Monet's Wish (Or, A Day In The Company of Death)
Part 2 of 'No Need For Farewells'
By Kairi Taylor
Dear Journal,
It is hard to believe, but it has been about 2 years since my beloved left this realm. Of course, I speak of Everett. The pain from that day still resides within me, but little by little, I have found ways to cope with it. However, I do have some fortune on my side—Thanks in part to Kairi's unique abilities, which are akin to that of a shaman, I have been able to interact with his spirit twice over the past months. There is much I wish to tell him…
The team has been doing quite well since we went our separate ways. Angelo has reportedly made remarkable progress as one of the first engineering & maintenance students from Earth in the University of Jurai. Paige has already graduated from the GXP Academy & is studying under Lady Mhoshi (turns out Mihoshi's family is quite influential after all.) Jubilee & Ryoga are doing fine too. Emma has grown accustomed to the role of mother and H.C. is becoming more & more like he parents everyday. Sean has recovered swiftly, thanks in part to Washu's efforts, from the grievous injuries given to him by Mystique. I cannot comment on Jonothon at the moment however, as he has taken a leave of absence from the X-Men.
But there are days, moments really, where I feel we severed our ties prematurely. We all knew one day we would leave the academy, but it was quite sudden. I mean, what if my sisters, who both briefly assumed my identity, trained here? What of Artie & Leech, who had to constantly move about in their previous lives with the Morlocks? And what of Penance? What will be her fate? These are questions I will have to ponder on for a long time….
September, 2002
Monet sat down in the grass underneath the hugest tree of the academy & folded her hands in her lap. Leaning back, she sighed. With the exception of Emma, Sean & HC, the mansion was void of any of the regular occupants or visitors. Jubilee & Ryoga had ventured out to a new theme park opening near Nerima. Paige was on patrol, which meant that she would not be back until late evening. Monet's services as a diplomatic representative of Earth were not needed now, which made her thankful. It was bad enough dealing with anti-mutant sentiment on Earth, but she (as well as the Juraian government) had to deal with anti-human rebels in space. What was worse…her credit card maxed out.
"Days like this make ya glad to be alive. Unless of course, you're suicidal or something."
Oh yes, there was also Kairi.
She didn't really see him in the tree at first, but there he was, lying down on a branch, his baseball cap covering his face. He wore black cargo pants & a gray shirt, complete with a black trench coat. A small book was in his hands.
"Hello, Kairi. I haven't seen you since the incident with the Otaku King Battle Royale." Monet said, stretching out her legs. "So, what have you been up to?"
"Ah, you know me. Slave to globetrotting, magic experimentation, foiling evil writers & being one step ahead of the Fanfic Guild. Geez, make one joke about Velma's sexuality…"
The Guild was never quite the same after Simon Raven's attempt at universal conquest. Neither was Kairi. The UN, who was becoming alarmed at the increase of writers, as well as their somewhat strange abilities to mimic powers & alter reality/probability forced the Guild to choose to take several steps to enforce order. They began to track the actions of any & all writers & took what was deemed 'appropriate actions' if anyone did something that was similar to what Simon did. Kairi, however, kept his contact with the Guild to a minimum. He gained more experience in magic use & trained to be a better fighter under the tutelage of a girl named Motoko Aoyama, who Jubilee & Monet had stayed with (a story that will be delved into later.)
"It's nice to see you are getting yourself together, albeit slowly, but I have to ask, why the outfit change?" Monet inquired. "A while ago, you were in casual clothes, but any time any of us has seen you, you've been adapting to staying in black or gray."
"Oh this?" Kairi replied as he removed his baseball cap. "I'm working on a super secret identity. It fits the motif pretty nicely." With little hesitation, Taylor leapt down from the tree branch. As he landed, he rolled his body forward & rose to his feet. "What do you think?"
"Hmmm…obviously, you need body armor." She said, pointing to his chest. "And a couple of more items if you intend on doing anything involving heights. But I know exactly what you lack." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a pair of green goggles & tossed them to her. "Motoko-san says you left them behind at the Otaku-King fight. I can understand, though, since someone kicked them off your face."
"Yup…but the other guy looked worse after that one. Ev sure could pick some durable equipment."
"Yes…"
"Ah, still pining for him, I see. Understandable."
"Really? I fail to see how you can be so easily comfortable with understanding…"
"Nadia."
Monet shortly blushed a bit. "Oh sorry…I still didn't realize you were still sensitive about it."
"You don't have to apologize for anything. My fault really. The girl disappears for three years in the Air Force & I was the one who was crazy enough to believe that I was gonna have one of those textbook, romantic anime-style reunion with her. Never mind the fact that maybe, just maybe, over time, she would have found some other nice guy & that she didn't want to say anything out of fear that the knowledge of her being married to someone else would wound me deeper than I could imagine. It's moments like that that make me glad I didn't emulate what my dad did."
"Which was…"
"Throw a watermelon at my mom's door, for starters."
Both of them laughed at the little quip he made about his past family problems. "But seriously, Kairi," Monet said, "I don't think Nadia would want you to suffer like you have. Trust me, I still have to adjust to being without Everett…"
"Oh yeah…about that. Well, remember when I said it was hard for me to do a Resurrection because of my lack of ability?"
"Yes, I recall. I also recall you saying it would require the permission of the dead & that it could possibly kill you after you restore him."
"In a nutshell."
"Then you did one of your variations of the Spongebob Squarepants theme song…although it was a little more risqué…"
"You'll never let me forget that, will you?"
"Not even on your deathbed."
"Anyway, I have some good news. I can do a little variation of the resurrection. But there's several catches to it."
"Aren't there always?"
"Yeah…for starters, as usual, I have to get the permission of the dead. They aren't exactly eager about being resurrected unannounced. And and this is very important, the resurrection only lasts a day. And it will require a host body to house the spirit."
"I see…and how long will it take?" Monet asked.
"I have no idea…first time I would be doing it."
Monet considered the offer. A day reunited with the one person she ever gave her heart to was tempting, extremely. But then there were the other factors to consider. She weighed in the fact that the procedure could go wrong: Kairi could accidentally summon a demon instead of Ev, or he could himself lose his soul. But then she remembered something Jubilee said to her some time ago: "Ah, just shut up & do it already!'
"Alright, I'm willing to try this out. But just how will you do this?"
"Ah, watch & learn."
In the living room, Kairi pulled away the tables from the center of the floor. Removing his jacket, he said to Monet "What will happen is that I will go into a trance-like state. I will contact the spirit realm & try to contact Ev. After that, well…."
"After that, something will happen here right?"
"Yeah, that's the part I'm curious about. You did take the needed precautions, right?"
"Indeed." Monet pointed to several items on the floor, which included spirit wards, beads, rope, chain, baseball bats, tasers & mallets. Many mallets.
"I have to ask…why the huge surplus of mallets?"
"Need you ask? Or do I have to remind you of certain incidents?"
Kairi sighed. "Alright, let the ceremony commence."
Cupping his hands together, Kairi closed his eyes. He let out a low drone & said some words in a long forgotten language, but for the sake of tradition, let us assume it is Latin. Ok, maybe there was a touch of Gaelic involved, but I don't feel like getting all technical about magic & other stuff like that. Suffice it to say that within a few minutes, Monet noticed that the room felt surprisingly cool & Kairi had stopped chanting. In fact, he stopped moving altogether.
"Wow. This actually looks pleasant."
He found himself in a living room of sorts. Neatly arranged, with all sorts of antiques & assorted knick-knacks draping the area. There was a table with a kettle of tea & two cups. Clearly, company was expected. Kairi sniffed the air. "Apple'. He concluded.
"To be precise, apple cinnamon."
A woman stepped through a swinging door. She looked pale, but with a lot of livelihood in her eyes. Her hair, shirt, leather pants & boots were all the same color as her lipstick, which was black. Around her neck hung an ankh. "Hey, you're a minute late you know. But these ceremonies differ for a lot of you people I guess. Still, not too bad for a writer."
"I'm sorry, I didn't get your name…"
"Death."
Kairi raised his hand & thoroughly rubbed the back of his head. "Death you say? I was under the impression that Death was…you know…less fleshy."
"Ah, understandable. I mean, man seems to make up many things in his spare time to explain anything it doesn't know about. Well sit down. Have a drink or two." Death sat down in her leather chair & picked up her cup. That's when she noticed Kairi was still staring at her, a blush slowly creeping up on her. "Yes, I am quite attractive, I know, but…"
"Huh? No, no, it's nothing like that," sputtered Kairi as he sat down. " Besides, I'm kind of spoken for.somewhat.I don't know."
"You're not referring to Ukyo, are you?"
"Sort of. Yeah, sure, I like her & I'm certain she does have a respectable view on me…but you know, I'm a writer, she's an anime hero, people would talk, the Guild would get all pissed off, some high & mighty dude would scream selfish manipulation of self insertion."
"Status quo problems all over again? Funny, I never figured you'd care about such things."
"I guess when you get older, everything feels more complicated."
"Oh not really. If you really like her, go for it. She's quite attractive in her own way & you two seem to have a few things in common. Like unrequited love, identity problems, low tolerance of idiots…"
"You just made that last one up."
"No, you do. Or should I bring up the entire year of 2000? But we're not here discussing your life problems over a cup of tea. By the way, you should drink yours before it gets cold."
"Oh, sorry." Taylor drank some of his tea as Death said, "Believe it or not, my brother, droll & moody as he is, loves this brand of tea."
"Your brother?"
"Yes. Morpheus. He's shown up in your dreams every now & then. You may not recall."
"Does he somewhat resemble you, likes to get all philosophical & talks in allusions?"
"Yeah. I take it you have met him?"
"Twice. In my sleep & in a discussion with Doc Strange. But really, I need to ask you about Everett…"
"I know, I know. You want to ask him for your permission to resurrect him for a day. He'll be here soon, but I have to ask you, are you willing to go through with this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Understand that a resurrection done for one day will drain a lot of your magic energy. It will take you awhile to recover. And this sort of ability will not go unnoticed. This Guild of yours will look into the matter."
"Yeah, I figured as much."
"So, I think we need to make an agreement, of sorts."
"What agreement?"
"It all depends on whether or not Everett will agree to be resurrected. Ah, speaking of which, what kept you so long?
Kairi turned his head. Everett was standing behind him, a bag in his hand.
Emma stared at what was before her: Monet sat cross-legged, looking onto her watch while grasping some spirit wards. Kairi sat in the middle of the room, motionless, looking as stiff as a statue. And surrounding them was piles upon piles of weapons.
"Should I even be concerned?" Emma asked Monet.
"A little bit." Monet replied hastily, looking at her watch. "He's been like this for 10 minutes. What is he doing?"
Sean, with H.C. on his shoulders, entered the room. Looking quizzically at Kairi, he looked at Monet, saw the weapons & said simply "I don't want to know…"
"And up until now, that's what I learned in the Spirit Realm." Ev finished. Kairi, who was on his second cup of tea, whistled. "So…all this time…J.R.R. Tolkien was a inter-dimensional traveler." He sighed.
"If you stop & dwell on it, it makes sense." Death explained. "How else can one man makeup such a detailed account of 'fictional' writings & alphabets in such detail."
"My immediate reply would have been 'way way WAY too much time' on his part." Taylor answered.
"But before we lose track, I gotta ask, how's Monet holding up?"
"She misses you terribly. And you better not have a girl here or I'm gonna kick your ass so hard, the last punch will knock you back to life!"
"Hey, don't worry, I miss her too. But it's kinda hard to leave the realm of the dead behind after what I've seen & been through. On the other hand…I do miss kissing a lot."
"Can I please inform our would be mage of his pending deal?" Death said to Ev, sipping from her cup.
"Oh, sure, sorry…"
"Anyway in order for your request to be fulfilled, you must agree to a couple of tasks."
"Always with the conditions. So, what do you need from me?"
"As I said, the Resurrection spell requires a lot of magical energy. At your present level you are not anywhere near the requirements. So, the head honchos have decided to let you train & visit the spirit realm."
"Train? Sounds difficult."
"There's more. We also need you to help enforce the law. Certain people housed within the Makaii area have been spotted near the gates to the mortal realm. If they get loose…"
"I know, I know. Hell on Earth/ Where's Urameshi when he really could do some good?"
"Happily married, dude." Ev said. "So are you in?"
"Ah, why the hell not?"
"Oh, there is but one more thing…" Death grasped his right hand. A strange circular symbol materialized & glowed orange. "At some point in the future, this seal will have to be released…You'll know when."
"Must be pretty serious if you want to let him break the seal." Ev mused. "I hate to find out what."
"So, are you ready?"
"Just give me a minute."
"H.C., don't poke him. He's still in a trance." Emma told her daughter.
"Mom, what is a trance?"
"You know that look that Jubilee gets every time she eats Sugar Bombs?"
"Uh huh."
"That look."
"Oh, ok." She gleefully left the room as Monet pointed & said, "Hey, his eyes are opening."
"Ah man, my knee feels like it's been hit with a wrench. Oh. hey."
"Well, how did it go?"
"Smoothly, if I must say. Ev can be in the living realm for the next 24 hours. I only ask one favor from you."
"Name it."
"Don't do anything with this body I haven't done yet." He replied firmly. With that point driven, his eyes glowed. A cylinder of light surrounded him & temporarily blinded all in the room. When the light died down, everyone saw, standing & holding her in an embrace, Everett. A halo was over his head.
"So…miss me?"
"Madly."
"What's with the half halo?" Kairi asked as Death led him down a road surrounded by spruce trees.
"Oh that. That indicates that you are a mortal visiting from the realm of Earth. King Enma will explain it shortly."
"Wait…King Enma? I'm a Protestant, won't this be odd?"
"You humans didn't figure it out yet? You know, the secret about religion?"
"No…but I have a feeling what you're about to tell me will piss someone off somewhere."
"Yes, I'm aware. See, the basic principles are all the same: live a good life, be cool with one another, and don't do any major evil or something. We have several offices around the spirit realm that cater to specific faiths. God has many identities, you know."
"Ok…but one question…"
"No, I don't know where the Catholics got this idea of Confession from."
"Ok"
There were many odd moments in the life of Jubilation Lee that stood out. Like discovering her mutant powers for the first time in the mall. Her initial dealings with The Hand. Meeting up with the Skrulls. And of course, The Onsen Incident.
This one was no different.
She had entered the academy with Ryoga, both carrying two backpacks full of Sugar Bombs (weekend marathon of Iron Chef pending) & just as the two were setting the bags down, she saw Monet coming out of the living room hand in hand with a boy. Not just any boy, however. It was a boy she had once cared for a long time ago. It was Everett.
So she did the only thing a girl like her could do in that situation. She yelped, ran over & hugged him so tight, his face turned blue.
"Careful Jubes! I only have 24 hours here!" Everett gasped.
Ryoga, rubbing his hands in his hair, in shock at seeing a friend he hadn't seen in so long, asked the question most of us would have asked at that point.
"Aren't you dead?"
"So, that's the story." Ev finished the explanation as everyone, including a just released from duty Paige, took in the information given.
"Wow. I never would've figured Kairi was one to lend anyone his body." Paige said, puzzled.
"I'm surprised it worked at all!" Sean replied.
"Still, it's great to have you back Ev. Too bad Jono & Angelo aren't here to see this."
"I think Angelo would have a coronary." Monet said.
"I have to ask though," Emma inquired "just how will Kairi be able to bring you back for good? I mean, in all honesty, your body right now…well…"
"That's where I come in!"
Washu peddled into the room on a portable scooter, towing some complicated monitoring equipment. "I had a feeling you were bound to show up for this." Paige sighed.
"Of course, girlie! Being the universe's number 1 scientist & a part time goddess has its share of perks! Now then, don't worry about Everett's body. I received a little memo from one of the head honchos themselves to take care of it. Look here."
A monitor flickered on. It sowed a large, black container with cables & wires sticking into it. Inside was Everett's body, attached to a respirator.
"Holy cow! His body is perfectly intact!" Jubilee yelped.
"What's even creepier is that there's no sign of decomposing or tissue damage." Ryoga noticed.
"I don't suppose you can resurrect me." Ev asked.
"Oh sure I could. But that would mean I'd bring you back as a cyborg. And I'm certain you don't want that…do you?"
With little hesitation, everyone else said emphatically "No!"
"Good. Now you two kids have fun for the time being, while our little buddy goes through his trials."
"I'm worried about him though." Ryoga said. "He's not really used to most of the things that happen here on Earth. What could possibly happen to him in the underworld?
"He'll be just fine. Right now, I have to prepare for something much more unnerving."
"Like?"
"My parents are coming."
"Sir, here he is, as promised." Death said, pointing to Kairi. The writer looked up & arched an eyebrow. He was face to face with King Enma, who was carefully thumbing through documents. "You know, I could have sworn you were bigger than 9 feet."
"Son, you watch too much anime. I can be any size I want." Enma replied. "Oh, this Buffy generation. Always with the allusions & pop culture issues. And let me tell you right now, there's no way that Buffy gal could have taken out Dracula so easily. The Belmont's had a hard enough time as it is & she comes along & tries to show them up…ah, we're getting off topic." Gruffly, Enma opened one of the nearby file cabinets & pulled his file out. "Ah yes, Kairi…quite an oddity indeed. You lucked out, you know. Not many mortals get a chance like this in their lifetimes. Death, please escort him to where his friends are. He'll get all his training done there. And do mind your manners kid. Etiquette counts here too."
"Huh?"
"He means you can't curse like a sailor where we're heading."
"Oh."
Grasping Kairi's shoulders, Death winked twice. In a moment, he found himself transported into a field of huge green hills & trees, with nothing but blue-sky overhead. Various small huts were scattered about & many people freely walked about. Some of them, Kairi noted, vaguely familiar. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that was Frederick Douglas I just saw."
"And you'd be correct." Death said. "This s one of the many places the dead can dwell when they pass away. These fields are reserved for souls who had made tremendous strides in the living world.
Kairi looked all about him & marveled. He saw Dr. Martin Luther King & John Lennon talking together at a small gazebo. And he wasn't too sure, but he could have sworn that as he continued to walk, he saw Gandhi performing Tai Chi. Nearby, he saw a man dressed in a toga reading with a man who appeared to be an English professor who smoked a pipe. "Wow, this I a pretty sweet setup. I wonder if anyone I know is here."
"Oh smokes! Kairi...is that you?"
Death & Kairi turned around. The young guy behind them was unmistakable: Unkempt hair, large muscles, huge fricking tattoo of a dragon on his chest—it was most definitely the pre requisite superhero cameo interlude…
"Grunge?" Kairi stared in disbelief. "Dude, you're here?!"
"Yeah, totally man! This place ROCKS!!" Grunge said as he shook the hands of his long lost buddy. "You gotta train here dude! I've been learning all kinds of cool stuff!"
"I heard you guys were killed, man! What the heck happened?"
"Long story. At least I know Caitlin made it out safely. Oh yeah, I gotta tell Roxy you're here!"
"She already knows." Death said, pointing up. Kairi gazed upwards just in time to be embraced by a diving Roxy, who rubbed him on the head & said, "So, finally found something that could actually kill ya, did you?"
"Nah, he lucked out." Grunge said. "Enma's letting him train here until Ev comes back. "
"Sweet. Wait 'til you try out the food here."
"Hey, where's Sarah?" Kairi asked.
"I think she went off to take some more art lessons from Jack Kirby." Roxy replied. "But just who is he going to train with?"
"Good question." Death replied. "We're looking for Wong Fei Hung. He's going to train Kairi."
"I'll show you where he is."
"So…Mom…Dad…"
"This is a bit…awkward. Even by our standards. You must realize."
There wasn't much that Mr. & Mrs. Thomas could say. Aside from the fact that their son was, for that day, alive, there wasn't too many things that surprised them anymore. It was what happened the day before that was odd.
"You see, we were instructed to come here yesterday." Mr. Thomas explained. "It was a very nice young lady who told us we would find you here."
"Of course when she explained she was Death, we were creeped out." Mrs. Thomas continued.. "We thought she was just another goth kid wasted out of her gourd…but are you sure you're comfortable in that body son?"
"I told you mom, it's just temporary." Everett said.
"His body is in a stasis chamber now." Monet said. "We are all hoping Kairi can succeed."
"I hope so too." Mr. Thomas sighed. "But son, I want to ask you something…when you do come back, for good I hope, do you still want to be, you know, a hero?"
"What do you mean?"
"Son, I can't order you about what to do with your life, but I want you to reconsider your goals. I'm proud of what you've done, both here & in the afterlife…but…"
"We want you to do something else. Really." Mrs. Thomas said. "It hurt us all so deeply when you died. And the possibility of you coming back to us is the best thing we could all ever hope for…and we don't ever want you taken away from us like that again."
"I have to agree with them." Monet said.
"M…"
"I really love you, Ev. I'll support you no matter what we go through…but I don't ever want to lose you like that again. And seeing how sad everyone else was…it was the most horrid feeling I ever experienced."
Ev knew what she was talking about. Even when he was dead, he still had some sort of connection to the emotions of all he held dear. And the overwhelming sadness he felt in their hearts…it sucked, quite frankly.
"I just have to ask one question." Ev said as he looked at Emma. "Where's Adrienne?"
"Dead." Emma replied. "Or so I think."
"Emma capped her own sister?" Jubilee said as she walked with Sean to the store. "Can't really say I blame her. If it was up to me, I'd had ripped her damn throat out myself."
"Aye, I know. But I don't think that's the end of it." Sean said.
"What do you mean?"
"After Emma shot 'er, she had the body taken away to be incinerated. But before her men could get to the funeral home, the body was stolen.. "
"By her guys then, I wager."
"Yeah. I can't shake it, but I have a feeling something is goin' down."
Kairi stepped out of the small cave, wiping his hands. It may have been only 1:00 in the realm of the living, but in Heaven, or wherever he was at, the equivalent of at least 10 months had already passed. Wong Fei Hung & Grunge stood outside, waiting to see how he fared. "This trial seems to have gone much better than we hoped." Wong said. "Your ki has increased more than tenfold & your magical energy has become quite high."
"Yeah…and you look stronger too." Grunge said.
"I know. I feel it too." Kairi said. "But what about my regular body?"
"Oh, don't worry about that," Wong explained "because it will be easy for it to adapt to the changes. Besides, you & Everett are about the same physical type, so changing forms for both of you will feel rather natural.. He was also much stronger than you too, so that concern should be well addressed."
"Wait, stronger?" Kairi asked.
"Totally." Grunge explained. "You see---"
Before Grunge could explain to Kairi what he meant, Roxy flew towards them, holding a memo. "Trouble boys! We're needed at the borders to the Human-Makaii realms pronto! Kanaye & some friends are raising hell!"
"Kanaye? Who is that?!" Kairi asked.
"You mean you were not told?" Wong asked. "I suppose now would be best to tell you."
"How bad is it?"
"You've met Kanaye before in his previous incarnation in the world…as Simon."
"Wow, Wong Fei Hung! The kick ass kung fu master trained you?! SWEET!" Jubilee exclaimed as she, Ryoga, Ev & Monet walked down the streets in town to the local diner "What was the training like?"
"Fun…but brutal, even for a dead guy." Ev explained. "For one session I had to fight off Grunge…blindfolded…& with my arms in handcuffs…weighed down by some iron balls."
"I imagine that it took some time to win." Monet said.
"You have no idea. So, what did I miss out on?"
"Well, for starters, we're seeing more aliens visit Earth than before." Ryoga said. "And we've gotten some new technology in the past few months. The major airlines have started using new types of airplanes. And our computers have become more advanced too."
"Yeah. Oh, check my watch out!" Jubilee pressed a button on her wristwatch. A small holographic map of the area, as well as the local time appeared. "This little number is so handy, even Ryoga can't get lost."
"Somehow, he still does."
"That's not all. The GXP has set up a space station in orbit around the Earth." Jubilee said. "And we get to visit other planets as well."
"There have been a few problems though…like the anti-alien protestors that have been harassing the townsfolk." Monet said.
"Speak of the devil." Ryoga pointed across the street. A large department store was being attacked by a few men, their faces covered by black masks. Rocks were thrown few the windows as customers ducked for cover.
"So," Monet asked, "should we let the local police handle this or do we take care of business?"
"There's about seven of them. Nothing we can't handle. Got anything you learned from the other world that you can use here, Ev?" Jubilee said to Ev.
"One trick should be able to stop them. You don't mind if I borrow one of your moves, do you Ryoga?"
"You can do that?"
"Not only that…something better."
Taking off his jacket, Ev approached the seen masked men. One of them, saw him & yelled "Mind your business kid! We're teaching these alien loving scum a lesson!"
"Pardon me if I strongly disagree with your method." Ev said. The masked men were not amused & turned their attention towards them. Ev toke the initiative & clasped his hands together, yelling "Shi Shi Hodokai!" A massive, ten-foot ball of energy formed all around Ev's hands, knocking all of the masked men out..
"Whoa." Jubilee said.
"Not only did he do the Shi Shi Hodokai…he put off more strength in it than me."
"Wow…all that training really did pay off."
"Ugh." Kairi said as the group arrived at a desolate area. It was barren of any sort of plant life whatsoever, or for that matter many other features. Nothing but rocks, cliffs & sand was around them. The sky overhead was covered by gray & black clouds, their sheer thickness suffocating any source of the sun. "Why do these places always have to look the same?"
"You'd rather there be hot lava & fire?" Grunge asked.
"No. I'd rather have a peanut vendor or something for a change of pace."
"That's Hell for you." Roxy said, scanning her eyes around some of the overhead ridges. "The report said that we should be getting into Kanaye, or whatever his darn name is now, right around these parts."
"Yeah…perfect for a trap." Grunge grumbled.
"You're not as dense as I originally surmised!"
The trio looked overhead. Near the top of a ridge, holding what appeared to be a lance, was Simon himself. He had a black cape wrapped about him, his purple hair longer & reaching up to his hips. His eyes were blood red & intense, a long burning hatred glowing within. "I was wondering whether or not our little ruse was gonna work. And I see an old friend of mine has finally died. Pity, I was looking forward to doing the deed myself."
"Technically, I'm just visiting." Kairi replied. "And I see you've kept yourself entertained."
"Charming wit eludes you. All three of you are our tickets out of this abomination of a nether realm. I am curious, though, about why you're here. Don't tell me that God himself has a plan in mind for you? Or can it be…ah yes, of course. It's all their doing again, isn't it. Those who brought about the little worldwide party in 1999. They've been using you again, haven't they?
"What is he talking about?" Roxy asked.
"I think I know what he's talking about." Grunge said. "But maybe Kairi can fill us in."
"I'll have to fill you in later." Kairi said. "We have some more guests."
From out of the ground, encircling them, skeletal demons came forth. In their claw like hands were spiked clubs of iron, rusted slightly, but still potentially painful. Their nostrils flared, the demons slowly closed in.
"Allow me, boys.". Roxy grinned. As the horde leaped up, Roxy yawned in mid air, the monsters were held in place, all in part due to Roxy's ability to control gravity. As they flailed helplessly, Grunge said to Kairi "Hey bud, can you give me a boost?"
"No problem!" Kairi said, crouching & giving a thumbs up. Taking one deep breath, Grunge transformed his body to pure stone. Then, quick as a rabbit, he dashed forth & boosted himself off of Kairi's back. He aimed towards the nearest demon & connected with a flying forward kick. As he hit him in the head, Grunge used the momentum to bounce back & hit another one. He repeated this until he hit all of them at least twice. As he landed, he reverted back to his normal form. At the same time, every demon exploded. All that was left was Simon.
"Aw, that was too short!" Grunge complained. "Couldn't you recruit some better demons than that?"
"Who cares? He's the last one left." Roxy pointed out. "Let's just wail on him until the backup gets here."
"WAIL on me?" Simon said, bemused. "I think you'll find I am beyond your basic demon girl!" He floated down towards their location, eyes fixed in a deadly serious gaze. He smiled, revealing long fangs. The air seemed to feel denser to them. Kairi, seemingly not fazed by the events, said to Roxy & Grunge "I think the four of us can handle this."
"Four? Dude, there's an extra voice in your head or something?"
"Just watch. We've been meaning to pull it off for awhile now."
Kairi clasped his hands together, then made a few motions with his hands. Seconds later, His body began to glow. A light burst forth from his eyes & next to Kairi stood a large fox, larger than even Grunge himself. "Remember him? You two go back a long way, right Simon? Or is it Kanaye?"
"Whoa. I thought like you turned into this guy when you got soaked or something."
"Oh, heck yeahs Roxy! But it's kinda hard to explain. This here is Kanye's original killer. He did him in Jusenkyo a few centuries back. And thanks to a most recent…incident…he's not at full power. But he's got enough to give our friend here a beat down. So what's say we get started, eh?"
"I'm down with it!" Roxy smirked, cracking her knuckles.
"Damn. Discretion is the best option I suppose!" Simon glowered at the two heroes, the writer & the fox. "We will do this some other time." Pulling his cape in, he disappeared. As the team sighed, a figure leaped from behind a rock, something glittering in it's hand. Kairi, without much movement, stepped aside & elbowed the attacker in the back of the head. Looking down, he arched an eyebrow in surprise. "D.O.A.? What are you trying to prove?"
"You bastard! Don't you remember? You were the one who killed me off! I wants payback!"
"Don't tell me you're still sore about that business." Grunge laughed.
"Very funny, Suckie Chan!"
One boulder drop later, Grunge wiped his hands. "C'mon, let's get going."
It was nightfall as Everett & Monet returned from the beach. Emma was sitting on the couch, reading a book to H.C. as Monet said to her "Mrs. Frost, We have come to a decision."
"Oh really? Does it concern our previous discussion?"
"That, and a little more." Ev sighed. "We talked it over extensively & I decided to take everyone's advice."
"Good. I want you to know, E, as soon as we get you back, I will have a position for you available at Frost Enterprises. I expect nothing but the best from you."
"I know. I'll do everything in my power to make sure you don't regret it. But there is one other thing. And whatever you do, you have to make sure Kairi does not go ballistic."
"With the way he's been these days," Emma pointed out, "he may just get a mild shock. So, what is it?"
At the halls of Emma's domain, Kairi shook hands with Sarah & Roxy. "Sarah, it's been real great seeing everyone again! I'll be sure to pass your message along to Caitlin first chance I get."
"Thank you so very much!" Sarah answered, a tear in her eye. "And really, try to lay off the fatty foods."
"That's something the Army has been telling me for awhile. Roxy, tell Grunge & the flame dude I'll contact them my own way. And thank Master Wong too. I'll be able to finish learning that spell in no time thanks to him."
"Ah, I know you can do it." Roxy said "Tell Jubes I said good luck with the wedding thing. Hey, there he is."
Death entered the great hall, accompanied by Everett. The two shook hands & Kairi said "You know, this really isn't goodbye. Just so you know."
"Yeah, I know bud. Just do me a favor and keep out of trouble. The stuff you've pulled is gonna drive me to a second grave"
"Yeah sure."
"See ya…and whatever you do, don't panic."
"Huh, what the heck is that supposed to mean?"
Death cut him off by pulling him by his hand & telling him "You'll find out soon enough. C'mon, I've got a schedule to keep."
Kairi opened his eyes. He was sitting on the couch in the mansion, Monet next to him. Nearby was Jubilee, Paige & H.C., all staring. "So…what was death like?" Jubilee asked.
"Psylocke said that Warren regularly peeps in on Rouge in the shower when he thinks no one is looking."
" I knew it! Pay up, Guthrie!"
"DAMN! He was too cute to be true!" Paige grumbled as she handed over 20 dollars. As Kairi laughed, H.C. pointed to his chest & said "So, who's gonna tell him about that?"
"About what---oh my God, what did you do woman?" Kairi saw that hanging around his neck, on a silver chain, was a gold ring."
"Think of it as insurance that you will fulfill your agreement." Monet said directly, looking at the diamond ring n her finger.
"In short, now there are TWO of us getting engaged." Jubilee cracked up.
"Why do adults wanna get married anyway?" .C. asked Kairi. Kairi patted her on the head & told her "I don't even know myself, kiddo."
"Well, we have to get going right away." Paige informed Kairi. "I'll take you to see Washu."
"I'm coming too. Ryoga said he'll meet us there."
"Wait, what's up?" Kairi asked, confused.
"The Guild heard about what you did. Looks like when they said they were going to crack down, they meant it."
As Washu worked at the console, Paige, Ryoga & a bored Jubilee watched as Kairi, strapped to a chair with a black cylinder over his head, was being attended to. "That should do it. All the data & know-how he's gonna need has been put into his little troubled mind. He should have no problem piloting his little ride, let alone a biplane."
"This is all fascinating & all, but could you tell us just what will this have to do with avoiding The Guild?" Jubilee lazily asked.
"EVERYTHING!!!" Washu boomed in a ecstatic voice. "Now, my second favorite guinea pig, get up & go change into the uniform I chose for you."
Kairi left the room & Paige said "This has been all rather interesting, but I think some blanks need to be filled in."
"Yeah.." Ryoga said. "The Guild is pretty good at finding any writer now."
"True, but these guys don't have access to all sorts of technology or magical arts. We originals like to keep 'em on their toes. So, I contacted a few friends of mine a few light years away from Earth. I got them to lend me a craft that I've helped them to modify for their use a long time ago. Of course, there was only one of them who ever put it to some really good use…"
"Uh, Washu? These clothes of mine…"
Kairi stepped out into the room. He wore a black shirt, a gray vest & a pair of gray trousers. He also had on a black trench coat, but he kept his sneakers. "Wow, you actually look a little more serious than usual." Ryoga said.
"And something about these clothes feel…familiar." Kairi said.
"I hope you like them. Now let's get you in your vehicle & you'll be on your way." Washu smiled as she led them to a large door.
"Wait a sec. Washu, can I ask one question?"
"Sure Jubs!"
"Which planet did you get that vehicle from?"
"Oh that…Gallifrey."
Kairi's eyes bulged. Jubilee's jaw dropped. Paige & Ryoga looked confused. "What is Gallifrey?" Page asked.
"Washu…are you telling me…in my head right now, is all the knowledge to pilot, maintain & use…"
"Yup."
"And he gets to ride around through time & space with…"
"Uh huh."
"Excuse me, but can you two fill me in on…."
"Ryoga, what's inside that room is a…" Kairi slightly opened the doors, peeked in & looked back at Washu. "You even got it to look just how I remembered it from when I was a kid!"
"Oh, let me see!!!!" Jubilee & Kairi rushed into the room. Washu laughed & said "Those two already love it! Come on, you two, let's take a look at it.
Washu ushered Paige & Ryoga into a small workshop. Standing in the middle of the room was a tall, blue Police Box, the type that British Police were familiar with.. "This, my friends, is the TARDIS." Kairi explained . "Or, Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. Washu, had I known you were in cahoots with Time Lords…"
"It's probably better if he didn't know." Paige said. "But since the Guild seems to think partial resurrection is a problem, please promise us that you won't be doing any more damage to the universe than you possibly could."
"Trust me, I've got him doing a few errands with the boys at UNIT." Washu reassured her.
"Kairi, you gotta take me with you!" Jubilee said, grabbing his hand. "I loved watching Doctor Who! I gotta go on one of these!"
"If Jubilee's coming, take me too!" Ryoga said. "I gotta have something to hold over Ranma's head for once."
Kairi smiled. "Ah, why not? I need some company. Time travel is never fun when you're on your own." Opening the doors on the TARDIS, Kairi said to Jubilee "And don't think for one minute we are going to make any visits to Skaro!"
"Dude, it was destroyed. 7th Doctor, remember?"
"Was it? Damn! Stupid local stations prematurely canceling the run….come along then."
The three entered the TARDIS, losing the door shut behind them. As it dematerialized, Paige asked "We'll see him again, right?"
"Oh sure. After the number of promises he's managed to make, he'd be very stupid not to keep them."
"You do know who you're talking about?"
"You have an extraordinary lack of faith."
Kairi: And that does it for me! See ya in part 5 or 6…
Jubilee: Me too!
Paige In the meantime, it's time for...wait for it…a romantic story with me!
Jono: And me of course. I bet you are wondering how I got my upper body back? Bit of a funny story actually.
Paige: Not ha ha funny…oh, you'll see soon enough!
Jono: An' how the bloody 'ell can ya have a TARDIS in here & not have me there? Jubilee's not a big a Doctor Who fan as me?
Sean: Dream on lad. I know me Doctor trivia down pact!
Paige: The next story, which sadly has no TARDIS action, is called Paige & Jono: The Never-ending Romance.
Jono: Which Doctor was the first to meet Davros?
Sean: Tom Baker's Doctor!