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> Part 1
> Part 2
> Adventures in Parodyverse - Emergency Management, Part 3
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>
> Liu Xi visited the second room in the caverns of the Scholar Ghouls’ cavern.  Oddly enough, it was much smaller, and had an unlit fireplace.  Liu Xi was quick to ask how the smoke got out of the cavern.  It was at that point Vinnie informed her that Ghouls didn’t have that worry, and there was a reason it wasn’t lit at the moment.
>
> The cloaked female introduced herself as Shen Rae.  Liu Xi remembered hearing the name from Lara Night, and immediately knew there was no reason to distrust her.
>
> But Liu Xi also kept silent about the other part Lara told her - about Shen Rae being a spaceship Captain from someplace called the Alliance.  She didn’t know how much the alien told the Ghouls, or would tell Vinnie, and it wasn’t her place to spill the beans for her.
>
> That secret wouldn’t remain completely under wraps, however, because Vinnie caught on to something Shen Rae said, immediately.
>
> “Wait...you said you saw something like this on Shee-Yar?  How did you get there?”
>
> Shen Rae glared at Vinnie with those red eyes of hers.  They conveyed a hidden strength, a power.  Liu Xi wondered if it was real or just an impression.  It was something about the red-eyed alien’s confidence, like she could destroy all she sees if she chose.
>
> The alien sighed impatiently.  “I’m part of a race of...near immortals.”  she said.  “We don’t live forever but time is different for us.”
>
> “You didn’t answer my question.”  Vinnie pointed out.
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> Shen Rae looked at directly at Liu Xi.  “A friend of hers went there with me.  Lara Night.”
>
> Just as Shen Rae apparently hoped, Vinnie accepted that response.  He already knew of Lara’s cosmic travel abilities.  He didn’t see Liu Xi smirking behind him.
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> Liu Xi asked a more important question.  “Wasn’t Shee-Yar wiped out?  Is that going to happen to us?”
>
> The alien shook her head.  “You see, it looks like stone...but it’s a machine.  The one you found is broken.  The tremor your city felt was because someone was down there...tampering with it.  Either trying to fix it or destroy it.”
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> “So...that means we can’t get rid of it then, can we?”  Vinnie asked with a sigh.  “Without destroying the world, I mean.”
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> “Only two in this world have that capability.”  Shen Rae explained.  “One cannot be trusted...I believe he’s called the Hooded Hood.  He can simply retcon it out of existence.  But he’d want a high price for it.”
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> “And the other?”  Vinnie asked.
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> As soon as he finished asking that question, he followed Shen Rae’s gaze, and the Abyssal Grey did as well.  All three were looking right at Liu Xi.
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> “Me?”  she asked fearfully.
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> “You have a way with void, don’t you?”  Shen Rae asked.
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> “Yeah.”  Liu Xi responded softly.  “Are you saying I can relocate it?”
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> “To someplace it won’t hurt anyone, yes.”
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> Vinnie then quickly added his own question.  “That someone who was tampering with it...it was you, wasn’t it?”
>
> Shen Rae sighed and looked terribly guilty.  “To tell the truth...it wasn’t broken before I got here.  I’m the one who broke it...tried to destroy it because it’s dangerous.  I didn’t expect it to...”  She shook her head.  “Anyway...now that you know the truth--”
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> “I’ll still help.”  Liu Xi interrupted, noting the hopeful look from Shen Rae.  “I want it to go away.”
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> “So it’s settled then.”  the Abyssal Grey said, clapping his ancient hands together.
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> Vinnie and Liu Xi exchanged worried looks.  They both felt like they’d been set up.
>
>
> ---
>
>
> “Why are you wearing a cloak?”
>
> Shen Rae turned around and smiled at Liu Xi’s question as they made their way through more underground tunnels toward the big slick-walled room Liu Xi and Vinnie were in earlier.  That question sounded like one Liu Xi had been waiting a long time to ask.
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> “Why do you think?”  Shen Rae replied.  As she said that, she pulled down the hood to show her red and silver hair.
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> “But you can change--”  The Chinese Elementalist almost gave something away that she knew, but she wasn’t sure Vinnie did - that the alien could change her look.
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> The red-eyed alien’s smile disappeared, and her gaze fixed on Liu Xi.  “I needed something in between,”  she explained cryptically.  “Something recognizable...for you...but not for anyone else.”
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> “Oh.”  Liu Xi replied.  She smiled briefly at a very confused Vinnie.  Fortunately he assumed it was some kind of shared information between the two women and he wasn’t meant to understand.
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> They all ceased making any sound at all, as they arrived at the slick-walled cavern.  It had a very high domed ceiling, and seemed to vibrate with energy.  Almost as if it were reacting to Liu Xi and Shen Rae’s presence.  And possibly Vinnie, too.
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> “Send it away.”  Shen Rae whispered.  “Before it does the same to us.”
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> “What?”  Vinnie asked suddenly.  “Wait...I thought this wasn’t going to be dangerous--”
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> He was cut off when a violent wind came from nowhere, forcing them all to close their eyes to keep out dust that had been kicked up into the air.  There was an awful howling sound, and it felt as if a tornado had spawned in the cavern with them.
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> “The door’s opening!  Hurry!”  Shen Rae yelled over the din.
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> Liu Xi concentrated, and felt like someone hit her over the head with a sledgehammer.  She stumbled back...she could feel a consciousness behind this black smooth stone resisting her, and it was strong.  The Earth beneath her feet began to shake violently.
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> She took the Earth into her mind, and held it firmly, like a delirious child that needed to be restrained, and calmed.  The shaking stopped immediately.  As she did that, she could feel the unnatural black stone separating from the Earth it had latched onto like a parasite.
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> Once it had complete separated, Liu Xi used the last of her strength to open a huge tear into the Void.
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> Vinnie back away as a hole opened into nothingness, and the black stone began crumbling away and falling in.  He felt as if the entire Earth was bending toward that hole...and he did the only two things he could think of.  He held Liu Xi’s hand tightly, and at the same time, reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a small packet.  
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> That packet read ‘Cosmic Band-Aid - in case of emergency’.  He tore it open and hurled it into the Void.
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> Liu Xi passed out immediately after the portal into the Void slammed shut, and Vinnie caught her.  The last of the black rock was gone.
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> “Uh-oh.”  Shen Rae said...
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> ...just before a large chunk of rock that had been previously supported by the black dome fell.
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> Vinnie stood watching, shocked, as Shen Rae threw back the hood of her cloak and caught the rock above her head.
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> “Get her out!”  Shen Rae shouted at him.  “This rock isn’t going to stay in one piece!”
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> Though he had many questions, Vinnie quickly lifted Liu Xi up and raced back toward the narrow cavern where the Abyssal Grey waited for them.  He heard a loud crash behind him, and wanted to run back and make sure Shen Rae wasn’t injured or killed.
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> “Greye!”  he finally called out when he saw the ancient ghoul.  “Look after Liu Xi, I have to go back for--”
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> He stopped speaking when he heard a cough and a shuffling behind him.  Shen Rae was covered in dust, but alive.
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> “How did you...?”  Vinnie asked.
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> It was then Liu Xi woke up with a splitting headache, and overheard that last part of the conversation.  “She has secrets she needs to keep for now.”  Liu Xi whispered.
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> Shen Rae smiled broadly, and nodded as Vinnie looked at her.
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> “I have so many questions.”  Vinnie asked Shen Rae, as it finally dawned on him who she was.  She was something he heard about many times, but never thought he would actually meet.
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> “Ask them later, please.”  Liu Xi interrupted.  “I...need to go home and rest.”
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> Shen Rae nodded again.  “She needs to rest.  There will be plenty of time for questions later.”
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> “Okay.”  Vinnie agreed.  He took Liu Xi’s arm over his shoulder and started leading her back up to the surface.  “You saved the world, you know.”  he said.
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> “I know.”  Liu Xi replied.
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> “So don’t ever let anyone at the Lair Legion give you any crap.”  he said.  “You’re as good as any of them.”
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> She smiled, but didn’t say any more, the rest of the trip home.
>
>
> -- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2008 by Jason Froikin, and may not be 
> --    reprinted without permission.  
> -- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow
> --  Liu Xi Xian and the Psychic Samurai are original design by Jason Froikin
> --  Lara Night is an original creation by Jason Froikin
>