Ah...now this is more like it...

[Sandworm]

"Hey, guys,"shouted Sandworm, "Ragnar's like, underwater..."

(oh, so helpful)

[Kayde]

"Ummmm.....This is the part where we are supposed to start panicking." said Kay, looking at the water where Ragnar went down.

"Well, yes. I guess it is," Rae said thoughtfully, willing him to come up.

"RAgnar!" Jila called a little frantically.

"Okay Ragnar. Jokes up!" Kara said, coming closer to the water.

"Hey man, come on...." Emram said, while Sandworm paced, and looked on helpessly.

About that time, Ragnar was lifted into the air and pulled down under water again, by the huge thing that had it.

"Let him go!" Kay yelled, all thoughts of story plots out of her mind now. Ragnar was in trouble.

The Scoobs dove into the spot where they saw Ragnar disapear, to save their friend.

[Sandworm]

... and left Sandworm standing on the bank, worrying.
He even went over to the water and touched it, crying out in pain as the sandrout tried to link him to it.
But there was nothing for him to do.

(CUE: violin)

[Emram]

Emram had never been a particularly great swimmer, but he thrahsed his way deeper, towards the struggling ragnar. He pulled a dagger from his belt, and began to attack the water-worm. Thick green blood began to ooze from the deep tears he opened in it's hide, but the creature didn't seem to even feel the pain.

Ragnar's face, now an unhealthy shade of purple, turned toward Emram, and he reached out his hand in a mute cry for help. Emram attacked the worm anew with even greater ferocity, and finally it realised it was under attack. It unwound it's coils, just long enough for Rag to pull free, and Emram, grabbing his arm, began to kick frantically for the surface.

They reached the beautiful, sweet-tasting air, and the other Scoobs all began to take Ragnar back to the side. Emram, before he could do anything else, felt the worm wrap it's coils around his leg, and he went under again.

But this time, he was not alone. Mousey was there, slashing away, and Rae was also attempting to find the worm's weak spot. But Emram hadn't got much of a breath while he was on the surface, an felt his strength begin to ebb away, as his lungs screamed out for oxygen...

[Kayde]

Frell, said Kay, feeling helpless at the creatures strenght. Ragnar wasn't strong enough yet to help much. She felt a pin that she was wearing and had an idea. Unfastening it, she swam down to wear Mouse was, and Jammed the pin into the wrist of the creature. It let go in a moment of pain and they grabbed Emram and swam toward the surface as fast as they could.

[Sandworm]

Just as they got clear, a huge rock fell onto the water worm's head.
"Hey, that wasn't a bad shot," said Sandworm, "if that thing was my cousin, my aunt would kill me."
The Scoobs climbed out of the water and looked back. The water worm was thrashing about, its tail crushed under the rock. It was a big rock. The worm was not going to move any time soon.
"You ok, Rag?" asked Sandworm, "Sorry I couldn't help down there."

[RagnarRB]

Ragnar nodded a tired affirmative to Sandworm then let his head flop down and rest.

These UPT's (unexpected plot twist) were getting nastier and nastier. Give him a UPH(unexpected plot hole) to fall into anytime!

Give him a few minutes and he'd recover. He was having a really hard time in thinking of what next anyway.

[Sandworm]

"So guys, what do we do next?" asked Sandworm

[Rivyn]

"Oh, I have an idea or two," Rivyn murmured, reaching into a vest pocket and producing a grenade.

"Don't piss the thing off!" Kay protested.

"Wasn't planning on it," she answered, pulling the pin and chucking the grenade into the river.

It sank like a rock and, a few seconds later, a geyser of water shot upwards. A few fish and the UPT floated to the surface of the water, bobbing prone.

"Now I can fill my canteen," she explained cheerfully, kneeling on the bank and doing just that.

"She always like that?" Emram murmured to Ragnar.

"No. Actually, I think she's on her best behavior because we have company."

"That's a truly scary thought," Sandworm murmured.

"Eh, you get used to it." He shrugged. "Rae, now that you've taught the big, mean plot twist a lesson, can we get back to the subject at hand?"

Her smile faded slightly. "No Kalimari?"

"We have a long-boat to recover," Jila reminded her gently.

"Trail-rations it is then!" she agreed, jumping to her feet. "Shall we be off, then?"

[RagnarRB]

Prodding the others with typical RavenKat efficiency, Ragnar wasn't suprised to get prodded with a boot toe...size Rivyn...left.

That was a relief. Had it been the right boot he'd of know he was in REAL trouble.

She was enjoying this far too much.

"On you feet soldier, nap time's over!"

"Any body have an idea where we are?"

"The deserts of Toyland I guess...."Ragnar from his prone position. Rae and Emram both reached down a hand and helped him up.

"If i remember the map in the cab right....we need to go thataway."

Sure, you can sue him, but is it his fault if he failed to mention he knew there was a calvery toy way station in the direction he pointed?

....well yes!

[Sandworm]

"I thought you said we needed to go this way," said Sandworm.
"I didn't realise it was purely for this." He gestured at the waystation. Then he realised he was maybe being a little harsh. Rag couldn't help it. So he let it drop.
Someone else would be more annoyed than he was.

[Kayde]

Kay shook her head as they headed out again. She grinned at Rae. No one could whisle softly without a care in the world like Rae in the middle of any situation.

[RagnarRB]

As the gang watched a troop of frontier calvery troopers rode up to the station on plastic horses, dust clouds stirred up by their arrival.

"You know..."Emram started. "This is almost sureal!"

Ragnar shrugged. "Just hope we don't run across a passel of my little ponies!"

If it was a toy, from the child type or the adult, it was likely somewhere in toyland.

[Sandworm]

"Why not, Rag? What's particulaly wrong with my little ponies apart from their odd colouring?" asked Sandworm

[Emram]

"They may look cute and harmless," Ragnar replied, "but they are evil little monsters. I'd rather try and ride a wild mustang than go near one of them."

He paused, thinking he heard a rumble of thunder. Thunder? But the sky was blue, and empty of clouds.