[u]Part 47[/u]

Michael saw his daughter's eyes widen in shock as Tess dropped the mindwarp enough so that Max became visible. He knew there was some sort of conversation going on, but he couldn't focus on it. He could not take his gaze off of Jenny. They had been in position long enough to hear the tail end of her deal with Nasedo and he had just about ruined the entire plan because his panic and fear for Jennetta had almost gotten the better of him.

Tess's power was great now, as the fact that she had been able to hide the portal opening indicated, but even she would have been greatly strained had he changed what they had all agreed to at the last minute. This was only going to work if they all followed the plan exactly. Michael refused to be the one to screw everything up.

After all, he knew better than anyone what it felt like to kill someone, even someone evil. He knew that Pierce had been a horrible person, but the fact that it had been he, Michael, who had ended his existence.It still haunted him when he had the time to think about it. Not that it happened often - finding the time - but he did know that he didn't want any of his friends to have to have that on their consciences.

Even if it was Nasedo, who more than deserved to pay the ultimate price for his crimes.

He had killed all four of them in their past lives. He had tried to ensure that they were never born in [I]this[/I] life by crashing the ship in 1947. He had brainwashed Max and Michael into forgetting who they loved and had stolen Jennetta from her parents when she was a tiny baby, almost killing Maria in the process. He had kidnapped Liz and made them all believe she was dead so that he could have her for himself. He had murdered Liz's parents in cold blood to achieve that end too. And that wasn't even starting in on all the people he had messed with on Illyria, including Jaxon and Mirana's father, their mother [I]and[/I] their aunt.

If there was anyone who deserved to die, it was Nasedo.

And it would happen. Even if Max's scheme to make Nasedo judge himself didn't work, Michael would see to it. He had not said anything when Max had offered to take responsibility. He hadn't said anything when Isabel had stepped in to say that they all needed to play a role in the resolution of the torture Nasedo had inflicted upon them over the past three years. He agreed with Isabel, but he also knew that if the plan failed, he would step in.

He had already killed once. One more death on his conscience would not destroy him. He lived with Pierce's ghost already. He would not allow his best friend to go through the same thing. Max had been through enough.

Besides, in some weird way, Michael was slightly grateful to Nasedo. It made no sense he knew, but he had also realized a long time ago that the reason he had allowed Nasedo, in the guise of River Dog, to so easily trick him all those years ago, had been because it had given him an escape from the very same tortured soul he refused to allow his friends now. After being podded he had felt nothing for months, including the guilt of having killed a man.

But that wasn't the only reason Michael was grateful.

It was ironic, but with his ridiculous scheming, Nasedo had brought about his own destruction. Had he just left well enough alone - if he had just left [I]them[/I] alone three years ago - he could have taken Illyria's throne and they would have been none the wiser. They never would have known who they really were. But he had brought them Tess, making their Four Square strong. And he had set into motion the events that had led to Jenny's birth.

Because, in the end, without Nasedo's interference, there would be no Jennetta. There was no one in the universe the eight of them would fight harder to protect and see on her throne than Michael and Maria's daughter.

He hated Nasedo, but he also regretted nothing of what they had endured at his hands.

Of course, it was not easy to remember this as he listened to Jennetta tell Nasedo that she would leave the planet with him. He knew that his daughter was stalling the shapeshifter - it was absolutely the only logical conclusion - and, yet, the very idea of it [I]not[/I] ending here once and for all, of his daughter disappearing on him again.He almost forgot everything.

It was Maria's restraining hand on his arm that held him back. When he glanced down at her, she was staring up at him, her blue eyes holding a warning. He could see her underlying fear as well, but if she could persevere then so could he.

He waited for his role to begin.

*~*~

Isabel clutched Alex's hand as they waded through the tall grass at the side of the highway. They were silent as Tess had dropped them out of the shielding mindwarp as soon as they left the stone circle so as to conserve her energy.

Their job was simple, but also an important part of what they were hoping to accomplish. Part of the plan was to prove to Nasedo once and for all that he had lost all control over their destinies. The eight of them were together and strong. Somehow they had known instinctively that he needed to see that his manipulations were finally over. Max had decided that one way to ensure this was for the evil shapeshifter to witness them bring Ren back so that he could see what lay between Jennetta, the Chosen One, and Nasedo's own son. That even his blood knew how it was supposed to be.

Isabel had been surprised that there had been no ill effects on any of them as they came through the portal. She had never journeyed through to Illyira, but she did know that every other time any of the others had come through, they had ended up unconscious or with, at the very least, a splitting headache. But, as she pulled open the side door of the van, took in Ren's empty shell and yet knew that they would succeed in reviving him, she thought she understood.

When they all worked together, nothing could stop them. Not even the portal could slow them down.

They had made their own destiny and fate was no longer interfering. They would succeed.

Isabel turned, looked at Alex, smiling slightly.

"What?" Alex asked softly.

"Just this," Isabel replied, grabbing him by the back of the neck and kissing him fiercely on the lips.

When she pulled back, he was blinking rapidly, a dazed expression on his face. "What was [I]that[/I] for?"

"Does it have to be for anything?" Isabel demanded impishly, grinning at him. When Alex continued to stare at her, befuddled, she continued, "You better get used to it Mr. Whitman. This is a new world. Or it soon will be anyway. And in this world I can kiss whomever I choose. That whomever happens to be you."

Alex raised his eyebrows, but grinned back. "I think I'm going to like this world."

Isabel took a deep breath, inhaling the feeling of impending freedom. The freedom to live the life she wanted with [I]whom[/I] she wanted would soon be hers.

"Me too," she whispered. "Me too."

*~*~

Kyle kept his arm around Tess's shoulders. He glanced down at her in concern as a shudder ran through her small frame. It concerned him how much energy she was expending, but there was no talking to her he knew. It was too late now anyway. As usual, too much of the plan rested on her slender shoulders. He didn't like it, but it was only to be expected with the magnitude of her gift. She had always been the most powerful of the Royal Four, partly because Nasedo had trained her to use her gifts to his advantage, but also because she was also the only one of the Czechoslovakians who had always known who she was.

She believed in her gifts more than any of them and it made her a force to be reckoned with when she was using them. The other three had never known their limits, how far they could push. And when one of them [I]had[/I] pushed it, the day that Max healed Liz in the Crashdown, they had not known how to protect themselves from the consequences. Tess had always understood how to do that. Yes, she had always believed in her powers.

The main problem with Tess had been that she had not always believed in herself. Rejected by Max, unsure of her role in the dynamic with the humans, it was not surprising that she had wondered exactly where she fit in. He realized now that it was one of the reasons that she had been wary of him at first. The natural couple they made, with the other six already paired up, had made them both question if what they were feeling was legitimate.

The doubts had only made their bond stronger. Because real faith only came after real questioning. Kyle knew that now, knew that Tess believed it too.

He had complete faith in her and their relationship. And what had happened in the Ring's axis had finally laid to rest any concerns either of them had that they weren't as important to the others as they all were to them.

Kyle had heard what the old man Lucianus had said about Max and Isabel's mother, Milena. He was pretty sure that none of the others had taken the news that she had gone directly through the portal to Illyria in the way he had. When Lucianus had said that Milena did not belong there, in the axis, it implied that he, Kyle, did. He was there - he hadn' t gone directly through to Earth, leaving his friends behind. Although he had known it intellectually by then, that he was one of them, the fact that he had ended up there with them - that he was playing in integral role in the climax of this story - had finally convinced his heart.

He had known before that he belonged with Tess because he loved her. He now knew that he belonged with the others for the same reason. Because he loved all of them.

He certainly loved Liz, the kindest person he knew and his best friend. That was a given. It was impossible not to love Maria for her bravery and her joie-de-vivre. Even after everything she had been through, she continued to fight for her friends and for the happily ever after she had always wanted. Alex he loved for his humour, his good sense and his keen understanding of what it was like to be caught up in all this chaos. He and Alex were the same.

It was a little more difficult for him to admit to himself that he loved the other Czechoslovakians, but he knew it was now reality. Guerin would never know that Kyle admired him more than anyone he had ever met. It would just piss him off to hear it, but it [I]was[/I] true. Michael had risen above the challenges of his youth, his unhappy home, and had made his own family. It impressed the hell out of Kyle.

Isabel's caring personality, although well hidden during the early years of their acquaintance when they had run in the same social circles, although never as real friends, made her someone Kyle had to love. He thought he understood her a lot better than even she knew, having played many of the same games she did to mask her loneliness and fear of the future. If Alex and Kyle were the same, then so were he and Isabel, in spite of their different heritage.

And then, of course, there was King Max, Kyle's nemesis and all-around worst nightmare. But, as much as he still hated to admit it, it was Max Evans who had given him this life. Without Max, there would have been no Tess for Kyle, there would have been no family. If for no other reason than that, Kyle loved him.

He still refused to admit that he might actually kind of like the guy. Frowning slightly and snorting, Kyle knew that he would have to accept that fact someday too.

But not today.

Kyle felt another shudder run through Tess's body as she strained to keep the mindwarp in place. He felt a flash of guilt. He was supposed to be her eyes and ears while she worked and here he was dissecting his entire existence. What kind of ass was he anyway?

"Alex and Isabel are gone," he whispered into her ear as he watched his two friends leave the stone circle on the far side. Tess released a small sigh of relief. He knew that she was taking them out of the equation. His concern increased.

"Tess, are you okay?"

She nodded vigorously, a scowl crossing her pretty face. Kyle was forced to smirk in spite of his worry. Trust her to get annoyed at him for asking if she was all right. He knew that there was not a single fibre of her being that would allow her to fail her friends - her family - this night.

Of course, this meant that she was even more likely to warp herself into oblivion. Kyle glanced over at Max who had taken position, willed him to hurry.

[I]I'll even be nice to him if he'll just damn well hurry,[/I] Kyle reflected urgently.

When Max turned and looked at him, nodding once, Kyle whispered into Tess's ear again. "Show Max."

He watched Jennetta gasp with pleasure at the sight of her brother, Max evidently now visible to the other three in the stone circle. He felt a twinge of satisfaction when Nasedo, still trapped by whatever invisible bonds he was creating for himself because of the Ring, take a step backwards in shock.

Everything was going just according to plan.

[I]Max doesn't need to know,[/I] Kyle amended to himself. [I]In fact, it might upset the balance of his universe should I actually be friendly. It's better to maintain the status quo. That will be a better thank you.[/I]

But as he watched the young king set his plan into motion, he allowed a smidgen of admiration to run through him.

Only a small one though.

*~*~

"You bore me Jaxon," Nasedo said, no longer appearing the slightest bit afraid. "You've returned to play avenger have you?" He looked around. "Where is the rest of your merry little band? I'm surprised they haven't come out to play."

Max sighed. In spite of the fact that he and his friends had the upper hand - that Nasedo had proven that he could be judged because his very belief in the Ring was holding him in it for judgment - he still really wished that they didn't have to deal with any of this. Whether deserved or not, they were planning to send another living being to his death. It would save countless lives. There was no question that this psycho would never stop coming, would never stop messing with them and with both of the planets Max called home. As long as he lived neither Liz, nor Jennetta, nor [I]any[/I] of them would be safe.

Although Max's heart was thumping rapidly in his chest, his fear that he could still screw this up real and intense, he only said mildly, "They're around."

Nasedo tilted his head. "I can't do anything to them. I am well and truly caught this time your highness. Shall we just end this once and for all?" He held out his hand. "Give me the orb."

Max narrowed his eyes. "Not yet."

"Why?" Nasedo demanded. "I'm ready to take on this Ring."

Max shook his head in amazement. "You really think that you'll pass the judgment. How can you possibly think that?"

"I've done nothing wrong. I am the Chosen One. It is my duty to unite Illyria and all I have done was to that end," Nasedo replied firmly. "I will not be found guilty."

Max frowned. He looked over at Jennetta and at the woman standing with her. He knew that this must be the infamous Jemma everyone had been talking about when they had debriefed in the axis prior to returning to Earth. If anyone would have the answers to Nasedo's slightly disturbing confidence, she would. "What is he talking about?"

Jemma seemed mildly perplexed. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "There is no question that the Ring will find him guilty. He [I]is[/I] guilty. His crimes are beyond number."

"Don't you understand? I won't be found guilty because I know that I am [I]not[/I] guilty. Guilt or innocence is all a state of mind." Nasedo was rolling his eyes in annoyance. "If you are to kill me Jaxon, it will have to be with the blood of it on your hands. You are weak. I know what you are doing. You are trying to make the Ring take care of your problems. You are trying to shirk the responsibilities of what being king and ruler means."

"If you don't believe in the judgment, then why are you stuck here?" Max demanded. "It shows you have faith in the Ring."

"I certainly do," Nasedo replied. "But I also have faith in myself. I will pass because all I have done I have done with a clear conscience. My only goal, ever, has been to take my rightful throne to bring peace to my planet."

Max snorted. He couldn't help it. This maniac's delusions of grandeur were beyond comical. Nasedo had entered the realm of the absurd long ago. He didn't want to hear him continue to justify himself. It just made him feel sick to his stomach.

He could feel the orb Kyle had saved weighing down his jacket pocket. He should just thrust it into Nasedo's hands and get it over with. And, yet, somehow, he knew that the process he had devised - the healing of Ren and the judgment of he and Liz - needed to happen first. He wasn't really sure [I]why[/I] he knew it, but he did. It was like many of the thoughts that came to him randomly since he had regained his memory several months before. It was as though some of what he had known in his first life was returning, frustratingly slowly, the exact information he required just beyond his reach.

It was also why that he had insisted that the others remain cloaked by Tess's mindwarp until they were exactly sure of what they were dealing with. New twists popped out of every corner all the time. They could not afford any this time. He thought he understood what was going on, was going with his gut instinct and, yet, he still worried.

"Do you really and truly believe that you've done nothing wrong?" Max asked. He was interested and they couldn't go ahead anyway until Alex and Izzy returned with Ren's body. He wasn't really sure why he was still trying so hard to understand the twisted mind of the being in front of him, but he couldn't help himself. Nasedo's way was so foreign to him, Max [I]wanted[/I] to get him, if only to make sure that he never turned out like him.

"I do," Nasedo replied firmly. "Which is why I will not be found guilty. Don't you understand yet Jaxon? It is really very simple."

"Explain it to me," Max said. He wondered why he felt that he was losing control of this situation. He knew he wasn't. Everything was going according to plan. Failing this time was impossible.

Yet, maybe Nasedo was right. Maybe they [I]should[/I] just kill him.

But he had come back once before when he had died. [I]They[/I] had brought him back. Who was to say he couldn't again?

No, it had to be the Ring. It had to be permanent and with no way back. Max trusted in the Ring, trusted in what they had learned from Lucianus there. It was the center of all things. It would end this.

"The Ring is what you make of it boy," Nasedo snapped. "All real criminals know they are guilty, inside, even if they never admit it aloud. The Ring does not judge people who are mentally ill or unable to stop themselves from committing evil deeds. But those who [I]know[/I] what they are about, even if only in the deepest, darkest recesses of their minds.they are the only ones the Ring can judge. And only because [I]they[/I] allow it." He raised his chin. "All I have done, I have done to advance my desire to rule my planet justly and well."

The shapeshifter stared right into Max's eyes, the satisfaction on his face making Max want to punch him - or throttle him. He clenched his hands into fists, took a deep breath to control himself. And, yet, he couldn't. Nasedo just made him so [I]mad[/I]. "How can you even begin to tell me that killing Liz's parents and kidnapping her for yourself was for the benefit of Illyria?" He flared.

[I]Calm Max. Calm down. He's trying to get you upset. He wants you to have to kill him.[/I]

Liz's voice, gentle and reassuring, floated through his mind, cooling his anger better than any of his own self-control could manage.

[I]But what if he's right? Liz, what if this doesn't work?[/I]

[I]It will Max. We just need to follow the plan, exactly as you laid out. You know what you're doing. I trust you. We all trust you.[/I]

Max realized that Nasedo was still speaking. "She is your bonded mate," Nasedo shrugged. "For some on Illyria, marrying her will reinforce my claim to the throne." He smirked. "You and she are one now. Should I marry her, a small part of you will live on through her and her child - our child. For some factions, that will be enough to make them support me."

"I thought you were going to marry [I]me[/I] to strengthen your claim!" Jennetta exclaimed. "You don't even know your own mind anymore. Your plots are ridiculous. Why can't you see it?"

Nasedo shrugged. "I play the cards I am dealt little one."

"You are insane," Jennetta sighed. "Max, just get on with it. Put the orb in his hands and make him pay. It will work. He has already proven that he believes in it."

"Yes, do it Jaxon." Nasedo sounded amused. "Let's see how this plays out, shall we?"

Max looked at Jemma again. "Is what he said true? Is it really the criminal who judges himself? It's his own inherent guilt that does him in?"

Jemma just shook her head. "I can't tell you the answer to that your highness. All I know is that the Ring does judge. Criminals have paid the ultimate price within its confines. He might be right. It may have been their own consciences that did it." She was now staring at Nasedo, a scowl on her face. "And if it is true, then we have a problem. This creature has no conscience."

Max just stared at Nasedo, undecided.

"Give it to me Jaxon. Should it fail, you won't lose me." Nasedo reached out, his hand bouncing back as it encountered the force field. "I'm not going anywhere." He smiled. "And then you can do what I've wanted you to do all along."

Max felt his eyes widen. "You [I]want[/I] me to kill you," he breathed, finally understanding. "You want [I]me[/I] to have to do it."

"If I must die, then I choose to leave behind a king who is a man," Nasedo snapped. "You must learn to take care of your own problems. You must learn that you have responsibilities. You cannot just abandon your throne for the love of some girl. You cannot hand it over to a puny child," he continued as he indicated Jennetta angrily. His eyes flashed. "Do you not understand that it was your weakness in your past life that forced me to take action? You were a dreamer, so focused on finding a pathway to another world, your own world was falling to pieces around you. You are making the same mistakes this time around. I refuse to allow it to continue. You will kill me or I will never stop."

"I don't need [I]you[/I] to tell me what I have to learn," Max told him firmly. "I know who I am and I know what is going to happen."

"Do you Jaxon? Do you really?" Nasedo taunted. "I don't think you do boy."

"I do," Max told him, shaking his head, almost pitying this poor, pathetic man, who could not see any way but his own. "I'm Max Evans. I love Liz Parker and I will marry her someday. This is my home and its where I belong. Jennetta will rule Illyria. She is the person meant to do it. I choose this life. She has chosen Illyria. More than anything else, that makes her the Chosen One."

Nasedo was almost gnashing his teeth with frustration. "Oh for.Give me that orb. Let's get this stupid charade over with."

Max looked over towards Michael, who as visible to him but not to Nasedo, Jennetta or Jemma. His best friend nodded once, then backed out of the circle. He glanced at Kyle and Tess. Tess still had her eyes closed. The increasing strain on her face was obvious. Max knew that there time was just about up.

It was time to give Nasedo the orb.

Max moved forward, pulling the alien device out of his pocket. He looked at it for a long moment, then handed it to Nasedo. He didn't feel any force- field impeding him, but when Nasedo tried to reach past a certain point, his hand bounced back. Max was forced to hold the orb close to the shapeshifter's body so that he could grasp it.

There was a long moment of silence, his eyes still locked with Nasedo's, as they waited for the judgment to take place.

To be continued.