Jaz had been frantic. Abbe had actually tried to soothe him during the battle that they had been forced to watch from afar. It didn't work. As she had spoken to him words of comfort, he had been peering around her head for any sign of Ashley, and on the occasions that he did see her, he almost wished he hadn't. She looked dazed, even as she killed people with an astonishing lack of mercy. Never had Jaz realized how noticeable a heartbeat could be. His sweet, gum loving Ashley! Poor thing. And it didn't help at all that a tall, blonde, obvious sex god was almost constantly at her side. When he tried to voice those particular upsets to Abbe, she grinned evilly.

"Oooo, someone's jealous. Well, I guess you'd just better hope that she likes you more." Jaz glared. Abbe attempted to make a whistle out of an acorn cap, but it fell apart in her hand. She chucked it on the ground bitterly. "and now that the past battle is over, you realize that we're next?" Jaz drew in his breath. "It worries you too?" Abbe asked in response to the gesture. Jaz shook his head.

"No, It's just that, this is only the second time during this entire ordeal that you've said something intelligent. It's kind of shocking to the system."

"Oh go make out with Ashley asshole! I need food. Ooh, a pixie with a broken wing!" She snatched 'it' out of the air and took a bite. "Mmmmmmm. Want some? I didn't eat the gonads this time." She offered Jaz her open palm.

"No thanks, I'm full." Suddenly he frowned, in deep thought. "I'm full…"

"What is this? A Taco Bell commercial? It's really not a big deal that you're not hungry. I'll just eat the gonads myself.

"Don't you get it?" Jaz said exasperated. "We haven't eaten since we got here. Not a thing. Not only have I not been hungry, I haven't even wanted food!"

"Wow. It took you that long to figure it out? And you're a high honours student?" She shook her head disbelievingly. "And why are you with me anyway? Why aren't you with Ashley celebrating her safety and kissing her into oblivion?"

"Because I can't," Jaz replied picking at the grass. "We just go right through each other. It's annoying! And it does bad things to me. You know? I see her and all I want to do is take her to a dark corner and kiss her 'til-"

"If you say one more word Jasper," Abbe warned. "I only concern myself with pixies' gonads. Nobody else's, and especially not yours."

"Thank god for that!" Jaz smiled, examining the tiny little gun for the thousandth time. "I wonder why we never need food."

"I dunno, but I remember when I was changing into this outfit, I was really craving a soft pretzel, but I forgot about it right after I zipped up.

"Could that possibly be that you had to go around in public in a silver suit that leaves nothing to the imagination?"

"Are you hitting on me?" Jaz made a horrified face.

"NO! I was just wondering if you really believed that our clothes had anything to do with our food intake."

"Well, it's better than the mime suit, and yours doesn't hide much either, Abbe said, not really hearing Jaz's explanation.

"Remember, ONLY the gonads of pixies," Jaz reminded teasingly. Abbe narrowed her eyes.

"JASPER."

"Ashley seemed to like the name," Jaz answered smugly.

"Damn, now I have nothing against you. You suck."

"How long until the next battle anyway?" Jaz really wanted to change the subject.

"Two days," came a new voice. They turned. And smiled.

"Aiden!" Abbe exclaimed. And so it was. The small girl, bloody, sweaty, and still in her medieval war attire. Rarely had a sight been more welcome. "So we won?" Aiden nodded, grinning broadly. "Yes we did, so now, the pressure lies completely on you." Abbe took a deep breath.

"Great. So, how're the people in the present doing?" Aiden wrinkled her nose. "Ummmm, you're Nicole's sister right?" Abbe nodded. "Yah, she's unconscious at the moment due to something funny Darnoc did with her baton, and if she stays that way too long, she'll die." Abbe was silent a second.

"Wow. That sucks. Well, I guess we'll just have to win then won't we? And did you know that Ping-pong spelled backwards is Gnop-gnip?" Aiden's mouth dropped open, and for once, she was at a loss for an intelligent reply. Jaz's mouth was open too, but not for the same reason.

"Gnop-gnip? That's awesome! That's our new battle cry."

"Yes!" Abbe then proceeded to do her own version of a tribal dance. Jaz went quiet and looked around some more. The distant shadows of the people of the past paid him little mind. He spotted Ashley, and his stomach did a little flippy thing. She looked relatively unharmed but for a long scratch on her right cheek. He breathed again, and his heartbeat slowed somewhat. She was kneeling by somebody, and she looked far from happy. In fact, unless he missed his guess, she was crying. His first thought was 'maybe that blonde pretty boy's died!' But no, Jaz saw him. He was far from Ashley, and cheering with the rest of the men. Cassie? No, she was standing too. And getting very friendly with one of the other warriors. Well, that had everybody accounted for. So then why was she acting like she'd lost a friend? Abbe had gone to find Cassie and break up her reunion. There was only him and Aiden left. Aiden was smiling, somehow knowing his thoughts.

"Well go on," she said. "But before you go, I want to tell you, Abbe was right about the whole food and clothes thing." Then she too faded back into the past.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ashley looked up quickly, and the sight of Jaz sent a wave of shininess through her. She wiped the dampness from her cheeks, and nodded towards the fallen man.

"He was the guy that bought me and Cassie. Annod Yawnoc. We were his slaves, but he was very nice to us. Despite the fact that he was in league with Darnoc. Why would she want to kill him?"

"So she wouldn't have to share her power." Aiden was back again.

"Really, do you always have to step into serious conversations randomly?" Ashley asked.

"It makes me seem more mystical," Aiden replied eyeing the orange fabric with great dislike. "Oh well, carry on."

"Well I'm really sorry," Jaz murmured. Ashley gave him a watery smile, having no idea that she had played a key part in his conversation only moments before. "How did the others do?" Ashley shrugged. The metal of her armour clinked.

"Saber's fine. He's flawless with that sword you know, although he did manage to get disgustingly filthy. Cassie's basically okay I think. Well, She wouldn't be that wrapped up in Saber if she wasn't." She shook her head, a half smile forming on her lips as she watched the happy pair. She turned back to Jaz. "And Kyler's got a nasty gash on his upper arm, but he'll be alright. Saber's got this antiseptic stuff. Cassie said it hurts like hell, but heals the cut. I guess I'll have to get some on my face. Is it bleeding really bad?"

"Not anymore," Jaz answered. He wanted excruciatingly to kiss it and make it all better. Stupid time difference.

Several more moments of small talk later, and Ashley excused herself for a second to change and get her face patched up. Jaz made himself comfortable beneath the dead tree to wait. Abbe had disappeared somewhere. He supposed she had gone off to the other side of the castle. He was very glad that he didn't have to wait long.

She always looked nice to him, but who would have thought that yards and yards of fabric on her slender frame could steal his breath so? She was smiling shyly as she sat beside him. "Cassie didn't lie. That stuff does hurt. Oh well, Saber did warn me. But he seemed in a big rush. Far too happy." She shook her head. "Oh well, how are you?" Jaz found his voice again, and they were off. They had no inclination of the outside world until Ashley realized that she could no longer properly see the distinctive brown of his eyes. It was really a pity that brown had so few complimentary descriptive words. Except chocolate, but everybody used chocolate to describe brown eyes. Mud, tree bark, burned pancakes. Blah. She would have to ask Cassie the next time she saw her. "Well, I have to go," she whispered. And you've got to train tomorrow. You're going into battle the day after." And she was gone. Jaz wondered if that hug they had shared way back in the dilapidated inn was the only sweet moment they would have.

The next day passed in record time. By eight thirty that evening, Jaz and Abbe had collapsed on the ground too exhausted to move or even speak. Aiden had forced them to practice until they had every slow motion move perfected and could shoot a coin at a hundred yards. Abbe was forcefully reminded of the Swan Princess and prince Derek.

Amazingly, they slept that night. Aiden shook them awake early the next morning. She was once again dressed to fit her role. A silver suit just like Abbe's, and her hair was in a ponytail, held in place by what looked like a slinky. "It's time," she said in a low, overly dramatic voice. They were then 'introduced' to Aiden's robot army. Knat had a similar one. The robots were actually pretty cute. About as tall as Aiden herself with little wires sticking straight up out of their tops, and little bitty arms that shot out balls of light.

Once again a battle raged, only it was more robot against robot than anything else which made it a bit less interesting as there were few human sounds. But both Abbe and Jaz fell under the same spell, and thought little. Until….

Jaz had always wanted a robot to help him with the housework, now he wasn't so sure. Though they were easy to manipulate, they were deadly, and in such huge sums that nearly the whole field was a wash of silver. There weren't very many humans compared to them, but Tank has his fair number nonetheless. The slow motion training had done very well for Jaz, so far it had saved his life a total of six times, but the humans were clever. He was tripped, and his tiny little gun fell from his hand flying slowly into the air, and Jaz watched it as he fell, knowing that it would be the last thing he would see.

The gun hit Abbe in the head, and as she swore profusely, she looked around to see where it had come from. Through a gap between Aiden and some other woman, she saw Jaz fall.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" In one smooth motion, she picked up his gun in her free hand and started running towards him. "Don't Worry Jaz! I'll save you!" She cried. "Dammit, there's too many people in my way." With all of her energy, she took in a huge breath and screamed, "GNOP-GNIP!!!!!!!" And it echoed throughout the entire countryside. The robots continued to fight, but the people stopped in surprise. "Thank you."

The person who had been so intent on killing Jaz had stilled too, and Jaz had broken free and begun running away. He didn't notice the relative silence around him, his only concern was finding his gun. Meanwhile, Abbe was taking advantage of the stillness to collect her thoughts and make her way skipping towards the spot where Jaz had gone down right after she had fired three random shots into the air like the people in the wild west movies did.

"Here comes Santa Clause, here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus Lane….ummmm….lalalalalalalalalalalalala….bells are ringing children singing, all is merry and bright. So hang your stocking and say your prayers 'cuz Santa Claus comes…." All the people had made a path for her, such was their horror and shock. Abbe looked up and saw Jaz running away from her. "What the hell are you doing Jaz? I'm saving you!" And then she broke into a run. "I'm sorry Jaz, but this one time I need to concern myself with your gonads! Ashley will need them! NO DON'T YOU RUN FROM ME! " She sighed and began to run faster. "Bouncy bouncy ball, bouncy ball, bouncy ball, should've worn a jock strap!" she sang. "STOP…RUNNING!" Jaz turned right when Abbe had had enough. She fired a shot that went just above his head, and he had been forced to throw himself to the ground. "That's better." She caught up to him and helped him to his feet. "There now, you'll be alright, no need to be afraid," she said handing him his gun.

"Thanks," Jaz said his voice dripping with sarcasm. And then the battle continued.

Suddenly, Abbe looked up, and her eye zeroed in on a fighting figure. A human. A pretty woman with brown hair. She choked on a gasp as pictures of Jaz polishing rubber duckies while she had stumped around in a mime suit flashed through her mind.

"Oh, bitch you are going down!" She lifted her gun, and rested her finger against the trigger, preparing to squeeze, but another ball of light found Julia N. She fell to the ground, and the blue ball Abbe had fired went right over her, hitting a robot from Aiden's army instead. Abbe winced in slight guilt. After a second, she could see. A skinny, nasty little man with bright orange hair and glasses was lowering his gun. Knat. Knat had killed Miss N. and robbed Abbe of her rightful revenge. Abbe prepared to end his life, but just as she was about to squeeze the trigger again, he called for his armies to retreat, leaving Abbe extremely pissy, but Aiden's army, victorious all the same.