ffutures: (Kenny)
[personal profile] ffutures
Here's a short Young Wizards / Highlander crossover. Just a little idea I had, anyone who wants to do more with it is welcome.



Young Wizards / Highlander crossover. All characters belong to their respective creators, and there is no intent to infringe on copyright. This story may not be distributed on a profit-making basis.

Complicated Spelling

by Marcus L. Rowland


Kit Rodriguez thought he was alone, apart from the fish, until a polite English voice said "Is Tom Swale around, or Carl Romero?"

"Sorry, no," said Kit, looking up from the pond. "They're out of town for a few days, I'm looking after their pets."

The stranger looked like he was in his forties, and was casually dressed, with a slightly disheveled look and a raincoat over one shoulder, despite the warmth of the day. Kit couldn't sense any magic, and wondered how he'd got past the wards and into the garden. Then he widened his senses and felt power; something odd, immense, and old. And there was something metallic under the raincoat.

"Damn," said the stranger. "Um... Dai stiho. I am on errantry and I greet you."

"Dai. Your accent is terrible."

"I'm not a wizard, I only know a few words. A long time ago someone did something to the speech centre of my brain to make sure that I couldn't learn more."

"Then how can you be on errantry?"

The stranger looked amused, and said "Do you think that there's only one type of errantry?"

"Good point. What is it you need?"

"A quick trip to Scotland. A friend of mine is going to get himself killed there, I need to be there to defuse the situation, and the airlines will take too long. I can pay."

"What sort of payment did you have in mind?"

"A year of my life."

"A year?" said Kit. "A whole year? I can't take that."

"Of course you can," said the stranger. "I've done it before. Tom and Carl and I have an arrangement. I give them a year, they pass the change on to someone that can use it."

Kit thought dizzily about the people a year could help. "You're quite sure that you know what you're asking?"

"Absolutely. But you're going to have to do all the work. It's really annoying, I'm a linguist and historian, and the Powers won't even let me read my own name in the Speech." He groped into his pocket and pulled out a bulky wad of paper.

"What's this?" asked Kit.

"My name, the last time Tom and Carl checked it."

"All of that is your name?"

"Yup."

"Well, mister..." Kit looked at the start of the page, and said "Pierson, let's give it a shot. Age... wait a minute, that can't be right."

"It is, as close as I can determine it. That's why I'm not worried about a year."

"Holy.... Let's see... five thousand year old immortal warrior... scholar... founder of the Campaign for Real Ale... always carryies a sword... um... former vessel of the Lone Power..." Kit felt the pitch of his voice and his eyebrows rising.

"And I'd prefer to keep it former, so be extra careful when you get to that bit."

"Also known as Benjamin Adams, Methos... um... Death..." Kit had a sinking feeling that this was going to take quite some time.

End



Comments please before I post to archives.

Date: 2010-06-21 08:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jeriendhal.livejournal.com
Oh... dear.

Date: 2010-06-21 08:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jeriendhal.livejournal.com
Oh, and three more things.

1) May I link to this from my journal?

2) I dearly wish I could point this out Diane Duane (stupid technical copyright violations), because I suspect she'd be highly amused.

3) I'll admit it's been a while since I read the first two Young Wizards books, but I'm pretty sure Methos' offer would violate the "No Cheating" rule, given a year of life would mean effectively nothing to him.

Date: 2010-06-21 08:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] edana-ni-emer.livejournal.com
Well, it *does* mean that he'll die a year sooner than he otherwise might. Methos knows the meaning of even just a year; look at his time with Alexa.

Awesome fic, and pretty much exactly what I was really hoping for when I saw the crossover. X-D

Date: 2010-06-21 11:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ffutures.livejournal.com
1: Link away!

2: I'm fairly sure Diane and Peter have me friended on Livejournal. Whether they will after she reads this, if she does, might be another matter...

3: Well yes, but as someone has pointed out, it might not be as trivial as he thinks.
Edited Date: 2010-06-21 11:10 pm (UTC)

Date: 2010-06-21 10:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ci5rod.livejournal.com
Oh, excellent. Lovely idea, Marcus.

Date: 2010-06-21 11:09 pm (UTC)

Date: 2010-06-22 06:32 am (UTC)

Young wizards

Date: 2010-06-22 12:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] samthereaderman.livejournal.com
Great crossover. I like the idea of Methos being old friends with the wizards. One minor point, if Kit is still a YOUNG wizard as in the books, it seems somewhat out of character for him to be going "Holy shit"

Re: Young wizards

Date: 2010-06-22 06:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ffutures.livejournal.com
I'm pretty sure I was saying things like that at his age, but I suppose he doesn't in the books. I'll change it.
Edited Date: 2010-06-22 06:33 am (UTC)

Date: 2010-06-28 01:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] slvrcrystalc.livejournal.com
*grin* Poor Methos. I love the meshing of these two worlds. I'd never even though of it before. =D

Date: 2010-07-13 12:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paxluvfelicitas.livejournal.com
Oh, this is like cake and Christmas to me right now, because I just got sucked into Highlander. I love YW crossovers in general, because most scifi/fantasy series cross in so neatly given the nerdiness of the source and the flexible nature of wizardry, but this one is particularly good.

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