~~~~~~Previously

Felicity and Rafe made it to Aquatica, only to be attacked by the remaining Collectors. During the battle, Felicity took off in order to find the moon flower. After earning her Charmix, she was captured by the demon Arric and taken to Rangda along with Rafe. Rafe watched as the witch turned Felicity into a demon harpy, known as Phynera. After finding the basilisk spores, Rosella and Lyon were attacked by Phynera. During the battle, Rosella managed to earn her Charmix and frighten the harpy away. ~~~~~~~

Mystea

Catarina led Gale through the mountains, starting to breathe heavily. "The air is starting to get thick and heavy. We can't go on like this."

"I got an idea." Gale said, forming a sphere of mist in his hand. Within seconds, they were both surrounded by a misty aura.

"What is this?" Catarina asked.

"It's a special spell that I learned." Gale said. "The mist will keep the air from affecting us. It's meant for areas like this."

Catarina smiled and continued up the mountain. "We should be getting close to the nests."

Rangda appeared behind one of the Vruenera and smirked. 'You'll do nicely. These birds are already hostile. I'll use my magic in order to control this one.' She laughed to herself as a red mist surrounded the bird. 'You're mine now bird. Destroy them. The want to steal your feathers.'

The bird squawked and flew up into the air, turning its gaze on the two. It looked like a black and red vulture with yellow eyes, razor sharp talons, a long beak full of razor sharp teeth and a long tail with spikes down it. It's eyes glowed as it dived towards Catarina and Gale.

"Watch out!" Gale called out, pushing Catarina out of the way. He winced and looked at his bleeding arm.

"Are you alright?" Catarina asked.

Gale nodded and focused his attention on the bird. "Keep it distracted. I'll go for the feather."

Catarina transformed and flew up into the air. "Be careful."

The Vruenera screeched and flew towards Catarina, aiming for her wings.

Catarina remained where she was and readied a spell. "Aura Blast!"

"Wind Tonfa! Cyclone!"

The Vruenera turned its attention and clawed his chest, not even phased by the cyclone. It then turned back around and dug its claws into his shoulders, lifting him up into the air.

"Gale?!" Catarina called out, flying after him.

Gale cried out in pain and struggled to get free. The more he struggled, the deeper the claws would dig in. "Hit it with everything you got Catarina."

Catarina nodded and fired off another aura blast. "Let him go bird."

The Vruenera made a strange noise and dropped Gale on the ground, before setting its sights on Catarina. It screeched again and clawed her wings, ripping them. Before she could react, it bit into her shoulder and sent her crashing into the ground.

"Catarina?!" Gale called out, wincing in pain.

Rangda laughed and walked over to them. "Such weaklings. Did you really think that you could win?" She smirked and rubbed Gale's face. "You're quite the handsome one."

"Leave him alone." Catarina said, wincing and standing. "Get away from him."

Rangda turned to Catarina, pinning Gale down with her foot. "You don't stand a chance against me. Perhaps I'll make him one of my pets or food for one of them."

"Aura Blast!"

Rangda smirked and blocked the attack. "You don't have the power to defeat me. And even if you did, you're still too weak to fight."

"Get out of here Catarina." Gale said, wincing in pain and holding a feather. Within an instant, it had disappeared and made its way to Alfea.

Catarina shook her head, keeping her gaze on Gale. "I won't leave you here alone."

"I'd rather this witch get one of us instead of both of us." Gale said.

Rangda laughed and moved her foot to his neck. "Be quiet little boy. I'm deciding what to do with you."

Catarina winced and fell to her knees. 'Not again. I can feel their pain. They are all crying out for help. She's right. I am weak. I'll never be able to defeat her.'

"Catarina." Gale said. "What's wrong?"

Catarina shook her head and smiled a little. "It's nothing Gale. Don't worry about me."

"You can talk to me Catarina." Gale said.

Rangda laughed and applied a little pressure to Gale's neck. "That's enough out of you." She smirked as a black aura surrounded her. "How does it feel little aura fairy? I know this hurts you."

Catarina cried out in pain and held her head. "Stop it!"

Gale winced, keeping his gaze on Catarina. "Cat. It's alright. Please. Talk to me."

Catarina looked at Gale, tears running down her face. "I can feel it. Her aura is so strong. Why did I have to be an aura fairy? There are times when I absolutely hate it. It hurts so much."

Rangda smirked as dark red threads wrapped around Gale. "How pathetic. You have got to be the weakest out of all your fairy friends."

"Don't listen to her Catarina." Gale said, struggling to get free.

The Vruenera screeched before digging its claws into Gale's chest, causing him to wince in pain.

"You're not even going to try to save him." Rangda said. "I'll just let my pet rip him to shreds just so you can watch him die."

Catarina slowly stood up and glared at Rangda. "Leave him alone. Even if I do hate my magic from time to time, it is still part of me. I am the fairy of aura and nothing will change that. I can feel the aura of everything around me. If it means helping my friends, then I'll use this magic to the full extent." At that moment, a brooch and bag appeared.

Rangda glared and readied an attack. "Talk all you want fairy. There's nothing that you can do to stop me."

Gale winced and quickly pulled a feather from the Vruenera's tail. 'I got the feather. All we have to do is get out of here.' "You've got this Cat."

"I won't allow you to hurt him anymore." Catarina said. "Chakra Blast!"

Rangda cried out in pain a little as the threads binding Gale disappeared and the Vruenera returned to normal, flying back to its nest. "I'm not finished with you yet." She glared and disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

"Gale." Catarina said, slowly making her over to him. "Are you alright?"

Gale winced and nodded. "Don't worry about me. You got your charmix. And I got the feather."

"Yeah." Catarina said, returning to normal. "Let's just get out of here before someone or something else shows up."

Alfea

Catarina appeared in the infirmary with Gale, helping on to a bed. "You'll be better in no time. It's just a little blood."

"What horrible thing attacked you two?" Carmen asked.

"Just the Vruenera." Catarina said.

Gale winced and smiled a little. "Along with Rangda."

"We can't keep going like this." Catarina said. "Everyone is getting hurt."

Rosella looked down and made her way over to Gale. "It doesn't appear as if you've lost a lot of blood. Healing Light!"

"It's all from the Vruenera." Gale said. "It was just a few scratches. I can't say the same for Catarina."

"What does he mean Catarina?" Rosella asked.

Catarina sighed and transformed, revealing her torn wings. "It got me by the wings. I'm fine. It could have been a lot worse."

"Healing Light!" Rosella placed a hand on Catarina's shoulder and smiled. "All that matters is that you're both alive."

Rafe looked down and closed his eyes. 'What am I supposed to do now?'

"We'll save Felicity Rafe." Rosella said. "I promise."

"What happened to Felicity?" Catarina asked.

"She's a harpy now." Carmen said.

Rafe turned away and gripped his arm. "I was supposed to protect her."

"You can't possibly know everything that's going to happen." Catarina said. "We're not going to stop until she's free."

Lyon walked out of the room and into the quad. 'None of you can help her. Why do I care anyway? That fairy doesn't mean anything to me.'

"You can fool everyone else, but you can't fool yourself." Draegan said, walking up behind Lyon.

"What the hell do you want?" Lyon asked.

Draegan smirked and turned to face him. "Just admit that you have feelings for her."

"I don't have feelings for anyone." Lyon said.

Draegan chuckled and leaned up against a tree. "It's written all over your face. The others don't see it, but I do. If you need more proof, go and save her. You are a hero right."

"I don't have to do anything." Lyon said, growing a little annoyed. 'Except that he's right. I do like her, but that doesn't mean that I can save her.' "It wouldn't matter. I don't know even know where she is."

Draegan sighed and shook his head. "You can't get there on your own."

"Is that so?" Lyon asked. "And I take it that you can."

"Of course." Draegan said. "I know how to get into the castle. You'll have to find her on your own from there."

"How do you even know she's there?" Lyon asked. "That witch could have hidden her anywhere."

"I didn't even think of that." Draegan said, sulking a little. "So much for that idea."

Lyon smirked and walked towards the gate. "Whatever. I'll find her without your help." With that, he took off out of sight.

"It's about time." Draegan said, following after him. "I told you that it's too dangerous to go alone. If you want to find the fairy, you should go after the witch. No one else would know where to look."

Lyon nodded and continued running. "We just have to get her attention."

Shadow Lair

Rangda watched Lyon and Draegan on a red orb, smirking a little. "They're looking for little old me. No. That hero is looking for the fairy. He will make a perfect snack for Phynera."

Andros

"Are you sure you want to be here with me?" Zane asked, staring out at the water.

"Of course." Daniel said. "We are friends after all."

Zane nodded, keeping his gaze on the water. "I just don't want to put you in danger."

"That's not going to happen." Daniel said.

"How do you know?" Zane asked. "What if Rangda shows up and I attack you?"

"I got through to you before." Daniel said. "I'm sure that I can do it again."

Zane sighed and closed his eyes. "I hope you're right Daniel."

"Let's find those creep vines." Daniel said smiling.

Zane nodded and dived into the water, following Daniel. "Any idea where we can find them?"

"I'm not sure." Daniel said. "I've only heard of them. They're supposed to be quite rare."

Shadow Lair

"They are looking for the creeping vines." Rangda said.

Asher sat beside Rangda and smirked. 'You don't know even know what you're looking for brother.'

"You've waited long enough Asher." Rangda said. "Capture him." She then snapped her fingers and he was surrounded in red aura. "Now you can fight underwater."

Asher smiled a little and disappeared into dark flames. 'I'm coming for you brother.'

Rangda laughed and disappeared into a cloud of red smoke. 'The ritual is about to begin. And then hell will take over.' She appeared in front of Phynera's cage and smiled. "It's time to fly my pet."

Phynera awoke and flew out of the cage. "What is your command mistress?"

Rangda smirked, revealing an image of Lyon and Draegan. "Tear them to pieces."

Phynera nodded and flew off out of the castle. 'Time to feed.'

"I don't like that other witch being here." Neva said.

Krista chuckled and leaned up against a wall. "Now you know that Shadow isn't the one that's truly in charge."

"I still have to get him out of the way." Neva said.

Krista smirked, keeping her gaze on Neva. "You still answer to Shadow. We just have to take his power."

Gloomy Wood Forest

"Where are we now?" Draegan asked.

"Gloomy Wood Forest." Lyon said.

Draegan smiled a little, remembering back to when he first encountered Rave. "Oh yeah. How could I forget?"

Phynera spotted the boys from the sky, hovering in front of the moon. 'They won't even see me coming.' She chuckled to herself and flew down towards Draegan, throwing him against a tree.

Draegan cried out in pain and slowly stood up. "That was uncalled for."

Phynera laughed, knocking Draegan back on the ground. "Silly boy. I'm going to enjoy ripping you apart."

"Terra Wave!"

Phynera jumped up into the air, dodging the attack. "Haven't you learned anything? You're little attacks don't work on me. All I have to do is fly out of the way."

"Phoenix Fire!"

"Don't hurt her." Lyon said.

Phynera smirked and shielded herself with her wings. "Fire doesn't work on me."

"We don't have a choice." Draegan said. "There's nothing we can do if we don't weaken her first."

Phynera laughed and grabbed Draegan by the neck, pinning him against a tree. "I won't give you the chance. You'll make a perfect test dummy. I've gotten a lot stronger." She smirked as a black energy surrounded him.

Draegan cried out in pain as his body started to go limp. 'What's happening to me?'

"Do you feel that little boy?" Phynera asked. "Your body is going limp. You'll be nothing but a lifeless puppet. Don't worry. You'll still be alive. You just won't be able to feel anything."

"Felicity." Lyon said.

Phynera turned to Lyon, dropping Draegan's body to the ground. "Felicity is gone sweetheart. Only Phynera remains."

"I won't believe that." Lyon said. "Felicity. I know you're still in there."

'There's nothing I can do.' Draegan thought. 'I can see and hear everything. We're in trouble. We should have waited.'

Phynera laughed as dark threads pulled Lyon back against a tree. "I have a few more tricks to test out." She then walked up to him and rubbed his face. "Don't you get it? Felicity is never coming back." Smirking, she watched as red threads formed on his skin.

"You can't have her." Lyon said, wincing a little. "Felicity please. I'm probably the last person you want to see, but I want to see you."

Phynera glared and scratched his face. "She's dead little boy. What part of that don't you understand?"

Lyon cried out in pain, keeping his gaze on her. "You're wrong. If you can hear me Felicity, I love you. I don't care if you hate me. Listen, I don't know how to deal with people. If you knew what I've gone through, then you'll understand why I'm this way. Actually, I'm afraid. I've always been afraid. Ever since we met, I haven't been able to get you out of my head."

Phynera clawed his chest in an attempt to stop him from talking. "That's enough out of you."

'Leave him alone.'

'How the hell are you still here?' Phynera thought.

'Lyon. I love you too. Help me.'

"Felicity!" Lyon called out.

Phynera cried out in pain and fell to her knees, releasing Lyon. "I won't let you!"

"Fight her Felicity." Lyon said, embracing her. "I know you can do this. You are stronger than she'll ever be."

'This is my body.' Felicity thought. 'And you will not exist anymore.'

Phynera cried out in pain as she faded away. 'This isn't possible.'

Draegan winced and stretched out. "Hey. I can move again."

Lyon smiled a little as the threads disappeared. "Felicity."

Felicity slowly opened her eyes and started to cry. "Lyon. I couldn't stop myself. "

"It's alright little fairy." Lyon said. "It wasn't your fault."

Felicity continued to cry, curling into him. "I could see everything she did. I hurt my friends."

"That wasn't you." Lyon said. "The demon is gone now. You're free."

Felicity looked up at him and smiled a little. "All because of you."

"Just kiss already." Draegan said.

Lyon smiled and gently kissed Felicity. "We should head back. There's still a lot left to do."

Felicity smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I don't want to be out here in the open."

Shadow Lair

Rangda growled and blasted the wall. "That hero will pay. How could he defeat Phynera?"

"You underestimate them." Krista said, stepping out of the shadows.

Rangda glared, turning her attention to Krista. "Watch your tongue child."

"We should strike while they are weakened." Neva said.

Rangda fired off another blast of energy, creating a hole in the wall next to Neva. "I didn't ask for your opinion girl. I give the orders around here."

Andros

"How are we breathing underwater?" Zane asked.

"It's just a little spell I know." Daniel said. "It should last long enough for us to find the vines."

"Dark Fire!"

"Watch out!" Zane called out, pushing Daniel out of the way and wincing a little.

Daniel turned, taking notice to Shadow. "Are you alright Zane?"

Zane nodded as a barrier appeared around the area. "This should make it easier to fight."

"Stop hiding Asher." Daniel said, keeping his gaze on Shadow.

Shadow laughed, revealing his true self. "You don't seem happy to see me."

"You've been hurting innocent people." Daniel said. "Tell me something brother. Why did you do it?"

Asher smirked and readied another attack. "How did you figure out it was me? Let me guess. Rangda told you. No. You never would have believed her. Ulrik must have confirmed it. You want to know why. It's because of you. This is all your fault Danny."

"What did I do that was so bad?" Daniel asked. "What did I do to make you take the essence of innocent fairies?"

Asher glared, forming a dark fire whip. "You became a fairy. It was always you. Everything went so well for you. Why were you the one that became the fairy? What makes you so special?"

Daniel transformed, keeping his gaze on Asher. "You did all of this out of jealousy. I didn't choose to become a fairy and I don't know why I am one. It doesn't give you the right to take the essence."

"It's not just essence I've been taking dear brother." Asher said. "Dark Fire Whip!"

"Aqua Shield!"

"Be careful Daniel." Zane said.

Asher turned to Zane and laughed. "You came here with the beast. How foolish of you. He's nothing but a monster and that's all he'll ever be. He will destroy you."

Zane looked down and held his arm. 'I am a monster. Daniel shouldn't have come here with me.'

"Go find the vines Zane." Daniel said. "I'll handle my brother." He turned his attention back to Asher and glared a little. "You're wrong. Zane is my best friend. He's not the monster. You are. Why do you hate fairies so much?"

Zane nodded and took off out of sight. 'Daniel doesn't think I'm a monster. Now. Where are those vines? I hope he can handle things.'

"You've got it all wrong." Asher said. "I don't hate fairies. I adore them. Call it an obsession if you like. And I'd do this all over again. Dark Fire Spiral!"

Daniel cried out in pain as he was knocked back a little. "I can't let you get away with this. Brother please. You've got to stop this."

Asher laughed as dark tentacles wrapped around Daniel's arms and legs. "Why would I want to stop? Don't worry. I won't destroy you just yet. You play a much bigger role in all this than you realize."

Daniel struggled to get free, but to no avail. "You don't have to do this."

'There they are.' Zane thought, watching vines move around a cave wall. 'No wonder they are called creeping vines.' He chuckled to himself and gathered some. 'Now to get back to Daniel.' Swimming back to Daniel, he took notice to the tentacles. "Thunder Whip!"

"Stay out of this monster." Asher said as a tentacle pulled Zane deeper into the water, outside of the barrier. "Let's see how long you can hold your breath. That little tentacle will render that little spell useless."

"Zane?!" Daniel called out, before turning his attention back to Asher. "Let him go. This is between you and me."

Asher smirked, focusing his attention back on Daniel. "I'm not going to kill him. Rangda will love to have her little pet back. Having him in a weakened state will make him easier to control."

"Expanding Water Bolts!"

Asher winced and held his arm. "You're actually going to fight me. Fine. I'll weaken you first. Dark Fire Katana!"

Daniel cried out in pain, struggling to breathe. "I won't let you win. Neptune Vortex!"

Asher cried out in pain as he was knocked down a little. "You won't even fight me at full strength. I can tell that you're holding back. You just can't stand the thought of fighting your dear younger brother."

"I'm not finished yet." Daniel said as his charmix appeared. "Neptune Whirlpool!"

Asher remained where he was, not even phased by the attack. "Is that it? Alone you are nothing. I'm stronger than you'll ever be. Dark Fire Slash!"

Daniel cried out in pain, returning to his normal form. 'He's too strong. I can't keep this up.'

Asher laughed as dark fire wrapped around Daniel. "You've fallen right into my trap brother. And now, nothing will get in the way of my plans."

Zane freed himself and started to swim towards Daniel. "Daniel?!"

Daniel winced and turned to Zane. "Get out of here Zane. You need to get the vines back to the others. I'll be fine. It won't be good if we both get captured."

"I can't just leave you." Zane said. "What kind of friend would I be if I did?"

Daniel started to breathe heavily as his vision started to blur. "You have to. Rachel needs you. They all need you. You can't fight him alone. Now hurry up and get going."

Zane nodded and disappeared out of sight. 'I couldn't do anything to save him.'

Asher laughed, watching as Daniel fell unconscious. 'You're mine now brother.'

Alfea

"We can't win." Felicity said.

"What are you talking about Felicity?" Lyon asked.

"Rangda is too powerful." Felicity said. "Everyone is getting hurt. We can't keep fighting like this."

Draegan sighed as they walked through the gate. "Don't tell me that you're giving up already."

"You've seen what she can do." Felicity said. "How are we supposed to stop her?"

Zane appeared in the quad and sat down on a bench. 'I'm useless. Some hero I am. I couldn't even save my friend.'

"By working together." Lyon said.

Felicity chuckled a little. "I never expected to hear that from you."

Draegan took notice to Zane, holding his arm a little. "It's Zane. He's supposed to be with Daniel."

"Where is Daniel?" Lyon asked.

Zane took notice to others, quickly looking away. 'I can't face them. How can I?'

"What happened Zane?" Felicity asked. "Where's Daniel?"

Zane looked down and gripped his arm. "He. He sacrificed himself for me. Asher attacked and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't help him. Daniel was captured. Asher wants him for something, but I'm not sure what."

"It's not your fault." Felicity said. "I'm sure that you did what you could. Don't beat yourself up over this."

Zane nodded and released a small sigh. "I guess you're right. It's nice to have you back Felicity. You should go to the infirmary. Everyone will be happy to see you and your magic will come in handy."

Felicity smiled and made her way to the infirmary. "Guess who's back."

"Felicity!" Carmen called out, running up and hugging her. "You're back to normal. I was so worried about you. We all were so worried. Wait a minute. How did you return to normal? I had this feeling that only true love could break the spell. That is how all the fairy tales go, which are actually real if you think about it. Or is that just how it goes anyway? Wait. If it did require true love, then you have someone you love and loves you back. Who is it? Tell me. I want to know."

Felicity blushed a little, waiting for Carmen to finish talking. "It's nice to see you as well. You wouldn't believe me. Oh. I just saw Zane. It would seem that Daniel has been taken. How far have we gotten with gathering the items?"

"If Zane is here, then he must have the creeping vines." Rosella said.

Catarina nodded and stretched out a little. "That would leave the sugar lotus and ice crystals. I hope nothing goes wrong."

"You all don't look too good." Felicity said. "Healing Rain! That should take care of things."

Shadow Lair

Asher appeared with Daniel, chaining him to a nearby pillar. "This won't take long."

"Well done my pet." Rangda said.

Daniel slowly opened his eyes and looked around. 'Where am I?'

"Don't bother trying to use your magic brother." Asher said. "Those chains suppress all magic."

"What do you want with me?" Daniel asked.

Rangda smirked and walked over to Daniel. "You really have no idea. How cute. You have no idea why you even exist or why you're a fairy."

"I suppose you do." Daniel said.

Rangda smiled and turned to Asher. "Leave us."

Asher nodded and disappeared into dark fire. 'Things are going according to plan.'

"Would you like to know?" Rangda asked.

"You're going to tell me anyways." Daniel said, struggling to get free.

Rangda laughed and rubbed his face. "So naive. You play the most important role in a particular ritual."

"Let me guess." Daniel said. "It's one that requires fairy essence."

Rangda smiled and stepped away from him. "You catch on quick. Collecting fairy essence can change the balance between the light and dark. However, it's not enough to just collect it. It must be refined. It's actually quite similar to a ritual performed last year. Although, you wouldn't know about that. The essence needs to fuse with a special kind of magic. Your magic to be more specific."

Daniel struggled once more to get free, but to no avail. "What are you saying?"

"It requires the magic of a male fairy." Rangda said. "Well, it could be from any male fairy. You just happened to show up at the right time. Besides, it was easy to manipulate that brother of yours."

"What did you do to him?" Daniel asked.

"Nothing much." Rangda said. "He was already quite jealous when you became a fairy and he didn't. It was his idea to collect the essence. The poor boy thinks he can use it to become one himself. What a fool. As for the other thing." She smirked as the room lit up. "Have a look for yourself. He's been taking more than essence. I'm sure he's already told you that. Asher wasn't interested in taking wings, until I put the idea in his head."

Daniel glared, struggling once more. "You're the one behind this."

"Naturally." Rangda said, revealing her amulet. "This amulet allows me to control all my pets through a little crystal in their body. Zane found a way to break free temporarily and he thought he was done with me. The brother you knew is gone. I control every little thing that he does. Asher is my pet and you will soon be one as well. Remember one thing little boy. With this amulet, I can cause him pain whenever I choose. I could even kill him if I wanted to. Once you fuse with the essence, you'll be nothing but a mindless beast. A beast that will bring chaos to the entire magic dimension. Everything will be placed in eternal darkness and my demons will roam free. Just be a good boy and do as your told."

Daniel looked down and winced a little. 'Asher. You're doing all this because of this witch. I knew that people would be in danger around me.'

Natora

"It's nice to be home." Abigail said.

Colton looked around, taking in all the surroundings. "There's so many beautiful plants. I've never seen anything like them before."

"Most of these plants only grow here on Natora." Abigail said. "There are even plants that are very rare here as well. The sugar lotus is one of those plants. It's rare to find one anywhere. We could spend weeks looking for it."

Colton sighed and nodded. "We don't have weeks. There has to be a way to find it."

Abigail smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We won't stop until we do. Let's start our search in the valley. There are hundreds of flowers there."