A/N: I do not own any of the Young Wizards characters; too bad because they rock! They belong to the great Diane Duane.

A WIZARDS' FINAL BATTLE

Chapter 1

In a two-story house in New York City slept a teenaged wizard. It was a cold night in December in the Callahan house-hold. There were three people sleeping in separate rooms, but one, the wizard in question, was not having a peaceful sleep like her sister and father.

At first glance, you would have thought, by the look on her sleeping face, that she was having a nightmare. But, Nita Callahan wasn't having any nightmares, for nightmares would be too tame compared to what the 15 year old usually has.

Nita has dreams and...visions, you could say.

Nita's Dream...

Nita was standing in a dark room with a single light-bulb above for light. She saw the cone shape of yellow light aim downward from the light-bulb above and the yellow circle on the cold, dark floor…and nothing else. She wondered why she was here.

Nita saw something stir in the darkness ahead. She had to narrow her grey eyes to make out…a hint of orange in the distance. She didn't know what it was, but she formulated a spell in her mind, just in case. Nita then saw that the thing was tall, for its' pale face was higher off of the ground than Nita's. She then heard the click-tap, click-tap of dress shoes. Nita had a look of understanding pass over her face; she knew who it was.

"What brings you here, Lone One?" said Nita in a commanding voice.

Then a tall, handsome, red-haired man in a black tuxedo and matching, shiny dress shoes walked to the edge of the yellow light. His polished shoes shone yellow from the feeble little light, and so did his eyes. He had a look of loathing and disgust on his face when his cold, dark eyes settled onto the teenager in blue pajamas with bare feet that stood before him. His eyes stared into her own; she did not blink or turn away. After a few seconds of staring into the others' eyes, the Lone One let out a short laugh.

"Ha, ha…Callahan, you're always so serious whenever we meet. Why so tense?" questioned the Lone One, whose voice dripped with mockery.

"Why are we here?" said Nita angrily with her brow frowned. She did not like the idea of the Lone One paying her a personal visit.

"Callahan," sighed the Lone One as he looked around the darkness without interest, "You and I know that my sister and fellow…Powers," he said with gritted teeth, "are particularly fond of you and your accomplishments. But…I personally despise you," he said with venom. Nita could see his hair stand on end as if electricity had just flown through his body and his eyes turn even blacker.

"Why…why must you humiliate me? Why don't you just lose and give up?" said the Lone One with pure anger, who locked his gaze upon Nita once more.

"In Life's name and for Life's sake, Lone One…duh," mocked Nita, who stuck out her tongue when she said duh.

"You young wizards were always smart-mouthed…especially that Rodriguez boy," the Lone One said softly with his eyes boring into Nita's grey ones.

"If you touch him…I'll find you and kick your--" started Nita with a fury that most would cower at.

"Oh, but that is my plan see?" said the Lone One with dangerous softness. "I plan to kill him…your sister…your poor father…and all of the other wizards, Callahan!" roared the Lone One and his voice echoed in the vast, dark and empty room. Nita saw that he had a crazed look in his…changing eyes. Nita flinched as she saw his eyes transform before her own; she had never seen anything like it till now. His eyes had no white left in them, for his black pupils expanded to make him look like a starving tiger who finally outsmarted his tricky prey. His eyes didn't look human any longer.

The Lone One laughed a maniacs' laugh when he saw this weakness in Nita. He then took a step forward; toward Nita he crept like the cat he had become, with his hands behind his back.

"You see Nita," he hissed and his eyes widened; he looked utterly terrifying, even for the brave girl before him. "I have had enough with your 'In Life's name and for Life's sake' motto, and, quite frankly…I'm tired of Earth and humans in general." He slowly, slowly made his way to the middle of the yellow light. She saw his shadow slither across the ground, reaching her where she stood. Nita looked at him with wide, frightened eyes, but did not run away; she wanted to at least look away from the eyes, but he wouldn't let her.

"My fellow Powers think that you are the wisest young wizard," he said forcibly. Just saying it left a taste of bile in his mouth. "So…if you are the best," he said, almost within reach of her; his shadow covering her completely, "then you will prove it to me by leading your fellow wizards in a war that will decide if you are the best…or if my former comrades were just wasting their precious time on you." The Lone One stopped with about 4 feet between them and looked down at Nita with his cat-like eyes.

Nita did not know what to do. The Lone One wouldn't just go to war over her, she knew that. He wanted to stop the wizards, and if destroying them and Earth in war was what he had to do; Nita knew that he would do it, and he wanted to. But, she knew that he would love to see her have her ally's and other humans' lives in the palm of her hand, and lose. Finally defeating the little wizard that stood before him would be an added bonus. But, there was one thing that presented itself in Nita's mind:

"What if I do not lead the war that you speak of?" she said.

"You will…or I will make sure that your sister never sees Timeheart," he said with an evil little smile creeping onto his thin lips.

Nita would do everything in her power to make sure that she was safe…but she couldn't do it 24/7 and if she left one minute without giving Dairine protection…well, he could be able to get her, with words or by her not knowing. He was tricky with words and had many disguises and allies…

"If I lead this war…you will leave my sister alone?" said Nita cautiously.

"Yes," the Lone One said simply

Nita stared into his terrible eyes…and said, "I'll do it."

The Lone One gave her an evil grin that practically said, 'I know something that you don't' and the yellow light-bulb shattered; leaving them in the dark, where she heard his maniac laugh echo all around her. She could see his cat eyes look down at her; they were coming closer…

to be continued...