CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE The Travel Home

As Delenn carries Mira, the walking is tiring, Mira is not very heavy, only about 60 pounds, but what keeps Delenn going is her son Mira. As for Bri, he sleeps. As they finally come to the Morgul Bridge they cross one by one and they are deep in the Great Gap. It is very hot here, but laughter and joy fills them. By nightfall the stars are out, the volcanic cloud is gone. As the Nazgul and Tsiegret'lopian's celebrate, the Prophecy watches and enjoys. Bri watches, wondering what has happened in Khazad'dum, but as Mira ponders he casts out the thought. But new worries come to him. He is becoming weaker by the hour. Delenn watches Bri, she also notices that Bri is wasting away. His asthma and muscular disease is manifesting. As the party ends slowly, they sleep. As the sun rises they begin to head east again. As they reach the cross roads one heading to Tsiegret'lop, the other to Angband. Delenn knows this is where the group must split, they were told that there was an ship on the Island of Tsiegret'lop that could take them home, Delenn thanks the Tsiegret'lopian's and they leave Delenn thanking her. As the Nazgul look at Delenn and the prophecy they too are leaving. As Khamul walks up to Delenn he stands with Delenn. "I go with you to Angband, I will take control of the Gates of Hell."

Delenn looks at Khamul, "Gates of Hell, is that its name?" As Delenn looks at the dark mountains.

Khamul looks at the mountains. "Yep, those are the Gates of Hell, belonging to the ancient dark lord Morgoth, but we call him Melkor."

Dendra Dwar looks at Khamul, "I will go with you Khamul, I have no kingdom anymore, Waw is no longer." Khamul nods.

Ji Indur Dawndeath looks at Khamul. "I was raised in the south, so I will go back to the old Empire of Anubis." Khamul and Dwar nods, Indur turns around and goes back the way they came.

Akhorahil looks at Bri. "This is where we leave my lord, I wish to rule over Angmar, do I have your favor?" Bri nods, Akhorahil smiles and reaches into his pocket and pulls out the Eyes of the Well. He, takes one of the Eyes of the Well. "He, takes one of the Eyes of the Well, I give it to you as a gift for freeing me!"

Bri takes the Eye of the Well and looks at it. "Thank you Akhorahil?" Akhorahil nods and heads towards Tsiegret'lop with the one Eye of the Well. As Adunaphel looks at Delenn, she smiles. As she goes to Mira she brushes his young face. Mira does not know her. "Take care of yourself." Adunaphel looks at her charm of the five stars of Numenor. She removes it and puts it over Mira's wrist. "This is old, it is a charm given by my father, a ruler of Numenor, I give it to you."

Mira looks at the silver charm on a silver chain, "Thank you Adunaphel, it's nice." Mira smiles.

Adunaphel puts her hood over her head and goes off towards the northwest. "I head to the Old Port of Angmar."

Hoarmurath looks at Adunaphel. "Wait up!" Hoarmurath runs to Adunaphel. Adunaphel looks at him. Hoarmurath looks at Mira and the other two Nazgul. Hoarmurath turns and goes to Mira. He takes off his coat of Urdar. "I hear that the coast is cold, take this," Delenn lowers Mira to the ground and Hoarmurath puts the long heavy coat on Mira. "There you are, a true King of Urdar." Hoarmurath goes to Adunaphel and they begin walking towards the Bridge of Morgul.

Uvatha comes up to Mira. "Hello my Lord, you look like you don't see me?"

Mira looks at Uvatha, and speaks. "I apologize, I don't remember you, I don't even remember myself!"

Uvatha looks at Mira, "I pray you find yourself!" Uvatha looks at Adunaphel and Hoarmurath, he walks towards them.

The last Nazgul watches the others leave. "My Lord, I know you are not my Lord of Angmar, you are the Lord of Prophecy, if you see Er Murazor send him my gift of promise!" Ren removes his bent helm of Barad'Ungol, he looks at it. "This was my helm of Barad'Ungol, it was my death!" Ren puts it on Mira's head. "You are a king my Lord, and I give you my helm. I return as a Seneschal of Angmar to await my masters return. Until then, take care my Lord!" Ren walks towards Tsiegret'lop, Khamul and Dwar begin to walk to Angband.

As Dwar looks back to the Prophecy he speaks, "Come, we will take you to the coast, there you will boat to Tsiegret'lop Island." Delenn picks up Mira, he seems weaker, he is becoming sicker, but Delenn tries not to express her worries. As they go walking they finally come to the crossroads to Angband, the other to the Port of Tsiegret'lop. As Khamul and Dwar stand at the cross roads, Dwar points down the road, "Down there to the coast, row with the current to the island port in front of you...stay away from the rocks, they do a number against boats."

Delenn nods, "Thank you Dwar...be careful, Angband looks like an evil place!" As Delenn looks at the dark land.

Khamul looks at the barren rock, "It is, it is evil, we will rule it, but we will be its last rulers!"

Delenn nods, "take care Khamul." Delenn and the other four walk to the coast. As the walk takes them through a white passage of volcanic ash, the sign reads: Gateway to the Coast, the pillars are the Doors of the Coast. As the pass through the doors Delenn sees the water, Delenn, Delenn II, Delenn David Mir, Senna, and Mira have wanted to bathe due to the uncomfortable feeling of dry tentacles and scales. As they walk to the ocean, Delenn looks at the old port. Senna and Delenn David Mir run to the water and cup their hands the scoop up the water to wash their faces. As some of the water enters Senna's mouth Senna thinks it would be salty, but it's fresh, the ocean is fresh water. "Mother!" Yells Senna.

Delenn looks at Senna, "What is it?"

Senna takes a cup of water to Delenn, "Drink this!" Delenn looks at Senna as if she is crazy. "It's fresh!"

Delenn takes the cup and drinks the water...it is fresh. "How can this be? Oceans are salty!"

Senna looks at Delenn, "I thought that too, but this planet is weird anyway! But we need to cross before nightfall." Delenn nods and takes Mira to the boat and lays him in the boat. As Delenn, Delenn II, Delenn III, Delenn David Mir, and Senna get into the boats they row to the other shore, the current takes them and it seems that they are heading back to the coast, and they panic. As they try to take the control, the boat hits a rock and the impact cracks the boat, it is filling quickly with water, spreading apart. As Delenn looks for Mira she panics, the water refreshes the mutation and all the scales begin secreting massive amounts of thick mucus, about an half an inch thick. The webbing between her fingers help her move quickly through the water. As for Delenn II, she swims with her fins that seem to propel her through the water. Her scales thick with mucus, but the tentacles move franticly through the water snatching fish and making her body consume them. Delenn III is having a severe problem, her body is not made for water, but the Numenor gene keeps her from drowning. Delenn David Mir, the closes to the island is feeling the real potential of her body, the tentacles in her stomach are becoming a major distraction, she can't wait for the month to be over with, thus she will return back into her regular self. The only other thing that keeps her above water are the slimy fins on her hands, they make swimming possible. Senna is having no problem, like Delenn she is cutting through the current towards Delenn David Mir. Mira, who has never swam in his life struggles at the water, he has no fins, no gills, no extra aquatic-chaotic appendages. As the struggle is tiring him out he gives up and is submerged under the waves, holding one shallow breath he awaits death. As the breath becomes toxic to him he releases the carbon dioxide and swallows fresh water. As he opens his eyes he sees a twilight environment flickering deep blue. Being suspended in this blue world, something moves in the distance. As Mira watches in disbelief, life is going from him. As he closes his eyes for the long dark the thought goes through him, 'Who'd ever believe I would die by drowning ever again?' As he passes out, the object which has been watching him goes to him. It is a creature, completely humanoid, but with slight configurations, its feet are webbed, its hands are webbed, and a fin runs down the sides of the face, but no scientist can explain what those fins might be used for, possibly evolution did this to make the humanoid creature look bigger? Whatever it is, the creature comes up to the front of Mira and just hovers there looking at the young child. For 2,000 years it has lived it has never seen a Human before. Occasionally it would find a Tsiegret'lopian or an Orc, but never this species. As the creature touches Mira to see if it is still alive, there is a pulse, but very light. So she goes up to Mira and places her hands apond his smaller hands, and opens Mira's mouth and alouds the rest of the trapped carbon dioxide to escape his mouth. As she holds his hands she releases an energy and it goes into Mira's hands. As the energy is transferred she releases him and backs off to about six feet and hovers there. Watching she notices that whoever he is, he is dressed way-to-well to be any soldier. Something must have happened on the surface, maybe this species defeated the Lord Asron because she no longer tastes the sulfur in the water. As Mira awakens, he feels life back in him, he also feels an energy in him, making him warm against the cold of the sea. Looking and the creature Mira does not know what to do, Mira is to busy trying to figure out how he is still alive, the cloak from Hoarmurath weighs him down. As he feels his fingers being webbed he freaks out. But the female goes over to Mira to comfort him, the feeling does not hurt Mira, but is strange utmost to say. As the female comes up to him she speaks telepathically to Mira, "Be calm my child!" As the female crests Mira, she touches again and passes more energy into Mira, Mira does not know what to do and wants to get to the surface, but with the depth of the ocean he does not know which way is up. As the energy passes through him, he hears sounds through the water, the ocean is talking to him. As the female creature looks at Mira, she speaks again. "Do you understand me?" Says the females with much needed calmness.

Mira hears her voice, but does not know how to respond, it is natural to let air go through the vocal cords, but there is not much air down here! So Mira tries telepathicy. "Wh...who...are you?" Says Mira unsure of himself.

The female creature smiles glad to hear Mira's voice. "My name is Kathren, I saved you." Says the female who is using more body expressions to support her words.

Mira looks at her strangely. "Who are you, you an enemy?" Says Mira who is still trying to get a hold on this telepathicy.

The female shakes her head. "No, no I am not your enemy, I am you, we bonded in the Cursed Swamp, I died due to the poison in the water, I sent out my energy through the water hoping to find someone to carry me, I found you, the energy in the Cursed Swamp put my soul in yours, we are now one!" Kathren looks at Mira's wounds from battle. "According to the old laws of my race, now extinct we are to be married, and then to bear off spring." Mira's look on his face is pure shock. "Don't worry, I won't hold you by it, newer forces will keep you to that law. Anyway, you are a air breather, I am a water breather, but we are tied together now, because I passed my grace on to you, through saving your life. We are now even."

Mira looks confused at the creature. "How are we tied"

Kathren swims closer to Mira, Mira moves back. "Don't be afraid!" Mira looks at her like, you must be kidding! "I will not hurt you." Kathren goes closer to Mira, "Why are you here?"

Mira looks at Kathren and at the greatest light source. "My boat sank, we were heading to the Tsiegret'lopian Island."

Kathren backs away a little, Mira takes it that she once heard of this race. "You know the Tsiegret'lopian's?" Says Kathren.

Mira nods, "Yes, they killed my friend Jake in Angmar. They worked with us to defeat Lord Asron at Khazad'dum although I don't remember anything."

Kathren nods in agreement, "I know why, because I led you to Khazad'dum, I sent you to find Smaug, but Smaug knew that one day a prophecy would come, he was told to find a female who can reform back into a male child who's back will have a raise on it, the raise looks like humps heading to his neck." Kathren turns around to show her raise, "This would be a sign of Mirabilia," Kathren goes to touch the humps on Mira's back. "You may think I changed you into this to seek revenge, you are correct, but I did not want revenge against you, or your friends, but against Lord Asron who poisoned the water."

Mira thinks for a second, "But I don't recall feeling that ridge, I would have felt it if I had laid on my back!"

Kathren nods again. "True once again, you would, but you did not because you did not consider it as an mutation, your mind is of mine, remember we are one. You saved me...and now I save you!" Kathren swims off to about 20 feet, turns around and looks at Mira. "Come Mira." Mira is surprised she knows his name, but if she is telling the truth then she is part of him. Mira does not follow, he does not know how to swim, and he still believes he does not have the use of his legs. Kathren begins to swim back. "Come Mira, I will take you to your friends."

Mira tries to move, but is struggling, Kathren notices the problem. As Mira squirms around trying to get his legs to move, Kathren comes over. "I can't move, my legs are muscular deprived!"

Kathren looks at Bri, "My apologizes," she takes Mira's hands and holds them tightly as she finishes the rest of the transfer to Mira. As she releases, even Kathren is tired, passing energy is tiring. "There I have just passed the last bit of myself to you."Mira feels the wounds healing and then feels as his feet are stretching, growing longer becoming gigantic fins. As Mira hovers there he feels his checks stretching out as a fin grows from the corner of his eyes, run down the jaw to the lower jaw, to the side of his neck and connects at the base of his collar bone, Fins on his hands begin at the knuckle of his pinky and run down to his shoulder cap and connects to his collar bone, as the fins on his legs run on the outside of both legs they run up to the hip to the side of the rib cage to the inside of his arm, but does not enter his armpit, but instead goes towards on the outside of his breast to his collar bone connecting. Mira's hands begin to grow, each finger extending longer, until each hand is about twelve inches long, sharp claws make up the tips of the hand which can be retracted. The last fin is very small and it runs down his back along the ridge and subducts at the base of his neck. As Mira just hovers there the feeling of his surrounding's come to him, he feels everything, like having a six sense, it is very deceiving!

As Mira looks at Kathren, he moves his legs, they work now, whatever Kathren did, she made them work. "How is this possible? My legs had no muscles in them!" As Mira moves around, happy to be better.

Kathren goes to him, "when I was released from you at Mount Cerfire with the battle of Lord Asron, my long term exposure began to expose you to my DNA, you are exactly 30 percent like me, that's what you are." Mira looks confused.

Mira swims towards Kathren. "So you are me?" Kathren nods. "So then who am I? Do I have to change my name, my purpose?"

"Yes, I believe it might be wise to change your name?" Says Kathren sadly.

Mira looks at Kathren. "Into what?"

Kathren looks at Mira's fin hands. "How about Kathren?"

Mira looks at Kathren. "Kathren, why Kathren, that's your name!"

Kathren nods her head. "You are a changeling."

Mira looks strangely towards Kathren. "A changeling, what's that?"

Kathren touches Mira's shoulder lightly to express concern. "You are a changeling due to the fact that you will change form, from air breather to water breather, and from male to female...that's what the price was to pay to keep you alive. You almost got stuck in my female form until twice, once against Lord Anubis and the other time against Lord Asron...you do remember the poem of the ring of Asron?"

Mira thinks: Into the fires of Orodruin the one must be cast, this the price, that must be paid. Only thus its power will be undone, only thus, a great evil, unmade. There is no other choice. There is no other way. One of you must take it, one of you must pay! The words haunt Mira's mind. "Yes I remember." Thinking of his new name. "I think I have come up with a solution, I think I came up with a name!" Kathren looks at Bri with interest. "I will call myself Kathren Mira Sheridan. What do you think of it?" Says Kathren Mira nervously as if Kathren will hate it.

Kathren smiles. "I like it, so it will be my friend. Kathren Mira Sheridan, son of Delenn Mir Sheridan and John Sheridan." Kathren looks at Kathren Mira knowing she has one more thing to do. "I know you are not going to like this, but I need to balance your DNA."

Kathren swims to the back of Kathren Mira. "If I don't you wont leave this ocean alive, your body will change to fluid, your cells will break down and you will die."

Kathren comes back in front of Kathren Mira, Kathren Mira looks back at Kathren with the utmost needed concern. "What must I do?"

Kathren extends out her hands. "You know that I did not only choose you because I was being generous, I choose you because I am dying. I am about two thousand years old, quite old for my race. I am going to die in ten more minutes, my life is tied to your life and was tied to Lord Asron's ironically like yours was. If I die so do you unless if I pass all my memories, and my soul to another, it's very dangerous because if I pass it to someone who is evil, I will be removed from all memory and time. I choose you because you seemed the best choice, but I must warn you, if I do so you can't argue with me, time is running out, do you wish to go through this, think it carefully! For there is no second chance once we begin!" Kathren Mira nods her head, she really does not want to die! "Okay, I will tell you once. I had this done to me two thousand years ago by a lady called Kathren. I was once a Tsiegret'lopian heading out to sea, it was my family who found the island that you are going to. Well I was drowning so Kathren passed herself to me to spare me. I am doing the same for you...this is what I need you to know, the passing is quite creepy to say. Your body will go through many changes. Metamorphism is possibly the best term to label you as, you will transition between male versus female every month, be careful to not become pregnant, for out of nine months you will have to carry four and a half months as a male, and as I know from experience, birth as a male--horribly uncomfortable, and almost genetically impossible." Kathren Mira nods her head. "After the passing you will begin as a female, for one month and then transition back to male...it seems strange now, but you will get use to it." Kathren Mira listens carefully. "Now I need you to do this, to complete transition place your hands against mine." Kathren Mira does so feeling her cold hands. "Now close your eyes and don't open them till I instruct you to do so!" Kathren Mira closes his eyes trusting that Kathren wont pull his knife and stab him. "Now after you take a deep breath you may open your eyes!" As Kathren dies due to old age, Kathren Mira takes a deep breath and as he exhales he opens his eyes.

As Kathren Mira looks around for Kathren, she has disappeared...no where to be found. As Kathren Mira looks at herself she notices that the transformation promised has happened, she is a six year old girl, complexion is of shoulder length hair, light colored, mostly a blonde color with highlights of grey making her hair look dusty brown, a very light brown. Kathren Mira's hands, once thin, still remain the same...long, but thin, thin enough that the skeleton system in the hands can be seen. The webbing between each finger has lost its flesh complexion and has became clear, like glass, you would not even notice it was there if you did not know what you were looking for. Kathren Mira's eyes were changed from their hazel color, a trait from Delenn, into a very deep blue color. Apparently the spectrum of blue alouds one to see under water. Another thing that has changed is her facial complexion, her once round face has become more longer, oval like, with the skeleton system protruding through her face. Her body is very thin, almost to thin, the fins that once decorated her body, once a fleshy color due to their sudden call into existence have become clear as glass, her webbing between each finger clear. Her feet also have changed becoming more longer, thin, fragile, and fin covered. The thought comes to her...how will I ever walk with these things, all this evolution serves one purpose...the aquatic life...the life of being a hybrid of fish and Human. A strange combination indeed. As Kathren Mira gazes around the deep blue ocean she wonders what became of Kathren...did I kill her? Kathren Mira hopes not! She does not want to think of herself as a murderer! As Kathren Mira looks at the surface she sees the sun and swims up to the light. As Kathren Mira surfaces she coughs up the water and the air changes her gills back to lungs, the internal process is not painful, but does have its discomfort! As Kathren Mira looks around she sees Delenn who is swimming with Delenn David Mir. As Kathren Mira looks at them, she calls out. "Delenn, over here!" As Kathren Mira waves her hands to get Delenn's attention.

As Delenn looks at the child, she does not know her, she is as young as her lost child Mira whom is now Kathren Mira. As Kathren Mira swims to Delenn, Delenn, and Delenn David Mir looks at her, nervously. Delenn communicates to Kathren Mira. "Who are you?":

Kathren Mira stops her approach shocked that Delenn or Delenn David Mir does not recognize her. "It is me, Kathren...I mean, Mira, Mira, the Child of Delenn as you told me...I can prove my worth, I have the Eye of the Well and one of the triluminaries!" As Kathren Mira raises her left hand to show the discolored flesh where a computer chip lays.

As Delenn, Delenn David Mir, and Kathren Mira come together, Delenn looks at her child. "Mira...what happened?"

Kathren Mira smiles. "First call me my final name...Kathren Mira, a name I choose from basically my soul. I died under the ocean! I met myself, I am complete once again!" Kathren Mira looks at the Tsiegret'lop Island. "If we get to Tsiegret'lop Island we will be free!"

Delenn nods her head... "I agree Mir--I mean Kathren Mira, we are so close to leaving the unforgiving planet!" Delenn, Kathren Mira, and Delenn David Mir swim together to Tsiegret'lop Island, the shore is very volcanic, not active, but full of jagged hard basalt rock. As Delenn helps pull Kathren Mira out of the water, Delenn is joined with Delenn David Mir. As they both pull Kathren Mira out of the ocean the truth of her reformation comes to bear. Kathren Mira's body has changed into a Human-fish hybrid, this worries Delenn for how is Kathren Mira going to survive without water?

As For Kathren Mira, emerging out of the ocean is like pouring a tub of needles all over her. The feeling of pin pricks as Kathren Mira's nervous system re-adjusts to the oxygen atmosphere. As Kathren Mira sits on the rocks scratching herself to sooth the painful feeling, the scales do not subduct, but as she dry off, the interesting fin design melts away back into her flesh, Kathren Mira appears to be back to her Human form. As Kathren Mira looks at Delenn she smiles. "Hello Delenn, thank you very much Delenn," Kathren Mira then looks at Delenn David Mir. "And thank you very much Delenn David Mir...you don't look like you trust me!" Says Kathren Mira nervously!

Delenn looks at her new daughter. "It is hard to conceive this reality, but you are still carrying the triluminary? Delenn looks down to Kathren Mira's hand.

Kathren Mira looks at her left hand, the scar is still there, but as she looks at her right hand she sees another scar...another triluminary? As Delenn looks at Kathren Mira's hands she notices a second scar, somehow she received another triluminary, if the last triluminary is implanted into Kathren Mira there will be horrible consequences, it has never been done and has been warned not to do by the Grey Council. As Kathren Mira stands she is successful, she no longer has muscular dystrophy! As Kathren Mira looks at the island. "This must be Tsiegret'lop Island, the island of air. As Delenn sees Senna, the water has crippled her, her back is broken. As Delenn cries, Kathren Mira goes to Senna and like instinct she goes and touches Senna, as Delenn looks at Kathren Mira, energy passes from her and enters Senna beginning to heal her. As Senna looks at Delenn she sits up and looks at Kathren Mira.

As Senna looks at Kathren Mira she then looks at Delenn. "Who is she?" Pointing to Kathren Mira.

Delenn looks at Kathren Mira, "You remember Mira?" Says Delenn calmly. Senna nods her head, "This is Mira, but this is now Kathren Mira, a Child of the Ocean, I can only conceive that she saved you."

Senna stands up. "Thank you Kathren, I don't know you very well, but I thank you." Senna sees Delenn II and Delenn III come up to join them, they have a cliff to climb. As Kathren Mira, Delenn, Senna, Delenn David Mir, Delenn II, and Delenn III climb up the basalt wall, as they are about 150 feet above sea level the land becomes soil and trees are seen. As the walk in the thick forest they come to a mountain pass, it is not very high, so they walk the road which follows the base of the mountains. As it circles around the mountains, the trees change, they first thin out, but then there are none, they are in a dune, the road is still seen, but as they follow the mountains the road becomes buried by the dunes. The dry air is making the scales, mucus, tentacles, and fins dry and cracking, they need water and quickly! But as if luck was with them they come to the old airport, the old city of Tsiegret'lop, a military base. As they go into the building they find a space ship. As they board it, Delenn and Senna go into the cockpit, Delenn David Mir brings food in and checks the dining area. Delenn III checks the structure with Delenn III. Kathren Mira checks the medical equipment, even though she is fine, her breathing is dangerously shallow, so she finds oxygen and puts the tube into her mouth, her asthma is getting worse, she feels as if she is returning back to her old life. As Delenn gets the rest of the Prophecy to settle down, Delenn II and Delenn III sits down, buckled in. Delenn David Mir is still in the kitchen eating her first good meal that won't hopefully curse her! Kathren Mira has laid down to go to sleep, tired once again. As the vessel lifts off the ground of Tsiegret'lop, they are in the atmosphere, from here they can see all of the continent, from the Misty Mountains to Angmar, to the volcanic waste land of Khazad'dum to the shadowy cover of Angband, to the desert of Anubis, the entire continent is just only one gigantic island with other islands surrounding it. As the vessel enters space, gravity is gone, the vessel has no artificial gravity, but has an excellent hyperdrive. As Delenn looks at Senna, she puts her hand over the button and pushes it, as the space above K'ha'dum opens the Prophecy jumps into hyperspace.

END OF CHAPTER 23, CHAPTER 24 NEXT