Chapter Thirteen
Traveling faster than the speed of light, Strife arrived aboard Destiny's Ghost. He fell to the deck in a tumble with the blue boy He'd just brought. He still wondered why Unc had sent Him after a blue boy. He didn't recognize the kid for who he was.
Though he had tumbled with Strife, Jack Frost was back in the air in a split second. He completely dismissed the buffoon of a God he'd had to travel with while looking around for Jack Sparrow. He didn't see the Pirate Captain anywhere, but his eyes did fall upon the most lovely woman he'd ever seen. He knew She could be no mere mortal.
Strife shook His head and blinked back to His Uncle's throne room. Grinning from ear to ear, He brushed His hands together. Ares turned a wary eye upon Him, surprised that Strife had already taken care of the problem. "You're back already?" He asked in disbelief.
"Yes, Unc. Wasn't any problem once I found the blue boy!"
"What did You do with him," Ares asked, "and what do you mean it wasn't any problem? I know You're not good at battle."
Strife looked at Him in confusion. "I took him straight to Destiny's Ghost, and then I came here to You to let You know that I did what You commanded."
"You WHAT!" Ares roared. "You didn't stay for the battle!"
"Huh . . . No?" Strife answered Him in a very low voice. "I thought all I had to do was get the blue boy!"
Within two steps, Ares had Him by the ear and pulled Him up from the floor where He was groveling. "There is about to be one Hell of a battle, and if You're ever going to become My second-in-command, You need to learn how to conduct a battle! You were supposed to deliver the blue boy and then conduct the battle! After all, it was You and Discord who screwed everything up! I am taking You back in person to make sure that You do get there! You better not mess this up! Aphrodite's people had best win or else I might just decide to have boiled God for dinner!"
Strife shook in His boots. "Sorry, Unc! I thought that's what you wanted -- for Me to deliver the blue boy! Who is he any way?"
Without bothering to answer, Ares ported.
Meanwhile, the answer came from the blue boy's mouth himself. "Jack Frost."
"I know who You are, and You don't have to bow down to Me. At least, not right now," Aphrodite grinned and wrinkled Her nose.
Jack was about to answer the Golden Goddess when two other Gods suddenly appeared in Their midst.
Ares threw Strife to the deck at Aphrodite's feet. "Sorry, Sis!" He tried to smile at Her. He could tell that She was still piping hot angry as it rolled off of Her in waves. "I should have known Strife was going to screw everything up! That's why I brought Him Myself!" His voice trailed off as His eyes looked straight into Aphrodite's. He wanted Her so badly He could taste it.
Though His look made Her blood boil, She refused to give into Her lust for there were far too many greater matters at hand. "Just what do You expect Strife to do?" She questioned Him. "He brought Jack all right, but do You honestly think," She continued, placing one hand on Her hip, "He could even win a fight against a fly?"
"Probably not even with a wet papersack," Ares grinned at Her. "That's why I'm staying to make sure this is done right. He's gotta learn sometime. If Discord returns before He's ready, She's liable to take Him out like that." He clicked His fingers together. "What better teacher than Me?" He asked Her.
"Depends on who's teaching who what," She replied. She ran her tongue over Her lips and grinned enticingly, wanting Her brother to know just what He couldn't lay His hands on. She was surprised He was staying but wasn't about to admit so out loud.
"Just how did You manage to pull the wool over dear old Dad's eyes, or does He know what You're doing?" His eyes could not help but to steal up and down Her body again, taking in Her black leather and wanting to rub up against Her body. When She licked Her tongue out and ran it over Her lips, it was almost more than He could handle!
Aphrodite flipped Her long, blonde hair over her shoulder and let its golden cascades shimmer down Her barely-clad back. "Daddy," She answered with a knowing smile, "decided to look the other way."
"Lucky You! I wish He'd look the other way just once with Me! I might could get a really good war going! You did something. Come on now. Tell Me what You did." He could feel His palms sweating and wanted to feel Her tongue licking Him instead of Her own lips.
Aphrodite slowly sashayed toward Ares, but She talked in a seductive voice the entire time that She was closing the distance between Them. "You know I'm His favorite, brother darling. It really didn't take that much convincing." She ran a hand over His chest. "But this had better stay just between Us. We don't need the Others finding out." Her hand lifted to run along His beard. "Understand?"
He pulled back away from Her and looked at Strife. "Do You understand, Strife? That means You're supposed to keep Your big mouth shut!"
"Yes, Unc," He said calmly and quietly. "Do you really think Discord could kick My butt?" One could tell from the look on His face that He had really been giving the matter some thought.
"A fly could whip Your butt, Strife. One word out of those lips will be Your last."
"I promise, Unc! I won't say nothing!" His voice squeaked. Then His eyes quickly averted from Ares and looked at the blue boy. "You're Jack Frost?"
Ares sighed before catching Aphrodite's hand and bringing it to His lips. He kissed it before releasing it. "I'm sorry, Sis, for all this mess. What do You want Me to do about it? Are My hands tied, or can I kick some honest-to-Zeus booty?" He would not speak the other word in front of Her.
His kiss sent shivers racing down Her spine. Zeus, how She wanted Him! But She had to play the game right if Her people were going to win this one. Her right hand gestured to the outfit She wore. "As You can tell, I'm going in, and I see no reason why You can't, as well. We just have to be careful not to overstep that silly rule of Daddy's, but since He's looking the other way, I guess You could have some . . . " She winked as She spoke the next word. " . . . fore-fun."
He grinned mischievously, looking for all the world like an innocent boy. "Sounds like fun. I can't wait." He gave Her a look, letting Her know that She was what He couldn't wait for. "Where are the others?" He asked. "Don't we need to get a battle plan going?"
Aphrodite was about to rub Her body against Ares' and answer both his questions and comments when a familiar voice met Her ears.
Xena had been coming back to let Ditey know that every one was now armed and ready, but there was too much activity surrounding her friend and she could not believe her eyes when she saw Ares. It seemed that Aphrodite was holding Her own with Him, but His appearance could only mean one thing -- trouble! She snuck up behind Him and pointed her sword straight at His back. "What are You doing here?" she demanded.
"Me?" Ares asked and turned around slowly to face her. "Why, I'm part of the rescue party." He grinned at her. "And you can't do anything about it, because She just granted Me permission!"
"Ditey!" Xena moaned. "He's not going to be anything but trouble!"
She heard another voice pipe up and turned to see Strife waving at her. "I'm here too!" He said.
"Double trouble," Xena corrected herself.
"Xena, They're on our side," Aphrodite informed Her friend. "Strife won't step out of line if He doesn't want Ares to eat Him, and Ares won't do anything but help you and your friends as long as He wants what He can only get by helping. Trust Me," she added with a wrinkle of her nose, "He definitely wants it."
Xena didn't touch that one with a ten-foot pole, but she did look at the unusual attire that Aphrodite was wearing. "Great-looking outfit," she complemented Aphrodite, "except for one thing. Where's Your sword?"
"Xena," Aphrodite replied as if the answer was obvious, "you know I can't fight, but I can't not go with you either. I'll be there to help free the others, but the fighting's up to the rest of You." She laid a hand on Ares' bicep, letting Him know that She fully included him in that.
"I'll help you fight," Ares told Xena with a smug grin, "and you know where both of My swords are."
"Yes, and You'd better keep the other one covered!"
"That's for later tonight." He grinned at her.
"I don't want it!" Xena told Him.
"Didn't say it was you. I gave up on you a long time ago when you and Gabrielle decided you didn't want anybody else. I could have made both of you happy, but Aphrodite didn't decide it that way."
"You darn right I didn't decide it that way!" She had no intention of Ares planting it anywhere else and had been working on Him for a long time. After all, though married, Her husband was lame in more than one way.
"Ladies," Ares nodded, "You can count on Me and Strife." He stressed Strife's name. "You won't see Us, but We'll be there."
Xena eyed Him warily even as she heard the others beginning to head in their direction.
Jack's pointy ears also perked to attention when he heard the others approaching. They were talking about a battle plan and something that an unfamiliar male could not believe his woman was actually going to let him do, but he paid no attention to that as he flitted straight to Captain Jack Sparrow. "Jack," Jack called, "what in the world's going on! Who's got Crys, and why, and why are there so many Gods involved!"
Jack looked at some one he'd thought he'd never see again and then reached out and touched his shoulder. He shivered inwardly from the coldness and withdrew his hand before saying, "Our people have been taken, Jack, and we are going to get them back, but we can't find them. We need you and your crystal to find Crys. I pray to the Gods that we'll be in time. Our main God is a Goddess, and that's the Female in black. That's Aphrodite. The other one, I'm not sure who He is." He looked questioningly at Aphrodite.
"He's a friend," Aphrodite told them. Remembering Strife, She added, "They both are, and They're going to help."
Jack could tell that Aphrodite didn't want to rat on Her fellow Gods. He figured it might get Them into trouble with the Head God, so instead of asking Her Their names, he turned back to Jack. "Do you think you can locate Crys? If you can, we can get to them. Gods are not allowed to help too much," he told Jack, "else They get into trouble with the Head God." He had been very surprised to see Aphrodite in black leather as he figured She was not a fighter.
"Probably kinda like me pissing off the North Wind," Jack commented.
"Probably worse," Jack told him.
Jack Frost nodded, closed his eyes, and wrapped his hand around the crystal that he, like his cousin, never took off. It only took him a moment to track the crystal, but when he did, what he found sent shivers racing through his icy body. "That's . . . not . . . my . . . "
"No," Aphrodite gently told him, "that's not Crystal who you sense, Jack. It's . . . another being."
"Whoever she is, she's a bloody evil -- "
Aphrodite nodded. "Her name is Helvira."
Jack's eyes flew open even as he exclaimed, "Crap!" He saw Aphrodite nod in understanding agreement, but his attention moved back to Jack Sparrow. "I can sense their location, but without Crys at the other end of the crystal, I can't actually get the area."
"We can do it from that," Delvira spoke up. "We just need a telepath."
"Where's Willow?" Kyna asked, her almond eyes glancing around in search of the redhead.
"You needed me, Captain?" Willow asked from her place behind the group. She and Kennedy had just managed to get back with the group and was wondering what was going on.
"Willow," Kyna stepped to the side and gestured the redhead forward, "you already know Delvira." She motioned to the Vampiress who Willow had first met years before. "This is Jack Frost. I need you to use your telepathy to help them connect their minds. Jack can give us the location through thought, but he does not know the actual area."
Willow nodded. She had met Delvira many years before and was glad to be able to do something to help her, because the last time they'd met, Delvira had helped her. "Let's sit down, and let me hold one of each of your hands." She took a place on the deck in a lotus position.
Jack and Delvira sat in similar positions, but Jack hovered about an inch off of the deck. Each reached out a hand and took Willow's.
Willow began to hum even as she concentrated on what Jack Frost was sending her. She shivered as she picked up the evilness that surrounded what Jack was feeding her. She passed it straight on to Delvira, hoping to push it off from her system because she could not believe how much powerful evil was coming off of it and did not want it to effect the way she acted later in the battle.
When the transmission was complete, Delvira's black eyes reopened. Her skin seemed to have turned to an even paler shade, and she looked at the others around them with worried eyes before finally turning her gaze on Aphrodite. "You know my sister is Helvira."
Willow's eyes flashed open and looked at Delvira. "That evil thing is your sister!"
Delvira nodded solemnly. "She looks exactly like Elvira and myself and can pass for either of us as easily as we can pass for one another."
Aphrodite stepped closer to the group, Her hand leaving Ares' bicep as She swept forward. "You are concerned that she will trick the others?" At Delvira's nod, Aphrodite replied, "All you need is a password. You will also need it against Judson," She reminded the gathered group, "for he can take any form." She closed Her eyes, and Her mind reached out to the people and animals aboard both Destiny's Ghost and the Frolicking Monkey. Remember this word, she thought to them, her words sounding in their minds in their own native tongues, and ask for it any time you come in contact with one who appears to be your own but may not be. Remember this word and hold it close to your hearts: A mischievous grin flicked over Her face. Rutabaga.
Ares almost burst out laughing. He'd heard that word before, and it had had nothing to do with food! He covered His mouth to keep from laughing. "What do they do if some one asks or even tries to probe their minds for the word?" He looked at Aphrodite, wondering how She managed to keep such a straight face.
Aphrodite was glad for Ares' question as it made Her think. She kept Her eyes closed as She again reached to their minds, placing a spell of protection on each. No one will be able to probe Your minds. If the person should ask, tell them that you will say it together on three, but when the third comes, hold your tongue and let them speak first. Should they not say the correct word, you will know they are not one of you, and at that point, you need do your best to . . . do what must be done.
"Can we find the direction now?" Xena asked, peering anxiously at the threesome, after Aphrodite's eyes opened.
Delvira nodded solemnly. "Yes." Her eyes lifted to Aphrodite and the two who stood not too far behind Her. She could sense that They were also Gods. "May the Gods have mercy on our souls and those we go after." She spoke those words even as she stood. "Do we have a flier?" she asked the Captains.
"That would be me, shugah." Rogue came forward. "What do ya want me ta do?"
Delvira's black eyes turned to meet the woman's green eyes. "Fly me to the front of the Frolicking Monkey."
"No problem. Are we ready ta go now?"
"Yes."
Rogue scooped her up and flew to the front of the Frolicking Monkey. Spike headed for the wheel of Destiny's Ghost and looked skyward. He could see the two and was eager to get started, but just as his hands went to grip the wheel, all Hell broke loose on the Frolicking Monkey. Spike's eyes went straight to Ace. What had he unleashed upon them now!
Jack looked at Kat. "That can't be Clyde!"
"It's nae," Kat called back an answer to him for she had already broken into a run. She recognized the voices who were crying for help and roaring with anger, but the others she did not. Grabbing a rope, she swung and returned to running even before her booted feet hit the deck.
Ace swung over, following in hot pursuit with Kat. What had attacked their family! He had been surprised that she had agreed earlier to let him be the first line of contact! Now what in Gods' names had attacked his family! He ran so fast that he passed Kat.
Jack had found a harness for his twin swords and was no longer holding them; instead, they were crossed on his back. He grabbed a rope and sailed over. His booted feet carried him quickly behind Ace and Kat. Somewhere on that ship, he knew there was a little monkey in trouble, and as much as he didn't usually like the little pests, he had come to like and respect Clyde. He had been surprised at the attackers. The orange bobbing things he had seen earlier and knew belonged to Delvira and Jareth were surrounding Kat and Ace! He knew he didn't have any control over them and looked skyward immediately.
Ace's mouth was open, and he was talking desperately to his family, trying to quiet them as the strange, orange, bobbing things continued to circle and talk things that Ace couldn't figure what they had to do with the time and place that was going on. "What are you things doing aboard our ship, and what do you want?" he called out to them even as Clyde climbed on top of his head and wrapped his body around Ace's forehead.
The one-eyed cat who'd quickly climbed to Kat's shoulder when Ace and she had arrived upon the scene mewed, and the redhead's emerald eyes flashed. "What in the Hell di ye mean they wanted tae -- !"
The creatures that circled them broke off her words, however, as they answered Ace. "Aw, come on, man! We just wanna party!"
"Yeah! Take off your head, so we can play with it!"
Kat's eyes blazed. "Nae one's takin' off any o' our heads!" The head of the Fiery who had spoken erupted into a blazing fireball.
Jack returned his attention to the small gathering just in time to see one of the heads exploding. "There's no need to kill all of them," he told Kat. "They don't really mean harm. They're just a little crazy. Their heads come off, so they think everybody's do. They belong to Delvira."
"Then she'd better get her Vamp ass down here if'n she wants the bloody things!" She pointed a finger at one who was advancing on a crocodile and ignored the yelp she heard behind her. "Ye take one step closer tae him, an' ye'll gi up like yer brother did!"
James was having a hard time standing still. He had followed Jack, eager to have a chance to fight, only to see a crocodile in the circle of animals. If it took one look at him, it would eat him! He was about to freak out completely when he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Xena. "That one won't eat you, James. He's actually friendly."
James looked at her with fright in his eyes. "Another one just like him ate my hand! Pan fed it to him!"
"Well, Pan's not here, and you can take my word. That one won't hurt ya." She had already sheathed her sword and now looked at the orange things hovering around the group and looking like a bunch of balloons about to explode. "Your Mistress is up there," Xena pointed where they could all plainly see Delvira opening a portal and Rogue still carrying her. "We are about to go to battle. There's no time for partying."
"What's the battle jive, man?" one of the Fieries asked.
"The battle jive is that we're going to kick some Pirate ass."
"But you're Pirates!"
"Yeah! That mean we get to kick your ass?"
"If you do, Delvira's not going to be very happy. Do any of the rest of you want your heads burned up?"
"Ye din't have tae wait fer her, either," Kat warned them in a low growl. Flames danced from each of her fingernails.
"Huh . . . "
"Hum . . . "
"Uh . . . "
"No?"
"Get your butts over to the other ship right now!" Xena commanded them. "She left me in charge of all you ugly things! She doesn't even know you're down here, and I wouldn't want to interrupt her right now if I were you!"
"Why not?"
"Yeah, and where's the King?"
"The King is in terrible peril. We are going to rescue him and a lot of other good Pirates."
"Your homies?" one asked.
"We kinda noticed you been a few short."
"Lot actually."
"Yeah," yet another agreed. "Like, where's your piece?"
Jack broke out laughing. Despite the peril and the sadness, these idiots were never going to change! "We're going to have a party on the other ships when we get there," Jack told them. "That's where our pieces are, and you'd better hang on to your pieces 'cause you're going to need them!"
"But we can't hang on to them all!" one cried out in protest. He had managed to roll his body into a jumbled ball of arms, legs, and other parts as he'd tried clamping all his parts together.
"Gods, what idiots!" Jack proclaimed. "Get over to the other ship before we go through the portal!"
"Portal?"
"What's that?"
"That something to eat?"
"Or drink?"
"Or dance to?"
"Or maybe play?"
"Don't matter what it is!" Xena told them. "Move it!" She pulled her sword. "Now! Or I'll just let Kat loose and call Delvira."
The Fieries yelped at that warning and, at last, took off like scalded dogs for Destiny's Ghost.
"Didn't even know they were aboard," Xena told Kat. "I'm sorry for any problems that they've caused."
Kat relaxed as best she could, withdrawing the fire and raising a hand up to scratch the black patch over Captain's empty eye socket. "Jest make sure they din't get back o'er here, 'cause if'n they try tae take our babies' heads again, I'll take theirs."
Xena's eyes flashed over the group of animals. She was not surprised at the amount of them as she knew Kat and Ace had many that they had saved, but she was surprised at the assortment. They had everything living together despite the fact that most of them were natural predators to each other. In fact, even a lion sheltered a cowering lamb, and the crocodile's tail protected a tiny kitten.
"They mean well," Xena told Kat, "but they don't have all their marbles." She pushed James off of her as he was still clinging desperately to her and his eyes had not left the croc. "We'll go back over too. Looks like we're fixing to get to kicking ass real quick like."
"Make sure yer pants are lose, luv," Kat told Ace even as she headed for the wheel.
"I'm staying aboard here," Jack told Xena. "I think Lex is coming with Elvira. We're the first line, so if you would, tell Willow to come on over." No sooner were the words out of his mouth than he saw the redhead swinging over. Jack was surprised to see that others that he had not suspected were coming. Delvira was supposed to be aboard, but he had not thought that Matrix and AndrAla were coming over yet they seemed to be sticking to Elvira.
Damn! he thought. I still haven't had a chance to work with Elvira! Maybe she should stay on the other ship? He headed for Elvira to try to reason with her and get her to go back to Destiny's Ghost and then noticed that she was wearing starfish in her hair just as AndrAla was always wearing. "Elvira? We haven't had a chance to . . . train you for the fight. Maybe you should stay on Destiny's Ghost as a second line of defense?"
AndrAla placed a gentle hand on Elvira's shoulder. She knew Jack meant well and didn't want Elvira to blast into him. She figured the woman probably had a temper a lot like her twin's. "That's already been taken care of, Jack."
"It has?" he questioned her. "How's that?"
Matrix nodded even as he handed Elvira a belt with a gun already in its holster. "It's set on silence," he told her. "Just remember the dials."
"I will," Elvira assured him as she tightened the belt around her slender waist and began buckling it. "I know you meant well, Jack, but you were busy and had too much on your mind."
"I'm sorry I didn't get to you, Elvira, but I think you had an even better teacher than I would have been with the pistol. I'm not very good with guns."
She nodded and tried to smile. "Tell you what. You can help me with the sword later."
"I promise you I will. As soon as we get past the crisis that we're in now." He smiled at her. "It's a good day, and I'm glad that you can defend yourself. I don't plan to die on it, and I don't want any of my friends and family to die on it."
Matrix's green face lifted in a rare smile. "We've been in worse scraps than this one, Jack." His good eye caught Bishop running toward them, and the two muscular men exchanged a nod. "I've got to get to the cannons." He headed off even as Bishop swung to Destiny's Ghost.
"It's time." The solemn voice came from behind Jack even as Delvira's gaze took in her twin's new attire.
Jack raised a sword skyward. "May the Gods be with us on this day, and may we regain our family and friends healthy and whole again! May we kill every one of our enemies!" He lowered the sword and replaced it into its sheathe even as he felt the Frolicking Monkey surge forward through the portal and heard the two twins telling each other they loved one another.
To Be Continued . . .
