Chapter 26 – To The Past Part 2
"Mum," Riley gasped as she stared up at her mother.
She was 6 foot tall with long dark brown hair and had hazel green eyes.
Erika's eyes widened at the group before they moved to her husband. "Charles?"
Charles shook his head before looking down at Riley. "Excuse me? What did you say?"
Riley, shocked, looked between her parents at a loss for words. Emily hung her head in defeat while Raph rubbed a hand down his face.
"Ah shell," He muttered
Emily pushed herself to the front of the trio and looked up at Erika.
"My queen," She began, holding up her hands in a butterfly gesture and wiggling her fingers, allowing magical sparks to show. "We need your help."
Erika and Charles gasped before they quickly ushered the trio inside and slammed the front door shut. They were led into the nearby living room and they all sat down, not a word spoken.
Charles excused himself to arrange tea for everyone while Erika sat in an armchair across from the couch the three sat on, waiting.
Erika finally sighed and looked over at Emily. "So," Her elegant voice began, "You're Rayonian."
Emily nodded. "Yes, your majesty."
Erika laughed quietly and shook her head. "It's not majesty anymore." She said as her husband returned with a tray of tea. He sat down in an armchair next to Erika and poured everyone a cup. Erika took one and drank, eyeing the group. "I left Rayon to look after my family."
Riley's head snapped up. "Family?" She whispered
Erika nodded and put her cup on the coffee table. "Yes. I have 4 wonderful daughters."
Riley's eyes teared up when she heard feet pounding down the stairs. She jumped when two little girls burst into the living room and ran up to their mother.
The taller girl looked around 5 years old. She had black hair that hung loosely down her back and she wore pink and red spotted pyjamas. The second girl was smaller. She had light brown, almost brunet, hair tied in pigtails and wore yellow pyjamas. She looked about 4 years old.
"Mummy!" The smaller girl cried, "Riley took my doll!"
"Did not!" The taller child, Riley, retorted, crossing her arms. "She wasn't playing with it and I wanted to."
"But it's mine!" The smaller girl cried, yelling at her sister.
Erika held up her hand and the two children stayed silent. Riley watched as her mother bent down and whispered to her children. They nodded and silently left the room, eying the group as they did so. Riley leaned over the couch and watched them go, feeling a large sense of déjà vu.
"I'm sorry," Erika apologised, snapping Riley back to reality. "Shall we head to the kitchen? It's more private."
As the group all stood up and headed to the kitchen Riley looked back and saw her 5-year-old self poking her head around a wall. When she noticed she was spotted she hid with a giggle.
'Why is this so familiar?' She thought
Violet and Lilly supported each other as they hobbled across the castle grounds and made their way to the front doors…well the hole where the doors used to be. They stood in the doorway and screamed when they saw Kim's body in the corner of the room and Donnie and Leo were kneeling in front of Renaldo along with his army.
"At last!" He cheered, "Rayon is mine!"
His supporters cheered in excitement. Drake, locked in a magical cage above the room, looked down in dismay. His eyes caught something in the corner of his eye, but when he looked nothing was there.
He looked back at Renaldo as he gave his victory speech and analysed the ripple in the corner of his eye as much as he could. He could just make out two figures. He gasped! Then, without drawing too much attention, he conjured a small quill and paper and wrote something down.
He looked back at Renaldo before quickly chanting a small spell. He watched as the paper disappeared and hoped he was right.
Violet and Lilly gasped as the paper appeared before them…and they could touch it! Violet grabbed the paper and smiled at the writing.
Alternate dimension. Need to stop Renaldo to undo. Hurry!
- Drake
Violet and Lilly looked at each other excitedly before rushing through the room and up the stairs towards the library. They turned to look back at Renaldo celebrating and knew they didn't have much time left.
They burst through the library and fell to the floor, exhausted.
Lilly looked over at Violet and watched her sister shaking.
"Violet?" She said
Violet's head snapped up and she looked over at her sister. Her startled expression fell away to one of determination.
"Renaldo wants to be crowned." She said as she stood back up and her outfit transformed back to her black leather. "That'll take time. That gives us a little bit of time to think of a way to defeat Renaldo."
"But we're ghosts!" Lilly cried as she stood too. "I mean…kind of." She amended, "We can't touch anything and nobody can hear us!"
"But we still have our magic." Violet said as she waved her hand across the room and a few books flew from the shelves and landed on the table in front of them. "We can still cast spells."
"But we're too weak! What spell is strong enough to defeat Renaldo when he has control over our armies and his power outmatches ours?"
Violet thought long and hard before her eyes widened and she looked over at Lilly with a mischievous smirk.
"The power of the gods."
Lilly blinked before she started groaning. "No!" She cried, "Drake locked those away! And I am not becoming a god again."
"Well what do you suggest then?"
Lilly wandered around the room, looking at the books that were on the table.
"Didn't we learn that our strongest magic is all of us together?" She mused, "Like that first trip to Rayon. We had to cast the spell together to open that portal."
Violet's eyes widened. "The power of 4."
Lilly nodded.
"But how can we be the power of 4 with only 2 of us? Kim's dead and Riley's gone!" Violet cried, silent tears rolling down her cheeks.
Lilly walked up to Violet and grabbed her shoulders, gaining her sister's attention.
"I don't know." She resented, "But I do know that we are still alive and we are still princesses. We still have a job to do. Summon some magic and lets look through these books. There's still time."
Riley sat awkwardly as her parents sat opposite her at their kitchen table. Erika tapped her fingers against the table before she sighed and folded her hands in front of her.
"You came here for help." She said, "If you want my help, you're going to have to talk sometime."
Raph and Emily looked over at Riley, who hung her head and sighed.
"We…we're from the future." She answered softly.
Erika's eyes widened. She looked over at her husband. "Go put the kids to bed without me, sweetheart. This will take awhile."
Charles nodded before leaving the room. Erika sighed and chuckled.
"Well, that was not what I was expecting." She said
"So you believe us?" Raph asked sceptically.
Erika nodded. "I've seen strange things during my reign." She replied, "I even dabbled a little in time travel."
Riley's head snapped up. "So you can send us back?"
Erika's eyes narrowed a little. "I could. But I'm going to need more information than you're giving."
"Majesty," Emily spoke up, "We're from the Rayonian palace of the future. Our ruler sent us back to try and put destiny back on track."
Erika gasped. "Someone has meddled with destiny?"
Emily nodded. "A fellow bruja switched sides, majesty. She betrayed us and helped our enemy win a war he was not supposed to win."
Erika's gaze fell to the table, her stare hard. "Destiny always gets its own way." She said, "Destiny always finds a way to get its way. If evil used it they will get their short term gain…but destiny will get its way eventually. But not without causalities." Her gaze lifted to Emily. "What were the casualties?"
Emily eyed Riley out of the corner of her eye cautiously. "Lives were lost."
Erika eyed the group suspiciously. "Whose?"
Her eyes fell on Riley and Riley couldn't turn away. After so many years she was finally looking in her mother's eyes and she couldn't help but admit the truth.
"My sisters'." She chocked out as tears threatened to fall.
Erika's eyes widened. "Sisters." She breathed, shocked.
Riley nodded as a tear fell. "Kim's, Violet's, and Lilly's."
Erika's hand flew to her mouth and she reeled back. She leaned forward, looking into Riley's eyes. She held her hand up in front of Riley. Riley watched as magic swirled around her mother's hand. Riley held her own hand out to her and let her own magic swirl around her fingers. The two magical energies swirled around their owner's hands before joining together and creating a dragon.
Riley looked up at her mother with a teary smile and Erika returned it.
"Riley." She whispered with her own tear falling.
Erika jumped up from her chair and raced around the table, throwing her arms around Riley. As soon as she did Riley crumbled and began to cry against her mother's shoulder.
Charles walked back into the room and stopped at the scene before him. Raph looked up at him smugly and explained simply:
"She's your kid. Riley."
Charles looked over at his wife who met his gaze and nodded. Charles smiled wide before he too joined the hug.
Eventually Riley pulled away from her parents and wiped her tears away. Erika laughed softly before she helped wipe her daughter's tears away.
"I've missed you guys." She whispered
Erika didn't need to ask what she meant. She knew. And she was okay with that little piece of information. She sat back in her chair and held Riley's hand. Charles sat beside Erika and smiled at Riley.
"My baby," He gasped, "You're so grown up."
Riley nodded. "We all are."
"What happened?"
"Charlotte is a bruja and she gave information about destiny to Lord Renaldo. The two led a revolution against us, against half-bloods, and he won. I watched my sisters die!" Riley cried rapidly.
Emily placed her hand on her friend's shoulder to calm her before taking over.
"We travelled back in time to change destiny. But I went too far back." She explained
"It's not as easy to change the past as you think." Erika advised, "If you do it incorrectly, everything will change. The evil you've vanquished, the good you've done, none of it may have ever happened."
"Then what do we do!" Raph cried, slamming his fist on the table.
"Calm down," Erika said, "There might be a way to still fix destiny."
"How?" Emily asked
Erika leaned her head against the top of her hands on the table. She stared at the table before her, deep in thought.
"What exactly happened to my girls?"
"Lilly and Violet were blast with energy blasts and Kim was stabbed." Emily informed, seeing Riley was too sad to answer.
Erika closed her eyes in pain but sighed deeply to keep her composure. "Was there anything left of Lila or Violet?"
Riley shook her head. "No. No, they just…disappeared."
Erika's head snapped up. "Are you sure? They were blast and then disappeared?"
Riley nodded. "So sure. I can't forget."
"Then they're not dead." Erika smiled, "They were sent to an alternate dimension." She started laughing, "Destiny got its own way."
"What does that mean?" Raph cried
"Those blasts I'm sure were meant to vanquish my girls, but destiny made sure they didn't. The blasts ended up sending them to another dimension. And if you want to stop Renaldo you'll need all of your sisters."
Erika suddenly conjured a piece of parchment in Rayonian text. She held it up to the others to see.
"This text depicts how beings in alternate dimensions can communicate with one another. They can project themselves as astral projections or enchant objects to be used to communicate to one another." She explained
"Did you say objects?" Riley interrupted, "Like…I don't know, a journal? Or paper? Or a folder, for example."
Erika raised an eyebrow. "Why yes. Why?"
Riley's eyes widened.
Flashback
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.
"There's no date on this one." Raph murmured, "When did you write it?"
"I-I didn't." Riley stuttered
"This…this is Violet's handwriting."
End Flashback
"My folder." Riley said with a wide smile. "Violet sent me a message through my folder!"
Raph raised an eyebrow. "You mean that poem we found awhile back? How'd she do that?"
Riley shook her head. "I don't know. But she somehow sent a message from the future to the past letting me know she's alive. She's given me the key to her and Lilly!"
"You can use that journal to coordinate a spell as well." Erika remarked
"What? Can't I just rescue them myself?"
Erika shook her head. "Only the one who cast the spell can remove it."
"But these magic wielders cast the spell! And I saw them die by my troops."
"Then you need to take out Renaldo." Emily added
Riley's eyes widened before she nodded. "I have to take him out alone then."
"You can't do this!" Erika cried loudly, standing up. "Renaldo killed your sisters. I won't have you go up against him too."
"There has to be another way!" Charles added
"Shhh be quiet, you'll wake them up." Emily hushed, indicating to the door.
Raph quirked an eyeridge at Emily before looking over at the door. When he saw nothing there he shrugged and looked away.
"Mum, dad…you don't understand…without my sisters I don't have a choice." Riley said, defeated.
"Then help us understand, Riley." Charles said
Erika shook her head. "This is not their destiny." She hissed, "Dying at the hands of that lord." She shook her head again. "Riley, destiny always gets its way. You just have to believe."
"…I don't know what to believe anymore…" Riley whispered
"…You have to believe…" Emily urged
"…I have nothing to believe in anymore…" Riley added sadly, thinking of her sisters.
Raph watched his girlfriend sadly. He walked over to stand at her side. He kneeled down and urged her to look at me. "Then believe in me." He smiled, "I've always believed in ya'. You can do this."
Riley smiled and kissed Raph's hand. "Thanks Raph." She said
Riley blinked before she spun around to face the kitchen door. She stood up, not noticing Emily's smug face, and opened the kitchen door. When she did her younger self was on the carpet fast asleep.
Erika and Charles gasped and raced over to the toddler. Charles picked her up and looked over at Riley.
"How did-"
"My dream." She whispered, "I remember this." Her eyes widened and she looked over at Emily. "You knew."
She nodded. "I did."
"This wasn't an accident."
Emily shook her head. "No. It wasn't."
"But why…" Riley trailed off as Emily gave her a knowing look. Then she looked back at her parents. "You wanted me to tell them. They had to know." She looked back at Emily. "But why?"
Emily shrugged. "How did you get that folder?"
Riley shook her head. "I don't know. I needed a folder and my mum-" She stopped and looked over at Erika. "You gave me a folder. For my writing."
Emily smirked. "Actually she gave you more than a dozen folders. All at once." Her smirk widened, "How weird."
"You spelled each one not knowing when I'd need it." Riley breathed, "You knew you wouldn't be around to do it yourself."
Erika smiled. "How clever I am." She walked over to Riley and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I may not be around to help you girls now, but I'll always be with you."
Riley hugged her mum tight. "I can't do it without you."
Erika returned the hug and kissed the top of her head. "Yes you can." She said, "You always have. Your greatest weapon is each other. Together. The power of 4."
Riley looked up at her mother and saw her wink.
"The power of 4." She whispered before pulling away with a wide smile. "That's how."
Erika nodded before she conjured another parchment and gave it to Riley. "And this one will revive my eldest daughter."
"We can still save Kim?" Raph exclaimed
Erika nodded. "We can." She frowned, "This spell is dangerous in the wrong hands. So use it then give it to Drake to keep safe."
Riley nodded before she launched herself at her parents again. "I love you guys so much."
Emily placed her hand on Riley's shoulder and she stepped back, wiping tears away. Emily nodded at her queen. "You know what to do, majesty?"
Erika nodded. "I will handle everything. You just go save my kingdom and my children." She looked over at Riley and smiled wide. "I'm so proud of you, all of you."
"Thanks mum." Riley said before she, Raph and Emily were engulfed in Emily's orange magic.
Before they disappeared Riley started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Raph asked
Riley looked at her younger self then up at Raph. "I had this imaginary friend who always looked out for me. I used to say he always asked me to believe in him." She looked back to little Riley. "His name was Ralf."
"Ralf?" Emily giggled, "Sounds like Raph."
Riley smirked up at Raph. "Exactly." She kissed him gently as they all disappeared.