Subject: AT1 part 7 of 7, for real this time...
From: "Jason, but call me Jazz." <CRF_JENSENJA@crf.cuis.edu>
Date: 10/10/1997, 11:04 AM
To: fanfic@fanfic.com

D'oh!!!!!


Does this give you any clue as to how tired I am.

here is the real section #7

Jazz
Chapter 12     Living Impaired

     "Now, you die."
          -Deedlit Satori-Undocumented Features #3

     "You, Wakko Warner, have been declared officially living
impaired."
          -Death-Animaniacs

     Sunlight reflected off the metal surfaces of the two metal
warriors, blinding Jazz and everyone looking through the hole
Jazz had caused. [Metallicana didn't fall...it survived...They
lied to me...grrr.] thought Jazz, marveling at the two metal
knights.
     Turning to face Karlos and Abigail, Jazz yelled "It's
clobbering time!!!"  Charging across the broken stone floor, Jazz
attempted a swipe at Karlos with his staff.
     Karlos, for his part, managed to erect a shield against the
staff attack.  Abigail, casting a quick low level spell, made
Jazz back off several yards.
     Suddenly the Golden Knight lashed out with a fist,
shattering two towers on the outer rim of the castle.  Not to be
left behind, the Mythizord swung its massive staff, decimating
several orcs, trolls, and giants inside the castle courtyard.
     Having several tons of rubble come falling towards them,
Karlos and Abigail made a run for it, dodging the falling rubble. 
Tempted to follow them, Jazz turned back towards Geo, Luche, and
Tia.  Tia had quieted her screaming when Jazz broke free and
eliminated the torturer.  Striking her bindings, Tia found
herself free and quickly covered herself.
     Moving to the wall chained Geo and Luche, Jazz slashed with
his staff at their chains.  The staff glowed brightly as it ate
through the metal chains, freeing the two captives.  "Are you two
alright?"
     "We will heal, Jazz."
     "Geo, look after your daughter.  I have two assholes to
kill." said Jazz, his jaw setting, anger in his eyes.
     "Jazz, be careful."
     With a nod, Jazz ran after the two escaping sorcerers. 
Coming across a massive fight in the castle's courtyard, Jazz
instantly recognized Metallicana troops, Sir Crodyn at their
head.  [Karlos, Abigail, there can be only one.] Jazz thought
with determination.
     Nobemaza, at the head control of the Mythizord, noticed a
familiar figure running across the courtyard, staff in hand. 
"I've found Jazz." he said to the other two in the cockpit.
     "Good.  Now we can end this." replied Chiyuki.
     "Yeah...incoming giant." said Ann.
     A giant approached the Mythizord, club, a.k.a. tree, in
hand.  So what that it's opponent was almost twice it's height
and 4-5 times it's weight, the giant still attacked.  The zord
intercepted the attack by lashing out with a kick from it's right
leg.  The giant went flying, landing with a sickening crunch.
     Inside the Golden Knight, Crodyn worked the controls
feverously , trying to keep full control of the armored figure. 
"Felicia, what's that red glowing signal?"
     "There is an unknown energy buildup in the far corner, and
somewhat under the castle." said Felicia, feeling right at home
inside the her station.
     "Any idea what it might be?"
     "My best guess is that they are trying to awaken Anthrathrax
again." replied Felicia, suddenly pitched forward into the
console before her.  "Crodyn, what was that?"
     "A mage thinking a firebolt might harm us.  He is about to
be dealt with." said Crodyn, sending the Knight's right fist
through the location of the mage.
     Down in the courtyard, Jazz wandered through the courtyard
at a full tilt run, helping Metallicana troops where necessary. 
"I want you and six others to guard and escort Lord Geo, Tia, and
Luche out of here and back to Metallicana.  They have some
important work to do." ordered Jazz, pointing the three in
question.
     "Who are you?" asked the soldier challengingly.
     "I, Sir Jazz, command you."
     Hearing the name of Jazz, the soldier looked at the man
slightly afraid, sputtering "Right away m'lord...I...I..."
     "Save it.  Just get them out of here and back to Metallicana
as fast as you can." replied Jazz, wandering off again, hunting
more prey.
     The soldier led the three has been prisoners to a waiting
transport.  Getting inside, the soldier signaled the driver to
make for best possible speed for Metallicana.
     "Dad, do you think Jazz is okay?"
     "No."
     "Why not?" asked a confused Tia.
     "Jazz doesn't like to see people hurt.  Remember the time
back at Metallicana when those three squires were picking on a
kitchen drudge."
     "Yeah.  He nearly beat them senseless."
     Nodding, Geo continued "The same thing's happening here.  He
snapped when the torturer was about to..."
     Tia bowed her head, nodding slowly.  "I think I understand
now."
     "I just hoped he hasn't gone insane."
     "Why?"
     "Tia, it's because of his upbringing."
     "How so?"  Confusion once again clouding her features. 
Suddenly Luche whimpered softly as the wagon jostled from the
road.  Tia wrapped her arms around the young boy, lovingly and
comfortingly.
     "Tia, he is very rigid when it comes to dealing with females
and how they should be treated."
     "Yeah, I kinda noticed how he put us," meaning Arshes,
Sheila, and herself, "almost on a pedestal.  Why does he do
that?"
     "Daughter, he values you.  When the torturer was about to
rape you, he went past anger, past rage.  Remember that lifeless
look he would get in his eyes whenever he got hurt or a female
was in trouble when he had magic?"
     "Yeah..."
     "I almost saw it again before he broke free."
     "Oh..."
     The rest of the journey back to Metallicana was made in
relative silence.

     Jazz cut another orc down, freeing up another soldier. 
"Which way did Karlos and Abigail go?" Jazz asked the soldier he
had just saved.
     "They headed that way, down the stairs." replied the
soldier, pointing out the stairwell.
     "Thanks." said Jazz, running again, though not towards the
stairs.  Instead, he ran towards the vehicle that was suppose to
get Geo, Luche, and Tia to safety.  Climbing up into the cockpit,
Jazz surveyed the damage done to the vehicle, whish amounted to
nothing more than a variety of dents in the armor.
     Looking at the pressure gauge, Jazz's eyes went wide at the
reading.  Full power.  Actually 125% power.  [They must not have
let pressure drain down.] he thought.
     Flicking several switches, the displays inside the cockpit
came to full power, giving a complete readout of the metal
monster.  Grabbing the gear shift, Jazz eased it into '1st' gear,
edging his way towards the stairway.  When something got in his
way, Jazz opened up with the main chaingun, slicing several
enemies in half.
     Suddenly the mouth of the stairwell erupted, excess energy
cascading in the surroundings. [What the hell?] thought Jazz,
trying to force the tank to make headway against the energy
storm.  Slowly a figure rose from the stairwell.  Abigail looked
at the war that going on around him.
     Tossing a forcebolt at the Mythizord, Jazz watched in horror
as the Mythizord toppled over backwards.  Inside the zord,
Nobemaza, Ann, and Chiyuki screamed, bracing themselves for
impact.  Hitting the ground hard and bouncing twice, Nobemaza
said "Report?"
     "No casualties, only minor injuries.  Power is down."
replied Chiyuki, looking over the board in front of him.
     "Re-routing power now.  Full power in thirty seconds." said
Ann, hunched over her console, working feverously.
     "Okay.  Let's make sure we don't get hit with another one of
those." said Nobemaza.
     "Right." replied Chiyuki, noticing the power returning to
his panel.
     When full power was achieved, Nobemaza said, grasping the
controls, "Let's get back to our feet."
     With a cacophony of grinding gears, metal on metal squeals,
and hollow knocks, the Mythizord re-achieved vertical mode, just
in time to catch the Golden Knight.

     Golden Knight, seeing the Mythizord knocking off it's feet,
tried it's best to dodge the multiple bolts fired off by Abigail. 
Crodyn worked the controls like a profession with Felicia backing
him up as much as she could.
     Unfortunately, it wasn't enough.  Being caught with a twin
strike of forcebolts, the Golden Knight went flying.  Stopping
suddenly, Crodyn yelled "Fel, report."
     "The Mythizord caught us.  Minor Damage to the torso. 
Everything still seems to be running fine."
     "Thank goodness."
     Opening a channel, Crodyn said "Thanks M.A.S.K."
     "No problem.  Let's tag team him." came the reply as the
zord gestured towards the floating, glowing Abigail, after it had
set the Golden Knight down.
     "Wait...there's something approaching him." came the Ann's
voice over the link.
     Looking back towards Abigail, all five people noticed the
undersized, steel gray tank rolling towards Abigail.  "Jazz, is
that you?" radioed Chiyuki.
     "Yes...now stand back." replied the angry voice of Jazz.

     After replying to Chiyuki's question, Jazz screamed at the
top of his lungs, while pulling two levers and stomping on a
floor button, "GUNHED, STANDING MODE!!!!!!!"
     Suddenly the two pairs of wheels on each side contracted
together.  The tank rose from the ground as the four tiers of
wheels locked into place, giving the tank a look like it had
roller blades on.  The upper torso, not to be left behind,
shifted slightly, rising a little from the waist.  Two arms swung
out from their housing on either side of the torso.

     Abigail's attention was caught on the movement before him. 
Watching with mild amazement as the tank before him turned into a
metallic, gray colored knight. [Useless.  So it wants to be
destroyed first?  So first it shall be.] thought Abigail, winding
up.  Fortunately, GUNHED rolled a higher initiative.  The
resulting attack caught Abigail completely off guard.

     Inside the cockpit, Jazz did something he had warned Ann,
Chiyuki, and Nobemaza not to do.  Ever.  He pushed the Big. Red.
Button.(tm)  Abigail suddenly found himself the localized target
of mortar rounds, rockets, gatling guns, and grenades.
     When the smoke cleared, Jazz mumbled, looking at the red
splotch, "He's gonna feel that in the morning."
     "Geez, Jazz.  Did you have to go medieval on his ass?" asked
Chiyuki over the radio, using something Jazz had said before.
     "Yes." shot back Jazz.
     "Okay." whimpered Chiyuki, causing the other four listeners
to chuckle or giggle, depending on their preference.
     "We still have one more wizard to deal with." said Jazz,
returning grimly to the task at hand.
     "I'm getting those abnormally high energy readings again."
said Felicia over the tacnet.
     Realizing what Karlos was doing, Jazz thought sorrowfully
[Sheila must be going through a lot of pain right now.] 

     Back in Metallicana, Sheila screamed out in dire agony. 
Rushing to her side, the old hag asked "What is it, child?"
     "Pain...fire..." replied Sheila weakly, sweat oozing and
running from every pour on her body.
     "Rest now." said the old woman, helping Sheila to her bed. 
[They must be trying to raise Anthrathrax.]
     Sheila screamed once again, her breathing becoming very
short and in gasps.  [I hope they stop it soon.  I don't think
she can take much more.] thought the woman grimly.

     Opening the tacnet, Jazz said, with hurried urgency, "We
need to shut it down quickly."
     "Why?"
     "He's trying to awaken Anthrathrax."
     "Oh shit!" was the mutual consensus.
     Suddenly, the ground behind the stairwell entrance buckled,
sending shock waves in all directions.  Gunhed, Golden Knight,
and the Mythizord were knocked off their feet.
     Slowly, a mis-shapened figure rose from the ground, it's
human like face roaring at anyone who would oppose it.  Coming to
hover directly over the castle, Karlos, standing atop
Anthrathrax, watched in glee as the troops from Metallicana ran
away, outside the castle walls.
     Turning his attention to the three giant mechanoids, Karlos,
through Anthrathrax, cut loose with a barrage of energy spears. 
Chiyuki, Ann, Nobemaza, Crodyn, and Felicia watched in horror as
the energy storm seemed to focus on the Gunhed unit, which had
still been trying to stand upright again.
     Had been, because it swallowed the strike whole and began to
glow brightly.  "Jazz, GET OUT OF THERE!!!!!" yelled Crodyn over
the tacnet.
     "Can't...no...gonna try to...save it..." replied Jazz
hoarsely, the heat becoming unbearable.  Suddenly Gunhed went up
in a cloud of flame, smoke, and small metal fragments.  Ann and
Felicia screamed, in unison, "JAZZ!!!!!!"  Crodyn, Nobemaza, and
Chiyuki shook their heads in disbelief.

     Jazz knew Gunhed has reached its limit.  Karlos poured on
more energy that what Jazz expected. [I should have figured he
would go for Antrathrax.] thought Jazz, sweating excessively. 
When the temperature reached a critical point, Jazz laid his hand
on button labeled "Fall down, go boom!"
     Suddenly Gunhed blew apart, obscuring sight and creating a
rather large crater.  The Golden Knight and the Mythizord stances
mirrored the reactions of the pilots; utter shock.
     "Is he..." started Ann.
     "He can't be..." tried Chiyuki.
     But the proof lay before them in the smoking, debris ladened
crater.  Fires still raged as the occasion explosion was heard as
the ammunition cooked off.
     A sudden laugh filled the air as Karlos said loudly "He was
no match for me as are you two."
     Rearing back atop Anthrathrax, Karlos began another spell,
which would wipe the two metal behemoths from this existence. 
Crodyn and Nobemaza brought their mechanical knights into a
defensive posture, waiting for the blow from Karlos.
     Suddenly a series of explosions erupted in the air around
Karlos.  The spell Karlos prepared fizzled as his concentration
broke.  For dramatic effect, a gentle breeze appeared from the
west to part the smoke, revealing a lone figure.
     Dressed in his singed and scorched uniform, Jazz had the
main gun from Gunhed propped up on his shoulder.  The gun finally
wound down as it's steam supply exhausted itself.  "Now that I
have your attention, Karlos.  Give up or be destroyed!" shouted
Jazz defiantly.
     Karlos looked down at the still smoking techie and began to
laugh.  "You think you can beat me."
     "Yes." said Jazz curtly.  Jazz immediately thereafter
launched into a series of moves that lost Karlos in their
significance.  Jazz's left arm shot out to the side, as if to
grab something.  Bringing it back around to the front, Jazz made
a cocking move with his right arm, as if he held a large gun in
his arms.
     Crodyn watched the display, immediately catching on.  The
M.A.S.K. also caught on, after having seen the display at
Metallicana.  "Felicia, bring the main gun online and begin power
build up."
     "Hai." nodded Felicia, pressing a variety of buttons.
     Karlos looked up to see the Golden Knight start to do the
same moves that Jazz had.  Cursing loudly, Karlos began to build
up the energy for the spell he started to cast earlier as fast as
he could.
     Jazz turned to face the Golden Knight as the panel slid down
over the face of the Knight and two metal bars flipped down from
the back of the legs to hit the ground. [Here it comes, Karlos.]
thought Jazz, diving for cover.
     Crodyn beat Karlos to the punch, the Golden Knight's gun
emitting a ray of energy at Anthrathrax, completely hiding them
from view.  Jazz, Nobemaza, Crodyn, Ann, Chiyuki, and Felicia
began to cheer but stopped abruptly seeing the still whole
Anthrathrax: the singed and pitted but still whole Anthrathrax.
     As one, everyone either said or thought a common phrase. 
"Oh shit!"
     Karlos was now beyond being pissed off.  His castle had been
destroyed.  Most of his army had been erradicated.  And now these
people wanted to stand in his way of world conquest.  He had had
enough and he didn't want to take anymore.  To accent this, he
started tossing force bolts like a farmer sowing seed at the two
mechanical knights before him.
     Seeing the whole Karlos and Anthrathrax, Jazz spat his curse
and scrambled towards the Mythizord.  Just as the first force
bolt hit, Jazz managed to get a foot panel open and to the ladder
therein.  Hanging on for dear life, Jazz ascended the inside of
the Mythizord towards the cockpit.
     Getting to the cockpit, Jazz sat in the only chair that
wasn't occupied.  "Jazz, any ideas?" asked Nobemaza urgently.
     "I have one..."
     "What is it?" asked Chiyuki fearfully, not liking the weird
aura that was now surrounding Anthrathrax and Karlos.
     Opening up a tacnet line to Crodyn, Jazz radioed "Crodyn,
prepare to fire your main gun again but not until I tell you."
     "Right, Jazz.  What's the plan?  Oh yeah, good to see you
alive." responded Crodyn.
     "It's good to be alive.  I'm about to explain the plan to my
team.  Just be ready." radioed Jazz, shutting down the comm line.
     "Jazz?" asked Ann urgently, a scarlet red hue washing into
the cockpit.
     "Okay.  Listen up.  Disengage from each other.  Not a word
till I finish." said Jazz, seeing the disbelieving eyes of his
team.  "When you return to your own cockpits, you should find a
large lever labeled "Do Not Use, Ever".  Use it and monitor your
instruments.  Also, set your motors on overload.  We will have
one shot at this."
     Nobemaza, Chiyuki, and Ann nodded slowly, reaching for their
disconnect levers.  As one, they yelled "Mythizord, separate!"
     Crodyn and Felicia watched as the Mythizord fell into it's
three separate components. [What are they doing?] thought Crodyn.
     Suddenly the radio inside the Golden Knight's cockpit
erupted.  "Prepare for docking sequence!"  The voice was
unmistakenably Jazz's.
     Crodyn and Felicia looked at each other, trying to figure
out what Jazz meant by that.  They didn't have to wait for long. 
The Golden Knight shuddered slightly as something hit it's back. 
The radio reported "Condor in position."
     The Iron Rhino rolled around, approaching the Golden Knight
at full speed.  Launching from the ground, it's chassis aimed at
the Knight.  Crodyn and Felicia watched in amazement as the
Rhino's wheels extended, and upon contact with the Knight, slid
around the Knight's torso to connect with the Condor.
     The last but not least to link up was the Metal Griffin. 
Chiyuki pulled the lever in question with some hesitancy,
thinking [I hope this works].  The Griffin launched itself at the
Knight and began to split in half.  Before Chiyuki could figure
out what was happening, the Knight was now wearing a pair of hi-
tech boots that run up the outside of the legs to connect with
the other two M.A.S.K. vehicles.
     Nobemaza, Chiyuki, and Ann began the instructed energy build
up.  Jazz had ridden the cockpit of the Iron Rhino and was now
making his way to the cockpit of the Golden Knight.  Getting
inside, Jazz found himself in a hug from Felicia.  "Jazz, what
now?" asked Crodyn, looking at the technician questioningly from
his piloting chair.
     Getting Felicia back to her control station, Jazz said
determinedly "Fire the big gun."
     Shrugging, Crodyn and Felicia followed the order, routing
power to the gun.  "Jazz, what makes you think it will work?"
asked Crodyn, his eyes not looking at the energy gauges.
     "Crodyn, we're getting twice...no, make that three
times...no no, make that five times...Jazz, what did you do?"
asked Felicia, looking up from her station.
     "I am having my team's vehicles route their power through
your system to give more power to your gun.  If my calculations
are correct you should..."
     "Jazz, we're loosing power." cried Felicia suddenly.
     "Crap." stated Jazz, running to look at the displays before
Felicia.
     Suddenly the radio squaked.  "Jazz, I have a problem with
two of my connectors." radioed Ann.
     Nodding, Jazz radioed back "no problem.  I'll be there
shortly."  Before turning to go, Jazz said, commander-like,
"Don't fire until I say."
     Crodyn nodded as the Jazz leapt through the service way
hatch, heading for the Golden Condor.  Jazz eased his way down
the ladder as something rocked the Golden Knight. [Karlos must be
tossing a higher level spell.  Gotta hurry.] thought Jazz grimly.
     Getting to connector in question, Jazz looked at the four
part power transfer system.  The problem soon showed itself as
being that two of the connectors had been destroyed or severely
damaged. [Crap.  Now what do I do.] thought Jazz, looking for
something to substitute for a relay.
     "Jazz, can you fix it?" shouted Ann from her cockpit.
     "I...I think..." started Jazz, his eyes falling on his right
arm and the staff in it's holster. [Will it work??] thought Jazz
desperately, grabbing onto a nearby pipe as the Golden Knight
shook from another strike.
     "JAZZ!!???!!!" screamed Ann.
     "Ann, we're gonna do this by the numbers.  At '1', I want
you to radio Crodyn to bring up full power and fire the cannon."
     "Jazz, what are you going to do?"
     "Trust me!!!!" replied Jazz.
     "Jazz, I hate it when you say that."
     "Tough!  FIVE!!!!" yelled Jazz.  As he yelled, Jazz pulled
the staff from his forearm and held it between two relays.
     "FOUR!!!!!" Jazz yelled a moment later, extending the staff
to full length, bridging the gap.  In his cockpit, Crodyn watched
as the power began to rise again.
     Getting on the tacnet, Crodyn yelled "Whatever you are
going, keep doing it."
     Sighing deeply, Jazz knew in heart what he must do. [This is
definitely going to leave a mark.] he thought grimly.  Shoving
his left fist into one end of the relay, Jazz shouted "THREE!!!"
     [The human body is a better conductor of power than metal,
especially copper.] Jazz remembered from a long forgotten biology
class from high school. [I hope this works.]
     Ramming his right fist into the other relay connector, Jazz
shouted "TWO!!!!"
     [Here goes nothing.] thought Jazz, as time seemed to slow
down.  "ONE!!!"
     Up in her cockpit, Ann hit the tacnet, shouting "Bring up
full power and fire!!!"
     In the Golden Knight cockpit, Felicia brought up full power,
marveling that the readouts said the Knight suddenly had ten
times the power available.  The world came to seeming standstill
as Crodyn hit the firing switch, it's click seeming to echo.

     Inside Jazz's mind, time slowed down tremendously.  As the
power from the "Mounts" began to flow through his body,
everything seemed to turn a bright shade of green.
     Looking around, he saw he was lying flat on a grassy hill,
looking up at the cloud ladened sky.
     In the distance, a dark splotch seemed to descend from the
heavens.  As it drew closer, he could make out wings.  Not the
usual type of wings one would expect on an angel, these appeared
to be leathern.  Jazz looked into the face of this descending
entity, to find something that had a demonic look by the kindness
of an angel.  Before any else could be done, the world faded
completely to black.

     Karlos watched in fascination as one of the mechanical
Knights broke down.  He began to worry as the three components
formed up on the Golden Knight.
     Knowing he had to stop them, Karlos pulled power from
Anthrathrax and started letting off force bolt after force bolt
upon the Knight.
     As he was about to level a much strong force bolt, his
attention drew to the fact that on the hollow wand the Knight
held, baffles suddenly opened.
     His world was suddenly washed out in a wave of bright,
multi-colored light. [What the he...] he thought as his body
broke apart in its sub-atomic particle make-up.  Anthrathrax
joined him shortly thereafter as the wave ran through him like a
runaway train.

     When the visor lifted on the Golden Knight, Crodyn and
Felicia cried out in joy.  Nobemaza and Chiyuki soon joined in
the cheer.  Ann exited her cockpit and eased her way down to
where Jazz had gone.  Hitting the radio broadcast button, Crodyn
said "Jazz, whatever you did, it worked?"
     Not getting a response, Crodyn tried again "Jazz??"
     Suddenly Ann's frantic voice was heard.  "Jazz is down.  We
need to get him back to Metallicana now!"  When she had gone to
check on the techie leader, she found him hanging limply between
the broken relays, his hands still inside.
     "What did he do?" asked Crodyn, concernedly.
     "He...he...we need to get to Metallicana, now." radioed Ann.
     "Right...prepare for lift off." said Crodyn grimly.
     Throwing a series of switches, the Golden Knight shuddered
slightly as the wings on the Golden Condor extended out to full
length.  "Lifting off!" said Crodyn, hitting the thruster switch.

     The ground troops that had traveled with the two mechanical
Knights watched in amazement as the combined behemoth slowly rose
from the ground, heading back towards Metallicana.

Chapter 13     Not Ending but a New Beginning

     "Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt."
           Quinn-Sliders

     "A Smith and Wesson beats four Aces."
           Murphy's Law-Sub Particle #13

     Jazz stared at the scenery. [Oh boy, here I am once again. 
If this is a dream, then I must have survived.]
     "Yes, you did Sir Jazz."
     Turning to the source of the voice and half expecting to see
himself again, Jazz came up short.  His eyes fell upon a creature
standing 6' 5" tall with tannish colored skin.  Her slightly
ovoid face was framed with long brown hair and small horns high
in her forehead.  Dark brown wings were folded around her,
clasped in the front with the wing claws.  Her smooth skin
betrayed the toughness therein.
     Jazz stepped back a step. [Who are you?]
     "I am you.  I am Lady Jasmine."
     Jazz slumped against a rock formation. [How...]
     "Maybe I should explain."
     [Please do.]
     "In my time, I was a great gargoyle, loved by most.  During
one of the battles against  Anthrathrax, I gave up my life to
save a close friend of mine."
     [You mean that murel depicted true events?]
     "Yes.  It was a tribute that was done in my honor.  The
place of springs you happened upon was a place dedicated in my
honor.  I was buried on that site and my spirit imbued it with a
sense of beauty."
     [Then how am I talking with you?]
     "When you found the place and took a dip in one of the
pools, I became a part of you at that moment."
     [Why me?]
     "Jazz, you are special.  It took a special person in the
first place to locate my haven."
     [...]
     Jasmine stepped closer to Jazz.  "Jazz, you and I are now
one forever.  I know this might seem inconvenient to you..."
     Jazz stood back up straight and stepped closer to Jasmine,
putting a finger to her lips. [Jasmine, I'm...not sure...what to
say.] Looking deeply into her eyes, Jazz continued [I...I'm not
sure if I can meet your needs.]
     Jasmine reached out and clasp Jazz's hand with both of hers. 
"Jazz, it happened for a reason and for a purpose."
     Nodding, Jazz said [To live in interesting times.  So...]
     "So?"
     [How 'bout them Packers?]
     Jasmine giggled softly.  Her connection with Jazz had
enlightened her greatly about the young man.  "Jazz..."
     [Yes, m'lady?]
     "Jazz, just be careful around cold water."
     [Why?]
     "I do turn to stone during sunlight."
     [Okay....but...why didn't I become stone before?]
     "I can only think of is the magic in the area."
     [Magic??]
     "Yes, when I was alive, there was no magic.  Now with the
high level of magic in the world, it might nullify the change
factor."
     [So, if I go to a world of technology, the curse will be in
full effect?]
     "Yes."
     [Hmm...no problem.  I can deal with staying away from Cold
Water during the day.]  Looking at the female gargoyle of his
person, Jazz felt a small twinge of something cross his emotions
at the sight of her.  [Jasmine?]
     "Yes, Jazz?" she asked, looking back towards the young man.
     Jasmine suddenly found herself in a hug.  Not sure how to
respond, she wrapped her arms around Jazz.  "What's this for?"
     [You looked like you needed it.]
     "Thank you, Jazz." she whispered, laying her head on his
shoulder.
     Running a hand through her hair gently, Jazz hugged her
closer.  Feeling a wetness on his shoulder, Jazz looked at her
face again, to see twin trails of tears. [Why are you crying?] he
asked gently.
     "I...I finally realized...that I'm...all alone now...my clan
was destroyed..."
     [No, you are not.  I am here.] To re-affirm this, Jazz
tilted up her chin with his right hand and kissed her lightly on
the lips.  Suddenly, Jazz's vision faded into a bright, white
light.

     When the light faded again, Jazz a bunch of fuzzy images
standing over him.  Blinking several times, the world came into
focus rather quickly.  Jazz found himself looking into the
relieved faces of Arshes, Tia, Darschu, Geo, Sheila, and Gara.
     Swallowing on a dry throat, he felt a cool sensation held to
his lips and opened his mouth.  He noted it had a slightly funny
taste to it.  [It's not water but it will do.  Must be one of
Geo's elixirs.]
     "So...what's happenin'?" asked Jazz, softly and gravelly.
     "How do you feel, Jazz?" asked Geo.
     "Like I got run over by Anthrathrax." he replied, his voice
getting better.
     "Jazz, what did you do?" asked Gara. "Ann didn't know for
sure."
     "Acted as power conductor." he said hoarsely.
     "You made a power conductor?  What did you use?" asked
Sheila, not wanting to know the possible answer.
     "Me."
     "You mean you channeled the power of the machines??" asked
Arshes, her voice rising as well as her normally dark skin
turning a deep shade of crimson.  At this point, everyone else in
the room stepped away from the bed.  Hell hath no fury like a
scorned magical dark elf.
     Jazz only nodded, trying to sink into and past the bed. 
Arshes' eyes went wide with fury, but a bead of water could be
seen forming in them.
     With a body racking sob, she leaned over him and beat on his
chest.  "Whywhywhywhywhy??  Couldn't you have done something
else?" asked Arshes, stopping and collapsing into sobs.
     Not use to this, Jazz went into shock for a slight moment. 
Reaching up and wrapping his arms around her when she started to
sob loudly, Jazz tried to comfort her.  Without needing a cue,
Geo ushered everyone from the room.  If Jazz had been watching,
he would have seen Darschu and Tia gravitate together.  Not
surprise there.  But he would have had a slight surprise when
Sheila and Gara came together.
     For a time they remained like this till Arshes' tears
slowed.  "Why did you do it?" Arshes asked, sitting on the edge
of the bed, still leaning over Jazz and looking into his eyes.
     "It was the only thing I could think of.  I'm sorry I hurt
you, Arshes." replied Jazz softly.  Without another word, Jazz
drew Arshes closer, kissing her lightly, though with passion, on
the lips.  "I'm sorry."
     Falling back into him, Arshes wrapped him in a hug.  "Just
don't ever do that again."
     "Never." replied Jazz, softly.  Laying his hands on her
back, Jazz sighed contentedly, drifting off back to sleep. 
Arshes didn't mind because she joined him in slumber.

     Several hours later, Jazz once again woke to that unpleasant
hot sensation.  Looking down at the slumbering form of Arshes,
Jazz lightly ran his hand over her hair.
     Arshes began to awaken from her slumber, murmuring softly. 
Smiling blissfully, Jazz rubbed her back softly.  Arshes awoke
fully, looking up into Jazz's green eyes.  "Morning, beautiful."
     "Jazz, is it really morning?" she asked.
     "Yeah, I think it is. How long was I unconscious?"
     Jazz began to get worried at the distressed look that
entered Arshes' face.  "You were out for nearly a week.  I was so
worried about you..."
     "Shhh. I'm alright now." said Jazz quietly, trying to
comfort the half dark elf.  Wrapping her in a hug which she
returned strongly, he tried to sooth away her problems.
     For a while, he held her close.  But after a few minutes,
Jazz said "I think it's time I get out of this bed.  What do you
say, m'lady?"
     Arshes merely nodded in response, not trusting her voice.
     "If you be so kind as to hand me my staff, I will be up and
going before you can say...whatever you want to say."
     With a slight giggle, Arshes handed Jazz his staff from the
window sill.  [Staff.  Internal diagnostic.] Jazz thought at his
staff.
     *Minor damage yet to be repaired. 3 Megabytes of memory in
use.  500 Terrabytes yet to use.  Energy level at maximum.  How
can I assist?* replied the staff.
     [Huh??  You can store information?]
     *Hai, and objects as well, though they take up more room. 
You created me with that option.*
     [Alll-righty then.  Engage Healing level...3] thought Jazz,
taking a potshot at the extent of his injuries.
     Arshes watched raptly as a green glow started at the staff
and then moved up Jazz's arms to cover his entire body.
     Breathing deeply when it was done, Jazz stretched.  "Feeling
better??"
     "Yes, but I am hungry."
     Suddenly a bell tolling rolled through the room.  "Just in
time for breakfast." said Jazz.  "We better hurry before Gara and
Darschu eat our shares."
     Nodding, Arshes quickly exited the room, heading for hers to
get changed.  Jazz set about getting changed into better clothes. 
Selecting a light billowly shirt and jean like shorts, Jazz had
everything looking proper by the time Arshes came back.
     Knowing they had to take every short cut possible in order
to get there on time.  As Arshes was about to head down the
stairs, Jazz pulled her to a stop pointing to the fireman's pole. 
Arshes looked at apprehensively.  [That's right. She was one of
the few people who didn't take a trip on it.] thought Jazz. 
"Just do what I do and you will be fine."
     Grabbing the pole, Jazz slid down it's length with relative
ease.  "I'll catch you!" he shouted back up the pole.
     Arshes closed her eyes tightly and gripped the pole. "EEP!"
she cried as gravity took over, pulling her towards the ground.
     Seeing her a approaching a tad fast, Jazz prepared to catch
her.  Suddenly Arshes' eyes opened to see Jazz near the pole.  At
about ten feet from the ground, Arshes let go of the pole, aiming
her fall directly at Jazz.
     Jazz's eyes went wide as Arshes fell into his waiting arms,
knocking them both to the ground.  "Arshes, why you do that?"
     "You said you'd catch me." she replied, smiling coyly.
     "Oh yeah." replied Jazz, beginning to tickle her.
     "Jazz, stop.  We need to get to breakfast."
     "Okay. We'll talk about this later." said Jazz, finally get
up after Arshes climbed off him.  Walking hand in hand, they
entered the dining room, much to the surprise of everyone
present.
     The servers went back into the kitchen to get more food for
the two newly arrived eaters.  Jazz's eyes widened at the pile of
pancakes set before him.  Without needing a command, Jazz dug in
with the enthusiasm of a hungry lumberjack.  Knowing he would be
the best to talk to before a meal, Sheila and Tia waited for him
to finish before letting him have it.

     Sighing deeply, Jazz looked at the empty plate longingly.
[Good food, good friends, what else could a man wish for?]
Casting a glance to his left at Arshes, Jazz though [That helps.]
     "Jazz." said Tia and Shiela at the same time.
     Looking at the two ladies, Jazz's hope suddenly dropped. [Oh
boy.  I am dead.  I am SO dead.]
     Sheila looked at Tia, the two sharing a grin.  At the grin,
Jazz's hopes dropped even further.
     "We want to talk to you about what you did during the last
battle." said Sheila.
     "It's not my fault.  Things just happened at way.  I'm
sorry." rushed Jazz, fearing the worse.
     Giggling softly, Sheila continued in a mock serious tone "We
have decided that something needs to be done.  You acted on
impulse and irrationally.  Willing to sacrifice yourself for
others.  Employing others into teamwork while you, yourself
rejected it.  How do you plead?"
     Looking at everyone else at the table, Jazz saw both Gara
and the renewed Darschu smirking, Geo sat impassively though a
smile was starting to turn the ends of his lips, Tia returned the
look sternly, and Arshes was trying valiantly not meet his gaze. 
Sighing deeply, Jazz bowed his head, saying "I am guilty of the
above charges, but did so..."
     "That is all we need to know for now Sir Jazz." interrupted
Sheila formally.
     "Jazz, please stand." said Tia.
     Rising to his feet, Jazz turned to face Sheila, resigning
himself to fate.
     "Jazz, tonight, your sentence is..."
     "Hanging?"
     "No."
     "Beheading."
     "No."
     "Drawing and quartering?"
     "No."
     "Stretching and disembowling?"
     "NO!" replied Sheila, slightly sickened by the idea.
     "EEEWWW!!!!" corresponded Tia.
     "Firing squad?"
     "No."
     "Poison?"
     "No."
     "Then what is my punishment?"
     [So he wants it like that, huh?] thought Tia, laughing
inside. [Time for the punch line.]
     "Jazz, tonight you will come to the great hall, dressed in
your best attire, and..."
     [Here it comes.] thought Jazz resignedly.
     "And partake in a celebration in your honor.  We, the people
of Metallicana, owe you a great deal." finished Sheila.
     Jazz's jaw dropped.  "Wh...why me?"
     Gara, Tia, and Darschu laughed at Jazz's face.  Geo went to
full grin mode.  Arshes looked at Jazz, giggling.  Suddenly
Nobemaza, Chiyuki, Ann, Felicia, and Crodyn walked in.
     "Jazz, you helped us to finally defeat Karlos, Abigail, and
Anthrathrax.  It's time you took some of the credit." said
Crodyn, grinning at Jazz's disbelief.
     "No ifs, ands, or buts, Jazz.  You will be there for a night
of dancing and feasting, or we will hunt you down." said Sheila,
grinning evilly.  Jazz shuttered slightly.  Sheila had gotten
better at it since the first evil grin he had seen on her face.
     "Aye, Aye.  I will be there." said Jazz, finally rolling
with the joke.
     Shortly, after breakfast was cleared, Jazz headed down to
his forge to meet with his team.  Seeing the still grinning trio,
Jazz threatened "If you don't wipe those grins off your faces, I
will.  So, what happened after the destruction of Anthrathrax."
     The trio of mecha-engineers brought their leader up to date. 
The forces of evil fell into complete disarray.  Those that
hadn't been killed, fled to the mountains.  Metallicana started
to rebuild.  Princess Sheila had formed them into their own
official unit with ranks, titles, and powers.  She also allowed
them start taking on applicants and more squires into the squad. 
Nobemaza had proposed to Ann.  Chiyuki, not wanting to be left
behind, proposed to one of the females squires, a young lady
named Sayaka.  The "Mounts" were completely repaired with a
possible four more on the drawing board.  Through an accident by
Chiyuki, the crystals could be broken down with little effect on
their usefulness.
     Jazz's head spun at the assault of information and changes. 
Congratulating the two perspective couples, Jazz headed out from
the forge, knowing someone he had to meet.  Little did he know
that it would be for the last time.

     Knocking on the door before him, Jazz pushed it open slowing
upon hearing a muffled "Come in." from the other side.
     Bowing from the waist, Jazz said "Good morning, your
highness.  How are you?"
     "I am...well, Sir Jazz.  Please pull up a seat." replied the
King softly.
     Jazz looked at the aging man, not at all liking what he was
seeing.  Instead of the vibrate man from before the battle, the
king had deteriorated to a shell of what he had been.  Starting
to cough suddenly, Jazz looked on with great concern as several
moments passed before it stopped.
     "How are you, Sir Jazz?" rasped the king.
     "I am well.  M'lord, is there anything I can do to help
you?" asked Jazz, starting to reach for his staff.
     "Jazz, I am...old and...not much for...this world..."
     Suddenly the king was set upon by a wave of seizures. 
"Jazz, get my daughter...hurry..." rasped the King.
     Nodding curtly, Jazz ran from the room.  Grabbing every
servant he could find, he sent them searching for Sheila. 
Finding her being escorted by a servant, Jazz lead her up to her
fathers room.
     Geo was next to the bed, attempting to heal the ailing King
without much luck.
     Upon seeing her father, Sheila screamed "Father!!" while
rushing to his side.

     <Death of Optimus Prime:Transformers, the Movie Soundtrack>

     Looking at his daughter with near lifeless eyes, the king
rasped "Daughter...take now...the throne..of Metallicana."
     Jazz noticed the door ease open, allowing Gara, Arshes, Tia,
Darschu, Talon, Felicia, and Crodyn into the room.  Turning his
attention back to Sheila and her father, he say the crown pass
into her hands.
     Suddenly the King's voice raised "Gara, please approach."
     Approaching the bed apprehensively, Gara kneeled down on one
knee before the King.  "Gara, we...have talked...I give you...my
blessing.  Now you...must ask."
     Nodding curtly, Gara turned to face Sheila, still on bended
knee.  Gara took Sheila's right hand in his own and said formally
"Princess Sheila, I was the Ninja Master of over 2000 trainees. 
In some cases, some people would have called that a small nation,
and I would have been called a prince.  My nation has all but
disappeared, and I have sworn my loyalty to you and Metallicana. 
This day and this moment, I ask for your hand in marriage."
     Sheila brought her left hand to her mouth in surprise. 
"Gara...I...I don't..."  Breathing deeply and looking at her
father, Sheila replied, after getting a nod from her father,
"Lord Gara, you have sworn such as you say.  And I this day
accept your proposal from marriage."
     Jazz reached up with his right hand and wiped the potential
tears from his eyes.  Jazz looked back towards the king and
became more concerned.  The king has gone paler.
     Fighting down a fit of coughing, the king rasped "My time is
short...Jazz, come closer."
     Nodding, Jazz approached the king, kneeling before him on
one knee.  "Traveler from...a foreign world.  You took up...a
fight that...wasn't yours...helped others...found love...please
defend this world."
     Bowing his head, Jazz stated "I will do so to the best of my
ability.  That I promise to you."
     "Sir Jazz...you have no...relation here...no house to claim
you...please accept this.  I hereby...adopt you into...the house
of Draconcia...Jason, son of Jens."
     Jazz's brow furrowed as his cast a glance sidewise, trying
to get an idea of what it might mean.  What he saw troubled him. 
Princess, now Queen, Sheila was wide eyed, looking between her
father and him repeatedly.  Everyone else was bowing slightly,
even Darschu, with what seemed to be respect.
     [What the hell?  It's like I got adopted into royalty. 
Unless...] thought Jazz, turning back to face the King.
     Nodding, Jazz said "I do accept, m'lord."
     "Thank you...I...I...i..."  And with that, Jazz looked in
horror as the King faded, his lifelight going out.  Sheila
screamed in agony, crying and clinging to Gara.  Tia clung to
Darschu, crying.  Felicia and Crodyn hugged each other.  Darschu
and Gara tried to comfort their significant others while trying
to contain their emotions.  Talon and Geo bowed their heads
respectfully.  Geo also pulled the bed sheet up over the King. 
Jazz stayed kneeled down, breathing shallowly, and trying to
control his emotions.
     After several minutes, Jazz felt a hand on his shoulder. 
Looking up, his eyes met Sheila's face.  "I'm sorry...I should
have...could have..." he stammered quietly.
     "Brother, you did...what you could...let's go..." replied
Sheila, confirming what Jazz thought.
     Slowly, everyone ushered from the room, except Geo and Tia,
who stayed to do last rites.  Getting to a balcony over looking
the central courtyard, Sheila made the dual announcement of her
queenship and her father's death.  The gathered crowd accepted
both readily.
     It was also determined that the celebration planned for that
night would still go on.  It would help the people cope as well
as those directly involved.

     The afternoon found Jazz in the kitchen, helping Aurica with
the preparations for the night.  Since the cooking incident,
Aurica actually came to accept the young man as an equal in the
kitchen.  Jazz also came accept the diminutive, corpulent cook as
an equal in command and respect.
     Gossiping with the kitchen drudges as he helped peel potato
like tubers, he learned what kind of stuff happens at a castle
wide festival.  He learned and started to become very afraid. 
Afraid for the fact that he couldn't dance to save his soul.
     Excusing himself from the kitchen, Jazz soot out Sheila
and/or Tia to get some information straight.  Stopping by his
room, Jazz cleaned himself up and changed clothes.  Closing his
door behind him, Jazz practically ran over Queen Sheila.
     Dropping instantly to one knee, he said "M'lady."
     "Jazz, get up.  I'm still the same person."
     Rising slowly to his feet, he replied "You are but you now
command a lot more power and respect.  I...I'm sorry about your
father."
     Tears began to well in Sheila's eyes. [Damn!  I had to go
remind her.] thought Jazz fiercely.  Sheila suddenly found
herself in a warm hug as a sob overtook her.
     For a few minutes, that is where the two remained.  Pulling
apart, Jazz looked about, vaguely uncomfortable.
     Remembering why she was at his room, Sheila asked "jazz,
what did you need to see me about?"
     "The festival is still going on, right?"
     "Yes."
     "There's gonna be feasting and hmm...dancing, right?"
     "Yes."
     "Oh boy..." mumbled Jazz.
     "Jazz, what is it?"
     "Do you promise not to laugh?"  Seeing her nod, Jazz said
quietly "I can't dance.  No coordination."
     "Jazz, that's nothing to be ashamed of.  I'll get Tia and we
can meet in our usual spot in an hour.  How is that?"
     Jazz brighten slightly.  "Okay, in an hour.  Sheila, one
more question."
     "Yes??"
     "My adopted name, Draconcian, whose is it?"
     "It is mine."
     "You mean..."
     "Yes, you and I are now brother and sister.  Though, you are
not in line to gain the throne."
     Jazz shook his head in disbelief.  "That is definitely
alright by me.  Sheila, sis, sister, I don't even know how to
call you now.  Ayi-yi-yi."
     "Jazz, brother, it private, you can call me anything you
want.  In public, address me formally."
     "That I will, my queen." jazz replied with an overly
dramatic, sweeping bow.
     Sheila giggled softly before saying "Just meet me and Tia
down at the church in an hour."
     "Yes, ma'am."
     Without another word, the two people headed in different
directions.  Sheila headed for the church while Jazz headed for
his forge.  He hadn't taken more than three steps when a wave of
energy pass over him.
     Pulling the staff from it's holster, Jazz concentrated on
it.  [What's going on?]
     *You will be traveling soon.  Be ready.*
     [How soon?]
     *Three days.*
     "Ayi-yi-yi." mumbled Jazz.  Slamming the staff back into his
forearm bracer, Jazz thought [Three days and a lot of stuff to do
here yet.  Better get cracking.]
     Heading down to the library, Jazz started pulling out texts
left and right.  Setting the books on a table, he headed back
upstairs for the meeting with Sheila and Tia in the church.
     Getting to the customary room where his earliest of lessons
had happened, jazz's eyes fell delightedly on Sheila and Tia.
     "Greetings, m'lord." said Tia bowing.
     "Greetings, m'ladies." replied Jazz, bowing also.
     "So what is this that you don't know how to dance?" asked
Tia, smirking.
     Grinning sheepishly, Jazz nodded.  "Yes.  I'm not sure what
you call dancing here but I seriously doubt I know it."
     Looking at Sheila, Tia asked her "So, where should we
begin?"
     "I would say at the beginning.  Jazz, what forms of dancing
do you know?"
     Blinking, Jazz stated "Nothing that would probably fit in
here.  What I know is based on where I came from.  If you teach
me yours, I'll show you mine."
     Nodding, Tia and Sheila once again resumed their roles as
his teachers.  Starting off easy, things soon progressed into
different waltzes and other formal forms.
     One hour later, the trio split to start getting ready for
the celebration that night.  Arriving back at his room, jazz
found three servants waiting for him.
     "What are you doing here?"
     "We were sent by Queen Sheila to assist you in getting ready
for tonight." replied the first.
     "She wanted to unsure that you would be properly attired."
said the second.
     "So, we best get started.  Into the tub with you." said the
third.  "We will get your clothes ready."
     Grumbling softly under his breath, Jazz grabbed a few
hygiene things and headed for the bathroom to get cleaned up. 
Opening the door, he found that a bath had already been drawn for
him.  Striping down and easing his way into the water, Jazz
quickly lathered up and rinsed off.
     Entering his room with a towel wrapped around his waist, the
three servants descended on Jazz like three individual cyclones. 
After twenty minutes of intense activity, the servants backed
away from Jazz, admiring their work.
     Looking at his reflection in the vanity mirror, Jazz almost
didn't recognize himself.  His hair was neatly combed, and his
face was clean shaven.  He wore a white gold tunic under a
rust/brown vest, embroidered with minute designs.  A pair of dark
brown, form fitting jean like pants ran the length of his legs. 
On his feet, his usual boots had been replaced with a similar
pair, though these sported a shine.  Last, but least, the forearm
braces were put on after being thoroughly cleaned and polished.
     Making a few minor adjustments, Jazz headed down to the
festival.  Changing his mind slightly, he swung by Arshes' room
to see if she was ready yet.
     Knocking on her door tentatively, a servant answered.  "Yes? 
Can I help you?"
     "Is Arshes ready yet?"
     "No.  She will be ready in a little bit.  If you will wait
here, please."
     Nodding, Jazz tooled around in the hallway for a few minutes
as the servant closed the door.  In the middle of a tooling, Jazz
heard "Well, how do I look?"
     "Arshes, you look..." was all Jazz could get out.  His brain
had faulted as his eyes fell upon her.  Wearing a low cut,
strapless black dress that hugged her in all the right places and
a few places it didn't need to be, Arshes exemplified beauty in
it's basic form.
     Getting no response from her escort, Arshes walked over to
Jazz with a half swagger and placing her right hand on his cheek. 
Jazz felt an electric shock run up and down his spine but still
wouldn't budge.  Bringing in the big guns, Arshes brought her
other hand up to his cheek gently and kissed him fully and deeply
on the lips.
     Breaking the kiss, Arshes fought hard to restrain a wave of
giggles as Jazz seemed to melt like butter.  Well, it seemed to
work as Jazz sputtered "A..a...a...arr..."
     "Well, how do I look?" she asked again, breathily this time.
     Jazz's mind default to what he started calling Kuno mode. 
"M'lady, thy beauty is far beyond my ability to describe
accurately fore it has delighted mine eyes and doth boggled what
I have for a mind.  My heart beats only to live for the moments
when I am in your presence.  Please grant to me a slight wish of
allowing me to escort you to the grand ball being presented
downstairs this night."
     Arshes giggled softly both at what Jazz had said and that he
managed to say it all in one breath without breaking stride. 
"Yes, you may kind sir."
     Holding out his arm, Arshes slid hers in and around his. 
Together, they walked down to the ballroom.  Jazz managed to
regain a little sense, whispering softly "Arshes, you look
beauty.  Thanks."
     "For what?" she asked slightly confused.
     "For everything." replied Jazz softly, turning to face her
directly in front of the main door to the great hall.  Reaching
up with his right hand, Jazz tilted her head up slightly and
kissed her gently on the lips.
     Just then the doors opened to announce the couple.  Jazz
stopped the kiss and turned to face the open doorway, only to be
greeted with hundreds of joyous people.  Blushing brightly, Jazz
and Arshes walked down the aisle towards the head table.  Looking
at the head table, Jazz could see Gara and Darschu trying hard
not to break out laughing.  Tia bubbled over in giggles.  Sheila
threatened to follow her.  Geo grinned broadly.
     Shaking his head, Jazz looked around the room at everyone
who was present.  He noticed that like the last celebration he
had been to, all the companies of soldiers were seated together. 
Coming to the front of the hall, Jazz finally saw his team
situated around a table with their squires and two faces he
didn't recognize.
     Coming to stand before the head table, Jazz bowed down on
one knee as the rest of the hall quieted down.
     "Welcome, Sir Jazz and Lady Arshes."
     "Thank you, Queen Sheila for your hospitality.  I am honored
to be in your presence.  May the gods bless this day."
     "Sir Jazz, you have down a great deal since you arrived
several months ago.  You have served Metallicana and her people
well and faithfully."
     "All I do, my Queen, is to your glory."
     "Stand Sir Jazz and let the celebration begin."
     The hall immediately erupted into a cacophony on noise as
food was served and the instrumentalists began playing.  Jazz and
Arshes took their seats and began eating like everyone else.
     After dinner, the tables were cleared and set to the side. 
The time for dancing had begun.  The band began with several
traditional melodies.  The hours seemed to roll one into another
as Jazz danced with Arshes, Tia, Sheila, and several other
females in a variety of dances, a couple of which the earlier
lesson hadn't covered.
     After about three hours of traditional Metallicana melodies,
Jazz had had just about enough.  Approaching the musical group,
Jazz attempted to make a deal with the leader for one song. 
Arriving at a bargain, Jazz wandered off in search of a fellow
musician.
     Finding her standing off to one side, talking with Tia and
Sheila, Jazz stated "Arshes, I need your help."
     "What is it, Jazz?"
     "I know that you hate for a lot of people to know your
skilled at the lute, but I need your help."
     Arshes' brow furrowed.  "Jazz, why?"
     "Well, I sorta made a deal with the conductor to let me play
one song from where i am from.  Unfortunately I would have to
play three to five parts by myself.  I may be good but I am NOT
that good.  Will you help me??"
     "Okay...you are going to owe me severely."
     "All right.  You can collect tonight up in my room."  Tia's
eyes went wide at this.  Turning to face the young priestess,
Jazz said, in mock shock, "Tia!  You must be hanging around
Darschu way too long."
     Arshes became slightly confused by this since she was most
likely thinking the same that Tia had been, she figured.  [I will
out tonight I guess.] Arshes thought with a mental shrug.
     Heading to Jazz's room to get his lute, they headed over to
Arshes' room to get hers and to practice.  Jazz laid down the
basic riff, melody, and harmony.  After several minutes of
practice, the duo headed back down to the hall.
     Getting amongst the musicians, Jazz climbed into the drum
section, doing a little re-arranging to make sure that everything
was easily accessible.  Doing a little practice at several keys
to make sure his lute was easily accessible, Jazz signaled the
conductor with a nod.
     The conductor had warned the rest of the group to follow
whatever Jazz and Arshes do after listening for a short while. 
Returning the nod to Jazz, the conductor brought up his baton to
signal his musicians at Jazz's next cue.
     Clicking off a short time with his drum sticks, Jazz raised
his voice to get everyone's attention.  [I hope this works.]
thought Jazz as a higher pitched laugh reverbed from his throat
and as the words "WIPE OUT!!!" echoed thereafter.

     <Wipe Out:Surfaris>

     Jazz beat out the basic time on drums, thankful for his
increased time sense and hand-eye coordination.  At the proper
moment, Jazz switched to his lute, followed by Arshes.  During
the time the song lasted, all 10 minutes worth, the musicians
picked up the melody easily and started doing variations.  The
percussionists of the group took up their drums, assisting Jazz
wherever it was needed.
     Jazz laughed mentally at some of the horrified looks among
several members of the audience. [Back to the Future live.]
thought Jazz, chuckling.
     By the time the night ended, Jazz played several other
oldies ranging from "Johnny B. Goode" to "Twist and Shout" to
"Earth Angel."(Two guesses who that was sung to.  -Author) the
last piece of the night kinda brought back how and why Jazz got
his nickname.  The sweet sound of "Sweet Georgia Brown" flowed
through the audience.
     It was well into the morning when things were finally shut
down and finally cleaning was done.
     Jazz guessed it be about three in the morning when he
finally got back to his room.  Barely able to get out of his
clothes, Jazz crashed into his bed.  Jazz couldn't help but
chuckle at some of the looks the music he played brought out in
people.  His team accepted the song readily, mainly because they
heard him humming them while he worked.
     Suddenly a soft knocking echoed off his door.  Climbing his
way from bed, Jazz opened the door to find Arshes in the hallway.
     "Can I help you, m'lady?"
     "I'm here to collect." replied Arshes with a devilish grin.
     "D'oh!!!  That's right.  I said I would repay you for your
help with the music.  Okay...take your shirt off and go lie on my
bed." said Jazz, off-handedly.
     Arshes went wide eyed.  She had changed from her dress to a
simple tunic/blouse/short skirt combination that Tia usually
wore.  The only thing she didn't have on were the
personables...you know...underthings....ah hell, underwear.  Her
hard was also pulled back into a ponytail.  Needless to say, this
caught her off guard.
     Shrugging, Arshes hesitantly stripped down and laid down on
Jazz's bed.  Jazz, in the meantime, was searching his wardrobe
and vanity for something special, something special he had made a
while ago and not used yet.
     Finding it, he turned back to face Arshes and almost dropped
it.  Blushing brightly, Jazz turned immediately away, saying in a
squeeky voice "Arshes, could you please turn over onto your
stomach please."  Jazz had thought for sure she would be wearing
the usual under attire.  [Whywhywhywhywhywhy] he asked himself.
     Arshes took in the request and the blush looking on Jazz's
face with mild confusion.  [I thought...maybe...]  Shrugging, she
flipped over onto her stomach.
     Hearing his bed creak, Jazz risked a look back over towards
Arshes, who was now lying on her stomach.  Sighing tremendously,
Jazz took the cork from the vial.  Slowly, the scent of flowers
filled the room but not overpowering it.
     Steeling himself, Jazz poured a little of the oil from the
jar into his hands and began to massage Arshes' back.  Taking a
few moments, Jazz grabbed a towel and laid it almost over Arshes'
region between her waist and thighs. [Gottathinkhappythought,
gottathinkhappythoughts.  Putitinthehappybox putitinthehappybox 
Whyisn'tshewearingunderwear??  Whymewhymewhyme????]
     Breathing deeply, Jazz continued on, almost in a completely
mechanical fashion.  Arshes, on the other hand, reveled at the
feeling of Jazz's hands caressing her skin, often the way he did
in her dreams.
     Hitting an especially sensitive area, Arshes moaned and then
almost whimpered as the caressing stopped.  "Am I hurting you?"
whispered Jazz in her ear, bending over to do so.
     "No...felt good..." she murmured in response.
     The next forty-five minutes wound down like this.  Jazz
finished up and collapsed into one of the many chairs in his
room.  Sighing, he looked at the lightly sleeping Arshes and
chuckled softly.  [back where I come from, I would have done
anything to go out with you.  Now here I am and can't think of
what to do next.  Ayi-yi-yi.] thought Jazz with a soft chuckle.
     Slowly, Arshes began to stir.  Jazz still couldn't get over
how catlike she moved and acted, especially when she was waking
up.  Jazz watched her intently until the point where her body
rose well into his view.  Turning his head away, Jazz became very
interested in the cracks in the ceiling.
     Arshes slowly stretched out, her muscles feeling totally
relaxed.  [Whatever Jazz did, he does it well.] she thought. 
Seeing him sitting in a chair, Arshes shook her.  [Jazz, Jazz,
Jazz.  What are we going to do with you??  You are way too
uptight.  I do have one idea however.]
     Padding gently over to the ceiling staring young man, Arshes
came up behind him, knelt and wrapped her arms about his neck. 
"Thank you." she whispered in his right ear.
     Immediately, the skin on her forearms felt an increased
heat.  Looking inquisitively at the side of his face, she saw
Jazz had gone to critical blush mode.  [After all this time, he
still blushes.  We will definitely have to cure him of this.]
"Jazz, wouldn't you say it's time to go to bed?"
     Bashing his ecchi side mentally, Jazz merely nodded, not
trusting his voice.  "Okay, come one then." she whisper coyly.
     "A..A...Arshes...together??" he squeaked out.
     "Yes.  Now come on." she said, rising fully to her feet,
dragging the technician to his feet also.
     Arshes managed to finally get him into bed after a short
struggle.  Not wanting another statue incident, Arshes looked
jazz directly in the face as she climbed into bed and pulling the
covers over them "Do you love me?"
     Finding a resolves, Jazz said quietly "Yes.  Now and
forever, m'lady."
     "Thank you...now hold me, please." Arshes whisper asked
while snuggling closer.
     Jazz wrapped his arms around, bringing her almost eye to eye
with him.  "Sleep well, Ar-chan."
     "You too, my love." replied Arshes with a soft kiss to
Jazz's lips.

     The late morning sun poured into Jazz's room, making it too
bright to sleep.  Jazz rose first, feeling a closeness wrapped
around him.  Looking down and seeing Arshes, Jazz sighed softly
as his mind finally accepted her as a possible part of his life.
     [Now, should I tell her about...] thought Jazz, remembering
his cursed form.  [No, not yet.]
     Arshes finally woke up and the pair made their way down to
lunch.  The rest of the day, Jazz spent in meetings with his
squad, divying up ranks, going over designs, screening
applicants, and whatnot.
     As the thing closed out, Chiyuki had noticed Jazz's strange
behavior since the start and confronted him on it.  "Jazz, what's
wrong?"
     "What do you mean?"
     "I noticed it too.  Jazz, what's on your mind?" asked Ann.
     "Jazz, what's going on?" asked Nobemaza.  "If it concerns
the squad or us, we would like to know."
     "Okay..." Jazz finally broke and told them he would be
leaving them in two days.  When asked why, Jazz replied that a
part of his original wish had been to travel and now it was
coming time to travel.
     The three knights as well as the squire squad wished Jazz
the best and offered to do what they could to help him prepare.
     That night, Jazz told his inner circle of friends about the
news.  Sheila and Tia were shocked about it but accepted it. 
Gara, Darschu, and Geo asked him how he knew, and Jazz replied
truthfully.  Turning to face Arshes, Jazz's heart began to break
as she would not meet his gaze.
     Later that night, Jazz knocked softly on Arshes door, asking
"Arshes, can I please come in?"
     "No."
     "Arshes, please." begged Jazz.
     "Jazz, leave me alone.  You are like all the rest."
     Jazz's anger suddenly swelled.  Shoving open Arshes' room
door, Jazz said "Arshes, I love you.  I will be back.  This I
promise.  I have more than enough reason to come back, but this
is something my wish is forcing me into."
     "And what reason do you have to come back here?" asked
Arshes, tearing streaming down her cheeks.
     "The woman I love and," Jazz started, reaching into his
pocket and pulling out a small box.  "And want to marry are here. 
Arshes, will you?"
     Arshes took the box with shaking hands, opening it.  Inside,
she found a band of spun gold, woven intricately.  Looking up at
Jazz, who had approached her quietly, she nodded, standing up.
     Wrapping his arms about her, Jazz kissed her deeply, roiling
over with passion.  Arshes returned the emotion in kind.
     Breaking the kiss, Jazz whispered "I have to go...there's
stuff I have to do yet..."
     "Okay...just don't stay away too long."
     Nodding, Jazz exited her room slowly.  Sighing deeply, he
was glad to finally have it off his chest and out in the open.
     Nodding again, Jazz set himself, knowing what he must do.
     Heading down to the library, Jazz pulled the staff from his
forearm bracer, having it do an internal diagnostic.  Then he
proceeded to do something he had only done accidently.
     In a previous incident, Jazz accidently touch a book with
the staff and the staff took everything the book had to say as
input, memorizing it completely.
     Well into the night, Jazz worked, touching the binding of
every book, scroll, manuscript he could find.  After finishing,
Jazz did an internal diagnostic of his staff.  It was using not
even 6% of its potential storage capacity.

     *It is time* announced the staff at lunch, a day and a half
later.
     Bowing his head, Jazz said, regret heavy in his voice., "It
is time."
     Darschu grabbed and shook Jazz's forearm.  "Good journey. 
Just be back in time for the wedding."
     "I plan on it."
     After releasing Darschu's forearm, Jazz found himself
wrapped in a hug.  Looking down, Jazz looked into the teary-eyed
face of Tia.  "Jazz, why do you have to go?"
     "It's because of the wish.  I will be back, this I promise."
     "Okay.  Just take care of yourself."
     "I will.  Besides I have something to return for."
     Seeing Sheila approach, Jazz bowed from the waist.  "Sister,
I will miss you.  Take care and rule well."
     "I will." responded Sheila, hugging Jazz as well.
     "Gara, be nice to Sheila or I will come back sooner than you
think." Jazz mock warned the ninja master.
     "I will.  THAT, I _promise_ you."
     Seeing Geo approach, Jazz bowed once again.  "M'lord, I was
a know nothing yet you choose to educate me.  I thank you."
     "And I thank you also, Sir Jazz.  You have saved Metallicana
and my only daughter.  I am forever in your debt."
     "I believe that levels out the debt I owe you for saving my
life so many times."
     "God speed Jazz, and return soon."
     "I will."
     Turning to face Arshes, Jazz said "Arshes..."
     "Jazz..."
     Saying to heck with it all literally, both met in the middle
with a kiss and a hug.  The kiss turned out to resemble something
like the one from the bath house incident.
     Darschu looked over to Gara, and whispered "Is it me or has
it gotten warmer in here?"
     "Definitely warmer." replied Gara, grinning.  Suddenly, both
he and Darschu received elbows in the ribs from their significant
others.
     Arshes and Jazz finally broke apart.  "I will return soon."
said Jazz, turning to face away from the group.
     Suddenly, Jazz's staff extended a foot past his fist and the
end opened into four sections.  Jazz watched amazed as a beam of
light radiated off each point to become a point in the portal. 
Waving one last time, Jazz leapt through the portal.