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

Chapter Forty-Four

Antar – Capitol City

"Who is that?" asked Kyle to the room in general. "Tragenta, is that you?" he called out.
"Silly boy, of course it's me," said Tragenta, moving into the room. "I'm glad to see you didn't let Kivar and his foolish guardsmen win. He is dead I assume. I didn't just willing surrender myself to be a prisoner, did I?"
Kyle laughed as he stood up and walked across the room to escort the elderly Antarian into the hall.
"No you old bat," he said affectionately, we didn't lose. Kivar is dead, and his guardsmen surrendered before the smoke from his disintegrated body had dissipated."

"That's no surprise," Tragenta snorted. "They never were known for their brains, or their loyalty. Kyle," she said abruptly changing the subject, "Introduce me to your friends if you please."
Kyle gave Tragenta a puzzled look, while Max brought a chair over for the elderly woman to sit on.
"Well, Tragenta, the one with the chair is Max Evans, and this is his wife, Liz."
Liz and Max both smiled politely, while Kyle continued the introductions.
"This is Isabelle, Max's sister, and the best friend I have ever had," continued Kyle. "This is Michael Guerin, and his wife Maria, and you already know Jereon and Saranara."
"Yes, children, I was so sorry to hear about the loss of your father, he was a great man and a wonderful friend."

"Thank you Tragenta," said Jereon. "We are sad, but Liz told us that our father wanted us to remember that he died fighting for something he believed in with all his heart. That is helping some."
"Tragenta, I'm not meaning to be rude," interjected Max, "But did I hear you say that you may know of some way to help us? We are willing to listen to any suggestions you may have."
"How do you know you can trust me, young King?" cackled the old woman.
"Well, I don't, but Kyle trusts you, and Naloch trusted you, and I'm smart enough to trust their judgment," said Max.
"You are very wise, like your father," said Tragenta. "That is good."
"You knew our family?" asked Isabelle.
"Yes Isabelle, I knew your family very well," said Tragenta. As she spoke, her appearance changed until she resembled an older, more mature Isabelle.

"What is this?" demanded Max. "Who are you, and what kind of a trick is this?"
"It's not a trick Max, and you know who I am."
"No, you're dead. Kivar killed you years ago."
"No, Kivar only thought he killed me. One of my attendants modified her appearance and took my place. She gave her life so that I could go into hiding. We didn't know if you would ever come back to Antar, but we knew that if you did, you would need guidance."
"Okay, maybe I'm being totally stupid here," said Maria, "But I'm lost."


"Maria, allow me to present Amaratha, Queen of Antar, and my mother," said Max. "If she's telling the truth, that is."
"The queen," said Kyle quietly. "I've been calling the queen and old bat for the past few years. Buddha help me, I'm going to die."
Amaratha laughed, and clapped her hands together gleefully. "Nonsense, Kyle. You have been a true friend to me, and my children.
"No, I'm sorry, I don't believe it," said Max. "This is some trick of Kivar's."
"Max, I'm sorry you doubt my words, but in truth, I would worry if you did not," said Amaratha. "And yet, there is nothing I can say that will change your mind. I can only tell you my story and allow you to decide for yourself."
"Fine," said Max. "We'll listen to what you have to say, but I don't believe there is anything you can say that will convince me that you are who you say you are."

Amaratha stood and paced around the room and began her tale. "You may or may not know that some of our people are gifted with the ability to foretell the future. One such seer was particularly close to me, and she told of the terrible future she had foreseen for our world. My husband dead, my children dead, our world ruled by a tyrant like we have never seen before. The seer's have always said that the future is always in motion, and changing one event in the present could completely alter the future. Knowing that, we tried everything we could to change the future the seer had seen, but nothing worked. It was terrible, my children were going to die, and there was nothing I could do to prevent it. By this time, your father had already died," Amaratha paused, and took a drink from the glass Kyle handed her.

I approached several of our leading scientists to see if they could help me find some way to save you, but they too were at a loss. I thought all was lost, until one night, one of the scientists came to me and suggested we take some of your essence, and use it to duplicate you. I was opposed to it at first, it just didn't seem right, but as time went by, I knew there was nothing else I could do."
"Nothing you could do?" questioned Max. "Did you ever think that perhaps you could have told your children what was happening -- take them into your confidence and see if they could help you find a solution?"
"Of course I did!" shouted Amaratha. "That's it," she continued excitedly. "I did tell you. You wrote a letter and sealed it with the royal seal, and hid it in the floor, under the throne."

As one, the group turned to look at the imposing throne that stood at one end of the hall. Michael and Kyle stood and walked over and began to search the base. Michael pressed various parts of the throne until there was an audible click, and a small panel in the base slid open. He reached his hand in and removed a small packet of letters. Michael walked back over to where Max was sitting and handed the packet to his friend. Max flipped through the papers until he found two that were sealed with the royal seal. Both of them had writing on the front, but Max was unable to translate them. He passed them to Liz who took them and translated the writing on the first letter.
"To be read only by King Zan and or any surviving members of his family," read Liz in a shaking voice.
"Open it," said Max.

The seer's have foretold a time of great strife for the people of Antar. The death of all those near and dear to me is imminent. On the advice of one of the scientists, my mother, Queen Amaratha has convinced us to have some of our essence duplicated and sent to a planet far from here, to protect the royal line of the House of Antar. The hope is that our doppelgangers will find a way to return to Antar and free our people from the tyrant that has overthrown our world. If you have succeeded, watch over our people, guide them, and rule them well!

King Zan.

"What does the other one say, Liz?" asked Max.
Liz broke the seal on the other paper, and looked up at her husband before she began to read. His complexion was deathly gray, and his lips were compressed into a thin line. Liz looked over at Isabelle and saw the look of shocked disbelief fading from her face. Clearing her throat, Liz began to read.

My mother died last night. It was an accident, much like my father's. I don't believe it. I can't believe it. When my father died, I knew he was dead; there was no doubt in my mind that it was him. But this time, I am not so sure. Not that someone died, and under very suspicious circumstances, I am just not sure that it was my mother.
I say this here, because if what the seer's foretell is true, I will soon be dead, but there is a chance that my mother's plan will work, and the duplicates of us will be back. If you find this letter, you will know what has happened. And if my theory is right, my mother is alive, and she will find some way to find you. Good luck,

Zan

Max and Isabelle both stared at the woman claiming to be their mother.
"Is there a date on the letter?" asked Max. Liz nodded and read the date on the letter.
"That's the night before you were killed Max," said Saranara softly.
"It could be true," said Michael.
"Could be!" shouted Isabelle. "Look at her, look at me. She looks exactly like what I'm going to look like when I'm older. And we have those letters. They confirm everything. It's true, it has to be true."
She burst into tears. Max moved to comfort his sister, but he wasn't quick enough. Jereon had her in his arms and was running his hand through her hair.
"I believe it," said Max. "I believe you," he nodded to Amaratha. "Can you forgive me for doubting you," he paused, "Mother?"

Of course my son," said Amaratha, holding her arms open to her children. "You do not have the luxury of trust. Isabelle," she whispered. "Are you alright daughter?"
Isabelle rose from Jereon's grasp and stepped into her mother's arms.
"Thank you Mother," she said.
"Why do you thank me?" asked Amaratha.
"You gave us life, not once, but twice. That is a wonderful gift."
"Well, as to that," said Amaratha. "I believe you have a saying on Earth, the third time's a charm?"
"Oh wait a second, you don't mean those freak duplicates that live in New York, do you? They're insane!" said Maria.

Amaratha smiled at Maria's outburst. "I like her Michael," she said. She suits you far more than my Vilondra ever did. No Maria, those duplicates, as you called them, were not created by the scientists that worked for me. After Kivar had you killed, he removed some of your essence and had his own scientists create another set of you. He thought that if he had trouble securing the throne, he could use them as puppets to control our world. My people found out what he planned and stole the pods and sent them to Earth along with yours. My people feared that because the essence was removed from you after your death, it would be defective.
"Well it was," muttered Maria, darkly. "Those freaks were insane."
"I don't know," joked Liz. "Ava wasn't so bad. I still think that someone screwed up and switched Tess's pod with Ava's. You guys got stuck with the wrong one."

"I do not think you are far from wrong, Liz," said Amaratha. "Naloch told me of your lives on Earth, and based upon everything he described, that is what happened."
"Wait, you mean Naloch knew you were alive all this time and he never told us," raged Max.
"No my son, calm your temper. Naloch never knew who I was. He only knew me as Tragenta, attendant to the queen. Yes, I took the identity of the very woman who sacrificed her life for me."
"And worked tirelessly with the rebels as well," added Kyle.
"As did all of you," said the queen. "You are all very resourceful."

"Mother, I don't mean to be rude, but unless you are planning on taking the throne yourself, I don't see how you can help us with our problem," said Max.
"Oh Max," laughed Amaratha. "You are wise like your father, but you also seem to have the same lack of creativity that he has.
"What do you mean?" asked Max, a bit hurt at the criticism.
"She means she wants to clone us again," said Isabelle. "God Max, do we need to draw you a road map? Keep up, will you?"
"Can you do that?" asked Max. "Not that I'm all that crazy about the thought of another me running around."
Believe me bud, none of us are too crazy about it," said Michael and Kyle at the same time.
"The technology was kept safe, as were the scientists who performed it. It can be done again; the choice is up to you

"I don't know," said Max. "It's kind of strange to think about. I mean if you make another me, will he fall in love – and have another wife and family?"
"Actually, that technology is one of the few that prospered under Kivar's reign. He wanted to make a veritable army of himself," said Amaratha. "We could actually create another you and Liz, as well as your children, as you are right now, and they will be forever connected to you. You will be aware of their thoughts and decisions. I'm not well versed on the technical aspects of it, but it appears to work very well. Naloch told me of the Kivar clone that was tormenting you on Earth. He said it was exactly as if the real Kivar was there."
"How long would the process take?" asked Liz
"Once the samples were taken, it could be done almost immediately, and the duplicates would be viable almost right away."

"What do you think?" Max asked Liz.
"I don't think we have a choice," said Liz. "It's either, or we remain here forever. What do the rest of you think?"
"I think we should," said Isabelle. Noting the puzzled looks of her friends, she continued. "Well, if you are going to do it, I will too. We're stronger together, remember?"
"I'm in," said Kyle. "I always wanted a brother anyhow?"
"Jerk," said Michael, cuffing him playfully. "The world is so not ready for another one of you. Maria, what do you think?"
"What the heck," she said. "I suppose it will be some consolation to know that while I'm stuck on Earth having a bad hair day, the other me will be here looking totally glamorous."

They waited in silence, looking at Jereon and Saranara expectantly. Finally Jereon spoke. "Why are you all staring at us, this is your decision, not ours?"
"Of course it's yours," said Max. "We can't decide if there are duplicates made of you."
"Of us?" asked Saranara, incredulously. "Why us?"
"Weren't you listening all those times we told you? We're stronger together than we are apart. You are a part of us now – we need you."
"And it's love that makes us stronger," said Jereon softly, remembering the words Isabelle had told him. "I'll do it," he said in a louder voice.
"I will too," said Saranara.
"Amaratha?" asked Liz. "Would it be possible not to do the children right now, just until they are old enough to make their own decisions. Can't we simply say we've sent the children away for now until we are positive that it is safe here."
"That is most wise Liz. It is easy to see why you sacrificed everything to protect your children. I will send word to the scientists, they can begin at once, and then you can return to your home."