A/N: Chapter Ten. I never thought I'd get here. This really kind of sucks, considering it's the last chapter. I had SO MUCH FUN with Octarine Deficiency, you have no idea. I never had writer's block on it, excepting Chapter 9, and I always looked forward to working on it. Waaaaaaaah! It's going to be over!!! (But I left a window open just in case...)
Chapter 10
+++ Loading Anti-Virus Program +++
A'Tuin stretched, sending the ice crystals that had formed on his flippers flying. He'd been sluggish lately, it was time to get back to work. A'tuin moved his flippers, and the world moved...
+++ Initiating Abnormality Scan +++
Susan Sto-Helit stood, gathering her billowing white skirts together and skipping away over stirring deities. She figured her chances of getting out of this alive and still in one piece wouldn't be greater if she wasn't actually sitting on bits of the victims.
She didn't notice the red tint of her hair flowing away into the air around her.
An invisible hand grabbed her. She started to shriek, but she was pulled into the endless blue of the infinite despite her struggles.
The Lady felt her eyes fade into green gradually. She didn't understand. They would be dead in seconds! There was no chance for things to be normal again!
Death turned toward her, a towering black island amidst the rioting confusion.
One blue pinprick flared. SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE, he said.
The Lady vanished with a slow grin of realization.
+++ Abnormality Scan Complete. Correction Cycle Underway. Please Stand By +++
Dunce hummed a song of blessing to himself, lumbering slowly through the forest. He supposed he should go up to Cori Celesti one of these days, see how everyone was doing, knock a few heads together until they all saw sense.
They had good mead up here. Real leaf tea didn't even come close.
Dunce looked up at the brightening sky and grinned, turning the hum into a booming rhythm, all archaic words and throat-singing. One of these days.
+++ Correction Cycle Complete. All Virus Programs Have Been Purged +++
Adrian Turnipseed hoped fervently that he hadn't done anything wrong.
+++ Warning: This Anti-Virus Program Will Need Consistent Maintenance And Updating To Keep Up With Virus Technology +++
"This," Granny Weatherwax stated, turning to the Archchancellor, "is all your fault."
"Why is it always MY fault?" Ridcully retorted.
"We're going home, Gytha," Granny said, turning. Nanny Ogg bustled after her, shooting delighted grins back and forth, closely followed by Agnes.
"Tata!" Nanny giggled, waving her broomstick in the air. "Must fly! Lovely gin you men have!"
A level of silence descended on the faculty.
"Don't tell me you gave her the gin," the Dean moaned after the witches were out of earshot.
Ponder Stibbons withered. "She gave some of her local stuff," he responded in a slightly shriveled tone. "It's made of apples."
"Apples?" the Lecturer in Recent Runes boomed.
Ponder paused. "Well... mainly apples."
+++ Octarine Deficiency Cycle Complete +++
Chapter 10
+++ Loading Anti-Virus Program +++
A'Tuin stretched, sending the ice crystals that had formed on his flippers flying. He'd been sluggish lately, it was time to get back to work. A'tuin moved his flippers, and the world moved...
+++ Initiating Abnormality Scan +++
Susan Sto-Helit stood, gathering her billowing white skirts together and skipping away over stirring deities. She figured her chances of getting out of this alive and still in one piece wouldn't be greater if she wasn't actually sitting on bits of the victims.
She didn't notice the red tint of her hair flowing away into the air around her.
An invisible hand grabbed her. She started to shriek, but she was pulled into the endless blue of the infinite despite her struggles.
The Lady felt her eyes fade into green gradually. She didn't understand. They would be dead in seconds! There was no chance for things to be normal again!
Death turned toward her, a towering black island amidst the rioting confusion.
One blue pinprick flared. SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE, he said.
The Lady vanished with a slow grin of realization.
+++ Abnormality Scan Complete. Correction Cycle Underway. Please Stand By +++
Dunce hummed a song of blessing to himself, lumbering slowly through the forest. He supposed he should go up to Cori Celesti one of these days, see how everyone was doing, knock a few heads together until they all saw sense.
They had good mead up here. Real leaf tea didn't even come close.
Dunce looked up at the brightening sky and grinned, turning the hum into a booming rhythm, all archaic words and throat-singing. One of these days.
+++ Correction Cycle Complete. All Virus Programs Have Been Purged +++
Adrian Turnipseed hoped fervently that he hadn't done anything wrong.
+++ Warning: This Anti-Virus Program Will Need Consistent Maintenance And Updating To Keep Up With Virus Technology +++
"This," Granny Weatherwax stated, turning to the Archchancellor, "is all your fault."
"Why is it always MY fault?" Ridcully retorted.
"We're going home, Gytha," Granny said, turning. Nanny Ogg bustled after her, shooting delighted grins back and forth, closely followed by Agnes.
"Tata!" Nanny giggled, waving her broomstick in the air. "Must fly! Lovely gin you men have!"
A level of silence descended on the faculty.
"Don't tell me you gave her the gin," the Dean moaned after the witches were out of earshot.
Ponder Stibbons withered. "She gave some of her local stuff," he responded in a slightly shriveled tone. "It's made of apples."
"Apples?" the Lecturer in Recent Runes boomed.
Ponder paused. "Well... mainly apples."
+++ Octarine Deficiency Cycle Complete +++