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Mapleromancer by Loki

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Mapleromancer

Welcome to our world


I am Lady Onyx, Maple Gatekeeper,

My touch as soft as the gossamer wings of a moth, I shall protect my children; I, the Goddess of indivisible worlds embrace you,

Fear me not,

Caressing your dream, I bid you welcome,

I am she who gazes longingly into the night sky,

I bask in the pleasures afforded me by the evening tides,

I oversee those creatures on the wing as these perform their duties to the sovereign of the sky,

Lady moon, I honor thee,

Guide my companion as he enters our world,


Lady Onyx


Karaoke Confrontation


Hello. I am Chikka. A bastion of the law needs some downtime. Karaoke was my poison. I sang New York New York, so close to the original version of Frank Sinatra; it was scary. As was the fact New York, at least in its off-world form, on the revivified planet Mars, resembled little of the former super-city it had once been on the North American continent in the old world. I sang with finesse. Not my usual humming, but the microphone, and several glasses of exceedingly potent fruit punch will do that to you.

I am Sheriff LMC’s right hand, one of the deadliest deputies in this ol’ town in the Mapleverse. Don’t cross me, unless you want your ass fried!

The cyborgs clambered for the next act. Human women bustling in their finery to get onstage. I tilted my hat and patted my six-guns to make sure they knew I meant business and I clanked along in my knee high boots, my camel-brown skirt adorned with noisy, and glittering jeweled stirrups, stars and miniature chimes hanging on the dangling silver tassels reflecting off my thighs as I moved. Melanie called me jingle bells. I wonder why. The Wolf boys whistled at me. I shrugged and the pretty Borgs pouted, but in their naked glory, with only circuit motifs over the portions of their biosynthetic bodies feigning clothing, albeit skimpy representations worn like tribal signifiers. Wide-eyed, these hybridized young ladies shuffled back as I snapped my pulse pistols in the Gothic cowgirl Borg’s face. She was the leader of the lurid pack, a trickster, if ever there were one. She blew me a kiss and I pulled the trigger, everyone went down, throwing himself or herself to the floor.

“Move bitch, or you’ll be tanned and thrown over the town ramparts, and I’m not talking about giving your body, as sallow and sickly white as it is now, a healthy tan. Now, move your ass Borg!”

“Y-Yes, mar’m…” she scuttled off, uttering cusses, her retinue in mournful retreat.

“Now, let’s keep it orderly, bets are not permitted until… Let me see, twelve past the hour. Anybody have a problem with that?”

They looked contrite enough. I returned to my seat and finished my Star Brandy, propping my boots upon the empty chair. Gardenia eyed my legs, salivating, looking like a fish blowing bubblegum as she, he, or…it ogled my shapely limbs.

“Damned hermaphrodite!” I muttered and looked at Giles Porter, my boyfriend and he shrugged and moved the shape shifter along.


Dark Articulations of night


I stood in a blaze of golden light, in the middle of a- “Bloody moron! Watch the hell where you’re driving that antique!” I shouted, after rushing for the relative safety of the sidewalk where I spun around, indignant, shaking my fist at the offender. Stupid me; exactly what I get for standing in a trance in the middle of a dusty street in a dilapidated western town, with bits and pieces of old and cyberpunk-hyper modernist England scattered all about me. “What a silly git! How did I manage this one? Hey Spencer, cat got your tongue?“ I chided myself.

These incongruent events were just sensory overload on steroids. Looking down, I gasped. I was wearing my Maple Story Fire Mage’s robes and felt the weight of something heavy around my neck. My teleporter disk that doubled as a weapon. It glittered in the eerie light of dusk. I was too shocked to process this, too stunned by the huge wagon, with the white tarp. Hell, it was just like the one in ‘They Died with Their Boots On.’

“Shit…” I muttered.

Any moment now, Errol Flynn, as Brigadier General George Custer, was going to slow his wagon down, hop out, and march right over and say, “Son, off to face the Indian onslaught, c’mon.” Dragged by the ear, I would be heaved into the huge wagon and find it filled with other disgruntled Fire Mages, lost in the Maple world through happenstance. But thankfully, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that had happened; the wagon ambled out of sight.

Heaving a heavy sigh of relief, I dusted myself off and closed my eyes.

~*~

Hammer struck, I walked beside an embankment, and the night was full and the moon high, the causeway on my right lit up with gas lamps with strange orbs of purple fire within. Each of these Romanesque columns with strange translucent touchpad set into the platinum-like metal of these street side sentinels.

The air felt warm as it caressed my face as if soothing me. I heard something, cocked my head to one side, and listened hard. Then I heard it again and looked towards the lush Bowling Green smooth embankment, and noticed a small crocodile-like creature caught in a bunch of glowing orange wire that moved, I knew this thing, I lifted my talisman and a shot of blue light neutralized it. Those things were a nuisance in the wrong place, ostensibly designed to tie up decorations for tickertape parades and other such festivities in New Leaf City and Shower Town, some gadabouts left this poor little guy, er, girl to struggle in its diabolical grasp. I freed it and looking confused and frightened, it realized I was trying to help and it stopped struggling. Only a little though. Thankfully, no sharp teeth and it was more like a plushy. I grabbed it. The fluffy creature squirmed and tried to bite me. The cute little reptile/mammalian wonder was ten to twelve inches long and covered in a velveteen emerald fur. I then knew where I had seen this before, in the Maple Story Water World reserve. I carried him, or her, and set it down on the silt and allowed the creature to scurry towards the river where I assumed it had come. I had always been curious about those creatures, worth 10000 Mezos. But hell, I had 400000 Mezos on my disk.

~*~

“There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no-“ I clicked my boots together, and stood as straight as a bobby on duty at the Tower of London, hoping I’d soon wake up in my warm bed with my mother whining for me to get up and my sister kneeling on the bed tickling me; her sure-fire way of getting me up for college.

The sound of giggling girls and coughing adults, the men dressed in hybridized wild western fashion, and I’ll be damned, gun belts strapped to their hips stopped and stared at me in puzzlement. I was crazy, or dreaming still.

Oh, those girls, so sexy, I leered unashamedly at them. Parasols, high heels, white fishnet stockings, buttons and bows, huge floppy bonnets, with stylized Victorian dresses, but these were so short as to be totally weird if this were really old London town. I felt homesick. Although a little eye-candy made me feel a lot better. I smiled at them, and they actually smiled back, blushing. Like a bleeding idiot, I continued to gape. My turn to blush.

Remembering myself, I bowed and the leggy adolescent girls continued on their way, still giggling and the adults took off their hats, scratch their heads, and eventually moved on also.

“Fire Mage, you should be wary. It is dangerous to be out this late for the likes of you,” said a man who looked more like Professor Moriarty of Sherlock Holmes fame, but for the skinny loopy necktie he wore and black cowboy hat. He crossed the street and handed me a crystal disk. “Here, that keeps the mushies at bay.”

“Thank you, I think?” I murmured, pocketing the device and reached for my disk to pay him.

He placed a hand on mine and shook his head, “Don’t mention it sonny, I am Dr. Felgar. Science is my game, and Maple species analyst my fame. Care for a tea?”

“Sure, but-“

“Money, is no object. Besides, I see your belt has a Meso credits disk, you’re rich by comparison to the locals here. We’re, you and I, out of towners you know. Now, sit!”

Before I could thank him, or politely decline his kind social gesture, a pair of ornate white metallic chairs and an ivory table woven into an intricate pattern materialized out of thin air.

“Ah, that’s better,” he grinned.

“Freaking awesome!” I cried and sat. He looked at me strangely. “Just a turn of phrase where I come from,” I explained.

“Quite all right, Maple is boundless and just got a whole lot bigger. Know of the threshold event?”

“W-What? No, I’m sorry, head in the clouds, you know, us magi, all off with the proverbial faeries.”

”Oh, then you’ve not seen the new worlds, so many we’ve not been able to map them yet and some say it will take thousands of years. Impressive is it not?”

“Yeah, but what is this town, I think it is Tombstone or something?”

“Correct, but it is ‘new’ Tombstone!”

We exchanged pleasantries for a time and he gave me his card. It felt like a crystal credit card, and the swirling Mandelbrot kaleidoscope beneath its smooth surface bedazzled me.

“Pretty thing ain’t it. Keep it, got plenty of others. If you need anything, just holler, won’t you son. Now, I best be off, and please, seek shelter as my talisman will only protect you so long as you use caution.”

I nodded and watched him walk off, whistling as he went. This was just getting way too weird.

~*~

Mages and muses. The place was full of them. I shrank back into shadow. I was dreaming, wasn’t I? I had played Maple Story countless times, and yes, I was darn good at it, too I might add. But this? Me, a character in a virtual reality game? Was I slipped a narc or something?

I could smell the jasmine, it was heady, intoxicating, and sensual. I loved it. Kirii loved it as well, my little twelve-year-old sister. We would call it, ‘summer’s calling card’ and I felt a little better for the sweet perfume upon the evening air. But where the hell was I?

Now, mother was not going to like it when she found my bed empty with only my folded clothes on the bedside table untouched, along with my cell.

I stamped my foot. Terra firma all right.
“Ouch, what the-“ I felt that. This was no dream. I looked at the crescent of flaming red on my forearm where I had pinched myself and began to freak out. Damn, didn’t work, I had thought if I tried hard enough, I could trick myself back to my world, “not happening, Spence!” I declared to the empty street.

Without considering the wisdom of following such impetuous impulses, I ran along the dark laneway. The cobbled stone underfoot was slippery for a time before smooth rock offered surer footing. I increased my speed. I knew not why I was running, I just had to do this for some reason.

As I slowed to a walk, leaning up against a redbrick wall, catching my breath, my heart pounding in my ears, and a stitch nagging at my right side, I took in my surroundings.

I thought I saw a metallic box spewing out multi-colored jellybeans. Oh, I was gone, a candidate for the loony bin. And me, a straight A student, too. “Oh well, are those things squeeing and jumping?”

Yes, the jellybeans were alive! Of course, I saw them in the Gift Shop in Ellinia, but-

I heard it before I saw it, a Zombie Mushroom.

“Die Fire mage!” it hissed. I took in the horny protrusions on its head, these looking pretty scary as this thing was almost as tall as I was.

Without giving it a second thought, I summoned my Fire Rod and held it aloft. “Fire of summer, fire of hearth, stellar magus, your power and wrath I call to my aid!”

I struck the beast with a stream of fiery plasma, and it launched a venom surge in retaliation. But I managed to duck behind a tea chest, and it was showered in the gunk. Then I fired another shot and dissipated it good and proper.

“Hell, blast, fuck!” I was surrounded by heaps of horned Zombie Mushrooms. I was, lured, here. I was toast.

But then as if out of a bad B grade western, a leggy, and hot heroine came to my aid. Tonight was my lucky day, er, night for pretty girls. Her knee-high boots. Hot. These sporting a huge golden star on each that gleamed with celestial fire, fashioned from soft leather. I liked what I saw. The white leather clung to those impossibly long and gorgeous legs. The white pleated skirt fanning out, supported by a brown leather belt six inches high at her slim waist. Her pulse pistols glittered in the surreal light of the forecourt we were now standing in and her caramel-brown vest also boasted five large solid gold stars, denoting her rank. The white cowgirl hat, bearing the symbol of fire, her Flame Whip, long chestnut hair that poured over a body that was, to my discerning eye, to die for I can tell you. She was my heroine all right.

“Meteor Magic Cross Fire!” Raising her arms, streams of fire shot out in all directions, as she cracked her fire whip, destroying the Zombie Mushroom raiding party in an instant. Only several smoldering objects and puffs of green smoke and purple flame could be seen before the fungi beasties vanished upon the wind.

I rubbed my eyes. She was standing before me, smiling, biting her lip. I think she was laughing at me.

“You’re one of the new arrivals in town I trust,” she winked, her voice like velvet, molten honey, her deep brown eyes magnetic held me in their grasp and I did not resist. I did not want to.

“Yes, kind of. I didn’t plan any of this; I’m sorry.” It was then I remembered her. I recognized the pretty sheriff. I had seen her before. Playing Maple Story for as long as I had, you rather get to know these characters. However, now, for some inexplicable reason the game had… fused with our reality. Suburban Sussex was half embedded in Shanghai and Alpha Zone Cordite, one of the game’s new realms within Lunaria shimmered in the background against the twilit.

We were all stuck in a hybridized England with a massive Tombstone of the West-World to lose ourselves in and I could tell Lady Moon Cat was as confused as I was. Yes, that was her name, Lady Moon Cat. I remembered. Welcome to cyberpunk Sailor Moon meets Harry Potter. That is, West World style. All we need now is Yule Brenner and we can really party. However, these beings, were not to be trifled with lightly.

“Come, Spencer, I’ve arranged accommodations for you and I want to talk to you. I have a proposition for you.” She winked, shaking that mane of glorious brown and I followed like a willing sacrifice to the Goddess of Love.


Old flame dies hard


Several days later, I was making my way down a deserted street under a pale dawn sky, my footfalls echoing behind me. I heard a laugh, I knew it, I turned and surely I was right. She smiled, raising her hand, palm aglow with golden light. A large rock materialized out of thin air. Ruthenia propelled it with a gentle push. It moved in a broad arc towards me on the other side of the causeway in slow motion. I would have died if not my own powers matched her own.

We were old sparring partners. I knew her moves, she mine. I offered a sheepish grin and stopped dead in my tracks. The bolder struck the ground a meter or so away and I scowled at her. She was laughing at me, leaning up against one of the many ornate poles in this town, arms folded over her chest. She looked great despite her attempt to pummel me into the flagstone.

Wearing bright colored leggings, a top so tight it showed off every accent of her womanly curves, she oozed sensuality. Let’s just say, she had plenty of cleavage to boast about, her A-framed black denim skirt so short it was deliciously obscene. A matching velvet jacket fell to mid thigh, this adorned with hip-length tresses of shiny gold; the ankle high-boots, finishing the stunning look.

She only laughed and shrugged, “Consider it a wake-up call, darling. You married me in the Maple world and I’m calling in on my conjugal rights, buster! You’re getting sloppy of late, I won’t take that in the bedroom, of that I can assure you. Since I think you’ve rocks in your head, I wanted to labor on the point and test your metal. Forgive me. But you’ve had it coming for some time now,” I looked her aghast, what the hell was she on about, and then I knew. She was jealous, “Humph! Flirting with the town sheriff, you’re a real jerk, you know that?”

“You don’t own me. I have dissolved the marriage, so deal! If you want to test my metal, fine. But you know as well as I that I have had good reason to be preoccupied of late. I don’t mean with LMC either. Besides, you didn’t want to meet up on Facebook, due to Ronan. I was cool with that; so don’t make a claim you have any right to, all right? You made your bed so lie in it woman.”

“You’re no fair!” she muttered, “But all right, just don’t expect any sexual or other favors from me. Oh, and it is your loss, not mine!” She growled, stamping her foot. I smiled despite myself. She was a control freak, but still cute.

“C’mon, you’ll find somebody who wants to be with you. Making somebody ‘love’ you doesn’t work. Believe me. You’re hot and you won’t have any trouble. You made that choice not to meet up, so, I took that as a no to dating in the real world. Stop stalking me. You’re getting a little too fatal attraction for my liking!”
I huffed.

“I’ll be waiting when you decide you want to crawl back to me, lover boy!” she said, shaking her hips, while walking away. Sexy, absolutely and she was hot in woman-mode as she was in Fire Mage mode extraordinaire. She was all those things, but the love of my life? No.

I ambled on to the old quarter. I had to be on my guard. That, the lovely LMC had taught me well after the encounter with the Zombie Mushrooms in the alley forecourt. But the house soon came into view.

“Sleep, dear, sweet precious sleep!” I sighed, moving slowly up the sandstone steps and letting myself inside. The large sleek black and white cat, Onyx wrapped herself around my legs as I stumbled into the vestibule and hung my cloak then closed the heavy oak doors behind me.

After falling on the soft mattress and pulling the bedclothes over me, I fell into a deep sleep. LMC’s sweet face and bright eyes the last welcome sight in my mind’s eye before dreams washed over and claimed me. She had saved my life and I was grateful and had accepted her offer of becoming her mage deputy with alacrity.

---

influenced by the novel Newromancer, Vert and Pollen, with smidges of Sailor Moon and Harry Potter influences also.

Dedicated to my dearest friend, LMC Lady Moon Cat

*loves her*

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