Shifti - User contributions [en]

Wicked Roots

2017-01-18T07:49:06Z

Alex Warlorn:

{{byline|author=Alex Warlorn
|user=Alex Warlorn}}

“So you don’t know what the price is?” Lucy asked the store clerk behind the counter.

“I’m sorry, it’s not in our inventory, so it’s price isn’t listed either.” The clerk apologized.

Lucy pouted, it was the only witch costume in the store she had been able to find, and all the other stores she had gone to were either out, or didn’t have it in her size. Lucy was thirteen, the age where many children began to discard the ritual of trick or treating, and doth there wasn’t much of a market for costumes her size and above. She could have made it herself, if she wasn’t a total flop at sowing and didn’t want to have to confess to others that her mother had made her costume.

As for –why- it had to be a witch: truth was, Lucy was sick of seeing robots, aliens, super heroes, super villains, cosplayers, and video game characters on Halloween night. What happened to ghosts, goblins, zombies, the creature from the black lagoon, walking pumpkins, vampires, werewolves, Frankenstein’s Monster, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, and of course, witches? Not politically correct Wiccan, but witches! The wicked kind who love to curse boys and girls just for the sheer joy of it? Not to teach them a lesson or to help others, but only for their own amusement! Lucy was a fundamentalist when it came to mythos, or so she believed herself to be.

Vampires, werewolves, and all the rest, had been watered down and used as the latest firepower for the traditional message ‘don’t be scared of what you don’t understand’ and changed into poor misunderstood people rather than the stuff of nightmares they had been born out of! And while Lucy knew the costume was based greatly on the old Hollywood version of witches, she wanted it; she’d play a witch as they were meant to be played!

The store had apparently changed owners a while back, and the previous owner hadn’t been good at record keeping, in fact, all he seemed to keep was the names of his customers . . . strange man. Even stranger was the urban legend he had blown up when a couple Jehovah’s witnesses has shoved a min-bible in his hands asking if he knew how to get to Heaven.

Lucy didn’t believe in that of course, she believed in staying true to source material for myths, but she knew in the end that’s all they were, myths.

After flipping through the inventory book once more, the clerk got on a cell phone with his manager, and was given an estimate price. They price they decided stung Lucy’s purse, but it was worth it. The formula for the costume wasn’t that particular, pointed hat, black cape, broom, dark dress, etc. What made it fantastic however, was all the effort that had gone into their generic formula. Nothing was plastic: nor was anything polyester, everything was cloth or leather. Even the earrings, a miniature pot and crystal ball, were glass and ceramics rather than cheap plastic like any other costume Lucy had seen. It truly looked like someone had taken the Hollywood version of the wicked witch, and given it a real world flavor.

After paying the hefty sum (to a teenage girl at least), Lucy exited the store, her new wares in tow, to where her mother was waiting in the family car reading War and Peace.

“How’d it go dear?” Her mother asked hoping that her child wouldn’t be let down by this store like they had the others. It was a local store rather than a chain store, so it was possibly it had been missed by the normal shopping hordes for the late Halloween goer.

“Perfect. You won’t believe it! They didn’t even have it on the inventory. And the spot I found it in was covered in dust!”

“Looks like you got real lucky then.” Her mother smiled.

“Sure seems that way.” Lucy agreed.

Then the predator struck. “Then you won’t mind taking Ashley along on your Halloween party.”

And the prey futilely tried to escape. “But, but mom! Me and all my friends will be there!”

“Your party begins at five, Trick or Treating is at six, I, nor your father, can take her this year, you’ll still be able to enjoy yourself and take her out, besides, and we don’t pick you up until nine, so you won’t lose that much of your own time.”

Hope beyond hope last-ditch attempt to escape. “Why can’t Jason do it?”

“Your big brother has a Algebra II test tomorrow.”

“All he does is watch anime all night.” Lucy mumbled. Jason had a photographic memory and his need to study was minimal after he had memorized the material once.

“Be that as it may, Ashley seriously wants to go with you, and I already told her that you would, it would hurt her to have to tell her no.”

Lucy somehow managed to control herself, “You had me say yes before even asking me?!”

“I’m sorry Lucy but what’s done is done, or would you rather have to deal with Ashley tomorrow?”

Lucy shivered; the little pest had perfected the fine art of revenge before she even knew what revenge was! “All right, fine, I’ll do it.”

“That’s my girl.”

An hour or so later Lucy began to slip on her costume. Thank goodness it was her measurements, she didn’t want to have to go through the misery of refitting it. The costume was so wonderful, now in the sanctuary of her room, Lucy was able to take in all of its details.

She knew better than to think the costume jewelry scattered about the costume could somehow be real. Even if the storeowners hadn’t known about it, nobody in their right mind would make a costume with real gems. The hat was pointed, but not rigidly so, the brim was broad but not a perfect circle, the gloves were fine but give off the illusion of being home made. Or was it an illusion? Everything about the costume screamed it had been a hand made job. Nothing looked mass produced or pre-made; everything had been made just for this costume. Even the caped looked like, well, what a proper witch would wear. And the dress didn’t look like it had fallen out of one of Jason’s Anime Girl magazines either.

Everything fit like a glove, like it, or she, had been made to fit. Everything was comfortable, and at the same time practical for a young upstanding witch. The stockings and boots slipped on easily, the dress fit her body without trouble and the gloves were perfect. The hat neither fell off her head nor covered her eyes. No matter how she turned or carried herself the cape never got caught on anything. The wand was no magician’s wand, this was no unassuming black stick with hidden arcane power this was a witch’s wand! The twisted piece of wood felt smooth and warm in her hands, capped with a grinning goblin’s head sneering the direction the wand was pointed.

She let herself go and pretending she wasn’t just wearing the costume, that the costume was actually embracing her! Everything felt right, and looking in her full-length mirror, everything looked right too. She wasn’t ugly, but personally, it would have felt wrong to wear this costume with add-ons that weren’t part of the original. And she could create a smirk that looked frightening enough when she wanted.

She gave herself a twirl, yes; this was how a witch was supposed to look! Not some super hero, or some housewife who used a magic broom to clean the kitchen for her hubby! Not some poor misunderstood soul who had a talent no one understood! But a witch! An agent of chaos and human fears!

Then the knocking came and shattered her fantasy.

“Lucy? You ready? “ Her mother called through the door.

“Yes mom! Be right there!”

“Okay! We’ll be down stairs!”

Lucy sighed, always when she was really getting into it her mother had to spoil things! She looked in the mirror one last time and touched the glass, “Too bad there can’t be more of us around huh? – Yeah, but don’t worry, this’ll be a night to remember, with or without the brat dragging us down! – Okay, let’s go out there and scare off some worse creatures with the lesser of two evils.”

Grabbing her wand, and glancing over her shoulder at her reflection one last time, Ashley left her room.

“That’s your wiccan eh? Where’s the ears and tail?”

One of the many, -many- animes Jason had watched, had included a cat girl who was a wiccan, and Jason, had jumped to the conclusion that was the name of the species of cat girl, rather than anything else.

Lucy glared at her brother from his open door (she’d tattle on him later, mom hated it when he left his door open if he had one of his DVDs on least it pollute Ashley fragile little mind), where he sat on his bed watching an anime. They all looked exactly alike to Lucy.

“For your information, I’m a witch! And second! Wiccan is not a cat girl! Get it straight!”

“Well it should be, the meaning of words change all the time, so why not? That’s how the piggy bank got named.”

Lucy never liked it when Jason could actually say something that sounded logical!

“Oh-Whatever.” Lucy didn’t have time for this: she marched down stairs to where her mother and the brat were waiting. She allowed herself to step into her fantasies a bit.

Lucy waved the wand. “Wiccans are but catgirls to you, then be a catgirl in a tutu!” She cackled at the mental image.

Lucy spotted the brat in a fairy princess costume. Well, it was better than last year when she had gone as Sailor Moon, and as one of the Tellitubbies the year before that.

Her mother wasn’t wearing a costume; yet, she and Lucy’s father wouldn’t change into their costumes until they were at the company party, for whatever reason Lucy didn’t care to know.

“All set honey?”

“Yes.” Lucy nodded, looking ever so darkly at the brat.

“Let’s go then, and remember to look after Ashley.”

“Yippee!” The brat declared as they all left the house, leaving Jason with his precious anime upstairs.

Jason was sitting on his bed, watching an anime with a paper thin plot and cardboard cut out character, which happened to include a cat girl maid, who zapped other girls and turned them into cat girl maids: the only real reason Jason owned the DVD at all. His wall-to-wall carpet had countless soda stains, his black hair just barely stayed out of his vision as he gazed at the Television, and he didn’t remember the last time he had changed his jeans.

Never taking his eyes off the TV, Jason got off his bed and began to do stretches to work out the kinks of having sat down for so long. Eyes glued to the TV, stretched one arm, then the other, then raising one leg horizontal and reach out with both arms to touch the base of his feet. The strain was intense on his body, but subtly became easier the longer he did it.

Smiling to himself, Jason repeated the routine, warming up. The DVD ran it’s course and shut off, but by this time, Jason wasn’t paying attention. Still smiling softly, with a dull look in his eyes, Jason began to pirouette. He spun clumsy for a minute but then became graceful, confidently keeping his blond tail even and circular around him as he twirled.

Jason completed his warm up, and began to dance, his blond hair tied back to keep it out of his eyes. His lithe figured leapt across the wooden floor, her body’s curves would catch the eyes of anyone who saw her. Mathematics emptied out to make room for dance recitals. A serene look still on her furry features, Janko blissfully danced. She looked at herself in the mirrors that ran along the walls, and felt satisfied in the bright pink tutu she was wearing. This American dance studio was so nice, but she felt the need to leave town and go home to Japan, tonight in fact, before her exchange family came home. She just had a bad vibe about something she knew she wanted to avoid that made her triangle ears twitch.

Lucy was of two minds to brood in the backseat with the brat as they drove to the house of one of Lucy’s friends, or to feel excitement at the up coming event. She knew she’d suffer for having Ashley along for the ride, and knew she was going to miss out on something if she had to take the brat Trick or Treating. But it was now effectively out of her hands and she had to ride with it.

Stopping in front of the house, and being told one last time on the particulars of a safe Halloween, Lucy and Ashley were dropped off, and knocked on the house’s front door.

The house just wasn’t scary enough in Lucy’s opinion. No broken windows to scare off most people, no dim lights to lure the curious, no giant spider webs or twisting shadows to eat away their wits? And why did it have to have such a good paint job? A sublime hint of decay was always proper for a haunted house. And those pumpkins didn’t look like they could scare anyone.

The pumpkin headed figure that answered the door, her friend’s mother, greeted them with a ‘Boo.’ How disgraceful, that was supposed to scare someone?

“Oooh! A witch and princess of fairies!” She laughed from inside her costume, “Come in, come in, Elise is already in the living room waiting for you Lucy, your mom called and told us about Ashley.”

Lucy smoldered, again, her mom had pretty much said yes for her without even asking if she’d say ‘yes.’

“Okay Miss Pumpkin!” Ashley squealed happily and darted in looking for candy, Lucy followed behind.

The inside was even worse. Brightly lit, everything the floors and walls perfectly maintained, and not a cobweb in sight. There was no fear here, just good cheer. Lucy felt a sense of revulsion. Why did humans have to always turn objects of fear into something tame?

Elise greeted them at the doorway to the living room. She wasn’t in costume, nor were about half of the people here. Lucy was doth greeted by something new to vex about in so many minutes! Lucy gripped the wand tightly in her hand.

She said lowly, “This is pathetic.”

“Lucy?” Elise asked surprised.

“Pathetic. All of this. Humans, treating all Hollow’s Eve as if it were some sort of game. They’ve forgotten what they’re trying to keep at bay, what they’re trying to seal away in the dark where it can’t hurt them. Forget the pagans and their nature worship.”

“Lucy are you feeling all right?” Those strange harsh words were coming out of Lucy’s mouth, but they didn’t sound like something Lucy would say.

“Gotcha!” Lucy laughed, “Just playing around.” She lied.

“Don’t do that. I know it’s Halloween but you can take sometime too far.”

“Okay, I won’t make that mistake again.” Something about Lucy’s choice of word sent a chill down Elise’s spine. “So how come yer not in costume?”

“I just couldn’t find anything that felt like me, and ya know some kids aren’t interested in dressing up anymore.”

“Too bad… wouldn’t it be better if everyone was in, heh, costume?” Lucy said with a sly grin.

Elise didn’t know what kind of game Lucy was playing now, but figured to play along, after all, when Lucy was involved it was almost always fun.

“Yeah, too bad a lot of people just don’t seem to have the Halloween spirit, then we could all be creepy things in the dark.”

“Maybe we could change that.” Why did that sound like a ‘royal we’?

“I don’t think everyone would be happy if we asked them to put on masks or let us do face painting.”

Lucy put a gloved hand on Elise’ shoulder. “Now don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll take care of all the details, go and have fun, I’ll be with you in a minute, and don’t get wound-up. I promise, not one of them is going to mind.”

“Well… okay… but don’t do anything like last year, mom got –so- mad when you chipped the ceiling with your hanging Banshee, you couldn’t come over till Christmas.” Lucy seemed to shudder at the last word.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be nothing like that, but I want it to be a surprise…”

“Okay Luce’ I trust you. See ya in a minute?”

“See ya in a minute.” Lucy nodded in return.

Lucy looked in the entryway mirror. She felt weird, but at the same good, whole, and… right?

She touched the mirror with her fingertips. She felt, cool, she felt, a level of debasement. She felt goals more important than the methods to achieve those goals. She looked into her own eyes, and for a moment felt like she didn’t even recognize them. Then everything was all right. Everything was perfect. She cackled with glee. She knew what she had to do. Naw, what she wanted to do! And problem with this house, that had her friends in it, wasn’t that there wasn’t enough fear… there weren’t enough things here to produce fear.

It was time to rectify that.

She balanced the wand on her fingers, the goblin grinning at her and she grinned back. And she felt truths flowing into her mind. The original shop owner: was a pathetic leech, fallen messenger who held so much power, and wasted it all torturing bugs, one that could only find satisfaction in suffering and death, fear was just icing on the cake. Well, Lucy and Ashley both DID usually eat the frosting first and forget about the cake…

Just then Ashley found the biggest candy bowl and began darting around the room like a comet. Once, this would have embarrassed Lucy, now Lucy had bigger fish to fry. Lucy said to herself, “Let the fun begin.”

The humans who were in costume mostly were suited to Lucy’s tastes, good, that would make things easier.

Holding the wand like a conductor’s baton, Lucy whispered to herself words that were not English. A friend of a friend of a friend who passed by her at that time, leaving the party early, heard her, didn’t understand a word, and had nightmares for a year of his life.

Lucy turned on one heel towards Elise’ mother who was on door duty. Lucy clasped Lucy’s arms behind Lucy’s back, her mouth was a sweet smile, but her eyes had a slant to them was slightly unsettling. “Mrs. Erwins.”

“Yes Lucy dear?” The middle-aged woman said behind her full head pumpkin mask.

Lucy’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, “I believe you have your name wrong. You are Mrs Pumpkin. You are only Mrs. Pumpkin. You have only been Mrs. Pumpkin. You will only be Mrs. Pumpkin. There is no Mrs. Erwins. There never was a Mrs. Erwins. There never will be a Mrs. Erwins. Now, who are you?”

“Mrs…. Pumpkin.” The woman said haltingly and dull. If this was not All Hollows Eve, if this was not the release of power that had been pent up for so long, if Mrs. Erwins’ guard hadn’t already been down around Lucy, this trick would have never worked. But it had worked. And Lucy wasn’t done yet.

“Now Mrs. Pumpkin, you are not human, you could never be human, you have never been human. You are a thing of fear. You are Mrs. Pumpkin, that is all you are.”

“I am, Mrs. Pumpkin, that is all I am.” As she spoke, her face vanished from behind the mask. The mask itself became larger, rounder, into a true hollowed pumpkin. From inside, the glow of a candle could be seen. The green leotard and leaf poncho she was wearing thinned and twisted upon itself, becoming nothing but vines that had the vague shape of something with two legs and two arms. The creature crouched as it looked down at the dark haired girl.

“Now how do you feel Mrs. Pumpkin?”

The creature’s voice was echoing, the flame inside flickering as it spoke. “I feel, the power, this is our night Madam Lucy.”

“Good.” Lucy looked at the candy; she was so tempted her hands shook. It wasn’t from any human compassion she relented on the idea of cursing the treats, but she needed to keep things under her control until she was ready, and didn’t want to accidentally grab the attention of something she didn’t want to. “Continue as is, but sure to put the fear of the night back into any child who comes here looking for treats.”

“Yes Madam Lucy.” The creature bowed its orange, almost empty head.

Satisfied, she waltzed into the living room, she looked at Elise, Ashley, and all the other party guests, yes, these would do nicely. Stepping into one of the hallways, she took some black sheets that she knew Elise had in one of the hall drawers and began to hang them up in front of the door and along the hallway then took the mounted mirror and repositioned it at the end of the hall.

Using her wand again, and speaking in a black tongue, nightmarish shadows twisted and warped around the sheets and mirror, creating frightening half-images that you could never be sure of what precisely they were or where they were. The hallways dimmed and were perverted to a half-glow of twilight.

Closing the hall behind her, Lucy stepped back into the living room. It was a fairly sized party, and she had several hours before midnight, but she wanted to move things along.

“I have a secret prize, a very good prize,” She lied to the costumed guests, one after the other. “The first person who can reach past the haunted hall at the end will win the prize and bragging rights,” that last part of course, did them all in. So one by one, like lambs to the slaughter Lucy led them inside.

Lucy didn’t bother memorizing their names, their names were meaningless, and even they wouldn’t remember them soon enough. The first was a boy in a cheap sheet ghost costume. He shuddered and quivered at Lucy’s illusions before they finally came to the mirror.

“We’re almost there.” She said to him. “Look into the mirror, and tell me what you see?”

“I, er, just see me.”

“Who is me then?”

“Me is Allen Ricks.”

“Really? All I see a ghost. A spirit. The lingering soul of someone who is no longer supposed to be in this world. Look into the mirror. Do you see a human? Do you see a Allen Ricks? No. You don’t. All you see is a ghost. A ghost. You feel almost nothing, you don’t feel much of anything. You don’t mind being a ghost, you don’t mind much of anything really. Now doesn’t that sound more correct?”

“Yes… a ghost… nothing else…” The boy said, his voice empty and emotionless, his costume with nothing inside it, becoming more and more transparent by the second.

“Ghost might have names, but nobody knows them, so who can be sure? You are a ghost. Ghost haunt. You should be haunting right now. Doesn’t that make sense?”

“Yes….I should be haunting…” The white shade said before vanishing into thin air. Somewhere in the house, banging of steps, harsh thumbing, and cool whispers could be heard.

Next was a girl in a cute home made basic spider costume with just some antennae and paper arms, but not for long.

“Look into your eyes, there are more than one, much more than one, four, six, eight. They look like rubies don’t they? Lay down, isn’t that much better? After all, spiders go on eight legs. No, not two arms and two legs, but eight legs, yes, that’ll do. Isn’t that rear of yours a little small? It should be bigger, and bigger, and bigger. After all, it has all your children in it. Your babies. Your precious offspring. They are all yours. And you are their mother. Yes. You are Mother. For they are your children. Yes Mother.”

Lucy smirked as the giant spider only hissed and crawled upwards on the walls and across the ceiling, to find a proper place to lay its eggs, and when they hatched, they would spread their cobwebs all across the house, as any proper haunted house should have.

Third, was a much younger girl in a simple goblin mask.

This time Lucy whispered the girl a dirty joke. The girl fell over backwards in shock and dismay. Then Lucy narrowed her eyes and told it again, this time, the girl giggled.

Lucy then proceeded to tell the small girl jokes that would make a sailor die from the curtness. And each time the girl laughed harder. As the mask began to show expression and the eyes become solid red, Lucy lead the small girl to the basement, and continues to tell her dirty jokes. She did this because she didn’t want the carpet ruined when the goblin peed on itself with glee as she continued the lowbrow toilet humor Lucy still had standards after all.

Leaving the goblin to reek havoc in the basement, Lucy collected her next victim. Or victims this time, cause she chose to take a trio of friends dressed up like zombies from Thriller with the music playing from an I-pod.

Lucy felt a headache coming on, “Look into the mirror.”

“Why?” “Yeah why?” “We got past your horror show, so where’s the prize?”

“To GET the prize.”

“Is this a joke?”

Finally, Lucy just grabbed the I-pod and stamped on it. Then poured more magic than she meant to at the trio, and instead of becoming a three headed, soulless, mindless corpse like she intended: they leaned against each other, and fell to the floor. Their costumes vanished: their flesh melded, and was covered by black fur, their bodies becoming one large canine one. Cerberus rose to its feet less than a minute later, all three heads glaring at her. In the fastest thinking she could manage, she produced a triple spiked collar and somehow managed to float it around the guardian of Hades’ necks before it tore her apart literally three ways from Sunday. Leading them along by a chain, she managed to pull the powerful hell beast down to the basement with the goblin who quickly vacated the underground chamber at the sight of the greater monster. Lucy could tell that all three of Cerberus’ heads wanted to eat her. Chaining all it’s limbs to the wall, she got as much distance as she could, let go of the chain collar, and raced back upstairs and locked the door behind her. The triple snarling didn’t stop all night.

“Okay, no more trying to create soulless undead tonight.” She thought. She sadly had to scratch off vampires and zombies from her list of nightmares to create tonight.

Mummies however, still held the soul of the person after they died, thus her next target.

“So what do you see in the mirror?”

“I just see me.” The lady said through his bandages.

“You shouldn't speak. Mummies do not speak. What you see in the mirror is a mummy. And you said what you saw was you, thus you are a mummy and thus you do not speak, you moan. You are old, older than old, you are an immortal pharaoh. The desert sands are your blood, the bandages your skin. Now look upon me my majesty.”

The mummy looked upon her, and moaned, cross her arms in a sacred fashion standing tall and proud.

“And what shall you do to those who have violated the sacred final resting places of the kings of Egypt?”

The mummy moaned angrily, reaching its arms out in a strangling style. Lucy nodded in satisfaction.

The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Boogy-Man, all were reborn that evening through their costumed representations.

Finally, Lucy had burned through the humans who were in costume. She allowed the monsters now to return and mingle among the humans. People of course were thrown off by their suddenly better costumes, and better play acting, too good in fact. Lucy knew they were getting scared fast. It didn’t matter. The room darkened with the monsters’ presence, making the perfect conductor for her magic.

She stood on a table, and everyone wondered what crazy stunt she was about to pull. They got their answer, though they’d never know it, as she hit them with the granddaddy of all her suggestion spell, only able to pull it off now with the monsters all around her boosting the plausibility of her power.

“Look to your left, look to your right, those ‘people’ next to your aren’t ‘people ’in costumes. But monsters, real monsters! The stuff of nightmares made real. This is a party for monsters, creatures of horror. Clearly, if this is a party for monsters, and you were invited and are attending this party, that must mean –you- are all monsters as well, it’s only reasonable.”

Of course she didn’t expect it to be that easy, she saw the powers of reason and logic fighting back against her in those eyes.

“My, it seems your faces have fallen off. Look here, under the table.” And one of the monsters pushed out a box full of masks, not of movie monsters, or ghost story horrors, but monsters without names, reason, or legend… yet! “These are faces, and there is an exact number of masks that of those of you who have lost your faces, so clearly, these are your faces, now isn’t it nice I found your faces for you? You should really put them back on.”

With a glassy look in their eyes, every boy and girl there lined up, and took out a mask, and placed it over their face without hesitating. Then like store dummies, they lined up in a row across the wall in front of the fireplace.

“Those are your real faces, you are attending this party. Those are the faces of monsters, this is a party for monsters. Therefore, you are monsters, you can only be monsters. You were always monsters, you were never human, you will always be monsters, you are not ever going to be human. You don’t have names, you never had names, humans haven’t given you names yet in their shrieks of terror as they lay eyes upon you. Only then will you have names, the names of monsters.”

The other door to the living room opened, right on time. “Lucy?! What’s going on here! My mom is acting really weird! What’s with-“ Lucy never let her finish, a monster next to the door pulled a dark black mask over her head.

“Surprise Elise! Isn’t this cool?! It is very cool isn’t it? I know you’re not afraid, cause you’re not. You know you’re not worried about your mother. Because you’re more interested in this.”

Elise’ form got smaller and smaller, becoming blacker and blacker, until the black cat blinked at Lucy.

“You’re my familiar Elise, you remember being my familiar right? Yes you do remember. Now come up here dear.”

The black cat obeyed without a second thought and soon sat on the table next to her mistress.

“Now for the big smash, “ Lucy sneered at the masked human standing side by side, “One, two, three!” Then Lucy spat out a word so ugly it made the plants in the room die. And the masks, were no longer masks.

These things had no names, none yet, they only knew the fear they craved. A girl became a towering three eyed horned thing with a slug body. A lad became two faced snake with the neck down body of a bull. Each creature was more bizarre and biological defying than the last. A girl became something with mouths for hands and a ball for a body. They made a mixture of sounds too unnatural to write down, and the house, was the last part transformed. It aged a century in the blink of an eye, decay spread everywhere, and the hallways took on a infinite number of twists and turns, the rooms never in the same place twice.

The whole house practically vibrated with power now, having taken in the fear, and the darkness, and seeping them into its wood and foundation.

Hours later, long past the time for Trick or Treaters, Lucy's parents drove up to the curb to pick up their children. They were stunned by the dramatic last minute changes the Erwins had made to the house since dropping of Lucy and Ashley. Why hadn't they made these changes the day before Halloween? Now they would just have to tear them down the day after. It was a shame almost.

They got within five feet of the twisted looking front door before the fake wolf ears they were both still wearing fused into their skull, blood flowing through them as their human ears disappeared. Dark and silver fur spread evenly across their entire bodies as their mass doubled, then doubled again. Their fingers and toes became sets of claws. A tail sprung from their backsides as they hunched over slightly, their faces pulling out into fang filled muzzles. A wind swept through their minds, telling them all they needed to know, all they needed to think. Their jobs, their names, their memories, their friends all fell to the wayside. The curse, the gift, would tell them what to think, what to do, it was true freedom.

The beasts tore their restrictive clothing off as it cut into their increasing muscle mass.
The Alpha Male Werewolf and Alpha Female Werewolf looked at each other and growled with desire. A desire to spread their curse to all they came across. Nothing in their eyes suggested they had ever been human.

The door opened and the monsters lunged at the person beyond, only to stop dead in their tracks, fall to her feet, look up at her, and howl in perfect sync.

They eagerly accepted the scratching behind the ears from their Mistress, the one they protected and served, the one for whom their entire existence was defined by. They circled around her on all fours and stood at her sides.

Looking at the two monsters that had been her parents, and then behind her at the ones that had been her friends, she grinned sadistically.

She held her wand up high, and lead the parade of subconscious fear and archetypes of horror though the suddenly mist laden city. Lucy made a long, and inhuman cackled, confident there hadn't been a single detail she had overlooked, the time for human to know what real fear was had come again!

All the while. No thing paid attention or paid heed to a small pixie, a fairy of royal lineage, as she flew at lightning speed away from the dark house, to tell those who slept or walked in guises, that the nightmares walked among mortal men again. And thus those wielded the light would be needed to keep them in their place inside the dark.

~ Fin

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Alex Warlorn]] [[Category:Mental_change]]

User talk:Mona Lisa/Being Tanda

2011-08-19T04:13:45Z

Alex Warlorn:

This story presents realistic questions if reality DIDN'T change if someone got TFed into their furry persona and didn't get mental changed either. And how you can have a functional life.

I figured that it would have been blood from the pet cat's claws ambush that would tip off her sister.

Her sister seems a bit too excited at her brother having changed genders. And her sister also appears to have some natural bias against males. Any chance of that being why they drifted apart, or was it something else?

Any real reason why Jaz hasn't worn that skirt before?

I'm sadly dissapointed in silvercat, given how he acted like a perfect gentleman from the moment they met to when Tanda woke up on the couch, and it wasn't even his idea for her to visit his house, I'm wonder what the heck happened to cause his personality to turn 180 degrees like that!! (There's also the fact he knows where she lives.)

Looking foreword to reading more. The story so far has been amazing. In particular how in spite of the singular strangeness of what happened to Tim, the rest of the story appear to be going pretty realistically, with Tanda the stranger in a strange land.

--Alex Warlorn 2008 Eight day of Christ Mass.

Thank you!

Alex, thank you for your comments, I really appreciate that you took the time to give well-thought-out notes. I realize that Silvercat's betrayal seemed a bit out of the blue. I'll be writing some more from his perspective to fill in the gap, so hopefully that will help. Not so much as to make the act forgivable, just make more sense.

I'm also glad you appreciate what I think is a unique perspective. As far as I know, there aren't many other Furry TFs from this "realistic" point of view where there isn't a significant amount of personality alteration.

I won't say any more so as to not spoil anything except: thanks for the positive and helpful comments! You totally inspired me to work some more on the story. Coming soon, I promise!

--Mona Lisa 2008, January 12th

Added some more conversation at the beach, lengthened the scene of the attack to give a bit more of Silvercat's perspective, and added a shopping trip. =D

--Mona Lisa 2008, January 13th

Still following the basic premise of 'fantasy stuck in reality without any super powers' I see, and it's WORKING.

Thanks for not making Silver vanish into thin air after he 'served his purpose' of giving Tanda her first taste of dark ugly female reality. It would have felt cheap.

And Christine did make a point about the whole credit card thingie. Reminds me almost of the cursed vixen costume story on the original Transformation Story Archive (and I do mean cursed).

Alex Warlorn, 2008, January 20th.

Added some fun stuff: meeting with Wendy, some stuff on FurryMUCK and so forth.

--Mona Lisa 2008, March 16th

"But wasn't Tanda supposed to be witty? Social? Outgoing? Wasn't that the reason she'd made the wish?"
She has a very good point. What the point of the wish, of all she gets is the window dressing? Since she's sort of a reculsive, she shouldn't have TOO much trouble living a normal life as long as she doesn't get pulled in jury duty or need a doctor's appointment, or something else where she'd end up making headline news. I seriously doubt she'd be disected like in the movie, but some people might think she's infected by some alien plague.

But back slight on topic, if 'Tanda' is supposed to have the personality traits that Tim desired, shouldn't she have gotten those as part of the package deal? Though then Tim would no longer be Tim, but since she's already calling herself Tanda and having that be that on that subject, I doubt she'd be scared to take that last step.

It seems the wish didn't work out as planned then, if he just got Tanda's form, but not her personality traits.

--Alex Warlorn 2008 March 20th

I find this story to be quite refreshing. It takes the gender and species transformation as a simple given, and focuses on what the real life implications would be if this actually could happen to someone.

You have done an excellent job pacing the story. Things happen at a nice clip, without feeling rushed or forced.

I find Tim's/Tanda's reactions to be pretty realistic, other than his (her?) being quite a bit calmer upon discovering her transformation than I think even someone who truly wished they could transform would have reacted.

I must admit that I too was surprised and disappointed that Jeremy moved in on Tanda the way he did. Brushing her cheek and listening to her purr would have been a bit daring but OK, the fact that he just assumed that he could do in real life what he did online was a disappointing surprise, but does a good job of making for a fuller and deeper story. After all, if he had been able to just show up and make everything OK for Tanda, you would have had a short and shallow story.

Tanda's ability to deal with shopping for and wearing women's clothing as comfortably as she did indicates to me that there has been '''''some''''' mental changes as well. (In fact, her standing up to Jeremy as assertively as she did is probably also not in keeping with Tim's original personality.) It remains to be seen if the rest of Tim's wished for personality traits show up in Tanda on their own, or if they remain a goal that she will have to work towards, perhaps with the help of the shrink she's been sent off to.

I'm a bit surprised that Tanda wasn't able to convince the HR rep that she was not wearing a costume. I would have thought that just opening her mouth wide and showing no gap around her mouth would have been enough. I guess too much Hollywood special effects in movies have people falsely convinced that they can make costumes that are impossible to tell from reality!

Given her having been burned a few times already, I would have thought that the inconsistency of being in class or not would have made Tanda more cautious about assuming that Kirofox was Kira. She should have explicitly asked rather than assume. Either it really is Kira (though I doubt it), or obviously a lead to the next part of the story.

It will be interesting to see if Tanda actually makes it to the con, and if so seeing everyone's reactions.

Hope you are able to continue updating this story - it has a lot of potential.

--The Lurker Below 2008 August 4

Pity to see this story haven't gone anywhere. It was so unique, so well thought out and logical without CHEATING to make it a bad situation by default. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 04:13, 19 August 2011 (UTC)

Talk:Mermaids of Xanadu

2011-07-15T05:09:57Z

Alex Warlorn:

If the woman really wants to become a mermaid that bad. Once the dust settles there have been two canon stories that could help her. One was a story about a hippie who did 'totem' face painting that turned people into anthro with spiritual guides that varied greatly due to his nebulous explanation of them. The other is a furry designer who due to the phrasing of his business cards can create costumes that turn people into anthros when worn. The story ended with one of his friends holding up a costume reminding him of his promise to join her as a transformed if it was possible. She could easily be turned into a anthro-dolphin with a mermaid like tail. Not to mention Sly could easily turn her into a cartoon mermaid if he could make a joke out of it with the transformation as the punchline.

Also, I was thinking of writing a drabble collection called 'New Beginnings' or 'Live' as the day to 'The End's' night. But I don't know if anyone would read an optimistic counter weight to that tale or not.

-- Alex Warlorn 2011 May 11 6 27 PST PM (can never figure out the date command)

I've read those, but I didn't think of them til you reminded me. There are other stories, 'Against Type' for example where people were transformed, or their transformations modified, after the Big Change. Winters inadvertantly opened a big, leaking hole in reality, so I'm sure if Edna Linzky wants to be a mermaid badly enough to seriously look for a way, she'll find one. I'm kinda surprised by the amount of positive reaction I've gotten for this character, I might do more with her.

I would difinitely read such a collection, I'm a pushover for optimism. I liked 'The End's' dark humor too, however.

Alveric 05/11/2011 09:59am EDT

:I had came up with several options for my character to perform various transformations. From temporary transformations using es own shapeshifting abilities to modifying the magic of the already transformed to 'building' new bodies using nanites and transferring their souls/personalities into the new bodies. So if Linzky really wants to be a mermaid I can oblige in a side story lol :) [[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 21:36, 16 May 2011 (UTC)

One thing I have noticed about Hannah is that while the Merfolk aspects of her nature are well expressed and thought out the Vulcan side has gotten little or no attention. Doesn't seem MerVulcans differ any from regular Merfolk. Has the Vulcan aspect to the story been overshadowed by the Mer? [[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 16:12, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

After a fashion, yes. The Vulcan part of her transformation has not (yet) altered her life as much as the Mer part (squeeky wheel). The Star Trek character she was most attached to as a fan was Bones McCoy, not Spock. She also, like Bones, has a distaste for the Vulcan philosophy of Kolinahr, rejection of emotion. She hasn't yet had to face up to the reason why Vulcans chose to suppress their emotions, their intensity. As time goes on, she will find it increasingly difficult to control her Vulcan emotions. --[[User:Alveric|Alveric]] 17:33, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

:Ah that makes sense. [[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 17:41, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

She underwent so little mental change because her Vulcan makeup was to her just that, makeup. Her situation is very much like what would have happened if a Vulcan infant had survived a crash before 'First Contact' and was raised by a couple from North Carolina. She can't however, escape the fact that, physiologically, that part of her which is not Mer is Vulcan, not human. --[[User:Alveric|Alveric]] 17:52, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

I am glad you decided to give Wynd back her voice. I feel sorry for characters that are human, but get turned into non-speaking animals.

Sad part is that how information is white washed the farther it spreads that someone with too much power WOULD jump to conclusions not knowing all the facts about Xanadu (such as each victim is unique depending on how they saw their character). --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 18:03, 11 June 2011 (UTC)

I stopped and thought about it, and realized that bell would be Renamon (New Beginnings) worst nightmare. Since becoming her original identity scares her to death. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 05:09, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

Category talk:Passing Fad

2011-06-25T23:29:07Z

Alex Warlorn:

I have a story idea for this setting. Basically the entire premise is that a 747 turns into a dragon when the change hits. I'm curious what YOU think would happen to the minds of the pilots and the passengers IF that happened. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 19:02, 25 June 2011 (UTC)

:Not much actually would happen. The basic premise for Passing Fad is that every vehicle spontaneously turns into a horse. Anyone who happens to be inside a vehicle is riding along in their car/motorcycle/etc. one second and sitting on top of a horse the next. I'm pretty sure there's a story where this comes up somewhere. Dragons don't come into the setting either. It's always horses, as far as I know. [[User:Jonas|Jonas]]

Winged humans, centaurs, and cow-tuars, have already been introduced. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 23:29, 25 June 2011 (UTC)

Category talk:Passing Fad

2011-06-25T19:02:35Z

Alex Warlorn: Created page with 'I have a story idea for this setting. Basically the entire premise is that a 747 turns into a dragon when the change hits. I'm curious what YOU think would happen to the minds of…'

Talk:List of Xanadu characters.

2011-06-16T00:23:05Z

Alex Warlorn:

Question. How do you make a page 'free for all to edit?' --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 16:20, 11 June 2011 (UTC)
:Put it in the "Main" namespace (ie: do just <nowiki>[[page name]]</nowiki> to create the link instead of <nowiki>[[User:username/page name]]</nowiki>. In effect... Anything not in the 'User' namespace can be edited by everyone. -- [[User:ShadowWolf|ShadowWolf]] 18:38, 11 June 2011 (UTC)

So this page is already in open mode? --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 19:16, 11 June 2011 (UTC)

:Basically, yes. Might have various locks or such on it, but... -- [[User:ShadowWolf|ShadowWolf]] 19:59, 11 June 2011 (UTC)

Thanks, Alex, for setting this up. --[[User:Alveric|Alveric]] 20:28, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

Actually I think Mike Bard set up the original character page, but sadly I didn't save it before the server crash destroyed it. So I only had my character profiles. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 00:23, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

Talk:Murder in Paradise

2011-06-16T00:22:07Z

Alex Warlorn:

I find it rather interesting that the person who thinks he's protecting innocent people from monsters disguised as human beings (ala 'They Live') and think he's being a badass hero, just HAPPENS to be also the guy who murdered the love ones of the cop assigned after him (the personality profile of the two crimes don't match at all). Personally it feels more like a cousin of the perception filter, that he BECAME who the cop WANTED him to be. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 23:08, 13 June 2011 (UTC)

I could make up an excuse for that, but really, I was just being lazy. Thanks for pointing it out, I'll change it sometime to make more sense. A lot of the problems with this will be fixed later because school just ended for me, so I'll have more time to work on my various projects.--[[User:Atapari|Atapari]] 22:53, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

Seriously, if you take a look at the movie They Live, you'll see the killer here is acting pretty much like the hero from that film. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 00:22, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

List of Xanadu characters.

2011-06-15T17:37:53Z

Alex Warlorn:

[[Category:Xanadu]]
{{universe|Xanadu}}

'''Stranger Status''' refers to how much a costumer has become their new self and the loss of their old self. However, due to the nebulous nature of minds, anything besides 0% and 100% are often open sliding in either direction.

'''Previous''' is a nickname some complete or near complete Strangers have adopted for their former selves, seeing them as either their former incarnation or their parent, or simply someone who happened to go to a convention in a costume that isn't connected to them at all. Clinical depression can set in if they begin to believe they 'stole' the life of their Previous. Since the majority of people when faced with the actual choice prefer not to cease to exist, many reject offers to have their former memories restored, fearing the loss of their own Ego to be devoured or suppressed by their former selves.

'''Game-Breaker''' refers to characters whose abilities are generally regarded as a threat to global balance of power or a potential threat to the globe in general if they chose to be so. Dragon Ball Z characters are generally regarded as Game Breakers until proven otherwise.

Known Game Breakers include: Guardian Johara, GNE, cosplayers of Goku and Vageta, and a MewTwo and possible any Silver Age Superman.

'''Major and Minor Characters That Appear in Alex Warlorn's Xanadu Stories'''

* Aexorn- A Quarut type Inevitable. A type of extra dimensional clock work being with an hour glass for a face. A creature from the Dungeons and Dragons expanded universe. They exist for the sole purpose of insuring the time space continuum remains whole and is not altered or revised and trap those who attempt to violate time/space in spheres of nearly utterly slowed time. They gain emotions and personality as time passes, making it necessary to reset their memories at the forge they were created from time to time. Aexorn ultimately deduces it's origin but does not prevent himself from entering the con with his brother at Xanadu since this would disrupt the timeline. He observed the entire day of the Curse from a distance to insure no one attempted to use the curse and time travel to create more victims or attempted to prevent the incident entirely.
* Mi'chelwarorn. A silver dragon, who was the brother of Aexorn's Previous. Like many dragons he ultimately settles in the Rocky Mountains. After deducing his old identity he pretended to remember his Previous as to spare his parents grief. And has promised to visit them every Christmas.
* Mr. Mixelplix, a person went to Xanadu as the 5th Dimensional Imp from the Superman comics. He is fully himself but went mad from the god like power at his finger tips and was thrown into an far off alternate universe by the combined effort of Aexorn and others. He was originally going to go to the convention as Tails The Fox from the Sonic Hedgehog franchise and apparently had an emotional relationship with a Xanadu victim who had gone as Blaze The Cat who felt a confusing moment of sorrow at his dismissal.
* Molly Hale, a character from the third Pokemon movie. She had no control over her reality warping powers that was turning everything around her in a broom closet to crystal. She was either was separated from or was deluded in thinking that she was separated from her 'Mama' and Papa.' Aexon trapped her in a bubble of slowed time without hesitation or question to prevent her from damaging reality with her power.
*An unknown person who went as a diapered infant anthro raccoon. Kept intelligence but Stranger status is unknown. Was one of Mixelplix's victims before being returned to 'normal.' (IE original cursed form).
*An unknown person who went as a dyrad. Harassed by Mr. Mixelplix. Stranger status unknown.
* NOT Captain Jack Sparrow. Nuff said.
*Vulcan, Terpaline, female. Stranger. Possibly the same one who helped 'Bagman' but this is unknown. Encountered and for a short time wandered Xanadu with Aexorn.
* Blaze The Cat from Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Stranger. Was harassed by Mr. Mixelplix and knew his Previous before the change and was confused by her own sadness at his dismissal.
* Dr. Who. Incarnation unknown. Has a fully working TARDIS. Observed day of the curse with Aexorn but did not prevent to stop his Previous from Attending.
* Jack/Jackie. Complete Stranger. A slobbish man with a love for costumes. Went as a perky Cat Girl Maid and acted flawlessly in character (possibly a candidate for the secret 'best in character' reward) on a bet for an XBox360. Can clean just anything and everything perfectly though she has no actual super natural ability. Is taken care of by her family. She got the X-Box from her friends but only touches it to dust it.
* Zefie, central character to Dot Hack//Xanadu and character from the franchise '.hack//Dusk.' Original name Lisa. A Stranger but has pieced together his previous existence. She Neutralized two Men in the Black in self defense who were attempting to do the same to her. Nearly anyone she interacts with becomes their favorite hero and/or a central character to her Quest to return home.
* Aura, central character from .hack// franchise. Original name Marica. Not a Xanadu attendee, but the mother of Lisa who went as Zefie. When Zefie explained the full course of her adventure to her mother Marcia, Lisa's mother transformed into Zefie's mother Aura. She considers herself the goddess of The World (the original on-line game world from the franchise), not the world. She transformed her home town into a twin of the city Mac Anu from the franchise and had the town's name legally changed.
* The Care Bears. A group of kidnappers who went as the Care Bears Tender Hearts, Grumpy, Wish Bear, and Cheer Bear. They remember nothing, and know nothing of their Previous' and are ignorant of their Xanadu status. Becoming Complete Strangers after their change, they provided behind the scenes support to several victims before leaving to avoid the immediate public eye. Unable to find Care-a-lot after converting their truck into a cloud-mobile, they decided to recreate it from scratch and have since begun a missionary mercy service with an open recruitment drive.

'''Characters from Alveric's Mermaid Series'''

* Erica. Age ? Major character. A small, orange tabby cat. Probably not a stranger. Refuses to discus her former identity. Claims to have always been a talking cat. Befriended Jamie and 'adopted' by the Walkers.
* Todd Grimes. Age 26. Major Character. Owner and CEO of Darknight Books. Incorrigible practical joker. Became a Hobbit. 'Secret' admirer of Beth Parsons.
* Edward Alexander Harris (Alex). Age 23. Central Character. Came to the Kubla Con dressed as a 'generic' Jedi knight. Engaged to Hannah Mendenhall.
* Edna Linzky. Age 68. Widow, retired high school teacher. Alex and Hannah's neighbor and mermaid fangirl.
* ?/Dr. Leonard McCoy (Bones). Age ?/45. Complete Stranger. Nothing is known yet about his former identity. He is completely the 'real' McCoy down to extensive advanced medical knowledge.
* Hannah Mendenhall. age 23. Central character. Senior Editor for Darknight Books. Caught by the Xanadu Effect during a costume change, became a Vulcan Mermaid. Engaged to Alex Harris.
* ?/Captain Benjamin Musgrave. Age ?/50? Complete Stranger. Pirate. Is gradually becoming aware that he may have a former identity. Befriended Bones McCoy.
* Elizabeth Parsons/Arwen Undomiel. Age 23/2000+. Major Character. Has to struggle to maintain her original identity, especially during crises. Chief financial officer and IT tech for Darknight Books.
* Jamie Walker. Age 7. Major Character. Dressed by his mom as Stewart Little. Attended Kubla Con with his siblings. Became a small, white mouse that talks and walks upright.
* Skye Walker. Age 10. Major Character. Mermaid. Came to Kubla Con with her brother and sister.
* Wynd Walker. Age 17. Major Character. Attended Kubla Con with her younger siblings. Became a Pegasus, later transformed again into a winged centauress by a mysterious power in exchage for an unknown promise.

'''Other Major Characters from Various Stories'''

*Eric Winters-Rich philanthropist who funded and backed the Xanadu convention. May have been under the influence of the Raven mask before the Even, which is a representation of Raven the Trickster from Native American mythology. Widely blamed for causing the Event. Current form is a non-anthropomorphic Raven. Started the transformation magic of the Even when he walked on stage in the ancient Native American mask.
*Felix-assistant to Eric Winters. Attended the convention in a cat costume from the theatric Broadway show 'Cats'. Victim of the clothing curse. Unable to wear any clothing without it falling apart.

'''Groups And Organizations from Xanadu'''

* Nurse Joys - The first one was created by Game-Breaker GNE's god like powers out of nothingness to take care of a person turned into a pokemon, but also giving her creation full free will and a life of her own. GNE also did her best to paint her creation as simply another Xanadu victim.

The Joys can convert others into new Joys as well, but only do so, and CAN only do so to knowing and willing subjects. They also do their best to make sure their converts know what they're getting into. They once converted a willing vampires into a perfectly normal Nurse Joy.

* 501st - A real life and massive Star Wars fan club that took costumes of various Storm Troopers, Darth Vader, and other Imperial type characters. After the initial chaos and confusion of the change began to act as the mundane law and order at the convention until everyone was free to leave or had been transported and processed.

People who join 501st now after donning the armor after a set amount of time take on the traits of Storm Troopers but retain freedom of will. They've also experimented in various other elements from Xanadu and adding them to their cache of resources.

* Cat Girl Maids - A blanket term. It is a loose nit alliance and much closer nit collective family of the cat girls created at Xanadu and those made via secondary changes. This includes a larger number of Cat Girl maids who were not at the convention but were made into brainwashed servants by a non-stranger Xanadu victim who went as Sanada from the obscure anime UFO Princess Valkyrie. This Sanada has since been restored to his former self and his Cat Girl Ray Gun back into a piece of plastic.

Regarded as 'dangerous' by some due to their mission statement and attitude: the group in fact has both males and cat-girls who do not dress up as maids among their ranks. The change seems to occur when one simply willingly joins the group now. The family say that their empathy sphere is infinite, meaning that they see no person as 'thing that looks like a person who takes money from me at the cash register' or 'thing that looks like a person that cut me off in traffic.'

* "Fem Troopers" - A single awareness and single entity and single person, the "Fem Troopers" don't have an actual real name. While the circumstances are relatively unknown, one or two women wearing custom storm trooper uniforms from the Star Wars franchise became the first of the "Fem Troopers" and somehow gained the ability to convert not just other Storm Troopers but anyone who wore armor (including a Samus Aran and a Darth Vader). It regards those it converts as 'meat' and sees conversion simply as eating, no more good or evil than what animals do in the wild. It has at least one sapient representative to communicate with others.

Regardless of how shots are fired, lasers and (assumingly) other projectile weapons always slowly down and hit the armored parts of a Fem Trooper, regardless of how revealing the armor outfit is.

* "Toons" - A very small but growing number of living cartoon characters initially started by the original Tex Avery style homage character Sly Fox. Sly rarely converts anyone unless it's funny or much more rarely for making the story interesting. If any other means of toonification besides Sly's Toon Paint exist at this time are unknown.

* "Gamimon Gaming Circuit" A completely illegal and underground tournament group, this is based off a third party knock off of pokemon. Every monster that exists that Trainers use is actually a human being who was caught by one of the balls. The Gamimon MUST obey their masters, all there is to it. The longer a Gamimon is inside their ball at a time the more their mind adapts to their new role. There is only one 'real' Gamimon trainer whose bag is the source of the Gamimon balls that convert humans into more Gamimon.

'''Known Sanctuary Groups'''

* '''Project X''' A government owned and sponsored organization that offers employment and help for Xanadu victims in exchange for their services. It offers education, protection, paychecks, and of course continued search for proper cure methods. The group is headed by Dr. Sands/Dr. Quest. It is also the holding pen for Xanadu victims proven to be extremely dangerous to themselves or others.

* '''Real Stark Enterprises''' is not really the sanctuary itself nor it's location, but is a major supporter of it. '''Eric Winters'' himself set about a personal retreat for Xanadu victims who had no interest in working for the government or having their talents exploited by such. Ami Mizuno became one of many residents after spending an unknown number of years soul searcher.

* ''Guardian 'Johara's Island''' An isolationist sanctuary of sorts, however it is slightly misleading in that victims here (and many perfectly mundane humans) were instead after being given a choice were 'mutated' (in reality had their consciousness transferred into new bodies) into members of Guardian Johara's species. Created as an 'ideal' species originally, those on the island pretty much keep to themselves.

* '''Sly Fox's Hotel''' Originally a condemned building in Orlando Florida where the convention took place, Sly Fox transformed the building into a cartoon structure that of course is bigger on the inside than the outside. Originally intending the hotel simply as a place of residence, Sly has since taken in for effectively nothing any and all Xanadu victims who are simply too strange, too inhuman, or too weird to be accepted by and/or function in normal society and lack any super-human skills that would make them worth the notice of Project X. While Sly does not legally own the building, having become a residence of Xanadu victims has made everyone but the land's actual owner turn a blind eye. And his increasing contrived and inane weekly plans of "Getting that fox and those freaks off my land," do nothing but amuse Sly.

* '''Pokemon Island''' Not really a 'group' but an artificial island owned by Nintendo set up years after the Xanadu incident. It is meant to provide a place to survive for pokemon of the original 151 set without them damaging the ecosystem, and to prevent anymore from going extinct. It is a also meant to serve as a Safari and petting Zoo. The Island is mostly manned by people converted into Anthro Pokemon who have signed months long or lifetime contracts with Nintendo.

Talk:Murder in Paradise

2011-06-13T23:08:05Z

Alex Warlorn: Created page with 'I find it rather interesting that the person who thinks he's protecting innocent people from monsters disguised as human beings (ala 'They Live') and think he's being a badass he…'

Talk:List of Xanadu characters.

2011-06-11T19:16:20Z

Alex Warlorn:

List of Xanadu characters.

2011-06-11T19:15:32Z

Alex Warlorn:

[[Category:Xanadu]]
{{universe|Xanadu}}

'''Stranger Status''' refers to how much a costumer has become their new self and the loss of their old self. However, due to the nebulous nature of minds, anything besides 0% and 100% are often open sliding in either direction.

'''Previous''' is a nickname some complete or near complete Strangers have adopted for their former selves, seeing them as either their former incarnation or their parent, or simply someone who happened to go to a convention in a costume that isn't connected to them at all. Clinical depression can set in if they begin to believe they 'stole' the life of their Previous. Since the majority of people when faced with the actual choice prefer not to cease to exist, many reject offers to have their former memories restored, fearing the loss of their own Ego to be devoured or suppressed by their former selves.

'''Game-Breaker''' refers to characters whose abilities are generally regarded as a threat to global balance of power or a potential threat to the globe in general if they chose to be so. Dragon Ball Z characters are generally regarded as Game Breakers until proven otherwise.

Known Game Breakers include: Guardian Johara, GNE, cosplayers of Goku and Vageta, and a MewTwo and possible any Silver Age Superman.

'''Major and Minor Characters That Appear in Alex Warlorn's Xanadu Stories'''

* Aexorn- A Quarut type Inevitable. A type of extra dimensional clock work being with an hour glass for a face. A creature from the Dungeons and Dragons expanded universe. They exist for the sole purpose of insuring the time space continuum remains whole and is not altered or revised and trap those who attempt to violate time/space in spheres of nearly utterly slowed time. They gain emotions and personality as time passes, making it necessary to reset their memories at the forge they were created from time to time. Aexorn ultimately deduces it's origin but does not prevent himself from entering the con with his brother at Xanadu since this would disrupt the timeline. He observed the entire day of the Curse from a distance to insure no one attempted to use the curse and time travel to create more victims or attempted to prevent the incident entirely.
* Mi'chelwarorn. A silver dragon, who was the brother of Aexorn's Previous. Like many dragons he ultimately settles in the Rocky Mountains. After deducing his old identity he pretended to remember his Previous as to spare his parents grief. And has promised to visit them every Christmas.
* Mr. Mixelplix, a person went to Xanadu as the 5th Dimensional Imp from the Superman comics. He is fully himself but went mad from the god like power at his finger tips and was thrown into an far off alternate universe by the combined effort of Aexorn and others. He was originally going to go to the convention as Tails The Fox from the Sonic Hedgehog franchise and apparently had an emotional relationship with a Xanadu victim who had gone as Blaze The Cat who felt a confusing moment of sorrow at his dismissal.
* Molly Hale, a character from the third Pokemon movie. She had no control over her reality warping powers that was turning everything around her in a broom closet to crystal. She was either was separated from or was deluded in thinking that she was separated from her 'Mama' and Papa.' Aexon trapped her in a bubble of slowed time without hesitation or question to prevent her from damaging reality with her power.
*An unknown person who went as a diapered infant anthro raccoon. Kept intelligence but Stranger status is unknown. Was one of Mixelplix's victims before being returned to 'normal.' (IE original cursed form).
*An unknown person who went as a dyrad. Harassed by Mr. Mixelplix. Stranger status unknown.
* NOT Captain Jack Sparrow. Nuff said.
*Vulcan, Terpaline, female. Stranger. Possibly the same one who helped 'Bagman' but this is unknown. Encountered and for a short time wandered Xanadu with Aexorn.
* Blaze The Cat from Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Stranger. Was harassed by Mr. Mixelplix and knew his Previous before the change and was confused by her own sadness at his dismissal.
* Dr. Who. Incarnation unknown. Has a fully working TARDIS. Observed day of the curse with Aexorn but did not prevent to stop his Previous from Attending.
* Jack/Jackie. Complete Stranger. A slobbish man with a love for costumes. Went as a perky Cat Girl Maid and acted flawlessly in character (possibly a candidate for the secret 'best in character' reward) on a bet for an XBox360. Can clean just anything and everything perfectly though she has no actual super natural ability. Is taken care of by her family. She got the X-Box from her friends but only touches it to dust it.
* Zefie, central character to Dot Hack//Xanadu and character from the franchise '.hack//Dusk.' Original name Lisa. A Stranger but has pieced together his previous existence. She Neutralized two Men in the Black in self defense who were attempting to do the same to her. Nearly anyone she interacts with becomes their favorite hero and/or a central character to her Quest to return home.
* Aura, central character from .hack// franchise. Original name Marica. Not a Xanadu attendee, but the mother of Lisa who went as Zefie. When Zefie explained the full course of her adventure to her mother Marcia, Lisa's mother transformed into Zefie's mother Aura. She considers herself the goddess of The World (the original on-line game world from the franchise), not the world. She transformed her home town into a twin of the city Mac Anu from the franchise and had the town's name legally changed.
* The Care Bears. A group of kidnappers who went as the Care Bears Tender Hearts, Grumpy, Wish Bear, and Cheer Bear. They remember nothing, and know nothing of their Previous' and are ignorant of their Xanadu status. Becoming Complete Strangers after their change, they provided behind the scenes support to several victims before leaving to avoid the immediate public eye. Unable to find Care-a-lot after converting their truck into a cloud-mobile, they decided to recreate it from scratch and have since begun a missionary mercy service with an open recruitment drive.

'''Other Major Characters from Various Stories'''

*Eric Winters-Rich philanthropist who funded and backed the Xanadu convention. May have been under the influence of the Raven mask before the Even, which is a representation of Raven the Trickster from Native American mythology. Widely blamed for causing the Event. Current form is a non-anthropomorphic Raven. Started the transformation magic of the Even when he walked on stage in the ancient Native American mask.
*Felix-assistant to Eric Winters. Attended the convention in a cat costume from the theatric Broadway show 'Cats'. Victim of the clothing curse. Unable to wear any clothing without it falling apart.

'''Groups And Organizations from Xanadu'''

* Nurse Joys - The first one was created by Game-Breaker GNE's god like powers out of nothingness to take care of a person turned into a pokemon, but also giving her creation full free will and a life of her own. GNE also did her best to paint her creation as simply another Xanadu victim.

The Joys can convert others into new Joys as well, but only do so, and CAN only do so to knowing and willing subjects. They also do their best to make sure their converts know what they're getting into. They once converted a will vampires into a perfectly normal Nurse Joy.

* 501st - A real life Star Wars and massive star wars fan club that took costumes of various Storm Troopers, Darth Vader, and other Imperial type characters. After the initial chaos and confusion of the change began to act as the mundane law and order at the convention until everyone was free to leave or had been transported and processed.

People who join 501st now after donning the armor after a set amount of time take on the traits of Storm Troopers but retain freedom of will. They've also experimented in various other elements from Xanadu and adding them to their cache of resources.

* Cat Girl Maids - A blanket term. It is a loose nit alliance and much closer nit collective family of the cat girls created at Xanadu and those made via secondary changes. This includes a larger number of Cat Girl maids who were not at the convention but were made into brainwashed servants by a non-stranger Xanadu victim who went as Sanada from the obscure anime UFO Princess Valkyrie. This Sanada has since been restored to his former self and his Cat Girl Ray Gun back into a piece of plastic.

Regarded as 'dangerous' by some due to their mission statement and attitude: the group in fact has both males and cat-girls who do not dress up as maids among their ranks. This change seems to occur when one simply willingly joins the group now. The family say that their empathy sphere is infinite, meaning that they see no person as 'thing that looks like a person who takes money from me at the cash register' or 'thing that looks like a person that cut me off in traffic.'

* "Fem Troopers" - A single awareness and single entity and single person, the "Fem Troopers" don't have an actual real name. While the circumstances are relatively unknown, one or two women wearing custom storm trooper uniforms from the Star Wars franchise became the first of the "Fem Troopers" and somehow gained the ability to convert not just other Storm Troopers but anyone who wore armor (including a Samus Aran and a Darth Vader). It regards those it converts as 'meat' and sees conversion simply as eating, no more good or evil than what animals do in the wild. It has at least one sapient representative to communicate with others.

Regardless of how shots are fired, lasers and (assumingly) other projectile weapons always slowly down and hit the armored parts of a Fem Trooper, regardless of how revealing the armor outfit is.

* "Toons" - A very small but growing number of living cartoon characters initially started by the original Tex Avery style homage character Sly Fox. Sly rarely converts anyone unless it's funny or much more rarely for making the story interesting. If any other means of toonification besides Sly's Toon Paint exist at this time are unknown.

* "Gamimon Gaming Circuit" A completely illegal and underground tournament group, this is based off a third party knock off of pokemon. Every monster that exists that Trainers use is actually a human being who was caught by one of the balls. The Gamimon MUST obey their masters, all there is to it. The longer a Gamimon is inside their ball at a time the more their mind adapts to their new role. There is only one 'real' Gamimon trainer whose bag is the source of the Gamimon balls that convert humans into more Gamimon.

'''Known Sanctuary Groups'''

* '''Project X''' A government owned and sponsored organization that offers employment and help for Xanadu victims in exchange for their services. It offers education, protection, and paycheck, and of course continued search for proper cure methods. The group is headed by Dr. Sands/Dr. Quest. It is also the holding pen for Xanadu victims proven to be extremely dangerous to themselves or others.

* '''Real Stark Enterprises''' is not really the sanctuary itself nor it's location, but is a major supporter of it. '''Eric Winters'' himself set about a personal retreat for Xanadu victims who had no interest in working for the government or having their talents exploited by such. Ami Mizuno became one of many residents after spending an unknown number of years soul searcher.

* ''Guardian 'Johara's Island''' An isolationist sanctuary of sorts, however it is slightly misleading in that victims here (and many perfectly mundane humans) were instead after being given a choice were 'mutated' (in reality had their consciousness transferred into new bodies) into members of Guardian Johara's species. Created as an 'ideal' species originally, those on the island pretty much keep to themselves.

* '''Sly Fox's Hotel''' Originally a condemned building in Orlando Florida where the convention took place, Sly Fox transformed the building into a cartoon structure that of course is bigger on the inside than the outside. Originally intending the hotel simply as a place of residence, Sly has since taken in for effectively nothing any and all Xanadu victims who are simply too strange, too inhuman, or too weird to be accepted by and/or function in normal society and lack any super-human skills that would make them worth the notice of Project X. While Sly does not legally own the building, having become a residence of Xanadu victims has made everyone but the land's actual owner turn a blind eye. And his increasing contrived and inane weekly plans of "Getting that fox and those freaks off my land," do nothing but amuse Sly.

* '''Pokemon Island''' Not really a 'group' but an artificial island owned by Nintendo set up years after the Xanadu incident. It is meant to provide a place to survive for pokemon of the original 151 set without them damaging the ecosystem, and to prevent anymore from going extinct. It is a also meant to serve as a Safari and petting Zoo. The Island is mostly manned by people converted into Anthro Pokemon who have signed months long or lifetime contracts with Nintendo.

List of Xanadu characters.

2011-06-11T19:14:47Z

Alex Warlorn:

[[Category:Xanadu]]
{{universe|Xanadu}}
[[page name]]

'''Stranger Status''' refers to how much a costumer has become their new self and the loss of their old self. However, due to the nebulous nature of minds, anything besides 0% and 100% are often open sliding in either direction.

'''Previous''' is a nickname some complete or near complete Strangers have adopted for their former selves, seeing them as either their former incarnation or their parent, or simply someone who happened to go to a convention in a costume that isn't connected to them at all. Clinical depression can set in if they begin to believe they 'stole' the life of their Previous. Since the majority of people when faced with the actual choice prefer not to cease to exist, many reject offers to have their former memories restored, fearing the loss of their own Ego to be devoured or suppressed by their former selves.

'''Game-Breaker''' refers to characters whose abilities are generally regarded as a threat to global balance of power or a potential threat to the globe in general if they chose to be so. Dragon Ball Z characters are generally regarded as Game Breakers until proven otherwise.

Known Game Breakers include: Guardian Johara, GNE, cosplayers of Goku and Vageta, and a MewTwo and possible any Silver Age Superman.

'''Major and Minor Characters That Appear in Alex Warlorn's Xanadu Stories'''

* Aexorn- A Quarut type Inevitable. A type of extra dimensional clock work being with an hour glass for a face. A creature from the Dungeons and Dragons expanded universe. They exist for the sole purpose of insuring the time space continuum remains whole and is not altered or revised and trap those who attempt to violate time/space in spheres of nearly utterly slowed time. They gain emotions and personality as time passes, making it necessary to reset their memories at the forge they were created from time to time. Aexorn ultimately deduces it's origin but does not prevent himself from entering the con with his brother at Xanadu since this would disrupt the timeline. He observed the entire day of the Curse from a distance to insure no one attempted to use the curse and time travel to create more victims or attempted to prevent the incident entirely.
* Mi'chelwarorn. A silver dragon, who was the brother of Aexorn's Previous. Like many dragons he ultimately settles in the Rocky Mountains. After deducing his old identity he pretended to remember his Previous as to spare his parents grief. And has promised to visit them every Christmas.
* Mr. Mixelplix, a person went to Xanadu as the 5th Dimensional Imp from the Superman comics. He is fully himself but went mad from the god like power at his finger tips and was thrown into an far off alternate universe by the combined effort of Aexorn and others. He was originally going to go to the convention as Tails The Fox from the Sonic Hedgehog franchise and apparently had an emotional relationship with a Xanadu victim who had gone as Blaze The Cat who felt a confusing moment of sorrow at his dismissal.
* Molly Hale, a character from the third Pokemon movie. She had no control over her reality warping powers that was turning everything around her in a broom closet to crystal. She was either was separated from or was deluded in thinking that she was separated from her 'Mama' and Papa.' Aexon trapped her in a bubble of slowed time without hesitation or question to prevent her from damaging reality with her power.
*An unknown person who went as a diapered infant anthro raccoon. Kept intelligence but Stranger status is unknown. Was one of Mixelplix's victims before being returned to 'normal.' (IE original cursed form).
*An unknown person who went as a dyrad. Harassed by Mr. Mixelplix. Stranger status unknown.
* NOT Captain Jack Sparrow. Nuff said.
*Vulcan, Terpaline, female. Stranger. Possibly the same one who helped 'Bagman' but this is unknown. Encountered and for a short time wandered Xanadu with Aexorn.
* Blaze The Cat from Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Stranger. Was harassed by Mr. Mixelplix and knew his Previous before the change and was confused by her own sadness at his dismissal.
* Dr. Who. Incarnation unknown. Has a fully working TARDIS. Observed day of the curse with Aexorn but did not prevent to stop his Previous from Attending.
* Jack/Jackie. Complete Stranger. A slobbish man with a love for costumes. Went as a perky Cat Girl Maid and acted flawlessly in character (possibly a candidate for the secret 'best in character' reward) on a bet for an XBox360. Can clean just anything and everything perfectly though she has no actual super natural ability. Is taken care of by her family. She got the X-Box from her friends but only touches it to dust it.
* Zefie, central character to Dot Hack//Xanadu and character from the franchise '.hack//Dusk.' Original name Lisa. A Stranger but has pieced together his previous existence. She Neutralized two Men in the Black in self defense who were attempting to do the same to her. Nearly anyone she interacts with becomes their favorite hero and/or a central character to her Quest to return home.
* Aura, central character from .hack// franchise. Original name Marica. Not a Xanadu attendee, but the mother of Lisa who went as Zefie. When Zefie explained the full course of her adventure to her mother Marcia, Lisa's mother transformed into Zefie's mother Aura. She considers herself the goddess of The World (the original on-line game world from the franchise), not the world. She transformed her home town into a twin of the city Mac Anu from the franchise and had the town's name legally changed.
* The Care Bears. A group of kidnappers who went as the Care Bears Tender Hearts, Grumpy, Wish Bear, and Cheer Bear. They remember nothing, and know nothing of their Previous' and are ignorant of their Xanadu status. Becoming Complete Strangers after their change, they provided behind the scenes support to several victims before leaving to avoid the immediate public eye. Unable to find Care-a-lot after converting their truck into a cloud-mobile, they decided to recreate it from scratch and have since begun a missionary mercy service with an open recruitment drive.

'''Other Major Characters from Various Stories'''

*Eric Winters-Rich philanthropist who funded and backed the Xanadu convention. May have been under the influence of the Raven mask before the Even, which is a representation of Raven the Trickster from Native American mythology. Widely blamed for causing the Event. Current form is a non-anthropomorphic Raven. Started the transformation magic of the Even when he walked on stage in the ancient Native American mask.
*Felix-assistant to Eric Winters. Attended the convention in a cat costume from the theatric Broadway show 'Cats'. Victim of the clothing curse. Unable to wear any clothing without it falling apart.

'''Groups And Organizations from Xanadu'''

* Nurse Joys - The first one was created by Game-Breaker GNE's god like powers out of nothingness to take care of a person turned into a pokemon, but also giving her creation full free will and a life of her own. GNE also did her best to paint her creation as simply another Xanadu victim.

The Joys can convert others into new Joys as well, but only do so, and CAN only do so to knowing and willing subjects. They also do their best to make sure their converts know what they're getting into. They once converted a will vampires into a perfectly normal Nurse Joy.

* 501st - A real life Star Wars and massive star wars fan club that took costumes of various Storm Troopers, Darth Vader, and other Imperial type characters. After the initial chaos and confusion of the change began to act as the mundane law and order at the convention until everyone was free to leave or had been transported and processed.

People who join 501st now after donning the armor after a set amount of time take on the traits of Storm Troopers but retain freedom of will. They've also experimented in various other elements from Xanadu and adding them to their cache of resources.

* Cat Girl Maids - A blanket term. It is a loose nit alliance and much closer nit collective family of the cat girls created at Xanadu and those made via secondary changes. This includes a larger number of Cat Girl maids who were not at the convention but were made into brainwashed servants by a non-stranger Xanadu victim who went as Sanada from the obscure anime UFO Princess Valkyrie. This Sanada has since been restored to his former self and his Cat Girl Ray Gun back into a piece of plastic.

Regarded as 'dangerous' by some due to their mission statement and attitude: the group in fact has both males and cat-girls who do not dress up as maids among their ranks. This change seems to occur when one simply willingly joins the group now. The family say that their empathy sphere is infinite, meaning that they see no person as 'thing that looks like a person who takes money from me at the cash register' or 'thing that looks like a person that cut me off in traffic.'

* "Fem Troopers" - A single awareness and single entity and single person, the "Fem Troopers" don't have an actual real name. While the circumstances are relatively unknown, one or two women wearing custom storm trooper uniforms from the Star Wars franchise became the first of the "Fem Troopers" and somehow gained the ability to convert not just other Storm Troopers but anyone who wore armor (including a Samus Aran and a Darth Vader). It regards those it converts as 'meat' and sees conversion simply as eating, no more good or evil than what animals do in the wild. It has at least one sapient representative to communicate with others.

Regardless of how shots are fired, lasers and (assumingly) other projectile weapons always slowly down and hit the armored parts of a Fem Trooper, regardless of how revealing the armor outfit is.

* "Toons" - A very small but growing number of living cartoon characters initially started by the original Tex Avery style homage character Sly Fox. Sly rarely converts anyone unless it's funny or much more rarely for making the story interesting. If any other means of toonification besides Sly's Toon Paint exist at this time are unknown.

* "Gamimon Gaming Circuit" A completely illegal and underground tournament group, this is based off a third party knock off of pokemon. Every monster that exists that Trainers use is actually a human being who was caught by one of the balls. The Gamimon MUST obey their masters, all there is to it. The longer a Gamimon is inside their ball at a time the more their mind adapts to their new role. There is only one 'real' Gamimon trainer whose bag is the source of the Gamimon balls that convert humans into more Gamimon.

'''Known Sanctuary Groups'''

* '''Project X''' A government owned and sponsored organization that offers employment and help for Xanadu victims in exchange for their services. It offers education, protection, and paycheck, and of course continued search for proper cure methods. The group is headed by Dr. Sands/Dr. Quest. It is also the holding pen for Xanadu victims proven to be extremely dangerous to themselves or others.

* '''Real Stark Enterprises''' is not really the sanctuary itself nor it's location, but is a major supporter of it. '''Eric Winters'' himself set about a personal retreat for Xanadu victims who had no interest in working for the government or having their talents exploited by such. Ami Mizuno became one of many residents after spending an unknown number of years soul searcher.

* ''Guardian 'Johara's Island''' An isolationist sanctuary of sorts, however it is slightly misleading in that victims here (and many perfectly mundane humans) were instead after being given a choice were 'mutated' (in reality had their consciousness transferred into new bodies) into members of Guardian Johara's species. Created as an 'ideal' species originally, those on the island pretty much keep to themselves.

* '''Sly Fox's Hotel''' Originally a condemned building in Orlando Florida where the convention took place, Sly Fox transformed the building into a cartoon structure that of course is bigger on the inside than the outside. Originally intending the hotel simply as a place of residence, Sly has since taken in for effectively nothing any and all Xanadu victims who are simply too strange, too inhuman, or too weird to be accepted by and/or function in normal society and lack any super-human skills that would make them worth the notice of Project X. While Sly does not legally own the building, having become a residence of Xanadu victims has made everyone but the land's actual owner turn a blind eye. And his increasing contrived and inane weekly plans of "Getting that fox and those freaks off my land," do nothing but amuse Sly.

* '''Pokemon Island''' Not really a 'group' but an artificial island owned by Nintendo set up years after the Xanadu incident. It is meant to provide a place to survive for pokemon of the original 151 set without them damaging the ecosystem, and to prevent anymore from going extinct. It is a also meant to serve as a Safari and petting Zoo. The Island is mostly manned by people converted into Anthro Pokemon who have signed months long or lifetime contracts with Nintendo.

Talk:Mermaids of Xanadu

2011-06-11T18:03:49Z

Alex Warlorn:

List of Xanadu characters.

2011-06-11T17:04:03Z

Alex Warlorn:

[[Category:Xanadu]]
{{universe|Xanadu}}

'''Stranger Status''' refers to how much a costumer has become their new self and the loss of their old self. However, due to the nebulous nature of minds, anything besides 0% and 100% are often open sliding in either direction.

'''Previous''' is a nickname some complete or near complete Strangers have adopted for their former selves, seeing them as either their former incarnation or their parent, or simply someone who happened to go to a convention in a costume that isn't connected to them at all. Clinical depression can set in if they begin to believe they 'stole' the life of their Previous. Since the majority of people when faced with the actual choice prefer not to cease to exist, many reject offers to have their former memories restored, fearing the loss of their own Ego to be devoured or suppressed by their former selves.

'''Game-Breaker''' refers to characters whose abilities are generally regarded as a threat to global balance of power or a potential threat to the globe in general if they chose to be so. Dragon Ball Z characters are generally regarded as Game Breakers until proven otherwise.

Known Game Breakers include: Guardian Johara, GNE, cosplayers of Goku and Vageta, and a MewTwo and possible any Silver Age Superman.

'''Major and Minor Characters That Appear in Alex Warlorn's Xanadu Stories'''

* Aexorn- A Quarut type Inevitable. A type of extra dimensional clock work being with an hour glass for a face. A creature from the Dungeons and Dragons expanded universe. They exist for the sole purpose of insuring the time space continuum remains whole and is not altered or revised and trap those who attempt to violate time/space in spheres of nearly utterly slowed time. They gain emotions and personality as time passes, making it necessary to reset their memories at the forge they were created from time to time. Aexorn ultimately deduces it's origin but does not prevent himself from entering the con with his brother at Xanadu since this would disrupt the timeline. He observed the entire day of the Curse from a distance to insure no one attempted to use the curse and time travel to create more victims or attempted to prevent the incident entirely.
* Mi'chelwarorn. A silver dragon, who was the brother of Aexorn's Previous. Like many dragons he ultimately settles in the Rocky Mountains. After deducing his old identity he pretended to remember his Previous as to spare his parents grief. And has promised to visit them every Christmas.
* Mr. Mixelplix, a person went to Xanadu as the 5th Dimensional Imp from the Superman comics. He is fully himself but went mad from the god like power at his finger tips and was thrown into an far off alternate universe by the combined effort of Aexorn and others. He was originally going to go to the convention as Tails The Fox from the Sonic Hedgehog franchise and apparently had an emotional relationship with a Xanadu victim who had gone as Blaze The Cat who felt a confusing moment of sorrow at his dismissal.
* Molly Hale, a character from the third Pokemon movie. She had no control over her reality warping powers that was turning everything around her in a broom closet to crystal. She was either was separated from or was deluded in thinking that she was separated from her 'Mama' and Papa.' Aexon trapped her in a bubble of slowed time without hesitation or question to prevent her from damaging reality with her power.
*An unknown person who went as a diapered infant anthro raccoon. Kept intelligence but Stranger status is unknown. Was one of Mixelplix's victims before being returned to 'normal.' (IE original cursed form).
*An unknown person who went as a dyrad. Harassed by Mr. Mixelplix. Stranger status unknown.
* NOT Captain Jack Sparrow. Nuff said.
*Vulcan, Terpaline, female. Stranger. Possibly the same one who helped 'Bagman' but this is unknown. Encountered and for a short time wandered Xanadu with Aexorn.
* Blaze The Cat from Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Stranger. Was harassed by Mr. Mixelplix and knew his Previous before the change and was confused by her own sadness at his dismissal.
* Dr. Who. Incarnation unknown. Has a fully working TARDIS. Observed day of the curse with Aexorn but did not prevent to stop his Previous from Attending.
* Jack/Jackie. Complete Stranger. A slobbish man with a love for costumes. Went as a perky Cat Girl Maid and acted flawlessly in character (possibly a candidate for the secret 'best in character' reward) on a bet for an XBox360. Can clean just anything and everything perfectly though she has no actual super natural ability. Is taken care of by her family. She got the X-Box from her friends but only touches it to dust it.
* Zefie, central character to Dot Hack//Xanadu and character from the franchise '.hack//Dusk.' Original name Lisa. A Stranger but has pieced together his previous existence. She Neutralized two Men in the Black in self defense who were attempting to do the same to her. Nearly anyone she interacts with becomes their favorite hero and/or a central character to her Quest to return home.
* Aura, central character from .hack// franchise. Original name Marica. Not a Xanadu attendee, but the mother of Lisa who went as Zefie. When Zefie explained the full course of her adventure to her mother Marcia, Lisa's mother transformed into Zefie's mother Aura. She considers herself the goddess of The World (the original on-line game world from the franchise), not the world. She transformed her home town into a twin of the city Mac Anu from the franchise and had the town's name legally changed.
* The Care Bears. A group of kidnappers who went as the Care Bears Tender Hearts, Grumpy, Wish Bear, and Cheer Bear. They remember nothing, and know nothing of their Previous' and are ignorant of their Xanadu status. Becoming Complete Strangers after their change, they provided behind the scenes support to several victims before leaving to avoid the immediate public eye. Unable to find Care-a-lot after converting their truck into a cloud-mobile, they decided to recreate it from scratch and have since begun a missionary mercy service with an open recruitment drive.

'''Other Major Characters from Various Stories'''

*Eric Winters-Rich philanthropist who funded and backed the Xanadu convention. May have been under the influence of the Raven mask before the Even, which is a representation of Raven the Trickster from Native American mythology. Widely blamed for causing the Event. Current form is a non-anthropomorphic Raven. Started the transformation magic of the Even when he walked on stage in the ancient Native American mask.
*Felix-assistant to Eric Winters. Attended the convention in a cat costume from the theatric Broadway show 'Cats'. Victim of the clothing curse. Unable to wear any clothing without it falling apart.

'''Groups And Organizations from Xanadu'''

* Nurse Joys - The first one was created by Game-Breaker GNE's god like powers out of nothingness to take care of a person turned into a pokemon, but also giving her creation full free will and a life of her own. GNE also did her best to paint her creation as simply another Xanadu victim.

The Joys can convert others into new Joys as well, but only do so, and CAN only do so to knowing and willing subjects. They also do their best to make sure their converts know what they're getting into. They once converted a will vampires into a perfectly normal Nurse Joy.

* 501st - A real life Star Wars and massive star wars fan club that took costumes of various Storm Troopers, Darth Vader, and other Imperial type characters. After the initial chaos and confusion of the change began to act as the mundane law and order at the convention until everyone was free to leave or had been transported and processed.

People who join 501st now after donning the armor after a set amount of time take on the traits of Storm Troopers but retain freedom of will. They've also experimented in various other elements from Xanadu and adding them to their cache of resources.

* Cat Girl Maids - A blanket term. It is a loose nit alliance and much closer nit collective family of the cat girls created at Xanadu and those made via secondary changes. This includes a larger number of Cat Girl maids who were not at the convention but were made into brainwashed servants by a non-stranger Xanadu victim who went as Sanada from the obscure anime UFO Princess Valkyrie. This Sanada has since been restored to his former self and his Cat Girl Ray Gun back into a piece of plastic.

Regarded as 'dangerous' by some due to their mission statement and attitude: the group in fact has both males and cat-girls who do not dress up as maids among their ranks. This change seems to occur when one simply willingly joins the group now. The family say that their empathy sphere is infinite, meaning that they see no person as 'thing that looks like a person who takes money from me at the cash register' or 'thing that looks like a person that cut me off in traffic.'

* "Fem Troopers" - A single awareness and single entity and single person, the "Fem Troopers" don't have an actual real name. While the circumstances are relatively unknown, one or two women wearing custom storm trooper uniforms from the Star Wars franchise became the first of the "Fem Troopers" and somehow gained the ability to convert not just other Storm Troopers but anyone who wore armor (including a Samus Aran and a Darth Vader). It regards those it converts as 'meat' and sees conversion simply as eating, no more good or evil than what animals do in the wild. It has at least one sapient representative to communicate with others.

Regardless of how shots are fired, lasers and (assumingly) other projectile weapons always slowly down and hit the armored parts of a Fem Trooper, regardless of how revealing the armor outfit is.

* "Toons" - A very small but growing number of living cartoon characters initially started by the original Tex Avery style homage character Sly Fox. Sly rarely converts anyone unless it's funny or much more rarely for making the story interesting. If any other means of toonification besides Sly's Toon Paint exist at this time are unknown.

* "Gamimon Gaming Circuit" A completely illegal and underground tournament group, this is based off a third party knock off of pokemon. Every monster that exists that Trainers use is actually a human being who was caught by one of the balls. The Gamimon MUST obey their masters, all there is to it. The longer a Gamimon is inside their ball at a time the more their mind adapts to their new role. There is only one 'real' Gamimon trainer whose bag is the source of the Gamimon balls that convert humans into more Gamimon.

'''Known Sanctuary Groups'''

* '''Project X''' A government owned and sponsored organization that offers employment and help for Xanadu victims in exchange for their services. It offers education, protection, and paycheck, and of course continued search for proper cure methods. The group is headed by Dr. Sands/Dr. Quest. It is also the holding pen for Xanadu victims proven to be extremely dangerous to themselves or others.

* '''Real Stark Enterprises''' is not really the sanctuary itself nor it's location, but is a major supporter of it. '''Eric Winters'' himself set about a personal retreat for Xanadu victims who had no interest in working for the government or having their talents exploited by such. Ami Mizuno became one of many residents after spending an unknown number of years soul searcher.

* ''Guardian 'Johara's Island''' An isolationist sanctuary of sorts, however it is slightly misleading in that victims here (and many perfectly mundane humans) were instead after being given a choice were 'mutated' (in reality had their consciousness transferred into new bodies) into members of Guardian Johara's species. Created as an 'ideal' species originally, those on the island pretty much keep to themselves.

* '''Sly Fox's Hotel''' Originally a condemned building in Orlando Florida where the convention took place, Sly Fox transformed the building into a cartoon structure that of course is bigger on the inside than the outside. Originally intending the hotel simply as a place of residence, Sly has since taken in for effectively nothing any and all Xanadu victims who are simply too strange, too inhuman, or too weird to be accepted by and/or function in normal society and lack any super-human skills that would make them worth the notice of Project X. While Sly does not legally own the building, having become a residence of Xanadu victims has made everyone but the land's actual owner turn a blind eye. And his increasing contrived and inane weekly plans of "Getting that fox and those freaks off my land," do nothing but amuse Sly.

* '''Pokemon Island''' Not really a 'group' but an artificial island owned by Nintendo set up years after the Xanadu incident. It is meant to provide a place to survive for pokemon of the original 151 set without them damaging the ecosystem, and to prevent anymore from going extinct. It is a also meant to serve as a Safari and petting Zoo. The Island is mostly manned by people converted into Anthro Pokemon who have signed months long or lifetime contracts with Nintendo.

List of Xanadu characters.

2011-06-11T17:02:44Z

Alex Warlorn:

[[Category:Xanadu]]
{{universe|Xanadu}}

'''Stranger Status''' refers to how much a costumer has become their new self and the loss of their old self. However, due to the nebulous nature of minds, anything besides 0% and 100% are often open sliding in either direction.

"Previous" is a nickname some complete or near complete Strangers have adopted for their former selves, seeing them as either their former incarnation or their parent, or simply someone who happened to go to a convention in a costume that isn't connected to them at all. Clinical depression can set in if they begin to believe they 'stole' the life of their Previous. Since the majority of people when faced with the actual choice prefer not to cease to exist, many reject offers to have their former memories restored, fearing the loss of their own Ego to be devoured or suppressed by their former selves.

'''Game-Breaker''' refers to characters whose abilities are generally regarded as a threat to global balance of power or a potential threat to the globe in general if they chose to be so. Dragon Ball Z characters are generally regarded as Game Breakers until proven otherwise.

Known Game Breakers include: Guardian Johara, GNE, cosplayers of Goku and Vageta, and a MewTwo and possible any Silver Age Superman.

'''Major and Minor Characters That Appear in Alex Warlorn's Xanadu Stories'''

* Aexorn- A Quarut type Inevitable. A type of extra dimensional clock work being with an hour glass for a face. A creature from the Dungeons and Dragons expanded universe. They exist for the sole purpose of insuring the time space continuum remains whole and is not altered or revised and trap those who attempt to violate time/space in spheres of nearly utterly slowed time. They gain emotions and personality as time passes, making it necessary to reset their memories at the forge they were created from time to time. Aexorn ultimately deduces it's origin but does not prevent himself from entering the con with his brother at Xanadu since this would disrupt the timeline. He observed the entire day of the Curse from a distance to insure no one attempted to use the curse and time travel to create more victims or attempted to prevent the incident entirely.
* Mi'chelwarorn. A silver dragon, who was the brother of Aexorn's Previous. Like many dragons he ultimately settles in the Rocky Mountains. After deducing his old identity he pretended to remember his Previous as to spare his parents grief. And has promised to visit them every Christmas.
* Mr. Mixelplix, a person went to Xanadu as the 5th Dimensional Imp from the Superman comics. He is fully himself but went mad from the god like power at his finger tips and was thrown into an far off alternate universe by the combined effort of Aexorn and others. He was originally going to go to the convention as Tails The Fox from the Sonic Hedgehog franchise and apparently had an emotional relationship with a Xanadu victim who had gone as Blaze The Cat who felt a confusing moment of sorrow at his dismissal.
* Molly Hale, a character from the third Pokemon movie. She had no control over her reality warping powers that was turning everything around her in a broom closet to crystal. She was either was separated from or was deluded in thinking that she was separated from her 'Mama' and Papa.' Aexon trapped her in a bubble of slowed time without hesitation or question to prevent her from damaging reality with her power.
*An unknown person who went as a diapered infant anthro raccoon. Kept intelligence but Stranger status is unknown. Was one of Mixelplix's victims before being returned to 'normal.' (IE original cursed form).
*An unknown person who went as a dyrad. Harassed by Mr. Mixelplix. Stranger status unknown.
* NOT Captain Jack Sparrow. Nuff said.
*Vulcan, Terpaline, female. Stranger. Possibly the same one who helped 'Bagman' but this is unknown. Encountered and for a short time wandered Xanadu with Aexorn.
* Blaze The Cat from Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Stranger. Was harassed by Mr. Mixelplix and knew his Previous before the change and was confused by her own sadness at his dismissal.
* Dr. Who. Incarnation unknown. Has a fully working TARDIS. Observed day of the curse with Aexorn but did not prevent to stop his Previous from Attending.
* Jack/Jackie. Complete Stranger. A slobbish man with a love for costumes. Went as a perky Cat Girl Maid and acted flawlessly in character (possibly a candidate for the secret 'best in character' reward) on a bet for an XBox360. Can clean just anything and everything perfectly though she has no actual super natural ability. Is taken care of by her family. She got the X-Box from her friends but only touches it to dust it.
* Zefie, central character to Dot Hack//Xanadu and character from the franchise '.hack//Dusk.' Original name Lisa. A Stranger but has pieced together his previous existence. She Neutralized two Men in the Black in self defense who were attempting to do the same to her. Nearly anyone she interacts with becomes their favorite hero and/or a central character to her Quest to return home.
* Aura, central character from .hack// franchise. Original name Marica. Not a Xanadu attendee, but the mother of Lisa who went as Zefie. When Zefie explained the full course of her adventure to her mother Marcia, Lisa's mother transformed into Zefie's mother Aura. She considers herself the goddess of The World (the original on-line game world from the franchise), not the world. She transformed her home town into a twin of the city Mac Anu from the franchise and had the town's name legally changed.
* The Care Bears. A group of kidnappers who went as the Care Bears Tender Hearts, Grumpy, Wish Bear, and Cheer Bear. They remember nothing, and know nothing of their Previous' and are ignorant of their Xanadu status. Becoming Complete Strangers after their change, they provided behind the scenes support to several victims before leaving to avoid the immediate public eye. Unable to find Care-a-lot after converting their truck into a cloud-mobile, they decided to recreate it from scratch and have since begun a missionary mercy service with an open recruitment drive.

'''Other Major Characters from Various Stories'''

*Eric Winters-Rich philanthropist who funded and backed the Xanadu convention. May have been under the influence of the Raven mask before the Even, which is a representation of Raven the Trickster from Native American mythology. Widely blamed for causing the Event. Current form is a non-anthropomorphic Raven. Started the transformation magic of the Even when he walked on stage in the ancient Native American mask.
*Felix-assistant to Eric Winters. Attended the convention in a cat costume from the theatric Broadway show 'Cats'. Victim of the clothing curse. Unable to wear any clothing without it falling apart.

'''Groups And Organizations from Xanadu'''

* Nurse Joys - The first one was created by Game-Breaker GNE's god like powers out of nothingness to take care of a person turned into a pokemon, but also giving her creation full free will and a life of her own. GNE also did her best to paint her creation as simply another Xanadu victim.

The Joys can convert others into new Joys as well, but only do so, and CAN only do so to knowing and willing subjects. They also do their best to make sure their converts know what they're getting into. They once converted a will vampires into a perfectly normal Nurse Joy.

* 501st - A real life Star Wars and massive star wars fan club that took costumes of various Storm Troopers, Darth Vader, and other Imperial type characters. After the initial chaos and confusion of the change began to act as the mundane law and order at the convention until everyone was free to leave or had been transported and processed.

People who join 501st now after donning the armor after a set amount of time take on the traits of Storm Troopers but retain freedom of will. They've also experimented in various other elements from Xanadu and adding them to their cache of resources.

* Cat Girl Maids - A blanket term. It is a loose nit alliance and much closer nit collective family of the cat girls created at Xanadu and those made via secondary changes. This includes a larger number of Cat Girl maids who were not at the convention but were made into brainwashed servants by a non-stranger Xanadu victim who went as Sanada from the obscure anime UFO Princess Valkyrie. This Sanada has since been restored to his former self and his Cat Girl Ray Gun back into a piece of plastic.

Regarded as 'dangerous' by some due to their mission statement and attitude: the group in fact has both males and cat-girls who do not dress up as maids among their ranks. This change seems to occur when one simply willingly joins the group now. The family say that their empathy sphere is infinite, meaning that they see no person as 'thing that looks like a person who takes money from me at the cash register' or 'thing that looks like a person that cut me off in traffic.'

* "Fem Troopers" - A single awareness and single entity and single person, the "Fem Troopers" don't have an actual real name. While the circumstances are relatively unknown, one or two women wearing custom storm trooper uniforms from the Star Wars franchise became the first of the "Fem Troopers" and somehow gained the ability to convert not just other Storm Troopers but anyone who wore armor (including a Samus Aran and a Darth Vader). It regards those it converts as 'meat' and sees conversion simply as eating, no more good or evil than what animals do in the wild. It has at least one sapient representative to communicate with others.

Regardless of how shots are fired, lasers and (assumingly) other projectile weapons always slowly down and hit the armored parts of a Fem Trooper, regardless of how revealing the armor outfit is.

* "Toons" - A very small but growing number of living cartoon characters initially started by the original Tex Avery style homage character Sly Fox. Sly rarely converts anyone unless it's funny or much more rarely for making the story interesting. If any other means of toonification besides Sly's Toon Paint exist at this time are unknown.

* "Gamimon Gaming Circuit" A completely illegal and underground tournament group, this is based off a third party knock off of pokemon. Every monster that exists that Trainers use is actually a human being who was caught by one of the balls. The Gamimon MUST obey their masters, all there is to it. The longer a Gamimon is inside their ball at a time the more their mind adapts to their new role. There is only one 'real' Gamimon trainer whose bag is the source of the Gamimon balls that convert humans into more Gamimon.

'''Known Sanctuary Groups'''

* '''Project X''' A government owned and sponsored organization that offers employment and help for Xanadu victims in exchange for their services. It offers education, protection, and paycheck, and of course continued search for proper cure methods. The group is headed by Dr. Sands/Dr. Quest. It is also the holding pen for Xanadu victims proven to be extremely dangerous to themselves or others.

* '''Real Stark Enterprises''' is not really the sanctuary itself nor it's location, but is a major supporter of it. '''Eric Winters'' himself set about a personal retreat for Xanadu victims who had no interest in working for the government or having their talents exploited by such. Ami Mizuno became one of many residents after spending an unknown number of years soul searcher.

* ''Guardian 'Johara's Island''' An isolationist sanctuary of sorts, however it is slightly misleading in that victims here (and many perfectly mundane humans) were instead after being given a choice were 'mutated' (in reality had their consciousness transferred into new bodies) into members of Guardian Johara's species. Created as an 'ideal' species originally, those on the island pretty much keep to themselves.

* '''Sly Fox's Hotel''' Originally a condemned building in Orlando Florida where the convention took place, Sly Fox transformed the building into a cartoon structure that of course is bigger on the inside than the outside. Originally intending the hotel simply as a place of residence, Sly has since taken in for effectively nothing any and all Xanadu victims who are simply too strange, too inhuman, or too weird to be accepted by normal society and lack any super-human skills that would make them worth the notice of Project X. While Sly does not legally own the building, having become a residence of Xanadu victims has made everyone but the land's actual owner turn a blind eye. And his increasing contrived and inane weekly plans of "Getting that fox and those freaks off my land," do nothing but amuse Sly.

* '''Pokemon Island''' Not really a 'group' but an artificial island owned by Nintendo set up years after the Xanadu incident. It is meant to provide a place to survive for pokemon of the original 151 set without them damaging the ecosystem, and to prevent anymore from going extinct. It is a also meant to serve as a Safari and petting Zoo. The Island is mostly manned by people converted into Anthro Pokemon who have signed months long or lifetime contracts with Nintendo.

List of Xanadu characters.

2011-06-11T17:00:59Z

Alex Warlorn: sanctuaries and organizations, feel free to edit, expand or add

[[Category:Xanadu]]
{{universe|Xanadu}}

'''Stranger Status''' refers to how much a costumer has become their new self and the loss of their old self. However, due to the nebulous nature of minds, anything besides 0% and 100% are often open sliding in either direction.

"Previous" is a nickname some complete or near complete Strangers have adopted for their former selves, seeing them as either their former incarnation or their parent, or simply someone who happened to go to a convention in a costume that isn't connected to them at all. Clinical depression can set in if they begin to believe they 'stole' the life of their Previous. Since the majority of people when faced with the actual choice prefer not to cease to exist, many reject offers to have their former memories restored, fearing the loss of their own Ego to be devoured or suppressed by their former selves.

'''Game-Breaker''' refers to characters whose abilities are generally regarded as a threat to global balance of power or a potential threat to the globe in general if they chose to be so. Dragon Ball Z characters are generally regarded as Game Breakers until proven otherwise.

Known Game Breakers include: Guardian Johara, GNE, cosplayers of Goku and Vageta, and a MewTwo and possible any Silver Age Superman.

'''Major and Minor Characters That Appear in Alex Warlorn's Xanadu Stories'''

* Aexorn- A Quarut type Inevitable. A type of extra dimensional clock work being with an hour glass for a face. A creature from the Dungeons and Dragons expanded universe. They exist for the sole purpose of insuring the time space continuum remains whole and is not altered or revised and trap those who attempt to violate time/space in spheres of nearly utterly slowed time. They gain emotions and personality as time passes, making it necessary to reset their memories at the forge they were created from time to time. Aexorn ultimately deduces it's origin but does not prevent himself from entering the con with his brother at Xanadu since this would disrupt the timeline. He observed the entire day of the Curse from a distance to insure no one attempted to use the curse and time travel to create more victims or attempted to prevent the incident entirely.
* Mi'chelwarorn. A silver dragon, who was the brother of Aexorn's Previous. Like many dragons he ultimately settles in the Rocky Mountains. After deducing his old identity he pretended to remember his Previous as to spare his parents grief. And has promised to visit them every Christmas.
* Mr. Mixelplix, a person went to Xanadu as the 5th Dimensional Imp from the Superman comics. He is fully himself but went mad from the god like power at his finger tips and was thrown into an far off alternate universe by the combined effort of Aexorn and others. He was originally going to go to the convention as Tails The Fox from the Sonic Hedgehog franchise and apparently had an emotional relationship with a Xanadu victim who had gone as Blaze The Cat who felt a confusing moment of sorrow at his dismissal.
* Molly Hale, a character from the third Pokemon movie. She had no control over her reality warping powers that was turning everything around her in a broom closet to crystal. She was either was separated from or was deluded in thinking that she was separated from her 'Mama' and Papa.' Aexon trapped her in a bubble of slowed time without hesitation or question to prevent her from damaging reality with her power.
*An unknown person who went as a diapered infant anthro raccoon. Kept intelligence but Stranger status is unknown. Was one of Mixelplix's victims before being returned to 'normal.' (IE original cursed form).
*An unknown person who went as a dyrad. Harassed by Mr. Mixelplix. Stranger status unknown.
* NOT Captain Jack Sparrow. Nuff said.
*Vulcan, Terpaline, female. Stranger. Possibly the same one who helped 'Bagman' but this is unknown. Encountered and for a short time wandered Xanadu with Aexorn.
* Blaze The Cat from Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Stranger. Was harassed by Mr. Mixelplix and knew his Previous before the change and was confused by her own sadness at his dismissal.
* Dr. Who. Incarnation unknown. Has a fully working TARDIS. Observed day of the curse with Aexorn but did not prevent to stop his Previous from Attending.
* Jack/Jackie. Complete Stranger. A slobbish man with a love for costumes. Went as a perky Cat Girl Maid and acted flawlessly in character (possibly a candidate for the secret 'best in character' reward) on a bet for an XBox360. Can clean just anything and everything perfectly though she has no actual super natural ability. Is taken care of by her family. She got the X-Box from her friends but only touches it to dust it.
* Zefie, central character to Dot Hack//Xanadu and character from the franchise '.hack//Dusk.' Original name Lisa. A Stranger but has pieced together his previous existence. She Neutralized two Men in the Black in self defense who were attempting to do the same to her. Nearly anyone she interacts with becomes their favorite hero and/or a central character to her Quest to return home.
* Aura, central character from .hack// franchise. Original name Marica. Not a Xanadu attendee, but the mother of Lisa who went as Zefie. When Zefie explained the full course of her adventure to her mother Marcia, Lisa's mother transformed into Zefie's mother Aura. She considers herself the goddess of The World (the original on-line game world from the franchise), not the world. She transformed her home town into a twin of the city Mac Anu from the franchise and had the town's name legally changed.
* The Care Bears. A group of kidnappers who went as the Care Bears Tender Hearts, Grumpy, Wish Bear, and Cheer Bear. They remember nothing, and know nothing of their Previous' and are ignorant of their Xanadu status. Becoming Complete Strangers after their change, they provided behind the scenes support to several victims before leaving to avoid the immediate public eye. Unable to find Care-a-lot after converting their truck into a cloud-mobile, they decided to recreate it from scratch and have since begun a missionary mercy service with an open recruitment drive.

'''Other Major Characters from Various Stories'''

*Eric Winters-Rich philanthropist who funded and backed the Xanadu convention. May have been under the influence of the Raven mask before the Even, which is a representation of Raven the Trickster from Native American mythology. Widely blamed for causing the Event. Current form is a non-anthropomorphic Raven. Started the transformation magic of the Even when he walked on stage in the ancient Native American mask.
*Felix-assistant to Eric Winters. Attended the convention in a cat costume from the theatric Broadway show 'Cats'. Victim of the clothing curse. Unable to wear any clothing without it falling apart.

'''Groups And Organizations from Xanadu'''

* Nurse Joys - The first one was created by Game-Breaker GNE's god like powers out of nothingness to take care of a person turned into a pokemon, but also giving her creation full free will and a life of her own. GNE also did her best to paint her creation as simply another Xanadu victim.

The Joys can convert others into new Joys as well, but only do so, and CAN only do so to knowing and willing subjects. They also do their best to make sure their converts know what they're getting into. They once converted a will vampires into a perfectly normal Nurse Joy.

* 501st - A real life Star Wars and massive star wars fan club that took costumes of various Storm Troopers, Darth Vader, and other Imperial type characters. After the initial chaos and confusion of the change began to act as the mundane law and order at the convention until everyone was free to leave or had been transported and processed.

People who join 501st now after donning the armor after a set amount of time take on the traits of Storm Troopers but retain freedom of will. They've also experimented in various other elements from Xanadu and adding them to their cache of resources.

* Cat Girl Maids - A blanket term. It is a loose nit alliance and much closer nit collective family of the cat girls created at Xanadu and those made via secondary changes. This includes a larger number of Cat Girl maids who were not at the convention but were made into brainwashed servants by a non-stranger Xanadu victim who went as Sanada from the obscure anime UFO Princess Valkyrie. This Sanada has since been restored to his former self and his Cat Girl Ray Gun back into a piece of plastic.

Regarded as 'dangerous' by some due to their mission statement and attitude: the group in fact has both males and cat-girls who do not dress up as maids among their ranks. This change seems to occur when one simply willingly joins the group now. The family say that their empathy sphere is infinite, meaning that they see no person as 'thing that looks like a person who takes money from me at the cash register' or 'thing that looks like a person that cut me off in traffic.'

* "Fem Troopers" - A single awareness and single entity and single person, the "Fem Troopers" don't have an actual real name. While the circumstances are relatively unknown, one or two women wearing custom storm trooper uniforms from the Star Wars franchise became the first of the "Fem Troopers" and somehow gained the ability to convert not just other Storm Troopers but anyone who wore armor (including a Samus Aran and a Darth Vader). It regards those it converts as 'meat' and sees conversion simply as eating, no more good or evil than what animals do in the wild. It has at least one sapient representative to communicate with others.

Regardless of how shots are fired, lasers and (assumingly) other projectile weapons always slowly down and hit the armored parts of a Fem Trooper, regardless of how revealing the armor outfit is.

* "Toons" - A very small but growing number of living cartoon characters initially started by the original Tex Avery style homage character Sly Fox. Sly rarely converts anyone unless it's funny or much more rarely for making the story interesting. If any other means of toonification besides Sly's Toon Paint exist at this time are unknown.

* "Gamimon Gaming Circuit" A completely illegal and underground tournament group, this is based off a third party knock off of pokemon. Every monster that exists that Trainers use is actually a human being who was caught by one of the balls. The Gamimon MUST obey their masters, all there is to it. The longer a Gamimon is inside their ball at a time the more their mind adapts to their new role. There is only one 'real' Gamimon trainer whose bag is the source of the Gamimon balls that convert humans into more Gamimon.

'''Known Sanctuary Groups'''

'''Project X''' A government owned and sponsored organization that offers employment and help for Xanadu victims in exchange for their services. It offers education, protection, and paycheck, and of course continued search for proper cure methods. The group is headed by Dr. Sands/Dr. Quest. It is also the holding pen for Xanadu victims proven to be extremely dangerous to themselves or others.

'''Real Stark Enterprises''' is not really the sanctuary itself nor it's location, but is a major supporter of it. '''Eric Winters'' himself set about a personal retreat for Xanadu victims who had no interest in working for the government or having their talents exploited by such. Ami Mizuno became one of many residents after spending an unknown number of years soul searcher.

''Guardian 'Johara's Island''' An isolationist sanctuary of sorts, however it is slightly misleading in that victims here (and many perfectly mundane humans) were instead after being given a choice were 'mutated' (in reality had their consciousness transferred into new bodies) into members of Guardian Johara's species. Created as an 'ideal' species originally, those on the island pretty much keep to themselves.

'''Sly Fox's Hotel''' Originally a condemned building in Orlando Florida where the convention took place, Sly Fox transformed the building into a cartoon structure that of course is bigger on the inside than the outside. Originally intending the hotel simply as a place of residence, Sly has since taken in for effectively nothing any and all Xanadu victims who are simply too strange, too inhuman, or too weird to be accepted by normal society and lack any super-human skills that would make them worth the notice of Project X. While Sly does not legally own the building, having become a residence of Xanadu victims has made everyone but the land's actual owner turn a blind eye. And his increasing contrived and inane weekly plans of "Getting that fox and those freaks off my land," do nothing but amuse Sly.

'''Pokemon Island''' Not really a 'group' but an artificial island owned by Nintendo set up years after the Xanadu incident. It is meant to provide a place to survive for pokemon of the original 151 set without them damaging the ecosystem, and to prevent anymore from going extinct. It is a also meant to serve as a Safari and petting Zoo. The Island is mostly manned by people converted into Anthro Pokemon who have signed months long or lifetime contracts with Nintendo.

Talk:List of Xanadu characters.

2011-06-11T16:20:13Z

Alex Warlorn: Created page with 'Question. How do you make a page 'free for all to edit?' --~~~~'

Question. How do you make a page 'free for all to edit?' --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 16:20, 11 June 2011 (UTC)

User talk:Alveric

2011-06-10T21:25:13Z

Alex Warlorn:

I'm well on my way to finishing my third story here, so I'd best say something about myself. I stumbled upon this whole TF thing entirely by accident. On a slow day at work, I found some mermaid TF sories while idly surfing through websites about mermaids. I have a soft place in my heart for these mythical beings (not that anyone would notice). These stories led me to TSA, where I've read most of the stories and found myself hooked. I began feeling the urge to write again (it had been ten years since my last fiction). That is when I found Shifti and TSAT. Since I'm more comfortable with the wiki format, this is where I've been posting my works. I hope you all like them.

Alveric

===Comments===
Okay, it'll take me a couple days to actually decide if I want to give in and do editorial critiques for you, but I'm willing to say that I've enjoyed what you have written, even if I feel that its all a bit too short. However, with that said let me congratulate you a little on the scene-setting and the way you followed the first-person restrictions. There is quite a bit you could do by playing around with the "unreliable narrator" bit, but I think you've managed to capture a lot of the feeling of the chaos of the event. -- [[User:ShadowWolf|ShadowWolf]] 23:00, 14 February 2011 (UTC)

Thank you for your comments. I'm very glad to hear that you enjoyed my work. I agree, I do tend to cut things too short. It's almost as though I can't wait to get to the next scene. I'll work on that. I think I know what you mean by "unreliable narrator", but could you elaborate on that or direct me to where there is more about that? --[[User:Alveric|Alveric]]

:"Unreliable Narrator" refers to an effect that is particularly easy to achieve in a first-person story. Unless you are actively pushing to be as non-judgemental and impartial as possible (something Heinlein posited was a learnable trait - hence the "Fair Witness" peoples in some of his novels) then any narration is going to be colored by the beliefs, morals and experiences of the narrator. I put this to fair use in [[User:ShadowWolf/Ripples in Time|"Ripples In Time"]] and also in [http://anthrozine.com/stry/kill.me.if.you.can.html "Kill Me If You Can"]. In both stories the narrator makes an effort to not confuse the reader with their non-human POV's, but in both cases the whole story is only fully understandable if you can get past the narrators POV and see the whole story.

:[[User:ShadowWolf/Ripples in Time|"Ripples In Time"]] is a good example to follow for some cases, if just because it is a Xanadu story. I don't recommend going as far as I did with the narrator - since I've had a lot of complaints about that one being confusing - but... Anyway... If I can find the time and motivation sometime this week, I might actually put on the "editor" hat again and give at least one of your stories a critical going over. -- [[User:ShadowWolf|ShadowWolf]] 19:10, 15 February 2011 (UTC)

Could you please post your stories in chronicle order please? NOT alphabetical order? --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 17:35, 9 June 2011 (UTC)

'Delivery Guy' is not part of the same cycle, but takes place at about the same time as 'Alex and Hannah' and 'Hannah's Tale'. --[[User:Alveric|Alveric]] 19:00, 9 June 2011 (UTC)

Thank you very much! Heh. It may be a warped question: but I can't help but wonder how many of those mermaids either now have no nipples (having been politically correct naked mermaids) and/or can't even wear clam shells having been naked mermaids in the adult section. Thank you again for the story order. I guess I was just sick of Star Wars dominating the Xanadu verse after reading the 501st stories. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 21:11, 9 June 2011 (UTC)

I'm kinda leaving that to the readers' 'warped' imaginations. :-) --[[User:Alveric|Alveric]] 14:59, 10 June 2011 (UTC)

Too bad. Would have been fun. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 21:25, 10 June 2011 (UTC)

User talk:Alveric

2011-06-09T21:11:28Z

Alex Warlorn:

User talk:Alveric

2011-06-09T17:35:45Z

Alex Warlorn: important request

Talk:New Beginnings

2011-06-08T15:36:27Z

Alex Warlorn:

Great! Lots of fun stuff here. --[[User:Alveric|Alveric]] 15:19, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

Oh? Heh. What was fun about it? --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 16:56, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

Gojira and Krypto come immediately to mind. The krypto one is the first time that I can recall anybody exploring what would happen if an animal had been brought to the convention in costume. That for one would make a great full-length story. --[[User:Alveric|Alveric]] 17:19, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

I'll admit. Besides the theme of beginnings rather than endings, I hoping to show the strangers as being 'real' rather than just a constructed personality and false memories. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 21:10, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

I agree, if the memories were false, how would the Bones McCoy in my own stories know 23rd Century medicine? I'm of the opinion, which I expressed through Alex, that not only should strangers be allowed in the new Jedi Council, they should be the only ones on the Council. They alone can be relied upon to consistantly behave as Jedi.
But what about Orcs who are strangers and commit evil deeds? How responsible are they? None, I'm sure would have actually wanted to become what they became. --[[User:Alveric|Alveric]] 14:01, 8 June 2011 (UTC)

Wonder how that applies to hybrids and fusions like Nick from Ami's Song who is the only known seamless FUSION of the Previous and Stranger persona. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 15:36, 8 June 2011 (UTC)

User talk:Eirik/The End

2011-06-07T17:16:36Z

Alex Warlorn: Hope you read New Beginnings Eirik

I wrote 'New Beginnings' as a ying to this story's yang. I hope that you read it and tell me what you think. Since you were the direct inspiration for me writing mine I really want to know what you think of my drabble collection. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 17:16, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

New Beginnings

2011-06-07T03:35:06Z

Alex Warlorn:

{{byline|author=Alex Warlorn|user=Alex Warlorn}}
[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Alex Warlorn]] [[Category:Mental_change]] {{universe|Xanadu}} [[Category:Anthropomorphic]]
[[Category:Magic]] [[Category:Xanadu]] [[Category:Inanimate]] [[Category:Age regression]] [[Category:Transgender]] [[Category:Animal]] [[Category:Fox]]
[[Category:Mythical]] [[Category:Inanimorph]] [[Category:Primate]]

Characters are owned by their respective companies.

+++++++++++

Her name was not Alice, her name was Karen, she was not from England, she was from Florida though she was now a dead ringer for the character from the classic books. She was twenty-two, not seven and a half though she now had the body of one.

'This is not very practical at all.' She thought, with what she knew was a lot more calm than she should have had considering the fire that had blocked off the only means of escape from her room. Laying down low under the smoke she calmly thought that the fire fighters were coming, she could hear them, but knew thinking it through pragmatically they wouldn't reach her in time.

'So instead of the problem of now being a little girl again, and looking like Alice. I'll instead have no problems because I'll be dead. But that hardly seems like a fair trade.' Then again, the world was nonsense, and had apparently become even more nonsensical after some -thing- had happened to make everyone become their costumes at the Xanadu convention.

'Oh well. Mother and Father would not fancy to having to raise me twice I imagine.' That was when Karen noticed the open bathroom door and saw the mirror, not large enough for an adult, but large enough for a seven and a half year old child. 'It would be nonsense to think that would work. But it is already nonsense that I am now Karen-The-Wrong-Alice. And since I have nothing to say to anyone. What is a few more moments of life wasted trying some nonsense?'

Taking a deep breath she stood up, her eyes stinging from the smoke. She ran to the mirror and braced herself for hitting the hard glass head on. Instead she felt like she had gone through a layer of water tension without the water. 'Curiouser and curiouser.' Karen thought. She opened her eyes to find herself in a bathroom and hotel room not on fire. Of course everything would be reversed. A loud crash sound behind her made her look and see something had fallen over shattering the mirror she had gone into.

'Hmm. So this world didn't shatter when the mirror shattered. So this world exists on it's own without mirrors themselves.' Karen thought with amazing calm. She looked out the window of the hotel room. Below she saw a red and white chess board pattern on the ground. Mushrooms chattered it up with living white and red marble horses whose lower halves ended in short columns. Apparently it was tea time.

'I suppose I SHOULD try to find a way back. With no money. No ID. A family that wouldn't be able to support me and a society that wouldn't be able to take me seriously. Yes. That is the proper thing to do. . . . Some other time. Later.' For now, she had an entire new world to explore, and she wouldn't rest until she had seen every inch of it.

+++

Shana The Flame-haired Blazing-eyed Hunter sighed as the Rinne fell over dead. She looked around seeing that before she could depose of the creature that some humans had already had their flames of existence devoured. Oh well. Time to create some Torches. It didn't matter where she was or how she got there. She had duty as a Flame Haze. And to create some short lived copies of people whose existence had been eaten so time space would have time to fill in the gaps of their non-existence and would never be remembered by anyone was just part of the job to insure the balance of the world.

"Sōten Kisshun! I reject! I reject!" That was when two small fairy like creatures flew on opposite ends of the time frozen human and-their flame of existence returned?!

Shana turned instantly to the source and saw a carrot orange haired teenage girl. She had a slightly oversized chest and had long hair, she had a pair of six pointed hair-clips though one of them was two points short.

The faires had apparently finished their job on the first humans and with a repeat of the command they formed another yellow glowing oval shaped barrier another the next one. Again doing the very impossible thing of restoring (recreating?) the flame of existence inside the humans that was supposed to be already dead.

Shana narrowed her eyes. All humans should have been frozen inside the fuzetsu. She wasn't a Torch or another Flame Haze that much was obvious and clearly not a Rinne. But what she was doing was IMPOSSIBLE!

"WHO ARE YOU? What are you doing here? What do you want?!"

The girl started at her, as if just now noticing her. Look embarrassed the girl said, "Well, I guess my name from before doesn't really matter anymore. So you can just call me Orihime Inoue."

'From before?' Shana wondered.

"I'm using Shun Shun Rikka to heal these people. Looks like they all got really hurt when you were fighting that hollow."

"What's a hollow? HEALING them?! They're dead! You brought that person, and THAT person there back to LIFE right now! Their flame of existence was GONE! You can't heal something that doesn't exist!"

Orihime blinked assuming a thinking pose, the unarmed teen not emotionally reacting as she should to the girl holding the flaming blade, "Ya know, I kinda had someone else say that around me once before. I was told my power is the power to reject fate."

Reject fate? Did something like fate even really exist? Was this girl just talking nonsense? But Shana couldn't deny her own senses!

Well. This meant Shana didn't need to spend time creating Torches right? Which supposedly meant less damage to the cosmos right? Seeing Orihime had apparently finish defying the laws of conversation of energy and matter Shana dispelled the fuzetsu. The two fairies flew back to Orihime and became part of her hair clips.

Orihime looked at Nietono no Shana. "Are you a Soul Reaper?"

"A what? No I am a Flame Haze."

"Never heard of you. Wait! Now I remember I read your manga! This is so cool! Wait till I tell Rukia and Ichigo!"

'Manga?' Shana wondered what this girl was on.

Orihime grabbed her and with strength she shouldn't have had pulled her along, "Come on! I'll introduce you- but I guess we should stop and help everyone whose hurt first right? With all the monsters about I think I'm gonna need someone to, er, watch my back while Shun'ō and Ayame do their thing."

Shana only nodded wondering what strange mess she had gotten herself into.

+++

She lay where she had woke up in the convention center among the abandoned ware stands. Not bothering to move.

Sayaka Miki, Puella Magi, realized her life was even more meaningless than she first thought. Not only had she realized she had wished Kyōsuke's hand to be healed not because she wanted him to be happy but because she wanted him to be with her, but she now -REMEMBERED- that she was a fictional character whose only purpose was to suffer for the entertainment of others. She remembered from a third person perspective herself giving into despair and turning into a creature of nightmares, A Witch, the same things the Puella Magi were -supposedly- supposed to be fighting against but in reality were part of an endless cycle of hope and loss. She remembered almost killing her best friend and a Puella Magi she considered an enemy kamakazing herself so Sayaka wouldn't have to die alone.

Well. Life was about to imitate art as Sayaka's Soul Gem (not just a fancy name) began turning black as pitch.

"Moon Healing Activation." Sayaka blinked in total confusion as white sparkles came down on her and her Soul Gem became clean again, no, more than that, it shone almost with it's OWN light! She felt her loss and horror fall away from her like dirt during a spring rain.

"Mina! You're okay!" Shouted someone Sayaka KNEW was supposed to be dead. When she hugged Sayaka, she proved to be no ghost.

"That was too close. Almost didn't make it to you in time." Then spoke a fifteen year old lass with long legs and almost longer meat ball pigtails in a school uniform. She was holding a crescent moon wand.

Sayaka ignored her for a second, looking at the pretty face hugging her, "Mami? But-but-you're-"

"Mami? Mina are you, what's your name?"

"Sayaka Miki but you're-"

"Oh." Mami looked sad somehow. "I guess you should just call me Mami then. This is Usagi. She saved me and Caroline from herself after the change, the thing, of whatever happened happened."

"Caroline?" Sayaka asked, finally noticing the short pinked haired girl next to Mami. It wasn't Madoka. She was dressed like a Puella Magi. Her outfit reminded Sayaka almost of a doll's dress.

"I guess my name is Caroline." The younger Puella Magi spoke, "But Charlotte's as good a name now too."

Sayaka remembered the name of the witch that had bitten Mami's head off. "Cha-Char-"

"I was able to moon heal her too," Usagi said, "Man! I've NEVER seen a Youma transformation that strong before. Still she's good as new!"

'Oh right, Witch equals former Puella Magi.' Sayaka thought.

That was when a black haired girl in a red school uniformed stepped from behind Usagi, "I don't know what was wrong with your star seeds girls but dang! From what I was sensing, it was like they were INTENTIONALLY made to be defective or something. Usagi's fixed'em so they won't start collecting darkness again."

Mami looked worried, "I just hope Patricia forgot to bring that stuffed Kyubey doll with her."

"Who?" Usagi asked.

"Don't asked." Mami replied.

"I don't see why you bothered to save me." Sayaka said getting everyone's attention. "I'm not real. I'm less than not real. And that aside, my soul isn't even in my body. It's a piece of jewelry. I'm not human. I'm not alive. I'm just a zombie."

"HUH?! Now you hold on little missie!" The red clade girl said sternly, "Just because your star seed is on the outside doesn't mean you're not alive! I've -faced- zombies! And let me tell you! They DON'T feel sad, they don't feel depressed, and they DON'T talk about how they are zombies and aren't alive! Looks can be deceiving but my sixth sense doesn't lie! And what I'm sensing from you is just a girl whose scared confused and really needs her friends right now! Now stop this nonsense of being a zombie!"

Sayaka stared stunned and overwhelmed. She felt like she had just been told by her mother to stop beating herself up over being different. Charlotte/Caroline and Mami helped her up. "Alright . . . " She smiled.

No one noticed a gray and purple claded Puella Magi using her time stop abilities to push bystanders out of the way of rampaging minotaurs and or to pull down someone out of the line of fire of a stray Storm Troopers gun shot. Homura would only care for Modaka's safety. But Hilda/Homora cared for both Patricia/Madoka and everyone else.

+++

"Revive!" "Resurrect!" "Raise!" The three ladies had nothing greatly in common. They had simply chosen similar character classes from their respective Final Fantasy, On-Line or Table Top game. And all due to choosing similar characters casts had struck up a chat, not really considering themselves possible for a win and thus hadn't been in the awards ceremony. When the change/chaos/curse/magic hit the three found themselves very confused and alarmed. They didn't even realize what was going on until the one whose boyfriend who had gone as the protagonist from the same game she got her character from had his neck broke and his heart torn out by a rampaging beast from some obscure horror game. Almost in a TRANCE she had instead of crying her eyes out or running around like a mad animal like she should have at the sight she touched him and yelled out the proper word. Feeling QUITE dizzy afterwards. The monster was subdued soon after.

Now the three were watching each other's back, seeing how random and ruthless death was being today. It had been the Final Fantasy healer's idea that they HAD to avoid every single security camera they saw while doing their work. Otherwise the trio realized they'd be dragged off to be used as healing machines by the army, or worse, some mobster would see them as a false key to immortality. Not to mention some greedy business men who'd they realized would LOVE to create a 'raise from the dead for hire' service.

So it was the three went about as stealthy as they possible could, resurrecting who they could and quickly spiriting away. Two of them having to be resurrected by the teammates at least once as the hazards took their toll. But they kept going. They had to. The desire to heal and help others was now a base overwhelming desire in each of them. All three would quite their old careers after the convention and become doctors or nurses in three different hospitals.

+++

Spotty listened to his master. He didn't understand one tenth of what his master was saying of course, but he knew his master loved him. Spotty didn't care much for the new brightly colored collar with the blanket connected to the back, but Spotty knew they were important from the tone master used when speaking about them.

While in the car driving to wherever it was they were going (it wasn't the park again, Spotty knew that much, been too long) his master and himself watched cartoons on the expensive backseat TV screen as master's parents drove them to wherever it was they were going.

Spotty saw the cartoon pleasingly starred a proper dog as it's main star, not one of those freaky dogs that his master normally watched that went about on two legs like a human. Spotty watched the dog speaking in human speech, seemingly understanding things the way human could understand them. Flying though the air, firing laser vision, not being able to be hurt and other things that Spotty barely recognized. It slowly dawned on Spotty that the collar the cartoon dog was wearing was similar to the one Spotty was wearing.

It also occurred to Spotty at last his master was wearing much the same outfit as one of the other characters in the show. It didn't fill his belly and it wasn't playing but it kept Spotty distracted but he could not understand what his master saw in this noisy box.

Then they finally parked, and where somewhere that Spotty had never been. SO MANY SMELLS! So many NEW smells! And so many humans he didn't know, he stayed close to master. In front of the large building that they were apparently supposed to go in master spoke a long time with a gorilla holes in it's fur at the front entrance. A really long time. Spotty got bored. Finally they were allowed in, but Spotty didn't like the look the gorilla with holes in it's fur gave him.

They were even more new smells inside, but master kept him much more closer and a much shorter lease than normal. Spotty wondered if he had done something wrong. Naw. Likely not. Master spoke and pointed at a little figure that was like the dog form the cartoon.

Spotty suddenly felt weird. His already superior senses suddenly jumping through the room. More than that, the world suddenly took on shades it never had before, an entirely new quality he had never imagined before. It was called color. He didn't know how he knew that was what it was called but it was. And his cape and collar didn't feel so bad anymore. Spotty shook his head as things he never thought about before came to mind and became as clear as crystal.

The convention center mulled for a few moments before someone shouted followed by many others across the convention center and like it was some signal people began shooting lasers and roaring and running in random directions, many who stood still were trampled. Jake however was sticking close to him as his parents seemed to have been swept up in the crowd being dressed as something or other.

Something that been a green puppet of something with lots of tentacles and wings stomped towards master Jake who placed himself between Spotty and the thing drawing a sword that was no longer plastic.

Spotty had always enjoyed the easy life before, but suddenly it occurred to him that it was dog's job to protect their master.

Spotty focused on the forehead of the green slimly tendril thing as it spoke in a language that echoed into the fifth dimension (making Spotty wish he didn't suddenly have super-dog-hearing). Heat vision lasers shot out from Spotty's eyes and hit the beast right in the head making it cry out in pain giving master Jake the chance to cut at it's knee cap making it fall over with a crash and stabbed it the gut.

When it wasn't getting up any time soon master Jake looked back at Spotty.

"Spotty . . . you're Spotty right? You're Krypto now?" Master Jake said as if trying to recognize him.

'Hmmm? Krypto? I had a another name before I was sent to the pound already. If that's what master Jake wishes to call me. Then I should oblige my owner.' "Yes Jake, I am Krypto. The Super-Dog."

They hugged.

+++

Heather couldn't believe it, she didn't want to believe it, she couldn't bear to believe it. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair at all! She was supposed to go as a fairy queen! But she lost that stupid bet and had gone in a thick body suit as Hulk Hogan because it was such an utter opposite of her! She felt her womanhood gone, she felt her wonderful breasts gone! Instead there was that THING between her legs! And the suit was no longer a suit but a mass of bulging muscles of a professional performance wrestler.

Heather wept. She didn't notice how a Super Hero saved her life twice while she sat there crying. She curled into a ball and continued to cry but no one else threatened her. Apparently having the muscles of a legendary stunt wrestler reduced the idea of her being a practical target.

The noises died down as the chaos burned itself out. Heather finally looked around and spotted a blaster, like the kind Stormtroopers from Star Wars used. Heather crawled towards it though she wasn't physically harmed in the least. She took the weapon, and place the gun's muzzle underneath her chin and began fumbling for the trigger.

"I don't think you want to do that." Said a young but still cultured voice.

Heather used her eyeballs and say a young man with larger eyes, a triangle shaped mouth and a ski jump nose. Short black hair, purple eyes, and wearing a black with gold trim uniform of some kind. An anime character? It didn't matter. "I think I want to. I could have been something fantastic coming here. It could have been a thousand different wonderful things! But now I'm stuck like this! LIKE THIS!" It was weird hearing Hulk Hogan's voice moan about the loss of womanhood.

"Is that your final answer?"

"It's my ONLY answer!"

The young man took off a contact lens. He then looked Heather in the eye. In the eye a red glowing 'V' or bird shape dominated Heather's full attention.

The young man commanded, and what he commanded was, "I, Lelouch vi Britannia The Second, command you to NEVER kill yourself and to not despair over yourself."

"As you command my prince." Heather put the gun down at once, finding the idea of killing himself now incomprehensible. He also felt powerful, tough, like he could take on the world! Heather stood up and put his fists on his hips and laughed. "HA! How could I miss being a weak widdle woman? Just look at these muscles-?! How could anyone not admire this physique? I rule!"

Heather then marched out of the convention center leaving the young man behind. After going through processing he had his name legally changed to Harry and personally face to face -thanked- his friends whom he had made the bet with in the first place. He had a whole new life ahead of him.

+++

Frank had almost gone as a generic zombie for lack of better ideas. But after watching a monster movie marathon had been inspired to go as a homage to the king of the monsters himself. No, not Dracula, he knew there were going to be plenty of those likely at the convention already. He could have bought or rented a costume but chose instead to make his own. It wasn't the world's greatest costume but it was his. He threw himself into his performance as 'Gojira.' In spite of not exactly being several stories tall he still managed to scare a few Con-goers with his performance. He made sure to switch to 'poor misunderstood' Godzilla around children.

Then award day came, then everything changed. His clothes underneath his costume vanished, he felt the air on his scaled armored body. He felt his tail wave back and forth. The world became much simpler and clearer.

The sound 'Furrr-aink' was at the back of his brain but it felt foreign. The name Godzilla and Gojira however came in loud of clear. Gojira was what the humans on the other side of the Pacific ocean called him, Godzilla was what the humans called him here.

Godzilla had a vague notion of coming here to play and show off, but shrugged them off as unlikely. He did not play or show off. He was king of the monsters. The destroyer of Tokyo several times over more than fifty years. He crushed his rivals and punished humans who dared disturb him. But . . . WHY WAS HE SO SMALL? Godzilla set a stand on fire with his atomic breath in anger. Was this some cheap trick by the humans again to try and kill him-?! But the humans and not-humans he saw didn't seem that interested in attacking him en mass.

That was when he saw a little not-human female child with fairly large fairy wings on her back with one leg trapped underneath a heavy display that had fallen over. Stalking towards her was a could-be-human in hockey mask with chainsaw with obvious intention.

Godzilla set the could-be-human on fire with his atomic breath and threw the could-be-human across the room into a wall. The fairy winged child cried out as Godzilla got closer, Godzilla pulled the display off her. The not-human girl climbed to her feet, favoring one leg, and said nervously, "I, er, um, thank you!" And quickly flew off like it was perfectly natural to her.

Godzilla couldn't stand being in his small confining space and made his own exit through several walls. A few stupid humans tried to shoot him with bullets. That of course didn't work. They weren't worth burning. Finally his instinct led him to the bay at last and he calmly walked in, feeling glad to be back in his more natural element. He was still angered to have his body not to it's true size. The whales were bigger than him for crying out loud.

However, a diet of fish, and later sharks, slowly let him rebuild his body mass. It was very slow going, taking weeks and months, but he was getting there. He was two stories high a month later. And figured it would take him a year to regain his real size.

Deciding to return to his native seas he took the long trip around North and South America, remembering a 'cannel' but chose not to use it.

By the time he had reached his native waters, he was about back to his true size and strength. He found a relatively small island uninhabited by humans and claimed it simply as his own. He saw many flying not-humans eye him at a distance but saw no reason to attack them until they proved they were a threat.

Eventually, a large ship flanked by flying not-humans in red blue tights came to his New Monster Island (not being able to find the old one), and unloaded what Godzilla could smell at once. Used nuclear material. Useless to the humans. But a delectable treat for the king of the monsters with a living atomic furnace (how else did humans think he was able to move?). Was this their idea of a peace offering? All the same, Godzilla knew this wasn't in the style of their normal tricks but proceeded with caution. When he didn't smell any Oxygen Destroyer he proceeded to chow down. If the humans wanted to offer up what was just trouble for them but free food for him, then all the better.

Other building sized beasts arrived on his island over the years and decades that followed, but they all stayed in their place, none daring to challenge him. After all, was he not, King Of The Monsters?

+++

First he learned as much as he could about potential targets going to Xanadu until he narrowed down his list to one with a rich family and with mainstream tastes. Some internet detective work and some false internet alias' and a couple chats later and he knew what she was going to be going as, and he knew what her escort was going to be going as. With the time he had he memorized every detail of the two characters and the setting. He would let nothing go wrong. He planned the proper excuses and lies to get his target away and how the ransom could be delivered.

Some of his old coworkers would have joked that he LIKED the idea of dressing up like a yellow fox woman, he was glade he left that group. Kidnapping Winters? That was suicide with all the security the old man was likely to have around him. Xanadu was a great chance for men in his profession to be sure, but those numbskulls set their sights too high, best to go for a con-goer whose family had deep pockets instead.

His mother always said he should have a seamster instead of a kidnapper. There were professionals who couldn't pull off what he did in the time constraint he had. Sure he could have been a tailor, but where was the thrill in that?

It was also his great luck that through his digging he found out his target's escort would be arriving separately at the con after his mark was dropped off by her parents. Heh. Maybe this experience would teach them to look out for her more.

The girl was after his own heart he had to admit, apparently she had made her Rika Nonaka / Makino Ruki costume herself. Too bad, but it was just business.

He then made sure he had the feminine mannerisms and body language down right, he would leave no kinks in his disguise.

He made contact with his mark's escort at the convention, he was able to drum up a discussion about them having similar costumes, and with some slight of hand (he could have been a magician too maybe) she was sleeping like a baby. He stripped the escort of her costume and put her outside the convention center for safe keeping.

And with everything finally in place he saw his target. An eleven year old girl dressed flawlessly with a 'mended heart' shirt and other accessories including a wig to be the spitting image of Rika Nonaka, mimicking the character's persona and style of speech perfectly. Kid could be an actress and didn't even know it.

He calmly slipped into the persona of Renamon, digimon, Rookie Level, Data Attribute, 'Beast Man' Digimon, Nightmare Soldier/Nature Spirits/Virus Busters Family. Cool. Calm. Collected. Beautiful. Graceful. Utterly ruthless and pragmatic in battle. And willing to die to protect her human Tamer.

He made it five steps towards his target when he sudden he felt strange, his hot costume suddenly didn't feel so hot, he could feel the air against his fur through the costume. She felt the world around her become a swirling confusing mess. He found herself wondering what was going on, was she having a stroke? She fell to her knees holding her head in one paw. She had come here for someone important, she had come here to get someone important. Who? It was someone she had learned a great deal about.

She heard a scream. She looked at the source, and it was like a light piercing the darkness, the fog lifted totally from her mind and everything made sense!

"RIKA!" Renamon moved so fast she left an after image delivering a flying kick to the towering Frankenstein's Monster knocking it's brain case open and making it stumble back. A straw shot from a weapon shattered a sky light above their heads. Without giving it a first thought Renamon grabbed her Tamer and moved her out of the way.

"Renamon?" Rika asked looking VERY glad to see her Partner Digimon. "What's going on here-?! Where's Goggle-Head? Where's Jeri? Was this supposed to be one of mom's photo shoots?"

Renamon landed and gently put her Tamer down, "I don't know. I wish I knew. And I don't think so."

Rika nodded, "Well, I'm not one to normally back down from a fight but this place is CRAZY let's get out of here, get our bearings?"

"At once." Renamon bowed loyally to her Tamer and carried her to safety.

+++

'Kigurumi' or more proper animegao or 'anime face' was a form of cosplay that in Jeremy's opinion really didn't deserve the bad wrap that it go. It like the furry fandom and everyone who had spent exact five second of second-hand hearsay learning about thought anyone who dressed up in an animal costume was some kind of sex maniac.

The reason people were derogatory towards it varied (like most things). Some thought it was always men in the full body suit costumes and anime girl masks. Never mind six of the people in their half-hazard alliance of ten were ladies. Others thought it was creepy and unnatural, apparently deciding what they thought was creepy was clearly what everyone else should think was creepy.

Jeremy didn't dress up like this because he secretly wanted to be a woman or wanted to be hit on by men. It was just a game. It was FUN to pretend to be someone else from a show you liked for a day. And the full body costumes added a sense of fun and games to the whole thing. If people weren't willing to let it go and have fun with it than that was their problem. And nothing was ever going to change that.

Making the costumes and getting the masks had been the easy part. Getting a group of ten together for the ten main girls from the Lucky Star anime? Not so much. But Jeremy and the rest had pulled it out somehow with pleading, favors, common interests, peer pressure, and good old fashioned friendship.

They knew they were likely to get a marginally small audience compared to the other groups, but was still hoping beyond hope to win 'Best Group Performance.' And even if they didn't . . . they had pulled this all off, and no one could take that away from them.

Using some very clever use of sound bites and sound tracks they were able to recreate sketches from the Japanese comic strip turned anime. They actually got some good natured laughs and some clapping. By luck of the draw he was Miyuki Takara. Looking through the fake glasses wasn't nearly as much trouble as he thought it would be.

Their climax was of course the dance done in the series' final episode to the show's opening theme. Done in one of the smaller rooms. "We're being Cloistered." Maria, the girl playing Konata Izumi called it.

Practicing that dance had NOT been easy and Jeremy now had a much greater appreciation for cheerleader than he ever thought possible for what they had to go through.

The ten of them began the performance, having drawn in a progressive larger audience even if it wasn't as big as the others. The timed soundtrack started they mimed and did the legendary routine, each second a terrifying one worried that something might mess them up. They felt a cool breeze go through the room as they felt lighter on their feet and while still scared they didn't let it make them trip up.

The song ended as the ten girls held their poses for a few seconds more before finally breaking pose and cheering to themselves for a job well done before bowing to their small audience.

"I still can't believe you convinced us to do our high school routine at a sci-fi/fantasy convention Konata-Chan." Miyuki wiping the sweat from from brow.

Konata grinned, "Hey. When you've got a good thing going, might as well share it right?"

When the squad of ten high school girls had gotten redressed into their school uniforms and came out to find the entire convention was now a war zone, they didn't stick to ask around questions, they simply ran like hades through the fields and fire and to the parking lot getting the heck out of there.

Two years later after finally being allowed to return to Japan and having their IDs straightened out at long last Konata had managed to drag Miyuki to another anime convention.

"Konata-Chan, the last convention we all went to nearly got us killed . . . how can you just slip back into things?"

The flat chested girl laughed, "Hey. If you've got something you love, you can't let just one bad experience take it away from you."

Miyuki smiled and nodded, "Right I guess I forgot about that."

Then a large guy wearing a Berserk The Movie T-shirt stomped into their path, "HEY! You! Anime face! Take off that stupid mask and show me that pimpled fat face underneath!"

Konata didn't resist as the big man pulled off the plastic full head mask. And stuck out her tongue out when the man saw her real face was -very- similar to the one he had just pulled out. The man made a cowardly yell and ran away leaving a dust cloud. Konanta simply laughed until her sides ached.

+++

The purple unicorn pony named Twilight Sparkle trotted away from the stands in a drunken stupor. But she wasn't drunk. She felt her head swim. Her mind was a glacier in a boiling ocean that threatened to devour her.

Images flashed in her mind of two different lives that weren't her own. Neglectful parents, school bullies, learning that cheating is actually rewarded and dropping out of high school. Dotting parents, dad's business going bankrupt, sacrificing morals to survive. A meeting, a pact between thieves, using the most perfect and innocent of disguises to shop lift from unsuspecting stores. Just the two of them alone in a single costume, no allies, no friends.

"No!" She almost banged her head against a wall, "My name is Twilight Sparkle! Twilight Sparkle! Not Larry McBabble! Not Drake Hurts! I'm a unicorn pony! A person! Not two humans! I'm alive! I'm real! My parents love me! I was chosen by Princess Celestria Herself to be her personal apprentice! I spent years as a social retarded reclusive introvert learning all I could until Princess Celestria pushed me out of the nest for me to make friends! I am NOT a thief!"

Twilight quieted her mind, and felt the boiling ocean that had threatened to consume her turn to ice. She breathed out a sight of relief. "I don't know what it was, but the amount of magic released here made my little 'incident' at the magic entrance examine look like a cheap pallor trick . . . there's decidedly going to be a lot to learn here . . . I just hope Spike and the others are okay."

She'd eventually find Spike, two of him in fact! And another version of herself who seemed as amazed at their duel existence as her.

Both were overjoyed to finally find their friends panicking. Fluttershy with one of her wings broken and Applejack with a broken leg. Though Rainbow Dash kept insisting she was really two 'humans' and not a Pegasus Pony and that Twilight was not a part of their group before whatever had happened happened.

And Rarity having trouble remembering herself. Pinkie Pie calmly explained they were on 'Earth' at a 'convention' and that they had been 'cos-players' before but were now 'real' and then went on gushing about how exiting this all was and was gonna be the biggest crossover event in the history of anything. Twilight just smiled and nodded.

Maybe Rainbow And Dash's (as she/they insisted being called) 'problem' wasn't such a big one, after all, it helped them keep Fluttershy and Applejack being euthanized for their broken limbs instead of being healed. Twilight didn't like recalling that close call.

On the bright side, a Pegasus' talent at weather control and enable the group to pull together some cash to buy some flat land for themselves. Human cities was no place for ponies. Though Twilight did consider taking up that position at Real Hogwarts.

Eventually both Twilights had to accept the possibility of what Pinkie Pie had said that fateful day as being true. Of course, Twilight herself was under the opinion that being pulled from alternate realities was still a realistic possibility. Her twin suggested maybe they DID have pasts of their own besides their 'originals' or 'previous' or 'vessels' but those had been created retroactive by the god level amount of magic released.

Whatever the origin or truth, Twilight knew one thing, "I am who I am. And I'm happy to be who I am. Nothing else to it."

+++

At Xanadu, Count Dracula, The Lord of Darkness, rose his fortress Castlevania inside one of the multiple pocket realities (former rooms that had been dressed up themselves) readying to summon it into the real world. But wasn't expecting Belmonts of completely conflicting historical times to attack him all at once and kill him.

Thousands of miles away in Span nine months later an albino was born. The parents had never heard of or played the Castlevania video games. Or why they felt the need to name their son 'White Cross', Soma Cruz.

+++

Abigail felt lonely, without Dorith here. "One of us was supposed to be jungle princess Krystal while the other was supposed to be space suit Krystal."

The Marvin The Martian cosplay snickered, "What about Kurse?"

"I don't consider Kurse canon." Abigail said simply.

"Ah you're one of those." The martian cosplayer on the stool next to her said.

"What do you mean 'one of those?' "

"Nothing. So you were gonna have a giant cardboard space ship for your arwing to boot?"

"Naw." Abigail said, "My Arwing is cleverly disguised under a protective hologram outside as an ordinary car."

"Ah." 'Marvin' nodded. "What's that you got there?"

"Oh this? This is a star chart. It actually shows some stars that are above us right right. See this one marked here? That's where the Lylat system is."

"If you say so." 'Marvin' humored her.

Without Dorith around, Abigail wasn't able to do NEARLY as many routines as she had been planning to do for the show. Not that it seemed to matter as some people had spent more money on their costumes than there was prize money! She didn't think it was possible for her to win.

All the same, she did her act, explained where the Lylat system was on her navigational data base, and all in all managed to balance time between the two different versions of her costumes. Though by the day of the awards ceremony she was completely exhausted and fell asleep still in one of her costumes on top of her bed.

She dreamed. She dreamed a dream of being Krystal of course, of wanting Dorith to be there, of it being their destiny to find each other again, of saving the world like Krystal was MEANT TO in the original game before she was demoted to a damsel when it the game was recreated into a StarFox game. She dreamed of a transparent shock wave coming from a black bird, but it was not a sphere, it was a pillar.

Krystal awoke with a start. Hearing lasers being fired madly outside. Considering going out that way but decided she wasn't suicidal and instead simply smashed the room's window open and climbed down the side of the building.

Once there she quickly made it through the parking lot where her ship was still hidden as a car under a hologram. She clicked it and the hologram vanished revealing her Arwing in it's place. She looked around at the chaos, "Nice place to visit. But I think I'll be getting back to Fox now." She climbed in and took off vertically. She flew past a space ship in orbit above the convention she saw was named Enterprise but didn't hail it.

It was a lonely few days in Hyper Space, but she managed. When she saw the Great Fox she signaled and they signaled back. Landing she embraced Fox as soon she got out of her Arwing. It was good to be home.

+++

Zack ended up in black and white strips. Chad was saddled with yellow and brown spots. Laura with a lion. Trixie with orange white and black strips, and finally Greg ended up with the foot stilts.

Trixie nearly walked out when she learned that they'd be doing this not via 'costumes' persay but wearing speedos and a couple custom made breast equivalent (Trixie would have strangled Greg is he tried to have her go topless like the men). And they had to physically block Laura from going when she was told that she'd have to do the performance bald. She wanted to do the performance with her hair out, but when Greg reminded her only male lions had manes, she begrudgingly but quickly agreed to use a painted rubber cap instead after cutting her hair short.

Greg joked his own 'costume' made him almost feel like he was wearing high heeled shoes.

So, with a handful of props that you'd find at an anime otaku store like fake cat ears and tails for the three 'big cats' they had their first dressed rehearsal. Greg tripped over his fake extended legs, almost wanting to go all fours instead of on two feet like they agreed on. Zack's mow-hack needed better glue, and Chad kept bumping into Trixie.

But with two weeks left before the show, and having formed a blood pact to put themselves into the performance to win both the cash and prestige that came with it they did get better.

Finally the big day came and they arrived in Zack's mundane white mini-vane in normal attire. Signing in and registering, the group came to the rented room of their choice then broke out the paper and paint and began.

They had to waste the first day of the convention getting everything set up but it was worth it. The audience seats disguised to look like tree stumps. The walls painted to look like a vast jungle, the ceiling a canopy, and the floor a mass of wild grass and flowers. Though Greg did make a little cash on the side selling off some animal masks.

On the dawn of the next day of the convention they started. Stripping down to their skinniness (the men and women taking separate rooms of course to do this) and then away with those as well. Then came the speedos for both and chest covers for the ladies.

The body paint came next: black and white paint for Zackery. Then came the black and orange paint for Trixie and the white pattern on her front and on the inside of her thighs. Laura put on her skin cap and was painted in the brownish gold paint. Greg on his stilts had a harder time, again thinking about how they felt like high heels. And his paint pattern was more complex than any of theirs. White front area, dark blown on the sides and beige for the rest. The horns almost made it impossible for him to hold his balance.

Their first show was fantastic. Their 'innocent life in the jungle' totally bastardized the food chain, several natural laws and the laws of social dynamics. But it was still fun to watch!

Their next couple of shows weren't as big a hit but they had a steady stream of viewers, and a number of return viewers as well. Then came the day the prizes would be announced. The prize for group performance weren't done until later that day, so the five collage friends were putting on one final show.
Chad's method acting group sessions that seriously improved their showmanship.

For fire hazard reasons, the only part of the room never painted was the exit door.

Of course, every performance had that one show, and that one show happened to be today, a little boy and his mother (wearing a small flower hat right out of the nineteenth century) sat in on the show. When the show started, the mother stared in shock for several minutes while her little boy watched on eagerly. Finally the mother snapped out of her daze and began to cover her son's eyes, but he pulled them down defiantly to the woman who he owed half his DNA to. There were of course other kids in the audience, some girls some boys, but the majority were adult males. Who of course gave Trixie and Laura plenty of attention, and Greg got some unwanted attention to boot.

Why the woman didn't leave right away with her son to give him a good spanking for daring to cross her became obvious when the show ended and people began to slowly shuffle out.

She marched up to Zack and poked him in the chest, "You lot belong in the adult section! Or better yet, the zoo!"

"Hey, the adult's is only is if something is actually shown." Zack said not realizing the storm he was facing, "Nothing was shown here."

"That sure didn't stop the perverts in the audience from using their imaginations."

"What's a pervert mom?"

The woman blushed and caught herself, "A bad person dear."

"Look, if you didn't think the show was any good you shouldn't have watched it." Zack said. Chad slapped his forehead.

"Maybe if you had put a bit more DESCRIPTION in what your show is outside!"

"You'd be complaining about the description?"

All of the other four friends groaned. Zack was not defusing the situation all that well. Chad stepped in between them, "Look madam, we're sorry that our show offended you, but we were legally approved by the convention committee, if you think our show's no good, then take it up with them."

Zack just HAD to get the last word in. "Besides, we're just having some innocent fun here."

"So," The woman said, "that makes you all a bunch of little boys and girls playing around naked outside?!" She said in the most venom dripping, acid laced, sharp edged voice imaginable.

Her words stunned all present, those still present of the audience all turned to look at her. Zack couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his life, "And you sound like an over protective kangaroo!"

The woman huffed turning bright read.

When exploring the 'ruins' of Xanadu one guy looking for loot heard cheerful happy voices behind one of he closed doors with bright light on the other side. He cautiously opened it and stepped inside.

Much later, when repair work was finally actually beginning on the convention center, with ghost-busters, super-heroes, and vampire hunters acting as hazard teams, they found one door that was rather strange that it didn't lead to a room as it seemed to lead to an entire different place! Though geometrically impossible, the door led to an outside of a jungle that went to the horizon and beyond.

Inside they found collection of animal people children including a zebra, a bald lioness, a little girl gazelle, and a tiger girl, and a couple others. And a speaking Kangaroo not finding any of them strange or alien but apparently trying to keep the peace with the wild children.

One of the crew workers foolishly took a step in, and a few seconds later he was a blue cheetah boy with black spots playing with the others as if they had known him for years. Or multiple failed 'rescue attempts' the door was finally just sealed off behind a layer of concrete. Leaving the animal children to their eternal paradise.

+++

Alanna and Nicole were identical twins. But you wouldn't know this right away from meeting them. They did not dress alike. They did not speak alike. They did not move alike. Did not have the same hairstyles. They had completely different tastes in entertainment and play. And they the most certainly did not act alike. This difference in nature was so stunning that it took adults a minute to realize the two girls were physically identical.

Alanna always had a sweet face when around her parents, that was completely missing she put mice she bought from the pet store into boxes filled with spider. She always asked politely and nicely for what she wanted and never talked back to her parents. And she made sure any of her classmates who refused her anything suffered and suffered greatly.

Nicole almost never smiled, 'please' and 'thank you' were not part of her vocabulary, and she got up the middle of the night or early morning to do the family dishes when her parents weren't awake or watching. She was very stubborn around her parents when she wanted something, often being relentless. She was just as relentless when a friends of hers asked something from her, and once she promised she'd never give up or give in until she had fulfilled that promise.

Both girls went to church, both listened to what the priest had to say. Alanna was sure to memorize it all so she could parrot it back to others when needed. Nicole listened and never spoke but did her best to glean the -message- the priest was doing his hardest to convey.

But contrast and parallels walk hand in hand. When the two nine year old girls were taken to Xanadu to explore the 'Kid's Friendly' section that Winters had set up a a personal favor to some of his associates children, Alanna had gone as an Angel Cherub, and Nicole as a Devil Imp.

Their mother after some coaxing had decided to go to the con as a clown or at least have clown make up on.

Alanna was polite and smiling to everyone she met, gaging them on what she could gain from a friendship with them.

Nicole was silent with an even face, listening to everything someone had to say, in particular the ones who sat in a corner lonely.

When Eric put on the mask of Raven the Trickster, becoming one with the ancient Native American spirit, those who had been wearing costumes were now what their costumes had been of.

Alanna was a vision of light, floating off the ground in a small white dress with little golden wings and a glowing halo, her spirit now part of something greater with bright blue eyes.

Nicole was in a piece of black rag, skin as red as blood, hooves for feet, her head weight down by horns, and a long spaded tail growing out of her rear. Her red within black eyes darting this way and that.

Alanna laughed, not knowing what had happened, not caring why it had happened, but only know it had, and already imagining what she could do with what she was and how she'd profit.

Nicole hissed and gasped, seeing all the death and destruction that was sublimely happening beneath the twisting churns of chaos, and felt small and weak for nothing being able to do anything to help them.

Then thunder clapped that only they could hear. Both felt a giant hand pick them up, and then place them back down.

And in that moment, suddenly Nicole was looking at herself, and as was Alanna. Only now, Nicole was in the body that was a symbol of inspiration and hope, and Alanna was in the body of random troubles and misery.

Alanna began hissing and cursing and stomping her hooves at her missed chance. Nicole ignored her for the moment and began leading random crowd goers to safety and not to trample on those who had fallen via their subconscious.

Both little angel and little devil knew. Both remembered what their priest had said. The only difference between angels and demons was the good and evil in their hearts.

+++

He was MewTwo, that much he knew. He had not always been MewTwo, that much he also knew. He sadly had few clues on how he had been before. He didn't wish to cease to exist of course, but for the sake of the person who had for all intentions and purposes given birth to him via his (or her) own life, it was best MewTwo try to recover some piece of that person.

When contemplating he had was struck from behind by a dark-type pokemon that was not a dark-type pokemon. MewTwo would later learn it was in fact a niche market pokemon parody called a Gamimon. But the 'dark type attacks hurt psyche types' apparently still applied as MewTwo felt agony as the panicking creature had attacked the most imposing thing it saw, namely MewTwo himself.

He'd find out he was saved from dying by a series of super natural healers who desired to remain ambiguous.

By the time MewTwo had recovered, he discovered the overwhelmingly vast majority of pokemon who had come into being (all Generation One pokemon like himself) had been rendered extinct and the remainder were formally on the endangered species list.

MewTwo's mind was able to despite efforts to the contrary at least two 'Game-Breaker' level entities such as himself that weren't bound by the laws of narrative as he sensed a third potential 'Game-Breaker' was.

MewTwo knew he was a Game-Breaker, it had been his design in the game after all as the final 'capture' of the original games.

Game-Breaker, had become the general term used for any Xanadu victim, or secondary transformation, who was determined by the newly established Council of Magic Users and the Justice League Of America and Real Avengers as being entities that could single handed change the balance of power in the world. And thus were kept under TIGHT surveillance by either the Men In Black or other such groups.

'Well, if I'm going to be put on the list of Game-Breakers, I might as well do something game breaking!'

With that, MewTwo began to rebuild the cloning technology that had been his birth within the fictional realm of pokemon. And he was still no closer to learning who his Previous/Original was before his Rebirth.

And MewTwo felt an emptiness inside him.

He had visited both Ash Ketchems, wanting to thank both, even if it was only in the fictional past they had, for teaching him that humans were not cookie cutter battle hungry sadists.

And MewTwo strangely felt empty.

Once the technology was ready, he did something he knew was likely very stupid and approached Nintendo and Game Freak.

There was a new artificial island off the coast of Japan that had been left unfinished due to natural disasters. Mewtwo proposed to Nintendo and Game Freak to make it a Pokemon preserves. Of course those with common sense objected on the spot. MewTwo was glade he wasn't dealing with idiots who agree to anything. They pointed out the DANGERS that normal pokemon could cause with being able to breath fire, shoot lightning and throw leafs that could cut through stone.

MewTwo however promised these pokemon would be 'safe', purposely engineered by MewTwo that while they could defend themselves, they were made so even a Fire Blast by point blank range by a charizard would just knock someone over and leave their clothes covered in ashes. MewTwo used the exploits of the legendary Inspector Gadget as an example of how those created by and from Xanadu could extend their narrative power of 'harmless violence' to others.

Everyone had seen the news broadcasts of Inspector Gadget's fellow police who had been with him always getting caught up in explosions and falling buildings, but never so much as ONCE be left with anything worse than maybe bruises and a few scratch.

After five years of discussion and planning construction finally began. Meanwhile, MewTwo created another market using the safe failsafes he had installed in his clone pokemon. There were at least two people in the world who could create new anthros, a shaman face painter and a furry costume maker who had become an anthro himself following a promise he had made. But none could create anthro pokemon.

Naturally it was supposed to be only for consenting adults, but determined enough children and weak willed enough parents were in line as well. As a matter of protecting their good image, and to prevent people doing it on a whim. It became mandatory for them to sing a six month contract with Nintendo, though many chose to extend it to a lifetime contract. As a sacred rule, MewTwo limited the clones and anthros to generation one only with a handful of exceptions for Generation two (mostly Lugia fans).

And MewTwo still felt empty.

One day, an old woman came for the procedure. She didn't look the pokemon fan type. She requested Mew. MewTwo refused. She insisted, and not sure why, MewTwo complied.

The new Anthro Mew giggled and hugged him. "It's you! I know it's you! I can only be you! What that Seer said was right! It is you! I can sense it!"

~Wha-wha-what?~

"Rick. It's me. Your mother."

And suddenly, MewTwo didn't feel so empty anymore.

+++

Monica loved this. Putting her costume together had been both fun, exciting, and perhaps a little embarrassing, but wasn't the point of costumes to explore parts of yourselves you normally don't and to understand yourself better? The white and orange latex fully body suit had been easy, designing the needed, erm, openings, had been tricky, the real challenge had been the slightly functional hand paws and digigrateded feet, tail, and of course the fox head with the round mouth opening.

She wore a bathrobe when she entered the convention and made her way into the convention. She wasn't exactly able to speak all that well in her mask so she did her best to mime and just made sounds. Stepping into the fabled and dreaded and alluring Adults Only section she had shed her bathrobe and walked in unafraid, showing off her own creation the latex anthro fox love doll. She walked around showing her stuff before lounging about on one of the couches. Some people petted her. Other just ogled her. And for once the grown woman wasn't afraid of her own body. Here she was free, she wasn't Monica, she was a living latex fox love doll! And everyone loved her!

Monica felt a strange wave go through her. Around her minotaurs went mad, some people making love barely noticed the change except now being able to feel fully each other's fur. For Monica, there was no Monica. Only a living hollow mass of plastic/rubber/latex. The entire world became more simple. All the world became crystal clear. Weighty memories, thoughts, and ideas not related to her purpose fell away.

The love doll wondered why everyone went away. And why no one game to play with her after a good long while. Finally since she could not remember who her owner was she walked out of the dark room where the lights had gone out anyway. A man with a chainsaw and hockey mask leapt at her from the shadows bringing the chain saw on her neck. The chainsaw spun, wheeled and bite, but it didn't leave a single mark on the happy love doll. She only looked at the man in the mask and smile (she always smiled) and waved at him. The man then tried to stab her with a big rusty knife but it seemed to just bounce off her. Finally the man in the hockey mask completely confused and disoriented wandered away.

She eventually wandered outside where people in blue clothes took her into a line with lots of other people of every shape and size. A woman with pointy ears touch her head, and she felt her inside her mind looking around. The woman with pointy ears then spoke to the main in the lab coat with the red beard.

She was put in a special place and told to stay there. And stay there she did. However, with no one playing with her, she eventually got lonely, and left the room near the convention she had been told to stay. She wandered the street, not being able to be harmed and not really minding anyone who tried since that too was a form of playing.

She saw an apartment building, she didn't remember it, but she knew it felt familiar. She wandered inside, and up the stairs, to a apartment that felt very familiar. It was locked. She opened a tiny hiding place and took out a key and went inside.

This felt like a place that belonged to her. But she still felt lonely. That was when one of the people in blue clothes came into the place that felt so familiar to her. He took her hand and pulled on her. She realized he must want to play with her. And play with him she did. He was surprised, shocked, alarmed, but this didn't last long as all those annoying things that distracted him faded away . . . his clothes faded away too as his skin became orange and white latex with a still flat chest chest and they played with each other. The new living sage fox love doll loved his living vixen fox love doll. The two did not tire. Ever. Eventually water, electricity, gas, were all cut off. But these were meaningless to them.

Only the other mattered, only each other could matter, only each other had to matter, only each other should matter. And they made each other complete. Over the years a couple more people wandered into the room that felt familiar looking for something or someone, and they joined in the play too.

Finally, the building had aged well past it's prime was no longer up to construction standards and had to torn down. The latex foxes didn't mind. They merely climbed out of the rubble once it was all over, and wandered off together for another place to play with each other. That was when they were encased in a green bubble by a man in a green costume with a green ring with the symbol of a lantern on his chest.

Carried in the green bubble the vixen were taken someplace else. That someplace else didn't matter. They had each other. That was all that matter. And as long as they had each other. They would be complete.

+++

Billie was NOT happy that her friends had all had to cancel going to the convention. In particular when it left with with a half dozen masks and costumes in her luggage with no one to wear them.

But the worst part was, here she was, Bastet, goddess of cats and homes, in a costume it had taken her SIX MONTHS to make, and now all alone in the adult section . . . she hadn't made her costume this way for perverted reasons, she just wanted to be historically accurate. What was Bastet without the rest of the Pantheon? She was incomplete. Dangit! She'd do anything to have her friends here as the fellow gods of Egypt. Bastet she knew wouldn't have stood for this substandard treatment.

Billie was VERY engrossed in thoughts of Bastet herself when the changes hit . . . and Billie became but a vessel for the spirit of the no longer worshipped Egyptian deity.

'No longer worshipped?' Billie/Bastet thought as she brushed aside the panicking mortals. 'I'll have to do something about that, but first there is business had needs to be done.'

That was when Bastet/Billie felt a chainsaw trying to be struck against her neck, that shattered when it dared touch the flesh of a goddess. She looked at her attack, a mere human in a hockey mask. The masked human let out a scream of debrief, rage and frustration and dared to attack her, WITH HIS BARE HANDS! Bastet/Billie's limited patient was already spent.

"HOW DARE YOU!" She roared as she grabbed the masked face. The man twitched and spasmed, dark brown fur grew on his body as his clothes changed to a simple traditional ancient egyptian thong. His figure decidedly became female, the ears, tail, claws and paw of course were already a dead give away of what he was becoming. When Bastet was done, she let her go. The former psychotic killer stood there wavering for a moment, before she took off the hockey mask, revealing a pretty face with a muzzle and whiskers.

She fell to her knees at once and said, "My goddess, command me."

"You shall carry my things, and you shall be among the first of my new worshippers when I return to Egypt."

"Yes my goddess."

"But first . . . " Billie/Bastet remembered the masks and costumes in her old self's hotel room . . . and could feel old Raven's magic seep into them even at this distance, waiting and ready to be used by their destine bearers. "We have some gifts we have to deliver to some friends . . ."

+++

Charlotte Aulin (in no way related to the dessert witch of the Puella Magi anime) was a magician and sixteen years old (Even given her supposed birthday she would have been over her seventies). She also knew she wasn't supposed to exist. But worse was that she knew she wasn't supposed to exist, but the person who had been like her brother her entire life didn't exist at all. The person who was supposed to go as him had caught a cold and was able to join her previous self at the costume convention. So Charlotte was even MORE alone if she didn't know she existed with just the clothes on her back and the spells in her various books.

She even still had the costume her original's friend would have worn in the trunk of her original's car that had been in range of the curse' sphere of influence. Charlotte greatly suspected what would happen if he chose to wear it. And Charlotte was VERY scared at how the idea appealed to her.

Charlotte had MEMORIES of the person she once was. But that was all they were. Memories. Information, experiences. They didn't feel like HER LIFE, they felt like the life and memories of a stranger that had been inserted into her head! She was not Lisa, and she was never going to be . . . unless she was willing to commit suicide of course. But Charlotte sadly knew she was too selfish for that, that base human instinct to survive always kept getting in the way. She tried to rationalize it that she wasn't really a person, wasn't really alive, wasn't therefore a human being, so it wasn't really murder. But those thoughts rang hollow.

Charlotte was trying, like many other magic users finding themselves at Xanadu, to empirically determine the extent, limits, and capabilities of the magic unleashed from one flash points in the convention center that had engulfed the hotel, the parking lot and of course the center itself.

Charlotte paid her due, did her best to hide her spell books and anything else that might be taken from her, played dumb where she needed to, used her original's memories for all they were worth, and was released into the public being legally declared no danger to herself or others.

She had assumed her previous incarnation's life as much as she could, she play acted that she was still the dead person whose memories she had. She claimed it was part of her curse that she continued to wear her battle dress. She and the lad who was supposed to go as Johnathan barely spoke to one another.

Then came the morning when talking to clear her head she spotted a cat girl. Okay, not that strange, but it was a cat girl MAID! And there were lots of them. In fact, Charlotte realized, she recognized a good deal as being her co-workers and neighbors!

They were still flesh and blood, but they were smiling like dolls and marching like troops on parade in rank.

Whatever was happening was not good.

That was when Charlotte noticed a middle age woman being dragged by two young ladies the woman chatted with on Sunday, now both cat girls in maid uniforms.

"Don't worry mommy! You're gonna love it! It's too bad daddy can't be like us too!" Charlotte gasped, a seven year old girl with cat ears and tail in a size fitting maid uniform smiled at her mother.

'Where are all the men?' She had, like it or not, see a lot of gender flipped victims at Xanadu, and she saw none of the ear markings on these women and she recognized them all anyway. Where they dead? Imprisoned? Knocked out? Wandered off in a daze about the Narrative didn't need them?

"Now just stand still and be pretty! Ho ho ho ho ho ho!" Said a women in a black and white maid uniform with black cat ears and tail carrying a weird alien looking laser rifle. Charlotte tried to remember where she might have seen something like that before.

'Wait. An old anime, really cheesy, short too but kept getting renewals. . . . What was the name of that cat girl maid in it? Sara. No. Serenity. No. Sandra. No. Wait. Charlotte gasped out, "SANADA!"

Mistake. Big time. Finally the horde noticed her.

"Oh ho ho ho! What's this? A witch?" Sanada cackled, "Sanada knew that if she lay low that she have chance to score big prize later! Ho oh oh oh!"

She fired the laser at Charlotte, Charlotte cast 'Clear Skies' just in time to block the distance attack. The woman from before tried to grab her brainwashed daughter and run, but instead Sanada insanely turned and fired at her . . . in second the woman had a tail and ears and was bowing before Sanada, "Just leave anything to me Chief."

Charlotte summoned a long serpent of fire that flew straight at the mad woman however Sanada was a lot more nimble than she looked, dodged and fired. But Charlotte was quicker on her feet than she looked too.

"Please Sanada!" Charlotte implored, searching her original self's memories, "You don't have to do this! These women are no threat to the love between the princess and her true love! Just stop and let those you've converted go!"

Speaking in a completely different tone and manner -suddenly much more masculine- 'Sanada' mocked, "You stupid video game character. I've never been 'one of you' I've been myself this whole time. I never got 'lost in character.' Or was 'reborn with a new persona.' I've been me from the beginnings. I played the part because it was FUN."

Charlotte started at the change in personality. Mistake, stupid, because it made her trip as one of the horde tried to tackle her to the ground.

Charlotte thought. Of all the spells she had. She had that ONE spell right? The one that took several second to cast, had such a long range?

In one of her spell books.

Charlotte threw the spell book at 'Sanada's' face, she easily stepped out of the way. "Geeze lady, ah never though you'd get that panicky so fast . . . thankfully unlike some blokes I'm still me inside so that means I'm not some freaky 1-D thinking shadow puppet made to entertain people that stumbled into reality. Did you really think that was gonna work just because you're the 'good gal?' "

'Sanadra's' horde just stood there smiling, some actually breaking out in cheering for their Chief Maid.

"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. The point wasn't really that though was it? That gun of yours is the real danger. If you had the knowledge that came with your character you could just build more and give them to your horde. But you only have that one. Which means you can't replicate it."

"Heh. You're smart. I hope you keep those pretty brains after you grow ears and a tail. I'm gonna need help staying under the radar so I don't go attracting Superman."

"I've got to ask. Where are the men? Does that ray change gender too?"

"Sadly no, which is something I'm gonna need some science wiz's rather than just these day workers to figure how to fix that. Don't worry about getting some toots. They're alive, for now. Until there get to be too many to keep them all alive."

The horde was gathering closer around now, seeing this exchange. "I see . . . "

"Yeah I know! I mean! You know all those bad movies were people replaced by invading shape shifters are kept locked up in a cage somewhere for no good reason? Heh. Me? I say why take either extreme?"

"I have then just one last thing to say to you."

"What?"

"SANCTUARY!"

The book Charlotte had thrown glowed white and a yellow white circular pillar spread from the center. 'Sanada' turned just into time to go, "Oh sh-" and was engulfed in the light along with some of her slaves. It stood within inches of Charlotte. When it cleared a second later, her victims were human again, and 'Sanada', was now a human he, in a thorough but cheap Sanada cosplay costume, and the gun was a piece of plastic. He tried to run but apparently didn't exercise much so Charlotte just whacked him in the face with one of her spell books, turned out he had a glass jaw.

The part of 'Sanada's' horde still cat girls looked confused, disoriented, looking at themselves and each other as if waking up from a dream.

Charlotte picked up the spell book she had thrown, and looked it over.

The book was now just a book, it had been created at Xanadu as well. It had been 'cured.' It had no magic now. Charlotte Aulin knew it was going to take a good long while to rewrite that spell book from scratch. But she could handle it.

+++

After Renamon had rescued Rika from the madness of Xanadu, her Previous' parents somehow found out where she was and what had happened to her. For the time being, Renamon was perfectly happy to serve as Rika's protect and began learning of the person she once was. Then the person who was SUPPOSED to be Rika's Original's chaperone was found. And she explained what had happened to her. Renamon was shocked, and was Rika. Renamon did some detective work of her own. And when she finally put the pieces together. She was horrified. The mere idea of the personality of who she once was rising back to the surface made her so fearful for Rika's safety she fled.

However, Renamon found out that Rika's parents did not really care that much for their new daughter. And had paid great sums to have her legally murdered so they could bring the personality and identity of their dead daughter back from the grave.

But Renamon feared, the Men In Black were directly involved. And one flash of the Neuralizer, and she'd be HIM again, she'd be that monster again. Renamon considered suicide as her only honorable option to join her Tamer in death.

That was when she met a Lucario. He was, she found out, someone who had been to Xanadu and had been born blind, but had been interested in the idea of 'aura sight' and had with her parents and nurse gone to the convention as Lucario. He taught her how to see with aura, without using her eyes. And since the neutralizers were vision based, Renamon finally had the means. Lucario also told Renamon, that who she was before didn't matter, it was who she was now and what choices she made now that would define her.

Renamon enacted a full out assault against the heavily defended building Rika was being held in, tearing down and through security, heroes and monsters alike to rescue her. Rika was overjoyed to see her. Renamon confessed what she was, who she had been. "Oh shut it Renamon. That person is dead. You're Renamon now. That's all that matters."

Originally, Renamon's brash actually actually -helped-. A couple years later, Strangers were legally declared people, not false memories or delusions of people with a disease or condition that needed to be 'cured.' A similar law had already been passed in Japan with help form the newly formed Real Crystal Tokyo Party.

Meanwhile due to the actions of Rika's parents, after an intense legal battle and with new laws in effect, Renamon was granted legal custody as Rika's legal guardian. (With Renamon being first declared legally sane and competent at first and acquitted of charges of breaking and entering and assault and yes kidnapping due to some very good lawyers provided by Eric Winters when no one was looking).

Rika and Renamon considered doing many things together on the day they legally became mother and daughter. But in the end, they simply chose to watch the sunset. On the other side of the world at the same time, ten teenage girls watch the sunrise.

New Beginnings

Talk:New Beginnings

2011-06-06T21:10:14Z

Alex Warlorn:

New Beginnings

2011-06-06T21:03:40Z

Alex Warlorn: fixed errors

Talk:New Beginnings

2011-06-06T16:56:01Z

Alex Warlorn:

Great! Lots of fun stuff here. --[[User:Alveric|Alveric]] 15:19, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

Oh? Heh. What was fun about it? --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 16:56, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

New Beginnings

2011-06-05T22:06:17Z

Alex Warlorn:

{{byline|author=Alex Warlorn|user=Alex Warlorn}}
[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Alex Warlorn]] [[Category:Mental_change]] {{universe|Xanadu}} [[Category:Anthropomorphic]]
[[Category:Magic]] [[Category:Xanadu]] [[Category:Inanimate]] [[Category:Age regression]] [[Category:Transgender]] [[Category:Animal]] [[Category:Fox]]
[[Category:Mythical]] [[Category:Inanimorph]] [[Category:Primate]]

Characters are owned by their respective companies.

+++++++++++

Her name was not Alice, her name was Karen, she was not from England, she was from Florida though she was now a dead ringer for the character from the classic books. She was twenty-two, not seven in a half though she now had the body of one.

'This is not very practical at all.' She thought, with what she knew was a lot more calm than she should have had considering the fire that had blocked off the only means of escape from her room. She calmly thought lay down low under the smoke that the fire fighters were coming, she could hear them, but knew thinking it through pragmatically they wouldn't reach her in time.

'So instead of the problem of now being a little girl again, and looking like Alice. I'll instead have no problems because I'll be dead. But that hardly seems like a fair trade.' Then again, the world was nonsense, and had apparently become even more nonsensical after some -thing- had happened to make everyone become their costumes at the Xanadu convention.

'Oh well. Mother and Father would not fancy to having to raise me twice I imagine.' That was when Karen noticed the open bathroom door and saw the mirror, not large enough for an adult, and large enough for a seven and a half year old child. 'It would be nonsense to think that would work. But is already nonsense that I am now Karen-The-Wrong-Alice. And since I have nothing to say to anyone. What is a few more moments of life wasted trying some nonsense?'

Taking a deep breath she stood up, her eyes stinging from the smoke. She ran to the mirror and braced herself for hitting the hard glass head on. Instead she felt like she had gone through a layer of water tension without the water. 'Curiouser and curiouser.' Karen thought. She opened her eyes to find herself in a bathroom and hotel room not on fire. Of course everything would be reversed. A loud crash sound behind her made her look and see something had fallen over shattering the mirror she had gone into.

'Hmm. So the world didn't shatter when the mirror shattered. So this world exists on it's own without mirrors themselves.' Karen thought with amazing calm. She looked out the window of the hotel room. Below she saw a red and white chess board pattern on the ground. Mushroom chattered it up with living white and red marble horses whose lower halves ended in short columns. Apparently it was tea time.

'I suppose I SHOULD try to find a way back. With no money. No ID. A family that wouldn't be able to support me and a society that wouldn't be able to take me seriously. Yes. That is the proper thing to do. . . . Some other time. Later.' For now, she had an entire new world to explore, and she wouldn't rest until she had seen every inch of it.

+++

Shana The Flame-haired Blazing-eyed Hunter sighed as the Rinne fell over dead. She looked around seeing that before she could depose of the creature that some humans had already had their flames of existence devoured. Oh well. Time to create some Torches. It didn't matter where she was or how she got there. She had duty as a Flame Haze. And to create some short lived copies of people whose existence had been eaten so time space would have time to fill in the gaps of their non-existence and would never be remembered by anyone was just part of the job to insure the balance of the world.

"Sōten Kisshun! I reject! I reject!" That was when two small fairy like creatures flew on opposite ends of the time frozen human and-their flame of existence returned?!

Shana turned instantly to the source and saw a carrot orange haired teenage girl. She had a slightly oversized chest and had long hair, she had a pair of six pointed hair-clips though one of them was two points short.

The faires had apparently finished their job on the first humans and with a repeat of the command they formed another yellow glowing oval shaped barrier another the next one. Again doing the very impossible thing of restoring (recreating?) the flame of existence inside the humans that was supposed to be already dead.

Shana narrowed her eyes. All humans should have been frozen inside the fuzetsu. She wasn't a Torch or another Flame Haze that much was obvious and clearly not a Rinne. But what she was doing was IMPOSSIBLE!

"WHO ARE YOU? What are you doing here? What do you want?!"

The girl started at her, as if just now noticing her. Look embarrassed the girl said, "Well, I guess my name from before doesn't really matter anymore. So you can just call me Orihime Inoue."

'From before?' Shana wondered.

"I'm using Shun Shun Rikka to heal these people. Looks like they all got really hurt when you were fighting that hollow."

"What's a hollow? HEALING them?! They're dead! You brought that person, and THAT person there back to LIFE right now! Their flame of existence was GONE! You can't heal something that doesn't exist!"

Orihime blinked assuming a thinking pose, the unarmed teen not emotionally reacting as she should to the girl holding the flaming blade, "Ya know, I kinda had someone else say that around me once before. I was told my power is the power to reject fate."

Reject fate? Did something like fate even really exist? Was this girl just talking nonsense? But Shana couldn't deny her own senses!

Well. This meant Shana didn't need to spend time creating Torches right? Which supposedly meant less damage to the cosmos right? Seeing Orihime had apparently finish defying the laws of conversation of energy and matter Shana dispelled the fuzetsu. The two fairies flew back to Orihime and became part of her hair clips.

Orihime looked at Nietono no Shana. "Are you a Soul Reaper?"

"A what? No I am a Flame Haze."

"Never heard of you. Wait! Now I remember I read your manga! This is so cool! Wait till I tell Rukia and Ichigo!"

'Manga?' Shana wondered what this girl was on.

Orihime grabbed her and with strength she shouldn't have had pulled her along, "Come on! I'll introduce you- but I guess we should stop and help everyone whose hurt first right? With all the monsters about I think I'm gonna need someone to, er, watch my back while Shun'ō and Ayame do their thing."

Shana only nodded wondering what strange mess she had gotten herself into.

+++

She lay where she had woke up in the convention center among the abandoned ware stands. Not bothering to move.

Sayaka Miki, Puella Magi, realized her life was even more meaningless than she first thought. Not only had she realized she had wished Kyōsuke's hand to be healed not because she wanted him to be happy but because she wanted him to be with her, but she now -REMEMBERED- that she was a fictional character whose only purpose was to suffer for the entertainment of others. She remembered from a third person perspective herself giving into despair and turning into a creature of nightmares, A Witch, the same things the Puella Magi were -supposedly- supposed to be fighting against but in reality were part of an endless cycle of hope and loss. She remembered almost killing her best friend and a Puella Magi she considered an enemy kamakazing herself so Sayaka wouldn't have to die alone.

Well. Life was about to imitate art as Sayaka's Soul Gem (not just a fancy name) began turning black as pitch.

"Moon Healing Activation." Sayaka blinked in total confusion as white sparkles came down on her and her Soul Gem became clean again, no, more than that, it shone almost with it's OWN light! She felt her loss and horror fall away from her like dirt during a spring rain.

"Mina! You're okay!" Shouted someone Sayaka KNEW was supposed to be dead. When hugged her proved to be no ghost.

"That was too close. Almost didn't make it to you in time." Then spoke a fifteen year old lass with long legs and almost longer meat ball pigtails in a school uniform. She was holding a crescent moon wand.

Sayaka ignored her for a second, looking at the pretty face hugging her, "Mami? But-but-you're-"

"Mami? Mina are you, what's your name?"

"Sayaka Miki but you're-"

"Oh." Mami looked said somehow. "I guess you should just call me Mami then. This is Usagi. She saved me and Caroline from herself after the change, the thing, of whatever happened happened."

"Caroline?" Sayaka asked, finally noticing the short pinked haired girl next to Mami. It wasn't Madoka. She was dressed like a Puella Magi. Her outfit reminded Sayaka almost of a doll's dress.

"I guess my name is Caroline." The younger Puella Magi spoke, "But Charlotte's as good a name now too."

Sayaka remembered the name of the witch that had bitten Mami's head off. "Cha-Char-"

"I was able to moon heal her too," Usagi said, "Man! I've NEVER seen a Youma transformation that strong before. Still she's good as new!"

'Oh right, Witch equals former Puella Magi.' Sayaka thought.

That was when a black haired girl in a red school uniformed stepped from behind Usagi, "I don't know what was wrong with your star seeds girl but dang! From what I was sensing, it was like they were INTENTIONALLY made to be defective or something. Usagi's fixed'em so they won't start collecting darkness again."

Mami looked worried, "I just hope Patricia forgot to bring that stuffed Kyubey doll with her."

"Who?" Usagi asked.

"Don't asked." Mami replied.

"I don't see why you bothered to save me." Sayaka said getting everyone's attention. "I'm not real. I'm less than not real. And that aside, my soul isn't even in my body. It's a piece of jewelry. I'm not human. I'm not alive. I'm just a zombie."

"HUH?! Now you hold on little missie!" The red clade girl said sternly, "Just because your star seed is on the outside doesn't mean you're not alive! I've -faced- zombies! And let me tell you! They DON'T feel sad, they don't feel depressed, and they DON'T talk about how they are zombies and aren't alive! Looks can be deceiving but my sixth sense doesn't lie! And what I'm sensing from you is just a girl whose scared confused and really needs her friends right now! Now stop this nonsense of being a zombie!"

Sayaka stared stunned and overwhelmed. She felt like she had just been told by her mother to stop beating herself up over being different. Charlotte/Caroline and Mami helped her up. "Alright . . . " She smiled.

No one noticed a gray and purple claded Puella Magi using her time stop abilities to push bystanders out of the way of rampaging minotaurs and or to pull down someone out of the line of fire of a stray Storm Troopers gun shot. Homura would only care for Modaka's safety. But Hilda/Homora cared for both Patricia/Madoka and everyone else.

+++

"Revive!" "Resurrect!" "Raise!" The three ladies had nothing greatly in common. They had simply chosen similar character classes from their respective Final Fantasy, On-Line or Table Top game. And all due to choosing similar characters casts had struck up a chat, not really considering themselves possible for a win and thus hadn't been in the awards ceremony. When the change/chaos/curse/magic hit the three found themselves very confused and alarmed. They didn't even realize what was going on until the one whose boyfriend who had gone as the protagonist from the same game she got her character from had his neck broke and his heart torn out by a rampaging beast from some obscure horror game. Almost in a TRANCE she had instead of crying her eyes out or running around like a mad animal like she should have at the sight she touched him and yelled out the proper word. Feeling QUITE dizzy afterwards. The monster was subdued soon after.

Now the three were watching each other's back, seeing how random and ruthless death was being today. It had been the Final Fantasy healer's idea that they HAD to avoid every single security camera they saw while doing their work. Otherwise the trio realized they'd be dragged off to be used as healing machines by the army, or worse, some mobster would see them as a false key to immortality. Not to mention some greedy business men who'd they realized would LOVE to create a 'raise from the dead for hire' service.

So it was the three went about as stealthy as they possible could, resurrecting who they could and quickly spiriting away. Two of them having to be resurrect by the teammates at least once as the hazards took their toll. But they kept going. They had to. The desire to heal and help others was now a base overwhelming desire in each of them. All three would quite their old careers after the convention and become doctors or nurses in three different hospitals.

+++

Spotty listened to his master. He didn't understand one tenth of what his master his master was saying of course, but he knew his master loved him. Spotty didn't care much for the new brightly colored collar with the blanket connected to the back, but Spotty knew they were important from the tone master used when speaking about them.

While in the car driving to wherever it was they were going (it wasn't the park again, Spotty knew that much, been too long) his master and himself watched cartoons on the expensive backseat TV screen as master's parents drove them to wherever it was they were going.

Spotty saw the cartoon pleasingly starred a proper dog as it's main star, not one of those freaky dogs that his master normally watched that went about on two legs like a human. Spotty watched the dog speaking in human speech, seemingly understanding things the way human could understand them. Flying though the hair, firing laser vision, not being able to be hurt and other things that Spotty barely recognized. It slowly dawned on Spotty that the collar the cartoon dog was wearing was similar to the one Spotty was wearing.

It also occurred to Spotty at last his master was wearing much the same outfit as one of the other characters in the show. It didn't fill his belly and it wasn't playing but it kept Spotty distracted but he could not understand what his master saw in this noisy box.

Then they finally parked, and where somewhere that Spotty had never been. SO MANY SMELLS! So many NEW smells! And so many humans he didn't know, he stayed close to master. In front of the large building that they were apparently supposed to go in master spoke a long time with a gorilla holes in it's fur at the front entrance. A really long time. Spotty got bored. Finally they were allowed in, but Spotty didn't like the look the gorilla with holes in it's fur gave him.

They were even more new smells inside, but master kept him much more closer and a much shorter lease than normal. Spotty wondered if she had done something wrong. Naw. Likely not. Master spoke and pointed at a little figure that was like the dog form the cartoon.

Spotty suddenly felt weird. His already superior senses suddenly jumping through the room. More than that, the world suddenly took on shades it never had before, an entirely new quality he had never imagined before. It was called color. He didn't know how he knew that was what it was called but it was. And his cape and collar didn't feel so bad anymore. Spotty shook his head as things he never thought about before came to mind and became as clear as crystal.

The convention center mulled for a few moments before someone shouted followed by many others across the convention center and like it was some signal people began shooting lasers and roaring and running in random directions, many who stood still were trampled. Jake however was sticking close to him as his parents seemed to have been swept up in the crowd being dressed as something or other.

Something that been a green puppet of something with lots of tentacles and wings stomped towards master Jake who placed himself between Spotty and the thing drawing a sword that was no longer plastic.

Spotty had always enjoyed the easy life before, but suddenly it occurred to him that it was dog's job to protect their master.

Spotty focused on the forehead of the green slimly tendril thing as it spoke in a language that echoed into the fifth dimension (making Spotty wish he didn't suddenly have super-dog-hearing). Heat vision lasers shot out from Spotty's eyes and hit the beast right in the head making it cry out in pain giving master Jake the chance to cut at it's knee cap making it fall over with a crash and stab in the gut.

When it wasn't getting up any time soon master Jake looked back at Spotty.

"Spotty . . . you're Spotty right? You're Krypto now?" Master Jake said as iftrying to recognize him.

'Hmmm? Krypto? I had a another name before I was sent to the pound already. If that's what master Jake wishes to call me. Then I should oblige my owner.' "Yes Jake, I am Krypto. The Super-Dog."

They hugged.

+++

Heather couldn't believe it, she didn't want to believe it, she couldn't bear to believe it. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair at all! She was supposed to go as a fairy queen! But she lost that stupid bet and had gone in a thick body suit as Hulk Hogan because it was such an utter opposite of her! She felt her womanhood gone, she felt her wonderful breasts gone! Instead there was that THING between her legs! And the suit was no longer a suit but a mass of bulging muscles of a professional performance wrestler.

Heather wept. She didn't notice how a Super Hero saved her life twice while she sat there crying. She curled into a ball and continued to cry but no one else threatened her. Apparently having the muscles of a legendary stunt wrestler reduced the idea of her being a practical target.

The noises died down as the chaos burned itself out. Heather finally looked around and spotted a blaster, like the kind Stormtroopers from Star Wars used. Heather crawled towards it though she wasn't physically harmed in the least. She the weapon, and place the gun's muzzle underneath her child and began fumbling for the trigger.

"I don't think you want to do that." Said a young but still cultured voice.

Heather used her eyeballs and say a young man with larger eyes, a triangle shaped mouth and a ski jump nose. Short brown hair, purple eyes, and wearing a black with gold trim uniform of some kind. An anime character? It didn't matter. "I think I want to. I could have been something fantastic coming here. It could have been a thousand different wonderful things! But now I'm stuck like this! LIKE THIS!" It was weird hearing Hulk Hogan's voice moan about the loss of womanhood.

"Is that your final answer?"

"It's my ONLY answer!"

The young man took off a contact lens. He then looked Heather in the eye. In the eye a red glowing 'V' or bird shape dominated Heather's full attention.

The young man commanded, and what he commanded was, "I, Lelouch vi Britannia The Second, command you to NEVER kill yourself and to not despair over yourself."

"As you command my prince." Heather put the gun down at once, finding the idea of killing himself now incomprehensible. He also felt powerful, tough, like he could take on the world! Heather stood up and put his fists on his hips and laughed. "HA! How could I miss being a weak widdle woman? Just look at these muscles-?! How could anyone not admire this physique? I rule!"

Heather then marched out of the convention center leaving the young man behind. After going through processing he had his name legally changed to Harry and personally face to face -thanked- his friends whom he had made the bet with in the first place. He had a whole new life ahead of him.

+++

Frank had almost gone as a generic zombie for lack of better ideas. But after watching a monster movie marathon had been inspired to go as a homage to the king of the monsters himself. No, not Dracula, he knew there were going to be plenty of those likely at the convention already. He could have bought or rented a costume but chose instead to make his own. It wasn't the world's greatest costume but it was his. He threw himself into his performance as 'Gojira.' In spite of not exactly being several stories tall he still managed to scare a few Con-goers with his performance. He made sure to switch to 'poor misunderstood' Godzilla around children.

Then award day came, then everything changed. His clothes underneath his costume vanished, he felt the air on his scaled armored body. He felt his tail wave back and forth. The world became much simpler and clearer.

The sound 'Furrr-aink' was at the back of his brain but it felt foreign. The name Godzilla and Gojira however came in loud of clear. Gojira was what the humans on the other side of the Pacific ocean called him, Godzilla was what the humans called him here.

Godzilla had a vague notion of coming here to play and show off, but shrugged them off as unlikely. He did not play or show off. He was king of the monsters. The destroyer of Tokyo several times over more than fifty years. He crushed his rivals and punished humans who dared disturb him. But . . . WHY WAS HE SO SMALL? Godzilla set a stand on fire with his atomic breath in anger. Was this some cheap trick by the humans again to try and kill him-?! But the humans and not-humans he saw didn't seem that interested in attacking him en mass.

That was when he saw a little not-human female child with fairly large fairy on her back with one leg trapped underneath a heavy display that had fallen over. Stalking towards her was a could-be-human in hockey mask with chainsaw with obvious intention.

Godzilla set the could-be-human on fire with his atomic breath and threw the could-be-human across the room into a wall. The fairy winged child cried out as Godzilla got closer, Godzilla pulled the display off her. The not-human girl climbed to her feet, favoring one leg, and said nervously, "I, er, um, thank you!" And quickly flew off like it was perfectly natural to her.

Godzilla couldn't stand being in his small confining space and made his own exit through several walls. A few stupid humans tried to shoot him with bullets. That of course didn't work. They weren't worth burning. Finally his instinct led him to the bay at last and he calmly walked in, feel glade to be back in his more natural element. He was still angered to have his body not to it's true size. The whales were bigger than him for crying out loud.

However, a diet of fish, and later sharks, slowly let him rebuild his body mass. It was very slow going, taking weeks and months, but he was getting there. He was two stories high a month later. And figured it would take him a year to regain his real size.

Deciding to return to his native seas he took the long trip around North and South America, remember a 'cannel' but chose not to use it.

By the time he had reached his native waters, he was about back to his true size and strength. He found a relatively small island uninhabited by humans and claimed it simply as his own. He saw many flying not-humans eye him at a distance but saw no reason to attack them until they proved they were a threat.

Eventually, a large ship flanked by flying not-humans in red blue tights came to his New Monster Island (not being able to find the old one), and unloaded what Godzilla could smell at once. Used nuclear material. Useless to the humans. But a delectable treat for the king of the monsters with a living atomic furnace (how else did humans think he was able to move?). Was this their idea of a peace offering? All the same, Godzilla knew this wasn't in the style of their normal tricks but proceeded with caution. When he didn't smell any Oxygen Destroyer he proceeded to chow down. If the humans wanted to offer up what was just trouble for them but free food for him, then all the better.

Other building sized beast arrived on his island over the years and decades that followed, but they all stayed in their place, none daring to challenge him. After all, was he not, King Of The Monsters?

+++

First he learned as much as he could about potential targets going to Xanadu until he narrowed down his list to one with a rich family and with mainstream tastes. Some internet detective work and some false internet alias' and a couple chats later and he knew what she was going to be going as, and he knew what her escort was going to be going as. With the time he had he memorized every detail of the two characters and the setting. He would let nothing go wrong. He planned the proper excuses and lies to get his target away and how the ransom could be delivered.

Some of his old coworkers would have joked that he LIKED the idea of dressing up like a yellow fox woman, he was glade he left that group. Kidnapping Winters? That was suicide with all the security the old man was likely to have around him. Xanadu was a great chance for men in his profession to be sure, but those numbskulls set their sights too high, best to go for a con-goer whose family had deep pockets instead.

His mother always said he should have a seamster instead of a kidnapper. There were professionals who couldn't pull off what he did in the time constraint he had. Sure he could have been a tailor, but where was the thrill in that?

It was also his great luck that through his digging he found out his target's escort would be arriving separately at the con after his mark was dropped off by her parents. Heh. Maybe this experience would teach them to look out for her more.

The girl was after his own heart he had to admit, apparently she had made her Rika Nonaka / Makino Ruki costume herself. Too bad, but it was just business.

He then made sure he had the feminine mannerisms and body language down right, he would leave no kink in his disguise.

He made contact with his mark's escort at the convention, he was able to drum up a discussion about them having similar costume, and with some slight of hand (he could have been a magician too maybe) she was sleeping like a baby. He stripped the escort of her costume and put her outside the convention center for safe keeping.

And with everything finally in place he saw his target. An eleven year old girl dressed flawless with a 'mended heart' shirt and other assessors including a wig to be the spitting image of Rika Nonaka, mimicking the character's persona and style of speech perfectly. Kid could be an actress and didn't even know it.

He calmly slipped into the persona of Renamon, digimon, Rookie Level, Data Attribute, 'Beast Man' Digimon, Nightmare Soldier/Nature Spirits/Virus Busters Family. Cool. Calm. Collected. Beautiful. Graceful. Utterly ruthless and pragmatic in battle. And willing to die to protect his human Tamer.

He made it five steps towards his target when sudden he felt strange, his hot costume suddenly didn't feel so hot, he could feel the air against his fur through the costume. She felt the world around her become a swirling confusing mess. He found herself wondering what was going on, was she having a stroke? She fell to her knees holding her head in one paw. She had come here for someone important, she had come here to get someone important. Who? It was someone she had learned a great deal about.

She heard a scream. She looked at the source, and it was like a light piercing the darkness, the fog lifted totally from her mind and everything made sense!

"RIKA!" Renamon moved so fast she left an after image delivering a flying kick to the towering Frankenstein's Monster knocking it's brain case open and making it stumble back. A straw shot from a weapon shattered a sky light above their heads. Without giving it a first thought Renamon grabbed her Tamer and moved her out of the way.

"Renamon?" Rika asked looking VERY glad to see her Partner Digimon. "What's going on here-?! Where's Goggle-Head? Where's Jeri? Was this supposed to be one of mom's photo shoots?"

Renamon landed and gently put her Tamer down, "I don't know. I wish I knew. And I don't think so."

Rika nodded, "Well, I'm not one to normally back down from a fight but this place is CRAZY let's get out of here get our bearings?"

"At once." Renamon bowed loyally to her Tamer and carried her to safety.

+++

'Kigurumi' or more proper animegao or 'anime face' was a form of cosplay that in Jeremy's opinion really didn't deserve the bad wrap that it go. It like the furry fandom and everyone who had spent exact five second of second-hand hearsay learning about thought anyone who dressed up in an animal costume was some kind of sex maniac.

The reason people were derogatory towards it varied (like most things). Some thought it was always men in the full body suit costumes and anime girl masks. Never mind six of the people in their half-hazard alliance of ten were ladies. Others thought it was creepy and unnatural, apparently deciding what they thought was creepy was clearly what everyone else should think was creepy.

Jeremy didn't dress up like this because he secretly wanted to be a woman or wanted to be hit on by men. It was just a game. It was FUN to pretend to be someone else from a show you liked for a day. And the full body costumes added a sense of fun and games to the whole thing. If people weren't willing to let it go and have fun with it than that was their problem. And nothing was ever going to change that.

Making the costumes and getting the masks had been the easy part. Getting a group of ten together for the ten main girls from the Lucky Star anime? Not so much. But Jeremy and the rest had pulled it out somehow with pleading, favors, common interests, peer pressure, and good old fashioned friendship.

They knew they were likely to get a marginally small audience compared to the other groups, but was still hoping beyond hope to win 'Best Group Performance.' And even if they didn't . . . they had pulled this all off, and no one could take that away from them.

Using some very clever use of sound bites and sound tracks they were able to recreate sketches from the Japanese comic strip turned anime. They actually got some good natured laughs and some clapping. By luck of the draw he was Miyuki Takara. Looking through the fake glasses wasn't nearly as much trouble as he thought it would be.

Their climax was of course the dance done in the series' final episode to the show's opening theme. Done in one of the smaller rooms. "We're being Cloistered." Maria, the girl playing Konata Izumi called it.

Practicing that dance had NOT been easy and Jeremy now had a much greater appreciation for cheerleader than he ever thought possible for what they had to go through.

The ten of them began the performance, having drawn in a progressive larger audience even if it wasn't as big as the others. The timed soundtrack started they mimed and did the legendary routine, each second a terrifying one worried that something might mess them up. They felt a cool breeze go through the room as they felt lighter on their feet and while still scared they didn't let make them trip up.

The song ended as the ten girls held their poses for a few seconds more before finally breaking pose and cheering to themselves for a job well done before bowing to their small audience.

"I still can't believe you convinced us to do our high school routine at a sci-fi/fantasy convention Konata-Chan." Miyuki wiping the sweat from from brow.

Konata grinned, "Hey. When you've got a good thing going, might as well share it right?"

When the squad of ten high school girls had gotten redressed into their school uniforms and came out to find the entire convention was now a war zone, they didn't stick to ask around questions, they simply ran like hades through the fields and fire and to the parking lot getting the heck out of there.

Two years later after finally being allowed to return to Japan and having their IDs straightened out at long last Konata had managed to drag Miyuki to another anime convention.

"Konata-Chan, the last convention we all went to nearly got us killed . . . how can you just slip back into things?"

The flat chested girl laughed, "Hey. If you've got something you love, you can't let just one bad experience take it away from you."

Miyuki smiled and nodded, "Right I guess I forgot about that."

Then a large guy wearing a Berserk The Movie T-shirt stomped into their path, "HEY! You! Anime face! Take off that stupid mask and show me that pimpled fat face underneath!"

Konata didn't resist as the big man pulled off the plastic full head mask. And stuck out her tongue out when the man saw her real face was -very- similar to the one he had just pulled out. The man made a cowardly yell and ran away leaving a dust cloud. Konanta simply laughed until her sides ached.

+++

The purple unicorn pony named Twilight Sparkle trotted away from the stands in a drunken stupor. But she wasn't drunk. She felt her head swim. Her mind was a glacier in a boiling ocean that threatened to devour her.

Images flashed in her mind of two different lives that weren't her own. Neglectful parents, school bullies, learning that cheating is actually rewarded and dropping out of high school. Dotting parents, dad's business going bankrupt, sacrificing morals to survive. A meeting, a pact between thieves, using the most perfect and innocent of disguises to shop lift from unsuspecting stores.

"No!" She almost banged her head against a wall, "My name is Twilight Sparkle! Twilight Sparkle! Not Larry McBabble! Not Drake Hurts! I'm a unicorn pony! A person! Not two humans! I'm alive! I'm real! My parents love me! I was chosen by Princess Celestria Herself to be her personal apprentice! I spent years as a social retarded reclusive introvert learning all I could until Princess Celestria pushed me out of the nest for me to make friends! I am NOT a thief!"

Twilight quieted her mind, and felt the boiling ocean that had threatened to consume her turn to ice. She breathed out a sight of relief. "I don't know what it was, but the amount of magic released here made my little 'incident' at the magic entrance examine look like a cheap pallor trick . . . there's decidedly going to be a lot to learn here . . . I just hope Spike and the others are okay."

She'd eventually find Spike, two of him in fact! And another version of herself who seemed as amazed at their duel existence as her. Both were overjoyed to finally find their friends panicking. Fluttershy with one of her wings broken and Applejack with a broken leg. Though Rainbow Dash kept insisting she as really two 'humans' and not a Pegasus Pony and Rarity having trouble remembering herself. Pinkie Pie calmly explained they were on 'Earth' at a 'convention' and that they had been 'cos-players' before but were now 'real' and then went on gushing about how exiting this all was and was gonna be the biggest crossover event in the history of anything. Twilight just smiled and nodded.

Maybe Rainbow And Dash's (as she/they insisted being called) 'problem' wasn't such a big one, after all, it helped them keep Fluttershy and Applejack being euthanized for their broken limbs instead of being healed. Twilight didn't like recalling that close call.

On the bright side, a Pegasus' talent at weather control and enable the group to pull together some cash to buy some flat land for themselves. Human cities was no place for ponies. Though Twilight did consider taking up that position at Real Hogwarts.

Eventually both Twilights had to accept the possibility of what Pinkie Pie had said that fateful day as being true. Of course, Twilight herself was under the opinion that being pulled from alternate realities was still a realistic possibility. Her twin suggested maybe they DID have pasts of their own besides their 'originals' or 'previous' or 'vessels' but those had been created retroactive by the god level amount of magic released.

Whatever the origin or truth, Twilight knew one thing, "I am who I am. And I'm happy to be who I am. Nothing else to it."

+++

At Xanadu, Count Dracula, The Lord of Darkness, rose his fortress Castlevania inside of the multiple pocket realities (former rooms that had been dressed up themselves) readying to summon it into the real world. But wasn't expecting Belmonts of completely conflicting historical times to attack him all at once and kill him.

Thousands of miles away in Span nine months later an albino was born. The parents had never heard of or played the Castlevania video games. Or why they felt the need to name their son 'White Cross', Soma Cruz.

+++

Abigail felt lonely, without Dorith here. "One of us was supposed to be jungle princess Krystal while the other was supposed to be space suit Krystal."

The Marvin The Martian cosplay snickered, "What about Kurse?"

"I don't consider Kurse canon." Abigail said simply.

"Ah you're one of those." The martian cosplayer on the stool next to her said.

"What do you mean 'one of those?' "

"Nothing. So you were gonna have a giant cardboard space ship for your arwing to boot?"

"Naw." Abigail said, "My Arwing is cleverly disguised under a protective hologram outside as a ordinary car.

"Ah." 'Marvin' nodded. "What's that you got there?"

"Oh this? This is a star chart. It actually shows some stars that are above us right right. See this one marked here? That's where the Lylat system is."

"If you say so." 'Marvin' humored her.

Without Dorith around, Abigail wasn't able to do NEARLY as many routine as she had been planning to do for the show. Not that it seemed to matter as some people had spent more money on their costumes than there was prize pony! She didn't think it was possible for her to win.

All the same, she did her act, explained where the Lylat system was on her navigational data base, and all in all managed to balance time between the two different versions of her costumes. Though by the day of the awards ceremony she was completely exhausted and fall asleep still in costume on top of her bed.

She dreamed. She dreamed a dream of being Krystal of course, of wanting Dorith to be there, of it being their destiny to find each other again, of saving the world like Krystal was MEANT TO in the original game before she was demoted to a damsel when it the game was recreated into a StarFox game.

Krystal awoke with a start. Hearing lasers being fired madly outside. Considering going out that way but decided she wasn't suicidal and instead simply smashed the room's window open and climbed down the side of the building.

Once there she quickly made it through the parking lot where her ship was still hidden as a car under a hologram. She clicked it and the hologram vanished revealing her Arwing in it's place. She looked around at the chaos, "Nice place to visit. But I think I'll be getting back to Fox now." She climbed in and took off vertically. She flew past a space ship in orbit above the convention she saw was named Enterprise but didn't hail it.

It was a lonely few days in Hyper Space, but she managed. When she saw the Great Fox she signaled and they signaled back. Landing she embraced Fox as soon she got out of her Arwing. It was good to be home.

+++

Zack ended up in black and white strips. Chad was saddled with yellow and brown spots. Laura with a lion. Trixie with orange white and black strips, and finally Greg ended up with the foot stilts.

Trixie nearly walked out when she learned that they'd be doing this not via 'costumes' persay but wearing speedos and a couple custom made breast equivalent (Trixie would have strangled Greg is he tried to have her go topless like the men). And they had to physically block Laura from going when she was told that she'd have to do the performance bald. She wanted to do the performance with her hair out, but when Greg reminded her only male lions had manes, she begrudgingly but quickly agreed to use a painted rubber cap instead after cutting her hair short.

Greg joked his own 'costume' made him almost feel like he was wearing high heeled shoes.

So, with a handful of props that you'd find at an anime otaku store like fake cat ears and tails for the three 'big cats' they had their first dressed rehearsal. Greg tripped over his fake extended legs, almost wanting to go all fours instead of on two feet like they agreed on. Zack's mow-hack needed better glue, and Chad kept bumping into Trixie.

But with two weeks left before the show, and having formed a blood pact to put themselves into the performance to win both the cash and prestige that came with it they did get better.

Finally the big day came and they arrived in Zack's mundane white mini-vane in normal attire. Signing in and registering, the group came to the rented room of their choice then broke out the paper and paint and began.

They had to waste the first day of the convention getting everything set up but it was worth it. The audience seats disguised to look like tree stumps. The walls painted to look like a vast jungle, the ceiling a canopy, and the floor a mass of wild grass and flowers. Though Greg did make a little cash on the side selling off some animal masks.

On the dawn of the next day of the convention they started. Stripping down to their skinniness (the men and women taking separate rooms of course to do this) and then away with those as well. Then came the speedos for both and chest covers for the ladies.

The body paint came next: black and white paint for Zackery. Then came the black and orange paint for Trixie and the white pattern on her front and on the inside of her thighs. Laura put on her skin cap and was painted in the brownish gold paint. Greg on his stilts had a harder time, again thinking about how they felt like high heels. And his paint pattern was more complex than any of theirs. White front area, dark blown on the sides and beige for the rest. The horns almost made it impossible for him to hold his balance.

Their first show was fantastic. Their 'innocent life in the jungle' totally bastardized the food chain, several natural laws and the laws of social dynamics. But it was still fun to watch!

Their next couple of shows weren't as big a hit but they had a steady stream of viewers, and a number of return viewers as well. Then came the day the prizes would be announced. The prize for group performance weren't done until later that day, so the five collage friends were putting on one final show.
Chad's method acting group sessions that seriously improved their showmanship.

For fire hazard reasons, the only part of the room never painted was the exit door.

Of course, every performance had that one show, and that one show happened to be today, a little boy and his mother (wearing a small flower hat right out of the nineteenth century) sat in on the show. When the show started, the mother stared in shock for several minutes while her little boy watched on eagerly. Finally the mother snapped out of her daze and began to cover her son's eyes, but he pulled them down defiantly to the woman who he owed half his DNA to. There were of course other kids in the audience, some girls some boys, but the majority were adult males. Who of course gave Trixie and Laura plenty of attention, and Greg got some unwanted attention to boot.

Why the woman didn't leave right away with her son to give him a good spanking for daring to cross her became obvious when the show ended and people began to slowly shuffle out.

She marched up to Zack and poked him in the chest, "You lot belong in the adult section! Or better yet, the zoo!"

"Hey, the adult's is only is if something is actually shown." Zack said not realizing the storm he was facing, "Nothing was shown here."

"That sure didn't stop the perverts in the audience from using their imaginations."

"What's a pervert mom?"

The woman blushed and caught herself, "A bad person dear."

"Look, if you didn't think the show was any good you shouldn't have watched it." Zack said. Chad slapped his forehead.

"Maybe if you had put a bit more DESCRIPTION in what your show is outside!"

"You'd be complaining about the description?"

All of the other four friends groaned. Zack was not defusing the situation all that well. Chad stepped in between them, "Look madam, we're sorry that our show offended you, but we were legally approved by the convention committee, if you think our show's no good, then take it up with them."

Zack just HAD to get the last word in. "Besides, we're just having some innocent fun here."

"So," The woman said, "that makes you all a bunch of little boys and girls playing around naked outside?!" She said in the most venom dripping, acid laced, sharp edged voice imaginable.

Her words stunned all present, those still present of the audience all turned to look at her. Zack couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his life, "And you sound like an over protective kangaroo!"

The woman huffed turning bright read.

When exploring the 'ruins' of Xanadu one guy looking for loot heard cheerful happy voices behind one of he closed doors with bright light on the other side. He cautiously opened it and stepped inside.

Much later, when repair work was finally actually beginning on the convention center, with ghost-busters, super-heroes, and vampire hunters acting as hazard teams, they found one door that was rather strange that it didn't lead to a room as it seemed to lead to an entire different place!

Inside they found collection of animal people children including a zebra, a bald lioness, a little girl gazelle, and a tiger girl, and a couple others. And a speaking Kangaroo not finding any of them strange or alien but apparently trying to keep the peace with the wild children.

One of the crew workers foolishly took a step in, and a few seconds later he was a blue cheetah boy with black spots playing with the others as if they had known him for years. Or multiple failed 'rescue attempts' the door was finally just sealed off behind a layer of concrete. Leaving the animal children to their eternal paradise.

+++

Alanna and Nicole were identical twins. But you wouldn't know this right away from meeting them. They did not dress alike. They did not speak alike. They did not move alike. Did not have the same hairstyles. They had completely different tastes in entertainment and play. They and the most certainly did not act alike. This difference in nature was so stunning that it took adults a minute to realize the two girls were physically identical.

Alanna always had a sweet face when around her parents, that was completely missing she put mice she bought from the pet store into boxes filled with spider. She always asked politely and nicely for what she wanted and never talked back to her parents. And she made sure any of her classmates who refused her anything suffered and suffered greatly.

Nicole almost never smiled, 'please' and 'thank you' were not part of her vocabulary, and she got up the middle of the night or early morning to do the family dishes when her parents weren't awake or watching. She was very stubborn around her parents when she wanted something, often being relentless. She was just as relentless when a friends of hers asked something from her, and once she promised she'd never give up or give in until she had fulfilled that promise.

Both girls went to church, both listened to what the priest had to say. Alanna was sure to memorize it all so she could parrot it back to others when needed. Nicole listened and never spoke but did her best to glean the -message- the priest was doing his hardest to convey.

But contrast and parallels walk hand in hand. When the two nine year old girls were taken to Xanadu to explore the 'Kid's Friendly' section that Winters had set up a a personal favor to some of his associates children, Alanna had gone as an Angel Cherub, and Nicole as a Devil Imp.

Their mother after some coaxing had decided to go to the con as a clown or at least have clown make up on.

Alanna was polite and smiling to everyone she met, gaging them on what she could gain from a friendship with them.

Nicole was silent with an even face, listening to everything someone had to say, in particular the ones who sat in a corner lonely.

When Eric put on the mask of Raven the Trickster, becoming one with the ancient Native American spirit, those who had been wearing costumes were now what their costumes had been of.

Alanna was a vision of light, floating off the ground in a small white dress with little golden wings and a glowing halo, her spirit now part of something greater with bright blue eyes.

Nicole was in a piece of black rag, skin as red as blood, hooves for feet, her head weight down by horns, and a long spaded tail growing out of her rear. Her red within black eyes darting this way and that.

Alanna laughed, not knowing what had happened, not caring why it had happened, but only know it had, and already imagining what she could do with what she was and how she'd profit.

Nicole hissed and gasped, seeing all the death and destruction that was sublimely happening beneath the twisting churns of chaos, and felt small and weak for nothing being able to do anything to help them.

Then thunder clapped that only they could hear. Both felt a giant hand pick them up, and then place them back down.

And in that moment, suddenly Nicole was looking at herself, and as was Alanna. Only now, Nicole was in the body that was a symbol of inspiration and hope, and Alanna was in the body of random troubles and misery.

Alanna began hissing and cursing and stomping her hooves at her missed chance. Nicole ignored her for the moment and began leading random crowd goers to safety and not to trample on those who had fallen via their subconscious.

Both little angel and little devil knew. Both remembered what their priest had said. The only difference between angels and demons was the good and evil in their hearts.
+++

He was MewTwo, that much he knew. He had not always been MewTwo, that much he also knew. He sadly had few clues on how he had been before. He didn't wish to cease to exist of course, but for the sake of the person who had for all intentions and purposes given birth to him via his (or her) own life, it was best MewTwo try to recover some piece of that person.

When contemplating he had was struck from behind by a dark-type pokemon that was not a dark-type pokemon. MewTwo would later learn it was in fact a niche market pokemon parody called a Gamimon. But the 'dark type attacks hurt psyche types' apparently still applied as MewTwo felt agony as the panicking creature had attacked the most imposing thing it saw, namely MewTwo himself.

He'd find out he was saved from dying by a series of super natural healers who desired to remain ambiguous.

By the time MewTwo had recovered, he discovered the overwhelmingly vast majority of pokemon who had come into being (all Generation One pokemon like himself) had been rendered extinct and the remainder were formally on the endangered species list.

MewTwo's mind was able to despite efforts to the contrary at least two 'Game-Breaker' level entities such as himself that weren't bound by the laws of narrative as he sensed a third potential 'Game-Breaker' was.

MewTwo knew he was a Game-Breaker, it had been his design in the game after all as the final 'capture' of the original games.

Game-Breaker, had become the general term used for any Xanadu victim, or secondary transformation, who was determined by the newly established Council of Magic Users and the Justice League Of America and Real Avengers as being entities that could single handed change the balance of power in the world. And thus were kept under TIGHT surveillance by either the Men In Black or other such groups.

'Well, if I'm going to be put on the list of Game-Breakers, I might as well do something game breaking!'

With that, MewTwo began to rebuild the cloning technology that had been his birth within the fictional realm of pokemon. And he was still no closer to learning who his Previous/Original was before his Rebirth.

And MewTwo felt an emptiness inside him.

He had visited both Ash Ketchems, wanting to thank both, even if it was only in the fictional past they had, for teaching him that humans were not cookie cutter battle hungry sadists.

And MewTwo strangely felt empty.

Once the technology was ready, he did something he knew was likely very stupid and approached Nintendo and Game Freak.

There was a new artificial island off the coast of Japan that had been left unfinished due to natural disasters. Mewtwo proposed to Nintendo and Game Freak to make it a Pokemon preserves. Of course those with common sense objected on the spot. MewTwo was glade he wasn't dealing with idiots who agree to anything. They pointed out the DANGERS that normal pokemon could cause with being able to breath fire, shoot lightning and throw leafs that could cut through stone.

MewTwo however promised these pokemon would be 'safe', purposely engineered by MewTwo that while they could defend themselves, they were made so even a Fire Blast by point blank range by a charizard would just knock someone over and leave their clothes covered in ashes. MewTwo used the exploits of the legendary Inspector Gadget as an example of how those created by and from Xanadu could extend their narrative power of 'harmless violence' to others.

Everyone had seen the news broadcast of Gadget's fellow police who had been with him always getting caught up in explosions and falling buildings, but never so much as ONCE be left with anything worse than maybe bruises and a few scratch.

After five years of discussion and planning construction finally began. Meanwhile, MewTwo created another market using the safe failsafes he had installed in his clone pokemon. There were at least two people in the world who could create new anthros, a shaman face painter and a furry costume maker who had become an anthro himself following a promise he had made. But none could create anthro pokemon.

Naturally it was supposed to be only for consenting adults, but determined enough children and weak willed enough parents were in line as well. As a matter of protecting their good image, and to prevent people doing it on a whim. It became mandatory for them to sing a six month contract with Nintendo, though many chose to extend it to a lifetime contract. As a sacred rule, MewTwo limited the clones and anthros to generation one only with a handful of exceptions for Generation two (mostly Lugia fans).

And MewTwo still felt empty.

One day, an old woman came for the procedure. She didn't look the pokemon fan type. She requested Mew. MewTwo refused. She insisted, and not sure why, MewTwo complied.

The new Anthro Mew giggled and hugged him. "It's you! I know it's you! I can only be you! What that Seer said was right! It is you! I can sense it!"

~Wha-wha-what?~

"Rick. It's me. Your mother."

And suddenly, MewTwo didn't feel so empty anymore.

+++

Monica loved this. Putting her costume together had been both fun, exciting, and perhaps a little embarrassing, but wasn't the point of costumes to explore parts of yourselves you normally don't and to understand yourself better? The white and orange latex fully body suit had been easy, designing the needed, erm, opening, had been tricky, the real challenge had been the slightly functional hand paws and digigrateded feet, tail, and of course the fox head with the round mouth opening.

She wore a bathrobe when she entered the convention and made her way into the convention. She wasn't exactly able to speak all that well in her mask so she did her best to mime and just made sounds. Stepping into the fabled and dreaded and alluring Adults Only section she had shed her bathrobe and walked in unafraid, showing off her own creation the latex anthro fox love doll. She walked around showing her stuff before lounging about on one of the couches. Some people petted her. Other just ogled her. And for once the grown woman wasn't afraid of her own body. Here she was free, she wasn't Monica, she was a living latex fox love doll! And everyone loved her!

Monica felt a strange wave go through her. Around her minotaurs went mad, some people making love barely noticed the change except now being able to feel fully each other's fur. For Monica, there was no Monica. Only a living hollow mass of plastic/rubber/latex. The entire world became more simple. All the world became crystal clear. Weighty memories, thoughts, and ideas not related to her purpose fell away.

The love doll wondered why everyone went away. And why no one game to play with her after a good long while. Finally since she could not remember who her owner was she walked out of the dark room where the lights had gone out anyway. A man with a chainsaw and hockey mask leapt at her from the shadows bringing the chain saw on her neck. The chainsaw spun, wheeled and bite, but it didn't leave a single mark on the happy love doll. She only looked at the man in the mask and smile (she always smiled) and waved at him. The man then tried to stab her with a big rusty knife but it seemed to just bounce off her. Finally the man in the hockey mask completely confused and disoriented wandered away.

She eventually wandered outside where people in blue clothes took her into a line with lots of other people of every shape and size. A woman with pointy ears touch her head, and she felt her inside her mind looking around. The woman with pointy ears then spoke to the main in the lab coat with the red beard.

She was put in a special place and told to stay there. And stay there she did. However, with no one playing with her, she eventually got lonely, and left the room near the convention she had been told to stay. She wandered the street, not being able to be harmed and not really minding anyone who tried since that too was a form of playing.

She saw an apartment building, she didn't remember it, but she knew it felt familiar. She wandered inside, and up the stairs, to a apartment that felt very familiar. It was locked. She opened a tiny hiding place and took out a key and went inside.

This felt like a place that belonged to her. But she still felt lonely. That was when one of the people in blue clothes came into the place that felt so familiar to her. He took her hand and pulled on her. She realized he must want to play with her. And play with him she did. He was surprised, shocked, alarmed, but this didn't last long as all those annoying things that distracted him faded away . . . his clothes faded away too as his skin became orange and white latex with a still flat chest chest and they played with each other. The new living sage fox love doll loved his living vixen fox love doll. The two did not tire. Ever. Eventually water, electricity, gas, were all cut off. But these were meaningless to them.

Only the other mattered, only each other could matter, only each other had to matter, only each other should matter. And they made each other complete. Over the years a couple more people wandered into the room that felt familiar looking for something or someone, and they joined in the play too.

Finally, the building had aged well past it's prime was no longer up to construction standards and had to torn down. The latex foxes didn't mind. They merely climbed out of the rubble once it was all over, and wandered off together for another place to play with each other. That was when they were encased in a green bubble by a man in a green costume with a green ring with the symbol of a lantern on his chest.

Carried in the green bubble the vixen were taken someplace else. That someplace else didn't matter. They had each other. That was all that matter. And as long as they had each other. They would be complete.

+++

Billie was NOT happy that her friends had all had to cancel going to the convention. In particular when it left with with a half dozen masks and costumes in her luggage with no one to wear them.

But the worst part was, here she was, Bastet, goddess of cats and homes, in a costume it had taken her SIX MONTHS to make, and now all alone in the adult section . . . she hadn't made her costume this way for perverted reasons, she just wanted to be historically accurate. What was Bastet without the rest of the Pantheon? She was incomplete. Dangit! She'd do anything to have her friends here as the fellow gods of Egypt. Bastet she knew wouldn't have stood for this substandard treatment.

Billie was VERY engrossed in thoughts of Bastet herself when the changes hit . . . and Billie became but a vessel for the spirit of the no longer worshipped Egyptian deity.

'No longer worshipped?' Billie/Bastet thought as she brushed aside the panicking mortals. 'I'll have to do something about that, but first there is business had needs to be done.'

That was when Bastet/Billie felt a chainsaw trying to be struck against her neck, that shattered when it dared touch the flesh of a goddess. She looked at her attack, a mere human in a hockey mask. The masked human let out a scream of debrief, rage and frustration and dared to attack her, WITH HIS BARE HANDS! Bastet/Billie's limited patient was already spent.

"HOW DARE YOU!" She roared as she grabbed the masked face. The man twitched and spasmed, dark brown fur grew on his body as his clothes changed to a simple traditional ancient egyptian thong. His figure decidedly became female, the ears, tail, claws and paw of course were already a dead give away of what he was becoming. When Bastet was done, she let her go. The former psychotic killer stood there wavering for a moment, before she took off the hockey mask, revealing a pretty face with a muzzle and whiskers. She fell to her knees at once and said, "My goddess, command me."

"You shall carry my things, and you shall be among the first of my new worshippers when I return to Egypt."

"Yes my goddess."

"But first . . . " Billie/Bastet remembered the masks and costumes in her old self's hotel room . . . and could feel old Raven's magic seep into them even at this distance, waiting and ready to be used by their destine bearers. "We have some gifts we have to deliver to some friends . . ."

+++

Charlotte Aulin (in no way related to the dessert witch of the Puella Magi anime) was a magician and sixteen years old (Even given her supposed birthday she would have been over her seventies). She also knew she wasn't supposed to exist. But worse was that she knew she wasn't supposed to exist, but the person who had been like her brother her entire life didn't exist at all. The person who was supposed to go as him had caught a cold and was able to join her previous self at the costume convention. So Charlotte was even MORE alone if she didn't know she existed with just the clothes on her back and the spells in her various books.

She even still had the costume her original's friend would have worn in the trunk of her original's car that had been in range of the curse' sphere of influence. Charlotte greatly suspected what would happen if he chose to wear it. And Charlotte was VERY scared at how the idea appealed to her.

Charlotte had MEMORIES of the person she once was. But that was all they were. Memories. Information, experiences. They didn't feel like HER LIFE, they felt like the life and memories of a stranger that had been inserted into her head! She was Lisa, and she was never going to be . . . unless she was willing to commit suicide of course. But Charlotte sadly knew she was too selfish for that, that base human instinct to survive always kept getting in the way. She tried to rationalize it that she wasn't really a person, wasn't really a live, wasn't therefore a human being, so it wasn't really murder. But those thought rang hollow.

Charlotte was trying, like many other magic users finding themselves at Xanadu, to empirically determine the extent, limits, and capabilities of the magic unleashed from one flash points in the convention center that had engulfed the hotel, the parking lot and of course the center itself.

Charlotte paid her due, did her best to hide her spell books and anything else that might be taken from her, played dumb where she needed to, used her original's memories for all they were worth, and was released into the public being legally declared no danger to herself or others.

She had assumed her previous incarnation's life as much as she could, she play acted that she was still the dead person whose memories she had. She claimed it was part of her curse that she continued to wear her battle dress. She and the lad who was supposed to go as Johnathan barely spoke to one another.

Then came the morning when talking to clear her head she spotted a cat girl. Okay, not that strange, but it was a cat girl MAID! And there were lots of them. In fact, Charlotte realized, she recognized a good deal as being her co-workers and neighbors!

They were still flesh and blood, but they were smiling like dolls and marching like troops on parade in rank.

Whatever was happening was not good.

That was when Charlotte noticed a middle age woman being dragged by two young ladies the women chatted with on Sunday, now both cat girls in maid uniforms.

"Don't worry mommy! You're gonna love it! It's too bad daddy can't be like us too!" Charlotte gasped, a seven year old girl with cat ears and tail in a size fitting maid uniform smiled at her mother.

'Where are all the men?' She had, like it or not, see a lot of gender flipped victims at Xanadu, and she saw none of the ear markings on these women and she recognized them all anyway. Where they dead? Imprisoned? Knocked out? Wandered off in a daze about the Narrative didn't need them?

"Now just stand still and be pretty! Ho ho ho ho ho ho!" Said a women in a black and white maid uniform with black cat ears and tail carrying a weird alien looking laser rifle. Charlotte tried to remember where she might have seen something like that before.

'Wait. An old anime, really cheesy, short too but kept getting renewals. . . . What was the name of that cat girl maid in it? Sara. No. Serenity. No. Sandra. No. Wait. Charlotte gasped out, "SANADA!"

Mistake. Big time. Finally the horde noticed her.

"Oh ho ho ho! What's this? A witch?" Sanada cackled, "Sanada knew that if she lay low that she have chance to score big prize later! Ho oh oh oh!"

She fired the laser at Charlotte, she cast 'Clear Skies' just in time to block the distance attack. The women from before tried to grab her brainwashed daughter and run, but instead Sanada insanely turned and fired at her . . . in second the woman had a tail and ears and was bowing before Sanada, "Just leave anything to me Chief."

Charlotte summoned a long serpent of fire that flew straight at the mad woman however Sanada was a lot more simple than she look, dodged and fired. But Charlotte was quicker on her feet than she looked too.

"Please Sanada!" Charlotte implored, searching her original self's memories, "You don't have to do this! These women are not threat to the love between the princess and her true love! Just stop and let those you've converted go!"

Speaking in a completely different tone and manner -suddenly much more masculine- 'Sanada' mocked, "You stupid video game character. I've never been 'one of you' I've been myself this whole time. I never got 'lost in character.' Or was 'reborn with a new persona.' I've been me from the beginnings. I played the part because it was FUN."

Charlotte started at the change in personality, mistake, stupid, because it made her trip as one of the horde tried to tackle her to the ground.

Charlotte thought. Of all the spells she had. She had that ONE spell right? The one that took several second to cast, had such a long range?

In one of her spell books.

Charlotte threw the spell book at Sanada's face, she easily stepped out of the way. "Geeze lady, ah never though you'd get that panicky so fast . . . thankfully until some blokes I'm still me inside so that means I'm not some freaky 1-D thinking shadow puppet made to entertain people that stumbled into reality. Did you really think that was gonna work just because you're the 'good gal?' "

Sanadra horde just stood there smiling, some actually breaking out in cheering for their Chief Maid.

"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. The point wasn't really that though was it? That gun of yours is the real danger. If you had the knowledge that came with your character you could just build more and give them to your horde. But only have that one. Which means you can't replicate it."

"Heh. You're smart. I hope you keep those pretty brains after you grow ears and a tail. I'm gonna need help staying under the radar so I don't go attracting Superman."

"I've got to ask. Where are the men? Does that ray change gender too?"

"Sadly no, which is something I'm gonna need some science wiz's rather than just these day workers to figure how to fix that. Don't worry about getting some toots. They're alive, for now. Until there get to be too many to keep them all alive."

The horde was gathering closer around now, seeing this exchange. "I see . . . "

"Yeah I know! I mean! You know all those bad movies were people replaced by invading shape shifters are kept locked up in a cage somewhere for no good reason? Heh. Me? I say why take either extreme?"

"I have then just one last thing to say to you."

"What?"

"SANCTUARY!"

The book Charlotte had thrown glowed white and a yellow white circle pillar spread from the center. 'Sanada' turned just into time to go, "Oh sh-" and was engulfed in the light along with some of her slaves. When it cleared a second later, her victims were human again, and she, was now a he, in a thorough but cheap Sanada cosplay costume, and the gun was a piece of plastic. He tried to run but apparently didn't exercise much so Charlotte just whacked him in the face with one of her spell books, turned out he had a glass jaw.

Sanada's horde still cat girls looked confused, disoriented, looking at themselves and each other as if waking up from a dream.

Charlotte picked up the spell book she had thrown, and looked it over.

The book was now just a book, it had been created at Xanadu as well. It had been 'cured' it had no magic now. Charlotte Aulin knew it was going to take a good long while to rewrite that spell book from scratch. But she could handle it.

+++

After Renamon had rescued Rika from the madness of Xanadu, her Previous' parents somehow found out where she was and what had happened to her. For the time being, Renamon was perfectly happy to serve as Rika's protect and began learning of the person she once was. Then the person who was SUPPOSED to be Rika's Original's chaperone was found. And she explained what had happened to her. Renamon was shocked, and was Rika. Renamon did some detective work of her own. And when she finally put the pieces together. She was horrified. The mere idea of the personality of who she once was rising back to the surface made her so fearful for Rika's safety she fled.

However, Renamon found out that Rika's parents did not really care that much for their new daughter. And had paid great sums to have her legally murdered so they could bring the personality and identity of their dead daughter back from the grave.

But Renamon feared, the Men In Black were directly involved. And one flash of the Neuralizer, and she'd be HIM again, she'd be that monster again. Renamon considered suicide as her only honorable option to join her Tamer in death.

That was when she met a Lucario. He was, she found out, someone who had been to Xanadu and had been born blind, but had been interested in the idea of 'aura sight' and had with her parents and nurse gone to the convention as Lucario. He taught her how to see with aura, without using her eyes. And since the neutralizers were vision based, Renamon finally had the means. Lucario also told Renamon, that who was before didn't matter, it was who she was now and what choices she made now that would define her.

Renamon enacted a full out assault against the heavily defended building Rika was being held in, tearing down and through heroes and monsters alike to rescue her. Rika was overjoyed to see her. Renamon confessed what she was, who she had been. "Oh shut it Renamon. That person is dead. You're Renamon now. That's all that matters."

Originally, Renamon's brash actually actually -helped-. A couple years later, Strangers were legally declared people, not false memories or delusions of people with a disease or condition that needed to be 'cured.' A similar law had already been passed in Japan with help form the newly formed Real Crystal Tokyo Party.

Meanwhile due to the actions of Rika's parents, after an intense legal battle and with new laws in effect, Renamon was granted legal custody as Rika's legal guardian. (With Renamon being first declared legally sane and competent at first and acquitted of charges of breaking and entering due to some very good lawyers provided by Eric Winters when no one was looking).

Rika and Renamon considered doing many things together on the day they legally became mother and daughter. But in the end, they simply chose to watch the sunset. On the other side of the world at the same time, ten teenage girls watch the sunrise.

New Beginnings

New Beginnings

2011-06-05T22:05:11Z

Alex Warlorn: Xanadu: New Beginnings, after reading The End I couldn't help myself. I hope I got something entertaining out of it.

{{byline|author=Alex Warlorn|user=Alex Warlorn}}
[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Alex Warlorn]] [[Category:Mental_change]] {{universe|Xanadu}} [[Category:Anthropomorphic]]
[[Category:Magic]] [[Category:Xanadu]] [[Category:Inanimate]] [[Category:Age regression]] [[Category:Transgender]] [[Category:Animal]] [[Category:Fox]]
[[Category:Mythical]] [[Category:Inanimorph]] [[Category:Primate]]

Characters are owned by their respective companies.

+++++++++++

Her name was not Alice, her name was Karen, she was not from England, she was from Florida though she was now a dead ringer for the character from the classic books. She was twenty-two, not seven in a half though she now had the body of one.

'This is not very practical at all.' She thought, with what she knew was a lot more calm than she should have had considering the fire that had blocked off the only means of escape from her room. She calmly thought lay down low under the smoke that the fire fighters were coming, she could hear them, but knew thinking it through pragmatically they wouldn't reach her in time.

'So instead of the problem of now being a little girl again, and looking like Alice. I'll instead have no problems because I'll be dead. But that hardly seems like a fair trade.' Then again, the world was nonsense, and had apparently become even more nonsensical after some -thing- had happened to make everyone become their costumes at the Xanadu convention.

'Oh well. Mother and Father would not fancy to having to raise me twice I imagine.' That was when Karen noticed the open bathroom door and saw the mirror, not large enough for an adult, and large enough for a seven and a half year old child. 'It would be nonsense to think that would work. But is already nonsense that I am now Karen-The-Wrong-Alice. And since I have nothing to say to anyone. What is a few more moments of life wasted trying some nonsense?'

Taking a deep breath she stood up, her eyes stinging from the smoke. She ran to the mirror and braced herself for hitting the hard glass head on. Instead she felt like she had gone through a layer of water tension without the water. 'Curiouser and curiouser.' Karen thought. She opened her eyes to find herself in a bathroom and hotel room not on fire. Of course everything would be reversed. A loud crash sound behind her made her look and see something had fallen over shattering the mirror she had gone into.

'Hmm. So the world didn't shatter when the mirror shattered. So this world exists on it's own without mirrors themselves.' Karen thought with amazing calm. She looked out the window of the hotel room. Below she saw a red and white chess board pattern on the ground. Mushroom chattered it up with living white and red marble horses whose lower halves ended in short columns. Apparently it was tea time.

'I suppose I SHOULD try to find a way back. With no money. No ID. A family that wouldn't be able to support me and a society that wouldn't be able to take me seriously. Yes. That is the proper thing to do. . . . Some other time. Later.' For now, she had an entire new world to explore, and she wouldn't rest until she had seen every inch of it.

+++

Shana The Flame-haired Blazing-eyed Hunter sighed as the Rinne fell over dead. She looked around seeing that before she could depose of the creature that some humans had already had their flames of existence devoured. Oh well. Time to create some Torches. It didn't matter where she was or how she got there. She had duty as a Flame Haze. And to create some short lived copies of people whose existence had been eaten so time space would have time to fill in the gaps of their non-existence and would never be remembered by anyone was just part of the job to insure the balance of the world.

"Sōten Kisshun! I reject! I reject!" That was when two small fairy like creatures flew on opposite ends of the time frozen human and-their flame of existence returned?!

Shana turned instantly to the source and saw a carrot orange haired teenage girl. She had a slightly oversized chest and had long hair, she had a pair of six pointed hair-clips though one of them was two points short.

The faires had apparently finished their job on the first humans and with a repeat of the command they formed another yellow glowing oval shaped barrier another the next one. Again doing the very impossible thing of restoring (recreating?) the flame of existence inside the humans that was supposed to be already dead.

Shana narrowed her eyes. All humans should have been frozen inside the fuzetsu. She wasn't a Torch or another Flame Haze that much was obvious and clearly not a Rinne. But what she was doing was IMPOSSIBLE!

"WHO ARE YOU? What are you doing here? What do you want?!"

The girl started at her, as if just now noticing her. Look embarrassed the girl said, "Well, I guess my name from before doesn't really matter anymore. So you can just call me Orihime Inoue."

'From before?' Shana wondered.

"I'm using Shun Shun Rikka to heal these people. Looks like they all got really hurt when you were fighting that hollow."

"What's a hollow? HEALING them?! They're dead! You brought that person, and THAT person there back to LIFE right now! Their flame of existence was GONE! You can't heal something that doesn't exist!"

Orihime blinked assuming a thinking pose, the unarmed teen not emotionally reacting as she should to the girl holding the flaming blade, "Ya know, I kinda had someone else say that around me once before. I was told my power is the power to reject fate."

Reject fate? Did something like fate even really exist? Was this girl just talking nonsense? But Shana couldn't deny her own senses!

Well. This meant Shana didn't need to spend time creating Torches right? Which supposedly meant less damage to the cosmos right? Seeing Orihime had apparently finish defying the laws of conversation of energy and matter Shana dispelled the fuzetsu. The two fairies flew back to Orihime and became part of her hair clips.

Orihime looked at Nietono no Shana. "Are you a Soul Reaper?"

"A what? No I am a Flame Haze."

"Never heard of you. Wait! Now I remember I read your manga! This is so cool! Wait till I tell Rukia and Ichigo!"

'Manga?' Shana wondered what this girl was on.

Orihime grabbed her and with strength she shouldn't have had pulled her along, "Come on! I'll introduce you- but I guess we should stop and help everyone whose hurt first right? With all the monsters about I think I'm gonna need someone to, er, watch my back while Shun'ō and Ayame do their thing."

Shana only nodded wondering what strange mess she had gotten herself into.

+++
She lay where she had woke up in the convention center among the abandoned ware stands. Not bothering to move.

Sayaka Miki, Puella Magi, realized her life was even more meaningless than she first thought. Not only had she realized she had wished Kyōsuke's hand to be healed not because she wanted him to be happy but because she wanted him to be with her, but she now -REMEMBERED- that she was a fictional character whose only purpose was to suffer for the entertainment of others. She remembered from a third person perspective herself giving into despair and turning into a creature of nightmares, A Witch, the same things the Puella Magi were -supposedly- supposed to be fighting against but in reality were part of an endless cycle of hope and loss. She remembered almost killing her best friend and a Puella Magi she considered an enemy kamakazing herself so Sayaka wouldn't have to die alone.

Well. Life was about to imitate art as Sayaka's Soul Gem (not just a fancy name) began turning black as pitch.

"Moon Healing Activation." Sayaka blinked in total confusion as white sparkles came down on her and her Soul Gem became clean again, no, more than that, it shone almost with it's OWN light! She felt her loss and horror fall away from her like dirt during a spring rain.

"Mina! You're okay!" Shouted someone Sayaka KNEW was supposed to be dead. When hugged her proved to be no ghost.

"That was too close. Almost didn't make it to you in time." Then spoke a fifteen year old lass with long legs and almost longer meat ball pigtails in a school uniform. She was holding a crescent moon wand.

Sayaka ignored her for a second, looking at the pretty face hugging her, "Mami? But-but-you're-"

"Mami? Mina are you, what's your name?"

"Sayaka Miki but you're-"

"Oh." Mami looked said somehow. "I guess you should just call me Mami then. This is Usagi. She saved me and Caroline from herself after the change, the thing, of whatever happened happened."

"Caroline?" Sayaka asked, finally noticing the short pinked haired girl next to Mami. It wasn't Madoka. She was dressed like a Puella Magi. Her outfit reminded Sayaka almost of a doll's dress.

"I guess my name is Caroline." The younger Puella Magi spoke, "But Charlotte's as good a name now too."

Sayaka remembered the name of the witch that had bitten Mami's head off. "Cha-Char-"

"I was able to moon heal her too," Usagi said, "Man! I've NEVER seen a Youma transformation that strong before. Still she's good as new!"

'Oh right, Witch equals former Puella Magi.' Sayaka thought.

That was when a black haired girl in a red school uniformed stepped from behind Usagi, "I don't know what was wrong with your star seeds girl but dang! From what I was sensing, it was like they were INTENTIONALLY made to be defective or something. Usagi's fixed'em so they won't start collecting darkness again."

Mami looked worried, "I just hope Patricia forgot to bring that stuffed Kyubey doll with her."

"Who?" Usagi asked.

"Don't asked." Mami replied.

"I don't see why you bothered to save me." Sayaka said getting everyone's attention. "I'm not real. I'm less than not real. And that aside, my soul isn't even in my body. It's a piece of jewelry. I'm not human. I'm not alive. I'm just a zombie."

"HUH?! Now you hold on little missie!" The red clade girl said sternly, "Just because your star seed is on the outside doesn't mean you're not alive! I've -faced- zombies! And let me tell you! They DON'T feel sad, they don't feel depressed, and they DON'T talk about how they are zombies and aren't alive! Looks can be deceiving but my sixth sense doesn't lie! And what I'm sensing from you is just a girl whose scared confused and really needs her friends right now! Now stop this nonsense of being a zombie!"

Sayaka stared stunned and overwhelmed. She felt like she had just been told by her mother to stop beating herself up over being different. Charlotte/Caroline and Mami helped her up. "Alright . . . " She smiled.

No one noticed a gray and purple claded Puella Magi using her time stop abilities to push bystanders out of the way of rampaging minotaurs and or to pull down someone out of the line of fire of a stray Storm Troopers gun shot. Homura would only care for Modaka's safety. But Hilda/Homora cared for both Patricia/Madoka and everyone else.

+++

"Revive!" "Resurrect!" "Raise!" The three ladies had nothing greatly in common. They had simply chosen similar character classes from their respective Final Fantasy, On-Line or Table Top game. And all due to choosing similar characters casts had struck up a chat, not really considering themselves possible for a win and thus hadn't been in the awards ceremony. When the change/chaos/curse/magic hit the three found themselves very confused and alarmed. They didn't even realize what was going on until the one whose boyfriend who had gone as the protagonist from the same game she got her character from had his neck broke and his heart torn out by a rampaging beast from some obscure horror game. Almost in a TRANCE she had instead of crying her eyes out or running around like a mad animal like she should have at the sight she touched him and yelled out the proper word. Feeling QUITE dizzy afterwards. The monster was subdued soon after.

Now the three were watching each other's back, seeing how random and ruthless death was being today. It had been the Final Fantasy healer's idea that they HAD to avoid every single security camera they saw while doing their work. Otherwise the trio realized they'd be dragged off to be used as healing machines by the army, or worse, some mobster would see them as a false key to immortality. Not to mention some greedy business men who'd they realized would LOVE to create a 'raise from the dead for hire' service.

So it was the three went about as stealthy as they possible could, resurrecting who they could and quickly spiriting away. Two of them having to be resurrect by the teammates at least once as the hazards took their toll. But they kept going. They had to. The desire to heal and help others was now a base overwhelming desire in each of them. All three would quite their old careers after the convention and become doctors or nurses in three different hospitals.

+++

Spotty listened to his master. He didn't understand one tenth of what his master his master was saying of course, but he knew his master loved him. Spotty didn't care much for the new brightly colored collar with the blanket connected to the back, but Spotty knew they were important from the tone master used when speaking about them.

While in the car driving to wherever it was they were going (it wasn't the park again, Spotty knew that much, been too long) his master and himself watched cartoons on the expensive backseat TV screen as master's parents drove them to wherever it was they were going.

Spotty saw the cartoon pleasingly starred a proper dog as it's main star, not one of those freaky dogs that his master normally watched that went about on two legs like a human. Spotty watched the dog speaking in human speech, seemingly understanding things the way human could understand them. Flying though the hair, firing laser vision, not being able to be hurt and other things that Spotty barely recognized. It slowly dawned on Spotty that the collar the cartoon dog was wearing was similar to the one Spotty was wearing.

It also occurred to Spotty at last his master was wearing much the same outfit as one of the other characters in the show. It didn't fill his belly and it wasn't playing but it kept Spotty distracted but he could not understand what his master saw in this noisy box.

Then they finally parked, and where somewhere that Spotty had never been. SO MANY SMELLS! So many NEW smells! And so many humans he didn't know, he stayed close to master. In front of the large building that they were apparently supposed to go in master spoke a long time with a gorilla holes in it's fur at the front entrance. A really long time. Spotty got bored. Finally they were allowed in, but Spotty didn't like the look the gorilla with holes in it's fur gave him.

They were even more new smells inside, but master kept him much more closer and a much shorter lease than normal. Spotty wondered if she had done something wrong. Naw. Likely not. Master spoke and pointed at a little figure that was like the dog form the cartoon.

Spotty suddenly felt weird. His already superior senses suddenly jumping through the room. More than that, the world suddenly took on shades it never had before, an entirely new quality he had never imagined before. It was called color. He didn't know how he knew that was what it was called but it was. And his cape and collar didn't feel so bad anymore. Spotty shook his head as things he never thought about before came to mind and became as clear as crystal.

The convention center mulled for a few moments before someone shouted followed by many others across the convention center and like it was some signal people began shooting lasers and roaring and running in random directions, many who stood still were trampled. Jake however was sticking close to him as his parents seemed to have been swept up in the crowd being dressed as something or other.

Something that been a green puppet of something with lots of tentacles and wings stomped towards master Jake who placed himself between Spotty and the thing drawing a sword that was no longer plastic.

Spotty had always enjoyed the easy life before, but suddenly it occurred to him that it was dog's job to protect their master.

Spotty focused on the forehead of the green slimly tendril thing as it spoke in a language that echoed into the fifth dimension (making Spotty wish he didn't suddenly have super-dog-hearing). Heat vision lasers shot out from Spotty's eyes and hit the beast right in the head making it cry out in pain giving master Jake the chance to cut at it's knee cap making it fall over with a crash and stab in the gut.

When it wasn't getting up any time soon master Jake looked back at Spotty.

"Spotty . . . you're Spotty right? You're Krypto now?" Master Jake said as iftrying to recognize him.

'Hmmm? Krypto? I had a another name before I was sent to the pound already. If that's what master Jake wishes to call me. Then I should oblige my owner.' "Yes Jake, I am Krypto. The Super-Dog."

They hugged.

+++

Heather couldn't believe it, she didn't want to believe it, she couldn't bear to believe it. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair at all! She was supposed to go as a fairy queen! But she lost that stupid bet and had gone in a thick body suit as Hulk Hogan because it was such an utter opposite of her! She felt her womanhood gone, she felt her wonderful breasts gone! Instead there was that THING between her legs! And the suit was no longer a suit but a mass of bulging muscles of a professional performance wrestler.

Heather wept. She didn't notice how a Super Hero saved her life twice while she sat there crying. She curled into a ball and continued to cry but no one else threatened her. Apparently having the muscles of a legendary stunt wrestler reduced the idea of her being a practical target.

The noises died down as the chaos burned itself out. Heather finally looked around and spotted a blaster, like the kind Stormtroopers from Star Wars used. Heather crawled towards it though she wasn't physically harmed in the least. She the weapon, and place the gun's muzzle underneath her child and began fumbling for the trigger.

"I don't think you want to do that." Said a young but still cultured voice.

Heather used her eyeballs and say a young man with larger eyes, a triangle shaped mouth and a ski jump nose. Short brown hair, purple eyes, and wearing a black with gold trim uniform of some kind. An anime character? It didn't matter. "I think I want to. I could have been something fantastic coming here. It could have been a thousand different wonderful things! But now I'm stuck like this! LIKE THIS!" It was weird hearing Hulk Hogan's voice moan about the loss of womanhood.

"Is that your final answer?"

"It's my ONLY answer!"

The young man took off a contact lens. He then looked Heather in the eye. In the eye a red glowing 'V' or bird shape dominated Heather's full attention.

The young man commanded, and what he commanded was, "I, Lelouch vi Britannia The Second, command you to NEVER kill yourself and to not despair over yourself."

"As you command my prince." Heather put the gun down at once, finding the idea of killing himself now incomprehensible. He also felt powerful, tough, like he could take on the world! Heather stood up and put his fists on his hips and laughed. "HA! How could I miss being a weak widdle woman? Just look at these muscles-?! How could anyone not admire this physique? I rule!"

Heather then marched out of the convention center leaving the young man behind. After going through processing he had his name legally changed to Harry and personally face to face -thanked- his friends whom he had made the bet with in the first place. He had a whole new life ahead of him.

+++

Frank had almost gone as a generic zombie for lack of better ideas. But after watching a monster movie marathon had been inspired to go as a homage to the king of the monsters himself. No, not Dracula, he knew there were going to be plenty of those likely at the convention already. He could have bought or rented a costume but chose instead to make his own. It wasn't the world's greatest costume but it was his. He threw himself into his performance as 'Gojira.' In spite of not exactly being several stories tall he still managed to scare a few Con-goers with his performance. He made sure to switch to 'poor misunderstood' Godzilla around children.

Then award day came, then everything changed. His clothes underneath his costume vanished, he felt the air on his scaled armored body. He felt his tail wave back and forth. The world became much simpler and clearer.

The sound 'Furrr-aink' was at the back of his brain but it felt foreign. The name Godzilla and Gojira however came in loud of clear. Gojira was what the humans on the other side of the Pacific ocean called him, Godzilla was what the humans called him here.

Godzilla had a vague notion of coming here to play and show off, but shrugged them off as unlikely. He did not play or show off. He was king of the monsters. The destroyer of Tokyo several times over more than fifty years. He crushed his rivals and punished humans who dared disturb him. But . . . WHY WAS HE SO SMALL? Godzilla set a stand on fire with his atomic breath in anger. Was this some cheap trick by the humans again to try and kill him-?! But the humans and not-humans he saw didn't seem that interested in attacking him en mass.

That was when he saw a little not-human female child with fairly large fairy on her back with one leg trapped underneath a heavy display that had fallen over. Stalking towards her was a could-be-human in hockey mask with chainsaw with obvious intention.

Godzilla set the could-be-human on fire with his atomic breath and threw the could-be-human across the room into a wall. The fairy winged child cried out as Godzilla got closer, Godzilla pulled the display off her. The not-human girl climbed to her feet, favoring one leg, and said nervously, "I, er, um, thank you!" And quickly flew off like it was perfectly natural to her.

Godzilla couldn't stand being in his small confining space and made his own exit through several walls. A few stupid humans tried to shoot him with bullets. That of course didn't work. They weren't worth burning. Finally his instinct led him to the bay at last and he calmly walked in, feel glade to be back in his more natural element. He was still angered to have his body not to it's true size. The whales were bigger than him for crying out loud.

However, a diet of fish, and later sharks, slowly let him rebuild his body mass. It was very slow going, taking weeks and months, but he was getting there. He was two stories high a month later. And figured it would take him a year to regain his real size.

Deciding to return to his native seas he took the long trip around North and South America, remember a 'cannel' but chose not to use it.

By the time he had reached his native waters, he was about back to his true size and strength. He found a relatively small island uninhabited by humans and claimed it simply as his own. He saw many flying not-humans eye him at a distance but saw no reason to attack them until they proved they were a threat.

Eventually, a large ship flanked by flying not-humans in red blue tights came to his New Monster Island (not being able to find the old one), and unloaded what Godzilla could smell at once. Used nuclear material. Useless to the humans. But a delectable treat for the king of the monsters with a living atomic furnace (how else did humans think he was able to move?). Was this their idea of a peace offering? All the same, Godzilla knew this wasn't in the style of their normal tricks but proceeded with caution. When he didn't smell any Oxygen Destroyer he proceeded to chow down. If the humans wanted to offer up what was just trouble for them but free food for him, then all the better.

Other building sized beast arrived on his island over the years and decades that followed, but they all stayed in their place, none daring to challenge him. After all, was he not, King Of The Monsters?

+++

First he learned as much as he could about potential targets going to Xanadu until he narrowed down his list to one with a rich family and with mainstream tastes. Some internet detective work and some false internet alias' and a couple chats later and he knew what she was going to be going as, and he knew what her escort was going to be going as. With the time he had he memorized every detail of the two characters and the setting. He would let nothing go wrong. He planned the proper excuses and lies to get his target away and how the ransom could be delivered.

Some of his old coworkers would have joked that he LIKED the idea of dressing up like a yellow fox woman, he was glade he left that group. Kidnapping Winters? That was suicide with all the security the old man was likely to have around him. Xanadu was a great chance for men in his profession to be sure, but those numbskulls set their sights too high, best to go for a con-goer whose family had deep pockets instead.

His mother always said he should have a seamster instead of a kidnapper. There were professionals who couldn't pull off what he did in the time constraint he had. Sure he could have been a tailor, but where was the thrill in that?

It was also his great luck that through his digging he found out his target's escort would be arriving separately at the con after his mark was dropped off by her parents. Heh. Maybe this experience would teach them to look out for her more.

The girl was after his own heart he had to admit, apparently she had made her Rika Nonaka / Makino Ruki costume herself. Too bad, but it was just business.

He then made sure he had the feminine mannerisms and body language down right, he would leave no kink in his disguise.

He made contact with his mark's escort at the convention, he was able to drum up a discussion about them having similar costume, and with some slight of hand (he could have been a magician too maybe) she was sleeping like a baby. He stripped the escort of her costume and put her outside the convention center for safe keeping.

And with everything finally in place he saw his target. An eleven year old girl dressed flawless with a 'mended heart' shirt and other assessors including a wig to be the spitting image of Rika Nonaka, mimicking the character's persona and style of speech perfectly. Kid could be an actress and didn't even know it.

He calmly slipped into the persona of Renamon, digimon, Rookie Level, Data Attribute, 'Beast Man' Digimon, Nightmare Soldier/Nature Spirits/Virus Busters Family. Cool. Calm. Collected. Beautiful. Graceful. Utterly ruthless and pragmatic in battle. And willing to die to protect his human Tamer.

He made it five steps towards his target when sudden he felt strange, his hot costume suddenly didn't feel so hot, he could feel the air against his fur through the costume. She felt the world around her become a swirling confusing mess. He found herself wondering what was going on, was she having a stroke? She fell to her knees holding her head in one paw. She had come here for someone important, she had come here to get someone important. Who? It was someone she had learned a great deal about.

She heard a scream. She looked at the source, and it was like a light piercing the darkness, the fog lifted totally from her mind and everything made sense!

"RIKA!" Renamon moved so fast she left an after image delivering a flying kick to the towering Frankenstein's Monster knocking it's brain case open and making it stumble back. A straw shot from a weapon shattered a sky light above their heads. Without giving it a first thought Renamon grabbed her Tamer and moved her out of the way.

"Renamon?" Rika asked looking VERY glad to see her Partner Digimon. "What's going on here-?! Where's Goggle-Head? Where's Jeri? Was this supposed to be one of mom's photo shoots?"

Renamon landed and gently put her Tamer down, "I don't know. I wish I knew. And I don't think so."

Rika nodded, "Well, I'm not one to normally back down from a fight but this place is CRAZY let's get out of here get our bearings?"

"At once." Renamon bowed loyally to her Tamer and carried her to safety.

+++

'Kigurumi' or more proper animegao or 'anime face' was a form of cosplay that in Jeremy's opinion really didn't deserve the bad wrap that it go. It like the furry fandom and everyone who had spent exact five second of second-hand hearsay learning about thought anyone who dressed up in an animal costume was some kind of sex maniac.

The reason people were derogatory towards it varied (like most things). Some thought it was always men in the full body suit costumes and anime girl masks. Never mind six of the people in their half-hazard alliance of ten were ladies. Others thought it was creepy and unnatural, apparently deciding what they thought was creepy was clearly what everyone else should think was creepy.

Jeremy didn't dress up like this because he secretly wanted to be a woman or wanted to be hit on by men. It was just a game. It was FUN to pretend to be someone else from a show you liked for a day. And the full body costumes added a sense of fun and games to the whole thing. If people weren't willing to let it go and have fun with it than that was their problem. And nothing was ever going to change that.

Making the costumes and getting the masks had been the easy part. Getting a group of ten together for the ten main girls from the Lucky Star anime? Not so much. But Jeremy and the rest had pulled it out somehow with pleading, favors, common interests, peer pressure, and good old fashioned friendship.

They knew they were likely to get a marginally small audience compared to the other groups, but was still hoping beyond hope to win 'Best Group Performance.' And even if they didn't . . . they had pulled this all off, and no one could take that away from them.

Using some very clever use of sound bites and sound tracks they were able to recreate sketches from the Japanese comic strip turned anime. They actually got some good natured laughs and some clapping. By luck of the draw he was Miyuki Takara. Looking through the fake glasses wasn't nearly as much trouble as he thought it would be.

Their climax was of course the dance done in the series' final episode to the show's opening theme. Done in one of the smaller rooms. "We're being Cloistered." Maria, the girl playing Konata Izumi called it.

Practicing that dance had NOT been easy and Jeremy now had a much greater appreciation for cheerleader than he ever thought possible for what they had to go through.

The ten of them began the performance, having drawn in a progressive larger audience even if it wasn't as big as the others. The timed soundtrack started they mimed and did the legendary routine, each second a terrifying one worried that something might mess them up. They felt a cool breeze go through the room as they felt lighter on their feet and while still scared they didn't let make them trip up.

The song ended as the ten girls held their poses for a few seconds more before finally breaking pose and cheering to themselves for a job well done before bowing to their small audience.

"I still can't believe you convinced us to do our high school routine at a sci-fi/fantasy convention Konata-Chan." Miyuki wiping the sweat from from brow.

Konata grinned, "Hey. When you've got a good thing going, might as well share it right?"

When the squad of ten high school girls had gotten redressed into their school uniforms and came out to find the entire convention was now a war zone, they didn't stick to ask around questions, they simply ran like hades through the fields and fire and to the parking lot getting the heck out of there.

Two years later after finally being allowed to return to Japan and having their IDs straightened out at long last Konata had managed to drag Miyuki to another anime convention.

"Konata-Chan, the last convention we all went to nearly got us killed . . . how can you just slip back into things?"

The flat chested girl laughed, "Hey. If you've got something you love, you can't let just one bad experience take it away from you."

Miyuki smiled and nodded, "Right I guess I forgot about that."

Then a large guy wearing a Berserk The Movie T-shirt stomped into their path, "HEY! You! Anime face! Take off that stupid mask and show me that pimpled fat face underneath!"

Konata didn't resist as the big man pulled off the plastic full head mask. And stuck out her tongue out when the man saw her real face was -very- similar to the one he had just pulled out. The man made a cowardly yell and ran away leaving a dust cloud. Konanta simply laughed until her sides ached.

+++

The purple unicorn pony named Twilight Sparkle trotted away from the stands in a drunken stupor. But she wasn't drunk. She felt her head swim. Her mind was a glacier in a boiling ocean that threatened to devour her.

Images flashed in her mind of two different lives that weren't her own. Neglectful parents, school bullies, learning that cheating is actually rewarded and dropping out of high school. Dotting parents, dad's business going bankrupt, sacrificing morals to survive. A meeting, a pact between thieves, using the most perfect and innocent of disguises to shop lift from unsuspecting stores.

"No!" She almost banged her head against a wall, "My name is Twilight Sparkle! Twilight Sparkle! Not Larry McBabble! Not Drake Hurts! I'm a unicorn pony! A person! Not two humans! I'm alive! I'm real! My parents love me! I was chosen by Princess Celestria Herself to be her personal apprentice! I spent years as a social retarded reclusive introvert learning all I could until Princess Celestria pushed me out of the nest for me to make friends! I am NOT a thief!"

Twilight quieted her mind, and felt the boiling ocean that had threatened to consume her turn to ice. She breathed out a sight of relief. "I don't know what it was, but the amount of magic released here made my little 'incident' at the magic entrance examine look like a cheap pallor trick . . . there's decidedly going to be a lot to learn here . . . I just hope Spike and the others are okay."

She'd eventually find Spike, two of him in fact! And another version of herself who seemed as amazed at their duel existence as her. Both were overjoyed to finally find their friends panicking. Fluttershy with one of her wings broken and Applejack with a broken leg. Though Rainbow Dash kept insisting she as really two 'humans' and not a Pegasus Pony and Rarity having trouble remembering herself. Pinkie Pie calmly explained they were on 'Earth' at a 'convention' and that they had been 'cos-players' before but were now 'real' and then went on gushing about how exiting this all was and was gonna be the biggest crossover event in the history of anything. Twilight just smiled and nodded.

Maybe Rainbow And Dash's (as she/they insisted being called) 'problem' wasn't such a big one, after all, it helped them keep Fluttershy and Applejack being euthanized for their broken limbs instead of being healed. Twilight didn't like recalling that close call.

On the bright side, a Pegasus' talent at weather control and enable the group to pull together some cash to buy some flat land for themselves. Human cities was no place for ponies. Though Twilight did consider taking up that position at Real Hogwarts.

Eventually both Twilights had to accept the possibility of what Pinkie Pie had said that fateful day as being true. Of course, Twilight herself was under the opinion that being pulled from alternate realities was still a realistic possibility. Her twin suggested maybe they DID have pasts of their own besides their 'originals' or 'previous' or 'vessels' but those had been created retroactive by the god level amount of magic released.

Whatever the origin or truth, Twilight knew one thing, "I am who I am. And I'm happy to be who I am. Nothing else to it."

+++

At Xanadu, Count Dracula, The Lord of Darkness, rose his fortress Castlevania inside of the multiple pocket realities (former rooms that had been dressed up themselves) readying to summon it into the real world. But wasn't expecting Belmonts of completely conflicting historical times to attack him all at once and kill him.

Thousands of miles away in Span nine months later an albino was born. The parents had never heard of or played the Castlevania video games. Or why they felt the need to name their son 'White Cross', Soma Cruz.

+++

Abigail felt lonely, without Dorith here. "One of us was supposed to be jungle princess Krystal while the other was supposed to be space suit Krystal."

The Marvin The Martian cosplay snickered, "What about Kurse?"

"I don't consider Kurse canon." Abigail said simply.

"Ah you're one of those." The martian cosplayer on the stool next to her said.

"What do you mean 'one of those?' "

"Nothing. So you were gonna have a giant cardboard space ship for your arwing to boot?"

"Naw." Abigail said, "My Arwing is cleverly disguised under a protective hologram outside as a ordinary car.

"Ah." 'Marvin' nodded. "What's that you got there?"

"Oh this? This is a star chart. It actually shows some stars that are above us right right. See this one marked here? That's where the Lylat system is."

"If you say so." 'Marvin' humored her.

Without Dorith around, Abigail wasn't able to do NEARLY as many routine as she had been planning to do for the show. Not that it seemed to matter as some people had spent more money on their costumes than there was prize pony! She didn't think it was possible for her to win.

All the same, she did her act, explained where the Lylat system was on her navigational data base, and all in all managed to balance time between the two different versions of her costumes. Though by the day of the awards ceremony she was completely exhausted and fall asleep still in costume on top of her bed.

She dreamed. She dreamed a dream of being Krystal of course, of wanting Dorith to be there, of it being their destiny to find each other again, of saving the world like Krystal was MEANT TO in the original game before she was demoted to a damsel when it the game was recreated into a StarFox game.

Krystal awoke with a start. Hearing lasers being fired madly outside. Considering going out that way but decided she wasn't suicidal and instead simply smashed the room's window open and climbed down the side of the building.

Once there she quickly made it through the parking lot where her ship was still hidden as a car under a hologram. She clicked it and the hologram vanished revealing her Arwing in it's place. She looked around at the chaos, "Nice place to visit. But I think I'll be getting back to Fox now." She climbed in and took off vertically. She flew past a space ship in orbit above the convention she saw was named Enterprise but didn't hail it.

It was a lonely few days in Hyper Space, but she managed. When she saw the Great Fox she signaled and they signaled back. Landing she embraced Fox as soon she got out of her Arwing. It was good to be home.

+++

Zack ended up in black and white strips. Chad was saddled with yellow and brown spots. Laura with a lion. Trixie with orange white and black strips, and finally Greg ended up with the foot stilts.

Trixie nearly walked out when she learned that they'd be doing this not via 'costumes' persay but wearing speedos and a couple custom made breast equivalent (Trixie would have strangled Greg is he tried to have her go topless like the men). And they had to physically block Laura from going when she was told that she'd have to do the performance bald. She wanted to do the performance with her hair out, but when Greg reminded her only male lions had manes, she begrudgingly but quickly agreed to use a painted rubber cap instead after cutting her hair short.

Greg joked his own 'costume' made him almost feel like he was wearing high heeled shoes.

So, with a handful of props that you'd find at an anime otaku store like fake cat ears and tails for the three 'big cats' they had their first dressed rehearsal. Greg tripped over his fake extended legs, almost wanting to go all fours instead of on two feet like they agreed on. Zack's mow-hack needed better glue, and Chad kept bumping into Trixie.

But with two weeks left before the show, and having formed a blood pact to put themselves into the performance to win both the cash and prestige that came with it they did get better.

Finally the big day came and they arrived in Zack's mundane white mini-vane in normal attire. Signing in and registering, the group came to the rented room of their choice then broke out the paper and paint and began.

They had to waste the first day of the convention getting everything set up but it was worth it. The audience seats disguised to look like tree stumps. The walls painted to look like a vast jungle, the ceiling a canopy, and the floor a mass of wild grass and flowers. Though Greg did make a little cash on the side selling off some animal masks.

On the dawn of the next day of the convention they started. Stripping down to their skinniness (the men and women taking separate rooms of course to do this) and then away with those as well. Then came the speedos for both and chest covers for the ladies.

The body paint came next: black and white paint for Zackery. Then came the black and orange paint for Trixie and the white pattern on her front and on the inside of her thighs. Laura put on her skin cap and was painted in the brownish gold paint. Greg on his stilts had a harder time, again thinking about how they felt like high heels. And his paint pattern was more complex than any of theirs. White front area, dark blown on the sides and beige for the rest. The horns almost made it impossible for him to hold his balance.

Their first show was fantastic. Their 'innocent life in the jungle' totally bastardized the food chain, several natural laws and the laws of social dynamics. But it was still fun to watch!

Their next couple of shows weren't as big a hit but they had a steady stream of viewers, and a number of return viewers as well. Then came the day the prizes would be announced. The prize for group performance weren't done until later that day, so the five collage friends were putting on one final show.
Chad's method acting group sessions that seriously improved their showmanship.

For fire hazard reasons, the only part of the room never painted was the exit door.

Of course, every performance had that one show, and that one show happened to be today, a little boy and his mother (wearing a small flower hat right out of the nineteenth century) sat in on the show. When the show started, the mother stared in shock for several minutes while her little boy watched on eagerly. Finally the mother snapped out of her daze and began to cover her son's eyes, but he pulled them down defiantly to the woman who he owed half his DNA to. There were of course other kids in the audience, some girls some boys, but the majority were adult males. Who of course gave Trixie and Laura plenty of attention, and Greg got some unwanted attention to boot.

Why the woman didn't leave right away with her son to give him a good spanking for daring to cross her became obvious when the show ended and people began to slowly shuffle out.

She marched up to Zack and poked him in the chest, "You lot belong in the adult section! Or better yet, the zoo!"

"Hey, the adult's is only is if something is actually shown." Zack said not realizing the storm he was facing, "Nothing was shown here."

"That sure didn't stop the perverts in the audience from using their imaginations."

"What's a pervert mom?"

The woman blushed and caught herself, "A bad person dear."

"Look, if you didn't think the show was any good you shouldn't have watched it." Zack said. Chad slapped his forehead.

"Maybe if you had put a bit more DESCRIPTION in what your show is outside!"

"You'd be complaining about the description?"

All of the other four friends groaned. Zack was not defusing the situation all that well. Chad stepped in between them, "Look madam, we're sorry that our show offended you, but we were legally approved by the convention committee, if you think our show's no good, then take it up with them."

Zack just HAD to get the last word in. "Besides, we're just having some innocent fun here."

"So," The woman said, "that makes you all a bunch of little boys and girls playing around naked outside?!" She said in the most venom dripping, acid laced, sharp edged voice imaginable.

Her words stunned all present, those still present of the audience all turned to look at her. Zack couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his life, "And you sound like an over protective kangaroo!"

The woman huffed turning bright read.

When exploring the 'ruins' of Xanadu one guy looking for loot heard cheerful happy voices behind one of he closed doors with bright light on the other side. He cautiously opened it and stepped inside.

Much later, when repair work was finally actually beginning on the convention center, with ghost-busters, super-heroes, and vampire hunters acting as hazard teams, they found one door that was rather strange that it didn't lead to a room as it seemed to lead to an entire different place!

Inside they found collection of animal people children including a zebra, a bald lioness, a little girl gazelle, and a tiger girl, and a couple others. And a speaking Kangaroo not finding any of them strange or alien but apparently trying to keep the peace with the wild children.

One of the crew workers foolishly took a step in, and a few seconds later he was a blue cheetah boy with black spots playing with the others as if they had known him for years. Or multiple failed 'rescue attempts' the door was finally just sealed off behind a layer of concrete. Leaving the animal children to their eternal paradise.

+++

Alanna and Nicole were identical twins. But you wouldn't know this right away from meeting them. They did not dress alike. They did not speak alike. They did not move alike. Did not have the same hairstyles. They had completely different tastes in entertainment and play. They and the most certainly did not act alike. This difference in nature was so stunning that it took adults a minute to realize the two girls were physically identical.

Alanna always had a sweet face when around her parents, that was completely missing she put mice she bought from the pet store into boxes filled with spider. She always asked politely and nicely for what she wanted and never talked back to her parents. And she made sure any of her classmates who refused her anything suffered and suffered greatly.

Nicole almost never smiled, 'please' and 'thank you' were not part of her vocabulary, and she got up the middle of the night or early morning to do the family dishes when her parents weren't awake or watching. She was very stubborn around her parents when she wanted something, often being relentless. She was just as relentless when a friends of hers asked something from her, and once she promised she'd never give up or give in until she had fulfilled that promise.

Both girls went to church, both listened to what the priest had to say. Alanna was sure to memorize it all so she could parrot it back to others when needed. Nicole listened and never spoke but did her best to glean the -message- the priest was doing his hardest to convey.

But contrast and parallels walk hand in hand. When the two nine year old girls were taken to Xanadu to explore the 'Kid's Friendly' section that Winters had set up a a personal favor to some of his associates children, Alanna had gone as an Angel Cherub, and Nicole as a Devil Imp.

Their mother after some coaxing had decided to go to the con as a clown or at least have clown make up on.

Alanna was polite and smiling to everyone she met, gaging them on what she could gain from a friendship with them.

Nicole was silent with an even face, listening to everything someone had to say, in particular the ones who sat in a corner lonely.

When Eric put on the mask of Raven the Trickster, becoming one with the ancient Native American spirit, those who had been wearing costumes were now what their costumes had been of.

Alanna was a vision of light, floating off the ground in a small white dress with little golden wings and a glowing halo, her spirit now part of something greater with bright blue eyes.

Nicole was in a piece of black rag, skin as red as blood, hooves for feet, her head weight down by horns, and a long spaded tail growing out of her rear. Her red within black eyes darting this way and that.

Alanna laughed, not knowing what had happened, not caring why it had happened, but only know it had, and already imagining what she could do with what she was and how she'd profit.

Nicole hissed and gasped, seeing all the death and destruction that was sublimely happening beneath the twisting churns of chaos, and felt small and weak for nothing being able to do anything to help them.

Then thunder clapped that only they could hear. Both felt a giant hand pick them up, and then place them back down.

And in that moment, suddenly Nicole was looking at herself, and as was Alanna. Only now, Nicole was in the body that was a symbol of inspiration and hope, and Alanna was in the body of random troubles and misery.

Alanna began hissing and cursing and stomping her hooves at her missed chance. Nicole ignored her for the moment and began leading random crowd goers to safety and not to trample on those who had fallen via their subconscious.

Both little angel and little devil knew. Both remembered what their priest had said. The only difference between angels and demons was the good and evil in their hearts.
+++

He was MewTwo, that much he knew. He had not always been MewTwo, that much he also knew. He sadly had few clues on how he had been before. He didn't wish to cease to exist of course, but for the sake of the person who had for all intentions and purposes given birth to him via his (or her) own life, it was best MewTwo try to recover some piece of that person.

When contemplating he had was struck from behind by a dark-type pokemon that was not a dark-type pokemon. MewTwo would later learn it was in fact a niche market pokemon parody called a Gamimon. But the 'dark type attacks hurt psyche types' apparently still applied as MewTwo felt agony as the panicking creature had attacked the most imposing thing it saw, namely MewTwo himself.

He'd find out he was saved from dying by a series of super natural healers who desired to remain ambiguous.

By the time MewTwo had recovered, he discovered the overwhelmingly vast majority of pokemon who had come into being (all Generation One pokemon like himself) had been rendered extinct and the remainder were formally on the endangered species list.

MewTwo's mind was able to despite efforts to the contrary at least two 'Game-Breaker' level entities such as himself that weren't bound by the laws of narrative as he sensed a third potential 'Game-Breaker' was.

MewTwo knew he was a Game-Breaker, it had been his design in the game after all as the final 'capture' of the original games.

Game-Breaker, had become the general term used for any Xanadu victim, or secondary transformation, who was determined by the newly established Council of Magic Users and the Justice League Of America and Real Avengers as being entities that could single handed change the balance of power in the world. And thus were kept under TIGHT surveillance by either the Men In Black or other such groups.

'Well, if I'm going to be put on the list of Game-Breakers, I might as well do something game breaking!'

With that, MewTwo began to rebuild the cloning technology that had been his birth within the fictional realm of pokemon. And he was still no closer to learning who his Previous/Original was before his Rebirth.

And MewTwo felt an emptiness inside him.

He had visited both Ash Ketchems, wanting to thank both, even if it was only in the fictional past they had, for teaching him that humans were not cookie cutter battle hungry sadists.

And MewTwo strangely felt empty.

Once the technology was ready, he did something he knew was likely very stupid and approached Nintendo and Game Freak.

There was a new artificial island off the coast of Japan that had been left unfinished due to natural disasters. Mewtwo proposed to Nintendo and Game Freak to make it a Pokemon preserves. Of course those with common sense objected on the spot. MewTwo was glade he wasn't dealing with idiots who agree to anything. They pointed out the DANGERS that normal pokemon could cause with being able to breath fire, shoot lightning and throw leafs that could cut through stone.

MewTwo however promised these pokemon would be 'safe', purposely engineered by MewTwo that while they could defend themselves, they were made so even a Fire Blast by point blank range by a charizard would just knock someone over and leave their clothes covered in ashes. MewTwo used the exploits of the legendary Inspector Gadget as an example of how those created by and from Xanadu could extend their narrative power of 'harmless violence' to others.

Everyone had seen the news broadcast of Gadget's fellow police who had been with him always getting caught up in explosions and falling buildings, but never so much as ONCE be left with anything worse than maybe bruises and a few scratch.

After five years of discussion and planning construction finally began. Meanwhile, MewTwo created another market using the safe failsafes he had installed in his clone pokemon. There were at least two people in the world who could create new anthros, a shaman face painter and a furry costume maker who had become an anthro himself following a promise he had made. But none could create anthro pokemon.

Naturally it was supposed to be only for consenting adults, but determined enough children and weak willed enough parents were in line as well. As a matter of protecting their good image, and to prevent people doing it on a whim. It became mandatory for them to sing a six month contract with Nintendo, though many chose to extend it to a lifetime contract. As a sacred rule, MewTwo limited the clones and anthros to generation one only with a handful of exceptions for Generation two (mostly Lugia fans).

And MewTwo still felt empty.

One day, an old woman came for the procedure. She didn't look the pokemon fan type. She requested Mew. MewTwo refused. She insisted, and not sure why, MewTwo complied.

The new Anthro Mew giggled and hugged him. "It's you! I know it's you! I can only be you! What that Seer said was right! It is you! I can sense it!"

~Wha-wha-what?~

"Rick. It's me. Your mother."

And suddenly, MewTwo didn't feel so empty anymore.

+++

Monica loved this. Putting her costume together had been both fun, exciting, and perhaps a little embarrassing, but wasn't the point of costumes to explore parts of yourselves you normally don't and to understand yourself better? The white and orange latex fully body suit had been easy, designing the needed, erm, opening, had been tricky, the real challenge had been the slightly functional hand paws and digigrateded feet, tail, and of course the fox head with the round mouth opening.

She wore a bathrobe when she entered the convention and made her way into the convention. She wasn't exactly able to speak all that well in her mask so she did her best to mime and just made sounds. Stepping into the fabled and dreaded and alluring Adults Only section she had shed her bathrobe and walked in unafraid, showing off her own creation the latex anthro fox love doll. She walked around showing her stuff before lounging about on one of the couches. Some people petted her. Other just ogled her. And for once the grown woman wasn't afraid of her own body. Here she was free, she wasn't Monica, she was a living latex fox love doll! And everyone loved her!

Monica felt a strange wave go through her. Around her minotaurs went mad, some people making love barely noticed the change except now being able to feel fully each other's fur. For Monica, there was no Monica. Only a living hollow mass of plastic/rubber/latex. The entire world became more simple. All the world became crystal clear. Weighty memories, thoughts, and ideas not related to her purpose fell away.

The love doll wondered why everyone went away. And why no one game to play with her after a good long while. Finally since she could not remember who her owner was she walked out of the dark room where the lights had gone out anyway. A man with a chainsaw and hockey mask leapt at her from the shadows bringing the chain saw on her neck. The chainsaw spun, wheeled and bite, but it didn't leave a single mark on the happy love doll. She only looked at the man in the mask and smile (she always smiled) and waved at him. The man then tried to stab her with a big rusty knife but it seemed to just bounce off her. Finally the man in the hockey mask completely confused and disoriented wandered away.

She eventually wandered outside where people in blue clothes took her into a line with lots of other people of every shape and size. A woman with pointy ears touch her head, and she felt her inside her mind looking around. The woman with pointy ears then spoke to the main in the lab coat with the red beard.

She was put in a special place and told to stay there. And stay there she did. However, with no one playing with her, she eventually got lonely, and left the room near the convention she had been told to stay. She wandered the street, not being able to be harmed and not really minding anyone who tried since that too was a form of playing.

She saw an apartment building, she didn't remember it, but she knew it felt familiar. She wandered inside, and up the stairs, to a apartment that felt very familiar. It was locked. She opened a tiny hiding place and took out a key and went inside.

This felt like a place that belonged to her. But she still felt lonely. That was when one of the people in blue clothes came into the place that felt so familiar to her. He took her hand and pulled on her. She realized he must want to play with her. And play with him she did. He was surprised, shocked, alarmed, but this didn't last long as all those annoying things that distracted him faded away . . . his clothes faded away too as his skin became orange and white latex with a still flat chest chest and they played with each other. The new living sage fox love doll loved his living vixen fox love doll. The two did not tire. Ever. Eventually water, electricity, gas, were all cut off. But these were meaningless to them.

Only the other mattered, only each other could matter, only each other had to matter, only each other should matter. And they made each other complete. Over the years a couple more people wandered into the room that felt familiar looking for something or someone, and they joined in the play too.

Finally, the building had aged well past it's prime was no longer up to construction standards and had to torn down. The latex foxes didn't mind. They merely climbed out of the rubble once it was all over, and wandered off together for another place to play with each other. That was when they were encased in a green bubble by a man in a green costume with a green ring with the symbol of a lantern on his chest.

Carried in the green bubble the vixen were taken someplace else. That someplace else didn't matter. They had each other. That was all that matter. And as long as they had each other. They would be complete.

+++

Billie was NOT happy that her friends had all had to cancel going to the convention. In particular when it left with with a half dozen masks and costumes in her luggage with no one to wear them.

But the worst part was, here she was, Bastet, goddess of cats and homes, in a costume it had taken her SIX MONTHS to make, and now all alone in the adult section . . . she hadn't made her costume this way for perverted reasons, she just wanted to be historically accurate. What was Bastet without the rest of the Pantheon? She was incomplete. Dangit! She'd do anything to have her friends here as the fellow gods of Egypt. Bastet she knew wouldn't have stood for this substandard treatment.

Billie was VERY engrossed in thoughts of Bastet herself when the changes hit . . . and Billie became but a vessel for the spirit of the no longer worshipped Egyptian deity.

'No longer worshipped?' Billie/Bastet thought as she brushed aside the panicking mortals. 'I'll have to do something about that, but first there is business had needs to be done.'

That was when Bastet/Billie felt a chainsaw trying to be struck against her neck, that shattered when it dared touch the flesh of a goddess. She looked at her attack, a mere human in a hockey mask. The masked human let out a scream of debrief, rage and frustration and dared to attack her, WITH HIS BARE HANDS! Bastet/Billie's limited patient was already spent.

"HOW DARE YOU!" She roared as she grabbed the masked face. The man twitched and spasmed, dark brown fur grew on his body as his clothes changed to a simple traditional ancient egyptian thong. His figure decidedly became female, the ears, tail, claws and paw of course were already a dead give away of what he was becoming. When Bastet was done, she let her go. The former psychotic killer stood there wavering for a moment, before she took off the hockey mask, revealing a pretty face with a muzzle and whiskers. She fell to her knees at once and said, "My goddess, command me."

"You shall carry my things, and you shall be among the first of my new worshippers when I return to Egypt."

"Yes my goddess."

"But first . . . " Billie/Bastet remembered the masks and costumes in her old self's hotel room . . . and could feel old Raven's magic seep into them even at this distance, waiting and ready to be used by their destine bearers. "We have some gifts we have to deliver to some friends . . ."

+++

Charlotte Aulin (in no way related to the dessert witch of the Puella Magi anime) was a magician and sixteen years old (Even given her supposed birthday she would have been over her seventies). She also knew she wasn't supposed to exist. But worse was that she knew she wasn't supposed to exist, but the person who had been like her brother her entire life didn't exist at all. The person who was supposed to go as him had caught a cold and was able to join her previous self at the costume convention. So Charlotte was even MORE alone if she didn't know she existed with just the clothes on her back and the spells in her various books.

She even still had the costume her original's friend would have worn in the trunk of her original's car that had been in range of the curse' sphere of influence. Charlotte greatly suspected what would happen if he chose to wear it. And Charlotte was VERY scared at how the idea appealed to her.

Charlotte had MEMORIES of the person she once was. But that was all they were. Memories. Information, experiences. They didn't feel like HER LIFE, they felt like the life and memories of a stranger that had been inserted into her head! She was Lisa, and she was never going to be . . . unless she was willing to commit suicide of course. But Charlotte sadly knew she was too selfish for that, that base human instinct to survive always kept getting in the way. She tried to rationalize it that she wasn't really a person, wasn't really a live, wasn't therefore a human being, so it wasn't really murder. But those thought rang hollow.

Charlotte was trying, like many other magic users finding themselves at Xanadu, to empirically determine the extent, limits, and capabilities of the magic unleashed from one flash points in the convention center that had engulfed the hotel, the parking lot and of course the center itself.

Charlotte paid her due, did her best to hide her spell books and anything else that might be taken from her, played dumb where she needed to, used her original's memories for all they were worth, and was released into the public being legally declared no danger to herself or others.

She had assumed her previous incarnation's life as much as she could, she play acted that she was still the dead person whose memories she had. She claimed it was part of her curse that she continued to wear her battle dress. She and the lad who was supposed to go as Johnathan barely spoke to one another.

Then came the morning when talking to clear her head she spotted a cat girl. Okay, not that strange, but it was a cat girl MAID! And there were lots of them. In fact, Charlotte realized, she recognized a good deal as being her co-workers and neighbors!

They were still flesh and blood, but they were smiling like dolls and marching like troops on parade in rank.

Whatever was happening was not good.

That was when Charlotte noticed a middle age woman being dragged by two young ladies the women chatted with on Sunday, now both cat girls in maid uniforms.

"Don't worry mommy! You're gonna love it! It's too bad daddy can't be like us too!" Charlotte gasped, a seven year old girl with cat ears and tail in a size fitting maid uniform smiled at her mother.

'Where are all the men?' She had, like it or not, see a lot of gender flipped victims at Xanadu, and she saw none of the ear markings on these women and she recognized them all anyway. Where they dead? Imprisoned? Knocked out? Wandered off in a daze about the Narrative didn't need them?

"Now just stand still and be pretty! Ho ho ho ho ho ho!" Said a women in a black and white maid uniform with black cat ears and tail carrying a weird alien looking laser rifle. Charlotte tried to remember where she might have seen something like that before.

'Wait. An old anime, really cheesy, short too but kept getting renewals. . . . What was the name of that cat girl maid in it? Sara. No. Serenity. No. Sandra. No. Wait. Charlotte gasped out, "SANADA!"

Mistake. Big time. Finally the horde noticed her.

"Oh ho ho ho! What's this? A witch?" Sanada cackled, "Sanada knew that if she lay low that she have chance to score big prize later! Ho oh oh oh!"

She fired the laser at Charlotte, she cast 'Clear Skies' just in time to block the distance attack. The women from before tried to grab her brainwashed daughter and run, but instead Sanada insanely turned and fired at her . . . in second the woman had a tail and ears and was bowing before Sanada, "Just leave anything to me Chief."

Charlotte summoned a long serpent of fire that flew straight at the mad woman however Sanada was a lot more simple than she look, dodged and fired. But Charlotte was quicker on her feet than she looked too.

"Please Sanada!" Charlotte implored, searching her original self's memories, "You don't have to do this! These women are not threat to the love between the princess and her true love! Just stop and let those you've converted go!"

Speaking in a completely different tone and manner -suddenly much more masculine- 'Sanada' mocked, "You stupid video game character. I've never been 'one of you' I've been myself this whole time. I never got 'lost in character.' Or was 'reborn with a new persona.' I've been me from the beginnings. I played the part because it was FUN."

Charlotte started at the change in personality, mistake, stupid, because it made her trip as one of the horde tried to tackle her to the ground.

Charlotte thought. Of all the spells she had. She had that ONE spell right? The one that took several second to cast, had such a long range?

In one of her spell books.

Charlotte threw the spell book at Sanada's face, she easily stepped out of the way. "Geeze lady, ah never though you'd get that panicky so fast . . . thankfully until some blokes I'm still me inside so that means I'm not some freaky 1-D thinking shadow puppet made to entertain people that stumbled into reality. Did you really think that was gonna work just because you're the 'good gal?' "

Sanadra horde just stood there smiling, some actually breaking out in cheering for their Chief Maid.

"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. The point wasn't really that though was it? That gun of yours is the real danger. If you had the knowledge that came with your character you could just build more and give them to your horde. But only have that one. Which means you can't replicate it."

"Heh. You're smart. I hope you keep those pretty brains after you grow ears and a tail. I'm gonna need help staying under the radar so I don't go attracting Superman."

"I've got to ask. Where are the men? Does that ray change gender too?"

"Sadly no, which is something I'm gonna need some science wiz's rather than just these day workers to figure how to fix that. Don't worry about getting some toots. They're alive, for now. Until there get to be too many to keep them all alive."

The horde was gathering closer around now, seeing this exchange. "I see . . . "

"Yeah I know! I mean! You know all those bad movies were people replaced by invading shape shifters are kept locked up in a cage somewhere for no good reason? Heh. Me? I say why take either extreme?"

"I have then just one last thing to say to you."

"What?"

"SANCTUARY!"

The book Charlotte had thrown glowed white and a yellow white circle pillar spread from the center. 'Sanada' turned just into time to go, "Oh sh-" and was engulfed in the light along with some of her slaves. When it cleared a second later, her victims were human again, and she, was now a he, in a thorough but cheap Sanada cosplay costume, and the gun was a piece of plastic. He tried to run but apparently didn't exercise much so Charlotte just whacked him in the face with one of her spell books, turned out he had a glass jaw.

Sanada's horde still cat girls looked confused, disoriented, looking at themselves and each other as if waking up from a dream.

Charlotte picked up the spell book she had thrown, and looked it over.

The book was now just a book, it had been created at Xanadu as well. It had been 'cured' it had no magic now. Charlotte Aulin knew it was going to take a good long while to rewrite that spell book from scratch. But she could handle it.

+++

After Renamon had rescued Rika from the madness of Xanadu, her Previous' parents somehow found out where she was and what had happened to her. For the time being, Renamon was perfectly happy to serve as Rika's protect and began learning of the person she once was. Then the person who was SUPPOSED to be Rika's Original's chaperone was found. And she explained what had happened to her. Renamon was shocked, and was Rika. Renamon did some detective work of her own. And when she finally put the pieces together. She was horrified. The mere idea of the personality of who she once was rising back to the surface made her so fearful for Rika's safety she fled.

However, Renamon found out that Rika's parents did not really care that much for their new daughter. And had paid great sums to have her legally murdered so they could bring the personality and identity of their dead daughter back from the grave.

But Renamon feared, the Men In Black were directly involved. And one flash of the Neuralizer, and she'd be HIM again, she'd be that monster again. Renamon considered suicide as her only honorable option to join her Tamer in death.

That was when she met a Lucario. He was, she found out, someone who had been to Xanadu and had been born blind, but had been interested in the idea of 'aura sight' and had with her parents and nurse gone to the convention as Lucario. He taught her how to see with aura, without using her eyes. And since the neutralizers were vision based, Renamon finally had the means. Lucario also told Renamon, that who was before didn't matter, it was who she was now and what choices she made now that would define her.

Renamon enacted a full out assault against the heavily defended building Rika was being held in, tearing down and through heroes and monsters alike to rescue her. Rika was overjoyed to see her. Renamon confessed what she was, who she had been. "Oh shut it Renamon. That person is dead. You're Renamon now. That's all that matters."

Originally, Renamon's brash actually actually -helped-. A couple years later, Strangers were legally declared people, not false memories or delusions of people with a disease or condition that needed to be 'cured.' A similar law had already been passed in Japan with help form the newly formed Real Crystal Tokyo Party.

Meanwhile due to the actions of Rika's parents, after an intense legal battle and with new laws in effect, Renamon was granted legal custody as Rika's legal guardian. (With Renamon being first declared legally sane and competent at first and acquitted of charges of breaking and entering due to some very good lawyers provided by Eric Winters when no one was looking).

Rika and Renamon considered doing many things together on the day they legally became mother and daughter. But in the end, they simply chose to watch the sunset. On the other side of the world at the same time, ten teenage girls watch the sunrise.

New Beginnings

User:Alex Warlorn

2011-06-05T21:56:10Z

Alex Warlorn: brand new story

[[Wicked Roots]]: The request by lore1138 ... Lucy wants more, well, Halloween in Halloween! Beware!

Alex Warlorn's transformation fanfictions.

THOUGH THE MONITOR--

[[Through The Monitor Rings Around The Roses]]: Couple who went through a TG along with their TF into Sonic like characters reflect on how they met in their new history.

[[Through The Monitor Rings Bundle Of Roses]]: Jane Brownson became Amy Rose a year ago and went to the world of Sonic The Hedgehog, can her family join her? Those in control don't want them to, but not all of those who enforce that control agree.

XANADU STORIES:

[[JT Fox's Sly and Tracy At the Bus Stop]]: A short story totally by JT Fox I'm posting with his permission. Tracy is a girl who wants to write a interesting story, and she happens upon the Xanadu victim Sly Fox whose more than willing to give her the inspiration she needs.

[[The Care Bear Caper!]]: A group of kidnappers come up with the perfect disguise to capture Eric Winters and hold him for ransom, then comes along new beginnings.

[[ A Cat Girl Maid's Bet ]]: A dude make the ultimate dare at Xanadu.

[[ Quarut ]]: Someone went to Xanadu as the Dungeons and Dragons Lawful Netural Outsider charged with the consistency of Time and cause and effect.

[[ Dot Hack// Xanadu ]] My favorite out of the Xanadu I've done. After missing for week's after Xanadu, an sacrilegious woman's child shows up on her door step, having become what her mother detests and with the ultimate hero's journey to share. Based on the .hack// franchise.

[[ Errand of Mercy ]] One Xanadu victim/kingdom hearts character commits an all out stealth assault on Project X in the name of compassion. Contains plenty of cameos.

[[ Empathy ]] Written over the space of two hours. A short look into another 'social group' born from Xanadu. A short story Inspired by a off handed commented in the Fem-Troopers saga and a web page article I read on the nature of humanity. If you like cat-girls you'll like this.

[[ New Beginnings ]]
This story is the day to 'The End's night. Perhaps it's just contrary, but it's meant also to remind that hope exists in direct opposition to despair. And above all: more often than not, endings are simply an opportunity for rebirth. And that fate's pendulum, does not always swing against us.

[[ List of Xanadu characters. ]] This list got deleted from Shifti before. Let's see if we can put it back together again.

XANADU RESCUE ARCHIVE! These stories are not mine, but they also have no by-lines or the author is unreachable, and they are also fundamental parts of the Xanadu verse in their own right. If the original author contacts me and tells me to cease and desist, I shall do so.

[[ Ami's Song ]]: Not Mine! The most in-depth and character driven Xanadu story I've ever seen, and takes the most original and personal view on the mental changes of those at Xanadu, there are those who were erased, those who struggle with new instincts, some even have split personas, but what if one Sailor Moon cosplayer found something else?

[[ Quest Moments ]]: by SKJAM! Not Mine! No two ways about it, Xanadu changed the world, but civilization must go on, and that means picking up the pieces with the help of those changed.

[[ Captain's Tale ]]: Not Mine! For a twist of personal irony, a japanese cosplayer goes as the legendary Captain America to Xanadu, and now must help the various other heroes resulting from Xanadu getting their heads together along with many other 'refugees.'

[[Liquid Courage ]]: Not Mine! By Robert Haynie. The man who went to Xanadu as the Invincible Iron Man, and his joint venture with Eric Winters in keeping those changed by Xanadu from being exploited by those with authority.

[[ Pokemon Master ]]: by James Cole. Not Mine! A tragic tale of one lad who lost everything at Xanadu and then lost everything again, will his original's family accept him? (SPOILERS I can think of some clever ways to revive the extinct pokemon using MewTwo but who knows?)

[[ The Prince of All Sayajin ]]: Not Mine! By Robert Haynie. A companion story to his Liquid Courage tale, a closer look at one person who went as... well, pretty much the most powerful character of the most powered up franchise imaginable!

[[ Could Have Been Real ]]: By Albedo. Original Summary: We've heard a bit about those affected by the curse at Kublai Con.
Here's a tale about one who wasn't affected...

[[ The Latex Vixen ]]: By James S. Cole. An AMAZING STORY about a peek at one person's first step in starting a new life.

{{author page}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Alex Warlorn}}

Talk:Three Minds 2.0

2011-05-27T06:55:46Z

Alex Warlorn:

What was he using to pretend was his ship before the change hit?

--[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 10:29, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

Good question. It was going to be the pendant, but that was superseded by the other use. I was going for the whole 'essential part of the character excuse for the ship.'[[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 10:32, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

I have been going through other stories regularly for plot tie ins and so forth. You mentioned somewhere about running into GNE. I found a section of that story that kind of covers Johara I think;
''She also suspected there of being at least one person changed so that they could alter reality at quite a fundamental level (almost the power of a god or goddess?), and people equipped with magical and technological artefacts of immense power. But, so far she couldn't pin-down exactly who or what they all might be.'' Which fits how Johara's magic system works. :)[[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 10:46, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

Remember the poor poor angel fish character from The End? Water would be a vital part of their character but they didn't get any and died.
--[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 04:22, 20 May 2011 (UTC)

I edited the first chapter to include ship models and a book model. That should fix that problem. The Dancer is just too important for were I want to take the story. This is a pretty flexible setting though and it wont break so I am satisfied. [[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 07:07, 20 May 2011 (UTC)

There are currently three 'homes' for Xanadu victims as it stands now. Project X for those the government either rounded up or employed. Real Stark Enterprises or rather Eric Winters own personal retreat he's set up for victims of the event for victims who have no desire for their talents to be used or abused by those with authority. And finally Sly Fox's hotel which is meant as a safe zone for Xanadu victims who are simply too weird or strange to function within normal society. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 16:48, 20 May 2011 (UTC)

:Who is to say that there can only be 3 'homes' for victims or that any particular home has a monopoly on a particular kind of victim? There were 15,000 victims. Just 2-3% of that total would barely be noticeable and still be in the triple digits. [[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 03:05, 21 May 2011 (UTC)

Could you remove mermaids, dragons, from the list please? Unless it's a major part of your story. Dragons seem to have form a nitch for themselves in the rocky mountains. And mermaids are being covered by another author.

:I can edited it to be less specific such as just mythical creatures, but again I am not say all Dragons and all Mermaids. There is plenty of wiggle room here I think.[[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 03:05, 21 May 2011 (UTC)

"The talking garbage can agreed to come as did a giant feather duster" Sound like Sly's alley. The power of the The Script seems to guide such weirdo victims to Sly's place.

:I will be honest. I hated Sly so only read one of those stories. So I know nothing of the Script or his apartment except what you have posted. It almost sounds like you are saying that all weirdo victims Have to seek sanctuary with Sly.[[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 03:05, 21 May 2011 (UTC)

“Of course, but who said they could possibly stop me?”

A Silver-Age Superman. Green Lantern (who didn't read about the yellow weakness or need to recharge the ring before his change). Dr. Strange Sorcerer supreme. Gods of Egypt (oh yeah, haven't written that yet, never mind).

A good indication if a character is overpowered in a Urban Fantasy setting IMHO is if they couldn't be stopped if they wanted to conquer the world. Characters with this kind of power who strut their stuff come across as annoying to readers IMHO. For instance, Sly can't do ANYTHING that bends the rules of reality unless it's for the sake of humor from what I can tell.

:There are already characters in the Xanadu setting that can destroy the world. Vegeta is a prime example. GNE is another example.

Seriously, saying a line like that is ASKING for the fates to have someone stop or mess with you just to squash your ego. REMEMBER! For a story this long, it needs: conflict, struggle, or thrill. IMHO.

:Yes it is an arrogant line, but it is followed by( “I will not reveal all I can do, but let me say that even the superpowered victims of this Event would be hard pressed to stop me if I were determined to leave,” Johara replied.) Hard pressed doesn't imply impossible just really difficult. I would welcome any suggestions that could give conflict and such.[[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 03:05, 21 May 2011 (UTC)

For the record though, this IS much better than the original version in many areas.

I'll admit maybe I'm being hypocritical since MewTwo is a character I plan to write eventually, but given how much the rules changed with the introduction of steel and dark types and giving bug-types more advanced moves . . .

At any rate, just be careful. A good conflict could be simply that his magic and technology due to being from conflicting origins and interpretations of the same character CAN'T be used in tandem or in combination.

This sort of thing can work in a short story. But this is a novella. It needs something to keep the reader curiosity over what happens next and UNCERTAIN over what happens next for the reader. I don't mean random plot twists that come out of nowhere with no foreshadowing. I just mean that predictable doesn't work for longer stories. IMHO. I REALLY REALLY wish someone else could step in here so I'd know if I was filling your head with nonsense! --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 17:15, 20 May 2011 (UTC)

:Are you saying you got bored reading it? If nothing else it has gotten the attention of your inner critic lol Right now I don't know were this story will go, but it feels like I am just setting the stage it is just a slow process before things are ready for problems to crop up. Consider this: I intend to create a very secure sanctuary. As you said it practically asks for someone to mess with you. Would that not in itself created conflict? How many 'evil' types or even hero types do you think would feel it necessary just to try the defenses of the place? The lure of the magic and technology that the island would have would be very strong. Heck some nut job country could even try to nuke it. There are lots of possibilities.[[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 03:05, 21 May 2011 (UTC)

Let me read it over the weekend and I'll help if I can.--[[User:Alveric|Alveric]] 19:21, 20 May 2011 (UTC)

:I did some relatively minor editing. I made the beings that were going with me less specific in terms of species and tried to bulk up the reasons why Those particular beings were going to my sanctuary and not one of the others. [[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 13:32, 21 May 2011 (UTC)

I promised to read and make comments, here they are. First feel free to disregard anything I say. I'm an amateur like you.
Your presentation and command of the language is very good. You present a lot of complex concepts in an understandable fashion. You have a future in this.
Since you've read at least some of my stories, you know that they are more character than plot driven (if you find a plot in any of my stories let me know). So I'm going to concentrate on characterization. Johara comes across as a bit cold and humorless. That's not a bad thing, look at Spock. There is risk involved in a character like that, however. We all want people to read and enjoy what we write, it's what drives us (certainly not money). One thing that makes people want to read fiction is empathy for the characters, people must care about them. The reader must care about Johara and want her to succeed. If they do that, all else is forgiven. You should let some 'humanity' peek through Johara's reserve. It was Nimoy's skill as an actor that allowed him to do this without destroying the character's integrity. Consider it a challenge, not a flaw.
Add secondary characters. The 300 survivors who accompany Johara, provide a great opportunity. Go ahead and go into detail about what they are, if you want. Not every dragon wants to go to the Rocky Mountains, I don't have dibs on every Mer. Turn them into a community of individuals, not a single mass. There is no way all 300 will agree on becoming Kyhyce, they are, or were, human. It's hard enough getting five humans to agree on what's for dinner, let alone 300 for something as important as becoming the mothers of a lost race.
Don't worry about Johara being a Mary Sue. If the readers like her, all is forgiven. Hannah is a bit of a Mary Sue herself.
Don't worry either about me referring to Johara in the feminine. It's just a quirk of mine rather than criticism. I can't help but think of any being with a womb as feminine, even if she has man parts as well :-).
I think I'm starting to like Johara. Good luck. --[[User:Alveric|Alveric]] 16:16, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

I got tired of think of what to do with the 300 is why I just turned them all into Kyhyce lol Btw I use 'he' simply for writing convenience traditionally when a gender wasn't specified 'he' was used as a rule of thumb. That doesn't exactly apply here. Trying use the e-he, em-him, es-his, er-her, e-she, etc gets clunky and looks messy. (E rode es bike to visit es gramdma to get er some cake. E got cake for emself as well as er.) I am actually glad you noticed the Spock like effect, not that I had him in mind, unemotionally expressive was what I was going for. Calm to the point of madness lol [[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 16:42, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

Oh, thank goodness you aren't doing the e, es, er stuff. It's hard to pull off. If you're going to listen to anyone, listen to ShadowWolf. --[[User:Alveric|Alveric]] 17:58, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

== Villains and Conflict ==

Since this story is taking on a life of its own and there are something in it that are pointless without conflict as some helpful people have pointed out I am working on a villain for the setting. Mephisto seems like a good fit or something similar. Villains aren't my thing. Ideas would be appreciated.

== Editing/Critique ==

I'm just getting started on this, and I hope you have thick skin, because I don't play with words when I start digging in and providing advice on how to better a story. Anyway... Watch this space for the next day or so as I work through what you've got posted to provide you with some advice on how to better the story. -- [[User:ShadowWolf|ShadowWolf]] 16:07, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

:Feels nervous[[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 16:24, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

===First Report===

Okay, since I'm starting to get hand-cramps while writing notes about the critique long-hand I've decided to stop about halfway through the opening because it's become somewhat obvious to me that, like most new writers, you haven't fully grasped how to get a story rolling without data-dumps and similar mistakes.

So...

#) You've got a problem with repetition of sentence structure in at least the first paragraph and a problem with always referring to Sebastian by name instead of shortening it out to provide flavor and variation.
#) Instead of showing the actions and providing something that can grab and hold the attention of the reader you open with a (sorry!) poorly done data dump that lacks a proper flowing feel to it.
#) You've got the viewpoint skewed a bit - in the opening it reads closer to a third-person omniscient viewpoint but it transitions rapidly to a first-person viewpoint. This isn't always a mistake, but I'm positive it isn't what you were going for.

Now... On a whim I decided to rewrite the whole "flashback" opening you did as an example of pacing, flow and how to make a data-dump work as part of a story.

Example:

:Looking over the wonderfully crafted costume and its related clothing I smiled. Just a year ago it was nothing but a dream and circumstances seemed set to keep it that way. Economically I'd been lower-middle class (and struggling a little to maintain that level) because mental-health non-profits don't pay well - not even the Therapists like me.

:But then, one day, I'd had a couple extra dollars in my pocket and the jackpot on the lottery caught my eye. Deciding it couldn't hurt, I plunked down the cash and asked for a quick-pick. Later that night I thought I was going to have a heart-attack when the drawing happened and the numbers lined up with the ones on the ticket I'd bought. Yes - I was the sole winner (though I didn't know nobody else had won, yet) of a huge, multi-million dollar jackpot.

:No, I didn't go and immediately commission the costume on the mannikins in front of me. My first move was to donate almost a quarter of my winnings to various childrens and mental-health charities. Then I went and found the right people - Hollywood practical effects specialists and other specialists in high-grade costumes with animated features - to make my dream a reality. It had taken them months to make it and get the bugs out of the mechanical aspects of it, but it had been finished in time for me to wear it to Xanadu.

-----------

That should give you an idea of what I'm talking about as far as flavor, flow and pacing goes. And yes, it doesn't use the characters name at all - it's a first-person viewpoint - ie: from inside a characters head - and nobody uses their name in their own thoughts. (Except in specific circumstances).

Hope this helps a bit - I'll be back later with more. -- [[User:ShadowWolf|ShadowWolf]] 16:48, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

It was meant to be third person, though I admit that probably doesn't work too well for the intro. [[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 16:59, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

Considering it starts out with Three Minds, and then has to be fuse into one person. Switching from a third POV to a first POV works IMHO.
--[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 17:22, 24 May 2011 (UTC)

I agree, a POV shift at the merger is a good dramatic touch. --[[User:Alveric|Alveric]] 17:29, 24 May 2011 (UTC)

*IF* a POV Shift is going to be used, be clear about the tense both before trying it. If I can become confused by the text, then the tense isn't clear and there is work that needs to be done. Otherwise the tense-shift will confuse people and that is never a good thing. -- [[User:ShadowWolf|ShadowWolf]] 00:18, 25 May 2011 (UTC)

I just feel the shift in narrative POV really hammers home the change in identity. It's been done in Xanadu before and to good effect! --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 06:55, 27 May 2011 (UTC)

Talk:Three Minds 2.0

2011-05-24T17:22:45Z

Alex Warlorn:

Talk:Three Minds 2.0

2011-05-20T17:15:44Z

Alex Warlorn:

Talk:Three Minds 2.0

2011-05-20T16:48:46Z

Alex Warlorn:

Talk:Three Minds 2.0

2011-05-20T04:22:46Z

Alex Warlorn:

Talk:Three Minds 2.0

2011-05-19T10:29:48Z

Alex Warlorn: Created page with 'What was he using to pretend was his ship before the change hit? --~~~~'

What was he using to pretend was his ship before the change hit?

--[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 10:29, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

User talk:Alex Warlorn

2011-05-19T08:30:27Z

Alex Warlorn: /* Advice */

Welcome aboard. You may have noticed we're fixing a few things. We'll make sure your story posts are neat and tidy as you learn how the wiki works. --[[User:JonBuck|Buck]] 17:01, 20 May 2008 (EDT)

Normally I don't edit user pages without explicit permission, but since yours didn't exist yet I hope you didn't mind me moving the text from your category to [[User:Alex Warlorn]]. That page is your "home" page on Shifti where you can put descriptive stuff like that. [[User:Bryan|Bryan]] 17:46, 20 May 2008 (EDT)

I actually only joined because those two stories of mine got rejected for reasons I felt were both absurd, and other reasons that weren't explained to me until -after- the door was closed. And the profile owner the story is on has a grudge with me over me getting him to remove a line from a chapter of his that completely destroyed the character development of a character he hates, I wrote a chapter where said character evolved as a person, and his one line reverted her back to a delusional obsessive compulsive. So I had to basically use harsh methods to get him to remove the line, and he's never forgiven me it seems. So I felt I had to post them somewhere. 21 May 2008 [[User:Alex Warlorn]]

== Copyright Concerns ==

The people who run Shifti do not have the money to face a copyright suit and your recent uploads of numerous Xanadu stories that you could not find the authors of is worrying. I do know that 'Liquid Courage' was written by Ed Beccerra (I hope I got his name spelled correctly) but beyond that I am in the dark as much as anyone. When it comes to copyrights we are very particular and if any complaints arrive the stories will be pulled without any hesitation. In the future please be even more careful about things like copyright. -- [[User:ShadowWolf|ShadowWolf]] 16:14, 22 August 2009 (UTC)

" 'Liquid Courage' was written by Ed Beccerra" just going by the by-line that included in the story. -Warlorn, August 22 09

:Would it be possible for you to contact the original authors for permission to post these here? If they're up on the net elsewhere, perhaps consider using external links instead of posting the content here if you can't get permission. [[User:Bryan|Bryan]] 06:03, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

I posted these stories here BECAUSE the websites they were on no longer exist! They were deleted by a hacker who left a comic book character showing the finger. And I contacted what authors I could and indeed got their permission. -- Warlorn Sept 3 2009

:Well, that's a good start. Which ones were you able to contact? Also, where's the hacked site? Perhaps we can contact the site admin and get it fixed. [[User:Bryan|Bryan]] 14:11, 3 September 2009 (UTC)
:: It sounds like what you're describing is the literary equivalent of "abandonware" software -- a work that is covered by copyright, but where the copyright owner can no longer be found, and where the work is no longer in publication (and thus cannot easily be obtained in a strictly legal way). If you look around the net, you'll find a number of abandonware sites. And if you look at them, you'll find that they tend to share a number of common characteristics: they tend to be kept separate from sites that carry more conventional types of copyrighted works; they tend to be very careful to explain what they do, and to describe how they determine that the software is really "abandoned"; they have a very clear mechanism through which someone who claims to be a copyright holder can object; and it is not uncommon that they run into legal problems anyway. Personally, I think that preserving abandoned works like this is a great thing to do. If you were to set up a site to preserve abandoned fiction of this sort, and take the risk involved in doing so, I would cheer you on. But it really needs to be separate from a more conventional site like Shifti -- think about how bad it would be if a legal problem forced all of Shifti to be taken down. [[User:Phaedrus|Phaedrus]] 16:56, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

:::In this case it is rather easy to prove "abandonment" because the content in question was never offered anywhere except the net. If the canonical location is no longer available - for any reason other than the creator removing the site - then it is believable that the work has been "abandoned". Alex says that he has contacted most of the authors and has not provided any reason to not believe said claim. So in lieu of such proof that the authors did not grant permission for their works to be posted on Shifti, they can remain. However... As I've said before, the moment a copyright claim comes in, we shall respond. (In light of a recent court case I'm tempted to remove these works immediately without proof of a grant of rights... Because just knowing that the works are copyright and there might be a problem is, apparently, enough to vacate the 'Safe Harbor' provisions.) -- [[User:ShadowWolf|ShadowWolf]] 17:26, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

:::Yeah, I'm not in a tearing great rush to take these down either. However, it's probably best to try to address these issues as promptly and thoroughly as possible anyway - hence my request for a list of the ones that are already "confirmed authorized", so we can stop worrying about those ones already and just focus on the remainder. As ShadowWolf points out, the current state of copyright law technically puts us in a bit of a precarious situation with the rest, but in practical terms I really don't expect any serious trouble while we sort this out.
:::As an alternative, should the need arise - how about checking the [http://www.archive.org/index.php Internet Archive] to see if they've got a copy of the stories in question? Even with the original site down, we could still provide an external link to the archived copy there. Archive.org seems like a good substitute for a full-blown "abandonware fiction" site if one doesn't currently exist. [[User:Bryan|Bryan]] 00:07, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

== Advice ==

I took your advice and began the editing process on Three Minds. The original version is still on my user page, but the new version is the one linked to the Xanadu category. Only chapter one is done so far. [[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 07:20, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

Remember above everything that this is YOUR STORY. What I give you is just that -ADVICE!- If you try to please everyone you will please no one. Don't take what I say on blind faith, but be sure to THINK about it. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 08:20, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

I did trust me. I recognized the problem, but hadn't put it into words. There were also inconsistencies and such that needed fixing. I think my changes will make for a better story.[[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 08:24, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

Btw the changes only really begin after the merge if you want to reread the story as it is being rewritten. I should probably point out the reason that I am so agreeable to making changes is that the story wasn't even edited. I wrote it all in a huge burst and posted it without even rereading, which is horrible writer behavior I know lol [[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 08:28, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

I pretty much do that constantly. --[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 08:30, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

Talk:Three Minds

2011-05-19T08:26:56Z

Alex Warlorn:

This is what I hope is the beginning of a new story arc. I have been thinking about this story since I have read every story in the setting. I hope it fits and people like it. I will continue if people find it interesting.

:This story is being written in one giant inspirational burst over the past few days. Please look over grammatical, spelling, and other errors. I am posting it unedited. Also to those authors whose characters are included in the story please forgive me for not asking permission to use them. Please post any comments, questions, or concerns. Thanks and enjoy! [[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 11:31, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

Interesting story. Well presented. Your protagonist is so powerful, it will be difficult to find a suitable anagonist. --[[User:Alveric|Alveric]] 15:57, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

:Sadly I haven't even gotten to a good antagonist yet. I am mainly getting a bunch of ideas out that have been floating in my head for years and Xanadu gives me a good spring board for them. I will likely to try and come up with situations that require subtly not brute force. [[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 16:00, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure the rules say pretty clearly that while finding a reverse is perfectly possible, it SHOULD NOT be readily available and/or publicly accessible, but something the victim has to WORK FOR to achieve. Also, I hate to say this dude. But your character comes across like a Mary Sue. And we've seen some of those in the Xanadu verse already. Even his mental changes feels like how a Mary Sue would do so, without losing ANYTHING from any three identities, only gain gain gain. It's overwhelmingly clear how excited and charged up you are about your character, given how you dedicated an entire entry page just to the details of the costume character's story verse self. But you've got to realize that a story is based on struggle, or conflict, or charged emotions or thrills. While I enjoyed the details of leading up to the transformation, I can't help but feel that once that was done the story felt like 'I am awesome' post over and over. I can appreciate that, it's what every writer wants in any story setting they march into: set right what is wrong and stake out their claim, I should know, I'll confess I've done MUCH the same with some of my stuff. But remember what killed 'No More Fakes' verse was the stories becoming too interconnected. When this series was made, this was taken into account when the story was set up. In short, your prolificness is to be admired and aspired to, your love of detail mirrors my own like a twin, but your character adapts to being three persona merged into one identity way too easily, and doesn't seem to know -meaningful- failure or have any -meaningful short comings. I guess given his origin that's bound to happen, being the spawn of an ideal persona, but it doesn't make for a fun story. And given their similar attitudes and natures, I'm surprised he hasn't run into godlike techno super-genie GNE at any point here. Please take what I say with maturity and with decency. This is not intended as a personal attack nor an attack on your value as a writer. This is intended to HELP you mature and evolve as a writer NOT discourage you from writing.

--Alex Warlorn
--[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 00:47, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

:Very good advice. I have been thinking myself that I have been borrowing from other stories too much. Particularly the Dr.Quest appearances. I am not sure how many Xanadu stories he appears in now. GNE and Quest Moments for sure. It is almost a shame though as I planned on having Mr. Drabney from Quest Moments turned into a female bulldog lol Writing is not really my thing. This is really just an expression of a personal fantasy. I had never even heard of the Mary Sue concept. LOL I did look it up and find a 'test' Johara scored twice the 'Kill it Dead' now rate of 50+ at 111 lol I agree that it needs work to make it more palatable. Back to the drawing board or in my case Paint lol [[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 06:12, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

Nothing wrong with the appearance of Dr. Quest/Sands. He's become a bit of a staple it seems for some stories. And I went and had a character secretly turn the miserable Barney into a Stranger as a mercy kill after Project X was founded for crying out loud! I REALLY WISH the guys more in charge of the series than me could give better advice!!! And there's nothing wrong with Mary Sues as long as they're DONE RIGHT! Weather GNE for example succeeds at this or not is up for grabs. And Mary Sue herself is mentioned as being one of the costumed characters at Xanadu herself. Seriously I wish the big boys would say something.

--[[User:Alex Warlorn|Alex Warlorn]] 08:26, 19 May 2011 (UTC)

User talk:Alex Warlorn

2011-05-19T08:20:51Z

Alex Warlorn: /* Advice */

Talk:Three Minds

2011-05-19T00:47:48Z

Alex Warlorn: deconstruction

List of Xanadu characters.

2011-05-17T16:27:22Z

Alex Warlorn:

[[Category:Xanadu]]
{{universe|Xanadu}}

Stranger Status refers to how much a costumer has become their new self and the loss of their old self. However, due to the nebulous nature of minds, anything besides 0% and 100% are often open sliding in either direction.

Major and Minor Characters That Appear in Alex Warlorn's Xanadu Stories

* Aexorn- A Quarut type Inevitable. A type of extra dimensional clock work being with an hour glass for a face. A creature from the Dungeons and Dragons expanded universe. They exist for the sole purpose of insuring the time space continuum remains whole and is not altered or revised and trap those who attempt to violate time/space in spheres of nearly utterly slowed time. They gain emotions and personality as time passes, making it necessary to reset their memories at the forge they were created from time to time. Aexorn ultimately deduces it's origin but does not prevent himself from entering the con with his brother at Xanadu since this would disrupt the timeline. He observed the entire day of the Curse from a distance to insure no one attempted to use the curse and time travel to create more victims or attempted to prevent the incident entirely.
* Mi'chelwarorn. A silver dragon, who was the brother of Aexorn's Previous. Like many dragons he ultimately settles in the Rocky Mountains. After deducing his old identity he pretended to remember his Previous as to spare his parents grief. And has promised to visit them every Christmas.
* Mr. Mixelplix, a person went to Xanadu as the 5th Dimensional Imp from the Superman comics. He is fully himself but went mad from the god like power at his finger tips and was thrown into an far off alternate universe by the combined effort of Aexorn and others. He was originally going to go to the convention as Tails The Fox from the Sonic Hedgehog franchise and apparently had an emotional relationship with a Xanadu victim who had gone as Blaze The Cat who felt a confusing moment of sorrow at his dismissal.
* Molly Hale, a character from the third Pokemon movie. She had no control over her reality warping powers that was turning everything around her in a broom closet to crystal. She was either was separated from or was deluded in thinking that she was separated from her 'Mama' and Papa.' Aexon trapped her in a bubble of slowed time without hesitation or question to prevent her from damaging reality with her power.
*An unknown person who went as a diapered infant anthro raccoon. Kept intelligence but Stranger status is unknown. Was one of Mixelplix's victims before being returned to 'normal.' (IE original cursed form).
*An unknown person who went as a dyrad. Harassed by Mr. Mixelplix. Stranger status unknown.
* NOT Captain Jack Sparrow. Nuff said.
*Vulcan, Terpaline, female. Stranger. Possibly the same one who helped 'Bagman' but this is unknown. Encountered and for a short time wandered Xanadu with Aexorn.
* Blaze The Cat from Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Stranger. Was harassed by Mr. Mixelplix and knew his Previous before the change and was confused by her own sadness at his dismissal.
* Dr. Who. Incarnation unknown. Has a fully working TARDIS. Observed day of the curse with Aexorn but did not prevent to stop his Previous from Attending.
* Jack/Jackie. Complete Stranger. A slobbish man with a love for costumes. Went as a perky Cat Girl Maid and acted flawlessly in character (possibly a candidate for the secret 'best in character' reward) on a bet for an XBox360. Can clean just anything and everything perfectly though she has no actual super natural ability. Is taken care of by her family. She got the X-Box from her friends but only touches it to dust it.
* Zefie, central character to Dot Hack//Xanadu and character from the franchise '.hack//Dusk.' Original name Lisa. A Stranger but has pieced together his previous existence. She Neutralized two Men in the Black in self defense who were attempting to do the same to her. Nearly anyone she interacts with becomes their favorite hero and/or a central character to her Quest to return home.
* Aura, central character from .hack// franchise. Original name Marica. Not a Xanadu attendee, but the mother of Lisa who went as Zefie. When Zefie explained the full course of her adventure to her mother Marcia, Lisa's mother transformed into Zefie's mother Aura. She considers herself the goddess of The World (the original on-line game world from the franchise), not the world. She transformed her home town into a twin of the city Mac Anu from the franchise and had the town's name legally changed.
* The Care Bears. A group of kidnappers who went as the Care Bears Tender Hearts, Grumpy, Wish Bear, and Cheer Bear. They remember nothing, and know nothing of their Previous' and are ignorant of their Xanadu status. Becoming Complete Strangers after their change, they provided behind the scenes support to several victims before leaving to avoid the immediate public eye. Unable to find Care-a-lot after converting their truck into a cloud-mobile, they decided to recreate it from scratch and have since begun a missionary mercy service with an open recruitment drive.

List of Xanadu characters.

2011-05-17T16:25:30Z

Alex Warlorn:

Stranger Status refers to how much a costumer has become their new self and the loss of their old self. However, due to the nebulous nature of minds, anything besides 0% and 100% are often open sliding in either direction.

Major and Minor Characters That Appear in Alex Warlorn's Xanadu Stories

* Aexorn- A Quarut type Inevitable. A type of extra dimensional clock work being with an hour glass for a face. A creature from the Dungeons and Dragons expanded universe. They exist for the sole purpose of insuring the time space continuum remains whole and is not altered or revised and trap those who attempt to violate time/space in spheres of nearly utterly slowed time. They gain emotions and personality as time passes, making it necessary to reset their memories at the forge they were created from time to time. Aexorn ultimately deduces it's origin but does not prevent himself from entering the con with his brother at Xanadu since this would disrupt the timeline. He observed the entire day of the Curse from a distance to insure no one attempted to use the curse and time travel to create more victims or attempted to prevent the incident entirely.
* Mi'chelwarorn. A silver dragon, who was the brother of Aexorn's Previous. Like many dragons he ultimately settles in the Rocky Mountains. After deducing his old identity he pretended to remember his Previous as to spare his parents grief. And has promised to visit them every Christmas.
* Mr. Mixelplix, a person went to Xanadu as the 5th Dimensional Imp from the Superman comics. He is fully himself but went mad from the god like power at his finger tips and was thrown into an far off alternate universe by the combined effort of Aexorn and others. He was originally going to go to the convention as Tails The Fox from the Sonic Hedgehog franchise and apparently had an emotional relationship with a Xanadu victim who had gone as Blaze The Cat who felt a confusing moment of sorrow at his dismissal.
* Molly Hale, a character from the third Pokemon movie. She had no control over her reality warping powers that was turning everything around her in a broom closet to crystal. She was either was separated from or was deluded in thinking that she was separated from her 'Mama' and Papa.' Aexon trapped her in a bubble of slowed time without hesitation or question to prevent her from damaging reality with her power.
*An unknown person who went as a diapered infant anthro raccoon. Kept intelligence but Stranger status is unknown. Was one of Mixelplix's victims before being returned to 'normal.' (IE original cursed form).
*An unknown person who went as a dyrad. Harassed by Mr. Mixelplix. Stranger status unknown.
* NOT Captain Jack Sparrow. Nuff said.
*Vulcan, Terpaline, female. Stranger. Possibly the same one who helped 'Bagman' but this is unknown. Encountered and for a short time wandered Xanadu with Aexorn.
* Blaze The Cat from Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Stranger. Was harassed by Mr. Mixelplix and knew his Previous before the change and was confused by her own sadness at his dismissal.
* Dr. Who. Incarnation unknown. Has a fully working TARDIS. Observed day of the curse with Aexorn but did not prevent to stop his Previous from Attending.
* Jack/Jackie. Complete Stranger. A slobbish man with a love for costumes. Went as a perky Cat Girl Maid and acted flawlessly in character (possibly a candidate for the secret 'best in character' reward) on a bet for an XBox360. Can clean just anything and everything perfectly though she has no actual super natural ability. Is taken care of by her family. She got the X-Box from her friends but only touches it to dust it.
* Zefie, central character to Dot Hack//Xanadu and character from the franchise '.hack//Dusk.' Original name Lisa. A Stranger but has pieced together his previous existence. She Neutralized two Men in the Black in self defense who were attempting to do the same to her. Nearly anyone she interacts with becomes their favorite hero and/or a central character to her Quest to return home.
* Aura, central character from .hack// franchise. Original name Marica. Not a Xanadu attendee, but the mother of Lisa who went as Zefie. When Zefie explained the full course of her adventure to her mother Marcia, Lisa's mother transformed into Zefie's mother Aura. She considers herself the goddess of The World (the original on-line game world from the franchise), not the world. She transformed her home town into a twin of the city Mac Anu from the franchise and had the town's name legally changed.
* The Care Bears. A group of kidnappers who went as the Care Bears Tender Hearts, Grumpy, Wish Bear, and Cheer Bear. They remember nothing, and know nothing of their Previous' and are ignorant of their Xanadu status. Becoming Complete Strangers after their change, they provided behind the scenes support to several victims before leaving to avoid the immediate public eye. Unable to find Care-a-lot after converting their truck into a cloud-mobile, they decided to recreate it from scratch and have since begun a missionary mercy service with an open recruitment drive.

List of Xanadu characters.

2011-05-17T16:25:13Z

Alex Warlorn: good luck putting this back together

User:Alex Warlorn

2011-05-17T16:18:31Z

Alex Warlorn: This list got deleted from Shifti before. Let's see if we can put it back together again.

[[Wicked Roots]]: The request by lore1138 ... Lucy wants more, well, Halloween in Halloween! Beware!

Alex Warlorn's transformation fanfictions.

THOUGH THE MONITOR--

[[Through The Monitor Rings Around The Roses]]: Couple who went through a TG along with their TF into Sonic like characters reflect on how they met in their new history.

[[Through The Monitor Rings Bundle Of Roses]]: Jane Brownson became Amy Rose a year ago and went to the world of Sonic The Hedgehog, can her family join her? Those in control don't want them to, but not all of those who enforce that control agree.

[[JT Fox's Sly and Tracy At the Bus Stop]]: A short story totally by JT Fox I'm posting with his permission. Tracy is a girl who wants to write a interesting story, and she happens upon the Xanadu victim Sly Fox whose more than willing to give her the inspiration she needs.

[[The Care Bear Caper!]]: A group of kidnappers come up with the perfect disguise to capture Eric Winters and hold him for ransom, then comes along new beginnings.

[[ A Cat Girl Maid's Bet ]]: A dude make the ultimate dare at Xanadu.

[[ Quarut ]]: Someone went to Xanadu as the Dungeons and Dragons Lawful Netural Outsider charged with the consistency of Time and cause and effect.

[[ Dot Hack// Xanadu ]] My favorite out of the Xanadu I've done. After missing for week's after Xanadu, an sacrilegious woman's child shows up on her door step, having become what her mother detests and with the ultimate hero's journey to share. Based on the .hack// franchise.

[[ Errand of Mercy ]] One Xanadu victim/kingdom hearts character commits an all out stealth assault on Project X in the name of compassion. Contains plenty of cameos.

[[ Empathy ]] Written over the space of two hours. A short look into another 'social group' born from Xanadu. A short story Inspired by a off handed commented in the Fem-Troopers saga and a web page article I read on the nature of humanity. If you like cat-girls you'll like this.

[[ List of Xanadu characters. ]] This list got deleted from Shifti before. Let's see if we can put it back together again.

XANADU RESCUE ARCHIVE! These stories are not mine, but they also have no by-lines or the author is unreachable, and they are also fundamental parts of the Xanadu verse in their own right. If the original author contacts me and tells me to cease and desist, I shall do so.

[[ Ami's Song ]]: Not Mine! The most in-depth and character driven Xanadu story I've ever seen, and takes the most original and personal view on the mental changes of those at Xanadu, there are those who were erased, those who struggle with new instincts, some even have split personas, but what if one Sailor Moon cosplayer found something else?

[[ Quest Moments ]]: by SKJAM! Not Mine! No two ways about it, Xanadu changed the world, but civilization must go on, and that means picking up the pieces with the help of those changed.

[[ Captain's Tale ]]: Not Mine! For a twist of personal irony, a japanese cosplayer goes as the legendary Captain America to Xanadu, and now must help the various other heroes resulting from Xanadu getting their heads together along with many other 'refugees.'

[[Liquid Courage ]]: Not Mine! By Robert Haynie. The man who went to Xanadu as the Invincible Iron Man, and his joint venture with Eric Winters in keeping those changed by Xanadu from being exploited by those with authority.

[[ Pokemon Master ]]: by James Cole. Not Mine! A tragic tale of one lad who lost everything at Xanadu and then lost everything again, will his original's family accept him? (SPOILERS I can think of some clever ways to revive the extinct pokemon using MewTwo but who knows?)

[[ The Prince of All Sayajin ]]: Not Mine! By Robert Haynie. A companion story to his Liquid Courage tale, a closer look at one person who went as... well, pretty much the most powerful character of the most powered up franchise imaginable!

[[ Could Have Been Real ]]: By Albedo. Original Summary: We've heard a bit about those affected by the curse at Kublai Con.
Here's a tale about one who wasn't affected...

[[ The Latex Vixen ]]: By James S. Cole. An AMAZING STORY about a peek at one person's first step in starting a new life.

{{author page}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Alex Warlorn}}

Empathy

2011-05-17T16:13:39Z

Alex Warlorn: added ending

{{byline|author=Alex Warlorn|user=Alex Warlorn}}
[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Alex Warlorn]] [[Category:Mental_change]] {{universe|Xanadu}} [[Category:Anthropomorphic]]
[[Category:Magic]] [[Category:Xanadu]]

Empathy

"Hello, and Welcome to the Cat Girl Maids Fellowship or The Sisterhood as some of the sensationalists like to call us. My name is Éponine and it's wonderful to finally meet you.

Okay, I guess Cat GIRL Maid Fellowship and 'Sisterhood' ARE just catchy names. We do have cat boys in our group too dear Aliza. We didn't at first, but then they started popping up when our social group hit the three digit mark last year.

Why did cat-boys show up then? Anna, and Julie supposed it was due to if accidents happen, and they do, we'd need to reproduce somehow and the 'curse' of Xanadu had to accommodate that.

Nope, those -aren't- the names of any anime character cat girls and they aren't Japanese, that's one of the stereotypes that the media stapled us with after the Fem-Trooper was finally contained and controlled and they needed a new 'evil cult' born from Xanadu to fill the niche in the sensationalist reports... you think after Xanadu sensationalizing anything would be pointless.

Yes yes! I know! The 'maid' thing can be considered just a name too! We were trying to be cool! Merle thought I'd be best to do the PR with possible members Aliza because I'm not all that threatening, can be taken seriously, and am I look the part of our name. Yes Merle is the name of an anime cat girl and that's her, ever seen Escaflowne? No? Too bad, good show!

Yes, some of us are nudists, and not just the ones who have fur covering their entire bodies. There are also 'Felicia' types who wear clothes, and 'Kemonomimi' type who go around naked. And there are 'full-anthros' who go around in just a thinly disguised bikini just because they can. ... Yes, those cat boys I mentioned? Some do it too Eliza...

Why do I keep calling you by your first name? If you read our website before coming here instead of coming here on a dare from your friends or looking for the latest hottest scoop... yes we did have a nice interview by the Newshound Brothers from TOONTV... don't ask me why toons aren't considered a threat to the continued existence of humanity while we are... okay, maybe the all powerful Disney and Warner Brothers has something to do with it...

Oh right! Sorry! As for why I'm so personal Eliza, like it says on our website's front page, the fact is: I already think of you as family. You can stop looking, you don't have ears or a tail yet. Yes, we -could- do it that way but look at what that got zombies, vampires, and werewolves. We'd rather NOT be marked as some infectious plague.

Yes, that's the -big- question. -Why- do I think of you as family Eliza? Like a sister? Someone I've loved from the day you were born? Yes, it IS scary, but please let say my case on behalf of the rest of my family. No, the door isn't locked, but I do hope you'll have an open mind and let me have my say.

You will? Thank you. Anna and Julie themselves, they're our resident science nerds by the way, did some theories and research, and it all came back to our founding member Neko, no, heheheh, she didn't have much imagination in that department! Her original's costume was a stereotypical Japanese School Girl outfit, pink hair, pink ears and tail, widdle fangs, and yes, even colored bright blue contacts. Neko put a fair amount of effort into herself actually, okay, maybe not, but the costume was decent, and she really knew how to play her part! She was supposed to be a Mary Sue like magical princess but she hadn't gotten that far in the design when the Event happened.

I was about to get to that. What does this have to do with me thinking of you like family Eliza? I'll give it to you straight. It's not just you. It's your parents, your classmates, your co-workers, people you hit bumper to bumper with on the way to work? I love them too.

You see, Neko, being more than a little on the idealistic side and not being what many would call 'realistic' had one detail of her character down pat, and played it fully. That detail was taken by the change at Xanadu and run to it's logical conclusion. Yes I'm building dramatic tension, sorry Eliza. That detail was that, 'Neko loves everybody!'

You see... there is a limit to how many people a human being can empathize with before they break them down into bite sized categories for their brains to process. Supposedly it's around a hundred a fifty, but I don't know weather to believe that or not. Neko? And all of us? We don't HAVE that limit! And it goes beyond that too! I could tell you the name and description every member of my family here, and the family I was born into into perfect detail. I don't mean just my parents, I mean my aunts, uncles, grand-parents, great-grandparents, cousins, second cousins, third cousins, nieces, nephews, and on and on.

You remember the Tsunami that struck India? The one the super heroes were all on in seconds? The people who died? I could tell you names of each and every one of them! And the names of all their families too! I-I'm sorry it's...just I... sorry. I don't like thinking about their deaths. It doesn't matter if they were cat girls or not, they were family too.

Huh? Oh right. Neko. After the change hit, she suffered the hardest deconstruction of a fantasy motif ever... She took one look at all the panicking people around her, and with no ESP, she was thunderstruck when she realized she could comprehend the point of view, and the position, and the the starring role: their -lives- of every single one of them as they panicked. Some born to the world that very instant and confused and scared, others now in bodies not their own and panicking and terrified, others now slaves to base instincts like Davis Daleson. Whose that? He was a zombie that was had to be put down during the event... Did you just think about his family? His little brother who was supposed to go with them as Dracula but was grounded for putting glue on his teacher's glasses? I did.

Overwhelming? For Neko? That's putting it mildly. No, that's downplaying it to absurd levels. And that comprehension was growing as she stared. She fell to her knees, held her head and -screamed-. Anne and Julie aren't sure if Neko's immortal or weather Magical Girl protagonists just don't die in situations like that. But she somehow avoided being trampled by the on coming stampede.

Yes, we have very good relationships with the Crystal Tokyo Party, and ... as the media dubbed them the 'Magical Girl Squad' ... really they're just a support group for girls who suddenly find themselves able to change into cute costumes and do magic along with a base desire to help and protect others...

Neko however as I said hadn't gotten that far in her costume's character yet. So she was an open ended book. And the variables she had inserted into herself like I said ran to their logical conclusion.

She wandered off in a daze, very confused, very scared, and without even being near a person she felt them. Finally when she reached the paramedics and the police, she fell into a coma. Anna and Julie have concluded now that her brain was still rewiring itself, fixing itself so that it could take Neko's description of herself and make it reality as ALL at Xanadu have become.

She was in that coma for months. No, we don't go through the same thing, Anna and Julie think it's due to some magical balancing force, I think it's due to us just having those willing to support all of us now.

When Neko came out of her coma, of course her family was overjoyed to have her back. While she remembered each and every one of them, again due to not having all the details of herself down when the change happened, she was calmer, peaceful, benign, kind hearted without being intrusive. I suppose you could say if her falling into a coma was a deconstruction of a Mary Sue's 'loves everybody' trait then we coming out was a reconstruction.

They did CAT scans on her, yes I heard the joke before moving on. And they saw her brain structure had completely rewired itself. They weren't sure how to even categorize it!

Even Neko isn't sure how she was able to do what came next when she finally went home with her family. Personally? I think it's due to the simple logic that 'loves is meant to be shared' and of course 'if love is forced, it isn't love.' Once at home, her family changed... her little brother become a little sister anime orange-red style cat girl in a ballerina outfit. Her parents became a pair of 'in the fur' cat girl twins with complimenting colors. And they weren't scared, they were surprised, and decidedly confused, but they weren't angry or terrified.

They almost fell into the same coma as Neko had, but I guess there being more than one of us at that point kept that from happening.

Of course they all had to get new ID. But after Xanadu that had become less of a problem. And of course they had to convince neighbors worried about very real and very dangerous werewolves and vampires that they weren't out to turn people into identical, identity-less zombie slaves.

Things went surprisingly relatively smoothly after that. There weren't any lynch mobs, and we had only about two people wanting to 'contain' Neko and her family for being 'perky versions of zombies.'

Yes we keep our individual tastes and preferences thank you very much.

And Neko and the rest of her family basically took in new members from there. How does the whole 'new membership' thing even work? You really didn't read the website or our brochure.

We're all pretty sure that the person makes the choice themselves, subconsciously. On weather or not they want to open themselves up to the rest of the world and not to be afraid to care about everyone else too. And to take 'everyone else' to it's actual conclusion and not just where it's convenient.

Yeah... it can get tiring... but that's what you have a family for, to support you when you tumble or fall, or that's what I and my family believes.

Okay, I'll admit, the whole 'turn into a new species and zap my gender' thing WOULD turn a lot of people off, and I'm guessing it likely does, but it's how Xanadu had things go, and so we have to sail the ship given us.

So Eliza let me ask: do you have to accept that the seven billion people in the world are all as much an individual person as you are? And that there is no person named 'People'? And there is no 'Them' or 'Us?' "

Eliza gracefully stood up, waving her black furred tail behind her. She smoothed out the creases in her gray and white maid's dress. Her black ears twitched through her blond hair, and her red eyes looked happily at Éponine.

"Yes sis', I think I can."

Éponine cheered, "Welcome to the family Eliza!" The two hugged.

Category talk:Xanadu

2011-05-16T05:12:14Z

Alex Warlorn:

Hmm, any idea why my three new stories I've personally written haven't appeared in the category section? -- Alex Warlorn August 25 2009

:You need to create a category: Xanadu tag. The universe template simply displays the puzzle piece picture in the upper corner. --[[User:Lloyd Brunnel|Lloyd Brunnel]] 23:27, 25 August 2009 (UTC)

THEY DO! -- Alex Warlorn 25 August 2009

{{Green|No need to shout.}} --[[User:Concerned Reader|Concerned Reader]] 03:20, 26 August 2009 (UTC)

As shown by recent edits I've done, they did not contain the Xanadu category. I'll add the tag to the others that carry your byline, Alex, but I'll leave the exercise of adding it to the others up to you. -- [[User:ShadowWolf|ShadowWolf]] 12:09, 26 August 2009 (UTC)

I've noticed Empathy and Errand of Mercy were removed from the Xanadu archive. Can I ask why they were? Alex Warlorn 2011 January 20th

:I am really fond of the Xanadu setting. I recently posted a story in it. I am working on a continuation of the story, but it involves some big events. Not setting breaking in my opinion, but enough that I wanted to ask for permission/advice. I want my story character to welll uhmmm Purchase the Death Valley National Park and turn it into a sanctuary for Xanadu victims among other things. Is this too big of an event for the setting?[[User:JoharaGuardian|JoharaGuardian]] 02:18, 16 May 2011 (UTC)

Eric Winters and Project X respectively handle that IMHO (for those who do and don't want their talents at the government's service). I'm not the originator of the series so I can't say with absolute. Though it does feel kinda over the top. And Sly Fox himself rents out his apartments for free for Xanadu victim simply too weird to function in society. -- 2011 May 15

Talk:Mermaids of Xanadu

2011-05-12T01:32:38Z

Alex Warlorn: ways to grant a wish

Talk:Wynd, Skye and One White Mouse

2011-03-28T22:24:19Z

Alex Warlorn:

I was planning on giving the Xanadu thing a rest for a while and work on a non Kubla Con TF story that's been floating in my brain, however, the characters don't seem to want to be let go of just yet.

Alveric

:Just had a read-through and it looks like a fun set of characters to have an adventure with; each of them has complementary abilities and limitations. It's a well-described introduction to them. Of course, now comes the hard part - the adventure itself. Looking forward to seeing what you've got in mind for that. [[User:Bryan|Bryan]] 08:44, 1 March 2011 (UTC)

I'm still not entirely sure where this is going, but I thought Alex, Hannah, the Jedi and the (former?)employees of Darknight Books could help reunite Skye with her siblings (Hannah could use the Vulcan mind meld to restore Wynd's memory, for example) and in turn they could help Hannah and Alex, who get kidnapped by an evil entity who wants its own Jedi knight.

Alveric

What I want to know is, how could ANY little boy with ample imagination NOT become their character in mind when the transformation hit?
Alex Warlorn, 15:23, 28 March 2011 (PST)

Talk:Wynd, Skye and One White Mouse

2011-03-28T22:24:02Z

Alex Warlorn:

Talk:Delivery Guy

2011-01-28T04:18:51Z

Alex Warlorn: Created page with 'I don't get how the guy was in costume for the change to happen. Alex Warlorn 2011 January 27th 8:18 PST'

I don't get how the guy was in costume for the change to happen. Alex Warlorn 2011 January 27th 8:18 PST

Errand of Mercy

2011-01-21T17:11:25Z

Alex Warlorn:

{{byline|author=Alex Warlorn|user=Alex Warlorn}}
[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Alex Warlorn]] [[Category:Mental_change]] {{universe|Xanadu}} [[Category:Anthropomorphic]]
[[Category:Magic]] [[Category:Xanadu]]

Author's note: Yes the boxed text is on purpose.

"This place sure wasn't easy to find." Riku, whose name once upon a time had been Rick commented to himself out loud. Of course it wasn't, not after one too many super villains had attempted to raid the place, and having the world's super heroes just squatting here perpetually acting as guard dogs was non-cost effective of their talents. So of course Project X had decided to become more obscure in it's location.

Riku considered that he might have needed help with this one, but he couldn't risk telling Kairi or Sora, he knew how they'd respond. His fellow keyblade masters didn't always approve his methods. And Riku -knew- how Mickey would have responded.

'Sorry guys, but this is just something that just needs to be done.' Riku sighed. Sora, whose name once upon a time had been Seth he was told, would think he was letting the Darkness warp his thinking again like it had soon after they had first come to this world.

Riku thought back to that day, it had been bedlam of course, with Riku and his friends adding to and honestly just trying to escape it the same as everyone else. Riku wondered where that crazy stampede had thought it was running to after Eric Winters had become Raven The Trickster.

Riku just hoped no one Previous had gone to the original Xanadu as XION! The character from the franchise's bridge story who existence had been erased from the memories of the cast after her death.

Riku shook his head, 'Okay, enough exposition for now, time to get to work.' Riku of course had been the first to realize what his keyblade could do, what their keyblades could do, it was actually rather logical when you stopped and thought about it.

Sneak into the Project X Compound Without Being Seen

'Do those scroll messages have to always be so obvious?'

Of course Riku wasn't dealing with just twentieth century security here, but with technology from Star Wars to Star Trek to magical defenses he'd be doomed to guess at. Not that he was about to let that stop him. Of course it had HAD to be raining.

Riku felt a bit theatrical wearing an Organization XIII raincoat with the hood up: but it did it's job of keeping his face hidden regardless of what angle or how close an on-looker was. This wouldn't make it impossible to identify him via detective work, but it would be infinitely harder, in particular with people always seeking to backwards engineer one magical item or another.

With his appearance effective hidden, Riku ran, faster than any human being should have been able to, avoiding the cameras hidden in the trees.

He silently willed his keyblade into existence just long enough to get the first electric chain-link fence open, -without- setting off any alarms, and stepping inside, then using it again to take care of the mystic barrier surrounding the building a few feet closer.

The human security was going to be harder, while real life bored or distracted guards did ironically act a lot like their empty headed game counter parts, there was no way in hades they were going to simply go back to what they were doing two minutes later after not seeing him for a while.

Getting over the concrete walls had been easy, getting over the concrete wall without being stopped had been much much harder. On the plus side, this group was used to all out assaults by monologuing grandstanders or clumsy attempts to the fast tract to godhood by ambitious but foolish criminals. Riku's goal and method were different from those who had tried to break into this place before.

Riku was able to guess precisely what the range of vision was for every guard who was on the grounds from soldiers to armored mecha pilots and moved accordingly.

Again Riku's keyblade proved to be a deciding factor as he avoided the first floor, and entered in through the second story window, sealing the window after he entered leaving no mark he had come the way he had.

Riku found a useful wall map that showed one tiny room in the basement marked as 'Armory' and a larger room also in the basement marked as 'Sewage treatment center.'

'Somebody's been reading the evil overlord list.' Riku thought. 'Guess the air ducts are out then.'

But unlike everyone else who had come here without an invite he wasn't here to blow this place to piece, rob it of it's treasure trove of doomsday weapons, or use it as their new evil lair.

A gruff voice next to him spoke, "Somebody's been reading the evil overlord list, guess the air ducts are out then."

A second later Riku had his hand in a gesture for a Dark Firaga, while he was looking at the barrel of a tranquilizer gun with a silencer on it.

The big man in front of him was wearing a bandanna and gray form fitting body armor, he really needed a shave.

The big guy spoke before Riku could, "Who are you?"

"Neither friend nor foe. I'm here on my own mission."

"Meh, I'm just here to blow up a Metal Gear prototype."

Riku's eyes widened, "They're still making those?"

The big man nodded, "Pst, first one, this year. I guess those lawsuits by Hideo Kojima fell through."

"I think you should know, the room marked 'sewage treatment center' and the room marked 'arsenal' are."

"Yeah yeah I know."

"Good. Do you know where the holding cells for the mentally unstable Xanadu victims are?"

"How do you think I got in here?"

"Let me guess, the guards didn't recognize your franchise?"

"Would I be standing here if I did? They thought I was from a Rambo movie."

"Ugh.. I know how that feels."

"They're on this floor since you asked."

"Thank you."

"If you'll excuse me."

"Good luck."

"Thanks, but you make your own luck."

"You got that right."

With that Riku and the big guy went off in opposite directions.

Riku entered a suspiciously spacious hallway when a girl in a brown and green japanese school uniform wearing a gold tiara walked in from the opposite end. She was humming to herself when she spotted Riku at the opposite end. "Huh? Who're you?"

"Just someone new." Riku said simply. He saw from the look on her face she didn't buy that.

She reached for a head phone set she was wearing when Riku knocked it away with a Dark Firaga.

Instead of going for the head mike she instead assumed a fighting pose, "Okay! You want a piece of me? In the name of the Earth I shall Punish You!"

Defeat Sailor Terra

'Again with the obvious.' What Riku hadn't expected was a countdown counter, apparently he had to take her out before someone else came along.

'Five minute eh? Pst. Piece of Cake.'

"Earth-Quaking!" Sailor Terra said punching the hallway floor creating a green shock wave along the ground which Riku was able to jump over.

The sword Riku drew of course wasn't his, showing his keyblade to someone would have been a dead give away once someone did some digging. It was a quest double of the legendary Himura Kenshin's reverse blade sword.

"Boulder-Smashing!" Riku hadn't expected the giant boulders to fall from the ceiling, avoiding them was more than a little tricky. If he had been normal Riku would have been squashed flat when he took a hit from one, instead he staggered and lost a good deal of health. Riku could see from the look on her face this girl seem very proud of this move.

But just because this wasn't his sword, didn't mean Riku couldn't do his own techniques. "My turn!"

With a battle cry, Riku used Dark Break, leaping up into the air and stabbing the Sailor repeatedly with the tip of the blade, and then quickly backed off.

Terra made her way to Riku and quickly began to punch and kick at hand to hand combat, not Riku's speciality. She hammered at him trying obvious to disarm him. Smart move. Riku fell backwards onto his back, and for a moment Terra was sure she had gotten him until he rushed foreword and knocked both his feet into her gut.

"Everyone has their own definition of justice." Riku said.

"Earth-Quaking!" This time she hammered her first onto the wall of the hallway, and the shock wave was doubled and lasted the entire space of the white hallway.

Riku was knocked over for real this time but was able to roll out of the way before her heel connected with his hidden face.

'Could use Dark Aura to win in one move but that would be a give away.' Riku thought.

Instead Riku used Maelstrom, spinning like a top almost, he slashed into her repeatedly.

"Boulder-Smashing!" This time Riku rolled foreword out of the way of the falling rocks from nowhere and slashed right past her.

An orange sphere appeared around her for a moment then shattered. She fell foreword to her knees, "Not.. enough.." She mumbled as her arms fell to her sides. There wasn't a mark on her, but she wouldn't be getting up and going anywhere until Riku was long gone.

The counter stopped.

Continue Search Through Project X Compound

'Yeah yeah yeah.' Riku thought as he left the hallway.

He avoided one James Bound and a mundane guard before finally getting to the hallway he wanted.

The names of course would be written on the cells in big bold letters, didn't want to accidently open up the wrong door and let out cthulhu.

Finally he came to the door he wanted. Of course it would be locked. So what? Riku discreetly took out his keyblade and opened the cell door and walked inside. He made sure his true weapon stayed out of the view of the security camera inside.

The giant purple living plush dinosaur looked at him, a dead look in his eyes, a screaming emptiness. 'Reminds me of a Nobody almost.' Riku thought.

"Hello. You're Barney right?"

"Yes! No! No-oh-oh!" The big dinosaur began crying.

"I see." Riku remembered everything he had read about this poor soul. "You're the one changed at Xanadu?"

"I wasn't even supposed to be in the costume! I wasn't supposed to be in the costume! I wasn't supposed to be in the co-co-costume! It's not fair! I was supposed to be Spider-Man but they needed an extra hand cause the guy who was supposed to be was sick! It's not fair! It's not fa-air-air!"

"Don't care much for kids eh?"

"Little brats! They won't leave me alone! If I had been the cheap purple fake costume then at least they wouldn't want me! But no! I had to be in one of the good costumes of the freak! And all the internet garbage! I hate it! IHATEIT!"

Riku thought about what he had come all the way here to do and asked, "Do you wish to die?"

The big guy looked up, "Huh?"

"Do you wish to die? Do you wish your pain to end? I can end your pain right here and right now."

Barney looked at him oddly, "What are you? A vampire? I don't want anything to do with-"

"I'm no vampire. And I'm not an nineties anti-hero. I don't whine enough anymore... I can end your suffering right here and right now. You won't have to suffer anymore of this."

"P-promise?"

"I promise. You'll never have to endure this pain again."

"You'll-you'll really kill me?"

"I came here just to offer you this choice. It's yours to make. If you say no, I'll leave. And you'll never see me again."

"I... I..."

Riku leaned against one of the padded cell walls waiting for an answer, not pushing it one way or the other.

"You're not a ring-wraith are you?"

"Can't really say." Riku answered. "Not here to turn you into an undead minion if that's what you're worried about."

"..." Barney was silent for over a minute before finally shouted, "DO IT!"

One last time. "You sure?"

"JUST DO IT!"

His weapon out of view of the cameras, Riku fired a beam of light at Barney from the tip of his sword into Barney chest.

+++++++

"And how are you feeling today Terra?" Dr. Sands asked Sailor Terra who was holding an inch pack to her head.

"Don't ask... I have to get stronger."

"Did you get a good look at him?"

"Couldn't even be sure it was a him. Guy looked like a cheap rip off of Lord of the Rings though."

'So that one wasn't Solid Snake.' "I'll contact the Nazgûl watch."

"Dr Quest! I mean Dr. Sands! You've got to see this!"

"Nene? What is it?"

"It's Barney!"

Sands looked with horror, "Oh no! Don't tell he snuck a snarp object into his cell again!"

"NO! But our other intruder last night, I think, maybe-"

"What is it-?!"

"He's gone 100%!"

"That's impossible! He must be putting on an act again or suffered a bout of dementia!"

"I've seen his play acting before and this doesn't seem like it! I've asked our vulcan to look inside his mind and she can't find a trace of his Previous anywhere!"

Sands didn't waste another 'that's impossible.' "Get him to my office at once! Prepare a full medical examination! Run over every second of the tape of his cell last night!"

"Already on it sir. But you know... it's actually kinda weird..."

"What is?"

"All this time.... I don't think I've ever seen him so," The anime girl hesitated for a moment before speak, "So happy."

~ Fin and New Beginnings