The team awoke refreshed and full of energy. They decided to hold off on using any more of the potion since they all felt strong and ready for the day. As they headed out, Ari and Tim took the lead, while Team Gibbs held back slightly.

They noticed that the mist from before was following them. As of now, they didn't hear any of the voices and Ari had made Tim put new cotton in his ears before they set out. They all knew the phantom souls were biding their time, waiting for the right time to attack.

Out of now where, Tony was whacked upside the head. He grabbed the back of his skull and looked at his assailant. "Ow, Boss! What was that for?"

"What the hell did you think you were doing last night?"

Tony actually blushed and let his head drop for just a moment. When he raised his head, he spoke earnestly. "I was hoping to get to see my mom while I was down here. I thought I finally had that chance." He shrugged. "Guess I was wrong."

"Why'd you think she was with these ... souls?" Gibbs asked gently.

Another shrug. "My dad always said she had a way about her. She could get anyone to do anything she wanted. Said she could charm a snake off of a snake-charmer." He smiled at the memory.

"And how would she go about getting people to do what she wanted?" Gibbs had a feeling, but he wanted to be sure.

DiNozzo's smile grew wider. "All she had to do was smile. They say that Helen of Troy was the face that launched a thousand ships, well, my mom could have beat her, hands down."

Gibbs knew exactly what Tony was talking about, so he did the only thing he could, he hit him again.

"Boss!"

"That's call charm you moron, not manipulation."

"There's a fine line between the two ... and ... well..." Tony took a deep breath, this was going to be the hard part, to finally admit what had happen all those years ago, "... she committed suicide."

Gibbs and Ziva were so stunned that they stopped walking.

Tony stopped with them, to give them time to absorb what he was saying and for the next round of information. "For awhile, I became obsessed about finding out what happened to suicides on 'the other side'. I dug through any and everything on the subject, but what I found varied so much. Some said it was as bad as murders, other said it was worse, then others that said it was to be rewarded ... so many differences and sometimes even within the same religion. I was so bad with it, that's when my dad decided to ship me off to boarding school."

Tony shrugged again, but this time it felt like a weight was finally sliding off of him. "I wondered for a long time if it was me ... if I did something to make her want to leave, because, hell, even my dad got rid of me. Took me an even longer time to figure out that it wasn't my fault."

Ziva grabbed Tony's hand and Gibbs placed an arm around him ... the only person missing was Tim.

Tony looked up to call out to his Probie when he realized how far ahead Ari and Tim were. "I think we better catch up."

Ziva and Gibbs nodded. As they started to step forward they felt the first tremors. It started as a low rumble, just barely enough to notice, but then it grew until there was a constant vibration under their feet.

"Great! Is that beast from earlier back?" Tony had to shout because as the vibration beneath them grew, so did the sound.

Ziva looked to her brother. He was kneeling, speaking to Tim. It seemed like they were in an argument from their body language, but unfortunately, they were too far way for her to hear what they were saying.

Finally, Tim gave into what ever Ari had wanted, as they could see Tim nod his head in agreement.

Ari nodded back, then turned towards the horizon. Tim stood behind Ari, this time however, it was with his back against Ari's leg. When his eyes met Ziva's he looked absolutely terrified. Before she could call out to him, her brother's raised voice reached her first.

"Get your barrier up, fast. It doesn't have to be large this time, so don't waste time laying out a circle. Make it big enough for the four of you to stand. And, no matter what you see, do NOT come out of that barrier ... no matter what. Understand?"

He had not turned around to face them to speak, but they heard him loud and clear. Ziva once again quickly started setting up the barrier, and she remembered to include the stones Ari had given her to make it stronger.

While Ziva was doing that, Ari himself was beginning to change. The dark aura they had noticed before was starting to come off of him in waves. His back was rippling as if something was hiding underneath his shirt. Suddenly two protrusion shoot out of his back and open into wings. At first they looked like bat-wings, however as they grew they turned red and had horns at every point and joint, looking more like a wings from a dragon.

The feeling of dread that had frozen them earlier returned and it took every ounce of strength Ziva had to keep working on the barrier.

Just as she finished the horizon filled with flying, walking, crawling, slithering monsters. The mist that had been following them retreated, leaving nothing but the dirty green of the landscape behind.

DiNozzo summed it up best, "This is like my nightmare's nightmare."

Gibbs and Ziva nodded in agreement.

"Not that I know anything about this place, but I have a feeling that this isn't supposed to be happening."

"I agree Gibbs." Ziva replied without looking away from Ari and Tim.

In front of them was a line of monsters, that suddenly parted to let through their leader.

"That is disgusting."

"I think that is too kind of a word for that thing Tony." Ziva may have sounded flippant, but she was shaking like a leaf.

Gibbs put his arms around both of his agents. Normally, he would want to be ready for action, but even he knew, they were no match for what was going to take place.

The pig-faced arachnid stopped his advance and stared at Ari. "I knew you'd be back."

Ari just unfurled his wings and stared back at his foe.

"Where is he?"

"What makes you think I haven't devoured him. I wanted him just as badly as you did, Archer."

Team Gibbs took a collective gasp.

"Archer? The cop from Probie's first kill? No way, just no way. How can that thing be Archer?" Tony breathed out.

Gibbs had no words, he just shook his head, while Ziva stepped back, pressing herself further into him.

Archer threw his head back and made a sound that they thought might have been laughter, although it sounded more like a pig drowning. When he brought his head forward again, an angry sneer was on his face. "You think I'm a complete moron? I can tell you didn't ... so where is he?"

"Well, not complete ... but close."

"You dare mock me! When we fought before, you had legions of followers, now look at you! You're all alone! You against all of us!" Archer beat his wings, stirring up his followers who howled or hissed or screamed their agreement.

"I can still take you."

The two enemies eyed up each other and then without warning, all hell broke lose. Ari was being attacked on all sides. His wings easily deflected the smaller attackers, however the larger ones latched on and couldn't be shaken so easily.

Still, Tim stayed where he was, his body tense.

When it appeared that Ari was trapped by all the monsters holding on to him, Archer started forward. When he got within striking range, Ari yelled out, "GO!"

Tim took off running, straight towards the barrier. Ari, meanwhile, had collapsed and expanded his wings, so that they grew in size again, each of the horns had pierced a monster that had been holding him before. At the same moment, he threw his hand out, sending a wave of the dark aura right at Archer's face.

When it hit, Archer reeled back, screaming in agony. He wiped at his face, trying to clear his eyes.

Ari kept the horde distracted while Tim ran for his life. He made it half way to the barrier when the ground beneath him buckled, then a form shot him upwards, like a stone in a sling-shot. The team saw the centipede monster with an opossum's face, as it borrowed back into ground.

They watched horrified as Tim flew threw the air, screaming for Ari. He reached the point where he was no longer going up, and started to tumble down. A flying monster looking like a cross between a vulture and a mosquito grabbed him in its talons.

Ari burst through the pile of monster he had on him. He shook off his wings and with one powerful push, he was flying, heading straight for Tim. He yelled out, "Now! Do it now!"

Tim nodded, then put his hands on top of the talons, closed his eyes and concentrated. His hands once again began to glow.

The vulture creature screamed and released Tim, who was now free falling.

Ari sped up and reach out to the boy, who was reaching for him as well.

Suddenly, a small winged sloth shot out of no where, ramming into Tim, sending him hurtling in the opposite direction. At the same time, Ari's progress was stopped by Archer who had finally regained his senses and sent out a web to snag Ari's leg.

"NNNOOOO!" Ari screamed as he and Tim were sent flying away from each other.

Archer yanked on the web, sending his pray crashing to the ground, just inches in front of the barrier.

Ari slowly opened his eyes and found the team staring at him. His sister swam in and out of his vision. When he finally was able to focus on her, he blink and locked eyes. "Do not move until I come to get you." He started to stand, never losing eye contact.

"What about Tim?"

"He will be alright for the moment."

"But ..."

"Sister, I promise. Just let me take care of this rabble, then we will go after him. But, you mustn't move from that spot or draw their attention in any way. Understand?"

"I ..."

"UNDERSTAND?"

"Yes brother."

"Good." He gave them a grin that sent chills through them. He turned his back on them and turned to rejoin the fight. At each step he took, he changed. By the time he met back up with Archer, he dwarfed the spider, looking like a full-fledged dragon.

As he fought, body parts could be seen flying in all different directions and horrible screams echoed through the air.

Team Gibbs just watched, knowing there was nothing else they could really do. Each feeling like their sanity was slipping further and further away.