Chapter Six

Somewhere

Crystal paused above the scene of the battle and looked down, confusion creasing her brow. She could see those she had come to love as family and friends waging quite the fight, but she could see no sign of the enemy other than the times that one of their own was shot or struck in some method or another. She heard a roaring sound and turned swiftly to see two huge dragons flying nearby and spraying the unseen areas with fire. A rain was also pouring, and the fire sizzled out almost as soon as it began. Still, the enemy remained almost entirely invisible. Perhaps this might help, Crys thought as she held her hands out and snow began to fall.

Kat O'Hara was furious, but she raged her battle silently and with fire thrown at their invisible enemies. How dare Ace follow her yet again! How many times did she have to burn the seat out of his pants before he realized that he could no longer mean anything to her?! How many times did she have to yell at him and curse him and, the wretched Gods knew, hurt him before he left her alone?! And why, why in blazing Hell did the others have to follow, as well? They should be safe at home! This was her battle! She should have went it entirely alone, but she had not. Now, if she could not find a way to stop it, the others would pay the price.

Her emerald eyes scanned the area as she whirled around. There was one thing she could do, but it would require intense concentration and she had no coverage. It didn't matter, she thought, if she could at least herd them back. The few that were in front of her were hopeless; unfortunately, Zora was one of those. She would not let the others die this day, however, if she could help it. At the directions of her hands, fire began to shoot forth from the ground, circling her friends and the combatants closest to them and cutting them off from the rest of the fight.

A sudden roar of pain from up ahead shattered Kat's concentration, and she turned to see Zora going down. She had not heard what had hit her and knew not if it was a weapon or a simple fist, but even from the distance that parted them, she could see the blood beginning to seep out of the cheetah's shoulder. How, she wondered for a fleeting second, could whatever they were fighting be fast enough to strike such a blow upon the fastest animal on the Earth?

At the roar of pain, many heads had snapped up, and even as Vang darted over Kat's fire to reach his child, Gabrielle called to her lover. "I've got to get to her!" Xena seemed to pay no attention to her, but Gabby could tell she was listening to something. "Xena?" she called. She felt something rushing up behind her and slammed her fist back into it without bothering to attempt a look. "Xena, what is it?"

"Xena," the voice heard only by the Pirate Princess continued to whisper betweenst giggles. "Xena! Oh, what fun this is! You truly don't remember, do you? Pirate Princess? Ha! It was enough of a laugh when you called yourself the Warrior Princess!" Laughter echoed around Xena, but it was heard by her ears alone.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Xena hollered at her attacker. "If I could see you, you'd no longer laugh! When was I a Warrior Princess?" Even as she hurled the words back at her unseen attacker, the snow began to fall, and as it fell, outlines began to appear. In the midst of a bunch of what looked like regular, burly men, a lone, short female appeared. Xena wondered why her outline seemed so familiar. She could now see her, and her hands reached out and grabbed at her only to have her disappear completely, leaving behind giggling. She had not heard Gabrielle and now stood, as one stunned or in a trance.

Connor raced, swinging his sword wildly and cutting off heads as he ran. He had to reach Zora. He knew not what had attacked his love, but they would not take her and they would not kill her this day! As he reached her side, he cut yet another head off as they were reaching for Vang and trying to pull him off of Zora. Vang was trying desperately to stop the flow of blood with his paws. Connor thought he'd never seen so much blood in his life. "Zora?" he called her name gently even as he ripped off his shirt and tried to stop the bleeding. His wild eyes cast around for some one to help, and he spotted Gabrielle. He called desperately to her.

When Hook had heard Zora roar, he had raced in the same direction that he could see Connor heading, and he soon came upon the trio. He had to look away at the sight of the blood. How could some one live who had lost so much? he wondered. He prayed that the girl was not dead. "We've got to get her out of here," he told the other two. "Can she demorph," he asked Vang, "or would that be too much? We could carry her then." He heard a whirling noise behind him and turned just in time to use his hook to pull an attacker's guts out. He shook the grisly remains off of his hook.

Ace looked at the ever-growing band of fire and shook his head. "Clyde, you might should go back through Phillip, but I'm not going back through until I can bring Kat with me. She's a little crazy today." Clyde decided to argue with Ace, and Ace gave him a very stern look. "She's not crazy every day, just some days. Now you get back through the mirror and take Captain with you."

Clyde eyed Ace dubiously. "That'll be impossible for that damn cat is wrapped around Kat, and I can't get him off!"

"Then take yourself safely back through and wait on the other side." Chattering madly all the way, Clyde left.

"IS THAT ALL YE'VE GOT, KAT?!" Ace yelled at her, using her brogue against her. "I'M NAE LEAVIN' YE, NAE MATTER HOW MUCH FIRE YE THROW AT ME! YE'LL HAVE TAE KILL ME TAE MAKE ME LEAVE YE!"

"THAT CAN BE ARRANGED, YE BLOODY BASTARD, AN' DIN'T BE TALKIN' WIT' THE TONGUE WHEN YER NAE O' THE PEOPLE! SHUT YER MOUTH, OR I'LL SHUT IT FER YE!"

"Kat," Captain exclaimed, "that's Ace you're talking to!"

"Well'n I knae that, Capt'n! What are ye diin' here any way? Ye should nae be here! I win't fail in keepin' ye alive!"

"AIN'T GONNA WORK!" Ace called back to her in his own accent. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID, KAT, BUT I'M SORRY FOR IT! I WON'T LEAVE YOU HERE!"

Angel looked at Lorne and Cordelia, who had ran straight into the battle the moment they had arrived and were still slicing at any movement they felt from anything they could not see. They were fighting back to back, and Angel couldn't help but to grin at the sight. He never thought he'd see the day that either one of them would be covered in blood and guts, but they had been in there fighting just as hard as the rest of them and had the grisly remains to show for it. As their enemy had suddenly appeared due to Crystal's snowflakes, they were having no trouble dispatching the ones that were left. In fact, now that the enemy could be seen, the enemy seemed to be disappearing.

Angel grabbed another one as it ran past, wondering if perchance they were running away from something they couldn't see. Surely they're not running away from us? he thought. In fact, some of the men had been laughing only minutes before they were suddenly being seen. The smell of blood filled the air, and he knew some one was hurt terribly bad. "COLE," Angel called.

Cole appeared. He kicked another enemy down with his right foot as he shimmered into sight. "Some one's been hurt terribly bad. Maybe you should shimmer them home?"

"I'm on it," he told Angel. He shimmered into sight by Zora's group. "What happened?" he asked. He had arrived just in time to hear James' question as to whether or not Zora could demorph. It didn't matter; Cole could carry her either way.

"I ALREADY TOLD YE," Kat shot back. "IF'N YE'RE STUPID ENOUGH NAE TAE KNAE WHAT YE DID, THERE'S NAE WAY IN HELL I'LL BE TELLIN' YE!" She looked away and restrengthened her fire. It seeped in another inch closer to Ace and the others who were caught in it. "NOW YE TAKE YER ASSES HOME!"

Kat knew Ace had not seen her tears, but she did not expect the question that met her ears. "Kat, darlin'," Captain purred, "ye're trying awfully hard nae tae cry. Why won't ye tell me what it is? Whate'er he did, is it really worth destroyin' yer future tagether o'er it?"

Kat's answer came to Captain in a long, sad meow that she hoped was quiet enough that Ace would never catch wind of it. "He did nae di a t'ing, Capt'n. An' now's nae the time tae be discussin' it."

"I could agree no more with you, my friend," a voice called down from the heavens, "but your fire must cease for it is hurting Mother Earth. I will not tolerate her cries." A torrent of rain began to drench Kat's fire.

"'Tis fer a worthy cause!"

"There is no just reason to harm Our Mother."

Piper looked up as she heard her godmother's words. The redhead had bought it now. No one argued with 'Ro and won, not even Wolverine. She looked to her sister and found Prue completely oblivous, her large eyes watching something, or perhaps some one, on the other side of the fire.

Prue could not tear her eyes off of Brendan. Was he not aware that he was totally naked? She knew that the wolf would not mind but that Brendan, the man, would hate it! The wolf must be in control, she thought, and I've got something right here for you, wolfie! She smiled prettily across the fire, inticing him to come closer. Prue was oblivious to anything going on around her; she was so caught up in the moment with Brendan.

"Ye would nae say that if it 'twas yer family ye were tryin' tae save by hurtin' Her!" Kat's exclamation brought a roar of thunder from the darkened sky, but Ororo did not answer her with words. A battle was no time for a discussion that neither side would give in upon.

Gabrielle, meanwhile, looked frantically between Xena and Zora. She knew Zora needed her help, but her heart cried out to help her love. She had to . . .

"It's okay. I'll calm her and protect her, but I have no medical training. You've got to help Zora!"

Gabrielle turned and swiped her wet hair out of her face. The telepath called Rachel Summers stood before her, smiling gently and reassuringly. "I promise you no one will lay a hand on her while I'm with her." As an example of her ability to keep her promise, Ray shot out a hand and five of their enemy were simultaneously thrown backwards.

Gabby nodded, though she still hated to leave Xena. "Thank you." She turned and ran, and Rachel flew to Xena's side.

"Xena?" the redhead called as she approached the woman she'd heard tales of as the great Pirate Princess. "How can I help?"

Xena shook her head as though in a daze. "I didn't see her. Who was she, and why did she call me the Warrior Princess?" She looked at Ray but did not see her.

Rachel kept her guard on full attention. "What did she look like?" she questioned. "Where'd she go?" She cast a quick look around but only saw more burly males attempting to approach. She quickly threw them back with her telekinesis.

"She's gone. She was laughing at me. Her voice sounded like a little child's voice. I don't know what she looked like; I only saw an outline of a small woman. I can't stand this!" Xena's voice grew stronger. "It's like my mind is going away! I need to have my mind on fighting, and yet I keep hearing her laughter!"

With a conscious effort that took everything Xena had in her, she managed to pull herself back together just in time to swing her sword and cut a man in half who was about to attack Ray from behind. "We've got to get our people out of here," Xena told Ray. "There's too much going on. If we get away, we can live and fight another day. How many have been hurt? And where's Gabrielle?" Her eyes frantically searched for Gabby. She had to be all right!

"She's fine. I sent her to help Zora and promised her I'd take care of you. She was really worried about you, and she's not the only one." She eyed her. "Do you really think it's best to retreat? It looks like we're finally gaining the winning hand here."

"But how many are hurt?"

Rachel looked around. "I don't know. There's no way to be certain for sure. The only one I've seen go down is Zora."

"Then we need to get her home and kill the rest of these bastards!" Xena headed in the direction she had heard the scream come from when Zora went down.

Rachel eyed Xena's retreating back. As much as she admired the woman, she really did seem to be dipping in the loony bin. The situation might eventually call for protecting her from herself and her own good intentions. If it did, she'd knock her out and let Xena raise Hell on her head for it when she was better. For now, she only flew swiftly behind her and continued to fight as they progressed.

Meanwhile, Vang had not lifted his head or attempted to answer the others. Silent tears traced down his cheeks. This wasn't right! Zora could save herself with a simple demorph, yet she was not bothering to attempt it! She was conscious, he knew that without a doubt, for she would have demorphed when she had fallen unconscious. "Please," his choked whisper could barely be heard, "don't do this!"

"What's happening?" a female voice questioned. Celina's blue eyes turned to Zora's still, bleeding body as her husband's talons released her to stand on her own on the ground. "There'll be no moving of her, not yet." She sensed Gabrielle running towards them before she saw her and lifted her head to look at the blonde. "I have this. You go back to Xena."

"And you, young lady," she continued, kneeling beside Zora's head, "do not make me force you to demorph. You are capable of doing such. I know the thoughts that are running through your mind. I feel your pain, and I feel their pain as well. There are several hearts breaking here."

Celina's chocolate ears twitched at the soft grunt of denial that escaped Zora. "You may think it a lie if you wish, but I promise you, Seraphina Zora Sheridan, I shall not see you die this day. One way or another, you will demorph."

Connor had listened to everything said. Something was not being said, he realized. Neither of them had spoken about what had happened in the trial, and he knew that he, his father, and brother had had to break them apart when they had been fighting after the cake test. He still could not believe they had managed to defeat the thing and thought that he'd remember hearing the splash of the cake and the snarling, biting glumps of the crocs for the rest of his life.

Now he looked down into his beloved's face. "Zora, if you can demorph, please demorph! It doesn't matter what happened in the tests! I love you! You complete me! Please don't do this!" The boy did not even realize that tears were running down his face and splashing onto his love's.

Cole had moved back out of the way. Something was going on here that he didn't understand, and until further development, he would return to the fighting. He figured it was family. If the girl could demorph, it would save her, and he had just heard Celina say that she could, even if she forced her, so he knew it was not his business.

He returned to Piper, who was in the process of freezing yet another enemy. He gazed at Prue's face and then looked through the fire and saw Brendan. "Piper? Beloved? You'd better get a hold of your sister! She's gazing at Brendan; he's naked!"

James saw Cole leave and wondered if he should back up and leave the girl to Connor and Vang. He decided to do just that but gave her one parting shot before he moved back. "Zora, not only do I think that you're beautiful and am glad that you're my son's choice, but I don't believe you're a coward. No matter what went down in the test, it was not your fault! Stop blaming yourself, and snap out of it, girl!" He squeezed her arm gently and moved out of the way.

Frederic didn't say anything, just continued to fight the enemy and keep them off of his family. No one else seemed to be down except for Zora. He had not been surprised to hear his father tell her that she was not a coward. He didn't believe she was, either. Nope, his new sister-to-be was not only beautiful, but she was proud, brave, and right now, she was kicking herself plenty big, something he had been known to do in the past, as well.

He added his silent pleas to his father's. She'll pull out of it, he told himself. She has to. He hated to think about his little brother if he lost her, and Vang would be lost. And there would go Smee, his father who he still hadn't figured out what to do about! Was there ever such a tangled web to unweave? he wondered and wished, for about the thousandth time, that he had magical powers so that he could not only protect his family but clean out of their minds what they didn't need to be having!

She wasn't a coward, but why should she live a life that wasn't worth living? She growled out a question but did not have enough wit left to her to speak it in English.

Vang growled fiercely in response, his tail striking the ground, and Celina shook her head sadly, one of her ebony hands resting reassuringly upon the top of Zora's head. "You failed no one, dear child, but you will fail us all if you do not demorph. They speak the truth. All you need do to know is sniff. The nose never lies, no matter how desperately we may want it to. Now, if you love them as I know you do, smell them as they speak, but if you do not try to demorph in time, I will enter your mind and demorph you my own self."

Slowly, Zora's nose began to twitch. The first thing she smelled was her own blood. The second was the salt of Connor's, Vang's, and Celina's tears. "You are my daughter," Vang spoke first, his deep voice filled with sadness, "and it was I who failed you. You have never once failed me, my child, and though our blood is not the same, I could love you no more than if you were my own flesh and blood. You always knew that before; know that now. I love you, and I'm sorry for what happened, for what . . . almost happened . . . but it was the Weres, not us, but the beasts within us. We had no hope of controlling ourselves that night, thanks to the accursed Council, but do not let them ruin all our lives. If you die, my child, I die, as well."

"And my heart dies with you," Connor told her.

James reached out blindly to grip Connor's shoulder. "You can not do this to my son, my daughter, not if you truly love him!" He swiped angrily at his tears in between gripping the boy's shoulder. "No one blames you for that night. Hell, no one blames any of us! We were tested beyond our strengths and our beliefs! They should pay for it, but the nightmares we bought with our own tears!" He sniffed rather loudly, then swiped at his tears again.

Celina paid rapt attention to Zora's emotions more than anything else as she looked up at James through her own tears. She could tell he was angry with himself for crying. "Tears are not a sign of weakness, James," she spoke, her tail swishing gently. "It is a true sign of strength if you allow yourself to be free to show your emotions and never fear what others will think if you do."

She then turned her attention back to Zora. "I know you smelled the truth in their words, my niece. Our fates are tied to your own. What will you have happen now? Can you truly . . . " Her words broke off in a smile as Zora's fur was slowly thinning.

Vang sighed deeply and lowered his head. "Perhaps She still cares, after all."

"Lady Bast has never removed Herself from us, Vang, but we must help ourselves before She can help us." Celina placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Celina's words brought comfort to James' heart. He couldn't remember when he'd ever had so many raw emotions coming from himself. He had changed so much since coming to the island, and he had lost Smee. He couldn't stop the changes, but he was determined to get Smee back. Maybe Celina should be the one he talked to when they returned home? Would she have words of advice that would help? She seemed so brave and wise. His tears stopped when he saw Zora pulling herself back to human form, and Connor leaned down and kissed Zora's cat lips even as they turned human.

"About damn time!" Frederic muttered. He was determined to be the strongest one in the family. He would not break down and cry, and he knew that most of James' emotions had to do with Smee. He marvelled at how their family had grown since they had come to the island and the changes he saw in his father, Hook.

But what was he going to do with his father, Smee? I'll go in the room and pull him out when I get home again. He's got to know that we love him and want him! At least as long as nothing bad happens to Vang, he won't do anything bad to himself, but we can't go on like this!

He, too, smiled down at Zora before turning his attention back to the enemy who seemed to be completely gone. The last two running enemies were taken by some one he didn't recognize and Wolverine. Just who the Hell was this new one? Every day, somebody new turned up! The new guy did not appear to be strong enough to handle the enemy, yet he was very skilled with his sword and had soon defeated the enemy. Wolverine went for the gut, ripped it out, and then wiped it off on his enemy's shirt. "Let's go home," he said, talking to Jack.

Jack looked around at every one. "They go first."

"O' course, my son," Wolverine told him.

Frederic was even more stunned when he heard that. Wolverine had another son he didn't know about?! And just where was Captain Jack in all this mess? He knew Jack was not a coward and would not have remained at home, yet he did not see him.

"We're going home now," he told the rest of his family. "We've defeated the last one."

"Prudence Halliwell!" Piper repeated for what was close to being the dozenth time. "Do not dare tune me out! You are a lady; Mother and Grandmother always trained us to be such! Now remove your eyes this instant!" With the last of the fire finally gone, Piper was able to finally step directly in front of her sister. Her red face was steamed, and her hands were perched on her hips. "Behave yourself! I don't know what happened to his clothes, but that's no call for you to act like Elvira!"

"Hey!" Elvira quipped from nearby. "She should act like me more often! If she did, she wouldn't just be lost to moaning his name in the dark of the night!" Then she remembered Wolf and her current situation. "'Course that would be me before the trials," she muttered. Her face scrunched in frustrated thought. "I can't even remember how long it's been now since I last got laid! Damn, I'm horny!"

"Elvira!" Ororo admonished as she touched down behind them. "That is no kind of language to be speaking around the girls! Honestly! What's come over you?"

"You wouldn't understand, sister; you've been getting busy every night."

"You must find him!" a voice rose above the others. "He's got to be here somewhere! By whatever God may still care, Brendan, sniff! Track him, damn you!"

"I'm doing all I can!" Brendan answered wretchedly.

"No, you're not! Change, blast it! Get your wolf out; your wolf can find him!"

Prue was wondering who they were talking about finding. Who was Brendan looking for? "I'm over here," she called and waved her hand at him.

Brendan glanced at Prue in puzzlement. What was the beautiful woman grinning so giddily about now?

Piper grabbed her sister's hand and snatched it down. "Put some clothes on!" she told Brendan.

"Huh?" Brendan looked puzzedly down at himself, and his mouth dropped open. Then he covered his sword with his hands and jumped behind Will. "Why didn't you tell me?!" he demanded.

"I forgot?" Will sheepishly offered. "But that doesn't matter now! You've been naked pretty much the whole while! We've got to find Jack!"

"I'm not doing anything naked!"

"Brendan!" Prue grinned at him.

Jack had not been close enough to hear the boys worrying about where he was at. He had stopped by Zora's group to check on the girl. He had not been able to reach her during the battle. "I'm glad to see you're going to be all right, young lady; it's time to go home. See ya back at the house."

James looked at the newcomer. "Who the Hell are you?" he asked.

"Aw, come on, Hook! You've been knowing me for years! What's wrong?"

"I don't know you!" he said, his hand going to the hilt of his sword and his hook raising threateningly.

"Have I changed that much?" Jack asked and grinned.

"Wow, Captain Jack!" Connor exclaimed, looking at him. "I thought you were much older than my Father, but now . . . You barely look older than Frederic!"

There had been no mistaking Jack's voice once Hook thought about it, but he was definitely having trouble putting this young-faced Captain with the Captain he'd been knowing for years. "No wonder they can't find ya," he commented.

"Who's looking for me?" Jack questioned.

"Will and Brendan."

"Thanks for telling me, Hook. I'll let them know I'm here." Jack walked away from the group and headed toward the direction Hook had indicated the boys were in. He saw his father head over to them, as well. He reached them first. "What's the matter with you two? Go home; Jack's already gone home!"

It was then that Jack felt a hand reach out and touch him and a familiar voice said, "No, you don't! You're not ready, and he's not seeing you till you are! Now get your ass moving!"

Jack groaned. He wondered what else Elvira had planned for him, but he followed her directions. The sooner he complied with her wishes, the sooner she'd leave him alone and the sooner, hopefully, Will would want him again.

Ace crawled up out of the hole he'd finally found himself in when fire had rung all around him. He looked around and saw that most of them were headed toward the portal he could see Phillip had created. He snuck back by Kat to make sure she was going; he'd wait until she left. He hid himself rather well, he thought, until he felt eyes upon him. He looked up, hoping that it wasn't Kat, and met the gaze of Captain staring straight at him. He put his finger to his lips and motioned the tabby cat to be quiet. Hopefully, Captain wouldn't give him away.

Captain smiled slyly and gently kneaded Kat's shoulder. "Well, now the battle's done an' o'er wit', so we should be able tae talk, lassie. Why are ye so pissed at Ace if'n he did nae di a t'ing?"

Ace was careful not to make a sound; he had to clamp both hands over his mouth. Just why the Hell was Kat pissed at him if he hadn't done anything?! He listened intently, hoping that Kat would spill the beans and praying that it was something he could do something about.

Kat sighed heavily; she had no clue Ace was anywhere nearby for she'd put him in a hole to protect him and hadn't seen him climb out. "'Tis a long story, Capt'n, one I've nae use fer gettin' in tae, but 'tis time tae gi."

"Will ye nae gi' me a clue, dear lass? I knae it had somethin' tae di wit' what happened back in the trials, but just what did happen? And blast those Council assholes all the way to a Hell filled with gigantic litterboxes fer them to drown in upside down fer nae lettin' me accompany ye!"

"'Twas best ye did nae," she told him with a sigh, "fer ye mightn't have made it back oot, 'specially nae after ye saw him."

"Him?"

"Aye. Grandpa 'twas there, but like I tol' ye now's nae the time fer this discussion so hush up. 'Tis time we went home."

"Home? Ye mean back tae the isle?"

Kat didn't answer him, and it was with sad, troubled eyes that Captain looked back to Ace's shadowy form.

Ace watched as Kat and Captain went through the portal, then counted to ten, and ran. He was the last one through the portal, and it was beginning to close. He barely made it through. His mind kept repeating the fact that her grandfather had returned. He wondered what the old bastard had to say to her that made her hate him now. He had never had the privilege of meeting him, and now that he had put grief into his beloved's heart, Ace was glad he had not met the old geezer.

He hoped that, in time, she would tell Captain what was wrong and Captain would tell him. Maybe, between the two of them, they could work Kat's problems over and get a winning solution. He lay where he'd fallen in the room, recovering his breath and hoping that she had continued on out of the room and not looked back. She'd have his ass if she had!

To Be Continued . . .