Part Thirteen:
The two girls watched the goings-on through Cyrene's meat silver meat
platter. Adora stared at Eve. "This is all my fault! I've got to help
Papa."
"Help your papa with what, Adora?" Cyrene entered from the kitchen with
breakfast for the girls. "Girls, where is Joxer?"
Both girls stepped aside and Cyrene saw that her meat platter was
somehow turned into a mirror and when she looked at it, she saw that Joxer
was cornered in a temple by a
panther. "Oh my Gods! How? What's going on here?"
Adora looked at her, her dark eyes filling with tears. "I only wanted
to help Uncle Jett but now I've made a mess of things. Papa's going to
be killed and it's all my fault!"
Cyrene took Adora in her arms. "It's all right, Adora. But how is this
your fault?"
Eve was still looking in the meat platter. "You better do something
quick before he eats your father, Dorie," she said anxiously before Adora
could explain what she had done.
Adora nodded. "Okay. I will."
Cyrene placed her hand on Adora's shoulder. "Adora, if you interfere
now, it won't help your father. Joxer will find a way out of this. He's
found ways to survive long before you
were born."
"You don't understand! I've got to help him. That panther is Uncle
Jett!"
Cyrene looked into the meat platter, her blue eyes wide. "Honey,
there's no way I'm letting you go there. I'm sorry."
"But I've got to do something!" Adora protested.
"Yeah, Grandma! She's got to do something!" Eve agreed.
Cyrene knelt down in front of the girls and gazed into their eyes.
"Have faith in Joxer." Both girls nodded and watched again, hoping with all
their might that Joxer could get out
of this mess.
********
Joxer watched his brother slowly circle around him. "Jett, I know
you're in there somewhere! Try to remember who you are!" The panther growled
and leaped again and
Joxer struck him away with the stick. "Jett! Listen to me! I know
you're there inside!"
Adora suddenly smiled and looked at Eve and Cyrene. "I've got an idea."
She then closed her eyes. *Papa? Can you hear me?*
Joxer heard Adora in his mind and frowned. *Adora, I'm kind of busy
right now!* He rolled out of the way as Jett leapt towards him again.
*Papa, please listen to me! You're right! Uncle Jett's still in there,
but talking won't reach him. You've got to telepath with him.*
*Adora, I can't - not without Jace.*
*I know, Papa. I'm sending Uncle Jace now.*
Before Joxer could blink or protest what Adora wanted to do, there
stood Jace completely out of makeup and very confused looking. The sudden
appearance of Jace startled the
panther as it leapt over Joxer and ran out the temple.
"What is going on here? How did I get here? I was just talking to
Pierre!" Jace stared at Joxer. "And look at me! I have no makeup on. I look
like a mess!"
Joxer grabbed his brother's arm. "You look great! The natural look is
in."
Jace smiled. "You really think so? Was that a panther that just ran out
of here?"
"No... I mean yes. No, not really. It's Jett. Adora turned him into a
cat and Ares turned him into a panther and we've got to get him before
he either kills someone or someone
kills him," Joxer replied as he ran out of the temple.
Jace thought for a moment. *We were never able to stop Jett from
killing before. Well, at least **I** was never able to.* "Joxer, wait up!
I'm coming!" The two brothers entered
the woods just outside the temple searching for their transformed
brother. Jace looked around nervously. "Joxer, where are Xena and
Gabrielle?"
"In Sparta with Hercules. Jace, we've got to find him. Now help me look
- and be careful. Jett doesn't know us."
Jace rolled his eyes. "Oh great! That's all I need."
*****
Cyrene gazed at Adora with a worried look on her face. "Adora, find
your Uncle Jett and lead your Papa to him."
Adora nodded. "Okay." She turned to her friend. "Eve, help me look."
Eve nodded and both girls stared hard into the meat platter and after a
while Eve spotted Jett prowling through the trees heading towards a
ruined stone building. "There he is,
Dorie!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes, I see him!" Adora closed her eyes and concentrated. *PAPA! PAPA!*
*I heard you, Dorie,* Joxer's 'voice' sounded amused and exasperated at
the same time to Adora.
*I found Uncle Jett! He's near the ruins of another temple,* she 'said'
breathlessly.
Joxer thought for a moment and then turned to Jace, who silently
indicated that he had heard his niece too. "I think she means Strife's old
temple."
Jace looked at him for a moment, frowning. "I didn't even know he *had*
one."
"Yeah. Well, it wasn't much. Come on, let's go."
When they arrived at the temple, it was nothing but a pile of rocks
with a doorway. "Not much left. It should be easy to find Jett in here,"
said Jace, looking around curiously.
"We still have to be careful. This place gives me the creeps. I believe
that Strife's spirit is still here." Jace was just about to say
something when suddenly they both heard the
panther. They both looked up to see the panther looking down at them
from above. "Jace, slowly give me your hand," Joxer whispered, his brown
eyes wide as he stared up at the
snarling panther.
Jace nodded very slightly and did as he was told, also keeping his eyes
on the panther.
Joxer bit his bottom lip and concentrated hard, beads of sweat
appearing on his forehead. *Jett, can you hear me? It's Joxer.*
Joxer and Jace could hear a soft moaning in their minds before Jett's
'voice' rasped, *Joxer, where am I? What in Tartarus is going on?*
*Ares turned you into a panther,* Joxer explained.
*Oh, that's just...* Jett 'swore' viciously and both Joxer and Jace
winced at his language.
*Jett, you've got to concentrate so Adora can change you back!* Joxer
interrupted before Jett could continue.
*I'll try...*
Suddenly the panther growled and leapt at the two men, landing on Joxer
before he could move away. Joxer kept the panther at bay by holding the
stick at the panther's throat. His
eyes grew huge as the panther's jaw edged closer to him. *Jett, fight
this!* he thought desperately.
Jace suddenly grabbed a stick, striking the panther with it until the
panther fell on its side and lay on the ground. Joxer got up and checked
on the panther and breathed in relief that
it was still breathing. He looked up at Jace, who hung his head. "I'm
sorry, Joxer. I didn't know what else to do. He was going to kill you."
Jace was so upset at what he had done
to Jett that his accent disappeared when he spoke.
"I know, Jace. I almost got through. I know I did. Something or someone
interfered, but I don't know what. I do know that we've got to get out
of here." Joxer closed his eyes as
Jace knelt down beside him and the still-transformed Jett. *Adora, can
you get us out of here?*
*I think I can, Papa,* Adora's voice echoed back.
Suddenly Joxer and Jace heard a manic giggle. "What! Leaving so soon?
But I never get any visitors these days! I **insist** that you stay for
a while! Oh, ICK! I hate cats of any
kind! What disgusting creatures!" A flash of bright light surrounded
them and when it disappeared, lying in place of the panther was a naked,
shivering and very confused Jett.
Jace covered him with the robe he wore.
Joxer looked up at Strife's spirit. "Thanks for turning him back," he
said suspiciously.
Strife smiled wickedly. "I've got plans for you three, yes I do! I
haven't had fun in such a long time!" He jumped up and down, giggling
hysterically as he rubbed his hands
together.
Joxer and Jace stared at each other. This was not good, not good at
all. "Jace, I wish Xena and Gabrielle were here."
"Yeah. Me too."
*****
The two girls watched the goings-on through Cyrene's meat silver meat
platter. Adora stared at Eve. "This is all my fault! I've got to help
Papa."
"Help your papa with what, Adora?" Cyrene entered from the kitchen with
breakfast for the girls. "Girls, where is Joxer?"
Both girls stepped aside and Cyrene saw that her meat platter was
somehow turned into a mirror and when she looked at it, she saw that Joxer
was cornered in a temple by a
panther. "Oh my Gods! How? What's going on here?"
Adora looked at her, her dark eyes filling with tears. "I only wanted
to help Uncle Jett but now I've made a mess of things. Papa's going to
be killed and it's all my fault!"
Cyrene took Adora in her arms. "It's all right, Adora. But how is this
your fault?"
Eve was still looking in the meat platter. "You better do something
quick before he eats your father, Dorie," she said anxiously before Adora
could explain what she had done.
Adora nodded. "Okay. I will."
Cyrene placed her hand on Adora's shoulder. "Adora, if you interfere
now, it won't help your father. Joxer will find a way out of this. He's
found ways to survive long before you
were born."
"You don't understand! I've got to help him. That panther is Uncle
Jett!"
Cyrene looked into the meat platter, her blue eyes wide. "Honey,
there's no way I'm letting you go there. I'm sorry."
"But I've got to do something!" Adora protested.
"Yeah, Grandma! She's got to do something!" Eve agreed.
Cyrene knelt down in front of the girls and gazed into their eyes.
"Have faith in Joxer." Both girls nodded and watched again, hoping with all
their might that Joxer could get out
of this mess.
********
Joxer watched his brother slowly circle around him. "Jett, I know
you're in there somewhere! Try to remember who you are!" The panther growled
and leaped again and
Joxer struck him away with the stick. "Jett! Listen to me! I know
you're there inside!"
Adora suddenly smiled and looked at Eve and Cyrene. "I've got an idea."
She then closed her eyes. *Papa? Can you hear me?*
Joxer heard Adora in his mind and frowned. *Adora, I'm kind of busy
right now!* He rolled out of the way as Jett leapt towards him again.
*Papa, please listen to me! You're right! Uncle Jett's still in there,
but talking won't reach him. You've got to telepath with him.*
*Adora, I can't - not without Jace.*
*I know, Papa. I'm sending Uncle Jace now.*
Before Joxer could blink or protest what Adora wanted to do, there
stood Jace completely out of makeup and very confused looking. The sudden
appearance of Jace startled the
panther as it leapt over Joxer and ran out the temple.
"What is going on here? How did I get here? I was just talking to
Pierre!" Jace stared at Joxer. "And look at me! I have no makeup on. I look
like a mess!"
Joxer grabbed his brother's arm. "You look great! The natural look is
in."
Jace smiled. "You really think so? Was that a panther that just ran out
of here?"
"No... I mean yes. No, not really. It's Jett. Adora turned him into a
cat and Ares turned him into a panther and we've got to get him before
he either kills someone or someone
kills him," Joxer replied as he ran out of the temple.
Jace thought for a moment. *We were never able to stop Jett from
killing before. Well, at least **I** was never able to.* "Joxer, wait up!
I'm coming!" The two brothers entered
the woods just outside the temple searching for their transformed
brother. Jace looked around nervously. "Joxer, where are Xena and
Gabrielle?"
"In Sparta with Hercules. Jace, we've got to find him. Now help me look
- and be careful. Jett doesn't know us."
Jace rolled his eyes. "Oh great! That's all I need."
*****
Cyrene gazed at Adora with a worried look on her face. "Adora, find
your Uncle Jett and lead your Papa to him."
Adora nodded. "Okay." She turned to her friend. "Eve, help me look."
Eve nodded and both girls stared hard into the meat platter and after a
while Eve spotted Jett prowling through the trees heading towards a
ruined stone building. "There he is,
Dorie!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes, I see him!" Adora closed her eyes and concentrated. *PAPA! PAPA!*
*I heard you, Dorie,* Joxer's 'voice' sounded amused and exasperated at
the same time to Adora.
*I found Uncle Jett! He's near the ruins of another temple,* she 'said'
breathlessly.
Joxer thought for a moment and then turned to Jace, who silently
indicated that he had heard his niece too. "I think she means Strife's old
temple."
Jace looked at him for a moment, frowning. "I didn't even know he *had*
one."
"Yeah. Well, it wasn't much. Come on, let's go."
When they arrived at the temple, it was nothing but a pile of rocks
with a doorway. "Not much left. It should be easy to find Jett in here,"
said Jace, looking around curiously.
"We still have to be careful. This place gives me the creeps. I believe
that Strife's spirit is still here." Jace was just about to say
something when suddenly they both heard the
panther. They both looked up to see the panther looking down at them
from above. "Jace, slowly give me your hand," Joxer whispered, his brown
eyes wide as he stared up at the
snarling panther.
Jace nodded very slightly and did as he was told, also keeping his eyes
on the panther.
Joxer bit his bottom lip and concentrated hard, beads of sweat
appearing on his forehead. *Jett, can you hear me? It's Joxer.*
Joxer and Jace could hear a soft moaning in their minds before Jett's
'voice' rasped, *Joxer, where am I? What in Tartarus is going on?*
*Ares turned you into a panther,* Joxer explained.
*Oh, that's just...* Jett 'swore' viciously and both Joxer and Jace
winced at his language.
*Jett, you've got to concentrate so Adora can change you back!* Joxer
interrupted before Jett could continue.
*I'll try...*
Suddenly the panther growled and leapt at the two men, landing on Joxer
before he could move away. Joxer kept the panther at bay by holding the
stick at the panther's throat. His
eyes grew huge as the panther's jaw edged closer to him. *Jett, fight
this!* he thought desperately.
Jace suddenly grabbed a stick, striking the panther with it until the
panther fell on its side and lay on the ground. Joxer got up and checked
on the panther and breathed in relief that
it was still breathing. He looked up at Jace, who hung his head. "I'm
sorry, Joxer. I didn't know what else to do. He was going to kill you."
Jace was so upset at what he had done
to Jett that his accent disappeared when he spoke.
"I know, Jace. I almost got through. I know I did. Something or someone
interfered, but I don't know what. I do know that we've got to get out
of here." Joxer closed his eyes as
Jace knelt down beside him and the still-transformed Jett. *Adora, can
you get us out of here?*
*I think I can, Papa,* Adora's voice echoed back.
Suddenly Joxer and Jace heard a manic giggle. "What! Leaving so soon?
But I never get any visitors these days! I **insist** that you stay for
a while! Oh, ICK! I hate cats of any
kind! What disgusting creatures!" A flash of bright light surrounded
them and when it disappeared, lying in place of the panther was a naked,
shivering and very confused Jett.
Jace covered him with the robe he wore.
Joxer looked up at Strife's spirit. "Thanks for turning him back," he
said suspiciously.
Strife smiled wickedly. "I've got plans for you three, yes I do! I
haven't had fun in such a long time!" He jumped up and down, giggling
hysterically as he rubbed his hands
together.
Joxer and Jace stared at each other. This was not good, not good at
all. "Jace, I wish Xena and Gabrielle were here."
"Yeah. Me too."
*****