~Race of the Light
Part 5~

by Ami Q.



Whoa this took a lot longer than expected. I hope I haven't seriously pissed anyone off! LOL ^_^ Nonetheless, on with the story.....(don't even ask me to write all the useless disclaimers.-.-)



It was quite some time before Merlock woke up. The first thing that was clearly evident is that there were several figures looming over him. He heard the familiar voices in his head, but his eyesight was fuzzy and he was feeling rather lightheaded.
"Merlie! Are you all right? Wow that was amazing!" Kila. He could also feel her hand on his shoulder, that tender reassuring touch he knew so well.
"Amazing?! That's an understatement...." Came the voice of Trallien, already healing from his previous battle as only a few wounds remained.
"I bet I could have took all those Nights out myself...." At that point Merlock finally was able to focus his vision, and he saw Taal, gazing down at him with a sly smile.
"Where....is.....Bindi?" Despite how he cared greatly for all his friends, she was the number one priority on his mind. Even with all the incredible events that unfolded, he still was the same compassionate soul.
"She's all right. I assume still back at the castle." Trallien lifted the very weak Merlock up with his strong arms. "This will wear off, friend. But soon....soon you should be able to do the transformation without so much energy loss..."
Merlock slowly blinked at him with uncertainty. "Speaking of loss....I'm at a loss for what just happened. I remember seeing you fighting those Nights, and feeling like I had to do something, but...then....everything just blanked out."
Trallien gave a wide grin, the sort of look that fully expressed his amount of gratitude. "You saved me, I gladly admit. Somehow....dear Merlock...you managed to utilize your greatest power and summon Taalgis to you. And once that happened, well....." he paused a moment, almost smiling wickedly, "...once that happened there was no chance for the Nights."
"You killed them all." Added Taal, who had made his way back onto Trallien's shoulder.
"Yeah, and what a light show!" Kila hugged him tightly. "But more importantly....you're all right."
The very tired vampire heaved a mighty sigh. "Well if it's ok with all of you....I'd really like to take a nice long rest....maybe for a couple of days..." He slumped against Trallien in his exhuastion.
"But of course!" The master vampire took Merlock in his arms and flew off towards his home, with the others following.

///////

"Leafy!!! Leafy can you help me with this?" A Time Shifter looking very much like a seashell of sorts came floating over a terrace and into a very large, very beautiful garden. In fact there was a sign that stated "Fairy Bindi Garden". Another Time Shifter, looking somewhat like a flower-shaped fairy met up with her mid air. "Sure Bindi! Hey you know what, the rose garden is almost done. I really think Merlock's gonna like it!" He took the bouquet of flowers that Bindi's arms were overloaded with. Bindi nodded and scanned her prized home. It was right next to Merlock's mansion, but off into a section of woods that was hidden for the most part. She had decided to make this after they returned home from Trallien's. But it was not for her, it was all for him....

~At the same time the very person they were talking about was walking around the grounds, searching for Bindi. He seemed very nervous. In his left hand he carried a small, velvet box, and in the other a bunch of sunflowers.*
Where could she be? He was not aware of her secret garden and so eventually decided to give up for now and go back inside.~

"Hmmm.....Bindi this garden could use something....." Leafy brushed back a few of his soft red petals on his head and thought intently.
"Like what?? I mean with all these flowers I don't think we need to overdo it!" She grinned. Her fellow Time Shifter smiled back at her. "Well it's kind of like a fantasy garden, right? Howabout a dragon or maybe some unicorns?"
"Leafy.....where on earth are we going to find those?! They exist only in fairytales ya know."
"Well Unita's an alicorn...hey wait I know!! We could ask Talen to use her ability and get some from books!" Leafy smiled with pride. He was a bit vain, after all, always thinking his ideas were good.
"That IS a good idea!" She beamed at him and quickly went inside to make her way to the TV Communicator that Merlock had. It was a lot like the one Dr. Goodman had at his base. In fact, in a few moments she had the face of said doctor looking back at her on the screen. "Why hi there Bindi! What can I do for you?" Dr. Goodman smiled, then sweatdropped, as his niece and nephew were starting to argue in the background.
"Could you send Talen here, Mr. Goodman? I only need her for a short while, promise it won't be long."
There were a few crashes and a yell of "HEY!! That was my reading lamp, Tony!!", leaving the doctor looking disgruntled. "Uhm...uhh....yeah sure Bindi, no problem I'll send Talen....as soon as I take care of one LITTLE problem.."
Bindi giggled and just smiled in thanks, turning off the Communicator. 'And to think Merlock could have ended up with that girl...she's still such a child....' She shook her head but quickly erased the thought from her mind as she made her way back to her garden.

Not much later a very pink, very fox-like Time Shifter was making her way to the door of the mansion. She held a strange leaf in one hand. Before she could knock, the sound of inane laughter caught her ears and she walked to the mansion's edge. From there she followed the sound until she came upon the garden, where she found Bindi and Leafy proceding to have a "pillow" fight with.....two very large puffy flowers. She smiled at their brother/sister type relationship. She even began to wonder if they were brother and sister.
"Hiiii Bindi!" Talen waved her leaf in the air. "You wanted to see me?"
Bindi quickly stopped the childish game and floated on over. "Yes thank you! I need a bit of help, Talen. See these books here?" She pointed to one that read "The Book of Dragons" and another that said "The Last Unicorn".
"I need you to go inside these books and get us one of each. It's for the garden!"
Talen pointed to the cover of the book of dragons. "You want one of THOSE in your garden? Are you sure?"
"Of course! I really need something big and strong to guard it...."
"All right...if you say so! But sure I'll help!" With that Talen opened the book's cover and with a beam of light phased right into the book.
Bindi smiled brightly. This would be great. She'd have the most incredible garden in the world. Unfortunately, those happy thoughts were suddenly cut off as she caught sight of something prowling in the trees not far from the garden's borders. "Uhm..." She flew over to Leafy. "Hey...you see what I see?" She pointed to the area.
Leafy's eyes grew wide. "Oh no!! That looks like a......a....a WOLF!" Leafy took off like lightning, hiding behind a large rose. Bindi's eyes trembled for a moment and then..... "MERLOOOOOOOOOOOOCK!!!"

"Wha?!!" Merlock nearly fell out of the chair he was sitting in and quickly shot to his feet. He was in his room and had been working on figuring out this month's bills. (Mo, that idea inspired by you! ^.^) But did he just hear Bindi call his name? His question was answered by another strong yell from Bindi. Yes...he heard it!! Without another moment's hesitation he ran to the window....gliding down......

When he found his way to the source of the scream, he didn't even pay attention to the beautiful surroundings. What he saw before him was a large black wolf snarling and snapping at Bindi, who was in Master form and blasting fireballs at him. The Night easily avoided them, however, being very quick and agile.
"Bindi?!" Merlock called out in spite of himself. She looked to him quickly, but so did the wolf, who suddenly came sprinting at him.
'Not another of those Nights!! Didn't I get rid of them all?!' The bishounen vampire quickly ducked out of the way of a fury of reaching claws that missed him by mere inches. He was still a bit tired and this battle was the last thing he needed to deal with.
"Who are you?? What do you want?" He demanded at the creature, who was again leaping at him.
"That doesn't matter!!" He snarled angrily. "Powers of Taalgis or not....I will kill you for slaying my family!"
Unfortunately he was not paying attention to Bindi Master, which was not a good thing. Suddenly he felt himself being blasted with cold, icy water that had enough force to knock him several feet away, and crash him right into a thick tree. Dazed and soaked, he could only lie on his back for the moment, his paws twitching in the air in true anime style.
"Merlie!" Bindi came over to him. "Are you all right? For a moment I thought that beast had got you..."
Merlock was glaring angrily at it. "That beast is a Night. There's still more of them out there....I had thought only Jurone was left..."
Bindi's face was crestfallen. "You mean there's still more of those human-killers?!"
He sighed. "Yeah...but don't you worry. There won't be for long..." Merlock looked very determined as he slowly turned and walked away.

Bindi was left to contemplate what he meant until she caught sight of Talen hopping out of the book.....and riding on the back of a huge green dragon. "Weeeeeeeee! I hope this is what you were looking for Bindi!" Talen called from its scaly back. "Eeeeeeek! That's a bit LARGE, isn't it Talen??" She looked quite small against the form of the 40 something foot dragon, who upon landing on the ground looked around briefly before curling up into a ball and falling asleep. The little Talen slid off his back by way of one of its large wings. "Yep, maybe so, but he's a nice dragon at least. He said he wouldn't mind coming to be guardian of your garden, as long as he could sleep all he wanted."
Bindi sweatdropped. "Sounds like a lazy dragon if you ask me...."
Talen giggled then froze as she saw something approaching from behind Bindi, dripping a trail of water as it went. From the way Talen was looking Bindi quickly spun around and went pale. "Not you again..." She turned to the dragon and tapped him on the muzzle. "Hey! Do something about this wolf, will you?" The dragon opened one big golden eye and lifted his head. He stared at the wolf, who froze in its tracks.
*Yawn* "What would you have me do, mistress Bindi?"
Bindi arched a brow at being called 'mistress' for a brief moment. "I want you to get rid of that wolf, that's what!"
"Oh well....all right....*yawn*....I'm hungry as it is....." The dragon, in a move faster than anyone could expect of such a large creature, snapped its maw and had the hapless wolf between its teeth in seconds. There was only time for a small squeal from the wolf, as the dragon chomped down and with a sickening crunch of bones made no more of the Night. "There, the wolf is now gone." With that he lied his head onto outstretched front legs, falling back asleep.
For a long moment Bindi could only stare at the dragon. Then she smiled widely. "Yes indeed......this dragon will do.....didn't I say so Talen? It's the perfect dragon."
Talen sweatdropped.

////////

Merlock had been inside, pacing the halls, when finally he reached for the phone in his living room. He waited patiently as he heard the other end ring...
"Ja'Do* here." Came a very soft, gentle voice.
Merlock smiled bigtime. "I was hoping I'd get you, old friend."
There was silence for a moment from the other end. Then...."Merlock?! Is that really you??"
"Yes.....can you do me a big favor.....and come to my house? We have much to discuss.....and I really could use your help."
"Oh, oh of course! Right away!" The other voice sounded elated. "You don't have to ask me twice...."
"I know. That's why I know I can count on you. Please, get here as fast as you can."
"You bet! I'm on my way!" With that there was a click, then the dialtone. Merlock grinned as he put the phone down. He certainly needed all the help he could get if he were to go after Jurone. Sure he had Trallien, and yes even these powers of Taalgis, but well he couldn't really rely on the latter. And so came about his next plan...Ja'Do.....an old friend......from long ago.....


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Well that's it for now! :) And yep, I'm introducing a new character! ^_^ This guy came from a dream as well as every single idea I've used for this ongoing story. I really, really hope you like what you've read and that you'll continue to read! :) Oh and now for the asterisks....

*- I assume Bindi's favorite color is yellow, and so therefore assume she would like sunflowers. But that's completely my opinion.

*- This is supposed to sound like a French name and so Ja'Do should be said like "Jaa-Doe". I hope that helps ^_^

And I must once again thank everyone for their support! :D I'm so appreciative of those who take the time to not only read this, but leave a nice review! This is what encourages writers to do their best, I assure you. Bye bye minna!

~Ami-chan~