(Realm Sagas: Story Four: Jack) By: Chandra Rooney ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Legal junk: Sonic & Knuckles, and all related characters are copy-right of Sega and Archie comics. KTE, and Jack are copy-right of KTE. Moon the Echidna, Gabriel Shadows, k.a. Echidna, The Chaos Knight, Selene, ETK and all other original characters are copy-right of Chandra Rooney. All the characters and ideas presented are my own, unless otherwise noted. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter One: A hut in Knothole Realm Location: k.a.'s home realm "What's that supposed to mean?" KTE demanded. Moon silently handed him a hand mirror. Then she watched as he brought it up to his face. She watched him take in the red hair, the freckles... "What the hell?!" KTE exclaimed. "What happened to me?" She sighed. "Well, this is your realm protector form." "I don't care what it is...just tell me how to get rid of it!" KTE snapped. "You can't get rid of it," Gabriel spoke simply. "It's a part of you." "What the hell are you doing here anyway?" KTE snarled, turning on him. "Moon, you said you'd tell me if you heard *anything*." Moon swallowed. "Well, KTE, it's like this: Gabe is innocent and I'm helping him find the Master Tools, and other Realm Protectors." "Gabe?" KTE's green eyes narrowed. "Moon, what aren't you telling me?" "Listen, bounty hunter," Gabe snapped. "I'm a hunter too. But I never kill for no reason. *Never*. Why would I kill Nadaline? I *liked* her!" Moon suppressed a gasp. Gabe's eyes burned with a silvery-green fire...and she could see delicate fangs indenting his bottom lip when he closed his mouth. "Lies...I talked with Mrs. DeMount...she told me you did it," KTE replied stubbornly. "And I'll believe a human before I'd believe one of *your* kind." Gabe lost it. "*My* kind?! I wouldn't be a vampire if it hadn't been..." he stopped. "You spoke to Nadaline's mother?" "Yes." KTE replied. "Impossible." Gabe snarled. "Impossible. Nadaline DeMount's mother died when giving birth to her. She never knew her mother." "I spoke to her." KTE repeated. "A woman with golden eyes, and red hair..." Gabe's eyes met Moon's dark blue ones. "Hecate-Chaos." Moon said simply, she twisted a silver dread between her fingers absently. "Damnit, she's playing with all of us." Gabe muttered, pushing black hair away from his face. "It's a game. But a deadly serious game. She's the one that marked me a renegade. You know what that means. It's the duty of *any* of her loyal subjects to kill me." "Just as it is for them to kill a realm protector." Moon stood. "KTE, you're in danger. Once she finds out that you're a realm protector..." "We're all marked targets." Gabe muttered. "Yeah, and what luck that you're all in one place." A voice said. "You really make it too easy..." They turned. The red echidna that looked *exactly* like KTE smiled as he walked in the door. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am ETK. And I'll be your executioner for today." Gabriel Shadows snickered. He pushed hands through his black hair again. "You're joking." Moon the Echidna looked back at him. This was no joke. This ETK guy was serious. The newly human KTE narrowed his eyes. "*You're* gonna take *me* down?" ETK pulled out a beta-particle blaster. Not-so-standard issue fire-power. Nasty little devil. Hecate-Chaos wasn't taking any chances here. "Now line up, nice-n-straight. Hands where I can see 'em." He gestured with the gun. "Get moving." "You do realize that type of weapon is illegal in some realms," Moon swallowed, and stood between KTE and Gabriel. "I'll have to ask to see your permit." "Shut-up, *Selene*." ETK hissed. "That is what you were calling yerself, wasn't it?" He looked around. "So, tell me, Silver, where's the guy in white? Yadot wants you all." "Guy in white?" KTE looked at her. A 'there's another one?' kinda look. "He's right here," Gabriel lied. "I'm the Chaos Knight...you just caught me outta Realm Protector form." KTE looked like he was gonna object but was silent. "So who are you then?" ETK demanded, pointing to KTE. <> A mental voice slammed into Moon's unprepared mind. <> Gabe's own surprise shimmered through the net. <> Moon guessed. <> <> KTE asked. <> Gabe's impatient reply, a stabbing order. Moon ignored him. <> "I'm waiting for an answer here!" ETK banged the gun against a chair. "He's..." Moon began, fanatically searching... Chapter Two: "Jack," Jack finished. "I'm Jack." "Well, Jack, you should be more careful who you hang around with." ETK raised the weapon. "First to cry out dies...slowly." "So you're not gonna kill us?" Jack asked. "Hecate ordered Yadot to bring you in alive...if possible. But I'm been promised I can use force...if you resist." ETK smiled. A sick, twisted smile. He was *actually* enjoying this. Power-tripping. "Let Jack go," Moon said. "He's not part of this. If you have any shred of decency in you..." "I don't." ETK replied shortly. "I am the evil clone of the bounty hunter KTE. I was designed to be as ruthless and skilled as he, but not to have any of his 'gentler' emotions. Useless ones like compassion, or empathy." "I didn't think KTE had any of those to begin with," Gabe muttered. "No talking." ETK kicked Gabe's unprotected stomach. Gabe grunted, and went down. He may be a vampire...but steel-toed boots didn't really care about that. "Hey..." Jack began. ETK turned on him. "You want some too?" Jack lunged forward and punched ETK in the face. He grabbed for the beta-particle blaster. ETK used knuclaws to slash across Jack's arm. Blood, red as echidna fur began to trickle out of a wound. Jack ignored it and kicked ETK in the gut. ETK grunted and threw Jack against the wall. "I was thinking about letting you go, Jackie-boy, but you just bought yourself a taste of beta-particles." ETK raised the gun. "Jack!" Moon made a move to go help him. ETK swung the gun on her. "Back against the wall! Now!" Moon blinked at the gun then at Jack's bleeding arm. She dropped down beside her friend. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Sure," Jack said bravely. "Just a scratch...a scratch." Gabe jumped at ETK, only to have the back of the heavy wooden chair throw against him. Wood; the only thing that could permanently injure a vampire. Gabriel was thrown to the floor. ETK cocked the gun. "Two in one shot..." As he aimed, a silver blade pressed against his throat. "I don't think so," the guy dressed all in white, with the white cloak hood covering his face said. Despite the cloth over his mouth and nose, the words were clear and unmuffled. Moon looked up at the dark blue eyes, and the stray wisps of white-blond hair peeking out from the hood. "Who's that?" Jack asked. "Chaos Knight, you're here!" Moon exclaimed surprised...how could Chaos be here when she hadn't used the Silver Crescent Moon Wand on k.a.? "You're the Chaos Knight?" ETK asked, the blade dangerously close to his windpipe. His eyes found Gabriel getting up slowly from the floor. "I thought he was the Chaos Knight..." "I lied." Gabe said it blankly. There was a wounded air to his movements, as he rose and made his way over to Moon and Jack. "No talking." The Chaos Knight said gruffly. But Moon could detect the faint shimmer of mockery in tone. "Well, isn't it lucky you were in the neighborhood?" Gabe remarked sarcastically. "Any one need medical attention?" Chaos asked, as he hog-tied ETK. "I'm fine." Gabe muttered. "Just had the wind knocked outta me." "What about you?" Chaos asked Jack. "Nasty-looking slice. You might want to put something on it." "I'm fine." Jack snapped. "It's just a scratch. I've had plenty worse." "Moon?" "He didn't touch me, Chaos." Moon replied. "I'll see that this gets into a cell in the jail house," Chaos picked up ETK. "I'll be around if you need me." Then he was gone. Just gone. "Who was that?" Jack asked. "The Chaos Knight." Moon told him. KTE gave her an annoyed look. "Yeah, I gathered that much. Who is this Chaos Knight?" "Another Realm Protector," Gabe said. "Let's go get that arm looked at," Moon said. "I said I'm fine." Jack snapped. "Humor me." Chapter Three: "Moon!" k.a. ran over to her after they were half-way to the infirmary. "k.a.?" Gabe raised an eyebrow at Moon; as if to say 'how?'. k.a. stopped short of them; suddenly playing shy. He took off between two huts. Dust swirled up behind him on the dirt path. "Well, that was weird," Jack muttered. "It must be because he doesn't know who you are," Gabriel reasoned. Moon didn't think so. Dimitri was seated lotus-style in the clearing. The sweet smell of life clung to the air, the trees green and alive, the flowers an ocean of living rainbows. Nearly a month-and-a-half ago this clearing had served as the place where he had taught his son how to control his new powers. He frowned. Something was wrong. Something...he couldn't place the feeling. It was mostly an ominous density to the air. What could it mean? Just as he prepared to descend into a meditative state, a small mass of red fur climbed up into his lap. He opened his dark blue eyes, to stare down into the identically colored ones. "Watcha doin, Daddy?" k.a. asked. Dimitri found himself once again amazed how his son. The large hands, and feet, the thin arms and legs. His little torso made his already long tail, look even longer. He put an knuclawed hand on the little head. "Nothing, son. What are you doing?" "Bringin ya this," k.a. said, and brought out the ancient silver dagger. The metal glimmed in the afternoon sunshine, and the blue embedded jewel sparkled. "Tell me what it is, Daddy. Please?" Dimitri gently took the dagger from the small hand. "Where did you get this, Knuckles?" k.a. squirmed a little. "I took it...I'm sorry. But I..." He trailed off, unable to explain his need to have the dagger. Dimitri scanned him quickly. The five-year-old didn't understand why he'd done it. But the subconscious seventeen-year-old had all too clearly recognized this dagger as his Master Tool. "It's all right, son, I understand." Dimitri gently brushed him out of his lap, and stood. "Come on, let's go back to Knothole." "It's not a deep wound," Dr. Quack was telling Moon and Jack. "But all cuts risk infection." He reached for an open tube of antibiotic ointment. "Now, this may sting a little." Jack didn't even flinch as the duck applied the mostly alcohol-based cream to the cut. "You lied about Shadows," he remarked softly. Moon nodded. "Yes, I did." "Why would you have any reason to show such scum loyalty? After all we've.." Jack stopped. "After all *his* kind have put your family through." Moon swallowed. "Gabe's different." Dr. Quack finished apply a cloth bandage to Jack's arm. "There, now if you'll excuse me, there was a small accident at the Lookout and I need to attend to other's injuries." Jack waited till the duck had left to speak again. "They took your sister." He reminded Moon. "Your *twin* sister. When she was just a defenseless baby. How can you possibly stand to look at one them?" "Gabe saved my life," Moon said quietly. "And because of it...he is what he is." "What?" Jack asked. "Let's go. I think it's time you heard everything, but not here." Chapter Four: They ended up back at Dimitri and Lara-le's hut. It seemed as good a place as any. "Hellwo mista KTE!" k.a. cried when they came in. Jack gawked. "How come he knows who I am?" "He just seems to always know." Moon shrugged. "k.a., you call KTE 'Jack' while he's like this...okay?" "Oh-tay," k.a. replied cheerfully. "Hellwo mista Jack!" He then laughed as if it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. "k.a.'s one weird little kid," Jack muttered. "Well, perhaps, I can explain his uniqueness best." Dimitri smiled, coming in from the other room. Jack gasped, despite himself. Moon giggled. The tall, red echidna with the long dreads, and the knuclaws did seem to have that effect on people. No doubt the dark blue eyes had something to do with it. Dimitri hung his long, dark brown trench coat up on a coat peg and sat down. He gestured for Jack and Moon to do likewise. "You're..." Jack trailed off. "I just...Knuckles had told me so much about his Uncle...but I..." Dimitri regarded Jack oddly, then nodded slowly. "Aw, so *you are* KTE. I suspected as much, but wasn't sure." "I told you about my dad," Moon reminded Jack. "Yeah, but...he's just not what I expected..." Jack swallowed. "What's this about k.a.?" "k.a. has the power of an entire chaos emerald circulating through his blood stream." Dimitri replied frankly. "As do I." "Wait...I thought...y'know...eleven emeralds..." Jack trailed off again. "A boy who knows his history, I'm impressed." Dimitri waved a hand. "At one point, yes I did have eleven. But the Ancient Walkers used the Blade of the Guardian to separate my spirit from all but one of the emeralds." "That's what Enerjak is," Moon added. "The other ten emeralds. At least in this Realm." Jack frowned. "I think I see." "Then, after I was freed of all that power, I took the place of a fallen guardian." Dimitri began. "That was over 20 years ago." "Oh, I get it...Locke. He's Knux's dad in the other realms." Jack nodded. "I heard about the trial somewhere...how they thought Knuckles Ash was you. And how you came clean about not even being Locke...but I didn't hear about the verdict." "Banishment for myself and Lara, for an undetermined amount of time." Dimitri replied. "Really, I didn't think you had time to pay attention to Realm Gossip," Moon muttered. "But before all this," Dimitri was saying. "Knuckles Ash had been captured by Robotnik. Somehow the fiend managed to rebuild the Chaos Syphon. He used it on my son. Once he'd used it... he used his own science to genetically alter Knuckles to a human form. It took us six months to learn of what had happened and get him back." "Then," Moon interrupted. "While Knux was here, recovering, Enerjak came back and got possession of him." "Thus creating EnerAsh," Dimitri finished. "During the battle against him, I met Moon." "And Steel," Moon added. "We got the Blade of the Guardian and used it to free Knux, and imprisioned Enerjak in the mask." "Then, Knuckles was captured by the EST, who believed he was me. And you know how the trial went." Dimitri concluded. "Yeah, the High Council of the Order of the Realms made him undergo the regression treatment, and now we've got k.a." Jack replied. "Yes." Dimitri nodded. "Damn, Moon. An entire emerald." Jack shook his head. "Is that why the kid's so hyper?" Moon laughed. "I think it has something to do with it." "But wouldn't that make," Jack stopped and looked at k.a. The little echidna was sitting on the floor with some crayons and paper. As he drew something, that seemed to require an awful lot of grey, he stuck out his tongue. "Wouldn't that make k.a. and Moon related to Menniker?" "In any other realm, yes." Dimitri paused. "You see, KTE, this realm is very unique. Very. Menniker was not my biological child. He was adopted, but I did raise him. So, Moon and k.a. are not related to the dark legion blood-line, or is any other guardian for that matter. Yet, I still am responsible for how Menniker was raised. Therefore, it is still partially my fault that the Dark Legion exists." Jack nodded solemnly. "In all the realms I've ever been to, you've been a real jerk." Dimitri's eye-brow arched. "Indeed? I should imagine so. I can be a very real...jerk. Yet, no more of a jerk than the Locke of this realm." "How so?" Jack asked. "Well...he was a secret member of the Dark Legion..and he wasn't a very good guardian...and he...wasn't very nice to Lara-le while they were married." "You're happy he got killed?" Jack asked. "Well...I..." Dimitri trailed off. "Like I said, I can be a real jerk." "So can Ash," muttered Moon. "I hear that," Jack murmured quietly. "Looky!" k.a. bounced up on her knee, and placed a piece of paper in front of her. It was a childishly scrawled picture, yet it was surprisingly good. "It's you!" "That's very good, Knuckles," Dimitri told him. k.a. grinned. "Someday I'm gonna be real good at makin' pictures. I just gotta practice." Jack snickered. "That's not something I'd expect a five-year-old to say." "I'm gonna go show it to Mommy!" k.a. declared and plucked his paper off the table. Then he took off towards the other room. "Hold on," Dimitri caught him. "You're mother's not in there. She's with Rosie. Come on, I'll take you to her." k.a. eagerly took his father's hand and trotted along side him as the two left the hut. Moon watched them go, and smiled. Maybe now there'd be some peace for a while. Chapter Five: "Moon, I just heard something from the radio operator-" Gabe burst into the hut, saw Jack, and stopped. "Oh, hello, *Jack*." "Hello *Shadows*," Jack hissed back, just as uncivil. "You were saying?" Moon prompted. "It can wait." Gabriel replied cooly. He sized Jack up, and then continued. "You do realize this puts a damper on your plans to bring me back to Queen Hecate-Chaos." "I was never going to bring you back to *her*," Jack snapped. "I thought I was hired by Nadaline's mother." "Well, you weren't." Gabriel replied, purposely obnoxious. "How can you put up with that?" Jack demanded of Moon. "He saved my life," Moon began. "When I was ten...I met Gabriel then. My mother and his mother grew-up together." "How nice for you," Jack replied. Moon ignored him. "One night when I was over at their house, several vampires broke in and took us all to Hecate-Chaos' palace." "They killed my mother because she wasn't a vampire," Gabriel said quietly. "And because my father was." Jack paused. "So you're half-vampire?" "I was born half, yes," Gabe paused. "But that changed that night. After they killed my mother, Hecate-Chaos told me that I could join her kingdom by becoming a full-vampire, or.... I could watch Moon die." Moon looked away, ashamed. Gabriel had been so gallant that night. Amid all the darkness and evil, he still refused to see her be hurt. It reminded her that...long ago...when two small echidnas had played, two mothers nodded and made final an acknowledgment that would define the lives of their children. "I couldn't let them hurt Moon," Gabe was saying. "I *couldn't* not when we..." he stopped, swallowed, and continued. "I told Hecate-Chaos if she let Moon go, she could do whatever she wanted to me." "And what did she do?" Jack asked. "She worked a spell, and made me drink blood for the first time. I could live on mobian food, with no need for blood before that. But since...just like any other vampire, I've had to hunt." Gabe paused. "But I always try not to hurt people. I only take what I need. "And when I drank that blood for the first time..." Gabe swallowed again. "Not only did I become a full vampire...but I lost my echidna heritage." "What?!" Jack exclaimed, and nearly fell off his chair. "You think I was born looking human?" Gabriel asked, then shook his head. "No, I was born an echidna. I was raised till I was thirteen in the Silver Echidna's home realm. As an *echidna*. I was supposed to be a Realm Traveler." "But that all changed when you were made a vampire," Moon finished softly. "You're an echidna?" Jack was shocked. "Like me?" Gabriel suddenly turned defensive. The moment of bearing his soul was over, and he was back to being obnoxious. "You hardly could pass for an echidna right now." "I've been wondering about that," Jack said. "Moon, how do I...not be in human form?" "I think once you find your Master Tool, you'll be able to control it." Moon replied. "I know that's how it is with me." "So, it's you and me, and..what's his name? Chaos?" Jack asked. "That's not really his name," Moon said. "Well what is his *real* name?" Jack asked, he cast a look briefly at Gabriel. "I'm sure he'll tell us when he's ready." Moon replied. She knew Ash would probably be more than happy to let everyone know who he was...once he longer had to be k.a. "And we've just got the one Master Tool," Gabriel muttered, disappointed. "Actually, you've got two," Dimitri had come back in. He was carrying a silver dagger. "Remember this?" "The Blade of the Guardian!" Moon exclaimed. "Is it a Master Tool?" "Wait! Didn't Chaos have that at ETK's neck?" Gabriel asked. "It does look familiar," Jack admitted. He was suddenly quiet. "My own sword..." "What's the chance that you've had your Master Tool all your life?" Gabriel snorted. "What kind of search would that be?" "Well, this Blade has been involved in Chaos'..." Moon trailed off. How much did they want to tell Jack? "Place the wand in front of it," Dimitri instructed. "If it glows, then the Blade is a Master Tool." Moon nodded, she pulled the Silver Crescent Moon Wand out of her pocket and held it over the Blade of the Guardian. The wand glowed, and beeped. "Well, that's two down..." Moon said. "Five to go," Gabe added. "Well, ya can at least test my sword..." Jack was saying. "My teacher, who taught me all my fighting skills told me it had magickal powers, yet he'd never been able to activate them." "Your sword was made from a Chaos emerald, wasn't it?" Moon asked. "Yeah." Jack nodded. "Well, where is it?" Gabriel asked, annoyed. Jack glared at him. He reached and withdrew a sword from a sheath above his left shoe. "Well, if it was a Master Tool, and you'd had it the entire time, don't you think it would have made you an echidna again?" Gabriel snapped. Moon couldn't help but wonder if being around so many mobians had made him long for his lost echidna form. Jack held out the sword, ignoring Gabe. Moon moved the wand over it. The wand beeped and glowed. "It *is* another Master Tool." Moon said. "Well, I'm still human," Jack remarked. "It doesn't work that way," another voice said. Moon turned and saw the Chaos Knight standing in the doorway. Well, she *had* wondered what had become of k.a. Chaos' eyes rose to meet Dimitri's. The two regarded each other for a moment in silence. Moon felt the tingle of a telepathic link, but it was designed to be beyond the receiving/sending capabilities of anyone else. She, herself, couldn't dechiper it. After a few moments, Dimitri simply nodded to Chaos, and turned away. Something had been said...some decision met, and no one else had been allowed to participate in the making. "It doesn't work that way," Chaos repeated to Jack. "What doesn't work what way?" Jack demanded. Moon cringed. KTE hated when people were vague and wouldn't give straight answers. Chaos had better change his habits, fast. "The shifting between human and furry form," Chaos finished. "The Master Tool really doesn't help at all." Jack stared at him. "Well what does?" Chaos regarded him with those dark eyes. The only visible part of his face. "Look," he began. "I'm here to help. If you want me to teach you...all you have to do is ask." "Maybe you could offer," Jack suggested. "I don't like to ask for things." "And I don't like to offer things." Chaos replied. "Hoo boy," Gabriel muttered sarcastically, as per usual. "I can see the makings of a be-you-tee-ful team here." "Look," Chaos was clearly growing impatient. "The Master Tool isn't the key. Concentration is." He walked over to separate Jack from Moon and Gabe. "You can to focus you will on making the shift happen." Chaos told Jack. "You have to clear your mind...and concentrate on being an echidna." Jack looked at him skeptically. "We'll leave you two alone," Gabe said, and nodded for Moon to come with him. "We've got things of our own to discuss." Chapter six: The power ring pool was a clear pond, that a small waterfall emptied into. It was an area off of the river that ran through Knothole. It was also a beautiful spot. "What did you need to tell me?" Moon asked Gabriel. "Could you change for me?" Gabriel asked oddly. "Change for you?" Moon raised her eyebrows. "I can't just change right here in front of you!" "Why not?" Gabriel asked. Moon was silent. Changing was a very intimate thing. She was only happy to give Jack his privacy while he was learning. She also knew that Ash didn't like to change in front of others. "I can't just let you watch- " Moon began. "I'll close my eyes," Gabriel promised, shutting his lids tight on those green orbs. Moon sighed. There were times when he simply made no sense to her. She cleared her mind, and focused. After a small wave of energy passed over her body she turned back to him. "Okay. I'm done. You can open your eyes." He did. Then he did something else. He came over quickly. Stood very close to her, and kissed her. Moon pulled away sharply. "Gabriel! I have a boyfriend!" "Yeah, but he's not here," Gabe replied. "That doesn't matter I'm not going to cheat on him." Moon replied hostily. "What about me?" "What about you?" "Come on! You can't stand there and tell me you felt nothing in that kiss!" "You really do think to highly of yourself, Gabriel," Moon replied coldly. "I'm going to check on KTE." "Fine." Gabriel walked a few paces behind her. "Then I can tell you what I meant to in the first place." "And that is?" Moon asked. "You'll see." An exhausted-looking red echidna was sitting on the floor in the hut when Moon (back in furry form herself) and Gabriel returned. "Last pointer," Chaos was saying. "If you're tired, don't try to push the change. If you don't have enough energy, you might get stuck in human form...or worse, something between a furry and a human." "How's it going?" Moon asked. "Done." Chaos gestured to KTE. "He's a fast learner. Caught quicker than I thought he would." "Congratulations, Jack," Gabriel announced. "You impressed the Chaos Knight. Not an easy feat." Chaos glared at Gabriel. He started for the door. "I'll-" "Be around if we need you. Yeah, yeah, I know," Moon finished for him. Chaos nodded, and left. "Now, what were you going to tell me?" Moon demanded of Gabriel. "The radio operator picked up a signal from the floating Island." Gabriel began. "Julie-su Echidna's escaped from jail. A green fox and a purple hedgehog busted her out." "Kit and Ember," Moon concluded. "Any word of where they went?" "There was a break up in a zone barrier on the island." Gabriel shrugged. "My guess is they went to another realm." "Great. That really helps. Any idea which one?" "The guard said they mentioned something about aiding and abetting a Dark Legion take-over." Gabriel shrugged. "Great." Moon muttered. "How are we to tell what realm they went to?" "Maybe I can help," Dimitri said as he came in the hut. "That was another call from the island. A reluctant Delos to inform us that the mask of Enerjak has gone missing." "Delos?" KTE asked. "Locke's father." Dimitri explained. "Enerjak was imprisoned in that mask, but if a capable host should happen to put it on, he'll be free to possess their body." "Then it's of dire importance we get it back," Moon said. "Yes, but we still don't even know where to look!" Gabriel exclaimed. "Yes, you do." Dimitri handed Moon a piece of paper. "This was sent to us from your home realm, Moon. It seems one of the monitors of realm travel picked up the coordinates of the realm Julie-su, Kit, and Ember disappeared into." Moon took the paper. Then she looked at Gabriel and KTE. "Get your things, we're going hunting." "I'll get k.a.," Dimitri said. Chapter Seven: Knothole Jail ETK stared out of the bars of his cell. He felt so stupid, having been caught by that Chaos Knight guy. Boy, what he wouldn't give for a rematch. Or another chance at Jack, Gabe, and Moon. "Well, maybe you'll get that chance, friend," a voice interrupted his thoughts. ETK looked up to see a girl with silver hair, and dark blue eyes. She wore a sailor outfit with a black scarf, skirt, bows, and black knee high boots. She also wore a nasty sneer. "Who are you?" he demanded. "Why, I'm Sailor Evil." She laughed. "Don't look so surprised. Look-alikes have high value to Queen Hecate-Chaos. She wants you to have another shot at KTE. Now that he's a Realm Protector, his destruction is all the more important." "And the Chaos Knight?" ETK demanded. "You come with me, and meet up with some of *my* friends. We're going to see that the Chaos Knight is defeated. I have the perfect plan." "What is it?" ETK asked. Sailor Evil laughed. "Oh, let's just say it's all about family relationships." She pointed her finger at the lock on his cell. "CHAOS BLAST DESTROY!!" A swirl of corrupt energy flashed out and disintegrated the lock. ETK pushed the door open and stepped out. "So, you're not going to tell me what the plan is?" "Oh, you'll learn your part," Sailor Evil opened a realm portal and gestured for him to step through it. "We've got plenty of time to fill you in on the details." to be continued.... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cast: Moon the Echidna/Selene: Where is she taking the others? k.a./the Chaos Knight: What does Sailor Evil have planned for him? Gabriel Shadows: What are his feelings for Moon? KTE/Jack: How will he adjust to being a Realm Protector? ETK: What is he going to do to KTE? Sailor Evil: What is her plan? Julie-su Echidna: Why is Hecate-Chaos so interested in her? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Next story: Moon, Gabe, KTE, and k.a. are off to the "archie realm" {that is the one that you see in the comics} to stop the Julie-su of k.a.'s home realm, sailor evil, kit, and ember from messing things up there. But Sailor Evil has a plan. What is it? Things get more complicated when the Protectors learn that Enerjak is taking over that Floating island! Will that realm's Knuckles and the Chaotix be of any help? What do the Destroyers have in store for KTE and the Chaos Knight?