WAIT PUT DOWN THE ROCKS! That's right I know you were ready to throw rocks because I said every two weeks and then it wasn't and it's a week after I'm supposed to update but guess what? I have a reason actually two one we were working on the graphic novel project and apparently in my little group of two I happen to be the only one who can draw so I had to draw Lancelot and Arthur and Guinevere (THE LOVE TRIANGLE!) over and over again my hand cramped and it was a lot of drawing. And reason two which you proly care more about is that I wanted this chapter to correspond closely with the next one so I decided to post them together that's right people two chapters in one update (ooooo fancy).
So read this chapter then read the next chapter and then trade the rocks in for cheese and save the cheese throwing for an alien invasion (does anyone get this reference?).
Disclaimer: Michael Buckley being the wonderful author he is probably has better grammar than I do. So no I own nothing (except of course this story with all its wonderfully juicy twists).
Anyway chapter 21 presented on a silver platter.
Sabrina woke up not to screaming, a bizarre pain, snores or the absence of snores, rancid breath, or goo. She instead woke to a shrill high alarm. It was a weird sensation, being woken by an alarm, because Sabrina had always been woken by her mother's soft shaking as a young child or by her internal alarm both at the orphanage and in one of the many horrid foster homes.
So the alarm was quite a surprise. It was also very shrill and annoying. Which whoever set it should have realized. Because an angry Sabrina is not pleasant. Especially at 4:30 in the morning.
Sabrina grumpily rolled out of bed as Tessa roared, "Whose alarm is that?"
Bella chirped, "Mine!" happily as if such a horror was a thing to be proud of.
Tessa cocked her head at the alarm, "If you turn that thing on again without warning, I will eat it I promise."
The other girls stared at her with a mix of emotion, happiness that the alarm clock would die and confusion on how it would be possible to eat an alarm clock.
Bella rolled her eyes and shoved the horrendous thing in her very pink duffel bag.
Sabrina fought a yawn as she shoved her hair through a brush and into a ponytail. She quickly changed from her pajamas into light but sturdy battle gear. The creak of the leather and clank of her sword had all eyes focusing on her.
Bella narrowed her eyes crossed her arms and said in a suspicious voice, "Why are you in battle gear? You realize that no one eighteen or under is allowed into battle right? Because you're sixteen. Are you planning on sneaking out? Because that's not fair to the rest of us. I mean I know your SABRINA GRIMM but that doesn't make you better than the rest of us."
Sabrina sighed and bent down to lace her boots, "I realize that Bella but I've been assigned a mission, so you can bring your complaints to any of the generals, I'm sure they would love to hear them."
That shut everyone up, as they had all been on missions and knew that each person was picked specifically and went only if absolutely necessary. Although they did not know the specifics of the mission or its importance they knew that whatever it was it would have to be important for Charming to make even the smallest exception.
Charming didn't make exceptions. He made master plans where each person had a specific role and then had a complete and utter spaz attack if anyone even came close to breaking the plans.
So the fact the Sabrina had a mission meant no arguing, no weaseling out of it.
So the girls sat back and watched Sabrina double check her gear and sword. They desperately wanted to pry to find out what the mission was, but they knew they couldn't.
Sabrina gave herself one last once over not really wanting to leave.
Because as soon as she stepped through the door everything would become a reality. She would be in a relationship with Puck (which wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be). She would be an Everafter with the Lady of the Lake's powers. Merlyn would be out there. She would have to defeat Mirror. Everyone would be depending on her even without knowing it and she wasn't entirely sure she could handle.
But sometimes you had to put your fears aside and take responsibility. Sometimes you had to be brave and stop fighting your destiny.
So Sabrina took a deep breath and walked over to the door, twisted the doorknob and walked outside. She saw Puck standing by the fort wall and walked over to him.
"Ready?" he asked. She nodded and looked over to the center of the fort, where Merlyn stood by Charming talking to a few soldiers. Merlyn seemed to sense her gaze and turned towards her. He nodded and gave a slight smile.
Sabrina nodded back and continued to look around, eyes landing on her family. Daphne waved and gave a big thumbs up; Red gave a classic Red grin and mouthed 'Good luck'. Veronica smiled warm and proud, basil gave a cute laugh and waved his arms, and Granny smiled in a grandmotherly way. Uncle Jake laughed and waved and Henry smiled a proud smile that made Sabrina feel warm and happy. She felt a strength go through her at the sight of her family.
She grabbed Puck's hand and looked up at him; he smiled back at her and put his arms around her waist.
She remembered to push he gem on the hilt of Excalibur as Puck spread his pink, insect wings and lifted from the ground. She took a deep breath and pushed all thoughts of kissing Puck form her mind. She then focused on clearing her mind and becoming mentally ready for the battle ahead.
She knew she needed to be prepared to beat Mirror in a battle of wit. She had to be perfectly calm throughout, had to anger him so he would slip up and falter. And she knew she had to keep her guard up and keep her temper in check.
Because in a battle to the death even the smallest slip up, mistake or crack in your shield would cost the loss of the battle and the loss of your life.
And it was going to be a battle to the death.
One that would end fatally.
And Sabrina knew she couldn't let that happen. She was scared of death yet she knew she had to defeat Mirror.
After all it was her fighting destiny, the destiny she had as a swordswoman.
And she had to fulfill her destiny.
So she took a deep breath and leaned her head against Puck's chest as he neared Heart's castle. Thanks to Daphne and Red they knew exactly where to go so the Scarlet Hand would find them. Puck started slowing down as they neared a small cluster of trees. He dropped down setting Sabrina on her feet, curled up his wings and stretched.
"Ready?" he asked Sabrina nodded.
"I have Excalibur covered in its glamour. Do you have the potion?"
Puck nodded and patted his pocket.
Sabrina smiled at him and started walking out of the woods, "Okay come on let's try to get found."
Puck laughed at her and grabbed her hand and together they walked through the trees, acting as if they were trying to be secretive but stumbling around lost.
It only took a few minutes before a group of card soldiers found them and grabbed them each by the wrists. The leader asked why they were there but both Puck and Sabrina kept their mouths shut tight.
He stared at them intently trying to scare them into talking. But neither of them said anything and they both looked defiantly into his cold eyes. Eventually he huffed at them and gave gruff orders to his soldiers to take them to Heart's palace.
Sabrina and Puck shared a secret look of accomplishment; so far everything was happening according to plan. If everything went like this the plan would be a success and they would quickly.
But things didn't just happen perfectly and something was sure to go wrong. But they would work through it. Because that was what they did.
And it would work out in the end. Because they would always find away. They would find a way to outsmart Mirror, to trick him and to kill him.
So they went with the card soldiers planning how to trick Mirror into drinking the potion the whole way there. Because even if they were frightened, terrified they still had to complete their mission.
When they finally made it to Heart's castle the card soldier's leader stormed in dramatically shooting, "Master look at who I've brought you!" and gesturing dramatically to Sabrina and Puck.
Mirror, wearing the guise of the black knight face morphed into his own, turned around angrily from where he was pacing across the floor. But when he saw who exactly the soldiers had captured the angry look on his face turned into one of delight.
"Starfish! Well I must say I've missed you most of all. You were always my favorite Grimm. It's such a shame I have to kill you; I so would have enjoyed your company. Our conversations never cease to amuse me." He smiled in the same way he always had but now that Sabrina knew he was an evil mastermind who wanted to kill her family and enslave the human race it seemed different and slightly creepy.
He cocked his head to the side and tapped his finger to the side of his face, "Now wait just a minute why exactly are you here. I know Charming wouldn't have sent two of his best fighters, however young they may be, into the heart of the enemy's territory without reason."
Sabrina looked her old friend and mentor straight in the eye and said defiantly, "I'll tell you that when you're dead on the floor."
Mirror shook his head mockingly clucking his tongue, "Now, now Sabrina dear wrong answer." He snapped his fingers and the Beast stepped forward and grabbed Puck by the wings.
When Sabrina still didn't answer the Beast began to pull slowly and tauntingly and Puck cried out in a horrible heart wrenching cry of pain.
"Okay I'll tell you," Sabrina cried out in real terror and desperation.
"No, Sabrina!" Puck cried words mixed with screams.
"I have to Puck he'll pull your wings off!" Puck opened his mouth to reply but let out another scream instead and Sabrina screamed, "I'll tell you! Just let him go!"
The Beast let go of Puck's wings but kept his claws on Puck's wrists and Sabrina continued, "There's a potion in Puck's pocket it'll change you into a human. We were supposed to use the fish's wish to destroy it."
Mirror's eyes light up with glee and he snapped his fingers at the Beast, "Grab the potion! Quickly fool!"
The Beast fumbled with his great claws but finally got the vial and tossed it to Mirror who caught and drank greedily. Sabrina morphed her face into one of horror as if the battle was completely lost.
The black knight's body convulsed and separated Mirror forming his own body.
Mirror tested his new limbs swinging them around and laughing as he did so. He seemed to have forgotten his prisoners entirely.
Sabrina looked at Puck quickly who nodded and gestured towards the hidden Excalibur.
She quickly pressed the gem on its hilt, stepped away from the card soldiers and whipped out the ancient sword pointing it at Mirror's throat.
Then she took a deep breath and said as Merlyn had directed her to, "I Sabrina Grimm challenge ye Mirror to a swords battle as is my right as one you have wronged."
Mirror looked at her before laughing, "And how my dear have I wronged you?"
Sabrina smiled wolfishly, "You stole my parents, my baby brother, my childhood, and my happiness. You then pretended to be my friend, when you knew I needed one and betrayed me. You fight my friends and family and have tried to kill all of them multiple times. So now pick up your sword and let there be no magic except that from our skills as swordsmen and the magic of our swords. Let neither our allies nor our enemies interfere."
She then threw down the wooden disk as Mirror said, "I agree."
A force field flew from the disk and surrounded the girl and the man. Mirror pulled a sword from the hilt at his side and narrowed his eyes at Sabrina's.
"Is that what I think it is? Excalibur? No matter I shall beat you none the less."
Sabrina didn't reply saving all her energy for the fight and knowing her silence would anger him she stood perfectly still as Mirror shifted back and forth growing impatient. She watched him carefully but gave no sign of any movement. After a while of this Mirror gave an impatient cry and lunged at Sabrina.
She smiled to herself as she saw an opening in Mirror's defense. She cut at his side and he barely jumped away. She smiled and parried cutting through the air and slashing at him again and again. She kept stepping back and he stumbled.
She shot out and slashed at his side but his sword shot a flash of light at her. Excalibur responded shooting beam of searing light after beam of searing light and knocking Mirror's sword out of his hand. She took the opportunity to stab at his heart but his sword shot back into his hand and blocked Excalibur.
He stood back up and they circled each other Sabrina calmly and coldly and Mirror slowly growing more desperate. Finally he ran out of patience and made a move he couldn't follow through on and slipped which gave Sabrina the opportunity to stab Excalibur through his heart.
Mirror gave a gurgling cry and fell onto the floor. Blood squirted through his wound and he convulsed horribly. He collapsed dead and the force field fell down.
Puck quickly swooped down to Sabrina and flew her up to the sky as the Beast, Nottingham and the card soldiers cried out in astonishment and leaped at them.
Puck wrapped his arms around Sabrina's waist as she lifted Excalibur into the sky. They flew straight up, high enough to see the two armies clashing into battle. They went higher and higher and the closer they got to the barrier the more Excalibur glowed, flashing brilliant colors.
They went higher until Sabrina stabbed Excalibur into the barrier it shimmered and a brilliant flash of rainbow ran through the sky.
Okay so the next chapter will be today or tomorrow and there was no review winner for this or next chapter cause I just wanted to get this done and posted for y'all so enjoy.
Oh and I know it seems as if Mirror gave up too soon but at this point he's so close to his goal and he has is own body now. He's been so patient for so long that something broke and every fault came out.