Disclaimer: i rarely remember to put a disclaimer up. Very bad of me. Anyway, it's only a fanfiction, not the real thing. Enjoy!

Undeveloped story: glad you're enjoying it! i've been having terrific fun trying to imagine what L J Smith might have planned for the apocalypse!

Altaira: sorry for the delay in putting the new chapter up: enjoy!

Insane: I can't wait to see what the end is either, lol!

Face the Apocalype Part 3

"What I wouldn't give for Susie's help," Sarah muttered darkly, at her wit's end and thinking of her best friend, one of the most amazing, smartest witches. Just the familiar bulge of her mobile phone in her pocket made her think of Susie: if only she could phone through! But she knew that this time wasn't possible. She was alone with only the Wild Powers and Soulmates here in the Soulmate Realm.

"Come on," Maggie ordered briskly, snapping her out of her thoughts, "help me."

The two of them pushed and prodded Iliana, poor unresponsive Iliana to the cliff edge to stand with the other three Wild Powers.

"There has to be a way," Kierlan said, his eyes trained on the black ice that swept towards them ravenously, devouring the land and magic in its path. With only three Wild Powers actively trying to stop this darkness, they were failing. The blue fire simply soaked into the darkness, vanishing into the darkness.

"Delos," Maggie spoke up. "Can you get into Iliana's mind?"

Delos paused, considering it hesitantly, his fierce eyes preoccupied.

"Stop, everyone," he ordered.

"What?" Kierlan snapped. "It'll come at us faster then! We can't stop!"

"We need to throw blue fire at it full force," Delos said. "We need Iliana. I'll have to try getting into her mind." What he left unsaid was how he'd have to do that...

"By drinking her," Kierlan said flatly, angry. "That's sick."

Delos ignored him.

"Please, Kierlan," Sarah murmured. Kierlan, her Soulmate, regarded her then finally nodded. He let go of the blue fire. "Hurry up then," he told Delos wearily. "Have something to eat."

Delos's eyebrows snapped together angrily and he strode to Iliana, gently touched her neck. Obediently, passively, she tilted her head to one side and then Delos leant closer. Maggie watched as impassively as she could as her Soulmate slipped his fangs into Iliana's neck.

Let's see what's going on in your head, Iliana, Delos thought as his mind melded into Iliana's. Slowly, he sank down through the mists of her mind. Her mind was pure violet but murky with confusion, bewilderment. Intrigued and anxious, he pushed further, faster.

Then dropped.

Plunged through her mind, giving out a startled yell as clouds of violet and blue exploded around him, and then he slammed into the violet earth, his fall cushioned by dead, withered violet plants.

Oh goddess, he whispered. This is what she's seeing...?

All around him seemed to be destruction and loss. He could feel knowledge seeping through his mind as though he'd seen everything when it had been destroyed. When the world had ended. He barely remembered that the world had not yet been destroyed.

Maggie..? he thought suddenly, terrified.

"What are you doing here?" a girl stepped out, and Iliana followed behind this girl.

"Who are you?" Delos demanded.

"I am Death," the girl said. "I am Destruction. I am Mistress of this world, of all worlds." The girl seemed more like shadows. Everything of her was of darkness: dark violet hair, dark shadows slanting down her face, lending extra sharpness to her cheekbones, nose and chin, deep, sunken, fierce eyes.

Delos gazed at her, frowning. "No. You...can't be."

"Why not?" the girl asked, an intelligence gleaming in her deep, shadowy eyes. "I watch you all as you fail."

She's not real! It sounded like Maggie's voice in his head, not his own. He straightened up, raising his head. "You're not real."

"I am as real as Iliana," the girl replied.

"Then Iliana made you," Delos said. "Iliana's fear made you."

"You are all afraid," the girl said, shaking her head, her dark violet hair rippling down her shoulders. "You, Delos Redfern. Kierlan Harman, Jezebel Redfern...Iliana Harman."

"But we have our Soulmates," Delos replied suddenly. A small smile twitched at him and he reached out a hand to Iliana. "Our Soulmates stop us from seeing you, from letting our fear paralyse us like you paralysed Iliana."

He turned his attention to Iliana. "Take my hand, Iliana."

"I can't," Iliana whispered, hanging her head.

"Oh, call on powers of the goddess or whatever," Delos said, losing patience. "You're a Wild Power, Iliana. You're direct descendant and something like princess of the witches. Now act like it!"

Iliana raised her head, violet eyes shocked. "Hellewise...?" she whispered helplessly.

"I know you feel alone," Delos persisted, "but you're not. You're a witch and you're never alone. You have me, Kierlan and Jez, you have Keller and Galen. You have your whole family. Now help us save everything else we love."

Iliana shut her eyes, lips moving slightly, as she whispered for her ancestor's guidance. Young witch that she was, new to her heritage in many ways, she was insecure, especially at this moment. "Hellewise," she whispered, "help me."

Her violet eyes flared and she reached out blindly for Delos's hand, gripped it. "Take me back," she insisted.

He grinned, a hint of fang between his lips, and dragged her back out.

"Yes!" Maggie grabbed her, hugged her, tears streaming down her eyes. "Oh, well done, you!"

Laughing gloriously, Sarah hugged her just as hard, hope flaring up in her. Iliana blinked, disoriented, then gently pushed them away and darted to the cliff edge, Delos following her, his eyes sharpened again, focusing on the black ice flowing towards them mercilessly. We're going to beat you, he thought silently, even if we have to give our lives to do it.