Chapter 25: In Darkest Night

Pious screamed in pain, writhing on the ground. Staff of bone in hand, Alex walked over to him. "The Darkness is not so easily destroyed!" he shouted defiantly. She raised up the staff, but Pious interrupted her. "No! My death is just the beginning!"

Alex glared at him, remembering the look on Danielle's face. She thrust the staff deep into Pious's stomach, piercing through the armor. Alex pulled out the staff, watching as magickal energy, his life force, shot out of him. Pious let out a cry of pain that slowly died away as he slumped to the ground and didn't move again. Alex tossed away his staff when violent images flooded her mind. She saw the Guardians of Ulyaoth performing arcane rituals on humans. At once, she realized her mistake.

"What have I done?" she cried, falling to her knees. "Ulyaoth is still free! I can't do anything to stop him!"

That was when she heard her grandfather's voice in her mind. "Quickly, Alex! We must bind this creature! It cannot be allowed to remain in this Universe."

Alex understood what he meant. "Bankorok! Use Bankorok." Before her eyes, she saw Ulyaoth being pulled into a blue portal and vanishing from this realm.

Edward appeared nearby, walking over to Alex as she stood up. "It is finally over, my dear. The Ancients' plans are finished." He was about to say something else when a cold, cruel voice cut him off.

"It's far from being over. The battle has just begun." An icy hand clutched Alex's heart as she and Edward turned to face the speaker. Danielle was standing there, her head down and eyes closed. Her body shook as she laughed softly. The laughing became louder as she raised her head, opening her eyes to reveal the emerald green color. The wound in her stomach and right hand were no longer bleeding. "It's been so long, you know. So long since I've heard screams of pain like this. It's very… refreshing, you could say."

Alex let out a startled gasp, understanding what was happening in an instant. This wasn't her sister anymore. The darkness and hatred that radiated off of her was evidence enough, along with her cruel smile. "What are you talking about… What did you do to my sister?"

Danielle, now Xel'lotath, laughed once more. "Oh, she's still here," she said, tapping her head. "And because of that, she feels every little pain in her body. So, you can imagine how she must feel right now. If you thought her hand was bad…" She laughed sharply again.

Edward took a step towards Xel'lotath. "How could you do this to a child, Xel'lotath?"

Xel'lotath smirked. "It's survival of the fittest, as your granddaughter would say," she replied, her voice sounding strange. There were two separate voices. Xel'lotath's was the stronger one, and Danielle's was the weaker. "Her body will do nicely until I open the Veil of Reality to allow my real body to come through. And then…. Well, perhaps I'll let you witness what I'll do to her frail mind. You'll be begging me to put her out of her misery."

"Let my sister go!" Alex shouted, anger flaring up inside.

Xel'lotath chuckled. "How about… no. Your sister is too weak to even do anything with her body. Why let a good thing go to waste? Besides, she's not even human anymore." Xel'lotath tapped her forehead. "Every single memory is here. How she feels alone, like the whole world abandoned her. And it's so enjoyable to torment her frail mind with images of what I'll do to you, along with making her feel such immense pain."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Edward roared, making Alex jump. "I have tried to help Danielle and failed once. I will not let it happen again."

Xel'lotath used her foot to propel Pious's staff into the air and caught it in her hand. "You're powerless to do anything, Edward. Now you get the honor of watching your last granddaughter die." She threw the staff at Alex, but she was already moving. Alex ducked under the staff and aimed a slash at Xel'lotath's arm. In one swift move, she kicked the Enchanted Gladius out of Alex's hand and caught it in her own. "Can you really make yourself fight, Alex, knowing that you're hurting your sister?"

Alex gritted her teeth and took out her spare Gladius. The question struck home. Could she really fight her own sister?

I have to… That may be the only way I can save her.

"Alex, hold her off the best you can. I have a plan." She nodded to Edward, getting into a defensive stance as he vanished.

Xel'lotath laughed and charged forward, a crazed look in her eyes. "It's time to die!"

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Pain… That was all Danielle felt anymore in the darkness that surrounded her mind. She felt like she was just floating in the darkness, surrounded on all sides by Xel'lotath and being tormented by the demented Ancient. Her hand hurt, along with her stomach, but no matter what she tried to do, the pain wouldn't stop. It just kept on hurting, making her cry out into the darkness while hoping for a relief that would never come. She could hear Xel'lotath's taunts and laughter as the Ancient assaulted her mind with horrifying images of what she had in store for the world.

Danielle couldn't take it anymore. The pain was too great. She just wanted it all to end, but she knew that it wouldn't. The pain would never stop. Not as long as Xel'lotath was in control. Tears trickled down her face, and her screams echoed in the darkness. Why wouldn't Xel'lotath just stop…?

"Danielle… I am here for you…" a voice said softly.

She struggled to look around, trying to see the source of the voice. It was comforting, and it actually drove the pain away. Danielle blinked a few times until she found the source. At first it was just light that she saw, but then as it came into focus, she realized it was a person. The person reached their hand out to Danielle, who slowly raised up her own. She could feel the darkness pulling at her, struggling to keep her from getting anywhere near the figure, but she fought as best as she could against it. As the figure gripped her hand gently, they came into focus completely. It was her grandfather, looking very much alive.

"Do not give up, my child. Alex is depending on you. ALL of us are depending on you. We need you to help us stop this once and for all."

Danielle's own grip became firm. "Okay… I'll do whatever you need…" Suddenly, the darkness was replaced by the Temple of Eternal Darkness, where the spirits of Chosen who died in the past were waiting. She was still holding her grandfather's hand, but she saw that her own was the same translucent blue as the others. Danielle looked up into his face. "So this is it, huh…? It's time to stop Xel'lotath…" She stared down at her ghostly hand, clenching it into a fist.

"Yes, it is," Edward replied. "And you are the only one who can help us against her. It is your body, Danielle. You are the one who must take it back."

A determined look appeared on her face. "That's what I plan on doing." She turned to face the ghostly version of the Tome of Eternal Darkness that was in its pedestal and laid her hand on it, returning to the battle between Alexandra and Xel'lotath. Alex was trying her best to hold off the Ancient, but she was losing.

Alex sidestepped a swipe, cutting Xel'lotath across the arm. The Ancient cried out in pain, lashing out with a kick to the gut that sent Alex to her knees. Xel'lotath grinned in triumph, pressing the blade tip against Alex's neck. "Now, Alexandra… You die!"

Danielle felt terror build up inside, and both she and Edward shouted her name. Xel'lotath looked up at them, actually surprised to see the two of them. That was when Alex took her chance to thrust her sword into Xel'lotath's right shoulder. She withdrew the blade and stepped back as the spirits of the Chosen appeared in a circle around the Ancient. Danielle and Edward both walked up on either side of Alex, and Edward looked at Danielle. "It is up to you now. We shall all lend you our strength."

Xel'lotath gritted her teeth, glaring at them with a look of pure hatred. The power of Chattur'gha's magick from the Gladius Alex had enchanted had stunned her, making her unable to move.

Danielle closed her eyes, focusing on the power she felt deep within her soul. It felt strange, actually. The others were giving her their strength, including her sister. At first she thought she wouldn't be able to do it, but the doubt vanished almost instantly. They were with her. She wasn't alone anymore.

"Bankorok, Pargon, Pargon, Aretak, Pargon, Pargon, Chattur'gha, Pargon, Pargon…" Danielle opened her eyes after saying the spell. The nine red runes appeared around her, but there was no pain from the use of the magick. Red spheres of light began to encircle Xel'lotath, who roared in anger and pain.

"No! I… will… not be… defeated!" A column of green light shot up around her, blocking her from sight. That same green light filled her gaze, and she forced a small smile.

"Heh… I did it…"

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Edward watched as Danielle's spirit faded, along with the column of light. Danielle was now standing in the middle of their circle, looking pale and weak, but smiling. "Heh… I did it…" she whispered before she collapsed to the ground.

Alex dropped to her knees beside Danielle. The other spirits had all left, leaving just him and his two granddaughters. "Will she be okay, Grandpa?"

He stared at Danielle, who was in a state of unconsciousness. It was a miracle she survived the battle. She had a very strong determination to live. But it would be quite some time before she recovered from her wounds. "Yes, she will," he said softly. And he was telling truth.