Queen Sunstar: Peace and quiet at last. (a mumble, Mac is taped up to the wall.) Well, you wouldn't stop!
(Rick walks in, sees Mac)
Rick: You ticked her off, didn't you, Mac.
Mac: Murfmerfmurf!
Rick: Well, what did you expect her to do with the duct tape Horatio so cleverly found? Dance with it?
Mac: Merf!
Rick: You did it, not me.
(Horatio, still in wolf form, looks up from the pet bed he is curled up on)
Horatio: Mac wouldn't stop, so he gets to spend time taped to the wall. By the way, NBC owns us, except the tape used on Mac, the hand drawn mustache in black permanent marker on Ricks face, our animal forms, Lumin, Dusk, Brisa, and the story line below.
Rick: What? (Runs over to the mirror) Ryan! When I get my hands on you, you are dead meat!
(Ryan is heard laughing from the hallway.)
Horatio: Here, try a Mr. Clean Dry Eraser!
(Rick frantically scrubs his face with the eraser)
Queen Sunstar: On to chapter.
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Freedom. Horatio, in wolf form trotted through the woods. The cool wind ruffled his fur. He could hear the sounds of forest animals scuffling in the leaves. He felt free after being confined to the house for three days. He trotted toward an old, half-eaten, half-rotten footbridge, and walked over it carefully. He knew where he was going. Soon, the lab rose in front of him. He walked inside, and several demons lunged at him. He lit his horn, keeping them back. One of them, a large winged panther, hissed warningly, and lunged at him. Horatio ducked, and brought up his horn, impaling the demon. It shrieked as it withered, and died.
"Anyone else?" Horatio asked.
"Yes, me." Rick, in his own wolf form, walked up to him.
"I know what you did to my fellow lieutenant, Rick. I will fight you if I must to save him." Horatio drew back his lips into a snarl.
"I will make a trade, Horatio. You for Frank." Rick hissed.
"Let me see my Lieutenant, and give him the medical attention he needs, first, and then, I'll return to you, Rick. You have my word." Horatio responded, his tone cold.
"You have one hour." Rick lit his horn, and frank crashed to the floor from the ceiling. A quick sniff told Horatio he was still alive. He went human, and carried Frank outside, away from the old building, into the woods. He went far enough that Frank would get a good getaway. After setting him down, he went wolf, and laid his horn on him.
Inside, Rick nodded to a demon. The demon was dog like, with red eyes and coal black fur. The dog demon looked expectantly at Rick, awaiting his command.
"Follow Caine, Dogma, and make sure he stays true to his word." Rick ordered, watching as the dog slipped out the door.
Horatio glowed softly. Franks injuries healed themselves. Horatio sat down, tongue out, panting from his effort. He watched as Frank stirred, and came around.
"Sorry, H, but Rick got the best of me. Thanks for the save." Frank sat up.
"You are welcome. Head back to the lab, and let everyone know you still exist. I'll deal with Rick." Horatio said, rising to all fours, and nearly staggering as he walked away.
"But-" Frank sighed, "Be careful, H. Rick ain't no pushover."
Seconds later, a horned lion cantered across the same bridge Horatio used earlier. Frank made up his mind. He would return to the lab and get help. There was no way Horatio would be able to handle Rick on his own.
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Get out of my body, Fogma!
No, Delko. You are mine, now.
I am not yours! You may control my body, but you will never control my will! Calliegh will know instantly that something is wrong with me!
Ah, yes. The lovely Huntress. Such a lovely body. Even she cannot save you now.
Calliegh knows me better then I know myself! She will find away to set me free!
You wish.
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A couple Technicians had cheered as the fog dispersed several days ago. Now, Calliegh found herself working with Valera on a DNA test. She watched as Eric walked by, a blood-splattered jacket in his hands. He had solved the bank robbery case, and was helping the nightshift ease its massive caseload by working a couple murder cases for them. Calliegh had noticed that Eric seemed colder, more hostile, since his fight with Fogma. When he told her about the fight later that night, he had seemed arrogant.
"Cal, pass me another beaker, please?" Valera asked, following her gaze, "You and Eric fighting again?"
"No. Something about Eric feels off. He seems different, now." Calliegh said, handing over a beaker to Valera.
"We came very close to losing Horatio. Eric is probably feeling the hurt and stress of what happened with Horatio. Give him time. He'll get over it." Valera said.
"You are probably right." Calliegh said, even though her gut was telling her otherwise. At that moment, Frank arrived in lion form.
"Ricks got Horatio!" He cried, "He traded himself for me!"
"Then let's go." Calliegh said, "I'll get Natalia, and Eric. You get Alexx, and we will go get Ryan in the garage, and leave from there." Calliegh said.
Frank nodded, and took off for the morgue. He ran in just as Alexx burst into flames. He watched that, as minutes later, the flames vanished. He still could not get used to seeing the ME do that.
"Alexx, Horatio is in trouble!" He quickly filled her in.
"I'm right behind you." Alexx followed Frank.
They met up with Calliegh, Natalia, and Eric in the hallway. They ran into the garage.
"Guys, is this normal?" Ryan picked up the truck he was processing.
"Ryan! Put that truck down!" Natalia gasped.
"That so ain't normal, dude!" Eric said, "Where'd you learn that?"
The others stared at Eric blankly. He never called Ryan dude, before.
"Ryan, we need you, too. Horatio is in trouble, and we all are going to go save him. Eric, what possessed you?" Calliegh asked.
"Nobody." Eric said.
"I'm with you. I woke up this morning, and I can lift tons." Ryan said, "Could this be apart of Bree I'm experiencing?"
"Could be." Eric said, "Let's move!"
The garage door opened, revealing Mac.
"Eric goes nowhere." He said, "Except into the sky with me. That is Fogma, a high-level demon, not Eric. Fogma is possessing Eric, and I'm the only one besides Horatio that can eject spirit demons."
"Really?" Eric's voice went deep, and his eyes burned red. The others backed away from him. Mac walked forward, going demonic as he went. He hissed warningly, revealing his fangs.
"Fogma, we meet again. Was murdering Adien Burns enough for you? We have unfinished business to attend to!" With that, Mac wrapped a clawed hand around Eric's neck, and shot up into the sky with powerful thrusts of his wings.
"Guys, lets go." Alexx whispered, "Let Mac handle Eric."
Wordlessly, the others followed her as Frank led them toward Sadistic Island. Up in the sky, Eric went white tiger, with demon wings and red eyes. He gave Mac no time to let him go before he attacked with a swipe of his paw. Mac tumbled backward a few feet. He narrowed his eyes, and locked eyes with the tiger.
"Look into my eyes, Fogma. Feel the burning damnation you have cast upon yourself. Feel the darkness, the hate, and the anger of the souls you've taken, Fogma." Mac's eyes glowed white. Fogma screamed.
"Feel this!" Fogma roared, swiping at Mac's face. Mac blocked the hits.
"Daro uozers unite! Eurge Ericus soulv and set Eric ree!" Mac called, using the demonic language. He watched with smug satisfaction as Fogma was expelled from Eric's body.
"Finally! I was beginning to think no one cared!" Eric said, "Thanks, Mac."
"You are welcome. Horatio is in trouble, so lets go." Mac said.
Tiger and Demon flew side by side over to Sadistic Island.
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Dogma walked just behind the winged wolf. He watched as the wolf staggered, nearly falling. Cain looked like something Catalina might drag in. Shade had not told him much, other then the fact Cain was very important for reviving the Ancient Master. Cronamus had come back. The Demons had celebrated the return of the Ancient Masters first general, and right hand man. Then Shade returned, casting out any remaining doubts about the return of the Ancient Master. Cain stumbled over a tree root, and went down. Dogma sighed, and sat down to wait while the wolf stood slowly, and laid down.
'He is weak. Is he still strong enough to undo the seal locking the Ancient Master within the Dark Realm?' Dogma thought, watching as Cain rested.
"Sorry about that. I'm not like I used to be." Cain rose unsteadily. Dogma considered offering to carry him.
"Its okay. Lets move." Dogma responded.
"You aren't like the other demons, Dogma." Cain said, falling in step next to Dogma.
"That's because I've seen the Human world, Cain. I've learned compassion, and love. I'd rather be a human pet then a demon. I'm one of the very few demons that believe humans and demons can get along. Careful, there. My life started long ago. I was born third in a litter of five. My parents told us pups stories about the Ancient Master, and trained us to fight in His army. On the day my litter was to join the army camps, I wound up left behind on accident. Humans trampled our nest. I was taken in by a man named Speedle, and raised into adulthood. I loved that man. I learned an all new world from him. Then one day, he didn't come home, and I knew. I cried for days after that. I left home, and was found by my brother, who took me into the army camp. I trained, and vowed to escape first chance I got. My chance hasn't come, yet." Dogma said, "Speedle called me Guy."
"I knew Speedle, Dogma. I was his boss, Horatio, in my human form." Cain said, "I'll help you escape. I don't plan on sticking around much longer."
They arrived back at the old lab, and went inside. Shade was waiting for them. He flicked his horn, and a rope hanging from the ceiling snaked itself around Cain's body. He was lifted off the ground, and suspended over a pentagram on the floor. Dogma went and took his place by Catalina. He didn't want to watch, but something made him look. Shade prowled by him.
"Greetings, fellow demons and demonesses. I am Shade. The age of demons is almost upon us. We are gathered here today to witness the first step of His reawakening. Soon, He will walk this earth, and reclaim it from the Humans. This time, we have the advantage. The Humans do not have their Avenger fighting for them. They will be putty in His hands! Without further ado, lets begin!" Shade paused under Cain, "Any last words, Mortal?"
"Yes. You forgot that the other Mortals might come to try to save their Leader." Cain said.
Shade spun toward the door, and snickered.
"Do I look stupid to you? They can't get in, because my force field won't allow it." Shade cackled.
"You are insane." Cain said.
"Enough of this mindless chatter, imbecile. Its time to begin reawakening the Ancient Master." with a flick of his horn, Shade ripped open Cain's neck. Silvery red blood spattered onto the pentagon.
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"Oh my god, we are too late!" Calliegh pounded on the force field in frustration. Earlier, she wanted to nuke it, but Alexx had talked her out of it. Natalia lit her horn in a desperate attempt to nullify it, and failed.
"This can't be happening! Rick, wait until I lay my hands on your neck!" Frank screamed.
"Frank, yelling at the wall won't help anything!" Alexx shot back, "There has got to be a way to get past this thing! Think, everybody!"
"If I think anymore, Alexx, I'm going to think myself to death!" Ryan complained, banging a massive paw on the force field. Suddenly, he brightened, "Hey Natalia! Have you tried generating a cross field to break up this one?"
"I tried that a second ago with Franks help!" Natalia snapped, "Augh! I can't believe Rick is killing Horatio, and we are stuck by a stupid force field, unable to do a thing to stop it!"
"We know, Nat. Can't I just nuke it?" Calliegh tried.
"For the last time, no! do you want to wipe out all of Miami?" Alexx asked.
"What about a stick of dynamite? A drop of nitroceride? Black powder?" Calliegh tried.
"FOR THE LAST TIME, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BLOW UP THE FORCE FIELD! DO YOU WANT TO KILL US ALL?" Alexx screeched, her feathers fluffed up.
"I GOT TO GET IN THERE TO SAVE MY MAN!" Calliegh shot back.
"WELL, SO DO I!" Alexx screamed.
"LADIES! STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU! SHUT UP!" Ryan screamed.
Both women stopped, and turned to face him.
"You stay out of this, teddy bear!" Alexx was deadly calm.
"I'm not a teddy bear! I'm a powerful grizzly bear!" Ryan squealed, clawing at the force field.
Mac and Eric arrived.
"Everybody, calm down. Think happy thoughts. Hmm, a simple force field stopped you?" Mac rested both hands on the force field, and walked through it, "This is an anti good power grid. Be right back." Mac walked up to Rick in wolf form, and knocked him out. The field fizzled. The Mortals burst in onto the demons. Frank ripped into a she cat demon, while Alexx sprayed fire down on several demons, scattering them. Calliegh and Eric got to Horatio.
"The ropes are too tight!" Eric cried, clawing at them with his claws.
"I can call any kind of weapon… scissors! It works!" Calliegh cut the ropes binding Horatio. He fell gracelessly to the now glowing pentagram. Alexx shot over to them.
"Daro Uozer nlast!" Mac vanquished seven demons at once. The other demons started to flee. Frank and Ryan chased after several stragglers.
"This can't be! Horatio, I know you can hear me! You have got to wake up! I know you are hurt badly, but we need some sign of life from you!" Calliegh cried, tears streaming down her face. She buried her face in Eric's fur to hide her tears.
"Come on, H! They need you! Alexx, think your tears will help?" Mac asked.
"Of course!" Alexx responded. She hovered over Horatio's injured neck, and shed several tears on the injury. It began to close itself. Horatio opened his eyes several minutes later. He was still in wolf form.
"Finally. I almost saw Speedle again." He sat up, "Calliegh, you can stop crying, now. I need to start training you guys soon." He rose to his feet, "Here's why."
The pentagram became outlined in red light. Slowly, it began to open up like a five sided box. Something black and sinister rose from the opening. Rick walked up to it with Cronamus next to him. Outside, darkness descended onto the land. The black shadow split into three separate beings, and took form. The first one looked like a shadow with red eyes, the second one took the form of a lizard like skeleton with wings made of bone. The third being took the form of what appeared to be a human with the head of a cat, the wings of an eagle, and the spiked tail of a scorpion. Rick and Cronamus bowed.
"Welcome, Ancient Masters Spectore, Skeletome, and Malica. Welcome back." Cronamus whispered.
"Rise, Cronamus, and Shade." Spectore wavered.
"Its good to be back." Skeletome spoke in a deep bass voice.
"Finally. Its good to be above ground." Malica spoke with a feminine tone.
"There is good news, Masters. The Avenger does not walk the earth any longer. Its all yours for the taking." Cronamus said.
"That is good, Cronamus." Spectore said.
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"We are in big trouble, now, right?" Ryan asked.
Mac only nodded.
The CSI's were back in their human forms, inside Horatios office. They were talking about what had happened, and of Horatio's odd behavior. Horatio had his desk chair, Alexx and Ryan had the two chairs in front of the desk, Mac leaned against the door, while Calliegh, Eric, Frank, and Natalia shared the couch. Horatio and Mac had both promised to tell them the whole story.
"Big trouble doesn't begin to penetrate this, Ryan." Horatio said, "We are now in a desperate race against time."
"You know what, H? I'll begin." Mac said, "This war started thousands of years ago, during the Roman Empire. Those same three dark gods and goddess threatened the peaceful roman world. A nun and two monks rose to stop them. They used up most of their power trapping the dark gods and goddess within a powerful seal. That seal was to remain locked for one millennium. A Demigod named Cronamus saw his chance for great power, and gathered the remaining demon forces for another attack. He was able to kill the two monks, but the nun had seen this coming. She had drained her comrades of their powers. She escaped at their order. Years went by. Cronamus crowned himself Emperor of the Roman Empire, and used the armies to strike fear into the empire. The nun was injured badly in one of these attacks. As she lay dying, she called forward seven humans. To the men, she split the powers of the two monks, and gave them the powers. To the women, she split her own powers and gave it to them. She told them to find a way to defeat Cronamus. They did, at the cost of the life of their leader."
"This is going to be hard for some of you to hear. Marisol did not die from a gunshot wound. She died of her injuries brought on by a demon attack because of what she knew. She tried to tell me as she was dying. During my time being dead back at the hospital, I saw her and Speedle again. She told me that Leo and Cain, me and Frank, can merge our animal forms, and so can Orina and Lexa, Calliegh and Alexx. The current Trinity members are Lumin, Dusk, and Brisa." Horatio continued.
At that moment, the floor darkened, and the Trinity rose up out of the shadows. Lumin wore his blue cloak, hood up over his head. Dusk wore a red cloak, with his hood drawn up over his head, and Brisa, wearing orange, had her hood down. Ryan recognized her as Jodye, the girl he saved.
"There is no time." Lumin spoke first.
"That was Lumin, Dusk is in the red, and you all know me as Jodye, and I did say I was Brisa, once. What Lumin means is, We are running out of time. This is not our fight, anymore. We came here because we sensed the new Trinity gathering together. Here comes the final two members." Brisa said, nodding toward the door. It opened, revealing Yelina, and Valera.
"Good, they are here." Dusk said.
"Mac, Yelina, and Valera are the destroyer, the life giver, and the healer. Mac can destroy most Demons, and if he were to say… touch Frank in lion form, Frank would gain a power boost. He can do this with anyone of you. Yelina can bring back the dead. She can only bring back those dead of wrongful deaths. Those dying peacefully, or by choice, she can not bring back. Valera can heal. She can not heal if the injury is life threatening, but she can take away the pain." Lumin explained, "Yelina, put your hand on top of mine. Dusk, you are next. Mac, good, Brisa, good, Valera, good. Ancient Trinity fading, new Trinity here. Blessed be." the office was filled with glorious light. Once it faded, only Mac, Yelina, and Valera were still standing in the circle, with a hand on top of the other. They let go.
"the three demons you saw earlier were Spectore, a living shadow. He is a spirit demon. Skeletome, a bone demon, and Mortalia, a physical demon. Demons come in two types. They are Spiritual, and Physical. Spiritual demons are ghost like, and can possess you. Foggma, the fog demon that possessed Eric, and Spectore are two examples of spiritual demons. Skeletome, and Mortalia are physical demons because they have physical forms." Horatio was interrupted by screams from the floor below. The CSI's and ME ran down to the main floor. They looked outside, and it was all Horatio could do to keep from screaming in horror.
Outside, darkness descended over Miami. Lights came on, even though it was only two in the afternoon. Manholes slid back. Demon after demon crawled out into the premature night. Mac's cell phone rang, and seconds later, so did Horatio's phone, and Ryan's phone.
"New York is under the same blanket of darkness." Mac said.
"That was Grissom. Las Vegas is dark, too." Horatio said, barely hiding his fear.
"My call was from Jodye. She said Washington is dark, too. I think it is dark, everywhere." Ryan said, "Jodye still remembers being Brisa. She was teleported home once her job was done here."
A window shattered. Then another window shattered. A Lab Tech screamed.
"They're getting in!" Eric screamed.
"Fan out, and go animal!" Horatio ordered, already in wolf form. He ran down the hallway with Frank in lion form, and Ryan in bear form behind him.
"With pleasure!" Mac went fully demonic. His fangs, claws, and wings appeared, and tuffs of black fur ringed his hands. His eyes turned red, and his ears slid up his head and altered themselves to that of a bat. He raced after Horatio. Calliegh, Natalia, Alex, and Eric raced after them minutes later, while Yelina and Valera stayed behind. Yelina called after Mac, but he didn't hear her.
Horatio was already locked in battle with what looked to be a male black winged panther. Frank and Ryan tag team attacked a group of fox demons. Alexx and Mac worked together to defeat a winged black leopard. Calliegh found herself surrounded by dark angels in black armor. She did her best against them until Mac and Eric joined her. Natalia used her horn like a sword, and fought a dark version of herself.
Horatio faked a left, and swiped an already bloodstained paw across the demons face. He left a trail of blood in his wake. Horatio ducked, going under the cat. He thrust his horn upward, expecting to hear a scream of pain. Instead, it was him who screamed in pain as the demon flipped over him, leaving a series of bloody slashes in his back. The two bloodied combatants faced each other, panting. The demon lunged, Horatio dropped. The demon cat sailed over him, and seconds later, the wolf followed.
Frank shot over a fox demon, and dispatched it quickly with a blow to the neck. He spun, and brought down a demonically altered human, its features twisted out of proportion, and its body enlarged. The former human rose, growling. It struck a blow to Franks shoulder. The lion staggered, but remained standing. With an angry hiss, Frank lunged for the demon's neck.
Ryan found himself backed into a corner. It was all he could do to block the rain of blows from the demons cornering him. He heard a howl of rage, and looked up to see a silver blur shoot down through the demons. It was Horatio. Together, wolf and bear drove the demons into the waiting paws of Eric and Frank.
"STOP!" the fighting stopped.
A black wolf walked into the room.
"My minions, back! Clear out! This is Cronamuses fight with Cain!" Rick ordered.
Left and right, the demons retreated. The CSI's gathered together. Cronamus entered the room. He glared at the CSI's.
"Cain, step forward!" He ordered.
Horatio came forward, going human as he walked.
"What do you want?" He asked, his voice cold.
"I have been ordered to exterminate you, and I will. Meet me on the Night of the Blood Moon, at the bluffs. Prepare for your doom! Shade, lets go! We have planning to do!" Cronamus sneered, "If you don't show up, this pretty little angel dies!" With that, Cronamus grabbed Calliegh. Eric squealed, Frank hanging on to his tail. Cronamus left with Calliegh, and Rick.
"Let me at him! He's got my Calliegh!" Eric screamed.
"No, Eric. I will go face him, like he wants me to. Mac, you are half demon. Do you by per chance know what Cronamus met by Night of the Blood Moon?" Horatio asked.
"I haven't been a half-blood long, but I think it has something to do with the moon. Yelina may know." Mac said, as he reverted back to his human self. The others reverted back to normal, too. They left the now destroyed layout room, and returned to the main hall of the Lab, where Yelina and Valera were.
"Mac! What were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed! You are a member of the Trinity now! We do not do battle with demons!" Yelina exploded.
Mac flinched like he had been slapped, "They would have been overwhelmed if I had not followed, Yelina. What is so important that you need to protect me?"
"Our duty is to train together to fight the Dark Trinity, and prevent the vanquishing of the light, you imbecile! If you had died tonight, the war would be lost! Next time, you stay with us, understand?" Yelina asked, eyes flashing.
"Yelina?" Ryan asked.
"What?" Yelina whipped around to face him, eyes still flashing. Ryan yelped, and dove behind Alexx. Horatio wrapped his arms around Yelina, hugging her. She settled down in his arms.
"Yelina, do you know of the Night of the Blood Moon?" Horatio asked.
"The lunar eclipse? that's two nights from now. Why?" Yelina asked.
"Cronamus asked me to battle, and I accepted. No one is to follow me. I'm going to end this, and save Calliegh." Horatio said, "It is late, and what ever you do, do not let out one word of Callieghs abduction out. All of us need rest. Lets head home, and meet back here tomorrow to work on the slasher case, everybody understand?"
Left and right, heads nodded. Eric looked like he might cry at any second. Frank's eyes were hard, a sign that the lieutenant was suppressing his inner turmoil. Ryan and Natalia held each others hands with out realizing it. Alexx and Valera looked away. Mac looked down. Yelina did her best to look angry.
"Good." Horatio turned, and walked back toward his office.
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Queen Sunstar: and this ends another chapter. I have decided to make this into a trilogy. This is almost the end of part one. I have one more chapter to do, and then comes the epilogue. Part two will be called New Hero Rising. The final part is currently under a working title, The Radiance Battles. I will try to update every two weeks if I can.
(Rick looks up, his face red from his frantic scrubbing.)
Rick: You are making the story into a Trilogy? I call Hero in next part!
Horatio: That would be my part, Rick!
Rick: It's no fair! Why do I always get pegged as the villain?
Horatio: You're good at being the bad guy, Rick.
Queen Sunstar: Rick, your chance to be good is coming. You know who is going to you know what in the next chapter.
Rick: You mean you're gonna- (Gets a hand slapped over his mouth, courtesy of Horatio)
Horatio: Rick! don't blab the secret out to the readers now!
Rick: Sorry. We love reviews! Leave us some and the chapter might get out sooner!