Surprise Cameo!

This omake was written as part of the story. It takes place in the middle of the battle, when Zel, Ameria, and Erika are getting the gang's weapons, and hit on the idea of causing a diversion to cover their escape. Here's a lead-in from the story, in italics, followed by the omake:

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Zel avoided her grasp, a smirk building on his stony face. "I have an idea." He leaned in closer and explained his idea to an impatient Erika and Ameria. By the time he was finished, though, they weren't as impatient.

Wide-eyed, Erika nodded. "I can do that--you'll just have to let me monitor your mind so I know when to bring you back," she said uncertainly. Zel shrugged, handed her Janak's sword, and took a step back. "If you're sure..." she trailed off.

"I'm sure," he replied. "Now hurry--you're the one who said we don't have much time."

Reluctantly, Erika released Ameria's shoulder and held out a hand. The next second, he disappeared, leaving only the two girls behind in the little cabin.

* * *

Zelgadiss was immediately on guard as soon as he materialized inside the cabin in which they had been kept prisoner. Like the other cabin, though, this one seemed to be empty as well. The little prison room looked dark and smelled musty, but there was another hint of a smell he recognized. He glanced around, noting the scorch marks on the mats where they had tried to start the place on fire. His eyes adjusting to the dimness, he sniffed the air once, and then headed out the door.

He came into the common room and stopped. There, off to his left, was another small room. Quickly, he reached the door and threw it open. "Just as I thought, gunpowder," he murmured, and entered. "And where there's gunpowder, there's... JIRASU??"

"Oh, hi Zel," the small orange fox replied to his visitor. He was sitting on a stool, pouring a fine black powder into a round bundle. "I figured one of you would show up eventually."

"But... but what are you doing here, in the new world?" Zel stammered, obviously confused.

"Well, us secondary characters were getting impatient for some cameos. So we drew straws to see who would sneak into the story, and I won."

"Just my luck," Zel said sarcastically, "dozens of other characters in the series, and I get to run into the guy who shot me in the head with a cannon."

At this, Jirasu looked a little hurt. "Hey, you're the one who jumped in front of the cannon to impress the ladies. Don't blame me just cause your plan backfired and you ended up unconscious." He finished pouring the gunpowder into his new grenade and walked over to the wall to put it on a shelf with other similar devices. "Besides, you're lucky. Miwan had second place."

This remark caught Zel a little off guard. "Miwa-" he began, incredulous. "Yes, let's just leave that sorry episode behind us. So, what are you doing here? We're kind of in the middle of a war here, and I really should be getting back to the plot."

"Oh I know," said the little fox. "I'm just here as a convenient plot device, to punch up the story a little, if you know what I mean." He showed his canine teeth in an evil grin. "I came here offering to improve the Chakanai's weapons. Little do they know that their investment is about to blow up in their faces!"

Jirasu's grin was contagious, and Zel caught it quickly. "Sometimes I like the way you think."

"Just leave it to me, Zel. You get out of here, and I'll handle the rest." Zel nodded and turned for the door. "Oh and Zel," Jirasu called again, causing Zel to pause and look over his shoulder. "Good luck with the ladies!"

With that, Jirasu jumped up and started gathering grenades and casks of gunpowder in a corner of the room, and Zel snorted and ran back to the other room, after picking up a few explosives for his own use.

"Okay, Erika, I'm ready," he said, looking up toward the ceiling. He felt the faintest brush against his mind, as if someone had gently touched the top of his head, and then reality disintegrated into meaningless colors and shapes.

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