Author's Note: I own nothing.
25 Accursed
Jen frowned at the Doors To Anywhere repeating the word Charmcaster had given her to access Ledgerdomain. Still nothing. Gwen nodded.
"I was afraid of that. The name's changing." She held out a book that Jen didn't recognize. "I may be able to figure it out though." Kevin frowned.
"She changed the keys." Jen kicked him in the shin, holding back from using Humungousaur's power to do it, but only just. He howled in pain and hopped around as Jen turned to Gwen.
"How are you going to figure it out?"
"I wrote a spell that works with a computer algorithm to work out the name before it even changes." Jen nodded grinning.
"Ah my super genius magical cousin." Jen leaned on the edge of the doors as Gwen worked. It didn't take her too long to work out the new name and reopen the doors but both girls could sense that something was wrong when they stepped into the domain of Magic. It took Jen a minute to adjust, she hadn't had Master Control last time she was here and it really did make a difference being able to call on Stardust's powers in an instant without using the watch. Here it made her feel like how she used to feel when she still had all her transformations. She shook her head. The last thing she needed to do right now was reminisce about Feedback. They had work to do. But it seemed they had arrived in Ledgerdomain at a touchy time. From what they learned from the rock golem Ignatius, Ledgerdomain was in the middle of a vicious civil war.
Addwaitya, though much less powerful, had resurfaced and had re-enslaved a number of beings. He was attempting to gather enough power to face Charmcaster directly, who was leading the fight against him. He was building a device not too far from where the Doors had deposited them and guarded it against Charmcaster and her forces.
"But he won't be expecting us. We could take out the machine, weaken Addwaitya even more, then meet up with Charmcaster." Jen stated nodding as though that was that. Kevin nodded too.
"She has a point, help end the civil war and your ex might be more inclined to talk to you." Jen kicked him again.
"Drop it." He laughed rubbing his bruised shin.
"Addwaitya wouldn't expect us." Gwen hesitated, she turned to Ignatius. "Can you lead us there? Just close enough to see it." He nodded.
"You must be cautious, Addwaitya is mighty even without the Alpha Rune." They nodded and the rock golem led them off.
Charmcaster fiddled with the mirror in her pocket. It had been lighting up steadily over the past few days. But she couldn't help Jen now and didn't want to drag her into the madness Addwaitya was causing. Tiber nodded to her.
"We're ready you highness." Charmcaster nodded.
"Then let us attack and put an end to Addwaitya once and for all."
The silver haired enchantress had been expecting resistance, fighting those under Addwaitya's control. But she hadn't expected someone to already be there fighting Addwaitya himself. Several someone's actually, though Gwen stood alone against the turtle creature. Kevin was fighting his underlings and Jen… Charmcaster scanned the battlefield, she had to be here. If Gwen was here so was Jen. There! She spotted her in one of her alien forms stepping into the beam of light the machine was generating.
"No!" But it was too late. The beam chipped away at the pink and black crystal that made up this form and a blood curdling scream echoed through the air as Jen tilted forward a green ball of mana joining the other stolen mana in the machine as her now empty body free fell. Charmcaster shouted out a spell and a large pink flower bloomed from the stone catching the limp brunette as Kevin shoved Gwen out of the way of a spell hurled at her by Addwaitya. Charmcaster couldn't bring herself to care as she teleported to the flower she'd conjured, even as Kevin's mana joined the other stolen life forces. The flower opened and Charmcaster flipped Jen over, hoping against hope that it had just been that one alien form that had been taken, that she would sit up and say something witty. But no, her normally shining green eyes were dull and lifeless.
Addwaitya laughed as Gwen snarled, her skin darkening to purple her hair and eyes glowing brightly. Charmcaster looked up just in time to see Gwen fall to Addwaitya as well. She gripped the Alpha Rune in her hand and chanted pointing her free hand at the turtle who began to scream as his skin turned to stone, flaking and a small totem fell to the stone of Ledgerdomain. But the spell had already been cast. A great seam opened in the pink sky, white light shining down on her. A deep voice rumbled through her mind.
'We see your most desperate desire and take the offered payment!' Charmcaster shook her head as the lights from the machine flew up into the crack, she easily spotted the one green streak amid the pink and felt a sob building. A single orb of Mana flew from the crack and resolved into a man she hadn't seen in so long. Tears spilled down her face.
"Dad?" He turned and opened his arms. She ran into them, leaving behind the limp form of her friend and former lover.
"Hope! You've grown! But how did this happen?" She shook her head.
"Addwaitya. He…" She hiccupped. "He was using the life force of people of Ledgerdomain. I don't know what he wanted but he opened the portal to the Old Ones and they brought you back." She paused turning to the bodies strewn over the battlefield. "But it shouldn't be like this." Her father nodded placing his hand on her shoulder.
"You've grown into a beautiful young woman. And you're right it shouldn't be like this. I love you Hope." She turned and he kissed her on her forehead. Then he took flight, morphing back into an orb of pure mana. The voices rumbled in her mind again.
'The bargain is rejected, the payment must be returned.' The lights flooded back out of the crack. All around the battlefield people, and the magical creatures of Ledgerdomain were sitting up. A green light flitted past Charmcaster and sank back into Jen who gasped in a deep breath as Kevin pulled himself to his feet rushing to Gwen as a bright light sunk through her skin too. He blinked as she sat up.
"Did we just die?" His question was quiet. No one answered it either as Charmcaster pulled Jen to her feet.
"You weren't supposed to be here! I didn't want you to get mixed up in this, that's why I didn't answer your calls." Jen grinned slightly as Charmcaster released her and stooped picking up a small turtle statue. She slipped it into her bag without looking at it and turned back to Jen.
"We need your help, well you might be able to help us anyway. I don't know." Charmcaster nodded, glad that the green eyes looking up at her were no longer glassy and empty.
"I'll see what I can do."