Author's Note: Well, it is a miracle. The last two chapters are up! I'm sorry they came after so long; I injured my hand badly, and was unable to type (well, anyway) for about six months. A couple of surgeries later, it is as good as new! That teaches me to play basketball with high-schoolers. But at last the story is FINISHED! And in time for Christmas too.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any movie or TV show characters mentioned below, just the idea.
John stood in the breakfast line at the canteen, holding out two trays to the cook. He had become an expert at balancing plates like a high-class waiter while walking down halls; he figured if he was ever fired out of the Atlantis expedition at least he'd have some skills to fall back on. Breakfast with Elizabeth had come to be one of John's favorite parts of the day, and he only hoped she would continue the tradition with him once she was off of bed rest.
John then spotted Rodney lurking out of the corner of his eye; immediately he was suspicious. It seemed as if Rodney had been tailing him all morning. Every time John had turned around, Rodney was in his view. Rodney also was acting odd; he was quiet, for one, and he kept wringing his hands as if he were nervous about something. In all honesty, John really did not want to know what had gotten the scientist all keyed up, so he just ignored him. Still, Rodney was hard to ignore, even during the rare moments when he stopped talking.
The cook had just finished doling out breakfast when Rodney finally gained his courage. That in itself worried John; since when had Rodney ever become timid?
"John, I need to talk to you," stated Rodney matter-of-factly.
John rolled his eyes and shifted so both trays were balanced on his right arm. "Can it wait?" he asked shortly.
Rodney shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, it's no big deal," Rodney stated back.
Rodney being accommodating? Now there was definitely something wrong! John inclined his head towards the hall, and together they began to walk towards Elizabeth's room.
"What can I do for you, Rodney?" he asked as he led Rodney out of the canteen into the lounge.
"I just wanted to know what your intentions were regarding Elizabeth, if they are honorable," he stated solemnly. "You see, I've figured out you're seeing her."
John blinked in surprise and swallowed down a gulp of indignation. Why should Rodney even care; he should be minding his own business! "Of course they are honorable," John retorted, a slight growl in his voice, "what business of it is yours?"
"Well John, you see, we scientists are a different sort of people..."
"Tell me something I don't know," John muttered.
Rodney scowled. "Hey, I'm just looking out for a friend, okay? Actually, I'm looking out for two. You see, you military people are all 'go, go, go,' and to get you emotionally attached to anything is like trying to get two magnets of same polarities to stick together."
John rolled his eyes. "Where is this going, Rodney?" he asked impatiently.
Rodney gave a frustrated sigh. "Look," he said after a moment, "I know that you and the rest of the team think I am dense when it comes to people, but the truth is the two of you dating is like putting C-4 and Major Lorne in a room together. It can have the potential to be great, but also the potential to be a huge disaster. I mean, come on! You are the two top leaders in Atlantis, what if it doesn't work out? I really like Elizabeth as a boss; I don't want her to have to leave because something happened between you two. And you get all mopey and stuff when you finally get attached to something; the last thing I want to see is you sad all the time because she broke your heart. I guess I'm looking out for both of you."
Deep down inside (though John wouldn't admit it) he was grateful to Rodney for speaking up; not because he actually thought what Rodney said was true, but because he could see the depth of his friendship with his friend. A friend who was usually so far out when it came to relating to other people it was like he was on the other side of a different galaxy altogether.
Instead of saying any of this, though, John rolled his eyes. "Did your parents fight all the time or something?" John asked ruefully. "I mean, you have such protective instincts coming out right now; it almost humanizes you!"
Rodney scowled back at John. "You treat her right, Kirk," he threatened, "Or you're going to regret the day you ever decided to do this. I'll challenge you to combat, and I'll win too! After all, I did hit Ronon the other day in sparring practice..."
John snorted at that, then gave Rodney a sideways look. "Rodney, how did you know Elizabeth and I are dating? You'd never notice by yourself."
Rodney gave an indignant glare, then broke down. "Katie told me."
"I figured."
oOo
Carson stood grimly in the doorway of his office. Today was the day, today was really the only day he had left to catch up on his paperwork. His mountains and mountains of paperwork. Inwardly, Carson wanted to cry. He'd been trying to get it done all week to no avail. Now, he had one day left... and though it was a doable process, he'd rather be anywhere else than stuck in his office. The smell of cookies baking wafted down from the canteen, people were outside shouting and sounding as if they were having good fun; even a caroling group had sprung out of a rivalry caroling contest between Lorne and Zelenka.
"It's just not fair," stated Carson to no one in particular. "Christmas Eve, and I will most likely be stuck here till Christmas morning. Then, Carson noticed something interesting. A green and red paper was hanging off the edge of his desk. He walked up to inspect it.
It was a handmade Christmas Card. Just a simple little thing really; the card was made from red card-stock and had green cut-out trees on it. Carson opened it, intrigued, and what he read made him gasp in wonder.
Dear Boss,
Last night, your entire staff all got together and in one mass effort entered in all the updates to the medical records you were putting off into the computer. Therefore, all your paperwork is done and you are free! We love you boss; have a Merry Christmas!
Your Staff
P.S. And Zelenka too; he helped us when we crashed the infirmary's computer system.
Carson fought to blink back tears. All the paperwork he had been neglecting, all those odds and ends, were done. He was all caught up and free to celebrate Christmas! As he reread the card, a smile as bright as daylight shone on his face, and he whispered quietly, "I am the luckiest man in this galaxy. Nowhere out there does any doctor have a finer staff than I."
oOo
John smiled as Elizabeth joined him in the jumper bay. Every Lantean, it seemed, was joining the expedition to the mainland for the last night of storytelling. Only emergency personnel were left on the base; everyone else was free to come. And come they did; there were so many people in the crowded jumper bay that they would have to shuttle over to the mainland in shifts. Because John needed to be there earlier, he was among the first to leave, and Elizabeth was coming along with him. Technically, she was not cleared for active duty yet, but Carson figured she'd go anyway and so he cleared her to go on the proviso that she sit next to him the entire evening. Though Elizabeth still looked a bit peaked, her color was good and her eyes were shining.
"This is going to be an exciting night," she stated when everyone going over early was seated and the jumper was in the air.
John grinned. "I hope you like the ending; I went a bit overboard, but Teyla tells me it is the only good way to end a story."
"Really?" Elizabeth grinned coyly. "How does it end?"
John glanced across the jumper controls at her and made a face. "Be patient; you'll just have to wait until tonight. You don't think I'll give away the ending now, do you?"
"No harm in trying," Elizabeth chuckled.
John smiled, then reached under the pilot controls and pulled out a small parcel. "I was going to wait to give this to you till tomorrow, but since we're going to be in a cave tonight, I thought you could use this."
Elizabeth took the parcel and unwrapped it carefully, the plain brown wrapping paper falling to the floor of the jumper. In her hands she held the most beautiful shawl she had ever seen; thick and warm, and colored with many shades of green. She wrapped it around her shoulders, and her eyes sparkled.
"Thank you John," she said happily. "How did you know green was my favorite color?"
"Lucky guess," he replied wryly. "Merry Christmas Lizabeth!"
"Merry Christmas John."
oOo
Teyla and Ronon were among those who headed over early. They watched in amusement as everyone practically ran towards the cave; John was to finish his storytelling tonight, and everyone was cheerful and excited. The celebration of Nine Nights usually ended with an extra long story time, followed by a joyful parade to back to the village. This evening, the joyful procession would lead to Atlantis, where the Lanteans had offered to put up the Athosians for a couple of nights so they could join in on Christmas. It was going to be a crazy couple of days, but Teyla and Ronon were looking forward to it.
"Never had our people had such a wonderful Nine Nights," Teyla commented as she and Ronon watched people stream toward the caves. "At least, not that I can remember."
"What is this night dedicated for?" Ronon asked.
"Hope," said Teyla happily. "This night, we remember as a people our strength to live on, with the hope that one day we will live free from the Wraith."
Ronon nodded in agreement, and he and Teyla headed up the hill to the caves together. Hope. What a wonderful word to build a future over.
oOo
Elizabeth sat on the shelf-seating near the stage with Carson on one side and Rodney on the other. Both of them had been driving her crazy; they had practically carried her up the hill instead of let her walk, and now were trying to fend off friendly Athosians who kept asking why she had stayed away from the celebrations so long. It was endearing, but annoying all the same, and so in a desperate bid to bring some peace to the situation, she asked Carson to give her a hint of the night's story (John had told her that Carson had helped him with it).
"What?! Me tell you what's going to happen? Never!" Carson stated boldly.
Rodney rolled his eyes at this. "Yeah, Elizabeth, you don't want to know," he stated loudly. "Sheppard's been brutal to you in the story; tonight we're going to be treated to one of the most trite rescue plot-line of all time. A blood transfusion. Where is Sheppard going to get human blood from?"
At this question, several Athosians and some Lanteans were glancing over in complete confusion.
"You may want to be quiet Rodney," Elizabeth said with a sly grin. "People are staring at us."
Rodney rolled his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered. "It's just, no one ever thinks about blood types when they do these things. It drives me nuts when the main characters swap blood. I mean, come on, that could kill you."
"It is fiction Rodney," Elizabeth said with a grin.
"I know, but it's still annoying. What blood type are you?" Rodney asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
Elizabeth grinned wickedly. "I'm A-Positive person."
Rodney looked confused for a moment while Carson chortled. Then, he got it. "Are you sure you're not starting to turn into a Wraith in real life. A pun? Really?" Rodney chided.
"What blood-type is John?" Elizabeth asked Carson, still chuckling.
Carson, deadpan, replied, "he B-Negative."
Both Elizabeth and Carson dissolved into convulsions as they fought the giggles rising up in them, while Rodney lifted his eyes to the ceiling as if to plead to the heavens. Fortunately, it was at this point that the lights were dimmed, which saved them from what was bound to be an irritating lecture on the merits of Rodney-approved literature.
John took the stage one last time, looking wilder than ever before in his mirrored robes and the flickering torchlight. The packed cave grew silent; there was so much anticipation you could probably have cut the air with a knife. John let his eyes travel across the sea of faces, until he found Elizabeth's. He stared her directly in the eyes and watched as she smiled and gave him an almost imperceptible nod. He grinned and took a deep breath.
"When we last left off, Meredith and Bones had headed out to search for supplies in order to carry out a blood transfusion for Queen Beth. Meanwhile, Queen Tala, the Silver Knight, and Evano the Gypsy prince were headed toward Queen Beth's chambers, in the hope that they would be able to liberate her and the Dark Knight. As all this was occurring, the Dark Knight was having the darkest night of his life, watching as the woman he loved fought against the disease that was turning her from human to monster. And now, it's time for the ending to our story."
"Meredith and Bones went running down the hall, Bones running first so that he wouldn't accidentally bump into Meredith while under the influence of the invisibility spell. The invisibility spell was quite a dangerous spell; to cast it was easy but to break it would lash out so much power that it could easily knock down a castle wall; maybe even an entire wing. While it had a body to center around, though, the energy looped around itself, bending even the light around the body so that the subject could not be seen. Bumping into said subject would give you at best a shock. At worst, it could electrocute you. Fortunately, Meredith was wearing some of those stupid rubber Ronald McDonald shoes at the time, so he couldn't shock anyone by just standing near them."
"'Of all the stupid things you could think of to do,' muttered Bones. 'The invisibility spell? Couldn't you do something helpful to do, like transporting us to a lab or something?'"
"'Humph,' Meredith grunted from behind, 'it was all I could think of doing at the time. Besides, you'll be really glad of this when it comes time for us to escape!'"
"'If we live long enough,' Bones replied morosely. Suddenly, he turned a corner and stopped stock still. Meredith, screeching to a halt inches behind him, spat out a 'What?!' in frustration. Then, as he glanced around the corner's edge, he saw what Bones had stopped for.'"
"'That's a lot of clowns,' he whispered as he stared down the hall; the corner they had turned was really a doorway of sorts leading into some great hall that was filled, almost literally, from floor to ceiling with clowns. Tall ones, thin ones, fat ones, short ones, happy ones, sad ones; they all were there, preparing their weapons of seltzer bottles and baseball bats. On the wall high up hung a picture of an army of clowns descending on Gondor, Pennywise and what used to be (they guessed) Queen Beth in the lead."
"'Well, I guess we can tell what they plan to do,' Bones whispered wryly."
"'Yeah, no kidding Sherlock,' muttered Meredith. 'Come on, let's get out of here.'"
"'Wait,' Bones whispered. 'Look on the wall.'"
"Meredith looked over, and saw where Bones was pointing. All along the wall were tubes and needles of all sizes, used for repairing squirting flowers and injecting colored paint. Clowns of all kinds were walking up, taking whatever they needed off the wall, and walking back to their own troupes."
"Bones grinned. 'See you in a moment, Meredith,' he chuckled as he strode confidently into the thicket of clowns. (You must remember Bones was still disguised in his clown outfit.)"
"Meredith watched incredulously as his friend boldly walked up to the wall, grabbed off some fine tubing and some needles, and turned to head back out. No one gave him a second glance. Bones grinned as he walked nonchalantly back to Meredith. Meredith was about to breathe a huge sigh of relief when the worst thing happened."
"'You there!' shouted one of the clowns near the door, presumably a ranking officer of sorts. 'Hey, you, stop! I don't recognize your troupe!' The clown began to walk threateningly toward Bones."
"Bones was almost out the door; he continued walking as if the clown hadn't spoken at all, then once he was out in the hall he leaped around the corner Meredith had been peeking around. Meredith jumped out of the way to avoid shocking him, but ended up running straight into the pursuing clown in the process. A shower of sparks shot out from him, and in two seconds the charred remains of greasepaint lay smoldering on the stone floor. Meredith leaped away from the mess, only to stop again in his tracks. Every clown face was turned to the door; they had watched in shock as one of their leaders seemed to spontaneously combust right in front of them. For a moment no one moved. Then, every clown came running to the door."
"'RUN!' shouted Meredith, and together the two ran back the way they had come, with a whole hall of evil clowns running behind them."
"While they were otherwise occupied, Queen Tala, the Silver Knight, and Evano had been heading up through a dark, dank, twisted, disturbing labyrinth of corridors too terrifying to contemplate, looking for the tower of doom that held their beloved Queen Beth and Dark Knight. ("Going a little overboard on the negative adjectives, isn't he?" Rodney muttered to Elizabeth. She grinned and said, "I think it makes the story more intense." Rodney rolled his eyes. "Yes, I forgot you haven't had to hear this stuff night after night," he muttered.) Evano had promised to get them to Queen Beth's chambers, but at every turn and twist the Silver Knight grew more suspicious; this seemed to be getting them nowhere. Finally, as he was just about to draw his sword and threaten the Gypsy prince again, the man stopped, pointed with his finger like he was a dog pointing out a scent, and said with a mysterious bow, 'There, ahead, is your Queen."
"'Go ahead and look,' Queen Tala said to the Silver Knight. Then, she drew her own sword and pointed it right at Evano's neck. 'No double crosses. If this is a trap, or if this is the wrong tower, you are going to be a headless Gypsy prince.'"
"Evano grinned and held his arms up high, as if to say, 'after you!' The Silver Knight nodded, then drew his sword and began to ascend the stairs. When he got to the top, he noticed a small wooden door that was unbolted. Quietly, on guard, he slid the door open with his foot and eased in across the threshold. He found himself in a rather spacious room, finely furnished, with blood-red stained glass windows. At first, he thought the room was empty; it was difficult to see in the dull red light. But then, he noticed a cage hanging suspended from the ceiling, and he heard a muffled sob come from the corner of the room. He could see no person in the dark corner, though, so he walked over slowly to the cage. As he came nearer, he noticed that there was a body along the bottom of the cage, and he felt his stomach knot as he realized that this could be none other than his friend, the Dark Knight."
(Here John paused for dramatic emphasis. Everyone was hanging on every word; there was not the usual laughing and teasing going on. However, Elizabeth thought that John had better not have made her kill him; what kind of an end would that be?!)
"The Silver Knight was just about to reach out and shake the body in the cage when the body sat bolt upright on its own accord.'"
"'YEAW!' yelped the Silver Knight in surprise, and he watched as the man in the cage, none other than Dark Knight, turned towards him and said, 'Shush!'"
"'Sorry,' the Silver Knight quietly growled, 'but you kind of took me by surprise.'"
"'Sorry about that,' the Dark Knight replied. 'I was trying to hide myself as much as possible; Queen Beth is fighting the final battle with the clown inside herself, and it helps if she cannot see me too well.'"
"'Where is she?' asked the Silver Knight warily."
"'In the corner over there; you can't see her, it is too dark. But she hasn't tried to attack me or anything; she is fighting for all she is worth.'"
"'I see,' the Silver Knight replied. 'Well then, should I let you out, or do you want to stay in the cage?'"
"The Dark Knight shot him a puzzled look. 'Um, yes, let me out! Of course I want out of this cage!'"
"The Silver Knight grinned good-humoredly, and sheathing his sword he drew another knife from his endless supply and began to pick the lock of the cage. 'Just thought I would check,' he stated teasingly. 'You just looked so comfortable in there.'"
"A few moments later, there was a loud 'click,' and the lock fell open. The Silver Knight yanked open the door of the cage, and the Dark Knight leapt nimbly out. 'Where are the others?' he asked as the Silver Knight edged back towards the door."
"'Meredith and Bones went to go get some supplies; Queen Tala and Evano are back down the stairs; let me get them.'"
"'Who's Evano?'"
"'Long story,' the Silver Knight stated. 'Be right back.'"
"Quickly, he headed down the stairs, only to stop again in surprise. Queen Tala was lying on the floor, looking pale and tragic. ("Pale and tragic?" whispered Ronon in confusion. "It's from the movie Clue," Teyla whispered back.) Evano was nowhere to be seen."
"About this time, Bones and Meredith had found themselves beginning the twisted labyrinth that lead up to Queen Beth's chamber. Now, they really had no idea where they were running to; they just ran flat out up any staircase they could find, trying to evade the army of evil clowns. However, once they got in the labyrinth, it was all over. After taking two false turns, they found themselves pinned in a dead end, clowns on every side."
"'Well, that's it. We're done for,' Meredith stated flatly, staring at the army of hundreds licking their pointy chops."
"'Not so!' Bones exclaimed. 'Cast off your invisibility; it'll be too much for them.'"
"'It'll be too much for us too, you moron! If I throw this energy off it'll bring down this entire stone maze, and we'll be buried beneath the rubble.'"
"'Better that than to be eaten by clowns,' Bones observed. 'What have we really got to loose?'"
"Meredith scowled. 'You're right,' he muttered, as he turned to face the clowns head-on. 'Bones, DUCK AND COVER!'"
"Bones slammed himself down onto the floor behind a stone sidewall while Meredith, using everything he had in him, cast off the clinging electricity of the invisibility spell. A bolt of pure white energy shot through the room, taking out dozens upon dozens of clowns in that instant alone whilst simultaneously bringing down the house so to speak. In moments, the entire Labyrinth was in rubble, and Meredith was sinking to his knees in exhaustion. The rest of the clown army that happened to survive took one look at the devastation and ran for their miserable lives."
"Bones had managed to escape both the energy pulse and the destruction that had followed; by either chance or design the only wall left standing was the one he had been hiding behind. He leaped out and looked over the rubble, searching for anything that could be a clue to the whereabouts of his team. Suddenly, he heard someone shout his name. 'Bones!' He looked over towards the sound, and saw to his amazement one corner tower left standing, with only the staircase and floor below exposed to the watery dawn daylight. A figure stood at the bottom of the stairs, waving to him."
"'Silver Knight!' shouted Bones. 'Are you all right?'"
"'No, get over here quick!' he shouted out, panicked. 'Queen Tala's been injured; poisoned or something. And we found Queen Beth!'"
"Bones nodded, snatched his supplies, and jumped over to where Meredith was lying. 'Meredith!' he shouted out, slapping his face. 'Wake up; it's no time to be fainting!'"
"'Passing out, thank you,' grumbled Meredith."
"'Passing out then. Quick; the Queens need us!'"
"Meredith groaned and staggered to his feet, muttering something about damsels in distress. Bones didn't really hear him though; he had bounded away and was leaping over the rubble with the grace and dexterity of a demented gazelle."
(Rodney snickered at the bizarre description of Carson leaping about on the rubble, and even Carson wondered where Sheppard was getting this metaphor.)
"A few minutes later, both men had clambered over the rubble and were standing next to the Silver Knight. After a quick examination, Bones determined that Queen Tala was just sleeping; she had been knocked out with what appeared to be a powder-form sleeping solution."
"'What should we do about it?' Meredith asked."
"'Throw a bucket of water on her; that solves anything. At any rate, it should wash away the rest of the powder!'"
(Rodney grimaced; John was not going to let him forget about his water-on-the-generator incident any time soon.)
"With that, Bones ran up the staircase, only to find Queen Beth in the corner, looking miserable as he had ever seen a human being look, and the Dark Knight watching in sorrow."
"'Poor lass; she's almost gone,' Bones stated solemnly. 'I'm not sure this is going to work now...'"
"'What's going to work?' asked the Dark Knight. 'Bones, if you have a plan, then let's hear it! Is there anything, anything I can do to give her a fighting chance?!'"
"'Bones took a deep breath, nodded, and said quietly, 'I do have something in mind. We're going to need you to sit down, and we're going to need the Silver Knight... let me explain to you what I have in mind."
"Ten minutes later, it was a strange sight to behold in Queen Beth's former quarters. Queen Beth had been tied up; both the Dark Knight and the Silver Knight had to grab her while Meredith and a groggy but completely fine Queen Tala wrapped her around and around with ropes that had been intended for use on the Dark Knight. Queen Beth savagely kicked and screamed the whole time, but in the end everyone managed to accomplish the feat without being bitten. ("What is this, a Zombie flick now?" muttered Dusty to Lieutenant Mickleman.) The Dark Knight had then climbed back into the cage; they needed the power of gravity if this was even going to work. Bones had then connected two needles with one long tube. He inserted one needle into the Dark Knight's arm, then strung the tube down to Queen Beth, who was lying on what passed for a clown bed. He pushed that needle into her arm, then put yet another tube and needle into her other arm and dangled that off the edge of the bed. The result was quite ghastly; blackish-brownish clown blood began to leak out of one arm, while fresh red human blood began to pump into another."
"'It should give her a fighting chance,' Bones replied solemnly. 'All there is to do now is to wait.'"
"WAIT?' a voice hissed from the stairs. 'What have you done?! Oh, my beautiful Queen!' And with that, Pennywise entered the room."
"Queen Tala, Meredith, and the Silver Knight stepped in front of their companions in a protective line, weapons drawn and arms raised. Behind Pennywise was a pitiful band of rag-tag clowns; possibly the only ones he had left to his name. 'You evil, evil people!' he shouted, sounding for all the world like a crazy villain being played by an actor used to acting in bird-cage theater, 'You... spectators! Circus animals! Carnies! How dare you come into my castle, tear it down, and steal my Queen?!'"
"'I could ask you the same thing!' shouted the Dark Knight from his cage. 'In fact, I will. I say, how dare you come into our castle, tear through our plumbing, and steal our Queen?! We're just getting back what is ours, and you are getting your just desserts!'"
"Pennywise looked over at Queen Beth and shrieked. 'What have you done with her?' he howled in dismay. 'All that beautiful clown blood; all her wonderful clownieness; gone gone Gone! You will pay!' And with that, he leaped in a rage towards them."
"Now, I know Queen Beth and the Dark Knight had three great warriors protecting them, but you have to remember that these three were exhausted; Queen Tala was still shaking off the effects of Evano's trick, Meredith was still woozy from knocking over half the castle, and the Silver Knight had been running for such a long time on little to no sleep. When Pennywise jumped into the air; it was almost surreal. The three didn't know what to make of it; they just felt a cold dread in their hearts as they lifted their swords to engage him in battle. But the battle never came; as the clown was descending, claws out, an arrow shot right through where his heart ought to be. Pennywise stopped mid-air, as if he were a kite on a string yanked back, then fell to the ground. The group stared as Evano bow in hand, shouted at them from the doorway 'GET DOWN!'"
"For the second time that day, everyone ducked, and Evano pushed down on a lever attached to his bow. There was a brief spark, then... nothing. Pennywise stood, leering at Evano in distain. 'You're going to have to do better than that, Gypsy boy,' he sneered in derision. 'See, you shot me in the heart, and since I don't have a heart, it doesn't really effect me.' Suddenly the arrow made a beeping noise, and Pennywise's eyes got big. Then, the arrow exploded. Pennywise blew up like a balloon; bits of him went everywhere, yet there was no blood at all, just what looked like colored remains of rubber."
"'Maybe he was never alive after all,' whispered Evano as the entire ruling class of Camelot looked at him with wide eyes. 'Maybe we just made him up in our minds?'"
"That left-field statement snapped everyone out of their confused reviere. Meredith sneered at Evano. 'Remember,' Meredith said, 'that clown killed your entire people. That's not something made up.'"
"Evano grinned a mischievous grin. 'Um, I kind of lied about that; you see, Pennywise didn't kill everyone.' At that, he snapped his fingers, and the ragged clowns that were left and had been cowering in the doorway stepped forward. As one, they reached up to their heads and pulled off... clown masks."
"'As you can see, some of my people managed to survive the onslaught of destruction. We reduced ourselves to the station of Junior Clowns, if only to preserve our race.'"
"As Evano stood there beaming, the Silver Knight suddenly shouted out angrily, 'Wait just a moment! You used us! You put us into extra danger by escaping, and you wanted us to keep Pennywise busy while you rounded up all your cronies, thus taking over the castle in the process.'"
"Evano shrugged, the sly smile still on his face. 'Guilty on all counts. You wanted your queen back, I wanted my kingdom back, I figured it was a fair trade. Besides, look at how much more we were able to accomplish together!'"
"'More like how much we were able to destroy together,' Meredith remarked sarcastically."
("Sounds like you," Elizabeth pointed out to Rodney. Rodney rolled his eyes, but on the inside he was pleased that John thought he could still maintain his humor in such a situation.)
"'Even so!' Evano laughed out. 'But I won't hold you responsible for the destruction; no, you are my honored guests! As soon as you are fit to travel, I will arrange travel for you to head back to your own country. But please; rest up, and my people and I will oust out any more clown troupes we see. And Bones, you may want to take the tube out of the Dark Knight's arm now; he's looking rather pale. So long... for now!'"
"'With that, Evano and his people bounded away, leaving the Gondorians completely puzzled. 'Who even was that man?' slurred the Dark Knight as Bones took out the needle and bandaged his arm tightly."
"'It's a long story,' Queen Tala began. 'You see, when we split up we came across this Gypsy prince..."
"It was a long couple of days for the intrepid band of friends. They were reunited with each other, but were exhausted to the core. Queen Beth managed to fight off the clown inside; the human blood gave her a fighting chance, and she pulled herself through (although by sheer will-power alone). (Elizabeth shivered at the memory of her time with the Nanites, but was strangely pleased to hear the pride in John's tone. "He respects me for that," she thought happily.) During her recovery, she and the Dark Knight made up for fighting, and the Dark Knight renewed his vows to protect her always. In a few days she was looking normal, at least; her hair had come back it's natural dark brown and her face was no longer the dead pale face of the Clown."
"They stayed with Evano, though not for long. Even though he pledged to be their ally and Queen Beth had promised their countries would have friendly relations, they did not want to visit; the castle held too many terrifying memories for everyone. And also Evano; no one really trusted him. How can you really know the motives of a man who carries C4 in his pockets? (Lorne beamed at the friendly jab his way.) So, it was with a happy spirit that the six triumphant members of the court of Camelot rode back to their country on the third day of their stay. They were driven to the border of Volkswagen in none other than a VMW Beetle; the Dark Knight had to swallow his fear of those tiny death traps for the sake of a quick ride home. The gypsy court ran with them to the border of the city, waving tattered colored streamers, and all throughout the land different performers were coming out of the gray ugly hills."
"'Perhaps it will not be so bad after all,' Queen Tala commented as they reached the border of Gondor. 'After all, we have an ally now.'"
"'Once a clown, always a clown,' growled the Silver Knight, and the Dark Knight was tempted to agree. However, for the sake of keeping peace with their Queens, the knights said no more on the subject. When they reached the border of the city of Camelot, they left the Beetles and watched as they drove back to their own country. Then, the six faced their land, the winter kingdom. All of them felt such joy to be back, Queen Beth most of all."
"They began walking down the main road of the city, and everyone who glanced out their window and saw them walking by ran out to join the parade. Soon, there was a parade the likes the people of Camelot had never seen, and presumably never would see again. The people ended the parade at the gates to the castle of Camelot, which were promptly thrust open to welcome all who would come in. All the people were overjoyed, and there was great partying and feasting. The Queens gave honors to Meredith the Lore-Master, Bones the Court Physician, the Dark Knight, and the Silver Knight. But the most precious gift that came out of the whole experience by far was not something you could eat or not an honor you could tag onto your name. The most precious gift they discovered was hope; hope that things could be different. Hope that, in the face of insurmountable odds, their people could band together and still come out victorious. Hope for the will to survive, hope for all the people to carry on well when one person was taken. And it was with this hope that the court of Camelot banded together, and this hope they used for the building of their future."
"The End."
As John finished, there was dead silence for a moment or two, as everyone imagined the final scenes of their ninth-night story. Then, with a deafening roar of applause, the Athosians leaped up onto the platform, grabbed John, and hoisted him onto their shoulders.
"A parade we'll have; all the way to Atlantis!" one of them shouted, and the next thing the Lanteans knew they were swept up in a giant parade toward the direction of the jumpers. Not one person missed out on the merriment, and in minutes the entire cave was empty as everyone headed over to Atlantis to celebrate Christmas Day. Left alone at last, the echoes of the cheering crowds died away within the cave, and there it sat, ready and empty, to be used again any time the Athosians had need of it.
