Author’s Note: And on with the show ^_~
Anna and Abby picked their way carefully through the dark corridors of Regent’s fortress, Aria following closely behind. Before them was a fork in the tunnel, much like the one Heather and Liesl had come across.
“What do we do now?” Anna wondered aloud, glancing at both of the hallways. Abby shrugged.
“We’ll have to choose one,” she murmured. Through the corridor to the left, she could see a small light, almost like a window towards the end.
“Let’s go this way,” Anna suggested, nodding to the darker right corridor. Abby nodded.
“Yes, that probably leads to the center,” she replied. Aria whimpered, glancing at the two hallways. The darker one felt… wrong.
“I think we should choose the other one,” she told them. Anna rolled her eyes.
“Aria, stop being a wimp and come on,” she told the girl, and the three plunged into the darkness.
Caitlin, Anne and Rhodry found almost no trouble as they made their way through the fortress with Caitlin’s light as their only guide. Rhodry, who knew the corridors like the back of his hand, led the two young women deep into the ancient castle, to where he knew Regent was waiting. The demon lord wanted them to come. He would never have let them this far otherwise.
The three stopped in front of a carved ebony door, one that Caitlin recognized instantly. She shivered at the memory. This would be the third time she had entered this room, and finally she was doing so of her own free will.
“You can turn back if you want to,” a voice told her. Caitlin jumped and looked back as a hand was placed on her shoulder.
“Cass?” she asked. The death guardian nodded to her.
“It looks like we met up at a good time,” Marina told them, with a smile. Anne nodded to her sister and then glanced at Rhodry.
“Well?” she asked. The half-blood bit his lip. Here… now, this was it. This was the end. He was finally going to face his uncle on his terms. Rhodry nodded and placed a hand on the door.
“Let’s go,” he murmured, and pushed the door open. With in the dark chamber, a single pale light glowed, illuminating the demon on the throne-like chair before them.
“Welcome Guardians, nephew. Welcome to your doom…”
Anna froze, a sound behind them catching her ear.
“Did you hear that?” she asked. Abby’s eyes narrowed and she nodded. There was a strange sound, almost like a buzzing, but not quite. Aria whimpered and clung close to Anna.
“What is it?” the spirit guardian asked. Abby glanced around the hallway.
“I don’t know…” Suddenly the shadows around them seemed to converge, closing in on them and sliding between them.
“What the hell!” Anna cried. There was a burst of fire, and suddenly the hall was alight, revealing the small figure of a woman in white. There was a smirk on the beings face and a strange, almost sickly light hovering around her.
“Caitlin?” Anna asked. The figure smirked, eyes of molten gold holding a psychotic glint.
“Come to play with me, child of fire? I’m sure we’ll have great fun…” The shadows wrapped around them, tightening like ropes.
“Caitlin what are you doing!” Abby yelled, clawing at the tendrils around her neck. Aria whimpered, ducking a few of the shadows and leaping behind Abby.
“Caitlin… Caitlin doesn’t have gold eyes,” she murmured. There was a slight glow around the spirit guardian. The creature in Caitlin’s form smirked at them.
“Come play with me,” she murmured, her voice deceivingly gentle. “I promise it will be fun!” The tendrils tightened, clamping around the fire and water guardians in a tight chokehold.
“GO AWAY!” Aria screamed. A blast of violet magic swept through the hall. “You’re not real!” the girl hissed, her voice uncharacteristically low. Caitlin’s golden eyes widened.
“Damn spirit guardian.” With that, the illusion vanished. Anna and Abby fell to the ground, both gasping for air.
“Well,” murmured Anna, glancing at Aria. “Who knew.” Abby stood, brushing off her robe.
“Come on,” she said. “Let’s keep moving.”
Regent smirked as his illusion disappeared from the hallway. He glanced up, watching the beings before him with an amused glint in his eye. Now that the others were deliciously lost, these ones didn’t stand a chance.
“So, come to dig your own grave have you?” he asked them. Anne stepped forward, her glare menacing.
“This ends here Regent. Everything you’ve done. You’re going to die today,” she hissed. Regent grinned and stood, stepping down from his throne-like seat and moving in front of the well.
“Lady Darkness, we finally meet face to face. You know you can never defeat me with only half of you here,” he murmured. Anne’s eyes narrowed.
“We’ll find a way you bastard,” she hissed. Regent smirked.
“I’m sure you will…” With that, the shadows in the room converged, sweeping those present off their feet. Caitlin yelped as a set of them twined around her arms, legs and neck, struggling at her bonds. Only Anne seemed to escape the shadow ropes. Darkness was her element. Not even the most powerful creature of hell could force it to harm her. She struck fast, sending a blast of energy towards the demon lord. Regent ducked and hissed as the power grazed his pale cheek. Anne smirked at him.
“I told you we had a chance,” she said confidently. Regent glared at her.
“We’ll see…” he growled. Cassandra tore at the shadows surrounding her, desperately fighting them back. She could see her sister through the tendrils and the light guardian was not doing well. She was already in a chokehold, unable to break the strands from her.
“Caitlin!” she cried. Rhodry heard Cassandra’s outburst and glanced towards Caitlin.
“Damn it!” he hissed, and with a blast of the little demonic power he had, he blew the tendrils away from him just long enough so that he could get to the light guardian. Regent heard the scream and stopped. A smirk appeared on his face as he watched his nephew tear at the bonds surrounding the light guardian. He sent another blast of energy Anne’s way, this one made of demonic magic. With the darkness guardian distracted, he focused the shadow tendrils surrounding Rhodry into a sharp point…
“Rhodry!” The half-blood looked up at Marina’s voice, only to feel a cold something stab through his back.
“No!” Caitlin shrieked. The bonds holding her exploded in a blast of white light. She knelt beside the wounded half-blood, her eyes filling with tears. The shadow tendril that had stabbed Rhodry had wrapped around the wound, filling it in a way that it couldn’t be removed. Marina managed somehow to fight off the shadows surrounding her and knelt beside the stricken light guardian. She noticed immediately how the shadows prevented any hope of healing the half-blood. Cassandra through a shield between them and Regent in hopes of preventing any interference from the demon lord.
“I’m sorry Caitlin. There’s nothing I can do. He’s dying,” said Marina, distress showing plainly in her amber eyes. Caitlin gripped Rhodry’s weakening hand tighter. She gazed at him, tears forming in her eyes. Cassandra glanced down at her sister, a twinge of pain in her soul though most of her energy was focused on the shield that blocked the smirking Regent from them.
“No please… don’t leave me,” Caitlin whispered. Rhodry reached up and brushed her tear away.
“Caitlin, promise me something,” he whispered, voice fading. Caitlin nodded, pressing her face into his hand.
“Anything,” she murmured. Rhodry smiled.
“Promise you’ll live for me, after this is all over. Live for me and for your friends. Promise me you’ll be happy,” he said.
“How can I?” Caitlin asked him. Cassandra knelt beside her sister, Marina temporarily taking over control of the shield created from their blended powers.
“We can’t save him now Caitlin, but there may be something we can do,” she whispered. Caitlin glanced at her twin, a small glimmer of hope in her eyes.
“What?” she asked.
“We can ensure he is reborn again,” Marina said from where she held the shield in place. Rhodry smiled at Caitlin, brushing a piece of mahogany hair out of her foggy blue eyes.
“You see? We’ll be together again, some day,” he murmured. “Until then, live for me.” Caitlin nodded, more tears gathering in her eyes.
“I will, my love,” she whispered to him, kissing his forehead. Rhodry closed his brilliant sapphire eyes.
“Don’t… forget… me,” he whispered, his voice forced and rasping as he drew his last breath, fading into oblivion. Caitlin hugged his lifeless body close. Outside of the shield, Regent crossed his arms over his chest and smirked darkly. And so dies my life’s largest menace, after his father of course. It’s a shame he was such a fool, he thought, cruel laughter held back behind his dark lips. He watched Caitlin as she rocked the cooling body in her arms.
“I could never forget you,” she whispered, and the tears she had been holding back finally began to fall, hot tears of anguish and anger, and deep remorse following the spirit as it fled to the netherworld. Cassandra, Marina and Anne looked on as the Daughter of Light silently cried for her love lost. And somewhere deep in the realms of lost souls, Than held up a small, pale green stone.
“Someday,” she whispered, and placed it in a small bowl among eleven other glittering crystals. “Someday.”
Heather and Liesl dashed through the confusing hallways, getting more and more lost with each turn they took. “I wonder why we haven’t run into any of Regent’s demon soldiers yet,” Liesl panted, her breaths short from tall the running. “Who knows, he probably wants to deal with us himself,” Heather answered. Up ahead, they could see a patch of light. “What the hell is that?” Liesl wondered aloud. Heather shrugged and turned the corner, only to run strait into another soft body. “What the!” “Anna are you alright?” “What? Abby is that you?” A ball of fire materialized in Anna’s hand, revieling the three other guardians. “Are you guys alright?” Aria asked them. Heather nodded, clutching her side. Her wound was bleeding again. “We’ll be fine. Have you seen the others?” she asked. Abby shook her head. “No, let’s keep moving,” she replied, and the five took off down another corridor, all praying this one would lead them right.
“You bastard,” Caitlin hissed, her eyes icy with rage. The light guardian stood, stepping over Rhodry’s fallen body, sparks of power glancing off her wings. Cassandra’s eyes narrowed as she watched her sister. Something was wrong… Regent smirked as he watched the light guardian.
“He was a nuisance, little Light. I would have killed him whether he had met you or not,” he hissed. Wrong words. Caitlin leapt towards him, light flashing from her palms to form what looked like a pair of small blades. She slashed at the demon with the daggers, only getting more frustrated when Regent ducked out of the way.
“Caitlin!” Anne called. She knew the light guardian wouldn’t survive attacking Regent on her own. Black magic crackled around her as she gathered her own powers. Regent smirked as Caitlin attacked him again and dodged, grabbing on to her wrists and twisting them behind her back. Caitlin dropped her daggers in shock, the twin blades disappearing as they left her hands.
“You can’t defeat me like that,” the demon hissed into her ear. Anne’s eyes narrowed. “Come on Darkness! Attack me! Or are you too afraid of harming your little friend?” Regent cackled. Anne stepped forward, only to be caught by Marina and Cassandra.
“Don’t,” Marina told her. “He wants you to attack. If you destroy Caitlin you’ll be killed as well.” Anne nodded and backed down, her power dying to a dull glow around her.
“Let my sister go,” Cassandra hissed, glaring daggers at Regent. The demon lord cackled, his sharp laugh making Caitlin wince.
“Why in the seven hells do you think I would do that Death?” he asked her sincerely. Cassandra only growled an answer.
“Well if you won’t let her go, then maybe this will give you an incentive!” A burst of fire rocketed towards the demon and his guardian captive, as Anna, Abby, Aria, Heather and Liesl entered the room.
The blast of power knocked Caitlin into the demon lord, sending both tumbling to the ground. But they never hit. Caitlin gasped, glancing frantically around her. She felt as if she were falling through a timeless pool of light. She floated in the crystalline substance, flashes of color pulsating around her.
“Where…”
“What the hell?!” an angry voice cut her off. She glanced up, blue eyes wide, to see Regent shifting frantically about, seeking an escape. Caitlin glared at the demon as he to notice of her.
“Where the hell have you taken us Regent!?” She hissed. The demon just smirked, a cool glare in his eyes.
“You’re foolish friend has pushed us into the Well of Worlds,” he stated simply, a dark chuckle on his lips. “Now I can destroy you in peace.” Caitlin glared at him but didn’t reply. What do I do? I can’t defeat him alone. Help me!
In the real world, Anne’s head shot up. She stared at the Well Regent and Caitlin had fallen into, shock written all over her face.
“What is it?” Marina asked her. Anne continued staring into the Well. A picture began forming in its gleaming depths.
“I thought I just heard Caitlin,” she said. Marina’s golden eyes widened at the picture forming in the pool. On one side, Caitlin floated in a silvery, prism-like substance and on the other, Regent floated in the same strange mist. The two were glaring at each other, eyes cold as ice or blazing with fury.
“What the hell?” Liesl muttered.
“Where are they?” Anna asked. Cassandra gazed wide-eyed at the scene.
“I think… they’re inside the Well,” she murmured.
“What?!” Heather and Liesl shrieked. Anne’s eyes narrowed.
“Then how could I hear her?” she asked. Cassandra shrugged.
“I don’t know, but she’s alone in there with Regent. He could destroy her in a second!” she exclaimed. Anne’s face remained impassive. Marina placed a hand on her sister’s arm.
“Anne, if you can hear her, maybe she can hear you. If we can contact her we may be able to help,” she told the dark guardian. Anne frowned.
“I’ll try,” she said. She concentrated on the figure in the Well, focusing her dark power on the unexplainable bond they seemed to share. In her mind, a shimmering prismic light glimmered, growing stronger the harder she concentrated. *Caitlin!*
Caitlin jumped when she heard Anne’s mind voice. She could feel her counterpart’s dark power gathering in the back of her mind. The light guardian smiled slightly. The power made her feel less alone.
*Caitlin!* the voice sounded again.
*Anne?* Caitlin asked hesitantly.
*Are you ok?* Anne asked her. Caitlin ducked away from an energy blast Regent had flung at her, surrounding herself with a silvery shield of light.
*What do you think! Regent’s to powerful for me to defeat on my own!* she shot back.
*We’ll help, just focus on beating him,* Anne replied calmly. Her voice faded, but the dark power remained. At her feet, Caitlin could see a small black star glimmering.
“Die Guardian!” Caitlin’s shield was shattered by Regent’s attack only to be replaced by a whirling shield of wind. Caitlin’s eyes widened. A small golden star had joined the midnight one, winking encouragement. She could sense Liesl’s power in her mind, joined shortly by Heather’s as green vines began to twirl around her.
*What…*
*Don’t worry Caitlin. We’re using Anne’s connection to you to send you our powers,* Cassandra’s voice resonated in her mind. A blood red star joined the black, gold and amber lights twirling around her. An emerald star joined it, another glimmer of hope.
Beyond the well, Cassandra sat cross-legged on the floor beside Anne, focusing her magic through the delicate bond between the light and dark guardians. Marina, Liesl and Heather had joined her, their power flowing towards the child of darkness in the center of their circle of power. The three remaining guardians, Anna, Abby and Aria were having a little more trouble focusing their powers.
Anne’s mind drifted towards the battle. She could see what was happening first hand through her connection to Caitlin. The light guardian was doing her best to avoid Regent’s attacks, all the while keeping her focus on Anne’s dark power, creating a guiding beacon for Anne to direct the pure elemental power flowing through her.
Regent’s face had contorted into a mask of pure fury.
“What are you doing girl? Even together you fools cannot defeat me!” he yelled, flinging another blast of power at her. The blast ricocheted off an ice blue shield.
“Then maybe I can help,” spoke a musical voice. A ghostly hand appeared on Caitlin’s shoulder. She looked back to find Myrandel’s warm cobalt eyes gazing down at her.
“Myrandel,” she murmured. A tear ran down her cheek. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t protect him.” Myrandel smiled and wiped the tear away.
“It’s alright. You’ll see him again… someday.” Watching them, Regent’s eyes had gone from furious to deathly cold.
“So you’re decided to interfere again,” he hissed. Myrandel glared back at him, eyes ice cold.
“I warned you that you’re downfall would come Regent, but creatures like you never seem to listen,” he snapped. At Caitlin’s feet, flaming scarlet and deep sapphire stars appeared. She could sense Anna and Abby in the whirling spiral of elemental magic flowing through her. The animosity between the angel and demon was growing more heated by the second.
Anne gritted her teeth, the amount of power flowing through her was growing more than uncomfortable. She focused her mind on Caitlin, sensing Myrandel’s presence beside her. She felt the turmoil in Caitlin’s mind when he had appeared.
*Stay strong Caitlin,* she thought.
Regent and Myrandel continued glaring at each other, outright loathing and anger the most prominent emotions between them.
“So now you presume to steal my victory, just like you stole my sister,” Regent muttered. Myrandel’s eyes grew colder still.
“Leave Jayne out of this,” he snapped. Regent smirked.
“I’ll do what I please with that, fool, spirit or not. Your son was just as foolish as you, you know. A demon falling in love with a human, a human of celestial decent no less. The fool deserved what he got, just like you did,” he jibed.
“Shut up,” Caitlin muttered, almost to low for Regent to hear. He could see the anger rising from her.
“And what of you Guardian? The fool that led him to his death,” Regent murmured, voice oil slick with malice.
“Shut up!” Caitlin screamed, lunging at the demon. He caught her fist easily, restraining her arms behind her. Myrandel’s eyes widened as an amethyst star joined its fellows around the light Guardian.
Finally, Aria had managed to join her comrades, focusing her energy through Anne’s link. The power spiraling through the darkness guardian was almost too much for her to bear. Fabric and locks of red-brown hair lifted in an unseen wind, giving her an ethereal look. Anne grimaced, attempting to control the wild, untainted power flowing through her.
*Come on Caitlin, you can do it!*
“Caitlin!” Myrandel yelled. Regent cackled triumphantly.
“Now what will you do, prophet? There’s no way for you to stop me now!” he laughed, an insane light in his eyes. Myrandel just stared in wide eyed apprehension as the eight stars began whirling around Caitlin, forming into a stream of pure elemental energy. Regent’s eyes narrowed. He grabbed Caitlin’s hair, pulling her head back and pressing a scarlet claw against her throat. “What are you doing!” he demanded.
Anne gave a pained cry. The power flowing through her was too much for her to control. The dark guardian slumped to the ground, unable to do more than watch now. Watch and pray that Caitlin was strong enough to defeat that demon. The remaining seven Guardians broke out of their trance-like states, Marina supporting Anne’s limp, half-conscious body. Cassandra’s eyes, like the eyes of her comrades, were trained on the glittering scene that swam in the Well.
The whirling light grew stronger and stronger; Caitlin’s body began to glow. Regent was forced to release her and shield his eyes from the intense light. The light faded but didn’t entirely dissipate, illuminating Caitlin’s furious blue eyes.
Her guardian robe hand changed completely, due to the power given to her by her comrades, giving way to an ankle-length white skirt that split up both sides to the hip and was adorned with two pairs of glittering sliver chains that drew across her hips and thighs, holding the fabric loosely closed. The sleeves of her robe had disappeared leaving a sleeveless white shirt that draped loosely over her torso. A pair of silver arm guards graced her forearms and a thin silver ribbon wrapped tightly around her neck. Silver boots laced up to her knees, shown through the slits in her skirt and her wings had faded from pure white to prismic angelic crystal. Myrandel stared at her wide-eyed.
“Caitlin?” he asked. The sliver figure nodded. She glared menacingly at Regent.
“Regent, you have tortured this world long enough. I think it’s about time you were vanquished for good,” she stated, eyes cold as ice. Regent smirked.
“You still think you can destroy me? You fool, even with your powers you’re still to weak,” he cackled. Caitlin glared.
“Maybe I can’t kill you,” she told him, a prismic glow gathering around her. The misty substance surrounding them glittered in answer, a gold-rimed door forming behind the madly cackling demon. “But I can seal you away for eternity!” The prismic light around her swirled into a beam of light, flinging towards Regent all of the power granted the young guardian by her comrades, blasting Regent through the open portal. As it began to seal over, a scarlet-clawed hand reached through the door.
“You may think you’ve defeated my, Guardian, but you’ll never be rid of me!” he shrieked. The portal closed on his hand, eliciting a pained scream before the demon was lost to the dimension Caitlin had sent him to. The appendage vanished in the silvery mist and Caitlin collapsed, wings folding around her. Her strange transformation vanished, leaving her in her normal guardian robe. Myrandel caught her, supporting the small girl as her eyes flickered open calmly.
“He’s gone,” she said. “But I wonder if I can get home.” Myrandel smiled at her.
“This place answers only to the powers of light and time Caitlin. Regent was able to use it to see through worlds, but even he couldn’t control it properly. It will take you where you will it,” he told her. Caitlin smiled, half-drifting into unconsciousness.
“He’ll be back won’t he,” she said. Myrandel nodded sadly, glancing away.
“He will. He has only been sealed, not destroyed. Now come, its time you returned to your world,” he said. Caitlin nodded, standing shakily, leaning on the angel for support. A small globe of prismic light appeared in her hand and extended outward, forming another gold-framed portal. Myrandel smiled as she stepped out of his grasp and towards the door. She looked back at him, confused.
“Aren’t you coming?” she asked. The angel shook his head.
“I belong to the realms of the dead now. Take care, Guardian of Light.” Caitlin’s eyes widened as beside the angel, two other figures materialized. One, an olive skinned, mid-night haired demon woman with a shockingly kind smile and brilliant scarlet eyes, rested her hand on Myrandel’s shoulder. He smiled at her, and placed a hand over the woman’s, she in turn smiled at Caitlin.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice haunting and yet beautiful. “My brother may not be gone forever, but at least this world will have some time to heal. Thank you for that.” Caitlin smiled at her.
“Jayne,” she murmured. The other figure finished materializing and Caitlin’s eyes widened, welling up with tears. Kind sapphire eyes looked down at her sadly. “Rhodry?” The figure nodded. Caitlin burst into tears, stepping forward into the spirit’s embrace. Rhodry wrapped his arms around the girl and buried his face in her hair.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. Caitlin pulled away and looked up at him, tears in her eyes.
“What are you sorry for? It’s my fault. I wasn’t strong enough to protect you,” she told him. Rhodry pulled her close, kissing the top of her head.
“Don’t say that. It’s alright Caitlin,” he whispered. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his father smiling sadly at him. He nodded, eyes torn, and stepped back from Caitlin and beside his mother. Caitlin looked up, an equally sad smile on her face.
“I guess I have to go now don’t I,” she said. Myrandel nodded.
“I’m sorry,” he said. Caitlin shook her head and wiped her eyes, a sad smile playing across her lips.
“No, this is how it has to be,” she said. She glanced at Rhodry longingly. “Will I ever see you again?” she asked. Rhodry smiled.
“Someday Caitlin, someday,” he whispered. Caitlin smiled, gazing at the three, all of them legends in their own right, and stepped through the glittering portal and into her own world.
Author’s Note: I’M ALMOST DONE!!!!! Finally! Just the epilogue to go ^_^ I hope you’ve enjoyed!
-Cat