Alrighty then, another chapter! And, since I have neglected to add them, another disclaimer:
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination and the computer I'm writing this on. Young Wizards belongs to Diane Duane.I was surprised when I got the first three reviews for the last chapter all in one day! Wow. Sorry the update didn't come for a while, I was in an area in which it is extremely hard to find a wireless internet connection. (a.k.a, I was in Rhode Island. In a town with very few people. Or companies.)
Chapter Eight—"I'm here"
When Nita opened her eyes some hours later, she nearly gasped in surprise at the total darkness that met them. She felt as if she was blind, and couldn't see anything. She put one hand on her face, making sure that nothing was covering her eyes, and nothing was.
In the silence, she heard the sound of rhythmic breathing coming from a few inches away.
Slowly she felt her way along the cold floor, until she found the arm of the person lying there.
"Kit?" she whispered.
After a moment, there was a pause in the pattern of the breathing, and then another noise as the person shuffled around a bit.
"Neets?"
She sighed, and leaned forward to rest her head against him.
"I'm here. What happened?"
There was another pause as Kit pulled her closer, and bent over to kiss her forehead.
"A short time after you fell asleep, it just became dark. Like when all the lights in a city go out during a blackout. I guess it stayed that way…huh…"
"What do you think happened?" Nita asked after a minute, having been made momentarily breathless when he kissed her.
"I dunno. It makes things more difficult, though. I wonder if the Lone Power is still here…"
"I am," came a cold voice from a distance.
"You have remarkable hearing," Kit commented darkly, and Nita chuckled.
"Be nice," she warned.
"I was." He slowly ran a hand along her face, under her chin, and over her lips, and started to lean closer…
"Stop that!" ordered a voice from far away in the darkness. "I can sense the emotion from over here; and it doesn't make it any more bearable in this place!"
Kit ignored It, choosing to gently brush his lips against Nita's, and she responded with a soft noise, leaning closer as her heart sped, and her breath caught.
"Please?!" The voice was desperate now, almost sounding pained.
Sighing, Kit pulled back some, but slipped an arm around Nita's waist instead.
Suddenly, a light flashed on with a large crashing sound as if someone had flipped a giant light-switch.
It was not the same light as before; this was a large spotlight, only illuminating the area around where Nita and Kit were, and not much outside that circle.
Nita, blinded and shocked at the sudden burst of light, squirmed closer to Kit, and they clung to each other as they looked around warily.
A deep chuckle resounded from the distance; in the opposite direction from where the Lone Power was.
"Who's th-there?" Nita stammered. Stupid question, she thought sourly, I know that laugh…
The chuckle became louder, almost deafening as the sound echoed off of the walls.
Kit pulled back so that he could look at Nita. No, he thought to her, it can't be! It's already here, It can't be here twice!
The Lone Power looked up in shock from where it sat, staring into the darkness in the opposite direction.
Out of that darkness, there stepped a tall figure. Its long black cloak billowed out behind it, and the pale skin that shone out from under the hood gave away who it was.
By this time the Lone Power had stood up, and strode cautiously over to where this new person stood.
They were like identical twins, standing next to each other as they were. There was one obvious difference though, besides their voices. The cloaks were different colors now. The first Lone One's cloak had turned a shimmering pearl, iridescent in the spotlight.
Nita and Kit got up, and slowly began backing away from the two, not wanting to get in their way. They felt a wall behind them, and leaned against it.
"Why are you here?" the first Lone One asked, Its high voice piercing in the silence.
The second Power stepped closer, and laughed again, darkly.
"I'm here for the same reason you are, foolish brother. I am here to interfere with the situation. Though in a different way, I think."
The first Lone One had his right hand out, as if holding an invisible sword.
"I'm not interfering! I'm trying to help!" It squeaked, backing up.
"Help?" chortled the evil Power, "is suddenly changing your mind actually going to help these hopeless wizards? Is this Life they are protecting, actually changing you too? Or is it just your delusional way of thinking that somehow this can get you back to the place that was once your home?
"Brother, believe me, that home is long lost from you. 'Timeheart' no longer has enough patience for Its prodigal son."
The first Power clenched his hand a bit tighter, and a staff appeared inside Its grasp. It was a rod of concentrated moonlight, and shone with the radiance of the rowan branch, only more potent. The ends blazed with golden sunshine, and the light glowed bluish where the Power held it.
"I am no longer the runaway," It declared, "I am the one come home. I will come home!" It straitened, holding Its weapon in front of it.
"Fairest and Fallen, greetings and defiance," It whispered, in shock that It was saying the words that had recently been used against It.
The evil Power scowled, and also suddenly summoned a weapon, a sword, with a blade of icy black metal that rang as the Power pulled it from its sheath.
"You're wrong," It sneered, stepping closer, and striking out with the sword.
The first Lone One instantly blocked the blow, the staff getting in the way, and preventing injury.
With a loud growl, the evil Power struck again, putting full force behind the weapon, and again, the good Power lifted the staff almost reflexively, and batted the sword aside.
Turning slightly, the first Lone Power lifted the staff to hit the other One in the stomach, but it was thwarted last second by the Other's sword.
Fighting harder, the good Power didn't back off, but instead pressed the staff harder against the sword, forcing the evil One towards the far wall.
This was a battle of strength now, as they both put full force against the other, refusing to surrender. And it was not only a physical battle, the wizards noticed, as the fierce concentration in the Powers' eyes made the mental contact plain.
Multicolored flames and sparks shot up where the Powers' weapons touched. Neither was going to sway, at least not yet.
Kit finally looked away from the battle before them, and turned to Nita.
"So what do we do now? We just stand here, watching that guy"—he motioned towards the first Lone Power—"fight with himself?"
"And," Nita added, leaning against him slightly and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, "above all, we're still stuck here!"
"Not for long!" yelled a sharp voice from to their left, and they stared in shock as cracks appeared in the other wall, and a large chunk of it crumbled into dust.
"Dairine?" they asked, shocked.
"Yes, now get through here now, before I have to come drag you!" She wasn't paying attention to the situation in the room, she just urgently motioned for Nita and Kit to come.
They did, rushing over to her.
"Dairine, what spell did you use to get through that wall?" Nita asked, concerned.
"Oh, you know, that one I used to get to mars that first time. The one that leaves the door open for a while." She glared at them. "Message me, why don't ya, next time you decide to disappear on me! I thought you said you'd make yourself easy to find!"
"Wait," Kit said, "You used that spell? That horribly big one, that no one can do post ordeal, or not many, anyways? I have one question: how the heck are you still alive?!"
Dari shrugged. "I had help."
KitKitKitKitKitKit!! an enthusiastic voice barked in the speech, as the sheepdog bounded through the opening, and jumped onto Kit, nearly knocking him down, though Nita held him steady.
Dai Stihó, Boss! Ponch continued, washing Kit's face.
Nita laughed, as Kit pushed Ponch off him, and chuckling, bent down and buried his face in the dog's fur.
Ponch, Kit thought delightedly.
Nita laid a hand on Kit's shoulder, grinning down at him as she saw the tears of joy forming in his eyes.
"Would you guys come on!!" Dairine called impatiently, grabbing Nita's arm and starting to drag her.
"No," Nita objected, "I think we should stay here for now. It might need help."
For the first time, Dairine noticed the battle going on behind them.
Her eyes widened suddenly. "Uh-oh," she whispered, then grabbed Nita's arm again, and pulled. "We have to go now," she said, utmost haste in her voice, "Come on!!"
Sensing some part of her sister's thought, Nita reached out for Kit.
"Kit, Ponch, we really do have to go. There's only so much power this universe can take, and it's about to reach its limit."
"Right," Kit said, instantly standing up, and making his way through the opening.
"Finally," Dairine said in exasperation, and went through herself.
Ponch came next, and lastly, Nita came through, stepping into the blackness of the acquiescent in-between universe area.
A rumble came from the dark Playroom just as Nita stepped through, and most of one wall dislodged itself, barely missing her as Kit grabbed her wrist and pulled her in.
"Ponch, help me seal it!" Dair cried, stretching out her hands towards the gateway.
Coming! Ponch said, running at full speed towards the passage, and lifting one paw.
The wizards got a last glimpse of the universe inside, and what they saw frightened them. The walls were crumbling around and on top of the two Powers; the floor shattered and sticking up in odd angles as the matter of the world itself seemed to bend and twist under the pressure. With a deafening Bang! the ceiling caved in, breaking into chunks that rained down and sent shrapnel flying.
The gate sealed, leaving nothing but the darkness, and the sounds of the wizards' quickened breaths.
"Is anyone hurt?" Kit asked suddenly, and summoned a wizard light to hover near the center of the group.
"No," Dairine muttered, and No, Ponch added.
Nita realized that she had been leaning mostly on one leg, and turned to look at the other. There was some blood on her ankle, bleeding through the fabric of her jeans.
"Yes," she said, wincing, "but not badly. I think I got hit by one of the smaller pieces of shrapnel." Nita cautiously tested the ankle, putting some weight on it, but grimaced, and went back to standing on one foot.
"Here," Kit said, pulling her against him so that he supported most of her weight.
"Now what?" Dairine asked, "besides you guys helping me, that is."
"Tom and Carl," Nita and Kit spoke at the same time. "They got sent somewhere too, when that spell went weird," Kit clarified.
"Try messaging them again," Dairine suggested.
Nita pulled out her manual, telling the pages to brighten so that she could read in the dim light.
After several minutes, she sighed in relief.
"What?" Dairine and Kit demanded.
"They made it back alright. They were sent to a different universe, one with…"—she paused to squint down at the message again—"…Pirates? And giant squids? And…fairies?"
"I don't even want to know," Kit said quickly.
"Sounds like Peter Pan," Dairine mused.
"Okaaaay…" Nita said, "What did you want help with?"
"I…had a dream about Roshaun. He said something about you knowing how to find him, or where he was."
Kit shuddered, and Nita squeezed his hand.
"We do know where he is," Nita said quietly.
There was a pause for several minutes as Dairine waited to hear more. When they didn't say anything else she said, "Okay, where?"
"You can't go there!" Kit burst out suddenly.
Dairine stepped forward to glare at him, looking directly into his eyes. "Why not?" she demanded, yelling as loud as she could.
"Because it's dangerous!" Kit yelled back. Nita lay a hand against his neck, gently rubbing it along his shoulder. "Hey," she whispered so that only Kit could here, "relax."
"'Dangerous,' Kit? Is that going to keep me from going? I've faced 'dangerous' before, and won!" Dairine shouted.
"This isn't the kind of dangerous that you can fight against!" said Kit weakly, having been somewhat quieted by Nita's touch.
"Where is he?" Dairine asked, turning to Nita this time.
Nita waited a second before answering, sitting down on the ground, and pulling Kit next to her. "He's in a morphius universe," Nita said quietly, continuing to rub Kit's shoulder.
Dairine shrugged. "That's not bad. What's Kit's problem with it?"
Kit shuddered again as the memory hit him, once more in full force.
Cautiously, Nita wrapped her arms around him, and rested her head against his shoulder.
"Hey," she whispered softly, "it's okay."
"He had some…bad experiences there," Nita directed towards Dairine. "It's not exactly a normal morphius. It kind of…changes to become your worst fear, or whatever makes you hurt the most."
Dairine gritted her teeth. "I'll handle it. I have to go there!"
"Not alone, you don't!" Nita said. "I'm helping you, and you can't get me to change my mind."
Dairine sighed. "Fine," she said stiffly.
"Kit," Nita said quickly as Kit opened his mouth to speak, "you shouldn't come. I don't want you hurting like that again." Her voice rang with the truth, and because of her tone, it was obvious how much it would hurt her, if he were hurt.
Kit shook his head. "I'm coming. I'm the one with the knowledge about that type of universes. You might need me."
Nita grinned at him lopsidedly, her eyes sparkling, even in the darkness. "I'll always need you," she said.
Kit was cradling her face in his hands, pulling her closer, and slowly tilting her face upwards.
"Guys," said a weak voice from several feet away, and they looked up hurriedly to see Dairine, stepping back and turning her face away. "Please," she continued, her voice hoarse. Nita and Kit instantly pulled away from each other, and Nita began to stand.
"Dairine, I'm so sorry," she said.
"No…I'm okay," Dair lied, holding up one hand, "it just…feels painful, to see you together, when Roshaun…" She stopped abruptly, seeming to have said too much.
…When Roshaun can't be there for me, like that, Nita heard Dairine finish in her head.
Nita walked cautiously over to Dairine, stepping carefully on her injured ankle, and gave her little sister a hug.
Dairine hugged her back, then pushed Nita away after a moment.
"Hey, lets go find him."
Nita glanced over to Kit. "Are you going to be alright?" she asked, concerned.
"Yes," he said. "But can we go home and rest for a minute first? I'd also like to talk to Tom and Carl."
"Fine with me," Nita said. "Dari, is that okay?"
No, a part of her yelled, no that's not okay! I need to find him, now!
"Sure," Dairine said tiredly.
There was a pause. "I wonder what happened to the Lone Power, the good one I mean," Kit said.
"Yes, I wonder…" Nita commented.
Suddenly there was a horrible noise, a combination of the sounds of metal screeching against metal, and fabric being torn apart.
Someone stepped into the darkness beside where they were standing.
"I'm here."
