Ok, everyone, ready to begin tonight's part? :)

Valerie: I want to find out more about these ancestors.

Lauren: Me, too.

Maxine: I just want to find out what's going ON. :p

Kimberly: I gotta ask them how they do some of those awesome moves! :D

Jenny: Yeah! ;) :D

Katie: MamaS? :o

Emmeline: Sort of...

Laryen: Kinda. ;)

(When the blue light subsides, the group is back in the common room. The fire remains the only light...other than the glowing, ghostly forms of the four women ancestors. The others are all back in their places.)

Kimberly: Wow! That was awesome! You gotta show me how you do that stuff! :D

Valeria: Maybe some other time, Kimberly. Right now, we must warn you. Julia is using the men to trap you.

Emma: So they're alive?

Emmeline: As we said, yes...but they are very weak, especially (quieter) the White Knight. :(

Emma: Mike? Why? How?

Emmeline: Julia must have given the spell for the ice trap to her new apprentice. She's training her current apprentice to replace the Evil One.

Valerie: She wants Alex to be Zero? :p

Emma: (Mutters) God help us. :p

Lauren: Oh, great. :P

Maxine: Her apprentice?

Emmeline: Alex, whom she created from Georgiano's ancestor.

Lauren: Micky's evil clone, in other words. :P

Maxine: That explains a lot. :p

Emma: What can we do?

Emmeline: There's no getting around the fact that you will very likely have to fight Julia.

Maxine: Who's Julia?

Emma: You know her better as Shelia. She apparently goes under a couple different names.

Emmeline: Watch out for tricks. She will fight using any means at her disposal. You saw what she did to Robert.

Valeria: She's using some kind of strange magic to control the weather...but it's not the same spell the Evil One performed.

Kimberly: Oh, we know that part, honey. We found what they're using to control the weather...or WERE using. The kids pulled the plug. ;)

Daphne: Literally. ;)

Valerie: And as far as we know, they haven't turned it back on.

Emma: Where are the male Guardians?

Emmeline: Julia and Alex have their prisons with them, but that's all we know.

Emma: Wonderful. Some help you are. :p

Emmeline: Do you want to hear the rest, or don't you? :p

Valeria: Emmeline, she's upset! Let her be.

Katie: Want Papa. :(

Maxine: Why don't we get downstairs and destroy that machine, before something else happens?

Valeria: Machine?

Emma: That's how She...Julia's controlling the weather. Long story. :p

Lauren: Very long. :P

Emmeline: Well, whatever name she's going under now, you must be wary of her. She wants to capture all of you in her ice prisons.

Emma: How can free our soulmates?

Valeria: It's simple, Scholar. Just do what we did - touch the prison, concentrate, and take their hand. :)

Lauren: That is simple. :)

Emmeline: Do not drop or break the ice prison, though. If it breaks, it'll break your soulmate as well. :p

Emma: What do you mean?

Emmeline: The longer they remain in the ice prison, the weaker they will become...and the more they will be absorbed into the prison itself.

Valerie: Until?

Valeria: Until they are nothing more than lifeless ice statues within the prison walls, merely to be gazed at forever. :(

Emma: NO!

Valerie: Oh god, no! :o

Lauren: We can't let that happen! :P

Daphne: No way! X-(

Maxine: Holy...(sees the kids)...cow. :o :p

Emma: (Narrows her eyes) Ladies, let's destroy that stupid machine once and for all. X(

Valerie: What if Shelia and Alex come back?

Emma: We'll destroy them, too. :p X(

Lauren: Gladly. X-(

Valeria: You'll need help. (She closes her eyes; the jewel-encrusted sword appears in Valerie's hands)

Katie: Pretty! :D

Valeria: That sword was used by the women of Brwyn Mawer House to defend themselves and their families when all else failed for many years.

(Valerie says nothing. She swishes the sword around, gazing at it in rapture. :D)

Emmeline: I created this weapon myself from a staff. I was the only woman without a weapon, and I needed something to defend myself and my children as our group traveled. (The curved staff appears in Emma's hands)

Emma: It ain't my hockey stick, but it'll do. ;)

Laryen: I was never a fan of hand-to-hand combat and prefered doing my damage at a distance. *her dagger appears in Lauren's hand*

Lauren: *eyes widen* Wow! :D

Delanta: *her spear appears in Daphne's hands* And that's my spear. I'll assume you'll be as good with it as I'm am. ;)

Daphne: *grins* I love it!

Maxine: You're giving HER (points to Daphne) something sharp and pointy? The one who can't wield a butter knife without injury? ;)

(Kimberly moves AWAY from Daphne. ;) )

Dapne: Hey!? :P

Jenny: Oh, geez. :P ;)

Emmeline: Now that you're armed, (grins) do us proud. Save your soulmates...and the human race.

Valeria: We think Julia is trying to revive the Evil One's plan of freezing humans to create easier access to their souls.

Maxine: FREEZING humans? :o

Emma: (Nods) If they're frozen, they won't be able to protest when Shelia takes their soul.

Lauren: Oh, man. :P

Valeria: (Looks at the others) It's time we were going.

Emma: Is there any way we can contact you?

Emmeline: (Shakes her head) We'll appear whenever you're in great need. :)

Valeria: Farewell, ladies! Take care...especially of those darling children. They are the future. :)

Katie: Bye-bye! :D

*The twins wave.* :D

Emmeline: Good bye, Katherine. (Smiles at Emma) She's a cute one...and quite intelligent and feisty, too. She'll be a wonderful Scholar. ;)

(The women fade out as the fire rises again and turn back into four little lights. A window conviently blows open long enough for the four little lights to flutter out. As Emma closes the window, the lights come back on.)

Maxine: They must have gotten the generator working.

Emma: (Looks at the others) Well, what are we waiting for? Now that we can see it, let's go destroy that machine! ;) :D

Lauren: Yeah! ;)

(Cut to the basement. The lights go on as the women and kids head down the steps, past a few grumbling repairmen who complain about faulty generators that need new parts.)

Emma: Ok, guys, grab something sharp, heavy, or hard that you can handle and do some damage. ;)

Valerie: Try to go easy on the noise, though. Remember, there ARE guests upstairs. :p

Lauren: No problem. ;)

(Emma starts pulling at parts with her curved staff as "Auntie's Municipal Court" begins. Katie grabs machine parts and tries to put them together like a puzzle...and yells when her mother takes them away. :p)

*Lauren uses her dagger to pry the buttons off. The twins gather them and play with matching the colors.* ;)

*Daphne repeatedly stabs her spear into the machine.* ;) :D

(Kimberly karate chops through wires. :D)

(Valerie cuts through wires and smaller levers. Maxine uses a wrench to undo the bolts on larger parts.)

*Jenny pries at pieces. She grabs a screw driver and undoes the screws, then jabs at the machine, punching small holes in it.* ;)

(Emma leans too far into the machine at one point and it appears to "eat" her...much to her daughter's amusement. It even burps. ;) :D)

(Maxine tries to take apart the engine, but Kimberly accidentally starts it, and it blows smoke in Maxine’s face, blackening it. She sputters as her roommates try to stiffle giggles. ;)) )

*Lauren blue lights a sledgehammer in her hands, but when she swings it down, slamming it into the machine, it makes no noise.* ;)

(Katie stacks small parts together, making a tower. She claps, proud of herself. :D)

*The twins make little blue lights of their own appear around the machine. Little poofs of smoke come up from the lights.* ;)

(Katie steps back from her newest creation...something that looks like a robot. It even walks forward when Katie gives it a little push. She claps again. :D)

*Daphne keeps hacking away at the machine with her spear.* :)

(The machine is smoking a bit as the song ends; pieces are scattered around the room. Katie is now trying to build her robot a house. :D)

Emma: Maybe we ought to stop now. I don't like the look of that smoke. :p :o

Lauren: I recognize that type of smoke. Any more, and we might all go up in smoke. :P ;)

Maxine: Um...I think it's telling us it wants to die in peace. :p :o

Kimberly: And in pieces. ;)

Jenny: A moment of silence, please? ;)

(All of the girls stand quietly around the machine for a few seconds. ;) )

Emma: (Wipes her hands on a rag, then wipes Katie's) I think it's time we were heading upstairs, ladies, before Shelia and Alex return, or the generators conk out again, whichever comes first. :p

Katie: Papa?

Emma: Finding the boys is next on our list, sweetie. :)

Maxine: I suggest we go upstairs and plan our strategy.

Kimberly: Why don't we try their rooms again?

Jenny: Yeah, maybe we missed something when we were up there before.

Emma: And we're armed now if they try anything.

Maxine: What about the kids?

Emma: We'll do the same thing we did before. Maxine and Jenny, you watch the kids in our rooms. We'll give you one of our communicators.

Jenny: Sure.

Valerie: Kimberly, we'll need you to open locked doors again. ;)

Kimberly: It's nice to be needed. ;)

Valerie: Ok, let's get out of here, before Shelia and Alex DO come back.

Daphne: Right.

(However, before the girls can start upstairs, there's a black light.)

Emma: Oh sh...(looks at Katie holding her hand)...man. :p :o

Lauren: Crud. :P

Kimberly: It's them again! (She goes into martial arts stance) X(

Maxine: We've gotta hide!

Valerie: Move, all of you! (The group scatters behind various machine parts and furniture as Shelia and Alex appear.)

Shelia: I KNEW you should have put five dollars worth of oil in that infernal machine! :p

Alex: Yeah, well... *sees what's left of the machine* Oh, shit! :-O X-(

Shelia: What in the HELL did you do to it? X( :p

Alex: Me?! I didn't do it! :P

Shelia: I doubt the guests did it. :p

Alex: Someone did it!

(As Shelia and Alex argue, we cut to Daphne and Maxine, who are hidden behind a sheet-covered couch. Maxine's nose is twitching in a sneeze. Daphne shakes her head, trying to keep her friend and band leader from giving them away. :o )

Shelia: I didn't do it, you say you didn't do it, and the guests aren’t allowed down here. Who does that leave? :p

*Daphne shoves a finger over under Maxine's nose.*

Alex: I don't know, Milady! :P

(Maxine grins and sighs for a minute...before pulling back and letting loose with a sneeze so big and loud, it lifts the part of the sheet closest to them. ;) :o )

Shelia: Then who... (frowns at the noise) What was that?

Maxine: (Mutters) Oh geez, we're dead. :p

Daphne: Good one. :P

Alex: It sounded like it came from over there. *points at the sheet*

(Shelia concentrates and makes the couch disappear...revealing Maxine and Daphne.)

Shelia: Well, hello there, ladies. Didn't you read the sign on the door about guests not being allowed in the basement?

Daphne: Would you believe we got lost? ;)

Shelia: Um, no.

Maxine: You know, hon, we'd really love to stay and chat with you, but we have to rehearse for a concert soon, so... (She and Daphne start moving as the others try to sneak out; Shelia stops them)

Shelia: You're not going anywhere, ladies. First of all, it's likely that your concert will be canceled due to this nasty weather. ;)

Maxine: We still have to practice, you know. Practice makes perfect! ;)

Shelia: You can practice another time. Right now, we need to have a little chat.

(Alex blocks the others as they go up the steps.)

Alex: Uh uh uh. >:)

Katie: Bad man! (She growls at Alex) Go 'way! X(

Emma: Alex, we were just down here looking for a ball for the kids to play with.

Alex: Uh huh. You really think I'm going to believe that?

Lauren: Yes. ;) :P

Katie: Play! (Points at her robot and tower) See? :)

Emma: Yeah, see? We were just playing. ;)

Mick: Yeah. We're playing. *points at the colorful buttons* ;)

Alex: Playing with my machine! X-(

Katie: Yay! Fun! :D ;)

Emma: Look, Alex, we don't know anything about anything and we have children who need to be fed, so if you'll just... (she tries to push past him)

Alex: *glares at her* I ain't moving. :P X-(

Shelia: You can stop playing games. We KNOW you had something to do with this.

Maxine: (Innocent look) With what? ;)

Jenny: *looks confused* Huh? ;)

Kimberly: What, us? We're musicians, not mechanics. Have you ever seen our van? ;)

Daphne: It might run properly if we were. ;)

Shelia: This is getting ridiculous! We KNOW you destroyed the machine! No one else would have even attempted to come down here! X(

Lauren: Alright, so what if we did? What're ya gonna do about it?! :P X-(

Kimberly: Yeah. (Goes into martial arts stance again) Ever noticed there's two of you and seven of us, plus the kids? ;)

Shelia: (Smirks) Why don't we make this more of a fair fight, then? ;) >:)

(Shelia goes up to Jenny first, pulling the slender girl into her arms.)

Jenny: Hey! I'm not like that! :P ;)

Shelia: Don't worry, Jennifer. That's not what I'm interested in. I'm going to...improve you. (She strokes Jenny's long, straight hair and whispers a few words into her ear. A black light surrounds Jenny. When it fades, Shelia holds a lop-eared rabbit with long, thick yellowish fur in her arms, rubbing it's head and stroking it.)

Shelia: Yes, Jennifer, you make a very pretty rabbit. >:)

Daphne: *groans* Oh, man. :P

Maxine: JENNY! :o

Kimberly: Holy...(looks at the kids)...moly, what did you DO to our roommate? X( :o

Shelia: Alex, it's your turn. ;) >:)

Emma: Shelia, stop this! X(

Shelia: (Takes Jenny's neck and squeezes it) I wouldn't try anything, any of you, unless you want to see rabbit stew on tonight's menu. ;) >:)

Alex: *takes hold of Maxine* Next. ;) >:)

Maxine: No way, you as...(looks at the kids)...ding bat! X( :o

Alex: Ding bat, huh? That's rather colorful. *smirks as a black light surrounds Maxine; it clears, and Alex now holds a baby pig* >:)

Katie: Oooh, piggy! :D

Kimberly: You JERK! Turn them back! X(

Valerie: (Pulls out her sword) Before we make you.

Lauren: *pulls out her dagger* Enough already! X-(

(Kimberly rushes towards Alex angrily as he hands the piglet to Shelia.)

Kimberly: Those are my ROOMMATES! They're like the sisters I never had! Turn them BACK! X(

Alex: You want to join them?

Kimberly: Not before I knock you into the next CENTURY, you FREAK! X(

Emma: Kim, be careful! (Pulls out her curved staff)

Alex: Try me. ;) >:)

Valerie: Kim, don't let him bait you! :o

Kimberly: You...you... (She aims right for his...sacred spot...again. ;) :p X( )

*Alex blacklights Kim just before she connects. When it clears, a pretty little fox is in his arms.* >:)

Katie: Red doggie! :D

Lauren: Not quite, Katie dear. :P ;)

(Kimberly the fox tries to bite and scratch Alex. X( )

Alex: *growls at the fox* I wouldn't do that. Not ony could I declaw you, but I could fasten your mouth together, among other nasty things. :P ;) >:)

(The fox continues to squirm, though she no longer bites. X( )

Shelia: Now, ladies, I'm sure you'd like your little friends back. ;)

Valerie: Certainly! Theyr'e one of Headquarters' biggest-selling acts! ;) :p

Lauren: Besides that, they're really good friends! :P

Shelia: Why don't we play a little game, since you're all so fond of playing? ;)

Katie: Play! :D

Emma: Um, sweetie, I don't think they mean making towers and robots. :p

Shelia: (Looks at the twins) Why, I bet the children would like to play a little game outside! ;) >:)

Mick: Outside! :D

Shelly: Yay! :)

Lauren: Uh, no. :P

Shelia: Now, how could you deny these (makes a slight face)...um, sweet children? ;)

Lauren: Because I don't know what's going through your evil little mind! :P

Shelia: Given how many times we've gone up against each other, I find that hard to believe. ;)

Lauren: *makes a face* Well, I DO know it's something evil! I just don’t know what it IS. :P ;)

Shelia: Would you like to give the challenge, Alex, or should I? ;)

Emma: Figures. It's been a while since you've gone with THAT little game. :p

Katie: 'Talln'g?

Alex: Why don't you, Milady? ;)

Shelia: Yes, I will. ;) (Turns to the girls with an evil glint in her eyes) We challenge you ladies to...let's just say our own Winter Olympics. If you win, we'll release your friends...and your soulmates. If we win, you'll repair the machine and go into our...devices...like nice little Guardians. ;) >:)

Emma: Guys...

Valerie: Em, we have no choice.

Katie: Play?

Lauren: We have to.

Emma: (Sighs sadly; to Katie) Yes, sweetie, we play. (Looks up at Shelia) We accept your Challenge, Shelia.

Shelia: Wonderful! (Looks at the kids) Now, what shall we do with these lovely little ones? ;)

Katie: Nonono! X( (She grabs her Mama's leg)

Emma: You'll do NOTHING with them. X(

*The twins hide behind Lauren.* :-O X-(

Lauren: Better not do anything with them. X-(

Shelia: They're too young for the animal spell. Why don't they watch their mums play? ;) >:)

Alex: *nods* Yes, good idea. >:)

Katie: Nononono! Mama!

Mick: Don't wanna! :P X-(

Shelly: Nooo! :-O :P

Shelia: (Snaps her fingers) I've got just the thing! (There's a black light around the entire crew. When it subsides, they're on the frozen pond in the middle of the woods. Shelia and Alex wear black and red hockey uniforms with fire emblems. The girls wear blue and white uniforms with an emblem depicting a small daggar, a short sword, a curved staff, and a spear crossed. The children sit on a wooden bench, dressed in warm clothes and wrapped with blankets.)

Emma: (Looks at herself; raises her eyes) I always wondered what it would be like to play with the Philadelphia Flyers, but this isn't how I planned on doing it! :p ;)

Lauren: *looks down at her skates* It has to be the powers. There's NO way I'd really be standing up in these things. :P ;)

Valerie: What IS this?

Shelia: I assume you've all seen ice hockey on television?

Valerie: I've glanced at it when Chrissy's flipping through channels...

Shelia: We're going to play a bit of ice hockey. ;)

Lauren: Oh, dear. :P

Daphne: *grins* I'm kinda liking this. ;)

Emma: Hey, I played the ground version in high school, and I DO know how to move on these things. (Does a little figure eight) ;)

Valerie: I'm a fair skater. We skated at a rink in Vail all the time when I was a child.

Emma: Ok, Shelia, we'll take you on. Shouldn't be too hard for four of us to beat two of you. ;)

Shelia: (Snaps her fingers) Did we forget to tell you we have a team? ;)

Emma: Um, where?

Shelia: Why, right here. (She waves her hand. There's a black light, and a horde of demons in black and red uniforms appear, wielding hockey sticks and looking bloodthirsty) ;) >:)

Valerie: Shelia, they can't play hockey! They aren't even human!

Lauren: Uhh... :P

Alex: So what? :P ;)

Shelia: Did I say the players had to be human? ;)

Emma: (Looks at the children) What about the kids?

Katie: Mama? (She hops off the bench and tries to run to her mother...but runs INTO an invisible wall. She screams) MAMA! MAMA! :((

Emma: KATIE! (She tries to start to her, but the demons surround her)

Shelia: The children are protected by invisible walls, Scholar. They will not be harmed.

Valerie: (Angry) Of course they won't. You want them for yourself. X(

Shelia: My only interest is in the young Scholar. ;)

Alex: The twins have their own potential. ;) >:)

*Lauren growls and nearly falls on her rear.* :P ;)

Katie: (Taps at the wall) Mama! Wan' Mama! :((

Emma: Oh, sweetie... :(

*The twins pound on the wall. Shelly gives up, but Mick keeps pounding.* :P :( X-(

Lauren: Dammit. :P

Emma: Where are the boys and the Abbies?

Shelia: They're in a safe place.

Emma: Where?

Shelia: You'll find out later. (She picks up the hockey puck with the insignia that matches the one on her uniform) Now, ladies, let’s play some hockey.