Disclaimer: Virtually non-existent in relation to this portion of the psychospasm. Only brief references are alluded to within to the Hobbits and such. Note: I use the movieverse for this. As I have stated previously, questions and comments and whatever else are welcomed.
Previously in our story:
"What is the Nexus?" Taylor
"The center, outside of space, thought and time. The place where all things, all universes begin and branch out, including your own." Avatar
"All universes began in this moment, infinite in number and never-ending, ever expanding and multiplying. We exist in all of these, in many forms." Avatar
"This is the Path of Ages, that which we have been following since the beginning of time. You see, since before the beginning, we knew that at First Light the path would be shown onto us, leading us towards that for which we waited. The Light came and through the many universes the One Path was revealed, in the universe that is yours. With that found, we were finally able to move forward." Avatar
"The Countdown." Taylor
"A new star with a new system of planets, where the seeds of life were soon planted. We saw this from afar and knew that our task had begun, that for which we waited was drawing nearer and nearer." Avatar
"Earth." Taylor
"Nothing could be left to chance. Everything has to happen as the Hall of Time ordained it. The ordering began." Avatar
"You mean everything that has happened on Earth has been directed by you." Taylor
"Not only on Earth, everywhere, we are in all things. We are the one who determines how the world must go." Avatar
"You sent her. You're the one who sent Hosha." Taylor
"You created me. I'm the one you've been waiting for, the one who can access the Power of the Ages." Taylor
"No, You are the Power of the Ages." Avatar
"See your life? See your experiences? All that has happened has been preordained. Yes, it's true. I'm sorry if that upsets you. It has been written in time since before anything else existed so it would have mattered not what our influence would have been. Some things, no matter what, cannot be stopped. You were meant to receive the power. Hosha was meant to return to help you and Neah was to come to guide you, but any choices you made involving those therein were made on your own, and yet still according to the predetermined flow of the universe. The Power knows what it needs and does what it has to to make it happen. We needed you to reach a certain level before we could reveal ourself in our true form unto you and the universe." Avatar
"What does that mean? That all that happened in these past 6 years happened because you thought i needed it? What is the point?" Taylor
"You need to know. You have learned and grown through each of these experiences. You have become that much closer to what it is you are meant to be. You went back in time to learn that what already was cannot be changed, that even you, the Power Incarnate, even you have rules and limitations you are subject to. You cannot change the past. You cannot impose your will on others. Every action has consequences. These are things that must be learned on their own other wise they have no impact. You are also imperfect. Just because you have power does not mean you aren't still capable of fallacy and human mistake and misjudgment." Avatar
"I don't care what they think." Taylor
"No, only what he does. But he doesn't think these things. He sees you as you are, as Taylor and that confuses you. You believe yourself unworthy of him and his love and therefore you strive and push yourself to do all these things to alleviate your own guilt and to make yourself worthy, but don't you see? You already are! By doing these things you are worthy!" Avatar
"What am I? What is my power? What is this Us you keep mentioning?" Taylor
"You are the Chosen, the one for whom we have long been waiting. You are the Son of the Universal Power. You are the Power. You have seen what you are, what we are. We are one. The same. We are the Power." Avatar
"Soon the time will come when it will be made unfathomably clear and you will no longer be able to hide from it or deny it. In order to Become you must first submit." Avatar
"My dreams. This is where they come from. What is that?" Taylor
"What is next. All that is to come. Don't you see it? The Countdown? It's closer now than it has ever been. The Big Bang grand finale is approaching. It is coming hard and fast and you have to be ready to do what you must. There will be choices that you have to make. Decisions with consequences. But it will be easier. Soon you will know all that it is you need to know about who and what you are and with that knowledge the choices will flow out of you." Avatar
"Frodo?" Taylor
"Time is ticking. Your time is near. You will Become, and the worlds will know and be glad for it. But do not think that it will be the end of all opposition. For the light shines brightest when the darkness is at its most black. Remember: you must Submit to it, only then will you become. At that moment you will see clearly and you must submit." Avatar
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil,
but because of the people who don't do anything about it."
- Albert Einstein
Chapter One: The Enchantress
"Oh, ow, pain, in joints. Ow. Yeah, I'm gonna be feeling this tomorrow," Ashlee whined as she rubbed her aching back.
"No you won't. You're a Slayer. You heal fast," Taylor remarked in a teasing tone as he poked her side. He pulled Neah closer to his side as the three walked home after finishing up their nightly patrol of the Bubble.
"Yeah, yeah, lucky me," Ashlee continued, wincing and glaring at Taylor. "It's not fair! I mean, look at the two of you! Not even a scratch or a bump, or a frelling wrinkle, or anything that even remotely portrays any evidence of violence, while I, on the other hand, have the makings of a super mondo King Kong welt on my ass!" she said with a semi-fake pout, then her expression turned thoughtful. "Possibly in the shape of a fire hydrant screw."
"There's an image I never expected to have. And now it won't leave. Out, out!" Taylor said, slowing down a little and jokingly hitting himself on the head.
"Hey, you just be happy you got to deal with the worth it bad guys. I got Mr. Ninny Sissy Vamp who actually used hair pulling as a means of serious attack!" Neah said as she rubbed the back of her head and leaned into Taylor.
"Oh no!" Ashlee stopped and threw her hands up in mock horror. "Not the hair!"
"Oh, poor widdle Neah. Got her hair pulled by the mean old vampire. Who, I'm assuming, was immediately pummeled into the shape of a walnut for even daring to lay a finger on your hair since we all know what goes into your hair and how much of a death mark to touch it would be..." Taylor trailed off, turning a teasing smile to the girl beside him.
Neah whacked him in the chest. "Funny, funny, WannaGay. But yeah, I'd say the whole 'being a vampire' was more of an 'already dead' mark so I don't really care what shape he ended up. It looked more peanuty to me." The three kids laughed together at the insanity of their conversation and continued walking down the quiet lamp lit streets of New York.
"Hmm," Taylor sighed happily, squeezing Neah's hand. "It's really actually kind of a nice night."
"Yeah," Neah agreed, gazing contently around them. "Warm, calm, starry. Nice."
"Yeah, I don't trust it," Ashlee remarked flatly.
"Hello random," Taylor cracked, turning to look at his friend beside him. "Explain yourself, Slayer."
"It's just too calm, too quiet," Ashlee explained. "It has been for a while now. Every thing's just so, well, perfect."
"Well, then that settles it," Neah added mock seriously. "Something evil must be afoot."
Ashlee laughed at herself, then continued. "It just feels like the calm before the storm. Like this is just a lull to get us in a relaxed comfy place before the badness springs out in full throttle war mode."
"Well, that's positive thinking there," Taylor stated dryly.
"Oh, come on, Taylor," Ashlee groaned, stretching her arms up over her head and swiveling her hips to stretch her back out. "You know something has to be coming. Something is always coming. Countdown to the big bang or whatever," She commented casually, not noticing Taylor's reaction to what she said.
It flashed back into his head. Seeing and hearing the giant red Digital Countdown ticking away. 334/23/56/23...22...21 and so forth. The Avatar standing next to him, speaking. "Don't you see it? The Countdown? It's closer now then it has ever been. The Big Bang grand finale is approaching. It is coming hard and fast and you have to be ready to do what you must."
"What did you say?" Taylor gaped at his friend.
"You heard me just fine, Hero," Ashlee said, picking dirt off her leg and not looking over at him. "I'm right here next to you."
"Am I asleep and no one's telling me?" Taylor turned to look at Neah, who gave a skeptical look in response.
"No, you're very much awake," She reassured, then became concerned. "Unless, we've all been asleep this whole time and we're somehow sharing a dream." She considered this, then smacked Taylor in the ass as hard as she could.
"Ow! Frelling hell, woman!" He jumped out of her reach as Ashlee looked at the two of them incredulously. Neah looked wickedly satisfied
"We're awake," she said smugly and continued to walk. Taylor rolled his eyes and followed behind Ashlee.
"Right," Taylor shook the whole thing off, rubbing his poor abused ass. He prayed that it had all been a coincidence but knew full well that those never happen to him. "Well, just because it's calm doesn't have to mean that there's something coming. Maybe it's just calm for once," He said not entirely believing it himself.
"Maybe. I don't know," Ashlee sighed and rubbed her arms. "I think I've been here too long or something. I mean, having that whole deal with Alec and the Alternates and Katoi and yeah, that was just a whole lot more what I seem to be used to now, even though that was a bit much. Having it be nice and stuff is just so, new. I don't know how to handle it yet," she furrowed her brows, "or again or something."
"Don't we know it," Neah agreed with a frown of her own. The events of the past year still were fresh in all their minds. "I didn't like me." Neither of the other two commented because they got what she meant being used to Taylor babbling like that.
"Yeah, it was all very, yeah," Taylor trailed off. "I still feel bad for Spike."
"Yeah, that was all very bad," Ashlee acknowledged, "but besides the current point," she said, steering them back. "I guess I should just be thankful that it's been so easy lately. I need to stop being so paranoid. I mean after all that just happened, what else could possibly happen now?" Her hand immediately flew up to cover her mouth but it was too late, she said it.
Neah groaned and threw her head back, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. "Oh Great, now it will."
"Sorry!" Ashlee apologized from behind her hands.
"Well, you wanted bad," Taylor noted factually.
"I take it back," Ashlee whimpered, then sighed, defeated. "Oh well, too good to last anyway."
"Hey, at least you'll know how to handle things," Neah pointed out.
"That's true," Ashlee realized. "Things are coming up rosy then." She quipped with a smile.
"Good lord, we need a vacation," Taylor rolled his eyes. Then stopped in his tracks. "Do you hear that?" He asked, stopping and listening, with a distant look.
"Hear what?" Ashlee asked. Taylor's senses were more attuned than hers were so this wasn't an uncommon occurrence. For all she knew he was hearing things in China again.
"That music," Taylor turned back and looked over the park, just in time to see the firework shoot up into the night sky and burst. He watched perplexed as the green sparks fell in the shape of a tree. Something about it was vaguely familiar. He turned back to ask Neah what she thought and noticed she wasn't there anymore. Or rather, he wasn't there.
He stood in the darkness amidst a small grouping of trees. The music he heard was much louder now and he could hear shouting and singing accompanying it. He walked towards the noise and the light, until, through the trees, he saw the large celebration. There were large tents set up with tables and chairs all around. There was a row of kegs off to one side and the smell of food wafted out to him on a breeze. He stood in the darkness and watched the little people dance a bit before it dawned on him. Little People. Hobbits?
"You brought me into a movie?" Taylor asked as he turned around to face the person he knew would be there.
"Not exactly," came the silken reply. Behind him, looking as exotic and ethereal as ever, was Hosha. Her long dark hair was pulled back into a thick ponytail filled with little braids scattered here and there, streaked with colors or strung with beads of pink or gold. Down the left side of her Asiatic face ran the ancient body art of the Chainkan people, painted in shimmering gold, leading down her neck to her chest and further past her hip.
She was dressed in sheer, light drapings of red and pink. A spectrum of red made for the top that she was wearing that was clasped on her shoulder by a small golden clip. It parted in the middle and stretched to just provide the slightest view of skin. It tied in the back and a styled loose strip hung down her front, off center. Clasped on her arms, held up by means unknown, were small red and pink sleeves that had an extended piece at the seam. Around her forearms and wrists she had bands of gold, the one around the right wrist longer than the other, balancing the design of the sleeves. From her hips hung chains of gold, supporting the pink and red drapings that hung from her front and back and wrapped around the sides for added cover, only allowing the slightest bit of her upper thigh to show. She went barefoot as always and the green gemstone, the Ngadi family mark, glistened in the moonlight from its position near her right eye. She smiled at Taylor; it was plain to understand why she was called the Enchantress.
But something about her drew Taylor's attention. On her hip was a fiery red mark, the intricate written language of her people. Taylor knew the language but for some reason couldn't decipher its meaning. And it stung deep inside of him like it was screaming 'I am important! I mean all the world!'
Taylor shook out of it. "Funny, 'cause it really looks a lot like it," Taylor stated dryly, folding his arms across his chest.
"It is a little more than that," she said cryptically as she stood in front of him.
"Explain," he asked as he watched her, waiting intently.
"This, is not a movie. This is a parallel world," Hosha explained as glided over to stand next to Taylor. She gazed serenely out over the chittering crowd of Hobbits.
"Like the Buffyverse?" Taylor asked, comprehending what she meant (which upon later reflection, caused him shudders).
"Similar, only in a literary sense," she confirmed as she walked forward a bit more.
"Oh, so you mean, since they're a book in our world, we exist as a book here? Duniverse deal?" Taylor asked as he followed the goddess through the trees.
"Not yet. Give it a few hundred years," she quipped, looking back at him with a smile.
"Ah, I'm in the parallel past. Care to tell me why I'm here?" he asked as they watched another firework shoot up, then fly down and out over the tree tops and the nearby lake.
"You are The Chosen," Hosha simply stated, giving him a look that said 'duh'.
"Chosen to save my world, yes. This world, not so much. Or am I wrong?" He once again got the feeling that the world was far bigger and more complex and he was just learning now. He hated that feeling.
"This world was created by yours, like the Buffyverse and the Duniverse. You owe it the same loyalty and protection as your own."
"Okay, okay. Naughty Chosen. So what's the deal? What's the big sitch?" He asked walking up next to the goddess and staring out over the party. The realization of what he was looking at sunk in deeper and a deep sense of foreboding crept its way up his spine. "This is Bilbo's party. The 'Quest of the Ring' will be starting soon."
"That is correct," Hosha said, walking behind him.
Taylor turned to face her. "Still not getting why I'm here."
"That is not entirely true, now is it?" She gave him the look.
"Say it out loud for me."
"You are going along."
"Why?"
"Something is changing. The world is different. You are needed here," Hosha said emphatically, moving closer to Taylor.
"Again with the why, why am I needed?" Taylor asked, looking up at her with confusion and worry etched into his features.
"The evil here is stronger than it is supposed to be. Something else is at work here that does not belong in this world."
"Doesn't belong, huh? An alternate universe meddling in this one. Gee, is it anyone I know?" Taylor looked back at the party, the smile on his face a sarcastic match to the bitterness in his voice.
"If you refer to the recent events involving the mirror realm, it is difficult to say whether or not that may be involved. All that is known is that something is feeding the darkness of this world, making it stronger, more deliberate. It is growing, out of order. Things are chaotic, but the cause, things are, unclear," Hosha said, looking away at the sky beyond them.
Taylor looked up at her as the depth of the situation hit him. "You don't know." He stood there in quiet shock as the wonder sank in. the gods themselves didn't know the goings on. "This is bad," he said with a nervous laugh. Then, as if on cue, courage and determination and power flooded his veins as he looked back up at the waiting goddess. "What must I do?"
Hosha gave him a rueful smile. She knew that look. "Save the world."
"Right," Taylor said and smiled. The two stood together in silence as a large firework shot off from a nearby tent. They both watched it as it sailed up into the air, taking the shape of a large red, fiery dragon. As it turned and charged down, Taylor felt Hosha lean in and kiss him on the forehead. "Good Luck," he heard in his mind. Then all was chaos and panic as the dragon soared low. Taylor ducked down as it passed over him and he waited for the explosion to come.
"Taylor, are you okay?" He looked up to see Ashlee and Neah standing over him. He saw the sidewalk and the cars and the streetlights around him. He was home again. He sighed and leaned back to sit on the sidewalk. "Taylor?" Neah asked, kneeling down next to him.
Taylor looked up and gazed sadly into her eyes.
"It's bad."
End of Chapter One. Again, Questions and Comments and Critiques will be welcomed and considered to the best of my ability.
-Taylor the Imperious
