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Post by dans on Apr 21, 2024 19:06:13 GMT
Gallowglass very clever!
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 21, 2024 19:11:13 GMT
Along the shores of Grimoire Island at twilight, Rick Billings trudged through the soft sand, his hands buried deep in his pockets. A shroud of melancholy enveloped him as he relived the bitter sting of betrayal that had pierced his heart. Tim Hunter, his former best friend, had abandoned him without a second thought, choosing instead to go off on another adventure with the older boys.
Lost in self-pity, Rick failed to notice Tim's approach until a familiar voice jolted him back to reality. "Rick, there you are!"
Rick's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as they met Tim's. "What do you want?" he spat, his voice laced with resentment.
Tim's heart sank at the hostility in his friend's tone. "I... I just wanted to talk to you," he stammered.
"About what?" Rick demanded, his arms crossed defiantly.
"About what happened today," Tim replied, his voice barely above a whisper.
"What happened?" Rick echoed, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"You know, with me going off with the other Sentinels," Tim said, his eyes pleading for understanding.
"Oh, that." Rick turned away, his jaw clenched.
"Rick, I'm sorry," Tim said, his voice thick with emotion. "I didn't mean to leave you behind. I just figured you were busy at the Festival of Flight and wouldn't mind. I didn't know we'd be gone for hours, though, and by the time I did, it was already too late to do anything about it."
"Whatever," Rick muttered, his voice devoid of emotion.
"No, really. I missed you," Tim insisted.
Rick's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise as he turned to face his friend. "You did?"
"Yeah," Tim said, nodding earnestly. "You're my best mate. Ever since I got back, I've been trying to find you so I could tell you all about it."
A faint smile spread across Rick's lips. "Okay... I guess I'll forgive you, as long as you tell me where you went and everything that happened -- and that you promise to include me next time."
"Of course!" Tim replied. With a surge of relief, the two boys grinned at each other, their laughter mingling with the sound of crashing waves.
"So?" prompted Rick. "Where did you go after you went to the Clock Tower?"
"You won't believe this, but we went back in time," Tim began.
"No way!" Rick replied, his eyes wide. "Just like in my favorite movie?"
"Just like," Tim said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "And I got to fly a plane when I was there. But let me start at the beginning..."
Tim began his story as he and Rick began walking back toward the quad. The bonds of friendship, once strained by misunderstanding, were on their way to being stronger than ever before.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 21, 2024 19:24:27 GMT
In the sanctuary of their seaside bungalow perched upon the windswept cliffs, Martin and Lily Martine found solace in each other's arms. The setting sun cast a warm glow over the couple as Lily recounted the extraordinary events that had transpired that day.
"So... Mr. Gallowglass restored the power you had as Kali, but without any demonic influence?" Martin asked, seeking clarification.
Lily nodded, a gentle smile playing upon her lips. "In a sense, yes," she replied. "Except I'm no longer Kali, and the growing darkness within me is a thing of the past. Instead, Mr. Gallowglass has allowed us to share the power of Shiva."
"Hey, you'll have no complaints from me," Martin said with a chuckle, "since we share everything else, anyway. I'm just happy that you're happy. Still, you said there are limitations, right?"
"As the headmaster explained it," Lily began, "whenever I say the same word you use to turn into Shiva, I will turn into a female version of Shiva. But there's a drawback. From now on, when we use the power at the same time, our strength will be half of what it is when either of us uses it alone. So we must always keep that as a consideration when we do call upon the power, such as during an emergency. I think I'll call myself Lady Shiva from now on."
"Lady Shiva, huh?" Martin mused aloud, a playful twinkle in his eye. "It has a nice ring to it."
Lily's laughter filled the air. "I'm glad you like it, Marty."
Martin grinned. "And since we're essentially both Shiva now, I should pick a new name, too."
"Perhaps Lord Shiva?" asked Lily playfully. "Or Captain Shiva?"
"No... the first is a bit too bold for my taste, and the second a bit too derivative of Captain Marvel," Martin replied with a grin. "Though how about... Professor Shiva? After all, we're here at Grimoire Academy to guide the young, are we not?"
Lily's eyes sparkled with amusement. "It fits you, just as your role of teacher does, Marty."
"So I take it Kali is gone forever, then?" Martin clarified, his mood bittersweet.
Lily nodded once more. "Yes. The headmaster informed me that my former powers have been completely severed from me while on the island. So, no matter how many times I utter 'Rakasha,' nothing will happen when I'm here, though I still have to be careful not to say that word when we visit back home, since there's a chance it could bring back the demonic influence again."
"Well, that's a relief, to be honest," Martin confessed. "I was afraid you might utter that word in your sleep and become that nightmare you were again."
"That can never happen here," Lily said, gratitude evident in her voice. "But that could still be a risk whenever I'm no longer under the island's influence."
"Which means we probably won't be moving back to our Earth anytime soon to rejoin the Super Squad or become new members of Shazam's Squadron of Justice, then," Martin concluded with a wink.
"No, and that's just fine by me," Lily said. "Here on this island we're together always. It's a new beginning for us here. We have nothing left of our old lives back there, anyways." A shadow of sadness crossed her face as she thought about something else.
Martin noticed her sadness returning. "Oh, no... what is it, Lil?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
"Well, there is one more thing... another limitation to our remaining on this island, though it's nothing we haven't faced before," Lily said, her voice choking up.
"What is it?" Martin gently prompted.
"As long as we live here, we'll never be able to have children," Lily said, her voice barely a whisper.
Martin frowned. "But why?"
Lily shook her head. "Gallowglass didn't explain, but he told me it could never happen due to certain of the island's properties that make conception impossible."
Martin looked serious for a moment, then said, "Well, we already knew years ago that we couldn't have children naturally, so at least this isn't anything new for us. (*) All I know is that I love you more than anything or anyone, Lil."
[(*) Editor's note: See Shiva: Times Past, 1970: Shiva's Last Case.]
"I love you, too, Marty," Lily replied, her voice filled with love and gratitude.
And with that, they kissed, their love for each other stronger than any limitation or obstacle that the world could throw their way.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 21, 2024 19:35:27 GMT
It was the next Friday night, and movie night had once more returned to Grimoire Academy. Among several other students who were filing in, the group of fourteen-year-old boys known as the Sentinels of Magic were gathered in the school library, eager for another evening of cinematic adventure. Lucien, the enigmatic librarian with a penchant for mystery, watched them from the reference desk with a knowing glint in his eye as they entered, his faithful werewolf Rover lying at his feet.
"Well, boys," Lucien began, "I heard about your little jaunt back in time with Baron Weirwulf to visit the real Hans Von Hammer -- the subject of our movie from a few weeks ago. Please, won't you tell me all about it?"
The boys eagerly began recounting their adventure, their voices filled with excitement. "It was absolutely spectacular, Mr. Lucien," began Kirk Pike, the group's leader.
"Yeah," added Josh Cantrell excitedly, "and Kirk even had a mock dogfight with the Hammer of Hell himself, and..."
"We fought a bunch of kobolds alongside Von Hammer, too, just before we had to leave!" said Gray Murphy.
"And in leaving when we did," noted Alfred Twitchell, "our timely departure prevented a time causality from expanding large enough to collapse all timelines into itself, thus saving the world!"
"It was awesome!" Kirk exclaimed.
Lucien shook his head slightly, not quite receiving the answer he had hoped for. "And Von Hammer himself -- did he tell you about the horrors that he saw during the war, all those young men he was forced to bury?"
"Yeah, he was really sad about that," Josh admitted.
A small smile passed over Lucien's face as he nodded.
Kirk spoke up again. "But he also told us that, if he had a choice, he would fight for his country all over again."
Lucien's expression became one of impatience as he probed further. "I see. And did you learn anything about the futility of war?"
Murphy's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Well, I learned that the war was wayyy cooler than the history books told us it was!"
The other boys began pushing and murmuring at Murphy for his irreverent response. "What?!" he exclaimed. "What did I say?"
Lucien frowned and shook his head, smiling despite himself. He realized he would have to shift gears if he was ever going to get through to them.
"So, what movie are we watching tonight, Mr. Lucien?" Josh asked.
With a resigned sigh, Lucien prepared to reveal their movie selection for the evening. "Before I tell you the name of the film, I should explain that this film serves as a metaphor for the vast destruction that was wrought at Hiroshima specifically, and the folly of the atomic age in general."
Kirk's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, so which movie is it?"
Lucien's lips quirked into a small smile as he delivered his answer. "Godzilla."
The boys stared at him for a moment before realization dawned upon them. Excitement bubbled up within them as they erupted into cheers.
"Awesome!"
Lucien chuckled at their enthusiasm despite himself. "I thought you might like that," he said. "Now, settle down and get comfortable. It's time for a showing of Godzilla!"
As they rushed into the adjoining library movie theater, each boy pretending to be monstrous creatures wreaking havoc on miniature cities like their beloved kaiju icon, Lucien turned to Rover with a knowing look.
"Rover," he murmured softly to his loyal werewolf companion. "I think these boys might just need another lesson..."
The werewolf murmurered in response, "Rowrr...?"
The boys quickly found seats and settled in for the movie alongside several other students. As the opening credits rolled, Lucien couldn't help but wonder if they would finally understand the deeper meaning behind the film. But for now, he was content to let them enjoy the spectacle. After all, even a movie about a giant monster might eventually teach them to take things more seriously, even if the deeper meaning was lost on them at their current age.
And so, amidst laughter and camaraderie forged through shared adventures and cinematic escapades, the Sentinels embraced yet another night of wonder and discovery under Lucien's watchful gaze -- their hearts open to new lessons waiting to be learned in every tale told and every reel unspooled, even if the intended lessons were often lost on them.
To Be Continued in The Books of Magic: The Phantom Carnival
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 21, 2024 19:35:52 GMT
And that is the end of the story. The next one will feature 1987's Hell Week.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 21, 2024 20:14:53 GMT
By the way, I know the power-sharing concept is a Post-Crisis idea, and that Shazam never did anything of the kind in the Pre-Crisis Earth-S -- Captain Marvel's power was never reduced when Mary Marvel or Captain Marvel Junior were using their powers at the same time. But I think it works here, since there are extenuating circumstances involving Grimoire Island and Gallowglass. I thought it would work as a nice nod to the Post-Crisis Power of Shazam series.
Also, with the "Power Duo" now calling themselves Professor Shiva and Lady Shiva, the title of the series -- Shiva -- still works for any stories featuring either or both of them. Although the Martines will continue to be part of the cast of characters for ongoing Books of Magic series, they could also star in new Shiva stories in the future if anyone is interested in using them in their current incarnations either on or off Grimoire Island. Just keep in mind that they will have to strategize the best use of their power-sharing capabilities, since those limitations are now involved. It could add some dramatic tension to the story, if nothing else.
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Post by dans on Apr 21, 2024 21:35:20 GMT
Very nice...
About the power sharing... I think it is a very good idea. As you point out, and Gallowglass is aware, they already share everything. And while Gallowglass is very powerful, not sure he has the power to give her independent powers permanently (particularly since you noted that he can't guarantee to protect her if she says Rakasha on Earth-S).
I really like that you removed the demonic aspects from Lady Shiva's appearance but left her appearance fairly similar to Kali.
So she says bee-vis-sog? That's the other thing, Gareth didn't want to have to find another band of heroes and deities that used the same letters!
I would expect the two of them to remain on Grimoire Island for quite awhile, given how you have shown they have come to love living there. And, they are now displaced in time, kind of, from Earth S, and redundant there too, and it could be dangerous to go back there, so maybe they would choose to settle on one of the other Earths, or maybe someplace else Simon could send them?
Sentinels of Magic have big shoes to fill. I wonder if Gallowglass has any issues with them adopting that name for themselves?
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 21, 2024 22:04:03 GMT
Yeah, there are a lot of possibilities. I hope what I've done with the characters works. I didn't create them, and this is the first time I've ever used them, so I was kind of worried about that.
The name "Professor Shiva" comes from your stories, Dan, so thanks for that idea. There is already an existing character called Lady Shiva, an Earth-1 martial arts expert who is a friend of Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter, but I couldn't resist using the name here for Lily's new alter ego under the power-sharing scheme. Probably the only one (other than Gallowglass) at Grimoire Academy even aware of the Earth-1 Lady Shiva would be Kirk Pike, with his earlier obsession over Richard Dragon inspiring him to learn martial arts.
As for the Sentinels of Magic, Gallowglass seems to have given them his tacit approval back when they first adopted it in Changeling Unmasked, but I could imagine that if they end up bringing shame to the name in any way he might not be so understanding. In this story I tried to emphasize that while they dream about being heroes, they are still immature 14-year-old boys (and one 12-year-old) who still have a lot of growing up to do. I think of the new Sentinels of Magic more like a kid gang along the lines of the Newsboy Legion, the Boy Commandos, or the Dingbats of Danger Street -- a collection of different personalities who just happen to also have certain powers and skills at their disposal.
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