Robbie watched what was happening. He had never seen Sportacus anything less than happy. But here, now, he was broken-hearted. He couldn't even see any trace of the jumping blue elf. It was a mere shadow of what he was. Robbie didn't like what had happened. Losing his town, the hero he constantly tried to get rid of, the woman he grew fond of and the annoying brats that always woke him up. Even with all that had happened, this was their home. But the hero was not only broken-hearted, he was broken.

'Come on,' he thought. 'There has to be something. Think. Think!' "THINK!" He shouted. He looked embarrassed, but it got the sports elfs attention.

Sportacus looked at Robbie, sad and alone. He didn't know what else there was to think about.

"It's over Sporty." She said.

Sportacus looked at the evil that took over the woman he loved. But, it was too much. He didn't have anymore in him. He failed. He wasn't there... The words echoed in his mind again. He looked at Stephanie. "Stephanie I-"

"Don't talk to me." She cried. "Why did you leave? You could've stayed and protected us! Just go away."

Sportacus thought for a moment. Stephanie knew why he left. They all did. This was the connection he wasn't making. He was so upset, the one thing he didn't do was think. He looked at Stephanie and noticed the necklace around her neck matched the ring on Robbie's finger. He took a deep breath. He was beginnig to understand. He got to his feet and dried his eyes as relief set in. Things were starting to make sense. "You are really good."

Robbie watched him approach and stand in front of him. He saw the hero in his eyes again. Sportacus removed the ring from Robbie's finger then walked over to Stephanie.

"What do you mean, I'm good?" She looked worried.

He knelt down to Stephanie and removed the necklace. Then he smashed them both against the tree. Stephanie blinked and quickly looked around. "Sportacus?"

She ran to him and hugged him and he hugged her tight. His heart was filling back up. Hope was restoring. "Where am I?"

"I'll explain later." He looked at the figure of Elena.

"You made some mistakes and kept me on the edge. It's all smoke and mirrors. You see, everyone knew where I was going and that it was important that I go. Even Robbie knew and yet he asked where I was. Then he didn't call her Laney. He called her Elena.

I knew there was something wrong. I saw the ring and knew it had something to do with it. I'm even willing to bet everyone is still alive. And do you know why?" He looked at her and she had an angry face. That of a child who was being scolded.

"Because, you can't hurt them because they are human. You might be able to control them but you can't hurt them. Not without a crystal to balance your magic. And your magic isn't fully developed for some reason."

"Ahem. It'd be nice NOT to be tied to a tree." Robbie said giving his input. Sportacus went over and freed him and went back and faced his opponent.

"Fine." She said with gritted teeth. "You're right. I can't harm them. Because they are human."

He didn't like her tone.

"You either hand over your crystal or your precious Elena dies. She is an elf. I can kill her."

"What do you mean?"

She waved her hand and Elena appeared, tied on her back to a cement slab. Sportacus ran over to her.

"Elena." She was unconscious. There was a black crystal penetrating itself through her chest. He reached out to touch it and he got thrown back. He shook his head, and went back to her. Robbie and Stephanie followed. He touched her face. She was cold and pale. "What are you doing to her?"

"Stealing her life force. Once that crystal is gone, so is she. I will be able to walk in this world. But with your crystal, I'll have the power to exact vengeance on those who put me in the hell in which I've lived."

Vengeance. He thought. It wasn't only Elena he felt. It was her. The loneliness, anger and abandonment. She was doing to him what was done to her. He looked at Elena. He didn't know how much time she had so, he had to work fast. He looked at Stephanie and Robbie. "Stay with Elena." He was still emotionally drained but he had a job to do.

He walked over to her. "What's your name?"

"Svarta-"

"Your real name. Not the one they call you."

"What?" She was taken aback.

"What is your real name?" He asked gently.

She hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "Loquia."

"That's a beautiful name. I'll make you a deal, Loquia. You answer all of my questions and I'll give you my crystal."

"WHAT?!" Robbie yelled.

"Sportacus you can't!"

Sportacus ignored their protests he just kept looking at Loquia.

"Why?"

"Does it matter? No tricks. You just have to be honest and answer all my questions."

He had to be up to something. She looked at him suspiciously. "Fine!" She folded her arms.

"What do you want to know?"

"Since you will be telling me the truth, show me your true form. I want to talk to you."

She hesitated for a moment then changed. White hair and white eyes, and gray/black skin. "I suppose you have a comment." She said sarcastically.

"You are very beautiful." He wasn't lying. She was beautiful.

She scoffed. "Ask your questions"

"What happened to you? Why are you doing this?"

"I'm evil! Isn't that enough? Look at me! I'm different! I was born to destroy."

"We are all different. That doesn't make you evil. Why do you think that being different makes you evil?"

"Didn't you see what I did? Don't you think that makes me evil? I'm trying to destroy you! What more do you want?"

"Who told you you were evil?"

"My parents. Are you happy, now? Bringing up my pain!" She turned away from him.

"Why did your parents say you were evil and why did you take it out on the elves?"

"Why do you want to know?!"

"Because, the story I was told has gaps. And if I'm going to hand over my crystal, I want to know everything."

"What were you told?"

"Ah, ah. I ask the questions. Why did your parents tell you that?" He saw she was a bit resistant so he popped out his crystal and tossed it in his hand a couple of times.

She sighed hard. "I'm different!" He just waited. She knew he wanted more. "My parents lived in isolation because of me. They kept me because... I don't know why. But, they never treated me as their own."

Sportacus couldn't believe this of an Elven family. They took such high regard when it came to their children. They were so precious.

"I didn't realize how much they despised me until the day they were going to abandon me. They ignored me just enough. They fought every day. About me."

Sportacus's heart was breaking again, but for her. He kept listening.

"Then one night they were talking. I was hiding on the other side of the door. "She recalled.

"I don't want that thing any more!" Her mother exclaimed.

"And you think I do? We have to get rid of it. And we will. I've summoned Eturnu."

"No! It's too soon! This is too high a price!"

"This is the only way we can truly be free! We will get what we've always wanted. It will see to that."

"It! It! They didn't even have the decency to call me 'her'!" She was angry. "I decided I was just going to leave. I didn't know who this Eturnu was then but, I was not going to find out. They didn't want me. I didn't know why. I grabbed a knife and went to the back door to force open the lock when my father heard me. He-"

Tears began to form in her eyes as she was recalling the most terrifying event in her life. This was what he hoped would happen. Elena was a part of the crystal and she had part of Elena's life. Elena has so much emotion stirring within her that it was manifesting in Loquia as she was telling her story. He could feel feelings from her.

He had to make her understand, this was not her fault. He moved closer. He also noticed she was a few inches shorter now.

"He said something and came after me." She was looking off as she spoke. "I killed him. Then her. Then Eturnu burst in and shouted and a light came from his hands and the evil I was came out. The next thing I knew I was in a village killing the children." She brought her hands to her head. "They didn't deserve to live, to go through what I did. To endure the pain. But most of all the parents didn't deserve the children."

Stephanie wanted to go and help her but Robbie grabbed her arm and shook his head. He looked at Elena as the crystal buried itself deeper. He hoped whatever Sportacus was doing, he'd do it faster.

"Then your ancestor trapped me in this hell. Why didn't they just leave me to die?!" She cried. She saw Sportacus come closer. "No!" She held her arm out. "Stay away!"

"I want to help you. Please."

"Help me?! Now you want to help me?! I've answered all the questions I'm going to!"

Sportacus now noticed it wasn't that she was shorter but, younger. He moved closer so that he was a couple of feet from her.

"No!" She held him back. The closer he got the younger she became. "No!"

He took her hand an pulled her closer. She looked about seven. He took his crystal and held it between their hands. "We both need to find out the truth. And I'm not going to let anything harm you again." He closed his eyes and they disappeared.

Stephanie looked at Robbie. "Where did they go? What about Laney?" She whispered.

"Nothing is going to happen until this is done. He knows that. I guess we're going to see just how good Mr. Flippity Flip really is.