rae grins apologetically and points to the 4-poster bed in the middle of the room. "Lie down so I can get a look at the necklace."

She grabs a table-lamp with a long neck and carries it over to the bed. The plug comes out of the wall socket and the light goes out. Rae curses at it, and it immediately lights up again.

"Thanks." Rae hold the lamp several feet over Mouse and lets go. It hovers there and she bends to examine the necklace. "It's lovely. Is it causing you any discomfort?"

Rae nods and picks up a small glass bottle. She pours a few drops of something that smells lemony to Mouse onto the necklace. After a few moments, she announces, "Well, it isn't cursed."

"If it were, you'd know." Rae tells her. She changes the subject. "Ahnks are generally considered protective. It's probably harmless. It might even be keeping you from being affected by whatever is happening here. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to put off a more in-depth examination of it until we know what's happening here."

"Everyone seems to be having seperate delusions." Rae tells her. "If they were having the same one, we could assume some kind of psychic influence. Like when we went through the chess-board and were in the tower everyone thought they were someone else."

Rae sticks her tounge out. "None of your business. Even if he IS the cutest of the ten." She laughs, then redirects her mind to business. "Okay, Crais is also unaffected. I'm not sure who else. Let's look at who is and is not affected and see if we can't come up with some common denominators. Okay?"

Mouse nods as the two leave Rae's room. Rae pauses to strap a sword to her back and a pulse-pistol to her leg. "Is that necessary?" Mouse asks.

"I seriously doubt it." Rae informs her flatly. "Look, we need to get everyone who ISN'T infected together for a conference. My room, three arns from now. We'll split up so we can cover more ground. If there's any doubt but that they might be infected, exclude them. No one who even MIGHT be infected hears about this. Understand?"

This is NOT going well at all. Jila is rambling on about how Ragnar Redbeard must be vanquished. Rae likes Ragnar and probably would not take kindly to him being vanquished. He sighs. This is going to take some serious acting talent.

*What the frell? If I can pretend to be her husband I can pretend to be her king.* He catches Jila by the shoulder as she starts back to Geredan. "Wait, Sir Jila!"

He sighs. "A frontal assault is foolhardy in this case, Sir Jila. The loss of even one life, your life, Sir Jila, can be avoided. And where you are concerned, I very much wish to avoid it..."

"Yes, an Officer in my service by the name of Lady Rivyn. It was she who conducted me safely from my prison. I will bring you to her."

Crias sighs in relief and leads her across the lawn. Sun is alternately yelling at her feet and Spyral who hangs precariously from a branch.

He shakes his head. "Very unwise, Riv. We can better control them by playing into thier delusions." Without thinking, he kisses her quickly before pulling away.

Rae stares at him for a few moments. Then she turns to Jila, a new plan forming in her mind. "I don't believe I've had the honor?" She extends her head.

Rae nods. "Good. Then you may help me." She looks around quickly before speaking. "There are those that might aid us if properly approached."

Rae sighs and leans against Crais. "I don't know about you, but I could use a drink. Let's start our search in the ballroom."

the kitchen, and found the IQ's happily working on the kitchen appliances. They all seemed to be fine, answering her questions in one word answers, and generally being themselves. That left Kay, KaraS, Ghost, Arctikat, Ragnar, Codey, Wiz, and a few others to check out.

that Spy had disappeared. She had sent the ElmoSlippers to her hanger...with a flashlight...so they wouldn't be scared. She didn't notice when or how Spy disappeared.

"Now that's just frellin' weird. How can a Spy just disappear? I know his one wing is magical...but come on!" Sunny was heard. She stared up at the spot she last saw Spy....and suddenly she was staring at it. In all the concentrating on where Spy had gone to...she didn't realize that she had levitated herself up to the window. She decided to take advantage of this and crawled in the window.

Sunny left Rae's room...without touching a thing. Sunny had been feeling less like a little kid...and more like herself. She started wandering around the mansion. She finally made it to her room...down in the catacombs of the mansion. She noticed that her slippers were there...but no flash light. Her slippers didn't look like they had been wet, at all.

*Rae, can you hear me? I'm in my room...and....* Sunny started...but stopped. She heard a noise....so, she, like a good Scaper Scooby, left to investigate it. She wandered around the catacombs until she came across a cave she had never noticed before.

What happens to all of you when i leave? People start tea parties with giant pink bunnies? Hmmmm well, nothing against pink bunnies or anything. But. .

Kay said, propping the pillow better around Buttercup, the doll, and RC the bear. "You look just lovely! Now, sit still and say cheese really big for mommy". And, she backed up with a very old brownie camera to take their picture.

Taking a couple more, she went over, and kisses each 'child' on the cheek. "You were so good, you can have an ice cream for a treat."

Just then, Ghost came in and asked Kay if she had seen her mommy. She was crying. "No dear, I haven't. Would you like an ice cream." Ghost shook her head and hiccuped and went on to look for her mommy.

"That poor child," Kay clicked her tongue, "She looks pale enough to be a ghost. Someone should take much better care of that child."

as she runs out of the Ballroom. Down the corridors she runs searching for those that will help her and the Lady Rivyn vanguish the dreaded Ragnar Redbeard. Person after person she questions.

Sometimes she gets anxious sounding "Yes" answers, and she sends those people to the Ballroom as Lady Rivyn has commanded her to do. Most often though she gets very strange answers, and blank stares. These people she leaves alone as they must surely be the lunatics that King Bialar has told her about.

Once she even heard soft singing drifting from one of the open doorways. Jila sneaks a peek into the room and a lady sits singing to..... a Teddy Bear? She is well dressed and her room is beautifully decorated. This Lady Must be of Royalty, but why is she here? The Royal families were full of mentally ill people but they were never shipped off to an asylum. This must be a relative of King Bialar's. His Queen perhaps? Or maybe a maiden sister. Or, perhaps this was why King Bialar was here in the first place, to save his Sister from Ragnar Redbeard and he was captured himself. Jila tiptoes away to carry on with her mission.

As Jila approaches the upper levels of the Mansion she sees the object of her primary mission: Ragnar Redbeard. How Dare he walk about as if he hadn't a care in the world. But King Bialar has said that a frontal assault could end in her death, and he sounded Genuinely worried. She will wait. She needs to gather an army and then.......

Jila ducks through the first available doorway to stay hidden. She waits to see if she's been spotted and then looks for another way to exit the room. Ahhh, a balcony. Tiptoeing to the balcony doorway Jila sees a hooded figure sitting in a chair staring out at the far mountains.

The figure turns to look at her, his hood sliding back slightly from his face. The half healed wounds standing out like lightning at midnight.

*A visitor. From a different land perhaps* Jila goes down on one knee to look at the person more closely. "Wizard?" Jila asks

The wizard tilts his head a bit and arches one eyebrow. *Does she think she's a real knight? Maybe I should go with her just to keep an eye on her.* He holds out his hand to Jila, and she clasps him by the forearm nodding.

WizMick sighs. It's hard enough that he can't talk properly, and that he still aches in his bones, but now he has Jila, armed and possibly dangerous to herself, to look after.

"Three Blind Mice. No wait. Four lucky clovers. No wait... Oceans - something about oceans..." Mouse's voice trails away as Rae wonders why Mouse can't get a simple password right. But then Mouse's laugh let's her know that she was just playing around.

"Sorry - trying for a bit of levity...did you fine anyone else who's been affected? It looks like the IQ's are ok, and the ballroom is filled with people telling me Jila's gone off the deep end, so you better get down here with Raegun and we'll sort this out. Plus the natives are getting restless and the jukebox is working overtime."

*Could that be because you have none?* Rae winces and reminds herself that she needs to censor her thoughts more if she is going to continue to communicate with Raegun in this fashion.

*Not precisely. Those who have been affected all seem to be experiencing an alteration in thier basic brain-wave patterns, but I'm having trouble isolating exactly what that problem is. It's similar in all of them, but not really a great deviation from thier standard patterns. Almost as if they were asleep...*

"So?" Rae tilts her head, confused. Then she begins to understand. "Oh! No..." She shakes her head, amused. "I recently had the IQs put an uplink in my brain matched to Raegun's transponder frequency."

"It allows us to essentially communicate psychically." Rae explains. "Even though Raegun is technically mechanical. It's an experimental technology."

"Right, YOU want to feed into these delusions and pray to the Mighty Ones that no one gets themselves killed!" Rae shakes her head. "We need answers, people, and we need them now. For once, I am open to suggestions."

"What the frell is going on? I don't normally have a problem connecting with her." Sunny wondered...still watching the visitors in the catacombs...and their rather weird glowing thing.

*Frell the pass word. Get your eema down to the catacombs, NOW. I think we have unwanted visitors. I think they may be the reason everyone is acting so weird.* Sunny told Rae

Sunny sighed, *Damnit Rae! Will you listen to me? No, the damn slippers are in my room...I'm not having problems with them. What I am having problems with are the unwanted guests down here. The hum from their glowing contraption is giving me a frellin' headache.* Sunny almost yelled.