A/N: Hello folks. This time it doesn't take a year until the next update. Huzzah! Thanks to all lovely reviewers, Dally of course and all faithful readers who still keep up with this story after such a long time. Hope you enjoy the recent turn of events as much as I do. ;) Enjoy...

Chapter 47 – Crash, Boom, Bang!

Nima turned around, open-mouthed.

"Oh by the gods! Its ME! No, its YOU! Oh by the gods, you're here!"

Raistlin watched her in grim determination.

"Yes, and this farce will end, now! Hand over the crystal!"

At the same moment that Raistlin's words left his lips, something strange occurred. His hand and arm suddenly acted by their own will. He realized that something was going on, but he could not, by any means, prevent it. Slowly he reached in his pocket. His fingers enclosed the crystal. It felt warm and grew hotter with each moment. For the spectators the scene had something surreal, as Nima made the same motion. They both pulled out their halves simultaneously. The stones glowed with a white light. They both stretched out their arms, aligning the stones with each other, as if another will had taken over control of them. The stones began to pulse with energy and before anybody could react, a tiny filament of light darted from Raistlin's stone to Nima's. The connection grew stronger within a few seconds, becoming visibly thicker and now the people close to them could feel the force of a powerful spell being worked. The bond straightened and suddenly, Raistlin felt himself drawn forward. He stumbled a few steps, trying to stand still and fighting against his own legs, which followed the will of the stone. Nima also jolted forward as though something were pulling her. And at that moment, Raistlin finally understood.

"Might of the Abyss, we've been tricked!" he screamed.

So far, people had been in a trance, to shocked from the turn of events to do anything. Raistlin's scream woke them from their lethargy, and the townspeople hurried towards the back door to get outside, panic causing some of them to stumble and fall. Dalamar, Tasselhoff and Caramon were still frozen.

Raistlin skidded over the floor, helplessly. The closer the halves came, the stronger the bond became. And with it, its force strengthened as well.

"Caramon! Help me! We mustn't touch! We mustn't touch!" he yelled.

Caramons head snapped up, he stared at the strange kender whose tone was so familiar and her looks unknown. Why did the stranger know his name? However, he cast a quick glance around and did the only sensible thing to do. He grasped his brother's body around the waist with one arm, and with the other clutched a wooden column that supported the roof. The pulling was so powerful that after a few seconds he strained his muscles to the fullest extent. But he kept his brother from sliding further towards the stranger. Nima moaned. The energy that came from the stone fled through her arm, into her body, inevitably drawing her forward, pressing her against Caramon's tight grip.

Even though Nima was fixed for the moment, Raistlin was still coming closer. He fought against it with every form of mental control he could invoke, but all he managed was to make his steps shorter and closer, rather than actually stopping himself.
"No!" he cried in panic. "This can't happen!"

All of a sudden, a strong hand slipped around his chest, holding him close, halting him. A half-ork and a young dark haired girl had entered the room, reacting instantly. Copying Caramon's action the Tiomar grabbed Raistlin with one hand and with the other clung to the strong wooden table of the bar. Naranja also tried to help to pull Raistlin away from the energy. He could by no means lessen his hold on the stone; his fingers clamped around it as if they wanted to hold it for eternity.

Orsany's Wish had finally awoken like a beast that had slept too long and too deep. Now that it had returned, it came down on them full force and ruled its bearers mercilessly with a will of its own, devising an end that could only mean their demise.

Desperation flooded his mind like a spring tide when he tried to cast a spell. He couldn't focus on anything. His mind whirled in concert with the energy that flooded through his limbs, his veins, his lungs. The force of the crystal obstructed every other magic he, Raistlin, could cast. Panicking, he glanced around, searching helplessly for an external source of power to counteract Orsay's Wish before the structure of the crystal could complete itself. He found his apprentice, standing next to what could only be his mirror image. No, it was his body; held by Caramon, hosting a screaming kender inside. His stomach turned at the sight. There was no time to wonder at the absurdity of this image. He felt as though he was being split in halves and he watched his own body reacting similar to the one he inhabited. A loud crack rumbled through the room, the column protested loudly against the treatment, Caramon's muscles flexed as he impossibly tapped into even more strength, his face a mask of pain. Dalamar stood still motionless, staring at his master's body, eyes fixed on a point somewhere behind them, his mind trapped in a trance. Of course, the Wish had pulled everybody into dreamlike state. The closer the people had been when the spell was set in motion, the deeper they were under its curse. Those who had been farther away had snapped out of it at his cries. Caramon had maybe found away around the spell guided by his undying loyalty for his twin, or more likely due to him having as much magic as a cookiejar. But Dalamar, being sensitive and susceptible to the flow of magical energy was an easy victim just as he, Raistlin, had been. Still, Dalamar was their only chance. They couldn't hold this status quo forever; either Caramon and the half-ork would succumb to exhaustion or the wood would simply break by sheer force.

"Dalamar!"

No reaction.

"Dalamar!"

The high-pitched scream rung through the air, Dalamar stirred a little.
"You pathetic excuse for a mage! Weak-willed boy! You'll never reach true mastery! Dalamar!"

Somehow the insults hit a mark and worked their way to the elf's mental haze. He snapped out of it.

"Shalafi?"

Slowly Dalamar turned and for the first time, he really noticed what happened. His gaze hung on the struggling kender girl. Understanding dawned in his eyes.

"Shalafi!"

The column cracked another time. Little fissures splayed out over the wooden surface. Nima screamed in pain. Caramon groaned at the exertion, Tiomar's panting filled his ears.

"Did you ever learn anything! Dispel magic! NOW!" ((1))

This time, Dalamar needed no second order as years of training had made this basic spell nearly innate. Not even the confusing magic of the wish could divert the knowledge burned into his mind now. Dalamar stepped back. His hands and mouth followed the pattern unconsciously, the spell manifested and he hurled it against the line of energy connecting the crystals. Meeting the line of raw power, the annihilating force of Dalamar's counterspell puffed into nothing, was no match for the might of this artifact. Luckily, he had memorized it several times and could repeat the spell. Once, twice and again. Every time his own power succumbed to the eons-old wish. Every time he put all his power behind it, every time he lost. His spells may have disturbed the flow of power a little but not enough to become real threat towards the wish. And neither Caramon nor the stranger, nor Raistlin or the creature that possessed his body could hold out against the cruel force of magic much longer. Damalar knew he could cast his spell only once again. It had to work now or everything was lost. So this time, when he focused and centered to build his spell, Dalamar put every bit of power into it that had ever circulated in his body and mind. He wouldn't give up on his Shalafi nor on the promise of magic, he would prevail, would work his very best, even if it cost his very life! His master and the gift of magic itself deserved nothing less.

"Shalafi, this is for you. I have learned", he whispered and cast a masterful 'Dispel Magic' of rare power, supported by his will and his very soul. Dalamar felt the spell leaving him, felt his body loosing strength and crumble. He fell on his knees, still watching his own magic, but he knew, he was not an apprentice anymore. This magic, cast unprepared and in desperation stood in its own right, though. As a piece of art. A word of power. A masterspell.

The spell was nearly visible to him, a translucent veil of magic that met the cord of white energy, clinging to hit, covering it. Slowly the web dissolved into little thorns which sank into the strand of light as nails into wood. The line wavered while two magical structures battled against each other. And then, the strand began to dim. Dalamars lips slowly formed an insecure smile, had he done it?

Just when the strand began to dissolve, a gnome appeared out of nowhere. Nobody had seen him coming, suddenly he just stood in front of Tiomar and his Shalafi, who had the body of a kender.

"Need help?" the gnome asked and grabbed for the kender's legs, the only piece of Raistlin that was in reach. Obviously he wanted to shove Raistin and Tiomar backwards. Likewise, he was aided by Tasselhoff, who somehow had shrugged off the trance and had darted to the gnome's site. Together they lifted Nima's body.

"NO!"

Damalar heard his own panicked cry but it was to late. The unsteady equilibrium between magic and mortal muscles broke. Tiomar had to adjust his stance and without his feet on the ground, Raistlin couldn't support himself in the least. He was simply pulled out of Tiomar's grip. Raistlin was yanked forward and they all fell. The strand moved and twisted, gaining new energy as Raistlin slipped over the floor, the crystal in his outstretched hand pointing directly at his counterpart. With the bond gaining new energy, it shook off Dalamars spell, twisting and struggling like a poisonous snake. They had lost.

Alone, even Caramon couldn't prevent the inevitable. Raistlin fought visibly but was drawn closer and closer to his own body nevertheless. Eventually, when there were no more then a few inches left the crystal pulled him up on his feet. His outstretched arm mirrored Nima's pose. The crystals apparently hurried for completion. The strand was not a strand anymore. They were so close now, that the cord formed a sphere. The sphere grew and extended with each moment, enclosing them, its white light blurring the sight of them. Too late...

Dalamar followed the events in furious desperation. There must be something he could do. Something. Anything.

"Please", he prayed to whatever god bothered to listen. "Please, help us."

Suddenly his gaze fell on something on the floor. The Staff of Magus. Had it been there all the time? Without hesitation, Dalamar's fingers clung around it.

"Please, work for me! Only once! Only this time! I swear, I'll pay every price you demand."

With a strength he hadn't known that it was there, Dalamar wheeled the staff around. For the first time, it vibrated softly under his touch. It seemed lighter then before; smoothly, it fitted into his hand and led him to new resources in his mind. He followed like a wondering child. Knowledge and power bloomed where had been wastelands before. Even in his keenest dreams, he had never imagined it would be like this, so alive, so joyful. Finally he understood the love and joy magic could give. One of Raistlin's first lessons came to his mind, a lesson he had never truly been able to comprehend.

"If you give yourself up to the magic, the magic will never give you up.'

Now it was part of him. And the staff of Magius began to sing. Only for his ears.

As he had seen Raistlin doing it innumerable times, he raised the staff and spoke a word of command. In the same moment, the sphere covered the 'crystalbearers' completely. Through it Dalamar could see how the crystals touched, when suddenly the staff glowed in a red light. An arrow of furious red fire shot forth from it and tore through the sphere.

White light. White light was the last, Dalamar noticed before an incredible eruption of power washed over them, leaving them unconscious.

--

TBC

((1)) 'Dispel Magic' D&D-mage-spell, a general counterspell'