From: Bandraptor <bandraptor@aol.com> Subject: [PW!][NC] Here There be Monsters Date: Saturday, June 19, 1999 7:16 AM >As if the Shift knew the world was coming to an end, it closed up as >the shock wave passed over the beach. From space, it looked like a >meteor hit the Earth as it split in half. With some minor explosions >here and there, then the Earth just gave up, and destroyed itself. There was a terrible ghastly silence. There was a terrible ghastly noise. There was a terrible ghastly silence. ^____________^ > ><Switch!!> > >Car'tos stood as soon as he came out of the Shift. Realizing where they >had landed, Car'tos gasped. The red sky and golden clouds told him >where he was. >"Tie'nek..." >He turned his head, and saw how Nori was..... * * * It was a memory of a dream There was darkness, nothing but darkness And in the midst of all that darkness, there stood a little girl The red "R" on her chest was distorted, by the red blood, pouring from her stomach The Scyther responsible, stared back at her, unblinking Its master was cloaked in shadows, just like the room itself A voice rang out, inside her mind *You have failed me.* A Meowth stepped out of the darkness before her *You have betrayed me.* Owning the gait, of one who was mortally wounded *You have betrayed me, by dying.* It approached the girl, with an expression of contempt *For when you die...* Took hold of the Scyther's blade *...I die as well.* And pushed it in deeper... * * * Car'tos held Nori tightly, and watched, as the girl's eyes slowly fluttered open. "Cold." she whispered, snuggling up against his chest. The Tie'nek let out a sigh of relief. "The Chronoshift... it healed our injuries. You're going to be all right." "Pity." Rubix grumbled. "What was that?" Car'tos asked, dangerously. "It's a pity," Rubix glowered, "that I left Mikado back at the ATR base, to take care of those fashion rejects. Otherwise, I'd have it Dragon Rage the lot of you." The Wartortle winced, as Car'tos stepped on his head. "Where are we?" Nori asked, gaping at the blood red sky. "Tie'nek." Car'tos responded. "This is my home." "The air smells funny..." she noted, suddenly feeling lightheaded. "It's different from Earth air," he replied. "Good! Maybe you'll all suffocaaaaate..." Rubix gloated, before passing out from asphyxiation. Nori pulled out Rubix's pokéball, and recalled him, before fainting herself. Concerned, Car'tos pulled off his own breathing mask, and stuck it over Nori's head. "That any better?" he asked, tapping the side of the helmet gently, to wake her up. "Uh-huh." Black Hole snickered, behind his hand. Being part robot, he, of course, had no need to worry about little things, such as oxygen. (Also, Nori looked ridiculous with the mask on. Also, Car'tos looked ridiculous without the mask on.) Nori felt wasted. She had a right to be, after all, she'd just survived being shot. Or dying, and coming back to life. Or something. If Car'tos had ordered her to remain in his arms for the rest of the trip, she wouldn't have minded. But since he hadn't, and since he and BH were fellow Rockets, and she didn't want them to think of her as a weakling, Nori leapt to the ground. And fell flat on her face. "Eh... maybe I should have warned you," Car'tos sweatdropped, "The gravity here on Tie'nek, is twice what it is on Earth." "Great..." Nori grumbled, trying to at least pull herself into a sitting position, "Anything else you've forgotten to tell us?" In response, a huge foot fell to the ground, a few inches away from her head. Nori looked up, and up... there was a huge, long, leg, which connected to a bulbous torso, which, in turn, connected to a tapering neck, atop which balanced a tiny skull, and a fang-filled mouth. "Eeep." she whispered. "Colossus." Car'tos whispered. This is a smaller one. The big ones are over seventy feet tall. "How can anything that big survive on a planet, with twice the gravity of Earth?" Black Hole cut in. "Haven't you people ever heard of the square-cube law?" Car'tos elbowed him. "Shut up..." TBC... -Beth "Ii kanji!" http://members.aol.com/bandraptor