Where am I? Hank thought and looked around. "And where is everyone else?" he said this time aloud. to himself, for no one, and nothing was around. Not an animal, not a bird nor insect made a sound. All around him lay a barren landscape.
 

Alone he stood.

    His trained ears heard the cries of battle. Instinctivly Hank tensed and stood onto his toes angling his bow toward the cry and made his way there. A young man with a fighting off a terrible winged creature with the help of a giant eagle. The creature was scaly and immense, with steely claws a foot long. The man was losing the battle.

    He looked familiar too. Hank couldn't tell from where. For now it didn't matter though. With a battle cry the Ranger let golden arrows fly at the winged terror. With it distracted the young knight told the final blow upon it's underbeally.

"Thank you." he said, "It is not often one would come to the aid of another nowadays."

"You look as if we had met before. Tell me what is your name?"

Hank looked at him oddly.

"My name is Hank. But you might also know me as Ranger."
The knight grasped Hank by the shoulders and smiled, "Yes. Now I remember! It has been a long time! I am Dekion. I owe you twice over."

To Hank it looked like Dekion almost forgot how to smile. His bright mood faded quickly and he looked haggard and tired. He sat on a nearby rock and rested.

"Dekion what happened here? What's going on?" Hank asked frantically.

"What didn't happen. I had heard you and you friends had perished." Dekion paused and looked at his friend.

"That is when Venger succeeded in destroying the Dungeon Master and took control over the realm. The destruction and desolation you see is at his hand. He has systematically raped the land of all it's precious natural resources to build his war machine."

Dekion paused and took a breath. His voice was haggard and worn. Dry from the dust being kicked up by the wind.

"Next he plans to travers the barrier between dimensions and conquer them too. No one is left who can stop him." Dekion's voice trailed off into the wind. It was a prayer whether he himself recognized it.

Hank's mind was in turmoil. Then he remembered! The Mists of Time!

"That's it!" he snapped his fingers and exploded, accustomed to having other people around to listen to him.
Dekion looked around but there wasn't anyone else around.

"What is it, Ranger?"

"Dekion, in this world me and my friends did....", Hank gulped, "die" he continued, "but I'm not from this  time I'm from, from, an....alternate time, a different future!"

"Ranger I am not sure I fully understand what you are saying, but you have saved my soul once and now you have saved my life. I will travel where you need me to and I will help you return to where it is you wish to go. A very long time ago I promised to find such a way back to your birth world, but if you wish to go back to the realm from which you started then I will make that my sacred vow." Dekion drew his sword and thrust it into the ground as he gave his oath to Hank. It was then the sun set into night.
 

Bobby rubbed his eyes and looked around and what he saw made his jaw drop, his eyes bulge and his young heart sink.

"Where am I?" he asked out loud, "And where's Uni?"

He looked around again, this time at his feet, but to no avail, the little unicorn was nowhere to be seen.

Tall buildings, which once may have been majestic and beautiful, lay in ruins. Trees barely stood, charred and blacked and the sky was a reddish hue, from flames that burnt and still burn.

"Is this the realm? And where is eveyone?" Bobby said out loud.

He paused and almost in tears he said, "I'm alone."

Wiping the sting from his eyes, the young barbarian choked on both on his tears and the thick air.

From behing him he heard a deep resonating voice. It was friendly and familiar though. It made him feel comfortable for as moment. But he didn't trust anything right now.

Everything was so strange and he was all alone. Bobby spun around gripping him club tighly and with a thought in his frightened young mind it glowed, ready to strike.

When he saw the face belonging to the voice, he laughed and smiled. The large figure before him smiled as well, big and bright, even if his face rebelled against it.

"Kerox!" Bobby cried.
"Little one! It is you!"

A weight that his shoulders bore seemed to lift, "I had heard terrible news about you and your friends and the Dungeon Master."

"Where am I? What happened here?", Bobby interrupted.

"This was the my beautiful home. After the news came of Venger's victory, the amulet you gave to me lost it's magic and Venger returned to destroy it."

Kerox's shoulders dropped in saddness. "He left me to live amongst the ruins and the few of my people who survived."

"How did you escape? Were the stories not true of your demise?"
"I-I don't know." Bobby stammed
"It's not right. Nothing's right."
"Where is everyone, where's Uni? I don't get it."
"It's like the future changed..."
"Waitaminit!" Bobby said excitedly.
"Dungeon Master said something about time...and mists! And using Justin to use the mists."
"I'm not sure I understand you little one."
"It's a long story Kerox. But I have to find the mists of time. Where did he say? When we need the mists eyes we should look 'where we found the greatest battle of our time'."

"Little one, you are alone here and I have nothing to stay here for. I will come with you. You helped me once before and now I can repay you and help you get back to where you belong. Perhaps too I can help my world become beautiful once again."
He put his large hand upon the young barbarian's shoulder, "You do not have to be alone."

"Thank you Kerox. That means more to me than you'll ever know."

    Sheila opened her eyes slowly, frightened at the prospect that she may already be dead. She was relieved to find that she was still living but gasped in horror at what she did see. A ruin of a grand city in the sand.

"Ramuud?", she whispered, "Ramuud!" she cried up to the yellowed stone, "Ramuud, are you here?"

    Ramuud once described the great city he lived in, made of white stone, with spireling towers that reached to the blue desert sky.
From behind her she saw a shadow in the dimly red sunset, and heard a gentle voice

"I am sorry dear lady, but Ramuud is no longer here.", the voice sounded saddened, lonely, and tired.

Sheila whirled around ready to nail whoever was behind her.

"What? Where is he? What did you do to him?", she could feel the her throat clench with the feeling of being alone. Only a complete strangers voice and breath broke the silence. It didn't help very much. It only made her fear more prevelant.

"My apologies. But he parished defending the kingdom against Venger's hoards."

"No, he can't be dead! Venger's hoards? What? Is this some kind of trick? Who are you?"

"I am Morden, you must be one of his children. His descriptions were accurate. If you would not be offended at my affront, you are very beautiful. He was always saddened that you could not stay with him."

Sheila tugged at her collar, blushing.

"Thank you, and no I'm not offended.", Sheila said turning her head away from this tall, blond haired stanger. The air around him seemed calmed. In all this devastation his quiet, sullen way was peaceful. His long ponytailed hair flicking in the wind, his blue eyes tinged with the red reflection of the burning sky.

"It was my understanding that you had perished at the hands of Venger. It was that day I saw the flame snuff out from the kings kind eyes and leave anger in its place. As he lay on his death bed, dying of mortal wounds, his final words were relief that he might find you and your friends in the afterlife."

Morden paused. Her eyes. I have never seen such beauty. Such life. A welcome change to the destruction everywhere else.

"Would it that he could have lived to see you again. Alive!", Morden's voice picked up, and cracked a little as tears filled his eyes.

"Ramuud was a good king despite the evil that Venger's power brought. He was my king and my friend. I served him not just for his kindness but out of friendship."

"I am sorry for laboring this subject. I didn't mean to burden you."
Sheila gazed up at Morden. There was something familiar about him. Something...but what?

"No need to apologize. Ramuud was my friend as well. I loved him as I would my own father. And I am honored he thought of me always."

Sheila had a whirlwind of thoughts running through her mind. She felt the loneliness.

    Where's Bobby? Where's Hank? Where's everyone? What's happening here? Where was she? The list goes on. Hank was always able to help make sense of things. There was nothing the gang couldn't figure out togther. Now...

"But it doesn't make sense.", she blurted out, failing to have anything else to say.
"What, Sheila?"
"This whole thing. Not a few minutes ago I was in the realm nowhere near here, and now you're telling me that this kind of destruction is all over the realm?"
"Well yes, much of the realm has been overrun by Venger's evil. Few have the power to hold it back. Ramuud was able for a time, but once he fell, his kingdom fell soon after."

    Sheila began to cry. She felt empty, her friends gone and Ramuud dead? It couldn't be. She though, this has to be a dream. She clamped her eyes shut and tried to wake from this nightmare. But no. It only seemed to make it more real. Morden's calm blue eyes were all that took the bite off from her heartache and the hot sand and smoke that stung her eyes.

    Morden gently held Sheila as she cried. It felt comfortable. Reassuring. But still, it hurt.

Suddenly it occurred to her.

*Sniff* "Wait," she paused and cleared her through and wiped her eyes with her sash.

"Dungeon Master said something about time, could I be in a different time, where things happened differently?" Sheila pondered for a moment.

"He said something about the mists of time being where we fought our greast battle."
Morden looked at her and said, "It is possible, the roads of time are contsantly in flux."

"Where was our greatest battle?", she paused again, rubbing her chin, much like Hank might do, "The Dungeon At The Heart of Dawn?"

"That is where you were supposed to have parished." Morden said grimly.

"Then that's it!", Sheila announced. "What changed is that we lost the battle at there,

    Dungeon Master disapeared and Venger destroyed us and He Who Has No Name ripped apart the realm and Venger took over!"

"I've got to get there. It's the only way to get things right again!"

There was a look torment on Morden's face. He seemed to want to release it but couldn't.

"Sheila, I....I must tell you something,"
"What is it Morden?" Sheila put her hand on his.
"Nothing." Morden said, "Nothing at all,"
"I will go with you. Ramuud would have it that way. As would I."
"I can't ask you to do that Morden, and I thank you, but..."
"No buts, I will travel with you. For I would not have you perish again. Not unless I would die with you...." He stuttered not completely sure of what he was saying or about to say.
"For I owe it to Ramuud, and to you. One who stood against evil and protected it against evil, even not being of this realm."
Morden could not think quite straight. Her eyes, her voice, her strength and her weakness together.
"Morden, I..I...don't know what to say. Except thank you." Sheila said in a whisper.

She smiled for a moment and Morden's heart lifted.

    They walked into the slowly rising sun, the sun red with anger. But for a moment, beauty and friendship and love banished the evil that infested every fibre of the land. Sheila somehow kept it in her heart that she would see Bobby again and hear his laughter, and that she would hear her friends voices once again. It gave her hope and she was no longer alone and she knew that she had someone else, Morden.

 "Ahhhh!", Eric bellowed. Am I dead? He thought to himself.
Opening his eyes, Eric saw a similar smoking destruction around him that the others thus far had seen. I don't feel dead. But this sure looks like hell. Gripping his sheild tightly he looked to and fro for any signs of life.

    A sudden noise startled him, causing his usual instinctive white glow around his magical shield. Behind him, a figure watched from a crumbling building.
"Huh? What's the sound?" It was kind of like a rumbling. Just then he saw the partial roof of the building the person was watching him from.

    Eric sprinted toward the building, "Hey! The roofs caving in!"
Just as he arrived at the figure, which was frozen in fear, either from the falling masonwork or Eric, he just managed to get his shield up and his force field going. Saved from the debris, a young woman, perhaps 16 years old looked at him.
 
Eric looked at the girl, she did look a little familiar.
"Thank you." She said a little dumbly.
"Um, yeah, no problem. Who are you? And, why were you spying on me?" His words got a little meaner.
"My name is Natasha. And I already think I know who you are Eric the Cavalier." She smiled.
"You know me?"
"Well, if my brother's stories are even close to accurate the shield is a dead giveaway..." Natasha took a long pause. "But you're supposed to BE dead."
"What?" Eric said in shock. "Dead? Listen Natasha, I don't know who put you up to this, but that is NOT funny."
"Unfortunately, I'm not joking. But Lorne should be happy to see you."
"Lorne's you're brother?"
"Yeah. He's my brother." Eric's face looked a little brighter at the news his old friend was nearby.
"C'mon I'll take you to him."

    The two walked for a short while and talked. They arrived at a small tent camp. The people in there looked at Eric with sorrowful eyes. Natasha led Eric into a tent and once inside he smiled.
"Lorne?"
    The young man in the tent looked much older than he should, but a youthful smile covered his sadness the moment he saw Eric.
"Caviar!" He rushed a over and gave the Cavalier a hearty greeting.
Eric chuckled at the nickname.
"I thought, I mean I heard you were...."
"Dead?" Eric finished the sentence.
"You heard?"
"Natasha filled me in." pointing his thumb toward the young woman.
"So you've met my sister?"
"Yeah, where'd you find her?"
"Long story. But the short form is she found me."
"So what happened here? It looks like war zone."
"It is I guess." Lorne sighed.
"One day everything just went haywire."
"When did this all happen?"
"Well, I guess the day you lost to...." Lorne paused and seemed to look over his shoulder.
"Venger." He finished with barely a whisper.
"Hmmm, so it was the big V who did us in."

Eric had to admit he was surprised how well he was taking the news he was dead. Of course it may have had something to do he didn't feel very dead.

"So, anything else to the story?"

    Lorne shrugged, "Nope. You died somewhere, no one really knows where, along with the Dungeon Master. Venger stared his reign and what you see is what we got."
"Me and the rest here do what we can to survive. Move from place to place."

    Lorne slumped into a chair. "When I last saw you it seemed that I had all the time in the world. It wasn't all that long ago, but the time's all gone and used up. There's no time for anything when all your time is spent simply surviving."
Eric gulped. "I guess you never really appreciate what you've got until it's gone. I know I never appreciated home until it was gone."

At that moment Eric's eyes looked up to the ceiling.

"Wautaminit. The last thing DM said was something about time. What was it? 'The wrists of time will pay for battles'? That's not right.....Even if I had my Rolex here I'm not sure anyone would want it." He mumbled.
 
    After a moment of thought, while Lorne just sat quite, Eric jumped out of his seat, "I got it! 'The road of time is paved with mists. If I need their eyes I need to go to where we found the greatest battle of my life. Or, if I don't miss my guess, my death, at least around here."

    Eric slapped his gloved hand arcoss his eyes."Oh no. Not the underworld again. Not the Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn. The last time I was almost a midnight snack for a big worm. Yeech! And did that thing have bad breath."

"Oh well, sorry Lorne I'd love to stay but I have to go there. Being in my version of the Realm may not be home but I'd like to get back there. And I think that's about the only way I can do it."

"That's ok Cavier, I understand. I hope you make it. I'd hate to have to find out you died twice."
"Thanks Lorne." He smirked.
"I'd go with you, honest. But I belong here. These people need me too."
Natasha, having sat quiet for quite some time spoke up. "But I don't really belong here Lorne. I never did, you know it and I know it."
"Eric I'm going with you. You'll never get there yourself. I've heard some stories about that Dungeon place and forget about what's IN there, start with just getting there."

Eric nodded. I guess this kind of company won't be so bad, he thought to himself.
"OK, I guess if you want to tag along." Shrugging.
That next morning, after an uncomfortable sleep, Eric and Natasha left the shanty town saying good bye to Lorne and setting off into the sunrise.

    Diana opened her eyes to the same desolation as the rest. The one difference though was a white monolith standing amongst the ruin. It rose to the night sky and seemed as to touch the stars themselves. Mutely, Diana was drawn to this fantastic structure. As she reached it's base a soft white light shone from it's pinnacle upon her. It was warm, inviting and a moment later, her love, Kosar appeared in front of her.

    Diana's mouth slowly lowered as she thought to say something, anything, but she could only shed a few slow tears and wrap him in a tight embrace.

"Is it really you Kosar? Is this a dream?"
"It is me my love. And no dream." Kosar stroked her hair and said in his soft lilting voice.
"Oh Kosar. I thougt I'd never see you again."
"And I always knew I would. In another time, another place."
"Wha-What do you mean?"
"This is not your time, though we met in this time as well as the one you know. In this time you and your friends perished at the hands of Venger. And that is when I began waiting for you to return as I knew you would. Diana it is up to you so help save your time as well as this one. Two worlds, two times are counting on your courage and the courage of your friends."
"They're here?" Diana asked hopefully looking into Kosar's star glittered eyes.
"No." Kosar looked down, shaking his head slowly back and forth. "They are also in a different time, but not this one."
"You mean I have to do this alone?"
"No, not alone. That is why I have waited for you. We will do this together. But in the end it must be you."

Diana composed herself and began thinking with her usual clarity.

"Where do we start then?"
"Time. Mists. Our greatest battle."
"The Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn? The underworld?"
"That is where you met your fate."
Diana shivered at the memories of the last time she was in the dungeon.
"Then that must be it then."
"Then was shall go."
Diana leaned toward Kosar and kissed his lips gently, "Thank you Kosar, my love."
"Your love is thanks enough." Kosar returned her kiss.

    They walked into the night. Strangely Diana felt no fatigue and no need to sleep. Only a warmth like the starts from Kosar.

    Though each of the others previously saw much the same when the awoke, it was not so for Presto. When he awoke he was inside a cage. It looked much like a birdcage.

    It hung over a pool of black liquid from a golden chain attached to a very high ceiling. The room itself was enormous. Mostly empty except for his cage, the pool and many macabre carvings into the walls and garish statues as pillars to hold the ceiling from falling into the cavernous hall.

    His captor was not anywhere to be seen and he still wore his green robes and magic hat.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Presto yelled. Their response he got was just his own voice echoing back at his off the walls, as if the faces staring at him from them were mocking him.

Presto removed his hat and held it open.

    Waving his hand over the open end he chanted, "Handkerchiefs and hand grenades, magic hat get me out if this cage!" A purple flash and he appeared just below the floor of the cage, hundreds of feet in the air above a large pool of inky black ooze.

"Aiiiiiiii!!!!" He shrieked, and swore he heard Bobby's voice at the same time.

    Needless to say, hurtled toward the pool and tried to grasp his hat to cast another incantation. He didn't have enough time, but just a moment before he did his belly flop into black pudding, something bluish swooped below him and scooped him to safety gently depositing him onto the floor.

Turning he was a rather horrid looking blue creature.

"Aiiiiii!" Presto tried to stumble to his feet so he could run.
"Presto!" he heard a girl's soft voice.
"Varla?" He turned to see the very same red haired girl running to him. She wasn't dressed in her usual dress, but in travel togs with some light leather armor. Standing behind her was a rather unattractive man with a huge nose, big bushy beard, mustache and one huge eyebrow.

    Varla helped Presto to his feet and they embraced. "It's been a very long time." Varla said softly.
"Too long." Presto returned and kissed her.

"Ok, ok. It's a nice reunion but we gotta get outta here." The man said in a very thick accent that sounded like that from the Bronx area of New York City.
"Willy!" he hollered at the flying creature, "Get us outta here!"
He hopped on to 'Willy's' back, and Varla grabbed Presto's arm and they hopped on as well. Willy began flew through a huge open maw of one of the carvings and proceeded through a maze of tunnels and corridors, also huge until they arrived at a closed gate.

Willy landed and they all hopped off his back. Willy curled up and took a nap.

Out of breath from the flight and his fright Presto asked, "Varla, what's going on?"

    Varla told the same story heard by the rest of his friends. Once she completed the tale, Varla turned to her friend and said, "I believe you two have met."

"Yeah. We met." The man said, "Look at my face and think real real big."

"You were that giant in that castle in the clouds!"

"But how?", he said with a voice crack.

"When you zapped me you broke the spell I was under, at least in this world. I was from NewYork. Yeah that's right were both from earth. I got taken here a long time ago and turned into that giant. You turned me back into me. And a few hundred miles away too. Dunno how it happened, but thanks anyway."

    He slapped Presto on the back hard making him stumble forward, "The names George."

"Ummm, you're....Welcome I guess."

"How did you know I was here?"

    Varla smiled, "I felt you were here. The same way you found me. When you died a piece of me died with you. I've never felt the same since. Until a day ago. And at the same time George and Willy found me, and they simply said, it is time. That is when we traveled here."

Presto looked upward to the huge gates, "Where are we?"

    Varla paused and said quietly, "The Dungeon At The Heart of Dawn. And it is your task to open the 3 gates which will allow you and your friends to be reunited when the time is right."

    Presto gulped and breathed a heavy breath as he felt the weight of the entire realm on his slightly built and very weary shoulders.