Pirates and the Golden Treasure ch.06

    A ripple, then a wave, the ground and water shakes as a massive form emerges from the waves. First looking to be the back of some grand golden scaled dragon it becomes clear it is not, a dome perhaps, no, the massive…structure perhaps, although the swaying dragon heads of the same color coming from the ground on the shore would echo the sentiment of (alive), is not dome, more the shape of the top of a chicken egg.

    “Who dares disturb my slumber,” the woman’s voice now echoes not from the mouths of the dragon heads, no, it comes now from inside the very minds of the six present, yes that means even in LinLin’s head.

    Rhulan just puts her hands on her hips, “You know damn well who we are!” she yells out with a laugh, “Polymoebial! Golden Oracle of Los Rodos, of everyone here you know that I know you can read minds.”

    The great golden scale covered form stops, now a hundred feet in height, upon its face a vertical slit opens; looking much like the vaginal opening of some gargantuan dragon. From with in a stirring grabs their attention, Rhulan the only one showing no surprise, a gigantic woman’s torso, head, and arms emerge. This being that from the waist up she pokes from the opening, her skin a metallic gold, smooth, looking as though it should not be flexible, although to Scrags looking like the gold body paint of a prostitute he once had the pleasure of spending a night with after a wild party, a thought he quickly dismisses as he swears the solid gold pupil-less eyes somehow swivel in his direction.

    Now speaking rather than communicating telepathically, “Empress Rhulan, it has been a thousand years and more since you came for my council. You alone could have passed my test, and yet you share the glory and reward with the dismal pirates who have spent far too long walking over my earth…very well.”

    The giantess, Polymoebial, turns her direction to the surprised Cata, “I am the oracle you sought the one who can answer your question. I will allow each here with the power of speech to ask three questions of me, and only three. As you fought along side each other to defeat my amoe-baals, my psionic creations, you were able in that moment to put aside your greed and fight.”

   She turns her head to Rhulan for a moment and then straight to speak to all, “Cata…as you call yourself as your true name is a specific scent and a purr as it seems so not something I will permit myself to excrete, and Betty the Baroness, for your regards in showing true concern for those who serve you I will even allow those cherished servants to ask three questions as well. Now I will give you a moment to decide on your questions, but be quick about it.”

    Cata hears her, yes, but her eyes are trained on Rhulan, “Empress Rhulan!?” she thinks, “THE Empress Rhulan? She’s a myth isn’t she? Some queen ruling a thousand years ago over the entire world who removed all technology upon her DEATH. What the hell is going on here?”

    *rrrrr*

     “Mr. Boarders,” she says with a nod, “Ask what you know to ask,” she gestures with her head to Rhulan’s group, “I will ask our original questions.”

    Mr. Boarders shakes his shoulders getting himself ready as he steps forward.

    “Okay, my captain wanted to ask you the important questions, as her first mate I am obliged to follow her orders. So my first question…”

   He gestures to Rhulan, “Oracle, you referred to this woman as Empress Rhulan, is she actually the person spoken of in ancient documents who ruled over the entire world a thousand years ago?”

   The oracle, Polymoebial, smiles, “Your first two questions I will answer now, yes, and yes.”

   She raises her brow, if such a being such as her with her face and form can be said to do such a thing.

    “Okay then,” he says now gesturing to Hollia, “My scans indicated that this other woman is the mother of this dragon, how is this possible.” His smile is cut short by Hollia shaking her head and actually laughing under her breath, his surprise and realization of wasting his final question does not come fast enough, fast enough would have been BEFORE asking.

   “The dragon,” says Polymoebial, “LinLin, came into being per a familiar creation ritual. She is the combination of the essence of this universe and the spirit of the woman Holly-Lia, as such her physical genetic make up is to be expected to be a cross between a dragon per her form and that of the mother.”

    “Now,” says Polymoebial, “three questions you had, three questions answered, next will be the one called Mr. Whiskers.”

    *hah, hah, ha ha ha…*

   Betty’s laughter echoes through the field, “I don’t believe it, you just asked questions to an oracle…*sniii* that you could have just asked the people standing like right here.” *ha ha ha…* she actually has to hold her sides from the laughter, bringing a red tint to Mr. Boarder’s face.

  As she calms down Mr. Whiskers looks at the man shaking his head, “You get to ask three questions to the most powerful oracle in three universes and you waste them…” *teh*

    “Okay,” he says stepping forward, “I got something..”

    he pauses for a moment, he knows like Mr. Boarders that the honor of their true quest goes to the captain, but he has no intention of wasting this opportunity, he has questions that have plagued him for some time.

   “Okay, lady,” he says, “Is it true that some goddess named Mae-Ko-Naka intentionally created and designs everything in Nirvana?”

    “Yes, it is.” says Polymoebial.

    Mr. Whiskers smiles thinking to himself, “Okay so this answers two things, and with only one question, yes Mae-Ko-Naka exists, and she made us all like this on purpose.”

   “heh,” he says, “Okay then, my second question M’Lady, why did she make…us…the figmentions, like this?”

   He pats his chest with a look of disgust on his face, this is a question that plagues him as well as all of the crew of the Addy. They are cute, they are cuddly, they look like human cartoon characters, yet they are not insane silly beings.

    “Figmentia,” says Polymoebial, “was created by the goddess Mae-Ko-Naka as one of many worlds in Nirvana for the souls of the departed of various Earths, it was an experiment after observing human entertainment to create a cartoon world for them, but the contradictions in the personalities and content of those used to create Figmentia and its inhabitants’ base was too contradictory and resulted in beings who look, yet retain a normal albeit slightly unstable human personality with the expected variety.”

    *pheh*

   He shakes his head, “Figures as much, experiment. Not too many human souls come there M’lady, oh-no, those that do don’t stay long, in that case I don’t see why she just doesn’t destroy it, and let us all leave. Our own fricken people don’t let us leave, doing so is illegal, we have no choice but to become outlaws just for leaving there!”

   Betty’s eye grow big, “Mr. Whiskers…its always soooo sad to hear my crews dismay.”

   Cheering up she looks up to Polymoebial, “It’s true! I rescued them from those wicked judge owls of Figmentia in exchange for being my crew. The poor dears.”

    “Is this your questions Mr. Whiskers?” asks Polymoebial with no tinge of emotion.

   “Yes it is.” he says as harsh as he can, “If we no longer serve this purpose the goddess made why does our society remain the way it is?”

   “In this case,” she says, “Mae-ko-Naka, like her sisters, does not like to destroy her own creations, she allows the worlds she makes to develop on their own even if they have gone past any direct use she had for them. Any problems your society has, are in no way her doing, you are left to rule yourselves and find your own way.”

   With so much as giving him an instant to think this over she says, “three questions you had, three questions answered, next will be the one who calls her self Cata.”

    “Okay,” says Cata clapping her hands together, “I don’t know any of these people, my first mate asked some questions that to be honest I can’t tell if you are being truthful or not. Now you addressed this lady by name, saying she is some thousand years ago legendary empress, and something about a dragon soul birthing…or whatever.”

 *kek*

   “you made it sound like you might know me, but anyone who knows Kuhrai knows that whole name deal. And besides if you know these people how do I know you aren’t some special cosmic being whose been keeping an eye on them and here to lead them to what ever. And this little guy over here all you said was some gibberish that could have been looked up in a philosophy book from their dull universe.”

  She pauses for a breath

   “Now don’t get me wrong, we came looking for you before any of these guys came along, I prepared to find out if you were legit first. I have only one thing I want. So first, what’s my favorite color, and second what’s my favorite food?”

   “If you must play this game,” says Polymoebial, “Then so be it, your favorite color is red, and your favorite food is…micono-mice given to you by your mother when you were a baby.”

    Cata shoots back, she had expected the oracle to be a psychic, she was thinking red, and, grilled Mota-Deer from the Dark Forest world in the Makai Cluster. She had completely forgotten the deliciousness of the micono-mice her mother would give her as a kitten.

       She thinks back to being very young, her father the Kuhrai merchant sitting at his desk in his fancy duds, she would be on the floor playing. Her mother…she looks only passing like Cata’s father, she’s not a Kuhrai, her body is human like and covered in fur yes, but her hands and feet are even more paw like, like Cata’s are now, rather than fur covered fingers and sharp nails of a Kuhrai. Her mother walks across the floor on all fours bringing Cata these small rodents, her father raised them as food for his wife, a panther-woman from Aesperia. Cata loved the taste, but growing up between a panther-woman and the higher intelligence and powers of a Kuhrai she rejected these things she considered beast like.

   Composing her self, “Okay, you proved yourself better than I thought, you are a real oracle after all…You should know I have the same psychic barrier as any Kuhrai, you should only have seen the thoughts I was thinking loudly. That embarrising family secret of mine most certainly wasn’t what I was thinking.”

    “Micono-mice?” thinks Hollia, “is she actually a cat-girl after all?”

    “My third question,” says Cata, “Where is the tiger’s ruby eye gem?”

    “That’s right,” says Cata, “we spent all this time trying to find you, longer than it should have, just to find that.”

    “The tiger’s ruby eye gem,” says Polymoebial, “Is not something you should want, however as you asked I will answer. It is…in someplace dark, hidden in a cavern in the Croix Empire, in the castle of a duke…his master attempts to hide the gem from my sight, but I see its glow beyond this darkness. Seek out the Duke of Francis; he is the key to finding the gem.”

    Cata smiles, “Okay, now only three months behind schedule we are back on track. Mr. Boarders…”

    “three questions you had, three questions answered, next will be the girl named Holly-Lia who prefers to be called Hollia.” Cata is cut off by Polymoebial continuing her game.


    “Anywho,” says Cata, “Mr. Boarders, return to the ship now, prepare to set sail…I will be along shortly…my curiosity…” she eyes Mr. Boarders who knows better than to ask or say anything else as he bows out and leaves for the ship.

    Betty steps up, a serious look upon her face. She bows down to one knee and rises, “Oh great Golden Oracle of Los Rodos, I apologize for all those who would waste your time with minor problems.”

    She opens her arms as though to hug Polymoebial in a gesture of pleading, “I know it was he who sent the one who gave me the map to find you! I know he believes you’ll just tell me its impossible and sadden me to give in to him! But please, tell me! Is there a way to kill or at least fight back against the Thing Named Jim?”

    Polymoebial leans back, or at the very least the humanoid part of her leans back into the light pink fleshy inside of her opening, “The Thing Named Jim as you call it, is not a normal being, he is a high-ascended entity, a god with the power to twist reality around him.”

   Betty looks to the ground saddened.

   “However,”

   Betty looks up in disbelief at Polymoebial’s words

  “There are plenty of beings capable of killing and harming him. Most of these are far beyond your reach, or to be honest capacity to bargain with to take this being’s life or do him harm on your behalf.”

   Betty clinches her fist until Polymoebial gestures to Rhulan, “There is right here a being who has the potential to eventually be capable of killing him, for the time being she is able to harm him, and on her behalf if…he…”

    Polymoebial looks to the sky for a moment before looking down at Betty again, “My words are limited, not by the one you fear though so be assured, however know this, the one you call The Thing Named Jim can not stand upon this world with out loosing his life.”


    Betty looks back and forth between Rhulan and Polymoebial, not sure of what to think….

   *whoosh*

  *gleeee!*

   Betty has lost control of herself as she hugs Rhulan in a tight embrace.

   “Sorry.” She says as she lets go and regains her composure, “Empress Rhulan.” She says as she drops to one knee, “I and my crew are in your service. Please accept us.”

   Rhulan shrugs, looking at the confused Hollia and Scrags, and even LinLin cocks her head in confussion. Rhulan smiles, “Okay, rise.”

   Betty stands to her feet, “Okay,” says Rhulan, “No harm in letting you guys tag along and stick around, just one thing.”

   “Anything.” Says Betty

 “Just don’t call me Empress, or goddess, and when we are around people from Stratalia don’t call me Rhulan. I’m trying to keep that underwraps around them I’m called Rurona.”

   Betty nods, and dips her head sideways confused, “Uhhhh”

   *shrugs*

   “No problem mistress.”

   Rhulan shakes her head as Betty goes back to Mr. Whiskers excited telling him to ready the ship for honored guests they’ll be staying awhile.

   Hollia smiles, “Thank you miss Rhulan, I don’t know what’s going on, but seeing her all serious like that…is guy must be bad news.”

   “He is,” says Rhulan, “I’ve heard of him before back when I was jumping between worlds. He’s an insane trickster who treats people and other sentient beings as playthings for his twisted games. I guess my quantum powers must be…but then what did…”

   *shrugs*

   “If the oracle can’t say something must be up, no point in asking her then.”

   Hollia nods reminding Rhulan that she had gone from talking to thinking out loud with out realizing it.

   “You have two more questions.” says Polymoebial.

   “oh,” says Betty as Mr. Whiskers head out into the forest.

    “uhmmm,” she looks at Rhulan, “I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes here but, how can Rhulan be able to hurt The Thing Named Jim?”

   Polymoebial actually sighs, “I can’t not tell you the exact reason as to how, only that with-in her is a hidden power yet to come out that could kill him…”

   She trains her eyes on Hollia, “The key to that power…perhaps, perhaps not. My vision blurs as I try to see anything specific.”

   Betty says, “Sorry, its enough to know…”

    *sniff*

     “that I have found a way to stop that monster, if not today.” She looks at Rhulan, “I don’t know what’s going on mistress, but that monster destroyed an entire planet, seven billion people just to try and make me and my crew work for him. He…did it in such a horrible way too.” *sniff*

   Betty’s tears roll down her cheek as she remembers the scene, “I was standing on the deck of his space station, with a click of his fingers and wiggle of his nose a giant fuse appeared on the planet’s northern pole. The burning alone killed millions with radiation and heat. That, that bastard blew up a planet like it was a cartoon bomb and laughed the whole time. If not for my ship and crew beaming me out of there and hiding out in Hell there is no telling what would have happened to me.”

    She wipes a tear from her eye and stick out her tongue, “But he can’t get us in Hell or Nirvana…and not here either…” she puts her index finger to her chin looking up, “hmmm, I guess that makes sense”

    she slams her fist in her hand,   “that’s it!”

   She points at Polymoebial, “You said there are beings who can kill him, and that he can’t come here. And Mr. Whiskers confirmed through you that Mae-Ko-Naka the creation goddess of Nirvana exists.”

    She nods her head, “yep, that means the reason he can’t go to Hell is because of her sister Chay-Ko-Naka who created Hell. But the royal court priests talk about a third sister, someone whose name they won’t speak, like Chay-Ko-Naka, I know of her because I went to hell to find the chaos demons who can also control reality, but they wont fight The Thing Named Jim! But this world, the third sister goddess must exist too.”

   She dips her head sideways, “uhhh…”

   Her serious look and tone drop as fast as a rock loosened from a steep cliff side, “but, uhhmm, I have no idea what that means!”

    She sticks her tongue out with her eyes closed in a cute expression.

    “One more question,” says Polymoebial.

   “Huh?” says Betty, “well…I…” she shakes her head vigorously, “I’m tired of all this serious crap!”

    She points to the sky, “My last question then! What is the most delicious fruit on all of Aesperia?!”

    A resounding “huh?” could be heard from everyone there.

    Scrags shakes his head, “bi-polar psycho chick I’m tell yo..*oomph”

    Rhulan elbows him gently in the gut.

    “For your taste buds,” says Polymoebial, “That would be the Happy Apples.”

    She looks forward, “three questions you had, three questions answered, the next for a change of pace will be the thief Scrags.”

    “uh…wha?” says Scrags as he scratches the back of his head,

  “Well,” he looks back at Hollia and Rhulan before stepping forward like everyone else before him to Polymoebial, “I got nothing really lady. I mean really, I don’t know anything about all this gods and goddesses and other cosmic shit. I’m a thief, I got knives…heh,” he pulls out his two blades and dangles them in his hands.

    “I mean really? These two dragged me along to help them, they got the big questions, this little lady and the big scary lady got all the important stuff. I don’t even wanna know about all this higher up godly bull shit.”

   He shrugs, “What the hell, these folks have been going on and on about some scary high up there figures, so what are the chances we can expect these guys to just show up and deux-ex-machina all our problems away?”

    “None,” she says, “Your concerns are not theirs. For reasons I can not say they will not directly interfere with your affairs.”

    “Thought so,” he says while flipping one his knives in his hand, “Okay, second question, where is the most valuable gem on Aesperia?”

   Polymoebial actually starts to chuckle, “Seek out the Duke of Francis, the most valuable gem is the Tiger’s Ruby Eye.” She gestures to Cata, “As I already told this one.”

   Cata eyes Scrags causing him to raise his hands up in defeat, “Hey! Just asking.”

    “You have…”

   “I know, I know,” he says interrupting Polymoebial, “I got one question left, fine, fine. Is the guild sending someone after me?...wait, I mean…”


    “What you mean is who…but you asked is, so I answer, yes.” She says with a smile.

    “three questions you had, three questions answered, the next will be Holly-Lia, who calls herself Hollia.”

    Hollia steps forward, “I am sorry Miss Polymoebial, I can tell you are trying to build up to the big questions with Miss Rhulan going last, but, as the heiress to Stratalia I have to ask this.”

   She pauses for a moment as though to think over her question, “What is the whole deal behind the attack on Stratalia?”

   Not a terribly smart sounding question to those gathered save for two, the two who matter, Rhulan, and Polymoebial.

   Polymoebial looks at Rhulan and back at Hollia, “The Empress Rhulan has taught you well, you are clever indeed, as one would expect of her apprentice.”

   “apprentice” whispers Cata.

   Polymoebial stares off into space, “As you know those creatures that attacked Stratalia are Dah-Hoth, summoned by a merchant who was there from the Croix Empire. In the Croix Empire, an Empire founded on ancient forgotten religions, a new religion has surfaced, one with immediate satisfaction for its members. These people worship what they are calling Elder Gods, ancient and powerful beings, not so ancient or powerful as the creators, but stronger than most beings regarded as gods.

     These Elder Gods of Aesperia have brought to the people of Croix the cult of Dah-Hoth, but not in its true form, the people don’t worship only the Dah-Hoth, but also these Elder Gods. They are using the Dah-Hoth as their mediums and their weapons to guide and lead these humans. It seems to be their goal to bring this entire world under their worship. This is the enemy that you face, the Elder God in charge of the others sent these to attack Stratalia for the purpose of intimidating the people in charge of Stratalia and… killing…”


   She points at Hollia, “you.”

   “What?” stammers Hollia, she had been certain they were after Rhulan, “But why me?” she asks.

  “Your second question,” says Polymoebial, “I will wrap into the first’s finally, they want to control all magic, to control the strongest powers of the world, its rulers. The School of Stratalia trains the strongest sorcerers, the attack was in fact a warning, they had planned it out, your grandfather refused to allow them control over the school to expand the Croix Empire into Ravashira, to create a front on the opposite end of Aesperia as to engulf the world between them. Stratalia would prove the ultimate sign of their dominance and allow for the fall of the many kingdoms of Ravashira to follow.”

    She pauses for a moment

   “As for your second question, killing you came later, after you freed Rhulan. They judged you to be too great a risk to them, for if you could free her from her forced slumber, there is no telling what other powers sleeping or un-aware that you could awaken.”

    She pauses again, a dead serious look overtaking her face after a quick jerk of her head, her voice changing somehow, “Because of you in fact, their plans have changed, they will no longer wait, with someone walking the land with this power that they fear, and Rhulan herself by your side, they can no longer…afford to be subtle and wait to conquer through politics. No they are now marching for war, as we speak Croix begins to have a civil war, and the minions and monsters of your enemy are now awakening and arriving onto Aesperia. They will gather all that they can, and attempt to control other vicious powers sleeping here.”

    Polymoebial’s head jerks again, “Three Question…” she looks to the sky, “Fine…no, just two. Ask the third.”

   Confused Hollia asks, “How can we stop all this? I mean we don’t have an army or anything.”



   “Only the defeat of the Elder Gods can stop this, Sensar, Devisar, Daiyakisar, and their mother Satasar. Her defeat alone in fact would be enough, she holds her throne at the top of the Spirit Tower in the land of Anglish.”

    Hollia looks at Rhulan, “Anglish, and the legendary Spirit Tower, that’s all the way on the other end of the world.”

   “Three questions you had, three questions answered, the final individual will be the one called Rhulan.”

   Rhulan cracks her neck, “Okay Polymoebial, first things first, we got the big stuff out of the way, but this whole thing is really bothering me. Why the hell are you being so straight forward? I mean you are giving extra details, and directions, locations, history, a ton of exposition here, this doesn’t add up. I’ve spoken to you before, I’ve had kings, princes, dukes, magistrates, and so forth come and talk to you. You are an oracle, you are cryptic, you are shadowy, you are ask…get a vague cryptic answer, and then leave with no emotion. So yeah, the question is, what the hell is up with you right now and these fricken straight overly descriptive answers, not to mention this three question each crap?”

    *rrrrr…*

    *ROAR!*

    Polymoebial’s dragon heads unleash a mighty roar that shakes the very wind, “You are very perceptive Rhulan, you know very well that something else is forcing me to act this way, even going so far as to use me like a puppet to speak through me to you. All this for you, on your behalf I am made to act this way! All of you together should only have a single question, one question per my summoning, nothing else, nothing more. I am not happy with this situation.”

    *Friiiiiii*

    multi-colored psychedelic beams of energy blast from the mouths of the dragon heads into the air, being absorbed by something just above, rippling the atmosphere.

  *friiii*,

   *friiii*,

     again and again

      *friii*

      multiple times

    “Damn-it” she screams, “Even now you control me, make me act too open, leave me be!”

    An unseen force comes over Polymoebial, the heads all thrust to the ground pressing into the dirt, she winces as though a great weight were upon her, and then…nothing, she is free to move once more.

    “Very well,” says Polymoebial, “Our time is done, I am but a sign post on the map of destiny, an open forum today I may be, but only today, I expect to never see any of you ever again.”

    Her giant form pulls back into the closing opening on her egg shell shaped body as the dragon heads retreat back into the ground. Back beneath the waters she vanishes with out another word.

    Cata shakes her head as she walks back to the forest the way Mr. Boarders had gone, with the others of course needing to follow the same path for now.

   “Sorry,” says Hollia, “I knew there was something else you wanted to ask.”

      She thinks back to a conversation they had, had when Hollia was training LinLin regarding the very nature of spirit familiars, that they can never truly die. If slain they will revert to a spirit egg until either their creator or an equivalent mind and being comes along and frees them. Hollia had cried hearing this knowing about Rhulan’s own lost familiar Hannya that her ancestor Gyro-Lee had slain. But for some reason Rhulan could not find the egg any where in the rubble, someone had to have found it and taken it somewhere at some time, and yet she had somehow managed not to see this even while in astral form.

    Rhulan wipes away an invisible tear, “Its alright, this was more important. We learned we have a serious enemy, something able to control the Dah-hoth. This is serious. I’ll…know when my other worry…” her voice cracks up a little, “is nearby, it’s only a matter of time, and time is something I have plenty of.”

   Hollia knows she is just putting on a tough act. She looks at LinLin, (mother) Hollia is LinLin’s mother, a full realization of this makes the situation that much harder, it has to be, for Rhulan she thinks.

   “The Dah-hoth” says Betty as they walk, “I’ve run into those nasties before. Wow to think there’s some big-bad on this planet able to actually control them…freaky.”

    Rhulan knows, that Betty knows the true seriousness of that implication, she had shown them all a more serious side to her personality, a darker past, not something Rhulan had expected from her.

    Rhulan looks up very briefly, remembering Polymoebial’s psychokinetic blasts being absorbed by an invisible force in the air, “Something else,” she ponders over in her head, “on my behalf…what the hell?”

    *a few moments earlier*

   “What the hell?!” screams Lee Lee, “Brace for impact!”

   On the view screen of their cloaked space craft they have been watching the events below, they had intended to contact Betty right away but upon arrival found her and a group of strangers fighting, then fighting against some odd white blobs, and then talking with a giant golden colored creature. They managed to focus the audio equipment to eavesdrop on what was being said, despite Ki Ki getting tangled up in the wires trying to plug this seldom used piece of equipment in (normally listening in from a space craft involves tapping into transmissions not trying to listen to people talking on the ground).

    The conversation had gotten really weird, Lee Lee focused in on talk about the infamous organisms known across many dimensions, the Dah-hoth, when moments late the large golden creature began to fire wildly into the air. To their surprise the blasts vanished halfway between them and the creature.

    “That was close sis.” says Ki Ki wiping the sweat off her forehead.

   Lee Lee looks over the equipment, “A dimensional rift opened up between us and that creature,” she says.

   “Well that sure was lucky.” says Ki Ki with a wide grin on her face, her pink lip stick adding a clown effect with this smile to her pink dress.

   “Its not luck,” says Lee Lee looking over the equipment, “dimensional rifts don’t just happen.”

   “Well anywho,” says Ki Ki it’s a good thing it didn’t hit us, it bouncing off the shield might have gotten Betty to suspect we’re here right?”

    Lee Lee shakes her head, “If that had hit us it would have cut right through the shield. Look at the power reading we got.”

   Ki Ki looks at the gauge with a wide eyed look, “WOW,” she says, “We got really, really, really, lucky.”

   “At any rate,” says Lee Lee, “We have other problems.”

   They watch as the large golden creature vanishes into the water, “Betty seems to have gotten herself mixed up with The Thing the Named Jim.”

   “Who?” asks Ki Ki.

   *face palm*

   Lee Lee cups her face in her palm for a second in frustration, “That thing and Betty were just talking about it. The inter-dimensional S-class criminal The Thing Named Jim. If this thing is after Betty we have to tell head quarters, and get her back for protection.”


   “uhhh,” says Ki Ki, her finger to her lip, “but sis, aren’t we you know supposed to grab Betty because she skipped out on getting married or something?”

   *sigh*

  “Yes,” says Lee Lee who brings up a report on the screen of Betty’s crimes, “Shortly after her betrothal was announced she stole the Addy, one of her family’s ships, then outfitted it with a human wooden pirate ship hull over its normal hull, then lets see…”

   She scrolls, “the next big thing after some minor misdemeanors, as far as these royals are concerned would be aiding and abetting Figmention criminals which became her crew…”

   Scrolls some more

   “Some robberies, pirating across various universes outside of Nirvana, but only a few are aligned with the Dimensional Police or related sources so the records are sporadic, then she goes to Hell…hmmm, so at some point during this time given what she was talking about with this fortune teller creature she had to have come across and gotten tangled up with The Thing Named Jim, who apparently added yet another densely populated world to his long list or either ruined or destroyed planets.”

    *snore, zzzzz*

    “Wake up Ki Ki!”

   “huh?” she rubs her eyes,

   “In any case,” says Lee Lee, “We still have our orders to bring Betty back to the Royal City.”

    Ki Ki nods her head quickly, “uh-huh, yeah, wedding time!”

   *sigh*

   Lee Lee flips on the auto-pilot, “Auto-pilot, concealment and waiting mode. Come on Ki Ki.”

   Ki Ki jumps to her feet following her sister out of the cockpit.