The Lost World Fanfic Season Six Disclaimer: I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts (deedley - dee - dee!), but I haven't got The Lost World. ************************************************************** Episode 2: The Lost Father With as much dignity as he could muster, the Lost Father, returned to his feet and brushed himself off. "Well, I. . .well, I'm here." 'Professor Summerlee!" Marguerite cried. "Miss Krux!" The two hugged. ":We never gave up on you, Arthur." "I know. I've been watching. I see everything you do from Avalon. Every Saturday, channel two at noon. Reruns on fourteen at eleven in case I miss anything. I always know what my children have been doing." He paused. "I needed to be away, but I never deserted you, child. I've known for years this day would come. You've done well, Little Chosen One." Finn had been watching, dumbfounded. "You're Professor Summerlee?" He nodded. "And you must be Finn. I've seen you in all my visions. "I've heard all about you. Apparently, you're the most brilliant, kindest, bravest, and wonderful man in the universe." She counted off the virtues on her fingers, and the look on her face plainly showed that she had heard this a thousand times. "Did Veronica tell you these things?" he wondered. "Nope." "Not, Marguerite, surely?" "No. Challenger." Summerlee was stunned. "I thought you said you saw everything," Finn pointed out. "I know the dangers you have faced. I know the events that have transpired on the Plateau. I viewed them as one might read a history. I have no knowledge of personal conversations." A look of unease flew from Marguerite's face, which Summerlee only slightly registered, and dismissed without a second thought. "We have a long voyage. We must wake the others." Marguerite took his arm and headed back to the camp. "They will be so glad to see you." As soon as she had spoken, Veronica came out of her tent, rubbing her eyes. "Everybody up, it's time to head. . ." At that moment, she saw him. "Professor Summerlee?" She rubbed her eyes again, as though she didn't believe it. Then she ran to him, threw her arms around him, and kissed the side of his face. Next to rise was Roxton, who greeted the Lost Father with as much enthusiasm as the others. Then Ned. Professor Challenger was last to rise. He walked toward their companion, slowly, unsure of reality, not trusting his own eyes. "Is it possible?" There was a moment of uneasiness as the others watched and waited. They remembered all too well the bitter rivalry that had held them for so long. Finally, George took the older man's hand, shook it heartily. "Arthur, you've come home." They hugged as if they were long lost brothers. "Arthur, like the bug.?" Finn was very confused. "The people of Avalon know the importance of our journey." "Avalon? My mother. . ." "Is alive," Summerlee finished for her. "And you will see her soon. Avalon's six finest horses are on their way. They should be here soon. But there is time for me to tell you what I have learned. The Plateau is in grave danger. The whole world is in danger. The Protector, your mother," he nodded in Veronica's direction, "Knew that the world was in peril, and that the Plateau was the key to saving it. The Elders of Avalon advised against getting involved. They told her she could keep the Plateau safe and let the rest of the world fall. Your mother went against the Elders. She said that if she knew a way to save the rest of the world, she would. The Plateau is a place of great power as we have all learned. She called upon all the power of the Plateau, and used it to summon you here, to this place. She has directed all that has happened here for the past six years, all leading up to this time, when the Seven would come together. I am the Lost Father, the one who had to be taken so that I could learn everything that needed to be done, so I could teach you." He pointed to Marguerite. "You are the Chosen One, a Priestess with preternatural knowledge, and superhuman powers." "Yes, well, I hate to brag." There was a simultaneous snort of sarcastic laughter around the group. "You, my boy, are the Warrior. You must keep the Chosen One safe at all costs." "I'll never take my eyes off her." Marguerite smacked him on the shoulder, glaring. "Good to know some things haven't changed," Summerlee said out of the side of his mouth. Veronica stifled a laugh. You, Challenger, are the Magician." "That's preposterous. I don't believe in magic, let alone - " "You are the one equipped with the wisdom, and the abilities to get us through this alive. You have the power of science, which, as you yourself have said, is often the same as magic here. Finn, the Prophesier, you were brought here by Challenger to warn us of what would happen, to show us the world if we do not succeed." He turned to Ned Malone. "You are the Gatekeeper. You have passed through the door of death and survived. Now, you have the ability to reach between the worlds. This may come in handy for our mission. Veronica, you are the Protector, as you already know. It is your time to step up to the throne. When you do, all this will be resolved." He explained further: "Your mother's time as the Protector was dwindling, her power growing weaker. It was time for the new Protector to step up. But she drew upon the power of the Plateau to summon you all here. She spread the power too thin, and the Plateau's timeline became weak, it began to fluctuate and bend, and finally collapsed in on itself. When Miss Layton takes the throne, the balance will be restored." Galloping thundered nearby. The explorers looked up to see six horses moving toward them at alarming speed. They all stopped in a straight line., almost as if awaiting instructions. Summerlee stood and nodded. "It is time to go to Avalon." Veronica mounted a buckskin, Ned a brown horse, Finn white, Challenger a paint, Roxton leaped up on a black horse, and Marguerite took herself up on one that shined slivery gray. Summerlee returned to his mount, and they surged forward as one. "Hey, Vee, race you to that tree?" Finn pointed. "You're on! Yah!" She urged her horse on. "Beat you," she said, once Finn reached the tree behind her. "Come on you two, stop fooling around," Challenger called back to them. "We need to get to Avalon." *********************************************** "What are you looking at, Roxton?" "I promised to look after you. I never go back on my word." "You're supposed to make sure I'm safe, not stare like an idiot." She urged her horse forward, past Roxton's. "You know, Marguerite, one of these days, I just might give up on you." Even from his angle, he could see her swallow, and her eye shift toward him in its socket. "I won't," he said, for the life of him not knowing why not. ********************************************* Finn looked curiously at Professor Summerlee. "So, you know all about me?" Arthur laughed. "Relax, my dear, it's not as if I can read your thoughts. I know only what is necessary to guide us on this mission." "This is so amazing, I still can't believe it's happening. Everything, coming to the future, meeting all of you, and now this. The Prophesier. Sounds so important. It's incredible." She looked down at the saddle. "Hey, Vee. I'm sorry I didn't believe you before, about your mother. About being Protector. There are way more mysteries here than I'll ever understand." "That's all right. I find it hard to believe myself.." "So, Finn," Ned asked, moving his mare to the other side of hers. "Tell me about the future." "It sucks." Ned furrowed his brow in concentration. "You mean there's some kind of vacuous portal?" Veronica almost choked on her laughter. "That's Finn - speak, you'll get used to it. She means it's awful.." "I can speak for myself, Vee." Veronica gave an apologetic look. "It was awful. It is awful? It will be awful?" She frowned. "Hey, Marguerite, you're the language chick. How do I say that?" "You say, 'I will have no future TO suck if I don't quit annoying Marguerite.'" "Don't worry about it, Finn." Roxton rode up beside her. "She only snaps at people she lo. . . likes. She must be getting quite fond of you." He winked in Marguerite's direction. "What was wrong with the future?" "Everything.. For one thing, the entire world except the Plateau was destroyed. The Plateau wasn't in such good shape, either. There were slavers everywhere. If you weren't the fastest, the strongest, the smartest, you wouldn't survive. It was really dangerous. And you were always on your own." She smiled. "I like it better here. You guys are the first friends I've ever had. If I never see the future again, I'll be happy." "What about your family?" Over Finn's shoulder, Veronica shook her head. "I never knew my parents. They died when I was practically a baby." "I'm sorry." Finn shrugged. "Can't miss what you never knew." But the tone of Finn's voice made it clear that it wasn't true. Roxton looked at the sky. "Time to make camp. We'll continue at first light." ********************************************* An hour later, Roxton returned from hunting with a compsagnathaur. They boiled it with some vegetables and roots Farmer Finn had found. They sat around a fire, eating. It wasn't a delicious meal, but it was warm, and it was good enough "Yech," was all Marguerite had to say about it. "Well, if you don't like it, you can cook next time," Veronica informed her. "On second thought, don't, I want to survive my next meal" Marguerite put her bowl of soup down under a bush beside her. For a horrifying moment, it looked like there was going to be a fight, but Marguerite just yelled. "You rotten little rat!" While everyone else watched the heiress, ready at any moment to restrain her, Roxton, out of an act of pure instinct, watched her stew. He seemed almost dazed. She picked up the bowl again, and started to eat, when John threw the bowl out of her hands. "Roxton, what the hell are you doing?" "Saving your life!" He removed a small, bright red berry from the liquid. "This fell in while you were screaming like a madwoman." He looked at the bush above it. "Poisonous. One drop could easily kill you." Veronica looked pensive. "Do you think something is trying to stop us from saving the Plateau? Some kind of evil" "Chaos," Ned interjected. He looked at the quizzical faces, then explained. "One thing I learned on the other side is that the forces of good and evil are a myth. The forces at work in the universe are order and chaos. They are each pushing against each other all the time. Right now, chaos is winning. If it keeps pushing, the Plateau will be destroyed, and the whole world with it. It put that berry into the soup to stop us. Things like that will keep happening until we restore the balance. To do that, we need you, Marguerite. And Chaos doesn't want the balance restored." He paused. "It likes being in charge." There was an uneasy silence. "Time for bed," Challenger told them, breaking the tension. We have to rest up for our ride tomorrow." He turned to Summerlee. 'How much farther?" "Another day, at least." ****************************************** "Hey, Vee, wanna tell ghost stories?" Veronica looked at her younger friend, looked at Ned. "Not tonight, Finn." She pulled her aside, but not out of earshot. "I'm finally getting things together with Ned. I'd like to spend some time with him. I'm sorry." "It's all right." "Hey," Ned interjected. "You know, I would really love to hear some scary stories. I bet you've got some good ones." Finn grinned broadly, and hurried to her tent. He turned to Veronica. "I can tell you two have grown really close. I want to be with you as much as I can, but I don't want to drive a wedge between you." He paused, thinking. "I can see feelings, bonds. The bond between the two of you is special, even I don't totally understand it. It's like you're family." Veronica started to interrupt. "Not like the others," he said, knowing what she was thinking. "This is different. We'll still be together, we'll just have our friend with us." Veronica still seemed unconvinced. "We'll sneak away later." Veronica smiled. "You're something else. You know that?' "Yup." They laughed, and headed to the tent to tell scary stories. (Which must have been hard since all the good ones involve cars or babysitters.) *************************************************** Veronica woke in the morning with one solitary thought. My mother. I am going to see my mother. She pushed the thought aside, and got ready to ride. Soon they were off again. Halfway through the morning, when the horses were well into their flight, there was a growl from the surrounding jungle. The horses sensed that something was wrong; they bucked and whinnied. "Raptors!" Veronica called. "They've caught our scent!" Roxton fired a few shots, but missed. The raptors were getting closer. "The force of chaos sent them," Ned said, explaining. "Look out, Marguerite, they'll be after you." The horses were out of control. They weren't helping their riders at all. Veronica managed to lodge a knife in the eye of one of them, leaving it behind to bleed. Another caught the scent of death from it, and decided to go for the easy meal on the ground, rather than chase the racing explorers. That left three raptors. *Finn landed a crossbow in the skull of a large female with a quick 'thock.' Marguerite used her perfect aim to fell another with her rifle. She moved her sights to the last, but he was quicker. He moved behind her in a flash, and before any of them could tell what was happening, the raptor had latched onto her saddle. She could do nothing to stop it from her position. Roxton tried to shoot it, but found he was out of bullets. He rode as close as he could get to the silver horse, and punched the raptor, poised to attack, right on the face. He hit the soft area under the eye and behind the nostril, which must have been a good place to hit, because the raptor seemed perturbed. He punched again. The raptor lunged, slicing Johns arm. He returned with a right hook. The raptor flew from his perch. Roxton swerved his mount to trample the raptor with his horse. He broke the raptor. Marguerite breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, John." She noticed the blood, and her brow furrowed. "Are you all right?" "It's nothing. Part of my job. And you?" "I'm fine." She bowed her head a little. "I'm sorry. I've been too hard on you." "I'm used to it." The others had ridden on, leaving them to trail behind. "That's no excuse. I really do. . ." Her voice trailed off, and she checked to see that no one was looking. Then she bridged the gap between the horses and kissed him briefly. "Oh, I get it," Finn commented, seeing what was happening. "Don't say anything," Veronica warned under her breath. **************************************** It wasn't long before the hail started. "This is unbelievable!" Veronica shouted. "This doesn't happen on the Plateau!" The hail was the size of golf balls. Summerlee called back, "It's trying to stop us from reaching Avalon!" A large chunk of ice hit Marguerite on the head. "Marguerite!" She was about to fall off the horse. Roxton caught her up, and pulled her over onto his own horse. She flopped against him, unconscious. Marguerite's horse ran obediently alongside the Lord's. "Are we, close, Professor Summerlee?" Ned called. "Almost there." "Where's that Chosen One when we need her?" Veronica wondered. Malone shook his head. "If she really is Marguerite's past life, she can only come to Marguerite. We're out of luck until she wakes up." "How do you know all that?" Finn shouted. "I just do." Marguerite, wake up, he thought, concentrating. We need your help. We can't keep riding through this. Call the Chosen One, let her help us! Cradled in Lord Roxton's arms, Marguerite stirred. "Call the Chosen One, Marguerite," he told her. She nodded, still dizzy. "Colon- yee. Yie nap languarae virgera felale. Yi dotara." Help us. We cannot survive alone. I beg. "Yi colonaraa, mep ta grel- lepi, ti nap languarim vigera felal." I will help, but learn this lesson for yourself, you cannot survive alone. "Coliquep," Marguerite thanked her. "She said she would help us," but Marguerite did not need to translate, for the sky had already grown warm, and the hail that was now fell as harmless raindrops. She didn't tell them the rest of the message, it had been directed at only her. Stupid, mystic, know -it - all, butting into her personal life. Marguerite really did not appreciate some Druid dead lady being able to read her mind. "We're here," Veronica said suddenly, and the others realized that she was right. A mighty fortress stood before them, stone walls rising fifty feet in the air. The palace seemed to radiate with its own light. They all knew then that a place this majestic could be nothing short of the great Avalon.