Mike sighed. “I hope we don’t have to do any fighting… I really don’t wanna hurt anybody around here.”

“We shouldn’t have to,” Sally said, trying to use logic and reason to her best advantage. “All we have to do is confront the king; the townspeople are all behind us, right?”

“Hey, I hadn’t thought of that,” Micky said, looking as if he liked that idea. “It’s everybody against the king, isn’t it?”

“Not quite,” Davy reminded them as he slouched against the wall, still wearing Mike’s form. “The king has to have people to carry out his orders.”

“That’s a good point. Why would the sorcerer send out a Call if the people could just rise up and fight?” Peter asked.

Auburn nickered, and Peter looked at him. “Auburn says maybe the people are too afraid.”

“Maybe the king has guards,” Sally said thoughtfully. “They’d have to do what he said, or else they’d be killed. So they aren’t really on his side… but they have to act like they are.”

Mike noticed Davy’s position for the first time. “Cut that out, willya? It gives me the creeps!”

“I can’t help it,” Davy said with a grin. “It feels quite comfortable to this body. No wonder you do it all the time.”

“So if we get the guards on our side, we’ll win for sure,” Micky thought aloud.

“Maybe,” Sally pointed out with annoying pragmatism. “Nothing is ever clear-cut anymore.”

“I’ve noticed that,” Mike groused, glaring at Davy, who grinned back at him.

“Hey, I have to stay like this now,” Davy pointed out. “Otherwise, no more twins… and no more excitement.”

“Who wants excitement?” Micky asked dubiously.

“Hey, I don’t wanna hear it,” Sally said. “You guys were the ones who had to go off and save the unicorn species and find Avalon; not expecting to have a little bit of adventure along the way is just stupid.”

Peter chuckled. “She’s got a point.”

Laurel came back in then, grinning from ear to ear. “We leave soon,” she said, beginning to prepare the meal.

“To see the sorcerer?” Peter asked.

She shook her head. “He sends emissaries. We’ll have a feast tonight!” she rejoiced.

“Why?” Mike asked. “Cause these emissaries are coming?”

“That, and a whitefish has been spotted!” she grinned.

Peter went cold. “Whitefish?”

Laurel nodded. “A white fish with row upon row of teeth. The man already are making the boat to spear it and---“

But Peter was already racing from the cabin, Mike right behind him.

“Uh, I’ll stay here,” Davy said, looking extremely sheepish.

Peter reached the docks just in time to see the fishermen putting together their boat. “STOP!” he yelled, flailing his arms. “You can’t kill the fish! The fish is my friend… his name’s Cotton!”

The men froze, glaring at him as if he’d lost his mind.

Peter waded into the water before they could stop him, falling to his knees and calling Cotton’s name.

Before the men’s stunned eyes, the small shark rose to the top of the water and let Peter wrap his arms around him carefully, always minding the sandpaper scales that could lay Peter’s arms open with the first wrong move.

After holding him for a second, Peter raised his eyes. Mike took an involuntary step backward. He’d never, ever seen that level of pure – fury – in Peter’s eyes. “You kill this shark,” Peter’s voice rolled out, low and dangerous, “you go through me to do it.”

The fishermen evidently were frightened by the fire in Peter’s eyes, because they dropped what they were doing and backed away.

Mike walked over to Peter. “What’s Cotton doing here?”

Peter looked at his shark friend. “He knows us, so… he followed our boat to Avalon, and then back, all the way here.” Peter smiled slightly. “He was afraid we might be leaving him alone.”

“Aww, tell him we’d never do that,” Mike said.

“He knows that now,” Peter smiled. “He was just frightened.”

“I don’t blame him,” Mike said. “Fact is, I’m more than a little nervous about this whole thing myself.”

“Especially with them thinking you’re one-half of a whole?” Peter teased as he tapped Cotton’s nose gently and stood up. Cotton swam out to the boat and waited.

“There is that,” Mike agreed. “I mean…what’ll they say when they find out we’re not really twins? Everything hinges on us being that….”

“Davy’s invested in this now,” Peter said with a grin. Besides, he always wanted to be you anyway, so now he’s getting his wish. It’ll all turn out fine, Mike. Besides…we’ve got Sally and Laurel as a backup plan.”

“Hey, yeah, that’s just weird,” Mike agreed. “How come they look so much alike?”

Peter shrugged. “You’ve got me. Chance, I guess.”

Just then, Micky came racing down the hill. “Guys….come quick… you gotta come!” Micky said, panting out his words.

“Slow down, Man. What’s going on?” Mike asked.

“Soldiers!” Micky panted. “Coming over the rise! Lookouts saw them, I nearly gave my glows away!”

“Soldiers from where?” Peter asked.

Micky shook his head. “I don’t know…”

“I think you’d best find out,” Mike grinned despite himself. “Let’s go.”

When Mike, Micky and Peter came bursting in the door, Davy, Sally and Laurel were waiting for them.

“Looks like we’ve got a fight on our hands,” Mike said grimly.

“What? Why?” Laurel asked, looking bewildered.

“The soldiers outside. Didn’t you see them?” Peter asked.

Sally burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Micky asked indignantly.

“You big doof…they’re on our side! They’re the emissaries!” Sally said triumphantly.

“Th-they are?” Peter stammered, grinning. He walked up to a soldier’s horse and began to stroke its nose. “Hello there….”

Mike grinned at Davy. “That boy and his horse sense….” he quipped.

Davy arched an eyebrow. “I guess.”

Peter looked at the others. “He says that news of the twins spread really fast…and that they’ve been mobilizing all day. As soon as the rest of them get here, we’re going to face down the king.”

Micky nodded. “These people are fast workers.”

“I guess,” Mike said, glancing at Davy. Davy chuckled Mike’s chuckle.

“That is damned eerie!” Micky burst out.

“More coming,” Peter called, grinning. “Friends!”

Once they had all assembled there, they set off toward the castle, the soldiers surrounding Mike, Davy, Sally and Laurel much as the crowd in the village had done.

After battering through the castle gates, everyone looked around.

“So…where do we go to have a heart to heart with this king fella?” Mike asked.

The villagers all looked at each other, then one sheepishly admitted, “Nobody’s ever been to the throne room. We don’t know where it is.”

“Oh, that’s lovely,” Davy groaned.

“So we look around,” Peter said. “Let’s go!”

A crow flew overhead, and only Peter understood, Follow me; I’ll take you there!

“Come on, guys!” Peter said eagerly, following the crow. “Follow me, and watch the birdie!”

“Oh, that was bad,” Mike groaned, shaking his head sheepishly.

They followed the crow into the dark, dusty castle, climbing what seemed like millions of stairs before coming to the landing.

“He says it’s here,” Peter said, pausing in front of a door.

Micky grinned at the crow. “Hey, thanks!”

The crow cawed in response and flew out the nearby window.

Peter looked at the others.

“I am ready,” Laurel said, breaking the silence.

“So am I,” Sally said with a smile.

“Then away we go,” Davy said, opening the door to the throne room and stepping inside. The others followed close behind.

They found the usual throne and red carpet – but there was something odd on the carpet.

Normally throne rooms didn’t have six year old boys playing with toy wagons at the foot of the empty throne.

Micky looked at Peter. Peter looked at Micky. Without another word, both of them crouched down beside the boy and began to play too.

After a few minutes of enjoyable play, Peter asked lightly, “What’s your name?”

“Jeremy,” the boy said brightly. “No, the horse goes there.”

Micky moved it there. “Where are your folks?” he asked, keeping his tone conversational.

“Dead,” the boy said a bit sadly. “Marcus brought me in and told me they’d died and I had to be the king now.” He sighed. “But if I’m king, how comes Marcus makes the decisions? I don’t get it.”

“I think we’d better talk to this Marcus,” Mike said, stepping forward.

For the first time, Jeremy looked up and saw Mike and Davy. His mouth opened wide in an almost perfect O shape. “You’re…twins!”

“More or less,” Davy said with a smile. “Now, where can we find Marcus?”

“But…but Marcus says twins are evil…. He says they want to hurt me,” Jeremy stammered.

“Mike and Davy are our friends,” Micky said. “They wouldn’t hurt you.”

“None of us would,” Peter said.

Jeremy looked at them warily. “Are you sure?”

“If we’d wanted to, we could’ve hurt you already,” Mike pointed out.

Jeremy pondered this for a moment, and then he nodded. “Yeah…that’s true….”

“So where’s Marcus?” Sally asked.

Jeremy motioned for the four guys and two girls to follow him. “This way…”

They were led to an ornate chamber, where Marcus was sleeping. “Shh,” Jeremy said. “Don’t wake him. Come to my room.”

They were led to a rough, rustic chamber. Jeremy sighed as he lay down. “Home….”

“Why does Marcus make all these strange orders?” Peter asked.

Jeremy shrugged. “I don’t know…. He says they’re for my protection….”

“But you’re already here, in the castle. Nobody knows where the throne room is,” Mike said sensibly.

“I told you I didn’t know,” Jeremy said, with a hint of irritation. “Marcus doesn’t tell me anything…”

“Of course I do, my little king,” came a low, silky voice from the doorway. Marcus was awake.

“No you don’t,” Jeremy said standing up. “Why can’t I leave? Where is my twin? Why do you say they’re dangerous?”

The Monkees, Sally and Laurel looked at each other. Jeremy was a twin too? This had suddenly gotten very complicated.

“You don’t have to know why they’re dangerous. I just say they are,” Marcus said, never changing his level, calm tone.

“Two together have more power than one,” Peter repeated thoughtfully. That was what Laurel had said, and Peter was betting that the outcome of this confrontation hinged on it… but how?

Marcus saw Mike and Davy and his eyes widened. “How were twins allowed to reach such an age?”

“Oh, I dunno,” Mike said. “I guess we’re just special that way.”

Laurel, who had been keeping watch in the hallway, stepped into view. “There are two sets of us. We have come as the stories have said.”

Marcus gaped openly at Laurel and Sally. Sally opened her mouth to contradict Laurel, but she shot Sally a discrete look of warning.

“You see, Jeremy?” Marcus said. “As the stories have said… ‘And the four shall come, and they shall tear down the castle walls and throw the powerful to the wolves…despair thou, for thy end hast come!’ We must kill them all, Jeremy… and then we must take you somewhere where nobody can ever hurt you again…”

“Hmm…. If we were in Malibu, I could tell you what you’re full of, pal,” Micky said.

Sally stood protectively in front of Jeremy in case Marcus got any ideas. “You’re not hurting him unless you go through me.”

Marcus opened his mouth to call from the guards, but Mike sensed what he was going to do. Mike stepped forward, resting a hand on Marcus’s shoulder. Marcus closed his mouth, and was still.

“Mike? What did you do?” Davy asked.

Mike smiled slightly. “Part and parcel of the whole emotional thing… I don’t just receive, I transmit.”

That sentence would have been completely normal had only Mike spoken it, but Marcus spoke the exact same sentence. At the exact same time Mike did. With exactly the same accent.

Laurel just gaped. Jeremy stepped forward. “Tell me the truth, Marcus!”

Mike closed his eyes and forced truthfulness to come out of Marcus’ mouth.

What they heard disgusted them all. Marcus wanted the kingdom, but he would never have it. His only hope for power was to warp the mind of the boy-king. He’d killed the child’s twin to make him easier to mold.

The prophecy foretold not the end of Jeremy, but the end of Marcus. That became obvious to Laurel as the evil man spewed forth the contents of his heart and mind.

Repulsed by the evil, Mike let him go, shoving him onto Jeremy’s bed. “You make me sick,” he ground out through clenched teeth even as he mentally reached for his four friends and Auburn; to bask in their mental and emotional warmth.

After giving the soldiers the go-ahead, Marcus was easily captured and locked in the dungeon, leaving Jeremy to be the rightful king.

“But I don’t know how to be king,” Jeremy said.

“You’ll do the best you can. I think you’ll be all right,” Micky said.

Laurel touched his shoulder. “We shall help you.”

“C’mon, guys,” Mike said, inclining his head toward the beach where their boat remained. “Let’s roll.”

Sally hugged Laurel good-bye. “I’m sorry we never found out what happened to your sister.”

“But we did,” Laurel smiled. “The records in the king’s palace show she was not killed. My parents smuggled her to the sorcerer, and he sent her to a faraway land.”

Sally’s jaw dropped. “Then I… I really am… I’m…your….”

“Yes,” Laurel said, nodding. “You are.”

“That means… if I go back… I’ll never see you again,” Sally said.

Laurel shook her head. “We are sisters. We will always have each other.” And faintly, ever so faintly, Sally heard words in her head.

(If you need me,) Laurel was thinking, (I will not be far away.)

(Neither will I,) Sally thought, and the expression on Laurel’s face let Sally know her twin had received the message.

After the five humans and Auburn had passed once more through the mist in their boat, they found themselves nearing a familiar coast.

Micky let out a whoop, falling out of the front of the boat as soon as they struck land. He pretended to swim in the sand. “Good old terra firma! Oh! Malibu, we’re home!”

“Yeah, and we’ve all changed,” Mike said.

Davy smiled, finally shifting out of Mike’s form and into his own. “Oh, man… I really am short!”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Micky said, pausing in his sand worship for a moment.

Davy smiled, and his form changed again, until he was about six feet tall with curly hair. “Better be careful what you wish for….”

“AUGH!” Micky yelled, breaking into a dead run and racing down the beach. Davy immediately took off chasing him.

Peter looked at Mike. “How are you?”

“Fine,” Mike said. Then he shuddered. “I just… keep thinking of that old saying about how if you could see inside someone’s head, you really wouldn’t want to.”

Peter nodded sympathetically. “I understand.”

Mike chuckled. “Yeah, I bet you do.” He looked up at the beach. “So, what now?”

“Now,” Peter said, smiling. “We wait and see.”

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