Saran and Cyan had spent the evening separately, doing anything to keep busy. Cyan had started by going through maps and writing down ideas for what to do when she returned. Saran, feeling as if she was being ignored, left by the way of the tunnels and searched the entire palace. It was well past midnight when she returned.

"It’s late, we probably should get some sleep."

Cyan looked at Saran, she hadn’t heard her enter the room, and it was only her voice that broke the silence. "I didn’t realize it was so late."

Smiling at Cyan, "Yeah, neither did I; that was until I disturbed your mother in the kitchen."

"My mother was in the kitchen?" The incredulous look on Cyan’s face said more than enough.

"I thought it strange too; however, I guess she must eat sometimes. Anyway, she didn’t seem to be that thrilled with me coming in from the tunnels. I told her I was hungry and she sent me to bed without any supper."

"You're joking!"

"No, she wanted to get rid of me." Saran shrugged. "I think she wanted to be alone, like mother like daughter." Instantly regretting her words. "Forget I said that. We’re both pretty sick of each other’s company by now and I think we both needed this quiet time. Well, I’m going to bed." Saran then proceeded to take off her boots and crawl onto the mattress.

Cyan watched Saran for a moment before getting up and getting into her own bed. Feeling bad that Saran was so uncomfortable around her, she vowed that she would speak with her in the morning. Only, what would she say? Right then however, she didn’t have the time or energy to figure out what she would tell Saran, or why her mother was here. Lying down on her bed, within moments she fell asleep.

*********

Cyan groaned, waking up Saran, who was barely asleep. Saran turned over to see Cyan starting yet another one of the nightmares she’d been having since coming here. Sitting up in her bed, Saran vowed to spend the rest of the night, watching over her Queen; hoping beyond hope she might be able to help end them.

This time the sound was more of a cry than a whimper. Saran jumped out of her bed to wake Cyan, only to be stopped by Aphrodite.

"I need to wake her; she’s caught in some kind of dream." Saran didn’t even question why Aphrodite was there, just tried to push her aside. Aphrodite reached her arm around Saran, pulling her towards the fireplace and away from Cyan.

"You can’t stop them Saran." Aphrodite’s face showed concern and love for both Saran and Cyan. "I can’t tell you why, but you need to let her see these dreams through."

As if she had just awakened, Saran looked at Aphrodite. "What are you doing here? What could possibly bring you not only to OutWorld, but to this room at this moment.

"I’ve. . .we’ve been watching over the two of you." Saran raised her eyebrows at Aphrodite, as the goddess continued. "Well. . .Vorpax and I, we’ve been making sure the two of you are alright. This is a difficult journey you're on Saran-bear, not only for you but Cyan as well. I can’t tell you much more than that, but don’t wake her. The future depends on it. Ta ta."

Aphrodite disappeared, leaving Saran alone with her thoughts. "First Olympia, now this? What am I to do?" Pacing back and forth, Saran finally went back and sat down on the bed.

Cyan jerked violently in her sleep; waking up momentarily, then fell back into deep slumber. Saran continued to watch over her. Drawing her knees in she hugged them, still unsure if Aphrodite was right.

Staring down at the body, Cyan dropped, picking up the slain form into her arms. She began to cry. The Shadow Priests were still fighting the few Amazons that were left. Rae and Loa were barely hanging on, while Matt, Lyceas and StudBoy continued to hold their own. As she surveyed what was happening she saw Falcon walking towards her.

Cyan cried out in her sleep. Saran saw that she hadn't awakened, but watched as a redness began to make its way through her shirt. Saran rose, and could see it was the darkening red of new blood and was about to wake the Queen when she thought of Aphrodite. What were these dreams? Did she trust Dite with Cyan's life? Saran stood motionless weighing her faith in everything and everyone while the Queen once again slipped deeper into sleep.

Cyan sat straight up in bed. Her breathing labored as she tried to shake the dreams from her head. She didn’t notice that Saran was watching her, nor that she was even awake. She grabbed for the crystal that hung around her neck and glanced down to see the fading red she had known would be there.

"So, are you finally ready to tell me about these dreams?" Saran kept her voice quiet, and consoling. She didn’t want to frighten or push Cyan away.

Cyan got up off the bed, not even looking at Saran. She walked over to the fireplace and started to throw more logs on the fire in an attempt to warm herself. Saran watched her for a few minutes before she too got up and walked over towards the fire.

"Ok, you don’t need to tell me anything, but something has to give here Cyan. You’ve been having these dreams almost every night since we’ve gotten to this realm. Which considering I haven’t dreamt at all, seems rather odd to me." Saran reached out and touched Cyan on the shoulder, yet Cyan recoiled from the touch. Keeping her temper in check, Saran put herself in front of Cyan so that Cyan was forced to look at her.

"I don’t know what to do here Cyan. Tell me. I know what it’s like to have dreams that are so real. . .you think you're living them." Saran looked into Cyan’s eyes. "Is that what these dreams are like?" Cyan slowly nodded her head, obviously still deep in thought, but also with the beginning of tears brimming in her eyes. "Please my Queen. I’m your friend, I’ll listen."

"Do you own a sword?" The question popped out of Cyan’s mouth, taking Saran back a bit.

"Yes, but it’s in a safe place were no one can find it; why?" Saran watched as Cyan turned away from her and began to pace, silently. "Is this why you threw that sword to me during that fight?" Again Saran placed herself in front of the Queen, to get her to stop and look at her. "I wondered, because you know I don’t use weapons; and you know why. In fact, I think that was the first thing I ever told you. As for the one I own, remind me when you're not like this to tell you about it."

"Tell me about it now." Cyan commanded.

"This isn’t the time nor place Cyan, and before you go off telling me I’m being disrespectful, look at yourself in a mirror. These dreams. . .visions, whatever they have been affecting you, even while you're awake. You need to trust me, please." Saran pleaded.

"Tell me." Cyan said again flatly and commandingly.

Saran walked over to the Queen’s bag and drew Cyan’s sword. Flipping it over, she handed it to Cyan, hilt first. Once Cyan had taken the sword, Saran fell to her knees and bowed her head before Cyan. "I know you can’t kill me, but you can make the rest of my existence rather painful. So, if this will make you feel better, do it. Do something, because you're worrying me. You’re the first person I’ve ever truly trusted Cy. . .my Queen. If I have done anything to cause your mistrust, then chop me into a million pieces. Please." Saran had never begged to anyone in her life before this; she also had never needed anyone’s trust as much as she needed Cyan’s.

Cyan dropped the sword and got down on her knees in front of the still bowing Saran. Lifting Saran’s head in her hand, Cyan looked into Saran’s eyes. "I don't want to kill you Saran, but is there anything you can tell me, anything at all that would make me believe you? Please tell me Saran, because I don’t know what’s real right now."

Saran looked at Cyan through tear filled eyes. Not knowing what to say, she decided she should just tell her what she had been struggling with, hoping that would suffice. "When we went to see Kitana, I left in the middle of the night to explore the castle. I saw Aphrodite and Kitana talking." Saran’s eyes beseeched the Queen’s cooperation with her continued silence. "They were talking about how dangerous it was for the two of us to be here. How if Kahn got his hands on me, he could use me to control Ares. He could use me to make sure Ares didn’t kill Kahn’s daughter."

"Daughter? Who?"

"Olympia is the daughter of Kahn and. . ." Hesitating for a second, Saran swallowed before saying the rest. "And your sister Bajarat."

Cyan’s hand fell to her side, she contemplated the information then decided to tell Saran of the dreams. The two of them had moved closer to the fire and sat crossed legged on the floor beside each other as Cyan told her of the nightly visions.

"Ok, I can see how they would upset you." Saran was still shell shocked from the events of the night, as well as the lack of sleep. "I mean some of it makes sense, Larc and Tama protecting me, Falcon protecting you and the tribe thinking I’m the bad guy. Even the part about Olympia being Kahn’s daughter, but how could you dream something that you didn’t even know yet?"

They were still pondering this when Vorpax and Aphrodite appeared in the room.

*********

"Cyan. Your decision to come to OutWorld started a second time line that I had prayed we would be able to bring about. The life you have lived through your dreams is a time line that has already occurred and would have again if you had not brought Saran with you to OutWorld. The last memory you had of Saran trying to take the crystal from around your neck was the precise time in which I brought you back here to OutWorld, using my powers to hopefully reset the clock of events. Aphrodite was here in OutWorld at the time, and as such, is the only person in Earth Realm to remember the alternate time line. It's also why Kahn was in such a hurry to find and kill you. If he had succeeded, the second time line would have dissolved and the first would have become true; making it very easy to win you over to his side when he chose to take Earth Realm."

Cyan stared in disbelief, faltering her words. "Are you telling me that everything in my dream actually happened?"

"Yes and no. Right now, everything is aligned to your powers Cyan, the second time line, and the two of you being here. Only you can change the events of the first time line by altering your actions of the past. By bringing Saran here you have broken the integrity of the first time line and given yourselves a chance to re-write the events you have already lived. If you do not, the dreams will once again become a reality." Vorpax looked at the two sitting before her. "As of now, the two time lines are suspended simultaneously at a single event; only the path you choose from here will exist."

"Well that’s all fine and good Vorpax, but what now? You didn't already figure that part out for us too?" Saran felt her anger rising while listening to how Vorpax so easily messed with not only Cyan’s life, but all of theirs.

"What now? Well first my dear Saran, I suggest you learn to control that temper of yours and leave the decisions to my daughter. You are a walking explosion just waiting to happen and it’s something you better learn to control; but you can’t seem to do that on your own; can you?"

"Vorpax, leave my little Saran-bear alone." Aphrodite looked at Vorpax then sat next to Saran putting her arm around her. "Look hon, you’ve always had that anger problem, and Larc isn’t enough to control you. You need Cyan much more than you’ll ever admit. Am I right?"

"Uhhh" Saran moaned. She really didn’t want Aphrodite to talk, she just wanted to be home in her own bed.

"Come on Saran-bear. You’ve spent your whole life wanting something, now that you have it. What do you do?"

"Can we please go back to the subject at hand?" Saran looked at Aphrodite to silence her. "That being why it is that Vorpax decided to play with our lives and how she did it."

"Yes Mother, that's a question I would like an answer to as well." Cyan had jumped on the topic as soon as Saran mentioned it, bringing a sigh of relief to Saran.

"I’m not." Vorpax looked at the two warriors. "There’s a power, a force. One that is far greater than anything either of you could even fathom. Try to imagine all the powers of the gods, in all the realms combined, and then try to picture something even far more powerful than that." Seeing that she had their full attention Vorpax continued. "As far as Aphrodite and I can tell, it’s the only power that is present in all the known realms, all of the time."

"What Vorpax is saying is, that this power dude thingy is stronger and more aware of what is happening in all of the realms than any of the gods put together, and I mean any of the gods."

"We both learned of this presence around the same time. I was visiting Earth Realm and speaking with Aphrodite when we both mentioned this powerful force we had encountered. Neither of us could give it a name or face, but it most assuredly was all in the same. This may be even harder to understand than it is to explain, but we both serve this force, and it's why the past had to be changed. You have that crystal Cyan for many reasons, not the least of which is to unite the Realms. Both of you serve this presence no differently than Aphrodite and I do."

"What!" Cyan and Saran cried out simultaneously.

"Well duh? What did you think? That everything that happens to the two of you is pointless?" Aphrodite asked.

"Well. . .yeah." Saran was nodding her head as Cyan looked more thoughtful.

Cyan threw the next question out to both Aphrodite and Vorpax, but it was more for her mother. "This is what you meant by my having to live by faith, isn't it?"

"Yes, and in order to live by faith, you must believe that there’s a reason for everything; even if you can't see it." Vorpax looked over at Saran and smiled. "But your faith is not only in the unseen, but in yourselves and each other. This power, whatever it is, has great plans for each of us, but only if we allow ourselves to be used effectively."

"There’s a master plan at work here kiddos. Vorpax and I figured that much out, and hopefully you two will as well." Aphrodite kissed Saran on the top of her head stood up. Taking Vorpax by the arm, she said. "Come on hon, let’s leave the kids alone."

Cyan and Saran stared at each other for a few seconds before Saran blurted out. "Aphrodite and your mother are friends?" This question started the two of them laughing until they finally fell on the floor exhausted. Somehow, they both fell into a dreamless sleep, right on the floor in front of the fireplace.

*********

The sun shone in through the window, waking Saran up. She realized that she had never gone back to her bed after the events of the night before. As she slowly raised herself up, Cyan walked in the room through the bookcase.

"Morning." Cyan flashed a big smile at Saran as she put the tray she was carrying on the table. "Breakfast?"

"Morning back. You're awfully bright and chipper." Saran groaned as she got up off the floor. "There should be some law about sleeping on floors made out of stone!"

"Right. Remind me when we get back and I'll get right on it my little Saran-bear!" Cyan laughed loudly as Saran slowly made her way to the table and fell into the chair.

"If you ever call me that again Cyan; Queen or not…….." Saran tried to pull off the threat, but she was too tired and hearing Cyan laugh made her too happy to pull it off.

"You’ll what?" Cyan asked sarcastically.

"I’ll. . .I’ll. . ." Saran at a lost for words, looked over the food that Cyan had brought in for their breakfast. Seeing the scrambled eggs, she picked some up in her hand and threw them at Cyan. Cyan, who was no longer about to let Saran get away with anything, did the same. Not more than 5 minutes later, the food was strewn all over the room and the two were again rolling on the floor laughing.

"This isn’t all that Queenly you know." Saran said as she tried to regain her breath.

"So, are you going to go back and tell everyone that their Queen got into a food fight and then rolled around laughing on the floor?"

"No." Saran turned to look at Cyan. "They would never believe me anyway. I mean, they would probably believe me having a food fight; just not with you."

"You know what Saran?" Pausing a beat, Cyan picked up some food that was on the floor. "You're right." She threw it at Saran who burst into laughter.

Finally, the two of them settled down and with a quick wave of her hand, Cyan had the room as clean as when they had started.

"Now there's a power we should have worked on a little sooner." Saran said still laughing. "Maybe we could have cleaned up this dump after all."

The two warriors looked around the room fondly. It hadn't been a warm place when they had first arrived, but strangely enough, Cyan felt somewhat at home now. Both Cyan and Saran began to pack up their things while they talked about what Vorpax and Aphrodite had told them.

"Saran? What did Aphrodite mean when she said you finally found what you’ve been searching for?"

"Umm..Nothing." Saran became quiet, not wanting to talk about it.

"Sorry. That’s not going to work anymore. I thought we were going to trust each other?"

"Yes, well. . .Cyan. It’s just that I don’t think she knows what she’s talking about. I mean it’s Aphrodite, she’s just trying to get me to. . ." Saran then stopped and looked Cyan in the face, before she began to talk again, she lowered her gaze. "I’ve never had a home, or someone that watched out for me. I’ve been a loner all my life, and I guess I’ve always wanted something more. . ."

Cyan walked over and hugged Saran. "Well, you have it now kiddo. You have it now."

As Cyan pulled back from the hug, Saran caught a glimpse of worlds upon worlds swirling inside the crystal around Cyan's neck.

"Cyan." Saran said grabbing the crystal. "This thing just flashed or someth……."

*********

Cyan and Saran dropped to their knees as the heavy crash came down across both their shoulders. Cyan arched her back and looked up at Saran. "We have got to work on our landings."

The two warriors jumped to their feet and quickly looked around. Their minds reeled trying to take in everything they saw. The images of OutWorld had given way to that of a fading sunny day somewhere in Earth Realm. The Amazons were busy fighting the Priests and the rest of Ares' thugs.

Saran's eyes widened. "We're back." She could make out the Priest standing behind the Enforcer, who was still unaware of his presence. Saran smiled wickedly. "Be right back my Queen. There's something I need to take care of." In a flash Saran was gone.

Cyan looked over and saw the hooded robed figure moving up behind the form of her niece. Eri was fighting two of Kahn's men and had not yet sensed the god of war. Cyan thought…….

The Queen raised her sword, and Eri whirled at the sound of clashing swords behind her. "Aunt Cyan!" She exclaimed. "You're back!"

"Hello Ares." Cyan smiled as the god of war lowered his hood.

Saran flipped over Olympia, knocking her flat on her stomach as she went. With one motion she grabbed the arm of the Priest and thrust his sword back through his own body. The figure collapsed and disappeared in a wisp of smoke. The Enforcer peeled herself off the ground staring at the remaining ashes of the OutWorld assassin. "Thanks." She said somewhat hesitantly. "I didn't even see him."

Saran smiled and put her arm around the warrior's shoulder. "No problem friend. I've been waiting to do that for a VERY long time!" Saran began to laugh as she and the Enforcer watched the rest of Kahn's Priests disappear back to OutWorld. Ares men soon began to retreat, and all eyes remained on Ares and the Queen.

"You and Kahn have failed Ares, and your destroyer of gods will never do you're bidding." Cyan quickly looked at Saran and Olympia and smiled.

Ares hurled his sword at Eri, but it froze in mid air. Vorpax stood beside her daughter, and the sword slowly lowered itself into her hand. "You know the rules Ares. Her life was bought and paid for long ago, and even you cannot change the laws of the Realms." She handed the sword back to Ares who disappeared before he had even sheathed it.

Cyan looked at her mother and then back at her warriors. "Open the portal Tinks, and let's go home."

The Island portal opened and each of the warriors proceeded through. Just before it closed, Cyan looked back and smiled at her mother.

*******

Hera stood alongside Vorpax in the silence of the battlefield which was still littered with Ares's thugs. The lady of OutWorld turned to face the wife of Zeus. There was a sadness in both their eyes that said much more than either cared to admit.

"The time will come Hera, when all the gods will eventually bow and serve the one I have found."

Silence.

"Please Hera. You were my closest friend, and I will lay down my life for you if I must; but please, side with me now - before its too late." Vorpax's eyes begged the goddess but still she remained silent.

"Her powers will continue to grow Hera, and soon their Island will begin to unite the Realms. Their destiny has already been chosen and your powers will cease to exist as their destiny unfolds. Please Hera, Cyan will let you be if she knows you do not pose a threat, but if you side with Ares, I will not be able to stop her."

Hera turned and began to walk away. Vorpax sighed heavily and disappeared back to OutWorld. The goddess continued to walk slowly; a lone tear rolling freely down her cheek.