CHAPTER 5: Escape to Below
The first sensation that met Milo's consciousness was a dull red glow through his eyelids. He parted them leisurely as he yawned, still sluggish with sleep. The sunrise was beginning beautifully, a few wisps of pink clouds floated like foam on the wine-colored horizon. The temperature was, surprisingly, tolerable.
"Kida!" he whispered. "Kida!" He knew the sky was an endless source of fascination to her. The linguist turned to see an empty sleeping bag and his satchel opened. He simply smiled and sighed, shaking his head slightly. As his friends snored or mumbled in their slumber, he rose as quietly as he could, checking the bag for the Shepherd's Journal. Myriad times they had spent together reading it to each other like children reading their favorite bedtime stories. To his astonishment it was still inside, untouched. Another book was missing instead. A laugh whispered through his nose. The king procured a slip of paper and a pencil and wrote a note saying he would return shortly. After setting it on his sleeping bag he took up his spear and satchel and tiptoed off.
As he reached a safe distance, the windless air vibrated with his voice as he called for his wife. "Kida!" The man walked under some sparse, water-starved trees. "Kida?"
"I am over here!" Milo felt a soft tapping on his shoulder.
"Where?!" He turned abruptly to see nothing but landscape. He saw nothing above him, either. There was a rustling around him and he felt his shoulder being rapped again.
"Here!"
"Kida…!" He heard her laugh as he reeled again to see no one. A small snap behind and above him triggered him to pivot again. The scholar was greeted with nothing but another touch to the shoulder and a laugh.
Milo turned once more to see a flash of falling white hair and an inverted face. The queen, hanging upside-down by legs folded over a branch, crossed her arms and displayed an amused half-smile.
"Good morning," she laughed playfully. The scent of dust hung in the air around her.
"Morning, Kida."
"We still must practice your skills more. Had I been a bahodmok you probably would not be speaking to me now." After making a playful, clawing gesticulation, she sat up on the branch.
"Yeah… Gotta work on that." Milo glanced to the side, a little disappointed and embarrassed. "So… you got up early to read?" He smiled again.
"No, I did not originally. I… thought if Cookie had a more nutritious ingredient. I was hunting." She motioned to the carcass in the tree.
"Uh, oh. I doubt Duma's going to be too happy with you."
"No, but he has not tried Cookie's food, either. Our rations are low as well. Would it have been different if I had been a…" The warrior paused, searching the air above for a word. "Lioness?"
"Yeah, good poi-- Wait! Is that a gazelle up there?!"
"What is a gah-ZEHL?"
The erudite man stepped toward the carcass amazed. "I think… Duma said that's a Thompson's Gazelle! Kida, how'd you catch one?! Those things are supposed to run 45… 55… miles an hour!"
"I did not chase one. Last night I observed an animal hunting from a tree. It's coat and tail were like a cheetah's, but its body was more like a lioness--"
"Must have been a leopard."
"LEH-perd?"
"Yes. Go on."
"It did not have to chase prey. We hunt similarly, waiting, but not in this fashion. I did the same as the LEH-perd this morning. Gah-ZEHLs came to rest under the tree I was in. I attacked one that was lying down." She looked down and brushed herself off. "I had to bathe myself in dust first because the animals could detect my scent. There was no wind to take advantage of, nor did I have kenagtar fur like on the masks to help hide it."
"Ah, I was wondering about that. The dust I mean." Milo continued to look up at the dead animal, noting its side had been caved in by what must have been an impressive blow. Kida's spear, club end closest to him, balanced next to the body.
"Milo?"
"Yeah, Kida?" He directed his attention to climbing up the tree and sitting beside his wife after leaving his weapon at the base of the tree.
"There is something strange about the armags, or at least the one we call, 'Ma.'"
"What? Is that what you were thinking about last night?"
"Yes. She is strangely aggressive."
"You got that right."
"Armags tend to be shy and attack only when cornered."
"Then why do they have those spikes? Surely they're for self-protection…"
"They do act as armor, but primarily they are for harvesting kriperlok and for display. The spikes can help remove the plant like a tool."
"Hmmm… Does this aggressiveness bother you?"
"No,… except I fear 'Ma' may now abhor you, and you may be in danger…" She paused, glancing away with worried lips pressed together. " …It may be good, otherwise. If 'Kelly' can learn this, the species may then survive better against charokh."
"…And that's why we need to get them back!"
"Yes." She looked off to the sunrise, a lick of gold flame on the horizon. After a moment Kida hummed a laugh.
"Oh?"
"I had thought it an odd coincidence that I saw Gertie, and I would later be doing this."
"Gertie? Cookie's 'electric mule?'"
"No!" She chuckled again. "Do you remember a year ago when you took me to see an 'old motion picture?' I am speaking of 'Gertie the Dinosaur.'"
"Oh, of course. It is kinda ironic…" He grinned to her. "So, uh, what book did you take? A History of Dinosaurs?"
"I believe so." Kida leapt and bounded to several branches before obtaining the tome and returning. "Yes."
Milo smiled, proud of her. As her teacher, she had excelled under his guidance.
"There are some words I do not entirely understand." The agile woman fingered through a few pages before finding a word. "Here it changes languages. It uses Greek and says 'ankylosaurus.' This means 'fused lizard.' Why do you name these creatures in another language? I have been meaning to ask you."
Shrugging, the scholar replied, "Sorry. Dinosaurs aren't really my field of study. It must be for scientific identification."
"And what is… this?" From the pages she acquired a loose piece of paper and unfolded it. On it were two sleek dinosaurs, sketched in now half-smeared charcoal. I am partial to these. What are they?"
"Oh, um… I forgot to take that out. The first one was found in 1914. Brown discovered it. It's called 'dromeosaurus.' The assistant described it to me to draw. The second was found eight years later by Roy Chapman Andrews. It's called, 'velociraptor.' Whereas Brown worked in the U.S., Andrews worked in Mongolia, a place on the other side of the world. He also found the first specimens of dinosaur eggs! They only have partial skeletons of the two reptiles, but just those claws on the feet make them impressive."
"Yes… Thank you." Kida examined the lower drawing for a few seconds more before replacing it, a curious smile still on her face. The woman chuckled lightly as Milo ran a hand over his hair.
"Well, you seem especially cheerful today."
"I am sorry. I still find your hair unusual. It makes you very cute."
Milo beamed half in love, half in typical enthusiasm. On several occasions she mentioned he had the hair of a 'newborn' Atlantean child, though those infants were considered newborn well into their thirties. He placed his hand over hers, looking down upon it. On both their left hands they wore the same silver and gold rings, each sporting a well-cut Atlantean crystal. Over the tendons of their hands essentially stretched the same tattoo: two celestial streaks curved, pointing to the same point of unity between them. His was a more angular, masculine version of hers. It was here two cultures had literally wed.
He looked up to see Kida's gaze locked momentarily longer on their clasped hands before her eyes met his amorously. She sighed unconsciously in her love before finally handing him the book. The linguist silently slipped it into his satchel. When Milo glanced back he found his wife held both her ring and her bracelet in the palm of her hand. She removed her earring and placed it with them. He looked inquisitively at her.
"They all mean something very special to me," Kida answered, admiring them.
"I understand the bracelet, and I know all about the ring…" He smiled in polite pride and saw her grin back. "…But what about the earring? I've always seen you wear it, but…"
The huntress hesitated for a moment, clearly thinking seriously of a time long passed. "My mother owned one just like this… This earring was the match for it. My father said as a child I loved them so much she gave one to me, and each of us wore one in the opposite ear. …We were like the earrings. We belonged to together as a family… After the Heart called my mother, Father always took a solemn comfort in my wearing it. He had often told me I reminded him of her…"
Milo put his arm around her as she looked down, musing solemnly of the gleaming objects that paled in comparison to the love they represented. After a moment she looked up into his soft brown eyes. He then displayed a comforting smile to his wife, which proved to have a benign contagiousness.
"Kida…? Do you believe in fate?"
"…Yes. Why do you ask?"
"I mean… do you believe we were destined for each other?"
"For me to be destined to be married to you, Milo?" She smiled tenderly, eyes relaxed in contentment as she slid a little closer to the king. The branch swayed serenely with the movement. "We met under incredible circumstances. How could it not be fate?"
Fondly he laughed. "I probably wouldn't find someone like you in a million lifetimes."
"Whose lifetimes?"
He again took up her hand in his. "An Atlanteans."
They paused, admiring each other with loving smiles spread like wings over their faces. The bookish man gently stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers.
"It is as if I have known you for a very long time. Your presence seemed, even when we first met, vaguely familiar, like a dream I had forgotten long ago…" She moved to one side slightly, peering around Milo. "Smoke."
"What?" The lanky scholar turned his head to look. "Well, looks like Cookie's already up. Guess we're a little late."
"They can wait a few moments more, then, can they not?"
"Yeah." Milo looked at the sunrise, a molten orb floating above the endless horizon in a sea of red silk rippling in the coming heat of day. A few flamingos were the only ones who dared to approach the glory of the golden mercury, adding detail to the living sky. He turned back to Kida, who was radiant to him in the dawn's light. Her face had reddened in the glow, appearing as the blush from the perfect contentment of romance. The scholar once again met the sapphire eyes of his wife. The couple needed not to say a word.
The queen's face leaned slightly, and had circumstance been different he would have thought her inquisitive of something. Milo turned his head as well as her countenance neared his. Their eyes closed slightly as they were bathed in wine. The feeling of Kida's breath upon his lips was warmer than the surrounding hot air, yet the sensation was more comforting than a fire on a frozen winter's night. As always he wondered if the taste of the kiss would be as sweet as the last. As one they breathed in, taking in the essence of the other. Their lips were a mere inch apart…
A horn blared, violently tearing the king and queen away from each other.
"What is--?"
"Neil! No, don't honk the horn, don't honk the horn!" A familiar car and trailer was driving toward the rising smoke, toward the living hill behind it. "We've got to try and get his attention!"
Kida snatched up her spear and leapt down silently, Milo landing with a grunt before grabbing his. The scholar watched his wife speed ahead of him, roaring the name of the guide. His voice had preceded hers, breathless, as he tried desperately to keep up. The vehicle simply shrank away, oblivious, and honked again as it neared.
Milo felt a vibration in his chest, amazed at the distance at which he could feel it. To his horror he saw the hill move, rising to its feet to challenge the supposed threat of the car. The roar he heard was less noticeable than the continuing infrasonic call. The vehicle had swerved to a stop, as the titan approached. Nguma-monele turned to the side when Milo noticed a figure running from the vehicle. Various cries from the camp accompanied the yell of the tour guide. A great tail swung, bone spikes puncturing the metal hide of the car and flinging it and the trailer over. The machine lay dying on its back momentarily before dramatically languishing in an explosion nearly as bright as the sunrise. The blast tore open the trailer, making Atlantean vehicles fly without the use of crystals. One sizzled with blue plasma before its life ultimately ended in chaos as well.
"Neil!" The fear gave Milo a tremendous burst of energy. He and Kida neared a crowd that surrounded an unmoving body. "Duma!" He shoved through to see the man, scraped and bruised, rise.
"That's it!" Neil smiled, eyes wide. "I've gone insane. I'm nuts. That's what I get for driving all night. I'm seeing dinosaurs total my car, and think I've actually been hauling around exploding fish statues in that trailer. I've lost it. I'm--"
"Snap out of it!" Audrey punched him hard in the shoulder, cap sliding. "You aren't crazy." She shook him.
"C'mere. You're just in some emotional shock. Let me treat those cuts." Sweet opened his medical bag and took the crystal from his shirt collar.
"I don't understand it either, Neil," came Duma, "but these people say we've got to get these things back home. Poachers were chasing it. They must've driven them out of the swamp. And… don't look when the doctor treats you. You'll find it very strange."
"What? Why-- Owwww! Hey!" He snatched his arm away and glared at the doctor, agitated at the whole situation. He felt his arm and looked down in disbelief. "Hey, how'd you do that?"
"Considerin' your other reactions, believe me, you don't wanna know."
"Oh. Sorry, but… could you do that some more?"
The giant man grinned. "No problem."
"Thank heaven you're okay."
"I suppose I've been worse than this, Milo. Physically, at least. But… Why didn't you tell us about any of this?!" Both guides glared at the linguist.
"Well, uh… My gosh. All right. You can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. An entire civilization depends on it, okay?"
"Milo, I do not--"
"We have to tell them, Kida. It's not as if we can hide this anymore."
She sighed, nodding in agreement.
"We won't tell anyone. Just tell us what in the world is going on here!" Duma, frowning, nodded at Neil's words.
Milo turned away for a moment, hands together with blunt fingers touching lips. "You've heard of Atlantis, right?"
"What does that have to do with dinosaurs and exploding statues?" Neil growled as Sweet treated a gash in his red hair.
"It's real. These things. The statues, these creatures, they're from it. Even these." He held up his pendant. "These crystals did too. One of these healed you, Neil."
The light guide looked to the dark one, then to Audrey. "You sure I'm not crazy?" Audrey nodded, arms folded. "And let me guess. Sacagawea, here, is from Atlantis, too," he added sarcastically, motioning to the white-haired woman.
"Yes," Kida answered mildly, "but that is not my name. It is Kidagakash."
Duma hit his forehead with the palm of his head and moaned. "Anything else you want to tell us, 'Oh-my-gosh?'"
"Kee-DAH-gah-kosh. Call me 'Kida.'" Milo saw her look to him as if to ask, "Can no one speak my name correctly?"
"Okay, Kida, why do we have to take these guys back, and was it worth my car?"
"The second answer would be 'yes.' And they are girls. As--"
"I don't care about their genders, right now."
"As a guide you should," interrupted the scholar. "You see, Atlantis sank below ground level, and there's an entire ecosystem under there, these creatures, the armags, playing an important part. Right now a plant is literally growing out of control, and these things'll stop it. The problem is they're endangered, and we need these to help their population increase. Do you know of where the caves are in the swamp?"
Neil thought for a moment. "There's a large cave I know of near the river."
"Sounds like the spot," replied Milo.
Vinny joined in. "But how are we ah gonna get 'em to there?"
"I have an idea. All the vehicles are damaged, but some may still run. I think we all need a quick breakfast, first, but we need to check the vehicles."
"Breakfast's on the fa'r. Be ready in no time."
"Cookie, zee breakfast eez on fire."
The cook ran to his food tossing dust on it to put the blaze out. He returned, stirring the dusty, tar-like substance in the pot. "Don' 'tchew worry. It's salvageable. It'll take a while longer, but--"
"Well, uh, Kida got a new ingredient for breakfast, if you want to work with that. Kida, will you get the--"
"Yes." The voice came from behind him rather than beside him as he had expected. "As I believe you would say, 'Way ahead of you?'" The huntress was shouldering the heavy load of the carcass with some effort.
"You-- You killed a gazelle!" Duma was in agitated shock. "How dare you kill--"
"Uh, Duma, come with me a second." Milo pulled the man aside.
"Milo, she killed one of--"
"Yes, I know, but look. It wasn't rare. Seriously. We don't even know what was for breakfast before it was burned. We never know what his food was. He threw dirt into the food and he wants to salvage it. Now, would you want to survive to save an ecosystem or let one animal be killed to save it? He hasn't killed anyone yet, but…"
The guide blinked. "You never know what it was?"
Milo shook his head.
The African sighed, unwillingly admitting he'd eat the creature with a nod. He led them back, seeing a new fire had been started and the meat was already roasting in the flames. Before long they were having breakfast, their armag hosts nibbling on some nearby trees.
"Strange," commented Kida after she took a bite.
"What?" Audrey looked up from her meal, which was thankfully not quite as greasy as she was accustomed to on these expeditions.
"It tastes like yeragos."
The laughter briefly caught the attention of the armags.
"Guess everyone has their chicken," Sweet guffawed.
"What is CHIH-ken?"
Milo chuckled. "It's a bird commonly eaten in the outer world. It seems like many things taste like it. In fact, some wemot recipes I've tried taste like chicken."
The queen cocked her head, amused. The group finished after a few minutes more, and the king jogged to a vehicle, seeing his wife go to another. "Let's check them! C'mon! We're wasting time."
The Latina removed her chocker necklace, the crystal long ago re-cut, and pu on an uncut crystal.
After running his fingers over his hair Milo tried a Martag, but it did not respond at all, tail having been shattered. The scholar then turned to another vehicle and successfully activated it. With a course hum, it hovered off the ground, shaking chaotically. He deactivated it hastefully. "I… don't this one's safe to drive."
"Probably not," agreed the tall physician.
"Milo!" He looked up toward Kida's voice. "There is nothing salvageable of the one immediately destroyed in the crash, but the other Ketak runs adequately."
"Good. Let's try that one over there. Sweet? Could you help us turn it right-side-up, please?"
"You got it." Together the they turned over the last vehicle. Its form was different than any Milo had ever seen before.
"Kida, what is this? It looks like a dolphin."
"I would not know if it a DOLL-fin, but a scroll I once read called it a DOLL-tukh."
"A Doltak, huh?" He inserted his crystal and the vehicle rose slowly, carvings beginning to glow. "Looks like it'll work. I think it'll seat two." The linguist motioned to the saddle-like indentations on its back. He straddled it and twisted his hand on the panel slightly, feeling a low hum in his chest as the vehicle turned. Milo laughed. As he had hoped, the little armag was trotting up to take a look as he move a little higher.
"Yeah, interesting, isn't it, Kelly? Will you follow me?" The creature, to his unpleasant surprise, reached up and grabbed the vehicle's fluke in its jaws. "No, no! Let go!" He commanded the Doltak to rise higher until the creature finally released it. As a result, the vehicle jolted upward rapidly, almost throwing its rider. The scholar looked back, eyes widened, to see tooth marks in the stone. "Jiminy Christmas! You are just a baby, aren't you?" He dared to lower the vehicle, relieved when the beast did not decide to bite down on it again. Pressing a little firmer on the panel, he moved forward about 50 feet, watching the animal jog up behind him. The rumble Milo felt in his chest seemed to him like it was amused. To his amazement and relief, he saw the mother turn and follow her child, bellowing. Kelly returned with her inaudible call, and Ma responded with a snort. Her massive snout loomed above Milo. "Oh, boy! Okay, Ma, don't kill me. It's okay. I know you don't like me. Please don't kill me." The mother grunted reeking air over him, growling a reminder. She sniffed the strange vehicle, crest raised. After a moment she removed her head. "Okay… Will you follow me too?" Moving forward about twice the distance this time, he saw Kelly trot up curiously, as this was all some sort of game. Tolerantly, Nguma-monele paced behind her child. "Guys! Kelly'll follow, and Ma will as a result!" He heard a high-pitched hum from a vehicle and Kelly turned and moved toward Kida's vehicle, looking back so as to simultaneously view the other. Milo sped to hers to lessen any confusion for the beasts. "Some of us will have to walk. Who wants to drive?" He settled his vehicle on the ground. The smaller armag reverberated, probably thinking the vehicle to be asleep. She nudged it powerfully, almost tipping it and its driver over. "Okay! Okay!" He reactivated it, calming the creature.
"Actually, we may not need to walk." Duma approached Mokele-mbembe.
"Duma, you're crazy" Audrey yelled. "Are you doing what I think you're doing?!"
"Probably." The man walked over to the creature, who welcomed him with an inspecting sniff. "You remember me. Yes. I put those bags on your tail. Now I'm just going to go around... No! No. Don't turn. Good girl. Good girl… Let me climb on your tail. That's it. Don't move. Don't skewer me…" He scrambled onto the armag's back. The beast turned its neck into a seemingly painful position to study him, but moved for her mother inspection. Her crest completely unfurled as to aim her horn right at him. She snorted slightly and raised her head, neither approving, nor disapproving. The mountain rumbled slightly, yet quite audibly. "Well, looks like we can ride on this little beauty." He petted Kelly's smooth brown-gray hide, who responded with a lifted crest.
Audrey spoke up again. "Duma, you are crazy. It works, but you are crazy." She stepped up to the armag, along with the others, who ware looked over by the inquisitive creature. All but Neil climbed on, and was judged by the critical Nguma-monele. None were rejected. Neil rode behind Milo, saying the mother would not want the driver of the allegedly menacing car to ride on her precious child's back.
"Neil? Here do we head?" Milo called from the front seat.
"Well…" He pulled a map from his pants pocket. "There!" he pointed, his direction not quite perpendicular to the tree line. "The cave should be in that direction." "Okay! Let's go." The Doltak moved onward, a bizarre caravan behind.
Milo shifted uncomfortably. He was still sore from riding on the carapace of Kelly for a while. "Well, at least it's my shift for the Ketak." He flew alongside the Doltak, which still sported Neil, but was currently being piloted by Vinny. "Neil! How much further?" The linguist shooed away a swamp insect and wiped his brow. He didn't care the end of his spear dragged along on the muddy ground.
"Maybe only another mile."
"Great!"
"We should cross the river here. These things swim, right?"
"According to legend and judging by their webbed toes." He turned the Ketak back toward the others. "Think you guys can manage to hold on while Kelly swims?"
There were various affirmative responses. "Shouldn't be a problem. Thinkin' on it, though, will we bog Kelly down?" The doctor wiped a sweat droplet from his nose.
"I sure hope not… Everyone ready?" After a number of "yes's" he turned his vehicle and led on, just before the smaller beast. Ma leapt in the river behind them, creating a wave that washed over everyone. Only Milo, Vinny, and Neil were left dry. The others sputtered for a moment, waist-deep in water as they crossed. They were glad their remaining supplies had been loaded onto the vehicles.
"Look! That stone formation! It's the side of the cave!" exclaimed Neil.
"Hear that, Kelly? You're almost home." Audrey stroked Mokele-mbembe's slick skin. The creature vibrated in and underneath the men and women.
"C'mon everybody, here we go!" They began to move forward slightly after reaching shore, when a sound like thunder was joined by an agonized roar from Nguma-monele. Milo redirected his Ketak to see a car, partially obscured by shrubbery. "They're back! Vinny!"
He nodded and turned the vehicle around, Neil holding on for dear life.
Another blast sounded and Ma cried out as she rotated. The guns seemed more painful this time.
"'Ey, you! Look over here!" Several shouts of Swahili exclamation sounded as thin bolts of energy tore the weapons from their hands and shredded the tires. The king could see the shocked faces of the Doltak loomed over them. In a menacing voice Neil yelled in Swahili, "Unless you want to be in a similar state, we suggest you leave and don't come back."
The hunters nodded, got out of their car, not daring to remove their sights from the Atlantean vehicle, and ran.
"You'd ah think seein' somethin' like a dinosaur wreck their car would have scared them off the first time."
"Yeah." Milo maneuvered his vehicle to Nguma-monele, who glared threateningly at him. She limped a little as she walked. "Oh, no. Kida! Will crystals heal a hole in, say, the armor on their backs?"
"That may have to heal on its own. If we try to heal it we will exhaust ourselves, most likely."
"What a mess…" He clenched his pendant, feeling its power in his hand, and pressed it into the wound in the carapace. She roared in angry pain and butted the Ketak with her side. Milo watched as he flew, seeing the vehicle hurtle into the river. He felt an enormous impact from behind.
"Are 'ya okay? Milo!"
His eyes flicked open to see a huge dark figure. "Wha…?" The linguist suddenly found himself at the bottom of a tree. Everyone stood around him. "Uhhhhgggg… I think so. Remind me never to get one of these for a pet, okay?" Rubbing the back of his head, he found the other being pressed up against something with the use of careful digits. He realized his hand was touching Kida's face.
"Don't worry about me, Kida. I'm okay." He got up a little painfully.
"Milo, I don't think you should walk yet."
"We're almost there, Sweet. I'm not hurt. I'll be fine." The scholar was caught by his tank top as he tried to walk away.
"Hold on, there. Let me give 'ya a check up, first."
"All right." Sweet tested Milo's reflexes and asked what hurt, as was typical. After a few moments the doctor concluded he had again been luck enough to receive only scrapes and bruises. "Now, take care of yourself! This is the second time in one trip!"
"Yeah, I know, but we've gotta get these things back." The academic began to pace toward the cave, turning his head to look back. "Let's do it."
Based off the Disney Picture "Atlantis: the Lost Empire." The name "Atlantis: The Dark Continent's Enigma," "armags," "kriperlok," and the characters Temlohn, Duma and Neil are my (Rebmakash's) property. The characters, "MUH-suh MIH-kee" and Khohbdesheh are my property, and I acknowledge I do not own the names. Fan fiction storyline also my property. Milo Thatch, Kidagakash, Puknohl, Wandehm and other characters, names, concepts, and all Atlantean in this story are property of the Walt Disney Company. I also recognize certain lines (such as "Salt, salt, and sodium chloride") are also property of the Disney Company.
Disclaimer: Atlantis: the Lost Empire, and the characters, language, symbols, storylines and titles are property of he Walt Disney Company. This site has been created for entertainment, non-profit purposes only. See sources.
Permission must be granted by the fan authors/artists before their material is to be used. Credit must also be given to the respective author/artist in question. Do so via their e-mail. Questions? Comments? E-mail me at Like_A_Star8800@yahoo.com.
