A/N: There is something amazing about my grandpa…. He's impatient….

He asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I had told him that I wanted a couple of CDs, so if he had a Sam Goody or something like that in Georgia, I could get them. He asked me what CDs I wanted to get. I told him that I really wanted the Two Towers Soundtrack and I wanted the CD from a local band in Austin called the Riddlin Kids.

I repeat… a LOCAL band…

He asked me how to spell it…. Then, wouldn't listen when I said that it was a LOCAL band.

When I got back from my week long trip to Houston to visit family Christmas, I found my package in my mailbox. I opened it and found the Two Towers there. I suddenly realized that there were two CD cases there. I took out the second one and was completely stunned. He had found a Riddlin Kids album in Georgia…. That means that they are more popular than I had originally thought.







Chapter Six





In the dining hall, the four crew members found themselves in awe of everything around them and each other. Rosie had yellow markings around her eyes and wore necklaces of beads and feathers.

Freya wore a thin silvery ring around her neck with a strange pendent. The pendent was a silver ring with three blade looking spokes inside of it. It had an odd design in it that was a sort of swirl. She had blue markings around her eyes and in the middle of her forehead. Her shoulder length, wispy green hair was pulled up in a ponytail and had purple feathers sticking out of her hair.

Radu's curls were doing their notorious work. Traval had settled with just keeping Radu's hair in a low ponytail. Radu had green markings around his eyes and wore a torque of some unknown silvery metal.

Bova was the least decorated of the four. He had a few markings on his cheeks, but wasn't wearing anything more than what he had come in. The boy who had been preparing him had suddenly come down with a nervous breakdown as he tried to get a smile out of Bova.

Feera was there with her red feathers hanging from the short strands of her hair. She was wearing something red and fancy looking with shimmery beads dangling off of the edges.

Tavik was wearing a black outfit that no one could really get a good look at. He looked relatively normal.

Derek stood up. He raised his glass and smiled down at everyone. "Welcome, my guests…. I have brought my guests here this evening…. Everyone…" He indicated the foursome. "Meet Rosie Ianni…. Freya Zeetsil…. Radu … and Bova…."

Everyone seated at the long table clapped. Bova looked a bit nervous as did Radu. Rosie and Freya smiled cheerfully at everyone.

After everyone had finished clapping, Derek smiled appreciatively at them. "Thank you…." He sat down and beckoned everyone to start eating. "Now… let us enjoy this meal…."



Commander Goddard and Miss Davenport walked into the woods ahead of them. It was dark outside. There were two moons glowing in the sky above them.

"Can't we just call them using the compupads?" Miss Davenport said weakly as she narrowly avoided having a leaf land on her.

"No… They need us… And the picture you got from Rosie was from a wooded area…." Commander Goddard said sharply.

"B-but… Harlan and Suzee were in the city….." Miss Davenport stuttered nervously.

"Let's just keep going, Miss Davenport…."



The night was cold and warm. Despite having as good of ears as Radu had, he couldn't hear past the voices and loud music of the dancers in front of him.

It was all too loud for his sensitive hearing to deal with. Freya had long ago come up behind him and pressed her hands over his ears. "That help any?" she shouted at him over the music.

"I'm right next to you…. You don't need to yell…." Radu jerked away from her when she shouted at him.

"Sorry…." Freya's face suddenly lit up. "Hey! Why don't you dance a bit!"

"Huh?!"

Freya indicated the dancers taking Rosie's hands and pulling her to her feet. "Come dance with us! Come dance!"

Rosie joined the circle of dancers and tried dancing to their steps. They were doing a sort of jig that was a bit difficult.

"N-N-No! I am NOT dancing!" Radu stammered.

"Aw… come on… there's a cute girl over there that's winking at you!" Freya said gleefully.

Radu blushed and didn't turn. "You're bluffing! There's only dancers over there…."

"Come on…." Freya growled and grabbed his wrists. She tossed him into the dancing area. Everything seemed to be spinning for him as she twirled both of them in a circle. She was laughing.

Bova was having even less fun. He was drinking the liquid that the servers had given him. His brain was going slightly numb on him and he couldn't think too clearly.

He stood up and stumbled over to one of the dancers. He must have accidentally grabbed something, because she slapped him across the face. "SHITAL!" she screamed at him. He didn't even dare ask for a translation.

Rosie came over to him and giggled at him. "Come on, Bova….! Come dance!"

She grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the dancing circle. There, his addled brain barely registered anything. He held onto one girl's hand next to him and the other was being held by Rosie.



Elmira could feel something was about to happen. She could feel the beat of the drums as they grew faster. She could feel her own heart pounding in anticipation. In anxiety. In fear.



Commander Goddard suddenly heard something. It sounded like a small flock of birds flying off all at once. Goddard caught a flash of a figure running.

He grabbed Miss Davenport and rolled them both under a large bush. He clasped a hand over mouth before she could say anything. She grunted softly as he shushed her.

He saw another figure flash past silently. It was like watching ghosts run.



Radu was beginning to have fun. He was dancing with Bova, Rosie and Freya in a large circle in dancers. They spun around in a large circle to the drums.

Then, suddenly, the drumming stopped. Rosie glanced over and saw a horrific sight. One of the drummers had a hole in his head. There was blood coming out of it and oozing over his features.

Suddenly, several more people were shot. Feera screamed. "Everyone! It's the Zeeks!"

Freya was nearly decapitated by a laser like shot. She ducked down in time to avoid another strange instrument hitting her.

Radu wasn't nearly as lucky. He was slashed across his chest by a laser like blast. He suddenly felt something brush past his neck and he whirled around and hit the Zeek behind him. The Zeek fell to the ground in a clump.

Bova zapped two Zeeks with a controlled blast from his antennae. They jerked around in a singed mess on the ground in front of him.

Rosie punched a boy on the nose and he fell back. Her hand hurt where her knuckles met with his skull. Suddenly, someone threw a javelin at her.

Derek stepped in front of her before it hit her. It went through him and grazed past her waist. She caught him as he fell down.

Freya kicked a Zeek that was behind her. She thrust her elbow at another's jaw. Then, she scissor kicked another one.

Something cut across Radu's jaw. It was a fist from a particularly angry looking woman with black and green hair. She smiled cruelly at him as he blacked out.

Freya kicked the girl in the stomach. "Bitch! How dare you hit a sweet guy like him!"

The girl had half a metal mask on over her right eye. She smiled at Freya and punched at her. Her hand went through Freya. She stared down at her arm and saw that around her arm, Freya was rippling like water.

"Demon!" the girl screamed and yanked her arm out.

Freya fell to her knees. She had never done something like that before. It had felt as though a part of her had been yanked out with the girl's arm.

"Retreat! Retreat!" cried the girl with green and black hair.

Suddenly, the fighting stopped. Feera ran after them with another two girls behind her. Bova helped Freya to her feet.

Radu glanced over and saw Rosie and Tavik with Derek. Tavik was holding Derek as he tried to get the javelin out of his stomach. "Derek… hold on…!" Tavik said.

"Dear brother… I am done for…" Derek said softly. He put a hand to Tavik's fearful eyes. "It will be your turn to lead them, Tavik…."

"Derek… no… hold on…!"

Radu ran over to Rosie. She had tears in her eyes and blood on her hands. "I couldn't help him, Radu…."

Radu held Rosie to him comfortingly. "It's okay…."

"N-No… He jumped in front of me to save me from the… the Zeeks….." Rosie snuffled into his shoulder.

"I know… I saw…." Radu said softly.

"Take care of them…. Tavik…. Make sure the strangers are safe…." Derek said.

"N-No… I can heal you… It's not that bad….!" Tavik insisted. "Watch… I can heal you…."

Feera showed up and laid a hand on Tavik's shoulder. She kneeled down and looked at Derek's wound. A tear rolled down her pale cheek. "I will see you in the next life, old friend…." She said to Derek.

"No! He's going to live!" Tavik shouted. "I'm NOT going to let you die!"

Feera punched Tavik. He keeled over and didn't move. "Sorry to ruin the mood… but he was getting annoying….."

"Take care of him, Feera… you will be a good wife for him…." Derek said softly with a weak smile. She blushed slightly. Then, Derek went limp in Feera's arms.

Freya grabbed Bova and dragged him over to Rosie and Radu. "Whoa…." Bova said as he stared at Radu rather stunned.

Radu and Rosie looked up at him. "What, Bova…." Rosie said.

"Radu… your hair….." Freya said.

Radu brought a hand up to his neck. His ponytail was gone. He had short curls in his hands. "H-How…?"

"Don't know, but we'll need to shorten up your bangs so your hair doesn't fall in your face." Freya said.

"What did that…." Rosie said.

Radu pointed to the body of Zeek that he had hit. Freya ran over and picked something out of the boy's hand. "Odd lookin' knife, this boy has…."

She came back and Radu got a look at the contraption. It was a laser cutter. "Whoa…." Was all that Radu said.

"Come, Tavik… let us all rest…" Feera said to the unconscious Tavik as she threw him over her shoulder.