Title: "Nothing is What it Seems"
Author: Spooky
Summary: If I told you it would spoil the fun. So please
just read and review.
Rating: PG for violence.

Notes: I made up the island don't know much about what was
around back then. If there was an ep like this in the
second season, oops, didn't see it. If there was one in the
first I must have missed that one. I missed a lot of them.
Anyone wanna share some tapes?

Have I mentioned that I need feedback? It is necessary in
order for me to become a better writer so that I can
provide you with exciting and heart wrenching stories.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Sleeping contentedly, Maeve snuggled deeper into her
sheets. Usually she would have been up by now but her
peaceful dreams were still calling to her. Those REM spells
she had been practicing were starting to pay off. No more
restless nights, just peaceful Sinbad filled ones. Right
now all she wanted to do was lay here and dream of Sinbad's
lips pressed against her own. In her sleep she smiled and
sighed.

All to soon she was jolted from her sleep by a loud and
persistent knocking on her cabin door. "Are you planning on
joining the rest of the living?!" Bryn called from the
other side of the door. Maeve grumbled as she pushed the
covers back and grabbed her clothes. She was never going to
get to see how that dream ended.


Maeve emerged from below deck to be greeted by Sinbad's
rather perky voice calling, "Ah, she awakes!"

She smiled as she sauntered over to him, getting as close
as she dared she replied, "Can't a girl get some beauty
sleep every now and then?" she asked.

His breath caught in his throat at her proximity. "You
don't need any beauty sleep," he whispered, his voice deep
with passion. Their eyes locked and they dared the other to
take the first step. Sinbad was the first to break the gaze
and step back.

As he did, a loud explosion could be heard from the other
side of the ship and a piece of wood came flying threw the
air at Sinbad and Maeve. "Duck!" he yelled, grabbing her
and pushing her down. "Forouz what in the name of Allah are
you doing?" Sinbad asked, slightly angry. "Look out the
rope is burning!" he shouted. Several men ran to get
buckets of water but by the time they got back the rope had
burned to nothing.

"Oops." Forouz said, putting his hand up to his mouth.

"Now we have to find some place with rope. We'll never get
the sail up now." Sinbad said, looking at his remorseful
friend. He couldn't stop the smile from forming and soon
the whole crew was laughing.

"Forouz, what would we do without you little buddy?" Doubar
asked, standing next to the scientist. He gave the little
man a pat on the back and almost knocked him over.

"Excuse me Captain but there is an Island not far ahead."
Came a meek voice from behind the group.

"Good work Gustaph. Lets set sail with the sails we have
and hope we get there!" Sinbad yelled, still laughing a
little. "We needed a little vacation time anyway." Sinbad
said, as he patted his brother on the back. He was grinning
from ear to ear.

"Vacation time? You?" Maeve asked, her eyebrows rising. "No
one to rescue huh?" Maeve saw right through him and she
never missed an opportunity to tease him. The only way
Sinbad would be taking a vacation was if no one had sent
for his help. Most of the time they were pretty good at
finding trouble on their own, but more times then not it
was someone requesting their assistance.

"Nope not a soul." Sinbad fired back, not missing a beat.
Smiling, he went to bark out some orders to the other
crewmembers.

Soon the Nomad was docking in the harbor and everyone was
filing off the ship. Strangely enough there wasn't a soul
in sight. Beside them there were several other large ships
but no one milling about. The island was covered with trees
and the town couldn't be seen from the shore but not even
the small dirt path was occupied. Cautiously the group
walked down the path.

As they drew closer to the town shouts could be heard. The
small town was having a festival. "Looks like we arrived
just in time." Doubar said, rubbing his stomach. "Wherever
there is a party there is bound to be food." He laughed,
about ready to head straight for the food table.

"Not so fast big brother, we don't even know if strangers
are allowed in on the fun." Sinbad warned, grabbing his
brother by the shoulder to keep him back.

Over hearing their conversation, an old gray haired woman
in a long green dress walked up to the group, "Sure
strangers are welcome. We are celebrating our good fortune.
Forty years this island has been running and we are
honoring our elders Come join us!" She called. "There are
five neighboring towns on this island and we have all been
living in relative peace. All of our elders have come
together to celebrate. That is if they can stop talking
about running this place and have some fun." She said,
winking at Doubar. "Go ahead and help yourself."

In the center of the town square was large tent where they
were serving food. Table and chairs were provided so the
partygoers could sit down and have a nice meal before they
went back to shopping. Behind the tent was the Elder's
building. Off to the side of the building were two roads
filled with tents. It was like a glorified market place.

As Doubar and Forouz went straight for the food, the others
chose to do some browsing. They took the road to the right
and were met with stands full of different kinds of beads,
pottery, steel and clothing.

"Wow, I've never seen so much stuff on display." Bryn
breathed, fingering a peace of brown material.

"They have to have ropes around here somewhere," Sinbad
muttered to the group. However, they seemed to caught up in
the festival.

"Hey Sinbad, over here!" Maeve called. The road circled
around and where it intersected a carnival of sorts was
being held. "They are having sword fighting contests," she
said, nudging him playfully in the arm.

"So they are." Sinbad said, as he watched a big muscled
blonde guy sword fighting with a smaller but well built
brown haired man with shoulder length hair. The smaller man
knocked the blonde haired guys sword out of his hands,
winning the match. "Just goes to show that bigger isn't
always better." Sinbad commented. Sinbad was about to step
up to take the challenge when a shrill scream pierced
through the air followed by the pounding of angry hoofs.

The crew watched as the people 20 feet ahead of them
scattered in all different directions. When the crowd
parted they got a good view of what had broken the happy
atmosphere of the festival.

Seven horsemen rounded the corner right in front of Sinbad,
Maeve, Bryn and Rongar. The two black riders in front held
up a hand bow and aimed it at two old men standing
underneath one of the tents. Before anyone could realize
their intent, the two men fired their arrows and killed
thee Elders instantly.

Upon seeing their Elders killed, the two sword players from
before stepped forward and tried to knock the horsemen
down. The black riders easily avoided their swords and hit
the men with their arrows.

As the horsemen barreled towards them, they knocked over
tents and trampled several people that were too stunned to
move.

"Looks like you found your excitement," Maeve commented, as
she got ready to do battle.

Sinbad nodded at her, a smile lifting the corners of his
mouth. "Come on!" Sinbad yelled, he picked up a potted vase
and threw it at the first rider, knocking him down.

Sinbad turned to find something else to stop the horsemen
with, he found another potted jar and turned around to
throw it. He raised his arm to throw but one of the black
riders lifted his arm also and pulled the trigger on his
cross bow. The arrow hit him in the chest, sending him to
the ground. He grimaced in pain. "Maeve," he croaked out
just before losing consciousness.

"SINBAD!" Maeve yelled, as she saw him fall. In
retaliation, Maeve threw two fireballs at the next two
riders sending them both to the ground and quickly turning
them to dust.

She immediately went over to where Sinbad had fallen. Not
caring where she was or what was happening around her, she
kneeled down next to him, she cradling his head in her lap.
"Come on Sinbad, don't give up now." She whispered she
pulled the arrow from his chest and applied pressure to the
wound, trying to stop the flow of blood. "Come on, you
can't die on me." She pleaded with him to come back to her.
She gently ran her hand down the side of his face and
cupped his cheek with her hand. She couldn't lose him.
"Sinbad?" she cried, but even as she did she knew he was
already gone. Tears flooded her eyes and her heart broke in
a million pieces.

Bryn and Rongar had seen their captain fall. Praying that
he was all right, they worked at keeping the rest of the
riders from killing anyone else, especially the sorceress
who had abandoned every thought and was sitting almost in
the middle of the rode hunched over Sinbad.

Bryn glared at the fourth rider, anger filling her for what
they had brought upon their group. Suddenly the fourth man
went flying out of his saddle and landed in a heap on the
ground. Rongar turned to look at Bryn, surprised. She
shrugged her shoulders; she still hadn't gotten the hang of
moving things with her eyes.

Rongar took his daggers and killed the fifth rider, but
before anyone could reach the sixth one he sent a lightning
bolt back at the group. It struck right in front of them,
sending Rongar and Bryn flying into the tent in back of
them.

`*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

From the center of the town, Forouz and Doubar heard the
cries from the street. Stepping out from under the tent
they saw a fireball knock a black rider off his horse.
"Come on little buddy, show time." Doubar said, as he
reached for the nearest thing to knock the riders off their
horses with. Propped up against the tent there were two
spears. The two friends each grabbed one of them. They
crouched down waiting for the opportunity, when the riders
drew closer the two men stepped forward and threw the
spears, catching both riders and sending them to the
ground.

"Come on little buddy, lets go find the others." Doubar
said, taking off in the direction the riders had come. In
their wake they had left a path of devastation and
destruction.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bryn and Rongar picked themselves up off the ground. They
ran over to where Maeve lay crying over Sinbad's still
form. At that time Doubar and Forouz reached the scene.
"What happened?" Came Doubar's concerned voice, when he saw
Sinbad his voice caught in his throat. "No!" He hit his
knees next to Maeve who had finally stopped sobbing.

She looked up at Doubar, tears still in her eyes. "I never
got a chance to tell him..." she murmured, her tears
starting anew.

Doubar pulled the young girl to him in a fierce hug, "He
knew lass, and he loved you just as much, even if he was to
stubborn to admit it." Doubar said, "And don't you ever
doubt that." The two friends clung to each other,
comforting one another.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Darkness had fallen on the little Island. What had happened
that day hadn't been discussed. No one cared, all that
mattered was the fact that one of them hadn't made it. What
was left of the crew stood around a wooden casket that held
the body of Captain Sinbad.

There wasn't a dry eye among the group. Maeve sniffed every
now and then as Doubar talked about their adventures and
the good times they had. Bryn hadn't been with the crew
very long but she had feelings for the sea captain. Forouz
was beside himself with guilt. If he hadn't burnt the ropes
they wouldn't have had to stop. Rongar was trying to be
strong but a tear escaped from his eye also.

"May no one ever forget the happiness that Sinbad brought
upon this earth. May no one forget the kindness he showed
and the things he did to save people from the forces of
Evil." Doubar's voice broke and he turned away, "I love you
little brother."

The casket was lit and pushed out into the sea. It was
where the captain belonged.

Maeve came over and put her arms around Doubar and laid her
head on his shoulder. Together they walked to the inn where
they had been offered rooms. The other three trailed
silently behind the two.

One of the surviving Elders approached them. "Rest tonight.
Everything will be clear in the morning." He told them,
sympathy shining in his eyes.

They all knew that sleep was the last thing any of them
would be doing that night. They had lost Sinbad.


To be continued. Depending on the amount of encouragement I
receive...hint hint.