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Don't let the length of this scare you!

I've written something like this before for a poll. This was an idea I had but was stuck on an ending because it could go so many ways. Since it's looking like the fiction may not ever get written (I've been holding onto the initial outline for over 3 years) I was curious as to how YOU would like to see the ending.
Here it is:

The moment has come for the explorers to leave TLW. They are going by balloon because the winds are perfect and Challenger learns they will not be able to leave the plateau, in this method, for another three years if they do not catch the current on a specific day and time.
The day before they are to leave, Roxton is nearly fatally wounded by a raptor. They take him to the Zanga who are probably the only people who can save his life. The morning they are to leave the Zanga healer tells them he will survive but he cannot possibly go on the balloon trip or he will die.
Roxton tells his friends he wants them all, including Marguerite, to go without him. The Zanga will take care of him and he knows they will come back for him in another year or two.
Veronica, maintaining the plateau is her home, and despite Malone's urging, states she will stay behind and watch after Roxton with the Zanga. Malone tells Veronica he loves her but cannot live in her world forever, Veronica is tearful but doubts she can live in his.


Which of the following will happen?

A) The explorers, with only a few minutes to spare, get into the balloon but a conflicted Marguerite, at the last minute, states she cannot leave without Roxton, no matter what he says. She leaves them to return to the Zanga village. Awaiting her are a stunned Veronica and bed ridden Roxton. He cannot believe she has stayed on the “God forsaken” plateau for him.
Marguerite tells Veronica she is a fool for staying on the plateau when the man she loves is flying away from her forever. “If you even think for a moment that you love him -- go to him! Don’t let him get away!“
Convinced, Veronica leaves Marguerite and Roxton, runs after the balloon which has just taken off, manages to catch the ladder, and climbs up to join her friends and beloved. She and Malone kiss and are deliriously happy.
Marguerite has been watching the sky, seeing what has happened and tells the reclining Roxton that Veronica made it. She then goes to him, tells him quite honestly that she could never leave him and she loves him. They kiss.
Assai, who has been watching from the door, tells the shaman that Marguerite is the best medicine Roxton could ever hope for.
When Roxton is better the couple leave the Zanga village for the treehouse, Roxton with a slight limp that might never go away.
Still, they are content. Eventually they know they will be reunited with their friends a few years later.

B) After much discussion the explorers decide to ALL stay, despite Roxton's wishes. He is furious with them but eventually calms down. This does, however, cause a rift. Roxton feels, by his negligence, he has ruined their only chance and he feels guilty. His relationship with Marguerite suffers because he knows how much she wants to get off the plateau. Although she maintains she does not blame him Roxton feels, deep down inside, she truly does.
Slowly, he heals.
Matters are strained also between Ned and Veronica. She knows he loves her but Veronica also knows her responsibilities as eventual “Protector of the Plateau” may be daunting. She doesn’t feel she’ll have time for him or any man -- but actually she is hiding a fear that he will die like her father did..
Roxton, because of a limp that may never go away, decides he is not the same hunter he once was and may be a determent to their group rather than an asset. He contemplates leaving them, to strike out on his own. A furious and heartsick Marguerite calls him selfish.
Eventually, the group get themselves into a dangerous situation where Roxton comes to the rescue. He feels much better about his role but still feels bad about his friends staying behind on his behalf.
Alone, Marguerite convinces Roxton that even SHE would have stayed behind on her own with him, whether the others would have or not.
Veronica tells Ned her fears and he says he understands but he knows they will be together one day.
They are all friends and family. Together, they are all a force to be dealt with.

C) When the morning of their departure arrives the explorers, checking on Roxton's condition, discover that "mysterious beings" arrived at the Zanga village the night before, and took Roxton away! The Zanga were powerless to stop them. Assai tells them that one of the men with them looked exactly like Professor Summerlee!
As it turns out, Veronica's mother - having learned from a concerned (and very much alive) Summerlee of Roxton's accident and that her daughter might leave on the balloon with Malone before she actually should (Protector of the Plateau - etc.) - decided her people would take Roxton, cure him and keep him for awhile -- and his kidnapping would thus keep the explorers and Veronica from leaving. Which it does.
Malone and Veronica have a private talk where he emphasizes his love and she returns his affection -- but they know it must wait until she knows her true role as The Protector.
Summerlee talks with a somewhat sedated Roxton about this on his sick bed but also tells the hunter he will not remember their conversation when, after treatment, he is returned to the plateau.
Roxton is found in the jungle, unconscious but healthy. Awakened, he cannot tell them where he was but learns it has been five days since his disappearance. He feels guilty, having spoilt their way off the plateau. Challenger tells Roxton they may not be able to leave via balloon but they will, some day, find a way off.
As they walk home, away from the others, Marguerite softly confesses to the still disturbed Roxton that she could never have left him, no matter what. That makes him feel much better.
Summerlee, through a portal, watches his friends return to the treehouse, “Someday,” he says, “you will go home ... and we will all meet again. I promise.”

****

If you have a better or alternate ending you want to share please post your ideas!
Thanks,
Beckers

Interesting - all your scenarios are well thought-out and quite divergent.

In comparing the three, option A seems like an ending - loose ends are tied; it would be the end of a longer story. Option B is really more like a beginning - rifts to be widened, bitter arguments to be regretted. Option C is somewhere between the two. I like the potential for angst in Option B, Option C is a bit 'deus ex machina' unless you bring the Avalon folks into the story earlier. A works for me but there are a lot of people who think that Roxton and Marguerite would flourish better in the outside world. It depends I guess whether one believes Marguerite's protestations that she hates the plateau are real or just a smokescreen.

Talking fan fiction, is Appartion at Avebury still on the go or was it secretly finished without my realizing. I'm dying to read more of it. Please?

sc

Talking fan fiction, is Appartion at Avebury still on the go or was it secretly finished without my realizing. I'm dying to read more of it. Please?

*cough* It's like this ... I ended up rewriting the next chapter when my beta and I went back and forth with a plot point. I thought it crucial and my beta thought it too typical -- To make a long story short, it's back in the hands of my beta and she's been ill but promises to get it back to me ASAP. Meanwhile, I'm working on the following chapter. With any luck, I'll get them out together.

Beckers....I definitely like A and B better than C. I could see either of them working for our group. It would be a really interesting dynamic for our favorite couple to have some alone time but it would also take away alot of the humor that we get from the group being together.

I think all of them staying is actually the most plausable in my opinion. But the idea of Margurite sacrificing her happiness for Her Man again would be a beautiful story too.

Best of Luck...I love everything you write so I'll be tickled to see it when its completed. Keep on spinning your yarns - they are fabulous!!

Phew! Nothing like a good debate with a beta to make a story delayed but better! Looking forward to the next chapter (s). sc

That was probably part of my problem. I could see the story going in any of these directions and could not make up my mind.
I think I was leaning to A but doing it right would have been mentally exhausting, very emotional and if not done right a little unbelievable, even for TLW!

She's a great beta but definitely has opinions -- and she takes forever to get my stuff back to me.
I can say this because she's outside of this fandom, though she knows the show and likes it.
Thanks santacrux!

Beckers

Why not write all three? So much good material. You would hate to see it go to waste.

You can set up the scenario that the Explorers spend half the night "arguing" and discussing the various options available to them. Nearly dawn and only a few hours until they have to start making their final preparations to leave they decide to get some rest and make final decisions . . . and the various scenarios seem to be dream sequences, but then again maybe not. Perhaps one of them is really happening or maybe they all are really happening in alternate realities. The ultimate cliffhanger would be to leave the reader guessing which one.

Very interesting poll, Beckers! :)

I liked the first variant of scenario most of all It sounds really romantic and sweet :) Besides, I like last-minute decisions

Hi Beckers!

I'm for the A ending too, it wraps up the story, presents a new challenge, and offers the most character understanding.

Plus it opens up to not one, but two further stories. Can't go wrong!!

My first thought is that the explorers would stick together. However upon thinking about it, there have been a couple of times when they've tried to leave when all of them weren't together.

In Into the Fire, Challenger, Roxton & Marguerite are going to leave with Ned's fate unknown.

In Finn, Challenger is going to leave on his own, Roxton won't let him go by himself, but can't leave Marguerite. However they do try to leave without knowing the fate of Veronica and Malone.

If Roxton was unable to leave, Marguerite wouldn't leave without him.

I'm of two minds about Challenger. Roxton is his best friend and to stay and help him would make sense on one level. On the other hand, Challenger might think getting back to civilization might be his best way of getting Roxton the help he needs.

If Challenger goes, then Ned would go and I think Veronica. She could justify to herself, that she'd be in a position to guide them back, since they wouldn't abandon Roxton/Marguerite, also for safety, three would be better than two on the journey up the Amazon.

If Challenger doesn't go, I think Veronica would feel she should stay and look after everyone until Roxton's on his feet. I think then Ned would stay thinking his friends need him and because the journey to too dangerous for one person.

I would, in any case, already have Summerlee back as a full expedition member, living in the treehouse. I preferred the dynamic with the Summerlee character. For his decision to go or stay, I think it might have to depend on the others. He would want to stay to take care of Roxton's injuries, but might feel that if the others weren't there he'd be a liability. (I'm thinking how he was willing to let the others go without him in Creatures of the Dark since he didn't think he could keep up.)

The dynamic I would prefer is they all leave together. Veronica should have the opportunity to see the rest of the world. That way when she & Ned return to the plateau to live, its a deliberate choice, not a decision foisted upon them.

I didn't pick any of the choices in the poll, because my thoughts didn't match up precisely with them.

Interesting ideas on everyone's part. Good thread, Beckers.
rann

On behalf of demanding betas everywhere --- you know who you are --- there's nothing like a good plot point discussion for fun!
......Or so I keep trying to convince writers I beta for!

rann

Phew! Nothing like a good debate with a beta to make a story delayed but better! Looking forward to the next chapter (s). sc

On behalf of demanding betas everywhere --- you know who you are --- there's nothing like a good plot point discussion for fun!
......Or so I keep trying to convince writers I beta for!

rann

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: Discussing plot points - adds spice to the day!

sc