The place they were in was quite similar to the one that they had just left, and Naomi wondered whether they had simply traveled to another part of the same world. [Haven't you learned your lesson? Nope! *g*]
     "Wanna come with me and go exploring?" she asked Blake, who was sitting on the grass beside her near the Applebus. [Oh, not again! Didn't you get snatched the last time? Oh yeah… ehm… look, I've got a very short-term memory!!! Boy, I'll say!]
     "Are you gonna be able to find your way back?" he asked her, teasing.
     "Ehm… I think I'll leave that to you…" she replied, grinning. "C'mon!" She hopped up off the ground, and grabbed Blake's hand, pulling him up (and not letting go).
     "Nooo…" he groaned. "It's exercise… too much like gym."
     "No it's not! When they don't make you, it's not bad."
     "I want my computer. I want to go online," he whined.
     "Augh!" Naomi exclaimed, exasperated. "You're terrible! Come on!" She pulled him off into the trees.
     "Wow…" Daphne said. "She's gotten brave…"
     While Aubrey and Ianthe dozed in each others arms, and the rest of the entourage hung about, Naomi led Blake through the ¯shadows and tall trees¯. (Sorry… U2 song) As they blazed a trail through the dry underbrush, thoughts churned through Blake's mind… What could that prophecy mean? Okay, so that's a stupid question, I know what it means… actually, it answers my questions. My only desire is Naomi. I love her, I just haven't been able to admit it to myself, let alone anybody else. So really, that… uh… whatever-it-was, solved my problem of figuring out how to tell her…
     "Oh wow… Blake, c'mere! This is incredible!" Naomi cried from up ahead.
     Blake detangled himself from the dry vines about him, and crashed through the remaining bit of brush.
     "Wow."
     They stood on a rocky cliff, yet were surrounded by tall wildflowers that somehow managed to find enough sustinence to survive on. Far below the cliff ran a swiftly flowing river of amber and gold. The sides of the gorge were iridescently striped like all the colors of the rainbow [like it's all peacock ore, if anyone besides me knows wot that is.] A sun, more golden in color than Earth's, caused the entire scene to sparkle and glimmer, enhancing the colors to an almost unreal brilliance. On the side of the gorge opposite them, the landscape was a mirror image of their side, with a rocky field of bright floweres preceding a deep green forest.
     The two stood in silence for some time, taking in the incredible beauty surrounding them. It wasn't long, however, before Blake's thoughts turned elsewhere… back to the prophecy.
     Naomi turned to him, wonder on her smiling face. "See wot you could miss, staying inside all the time?"
     Blake gazed into her eyes. He was determined now. "Let go… Spontaneity will be the key to all you desire." He pulled her close to him, and kissed her. (Never thought I'd see Blake do that! Me neither… but 'ey, it's the Applebus! J)

     Some time later, the two began walking back towards the others, hand-in-hand. After wandering about for awhile, Naomi turned to Blake.
     "Uh… are we going the right way?"
     "Don't you know? Oh, wait… I forgot, this is you we're talking about."
     "Hey, I said I'd leave finding the way back to y-"
     Their argument was brought to an abrupt end as the pair suddenly became aware of strange voices nearby. Before they had time to do anything more than exchange a frightened look, they were grabbed from behind. (Not again!)

     A short bit later, Naomi opened her eyes, but promptly closed them again.
     Night had fallen, and the creatures who had captured her and her Blake had litlarge bonfires, which they were now "dancing" ('If you could call that dancing!' Naomi thought in disgust) around, presumably in celebration. The creatures were small, hardly more than two feet tall. Their heads, however, were hideously large, and topped with a tall shock of dark, poofy hair. Their skin was smooth and black, but many were covered in oddly-familiar white markings, which Naomi couldn't quite decipher from her position against a tree at the edge of the clearing. The creatures wore simple, rough, one-piece garments which varied in color, due to the assortment of stains present. (Oh, lovely… (^./ marmalade stain !@? raspberry jam stain {.d:] beet stain uh…sure, Daf…)
     One of them befan to approach Naomi, who quickly shut her eyes, pretending to still be unconscious.
     "Nice try, human scum," the creature rasped. Its voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Naomi winced at the sound, and opened her eyes. "You and the other stupid simian are to face Our Almighty Queen, who will decide your fate." It grinned demonically, as it began to untie her.
     After seeing it up close, Naomi was able to make out the white symbols on its skin: math. Numbers, symbols, etc. Naomi began to wonder how anything as evil as these creatures and math got to a place as beautiful as this, but she was interrupted by a command from the creature (whom she mentally named 'Euclid'). (Euclid. Very funny. Glad someone b'sides me got it! Bethie would be proud.)
     "Get up! March! Now!"

     She was led to the center of the clearing, to a large, black tent that had been constructed there. Blake was already there, guarded by another of the vile mathimaticly-tattooed things.
     "Bring them in…" a witchy voice called from inside the tent, cackling.
     Blake took Naomi's hand as the flap opened, and they fearfully stepped inside.
     Naomi blinked in surprise, as well as at the sudden brightness.
     "Whoa. Are we back…?" Blake asked in amazement.
     "Shut up! Take your seats!"
     Naomi and Blake quickly sat down in the two nearest desks.
     "Now, take out a pencil, put your things on the floor. It's time for your quiz," the Queen (Naomi surmised) commanded from the front of the room.
     A paper appeared on eack desk.
     Naomi looked down at it.
     "Oh no…" Blake groaned.
     "No talking! Automatic zero for you!" the Queen screeched, snatching Blake's paper, and tearing it in half.
     Naomi didn't dare look up, for fear of enraging the mad monarch.
     "Now… it's aaalllll up to you," she said, sickly sweet, to Naomi.
     Naomi inhaled deeply, closing her eyes, focusing. 'Oh God… show me a way through this!' she silently prayed. The questions were all far beyond her, she knew… 'they might not even follow the same idiotic math laws I know!' As she opened her eyes…
     A loud bell rang.
     The Queen looked exasperated. "Another fire drill??! Okay, someone grab the sign, meet at the far end of the sidewalk, and line up single file, so I can take attendence…"
     As the Queen turned to get the bag of pretzels and can of Pepsi off her desk, Naomi and Blake jumped up. Blake hurried over to an emergency window and pushed it open. He clambered out, and Naomi quickly followed him out the window.
     However, there was one slight problem with Blake's plan, which actually was more than a slight problem. The field where the Queen's tent stood, which is where they landed, was swarming with arithmatic aliens murmering many maniacal mathematical mantras. Blake landed on one, tearing it out of its turpid trance. It rapidly realised what was happening, and grabbed Blake's leg. Blake fell, as Naomi stepped onto the field.
     "Naomi, run! Get outta here!" Blake yelled.
     Naomi froze in momentary indecision. Her Blake was captured, she couldn't leave him… but if she stayed, she would be captured herself.
     "Run!"
     She ran. (Wow, 'Nanda, profound. *g*)
     As Blake was tied to a tree at the edge of the clearing, Naomi watched from not far away. She tried desperately to think of a plan…
     "Hello," a male voice behind her said, interrupting her thoughts.
     Naomi gasped and spun around. Before her stood what appeared to be a perfectly normal person… well, sort of.
     "Zerubbabel?" she asked in shock. "What're you doing here?"
     He shrugged. "I dunno… I was walking home from school, then it felt like I was falling, and then I was here."
     "Huh."
     "I see Blake's here, also," Zerubbabel said, gesturing towards the clearing.
     Naomi looked pained. "Yeah… Zerubbabel, I've gotta help him! What can I do???"
     Zerubbabel looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I've been watching those… uh… whatevers out there for a while. I'l betcha if we killed their Queen, they would be all confused, and wouldn't know what to do. Then you could rescue Blake."
     Naomi shook her head. "I couldn't kill the Queen-she may be pure evil, but I still couldn't do it."
     Zerubbabel shrugged. "I can… after ordering your guys' death, I could." Naomi looked puzzled. "She would've killed the both of you, that's what those little math-things out there said."
     Naomi took a deep breath. "Then we've got to save Blake fast. How're you gonna get to the Queen?"
     "Just stay hidden behind Blake 'til the guards leave him." He stepped into the clearing. As Naomi ducked further back behind the foliage, she could hear him addressing the creatures. "Hi there… I have traveled far, and would like to meet your Queen…"
     Naomi silently crept up behind Blake. He was surrounded by three guards holding pointed yardsticks. A short while later, the base of the Queen's tent began to glow orange, flames beginning to lap up the dark fabric. Naomi caught her breath-was Zerubbabel still inside?
     She breathed a sigh of relief as she was a dark shadow with a profile identical to that of Zerubabel sneaking off into the woods.
     At the sight of the flames, the creatures guarding Blake scurried towards the tent.
     "Blake, I'm here," Naomi whispered. "I'll have you untied in a second."

     A few minutes later, Naomi and Blake rested in a clearing a short ways away. Just after they sat down, Zerubbabel entered the clearing.
     "So, what'dja do, Zerubbabel?" Naomi inquired.
     "Well, after thery presented me to theQueen, she demanded to know what I wanted. So I told her that I was a mathemagician, and I could do some 'astounding magic tricks.' She got all excited, and wanted me to show her. So I tied her to a pole, and told her not to worry, I'd free her with my magical mathematical powers. I blindfolded her, and lit a match. She asked me what I was doing, and I said it was all part of the trick. So I dropped the match at the bottom of the pole-accidentally, of course. And then I ran."
     "Wow," Blake and Naomi breathed in unison.
     "So, where to no-o-o-w-w?" Zerubbabel asked, but as he spoke, he began ot fade, to become transparent. Before anyone could say anything else, he was gone.
     Naomi and Blake sat in stunned silence for a moment, blinking at the empty space that Zerubbabel had previously occupied.
     "So," Naomi said at length, leaning against Blake. "How d'we find our way back to the Applebus?"

     

Chapter Notes

     Piyteur and Elisay