Life As Magic Knew It

Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeeee

A/N: Wow. How time flies, literally in this fic and also in how this fic has progressed. I am flying in bitter-sweetness to aware you all that this story only has three chapters left before it is finished…complete…ended in hopeful epicness. So, cherish these last chapters. Also: Not sure how amazing this chapter will be, but a HUGE event happens, so…. read, enjoy, and review.

Bella's POV:

The call from my long-lost-in-the-tragic-future-love was a bombshell of insanity. Will and his (Rikki's) kids were being attacked by some crazy shadow-formed creature that in some slight way resembled me, that crept up from my grave? Shouldn't I be receiving impulses of what was happening?

If I feel I'm distressed, future Rikki is even more. Her eyes are huge, and her perfected smile is wobbling; shock and disbelief brimming the sanity she is losing. I can tell she wants to say this a some impractical joke Will has played on her, but the vibe tells me it's not. A monster resembling me has arrived from the dead to destroy…people? Love? Life? Or maybe it wants to help me get my life back… Have an actual chance at having a future.

These questions sear away at me. Why am I dead in this future?

Before I can begin to try and ponder the question, future Rikki starts running. She's sprinting through the hospital hallway to the elevator; sanity spinning. She's desperately racing for the one she loves…and the one I love too. So I follow her, a discreet shadow, on the next elevator, fearing for what my monster version of myself will do to my one and only true love.

Is this Will's death date? Will his family be lost (even if it is future Rikki's as well)? Why does time like to be so tragic?

The hospital was near the docks that led into the ocean; a gateway to Mako, the mystical center of tragic magic. I assumed Rikki would get on the boat she had left her home on, as usual, I was wrong with my assuming. Future Rikki dived into the ocean; a breathless strive to save the ones she loves.

I look back only once to worry about present Rikki, but I know what I need to. She is strong. She will find her way to whatever path she needs to follow. She'll find us in a tragedy if she needs to. But now, without a thought or worry about my secret; I follow future Rikki into dark depths, swimming into lower darker areas of existence.

Nothing about this future surprises me anymore. Rikki's tail, as odd and marvelous it is, so similar to mine, glides ahead of me. She can out-swim me, even when we're both racing to save lives. Why didn't she swim to the mainland, rather than getting there on a boat? Perhaps she didn't want to be seen; she wanted her secrets well-kept, unlike me.

I follow this future Rikki upon the sand arches of the beach. It is when she starts taking her hand out and steaming her tail with a miraculous power, and the mist clears, that she notices me. Her eyes widen, but slowly, they ease for just a moment.

"Bella." She says my name as if it's a long lost concept that she misses, and stares with awe. "I knew this was going to happen but Will didn't." Future Rikki's eyes tremble, and I sense she desperately wants to break down, share secrets like the past (present) Rikki did. But she can't.

"What…What's happening, Rikki? Is Will going to get hurt? Are your kids?" I ask, my voice hoarse in anxiety.

"None of this ends well, Bella. So…enjoy what's left of it, before the real end. It's coming. Will's right. The end's starting, right now." A single misplaced tear escapes Rikki's crystal-blue eyes. She takes her hand and steams me; We're human now. And as much as I desperately want to sprint back into the ocean and leave this all to ruin by itself, I can't.

Future Rikki grabs me, a rejoice of a hug. She's whispering to me, "We missed you so much. Everyone loves you. You died to save everyone, and we all will forever love you." Once future Rikki's done with her confusing meltdown, she holds my hand and gulps. "Now, let's go. We have loves to save."

We fleeted the beach, and went into the deep and dark areas of jungle, where the little cottage stood, with howling evil noises leaking from the back, where my gravestone lie. Where a dark creature twisted into a vision of me made weeping noises.

We hurried, and were distraught at what we found. Little Suzie Q, shredded upon the grass. A lifeless corpse of blood and tears. The same grass where I had lied just moments ago, when we had first been transported here. The same little girl future Rikki had raised and loved with all her heart, and Will too. That little girl, gone. Just like what was found in the shadowy monster with my face that roared next to her.

The creatures had my green eyes, my waves of dirty blonde hair, but no hint of any soul anywhere on it's face. It had hideous blobs on the other parts of it's body. It was a monster who had killed Suzie Q. I watched future Rikki sob, as I try to hold her. Her daughter is dead, her husband and other children having disappeared.

But, now the me-monster turns to me, and sneers in it's own horrific way, "You are the one I've searched for…. Ssss, Sssss!" It hisses now, it's eyes hypnotizing their direction at me.

Future Rikki's in a mess, at Suzie Q's fallen side. She's of no help any more; too broken. I quicken a glance at the monster, the one searching for me. "What do you want?" My broken voice quivers.

"For the final end of the Gilbert and Hartley legacy. And yous will end thissss." The monster slurs. I shake my head. I want nothing to do with Emma, and our attraction of hatred, and this so-called legacy. Does it have something to do with mermaids? Destined magic?

"I'm not going to hurt anyone." My voice trembles, and future Rikki stares at me with a fiery form of building hatred. She believes it's my fault for this tragic end of her daughter, and deep down, I know it too. But I care about her, and I hate seeing hatred written across her face.

The monster sneers and looks at Suzie Q; dead eyes, bloody curls. "Yous already hassss." Then it cackles a menacing sound of gradual victory. The end of this legacy is coming, and it has everything to do with me. My worst nightmare.

The monster takes it's blob of a hand out, as I just hide my tears, pretend to stay strong. Suddenly, I realize all too tragically what's it's doing. Certain twirl of a hand; liquid turns into jelly. Exactly what the monster is doing to future Rikki, now. She's fallen to the ground, fading in and out. I know it's up to me to save her.

"Okay! Okay! I'll end this legacy, just don't hurt Rikki and Will and their family, okay?" I almost can't believe my words. I'm still betrayed, I'm still hurt, but I need Will to be okay, even if I'm not in this annually fucked up future. "I want them safe." And I realize, I do. Will, as my true love, however fate tears us apart. And Rikki, as the only best friend I've ever had. The one who I've shared dark secrets to, and who's told me her own heart's content. The end may not be pretty, but at least I won't be taken there not knowing that for a temporary time; Will and Rikki are happy.

The monster is hissing in happiness now, as it nods my face up and down, and starts an odd clap-like motion. "Good choicesss!" It grips my hand with sticky clamped blob fingers, and then I'm smothered. It's covering me; all darkness. Taking me away into the darkness. A different time; everything's different. Everything's about to happen.

. . .

The darkness is clearing, making way for a blurry image of a magical pool and faces surrounding it. I am at peace for a moment, a floating spirit in the middle of a moon pool, with such happy magic and energy surrounding me; genuine beauty. Until suddenly, the image dims and shows the real creatures within the magic.

Four girls adorned in old-fashioned if not a bit tangled and matted dresses; two with deep frowns, confusion (One with dark hair and ember slits as eyes, the other with old-fashioned curls and deep blue pools as her eyes; both sharing the image of heartbreak). The other two girls are powerful, and have magnetic electricity binding them together and apart. Both blondes, one darker. The darker one stares straight at me, and I gather a name. Bea. Almost like grandmother Bea. She was the one who ran away with a girl into the jungle, right?

Clutching close to them are two boys. One sweet and innocent, if not shocked and intrigued. The other curling his lip, dark pouncing eyes, even on me.

And then, the magical beauties of present. Cleo Sertori. Scared and withered. And, then there's Emma Gilbert; she's flailing in the moon's water, just appeared, now invested in the secret that is mine. She can't. I won't let her take this from me. Suddenly, a tangled blonde mess appears from behind me; a tremble of fire that gives me strength. Rikki has followed me here, and we have claimed each other as best friends.

The tail that Emma has stolen is still flailing. I find a burning desire and hatred to stop it; I twist my hand. The moon pool is now jelly. Emma a big blob of beautiful terror inside of it.

"Lovely! Just perfect, actually!" The girl next to Bea is clapping with an earful of a smile. "It took us rather long to summon the next Hartley legend, but, alas, she is here. And now, you two shall fight for this end. So that Bea and I can run away in peace, in love, without this hatred."

I am pinned into silence; confusion; fear; adrenaline, all whirling inside of me. Emma coughs within the jelly. "You two should be the ones who fight this battle. Not Bella and I."

And I find strength in her words. Even in hatred, we're on the same page. Neither of us want this. Cleo and Rikki clamber together, watch in their own little clique of an audience. I face Emma, eye-to-eye, from the moon pool.

"She's right." It pains me to say, but why? I sigh. "You are not going to have me killed and her in a coma. This is your battle, not ours… You can't do this. You can't make me angry at Emma for taking my secret." But, I realize with these words, I am already a step forward into being angry at her. I am angry. But fate is in the line; I can't let this fire I have for her take hold of me. I can't.

"And, where the fuck is my dad!" Emma's screech is not what I expect, and shock lifts my ears. Cleo looks as if she already knew this, but just as scared. And Rikki, as much as I feel pain for her future; she is just watching the show, with eyes full of anxiety…wondering how this really ends. If only we knew…

Bea cackles. So much; it hurts, yet strengthens me. Emma should feel pain. Wait, what is this legend doing? It needs to stop; needs to end. I know how this happens. Bea continues, "We kidnapped her father as he waited for a pick-up of drugs. It was so rather easy. We found magic to connect ourselves to the future, on a very special full moon. Then we kidnapped him, and made you plan this darling perfect little party of disaster. And now, Bella and Emma, two opposite magical forces, will fight each other to the death. Because that fire is burning throughout your veins. Don't try to deny it."

Don't try to deny it. Don't try to deny it. Don't try to deny it.

At the end of these words, the magical fire is unleashed, and I realize Emma and I's wrath cannot-will not be stopped. We must go till the end; there is absolutely no other way. And so, the battle begins.

Emma is lifted from the jelly, so we have a fair fight. I sense her new powers, but know I have much more experience over her. The fight is starting.

I lift my hand; Emma's eyes a little flustered at first, but soon she realizes what I'm doing. I twirl it, as her wet clothes clutter into a solid; she's stuck. I smile. This has been far too easy. Emma is scared; frantic. I sense Bea and the other girl, Louise, are about to announce me to end her.

Until Cleo shouts out, "No! This can't happen!" And with that, Cleo focuses her eyes on Emma's solidness, and soon; her own hand is twirling. Emma breaks, and my solid powers are gone, off of her. Cleo is mystified, but Emma is glad. She twitches a smile.

"You didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?" Emma smirks.

"Oh, puh-lease, if it wasn't for your destined-for-trouble bitchy friend, I'd have owned you." I spat, and I see all the past's souls glare with enchantment. No one can predict the end of this predicament, except Rikki and I, who have seen the future, and are desperate to change it.

And now, another run of powers. Emma lifts her hand now; flat out. I'm frozen; cannot breathe. She's going to win. I'm going to fall into a frozen death…if…someone…doesn't…help…

Fire. Fire's piercing through the ice. Rikki's hand balling into a fist. She's saving me. Both Rikki and Cleo have their own special powers, and it's almost a battle of the best friends, and yet, I know Rikki and Cleo want neither of us to win, and neither of us to lose.

Rikki smirks at Emma. "Fire beats ice, always."

I give her an appreciative you've-saved-my-life-thank-you-bestie charm of a grin, and turn my eyes back to Emma. I am determined to bring the end this time. Starting by jellying her blood. Where this new insanity comes from is unknown, it's just a burning drive through me, linked in my specific bloodline.

I take a more physical approach; starts by slamming her head against Mako's rock. Wham. I sense dizziness in her. We say no words as I beat her head in, and she pulls my hair, tipping them with frightful ice. Jelly drips down her body, but I can't find it in myself to bring the violent end…yet it's so close, asking me to finish this. One. Two….

Blurred black stars. Tipping souls. Fade of life. Ice. Air. Fire. Magic. All swirled into the air; it's too much energy to take. Cackles in background, unconsciousness falling slowly. The last touch I have of life is pushing a girl's head into space, and hearing a thud. And then, a montage of memories start. My life passing me by; it's ending. All too suddenly, the moments are shown to me.

A little baby girl is born in Ireland with dirty blonde hair and electrifying green eyes. She's destined for magic, always been different her entire life. At eight, she stumbles into a cove with a pool of magic. A moon rises over, bringing a gift and a curse all in one. The girl descends and grows as a mermaid. The mermaid then falls in love with a mortal named Will. He offers her a new world, and they run away together. Things are not happily ever after, because of a party started by a full moon. The end comes at this party, when the past, present, and future magic all blends into one. And in this blur, Isabella Iris Hartley was killed.

And in the future, Bella's best friend and her true love fall in love, and remember her magical presence every single April 17th.

Yes, each April 17th, I'll be remembered. And for me, right now, that's lovely enough, so I'll just fade into the peaceful sleep of death.

A/N: Okay, I feel I rushed this chapter a bit, but you ultimately see Bella's end in a (hopefully) epic tragic way. Shorter than my usual chapters, but the next one is planned to be quite long. There is only, really, one chapter left of this story, and then the epilogue that comes after. This story has transformed and been created by ideas, magic, love, and amazement I get from reading all the lovely reviews sent by you. So, please, make the story's official end even better than imagined as of now, by reviewing your heart out on Isabella Iris Hartley's death. Xoxo.