Beyblader-grl: I dunno…good question, lol! Thanx, I've gotta move my site again, finally, I found a good server…
Kerry: Thanx! ^_^ I'm writing more, lol, but I'm SO tired, it's crazy!
KAI'S GAL: Ahem…no…not Johnny! ^_^ Yeah, it's a long fic, lol! And yes, for the sake of being an OC fic, I made Mariah like that, but in my other fic, she's not like that. I like Mariah too.
kerry_c_2003: Thanx! ^_^
~kai~: How can it evolve from a dog to a phoenix? That makes no sense to me. Then I'll have to make everyone else's evolve and I'm so tired to think right now…
Silly Chibi: Johnny's on of my favorites too! ^_^ That's because Carly doesn't like him in that way. Can't say anymore…
~*~Prodigious girl*~*: Really? Hope you had a great birthday, ^_^, should told me sooner, I would've put up the chapter on your birthday…
scarlet diamonds: ^_^U He was never bad to began with…so tired…
neko-jin: I guess Ray can try…^_^
Reicu: O_O I'm too tired to write much more, I'm about to fall asleep on my keyboard…
Just-some-girl1: You'll see! ^_^
whisper*2*imaginary: Thanx, I did have a good time, but I'm exhausted as well. I'm totally sleepy and feel like nodding off every few seconds…hope you had a great birthday!
The Great Kuro Neko: Yeah, I changed my website address again, it's different again, cuz I finally found a good host. You cloned Tala? O_O
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* ~ ¤ ~ Quøte ~ ¤ ~ *
"Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is growing up."
~ James Baldwin
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Chapter 23: To the Rescue
"Now this is what I'm talking about!" Carly whooped, spraying her Ice in various directions. In the vast space outside the Dark Palace, they could attack however they pleased without worrying about being cramped.
"You think this is fun?" Johnny said, beating a Dark Mutant back with his axe, "I'm tired."
"Try using your power for once!" Carly said, swiping her hand and blasting out Ice.
"Yeah!" Tala agreed, raising another windstorm as Hru launched her Spirit power to snatch the spirits of the Mutants.
Enrique looked glum, "My powers aren't very good are they? They can only protect me, but I can't attack very well with them."
Carly somersaulted in the air and landed beside him, "Well, that ain't very useful if you can't attack. Remind me to ask the Guardian when we get back, there's probably secrets of your Psychic powers that we don't know about!"
Johnny concentrated hard and stars flew from his palms and smashed into the Mutants, "And I don't think this is very convenient, I'll stick with my axe, thanks."
"We're almost done here," Hru called, "Let's give them a finishing bang!"
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"AAAAAhhhh!!!!" Willow cried, diving to one side as the Dark Warlock shot Dark energy blasts at her, "Stop it!"
"Leave her alone!" Cassandra said angrily, raising a wave behind her and washing it over the Dark Warlock in fury.
The Dark Warlock coughed and spluttered, "You'll pay for that you impudent little brat!"
Casssandra narrowly avoided the Dark Blast coming towards her by jumping on a nearby table and she quickly leaped away.
"Come back here!" the Dark Warlock pursued her angrily, "You'll pay for that wave!"
"Yikes!" Cassandra squealed as the Dark Blasts nearly threw her off balance.
"Stop that!" Willow blasted her Dark powers at the Dark Warlock. She gasped as her opponent easily deflected her attack and sent it flying back at her. "Aaah!" Willow cried as she was sent crashing into the wall.
"Willow!" Holly and Cassandra exclaimed. They nodded at each other.
"I'll use my Water power and you attack from behind!" Cassandra said, running forward. She sent a huge wave splashing towards the Dark Warlock.
"Not again!" the Dark Warlock roared, "I never fall for the same trick twice!!!!" He used his Dark Blast as a shield and laughed as the water streamed harmlessly past him, "HA HA HA HA!!!"
"Grrr...!" Cassandra snarled, landing on her feet, "Darn, I missed!"
Holly snucked up behind the evil minion and thrust her sword in his back. The Dark Warlock gave a roar of rage and pain. He snatched her sword out of his back, unaware of the dark blood that flowed out of his back. The Dark Warlock threw Holly's sword a few feet away and blasted her with Dark energy.
"Aaaaaah!" Holly cried as she was flung in the air roughly
"Holly!" Kai leaped up and caught her in midair, his arms wrapping tightly around her as they both smashed into the stone wall and rocks tumbled down around them. Neither of them got up.
Cassandra gasped in horror, but before she could react, the Dark Warlock sent her crashing against the wall with a swipe of his arm.
"Now, it's only you and me," the Dark Warlock said to Willow, who stumbled on her feet, clutching her bruised arm, "Prepare to die."
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"Curse!" Carly spat out loudly, pulling the large door angrily, "They locked it! Gosh, we can't get back inside!"
"We have to!" Hru said in a panicky voice, "The commotion stopped in there, the Dark Warlock must've have knocked out most of them."
Johnny and Tala both tried to yank the heavy doors open, but even with their combined physical strength, they didn't even creak it.
"Oh man..." Tala moaned, "This is awful. You girls give it a try."
"Yeah right," Carly muttered, "If you and Johnny can't budge it, what makes you think that Hru and I can?"
"No kidding," Hru said airily.
"Okay, I'm sorry I asked," Tala retorted, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Maybe we can destroy the doors?" Carly suggested.
"No way Carly," Johnny said, looking up at the heavy metal doors, "This metal is nearly indestructible, by the time we knocked this down, he'll have killed everyone!"
"We can find another way in," Hru said, looking around anxiously.
"That'll take too long," Tala said, banging the lock on the door, "Oh, I am so totally going to kill the person who locked this cursed door!"
"Wait," Enrique said suddenly, "Let me try." He glowed a bright orange, indicating that he had tapped into his Psychic powers. He aimed a thin beam of light at the keyhole on the heavy metal door. They watched as the light slid in the lock and sent out a burst of orange light.
"Open," Enrique whispered, "Unlock." And to everyone's surprise, the lock clicked open.
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Ray ran outside the palace in the Dream Realm and into the garden outside. //Where is it? Where is it???// He scrambled around the garden, scanning the flowers quickly and running up and down the pathways. "There!" Ray breathed as he stopped in front of the rose garden. Sure enough, a single pink rose was blooming earlier than the others. Dew dropped from its silky petals and glistened the rose in the moonlight. Ray bent down and gently broke off the stem. At Ray's touch, the rose slowly began to wither and die, its bright pink color fading into gray. "Oh no you don't," Ray said through gritted teeth, "Hang on Willow, I'm coming, this rose isn't going to die and neither are you!"
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"Ray! Where are you going in such a hurry?" the Guardian said, looking up from the monitor.
"Willow!" Ray said, running into the room, "Do you know how they're doing?"
"No, I don't," the Guardian said, "We lost the power to monitor the Kingdoms a long time ago."
"I'm going to the Dark Kingdom," Ray said, "You have to let me in!"
"I can't," the Guardian said, looking at him sympathically, "I've already sent them over. They have to come back before I can send anyone else over again."
"Gosh!" Ray banged his fist on the wall, "The vortex, that's it! The vortex in the Vortex Machine can take me to the Dark Kingdom."
"No Ray, no," the Guardian said, looking alarmed, "If you drop in the throne room of the Dark Palace and Willow and the others haven't reached there yet, then the whole room will be crawling with monsters and you won't make it out alive."
"It's a risk I'm willing to take," Ray said, "I HAVE to go, please! You just gotta let me go! I made a mistake this morning for not going with them. The Fire Mage...he said that it's never too late to fix my mistakes. I can't be too late, Guardian, please! If anything happens to Willow because I was so stupid, I'll never forgive myself! I can't live knowing that I made this stupid mistake!!!"
The Guardian hesitated, "But Ray..."
"I had this dream," Ray said desperately, "About Willow, she might die if I don't go, please let me go, please. I have to do this, I can't bear to live if Willow died because I made a foolish mistake!"
"All right Ray," the Guardian said, "Go ahead, dreams are visions, they are helpful in finding the truth. Ray, you must find truth in your feelings. Good luck, Fire Warrior."
Ray broke into a smile and raced to the Vortex Machine room. He found the black swirling vortex with the symbol of Darkness on it. He took a deep breath and jumped in.
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"Noooooo!" Willow cried as the Dark Warlock covered the whole room in Darkness. She was plunged in the deathly blackness, just like she was in her dream. //Not again...//
"How utterly amusing," the Dark Warlock sneered, "You are the Dark Warrioress, yet you fear the darkness. Quite a contradiction."
"I'm not afraid!" Willow insisted, but the tremble in her voice gave it away.
"Yes you are, you're afraid of being alone and you are alone right now," the Dark Warlock laughed, "Embrace the Darkness, for it will be your home for a long time."
"No..." Willow said, falling on her knees in despair, "No..." Her eyes were glazed and she appeared lifeless, her eyes hollow and empty.
"Yes," the Dark Warlock said, enjoying the way Willow was giving in, "You're alone, completely alone. Not a soul in the world cares about what happens to you."
//I'm alone...all alone...// Willow's mind swam dizzily, it had become a battle with her inner emotions. //Ray...where are you? You're always here when I need you...I'm scared now Ray...please help me! But you don't care about me...you're busy with your new kingdom and I'm just a thing of the past...// Willow could feel her mind slipping, nothing mattered now, it was all going to be over soon. Images started disappearing from her mind, happy memories faded, leaving only the cruel ones to give her pain. Tears filled her eyes and she dropped her staff on the ground. //Ray...why did you do this to me?? Why???? I thought you cared...but where are you now? Are you happy and enjoying your life as I'm suffering and miserable...?//
"WILLOW!!!!!" Ray's ear-splitting yell broke the trance she was in.
Willow gasped and her mind cleared, her lips whispered his name, "Ray..." Suddenly the Darkness disappeared and Willow found herself on her knees in the throne room in the Dark Palace.
"NOOOOOO!" the Dark Warlock shouted, "You broke the Darkness spell!" He glared at Ray, who was standing behind him, spear ready, fire flaming around his body. "Argh, Fire Warrior!"
"Ray!" Willow cried, grabbing her weapon and standing up dizzily, "What's going on?" She felt dizzy and confused, but she remember that she needed to fight. //What's he doing here?//
"Dark Blast!" the Dark Warlock roared, flinging his power at Ray, who leaped aside.
"Fire Blast!" Ray shot back violently, "You'll pay for toying with Willow's mind!" His topaz eyes flashed angrily as He flailed fire at his opponent viciously.
Willow felt her heart soar, //He came...I was wrong...he does care about me...he came to help me...//
The Dark Warlock swung his scythe and knocked Ray on the ground, cutting his shoulder open. Ray grimaced as blood spilled out from his wound, staining his shirt and dripping down his arm.
"Ray!!!!" Willow shrieked, looking utterly horrified.
Just then Carly, Johnny, Enrique, Hru, and Tala burst into the room and stared at the mess in horror.
"Kai!!!!!" Hru cried, "Holly! Oh my gosh, they're buried under those rocks, someone help me out." She ran towards her friends.
"I'll help her," Tala said, "You guys go help Willow and Ray."
"I'm going to help Kailee and Max," Enrique told Carly, "You guys go, I'm not much use anyways."
"Not much use!" Carly punched her friend's arm lightly, "We wouldn't have gotten in without you buddy! You and your your amazing lock popping skills. Johnny, go see if you can wake Cassie, I'll go."
Before Johnny could speak, Carly was gone, "Oh man, that girl is totally nuts!" He shook his head and muttered, "She had better be careful!"
"Time to finish our little business," the Dark Warlock sneered at Willow, "This time I'll-"
Carly fitted an arrow into her bow and fired at the Dark Warlock's chest, but unfortunately, the armor protected him. "Fine then!" Carly said furiously, firing out Ice from her hand.
The Dark Warlock growled and dodged it, "That's it, you're another annoying little brat, you wanna play rough??" He fired a Dark Blast at Carly and she barely dodged it.
"Be careful Carly!!!!" Johnny hollered, looking angry.
"Yikes!" Carly yelped.
"Cut it out!" Willow cried, slamming the Dark Warlock in the face with her staff, "Take that!!!!!"
The Dark Warlock snarled and grabbed Willow's arm, flinging her carelessly into the stone wall. Willow groaned as she hit the wall and collapsed on the ground in exhaustion. "Now to put an end to the Dark Warrioress!" the Dark Warlock gathered up a lot of Dark power into a black orb, charging it up to the maximum.
Willow looked up with hazy vision, she was too tired to do anymore. She prepared herself for the stunning blow as the Dark Warlock launched his final assault. But it never happened. Right before all that Dark power hit Willow, Ray had leaped up in between and taken the blow himself.
"RAY!!!!!!! NOOOOO!!!!!!!" Willow cried, tears springing up in her eyes.
The Dark energy pummeled into Ray's body, ripping his clothes and cutting his skin. Ray collapsed on the ground and didn't get up, completely battered and bruised.
Willow's eyes hardened in anger and she smashed her staff as hard as she could into the Dark Warlock's face. Darkness flashed behind her as she summoned all her powers and struck in fury. Raw dark powers exploded in the air and flung the Dark Warlock back. Then Willow used all her strength to pour her Dark powers into the Dark Warlock, making him scream in pain. "Go Marina!" Willow yelled, launching her blade, "Slashing Claws!!" With one swipe of her Bit Beast, the Dark Warlock dissolved into mere particles and died.
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"Ray, oh Ray..." Willow sobbed, "I'm so so so sorry." She was hugging his limp body as tight as she could, oblivious to her own wounds, "Please get up…please…I'm so sorry…"
"Willow..." Ray said weakly, touching her shoulder gently, "I'm the one that sorry...sorry for being so ignorant...you saved my life..."
"And you saved mine," Willow whispered, hugging him, tears spilling down her face, "Oh Ray, please be all right."
Ray reached in his bag slowly and took out a rose, "I had this dream...weird dream to be exact, but I was going to get you a rose for your birthday…and it…it turned black…then I finally understood...I know your birthday's not any time soon, but...anyways, here...for you." The rose which was starting to turn black before, was now blooming a beautiful, fair pink.
Willow took the pink rose and held it tightly, "Oh thank you Ray!" She started to cry, grateful that the rose didn't burn up like it did in her dream.
"There's something I should tell you..." Ray said weakly.
"No, you should rest...it can wait..." Willow said gently.
"No, I have to tell you now," Ray insisted, gripping her hand tightly, "Willow...I like you...more than a friend...I like you a lot. I think I love you…" He slipped into unconsciousness.
Willow's eyes filled with happy tears, "Oh Ray...you don't know how much that means to me..."
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"Get up, get up," Johnny urged Cassandra, "Come on, you can do it. It's over, we'll get you back to the Dream Realm."
"It's no good," Enrique called, shaking Max and Kailee, "These two are out like lamps. We'll have to carry them back."
Hru tossed the rocks behind her, trying to unbury Kai and Holly. Tala ducked as the rocks flew past his head, "Yikes!"
Hru looked behind her, "Sorry, don't get too close."
"If I'm this far away I can't help," Tala said wryly.
"Oh, you wanna help?" Hru asked, sounding a bit surprised, "Then help me move these rocks."
Tala shook his head and started lifting rocks.
"Let me help!" Enrique glowed orange again and rocks flew in every direction.
"Control, buddy, control," Carly said, ducking as stones zipped past her head, "You're gonna axel your best friend right in the head."
Kai groaned and sat up, "Owww...I am not being buried when I die, it's that painful." He stretched out his muscles, "Owww...Holly!" He gently shook her, "Get up!"
"Owww..." Holly winced, shaking the crumbled rock pieces off her body, "What happened?"
"It's over," Hru told them, giving Holly and Kai a hand up, "It's over."
"How did I get buried then?" Holly asked dizzily.
"I don't know," Hru said, "I'm just surprised you didn't break any bones."
"Oh I remember," Holly said, blushing, "The Dark Warlock hit me in the air and...yeah..."
"And yeah?" Hru asked, raising her eyebrows, "You're not telling me something."
"And I grabbed her in midair!" Kai snapped, dusting himself off, "Happy now Hru? Or do you want more details?"
"Ohhhhhhh..." Hru grinned, winking at her friend, "Nice move Kai. I get it."
"You - don't get anything!" Kai ushered her off, "Shut up!"
"Come on back to the Dream Realm," the Guardian's voice echoed in the air, "Bring the Dark Scepter Willow and we'll treat injuries back here."
Willow staggered up and retrieved the Dark Scepter from the ground. Then, there was a flash of light and they disappeared from the Dark Palace.
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Man, I am so tired, it's not even funny, it's crazy, I feel like I need more and more sleep. My trip was pretty fun, thanx for all the reviews guys. I've never gone a day without sleeping and I don't think that I'd be doing it anytime soon. I danced too, never done THAT before either. Hmm…yeah…I'm exhausted, can you tell? Lol, please review, hope you liked it! And everything will be up to date next time, I've also moved my site to a new host again, this time it's final!
PS: If you like Beyblade, check out my site @ members.the-bronze.net/ice_archergirl/.