Dan
Uninhabited was the key word, and almost eerily so. The round green door opened easily at a light push from Mike, and swung inwards with a creak. The low ceiling was the first thing apparent, curving round back down to the floor to form a tunnel. Immediately ahead was a little round fireplace with a fire burning down inside. The dying flame flickered on the plentiful floor space in front, and a Chandelier near the doorway shed a decent amount of light on the place. There were piles of books and papers on the cluttered table in an adjoining room, and looking out the round window above it, it became apparent that dusk was setting in. In the kitchen on a table beneath the hanging utensils were several large loaves of bread, and some freshly churned butter in a shallow earthen jar. The girls soon busied themselves in the kitchen, apparently preparing some kind of feast, from the look of it. Most of the guys sat down in relative proximity to the fire, some sprawling on the floor, and some leaning against furniture. Mike had found a smooth stone, and was sharpening his katana, holding up it up to his eye on occasion. Dan unstrung his bow, and used his dagger to whittle out some rough points on his arrows. Finally Brad spoke up, laying spread out on his back, hands behind his head. "If this is all in our imaginations, what else could it mean? I'm starving hungry right now... is that because I imagine that I'm hungry? The guys were initially resistant to this depth of thought when they needed rest so badly, but it made good sense. "And why are we tired?" put in Jesse "If we can fly, why should we have to sleep?" This comment sent several heads nodding. Dan commented "Maybe that's because we are accustomed to being tired after working, being hungry when we haven't eaten, and all that, but something like flying is so different from what we are used to that we can actually accept it." Mike spoke up after a short pause. "I guess its true that familiarity breeds ignorance." While that was still sinking in, a call came from the kitchen that dinner was ready. A parade of ladies emerged bearing large amounts of food. There was a small cauldron full of thick steaming soup, warm bread with butter, and a good amount of some kind of green that was declared safe by Sara C, still mumbling through her mouthful. The evening was spent in jovial conversation and well needed rest. Food and drink were plenty, and when they were finished, Dan pulled out the lute that he had been carrying, and began to pluck a few strings. Soon a song came to his mind that he knew from some other place and time. It told of a quest, not too dissimilar from their own.

Upon the hearth the fire is red,
Beneath the roof there is a bed;
But not yet weary are our feet,
Still round the corner we may meet
A sudden tree or standing stone
That none have seen but we alone.
Tree and flower, leaf and grass,
Let them pass! Let them pass!
Hill and water under sky,
Pass them by! Pass them by!

Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate,
And though we pass them by today,
Tomorrow we may come this way
And take the hidden paths that run
Towards the Moon or to the Sun.
Apple, thorn, and nut and sloe,
Let them go! Let them go!
Sand and stone and pool and dell,
Fare you well! Fare you well!

Home is behind, the world ahead,
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadows to the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight.
Then world behind and home ahead,
We'll wander back to home and bed.
Mist and twilight, cloud and shade,
Away shall fade! Away shall fade!
Fire and lamp and meat and bread,
And then to bed! And then to bed!

Whether they truly needed it or not, the cobwebs of tiredness overtook each sojourner and they were one by one compelled to indulge in the misty blessing of sleep.

Sara K
"Uuuughmp." Sara K shifted and pushed Esther's leg off her face. Sleeping between Sara C and the aforementioned Milligan girl had left her somewhat mashed. But, as usual, she was the first to awake, which allowed her ample time to draw moustaches and glasses on their sleeping faces. On the other side of the room, the guys looked like logs and had barely stirred at all. She smiled and thought about doing something completely obnoxious to awake them, but decided against it, and silently went to the kitchen instead to see what she could do about making breakfast for everyone. Facing the scrambled eggs she was making, she did not see Brad wake up and come to join her. "Ahhhhhhhh! Brad, for crying out loud! Give me some warning next time! Now, be a nice boy and retrieve my heart from the ceiling, where you have just sent it by scaring me." "Sorry. Whatcha making?" Brad inquired as he started to slice some bread. "Eggs. I think. I'm not really sure. They look like eggs." She grinned. "I need to let this oven thing warm up though. Want to look around a bit?" "Marvy!" he exclaimed, and picked up a small candle that had been left burning on the counter. "Alright then." She wiped her hands clean on a towel, and the two early risers set off down a dimly lit hallway that branched off from the main area. "I hope this doesn't end up being like Goldilocks and the Three Bears or something," Brad commented. Sara's eyes widened. "Don't even think that, for our sakes, if not for our sanity." He nodded. "Hmm, this looks interesting." A colorfully patterned puzzle was ingrained in the door that faced them. Brad shifted some of the pieces around, fascinated. After a few moments, the pieces clicked, and a groaning noise was heard from deep within the house. They looked at each other. "Ok, in movies, noises like that are usually not too good," Sara observed dryly, and continued, "we're like the dysfunctional Scooby-Doo gang." Brad smiled, but pushed the door forward anyway...

Dan
Brad turned quickly to face a hallway down which no one had gone yet, only to see a giant Indiana Jones stone come rolling towards him, filling the entire hall. He started at first, and then relaxed, and a subtle smile found its way onto his face. Sara ran out of the kitchen screaming for Brad to do the same. He remained in his position, and narrowed his gaze at the fast approaching ball of doom. Seconds before the inevitable impact and definite annihilation, the rock slowed down and came to a halt. Brad reached out to touch the stone's surface but his brain shocked him when his hand continued right on through. The rock began to fade, and then disappeared. He turned to face the rest of the Youth Group with a grin on his face, only to behold a bunch of shell-shocked people propped up on elbows and hands with their mouths hanging low. Lars shook the last vestiges of sleep from his head and asked brad to explain what had just happened. Sara emerged from behind a large table, her hair sticking almost vertically off her head, and between her teeth, said, "yes, please do."

Lars
"Well," began Brad, grinning from ear to ear, "As soon as I opened the door, I saw this giant Indy-style boulder rolling at me--" "No duhhh." commented Lars; a bit miffed since it looked like his vaunted Force powers were about to go out the round window. "-- And I immediately realized that this was related to Sara's imagination, since she had said that 'noises like that are usually not too good'. Since I realized this, I also realized that if I thought the boulder out of existence, then it would no more harm me than a fly would." "Not if the fly were six feet long and had poisonous spikes on its legs.... oops!" said Mike as a loud buzzing began just down the corridor. "Um, I've noticed that the animals we invent don't usually go away for some reason," said Jesse, "so why don't we GET OUT OF HERE!!!!"

Brad
"Ok, Jesse." Brad smiled. He was riding high on his little success with the giant rock and felt like testing some newfound powers. Unfortunately, as we know, Brad's impulsive actions usually get Brad in trouble... and, well, let's see what happens. A hole appeared in the roof of the Hobbiton is it? Brad's grin widened as he rose into the air. Letting out a Peter Pan style crow crossed with a Mike style WoOt, he back flipped upwards.... as someone, no one knows who to this day, feared the loss of structural integrity of the Hobbiton...? It gets worse, thinking that his friends were right behind him, they "were", so Brad rocketed into the clouds above, looking for an ancient city of stone he had always wanted to visit and now had the chance to. The problem was, that while to Brad's mind, his friends were right behind him, since they were in fact from reality, they could not be manipulated like the rest of this new world. Riding the edge of an ethereal, silver lined board, Brad spun and twisted through the clouds, having the time of his life and never dreaming that he had left his friends behind. As the sun rose, the clouds took on a pinkish hue the color of cherry blossoms, moving to a beautiful light red. The green earth below switched to the cerulean of the ocean, and Brad rode on, contemplating in silence but never dreaming that the reason for this silence lay far behind him. And it was not long before the carved stone pillars of the zephyr-borne metropolis loomed into view, wisps of cumulus intertwined with intricate designs.... By my troth, I am off!

Mike
A couple or arrows whistling through the air dropped the flying creature to the ground. Dan quickly stepped back, and with a blow, sent the door slamming shut. The house was now beginning to creak, as beams holding the dirt back began to bend and give way. "Out the hole! Jesse yelled as he scrambled onto the kitchen table. Mike stood looking up through the newly made hole in the ceiling, as the structure began to collapse. "Ah...." He said as he studied the sky. "And so it begins. Now we begin losing all contact with reality. Things become confusing. I have seen it happen before." He turned back to the others. "Let me show you something..."

"Now we know we are in a fantasy world. And being one, if the fantasy world is not kept solid, anything can happen. For example." Suddenly the collapsing walls stopped still, unmoving in sudden silence. Mike waved his finger, and a portal opened through which Mikey P could be seen tied up and gagged. With another wave Mikey P disappeared, and with a puff materialized the center of the group. "You see, in two lines, I have ended the story. But how interesting is that? I'm sure none of you wanted that to happen. The theory of being able to modify your surroundings allows even more chaos..." Mike jumped into the air, and hovered above the ground. The walls of the house began to fade away into the white drifting clouds of the sky. "It allows things to become almost surreal. I myself find it very hard to follow such a plot." Again the surroundings faded, turning back into the walls of the hobbit hole. Mike slowly lowered back to the floor. "Most fantasy actions, if kept in moderation are fine, and will actually add to the interest of the story. But through out past experiences, I have found, after one event, the modification of reality tends to grow to the point where the situation is almost unrecognizable. As far as we have traveled, it has been for the most part stable, but be carefully, if the stability of the fantasy world is lost, the stability of the adventure is lost...."

A white flash enveloped the group, and they were again standing around the hole. Everything was as it was minutes before. The group quickly scrambled out the hole, and away from the slowly growing cloud of dust rising from the former hobbit hole. "Well" said Lars as he turned to survey the surroundings. "Being well rested and fed, I suppose we should continue. Due to the recent events, I feel we are closer to our goal than ever before..."

Brad
Brad alighted on a jutting stone outcropping and stared in wonder at the enormous construction before him. It reminded Brad of a cathedral, with an enormous facade stretching high into the morning sky. A number of short pillars, placed at constant intervals rose from where the facade left off, each rounded and slightly bulging in the middle, ending in tapering pyramids. As with the forest temple, intricate designs covered the building. Brad literally climbed the steps, each being almost as tall as his waist. The interior was just as majestic as the outside, but it was much more barren. While light streamed in from huge windows to the sides, the only furnishing to the enormous room was a set of spiral steps, much smaller than the steps at the entrance, which ascended to a small skylight in the ceiling. Brad beckoned to his "friends" and started toward the center of the room, the sounds of his feet echoing across the concentric tiles that formed circles around the staircase....

Meanwhile, back at the ruins of the Hobbiton, the group had little doubt as to what to do next; their worries about the whereabouts of their friend had plagued them since his disappearance. Unfortunately, no one had seen even the direction in which he had set off, and since he was flying, there was not even a smidgeon of a trail to follow. Brendan Without realizing it, the entire group had fallen asleep on the island that was Lord of the Flies. The hot beach sun was baking their brains and causing them to have a mass-hallucination. They were all having strange dreams about flying around like Peter Pan. Brad was even so delusional he thought he could alter the world they were in. The group was in great peril, and seemingly without hope. Unbeknownst to them however, their salvation was near. Brendan was at home, sitting down to watch some more Flame of Recca, one of his favorite animes, when his monitor suddenly turned into a dimensional gateway and sucked him in. Brendan dropped with a hard plunk onto the beach near the nearly dead heroes. Seeing that his friends were getting baked like potatoes, Brendan woke everyone up. Brad got up with a start and tried to fly away. "Haha, what are you trying to do? Fly away?" said Brendan. Brad didn't quite know what was going on, or why Brendan was there, so he just sat there. "Hi everybody, where the heck are we?" Mike answered, "Somehow we're all trapped in this crazy place, where the setting keeps changing." Just then Brendan noticed that he was holding a sword. The sword was the elemental weapon Ensui, from Flame of Recca. The Ensui is a sword made entirely of water, except for the handle, which is capable of cutting through most things as hard as metal. It also has the ability to use water as an attack. The only downfall of the blade is the need to absorb water to use it. This somehow didn't surprise the group, since everyone else had somehow produced their own weapons. Brendan, seeing how his sword was almost depleted, walked over to the ocean and started to absorb some water into his sword. Brendan was about done when suddenly some sea creatures emerged from the ocean. Brendan raised his sword to a fighting stance and prepared for the next encounter with the unknown...

Mike
Brendan ran towards the edge of the island ready to eliminate the sea creatures moving towards the island. Sword held high, he moved into a defensive stance. The beings floated closer, moving at a fantastic speed. With a yell Brendan sprinted towards them, swinging his weapon. With a clash his sword hit. But he never connected with his target. Mike was in front of him, katana up, holding his sword back. Brendan looked at him with a look of profound confusion. Mike stepped back, dropping his katana. "It's understandable, that you didn't realize what these creatures where." He motioned towards the dolphin like animals now moving away again. "They are friendly, and helped us in a time of need." The two turned and returned to the shade of the palm tree near the edge of the tropical forest. As they drew closer, a tired group of friends was talking of options on continuing. Dan spoke up. "We have to find a source of water, and decent shade. This weather may be a little extreme even for the most seasoned of us." Mike flopped down next to him and nodded his agreement. "I don't know how much more of this I can take. We need to find somewhere to relax and recover. I say we head for the mountain towards the center of the island. We might find a stream, or the source of the light on this island." Sara K stood and leaned against a palm tree. "Well then...shall we be off...?"

Brad
As the other guys blazed the trail ahead of the party, Dan walked on, deep in thought. His bow was not exactly the best tool for clearing paths, and he figured that he would just prove to be in the way if he tried to help. So instead he walked with the girls, half-listening to their hopeful banter, half thinking about what had occurred. The lucid dream that they had all experienced disturbed him for some unknown reason - it seemed evident that their minds were being played with by some unknown entity. It was also on his mind that it might have been a mistake to jump through the portal... perhaps a trap. A shout from the trail ahead interrupted his revelry.

Brad swung back to the group, using a friendly little vine that happened to cross his path. "Well," he said, "I'm not so sure that this is the Lord of the Flies island. In fact, given the evidence we've just found, I don't know if any of us have ever seen, heard, or imagined this place before." Brad led the way while running in circles, obviously excited enough to accomplish such a feat. As they neared the place where the yell had come from, some of the more perceptive members of the party, namely all of them understood why it was that Brad was so excited. They had found the elusive light source, but it was so much more than that. Truly though, it was little more than a luminescent rope that gradually got brighter as it rose into the afternoon (or so the time was guessed to be) sky. The fact was, though, that the smell of cherry chocolate bars and caramel brownies emanated from the rope... a sure sign of the inimitable cooking of Jessica Stein!!!!!

Dan
A revelation almost as striking as that of the smell of desert was that it really was the afternoon sky under which they stood... it must have been only one tip of the island that was in the cave... They guessed that they had walked out of the cave while looking for its light source, and were apparently now on the other side of temple. The vegetation was obviously tropical, in contrast to the ancient deciduous beeches, hickory, and oaks from before, making more than one member of the group wonder how such a climate change could happen so rapidly. Lars looked around to see strands of drool emitting from some of the adventurer's mouths, their heads tilted back to catch the maximum aroma. Although he had never sampled Jessica's deserts before, he knew well that this meant they were closer to the familiar that they had originally thought. This picked up the groups spirits substantially, and made some of anxious to continue, some jumpy, and some just plain hyper. It was decided that they would continue uphill to get as a good a view of the area as possible. Because of the thick vegetation, they could see only straight up. Each person kicked back into gear, trudging up toward the peak. In half an hour, they saw a clearing ahead, and hopefully the peak of the mountain. Indeed, it was, and they scrambled up on the rock outcropping that crowned the top of the hill. The view was stunning, and it dawned on Dan why this area was of a tropical nature. They were several thousand feet below the temple at his best estimate... must have been a longer fall into the water than they thought. Sheer rock walls rose to meet the handcrafted stone of the temple high above. The afternoon sun glinted off the massive smooth stone spires, tiny in the distance. A thin ribbon of water cascaded down and ended in a pool amid the jungle's foliage. The yawning mouth of the cave from which they had emerged was strikingly black against the stalwart gray cliffs. White wisps of cloud flew past the peak on which they stood, carried along by the same winds that flapped in their clothing and tugged at their hair. It seemed subliminally apparent to each person that the quest was nearing a close. It wasn't so much based on physical evidence, but they just knew it. While they stared on in wonder, Mike who was facing the other direction said "Hey guys! Look at this!"

Brad
The rest of the group turned around and looked at Mike in perfect synchronization. "What?" they all said. Then Esther saw it.... a thin strand of smoke drifting from a tiny hole in the rock. "Whoa," said Elisia, "this must be what's carrying the essence d' caramel. In fact, I'm sure of it. Whenever Esther doesn't mess up on making caramel popcorn, it smells almost exactly like this :)." Brad, who had gotten shut out from the circle gathered around the crack, jumped onto Dan's shoulders and took a grandiose whiff of the fragrant steam. His sigh was a bit too melodramatic, but the others didn't notice. They were too busy entertaining memory after memory of warm fires and cozy discussions at the Stein's house. Interrupting their thoughts was the ever-practical Lars, who had no such memories anyway (awwww), "Guys, lets check it out - I'm pretty sure there's no such geothermal activity that creates the smell of caramel. Our only problem is finding the source of the steam. Any good ideas?" The comrades lost themselves in thought once again. None could think of a way, and Lars was about to suggest a systematic search when Sara C noticed that Brad was grinning widely. Wondering what it was that would produce such glee, she inquired as to the reason. "Oh," said he, "I'm just enjoying this marvy hot spot on the rock." He closed his eyes and lay back and proceeded to enjoy the warmth...until Jesse shoved him out of the way. Before Brad could protest, Jesse exclaimed, "Eureka, the answer lies here!"

Lars
"Hey, what's the big ide...a...?" asked Brad indignantly, at the same time realizing what was going on. "OK, " said Elisia, "This is all well and good except that THERE IS A FIVE-TON BOULDER IN THE WAY!" "5.37 tons." stated Lars matter-of-factly. He got annoyed stares from everyone, Sara K. commenting that if he could tell things like that so easily, he should go join Miss Cleo. "It's obvious. Just multiply the rock's volume by the molecular mass of granite, and there you have it." he said, trying to defend himself, but only incurring more annoyance. "Anyway, the fact remains that we have to get through, and probably under this rock if we are to continue." said Dan, putting an end to the inside jokes for the time being. The group considered this for a while until Lars smacked himself on the forehead so hard that he almost got a concussion. "Duhhh, what are lightsabers for?" he said, and without further ado, began to hew away at the boulder with his Jedi weapon. He had gotten through about half of it, when he stuck the saber in up to the hilt in order to carve out a large section. As he did so, the entire rock detonated, sending him flying back, unconscious...

Melody
As the rest of the gang moved to attend to Lars in his unconscious state, Sara C had other ideas. She figured he'd be fine, and wandered off to do a little undisturbed pondering. She recalled back to when Brendan had first entered the scene, and they had all woken from the united dream, back on the LOTF Island. How exactly had it occurred, that uncanny, shared dream? And how exactly had Brendan just popped through "his computer screen" as he claimed, to appear to them all, assuring of this "dream" and that they could not really manipulate the island with their thoughts? An idea occurred to Sara. Could there be some kind of a... well, "moderator" in this world, similar to the way Sara Knight moderates her message boards? Perhaps certain thoughts and experiences could be imposed in everyone's minds. Perhaps SOMEONE was watching them- watching, waiting, and manipulating. Another thought occurred to her- how did they know Brendan was really Brendan? And how were the hobbit hole, the flying, and everything else that went with it- how was that really a dream when this whole WORLD was only a manufactured dimension. "Sort of like the Matrix with a twist," she thought. "Maybe we really CAN manipulate with our minds. We just haven't since Brendan came, because he convinced us that we couldn't." As she reentered the group, one last thought flashed through her mind: "Too bad we can't just wish Mikey P. back into existence..." When she returned to the sight of the now-smoldering rock, Lars was being held subject to the resuscitative efforts of the group. "What a LOUZY day to wear contacts," he whined, alluding to the ever-beloved Josh and the Big Wall Veggie Tales episode. Sara had no doubt that the rock would offer another task beset with all-new dangers, leading them on yet another wild goose chase...

Sara K
Sara Knight tapped her foot impatiently. This whole deal was starting to wear her down. She glanced at her watch and widened her eyes. "Ok, we'll all say hi to Phill later. I don't really care how he feels about all of this; he's in it, and that's that. Meanwhile, I really want to go home, and if we don't find Mike soon, we're stuck here a whole other day." She shuddered at the idea, and thought of a hot shower and a soft bed instead. Determination renewed, she continued, "I'm going to put all logic, sense, and reason aside for a while, because that's the only way I can possibly think to convince myself to go through this stinkin' rock portal deal. Are you with me or not?" Lars got to his feet with Mike and Esther's kindly assistance, and nodded, though he gazed forlornly at his dented lightsaber, which he pocketed in his robes. Dan let out a sigh of relief. "Finally, we're back in business." Phill, looking more than a little puzzled at the complete dismissal of his menace, shrugged dejectedly. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em...I guess." "Yeah, that's the spirit, Phill!" said Esther. "Ok, so...any volunteers to go first?" Sara K asked warily, gesturing towards the abyss that destroying the rock had revealed. "I think I can handle it." Mike stepped up. "But it's gonna be hard to see anything, with the lightsaber gone." Sara K smiled. "You forgot, you're dealing with someone who is always prepared." She reached into the cargo purse she'd been carrying from the very beginning, but had not touched in some time, and pulled out night-vision goggles. Mike stared at her. "You've got to be kidding me. Why didn't you whip those babies out before?" "Oh c'mon...like the lightsaber wasn't totally more fun than boring old goggles. Here you go." She strapped them on his head, and Mike couldn't resist doing a little Neo/Secret Agent demonstration. Elisia laughed. "I REALLY wish I had a camera!" As Brad and Dan prepared to lower the fully equipped Mike down the hole, Brad made a rather keen observation. "Has anyone else noticed that we seem to be in a perpetual cycle of going up and down? We climb up, now we're going down a tunnel. We climbed the stairs, jumped down and ended up on the island. Someone is going to need to rationalize this all later." Mike, now upside down and descending, looked back up at Brad. "Less contemplating, more lowering." Brad and Dan, quite the muscular duo, proceeded to up their pace. Alarmed, Dan stopped suddenly and looked at his feet. The ground was cracking around them. "You know, things just couldn't go right for once, could they?" he asked the sky above with some measure of annoyance, but also an appreciation for the dry irony. As the whole group felt the ground cave beneath them, Brad got the last word. "Going down again! Someone owes me a big honking explanation here!!!!!" But, to everyone's delight, things had gone in their favor this time around. After a long slide downward, they found themselves right where they wanted to be....

Brad
"Yeah, I love Ben and Jess's house…" said Brad, matter-of-factly. As he peered around the corner of the bathroom (the one near the entrance to the house) that they had all somehow gotten scrunched up in. "And oh, man, does it smell good in here." Wary of their friend Happosai, the little old man, the group tiptoed into the TV room, appreciating memories of Veggie tales and Sleepovers. Peering around the corner, Sara gave the all-clear signal and crept into the room. A roaring fire in the hearth warmed the group's spirits...all hoped that their mission was now at an end. As they turned the last corner, whom did they find but the elusive Mike Murano, pleasantly eating coconut and chocolate brownies with more than a little gusto. His mouth full of chewy goodness, Mike widened his eyes upon seeing the grimy group. Spewing crumbs, he exclaimed, "Where have you guys been? I've been waiting for hours! And there's this creepy gentleman guy that won't let me out of the house.... And what about that weird old man - every time I tried to ask him where you guys were, he just cackled at me and said "Lost! losssssst!" And I still can't find Ben and Jessica! What's going on!!!" Slightly angered at the fact that the wool had been pulled over their eyes, the group advanced on the nearly empty cookie-plate, their mouths watering with anticipation.... then a crooked shadow fell across the plate; all thoughts of food ceased as their eyes turned to the kitchen door.

Lars
"Well, " said Brad, "There remains only one thing left to explain. How in the world did Mike get here?" "Oh, simple!" he replied, "I was transported into the statue you saw. I was kept from doing anything by this Gollum-like thing that was always singing a song that left me powerless to move. However, when the statue exploded, I was shot out through the hole in the roof and was unconscious for some time. When I woke up, I decided to attempt to climb to the top of the tower. By the time I reached the top of the tower, it was quite far into the night. There was fork in the road; I chose the one to the left. The ground was covered with these spiked things--" "We call those snashers", put in Lars.
"--But they were all asleep. I simply stepped around them, opened the door, and found a portal similar to the one that I cam in through. I stepped through, and found myself here."
With that, everyone groaned.

Brad
"Oh hey," said Mike, "sorry to break up your joyous celebration at "finding" me but that dapper gentleman outside is still not letting us out. And I'm pretty sure that Ben and Jessica are trapped in the basement - don't ask me how I know - I'd say Ben told me, but that's preposterous. Anyway - I didn't go down to check it out because it smells way too bad, cat litter and everything, for yours truly." "Pish posh," replied Danielson, "I say we rescue their tushies" Stamping of feet and yelling greeted Dan's proclamation as Brad and Jesse recalled the Gospel Gangsters' prayer - they only wished they had a couple of guns to shoot off. Mike Milligan led the charge, his sock clad feet carrying him a few feet farther than he would have liked every time he tried to turn. Elisia was uncharacteristically anxious to see her friends and leap-frogged over Mike onto the landing. The rest of the group followed right behind them. Sara K had had the presence of mind to grab a flashlight from under the sink, and she thereby led the way down the creaky wooden steps, cutting a swath through the stench.

Dan
Sure enough, the bonafide couple of Ben and Jess leaned against the wall, tied and gagged. They were untied and de-gagged in seconds thanks to the large amounts of sharp steel in the guys' possession. Breathless greetings and statements of thanks were quickly exchanged before attentions turned to the flight of stairs, and the evil Happosai that lurked above.

Happosai was a kendo master, better, much better than even the illustrious Ranma Soutome. To those that knew, the sobering truth sunk in. The others upon beholding the tiny man at the top of the stairs began to giggle. "Hey old freak, where ya going with that hip replacement?" Lars taunted. Esther laughingly commented that he looked like he might bite. Elisia replied, stating that he had better not or his dentures might fall out. When they looked around however, they saw their friends' grim faces and stances set for combat. Dan let fly an arrow directly at the old man, but amazingly, he caught it with the chopsticks he held in one hand. A much more serious demeanor overcame the group as they saw this. But they had no time to act when Happosai sprang from his perch on the step towards Esther. Just before the point of contact, she dropped an elbow on his bulbous head with an angry expression. The girls fell upon the old man with brooms, mops, and random items laying around, effectively beating up. When the dust settled, Happosai with bumps covering his head, started whining "...

Lars
"All I ever wanted to do is take over the world. I mean, come on, what evil megalomaniac hasn't? But noooo, my mom would never let me even take over the neighbor's house, let alone the city. Now that I've gotten my PhD in five different fields, I figured I would be up to the task. I was even able to create an alternate dimension shaped purely by your imaginations. I was going to draw people in, one by one, send them on some never-ending quest, and have the whole world to myself. But you kids... you kids had to ruin the whole thing, and with brooms no less!" *whimper* Nobody could really find any pity for this old decrepit excuse for an evil emperor or whatever he was supposed to be, especially after what he had put them through. So, without further ado, they took him upstairs to the still-open portal, which he had apparently been too busy to close, and tossed him through.

Elisia
And so the perilous journey of the fellowship came to an end. The group filled in their leaders on every detail of their journey in an engrossing tale. Ben and Jess's faces grew as tired as the rest with every challenge taken on, and retreated to bed after all was said, saying goodbye and goodnight, and a considerable amount of thankyous. "Well guys," wrapped up Dan, "we have saved the world from domination and rid it of an evil megalomaniac, all before bedtime. G'nite!" "Hey!" chimed Sara C, "the night is young! Anybody want to go see Lord of the Rings??"