Chapter 18

There was a general uneasy atmosphere as the S.T.A.R.S. gang and company braced themselves for the unexpected.

It had taken less then a minute for everyone to agree that yes, Angelique was legit, yes, the world probably was in grave danger--again, and yes, going back in time to retrieve lost pieces of the Hylen was probably their safest bet to defeat the all-powerful Veronica. It was just one of life's simple decisions. As simple as deciding to get into the elevator and push the 'up' button to reach the rescue chopper rather than staying and blowing up with the bomb.

Sure, life was pretty sucky at the moment, but nobody wanted to see Armageddon. It was the right thing to do. The sane thing to do.

With Chris and Jill, however, it was a bit more personal. Neither had mentioned it aloud, but both had been thinking about the ramifications of time-travel. Namely: was it possible to change the past to affect the future?

Chris liked to think so. Yes, there was that pesky grandfather-paradox to throw a wrench into the plan: if a man went back in time and say, did something to get his grandfather killed, how would have he existed in the future to go back in time and effect his grandfather in the first place? It boggled the mind. A true paradox. An impossible situation.

Then again, most people supporting the grandfather-paradox tended to believe time-travel wasn't possible because of it. Clearly this was not the case.

So did the paradox still apply? And if not, how? Would it be possible to somehow alter past events--even slightly--to get a different outcome in the future? Maybe affect it so Crystal didn't die?

There has to be a way. Chris's mind buzzed, Going back into time is a miracle in itself, there has to be a way to change the course of events here. All I need to do is think. If I go back far enough, maybe I can kill Wesker before he gets too powerful. Say right when he's leader of STARS?

It sounded good on paper. No Wesker, no slayage of Crystal. No slayage of the Raccoon City S.T.A.R.S. either, come think of it. A perfect plan!

Or not.

Chris might have been in the worst emotional pain he could ever remember, but he wasn't stupid. The plan had flaws. In fact, it was downright chock-full of them. First of all, as Angelique had pointed out, the time-trips would be random. In other words, he could end up anyplace, anytime. He could end up back in the 1700's in Rome for all he knew. There was a mighty good chance he wasn't going to be encountering Wesker there.

Secondly, even if Lady Luck decided to smile on him and he did end up in a position to kill Wesker just before the Mansion Incident, would that really be such a hot idea?

No Wesker.

Things would be different, that much was certain. But how different? And in what ways?

Much as Chris despised his ex-captain with every fiber of his being, one thing for sure was fact: if Wesker hadn't taken them to the mansion, they wouldn't have known about the T-virus outbreak until much later. Maybe even too late. People who had initially died at the mansion may or may not survive, but that also put the original survivors at risk. It wouldn't be doing Crystal any favors if one or both of her parents died before she had a chance to ever even exist.

It was risking Seth's life as well. He didn't deserve to not live just because his sister couldn't. It was all grossly unfair.

It was unfair, and it was wrong, and Chris hated himself for being the world's worst father. As if by some morbid magic, the horrific events replayed over in his head, tormenting his soul.

Flash!

They were back in the muddy clearing; just him, Claire, and Crystal. The roar of a jet broke the serene silence of the sky. He looked up and a feeling of dread gripped him as he realized that this was Wesker's own private jet, the very same he and Alan had used during that whole African incident. In his arms, Crystal giggled and made remarks about airplanes. She didn't understand the danger. How could she?

Her father and aunt knew better. They weren't safe. Staying out in the open was ludicrous. Wesker was sure to kill them. Where would they...

The jungle. The only cover on this cursed island. He and Claire dashed for it. Hopefully they'd escape, hopefully Wesker hadn't noticed...

" Alan, how fast can you run? " He couldn't help it. The conversation he'd had only days earlier during a brief outing with his nephew surfaced in his mind as he raced on, almost there, almost reaching the first vibrant ferns and brightly-colored flowers heralding the edge of the forest...

" I've never gotten the chance to check it with a speedometer, but I'd guess somewhere around ninety miles-per-hour." Came Alan's haunting reply, " I can easily keep up with the cars on the freeway. Even pass most of them."

Gulp. Ninety miles-per-hour. That was awfully fast, and, sadly, probably a very accurate guess. Why had he had to ask that?

If Alan could go that fast, it was a forgone conclusion that Wesker could. He certainly hadn't been slow on the draw back in Antarctica. What were the odds he could catch a pair of fleeing siblings?

Too good, that was what.

He had almost reached the leafy cover of the thick jungle foliage when misfortune struck. Claire had tripped, and he tuned to see his sister struggling for purchase barely a car's length in front of Wesker. There was no choice. He'd had to do it.

" Crystal! Run for the jungle, now! " The last words he'd ever spoken directly to his little girl. Thankfully, Crystal had understood the urgency in his voice and done exactly as instructed.

He had assumed she would be safe. After all, it was him that Wesker wanted dead. Little Crystal had never done anything wrong. Why would the ex-captain go for her?

That split-second decision had proven to be the wrong one.

Having ushered Crystal safely out of the way, he raised his uzi to fire. All in all, probably not the smartest move on God's green earth. Seeing himself threatened, Wesker charged forward with blinding speed and simply smacked the weapon out of his hands. There was a stab of pain, then a brief flying sensation as his former boss grabbed him by the neck and cast him to the side like so much garbage.

It barely slowed him down. Terrified for his sister's life, he had been quick to rise and charge to her aid.

But Wesker had spotted a new prey. He reached the edge of the forest and snatched Crystal up before Chris had gotten within ten feet, and before Claire had fully regained her footing.

" Wesker," Chris had pleaded, his voice hoarse and dry, " You don't want her. Take me instead...what went down between us, she had nothing to do with it. Please, if there's any shred of decency or honor left in you at all..." He trailed off, unsure of what else to say. It was hard to know how Wesker would react in any given scenario, and he didn't want to say the wrong thing.

For a long moment Wesker had paused, as if considering. Then Crystal had cried out in pain--after all, her neck was bleeding--and with a murderous, snide remark, he'd snapped her neck.

Just like that.

Flash!

Hismind returned to the present, and he felt sick all over again.

How could he let that happen? How?! Good lord, even Alfred Ashford was a better father than he was! At least all of his offspring were still alive.

Maybe if he'd done something...different...his would be too. But what could have I done differently? If I had kept running with Crystal, he would have killed Claire. If I had taken Crystal with me to save Claire, he may have killed both of them.

It was a catch-22. Or was it?

His gaze shifted to Spade, stationed just to the side of Alexis. She looked so calm and collected...indeed, it was as if nothing daunted her at all. He watched in disgust as she lifted a hand to her face and flipped back a lock of black hair. Like her looks were the most important thing in the world. Her attention was, at present, directed fully at Angelique, who was saying something about unknown factors--or was it pre-owned tractors? Chris wasn't really paying attention.

Something was bothering him.

Spade had been there. She had been there from the start. Yet she had done nothing.

Well, nothing useful anyway. Standing around and saying that they should leave before Alan lost the fight didn't count. Any idiot could do that.

Why didn't she do something? She could have called out, distracted Wesker for us. Even a few seconds of extra time would have helped. She could have gotten in his way...anything other than just standing there.

Yes, the more Chris thought about it, the more Spade's actions seemed kinda strange. Even her expression now was...apathetic. She didn't seem overly heartbroken about the death of her cousin. She didn't seem much of anything. Disturbing.

They couldn't trust her. She'd spent too much time with Wesker. It was a grim possibility that maybe she'd been holding back because she didn't care. Spade was obviously a Daddy's girl. Chris couldn't help but thinking that maybe she was just as ruthless as her father.

Now Alan, that was a different story. Chris had no doubt that he was upset. After all, he'd spent a lot of time bonding with the kids. For better or for worse, he and Alexis had always treated them as if they were their own. And the kids returned their love.

Yes, Alan cared. Not that it made a difference. Guy brags about being able to run ninety miles-per-hour, yet when it really counts he can't get there quick enough. What a joke.

Though he wasn't consciously aware of it, Chris was starting to hate Alan.

" Open! " Angelique commanded, at last catching Chris's attention. Her hand shot out in front of her and four streaks of white lightning snaked forth from her palm, each splitting off in different direction.

There was a surreal shudder in the air as the lightning bolts struck against invisible barriers, instantly illuminating them in their glow. Four swirling green vortexes, each no bigger than a pizza pan, popped into existence in each place the bolts had struck.

Seth was just about to make the comment that unless Angelique shrunk everyone to the size of Barbie dolls there was no way they were going to fit inside, when the magic portals suspended in the air suddenly began expanding, wider and wider. Within moments they were as big as a child's swimming pool, and large enough for a grown man to step through comfortably.

The circle of friends gasped as Angelique looked on, admiring her handiwork. " Remember, eight hours! "

The next two seconds went by in a blur. Before anyone got a chance to object, or even to fully comprehend what was happening, for that matter, magnificent whips consisting purely of blue energy erupted from each portal and snagged their unsuspecting victims.

" Hey! What's...." Alexis was cut short when the energy-whip wrapped around her torso suddenly decided to pull her into it's portal. It didn't hurt. In fact it felt almost relaxing. The second she was in, Alexis's portal winked out of existence, leaving only air.

All in roughly half the time it took to blink.

The other portals were quick to follow suite, and they weren't picky about who they took. It all happened very quickly.

Jill, Claire, and Chris were all drawn into the maw of a single greedy portal.

Alan and Seth were chosen by another.

Spade got the last portal...alone.

Only Rob and Angelique were left untouched.

It was this curious fact that made Rob uneasy. There should have been five portals--one for each of the five Hylen pieces. Instead there had only been four.

" Um, Angelique, what about the fifth portal? There's five Hylen pieces, right? " He tried mask his disappointment about not being chosen by a portal. Sure, they were just magical--things--and it was hard telling what criteria they based their judgments on, but it made him feel unworthy somehow.

Angelique smiled gently. " Oh, don't worry! Those portals can be mischievous little scamps. Really, it's almost like they have a mind of their own. Not to worry, my friend. Like me, they must have somehow found you unfit for time-travel. Nothing to worry about. I can find someone else to collect the fifth piece. As for you...there's something else you can do to help in the fight. Here, let me show you."

A wave of her hand, and both she and Rob disappeared in a brilliant cobalt flash.

----

Wesker raised an eyebrow at the sight of Rob and Angelique disappearing in a flash. One second they were there, and the next they simply...weren't. Just like that. Most impressive, even he was forced to admit.

" Well well," He mused aloud, adjusting his aviators and taking a step out of his leafy hiding place, " Magic really does exist. Who'd have guessed? "

After the whole troll incident, Wesker had taken off; partially in pursuit of the Redfields, and partially to check on Spade. He'd caught up with them both--plus a whole lot more than he'd bargained for--and almost rushed right in to Angelique while she was giving her little speech. His interest fully piqued, he'd opted to crouch low and hide behind some nice leafy plants. From there he'd swept all that had went on with his eagle eyesight and super hearing.

Magic...now there was a concept. Very unscientific, but how could he deny what he had seen right before his very sharp eyes? Angelique had turned into a squirrel. Then, after turning back, she'd conjured up the use of magical swirling vortexes supposedly leading into other places and/or times. The STARS had all but disappeared into these. Without a trace. Then the witch had simply vanished herself, taking the individual called "Rob" with her.

As for the idea of Veronica Ashford not only being alive, but also a powerful sorceress bent on the destruction of the old world in favor of a new, less complicated system...now that was something. For being an Ashford, this Veronica had the right idea. Kill off almost everyone and start anew. It was a thrilling concept. If she could pull it off, that would be quite a feat indeed.

But where did that leave Albert Wesker?

In a position to acquire some serious power, that's where.

Too bad that white-hat Angelique with a name that made her sound like she should be on 'Dark Shadows' had sent the Lame-Gang back in time to find the pieces of some Hylen that supposedly had the power to declaw badass Veronica.

Such a shame. Wesker shook his head and made a small noise of disgust. What did the S.T.A.R.S. have against improvement? Cutting the world's surplus population down to a more manageable level was better for everyone.

And Seth was a teenager now. That was...different. He would have had a harder time believing it was the same person if not for Angelique's story and proof of real magic.

Not that it changed matters. Older or no, Seth was a dead man walking. Of course, he had witnessed the teen flying into the same portal as Alan...how bad it would be if those two kindled any kind of a friendship! One-on-one, Seth--even a teenaged version--didn't stand a snowball's chance, but if he kept that bad habit of his of staying close to Alan every time Wesker wanted to attack...well, that would complicate matters.

Alan. Wesker sneered at the thought. Son or no, the guy was a constant pain in the neck. Giving him the T-2 virus and teaching him to fight had been a terrible mistake. I would have been better off letting him die. But what's done is done. In any case, I wasn't sent here to waste my time with him.

No. No he wasn't.

The S.T.A.R.S. were gone, and it wouldn't break Wesker's heart if they never came back. As far as he was concerned, they could all rot in the place opposite of Heaven. Especially that treacherous Alan. They'd already cost him enough time on this assignment anyway. Instead of concentrating on finding the Sword of Elpis, he'd been focusing his energy on chasing after worthless ex-comrades.

Well, now they were taken care of, and he wished he could just allow himself to be thankful for that. If any returned, they'd be dealt with later.

Hopefully Spade would make it. She was perhaps the only person in the world Wesker didn't want to rip open and savagely murder. Sure, she tried his patience at times--like asking for certain viruses she couldn't have--but he would hate to see anything bad happen to her.

Not everything was doom and gloom, however. This cloud had a silver lining.

True, his favorite jet had gotten ripped to ribbons by a butt-ugly behemoth that had very nearly squeezed the life out of him, and true, his daughter--as well as his foes before he could exact proper revenge--had disappeared to Buddha-knew-where, but overall Wesker's mood was fairly good.

He'd killed Chris's daughter.

He'd killed Chris's daughter and gotten to savor that pitying look of sheer horror and despair as his adversary had looked on, helpless--crushed. Too bad he didn't have a camera. That had definitely been a Kodak moment!

Wesker stretched and stomped an innocent snake beneath his bootheel. Making his way through the damp fauna--which missed no opportunity to slap his legs with their damp and sticky leaves--he entered the clearing and came to stand in the very spot Angelique had.

This was truly a jungle paradise. Wesker was surrounded on all sides by ferns, flowers, plants, and trees of all kinds. Thick green vines dangled lazily above his platinum-blonde hair, and insects buzzed at his ears. Sometimes, it felt like, in them. Everywhere he looked the vegetation was alive with caterpillars, ants, small mammals, and birds.

He took all this in, allowing his muscles to relax and his senses to fine-tune to the rhythm nature.

Overwhelming.

Everything was alive!

When he sniffed the air a thousand different scents reached his nose. His sensitive ears picked up everything from a mouse eating a nut under a root a few feet away to the awkward lumberings of the zombies and still other, bigger, creatures more than a mile away. Though the range of his eyes was limited by all the greenery, what he did see was flamboyant, colorful, and moving. A short grunt betrayed a wild pig nearby. Monkeys chattered merrily in the canopy, there fleeting shadows sometimes obscuring what sunlight filtered down from overhead.

Most of that, save the zombies, was pretty standard tropical island stuff. Except....

Except for the few odd things that weren't.

There were a few scents...none of them nearby....that were completely foreign to Wesker's sensory. A weird rattling which sounded something like a cross between a rattlesnake shaking it's famous tail and a raven's cry. Inhuman giggling. And--this was perhaps the most unsettling--a low, almost inaudible growling with an off cackle thrown in, which was the way Wesker imagined a dog might sound if it had a bone caught in it's throat.

This island is strange. No wonder they call it 'Majika' Island. That name's actually pretty fit. It's a play on words. Clever, clever.

Well, he wasn't accomplishing anything standing around sharing his thoughts with the monkeys. He had bigger fish to fry. Much bigger.

Focusing on the direction he knew to be the exit to these confining woods, Wesker shot out of the foliage as fast as he was able; his course set not for Mt. Fulcan, but the direction in which he guessed Veronica's fortress to reside....

----

Veronica stormed through the halls of 'Castle Ashford' with all the grace and tenderness of a T-rex on a rampage. Something was wrong. There was a force on the island which could rise to threaten her, a force which shouldn't be there. I am really getting sick of these problems. My world will be so much better.

She exited the end of the hall and came into an almost bare red-carpetted room containing her descendant called 'Ash.' Of course, by now Veronica knew he and his sisters were inbred--there wasn't a soul alive who could keep secrets from her if she so wished--but she didn't care. Many of the nobles of long ago had been inbred. It didn't necessarily make the offspring genetically inferior or retarded, so long as it was not done over and over continuously.

Ash looked up immediately when she came in. " Hi Veronica! " Catching himself, he added, " I mean, er...Mistress Veronica. "

It wouldn't have taken much for Veronica to reply 'Hi' or 'Greetings, Ash.' Even give some gesture that she acknowledged he was there. Instead, the impatient sorceress blew past him in a whirlwind without giving him so much as a second glance, displaying her usual amount of courtesy.

Ash may just as well have been invisible.

Nope. The bee isn't out of her underwear yet. He frowned, dropping his pink feather duster--the only color Veronica had provided as a slap to the face of her once proud family. It was at the back of his mind to ask 'Her Majesty' what she'd done to his parents, but no, he decided, he really didn't like the idea of joining their fate.

With the force of a typhoon, Veronica yanked the curtains apart to reveal a perfect sunny day outside.

Blue eyes blinked in the new light, and the sudden realization.... " Sorry! I didn't get the chance to clean that window yet! But I swear I was just on my way..." Ash babbled, his snobbish voice primed with fear.

Veronica was not in the mood. " Don't worry about it." She grumbled, opening the window with a wave of her hand. She could have lifted the handle, but once again, that was just too much work.

Ash backed up a pace, worry eating away at his features. He'd never considered himself a coward, but Veronica had totally trashed Alexia...Whose to say she won't lose patience someday and murder me? It was a scary thought.

And it could very well happen. There was no weapon Ash could use to defend himself should the red-haired slave-driver decide to turn hostile. Veronica was too powerful. And as long as he was trapped on the island he hadn't a prayer of escape.

No chance at all...

A warm breeze blew in, gently caressing Veronica's cheeks and lightly tossing up swirls of her hair. The sunlight caused red to glint gold in some places.

Ash resisted the urge to snort in disgust. Why, if he had that kind of power, then he could look as he chose too.

Now Veronica was just standing by the window, stiff as a statue, as if transfixed by something her descendant could not see. This lasted for about five minutes straight. Ash was just about ready to call her name when the petite woman began swaying back and forth like a drunkard.

Oh no! Not again!

" Purdy out today, isn't it? " Veronica's question was more of a giggle.

What?! " Uh, yeah. I guess." Ash said slowly, unable to take his eyes off his crazed ancestor. This woman is completely crackers! And I thought Dad was bad. I wonder what causes her to go off like this? There has to be something that triggers it...damn, I really hope it's not me!

The painful memories of 'You Say It Best' and the dance he had shared were etched in his mind forever. And not in a positive way. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was be handy when she had another quack-attack.

Veronica turned around, and to Ash's horror all semblance of seriousness had left her face. " I'm going to rock this world." She murmured, as if in a dream. A dopey, stupid grin about 5,000 watts too bright blossomed on her face, and she giggled--apparently from Ash's observation--at something hilarious the wall to the right had just said.

The blonde's eyebrows raised in surprise. He wasn't sure whether ask what Veronica was doing or run off down the halls. Well, she seems friendly now...

" Veronica, is everything...okay? "

No, it wasn't. Okay people didn't act like they were three sheets to the wind.

" Okay?! " Veronica practically screamed the word, in spite of the fact that Ash was only a few feet away, " Nev-ah felt bet-ah brother! " She rapped in some weird foreign accent that sounded like an inharmonious mix between French, English, and some other language.

She laughed again. The bare gray-stone wall was really quite the comedian tonight.

Then, to Ash's amazement--and horror--Veronica Ashford began dancing to the tune of music only she could hear. A step here, a step there; dancing like a showgirl practicing for an audition. It might have been a mediocre performance had Veronica possessed an ounce of grace. As Ash looked on in complete shock, the 'fanciful' dancer shut her eyes and danced face-first into the wall, smashing her nose hard enough to make the saner Ashford twitch in pain. Ouch.

" Veronica? " Ash wasn't sure what he should do.

Veronica didn't appear to be hurt. Barely keeping her footing, she stumbled away from the wall in much the same manner as a confused zombie and swept the room blankly with those spell-binding violet eyes. Then she shook her head, and some shred of sanity seemed to re-assert itself.

Veronica actually looked a bit embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed mildly as she turned to face her kin and fix him with those enchanting eyes. Rather than cold and hard, her gaze was actually friendly, and when she spoke her words were devoid of ill-will.

" Erm...that didn't happen." She declared lightly, as if as much to assure herself as the young man standing before her. A funny look creased her face as she waited for Ash's reply.

Best to dance to her tune. Ash nodded solidly. " Nope." He felt like an idiot for even saying it.

Veronica beamed. " Darn straight! " She chuckled wildly, like a pyromaniac who had just received the world's best lighter, " Can't have anyone thinking I'm all sixes and sevens! " She winked an eye and blew him a kiss before turning and practically skipping over to the window. " I shall return! " She promised cheerfully. Before Ash had time to reply, her body lit up with a bright golden aura, and a second later a peregrine falcon sporting the traditional sooty black feathers on top and creamy, mottled underside stood in her place, sharp talons scratching roughly into the stone sill.

Perfect. It was the perfect form for scouting the island--a far-sighted flier, fast and agile, yet small enough not to draw attention. She raised her wings, testing the air.

Warm with gentle breezes. Excellent flying weather. Good, good.

Just for the heck of it, Veronica opened her beak and let out a loud, piercing falcon cry: " Creeeeeeeeet! " Watch out world, I'm coming! Then she folded her slender wings close to her body and jumped off the sill, waiting until she was halfway down before spreading them and flapping up into the sky.

Ash was left staring blankly out the window. " Sixes and sevens? " He repeated.

Now what the feathered heck was that supposed to mean?

----

The sparkling sun glinted off her sleek black-and-slate feathers, and the warm thermals rose off the rapidly heating ground to supply the needed lift. It was a raptor's dream. Veronica sailed easily through the current, spiraling up and up hundreds of feet into the air.

It would have looked quite odd indeed to any bird-watchers. Peregrine falcons do not normally soar like eagles. Their smaller, slimmer wings are designed for speed, not hours of effortless flight. In addition, only lost peregrines end up out in the middle of the tropics. If only Veronica had known how out-of-place she was, she may have considered a different form.

Then again, maybe not.

Veronica was in heaven. I'd forgotten how much fun this was! She thought as she spilled air, tucked her wings close to her body, and plummeted like a feathered missile in the peregrine's famous dive.

Weeeeeeeee! So exhilarating! So effortless! The ground rushed up in a brown and green blur; the wind whistling past her hooked beak and blowing past her streamlined body. Pure joy! Undiluted bliss! Hah, eat your heart out Alexia! Beat this! You can never know the joys of being a falcon in a dive!

Faster and faster....there was the ground!

Yahoo! Veronica screamed telepathically to herself, sweeping her wings forward and adjusting her tail-feathers to shoot past the ground and back up into the air in a narrow arc, just an instant before the big splat.

What a rush!

Flapping back up into the sky, she caught a glimpse of a marshal eagle off in the distance. Had she been able to, Veronica would have shrugged. The eagle might be a threat to a normal falcon, but it may as well be a bug for all she was concerned. She was the Queen. She was untouchable.

She was...flying!

The cares of life faded away. Gaining an altitude of a few hundred feet, she gazed down on her kingdom below. Raptor eyes are amazing. She could she every monkey in the canopy, every insect buzzing below. A few lycandits, her wolf-like beast pets, roamed below in search of prey. However, she scarcely cared at the moment.

She'd re-discovered flying!

For the first time in many years, she was able to push all dark thoughts back to the recesses of her mind and just be happy. She really should be scouting the island, she knew. The source of her discomfort must be located and destroyed. But heck, couldn't that wait just a few more minutes?

If she'd had lips, she would have smiled. Yes. It can wait. I can afford this moment's joys. That settled it.

Climbing higher still, Veronica made slight adjustments to her feathers and began looping into a fantastic display of aerial acrobatics that would put even the best real birds to shame.

In fact, she was so caught up in her feats, she never paid heed to Mt. Fulcan, or the fact that she was getting closer and closer to it. Had she looked down at all, she would have seen the two shifty figures standing at it's base.

---

Rob and Angelique stood at the foot of Mt. Fulcan near the slender opening of a cave. The moment was pregnant with mystery as the dark-haired man tried to guess what the witch had in mind.

All in all, he wasn't entirely comfortable. There was something odd about this witch...an eerie sort of familiarity he couldn't quite place that ate away at the back of his mind and crept under his skin like a disease.

" Deep within the caverns of fire in the heart of the volcano lies an ancient artifact said to shield it's wearer from all magic. Could come in handy for the champion wielding the Hylen." Angelique gestured to the dark cave in front of them.

Rob didn't like it. A foul breath eminated from that cave, a hot, sickening smell. She's got to be kidding. In there? This doesn't feel right, Rob.

" What does the artifact look like? "

" It's..."

" Creeeeeeeet! "

Angelique was cut off by the sharp scream of a bird of prey. She and Rob looked up simultaneously to see a magnificent falcon dancing high in the air, twisting, diving, looping, spiraling, and twirling at every available chance. The crazy bird was doing every stunning aerial move a falcon could do, and even some a falcon couldn't.

" Car-eeeeeeeeeeeet! " The bird--looked a heck of a lot like a peregrine falcon--fell into a death-defying plummet. Seconds later and it rose from the tops of the trees, a long stick clasped firmly in it's talons. When it was high enough, it dropped the stick, waited a few moments, and dived after it. Strangely enough, it seemed to be playing.

The first stages of a snarl twisted Angelique's mouth. No normal falcon would behave like that. Not only that, but this was the wrong part of the world for the species to be found. Not very sneaky, are you Veronica?

The witch's almost-a-sneer had not gone unnoticed by Rob. " What's that? " He asked, even though the answer was very obvious.

Angelique shook her head and returned her attention to the matter at hand. " Just a bird." There was no point in getting her friend all worried. The sorceress hadn't noticed them.

Rob wasn't entirely comfortable with this answer, but then again, he wasn't entirely comfortable with this woman. Choosing not to argue, he ran a hand over his dark brown hair and turned back to the cave.

" About this artifact. Might help if I know what I'm looking for."

" It's an amulet. The inside gleans red like blood. You'll know it when you see it. The inside path is lit by the magic of the ancients. Use them wisely, and don't let down your guard: no human can hope to defeat the warriors of the cave."

Rob threw up his hands. " If no human can defeat the warriors, what makes you think I can? " It was a bit of a slip-up. In his haste to get out of this deal, Rob had said the words he was starting to regret.

Angelique snickered softly.

" What's so funny? " Rob spun around in a flash, suddenly nervous.

" We both know you're not entirely human." Her words were light and to the point.

Rob's face darkened. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. " How do you know that? "

" Silly! I'm a witch, remember? I can sense these things."

Rob crossed his arms and gave a dry smile. " Alrighty then. What am I? "

" I'm not quite sure." Angelique rubbed a hand under her chin thoughtfully, blue eyes fixed firmly on the army-clad young man in front of her. " But I do know that with that on your side you stand some chance of success." She pointed to the cave again, " We don't have much time, I'm afraid. Can't stay her to debate this with you, I have to get the fifth portal up and running." She glanced around nervously. " Hopefully I can find someone for it."

Ron nodded mechanically, then turned and waved a hand over his head before continuing into the caves. " You go ahead and do that then. I'm going in." Anything just to be away from her.

White or no, this witch made him feel even more jumpy than a cat on a hot tin roof.

---

Alexandra raced down the halls like a jackrabbit in a wild rush for it's den. I have to find Veronica! And quickly! She'd already searched most the manor, and after several minutes of this her main wounds had pretty much healed, and she'd taken the liberty of changing clothes as well. She'd had to. The ones she'd been wearing had been almost completely burned off.

Now she was dressed for the occasion in a pair of designer jeans and a light blue shirt. It was a darn good thing Veronica had remembered to put a wardrobe in her new 'room'. Sultan sprang at her heels, struggling to keep up.

Door ahead. Alexandra slammed on the brakes and thrust it open to reveal....an empty room. So much for that.

" Darnnit! I feel like I've opened every door in this castle! " The frustrated Ashford exclaimed. Useless. Where was Veronica? Her parents didn't have forever!

" Veronica? Ver...ouch! " Having finally caught up to his mistress, Sultan had decided that now was the perfect time for play and was now batting Alexandra's ankles with his oversized paws. What was painful were the claws he'd forgotten to retract.

Alexandra smiled good naturedly and patted the cub on the head. " Easy there, Sultan. You could end up hurting both of us."

Unfortunately, Sultan interpreted that as 'Let's play!' In his excitement, he grabbed Alexandra's hand with both paws and bit in with needle-like teeth just a tad too hard.

" Ouch! " Alexandra shook her hand free and instantly covered it before the bleeding scratches could burst into flame. " Bad Sultan! " She scolded, trying her best at an angry-face, " It's not a good idea to go around biting and clawing people. Especially when they have the T-Veronica virus." She shuddered, " You could burn yourself. Or mutate. Or both! " She wagged a finger at the naughty cub.

Sultan sat on his haunches, perplexed. For all he was concerned, Alexandra may just as well have scolded him for pouncing on a ball. Of course it could be hard to tell when his mistress was displeased sometimes. Alexandra never got all that mad, and when she did she never really did much. Once or twice she'd given him a swat on the butt, and while she easily could have knocked the cub clear into next week with her super-strength, she was always so careful that the 'spankings' felt more like love-taps.

" Alexandra? Is that you? " Ash's voice called from down the hall.

Ash! Perhaps he'd know where to find Veronica!

" Yes I'm coming! " Alexandra shot down the hall and nearly collided with her older brother in the end room. Sultan, of course, was quick to follow.

Ash turned and regarded his little sister who was bouncing about wildly reminding him of one of those tiny rubber balls that you get from the toy machines. Her icy blue eyes flashed with equally as passionate excitement.

" Where's Veronica? I need to find her! "

Clearly it was a game, and Sultan bounced right along, trying to catch her feet.

Ash frowned. Had every last ounce of sanity left this castle? " Dear sweet humble Veronica," He answered as sarcastically as possible, " Decided to turn herself into a bird and fly out the window." He shook his head, " The woman's screws are so loose she's falling apart. She's at least five times worse than Dad on 'those days'."

Of course by 'those days' Ash was referring to Alfred's cross-dressing fits. All the Ashford kids had seen at least a couple of those at some point or another. It always annoyed the heck out of the real Alexia.

Alexandra stopped instantly, an urgent wave of sadness sweeping her face. " But we have to find her! Mom and Dad are..."

" Yeeeeoowch! " Ash cursed loudly, interrupting his little sister. He looked down to see a happy Sultan attached firmly to his ankle, sharp teeth sinking through the fabric of his sock and into his skin. " You little..." With an angry snarl, Ash shook his foot free and kicked the cub. Hard.

" Miiiaoowff! " A frightened Sultan dashed to the corner of the room.

" Hey! " Alexandra shot Ash a poisonous look, " Do not kick my tiger! He's just a baby! "

Ash snorted. " Well that baby bit me! "

" He didn't mean anything! He was only trying to play you big mean...meanie! "

Ash feigned a surprised, hurt look. " Meanie? You slash me with your words! " He laughed, sparing a glance at the shaken tiger cub huddled in a protective ball against the far wall, " That cat gets in my way again I'll be using him in place of a football! "

" No! " Alexandra rushed over and snuggled the upset cub. " You won't or else I'll..."

" What? " Ash chuckled, finding the prospect of fluffy wuffy Carebear Alexandra doing anything quite amusing, " Tell Mommy and Daddy? I shiver with fear." Alexia wouldn't care and Alfred wouldn't be able to do anything even if he did.

" Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of Veronica when she gets back. She really likes Sultan. See? " She pointed to the cub's fancy collar.

Ash's smirk evaporated. Suddenly he didn't feel so smug. " Veronica? What makes you think that she would...."

" You Say It Best." Alexandra grinned.

Ash's hear fluttered in horror. " No! That crazy loon dances like she's got two left feet! "

" I'll tell her." Alexandra threatened calmly, " Unless you apologize." She scooped cub the up in both arms and rubbed under his chin.

Ash raised an eyebrow in surprise. " You want me to apologize to a stupid furball? " Absurd!

" Tiger." Alexandra corrected, " And he's not stupid."

Ash turned his nose up at the very thought. " An Ashford," He huffed, " Does not apologize."

Alexandra began to sing, " It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart..."

" Okay okay! I'm sorry! " Degrading as it was to apologize to anyone, much less a stupid animal, the horrible image of being flung around the room yet again to the tune of godawful music had a way of gripping the mind.

Alexandra nodded. " Apology accepted. Sultan forgives you."

Ash was about to make a rude remark about dumb animals, then bit his tongue. It just wasn't worth invoking Veronica's wrath for a few laughs. Instead he chose to switch the topic of conversation.

" So, what were you saying about Mom and Dad? "

Alexandra's triumphant smile faded instantly. " Oh! It's really awful! They're shackled to the wall with unbreakable bonds and Nosferatu is tearing them apart! Ash, we have to do something! If we get Veronica she could undo the spell...."

Ash had to laugh at his sibling's naivety." And what makes you think she'd do that? Did you hit your head hard or did you forget that Veronica's the one who put them there in the first place! " It was a valid point. Much as Ash hated the idea of his mother suffering in some twisted Veronica-version of Hell, there was nothing they could do about it. I'm sorry Mother. But I can't help you. I'm sure you understand. She would understand, right? Surely she would see that there was nothing he could do....

Alexandra set a now-content Sultan down and turned to head out of the room.

" Where do you think you're going? " Ash scoffed, " She's never going to change her mind! "

" She might." Alexandra decreed, and when she turned her head over her shoulder for the faintest of moments to beckon her pet to follow, Ash saw the faint glean of tears in her eyes, " I have to try."

For once, Ash was speechless.

What did you say to that?

----

Fifteen minutes later, and Alexandra wasn't any closer to finding the exit to this lonely castle than she was to finding Veronica. It was her plan to go outside and try to find the deranged sorceress, but that just wasn't happening. She'd went downstairs--she had to be on the bottom floor now--but there was still no clue as to where the door might be. To makes matters worse, all the windows she'd encountered thus far were not only locked tight with no way to open them, they were also unbreakable, as she'd learned the hard way. Veronica must have some sort of spell around them, protecting them from harm. Alexandra doubted her mother's strength placed behind a sledgehammer would chip them.

" There has to be a door around here somewhere, doesn't there? " Alexandra asked the tiger with a disheartened sigh. She sat down on the bottom step for a quick rest, and a chance to get her thoughts together. This was turning into quite the chore. Why couldn't Veronica just stay in one place for a change?

Without warning, Sultan pounced into her lap and began happily licking her fingers.

In spite of her current mood, Alexandra managed a small smile. " There has to be a way..." She stroked the cub's back, fingers brushing through soft fur, " unless...." a terrible thought entered her mind, and her glacier blue eyes welled with fear, " What if Veronica doesn't have a door because she doesn't need one? She could just teleport in and out anytime she wanted! "

" Meaowlf. " Sultan agreed simply, apparently assuming that was a good thing.

Alexandra was about to reply when the air in front of her just...opened up. There was no other way to describe it. The air opened up, and the space inside rippled.

" Veronica? " The blonde-haired child jerked up with a start and backed away, just in case the sorceress happened to be in a sour mood. Sultan leapt behind her heels and crouched to the floor, watching the strange phenomenon from between his mistress's legs. A single blinding flash of white, and a woman stood near the stairs. To Alexandra's utter amazement, it wasn't Veronica.

" Greetings young one." The white-dressed blonde-haired woman announced, " My name is Angelique and I am a white witch. Do not be afraid."

Alexandra blinked. Actually, she was more startled than afraid. Magic was becoming commonplace around these parts anymore. " Um...hi." She waved a few fingers, still unsure quite what to make of a 'white witch' who just popped in out of the blue. " I'm Alexandra." She curtsied politely, getting a smile from Angelique.

" You're awfully polite for an Ashford." Hard to believe such a nice child was in fact a direct descendant of the loathed Veronica.

Alexandra nodded. " I get that a lot. You're awfully nice yourself."

Very hard to believe. Angelique's eyes traveled nervously around the room. Veronica was currently out playing a little game of catch-the-stick as a falcon, but that wouldn't last forever. Time was of the essence.

" Alexandra, listen." The witch's eyes came to rest on the youngest member of her foe's family, " I have an important mission for you. You see, your ancestor Veronica is an evil sorceress who wants to kill almost everything and everyone in the whole world. At midnight tonight she's going to perform a spell that will conjure up massive hurricanes, catastrophic floods, devistating tornados, fires, and earthquakes the like of which has never been seen." To drive her point home further, she locked eyes with the child, " Alexandra, she's going to kill ¾ of the life on this planet to make way for her own little world. A world with her creatures, her landforms, and her people. Anyone who survives will serve only as her slave. She'll rule over all like a god."

Alexandra's eyes widened with surprise. Veronica hadn't seemed that bad. She really wanted to do all that?!

" That's horrible! "

The witch nodded urgently. The clock was ticking, and she was trying to speed this along as quickly as possible. " Yes, it is. But we can stop her. There's a magical staff known as the Hylen which has the power to defeat Veronica. Trouble is, Veronica split it into five pieces and hid each piece in a different time-warp. They could be anyplace, anytime. I've already sent some people out to retrieve four of the five pieces, but you must use the fifth portal to retrieve the last piece. The magic for the space-time portals only works on this island, and you're the last person here I can trust. Time is of the essence. Will you do it? "

How could she refuse? Alexandra nodded. Saving her parents was important, but so was saving the world. " Alright. But do you think you could help my parents? They're stuck up in the top tower and Veronica has a hideous monster torturing them."

" Of course. I'll...see what I can do." Angelique promised, " But we must act quickly! Veronica could be back any second! "

" What does the Hylen look like? "

Angelique waved her hand in a circular motion before replying, " It's a staff made of white wood carved with golden runes. The tip is a bloodred garnet orb about the size of a coconut. You'll know it when you see it. And you'll have exactly eight hours to retrieve it. Once that eight hours is up, you will automatically be teleported back here with or without it. Keep it hidden from Veronica, if she finds out what you're up to all is lost." The witch stepped back, and the area in which she'd made circles with her hand began to swirl.

A tiny green vortex appeared in the center, no bigger than a quarter. Faster and faster it spun, pulling in more mass and growing larger and larger. Within moments, it was the size of a basketball. Then a hula-hoop. Then a swimming pool. It made no noise save a faint eerie crackling; a sound akin to Rice Krispies cereal when milk was poured into the bowl.

Without thinking about it, Alexandra reached down to pick up her cub. At that very instant, a snake of black lightening erupted from the collage of swirling greens and snagged her torso.

" Good luck! " That was the last thing Alexandra Ashford heard before she was snapped into the gaping maw of the mystical gateway and darkness claimed her.