See first chapter for disclaimers.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to Storyseeker for beta-reading this. Going to some odd places for new material. As usual, if you have any comments or preferences, please don't be shy. RandR.

PREVIOUSLY: Stargate: SG1

Imagine That

"Definitely not home," Xander noted, watching the strange wolf-like things with leaves instead of fur. They were hassling three kids and getting their leafy backsides kicked by a blue furry something with antlers that was defending the group. "Should we help?"

"Blue looks like he's got it," Faith shrugged, even as the last of the pack turned and rushed off, deciding to seek easier prey. "Let's go say hello," she said standing up from the bushes they'd been crouched behind, "find out where we are." The only thing they knew for sure was that the place was very green. They approached the trio and their large furry friend. The dark-skinned boy noticed them first.

"Hello," he offered, friendly but watchful.

"Hey," Faith nodded. She made the introductions and nodded as the kids told her their names.

The red-headed girl studied them for a moment. "You're a long way from home, aren't you? Earth, right?"

Her brown-haired friend looked startled and examined them more closely. "Yep. Those are definitely clothes from Earth. How did you get here?" he asked excitedly.

"Long story," Xander shrugged. "If you're going to ask for a way home, I'm afraid we can't help you. This is just our latest stop and we have no idea where we'll wind up next."

"Oh." The boy looked down, dejected. "So what are you doing here?"

"No idea," Xander admitted; which was true enough. They'd be there till the next portal appeared, and that could be in five minutes of five days. They never could tell. They knew they were expected to accomplish something, but had no idea what.

"Well why don't you come with us?" Tony, the brown-haired boy from Earth, suggested. "We can put you up in town till we figure something out." The other two added their encouragement, and lacking any better ideas, the two demon hunters agreed.

"We're a couple days from home," the red-head offered, pointing the way, "but it's a fairly easy journey."

"Provided we don't meet anymore of those wolf-things," Xander agreed, eyeing the surrounding forest warily.

"Don't worry," Tony smirked. "Furok can handle them if they attack."

The group started walking east through the, very strange looking, forest. The place looked wrong until Xander realized they weren't surrounded by trees but by giant blades of grass. "This isn't the weirdest place we've seen," he commented to his hosts, "but still... odd." The blue furry thing had vanished earlier in a swirl of lights, but Xander had decided not to ask.

"It takes some getting used to," Tony admitted. "Kinda cool, though." Xander nodded absently as they pressed on, coming, after a time, to a point where the trail seemed to bisect a steep slope. Dropping away at an angle that didn't quite qualify it as a cliff into a wide, fast-flowing river on the left and climbing a steep hill to the right. It was the perfect place for an ambush, Faith reflected, watching the surroundings closely. It was no real surprise that that was precisely what occurred. There was a rumbling behind them and they turned to find an avalanche pouring down the hill, blocking retreat. The sound of laughter came from the trail ahead and they looked back to see two ugly green-skinned humanoids blocking the way.

"Goblins?" Xander ventured.

"Korg and Zed," Tony sighed by way of introduction. Then he addressed their attackers. "Don't you two ever get tired of getting your butts kicked?"

"We'll see what gets kicked," the taller one sneered. He raised an odd looking bit of polished rock and recited what sounded vaguely like an incantation or invocation. The stone glowed briefly and a monster appeared in a swirl of colored lights. "Attack."

The three kids quickly summoned their own monsters; including the blue furry thing Tony had called Furok. "Don't worry," Tony told the two hunters. "We'll handle these two. Stay behind us."

"Not really our style," Faith said as the three kids focused on the directing their monsters. Xander nodded and pointed up the slope. Faith nodded and Xander went to back up the kids. He was in time to see Red using magic to drive back one of the enemy creatures.

"That's all it takes to cast a spell here?" Xander asked, surprised.

"Huh? No, of course not. It takes a lot more. The words are just a focus."

"Let's find out." Xander rushed between two of the conjured creatures, jumped over another, and landed in front of their attackers. Waving his arms wildly and grinning like a loon he shouted, "I cast distraction spell!" The two took a step back, staring at him in confusion. They never saw Faith descending the slope above until she impacted with them and knocked both off the trail and down toward the river. Their creatures turned into swirls of light and followed their masters. "Huh. It worked."

The demon hunters turned at a sound behind them to find the red-headed spell caster glaring at them as the boys doubled over laughing. Faith walked to the edge of the trail and looked down in time to see the two green-skinned things end their long tumble with a loud splash. She smirked at the sight. "I 'magine that really hurt."