Reloaded

A/N: I so wanted to write something. Anything. And this is what I got. Pointless conversation between three of my original characters. Go figure.

Disclaimer: The main characters of this drabble are my own original ones. However, Gundum Wing's Duo Maxwell and Starship Troopers/Roughnecks: STC's Carl Jenkins are not mine. Pity.

In the vast landscape that was the right lobe of one fan fiction writer'smind, a voice pierced the white noise of daily creative chatter…

"Been a long road to follow. Been there and gone tomorrow…" resonated a melodious voice.

"…Are the memories I hold still valid? Oh have the tears delude-"

"That's right, give her more to disclaim."

"…I'm sorry?"

"As if she hasn't got enough to do, you go off, singing that song, which doesn't even belong to her."

"But she put it on repeat for, like, two hours!"

The source of the voice's interruption gave no sign of sympathy and continued to voice her disapproval.

"But she's got school work to do. She doesn't need to be distracted by that song or your story," she said, flicking a hand reflexively through golden hair.

"But it synchs so well with her story." Spoke a quiet voice.

Both figures turned their attention to the new arrival, a smile of satisfaction on one face and a look of pique on the other.

"You always take her side," the blonde said, though her words held less heat than they implied.

"A soldier's prerogative," the mellow voice said vaguely. Casually leaning against the ethereal surface of her mental abode, she observed her companions with only a hint of amusement. "Anyway, my tale is complete. And as I've only you two for company, I might as well pick a side. To make it interesting."

The blonde's pique immediately melted away and she smiled smugly at the laconic red head.

"Oh, things will get interesting. For us and for you. And anyone else that happens to stop by."

Blue eyes blinked owlishly at the blonde for some time before narrowing.

"Tell me you're joking."

"You're the psychic."

"But she hasn't even finished our stories yet! In fact, she's completely unraveled them and placed us in revision limbo!"

"Writer's prerogative," said the blonde, pointedly mocking the scarlet haired soldier who no longer reclined casually but stood instead.

"And what of me?" she asked.

"A sequel," the blonde said with elfin delight in her eyes. "Title changes and character revisions for us, a sequel for you, and story arcs for the new arrivals," she said, pointing over the rebel pilot's shoulder.

Wrapping her thick, ebony braid around her hand as she processed the new information, the blue eyed psychic tilted her head, a thought occurring to her.

"Where's the wolf girl?"

"Out and about," answered the blonde.

"How do you know this? I'm the psychic."

"As I said." This only produced a frown on the aforementioned psychic's face.

"I'm more privy to the ins and outs of the place because my story's much more complete than yours. She's already revised two of my chapters and has only revised your title and characters. You'll return to your usual clairvoyant self once you become clearer to her," the blonde answered sagely.

For a time, silence prevailed.

"I'm bored," the special operations agent murmured.

"Go fight a war."

"Thanks, but no."

Another moment of silence passed. Music filtered through consciousness. The landscape shifted, almost unnoticeably.

"I hope she gets the romance right," piped up the blue eyed trooper.

"I was most satisfied with 'Spat'."

"I'm sure you were," said the young dragon, a teasing grin on her face.

"…"

Two hours later…

"She lost the wolf girl?"

"I'm not surprised. She couldn't decide on a name for her, so naturally, she's less tangible without a name."

"Poor thing's gone MIA."

"She'll pop upAnyway, we have more pressing matters."

"And that would be?"

"Mary Sue-ness."

"God, no."

"Yes. It's been on the Maker's mind for days. It's her prime motivation for revising our stories and the reason for your sequel's delay."

"I am not a Mary Sue. I didn't even like Duo when I first met him."

"Calm down, Red. I know you're not. You know you're not. And I'm pretty sure She knows you're not. Which is why she's not stressing out on you as much as she is us."

"But someone already said you weren't a Mary Sue," the psychic said. "That must mean that I'm the Mary Sue! Now I'll never be able to know carnal bliss with Carl!" The last had her nearly in tears.

"Chill. If you were a Mary Sue, you aren't now. You're brand spankin' new now, with a new name and new duties."

"New duties? But she can't take my powers from me! That'd be like ripping my spine out!"

"Eww…"

"And I love being a technician! It gives me something to do rather than worry about everyone. And sniping is therapeutic! I don't care if Flash can do it too, I'm better…"

"Whoa. See. This is why you've been busted to a simple field psychic. Too much stress. Konrad will handle the machinery and Flash will be your squad's best marksman. You've got to make the boy useful for more than a migraine."

The psychic formerly known as Dawn Romanova mulled her compatriot's words over, brightening as she realized the wisdom in them.

"I see. This way, I'll have more time for RR and saving my sanity! Damn psychic boot camp…"

A sleek auburn eye brow arched itself before green eyes averted to the blonde demi- dragon.

"This is what happens when your story's theme song is played on repeat for several hours for brainstorming purposes," the blonde said, answering the red head's unvoiced question.

"Well then, should we…"

"Oh yes," she said, turning back to the psychic. "Dawn…er…Donatella, we'll leave you to the…er, sorting of your feelings and stuff. Me and Red are gonna go look for that Anita Blake girl."

"I bet SICON's got her…" muttered the psychic.

"Right. Well, ta."

The two figures meandered off into the distance, leaving the trooper to her identity crisis.

"So, how did you handle all the music in your fic?"

"Well, it was always at the beginning and rarely in the actual story."

"Ah. And the name change?"

"She hasn't exactly addressed that. But I suppose it's only a matter of time before I'm a muttering puddle of paranoia, reliving my own traumatic conditioning."

"You and the rest of the world."

just-in-cases: The main characters speaking are Angel, Nora, and Dawn (soon to be Donatella) from my Gundum Wing, Gargoyles, and Roughnecks: STC stories. The red head is Angel, the blonde is Nora, and the psychic is Dawn. And if you didn't know this, shame on you and go read my stories (or what's left of them).

It's after 1 in the morning and my mind has gone wandering. If you see it, tell it I'm lookin' for it.