"The only answer that I have been given Ian is that we let our artifacts guide us. I cannot imagine that we have much time to both figure this riddle out and put the information into practice, so come on let's all sit and try to think of what this could mean." She sighed.

"Alright that's something isn't it? Does it make sense to anyone?" Sara said as she sat across from Nikki. Gabe sat to her right and Ian to her left.

"Perhaps, Lady Sara it means that we should connect first with our artifacts and then let them guide us." Ian offered.

"That would make sense… but how is Nikki to connect since her artifact is within her?" Gabe inquired. Nikki simply smiled, closed her eyes and put her hand over her heart… Suddenly there was a glow and on her wrist was a twin Witchblade.

"Hey, how did you do that?" Gabe marveled.

"I can only do that in this world." She chuckled. Of course her version of the Witchblade was snaked all up and around her arm like a long lost lover. Now it was time to put their plan into action.

"So how are we supposed to do this?" Gabe asked.

"Easy… You boys have your rings and we have our Witchblades… We will join hands and let the artifacts guide us." Nikki explained as she put her Witchblade hand in the center of their self made circle.

The others for a moment looked at one another as if deciding what to do. Sara put her Witchblade hand into the center and looked to Gabe and Ian. They looked at her, then to Nikki, then to one another and shrugged then put their ring hands in. One their hands were one on top of the other inside the circle, Nikki put her hand on Gabe's knee, who in turn put his on Sara's… and so on and so forth until a strange sort of flower seemed to be formed by their bodies.

Suddenly there was a bright flash of light. Once the light finally faded and the spots were gone from their fields of vision… They were surprised to see versions of themselves standing around them. They looked around… The first incarnation of Gabe – the one where he had walked away and never returned was there. Cathain was there for Sara and some medieval looking knight was there for Ian. For Nikki… there was a phoenix… but it looked different. It was Nikki's form with the flaming aura, wings and tails… a strange sight indeed.

"Do you know why you are here?" Each voice asked its counterpart. Each head nodded in turn.

"Do you know why we are here?" Nikki and Sara nodded yes, Ian just cocked his head to once side, studying the odd figures surrounding them and Gabe shook his head no.

"This is the Periculum of Souls. Your souls… once joined for all eternity and now reunited must once more re-forge that bond. You must make it and yourselves whole and strong once more…"

"How are we to do this?" Ian inquired.

"You will be given a series of tasks, tests and other such ways to measure and in a way train you. More importantly to reopen yourselves to what once was and must be again." His ring half answered.