The pen is mighter than......

                        A final chapter in which this 
                       particulair character confronts 
                        himself and is confronted.


 "What the hell?" I spluttered.
 "Creepy ne?" Neil b(eard) cackled. " I'm glad I found out you had
shaved...makes this "Mirror Mirror" stuff actually mean something."
 "Hey!" I said and found myself repeating "Hey!" I found I was becoming
more irate now that the initial shock had worn off.
 "That's my idea, my routine...and you stole it!"
 "Duh," Neil b said "And I am?"
 "Ok." I conceeded. "You have a point, abet a small one."
 "Watch it buster." Neil b said. "What you say about me you say about
yourself."
 He's really got a point there I thought.
 "Alright, And I guess I can blame you for all of this."
 "I wish." Neil b replied. "No, I was just the hound that brought you to
ground. The people you have to thank are out there. Lights." He gestured
broadly whlie muttering to me "I love this stuff."
 The lights on the audience came up.
 The place was remarkably empty for it's size but there was still quite a
group.
 "Here then are those assembled who stand against you, and of course their
complaints. Those who do not speak english are aided by mini-translators
provided by BoB *prime*." 
 "Who?"
 "Your/our computer from an alternate dimension...it surprised me too."
 said in a voice ment for just me then Neil b raised his voice to
announce:
 "Robyn, Duke of Amber, Unicorn Knight and Earl of the Marches, and of
course our means of actually getting here."
 My doubious counterpart waved flamboyantly and the man mentioned stood.
Tall and leanly built in his gold-stiched green doublet and dark leggings  
Robyn smiled fox-faced, and bowed slightly. I'd always pictured him as
being more broad-shoulderd but there was no doubt it was him. On his right
hand his ring flashed crystal and gold. "I'm neutral. he grinned. "I just
thought the whole thing would be a bit of fun." 
"And of course," Neil b continued." Those who wanted you here in the first
place: Major Romanova of a yet-to-be-announced millitary orginization, My
bet's the Earth Resistance Force however. "
 A tired looking woman, her hair (an almost metalic shade of red) tied
back with a silver clip in some sort of uniform with holsterd sidearm 
stood up. 
 "I'm sick of it. Just sick. The war goes on and on but do we ever
actually see combat? No. And then we get our so-called "expert" from the
past -you in a slightly differing future. Now all I get is mind games. How
do you know who I am? How do you know my troops? I'dd like some answers."
she sat down.
 "Um...ah...well..." I stuttered.
 "Don't worry." Neil b said. "Plenty of time for that later. Now I'd like
you to meet Nene Romanova, Knight Saber, AD Police officer and 
the person who is responsible for finding out about you and acting.
 Nene was wearing her mustard jacket and seemed uncomfortable with the
attention. She fumbled with her hands as she spoke and wore a slight
flush which deepened as she spoke. Her words started slowly and then got
faster near the end as she became more and more self-concious.
 "I don't like what your doing...well some of it's alright.. but thats not
the point..you shouldn't be doing it...  not to me..or all of us.
Well you should but not the way you are. I'm glad I get along with my
mother... and I'm glad you understand how I get along with her but...do
you...do I have to dwell on it." She paused catching her breath." Also,
Who is this guy? I mean Jennifer say's she knew a guy named Ian
too...before she...before she died.
Are you just re-cycling plots....I don't want top get hit by a car!" She
looked a little tearful.
"I don't want you to get hit by a car either."I protested
earnestly. I wanted to protect this girl at all costs.. to take her in my
arms and...whoops.  "Honest. I'll fix it all. I..."
 "Later." Neil b(eard) said looking as anxious as I felt. "Remember."
  I swallowed hard, nodded.
 "Miss Stingray, leader and of course founder of the Knight Sabers,"
 Sylia looked tired. I knew it only had to be a few years (for her) into
the decade of the KS but such pressure was hard to bear. She looked about
30 or so so I guessed she was 5 years younger.
 "Mr. Sinclair, I realize that time travel is a...facinating subject." She
said the last with a look of slight distaste on her calm features. "But I
can find no excuse to put either myself or my friends in jepordy. And..."
She lost a little of her fables composure here "Making me kill my own
father... that deserves revenge."
 "Wait!" I protested. "I was only fooling around with the IDEA of time
travel. It was only a short story to see how things might work!"
 "And if your own story were shortened?" She asked, a trace of anger in
her voice. "Just to see what would happen."
 "No, that's not what I meant!"
 She raised an eyebrow but was cut off from actually saying anything by my
"evil" twin.
 "And of course...."
 "I don't think he need's an introduction. Do you Neil-kun?"
 The tone was unmistakable as was the chestnut coloured page-boy bob.
 "No." I muttered and flushed.
 Tendo Nabiki looked pleased with herself and had yet to do anything. I
was doomed. 
 "Then I guess, us being old friends and all you'll *credit* me with a
little common sense. I actually don't have anything to complain about
at all. Well, except for a few things."
 I cringed.
 "I mean a lemon is all well and good, and a lemon where *I* get what I
want is even better but what's with all that plot?
 Think about it. If *you* were lying next to me would you start protesting
and telling me how much you loved my sister?"
 I flushed.
"I thought not." she continued after a pause. "Well, unless I
 wanted that way. Right?" She refused to blink and her eyes chocolate
amber never broke from mine. It's like a snake I thought. but I don't
really care. 
  "I'll get back to what's really anoying ALL of us in a second." Her
gaze and attention broke from me. "Ranma, what about you?"
 "I... I liked it." Ranma said. "I did after all get to be with Akane and
she didn't hit me as much as in some people's fics... and she didn't have
that STUPID hammer!."
 "But," He continued. "That was all ok but then you went and messed it
up...I never even got ta see your oh-so-clever title being put to use."
"Maybe I should consider Fanfiction Martial-Arts or somethin." I don't
know why I said it..it just came out.
 "Yeah," Ranma replied eagerly." I could do that to. If it's a Martial Art
I can do it easy. We could be "Anything Goes Avenging GhostWriters or
somthin like that. I could give up giving lessons at the dojo and fight my
way to a Pulitzer.  I bet I could beat you too."
 A stiffled giggle came from the direction of Major Romanova and she
coughed. She may have been stressed but she was still...
 "Ranma." Nabiki's voice was amused...somebody had screwed up and I hoped
against hope it wasn't me.
  "Huh..yeah?" 
  "The OTHER story."
 "Oh, that thing..It was just a joke wan't it?" He asked me visions which
gave "text block" a whole new meaning drifing through his head.
 I quickly nodded.
 "I bet Ryoga didn't think it was a joke." Nabiki said.
 "Aw man he hit the moon. You know how he's always fallin for me as a
girl...well man he just about exploded." Ranma chuckled.
 "Um...Where is Ryoga. I asked nervously.
 "Here he is." Ranma plucked a limp-looking Ryoga from behind a row of
seats. "Hey P-chan, tell the man how the veins in the widdle piggy's head
almost burst."
 Ryoga's eyes opened briefly and both eye's seemed to be tracking seperate
objects which danced about the room. Objects that aparently only Ryoga
could see.
 "mmmmMMMuuffffmmm." Ryoga said and slid back down as Ranma released him.
 "What....?" I blinked. Hard.
 "Hey Ryoga ever heard of steroids?" Ranma giggled deep in his throat
obiously trying to mimic Nabiki's voice to her visable disapproval. "Hey
Ryoga, ever heard of Valium? You're a sloth I tell you a sloth!"
 Laughing and huccuphing  he slid down to join his friend and occaisional
enemy.
 "What can I say." Nabiki spread her hands out in front of her: at
least the pretence of innocence. "I drugged him. It was either that or
have him tear your head off."
 Ranma's laughter turned to choking giggles.
 "Now." Nabiki said. "The heart of the matter..."
 "Wait..."I cut her off and she frowned." I 've only written those
things...I haven't posted them or anything...some of that stuff I have'nt
finished of course....but I will." I added quickly.
  "That's the problem." She stated primly. "You haven't posted. Why not?"
 "Well, I've got things to do...I've got..."
 "Plenty of time." She finished. "If you can write them then at least you
can type them out later." She looked at Neil b(eard) who nodded in
agreement.
 "But I like to write them out on paper first." I protested.
 "And who said you couldn't" Sylia interjected." Some of us may find your
subjects...questionable. But, the thing we all agree upon is that you MUST
do more than that....doing less dooms all of us to a sort of writer's
limbo, a situation I myself do not find attractive in the least."
 "So..." I said slowly "All of what you are asking is simply that I type
this stuff out."
 "You could always delagate." Nene said and I wonderd at something I never
thought about in relation to her -typing speed.
 "Of course WE prefer a more personal touch." Nabiki said only abortively
blocking my thoughts...well until I thought of the phrase "personal
touch."
 "I guess I could see what I can do" I replied my face heating again -
realizing that if these characters were in some way influenced or at least
 able to percieve my thoughts... thought being only unwritten text.
 "That's it then." Robyn said standing up. "This is where we..or rather
you make your exit."
 "That's it....? no threats? No "hangin's to good for im" ?"
 "Pretty much." Neil b(eard) said. "I've got to admit I'm sort-of
dissapointed as well. I mean how many times can you get the chance to
sublimate a death-wish by watching sombody or in this case sombodies" he
gestured at the group who was moving chairs and setting up tables. Men in
dinner jackets had appeared from somewhere and were carrying trays of
*something*. I craned my neck to see but my duplicate blocked me and
continued talking. "pounding the living crap out of you. Ah well there's
always next time."
 "Next time?"
 "Look at it this way. You know you're gonna slack off and not do it...so
do I ....Soooooo, what happpens when this gamg comes back along with
God-knows what you will have written but not finished?"
  "Revenge?"
  "Revenge."
 "So what about you?"
 "I'm not an exact duplicate I don't nessisarily act like you in all
ways" He smiled. "I've got the beard remember?"
 "So I may get pounded?"
 "Nope." Ranma had wanderd over (boy was he pumped!) with a glass in one
hand and a drumstick in the other. "You WILL get pounded."
  He grinned. 
  "Uh...yeah."
  "Well...um...It was nice meeting you." Nene said coming
foreward..shuffling 
 a bit and then looking down at her feet. Good Lord was it pheremones? I
had the urge to bolt in nervousness myself...or...or...
her hair looked so soft, her eyes looked so kind.
 "I......." I really did not know what to say.
"You write yourself about an inch taller." Nene and I jumped. The Major
had come up behind her and both Nene an I blushed.
 An older and maybe even wiser Major Nene Romanova winked.
  "Ur..um." Neil b coughed. (maybe I would keep the beard off...She wasn't
looking at him.) "Your ride is waiting."
 "My ride?"
 "Ya you've gotta go." Ranma said.
 "Why?"
" Sorry pal, Nabiki had this thing catered and you didn't kick any money
in...no eats. 
 Becides, we ddn't think it would be a...um... good idea for
Akane to be here at the same time as you. Robyn's just gone to get her."
 "So"
 "Nabiki's not gonna drug her sister, an' if i did she'd find out. I
love her an' she loves me an' all but I'm not crazy.
  I sighed. It made sense.
  Somehow it seemed stupid to say goodbye...after all these were people I
would be seeing soon in one way or another. I turned towards the door to
see Jennifer next to it leaning aganst the wall. 
 She smiled as I approached. She looked different. The forever
eighteen-year old looked older and better for it.
 "Good going" she said.
 "I didn't do anything."
 "No, but you will. I know that 'cause I feel it. I felt myself *changing*
as you got your Scrooge treatment. "
 "Scrooge treatment?"
 "Yeah, and now I'm the ghost of "might-have-been-and-may-yet-be. Oh I
realize that a sequal is pretty much out of the picture for me...somehow
"Jennifer Torrence in Hell." just doesn't have a good ring to it...well
not unlesss you manage to attempt a DOOM story.
 "Maybe." I laughed. I held out my hand. "Thanks."
 She took it and shook it.
 "Drive you home?"
 "Sure."
  We passed through the open door and I put a friendly arm around her .
 "You know, this could be the beging of a beautiful friendship."
  She punched me in the arm. Hard.

                           **************

 As a matter of explanation: Jennifer was in the first thing I REALLY
wrote... A horrible little teenage pot-boiler called JUST FRIENDS.
  As you may guess it was a sticky sort of love story where the girl dies
at the end. The young lovers have always evaded being labled in
romantic terms and so of course they end JUST FRIENDS.Corny, but great for
making weepy. The next thing I wrote was a Sword and Sorcery thing written
in the style of Raymond Chandler.

 Everyone who is not original is of course property of their respective
copywrite holders. Neil with a beard appeared a few weeks ago when I
shaved mine off. The whole beard/no beard thing has been a joke with all
of my friends since we saw STAR TREK's MIRROR MIRROR.
 Robyn evolved from the AMBER series and game.
 BoB is modeled on my computer BoB (or as it say's in glyphs on his
monitor: left foot-bird-left foot.

 
     
___________________________________________________________________________
     Nene   Nene    Nene    Nene    Nene    Nene    Nene    Nene    Nene   
                    I met a Lady in the Meads,
                    Full beautiful, a faery's child,
                    Her hair was long, her foot was light
                    And her eyes were wild.
                                            J.Keats
  ________________________________________________________________________    
           Agent Of Chaos. Robyn, Duke of Amber. Unicorn Knight
 ****************************************************************************