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1.2 Disclaimer: *Picks up joint. Takes a drag* Yup. They're mine. I own Buffy and Roswell and that other show I used, what was it? Oh yeah, Angel.

Author's Notes: W'sup my peeps!! Sent another chapter from the garbage heap that is my head. Hope you enjoy it.

I wanna thank you few people for reviewing me! Well, keep readin' and reviewin'. It makes my head bigger.

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1.5 CHAPTER SEVEN

They sat at the bar of Caritas. The host had just closed up for the night and was mixing a martini for himself behind the bar. His audience of Michael, Maria, Rath, Angel, Liz and Max was waiting patiently.

"So, what can I do for you?" Lorne finally asked.

"You know about the Carnasions, right?" Rath asked, getting straight to the point.

"Don't beat around the bush, do you?" Lorne said, "I know a little. Wasn't much of a geography buff myself."

"Okay. What does it mean when a Carnasian has powers?"

"Um, I don't have the slightest clue. Usually it means they're weird, 'cause nobody on Carnath has powers, well except for communications, but everybody has that. Antarians have powers in a yellow sun, but that's another story."

"Why?"

"The radiation's different, it mutates the cells. On Antar there is a red sun, so there's less radiation."

"And Carnath has a blue sun, right?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Today, I had a dream, sort of like a memory. It was on Carnath, but it can't be true because I had powers."

"Can't help you there, I was never big on the interplanetary biology," Lorne said shaking his head, "So, you both saw this?"

"No, only Mike here," Rath answered.

"Hmm," he said, "Why don't you sing and I'll try to read you."

"Separate or together?"

"Uh, separate."

Rath started looking through the lists.

"Yo, these songs suck!"

"Well, you have to choose from there."

"Yeah right. Screw that."

"Uh, I think I have some never used songs back here somewhere," Lorne said. He dug through the drawers until he came up with two more lists.

"Better. Give me that one." He grabbed a mic and waited for the music.

1.5.1 Say your prayers little one

Don't forget my son

To include everyone

I'll tuck you in

Warm within

Keep you free from sin

'Til the Sandman he comes

Sleep with one eye open

Gripping the pillow tight

Exit light

Enter night

Take my hand

We're off to never never land

Michael picked another microphone and joined him on stage. They finished the Metallica song together. (A.N.: Enter Sandman for those who want to know)

"So, what did you see?" Rath asked as he finished.

"The life of General Rath basically, nothing about Carnath."

"What do you see when Michael sings?" Max asked.

"Prince Deimon, nothing about Rath."

"Maybe Rath was a schizo back on Antar," Maria joked. Rath glared at her.

"That's it!" Liz exclaimed suddenly.

"Are you implying that I was nutso back then? I don't think so," Rath growled.

"No, I think I figured out why you guys are like you are," she said excitedly, "Look, the scientists cloned your essence to make you right?" They nodded. "Well, maybe they had to split it, but then each had half a personality."

"Not seeing the point," Maria said.

"One got the good side, the other got the bad," Liz said, "For exanple, Isabel got the good half of Vilandra and Lonnie got the part that betrayed everybody."

"So, Lonnie got Vilandra concentrate?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, in a way. It's the same with Tess and Ava. Tess is bad Ava and Ava is good Ava."

"Yeah, but how do you explain Maxwell and Zanther?" Michael asked.

"They both got half a personality," Rath said. Michael and Maria snickered. Liz frowned.

"Yeah, but which half is which?" Max wondered, unaware that he was being made fun of. They shrugged.

"Yeah, but Michael and Rath are basically the same," Angel commented.

"Except memory-wise," Lorne said as realization hit, "Michael is Prince Deimon and Rath is General Rath, second-in-command to King Zan."

"Exactly," Liz said proudly.

"Okay, so that'll make Izzy happy," Max commented.

"Yeah, Ava too. She's been worried about that ever since she heard about Tess," Rath said.

"Hey Rath, what happened to the bad English?" Maria asked.

"That was mostly just to make Lonnie think I was dumb so she'd tell me all her plans," he shrugged, "it sorta stuck until I got stuck with you guys."

"What's Zan and Ava's excuse?"

"They're dumb. The evil half of Ava must have been the smart half, and, well, I would say that Zan was run over by a truck, but then I'd be lying."

'And the mystery is solved. Maxwell got the book smarts, Zanther got the street smarts,' Michael thought to Maria. She snickered.

"What?" asked Liz.

Maria exchanged amused glances with Michael and said, "Nothing."

"Larek," Michael said suddenly.

"What?"

Suddenly, Max's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered, "Oh, hey Brody."

"It's Larek," the voice on the other end said.

"What's up?"

"I'm in LA, your parents told me you were here, where can I meet you?"

"Uh, the Hyperion hotel. It's…"

"I know where it is. I'll be there in ten minutes."

"We better head back," Max announced, "that was Larek, I think he has to tell us something."

They jumped in the car; Lorne included, and headed back to the hotel. As they arrived, a black BMW pulled up at the entrance. Brody/Larek sauntered up to the doors and walked in like he owned the place. The people who didn't know him looked on in astonishment.

"I see you have found the duplicates," he said, noticing Rath, Zan, and Ava, "Okay, Max, we have just received your Queen and your heir, why are you still here?"

"She betrayed us," Max answered, "Our protector made a deal with Khivar that she was to have my heir and then return to Antar to turn us in to Khivar for execution."

"So, she is with Khivar," he stated, "We shall have to detain her. Why are you in Los Angeles?"

"Apocalypse."

"Oh, okay. I shall leave then."

"Hey wait a minute," Michael called, "What do you know about Carnath?"

Larek looked at him strangely. "Why do you want to know of Carnath?"

"Just answer the question," Rath said impatiently.

"It was peaceful until Khivar took over, sort of a tourist attraction."

"Do they have any powers?"

"No, although, there was a prophecy about it like, 100 years ago. Nobody really took it on though."

"Great, more prophecies," Cordelia grumbled. Larek looked at them oddly.

"What's going on? Why the sudden interest in Carnath?" Larek demanded.

"Tell you later," Michael said, "What was the prophecy?"

"Um, I don't remember it off-hand. I'll have to get it from one of my priests. I'll make this body sleep while I check, but first tell me why."

"Long story short, Michael's the long lost Prince Deimon."

"Of Carnath? But how is that possible?"

"No time, just go find out."

Larek left the body and Brody collapsed. They lay him on a bed upstairs.

"So, did the Council find anything?" Maria asked.

"Well, they translated most of it, except for one part in which they can't identify the language."

"What does it say?"

"There will be an arrival in the year of three slayers. His arrival from light will bring darkness upon this Earth. The chosen will battle with him, the strong and the powerful, from three worlds. The protectors of the chosen and the risen will also fight until the battle is won."

"Okay, that helped so much," Cordelia said sarcastically.

"Did they find anything else?"

"Not really. They think the chosen is probably the Slayer…well one of them."

"They would," Spike commented.

Just then, Larek came down the stairs. He made his way over to the couch and sat down.

"Well?" Michael asked expectantly.

"In a time of war, one will arise from the soil of Carnath, with powers few but great. Together, the chosen and its protectors will battle with the forces that refuse peace upon our planet. The chosen and the protectors have known loss. The protectors, four, have been on the line of good and evil, the chosen have lost trust, but all are loyal to beliefs and are stronger than all, in battle and in mind."

"So, we have to look for another five people when we're done with this? Great, just great," Cordelia complained.

"Let me see that scroll," Michael said. Wesley handed it over to him, and he looked at it

"Hey, Maxwell, doesn't it look like the drawings from the cave?"

"Yeah, it does," Max said, shocked. Michael grabbed it and went over to Larek.

"What does this mean?" he asked, shoving it in his face. Larek took it and began to read.

"It's the prophecy, the one I just told you," he answered.

"Figured as much," he said, pacing in front of them.

"How'd you know?" Zan asked.

"Think it's a coincidence they both have 'the Chosen' and 'the Protectors'?"

"We still have to find them though," Ava said.

"No, I think we have them already," Spike said.

"Well, great! Who is it?" Buffy asked.

"Well, the chosen is the strong and the powerful, we've been assuming it's one person, but it's probably two. The strong, also known as Maria Deluca, and the powerful, also know as Michael Guerin. See, that's the three worlds right there, Antar, Earth and Carnath," he said, "Since this seems to mostly concern you alien people, we can assume that the arrival is Khivar, 'cause…duh. The protectors are a little harder. They are the strongest in battle, right?"

"So, it's slayers?" Buffy asked.

"No, pet, hate to spoil your fun, but no," Spike said, "It's four of 'em, the strongest. And who has beaten the crap out of you and Peaches all week? Michael, Isabel, Rath, Faith and Alex. We cancel Michael cause he's already part of the chosen."

"Now, all we have to find is Khivar's protectors," Alex said.

"Does it say anything else?" Giles asked Larek.

"Um, just that the protectors aren't easily known, but had been discovered with time," he answered, still scanning the parchment.

"Whatever that means," Kyle commented.

"Actually," Michael said, "That gives us at least one of them, Tess."

"Maybe Lonnie?" Maria suggested.

"Who're the other two?"

"Well, it can't be Nicholas because he was evil to begin with," Isabel listed.

"And there aren't any more bad royal four left," Ava said.

"Who knows?" Michael shrugged.

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet," Larek said, looking up at them.

"What is it?" asked Giles.

"There is still a part of the scroll that needs to be decoded," he explained. He walked up to the counter and lay the document flat in front of it. Everyone crowded around him. "You see, here?" he said, pointing to a paragraph of symbols, "This is the part I just read. It is ancient Antarian. All nobles must learn the ancient languages of their planet, so it is easy for me to read." He pointed to another part. "This is another language altogether. I think it may be ancient Carnasian, or one of the other planets in our system."

"So, you can't translate it," Buffy stated.

"I could," he stated, "it will just take me a while. I would have to release this body and consult some books and the royal linguists. Someone should be able to translate it."

"So, you don't know anything at all? Nothing looks familiar?" asked Wesley.

"Just that it has something to do with the king," Larek said, a look of concentration on his face, "See this symbol? It means the same in any language: The King." Larek shook his head. "I am sorry, but I am of little help."

"How long would it take to translate?" asked Max.

"It would take at least a day, if we are lucky."

"Well, we at least know who the chosen is," Wesley said, looking pointedly at Michael and Maria, "I'd say we have gotten a little ahead."

'Great, now we're the chosen. Six people to save three planets, that's my idea of fun,' Michael thought sarcastically to Maria.

'Yeah, way to bring out the pressure.'

'Man, don't you wish we didn't know anything now?'

'Yeah, damn powers.'

'Damn prophecies.'

'Do you think you'll have to go back and rule?'

'I hope not. I want to stay here with you.'

'You know, if you'd have said that last year I would have laughed in your face and checked you for weed?'

'I would have turned myself in for rehab,' Michael laughed.

Larek watched the two with interest. They finally noticed him staring at them.

"Keep watching us like that, we're gonna charge admission," they said. Larek looked surprised.

"I see you're freaked out by this, too," Kyle said as he walked over to him, "Can you, like get them to stop doing that? It's getting incredibly annoying."

"Screw you too Valenti," they said, glaring at him before they returned to their inward conversation.

"How long have they been like this?" Larek asked.

Kyle shrugged, "Since they did the nasty, I guess."

Larek nodded, watching them carefully. They finally got up and went to the kitchen.

"Have you guys noticed anything strange about Michael and Maria?" he asked the whole room.

"I don't know, is talking in unison weird?" Xander asked.

"Maria has been developing our powers," Isabel answered, "She can manipulate molecular structure."

"Oh, and I think she telepathically communicates with Michael," Liz added. Larek nodded in thought. He turned to the others.

"Anything else?"

"Well," Giles started, "when they are apart, it hinders their fighting ability. She can't control her strength and loses energy easily, and Michael, well, loses all strength, and I'm beginning to see the reason why the furniture upstairs blew up. I thought it was one of Willow's spells gone awry, but knowing about his powers, I think he did it."

"Yeah, I've noticed that he has more control over his powers when Maria's around. I just thought he was practicing more," Max added.

"How long?"

"I don't know," he said, "He's gained more control since we joined up with them than he's ever had, but more so now that he's joined to Maria at the hip."

"So, what's the verdict?" Michael asked as they walked up behind the group. They all looked guiltily at them. "What?"

"Prefer to talk behind our backs?"

"We can go upstairs."

"No, actually, I need to talk to you," said Larek, "About the connection."

"Yeah, yeah. It's creepy, yada yada yada. We've heard it all already," Maria interrupted.

"How long have you had it?" he asked.

"About a month."

"Hmm."

"Do you know what's causing it?" Max asked. Larek looked around at all of them.

"Well…"



They stepped into the warehouse proudly, dressed in royal garments of deep purple and gold. The portal closed behind them as they inspected the dark room regally.

"Your majesties," Lilah said, cordially bowing her head, "I am Lilah Morgan, from Wolfram and Hart. My associates and I are honored to have you under our care. I hope you are well?"

"Arise," Khivar said, "and take me to my chambers. I shall not be housed in such surroundings."

"Certainly, my lord," Lilah said, feigning esteem, "I will keep you and your protectors in much better quarters. If you would just follow me."

They complied, and Lilah walked out of the warehouse into the dark night. A chilled wind blew against her skin, blowing her dark brown hair about. She turned back to her pompous guests; heads held high, stares dismissive. This was going to be a long night.



She paced the length of her office in fury, head bent and shaking with worry. Her heels clicked lightly on the marble floors as she paced. Suddenly the doors slammed open and Waltham came running in.

"You sent for me, your highness?" he asked.

"The city is under attack!" she cried, "How can you be so calm, my kingdom is going to crash!"

"We are working on the force fields as fast as we can, your majesty must be patient," he said.

"Patient!" she cried in exasperation, "Patience is for those who have time! Not those whose planet is going to be enslaved by an unseen force!" Her arms flailed above her head as she talked. "Does anyone even know what Khivar looks like?"

"No, my Queen," he muttered, bowing his head in shame.

"For all we know, YOU could be Khivar!" she continued to rant, her pacing becoming quicker, "This is not good, Waltham."

"We are forming alliances with Antar and Pylea to help save Carnath," he said, trying to reassure the erratic Queen.

"And how are we to fight when we do not know who we are fighting," she continued, her footsteps were becoming heavier.

"We are trying as hard as we can," he said.

"Excuses, excuses," she said, impatiently, "Khivar cannot take over. And what of my son!" she said, suddenly, "He will be killed if Khivar ever gets access to the palace. We must keep him safe, where is safest?" she said. She stopped pacing suddenly, stopping in front of Waltham, "Get a messenger, someone trustworthy to deliver him there. I must communicate with Zuni on Pylea. She will protect him."

Waltham bowed and hurried out of the room. Queen Sharyan calmed herself in preparation of communication. She cupped her hands in front of her, closed her eyes and concentrated. A white ball of light appeared in front of her. She opened her eyes and dropped her hands. The ball levitated in front of her, spinning in its white light. She held her hands at its sides and pulled them apart until they were about two feet apart. She poked the middle of the enlarged circle and thought of her friend in Pylea.

"Zuni, can you hear me?" she asked. Just then, the doors to her office flew open. A man in his late teens strolled in.

"Sharyan?" The Queen jumped.

"Kyden," she said, surprised, "What are you doing here?"

"What, I can't visit my big sister?" he asked, as moved to embrace his worried sister.

"A warring city is not the place for an eighteen year old boy," she said, still hugging him tightly.

"Nor is it a place for a twenty five year old woman," he countered.

"I am the Queen, I cannot leave," she said.

"Well, I'm the Queen's protective little brother so I should get to stay, too."

She smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. He smoothed back his straight, dark brown hair, which now hung over his gray eyes.

"Where is that nephew of mine?" he finally asked.

"He should be in his bedroom playing," she answered, "You should bring him here while you're there. I need to speak with him."

"Certainly, oh great queen," he said, mocking Waltham. She laughed heartily. He left her office in search of the Prince.

"Sharyan?" a feminine voice called. She turned back to the circle of communication she created.

"Zuni, I need to ask a favor," she said to her best friend. They had been friends ever since they were five years old.

"What is it?"

"Khivar has declared war against me. We still don't have a clue who he is or what he looks like," she said, "he has already had someone try to kill my son and I. I want you to take care of him for me," she said, "Keep him at least until the end of the war. I don't want him harmed. I need him to be safe."

"Of course I'll take him," Zuni reassured her, "I'll care for him as if he were my own. And you know how much he loves his aunt Zuni, we'll have a great time."

"Oh, thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me. I will put him on a ship to Pylea early tomorrow morning. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine," Zuni answered.

"I have to go now," she said, "I have to go break the news to him, and spend these last few hours with him."

"Okay," Zuni said, "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Just then, Deimon and Kyden walked in. Prince Deimon ran to his mother, sensing that she was upset about something. He threw his arms around her and buried his head in her dress.

"Deimon, honey," she said, softly. The young prince looked up at her tear stained face, "How would you like to go stay with your aunt Zuni?"

He shook his head. "Mama, are you coming, too?"

"No, baby," she said, "Your mama has to stay and help with the war. Aunt Zuni is going to protect you on Pylea until it is over."

"No! I don't wanna go," he said.

"You have to," she said, silent tears running down her cheeks, "Please? For mommy?"

"Okay," he said softly.

"Okay," she repeated, "let's go pack and then we can play whatever you want, okay?"

"Okay," he said, a small smile on his face, he sniffled as tears coursed down his baby cheeks. The Queen took his hand and led him to his room. Neither remembering the eighteen-year-old that still stood in the corner, an evil grin on his face.



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