Rourke tumbled down further into the pits of Hell, past screams of agony and the stench of brimstone. When he hit a floor that he sworn had not been there a second earlier, the girl shaped Heart was still wrapped in his jagged arms. A laugh punched through his lips and overpowered even the shrieks of desperation surrounding him.

"I did it!" His squared jaw shook and his barrel chest heaved with his borderline insane chuckles. "Years, decades of plotting and finally…" He exhaled sharply and grinned. "It's all mine."

MINE, YOU MEAN, Hell was all too quick to remind the treasure hunter. Demons the size of ferrets detached themselves from the crimson, stalagmite covered floors around Rourke. Chattering and hissing in their high pitched language amongst themselves, they swarmed the red crystal and took it from his flailing grasp.

NOT THAT WE DON'T APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK, YOU KNOW.

OH YES. GOOD JOB! YOU GET A GOLD STAR!

A snickering demon stuck a gold star sticker on Rourke's forehead. Another shoved a cigar into his mouth and a third threw handfuls of confetti while singing a raspy rendition of "He's a Jolly Good Fellow."

Rourke spat out the cigar and smacked away the minions. "After all of my hard work, you owe me!"

The sound of a tongue clicking echoed around Rourke. IF ANYTHING, MY LACKEY, YOU OWE ME. WE GAVE YOU SOLID FORM, WE SENT YOU BACK TO YOUR WORLD, AND LET'S NOT FORGET, YOU GE TO WATCH THE WORLD CRUMBLE.

SO SIT DOWN…

The little winged devils shoved Rourke down.

SHUT UP…

AND WATCH THE FIREWORKS, SONNY BOY! YEEEE-HAAWWW!

The crystal princess was let go and simply hovered in place. The pulsating hum and glow neither grew nor diminished. There were no brilliant explosions of light, trumpets blaring, waves of intense energy, or the usual end of the world clichés.

Hell was silent for a while.

WHERE'S THE KABOOM? THERE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN EARTH SHATTERING KABOOM.

WHAT… WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH THIS THING?

DUNNO. THINK IT NEEDS NEW BATTERIES?

IT'S A LIVING CRYSTAL, YOU NITWIT. IT DOESN'T NEED BATTERIES!

MAYBE YOU HAVE TO PLUG IT IN…

Above the pit, Diana, Milo, Kida, Dean, and Helga were trying to plan. Without her older sister's help, however, the teenaged Keeper felt panicked. Sealing the hole was no longer an option right now, not with the princess and the Heart of Atlantis trapped. Asking for Ta'Kashi's help was simply out of the question. A couple of years ago, she had learned not to give bad Keepers even an inch of space to work with. Shooting the tied-up old man a glare, she tried to bury the growing concern for her sister and focus on the task at hand.

Claire was still on her feet, but otherwise catatonic. After Lucille had been dragged down, the Keeper's stride had stopped, as if she were confused. Now, however, she was starting to stride forward again with a purpose. The crystal around her neck rose and then pointed downward, showing her where she needed to go. Her lips parted and the various voices issued forth again, speaking in Atlantean.

Dean tried picking her up. She squirmed in his grasp and finally kicked her way out of his arms with the crystal shard giving him a shock for good measure. "What did she say?"

Kida translated. "We must unite with our princess and our Heart."

"Then she's going to—Claire! No!" He lunged for her, landing millimeters behind her feet. As he belly flopped into the dirt, she jumped up, arms above her head and palms pressed together, and dove down headfirst into the open portal. He screamed her name and pushed himself up. Before he could leap in after her, Diana grabbed his arm.

"You've gone that route before, remember?" She looked down into the pit. "All willing sacrifices get spat out."

"Wasn't Claire—"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. You saw her, she wasn't in control."

The glow on the symbols drawn into the ground around the hole glinted off of Milo's large lenses. "But now Hell's got the Heart, Lucille's crystal, and—and my little girl." He set his jaw in a determined grimace. "What if I jump in real quick with a ship and—"

"Not enough time," Diana shook her head. "C'mon, think… Think!" She rubbed her temples and paced back and forth. "What would Claire do?"

"Y'know…" Vinny nibbled on the end of a matchstick. "I remember bein' told once that near these Hell holes, spirits are real susceptible to bein' pulled in. All it takes is getting' angry and sayin' somethin,' even if you don't mean it. Gets 'em drained down, like flushin' a toilet." He mimed jerking a handle. "'Course, I don't know who'd we be able to get to do it, what with the shortage of spirits around here." He smiled and raised an eyebrow in Helga's direction.

The ghost stared at him, perplexed for a moment, and then smirked. "Is that so? Well, Mr. Thatch," she winked at the king, "it seems there's something you've should have told me a long, long time ago."

Milo looked at the gaping hole of evil, at Helga, and then to his wife. He intertwined Kida's fingers with his and took a deep breath. "Helga Sinclair… Go to Hell!"

The ex-merc gave him a salute before forces from the depths of damnation pulled her away.

Kida called out after her, "Save the crystal. Save Atlantis. Save my daughter!"

Rourke dodged out of the way, barely missing being the landing pad of the falling Keeper. "What in blue blazes?"

Hell, throwing a tantrum, almost didn't notice Claire's arrival. STUPID CRYSTAL! STUPID PLATO! STUPID—

HEY. HEY, LOOKIT.

OH. WOW, THIS IS A NICE SURPRISE.

YEAH. IF WE HAD KNOWN YOU WERE COMING, WE'D HAVE MADE A CASSEROLE.

Claire raised an arm and pointed at the crystal. "I come for the Heart of Atlantis."

SPOOKY VOICE. NOT AS SCARY AS OURS, THOUGH.

HEY…WAIT. WHAT IS SHE DOING?

Claire hovered above the steaming, rocky floor. Lucille's crystal changed from red to blue and a beam of light pulled it from Claire's neck and into the Heart. When it became its normal color once more, it let go of its hold on Claire and she fell to the ground.

"Ow." She rubbed her head. "What…" It took her a second to realize where she was. "Oh… sneezes!"

AND NOW WE HAVE THE COMPLETE HEART OF ATLANTIS. ROURKE, TAKE CARE OF THIS PEST, PLEASE. AND DON'T BE GENTLE. WE WANT TO HEAR HER SCREAM.

"Finally, some fun again." He pulled back his fist and launched it.

Claire dropped to the ground and his crystalline hand went sailing overhead. She rolled under the hovering Heart of Atlantis, feeling somehow better under the cerulean shadow. It was comforting and healing, which made her all the more aware of how much it was needed in the city. And poor Lucille was still trapped within.

"I'm not going to fail you, sweetie."

She pulled into the Possibilities and then hurled them at Rourke. He barely staggered.

YOU THINK YOU HAVE POWER HERE, KEEPER? THIS IS MY DOMAIN!

DOMAIN, THAT'S GOOD. VERY VILLAINOUS.

"Tired, Ms. Hansen?" Rourke picked her up by her throat. "'Cause I'm just getting warmed up!"

"Beating up on women again, Rourke?"

The voice made him turn. Helga held a fighting stance. Right hand up, she flicked her fingers towards her. "Just like the good old days."

Nostalgia overtook purpose and he dropped the Keeper. Claire gasped and rubbed her neck, knowing bruises were already forming. Now how to get the crystal out…

Helga spun and kicked, but her transparent foot only went through Rourke's face. Her eyes widened as he grinned.

"Damn."

EXACTLY!

Hell's mini demons started to swarm the spirit. Their claws, capable of ribbing through souls, dug under her ectoplasmic skin. She screamed and writhed as Rourke watched and laughed.

NOW IT'S TIME TO PLAY WITH OUR NEW TOY.

Claire didn't know whose bright idea it had been to send in the ghost, but she knew she had to give her a fighting chance. Plus, with Helga working as a distraction, things could go a lot smoother. She looked up at the heart. "Help me out here." She cracked her knuckles, took a deep breath, and pulled into the Possibilities and sent them towards Helga. A blast of energy from the Heart joined the power. It spread into the far reaches of Hell, filling the volcanic-like cavern with a bright blue hue. The walls began to crumble and demons shrieked and flew for cover.

OW! STOPPIT!

Helga tried another kick, and this time it made contact. She sent the demon staggering back. Shocked, she stared at her foot to discover it was solid. "My body!" With renewed strength, the now solid Sinclair went to work. It all came back to her—the punches, the jabs, the kicks, the flips—every move she had learned and almost forgotten in her decades of solitude and death. However, with a body, she was susceptible to pain and injury. This face was pounded into her as he knocked her to the floor. With a flip and a kick, she was back up.

She had missed the pain. She had even missed the taste of blood on her cracked lip and the sting in her knuckles. "I don't know about you, Commander, but I'm…." Punch. "…in…" Punch. "…Heaven!"

Focused on destroying Hell, Claire could only hear bits of the fight. It was a shame Helga's new mortality would only be temporary, but it would last long enough. "I think we've done enough," Claire grunted. "We've got to get you back up to the surface and close this hole before we're trapped." Stalactites fell from the metaphysical ceiling. The wails of the damned were drowned out by the booming rumbling of the nether realm.

Helga was panting by now. A blond strand of hair dangled over her eyes and she blew it away. Although a first glance would yield little damage, a closer inspection showed zig-zags of cracks and a piece missing from his neck. Focused on this new weak point, she took a misstep and tripped. She landed on her back, knocking the wind out of her.

"Look at this," Rourke grinned. "Brings back memories, don't it? You know," he lifted a foot, "maybe I'll just smash your face in. Then I'll ask Hell to make you my slave. How about that?"

"Were you always so romantic?" Her eyes darted from side to side, searching for anything she could use. A stalactite broke free from an overhang above her and landed near her fingertips.

"Or you and me… we could ignite some old sparks." He dropped down almost on top of her and braced himself up on his palms. The brimstone stench of his breath made her lip curl.

"Sorry, Commander." She stretched her fingers until they touched the edge of the rock spike. She dragged it close enough to grab. "I swore off evil." She picked up the stalactite. "Nothing personal." With all her strength, she rammed in into the neck wound and ground it in.

The demon shrieked and clawed at the spike. Helga rolled and sprang up, then spun with a fierce kick. The stalactite was forced further through is neck, creating more cracks and broken pieces. All it took was another kick and he was decapitated. His broken body staggered for a few seconds before exploding into thousands of tiny shards. Then his head followed suit.

Helga shielded her face in time and ran over to Claire. "Let's get out of here," she told the Keeper.

"My thoughts exactly." Claire held Helga's hand and called forth the Possibilities once more with the aid of the Heart of Atlantis. The crystal hummed, echoing with the chanting voices of Atlantean royalty. The women thought they could hear the little princess. All of the projected beams gathered back into the crystal and then shot downward and encased Helga and Claire. Then the three of them rose towards the portal opening.

NO! Hell bellowed as it continued to crumble. I WAS SO CLOSE!

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ALWAYS SAY: IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED...

Hell nudged some of the scattered chunks of Rourke. I WILL GET MY POUND OF FLESH. YOU CAN BE SURE OF THAT.

As soon as Helga and Claire's hands emerged from the hole, Dean and Vinny were there to help them out. Once they were safely back in Atlantis, the Heart hovered over to Kida. It took the shape of her daughter.

"Oh my baby," the queen mumbled into her hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She wanted to cradle and hold her, to tell her that matihtim would love her forever. "Please let me have her back."

Milo stood at his wife's side and put a hand on her shoulder. "You put my little girl through Hell. Literally. Give her back."

Voices, too blended to understand, emanated from the crystal. And then, as if they had come to an agreement, Lucille's hand stretched out from it. Her arm emerged, and then her other hand and her round face.

"Matihim! Daddy!"

Her parents grabbed her and pulled her out and into their arms, holding her tighter than they ever had before. Together they cried and laughed and kissed and hugged. Above them the Heart of Atlantis took its rightful place over the city.

Diana grinned at Claire. "You look like five miles of bad road, sister."

"Yeah, and that road was the highway to hell. You ready to do this?"

"I was born ready. Booyah!" She bumped her fist against Claire's.

The sisters focused their energy and pulled into the Possibilities. Just as the hole was almost sealed, a giant hand made of flames burst from Hell and reached towards the siblings.

I AM NOT LEAVING EMPTY HANDED!

Prepared for another fight, the Hansen sisters were shocked as it pushed past them and grabbed onto the tied-up teacher still lying in the dirt. Ta'Kashi's muffled screams were as useless as his bound arms as he tried to wiggle away. The plump professor was dragged through the dirt, leaving a trail behind him. Then with a final tug, he was pulled into the hole.

Dean gave the women a wide eyed stare. "Are you going to be after savin' him?"

The Keepers pretended not to hear him as they finished sealing the portal.

After a much needed bath, dinner at the royal table, and packing, Claire was all too ready to head home. Austin followed her from the guest room to the storage chamber, where the others were waiting around the wardrobe. As predicted, Helga's mortal shell had dissipated and she was once again a ghost.

"No hard feelings?" Claire couldn't think of anything better to say to the spirit.

Helga waved the concern away. "It was nice while it lasted, but life's only temporary. I was lucky to get a second chance, even if it was only for an hour." She grinned. "I tore off my old boss's head, I can't complain."

Austin brushed against her transparent leg. "Ah, the American dream."

She reached down and tried to scratch behind his ear. It was impossible for her to do so without a body, but he still purred in appreciation.

Claire cleared her throat. "Now comes the hard part. Helga, you need to cross over. I think it's safe to say you've accomplished any unfinished business you could possibly have."

"But," Helga's voice cracked, "if I do that, I'll just wind up back… there with him."

Vinny rubbed his cheek. "I don't think so. Not that I'm the authority on the matter, but I'd think sacrificing yourself and divin' into Hell… that should get you a free pass to Heaven. I mean, what does God expect from you now, to haul a hundred children out of a burnin' orphanage. If he does, I got some dynamite on hand—"

Claire held up a hand. "That won't be necessary." She smiled at the spirit. "Trust me, you'll be fine. If anyone deserves paradise, it's you."

Helga grimaced. "Fine, but I'm holding you to that, Keeper. If it doesn't work out, I'm coming back to haunt you."

"I'll keep that in mind." Claire closed her eyes and muttered an incantation that no one could hear. The Possibilities opened, giving Helga a gateway to the beyond.

For purely symbolic reasons, Helga inhaled and exhaled sharply. "I suppose this is goodbye. I'll miss you guys."

"We'll miss you, too, Helga." Milo had tears in his eyes. "Thank you for what you did back there. You—you have no idea how much that meant."

"I think I might." She bent down to be eye level with Lucille. "You be good. Study so you can be as smart as your father, and train so you'll be as fierce as your mother. I know you'll be an amazing queen."

Lucille blushed and tucked against her mother's side. "Thank you, Ms. Sinclair."

Kida smiled at her daughter and Helga. "For years to come, I will make sure all of Atlantis knows the tremendous sacrifice you made to save us all. You will be honored among our bravest warriors."

"I'm sure Mr. Thatch will write all about it." She turned to Claire. "Okay Keeper, I think I'm ready."

Vinny stood beside her. "You've got nothin' to worry about. I'll be right with you the whole time, like a guardian angel." He paused. "I mean, I got the wings an' halo an' everything. Not the harp, though. I shoulda got a harp."

"Okay, Santorini, let's hurry before the Apocalypse."

Together, the ghost and the angel started their new journey. The "good byes" and "thank yous" faded behind them and Paradise grew into reality before them…

Diana shifted her backpack onto her shoulder. Sam poked his striped face out from between the zippers. Crumbs from Atlantean goodies hung from his whiskers. "Well," the younger Keeper said, "I think our work here is officially done."

"You heard my sister." Claire gave each member of the royal family a hug. "Sorry about the whole bad experience."

"No apologies necessary." Kida put a hand on her shoulder. "You, too, shall go down in history as a mighty warrior for saving us from a terrible fate. You and your friends. For your service, we would like to give you a gift."

Before Claire could protest, Kida reached into a pocket and pulled out three crystal necklaces and one crystal-adorned cat collar.

"It's the least we could do you for," said Milo. "We only wish it could be more."

Dean bowed so Kida could put his on him. "Considerin' all of the scuffles we get into, these are priceless just for healing," he chuckled.

"Come on people." Austin flicked up his tail. "There's a catnip mouse waiting for me in my kitty bed. And when we get back, you can—"

Dean shouldered his and Claire's bags. "I know, I know. Feed the cat."

"Goodbye, everyone," Claire called before stepping in the wardrobe after Dean and Austin. "Thank you."

Diana gave an exaggerated bow before the royal family. "It's been a real slice, home fries. But we gotta be buggin' on out. Peace!" She waved and was gone as well.

Milo slowly closed the wardrobe door. "I wonder if we'll ever see them again."

"Would it be good or bad if we did?" Kida picked up Lucille and nuzzled her nose against hers.

"Good point." The family left the storage room. It would be strange to prepare for night as if it were the end of any ordinary day.

"Milo…"

"Yes, my heart?"

"What are home fries?"

After getting back to the guest house, Claire got well-deserved rest, Diana was reunited with her beloved Kris, and Dean fixed the sink that Vinny had nearly exploded. Oh, and someone fed the cats. However, it wouldn't be long before another Summoning, another tear in the fabric of the universe, and some baddie butt to kick, as Diana like to put it. For now, though, the Elysian Fields Guest House was a place of peace and relaxation, unlike a certain other domain…

"But I've written 'I am an idiotic moron who cannot complete the simplest task' one hundred thousand times already!" Ta'Kashi shook out his sore wrist.

A mini demon flipped his giant chalkboard, revealing a new, clean side. It stretched for miles on either side and towered countless stories above the teacher.

FILL UP THAT BOARD, MISTER.

Ta'Kashi sobbed and lifted up his chalk. Around him demons laughed and hit him with rotten apples and rulers.

Hell let out an exhausted sigh and watched imps and demons doing repair work.

DON'T WORRY BOYS, WELL BE BACK IN BUSINESS IN NO TIME. ONE DAY THE WORLD WILL FIND OUT HELL IS A PLACE ON EARTH. HA HA HA… HA HA HA! HA HA-HAAAAA!

And so in Hell, Atlantis, and everywhere above, life went on.

A/N: After years of plotting and typing and re-working, it's finally finished. Thank you all who have taken the time to read this and leave your comments. You guys keep me inspired and make me want to better my writing. I know this took a long time, so I can't thank you enough for your patience and your kind words. Thank you! From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Despite some road blocks here and there, this was fun to write. It kept me on my toes because I was having to go back to the novels or the film to double check quotes and "rules" to make sure I had my facts straight. As interesting as it was to write, it was also a challenge. I didn't know juggling this big cast of characters would be so tricky. I also didn't foresee how difficult it would be writing some of these characters. Kida, for instance, was very tough for me at times, even though she's one of my favorite Disney leading ladies. The hardest character was Claire because I didn't quite know how to "do" her personality. Hell, Austin, and Milo were the easiest, which probably doesn't come as a shock to many of you if you're familiar with my other stories.

It feels good to have this finished. I was worried I couldn't do it, but I set myself a goal and I accomplished it. Huzzah! I was determined not to let this story die. I owed to you guys to get this done.

Thank you for reading, thank you for your reviews, and thank you for putting up with my sporadic updates. I very much appreciate it.

Take care, home fries!