Before I start I thought I should make it clear that the Fairy Queen is a vessel for Hemera, the goddess of light and Bila is the vessel for the goddess of love and beauty. The name that I use for them is just based on who's currently in control of the body.


On the Dark Island

"I see you're still up to your old tricks." Bila's body said, but she was no longer speaking. She'd given control over to Amora.

"I knew it was you." Demrus said. "You've always been Hemera's faithful dog; rushing headfirst into danger."

An diamond arrow was shot at Amora, melting before it even touched her. She turned to Elmas who was holding a diamond bow. She snapped her fingers and her friends were coated in a veil of fire that couldn't burn them. Their eyes cleared and Demrus's influence faded. While she didn't have the Fairy Queen's ability to create or strengthen creatures of light, she was able to clear their minds-show them what they loved and the danger Demrus posed to it.

"We'll talk about how easy it was for him to turn you into his willing puppets later." Amora said to them.

"Ugh." Hedera said. "You're back."

Demrus cleared his throat from his throne. "I have a confession to make." He said. "I may not have been completely honest earlier."

"You don't say." Amora sighed.

"I may have been stalling you long enough for these two lovely ladies to do this."

The door behind the throne and the door behind Amora burst open, revealing portals to another realm. Out of one strutted Raqqosa, a host of demons following behind her. The other Tywyll floated out of, followed by a host just as large. In total there had to be about two hundred. Easy to handle for a goddess but when Amora looked to Hedera, Elmas, Kurus and Jorgo she knew they wouldn't be so lucky with Demrus empowering and fighting with them. The door behind Raqqosa slammed closed as the demons finished exiting, shattering until there was nothing but a wall in its place.

Amora became a roaring comet of fire, charging at Demrus as the doors behind him closed. She grabbed him as she flew, burning through his human skin and his throne as they flew through the door before it closed and shattered behind them.


Amora's Perspective

They emerged in a different dimension from the one they were in before. Amora could feel the darkness around them-and not just because there was no sun. It was pitch black, but the fire from her body provided enough light to see that everything was made of red stone. And it was cold, the kind of cold that seems to suck the energy out of you. She rose into the air from her position on top of Demrus. He stood up, revealing that his burns had healed.

"I was kind of hoping you'd be more than just a pretty face by now." Demrus said, suppressing a laugh

Amora passed a flaming hand through her head. "I technically don't have a face. But I'm glad you think I'm pretty because I'll be the last thing you see."

"I feel like I should be saying that." He said smugly.

"Why would that be?" Her hands shone brighter as she prepared to launch a wave of fire at him.

"Because I'm not really here, you idiot." His hands turned to black crystal, spreading to the rest of his body until he was merely a statue. An echo of Demrus's voice said, "You fell right into my trap."

This wasn't a trick. He knew she'd place the lives of the people she fought with before her own and keep him occupied without taking the time to think. He'd trapped her in a random world with no way out. And while tied to a human she couldn't just slip away.

Her flames crackled and released shining embers. "GOD DAMMIT! SHIT SHIT SHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT!" She calmed herself down. "I am a fuc-" Her flames started to rise and she took a deep breath before calmly saying, "I am a freaking goddess. I am in another dimension or world and I will not be stuck here forever because of that lying shitstain that will be cremated alive the next time I see him because I will escape somehow. I don't know how yet, but I will." She burned brighter so she could see farther around her. As she illuminated the shadowy realm she saw thousands and thousands of dark creatures surrounding her and more just at the edge of her light. It was impossible to tell how many there were since she could only see a certain distance around her. They were unlike anything she'd ever seen before, each was twisted and disgusting in its own way. Some were made of ice, some wind, some stone, some air, some fire, some scaled, some furry, some with scarred skin. She made her fire burn hotter. They didn't shy from her, they actually advanced confidently. A being of shadow and hate launched itself at her and she blasted it away. A burly one jumped for her as she floated higher but she kicked it away. She released a wave of fire all around her, sending them flying backward. While they were disoriented she turned into a comet of fire and launched herself at them.


Back in the Dark Castle

With the haze of Demrus's influence dispelled the four warriors stood with their backs against each other.

"This place is so...black crystal." Elmas said. "Mind adding a splash of green, Hedera?"

"Way ahead of you." Hedera said. She yelped as she plucked four leaves from her skin. She threw two to the ground, one at the ceiling and one at the wall. As soon as they struck they started sprouting grass, moss, vines, flowers and leaves. Two vines from the ground wove themselves into a whip and attached to her hand. She swung the whip at Raqqosa, who spun out of the way.

Kurus drew her sword and shield, launching herself at Tywyll. Tywyll summoned two spheres of dark energy in her hands, blocking the sword's path. Kurus jumped backward before turning her shield into a sword and swinging them both from different directions. The orbs in Tywyll's hands expanded as she blocked them. When the swords struck them they passed straight through, absorbed by portals. The orbs shrunk to their original size in her hands and she swung at Kurus. She bashed her face, smashing through her helmet.

Elmas flew into the air. One of the crystal guards grew wings and launched itself at her. She pushed her hands out and the crystal soldier started to shine, turning from black to clear diamond. The soldier flew around her and threw its spear at a demon before turning its arms to sharp points and battling on her side. She continued to fly around purifying soldiers. A bat-like demon dove at her from behind and she created a diamond spear to impale him. She made a crystal bow and summoned arrows to fly into the hearts of the demons surrounding her allies.

"A little help Elmas?" Kurus yelled. Two diamond swords appeared in Kurus's hands and she swung at Tywyll, slicing her face. Tywyll replied by flying backwards and launching one of the orbs at her, sending her sprawling on the ground.

Jorgo aimed his second horn, focusing, and a light shone above Kurus, lifting her from the ground and healing her injuries. Then he returned the diamond swords to her grasp. Without missing a beat, Kurus threw herself at Tywyll. Jorgo whispered a spell and the orbs in Tywyll's hands fell to the ground as she raised them to block the attack. Kurus slashed with one sword and Tywyll's left hand fell to the ground. She aimed the other sword at the dark mage's head but Jorgo summoned a wind to pull her towards him. As he did a demon with a drill for a nose landed face-first where Kurus was standing a millisecond ago.

Kurus spotted Tywyll slinking away in retreat behind the wall of demons surrounding them. She spread her wings and flew up, surveying the sheer amount of demons they had to face. Deciding that Tywyll and Raqqosa were too dangerous to be added to the host of demons that outnumbered them so, Kurus summoned her power and created a shield of bronze energy around Raqqosa, Elmas, Hedera, Jorgo and a few demons that managed to slip in. Before it was completely secure, Kurus flew through it into the mass of demons as a distraction.

Hedera was too busy fighting Raqqosa to notice. Not that fight was a word she'd use to describe it. She tried weaving roots through the ground to trip the former princess, tried launching a shower thorns, tried having vines wind around her, tried sending flowers to launch paralysis-inducing pollen at her and even tried old-fashioned lashing her with her whip, but nothing worked. The dancer gracefully twirled, leaped and tiptoed out of harm's way in the nick of time. Hedera grew a razor-sharp bush and sent a flurry of leaves at the dancer. Raqqosa leaped up and did the splits, turning in the air as she did it so she just barely missed getting a dozen cuts. "Elmas, can you make yourself useful and help a girl out?" Hedera yelled in exasperation, making a gigantic vine grow out of the ground next to her and slam into Raqqosa.

Elmas closed her eyes, gazing into the future. She saw the vine hit its mark, but not before Raqqosa did pirouettes which launched her into the air. She landed on the tips of her toes and ran across the vine, doing a jump that the world's most skilled gymnasts would find impossible to dive at Hedera, pulling a dagger from underneath her gown and aiming it at her attacker's eye. Elmas opened her eyes. "Jorgo blast wind above Hedera's right!" she ordered as she purified another soldier and constructed a discus that flew at the necks of two of the final demons inside the dome.

Jorgo did as instructed. Raqqosa, as in Elmas's vision, did a leap off the vine. Unlike the vision, as she reached for her dagger and dived at Hedera a gust of wind knocked her off balance and she fell to the ground. Despite her surprise she landed in a crouch. Her knife had fallen to the ground. A vine grabbed it and threw it away as she reached for it. Hedera made vines and roots wrap around her, holding her in the air spreadeagled.

"How dare you let your disgusting weeds touch a princess!" Raqqosa snarled. "Let me go NOW!"

"In case you don't know, sweetie, you're not a princess anymore." Hedera said with the hand that didn't have the whip on her hip. The vines tightened. "So me and my babies will do whatever we damn please."

"Can you speak like a lady for once?" Elmas asked, landing beside Hedera.

"Right after I tell the 'princess,'" Hedera made air quotes with her fingers, "about how her mother gave us the okay to kill her. And how I'm going to have a venus flytrap swallow her whole." She approached Raqqosa. "You'll be eaten by my 'weeds'...no one will ever see your face or your body again...and you'll be forgotten. Forever. Sound fun?"

Raqqosa smiled.

"I must admit," a voice said behind them. They turned around and saw Demrus holding Jorgo by the neck with his hand at the side of Jorgo's head and the unicorn's horns on the ground out of his reach, "that seeing someone being eaten alive sounds fun. But I'd prefer seeing what happens when I blast him through the skull with every drop of energy I have." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing he's the only one of you with healing abilities."

The look Hedera gave Elmas said, Since when was he here?

"That's correct." Raqqosa said, giggling with delight.

Demrus smiled. "Here's what will happen. You will let Raqqosa go. You will let her cuff you with magic-dampening bands of iron. Then I will escort you all to the dungeons."

"Doesn't sound like a fair deal." Hedera said. Her vines spread apart, stretching Raqqosa's arms and legs with them. "Why not just rip her limbs off?"

The god's hands glowed dark purple. Jorgo cried out.

"Stop." Elmas said.

Demrus let the power in his hands fade.

Elmas looked through the dome. Kurus, ever the martyr, was still battling the demons. She was bruised and bloodied, her wings twisted, her armor was smashed revealing a gash in her side and she was fighting with her fists after the swords shattered on the hide of a serpent demon. Elmas closed her eyes and looked into the future. What she saw only made her decision easier. The fairy warrior wouldn't survive if she was left alone.

"We'll surrender if you let Jorgo heal Kurus." Elmas said.

"WHAT?!" Hedera exclaimed.

Demrus tilted his head in thought. "Of course." A pulse of dark energy came from Demrus and the demons all fell back.

Kurus, preparing to punch one of them, fell to the ground and the protective dome faded. Demrus released Jorgo. The unicorn picked up his horns and rushed to Kurus's side. He picked her up, carrying her over to Elmas and Hedera. His horns all glowed as he began to repair her wounds.

"Release Raqqosa." Elmas said to Hedera.

"Since when are you in charge?" Hedera asked.

"Since the moment all of our lives are on the line." Elmas said firmly. "Let. Her. Go."

"This is a mistake" Hedera said.

"Hurry up and do as she says." Raqqosa said. "Let. Me. Go."

Hedera's plants quivered, ready to rip her to shreds, but she calmed them and made them release the dancer, being careful to do it roughly. Raqqosa fell on her face, getting up quickly and dusting herself off. She held up her chin imperiously and strutted to Demrus's side, muttering "worthless peasants" loud enough for everyone to hear. Hedera made all of her plants revert to the form of her leaves and reattached them to her body.

Demrus waved a hand and iron manacles appeared, floating in front of each of them. Elmas held her hands close together, her friends mimicking the motion.

"No need to waste your power." Raqqosa said. "I'll put them on myself."

Raqqosa fastened the manacles onto Elmas's wrists. The silver fairy started to wobble and collapsed. Raqqosa cuffed the rest of them one by one, finishing with Hedera. She tightened them enough to dig into her skin, whispering into Hedera's ear, "Demrus will see to it that I rule my mother's realm. And the first thing I will do when I have my crown and Bracken's heart is burn every single one of your disgusting weeds to ash."

"I'd like to see you try, bi-" Hedera's breath rushed from her lungs as everything went black.