Hello everyone! I'm finally back!
First off, I wanted to apologize for not posting a chapter since last September. It wasn't my intention to keep y'all waiting for this long, and I apologize for that. Last semester was when I worked on my Senior Thesis, and that, along with other classes and extra curriculars, cut into my writing. Also, I strangely felt very little motivation to work on this story, which I've struggled with in some of my other stories as well.
However, I'm determined to get back to writing more and updating my story more frequently (once a month). My school schedule is not as busy this semester, but I still find myself distracted and not wanting to write fan fiction all the time. Or if I DO work on fan fiction, it's not on a story I NEED to finish! Though I hope that, after posting this chapter, I can get into a groove of writing and publishing my chapters in a timely manner. Though if I do fail to do so, I hope y'all can forgive me.
Anyway, since y'all have been waiting for so long, here's the second-to-last chapter in 'The Longest Night' storyline! Only a few more chapters left until this story is finished, and then onto my planned sequel!
But for now, enjoy this chapter!
The Longest Night - Part Five
Dingo POV:
10:37 PM
HIS VITALS ARE STABILIZING, Matrix said. AND HE IS NOW ASLEEP.
"Good," Dingo replied as the silvery helmet moved down to join the rest of his armor. He turned to Jeffrey, who was putting a fresh washcloth on the teenager's forehead. "I gotta say, when Hunter told us that we were goin' to America for a mission, I didn't have this in mind."
"I know the feeling," the author replied, a wry smile on his face. "But by this point in life, I've learned to expect the unexpected." He paused, bringing his hand up to touch his face. "As well as the seemingly impossible."
IT IS AN INCREDIBLE AND IMPOSSIBLE FEAT, Matrix said, a silvery tendril pulling away from Dingo's armor and stopping a few inches from Jeffrey's face. BACK WHEN WE MET YOU IN FEBRUARY, I SCANNED YOU TO ADD YOU TO A LIST OF ALLIES.
"We have a list of allies," the Australian asked dubiously.
IT'S NOT A LONG LIST.
The man scoffed. "Figures."
BACK THEN, I NOTED ALL TISSUE AND INTERNAL DAMAGE IN AND AROUND YOUR EYES, the nanobot creation continued. COMPARING THOSE SCANS TO A PRESENT ONE, ALL EXTERNAL SCARRING IS GONE, THE OPTIC NERVES ARE NO LONGER SEVERED, AND YOUR CORNEAS ARE WHOLE. YOU HAVE PERFECT 20/20 VISION NOW!
"I guess that's good news," Robbins replied. "Though I don't know how I'm going to explain this to my doctor!"
"It'll probably make headlines," Dingo figured, walking over to one of the shelves, spotting a few copies of the author's books. "I mean, any bloke who's healed like that is bound to attract some attention, but you're already a famous author!"
Jeffrey smiled. "I'm not as popular as it appears. I've had a few modest successes."
"Says here your books have been published in over 20 languages," the former villain noted, looking at the back cover of one of the novels.
"Please, I'm no Hemmingway." The author stood up (a bit shakily, Dingo noticed) and walked over to him, accepting the novel. "You know, I've never seen the covers before... I got a say in what the design would be, of course, but I could only imagine what they looked like." He ran his fingers over the lettering, then flipped to the back cover, staring at the small black-and-white picture of himself that sat next to the synopsis. "And I've gotten old."
"You aren't that old," Dingo said, trying to be kind, but realizing too late how rude the comment had been. Fortunately for him, Mr. Robbins chuckled a little, putting the book back on the shelf.
"I turn 61 next month," he replied, smiling a little. "I think that qualifies me being old!"
AGREED, Matrix commented.
"Enough out of ya," the Australian hissed.
"Urgh..." A low groan escaped Art, and the two adults walked back over to him. The teenager didn't wake, but he stirred a little, shivering a little under the afghan blanket they had covered him with. Gilly licked the boy's hand, but he didn't wake, seeming to settle back into slumber.
"Hudson mentioned that Art had given Elijah a black eye at one point," Jeffrey said, careful not to speak too loudly or suddenly (Probably so he won't wake the kid, Dingo figured). The author sighed, a sorrowful expression on his face. "I had been concerned, of course, but he assured me that he was fine. And I believed him." He turned away from Art. "And when I heard Art had gone missing..."
Dingo was silent, not sure of what to say; it was clear that the man was in pain at what had happened to his nephew, but he wasn't exactly qualified when it came to this department. His father had died when he was a baby, and his mother up and left one day, leaving him alone. He had been taken in by John Oldcastle (Falstaff now, he supposed), a friend of his mothers and the leader of a band of thieves. He had been raised as one of them, which had led him down a criminal path from an early age. The Australian had no experience as to what it was like raising a kid in a normal way, and with Elijah being possessed by a crazy faerie witch, it was bound to be more difficult to find some comforting words to say.
"You know," Robbins said before the Australian could speak, "I nearly didn't take Elijah in after his parents died."
"Uh... His parents," Dingo asked, a little surprised by the sudden statement.
"Yes," he replied. "My younger half-brother and his wife; they died last June in a car accident. I hadn't been on speaking terms with my brother since before Elijah was born, so it was my sister who invited me to the funeral and asked if I would take primary custody. She was asked first, but she already has her own family to take care of, and couldn't afford to take him in. I was his only other option besides foster care." The formerly blind man paused, a sorrowful, guilty expression on his face. "I wonder... What would have happened if I had said no? I had no legal obligation, and, given how distant I had been from my brother, no moral one in my mind to take him in. I had never even met Elijah until the funeral, and it was only for a moment; I didn't know a thing about him besides his name and that he was my nephew."
The former villain said nothing, still unsure of what to say, if anything, to the man. A few seconds later, he was saved from the trouble of thinking of anything as Jeffrey continued.
"I sat in my hotel room the night after the funeral, thinking about what I should do," the author said. "I never had a wife or children of my own and had no experience in raising a family. Then again, one teenager isn't the same as raising a child from infancy. Still, I had no experience in being a paternal figure to anyone, much less my flesh and blood." He slowly walked over to a nearby armchair, sitting down in it. "I sat on the edge of my bed; I had opened a window earlier to get some fresh air. It was salty, just like the air here, but there was a different quality to it."
He certainly talks like an author, Dingo thought, somewhat impatiently. Describin' everything with a lot of bloody detail!
"I... I was scared," the man continued. "Scared of what would happen if I said yes, and scared of what would happen if I said no. I stayed up very late that night, thinking it over. Finally... I made a decision."
"You said yes, right," the Australian asked. "I mean, Elijah ended up livin' here with you, so I assume-"
"Yes, I-" Robbins looked over at the former villain, noticing his frown. "Oh! My apologies; I do tend to get a little long-winded at times!"
"Yeah, you kinda-"
BUT HIS LUNG CAPACITY SEEM NORMAL TO ME-
"No one asked ya anythin'!"
Jeffrey Robbins nodded. "Forgive me. To make a long story short, I said yes. If Elijah was going to be raised in a stranger's home, I wanted him to live in one with a blood relative; not in a foster or group home. Besides..." He looked into the empty fireplace. "He's my nephew, and my brother's only child; I felt that I owed it to Joseph, to look after his son after he died."
There was silence for a few moments, save for the steady ticking from the mantle clock, as well as the occasional creak from somewhere in the house. Dingo, thinking he might have something to say, opened his mouth to speak. But someone else spoke first.
"How... PREDICTABLE!"
The two men whirled around to find Elijah- or Mab, that is- standing in the doorway that led to the hallway, eyes glowing and a smile on her face.
"You humans really are easy to read," the witch said, walking into the room and standing behind the couch, looking at the author. "Having doubts about taking in your nephew; what normal human being DOESN'T have doubts? And talking about 'caring' and 'love!' The amount of sentiment and love you have for one another is repulsive, and causes more trouble than it's worth, I believe!"
"Stay back," Dingo ordered as Matrix covered his head, and he raised his hands as his suit's cannons charged up. "Don't come any closer to me or-" He remembered that Art was still lying unconscious on the couch, and Mab must have sensed his panic since her smile widened and she looked down at the teenager.
"Don't worry," she said, reaching out with Elijah's hand and stroking the boy's head. "I'm not the one who had a grudge with him; that was Elijah." She straightened up, turning to the men. "No, I've got much more important things to do than mess with an immature child."
"Such as," the Australian asked.
"Why, my rebirth of course!" The faerie sauntered over to the other armchair, sitting down in Hudson's usual spot. "I've got all the ingredients; all I have to do now is wait!"
"Elijah," Jeffrey started to say. "Elijah, can you-"
"No more of that," Mab interrupted, shaking a finger back and forth. "Your nephew won't be speaking to you, or ANYONE, anymore!"
Dingo quickly looked at the author, whose face seemed to instantly go several shades paler, the blood draining from his face as his hands tightened on his armrests.
"What... What have you done to him," the formerly blind man asked, his voice wavering a little.
"I've put him in his place," the evil faerie replied. "I'M the one in charge of this body now. Don't worry; your nephew won't be dying until after the Ceremony! I mean, it's only natural, seeing that once my new body is ready, that this one will be burned to a crisp, so the odds of him surviving third-degree burns-"
For an old man, Robbins sure could move fast. Dingo barely had time to react as the author suddenly leaped up from his seat, running forward and putting both hands on the witch's shoulders, forcing her to stay seated. The Australian half expected Mab to blast the man away, but she didn't; she only stared at him with a smug, gloating expression. Dingo noticed that Jeffrey's hands were shaking and that his eyes were brimming with tears.
HE'S DOING OUR JOB, Matrix said in Dingo's ear.
"Shush," the Australian hissed. "Be ready to protect Robbins and Art."
"What are you doing, old man," Mab asked, looking the author straight in the eye. "Are you looking for Elijah? Looking for a glimmer in these eyes that show he's still there? You won't find anything of the sort!"
"Let... Him... Go," Jeffrey Robbins demanded, glaring at the witch with his fully-functioning eyes. "Please! He's done nothing to you-"
"And how would you know that," the faerie countered. "You don't know everything about him."
"I know enough to know that he would never anger or upset anyone on purpose," the author stated. "If you need a body to control... then take mine!"
"No WAY," Dingo gasped, not caring that he had accidentally said it out loud. "You're not about to start makin' deals with a with on my watch!"
"I'd watch my tongue if I were you," Mab said coolly, giving the Australian a harsh look.
"Let Elijah go," Robbins continued. "And I promise that I'll let you take me over for whatever it is you're planning on doing! Please; he doesn't deserve to die!"
The witch was silent for a few seconds, staring up at the man with a neutral expression. Then, she laughed.
"Predictable," she said, waving her hand. Jeffrey instantly let her go and stood up straight, seemingly not of his own free will. "Again, a fault of your species; you'd give up your own life so some stupid, immature child could live? All for love?" She laughed a little. "And live for what? After the Ceremony, this world WILL change, and everyone will conform to it whether they like it or not." She leaned the teenager's body forward a little. "Will you condemn your nephew to that kind of existence?"
The formerly blind man didn't answer, and she smirked at him.
"Besides, I can't leave this body, even if I wanted to," she continued. "There are rules with magic, and leaving this body will prevent me from completing the Ceremony in a timely manner. And I rather LIKE this host; he may not be strong, but he's youthful, energetic, and now that the ears are fixed, will serve me nicely until my new body is ready!" Jeffrey didn't say anything in reply, but took a few steps back, this time of his own volition.
"Is that all you're here for, then," Dingo asked, his hand cannons still aimed at the evil faerie. "Here to gloat or cause us some more misery?"
"A bit of both," she replied, waving her hand as a roaring fire suddenly appeared in the fireplace. "I'm here to wait until the others arrive."
"The others," the author asked, his voice sounding subdued and hopeless.
"Your friends; they're still alive, since the rules of the Ceremony prevent me from taking a life beforehand, and there's no doubt that they'll try and stop me." Mab grinned. "I'm COUNTING on it! It's been a while since I've had a proper challenge, and I've missed the fun of crushing my enemies under my heel!" She laughed again, the noise sending a chill down the Australian's spine.
We're screwed, Dingo thought, wondering why the heck he had even agreed to join this stupid team in the first place.
"And, in case they DO come up with a plan to stop me-" She chuckled. "Why, I've got three perfect hostages right here!"
Robbins' face blanked. "You mean-"
"You wouldn't want to miss The Ceremony, would you? In fact, I'd say it's to DIE for!"
This time, her laughter echoed through the whole house, and Dingo felt, for the first time in years, a sense of true fear.
[][][]
Brooklyn POV:
10:41 PM
The others had woken up, but there was little for Brooklyn and the others to celebrate, even with the arrival of King Arthur and Griff. Both the egg and Excalibur were gone, meaning that Mab had all she needed to complete the Ceremony.
Brooklyn was especially distraught, as was Katana; both of their children had now been taken by the evil faerie queen, and they had no idea if they would be able to get them back. They knew that Mab wouldn't kill them before the Ceremony, but with less than two hours until then, the chances of rescuing Nashville and the egg from the overpowered witch inhabiting Elijah's body were slim to none. How do you defeat an enemy that powerful, especially when she's holding your family hostage?
The crimson gargoyle crouched on one of the battlements of the castle, looking out at the city with a hollow expression. Katana had refused to leave the Rookery, kneeling in the spot where the egg had been, stony-faced and silent. Some part of him wanted to comfort her, to be there for his mate in their darkest hour, yet here he was. In a completely different area of the castle, not wanting to talk to her or anyone else. He just wanted to be alone with his failure.
Why us? He blinked away more tears before they could fall from his eyes. Why is this happening to us?! Why must I and my family suffer the most out of everyone in the Clan?! His time-dancing adventures had been dangerous, with more near-death experiences than he could count on both hands. And they didn't stop after he met Katana, nor after they became mates and had Nashville. Things only became more difficult from there. Each time had a new danger, and just when it seemed that things were going to calm down for good, they were ripped away and sent somewhere and somewhen else. Even now, he couldn't help but wonder if him and his family being back in 1997 New York was permanent, or if he'd find himself in the Dark Ages one day, or ten thousand years in the future.
"Brooklyn."
He turned around to find Katana standing there, a determined expression on her face.
"Katana," he started to say.
"We need to go," she interrupted, drawing her sword; she had a scar on her forearm from where she had tried to stop Mab from taking the egg (the magical defenses they had put around it crumpled under the witch's hands), and she was favoring her right leg more than her left. Be she still stood up straight. "We need to find that monster and get our children back."
"Katana," he repeated, walking up to her and putting his hands on her shoulders, but she shrugged them off.
"We don't have time for talk," she insisted. "Come."
"Come where?"
"We're going to talk with the others and come up with a plan to get our children back from that... That-" She called Mab a certain Japanese word, one Brooklyn dare not repeat.
"With what plan," he asked, stopping her as she tried to leave. "And we're both injured, and the others-"
"NO!" His mate practically screamed the word at him, her eyes glowing with rage. "We will not rest until our children are safe!"
"And how will we do that," he countered, raising his voice as well, though he didn't mean to. "How are we supposed to stop her?! She just tossed us like a couple of rag dolls and flew away!"
"Flew away with BOTH OUR CHILDREN!"
"And we need a PLAN to get them back!"
Katana pulled her shoulders free of his grasp and stormed towards the nearest battlement. He went after her, grabbing her free hand and pulling her back. She swung around, bringing her sword towards him, but he ducked, drawing one of his swords with his other hand. When she attacked again, he blocked it.
"Katana, stop this," he ordered, their swords clashing again as they broke apart, each in defensive stances. "We don't have time-"
"You're right," she agreed, sheathing her sword. "I don't have time to fight, and I don't have time to wait while that witch hurts our children! You want a plan?" She unfurled her wings. "Here's my plan: I'm leaving with or without you, and I'm getting our children safe!"
"Enough, both of you!" The two gargoyles whirled around to find Owen standing nearby, his coat gone and a rip across his shirt. One of his glasses' lenses was also cracked.
"You sure are a model of perfect parents right now," the man said, frowning at the two of them. "And Brooklyn's right; you need a plan before you can go after Mab."
"You understand Japanese," Brooklyn asked incredulously.
The assistant simply nodded, a permanently stoic look on his face. "I understand every language that has ever existed in the history of mankind." He turned away. "Come, both of you; everyone else is waiting."
Brooklyn and Katana turned back to one another, still breathing heavily and with frowns on their faces. They didn't usually fight, but even when they did, they never got physical with one another. Well, they had fought when they first met (namely due to a misunderstanding), but since becoming mates they had not attacked one another.
Katana sheathed her sword and started to walk after Owen. When she passed Brooklyn, the air around her seemed as chilly as her expression, and she didn't acknowledge him. At least the glow had gone from her eyes. He wanted to apologize to her, but he knew that right now, she wouldn't appreciate an apology while she was this upset. He knew his mate and would have to wait until later. For now, all he could do was follow her and Owen to join the others.
The others, awake and checked for injuries, were gathered in the courtyard; the Labyrinth mutuates and clones had come up from the basement level of the Eyrie building, with Derek and Claw doing their best to keep the clones from wandering off. Brooklyn arrived in time to see Hunter with her knee on Fang's back while keeping him in a chokehold.
"Get off me," the cougar mutate gasped, trying to pry the woman's arm off of him. "Some team THIS is!"
"You quit, remember," Yama said, a cold glare on his face.
"I came back, didn't I?!"
"Can't you just zap her," Derek asked, trying not to sure how amused he was.
"Damn grip on my neck won't let me," the cougar mutate growled, a murderous glare on his face.
"It's too bad Coldstone and Coldfire aren't here," Elisa was saying to Goliath.
"Come now, everyone," King Arthur said, frowning a little. "This isn't the time to fight among ourselves!"
"Normally I would agree, Sire," Griff said, holding up a hand to stop the man from intervening. "But that Scottish lady is quite fierce, and I have to keep your personal safety in mind."
"Enough, Miss Canmore," Owen said. "We need as many fighters we can get before the final battle." The woman frowned at him, but nodded, letting the mutate go and getting back to her feet.
"Forgive me for my behavior just then," she said, clearing her throat before turning back to Fang. "We'll finish this talk back at Headquarters."
"If ya think..." Fang wheezed, holding his sore throat. "... I'm goin' back with ya... You're fuckin' CRAZY!"
"I'd rather we put this decision to a vote," Yama spoke up.
"Not now," Goliath said, addressing the entire group. "Owen's right; we need to focus on the problem at hand and make a plan to stop Mab." He turned to Xanatos' assistant. "So?"
The man stared blankly at him. "So what?"
"The plan," the gargoyle continued. "To stop Mab."
"Now what makes you think I have a plan?"
"You don't have a plan," Angela asked incredulously.
"Not since my last plan," Owen replied. "And as you saw-" He gestured around the courtyard. "-that didn't go very well."
"I'm still a little behind on what's happening," King Arthur said.
"And I'm still a little behind on how you're King Arthur," Yama added. Brooklyn noticed Katana's impatient and furious expression, and decided to speak up.
"We don't have time to talk," he said. "We need to find out where Mab's going next and go there." He turned to Owen. "Even if you don't have a plan, there must be something you can tell us that'll help us stop her."
"Nothing new I can think of," the assistant replied. "The only way to stop her is to weaken her so Elijah gets enough control to freely give us the Eye. Once we have it, we destroy it, and she dies."
"How do we destroy it, exactly," Fox asked, bouncing Alex in her arms.
"We'd need an item of incredible power," Owen replied. "I was going to suggest one of Mr. Xanatos' reactor blasters, since we didn't have any magical weapons on hand-"
"Reactor blasters," Broadway asked, frowning a little.
"-but if we can get Excalibur back from her, then that'll do better, since it's guaranteed to destroy the Eye," the assistant continued, straightening his glasses. "Though there is a problem with that idea."
"What now," Fang asked, a sense of foreboding coming over the group.
"Well... If I'm being completely honest, there is the small chance that whoever destroys the Eye will die as well." When no one said anything after a few moments, he continued. "I'm not 100% positive, since no one's ever destroyed one of Mab's eyes before, but one of the reasons I suggested we use a reactor blaster was so we could destroy the Eye from a distance. The only problem is that it may not work, meaning we'd have to use Excalibur to stop her."
There was another moment of silence, and Brooklyn looked around at the group. Everyone had ashen, shocked expressions on their faces, and seemed to be doing their best to avoid eye contact with one another.
How can this happen to us, Brooklyn thought once more. If Owen's prediction turned out to be true, then which one of them would have to use Excalibur to destroy the Eye? The sudden and rash urge to volunteer came to him, but he quickly rejected it, remembering his wife and children. How could he leave them alone? Especially after all the trouble he was going through to get them back. But he pondered what would happen to Nashville and unborn daughter, as well as Elijah, Amanda, and Maggie and her child, if no one wanted to make the sacrifice to stop Mab. Once again, the urge to volunteer came to him again, if it would ensure their safety. Elisa spoke up, breaking him out of his train of thought.
"But... There's still the possibility that using Excalibur won't kill whoever destroys it," she asked.
Owen nodded. "Yes. But from my previous experiences with magic, it's a small chance."
"I'll do it," King Arthur said.
"Your Majesty," Griff gasped. "I must protest!"
"Excalibur is mine to wield," the man continued. "I am destined to die holding its blade, and if the time for that has come, then so be it."
"No one's dying, and no one's going to volunteer," Goliath said sternly. "Xanatos' reactor gun will destroy it, and that'll be the end of it."
"Of course," Xanatos agreed. "But I don't think we'll be destroying anything if we don't know where Mab and the Eye are."
"She could be anywhere," Lexington said. "How're we supposed to find her?"
"Can't we get any help from Avalon," Elisa asked Xanatos' assistant. "Didn't you say Oberon had stopped her before?"
"Yes," he replied, "but there is no way we could get a message to them on time. Even if we could, there's no guarantee that we would get any help-"
A short ringing noise came from the cellular phone on Owen's belt. He answered it, his face expressionless as he listened to the other end. Whoever was talking talked for nearly a minute, leaving the group to wonder who was on the other line.
"I understand," he finally said before hanging up and looking at the group. "She's going to be at the beach near Weisman. Not too far from Mr. Robbins' home."
Brooklyn blinked with surprise. "She... called you to tell you where she was," he asked incredulously.
"Yes, unless you know of someone else that sounds like Elijah and has intimate knowledge of the Eye and Excalibur," the assistant replied.
"Why," Broadway asked.
"She wants us there," Yama rationalized. "It's probably a trap."
"We have to go," King Arthur said. "It's the right thing to do."
"She also has Mr. Robbins, Mr. Reaves, and Dingo and Matrix held for ransom," Xanatos' assistant added.
Hunter's face blanked. "He's been captured?"
"So, it looks like we have no choice but to go," Angela said wryly. "She's probably using them as a way to keep us from fighting her."
As the others continued to talk, Brooklyn glanced over at Katana. She still looked angry, but he could tell that she had calmed down somewhat. She also wasn't saying a word, listening to other members of the group say their piece, but the tension in her shoulders was hard to ignore. He also wanted to get going, now that he knew where Mab was, but he knew that they still needed a plan.
"Owen," Brooklyn spoke up, bringing everyone's attention to himself. "There's only one thing I want to ask you, and I want a straight and honest answer... Do you think that we can stop Mab, get the Eye, and rescue the kids?"
Everyone looked back towards the assistant, clearly anxious to hear his reply. The man surveyed the group for a moment before focusing on Brooklyn and said one word: "Yes."
A few people sighed with relief, Brooklyn included, but he pushed on to the problem at hand.
"Okay. Now we need a plan of attack." The red gargoyle turned to the rest of the group. "We've got a little over an hour until the Ceremony, and in that time, we need a concrete plan on how to rescue the others and stop Mab." He looked at his wife. "Once and for all."
Katana nodded a little, and while she didn't smile, he could tell that she forgave him.
[][][]
Amanda POV:
?:? PM
"Elijah's... been possessed," Amanda said slowly, finally wrapping her mind around all that's been going on. "By this evil faerie witch... Using a magical eye that we're all currently inside of?"
"Yes," Jacque Matisse replied, sitting cross-legged on the ground across from her. "And all of us, save you, Nashville and Art, were once like Elijah, and are now trapped here for eternity."
Matisse was the unofficial leader of the humans and gargoyles that were trapped in the Eye; out of all of them, he wasn't as melancholic or bitter as the others, and was very well-spoken. Amanda wondered what job he used to have all those centuries ago, but it seemed that most of the spirits here didn't remember much of their past lives. A by-product of spending hundreds of years in an empty void, feeling nothing but guilt and sadness.
"That's... messed up," the girl said, looking at some of the other ghostly figures standing a distance off. Off in the distance, she could hear the sounds of Maggie's labored cries as she continued to give birth. "What about your families? Your homes?"
The man sighed. "I can only assume that they're long gone. It was around the year..." He frowned. "I... cannot exactly recall the year I found the Eye. It was the fifteenth century, I believe" Somehow, his already downtrodden expression became even more miserable. "I vaguely remember my wife... She was also with child..."
Amanda felt a rush of pity towards the transparent figure. She could barely stand being away from her parents for a week-away camp a couple summers ago; she couldn't imagine being away from them for hundreds of years, not seeing them for so long that she forgot what they looked like. Already she had no idea how long she had been in this empty void, and for a split second, she wondered if she had somehow been there for years.
"I'm sorry," she said. "That this has happened to you all. And that Elijah's made things even more confusing."
"There is no need for that," Matisse said, holding up a see-through hand. "All of us ended up here through our own fault; our sins brought us to this ruined state, and the only ones to blame are ourselves."
"But you said Mab twisted your minds," Amanda argued. "Made you do things you didn't want to do."
He nodded. "But that was at the end. Before then, we did many terrible things of our own volition. She took what we already had inside and made them seem more important: anger, resentment, greed. There were more important things we could have chosen to do, but we didn't. It wasn't until it was too late that we saw how our actions and words hurt those around us, but by then, she had consumed us."
The hair on the back of the girl's neck stood up, and she couldn't help but shiver. Mab took negative feelings that people already had and amplified them? But Elijah wasn't power-hungry or angry; she had seen nothing that Jacque was describing with Elijah. At least not until earlier that evening. Still, it was hard to imagine that there would be anything bad about Elijah for Mab to manipulate.
"Amanda!" Nashville's voice startled her out of her thoughts, and he turned to see the young gargoyle running over to her. He looked frightened and a little overwhelmed, probably from being roped into helping the other spirits take care of Maggie; the see-through people could touch the mutate, but it was as cold as ice, so they needed someone alive to hold her hand. Since Matisse had been talking with Amanda, an uncomfortable Nashville had been recruited.
"It's Maggie," the gargoyle gasped. "She's about to have her baby!"
"What?" The girl and spirit got to their feet, quickly following Nashville back towards the small group of spirits that was helping Maggie.
"You shouldn't have left," one of the spirits said when they returned. "She needs someone to hold her hand during contractions."
"But my hand hurts," the gargoyle whined under his breath.
Maggie was laying on her back, breathing heavily with tears trickling down her cheeks. As another contraction came, she gave a pained cry, her hands clenching and un-clenching. Amanda took the initiative and knelt beside the lioness mutate, holding her left hand. Maggie clutched it in a death-like grip, teeth bared as she quickly breathed in and out. The girl winced, now realizing why Nashville was complaining about his hand hurting.
"Keep calm," a female gargoyle spirit said, about to reach out to pat her head, but holding back when she remembered that it would cause more discomfort. "It'll be over soon."
"You, take the shirt and be ready to take the baby," the middle-aged spirit from earlier told Nashville. "We need someone alive to hold them!"
"Take the baby from where," the young gargoyle gasped, pointedly trying not to look at the lower half of the pregnant mutate's body.
"I'll do it," Amanda said quickly, prying her hand out of Maggie's grip and taking the shirt from another spirit. She had never helped deliver a baby, and she was terrified, but she knew that she had to do what she could to help. Thankfully she had taken a Health class in middle school, so she had a general idea of what was going to happen. Nashville went back to Maggie's side, wincing as she grabbed his hand.
"Okay, ma'am," a young woman spirit told Maggie. in a soothing voice. "Breathe in and out, not so fast, and when it's time to push, you push."
"I-I-I can't d-do this," the mutate gasped, blinking away more tears.
"You can," the woman replied, a kind smile on her face. "I believe in you. Just breathe and get ready."
"Everyone ready," the middle-aged woman said before shooing away some of the too-curious male spirits. Amanda readied herself, not sure of what to do, and scared of what would happen next, but determined to help as best she could.
She had no idea how much time passed, and most of the delivery was a blur to her. However, she recalled some of the spirits giving her advice, which she tried to take as best as she could. Eventually, she found herself holding something, and she listened to when someone told her to start wiping off the child. There was a brief flash of silver (Nashville's kodachi sword, no doubt), and the umbilical cord was cut.
"Oh, it's beautiful," one of the spirits gasped, and there were a few excited and happy murmurs from all around. Based on what Jacque had told her, these trapped souls had had centuries of nothing but misery and self-loathing and hadn't seen another living person until Art had showed up. Now, new life was in the Eye, and it was no wonder that so many of them were smiling. Finally, with Maggie's breaths dying down, Amanda looked down at the child in her hand.
She had gone with Elijah a couple times when he went to volunteer at the Labyrinth, and she recognized much of Talon's features, namely the head, on the golden-furred infant. The baby boy's tiny bat-like wings were wrapped around his shoulders like a blanket, reminding her of a caterpillar in a cocoon. He cried a little, though it sounded more like a growl, and he wriggled a little in the girl's arms.
"Woah," Amanda whispered, eyes wide with wonder.
"Make sure to cradle his head," a spirit next to her said, and the girl quickly did so. She had never held a baby before, and she felt like if she carried him the wrong way, he'd break into a million pieces.
"Is... the baby... alright," Maggie gasped, reaching out with a weak hand. "Let me... see..."
"It's a boy," the teenaged girl said, slowly standing up (her legs were stiff from kneeling for so long) and going over to the mutate's side. She carefully handed the baby over to his mother, who took her son in her arms. She smiled, softly hugging the baby to her chest.
"He's beautiful... Thank you," she whispered to Amanda. She looked at the rest of the group. "All of you."
"He looks like a gargoyle," Nashville said, absent-mindedly rubbing his sore hand while looking at the baby.
"Congratulations, dearie," one of the spirits said, and similar phrases were echoed all around.
"What are you gonna name him," Amanda asked.
"Derek and I already agreed on a name," Maggie replied, not taking her eyes off her child. "Isaac. Isaac Ronald Maza."
"Congratulations," Matisse said, walking over to join the group. "Out of all that has happened, life and hope prevail." He smiled a little. "It has been a while since any of us have felt hopeful, I think."
Suddenly, there was a loud thump from somewhere several yards behind Amanda. She and several other people whirled at the noise, and she had to stand up to see what it was. A figure was lying face-down a good distance from the group, not moving. It took her a second, but she realized she recognized the shirt, which advertised the Weisman High School Choir.
"ELIJAH," she cried, running through some spirits to rush to his side. Kneeling next to him, she pushed him onto his back. His hearing aids were gone, and his eyes were closed; a quick check showed that his heart was still beating.
"Elijah," Nashville said, starting to run towards the boy before stopping short, a suspicious and frightened look on his face. "How do we know that's him?"
"What," Amanda asked, shaking Elijah's shoulder. "Who else would it be?"
"MAB, obviously," the young gargoyle replied, looking at her as if she had lost her mind. "What if it's a trick?"
"Why would Mab come into her own Eye," the girl asked, turning to Matisse and the other spirits. "Has she ever done something like that before?"
"Well... No," Matisse admitted, the other see-through people exchanging worried looks. "Though she needs him to be her host, so it can't physically be him. And I do not think the Ceremony has taken place yet..." He motioned for her and Nashville to come to him. "Best leave him where he is until we know for sure."
Elijah suddenly woke with a start, his eyes flying open. He looked around with a panicked expression for a few seconds before finally noticing Amanda.
"Amanda," he gasped, quickly sitting up and throwing his arms around her. "You're here! With me!"
"Elijah!" She hugged him back. "Are you okay?!" He nodded. "I've heard all about what's happened with you and Mab-"
"Amanda," Nashville suddenly yelped from behind her. "Let go! It's a trick!"
"What?" As she tried to let go of her boyfriend, his grip suddenly tightened, and she quickly found herself caught in a bone-crushing embrace that she couldn't escape from. Gasping with pain, she felt her blood go cold as a chilling voice whispered in her ear.
"You're not very bright... If his hearing aids are gone, how was he supposed to understand you when you asked if he was okay?"
"Get behind us, boy," the girl heard Matisse call (no doubt to Nashville), and finally, she was released and shoved to the ground. Struggling to breathe, she looked up as the thing that looked like Elijah melted away and grew, revealing a new figure.
A year earlier, Amanda's English class had gone to a Renaissance festival upstate, and she had seen many people dressed in fantastical and whimsical costumes, with heavy makeup and strange costumes. She was reminded of that as she stared at the seven-foot-tall woman; her skin was poisonous green in color, which clashed with her raven black hair. Her dress was unlike anything the girl had ever seen, made of a heavy material that was blood red in color. However, the traits that stuck out the most were her extra pair of arms, right under where the usual pair went, her pointed ears, and her pupil-less eyes that gave no warmth. Though it wasn't until Amanda saw the small silver circlet around the woman's head that she realized who it was.
"You know, I originally was going to have Elijah dump you sooner," Mab said, an evil grin on her face. "But my judgement was right; someone as stupid and pathetic as you couldn't POSSIBLY disrupt my plans!" She laughed cruelly, the noise loud and echoing through the void.
"W-Wh-Wh-..." Amanda couldn't speak, too shocked by what she was seeing, and feeling very upset with herself. How could she have been so stupid to immediately think it was Elijah, especially after all she had been through that night?
"Get away from her, witch!" The girl glanced over to see Matisse and the other spirits standing protectively around Nashville, Maggie and Isaac. Their faces were a mixture of anger, fear, and determination, with Matisse looking the bravest of them all.
"Oh, you're all still here," Mab asked, pretending to look surprised. "I could've sworn I got rid of you all centuries ago!"
"Back away from the girl," a female gargoyle growled, she and several other spirits looking ready to attack the faerie, while just as many were cowering away from her.
"Looks who's wanting to protect others now," the faerie witch said, her eyes narrowing a little. "Are all of you trying to make up for sins of the past? A few hundred years late, aren't we?"
"Sins you pushed us to do," a spirit yelled from the back of the crowd. There were a few hesitant murmurs of assent.
"You all had a choice," Mab said loudly, her voice ringing over them. She stepped forward, and several of the see-through figures backed away from her. Slowly standing up, Amanda was cautious to not make any sudden noises or movements that would attract the faerie witch's attention.
"Ultimately, YOU chose to give into your emotions and do what you wanted," the former Queen of Avalon continued. "You all had a choice to choose different, but you didn't. Though, going back to emotions..." She turned back to the girl, who froze in place.
"Leave her alone," Nashville suddenly yelled, running through the crowd as he drew his short sword. "Don't hurt her!"
"Hush, boy," the evil faerie said, waving one of her hands. The young gargoyle tripped over his feet, dropping his weapon. His wings suddenly wrapped themselves tightly around him, pinning his arms to his side. "The girls are talking."
"W-What do you want," Amanda stammered, taking a step back as the witch approached her. "What have you done to Elijah?"
"He's still alive," Mab said. "For now; I cannot take a life until the Ceremony. And as for what I want..." She smirked up at the girl. "Well, I came here to gloat. And, with you being the most significant female in Elijah's life-"
Most significant, the teenager thought, her cheeks reddening a little.
The former queen sneered. "Don't flatter yourself; you only got there because his mother died and his real best friend is on the other side of the country." She leaned in a little. "Though he DID lie to you about her having feelings for him, so maybe you're not that significant!"
This statement also hit Amanda like a ton of bricks, though now the blood had drained from her face. She knew that this wasn't the time for this, but looking into Mab's dark gaze, she couldn't help but think over what her words meant. "... What?"
"Oh, of COURSE you wouldn't remember," the witch snickered, the lower pair of hands on her hips. "Elijah saw to that!"
"Amanda," Matisse said sharply. "Don't look at or listen to her!"
"QUIET," Mab bellowed, whirling around and raising all four arms upward as her eyes suddenly glowed green. All the spirits suddenly started to convulse, gasping and holding their throats. It shouldn't have been possible, seeing that they were intangible most of the time, but they were certainly in pain now, and it was a horrifying sight to watch.
"Stop," Amanda cried, running over to Matisse, whose eyes were bugging out of his face as he flailed around on the floor. "Please, STOP IT! You're killing them!"
"I wouldn't say that," the faerie said. "But I suppose if they had physical bodies, I WOULD be killing them." She lowered her arms as the glow faded from her eyes, and all the spirits gasped, suddenly able to breathe again. "And no more interruptions, okay? Or else I'll start taking my anger out on these children!" Now most of the see-through humans and gargoyles looked scared, cowering where they lay.
"Now where was I," the evil witch asked, turning back to the girl. "Oh, yes! Elijah, before even sensing my presence or knowing what he could do with my Eye, made you forget that he had had an argument with June about her admitting her love to him when he was in Galveston." She rolled her eyes. "I know petty human stuff like this isn't worth my time, but I like to dig the knife into my victims, and right now, the only thing that'll hurt you is knowing the truth."
"The... The truth," the teenager repeated.
Amanda was suddenly forced to her knees by an invisible force. Mab stepped forward, leaning to put her head next to her ear. And she whispered-
"The truth that Elijah doesn't love you. And in case you don't believe me..." The former queen placed her finger on Amanda's forehead, and suddenly, the girl was somewhere else.
She was walking along the beach near the Jeffrey mansion, a gift clutched in her arms. It was a sunny day in March, with a light breeze coming in from the ocean. It was Elijah's sixteenth birthday today, and she had come back from her family trip early to surprise him. They had gone on a few dates since then, and had decided to officially be boyfriend and girlfriend (kids at school had called them that after their first date, but it was only after their second date that they decided to make it official).
Right now, her mind was filled with thoughts of Elijah. How handsome he was. How smart he was. How kind he-
"Too bad I live ALL THE WAY IN NEW YORK!"
The shout startled Amanda, who quickly realized who was yelling. Speeding up her pace, she finally caught sight of her boyfriend, and stopped short when she saw what was happening.
Elijah was standing several yards away, yelling and signing at another girl. She was very pretty, though tears were running down her face at that moment. She signed something at him, and then he started to walk away. The girl ran after him, grabbing his arm, which he pulled free. Eventually, the girl ran and tackled Elijah, sending him into the sand.
What's going on, Amanda thought, running forward to help her boyfriend. She had no idea who this person was, but she didn't want her hurting Elijah. She stopped a few feet away from them as the boy pushed the other girl off of him.
"Stop it," Elijah snapped. "Why did you even come?! Did you just want to see if I loved you back?! Did you come for a kiss?!"
Amanda gasped, feeling like she had been punched in the stomach. Why did he ask if she had come for a kiss? And asking if she wanted to know if he loved her back? That would imply that she had talked to him about love in the past.
"THEN READ MY FUCKING LIPS," Elijah screamed at the other girl.
"... Elijah," Amanda finally asked.
The boy turned to her, surprised to see her. The other girl also looked surprised, though she still had angry tears that she started to wipe away.
"Amanda," he muttered, quickly standing up, looking between her and the other girl. "I was just… I mean I…" He put his hands in his pockets. "It's not what it looks like-"
"And how does it look," she asked, frowning at him. "You're yelling at a girl, talking about love and kissing; it seems pretty obvious to me!"
"Please don't start this," Elijah begged, walking up to her. "I'm not cheating on you! This is my friend June, from Galveston! She and my family came up to surprise me for my birthday!"
"I never said I thought you were cheating on me," Amanda retorted. "But is that how you treat the people you care about? Screaming at them to 'read your fucking lips?'" The anger in her voice was apparent, and her hands shook a little. June signed, trying to get Elijah's attention. Guessing that she was asking who she was, Amanda replied in rudimentary sign language.
"I'm his girlfriend," Amanda signed, fingerspelling the word 'girlfriend.' June's eyes widened, and she rounded on Elijah, angrily signing to him.
"How come you never told her about me," Amanda asked out loud. "And how come I can't recall you ever mentioning her to me?"
"No, no, no No NO," Elijah said loudly, bringing his hands to his ears, his right hand curled in a fist, as if holding something. "This isn't how you two were supposed to meet! None of this should've happened!" June signed something. "I wish I could!"
Suddenly, a beam of green light shot out from Elijah's clenched fist, splitting into two. One went right for June, and the other to Amanda. Before she could react, she found herself looking up at the sky, the present flying from her hands.
"You see now," a familiar voice said to her. The girl felt herself moving very fast, and suddenly, she was back in the Void, kneeling in front of Mab. Gasping, the teenager looked around, surprised to not see the beach, Elijah, or June.
"I will admit THAT was an accident," the evil faerie said, straightening back up and stepping away from the girl. "He didn't want to be in trouble with either of you, and he accidentally wiped your first encounter from your memories." She smiled evilly, showing sharp teeth. "But that was in MARCH, and he has grown in magic and knowledge since then." She tapped her chin with one hand. "Funny, I don't recall him ever CORRECTING that mistake, nor him ever telling you the truth about the Eye."
"That... That's..." Amanda shook her head, trying to process everything she had just heard and seen. "That n-never happened." She slowly stood up, shaking a little. "It's a trick... Nashville and Matisse said that you play tricks and manipulate people!" She glared at the witch. "You're trying to mess with my head, make me hate Elijah!"
The faerie continued to smile wickedly, turning away from her and walking towards the group of cowering spirits.
"But I guess you'll never know for sure," she said, stepping past cowering humans and ghosts so she could reach Maggie and Isaac. "And I must say, Maggie dear, that you ruined part of my plans for the Ceremony; you weren't supposed to give birth tonight." She looked down at Isaac. "How precocious. May I hold him?"
"N-N-No," the mutate stammered, protectively holding her baby in one arm as she lifted her free hand, which cackled with electricity. She still looked tired from the labor, but she had a determined look on her face. "G-Get away f-from us... Y-You're not taking him!"
"Hmm... No." With another wave of her arms, the witch did something to Maggie that made her slump backwards, nearly dropping Isaac. Mab picked up the child, smiling a little. "I still need another innocent for the Ceremony, and it's been less than an hour since your birth, so you'll do nicely. It's a technicality, but I'm running low on time." She looked back at Amanda and the others. "See you again, if I decide to check on you in another few centuries!"
And with a cackle, she vanished with the baby mutate, leaving nothing but fear, horror, and despair in her wake.
[][][]
Mab POV:
11:09 PM
Mab took a deep breath of air after she emerged from the Eye, grinning up at the moon, which was nearly at its apex in the sky. Now back in Elijah's body, she now saw that the baby was in her arms, mewling a little. She was on the beach, the waves lapping against the shore twenty-five feet away
"Perfect," she said, standing up as the protective barrier around her faded away. She turned back towards her captives, whose limbs were bound together as they sat (Art, who was still unconscious, lay) in the sand. Even the two animals were tied up, and she had muzzled them as well. Next to her was the gargoyle egg and Excalibur, the latter gleaming in the moonlight.
"What the-" Dingo gasped, gaping at the little mutate in her arms. "Where'd that come from?!"
"There's no need for you to know that," Mab replied, waving one of her hands so that the baby became wrapped in a blanket. She then set the child down next to the egg, picking up the sword. "Though maybe I should let you hold it; it's not like you'll ever had a child of your own." The man's hurt was easy to sense, and she laughed a little.
"Elijah," Jeffrey started to say.
"Your repetitive pleas won't work, old man," she reminded him, walking a short distance away from her prisoners. "Elijah's as good as dead now; he won't answer you." That wasn't necessarily true, but she would be foolish to give the humans any hope. "But be uplifted by the fact that you shall soon see my rebirth, as well as the birth of a new world."
Using the sword, the faerie started to trace symbols in the sand. While she would never admit it, she was slightly nervous about what she was about to do; the Ceremony had only been done once before, thousands of years ago, and her memory was not as sharp as it used to be. But she was confident that tonight would go well, and that once she had her body back, she was going to change the world.
Starting with killing that tramp who ensnared my son, she thought, stabbing Excalibur into the sand. No doubt she's ruined Avalon since she convinced my own son to dethrone me!
You probably deserved it, you old bat.
Mab straightened up a little, shocked to hear Elijah's thoughts in her mind. He was supposed to be in a weakened state, unable to say or do anything. However, she quickly hid her surprise.
Well well well, she thought in return, resuming her work. Still have some strength left, do you? Not that it'll do you any good now.
It's my body you're using, the teenager reminded her. And if you think I'm going to sit here and let you kill those kids-
You will, the witch interrupted, frowning a little. Or else I'll hurt your uncle and friends. I cannot kill them yet, but after the Ceremony, I can torture them for the next hundred years if I so wished!
Elijah didn't reply, and with a smug smirk, Mab focused back on her work. However, less than a minute later-
We'll stop you. We have Puck on our side.
The evil faerie laughed out loud. He's stuck babysitting a child for the rest of its natural life! He can't attack me, and neither of you are strong enough to stop me!
Then why are you scared?
She paused again, starting to grow angrier, though not because of his words. There was a brief feeling, ever so brief, but she knew that it was fear. But fear of what? She had the upper hand, and there was no way they could possibly stop her. Though why did the boy sound so certain of that?
I... am not scared, she finally thought, strengthening her mental barriers. And do not speak again. Remember, I still hold your girlfriend and friend hostage in my Eye, and I won't hesitate to make their nightmares come true!
The teenager didn't reply, and Mab resumed her symbol drawing, slowly moving so that the symbols formed a large circle around her, her prisoners, and the babies. Now was not the time to let some pathetic human get under her skin or distract her from her goal. Not now. Not when she was so close to her goal...
Though, if anyone did try to stop or distract her again, she would make sure that whatever life they lived after the Ceremony was equivalent to the depths of Hell.
And now, we've come to the final hour leading up to the Ceremony. Soon, good and evil will face off, and the fate of the world will be in the hands of a group of exceptionally gifted individuals. What will happen next? Only time will tell?
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See y'all next time!
-aggiefrogger