Days passed as Dave planned the assault on the Dark Lord's fortress. He avoided Sapphire as much as he could whilst livign up to his self styled reputation as the master strategist. Soon the plan was ready but it all depended on timing. Then Revare came back with some new information.
"The Dark Lord is to be married."
"Who to?" asked Dave as he looked at the plan.
"Jo." Dave looked up.
"What?" he said, with a short burst.
"Apparently she's agreed wholeheartedly. The ceremony is tomorrow."
"Right," said Dave. It looked as if the decison had been made. "Then we strike tomorrow. Please tell Sapphire, will you?"
"What is it with you two? You've been acting strange for days."
"Later, Revare. Later." Dave turned away, and Revare took the hint. Maybe Sapphire would tell him, but he doubted it.
Jo was staring in the mirror, hoping for some miracle. Then there was a knock on her door.
"Yes?" she said half expecting Dave to burst in and rescue her. But it wasn't. It was one of the Dark Lord's servant girls.
"Your pardon, my lady," she said, apologetically. "But it is time to get ready."
"I know," said Jo, resigned at last to her fate. Dave was dead and wasn't coming back this time. "It's over," she said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "No one can save me now."
The Dark Lord was troubled. His awareness had been dulled of late and he could not figure out why. It was as if when his armies had finished and half the planet was ruined, a part of him had died. Could it be possible that he and the planet were linked on a genetic level? Was his life force tied to that of the planet? It seemed to ring true in his mind, but what did it mean for the planet? What did it mean for him? He shook his head as he pushed it to the back of his mind. He had a wedding to prepare for.
The plan was a simple one. The enemy forces had been mostly stood down as part of the days celebrations meaning there were a minimum level of guards on duty. This made the operation easier to put in to effect. The Dark Lord had counted on Sapphire making an attempt, but he had not figured on the presence of Goldfish, and that was the ace in the hole. A limited assault would be staged at the main gate by Sapphire and Revare whilst Dave made his way in elsewhere, though he had to be quick. If the ceremony ended before he got there he would have lost, Jo would be married and the Dark Lord would be Beth's father. With Jolene in charge of homo sapiens ultima the planet would be truly doomed. Beth represented an evolutionary step thousands of years in the future. The abilty to have any power, at any time for any length of time had weighty proportions which were even now coming in to view. Beth had a higher form of telepahy, yet as she was so young she was unskilled in its use. Dave cursed inwardly. This was why the restrictions on him having children had been levied by the Living Tribunal. It was too soon for humanity, as they had not even begun to accept homo sapiens superior, and the future would surely be altered if and when they returned home. It was a tricky situation and only a fanfare awoke Dave from his thoughts. The wedding had begun and it was time to go in to action.
The first stage of the ceremony involved the listing of the family conquests and histories of the bride groom. This would take awhile and an abridged version was often read. They watched the ceremony in the security room, as well as keeping an eye out for the assault. As soonas Sapphire and Revare appeared on the screen the guards were alerted aand rushed out to meet the duo. Dave watched a moment and went in where the guards came out. This had almost been too easy he thought as he congratulated himself on a job well done. Then he walked in to a security patrol.
"Bugger," he said and charged at them.
In the security room, they called a supervisor.
"Shall we inform his Lordship?"
"On his wedding day? He'd have us all killed. You overestimate their capabilites. Our men can handle it." But better to err on the side of caution. "But send in some more, just in case."
"Yes, sir," said his junior and began to issue the orders needed, thinking his boss had made a good choice, and soon the trio were being overwhelmed.
The first stage ended and the second stage began. This was the actual ceremony, and Jo could not believe that little more than a year ago she had heard something along similar lines. Or that she was hearing them again.
"There are no heroes left," said the Dark Lord as he saw the look in here eyes. "The game is over, and soon you will belong to me."
"I think you'll ind the lady is with me!" said a voice. The congregation turned to see Dave Goldfish standing at the back of the room, with many wounded guards on the floor around him.
"Dave!" cried Jo.
"I killed you!" exclaimed the Dark Lord.
"You're not the first, Jolene. You won't be the last," said Dave, thinking back to the Zero Tolerance assault on C&C. He could barely look at Jo.
"Then," decided the Dark Lord, "I'll just have to try harder!" He shoved Jo to the floor, and she let out a cry.
"That makes two," said Dave and he leapt at him. They grappled for a bit and fough, but it was obvious that Jolene's superior strenght was strating to get the better of Dave.
The security staff were taking no chances, however, and recalled all the guards to the great hall. This included those in combat with Sapphire and Revare, but he was seriously wounded.
"Go," he said, blood trickling from his mouth. "Help Dave." He closed his eyes and was barely breathing. Sapphire made him comfortable as best she could and followed the guards to the battle She was just in time to see Goldfish swatted away by the Dark Lord.
"Ah, LadyQueen," chuckled the Dark Lord. "Just in time." He kicked Dave in the gut as Goldfish was trying to stand. Dave cried in pain, knowing that had broken something. His fight with the guards had taken a lot, and he didn't have enought to fight of Jolene, who walked towards Sapphire. "You realise this is all his fault?" said the Dark Lord, gesturing to Dave.
"I've forgiven him," said Sapphire. "Just let him go." Jolene laughed at her plea.
"You really don't understand. He created all of this."
"No," whispered Dave, but no one heard him.
"What do you mean?" asked Sapphire, with suspicion. She dropped her guard and was soon captured by the guards around her.
"I mean that Dave Goldfish came here to this dimension millions of years ago. He fought me, beat me, destroyed me. The battle gave this planet life and me mortal form. This vengance has been a long time in the making. I let evoulutuino take its course and now it is all mine."
"No!" said Sapphire, unable to believe it could end like this. Jo just looked at Dave. She knew he had been hiding somethign, but this was difficult for even her to take in.
"Yes," said the Dark Lord with a cruel smile and he turned to Dave who had shifted himself on to his back. Jolene raised the daystaff high above his head. "And now you die." He brought the daystaff down with a great deal of force and Dave reached up to block it, and wondered how he had ended up in this situation.
Then it happened. The staff connected with Dave's outstrecthed hands, cracking the bones inside as it did so, but Dave managed to grab hold of the staff and prevent it from killing him. Again his perceptions were altered but this time they stayed altered and Dave finally remembered what it meant. The Dark Lord tried to lever Dave's hands off the daystaff but it was no use. Dave smiled.
"Now it's my turn," he said and the Dark Lord was flung back across the room, letting go of his end of the daystaff. Jo stood up and used her healing field to cure Dave's wounds.
"What's happening?" she asked.
"A kind of magic," he said with his devilish grin returning. The spark in his eyes said he was angry but it also said he was having the time of his life. "I'm back," he said and kissed her as he used the metallic particles in the air to recreate his C&C uniform. "Five minutes." He walked across to the Dark Lord who was picking himself up. "You hesitated, Jolene. And he who hesitates is lost."
"You have no powers!" cried Jolene
"No, just no power source." He lifted the daystaff. "And the infinite remembers my touch very well." The iron in the Dark Lord's blood stream condensed around his bones, shattering them. To his credit the Dark Lord made no sounds of pain, but you could see it in his face. Dave knealt down so he could look the Dark Lord in the eyes. "That's one," he said, and he stood up. He lifted his foot and stamped on the Dark Lord's head, breaking his nose and jaw. "And that's two." He walked away from the broken man and picked up a scabbard from one of the guards. In it he put the daystaff and looked at the guards holding Sapphire. They let go of her and fled. Dave nodded and let them leave. The battle was over.
"I'll return," said the Dark Lord as he began to drag himself away. "I will have my revenge."
"No you won't," said Sapphire as she picked up a sword. "Maybe this was Dave's fault, but as I said I've forgiven him." She brought the sword down across the Dark Lord's neck, instantly decapitating him. The body writheed in agony without a brain to tell say it was dead. The war was finally over, and they relaxed for a moment.
"Where's Revare?" asked Dave.
"Outside. He's hurt badly," said Sapphire and they made their way to their fallen companion, collecting Bethany as they did so. Outside the planet was beginning to fall apart and people were dying left, right and centre.
"REVARE!" they said as they hurried to him, but he too was as dead as the others. The air was beginning to thin out as gravity began to disipate. It was obvious that they were now the only people left alive on the planet, but for how much longer?"
"What's going on?" asked Jo.
"I have no idea," answered Dave, then he caught his wife as she nearly collapsed. "You okay, love?"
"My powers," she said. "I can teleport again."
"What is happening?" asked Sapphire.
"I wish I knew," admitted Dave as suddenly time around them froze. "Oh," he said "Now I know."
"What?" asked the two women.
He knows who has done this came a voice.
"Eternity," said Dave. "Why?"
The job was unfinsihed, avatarr. You left some loose ends, which needed sorting out before the balance could be truly restored
"Yes," said Dave. "I understand that. But why now?"
There are dark times ahead. The daystaff is needed to restore your powers and you will need them in the coming days. What is, is
"I assume it has to be in proximity to work?"
Yes. And worry not about your daughter. Her destiny has a specific path to follow that none may interfere with. Now I will return you all to your dimension. I have restored Jo's powers and you know what you have to do when you return home
"I do," said Dave, knowing that it was a small piece of unfinished business to take care of. Eternity nodded and in a flash Dave, Jo, Beth and Sapphire were in C&C.
Dave went to the computer room and activated the return commands to get C&C back to Earth. It was in space, so Blaquesmith must not have had time to look after it. Then he contacted an old friend.
"Andrews," came the voice.
"Evening, Barry."
"Christ almighty! Goldfish?!"
"The one and only."
"But you're dead."
"Easy enough mistake."
"Man, have you missed some stuff. Blaquesmith, White Tiger, the Fringe. Things aren't the same any more, m'friend."
"Right," said Dave. "You guys meet me in an hour and brief me?"
"Sure," said Barry. "I've got your co-ordinates."
"Okay," said Dave. "Everything you've got. I have an idea..."
"Welcome back, Commander."
"Good to be back. DG out." He switched off the communication and went down to the vaults of C&C where he went over to a certain cabinet. He opened it and removed a second daystaff. He looked at his side where the original was. That one he had to send back in time so that he could find the second much later, and to do that he needed them both. He knew he had to set the past up so he could survive the future. He concentrated and the daystaff disappeared, with instructions not to reveal itself even to the avatarr when he visited the planet, and to keep what had happened secret when it was found.
Once the other vanished, a floodgate of memories entered Dave's mind from the remaining daystaff as it gave him the information it had gathered since its arrival on Earth. Dave was shocked at what he found, at what he learned. It was the powers of the daystaff that had created humanity, thsat had set evolution in motion. It had created everything and everyone. Indirectly, Dave Goldfish had created the Earth. He had made his own past. He laughed out loud as he realised what it meant, and he knew that for now he had to keep it secret. He shook his head in disbelief as he went up to his wife. It was time to go home.
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