WOTTF Chapter 6: A Return With A Vengeance

Aman's A/N: Dude, it's been so long! Dammit, we really need to get this going, eh Shroomie? Anyhoo, School has started up again, we were going to get a chapter done over our two month holiday but we just . . . never got round to it

THEY WERE TOO LAZY

Shut up, Shaitan.

The following afternoon's glomp of the said Sammael proved near fatal to the would be glompees. Elyas, already furious that he was sporting such a youthful looking peroxide mop was ready enough to call on his wolf-brothers in punishment of the glompers.

He was flattered of the attention, of course. But all things taken into account...

Aram rubbed his eyes wearily and hesitated in opening them to the two girls who stood sheepishly in front of him.

The two girls shuffled their feet in embarrassment as Aram let out a short sigh.

"Names?"

The girls seemed reluctant to release such important information but a glare had them opening their mouths before they even knew it.

"Alex."

"Laura."

Both squeezed their eyes shut as they anticipated pain.

"What were you doing?"

More questions? Alex and Laura opened their eyes timidly, then fluttered eyelashes in what was, they hoped, an appealing manner. Every second chance counted here.

"Please, Aram, we weren't trying to cause trouble-"

"-it was an accident-"

"We didn't mean to get caught up in the glomp-"

"-honestly, we were just on our way to lunch-"

"-and then everyone was running around and we couldn't get out of the crowd-"

"-and I know it looked like we were enjoying it but we truly weren't-"

"And we promise we won't do anything bad again so please please please don't hurt us!"

Aram shook his head. He couldn't believe the foolish girls, as if he hadn't seen them leading the pack, screaming, "This way! Sammael! I LOVE YOU!!!" He should do something to them, but he was so tired, and Sammael was one of the Forsaken...

"See to it that you stay out of trouble. If you do anything again, I'll make sure I know. And when I know, you will know."

"Yes, Aram!"

"No trouble from us! We'll be really good!"

"Thank you Aram!" This was heard from some distance as Alex and Laura were already fleeing before Aram could change his mind. Aram sighed and wandered back to the staff section. This was getting a bit much for him. He couldn't wait until the next term holidays, and they'd only just begun this term. Still, at least the Staff Section was some sort of sanctuary. The only fangirls that got in here were the ones being tortured- sorry, taught by Mini-draals or appeared briefly, generally screaming on the way through. At least the shrieks weren't usually too near his room, so his sleep was largely undisturbed.

Passing the staff dining hall, he heard a commotion. Poking his head in against his instincts, he saw-

"I don't BELIEVE this!" Hunter was screaming. "What were they THINKING?!"

"Calm down, do you want the students to see you like this? No need to let them know what trouble they cause," Aman said. "Just take it out on them instead."

"What punishment is great enough for this? I mean... Crossovers are all very well, but-!"

"I know, I know. Anime and fantasy don't mix."

Hunter took a deep breath, and a cruel sneer grew across her face. "I think I have an idea... this could be fun."

Aram decided he didn't really need to hear about this now. Truly, the students were too much and if Hunter was getting this worked up, he was sure he'd hear sooner or later. He really needed some sleep if he didn't want to get Healed for a headache in the next few days.

Hunter's A/N: Woohoo! Cliffhanger! Well, not really. Sorry about the total lack of updates, and if anyone's reading this I'll be reasonably surprised, but still. I'm going to try to keep this really moving now, so wish me luck!

---Later---

Erin woke sometime in the earliest hours of the morning, an hour during which, in the real world, many people were barely beginning to stumble home from the pub. She quietly cursed the fool who had picked this as a good time to attempt a sneak-in to the Staff Section, and the accompanying screams and howls as said attempt was thwarted. She also threw in a few special curses for the light that someone had placed on some other building that allowed a beam to fall right over her eyes and refused to allow her to sleep. It seemed to taunt her, flickering dimmer just until she thought she could sleep, then shining all the brighter again.

Eventually, Erin gave in to the cruelty of the world and got up, hoping to find a snack or perhaps even a soft patch of grass to sleep the rest of the night on. Wandering at first towards the kitchen, then abruptly altering course after noticing Shaitan busy cooking up a storm (literally - his powers seemed to extend that far), she found her way out to the gardens. They really were quite beautiful in the starlight, she decided. Particularly the way a glow from the channeling area cast that gentle flicker over the grass, making it seem to move and i creating a gateway??? /i Deciding that this would not be a good moment to be seen, Erin ducked behind an amusingly shaped bush and peered through a gap in the branches.

Three forms, two large and one only a foot - at most - tall, stepped out of the gateway before it disappeared in the way so well documented in the books. In the night their every sound was clear to Erin.

"Thank you again for agreeing to this. I know it must be inconvenient, to say the least." Erin gave a start as she realised the shadow she had taken for another tree became a human form, sounding like one of the staff. No student had anything like the skill to make a gateway, that was for sure.

"It's alright. I'm glad to get some time off for it. Hope it works out well for you."

"Oh, I'm sure it will," the first voice answered with an evil edge in her voice. The figure knelt down to speak to the smaller figure. "Thank you as well, you are doing a big favour here."

"It is nothing," the figure answered in a thick Spanish accent. "I was glad to help."

"I've got to be getting back to the PPC," she said. "Busy time, you know."

"I know all right. Good luck!" The figure gave a jaunty wave before stepping back through the gateway - when did that reappear? though Erin - and disappearing.

"I really hope you're happy now," muttered the other person, who'd kept silent through the whole exchange.

"Oh, I am. Very happy. Come on, we'd better get some sleep. We'll show you where you're sleeping."

"Lead on, fair ladies." The small Spanish figure swept an extravagant bow and followed the pair towards the staff section.

When they had vanished inside, Erin crept back out of hiding. She couldn't shake the nagging feeling that she knew who at least two of those people were - the ones who weren't a foot tall. They had to be staff, to get into the Staff Section unchallenged, but who could the third be, then? Nothing that short was in the Wheel of Time canon, Erin was sure. And as much as RJ enjoyed using established cultures to base his races on, she was certain there weren't any Spanish places around.

Erin yawned. Whatever was going on, it boded ill for the student population. Whenever the staff were that happy, large amounts of pain were involved for the students. It would be best to get back to sleep, at least she could be well rested when they tried to kill her. The light must've gone out by now, it looked like it was in one of the classrooms and she knew the lamps there didn't have that much oil.

Still, she lingered a minute longer. The fountain was sparkling in the dim light, the soothing sounds echoing around the courtyard. And someone was sitting on the rim. At this distance, Erin could just about make out... Asmodean? Before she could creep away to bed, he turned around and waved to her, standing and striding across to her.

"Um... hi, Asmodean."

"Hello... Erin, was it?" She nodded. "Nice to see you sane."

"Er, thanks. You too." Erin flinched, remembering a second too late that joking with the staff was a shortcut to Pain Highway. What she didn't expect was that Asmodean seemed to have a sense of humour; he gave a chuckle and shook his head.

"Perhaps so. The staff counsellor is a little use; is there one for students?"

Erin laughed bitterly. "They try to give us as much pain as possible, then complain that we're crazy and send us to a shrink. Here's an idea: don't send us mad in the first place."

"It's all in the interests of education and good fic."

Erin couldn't really argue that those weren't good goals - she'd seen her share of badfic in her time, however much her definition of "badfic" varied from WOTTF's. "Still, that's all very well but..." she tried to stifle another huge yawn. "Sorry - is Learning Through Pain really such a good work ethic?"

"Works for most of the staff." Asmodean sighed happily. "Sometimes I'm so glad I'm not one of the main characters."

"What are you even doing out here at this time of night?"

"Staff meeting ran late, planning... ah, educational activities... and I wasn't really tired. Might as well be out here than tossing and turning. You?"

"Screaming woke me up, then couldn't sleep... stupid lights still on." Erin blinked as what Asmodean had said registered. "Educational activities? Oh, crap..."

He gave her a sympathetic look. "At least the Great Lord is not involved this time."

"Then who or what is? Would it be easier if I grievously injured myself now, to avoid the rush?"

He laughed softly. "Perhaps... I can't really tell you anything now, but I understand it is to demonstrate the horrors of," he paused as if remembering, "Hunter called it a travesty. She called it several other things too, but I don't think they're fit to repeat. It's probably nothing you haven't read - or written - before."

"That's not so great a comfort," Erin muttered.

"Still, you've got a warning at least. You should be asleep, now more than ever."

"Well, thanks. See you in class, I guess." Erin gave a half-hearted wave and sloped off towards her room again.

"Wait!"

Erin stopped mid-drag and turned herself around in surprise.

"You're settling in alright, are you? Nothing too difficult?"

Erin gave him a long look over the deep bags of her eyes.

"Yes, well. Right then, good night." Erin blinked then watched Asmodean disappear into the shadows before managing to think herself into moving back to her room. The only incentive now was the warmth and security of a blanket over her head.

Tumbling into bed, she pulled the numerous amounts of blankets over her head, trying to ignore the ongoing screams from downstairs and the whistling of the escaped Machin Shin.

Erin's mind frantically tried to pull her back to consciousness with this last thought. Machin Shin! It would tear her mind apart. But deep down inside the inner Erin, she was tired. And it was warm and...

Well, the great damnable Machin Shin could wait until tomorrow for all she cared.

A/N: So, how was that? is extremely proud Aman's muse had disappeared for the last four months but now it is back with a vengeance! Heh heh heh.

LAZY.

Was not! Just.. busy. And had no creative juices to keep me going.

SUUUUURE.

Would you give me a break!

PS: Apologies, it was late. This is late in coming and we're both late in our work (school ... is ... evil ...) and we're also late in these apologies. Hopefully we'll pick up the pace soon.