"Just about twenty minutes. Ah'm sorry, Aubrey," Maik, keeper of the time, announced.
     Shakily, Aubrey lifted the instrument to his lips, hoping that Ianthe would appear from the wall, but knowing that that was probably not going to happen… She would have been back… she was gone. He knew his friends needed him, but he couldn't live without Ianthe… And yet there was still that small chance…
     "Two… One… Twent-" Maik was cut off.
     "Miss me?" Ianthe's voice called from the open wall panel.
     "Ianthe!" Aubrey ran over and picked her up, spinning around in the air. He set her down and pulled her close to him, where his lips found hers. When he finally let her go she had a stupid grin on her face, the grin of someone pleasantly surprised by something good very quickly. She said bemusedly, "I hope I get welcomes like that every time I leave! I could get used to that kind of treatment…"
     "Ahem… So, any luck?" Maik facilitated, bringing Ianthe back from her trip to Cloud Seven (cloud seven 'cos that's Aubrey's favorite number. :::huge groan:::)
     "Oh, yeah. Well, my primary mission was accomplished easy. I then proceeded to spirit away all of the anti-drug. It's in my cargo pocket. I dropped a vial of the stuff with Daphne, Myki, an' Daivi. An' I found these two," she said as Piyteur and Blake stepped out of the wall, "cowering behind a statue with two guards five feet away. (You implying that Blake's cowardly?! ..'cos if you are... I s'pose yer prolly right..)An' I have a present for Aubrey." She went back in the wall an' came out with a sword. "I found it in the library, but left it behind before 'cos I put it down an' got lost. But I figured since I was out and about I'd get it."(THIEF!!!)
     Aubrey turned the metal in his hands, and swung it in the air, testing its balance, weight, accuracy, and craftsmanship. "This is a fine sword! Thanks!" She handed him the sheath and strap.
     "Now you gotta promise not to go around choppin' people, 'cos aside from bein' not nice, it's violent," Ianthe teased.
     "I am knighthood," he answered, a smile in his eyes. He strapped on the sword. "You're too much," he laughed, bringing her close to him and dropping a kiss on her forehead. He let go of her.
     Everyone was looking at them, Naomi rolling her eyes. "Done now?" asked she.
     Aubrey and Ianthe glanced at each other and shared a look that said, "What I really want to do is rush back into your arms for eternity, but since they're all watchin' an' wantin' us to be finished an' expectin' us to act, then I guess we'll have to pretend that we're done, even tho the next possible chance we'll just start up agin, an' they know it," all in a fraction of a second. Reluctantly they nodded.
     Ianthe suggested, "Y'all wanna watch an' see how the plan works? I'll show you the best places to look from."
     They opted to do this. Into the wall they filed. Ianthe led them to the area where the guards ate. They saw the guards wander in and grab a three-course meal consisting of processed foods and gruel. They'd wander out after. When one guard was followed, as he went down a less frequented hall, he fell into a stupor and looked around, not knowing his way or where he was or why.
     When everyone was sure that all of the guards had eaten, they took paths to the prison room. Two guards sat there, drinking some liquor… they were quite drunk. They saw the eight people enter, said a brief "hi" (in another language) and nursed their drinks. Piyteur walked over and sat with them, laughed with them, said something in their language and left, keys in hand.
     "What did you say to them?" asked Bryan.
     Piyteur shrugged. "I don't know. They're obviously upset about not remembering anything other than themselves. I mumbled somethin' an' laughed when they laughed, an' they gave me the keys." Maik took the keys from him and unlocked Myki and Daivi, and then Daphne.
     They had barely had time to say hello before a bald man ran into the room with a sword. Dr. Comolrin. He saw them gape.
     "Yes. I still have my memory. Did you think I could risk having my food tampered with? I use a chemistry set to create all of my nourishment!" Ianthe shrugged, as if to say, how was I supposed to know? "When I saw my guards stumbling around, I knew what you'd done, and that you'd attempt to free your friends. And I came prepared. Give up now and tell me how you slide between the worlds!"
     Aubrey gripped at the sword Ianthe had found and given him. He looked at Ianthe, seeing what he must do; she knew it, too. He looked to Maik for permission and was the Texan nod briefly in assent. He stood forward and drew the sword, double-edged silver steel singing as it was pulled from its sheath. An emerald jewel glinted on the hilt, and its blade was etched with runes. The lighting reflected off of the metal. He looked every bit the knight he could have been, though he lacked the chain mail and armour. "If you expect us to surrender, you will be greatly disappointed. You are alone. Your men are confused, or released from whatever power you had over them. You can't win, Dr. Comolrin. You surrender now. I'm offering you a chance to lose with your dignity."
     The old man laughed. [Excuse me? Old? Hey, you know who I based that on, and he's only early forties! ...Then again, it's supposed to be more evil than him, and all his possibly evil qualities exaggerated--so I'll allow it.] "You expect me to believe that you can wield that thing?! Ha! The last time I saw you, you were being questioned. You can't have learned swordplay in mere hours!"
     "You discount the fact that I may have had previous training in fencing. Will you surrender, or must we duel?"
     Dr. Comolrin launched forward. "En guarde!" They fenced around the room. Being younger, Aubrey had more strength, more prowess, and higher endurance. Dr. Comolrin was beginning to tire.
     "Surrender?" Aubrey questioned for the last time. In answer, Dr. Comolrin lunged for his heart. Aubrey easily blocked the attempt. Ianthe ran up from behind the doctor and plunged a needle into his arm, injecting him with the drug.
     "Nooo!" he screamed, grabbing his punctured arm. He slumped forward.
     Ianthe grinned. "I knew that extra syringe of the drug would come in handy!"
     Aubrey sheathed his sword. Maik stepped forward. "Aubrey, Ah'd lahke to thank you for that selfless act. Ah didn't know that you planned to use actual swordplay. You gave Ianthe ee-nuff tahme to prepare the needle. Thanks, man. Ya know, you an' Ianthe make a good team."
     "Thanks, Maik. I knew I had to do it. There was no other choice for me."
     "Hey guys," Ianthe said, "we still have a bit of work to do before we can leave. We have to make sure that Dr. Comolrin never does this again."
     Myki, Daivi, Bryan, Blake, and Naomi set about destroying all of the chemicals in Dr. Comolrin's chemistry kit, and Ianthe, Aubrey, Maik, and Daphne got rid of the remaining drug and anti-drug. Dr. Comolrin wouldn't be drugging anyone. Piyteur and Elisay set about to inciting the guards. No matter what they actually said, their words informed the men that Dr. Comolrin was the source of their problems. He'd stolen them from their families and drugged them so they couldn't remember. They were quite effective against Dr. Comolrin.
     They left the castle, certain that their work there was done, and returned to the Applebus. Before they left, they looked for food. It happens that Daphne and Bryan ended up looking together. And as they walked, Daphne suddenly realized that she had known the whole time who it was that her heart belonged to. (*NOTE: This revelation is not to discourage anything in real life. It just fits the story better.*) Her guilty feelings about Bryan were just guilt. He was a connection to their former world. She understood why Maik's Texan accent filled her head, the swoon-worthy sinks (SINKS?! Wow... musta missed that one...*G*) made her swoon, talking about harmonicas, the humor that was Maik, even that green wool hat. She had known that Maik was for her and Bryan was just her friend.
     After she had finally made up her mind, Bryan began to fade, but not because of her decision. He was returning home. Daphne grabbed his arm to prevent him from leaving and asked him, "What do you see?" He replied, but Daphne didn't tell the others his answer for quite some time. (Meaning until Laurel gets this back and cares to write it.)
     She returned. "Guys, Bryan's gone. He vanished like Zerubabel a few minutes ago."
     "Wahl, thay-ut's too bayd. He seemed lahke a nahce guy. Ah kahnda hoped to get to know him," spoke Maik. He felt bad about the thoughts he was thinking. He was glad he was gone! He'd noticed how worried Daphne was about Bryan, and how she obviously felt about him. Before Bryan came he'd almost thought… But now she came announcing his departure with almost a smile and a lilt… like she barely minded his leaving… could she…? These were crazy thoughts. She was only fifteen! And he was eighteen… So in the great scheme of things it wasn't a lot, but when you're around that age it seems so. Ianthe and Aubrey were separated by less than two years… so what was three years? But through it all, if she was young and possibly didn't like him, why did he care for her so much? And there was still his prophecy… BADE… what could it mean? Could it be bade, as in "bade my worries farewell," or "my love," or what? Or could it be an acronym? Barely Able to Decipher English? [Lol!] Or Boy Adored… Daphne… Daphne's Emotions? Boy Adored in Daphne's Emotions! He couldn't dare believe that this could be the answer. Could it? [Oh, cool! I never thought of that...I just wrote his prophecy randomly, like all the other ones...]
     "Yeah, he seemed nice, if quiet. Didn't say a lot," noticed Daivi. [Which is not typical Bryan--but how much can you say under such circumstances?] Maik turned away to hide the emotions that were overwhelming him. He was usually a lot better at hiding his emotions… Why was he having so much trouble now?
     "Hey Maik, you alright?" asked Myki, noticing that he was turned away, shaking a bit.
     Maik turned around and said very nonchalantly, "Yeah, sure. Whah?" He'd gotten control just in time.
     Myki shrugged and dismissed it. Everyone loaded onto the VW microbus. Blake pushed a button, the greyest one that happened to have "Lake George" written on it,(ROFLAOTDAITSAITPOAOB!!! ...*too* perfect, Daf) and hastened to his seat in the back corner, next to Aubrey and Naomi. The colours were more intensely bright than ever. "Noo… It was supposed to be less bright…" he groaned.
     "Get over it," teased Naomi. (Ha ha, serves 'im right. *eg*)
     Myki moaned, air sickness taking over. Aubrey suddenly remembered, "Candied ginger! Candied ginger helps with motion sickness. If we could find some…" He leaned against a pillow. "Ow… hey, what's this? A jar of candied ginger? Now that's freaky…" He passed it over to Myki, who ate some, hoping to ease his queasing stomach. A bit later his face was a healthier shade.
     "Isn't it a little weird how things just keep showing up, like our pyjamas and the tin whistles, and Zerubabel an' Bryan, an' now the candied ginger?" Elisay whimsied.
     "You're right!" agreed Piyteur. They set to pondering this.
     Up front, Daphne and Maik were doing some pondering of their own. "We never did figure out who split us all up in the mist that time a while ago, did we?" asked Daphne.
     "No, we didn't. It's been naggin' at me. Naomi kahnda joked about it bein' some Glick guy. Who would want to separate us lahke that? Who'd be able to?" Maik mused.
     "I don't know. I hope they don't bug us again. That was kinda scary. It wasn't Dr. Comolrin. He just wanted to know how to slide like we're doing now, although he went about it the wrong way. We don't know anyone else, really."
     Naomi and Blake were debating on the subject of colour. "But I don't hate colour," argued Blake.
     "Then why don't you wear it?" she countered. They'd had this argument at least a thousand times and they still hadn't resolved it.(An' prolly never will. *g*)
     Myki, all better thanks to the magical candied ginger, and Daivi thought about the prophecies. "Well, my prophecy came true in that one room at Comolrin's castle," shared Myki.
     "Mine was the first to come true. Apple juice, apple trees…" commented Daivi.
     "Blake's been more spontaneous, an' Naomi was tested when Zerubabel showed up, that time," mentioned Myki.
     "Piyteur sure was in trouble, an' Elisay has changed, though I bet she doesn't realize it," Daivi listed.
     "I saw Ianthe cry twice, an' Aubrey knows that we'd all miss him if he was gone, 'cos he saw," Myki bluntly stated.
     "Now Daphne, she was tested, but Maik… I haven't a single idea wot his meant, or if he figured it out… So his is the last to come true…" Daivi surmised.
     [Help! Some o' Dixil's lecherous thoughts are leakin' into me brain! ACK! An' you know wot's worse? I like it! AHH! I wanna write it, but this is a family show, er, story…Yeah, you, who says that all sorts of things are Daf-inappropriate, or whatever! Jeesh, whatever are we coming to?]
     Ianthe cuddled with Aubrey. "Ye know… I'm glad we're here, 'cos if we weren't, we wouldn't be here," Ianthe logically stated, only because she wasn't really paying attention to a word she said. She was too immersed in "Aubreyland" for anything but reflexive statements. She really meant that they wouldn't have been sitting the way they were, wrapped in each other, lost there with no intent of finding a way back from there.
     "I know wot ye mean. At least we wouldn't be here for a long time… Psyche?" He'd taken to calling her by her middle name… just something that he did… She called him Shamrock, for his heritage and favorite colour… But he'd noticed that it seemed that she was in a trance. It was as if she was sleeping, but awake…

     A house… ten bed rooms… one for each person. Each room said it all for one person. All of their missing prized possessions… Showers! They could get clean! A change of clothes! A base to operate out of… food! A garage for the Applebus… This was the home, the place to set off from and come back to, that they needed…

Chapter Notes

The Pad...