1But I'm Not Giving it Up

Disclaimer: Same as before...

The Panzer Mk IV smashed into the mud hut, grinding down occupant and structure alike beneath the treads. Following behind it was a column of German infantry shooting down anyone that moved. The orders were explicit, not a single member of the village was to be left alive. This was the penalty for any supporters of the Medjai.

Several meters away a Medjai reached for his sword. Godfrey grabbed his arm, "For God's sake, do you want to turn out like them. Those tanks have open ground, they're at an advantage. We'll get those bastards..."

Screams echoed over the dunes. Cries for mercy. Cries of pain. Both were instantly replied to by gunshots, as the tank motors formed an awful din of this symphony of death and suffering.

Two German tanks and about forty infantrymen were going through the village, following the Medjai Order, a recent directive stating that all Medjai sympathizers were to be killed to the last child immediately.

"My wife is in that village!" The Medjai replied.

"We'll have a chance to kill those bastards." Godfrey added, "But we can't just cavalry charge two tanks."

"We can blow them up, my friend." Ardeth Bey assured his distraught kinsman.

"The captured Panzerfausts." D'Artagnan remarked, "We got a few of them from that German supply depot. I know how to use them."

"We can teach the Medjai how to use them as well." Godfrey whispered.

"Panzerfausts?" one of the Medjai asked.

"The tubular weapon with the explosive charge in the front." Godfrey replied, "It's an anti-tank weapon."

The Germans continued their reprisal on the village, machine gunning livestock, shooting villagers, smashing buildings with their tanks. They were opening up underground shelters, tossing grenades inside and then spraying the interiors with automatic fire before entering and dispatching any survivors with rifle butts.

Two other Germans were tossing chemicals into the nearby well, poisoning the water source. Several of the Germans were going at their task with focused intensity. Many of them had been subject to too many ambushes by the Medjai, had seen too many friends impaled on the ends of Medjai swords, had been caught off guard in too many raids.

"I am a stone in your sling, Allah…" The Medjai whose wife had died in the village began, "Give me a Nazi to tear apart…"

"Donald." Prue began, "You might want to be careful with any bags Vinny has packed."

Prue blinked her eyes lifting a heavy weighted, electrified net off of a severely singed Donald. Donald blew a puff of smoke from his beak as he continued to help unload the various bags as the group hid inside a wadi.

Distantly the sound of British and German tanks dueling could be heard. Artillery fire sounded, rumbling in the distance as well.

"How are we going to get inside the temple?" Prue asked, noticing the heavy stone door blocking theentrance.

Vinny's eyes lit up then, "Can I blow it open, Kolopak? Please?"

"Vinny, why do you think we brought you along. If you can't blow down that barricade, no one can..." Kolopak replied.

A gleam appeared in Vinny's eyes just then as he dug through his many bags of demolition kit.

"Why do I feel like you've created a monster Kolopak?" Rick O'Connell asked.

"Because I probably have."Kolopak sighed, "You've seen how much Vinny enjoys blowing things up."

"I don't think I'll ever get the smell of gunpowder out of my good suit..." Jonathan groaned, "Especially considering Vinny exploding something on the Morrowind almost every day."

Vinny was whistling a cheerful Italian aria as he was carrying armloads of demolition equipment to the stone door, putting explosives in drilled holes, dynamite at the corners and yards and yards of demolition cords and putting blasting caps on charges. "Ah that American Composition B and C4 compounds are some of the best explosives I've had to work with..." Vinny mused.

"Oh God, Vinny, don't blow the entire temple up." Andy replied.

"Knowing Vinny, that's a distinct possibility." Kolopak groaned, exasperated.

"Vinny, are you ready to blow the door down?" Prue asked.

"One moment, but first I must set a few mines outside in case the Germans come by here..." Vinny replied, indicating the sounds of fighting that were creeping closer and closer.

"The one time in my life I'm glad that we have Vinny around." Prue mused as the demolitionist eagerly set to work.

"Godfrey, are you sure this is wise?" D'Artagnan asked, "Risking our necks to help the Medjai look for revenge against German tanks?"

"If we're to get them to help us out, then that's the best way." Godfrey replied.

"That does sound like suicide." Tisdale added, "And, leftenant, I'm not risking my men's lives to carry out a vengeance mission for nomads."

"Understood sir, but the Medjai have helped us avoid some fairly nasty encounters with the Germans since they surprised us." Godfrey replied, "It would be terrible of us to turn them back when they need our help now."

"True." Tisdale said, "And we will need their help. But you and D'Artagnan will have to take care of it yourselves. We'll help get you out of there with one of our vehicles, and we'll allow you to use the captured Panzerfausts."

"We'll get them ready presently." Godfrey replied.

Rick O'Connell chambered a round into his shotgun, after checking both his revolvers had bullets in them. "Vinny, are you ready?" Rick asked.

Vinny nodded, a wide grin on his face as he held the detonator in his hands. Everyone else took cover and plugged their ears as Vinny, solemn as a priest, held onto the detonator and then twisted the handle. Thunder reverberated as Vinny blew the stone door open.

"It's clear." Vinny said, "Say, Kolopak, after this, can I blow something else up?"

"Vinny. Not now." Kolopak said, as he noticed Vinny rigging several mines outside the entrance of the temple, "Godfrey and the others might come in to help us."

"But the Germans or Heartless might turn up too." Vinny replied.

"Vinny," Prue replied, as if talking to a very small child, "If Godfrey and D'Artagnan come over here, I don't want to see them getting blown up by landmines."

"Oh well. More explosives for later." Vinny replied, as he attached a shoebox sized launcher to his right shoulder, and attached a pressure trigger to the handgrip of his Thompson sub machinegun.

"Something tells me that Vinny is going to ruin the ruins, isn't he?" Jonathan commented.

"If the ruins are still standing at the end of all this, I will be amazed." Rick replied as they moved deeper into the tunnels.

"Only Vinny could ruin ancient ruins." Prue quipped, "Let's just hope he brought enough explosives to take on Imhotep's surprises..."

Just then several mummies with wicked looking scimitars came running around the corner.

"Ah ha ha ha ha ha!" Vinny laughed as he put down a satchel, and released several walking cherry bombs towards them.

"Go forth my children! EXPLODE! EXPLODE! AH HA HA HA HA HA!" Vinny laughed insanely as more explosions echoed, the bombs exploding into the front line of Imhotep's mummified henchmen.

"So what is this scheme of your for attacking the Nazi tank?" Godfrey asked D'Artagnan as both men crept across the rocky outcropping, several Medjai behind them.

"The rocket should go through the hull of the tank, hopefully puncturing the magazine or fuel tank..." D'Artagnan began.

"Wait. Hopefully?" Godfrey almost exploded, "Hopefully! I thought you had experience fighting tanks with Free French Forces?"

"Yes, but let's say I, how you say, winged it..." D'Artagnan began.

"First of all, I'm English, not American." Godfrey replied, "And second, if the Germans don't kill of us, the Medjai will."

Godfrey took a glance at the half dozen or so Medjai, all of them still in varying states of rage over the destruction of their home territory.

"There's also some reinforcements around that tank." Godfrey remarked, indicating half a dozen German infantrymen and at least twice as many Heartless.

"Looks like infantry support. Sacre bleu, let's have some fun..." D'Artagnan smiled.

"The tank's our priority. Tisdale and some other Medjai are preparing to deal with the infantry." Godfrey replied.

"Right." Godfrey replied, and indicating the Panzerfaust disposable recoilless weapon D'Artagnan was carrying, asked, "Are you sure you know how to use that thing?"

"If not I have another one." D'Artagnan said, "And besides how hard can it be. Monsieur Godfrey, the weapon is designed to explode tanks. What better weapon to use against a German tank than a German anti-tank weapon."

D'Artagnan put the Panzerfaust under the crook of his arm, as per the firing instructions and triggered the weapon. The projectile spiraled into the side of the tank and exploded. The tank was still there.

"Damn it..." D'Artagnan said.

"What happened to 'What better weapon to use against a German tank than a German anti-tank weapon'?" Godfrey replied. The German tank turned its turret upward and fired a shell. Godfrey and D'Artagnan took cover immediately.

Rock and dust exploded as the shell burst. "What's Plan B?" Godfrey asked.

D'Artagnan didn't answer and took the other Panzerfaust from his pack, took aim and fired it. The weapon struck the left tank tread.

"She's immobile." D'Artagnan replied.

A burst of machinegun fire stitched near Godfrey and a few Medjai, "But still in the fight."

Just then a cacophony of gunfire burst from nearby, the concealed machinegun ripped into the force of Heartless. Other Medjai and Captain Tisdale's detachment were throwing grenades at the supporting infantry.

Alex aimed his rifle at a Heartless and squeezed the trigger, killing it, the bullet splitting the skull open.

Godfrey, D'Artagnan and half a dozen Medjai headed straight for the tank, which tried shooting at them with its machineguns. However, the tank's turret couldn't traverse as fast as the men could run.

D'Artagnan jumped on top of the turret, popping it open and spraying the magazine from his Thompson gun into the insides of the tank. Godfrey tossed a grenade into the tank's insides as well and black smoke issued from the German vehicle.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Just then the sound of a 20mm flak gun, hidden in the rocks opened up, decapitating the Medjai nearest Godfrey. "Flak gun! 20 mil! Take cover!" Godfrey shouted.

The dull thunks of 20mm rounds smacking against the steel hull of the tank mingled with the shouts of wounded Medjai caught in the aftermath. One Medjai tried to drag himself to safety, holding his stomach with one hand, rivulets of blood flowing in sluggish streams between his fingers, only to have a German infantryman put a bullet into his skull.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

"We have to flank that thing somehow." Godfrey said as he, D'Artagnan and several Medjai ducked behind the tank. More gunfire sounded, another group of German infantry jumped into the battle. Two of them charged around the tank and Godfrey dropped them with shots from his carbine.

A grenade flew threw the air and D'Artagnan kicked it away, ducking as the device exploded. More German troops from a hidden detachment leapt into the battle, eager to tear the British force that had destroyed one of their tanks.

Another series of shouts, "Harum barashad!" came the Medjai battle cry. At this, several of the German infantry guarding the flak gun turned towards the sound of this new threat.

Horsemen in black robes appeared, swords clutched in their hands as they bore down onto the attacking German infantry. The flak gun kept up its drumbeat of shots.

"Now's our chance." Godfrey replied, "Let's flank it and toss a grenade onto it."

Godfrey and D'Artagnan ran around to the flank of the flak gun. The German gunners attempted to traverse the gun, but couldn't turn it around nearly as fast as Godfrey and D'Artagnan could run. D'Artagnan kept firing burst from his Thompson gun, while Godfrey fired rounds from his M-1 Carbine. Godfrey pulled the pin from the grenade at his side and then tossed the grenade into the flak gun. A great explosion sounded as the ammo ignited and exploded, tossing shrapnel all about the place. The flak stopped.

The Medjai were reaping a bloody revenge amongst the German infantry who fled towards a nearby ravine. The running infantry had no hope of outrunning the faster, and rather vengeful cavalry men. Swords split open skulls, severed necks and speared bodies. Lances and spears pierced chests and backs.

Several utterly terrified German conscripts jumped into the wadi, chancing broken limbs or death from the steep drops. Loud, ululating cries from the Medjai echoed across the hard baked desert as they chased the routed Germans, eager to avenge past defeats.

Ardeth Bey shouted to his fellow Medjai, riding his horse amidst detachments of blood thirsty tribesmen cutting down fleeing Germans like wheat. "Let them run!" Ardeth Bey shouted, "Let the survivors tell their comrades what they've seen, of what occurs when they destroy our villages! We have won a great victory here!"

"Let us slaughter them like the animals they are!" another tribesman snarled, "They showed us no mercy. An eye for an eye!"

"If you chase them back to German lines, another slaughter awaits." Ardeth Bey replied, "They have their modern weapons, aircraft, and tanks. Horsemen are no match for them. Besides others are in trouble, other members of the Morrowind's crew..."

"What should we care of Kolopak and his traveling band?" The tribesman snarled back.

"Kolopak at this time is attacking our true arch enemy, Imhotep in his own lair." Ardeth Bey replied, "And two of his crew as well as soldiers of the British Army were willing to help us drive the Germans off."

"Those damned Germans killed my children. I will slay them until I too am slain, by Allah!" The tribesman, whose name was Samad, replied as he swung his scimitar, splitting the skull of a fleeing German infantryman, spilling brains into the sand.

"It was Imhotep who ordered the genocide of our people! Stop him and his German pawns will flee our territory." Ardeth Bey shouted back.

"Back towards Hamunnaptra!" Samad shouted, and as one the squadron of Medjai cavalry wheeled left as the British soldiers that had helped them jumped into their vehicles and headed towards the City of the Dead.

"Rick!" Evey screamed, she was hanging, by chains about her wrist, over a crack in the floor. From the crack in the floor the sounds of damned souls echoed.

Standing before the fissure was none other than Imhotep, chanting in some ancient language. Imhotep turned to face them in a very casual manner. "So, you've come for the Book of the Dead, hoping to extend Inspector Trudeau's life..." Imhotep replied.

"We'll take it from you, Imhotep." Prue replied, "You're not taking him without a fight."

"So be it." Imhotep replied, and chanted in Ancient Egyptian. From all around the heroes came a force of several Heartless, they were very similar to the Mummified warriors that Vinny's walking Cherry Bombs had obliterated earlier. They wore Egyptian style head covers, bore wicked looking swords and were covered in linen bandages, their eyes glowed a dim yellow glow, and the Heartless insignia adorned their desiccated torsos.

Kolopak raised his rifle and cracked off a round that tore through the head of one of the attacking Heartless before racing for higher ground, "Vinny, cover me!" Kolopak shouted. Great, I've got an insane Italian pyromaniac watching my back.

Vinny raised his Tommy gun, with its drum magazine and began firing bursts of gunfire that shredded attacking Heartless with .45 caliber ball ammunition.

A Mummy Heartless with a club snuck up behind Vinny about to brain him. Just then, Rick O'Connell raised his shotgun and fired a single round, blowing the creature's head off.

"Thanks for the save." Vinny grumbled.

"Hey, as destructive as your inventions are, we don't need the mummies killing you." Rick replied.

"Thanks." Vinny replied.

"Because that would deprive us of the opportunity to kill you." Donald replied as he shouted, "Thunder!"

Electric charged clouds appeared and bolts of lightning incinerated several more Heartless, but more kept coming towards the heroes as Imhotep summoned more of them.

Meanwhile, using a pair of ceremonial but deadly Atlantean daggers, Kida fought her way through the crowd of Heartless. Kolopak, perched atop a pile of ruined stone, fired his rifle with deadly accuracy, killing any Heartless that approached too close to her.

"Where do you think you're going..." Anck Su Namun said, menacingly, wielding a wicked looking sword.

Kida said nothing, but stood her ground, circling Anck Su Namun, looking for any weaknesses in her defenses.

CRACK! Kolopak fired again, and another Mummy Heartless set to brain Kida, fell to the ground with a hole blown through its left eye. Kolopak cycled the bolt of his 1903 Springfield rifle and searched for another target.

"That isn't a fair fight." Kida replied.

Anck Su Namun smiled wickedly, "Who said anything about fighting fair, Princess."

Anck Su Namun thrust forward with her sword towards Kida's stomach. Kida, with her twin sai weapons, caught the sword in an x-block. With a twist she wrenched the weapon from Anck Su Namun's hands.

"No matter." Anck Su Namun said, "It will be more pleasurable still to kill you with my bare hands."

Anck Su Namun launched a roundhouse kick which Kida promptly blocked with a raised shin. The two women traded probing attacks as they circled one another.

"Prue!" Andy shouted as several Waffen SS troops, members of the SS Totenkopf or 'Death's Head' division, burst into the temple. He shoved her out of the way as a German soldier fired his rifle and he felt the sharp pain as the bullet tore into his midsection.

"Andy!" Prue shouted and used her powers, sending the German rifleman into the pit where Evey still hung by her hands.

"I'm OK," Andy said, groaning as he leaned against a statue's pedestal, his .45 caliber handgun still in his hand, "Get the book..."

"I won't leave you again." Prue replied.

"Prue, help the others!" Andy shouted, the effort paining him.

"I've got him, Prue." Doc said as he knelt beside Andy, taking medical supplies from his bag, and treating Andy's wounds.

Kolopak's rifle spoke again, downing another Nazi with a single bullet through the head, the Nazi was aiming his rifle at Doc.

"HARUM BARASHAD!" Came the shout as the Medjai came charging into the temple, slashing with swords at the nearest enemies as the battle degenerated into a hand to hand melee with gunshots echoing.

Kolopak took careful aim yet again and squeezed off yet another bullet, causing another Nazi to collapse, dead, to the temple floor, a hole blown through the area between his eyes. He was trying to keep Vinny safe, so the Italian demolitionist could get more of his walking cherry bombs active, in order to allow the team some space. Never thought I'd want Vinny to get as many as possible of his walking cherry bombs and God knows what other insane devices active... Kolopak thought as he fired another shot that took down a Heartless.

Prue tossed a vial of an exploding potion at a German soldier taking aim at Kida, sending him flying. She heard another gunshot ring out behind her and spun 'round, in time to see a Bandit Heartless fall with a single shot through the head. Standing nearby was Alan Godfrey, his .38 revolver in his hand, "Watch your back."

Prue used her powers again, sending another Heartless flying into some spikes on the wall. "Watch yours."

"I'll cover you, get to Imhotep and the book!" Godfrey shouted.

Prue didn't hesitate, using her powers, potions, or self defense tricks she'd picked up from Phoebe to fight her way through the crowd of enemies. She could hear the shots from Godfrey's carbine and revolver as he fired as fast as he could reload or pull the trigger on attacking Heartless.

Ardeth Bey swung his sword, splitting the skull of yet another attacking Heartless as three more Mummified Heartless closed in on him. Three against one, tough odds, but he wasn't giving up. He stabbed one through its chest, just as a second one stabbed him above the hip. He was going to die, he knew it, but he wasn't going to die without taking as many of Imhotep's minions with him as possible.

The sound of a shotgun firing just inches away reverberated loudly in his ears. He could barely hear Rick O'Connell's voice, "You're not going to the afterlife yet, buddy."

BOOM! A walking cherry bomb exploded into a knot of Heartless.

"YES!" Vinny shouted, pumping a fist into the air, "One!"

Another walking cherry bomb exploded amidst a second cluster of Imhotep's henchmen. "Two!"

BOOM! "Three!"

BOOM! "Four! YES!" Vinny shouted triumphantly, as another explosion cleared a path for Rick and Ardeth Bey to Evey's position. The two of them cut Evey down from her bonds and got her away from the pit.

BOOM "Five!"

"One of the few times I'm grateful Vinny's a prodigy with explosives." Jonathan quipped.

"Fira!" Donald shouted, shooting a stream of flame at a several Heartless and incinerating them.

BOOM "Six!" Vinny shouted, as he watched more walking cherry bombs roam into the fight, "Come on a new record..."

BOOM! "Seven!" Vinny shouted as another blast sounded, "Eight! Unbelievable!"

Meanwhile Prue had fought her way through to Imhotep's position. "Prepare to be vanquished!" Prue shouted and tossed one of the most powerful potions she ever mixed at him.

The vial sounded with a deafening roar that made Vinny's explosives look like fire crackers. It sent Imhotep falling heavily on his back before rising to his feet and dusting off his priestly black robes. That was all.

A very dangerous expression appeared on Imhotep's face, "That was most unwise, witch...I doubt that even your improvised Power of Three with Sora and Donald would have even fazed me..."

Imhotep indicated Donald, Goofy and Sora, who were standing back to back. Goofy swung his Smasher shield, braining a nearby Heartless, before clutching it to him as a German infantryman emptied a magazine from a Schmeisser MP-40 machine pistol at him. Sora swung his Keyblade, vanquishing any Heartless that was foolish enough to be in its arc. Donald was throwing potions and casting spells as more Heartless converged around them.

Prue felt her ribs contracting, her lungs feeling like fists were crushing them, taking all the air out. Her heart wanted to invade her throat, her throat to fly into her head, her head to fly to pieces. Imhotep levitated her into the air.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Godfrey wrestling with a Nazi soldier, a bayonet clutched in his hands, the two men dueling for control of the blade.

Prue felt her vision darken, narrowing. I'm sorry Andy...she thought as a single tear ran down her cheek and she felt unconsciousness take her.

Andy saw Prue suffering. His wound be damned, he wasn't letting that bald bastard take her, magic or not. He rose to his feet, disregarding his injury, running past individual fights before flinging himself into Imhotep with a flying tackle, legacy of his old football days. Imhotep had been so busy killing Prue that he had no warning of Andy diving on top of him.

Andy swung fists at Imhotep's head, striking the high priest repeatedly before putting his hands around the hated man's throat and jamming a thumb into Imhotep's eye. The blows did nothing. For all they did, Andy may have only been throwing grapes. Imhotep used his telekinetic powers to send Andy flying into a pillar with a wet smacking sound.

"Where are we?" Prue asked, but even as the question formed the answer found itself in her mind, "No, it can't be..."

"We've been here before Prue." Andy said, sadly indicating their swing in the foggy surroundings, "And now we're here again."

"Andy...no, please, it can't be..." Prue began, "We've come so far..."

"Prue," Andy said, gently taking her in his arms, "we can't fight destiny."

"Andy, screw destiny. I can make this better. We can make this better..." Prue said, desperately.

"No, you can't." Andy said, "Though I wish you could."

"I can. The Book of the Dead..." Prue began.

"No." Andy said, "No, you shouldn't...it's too dangerous..."

"Andy, I'm not going to let you die." Prue replied, tears in her eyes.

"Prue..." Andy said, gently wiping a tear away, "The Book of the Dead would be devastating in the wrong hands. Magic with the power over life and death can't be allowed to just be around, waiting for someone to get their hands on it."

"Just let me use it to bring you back..." Prue countered.

"Prue, no." Andy replied, "I really would want you to do it, but for the good of all the others, no. Think of how much harm could be caused if someone truly evil were to get a hold of the Book of the Dead. All the demons you've vanquished over the years would come back with rejuvenated powers."

"Andy..." Prue began.

"We've been here before, Prue, and we both know what will happen. I'll have to stay, and you'll return..." Andy began.

"But Andy..." Prue began.

"It wasn't my destiny to live again. Maleficent used me, took my soul from the afterlife, hoping to get closer to you." Andy replied.

Prue opened her mouth to argue, but Andy said, "Please don't let me die in vain."

"You don't have to die, Andy." Prue replied.

"Prue, please don't make this any harder than it has to be..." Andy replied, "You can't stay here much longer, others need you..."

"Please, Andy, no..." Prue said, as she felt herself being pulled back into reality.

"Remember you have a choice when you come back. Please choose wisely..." Andy said, his voice trailing off.

Prue grabbed the Book of the Dead, which had been dislodged from Imhotep's grasp by Andy's sacrifice. She saw Godfrey disentangle himself from the corpse of the German soldier he'd just stabbed to death.

"Prue we have to get rid of it!" Godfrey shouted.

Prue thought. I have a choice. Save Andy and risk losing the book to Imhotep. Or let Andy die and keep Imhotep away from the book forever.

The temple shook violently, between the explosions and the tremors created by Imhotep's rage the old structure could stand no longer.

"This temple's not going to last much longer." Vinny shouted.

"Vinny, part of that is your fault!" Jonathan quipped.

"But not all this destruction is Vinny's fault..." Kolopak replied. I can't believe I'm saying this.

Milo lay wounded on the ground, smashed in the side by a war club. Kida was at his side, tending to his wounds as Evey dueled with Anck Su Namun, trading blows with her former captor.

Doc clubbed at another Heartless with the butt of his rifle, as Godfrey retrieved his carbine, picking off another Heartless that was about to run Doc through the back with a sword.

Prue saw Imhotep rising to his feet, she couldn't let him have that book. If she didn't get rid of it, she had no idea what else Imhotep could do with it. But this was what she had come all this way for, to save Andy, who now lay on the floor, blood flowing from his head and mouth. This was the only way to save him.

However, every second she had that book in hand, increased the possibility of Imhotep taking it. And after he had killed the Morrowind's crew, who knew what terrors Imhotep could think to unleash...

Prue shouted, "If you want this book, you can have it!"

Prue flung the book, using her powers and her arms, into the fissure in the floor. Imhotep raced after it, trying to pull it with his own powers, standing precariously at the edge of the fissure. Prue saw her chance and tossed her last vial of explosive potion at his feet, sending Imhotep screaming into the abyss...

"Prue, this temple's not going to hold up for much longer!" Godfrey shouted. The Heartless and Germans were fleeing from the collapsing structure.

"Come on!" Kolopak urged, half dragging Prue from the structure until they were outside and the old temple collapsed in on itself...

Prue sank to her knees in the sand and sobbed piteously.

"Andy failed." Jafar said.

"I always knew that he was weak for his wench." Oogie Boogie replied.

"And Imhotep has failed as well." Jafar replied.

"The Halliwell witch still breathes." Maleficent said, "And Imhotep is vanquished."

"So this is a fine mess your lover has gotten us into." Jafar snarled at Anck-Su-Namun, who had fled the temple at the last moment.

"That was most unwise, Jafar..." Anck-Su-Namun replied.

"You don't have your cursed lover with power over the sands to back you up, so I hardly think you're in the position to get angry..." Jafar replied.

"But I think I have knowledge you might want. Something that could help us gain vengeance over the Allies and thirteen powerful new allies." Anck-Su-Namun replied.

"Hah, with the power of the Source," Oogie Boogie replied, "we can destroy the Halliwell witch once and for all."

"And what Thirteen allies do you speak of?" Jafar remarked, "Are you going to conjure them out of thin air..."

"No, idiot, I was referring to the Chest of Demons." Anck-Su-Namun replied.

"And where is this mythical chest hidden..." Jafar said, "Certainly not in your bodice..."

Colonel Rourke walked into the room just then, holding a chest made of a red hardwood, with several iron bands crisscrossing it. The metal head of a horned demon adorned the latch, "I believe I have a solution for this."

"But the Ghosts are said to be unpredictable, with their own agendas..." Oogie Boogie replied.

"You don't need to control them. They will destroy all in their paths, and we need only watch them destroy those pesky Allies." Anck-Su-Namun replied.

"And you'll be none the wiser, because all we have to do is return them to the Chest." Rourke replied.

"I know of this mysterious Chest of Demons, Rourke." Maleficent said, "But I also know something of the reality where it comes from. Supposedly these demons were imprisoned by some 'meddling kids' and their dogs, with help from Vincent Van Ghoul..."

"Already taken care of." Hades replied, "Since I helped Rourke steal the chest, allow me to explain. Magically we covered our tracks, so the Mystery Group has no idea that we stole it."

"OK, but what of these meddling kids..." Maleficent said.

"They're a few years older, in the timeline I stole the Chest from, more conservative with careers and families. They're not as likely to risk that to chase demons, especially if said demons are afflicting a different dimension from theirs..." Hades replied, "Humans can be awfully careful and self-centered when families and careers are at stake..."

"Andy, for the brief time he was with us, touched our lives." Kolopak began.

In the middle of the dining area was a portrait of Andy flanked with flowers and pictures. Prue had placed one red and one white rose in front of the portrait.

"His love for Prue inspired the noble sacrifice that enabled us to survive and to vanquish one of our deadliest foes." Kolopak replied.

Evey clutched Rick's hand with one and Alex's hand with the other. The crew of the Morrowind assembled to say their last goodbyes to Andy Trudeau.

As Kolopak went on with his eulogy, speaking of the good that Andy had done for the crew, for fighting the Heartless alongside them, for standing for justice and his loved ones all the way tears appeared on faces of some of his shipmates.

"However it was for the woman he loved that he gave his life, willingly..." Kolopak continued.

At this Prue couldn't take it, she broke down again, and Godfrey escorted her out of the room. Godfrey held her close to him, feeling her body shudder with sobs and her tears soak into his shirt.

"Prue, I can't say anything to take away your pain, or to make you stop hurting." Godfrey began, "And believe me, if I could I would, gladly. I can't tell you you'll stop missing Andy, but I can tell you the pain will go away with time."

Prue didn't reply, and Godfrey continued, "If you need anything, someone to talk to, whatever it be or whenever possible, I'll always be there."

Through tears, Prue looked up at him, "Thank you..."

"I will always be there for those I care for..." Godfrey replied.

End. Up next our heroes join forces with a group of meddling kids and a dog or two from Prue's timeline to try and stop Thirteen of the most terrifying ghosts. I'm sure that's a dead giveaway as to what '80s cartoon I've brought into this fic.