"So, who did you pretend those guards were?" The twins were running very late so the two anxious programs were making small talk.
"Kylie." Caitlyn answered with a scowl of pure hatred.
"Kylie?" The other woman raised a dark eyebrow in confusion.
"This really annoy chick I used to know. I can't count the times I wanted to smash her skull in."
"Why didn't you just delete her?" With a look at her newest friend Zoe realized it hadn't been an option.
"Much to my disgust, she has a purpose."
"Like what?"
"Annoying me to the point of insanity." There was a hardness that was juxtaposed to the normal laughter in the longer captured program's voice.
"Not likely, but possible."
"Hang on a sec, I figured it out!"
"Will you stop shaking me?" Excited as usual, red copper hair bouncing into the air, Caitlyn refused.
"No, guess what I figured out!"
"Her purpose?" Hopeful, Zoe set her hands firmly on those rattling her slight frame.
"No, how to get out of here!"
"I know, you thought of that half an hour ago."
"No, a better one!" The brilliant plan fell as quickly, hurriedly and mostly jumbled. "So, what do you think?"
"I think we stick to the original plan and we keep you away from coffee, red cordial and excessive amounts of chocolate."
"But I like chocolate." Pouted the other woman, mock seriously.
"I noticed."
"Those bloody twins haven't shown up yet, and the Merovingian is going to come back to taunt you unless we get out of here in the next, oh I'd say, two minutes!" Caitlyn paced now, no longer shaking her friend and fellow future escapee.
"Ok, calm down, we can do this… Maybe."
"You sound so confident." Sarcastically, the Bold frowned.
"Oh my source, it's the Grusealog!" Zoe's face paled, she pointed over the shoulder of the redhead, eye's wide.
"The what?" One eyebrow raised, hands on her hips, she stood still, facing the other woman.
"AAAHHHHHH!" The scream echoed in the bare room, high pitched, verging on terrified.
"Zoe, breath, tell me what it is." Reassuringly placing her hands on the shoulders of the screamer, Caitlyn wondered for a moment why she got stuck with this disturbed deletion program. 'Maybe learning to act in a manner that contradicts original purpose makes a program unstable', she mused before returning her attention to the other woman.
"Something that warped sicko created from viral legend, it just walked through the wall!"
"Oh shit." She'd heard that before, from her own lips at one stage.
"Can't you see it?" The panic was evident, not only from the tone of voice, but the rippling code of the room, if they weren't careful, the whole place would explode.
"It's not real Zoe."
"Bullshit!" Taking out a jeweled sword, the woman charged, knocking Caitlyn aside, Zoe already in offensive mode. The clang of steel against bone rang on the bluestone walls. Caitlyn turned very slowly, her pirate lass outfit molding and changing into the robes of a powerful witch.
"I thought it wasn't real, she told me it wasn't real."
"Who told you what?" Demanded the sword-slinging woman, evading a heavy blow.
"Sapphire! She was taken apart by the Merovingian just before you arrived."
"We have to get out of here, there's no way I can hold him off for much longer." The creature, more monster than man, with horns and orange-yellow skin, and a sword twice the size of either girl, roared. His massive weapon lunged towards the head of the witch dressed program.
"Hear me Spirits of the Wind,
Hear me Spirits of the Rain,
Hear me Spirits of the Mountain,
Hear me Spirits of the Flame." The monster shrieked and writhed as the witch sang, the notes composed by Zoe when the pair had made weapons together.
"With the free blue sky above us," Slowly aiming her weapon, Zoe changed songs, lifting a bow and arrow to her aid.
"And the greensward 'neath our feet," Caitlyn lifted her voice in harmony, sitting just below the melody line as the walls whirled with the colours of the forest.
"We poor gypsies envy no one,
And our wandering life is sweet.
For the forest is our shelter,
And each green tree is our tent.
And when dancing in the sunlight
Oh how blithely hours are spent." The arrow pierced the back of the creature's skull, sending it crashing through the newly formed forest. Dressed herself in witching attire, Zoe grabbed hold of her friend's hand and sped for the door that still remained.
"So dance faster, faster, faster,
So dance faster comrades gay.
In the sunlight, in the moonlight,
We will dance the hours away." The pair ran on feet as light as feathers down the empty corridors, hands locked together, long skirts flowing gracefully behind them. Rounding a corner to the right, one to the left and another right, they finally stopped, panting for breath.
"I thought it wasn't real!"
"We don't have time for this, we have to get out of here, now."
"But do you have a map?"
"Not yet." Rummaging through her small satchel, Zoe pulled out a piece of paper.
"Will that lead us out?" Caitlyn asked dubiously.
"Close enough to, it will get us to the exit of this place, from there we have to make it back ourselves."
"Why don't I like the sounds of that?"
"Because you know as well as I do that there is no way this place would be easily accessible, not his style." They were going through the contents of the packs as they spoke, focused on the task at hand.
"It is also not my husband's style to release the Grusealog on two important programs." Looking up slowly, Zoe groaned inwardly, this was the last thing they needed.
"Madam, I realise that this will sound rude to you, but I'm afraid that we can't stay long, we're in a hurry." Manners nearly always won the day before, she hoped that they would not fail her now.
"I know, and I don't want much from you." The woman replied, her accent light.
"Look Mistress of Evil, we are currently trying to get out of this place and I'm willing to delete you if it means a clean escape, got it?" Fiery as always, the Bold had drawn her favourite blade, a dagger with a Celtic designs on the hilt.
"Oh my dear Caitlyn, you do not need to do that. All I want, is a kiss from your friend and then I shall help you myself."
"I beg your pardon?" Zoe asked, giving the older program a very confused look.
"If you kiss me as though you were kissing your true love, I will lead you to an exit that will allow you to get to the Oracle before my dimwitted husband does."
"Ok, this is going to be a problem." For a moment the silence hung, marred only by the final screams of the slowly dying monster.
"Why? It is just a kiss."
"I've never kissed anybody."
"What?" It was Persephone's turn to be confused. Caitlyn only watched the woman for a signal of danger.
"See, the problem with my codic make up is that if I fall in love, I get dragged back to the Source and so does the person or program I love. I'm not going to let that happen."
"I see. In that case, I shall simply have to guess and let you both free, shan't I?"
"You got it." Caitlyn was the least fazed by the admission, having already figured it out herself through careful analysis of data.
"Come with me. Hurry." Heels clicking on the tiled floor, the woman in diamonds led the way, the witches, Bold and Swift, following quietly. The former let her fingers rest on the hilt of her favourite dagger, which now rested in its scabbard. The latter ready with a song to still time if they needed it.
*~*
A/N: That was the next, not-quite-moving-the-plot-along chapter. It actually happens around the same time as the previous chapter, Diablo's decision correlating in time with the attack of the Grusealog. Don't ask what it is or where it came from, the Merovingian is my reasoning, he stuffed up something and there you go, an evil killing monster.
Beguile: I think one of the highlights of posting this story is hearing from you :) The main reason it's about programs is because I find their names tied to their purpose. So much fun to mess around with that. The Twins are so not "UBER COOL", they're kind of Uber Cool, maybe, but not all caps :p And yes, Caitlyn is an awesome person IRL, she's an absolute champ, we have so much fun together! Plus, she loves being a pirate lass or a witch, or something else which is yet to come! Look forward to hearing from you next time.
Trinfan: I like Sapphire, and Sirius isn't bad, but I don't have anywhere for him just yet but I will. He'll end up in a very unexpected place. Thanks for the suggestions, it was very nice of you to give them. I couldn't imagine Merv and Perse ever keeping it together, but I can imagine her using something like the diamonds against him. "Diamonds are a girl's best friend" after all ;)
Suzuka Blade: Hi, nice to see a new reviewer. I just love making that man suffer, as you will find in later chapters *grins evilly*. Thank you so much for the plushies, they are going to have pride of place next to my squishy Morpheus keychain :D! Hope you liked this chapter enough to review again!
Gypsy Dancer: I'm sorry! You know I only put you in WOZ because I can't bear to have a proddy without you :p! Oh and if you tell me that I suck at writing your dialogue then you should come over here and give me some help! Hence the reason for the Grusealog. I was talking to the Merovingian (think back to Suzzie's party last year and remember who played him) and that was the best we could come up with. And I know I didn't move it very far, but atleast they're out in the open-ish- right? Let me know what you think, I'm ready for it. *Gets into Patricia Fodor costume, complete with notebook and Eugene cut out* (They wouldn't let me keep Chris okay? I did my best but there you go :p)