A/N : Well, I have to say that, that was a pretty good cliffhanger in the last chap. rolls eyes and sorry about that. I've been thinking about this chap for a while and couldn't figure out how I wanted to put it. I apologize for any strangeness or randomness in this chap... : )

Disclaimer: see other chaps.

Meeting, Death, and Cursed Again

They approached the cheering. As they got closer, they found it was mixed with laughter. It was a celebration.

Gilthas looked back at his troops. They were tired. "What should we do?" he asked, unsure.

Mirror shrugged, "I expected to find a city of dying elves, not a party.."

"Lets just go and find out." Ryan walked forward and approached the gates that led to the garden.

"Dear gods! Stop!" Mirror jumped in front of her, "Look at yourself!"

"I know what and who I am! That is enough for me, if they attack they are still no match for my size." she snapped and tried to get past him, "I'm tired and hungry and I'd like to stop hiding in the dark."

Sable glared at Mirror, "And she has me." he said proudly.

"Yes, she has you." Mirror said dryly.

"Ryan is right, we must stop hiding in the shadows if we wish to find out anything." Keryl said mildly.

Mirror sighed and shifted to human form, "But you can not shift.." Mirror pointed out again.

Ryan had, had enough of Mirror poking at her weakness', "I'll show you weak!" she raged, she lashed out when a voice from the garden called to them.

"Come! All people are welcome here!" the voice was inviting and soft.

Ryan froze, a girl with red hair and amber eyes stood in the gateway....

(Time lapse)

An hour or so had passed since the encounter at the gateway..and now they (except Ryan) were sitting at a huge table. The heavy oak table was covered in enough food to feed an army. Every one had found themselves charmed by their hostess...except Ryan and Sable. Sable sat in elven form on a rock beside Ryan who was fanning her wings in anger.

"They are blind fools!" she snarled.

"Yes, true." Sable replied.

"She and her damned Queen have taken hold of them like all their victims!"

"Yes, your right."

She glared at him in violent annoyance, a wave of laughter came from the table. It sickened her to see Keryl, the emotionless, laughing too.

Mina's eyes drifted along the table. Her amber eyes trapped each person her gaze touched. Except Mirror and Keryl...not to mention Sable and the Gold that sat in the shadow of the trees. It angered her that she could not see into their souls and know what they were thinking. It also scared her, which surprised her. She had faced battle and dragons and other horrors, and yet it was these four people that scared her most. Or was it her Queen who feared them? Mina thought about this a moment and began to form a plan in her head.

"Mina?" asked an adoring Silvan.

She looked at him kindly, "Yes?"

"Are you well? You were staring off into the distance." he grabbed her hand, longing to be alone with her.

"Yes, I am well My Lord."

"Please, just call me Silvan."

"I have someone I need to talk to..." she slowly stood and began walking over to the trees.

Ryan snarled to herself, "Stay in your seat witch.."

"Should I get rid of her?" Sable asked standing.

"Leave us alone Onysablet." Mina said softly, "The Golden One and I must talk." Ryan could see Mina was trying to stay calm.

Sable was about to argue but he felt a prickling on the back of his neck..the touch of a god.. threatening him. He immediately retreated to the table.

Mina had turned away from Ryan and was now observing the table. She suddenly spun and tried to freeze Ryan in her gaze, "Who are you!?" she hissed.

"Your Queen does not recognize me?" Ryan sneered. Mina's gaze did not bother her in the least. It was like looking in a mirror, but.. without the hunger and yearning that Ryan had.

"How..?" Mina paused, obviously getting advise from her goddess, "Ah...I remember.." she mused. Mina smiled, "You are..."

"Her toy to torture! Never!" Ryan rose to her full height, her long silver-white hair bristling. Her voice rose to a cry, "You damned Queen will be trapped in the Abyss forever! She will never succeed in taking this world! She will fail! Fail miserably..because of ME!" everyone at the table was looking at them now. Silence reigned supreme for several moments.

"You? Defy the One God?" Mina asked stiffly.

"Like my father before me! I will shove her bloated carcass back into the Abyss myself!" this provoked quit a reaction from Mina.

Mina swung her hand back as if to backhand someone who was standing at her height. Ryan laughed at first, but it quickly died in her throat. He body began to constrict, reshape. She cried out in pain. It felt as if a hand was crushing her body into a mass that she could not fit in. She roared, struggling. Sable stood and charged at Mina. Everything began to move in slow motion.

With one hand still drawn back as if she was going to slap someone, her other hand rose and Sable went flying and smashed into a tree, shattering it.

Ryan's dragon form began to glow as it continued to shrink. Soon she was nothing more than a human sized mass of golden light standing before Mina. When the glowing stopped, Ryan was standing before her, in human form! Ryan was panting from the stress as she also realized that she was now eye to eye with Mina

The back of Mina's hand hit the right side of her face with considerable force. Ryan gasped as she fell to the damp soil. Blood began to trickle from her lip. Ryan stared at the ground, shocked. She looked at her hands clutching the wet earth. She was human again... but in so much pain!

She gasped as a muscle spasm shook her body. "Never...speak of the One God like that... ever again!" Mina hissed tightly.

"Ryan!" Keryl stood and ran to her side, "Ryan..you're back to normal!" he touched her shoulder. Ryan flinched at his touch, and pulled away from him. "What hurts?" he asked grabbing the strange golden robes she was dressed in.

"Her...!" Ryan looked up at Mina, her silver-white hair falling over a portion of her face.

Keryl drew his short sword, "What have you done to her!" He placed himself protectively between Ryan and Mina.

"The One God has resorted her!" Mina proclaimed so all could hear.

"Keryl, kill...her!" Ryan moaned through clenched teeth as another wave of pain hit her, "You...you know who her.. "One God" is! Do it!" she was forced to bend over so her forehead touched the ground from the pain.

"So your names Keryl. I understand now." Mina whispered, just loud enough for Keryl to hear.

"What has your Queen done!? What has happened to Krynn?" Keryl seemed calm, as usual, as he asked Mina these questions, "Why is the magic fading from the magic-users and the healing powers from the clerics? Where are the moons of Solinari, Lunitari, and Nuitari?"

"You don't know? I thought the Irda were wise and all knowing..for they are the Children of the Gods.." Mina laughed at him, "But because you don't know..I'll tell you." She paused and began to casually pace back and fourth in front of him. "My Queen has stolen the world, something that the other fool gods never saw coming. And as for Krynn, it will be Her Majesty's soon. I claim all that I conquer in her name!" Mina said with adoration for her goddess in her eyes, "As for the moons?" she waved a careless hand, "There is only the moon of the One God now, or more accurately the world has been moved to another dimension. The other gods will never find it!" Mina laughed, Keryl shuddered for he could hear Takhisis laughter through her.

Keryl stood there, unsure of what to do. Only Ryan had heard the conversation between the two, and she sat up to look at Keryl. She then looked to Mina...the power of a god shined in her eyes. "Keryl...lets..leave." she stammered, her body shaking from the chill.

Keryl glanced back at Ryan, "I live to protect you from everything on earth and the unknown. I can not let her live, she means to kill you. I can not, will not let that happen." he said fiercely.

Keryl easily shifted into a defensive stance. Mina didn't react, she only watched him with calm detachment. "He is right Ryan, I do need to kill you." she drew her sword. She didn't hold it very well, she had only started learning how to use a sword a week ago. She approached Ryan and Keryl.

At the table Silvan stood, "Mina?!" he whispered to himself and ran towards her with Galdar quickly following . Mirror stood in one fluid motion and followed them. The rest of the table watched transfixed.

Keryl stepped between them, "Stay back!"

"You have no power Keryl, not against a God!" Mina said calmly as she swung her sword down onto Keryl.

Keryl was ready to deflect her attack but when her sword touched his it shattered. Mina's sword didn't stop there, the sword followed it's wide arch cutting into Keryl's chest. Shocked, Keryl fell to the ground bleeding from the gapping slash.

"I forgot to tell you, 'If I told you, I'd have to kill you.'" Mina whispered, smiling at him.

"Keryl!" Ryan cried hoarsely. She crawled over to him, and held his head in her arms.

"Ryan.....I'm...so...sorry..." for the first time in her life Ryan saw Keryl cry. Keryl gave a last shuddering breath and fell still in her arms.

"No! Keryl, don't leave me! Your all I have.. left..." she began to sob uncontrollably.

Mirror, Galdar and Silvan had reached them by now, Galdar and Silvan going to Mina and Mirror going to Ryan and the still form of Keryl.

"What has she done?!" Mirror cried dropping to his knees beside Keryl.

Ryan ignored him, lost in her grief.

A black robed mage walked over to Ryan and crouched down next to her, he said nothing at first, just observed her.

"Mina! What a swing!" Galdar praised, "You've been practicing."

"Are you alright?" Silvan asked only concerned for her well being.

"Yes, My Lord, I'm fine." she smiled gently at him.

Sable, just recovering from the blow, walked over to Mirror. "Was.. has.. happens?" he asked disoriented.

Galdar turned to them, "What do we do with them." he drew his sword.

Mina looked at them a moment, think-talking to her goddess, "Kill them, kill them all." she said calmly, "They will go to the One God in the end."

The black robed mage grabbed Ryan's hand. She didn't even react, still clutching Keryl's body. "Come with me!" he said to Mirror nad Sable.

Mirror understood magic when the mage began muttering it, he quickly grabbed the disoriented Sable and took hold of Ryan's shoulder and in a brilliant flash... they were gone.

A/N: HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAP.!!!!! PLEASE R&R!!!!!!