Awhile back, after their first band practice- at which Eruheran had discovered that Adrian could sing, and realized that this wasn’t supposed to be the case- he decided that the band needed a piano player.

Rather, he decided that Collhyn needed to be in their band, and piano would probably be the most fitting instrument. However, since Collhyn was pretty much capable of playing anything he pleased, the elf had decided that he could play whatever he liked so long as he came. And this was because Collhyn probably knew more than anyone around about the merfolk- certainly more than Adrian himself knew.

This was one of the things that brought him to the enigma’s door in the Ditto Mansion.

As he knocked, he could hear a soulful, bluesy guitar- not that Eruheran could have told you it was bluesy; he was trying to become familiar with different genres of music but there were a lot of worlds to catch up on, and he hadn’t gotten that far yet.

The music stopped shortly after he knocked. Collhyn answered the door with his usual mildly querulous expression on his face, (usual when he was human, of course; dragons have a deal of trouble showing querulity) which morphed into a wide smile at the sight of his favourite elf.

“Eruheran! Come in, come in!” The bespectacled musician moved aside quickly, allowing Eruheran to enter.

As Eruheran did so, he sniffed appreciatively. Collhyn and Ekko’s apartment had a unique scent- exotic spices, old books, worn instruments, typewriter ink, and a hint of something animal but not unpleasant.

“So what brings you here today, my boy?” Collhyn called Eruheran that, despite the fact that his adoptive daughter’s boyfriend was 50 years old. He couldn’t help himself. Some people- especially of a certain professorial persuasion- persist in thinking all around them are far younger than themselves. Collhyn was, however, approaching 300, so he at least was usually justified in his thinking.

“A couple of things, actually,” Eruheran answered. “Is Ekko around?”

“No, she’s gone to the greenhouses to visit Oceana. Did you want to talk to her?”

“No, I’m here to see you.” Eruheran coughed nervously, swallowed the harder subject for the moment, and pressed on. “How would you like to join my- our- band?”

“A band?” Collhyn’s face lit up. He looked genuinely delighted. “I’d love to! I haven’t played with a band since…I think it’s been seventy years at least. What kind of music do you play?”

“Adrian calls it rock and roll…” Eruheran said, then shook his head. “But I’m not really sure where he got that from. According to my research, whatever we’re playing, it isn’t rock and roll.”

Collhyn laughed. “You know, he was browsing my bookshelves months ago and sort of picked something at random and started reading…spent twenty minutes draped over the couch with this-“ here he pulled a collectible-style book off the shelf whose title, in large white block letters, read “Rock n’ Roll Greats”. He handed it to Eruheran, who began flipping through the pages. It featured minimal text and large glossy pictures of performers named things like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Buddy Holly. They wore what were, to the elf, ridiculous outfits, and what text there was had glowing reviews of the music these men had played. He was grateful Adrian hadn’t turned up in a white sequined jumpsuit.

“It all makes sense now,” Eruheran mused, as he handed the book back. “He’s never heard a note of it in his life.”

Collhyn chuckled. “Probably not. But you know our friend and his attention span.”

“True.”

“So whatever you’re playing, it’s not rock n’ roll, but you want me to join.”

“Yes, but I confess I have an ulterior motive besides your ‘mad skills’.” (This was another phrase he’d acquired from Adrian, and he gave it finger quotes as he said it. Collhyn laughed at him.) “The thing is: Adrian can sing, and I mean extremely well, rather like Oceana but with less…control over everyone around him.”

Collhyn’s laughter faded and his face fell to a frown. “And he can only remember five years of his life…”

“Yes. I don’t know enough history of their people to know how that’s possible, but Oceana did tell me that mermen aren’t supposed to be able to…”

“No, they’re not. I mean, there’s one way I’m aware of, but I hope that’s not what it is.”

“What is it?” He felt a wave of fear from Collhyn gush over him as the enigma’s worried look deepened.

“Let’s just hope I’m wrong. When’s your next practice? I’ll be there with bells on.”

Eruheran looked at him curiously. “Uh…I was hoping you would play the piano.”

Varna felt very privileged to have found Ditto Town.

At home, in Rivendell, she was beginning to feel lonely. Most of her Elven friends had left for the West. She got to know mortals from time to time, but those friendships lasted so short - less than a century.

She had begun to consider whether it was time for her as well to leave for the West, when she had discovered that other portal some years ago, the one to the world that was the home of the gargoyles (although she hadn't met them there). Going to that world cheered her up, and she especially liked going to Oxford, the city of the professor who had translated the Red Book.

Varna was hoping that some day she might find out how this professor had come across a copy of the book. As far as she knew, it only existed in a few hand-written copies in some libraries and archives in her own world. Could the Professor have found a portal? He must have learnt the language, too, in order to be able to translate - it was a very good and very accurate translation.

But as much as she liked Oxford, it wasn't a place where she could settle down. She always had to hide her true identity there. Elves were seen as mythical creatures by most people. Some, though - especially those who had read the Professor's translations - accepted her and was pleased to meet someone from her world, but she had learnt very quickly to look for the signals that showed that she would not be accepted, and that she again had to pretend to be human.

And then she had found the portal to Ditto Town.

Ditto Town was different. Here there were so many races and species from so many worlds that meeting an Elf didn't make people bat an eyelid. Here she could be herself. Here she had got friends - she nearly had more friends here than at home now. Here she could make a second home for herself.

And this afternoon she would be visiting some of her best friends. She had accepted immediately when she got the invitation some days ago - to a movie night! Someone had made a movie from the Professor's translations - a movie in three parts. If they didn't get too exhausted, they expected to see all three parts tonight, and it would take them till well past midnight.

Varna knew that in Oxford's world, these movies had been shown at the cinema. She had even been in Oxford once while the second one was running.

But she had had only one experience with going to the cinema, and once was enough. This had been roughly forty years ago, and a friend (who knew her secret) had said that she would love all the nice music and the beautiful scenery in that movie - called Sound of Music. Sure, the music was lovely (afterwards she had bought the record, and later the CD), and she was absolutely thrilled at the beginning of the movie, when the camera swept over the snow-covered mountain-tops of the Alps and then gradually focussed in on the young woman singing the title song - but to her horror she found that seeing close-ups of moving faces in that size made her feel uncomfortable.

She wasn't sure whether what she had felt was mostly some kind of fear or more just nausea, but she had had to look away during all the close-ups, and she never went to the cinema again. She was a bit nervous the first time she was invited to watch TV, but the smaller screen didn't have the same overwhelming effect, and she was fine. So she wasn't worried about tonight - rather she quite appreciated the chance to finally see what this movie-maker had made of the story about the War of the Ring.

He couldn't possibly have got in everything. Just the most detailed parts of the story covered weeks, and the whole story covered years - in only nine hours he would have to skip some sections. Possibly have a narrator summarize what was being skipped - or whatever a movie-maker used as story-telling techniques.

Varna was more used to oral story-telling, especially in the form of narrative songs. She knew the Lay of Beren and Luthien, and had performed it herself several times - she even knew Maglor's great lament of the fate of the Noldorin Elves, but she had only performed it once. There were few occasions where such tragedy would be appropriate.

As far as she knew, no song about the War of the Ring had been preserved. A song was mentioned in the story, but no text was given, and by now it would be lost. A good thing that copies of the Red Book had been preserved, and that this Professor had got one and translated it, to make it available for other worlds.

And if some people preferred the visual to the verbal stories, this movie-maker had provided a version for them as well. It could only be a good thing. Probably.

The young woman had been told to never go into the lower city alone (not that her chaperone let her go anywhere alone) and especially not after dark. The lower city began below the university district and followed the river that ran between the two hills on either side. The University sat as stately as a judge on one side with the intellectual elite estates surrounding it. The Cathedral stood like a pointed sentinel on the other side, it’s great steeples pointing toward the sky and its eyes upturned as if the ribbon of strange, uncommon dwellings below was a sight to be avoided by holy eyes.

Watching out the window of her carriage, the young woman (whose identity I’m afraid I won’t be able to conceal for long) had to pass through the valley, like any voyager who wished to sail between the two islands of civility. At night the lower city, with its thin cobblestone streets, small courtyards, eclectic shops, and packed houses that jumbled up against (and occasionally on top of) each other came alive. Glimpses of another life briefly appeared down the cobbled streets leading away from the broad road that faired the proper. Most tried to avoid even glancing at the lower city’s sites, but the young lady was transfixed by the sites through the carriage window. Not everything the ladies eyes fell on looked quite possible, streets curving away insanely, chickens scrounged the streets who had two separate heads for twice as much pecking, and once a person that looked as though he was walking up a street so vertical that he should have tumbled back down to the bottom... but maybe it was only a trick of the light. One thing about the lower district I suppose should mention is that some of its power is in the fact that you are never quite sure if you’ve witnessed magic, the oddity that pokes out of the corners of the universe from time to time, or something perfectly normal seen from a strange angle or in a strange light.

But the young lady was just passing through to a party and had no time to reflect on the implications of what she witnessed. When she reached the church side of the city with its mercifully normal houses, the first thing the young lady noticed as she entered the ballroom of a nobleman, was the music. The little orchestra that lead the dance had the usual number of pipes and violins, but it was the piano that underlaid every sound that was making the magic. It made the piece seem strange, even the dancing took on a different quality because it was a dance to this mysterious music. Our heroine knew how to play piano well enough to be considered an accomplished lady, but she’d never taken real interest in playing for its own sake. Yet this music filled her with a strange desire to improve, to spend her life improving, if she could only play like the magician making this sound. She caught sight of him, a young man a little on the plump side, with slightly eccentric hair that was so black it was blue. He had frightened eyes that met hers for a second before darting back to the safety of the familiar black and ivory keys. The young woman found herself short of breath for the moment of their meeting... but it wasn’t his appearance that started her. Indeed, she couldn’t say what it was that made her start and catch her breath in the hot, breathless ballroom, stuffed with people. Then she was whisked away by society.

She answered the polite inquires about her family and the inevitable ones about the mysterious benefactor who had saved them out of poverty. Yes, her sponsor had indeed been generous when he paid off her father’s debts, secured her brother a position as a young officer in the navy, and paid for her to attend ladies’ school and come out in society. No, she still did not know his identity, and yes, she supposed he might indeed be in this very room, and yes, that was an exciting prospect. To appease her audience, she looked around the room, but of course she didn’t know who she was looking for. Her eyes fell on the pianist again. The same little start.

It was oddly relieving when the conversation turned to other avenues. The young lady was slightly embarrassed by the fact, but she was rather afraid of ever learning more about her sponsor. She knew it was unreasonable, but the mysterious somebody frightened her. She had no grounds for the feeling that tightened her chest, because she knew nothing about him. Of course she didn’t.

And then she had an even stranger fear. If this flock of people questioned her closer about her family, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to give an answer. Whenever she closed her eyes and tried to focus on them, what she thought she knew of them seemed so unsubstantial, like a dream after waking. She had parents and a brother, and they must be in good health but beyond that not even a face could be summoned to her recollection. But of course, nobody ever asked her even the silliest of inquires, they only reminded her of the generosity of her sponsor and commented on beauty of her dress.

It was very late, and our heroine was being to feel a little faint from the heat and the noise before she managed to get away from the conversation and several dance partners to make toward the door. She managed to bid adieu to the host and asked him who the pianist was. “He was a man of genius and I should love to have him play if I should host a party,” she added lightly to make her inquiry less strange.

“Genius you say? Yes, he is good, but I should avoid him if I were you. He lives on 712 E______ street, which is in the lower quarter. You know how THEY are.” The young lady thanked her host but wondered why he should have hired the pianist himself if it was such an unfashionable thing to do. She then took her leave and was escorted home in thoughtful silence.

*********
Some melody the young man had played that night ate at her peace. It filled her head in quiet moments and she caught herself humming it , and polite ladies didn’t hum in society (although I hear they do in Ditto Town, which gives me hope.) She practised her little piano until her fingers ached but she could never quite make the music sing or give it a soul like the young man had. This went on for weeks and the neighbours began noticing before she could stand it no longer and devised a plan.

Her chaperone was told she was going to a friend’s party and she was being escorted by another gentleman, a brother of the friend. The pianist in turn received a curious letter asking him to come to a residence near the university in his carriage. If he wished it, he could have a devoted student. She had heard his music at such-and-such a party and was enraptured.

To her delight, at the appointed time, a strange carriage pulled up and the pianist stepped out, pretending to be a gentleman. In a stroke of unfathomable luck, nobody seemed to notice or care about the situation, and our heroine escaped with the pianist as easily as two swallows dart wherever they like among the roofs of the city

“Please forgive my impropriety,” began the blushing young lady, “But I had to get away and this was the only way I could devise...”

“Oh, say nothing of it,” answered the young man with a shy smile. “I understand why you wanted to see me though it’s really very improper. At least, I believe it’s the same reason I wanted to find you again if it took me my whole life. You’re REAL.”

The young lady blinked several times. She didn’t know quite how to address such a strange statement, so she said nothing and thought about it. Yes, it somehow described why she had gasped when she first perceived the young man playing the piano. In the dizzy, brightly coloured facade all around her, in the constant stream of people, places, and activities, the young man seemed strangely solid and substantial.

“What does it mean?” she asked at last.

“It means that I should teach you piano,” he answered with a shy smile.

The lower district was even stranger when you took a chance and journeyed down its cobbled streets. A mist was beginning to creep up off the ocean, softening lines and details. The evening seemed to have more deep colours and warmer lights, even if they were hazy in the mist. Streets wound away on haphazard journeys into the fog and people were out in the streets, or packed onto porches that were practically out in the street anyways, and a few brave citizens were even calling down from rooftops, leaning over wrote iron railings. Our heroine thought she spotted the two-headed chicken again, but there were also cats with glowing eyes that seemed to vanish into the fog and reappear in locations faster than she could blink eye (or perhaps there was more than one cat...) street magicians in patches or capes, depending on their act, were making things vanish and solid objects pass through each other, wisteria and small espaliered fruit trees filled nocks and perfumed the night, while the men with long pipes perfumed the night in another way. Things seemed to big or small or lopsided, and the young woman’s head began to spin.

“What do you think?” asked the young man, breaking the silence in the carriage.

“It’s a bit.... unusual,” answered the young lady, unable to think up a polite, civilized reply that had any honesty in it at all.

The young man nodded slightly... then roused himself to add, “It’s my home,” with a touch of pride.

Our heroine learned that the young man didn’t own a carriage, but had rented one and her listen would pay the fee. The driver deposited has passengers at the pianist’s small, vertical house. It was situated behind a winding little courtyard that squeezed it’s cobblestone way between two houses that were slightly offset, and some shrubs and vegetables in need of weeding. Then it was still up a flight of stairs before they arrived at the house set back away from the street behind its neighbours.

A curious pair of eyes peaked out behind a curtain as the pianist opened the door with a large iron key and opened the door. The young lady discovered that the pair of eyes belonged to a little sister who was promptly sent to bed. She’s real too, the young lady thought with a sudden pang of longing. Somehow she did not believe her faceless memories of her family . They weren’t like the little girl. Did she even have a family?

“Well,” said the pianist returning down a set of spiral stairs from tucking his little sister in, “Would you take some tea?”

“Really, I’m only here to learn what you have to teach me.”

“Then I hope you don’t mind starting with the basics. I should like to know what you know. Let us hear your scales.”

It was at another party when the young lady met her benefactor at last. Black and white dresses and masks and colourful personalities that didn’t seem to have any meaning. Music with varied styles and keys whose melodies would escape the memory moments after they had faded. Refreshments that left no taste at all, no feeling of fullness... Everything about her life was like one grand view after another from a strange countryside which would sometimes open up, only to be forgotten when another appeared. None of it seemed to have any... any what? Truth in it?

“Ah, young lady, I need to introduce you to a gentleman of my acquaintance. A man of some property who is interested in finding a lovely young wife, no doubt, although he won’t admit to it. Says he enjoys being a bachelor...” The young lady followed the endless words coming from a man’s mouth across the room without really paying any attention until she caught sight of the subject of conversation. He was wearing gold-rimmed glasses and had snow-white hair that seemed a good deal wilder than the rest of his clean, modest suit. It was impossible to guess his age. He didn’t as old as the color of his hair suggested, but he couldn’t have been young either. He looked a little weary, but his eyes were piercing, even commanding. He was familiar, and in the words of the pianist, he was also REAL.

“Ahh, Mr. -------- allow me to the pleasure to introduce the young Miss --------- I’m so glad you could both be there tonight and grace us with your presence. I’m sure you’ll have a delightful time getting acquainted and you must dance together tonight, I insist!”

The white haired gentleman gave a nearly indiscernible wave of his hands and the other man’s words wondered away to another part of the room. The couple looked at each other for a few moments without speaking. Finally the young lady broke the silence. “He didn’t really say your name. Do you have one? Nobody seems to really have a name here. Even me. I’m sure I’ve forgotten mine.” She caught her breath for a moment because she really wasn’t sure this was a polite thing to say.

The gentleman didn’t seem to notice however. “I have a name, but I shall keep it to myself at present. I should be very out of place with a name,” he said with a slight laugh.

“Yes, I suppose you would,” the young lady replied thoughtfully. She wished the pianist were here. Frightened and shy as he was in public, he was a natural teacher when he was alone with her. He was also stable and the young lady was sure it would not be so alarming talking to another REAL person with him here.

“Ah, there is no one at the piano forte at present. Perhaps you could entertain us with a song. I should like to hear what you’ve learned.”

The young lady jumped, she was certain she hadn’t spoken aloud about her teacher, and for a moment she tried to think of a way to decline, but now everyone around her was agreeing, and she felt she could not deny the white haired gentleman with the golden glasses.

“Come, I’m sure you play very well,” he added. And so to the piano she went uttering the sort modest protests that nobody ever listens to.

In a moment the young lady was seated. The gentleman produced a piece of music from somewhere, and so she began to move her fingers over the keys with the man standing behind her. She had indeed learned something past few days? Weeks? The passage of time seemed to have lost its meaning, along with so much else. And then she forgot everything except her piece. The music seemed to well up in her, and her fingers moved to obey. It was a strange piece too, frolicking, full of longing, and wild all at once. There was something slightly surreal about it, and at the same time, more real than the world that contained the vibrating notes. The music flowed easier and she found she was playing better than she had expected, that she had improved more than even she had realized. Find something inside of you that you care more than anything about, and bring it out, let it move your hands, all of you, and it will move and shake the world itself. That’s what the pianist had said. That music was more than the sum of its melodies and cords and impulses. He said that not everyone had the gift, but after a few sessions, he believed she did possess it.

The song ended. The last notes faded away and the silence and dull noise that filled the room was a poor substitute. The young lady turned the sheet over just to make sure there was nothing left. There was polite applause behind her which brought her back to reality, or as much as the her life could offer her.

“That was well done,” said the gentleman. There was a smile on his face that the young lady wasn’t sure she understood. It wasn’t simply delight in the music, but more like triumph. “Notice, the room seems to have changed a little, don’t you think?”

The young lady was obliged to look around. For a moment she did not know what the man was referring to, or what she was looking for. Yet, a touch of the song’s flavour seemed to have stayed behind, in the curves of the lines and in subtle colours, and perhaps how the shadows fell. Maybe in the way even the conversation rose and fell. It made the young lady slightly giddy, and frightened too. Had she really changed reality just by a little music? But that was impossible! Yet, she had always thought the lower district suited the pianist’s unconventional, childlike, and slightly dark spirit, but she had always thought that was why he had chosen to live there. She had never considered that he might have created the atmosphere, the strangeness, that his potent music had awoken magic to seep in through the cracks. And her music might also do the same thing. She shuttered and found the gentleman offering an arm. She took it as she felt very dizzy indeed. He helped her out of the crowd and into another room where she could breath better.

“Thank you,” she said after sitting down on a chair and enjoying the freer air and the quiet. “I’m sure my head turned a bit in there. It seemed like I’d really... oh it is not important.”

The gentleman was silent for a moment before finally replying, “I dare say,” which of course meant nothing.

“But please sir, I am sure I know you from somewhere, and you seem to know me. Who are you?”

“I am your family’s sponsor of course,” he replied quietly, looking her in the eye as if forcing her to accept and react to the truth, but not wanting any praise for it.

“ Oh! Oh yes of course. I, I didn’t realize... that is, I owe you such gratitude...”

“None of that. I enjoyed meeting you tonight, and would encourage you to continue practicing. You need to practise to master your art. Goodnight.”

He was gone in a moment and left the young lady’s head full of spinning, conflicting thoughts. The rest of the party seemed long and immeasurably dull in comparison to her earlier conversation. Nobody noticed she was deep in thought. Nobody noticed anything here. Her sponsor had seemed kind enough, but somehow more dangerous than she expected, and so strangely familiar. That part still nagged at her. She was sure she had never met her sponsor before, but she KNEW this man. Somehow...

Eruheran left a few minutes later, after he’d said the other important thing, and descended the stairs with his heart still hammering hard in his chest and a giant smile on his face that he was desperately trying to suppress. He still felt warm from Collhyn’s tearful bear hug.

He found Ekko and Oceana in the greenhouse, as Collhyn had said. They were laughing as they picked gooseberries, and suddenly Oceana looked up and saw him. The joy that entered her face at the sight flew like an arrow into his heart, and he grinned like a fool and ran over, dodging cucumber vines and bell pepper beds.

He caught her up in a hug, lifted her, and spun her gently once, kissing her nose as he set her down. “Hi,” he said, attempting to catch his breath.

“Hi yourself,” Oceana replied, putting her slender finger on his nose. “Did you come to steal food?”

“Yes, that is exactly what I came for,” he said, not taking his eyes off her face.

“Ahem. I guess I’ll be getting back up to Collhyn. Will I be seeing you two for dinner?” Ekko, the basket of gooseberries on her arm, prepared to leave.

“Not tonight, my sweet Ekko- and forgive me for ignoring you.” Eruheran lifted her hand and kissed it respectfully. “I intend to have Oceana and Aria over to my place for dinner tonight.”

“Well, you kids have fun then,” she grinned impishly. “I guess us old folks will just have to eat alone.”

“We could join you for a late dessert?” Oceana suggested hopefully. “I love your gooseberry pie.”

The enigma laughed. “Of course. We’ll see you at 9 then.” She swished off towards the Mansion, leaving the couple to themselves.

They strolled the greenhouses for awhile, Oceana pointing out interesting points about her crops, Eruheran filling her in about his day. She’d taken over management of the greenhouses in the past few months; without a job of her own and no pressing issues trying to ruin her life, she’d eventually felt lazy dividing her day between reading and strolling about town. The greenhouses were fulfilling; both her elemental water powers and her siren song benefitted plants immensely (though she sang only when the greenhouses were empty of people.)

Eruheran had just finished describing the ongoing work on Aria’s helium generator when Oceana suddenly started jumping up and down, clapping her hands in glee. “Oh, I almost forgot! Have you heard about Ingrid and Ornus?”

“No! What is it?” He asked, amazed at the sudden change in her demeanour.

“Ingrid and Ornus are going to have triplets!”

Eruheran’s eyes bugged out and he laughed. “Wow, they are going to be busy! Good for them!”

“I’d imagine they already are, preparing and such. I’d like to go see them tomorrow, would you like to join me?”

“Of course I would!” he replied enthusiastically, and then his face clouded as a thought struck him.

“What is it, Dommie?” Oceana asked, suddenly concerned.

“You…you want children, don’t you?”

“Oh,” Oceana blushed deeply. “Well of course, but they…that is, I’m not…adopting is perfectly all right if I couldn’t…”

Eruheran took her hand kissed it. “Fair enough,” he said, and they made their way to the stables in a contented but anticipatory silence.

Thanks to starkat for her contributions to this segment.

Anyone frequenting the Town Square that sunny afternoon might have found the sight amusing: a large, purple-winged creature trying to juggle two arms full of treasure. Weight wasn’t the issue; rather it was a matter of handling two very different loads. The infant carrier itself was designed to be easily handled, but transporting the rapidly-growing Molly was complicated by her wiggling around as she curiously examined the sights around her. In Erik’s other hand was the basket of treats from the Cup & Platter. While quite manageable by itself – it was lighter though bulkier than Molly’s carrier – the difference between the two required him to pay constant attention to his balance. He was making full use of his tail and wings for this task.

“Looks like Daddy may have bitten off a bit more than he could chew, eh, Molly?”

His daughter, who had little more to do than smile and look cute, performed her role admirably.

“I figured you’d agree,” he quipped. “But I think I can manage without having to call Abby for help.” He glanced up at the sun and added, “We should have time to stop for a few minutes here.” He placed his hatchling and the food basket on either side of himself and sat by the Fountain. Molly had already shown an affinity for the glint of sunlight on the water, so he gently removed her from the carrier and placed her in his lap so she’d have a better view. Before long she was gurgling and cooing at the sight.

The sun was warm and invigorating, and he unfurled his huge wings to soak it in. At times like this, he mused, it was almost as if he were drawing energy from the sun much like he did while sleeping in stone. While he had no empirical basis for this – the pendants still held their secrets in defiance of the tests the scientists at home had run on them – with artifacts like these anything might be possible.

Suddenly Molly squawked and squirmed; somehow her tail had become pinched. He freed it and before long she was happy again. His little one didn’t wear her pendant today – it was safe at home – for she was awake courtesy of Greya’s hatching gift. Now there was an even bigger mystery than the pendants. He moved her shirt aside to reveal the small, lighter spot on her tummy. While she slept it appeared as a tiny crystal in the stone, but when she was awake it looked much like a little pale birthmark. He ran a talon across the spot, and while he felt nothing unusual it was enough to cause his ticklish daughter to break out in giggles.

“Good afternoon, Erik!” a new voice called.

He placed Molly back in her carrier and rose to greet his friends. “Katherine! Gwanuig! How nice to see you! May I escort you to our home?” (Back in Manhattan, when they’d happened upon the idea of bringing Lord of the Rings DVD sets back to Ditto Town for a movie night, Abby had suggested adding the recently-married couple to their guest list; he’d loved the idea. “The more, the merrier!” had been his response. They’d accepted the invitation, much to the gargoyles’ delight).

“Gladly,” the Ditto Rider replied, pausing a moment to admire the little one next to her lilac friend. “Isn’t she bigger? We just saw her, but it seems like she’s changing all the time.”

“You’re right,” he said proudly. “Our hatchlings grow quite quickly during their first few years.”

“She’s getting stronger, too.” Katherine indicated the little hand with a tight grip on an offered finger.

“You could carry her, if you like. It might be easier for both of us,” Erik grinned.

“I’d like that,” his friend replied.

“So, are you ready for tonight’s movies?” Erik asked when Molly was securely handed over. “We’ve been busy all day getting ready.”

Katherine stiffened a bit as she recalled her reaction upon receiving the invitation. She relished another chance to spend time with the gargoyle couple and their little one, though the movie’s subject had made her uneasy. She knew that any connection between her husband’s people and those involved in the War of the Ring had long since been dissolved. When the elves had settled in this dimension, they had made a life for themselves and their culture had evolved into something similar, but different from what was described in the books.

Gwanuig caught Katherine’s slight stiffening and had to stifle a laugh. Unbeknownst to his wife, Gwanuig had long ago read the books and had even seen the movies. He had to do something while she was confined to bed by the doctor in the other dimension. “Lord of the Rings?”

Both males had to struggle to keep a straight face as Katherine’s reaction was priceless. She stared at her husband in amazement. Gwanuig gave her a look that said ‘later’ as Molly let out a disgruntled squeak at her carrier’s odd behavior.

Erik finally managed to reply without chuckling at his now-pouting daughter. “That’s the ticket.”

Katherine nodded, “But we may want to come separately. If we’re seen together too much in town, people may wonder.”

It stung Gwanuig for a moment, but he realized his wife was right. “We can still sit together. People would find it odd that we didn’t.” He was rewarded with a smile from his wife.

Well, the day had finally come. The papers were signed, everything was all wrapped up… except for the homecoming. Ryana glanced down at the eager creature walking alongside her—although only the leash kept it that way. He seemed ready to jump out at anything that he found interesting… which was, apparently, everything in sight. Hopefully he’d get used to everything soon enough.

In the meanwhile, though, Ryana had something else to show him. Finally, she stepped up to the front door, and with a final look back, pushed it open. With a smile, she said, “Well… welcome home, Shadow.” Ryana decided he must have approved. As soon as she unhooked the leash, he bounded in and started examining every detail with great interest. Ryana smiled and, after hanging his leash on a hook by the door, walked over to the couch and sat down. For now, she thought it might be best to just watch and enjoy the show.

Well, that’s not exactly what her new companion had in mind. It didn’t take him long to realize he was playing alone, and as soon as he did, he decided to rectify that situation. He turned around to face her, setting his head on her knees. He barked once, almost inquisitively, as he stared at her… stared with those blue eyes…. Ryana was very annoyed; “puppy dog eyes” was not about to become literal in her world!

But it did work. With a slight sigh, she reached over and grabbed a bright blue ball. “I understand you’ll probably like something like this?” She commented, half-ironically. Why else would she own it? Of course he agreed with her; he started wagging his tail and backed away, expectantly. Ryana half-smiled and tossed it gently across the room. It didn’t even hit the floor before Shadow caught it, spun around, and brought it right back to her expectant hand.

“Good; I thought I’d have to teach you that.” She joked. Actually, she had been concerned about that—the last creature she taught anything was… well, let’s just say you don’t teach dogs how to throw an opponent half over your shoulder. Ignoring the obligatory drool, Ryana just tossed the ball again. Again, Shadow caught and returned it.

This game continued for a long time; Ryana never kept track. After a while, she thought it should probably come to an end, and reached instead for a brand new bone… but for some reason, Shadow disagreed. He was only interested in his newest toy for a little bit. As soon as she got up to leave for the kitchen, however, his mind changed; he wanted to play with her again. It was strange, but... nice. It had been a while since Ryana had someone who so eagerly wanted to spend time with her.

Ryana smiled and leaned back on the couch. Shadow had once again resumed his most important task, familiarizing himself with his bone, giving her a little time to herself. Just as she settled back, though, she discovered something important: the light was getting in her eyes. “Agh!” She quickly shielded her eye, then glanced out the window. Somehow… the sun was setting. She blinked and wondered aloud, “Is it really that late?”

Well, obviously, it was. She stood up once more, and once more, Shadow noticed. This time, however, she wouldn’t give in so easily: “Sorry, Shadow, I have to go. I’m losing my light.” Ever since Ryana gave up her secret and decided daylight wasn’t so bad, she’d discovered that sunset was a great time to go out for a quick sweep of the city. Certain kinds of activity were likely to begin, but it was still light enough that she could see. Ryana brushed off the dog fur and told him, “Keep… doing whatever. I’ll be right back.”

Ryana quickly went back to her bedroom and shut the door before he could follow. She slipped on her traditional costume, complete with her hooded cape and mask. Though she didn’t need either anymore, she still liked to have them. It let any ne’er-do-wells know that she was on the lookout for their mischief. …And no, she did not use the word “ne’er-do-wells”. What would give you such a crazy idea? It’s not like she’s been in this town long enough to think in such terminology….

Ryana headed back to the living room; gratefully, Shadow had followed her instructions. With a faint smile, she quickly grabbed his new toys and said, “C’mon, I have to make sure you don’t destroy my living room while I’m gone.” Or get into the food in the kitchen, which she considered far more likely, but she wasn’t going to give him ideas.

She led him on with his toys and her hand, over into a specially prepared corner of the room. It was her replacement for a kennel; she couldn’t find one big enough for him to play in while she was gone, so she just made one. Well, in the sense that she found some boards and set them up to make a boxed-in corner. It wasn’t the sturdiest thing in the world, but… it would hold, she was sure. Either way, she didn’t have anywhere better to put him.

“All right, I’ll be back in an hour or so.” She told him. A little more sternly, she added, “You have plenty of things to do for that time, so you can stay in this corner, all right?” Well… he didn’t bark in defiance or anything. Surely that meant he understood, as well as a dog can. Ryana was satisfied, and headed for the door. She turned the knob, and pulled it open….

There is one important point that Ryana probably should’ve considered. Whether or not her little structure was sturdy, it had no roof. Shadow didn’t need to knock it down to get out; he just jumped over it and dashed for the door. Despite herself, Ryana wasn’t nearly fast enough slamming the door shut; he was out almost as soon as it crossed her mind. “No, wait… Shadow!!

Ryana followed him out, and extended her wings as soon as she was outside. She could probably catch him on foot, but flying would help her actually stop him. She took off, staying at a reasonably low height until she got closer… there! She passed him, turned around, and quickly landed. Shadow had plenty of time to slow down, really, but… he didn’t fully utilize it. It was just enough so that the collision wasn’t entirely painful.

“Ack!” Ryana caught herself quickly, and shook off the disorientation. Instead, she glared at him, looking straight into his eyes. His eyes… those blue eyes… would she ever get over those things?! For a moment, it looked like Shadow was perfectly aware of that thought. His reply? A cheeky glint, and a subtle, “No, and I intend to keep it that way.”Stupid dog. Stupid, endearing dog….

Ryana folded her arms for extra effect. “You’re getting off easy today,” She warned him, “because we’re just getting to know each other. But rest assured, we’re getting out of this habit soon.” With a sigh, she slowly stood and dusted herself off, as she concluded, “For now… this had better be a sign you’re willing to play outside without running off.” She cocked an eyebrow. “Can I trust you on that?”

Shadow seemed to acquiesce. After all, playing outside was so much more fun, probably! Ryana rolled her eyes at this imagined response, before gently stroking his head and commenting, “Well, I suppose the sun isn’t sinking that quickly. I’ve got a few more minutes to spare….”

Some time before the movie night...

It was a beautiful late-spring evening: the crickets and spring peepers filled the night with their songs, the first stars dimly peered through the twilight spread above, and it was still too early in the year for the higher humidity levels that so often marked summer in Ditto Town.

So this night found Erik and Abby high above the Town Square, rejoicing in the gifts of life and flight they loved so much. Baby Molly was still far too young to walk, much less fly, so she was secured in a sort of soft-sided infant carrier – already dubbed her “flight suit” – strapped to Erik’s chest. Her happy sounds made it clear that she was going to be a natural in the air when her time came.

“Look at that,” Abby said, pointing toward the Fountain.

Erik looked down to see a familiar figure – though one the couple hadn’t talked to in quite some time – frolicking with a large furry shape in the Square. “Phoenix Archer?” he muttered aloud. “She got a dog?”

“I guess so,” Abby replied. “And it looks like she’s having a great time. Say, wouldn’t it be fun to have a dog for Molly when she gets older?”

“I think she’d love it. But what would it do during the days we sleep?”

She sighed. “Good point. Maybe we could put in for a pup from Bronx and Boudicca’s next litter. Then it would sleep when we do.”

“We could try, but those pups are pretty rare. I’m sure they’ll go to full clans first. We could request one on behalf of the Tetons Clan; then our kids could play with it when we’re there.”

“Our kids?” Abby teased. “Getting a little ahead of ourselves again?”

“I guess.” He felt the heat rise on his cheeks and wondered if his beloved could see him blushing despite the darkness. “But there’s plenty of time before any new gargoyle pups arrive, so who knows.” He suddenly chuckled.

“Yes?” She wondered what had prompted his sudden change in mood.

“Oh, just a silly thought. If our dog were black we could name it Moonshadow. That’s a nice name for a creature of the night, isn’t it?”

“Sure…” she prompted, knowing there must be more.

“So when it follows Molly around, like dogs always do, we could sing the old song. You know, I’m being followed by a Moonshadow, Moonshadow, Moonshadow…” **

She groaned, then quickly maneuvered over to give him a playful slap of her tail.

**Apologies to Cat Stevens

Part 3 of a two-part Day-In-The-Life-Which-Has-Turned-Into-More-Than-An-Ordinary-Day segment
A Little Joe / Sonny Production

From last time:

"Well, you can be sure we'll do anything to make you comfortable," assured Loren.

"Within reason, of course," teased Eliana.

"Oh what? No two thousand credit dry cleaning?" Cameron joked right back at her, then proceeded to chomp down on his venison.

The three of them chuckled, then sat in companionable silence, enjoying the meal. After a couple minutes, Loren looked up, his eyes sparkling. "Hey, guys, I almost forgot. I found something really interesting today."

And now:

Cameron set down his fork and said "So, are you going to tell us what it is, or are you going to make us play 20 questions?"

Loren grinned. "Maybe I should make you play 20 questions."

Eliana groaned. "He loves this game," she whispered to Cameron. "You shouldn't have suggested it!"

Cameron sighed before saying, "Please don't; 20 questions drives me crazy."

Loren chuckled. He took a bite a meat, chewed it, and swallowed it. Then he took a drink before answering. "Well, the truth is that I don't know what it is. I was hoping you and Eliana could help me get it working."

Eliana looked surprised. "Is it a machine?"

Loren shrugged. "Not exactly a machine, though it's definitely electronic."

"Oh, electronic, let me guess, some kinda flying device?" Cameron asked, downing his glass of milk.

Eliana was smiling. "That sounds like fun! Do you want to go tonight? I'll just get dinner cleaned up when we're done eating, and be ready to head out in a few minutes."

Loren looked concerned, "Are you sure you're actually up to it? I'm afraid that my excitement made me forget that you are tired a lot from carrying our child."

Eliana laughed softly. "I had a nap, Loren, so I'm quite refreshed. Do you want to go tonight, Cameron?"

"I'm game, not like I've got much else to do. So where is this mysterious object located?" he said, finishing his plate and pushing it away.

Loren finished his mashed potatoes, and stood up. "It's about 3 miles south of the town. It's really quite well hidden. In fact, I probably would not have found it if I had not flown over it."

Cameron nodded. "Been awhile since I've gone south. Should be fun."

Eliana began clearing the table. "Honey," she said, "Why don't you check the charge on the spare speeder while I clean up?"

Loren nodded. "Cameron, I'll get you hooked up with my spare speeder. It's a slightly older model, but you should be able to keep up with Eliana and me."

The guys headed to the shed outside. "I haven't checked my old speeder in a while, so it might need a tune-up. Have you ever used a flying bike before?"

"Eh, I've used a hover bike before, shouldn't be that much different, and I've always had a knack for mechanic work." Cameron replied, as he helped Loran to open the shed door.

Loren replaced the battery in the SpeedStar 250 and gave Cameron a quick introduction to the controls, then pulled out his and Eliana's. "I just need to upload the coordinates to Elie's and your speeders. They self navigate."

He tapped a few buttons, and a 3D holographic map appeared in the HUD of his bike. A few more menu options and the coordinates transferred to the other speeders. Maps popped up their HUDs. Eliana's was also 3D, but Cameron's was only 2D.

"Well doesn't that take the fun out of it," Cameron said with a smirk on his face. Admiring the 2D screen "Pretty neat, I must say" He then proceeded to run over the controls one more time, just to make sure he had them right.

"Sorry you only get 2D. I actually helped develop the 3D HUD for the SpeedStar 300. Still, the 250 is very decent. No other company has been able to match the performance that we offer. Are you ready? I'm going to grab some diagnostic equipment, and then if Eliana is not ready we'll help her finish the cleaning up. Sound good?"

"Sounds great" Cameron said, turning away from the bike.

In a few minutes the three were on their speeder bikes, heading south out of town. About a mile out, Loren called to the others, "Ya ready to fly?"

"Totally, let’s do it!" Cameron said, powering up the thrusters on the bike and launching forward in front of Loren.

"Dude!" exclaimed Loren, laughing as Cameron's bike lurched. "Take it easy!" He and Eliana rose gracefully into the air and selected the destination coordinates. Their speeders turned slightly left.

Eliana chuckled. "Let's see how far ahead he gets before he realizes we aren't behind him," she commented to Loren as they headed over the forest. "I think he forgot to select his coords!" The two grinned at each other as the distance between them and Cameron grew wider.

Past Ditto Town’s wonderful fountain, east of its forest, take a left on Counter Street, go down three blocks, take a right, stop at the third traffic light, and, and, and…sorry about that. Anyway, there you’ll find the Ditto Town’s Mechanic’s Shop.

But this story isn’t about the Mechanic, or the shop. This story is about a tall young robot and his little friend….

“Can we talk now?” said Mini-Bot—and yes, Mini-Bot, you can talk now. But stop breaking the 4th wall.

The Mechanic carefully placed the last piece in Ditto-Bot’s Arm. “There, all done.”

“Finally.” Ditto-Bot observed his newly refit arm.

“Take it easy ‘til you get used to it.” warned the Mechanic.

“Okay, okay, say, what’s this do?” In a flash, an assortment of screw drivers, knifes, scissors, wire cutters, guns, phones, tests tubes, a deck a cards, and a long tube that looks just like a lightsaber, popped out like a Swiss army knife. “Ah, oops.”

“It’s okay, just press the button again.” After a short beep all the tools and gadgets popped back into his arm.

“How come I don’t get a Swiss-army-arm?” complained Mini-Bot.

“And exactly how do you intend to have even one of those items fit into that twig of an arm?” asked the Mechanic.

“Very carefully.”

Just then, about half of the lights in the room shut off. A few seconds later, they were still off. Then they turned back on.

“Odd.” Puzzled Ditto-Bot.

“Oh no! Some sort of evil bad dude has got his hands on an EMP generator, and now will hold the city at his mercy!” Mini-Bot exclaimed.

“If that were the case, all the lights would have turned off. No, this is something different….” said Ditto-bot.

“The lights that stayed on were the few connected to the Zeno Reactor in the lab, so it still could be an EMP generator.”

The Zeno reactor is named after Zeno’s Paradox: the idea that you can’t ever reach your destination because you must travel half of the remaining distance first. And you can cut anything in half an infinite number of times. The reactor runs off of this idea. It can reach 1%, then 0.5%, then 0.25%, but it will never die. The problem is that it will never reach 100%, for the same reason. The Mechanic has almost everything in the basement hooked up to the Zeno Reactor, but hasn’t had the time to hook up everything.

“Wait, so EMPs don’t work on the Zeno Reactor?” Ditto-Bot asked.

“Well if you think about it, the EMP has to travel halfway to the reactor at every point as well, so it will never actually reach the reactor.” The Mechanic explained.

“…” A lot of people in the room said, which is strange, because there’s only one person and two robots in the room.

“How does that even work?” Mini-Bot asked.

“It just does. Look, I say we go out and see what’s going on.” Ditto-bot said.

“Or, I could steal the computer from the writer and just see what comes next.” Mini-Bot planned.

“Well, no you couldn’t because he hasn’t written it yet, you would only be able to see the present and the past, and so it really wouldn’t work.” Ditto-Bot explained, and if you mention the fact that you’re in a fictional story again Mini-Bot, I will personally kill you off!

“You’re gonna do it anyway, OOPS! You guys didn’t hear that! Let’s go.”

Ugh, why do I write these guys? Anyways, our heroes decided to investigate the mysterious EMP that may have seriously damaged Ditto Town. The two Bots climb out of the secret lab, which shall have little to no description because it’s, well secret. They continued to go out the back of the shop when Ditto-Bot realizes something,
“Dude, I just realized something. We can’t really check if anyone is okay.”

“Why not?

“Well, because we don’t know where anyone lives, or even know if anyone lives.”

“Huh?”

“We’ve never met anyone in Ditto Town!” It’s true. Aside from Phoenix Archer, Ditto-Bot hasn’t met a single resident of Ditto Town. This puzzled our two friends; “how could have we possibly not know anyone?”

This can be explained. You see Ditto-Bot and Mini-Bot we’ll usually hang out with themselves, and stay in more remote parts of the city. It’s not impossible to have heard of them, but unlikely that you’ve met them. That, or I just never got around to writing in other people’s stories, but I doubt that’s it....

Well our heroes decided that they would have to make fast friends, because people could be in serious trouble.

“Looks like the entire town is back online.” Mini-Bot remarked.

“Must be some sort of emergency back-up generator, I don’t see how any power could be restored that quickly.”

The Bots walked down the street for a bit, searching for anyone that came out for the power outage. The streets were surprisingly clear, perhaps because the power came back on so quickly. The town seemed quiet, this was after all around the time most people ate dinner. Ditto-Bot ceased creating new contact with his foot on the sidewalk, and carefully scanned the empty environment. What was wrong with this picture?

Ditto-Bot’s finger’s shifted into communicator. “Dad, can you scan the area, see if it was an EMP that caused the outage?”

>”Already on it. It seems an EMP surge did go off, west outskirts of Ditto Town it seems. I’m sending you coordinates now.”<

“How this kind of stuff always happens in Ditto Town?” Mini-bot complained.

“Plot device, don’t argue with it.”

“Hey! Look!”

Who made the EMP? Why did they activate it? Is everyone in Ditto Town Ok? Will I really kill off Mini-Bot? Find out when our adventure continues, next time….

Catalyst stepped off her hover board and looked around. It was quiet now, but the battle scars were still quite fresh. Cars were in any condition from dented to flipped over to destroyed, parts of the pavement had been ripped up and seemingly flung around, and there wasn’t a soul to be seen outside; most everyone had either run away or was hiding inside one of the nearby buildings. But Catalyst wasn’t concerned about them, as long as they were safe; she was waiting for the source of the destruction. Now that she was here, he was sure to re-emerge.

Whiiiir. That was coming from behind her, somewhere on her left. Catalyst snapped around, set one hand on the ground, then dragged it across as she took a couple of quick steps back. The tarmac seemed to… quiver slightly, almost like ripples over water. Catalyst knew he saw that, and he knew what it meant. He wouldn’t come any closer, not just yet; not unless he was even more foolish than she expected. She stood back up and locked eyes with him.

As she was expecting, he responded to all this with a smirk. “Well, that was fast, Kirane. Not fast enough to prevent a lot of property damage, but at least you got here before I started taking hostages. Speaking of which….” He extended one of his arms, pointing it at the window of a nearby building… making sure the metallic components were clearly visible. “This seemed to be a favorite shelter for the panicked masses. I’d suggest staying where you are if you don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

Catalyst, a.k.a. Kirane, let out a soft sigh, but didn’t move. She knew perfectly well what Mr. Connell could do if he wanted, but she also knew they were at a stalemate as long as he maintained that threat. Best to just get this started: “I had a feeling it was you, Logan. The police never identify you correctly—” dryly, she commented, “this time, you were a renegade android—but these attacks started too soon after my arrival became public.”

Logan groaned. “An android? Really?” He scoffed. “At this rate, I could almost start walking in public and the police would never identify me.” Catalyst arched an eyebrow knowingly, but said nothing. For one thing, Logan had been a wanted fugitive for five years, and had made sure that every police department in the country had a warrant for his arrest. Secondly… well, it’s not hard to miss a man half-made of metal. Especially when he makes no effort to hide it….

She shook it off, and turned back to important matters: “We both know you were trying to attract my attention. You have it. I don’t suppose I can convince you to take this elsewhere, protect the innocents?”

Connell chuckled at that. “I’m glad you’ve stopped trying to be subtle. After all, it’s not like I figured out your tactics after our first dozen or so… encounters.” Suddenly, all the amusement was gone, and his expression darkened. “It’s an amusing double standard you have. You care so much about all the innocent strangers, you want to save them from even minor injuries… and yet, you don’t really care about what your own actions cause.”

Kirane contained a groan. ’Here we go again….’ “Logan, do we really have to—”

“No, I suppose that discussion is over.” He admitted… in words only. “It’ll just be an endless cycle of tossing the blame around. As if I would intentionally leave myself to die slowly….”

Catalyst’s eyes widened. That was new. “To die?”

“You just thought it was painful, didn’t you? No, now it’s killing me. And it’s all thanks to your interference.”

Kirane didn’t know what to say. Actually, she did; she knew that this had always been a possibility, that he always knew, but… she couldn’t say it. Instead, she asked her new pressing question: “Then what, exactly, do you want now?”

“I have nothing to lose.” Connell spat. For the first time, Logan raised his left hand… and revealed a large object, not unlike a big grenade. “So why not go out with a little bit of revenge?”

Catalyst gasped, and suddenly grabbed something on her right arm. “Connell, what is that?”

“On its own? Not much, really.” Connell admitted. “But, combined with some of the… ‘benefits’ of my condition, it’s practically a black hole generator.” He saw the change in his opponent’s expression, and admitted, “Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But you get the idea: effectively, you can think of it as a powerful bomb. Obviously, I’ve had no chance to test it, but I think you could measure the damage in city blocks.” He shot her a sideways glance. “I’m sure you’d find a way to miraculously survive, as always. I can’t promise the same for all the civilians in the area. And don’t hope I’d give them time to evacuate.”

Kirane couldn’t hold his gaze; she’d come to that conclusion a long time ago. And, given what she knew about his “condition”, she could believe every word he said. If he was already dying, there was no point telling him he wouldn’t survive either…. “Logan, what do you want?” She asked again. “What can I do to prevent this?”

Logan chuckled, coldly. “Are you giving me carte blanche? Hmm, that’s tempting.” But he still shook his head. “But it’s too late for that. What can you do for me? Enjoy my last little surprise while you can.”

Actually, there was one more thing she could do. She knew that, in all likelihood, neither of them would make it out of this alive… but Logan had made his choice, and her life was unimportant compared to all those innocents. No, she had to try.

Catalyst ripped her dark red bracelet off her right arm. By the time she’d reached back with the left hand, the bracelet had become a straight rod. As it was back there, it suddenly sharpened and made a point, forming a knife-like shape. She threw it at Logan’s hand. It glanced off the metal part of his hand, but that forced it up, and across the part that was still skin. Logan cried out and, instinctively, let go of his prize; both the bomb and her “bracelet” fell towards the pavement.

That was perfect. The tarmac was still only semi-solid, thanks to her initial reaction to Logan’s presence. Then, she wanted to give him a reason not to come near her, and a lane of tar was enough to keep the cyborg at bay. Now, it made a good conveyer belt. She reached out with one hand and pantomimed grabbing the objects, then yanked her arm back. Suddenly, the ground seemed to move towards her, bringing both of her prizes with it. She snatched them up, one in each hand.

Logan had given up nursing his wound, and instead folded his arms and pointed out, “All I have to do is touch it now, and the bomb will go off. You’re fast, Kirane, but you can’t outrun me anymore. What do you think you accomplished?”

“The bomb won’t be here when it goes off.” She told him. “With luck, it’ll be stuck in some pocket dimension.”

Logan’s eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly masked it with a glare. “Your technology doesn’t work anymore, Kirane. If it takes the bomb there, it will take you with it.”

“Fine. If you stay over there, then it won’t go off. If you come here….” She slowly let out her breath. “Well, no one else gets hurt. I’m willing to live with those options.”

“Kirane—!” Catalyst was done talking. She quickly slapped her bracelet back on—probably should have de-sharpened it first, but at least she put a dull side on her arm—and opened her jacket. Hidden underneath was a metal belt, with a round device where the buckle should have been. She quickly took it off, then wrapped it around the bomb.

Meanwhile, Logan threw caution to the wind. He sprinted forward, but his first step took him into Kirane’s sticky trap. Had she been paying attention, he knew, this could have been a dangerous situation for him. As it was, however, she hadn’t made the trap deep enough; it just slowed him down. But that was all she needed.

Logan struggled to his feet, and grabbed Kirane’s wrist—just in time for her to hit the last button, and a sort of portal appeared and engulfed them both.

The sun was setting, the clouds every shade from red to purple. In a small clearing in the woods, all was peaceful. The wind rippled across the long grass, a couple of birds could be heard in the distance… and, suddenly, a booming sound and a flash of light shattered the tranquil scene.

“Woah!” Catalyst felt her feet hit the ground, and just barely stopped the rest of her body from following in suit. She was suddenly very glad for her training; it must’ve kicked in without her realizing it, so she landed on her feet… rather than on her back, or head, or any other similarly uncomfortable positions. But, wait… she landed. How did that happen? The last thing she remembered, she had opened the dimension to the pocket dimension, and Logan was—

Suddenly, it clicked. ‘Where’s Logan?’ She spun around. A little ways behind her, a form was lying in the grass—apparently, Connell had landed on his side when he came in. Luckily for her, he seemed just as dazed as she was. He clutched his head and groaned as he slowly found his feet. He looked around for a couple moments, looked up, and locked eyes with Kirane. “How did we get… here?”

She knew he didn’t really mean “here”. He just meant “Not stuck in limbo with my bomb about to go off”. In that case, Kirane didn’t have much of an answer: “You were the one who… modified my technology. I assumed you would know.”

Logan groaned, irritated. “We must have gotten separated from your… teleporter, or whatever you call it. It took the bomb elsewhere, and we… ended up here.” Logan looked around, turning away slightly. "Wherever ‘here’ is.”

Kirane shrugged, but half-heartedly; there was nothing to be casual about at the moment, except, of course…. “Well, we’re alive, aren’t we?”

His demeanor was instantly icy. Whatever semblance of conversational politeness he’d entertained, it was dead now. Slowly, he looked back over his shoulder, then turned slightly towards her. “For now, at any rate.” Whiiir. Uh-oh. Catalyst couldn’t tell what, exactly, he was doing just by sound… but as soon as he started using his cybernetic components, she was in trouble. As of yet, she hadn’t beaten his new form without extensive strategy…. “But as long as we’re both stuck here,” Logan decided, “I mind as well enjoy what time I have left.”

Kirane dragged her foot over the ground in front of her, and recreated the liquid ground trap. She took a couple steps back, then reached for a bracelet on either arm—the red one again, plus a thick, black one from her left arm. Dryly, she noted, ‘Well, at least I got him away from the civilians. “Logan, do you really want to do this?” Kirane asked. His expression asked the obvious, so she amended, “I know… you blame me for what happened. But we have no idea where we are, and we’ll need each other—”

“Oh, don’t worry, Kirane,” Logan interrupted coolly, “I won’t kill you right away. No, I’ll keep you alive… and just let you wait for the inevitable day when I do. Right away just wouldn’t be enough….”

Nope, no delaying this; diplomatic channels were closed. Kirane swept her hand in front of her again, and the ground between her and Connell all started to liquefy slightly. But he just sidestepped it, and started charging towards her. He threw one punch at her, than another; she twisted and ducked under both, then flipped backwards. She knew she couldn’t keep her distance from Logan forever, but… she looked around. All she had to work with were trees, grass, and what material she had in her bracelets. That wasn’t going to be enough. Kirane backed into a tree, then spun around it; it was true that Logan was much faster than her, but there was no way he could maneuver in these trees.

Unless, of course, he decided the trees just were too annoying an obstacle. Whiiir….RIIING! Suddenly, the sounds of moving machinery became a shriek, and a blue light started shining behind her. Catalyst realized her mistake and quickly took cover behind another tree. Just in time; that blue light turned out to be a blue… ray, or blast of some kind, and it effortlessly knocked the tree down.

Logan had both arms raised and pointed at the tree; blue lines of light were still visible on the cybernetic parts of his arms, but that was fading away. He lowered his arms, then took a few steps into the rest of the woods. He could continue knocking trees down all night, really, but that would take too long… and she was too slippery for that. But he would have to find her, quickly.

Logan glanced to his left, then to his right… and decided on his left. He took a couple of cautious steps closer, glancing around for any sign of his opponent. Both of his arms stiffened, and the blue lines began to return.

Suddenly, Kirane leapt out from behind one of the trees. She darted behind Connell, then slammed her hand against his shoulder. Suddenly, the metal started to melt, exposing some circuitry beneath, before reforming again in a different shape… Logan roared in surprise, only slightly in pain, and tried to turn around. Normally, Kirane would’ve been too quick for that… but there was something neither of them counted on.

“AGH!” Before Catalyst could finish, a flash of blue light exploded from the exposed wiring. She flew backwards for a few feet, before crashing into the grass. Most people would have been grateful to land in the clearing, instead of in the nearest tree, but Kirane would’ve been glad for the pain. It was only a fraction of what she normally felt from Logan’s blasts, but… he also usually controlled their intensity. The raw exposure left her weakened, numb… and, quite possibly, unconscious very shortly.

Connell was still clutching his shoulder, muttering incomplete, probably unrepeatable phrases under his breath, as he turned around… and saw his opponent lying, vulnerable, on the ground. Suddenly, his irritation and pain dulled considerably, and he smirked. “I suppose it’s your just desserts, Kirane; you actually tried to injure me? That’s a desperate move.” He started taking a few steps closer. “But now you know why not to touch a live wire….”

Twang—thwack!! Logan stopped as something suddenly appeared at his feet. Logan stared at it, blankly, for a few moments, before he finally realized what it was. An… arrow? He subconsciously calculated its most likely path, and looked up to see its origin… and well, really, he didn’t know whether he should have been surprised or not.

On the other end of the clearing stood a woman, probably a few years his junior. She was dressed almost entirely in a variety of red and gold, and her clothing… well, it looked more like robes of some kind than regular clothing, but not altogether impractical for a fight. She held a bow, which she was already reloading and aiming at him. But the most remarkable feature about this woman was her position: she was landing using her golden, bird-like wings.

As soon as she had his attention, Phoenix Archer demanded, “You need to step away from her now, stand down, and explain why exactly you’re tearing up the woods in my back yard.”

Phoenix Archer was gliding over the woods just outside Ditto Town, not too far away from her own cottage. Technically, she was making her patrol route for the night—but really, she was only out to relax. Ditto Town was still the center of a lot of attention, to be sure, but so little of that was actual action. Yes, she knew the schemes of their enemies were still rising and falling in the borders of their quiet little town, but… to be honest, she didn’t really follow those schemes very well. So, as far as she was concerned, all was quiet, and flight was for enjoying the sunset.

But really, by now, she should know better: if you convince yourself that everything is peaceful, then something will prove you wrong. The more ironic, the better.

Suddenly, there was a blue flash of light, down in the woods below, followed by a loud thud. Phoenix Archer turned towards the source. It came from a small clearing—well, relatively small—within easy walking distance of town, but far enough away that she was probably the only witness. She decided to get a closer look. Just to be safe, she reached into her quiver and pulled out her bow. As she prepared to land, she set an arrow on the string….

Things got no clearer as she got closer. On the other side of the clearing, there were two people, a woman and a man, standing by a freshly fallen tree. The woman was dressed in light purple clothing, and had… wait, dark blue hair, and rather gray skin…? But the man was stranger. He looked mostly human, but… his entire backside—including the backs of his arms, the back of his head, everything—was covered in… metal? No, it looked like… it was part of his body….

The woman was making her move. She leapt out from behind a tree, darted behind him, and put a hand on his shoulder. He seemed to react, somewhat in pain, but it was nothing compared to what happened to her. Another blue flash went off, much smaller, but it seemed more intense. The woman screamed in pain and was flung back.

The man took notice of this, smiled, and said something to her…. Phoenix Archer couldn’t hear the words, but she could read the face. She needed to step in. She aimed at the ground between the man and the woman, careful to avoid getting too close to either, and fired.

The man was somewhat stunned. He glanced at the arrow, then at her, and clearly sized her up. She doubted she was anything he was expecting, but given what he looked like, she doubted much really surprised him. Still, she took advantage of the shock, and made her stand: “You need to step away from her now, stand down, and explain why exactly you’re tearing up the woods in my back yard.”

Logan wasn’t really impressed by this woman. She sounded a bit territorial, but not particularly dangerous… or interested. “This is none of your concern.” He told her, coolly, diplomatically. Still, he folded his arms and adjusted to a familiar stance: the one that said, “I’m strong, I know it, and I’m in control right now.” “She and I just have some… personal problems. I’m perfectly willing to take this somewhere else, if that’s the problem.”

Phoenix Archer just aimed her bow and pulled the arrow back. “No, that’s not the problem. See, to be honest, my sympathies are with her at the moment, seeing as she’s the one lying unconscious on the ground, and you’re the one that’s knocking trees over.” She “shrugged”, as best as she could in that position. “But I only saw the last part of this fight, so I don’t really know what’s going on. So I’m giving you a chance to explain this to the authorities and let them figure it out. But until then… I protect the people of Ditto Town, residents or visitors. And I’m not letting anyone get hurt just now.”

Connell smiled amusedly. “How noble of you. And thank you for giving me the benefit of the doubt.” He unfolded his arms, letting all the gears whir loudly, then pounded a fist into an open hand. “But it’s undeserved. Only one person here needs get hurt—and if you’re smart, it won’t be you.”

Well, she gave him his chance. Phoenix Archer didn’t stand down, but didn’t engage; he needed to make the first move. The man turned away, took a step towards the woman…. Phoenix Archer aimed for the back of his arm, the part mostly shielded by the metal, and shot.

The man reached out, snatched the arrow mid-flight, and snapped it with one hand. Phoenix Archer stared as she tried to wrap her head around it. She really shouldn’t be surprised by this, but that kind of speed was inhuman. ‘So, he’s not just exceptionally strong… maybe I should’ve called for backup. But at least his pride was perfectly human: he just kept holding the arrow, smirking, expecting this surprise to be the last straw. So, she decided to respond with a surprise of her own. She snapped her fingers; suddenly, out of the yellow core in the arrow shaft, a small lightning bolt burst out and zapped him. He all-but yelped and dropped the pieces.

The amusement vanished. “All right, you’re going to be a problem.”

Phoenix Archer scoffed. “Well, then, bring it on.” ‘I was just complaining about how little action there’s been lately….’ The man charged towards her. She slid her bow back in her quiver and assumed a defensive stance. He threw a punch at her, which she side-stepped, then punched him in the stomach. Correctly, she’d assumed it was still flesh-and-blood… and he hadn’t really expected an actual attack. This was good; he didn’t actually know much about fighting, he just depended on his strength and reflexes.

Still, he had plenty of both, so she needed space. She stepped back, then drew both of her daggers. Once again, he looked surprised; once again, she took advantage of that. She swung at him with both, one at a time; he threw up his arms to defend himself, but she still managed to cut the skin side a little. She noticed, and activated that dagger a bit; suddenly, a tiny flame lit up along the blade. He cringed, and just barely avoided nursing the injury.

Phoenix Archer smiled—okay, maybe smirked. “Don’t underestimate an opponent, smart guy.” She made another attack—okay, not the best idea. He grabbed her right arm, then threw her backwards. She extended her wings and stopped herself, but mostly lost her balance. Her opponent pressed the advantage. He charged towards her, and made a few blows—this time, for the most part, they hit. She quickly covered her front with her wings—poor shields, but they confused him long enough to re-orient herself. She sidestepped, re-opened her wings, then slashed at the man again. This time, as her ice dagger scraped across his metal covering, she left a sheet of ice behind.

Logan half-roared and broke away from her. He was visibly seething, but… he glanced over the damage. One shoulder frozen, the other deformed, multiple cuts and other injuries, all while stranded in some strange land. Now was not the time to be fighting a completely unknown opponent…. Connell glanced towards Catalyst, still completely helpless, but just out of reach. He snarled, “You got lucky this time, Kirane.” He turned towards his opponent, who had relented her assault. “As for you and your precious…” He thought back, to the name she used, “‘Ditto Town’, I’ll tolerate a do-gooder once, but you’d better not give her sanctuary. Because I’m coming back for her.” With that, he turned, and dashed away through the trees.

Phoenix Archer sheathed her daggers. She could go after him, but… it wasn’t such a good idea. If you could call that battle a victory, she “won” because she had surprise on her side, and… well, it looked like he’d already been worn down in a previous battle. In a more fair fight, she doubted she’d come out on top again. Besides… there was that woman. She might be injured, or….

Phoenix Archer turned and started running towards her. As she did, she pulled out her bow and an arrow, pointed it towards the sky, and fired. Once it was high enough up, she activated it; the lightning shot out, making a somewhat unorthodox flare. She hoped someone in Ditto Town would recognize it, just in case she needed help.

She put her bow back as she knelt by the woman. She propped her up and asked, “Hey… are you all right, l—err, ma’am?”

The woman—Kirane?—shook her head, and instead weakly asked, “Before, you said… you said where we were. What… did you call it?”

Phoenix Archer stifled her annoyance; she was the injured one, she had a right to ask. Besides, considering how many people came here by portal and weren’t expecting it, she probably had no clue. “You’re just outside Ditto Town.” She explained. “I’ll get you to town, see if we can’t find you some help.”

The woman smiled. “Ditto Town… so, I finally made it.” She hated to admit it, but Phoenix Archer froze at that. Of all the things she’d expected to hear… well, that wasn’t one of them. She looked back at her charge, but by now, she’d closed her eyes, and was probably unconscious. With a sigh, Phoenix Archer picked her up and started heading towards the closest building: her house.

…Molly squirmed excitedly on Erik’s lap, and he could hardly blame her. She was simply being open with the joyful emotions they all felt.

“All right, all right, you can hold it.” Abby’s face shone as she carefully placed the new gargoyle egg in her daughter’s lap. “But handle it gently. Your sister is in there.”

“My sister? How do you know?” Molly’s eyes were wide with wonder.

“See the pattern of the purple spots? That’s how we know this is a female.”

“So you knew I’d be a girl?” This new information was almost too much for the child to handle; it was like being let in on some grand universal secret.

“That’s right, sweetheart,” Abby replied. “And Daddy suggested your name almost right away. But he suggested we keep it a secret from everyone so they’d all be surprised when you hatched.”

“Really?”

“Yup,” Erik chimed in. “There were times it was mighty hard to keep that secret, though. Just like human parents, we were often asked, ‘Is it a boy or a girl? What names are you thinking about?’ Both of us had to pretend not to know. It was hard sometimes, but still kind of fun.”

Erik watched his daughter gently run a talon along the egg’s surface. It turned out that the reminder that she be gentle was unnecessary; she was treating this egg as though it were made of finest crystal. Now that it had had a full day to harden, its shell was actually quite strong.

“Speaking of names…” Abby prompted.

“Holly,” the little girl immediately burst out. “Then we’d rhyme.”

“That’s very cute. You know, I was thinking of something related to the background color of her egg.”

Molly inspected the shell closely, then scrunched up her little nose, puzzled. “White? I don’t think she’d like being called that.”

Erik fought down a chuckle. He had a pretty good idea of what his beloved had in mind, and let her know telepathically that he approved. He’d chosen Molly’s name, after all, and was more than willing to let his mate have a ‘turn.’

He remained silent, allowing Abby to offer another hint to Molly. “Think of my favorite flower that’s this color.”

Molly thought for a moment, then squealed out, “Lily!”

“That’s right! Do you like it?”

“It’s pretty, Mama!”

“Ditto from me,” Erik grinned. “What say we announce Lily’s name to the whole town in advance this time? We could have a hatching open house just like Molly’s.”

Erik jumped awake, startled by a squawk from the hatchling in his lap. Baby Molly was very awake, looking up at him with twinkling eyes as her stomach growled in hunger.

“Okay, okay, I’m on it,” he reassured her as he heated a bottle for the hungry little one.

As she eagerly drank it, her eyes still intently watching him, Erik considered what he’d just experienced. He’d had unusual dreams before concerning children – a particularly bizarre one with twins immediately came to mind – but this one had seemed so real. Maybe he’d talk to Abby about it later. He loved being a father, and his heart beat a little faster: Molly several years older, walking and talking; and another hatchling on the way? And he liked the idea of publicly announcing their next child’s gender and tentative name to their friends in town and at home. But surely that time was still far off.

Yet something in the back of his mind nagged. Not only had the egg been unusually colored – lily-white rather than pale lavender – but it had also been unusually small, so much so that he worried the hatchling within might have health problems. It’s nothing, he reassured himself. No need to worry. After all, it’s just a dream…

Varnafinde was almost ready to leave for the movie night. All she had left to do was to comb her long hair.

It would be interesting to meet again the elf who was not from Middle-earth. She had only met Gwanuig once, while she was still preparing to open her bookshop.

He and Katherine had been in the library. They had got to talking about some book they were all looking for, and Varna had said that she would add it to her list of books to secure for her bookshop. This had gotten them to talk about the bookshop, and to introduce themselves to each other. Varna had been thrilled to meet another elf, and had asked whether they might be remotely related (she guessed it would be remotely after so many years).

To this, Gwanuig had shaken his head, and Katherine had looked a little embarrassed.

"No, I'm not related to the elves of Middle-earth," he said. "But as you are one of them, I guess you have a right to know - and it's a long story. Why don't we go over to the Cup and Platter and have something to drink, and I could tell you there? The library isn't really the place for sharing one's life history."

At the Cup and Platter he had told her about how his ancestors had left Middle-earth for a different dimension - a different world, she guessed she herself would have called it - and how their culture had developed differently from the culture of the elves of Middle-earth. Even at the time of the War of the Ring the connection between them was already dissolved. Varna had found it very interesting, but rather complicated.

She hadn't seen him since, as he and Katherine had been away for a while. Even though he wasn't family, he still was of her people, same dimension or not, and she looked forward to meeting him again and getting to know him and Katherine better.

Finally her hair was done, and she was ready to go.