A/N: (This is it, the big battle! This chapter was so fun to write, and I hope it's just as enjoyable to read. )
Title: Reigning Memories
Chapter: 17- Trump Card
Seconds seemed minutes, and minutes seemed hours for everyone. To come face to face with Scarl was overwhelming to Joe, anger rising within him. All this compassion and mercy completely disappeared. The glint in his eyes was frightening even to a barely conscious Emma. Jet's fist was red from holding it so tightly. June was trembling behind Jet. The petite matchmakers realized that no one was kidding when they had said that this was going to be a dangerous encounter. They hid behind a boulder, which concealed them. Francoise; now trembling, rushed over to Joe. Joe hugged her as if she was going to disappear any moment. He whispered in her ear to heal Emma. Francoise didn't know what he meant but rushed over to the fallen princess anyway. She was really burning up now, sweat dripping from her forehead.
"What am I supposed to do?" Francoise asked to a frantic Sir George. "Use your powers, of course!" Francoise didn't understand anything that was going on. "What powers?" Sir George rushed over to Joe and whispered to him, "You'll have to fill her in the details, I'll distract Scarl. Hurry, for the sake of your sister and the world!" Joe nodded and ran over to Francoise. Scarl laughed again, but Sir George could tell that he too was stalling. "Something isn't right..." He said, but his words were carried off by the wind. No one heard him, his assumption being correct.
"Well, well, I don't know what to say. I thought that you would at least have the decency of fighting for Francoise on your own, boy." Jet grimaced, he too sensed something wrong. "Look whose talking about honor, you don't know the least bit about it!" Sir George charged with all his might at Scarl. He missed and quickly dodged a blow from Scarl of electricity. "Ah yes, my staff has arrived." Scarl held a black staff, evil coming from every corner. "That's it! He was stalling for his staff; his magic is still not complete!" Sir George shouted to the others. Scarl smile vanished and he said in a much more cruel voice; "So you've figured it out. It won't do you any good, after all in a few seconds both of your little princesses will be dead."
"Never!" Joe yelled as his eyes no longer held an amber calmness over them, they were now a blood red. He charged at Scarl with inhuman speed, knocking him off balance with a punch of his right hand. Scarl staggered a bit more and then regained his balance, with anger almost matching Joe's. "So you are a wizard, boy. How could I have not expected it?" Joe was knocked off balance by his statement and received a blow to his stomach by Scarl. "So easy to distract, aren't we?" Joe staggered up again and put his finger against his cheek. As he suspected it, blood covered it. He frowned and was ready to begin his assault once more. In a blur, before Joe could register what was happening, Scarl was back on the floor. Jet was standing besides Joe, grinning with a playful smile. "Can't expect to get all the credit, huh?" Joe managed to smile, he was sure that they could win. They just had too.
Melody was standing besides Francoise, trying to awaken her powers. The task proved difficult but at last they were successful. Melody sighed in exhaustion and said barely audible, "Now heal her, the rest if up to Emma and her brother." Francoise nodded and concentrated on healing Emma's wounds. In the blink of an eye, they were gone. Francoise smiled and looked back on the battle. She saw how hard Joe had been hit and before Melody could cover her mouth she yelled, "Joe!" Scarl looked back and disappeared. Francoise didn't have time to react, Scarl was already behind her. He had a knife, gripped in his right hand. Before Francoise could give a proper scream, the knife was headed straight towards her.
It all happened so fast, Emma had intercepted the blow. She was know crouching, her face red, and the knife stuck at her side. Sir George rushed towards her and she whispered some words to him. Just as Francoise had done, Sir George had healed Emma and he held the knife covered in blood in his hand. Emma murmured thanks and stood up. "Quite the sneaky villain, aren't we?" Emma said in a mocking voice at Scarl. "You dare mock me, girl!" Emma sighed and said with a strange glint in her eye. "No, I mock you." Scarl was furious. Emma launched a punch at him while he was still in shock and Scarl lost his balance. Jet bombarded him with punches and kicks. "I usually don't kick em' when they're down, but I guess your an exception." He said to Scarl with a mischievous smile. June thanked god that he was alright, and smiled at him.
Everything was going to plan, and then something went terribly wrong. In a blur, Scarl had Carrie Ann held in his arm, his staff next to her head, lit with fire. Francoise gasped, Joe gritted his teeth, and Emma was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is Emma?" Francoise cried out. Everyone was in confusion on her sudden outburst, including Scarl. He quickly regained his composure and launched a fire ball at Joe. It was headed straight at him and suddenly it disappeared. It didn't make sense; no one knew what was going on. Then out of nowhere, in the middle of the battle field, stood Emma and Athena. "I brought some help!" She yelled out. Athena grabbed Scarl's staff from him as well as Carrie Ann. She then built a force field around herself, the petite matchmakers, June, and Francoise. "Thanks, thank you for everything." Emma whispered to Athena. Athena nodded and strengthened the force field.
Scarl tried to fight of Jet and Joe but he just couldn't keep up with the countless assaults that were heading right towards him. Before he knew it Jet had him from behind. Jet restrained Scarl and yelled out to Joe, "Do it now, hurry up!" Joe didn't waste a second; he took the sword from Sir George and plunged it straight into Scarl.
A/N: Whew! Finally, I'm done with this chapter! I really can't find the words to express my gratitude for all the reviews that I have received. I honestly didn't expect to get more than 30 reviews on this story, you guys really surprised me. Thanks a lot. I will post up the next chapter either tomorrow or the next day. I'll try my hardest to have it up by tomorrow though. R/R!