Main Profiles of the P6 Fan Fiction Other things created by the P6 Assorted Other Tidbits Links to Other Sites





    Blackout
    Another Khystra Adventure


    "That's the fifth victim in a month. What the Void have you been up to, howling at the moon? It's your job to kill these guys! " the large white wolf hissed, referring to the news report displayed on the man-sized crystal ball. There was a serial killer, it seemed, in Seacouver.
    The even larger red wolf eyed him, wondering how easy it would be to snap his neck. "You're not head of this pack yet, Hiro. I take my orders from Mother, not you. And besides, it's your job too. It's everyone's job, remember? Everyone." Not just me, you big stupid shit-for-brains, she added silently.
    "Yeah, well isn't that your territory? What's that stupid human pit called . . . oh yeah - Seacouv- ah! "
    The red female was on him before he could finish the last word. She slid her nose under his jaw, and fastened her teeth around his neck. With one immense jerk, he was flat on his back, feet waving futilely in the air. Her teeth winnowed through the thick ruff of fur around his throat, her sharp fangs dimpling the flesh underneath. A paw almost the size of a phone book pinned him to the ground. Hiro knew he'd gone too far. He relaxed against his sister's fangs and paws, his tail curling up instinctively to protect his privates. "Sorry! I'm sorry!" He felt her teeth tighten. The one and only way he knew of killing a nature spirit- like him- was if the act was performed by another nature spirit.
    "What do we have here? " the two sprang apart, looking guilty, foolish, and all those other things kids feel when they're caught by their mother. Hiro hung his head. His sister spit white fur out of her mouth and growled menacingly at him. "That's enough, Cal. "
    "She's not a Cal. She's a big bitch!" Hiro spit out.
    "And that's enough of that, too. Hiro, what have you said this time? " Moro rolled her eyes. Pups never changed. Always fighting.
    "He insulted my hunting ability AND my territory!" Khystra said indignantly.
    Hiro busied himself looking elsewhere. He became "fascinated" with the scene outside the window. "Me? What?" he said distractedly, as if watching a couple boar piglets play frisbee with a fruit bat goddess and a fox god weren't commonplace enough.
    "You two, always fighting. " Moro's voice grew grim. "Your talents in the art of battle will be put to the test tonite, my kitlings. "
    Hiro and Khystra looked up, alert. "Mother, what's wrong?" Khystra asked softly.
    "Tonite we expose ourselves. Tonite we are needed. " Moro paused, letting the words sink in. She could imagine what her pups were thinking. Expose themselves? Now? After hiding for more than six thousand years? "There is a citywide power failure in the city of New York. We failed them when we could not stop the fall of the World Trade Center, " This was true, there had been no warning. Man did not sent ripples into the WorldPool when he did wrongs, not like nature-beings did. "We will not fail them now. "
    Khystra nodded, turning away from her mother to look out the window. Far below, in the innocent continent of Dinotopia, life continued as if nothing were wrong. "Sun'll be setting soon. If we wanna get there before all hell breaks loose, we'd better do it now." Hiro nodded, quarrel forgotten.
    "You wanna call Robyn an' the guys?" Hiro knew how good Robyn and the other could be in a fight.
    "I dunno if I should." Khystra said, already harnessing the powerful nature magick that would teleport them across the ocean to New York. "I dunno if she'd wanna get involved."
    "She's your friend, isn't she?" Hiro muttered, switching from his normal horse-sized white wolfiness to a tall young man who was the spitting image of the deceased Brandon Lee. "She'll understand.
    Khystra transformed herself, and chewed her lip as energy swirled around her. "I mean, she knows I fight demons, and demons'll be standing on the sidelines with their knives and forks between their teeth, just waiting for things to get bad. I mean, demons live for this crap. Nothing-"
    Hiro interrupted her. "Nothing gives a demon a boner like riot-rage and human suffering. Yeah, you're preaching to the converted, sister-dear. I was a Tiannamen, remember?" Hiro still wore his battle-scars with pride. Not that godlings truly scarred, at least, not for long, but Hiro made his scars stay, all the same.
    Males were so weird.

    Robyn, Nikki, Tal, Riley, and Willow were all hanging out at the bar, when Khystra, Hiro (whom they had yet to meet), and Moro appeared in a dazzle of paisley-tinted octarine. Willow jumped. It was understandable. She'd never seen two horse-sized wolves and a truck-sized wolf teleport into the bar.
    The red wolf (Khystra), stepped forward. "Hey, Will, Riley! It's great to see you!" Pause "Wanna wolfy-type hug?"
    "Kuh-kuh-Khystra?" Willow stammered. Riley just nodded. Khystra was the only dog-type she'd ever met who didn't smell like a dog. Khystra hopped forward and hugged. It was still nice. Sorta furry, warm, and pleasing.
    "Yup. It's me, Will, in the fur."
    "Social call?" Robyn asked.
    "We wish. We have come to ask for your help. " Khystra was amazed. Moro was asking? But why? "My sweet kitling feared rejection, so I ask instead. You would not begrudge a god, would you? "
    The smaller white wolf rolled his eyes. "Subtle, mom. Real subtle."
    Moro ignored him, and continued. "The time has come that we nature-beings must expose ourselves. " Tal covered his eyes. Moro ignored him too. "There is a citywide power failure in New York. And the sun is setting. "
    Robyn frowned. "You're gonna help a bunch of humans? What for? I thought you guys didn't get along with the world of adults."
    The smaller white wolf stepped toward Robyn. First, he introduced himself. " Hi, I'm Khystra's older brother, Hiro. There, now you all know me. There. Now I'll explain." He saw the scared look Willow gave the three wolves. "Yo, c'mon pack mates, let's show a little skin, shall we?" The others nodded, shivered, and were human again. "Better, pretty eyes?" He asked Willow.
    Riley hugged her closer.
    Hiro held his hands up. "Hey, babe, I'm not movin' in on your territory. I'm just stating a fact." (Well, Willow DOES have pretty eyes!) "Anyway, as to why we're gonna help a bunch of flesh-bags,"
    "Hiro! " Khystra hissed.
    Hiro shrugged, and continued. "See, demons are attracted to human strife and riot-rage, and that's what's gonna happen when the sun sets in the Big Apple. They'll go after the cops, firemen, people like that first, just 'cause that'll make things break down faster. We have to protect the good guys from the slimy bad guys. And we wanna know if you'll help us. There'll be a lot of us down there, but hey, you guys kick ass in a fight."
    Robyn shrugged. "Sure, it beats sitting around doing nothing."
    You really would? I mean, its gonna be rough. And there'll be huge animals everywhere." Khystra asked again.
    Nikki nodded. "Sounds like a blast."
    Moro smiled. "Good. My kitling Khystra will lay down the ground rules. "
    "Okay, here's how it works. You all will be under our care. You've got our smell on you, as far as all the other big critters are concerned, you are our pack-mates." Pause, smile. "We'll be fighting humans here, so try not to kill unless there's no other way," Khystra looked meaningfully at Robin. "Yeah, I mean you," Robyn frowned. "We stick together, no stragglers. Protect the humans you're with. They'll be cops. They'll be jumpy already. You'll be spelled so if one of them gets trigger-happy and shoots you, the slug won't penetrate, but don't get cocky."
    "There is something else to worry about. There is . . . a force in New York. " Moro said in low tones.
    Khystra turned. "Mom?"
    Moro faced her, and explained, speaking in the growling language of the wolves. Khystra's eyes grew wide. "We hid it, they hid it, " Moro said finally. "It will use the riot-rage to gain power and escape. "
    "What? Where?" Tal asked, twitching. A lot. But this is normal. When he doesn't twitch, then you worry.
    "Ever read H.P. Lovecraft? Where there used to be all these Elder Gods ruling everything, and how mankind is only a recent development?" Nods all around. "And that there are all these big slimy space monsters waiting on the edge of Creation to tear everything apart, if they're given half a chance?" More nods. "Well, it's kinda like that."
    "Bullshit." Tal muttered.
    Hiro growled low in his throat, and Khystra kicked him. He yelped and moved out of reach. Bigger male or not, he obviously deferred to his sister. A lot. "It's true, pal. There's this place, in Tennessee, full of bad shit. Ain't nothing normal there" His sister winced, thinking the grammar police were going to get him. "Laws of Nature nor genetics apply there."
    "But that's Tennessee. Not here." Willow said.
    Hiro licked his lips suggestively at Willow, and Khystra bit his left tail, hard enough to make him yip. "Sorry, babe. Mebbe it's in Tennessee, but there's a critter who ain't. Someone brought it here, an' it's gonna escape tonite. It feeds on fear, an' human blood."
    Khystra dropped her head. "Children's blood." Then, "Normal weapons don't hurt it. Human magic doesn't either. Only . . . faery magic, or nature magic. Know any spells, Robyn?"
    Robyn shook her head. "I have my sword. It's a piece of my soul."
    Khystra grinned. "Good. Then the snake-critter's yours. The scent should be unmistakable, when you come close. Be prepared for a heck of a fight. Its hide can turn aside high-powered rifle fire."
    Moro stepped forward. "We waste too much time bantering. I will cast the armor-spell. " Moro growled a few words in her own language, the air around Riley, Willow, Nikki, and Robyn shimmered, and the mystic armor appeared, as if it had grown out of their skin.
    Robyn looked down at herself, then at her twin. They looked more like they were going rollerblading then off to battle. "I kinda expected more than this." Helmet, wrist-guards, you get the idea. That was all the mystic armor amounted to.
    "The armor protects you as much as you need. " Moro indicated with her chin. Willow and Riley were covered top to toe. "We must go. Now. "
    Khystra sighed. "Let's go kick some New Yorker ass, shall we?" She said in a low voice. Robyn eyed her. This didn't sound like the tough were-chick she knew. What was up?
    Moro spoke again, more wolf-words, and reality spun. And then, they were in New York, standing amongst some very frightened cops done up in riot gear.
    They fanned out, away from the cops. The armor gave off a weak it's-good-to-avoid-us spell, so the crowd moved back. The three wolves took point, at present, in their human forms. Then, with a shiver, they changed. And then the sky and surround area was alive with other large and strange beasts. A fruit bat the size of a Cessna zoomed in low, her ultrasonic shrieks battering some of the more violent rioters into submission. A boar the size of a diesel train engine jumped out of nowhere and onto a burning bread truck, squashing it flat as a pancake and quite efficiently put out the fire. Moro growled, baring teeth more suited to a T Rex's mouth.
    Khystra figured that her mother would just warn everyone off. That's usually all it took. People took one look at a giant talking wolf, and the nerve broke. They'd take off, hide in their little human dens. Pass it off as mass hysteria. Figure that they came to their senses and went home. That's how Moro usually handled these things.
    She was wrong. Moro abruptly sat down on her haunches, raised her head toward the night sky, and let out a long mournful howl. Khystra and her brother took up the descant, their voices weaving around their mother's lament.
    The howl resonated within everyone, causing emotions and memories to surface. Loss, pain, guilt. Friends, family, loved ones, hurt by what was happening. The loss of a friend, the keen pain of separation. When this was over, what would be felt? Happiness, joy? No, this would be a dark stain on memory, bringing forth only torment and shame. Humans were beyond this dark pack behavior, beyond this irrational conduct. Or were they? The wail forced the rioters to take stock in what they were doing, the shame they were bringing to themselves. The roar of the riot subsided, drowned out by the howl. People began to look around, embarrassed at what they were doing. Some, many, began to cry. And most left.
    The howl died away. Now only those remained whose consciences had no effect on them, or who didn't have a conscience at all. Those weren't human. "You spoiled our fun, you bitch!" One hissed, showing teeth more suited to a predatory animal's mouth.
    Khystra turned to her mother. "Since when is the term "bitch" an insult to our kind?" He mother smiled. Khystra turned back to the creature, who was now beginning to shed his humanity. "I guess it's true what they say. Demons really are too stupid to come up with original insults."
    The demon's face turned red. Whether this was because he actually understood what she said or that was his natural coloration was unsure. Then Khystra tackled him, and then it was a moot point. Her teeth closed around his head and crunched in. His body jittered as his brains squirted out onto the ground. Pressing a large paw onto his chest, Khystra levered her jaw backwards, and tore the demon's head off. She spit it at the feet of his comrades, and gave them all a rapacious grin, rimmed with the demon's clotting blood. "Next?"
    And the true war began.

    Robyn and the others split up, hoping to cover as much ground as possible. There wasn't much time.
    Moving into a ground-eating lope that she was sure Moro would approve of, Robyn headed toward the poorer, more populated areas. She had a feeling that this was where the creature would strike. She kept an eye out for trouble, all of her otherworldly senses open to the world around her. She dropped her human appearance as she ran, ignoring the confused stares of the few sensitives she passed who could see through Moro's spell. If the Furry Ones were correct, she would need all of her concentration to deal with the creature.
    Robyn ran, enjoying the exercise, the carefully constructed layers of her humanity peeling away like the layers of an onion. The sound of her breathing stopped, since she no longer needed to keep up the semblance. The only sound was that of her feet hitting the ground, and even that was whisper-quiet. Her ankle-length hair streaming behind her like a banner, she started down a street in New York's Chinatown, ignoring the people she passed. They were not her concern. The others would deal with any trouble caused by humans. Her only objective was the Thing.
    Most of the innocents had made their way home in the heart-wrenching wake of the Furry One's mournful howl, the only violence Robyn saw now was against property. She had opened her mind to Nikki completely, and knew that nothing she saw would go unpunished. The others were following in her wake, using her eyes as their guide.
    Still she ran, following her instincts, and trusting to her luck. New York was a big city, but Robyn knew she would find was she was looking for. As she passed the dark mouth of an alleyway, time seemed to slow, and she knew before she saw anything, that these creatures were after her. Five of them streamed out of the alley armed with lengths of pipe and chain, and the dark pulsing shapes that surrounded them instead of auras warned that they would not be easily drive from her path.
    "We challenge you little brightling. We will feast on your strength, and dance on your bones, " the pulsing dark light swirled and contorted, leaving another five opponents in her path. Robyn couldn't tell which were demons, and which were possessed humans. She would have to fight carefully. She had promised no few people that she would kill humans only when lives were at stake. If this fight lasted too long though...
    "Bummer for you," she looked at the creature that had spoken. "I don't have any of those." Taking advantage of the confusion that had cost her, she launched herself at the one that seemed to be the leader, knowing that evil and cowardice often walked hand in hand. If she stopped that one, the others might flee. She had no time to waste on this little annoyances. When she stepped in close, she could hear the hum of magic, and knew this was a demon. Her power flared, and her sword appeared in her hand, just as she reached for the pulsing glow of its aura.
    "Forged steel cannot hurt me little brightling, " it said, and began to laugh.
    "Lucky for me it's not steel then, huh?" Robyn twisted the sword as she drove it into the demon up to the hilt. The magic that had forged her soul into a blade was goddess born, and goddess blessed; this little pest was not strong enough to withstand it. The power of her khi reacted to the darkness of the demon, and flared again, sending the creature back to the hell it had been released from. She turned to the others and was disappointed that they did not turn and run. Obviously they feared the Thing more than her. Silly demons.
    They all advanced on her at once humans and demons, and still she could not sense which was which until they were upon her. The humans soon became obvious. Even possessed they could not keep up to the demons. The first one that came at her almost lost its life, before she realize what it was. Robyn caught him alongside the head with the pommel of her sword, cutting at the darkness that oozed from him as he collapsed to the pavement.
    The creatures again advanced attacking from all sides, and Robyn met them all. Bits of pipe and links of chain clattered to the ground as she divested them of their weapons, surprising them with moves they thought impossible. She beheaded two of the demons with one move, and easily kicked the human behind her in the head never letting the others out of her sight. Two more humans got tangled in their own piece of chain, as the demon between them stumbled onto the blade of her sword. As it disappeared, the two stumbled and fell, taking themselves out of the fight as they landed painfully on the pavement. The two who remained looked at the feral grin on her face and turned to run. The demon was destroyed in a flash of light as she impaled it from behind. The human she ignored, as she continued on her quest, leaving the unconscious humans for the police.
    She knew that her friends were in danger. She worried the most about her best friend Riley and Riley's beloved Willow. They were human, and if she failed in her task, Moro's magic wouldn't be able to protect them. She ran faster, thinking warm thoughts to her friends, letting them know she was okay, and that she worries about them. The warmth that returned to her energized her, giving her strength and purpose. She would win because she could not fail.
    Lady protect us all, Robyn prayed. Keep my friends safe.
    There was no power, all of the lights were out across New York, the only light in the city filtered down from the full moon. Everything looked peaceful and full of hope. Finally Robyn made it to the projects and heard the cries of frightened children, and the shouts of frightened adults. The Thing was here somewhere, and she just had to find it. Stop it from draining the life from all of these helpless people. And still she ran, in and out through condemned buildings, up and down deserted streets. It was here somewhere. Her instincts and her luck told her she was nearing her goal.
    A horrible sound overtook her, and she followed the horrible sound of a scared child's dying scream. Now she could smell it, the Furry Ones had told her this Thing had a distinctive smell. Apparently they were masters of understatement. There was the smell of decomposing garbage, and rotting corpses, toxic waste and arsenic. Still the child screamed, and Robyn only hoped that she would reach it in time to save it from the Thing. She prayed again, asking that the child live to see another day, with sunshine and flowers, remembering this night as nothing more than a horrible frightening nightmare, banished with the rising sun.
    As she rounded the final corner, Robyn finally saw the Thing . . .
    Surrounded by a pile of children's barely stripped bones, the creature was about the size of a pony, built like a dog, and covered head to tail in shining black scales. It tilted a reptilian head towards Robyn, a brownish tongue slithering out of its fang-rimmed mouth and tasting the air. Robyn swore the damn thing smiled when it got her scent.
    The evil came off it in waves, nauseating Robyn. Even the most insensitive human could feel the demonic energy radiating from this thing. It was the live equivalent of a plutonium core rod. Robyn sighed. When would humans learn that creatures like this were best left where they were. Especially if where they were was encased in Ferro concrete and launched into space.
    "Time to die, you genetic nightmare. " Robyn growled, brandishing her sword. The creature rose, flexing sinuous muscles, and yawned, showing too many teeth. Robyn knew she could handle this, she was immortal, and no inbred disaster was going to stop her now, but she still felt a shiver of fear looking at those teeth. Bet every one is poison, too, she thought, waiting for Big Ugly to make the first move.
    The creature bent down, taking a bloody child's skull between its jaws, and crushed it to splinters with a single snap. Robyn growled, but refused to be forced into action. She was mad, sure, and this thing was gonna wish it was never born, but she wasn't going to fall for its goading. The creature ground its teeth in frustration, saliva dripping from its lips. The drool hit the cracked concrete and ate into it, bubbling as it went. Yuck.
    It sprang. It was fast, Robyn had to give it that. But not fast enough. Her sword glittered as it passed, opening a long gash along its flank. Brackish blood splattered from the wound, and Robyn wisely got out of its way. "See, I'm not just a pretty face. " The creature turned around to face her again, ignoring the damage, even though yellowish bone glinted through the welter of blood. It snarled, and sprang again.
    This time, Robyn stood her ground. At the last second, she ducked, and stuck her sword unto the creature's soft underbelly as it leaped overhead. Unable to stop, the creature squalled as Robyn's sword opened up its underbelly, spilling entrails everywhere. Due to her elven abilities, Robyn managed to get out of the way before the guts fell on her.
    The creature collapsed in a tangle of limbs, groaning in what Robyn hoped was deepest agony. "Now, if I were truly nasty, I'd just leave you here. But if I do that, I'll be no better than you. " Robyn swung her sword, and the snake-thing's head bounced off the far wall. The few remaining children it hadn't gotten to rushed towards her. Robyn went "human" just so she wouldn't scare them. They'd been scared enough. "C'mon let's get you someplace safe. " she said, leading them around the rapidly liquefying carcass and out into the dark night.
    Only now, it didn't seem quite so dark.

    Talon began his hunt . . .

    He ran, shifting and changing through the darkness, unleashing the black core of chaos incarnate that not even his closest companions knew he possessed. No longer a slender human in denim jacket and a ball cap, minor evils flared and died as he passed them without even a thought. He sought bigger prey. The lithe mass of blackness that he had become poured through a doorway and paused, testing the air. Talon preferred the feline form for this sort of hunt, it seemed right. White markings showed dull grey against his black fur, and were echoed by the silver inlay of his armor, breaking up his outline in the darkness. His long handled guan knife came to his hand as he caught the scent he sought, and fangs gleamed in the aftermath of a growling purr.
    A beast. Not the beast, but one deadly and dangerous all the same. Talon stalked silently through the apparently abandoned building. There was life here, he felt the random stirrings in his soul, the joyous chaos that was life, but it was in hiding. Something gnawed at the edges of it, grinding it away, reducing it to nothing. Bringing it to...peaceful orderliness.
    The powerful symbols forged into the very metal of his guan flared as the axe-handled knife clashed with the blade sweeping towards him. Talon stood up to his full height and looked his assailant in the eyes as the two faced each other. An Elf, one of Robyn's mortal kindred from the world of Avalon. But one of the secret cult who worshiped orderliness. They sought to bring peace to the universe by destroying chaos, they sought to destroy Talon himself along with every other living thing.
    Talon laughed out loud as the two battled, their blades sweeping and crashing together. This little one did not even know. Ages before, in a time the Elves themselves no longer remembered, that secret deadly cult had formed the soul of chaos with the purpose of destroying it. They themselves were mother and father to Talon, the great destroyer of their cause.
    Talon tired of the exercise. He used his guan in his left hand to trap the elf's long sword as his great dadao style battle sword appeared in his right hand. Again, powerful symbols that were forged directly into the damascene blade, a blade forged of death-metal, flared as they cleaved through elven flesh. The elf could not even scream as he slumped to the ground, staring in horror at the seared and smoking stumps of his arms. This one would never fight again, never directly harm life. But he would live himself, and continue to add to the randomness of the universe.
    The young man in the denim jacket and a faded ball cap hummed an off key tune as he made his way back towards his companions, merrily punching or kicking passing demons as the opportunity presented itself.

    Cal chomped a soulless human, send guts and blood flying. This would be a lot easier if you guys didn't taste so good. She thought to herself, licking her chops and surveying the rapidly diminishing crowd.
    A demon with a head shaped like a pear darted down a narrow alley. "No one gets away!" Cal shouted bravely, and jumped neatly over the others, and promptly bonked herself in the face on the extremely narrow alley walls. She plopped backwards on her butt, and shook her head. "Oh, now that was elegant." she muttered, and transformed into her walking wolf form. Still, she couldn't pass through the brick entrance. Cal rolled her eyes and went human, and trotted into the alleyway.
    The alley crooked left, then right. Cal approached cautiously. The sounds of the battle began to fade. She stepped forward, into a small alcove. No sign of the pear-demon. Then . . . a hand snaked out of what she had assumed was darkness and pulled her backwards. Something that felt like an ice pick jabbed just under her right eye. "Don't move, bitch!" the ice pick jabbed for emphasis.
    Cal stopped and rolled her eyes again. Now she could scent human. At first, it was just garbage, rat fur, and the lingering stink of exhaust. Another youth stepped out of the shadows, within Cal's line of sight. His scent was also partially masked by the surroundings, but with his came the odor of lust. Oh, subtle, she thought as he reached down between his legs and began to . . . Cal whipped her head backwards, feeling the icepick-wielding scumball's jaw splinter under her assault. Mr. Massage stopped, his eyes widening. Mr. Icepick's arm loosened and Cal wrenched away. "Now, of course, I'm gonna have to kill you for making me loose my target." she said conversationally, stepping towards Mr. Massage.
    Yet another human leapt out of the shadows, gliding effortlessly between Cal and her intended target. Something glittered in his right hand an instant before the hunting knife sunk into Cal's chest, neatly between the fifth and sixth rib. "Ack." Cal staggered backwards, and sat down hard, watching the knife bob up and down in time to her heartbeat.
    Mr. Massage and Mr. Knife exchanged glances. "How can we have fun with her if she's dead?" Mr. Massage wanted to know.
    "Don't bother me if she's dead." Mr. Knife giggled.
    Cal gasped hugely, and coughed a gout of blood onto the concrete. "You . . . creeps . . . I . . . really . . . liked . . . this . . . shirt!" The humans looked startled. Cal wrapped her hand around the handle and prepared to pull out the blade. "Now I will kill you until you die from it!" She crowed triumphantly and . . . someone stepped into her path.
    What is this? A tag team? She thought, and then changed her mind as the new human booted Mr. Massage in the genitals hard enough for Cal to hear his pelvis fracture. He went down, but not before the new human kicked him squarely in the face. His nose exploded like a bomb. He jittered as he fell, and Cal realized that when the new human had kicked him that second time, he'd sent bone fragments into the creep's lack-of-brain. Mr. Knife swung a fist. The new human grabbed that fist and squeezed. Crunch. Mr. Knife squealed, his voice proving him to be a lot younger than he appeared. The new human lifted a foot, and braced it against Mr. Knife's shoulder.
    Rip.
    Cal sniffed the air, filtering out all the other smells. But the new human's scent marked him as human. How could a normal human be so strong? The new human turned to face her, concern on his (yowza!) features. "Don't move, miss. You've been injured." His hands moved towards the knife, abut stopped. By all rights, she should be dead. "Don't touch that." his voice was soft, soothing. Cal looked up into his hazel eyes and tried not to blush. There was a cute guy paying attention to her! Instantly, she was tongue-tied. She didn't know how to flirt, and this wasn't exactly the best set of circumstances in which to start.
    She heard her mother's warning growl. Her ears were tuned to hear anything her mother uttered. This one was to warn whatever was in the alley that if it didn't cease and desist all hostile actions, she would come in there and rip its head off its shoulders. Cal stepped out of the cute guy's comforting hands. She glanced down at the blade and pulled it out, tossing it aside. His eyes went wide. Blood splurted out of the wound once, twice, and stopped. Cal gave herself one last chance to look into those gorgeous hazel eyes. And found herself babbling.
    "Gee thanks. Y'know, that was really great of you, helping me like that. Those guys wrecked my shirt, and everything! Uhm, I gotta go, my mom's calling me! " He had a scar, a nasty one across his face. "I can fix that, y'know. " She reached out, he didn't pull away, and stroked her hand over the scar, under her hand, the scar disappeared. She took her hand away, not really wanting to. "See? All better. It was real nice meeting you, but my mom's calling! Bye!" she turned, her face flaming, and dashed out of the alley.
    He watched her go. Geez, he thought, she's pretty. And then he followed her out of the alley.
    And exited the alley just in time to watch the pretty girl transform into a red wolf the size of a horse. A wolf with two tails, no less. And the wolf wasn't alone. There were two others. One the size of a cow, and the other the size of a big truck. There were other big animals around too. Just what's happening here? Agent Riley Finn asked himself as the red wold lunged forward and nipped what appeared to be a chaos demon clean though the middle.
    "Riley!" a very familiar voice called. Agent Finn turned. Willow?
    "Willow?"
    The armor-clad redhead jogged over and embraced him. "Welcome to the battle! Hey, its great to see you!"
    "Willow, what's going on?" Agent Finn was shocked by how scared his voice sounded.
    Willow ducked, pulling Finn down with her. A piece of something red and leaking flew past them. "I can explain!" she hissed. "The animals are nature gods. They're helping the police fight the bad guys and stop the riot!" She turned back to battle, uttered a spell, and sent a gargoyle-like creature flying from another armor-clad form. The form turned, gave Willow a thumbs up and turned back to the battle. Finn frowned. "That's Riley."
    "I'm Riley." Finn frowned again.
    Willow laughed. "So's she! Look, we gotta get back. Just find a wolf to fight by!" She pointed at the various wolves. "The biggest is Moro, the clan leader. The littler white is Hiro, and the red is Khystra, but I think you know her!" Willow gave Finn one last hug and went to fight beside her Riley. Finn went to stand beside the red wolf, Khystra.
    The ground rumbled. "Subway?" Finn asked, and then the road in front of them exploded upwards, blowing clunks through nearby buildings. " Not a subway."
    In the gaping ruin stood a large, lumpy green creature, possessing far too many tentacles, and lots of slime. The Natures spirits recognized it immediately. The only earthbound creature who could harm them. But, he was supposed to be, if not a good guy, at least an ambivalent one. Moro stepped forward, riot forgotten. " Cthulhu. You do not belong here."
    The critter, Cthulhu, grinned (maybe). It had a gruesome thatch of tentacles where its mouth should have been, so it was hard to tell. " Moro." it lisped. "I wondered when you'd figure it out." It pulled itself out of the hole, collapsing the roadway as it did so. Everyone present got the distinct impression it was far larger than it presently was. Another wormy grin. "Perhaps I have grown tired of standing on the sidelines. Now, I work to bring down the fall of mankind! Now they will be our toys! Not the other way around. I start with this white witch of yours, her power is too much of a threat!" And with that, it reared back, and belched out a blast of pure darkling energy, straight at Willow.
    "NO!" Khystra threw herself to the side, knocking Finn flat on his back. She barreled into Willow, sending her sprawling. The blast of energy enveloped Khystra.
    The energy faded immediately, leaving Cthulhu shaken and panting. When it realized it had missed its target, Cthulhu's vestigial eyes widened. "Stupid animal! That was all my energy!"
    "Khystra!" Moro shrieked, her fur bristling. Before everyone's eyes, she grew, matching Cthulhu in size. Around her rump, other tails blossomed, going from the two everyone thought she had, to fourteen luxurious tails. "You. Have. Killed. Her." Moro hissed. The others spun. The small ashen heap that used to be the goddess in training did not move. Moro's eyes flared with icy fury and she opened her huge maw, but instead of a howl, a blast of pure, glacial Creation's energy emerged, cloaking Cthulhu completely. It squealed in sudden pain, dwindling rapidly, and winking out in a flash of black light. Moro turned her snout to the stars and howled again, long and infinitely mournful.
    The riot dispersed. It was over.
    But this time, there were too many victims.

    The end . . . for now.

    Of course, as anyone can tell you, no one stays dead in the Buffy-Psychoverse for very long . . .

    Part 2




    Main * Profiles * Fanfics * Creativity * Awards * Links/Rings