A_E: Hello! How are you today? Well, whatever you are, we're back with more MSLT3K!
DOS: I've got some energy shakes. And popcorn.
Matt: Got coffee?
DOS: Yes, I have coffee. (hands it over)
A_E: Well, anyway, this is the second real MiSTing of ours, and the second Jo Ann fic!
DOS: Sho ba dee do!
Matt: (slurp) Hey! This is good. Like I always say, espresso yourself.
A_E: Whatever. Now, to the fic!

User Guardian One

A_E: Does she think we can't count? And why is it one? How does she know there will be others?
DOS: There have been others.
Matt: (spooky voice) Yes. Others who have gone into the fortress, and failed. They have fought for our system! Let it be known! Oooooooo!
A_E and DOS: Shaddup!

By: Amazon

Matt: Amazon? I thought she was in the computer.
A_E: Yeah, me too.
Matt: I guess she escaped to wreak havoc on all the land!

The Mainframers waited anxiously for Turbo and Jo Ann to return from the Super Computer.

DOS: Well, I'm guessing they just sat playing Pong and Chess.
A_E: (Phong) My knight goes here... checkmate! My 209th win in a row! Ha ha!

A few seconds (days) ago,

Matt: Ah. The ever-not-so-popular putting-the-timeframe-in-the-middle-of-your-fic move.
DOS: And if you think that's a lot of dashes, you should see the Morse Code!
(silence)
DOS: OK, that was really, really bad.

Turbo had taken Jo Ann to the Guardian Academy for her final exams. There was a lot of testing, and it would take several seconds for even a User to finish all of the tests.

Matt: (Jo) Hmm... what is Bob's keytool's name? Glitch.
A_E: I wonder if there's an entire section on keytool commands.
Matt: (Jo) (reads test) 1. What do you say to make an elevator? 2. What do you say to make a lamp? 3. What do you say to make a (noun)?
DOS: Dude. If it's that easy, I'm gonna become a Guardian!

Today was the day that they would find out if she passed.

DOS: She didn't.

"What if she doesn't pass?" Tiffiny, a little girl one binome asked.

Matt: Oh, this fic is ruined, little one. But that's a good thing. Then we can really MiST it!

She looked up at Bob. He smiled, his head tilted down as he answered her.

A_E: Is that an oxymoron? Smiling and tilting your head down.

"Then, we'll give her more training."

DOS: I know! Throw her in every Game that comes by herself, and throw her into the Energy Sea hands tied!
A_E: What do you want to do, delete her?
DOS: Well, it would end the fic...

"What about the party?" Enzo asked.

A_E: That'll be ruined too.

He hated to see his sister's careful planning go to waste.

DOS: Wow! Throwing all that in the trash.

"We'll still have it, Enzo," his sister reassured him.

Matt: Unless there's a system crash.

"Yeah," Matrix grinned. "If for no other reason, then, because we love her!"

All: Hoo-rah!

The Mainframers had to agree with the huge, green warrior.

A_E: ...because he had Gun on Death Blossom Mode.

They did love their resident User very much. After absorbing the energies of a dying Amazon

Matt: Ooo... I'd like to do that...

--who had come from Jo Ann's own imagination--

Matt: Oh, that Amazon!

Jo Ann had become a permanent resident of Mainframe.

DOS: Who was the happiest about this?
All: No one!

Phong believed that absorbing Amazon's energy had made Jo Ann half-User, and half-Data Sprite.

A_E: Intresting theory.

But even he did not know if this was true or not.

DOS: Hey! Another thing Phong does not know!

Suddenly, a huge, chrome sphere appeared in the park, where the party was set up.

DOS: It was a giant null. It ate everyone up except for Hex. End.
A_E: Say Fini. It sounds good.
DOS: Fini!
A_E: Yay!

From out of the gleaming portal came Prime Guardian Turbo and Jo Ann, User Guardian One.

Matt: Are they married?

Jo Ann wore a red Guardian's uniform

DOS: Oh, I like blue.

--formally white, before the absorption of Amazon's energy turned it red--

DOS: That's not blue.

with gold shoulder and kneepads.

A_E: Again with the gold?

Around her wrists were silver Guardian wristbands.

Matt: You mean, "Again with the precious metals?"

On her left arm, sitting on the wristband, was Pixal, Jo Ann's keytool.

DOS: It might be more comfy to use a chair.
Matt: (Pixal) Beep whrr click! (Hey, Jo, I wanna chair!)

"Well?" Enzo asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "Did you pass?"

A_E: (Jo) Well, you know, I tried my hardest. I was looking forward to saying this to you, so, NO!

Jo Ann looked sad and ashamed. The Mainframers hearts fell. She did not pass her finals!

All: Yay!

Then, Jo Ann's face lit up in a huge grin, as she answered. "How does 'Guardian First Class' sound?"

All: NOOOOOO!!!

The cheers of the Mainframers resounded through the computer city.

Matt: This is totally mixed up.
DOS: Je vous, oui.
Matt: Please, no French!
DOS: Oui! Oui! Oui oui!
Matt: AAAAA!!

Bob, Matrix, and Wild Card all hugged their star pupil, pride showing in their eyes.

DOS: Pride sure doesn't have a lot of room to move around in.
A_E: In one ear, and out the other!
DOS: Then I see why pride wasn't in Ray's eyes, for one it wouldn't be able to get in, and two, you wouldn't be able to see it.

Matrix lifted her onto his and Wild Card's shoulders

Matt: ...and dropped her. Plunk!
A_E: (Gavin) By the code...
Matt: You do a great impression of that, you know?

as they carried her to the place of honor at the banquet table. They climbed a dais and, very gently, set Jo Ann down upon a throne that Dot had ordered placed there.

DOS: (Dot) Hello. I'd like to order a large banquet table, two hundered chairs, and a throne with extra cushions. Remember, 30 micros or less, or its free!
Matt: What is a dais?
A_E: Hmm... "da·is (dā'is; often dī'-) n., pl. da'is·es..."
Matt: No! No dictionares!
A_E: A platform.
Matt: Thank you.

Everyone went quiet as Dot joined Jo Ann on the platform.

DOS: Something was showing?

"We are gathered here today to celebrate a rare occasion: The ascension of a Guardian Cadet into a full-fledged Guardian!

Matt: Flickity worm-wuckers!
DOS: Right...

But this occasion is even rarer than that wondrous achievement. Because, for the first time ever, a User has achieved that coveted title. And with Jo Ann, a new title has been created, a position we may never again see filled.

DOS: Isn't Jareth one?
A_E: Don't look at me!

"Ladies and gentlemen, sprites and binomes, I give you: Jo Ann Montgomery, User Guardian One!"

Matt: And on comes the garbage!

The cheers were loader then before.

Matt: Just unloading the garbage, not the cheers.
DOS: Ah-ha! Jo Ann had a typo, Jo Ann had a typo!

Jo Ann was not sure just who was cheering the loudest; Bob, Matrix, Wild Card, Mouse, Enzo, Ray, or AndrAIa.

DOS: None of them. They had all passed out from cheering for the past 10 sentences.

Dot motioned for everyone to be silent. She was not finished with her speech.

Matt: And they're gonna listen to you? Ha ha ha!

"In honor of this wondrous occasion, I, Dot Matrix, as COMMAND.COM of Mainframe, declare today to be "User Guardian Day" in Mainframe,

Matt: That's just corny.
A_E: In my system, we have a Signpost Day.
Matt: OK, that is corny.

in honor of, --not only Jo Ann-- but of all future User Guardians that may one day grace the halls of the Guardian Academy.

All: Hoo-rah!

May they all become the Guardians that Jo Ann has become!"

All: Hoo-rah!

The Mainframers cheered their agreement, then quieted as Dot finished her speech.

A_E: How long is this?

"And now, in honor of our first User Guardian, let the celebration begin!"

A_E: Oy, finally.
Matt: Anybody here see that new movie about the bugs that infested a pencil and drew all over the trash can?
A_E: Please ignore Matt right now.

On cue, music began to play as the party got underway.

DOS: A very romantic party, with fine littlechats and small talk. The butlers were constantly serving cocktails.
Matt: Mmm-hmm...

Bob danced with Dot, Matrix, with AndrAIa, and Ray, with Mouse.

Matt: And Turbo with Jo Ann!

Wild Card, Bob's twin brother, joined Jo Ann on the dais,

Matt: Or not!

two Egyptian-style, gold and jeweled goblets of energy in his hands. Grinning, the golden-haired bounty hunter handed one of the glittering cups to Jo Ann.

A_E: I'm getting annoyed by all this gold.

"For you, Queen of the Day," he said. She took the goblet he offered her and sipped at the reenergizing liquid.

DOS: A very petty move. A quick glance to the party and back to Wild Card's dazzling eyes made sure that all was well and that the butlers didn't run out of cocktails.
A_E: DOS, you're not writing the story.
DOS: So?

"Thank you, my King," she smiled back at him. In black armor, similar to Matrix's, Wild Card looked like a hero one only read about in romance novels.

DOS: See? My calm storytelling has bound into Jo Ann's fine tail of love...
Matt: ...and betrayal! Jo Ann then shot up into the air and used Pixal to totally delete Wild Card, then went back down to her seat and used that memory eraser thing from Men in Black.
DOS: (sigh)

The ones were the hero was a pirate, or a warrior prince, or any such adventurous man.

DOS: Like Bob?

When did I become User Guardian One, she thought.

A_E: In this story, I think.

Was it so very long ago, on my second visit to Mainframe that I unlocked a treasure that had few --if anyone-- in the User world would ever receive again,

Matt: Maybay.

even if those Users lived in Mainframe for many, many years?

Matt: Maybay.

As she sipped the green, energy-restoring beverage, Jo Ann's thoughts drifted back to that fateful second, so long ago.

A_E: Guess so.
Matt: Maybay.

***

A_E: Snowflakes!
DOS: Huh?
A_E: Jus' kidding! Asterisks!

Did I dream it, Jo Ann thought as she sat at her computer. Or was I really in Mainframe?

A_E: Huh? oh, it's a flashback!
DOS: I never did like those.
Matt: LET'S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN!
A_E: Did you even watch that show?
Matt: Um, not really...

She would have thought that it was a dream, but for one thing: The disc in her hand.

A_E: The label said, "Jo Ann, you WERE in Mainframe. Do NOT disbelieve this. Disks have feelings TOO, you know. NOW put me DOWN"
DOS: You can fit that?
A_E: Hey! I wasn't done yet! It would have said that, but all the vowels were missing.
DOS: Oh.

It was glossy, half gold and half black. The gold half had a black triangle, and the black half had a gold triangle. The bases of the triangle touched, forming a diamond.

Matt: And for $400, tell us your answer!

The icon of the Guardians from the TV. show, ReBoot!

Matt: Sorry! You didn't answer in the form of a question! YOU LOSE! DUM DUM DUM!
DOS: Calm down, Man!

Carefully, Jo Ann pinned the icon on her shirt, in the middle of her chest and near her neck.

DOS: No comment.

She then booted her computer up,

Matt: And the kick is high... GOAL!
DOS: Is it just me, or has Matt gone random?
A_E: He always was random, DOS.

entered the Creative Writer program, and began to write.

Matt: To be or not to be. that is the question.

"Ready or not, here I come, guys!" she said as the story took form.

A_E: That's a little corny.

"Bob! Look!" Enzo cried, pointing to the sky. Bob and several others looked up, following Enzo's pointing finger.

DOS: Oh no, not this thing again.
A_E: Hey, there's something on your dress! (points)
DOS: Huh? Where? (looks down) (A_E flips finger up) Ow! My nose!
A_E: Ha ha ha!
Matt: You gotta admit, that is pretty funny.
DOS: SHUT UP YOU TWO!
Matt and A_E: OK!

A huge vid-window formed over the sky. Text appeared, transforming into a story.

A_E: Hello. I am Text, Guardian 289. See my story! (transforms)

When the title and author lines appeared Enzo and several Mainframers gave a round of happy cheers.

DOS: Have our cheers! By the barrels!

Return to Mainframe

DOS: What about, "Return of the User?"

By: Jo Ann Montgomery

All: DUH!

appeared in the lettering of the Digital Display Font.

Matt: What's that look like?
A_E: I don't know. Not installed. Give us an upgrade, User!
Author: All right! I'll get you it! I can't believe I'm taking orders from a computer...

The story, itself, was written in Lucida Sans, a more readable font.

Matt: What's that look like?
A_E: It looks like this.
Matt: You mean this?
A_E: No! That's Lucida BT, not Sans!
Matt: Whatever.

"She's coming back!" Tiffiny, a little girl one binome cried, happily.

Matt: (you-know-what music plays) Welcome back, welcome back , welcome back. Welcome back, welcome back, welcome baaaack.
A_E: I never liked that show.
Matt: Bad you! *slap*

"Who's coming back?" Matrix asked as he joined them outside of Dot's Diner.

All: Kotter!

"Jo Ann!" Enzo shouted. "Jo Ann's coming back!"

All: Who? Oh her. Hey, why are we talking in sync? Aah! It's scary! Oh User help!

"She's describing the Guardian icon now, her proof that she didn't dream her journey to Mainframe," Bob smiled.

DOS: That's is soooo easy to describe! But if Bob says it...

Another round of cheers went up when the Mainframers saw the next line:

Matt: I think I'll have about 5 more rounds of cheers, them I'm drunk. (Falls over)
A_E: (looks down) Or maybe no more rounds...

"Ready or not, here I come, guys!"

A_E: CORNY!

Nanoseconds later, Jo Ann appeared in Mainframe, right at the spot where she first appeared.

All: Zap!

She still wore the same jeans and sneakers that she wore before, but her T-shirt was different.

Matt: Does she even change?

When the Mainframers first met Jo Ann, she was wearing a gray Kentucky Wildcats shirt.

Matt: I thought she still is wearing it.

The new shirt was red, with a family crest and the name, "Montgomery" under the crest.

DOS: I want one of those for my family!

The crest had the picture of a woman wearing a long dress, holding an anchor in her right hand,

A_E: That's a strong woman...

and a severed head in her left.

A_E: That's a disgusting woman.
Matt: SWM seeking SWF, strong, disgusting, pretty, please just anyone who has a last name of Montgomery.
A_E: Yeah, right.

In the upper part of the crest were the words, "Gardez Bien". Jo Ann wore her icon above this crest. A leather bracelet with her name on it adorned her left wrist.

DOS: Well, she seems pretty.

The Mainframers rushed to her, welcoming their User back.

All: They want her autograph.

"Convinced that you weren't dreaming, Jo Ann?" Bob smiled.

A_E: (Jo) No! Watch! (pinches herself and wakes up) Ha ha! I knew it! It was all a dream!
DOS: Her mom would not like that...

"Yes," she smiled back, giving the blue Guardian a hug. She greeted the others in the same fashion.

Matt: Hugging every single Mainframer? That's about 200,000 sprites, and if it take 10 nanos to hug someone... 2 million nanos?
A_E: Hey, look on the bright side. That's only about 30,000 micros!
DOS: And that's only 500 miliseconds!
A_E: Which is only 20 seconds...
Matt: All right all ready! 3 weeks! 3/4 of a month! I get it! Sheesh...

"What does 'Gardez Bien' mean?" Matrix asked, looking at Jo Ann's shirt.

DOS: Looks like "Guardian Ben"

"It's Gaelic, the language of old Scotland. It means, 'Guard Well'.

DOS: Or not.

I thought that if I needed an action outfit while I was here, this would make a good one."

All: Yeah right!

"It looks good. At least, the motto does. I don't know about the picture," Bob said, studying the crest.

Matt: Yeah, it is kinda putrid and horrid... right up Hex's alley!

"Blame my ancestor for the morbid family crest. It was his idea, not mine."

All: We do blame you!

"Hex will like it," Matrix grinned. "It's just her style."

Matt: Right! Like I said!

"Like what?" Hexadecimal asked, coming up behind them.

Matt: (Matrix) A severed head covered with blood.

"Jo Ann's family crest. It has a woman holding a severed head in her left hand," Matrix answered.

DOS: Yuck!

Hexadecimal looked at the red shirt. She clapped her hands and squealed like a young girl as she gazed at the crest.

A_E: Like a pig?
DOS: No, then she'd be saving the story. Now she's... deleting it?

"Oooo...how adorable!" she cooed.

All: Adorable? Yuck!

"Thanks. I think."

Matt: I think, therefore I am.
A_E: Well, you can't exist, because you don't think.

Suddenly, A huge, chrome ball appeared in Mainframe. Turbo --the Prime Guardian-- and another Guardian emerged from the portal, carrying a large box between them.

DOS: What's in the box?

"Ah'm glad y'all here, Jo Ann," Turbo smiled. "Maybe ya can help us."

All: Do it! Make it end!

"I can try, Turbo. What is it that I can do for you?"

Matt: (Turbo) Well, ya might wanna try lookin' in the box.

"This box holds the last legacy of a Guardian named Athena."

A_E: Hey! Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom! It's a coin-
Matt: It's a cowinkedink!
A_E: Right...

"The First Guardian!" Bob breathed, reverently.

DOS: The first? Man, she must be old.

"Yes. When she retired from the Guardians, Athena placed her icon, uniform, and keytool in this trunk.

DOS: Oh, that's what's in the box!

She then put in a coded lock. Anyone who could crack the code and open the trunk would inherit her icon, uniform, and keytool."

A_E: Gotta start somewhere! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 4. No.
Matt: How do you input the code?

"My grandfather used to tell me stories about Athena," Bob whispered. "She was fearless in battle, ready to mend and defend to the extreme. It was said that she even knew all about the User's world, and how the Users thought."

A_E: Maybe that's why she's named Athena!

"Wow!" Jo Ann exclaimed. "This 'Athena' must have been really something!"

DOS: Yep.

"She was, indeed," Turbo smiled. "She left only one clue to the code; something called 'Dead Man's Hand'. One one's been able to break the code."

Matt: (Hex) Dead Man's Hand? What a lovely name! Wow1 I am lucky! Hearing about a severed head and a dead man's hand all in one day! Yay!

"'Dead Man's Hand'?!?" Jo Ann exclaimed, her eyes wide.

A_E: She's really excited about a dead guy's hand.

"Do you know what it means?" Matrix asked.

All: We guess so!

"Yes. Whatever else your Athena knew about the User's world, she sure knew her American history!"

All: Huh?
A_E: Hmm... lemme think... Dead Man's Hand... Dead Man's Hand...

Jo Ann studied the lock. The clue, 'Dead Man's Hand', was printed on a computer screen on the trunk's lid. Beneath this clue were ten slashes, each standing for a letter or a number. Under the screen was a computer keyboard.

Matt: Oh, that's where you input stuff!

"Of course, with a name like 'Athena', I'd expect her to be wise."

A_E: Yeah, me too.

"Huh?!?" The Mainframers gazed at their User in puzzlement.

A_E: What's wrong with you?

"Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom," Jo Ann explained as she began typing.

A_E: Duh!

"KS, 8D, 8S, AC, and AS: King of Spades, Eight of Diamonds, Eight of Spades, Ace of Clubs, and Ace of Spades. The poker hand Wild Bill Hickcock was holding when he was murdered. Which is why it's called 'Dead Man's Hand'."

All: Oh!

The lock released and the lid of the trunk opened. In awe, Jo Ann and the Mainframers watched as a light came from out of the trunk.

Matt: Let there be LIGHT!

It solidified into a green hologram of a beautiful woman.

Matt and A_E: Ooooooooo...

"It has finally occurred, after so many hours of waiting. The code has been broken, and I now have an heir. But I could expect no less from a User."

DOS: Wait, how did she know it would be a User?
A_E: Well, do you think a sprite would know that? And she is wise.

The Mainframers gasped. Athena had known a User would one second come to Mainframe to claim Athena's legacy! Who would have guessed that it would be their own User!

All: Only you, Jo Ann.

"I now pass my icon, uniform, and keytool to you, User." The icon, identical to the ones worn by Bob, Turbo, Matrix, Wild Card, and Jo Ann, rose from the box. Jo Ann's own icon floated up to meet Athena's icon. The two icons met, merging into one.

All: Zap!

Then the single icon floated back to Jo Ann, pinning itself over her left breast.

A_E: Hey, go back to the middle of the chest.

"Touch the icon and say, 'Reboot; Guardian'," the hologram instructed. Jo Ann obeyed.

DOS: It's not good to take orders from a hologram.

"Reboot; Guardian!" Jo Ann said, tapping the icon. The uniform in the trunk --white and gold-- disappeared, then reappeared on Jo Ann.

Matt: It's magic!

"One last thing," Athena continued. A keytool now floated out of the trunk.

A_E: Man, this Guardian's something.

"This is Pixal, your keytool. Call to her. She will obey."

DOS: Ring ring. Hello, Pixal, I want a vaction to Florida. Stat!

"Pixal; come!" Jo Ann commanded. Pixal flew to her, settling on her left arm.

A_E: A Guardian wristband to a keytool is what the beach is to a User.

Pixal looked like any other keytool Jo Ann had seen, like Glitch or Copeland, but she had one major difference.

All: It was broken?

The small screen in the center was a cut diamond!

All: Ooo, diamond!

"Use these gifts wisely and well, and with honor.

Matt: (Jo) I will. (Knocks Pixal off arm into Energy Sea) Oops...

Generations of Guardian tradition will be in your hands. Learn well the lessons the Guardians have to teach you. You will bring new blood to the Guardians. May you also bring new hope and honor with you as well.

DOS: This is sounding like Star Wars now.

"I now leave you to your task. Uphold well the Guardian creed -- 'To Mend and Defend'." Athena faded away, leaving Mainframe forever.

All: Oh poo!

"To Mend and Defend," Jo Ann repeated reverently. For the longest time, no one spoke, for fear of breaking this most delicate of moments.

Matt: (Bob) JABBA WABBA WOO! I HAVE BROKEN THE SILENCE!

Turbo was the first to speak. He moved to put a hand on Jo Ann's shoulder. His smile was gentle and full of pride.

DOS: It always is.

"It's a great honor that has been handed down to ya, Jo Ann. Athena knew a User would claim her legacy. You are now, User Guardian One, the first User to become a Guardian!"

All: Semi-yay!

It was then that the events of the past few microseconds sunk into the minds of everyone watching. The User that they had come to know and love was going to be a Guardian, their protector!

A_E: Isn't that just great?

"What about my family?" Jo Ann asked, looking into Turbo's eyes. "I just can't abandon them."

Matt: Yeah. I wouldn't abandon my family. They're too nice to me... and they actually let me stay up real late so I can MiST this stuff.

"Ya don't have ta," the Prime Guardian said. "Ya have three experienced Guardians to train you whenever you visit Mainframe. Between Bob, Matrix, and Wild Card, y'all get as good a trainin' as you would at the Guardian Academy."

DOS: Intresting...

Bob, Matrix, and Wild Card stepped forward. Each put a hand out in the air, forming a circle of clasped hands. They looked at Jo Ann meaningfully.

A_E: (Matrix) Join us... with your... hand!

"Well," Matrix said, a small grin appearing on his face, "do we, or do we not, have a new Guardian?"

All: And the answer is...

Jo Ann raised her left hand, Pixal gleaming --it seemed-- with happiness and pride. She placed her hand on top of theirs, smiling back at them.

A_E: We're waiting!

"Count me in, guys!" she cried.

All: Yay!

The Mainframers cheered. Two more hands joined the circle, bringing the total to six: Turbo and the Guardian he had brought with him.

DOS: Just who is that other Guardian?

"To Mend and Defend," Jo Ann said, grinning at the other Guardians. They grinned back at her.

DOS: Tell us!

"To Mend and Defend!" all six Guardians shouted, raising the whole starburst high.

Matt: Just walk away...

Mainframe resounded with the cheering of its residents, all welcoming their new User Guardian.

A_E: (breaths deeply) Hal----lelujah! Hal----lelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Halle--lujah!
DOS: Shaddup!

***

A_E: Let's not comment about this, OK?
Matt: 10-4 Rowdylizard.
A_E: What?
Matt: Copy, Black Chicken.
A_E: Forget it.
Matt: Over, Peking Duck.

Jo Ann smiled as she remembered that second. And well they had trained her!

DOS: I'm guessing the flashback is over now.

Bob had taught her the fundamentals of being a Guardian, while Matrix had been her physical trainer and weapons instructor. Wild Card filled in with the things that he had learned as a bounty hunter, giving her knowledge that your average Guardian did not have.

A_E: Well, good training makes for a...
Matt: Giant gorilla!
A_E: No! A good career!

Now, Jo Ann fulfilled their dreams and expectations of her.

DOS: They must have not been high.

She was a full Guardian, at last, equal to Bob, Matrix and Wild Card in rank, if not in power and skill.

A_E: I think less than or equal to, not greater than or equal to.
(DOS and Matt stare at A_E)
A_E: Maybe I should just shut up. We're almost done...

Wild Card stood up from the edge of the dais where he had been sitting. He took her hand, smiling into her eyes.

Matt: Kissie kissie!

"Wouldst thou dance with this humble king, most beautious of queens?"

Matt: What?
A_E: It says, "Would you like to dance with me, you beautiful woman?"
Matt: Oh. Ooooooohh.

he said graciously, like a character out of Shakespeare. Jo Ann rose from the throne, allowing Wild Card to lead her to the dance area of the park.

DOS: Quaint, but useless.

"It wouldst give this queen the greatest of pleasure, my handsome king," Jo Ann returned his smile.

Matt: OK, what's that say?
A_E: I will give you a lot of pleasure.

The User Guardian and the bounty hunter joined the others, dancing the second away in each other's arms.

A_E: I cannot picture that.

Jo Ann knew that more adventures were on their way, adventures that would challenge her new status as a full Guardian.

All: Yep.

She hoped that she would meet these challenges with as much courage as it had taken to accept her fate as a permanent resident of the computer world.

All: Yep.

For now, though, Jo Ann danced in the arms of her beloved Wild Card, celebrating her new role in her life.

All: Huh?

THE END

All: Yay!
A_E: Well, that was fun.
DOS: Yes it was.
Matt: Hey! My coffee lasted the whole fic! Cool! I need to do that more often.
DOS: Please.
Matt: So, what's next?
A_E: Whoever wants to be MiSTed, I guess.
DOS: Well, that means, I'm going to bed.
Matt: Me too.
A_E: Well goodnight and stay tuned for the next MSTL3K!

MSLT3K