A/N: Naaaaaaa na-na-na-naaaaaaa na-na-na-na-naaaa nananaa nananaa, na-na-na-naaaaaaaa!!!

FD: Ye gods, how can you stand that!?

Kioko: Ear plugs help.

FD: Fork them over.

Kioko: Fifty bucks.

FD: FINE!!! HERE!!! GIVE ME!!!

XP

"Kassima!" Aizira exclaimed when I appeared to them, Kassima in my arms.

"Auntie!" Kassima said, going to Aizira when I set her down.

"Oh my goodness, we missed you so much!" She cried, hugging the girl tightly.

"Hey, hey, my turn, my turn!" Keilic said, trying to take Kassima from Aizira, who held on tightly and stuck her tongue out at him.

"No way, I'm not done yet!" She exclaimed.

"But I wanna hold her!" Keilic exclaimed, wining like a little child so that Kassima would start to giggle.

"Well I'm holding her!" Aizira said in the same tone of voice.

"How did it go?" Asked Alzik, coming over to me.

"Well, I publicly slaughtered the b(beep)s who were responsible for killing Tormal, and Mychala is currently wishing she were dead. Now the Order of the All-Seeing Eye knows that their Empress has arrived, and all the other crazy cults dedicated to me will likely find out soon enough. As you can see, I'm just thrilled about this and can't wait for them to eventually corner me and demand miracles or that I lead them to paradise or whatever. I was, at least, able to convince the leader of this sect that I'm not a god, but I don't know how well he'll be able to convince others about that." I sat down and leaned up against a tree with a heavy sigh while watching Keilic and Aizira playing with Kassima. The spirit image of Tormal trying and failing to make a doll for her flashed across my eyes, searing painfully, and my stomach lurched with guilt.

"She looks so happy…" Alzik murmured, watching the three of them as well.

"Which one? Kassima or Aizira?" I asked.

"Both." He answered. "We were wrong about Keilic, he was an extraordinary fighter, he just simply wasn't strong enough and he got knocked out cold but the butt of one of their swords. He acts a bit like a useless twit, but when the time came when it really mattered, he was no pushover."

"I remember when I first met him." I said, chuckling, "He was like prince charming at first, so smooth and collected." I shook my head, "Then he set eyes on Aizira and all that just flew right out the window."

"Yeah, about that." He said, giving me the evil eye.

"Oh don't start that up again. I'm too tired. Let's just sit here and sleep for the rest of eternity, or at least until I have to get up and go find Farah again."

"You didn't get any sleep last night, did you?" he asked. "Go ahead and rest in the cart for a while, Kassima will be fine." He told me.

"Thanks, Alzik, I appreciate it." I said, and I crawled into the cart and made myself a nice little pallet where I could get some rest.

XD

I slept a long time, much longer than I had intended to. I slept for the entire day and on into the night, where images of the prince came to me, the prince running, of being chased by something. Was it the Dahaka? No, no it was something else. And I couldn't reach him, I called out to him, but he didn't hear me.

I soon realized it was no simple dream I was having, it was a vision.

I watched him as he reached a boat that was waiting for him. He demanded to go to India, but the crewmen refused his request. They were taking him to Egypt. Why? Well, the answer was quite obvious.

He stared out across the sea, staring in the direction where India was, and in his hand he gripped the Dagger of Time, his teeth grinding together in agitation, but all he could do was watch helplessly as the two of us were drawn steadily farther and farther apart.

I awoke with a start, my heart aching like never before, it was almost as though my body itself could feel the separation becoming greater.

And then there was the question: What had happened?

"You're awake." Aizira said, she and Kassima were sharing the cart with me, and she was apparently staying up to watch us for some reason. "Good, I was about to wake you myself, you were having another nightmare."

"No I wasn't…" I murmured, gently getting up and trying not to wake Kassima as I did. "I was having a vision." Her face paled.

"Oh no, what now?" She moaned loudly enough for the others to hear. "What is it? What more could possibly go wrong?"

"What?" Asked Keilic.

"It's the prince." I answered, "Oh gods…he found the dagger, I don't know where, but he found it, and now he's being accused of stealing it no doubt!"

"My cousin? He's—wait, what dagger? What are you talking about?" Keilic asked.

"Yeah, what are you talking about?" Asked Alzik.

"The whole reason for India going to war with Persia was over a stolen treasure, well, that treasure happened to be the Dagger of Time, my dagger, no less. But the thing is Zervan, the vizier of India, took the dagger and blamed the Prince for stealing it to create war! He apparently managed to plant it somewhere in Persia, because the prince found it, I saw him holding it! And now he's having to run away to Egypt because of it. But where did he find it!?" I exclaimed.

"Kaida? What…what did this dagger…look like?" He asked, his face looking so white it almost seemed to glow.

"Well, it's not hard to miss. It glows with this lovely blue light and looks as though it's made of a glass substance filled with sand and—what? What is it?" I asked, seeing the expression of horror on his face.

"Oh gods…oh gods…Kaida!" He exclaimed, "I've seen it! I know where it is, or where it was! Remember when we first met? Remember I brought that small chest with a gift I had intended for my cousin? I completely forgot about it! Kaida, the dagger, it was in that chest! That was the gift! I thought it was just enchanted to look like that, like a piece of jewelry that didn't have any real use!" He cried.

I stared at him, "Keilic…where did you get that dagger?" I asked him.

"From my fa—" His eyes widened, "But, but he probably didn't know either, he was just—he said it was—he just—"

"Just wanted to get rid of the prince so that when Sharaman died his son would get the throne." I said with a grim certainty I couldn't quite place. "Let's just hope that's all it is, and he's not actually in league with Zervan."

XD

We waited until daylight before entering the city, rather than dressing up to look like an assassin, I simply crafted a cloak and hood for myself that would keep a shadow over my face, and I designed one for both Keilic and Kassima just in case. Few people paid us any mind, there was a distinct unease in the air, and no one had much mind to give us more than a glance or two. Only the guards looked at us, and their expressions were of suspicion, naturally. But other than that we simply weren't interesting enough to be worth much more than that. With a run-down looking cart and a horse that only Aggle could see as being at all attractive, we were just a bunch of nobodies passing through.

We didn't know what we were going to do, but we figured we'd stay on our toes. Kassima and Aizira were going to stay in the cart, Alzik was going to ask around to see about getting us on a boat to Egypt, and I, I was going to get into the palace to find Farah.

It was no easy task, much harder, in fact, in broad daylight. And especially since the entire castle seemed to be in a sort of buzz. I guessed that Jemal might have confronted the king about Zervan for me, at least we might be able to get that cleared up soon enough, but before I assumed anything I had to talk to Farah.

I decided to just use both my time-stop ability and teleportation as well to get myself to Farah's balcony. I didn't think she'd be there, but that was the best place to start.

She was in her room, and she looked like she was in the middle of pacing back and forth in agitation. I knew something was wrong, firstly because of the look on her face, and secondly because she was wearing the leather outfit she had on in Two Thrones, and she was armed.

I let time move forward and she continued pacing. "Farah." I said, pulling back my hood after making sure I was in the shadows so anyone watching wouldn't automatically see me.

She jumped and spun around, her eyes wide, "Oh thank the gods! I thought for a moment he'd gotten you!"

"He? You mean Zervan?" I asked her, frowning.

"No! Gods, Kaida, where have you been?! Listen, we don't have much time, I was about ready to jump off my balcony and come find you! We have to get out of here." She told me.

"What?! What do you mean?" I asked. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! There is no way you'll be able to go back the way I came. Empress of Time, remember? If you're that dead-set on coming back with me, we're going to have to find another way." I told her, pulling the hood back over my head.

"But we can't be seen!" She exclaimed.

"Just tell the guards you're going hunting or something." I told her.

"No! I can't! Don't you understand!? I'm a prisoner in my own castle right now, the only way out is the balcony!" She told me.

"Say what!?" I exclaimed, "What in the world happened!?"

"Aright, listen to me, because I'm only going to say this once and I'm going to explain this as swiftly as I can. Zervan was exposed by the Order of the All-Seeing Eye, but then this man showed up from out of nowhere. I have no idea who he is, but both Zervan and my father knew him. He told my father that Jemal, he's the leader of the order now, was right, and that it was Zervan's doing, and that Zervan had taken the dagger and planted it in India to frame the Prince." She told me swiftly.

"So what the hell is the problem!?" I exclaimed.

"That's not all! He also said that it was your intention! That you were responsible for this, that you were pulling the strings in order to cause this war. He told my father that he was a fool for being taken in by the Empress of Time, and so was Jemal. Well, Jemal wouldn't hear of it, and it didn't look as though my father wanted to believe him either. But when Jemal tried to attack him…he died. The man, Zasalamel, I think his name was, sliced him clean in two with this huge black sword. Father was afraid of him, but he called off the guards when they rose to kill him. But then he turned his finger on me and said that, even though Zervan was the direct cause of this war he was acting without full knowledge of exactly what he was doing, but I was in league with the Empress personally. He then took the ring and gave it to my father to hold and told him to put it on. I tried to keep him from doing it, but when he did he screamed in pain and threw it across the room. Zasalamel wanted me to be executed, but father just locked me away up here. I think Zasalamel intends to come and kill me himself!" She exclaimed.

I gaped at her, trying to take in everything I was hearing, I simply couldn't believe this! After we seemed to be making some progress, this happens! Good gods! Kukarkin is pregnant with the Dahaka's baby, Monigan doesn't want me dead anymore, Deskor was turning into Kassima's biggest toy, WHAT NEXT!? "And, the ring?" I asked her.

"Zasalamel has it." She answered guiltily.

"Oh gods! Everything's going to hell, what more could possibly go wrong!?" I demanded.

"I was wondering when you would arrive, Empress." Said a smooth, cool voice behind us.

I smacked myself in the face, "Me and my big mouth…" I moaned, turning around.

"It's him!" Farah shrieked, but, somehow, I didn't need her to tell me.

He was a head taller than I was, muscular, with a black armored breastplate that conformed to the dimensions of his chest to make the design sleek and allow him room for movement. His darkly tanned, muscular arms were bear but he wore black gloves and black pants with heavy leather boots. At his back was that black sword, and on his head was a hood which simply came down as a shoulder shade without a cape or anything like that. His face was hidden by the shadows, but I could somehow sense his eyes boring into mine, it was almost unnerving.

And I suddenly realized who he was, that he was none other than the one Kaileena had sent Shahdee to warn me about. He was the one who had been pulling the strings, and he was the one, the one who was using me! Who was manipulating me!

I felt anger rise in my chest, but I also felt something else, I felt fear. What sort of man was he that he could control what sort of things happened, what was going on, without even being anywhere near me? It didn't make sense, and the only explanation I could come up with, was that he was a god. God of what? I had no idea, but what I did know was that, god or not, he was not going to use me like this!

I glared at him, and pushed the cloak back to extend my blades, and I stepped in front of Farah. "What, do you want?" I demanded, hating myself for the way my voice shook slightly, and praying he didn't notice.

"I could ask you the same question, Empress. What do you want with this girl? Why have you tied her fate to yours? Why the Maharaja's daughter, of all the girls in India?" He asked.

He was mocking me, mocking me! I felt my cheeks color and my breath catch in my throat. "Who are you!?" I demanded, "Why are you here!? What are you playing at!?"

"Again, I could ask you the same. You don't belong in this world, Empress, why are you here?" He asked. I couldn't see his face, but I knew he was smirking at me, enjoying the mind game he was playing with me right now.

"Stop mocking me!!!" I roared, running after him with my swords drawn, ready to carve his heart right out of his chest for this. He was taunting me, asking me questions he knew the answers to himself, just to provoke me.

And it was working.

His black sword clashed with mine, and another black sword came to join it against me from his hip. But only moments into our fight, and I knew I was loosing.

He was stronger, he was faster, and he was more skilled than I was. My only advantage was that I knew exactly what he was going to do before he did it, but he knew this himself, and was taking that into account as he fought me, judging the times when it wouldn't matter if I knew he was about to strike or dodge or not. It didn't seem to matter.

I was loosing, I'd met my match, and I was loosing. If I didn't do something soon, he was going to kill me.

I unleashed the daggertail, something which truly did surprise him, and I caught him around the middle with it, and sent him spinning like a top into Farah's wall. He fell, his middle bright red from the harsh blades of the daggertail, but he gathered himself back up, stumbling slightly, and somehow managed to block my next combo attack with the chain.

"What do you want from me!?" I demanded, I was fighting him back with all my might, but after that first attack, none of my combos were breaking through his defenses, not even one that was meant to take his leg and pull him off his feet.

"Me? I want you to die, Empress! Your fate is to die! It's either you or the girl, and it will be you!" He hissed, catching me across the middle with his sword. The blade seared and stung, but I took care of the wound like I took care of the others, by reversing time upon it, because rewinding time itself wouldn't really do me much good with him.

"Fine, but can I choose the manor of my death? How about I die of old age! That good enough for you!?" I exclaimed.

"No." He answered, and the next thing I knew I was on the floor and he was above me, "You will die now." He said, and before I could do anything, before I could get up and defend myself, before I could even take off the ring in order to make myself stronger…he plunged his sword into my stomach, and with his hand, he kept it there, and I realized what he was doing. He was going to keep it there until I died, so that I couldn't simply heal the wound by reversing time on it, he was going to keep his sword there.

I struggled, I tried to get him off, but I could feel myself slipping away. I tried to teleport, but I couldn't concentrate. My vision was fading, the world was becoming black. I could hear Farah screaming and shouting, and I watched my own death slowly approach me.

I remembered, I remembered the three or four other instances where I'd seen my own death, three from visions, and one from watching it come for me as I fell unconscious and went down into the abyss. I remembered the guilty feeling of peace, of longing, of an almost burning desire. An escape, finally an escape!

But now? No, no!

I could see the prince, I saw his smile, heard his voice, felt his lips on mine, felt him holding me, loving me so much.

I could see Kassima, calling me mommy, mommy, mommy…she and I were so much alike, and I was her salvation.

I saw Aizira, I saw Alzik, I saw Tormal and Keilic. I even saw Farah and Orzan.

"No…" I murmured, my hands on the blade of the sword, and I felt consciousness force its way back to me, "No…no! I don't…I don't want to die anymore, I don't want to die anymore!" I saw the prince, I took hold of his image and used it to give me strength, I held on, I held on for dear life, for him. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!! D(BEEP)IT SACROSANCT YOU B(BEEP)!!! HELP ME!!!" I screamed.

Something was burning, a bright white light, a golden fire, I could barely see it, my vision blurred with tears. But I saw it taking shape, becoming a magnificent figure behind Zasalamel. It grabbed him, and threw him off me. It pulled the sword out of my stomach and placed a hand there. A tingling sensation passed throughout my body, I felt life return to me, I felt the wound mend as though it never were. I felt a warmth throughout my body, I felt life, I was alive!

When my vision cleared, I saw the creature that had saved me. It had the figure of a tall woman, yet without much detail to it. Its face was a mask with eyes filled with a gold fire, a fire which was also upon its head, moving all over and burning brightly. It burned brightly, with skin of pure snow white, graced with golden markings that only slightly reminded me of my sand form, but not quite. They were similar, but on this creature, they were of a fierce, bright beauty, rather than dark. On its back were six long elegant wings made of a glittering crystal that was almost transparent, though not enough to see through very well. It was, beautiful, a deadly beauty, but bright, and good, like…hope.

And as I stared at her, I remember Wemlast's words, "Many of the slumbering will disappear forever, and in their place shall arise a single entity. An Inner Angel, if you would. Kaida's love."

So, this, this was my Inner Angel?

Zasalamel stared at her, he didn't seem to know what to do about this, nor what had just happened, or what she even was. And that, more than anything, made me feel safe, safe from him, so long as she was there.

"Name me, Kaida." Said a powerful, yet soft, gentle voice, a female voice, melodious and beautiful. Could this unearthly creature really be my love? Could she really have come from me? It didn't seem possible, how could I give a name to something so beautiful?!

"…Sabrielle." I said, "Your name is Sabrielle."

She nodded, and then she turned her fierce golden eyes upon Zasalamel, "Go, go now, I will keep him down until you are to safety." She told me, and with a cry like a siren, she was upon Zasalamel, his own sword in her hand, she engulfed it in a burning white fire that turned the blade of it golden, and which made a sound like a gong when it clashed against his own blade.

I grabbed Farah, whose eyes were upon Sabrielle in wonder, and I teleported the both of us to where the others were waiting. 'Safety', I knew, meant to the sea, and whether Alzik had found us a boat or not, we had to leave, now.

XP

Kaida: Aba, awa, YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE IT THERE!!!

Rhea: I can, and I HAVE!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

DP: (Holding up silly putty twisty) I don't think this thing can take any more abuse, personally.

Rhea: It can, and it WILL!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Kioko: Okay stop that.

Rhea: Yes ma'am.

Kioko: And do the FAQ.

Rhea: What?

Everyone else: YES!!! YOU DO IT THIS TIME!!!

Rhea: Fine, lazy peoples! I'll do it!!! (Grumble grumble)

Q: Where the heck did Zasalamel's name come from?

A: Uh, erm, oh, nowhere…(Kicks Soul Calibur 3 game beneath desk and whistles innocently)

Q: What's Zasalamel up to!?

A: Wouldn't you like to know?

Q: Is Kaida going to catch up with the Prince?

A: No, they're going to be separated forever, in spite of the fact that her authoress is a hopeless romantic and is itching to get the prince into the picture as fast as humanly possible, they'll never see each other again.

Kioko: In case anyone here is stupid, which I know you are, that's called sarcasm, I taught it to her, and I'm very proud of that!

Everyone: HEY!!!

Q: Are they gonna get away safely?

A: Nope, they're all gonna DIE!

Kaida: That had better be sarcasm as well.

Kioko: I think the teenage slang word 'duh' applies here.

Kaida: Shut up.

Q: Is the Duke really in league with Zervan?

A: Look at what I can do with my eyes!!! 8.8

Q:…ewwwwwwwww.

Kaida: Oh my gosh that's disgusting…

Farah: How is she doing that!?

Kioko: It's a dragon thing. I hope…

Rhea: Heheheh, well that's all for now!!! R&R please!!! OR I SHALL FWACK YOU WITH THIS!!! (Brandishes silly putty twisty)

DP: Oh yeah, they're real scared now.

Rhea: Oh shut up.