A/N: This, I think, is one of the funnest things I've ever written. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it.

"How?" Grissom and Sara had moved into the main room. He was sitting on the couch, and a nervous Sara was pacing in front of it, looking at him expectantly. "Mages are the product of medieval paranoia." she shook her head.

"I know it's hard to believe, Grissom, but it's true."

"Sara..." she held up a hand, signaling for silence.

"I'm not crazy, Grissom. It took me a while to wrap my head around it at first, too."

"What do you mean 'at first?'" he asked cautiously.

"I wasn't born a mage, Gil. I was targeted."

"What does that mean." Sara sighed. There was no escaping it now.

"Why don't I begin from the beginning." she settled into a chair and leaned her elbows on her knees. "Not all mages are born with their skills, Gris. Very rarely, a divine being will take notice of a mortal and teach them their skill."

"What do you mean by 'their skill?'"

"It's complicated. Each human born has a magical skill burried within them but a special few are in touch with Gods and Goddesses from the time they are born. Those are the ones that get taken to the magical realms and taught their skill."

"Well, if you're in touch with yours, why aren't you in the 'magical realms?'"

"Because, people dont stay there. They go there periodically, but come back to this realm. Granted, there are many that choose to stay there, in fear that mortals will find out about their skill."

"Kind of like I did?"

"Yeah. Anyways, I was...fifteeen, I think, when a goddess approached me in my sleep and told me that I had been targeted as a 'special one.' She took me to her realm and explained all this. Every night for two months, I was taken to the realm of Kantara and taught the skills of the mage."

"Uh..." Grissom ran a hand through his hair "Okay."

"You still don't believe me?" she asked, an exasperated tone lacing her voice.

"I'm...sorry, Sara, but I can't help it. I've always been taught that there is viable proof for everything. This just doesn't fit under that category."

"Oh for..." she muttered crossly "Come with me."he stood up and followed her into a small room that looked like an office. She walked into a closet and pulled out a large book and a sapphire coloured stone with a green swirl in the centre.

"What are you...?" she took his hand

"Shut up and let me concentrate." she opened the book to a page around the middle and read a few words in a language unknown to Grissom. After that, she clutched the stone and closed her eyes. After she murmured a phrase, Grissom felt as if the world was whirling around him. "Close your eyes." Sara murmured. He did, and, a moment later he felt as if he was in a wind tunnel.

"Where..." Sara shushed him for another few moments.

"Wait here." she muttured when he felt his feet on solid ground.

"Can I open my eyes now?"

"No. Wait." Sara let go of his hand and walked away.

"Sara?" he called.

"Wait!"she called from far away.

"What the hell is this?"another voice yelled.

"Shut up and come with me." Grissom heard Sara say. A moment later, two pairs of footsteps came into the area.

"Open your eyes." Grissom did, and almost fell over when he saw Jordan Williams standing in front of him.

"Don't you live in..."

"Augusta, Georgia." she nodded

"How did we..."

"Now do you believe me?" Sara asked

"Yes." he nodded, unbelieving "That's proof."

"Wait a sec, Sara." Jordan pulled her friend around to face her "He knows?"

"He found out." Sara confirmed

"Why does she know?" Grissom gestured to Jordan.

"I'm one, too." she admitted

"That's a coincidence." he looked over at Sara with a raised eyebrow.

"Actually, it's not." They said at once

"Mages can sense when another one is in the same region." Sara took over "I could feel it as soon as I moved here, but when we met, it was...overwhelming."

"Yeah, we both had to go outside and get some air after that." Jordan grinned "So, Sar, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know." for one of the first times since Grissom had met her, Sara looked truly worried "I'm hoping that they didn't find out."

"You know that Ammariah will be all over you soon enough." Jordan murmured to Sara, almost inaudably.

"I know." Sara ran a hand through her hair "What do you think they're going to do to me?"

"I don't know. If only Ammariah found out, she might hide it for you, but if..."

"Anyone else found out, I'm toast." Sara finished

"What do you mean toast?" Grissom felt uneasy out of the loop of knowlege.

"The all powerful ruler, who looks over all the realms, made it illegal to tell any mortal about one's powers."

"But, you didn't tell me, I found out myself."

"It doesn't matter. It's the principle of the whole thing." Sara sighed and turned back to Jordan "I hope it was only Ammariah."

"Who's Ammariah?" his head was spinning with all this new information.

"She's the Goddess who visited me. She contacts me when I'm needed in Kantara, and periodically to make sure I'm still practicing."

"Why do you still need to practice? Aren't you already a mage?"

"I..." Sara wrang her hands as she spoke "can't tell you that."

"Why?"

"It's just against the rules." Grissom grinned despite himself

"You barely follow the lab's rules."

"Believe me, these consequences are worse than anything even Ecklie could think up for me."

"Wow."

"Um, guys?" Jordan interrupted "I have to work tomorrow."

"Oh, sorry Jordan, we're on our way." Sara grabbed Grissom's hand again and clutched the stone in the other.

"Tell me what happens tonight." Jordan mumured into Sara's ear as she hugged her friend "Good luck. It won't be long."

"I know." Sara whispered back. Jordan stepped back, and Sara murmured a few words. Moments later, they were standing in Sara's room.

"I'll keep this to myself." Grissom told her as they walked to the main living area.

"I would..." Sara trailed off as she lay eyes on a tall woman with light red hair and ice blue eyes.

"Who..." Sara elbowed Grissom in the side, instantly silencing him. She knelt on the floor, and, puzzled, Grissom followed her example.

"Stand up, Alkina." the woman's voice sounded like a dozen small bells. It was very musical, yet forceful at the same time. Sara stood, and Grissom followed, feeling out of place.

"Who's Alkina?" he whispered to Sara. She shot him a look that plainly said 'be quiet.'

"Answer him." The woman gestured to Grissom.

"That's my name in the magical realms. It means 'the moon,' because I'm the most powerful at night." Sara murmured before turning her attention back to the now standing woman.

She had a floor length gown that was forest green. There was a light, mesh like material covering the darker fabric. It made her blue eyes stand out. Her hair was braided down her back, as not to obstruct the modest ivy crown on her head. She carried a knotted wood staff that was engraved with modest, intricate carvings in the same shade of green as her outfit.

"Is he the one?" Grissom looked up, realizing that she was talking about him.

"Yes, he is." Sara replied quietly.

"How did he find out?"

"I was practicing and he walked into the room. I couldn't stop in time, and he saw my magic." Sara looked at the floor, ashamed. "I'm sorry I let you down."

"Sara," the woman rarely used Sara's real name, but it seemed appropriate for that moment "You have not let me down. I am not dissapointed. However hard it isto believe, this whole ordeal is leading up to something much bigger."

"What do you mean?" Sara looked up into the woman's warm gaze

"Now is not the time for such a conversation." she waved a hand in dismissal "Come to Kantara tomorrow at daybreak and meet me in the forest. Bring the mortal, too. It'll do more harm than good to leave him here unattended."

"Are you the...?" Sara couldn't help but ask.

"Only one who knows? Yes, I am." The woman's expression looked almost as relieved as Sara's "You're lucky that more of us were preoccupied with the war."

"What's going on now?"

"Gunota's leader just ordered his warriors to move forward. It's taken everything we have to hold them back. Our allies should be coming for reinforcements soon, possibly in two days. We can hold them off until then." the woman smiled "Now, I must go back. Remember. Tomorrow at daybreak with the mortal."

"In the forest." Sara confirmed

"Keep well, Alkina, until then." With that the woman was gone.

"Who was that?" Grissom asked, breaking the deafening silence that encompassed the room.

"That was Ammariah, my Goddess. She knows that I told you. You have to come with me to the forest tomorrow."

"But, I have work." he protested, unsure of what would happen if he went.

"Believe me, you don't want to anger a goddess. Call in and use a vacation day. It's my day off anyways, so I'm covered." Grissom nodded.

"Alright. So, when do I have to be here?"

"Just stay in the spare room." Sara pointed down the hall "Their time is different than ours. By the time you got over here, daybreak would be long gone."

"Why couldn't you..." she glared at him.

"I just can't, Grissom. Take my word on this."

"Alright. I'll just drop the photos off for Catherine and grab some clothes."

"Good. Let yourself in on your way back. I'm exhausted."

"Okay." Grissom left the apartment and went to his car. Only when he was inside did he let the evening's events hit him. "Oh dear god." he muttered "What have I gotten myself in to now?"

--

"Gris? Wake up." Sara shook Grissom awake the next morning. The sun was streaming in the windows. "We have to go."

"Go where?" he asked groggily

"Come on, get up." he pushed himself into a sitting position. Sara smiled at the sight of him in his pajamas "Change clothes quick."

"Mmhmm." he murmured, picking up a folded pile of clothing. Sara stepped out of the room, and two minutes later, Grissom was in the hallway with her.

"Alright." Saa took his hand, and then took a deep breath. Her stone hung loosely off a thick string on her neck. She grasped it and clearly said two sentences in the same unknown language as before. Grissom felt the wind-tunnel feeling once again, and when it stopped, he felt a breeze. Opening his eyes, they were in a clearing in a forest.

Even though back in Vegas the sun had been bright, it was just starting to rise and filter in through the trees in this new location.

"Where are we?" he asked Sara quietly, never taking his eyes from the trees. They were the biggest he had ever seen.

"The magical realm of Kantara." At the sound of Sara's voice, Grissom tore his eyes from the foliage and stared at her. He was used to hearing her voice as detatched and objective with hints of humour. Now, her voice sounded warm and full of spirit. Looking at her, he realized that in this new world, everything was different.

Sara's hair was still its brown colour, but ithung down just past her waist. She was also no longer wearing the jeans and t-shirt that she had been in her apartment. She was clad in a long pastel blue and green silky dress. It had a green sash and flared sleeves. He looked her up and down once and realized that she was barefoot, and also carrying a sword. The sheath was almost the same colour as her dress, and the hilt was hidded in its folds, as to be invisible, except from close up. Her eyes, however, were the most striking. Usually a solid brown, her irises were their usual

brown, but the had blue wavy lines extending outwards from the pupil and green flecks scattered around.

"Sara?" he questioned. She looked so immensely different that he had to be sure of who she was.

"Yes," she answered "but, here I'm usually addressed as..." she was cut off by the woman from the previous night

"Alkina."Ammariah finished "Right on time."

"Yes, Ammariah. What have you to tell me?" Sara's language was different as well, and Grissom couldn't help but wonder what was the same about her.

"Not here."the Goddess looked around cautiously "At your hut. Lead the way." Sara started walking, but Ammariah stopped her "Unsheath your sword."

"Is it that hostile?" Sara asked, surprised.

"You can never tell when a Gunotan warrior will jump out, and you're out of practice."

"Understood." Sara nodded and pulled out her sword. Grissom couldn't identify the emotion he felt when he saw her with the weapon. Somehow, she looked stronger and more imposing. He wasn't sure if he was scared of that, or ifit made him even more attracter to her.Either way, he thought as he walked down a worn path between Sara and the Goddess, he was in this now, and there was no getting out.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please R&R and tell me what you think.