The stygian darkness swirled and coursed around Gomurr. It's vile blackness threatened to turn his stomach. The darkness was all-consuming. To Gomurr's senses, he was swimming in a pool of putrid obsidian refuse. In reality however, this was the astral plane, with all its wondrous potentials, only corrupted by the vampiric lust of Lady Robyyn. This place consisted of the enslaved, yet dead thoughts of every being in this dimension. Robyyn had used and destroyed them all. One thought raged in Gomurr's mind.....WHERE ARE MY STUDENTS?...and then......WILL I DIE LIKE THIS, COMPLETELY ALONE?
Just then, his hand brushed something in the blackness. It felt cold to the touch, yet pulsed with an unseen mystical power. Gomurr, grasped the object and pulled it to him. Even a dangerous contact would be more bearable than this horrific black solitude. As his hands followed the object he realized it was Rahsas' staff. He gave the object another tug and was pulled into contact with Rahsas. The lad's body was cold and rigid. His fingers were in a vise like grip around the staff. Somehow he had retrieved it before they were all pulled physically onto the astral plane. Gomurr tried to shake him back into consciousness.
"Rahsas, wake up!" he shouted.
Gomurr's words came back to his ears in maddening echoes. Rahsas remained deathly still. Gomurr's mind raced.....Where are the girls?.....Where's Robyyn?........How am I going to get us out of here? These thoughts whirled through Gomurr's ancient head, and then unconsciously he reached for the Crimson Dawn. Where once he found only a mystical shield, he now could feel the dark pull of the Ebon Vein of the Crimson Dawn. Robyyn had lost her control of the magics of this land....Was she dead? There was no time to worry about that now. Gomurr summoned the neon spiders and scorpions that were his to command. Their sudden appearance was at first blinding in the utter blackness. As his eyes adjusted, he began to see objects floating in the void of dead minds. He saw two of the girl's floating nearby. Rita and Jam lay bobbing up and down on the current of the undead's thoughts. Somehow they had all been pulled physically into the astral plane. This was virtually impossible for all but the strongest psi-talents or mystics. Robyyn had played with forces she herself did not comprehend....and speaking of Robyyn where was she?.......AND WHERE WAS BUX?
Gomurr commanded his neon minions to gather the lifeless bodies of the students and began to swim through the inky blackness. He concentrated and realized almost all his power had returned. He focused his thoughts on the students. Although, he was not a telepath, by any sense of the word, he could see the student's auras surrounding their bodies. They were alive, but in a slumber so deep that even their youthful bright auras were almost completely shadowed. How had he escaped that fate?
"It's simple old man!" hissed Robyyn's voice from the darkness. "Your mystical abilities, as small as they are, safeguarded you from the onslaught of the pure psionic energy here. It appears the minds of the children were not quite as resilient............and before you ask...yes, I read your mind. You see......your plan backfired. Rather than destroying me, by dragging my realm completely onto the astral plane, you have given me almost unlimited power. My every thought is reality here."
A smile crossed Robyyn's face and Gomurr heard a noise from behind him. From the darkness a huge beast had formed. It's body only slightly darker than the surrounding gloom was camouflaged so well that Gomurr could not discern it's actual size. It's gigantic fangs glowed eerily against it's own blackness. The beast struck out at Gomurr, it's fangs snapping only inches away. Gomurr once again drew on the Crimson Dawn and suddenly the beast was covered by neon scorpions. It's cries were earsplitting as the crackling energy creatures drove their stingers into it again and again. By the time Gomurr had defeated the beast however, Robyyn was almost out of sight, and as he scanned for what would pass as the horizon in this place, he could barely see her in a bubble of mystical energy.......and there by her side, was BUX.
Gomurr quickly took a lesson from Robyyn and surrounded himself with a mystical orb. The energy creatures soon delivered his students unto him inside the orb, and they all begin to give chase toward Robyyn. Rahsas stirred in his sleep and finally came awake. Gomurr noticed the awakening and nudged Rahsas with the heel of his slipper.
"Wake up, child." Gomurr said. "If we are ever to get Bux back and get home, I need your help."
Rahsas finally stirred enough to completely awaken and got up shakily to his feet. In his hand he still held the Anaconza Staff.
"My powers are no longer blocked, Rahsas," Gomurr explained as he showed the boy the glowing dagger tattoos on his palms. "She must not have the control she thinks she does here."
"Then mine may work as well," Rahsas Exclaimed.
The tall youth concentrated and drew on the power of Joctu. A shadowgate appeared and he smiled. A part of him that had been missing for many days was now returned.
"I can take us home through this," said Rahsas, "but what about Bux?"
"We can't leave without her," Gomurr said. "Help me get this thing moving faster. We have to catch Robyyn."
The two glowing orbs raced through the darkness of the astral plane. Rahsas aimed his staff at the rear of the orb and let loose a mystic blast. The trailing orb jetted forward slowly gaining ground on the leader. At this point, Jam and Rita began to stir.
"Hey can you take it easy on the corners, leadfoot," Rita said weakly. "My head's still achin and all this bouncin around ain't helpin much."
As they came closer and closer to Robyyn and Bux, Gomurr thought he recognized their destination. Ahead in the distance, suspended in the stygian blackness, was an almost exact replica of the pyramid in Robyyn's throne room. Gomurr put more effort into the chase, if she reached that structure, she might be able to reestablish her control over their powers.
"Undercloaks attend me!" Gomurr shouted and suddenly the shadow forms of ninjas were beside him.
Gomurr pointed his finger towards Robyyn, and just as quickly it was she that was surrounded by the darkly masked figures. She shot bolts of pure fire through them, destroying them almost immediately, but they did serve to slow down the speed of her force bubble. Gomurr's party had almost caught up by the time Robyyn reached the platform holding the glowing pyramid. After destroying the last of the undercloaks, she grabbed Bux roughly by the arm and guided her toward the pyramid. Rita and Jam watched in stunned silence as their friend blindly followed Robyyn's commands and reclined against the glowing side of the structure.
Bux's mind struggled against the flow of thoughts that were being forced through it. Her head ached and throbbed as she was compelled to do as Robyyn asked. Robyyn was so beautiful and kind, how could she disobey her? The joining was necessary. Robyyn needed her and it was her duty to help. A small part of her mind held back, however, choking on the foul essence of Robyyn's psyche as it forced its way into Bux's thoughts. This part knew to give in was to live eternally as a slave. Gomurr and his companions were in shouting distance now, as they watched Robyyn's skeletal hands caress and touch Bux's lifeless face.
"She's going to take over Bux's body. She's dying and she's performing the v'shani in order to transfer her essence into Bux," Rahsas shouted.
"That shall never happen!" cried Gomurr. "Take us there now Rahsas."
Rahsas concentrated and the four jumped through a shadowgate to land on the pyramid platform. But it was too late. Robyyn was prepared and struck out at them with spears of flame. The first hit Jam in the chest. She cried out and fell. Bux's mind reeled. What was happening? Why was Jam screaming so? Why couldn't she think? It was then that she saw the true form of Lady Robyyn. The skeletal creature laughed maniacally and shot huge bursts of eldritch flame at Gomurr and Rahsas knocking them both back. The last remaining corner of Bux's resistance gained strength at this point and pushed ferociously at the invading psyche of Robyyn.....She could not allow her friends to be harmed.
A strange look passed over the ghastly death's head that served as Robyyn's face.
"No, it's impossible. Nobody has ever resisted the V'shani," Robyyn croaked. "I am already a part of you girl......I AM YOU.... you cannot deny that. I will possess you body and soul."
"Noooo!" screamed Bux. "You will never be a part of me, but you have given me the key to defeating you. We may somehow be the same person, but I'll never be like you."
It was then that Bux reached out with a power that Robyyn could never have.....the power of her heart. Bux's mind reached out to the two girls that were more sister to her than friend......her heart and soul taking in theirs and making it her own. Their strength of mind and love for each other combined by Bux's own V'shani spell, surged out like a beacon against Robyyn's dark tangled mind. Slowly, Robyyn began to weaken. Her scheme, that had worked time and again on her many dimensional counterparts, was somehow being stopped. Her ability to take over the bodies of her alternative selves had never been blocked in this manner. Every version of herself held mystical ability, but this was impossible. This girl could not be blocking her, yet she was slowly being forced out. Rita and Jam seemed to radiate with the same glowing warmth of the crystal that Bux lay on. Their eyes were closed tightly yet a small smile was on their faces. Robyyn tried again to regain her grip on the bright young mind of Bux, but couldn't seem to catch a handhold. The psychic essences of all three girls mingled in a way that made it impossible for her to latch on, and then with a shriek, Lady Robyyn was forced out of the mind of the beautiful young redhead.
"That is the true power of the V'shani," cried Bux. "It's not to possess the will of others.....it's to meld and heal and learn. You are undone, witch. It's over."
"No, it's not over yet," wailed Robyyn. "I can't be defeated this easily."
Robyyn cast her mind out......searching for a connection that would sustain her long enough to destroy these creatures that had usurped her powers.....and then she found it. Her far reaching mind had sensed a presence.......a presence dark, evil, and incredibly powerful. She had found the Shadow King. With a twist of the astral plane, Amal Farouk along with all of the others from the prime reality tumbled out of the nexus pyramid and into the fray. Robyyn reached out to Farouk, as the Shadow king reached out to her. When their minds met a psionic tremor was unleashed across the mindscape that was so powerful it made Psi-Shot, Bux and Nemesis scream out in pain. Crimson lightning of pure psionic energy flashed across the darkness. Each of their minds wrestled for control. Robyyn's mystical V'shani possession raged against the mutant psionic strength of Farouk. All others in his thrall were completely abandoned as a result, and were now free of his influence once more. Then with a final blinding flash of blood red energy, the form of Robyyn began to grow and change as an unholy synthesis was formed. Her skeletal frame creaked and groaned and finally exploded in foul smelling cloud as the transformation continued. The shape of the emerging creature was impossible to judge. It's rapid metamorphosis was like watching liquid mercury change patterns.....and then the true shape of the enemy was revealed. Towering over all, a creature of pure psionic energy given form by the mystical powers and hate of Robyyn stood looking down at the small group of people trapped in this dead mindscape.
"Finally, after centuries, I have found a companion worthy of my glory," roared the Shadowking across the darkness, his voice a razor blade cutting the darkness.
"And in you my Shadow King, I have found a host that will not wither and die wielding the powers I possess," screamed Robyyn's voice from the same form.
Somehow in the astral plane, where all things were possible, the two beings had merged and in doing so created an evil greater than the sum of the two.
"We are Avatar and we are your doom!" screamed the creature in the voices of both Farouk and Robyyn simultaneously, and Gomurr's blood ran cold.