A/N 2/11/06: Hey, here's the next chapter of ZCIM: Meeting Marc and Sarah Yes, this means more O.Cs, but that good, right? I'll probably end up having lots of O.Cs by the time this fic series gets finished. Oh well. I've got more people in this chapter, so that's good. I'll stop repeating myself over and over now and get on with the chapter.

You may have noticed that this is the fpourteenth chapter, yet I had submitted the fourteenth chapter a while ago. This is because I deleted some of the beginning chapters. I felt that the intro drug on way too long without ever getting anywhere. So, I deleted some of the less important parts. Anyway, on with the next chapter. Sorry it took so long to update, I have a life!

Disclaimer: The only people/places I own are: Alex, Kimitsu, Paul, Zeta, Ansibrue. Everything else is owned by somebody.

People in this fic who own themselves: Marc, Sarah, Amy, Patrick. They have given me permission to put them into this fic.

I DO NOT OWN The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. It is owned by somebody I do not know.

That is all.

-ARK

Chapter 14: Familiar Strangers

POV: Alex

I woke up first, with everyone waking up around the same time. It seemed to be a nice day, with the forest and the grass shin- wait a second, forest and grass! Where were we? I crawled out of the cave we were in, to realize that this was NOT Zeta. Where the hell were we?

"Where are we?" I said to nobody in particular.

"No clue. We're not in Zeta anymore though." Amy responded.

"I could see that. Better explain it to Zack, though. He might have trouble."

Amy chuckles, and Zack comes out of the cave.

"I heard that, you bastard." Zack said, mainly to me.

"So? I don't care." I replied.

"Guys! Look over there!" Cody pointed to a large castle-like structure far off in the distance. It seemed very old and not well-kept. The group headed over to it to check it out.

"Man, what's a crummy thing like this doing in the middle of nowhere?" Zack said

"I'm actually...not sure at all. I wonder what it's here for." I replied. I noticed something out of the corner of my eye just then, and turned to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

"Hey, does the castle seem to be sprouting vines to you?"

"What are you talking about?" Amy asked.

"Look there." I pointed, and now the vines were much larger and more visible. After around approximately three or four minutes they shot out, growing much longer, to latch onto the roots of a tree not too far behind us. Then two figures appeared in one of the corner towers.

"Hey, who are those guys?" Zack said, noticing them first.

"I'm not sure." Amy replied. Cody just stood there, sword in hand, waiting for something to happen. Everybody watched the two figures up in the tower, waiting for them to do something. They seemed to be conversing with each other.

POV: Third Person:

After a while, they hopped from the tower, each landing on a vine, and slid down them, each jumping off about halfway down to land in front of the group.

"Why are you here?" The boy asked them.

"Are you here to assault our father, the king of this land?" The girl responded.

The girl had on a dark green mini skirt, and a lime green spaghetti strap top. An emblem, shaped like a leaf, was sown onto her green headband. The guy wore dark green baggy pants, a light green shirt, and a necklace with a emblem shaped like a leaf as well. They were both the same height, about 3 inches taller than Alex at 5 foot 8 inches. They both looked about the same weight as well.

"N-N-No. Why? Who are you?" Zack responded.

Just then the girl looked at Zack, and then over at Cody, then back to Zack. She sent out a telepathic vibe to the guy.

"Hey, Marc, look at the two small ones."

"Yeah, I know. They look just like the two we're supposed to protect, Sarah. That would mean the guy with them is the elementalist. I'm not sure who the girl is, though. Perhaps this is a trick."

"Maybe. Maybe not. I don't want to risk it, but if it is, then..."

"I say we go for it. If it truly is the elementalist and his friends, then they should prove a challenge."

"Okay..."

Meanwhile...

"Hello? HELLOOOOO?" Zack waved his hand in front of their faces. Suddeny the girl blinked, and Zack shot back in fright.

"AHHH!"

"We have decided. You must all perish." The guy says softly, as if he is sad about having to kill them.

"If you want a fight, then you'll get one." Alex said, pulling out his black sword.

"Hey, that's a cool sword." Sarah thought to her self, not making the connection.

"That sword! It's...the mark. He's real, and he's right here." Marc thought.

"Let's get this started." Amy said, forming throwing knives in her hands. She chucked them at Sarah, who easily blocked them with a psychic force field. She then threw a psychic blast at Amy, who was knocked out cold.

"Grr...these two are good." Alex thought. He swung at Marc, who, again, easily blocked the blow with a psychic force field.

"For the savior of the universe, you sure are a pretty bad fighter." Marc said as he knocked Alex out cold with yet another psychic blast.

"These two are really good." Cody said to Zack.

"Yea, I know." Zack responded.

The battle went on for quite a while, with neither side taking any damage. Eventually, they quit fighting, and Zack and Cody passed out from exhaustion.

"Let's go." Marc said out loud to Sarah.

They take each of the bodies and drag them to their hideout.

END OF CHAPTER 14

A/N 2/13/06: Did you like it? Please review! Credit for the title goes to Sarah.

-ARK