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Some chaos from the weird siblings. Much of it that is worrying to others.

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Overqualified, Mouthy Princesses.

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Xander got off the boat, nodding at his people. "Get Mac's head guard. We have two prisoners for them." One of the guards ran off. The majority of the guard with them off-loaded and went to rest from the trip. It had been a bit bumpy. Mac himself came riding up with his generals. "Mac. Feeling better?"

"Much. We fought off that poisoning fairly easily. Who do you have?"

Genjo looked at him then pressed something to his head and chanted. Mac moaned but the possession left him while he choked. Genjo looked at the generals. "I can call Consort Castiel." They fled. "They're possessed like Consort Castiel handles," he announced.

Mac shook his head, groaning as he rubbed it. "That is not a sensation I ever wanted to have. Thank you, Genjo."

"Welcome." He pointed. "Two prisoners."

Xander pointed and snapped. His people helped Mac offload the two prisoners. "Thank you, boys." He looked at one general. "I noticed the eye thing on you too." That one glared. "I know damn well you have green eyes. So change or leave him. I hate having to nominate generals and we need two unless you can find Asherton."

The general moaned as the demon left him and his people. Including one helping Mac. Mac looked at him. "Why are they coming here?"

"You'd have to ask them," Xander said. "I can do that if you want."

"No, we can handle it." He walked the prisoners off.

"Any idea why the roads were so clear of even the working girls?" Xander asked.

"No," Mac said, looking at him. "Where was this?"

"That green roof'd in by Horatio's border."

"That inn always has working girls. They like to tell Stella about their children and villages." He frowned. "That's weird. Bring it up at the meeting tonight."

"I can do that," Xander promised, looking at his spouse. "Go get the kid?"

"She and everyone showed up to protect each other," Mac said with a smile. "She's been talking non-stop with Abby and Stella."

"I think they're great role models for her as a queen," Xander said. "Stella's a strong, upright, moral queen. Abby's more fun but very ethical and strong willed. Plus a bit more flirty like my daughter will probably be if the blood tells." Mac smiled at him for that. "It could happen." He mounted his horse, looking around. "We're going to Mac's castle," he announced. "Two in front, two guarding behind. The rest range around us in case the prisoners try magic or something stupid. That way I can kill them for it. I'm tired of stupid for the next little while and I'm about to kill the rest of the stupid in the universe if I see it happening." He looked at the non-demoned general. "Have we had anyone I have to handle for breaking the rules about civilian contact?"

"We had one," Mac said. "He was very drunk so didn't get very far before the civilian knocked him out. He woke up tied naked, upside down from a branch to Stella standing there. He'll never do it again, Xander." Xander smiled at him for that. "It won't happen again and the cross-training went very well. I'm highly impressed."

"Cool. I'm glad they were so good." He rode off with Mac to talk to him. The prisoners were behind guards.

It wasn't a long ride. Maybe two hours. Mac's kingdom wasn't that large, maybe a day and a half ride's width wise and two length wise. They had split from Horatio's kingdom long ago about some meaningless fight. They rode up into the main town and people were staring. Xander waved. Mac waved to a few, who all cheered. Mac smiled at one guard. "We have prisoners for the convergence meeting."

"We can get irons up there, Sire." He nodded at Xander. "King Xander, your daughter is in with our healers taking her daily lesson with Princess Gregory."

"Thank you. I worry about her." The guard smiled. Xander leaned down. "I can see the demon," he hissed. "If it wants my daughter, I'm going to kill them all." The demon fled, and the guard shook his head. "Are they watching my daughter?"

"No, King Xander. They do not want to deal with her or you."

"Then why all the demons?" Mac demanded.

"They have plans to take some control."

"If they want to follow Zemo's lead, I'll be damned," Xander said bluntly.

"No, they want total control, not a kingship or to be a warlord, Sire." He looked at Mac. "They want to be the only higher power."

Xander snorted and pointed at Genjo. "They might have a problem with that."

"I'm sure the demons will handle it somehow, Sire. I'm not sure I want to know how. The one I had in me wouldn't know that. He was just a foot soldier."

"Thank you," Genjo said. "Are my relatives here?"

"Only your mother, Sire."

"Thank you." They rode on. Guards came out to get the prisoners. Xander pointed his sword at one, making him back up. Genjo cleared his throat. "Xander?"

"I can see a particular image on his pendant. I have no idea why they think hydra look like an octopus but I'm about to summon one so they can get a good view for future artwork purposes. And for fun for them." The guard winced as his people checked it then put him into irons too. Xander looked at Mac. "Sorry. I seem to keep jumping in."

"No, I'm all for it. I know you're not going to hurt my kingdom, Xander." They walked inside and got them rooms to freshen up in. Mac went to the meeting room. "We're just now back. Xander and Genjo will be here in a moment." He leaned on the table, looking at Dean and Castiel. "Why are there demons everywhere trying to take over as the only deity of choice?"

Castiel blinked. "There are?" he demanded.

Genjo walked in. "We've banished them in that other kingdom, in this kingdom, on the boat, which nearly wrecked the boat overnight." He looked at Dean then at Sam as he walked in. "Your father's somewhere between your mate's people and mine hunting that same demon."

"Great."

"He's done it before," Sam said, settling behind Dean.

Xander stumbled in and sat down, rubbing his forehead. He looked up at Alan. "Good, you're not possessed yet, we don't have an army of demons who're trying to take out Cas's family that're going to invade here and take out us all and rape my daughter, and others can handle it." He looked at Castiel. "No one's seen your brother."

"Shit," he muttered. Dean moved to help Xander with Sam. Castiel nodded. "Let me go call the home." He hurried off to call that in. Paul was stubborn but oh well. "Brother," he said. "Xander has had to deal with many demons, of our sort instead of Dean and Xander's sort, that are trying to take out our family. Also the same vision stated Gabriel is missing thanks to them and they wish to take out our whole family then put themselves up as some sort of pantheon."

His brother blinked a few times. "It's pleasant to see you as well."

Dean stomped into view. "Xander saw legions of them," he said. "Including coming here to take over all the kings and take out his daughter to make Xander fight them harder. They think it'll make him lose his battle focus."

Paul nodded once. "That's bad."

"Sam said they had to depossess people in that country and all the way here. Black eyes, smell funny, wanting to have the same status your family used to in the older pagan days."

Paul frowned. "That's bad. I will call the others to talk. Where are you, Castiel?"

"King Mac's kingdom. The joined kings sent Xander to deal with the civil war starting just over the border because he could tell them all to shut up," Dean said dryly. "Which he did. They had an alchemist trying to take over with a specialist army." Paul groaned, shaking his head. Dean looked at one person in view. "Cute eyes," he said dryly. "Where's Gabe?"

"Gone." She smirked. "We will still win because we don't die. That child will not bother us and most of us would not dare go near that child. Why would we create a greater challenge against our rules?"

Paul looked at her. "Who are you?"

"One of the demons," Castiel said. "I can almost feel the taint from here." He looked around and lunged at a page, who squealed and ran but the real demon came out laughing and Castiel fought him off.

Dean waved as he hung up, shooting the demon. "I've had enough of them."

"We may not be able to stop them immediately," Castiel noted.

Xander came out limping, looking evil. He called home. "The fucking demons are trying again."

"They said they weren't going to try your daughter because it'd make you evil," Dean quipped.

"Too late." He stared at him then at the picture. "Get into my barn full of engineering things. Get more of them up to fix my father's cracked ideas as well. Apparently those demons want a full war and they're going to make it by making a feint toward my daughter. I didn't need the vision of them attacking her." The general shuddered, shrinking away from him. "I want it in place by the time I get home or at least knowing why it's not."

"Yes, Sire!" He hung up and ran off. He may be a general but he knew what Xander in a snit could do. "Sire said to pull out his demon hunting gear and ideas for the engineers to look over, get one up here to look at the things his father dreamed up when he had some hostage. The demons are going after his daughter and others." A few flinched and they had black eyes. "Take them out if they're possessed and can't be cleared." They did that and searched everyone in the kingdom. They had the coven make capturing vessels.

The engineers weren't happy to be summoned there but they knew Xander was in charge and why this was so important. They sent a few trainee engineers and Princess Charlie to help. The first ones there were complaining until they saw what it was then they screamed for help from their people. Apparently one of them had been mean while he was a hostage. They had new types of explosives, siege engines, and things they couldn't identify. By the time the instructors got there the next night, the trainees realized they were seeing some warped genius moments that were scary. And some nice things that King Xander had thought up to help his friends hunt demons.

***

Xander met the demons who had sent for him, sneering at them. "So, you decided to try my people now."

"You are not worthy of us but you will bow, mortal."

Xander snorted, shaking his head. "No I won't."

"We have your worst nightmare," one said, snapping his fingers. His father lumbered forward.

"We already knew he had been freed but we also know about the demon he summoned. Pity but I'm not his relative in the least." He stared at them. "He doesn't worry me."

"I have your daughter," his stepfather sneered.

Xander pointed toward his home castle. His daughter was with Queen Abby and Stella but he didn't need to know that. "She's studying. I doubt that." The demon lumbered forward, making Xander cut his head off. "Huh. I didn't realize I had been looking forward to that instead of letting him be tortured until he picked his chance to die." He looked at the demons, who were staring. "By the way, I'm the son if King Arant, not him." He grinned. "He's not a relative of mine."

The demons shared a look then one lunged at him. Xander ducked the blow and spun, killing the guy from behind. "He's good," one of the demons said. "But tainted."

"No. The pathetic lump had me possessed a few times," he said dryly. "It just makes me meaner." He smirked. "You don't want to try here. We've dealt with your kind for generations and won."

"Big words, Mortal."

"Oh, I'm sorry, you don't know me. I'm King Xander." He smirked. "You really should run." They laughed and tried to attack. Xander's machines helped him win. The demons were dying when Castiel stomped out to handle them. "Your relatives?" he asked politely.

"Fighting among themselves. They think they should take up their old duties," he complained.

"Great. So these are like their cousins?"

"Possibly," he admitted. He looked at Xander. "I do not want to kill my relatives but it may be necessary."

"No, in that case, you ask the rest of us, Castiel. Some of us will take them out for you." He patted him on the back. "Dean's like a brother to me and you're his consort. We like you for that much even if you were uptight like your father." He winked and walked off. "Burn them," he ordered his people. They had been ready to back him up. "We don't need more demons polluting our countries. Get the coven to work on the protections please."

"They are, Sire," one shouted. The infantry cleaned up the mess with a large bonfire. A few of them lowered their heads for their former leader's corpse going on it but otherwise they were quiet as they cleaned up the mess their king had made.

Castiel watched it burn and sighed. "This is not going to be pretty." He walked off. He went to talk to Alan. They had fallen back to Xander's kingdom because it was better protected against all this mess. They would've went to his with Dean but it was too far out of the way of everything. "King Alan, I have talked to my brother," he announced when he got let in.

Alan looked up at him from his book. "You just turned formal like some of them so it's got to be bad." He put his book aside. "How bad?"

"Paul and others think they should take up their old duties again to beat off these ones. It's an ideal my father had been trying to push before he died." He sat down with a sigh. "I do not want to take out my relatives. Xander offered but it is not his fight."

"They brought it to all of us, Castiel." He patted him on the arm. "Have you told Dean?"

"He was listening. So was Genjo. His people will not be amused." He looked at him. "I do not know if my people can stand being taken over and it would almost have to be that way if my relatives push their agenda."

Alan nodded. "That would be bad, yes. Do you have suitable cousins?"

"No. Not many that I know I can trust not to subtly fall into place due to pressure." He rubbed over his face. He didn't see Alan's eyes changing but Sam was let in and stared. Alan's demon flowed out, trying to choke him.

Sam leaned out. "Get Princess Gregory now. The demon inside King Alan is trying to choke him and we need to open an airway." The guard called for him and he came running while Castiel was trying.

Gregory knelt beside him. "Sam, knife." He handed it over. Gregory opened a bottom airway and stuck a straw into it. Alan gasped but the demon gave up and left. "Breathe," Gregory ordered. "Just breathe, Alan." He nodded, breathing. "Close your mouth. You have an airway." He panted through it instead. "Good. Now, calm down." He looked at Castiel. "Your people's idiots are just as bad."

"I know. We were talking about that until Sam came in."

"Sam can tell demons, they seem to draw him," Sam said dryly. He helped Castiel up. "Are you all right?"

"Are you?" he demanded. "You are very unSam like."

Sam grinned. "Yeah, I'm good. Just very mad." Castiel hit him with holy water, making Sam stare at him. "Go make sure Dean's free." He looked at Gregory. "Want help taking him to your house?"

"Please. Too many stairs." Sam hauled Alan up and helped him out to there. Don came running but that was usual. He was a protective first born son. Gregory swatted him. "Leave it. He was nearly choked by a demon. I had to open it so he could breathe. We can close it later."

Genjo watched them go then went to call his family. "Father," he said with a bow. "We have serious news."

"You could not write?" he demanded calmly.

"Castiel's family has been taken over by demonic ideas. There's demons trying to take out the other kings so they can take over the status King Paul's people used to hold." His father winced. "There are higher level, not our level but their level, demons half of everywhere. My mate has had numerous visions. King Alan was nearly taken out and we have protections here. Demons have to be possessing someone to get into this country."

"That is bad news. We can be on watch for them."

"Black eyes," his mother said. Genjo nodded. "Do the chakras work?"

"Barely," he admitted. "They're not our sort. They'd be the direct opposition to the former Angelician lines. Called up to counter their old powers. King Michael wanted to start them regrowing that way before he died. King Paul clearly wants to join that." His father winced but nodded. "They have come for everyone. We would be standing in their way as we're outside things."

"We can search for their sort," his mother agreed. "We will be doing so immediately."

"Xander's coven has made capturing vessels for the higher level demons."

"We can do that," his father agreed. "Our priests can. Are others going to be so challenged?"

"They already are but we're the only one that's outside that level of faith." His father hummed. "I do not want to see anyone's country decimated but we fear it may happen."

"King Paul's people certainly would be in danger," his mother agreed. "We will allow them to temporarily relocate if they must run," she decided, looking at her husband. "We will call the priests together, Genjo. Is your mate well?"

"Many visions and they keep making him more and more angry." He grimaced. "He took out many of the demons earlier by fire."

His father grimaced. "That's nasty," he decided. "Be safe, my son. Come home if you need to." Genjo nodded, bowing. "Do be safe and if you have to send your stepdaughter, we will gladly guard her."

"I may. They have made feints toward her and that is what has pissed my husband off the most. In one of the visions they were taunting him that they were going to attack her."

"That would upset any thinking being," his father agreed. "Especially a parent. Send her if she needs guarded. We'll warn others." He hung up and rang a gong beside his seat. "I need all the higher priests immediately. Also, we will be testing everyone for demons." His wife went to start doing that. She had been trained as a nun and could do that telling herself for their palace's people. He looked at one priest when he came in. "King John rests with you, we need him as well," he said quietly.

"He's already coming, Sire," he said. "He knew it was a problem with demons. Things have been disturbing meditations with odd visions of horrible things."

"Yes, the ones that were meant to go against King Paul's sort." They all grimaced. "They are trying to take out humanity so they can be in control. King Paul's people aren't against that war from what my son just announced." They looked at each other. "They have been trying all the other joined kingdoms." The priests nodded. "We will search each and every single person for that sort of demon. Today if possible. We may have need to take in refugees from King Paul's kingdom. Also, Priest Sanzo," he said with a nod at one old priest who wore the same markings his son wore. Those marked as rebirths of former Gods or Goddesses were the real higher ranks, the family and kingdom had taken their name from their status. "You may be guarding a young princess they have made moves toward. I'm told she has healing skills."

"I have heard of your grandchild, Sire," he said. "She is more than worthy to be guarded as she rides an elemental spirit. I believe off the lines that John Winchester rides."

"Excellent. She was a very sweet, smart young woman when we met," he agreed. "We have been warned they have nearly taken out King Alan. We do not want them here. It was noted we are not of their sort of faith so we would be a roadblock." They nodded and went to start that today. They had priests in other countries they needed to contact as well. Their usual fighting methods might not be as useful but it was something they could help with.

***

Xander looked at the note that had been mailed to him and Sam from Gabriel before he had disappeared. He tapped it a few times then looked up at Sam. Who nodded. "We can do this."

"I sense bad thoughts," Genjo said as he walked into the office. He took the letter to read. "That would not work. It could hurt the people more."

"Or we could use it to put protections on the average person in King Paul's kingdom," Sam said. "They have a hole near there."

"Wouldn't you have to use that hole for that?" Genjo asked.

Sam nodded. "It's heavily guarded but near our border with them."

"There had been a tiny kingdom there at one time," Xander said. "Your father might do that. He's closer."

"I fire called him to let him know. He's mad and he thinks they have to be taken out by hand."

"I'm worried that plan could make the demons stronger and King Paul's family weaker," Genjo said.

"Then we use the one here for that," Xander said quietly. Genjo gaped then glared. Xander stared back. "Sam and I here. Dean and Castiel there?"

"Their people are the most impacted," Sam agreed. "Castiel making that sort of wish for help on that power may help the most."

Genjo considered it. "I know almost nothing about those."

"I talked to his sister Elizabeth. They had her tied in a tower but a priest got her down," Sam said. "She's safe but not healthy. She's the one that told Gabriel to tell us that. She also said that a third area was known about and should be used as well to add to the strength against both sides."

"I have no idea who could do that," Xander admitted. "Your dad?"

"He could. Queen Buffy could," Sam said. "She fights demons. She and my father could probably work together and protect each other." Xander nodded. "That may be the most dangerous sort since it's in a cave in the former Rosenburg kingdom."

"That sounds even more risky," King Alan said as he walked in. His throat was bandaged but he was fine now. "What plan do we have beyond sending the two better higher level fighters out?" Xander handed over the letter. Alan sat down to read it, grimacing but nodding. "That's risky, I was right." He looked at Genjo then at Xander and Sam. "Do we have a choice?"

"Fighting like we have been," Genjo sighed. "I don't know of any other methods. We won't have a huge battle this time."

"No, we won't," Xander said. "There's very few people they can't take over. Dean and Cas would be in danger but not the most danger. Sam and I can do the one here or I can do it with Genjo and Sam can back his brother up. John and Buffy would have the most trouble."

Alan considered it. "Bring this to the kings, Xander." He nodded, getting up. They all went to the meeting area. "Before Princess Gabriel went missing, presumed dead, he mailed a letter with a plan to defeat all this to Sam and Xander," he announced. Everyone stared at them until Xander handed over the letter. "We have ideas of how to fight it."

"What sort of power point is this?" Horatio asked.

"It's an open spot to the powers of the universe," Xander said. "We have one here. It's why my stepfather could summon that stupid demon."

"Which is now dead," Genjo said. "Thankfully." Xander grinned at him. "We can have someone go pack up his old tent."

"That's cold," Jethro said.

"No, cold would be putting up a monument so no one else tries what he did," Xander said. "Cold wouldn't be cleaning up the mess so the centaurs don't have to deal with it."

"Point," Jethro said. "Are we sure he's dead?"

"He was at the battle this morning," Xander said. "They called him to help. I'm pretty sure I beheaded him and they burned him at the end."

"If he's not, then the demon in him is probably gone and we can end his punishment," Genjo said. "Before it wasn't that safe."

"We heard," Mac said with a grimace. "Very nasty."

Xander nodded. "He did it to others."

"True. Which is why I didn't protest that punishment." He took the letter to read. "Interesting. Do we know where they are?" Xander and Genjo both nodded. "Can we easily do this?"

"There's one that's not very safe to get to. One's up just outside Dean's borders," Xander said. "One's near here. That's why the original kings set up here. They were into that stuff."

"So one's very dangerous," Mac said, handing the letter on. "Who would be getting that one?"

"We figured Dean and Castiel for that one by them," Xander said. "They're familiar with the area. I'm familiar with the one near here thanks to having to redo all the protections a few years back. The other one.... We were thinking maybe John if he's fit and maybe Buffy?" He looked at her.

She took the letter out of turn to read it, grimacing. "I do not want that sort in my kingdom." She handed it to the person between her and Stella. "Where is it?"

"Cave of Choices," Genjo said. "In the land of Rosenburg." Buffy winced. "Which is why it's so dangerous. There's almost no protections there from anything coming at you two. Plus the cave is said to be guarded by some sort of higher being that can kill you."

She nodded. "I can help fight that. I learned a lot about fighting demons to protect my people and my little sister is thankfully out of danger now so if something horrible happens, I'll get to see my mom again."

"You're not going alone," Xander told her. "Dying isn't the point."

"No, it's not," she agreed with a smile. "Thank you, Xander."

"Welcome, Buffy. We don't want you to die. Your sister's neat but squealy. Your secondary council would try to run her over until she shot them all."

She laughed. "Maybe." She looked at the others. "Don?"

He nodded. "I could go with you and John," he agreed. "That way at least one of us gets through."

Alan looked at him. "You're not used to demons."

"No but I've helped hunt our criminals before. It's part of my duty to protect my people, Dad."

"It is and I'm proud but you scare me shitless when you do that stuff."

"Hopefully it'll be the only time." He looked at Xander. "Can you handle the one here?"

"Yes. I'll have either Sam or Genjo with me."

"So you're trained in mythical things," Horatio said. "Genjo is, Sam, Dean, and Castiel are."

Xander nodded. "We can send Sam to back up his brother and Castiel. I barely know anything about the mystical things unless I've had to research it, like when we had to reset the protections on the kingdom."

"Are there others who could do that easier?" Horatio asked.

"Some priests," Genjo said. "They're not hardy enough to get to them for the off-site ones."

"It's in the castle?" Mac demanded.

"Under," Xander said with a small grin. "It's directly under the wedding night room under the castle itself. It's sealed off."

"It probably leaks just enough to be the reason for the fertility rates on wedding nights in that room?" Stella asked.

"Which is one good reason why we moved the wedding night room," Xander quipped. "I'm just glad I didn't get Genjo pregnant that night." Genjo rolled his eyes with a glare at his spouse.

"That would've been something huge since it hasn't happened in nearly two hundred years," Alan said dryly. "Have you been in that room, Xander?"

"My stepfather had me born in there."

"Oh." He nodded once. "That's why you're the one that did the protections?"

"Had to be someone of the bloodline."

"How are they set?" Mac asked.

"Every year near the winter solstice I get to hit eight places around the kingdom in a day's time to bleed a tiny bit on the runes."

"Wow," Stella said. "Can you do that in a day?"

"Yeah, there's a path that's pretty fast if you have some good horses. I change about every two plinths. The last one's here."

"So it's cut, bleed, ride, bleed, ride," Mac said. Xander nodded. "Much blood?"

"Not really. A good few drops. I have one that I keep reopening that day then I get it bandaged that night."

"Huh," Horatio said. "I had no idea how those were done."

"Specific runes on a plinth that's stuck deep into the ground," Genjo said. "Redoing them a few years back was a horrendous problem."

"Kind of, yeah," Xander agreed. "I'm glad we found out before it gave them a permanent in through them."

"They could have?" Stella demanded.

"My stepfather's possessing demon, that he summoned, tainted them. That's why they had to be redone."

"Eww." She grimaced, looking at Mac. "Can we do that?"

"We may be able to. I'm not sure if it's totally necessary once this is done with."

"Better to be safe than sorry," Horatio said patiently. "How hard is it to make those?"

"Not very," Genjo said. "Castiel's sister Elizabeth helped the most with ours and she's just recently been saved from her family. She's in one of my people's temples."

"So is John," Xander said.

"Good," Alan said. "Are there any other alternate ideas?"

"Will this definitely work?" Stella asked. "No other options that could work better?"

"No," Xander said. "I've been trying to figure it out and I haven't. Cas hasn't. Dean and Sam haven't. Then we got Gabriel's letter. Even the covens we've worked with don't have any ideas."

"Could they do this instead?" Mac asked. "Instead of risking so many of us?"

Xander shook his head. "Has to have the right to protect people. They've taken over some protection duties but ...."

"It's the king's duty to protect their people," Horatio said. Xander nodded. "I do not like it, I think it's relying on things that are from very old ways that no one trusts any longer, but I don't think we have another method."

Alan looked at the others.

"I agree," Don said. "I don't think we have another one. Xander's been hiding in some library."

"Full of stuff on demons," Xander said. "It's locked up. A lot of it I got from John."

"It's sad we have to go back to magic instead of modern things," Stella said. Mac nodded. "But I'd rather have something old instead of nothing."

"How soon?" he asked Xander.

"I can call John tonight. It'll take two days to get down there. About a day and a half for Dean and Castiel to get up to theirs. Sam could figure out a way to follow quickly. I'm the one that'd be waiting and worrying."

"All right. Does it have to be done at the exact same time?" Buffy asked.

"Same day. Not simultaneous," Genjo said.

"Good. So we need us to be in place in three days." Xander nodded. "Then I need to head out tonight."

"I'm sending guards with you," Xander said.

"Yours are stretched thin," Mac said. "We have some of ours that can help." Buffy smiled and nodded.

"I have a guard unit too," Don said. "I'm going with her so they can join us." Buffy grinned at him and nodded again. "Good. Let's head that way. Get John?"

"I'm going to call him now," Genjo said, going to do that. He called that temple, nodding at the old priest. "We need John of Winchester to head to the Cave of Choosing. He's to meet Prince Don and Queen Buffy there. It will help end demons causing problems."

"I will tell him."

"He needs to be there in three days."

"That may be more of a problem."

John stepped into view. "Dean has Impala. I have one of her daughters."

"There's a spot like here in that cave," Genjo said.

"I can handle that. We know how to handle it?"

"She's got instructions with Don."

"I can hurry there, Genjo. My sons?"

"Going to the one near your home."

"Understood." He left, going to bow to the priests. "Thank you for healing me."

"You are welcome and important in the protection of us all, John of Winchester. Do not forget that," one said in a wheezy, old man voice. "It's important."

"I will be. Thank you." He bowed again then left. His horse was being saddled for him. "Hey, Girl. Let's go see Queen Buffy and Prince Don." He mounted up and turned her, cantering off. "I know, Pickup. You're a good girl and we can get there in time." He patted her neck. This was going to suck. Even worse than a demon battle in another country had.

***

Dean and Castiel ran into their first problem at the small country's border. The mystical spot of power that led back to the powers of creation was in that tiny country in an ancient wreck of a manor house. Dean stared at the guards, who had been possessed. "We're coming in."

"The king says no visitors."

"Really? Which king?" Dean demanded.

"The king."

Dean smirked. "Name him."

The guard glared. "It won't matter to you, hunter."

Dean shot him. "Yes it will." He shot the other guard with his banishing gun, a wedding present from Genjo. They opened the gate and rode through. There was a good chance that the king of that country was possessed already. So they needed to hit the hole as soon as they could.

Castiel looked at him. "Expedient but not nice."

"Could they be saved?"

"Probably not and it would have taken hours," he admitted. "Are there others?"

"You ask like I can feel demons," Dean quipped.

"Point. I can't feel many nearby."

"That may change as we get closer," Dean said. "We need to speed up anyway. It's almost a full day away by the map." They sped up. Impala was keeping herself at the mare that Castiel was riding's speed. This wasn't hospitable lands but the roads were relatively smooth.

***

Buffy and Don found the cave they needed. They moved around it to find John's horse tied up and tied theirs, heading inside. John's horse still looked tired so he wasn't there for very long. "John?" Buffy called. "We're here."

John leaned out of a room. "There's a rock fall."

Don stared at him. "You're possessed? Now?" The demon smirked, coming out. Buffy stabbed him with the dagger Genjo had blessed. The demon fled John. "Sorry," she said. "Necessary but sorry."

He held his side, wincing but nodding. "It was. It wasn't going to let me go easily. Thank you."

"Rockfall?" Don asked.

"Small one." They moved into the right area. He pointed. "I can feel power there."

Buffy frowned as she felt around. "We need to go that way. There's something shiny feeling."

"Do we need shiny feeling power?" Don asked. "I have no idea about any of this."

"We need to check it out, make sure it's not something higher powered or something," Buffy said. She carefully climbed over the rocks, going that way. The guys followed her. "What are you?" She stared at the large doorway looking thing in her way.

"Ancient gateway," John said. "Magical gate to somewhere. They're mythical but used to be in a few places." He came over to read it, frowning. "This is a gateway to ...looks like Pasha Ambrose and his kingdom of Starklandia?"

She blinked. "Okay. So not dangerous?"

"Probably not," Don said.

"Good," John agreed, going back to the area they wanted. They found the walled entry like Xander's kingdom had. "Here it is."

Buffy looked up then at him. Then around. "Power's that way."

John considered it then nodded. "It is." He moved over there. "Xander's has walls."

"Yeah but he had people who wanted to use it," Don said. "This one had to be hidden and made a myth about picking new gods or something. The book about this stuff was weird."

Buffy grinned. "If it wasn't weird, mages and alchemists wouldn't look for it."

"True," Don agreed. They climbed over a few more rocks and into an open room. A shiny, bright room that had no lights, lamps, or torches. "I'm guessing the reason it's shiny is why we're here?"

John nodded, gritting his teeth. "Yes it is."

Buffy looked at him. "If you're still possessed I'll have to sob on your sons for mercy."

"My boys don't often have mercy. It's a weakness," John said. "If you have to sob on them, try for Sam."

"He is the nicer son," Don agreed sarcastically. "And Xander can ask him for leniency."

"Good idea," Buffy said. They carefully moved toward the center of the light. Though something wasn't right. She walked off, finding something. "Hmm, maybe this is why this is the most dangerous hole," she said quietly.

Don climbed up behind her and stared at the creature. "I have no idea what that is."

John looked around her other shoulder and groaned. "Yeah, that's a problem. You can't kill those, kids."

Buffy winced. "Can we talk to it?"

"Not sure," John admitted. "I've only seen myths of this in some ancient books."

Buffy looked back at him. "Is that the power point or is this room?"

"I'm not certain," John admitted. The large creature down there lifted his head, staring up at them.

"Sorry to wake you but we're having to defeat a lot of really large demons that're trying to take out people," Buffy said. "Are you able to understand us?" The creature glared. "I'm guessing that's a no." She looked at Don then at John. "There?" They nodded.

"Great," Don said. "Just great." Well, it looked like he'd have to become a heroic prince. "Tell Dad I'll miss him," he said quietly. "And pull Charlie away from his math."

John nodded. "You'll probably make it when I won't. You're younger."

Buffy snorted. "I'm hoping it doesn't like maidens. I'm barely not one but still."

Don patted her on the back. "It probably would keep maidens hostage instead of killing them. Most people don't consider maidens a threat." She grinned up at him. "Okay, let's... Are we on the right day?" John nodded, so did Buffy after checking her pocket watch. "Then let's find the power point so hopefully we can just distract this big thing while the other of us makes that request and prayer."

"I'll take diversion," Buffy said. She looked at Don. "I'm a bit better than you."

"Sure," he agreed. "You are a bit better at sword work." John nodded, he had helped train her. Don only had regular sword training, not demon hunting training. They carefully moved down toward the power point. The shiny room behind them lit up brighter, which hindered their diversion plans. Of course, everything was against them doing this.

***

The Knights that were still angry with Xander for handling things without them all looked at the doorway that suddenly lit up with a light behind the doors. "Anyone got any clue?" one of them asked. "I've only been here for a little over a year and I thought that led to a closet."

The oldest knight, who was under a curse and considered a god by some, nodded. "That is a gateway. I know not to where."

"Don't you dare open it," one of the head knights ordered. "We don't need more problems."

"Stark, shut up," another knight said. "Really." He got up to look at the edges of the door. "There's runes from somewhere else. I don't recognize them."

Thor got up to come look. "Those are to the ancient Kingdom of Fraza." He frowned. "It leads to an act of valor that requires aid," he read. "To a point of great power that should not be bothered except in dire circumstances." He looked back. "Shall we help then?"

"No, we shall not," Stark said. "No one's asked for our help."

The other knight general stood up and walked over to look at the doorway, listening. "I don't hear much beyond a roaring noise." He stepped back. "Anyone who wants to go, armor up. Someone guard the door to make sure it doesn't come back through." He winced when he heard a female shriek. "There's people."

"We can go," Thor agreed, grabbing his special battle hammer and armor to put on. Then his hat. The others armored up and grabbed weapons. Stark and a few others stayed back to see what was going on. Thor stepped through first. He was the largest and therefore the biggest target. "What goes on here?" he demanded.

Buffy looked up. "We need to make a request to the power point to stop the demons trying to kill everyone. Who're you?"

"I'm Prince Thor."

"I'm Queen Buffy, this is Prince Don, and that's King John being beaten to death. Can you do something to draw the thing's attention since it's ignoring me?"

Thor nodded, climbing down to help the king down there. "Well met."

John winced as he looked over. "My son mentioned you."

"I have met your son?"

"Sam."

"Oh!" He nodded. "That's interesting."

"The higher demons that bothered them are trying to take out everyone." John got free of the claws, holding his leg. "Buffy, now." She fired off the special crossbow Xander had handed her. Then she lunged in with a sword. Don moved behind the beast, trying to find the marked spot.

"There," Thor ordered with a point then he hit the beast with his hammer. "Not many have seen the Best Thanos in many lifetimes."

"I don't care what it's name is," Buffy said. "We have got to make that guided call. John, fall back." He moved out of her way. The knights fell in to help them get around the creature to give Don time to find the spot.

"It's under the rear right foot," Knight General Rogers ordered. "There's a floor marking." Bucky stepped through and jumped in to land on the beast's back to beat it on the back of the head.

"Thanks," Don said, stepping onto it himself and making the quick version of the guided request. John limped over to lay a hand on his arm and add his own request. They heard something scream outside. The beast screamed back and tried to get out of the cavern. The light from that one room burned it.

Buffy got cut and swung at the claw, breaking it off. "Don't cut the clothes. It's hard enough to find cute things to fight in that won't leave me flashing people!" She cut another claw off. The beast moved away from her so it could turn enough to bite her. Bucky slugged it. She grinned up at him. "Thanks. Don, we good?"

"We're good," he said, helping John up. "He's clawed."

"We have military healers not that far away and if they're possessed I'm going to send them after my mother to be her honor guard in the afterlife. She's probably bored by now anyway." She pushed back her sweaty hair, smiling at them. "Thank you, guys. It was great help." They retreated to the glowing cavern. Bucky was looking at John's thigh, tying a bandage out of his shirt over it. Buffy looked. "That's bad. Don't make me tell the boys, John."

"Shut up, Buffy, before I sign a death bed command for Sam to marry you anyway."

"Sam's way too smart for me," she quipped. "And way too horny thanks to that poisoning." John glared at her. She grinned. "I need a normal sort of guy, not a Sam sort of guy. But thanks anyway. Maybe Dean if he was still single but I couldn't get between him and Castiel. My mom would be horrified from her afterlife if I was their creamy filling." He snorted, holding pressure on his thigh. She grinned at the others. "Thank you for your help. Hopefully it'll stop all the demons. If you need wards and things, John's son Sammy is really good with them. They even remade the ones in Xander's kingdom a few years back."

"You still will not win," a male voice called through the air.

Buffy looked up and waved with a grin. "Aren't you stupid since you made all the really badly mean ones stubborn enough to turn meaner. I'd run if I were you, if only so Genjo doesn't hit you with his fan." The demonic voice snorted.

Don looked up then at her. "Quit making it mad, Buffy. We're too tired to fight it."

She looked at him. "Get John to the healers." He glared at her, standing up. She stared back. "Your dad's going to stomp on something. Shouldn't you tell him it's not necessary to ask your little brother to make evil things instead of math things?"

"No."

"Yay." She pointed. "It's here. Go. Now. Take him to the healers." Don groaned but looked then helped John up and out. "If I die tell my sister to have class like Queen Stella, not be bouncy like Queen Abby. I love the woman, she's great and all, but I want my sister to be more uptight and hopefully single so she doesn't draw people like I do."

"Yeah, whatever," Don snorted. "I'm marrying her off to half a military troop the day after we bury you." He helped John out of the cavern, looking around. "Please don't be possessed," he ordered Jethro's military troop.

"Hell no," one of them said.

"Good, then come get King John. Queen Buffy's in there fighting a demon." They came down to get the king and help Don go defend the kingdom. "Buffy?"

"Shut up, Don. It's trying to hide."

"Sorry." They walked in and Buffy shrugged but waved with a grin. "They had healers."

"Good. Great even." She turned and threw the round weapon Xander used to carry, and taught her to use, at the shadow the demon was hiding in. It shrieked in pain. "Oh, yeah, we had it blessed before I came." She followed to beat it. A few of the knights moved to help. The military guys helped by making sure nothing else could come in to help that demon. A female one showed up and got killed. A female goddess showed up and nearly got cut but she glared and that soldier backed down because she was scarier than King Jethro.

The goddess clapped. "Very nicely done, Buffy." She grinned back at her. "Move, dear. That takes a higher power and you didn't bring any of my nerdy prince's guards with you." She stepped forward, her ankle bells tinkling in the silent cave. She touched the demon's head, making it scream and explode. "Messy but useful." Of course none of the mess hit her.

Buffy panted, looking at her. "Will Dean and Cas need that?"

"Sam can. I've blessed him." She winked at Bucky. "You're adorable." She looked at Buffy. "Get John to a true healer. There's one in the town up from here," she said with a point. "Before he dies." The military guys called that out. She helped Buffy up. "You did an excellent job," she praised, smiling at her. "You do my ways proud even if you don't pray out for me."

"Is my mom happy?" she asked quietly.

"I'd hope so. She's not with our kind. She's with Castiel's kind." She kissed her on the head, knocking her out. "Don, do get her poisoning cured soon, dear." She patted him on the cheek. "Such a nice prince, and your brother's a cute little geek. We enjoy him." She faded out as she walked off.

Don cleared his throat. "That was what looked like the Sanzo Kingdom's Merciful Goddess." He picked Buffy up. "C'mon, let's get that poisoning cured before you die and I have to find people to marry your sister."

"We can help," Bucky said. "Do we have healers?" he asked Steve.

"Not that sort. We're more doctors than healers."

"We have both," Don said. Steve Rogers nodded. "We can handle it, hopefully. Thank you for the help. I'd be more effusive but..." He lifted her.

Steve smiled. "We can help." They got her out of the cave with them. The door got kicked shut.

Thor looked up once they were outside. "I have not seen these lands in many years."

"They used to belong to the Rosenburg kingdom but they were taken out by a witch who was infected by one of these demons," Don said. "Guys, she's poisoned." The healer left with them ran over to help her. "Genjo Sanzo's Merciful Goddess said so."

"That's bad," the healer said, moving to test her. "Did she say what kind?"

"The demon or the Beast Thanos," Steve said.

The healer blinked. "Damn it. We don't have manuals on those." He did what he could while they hurried her to that same healer. Thankfully they had some Asclepian healers on the way too and they intercepted that group. "She's poisoned," the healer stated. "This is Queen Buffy."

One of the healers stayed with them administering some anti-toxins. The rest hurried off to help King John.

The others followed with Don telling them what was going on. Thor was wincing but the others were happy it was being solved somehow. They had been more freaked out by the demons that King Xander had fought off than the alchemist and his army.

***

Dean and Castiel walked into the old manor house. There were a lot of murmuring voices. "Ghosts," Castiel said quietly.

"We have plenty of rock salt," Dean said. He looked back at Sam, who had caught up with them.

"I've got plenty too." They nodded. "Power that way," he said with a point. They headed to the back garden area. There was a pretty bower that the hole was inside. Under a tree that would eat you. As they came to ghosts, who came flowing out to blame them for things that happened before they were born, they dusted them with rock salt. Only a few made the boys pause. Sam looked at Dean when he froze up. "Dean?" he asked quietly.

"Mom," he said, blinking at her. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here because I'm a bit stuck," she said. "But it's my own doing, dear. I was helping fight off something." She floated closer, patting him on the cheek with a smile. "I'm proud, Dean. You've become the man I always hoped you were." She kissed him on the forehead. She looked at Castiel. "He's cute. I won't even be mean and demand many grandchildren. They'd drive your father nuts." She floated over to Sam, smiling at him. "I missed you, baby. You were still tiny and with me all the time when I had to leave to come save others." Sam blinked at her. She smiled and kissed him on the forehead. "You'll have better luck than I did, Sammy." She looked at Castiel. "It's never over with but it'll hold it off for a few centuries if you win, son-in-law. You can do this. Even if they get injured. They want Sam for his gifts and Dean for their army. Are you strong enough to protect them?"

"I hope I am," he said quietly. "Thank you for your blessing."

She smiled. "You look cuter in the crown than I ever did, Castiel. We appreciate you with my bigger baby boy." She kissed him on the forehead too. "Be safe. They're tricky." She looked at Dean. "If they get Sam, they have you, then they have a general," she said as she faded out.

Dean looked at his brother. "You tell Dad."

Sam nodded. "Yeah. We can tell him then run." They heard their mother laugh and hurried forward. The ghosts turned into demons trying to stop them. A few were stronger and it took Castiel to banish them or Sam casting at them. They ran into three last ones. Sam stared at one. "King Michael, that's unexpected." The former king laughed. "But it figures."

Castiel stepped in front of them. "We will be banishing this attempt. Otherwise, you'll have to face Xander."

"We know how to yank his strings," the second demon said behind Michael's shoulder. "We require your consort, Castiel."

"Sorry, my ass belongs to him, not you," Dean said, firing his banishing gun at that one. "Have fun, Uriel." He glared at the third one, who only smirked and got out of the way. "You're not like them."

"No, I'm not," he agreed smoothly. "But I'm quite amused. I also know not to do something to make the most stubborn even worse." Michael turned to glare at him, trying to hit him. The demon disappeared. Dean hit Michael. Castiel banished him with Sam. He finally went up in a gout of flame so they moved to the tree. Dean looked at it then at Sam. "How?"

"Doorway," he said with a point at the mouth. They winced but climbed in, weathering the slimy insides to make it to the glowing tiny spot. Sam stepped onto it to make the guided prayer. Outside the tree everything lit up in a bright light. They climbed out and the house looked like it should have residents. They hurried out and took their horses from the new groom.

Castiel looked at him. "Were you cursed?" The groom nodded. "I'm happy we could free you. Are there others?"

"The demons tried to win. Now they won't, sire." Behind him the house went up in flames and the groom walked into it. "Now we're free," he said before he closed the doorway.

Dean shuddered. "That's so wrong."

"Yeah, it is," Sam agreed. They rode off together, Castiel on Dean's other side. "Home or Xander's?"

"Xander's," Dean said. "So we can report to the others."

Castiel nodded. "To make sure it's ended." Dean reached over to poke him on the shoulder, getting a look back. "I am not upset that my father was a demon. He became one of his own free will."

Dean snorted. "Yours and mine will sometime have a knock-down, drag out fight."

"Probably," Castiel agreed. "If we're lucky we won't have to witness it."

"Who was the other one?" Sam asked.

"Not sure," Dean admitted, looking at his consort.

"I've seen his picture in my lessons about evil. I believe his name was Crowley."

"We can handle it," Dean decided. "Even if I turn into Dad and make that my mission in life like he did the one that got Mom."

Sam looked over at him. "No. You can't leave Castiel that way, Dean. It's miserable for your consort."

"I'd go with him," Castiel said.

Sam looked at him. "Which means I'd be ruling the country." They groaned and shook their heads. "Exactly." They sped up a bit once they got to the main road.

***

Xander came out of the closed off areas shaking and having Genjo holding him up. The scroll around Genjo's neck was moving by itself like it was agitated and Xander looked like he was nearly dead. Genjo didn't look all that pleased and he looked like he had been in a battle. "Gregory!" Genjo yelled. He came out of the nearest room. The scroll attacked him. "Huh. I'm guessing you're not our Gregory."

Stella came jogging over. "He good?"

"No," Genjo said. "Get Hakai please, Stella." She sent a page for him and got them sitting on the stairs. His team showed up from the kitchen. "The plea's made. The demons have been stronger longer than we expected, and one's not on their side. It's messing up his plans," he sneered. "King Michael was one." Hakai winced but took Xander from him to check over. "It's on his right side, just under his liver."

"Got it," Hakai said. "Do you have any?"

"Two or three slices but nothing huge. A few of the demons were downright mad that Xander was bucking their ideology. Me they sneered at until the chakra came out."

Goku looked at him. "Demons suck," he reminded him.

"Especially when they have plots," Genjo agreed. "Anything happen beyond the not Gregory?"

"Everyone else is in the safe room," Goyjo said quietly. "It sealed? I can feel power." Genjo pointed at Xander. "You didn't close it?"

Xander glared at him. "It tried to molest me again. It *loves* me. It wants my ass more than any incubus or my spouse. So no, I closed it back up."

"Okay," he said, stepping off since Genjo had glared at his irritated spouse.

Xander looked at his consort and blew a kiss. "Sorry, honey, but the incubi love me more than you do."

"That's because you can make them squeal like inn girls," he said dryly. "Hakai?"

"He'll be okay." He looked at him. "Get him some bandages, Goku, then tell the others they're out."

"Don't mention King Michael," Xander said quietly. "It's a huge problem and I'd like to tell Castiel about his father first."

Goku nodded, going to the kitchen first then to the kings' room. "They're out," he said as he opened the door. "They're okay. A bit banged up. Princess Gregory was demon infected." Gregory snorted from his corner. "Or they were pretending to be you. Xander's got a cut just under his liver but Hakai has it. Genjo's pissed off. Xander's livid, and just told his spouse that incubi loved him more but the hole loved him best." Gregory groaned, shaking his head. He looked at the other kings. "Some demons showed up and he said he'd come talk to you once he's cleaned up." He left, closing the door again.

"Sounds like Xander ran into drama," Mac said dryly. "He is very good at it."

"I think that's why he married a Sanzo," Horatio said dryly. "They're all about the drama."

Alan looked at them. "Not nice, boys."

"Sorry," Horatio said. "But true." There weren't any of the ones being talked about in attendance right now so he could be blunt.

Mac nodded a bit. "Sorry for the wisecrack, Alan. It's not polite."

"You know Xander never plans for drama," Gregory said. "It's drawn to him, like trouble and demons are." The others smiled at that. "Do we have word from the other two spots?"

"Not yet," Alan said. "We can call the nearest areas to check in a few hours." He hoped his son was all right. His son was a good prince but not a great warrior. He was a normal prince who was taught to lead people and find problems in his kingdom. Hunting demons was a bit worse.

***

In the South, Buffy looked up when the healer stepped back. "Am I going to live to spare my sister?"

"For the moment, yes, Queen Buffy." She sat up with a groan, holding her side. "You're going to be sore."

"I can see that," she said dryly. "Is Don fine? And John?"

"Prince Don's fine," he reported. "He had a few combat injuries but not that many. King John...he's in a bad way but may not be fatal."

"His sons were going to the same sort of spot up by their kingdom," Buffy said.

"We can call his castle to see if they can be found."

"Everyone's at Xander's castle," Don said as he walked in, pulling on a shirt over the bandages. "They're waiting on reports."

Buffy nodded. "We can do that. Are we calling?"

"No," Don said. "We need to make it in person."

Buffy nodded. "Let me get a quick wash and I'll be diplomatic." She limped toward the bathroom and came out wearing a loaned shirt and chest armor piece, a borrowed pair of pants, and had her weapons back. She had pulled her wet hair back into a low bun and looked better than she felt. She walked into the room with the knights. "Thank you for your help. It was important we made that plea." She sat down and put her sore leg up. "We have teams going to the other two spots like that one."

"Are you all right?" Steve Rogers asked.

She shook her head. "It's been a long day and I'm about to nap like I'm a kiddy princess again. But we have to go up there to report in. We're gathered in Xander's kingdom because it has the best protections against demons."

Steve looked at his people. "Thor?"

"I can go with them," he promised. "Scott?"

"I can go," he agreed. "I don't have anything scheduled this week." He looked at the others. "You guys?"

"I need time to rest, not be in a saddle," Bruce said.

The other two looked at each other then nodded. "We can go as emissaries," Black Widow said.

"We can even be diplomatic," Clint said from beside her.

Buffy snorted and waved a hand. "We're not always diplomatic or even polite. Sometimes we're downright snarly at Pelgar and a few others. He's kinda...nuts. But his people love him at the moment so..." She waved a hand around. Don walked in. "You good to ride?"

"Nope, but Jethro's people brought a carriage. They knew we'd be tired."

She frowned. "How many were possessed?"

"Not a single one. Queen Abby made sure personally."

She smiled. "I like Abby. She's a bouncy, fun queen to look up to as a role model. Stella's a bit more uptight than I am. Or my mother was."

Don nodded, smirking some. "Let's load up if you're coming with us. We have two carriages going back that way. It's a little over a day's trip by the most traveled road. The healers will bring John behind us, Buffy."

"Sure." She stood up with a wince. "At least I won't fall out of my saddle when I sleep. That'd suck with how sore I already am." She smiled. "Do you guys want to ride with us or ride?"

"We can ride with you," Scott said. "We didn't bring horses."

"Okay." They walked out together. Buffy frowned. "Isn't that Xander's carriage that's a siege engine?"

"No," Don said. "It's the bigger version he brought to Charlie's wedding because it'll fit six people taking a nap." He looked at the driver. "Have you been checked for a possession?"

"Yes, Prince Don, and so have the horses."

"Thank you," Buffy said with a wave. She climbed in and into a corner to sleep.

Don looked at the others once she was snoring. "She's only been a queen now for a few years," he said quietly. "But she's good at it." They nodded at that. "Go the fast way so we can tell King John's sons he's injured," he called.

"Yes, Prince Don. Right up the main roadway." He rode them off, shaking his head. He wasn't usually a driver for this carriage.

"Remember the dip by Buffy's people," Don called. "The carriage will get stuck in the mud again."

"Yes, Prince Don."

Don shrugged. "She has a huge dip in the middle of her road that gathers mud and traps horse shoes." They all grinned at him. "It's natural contours and no one's told her how to fix it when she asked."

Thor nodded. "Those things happen to all areas." They rode on. The other carriage had the other two knights and a few of the healers in case they needed them. That carriage turned into a siege engine. Just in case you know.

***

Genjo walked into the meeting room, kicking the door closed behind him. "I have something to note that Xander will be telling Castiel about before he comes in." He looked around. "It's not pretty but we met up with former King Michael. Who was a demon."

"Possessed?" Mac demanded.

"No." Alan stiffened, staring at him. "He was a full demon. This was partially his plan to get his family back to the old levels of worship. He admitted it when I taunted him. We had an ancient demon that had nothing to do with the plan and was helping us because this was upsetting his plan." He sat down in his usual seat. "The one with King Michael wasn't Paul but it was Paul's little brother." Alan grimaced but nodded. "We called Paul and he found Michael's journal when we asked and said he might have been used by one as they had his form. It was in his journal. Paul went on a ranting fit at me for daring to tell him that information he read for himself. He's vowed that we're going to die for it. Xander stepped into view and told him why it was going on. He had sensed something from the third demon about why somehow."

"Is he well?" Alan asked.

"Relatively. He got stabbed a bit. We both got injured but we're fine. Or will be by tomorrow."

"Any news on the others?" Alan demanded.

Genjo nodded. "We hung up with Paul and got an almost immediate answer from the healers down there. King John is seriously injured. They brought him in passed out on a stretcher. Don's fine, Alan. He's a bit banged up but nothing horrible. Buffy was a bit poisoned but the healers handled it. They're on their way back. Buffy said she felt Dean's take hold too during their battle."

Alan relaxed. "So maybe it's done?"

"As far as we can tell, their attempt to regain power for both sides is countered. That's not saying someone won't get a new idea in their pointy brains. That third demon said he wasn't going to because it upset his ideas of control and he didn't want to go up against Amellisame."

Alan blinked a few times. "Why?"

"Healers," he said. "They're important."

"Oh, dear."

"Her father has visions," Jethro said. "Abby said that's important."

Genjo nodded with a smirk. "Healers, touch healers especially, and seers are both high on the hit list but also high on the 'if you fuck with 'em they'll pay you back in ways you'll wish to Goddess never happened'. And if she's anything like her biological father, she's going to prove it."

Alan nodded, grinning slightly. "Yes, she can. I thought it was being a girl."

Stella shook her head but she was smiling. "She is very much like Xander in the way she processes information and asks questions. Watching her learn new things gives me great hope that some day Xander may be a bit more normal."

"Not if those demons piss him off again," Genjo said dryly. "Maybe our future kids, Stella."

She smiled. "Is your surrogate already carrying?"

"Next year. Let her get settled into her studies. Though we need a nanny. Xander and I both realize we are not good with children."

Mac nodded. "We'll send over the one Lindsey hated but was good, Genjo. Before that child becomes a future warlord."

"Thank you. I'd hate to have to teach it to meditate to cure that problem," he said dryly. He heard screaming outside. "Or maybe entwine it to my guards to make them follow her instead. SHUT THE FUCK UP!" he bellowed. "We're having a discussion!"

"Sorry," Hakkai called from the hallway. "Messenger's here from Abby."

Genjo went out to get it, handing it to Jethro. He opened it. "She and Amellisame are on their way up. Not because of demons but because someone decided they should be overthrown as my wife and they wanted the kid to raise as a proper heir for me. Where is Tony?"

"Helping my kingdom," Alan said. "Your other son?"

"Tim's watching over our academy. There's a few kids that former King Michael had to free from demons wanting to own them."

Genjo nodded. "Charming parents."

"Yours?" Stella asked.

"Mine are pissed off and promised to let a temple guard the kid for a few weeks if we needed them to and offered to let me come back to take up a royal house in the middle of nowhere so they don't have to be bothered by our lack of uptightness. I'm a bit less stiff than the rest of the family."

"We noticed," Jethro agreed. "Let me go call Tony." He got up and walked out, finding Xander sitting on a chair in the hallway. "That good?"

"I couldn't make it up the stairs yet," he admitted. "One of the things that hit me was a poison thorn and I'm waiting on the anti-toxin to finish working."

"Gregory," Jethro called. "Xander just admitted he was poisoned and he's waiting on the anti-toxin to work."

"Fuck, he's dying," he muttered as he limped out to check on Xander. He was his most favorite patient of irritation. Genjo followed to come help.

Jethro called his older son. "Any word and your stepmother's on her way here."

Tony blinked at him. "For some reason that tiny kingdom had a lot of fires suddenly and Prince Dean was reported to have just crossed the border headed your way with the other two." Jethro nodded, smiling slightly. "Any good news from down south?"

"Not really. We know Don's fine. John was seriously injured."

"Okay. I can spread that." He looked behind him. "Prince Don is slightly injured but not critically. King Jethro said he's fine by reports." A few people cheered. He looked at his father again. "Any other good news?"

"Not yet. We know the one here happened."

"Good. Let us know. People are getting antsy but we only found a few demons."

"That's fine. We'll be making announcements tomorrow evening probably." Tony nodded and hung up. Jethro went back into the meeting room. "Tony said a few people are antsy so we'll be making announcements tomorrow, Alan. Why are your eyes black?"

"The demon came back," Stella said. Her eyes were black. "They're very understanding."

Xander walked into the room and bled on something in the corner, making all the demons scream. "Get out of my kingdom before I come down there," he growled. He stared at Horatio. He had the top demon. "You're not even in the right one. His spouse is going to fuck you up." Genjo walked in with his team to banish the demons. A few screamed but they all left as they got released.

Xander smirked at the one in Horatio. "You don't want to keep pissing me off. I haven't even begun to find the depth of my anger or my levels of evil. I can make you all *very* sorry in *many* ways. You have no idea what you're playing with. Hell, you didn't even realize that Horatio's not the head king." The demon fled out the window, leaving Horatio gasping for breath.

Goyjo looked at him. "Can you please be less evil so your consort can calm down?"

"Not while this is going on and endangering my daughter. No." He smirked. "I'll be the evil bitch queen of the kings if I have to."

Genjo stared at him. "If you do, I'll have to banish you."

"Well, gee, dear, then what would you do?" he asked dryly, smirking at him. "Having to do everything with Sam."

Genjo considered it. "Fine, we'll just exorcize you instead. I don't want to sit in your seat with Sam. Sam might be more cuddly."

Alan laughed but it sounded a bit bitter. "Now we know why you two work so well together." He looked at them. "Boys. Can we stop the demons for good?"

"Yes, but it'll take a true heir to the line bleeding on a mark," Xander said, walking off. He called King Paul's kingdom, getting glared at. "We need Elizabeth or Gabriel or someone like them to go bleed on your altar stone to reset things. Because we forgot that step."

He groaned. "Someone true to the line go bleed on the family's altar," he yelled.

"Going!" a male voice called. "There's a field!"

"It'll take someone with some power. Like Elizabeth or Gabriel," Xander told him.

"Fuck," Paul muttered. "Bring back my sister Elizabeth. She can do it." Someone ran to get her from her safe spot of being a hostage. They had 'rescued' her from the temple she had been hiding at a few days earlier. She got carried down the stairs, still in chains, and taken to bleed on the altar.

"Elizabeth, if you don't, the demons will win," Xander said. "Then you have my word you can be safe here if you survive."

She smiled and nodded. "I can do that. Thank you, King Xander." She walked through the field. Her chains fell off and suddenly she was unbruised and less dirty. Her hair that had been bleached by magic was now back to the original color. She cut her palm to lay on the stone, chanting a quiet, lilting phrase. Things lit up around her and she smiled up. "That's good to know. Yes, I can ascend to hang out with you, Brother. It will be stopped by our grace and their grace." She disappeared in a flash of light.

Xander groaned. He hung up and went to talk to the others. The demons were gone. Genjo was relaxed. His team was relaxed. Xander couldn't feel any. He fell down into a chair. "Elizabeth ascended in a glow of light."

Alan blinked. "That's a myth."

"Not exactly apparently," he shot back.

"Damn it."

"She was one of the last sane ones in that family," Genjo said. "The other sane ones apparently wanted to protect her." He flopped down, looking at his consort. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

He stared at him. "There's things I gotta do."

"Go to bed," Horatio ordered with a point. "We need more sanity so we're using your consort for the moment."

Xander rolled his eyes but heaved himself up and huffed off to let the nagging princess sort nag him into bed for now.

"I'll try to remember that I was taught tact," Genjo said dryly. "It's not high on the list of skills I remember all the time."

"That's why you and Xander are so good together," Stella said with a smile for him. "Because he has no tact at all."

"He said at one point in time he borrowed some of Sam's," Genjo said sarcastically, smirking at her. "He also nearly named Sam his diplomat."

"Sam, Don, and Tony are pretty much everyone's diplomat," Jethro admitted. "We call for them when we need to do diplomatic things with people we wouldn't put up with."

Alan nodded. "Everyone does. It does get Don a lot of attention too." He smiled. "At least my sons have tact most of the time."

"Xander once looked at an older king and told him to grow up because he was acting his age instead of the king's age," Mac told Genjo. "He was about ten." Alan laughed, remembering that one.

"That does not surprise me any," Genjo admitted. "He's told that to a few of his military people too."

***

Queen Abby and Prince Amellisame got out of their carriage the next morning. Amellisame smoothed down her skirts as she looked around. She noticed the flag. "What's that blue one?"

Abby looked up then at her. "In your step-grandfather's time, it meant he had a hangover. Anymore it means that everyone's healing after a battle so to be more polite than usual."

"Oh, so same function, different reason," the young prince said. "Good to know." They heard a carriage and she looked. "I believe those are yours, Abby."

"They are. Go inside, dear."

"No, I'm the native prince so I should greet them. You go inside. Jethro needs snogged." She snorted but walked inside, pointing at guards to go guard the young one. Abby realized the little one was very stubborn and starting to come into her own as a prince so greeting people was a harmless exercise if she wanted to do it. She walked over to stare at the people getting out. "Hi, I'm Prince Amellisame. Who're you?" she asked the first one.

"I'm Knight Scott Lang," he said, shaking her hand with a smile. "I have a little girl about your age."

"Cool, I could use more penpals. Stepfather Genjo's people write everything because they consider calling them rude. So I'm really good at having penpals. I have one in King Steve's kingdom too." She smiled.

"I'll give her your address so you two can write." She smiled and nodded. "Are the others up?"

"Probably at breakfast. DON!" she squealed, hugging him. "You're okay!"

"I'm fine, Ami. I'm really okay. Don't pounce Queen Buffy, she's sore."

She snorted and waved a hand like Genjo did. "She's not my big brother sort. I'd never pounce her unless she's my stepmother." She hugged him again. "Queen Abby and I just got here."

"We can go eat and then report," Don promised, walking her that way.

"Hold on, I have to do diplomatic things since I'm the crown prince," she said. She got free and walked back, smiling at the other one coming out. "I'm Crown Prince Amellisame. Who're you?" she asked with a smile. Alan said her smile was her best feature.

"I'm Prince Thor, child."

She smiled and shook his hand. "Welcome to our kingdom, Prince Thor. Have you been here before?"

"No, I have not." He looked around. "It's a charming castle."

She smiled. "I didn't have a thing to do with that. Or Daddy." He smiled and patted her on the head. "If you want to freshen up, I'll get someone to show you to rooms. Guards, where's the majordomo?" she called, tilting her head to the side.

"He was possessed, Prince," one of the doorway guards said in a normal voice. "We've sent for the head housekeeper to open rooms for them. She'll be right here, sirs."

"There's another carriage," Don told him. He smiled. "Our father?"

"Is in his room," the other doorway guard said. "King Xander's being fussed at. Consort Genjo is in his house with his team. Not even Goku's gotten up to eat yet."

"That's almost amazing," Don quipped. He got out of the way. "Miss Havins, is my room still open?"

"It's kept ready, Prince Don. Prince Amellisame, yours is ready as well." She smiled and nodded. "You should go freshen up."

"There's more visitors coming so I should be diplomatic like Uncle Alan said to be," she said. "Then I'll go change clothes and pet my horse then have breakfast with someone."

"Yes, Prince." She smiled at the other two. "We haven't met you before. How many rooms will you be needing?"

"Two more of us come in another carriage with a few healers," Thor said. "Plus King John comes after them with even more healers attending him."

"I can arrange that. Boys, get Melat from the kitchens to attend them please. She's sweet and speaks a few languages." One of them went to get her for them. "I see the other carriage, Prince."

She bounced a few times and put on a big smile when they stopped, walking over. "Welcome to our kingdom. Who're you?"

One of them stared at her. She smiled back. "I'm Knight Widow."

"Wow, Daddy told me a story about you taking out someone evil," she said with a smile, shaking her hand. "Welcome to our kingdom. Is he your mate?"

"This is Knight Hawkeye."

"Welcome." She shook his hand as well. "This is our head housekeeper. She can find you a room to freshen up with since my dad is still in bed and so is Uncle Alan." She looked. "Ooooh, it's Dean and Castiel. Excuse me but they're favorite kinda uncles." She ran over to pounce them, vaulting from his stirrup to catch him around the neck.

"Nice pounce, kiddo." Dean cuddled her. "You're a great girl."

"Of course I am. Uncle Alan makes sure of it," she quipped. She carefully jumped over to Castiel, making his horse flinch some but she calmed it down. "Are you okay? Are you injured like Daddy?"

"No, we're all fine, dear. Sam's behind us." She smiled and kissed him on the nose before sliding down and running back to vault herself up onto Sam.

"You little tree squirrel," Sam teased but cuddled her. "We're just fine, dear."

"Good. You'd better be!" They dismounted, letting the stable people have their mounts so they could go inside with her. "Are their rooms clear, Miss Havins?"

"Yes, Prince," she said, trying to hide her smile. "They're kept ready in case they show up."

"Cool. Thank you. I'll escort them inside so I can check on my father too."

"That's fine, Prince." She smiled at the newcomers. "She's fostered with King Alan," she said quietly. "She's learned a lot from him."

Knight Hawkeye smiled. "She's adorable."

"She and Cassie can become penpals," Scott said with a grin. They got led up to rooms to clean up. Someone woke up Buffy so she could have a real bed. They'd come together later.

***
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