Chapter 12
A giant flash of light flew through the room as Viviane's energy collided into her mother's own corrupted energy. Jessica struggled to hold back her own daughter's attack, gritting her teeth as she was pushed back towards the ruined altar. Viviane shoved her own might even harder at her mother as she attempted to break her defenses. The windows in the temple started to shatter; the whole establishment started to tremble from the sheer force of the duel. Outside the temple, onlookers tried to get a glimpse of what was happening inside. Guards stood outside the temple door to keep the mob out. Many were crying out for the safety of Queen Jessica from the attack of the invading Earthling. Others called for the defeat of the tyrant, yelling chants of rebelling at the temple doors.
Back inside, Captain Marvel awoke from his slumber, finding himself still tied down from the rings that Queen Jessica had bound him in. He tried to break the rings, finding them too strong to overcome. Marvel turned his attention to the battle between mother and daughter that was occurring only a few yards away from him.
I have to help her! Only these cursed rings won't let me free. How do I get out?
He tried to stand, only finding his legs bound so tight he couldn't move them.
The Power of Shazam could work. I just yell the word and I can slip out of these rings in my normal form.
He turned over and faced the sky as he realized on fatal flaw.
These rings are ever contracting. My body is what's keeping them from contracting ever smaller. If I transform, I'll crushed into pieces.
Marvel sighed and looked at Viviane.
Hold on, honey. I'll figure a way out…
Meanwhile, Viviane was gained the upper hand in her deadlock against Queen Jessica. The signs of fatigue showed on the Queen's face. Viviane took notice and pushed even harder than before. Jessica struggled back, losing even more ground than gaining it. The deadlock continued until Jessica pulled back her arm and landed a rather clumsy punch across her daughter's face. Viviane landed on the ground and rolled back. The Queen laughed as she took several deep breaths.
"Your magical abilities are impressive, dear. I sometimes forget you are defenseless when I get my own hands involved," said Jessica with her wings ever slowly blackening. Viviane clenched her cheek and stumbled over her ruined wedding dress to get up.
"Go ahead, honey, throw one," said the smirking queen. Viviane growled and ran at her mother, throwing a wild left hook. Jessica grabbed her arm, pulled her towards her and connected her knee to Viviane's midsection. The Queen then pointed her hand at her face and blasted her away at point blank range. The princess went flying, crashing into a pillar and then the hard stone floor.
Viviane groaned in pain. She tried to crawl slowly away from the pillar towards a few pews.
She's too strong! I can't beat her!
She looked at Captain Marvel, still bound in the rings.
Mother beat Billy. How can I possibly beat her?
Pain tore at Viviane's scalp. The same hand that had punched her was now tearing away at her hair. Jessica pulled Viviane's back and bent down to talk to her.
"Please don't make me do this. I need your body in one piece," said Jessica as she looked up at the window "but I won't mind a few bumps and scrapes,"
Viviane gasped. Jessica forced Viviane to her feet and quickly ran her towards the window. In a fury of glass, the princess flew out the temple, quickly falling towards the ground below.
No…NO! Please don't let me die! Billy, please save me! Billy!!!
Suddenly, her arms caught something in midair. A stray flagpole had broken her descent down. Viviane held on for dear life, remembering that her teleportation had been disabled.
I can just fly up! I'm an Angel after all!
Viviane's attempt to expand her wings was futile. They were being constricted by some unknown force. She looked back and saw one of her mother's rings locking them in place.
She must've put it in place when she pulled my hair back.
The ground below was full of onlookers. The residents of the kingdom stood and watched as their princess struggled to hang on to a pole several yards from the ground. Viviane looked up and saw the window several feet above her. She then looked down and saw the temple entrance a nauseating distance away.
Jumping is out of the question. Try to make up to the window is going to me impossible without my wings. They're my only choice right now. I pray this works…
She struggled with all her might to break the ring. Viviane exhibited great control over her wings and trained them to be fast and powerful for long distance flights. Yet, right now, the ring didn't budge. She couldn't risk using her arms. Using even one arm would weaken the other (even more so then it already was). The wings were all she could depend on for now.
Come on, Viviane, old girl. Spread magic into your wings! Counter your mother's magic!
Her wings glowed with magical energy. Sparks flew when her wings pushed against the ring, slightly burning her feathers. Viviane grunted but continued.
Ungh…Hold on, Billy. I'll get you out of those rings.
She struggled ever harder. The more she pushed, the harder the sparks burned. Suddenly, the ring cracked and exploded, severely burning away an area of feathers. Viviane yelped in pain, falling a few feet before she managed to get herself to float. She then looked up at the window and flew back inside.
"You know, you've caused me a lot of trouble, Earthling," said Jessica as she dug her nails into Captain Marvel's flesh. Marvel hollered into pain and tried to move away. Normally, his inherited invulnerability would prevent this, but thanks to his weakened state and Jessica's superior magical abilities, his blood flowed onto her fingers.
"Quiet, Earthling! You can holler all you want later," she told him "because soon enough, you will die a very slow and painful death."
"Jessica!" yelled Viviane's shaky, but familiar voice. Jessica whipped out her hand and spun around to meet her daughter.
"What did you call me?" ordered Jessica "You do not address your mother by her first name!"
"Enough is enough! Let him go!" yelled Viviane.
'You can try, daughter dear." said Jessica. Viviane launched a blast at Jessica, who easily deflected away. Using her speed, Viviane came up from behind Jessica, grabbed her wings and slammed her into the wall. Jessica then used her wings to throw Viviane back. The Princess recovered and threw a barrage of energy attacks at Jessica, frequently knocking her back as she attempted to approach Viviane.
I've got to beat her quickly…I'm losing energy every time I attack. Billy won't last long if she beats me.
Suddenly, Jessica's fist landed across Viviane's face, sending blood flying through the air. Viviane landed with a hard thud on the cold, stone floor. She quickly tried to crawl away, only for her foot to get caught by Jessica. Viviane turned back and kicked Jessica in the face, causing her to stumble back. The princess got to her feet and fired off a blast. Jessica dodged and fired her own shot, slamming Viviane against a pillar.
"Lunar Blast!" yelled Jessica. The attack smashed into the pillar and exploded, rocking the entire temple and causing part of the ceiling to come down. As the smoke cleared, Viviane fell to her knees and groaned. Her wedding dress, once beautiful and flowing, was now utterly ruined. The original white color now replaced by gray stains and black burns. Her hair was now a tangled and dirty mess that replaced the beautiful blonde that was so clean several minutes before. Her soft skin was now stained by her own blood and her bright blue eyes full of painful tears.
"That was such a beautiful dress…" said Jessica. She pressed her hand against Viviane's head.
"This spell will complete the transfer of my mind to yours. Once inside, I'll destroy yours, leaving mine the one in control. The people will discover the Earthling with my lifeless body and finally put him down for good. Too bad I had to destroy Nathan. He would've made a good husband." said Jessica as she gripped her daughter's head.
Jessica started to chant the spell. Viviane just kneeled there, soft sobs was the only noise that was heard from her.
I'm…sorry…Billy. I couldn't do it…I couldn't save you…I just wanted you to be safe and save you for a change.
ARRRRAGGGGHHH!!!!!
The electrical discharge broke the chain of words uttered by Jessica. Both looked over at Captain Marvel as his wrists smoked and flickered with electricity.
"You!!!" said a dumbfounded Jessica. Captain Marvel wasted no time and smacked Jessica to the other side of the temple. Viviane looked up and smiled weakly.
"Don't worry, you're safe now," said Marvel as he helped Viviane to her feet.
"T-thank y-you, Billy," Viviane said, laying her head against his chest.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"A little tired, but yes I am. I'm just glad you're safe,"
"Don't worry about me, Viviane. I'm fine."
"You burned your wrists, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but it-
Then…
"Dark Lunar Blast!!" rang through the temple as a gigantic beam smashed into Captain Marvel, slamming him against the temple wall.
"BILLY!!" screamed Viviane, utterly frozen by what she had just seen. Jessica slowly walked towards the two, breathing hard and with her arm outstretched towards Marvel. Just then, Jessica's armed glowed again.
"Dark Lunar Blast!!" she yelled, sending another beam at Captain Marvel. Marvel looked up at the beam, waiting for its energy to obliterate his already beaten body. He closed his eyes and sighed.
The next time he opened them, the beam advanced no further. A small shape was seen right in the middle of the wall of energy. He looked closer and saw Viviane, holding back the beam with all her might.
"Viviane!?" he said.
"Billy! Run…I-I don't know how much longer I can hold it!" she yelled, sliding back ever so slowly.
"Viviane, are you crazy?? Just let it go, and then you can get her when she's weak! Ow…" screamed Marvel, attempting to get up but his injuries preventing him.
"No, Billy, please…run! You don't need me but Earth needs you. Go, please!" Viviane pleaded; the pain visible on her face.
"I'm staying here! Let it go, you can still get away, Viviane!" yelled Marvel.
"Billy! Please…for once…let me be the hero…" Viviane said. He looked up at her and nodded. She turned her attention back to the beam and struggled to push it back.
Then, she felt a muscular hand on her shoulder. Captain Marvel leaned against her holding his damaged side.
"I thought I told you to leave, Billy!" screamed Viviane.
"A hero always needs her sidekick, Viviane!" replied Marvel.
He nodded and groaned as the energy pushed against her.
"I need more energy, Billy!!" yelled Viviane "I can't push it back without more!"
Marvel racked his brain.
What's the most powerful thing you can think of, Billy? What have you been fighting for this whole time??
He looked down at her.
Because of her. All of this, just because of her…
She's worth every minute of it.
"Viviane, hold on!" he yelled.
"What is it??" she replied back.
"The Lunar Lightning! You have to say it with me!"
She nodded and gritted her teeth as Jessica laughed maniacally.
"One…!" The beam pushed harder on the two.
"Two…!" The ground under the pair shattered.
"Three!!!"
SHAZAM!!!!! The lightning hit the two, surrounding them and super charging Viviane.
"LUNAR LIGHTNING!!!!"
Viviane launched her beam. The pure white beam surrounded by cackles of blue lightning ripped Jessica's beam to shreds as it speeded towards the Queen. Her eyes widened as she put her hands to block it. The beam overwhelmed the Queen as it smashed into her and obliterated an entire side of the Temple, exposing it wide open.
After the dust settled, Viviane was on the floor, holding her arm. Billy was right behind her, the lightning having transformed him back into a regular human.
"Billy…?" said Viviane.
"Viviane…" answered Billy.
"…I'm a mess!"
"Oh…don't worry…they'll fix you…they always do…"
Viviane nodded and looked across the main hall. Jessica stood, completely charred from the beam; her wings fried away leaving only two burnt stumps.
"Jessica?" said Viviane.
"Aaaagghhhhhh!!!!" hollered Jessica as she fell on her knees "Look at what you've done!!! Look…my wings…I'm still…not even an angel…I'm just…old…"
Jessica fell over and fainted; smoke still rising from her former wings.
Viviane crawled over to Billy, healed but still extremely tired from the ordeal.
"I can't believe you didn't leave," said Viviane.
"I couldn't abandon you. I wouldn't let myself," said Billy.
"Because Captain Marvel saves everyone?" asked Viviane.
"Because I can't bear to live without you," said Billy as he stroked her cheek.
She blushed and smiled.
"My mother's spell was broken. Now we can go home." she said. He nodded and with a soft pop they were gone.
Epilogue
Billy stood on a local rooftop, watching the rebuilding of Fawcett City after that devastating Moon Angel attack. He still felt a small sense of guilt for failing to protect the city, but the site of the reconstruction comforted him, knowing that they'll always bounce back.
They'll fix you…they fix everything…
The sound of footsteps made him turn around and see the most beautiful site on Earth. Even in the failing sunlight, Viviane's face retained that beautiful quality to it, something you don't see much on this world.
"So what's the news on the Moon?" he asked her. She stopped next to him and said, "Well, I'm still an outcast back up there. They believe that I attacked her and burned her wings away. My mother's recuperating; might be in the hospital for months. Even a mere mention of my name to her or anyone else is cause for punishment,"
"I'm sorry for all of that, Vivi. You must feel terrible," responded Billy.
"No, its fine, Billy. I don't even want to go back up there. I have no reason to,"
"What about when your mother finally recovers? You think she'll try it again?"
Viviane looked up at him, his young yet wise face staring back at hers.
"Then we'll be ready for her, Billy," she said smirking. Billy smiled back and chuckled some.
"Fawcett City has a new hero," he said.
"Oh, really? Who?" asked Viviane. Billy reached for a newspaper and showed her the headline.
Captain Marvel and Mysterious "Moon Maiden" Thwart Invasion by Alien Angels
"Moon Maiden?" asked Viviane, staring intently at the front page.
"A new superhero has emerged from the invasion, even though she's been a hero even before that," said Billy, smiling.
"No, that can't be true. I just helped you out. You deserve all that credit," she said, shaking her head.
"If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have stopped the invasion," said Billy, stepping ever closer to Viviane "I wouldn't be here if you hadn't stopped that beam. I owe you my life,"
"It wasn't me, it was-
"Viviane…you saved the world. Just accept that,"
She nodded, not looking into his face in order to hide her blush. Billy, mustering his courage, raised her face to meet his.
"I'm wondering why a princess like you would be interested in a poor boy like me," he said.
"I'm wondering why a sweet boy like you would be interested in a princess like me," she said softly, setting her arms on his.
Their faces neared each other; both their hearts racing. They were only centimeters away as they could feel each other's warmth…
Both their lips meet in young passion. Viviane swung her arms across Billy's neck as he laid his across her back. They lips were drenched in saliva as Viviane pushed up against Billy. He held her tighter, not wanting to let her go. They broke the kiss and giggled, looking away to hide their blushes.
"Wow…" they both said in unison. They looked at each other again.
"You wanna go take a flight?" asked Billy. Viviane nodded and said, "Yeah…I think I'd like that,"
Billy said his magic word and took Viviane's hand. Together, they flew off into the sky, the Moon shining bright in the sky and the sounds of faint thunder in the distance.
