Chapter 24 - Fellowship is the Spice of Life

The party turned around almost at the same time to see who it was. About half of them knew the voice, Yinns being the main one. "...You're... Elliot, kupopo!"

Even Theodore didn't see this coming. "Goodness gracious, it's good to see you alive!"

"Elliot!!" Molly ran up with a kupo and pounced in a monster hug. "I was so worried about you, kupo... I didn't know if you had sided with Alastor or were a hostage..."

The Arch Bishop stroked the fur on her head the way he had the Moogles at the Orphanage years and years ago. "It'ss... good to ssee you again too," he said sadly.

Molly looked up at him. "What's wrong?" she asked, sensing something that wasn't right, as had Yinns. "And where did you get those expensive clothes, kupo?"

Elliot knew the truth was going to hurt, but lying was something he didn't do. "Alasstor bound and gagged me, rode the wagon to the middle of nowhere, then sstabbed me a hundred timess with a dagger, leaving me the way I wass in a ditch. ...I died that night."

"Kupo! No!!" Molly yelped. "No! Not you too! Clivia, then Dad, then Alastor, the treehouse, now you... Why!? ...You can't be dead, kupo! Y-You're standing right in front of me!!"

Gene was horrified. Maybe this world wasn't such a peaceful place after all...

Elliot sighed. "I am an Arch Bisshop now, little Molly. Appointed to do one final tassk by the Bangaa Totema himsself..."

Tucker stepped forward to comfort Molly. She wrapped her arms around his torso, sobbing. "Please don't go home... Please... ku... kupoooooo..." Tucker glanced over at his mom, who stared at the two of them, getting all choked up... Mom squeezed the hands of her two daughters, who stared at Tucker and Molly, worried about her.

What could Tucker say? It was as if he couldn't stay and he couldn't go. Either way, he'd have to give up something very valuable to him. He hadn't talked to Mom about what to do yet, but he would before this was over, and he had a good idea about what she'd say. It was almost too much for him.

Elliot knelt down so he was eye level with the heartbroken Moogle girl. "Molly," he said. She looked at him, Elliot with his black, steely, sincere eyes, and she calmed down slightly. "Molly, I'm ssorry..." he gently told her, "Your Dad lovess you very much... and your fairy friend Clivia thinkss about you every day. I know." Pause, as he brushed the girl's furry cheek with his cold, scaly hand. "It'ss never eassy to ssay goodbye to ssomeone you love... and really, thiss clan iss family to you, sso lossing me may be hard. But jusst think... After my tassk iss complete, I'll be in the Promissed Landss."

"You mean... heaven?"

"For the Bangaa people, yess, Heaven. That'ss eternal life, Molly... We can sstill ssee each-other through dreamss and vissionss, can't we? And I'll be watching over you and the clan, making you sstronger, too..."

Molly felt better. But then she grew worried again. "What... What kind of task did you... With Alastor, right? Do you have to..."

He stood up. "Get him back for you," he finished. Molly perked up with a surprised kupo.

"Get him back? ...You're not gonna kill him?"

Tucker. "We have no reason to kill him, do we? I don't think it should have to come to that... I mean it might, but... it shouldn't."

Elliot turned to the group. "I am on a misssion from Adrammelech, and I would like your asssissstancce, but I cannot forcce any of you to help me. I musst ssave Alasstor'ss ssoul." He paused, remembering what had happened... "He iss... greatly pained, and needss our help. I will go alone if I have to, for it iss the tassk I've been asssigned..."

"Don't be silly, kupo," said Yinns, stepping forward. "I'm in. He's still part of the clan as far as I'm concerned... and so are you, Elliot."

"I'm in too," April added. "I have nothing to lose. 'Sides, you'll need my speed and tracking powers, hee hee!"

"He deserves my help," said Theodore. "I'm in. I couldn't say no if I desired to."

"So am I, kupo," Molly said immediately. "I'll fight any battle to get my friends back."

Tucker looked over at Mom, who was smiling, but still clearly worried. She came over to Tucker.

"Tucker, no... You're not going to risk your life again... I can't lose you again, Tucker..."

Tucker sighed. "Where Molly goes, I have to go." Tucker sighed, expecting another no from Mom, knowing that he would have to defy her no matter what, something he deep down always hated to do...

But Mom's reaction wasn't what he thought. "I understand, hun. It's for Molly... I know how it's like..." Though it was highly considered unlikely in her world, in this world the feelings Tucker had for Molly couldn't be denied, and Mom could clearly see them.

But Elliot was still worried for everyone... He gripped his Snake Staff tightly, and closed his eyes. "Alasstor iss in Jagd Ahli," he said authoritatively.

Tucker felt his blood chill. That was where Molly's dad had died. He looked over at Molly, who's expression had become grave.

"Are any of you sstill in?" Elliot asked. There was a pause, then...

"Yes, kupo, I am." Yinns. "I've fought lawless battles in the skies... I don't see why I shouldn't do it on the ground, kupo. If I die, I have no regrets."

April and Theodore nodded, their expression showing they agreed with Yinns.

Molly nodded too. "I'll do it, kupo. There's more to it than just Alastor now. Now it's personal." Her tone was low, and the crowd stared worriedly at her. She spoke up. "If Alastor is in the Jagds with a Jagd clan, kupo, he might be with the same clan that killed my Dad. I cannot... I cannot let that stand... I have grown much stronger since meeting Tucker, and..." She trailed off, a mixed bag of emotions. Elliot knew the truth, but kept quiet.

Tucker. "I'm still in. If Molly's vengance is involved, I can't sit this out. Where she goes, I go," he said again, with conviction.

"Tucker, I..." Molly started to say.

"I know, Molly... You can't stand to see me die... Well, that goes both ways. You mean the world to me, Molly... Let's go in this together. And I won't die... Not as long as you don't."

"Okay, kupo. I understand." She didn't sound too sure, so Tucker gave her a small hug, which she returned with a big one.

There was silence for a while, before Yinns made an observation. "We're all pretty tired, and it's getting late, kupo... We need a place to rest before the trip tomorrow... Where will we go for tonight?"

"My house," suggested Molly. "It's the least I can do, kupo. You've been away for a long time..."

"You sure, Molly?

She nodded. "Follow me, guys." They all went with her. Elliot protested at first, stating that since he was technically dead it wouldn't be right for him to join them, but Yinns denounced that theory as poppycock, though put in more of a vulgar term, at least to Moogles.

Molly's mom, who was at the house, had almost expected their arrival, and had a feast prepared for them, probably conjured up with several uses of her new ability Cuisine. They all ate duck that night, and since the table wasn't big enough they were scattered around various spots in the living room, on the couch, chairs, the floor, etcetera.

Tucker's mom ate next to Tucker and Molly.

"I don't get what's going on," Mom said to them. "What's Jagd Ahli?"

Tucker thought about whether or not he should tell her or not. Molly came to his rescue. "It's the name of the place Alastor is hiding, kupo. Alastor is a clan member that went bad on us, kupo, and with Elliot's help we're gonna go try to make him forgive us. So to speak."

"Is it dangerous?"

Molly frowned. "Yes, it's probably the most dangerous thing Tucker and I will ever do in our lives, kupo."

Mom sighed, upset, but accepting. "I was afraid of that..."

Tucker again. "...Did you ever get the feeling you were doing something completely irrational but you had to do it anyway because it was just right?"

"Yes..." she thought, "...when I married your father."

Molly would love to hear that story sometime, she thought privately, trying not to giggle.

"Well, I guess I can't stop you," Mom slowly said... "Promise me you'll come back alive?"

"No promises. But I promise I'll do my best." He turned to Gene and Cassandra. "Gene, Cassie..."

"Yes big brother?" Gene asked, still sounding a bit more concerned than her usual fearless self.

Tucker sighed, drawing the stick-shaped artifact from his belt and giving it to Gene. "If I get myself killed fighting out there, this is what you have to remember me by. It's a magic wand. ...Molly gave it to me."

Molly smiled. Gene looked down at the Rod... "Oh... Okay, Tucker... Thank you. But you won't really die, will you?"

"No promises, but I'll do my best."

Gene looked away, and wiped her eyes... "This world..." she said... "It's not all fun and games, like I thought, is it? People can... get hurt sometimes..."

"Just like our world," Tucker replied. "This isn't a game, this is real. But don't give up on me when I'm out there fighting. Promise?"

She nodded. "You can do it, Tucker!"

Everyone soon finished their dinner, and chatted up a storm, having a good old time. That's when Molly got a great idea. "Tucker, kupo, you should teach us how to play Yahtzee."

"YEAH!!" Gene exclaimed, loving the idea. "All we need is dice and paper!"

Yinns strode over. "Did somebody say dice, kupo? What size? 6-sided, 12-sided, 20-sided..."

"Whoa, you have 20-sided dice?" Tucker asked, impressed.

Yinns nodded. "I use them when I play Chess with my military friends, kupo."

"I've never heard of using dice in a game of Chess."

"How else are you supposed to calculate the stat gains when pieces level up and how much damage they take from attacks, kupo?"

Mom was speechless, Tucker nearly the same. "N-never mind, I don't want to know... We'll need five 6-sideds and plenty of paper."

Yinns reached into his oversized coat pockets and had the materials almost on the spot. Tucker gathered everyone together at the table; some people had to stand, Tucker being one of them as he didn't mind. "Okay guys, we're gonna play Yahtzee now, just like my dad taught me. Lemme explain the rules..."

And they stayed up for hours, playing Tucker's other-worldly game known as Yahtzee. Even Elliot participated, grateful to have one final social activity before he finished his work in the material plane and rose to the Promised Lands. Theodore proved to be the best player at the game, reminding Tucker a lot about his dad's skill... Theodore was about on par with Tucker's dad. The game also served to break Cassandra out of her shell, and she finally started warming up to the various races besides human at the table.

It certainly served to lighten up their spirits and morales for the upcoming confrontation tomorrow.

The house wasn't meant for 10 people, so people were spread out all over the house, sleeping on couches, chairs and the floor as well as beds. Tucker was going to sleep in the front room when Molly came out from the hallway and tugged at his arm.

"Come on, kupo, you're sleeping in my room again."

"Do I have a choice?" Tucker joked with a laugh.

"Nope," Molly replied, smiling and returning the laugh. She half-dragged him into her room, careful not to make much noise. Inside, Tucker took his blanket that Molly's mom had given him and started to curl up on the floor...

"Don't you want the bed, kupo?"

"It's Moogle-sized," he pointed out. "Too small for me. I like the floor."

"Well then, kupo, I guess the floor will do." She got out of her covers and pulled her blanket to the floor next to Tucker.

"What the hell?" Tucker said uneasily as Molly curled up next to him. "What are... Why aren't you sleeping in your bed?"

"'Cause," she said sleepily, moving over so that her soft head lay against Tucker's chest. Tucker sighed deeply, stroking Molly's fur in a state of relaxation. They both said nothing for a long time, but lay awake with their eyes closed, each enjoying the other's closeness.

"Tucker?" Molly asked sweetly, apparent that she was drifting off.

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever been with a girl?"

Tucker sighed again. "Yeah. Once. ...I don't wanna talk about it if I can help it."

"Okay." Molly sighed too and kupoed faintly, completely relaxed.

Long silence, then Tucker spoke. "But I'll tell you if you want."

"It's okay," Molly sleepily answered. Then after a pause, "Besides, kupo, you have to leave tomorrow."

Tucker rested his hand on her furry cheek. "Is that stressing you out, Molly?"

"Maybe a little," she said right away. She said nothing after that, and the only sounds that could be heard for several minutes were their soft breathing and the flickering of the dim candle.

"Molly?" Tucker asked, finally beginning to drift off himself...

"Mmm?"

"You rock my world."

"Mmmmmm." She finished drifting off, as did he. They both fell asleep smiling that night, feeling secure and complete. Neither one of them had any bad dreams about the Jagd battle that was to come tomorrow, or of Alastor's many possible fates.