Disclaimer: This is the third in what I had originally planned as a trilogy. I never planned on continuing it, but it seemed to tie in well with the original and with Dynasty. So here is the third and final edition. This one promises to be much more serious that RETURN.

So Mortal, Enter If You Dare…

To Capture a Dragonfly

Dragonfly was in an extremely bad mood. Not because she was in pain, that happened a lot when you associated yourself with other worlds, and not because she was cold. It was because she'd been captured, and was being held prisoner for some reason, although she couldn't imagine why. She irritably continued shredding the thin cotton shirt she'd been wearing under her sweater, and wrapping it around the gashes and bruises that covered her body.

She sobbed a little in frustration. She had very little hope of rescue, since she was living alone as of late. She nibbled a little on the bit of a chocolate cookie she had in her pocket, but it didn't even begin to quench her hunger. They had kept her in solitary confinement since she had managed to escape her original cell. She looked around the dingy room.

It wouldn't be so bad if it was clean, in fact, she supposed it had once been a very beautiful room. Glancing down, she brushed away the trash and crap from the floor and looked at what was once a very fine marble floor. The room was enormous, and since it was so cold, she supposed it must be somewhere northerly. She glanced up at the ceiling, and a mural that had faded with age. Dragonfly had been knocked out when she was thrown in, and onto a thick straw mat. She stood up, ignoring the throbbing in her limbs, and walked around.

As she walked, she looked for signs of where she might be. She knew she must be somewhere in Europe, as there were no palaces like this anywhere in America. Except maybe at Michael Jackson's house, but it was far too cold for that. And besides, none of her captors were wearing anything vaguely sequined.

Dragonfly noticed the grand staircase and gasped: a set of gold leafed thrones sat atop the platform.

"No way…" Dragonfly muttered. A Russian flag hung above. "I'm in Russia, and the only place I can think of that would have this sort of craftsmanship would be… I'm in Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg!"

Dragonfly walked up to the top of the staircase and looked down at what was once a renovated bit of history. But time had taken its toll, and the palace, for lack of tourists, had closed down once again. Boarded up, it had been forgotten, even when Russia had returned to it's past glory, the old palace had lain dormant.

"But why here? Of all places I could have ended up…"

Chapter 2:

Daine was woken up in the middle of the night by a loud, shrill noise. At first taking it as Kitten, she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. But a second later, Kitten herself dove into the bed with her claws over her sensitive ears.

"Numair?" Daine murmured quietly, shaking him, "NUMAIR!" she tried again, and this time it worked.

"What is it, Magelet?" he muttered groggily.

"I think one of your gadgets is going haywire again."

"Why do you say that?"

"Something's making a really loud trilling noise and its scaring Kit."

"Hmm…" The noise started again and his eyes snapped open even more. "Its not broken; its working perfectly if its what I think it is." He hurried from the bed, finding and going through a small chest that held Daine's jewelry and a few of Numair's smaller artifacts. He pulled out a small, blood red stone on a leather cord, which started glowing wildly and trilling again. "Daine, do you remember when I said that Dragonfly was the sort who gets in trouble despite herself?"

"Yes…"

"Well she's in trouble again."

"Oh you've got to be kidding me…"

"Judging by the volume of the trilling, I'd say serious trouble."

"Does that mean we have to save her, or can we leave her to whatever fate has in store for her?"

"Daine… She saved a country, the least we can do is rescue her from whatever trouble she's gotten herself into."

"Oh Fine. We should probably enlist the help of Alanna and George, though I don't know what we'll do with the children while we're gone…"

"I'm sure Jon and Thayet can keep them safe. Things have been quiet lately, so I'm sure Sarra and Rikash will be fine." Numair stated as he started to pack up the necessary items to go and rescue the impossibly stubborn Dragonfly from the clutches of whoever managed to capture her at the moment.

"Alanna…Alanna…!" George shook the mass of copper curls and skin that was snoring faintly. "Lass, Wake up."

"Go away George, I'm tired and recovering from seasickness."

"You're not, we got back from the Copper Isles two weeks ago."

"Humph. Doesn't mean I'm not still seasick."

"It does. Dragonfly's in trouble again, and you've been ordered to get her out of it."

"Let Numair and Daine get her out."

"Its in HER realm, not ours. And Jon doesn't trust Numair to keep from messing around."

"Charming. So I have to get up in the middle of the night to save a girl who usually ends up saving us and getting all smug about it, and who wouldn't stay put in Carthak, but up and left rather than make life easy on everyone else concerning."

"Alanna…"

"Oh alright! Don't get so huffy about it," she muttered and climbed out of bed.