Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 8
                         Side Stories, Part 1

Subject: AAE:SO:Sword and the Heart part 1

On Fri, 14 Jun 2002 19:07:49 -0700 (PDT)
Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00010896

<OOC> a spinoff Caprice and I have been working on in ICQ which is why
it has this backa dn forth kinda feel to it. <OOC>

 A thirteen year old girl in buff colored skirts and peasant blouse
entered the bar. She had bright blue, intelligent eyes, and long grey
hair sensibly braided back. The hair was truely grey, not the white
color that most humans age to. "It's a cat's cradle," she murmured to
herself. "No cat, and no craddle."

A small bundle of energy in the form of a small grey kitten with fairy
wings came bounding over to the girl. *you can't be here! I'm here and
being me now, so you have to be me then!*

The girl laughed, "Here we can both me us, but I need you to be me
Then, so I have to be you now." Removing a small ball of homespun grey
yarn from a pouch at her waist, she rolled it across the floor. Unable
to resist, the winged kitten chased after the yarn, pounced on it....
and vanished. "Well, everywhen happens for a reason, as my mother used
to say. I know why she's then... but why I am now?" She blushes, and
mutters, "And why am I talking to myself." She goes over to the bar,
and slides a worn copper coin across the bar. "A glass of milk,
please."

 Thunder peeled in the darkness, echoing through the empty halls of
Squee's castle. He pulled the blankets more tightly around him and
shivered in his sleep, though not from any earthly chill. His breath
came in little pants and his skin was wet with sweat. His moans
reverberated on stone walls, never reaching anyone's ears as he was
alone as always.
 Inside his dreams however he was far from alone. A million souls, all
crying out for release, all tormenting him, with the twisted, snarling
face of Darath the Black rallying them against the young mind. Squee
attempted to repel them, trying to drive them back but they pushed him
further and further towards the cliff behind him. He couldn't shift,
he couldn't fly away, and he knew madness and death awaited him at the
bottom were he to fall.
 He cried out but there was no one to hear, he had pushed them all
away, killed them or made them his enemies. Darath the Black smiled,
knowing victory was near at hand, that he could free himself at last.
 Squee screamed as they struck out at him an he tumbled backwards,
making one last desperate cry for help to anyone who could hear, but
he knew no one would come to hair aid. He fell back, his fingers
catching the edge of the cliff and clawing at it, trying to pull
himself up...
 He sat bolt upright in his bed, panting to catch his breath and
wondering where he was for a few moments before he realized he had
awakened. With a trembling hand, he reached out for his sword, always
nearby, and felt the reassuring flood of power flow into him once
more...
 Having taken a sip of her milk, the girl suddenly sat bolt upright
for no apparent reason. "No... he vanished... he's gone... he..." She
sets down her glass, and rushes over to an X-window, trying to focus
on the cry only she heard, and open a portal. "He needs me... come on,
open... OPEN!" Before the image had even half resolved, the girl
rushed through as fast as she could, not daring to pause. "Squee...
I'm coming!"
 Squee's realm is bleak and stark, a world stripped of its life by a
youth gone mad. A blood red moon shines down, giving some illumination
to the twisted copse of leafless trees in the mountains. Down below in
a sheltered valley a city could be seen with no movement, no lights..
a city of the dead... and within the heart of it, the fortress that
Squee called his home.

 Squee slid from the bed and snapped his fingers, summoning forth two
poltergeists to dress him. He moves over to a washbasin and splashed a
little water on his face and gazed at himself on the mirror... he knew
he wasn't that old yet... still a youth in many people's eyes, but he
couldn't help thinking that the sunken eyed thin face he saw reflected
in the mirror was that of an ancient old man, not himself. His fist
lashed out, shattering the mirror. Thus had he always dealt with that
which displeased him.
 He moved through the corridors of the castle, torches lighting
themselves as he approached them. He passed through his throne room,
unsure really of where he was going but just needing to walk... to
move... to know he was alive and shake off the memories of that awful
nightmare...
 He sank down into the throne and closed his eyes again. He knew it
wasn't a nightmare though.. He could still hear the voices screaming
at him in torment, crying to be let free. The source of his power, but
also the source of his curse. He grimaced. Power allowed anyone to do
anything... to deal with this he just needed to learn how to
manipulate the power he had better and he could silence them all from
his mind.
 He noticed a gem glowing on the arm of his throne and raised an
eyebrow. Some was in his realm.. someone.. alive... Not even an ant
would dare cross the ward he had placed around his kingdom, so he knew
this must be someone powerful indeed... maybe powerful enough to give
him the last boost he needed...
 He closed his eyes and let his power stretch out to touch his
carefully placed troops, raising them from their beds of earth. *Go
forth and capture the intruder.* he mentally ordered them as they
skeletons and zombies started to from ranks, Ghosts and wraithes
dancing in the air above them, then flying forth as the advance
scouts.
 Squee lay back in his throne again. Soon, everything would be
alright...
 The girl looked about at the blighted landscape. Nothing lived, no
plant, no animal... and she couldn't help but shudder. "And I didn't
even bring my cloak." It /was/ chill, even in her peasant's garb, so
she shifted down to a form that could more easily keep warm. A sleek
feline, about the size of an adolescent panther, her fur was a dark
grey, and more than enough to keep her warm. A pair of ribbed,
insect-like wings were folded tightly against her back. She paused for
a moment to groom one shoulder, then started to run towards the city
in the distance in a ground-eating lope. Dead, dead, all was dead
here. It got in her whiskers, in her fur. She could remember her
childhood friend, something dark had gotten him, something dead that
ate at him. And now he needed her, she knew that as surely as she knew
the length of her whiskers. So when the first wraiths appeared, she
wasn't surprised. She roared a warning, the sound lacking the
full-chested volume of an adult, but still enough to serve. Her claws
extended from her paws, and if they were foolish enough to approach
closer, they would learn what it meant to face one of the People.
 The Wraiths circled, well out of reach of the pantheress, shadows
flitting over the moon and staring down at her with glowing red eyes.
In the distance the measured footsteps and clinking of armor against
bone could be heard as the under troops worked their way up the
mountainside at a trot towards where the wraiths marked their prey.
 A few of the wraithes swooped down low, so tempted by that warmth, by
that pulsating life force... so tempted to take some of it for
themselves... it had been so long since they had been allowed to
feast, their need almost tangibly thick in the air as they debated
between their duty to their master and their own lusts and desires...
 A leap and a spin, claws flashed proving they could rend ectoplasm as
easily as flesh. And then she turned, hearing the clink of armor, the
stench of long dead things. This time the leap was in earnest as she
took to the air, spreading wings that were like a butterfly's, just
slightly tattered along one edge. The wings were mostly grey, though
veined in blue, and in a pink that /refused/ to darken.
 From the air she could see the approaching undead troops, a chill
running through her. There were too many, far too many to fight. And
the more magic she used, the more visible she would be. Clawing her
way through the wraiths who tried to stop her, she fought to gain
altitude, enough height to be safe from the troops on the ground as
she attempted to fly towards the castle.
 Wraithes screamed silent screams as the claws rended through their
spectral bodies, spreading them to the winds. Many of the other
Wraiths fled the oncoming flying tigress, the others staying in place,
cowering in fear while down below the undead army marched on
mindlessly towards their goal, not realizing the goal was now well out
of their reach.

 Squee looked up as a wraith came into the room. *Well? Where is he?*
 The wraith shuddered, *Master... it is a she... and she bears claws
that even bring pain to the dead... then she took flight... I barely
escaped...*
 Squee scowled and gestured. The Wraith gave out another silent
scream, 'I didn't ask for you to escape, I asked you to bring her to
me." He twisted his hand and his magic tore the wraith to pieces. "So
she may harm Wraithes ehh... let us see how she does against stone..."
 He began to chant out his spell, gather his power and letting it
spread out to the city. The power ran over the streets where the
undead moved about, performing eternally the same daily tasks they had
in life. The power flowed past an undead priest on the steps of a
church. Past a pair of guardsmen standing at their posts before an
armory, over taverns and brothels and merchants and beggers. Caressing
at the stonework of the buildings until they found the gargoyles.
 The stone groaned... and creaked, and then rumbled as a dozen
Gargoyles awoke, imbued with pseudo-life. Squee's mind reached out one
more, taking an image of the panthress he had taken form the wraith's
mind and giving it to the Gargoyles as their target, along with
instructions she was to be brought to him, broken but alive.
 Squee settled into the throne again, trying to force the voices out
of his mind so he could think in peace and wonder why it was that that
image was bothering somehow... tickling something in the back of his
mind he couldn't quite see...
 Time was MUCH better by air, and she had reached the ruins of farms
that surrounded the city when the cloud of gargoyles erupted, filling
the sky. She didn't try to fight... too many, far too many, and she
would have to use magic. A lot of magic, instead she dove, dove fast,
and dove hard, feeling the wind crackle against her. And JUST before
slamming into the ground, she shifted again, this time into a small
grey rat, and dived into the shelter of some tumbled stone. Resting
there, she caught her breath, trying to figure out where to go now. A
quick peek out revealed the gargoyles perching around her shelter,
waiting. Shaking a tiny rat-fist at them, she squeeked angrily, then
vanished deeper into the stone. There were holes, tunnels... perhaps
some of them would lead to the castle. She chittered a little with
laughter. She used to tease Squee for shifting into a rat.... and then
it was one of the first extra forms she had learned. She bet he would
have laughed at her too... she missed his laughter. Missed a lot of
things about him... he had been the first real friend she had had....
and to a cub without littermates, that meant a lot.
 Squee arose from his throne, feeling worn and spent. Knowing he
needed sleep but afraid to close his eyes again. Darath's tormenting
laugh echoed in his ears, causing him to wince. He moved to a fountain
and drank deeply of the cool water, trying to refresh himself.
 He turned to his mirror and cast a quick scrying spell on a mirror to
see the status of his hunt. He frowned as he looked over the gargoyles
just sitting there... watching a pile of stones... He grimaced in
frustration, knowing whoever the intruder was she had outwitted the
stone minds of the gargoyles. He cast out a hand in a display of raw
power cast in anger, and the gargoyles each detonated in deafening
explosions.
 Squee leaned against a wall and rubbed his temples in thought. He
directed the undead army to the stones to start removing them but
realized chances were the prey would not be there. then where...
 Underground... gophers and moles and such had dug tunnels all over
under the ground before he had taken this place over... they traveled
everywhere... including into the catacombs underneath the castle. His
prey would arrive there.
 He turned with a swirl of his cloak and moved quickly to his lab.
Whoever this person was they were not only powerful, but crafty. And
that was a dangerous combination. He started looking through his
shelves until he finally found the jar he sought.
 He regretted for a moment that he wouldn't be able to gather her
power, but his own safety was most important. A whispered spell and
the jar was teleported to the catacombs where it crashed onto the
ground, shattering.
 The black ooze inside squirmed a bit as it became free, reaching out
for pieces of glass, rocks, wood, whatever was nearby. It drew them
into itself and as each piece was absorbed, it began to be converted,
allowing the ooze to begin to grow, and allowing it to start to
spread...
 Rat form was not as fast as flying, but she could still scurry at a
good place. It was tempting to curl up and find a nest. The adrenaline
was starting to wear off at she was tired... not to mention the fact
that this place made her constantly want to bathe her whiskers no
matter what form she was in. *I'm coming, Squee... I heard you, and I
haven't forgotten.... I've never forgotten...* The sound of her own
mental voice was empty in her own head. She was supposed to be out
searching for her name... trying to do something so dramatic that it
would change people's thought-image of her. That she would no longer
be the cute-fuzzball Mischief that they all remembered. But Squee
needed her, and she didn't care if she stayed Mischief forever, and no
one ever took her seriously. Helping her friend was more important.
The catacombs were too quiet, that was part of the problem. There
should be the squeeking of other rats, the ticking of beetles, the
low, slow burrowing of worms. Instead there was dead silence that
tempted her to brooding, distracting as any noise...
 Noise. A soft fall of stone ahead, but... it didn't land.
 Carefully peaking her head out of the tunnel, she saw that the
rat-runway ahead of her had collapsed. Beneath, there was blackness.
It was close enough to leap to, she thought... the pure blackness made
it hard to tell. Nosing at a stone, she let it fall onto the blackness
below... she watched it fall until the softness, and be absorbed.
Shivering, she turned away, scurrying back along the small drain, then
trying to climb upward, away from that black thing. Was she a coward?
All she had done was run from trouble. She wasn't scared really, she
had seen things a lot scarier in her years. That's what came of being
raised by a group of heroes. But she had to find Squee... he needed
her. All these obstacles were just distractions, keeping her away from
her friend. Chittering angrily, she climbed upward through long unused
drains, trying to find a way into the castle.
 Squee skulked his way back up to his bedchamber, knowing his magic
had drained him more than they should have because of his lack of
sleep. He collapsed onto the covers despite his uneasiness at the
dreams he knew would come. Fatigue was overtaking him. Making his mind
sloppy. Letting things slip, like his memory of the prey still at
large, and of predators that stalked his mind.
 His eyes fluttered closed and soon he was engulfed in a wave of
emotion given form, boiled at his skin like hot oil, unable to get
away from it, The anger and hatred of millions entrapped by him in the
ebony blade. He screamed in agony, his cries reverberating against the
walls of the castle and shuddering within the stone from his
connection to the keep. His voice carried out over the parapets to
echo against the mountains of his lonely valley... His kingdom...
 His hands clawed at the blankets in his sleep as he tried to swim
against the tide, tried to pull himself out but found nothing there to
grasp onto anymore, no helping hands because he had pushed everyone
out of his life. Now he was on his own and about to die. He fought
back the tears in his dream as he tried to summon his strength, but he
found himself in the form of a helpless little rat, locked in a cage
as Darath the Black poked daggers at him.
 Climbing was easier in rat form than human, but the distances also
seamed longer. The scream that ripped through the castle spurred her
onward, running faster and faster. *I'm coming Squee... I'm coming...*
Soon, but not soon enough, she was perched on a rotten bit of rafter
in Squee's room. He looked older, but then again, so was she. Seeing
him writhe in terror in his sleep, clawing at the sheets tore at her
heart. Carefully she curled up, tucking tail around her paws, then
slipped into rapport with the man who used to be her friend. Darath
the Black... she remembered him. Of course, she had been a kitten back
then. Being dead... yes, he was dead. She could feel that, and it had
to do with how he could hurt Squee like this. Enough. Being born a
telepath, she had shared dreams with her mother in the womb, learned
to walk among them, and to tame them so they didn't stalk others. Now
it was HER turn to stalk. Bad Cubs stalked others in their dreams.
Darath the Black was being a Bad Cub. Thinking of it in that
perspective let her take a MUCH larger form... or force the dream to
see him as smaller, as small as a cub is to an adult. With a paw and a
growl she reached out, and *swatted*.
 Darath the Black cried out in surprise as he was struck, causing
confusion among the ranks of souls attacking Squee's mind. A strange
place this was... a dream but not a dream... filled with millions who
were stuck in a half-death limbo. Their souls locked inside
Soulstealer, and their only link to the normal world through Squee,
their captor, their tormentor.
 A million voices started speaking at once in a mix of confusion and
curiosity, joy and fear, despair, and hope. A new presence, but not
one swallowed by the sword. A new hope for freedom. They surged
towards Mischief, an ocean of bodies reaching out for her at the same
times as Darath the Black tried his best to slip into the crowd and
disappear again.
 Shrinking down to her current 'real' size, the panthress grabbed the
cage in her jaws, and took off running, away from the dead. This was
Squee's mind, in a way. Squee's dream. She headed deeper into it,
instead of out... Minds held everything, they were worst than attics.
And somewhere there was a memory of a place where the two of them were
children together. When they were safe, and happy. All she had to do
was find it.
 The rat in the cage lay still, unmoving as your paws clatter against
the invisible floor. The setting of the mind changed as the Souls
faded back tot he sword, unsure of what to do now. The walls were
black and scorched, stone banded with steel and coated in blood. Huge
sections of Squee's mind and emotions, blocked away, walled from
anyone's prying eyes, including his own. In ways the setting was a
depressing and lifeless as Squee's entire kingdom, and even though
there was no temperatures here, there seemed to be a constant chill in
the air...
 Carefully setting down the cage, the panthress looked around. This...
was bad. But it was all she had to work with, and at least there were
no distractions. She pulled up the memory of a kitchen in her mind,
where long ago she and Squee had done battle with a can of Tuna Fish.
It took effort, calling it up and then, projecting it outwards,
solidifying it as much as she could. Then she struggled to remember,
pulling up the warm feeling of youth, when everything was new, and the
two of them were both bright-eyed and happy. Soon it was a small
winged kitten that batted open the door of the cage. *Squee? Come out
and play... don't sit there and be a bug-brain!*
 The rat in the cage slowly started to stir. "Who... dares... call me
that." he muttered wearily. He opened his eyes slowly and shrunk back
against they back of the cage, his eyes wide as he looked around the
kitchen and at the kitten before him. He trembled visibly and shook
his head, "No... no... I 'm not this child anymore... this weak,
helpless gullible thing..." His paws squeezed at he cage's balls as
the mental walls began to tremble and shake, cracks appearing here and
there.
 Then a roaring sound erupted, echoing off the walls as a giant
Soulstealer appeared, piercing Squee. He screamed again and awoke.

 His mouth was dry and unable to speak, his throat sore from the
screams. He lay there, thanking as he started catching his breath,
then he let his senses open up and looked about. He shrunk back as he
noticed you, his hand moving for his vampyric bladed greatsword,
"So... you've finally come for me is it? The CAoL couldn't stand their
embarrassment of a former child anymore? I won't die without a fight
you know...." His hand rested there, feeling the comforting flow of
power wafting through himself but unable to bring himself to lift it
for some reason... as if the sword weighted a million tons...
 *I didn't come to kill you. You really are being a bug brain.* The
sight of a grey rat blowing a raspberry at someone is... definitely
unique. *I came because I finally could. I heard you calling for help
inside my head, and I followed the call back to you.* She grooms her
whiskers with a paw, trying to get them neat. *The CAoL didn't send
me... they don't know I'm this-when...* She sighs. *Ugh, this is
confusing... tell you what, if you don't draw that sword on me, I'll
come on down and shift form so we can talk.*
 Squee kept his eyes locked on hers, a wildness in them bordering on
madness... but also, a flicker... a hint of something else... there
for just a moment. His fingers tighten on the blade, but he still
can't bring himself to lift it... and for some reason he finds himself
with a craving for tuna... He blinks a single blink of confusion, then
shakes it off.
 He nods your head to you, "Fine. Go ahead and change then and after
you have your words we shall see if I'll leave you your life or not...
I don't know what your game is but I grew up... I changed. I became
stronger. I don't need anyone's help anymore because I have this!" his
arm tries to tug up the incredible seeming weight of Soulstealer,
grimacing a little as he wonders why he feels so weak. He tries to sit
up a bit straighter and starts wavering dizzily back and forth so he
closes his eyes.
 Scurrying down a half-rotten tapestry, the rat shifted, first to the
young pantheress form, then to human. She appears about thirteen or
so, and is wearing buff-colored peasant blouse and skirt, a leather
belt about her waist. Her hair is grey, and braided back, and her eyes
are bright blue. Between the tilt of her eyes and her grey hair, it's
obvious she isn't human. "I grew up too, Squee... it just took me
longer. It's me, Mischief...." She takes a half step towards her old
friend. "I couldn't find you.... I looked when I was old enough. Then
I was given a chance by fate to come back in time, and I heard you, I
came for you Squee, as soon as I could..."
 Looks at you... A tender something whispered on his lips but unsaid
before he turned his head away. 'You shouldn't have bothered. The
Squee you knew is long dead and gone. And this one isn't very far away
either. I'm sure the Army of Light would be more than overjoyed if you
just went back and told them of my destruction. But if you're looking
for me to beg for mercy, to plead for you to save me, it won't work. I
won't give you the pleasure..." He started moving out of the bed,
releasing his hand from the hilt of Soulstealer. As soon as his
fingers no longer touched the metal, he collapsed to the floor.
 As fast as a cat pouncing, Mischief moved, catching Squee's head
before it hit the floor. "Silly Squee, since when did friends expect
each other to beg? Friends help each other." She sat on the floor
drawing Squee into her lap, holding him gently into her lap. "My
mother left the CAoL decades ago... my time that is. She... it was
killing her by inches." She strokes your hair, "You aren't dead,
Squee... and the Squee I know still lives, life has just changed him,
scared him... I don't want you to beg, I just want you to let me help
you." She watched Soulstealer warily, they way she might a strange dog
that could attack at any moment.
 Squee trembled and shook his head slowly. 'I don't have any friends
anymore. I betrayed them. Betrayed everything for power. I believed it
was the answer to everything. It's consuming me. I know it. I can't
live without it anymore. I feel so weak. Move my paw to Soulstealer...
I need its strength..."
 Mischief hugs you tightly, not letting you near Soulstealer. "No...
it... it's killing you... it is eating you up inside. " Hot tears
began to fall down her cheeks. "Squee...you never betrayed me... you
never hurt me. And I never forgot you, never stopped hoping to find
you... I'm not going to give up on you now." Something soft, warm and
healing starts to slowly seep from Mischief to Squee... not so strong
that he can move yet, but healing at a deeper level. "I don't care if
I never get my name, never get to be an adult... I'm not leaving you
like this."
 Squee trembles and closes his eyes. "I tried so hard to forget. To
shut away everything I had left behind. Everything I had given up. I
couldn't though. You were so young. So innocent. You couldn't
understand. You still must not understand. I can't keep being what I
am. I can't go back to being what I was. I have no options left. I've
destroyed myself as surely as anyone else could have. I can't live
without the strength Soulstealer gives me. I have to have it. Please.
Just place it in my hand. That's all I ask. Then you can go on and
just remember the Squee you once knew. When I still had innocence and
light within me..."
 Mischief shakes her head, "No...No I know what Soulstealer is, what
it has done to you. Squee... Please Squee... I can't give it all back,
but you'll have your strength again... I ... I can't just go on. I
can't." Her hands have balled into fists her nails balling into fists,
which cut into her palms, making them bleed. "I... I will make it
better, Squee... I will..." She kisses your forehead softly. "Remember
me, Squee..." With that she eases her friend to the floor, and reaches
for the sword with blood-covered hands, saying the word of UnMaking.
 Squee lay on the floor, shaking his head, "No one needs me anymore.
All I've ever done is cause pain, cause hatred. It's over now. No more
pain." He closed his eyes as Mischief starts working the powerful
magic. The sword start to resist, but there's only so much it can do
without a wielder.
 Pieces by piece, bit by bit, Soulstealer starts becoming unmade.
Molecular level... Down to Atomic level... Past atomic to the quantum
level... Until it vanishes with a violent explosion. Millions of souls
singing and joy as they're freed and allowed to finally rest. And one
soul, screaming in agony, his voice cracking the stone of the walls as
Darath the Black's soul, forged into the metal of Soulstealer, becomes
unmade as well. And then there is silence once more.
 And with the destruction of the sword, the energy it has stolen from
Squee is also free, though how much of it goes back to him has yet to
be seen. Mischief, however, is still.... very still and pale. The
blood from her palms slowly stops flowing, clotting. Then... the
barest flutter of a breath. Nothing more.
 Squee lays on the floor, his eyes closed, the closest to peace he's
been at in some time... no voices... no sounds... It takes what seems
an eternity even if it's only a few moments to realize that there
should be... SOME sound... he's not supposed to be alone...
 With some effort he managed to open his eyes and lifts his head to
look around. His eyes move to the fallen from on the floor. He starts
to shake a bit, "No... no.... She couldn't have..." He crawled over to
Mischief and strokes his fingers over her cheeks tenderly, "She
couldn't have given her life for mine... It wouldn't be worth it..."
He runs his fingers over her neck, trying to feel for a pulse...
knowing others do it that way, but unsure exactly how to do it. No
knowledge fed to him through the blade anymore, he has to rely on his
own skills, and he realizes how little he actually knows...
 He gasps a bit as he suddenly remembers a precaution he made in case
of being attacked. Fingers clawed at a panel on the side of the bed,
tears beginning to roll down his cheeks as he couldn't find the
strength to open it. "Come on.. please... please let me just do
this..." he muttered, finally pulling the panel open.
 He grabbed the vial inside, unstoppering it and bringing it quickly
over to Mischief. He lifted her head a bit and tipped some of the
healing potion into her mouth, waiting to see if it helps...
 Mischief blinks a bit as she tastes something... nothing. She finds
herself half sitting up, supported by Squee. It takes a bit to
remember where she is, why she feels so drained. "Squee?" A whisper is
all she can manage "Are you alright?" She tries to raise a hand to
touch his cheek, managing only for a moment before it becomes too
heavy and she has to lower her arm.
 Squee nods his head and then shakes it and then just blinks, 'I... I
don't know.. I'm just., I don't know.... I guess confused is the best
word... why did you do it? Why did you sacrifice yourself for me?
Anyone else in the Army of light would have just let me die. Would
have seen it as making the world a better place... yet you almost
killed yourself doing something that might have done nothing... why?"
 Mischief whispers, "Because you're my friend, Squee... I never had
any littermates... no playmates before you. You were my first friend
and still are. Of course I had to try to help you." Her eyes half
close, and she murmurs teasingly, "Silly bugbrain." There is a soft
smile on her lips.
 Squee closes his eyes, tears welling up a bit as he hugs her head
close to him, cradling it in his lap, "You fuzzhead..." He sniffles a
bit, "I... I was always jealous of you... You might have had no
siblings.. but you still had your mother... And here I was, all alone.
A charity case... I would see you with Caprice and... I just wished...
it could all have been different..." he freed up a hand to wipe away
the tears on his cheek, 'When I left... I missed you so much... I
tried to just forget... forget everything... it hurt so much.. but I
couldn't... When I would see you, no matter how much I wanted to just
forget everything there was a little piece of me that wouldn't let me
forget..."
 Mischief says softly, "Caprice adopted me... my birth mother was one
of her doubles... and... was killed when I was a baby... I.... I felt
her die inside my head." She curls closer to you, "I... I never forgot
you... I couldn't... I won't..." She blinks a bit, trying not to cry,
"I... I don't know how long I have, Squee... I have to go back to my
own time sooner or later... Promise me you will remember me?"
 Squee nods his head, "I wish you didn't have to go... I don't even
know where I go from her, but I promise I won't forget you ever. You
brought me back my soul..."
 Mischief murmurs, "I... I am supposed to go back to Callahans.... but
I'm too tired... I just want to sleep right now... So tired." She lays
there in Squee's lap, curled up as close to him as she can get.
 Squee nods and takes a deep breath, recomposing himself. He musters
all his strength and slowly, shakingly carries Mischief over to the
bed and lays her upon it, then lays down as well, his arms wrapped
around her in a warm embrace as he lets himself drift into his first
peaceful night of sleep in decades. Off in the distance on a church
steeple, a bird sings its song to greet the coming of the morning.

TBC
=================================
Subject: Sword and Heart - 2a - Making plans

On Thu, 20 Jun 2002 16:19:51 -0400
Caprice/Legion Said As SO.CAoL Message # 00000129

Squee stirs a bit as wakefulness creeps up on him. He lays there
still, his eyes closed as he feels the warmth of the sun on his cheek
through the window. Little by little realization of things come as his
mind begins awakening... the soft warm body of someone next to him in
the bed, the discomfort of clothing that twisted in his sleep. The
silence that fills his mind and the room. He cracks his eye open and
smiles a little at the sleeping figure of Mischief before he closes
his eyes once more and nuzzles his face into her hair.

Mischief, in the way of cats everywhere, has managed to claim the most
comfortable spot on the bed, as well as using his chest for a pillow.
She purrs softly as she slowly starts to drift awake. She shows no
inclination to move at the moment, especially since she has the best
spot.

Squee inhales a bit, smelling the scent of her hair and knowing it
isn't some sort of dream.. nor were the activities of the night
before... He still feels so weak, so helpless... going from almost
godlike powers from Soulstealer... to becoming just little Squee
again. He gulped back a wave of fear as he pondered trying to face the
world weak and helpless again. His mouth watered a little and he ached
inside for the reassuring flow of power of the magical blade. Then the
echoing of Darath the Black's screams reverberated in his memory as he
remembered the blade was gone forever... he trembled a bit and bit his
lip to try to fight off the shakes.

Mischief's purr becomes louder, stronger... she murmurs, "It's
alright... it's okay... I'm here, Squee.... I'm here." The fact that
she can purr and talk at the same time is further proof that she is
not quite human. She shifts her position, holding you tightly, looking
up at you with concern.

Squee gulps a little as Mischief moves to look up at him, *I didn't
mean to wake you up... I'm sorry...* He closes his eyes and grits his
teeth some, slowly willing his body to stop shaking and trembling,
*I'll be OK... I'm ok. really. I'll be fine...*

Mischief makes a humphs sound. *Squee.... Trying to lie mind to mind
doesn't work. You aren't ok. If I had been through what you had, I
wouldn't be ok. But you are strong, and I'm here with you.* She grins,
still purring. *I'm stealing the best of the bed, and shedding on your
clothing, but I'm with you.*.

Squee forces himself to smile a little. *I'm still used to
shapeshifting. I've learned ways to prevent shed hair
accumulations...* He lays back and looks up at the ceiling *Ok, maybe
I'm not perfectly OK... I have to admit I'm hungry...*

Mischief sits up, slowly stretching and yawning... her tongue curling
a bit. She can't help being a cat, even in humanoid form. *We should
get out of here. It's big, it's gloomy, and there is still that black
gooey thing in the basement.* She ponders, *Besides, with the magical
defenses down, sooner or later looters and heroes are going to start
showing up.*

Squee looks around at his chambers... Dark.. sterile... bleak... He
nods his head a little as he starts to sit up himself, *Alright...
after we eat though... and I need to get some things together. It
should take some time before anyone realizes the ward is gone. He
turns and slips his legs over the side. He starts to stand up, then
promptly face plants into the floor, "Ow!"

Mischief mewps and scurries to her feet, a little wobbly herself. She
helps you to your feet. "Come on... you lean on me, and I'll lean on
you... We'll manage together, ok?" She smiles at you, a hint of...
shyness? It's hard to tell.

Squee slowly gets to his feet, leaning against Mischief. *I... I'm not
used to having to rely on someone else I'm afraid...* he leans into
Mischief and sighs, resting his head on her shoulder, *this is so
strange. So different. So... Well I guess the only word to say is
scary. I wish you would have just let me have the sword back... You
wouldn't be hurt now and I wouldn't have to be bothering you like this
just to get to my own kitchen.*

Mischief nuzzles at you gently, *Instead it would be still killing you
by inches. Eventually you would have become another soul trapped
inside it. I couldn't let that happen to you. One step at a time,
Squee... We'll take this one step at a time.* Matching actions to her
words, she helps you slowly make your way out of the bedroom, slowly
heading towards the kitchen. *Besides... the pain is all worth it to
have you as my friend again...*

Squee smiles a bit and leans down to kiss mischief on the cheek,
*Thank you. I don't really know that you're so right, but thank you
anyways.* he leads the way through the castle, grimacing a bit at the
fallen corpses and piles of bones that were once servants and
guardsmen for the castle.

Mischief blushes crimson at the kiss, and rapidly tries to find
something else to talk about to distract you... from the corpses and
from her blush. *I've never lived in a castle... In about sixty or so
years from now, I'll be living in a little stone cottage. It's in the
no man's land between Arcadia and the Dark Realms of Faerie, slightly
towards the mortal realms. Mortal enough the fae don't head there, fae
enough that it makes mortals uncomfortable.... it's quiet, and no one
bothers me there. I've got a spring-fed pond behind my cottage, and
all the woods to hunt through. After growing up with heroes around, I
wanted a place of my own, where the villain de jour wouldn't be
showing up on my doorstep...* She's babbling a little, she fears, but
hope you won't notice.

Squee smiles a little but keeps most of his concentration set one his
footsteps as the pair make their way down the stairs. *Sounds like it
might be nice, but lonely too. Can you truly be sure you'll be there
in 60 years alone and unbothered? After all, look at the troubles I
went through in making this place so that no one and nothing would
come to disturb me... though sometimes the most unexpected
disturbances can be the most rewarding as well.* He finally reaches
the door and tugs it open, "After you."

Mischief smiles, entering first, feeling a little less wobbly. "Thank
you... and that is when I'm from, so yes, I've done ok there so far...
Oh, I'll go adventuring sometimes... I still haven't earned my name
yet, after all. But... I'm too cat to be happy with most people, and
well... I've spent too much time with humans to be comfortable with my
own race."

Squee raises his eyebrow as he follows along behind you, *What do you
mean get your name? Don't you already face a name? I thought fuzzface
was a name...* He smiles and moves to a magical icebox, bringing out
some meat and cheese. He looks over to the fireplace and slowly,
wearily piles some wood into it. He kneels down and starts chanting,
flame erupting form his fingertips to light the fire. He falls back
onto his rump on the floor and just sits there, trying to catch his
breath.

Mischief pbbhts at the fuzzface comment. She cuts up the meat and
cheese with a small eating knife from her belt. She then sits down
next to you, spreading out her full peasant skirts to make an
impromptu picnic blanket. *It's a thing with my race. When a cub is
little, they get a baby-name. Mischief is just the verbal translation
of (mental image of small hyperactive fuzzball kitten who gets into
trouble but doesn't mean anything bad by it). When we reach
adolescence where supposed to go out and do something, something...
heroic or important enough that it changes how people think of us...
whatever the new mental image is, is our new 'name'...* She sighs,
nibbling on some cheese. *Thing is... everyone still thinks of me as
Mischief, and well... I'm not much of a hero.*

Squee smiles and reaches his hand over to give Mischief's a squeeze.
*Well you were a hero last night. I don't know of anyone else that
would have almost sacrificed themselves for a wretch like me.* He
sighs and nibbles at a bit of the food, skewering some of the meat and
roasting it over the fire to warm it up. *As for names, I guess it's
sort of funny how different we are culturally. Where I come from,
names aren't that important... often people change their names daily.
It really doesn't matter when you can simply direct your thoughts
right to whomever you're trying to call or can give a mental picture
of whom you're talking to. I'd actually hate to think of what my name
would be right now were I from your race. I highly doubt it would be
anything flattering...*

Mischief grins impishly *How about (needs to be pinned down and bathed
like a cub)...* She's definitely teasing you. *And... well, names are
just how humans put it,. because they need words. It's the mental
image that counts, your... reputation, how people think of you... and
well, everyone thinks of me as the harmless puffball.* She sighs, * I
am NOT a baby anymore, but that's all people see or remember, and...
it doesn't matter. The important thing is that I'm here, and I'm going
to help you.* She smiles at you warmly.

Squee smiles a bit and sticks his tongue out at Mischief playfully,
*And just who's going to be trying to bathe me like that?* he giggles
and pops some more cheese in his mouth before he starts to get to his
feet again. *In a way it's funny... here you are trying to make
yourself recognized as an adult rather than a child yet you look at us
both really as if we were both as when we first met... It's been over
a century for me, decades for you as well. We've both changed. we've
both grown. Even if some others either don't wish to or actually don't
recognize it.* He finds a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine and
brings them over to the fire. Breaking the bread apart he offers part
of it to Mischief, then sits down once more. *I guess we both could
use each other's help in different ways.*

Mischief chuckles, glad her teasing could make you laugh. She accepts
the bread, nibbling on it. *Yes... we've both grown up... I... have
noticed it, but...* She blushes again, *Never mind. It doesn't
matter... Food matters. Sleep matters. Friends matter. We'll eat, and
then you'll pack... and we'll get out of here, go someplace safer.
We'll find someplace where people won't be looking for you, and you
can just be yourself.*

Squee reaches over to turn Mischief's face to him gently. He gazes
deep into her eyes with sad ones of his own. *You're very nice and
special and I owe you a lot. But I've done a lot of things, in a lot
of places, that I regret. And there are people who might seek out
justice when they find I am no longer so all powerful. I can't make
you live on the run. Make you hide yourself out just for me. You
deserve more of a life than that. You deserve greater things than
having to look at shadows. I think as I look at you that's probably my
greatest regret now that my past could cause my future to have to be
away from you...*

Mischief humphs again, *I have to watch the shadows anyway... between
the enemies the CAoL Generation one made, generation two, the Children
of Light, and... well, never mind. You let some heroes feed you some
tuna, maybe give you a free ride or three, and next thing you know,
villains come looking for you. Why do you think I have a cottage in
the middle of nowhere?*

Squee smiles a bit, *I guess that makes us two of a kind... troubled
souls trying to flee their pasts to just find a bit of peace in their
future.* He gives Mischief's hand a squeeze again, *If you'll put up
with me and understand what we might have to expect, it would be my
pleasure to travel with you.*

Mischief squeezes your hand. *I understand... and... I'm glad we'll be
traveling together.* She steals a piece of the meat that you've been
heating. Not that you'd deny her any... just more fun for a cat to
snatch it. *How are you at world-walking? I've gotten better at it,
but I'm too tired to get very far right now.*

Squee blushes brightly, "I...Well the spells I used to use were ones I
had known through Soulstealer. I can't cast them any longer. I just
don't know how. It's been a while since I had to but I should be able
to find the crossroads through... The gateways between all magical
worlds and Arcadia that my race were guardians of... We'd just have to
be very careful.* He shifted to move a bit more behind Mischief and
wrapped his arms tenderly around her, 'or we could just stay here a
while. There's still the library and I remember some of the spell...
it wouldn't take too many weeks to research the rest of it I don't
think...*

Mischief purrs softly as you hold her, resting back against you.
She... seems to like this. *We shouldn't stay here too long... it
makes us even more of a target.... Do you think you could pick out the
most valuable books? A few supplies... I could manage to shift us a
few realities over.... then find someplace to whole up and let you
study?"

Squee ponders and nuzzles his face to the back of Mischief's neck as
he ponders, *I guess I could... it'll be kinda hard to pick just some.
and I was planning on taking some food and stuff too. how much can you
teleport? I mean I don't want to completely drain you or anything like
that.* He sighs and looks around, *It'll be tough to just sort of pick
up and leave after so many decades here... I mean it may not look like
much but it was my home...*

Mischief keeps purring, her eyes half closing. *I can teleport as much
as you and I can carry, if I do a world-walk... or I can do a straight
teleport and take about a six foot radius with me... Just not as far
as if I rested.* She perks up a little, * If we wait a day, I can rest
and get us farther... and that would let you pick more to bring with
us, right?*

Squee ponders and nods, *Two days is all I'll need... it'll give us
both time to rest and it'll give e time to research a shrinking spell
I know is there. Then I could just shrink the food and clothes and
books and weapons and we could carry them all in backpacks easily.* He
smiles and kisses the back of Mischief's neck, *Unless of course
you're in more of a hurry...*

Mischief blinkblinks at the kiss, and purrrs contentedly. *No...
unless my younger-self shows up at Callahan's, I have nowhere to be
but with you... And two days, I'll be rested enough to get us a long
ways away. As long as no one shows up, looking to slay the dread
necromancer... or more likely, to try to loot things, we should be
ok.* She doesn't make any move to move away. Being held like this...
is rather nice, in a new and interesting kind of way.

Squee chuckles, *If they come to loot, they can be welcome to anything
they find in the city below as far as I'm concerned. And it should
take them longer than 2 days to be able to siege us from the castle
regardless for there being no magical wards.* He gives her a tender
hug again and then looks off into the flames, *I guess that just
leaves where to go... I mean I can come up with a long list of places
to avoid but I don't know where we should go from here...*

Mischief hrms, *There are plenty of places I can think of.... Not sure
if you've ever been to the fictons involved... Like the Marvel
continuum... one of the mutant-friendly realities might work. Or if
you want a more magical reality, there are several I've been to where
someone who looks odd as I do won't attract a second glance. There's
also Arcanum, which hangs between magic and technology.... I might get
a few odd looks, but its out of the way.... I think out of the way,
back water realities are our best bet.*

Squee ponders and smiles, *I don't think you look odd at all, but then
I don't know that I'm one to really speak...* he hrrmms and ponders,
*I know a place now that I think of it. A place called Deva... Its
magical, and the Bazaar is huge enough anyone could hide within it.
But it's well traveled so we will still have to keep our eyes open
lest our paths cross with the wrong people... What do you think?*

Mischief perks a little at that. *Deva? I think I was there one....
huge place, seemed to have everything for sale... including the most
wonderful salmon sushi...* She considers, *I have some coins with me
from different worlds, a few gems... not a lot, but we could get a
room at an inn for a while... if you didn't mind sharing with me...*

Squee chuckles and hugs Mischief tightly, *I wouldn't mind in the
least andI have enough gold coins here that I could treat you like the
queen you should be. Well at least for a time.* he reaches over to pop
a bit of bread into his mouth and then holds some next to mischief's
mouth for her as well, *OK, Deva it'll be then!*

Mischief purrs, taking the piece of bread, her lips brushing against
your finger tips. *Shall we head to your library next then? You can
start sorting through the books, and I can shift to my natural form,
and do what I do best... Nap!*

Squee chuckles and nods, his arms releasing their hold around Mischief
so he may stand up a little shakily before he holds out his hand to
her to help her up, *Let's go. the Library isn't far away and I can
gather together some cushions and such for you to lay on if you like
as you nap.*

Mischief squeezes Squee's hand as she rises to her feet, a sparkle in
her eyes as she looks up at you. *You're spoiling me, you know... not
that I'm complaining.* Both of you are feeling better and have more
strength after the quiet meal and rest.
=================================
Subject: Sword and Heart - 2b - Hitting the books

On Thu, 20 Jun 2002 16:21:15 -0400
Caprice/Legion Said As SO.CAoL Message # 00000130

Squee leads the way down the hall, his hand squeezing Mischief's and a
soft smile upon his lips. He presses his fingers on the carvings of
the door, avoiding the trapped latch, and pressing the secret switch
to unlock the doors. He leads Mischief into his Library, a huge room,
easily 40 feet long and 30 feet wide, Shelves filled with books going
all the way up to the vaulted ceiling in 20 foot tall shelves. Squee
goes over to the tables and smaller bookcases in the center of the
room and starts taking cushions from some of the chairs to make a
comfortable spot on one of the tables for Mischief to lay.

Mischief shifted down to her feline form... no longer a cute puffball,
it was obvious that her race was one of predators. From the sharp,
white teeth that show when she yawns, to the claws that show when she
stretches. But the blissful purring that starts when she curls up on
the cushions makes her seem more like an overgrown housecat.

Squee smiles at Mischief and strokes his fingers gently along her fur
for a bit until she's settled. Then the turns to the task at hand,
changing to a giant form and moving to the stacks. He starts carefully
picking out the books and scrolls he wants, placing them on the tables
before he shrinks back down once more to his normal size and settles
in to start studying. He sighed as he looked around, remembering when
he was a youth and had such ideals of becoming a powerful mage. He had
become one of the most powerful mages in the multiverse thanks to the
sword... and now he was a cub once more. It all seemed overwhelming to
him to have to start all over once more but he had nothing else he
could do. He needed these spells and didn't want to let Mischief down,
so he sunk into his studies.

As she drifted off to sleep, Mischief wondered if she was doing the
right thing. Maybe it would be better to get him away right now, make
him leave everything behind. She didn't know what was in those books,
didn't know what might tempt him in his weakened state. And she
certainly didn't care about the gold. But... they were his things, it
was his life. She didn't have the right to choose for him. And soon...
too soon, she'd have to go back to her own time... several decades
into his future. He'd be on his own again. But... part of her didn't
want to go back. Not leaving him behind, alone... he'd be older by the
time he met the older her again, and... he might not be alone by then.
Troubled by these thoughts, she drifted into a shallow sleep.

 Squee poured over the dust tomes, eyes straining to try to translate
archaic runes that only the day before he could read as a native
tongue. His body ached and still felt weak, though he tried to feign
recovery for Mischief's sake.
 His mind wandered with the thought of Mischief. Confusions about how
she came to be here when he needed her most, about the care she seemed
to show for him. And about whether or not he was deserving of it He
let his glance trail over to where she slept and he smiled a little,
remembering happy childhood memories of her and himself playing
decades ago...
 He rubs his temples in frustration as he looked back at the figures
on the page. They almost seemed to dance about as his eyes focused and
unfocused. He blinkblinked and rubs his eyes, He had to learn this.
Mischief wanted to leave and he needed this spell. He bit his lip in
frustration, remembering as a cub trying to learn spells and the
frustration for trying to get them right...
 It was so easy with Soulstealer... all the power.. all the
memories... one slice and their soul and powers were his... His hands
began to shake as the desire for that power began to fill him again.
He gulped and grabbed hold of them to steady them. The book, no longer
held open slowly brought itself to a close with a soft boom.

Mischief started awake at the soft boom, and looked over at Squee.
*Are you alright?* She sprang up from her resting place, walking over
and rubbing her head against him. She was worried, power could be an
addiction same as any drug... being cut off from it was going to be
hard on him. And there was no easy fix... she just had to be there for
him.

Squee blushes a bit, "Yeah... Just.. ummm muscle cramps.. I'm fine."
He reached out a hand slowly to scritch at Mischief's ears. He smiled
a little as he saw they weren't shaking anymore. I haven't had to
study like this in a while. I guess I'm out of shape. that's all..."

Mischief purred, sitting down and tilting her head so Squee can
scritch the good spots behind her ears easier. *It will take time,
Squee... it's alright. I'm here for you.... we're friends, right?*

Squee smiles and nods, continuing his scritching with one hand as the
other starts opening the ancient tome once more, *Yes... yes we are."*
He finds the page and starts to read through it again while his
fingers stroke along mischief's throat and neck. *I... I think I might
be able to try this... The first thing I should shrink is the Kuroi
Kufuku in the basement so it can be contained again.*

Mischief purrrrRRRRRRrrrrrrs at the scritching. *That is the big black
thing? I... I ran for it. I'm afraid I'm not very brave.* She sighs,
feeling a bit ashamed of herself... but the stroking feels good.

Squee smiles, 'I'm glad that you did. Or else you would never have
saved me. Its name translates to Black Hunger because it can not be
killed and will consume anything it comes across it can absorb...I
need to shrink it so I can contain it inside a spelljar again. You
don't have to come though if you don't wish to.*

Mischief ponders this. *I'll come and watch... and stay well behind
you. That way it can't get to me. I'm glad I didn't get eaten by it
too. I'm rather fond of myself.* She looks up at you, eyes twinkling
impishly.

Squee smiles and stands up, stroking his fingers over Mischief's back,
"I'm rather fond of you too so that works out well." he smiles and
chuckles, as he picks up the heavy tome.

Mischief purrrrrrrs at the stroking. *You can keep petting me like
that forever. I admit.... I am a hedonist.* She sneeze a little at the
dust in the room. *I think I have a cleaning cantrip that should help
tidy this place up... I'll try it later.*

Squee tugs Mischief's tail playfully, "If I keep scritching you
forever I'll never get the spell cast. But I promise I'll do it some
more later alright?"

Mischief flicks her tail out of your reach, and you can tell she is
grinning. *Well... alright. I guess I'll settle for that. The
sacrifices I have to make..." She's definitely teasing you, seeming
content to pad after your heels. *Hrm... When we get to Deva they'll
probably think I'm your /pet/.* Her tail lashes once at that idea.

Squee leas the way once more through the passages and staircases *Well
unless you stick to your humanoid form in public... though you never
know there were creatures there of all types at least last time I was
there... there could even be some others like yourself there. Maybe
you'll even meet up with a cute guy.* he winces a bit at this though
and shuts his mental yap, concentrating on his navigation more.
Finally he opens a door and looks down to the churning blackness
beneath. *And there it is...* he sets down the tome and then sits on
the top step to look down at the mass.
 22:45
Mischief hrmphs *A cute guy of my race won't have a thing to do with
me. I'm still a 'baby' and haven't earned my reputation yet. Unless
you do something impressive, you don't find a mate.* And she falls
silent herself, brooding. She shivers at the sight of the mass, her
fur fluffing up defensively.
 22:49
Thumbs through the tome to find his spell as he smiles back at you.
*Well I certainly don't think you're a baby at all. Just a kind and
beautiful young woman.* he turns his attention to the tome again, eyes
running over the words a few more times, to make sure he has them
right. Then he rises and begins striding slowly down the stairs,
closer and closer to the black ooze.
 22:52
Mischief can't blush in her feline form, but the way she lays down,
putting a paw over her muzzle conveys embarrassment just as
effectively. She doesn't approach the black ooze, instead watching
you, running through what spells she might manage to help if something
goes wrong.

Squee approaches closer and closer to the midnight shaded mass.
Tendrils of slime start creeping up the stairs towards him but he paid
it no mind. As he got closer his eyes closed and he started to chant.
Arcane words formed clumsily to his lips compared to what they once
did, but he concentrated and was careful as he continued forward. His
legs became enveloped by the creature as he continued forming his
spell. Tendrils began to wrap around his waist, trying to bring him
down further into the ooze. Then... they start retracting... the ooze
ripples as it starts to shrink and contract, becoming smaller and
smaller more rapidly with every moment. Finally it's small enough he
produces a jar and slip it over the gunk, sealing it once more with a
muttered spell and setting it on the floor. He plops down on his butt
on the floor a moment, then falls over from exhaustion.

Mischief rushes towards you, feline form being the fastest, then
shifts to human at the last moment so that she can catch you before
your head hits the ground. "You did it... Just rest... rest, Squee."
She leaves the jar where it is, picking you up with tender care....
and a lightening cantrip. She kisses your forehead, then starts
carrying you upstairs. "I think a nap is in order for us both..."

Squee doesn't protest. Even if he had the strength to he wouldn't.
Being in Mischief's arms felt too good. He just closed his eyes and
rested. Was he always this weak... or did Soulstealer take more form
him than he thoughts... maybe the ooze had just grown too large. He
wasn't sure, but only knew he would have to be careful from now on
when using his spells...

Mischief carries you up to bed, and lays you down on it. She undresses
you carefully, and if she is a bit caressing as she does so, well, she
is trying to be gentle. She tucks you in under the sheets. "Just rest,
Squee.... just rest..." She slips out of her shoes first, then removes
her belt and outer layers of clothing, leaving her just in a buff
colored shift. She climbs into bed with you, holding you tenderly and
caressing your hair. "Dear heart... just rest."

Squee still doesn't protest. As Mischief climbs into bed and joins
him, he wraps his arms around her and nuzzles his face to her shoulder
as he get comfortable. weariness seeming to have seeped into every
joint an bone and fiber of his being.

Mischief holds Squee gently, kissing his forehead and caressing his
hair until he falls asleep, content to watch over him. Mischief waits
until Squee is asleep, then goes down to the kitchen to ransack it...
some small loaves of bread, fresh fruit, cheese... Ah ha! A jug of
apple cider. Two goblets. She puts it all on a tray, then covers the
tray. A quick cantrip will keep it all chilled, then she climbs back
into bed with Squee, for another nap.
=================================
Subject: Sword and Heart - 2c Departure for Deva

On Thu, 20 Jun 2002 16:22:07 -0400
Caprice/Legion Said As SO.CAoL Message # 00000131

Squee dreams gently... Soft enjoyable dreams that haven't come to his
mind for a long time. But there's something still not right... he
can't let himself just fully slip into them... His spirit sighs,
wondering if he's scarred himself so deeply he'll never find peace
again, even within his own mind. With the doubts come darkness,
shafting the dreams once more to nightmares like a storm rolling in
from the horizon. The darker dreams only make Squee feel even more
helpless, even more alone and only bring about more despair to fuel
them on. Even his sleeping body begins to tremble before he finally
awakes with a panicked gasp.

Mischief stirs at your gasp, and though she doesn't seem fully awake,
she does pull Squee closer, cuddling close to him. She looks, well,
cute half asleep like this. Though cute in a
13-world-watch-out-when-she-hits-15 kind of way. "Squee?" she murmurs
sleepily, blinking vaguely with worry.

Squee cracks his eyes open as he catches his breath, needing a couple
moments to remember where he is and who's warm body is pressing
against his... bare one? He slowly lifts a hand to place his finger
upon Mischief's lips, *Shhhh it's alright I'm fine* He lays his head
back down on the pillow and closes his eyes, inhaling through his nose
and smelling the slightly musky scent of Mischief's hair. He smiles
and cuddles closer to her as well.

Mischief purrrs nestling close and half napping again. There is a
half-wild scent to her, but also a feminine smell. You think you half
catch a possessive tendril of though from her, though it is hard to
tell. She's wearing just a linen shift, one made soft and slightly
sheer by hard wear. Then again, all her clothing is very peasant
like... not a bad choice for traveling through enemy territory, but a
far cry from the assorted costumes and wardrobes of the CAoL.

Squee strokes his fingers gently along the shirt, not wanting to
awaken you as he ponders his own thoughts. Wondering when you're going
to have to leave and what he's going to do then.. He's beginning to
like the attention. It'll be hard to adjust to being alone once
more... He sighs and rolls over, closing his eyes to try to sleep, but
he realizes he's being summoned by nature. He looks back over his
shoulder at you, not wanting to awaken you so he shifts into his rat
form and scampers off to take care of things, returning again as a man
a few minutes later, creeping slowly and softly into the room.

Mischief has a little frown on her face, and has shifted a little, as
if trying to find you in the now empty bed. You may also notice now
the tray waiting on the table in the room, in case either of you woke
up hungry. She is cute... especially when asleep.

Squee don't notice the tray, his gaze too captivated by the beautiful
young woman sprawled under the covers. He moves to the bed cautiously
and lifts the cover to start to get back in when he realizes your
sleepy search for him took up his space. He chuckles softly and climbs
onto the bed, carefully trying to move over you to the other side
where there's room.

Mischief wakes up a little, just enough to move over to the other
side, let Squee get in, then throw an arm over him and cuddle close.
She makes a sleepy meowing sound and mutters, "mine." She may have the
form of a young woman, but she's a cat at heart... and you soon
realize that she's managed to maneuver herself into the most
comfortable place on the bed. Again.

Squee Blinkblinks a bit in surprise at the muttered "mine" and then
smiles, stroking his fingers through Mischief's hair as he settles
himself in to get as comfortable as he can once more. He kisses her
tenderly upon the cheek before finally settling his head back into his
pillow.

Mischief purrs softly in her sleep, seeming completely content. It's
an hour or so later that she wakes, trying carefully, slowly to
untangles herself without waking Squee. She knows she is still
exhausted from the spell of UnMaking, and knows Squee will be a while
recovering from what Soulstealer was doing to him. She sits there for
a moment, trying to pull up the memories of her much younger self, and
the Callahan's Children's Crusade, as it was/will be called. It seemed
to go on forever, but much does when you are a child. If she could
just remember how long, she'd have some idea of how long she had with
Squee...

Squee yawns and stretches, feeling the coolness striking at his body
as the warm body of Mischief has been removed from his. He rests his
arms under his head and lays there in the bed, half asleep still, but
with a happy smile on his face as he opens his eyes a bit and gazes
out upon you.

Mischief smiles as you start to stir. At least a week... she thinks
she has at least a week, and she's only used a day of it so far.
"Feeling better, Squee? I brought something up in case you were
hungry." Her voice is soft, as she really doesn't want to disturb you,
but she can tell you are waking up.

Squee smiles and yawns, *Well I have to say your arms have great
healing abilities for I have trouble remembering when I've slept as
well as I have these past two nights in them.* He ponders and licks
his lips, *I could go for something to eat I think, what do you have?*

*Just some pears and peaches, bread, cheese, and some apple cider. I
thought it might make a nice breakfast* She gets out of bed completely
now, and uncovers the tray, pouring apple juice for you both. *I think
I have at least a week, perhaps two in this time, Squee... and I've
used a full day, almost two of that.* She nibbles on a piece of
cheese. *It's hard, because I was young, and the place was... odd. But
however long my younger-self spends on her current adventure, that is
how long I have here. Trading places like this let us time travel, but
dodge the powers-that-be that might otherwise try to hurt us for doing
so.*

Squee sits up, letting the blankets sit on his lap as he accepts the
cider form you. he concentrates on a wedge of cheese and lets it
travel over towards him. Taking it in his paw he munches on it
thoughtfully. *So two weeks is all I have with you and the I'll be all
alone again? I have to admit I don't know what I'll do then without
you... Are you sure it couldn't be longer?*

Mischief sips her cider, then nibbles on a pear. *It is less than a
month, I'm sure of that... but ... I'm sorry, Squee. It's just not
that clear. I was/will be in a dimension created by a rather powerful
child. He had been badly hurt, so just... pinched off a corner of
reality, and kept all adults out. Even an adult who used a youthening
spell couldn't get in. I just can't remember, it was all so odd...*

Squee tries to smile reassuringly to you, "It's alright... I mean at
least we know we have a couple weeks together at least. and I'll just
have to find a way to stand on my own four feet before then that's
all... Though I hope that's not going to be the last time I see you...
I guess growing up in a land beyond the reaches of Paradox or the
constraints of time I don't really know how the rules are supposed to
work so much or have to worry as much about them.. A Fae thing I
think... Still the decades are going to pass along pretty slowly if I
have to wait for you to age before I ever get to gaze on your beauty
like this again...*

Mischief mutters, "'m not beautiful..." And blushes red. *Well, I am
fae, but I grew up in mortal lands, raised by a mortal, so... it
warped me. I really don't belong anywhere..." She hesitates, *And if
you really aren't constrained by paradox and mortal rules, then...
well maybe... it might not have to be decades...*

Squee smiles and reaches out, caressing his fingers over Mischief's
cheek,*You forget. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. and to me you
are as beautiful as an angel sent from heaven.* he cocks his head and
ponders *Well I could Try to find a spell to step through time
again... They're powerful spells though.. the shrinking spell wore me
so badly I'd been to get back a lot of power first...*

Mischief nuzzles at your caress and stops arguing over the merits or
flaws of her appearance. *Or I could try to take you back with me when
I go back... the spell that was set up to take me back and forth in
time is pretty powerful, it might be enough...

Squee ponders, "Well... if it's a one for one trade spell... won't
little Mischief need someone else coming with her when she returns to
this time then?"

Mischief hesitates, "It's... a bit more than that. Fate owed me a
favor, so... she exchanged two parts of the thread of my life... past
and future, swapped the sections out... but if we somehow tied your
fate with mine, we might be able to bring you forward..." Or it might
kill her, make her thread snap. But she's NOT going to mention that to
you.

Squee ponders, *Well I guess we have some time at least to figure it
out.* He leans over to hug Mischief close and nuzzle her ear *I'll
just make sure to add some books that might have useful information on
it to those I'm taking... Together we can figure something out I'm
sure.*

Mischief returns the hug tightly. *Good... because I don't want to
lose you, not when I finally found you again.*

Squee ponders a bit and shakes his head, *No I know the spell... I
need to start sorting things out and getting ready to take them with
us. So we have some time.* He smiles and lifts the blanket to look
down at himself. *By the way? where did my clothes go?*

Mischief blushes even more. *Over on the chair... I cleaned them and
folded them... um... sleeping fully dressed isn't comfortable, and you
weren't awake enough to... Maybe I should take the tray back to the
kitchen.*

Squee blinkblinks as he slides out form under the covers *Why would
you do that? I didn't think we had finished yet.* He scritches gently
at Mischief's sides, tickling her a bit before he moves to his
clothing and starts rummaging through he belt pouches.

Mischief gigglepurrs and tries not to look TOO obviously at Squee as
he rummages through things. Hey, she's a healthy young adolescent, of
COURSE she is curious. She decides to get up and put on her clothing,
so as to keep the embarrassment to a minimum.

Squee ah-ha's as he finds what he's looking for. *This should help
today with making sure I have everything I need together.* He opens
his paw to reveal a small grey pebble. *A seeking stone. A special
item I found is Isla's horde after I slew her. With it once only needs
to picture what they seek as it will lead them off to it.* He smiles
at Mischief and smirks a bit as he watches her step back into her
skirt *A pity I thought you had rather attractive looking legs.* He
turns back to his own clothing. *I guess I should dress as well.*

Mischief giggles *Well, I'm glad you like the legs... but if we do
leave this place, I'm not showing them to all of Deva! Besides, this
place is a little drafty without fur.* She dons her belt, buckling it
and checking her pouch and dagger, then laces up her shoes.

 Squee chuckles and smirks, *Well you might change your mind when we
get there. I here it can be hot as the Deevil there.* He pulls his
belt out of the pile of clothes and goes over to a wardrobe to pick
out some clean clothes.
 Dressing quickly he goes over to Mischief and takes her paw. *Shall
we go gathering? And if you see anything you like and wish to have
please let me know and it shall be yours.*

Mischief giggles, and squeezes his paw with hers. *Does that include
you?* She teases. She walks along side you quite happily, seeming
content to let you gather things as you will.

Squee blushes and gives Mischief's paw a squeeze. 'it just might..."
he smiles and leads her off through the corridors.

Mischief gigglepurrs, falling silent as she walks along side you,
peering this way and that.

The day passes quickly as Squee leads Mischief throughout the castle,
uncovering treasure after treasure. He sorts through the books and
magical items. The piles in the throne room becoming larger and larger
until the sun begins to set over the empty kingdom, casting a red glow
over everything. Squee pauses at a balcony and wraps an arm around
Mischief's waist as he watches it.

Mischief takes very little. A bracelet that catches her fancy, a new
buckle for her leather belt. She leans against you as the two of you
pause to watch the sun go down. *Moments like this, are what life is
for... just simple things. Like watching the sunrise with someone you
care about.* And in truth, she's come to realize that she does care...
perhaps more than she should. It's really not that surprising. Squee
was her first kittenhood crush... though back then it was expressed by
calling him bugbrain and other names, while making sure to share any
treats she got with him.

Squee smiles and hugs Mischief close, kissing the side of her neck.
*Yes. It's got its own intoxication almost like that of power.* he
sighs happily as he leans against her, his hand moving to slowly
stroke along her back.

Mischief chuckles softly. *Better than power... far less addicting and
dangerous.* She grins, *Remember how I used to call you bugbrain?*

Squee smiles, *Perhaps less dangerous but I don't know about any less
addicting. I could spend ever sunset like this with you.* he nods his
head and chuckles a bit. *Yeh. And I used to always call you fuzzface.
I was always wanting to show off so I could impress you, though it
never seemed to work...*

Mischief laughs at that. *I was impressed, though I would never admit
it... I would always make sure though if I got a treat to share it
with you... Even if you were a /boy/.* She winks at you. *And needed a
bath.* Ugh! The kitten trying to hold down the rat-Squee and give it a
bath! That used to drive you crazy!

 Squee chuckles and tickles Mischief's side, "A bath or tasting me for
a snack. A rat can't be too careful around a kitty, even a cute one."
he smiles and winks at her. His arms wrap around Mischief and he
smiles, leaning his head down and cocking it a bit to the side as he
brings his lips closer and closer to her own.
 Movement in the crimson sky catches his eye and Squee raises his head
once more. *Mischief I think the visitors have found out about the
wards being down sooner than I expected!* His eyes squint at the
flying form as it ripples and sways through the air, coming closer and
closer to the castle.

Mischief braces herself. "I have a few spells ready. Do we run, or
fight?" She focuses, trying to see what that is, letting her eyes
become more feline.

Squee squints and concentrates on the form, but it's his sense of
smell that reveals it to him first. The stench of rot and decay, even
overwhelming the smell of his rotting once troops strikes his
nostrils. *A Carrion Drake... A relative of the Dragons but a dark
creature that feeds only on the long dead and rotting. As such it's
own body takes on the appearance of decay and rot, both as camouflage
form when it inhabits areas like this and as a way of attracting
mates. I think we had better run. It's caught the scent of the corpses
here and it's hungry. And it won't have any problems with killing us
to get to its food.* he turns and takes Mischief's paw, heading for
the Throne room quickly. *I wish I had shrunk everything already.
We're going to have to do it and pack quickly!*

Mischief runs for the thrown room, hand in hand with you. *You do the
shrinking spell! I'll help deal with the rest* Once you arrive in the
throne room, she opens her pouch, which must be a minor pouch of
holding, and removes two tight canvas rolls, which unrolled prove to
be extremely collapsible packs. Another bag is removed, filled with
coins for quick currency, then she starts filling the packs as fast as
you shrink things.

 Squee closes his eyes and begins gathering power about himself as he
softly chants the arcane words again. He lets the power wash over the
items in the room being careful not to get Mischief swept up in the
spell as he starts shrinking items down.
 All too soon the castle shakes as the drake lands upon it, claws
piecing stone easily for purchase as it lands on the side. A cry and a
blast of acidic breath starts dissolving the outer wall to give it's
head a hole through which to search out rotting flesh.

Mischief goes pale, but doesn't tell you to hurry, you are hurrying
already. She packs as fast as you shrink things, and makes sure
everything unshrunken is in the center of the room, along with the
pair of you. She then throws up a shield-spell around you and the
items as the drake starts clawing its way into the castle.

 Squee pales a bit himself, though not from fear. The strain of the
magic starts wearing on him again. His energies don't go as far as
they did a few days ago, his spellcasting still dirty and relying on
straight power more than finesse. Draining his magic far faster than
it should. He sinks down to his knees panting with just a couple more
items to go.
 The Drake gives out a happy cry as it finds some corpses to swallow
whole. the snack urging it onward. A laugh crash and the trembling of
the castle once more heralds the destruction of a staircase and the
collapse of a couple floors as they head thrashes about, searching for
more food.

Mischief packs what of the unshrunken items that will fit, gathers the
rest and you into her arms. "Squee? Are you alright?!? Squee!" You
feel strength flow into you as she drains herself to give you the
power you need to get the two of you out of here.

Squee nods his head weakly as the throne room shudders with another
blow from the drake. Sever large stones from the ceiling fall down and
shatter the throne. He mutters the words one more time to finish
shrinking the last of the items and stumbles over to them to pack them
away, *I... I'm ready...*

Mischief helps you pack them, then shrugs on one pack, helping you
into yours. She is pale, and getting weaker by the second as she
allows you to pull magic from her, feeling it drain away like a
bleeding wound. *I... trust you squee...*

Squee nods and uses a wands to trace out a spell circle around himself
and Mischief. He closes his eyes and starts his chanting as they
ceiling shatters, stones tumbling off the shield raised by Mischief.
The Drake gives out a startled and angry cry as it sees living thing
sin it's feasting place and rears back it's head.

 Those mighty jaws open and the spray starts issuing forth from sacks
in its throat just as time seems to start to slow, and then stop all
together for Mischief and Squee. The spellcircles glows brighter and
brighter, then vanishes, leaving a hole that draws the pair of fae
down into it, tumbling amongst the dimensional barriers and through
the space between dimensions as Squee guides their travel.

 The Drake goes back to it's hunt as it looks at the hole in the floor
where it's acid stripped away the stone. No rivals for THIS drake's
food. He continues crashing through the walls and floors, working it's
way down towards the barracks areas in the lower levels.
=================================
Subject: Sword and Heart: Dealing with Deveels

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 23:05:40 -0400
Caprice/Legion Said As SO.CAoL Message # 00000167

Roadways to other dimensions swirl around the pair as the cling to
each other for strength and support as much as for anything else.
Glances into the other realms swirl and dance around them as Squee
tries to direct them where they need to go, heading for Deva and
trying to pull them closer, but feeling his strength fading.

 Then they're standing an a sea of churning beings. Stall and shops as
far as they eye can see and the air thundering with the sound of
hundreds of voices form Deveels trying to sell their wares.

Mischief threw up another shield, and took a deep breath. She was near
drained, and she couldn't keep everything up... so... She eases up on
the shapeshifting, enough to give her kitty ears as well as eyes,
claws, and a tail. "I... I think I know this area... Fat's pasta pit
should be a few rows over, if you feel like getting a bite to eat. Or
we can go look for an inn." Over and over in her head she repeats the
motto 'I will not buy ANYTHING'.

 Squee collapses down to his knees and tries to catch his breath,
hoping nothing ends up trampling him in the meantime. Squee gulps and
pushes himself slowly back to his feet. *An inn..* Leaning on Mischief
he can slowly hobble along. Obviously the dimensional portal spell
took everything out of him plus some.

 Around them Deveels hawk their wares.
 "IT SLICES! IT DICES! IT'S JUILANNE FRI! BUY THE ACTION FIGURE OF THE
MILLENIUM!"
 "FRUGS! FRUGS! GET YOUR ORIENTAL FRUGS! BEST TASTING FRUGS ON DEVA!"
 "BEANIE BABIES! GET YOUR BEANIE BABIES! WE HAVE ARMY OF LIGHT BEANIE
BABIES! GET YOUR FUZZY NOW!"
 "RAT ON A STICK! GET YOUR FRIED RAT ON A STICK! BEST WITH A SIDE OF
DRAGON SCALES!"

 Squee lifted his head and sighed a little sigh of relief as he saw a
building coming up on the right with a sign, "The Hobble In." *Looks
like the perfect place for us...*

Mischief murmurs, "At least for the day and night, after that we'll
see." And as she heads into the inn, that's the air she projects...
the faint sense that she's certain the floors haven't been properly
scrubbed, that her mother would never let those wine stain form... the
slightly disapproving air of a peasant lass who can't believe that any
foreigner really knows how to clean.

Squee stumbles on a rock, almost flailing, but catching himself with
Mischief's help. Together they stumble into the little inn. The Deveel
at the desk smiles at them as they walk in, 'Well hello! hello! best
rooms on Deva right here. Two rooms or are you two lovebirds
newlyweds?" Mischief turns her gaze on the Deveel, giving him her best
'I'm a cat, I can see right through you... and that's boring too'
look. "A single room. A /clean/ one if that is possible." Her tone
strongly implies that she doubts it.

The Deveel smiles a wide ingratiating smile, "Oh of course! One room,
1 gold a night. Oo wait... double occupancy, clean sheets, clean rub,
clean towels... Ooo can't forget clean washcloths... running water,
running HOT water..." He smiles and winks at Mischief, "A nice bouncy
bed... Oo can't forget pillows... Ok, 12 gold a night."

Mischief lashes her tail slowly, "A half gold a night, I doubt you
have swept the rafters is YEARS, I can see the cobwebs from here." She
sniffs, and her nose twitches in a sneeze. Honestly, you both can
afford the 12 gold, but she's not about to agree without trying to
haggle down. She's supposed to look like a country cousin, thus tight
on cash, not STUPID.

The Deveel smiles a bit more broadly, "Oh I should have thought of the
fact newlyweds need all the money they can spare. I'll tell you what.
As a gift from me to you. And believe me I don't do this with
EVERYONE, only the people I REALLY like. I'll give you a 25 percent
discount. I mean I'm practically letting you rob me giving it to you
for just 9 gold a night."

Mischief looks upward for patience... or maybe to count the cobwebs.
"Two gold. And that is far more than the room is worth, even with
clean sheets to hide the dust under the bed, and a hot bath." She
looks over at Squee, "Told you we should go to the Yellow Crescent
Inn... even if it /is/ crowded, better to deal with a gargoyle than a
Deveel."

The Deveel looks disgusted, "Gargoyles have personalities like stone
and you won't find nearly as beautiful a view or spacious of rooms
anyplace else on Deva than you will here. But keeping my customers
happy is a guilty pleasure of mine so just for you and just because
you're so cute a young lass I'll let the two of you have the room for
5 gold a night AND I'll throw in a complimentary bar of soap!"

Mischief says, "I have my own soap, and four gold a night is as high
as we'll go. Clean sheets, bath and all." She knows you have enough to
pay for that ten times, a hundred times over. But she's not going to
make the two of you stand out by not haggling. Even if no one ever
wins a haggle with a Deveel.

Squee raises his head as the Deveel starts to speak. Squee frowns and
just stares into the Deveel's eyes. His eyes flash as he uses one last
bit of his power. The Deveel blanches from his usual crimson to a
light pink, "Iii... Ii... Ii... you don't have to do that h-here have
the best room for the night for...." he bites his lip and looks like
he's about to throw up, 'F--ff---ff---f---f---ff---f---ff---free..."

Mischief sighs, Squee should NOT have done that. "Lead us to the room
then..." She shoulders her pack, and picks up Squee's as well. Her
tail is twitching a bit, as she mentally debates how to make this
right. I mean... a Deveel giving a free room? It's against the natural
order of things. She waits until the Deveel has shown them to the
room, and Squee is staggering towards the bed or a chair. She then
says, "A tip... when sorcerers are exhausted, they tend to lose
patience." She then slips the Deveel a single gold coin with the skill
of a Las Vegas Card sharp dealing seconds. Of course, if the Deveel
has the usual nose for profit, he'll take it to a coin collector, and
haggle well. Mischief has been to some REALLY obscure worlds, and a
lot of the coins she has might be considered collector's items.

Squee collapses onto the bed, fatigue finally overtaking him the rest
of the way. The Deveel, who still hasn't regained his color looked
between Squee and Mischief, then grabs the coin and scurries off
without a word, leaving the two of them alone.

Mischief closes the door, and sighs, "You didn't need to do that, dear
heart.... you are too tired as it is." She comes over to you, and
starts helping you out of your clothing so she can tuck you into bed.
She just hopes the Deveel decides the coin she gave him is profit
enough... she doesn't want the Merchant's association after the pair
of you... or worse, Skeeve himself.

Squee mutters softly, "Different... power... Medallion... Mind..." he
sighs, too exhausted to explain more now. he can barely even more to
help you undress him.

"It takes power to guide power... same as riding can be exhausting,
though you aren't doing the walking yourself. Now hush, or I'll ...
I'll SIT on you or something! You need to be resting, dear heart...
you can't keep wearing yourself out like this." Mischief gets you
undressed, and tucked into the bed. She sighs softly, shaking her
head. What /is/ she going to do with you? Well... she has a couple of
ideas, but none of them are particularly helpful. One thing she can do
while you are asleep. try to remove that mind-magic medallion.

Squee starts to mutter something but then falls into a deep slumber.
His body worn and drained and looking so vulnerable as he lays there.
But as Mischief's hand moves towards the Medallion, she can feel the
power of Oberon's magic that powers it, protecting the medallion and
user so it may only be removed upon death... Just how Squee removed it
from Roscoe to obtain it for himself...

Mischief hrms. A bit more complicated then. She decides to nap in
feline-form at the foot of the bed, just in case there is any trouble.
She can be shredding enemies before she's even fully awake.

Squee sleeps on for several hours. Finally awakening with a groan. He
lifts a hand and runs it slowly through his hair, *I feel like death
warmed over...* He groans a bit and starts to sit up. His head moves
to let his gaze take in the room, only half remembering even where he
is...

Mischief pads over and licks Squee's cheek. *Hrm. Taste like it too.
Think you can stumble over to the tub and take a bath? A long hot soak
will help, and then some clean clothes.* She gives you one of those
inscrutinable feline looks.

Squee looks down at Mischief and groans, "if I say no you're going to
try to bathe me anyways aren't you?" he strokes his fingers lazily
along Mischief's back and he stretches, 'Alright... alright... I'll
wash..." He winces as he moves his neck and finds a stiff spot.

Mischief purrrrrrrrrrrrs at the petting. *One way or another, you're
getting clean* She curls up in the warm spot you were just laying in.
Hrm. Maybe she had ulterior motives.

Squee chuckles and slips his legs over the edge of the bed to try to
stand up. He gets partway off the bed and then collapses back down
onto it, falling partly on Mischief in the process. He closes his eyes
again. *OK.. I'm not as strong as I thought yet...* he groans softly.

*oof! But you're just as heavy.* She shifts to human form, arms moving
around you to support you. *C'mon... I'll help you over there. You can
even nap in the hot tub.* If there isn't hot water, she'll use magic
to heat it, and take it out of the Deveel's hide later. One step at
time, she helps you get to the tub, nuzzling at you a little.

Squee grumbles softly. *hate being weak and helpless...* He gets into
the large tub and sinks down to his chin into the hot water. His eyes
close as the water helps to soothe his worn body and help refresh him
a bit more. *You are not helpless, and the weakness will pass. It
takes time to heal, love... time that I'll do my best to buy you.* She
kisses your forehead, and gets you a bar of soap and some towels.

Squee mrrrms and sighs *I am weak and helpless... I could conquer
universes with a stray thought just days ago... Now I can't even move
out of bed without help. I almost kill myself trying to move from one
dimension to another.... I'm just dead weight to you Mischief. I can't
see why you stay with me.* He leaves the soap and towels sit, too
tired still to bother moving.

Mischief starts to scrub Squee's back with soap and a washcloth. That
way she's behind him, and he can't see her blushing over her earlier
slip. *Because I care about you, bugbrain! And Soulstealer was killing
you by inches... another few months, and you would have been another
soul trapped inside it. You've got a lot of healing to do, and I'm
going to help you with it. So just relax and enjoy having your back
scrubbed, hmm?"

Squee closes his eyes and yawns, *There's more of me than my back
needing scrubbing through... and I can't just keep laying here... I
need to find a way to get strong again. I hate being a burden on you
Mischief. you're too nice to do that to.*

Mischief works another cantrip to make sure the water stays warm, and
yawns herself. "Alright... you soak in the tub and nap. I'll nap in
the bed. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm nearly as tired as you are."

Squee nods, "But you carry yourself far better than I in your fatigue
I'm afraid.* He rests his head against the side of the tub and closes
his eyes. Mischief yawns, going over to the bed and collapsing into
it. *I'm a cat... we have our pride, dear.*

Squee lets himself sleep a bit longer, the heat and sleep helping to
refresh him more. When he awakens he feels his energy returned more.
He looks over at Mischief asleep on the bed and quietly starts to get
out of the tub, trying not to disturb her.
=================================
Subject: AAE SO: Sword and Heart - Long Road to Recovery

On Sat, 3 Aug 2002 22:18:47 -0400
Caprice/Legion Said As SO.CAoL Message # 00000168

Mischief murmurs unhappily in her sleep, twitching a little, and
curling up on her side. She looks so cute asleep... but also smaller,
and almost fragile. When she's awake, she just seems bigger somehow,
stronger and more assured
..
Squee dries himself off and dresses silently. He looks at Mischief and
spares enough time to write a note and kiss her cheek tenderly before
he goes to the door. Pausing the use a bit of his rejuvenated energy
to cast a ward he heads out to the Bazaar. A couple hours later
there's a tingle in the room as the wards are dropped. A moment later,
Squee strides back in, a leather toolbag in one paw, a new greatsword
on his back. "Over there." He gestures to a corner of the room and a
couple laborers carry an anvil and stand and set it down. Another sets
a bulky-looking sack next to it. Squee tosses some coins to them,
"There's your gratuity. now begone."

Mischief blinks from where she is curled up in the blankets. "Squee,
what /is/ all this?"

Squee looks back to the door and re-erects the wards as the laborers
leave. "This my dear Mischief, is the solution I needed..." he starts
unpacking jars and vials form the bag and a couple of mana batteries.
"You were right. Soulstealer was beginning to absorb me. That was my
trouble. Soulstealer was never truly mine. It was always Darath the
Black's, even after death. But with it I knew what he knew... In my
books I have the instructions of how he created it. I can create my
own sword the same way! I can make you the Queen of the multiverse!"

Mischief gets out of bed, dressed only in her thin cotton undress and
grabs your hands. "I don't WANT to be Queen of the Multiverse. I don't
want a castle, and servants watching everything I do, and people
depending on me to be wise and lead them. All I want is my little
cottage, with its garden... and you."

Squee shakes his head, "If you don't want servants, fine. If you don't
want a castle, fine. Power can substitute for both of those. I'll even
take care of the responsibilities of rule if you wish. but you have so
much to offer. I need to do this. It's the only way I can bring you
what you deserve. You can't seriously want someone by your side that
will be a drain on your own strengths." He draws out the greatsword
and holds it out, 'With this, I shall be able to give you everything
you could ever wish with little to no effort. We can both be happy
forever together!"

Mischief wraps her hand around his, trying to take the broadsword from
him. "I don't care if you're a drain on my strength right now. Time
and healing will change that. Not this! Squee, look at yourself.
You're like an addict, running right back to another fix. It may be
magical power, not a drug, but you're still addicted." Her eyes plead
with you, she's genuinely frightened for you. "I would still care
about you if you were completely powerless... not a spell to your
name, and didn't know which end of a sword to hold."

Squee wrestles with the sword a bit with Mischief, but not wanting to
hurt her limits his options. The sword goes tumbling tot he floor out
of both their hands. He looks at her genuinely confused, *But I can be
great! I can be so much more than I am right now! I can be everything
for you! And this sword is my key to getting all that back once more!*
He turns to try to reach down for the hilt once more...

Mischief grabs Squee, pulling him away from the sword. Magically,
she's not at full strength, but physically she's recovered. *You ARE
everything for me. Squee... please... do you really think I'm so
shallow that you have to /buy/ my love with power or wealth? Is /that/
what you think of me?* She looks on the edge of tears now.

Squee snarls a little and wrestles with Mischief around the room,
again stifled by his wish not to hurt her which prevent shim from just
assuming a stronger form and knocking her away, *No but I want this
for you! I want the best for you! I want to show you how I feel. And
to do that I need my power back!*

Mischief doesn't want to hurt Squee either, so when she trips him, she
makes sure he falls onto the bed, and then tries to pin him there.
*Damn it! You don't need power to show me how you feel! The poorest
farmer can show the lass he's courting how he feels, you don't need
MAGIC for that! You just need to act!* She hisses a little, her kitty
ears laying back as she wrestles with Squee, trying to keep her claws
in.

Squee struggles under Mischief's hold and manages to overbalance her
for a moment and reverse the positions. He glares down at you, *You
want action? You want an existence without power? You want me to show
you how I REALLY feel about you? Fine! then I will!* He leans his head
down to give her a firm kiss upon the lips.

Mischief mrfls?!? in surprise, then her eyes close and she responds to
the kiss. It's obvious that she's not experienced... but she's trying
to make up for that with passion. Not much can be heard from her
thoughts, just a very smug, contented purr as the kiss goes on, and
on...

Squee's kissing is much more experienced but just as passionate as he
kisses her lips firmly, his body atop hers but at the same time
holding her close. He closes his eyes and shudders a bit as he finally
breaks the kiss, *I... I don't know if I can do it my love... I... I
don't know if I can be what you want. I don't' know if I can live
without power any longer...*

Mischief holds Squee tightly, wrapping her tail around his waist. *All
I want is for you to be the one holding me as I fall asleep at
night... and to be the one I wake up next to in the morning. Anything
more is just icing on the cake.* She covers his forehead with kisses.
*Dear heart... I'm not saying give up on any magic forever.... but if
you could see yourself as I see you... your soul is wounded, the
wounds barely scabbed over. Soulstealer force the pathways of power in
you far too wide, far too early. I know you feel miserable... there is
no way you COULDN'T wounded the way you are... but love, if you don't
let those wounds heal naturally, you will /never/ be able to develop
your own power, you will always be magically a cripple, using a sword
or some other device as a crutch.*

Tears roll down Squee's face and he tries to turn it away in shame.
*There's so much better that you should have by your side than a
cripple like I am. You're smart and beautiful and strong. You say I'll
be healed. I'll be better and I'll be strong once again but I don't
know if I can last that long..."

Mischief starts purring, refusing to let Squee go, tangling herself up
with him and clinging like... well, a cat. *Oh, stop being a bugbrain.
Silly Squee, the one I /should/ have by my side is the one who cares
about me as much as I do about them... and I've never had that kind of
feeling for anyone but you.* She strokes his hair gently. *And you can
make it... you don't have to do it alone. I'll help you, each step of
the way. One day at a time.* She licks away one of the tears, her
tongue a lil raspy. *Now, are you going to stop crying... or am I
going to have to pin you down and give you a bath?*

Squee shudders and sniffles as he tries to get a hold of himself
again. *You and your baths..* he mutters mentally, but with a good
natured feel to it. He lets himself melt a bit into Mischief's
embrace. *I just wish there was a way I could show you how I care...*

Mischief purrs, *You can... tell you what... I do have some nicer
clothes packed, and I noticed you had a few that weren't in black...
for however long we have left here, can you forget about looking for
power? Let's just act like a young couple on a honeymoon... go out to
eat, wander the bazaar, watch a few shows... No powers, no quests, no
heroes or villains... Just the two of us having a good time.* She
nuzzles at Squee gently.

Squee sighs and slowly nods. He turns his head to kiss Mischief again,
more gently this time though, *Careful what you wish for though... You
know what else couples do on their honeymoons...* he gives a little
chuckle and hugs her close to him, enjoying the feel.

Mischief blushes crimson, *Well... I am old enough... I just
haven't... I mean... I am... Oh bother!* She really is a bright shade
of red.

Squee chuckles and strokes his fingers slowly along Mischief's sides,
*Well old enough to and willing to are two very distinct and separate
things....* He leans in to kiss her again, enjoying the tender feel of
her lips.

Mischief purrrs, enjoying the kiss. *Hmmm... I definitely think I need
more practice with kissing. A lot more practice.*

Squee smiles and runs his fingers along Mischief's tail and legs
wrapped around him. *Well it's practice I'll most happily give you.*

Mischief purrrs *As far as more goes... well... we'll see. For now,
let's get dressed for dinner. I'm hungry!* She nips at him teasingly.
*And there has to be someplace in the Bazaar where they have a good
Seafood restaurant... Sushi is probably too much to hope for.*
=================================