A/N: Hey guys! I'm on a spring break now so I have time to update this story. I was planning to post all remaining chapters (3) in one go but I decided not to because the chapters aren't short ones so I don't wanna force people to read a pile of 10+ pages long chapters. I'm not that evil, lol.
And as always, I do not own the characters in this story. They are Hiro Mashima's posession and I'm only using them in this story.
Happy reading! :)
Chapter 36: The Fortress
The Time Chamber - Caelum
Year: ?
Kaos smiled as she opened the door into the Time Chamber. Only her and her Warriors were allowed to step into this very forbidden area of Caelum's palace. She felt victorious. She now knew exactly where to go to get her hands on Regina once more – and it was all simply because a dumb boy had made a mistake.
Her victorious smile disappeared suddenly. Something felt different in the room. And the portal was activated. Who could have betrayed her and entered this room without permission? She swung her hand and a holographic screen appeared in front of her. As she went through the recorded content on the screen, she felt rage build up inside of her.
Aurora Heartfilia and Seer Nox had used the portal.
She felt even more anger when she saw that Sapientia, the Goddess of Memories, had also been in the chamber.
"I didn't know you're such a sneaky little snake, Sapientia. Just like your dear sister was by Marking someone in my world as hers", Kaos mumbled. "Well, well, well, I guess I have to make sure that you'll feel the death of your little Seeress then", she added and grinned menacingly. Even just a thought of torturing Aurora until she begged her to stop pleased her chaotic soul.
But Seer Nox would be a real problem. Kaos looked at how he snuck into the chamber, and walked out. And a while later he re-entered the room with Seeress Serena. They entered the portal and disappeared.
"Nox..." Kaos whispered, feeling so much hatred and anger towards the man. Nox's family line had been the biggest problem to the goddess ever since Caelum had been founded. His ancestors had been suspicious of the goddess since day one. And eventually someone dug a little bit too deep and found out the truth about her. They tried to assassinate Kaos, which lead her separate Zephyrus from the rest of the empire by telling Caelum's Seer at the time that it was a city of the Soulless where every traveller would be turned into one – and everyone had believed her words.
That was until Serena Heartfilia had been born. Kaos didn't expect her to betray her the way she did. She met with Seer Nox soon after she had taken her place as a Seeress. She had even visited Zephyrus without Kaos knowing about it – the chain of events had been interesting to say the least. It had given Kaos a way to imprison the rebellious Seer Nox for a very long time and only thing she needed to do was to turn Serena against him. It had been way too easy because she was Nox's biggest weakness.
Kaos snapped her fingers angrily. Even though she had managed to imprison Seer Nox so she could execute him for his crimes later, she hadn't realized that the two might have a ace up in their sleeve.
Regal Heartfilia. Nox's and Serena's daughter who possessed the power of darkness. Kaos hated that name. It reminded her of her greatest loss – that she could not take down the one city that she had wanted to destroy. Instead, she and the rest of her great empire had been sealed in Time, thrown out of the timeline that she had wanted to play with as long as she could.
And a while later, Seer Nox escaped from his prison in the Tower of Time, leaving no traces for Kaos to follow.
"But this time you're not going to get away from me, Nox, mark my words. This time I will put an end to your existence", Kaos whispered. "You and your clan will cease to exist once I'm done with you."
Kaos walked over to the portal, smiling. It was still connected to the location it had been recently used from – Crocus 794X ruins.
The Goddess of Chaos stepped into the portal.
-.-.-.-
Lucy Heartfilia was getting frustrated. The door to Dimensions Beyond had proven to be a lot more difficult to open than she had expected it to be. She had already tried everything that had come to mind – even using her Celestial Spirit keys in an act of desperation but nothing had happened. If anything, she only began to miss her friends and her spirits more than she already did.
Not to mention the self doubt that had began to build up inside of her. She had began to think that maybe it'd be better if she just let go and take what Kaos' new timeline would have to offer for her. It was unusual for her to want to give up and accept defeat, but at this moment she felt that she had done everything she possibly could. Was there anything left to try?
Lucy couldn't even talk to anybody in the palace. She was there alone. Nox had left to get his beloved from Caelum and Lucy knew that Regina was somewhere else as well since her presence was so far away in the palace. Blonde had nobody to ask for help.
Lucy turned her attention back on the stupid door. "I really don't like you", she mumbled and kicked it – just to show it how she felt, which was immature as hell, of course.
"Just open already! What's the big deal?" she said impatiently. "Am I just dumb or something because I can't open this?" she murmured as she walked around the door in hopes to find some clues – a.k.a a switch that she hadn't noticed before – to open the door.
"Nothing. There has to be something that I have missed", Lucy wondered aloud. "There's no other reason. I'm missing something important... but what could it be?"
She sat down on the floor and sighed. "I don't get this..."
"Don't give up when you're so close to succeed, Lucy", said a gentle voice in the hall, startling Lucy. A golden swirl of smoke appeared, and a woman walked out from it.
She looked like Sae, she also had long white hair and golden eyes. She, however, wore a golden dress instead of white that Sae had worn. She also had a tiara on her head.
Lucy immediately stood up and was ready to summon the Javelins in case this turned out to be the Goddess of Chaos herself.
"Fear not, Lucy Heartfilia, I do not walk on the path of chaotic darkness", woman said gently.
"I understand your suspicions and you have every right to feel that way. Allow me to introduce myself – my name is Sapientia."
Lucy nodded and furrowed her eyebrows. There was something very familiar about this goddess. It was as if she had met her before. A long time ago.
"Wait..." Lucy mumbled. "Have we met before?" she asked.
"Yes, we have, Lucy", Sapientia confirmed and smiled. "At that time I had a different form, as I also guard the forgotten memories."
Lucy immediately remembered the dark skinned, dark haired woman who she had met right after the rejoinment with Nora had failed. She had found herself on a shore right next to a place called Memoria.
"Eofra. You're Eofra", she said, and calmed down.
"Yes. That is a role I take whenever someone's soul has been shattered and they need guidance to remember who they are. My true identity, however, is Sapientia. I'm the Goddess of Memories", Sapientia explained.
Lucy nodded. "You look like her..." she whispered.
"You mean the real Goddess of Time Sae? She was my sister" Sapientia corrected her, a sad look in her golden eyes. "She's been dead for a very long time now."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Sapientia", Lucy said, feeling genuinely sorry for this goddess. She also immediately understood that Sapientia was involved in all of this just to get justice for her sister. It was written all over her face. Lucy understood it well as she – no matter how many doubts she had – wanted revenge as well. The Goddess of Chaos had ruined so many things and so many lives. Not to mention the fact that she had tricked Lucy, and she wanted the evil goddess to be punished for her crimes.
"Can you help me with this door, Sapientia? I can't open it", she said.
Sapientia smiled. "Yes, I can", she said and walked over to the door. "This door, just like many others like it, are not easy to open as they were built for protection. Once it had been clear to me and the other Gods of Time that Sae who was walking among us wasn't the real one, we took action. Once she had descended upon your timeline by answering the calling of the Time Mages' first Seeress, we closed the passageways to the other timelines with these doors. We wanted to seal her into one timeline, even though it meant that we'd sacrifice the timeline Sae had controlled, but there was nothing else we could do at that point. We couldn't have another war with Kaos as the previous one had destroyed an entire world."
"So you built these doors to keep her under control?" Lucy whispered.
"Yes. We knew perfectly well what she wanted to do if we had just allowed her to roam free among us and other timelines. She was a bad actress. The moment she began to talk about how we need to enslave the Soulless to become fearful gods, we knew she wasn't Sae. Sae never wanted to enslave anybody, not even the creatures of darkness", Sapientia explained. "Zephyrus' Seers were always suspicious of the goddess, mostly because the Soulless reacted to her defensively as they fear the chaotic darkness", she added. "So we put this particular door into their palace."
"How do you open it?" Lucy asked.
"We don't allow Messengers of Chaos to walk through these as the Mark of Chaos could give a pass for Kaos to slip through these doors and cause chaos in other timelines", Sapientia explained. "Because where the ones with the Mark of Chaos are, the goddess will follow."
Lucy looked at the mark on her shoulder. She couldn't open the door because of the mark on her skin? Why hadn't she realized it herself?
"But you are also walking on the path as Sae's Seeress of Guidance", Sapientia said, smiling. "Your power leads people to the right path, whether or not they walk in darkness or in the light. And even if you've chosen to be Regina's Warrior of Darkness, you can still open this door but only if you forgive yourself."
"How can I forgive myself for what I did? I let Kaos boss me around and destroy this timeline by thinking I was doing it for the greater good. Now, because of me, the timeline will fall into Chaos..." Lucy said.
"That's exactly what the Goddess of Chaos wants, Lucy. She wants the Messenger of Chaos to fall into a despair and hate themselves because for her it's easier to control them that way. All Messengers has fallen into the chaotic darkness sooner or later as the result but you are stronger than you think you are, Lucy. You just have to find your light again", Sapientia told her. "Be the guiding light in darkness for Aurora and others, and they will find you."
"But how?"
"Don't give up, Lucy. Let the light within you shine once more. I know you can do it", Sapientia said as the swirl of golden smoke began to appear around her. "I believe in you with all my heart, Lucy Heartfilia", she whispered as the smoke covered her up and disappeared.
Lucy stood up from the floor. She remembered how she had been able to use the power of light before the darkness had taken a hold of her. Ever since then she had thought darkness was the only power she now had but... could it really be that she still had her other powers too?
"Okay, let's try this", Lucy mumbled, put her hand on the surface of the door and closed her eyes. She could feel the glimpse of light within the depths of her soul's darkness and she called upon it. She could feel the warmth take over her body – she hadn't even realized how cold she had been – and smiled.
"Please hear me, the great Gods of Time. I seek your guidance as the Seeress of Guidance, not as the Messenger of Chaos as I do not follow the path of chaos no longer. Allow me to enter the Dimensions Beyond so I can find salvation for myself and those whom I hold dear in my heart", she said, and opened her eyes.
Her hand was shining in golden light, as was the door to Dimensions Beyond as well. The light gathered into the middle of the door surface, and disappeared into the crack in it. Then, Lucy felt how the door opened beneath her hand and she took a step back.
"We will allow you to enter the Dimensions Beyond, Seeress of Guidance", said a voice from inside the door.
She couldn't believe she had actually succeeded.
And what's more, she finally felt whole again as the darkness had stepped aside, and the light had taken its place in her soul.
-.-.-.-
The first time Natsu had been in Regina's fortress, he had been on a mission to get Lucy out of there safely. And at that time he was sure that he would never return but as he walked through the familiar corridors, he had realized that he had returned there quite a few times during his adventure with Lucy. It felt a little bit weird to follow Regina this time as he had been so used to having Lucy do the job. This adventure didn't feel the same anymore without the blonde. He was so happy that she would rejoin the group at the top of the palace.
"I can't help but feel this way", Aurora said, bringing Natsu back from his thoughts. "I feel like something's about to happen. Something bad, and I don't think I want to be here when it does..."
Regina looked at her daughter a worried look on her face. "The goddess?"
Aurora nodded.
"In that case we must hurry to the door", Regina said, and she looked troubled by the thought of Kaos coming for her even though she tried her best to hide it.
So Kaos is Regina's biggest fear, Natsu thought. Can't blame her though. That goddess is even scarier than Gildarts was during the S Class Exam, he added as he remembered the moment when he had felt almost overpowering fear. Kaos gave him the same vibes and he did not like it at all.
"I had so many plans for my timeline", Regina said. "If Lucy had learned about the true face of that Goddess, we could've saved ourselves sooner."
"Hey –" Natsu began.
"But since the door to Dimensions Beyond revealed itself to us here, I really can't be angry", Regina interrupted him, looking at him sharply.
"Do we even want to know about your plans, Regina?" Sting asked. "We saw what the new 794X was like, and it wasn't beautiful."
"Ah, you still see me as the villain, don't you?" Regina mocked him. "You, out of all people, were really close to step into darkness when Nora was dying. You wished for her to stay with you, didn't you?"
Sting said nothing.
"Exactly. You had those thoughts as well, so you really can't judge me or my actions, Sting Eucliffe", Regina mercilessly continued.
"Fine. You're right. I wanted Nora to stay with me for my own selfish reasons", Sting confessed. "But I changed my mind because her pain was too much to deal with."
"Obviously", Regina said. "But it was so close for you to take the dive that even I could hear those whispers in the darkness."
"Brutal", Happy commented while Sting glared at the woman.
Aurora sighed. "Please don't start fighting. We have a mission."
"We could also confront the goddess head-on and kick her ass", Sting pointed out.
"Weren't you the one who said you want to run?" Natsu asked him.
"True, but I'm also curious to see how strong that bitch of a goddess really is."
"We aren't strong enough", Aurora told him. "She's way too strong for any of us to defeat."
"I can dream of kicking her ass though?" Sting asked her.
"Certainly", Aurora said, looking amused.
She looks like her mother with that look on her face, Natsu thought.
-.-.-.-
Regina guided them to the third floor of the palace. Natsu didn't remember this corridor at all. It was a long dusty one that had once had paintings on the each side of it. Now there were only empty frames – some of them were on the floor – next to the broken tables and chairs. Even curtains had been ripped down on the floor so he was able to see the darkness outside and Crocus that was frozen in time.
"Where's all the paintings?" Aurora asked. "This whole place looks so sad. Not like the one I grew up in..."
"This basically summarizes what Zephyrus looks like in 794X, Aura", Rogue said quietly. "It's nothing but a old pile of rubble by the Northern Sea."
"Yeah, in our time barely anyone even knows the ruins were once a great city", Sting added. "And if you try to look up for some information, you'll find nothing."
"And what's more", Erza said, "the ruins are off limits to all civilians. It's guarded at all times."
Regina looked amused. "Still scared of me, aren't they?" she asked.
"Very much so", Erza confirmed. As she spoke, she pulled out a stack of papers from her pocket. "It's clearly stated here that the whole 'Queen of Darkness' thing was created by Fiorean kings, not by Regina."
She gave the papers to Natsu, who immediately began to read them through.
"Where did you find these papers and why didn't you show them to us sooner, Erza?" Gray, who read the papers over Natsu's shoulder, asked.
"I never had time because things started to happen. I remembered I had them only just now."
"What does the papers say?" Theodore asked curiously.
"It says, 'all the evidence of Reana's and its ruler, Regina Heartfilia, are to be erased from existence, and that all the supporters of this menace must be executed at once when sighted so they won't destroy our mighty kingdom that I, Tomas E. Fiore, created. From this day until the end of time all Heartfilias must be kept an eye on in case they try to take over the crown", Natsu read. "Signed by Tomas E. Fiore in 491X."
"That midget..." Regina growled angrily.
"That king sounds like a total douchebag", Sting said. "Ordered hunts to get rid of a family because they did stuff he didn't like."
"And that thing is still a law in Fiore", Erza said. "I checked. It's known as the Rebellion Prevention Act and has a bit of nicer words, but the meaning is still the same – if a Heartfilia gets rebellious, kill them all at once."
"Which is the exact reason why I really wanted to get out of Lucy's soul", Regina said. "The whole idea of me changing the timeline was to save us from that law."
"Damn, really?" Natsu asked.
"The current king would've found out the truth soon because there was a prophecy that predicted my return. He would've assassinated your girlfriend one day just to prevent the catastrophe I would've caused", Regina explained. "So you actually owe me for saving Lucy's life, Dragneel."
Natsu was so speechless that he could only nod in agreement. This woman was full of surprises for sure.
As they kept walking further upstairs, Natsu noticed the areas began to look familiar again. In this particular foor – he had no idea what number it was – were the rooms that he had checked out with Nora and Happy on the day when Regina had attacked Crocus. Back then they had been shocked to find out that Regina had children as she was pure evil and heartless then. Now it was evident that deep inside Regina was more human than she had let on. She was a loving wife and mother behind the dark sorceress image. The living room was still the same as it had been then except maybe a bit more dirtier than back then, and maybe some furniture had been knocked over.
"Looks like we're in a area that you remember", Aurora pointed out, looking at him.
Natsu nodded. "I went through this floor on my way to save Luce."
"That's so romantic", Aurora sighed.
"I want to know something", Sting said suddenly. "How did you meet Kaos, Regina?"
Regina's eyes lit up with fierce fire immediately. "She tried to steal my body when I was 18. I was arrested in Zephyrus for provoking the townsfolk to start a rebellion and the Fiorean soldiers caught me. They took me to a island where all the rebels 'disappeared'. Everyone in Zephyrus knew that prisoners were executed without a trial there", she explained. "I was waiting for my turn when a man – Seer Nox – appeared from a swirl of black smoke before my eyes. He warned me about what the place was really used for – to create Warriors for the Goddess of Chaos, who pretended to be Sae. The next day I was taken to the room where executions happened. It was the Purge Room in Caelum. I escaped by summoning the Soulless Army to my aid for the first time and I commanded them to destroy the island. I never prayed for salvation from any god after that day."
"As I thought", Rogue calmly said while the others were more or less shocked by her story.
"So the Seer of Darkness taught my mother? That's so amazing", Aurora said, admiration written all over her face.
"The power to control the Soulless Army is inherited in the family line of Seers of Darkness?" Erza asked.
Regina nodded. "Yes, that is correct."
"The papers I showed Natsu earlier claimed that you created the Soulless by ripping people's souls out of their bodies", redhead said.
"That's so far from the truth", Regina said, looking amused. "The Soulless were always loyal to Nox's family line. It just happens that I can control them because I was born with that power. That king knew nothing about anything so he made up lies whenever he could."
"But you did rip Lisanna's soul out of her body, though", Sting pointed out.
"Yes, that is correct. In Lisanna's case it had to be done as she was the master of the Soulless briefly. She had to be destroyed in order for me to take control over them", Regina explained.
"This is all very interesting and so on, but shouldn't we keep going?" Lector pointed out. "We have a angry goddess coming for us after all."
"The talking cat is correct", Regina agreed. "Let's go, unless you still have questions that anybody else would've figured out on their own by now?"
"I got my answers", Erza said calmly.
How can she be so calm when this woman mocks us at every chance she gets? Natsu wondered. He definitely felt like he wanted to punch Regina for insulting their intelligence over and over. How could Erza remain so calm about this?
-.-.-.-
Eventually the group entered the familiar looking, long white corridor where Natsu had encountered Lisanna for the first time after 3 years. It hadn't been a nice meeting as she had been taken over by the darkness. Natsu fought her while Nora had ran for Lucy's aid in the Vestige that was located behind the door at the other end of the corridor.
"Are you walking down the memory lane, Natsu?" Lucy's voice asked him in his mind suddenly.
"Yes, Luce, I am. How did you know?" Natsu asked her, feeling happy that Lucy sounded like her usual self again.
"I'm not exactly sure how these Seeress powers work. I just sense things without even realizing it and I'm usually correct, right?"
"Yeah, you are", Natsu agreed. "Something's different about you, Luce, what's up?"
"You'll see soon enough, Natsu. I can't wait to see you guys again", Lucy told him, and then her presence in his head disappeared.
Natsu couldn't help but feel curious about Lucy. Last time he had spoken to her, she had been furious and had threatened to kick his ass but now she was the same sweet Lucy that Natsu loved deeply. What had changed while they had been apart?
Regina walked towards a door on the other side of the corridor, and for a moment it seemed like she was going to open it, but instead she stopped and turned around to touch the wall on the right side of the door. A new door appeared on the spot, and she proceeded to touch it. It opened immediately.
"This way", she just said and went in.
Everyone followed her into a dimly lit corridor with stone walls and floor. It looked ancient, probably centuries old. There were spider webs and dust everywhere where Natsu looked at.
He could also smell Lucy's sweet scent everywhere, and it made him feel impatient. It suddenly felt like the corridor went on forever for him.
"This area looks very old, Regina", Theodore said thoughtfully. "I don't think I've never even seen this part of the palace before."
"You haven't because I wanted to keep this place a secret, Theo", Regina said in a apologetic tone. "It's not that I don't trust you though. I just had a feeling that if you knew some of these secrets, the king might find it out, too."
"It's alright, Regina. I'm not angry about this. Just genuinely curious", Theodore said and smiled.
"You are way too good for me", Regina whispered as quietly as she could to him but Natsu heard it anyways. He kept it to himself though. Theodore and Regina deserved their moments now that they were finally together again.
"Zephyrus' Time Chamber is here", Regina said after a short moment of silence. "My ancestors sealed the area so nobody could use it for their own gain as it was still active. And I think it was a good idea because I believe the midget king would've used it if he knew it existed."
"Yes, he would have", Theodore agreed. "He knew all the myths and stories of a mysterious chamber in Zephyrus that could be used for time travel."
"See? That's exactly why this area was sealed."
"Did the douchebag king ever ask you to explore the palace to find that chamber?" Sting asked him.
"He did, actually", Theodore answered. "It was when I came here for the first time to discuss the peace treaty with Regina but once I entered the palace, something told me that I should not dig up the secrets so I lied that I found nothing. He was furious and cursed Zephyrians to hell."
Regina looked amused by the time he stopped talking. Then she said, "I wish I had been there to see that outburst."
Theodore chuckled and shook his head at his wife's antics.
Eventually the corridor ended – which made Natsu happy – and they arrived to a big hall looking room that looked like a throne room with a red carpet on the floor and a chair sitting on a pedestal on the other side of the room. Regina lead them towards the throne. There she snapped her fingers and a new door appeared on the wall behind it. It opened as she approached it.
The room behind the door was a dome shaped room that was dark except for a single ray of light that shone on the centre of the room. In the light stood a huge white stone door, that was wide open. And in front of the door stood a blonde girl, who turned around the moment the group entered the room. Her brown eyes shone with excitement and happiness as she came over to Natsu and wrapped her arms around his neck without saying a word.
Natsu smiled when he wrapped his arms around his Lucy. Finally.
"So this is the door to the Dimensions Beyond?" Aurora asked. "I expected it to look completely different."
"Maybe the gods wanted it to look very simple so it doesn't stand out if we happen to see one by accident", Rogue, who was also looking at it, said.
"How did you open it, Lucy?" Regina asked.
Lucy let Natsu go and turned around to look at her. "I had to embrace the Seeress of Guidance within me to open it. They didn't want me to open it as long as I was walking on the path of darkness so I had to choose my path again. I'm no longer a Warrior of Darkness."
"It's alright, Lucy. You opened the door, and once we enter Dimensions Beyond, I don't think I'll need a Warrior of Darkness there", Regina said.
She looks grateful. I've never seen this side of Regina before. Except for the memories we saw in that messed up Zephyrus, Natsu thought.
"Did Sapientia appear to you, Lucy?" Aurora asked, knowing look on her face.
Lucy nodded. "She was very kind to me. How did you know?"
"Your Mark of Chaos is gone."
"It is?" Lucy asked and looked at her left arm.
Aurora was right. The mark that had been on it, was gone. Now there was a different mark on it – a golden ball with wings and a letter 'S' in the middle.
"I didn't even notice it before", Lucy said. "Does this mean I'm not a Messenger of Chaos anymore?" she asked.
Aurora nodded. "You're now Sapientia's Seeress, Lucy. I think you're now walking on the path that was meant for you since you were born. How do you feel?"
Lucy was quiet for a moment, and then said, "Like I'm whole again. That I'm going to a right direction with my life. Does it have a meaning?"
"It means that your soul is finally mended, Lucy. It's not shattered anymore."
Lucy's face melt into the brightest smile that Natsu had ever seen and he felt how his heart skipped a beat. It was amazing that Lucy was finally fully back to being herself again.
"Luce, we gotta get out of here", Natsu said and grinned. "Time for some new adventures as a team, right?"
Lucy nodded, just as a swirl of black smoke appeared in front of them, and two figures, a man and a woman, emerged from the smoke. It was Nox who was holding a hand of a beautiful blonde woman with brown eyes. She looked like a older Lucy. And very familiar too. Natsu looked at her closer, and then realized it was that woman they had seen in the memory spell that Aurora had used in the Dark World during the battle with Nox.
"Are you Serena?" he asked before he could stop himself.
Serena nodded. "Nice to meet you in person, Natsu", she said. "And yes, I know all of your names. I've been watching your journey for a very long time when I was imprisoned in Caelum."
"We should get going", Nox said before anyone else could open their mouths. "We can talk about things later because I know our story interests some of you way too much", he added, raising an eyebrow.
Everyone just nodded.
But as they began to walk towards the open door thinking they'd be safe for now, a sudden sound of someone snapping their fingers together was heard.
And the door to Dimensions Beyond exploded so powerfully that pieces of the door flew everywhere.
Natsu found himself laying on the floor few meters away, and didn't even remember how he had gotten there because things had happened so suddenly. There was dust floating everywhere in the air.
"Well, well, well", said a cold, yet unpleasantly familiar voice. "Were you trying to sneak out of my timeline to avoid your fate? That's unacceptable."
"Kaos..." Nox growled as the group got up.
The Goddess of Chaos stood in the spot where the door had stood only a moment ago. She had a victorious smile on the face that wasn't hers...
A/N: Yes, I have a cliffhanger ending there. I want to write a long battle for the evil bitch because she's not that easy to kill so the next chapter will be dedicated to the epic final showdown. It's called "The Last Stand", and it will be posted when I have time to write again. :)