A/N: ROTFLMAO, lot's of love for Jeb and his spoons! He's a tricksty thing, isn't he? Glad he could make you all laugh.

It had been a long time since Queen Orianah had gone to battle. She stood surveying the scene in her pants and tall boots, thinking about the last time she had done this. It had been fifteen annuals ago to be exact and never before had there been so much at stake. Her children were down there. Amid all of the chaos and confusion were her precious daughters.

Ritnik's cavalry had made good time from Finaqua. The light and fleet assault vehicles were small and shaped like steel boxes and didn't look like much, but Orianah knew the strength and agility they possessed. Their treads had torn up the earth, rolling all night to reach the Winkian plains for the rendezvous with Caye and Gaylette as the evening was fading into dusk. Even with the other two generals, the number of men at her command was pitifully small. Especially given the enemy.

From a gate at the northern end of the fortress, people were trickling out only to be shot down as they tried to race across the open plain to the safety of the mountain. Snipers were picking them off easily from the next tier of the wicked-looking castle.

Her stomach clenched as her anger grew. "General Ritnik, provide cover for those prisoners and clear that passage so that it can be used for evacuation purposes."

"Yes, Your Majesty." With a wave of his hand the ten small, heavily armored assault vehicles lurched forward. With surprising spryness for a man of his advanced years, Ritnik swung up on the lead vehicle while it was still moving and disappeared through the top hatch. The small group of soldiers at his command filed after the cavalry.

"General Gaylette, take your men and attack from the south side. General Caye will take up a flanking position and provide cover for your troops."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The dark-haired general turned and began shouting orders at his troops. They sprang into action as more assault vehicles roared to life and began their descent into the stone basin.

Orianah felt a twinge of envy as she saw Connalee LaRue among Gaylette's troops. What she wouldn't give to be down there among them. Her place was here at the command site, directing the battle. On the battlefield, without her magic, she would be a liability.

She was sending people to die and she knew it. She hated it, too.

There was a comforting grip on her shoulder. She smiled and put a hand on her husband's. "I'm afraid you and I are getting too old for these adventures."

Ahamo was smiling as he turned her to face her. "Not too old. Just at an age where we can only be of assistance in more of an academic capacity."

Despite herself, Orianah laughed. "You have a wonderful turn-of phrase."

Orianah turned her attention back to the battle when the first missile hit the side of the fortress. She could only pray that her soldiers could get to her daughters in time.

DG protected her head as bullet caused sparks to fly as it hit one of the computer consoles. A string of angry curses flew from Stribog's mouth. "Careful of the machine!"

Glitch was trying to peek around the side of the console he, Raw, and DG were hunkered down behind. "Could've told me you had your magic back, Doll."

"Yeah, when?" DG replied sharply. "Before or after we were all captured?"

"Good point."

"We have to get Azkadellia out of there." DG said hurriedly. "She's got a better chance of getting us all out of here in one piece than I do."

Glitch had managed to get his look, but fell to the floor again as shot came way too close to his nose. "The release mechanism for the capsule is on the console across the room."

"Oh great." DG sighed. There was only one thing to do. "Do you think you can get to it if I keep them busy?"

Glitch's eyes went wide, obviously worried for her safety. "DG. You can't-"

"This is no time for chivalry. What's it gonna be?"

After a few seconds' hesitation, Glitch nodded. "Okay."

"Okay." DG took a deep breath to steady her nerves and gather her magic before standing up. "GO!"

Holding both hands in front of her, she called the magic. Bright light radiated through the room as she caught several of the guards in the chest. The others fell back, screeching in the light.

Glitch made good use of her diversion. With a cat-like grace, he had bounced over the console and made it across the room in a few steps. He fell on the release with a triumphant shout. DG heard the door of the chamber click beside her. Azkadellia stepped out.

There was a scream of rage and a flash of cold energy. Glitch was thrown back against the stone wall where he crumpled to the floor and didn't move.

"Glitch!" DG called as Raw rushed to their friend. Stribog started to move again, but DG held up a hand threateningly. "Don't move."

"Do you think you're stronger than me, girl?" Stribog smiled coldly from across the room. "You're very powerful, but you know very little about using your talents."

"Maybe not." Azkadellia's voice was strong as she came up beside DG. "But I know plenty. It's over, Stribog. You can't defeat us and you know it."

"Master!" The Ice Witch stumbled into the chamber, blood oozing through her fingers from the wound in her upper arm. There was a crazed look in her eyes as she sobbed. "Master, Zero's dead. The Cains-"

She was cut short as Stribog grabbed her and with lightning speed, threw her into the cylinder Azkadellia had just been released from. The Ice Witch screamed as the chamber door fell closed and she began to pound the glass with her fists.

DG and Azkadellia reacted at the same time, using their magic to try and stop him. But Stribog was able to parry their attack long enough to get to the console. He depressed a series of buttons in rapid succession. A tremor ran through the structure as Tempest came to life around them.

As they advanced on him again, the creature laughed. "Perhaps I won't get my world, Princesses, but you won't have it, either. Lilith is powerful enough to cause a cold blast that will destroy the O.Z.'s crops. Many of your kind will suffer and die when winter comes."

He moved to attack again and DG felt Azkadellia grab her hand. The familiar feeling of their combined power sang up her arm. Immediately, the impenetrable magic field enveloped them. Stribog's attack glanced off harmlessly.

Together, the two princesses raised their free hands. DG felt the power come from deep inside her, blending with Azkadellia's until the power hummed through every vein in her body. A brilliant ball of blue, crackling energy erupted from beneath their barrier and the combined strength of their magic hit Stribog full in the chest. With a loud, piercing scream, the Suketian leader was blasted through the wall, revealing the dark clouds that were already building in the sky above them.

After a few seconds of deep breaths to steady herself, DG dropped her sister's hand and ran to the cylinder. It was filled with an icy, thick fog that swirled violently around its confines. There was no sign of the Ice Witch that Stribog had sacrificed for his revenge.

"DG!" Azkadellia was at the edge of the hole as the cold wind whipped her face. When DG reached her, she couldn't see where Stribog had landed, but there was a battle raging in the plain that surrounded the Suketian fortress.

Azkadellia smiled. "It's Mother and Father."

"Az, we have to turn this machine off." DG turned with her sister on her heels.

Raw had Glitch propped up against the wall when the two women approached and knelt down beside their injured friend. "How is he?"

"Will live." Raw stated simply. "Dark magic make it hard to heal wounds."

Glitch's eyes were insensible as he looked from DG to Azkadellia. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Ambrose." Azkadellia said softly as she took his hand.

"Guess I got to save you after all."

"Sure did." She smiled. "Ambrose, how do we stop the machine?"

"Can't stop it." Glitch was slipping back into unconsciousness. "Once it's started."

Breathing hard, Cain pounded down the hall. This was it. He was on the right course, now.

Jeb had taken the lower levels in their search for DG and the others. It had taken some convincing, but the boy had agreed to go. Cain would take the control center.

Time was up and Glitch would be tossing the bomb in the generator any time now. He ran harder, forgetting his exhaustion and the pain that sought to cripple his entire body.

The sounds of the fight were drawing him ever higher and making him move faster. According to Jeb, DG had somehow managed to get her magic back. There wasn't a lot of time for details, but Jeb assured Cain that DG was no longer helpless.

Of course, to Cain, DG having her magic back translated to DG has a means of getting herself into even more trouble.

When he rounded the next corner, he felt the tremor once more beneath him and fought to keep his balance as the entire structure rocked. For a brief few seconds, he wondered if he was officially out of time and the entire place was about to come down around his ears. But it stopped and he was able to complete the climb to the control room.

When he finally skidded into the control room, he found DG, Azkadellia, and Raw kneeling beside an unconscious Glitch. They turned and a huge grin split DG's face. "You're alive!"

"Why does that always seem to surprise you?" He strode across the room and crouched down to inspect Glitch. "What happened?"

"The machine has been activated." Azkadellia informed him shortly. "We can't stop it."

As she spoke, Cain noticed the lump in Glitch's jacket. Cursing, he reached in and grabbed the bomb that his friend had not had the opportunity to plant.

He stood up. "We need to get Glitch out of here."

Straining from the effort, Cain pulled Glitch's limp form over his shoulders. "Let's go."

Moving quickly, the four set off down the corridors. Cain fought to remember the turns he needed to take, but Raw and the Princesses seemed to have good handle on it. They moved steadily downward and soon, they found themselves in the corridor that led to the prison block.

Royal Army soldiers had infiltrated the lower levels of the fortress and had pushed back most of the Suketian guards. Now, apparently since they knew the machine was running, they were working to evacuate the last of the prisoners.

Cain settled Glitch against a wall and pulled the bomb from his pocket again, studying the device in his hands. "Get out of here."

"Where are you going?" DG asked.

"I'm gonna stop this thing before it destroys the O.Z." he stopped at the entrance to the corridor. "Can the two of you buy me some time? Is there any way you can minimize the damage?"

The two sisters shared a look. Azkadellia sighed. "Maybe."

"Dad!" He breathed a sigh of relief to see Jeb running up the corridor towards them against the flow. The boy took in the group and smirked. "I guess you win. You found all of them."

"Help get Glitch out of here." He ordered his son.

Jeb looked to the unconscious advisor and back to his father, knowing. "I'm going with you."

"Son, I'll be right behind you." He put a hand on Jeb's shoulder. "I need you to get Raw and the princesses out of here."

There was a sigh and a reluctant nod as Jeb's common sense and military training agreed that Cain was right. "Okay."

He pulled Glitch up in much the same way Cain had and settled him on his shoulders. He caught his father's eyes again. "Be careful."

"Right behind you." Cain promised one last time. "Now go."

He watched his son lead the small group down the corridor and disappear out the door.

Gripping the bomb more firmly in his hand, he started down the corridor.

The battle had been going well. Ritnik's men were able to clear the northern corridor and neutralize the snipers, allowing more of the prisoners to escape under the barrage of cover fire laid down by the Royal Army. Caye and Gaylette were making progress on their side of the fortress as well. Soon, they would take the lower levels of the fortress and hopefully, this battle would be nearly over.

Orianah gasped as the machine came to life. From the panes of glass in the tallest tower, a white light began to grow. Ahamo grabbed her hand as the implications hit both of them. The Suket had started the chain reaction to destroy their kingdom.

And they had Azkadellia. Orianah felt anguish and grief rush over her.Azkadellia . . .

It took minutes to grow in intensity, but grow it did. The light became ever stronger and the increasing cold hit them like a wall. Orianah staggered backwards as the cutting wind blasted them. There would be no stopping this, now.

Below, she could see her soldiers bracing against the foul weather, valiantly persisting and still making progress towards the fortress.

The snow began, driven by the wind. It stung her face and Ahamo pulled her to him, trying to shield her from the onslaught.

She pushed away when four figures raced from the northern corridor. She could barely make them out through the snow, but she saw two, very small individuals turn and face the machine again.

The magic erupted around them, growing swiftly and projecting itself outward. Relief flooded over Orianah and she hugged Ahamo tightly as they watched their daughters, joined at the hands, using their magic together to confine destructive power of the machine.

The shield expanded, up and over the colossal fortress, encompassing the whole of the structure and confining the unnatural winter. People were still running from the bowels of the castle and passed through the shield easily, able to run across the plains now without fear of the snipers.

The snow stopped. The wind abated and the world began to grow warmer around them. The power of her children was enormous and awe-inspiring.

Orianah's fear returned. With that much power, the girls were going to exhaust themselves to a frightening degree. It was even possible that they would deplete their energy completely and . . .

She didn't finish the thought. She couldn't. Instead, she broke away from her husband and started to race towards her children.