By: Jumper Prime
For Disclaimer see Chapter 1
Last time on Guardians of Good: Charity and Miguel accomplished their escape from Hell and Kay got her soul back, both thanks to Mordecai Devilslayer, who then vanished without a trace. After 2 days of peace, Kay Bennett goes to the church and confesses all her misdeeds against Charity since her cousin came to Harmony. But just as Kay finishes telling Father Lonnigan all her sins, Hecuba blasts her way into the church surrounded by a number of demons. To make matters worse, it is the Devil's Night, when evil creatures are at their strongest and not even a church is safe. And just to top it off, Hecuba plans to kill Father Lonnigan and take Kay's soul back, effective immediately.
Chapter 3: Unexpected Powers
You heard me boys, kill the priest and bring Kay to me for soul extraction, stat! Hecuba ordered with glee in her voice and several demons charged towards Kay and Father Lonnigan.
Father Lonnigan managed to momentarily halt a few of the demons charging him by splashing holy water but Kay was frozen with fear and a demon grabbed her by the arms.
Mistress wants your soul. the hideous creature rasped And what mistress wants, mistress gets.
Kay screamed, instinctively pushing the demon away from her.
Surprisingly, Kay's frantic push had enough force to break the demon's grip on her. She immediately punched the demon in the face as hard as she could, causing it to stagger back, holding its cheek, surprised that a mere human could hit it so hard. It snarled and slapped at her, wary of damaging its mistress' prize. Kay blocked the slap with a raised arm and punched the demon in the jaw, sending it flying backwards. Seeing their comrade having trouble with the human girl, whom Hecuba had said would be no threat, several demons charged Kay at once. She sidestepped the first one, grabbing hold as it passed her and using its momentum to send it flying. The next was met with a spin-kick to the face which knocked it down and the third got its torso peppered with a flurry of punches that doubled it over in pain, then it was sent sprawling by a tornado kick to the side.
What're you idiots doing?! Hecuba berated her minions She's just one wimpy human girl! GET HER!
Except for a few which continued to harass Father Lonnigan, who continued to keep them at bay with holy water and prayers, all the remaining demons turned to move towards Kay, who dropped into a fighting stance, her fear gone.
I think you need a new starmap, Hecuba. she taunted Those demons seemed pretty weak to me.
Hecuba growled in anger as her demons set upon Kay, who became a whirl of motion, punching and kicking and occasionally flipping through the air as she battled the horde of demons.
*How am I doing this?* part of her mind wondered as she fought *I'm doing moves perfectly that I couldn't have hoped to do right after my last karate lesson.* Then her doubts were momentarily forgotten as she saw Father Lonnigan, now out of holy water, in the grip of a demon.
Kay leaped at the demon, knocking it away from the priest with a flying kick, then knocking down another demon with a crescent kick.
Father, are you OK? Kay asked
Yes, I am. What about you Kay? Father Lonnigan answered
Never better. I think Hecuba needs to see a new astrologer.
You brat! Hecuba fumed I guess if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. Soul collection time! The witch extended her arm towards Kay and when the girl turned to face her, a stream of energy shot from Hecuba's finger to envelop Kay. Your soul is MINE! Kay cried out in pain as dark energy crackled across her body, her chest felt like it was being ripped open.I think if you give it half a chance, you'll actually enjoy not having a soul.
Kay screamed in pain and defiance You can't have it!
You don't have a choice! Now save yourself some pain and let me have your soul.
Fight her Kay! Father Lonnigan encouraged the stricken girl Do not let her steal your soul.
Who said anything about stealing? Hecuba asked She sold me her soul fair and square, but you already know that, blinky. Or are you deaf too?
She lies as she has always done, Kay. One cannot collect the same debt twice. She took your soul once, she cannot do so again unless you make a second agreement with her.
Oh shut up. Hecuba used her free hand to throw a magical bolt at Father Lonnigan that sent him sprawling against a pew, somewhat dazed as Kay continued to writhe in the grip of Hecuba's magic. You know, Kay, Hecuba said in a conversational tone Once your soul is back in my hands and you're my obedient slave, I'll send you back to your house to kill Charity. Would you prefer to push her down the stairs, crush her skull with a heavy object, or strangle her with your own two hands?
Kay grunted I... won't... do... it!
Don't you get it, brat? You won't have a choice!
I.... resisted... you... Arg... before! I'll do it.... again!
You poor deluded fool! The only reason you were able to blab to that priest and Miguel was because I didn't tighten the screws all the way so you wouldn't draw much in the way of suspicion from your family and friends. This time, you're gonna be completely pre-programmed like a Terminator robot, and about as strong too, with my dark magic flowing through you.
No! I refuse... to live... another minute... without... my soul! Kay responded defiantly despite the pain Hecuba's magic was inflicting on her. I'll die first!
Enough of this! Hecuba intensified the magical beam extending from her hand to Kay's chest and chanted a spell Over the teeth, past the gums, look out vial, here it comes!
Kay howled in agony as a white light started shining from her chest, bringing a grin to Hecuba's lips, but the witch's expression quickly changed to puzzlement as the white light didn't detach from Kay's chest like it should. Hecuba started pouring more power into her soul-extraction spell but she was about to discover that this action was a mistake. The light from her beam and Kay's chest became blinding and then there was an explosion of energy that sent both witch and girl flying in opposite directions. The next thing Kay knew, she was lying face up on the floor of the church with Father Lonnigan shaking her awake.
Kay. Kay! he said Are you alright?
Did you get the number of that bus that fell on me? Kay groaned What happened?
Hecuba was attempting to steal your soul when there was an explosion and then all was silent. It felt like powerful forces of good and evil striking each other with great force.
Feels like something definitely struck me. Kay held her head as she sat up I don't feel cold so I guess I've still got my soul. Kay looked towards the destroyed doorway and saw a stirring form on the ground there Hecuba! That explosion must have decked her too.
Did anybody see the tags on that Hellhound that trampled me? the witch said dizzily as she sat up
Dear Lord in heaven, Father Lonnigan stood up and started praying, holding out his cross I beseech you to banish this great evil from your house, that it may return nevermore. A golden light issued from the cross as Hecuba began to slide along the floor towards the doorway as if she were being pushed by an invisible force.
Hey? What's going on here?
I think you're being ejected, Hecuba. Kay remarked as Hecuba's slide accelerated sharply
You think you can get rid of me so easily!? Hecuba shouted as her slide turned into full flight and she literally flew out the door screaming in anger before she turned into a ball of red light which disappeared into the distance.
As a matter of fact, yes. Father Lonnigan calmly said as Hecuba's screams receded into the distance and then he strode towards the blasted doorway with a confidence belying his blindness.
Father, where are you going? Kay asked as she ran up to help him avoid the debris strewn around the inside of the church in the aftermath of the attack
The witch gained entry to the church by creating a hole in the shield which protects it from evil. I must create a patch, as it were, to seal the breach so that no more evil creatures may enter.
Father Lonnigan retrieved a container of holy water from a box next to the destroyed doorway and then walked just outside the church. He started uttering prayers and sprinkling holy water. As he did so, Kay thought she saw a slight shimmering in the air which persisted until the blind priest had finished and come back inside. No sooner had Father Lonnigan announced that the church was again safe, than a white light came down from the ceiling and materialized in front of them in the form of a young girl dressed in white, the very same girl who had been watching the confessional earlier and disappeared when Hecuba blasted her way in.
Hello Kay. she greeted I see your powers have awakened. I was beginning to think they never would but then you surprised me yet again.
You're the angel that convinced me to tell Miguel about Charity being thrown into Hell. Kay said softly Wait a minute. What powers? Those demons were just weak because Hecuba got her dates mixed up.
No, tonight is indeed the Devil's Night, when evil creatures are much stronger than normal. Your powers are different than most in that you cannot cast spells or create other magical effects, but they are there nonetheless. You have the Power of the Warrior, granting you greater than normal strength, agility, fortitude, and fighting skill, so that you can battle the minions of evil on their own terms.
If that's so, then how come I've never noticed them before? I can think of a few times in the past when super strength would've come in handy.
For the past year and more, your heart and soul have been too burdened down from the sins you committed against Charity, thus preventing your power from coming forth. Only now that you have realized the error of your ways and sought the Lord's forgiveness have the chains you placed upon yourself been broken. Once you had confessed your sins, the fear you experienced upon seeing Hecuba and her minions entering the church was enough to cause you to manifest, bringing your powers fully awake.
And allowing me to kick some demon butt. Kay muttered What about before, when Hecuba tried to take my soul and there was an explosion instead?
I should think that would be obvious. Father Lonnigan interrupted before the angel girl could answer She had no right to your soul and you refused to allow her to steal it. Her darkness and your light mixed like volatile chemicals, creating that explosion.
Approximately right, Father. the angel girl said As he said, Hecuba had no right to your soul and when her spell failed to produce the expected results, she poured more energy into it than was safe, sparking a defensive reaction from your soul. There are evil spells which can rip the soul from an unwilling subject, but the process would take hours and require for the victim to be physically restrained and tortured, or even near death.
Kay was sighed So now I'm Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Does this mean I'm gonna be crossing swords with Hecuba on a regular basis? If I am, I don't like my chances considering how she immobilized me so easy.
You will not be alone. There is an ancient prophecy about a fellowship called the Guardians of Good' who would come together in the year of the great battle between good and evil.
Wait a minute... Around New Year's Jessica found some info on the Internet about a battle between good and evil that would happen this year!
That is correct. The prophecy mentions Three from a family plagued by evil' as being among those who are the Guardians of Good.
Well, my family's sure been a target of evil, what with that old pendant turning Charity evil while she was wearing it, and then Hecuba showing up and doing her voodoo recently.
Actually, it refers to the Standish family, from which your mother descends. In 1693, your ancestress, Prudence Standish, witnessed a woman performing an act of witchcraft, that woman was convicted and burned at the stake. She then swore vengeance against Prudence vowing to destroy her entire family line.
Years later she burned the church where Prudence was being married. The groom was killed but Prudence escaped, she and her entire family left Harmony and settled elsewhere, Prudence eventually falling in love and marrying another man. Ever since, while evil tried to destroy them, each successive generation has become more and more powerful in their psychic ability to combat evil, culminating in this generation.
Wait a sec, if she was burned at the stake, how'd she burn the church years later?
The more powerful witches have the ability to rejuvenate their bodies even after death, the time required to complete their restoration to life depending on the way they died. Mundane means such as hanging and burning cannot truly destroy one of these powerful witches, that requires real power, such as that possessed by Father Lonnigan and your cousin Charity. You are one of the three in the prophecy, Charity is another, your sister Jessica, though her powers do not lie along the lines of combat, will be the third.
Whoa. Me, Charity, and Jessica are gonna have to fight the forces of evil? I don't know if I can handle this.
You three will not be alone. The text of the prophecy describes the other members of the Guardians of Good as well. Some you already know, others will be guided to you. Never despair Kay, no one who battles evil is ever truly alone, you will always have someone watching over you from on high.
OK, so who are these other Guardians of Good? Where can we find them?
I'm sorry Kay, I can tell you no more. Goodbye and good luck in the battles to come. the angel girl turned into a ball of white light once again and floated up to the church ceiling.
Wait! I need you to tell me more! Kay called to her, but it was too late, she was gone.
Do not fear Kay. Father Lonnigan comforted Kay I believe she gave us enough information to begin the work. It must be possible to find the text of the prophecy she mentioned. That will give a blueprint to finding these others who you, Charity, and Jessica will fight alongside in the battle to come.
Yeah, you're right. Reese or Jessica should be able to find it on the Internet, I mean, if it couldn't be found, the angel would have told us the whole thing, right?
God helps those who help themselves. If he gave us everything we needed on a silver platter, we would grow lazy and weak.
Yeah, I suppose. I guess we should start cleaning up the place. Hecuba really made a mess. As Kay spoke, she noticed that the bodies of the defeated demons had vanished and the sound of sirens were heard rapidly approaching.
Do not trouble yourself Kay. The church custodian should be able to handle the cleanup.
I dunno, the place looks pretty trashed.
As Kay spoke, several police officers, led by Police Chief Sam Bennett, ran in.
Kay! Father Lonnigan! Are you two alright? he asked This place looks like a bomb went off in here!
Yeah Dad, Kay answered We're OK.
You may relax, my son, Father Lonnigan said The vandals responsible have fled.
Did you see any of them before they ran? Sam asked
They... looked like demons. Kay said Musta been masks, pretty scary ones.
They were evil of the vilest sort. Father Lonnigan clarified
Yeah, they must've been, to set off a bomb in a church like this. Sam muttered Kay, are you sure you didn't see anything about the guys who did this that might help identify them?
Kay answered All I saw was the demonic faces.
Alright, I'll have an officer escort you home.
I can get home on my own, Dad.
No arguments Kay. The guys who did this might still be nearby and if they set off a bomb in a church, they might do almost anything to a girl they saw walking home alone on the street.
Kay knew that, with her newly awakened powers, she'd be more able to defend herself than the average policeman but she couldn't tell her father that without sounding nuts so she didn't protest any further. As the policeman walked her home, Kay reflected on how she had managed to defeat all of Hecuba's demons on her own and the new responsibility that had been placed firmly on her shoulders.
*One day you're evil's pawn, a day or 2 later it's your job to trash it.* Kay thought to herself *I can't disappoint God or whoever it was that decided to give me a second chance. I've got to do my best to stop the evil. First on the list: If any demons get anywhere near Charity, I take em out.*
Meanwhile, in the Harmony woods, Luis and Sheridan were walking through the forest, reflecting on a recent revelation in their relationship.
Hard to believe a simple noodle could tell us whether or not we were destined to be together. Sheridan said
It's worked for every happy couple in Harmony. Luis answered
I guess with all those testimonials, I can't really argue.
Sheridan's thoughts drifted back to the previous night. Luis had taken her to a Chinese restaurant called Sally Chin's House of Noodles, across the street from The Book Cafe. There, she had met Sally Chin, whom Luis had asked to administer the test to see if they were meant to be together as a couple, the so-called Love Noodle.
Sally went into the kitchen to prepare the Love Noodle, where she performed a ritual that only her trusted kitchen staff ever observed her doing. She retrieved a specially prepared long noodle from an intricately decorated pot and placed it on a silver wok. Then she took a metal box off a shelf and unlocked it with a key she kept on a chain around her neck. Sally removed a small jar of moist flour from the box and opened it, shaking a little into her palm. With her other hand, she sprinkled pinches of the flour over the noodle as she chanted in Mandarin, the flour glittering strangely as she did so, though no glitter was visible when it was in the jar or her palm.
Noodle of love. Noodle of life. You'll help a couple get through strife. As they chew, if their love is true, together will stay you, until their lips do meet in a kiss, to prove their love is not just a tryst. But if their love is not true, then break must you, that they know they are not meant to be.
The spell finished, Sally closed the jar, placed it back in the box, closed and locked the box, then placed it back on the shelf. She took out a large bowl and plate and gingerly laid the noodle in the bowl with each end of the noodle peeking over the lip of opposite sides of the bowl. The plate and bowl with noodle were then carried out into the dining room by Sally to the waiting Sheridan and Luis.
The two lovers each took an end of the Love Noodle in their mouths and began eating towards the middle, the length of noodle between them growing shorter until their lips met in a kiss.
See, I knew you two were meant for each other. Sally smiled as Sheridan and Luis reluctantly broke their kiss The Love Noodle is always right.
But how? Sheridan asked How is it so accurate?
Ancient family secret. Sally said mysteriously The secret of the Love Noodle has been in my family for generations.
Sheridan, you should know better than to ask a magician her secrets. Sally's eyes widened slightly at Luis' jibe but got her face back under control before either of them noticed.
Oh, I'm not a magician, Luis. Just a simple restaurant owner. Sally replied aloud, but to herself she thought *Now mother, SHE was a magician, a great one, but I was never able to master much besides the Love Noodle.*
A restaurant owner who runs the best Chinese restaurant in Harmony.
Well, with an endorsement like that, what else can I do but get you a nice feast to celebrate your newly confirmed love?
Hey, thanks Sally.
Sally smiled and went back to the kitchen to get the cooks working on Sheridan & Luis' dinner. As she did, Ethan and Theresa entered the restaurant and, sighting Sheridan and Luis, came over to their table and sat down. Theresa was ecstatic over the news that Sheridan and Luis had passed the test and proposed that Sheridan and Luis share a double wedding with her and Ethan. Although Luis and Sheridan were not sure about it, Theresa was not to be discouraged. The older couple was saved from more discussion of a double wedding as Sally returned with the first course of the feast for Luis and Sheridan. Theresa took the opportunity to ask the restauranteur to administer the Love Noodle test to her and Ethan, to which Sally readily agreed.
Sally went and prepared another noodle with the same spell she had used before, then brought it out for Theresa and Ethan. Theresa's spirits only rose after she and Ethan ate their Love Noodle all the way to the middle just as Luis and Sheridan had. Both couples thoroughly enjoyed their feast and had left in high spirits. As Sheridan's thoughts drifted back to the present, another thought flashed through her mind, one that had little logical basis but seemed a certainty nonetheless.
she said I think the answers to your father's disappearance are close at hand.
What're you talking about Sheridan?Luis asked Have you remembered something about the night he disappeared?
No... I don't know why I said that. I just have a feeling that the answers are close. As if there's a book in front of me that I just have to open, but I don't know what page to turn to.
Well, don't worry about it Sheridan. Luis stroked his girlfriend's blonde locks If you did see what happened to my father that night, you'll find the right page in that book eventually.
But I know how much it would mean to you to know what happened to your father. If I do know something, maybe we should have Eve hypnotize me to find out what?
You remember how Julian reacted the last time Eve hypnotized you, and that was just to get to the bottom of your nightmares. If Julian or Alistair find out we're digging around inside your head for info about my father's disappearance, it's anyone's guess what they'll do. The fact that they cut those pages out of your mother's diaries and shredded that file on my father proves they have something to hide.
I suppose my father and brother can be rather ruthless at times. Sheridan glumly agreed
Don't worry your pretty head about it, Sheridan. If you did see something that could blow the secret wide open, the fact that you think the answer's close probably means it's about to pop to the surface on its own. Anyway, right now, I can think of things I'd rather think about besides my father.
Such as?
Such as, Luis kissed Sheridan
Sheridan smiled One of my favorite subjects too.
While Luis and Sheridan kissed passionately in the woods, Julian Crane was reading a book in the study on the ground floor of the Crane mansion. It was not just any book, however, it was a book on how to commit the perfect murder and Julian was taking notes as he tried to figure out how best to kill his sister Sheridan and her boyfriend Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. As he wrote down another line, the phone rang.
Julian Crane here. Julian answered the phone
You still haven't figured out how you're going to kill Sheridan and Luis? The reproachful voice of Julian's father, Alistair Crane, came over the phone I'm very disappointed in you, Julian. Usually only takes me an hour or two to devise a plan for an enemy's untimely death. You've been working on it for two days now and you haven't even decided what mode of death to use, much less the details.
Well, I don't have your experience, Father.
Another of your many faults. Fortunately, I've taken the burden of planning their demise off of your tiny little mind. I had a not so little something shipped over just for the occasion.
What are you talking about?
Sheridan and Luis are walking in the woods right now, which makes it the perfect time for my plan to be set in motion. Go to the cottage and retrieve something of Sheridan's that has her scent on it, then head for the kennels on the estate, and whatever you do don't forget some wolfsbane. Let the beast in cage 11 sniff the item and then let it out of the cage. Make sure you're holding the wolfsbane when you open it, wouldn't want you to be the first victim. Though it wouldn't be much of a loss, anyway.
Father, you're not talking about what I think you're talking about, are you? It's too cruel to sick that on them. Sheridan's my sister, your daughter.
If she remembers what happened the night we dealt with Martin Fitzgerald, the Crane empire will be destroyed for certain. Now do as I say!
Yes father. I'll do as you say. Julian hung up the phone and departed to follow his father's instructions.
Meanwhile, Kay Bennett arrived home from the church to find her younger sister Jessica tapping away on her laptop in the living room as Miguel and Charity sat together on the couch. Charity turned her head to gaze at Kay as her cousin came through the door.
Kay, you're shining so brightly. Charity said. Although to normal sight, there was nothing different about Kay, Charity's eyes saw a bright white aura emanating from her.
What're you talking about Charity? Miguel asked, not seeing anything unusual about Kay
It's a holy light, from deep within her soul.
I don't see any light, Charity. Jessica frowned Are you sure you're feeling alright?
I think she's fine. Kay declared The most incredible thing happened to me not too long ago.
Before Kay could say anything else, Reese came in through the front door, palmtop computer in hand.
You guys are not gonna believe what I found! the bespectacled teen said as he entered
Reese, do you mind? Jessica chastised him Kay was just about to tell us how she's seen God.
Not God, Kay countered Just an angel, after Hecuba and some demons busted into the church.
All the other teens exclaimed at once
Yeah, I was there for confession when, BOOM! Hecuba blew the doors in and she & her demon minions marched right in.
That's impossible! Charity said in disbelief My mother taught me that creatures of evil, like demons and witches, couldn't go into a church.
When she came in, Hecuba said something about making a hole in the barrier that was supposed to protect the church.
Are you alright? Miguel asked his friend You must've been scared to death.
I'm better than alright. I was scared to death when I saw Hecuba, but once I started kicking demon butt, my fear went out the window.
Kicking demon butt? Reese said in disbelief There is no way you could have fought a bunch of demons AND Hecuba and won. Are you sure you didn't get hit on the head?
I did so fight some demons and I did win. The angel explained how I did it. Apparently, I've got the Power of the Warrior, making me stronger, faster, and tougher than a normal person.
OK, now I know you've sustained a concussion. Reese declared Demons like those that came though the portal in Charity's closet are quite strong. It took everything Miguel had to manage to fight them off while you, Kay, are a wimp, no offense.
So I'm a wimp, am I?
Kay grabbed a hold of the back of Reese's shirt with one hand and lifted him into the air.
Hey! What the!? the taller teen was very surprised as he kicked his feet without them touching the ground
Still think I'm a wimp Reese? Kay grinned
Alright! Alright! Put me down!
Since you asked so nicely. Kay set Reese back down on his feet
There has to be a logical explanation for what just happened. For Kay to do what she just did, she should have biceps the size of baseballs but she looks the same as always.
The logical explanation, Jessica said Is that Kay's super strong.
Kay, did the angel say anything else? Charity asked
Kay answered Something real important. She said we were mentioned in a prophecy about the Guardians of Good.' Reese, I need you to see if you can find the whole thing. It includes the words Three from a family plagued by evil.'
Guardians of Good? Three from a family plagued by evil? Reese blinked That's in the prophecy I wanted to tell you guys about when I came in!
Reese, how could you know what to look for before Kay even told you about what the angel said? Miguel asked
I wasn't searching for the words Kay just gave me. I was thinking about the guy who helped you rescue Charity from Hell, Mordecai Devilslayer, and thought I'd see if I could find any information on him. The search engines I tried came up dry on his name. Then I thought about that Army of the Lord' that he said he was part of. I started playing around with that until I got a hit on soldier of the Almighty.' Reese tapped his palmtop and it displayed the prophecy he'd found. Here it is. Have a listen.
In the year of the great battle between good and evil, the Guardians of Good will assemble. Three from a family plagued by evil, the Warrior, the Seer, and the Savior. One who is a daughter of darkness and child of light, never apart from her teacher. One who is the true love of one of the Three. One who combines alchemy with the magic of machines. One who is the destined love of the daughter of darkness. Lastly, one who is a soldier of the Almighty. These heroes will combat the darkness where they find it. Vanquishers of all that is evil, or doomed to destruction with all the righteous.
There was a moment of silence after Reese finished reading the prophecy as the teens contemplated what they had just heard.
Now that we've heard the prophecy, Jessica was first to break the silence We've gotta figure out what it means.
She's right, Charity agreed My mother often said that knowing what a prophecy says is easy, but knowing what it means takes work. They're never very specific or clear.
Like that last line. Miguel said Does it mean we win and get rid of all the evil, or does it mean we lose and every good person on Earth suffers?
I think it means there are two possible futures. Reese theorized One where good wins, and one where evil prevails. It's an open-ended prophecy. Either one could happen, depending on what we do now and in the future.
OK, let's start puzzling this out. Kay began We know from what the angel told me, that the three are me, Charity, and Jessica-
Jessica interrupted I can't be in the prophecy! I'm not a fighter, I don't have any powers. Maybe the other one is mom? She's always having premonitions.
The angel was pretty specific, but don't worry about the fighting. I'm obviously the Warrior, Charity's gotta be the Savior, considering how Hecuba wants her dead so much, which makes you the Seer, baby sister.
I don't know about this...
Hey, you're the one who found that info on the Net that said there would be a big battle between good and evil this year. The same battle in the first line of the prophecy.
You'll do fine, Jessica. Charity assured her cousin Your power will come when you need it.
The true love of one of the three has to be me. Miguel declared Charity and I share a love that can be nothing but true love.
Now we just gotta figure out who the others are and where to find them. Kay announced
It's not going to be easy. Reese noted These other descriptions aren't exactly the sort I can plug into a search engine.
Well then, we'll just have to try to figure out what the words could mean. Miguel said Let's do some brainstorming here.
While the teens tried to figure out how to find the remaining Guardians of Good, next door, Tabitha and Timmy were enjoying the unique drink called a Martimmy and talking.
Timmy said A few days ago, you were telling Timmy about how Grace and Jessica and Kay have powers like Charity, but you only got a chance to tell Timmy about how Grace can put curses on people before Hecuba barged in. the living doll took a sip of his Martimmy What about Kay and Jessica? What powers do they have?
Well Tim-Tim, Tabitha began Jessica is a seer and a portalsmith.
What does that mean?
It means her powers have two aspects. First the seer part: She can see things that are far away or even in the future. She can also sense the properties of magical objects or spells. As for the portalsmith part, she can create magical portals to other places on Earth, or even into Hell or other dimensions, allowing for rescues and such.
Wow. What about Kay?
Well, Kay-
Is a complete and utter BRAT! Hecuba's furious voice preceded her appearance in Tabitha's living room. Somehow she managed to completely ruin my attack on the church! She managed to KO every single demon I brought with me. Energy was literally crackling from Hecuba's body, she was so angry. Talk about substandard labor! I was assured that they were tough but every one of them was a WIMP! All of them together couldn't handle one human girl! A bolt of energy arced to the wall creating a puff of smoke and a loud bang which caused Timmy to instinctively duck but Tabitha was unfazed.
Sounds like Kay's powers have awakened. Tabitha said calmly
Powers? What powers? That brat doesn't have any powers.
Oh yes she does. Kay has the Power of the Warrior, which fits with her beating up your demons. That attack on the church is what the Tac-Nuke spell was for, wasn't it? Tonight's the Devil's Night, isn't it? A few years ago I figured out it would happen sometime early this year but after I lost my powers, I never got around to refining my calculations. But my powers have felt a little stronger all night, not up to my usual standards, but still more juice than I've had in quite a while.
Yeah, so what if it is?
So that's why you needed the Tac-Nuke spell in a hurry! You were planning to attack the church tonight when the stars came into alignment. Get Lonnigan out of the way of your next potshot at Charity.
Potshot?! I had her cold until Miguel and that knight slaughtered the squad taking her to Bezzazulano's palace and then got her back through the portal!
It was indeed a potshot! Throwing a living person into Hell in order to kill them is a gamble at best. If they manage to avoid the dangerous denizens, it can take hours or sometimes even a day or two before their aura dims to the point where the fires will burn them, leaving plenty of time for a rescue mission to go off.
Enough of this! Hecuba brought her hands together in front of her body and began forming a ball of flame between them It's past time for me to kill you and your little doll so say goodbye, Tabby!
As Hecuba was about to throw her fireball at Tabitha, Sheridan and Luis were deep in the woods when they heard a strange growling.
What's that? Sheridan asked, suddenly concerned
Sounds like a wolf. Luis answered If we're still and quiet, it shouldn't bother us.
The wolf bounded out of the bushes and into Luis and Sheridan's sight. They could tell at once that it was no ordinary wolf. It was huge, far larger than an ordinary wolf, its fur was bright silver, and its razor sharp teeth gleamed in the moonlight. Sheridan's eyes widened as she saw it, images coming unbidden to her mind.
*It's a Dire Wolf!* flashed through Sheridan's mind, though she didn't know how she instinctively knew what it was
The Dire Wolf barked loudly at the couple and charged, snapping at them. Luis grabbed a stout branch lying against a nearby rock and threw it into the Dire Wolf's mouth. The beast's massive jaws crunched through the thick branch like a human's jaws would crunch through a soup cracker.
Run Sheridan! Luis called to his beloved and they took off running as the Dire Wolf paused to spit the pieces of wood out if its mouth.
The massive beast pursued the couple through the woods, growling and barking all the way. Luis and Sheridan's flight ended abruptly as they barely stopped themselves from running over the edge of a cliff.
Uh oh. Dead end. Sheridan gasped as the Dire Wolf's growls grew closer
I hope this's got enough stopping power to bring that thing down. Luis said as he drew his gun
As the Dire Wolf burst out of the trees, Luis leveled his gun at it but it lunged at him before he could fire and bit the gun in half, narrowly missing Luis' fingers and causing him to drop his gun in shock. Sheridan took a step back and the ground beneath her foot crumbled, causing her to fall off the cliff. Luis grabbed hold of her hand but his foothold suddenly gave way as well and both tumbled off the cliff with jagged rocks far below.
End of Chapter 3
Heheh. A double cliffhanger this time. Tabby and Timmy about to be toasted by Hecuba, and Luis and Sheridan falling to their doom. Oh whatever will happen to them? If you want to find out, you'll just have to wait for chapter 4.