Back in the library

Flynn pushed back a stack of reading material with a sigh. "Not helpful at all." He had been searching for what seemed hours after Michael had ended their conversation and returned to whatever shadowy corner he had claimed for his own among the stacks. The Librarian had dived back into another set of religious tomes, hoping to find something that would make this puzzle clearer – only to find there was nothing said in any of them to explain what they and their friends would have to do about this change in their reality.

Jones looked up from the phone app he had been working on. "Does it occur to anyone that the Clippings book never warned us of incoming danger? So maybe whatever "this" is isn't really any of our business."

"It is now" Baird corrected, laying out her gun cleaning kit on the table. "Arthur and Rowan are our friends. They would drop everything to help us no matter how confusing the situation. We should be able to do the same for them. Which brings up another question – at least for me. We keep talking about them deciding to take back their original personalities and go back with Michael to fight a battle to protect this alternative reality. We all have the idea that if they don't then the Fallen angel trying to take over will destroy mankind there and move on to our world. But if Michael's been shoved through time and space to land here – doesn't that mean the battle is over and he lost? So what are they supposed to do if he can even get them back there, start up a resistance movement? Or is Michael planning on trying to go back in time and stop his failed attempt to defeat the Fallen angel from happening by using Arthur's forces as reinforcements for his own?"

The Librarians fell silent. Flynn frowned at Baird for a moment as her words brought up a host of new scenarios he had not considered before. "The latter would be difficult to pull off - difficult but not impossible. I mean – look at what we had to do to travel through time to Shakespeare's era and back. But we succeeded so it's not impossible considering we're talking about an Archangel of God and Fae warriors with magical gifts we haven't seen in any of the artifacts or beings we've fought up to this point. With Arthur, Khan and Rowan in the battlefield, along with whatever fighting force they take with them, that war might have a totally different outcome. Maybe. We don't know what else Khan might bring to the picture other than being able to talk to spirit of the Library and being as technologically addicted as Jones."

"I like Khan" Jones said cheerily. "He's got attitude. Make a good thief. Not as good as me but…"

"But no one is as good as you" Baird said with a laugh. The rest of the group chimed in, gently teasing the young Aussie, who took their jibes with his typical good humor.

"Wonder when they are going to come back" Cassandra sighed, wiping away an image of the seal she had created in her mind to better analyze it.

"I'm more concerned about Lucifer showing back up again" Stone said, glancing up at the book stacks above them. "Last thing we need is another throw down..."

A sound like distant wind chimes filled the room. Arthur, and Khan appeared suddenly, joined by an older man dressed in plain khaki colored clothing. The young warlord and his companion had obviously taken a moment to clean up while in the Fae realm, each man sporting dark jeans, leather boots and colored t-shirts. Arthur shirt was blood red while Khan had gone for all black and almost obscenely skin tight. "Librarian! Good to see you again" Arthur called out warmly. "May I present our friend Master Christoph, one of my realms best Necromancers and teacher of magic lore and history to the young Fae. Master Christoph - may I present the Librarians." The older man nodded politely, his eyes roaming over the stacks of books on the upper level with interest.

Baird watched the two young men step away from each other, moving almost in unison as they circled back to the table with their friend between them. Though both men appeared relaxed and happy to be back, she noticed quickly that this time they wore their weapons openly, as though to make a point. Khan had two kris blades hanging at his hips. His hardwood Bo staff rested lightly in his hand as he walked, using it to sweep randomly in front of him as he walked. Arthur had his "Kings Sword" strapped to his back with a set of parrying blades, one on his hip and another in his boot. "Missed us?" Arthur asked, his eyes looking automatically for Jenkins.

"We were just talking about you! Where's Rowan?" Cassandra asked, looking around for the pretty Fae Queen.

"I think she's drowned in her tub" Arthur replied with a snort, his smile negating the roughness to his voice. "That girl will be late for her own funeral." He sighed in mock annoyance. "If she weren't so damn pretty when she finally crawls out of the water I'd be more annoyed."

Stone rolled his eyes. "You know, you talk about her like she's your girlfriend and not your sister. What's up with that?"

Arthur shrugged. "She's both. She's my Queen, my baby sister and my child. Kind of all things wrapped up into one pretty and ruthless package. God help the Grim Reaper who tries to get past her charms or her blades."

"Yes, I can see it now" Christoph commented dryly. "The Angel of Death will appear at her door in all his skeletal glory and be told to come back later as the Lady of the Moon has not finished her bath. From what I know of your sister, she just might succeed in keeping the specter from the door indefinitely. She is your own personal Shahrazad."

Arthur laughed. "Please, knowing my sister she won't even be that polite. She'll tell the Grim Reaper to park his scythe and she'll deal with him when she's good and ready."

"That sounds like something Miri would do" Michael's voice floated down the stairs as he rejoined the group. He cast a appraising glance at the young king's guest. "She had no fear of Azreal, the Angel of Death, or any of her brother who acted as Reapers. It was unnerving to say the least." Michael's eyes narrowed as he watched Master Christoph spread out a scroll on the table, quietly ignoring the Angel in the room. "Why did you bring one who speaks to the dead? We have no need of someone with his dubious talents."

Arthur's eyes turned stony. "Master Christoph is a mage of good reputation and loyal to our realm. I'll thank you to keep a civil tongue in your head when speaking of him, especially in my presence."

"Mind your words young king." Michael replied coldly. "I have been my Father's Sword since before mankind was ever a thought in His plan. Your gifts might be impressive to some but not to me. I can see your mentor obviously neglected to teach you manners. Perhaps he was more interested in your other talents to bother."

Stone grabbed Cassandra by the shoulders and thrust her behind him. "Are they both nuts? Arthur trying to start a throw down with an Archangel and Michael egging him on?"

Khan eyed the angel with a predatory smile. "If I were you, archangel, I would back down from this. I have no doubt my friend here could make you regret your words. Hell, I'd be willing to back him up on it if push came to shove just because… And I'm betting his sister would be just as mean. I seriously doubt she would not fight to take out anyone who harmed her brother."

"That would be a safe bet" Rowan's cold voice echoed from the entrance. She stepped lightly between her brother and the angel, her black leather biker jacket swinging in her hand as she walked. "Back up, buttercup, or we will have issues."

"Miri…" Michael's voice warned, backing up to better his chances of not getting hit.

"How many times do I have to tell you my name is Rowan? Either get it right or go home and whine to Daddy. You might have been able to push the me that existed before around but I ain't her, Sunshine. No one touches my brother but me. Get it?" Rowan moved almost in lock step with the angel, staying almost in his face to reinforce her message.

Michael stopped and sighed. "You were always too protective of him – even when he ceased to be so of you."

"He's my family. Family fights for family – something you might consider remembering when and IF you go back to this cluster fuck you and your brother started. Maybe if you had remembered the adage of family first none of this would have happened."

"Somehow I doubt it" Christoph commented wryly. "Angels were created to serve the Almighty. If he commanded a thing to be done – it would be done without question, even if questioning would have been the better option. That's why mankind is so "unique" in the eyes of the Throne. We were gifted with Free Will – and we've taken advantage of it for good or ill ever since."

"Now there's a lovely thought" Jones said, putting his cell phone into the desk drawer. "The thing that makes us unique is the thing that makes us dangerous to ourselves and everyone else. Good going there God!"

Rowan laughed. "Kind of counter intuitive isn't it?" She looked back at the archangel who had stopped, taking up a parade rest stance in front of her. "Look, I don't want to fight. I just want this all to be over so we can all get back to doing what the All Father expects of us. Truce?" She held out one slender hand, waiting expectantly.

Michael stared down at her, his expression never changing. "I also do not want to fight, despite our long history of doing so. Or at least, my history with the person you were before." He gently enclosed her hand in his and raised it to his lips, brushing a gentle kiss across her knuckles. "Truce."

Arthur and Khan looked at each other and simultaneously rolled their eyes. "What were you saying about Shahrazad?" Khan murmured.

"My father will have a fit if he EVER finds out she's trying her charms on an angel, much less an Archangel." Arthur shrugged, a rueful smile on his handsome face. "Can't blame her for trying though."

Rowan gently pulled her hand free from the angel's grip. "So, anyone found anything useful in this pile of paper?" She turned and waved a hand towards the table, where a gentle wind picked up the materials and set them back down organized by subject, material type and size.

"Crud" Stone whispered to Cassandra. "Maybe the Library should have recruited her to take care of it."

"Heard that Jake" Rowan replied with a laugh. 'But really - if you don't have anything then we might."

"It's a long shot but might work" Khan waved nonchalantly at Master Christoph as he filled in the Librarians on their plan.

"So let me get this straight" Baird said cautiously. "You three want to scan the contents of that pottery cylinder, read your "other selves" memories like you would a book, and then make a plan based on what you learn? But you're not sure you can do it without frying something in either your brains or the seal and you aren't sure that even with knowing what you were before you can figure out who is responsible for all of this or why it was done? Am I somewhere close to accurate?"

Arthur shrugged. "Pretty spot on."

Michael ground his teeth in frustration. "No - it's too great a risk."

"Says the man who wants to send them into a war zone without any memory of what the plan was, who the enemy was or why they should be fighting in the first place?'' Jones hopped up on the table watching Rowan step away from the angel and back to her brother.

"Doesn't matter anyway" Khan growled, fishing the cylinder out of his back pocket. "It's not his decision to make. It's ours. Free will and all that jazz."

Michael turned suddenly to Arthur, hands clenched. "I need your support in my war to bring down the Fallen. That is true now as it was before all this madness took place. But the plan was sound and neither you nor your siblings were alone in your fight. If you break open that seal, those memories are yours and yours alone. Neither I nor the necromancer nor any of these good people will be able to save you if things go badly."

"Like my about to be new brother says" Arthur drawled, stepping back to Khan's side. "It's our choice to make - not yours."