A/N: We're back! Once again, we're sorry this has taken so long, but at least we're here. It's a long chapter, so hopefully that helps. :) Enjoy! Co-written with Bossybossninja.

XXXXXX

Two figures – a man and a woman – strode down a dusty trail in Amonkhet – the last place the planeswalker they were looking for had been seen.

"Do you think this will work?" the woman asked. "Do you really think he'll help us?"

"I don't know, Chandra," the man answered tersely. "You remember what happened last time."

She winced.

"So then what are we doing here, Jace?"

Jace walked faster.

"We have to try," he replied. "Garruk didn't ask to be cursed."

"Some might argue that Ob didn't ask for it either," Chandra countered

That made Jace stop in his tracks.

"That's a point, Chandra, but he still brought his curse on himself by going for the Chain Veil."

"Which only adds to my point, Jace. He can't find a way to cure his own curse, why should he cure Garruk?" She held up a hand to stop the interruption Jace was beginning to make. "I'm not saying we shouldn't try if we can find someone who can do it. I just don't think we will."

"You don't think my powers of persuasion will succeed with Ob?" he asked.

Chandra shrugged.

"You remember what happened last time."

XXXXXX

Kate had just stepped out of the shower later that evening when the phone rang.

"Never fails…" she muttered as she wrapped a towel around herself and opened the bathroom door.

She grabbed the phone off the nightstand and looked at the ID and winced. She'd forgotten to call him on her way home, still utterly amazed at what she had witnessed Nissa do.

"Hey, Castle," she answered sheepishly, sitting on the bed, running another towel through her hair to dry it a little.

"Beckett!" Rick exclaimed in relief. "I've been trying to get a hold of you all day!"

Kate rolled her eyes, though she wasn't sure if it was at Castle's histrionics or her own absentmindedness.

"Really, Castle? All day?" she asked snarkily.

"Kate," he sighed.

She relented.

"I'm sorry. Hang on a sec."

She pulled the phone from her ear and quickly scrolled through her missed calls. She hadn't paid attention to the notifications because she'd been so busy, but when she began learning how to summon creatures, she'd silenced the thing. And then after healing the park, she'd forgotten to turn the ringer back on.

"Damn, Castle. It really has been all day. I apologize, I had it on silent and forgot about it," she paused. "It's been a big day."

"I'll say. I saw you on the news."

Kate gave a self-conscious laugh.

"Yeah, that fire thing was kind of a dumb thing to do in hindsight. I haven't learned how to control it."

"But SO cool," Castle breathed. "Along with all the other stuff you did."

"I was just following the others, Castle. I didn't – I don't – have a clue as to what I'm doing. But thanks. It's still hard to get my head around. I mean… magic."

"Well, you must have believed a little bit in the possibility of magic," Castle replied, the smile apparent in his voice.

"Why, because I found it?"

"Exactly."

"Then why didn't I accept it right away? You would have."

"Except I didn't. I'd come looking for you at the precinct after you'd been attacked at the park, and ran into Jace and Gideon instead. They told me what happened and… I don't know… wanting to believe and then being faced with the reality of it are two different things."

"Yeah, well, don't sell yourself too short, Castle," she smiled gently to herself. "I think I accepted it sooner than I would have because of you."

"The way you were throwing around magic against those monsters? I had nothing to do with that."

"Your believing gave me the – I don't know – courage maybe? To accept the possibility, to accept what was in front of my own eyes. I think that was half the battle. I watched Jace and Gideon disappear right in front of me and I followed. I can't explain it, I just knew how to do it.

They were silent as that sank into Castle's brain, then Kate continued.

"So…um… Have you seen what else happened today?

"You mean Washington Market?" he asked.

"Yeah. We left as soon as we finished, so we – or rather I – haven't seen any reaction yet."

"Yes, I've seen it. Well, I haven't seen it, seen it, it was on TV. I suppose I could've asked Gideon – he's up in the guest room – but since I've got you, I'll ask you. Kate, how did that happen?"

Kate could hear the shock in his voice.

"I mean, did you do that? It's all over the news and people are… What's that British slang term?... gobsmacked by it!"

Kate explained what Nissa had done, awe still coloring her description.

"Castle, it was like… A fantasy movie. When she put her hand on that barren ground and grass started growing…"

She trailed off for a moment – remembering. Then she continued.

"It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I'm so sorry I didn't call you. You would have loved seeing that."

"Well, not that I'm hoping for a next time, but – next time?"

Kate laughed, then sobered as she remembered what was coming.

"You know, there probably will be a next time. We still have to defeat Garruk, and I have no doubt he'll cause as much damage as he can."

The two were quiet as they each considered the implications. Then Castle broke the silence.

"One thing I saw on the news as they were panning the camera across the park, is the pile of twisted metal off to one side. What was that?"

"It was a playground. It may have been the mana Nissa was using, or the fact that she was specifically just making things grow, but for whatever reason, it couldn't be fixed." She took a deep breath. "And…yeah, about that… There was a six-year-old little boy who I may have promised that you would pay for new equipment." Kate waited a few seconds to hear Castle's reply.

At first there was just silence.

"Rick?"

More silence.

"I-I'll pay you back. It'll take some time, but…"

"I'm sorry, Kate," he interrupted. "I'm a little gobsmacked again. I would be honored to help in some small way. I'll call the parks department first thing in the morning. No payback necessary."

Kate sighed in relief.

"I know I should have asked you first – I shouldn't have presumed – but thank you. Barry will be so excited."

"That the little boy you talked to?"

"Yeah, he was a sweetheart, and so sad he couldn't play."

Kate tried to hide a yawn, but she couldn't get it past Castle.

"You've had a long day, I should let you get some sleep."

"Yeah, I'm absolutely wiped," she said. "Thanks for calling, I'm sorry I didn't look at my notifications."

"With everything you've seen and done today, it's understandable. Don't worry about it."

"Thanks."

"Always. Until tomorrow, Detective?"

"Until tomorrow."

Kate clicked off her phone and checked the charge. After plugging it in, she found a sleep shirt and snuggled in bed. Hugging a pillow close to her, she fell sound asleep.

XXXXXX

I move along the streets, looking for a place to gather mana. There are small places, producing little of what I need, they will not do. I would have preferred to stay at the place they call Central – the mana there was strong – but the weapon they used to defeat the Terra Stomper was too powerful. And it wasn't even magical!

I must find a place where there are no weapons like that.

I hear a scream, then another. Looking around I see the inhabitants of the city staring at me, the fear in the air palpable. Good.

I smile to myself, enjoying their fear of me, but they are not planeswalkers and I have no desire to waste my power on them unless they attack…

Wait.

I can sense something across the river. Something fitting for my needs. I cannot cross where I am, I must find a way.

XXXXXX

The next morning, as soon as she walked into the precinct, Kate called Gideon.

"Um… Hello?"

"Hey, Gideon, it's Kate."

"H-Hi, Kate," he stammered. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to this telephone thing. Was there something you needed?"

"How's the fog going with you two?"

"I was actually just talking to Nissa. She has recovered enough to cast it. She was just heading to a place called Coney Island."

"That makes sense, putting it as close to the ocean as possible. Isn't fog a blue spell? Because it's made of water vapor?"

"Umm, well, no, actually, fog happens to be a green spell."

"Well, okay. Is there a particular reason why?"

"Ask the Blind Eternities."

"The what now?"

"Oh, sorry. It's an expression that means no one really knows why."

Kate sighed. Maybe someday this magic thing would be less confusing, but at this point, she doubted it.

"Okay… Well, then why there? If fog is a green spell why at the ocean?"

"We agreed that she should make it seem as natural as possible. A fog coming from the sea happens here, right?"

"Yeah, but… hold on." Kate opened the WHNY news website and looked at the weather forecast. "The weather's predicted to be clear for the next week…"

"That's unfortunate with our wanting to keep this as secret as possible."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time the weather girl got the forecast wrong," she sat back in her chair and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Okay, um…"

Kate could hear the confusion in Gideon's voice, and smiled. Here was another alien thing that the other planeswalkers would have to learn if they wanted to function in this world. Just like she had to learn magic to function in theirs, she realized.

"But wouldn't this be perceived to be unnatural?" he asked. "If it was predicted to be clear, how will a fog that covers the city be explainable?"

"Don't worry too much about it. If they don't think the forecast was wrong, people will just assume it's part of the crazy stuff that's been happening here lately.

"I suppose you're right."

Gideon started saying something else, but Kate noticed Captain Gates motioning to her. The woman jerked her head toward her office and Kate nodded.

"I'm sorry, Gideon. I have to go. Did Castle teach you how to text on your phone?"

"Text?" Gideon squeaked. Was there something else he had to learn with this contraption?

Kate caught on to his distress.

"Forget it. Just call when you see the fog roll in."

"All right."

Kate cut the call and put the phone in her pocket as she stood and went to Captain Gates' office.

XXXXXX

"Good going, Jace."

"You were the one that tried to burn down the place? What happened to ask first, fire later?"

"He was going to kill us!"

"I had a counterspell ready."

Jace and Chandra were in the middle of a wide street in Zendikar, having just planeswalked from Amonkhet. The noisy sounds of the lush jungle were ignored as they argued.

"How was I supposed to know?" Chandra raised her hands in frustration. "Besides, I never thought that that was going to be a good idea anyways."

"You never have ideas in the first place," he said smugly.

"That's not true!"

Chandra was getting indignant; a spark flew from one of her hands.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes!" She absentmindedly brushed off her hands, taking a breath while trying to calm down.

They glared at each other.

Calming down was more than a little futile for both of them.

"That was the stupidest thing ever." Chandra said. "The only thing that he told us is that he hated us and he'd blast us into oblivion if we showed up again!"

"No…"

"Oh, I forgot," she continued sarcastically. "He also spat out some really seemingly wise but nonsensical words."

"He did not!" Jace protested. "I thought you got that. He said evil children always hate their fathers, and then he laughed."

"And what in the multiverse is that supposed to mean? He hates his dad?"

Jace rolled his eyes.

"Now I get why he laughed. He knew you would overthink it by underthinking it."

"What?"

"He told us the answer: we need to get the Chain Veil. That's what initially cursed him."

"Oh." Chandra deflated a little. "But how are we supposed to get that? We have no idea where Lilliana is!"

"Didn't you hear the rumors in Ahmonket? She is there! That's why Ob was there."

"Where and when did you even hear these rumors?"

"That doesn't really matter too much."

"Mhm… sure, right. We'll be having a conversation about that later." Chandra paced around Jace. "We shouldn't have planeswalked back to Zendikar, we could be there now without having to use more mana."

Jace shook his head.

"Doesn't matter. What we need to do is get word back to Earth. I'll send a message to them, give me a second."

With a wave of his hand, a small circular rift appeared. Jace loudly announced, "Nissa Revane," and Nissa's face materialized in it with a misty white background. A look of surprise then recognition came over her face, quickly followed by a blank expression.

"Whoa. I forgot about that. What's going on, Jace?"

"Good news and bad news. We have found out that the Chain Veil can be used to break Garruk free from his curse, but Lilliana has that, and we only know that she is in Ahmonket right now. Oh, and Ob is not going to help us."

XXXXXX

"You wanted to see me, Sir?"

"Yes, Detective. I just got off the phone with the captain of the 10th precinct. It seems that this Garruk may have been spotted by traffic cams at an intersection under the 94. He's headed toward the Lincoln Tunnel by the looks of it."

"Oh, great," groaned Kate. "If he reaches New Jersey, we may never catch him."

Gates' computer pinged an email, and she motioned Kate to join her behind the desk.

"I asked Captain Norton to send me some stills of the camera footage. Is this Garruk?"

Kate gazed at the image of the giant holding an axe on the screen and nodded.

"Yeah. He's pretty hard to miss," she said.

"You said earlier that only the two called Gideon and Nissa are here, correct?"

"Yes. Jace and Chandra have gone to try and get help."

The captain's phone began to ring. Raising a finger to Kate, she answered.

"Captain Gates… Yes… How many?" Gates grabbed a pen and began taking notes. "Well, with that axe it's no wonder people are frightened… Yes, she's here with me. I'll tell her. Thank you."

Gates was silent as she placed the handset in its cradle. She faced Kate.

"Dispatch is reporting multiple 911 calls coming in from people in the area. Garruk hasn't hurt anyone… yet."

"He's probably on his way to the waterfront park across the tunnel. He's going to need the greenery," said Kate. "There are a few small parks on this side of the Hudson, but nothing as big as that one."

She paused, choosing her words carefully. If magic was weird for her, how much weirder was it for those who were on the sidelines watching? She was nowhere near to getting used to the idea herself, and she understood how alien it was to everyone else.

"I'm not sure he's going to hurt anyone unless they get in his way, or are a planeswalker."

"Not hurt anyone?!" Captain Gates was incredulous. "Have you forgotten the victims in this case? Your attack? Central Park?"

"Of course not, Sir," Beckett held the other woman's gaze. "But from what Jace has told me, the victims – like me – were planeswalkers."

The captain looked like she wanted to jump in, but Kate kept going, answering the question she was sure Gates was going to ask.

"That's someone who has the ability to use magic if their 'spark' is lit. It's hard to explain, but suffice it to say, our victims were killed before they knew what they were. Garruk didn't kill the taxi driver, he stopped the vines before they could choke the man. The homeless man killed at Central Park was also most likely a planeswalker, but the man who witnessed the event and called 911 got away."

She swallowed and continued quietly – it was always difficult to speak of officers killed in the line of duty, especially when she had come so close herself.

"The officers who were killed before Jace and the others arrived at Central Park died because they were actively threatening him. But if people stay away from him, they'll probably be okay."

"Then how do we stop him from escaping through the tunnel? Our people will have to engage him until you lot get there and 1PP would rather not lose any more personnel to this… monster."

"Nissa is going to create a diversion so we can get to Garruk with – hopefully – a minimum of chaos. In fact, it should be beginning soon."

No sooner had she spoken then there was a shout from the bullpen. Both women left the office to find detectives and uniforms at the windows.

There was no view. Just solid white.

XXXXXX

"Well, I hate to say 'I told you so', but..." Nissa sighed. "Thanks for the update. The fog should be keeping Garruk at bay, hopefully, and we are heading back to the police station right now. You might want to talk to Kate though, she might know something else happening here."

"Thanks!" Jace looked at Chandra. "You want to talk to Kate?"

"Sure."

Jace turned to the rift and said, "Kate Beckett." The scene swiftly changed to Kate and from what Chandra could see, she was walking through the bullpen.

"Holy sh- Chandra! What are you doing?" Kate stopped dead in her tracks, and a few officers gasped and pointed at the glowing circle of energy hovering in front of her face.

"Sorry, I should have told you about this. Cross-planar communication needs to be done this way, we're still on Zendikar."

"Please tell me these things before you appear in front of my face while I'm working!" Kate exclaimed, putting her hand over her heart trying to calm herself.

She waved her hand dismissively.

"Forget it. What've you got?"

Chandra filled Kate in with what had happened on Amonkhet with Jace jumping in to clarify a few things when Chandra began going off on a tangent.

"Okay, we won't have help from this Ob Nixilis guy," Kate said when the two were finished briefing her. "So we do it ourselves. Are we capable?"

The question was serious. She'd learned a lot, and was in awe of her colleagues' magical talents, but they'd barely got away with their lives at Central Park, and she had the feeling this fight was going to be much bigger.

She was jolted out of her musings by Captain Gates.

"Detective Beckett! What is the meaning of this?"

"Ah, Captain! I-um-" Kate stammered. "It's a briefing… of sorts," she finished lamely.

Gates looked as if she wanted to reprimand, but she stopped herself. Continuing to give Kate the stink eye, she went on.

"I know this is important. It's probably the most important case we have right now. But does this briefing have to be in the middle of the bullpen? You're in the way of the others."

"I'm sorry, Sir," Kate glanced to the portal. "We'll – I'll move. Jace will this thing move with me?"

"Of course," he replied. It tends to give people motion sickness, so we usually try to not move, but for a few minutes it's all right."

"We'll use Interrogation One, is that all right, Captain?" Kate asked.

Gates frowned.

"Yes. No one is in there now," she said in exasperation. She then turned her gaze to the portal and shook her head as she moved off. "Creepy, crazy, cockeyed magic stuff," she muttered.

"Did she just insult us?" asked Chandra, her fiery hair intensifying in its blaze.

"No," said Kate. "I happen to agree with her. Come on."

She walked to the interrogation room, the portal following in her wake.

XXXXXX

"Looks like we're headed for a big fight, Chandra."

"Yep."

Jace had closed the portal after they had finished comparing notes. He looked thoughtful as he continued.

"I guess this could be it."

Chandra snorted.

"Thanks for the enthusiasm."

"Heh, I guess everything should turn out okay. It's just…"

"Just what?"

He avoided Chandra's eyes.

"How many times will we have to do this? I mean, we are the Gatewatch and all… but I don't know how long we can keep this saving every plane thing up."

"Jace, look at me."

He turned and their eyes met.

"No matter what happens, we're in this together. The more of us there are, the easier the load gets. We have Kate now. With the five of us putting our best foot forward, don't you think that we can do this? I mean, look at what we did together fighting the Eldrazi! And Garruk is only one."

Jace took a deep breath, remembering the titans that could have easily laid waste to New York in seconds. The four of them did defeat them. Together.

He nodded firmly.

"Okay, I-I'm ready. Let's save Earth, together."

XXXXXX

It is directly across the river. I can feel it, but I do not see a way across.

I can't see. A fog has risen.

Curse them.

They think this is magic?

They think they can defeat me this way?

They will see otherwise.

XXXXXX

A/N 2: Thanks to Bossybossninja for putting up with my procrastinations. It has been a lot of fun writing this with you!

What did you think about this one? The big fight should be coming up next!