A/N: Whelp, here we go, the chapter I have been dreading since I first started this story. I absolutely hate writing fight scenes as the pacing is always god awful. I really hope you enjoy this as I poured my heart, soul and head into it. Though, it's a rough read, so please keep in mind as I said before, nothing of this is to be taken as some well researched, well rounded, non-loop hole filled fantasy epic. This is for fun, with no intention of being considered a "best-seller" …..you know what I mean. So, enjoy.
WARNINGS: THERE IS A SCENE OF A SEXUAL NATURE IN THIS CHAPTER, (NOT VERY DETAILED) NO SEX BUT HEAVY PETTING! IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT PLEASE SKIP THAT SCENE AND READ ON, IT IS SHORT AND WON'T REALLY AFFECT THE STORY IF YOU DON'T READ IT. Swearing, bad language etc for everything else.
Please enjoy! R&R if you like it!
NOT EDITED!
Chapter VI
Fleshy with Blood
Sade had emerged from the shower several minutes ago, now he stood naked in front of a full length mirror and admired the host body he was inhabiting.
"My my Samuel, you keep a trim form. A very healthy specimen of the male condition. You should be proud, perhaps even grateful your parents didn't give you the bad end of their gene pool. Mmm, look at that waist-" and Sade felt Samuel twist and roll with anger, "Aw, still mad at me for having some fun with your body in the shower? Come on, you know you enjoyed it."
A feeling if disgust swelled inside him and Sade chuckled, "So be it, your loss." Abandoning his rather vein admiring he turned to the bed which had clothes already laid out and he began to dress, donning the clothes in the proper order before tucking and buttoning where needed.
"See, I told you this outfit was a good purchase, you look so stunning in black." Sade laughed a little harder at the repulsion he felt and was about to mock the man some more when suddenly the door to his hotel room burst open.
"Geerah? What is it my dear?" and the shadow entered the room and swirled around the floor, hissing and growling wildly.
Sade looked out the door and grit his teeth, "Really. Well, we best not let them get too close. I want you to go up and make a ruckus, it's time Clarich pull his weight, you and Greely give him some extra energy, I want that house accessible to me. I will take her by force, the games are over."
Geerah growled her understanding, which sounded far to happy, and she shot from the room.
"Change of plans Samuel, looks like we will have to seize the castle and retrieve my queen sooner than I planned. One of the ghosts is getting a little too handsy with my bride-to-be. Hold tight my love, your king is coming."
PAGE BREAK
Kat sat on the edge of the couch, studying the face of the man laying down before her. He had a towel full of ice resting over the brow of his right eye, his lids were closed and she watched as his jaw clenched and unclenched over and over.
Her eyes scanned him up and down, realizing for the first time that his ability to stretch and morph his ghostly form might not be the only reason he had acquired his nickname. The man before her was tall, very tall, his neck rested on the arm of the lounge and his feet dangled off the end by nearly a foot. His shoulders were broad, his waist lean and his arms seemed to go on for miles. She thanked her lucky stars that the man before her had been magically gifted pants or this could have been a whole other shade of awkward. The dark hair leading down below the edge of his pants told her without doubt he was an adult male.
She averted her eyes quickly and instead chose to study the veins in his neck and the hard line of his long jaw and sharp chin. Dark brows and a black unruly mop of hair adorned his head. She could see the hint of a crows peak hidden beneath bangs the man had probably never been able to tame in his living days. High cheekbones and a subtle hooked nose brought his face together in a way that made Kat near mesmerized.
She recalled when she saw Casper for the first time, with his golden hair, bright blue eyes and handsome features. This family obviously had some very good genes, or at least two of them did, seeing Stretch now she couldn't even begin to fathom what Fatso and Stinkie might look like.
"See something you like?" Stretch asked suddenly and Kat was pulled from her thoughts and looked up to see his eyes cracked open and looking at her, a cocky smirk on his thin lips. Kat couldn't say anything, only blush, "Ah, so, you see me in all my fleshy glory and suddenly you can't even talk? Well, don't I feel especially attractive right now."
Kat tried to hide the smile by turning away from him and she pressed some hair behind an ear, "How did this happen?" she asked softly, ignoring his teasing in favor of getting answers.
"My guess, this is a little bit of good old witches brew." Stretch said as he dropped the towel of ice to the ground next to them.
"You think Gerty did this?" Kat asked looking back to him and Stretch grunted before sitting up, "No doubt, probably heard us fighting and thought it might shut us up."
"But, we were dancing-" and Kat looked to him and this time when she saw his eyes clearly she found herself staring in shock.
One eye was a normal shade of hazel, the other, a deep violet. She had never seen that color before in a human, did not even know if humans could have that shade of eye color and she was shocked by it.
"You're….heterochromic." she said softly and she reached out a hand to gently touch the skin right under the vibrant eye.
"The hell you say?" Stretch asked in confusion, "I never even looked at another guy-"
Kat laughed out loud at the mistake and shook her head, "No, heterochromic, you have two eye colors."
Stretch seemed to lean a little into her hand as he smirked, "Oh, yeah, my whole life. Really freaked people out back in the day."
"No doubt, it's almost...otherworldly. I didn't know people could even have-" but her voice died on her lips as Stretch brought a hand up to cup her own, pressing her palm to his face and he shuddered at the touch.
"I'll admit-" he moaned, "I missed this." and he gently pressed her hand along his check and then up into his hair. She felt heat spread through her body and she leaned in slowly, "Stretch-" she whispered but he was staring at her and leaning in closer.
"Don't, not a word, just give me a moment...I want to feel your lips….I gotta taste you before this is over-" and he pressed his lips to hers, his hands coming to take hold of her face, fingers running up into her hair.
Kat let out a soft gasp when he suddenly pulled her towards him and he leaned back, head returning to his resting spot on the arm of the couch. A large hand gripped at the back of her shirt before his other ran down her side and pressed on her hip. Kat obliged but found all she could do was straddle him.
Stretch moaned and then deepened the kiss, his hands pressing against her back until she was laying flush on him, her own hands pressing nails along his scalp. He seemed to clench his eyes closed and Kat pressed her lips away from his and towards his neck.
"Don't stop." he whispered and Kat felt her confidence swell. His hands took a firmer hold of her hips and pressed her down, when she felt his hard length move against her womanhood she jerked up and shook her head, "Wait!" she started but Stretched grabbed her and pulled her back to his chest, "Easy kid, easy, I just was feeling you. I won't do nothing. Calm down." and he held her tighter and Kat breathed out, her hammering heart sending a hectic rhythm through her body, "Calm down, just relax, it's been a long time...just got a little excited."
Kat inhaled deeply and caught his scent, and hummed, "You smell like the woods." she said softly, "You taste like heaven." he groaned and Kat smiled.
Seconds later Stretch shifted, moving to his side and Kat took position in front of him but he groaned, "I didn't miss this, being to tall for every piece of furniture in the house. Move to the floor." he ordered and Kat looked over her shoulder at him and he frowned, "Now, bone bag, I want to hold ya."
Kat stared a moment longer and her eyes narrowed and Stretch sighed, "Please." he asked before press his face against her cheek and gently rubbing, "I don't know how long this will last, if I can't have you, I at least want to feel you pressed up next to me."
Kat smirked and stood, walking over to the wingback and pulling the fluffy afghan to her, she turned to him and pressed it up just over the tip of her nose and looked at him, "Playful too, I like that." he said cocking a brown and giving a wicked smirk, "Sure you don't want to have some fun? Might be your only chance to take a test drive of your own."
Kat felt her stomach twist with excitement and anxiety and the most embarrassing little laugh escaped her and her cheeks burned red. Slowly Stretch stood, their eyes meeting and Kat felt her stomach drop.
At his full height Stretch was easily six foot five and it was daunting. He walked to her slowly, his skin reflecting the fire light, his eyes trained on her and Kat suddenly felt very small, "Stretch-" she whispered out but he was before her and brought a hand to her cheek, "It's not like you to be scared, where are those defiant eyes I love so much?"
Staring up at him in shock she held the blanket closer, "Love?" she barely got out before he suddenly scooped her up in his arms, a flash came to her, a sepia colored world and a man swinging a woman around happily in his arms.
"Ya alright?" he asked.
Kat nodded, though she honestly wasn't so sure. She couldn't remember ever seeing that scene before but was so familiar to her.
Stretch settled on the floor in front of the fire, the blanket that Kat had grabbed spread over them and he held her in his lap, his face looking down into hers before he leaned in and gently kissed her once more
Time seemed to slow and over the next few minutes it was just her and this man, with nothing but the warmth and glow of the fire. Hands gently exploring, lips growing chapped, breaths panting.
He tipped her back and gently laid her on the floor, resting over top of her, stroking her face with his fingers and looking into her eyes.
"When this is over, and I'm...when I'm me again...you have to promise you will let me take ya over. I have to possess you Kat, I can't protect you in any other way. Once I'm a ghost, there is nothing I will be able to do. Me and the boys, we talk big, but...all we can do is scare...we can't fight a shadow, not in any way that could actually-" and he stopped when Kat held the charm up to him.
His eyes landed on it and then he looked at her, "Here, take it, I don't need it… I'm not scared anymore. I trust you, I know you care. The game is over, you won." and the smirk and small laugh he gave made Kat's heart beat.
Slowly, Stretch reached up a hand and took the charm, able to hold it, he looked at it and said in wonder, "Such a small thing, causing me so much trouble."
Kat had watched him as he studied the small glass bottle, her hand coming up to his face and he looked at her, his hand falling slowly as she pulled him down to her, "Touch me." she whispered, "While you still can, I want to feel your warmth."
"Anything you want." he offered in a gentle voice, "Anything you want." she said right back and they locked eyes before he leaned down and caught her lips with his.
PAGE BREAK
Her back arched off the floor, a gasp escaped her lips and hands dragged nails down her sides. Eyes wide she stared at the intricate ceiling and she rolled her lips together as she swallowed. A moan escaped her as those large hands grabbed her hips and his mouth kept working.
Sweat had formed on her brow and she felt incredibly hot, her body tingled all over and shots of pleasure ran from her lower stomach up through her chest.
"Don't stop." she managed out, a faint breathy plea and that came as she fisted the blanket and pulled it up to her mouth to help stifle the noises she was making.
His tongue worked quickly, lapping and sucking, large hands holding her hips firmly in place and he moaned wickedly as he gave a long lick. He kissed her inner thigh, dragged his mouth across to the other side to kiss and nip.
Kat's hips gave a gentle buck off the ground but he pressed her back down, "Please, don't stop." she said again and then he kissed his way back to his original spot between her legs.
"Stretch, please, now, I- feel it-" and Kat's mind was a blurry mess, nothing but haze and heat and fire. Stretch latched on and his tongue flicked dangerously fast and then Kat fell over. Her hips bucked and her head rolled back while her muscles clenched and she smothered her face in the blanket.
It was like floating afterwards, she thought perhaps this was what it felt like to be a ghost. Nothing mattered for a moment and she drifted in a relaxed suspension until she felt long arms wrap around her and pull her close, the blanket being draped over her.
"You taste delicious." he murmured as he held her close to him and rested his cheek against hers.
Kat slowly came back to reality and she tried to snuggled closer, "Do you think you will remember...after…..after-"
"No chance I'd ever forget that...or you."
Kat rolled over and looked at him, "Promise?"
"Yeah, cross my heart Kitty Kat." and he leaned down to kiss her, his hands squeezing at her shirt and pressing her closer.
A loud bang suddenly rang out and they pulled apart and look towards the library doors. Another loud bang and then the fire swirled and instantly fizzled out.
"Get dress, Kat. Now!" Stretch said and he was up and moving towards the doors as Kat scrambled to yank on her pants and pull down her shirt. She was standing and following Stretch seconds later, the man yanking the doors open and walking out into the main room.
It was dark and as they came to the center of the space the silence rang out for only a moment before another loud bang rang out and the front door shuddered. "Get behind me, Kat. Get behind me and stay there." Stretch said and he stood in front waiting, his body tensed and his eyes trained on the door.
Movement caught Kat's eye and she looked to see Gerty moving down the stairs and coming to stand next to Stretch.
"Your ready for this?" he asked and Gerty smiled, "Always ready." and she peaked a glance, "Looking good, did you enjoy yourself?"
"Don't I always?" and another loud bang rang out, the door still not giving out but bending oddly.
"D'ah hell is going on!" Came a voice from above and Kat looked up to see Stinkie, Fatso and Casper floating down towards them.
"You three stay on Kat. You don't take eyes off her!" Gerty said and Stretch yelled, "You heard her, stay on the runt!"
"Who the hell are you?" Fatso asked flying around to look at him only to jerk back and yell, "Liam!"
"Get on the girl you idiot!" and Fatso rushed back towards Kat, giving Stinkie a look of confusion, the smelly ghost just shrugging.
"Kat, are you okay?" Casper asked coming to float next to her.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Just...just stay close to me okay?" and the little ghost nodded and moved closer.
Wendy was the final one to join them, having had to travel from the top floor all the way down. She came to stand behind Stretch and Gerty but in front of Kat.
"Wendy, Darling, you remember those spells and incantations I taught you, love?"
"Yes, Aunty."
"Good, now is the time to put them into practice, remember, stay calm and remain focused, no matter what happens."
The girl nodded and spread her legs shoulder width apart, bringing her hands up before her and pressing the heels of her hands together, palms facing out.
Two more loud bangs rang and then all was quiet. The group of seven waited, stone still and silent, Kat swore she could hear a pin drop. Suddenly the door splintered and burst, wood shooting out towards them and Gerty pressed her hands forward, the wood stopping mid air before falling to the ground.
"Casper-" Stretch said softly, the little ghost looked to his uncle, "You stay right next ta her. You leave her side and I will make you regret it, understand?"
"Yes, Uncle Stretch."
"Gerty…" and the woman glanced to him, "How long until your little spell wears off?"
Gerty frowned, "About that-"
"How long!"
"It should have worn off by now, Liam. The hell did you do with her?"
"Shit." he hissed and then suddenly darkness burst through the opening.
"Now, Wendy!" and the girl began to chant and the air around them erupted and icy wind filled the room. "Get down Kat!" Stinkie suddenly yelled and the girl dropped, Wendy stepping back and getting closer.
The shadows covered the walls and ceiling, swirling around them while growls and roars filled the air in a near deafening frenzy.
Stretch and Gerty kept their eyes on the door, ignoring the shadow creatures that hissed and moaned around them.
Suddenly a shadow darted for Kat but was bounced off an invisible shield, Wendy letting out a gasp at the sudden impact.
"Run 'em off boys!" Stretch yelled and Stinkie and Fatso cackled wickedly and started to chase the shadow creatures, whooping and hollering loudly as they went.
Wendy continued to chant, her hands moving in circles and her feet remaining planted firmly to the floor. Kat kept her head down, Casper right beside her as she noticed a pale white dome had appear over them, Wendy just inside it.
"He's coming, I can feel him!" Gerty yelled and then suddenly a voice rang out that filled the room, "That is enough!" the wind died, the shadow creatures who had been tussling with the ghostly brothers like dogs and cats pinned the two on the ground.
From the cracked door Sade walked through, his hands raising and his eyes glowing a nasty red, "I have selected Kathleen Harvey as my bride! No one shall stand in my way!"
"I refuse!" Kat suddenly yelled and Sade frowned, "I'm sorry, my darling, but you have no choice in the matter. I warned you to keep them out of the way, I promised they would not be harmed if they didn't stand against me. It seems though, you've left me no choice."
"You move and I will hex you back to hell." Gerty warned and she bared down in her spot, hands before her, fingers bent and nails sharp.
"You are strong, my lady, but you can't compare to me. I could strip you of your powers and leave you to rot in my dungeon. No one would miss you."
"Yeah? Well, maybe you should have taught the last Shadow King your bag of tricks, I took old Esrick down easy enough."
This seemed to get Sade's attention, "It was you? You banished my brother to limbo?"
"Damn straight I did, I won't hesitate to do the same to you."
"Then I owe you a debt of thanks, with him out of the way, I was able to take the throne and find my beautiful bride. Perhaps I will strip you of your powers, but allow you to remain a servant in my castle."
"Sorry, already got a job, banishing scum like you."
"Funny, but I don't have time for this. I have come for Kathleen, it's time she come with me to her new home. We must be wed before it is too late."
"Fuck you, ya touch her and I kill ya." and Sade's glowing eyes fell to Stretch, "And who might you be? I never saw you in any of Kat's memories."
"I'm the competition bone bag, you want her, you go through me."
Sade studied him a moment and then a wicked smile found his lips, "Ah, so it's you, you're the ghost….or...were the ghost, the one who wanted to possess my sweet Kathleen so badly. Well, obviously you've upgraded. That's good, less of a threat if you're human."
"Don't count on that." Stretch warned.
"Oh? What makes you so sure?" Sade mocked as he cocked a brow.
"Cause, I'm an expert at possession, and I know, shadow or ghost, if that body your in dies with you inside you will go right along with it." and then Stretch was running, crossing the space in seconds and tackling Sade to the ground.
It was like fire to an open gas line, the wind exploded around them, Stinkie and Fatso managing to throw the shadows holding them off and then the dog fight was back on. Gerty was suddenly dragged back by one of the shadow creatures that had not gotten locked into the fight with the boys and she went flying towards the stairs.
"Gerty!" Casper and Kat yelled, "Let the dome down, we have to help her!" Kat called.
"No, I mustn't drop the shield!" Wendy yelled back over the gale.
Kat peered around the girl to see Stretch and Sade rolling on the ground, fists flying, faces smeared with rage and intent clear in their struggles, "They are going to kill each other!" Kat yelled.
"Stay down!" Wendy yelled right back.
Stretch went flying and he collided with the dome, sinking to the ground Kat watched as Sade stood and straightened his clothes, "You are correct in thinking I would go the way of my host should he die, what you didn't count on was I can still access my powers while I inhabit his body!" and Sade raised his arms, the room growing more dark and cold by the send.
"You also don't seem to remember that now that you are alive and well, you get all the benefits, including more pain than you can handle!" and Sade dragged his arms through the air, hands shooting out and fingers bearing down.
Stretch was raised into the air and his body was smashed against the far wall, plaster and laith raining down onto the floor before his body was slammed into the opposing wall.
"Someone help him!" Kat yelled and she heard Stinkie call out, "Hold 'em, I gotta help Stretch!" and Fatso was left to contend with the two shadows, while Stinkie sprinted to his other brother and grabbed him up around the waist.
Sade growled at the intervention readjusted his stance, slamming his fists together and the pair were suddenly locked together and with in seconds were sent crashing to the ground.
Kat watched as the shadows followed suit and slammed Fatso down, they disappeared through the floor. She hadn't seen Gerty since she hit the stairs and was dragged off. Stinkie was able to slip from Sade's hold but Stretch could not and as Sade pressed the man's body harder into the ground the floor began to crack.
Kat looked to Wendy and saw the girl had sank to a knee, no doubt growing tired from trying to sustain the barrier, each time a Shadow managed to stray from the fight they were in they would smash against it and Wendy would yell.
"Stop! Please stop!" Kat yelled but Sade didn't seem to hear, his rabid eyes focused on the task of essentially crushing Stretch.
The man yelled as he was pushed harder into the floor that gave another loud crack, "Casper, you have to help him! You have to do something!"
"I can't leave your side, Uncle Stretch said-"
"He's dying! It's doesn't matter what he said, he needs you, Wendy can protect me, but Stretch doesn't have a fighting chance unless we can break Sade's focus!"
Casper hesitated but then nodded and Kat stood slowly, coming to kneel behind Wendy, "I need you to drop the barrier long enough for Casper to get out!"
Wendy went to reply but Kat cut her off, "If you are my friend you will do this, when I say to drop the shield you will, then you can put it back up!"
Wendy nodded and Kat looked around her, Stinkie was trying to wrestle the two shadows off Fatso, Sade was focused on Stretch and as far as Kat could tell the third shadow had not returned since it went off with Gerty.
"Alright, on three, one, two…..THREE!" Wendy dropped her hands to her sides and the dome disappeared, Casper shot out and then the girl swiftly raised her arms and the barrier reappeared.
Casper didn't wait for instructions, he turned tangible and shot towards Sade, his little white body a blur. He connected with the man via his waist, wrapping arms around and shoving him out through the door.
This seemed to get the attention of the shadows who abandoned their fight with the ghosts instantly in lue of chasing after their master.
"Casper is out there! Help him!" Kat yelled and Stinkie swore as he and Fatso charged out of the room.
Kat's eyes then turned to Stretch who lay motionless on the floor, "Wendy, drop the shield, I have to help Stretch!"
"I cannot! It would take to long, I can form it quickly if my feet are rooted to the ground, but if we move I have to re-root, it takes time to create a connection with the Earth-"
"Drop it! Yu form another one over him, there is time if we do it now! I have to see if he is alright!" Wendy gritted her teeth and reluctantly dropped the barrier again and the two girls rushed to Stretch, Wendy quickly taking the same pose and rooting her feet to the ground, her arms swinging wide as she began the enchantment again.
"Stretch, wake up, please, wake up!" and she pressed her hand to his nose and felt air, "He's breathing, I think he is just unconscious!" Kat rolled him onto his back and brought her hands to his face, "Please wake up, come on, that's it, come back to me. Stretch, come back, I'm right here, come back to me Stretch, come back-" and slowly his eyes opened, and Kat wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Oh god-" he groaned as he tried to sit up, "No, stay still. You could have an internal injury, moving could make it worse."
"Where is he?" Stretch groaned.
"Casper took him outside, Stinkie and Fatso followed, they must be holding them back because they haven't shown up."
"Bulb-head took on the Shadow king? Who'da thought the little guy had it in him." and Stretch stubbornly forced himself up, a hand coming to his head while the other wrapped around his torso.
He jerked and groaned and Kat placed her hands on his shoulders, "You haven't taken a beating like this in a long time, you have to take it slow-"
"I never took a beating like this, I was the one usually doing the beating. Leave it to you to get involved with the nastiest of the nasties." Stretch teased.
"We're not involved and now is not the time for jokes. We have to figure out how to stop him, he is going to kill everyone-"
"The boy's should be fine, I had Gerty do a little magic on 'em to give them a bit of an edge." Stretch offered as he slowly stood with Kat's help.
"And Casper?" Kat asked.
"I didn't get a chance to-"
"I took care of him, when you went out to talk to my aunt I gave Casper a little charm of my own." Wendy said suddenly and Kat smiled at the girl who was now projecting a perfect dome over them.
"Thank you for that." Kat said and the girl nodded.
Suddenly a scream and a loud growl came from outside and Stretch ran an arm across his sweaty forehead, "Here, you need to take this back, it will help protect you." and Stretch pulled Kat's charm from his pocket and placed it around Kat's neck.
"Sade said he would grow used ot it, that essentially it would become obsolete." Kat said with worry.
"Fear not, he has not been in contact with it long enough to adjust to it's repellent nature. It won't last much longer but it could buy you some time." Wendy said with surety.
Stretch smirked, "Hey, red riding hood, drop the dome and let me out, I got a fight to finish."
"Stretch, no, he will kill you." Kat said softly.
Stretch turned to look at her, bringing a hand to her face and smirking he asked, "Would you like me any less if I was a ghost?"
Kat shook her head and said in confusion, "No, of course not, I just-"
"Then it don't matter. Human or ghost, you're stuck with me, I've already died once, I'm not afraid of doing it again. Now, drop the shield." and Wendy complied but before Stretch could step out Kat lunged into his arms and craned her face up to kiss him.
When she pulled away she whispered into his ear, "You better come back, after this is all over I want to have some fun."
Stretch pulled back and gave an award winning smile, "See, I knew ya liked me." and he moved away, heading for the door. Kat watched him go as the dome came back over them, Kat watching him disappear outside and then she looked to Wendy, "How much longer can you hold that barrier?"
Wendy thought a moment and then said through a wince, "If I don't move again perhaps an hour, maybe two if they don't continue their attack on it. But if I move again and have to reroot my ability to maintain it will considerably diminish."
Kat sighed, having never felt so helpless in her life, "Is there nothing I can do? I can't even fight my own battles." and she brought fingers to her forehead as she tried to think of anything that would help.
"Is there anyway- any weapon we could use against him? Like, silver….silver is bad for werewolves…..garlic for vampires-"
"Those are old wives tales, in fact, neither of those work on either of those creatures. As for shadows, there only real weakness is light and even then, it doesn't destroy them completely, it just weakens their powers."
Kat jolted at the thought, "Oh my god, what time is it? How long before the sun comes up?" and her eyes locked onto the old grandfather clock, "Five a.m. in an hour the sun will start to rise! We have to hold them off until then, it will give us an advantage we can't afford to miss."
"I'm on it." and both Kat and Wendy looked to the stairs to see a rather disheveled Gerty limping down them, her clothes torn and her face filthy.
"Aunty!" Wendy called.
"Don't sound so relieved dear, surely you had no doubt I would win." the old witch said with a narrow glare.
"Of course Aunty, I was just worried for your safety."
"Better to be concerned for the shadow I just banish, it won't be back. Where are the others?" and Gerty made it to the bottom step and slowly moved over to them.
"Casper and the boys are outside, we heard some growling and screaming but nothing much else, it's too dark to see outside, but the sun will be up in an hour, if we can just hold them until-"
Stinkie suddenly came sprinting through the door with a shadow on his tail, he beelined up the stairs and into the halls, a loud assortment of bangs, clangs and screeches echoing down to them.
"Well, it seems I am needed outside, Wendy darling, how are you holding up?"
"Fine, Aunty, though I am growing very tired."
The witch nodded and pressed her hand through the dome, Gerty smirking at the look of confusion on Kat's face, "I'm a witch dear, I have plenty of ways around magic." and Gerty slipped a smile vile into Wendy's pocket, "Drink it if you get too tired, you must keep the shield up till this is done. See it through dear, and remember, Feet to the ground-"
"Your soul will be sound, I know, Aunty."
"Good girl, now, let's see if I can be of assistance." and the woman headed for the door.
"Oh! I hate this! I don't want to be stuck here doing nothing!"
"You are very much a doer I know, but in this instance do not make all the sacrifices your friends and family have made a waste of their energy and heart. You must, for once, not lead the charge. Otherwise, this will all be for nothing." Wendy offered and Kat begrudgingly knew the girl was right, no matter how much she hated being the "damsel in distress."
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When Gerty stepped outside she was greeted by pure chaos.
Stinkie flew down from the room with the shadow in hot pursuit and he rejoined his larger brother in a rather animated dog fight, the brothers doing what they did best and causing an insane amount of frustration for the shadow creatures who could not hurt or catch them, but could be trampled, shoved and yanked around by the ghosts.
Casper and Stretch were on Sade, who was easily able to catch and subdue the human but could not maintain his hold as everytime he did Casper would intervene and cause the shadow king to lose his grip. Obviously the little spirit had a much greater effect on the shadow than a ghost would, though that would be a case to study at another time.
Casper had just done such a thing which allowed Stretch to rush Sade and he got the king down long enough to deliver a few good punches.
She was moving closer to the brawl when suddenly Sade sent Stretch flying with a shove of his hand and the man was heading straight for a spoke of rebar sticking out of a destroyed pile of concrete.
She instantly raised her arms and surged her magic forward, instantly stopping Stretch's iminent impalement before it could occur.
Sade's face jerked to her, "You! Demon witch who banished my brother, if you interfere one more time I will-"
"You will what? I already banished one of your shadow pets to Limbo, you're next big boy."
"What!?" Sade barked and his eyes turned to his two remaining soldiers, no doubt trying to figure out which was now gone, suddenly he yelled, "Greeha! Come to me, now!" the fear and concern in his voice was evident.
One of the shadows disengaged and came to him instantly, "Who do you fight with!" and the shadow seemed to hiss and pop a little, "Then Greely is gone, banished to Limbo." and Sade reached out a hand to the shadow which trembled violently and let out a course of sounds nearly indistinguishable from each other, "There is your slayer! Avenge your brother! Finish her, and bring me her head!" Sade near shrieked and the shadow launched herself at the witch.
Gerty barely jumped out of the way, rolling across the rocky ground as the shadow came about for another pass.
Stretch was on his feet again, having picked up a bit of loose rubble that he then used to crack against the side of Sade's head. The shadow fell to the ground, disoriented and gripping at the gash, the human's blood flowing freely, "Casper! Drag him over the cliff!" Stretch yelled and the little ghost zoomed down, taking the man up by the leg and pulling him quickly towards the edge.
"Clerich!" Sade yelled as he shot wildly with his hands, the blasts of darkness barely missing the little ghost who had turned invisible and dodged them easily.
The remaining shadow that had been fighting Stinkie and Fatso managed to disentangle himself and was heading straight for Sade and Casper.
"Boys! Grab that shadow!" and Stretch took off after them, his bare feet digging into the earth and his arms pumping as he aimed for his nephew.
Gert was still on her back, rolling and trying to dodge the shadows knife like bombardment, shoot her own magical energy in an effort to catch the shadow and push it back.
Stinkie and Fatso dived down onto the shadow chasing after Sade, pinning it to the ground long enough for Stretch to sprint by.
Feet from the cliff Casper yanked Sade up into the air and spun around, successfully flinging the shadow king over, his body once again falling over. Stretch was knocked to the side as the shadow that Stinkie and Fatso had managed to detain got free and shot like a bullet after it's master.
The three ghosts and Stretch looked to Gerty who was still fighting the final remaining shadow and and they all went to help, only to be stopped by a rumbling and the ground shaking beneath their feet.
All eyes turned back to the cliff, their shocked faces falling on Sade, who floated high in the air, the shadow spinning around his lower half like a tornado.
"I AM DONE WITH THIS GAME! GREEHA! COME TO ME! LET US END THIS!" The shadow instantly abandoned Gerty and streaked across the dark sky, coming to join the other shadow that twirled around him, static and a deep roar emanating from the man as he raised his hands higher.
"Give me your energy and I shall vanquish our enemies!" Screeching and growls could be heard rippling down as seemingly raw dark energy was sucked into his hands.
"I won't let you hurt my family!" Casper suddenly cried and the little ghost flew at him, shining like a bright beckon in the dark, "CASPER, DON'T!" Stretch yelled.
Sade pointed a hand and from it a shower of dark crystals rained down, Stretch dropped to the ground and covered his head but was not greeted by pain, he glanced up to see Gerty in front of him, a shield of sorts sparing them from the onslaught.
When it ended she lowered her shield and Stretch looked for his nephew, only to find the little ghost laying on the ground near his uncles, Stinkie and Fatso looking just as bad. Stretch rushed over and his knees hit the ground hard, seeing the ghosts were littered with spikes, their transparent bodies flickering as a dark smoke seemed to emit from the spikes into their form.
The wind died down and Gerty came next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "What did he do ta them?" Stretch asked, tears coming onto his eyes though he quickly wiped them away, "I don't- I don't know." Gerty whispered in awe.
"I cursed them." came Sade's voice and the two humans looked over to see the Shadow King dropping to the ground, his minions hovering on either side of him, waiting patiently. "You took Greely from out ranks, banished him. I see it only fair that you should then help to find a replacement. They will be turned into shadows, obedient servants that will reside with me in the underworld and do my bidding."
"No, no! Undo it! Reverse the curse!" Stretch said as he stood and stormed over to him, his eyes filled with rage and his fists clenched.
Sade instantly shot out a hand and dark magic appeared around Stretch's neck, the man instantly stopping and making a choking sound.
"Tut tut, my boy. All is fair in love and war, Greely was banish so I have a right to a replacement. Unless of course, you wish to surrender my bride to me. I might be willing to make a trade."
"Eat. Shit." Stretch choked out as he bent over and fell to his hands and knees, Sade's hold on his throat tightening.
"Not very gentlemanly conduct. You are a very fascinating creature, once ghost now man, still as rude and annoying as ever. If I had more time I should very much like to examine your memories, see the life you had before, see this Sarah who got my brother so riled up. Alas, there is never enough time for fun, only work, and once your dead and your family become my newest minions, all that will be left to take care of his the demon witch and her sweet little niece. Perhaps I will take the young witch with me, give her to my bride as a companion of sorts, maybe get myself a second wife...you never know what could happen."
Gerty had come next to Stretch, kneeling down to see if there was anything she could do, but at the mention of Wendy her head jerked up, "You touch my niece and I won't be sending you to Limbo, you nasty-"
"Oh this is tedious!" and Sade reached up another hand, latching onto Gerty with the same dark magic and beginning the process of choking her out as well.
"Maybe I will let you both live so you can bask in your failures, I hear guilt can be a worse fate than death."
His hands tighten and the two started to suffocate in earnest, "Die, die, die." Sade sung out gently and the shadows seemed to chuckle though it sounded more akin to happy snarls.
"Stop!" came a shout from across the yard and Sade's eyes fell to the door of the house, his bride to be slowly emerging and coming down the stairs.
"Kathleen, darling, so good to see you, I'll be with you shortly, if you will just wait-"
"No! Release them, and I will come with you willingly." Sade smirked, "Darling, I will be taking you with me either way, why deny myself the pleasure of their death and three new soldiers for the sake of making you happy?"
Kat moved to him slowly, her hands fisted at her side and her eyes sharp, "Consider it a wedding present. If you let them live, if you spare Casper, Stinkie and Fatso, if you don't hurt anyone else, I will be indebted to you, and I will happily go with you to your kingdom, happily marry you and be the perfect bride."
"And if I don't?" Sade asked snidely.
"Then I will spend the rest of my life making you miserable, fighting you every step of the way and you will find no peace, you will have nothing but a wretched human girl, something to lock away and forget about. An insult to your loyal and departed shadow if I ever heard it. I won't stop until I kill you, and if I spend the rest of my life with you, I will see to it that you are never happy again. I could do a lot of damage, Sade, I could make you regret it all."
The sincerity in her voice, the resolve in her face made Sade pause, for as easy as it would be to simply lock her away in the dungeon as he had been so want to do when this whole thing started, he found he did not want to do that. Sade was loath to admit it, but he liked this human girl, loved the idea of her, and he knew he would not be able to commit to leaving her locked away. He would want her next to him, and he had no doubt that Kathleen could and would make it very difficult for him if he didn't comply with her wishes. Still, he was not one to be forced into anything and so decided, he would do it his way.
"Very well, as an early wedding gift to you, my dear, I shall spare those you care for, in hopes it will help you on your path to care for me." and his hands violently swiped through the air, cutting the dark chords he had been using. Stretch and Gerty heaved and coughed as they sucked air into their lungs.
"Come to me." he said holding out his hand to her and Kat started walking again, stopping by Stretch as he stood and grabbed her wrist, "Don't-" he started but Kat placed her hand on his chest and whispered out, "This will give you time to regroup. I talked to Wendy, Sade will need to take me to a place where the veil between worlds is thinnest. It's the easiest way for him to get me back, anything else may cause him serious damage. The sun comes up in thirty minutes, that's how much time you have to come up with a plan." and Kat leaned up and kissed him gently on the cheek before smiling and continuing her walk.
Stretch let her go, knowing full well she was right, though the rage inside him roared and he gritted his teeth, taking a step after her only to be stopped by Gerty who shook her head.
Kat made it to Sade and looked passed Stretch to see the three ghosts, "And them?" she asked.
Sade sighed and raised his hand, making a rather strange symbol before clenching his hand and then releasing it.
The shards in the ghosts seemed to shatter and slowly the three came-to.
"Now, let us be on our way, a whole new world awaits us my darling, and I cannot wait to show you."
"Alright." Kat said as she looked up at him, though her eyes found Stretch's just as Sade covered them both in shadows and they disappeared from sight.
A/N: OH MY GOD THAT WAS ROUGH! Hardest chapter I have written in a really long time. I'm actually sweating right now and my hands are cramping. I hate fight scenes so much. God, it's like my head is going to explode! I hope you enjoyed it, leave me a review and let me know!
