(EN: I am somewhat unhappy with my part of this chapter. It just doesn't feel like it flows quite right, and the new character has a difficult…er…character to work with. Add to that my muse being drowsy, and, well…
All the same, enjoy what you can. Perhaps I am just being my own worst critic here.
Oh, and be sure to read through the chapter. At the bottom we have something special for Christmas announced, though it does depend on the readers reviewing this.)
(S/N: BECAUSE she doesn't do the disclaimers and stuff like answering the reviews, here you go:
I solemly swear that anything that is mentioned in any of the Redwall books that is mentioned here is the property of Mr. Brian Jacques. The concept/world of Mossflower is also his. The characters are either mine or Eruravenne's. So, if you want to use them, we like disclaimers in our name too, and we like to have people ask to use them instead of stealing them. Thank you.
Sorry for the rant. Couldn't help it.
Anyway...
warrior4: Thank you! We appreciate flattery.
Ladyofthebookworms: Never fear! Or should you... you'll find out. She isn't that mean. I think...
Keliah: I'm glad you realize that. Good. Now, to most of your questions, there is an answer in the text below. Suzume is a fox, don't worry.
LittlePhsycoWolf: I'm glad you like it. Sues are generally such evilness that writers can't help but to bash them...
Riverfox237: You haven't found one on Redwall? I advise you go to LittlePhsycoWolf and Keliah; they have a co-writing story as well. I haven't said what Eunomia was? Thought I did, but she's a stoat...no ferrets, they seem to be common for Sues. As for the killing part...Sues haven't been properly exploited yet. There may be a way...who knows.
Thank you all! I usually don't write these things, but oh well... read on. REMEMBER TO READ THE NOTE AT THE BOTTOM. Thank you. (exits)
Something red swam in Kimber's vision, blurred and wavering. Kimber watched it, bemused, until a sudden pain shot through her stomach, neck, and head…
She turned on her side and was promptly sick. A pair of small, strong paws supported her, holding her head up and patting her shoulder. Muttered words washed through her mind, indistinct except for the soothing tone. At least the beast helping her was a friend.
Friend, her mind remembered suddenly. Archie.
Oh, Badgers, have I turned?
Even as the thought came, Kimber dismissed it. No sue would ever do something as vulgar as lose her breakfast, even involuntarily, and she still had in her that same drive to rid Mossflower of the beasts. She was safe.
The nausea passed as quickly as it had come on, leaving Kimber laying on the ground, eyes shut tight, grimacing at the taste and scent of her sickness. The paws lifted her head again and something damp touched her mouth.
"Here," said the voice, "swallow this."
Plain water fell into Kimber's mouth, and she sucked at it greedily. The water bag was taken away and replaced with a hard shell filled with a more bitter liquid. She recognized the taste of the safety potion that every Sue Slayer carried to avoid being turned too easily.
Kimber finally cracked her eyes open and waited for them to adjust to the Golden Sunlight, which was brighter than it had been earlier. The sun must have moved to the highest point of the sky in the time she was unconscious, then.
The red thing moved into her vision again, and this time Kimber recognized the rusty fur of a squirrel.
"You all right, then?"
"Y-yeah," Kimber coughed and swallowed to get rid of the tightness in her throat. "I'm fine. Thanks, er…"
"Rowan."
"Right."
The squirrel helped Kimber lean against a tree and sat down in front of her, tapping his foreclaws against each other before his muzzle. Kimber took the opportunity to better study her rescuer. He was average in size for a squirrel, with a nasty looking scar across the side of his face, just under one eye. This mark drew Kimber's gaze like honey drew bees; she had trouble looking away. Trying not to imagine what could have caused such a ragged cut was equally as hard.
The squirrel wore a dark grey-green tunic, mottled from a bad dye job, and a cloak of the same material. The only weapons she could see on him were two plain knives at one hip and a short sword at the other. No ornamentation could be seen.
"So." He finally said, breaking the silence. "A novice Slayer, eh?"
Kimber nodded, remembering her own sword and shield. She couldn't see them anywhere in the clearing.
"I saw and heard all of that commotion here earlier. That hare a friend of yours?"
"Er, yes. He used to be, anyhow. Did you…?"
"Aye, I killed him. And buried him, too. Didn't think it would've been a nice thing to wake up and see, that."
Kimber shook her head. The last thing she wanted to see was her friend, dead as though he had never been—not himself. At least she hadn't been the one to do it.
"Well, thank you, I owe you—"
"You were terrible."
"What?"
"You were terrible. In that fight back there. You should have fought the Stu, even it used to be a friend. If a fellow sue Slayer hadn't been nearby you would have turned. In fact, you very nearly did."
Kimber stared at the squirrel in disbelief. He gestured at her, telling her to look at her fur. The hare maid glanced down quickly.
"Wot th' blazin'--?"
Her fur, once dingy grey and brown, had taken on the oddest silver sheen she had ever seen, as though every hair in her pelt had gotten the thinnest layer of paint over it by accident. Kimber scrubbed a paw over one arm—the fur only rippled under the pressure. None of that awful color went away. Kimber looked around desperately, straining her ears for the sound of running water.
"It won't be coming off for a while. I'd give it a good week, depending."
The hare whirled on Rowan, who was leaning very casually against a gold-barked tree. "Depending on what?" she snapped.
"How careful you are around sues, that's what. If you let another incident come about like that one back there, the condition will probably get worse. If you manage to mostly steer clear of it, I think you'll be back to your normal coloring in a few weeks...mostly. Thing is, Gilding tends to stick around, even if it's only a tint."
"Gilding?"
"You don't know what Gilding is? What did those buffoons in Salamandastron do, slap a sword in your paw and throw you out the mountain after Sues?"
"What do you mean by buffoons?" Kimber's temper rose faster and stronger than usual. Rowan looked a little nervous for a moment.
"Pull it in, Novice. Pull back your anger, don't let it out! It could turn you, be careful!"
Kimber made an effort and at least partially succeeded. She spoke without screaming, at least.
"What. Is. Gilding."
"Gilding occurs when a Sue or Stu attempts the turning of a Slayer and succeeds only in part. Turning works from the outside in—fur comes first, and eyes and other outward features. Armor, clothing, and weapons usually follow, and then the Sue gets into the beast's inside, the mind, soul, and heart of it. If the Sue can be stopped partway through the turning, it's called Gilding: the outside of the victim has become Sue-ified, but the inside is still whole. It can wear off, but while Gilded a beast is a little more vulnerable to turning powers, even with the potion to help it…Honestly, I would've expected them to train you all a little better than that."
The forest fell silent after Rowan finished speaking. Kimber blinked twice, still trying to work out just what he said—it was all delivered in a rapid speech, with a lecturing cadence that usually could put the hare maid to sleep within ten minutes.
"By the way, I don't seem to know your name yet, Novice."
"Kimber." Her reply was automatic; Kimber's brain was still working through Rowan's speech. "How far do you suppose the Gilding got?"
"Hm? In you? Well, it got your fur and eyes, and I do think you'll find that tunic of yours just a little stronger than it used to be—no, not metal, but close enough. Impossibly tough threads, those are. And I do think you got a touch inside, right around the emotional area of your self. Watch that anger, mind, it'll be a tad strong for a while."
"And my sword? My shield?"
"Erm, yes, about those…" Rowan actually appeared uncomfortable. "Well, on the bright side they're a good bit tougher. Harder to wear down. Not oversized, at least—good thing since the Sueness didn't reach your physical strength…"
"The dim side?" Kimber slouched against the tree bole dejectedly. She may as well know the worst.
"You already resemble a Sue. Carry these around, and every Slayer you pass will probably get set to stab you."
The squirrel reached down and pulled a glittering sword from around the side of the tree. Kimber stared in numb disbelief at her once beloved blade. It hadn't grown any larger or heavier than before, but the plain steel blade shone like polished silver and had been etched with fanciful designs all down its length. Diamonds and carved pieces of jet were set into the hilt and pommel, catching the Sue-light of the clearing eerily. The shield was much the same—a similar size as before, but silver instead of wood and inlaid with black and white gems.
"Oh, no. No. Those can't—they couldn't—I don't want—No!"
"I don't have any other weapon to give you. If you really want to die or be turned, go on. Leave the sword. Go unarmed. Slayers will think you are a Sue, Sues will know you are not. Both sides against you; the odds won't be good there."
Kimber fought with herself. One part of her didn't want to touch the glittering things. Another part only saw them as tools to keep her from death for just a little longer. Both sides had valid points.
"Fine," she grumbled. "I'll carry them. But only until I can get new ones."
"The weapons are also Gilded," Rowan stated as he handed them over. "It will wear off in time."
"I hope so. They've been pretty good in fights before; I'd hate to have to abandon them just because some Stu got too close."
"So where will you go now?"
Kimber pondered the question for a few moments.
"Well, for one thing, I came looking for…for Arch…because I dreamed about some Sue in the woods this morning and needed backup. She's a Death Talker, and has some kind of healing power that turns creatures into Sues. I might go and hunt her down since I'm probably the only Slayer close enough now."
"I'm coming with you, then."
"You're what?"
"Coming with you. To kill the Death Talker."
"Why?"
"You said yourself you needed backup. You've got a lot to learn about dealing with Sues. I could teach you a bit out here—goodness knows you need it. I also intend to stick around in case I can prevent your turning further. Last thing Salamandastron needs is to lose a Novice and gain another enemy."
"Okay, you can come." Not that Kimber thought she could stop the squirrel. He had a look about him that spoke of hard battles and survival. A Novice couldn't win against experience like that. Rowan leapt to his feet, flicked his tail twice, and flipped a knife into his paw, saluting with it.
"Right, then, point the way!"
Eunomia Rosepetaleye was flitting among the forest, with no discernable destination. She sang sweetly, and jewel-like butterflies fluttered near her, landing on her nose at times, causing her to laugh, a silvery, clear-ringing bell-like laugh. Butterflies, normal butterflies, stood no chance as their features were exaggerated into horrendous beauty. Birds of glossy, colorful feathers and with shining beaks twittered along with her, their eyes, like jewels in themselves, glittering fondly as they watched her go her way. It was, in short, a horribly, hyperbole-ed Sue-dripping day.
Everything was light, and airy and happy, and the shadows themselves seemed merry as they were passed by her beautiful self. She carried no weapons, a perfect picture of peace to other Sues. With each few butterflies turned, though, her song became ever-so-slightly sweeter and higher.
Her song summoned other creatures of Sue-drenched likeness. Worms, a beautiful pink and not slimy at all, traveled in her wake, never getting dirty, never getting a speck of dust on their dry-yet-wet skin. Caterpillars munched daintily on leaves, making sure that they didn't kill the Sue-barked tree in the process. Mosquitoes of dainty, thin proportions buzzed lazily along, and their usual whiney drone had been replaced with a melodic tone, beautifully going along with Eunomia's own song.
Soon, other Sues were drawn to her beauteous voice, and began to sing along with her, making the relatively medium-to-large range around her swell to a huge area, in the form of a perfect circle. Beasts began to turn Sue, but stopped themselves just in time, clogging their ears to block out the beautifully hideous, wordless song. Her Talk-Sue abilities were getting stronger, as her Singing ability was evolving into a more intricate weave.
The song finished, and the Sues drifted off in happy chatter, and she floated 'long her way, more joyously than any normal beast could be. She hummed a few snatches to herself even though they didn't have any power behind them; they were pretty, and that was all that mattered.
She stepped over a bush with emerald-green, sparkling leaves, and onto an argument that was just heating up.
"No! He wants to be with me!"
"No, he wants to be with me!"
"Why would he want to be with you, you creature with a twisted heart?" The slender ferretmaid had silky, black fur, and her eyes were turning from a calm, deep blue to an enraged red.
"What! Look who's talking, thou with the dirty fur!"
"If my fur is dirty, I wouldn't be able to come up with a horrid enough name for the dirt in your fur!"
A male ferret was lounging against a tree, watching the ferretmaids go at it verbally with an amused expression. Eunomia stopped, and waited for the Sues to break up; never would her kind do such a horrendous thing as fight, would they?
"That is going too far!"
"Really, Stalliana? Take this!" the black ferretmaid struck the gorgeously violet-furred one, and her deep purple eyes turned to a dark, hazy black.
She gasped. "Jirananielaven! That is not kind! To use my short name as well! It is Stalliana Duskskypelt, for your information!" She whipped out a huge golden sword, a basic trademark of all Sue-swordsbeasts. It wasn't as long or as elaborately decorated as Eunomia's was, but it was well taken care of-not that it took that much effort.
"You! Talk about using short names! My full name is Jirananielaven Alastariana Starlitnightskysoul!" With that, she whipped out her sword; a silver one bigger and more elaborately decorated. Unlike most Sue-Swords, this one was thin and whippy, but sharp, and should've weighed far too much for her to even lift the hilt a centimeter off the earth.
They went into a duel before Eunomia could stop them, and, deciding that this would be good practice for both, leaned back next to the ferret Stu.
"Aren't they such beauteous wonders? Both of astounding splendor; I could not pick and break either heart, though I may only have one mate. The one who is overridden will find a lovely mate all the same, even though the winner won."
"Such horrible fate for them to fight; we creatures of salvation care for those who do not have such a kind life as that which we lead now need to be peaceable with each other."
Jirananielaven was winning. She had far more experience, and, even though Stalliana was giving her best, she was slowly losing.
Eunomia thought as much. Jirananielaven had a longer sword, a longer name, and had, now that she looked closely, more inner sparkle coming out of her jewels. They wouldn't have managed to beat Eunomia, though. She was too powerful for either; they seemed to be new Sues.
The mouse she had turned was given a longer name, for he showed much promise as a Creature of Salvation. He still needed to get his powers, and coax them into better weave. She wondered how he was doing now. No doubt, he was getting more powerful by the second. Mice, squirrels, ferrets, and foxes were just that way.
Finally, Stalliana threw down her sword and knelt at the paws of Jirananielaven, crying out loud, "Thou has bested me in our duel. Thou art free of any restraint from me to be with the pure heart of whom we have dueled for. I wish thou many blessings, and may thine life be kinder in the future than in the past."
Jirananielaven spoke in the formal tone as well. "Rise up, mine opponent, and be free to find one other mate for thineself. I wish thou many blessings, from the beauteous stars above our humble selves to the rich, kind earth beneath our paws, and hope that thine life be kinder in the future than in the past."
They bowed to each other (Stalliana seemed to have suddenly gotten up very quickly) and took off in their separate directions.
All was once more peaceful in the forest, and, for once, Eunomia decided to sing identifiable words.
"From the beauteous lake,
To the beauteous sun,
And the beauteous sky,
To the beauteous earth,
I'll seek,
And I'll seek,
And I'll seek,
Until I shall find thou,
My true love.
From the wonderous river,
To the wonderous forest,
And the wonderous sand dunes,
To the wonderous beaches,
I'll roam,
And I'll roam,
And I'll roam,
Until I find thou,
Light of my life.
From the ends of the earth,
To the limits of the sky,
And the deepest down in ground,
To the lands in between,
I'll wander,
And wander,
And wander,
Until I find thou,
Brightest star in the sky.
I'll seek 'till I'm gone,
I'll roam 'till I drop,
And I'll wander,
I'll wander,
Wander,
'Till thou and I,
Are metest agiain!"
She made the slightly short song long and drawn out and impossibly, horribly, stunningly, beautifully made each not pronounced, which was all the worse for those poor beasts nearby.
She climbed a hill daintily, and, with gold-gilded, flower-ridden grass stalks blowing in a nonexistent breeze waving around her, she saw the sight she had waited so long to see.
"Redwall!
"So far, so near!
"I shall hurry!"
And so she did, walking at an unfeasible speed, towards her final destination where all Sues were being drawn in an attempt to free kind, poor souls from their prisons in dirt and filth.
It was time for freedom to ring like a joyous steeple bell in the minds of those unfortunate beings.
It was time to free the so-called 'Sue-slayers' from their prisons of opinionated ideas that Sues were ruining Mossflower.
It was time for action.
S/N: Well, here's the announcment Eruravenne was talking about;
What is the common name for Lutra Lutra?
The first person to answer this question correctly in a review will win a prize: Their alter ego or character gets a short scene in the next chapter, they get to choose what that character is, and, in part, what it does in that scene. Another Sue, turning helpless beasts? Got it. A hapless woodlander (or vermin) giving directions? Okay. A Sue Slayer that gets to take out one of the minor Sues shown so far? That works.
Eruravenne (or I, it depends on who gets to write the scene) will need the description and attitude of this character or Alter Ego. The minor Sues being taken out is because of how few major Sues have been introduced, and they have their own deaths coming in the story.
Alright, I HATED writing that sappy, gooy (makes a face and tries to run off, but can't, seeing as she has to stay here and write this note)...stuff. Had to make it longer, though. NEVER want to write that again, but I must, for this is a Sue-serious parody, and Sues do this kind of thing. Luckily, they prefer the unintelligible worded songs. Very, very scary...
Thank you all for the support and reviews, even if they do slightly scare Eruravenne. She's not used to the writing side of Fanfiction yet.
On with the race!
