Fan Fic and More

Posted: **Tue Aug 12, 2003 6:50 pm**

<img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> This Story is sooooo cool! Ive followed the other three and all were excellent. I really dont know how you manage to weave all the story lines together. I cant wait for more. Keep writing.

Posted: **Wed Aug 13, 2003 4:52 pm**

Finally I've got enough time to sit down and read this! Been so busy with RL that I didn't want to start to read a long fic because I knew I wouldn't be able to finish it. But I sat and <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/read.gif ALT=":read"> and <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/read.gif ALT=":read"> and even though I'm not done I have to tell you you sucked me in! Thisis just as goodas the other three parts! I had to go read the last few books again since I couldn't keep a lot of things straight<img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/lol.gif ALT=":lol"> How you do it is beyond me! As soon as i finish this story i'll leave you an 'updated' feedback<img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/Grin_anim.gif ALT=":grin"> Max: Knowing you has made me human. Whether I die tomorrow or fifty years from now, my destiny is the same. It's you! MICHAEL: I've been thinking. MARIA: Oh, great this usually involves me having to get my car towed <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... dcf742.jpg" style="border:0;"/></div>

Posted: **Thu Aug 14, 2003 8:14 am**

I've finalyl caught up with all the updates and all i can say is:<img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> The last part suprisingly made a whole lot of sense to me! <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/lol.gif ALT=":lol"> so glad Michael knows who 'he' is. But my favorite part in the story so far ha to be Nicholas being thrown over board by the thug and his being bounced around by dolphins<img src=http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/cwm/cwm/spit.gif ALT=":spit"> I was laughing so hard when I read that part! <img src=http://www.uniquehardware.co.uk/server- ... humpup.gif ALT=":thumbsup"> Can't wait to see the new part! <img src="http://www.boomspeed.com/rathsbitch84/Untitled-1.jpg" style="border:0;"/>

Posted: **Fri Aug 15, 2003 4:29 pm**

You have really woven an awesme tale here Gerry! I am glad Michael figured out who he was!! <div style="text-align:center">Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.</div> <div style="text-align:center">Rudyard Kipling, English author</div> <

Posted: **Sat Aug 16, 2003 4:40 pm**

Tracie - Yeah, two for the price of one: Free! Can you beat it? <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/lol.gif ALT=":lol"> Destiny 22 - Thanks for letting me know you're reading it! I'm delighted to have you onboard! It's very gratifying to know that it's still being read and enjoyed! I appreciate the comment about the other three stories, too <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /smile.gif ALT=":)"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/ufo.gif ALT=":ufo"> Fallen Magic - Glad you are caught up and still enjoying it. And I'm really glad to see that everyone seems to think the last part made sense. Time travel can get very confusing I've found out. I was delighted to know that you liked the part with Nicholas and the dolphins. I enjoyed writing that part!  Roswellkitkat - Thanks! Michael is himself again, maybe really for the first time, since he has now reconciled with who he is. There are some lingering dangers ahead, though, and ch-ch-changes. Will they be good or bad? First the group must just survive! <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/skysymb ...   Gerry - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hopeless Candy-Coated, Stargazing, Dreamer! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</div>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub129.ezboard.com/bmajiklmoonsr ... dbreeze</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/aim116b.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 8/16/03 4:42 pm

Posted: **Sat Aug 16, 2003 5:43 pm**

The Four Faces of Rath Homecoming Chapter 39 XXXIX A swirling stream of atoms poured into the country home of Michael and Maria Guerin. The atoms came through the ceiling and through the walls, as brilliant as a thousand candles, lighting the living room brighter than it had ever been lit. Then, the swirling molecules began to coalesce, some turning into Michael… others, his son, Kryys. Michael looked around him at the familiar setting and smiled… then he hugged Kryys, who was now as solid as any normal little boy. At that moment, Maria walked into the living room… “Well… the wandering husband has returned… and with our wayward child!” Maria grinned. “Where have you two been? Dinner’s almost ready. Are you hungry?” “I could eat a yorik, Mom,” Kryys said enthusiastically with a smile a mile wide. “I think that goes for me, too,” Michael agreed. “For some reason, I’m starved!” Hugging Maria to him, Michael kissed her passionately. “Woah,” Maria gasped after she got her breath back. “Okay, you can go off once in a while, I guess… if you come back like this. You ready to eat?” Kryys nodded with a smile. Michael nodded, too. “Promise me, Maria, that you’ll never marry Brody Davis.” Maria looked at Michael and raised her eyebrows. “Ooo-kay… I promise. What brought that on?” “Nothing. I just wanted to be sure.” “Well, I married you, space boy, and I don’t intend to let you go. And besides, you’re a handful enough for me. Anyway, you know Brody was just a… a friend. I’d never have married him!” “We never know what might have been, Maria,” Michael said. “We never know.” Maria shook her head and smiled, scrunching her brow in an amused sort of way. “No way. Come on, let’s eat.” Michael nodded. “But first,” he said, heading for the bathroom, “I’ve been holding something for too long… and for two people, I think.” Maria’s eyes followed him with an amused but slightly perplexed look. “You sure something didn’t happen to you while you were away, Michael?” “Well, a lot happened, actually,” Michael yelled back from the bathroom. “Maybe I’ll tell you about it sometime… or maybe you’ll remember.” “Okay,” Maria said, “now that just sounds like something I should know about. Spill it cowboy. What about me? And why should I remember… and what is it that I should remember?” “Well, I didn’t say you would,” Michael said, walking back into the dining room after a couple of minutes. “I just said you might.” “Well, how ‘bout enlightening me a bit.” “Sit down.” “It’s that strange, huh?” “Depends, I guess.” “On what?” “Whether you live in the Twilight Zone or not.” Michael softly intoned the opening strains from the old TV show, “Da, da, da, da… Da, da, da, da.” Maria looked at Kryys. “Did you take your Dad into that Never Neverland or whatever it is you go to, Kryys… with the Drax guy?” Kryys just smiled. “Okay… how do I fit into this,” Maria asked, pouring Michael a cup of coffee and shoving a new bottle of Tabasco sauce toward him across the table. Michael took the lid off and poured several ounces into his coffee then added two teaspoons of sugar. “Well, it’s kind of a long story,” Michael said, stirring his coffee-Tabasco mix. “We’ve got a long time,” Maria said. Michael smiled then leaned over and kissed Maria… “Yeah! Yeah, we do, don’t we.” His face seemed to light up, and Maria felt the happiness radiating outward from him almost palpably. It made Maria happy, too, and she leaned over and kissed Michael back. <div style="text-align:center">**********</div> In the gardens den of the royal palace in CoruzAntar, Liz was sitting on Max’s lap with both arms around his neck as he went about trying to explain what he had to do in the afternoon… between occasional pauses for… sustenance. Max started to talk again, and Liz stopped him in mid-sentence with her lips on his. Max paused again and enjoyed the moment in spite of himself. “Geez, Liz,” he said, coming up for air after a few moments, “what’s got you all revved up today?” “What? Can’t I show my affection, Max?” “Well, sure… I mean… you know I can’t get enough of it… of you. I’m not complaining, mind you. It’s just that I can barely get a word in. Don’t you want to hear what my plans are for the afternoon?” “Maybe… after I’m finished…” Liz placed her lips on Max’s again, and Max surrendered with a smile. “Ahem…” Kyle stood in the entrance to the gardens den. Max looked over at him with one eye but continued to kiss Liz… or to enjoy her kiss. “Ahem!” “What is it, Kyle,” Max said at last, smiling somewhat like a child who had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar. “You have guests, Max. Michael and Maria.” “Oh! Okay… well, send ‘em in, Kyle!” Kyle nodded and grinned. He seemed to enjoy catching Max and Liz in their “playful” moments. Liz jumped up to hug Maria as she came into the room with Michael. “How’s it goin’ bro,” Max asked, slapping Michael’s hand playfully. “Good. Good. No complaints, Max.” “What you been up to, Michael? Anything new?” “Maybe.” “Maybe?” “Yeah, well…” Michael looked at Liz, trying to ascertain whether this was the Liz he had been working with back on Earth to get them back to Antar in their own time or whether this Liz was the pure original and unaware of anything that had happened recently. Finding Liz sitting on Max’s lap involved in… heavy petting… was not particularly unusual. True, Michael didn’t see Liz on Max’s lap… she had already got up by the time he came in… but he knew. Something written all over their faces always told him. Maybe it was the smiles that still lingered on their faces like steam in a sauna. Liz looked back at Michael and smiled. Was it a “knowing” smile or just a “glad to see you guys” smile. Michael couldn’t be sure. “Max… do you have any… you know… unusual memories?” “Well, I saw Carrot-top and Mister T sing Blue Moon and Yankee Doodle Dandy together in Central Park when I was in New York.” Michael just looked at Max. “Not bizarre, Max… That would be bizarre. I just meant unusual.” Max shook his head slowly and raised his eyebrows slightly. “Unusual… how?” “Like, you know, memories from another lifetime or something.” Max was silent for a moment. “Maybe you’d better tell me what it is I’m supposed to remember, Michael.” Michael looked at Maria and she nodded. “Well, Max, maybe you’d better be sitting down. It’s kind of a long story.” Max nodded acceptingly. “Okay.” He sat down, and Liz sat beside him, cozying up to him. Michael looked at Liz’s eyes again. “Does she know? What does she remember,” Michael wondered to himself. “She must remember something.” Liz smiled but said nothing. “Maybe she doesn’t remember…” “So what were you going to tell us, Michael,” Max asked, bringing Michael back to reality. “Oh! Yeah, well… you know, I was gone for a while…” “Yeah… You went off to search for yourself. I see you’re here, so I guess you must have found yourself, huh?” Michael looked at Max. “Sorry, Michael. I’m just getting into this playful mood that Liz has been in, I think. What did you find out? We’d really like to know.” Michael nodded, glancing again at Liz. He still couldn’t tell… “Max, a lot happened after I left. Time got totally screwed up. I thought it was my fault, but it turned out to be some guys called Nogi-Ky’a that were responsible. They tried to fix it, but it was taking them too long, and Kryys and the Drax fixed it for them. That’s the short version.” “I’d say so,” Max agreed. “Somehow I think there’s a lot more I haven’t heard.” Michael nodded and began to tell Max about everything that had happened… everything that he remembered personally, that is. Liz’s life with Max in the future was an unknown to Michael. She never shared those details with him. Michael only knew that she had met Max in the future. When Michael had finished, Max looked at Liz sitting beside him. “Do you remember anything, Liz?” Liz smiled and looked fleetingly at Michael. “I remember some things, Max, but it’s more like a dream to me. I remember trying to get here… to you. I don’t quite remember all the details… And there was something else…” “What,” Max asked. “I don’t know,” Liz said, her smile fading and her face assuming a worried look. “It’s like there’s something I should remember… something… important. I just can’t remember what it is.” Max nodded. “Well, maybe it’ll come back to you. Don’t worry about it.” Liz shook her head. “It was important. How could I forget?” “It was a different life, Liz,” Max said soothingly. “You can’t be expected to remember everything from a whole different life.” “It was important,” Liz insisted, her face becoming somber. “I know I should remember… but…” “Do you have any idea what she’s trying to remember, Michael,” Max asked. Michael shook his head then sneezed suddenly. “Gesundheit,” Maria said automatically. “Are you okay,” Max asked. “Yeah. Why shouldn’t I be?” “Well, I don’t think I ever heard you sneeze before, Michael. Come to think of it, I’ve never heard any Antarian sneeze. We’re immune to colds and stuff.” “Maybe you’ve got… dust or something, Max,” Michael said, but he knew that the palace was meticulously maintained. He’d have had a hard time finding any dust if he’d looked all day. “Don’t worry about it, Max. It’s nothing, just a sneeze, a common sneeze. I just got back from Earth. Maybe in that different time I was in, the climate was different… or something.” “Okay,” Max said. But he was clearly not convinced. “Maybe you ought to have an Antarian health maintenance scientist check you out anyway.” “Give it a break, Max. It was just a sneeze. We don’t go the doctor here for check-ups.” “No, but they are responsible for making sure that we stay healthy… as a world, you know.” “If it’ll make you happy, I’ll tell Varec I sneezed next time I see him. When he says, “Yeah, so?” I’ll say, “I told you so,” Max. “You worry too much.” “I’ve got a whole world to worry about,” Max said seriously. “Yeah, okay,” Michael said with resignation. “I’ll have Varec check me out and certify me. You happy?” Max nodded and smiled. “I think it’s a good idea. If it’s nothing, there’s nothing lost in getting checked.” Michael nodded. “Well, Max… Maria and I’d better go,” Michael said, looking at Liz cuddled up beside Max. Michael smiled. “I’ll let you two get back to… whatever it was you were doing.” “Thanks, Michael,” Max said with a sheepish grin. “Don’t be strangers, okay?” Michael nodded. Maria kissed Liz on the cheek, and the two of them left. “Now, where were we,” Liz asked, turning to Max, her face regaining its joyful appearance. “I was about to carry you up to the bedroom,” Max said. “Ooh! Right!” Liz grinned. Max picked her up in his strong arms. Liz put her arms around Max’s neck and kissed him as he walked to the wide staircase and carried her up toward their night suite. Half way up, Max faltered then stopped momentarily. “Why are we stopping, Max?” “It’s nothing Liz.” Max took another few steps up the stairs then stopped again. “What’s the matter, Max,” Liz asked, beginning to feel concerned. Max shook his head. “I’ve got a headache, Liz.” “Oh, that’s supposed to be my line, Max! You’re not getting out of this that easy,” Liz said playfully. Max stepped backward, as if trying to keep his balance, then he collapsed, with Liz on top of him, on the stairs. “Max! Max! What’s the matter? Kyle! KYLE! I NEED YOU!” Kyle came running. “Get a doctor, Kyle… or something. Get Varec! Max is…” Kyle checked Max’s pulse, then without saying a word, he ran. tbc

Posted: **Sun Aug 17, 2003 5:41 am**

What'swrong with Max? Whendoes he get headaches? And i'll bet that sneeze was important! Maybe time is still all screwy! Please don't let anything happen to Max and what can't Liz remember?! Get back here fast! this is great! <img src="http://www.boomspeed.com/rathsbitch84/Untitled-1.jpg" style="border:0;"/>

Posted: **Sun Aug 17, 2003 10:55 pm**

The Four Faces of Rath Never Never Land Chapter 40 XL Max didn’t want to, but he managed to force his eyes open through the sheer power of his will. What he wanted to do was just keep them closed and submit to the inevitable… peacefully. It would have been so much easier… so much less… painful. Light! Bright light! It hurt… Excruciating! Max looked up from where he lay. He was surrounded by fog. Through the fog, everything was blurry… even the faces. Faces? Not faces. Something… but what? Whatever it was leaned over him. Huge eyes. Nose, too! …huge, and bulbuous. Its mouth was flexible… it curled around and reached back… like… an insect’s proboscis? A sort of sucker… like a butterfly’s. Definitely no butterfly. Too big! Too… ugly! Go away! He couldn’t speak. He moaned slightly. And the monster spoke. Or whatever it was. What was it saying? He couldn’t understand. Maybe an alien language. Didn’t sound familiar to him. Just noises. Unintelligible noises. Hisses and grunts. Max tried to form words with his parched lips, “Let me up.” The giant insect mumbled back with something unintelligible again. It could hear him. Did it understand him? He didn’t know. What was it? There were others. More giant insects. Max noticed that they all had humps on their backs and that their hands were like giant claws. And they had wings… well, maybe not wings. Max couldn’t be sure. One of the giant “bugs” opened its wings and removed something from under them. Okay, they had wings. Big white wings. Their bodies were white, too. Their faces were mostly black. Max wanted to do something… anything. But he couldn’t. Max followed the insectoid aliens with his eyes. His eyes were about the only part of him that he could get to move. He felt like lead. Heavy. Nailed to the… what was it? A bed? A cot? Something. Whatever. He was nailed to it… or glued to it. He couldn’t move a muscle. Why was he even trying? It just hurt. Too much pain. Max closed his eyes. Why can’t I die? ~~~Liz~~~ The thought just popped into his head. Where did it come from? He didn’t remember. Liz! He couldn’t die. He mustn’t die. Not yet. Not now. But the pain! Too much pain. One of the giant bugs reached down and restrained Max’s right arm with its claw. It wasn’t necessary. Max couldn’t move to do anything. The bug wrapped its claw around Max’s arm… tight… tighter… still tighter… More pain! It’s cutting off my arm with its pincer! The pain subsided then the pressure went away. Was the arm still there? Did they cut it off? The bug walked away. It wasn’t carrying his arm. Maybe it didn’t cut it off. Maybe he still had it. He couldn’t feel it. Another bug came over and rolled Max onto his side. What? No! Dear God! No! Not that! The bug removed something like a patch from Max’s back then rolled him back onto his back again. Max almost felt relief, but his head was pounding too much. And something in the room was making a loud clanging sound. The clanging would drive him crazy if the bugs didn’t kill him first. Let me die! Just let me die! What are you doing to me? What are you? What do you want with me? Am I some kind of biology experiment for a bunch of giant ‘bugs’? Let me die in peace. ~~~Liz~~~ Max moaned. One of the bugs leaned over Max and put something into his nose. He felt a spray enter his sinuses and lungs. It choked him. He gagged and began to cough. What do you want? Who are you? Max closed his eyes then opened them again after a moment. The fog was going away. It was still there but definitely diminishing. Will the bugs go away, too? Max actually felt hope. Then I can die in peace. ~~~Liz~~~ Max moaned slightly. Mustn’t die. Actually, the pain seemed to have subsided somewhat. It was merely comparable to a severe migraine now. Max had never had a migraine, so he had nothing to compare it to. Max had never even had a headache! Ever! Not even a mild one. Even after he got drunk from that single taste of alcohol that time on Earth, he hadn’t had a headache afterwards… no hangover as would have been expected. ~~~Liz~~~ I must be strong! Can’t die here! Must fight back! Max opened his eyes. The fog was gone. One of the bugs turned to him and reached under its wing to take something out again… only it wasn’t a wing, it was… a cloak… a white coat of some kind. The bug took a clasp from under its cloak and placed it around Max’s arm again. Instantly, the pressure returned. Pain… but bearable. Maybe not pain… just… pressure. “One-ten over sixty-two.” That was Antarian. Who said that? The bug looked at Max. It wasn’t a bug. But… Antarian? Not with that face! Max looked again. A mask… a breathing device with a large filter and a hose leading to a tank on the back. All of them had one on. And one of them had some kind of meter in its hand that made a soft, almost inaudible, rhythmic clicking sound like the tic tock of a watch. The clanging! “Can you hear me,” the alien asked. Max was surprised that he was able to understand. “Who are you,” Max managed to ask feebly. “What do you want?” “He’s conscious,” the alien said to the others. “He spoke.” The aliens all gathered around Max. Max could see their eyes through the masks. They were smiling. And one of them actually had tears in its eyes. ~~~Liz~~~ “Liz?” Max tried to speak. His mouth was still dry, and it was hard to move his tongue properly. “I’m here, Max. Stay with us. Fight it! You can do it!” Fight what? “Liz! Where am I? What happened?” “Just rest, Max. There’ll be time for that. Just rest. I love you, Max.” “I love you… too,” Max whispered hoarsely through his parched lips. “You’re the only reason I held on, Liz… the only reason… What happened?” Liz knew that Max would not rest or stop asking what had happened until he knew. He could be stubborn. He had a whole planet to worry about. It was probably a necessary trait for one in his position. “We’re working on it, Max,” Liz said. “It’s an unusual virus hybrid. It produces a toxic reaction in the body that causes hallucinations, paralysis, illness… and death. No one has ever seen anything like it here.” “Where… where did I get it?” “We’re not sure, Max. We think Michael brought it back from Earth.” “Michael doesn’t catch viruses.” “Not just any virus, Max… but this one was specifically engineered to affect Antarian physiology, we think.” “Where would Michael have picked up something like that? Did you ask him?” Liz didn’t answer. “Is Michael…?” “He’s alive, Max. He’s… in a coma. Maria’s with him… and a team of health scientists.” “Why didn’t you get sick, Liz?” “I did, but in me it was mild… and brief. I had just enough Antarian DNA from my past to become infected. You and Michael have more. It affected you more severely.” “Then… what about… full-blooded…” “It’s been brutal, Max. We managed to contain it, we think, but…” Liz paused momentarily. “I have to know, Liz.” “Several thousand have died. Many more are desperately ill.” Max buried his face in his hands, and tears rolled silently down his face. “How did this happen, Liz? How? How long have I been… indisposed?” Liz shook her head. “It’s been three weeks since you and Michael lapsed into comas. Others all over Antar began to become ill almost immediately. Varec and the others are working on it. Three factories have gone into full time production making these contamination suits. We’ve got them to almost everyone now… everyone left… who’s not already sick.” “Varec?” “I’m here, Max,” Varec said, stepping back beside Max. “Try not to worry. We’re handling everything. I’m sorry that we can’t take the masks off, Max. It could be deadly to any of us if we caught the virus.” Max tried to nod. “I understand.” “Liz?” “Mine’s a precaution, Max… both ways… so I don’t give it to anyone else and so I don’t get reinfected. We just don’t know what this virus is capable of.” “I need to get out of here, Liz. I’m needed…” “Whoa! Whoa!” Varec said, touching Max on the chest. It wasn’t necessary to restrain him. The fact is, Max still could barely make a muscle move. And every attempted movement produced excruciating pain. “You aren’t going anywhere till you’re better, Max.” Max groaned. “I hate this! I want to say just watch me and walk out of here… but I can’t do anything about it.” “Right,” Varec said. “So relax and try to get well.” “I can’t relax, Varec. You know that.” Varec smiled. “I know, but I have to say it. I think it’s a law or something.” “I’ll repeal it,” Max moaned. But he knew Varec was right. Max wasn’t going anywhere. At least not for now. tbc Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub129.ezboard.com/bmajiklmoonsr ... dbreeze</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/aim116b.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 8/17/03 11:06 pm

Posted: **Sun Aug 17, 2003 11:54 pm**

Thanks for the feedback, Fallen Magic! Yeah, you're right. Michael doesn't sneeze, and Max doesn't get headaches. But they are in the right time now. Well, read on. There's more to come. <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/skysymb ...   Gerry - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hopeless Candy-Coated, Stargazing, Dreamer! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</div>

Posted: **Mon Aug 18, 2003 11:17 am**

What the heck? a virus? From Earth? But from who or what? I need more answers!!!! <div style="text-align:center">Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.</div> <div style="text-align:center">Rudyard Kipling, English author</div> <

Posted: **Mon Aug 18, 2003 8:36 pm**

*****veca returning from other dimension***** Hello isndbreeze !!! I finally finished reading the new updates <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /smile.gif ALT=":)"> Wow !!! <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/wavey.gif ALT=":wave"> I know, I know !! the metal liquid Zwolinsky had !! It has to be that !!! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /smile.gif ALT=":)"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /smile.gif ALT=":)"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/princess.gif ALT=":princess">

Posted: **Tue Aug 19, 2003 10:25 pm**

Thanks for the feedback, Roswellkitkat and Veca! Ah, Veca, you do remember! Zwolinski! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /devil.gif ALT=":evil"> Don't you just know it. And don't think Michael... or Rath, who is a part of him, will let it go unanswered. Here's the next chapter. <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/skysymb ...   Gerry - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hopeless Candy-Coated, Stargazing, Dreamer! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</div>

Posted: **Tue Aug 19, 2003 10:26 pm**

The Four Faces of Rath Decon Team Antar Chapter 41 XLI The door opened softly, and Maria turned to look at the new decontamination-suited figure entering the room. It was Liz. Somehow Maria knew, even with the bulky suits that they both wore. Maybe it was the way Liz carried herself. Maybe it was her walk. Maybe it was some kind of connection that the two of them shared. Whatever it was, Maria knew. “Liz!” “Maria… How’s Michael doing?” Maria shook her head. “Not good, Liz. I’m worried.” Liz could see that Maria was shaking. She knew that it wasn’t from the virus. Maria hadn’t been affected by the virus… at least, not that anyone could tell. But she still wore the suit as a precaution… and to avoid spreading it to others… others who could get it… and who might die. Liz hugged Maria as best she could through the bulky suits. Somehow it wasn’t very satisfying. But it would have to do. “He’s still in a coma,” Maria said, her voice breaking. “How’s Max?” “He’s starting to come out of it, Maria. Maybe Michael will, too.” Liz looked at Michael, and Maria picked his hand up in her bulky, gloved hand. Somehow Maria’s touch seemed gentle, caressing, even with the gloves on. Michael looked so pale… almost ashen. He lay on the small hospital-style bed… so still. It scared Liz. She could only imagine how Maria must feel. She knew how she felt with Max. “Michael’s going to make it, Maria. He’s got to. We just have to believe.” “I try, Liz. You know I do. I don’t want to have negative thoughts. But…” Maria started to cry softly… “Look at him, Liz. He’s more dead than alive now.” Liz looked at Michael again. She wanted to comfort Maria, reassure her. But what could she say? The still, ashen figure lying in front of them spoke more than any amount of words could. Liz looked at Maria’s face, streaming with tears inside the mask. “Screw this, Maria!” Liz reached up and removed her own facemask and head covering then stripped out of her bulky decon suit. She was wearing a simple pair of short pants and one of Max’s shirts that hung loosely over the shorts. Maria took her mask and suit off, too, and hugged Liz to her. Then she cried. “Liz…” Maria said after a few moments, her voice catching momentarily. She sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. “I don’t think I can go on if Michael dies…” “You can, Maria. You’re strong. Stronger than you know. But let’s not talk about Michael dying. He’s going to make it. Just keep saying that!” Liz rubbed her hands up and down Maria’s back as she held her close in a gentle embrace. She wiped another tear off of Maria’s cheek and pressed her cheek to Maria’s. “Have faith in Michael, Maria. I don’t know how, but somehow Michael will come through… He has to.” “I keep saying that, Liz. The hard part is believing it… especially when I look at him lying there like that.” Liz brushed a tear from her own cheek. “Try to think of his spirit when you look at him, Maria… his strong, vibrant spirit. He’s still here. We just have to pull him through this.” Maria nodded. A decon-suited face peered through the small window in the door, then the new visitor knocked. “We’d better get our suits back on, Maria. The doctors are back.” Maria nodded. “Thanks, Liz.” Liz smiled and replaced her facemask, and Maria replaced hers, then both girls replaced their suits. “I needed that,” Maria said softly. The face in the door window waited until the two girls were completely suited then came into the room. One could hardly blame them for their caution. No one on Antar had ever lived through a plague like this. The results were horrifyingly obvious to everyone now. It was something that no one wanted to take a chance with or experience themselves. In fact, in the case of full-blooded Antarians, it appeared that few would ever be able to say that they had experienced it. Almost all those who had contracted it had died already. The only real hope the Antarians had was to avoid getting it. Three health scientists and two Sh’dax-ats, or “cosmic scientists,” of which Varec was one, entered the room, dressed in full decon suits. The term “Sh’dax-at” didn’t actually translate well from the Antarian. It meant “one who is cosmically aware,” and in all the known galaxies there were maybe a dozen at most. Varec was one. Danar-Sol, the preeminent medical researcher and biologist of Xarius, was another. In simpler terms, sh’dax-at meant one who knew everything there was to know in the cosmos… well, everything that any one person could be expected to ever learn anyway. It was a title of singular and great honor. On all of Antar, there were only two scientists who had attained the level and title of Sh’dax-at, and both of them were here in this room now. Liz touched Varec on the arm, and he looked at her. His eyes looked tired. But they also shone keenly with something else… genuine and overpowering compassion. Varec was suffering almost as much as Liz and Maria were… perhaps not in the same way, but suffering all the same. Michael and Max were very close to him. But Varec suffered with the feelings of every Antarian. He especially bore the scars left by the ones who hadn’t made it. He felt that he had lost members of his family… his children. He felt… responsible. “We’re going to beat this,” Liz said encouragingly. Varec smiled feebly and nodded. He did not seem convinced. “Put the Kiren mist into his lungs,” Varec said to one of the health scientists, a young woman about Liz’s age. She placed a bag-like device under Michael’s nose and pressed the bottom, sending a poof of powdery mist into Michael’s nose and lungs. Michael did not move. “We’ve done this three times today,” Varec said to Liz and Maria. “It hasn’t had any visible effect, I’m afraid.” “They put that into Max’s lungs,” Liz said to Maria, “and it seemed to help him. He started to come around shortly after they did it.” Maria nodded. “We’re hoping it may be the cure,” Liz said. “Where did it come from,” Maria asked. “Varec, Ayrgith, and I created it. It seems to help some individuals. We called it the Kiren mist, because the principal ingredient in the substance that it’s made from comes from the planet Kiren from the invisible roots of the corschar fungus that grows there on the bottoms of logs that have lain for a hundred years or more on the soft ground of the Farv’yat Forest.” “Have you cured many people?” Liz looked visibly saddened, and she shook her head. “We think Max may be out of danger. Besides him, there were two little boys from the Jarnat Region who responded to the mist and are now apparently well… and they’re full Antarians. But they were young… ten and twelve years old. We’re working now on a possible second generation mist using antibodies from their blood and combining the antibodies with the Kiren mist.” “Have you cured anyone else?” Liz shook her head. “Except for these three cases, the best we’ve been able to do is keep some people alive… for now. It’s… it’s just not enough.” Maria rubbed Liz’s arm with her glove. “That’s something, Liz. Those people would be dead now if it weren’t for you and Varec… and Ayrgith.” “I know… but a lot of others are dead. We need more to fight this with. It’s just not enough.” “Ma… Maria.” It was almost inaudible, especially through the decon suits, but Maria heard it. “Michael?” Maria rushed to Michael’s side. He didn’t appear to be as ashy white as he had been. Some of the color was coming back. Michael opened his eyes. “Maria, I feel like shit. I feel like a herd of yeggs trampled me down and stomped on my head over and over.” Maria began to laugh. “It’s not funny,” Michael tried to say through his parched lips and airway. “I know, Michael. I’m laughing because I love you,” Maria said, “and you’re alive!” She reached down and put her head, mask and all, next to Michael’s and hugged him. “I’m thirsty,” Michael said. “Can I get something to drink?” “I’ll get you a little water,” Varec said. “Could you… could you… put just a little Tabasco in it… for flavor?” “He’s gonna make it,” Liz said, smiling. Maria nodded, and tears ran freely down her face. tbc

Posted: **Thu Aug 21, 2003 3:30 am**

The Four Faces of Rath The Snake Chapter 42 XLII It had been four weeks since Max and Michael had been officially certified free of the virus. Dan, Diane, Liz, Max, Michael, Maria, Jim, Kathleen, Kyle, Jeliya, Alex, Isabel, Tess, Rayylar, Jeff, Nancy, Philip, Diane, and the Whitmans all sat around the fire at Jim and Kathleen’s ranch estate. Kathleen and Jeliya served everyone coffee or a drink of Snapples and jubish and some light Antarian Jaht-Roo cookies with chilled japo-mevanish, a chilled version of the famous Antarian flaming flan (also known as refrigerated left-overs). Having no Antarian DNA, Dan, Jim, Kathleen, Alex, Jeff, Nancy, the Whitmans, and Philip and Diane Evans had proven to be immune to the virus. Maria had suffered a runny nose and a bad headache. No one was sure why she was affected, but she was. Jeliya, Kyle’s wife, had been in a coma but survived, thanks to the Kiren mist that Varec, Ayr’gith, and Liz developed, thankfully just in time in her case, as in Max and Michael’s. Tess had escaped being infected, apparently because she and Rayylar had received decon suits in time before she was exposed; but her husband, Rayylar, caught it anyway and almost died from the virus. He, too, was saved by the Kiren mist. Liz had had a mild to moderate case, a bit more severe than Maria’s, but she had never stopped going, even helping to develop the cure while she suffered with the effects of the virus. Diane Casey Klein had contracted a light case of the virus, which in retrospect, might have been foreseen, since she was, after all, one of the “Antarians Too,” the humans who had residual Antarian DNA in them. Kyle came down with a light case. Everyone surmised that it must have been because of Max healing him years before. However, Max healed Jim, too, as well as several others later, yet none of them contracted the virus. “How many have you saved so far,” Dan Klein asked Liz. “So far,” Liz said, “1,477 Antarians have been certified free of the virus after having had it. That doesn’t count Max and Michael. They’re technically not full-blooded Antarians, since their DNA is mixed with Earth DNA.” “That’s wonderful, Liz, Diane said. Liz frowned. “No, it really isn’t, Diane, when you consider that over thirty thousand have died… 30,283.” Liz added this exact count for no particular reason, but the fact is that she knew the number down to the last individual. She couldn’t seem to help it. She took every death personally. And every one saved was a personal celebration. “Have you figured out where the virus came from,” Dan asked. Liz shook her head. “We think I brought it back from Earth,” Michael said for her. “We just don’t know how.” “Well, what did you do while you were there,” Dan asked. “Have you retraced all your steps?” “A thousand times, Dan… a thousand times. I just can’t come up with anything.” “Nothing seemed strange or out of place?” “Everything seemed strange! But I still don’t know where the virus could have come from. I’d say Zwolinski could have cooked it up, but he never had the chance that I know of. I mean, he never did anything that could have given it to me, you know.” “Where did you go while you were there?” Roswell… I saw the CrashDown and myself as a kid… and Hank. Hank couldn’t have made a hybrid virus. He doesn’t even know what viruses look like. He thinks they’re little sharks swimming around in our blood.” Diane giggled and shook her head. “I went to Nashville to see Alex. I went to Boston to see Liz once. Then there was the rock pit… the quarry.” “Quarry?” “Outside of Roswell. The shape-shifters had their ship in it. It was buried under the rubble at the bottom. They had an elaborate sort of electronic alarm system… neuronic or something… that warned them when anything was around the quarry and allowed them to see it from wherever they were. You think they could have given it to me?” “Could be. Would they have had something to gain by destroying Antar… killing everybody on the planet?” Michael thought about this for a few moments. “I don’t know what they would gain by it. They were loyal to Kivar, and Kivar wanted to take over Antar. I can’t see what he would have to gain by having no one to be the king of. Besides, he would have been affected by the virus, too.” “And the shape-shifters?” “I don’t know. They’re not native to Antar. But they do have a similar nervous system… with a few important modifications that allow them to shape-shift.” “Did you go anywhere else?” “Yeah. I was on a yacht off the east coast of the Bahamas.” “The Bermuda Triangle,” Dan said. “Yeah, so?” “Nothing.” Dan shook his head. “I just thought it was curious… or interesting. There’s nothing to those legends, so it really doesn’t matter.” “Didn’t a lot of ships and planes and stuff disappear in the Bermuda Triangle,” Kyle asked. Dan nodded. “Yeah, a whole squadron of military planes, Avengers I think, disappeared there in the forties. Ships and boats have disappeared there, too. But if you consider the amount of traffic that area has… the sheer number of boats and planes that fly or move through that area every single day… I mean, the triangle reaches from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to San Juan, Puerto Rico and then over to Bermuda… it’s not unusual that that area would seem to be plagued with a lot of accidents… or unexplained occurrences for that matter. I never heard of any aliens getting any unusual viruses there, though.” “Yeah.” Michael nodded. “I don’t think that has anything to do with it. The yacht was leased by Nicholas… and he was working for Kivar, so exterminating everyone on Antar wouldn’t be in the interest of either one.” “Who would have an interest in killing everyone on Antar, Michael,” Diane asked. Michael thought about it and shook his head. “No one. That’s the problem. Zwolinski might have done it in the past… or in another timeline, but he actually helped me to track down Jim’s killers in this timeline. He wanted the shape-shifters and Kivar’s guys, not me. We worked together once he understood that we were on the same side.” “A snake is always a snake,” Diane said. “I’m not saying he did it, but I wouldn’t be too quick to rule him out. He had the motive and the desire… in the past at least. He had the ability… Didn’t he have a lab and people working with him? And he had access to you.” Kathleen nodded. “She’s right, Michael. A snake is always a snake, and Zwolinski is always Zwolinski, even when he’s not rattling his tail to warn you.” “I know,” Michael said. “I would suspect him in a heartbeat, too, but… how? He was very nice to me once we started working together. He never did anything that I know of that could have given me this virus. I watched my back around him. I was never asleep… and I was never unconscious around him. There’s just no way…” “Did you bring anything back that he gave you?” “No. I didn’t bring anything back at all… just me… and the clothes I was wearing.” “Have you had the clothes checked,” Jim asked. “No. This is the same shirt I was wearing there. It’s been washed since then, of course. It got torn while we were capturing the shape-shifters, and Zwolinski paid to have it sewn up. He also had that little silver monogram sewn on the pocket for me when they fixed the shirt.” “Zwolinski?” Diane and Dan both asked at once. “Yeah. But he didn’t do the repairs. A seamstress at a local shop did it. Zwolinski just put it on his account. I didn’t know about the monogram till I got the shirt back. Zwolinski said it was the least he could do for the help I gave him, and he was getting the shirt repaired anyway, so he just had them do it at the same time. It’s nothing… just a few threads. You think that…?” “Let me see it,” Dan said, moving over to study it closely. “The thread in the monogram is shiny. It sort of sparkles,” Diane said. “Yeah. It does look nice,” Michael said. “Yeah,” Dan agreed. “It does.” Michael unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. Then he stared at the monogram for several minutes. He turned the shirt inside out and looked at the thread inside the seam. It was the same shiny, sparkly, metallic-looking thread. He ran his fingers over it and looked at his fingers. A few very tiny silvery sparkles remained on his fingers. “What’s that,” Diane asked. “I don’t know,” Michael said, shaking his head solemnly. “But I’m going to find out.” Michael stood up and looked at Maria. “You can hang out here if you want to till I get back,” he said. Then he left the ranch house. Maria knew where he was going. And she knew he’d be back with an answer from Varec. <div style="text-align:center">**********</div> Dressed in full contamination gear, Varec removed the small vial from the chemical bath he had placed it in and looked at the silvery thread in it. Then he removed the silvery thread with a small forceps and placed it on a glass slab, which he placed on the plate of his electron-neuron binary scanning microscope. He turned on the monitor on the wall, and both Michael and Varec watched as the screen came alive… almost literally. The silvery thread, when enlarged to a factor of 200,000X, seemed to wriggle and crawl with tiny worm-like organisms. It was all Michael needed to see. “He did it to me, didn’t he, Varec? That son of a bitch poisoned me… tried to exterminate our whole planet!” “Well, it’s a virus, not a poison, Michael, but in a way, you’re right. This particular virus has an unusual profile. It’s part virus, part chemical.” “Don’t we all have chemicals in our bodies,” Michael asked. “Aren’t we all part chemical?” Varec nodded. “We are. But this is unique. It’s something I’ve never seen before, Michael. The reason Antarians can’t catch viruses is because we have… I guess you could say ‘mutated’ the DNA of Antarians in such a way that no known virus or bacteria can penetrate our cells or bodies without being immediately destroyed. What Zwolinski has done is create a hybrid virus-chemical… a living chemical! It’s ingenious actually.” “You can spare the praise, Varec. I’m going to kill the son of a bitch, so nobody’s going to be giving him any achievement awards.” “I wasn’t praising him, Michael. He’s obviously very evil. I was just amazed by his ingenuity. The chemical that this virus is bound with attacks Antarian cells, rendering them vulnerable to attack by viruses and possibly bacteria. But this particular little creature is also a virus, so it blasts the door open then goes in and… well, you know.” “Yeah… I do,” Michael said. “Can you use this information to help come up with a better cure or antidote?” “I think so. It’s the best key we’ve had to what this thing is. We can use it, sure.” “Keep the shirt, Varec. I don’t want it back.” Michael left Varec’s lab and drove back toward Jim and Kathleen’s. His jaw was set like a vise; his eyes were like steel. He knew what he was going to do. tbc

Posted: **Thu Aug 21, 2003 4:35 pm**

This next chapter is pivotal. It gives the long awaited answers to several questions. It's not at all the end, though. Liz still has not remembered what it is that she can't remember, for one thing. She's had too much on her mind, what with the virus, to think about anything else. Soon, that question will begin to haunt her. And by the way, the flying dreams have never been explained. Those will come back. Keep reading. <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/ufo.gif ALT=":ufo"> <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/skysymb ...   Gerry - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hopeless Candy-Coated, Stargazing, Dreamer! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</div>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub129.ezboard.com/bmajiklmoonsr ... dbreeze</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/aim116b.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 8/21/03 8:15 pm

Posted: **Thu Aug 21, 2003 5:36 pm**

The Ax Chapter 43 XLIII “Michael, I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Liz said, her voice echoing the seriousness of her concern. “He’s evil… and I admit he deserves to die, but… murder?” “It’s not murder, Liz. It’s self-defense. It’s more than justifiable… It’s necessary.” “I don’t like it, Michael. Can’t we just leave him there in his time… on his world? We don’t have to ever go back.” “We can’t live that way, Liz. He’s a danger. He’ll always be a danger. As long as he’s alive, we’ll never be safe… even on our own planet. Would you ever have thought that he could have almost exterminated our whole planet? And from a different timeline at that… one that technically may not even exist now?” Liz shook her head. “Well he did, Liz. And I have to defend the planet. I’m the king’s defender… and the defender of the kingdom.” “Michael, that’s Rath talking.” Michael shook his head. “It’s me talking, Liz. I know who I am now. I’m okay with Rath. He’s not evil… like Zwolinski. I don’t mind that part of my life now. I’m whole… for the first time in my life.” “But you’re still Michael.” Michael nodded. “Yeah. I’m still Michael. I just know who Michael is now… and I’ve reconciled with it. I like it, Liz. I like being me and not apologizing for it.” Liz stammered for something to say. “Michael… I’ve known the sensitive side of you… the boy who painted beautiful portraits and pictures, the man who loves his family… who loves Maria… more than his own life. I’ve known the caring Michael… when you saved the lives of all those children… even the ones who weren’t Antarian… even the ones who were just little… puffs of gas or… or… stringy, vine-like things… or Dragons, for God’s sake! You risked your own life for Dragon children, and the Dragons were our sworn enemies then. And I’ve known the defender Michael, the man who would place his own life in danger or give his own life to defend his planet, his people. But this… I’ve never seen this side of you.” “Then look at it,” Michael said, turning to face Liz, his eyes burning with an intenseness she had never seen before. “Look well at the fourth face, Liz… the face of wrath.” Liz’s eyes met Michael’s… and she stepped back reflexively. The sheer intenseness of his gaze scared her. For the first time since Liz could remember, no words seemed to come to her. She just stood there, her mouth open, a silent gasp caught in her throat. “Michael,” Liz managed to say at last, finding her voice again, “What if that timeline isn’t even there now?” “It is, Liz. You said yourself that anyone who chose not to return here would live out their normal lives there. Remember?” Liz nodded. “But everyone chose to return.” “Everyone from our group. Not everyone, Liz.” “The Zwolinski who did this is in that timeline, Michael. In our timeline, as far as I know, Zwolinski is still green with flaming red eyes and hair and being held in a high security area somewhere near Roswell… in area 51 or somewhere.” “And still just as dangerous, Liz. He’s proven it in every timeline we’ve ever met him in.” Liz didn’t have an answer for that. She knew that Zwolinski was a danger. He had shown it time and again… often in the most unexpected ways. In the original timeline, he had dissected Liz in the white room. She had not forgotten this, either. “Are you going to kill him in every timeline, Michael? There are no guarantees in life, you know.” Michael was silent for a moment as he thought about this. “I don’t know, Liz. I’m just concerned with the one who did this to us right now. He’s my only concern… not the green one. And I vaporized the one that cut you up. Remember? This one has to go, too.” Michael called for the portal then stepped through. Liz turned to Max, who had stood quietly by without saying a word until now. “Max, he’s using my portal…” “You gave him permission, Liz, when he went to look for himself, remember? You never rescinded that permission.” “Well, I rescind it now!” Max shook his head. “Don’t do that, Liz. It would strand him on Earth. You know what would happen to him. Do you want that?” Liz shook her head. “Is this what we’ve been reduced to, Max? Huh? Murderers! Do we have to be like him… you know, like Zwolinski? Aren’t we better than that?” “I don’t know, Liz. Can you guarantee the safety of this planet… or bring back 30,283 dead Antarians… Antarians who have died from Zwolinski’s virus so far… or the ones who haven’t yet but will?” “That’s not fair, Max? There are no guarantees in life. Do we have to have guarantees? Every one of those people we lost left a hole in my soul! We just have to live the best we can.” “I think that’s what Michael’s doing, Liz. I think we should trust him.” Liz shook her head sadly. She had run out of anything to say. <div style="text-align:center">**********</div> In a small office near Roswell, a smiling Zwolinski leaned back in his chair and relit a partially-smoked cigar. “I don’t know why I gave these up,” he said to the colonel sitting in front of his desk. “Oh yeah… the doctors. Well, I feel like celebrating.” “You think the virus worked,” the colonel asked. “I’m sure of it, Kilpatrick. By now, we’ve cleaned out the whole nest. That’s the way to get rid of rats. Kill ‘em at the nest.” “I wish we could have been there to see their faces, Zwolinski.” Zwolinski laughed, but it was not a laugh that he would get to enjoy. A quick shimmer of light appeared behind the colonel, and suddenly, Michael stepped through and grabbed the colonel by the neck before he could turn around. “You want to see my face? Then I’ll show it to you,” Michael said, gazing directly into the colonel’s eyes as he turned the colonel’s head toward his own face. Zwolinski saw it, too, the look in Michael’s eyes, and he swallowed what was left of his cigar. Choking and sputtering, Zwolinski dove for his gun, lying on a nearby table. Michael was quicker. A blast of power from his palm incinerated the gun and half of the table… and almost Zwolinski’s hand with it, if Zwolinski had been a little quicker getting there. Michael threw the colonel across the room, knocking him unconscious. “What are you going to do,” Zwolinski sputtered. “I’m going to end this,” Michael said. “I’m going to protect my planet… from you.” “What… what happened?” “You know what happened.” Michael was over the desk and had Zwolinski in a headlock before Zwolinski could move. “How many died? How many?” Zwolinski managed to sputter. “You’d like to know, wouldn’t you Zwolinski? Would it make you happy to know just how many people died? My people?” “Aliens, Michael. Alien scum. Not people.” “Like me? Alien scum?” “Like you.” “You’re a sick man, Zwolinski.” “Kill me, Michael. It’s what you came for, isn’t it? Kill me! I don’t care now! I’ve struck. You can’t take that back. I’ve won. It’s done. My legacy is complete.” “You failed, Zwolinski. Everyone didn’t die. We have a cure.” “But a lot of you died, didn’t they? Never mind, you don’t have to tell me. Your face told me everything I need to know.” For a moment… a very long moment… Michael stood there with Zwolinski’s head under his arm, thinking. Then he threw Zwolinski against the wall. Zwolinski was baffled. He was sure that Michael had come to kill him, and he had prepared himself for it. “You’re right, Zwolinski. Killing you won’t change anything.” Zwolinski started to smile. “I have to stop this at the source,” Michael said. “Portal! Take me to the year 1940.” Zwolinski looked momentarily puzzled… “1940? I was in second grade…” Then it dawned on him… “He’s going to kill me when I was a child!” Zwolinski turned suddenly pale. “Everything I’ve done… all my accomplishments… My legacy! will never happen! I’ll never exist!” <div style="text-align:center">**********</div> As the last bell rang, Dumas collected up his second grade books quickly. He had to walk about a mile and a half to get home. It was a bit chilly outside being February. But for February, it was actually not so bad. Dumas was in a hurry to get home. His older brother had promised to take him to the five and dime to spend the dollar his father had given him the day before for getting good grades the previous quarter. Jonathan was sixteen. He had just learned to drive recently and enjoyed shuttling Dumas –or anybody else- around in the family’s Packard. Normally, Dumas would stray from the route home to walk by the lake. It was a big lake, and Dumas always wondered what was on the other side. It was a mystery… the other side of the lake… It might as well have been the other side of the world. But today Dumas headed straight home. There were things that interested him even more than the mystery of the other side of the lake. Jonathan was taking him to the five and dime. Dumas loved the five and dime… especially the little rubber tractors. They had bins and bins of them in different sizes, nickel-sized and dime-sized. And they had lots of other kinds of toys… and candy… so much candy! Dumas could get a lot of candy with a dollar. He’d get some for Jonathan, too. Dumas walked up the street to his yard and opened the little white swinging gate. He put his books on the ground and closed the gate back then picked the books back up and walked briskly toward the house. As he got closer, he heard something going on inside. It wasn’t the normal sounds he would hear… it was more chaotic… like people running… things being overturned or thrown. Dumas dropped his books and ran up onto the porch. As quickly as he could, he let himself in. “Mom? Are you here? Sally? Francis? Johnny?” Dumas ran to Jonathan’s room. No one was there. He ran to his sister’s room. “Sally? Are you in here?” Dumas cracked the door carefully and peeked inside. Then he opened the door. The bed had been scorched… and there was a silver handprint on the torn pillow. The walls showed signs of scorching, too. Dumas ran to the living room. He stopped suddenly, dropping his books, as a man stepped into the doorway in front of him. The man’s eyes glowed with intenseness, and he looked straight at Dumas. Dumas swallowed. “Who… who are you?” The figure in the door didn’t answer. It lifted one hand, and the palm began to glow. Michael pulled his hand back and paused… for a moment… then he threw the ball of fire. Dumas saw it coming, but only for a split second. He couldn’t have avoided it. He just stood there, his mouth open. The ball of fire shushed past Dumas’ face. He felt the heat and an indescribable magnetic feeling as the ball whizzed past him and struck the wall. Dumas turned to look where the ball of energy had hit the wall, and as he looked, his shadow on the wall began to quiver… then it slid slowly down the wall and came to rest flat on the floor. “Whoa! That’s never happened before!” Dumas turned around quickly to face the new voice. It was his 16-year-old brother, Johnny, and he was standing beside the mysterious man. “Space guy here killed your shadow, Dummy! That’s… weird… but it’s boss, man! Really boss!” Dumas’ sisters and mother stepped out of the closet, and his mother scooped him up in her arms. “Who are you,” Dumas asked again. Michael shook his head. “Nobody really. Just someone from another planet who came to save you and catch some bad guys.” Dumas looked at the flat shadow lying on the floor. It was starting to disintegrate and disappear. “What was that? It was an alien wasn’t it? You’re like an alien space ranger or something… like Buck Rogers!” “Something like that,” Michael said. “Wow! A space ranger! A real space ranger! Here! Did you see it, Johnny?” “Yeah, pipsqueak! I saw it! It was totally awesome! Totally boss!” “A real space ranger! Did you see it, Mom? Did you see it, Sally? Francis?” The girls nodded. “We saw it, Dum,” Francis said. “You should have been here a little earlier,” Johnny said. “It was like Buck Rogers in here, Dummy! These shadow people were trying to kill us, and then Space Ranger here showed up and fried ‘em all with his power balls! It was amazing! Really boss!” “Do you have a name, Space Ranger,” Dumas asked. “It’s Michael,” Michael replied. “Just Michael.” “Thanks, Michael,” Mrs. Zwolinski said. “I don’t know how you knew. You showed up right when we needed you.” “Where’s your husband,” Michael asked. Mrs. Zwolinski looked at the floor and bit her lip. “You’re not going to hurt him… or take him back?” “Take him…? What? No, I’m not going to hurt him… or take him anywhere.” “George! Come out,” Mrs. Zwolinski said. “It’s alright. He’s one of the good ones. He’s not here to take you back.” The door to the pantry opened, and a man stepped out. He had on a gray, baggy suit coat and gray, baggy suit pants, a tie, and a fedora hat. In the face, he looked a lot like Dumas. “You aren’t here to take me back? Why are you here then?” “To save you… to save all of you… and hopefully, to change history.” Mister Zwolinski looked puzzled. “I guess I should say, ‘thank you.’” He shook Michael’s hand, and as he did, Michael got an unexpected flash. He saw a man… an alien… running from shape-shifters. He saw the fleeing alien turn himself into a squirrel and scurry up a tree, as the ones chasing him continued to run in the direction he had gone. He saw the alien with Mrs. Zwolinski… Then it dawned on Michael what it was that the shape-shifters wanted with Dumas’ family. They wanted one of their own… one who had deserted their ranks… a runaway. That was a capital offense in some shape-shifter communities. It was all for one and one for all… or else… and the ‘or else’ wasn’t pleasant. “Are there more,” Michael asked quietly. “I don’t think so,” Zwolinski said. “These were the only ones that I know of. They were… my pod. We had a falling out… a disagreement over the value of human life.” “You tried to convince them that humans were more than they thought.” “Yeah. I met Marjorie.” George looked at his wife. “They tried to bring me back. When I wanted to stay, they decided to kill her… and my family… and me if necessary. ‘No’ is not an answer they understand or accept.” “Well, I gave them an answer they can understand,” Michael said. “You can live your life, Mr. Zwolinski. Raise your family… your kids. Take care of them.” Michael looked at Dumas across the room with the rest of his family. He was still grinning from ear to ear. “Do they know? Have they… can they…?” “Shape-shift? No. Not that I know of. They don’t know. I’m just George Zwolinski, their dad, to them. We’re just an all-American family. I’d like to keep it that way. They seem to have inherited more of their mother than of me, and I’m glad it happened like that. It will be easier for them.” “That’s true,” Michael agreed. “I can vouch for that.” “Personal experience?” Michael nodded. “Go on, Mr. Zwolinski. Go to your family. Raise them right… to appreciate and value life… whatever planet it comes from. They need you.” Zwolinski smiled and shook Michael’s hand again. Clearly, he had adapted thoroughly to the all-American way of life. Michael never would have known what he was if he hadn’t touched him and got the flash that he did. “Portal,” Michael called. The portal appeared. Dumas ran up to Michael. “Can I shake your hand, too, Mister Space Ranger, Michael, sir?” Michael nodded, and Dumas shook his hand, smiling broadly. “Thanks, Mister,” Dumas said. “Your welcome,” Michael whispered, then he disappeared into the portal. <div style="text-align:center">**********</div> Michael stepped back into the front room of Jim Valenti’s ranch house to a waiting Liz and Max. Liz looked at him. There was no smile on her face. “So did you take care of the problem?” Michael nodded. Liz swallowed and turned away for a moment. “It won’t matter, Michael. Killing him wasn’t the answer… not like that… in cold blood. It won’t change anything. It just makes you a… a…” Liz couldn’t say it. “I know,” Michael said. “I realized that killing him there in his office wasn’t going to solve anything.” Liz turned to look at him. “What did you do?” “If I was going to change anything, I had to intervene before he grew up and became what he was… when he was still seven years old…” Liz looked at Michael and went white. When she could speak again, she stammered, “You killed a child?” Tears began to roll down her face. “No, Liz. I didn’t kill him. I killed the shape-shifters. His family lived. Now maybe he’ll grow up to be a happy, well-adjusted person. I don’t know, of course. We can only hope. Someone told me there are no guarantees in life.” Michael was prepared for Liz’s disappointment in him. What he was not prepared for was for her to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him then start crying. Michael looked at Max, and Max shrugged. Michael patted Liz cautiously on the back, not knowing how to handle this turn of events. Max walked across the room to where Michael stood and looked him in the face… then he smiled. “I think you’re not the only person who learned who you are, Michael. These are trying times. We’re all being tested. And we’re all finding out who we are… in more ways than we realize.” tbc

Posted: **Fri Aug 22, 2003 2:40 pm**

ohh! that answered TONS of my questions! Makes a whole lot of sense now! And finnaly get the title<img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/lol.gif ALT=":lol"> . now whatabout the thing liz can't remember? and what about the dreams? <img src="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... 55ad1f.jpg" style="border:0;"/>

Posted: **Fri Aug 22, 2003 11:56 pm**

Looking For Normal… and Something Else Chapter 44 XLIV It had been two weeks since Michael returned from taking care of “the Zwolinski problem.” Liz was getting ready for bed and watching out her window as the children, Maya, Andya, JoLeesa, and Alyyx played outside chasing jaras droosh, or flash bugs, in the dark. During the warm seasons, the flash bugs would often light up the night with their twinkling. Jaras droosh –which is the correct Antarian name for the flash bugs- are much larger than fireflies, or lightning bugs, on Earth. They’re closer to the size of large beetles, slightly larger than “June bugs.” The light of a jaras droo can be seen for quite a few miles. “One… two… three… four…” Liz counted softly as she stared out the window. “You ready for bed, Liz,” Max asked. “Mmmm… just about… I’m letting the children play a while first. They love to catch the flash bugs when they’re flying like they are tonight.” “You coming soon, though?” “Huh? Oh… Yeah… I’ll bring the kids inside in a few more minutes.” Max nodded and pulled the covers over himself. “One… two… three… four…” Max sat up and looked at Liz with a perplexed look. “Honey, what are you doing?” “Doing? What do you mean?” “What’s this ‘one, two, three, four’ you keep saying?” “Did I?” “Only every time you look out the window.” Liz shook her head. “It’s nothing, Max. I was… just counting flash bugs I guess.” “Ah…” Max rested his head back on his pillow. “How many flash bugs are out there, Liz?” “Hundreds… maybe thousands… maybe more.” “That’s what I thought.” “One… two… three… four…” Liz counted quietly to herself. Then she noticed Max looking at her again. “I’ll get the kids and bring them in, Max. They’ve been chasing the jaras droosh long enough.” Max smiled. “I’ll be waiting.” <div style="text-align:center">**********</div> “Mom, do we have to come in already? Look at all the jaras droosh we’ve caught! Alyyx is making lanterns for all of us.” “That’s nice, Maya, but it’s late. Your Dad and I want to get some sleep. And you need some sleep, too.” “Aw, Mom…” “Come on in… all of you.” Maya, Andya, JoLeesa, and Alyyx streamed into the house one by one. Liz watched as each one came in from outside… “One… two… three… four…” “Mom, can we keep the jaras droosh in our rooms tonight?” “Huh? Oh… sure, yeah, I guess so, Andya.” “Can we let them fly around in our rooms and give us night lights?” “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Leese.” “Aw, Mom, pleeease!” Liz looked at JoLeesa and shook her head slightly. “Alright… but you guys had better catch every one of them in the morning and put them back in… whatever you’re keeping them in. I don’t want to go in there and be surrounded by a swarm of flash bugs in the morning.” “We will, Mom! Promise,” Alyyx said. “Mom?” “Yes, Maya?” “We’re all in. Are you going to close the door?” “Oh! Yeah!” Liz took one last look outside and sighed. Then she closed the door. “What are you looking for, Mom,” Maya asked. “Nothing. I was just taking another look at all the pretty flash bugs flying in the sky tonight.” Maya smiled. “Off to bed now! All of you!” Maya, Andya, JoLeesa, and Alyyx ran up the stairs and disappeared down the hall. Liz followed them and tucked each one in in turn, instructing them that they could release the jaras droosh after she had left and the door was closed. Then Liz went back to her room and climbed into bed with Max. “I’m sorry. That place is saved,” Max said without rolling over. “You’ll have to make a reservation.” Liz turned his face over to hers with her hand and pressed her lips to his. Max put his arms around her and pulled her close. “Now who were you saving that place for, Max?” “I don’t know, but you can stay,” Max said with a smile. “Do you have a reservation?” Liz slipped off her blouse and pants and cuddled up against Max. “Yeah… I guess you do…” Liz turned the lights out. “Will this get me in,” she asked softly. “Mmmm… Oh, yeah! That’s the reservation I had in mind.” <div style="text-align:center">**********</div> As the sun came up, Max awoke refreshed and happy. It was hard for Max to let anything distract his mind from the problems of the kingdom. He could be rather single-minded. Unfortunately, this led him to take all the problems of the kingdom upon himself, which sometimes made for a somewhat unhappy and overburdened king. Fortunately, he had Liz. When it came to taking Max’s mind off his troubles, she could sometimes be a genius. This morning he awoke refreshed and happy… for the first time in a long time. It appeared that Liz was already up, so Max got up, grabbed a shower and shave, and went to look for Liz. He found her in Alyyx’s room… on her knees… looking for something under the bed. “What you lookin’ for, Hon?” Liz pulled another flash bug out from under Alyyx’s bed and put it in Max’s hand. “Oh.” “Looks like they missed a few,” Liz said, finding another one under his pillow. She opened the window and tossed it out. Max walked over to the window and tossed the one he was holding out, too. “What did you think I was looking for, Max?” “I don’t know. You just seem to be always searching for something lately, Liz. I don’t know what it is. And last night you kept counting to four… I know you can count higher than that, and there were probably thousands of jaras droosh flying around out there last night. I’m concerned, Liz. That’s all. I care about you.” Liz smiled. “I’m touched, Max. Really. But I’m alright. You needn’t worry about me. It’s just your imagination.” Liz kissed him on the cheek. “Is it?” “Yes.” Liz walked over to Alyyx’s dresser and scooped up four flash bugs she had collected and placed in a cup on the dresser. She carried the bugs to the window and started to throw them out but stopped. “You gonna throw ‘em out or keep ‘em,” Max asked with a smile. “There were five,” Liz said. Max looked at the bugs and the cup on the dresser. “Well, one must have flown away or crawled off, Liz. There are only four now. Maybe the fifth one was the one you threw out.” Liz was silent for several moments. Max noticed that a look like fear came over her for a moment. Then she swallowed and regained her composure. “Yeah… yeah, you’re right, Max. It’s just flash bugs, right? It doesn’t matter if we lost one.” “I’m sure Alyyx will find it, Liz.” Liz nodded. Max kissed her and wrapped his arms around her. Liz closed her eyes. Then she opened them and looked into Max’s eyes, and their lips drew slowly closer… until they touched, this time for longer… much longer. “Ewwww! Gross! I’m gonna need years of emotional counseling to get over what I’ve seen,” Alyyx said, walking into his room unexpectedly. Max smiled but didn’t hurry to finish his kiss. When he finally did finish, he turned to Alyyx and said, “I seem to remember your Uncle Michael telling me about seeing you and somebody at the edge of the woods. You didn’t seem too worried about being psychiatrically damaged then, Alyyx. Hmmm?” Alyyx was silent for a few moments. “Well… that was Jayyd. That’s different. She’s pretty… and young. You guys are old!” “Not too old to whup you,” Max said, grabbing Alyyx and flipping him onto his bed as Alyyx giggled. “I happen to think your mama’s the prettiest girl around.” “And young, too,” Liz added with a smile. “Yeah! That’s right! And young, too,” Max said. Then he started to tickle Alyyx. “Alright! Alright! I surrender,” Alyyx said, laughing hysterically. “If we’re so old, maybe we better let you get a job and take care of us, Alyyx.” “I didn’t mean you were that old, Dad! Just too old to… you know… be kissing and stuff like that.” Max started tickling Alyyx again. “Wait’ll you get a little older, Alyyx. You’ll feel differently.” “Alright! Alright,” Alyyx giggled. I give up. You and Mommy can kiss.” “That’s more like it.” “Just don’t blame me when the psychiatrist says you caused it…” Max jumped toward Alyyx, and Alyyx ran out of the room as fast as his seven-year-old legs would carry him, with Max right behind him. Liz shook her head and smiled… “Children!” tbc Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub129.ezboard.com/bmajiklmoonsr ... dbreeze</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/aim116b.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 8/23/03 12:44 am

Posted: **Sat Aug 23, 2003 12:51 am**

Thanks so much for the feedback, Fallen Magic! Liz won't remember right away exactly what it is she "forgot." But she will eventually. In this next chapter, she's going through kind of a hard time, because she has a feeling somehow that something is missing, and she seems to suspect that it has something to do with the kids, but she just doesn't know what. She's not going crazy or having an emotional breakdown. She's actually trying to reconcile her mind with a memory from another life -an important one- that by all rights shouldn't be there, but this memory is so important to her that she can't let it go or forget it, even across time. <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/skysymb ...   Gerry - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hopeless Candy-Coated, Stargazing, Dreamer! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</div>

Posted: **Sat Aug 23, 2003 10:50 am**

Just a quick note: No need to go to any other books. Just check out Chapter 34 (Double Dreaming) in this story. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /smile.gif ALT=":)"> <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/skysymb ...   Gerry - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hopeless Candy-Coated, Stargazing, Dreamer! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</div>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub129.ezboard.com/bmajiklmoonsr ... dbreeze</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/aim116b.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 8/23/03 1:04 pm

Fan Fic and More

The Four Faces of Rath - (CC, ALL, YTEEN) -Ch 66-71 - 8/6/05

Re: The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Univer

Re: The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Univer

Re: The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Univer

Re: The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Univer

Re: The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Univer

The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Universe)

Re: The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Univer

The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Universe)

Re: The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Univer

Re: The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Univer

I`m here

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The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Universe)

The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Universe)

Re: The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Univer

The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Universe)

Re: The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Univer

The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Universe)

Re: The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Univer

Re: The Four Faces of Rath (Sequel to Children of the Univer