Insert Ridiculously Powerful Fire Spell Here
Author's Note: This takes place just before "Insert Jaw-Dropping Reveal Here".
I own NOTHING but my own Self-Insert. The Last Herald-Mage is property of Mercedes Lackey.
"Are you reading that again?" Valerie asked as she crossed her arms.
"Oh, don't start," Terrie grumbled, "…this is my favorite book. Now, shush, I'm on my favorite part."
Valerie rolled her eyes and she left the room, disappearing into a different part of the Library, where she met up with Michael, Monika, Stacey, and Danielle. The four girls were whispering about something.
"Look where we're going," Danielle explained and handed the form over to Valerie, who looked it over carefully.
Sometimes Valerie wondered if Terrie had super hearing, despite having problems hearing out of her right ear. When Valerie glanced to her right, Terrie was standing beside her. Once again, her outfit had changed from an Amy Brown t-shirt and jeans, to her usual stretchy fighting clothes. Her sword was strapped to her back, and a belt of throwing daggers and a single axe hung around her waist.
"I'm going," Terrie stated, a look of utter determination and resolve on her face.
"Are you sure that's wise?" Valerie asked. There was a touch of apprehension in her voice. Everyone knew that Terrie was avid about The Last Herald-Mage, so Valerie knew such an assignment might draw Terrie away from their true purpose. Terrie was known to have a temper.
"I'm going," Terrie said again. She met Valerie's eyes as if daring her to argue. The taller brunette simply shook her head and surrendered.
Michael stared at Terrie for a moment. "How do you do that?" he asked. He was, of course, not over Terrie's sudden change in clothes.
Terrie simply smiled. "Michael, can I have a Oneshot?" she asked. The look Valerie gave her caused her to smile cutely. "Well, we might need it. Valdemar is filled with magic," she pointed out.
"Are you sure you don't just want to be able to make fireballs shoot out of your eye sockets?" Monika asked.
Terrie pouted a bit, but gave a happy "yay" when Michael handed her the pill. Terrie was about to shove it in her pocket when Valerie took it from her.
"I'm holding onto this. It's for emergencies only," Valerie declared, giving Terrie a look that mocked her challenging gaze.
"Spoil sport," Terrie muttered.
"Are we ready to kick some Mary-Sue ass?" Stacey asked. Her voice surprised everyone, and Terrie wasn't sure if that was Stacey speaking, or Ezra.
"So who is it this time?" Danielle asked, looking at Michael.
"That's the thing…we've never heard of this Sue before," Michael explained.
"What's her name?" Terrie asked.
"Yaviel Marie Serena Katrina Melissa Hikaru Tachigawa," Michael read.
"You've gotta be kidding me…" Valerie grumbled.
"Yaviel? Yaviel! That's Elvish! How the hell does she get an Elvish name in Valdemar!" Terrie demanded.
"Alright, let's get going before Terrie breaks something of value," Monika warned. She lifted her hand, holding up the portal gun. A single fire and a Plothole opened. Stacey and Danielle were the first to enter. Valerie followed Terrie, continuing to lecture her on how she was not to kill this particular Mary-Sue, knowing Terrie's temper would most likely get the better of her. Monika waved to Michael as she stepped into the Plothole.
Michael let his eyes fall upon the computer screen. The fact that a new Mary-Sue had appeared was unsettling news to The Anti-Cliché and Mary-Sue Elimination Society. The group prided themselves on their ability to eliminate Mary-Sues all over the worlds of fandom. Where this new one came from, one could only guess, but by the sound of her name and the amount of power she possessed, she was already something to give Valerie's team a run for their money. Michael's confidence in Valerie and her friends never failed, though. There was no reason to believe they wouldn't come back.
Haven was still buzzing with the news of Herald-Mage Lissandra's death. In the course of a few months, two Herald-Mages had been killed. Now, only two fully trained Herald-Mages remained. Vanyel sought only to protect Yaviel, his latest protégé. Yaviel had arrived in Haven only just before Kilches' death. She had been Chosen by a lovely Companion named Milara, and she possessed more Gifts than Vanyel had ever dreamed. Her strength and prowess in her Gifts also surprised him. Over time, he had come to care for her…far more than a teacher should. Vanyel had always believed himself shaych, the Tayledras word for people who were attracted to their same sex. The word had been shortened by younger , the feelings he had for Yaviel had proven that wrong. Now, Stefen was simply his begrudging friend, and he planned to marry Yaviel when peace returned to Haven.
Today, Vanyel and Yaviel relaxed in the gardens beneath her balcony, where they watched Yfandes and Milara prance about and play. Vanyel wrapped a warm arm around Yaviel's shoulders and drew her in for a deep, loving kiss.
"Vanyel, can I…" Stefen trailed off as he watched the two. His eyes filled with pain and he looked away, unable to look upon the woman who had stolen his Lifebonded from him. Stefen finally worked up the courage to speak again, when the sound of teenage girls arguing filled his ears. Yaviel and Vanyel were staring at the group of girls in surprise.
"Where are we?" Monika asked as she looked around.
"We're in the garden at Haven," Terrie pointed out with a smile. "There's no actual maps of Haven, but from reading enough of the series, I've managed to build a fairly accurate map in here," she explained, pointing to her head. She stopped as she spotted Yaviel in Vanyel's arms. "No…" she muttered and a rather feral growl left her lips.
"Now listen, Terrie…" Valerie began.
"Give it to me," Terrie stated, holding out her hand to Valerie.
"Terrie, wait a minute…" Danielle said, trying to calm the shorter brunette down.
"Look at her tunic. That's a trainee's tunic! She has power, and without that Oneshot, we're screwed!" Terrie argued.
"You don't even know if you can control it!" Monika cried.
"Don't you think I've thought that? I've read enough; I know what I'm doing! Now give it to me!" Terrie snapped.
"It's only for emergencies!" Valerie answered.
"This is an emergency!" Terrie declared with a sound of finality in her voice. Her eyes met Valerie's and there was a knowing gaze in Terrie's eyes. "If I go into Backlash, take a Plothole out of here…I can at least take her with me, and you guys can use the Copyright to fix everything, got it?" Terrie ordered. Valerie looked hesitant, but she nodded. She pulled the oneshot from her pocket.
"Terrie, be careful," Stacey warned. Terrie nodded and swallowed the pill. Stacey had to wince. To this day, she was unable to dry-swallow any form of pill.
Terrie clamped her eyes shut and felt something new well up inside of her. It felt like a warm sphere had formed in her chest and filled her with a strength she had never known before. She was falling…into a nothingness where only she and the warm, glowing sphere of gold existed. She reached out her hand and touched the sphere. Its warmth sent a shiver down her spine. The sphere filled her mind with images. Battles of long ago…or maybe not so long ago…or maybe they hadn't happened yet. Then she saw a face: a girl much like herself with emotional problems that could not allow her to let go. Terrie watched as the girl suffered hardships beyond what any teenage girl should suffer. Terrie recognized the girl…it was herself…in the past. She saw herself meeting Stacey, one of her dearest friends. She saw herself meeting Andrew, a boy to this day she regretted dating. She saw him introducing her to Valerie, and then Valerie introducing her to Monika and then Danielle. Tears rolled down Terrie's face and she drew back a thread of that power. It filled her and she was whole.
Terrie's eyes snapped open and she glared at Yaviel. "Distract Van and try to get the Copyright on him," she ordered. "I'll shield you for as long as I can." She narrowed her eyes and power surged around her. An invisible shield formed over her friends, and another formed around herself. She drew her sword and pointed it at Yaviel. "Yaviel Marie Serena Katrina Melissa Hikaru Tachigawa, you're under arrest!" she cried. Yaviel tilted her head, pulling her impossibly long black hair into a ponytail which only seemed to add to her undeniable beauty. Terrie had to shake herself of the hypnotizing smile Yaviel was giving her. Sometimes her sexuality could be a kick in the ass. She let out another feral growl and ran at the girl, who drew her own sword, seemingly from nowhere. As the blades collided, sparks flew from Terrie's sword, dissipating as they collided with Yaviel's shield. Terrie had yet to meet a Sue who could match her physically, especially with her trained skills with a sword. Deciding it would be best not to play fair, she drew one of her daggers from her belt and slammed the blade into Yaviel's shoulder, who stumbled back and let out a cry of pain.
"Yaviel!" Vanyel cried and moved toward her.
"Oh, no you don't, pretty boy!" Monika cried and threw herself at Vanyel, only to bounce backwards off of his shield and slam into Stefen. Monika groaned in pain, letting her gaze lift to watch Stacey remove her glasses. The color of Stacey's eyes suddenly changed, taking on a metallic color. "Ezra, wait!" Monika cried, but Ezra either didn't hear her, or didn't care. She ran at Vanyel and lifted her hands, a ball of pure energy shooting from her hands and slamming into Vanyel's shield. It looked hopeless for a moment, but when Ezra didn't stop, Monika knew something bad was bound to happen. Vanyel's shield gave way beneath the blast, and Vanyel flew backwards into the stone wall behind him.
"VAN!" Stefen cried.
Danielle scrambled over to Vanyel and hit her knees beside him. "Val!" she cried. Valerie was beside her in seconds and got to work in helping Vanyel's now broken arm repair itself. Danielle could see the beads of sweat begin to form on Valerie's forehead. "What now?" Danielle asked. She watched Valerie take a moment to slap a Copyright on Vanyel's arm.
"We let Terrie handle the rest. She knows what she's doing, and I trust her. I just hope she doesn't get herself killed," Valerie replied.
Terrie was holding her own against Yaviel who seemed to have the upper hand. She had more Gifts at her disposal than Terrie, who simply bore the Mage Gift, which allowed her to use magic. Terrie winced a bit as she felt Yaviel press against her mind, trying to force her way in. "Back off!" Terrie cried and shoved Yaviel back, only to round-house kick her in the face. While Yaviel took the time to recover from such a surprising blow, Terrie swung her sword, missing by mere inches. She watched as a few stray hairs fell from Yaviel's tremendous raven locks. She grinned.
"You'll pay for that," Yaviel snapped.
Terrie rushed forward, feigning a strike to Yaviel's right side. As Yaviel pivoted on her right foot, Terrie swung her arm, drawing up the dagger across Yaviel's face. The Sue let out a scream and covered the now bleeding wound on her face. Terrie only smirked as Yaviel lifted her hands. The air seemed to change. Staticness seemed to cling to Terrie's clothing. She knew what was coming. She cast her eyes to the sky and watched the dark clouds roll in. Her eyes filled with determination. She had little time to do this and it was a one-shot deal. If she missed, she wouldn't have enough energy to keep fighting. She could always draw from Stacey, but Ezra would need that energy if Terrie lost. The short brunette gave it a flashy show. Mimicking the moves of one of her favorite anime characters, she clapped her hands together, and then dropped to her knees, slamming them against the ground. The ground began to shake and split. A sharp pillar lifted from the ground beneath Yaviel's feet. The Sue jumped out of the way just in time, though she caught her leg on the sharp point, slashing it open. She could use magic now, but she wouldn't hold up a physical fight. Terrie stood and walked over to her. She smirked.
"You think you've won?" Yaviel asked with a smirk.
"Well, I know you've lost," Terrie pointed out.
"For now. Too bad you won't be able to enjoy the spoils," Yaviel stated.
A Plothole opened beneath her and she sank inside. Terrie leapt at the portal, but was too late. Her face slammed into the ground.
"Ow…." Terrie grumbled as she rolled over onto her back.
"You okay?" Monika asked as she walked over.
"Yeah, just sore. How's Van?" Terrie replied.
Monika pointed toward Vanyel. When Terrie looked over, her jaw dropped. Vanyel and Stefen were on the ground kissing. Danielle was watching happily. Where she had gotten the bowl of popcorn, one could only guess. Terrie grinned, unable to take her eyes from the sight. Monika slammed her forehead into her palm, grabbed Terrie's arm, and pulled her to her feet.
"C'mon, let's go home," Monika said and lifted the portal gun once more. When the Plothole opened up, she turned back to the group of her friends. "Are you guys…TERRIE!"
"Please, please, please with strawberry pocky on top? PLEASE can I have your autograph?" she asked, holding out a small notebook to Vanyel, who was sitting up while Stefen kissed his neck.
"Come on, Terrie," Valerie growled and latched onto to her arm. With Stacey's help, they dragged Terrie through the Plothole.
The Library was quiet upon their return. Michael was waiting for them, though. His eyes fell on Terrie, who looked a little nervous now. "How'd it go?" he asked.
"She got away," Terrie growled.
"How'd it happen?" Michael asked.
"Simple. She opened up a Plothole and vanished," Terrie snapped.
"Terrie, calm down," Danielle said.
"How can I calm down when she's still out there!" Terrie argued.
"There are a lot of Sues still out there," Monika pointed out.
Terrie let out a growl and her fist found itself slamming into the closest desk. The oddest part was that the desk was on fire.
"TERRIE!" Monika cried. Michael immediately went for the extinguisher and put out the flames.
"How did she do that?" Stacey asked.
"She still has the Mage Gift," Valerie pointed out calmly, though there was a layer of annoyance on her face. Terrie had to hide a smirk. Valerie on the other hand grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the group. After a moment of staring at each other, Valerie let go of Terrie's arm. "You knew this was going to happen…didn't you?" Valerie demanded.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Terrie replied innocently, though the grin on her face couldn't be hidden.
"You asked for that Oneshot specifically because you knew you were compatible with the Gifts that Oneshot would give you," Valerie accused.
"Val, think about it. I'm Wiccan, right? So I already practice Magic. Maybe the Oneshot stuck because of that," Terrie pointed out. "I had no idea this was going to happen."
"Terrie, we can't abuse our authority like that!" the empathy lectured. "Sure we have a lot of fun, but we're primarily meant to protect the fandoms, not go gallivanting about-"
"That's what I'm doing. Protecting the fandoms. Only now I can do it a lot better."
"Or just make a bigger mess," the healer grumbled.
"You have your Empathic and Healing abilities. Stacey has Ezra and the ability to use Ki. What do I have? Fighting knowledge and weapons I can throw. I think the Mage Gift gives me an advantage I otherwise wouldn't have."
Predictably, after a few moments of a staring contest, Valerie rolled her eyes and backed down. "Well, no one will hear about it from me. As far as anyone else knows, the Mage Gift stuck by accident."
Terrie couldn't help but give a small "yay" when Valerie gave in. "But you're filling out all the paperwork from this mission as punishment. Now get to it before it starts bleeding."
"Yes, ma'am," Terrie replied and walked off.
Valerie groaned and rubbed the back of her neck. "We're either in for a hell of a lot of more fun…or we're all going to die."