<meta name="LineWrap" content="true"><TITLE>SR_Bk1 0003</TITLE><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0004.txt">Next (Page 4)</A><BR><P><P>"I think it's over by those trees," Buff said, pointing. <P><P>They walked about a hundred yards to the edge of the woods and found Buff's enormous bicycle on its side on the ground.<P><P>"Okay, get it and let's go in. I don't like it out here. Too quiet," Lemon said.<P><P>"You're probably used to the sounds of souls being tortured day in and day out!" Buff said, picking up his bike.<P><P>Lemon smiled.<P><P>"And oh, what a sound it is!"<P><P>The two began to walk back.<P><P>"So now you'll never be Queen of Hell."<P><P>"Who gives a damn?"<P><P>Then, suddenly, a sound of thunder split the sky.<P><P>"What in--" Buff began, but stopped as he saw a figure fall from the sky and land with a thud on the ground.<P><P>"Who is that?" Lemon asked.<P><P>"Dunno. Looks like one of The Libertine A-Wave, maybe."<P><P>The two walked forward, and the red-and-black clad figure began to stir.<P><P>"Sure! That's Colonia the Sword! You know, from Libertine A-Wave. Right," Lemon said.<P><P>"Oh yeah... but I thought they all died!"<P><P>"Maybe it's a trick! Maybe it's O'Riley's doing!" Lemon said, pointing her pitchfork forward.<P><P>Colonia the Sword lifted himself up into a sitting position.<P><P>"Yellowhaus!" he struggled, out of breath. "It's all over... only one left.. have to help... help stop... O'Riley."<P><P>"Think it's really him?" Lemon asked.<P><P>"Yeah. I mean, why would O'Riley bother with this sort of charade when his victory is at hand? It's gotta be Colonia. He can teleport, you know," Buff said.<P><P>"I guess," Lemon said. "Colonia! Whattaya doing man? The world's gonna end in about a half-hour! Hey, guy?"<P><P>Colonia fell back to the ground, barely conscious.<P><P>"Can ya bring him in Lemon? My hands are full with this bike."<P><P>"No problem," Lemon said, and she poked her pitchfork under the collar of Colonia's jacket and lifted his limp and unconscious form.<P><P>"So we did save at least one person," Buff said.<P><P>"If you wanna call him that."<P><P>"Oh, he's a person. Maybe not a human being in exact terms, but a person nonetheless. I mean, am I a person? Are you?"<P><P>"I guess you're right Buff. It's just--isn't this guy a sword?"<P><P>"Yeah, he was some god's sword. But he had a life power all his own."<P><P>"Nice," Lemon said.<P><P>Inside, Chamomile and the others were busy figuring out how to airtight a portion of Yellowhaus in case the atmosphere of the alternate world was unbreathable. Then Buff and Lemon came in with the bike and Colonia the Sword.<P><P>"Look what we found, Chamomile!" Lemon said, smiling, her little fangs sparkling in the fading sunlight.<P><P>"What the--it's one of The Libertine A-Wave!" Sulfur exclaimed.<P><P>"I thought they had all died," Chamomile commented as she approached, "but it makes sense that Colonia might have escaped with his teleportation power. But how did he know to come here?"<P><P>"And did O'Riley follow him?" Sulfur wondered.<P><P>"Aw," Lemon said, dropping Colonia gently onto a table, "me and Buff figure O'Riley is too busy destroying the universe to care about any of us."<P><P>"That may be," Chamomile said, turning toward an instrument panel, "but I hope everyone's in, cuz I'm sealing Yellowhaus."<P><P>With that, she pulled a lever and a loud chime echoed throughout the structure. <P><P>"Nothing will ever come into or go out of Yellowhaus in this world ever again," Chamomile said.<P><P>"What do you mean?" Buff asked.<P><P>"Another of Yellowhaus's many secrets. Reality seal. It takes Yellowhaus slightly out of phase with the current world, thusly still allowing observations but preventing any passage in or out," Chamomile said.<P><P>Suddenly Canary began whooping and hollering by a window.<P><P>"Look!" Sulfur said. "Out the window! It's Universe O'Riley!"<P><P>All five rushed to the bay of windows and saw the horrific form of Universe O'Riley hovering in the middle of the yard, pointing at them.<BR><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0004.txt">Next (Page 4)</A>