Sacrifice
A Sequel to Quietly into the Night
Conventional Couples
Rating: PG-13

Chapter Forty-One

Earth – Roswell, New Mexico

Kyle knelt down in front of Kam and Lexie and took their hands in his.
"You understand why I have to go back, don't you?" he asked.
Kam nodded bravely, but was unable to hide the fear that shown in his eyes, while Lexie put two fingers into her mouth and looked at him with Liz's expressive brown eyes.
"Lexie, don't you want me to go back and help your mommy and daddy?"
Lexie removed her fingers from her mouth and glared at Kyle.
"No!" she shouted vehemently. "It's a bad place, grownups don't come back from there!"
"But sweetie, I came back, didn't I?" asked Kyle. "And I'm going to go help your mommy and daddy come back too."
"No! You're lying!" Lexie yelled. "You're going to go away and leave us. Mommy went there and stayed away, and then daddy did. If you go back, you're gonna stay too!"

Kyle hugged the small girl, while the other adults looked on helplessly. He released Lexie and stood her away from him.
"You listen to me. You are Princess Alexandra Claudia Parker Evans, and your brother is Prince Kyle Alexander Michael Parker Evans. You are members of the Royal House of Antar," he told her firmly. "And as members of the Royal Family, it is your duty to protect your world. You know about Kivar, right?"
"The bad man," said Lexie.
"Right, the bad man. Well, he wants to take over your world. You and Kam are too little to fight him sweetie, so the grownups have to do it for you. My job is to go back to Antar and work with your mommy and daddy to stop Kivar, and then to bring them back home to you."

Lexie processed what Kyle had said for a few minutes before she said, "Well, if I'm a Princess, can't I just tell you to stay here?"
"No Lexie, you can't. I have to go back and help your mommy and daddy."
"Unca Kyle," said Kam. "Promise her you'll come back." The boy turned to his twin sister. "Unca Kyle always keeps his promises. If he says he'll come back, he will. It will be okay Lexie. Unca Kyle, just promise her," the boy begged, his own fear coming to the surface.
"I can't make that promise Kam, you know that. A smart person never makes a promise unless they are positive they can keep it."
"Then you can't go, you can't, you can't you can't," cried Lexie as she flung her body into his arms and began to beat him with her small fists. Nancy Parker reached down and pulled the screaming child from Kyle's arms, while Jim Valenti scooped Kam up into his arms and held on to him tightly.

"Kyle, I'll help you get ready," said Philip Evans, as he steered Kyle from the room. "What do you want to bring back with you?"
"God, I don't know," he said as he looked back at the other room, listening to the anguished cries of Lexie. "A couple of knives, I guess, and maybe a gun."
"Is there anything else you can think of?" asked Philip. "Rope, tools, anything?"
"I don't think so," said Kyle, running his hand through his hair, brushing it off of his face.
"Why don't you get something to eat, and I'll take care of getting everything together."
"Thanks Mr. Evans," said Kyle, as he walked towards the kitchen. He made himself a sandwich and sat down to eat, armed with a pad of paper and a pen. He quickly scribbled a note to Kam and Lexie, explaining again why he had to go back, ending with a promise to do his best to come back with their parents. By the time he was ready to leave, Kam and Lexie had dropped off to sleep. He stood for a moment watching their faces; Lexie, a perfect match for Liz as a child, and Kam, a replica of Zan as a child in the pictures Naloch had showed them. He looked at Beth, slumbering in her crib and sighed.
"I promise Kam, I promise Lexie, I promise Beth, I will do everything in my power to bring your parents home to you."
He bade the other adults a quick farewell, unable to bear a protracted goodbye, slung the pack over his shoulder, grabbed the fully charged orbs, fitted them together and vanished from Roswell in a flash of light.

Antar – Capitol City

Dawn was beginning to break on the Capitol City when Kyle materialized on the site where Naloch's shop once stood. He stuffed the orbs into the pack, and slipped across the street unnoticed to Tragenta's house. Letting himself inside, he called out softly for Tragenta.
"Who's there?" he heard her call out.
"It's me," he said softly. He heard a soft curse and footsteps and a few seconds later, the elderly Antarian woman appeared.
"It's about time," she groused. "What happened to you?"
"That's not important right now. I have to get to the Palace. Liz and the others were captured."
"Where are the wee ones?"
"Safe, for now, but they'll never be truly safe until Kivar is destroyed."
"Well don't waste time talking to an old lady," she chided. "Tell me what you need."
"I need an army," he admitted.
"We can do that," she said, turning and walking into a dark room. Kyle heard a thump, followed by the sound of something being dragged across the floor. A few seconds later, Tragenta returned, carrying something in her hands. She pressed the bundle in to Kyle's hands.
"I think you know what to do with this," she said.

Kyle looked down at the bundle of material and smiled. He leaned over and pressed a kiss on the old woman's cheek.
"Tragenta, I think I love you. I know exactly what to do with this."
"You'd better hurry, the marketplace will be opening shortly. Stay safe Kyle, I've grown quite fond of you."
"Tragenta, I know this means nothing to you, but 'I'll be back,'" he concluded in his best Terminator voice. He turned and ran out of the house and made his way to the marketplace.
"To arms Antarians, to arms!" he shouted to the already bustling marketplace. People turned to see who was shouting and were amazed to see a man running through the marketplace, holding the flag of the Royal Family aloft.
"To arms loyal citizens of King Zan. To the palace! No longer shall you suffer under the terrorist reign of Kivar. King Zan is being held in the palace!"

Kyle's cries filled the air and filled the citizens of Antar with excitement. The King was in the palace. Once by one, citizens took up Kyle's battle cry and ran towards the palace. The news spread like wildfire throughout the city. The rebels that Max and the others had freed came out from hiding to join the throng moving towards the palace. Their voices joined the others, and the story of their rescue spread throughout the growing crowd. Kyle climbed up on a low roof and addressed the milling crowd once more.
"Antarians! Your King is being held in the palace. He risked his life to save many of the people here from Kivar. No is your chance to save him. We must storm the palace and rescue the King and the Royal Family. Are you with me?"
A stiff breeze caused the flag to unfurl, it's shimmering gold material sparkling in the sun. The Royal coat of arms was emblazoned upon the flag in a glimmering blue, and the sight of it whipped the crowd to a frenzy, and the crowd surged forward, and began to storm the palace.