A/N: I give you Part Two of chapter 10. As much as I have invested into the stories of Tin Man, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and the movie of the same name, I sadly cannot claim an ownership over the masterpieces from which I draw…

On with the show…

"Hurry my little sister," Azkadellia's soft voice pleaded while dark brown eyes reddened with unshed tears. DG screamed as a grimacing hag transformed her beautiful sister's face into a monstrosity and began to steadily grow larger, blocking her vision in darkness.

DG screamed again and woke up, gasping for breath. An annual had passed since she let go and Az fell. The nightmares increased again as images flashed through her mind in brilliant bursts of light. She could make neither heads nor tails of the pictures, not knowing the difference between future events and her own mind's haunted imagination. Even her parents were confused by her recollections and if the Mystic Man knew what they meant, he was not talking.

On their return to Central City an annual past, her parents had immediately thrown themselves into research as they frantically tried to discover any salvation for their eldest daughter while protecting DG and preserving Az's life. Lavender had issued a statement explaining that a great evil had been unleashed, subsequently contained by the Queen's Light, and the Royal family was doing everything it possibly could to keep their people safe. She apologized in advance for the disappearing act the members of the House of Gayle were going to pull as they immersed themselves in their research. Assuring the people that they would still be involved in the kingdom's welfare, Lavender begged for patience and trust before finishing her speech.

DG's days consisted of harrowing magic lessons with Tutor, guilt driving her to the point of exhaustion long after her teacher had dismissed her for the day. Bruised circles formed under her eyes, matching the ones her parents exhibited as the Royal family's waking hours extended further into the dark watches of the night. They took their meals quietly, necessity driving them to perform life-giving activities when inside they were slowly dying a little more every passing day. The loss of a daughter and sister from their close circle felt like a gaping wound that was gradually bleeding out.

Azkadellia still remained locked in her magical prison, no word on the fate of the eldest princess being able to reach her family's ears. It had been one annual and hope was fading every day a solution failed to appear. DG was strong in her Light, but the prophecy in her dreams and scattered fragments of history all pointed to one fact every involved individual tried to deny.

Only at the Double Eclipse could the Daughters of Light combine their magic to destroy the evil witch that inhabited Azkadellia's body.

Through sketchy almanacs and fading history books, the five researchers (Ambrose, Ahamo, Lavender, Tutor, and the Mystic Man) estimated that it would be another fifteen annuals before the Double Eclipse made its debut.

Time was running out as the Crown Princess struggled against the binding force of the witch on her body and mind. Fifteen annuals were too long to wait but in despair, they finally conceded that there was no other option. Instead, they turned to fortifying the magic in the remaining Gayle women to shield the OZ from attacks by the witch. Lavender had discovered the location of the Emerald mentioned in DG's prophecy, and plans had been made to retrieve it before the end of the cycle.

The Queen knew that with DG's help and the assistance of the Emerald, she would more than likely be able to stem the witch's onslaught should the evil entity attempt to overthrow the OZ. She greatly feared the consequences such a battle would have on her eldest daughter. Her youngest daughter as well for that matter.

In the meantime, the Royal family and a few trusted friends had secretly relocated once again to the Northern Palace. Lavender and the Mystic Man agreed that the wintery fortress was more strongly protected by the Gayle magic. Its magical reinforcement would keep DG safe until she needed to confront the witch. They had forgone the usual guard detail in order to remain as anonymous as they possibly could. The only people inhabiting the Palace surrounded by a sea of ice were the remaining three of the Royal family, Ambrose, Tutor, the Mystic Man, and Lylo, their palace healer. The Mystic Man assisted them in cloaking their absence from Central City, using the Tin Men to keep order and maintain privacy as they prepared to wait out the long annuals.

Lavender was examining the brilliant green stone she had retrieved from the Gayle Mausoleum just before they journeyed to the Northern Palace. She had gone alone, in accordance with the vows of secrecy set down by generations of Gayle women. No one else was ever to know of its secret location. She had told Ahamo stories of the brilliant tomb cloaked in magic and someday, her daughters were destined to receive the secret from her.

When she heard DG's terrified screams she dropped the emerald in its secret box and rushed to her daughter's rooms, fearful of what she might find there. The poor girl lay on her bed, thrashing around on top of the bed sheets. DG looked as if she had been too exhausted to even get undressed, only managing to slip off her shoes and lay down before sleep overtook her. Lavender quickly ran to the bed and enfolded DG in her arms as the princess sobbed brokenheartedly.

She quieted slowly as her mother's soothing voice in her ear sung a familiar lullaby with a substitute line DG had never heard her sing before. Despite the tremble in her voice as she struggled to keep the tears at bay, her smile was beautiful and calming. It seemed to be her mother's way of reminding her that hope still lived and her eyes closed in sleep, comforted.

"Two little princesses dancing in a row.
Spinning fast and freely on their little toes.
Where the light will take you there is only one way to know.
Two little princesses dancing in a row."

Lavender pressed a kiss to her daughter's pale cheek and whispered in her ear. "My angel, my Light. Sleep well."

Every word she spoke to her youngest child was laced with magical protection that Lavender knew her daughter would need in the coming annuals. She soothed away the effects of the nightmares, but could not take them completely. Knowing that she had done all she could, she walked out of the room and headed back to her bedchamber where Ahamo waited to sooth her fears away. He clasped her in his arms and whispered soothing words that comforted and sustained, kissing away the tears that trailed down her face.

Several moments later, a disturbance was felt in the magical barrier surrounding the palace. She startled, jumping out of her husband's arms and searching for the source of the oppressive disruption. With a panicked cry, she rushed out of the room and back in the direction of DG's. Slowing to a walk as she neared her daughter's bedroom, she struggled against the darkness she felt in the air. It constricted her lungs, making it nearly impossible to breathe deeply. Eyes wide in shocked confusion, she realized that the dark form exiting DG's room was none other than Azkadellia. Frozen for a moment in the shadows near the doorway, she watched as the eldest princess disappeared as soon as she turned down the hallway in the other direction.

Filled with morbid dread, Lavender began walking again; her eyes found the still figure of DG lying in the same position in which she had left her. With a startled cry of recognition, she realized that DG's form was too still and no breaths moved her chest up and down. She rushed to the bed just as Ahamo and the Mystic Man stopped in the doorway, watching the unfolding scene in horror.

The Consort and Wizard could not hear the Queen's whispered words, but neither of them could pay attention regardless. Ahamo had observed Lavender's beautiful chocolate locks turn silver as she used her magic to bring DG back to life. He had never understood the full concept behind the realm of magic. Instinctively he knew that whatever his wife had done, she had taxed her magic to the ultimate limits, sacrificing her own life force for her daughter. She sank back onto the bed weakly while DG's wide eyes gazed at her mother in horrified comprehension. When DG finally slept again, Lavender rose from the bed. She stood for a moment facing her husband before speaking in a breathy whisper.

"The Plans have changed. I have to return the Emerald to its hiding place and DG has to die again."

Lavender made it across the room just in time to faint in her husband's arms.

Azkadellia screamed silently in the trapped places of her mind. The only outward indication that she was present in her own body during her sister's cold-blooded murder was the three tears that quietly slid down her face as she walked away. She had been caught unawares by the witch who had used Az's mental exhaustion to break the barriers of her mother's prison. The witch had then cloaked Az in a glamour and teleported to Central City where, with a few well-placed questions she had discovered the hiding place of the Royal family. Breaking the magic around the Ice Palace had not been as easy, but she finally managed it.

As DG took her final breath, Az had felt the last of her shield fade away into the hopeless darkness. With its loss she also sensed her loss of control over the actions her body took. Without her little sister, there would be no chance of gaining the freedom she had longed for since the darkness first came. Still, her spirit was not yet completely broken if for no other reason than that she was a Daughter of Light. Somehow, she knew that by a cruel twist of fate she would always feel that glimmer of hope just out of her reach. As long as her body drew breath, she would bear the curse of unfulfilled expectation. Another morbid thought crossed her mind as she contemplated the dilemma and she heard the witch cackle.

"Do not even think about killing yourself my dear," The evil hag read her thoughts easily now that the shield was down. "Your body is too precious to me and an attempt at death will only bring you excruciating pain. On the other hand, by all means. Just try it. My spirit is sustaining yours but I will not feel the agonizing effects."

"You evil monster," Az ground out bitterly. Her hatred of the being that controlled her body increased as she realized a punishing advantage to the loss of her shield. She was able to sense the witch's schemes and came to a snap decision. "If I cannot have hope of ever being free from you, I will at least have the satisfaction of minimizing the damage and sabotaging your plans every step of the way. You made a grave mistake when you decided to possess a Daughter of Light. I swear on my Light that I will be a thorn in your side from this moment on you slimy, wallowing bitch scum."

For the first time in the annual of her possession, she felt a tremor of fear pass through the witch's mind. A small glimmer of satisfaction filled Azkadellia's spirit, blowing warm air on the ember of hope that her Light kept burning.

A/N: This is the final installment for the evening folks. There is definitely still more to come but I am afraid that in the rush to get each one out, I am overwhelming my poor readers. Expect several more tomorrow, barring any emergencies in my home! I should tell you that it is thanks to my lovely daughter that I have been able to get so many chapters out each day. She has taken hour long naps in the morning and afternoon every day like clockwork. (If you knew her, you would understand my shock at this amazing occurrence) Because of her naps and the speed at which I type, you are able to enjoy timely updates.