Miko stood alone in Wistal Castle grounds staring at the vine covered structure that had fallen apart. "I'm going to need something that belonged to each of my parents. Something they held dear. Then the games can begin."
Queen Kiki gathered her strength. She turned to the volcano near her and she smiled maliciously. She took Amari in her arms and ventured into her hidden base. She entered to feel the heat was not very nice and she resented Miko's advances. This wasn't over.
The final card was played. Kiki entered the center chamber to see glowing yellow crystal structures hanging off the roof of the cavern. It illuminated the entire room. A smirk crossed her features. "I am finally at its source. The point where magic was unleashed into our world." She glanced around herself seeing the many crystal formations of varieties of colors.
Amari cried. He must have been hungry.
She summoned an altar in the middle. She placed Amari on that altar. "The time draws near. I shall wait until the full moon, when this place comes to life. Then it will all come to an end."
Amari held out his hand, crying desperately.
Queen Kiki stared at the hungry child and felt a tear come down her cheek. She slid her finger over it and held the tear in her sight. "That hasn't happened in more than a decade." She then summoned a bottle of milk and gave it to Amari.
Amari accepted it and drank greedily.
Queen Kiki smiled at the child. "That's better, isn't it. Now where was I…?"
Amari then dropped the empty bottle and burped. He let out a happy coo and reached towards Queen Kiki, giggling happily.
"What? You want some more?"
He just smiled from ear to ear, clapping his hands as he stared at her.
"What do you want? Just tell me?" Queen Kiki had a scowl on her face. "You're not that important… just the key to everything… I don't need your pity."
Amari grabbed onto her hand, pulled it into his mouth and sucked on it. "Duwa...wa…"
"Don't think this changes anything." Queen Kiki warned as her heart started to melt into his sweet little face. "That's enough!" She pulled her hand out, but instead of crying or freezing in fear, he was giggling profusely, waving his arms about. "You are nothing but a waste of magic. You don't deserve your powers. Look at you. You can't even talk."
"Wah la wa…" His eyes were so soft and sweet.
"What does that mean? You know I don't speak Wah wah wah." Queen Kiki picked up the infant.
He reached for her nose and giggled more. His soft hand played innocently and she felt her eyes water.
"What powerful magic is this? Stop! You can't change my mind." Queen Kiki bantered and pulled him away from her to put him back on the altar.
Amari held back his hands and looked like he might cry again.
"Alright, I yield." Queen Kiki held him close and cradled him, while he fell asleep.
I managed to turn Obi back into himself and some of the other woodland creatures.
Obi had a solemn look on his face. "Don't be mad at Apollo. He is doing exactly what the princess asked of him. Besides, nothing can be done about the princess now. We are going to have to accept this life or we will die."
I turned to Swethyna. "What did you mean by betraying their sacrifice?"
"... Princess Miko's parents gave up their lives for her to live on. No matter what she does to avoid it, a spell of this magnitude, will claim the life of the one who chooses it. Time will become unhinged and then it will try to correct itself. What becomes of our future will be far worse than we can imagine. Prince Zen and Princess Shirayuki's fates are sealed. For it was dark magic that took them. That cannot be reversed. Kiki doesn't have the chance to turn to the darkness, that same magic will stand against time. Time can't change magic, but magic can change time."
"I can't believe the irony in all of this. We have to stop our daughter from trying to save us?" Shirayuki exclaimed.
"Perhaps it is time for you to start separating yourselves from this world. They weren't you and never will be."
Kat stopped and thought for a moment. 'Prince Zen and Shirayuki died… Mitsuhide as well. Kiki is the Evil Queen, Miko is the savior princess and Deston the stable boy… Where am I in all of this?' "You know what I don't get… How is it that everyone else has a double in this world… Except me!?" Kat griped.
"Consider yourself lucky that you haven't found yourself in this world." I grumbled. "It makes things less complicated that way."
"Yeah… but I am still curious as to what my future would have been like. Not to mention what may have become of my parents."
"It might be better if you don't." Desti added. "I never got the chance to be with Miko in this world."
"It's not too late." Kat assured him.
Zen cut in, still not too agreeable with Desti and I being so close, at this point. He still feels like I am too young to be thinking about it, but there might be other reasons. "Anyways, we have to find Miko and stop her before she does something that can't be reversed. That isn't the only thing. We still need to find a way to break the darkness spell over her."
"Swethyna, we know what you're saying, but different world or not, she is still our daughter. We won't give up on her." Shirayuki agreed with Zen.
"You know that you can't stay in this world." Swethyna pointed out.
"Yes. But I see no reason, why she can't visit ours." Zen added.
I suppose in some weird way, it could be like having a twin sister.
"That will never happen if we don't help her first."
We were given horses and left the camp immediately.
Apollo and his men rode through a small town. "Everyone gather up your belongings and prepare to leave to Tanbarun! Take what you need and leave everything else behind! Our last hope has failed us and Cariparell is lost!"
"Who gives you the right to tell us what to do?!" The people grumbled.
"I am Lord Apollo! I served by Princess Miko's side! Now I am here to carry out her last wishes!"
"What happened to the princess?!"
"She has given into the darkness! There is nothing more we can do for her now!" Apollo explained.
"NOOO! This is our home!"
"You will find another home!" Apollo turned to his men. "Make sure that everyone is ready! See to it!"
"Yes, Your Lordship!" The men dispersed.
Apollo rode through the town and his eyes landed on a familiar face. He came towards her. "Kat? What are you doing here?" He found her at a workbench, busy fastening chainmail in a blacksmith shop.
The girl dropped her tools and straightened out. "Excuse me, Lord Apollo. This is my home... I can't just leave everything behind..." She was determined, but also a bit speechless.
Apollo was amused by her submissive nature. "You're a blacksmith?"
"That's right. I can fight too."
"As much as I would like to see that, perhaps you can help me out. I need weapons and armor." He was really enjoying taking advantage of her disposition.
"Of course, My Lord."
The men all stood next to her shop. "Katsumi is right. This is our livelihood. This is our home. We need to fight for it."
"How far are you willing to go?" Apollo turned back to Katsumi. "Katsumi?"
"I will do what it takes." Katsumi stood confidently.
"It won't be an easy task. We would have to kill the princess." Apollo updated.
Everyone's eyes widened. "K-ill the princess…? That can't be it!"
"Darkness can't be lifted. This is the only way. Will you do what is necessary to save our homeland?" Apollo spoke with a heavy heart.
"If that is truly the only option… so be it." Katsumi clenched her fist.
Apollo turned to her. "Then we need words of inspiration to rally others to our cause. I think you might be someone the people might listen to."
"Me? No one ever listens to me!" Katsumi was shocked by his insinuation.
"Don't sell yourself short. You may be surprised what a little determination can do."
Katsumi's cheeks turned pink at his compliment. "If you believe that I can do it, then I will do my best to not fail you."
Apollo reached out his hand to her and pulled her onto his horse. He rode towards the other gathering men. "Is this how you all feel?! You want to fight for your home?!"
The men all turned to him. "Yes!"
"Very well! Gather in the east of Treden. We are going to plan a course of action." Apollo then rode towards the next town, with Katsumi on the back of his horse.
"I got everything I need. Now, all I need is Miko." Miko stared at the book of 'Fated Incantations'.
She turned from the Wistal Castle ruins and summoned a portal to the camp. But after going through the portal, she noticed the camp was deserted, not that she was surprised by this. "You can run, but you can't hide. I can sense your presence too. It calls to me." She turned a woodland creature that had been missed into a black horse and rode in the direction, she felt Miko was running.
"Father! She is coming!" I could feel it, just like I had when I was under the power of darkness.
Zen hesitated. "We have to keep moving! Now!"
Swethyna explained. "I can't fight Kiki, but I can stop Miko. Run and I will stop her or at least slow her down."
"Mom! You can't! She'll kill you!" Desti panicked.
"I would like to see her try." Swethyna turned in the direction Miko was coming from. "Protect your princess, Desti! This is what I have been preparing myself for my whole life."
Desti was torn, but did as she said and I rode past my parents. I used my magic to bring up a portal and we rode through it.
Miko continued to ride towards Swethyna.
"You will not succeed. Light always diffuses the darkness!" Swethyna placed her hands on the ground and found herself submitting to Miko. "What? This only happens when I try to interfere with the Evil Queen's plans. I should be able to stop you. Wait… Uh no. This was her plan all along… I have to warn them."
Miko got off of her horse. "You won't get the chance. Now be a good little pet and tell me everything I want to know."
Apollo and Katsumi rode through Lyrica. "It is time. Katsumi, you will inspire them. You just need to believe that you can."
"I will do my best, Lord Apollo." Katsumi dismounted and walked towards the gathering people, who were expecting the princess, when they saw Apollo. "Citizens of Lyrica. Our livelihood is being threatened by adversity far greater than we can imagine…" Katsumi looked to Apollo, for encouragement. She wasn't feeling that from the people she was addressing, that's for sure.
He gave her a reassuring smile and it built her confidence a little.
"But we still have hope. If we can stand together, we can protect what is ours. What do you plan to do? Accept what the queen is doing and hide in the bushes or will you fight?! She has taken our homes! She has taken our people! She has even taken our very lives!" Katsumi was feeling her passion begin to rise now. "But, we can't just stand by and allow this to continue! We need to draw the line! This far and no farther! It's time to end the oppression!"
Apollo looked upon her with pride as she was getting fired up. He felt like he made her into a conqueror. He did that! He was so proud of himself.
Katsumi continued. "We cannot allow her to treat us like we are worthless!"
"YEAH!" The people shouted in unison. "This is our home!"
"Will you do whatever that takes, to make this a reality?!" Katsumi challenged.
"I will fight!" One man stood up and held his pitchfork in the air.
"We cannot count on the princess to save us! We must save ourselves!" Katsumi was shouting with passion. "We don't need magic! We have strength in numbers! We will take back what is ours!"
The people shouted their agreements and the men started to take up their weapons and armor.
Katsumi stood firmly. "Will you join us in this fight?!"
"YEAH!"
Katsumi realized just what she was able to accomplish. She saw people take courage and abandon their hopelessness. She ran up to Apollo and gave him a hug out of exhilaration. "I can't believe it! It worked! They listened to what I had to say!"
"I told you they would. I knew you had it in you." Apollo was eased into the hug, mostly because he was caught in surprise.
"You were right." Katsumi released him from the hug. "So… what now? How are we going to kill the princess without magic?"
"With this." Apollo pulled out a throwing knife.
"A dagger…? That's your plan? That will never work. She has magi-"
"This is no ordinary dagger." Apollo cut Katsumi off, before she could criticize his plan any further. "Miko enchanted it so that it will never miss."
"Interesting. If you can kill the princess then maybe you can also kill the queen."
"It is certainly worth a try." Apollo put the knife away. "I think it's time we continued on."
Katsumi took his hand and he led her to his horse.
We stopped now that I was confident that we got some distance.
"She can sense my presence. We will never stop running. We need a plan." I looked to my Father. I hoped with his experience in this world might provide some incite.
"If a true love's kiss is the only thing that can break the spell, then I don't think there is anything we can do. Now that Swethyna is gone, we don't have any way of knowing if there is an alternative." Zen didn't seem very hopeful. "It won't be easy, but we can't give up. There must be another way and we will find it… somehow…"
I felt Miko's presence from the far side of the forest. "Miko is coming this way."
They looked shocked, because we only just got here.
"Doesn't she ever quit?" Kat retorted.
"Let's move!" Zen kicked his horse into high gear and we all followed.
This time I was at the back, deep in thought. How much longer will we run before one of us is forced to give up? I suddenly felt a threat growing in my mind. We need to get out of here. I held my palm forward and summoned a portal.
As everyone else managed to ride through it, a thick black thread shot out of the trees and I didn't have any time to react before getting knocked off my horse. My horse rode through the portal just before I lost focus and allowed it to close.
In moments, I realized what the threat was and I was surrounded by massive… black… sp-pid-er-s… They shot their thick black webs at me. In seconds, I was constricted and tied up in them, like a cocoon. My head was the only part of me left exposed.
"Where is Miko?!" Desti panicked as he saw the horse come through without its rider. He quickly turned to the portal to see that it disappeared. "MIKO!"
"We have to go back! Now!" Zen turned his horse around.
"Go back where?!" Shirayuki cried. "There is no way to go back."
Kiki calmed her mind. "Let me try. I know where we were and I am pretty sure I know where we are. Taking into consideration the distance…" Kiki finally managed to summon a portal, then celebrated with the release of her breath. "There."
"Good job, Kiki." Zen rode towards the portal and the rest followed him through.
"Still waiting on my powers over here." Kat griped some more.
They froze at the sight. Nothing.
"She's gone! This was the spot, wasn't it?" Desti panicked.
"This is exactly where we were. That can only mean one thing… She's got Miko." Zen grew frustrated and clenched his fist.
"Miko is going to sacrifice her… We can't waste any time standing around here. She needs our help." Shirayuki tried to calm her mind and think rationally.
"She can't have gone too far… Let's hope. We shall continued down the pass, maybe they went in that direction. It would only be logical, assuming she hasn't summoned a portal yet." Zen knew that Miko could have technically taken his daughter anywhere, but there wasn't much time and searching the whole kingdom wasn't an option.
I looked below me and saw that I was elevated in the trees, far above ground. I looked up to see the treetops and could see that they were dressed with the same thick black webbing that was holding me captive, upside down, no less. I was stuck in the middle of a massive web, but that wasn't even the worst part… Why did it have to be spiders, of all things?! They were huge, had intimidating red markings on their legs and a terrifying yellow skull shaped marking on their abdomens. Who would know what I was afraid of the most, better, than myself? I cringed at their advances. This can't be happening…
I looked down again to see Miko standing there, like she was enjoying the show.
"Comfortable?"
"What do you think?" I grumbled. "You don't have to do this! Let me go! It's not too late!"
"Why would I do that?! You had everything you ever wanted! Now it is my turn! I am going to take everything I want! I am going to live your life!" Miko's malicious eyes were a pretty good indicator that she was not changing her mind. She also was not the same person as before.
"This isn't you! Think about all the people you are hurting! People you care about!" I pleaded.
"Those imbeciles were just using me to stop the queen. They never cared about me and nor did I for them." Miko justified. "Don't pretend like you know me! You have no idea what it was like to fend for myself and have everyone that was important get taken away! To have no one to turn to."
"You had Obi!"
"No… Obi kept his watchful eye on me sure, but he stayed away from me the whole time."
"What about the Demasies. Surely they-"
"The queen killed them! They're gone!" Miko snapped. "I know what you are doing and it isn't going to work. I have preparations to start and then we can finally begin. Sit tight and enjoy your new friends." Miko summoned a portal, but before she left, she addressed the spiders. "Please refrain from sucking the life from our guest. I need her alive." Then she was gone.
I cringed at the reminder of being at the mercy of the monsters that I feared the most. I could see them draw near to me. "No! Stay away!" A massive black spider crawled over my face and I was panicked and frozen in place. As soon as it passed me by, I screamed louder than I would usually scream. I couldn't handle this! It was asking too much! Why me?! This is my nightmares come true! "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Zen and the others stopped at hearing my blood curdling scream. "Miko!"
Kiki turned towards a treeline towards the east. "I think it's coming from that direction."
"Hurry!" Zen rode with the others behind him and then as they drew near he couldn't ride any further and was forced to bring his horse to a halt.
There was thick, black webbings dressing the entire forest. They were not going to be able to ride through it.
"Miko is definitely in there. We will have to go on foot." Shirayuki urged.
"I know. Come on!" Zen and the others jumped off their horses and pushed their way through the forest covered in black webs.
I focused on my long ponytail swinging, back and forth, below me, trying to seek solace. I was frozen so far that I was completely listless. It was the worst that I was upside down too.
"Miko?!" Desti shouted to me.
I snapped back to reality. "No! Get out of here!"
Zen held his sword at the ready, clearly ready for anything to attack. Webs meant spiders. Father wasn't stupid. "We need to cut her down!"
I don't know if it was the blood that had rushed to my head, but I was really weirded out by them being upside down to my viewpoint.
"Don't take another step." Miko stood behind them.
Zen and the others shifted their attention to her. "There is another way! Don't do this!"
"Nice try, but you can't change my mind. Since you are all here, you can witness it for yourself." Miko noticed that Desti was trying to cut me down and Kat too.
"Not a chance!" Miko then called upon her eight legged friends to stop them. They were secured to the same trap as I was, now.
Kiki stepped forward. This was her chance to show what she has learned. "I won't sit by and watch as you harm the people I choose to protect. One way or another, this ends here."
"Let's see what you are made of." Miko taunted.
Kiki used the grass growing ability to restrain her opponent.
"Not good enough!" Miko sliced through it with her sword.
"I wasn't finished." Kiki whipped her fingers and a vine ripped Miko off her feet and she slammed onto the ground.
"Great… job… That is all you got? Don't think that I would be that easy to defeat." Miko cut herself free from those vines.
"Who said it was you that I was trying to defeat?" Kiki challenged.
As Kiki and Miko fought back and forth with their powers, Zen heard rustling in the bushes and then saw Apollo emerge with a throwing knife that he had pointed at Miko.
Zen rushed to action, pulled out his sword and intercepted the throw with the clashing of Zen's blade. What Zen didn't anticipate is that the blade magically bounced off of a rock and stabbed him in the chest.
Zen grunted in pain and fell to his knees.
I saw it all happen and I couldn't do anything about it. "Father!"
"Zen!" Shirayuki and Kiki shrieked in horror as they saw Zen take the hit.
Miko whipped around and saw the knife sticking out of his chest. She recognized it immediately. Her eyes started to water. "You… saved me…?" Her eyes were suddenly clearer.
Shirayuki and Kiki rushed to Zen's side. Shirayuki caught him on her lap and she cried hysterically. "Zen! No! Don't die! Please don't leave me!... Zen…"
He held her hand in his, weakly. "Shir-uki… Mi-ko needs… you… more… than ev-er… n-ow…"
"Zen! Please no!" Shirayuki bawled.
I cried and it hurt more than any spider could ever hurt me. "No! Dad! No!"
Miko stood over Zen. "Why?!... Why did you do it?! After everything I did to you, why?!"
"Be-cause… Mi-ko… too…" Zen struggled to breathe and it became more strained. He was barely hanging in there.
Tears filled Miko's eyes. "F-ather…?"
Zen's eyes barely managed to meet hers.
"Hang on! Stay with us! Give me ten minutes, that is all I ask!" Miko demanded.
Zen's eyes grew wide, but he didn't have the strength to give any other kind of response.
Miko turned around after pulling out the knife, which made him struggle even more to hang on. She placed the knife on a stump and held out the book. "Please work." She closed her eyes and focussed her magic on the knife. "Time unravelled, bring back what is lost, take his place and change its course!"
The knife glowed brightly and then the blood from the blade disappeared.
We all stared in anticipation.
Zen's eyes closed and he went so still.
"ZENNN!" Shirayuki screamed.
The blood from his shirt started to glow in response and then it vanished. Zen's eyes started to flutter and then finally they opened again, without struggle or evidence of pain.
I released my breath as I watched Mother help Father back to his feet. Thank goodness.
Zen's eyes grew wide when he saw that the blood was collecting on Miko's chest. "What have you done?!"
Miko's soft smile started to fade. "The people still need you… You aren't done yet… Do me a favor and bring back our Clarines… I'm sorry…" Miko fell to her knees.
Zen and Shirayuki rushed to her side.
"Why would you do this?! You are still needed too!" Zen held her hand in his. "You can't leave us…"
"There isn't another way… I took the knife, so you can live on… I now understand what it means... to sacrifice yourself for… someone you love…" Miko's eyes slid closed and her face became frozen in time.
Zen and Shirayuki cried over her body.
I didn't know her all that well, but I could see that she will be missed greatly.
I suddenly felt myself falling along with Kat and Desti. We were relieved of our confines. I noticed it was Apollo.
I stood up angrily. "You did this!"
Zen stood up and greeted the man in a rage. He pulled him by the collar. "You killed her! You're a monster! She was your betrothed! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!" Zen gritted his teeth.
"I did what I had to, to spare my people." Apollo justified.
"That is why you killed her?!" Zen grew even more furious. Zen grabbed the knife that was now coated with Miko's blood and stuck it to Apollo's throat. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you for what you did!" It certainly didn't help that Zen was still angry at Apollo for what happened to his daughter in his world.
"I don't regret my decision, if that is what you are asking. Sacrifices have to be made. But also… it was her wishes… She told me not to hesitate, if she ever turned evil. I fulfilled my promise to her. I didn't want it to end like this either!" Apollo had tears in his own eyes, now that he saw for himself, that Miko had returned to herself. It was just too late to consider it now. "I don't blame you for hating me! But you do need to understand that if there was anyone who understand her best, it was me. I couldn't have asked for a better sister. I won't forget her as I suppose you won't either. Maybe I misjudged you. I can't believe you would actually take that knife for her."
"That's enough." Zen threw him to the ground. "You can justify what you did all you want, but you were still the one who killed her. You say you cared and yet you wouldn't even consider that we had another option. You turned us away and chose to kill her anyway. I don't care what Miko made you promise, someone who cares, should never take other's lives for their benefit. You killed her because you were scared. You were scared of what person she might become. You were scared that she would leave you behind and take all the glory."
Apollo stood up abruptly. "Lies!" He stood toe to toe with Zen. "Miko was all I had! She was everything to me!"
"It seems you gave up everything too easily." Zen challenged.
"What's done is done. There is no point in fighting it now."
"You are just running away from taking responsibility for your actions. You should know that everything you do, comes with a price. This one is going to cost you dearly."
"Do what you want… I don't care anymore… But stop the darkness from pushing us from our homes and destroying our people." Apollo got down on his knees. "That is all I ask. It was all that Miko ever wanted. You can believe what you want about me… and perhaps there is some truth in your words, but I still cared about her and that, I will not allow you to ridicule."
"You have a lot to learn about being a leader. Take your life, but know that I will never trust you again. You will not be the ruler of this kingdom. Get out of here before I change my mind about sparing your life." Zen detested the man, but finding fault was not as easy as all it cracked out to be.
Apollo rushed back into the forest.
Zen cut down all my restraints and I was finally free. I pulled my Father into a hug and cried desperately. Not just for Miko, but for almost losing my Father too.
Whether I knew her or not, she was me and she died. It was like a part of me died with her.
I noticed something strange, that got my attention. Miko was holding a spherical pendant that was glowing like a dim light. What caused it to glow? I know it wasn't before.