Chapter 18: "Destroy the crystal, Damious!"

"This is it, Helios," murmured Rini to Helios, "we will be killed for sure!"

"No we won't!" he told Rini determinedly. Without another word, Helios shoved Rini, moving both of them out of the path of the dark energy. The dark energy hit the mirrored wall, but surprisingly bounced off the mirror and was sent hurtling back in the direction of Damious! Damious screamed in anger and defeat as the dark energy headed straight for him. He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the hit to come, waiting for his demise. Suddenly, he heard Helios scream, which caused Damious to open his eyes and see what had happened. Helios was standing in front of him, taking the hit of the dark energy for him. Rini was also screaming, calling to Helios as he continued to scream in pain and agony. When it ended, Helios fell down on his knees and then slumped to the floor face down.

"Noooooooo!!!" Rini cried out as she ran towards Helios. As soon as she reached him, she turned him over onto his back and lifted his head onto her lap, cradling him, talking to him. "You'll be ok, Helios, just hold and don't give up. Please Helios, don't give up!" Helios groaned in pain, then he opened his eyes and looked up at Rini, smiling despite his pain.

"My maiden...I'm glad I had the chance...to see you once more," he murmured in a voice so soft that Rini almost didn't hear it.

"No!" she told Helios. "Don't you dare die on me, Helios! I swore that I wouldn't lose you again and I won't!" But, deep in her heart, Rini knew that Helios was close to dying now, as he took very deep and slow breaths now. Tears began to flow down her cheeks and she began to cover his face with kisses. "I love you," she told him as she continued to cover him with kisses, "I love you." Helios' breaths now slowed even more and his eyes began to close. Suddenly, Helios opened them again and he slowly lifted his hand up to Rini's face and looked at her with a look of pure love and sadness as he said weakly, "I...love...you...my maiden." Then, his hand fell from her face, his eyes closed, and Rini no longer heard his breathing.

"Noooooooooo!" Rini screamed to the heavens, more tears streaming down her face as she held Helios in her arms. "You can't leave me again, Helios! You said that you would never leave me again! Why did you leave me again?!" Why?!:" Rini's sobs echoed throughout the room and it was the only sound heard at all.

As Damious stood there and watched all of this, he was also in tears. His little brother was dead! He had died to save him! And all he had done for Helios was torment him and his love, Rini. "What have I done?!" he cried to himself. "What's happened to me?! Why have I become so corrupt and evil?!"

Rini looked up as she heard Damious' words and realized that he was becoming himself once more. "Damious, it is that dark crystal around your neck that has made you evil! You must destroy it if you want to be set free!"

"Destroy my crystal?!" he exclaimed with astonishment. "But this crystal is powerful! It allowed me to become powerful and build this kingdom. It gave me everything I have now!"

"And it also made you evil and hate your brother!" Rini yelled back at Damious. "Damious, please destroy that crystal! Do it for Helios!"

Damious looked over at his little brother, lying there, dead because of him. He knew what he had to do. He had to set things right and make up for all of the wicked things he had done. "I am so sorry, Helios," he said to Helios, and then he looked over at Rini and began to walk towards her. He took her by the hands and said to her, "I am so sorry, for everything I put you through."

Rini merely nodded and smiled, seeing that Damious was about to do the right thing. "He will destroy that evil crystal and be free again. If only Helios could have seen this," she thought sadly as she looked back down at Helios in her arms. Tears formed in her eyes once again as whispered to Helios, "I love you," and then kissed him gently on his lips, which were now icy cold.

Damious removed the dark crystal from around his neck and walked to the center of the room. As he stood there, he raised the crystal up over his head, preparing to smash it to pieces. But as he did this, he suddenly heard a voice, in his head. An evil sounding voice that he had heard many times before.

"You can't destroy me!" called forth the crystal. "You need me! You have always needed me!"

"Shut up!" Damious yelled at the crystal. "I won't listen to you anymore! I won't obey you anymore! I am going to get rid of you once and for all!" "If you destroy me, you shall die as well!"

"What?!" cried out Damious, shocked by this revelation and not wanting to believe it.

The voice in the crystal began to laugh hysterically, mocking Damious. "You pathetic fool! Ever since you first touched me, your life has become bonded to me! If I die, you die!"

"Damious, what is wrong?" Rini asked him, seeing the frightened expression on his face as he stood there holding the crystal. She could not hear the dark crystal's voice, so she was totally oblivious to what was happening. "Damious, what is the matter with you?" she called out to him again. "And who were you talking to just now?"

Damious did not answer her. He stood there, contemplating what he just heard. "I will die if I destroy it. This cursed crystal brought me nothing but trouble from the very beginning." As he thought this, a flood of memories came back to Damious. The memory of when he and Helios had been playing hide and seek. Him hiding in the cave and finding the crystal. The strange force that had turned him against his younger brother. "I've done nothing but horrible and despicable things since I found this crystal. And now, it ends here." After he said this, he raised the crystal high over his head again and prepared to smash it once more.

"What are you doing?!" cried out the crystal. "I just told you that you'd die as well, yet you still wish to destroy me?!"

"I know I will, but I don't care!" he told the crystal. "My fate was sealed when I found you and I accept it!" With that, Damious brought down the crystal to the floor with great force and it shattered into a million pieces. As soon as this happened, a strange wind blew throughout the castle with incredible force. Rini held onto Helios as tight as she could and closed her eyes as the wind hit her face. After what seemed like an eternity, the wind subsided and Rini slowly opened her eyes and gasped in shock.

"The castle, it's...it's gone!" she exclaimed as she gazed at the surroundings. They were outside now, but the entire castle had disappeared completely! Rini gently let go of Helios and stood up to look for Damious. "Damious?" she called out. "Damious, where are you?" As she walked around, she suddenly saw Damious lying facedown on the ground. "Damious?!" she called out as she went towards him. She shook his shoulder, but he didn't respond. "Damious?" she asked again, dread filling her as she turned him onto his back. Rini gasped and fell on her knees as she looked at Damious. His eyes stared up at her blankly, completely glazed over. He was dead! Rini could not help but shed some tears for Damious. He had been a good person, but had been corrupted by that evil crystal. As she knelt beside him, crying, she suddenly heard a voice call out to her.

"Rini, please don't cry for me."

She looked up and gasped when she saw who was speaking. "Damious?!" she exclaimed, "But I thought..." then Rini stopped as she realized that she was looking at Damious' spirit. Rini smiled up at him, seeing how peaceful and happy he looked.

"I am finally free, Rini," he told her, "And you and Helios saved me. I will now return the favor."

"What do you mean?" she asked him. But he didn't answer her. Instead, he went over to where Helios' body lay and knelt beside him. Rini watched as Damious placed his hands on Helios' chest and a strange, white light flowed from his hands into Helios' body. After he did this, Damious stood up and motioned for Rini to come to Helios. As she did, she noticed that Helios' body had jerked. He was moving! Rini ran to his side immediately and shook him. "Helios?!" she called out to him. "Helios, are you alive?!" That is when Helios slowly opened his eyes and was looking once more into his true love's face.

"My maiden..." he answered, smiling at her as he sat up and touched her cheek with his hand. "I am so glad you're all right."

She threw herself into his arms, crying tears of joy. As she cried, she heard Helios say to her, "I will never ever leave you again, never!" As he held onto Rini, Helios noticed Damious' spirit, watching the two of them with a smile on his face. Rini noticed that Helios had noticed him and smiled as well. Helios stared at his brothers' spirit in wonder and amazement. "Damious, did you save me?" he asked him.

Damious smiled as he said to him, "I had to, little brother. She needs you and you belong with her." He stopped as a beautiful, white light began to envelop him. "I must leave you two now, but don't be sad for me. I will continue to watch over the two of you. Farewell Princess Serenity and...farewell little brother." With that, Damious was completely enveloped by the white light and he disappeared, with a smile still on his face.

Helios and Rini held each other as they continued to stare where Damious had been, both of them smiling. Both of them happy knowing that Damious had finally found peace and would always be with them. Tears went down Helios' cheeks as he looked up towards the heavens and said, "I'll miss you, big brother."

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AN: I know they are short chapters. I'm sorry, but it felt right to split them like this. Two more chapters to post!

Dream Sovereign