The pride quadruplets returned to where they had left the pack's gem twins to find things very different. Mary was not there, and some of the pups weren't either. They also found a female lupman being hugged by Amethyst, who looked like she had a few extra pieces then the standard Lupman. As they got closer, they also picked up Amethyst's excited concert.
"Black, white, green, red, can I take my friend to bed? Pink, brown, yellow, orange, and blue, I love you!"
"The words don't make any sense," Sita commented.
"Who originally sang it?" Nane wandered.
"I think it was the Beatles," Tatuli commented, "dad has one of their CDs somewhere... or is it Mary that has it?"
"At least he's on key," Tano only shrugged as Amethyst continued the song.
"Hey! What's going on! Where is everybody!" Nane called out as they returned.
The pups all turned to face the twins. It was Jay, however, who answered. Amethyst kept going, without missing a beat.
"Amy and Zelipe freed our other Omegas," Jay spoke, "Omega Whitney came out to watch them and Amethyst's been overjoyed at seeing her again."
"Laura, Zulema, Giselle, and Gretchen also went in to see if their fathers were back as well," Toni added.
"They are," Zelipe spoke up nervously, ducking behind Jay as he did so, "We freed all of them."
"Will they come back?" Nane asked, sounding hopeful that they would.
"We think so," Paula nodded.
"Some of your pride has also come to visit, how they learned of the battle I do not know," came Mr. P's voice from the back of the gathering, "Snowwhite led four inside to check on the rest of the pride with Mary and two others have been conversing with Amy by the crabapple trees."
They then turned to see Amy near Penny and Kirk. The pup and lioness were both writing something, though none of the cubs could see what. They also saw the wheelchair sitting beside where Penny was laying.
"I guess we should wait until the others get back," Moja commented, "talk with Ms. Glen."
"We could cheer her up!" Nane spoke, looking at the rather sad face on the face of the lioness that had been close friends with Nane and her sister's mother.
"Be polite though," Mr. P warned, "She may not want you pouncing on her."
+++++++
"Mother Glen, what are you doing here?" Bobbi asked, looking surprised and somewhat embarrassed that the pride's matriarch was having to see the bulk of the pride so heavily injured.
"Penny told me of this police business you were in and that you were injured," Mother Glen answered, "and what kind of matriarch would I be if I didn't come to check on you?"
"Penny..." Lexi gasped, "we hadn't told her yet... is she alright? How did she know?"
"She will be fine and will be taking her Prime Mate soon," Mother Glen announced, "as to how she knew of this police action, she did not tell me. I do not know how she knew."
"Amy, likely," came Zack's voice from a different medical bed, making Mother Glen turn her head.
"Excuse me?"
"We have all fought a great evil," Zack spoke, "my daughter, Amy with the aid of Father Paul and the young male cub, Trever, helped... although I do not know how much detail I can go into, concerning the protocols the police follow... needless to say, when the battle was over, we were all trying to recover,and Amy was left at the police station. I would tend to think that Amy spoke with your granddaughter to inform her of what had happened."
"Trever fought this evil?" Mother Glen gasped, "wasn't he dead?"
"His suicide was faked, apparently," Bobbi spoke, "Madame Serenity found him and had been protecting him from his attacker."
"And she didn't bring him to the pride? To those that could protect him?" Mother Glen questioned.
"From what we learned," Brian commented, "she was afraid his attacker would kill one of us as well as him... and it was the death of his attacker that made her feel comfortable with bringing him back to the Pride, as he was no longer in any perceived danger."
"And he fought this 'evil' the lupman speaks of?"
"He insisted," Brian said weakly, with Mary clutching at one paw, "something about doing it for a house cat named Judas."
This all left Mother Glen somewhat puzzled. Penny had only mentioned there was some police action, which couldn't be told, and maybe that was true, but she knew that the lupman largely weren't police officers, with the exception of Darla and Fran. So maybe the fact that the charcoal black male's answer was explainable, but it lead to the revelation that one of the Pride's male cubs was alive and had participated in this battle. It made her want to know more about what had happened.
"I would like to know EVERYTHING about why you all are in this condition, along with a good portion of the pride's friends," Mother Glen said firmly, "and do not tell me it is to be kept secret until the paperwork is done.
Millie, meanwhile sat quietly observing when she heard Maxine whisper in her ear...
"Hey, Miles."
++++++++
"That sounds rough," Maddex spoke as Marie brought him and Samantha up to speed on the story so far.
Samantha herself could barely believe it, that the witches, who's shadows would bring havoc down on the pack, had started out so innocent, and made her nervous for herself and Marie, that they might end up mutating into Glass again. Samantha stayed quiet though.
"Did they try to fix the side effects their powers had on Joella?" Lilly asked.
"Were they successful?" Cassandra added.
"Their attempt to fix the accidental effects of the Infinite Chaos on Joella weren't immediate," Marie spoke, "as while a statue of a naked girl would be unexpected in the home of a rich puritan family, they didn't exist at all in the "Praying Town" that Joseph Running-Bear was forced to live in. Even with "Princess" to help them, they had to find a suitable place for the statue and pillar to be kept where it wouldn't be found or accidentally damaged..."
+++++++
"So where are to keep her?" Griselle asked nervously, "Mr. Running-Bear doesn't keep such things.
"I don't know," Goldwyn sighed, "can't we repair the damage done?"
"The damage to be undone will require more power," warned Princess from around Goldwyn's feet.
"But she's a friend, she agreed to let us make her good," Goldwyn said, "and all we did is damage her."
"I know," Princess purred into Goldwyn's leg, "but the rules of the magics you practice state you must gain more power before you can fix what happened... otherwise, you might lose her."
"That's not fair," Gita spoke.
"Yes," Princess nodded, "it isn't, but for now, the world isn't fair... but in time it and all the rules that are trying to oppress you will be gone and NOTHING will ever threaten you. And you'll do anything you wish... but that day is not today."
Gita liked the idea of being able to anything. If it helped them cheat death, they might be able to bring their mother back, their grandmother back, their father and grandfather back. And make it so that none of them would ever die again. And if they had to wait a little bit to gain the power to do that, Gita would wait.
Goldwyn nodded as Princess voiced her support. The rules seemed to hold everyone back, and they seemed to punish Mr. Running-Bear's people, and they all seemed to be a creation of adults. It would take time, but with Princess's help, Goldwyn felt confident that they would eventually become strong enough to fix all of the world's wrongs.
"How can we become stronger, Princess?" Griselle asked the cat, "We've tried lots of stuff together. Nothing has worked."
"You will need familiars," Princess explained, "animal guardians who will help you channel the Infinite Chaos... and who will love and stand by you always."
"Where can we get them?" Gita asked.
"Searching for potential familiars for you has been something I have been working on," Princess explained, "I personally wish to work with Goldwyn... but the choice is hers to make... and I have found some possible candidates for you and Griselle to choose, Miss Gita."
"Thank you," Gita answered.
"Where are we to put Joella though?" Goldwyn asked.
They were presently in a quiet woodland outside the Praying Town where Joella's form had been hidden by bushes and by the witchlings draping tree branches over it. It, however, wasn't a good spot as human hunters occasionally came into the area hunting White Tails or Gold Deer. And if it was going to take time to gain the power needed to fix what went wrong earlier, Goldwyn didn't want to leave Joella in a spot where she could accidentally be shot.
"The lupmen maintain a large hunting preserve around their estate," Princess spoke, "and they do not use guns, and would probably run most trespassers off, but they can not threaten you."
"Is it remote?" Goldwyn questioned.
"Parts of it are," Princess spoke.
"Can you show us?" Goldwyn asked.
"I can show you, Goldwyn," Princess promised, "and no one will notice us. Your sisters can guard Joella."
Goldwyn nodded.