The Legend of El Hazard
-----------------------

by Florencio B. de la Merced, Jr. (fmerced@pworld.net.ph)
(http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Temple/3641/index.html)

A fanfic inspired by the anime El Hazard, created by AIC.
----------------------------------------

Chapter 3

-----

The World of the Ancients

-----

Hinosuke Mizuhara had stopped three times already along the dusty road he
was travelling on.  He looked high up in the sky and concluded again that he
was in fact still headed in the right direction.  He reached inside his bag
for a fruit and quickly sat on a resting boulder by the side of the road.
"This is so strange.  I should have seen a transport by now."  He took a
bite, quickly appeased his appetite.  "If I don't get on a public transport
anytime soon, it'll take me the whole night to reach the port of Genan."  He
picked himself up and walked away.

The road he was travelling on was completely new to him.  He remembers
towering pillars, concrete avenues and the sort when he last traveled on
foot coming from Mount Mouldoon.  I guess he should have noticed the hints
along the way.  There were no air traffic for miles around  and he had
hardly met anyone yet.  Which to him was very strange indeed since the huge
city of Arnem should be just behind the hills in the horizon.  He reached
the crossroads, a sign post was there, and he stared at it in silence.
"That's odd?"  He read the sign again, "Roshtaria, this way."  He looked
back and saw the distant mountains of Mouldoon.  "But that's were I just
came from.  This sign is obviously wrong."  He wrestled with the iron works
and bent the sign post to point west, the direction he was heading.  "There,
much better."

"Say, what is bothering you mister?"  A childish voice came from behind.
Hinosuke turned around and saw a small boy dragging a smaller cart that had
an assorted tray of fruits and vegetables.  "You new here?"  was the
question poised by the little kid.

"Um, you can say that."  Hinosuke  bent down, "Say kid, do you know were I
can get a ride around here?"

"A ride?"  The innocent looking child asked.  He laid down the cart for a
minute and scratched his head for a second, wiping the perspiration of his
brow.

"Yeah, like a taxi or car or something.  A floater, perhaps?"

The child stared at Hinosuke for a while, "Well, you can probably rent a
flyer from town."  he pointed towards the hills.  "That's were I'm going to
sell these."  The kid lifted the cart again and peddled on forward.

Hinosuke quickly picked up his pace and had company on his short trip to
Arnem, but he can't complain.  Roir, the boy's name, was the first living
soul he had met in hours.  "You mean you're a farmer?"

"Oh, no.  My father is a farmer and I'm just making deliveries."  Roir
paused for a moment as the two came to the foot of the hill they had to
climb over.  "Anyway..."  He breathed deeply and poised himself in his
arduous task ahead of him.

Hinosuke grabbed the cart from Roir and helped.  "Let me do this son."

"Gee, thanks mister Mizuhara."  Roir said a little bit relieved, "I usually
do these trips with my father, but today he's preparing the celebration
we're having in town."  In exchange, he carried Hinosuke's bag for him.

"Is it Arnem's Feast today?"  Hinosuke asked as he stopped for a moment at
the crest to rest.  He gazed at the surrounding scenery expecting the
beautiful and colossal towers and spires of Arnem to meet him.  But to his
surprise, he was greeted by the sight of numerous crumbling rock faces and
formations jutting out from the ground.  It was obvious to him that this was
once a site of a city he once knew, buried underneath what looked to him was
centuries worth of earth and mud.  The ruins of Arnem was too moving for
him.

"Mr. Mizuhara, is something wrong?" Roir asked after realizing his companion
was not listening to his story about the defeat of the invading Bugrom's
forces yesterday.

"Huh?  Oh, Roir...did you say Bugrom?"

The two descended the hill, "Yes, Mr. Mizuhara.  For several weeks now, the
Bugroms have been attacking the outlying countries of El Hazard."

Immediately Hinosuke glanced at the ruins they were passing, somehow he
can't believe the Bugrom's could have destroyed the magnificent city of
Arnem in so short a time.  Thus he formed a new theory in his head.  In
fact, the desolate remains of the Arnem he knew proved to be older than the
claims he had deducted from Roir's story. "Are you telling me the Bugrom
destroyed this city?"

Roir looked back at Hinosuke, "You mean this, Mister.  No, I don't know who
made those ruins.  You mean that was a city?"

-----

Makoto came into the room rather perplexed.  Alliele had fetched him from
the library claiming he had a phone call, from his mother no less.  But he
had left them back on earth more than a week ago.  He surveyed the room,
Afura was talking at a mirror, Shayla seemed asleep in one of the seats,
Professor Schtalubaugh was exited at something while Fatora was eagerly
looking behind Afura's shoulder.

"Can someone tell me what's going on?"  Finally Makoto was finally noticed.

"Ah, here he is now, Mrs. Mizuhara."  Afura beckoned for Makoto to come to
her.  "It's your mother, Makoto."

"What?  But that's impossible."  Makoto was dragged in front of the mirror
and there he saw the most striking resemblance of her mother as his
reflection.  "Huh, what's going on?"

--MAKOTO!!!  It's you.  It's really you!--  The shriek came from the mirror,
and it even shook Shayla clear off the seat.

"Uhm, excuse me,"  Makoto stared for a second at the image, he knew it
looked like his mother, only younger, "but who are you?"

A pray of silence fell inside the room,  Shayla got up quickly realizing
that Makoto could not recognize the person inside the mirror.

--MAKOTO!!  Are you telling me you don't recognize your own mother!  How
dare you say that to me...to me...your own mother.---

"But...You're a little too young to be my mother.  My Mother is at least in
her forties."  Makoto scratched his head, smiling awkwardly.

--MAKOTO MIZUHARA!--

"I'm sorry, but I left my family back home, on Earth." Makoto said wryly. He
had no idea what to say next, he was looking at a person that looked
strikingly like her mother when she was as young as he was now, but logic
tells him the absurdity of the situation. "I'm truly sorry."

--Stand back, Makoto.-- Came the command from the other line.  --I'm coming
over--  The mirror glowed for a second and then whirled for a second.  Then
Shayla surprised everyone when she turned the connection off by plucking
Afura's communicator off the mirror stand.

"Ha!  I knew that bitch was lying to us.  We better take back our home as
soon as possible, right?"  Shayla looked at her sisters, but got some
freakish stared from them.  "What's up?"

Everyone was at their ends as half the figure of a woman had emerged from
the mirror.   Apparently everyone didn't know what to do or say, but only
stare as the woman struggled to break free.

"Will you put the communicator back on the mirror, please?!" Nariko cried
out in pain as the mirror restarted, a crackling of energy filled her body
as it eventually emerged fully out from the portal.  "Ah!!  That was . .
.painful."  She picked herself up and immediately shouted at Shayla Shayla.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?!!  I was still inside the
portal!"

"What?"  Shayla muttered.

"Hmmph.  Little girl, this trans-physical portal mirror here can really hurt
if you pull out the plug while a person is transcending through it.  Got it?
Don't ever do that again!"  Nariko glared at Shayla.

"Yeah, what ever?"  Was all Shayla could say.

"Unbelievable, a transportal in the shape of a mirror.  Fascinating."
Professor Schtalubaugh was already examining the glowing mirror.

"A Transportal?" Meez said to herself, "but that's impossible."

Afura stepped in, "Yes, a transportal is an ancient holy device only
accessible to the holy priestesses of Mt. Mouldoon."  She smiled, seeing
Shayla getting a tongue lashing from the visitor.  "But I never knew one
still existed till today."  She took her communicator off the mirror stand,
and the mirror faded back into normal.

"Alright already!"  Shayla pleaded.

"Good."  Nariko apparently didn't notice Makoto's plea for her to stop.
"Makoto, oh, it's so good to see you."  She hugged her son.

"Mom, geez."  Makoto struggled free.

"Oh, so you now believe I'm your mother, Makoto?"  Nariko asked.

"Oh, yeah.  Especially since you just gave Shayla here one of your infamous
lectures."  Makoto smiled.

"Well, she deserved it.  I never leave a mischievous disobeying child
undisciplined."  Nariko cross her arms proudly.  "Remember that Makoto."

"Gee, Mom."

-----

Hinosuke had been walking around a small rural town called Arnem for several
minutes now and still can't believe what he's seeing.  The once glorious
city of Arnem, that rivaled Floristica in magnificence was a small, desolate
town of a few shacks houses, a central plaza of clay and stone, and a market
place where they were now at the moment.

"Tell me more, Mr. Mizuhara about the old Arnem."  Roir said as he unpacked
his cart into one of the stalls inside the market.

"Well, not that I remember all that clearly, kid.  But it sure is nothing
like this."  Hinosuke sat down, "It had large palaces, spires that reached
high up in the sky, public parks, museums and several bazaars...I think." He
shook his head.

"Wow, that almost sounds like Floristica."  Roir said.

"Yeah,"  Hinosuke suddenly realized what he had just heard.  "You mean there
is still a Floristica around?"

Roir finished unpacking and sat with Hinosuke, "Yes.  It's a gorgeous city.
Very much like your Arnem of old.  I think."

Hinosuke just stood up rather exuberated.  "Then there's still hope."  He
bade goodbye to his friend and went about town to find a flyer.  Soon he had
gotten hold of some primitive transport, which had extending sails which he
wasn't accustomed to, but learning to use it was no difficult matter to him.
He rented the contraption and headed out just after noon, by his estimates
he would be at the country of Genan before nightfall, and he'd charter a
ship to cross the Holy River and then...Roshtaria.

"This is more like it."  He was speeding across the barren country side and
he liked it.  "This sure beats walking."  He swamped with his flyer for a
while, getting the feel of using it for the first time.  He easily cross
hills and ravines on his flyer, which he named Nariko II, by the way and was
about to head westward when something up in the sky caught his attention.
He immediately stopped the flyer.  "My God."  He stared at the huge flying
orb that was at the eastern horizon.  "He built it.  He rebuilt the Eye of
God."

-----

"Please allow me to extend the gracious hospitality of the Royal court of
Roshtaria to the mother of Makoto Mizuhara."  Londs said over the impromptu
banquet that was happening that afternoon.  A lot of the alliance leaders
were still in the palace, carrying over from the celebration over the defeat
of the Bugroms.

Princess Rune Venus approached her new guest.  "It's my pleasure to meet the
hero of El Hazard's mother, Mrs. Mizuhara."

"Oh, Princess."  Nariko returned the embraced extended to her by the ruler
of Roshtaria.  "The pleasure is all mine, really."  She then whispered to
her son, "What's this hero stuff I've been hearing all afternoon?"  Makoto
could only smile back in reply.

"Mrs. Mizuhara, you should know that your son, Makoto and his friends helped
greatly in protecting the kingdom of Roshtaria from the invasion of the
Bugrom forces," Dr. Schtalubaugh said out loud and a few more cheers filled
the room.

"Really?"  Nariko looked at his son, being flanked both left and right by
his new friends on El Hazard.  "And I thought he was shy with women."
Nanami and Shayla both turned red in embarrassment.

"Let's toast to your arrival."  One of the leaders called out.  A toast
ensued and everyone enjoyed themselves in the banquet.

Nariko was happy.  She had Makoto back, and she's back in her homeworld.
She realize that her son was a hero here and that made her proud.  She
stared a few times at Makoto, often catching his spying glances back at her.
He was in doubt, she knew as much.  Knowing her own son's thinking, she knew
she had to have a talk with him later to appease him.  She already knew that
once her husband arrive, Makoto will finally feel comfort with them arriving
here in El Hazard.  Which brings up one good question, she thought.

"Where in the world is your father, Makoto?  He left Mouldoon hours ago."
Nariko asked her son sitting beside her.

"How should I know, I'm not Makoto,"  came the rather rude response.

"Huh?"  Nariko finally realized who she was talking to, "I'm sorry princess.
I had again mistaken you to be my son."

"Hmmph."  Fatora just darted an evil look at Makoto, who was being pampered
by the two most beautiful girls she had wanted, Shayla and Nanami.  "It's
nothing."  she muttered back.

"So, Mrs. Mizuhara.  How is Shinonome High right now?  I'm afraid I had left
it, by no will of mine that is, at night without a proper caretaker."
Fujisawa asked from one side of the banquet table.  "I'm afraid we must have
been burdening the school since we have been gone for a long time now."

"Um."  Nariko realized everyone was listening, "well, it's still standing
when I last saw it."  She laughed a bit, trying to add a little humor before
she revealed, "but I don't know now, with Ifurita there."  She said with a
gulp of wine to help muddle her speech.  The silence in the room hinted to
her that the knowledge she held was rather expected.  "Oh, you already know
that."

"Mom, how..." Makoto sprang up his seat, "how is Ifurita?"  Several scowling
look greeted the young Mizuhara.

Nariko was rather puzzled at her son's innocent sounding question.  "What on
earth are you talking about?  Do you mean you've met Ifurita, son?"

-----

Katsuhiko Jinnai was at a lost.  He had scoured all the resources he still
had and came up with only a handful of Bugrom troops and a Queen with him.
"Is this all we have?"

Groucho, the purple headed and bodied bug answered.

"Very well, we'll march out and find a new base of operations."  Jinnai
jumped on Groucho's back and ordered the advance.  "This is a new beginning
for us, but the war is not over my fellow troops."

Queen Diva just sat on the transport that was being lifted and carried by
the remaining of the Bugrom horde and stared at Katsuhiko as he ranted off
on how he was going to find a more powerful and evil weapon and would
finally crush his arch nemesis and rule El Hazard at last.  She could only
smile at her commarade's blissful attempts to jump start the morale of her
fallen army in the midst of defeat and annihilation.

"Onwards!"  Katsuhiko pointed somewhere unknown, a deserted and desolate
horizon met them.  "I will win this time, Makoto Mizuhara!"

-----

"Do you mean that we've only been gone from Earth a couple of hours?"
Masamichi scratched his head and checked his alcohol content.  "But we've
been on El Hazard for days now."  Around the room were the Makoto, Nanami,
the royal court and the three priestesses of Mount Mouldoon.  Nariko
Mizuhara was the centerpiece.

"Yes."  Nariko held on to her son's hand, "Your father and I were worried
that you haven't shown up at home at so late an hour.  So we decided to seek
you out at Shinonome High."

"And you claim that Ifurita was there."  Londs, asked.

"It makes perfect sense," Schtalubaugh interjected, "Makoto claimed it was
Ifurita who sent them to El Hazard, and now we know that it is true.  Both
because we lost Ifurita at the Eye of God and now with Mrs. Mizuhara's
testimony."  Everyone just awed at the conclusion.

"Wait a sec, did you say Eye of God?"  Nariko was rather tensed hearing
those three words uttered.  "You must be kidding, the Eye of God was
never..."  She looked out the window and sure enough the looming figure of
the Eye of God was silently hovering above the skies of Roshtaria.  " I
don't believe it...this can't be..."

"What' can't be?"  Nanami asked.

"You mean the Eye of God?"  Makoto gripped his mother's hand.

"Yes, when I was last here in El Hazard," Nariko stood up and walked out
into the terrace, with everyone following, "the Eye of God was still being
rebuilt.  But that seems to be a long time ago."  Her voice trailed off
sadly.

"That also makes sense," Schtalubaugh said, "we know that your husband,
Makoto's father's work is found among the ancient scriptures of El Hazard.
So naturally we can deduce that it was of ancient times the last time you
were here, on El Hazard."  A few more gaping awes came from everyone.  "Will
you knock that off, please."

"Mrs. Mizuhara."  Rune Venus stepped in, "I must ask you to tell us about
the time of El Hazard.  Especially before the Holy wars."

Nariko was puzzled, "Holy Wars?  Are you saying..."

"In ancient times, our ancestors destroyed each other during the Holy Wars,
and it was finally ended when the Eye of God was last activated before we
had used it again."  Londs' lecture struck Nariko.

"That's . . .horrible.  So it happened.  My God."  Nariko stepped back and
fell into tears.

"Mom."  Makoto helped her mother walk back inside.  "Please, everyone.  My
mother is in pain recalling the past.  I beg of you..."  He was stopped by
his mother.

"No, Makoto.  These tears should have been shed a long time ago.  I'm
perfectly alright now."  She sat down, drying her tears with a cloth.  When
she was calm she waited for the next question.

"Mrs. Mizuhara." Afura sat in front of Nariko, "I've been studying the
ancient archives of Mount Mouldoon all my life and I can't find the recipe
for Velusian crab cakes, do you know where I can find them?"  Everyone
stared rather shocked at Afura.

"Velusian crab cakes?"  Nariko paused for a moment.  "Well, I can't
really..."

"Aha..." Shayla said under her breathe.

"Wait, I remember.  It's under the archive letter B, for bombs, and the
other half of the recipe would be under E, for explosives."  Nariko proudly
exclaimed, "It's a rather crude satchel charge, which is only useful to us
since its the only mixture we know that can generate enough heat over a long
slow period so that we don't need to use external power to heat up the bath
in our home in Mount Mouldoon."  Even Afura was perplexed at the answer.  "I
believe the keepers of Arlimon also use Velusian crab cakes to heat up their
baths as well."

"Darn," Shayla said to herself.

Afura just stood up, "You're turn."  she said to Meez.

"Oh, there's no need, I'm already convinced she's the real thing."  Meez
said with a smile back at Nariko.

"Hmmph,"  Shayla muttered.

"How dare you do that to my mother?"  Makoto protested.  "Don't you believe
her."

"No, Makoto.  It's perfectly alright.  Right now, I don't really know what
to believe either."  Nariko looked around, the faces of so many strangers
intermingling with the ones that was in her memories right now.  "Does
anyone know what ever happened during this Holy Wars?"  Everyone just stared
back at each other.

"It is written that the once proud and glorious civilization of El Hazard
was laid in ruins after the Holy Wars.  Many cities fell into utter
destruction and chaos."  Princess Rune Venus said.

"To stop it, our ancient ancestors built the Eye of God, the ultimate weapon
of destruction and rather eliminated all our enemies."  Fatora added, "I
think...Is that right teacher."  Schtalubaugh just nodded silently.

"I saw some of it,"  Makoto added, "through Infurita's memories.  I saw her
destroying a lot of cities and buildings.  It was nothing I've ever seen
before.  It was awful, I have to admit."

"That can't be right?"  Nariko said.  "Why would the princess Ifurita
destroy her own kingdom?"

A collection of gasp echoed in the room.

"What do you mean by that, Mrs. Mizuhara?"  Schtalubaugh asked.

------

Hinosuke squinted as the descending sun obscured his view of the surrounding
plains ahead of him.  A while ago he breathe a sigh of relief seeing the
familiar Holy River of God in the distance, concluding that his next
destination was nearby as well.  What he saw was a city that looked familiar
to him.  "At last, Genan."

He could still see the pillars of smoke emanating from all directions, but
Roir had warned him about what had happened to the port city of Genan during
the advance of the Bugrom invasion.  The city though was rebuilding itself,
people were reconstructing their houses and homes brought about by the war
with the Bugroms.

"Bugroms.  Strange that they've suddenly become this aggressive over the
years."  Hinosuke said as he found a suitable clearing for him to land his
rented flyer.  "I guess it was just a matter of time."  He gathered his
things and set off to find another transport for his journey across the Holy
River of God.

When he entered the port city, chaos was abound, but this was the type of
chaos one sees in festivities and at the circus rather than the chaos found
in war or invasion.  The city was alive with merriment and chartings from
all over the streets.  Hinosuke was forced to step aside when a parade
plowed it way through the main street.  Everyone seemed happy, chanting the
defeat of the Bugrom, and the Eye of God throughout the merriment.  "The Eye
of God?"  He asked aloud.

"Yeah, the princess of Roshtaria activated the Eye of God and defeated the
Bugrom forces forever."  A stranger answered him in a rather cheerful,
ridden with alcohol, kind of way.  "You should celebrate with us, stranger."

"Um, thanks."  Hinosuke walked away, away from the gathering crowd of
locals.  Staying on would have attracted suspicion on him.  "The Eye of God
was activated."  He said to himself.  Thinking about the last time he was
working on the Eye of God, a long time ago.  His memory wasn't really that
clear to him, he'd spent a lot of time forgetting all about El Hazard, but
now he's forced to remember his past.

"Why aren't you celebrating like everyone else, mister?"  A man in sea farer
clothing asked as he prepared to set a ship to sail.  Hinosuke had arranged
to rent this boat and he was to be his guide.

"Huh, oh  I need to get to Roshtaria, that's all."  Hinosuke hopped on board
the rather large sea floater, it had sails just like those of his flyer, but
this was totally new to him.  "By the way, I'll also need a map.  Can you
provide me with one?"

The sea farer only scratched his head.  "Map?  Well, we don't really use
maps nowadays.  All you need to do is follow the coastline and you'll get to
most of the port cities of El Hazard."  He faced changed into a worried
look.  "But did you say you were headed for Roshtaria?"

"No map,"  Hinosuke said out loud, "well, I don't think I need one anyway."
He completely ignored the sailor's question.  His mind was racing with
ideas, as if he'd changed his mind about crossing the rive without even
realizing it.

"Sir, Roshtaria?"

"No, I'll be going upstream."  Hinosuke held on to the controls and thanked
the sailor for his help.

"But, sir.  I'm your guide for this trip."

"Oh,"  Hinsouke said, "that won't be necessary, lad.  The place I'm going to
is rather dangerous, it'll be best that I go alone."

The boat entered the sea of fog as the last light from the setting sun
disappeared from the ocean horizon.  The rather bewildered sailor looked on
from the pier unknowing what to think of the stranger and his misguided
directions.  "If he's going to Roshtaria, then he's definitely headed the
wrong way.  I don't suppose he's headed to Bugrom?"

"No matter,"  A smaller and older man, who seemed to be a businessman said,
"at least he paid us well."  He held up a gold coin nugget.  "Do you realize
how precious this old coin is?"

"I wonder why it looks practically brand new?" The sailor said.

"That's because the only remaining coins of this type are found in Mount
Mouldoon."  The old man quickly hid the treasure away.  "That guy must be a
friend of the priestesses.  Or a thief of the utmost ability.  I have never
heard of anyone surviving Mount Mouldoon, let alone know of anyone stealing
from the temple of the three sages."

"How do you know that it came from Mouldoon?"  The sailor asked as he walked
back toward port with the old man.

"Coz, this was the same coin the three sages paid us for the transport we
sold them.  Remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

------

"Are you sure you haven't heard of Princess Ifurita, or even the magnificent
cities that I know of?"  Nariko asked her friends that had gathered around
her as she tells more about the world of El Hazard that she knows.

"I'm pretty certain this is the first time I have heard of the Royal Family
of Arlimon, the great city Arnem, Balisk or many of the wonders you are
describing, Mrs. Mizuhara." Professor Schtalubaugh said.  The only ones in
the room were the first princess of Roshtaria, Rune Venus, Londs, chief
counsel, Fujisawa-sensei, the three priestesses of Mount Mouldoon and
Makoto.  The rest of her audience had already retired for the night.

"Yes, I myself have never realized that there were originally four
priestesses."  Meez said.

"I was afraid of this."  Nariko said, pulling her thought together as much
as she could to clear her mind.  "I wonder who long has it been since I was
here last?"

"I'd say a long time."  Masamichi said, a little humor on his part.

"Mom, are you certain that Ifurita was a princess of El Hazard?"  Makoto
asked.  But Nariko was silent.

"This is quite a revelation," Dr. Schtalubaugh said to Rune, "To think the
great demon god, Ifurita can be the one and the same person Mrs. Mizuhara is
describing."

"Indeed," Rune Venus said, "but from what kingdom is she from?"

"Roshtaria."  Nariko said out loud, her voice seemed detached to her facial
expression.  As if a terrible and horrible memory was in her mind, afraid to
release it to her listeners.

"It can't be."  Londs said under his breath.

"Please excuse me." Nariko fled into the terrace, leaving everyone in the
room dumbstruck.  Her eyes were flowing with tears, her memories of her El
Hazard finally took hold of her emotions and ruptured the fabric of peace
and calmness she had learned to hide her past with.

Everyone turned in for the night, Makoto stayed behind looking after her
mother as she cried in bed all night.  He can't still believe it.  A lot of
revelations happened that night.  Even accepting his very own nature, a son
of a priestess of Mouldoon was hard for him.  Who was Ifurita truly?  Was
her mother speaking the truth?  Could El Hazard be a whole lot different
from the one he knew today?  His mind was full of questions, and the answers
were few.  He only hoped he'd learn more about Ifurita tomorrow..

-----

End of Chapter

-----

Up Next:

Makoto's father arrives at the end of the Holy River of God, and seeks out
an old friend and teacher from long ago.  Jinnai and Queen Diva stumbles
upon a new demon god and plans out the second invasion of Roshtaria.
Nariko, on the other hand seeks refuge in the very halls of the library,
seeking answers herself.  Makoto, on the other hand is left in figuring out
Ifurita's connection with her parents.

*Author's Notes*

C&C greatly appreciated.

Next chapter tomorrow.  (April Fools?) ^_^