Okay, I have nothing to say except I hope you guys like this.

Brady stepped in front of me again. "Why do you want us dead?"

Malfurnio scowled. "Weren't you listening to me earlier, idiot boy? My plan cannot be carried out until my enemy is dead."

"Then why won't you let Brady go?" I asked. "He has nothing to do with this!"

"Because he is the one you love, and I need him to break you."
"Why do you have to break me first? Why not just kill me?" I asked. I didn't want to die, especially not now that Brady and I were finally together, but more than anything, I wanted Brady to be safe. No matter what.

He laughed. "Because where's the fun in that? And you deserve it."

"How? What did I ever do to you?" I wanted to know.

"Shut up! As if you didn't know! Your kind tortured and teased me to no end, called me an idiot and laughed at me-"

"But that wasn't me!" I said. "I would never do that!"

He shook his head. "I do not care. You will pay. You all will pay."

Brady pointed the knife at Malfurnio. "No, you're going to pay. If you want to kill me, Malfurnio, then let's duel. Just you and me, one on one. No magic."

"Brady," I hissed in his ear, but he didn't move or even acknowledge me.

Malfurnio laughed. "Give up my magic? Do you take me for a fool, Mr. Parker?"

"So you're too afraid to fight me without your magic? I thought I was pathetic? And yet you can't even beat me without help from your all-powerful magic?" Brady asked, staring Malfurnio right in the eyes. His tone was mocking. He was goading him on.

Malfurnio took a step back. "Ridiculous! Absolutely not!"

"So you accept the challenge?"

He scowled. "Perhaps you are not such an idiot. I suppose I have no choice."
Brady gave out a dry laugh. "Not really."

Malfurnio placed his hand on his chest, drew out a huge black ball of swirling black mist, and sent it over to a nearby tree, where it hovered placidly. Then a machete hurled out of it and into Malfurnio's hand.

"Stabitha!" I cried. "That's mine!"
He shook his head. "Not anymore. It's mine now."

I glared at him fiercely. "I don't like you."

"The feeling is mutual, annoying little girl."

Brady beckoned me over right then, so I couldn't retort. I walked over to him. "What?"

He leaned into me and whispered, "while I distract him, you go over to that magical sphere. See if you can do anything with it."

I looked over at it. "Like what?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea. But just try, okay? It's our only hope, at this point."

"Unless you win this," I said hopefully.

He gave me a look. "Yeah, that's never going to happen."

He straightened and stepped up to face Malfurnio.

They bowed to each other, then began to fight.

As much as I wanted to support my boyfriend (he is my boyfriend, right?), I had a job to do. Malfurnio's back was already turned, so I hurried over to the sphere at once and examined it.

Looking at it more closely, I couldn't see anything different from what I could've seen from far away. Sure, it was unusual, but how could it help us?

I looked over my shoulder to make sure they were still facing away from me, then I reached out a tentative finger and touched it.

Instantly, everything went black and I was whirling through a dark void until I felt my feet hit the ground hard.

~XXX~

I was standing in what looked like a small colonial town, surrounded by cobbled streets and small wooden houses.

What the heck? Where was I? Where were Brady and Malfurnio?

Then a door across from me creaked open and a boy of about nineteen strolled out, his eyes glued on an incredibly thick book. He was dressed all funny too, in a dark woolen jacket and trousers. He looked awfully familiar…..

Then I realized it was Malfurnio! He had the same dark hair and eyes. This must be one of his memories. This must be before he was evil.

I was about to go talk to him when I saw two young boys, about eight, throw small rocks at him.

"Freak!" They screamed gleefully, pointing at him. Then they turned and ran away.

Then I saw a group of men walk by Malfurnio, smoking and talking, and one of them tripped him. He stumbled forward and fell flat on his face, and they all laughed.

My mouth fell open in horror. What were they doing to him? That was horrible! I wanted to run over and help him.

But then the image of Brady writhing on the ground, screaming in pain, and all the sympathy vanished.

The memory was starting to fade around me, then it rematerialized, but a different one. Instead of seeing a colonial town by the sea, I was in Malfurnio's lab, except it was much less crowded.

Malfurnio burst in, looking younger, and much happier. He strolled over to one of his gadgets and beamed at it proudly.

"They were wrong," he said to himself. "I am smart, I can do things. I'm already doing them. They'll see, I'll show them all!"

The scene started to fade again, and I was back in the town, but this time it was all dark.

I looked around, searching for Malfurnio, but I couldn't see him.

Well if he isn't here, how can I be? I thought.

Then I heard a noise and turned around.

It was Malfurnio, creeping up to a window of one of the house. He peered through it, then he pushed open the door and creeped inside.

I tried to follow him, but for some reason, my legs would not move. So I waited.

And waited. And waited. And waited.

Finally, he came out again, holding a small crystal ball in his hand. He held it up above his head, looking at it admiringly. Then he dropped it.

Smooth, I thought. He was just like the kings.

It rolled over to me and landed at my feet. I picked it up, looked at it, and gasped, almost dropping it.

There was a family inside it, two adults and four children. I recognized the oldest child as one of Malfurnio's terrorizers.

Malfurnio walked over to me and plucked it out of my hands, looking right through me. Then he just disappeared into thin air.

The scene started to fade around me again, but this time I was plunged into a dark swirling void, spinning around and around until my feet hit the ground.

~XXX~

I back in the forest, inches away from the dark ball of magic.

I could hear knives clashing and I whirled around to see Brady and Malfurnio in heated combat.

There was a deep, bloody gash on Brady's shoulder, and he was breathily heavily, but he was winning! He was winning!

But then Malfurnio slashed, and Brady fell back, a long cut on his arm. His face was ashen and bloody.

"Brady!" I yelled.

"I'm okay," he panted.

I ran over to him, gently pried the knife out of his hand, and turned to face Malfurnio. I don't know how, but being in Malfurnio's memories had given me some strange kind of knowledge, knowledge I could use to take him down for good. I was going to use it.

"Now it's you and me," I told Malfurnio.

"You will be easier than the boy," he wheezed. Brady had obviously done some damage. The man had a huge slash in his stomach that was obviously weakening him.

I laughed. "In your dreams." Then I lunged.

We only fought for a few minutes. He was really weak. I don't know if Brady had tired him out, or if he was just that way naturally, but it seriously worked to my advantage.

It was pretty easy to take him down. I put my foot on his chest and pulled out my belt. "Brady! Come tie him up and watch him. Don't let him get away."

He came over and took the belt from me. "Where are you going?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be back in a few." I thrust the knife at him and picked up Stabitha.

He looked into my eyes. "Be careful, okay?" His expression was serious.

I nodded. "Of course. I'll be back."

I headed into the tunnel and started running. I had to get to the lab.

I know, I know, this is my worst chapter yet (writing-wise). But I just didn't know what to do. Anyways, tomorrow's will hopefully be better! Review, please!