This is it, everyone – the final stand. This is the last chapter in the third part of the story. I will post the finale later this week, which will consist of a final chapter and epilogue. Hope you enjoy this conclusion to the war!

Previously on ATIS…

Atete had tried to convince the high priestess to stay back in Magix, with little success.

"You're still weak, Mater," she had said. "Please, don't come with us. We'll be able to handle it on our own."

"It matters not." Saraswati stood in front of her, proud. She was wearing a scarlet-and-white saree and held a golden torch with the fire of the locator spell. "I shall help defend against evil. We must aid the younger ones, and help them cast the spell Darius and Maire labored so long to find. And if the Glacian army attacks me, a woman sworn to nonviolence, then I shall welcome the force."

-o-o-o-

"There we are," Saraswati nodded. "I believe we have our selection."

"Wait a minute," Maire demanded. "You forgot one – we need spirit! Who's going to represent that?"

Saraswati turned towards the red-haired girl. "That, I thought, was obvious."

"What do you mean?" Maire put her hands on her hips.

"It's you, Maire," Saraswati said with a smile. "You shall cast the spell for us, as your connection to the elements is the strongest of all. Here." She gave Maire the white crystal, a pure color that illuminated the walls of the igloo.

Maire gasped as she was lifted into the air, a white aura shining over her. Her red hair flowed over her shoulders; for a moment, she looked breathless. Then she came back to earth, her green eyes shining with determination.

"All right," she said, "I'll do it."

-o-o-o-

He knelt in front of her, anguish in his eyes as he stared down. "Sharzad"… His voice was barely a whisper. "We can fix this; I've got the Spirit of the Arctic right here"… He held it above him, but nothing happened.

"I'm… dying"… She felt her voice slip away, but Leif cried out.

"You can't leave me!" he sobbed. "You're all I have left! I – I love you!"

-o-o-o-

Icy let out a laugh. "I am the Princess of Glacia, and soon to be its Queen. In fact, Queen of the entire world."

Darcy turned on the ship, and it hovered into the air. "Where to?"

"Glacia," Icy answered. "I'll use my Freezix power to locate my dear mother." She bared her teeth.

The time has come, she thought. Soon, I will destroy the person who took my ability to love.

Cackling, the three witches flew towards Glacia, ready to end Queen Isolde for once and for all.

-o-o-o-

"One more thing," Saraswati frowned. "You have only two weeks to remove the enchantment. If you do not cure Aria by the full-moon, she shall remain under that dark person's spell… forever."

CHAPTER 25: THE FULL MOON

For a moment, no one stirred. Every warrior stared up at the sky, at the colorful, swirling lights that danced in the sky. The spirits had returned at last, and they were here to stay.

But it had come at much too high a price.

Leif glared at Bloodaxe, who was standing triumphantly over Sharzad's lifeless body. The girl who had saved an innocent child from death. Marching forward, he grabbed his spear, pointing it at Bloodaxe.

"You dirty, cheating coward." Never had more hateful words left his mouth. "You attacked her from behind! What kind of a warrior does that? What kind of a soldier are you, anyhow?"

"A smart one," Bloodaxe purred. "One who would win at any cost, regardless of honor." He spat out the word onto Sharzad's face, gray and ashen in the snow.

How dare he disfigure her like that… Leif moved forward, pointing his spear at Bloodaxe. He felt Agloolik come up to him, his eyes urgent.

"Leif, don't do this," he whispered. "The spirits came because they wanted peace, not war. You will anger them if you fight Bloodaxe" –

"I don't care!" Leif threw the Spirit of the Arctic into Agloolik's hands. "I don't belong to the Adlivun Tribe! I never have!" He glared at the stunned expression of his tribemates, and then turned back towards Bloodaxe. "I will finish you off for once and for all."

"You said there was nothing I could ever do to hurt you," Bloodaxe said softly. "But I have hurt you. Don't you see, boy? No matter what, I will always have power over you."

Rage filled within Leif, and he hurled himself at Bloodaxe. This is for my mother, my father, for everything you've done… Slamming his spear against Bloodaxe's, he moved forward, determined to end him for once and for all.

Isolde bared her teeth at Izō as they circled around, hands pointed at each other. "You're going down," she snarled. Creating an ice spear in her hands, she flew towards Izō.

"Hold it!" Izō slammed a jet of black magic at her. She only narrowly managed to dodge, and turned to face him, her eyes flashing.

"Do not underestimate my wrath!" she roared, sending sheets of ice around his body. He struggled, but she wrapped her ice around him, binding him to the ground. Non-penetrable charm… Using her energy, she wrapped him in binds, leaving him unable to escape.

"Well, that was easy," Isolde smirked. "Now, any last words to say?"

The man she'd once called her husband glared up at her, nothing but hatred in his eyes. "I did what was best for Yuki," he snapped. "And I will always stand by my actions."

Isolde felt her blood boil again. "And you never thought about leaving her to me, the queen of Glacia?"

"You were mentally unstable!" Izō snarled. "And you still are! Don't think I don't know about how you murdered your sister for the throne. And after Icy reached adulthood, my advisors warned that you were after me – you made me separate from my daughter, too! I had to escape to the Land of Dreams!"

"You would dare compare me to you?" Isolde glared at him, her tone filled with ice. "I am nothing like you, Izō. Get that in your head. I am nowhere near as weak as you. And I'm not going to let you get away with" –

"Aria!"

Isolde spun around. Standing behind her were three teenagers and three adults, all glaring at her. They were clearly foreign, not from Glacia.

They were the ones who breached the Gate, Isolde realized. Well, I'm not going to let a group of ragtag teenagers change my mission.

"What have you done with Aria?" the red-haired girl demanded. "Tell us right now!"

Isolde let out a mocking laugh. "I would be careful before demanding answers my betters," she said. "In case you've forgotten, I am the Queen of Glacia."

"There she is!" a cloaked figure gasped, pointing to where Aria lay on the snow. "Aria!"

Isolde's eyes widened with rage. Angéle was under that cloak, her eyes wide with distress. She cannot be here! She watched as Angéle ran towards Aria, crying out.

"No!" Isolde shrieked, and a whirlwind of snow appeared in Angéle's face. Angéle cried out as she was blasted out of the field again. Isolde concentrated on moving the snow, burrowing her deeply until she was within an avalanche.

The whirlwind disappeared, and the people on the ground stared at her with wide eyes. Even the red-haired girl had backed down. They are of no threat to me now. Smirking, Isolde turned around to face Izō, fluttering to the ground.

"Now, where was I?" she asked, kneeling over him. He grimaced and turned, but he was no match for her formidable power. "Oh, it's time to end you for once and for all." She lifted her hands in the air, creating a sphere of ice.

She laughed as it formulated in her hands, cold and bitter. The embodiment of what he has done… Smiling, she brought it down, ready to slam the killing blow into Izō's head.

But before she could, an attack hit her, and she was blasted to the side.

"Stop!"

Isolde was blasted to the side. Daewon looked up, his eyes widening in horror as he stared at who was above.

The Trix were completely united, in full swing. They were wearing glittering dresses, identical to the one Isolde wore. Isolde flew forward, glaring at the woman ahead of her with nothing but hatred. "Good to see you, dear mother," she snarled.

What? Daewon stared at Icy, horror in his eyes. Isolde's her mother? And how is Icy here? I thought she was dead!

Isolde struggled to stand up. "It's not the way you think it is," she whispered. "I never abandoned you. Please believe me, Yuki."

"Don't you dare call me that." Icy lifted a sphere of ice in her own hands. "I am more powerful than you'll ever be. And I will destroy you, for all you've done!" She hurled the sphere at Isolde.

Daewon gasped in horror as the old woman collided again into snow. Icy laughed, lifting a killing spell in her hands.

But Isolde rose, and flew up to face Icy. "Very well," she snarled. Using her own powers, she launched an attack on the three witches, and they were pushed back.

"How did the Trix end up here?" Maire breathed. "What's going on? And who's that man on the ground?"

"That must've been the man Angéle was talking about!" Daewon gasped. It was beginning to make sense now. "And they're facing off!"

"Speaking of Angéle, where is she?" Atete gazed around.

"It matters not," Saraswati answered, flying forward, her green gem radiating light. "We cannot waste our time on questions at the moment. The full moon will reach its peak in ten minutes. We have to start our spell."

"I'm on it!" Maire flew forward. "Everyone, create a circle around me!"

They did so. Daewon stood to the east, his back to the direction in which they'd found Angéle. Atete stood to the south, her back to the frozen lake. Akna stood to the west, her back to a ring of mountains far behind. And Saraswati stood to the north, her back to the castle.

Daewon held his yellow crystal in front of him. Please, make this work… Maire stood in front of him, tapping her crystal to his.

"Air is the element from which we take our breaths," she said solemnly. "It represents liberation from bondage and pain. I ask you, air, to release Aria Cadenza from her servitude to Isolde and desire for vengeance!"

Wind swirled around Daewon. He saw his crystal light up, the wind around him making him breathless and giddy. This will definitely help Aria… He watched as a light from his crystal flew into Maire's, and a purple arc formed in the air, connecting him to Saraswati's crystal. Yes… Maire nodded and turned towards the south, her hands shaking as she continued with the spell.

Isolde flew to face her daughter, panting. Her pale hair flew over her shoulders as Icy gave her a horrible, cold-lipped smile.

She looked horrible, mascara streaking down the side of her face and her white hair askew. A formidable witch with terrible powers, she was lit up with the fury of vengeance, stronger than Isolde's cold, icy hatred for her husband. A ruined woman, she was the far cry from the baby Isolde had held in her arms.

"I'm not the enemy," she cried out defensively to her daughter. "You have no idea how many years I've longed to see you, my child. When your father took you away from me, I was filled with nothing but sorrow. It was the reason why I created the Gate" –

"Yeah, I'm supposed to believe that!" Yuki snarled. "You never cared about me, Mother! If you truly had cared, you would've come looking for me!"

"I tried!" Isolde cried out, with pain only a grieving mother could hold. "I tried my hardest. But Izō kept a protective spell around you and your sisters, which meant that I was unable to see you. Your father is a liar, Yuki, a dirty, cheating liar" –

"Don't you dare say that about Father!" Yuki cried. "He built me and raised me to be what I am today. Without him, I never would've reached this level of power!"

"I could've made you achieve greatness, too!" Isolde snarled. "I would've trained you to be my prodigy!"

"Is that so?" Yuki raised her eyes. "Then explain this, Queen of Glacia." She moved forward. "Answer this: do you love me? Would you make room for your heart only for me, and no one else?"

Isolde stared at Yuki, her heart sinking. She thought about the times she'd deluded herself, telling herself that she loved Yuki. But after decades of grieving and anger, she had realized that love was simply a made-up concept, something only fools could believe in. And now her heart had no room for anything other than bitterness and anger.

But I can't tell Yuki that. For although Yuki was powerful, possibly even more powerful than Isolde, she was still very much a child. And she still believed in foolish concepts such as love. In shame, Isolde lowered her head, and Yuki's eyes narrowed.

"So it's just as I thought." She lifted her hands in the air. "Prepare to meet your doom!" Her sisters joined in, creating spheres of lightning and darkness in their hands.

Isolde was prepared. I have no choice but to fight… She shot a sphere of ice at Stormy, who was immediately blasted to the ground. The witch cried out as she hit the snow, buried under it completely.

Yuki gnashed her teeth. "Useless." She turned to face Isolde, her eyes glimmering. "You got one good shot, old woman, but that's all you've got. Now it's time to fight."

Leif ran at Bloodaxe, turning his spear towards his flesh. He's going down… He turned it straight towards his leg, moving with the full weight of his body…

But Bloodaxe was prepared. As he dodged out of the way, Leif hit the snow facefirst. He only had a second before Bloodaxe appeared behind him, pinning him onto the snow.

"You're quite a fool," he sneered, slamming Leif's head into the ice. Stars came over his eyes as his face hit icy cold. He lay still, unable to move.

"The poor little boy can't get up!" he laughed.

Anger burst through Leif, and he forced himself to push upwards. Using his spear, he shoved Bloodaxe out of the way, seeing the shocked look in his face.

"Oh, I'm not done yet," he snarled. Running towards Bloodaxe, he let out a battle roar, one he'd never quite shouted in his life.

Atete stared up at Icy and Darcy, who were taking Isolde down. As she watched, she felt sadness unlike any other come over herself.

For Isolde was, in her own right, just as much traumatized as Aria. All villains went through some trauma or the other, and Isolde was no exception. From listening to the shouts of the women, Atete knew that Isolde was still bereaved by the loss of her daughter, and had no room for anything other than anger in her heart. If only she'd broken free of her conditioning at a young age, then none of this would be happening…

But there was no room for wishing; they had to save Aria. Atete knew that even though Isolde and Icy were long-gone now, they could still save the girl who lay motionless on the snow. We will not fail. Determined, she turned to face Maire, who was gazing at her. The girl walked up to her, touching her crystal to Atete's.

"Fire is the heat that warms every single one of our souls," she said in a strong voice. "It represents passion and love. I ask you, fire, to restore Aria's loving spirit and bring back her happiness!"

Atete's crystal lit up aflame. It warmed her momentarily, heating her with the passion of fire and love. Mesmerized, she watched as a red light from it shot into Maire's crystal. The purple arc that connected Daewon to Saraswati now extended to her, and she felt empowered, connected with the powers of earth and air. Let's hope this works… She stared up at the fight above her.

And that they cease battle soon…

Angéle lay buried under the snow, her heart nearly stopping as she fought for air. Gods, no… She felt helpless and weak under here, horrified at what was going on.

She couldn't do anything to save Aria. Isolde had pulled the hood completely over her head, the Impenetrable charm holding strong, which meant she couldn't see anything around her. I have to get out of here… Sending a weak ray of Dreamix energy into the snow, she felt some of it melt above her.

But she had to hurry. After all, Aria was getting herself into a world of trouble. She had to be there to stop her from hurting herself.

Let's do this… Sending all of her energy into the snow, she focused on shifting it away from her. Slowly, it began to move, and she felt cold, biting air above her, a far cry from the warmth of being buried under snow. It's time to move out… She pulled herself up onto the bank, collapsing onto the ground.

Aria stirred. She was barely aware of the confusion around her, her mind weak, but her body awake. What's going on…

Gradually, her eyes opened. She sat up, blinking at the scene in front of her. Then, her eyes widened as she stared above.

Queen Isolde was above her, battling it out with two witches. To be exact, Icy and Darcy of Whisperia. They were fighting intensely, nothing but anger in each of their eyes.

My mistress is fighting… Aria stared above. She could tell that, although Isolde was clearly more experienced than the other two witches, she was tiring much more easily. She's going to fall!

Her first instinct was to go up and defend her mistress. After all, if Isolde fell, she would have nothing and no one left. But then she heard a man's grunt behind her, and whirled around.

The man was lying on the snow, bound by ice. He was twitching and grimacing, his eyes filled with pain. In a flash, Aria remembered carrying him out here, taking him so that he could be served justice. He's the cause of all this… She glanced quickly over her shoulder.

Isolde was too busy fighting Icy and Darcy. She wouldn't mind if Aria killed him off; after all, she wanted him dead too. It's time. Turning around to face him, she held her Axe high in the air.

"You will die now," she snarled, her body lighting up with purple rage. The man trembled back in fright as she drew nearer, holding the Axe above her head. Time to finish him off –

"No!" a voice shouted, and Aria fell to the ground. An ice-shard had hit her in the back; grimacing with pain, she turned around. Icy flew towards her, her eyes monstrous. "You shall not threaten my father!"

"Yuki!" the man gasped. "Stay away from here. It's too dangerous!"

"I've faced worse before." Icy lifted a sphere of ice in her hands, glaring at Aria. "You and I shall fight." She shot the sphere at Aria.

But Aria simply caught it in her Axe, and sent it back to Icy. Icy gasped in shock as Aria's Axe hit her, fully and completely. "How is this possible?" she shrieked. "How are you so much more powerful than me?"

Aria laughed, and her laugh was twisted and corrupt. Turning towards Icy, she lifted her Axe, slamming it down and hitting her hard.

But Icy dodged, and an odd grin appeared on her face. "You would be a good ally," she smiled. "Once I finish off my dear mother, you could help me take over the world. Nothing would stop us both!"

Aria narrowed her eyes. "I will not let you hurt my mistress like that!" Pointing her Axe at Icy, she let out another deadly spell. It's time to end all these people, so they can never hurt me again… Baring her teeth, she pursued Icy into the night.

Bloodaxe turned towards Leif, his lip curling. "I'm not done yet, either." Slamming his spear down, he created a chasm in the ground.

Leif gasped as the world around him split; one leg was on one side, and the other was on the other side. Stars… He moved out of the way quickly, jumping to one side and turning to face Bloodaxe.

He waited. The problem before was that he'd charged too quickly, instead of giving Bloodaxe the first move. I have to make him think I'm indecisive.

Bloodaxe took the bait. He ran towards Leif, a roar escaping his mouth as he flew forward.

But Leif dodged, attacking Bloodaxe in the shoulder. Bloodaxe grabbed his weapon, easily knocking the spear out of Leif's hands.

Leif's hands shook as he grabbed his spear back just in time. Thank goodness… Bloodaxe ran towards him, roaring.

I'm not giving up… Turning to face him, Leif clashed his spear with his, his eyes narrowed as he faced the nemesis of his life.

Enough of this playing around. It's time to fight for real. With narrowed eyes, he turned to face Bloodaxe, every move calculated and precise.

Akna gazed up at Aria. She felt sorrow rise in her, something that could not be altered as she stared at the broken girl, the one who was being forced to fight against her spirit's desire. This is horrible…

Ever since that first day, the day she'd seen Aria kill her husband, she'd known something was being controlled within her. Something painful and horrible had happened to her, and was continuing to happen to her, right through this moment. Horrified, she stared as Aria fought Icy, the two women engaged in a stalemate of wills.

But we can fix this. She watched as Maire turned towards her, touching her crystal to hers. We'll make this better. Maire spoke, her voice softer and with cooler intensity.

"Water is an essential element that we all need to survive," she said. "It represents purity, cleanliness, and compassion. I ask you, water, to cleanse Aria of this crooked spell and show her the value of compassion!"

Cool water flowed over Akna's hands. The wind froze the water on her; rather than feeling the bitterness of its cold energy, however, she only felt its cleanliness. A blue light shot from her crystal to Maire's, and a purple arc formed between her and Atete. The powers of air and fire… Maire turned towards Saraswati, ready to call the second-to-last element as she stood to the north.

Angéle lay on the snow. She was weak after the effort of pushing through the snow; every fiber of her body screamed for her to stop. And yet, she couldn't, not when Aria was going through such trouble.

I have to save her. Determination rose in her soul, and she gazed up. If she dies, it will be on my conscience. I can't let her lose herself. She fought at the cloak, trying to unravel it.

But the cloak was stronger than anything she'd reckoned with. The red-headed girl had successfully been able to pull it off, but she had been doing so from the outside; the cloak was designed so that its bearer couldn't so easily take it off.

I have to do this… Struggling against the forces that trapped her, she collected her energy into her hands.

Please make this work…

Isolde narrowed her eyes as she faced Darcy, lifting her hands in the air. "You're going down." Holding a sphere, she shot it at the woman, her eyes narrowed.

But Darcy effortlessly dodged. Glaring at Isolde, she lifted darkness in her hands, her eyes demonic. "No, I think you're going down," she jeered, shooting it at Isolde.

Isolde gasped as Whisperian darkness entrapped her, blinding her eyes. Her father's daughter, all right… In rage, she broke free, glaring at Darcy.

She had no feelings whatsoever towards Yuki's sisters. To her, they were just nuisances, pests that needed to be finished off. It's time to take her down… Collecting all the energy in her hands, she slammed it at Darcy.

Darcy's eyes widened, but she was too late. The spell hit her in the front, and she fell to the snow, shouting. Smirking, Isolde turned around and gazed down at Yuki, who was dueling Aria.

Surprise flashed over her vision. Aria's awake? She's stronger than I thought… But there was no time for questions; this was life-or-death right now. She quickly assessed the scene around her.

She saw Stormy and Darcy lying unconscious in the snow; they were no threat to her now. And there was Izō huddled on the ice. Her first instinct was to go to him, but she knew a greater threat lay near her. Turning towards the lake, she saw the ragtag group standing there, casting a spell. To be precise, a healing spell.

No. Isolde narrowed her eyes in outrage. I cannot let them heal Aria! Focusing her energy, she aimed at the woman whose back was turned to them, throwing an icy sphere.

She heard a cry and then horrified shouts. The red-head was glaring at her, intense fury in her eyes. Isolde smirked at her, and then turned towards Izō, her eyes narrowed.

Time to finish him off…

Bloodaxe whipped his spear around, moving it as Leif circled around him, his eyes narrowed. I've got to take him down…

But he couldn't do it so easily. After all, Bloodaxe was an experienced killer, while Leif was barely a trainee. I have to trick him. Taking a few steps backwards, he stared at Bloodaxe, trying to make his expression fearful.

"What's goin' on, liddle boy?" Bloodaxe sneered. "Scared ah me?"

Leif didn't answer. I've got to trap him – got to do it somehow… He knelt on the snow, staring up in false alarm.

He could hear people shouting behind him. "Don't surrender, kid, don't surrender!" But Leif stayed put. Somehow, he felt as if this was what the spirits wanted him to do.

Now all I've got to do is wait for him to strike…

Saraswati opened her eyes, holding out her green crystal. It's almost time… She gazed up at the moon.

After spending decades studying astronomy, she could tell the position of the moon. The moon was almost at its peak; in about two minutes, it would be full. We must hurry… She lifted her crystal, gazing up at her.

This girl had grown so much in the past two weeks, more than Saraswati had ever expected. She had grown from being an impatient, irritable girl to a mature, passionate adult. When she'd told Maire to represent spirit, it wasn't just because she was the fairy of elements, but because she was courageous and loyal where it would count.

I'm honored to know her. She smiled briefly at Maire, a rare, honest smile. Maire smiled back. Their crystals touched, and Maire began her incantation, speaking in a firm voice.

"Earth is the supportive terrain before our feet," she said. "It represents fertility, stability, and wisdom. I ask you, earth, to nurture Aria with wisdom and security, giving her a place that she has never known!"

The old priestess felt the earth solidify under her, strong and secure. She's done it well… The final purple arc connected Saraswati to Akna, and a jet of emerald light shot into Maire's crystal. Saraswati gazed up, trying to gauge how much time they had left –

It hit her like stone. She gasped as the ice slammed into her back, making her fall to the snow. She cried out, gripping tightly to her crystal as she fell.

She could hear the gasps of the others as she hit the snow facefirst, the life draining out of her. That was one hit too much for this old body… She could barely move. All she could do was lift her weak hand up, motioning for Maire to take the earth crystal.

"Don't… break… the… circle"… she breathed. Closing her eyes, she allowed Moria to overtake her, having done her part for the spell.

Angéle focused on her Dreamix energy, closing her eyes. It's time to break the spell on this cloak.

She could feel all the energy of Dreamix coming into her, powers that she'd never used before. It's time to break free!

Something was working. A blue energy lit over her eyes, shining through the garment she was entrapped in. Busting through the hood, she ripped the cloak to shreds, pulling herself out of it. It fell to the ground.

She knelt on the icy snow, her chest heaving and her eyes closed. That took some work… She opened her eyes. Gasping in shock, she stared at the scene in front of her, her eyes wide.

Isolde turned towards Izō, her eyes narrowed. "I'm sure you thought I forgot about you," she jeered, flying down to his side. He grimaced as she cupped his chin in her hands, piercing through flesh with her long fingernails. "You've quite overstayed your welcome."

"Don't do this, Isolde," Izō said weakly.

"If you're going to beg for your life so piteously, don't you dare address me by that title!" Isolde snarled. "I am Her Royal Iciness Queen Isolde of Glacia! And you are no one!"

"It's not for me," Izō responded. "It's for my daughter. If you kill me, you'll kill her."

"You're the worst thing that's ever happened to me," Isolde snarled. "I have no problems finishing you off right now."

Izō shook his head sadly. "Why do you always make this about yourself? It was never about you, Isolde. Everything I did, starting with my escape from this palace, was for our daughter. And everything you've done has been for yourself. That has always been the crucial problem. You've never understood this, and you never will. I don't regret anything at all."

Fury rose in Isolde. How could he say that? She lifted her hands, focusing on the blood that ran through his veins.

"Prepare to die!" she snarled.

He gasped and screamed and struggled. Isolde focused on his heat source, freezing him to his very core. Every vein, every organ, was under her control now. After all, Freezix gave her the power to freeze not just on the outside, but on the inside… Ice was freezing his skin as well as his inner organs now. He struggled once, letting out his last breath.

And then he fell silent.

Isolde stared at him. He's dead… After sixty-three years of pain, her nemesis was finally gone. But then why do I feel so… empty inside?

It hadn't changed anything. Not even one bit. She lowered her head, her eyes welling up in exhaustion.

"NO!"

Isolde turned around. Yuki was flying towards her, an expression of pure outrage in her eyes.

"FATHER!" she shrieked, landing beside him. He lay deathly still, encased in a block of ice. "YOU BLOODY MURDERESS!" Lifting her hands above her head, she slammed a sphere of ice at Isolde, freezing her very core.

Isolde gasped. For a moment, she saw Yuki's mouth stretched in outrage, her eyes narrowing. Just like her father…

For Yuki was her father's daughter. She always has been, hasn't she? Even her warlock-based powers, the fact that she'd never inherited any of her mother's abilities, made it clear that she was a Sekuko at heart. My precious daughter… She closed her eyes.

She made no attempt to move as Yuki froze her veins, torturing Isolde the same way Isolde had tortured Izō. But instead of pain, Isolde felt a release inside of her, the cold taking over. It's my time… She let out her last breath, her body slamming against the snow.

Bloodaxe laughed. Leif stared up at him, still with the same dull stare as before. This has got to work… Bloodaxe leaned down, spitting on Leif's forehead.

"I knew you were too cowardly to ever take me on," he whispered. "You'll never be able to defeat me, kid – don't forget that. Prepare to reunite with your parents!" He lifted his spear up in the air.

Now. Leif flew at Bloodaxe's legs, just the moment the spear came down on his back. Pain welled in his back as his clothes were cut, but he couldn't worry about that. Time to take him down. He slammed his spear into his leg, and Bloodaxe shouted out in pain.

Leif grunted as the spear pushed through Bloodaxe's clothes, through muscle and bone. Another time, he would've felt nauseous about the ordeal, but not today. Not so soon after Sharzad's death. Bloodaxe fell over, nearly taking Leif with him; at the last second, Leif rolled away.

He grabbed a rope from his trousers and bound Bloodaxe's wrists and ankles, keeping him captive. Bloodaxe struggled against the binds, but then glared up at him, his eyes filled with hatred. At last he whispered, "Well? Aren't you going to kill me?"

Leif stared down at him. I should kill him… After how he'd murdered his parents and Sharzad, it seemed the right thing to do. If he killed him, Bloodaxe would no longer be able to hurt anyone else.

But that's not who I am. He gazed at Agloolik, who was staring at him with wide eyes. You will anger the spirits if you fight Bloodaxe. At last, he understood what that meant.

It had never been about the spirits. Rather, it had been about his own conscience as a fairy-being, as a person. I can't do it, but not because I am weak. I won't kill him because I am strong. He stared down at Bloodaxe, lowering his head.

Then he dropped his weapon to the ground.

The crowd around him gasped as the spear fell. Leif stomped over it, burying it under layers and layers of snow. Never will I use it again… He looked over at Sedna, who was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Chief Sedna," he said, "could you please take him as prisoner?"

"Certainly," Sedna nodded. The look she gave him indicated that she would've certainly killed Bloodaxe had she been in his place. "A life in prison will certainly give him time to think it over." She snapped her fingers; two warriors moved forward and carried Bloodaxe off the field. She turned towards the rest of the Glacian army, her eyes narrowed.

"You have destroyed enough," she said. "Leave right now, or your fate shall not be pleasant. I don't want to hear from any of you." Her blue eyes pierced through the crowd. "Is that" –

She never finished her sentence. The army was already scattering, running for the hills. Back to their own families… Leif collapsed onto the snow, Agloolik running to him. He barely felt the old man's hand on his shoulder; instead, he stared down.

Then he began to sob.

"No!" Maire shouted. "High Priestess, wake up!"

She stared up desperately. And then she glared at Isolde. The ice queen's eyes were demonic, an evil gaze in her eyes.

Maire wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off Isolde's face. But she couldn't do that; they only had a minute left. Daewon called to her, his eyes wide.

"The circle's breaking!"

And it was. The purple arcs were unsteadily wavering; without Saraswati to hold the green crystal, the circle was gone. Without earth, their most stable element, they were doomed to fail.

"Maire!" The voice came from Akna. "Hold the green crystal in front of you in one hand, and the white behind! That way the green crystal will face north and the white will be in the center. You have to do it! That's our only chance!

She's right, Maire realized. Holding the earth crystal in her left hand, she swung towards Daewon. The white crystal was in her right hand, towards the center. She closed her eyes, ready to call spirit –

Then Isolde fell.

It happened so suddenly, Maire couldn't even blink. She's gone… She gazed at Aria, who was hovering in the air, unsteady and confused.

Isolde's dead, Maire realized, that means the spell must be broken. Or is it? She gazed up at the moon, her heart sinking; it was completely full now. If Isolde died after the moon became full, that means we have no hope of saving Aria –

But she had to try. Lifting the white crystal in the air, Maire turned to face Aria, opening her eyes.

"Spirit, the force of life that binds us together!" she shouted. "It is the only part of us that cannot be harmed, the purest essence of us all! I ask you, spirit, to heal the girl that lies within you, saving her physical and mental self from harm!" She pointed the white crystal at Aria.

She could see a purple light exploding out of the crystal, surrounding the blinking fairy. First air, which knocked the Axe out of her hands; fire, which burned away her inability to love; water, which purified her, and earth, which made her fall to the ground. The purple swirl circled around her, healing and healing.

And in that moment, Maire felt her spirit connect with Aria's. My friend… She could feel Aria's very being cleanse itself, rid of all impurities. The spell was broken, and Maire collapsed onto the snow.

Angéle gasped as the red-haired girl harnessed the purple light, swirling it into the air. She sent it into Aria, encasing her with color.

And then a blinding white flash burst through the night.

Angéle opened her eyes. Aria was lying on the snow, grimacing and trying to get up. The Axe was meters away from her, but she made no move to get it. She stared forward, her eyes wide and confused.

"Aria!" Angéle ran towards her. She's saved!

"No!" Icy towered over them, her eyes monstrous. "That girl was to be my ally!"

"Back off, witch," the red-haired girl snarled. "Your reign is over, and you know it!" But Icy wasn't paying any attention.

"You useless girl," she snarled at Aria, who still gazed at her in confusion. "You could've ruled the world with me, with that power of yours. But now, you're not worth anything to anyone!" She lifted her hands. "I'll kill you, the same way I killed Isolde!" She lifted her hands and shot a jet of icy light towards Aria.

No! Angéle flew forward, throwing herself in front of Aria to take the blow. She cried out as ice consumed her veins, freezing her very core from the inside out. And then everything went numb. Succumbing to the coldness of Freezix, Angéle closed her eyes. The world faded around her, and she knew no more.

The next thing she knew, she was lying on the clouds. Flowers were at her head, a head that felt infinitely lighter than she'd ever been in before. The sun was just rising, a brilliant sky of pink and golden and azure behind it.

Blinking, she pulled herself to her feet, staring at the horizon. It was then that she caught sight of two figures – her mother and her father. A guardian angel and her protector, they flew towards her, smiling and taking a hand of hers each.

"Come," Trinity said, in the purest, most musical voice Angéle had heard in her life. "It is time to go home."

Suddenly, thousands of swans flew into the meadow and swirled around Angéle. But they were unlike any swans she'd ever seen – they were of every hue in the rainbow, hypnotizing her with a sea of color. She felt them purify something within her, something heavy and ageless and burdensome.

She lifted her head, staring at them as they flew into the heavens, forming a rainbow in the sky. And then she felt happy, weightless and insurmountable, as if the weight had been taken from her by the birds, never to bog down her shoulders again. For the first time in her life, she was completely and utterly free.

… Angéle smiled.

End of Part III.