The Heart of Gaea
Chapter 3: The Other Realm 2 of 2

"Watched?" Minerva whispers. "By who?"

Albus moves in front of her trying to keep her protected as a figure steps from among the shadows of the forest. Shadows that had not been there for the moon's light shined everywhere, but now its light began to fade. Neither of them took a breath as the shadow took form. The powerful paw of a feline followed by its big muscled body appeared. But that was not what made Minerva and Albus gasp.

Three pairs of eyes were staring at them. The animal before them had three heads. On the left side that of a dog, on the center the head of a lion, and on the right the head of an eagle. On its back were long black wings, and the tail of a dragon-snake.

Minerva places a hand over her lips as she whispered Albus' unheard thought. "What is a Chimera doing here?!"

"Who dares enter the realm of lost spirits?" the lion head spoke.

Dumbledore whispers to Minerva, "Change into your Animagus form, Minerva. They'll think you a keeper."

"But Albus…"

"No buts! This chimera is a protector. Unless you are able to break their hold on her, we won't be able to taker her from him."

Understanding, Minerva slowly changes to her Animagus. A gray and black striped tabby cat runs from behind Dumbledore. Its path headed straight to the young woman standing by the Oak tree. The Chimera begins to walk slowly towards Albus as it had not been given an answer.

Dumbledore takes hold of his wand inside his robes, "I am no enemy. I only came seeking something that is mine."

"In this realm only the spirits of souls not ready to cross are allowed among us!" the dog spoke.

"You are neither dead nor living your last moments of life," the eagle added.

The lion roared, "You are alive!!"


In the mean time the tabby cat ran as fast as her four legs allowed her to do. She could hear the voices of the Chimera. She knew Albus would do his best to reason with the beast without causing a fight. However, she also knew that the Chimera did not allow living things within this realm.

The chimera also guarded those who were close to death and allowed them to live a happy memory before being taken away. But neither Minerva nor Albus were going to allow for it to take her from them. Not after so long! The cat finally reached the young woman.

Minerva had to smile upon seeing the young woman; even if it was in this place. Her hair was arranged in an odango hair style resembling that cartoon girl called Sailor Moon. Her hair was long so long the tips almost touched the grass. Its color was raven back but at the half bottom it became a blood red.

She wore a deep blue gown with a wonderful train. The train falls very wide at the back due to its four folds. It imitated two gowns/layers, lacing at the chest with a belt. The fabric belt was held together by a gold-colored buckle. The long sleeves at the end of them finished in a white trim. But on her right wrist Minerva could see a golden bracelet with intricate designs in it.

Finally having been able to catch her breath the tabby cat spoke with Minerva's voice, "Starlight! Please you have to snap out if it!"

The young woman turns to face her and Minerva struggles for breath. Her eyes are big black pools of nothingness. Empty of the color she knew was hidden behind the blackness. She had a small smile upon her lips. "Hello kitty," she whispers kneeling down and picking up Minerva in her arms.

"Ah…no…don't…you have to listen…" Minerva tried to say between struggling to free herself. "Starlight!!"

Starlight began to scratch behind Minerva's ears, "Nice Kitty."

There were moments when Minerva hated that her Animagus was a cat. And this right here was one of them! Her body became liquid and she purred with joy and her paws were gently massaging Starlight's arm.

Minerva McGonagall! Break out of it! This is no place or time to be acting like an immature kitten. Minerva looks very apologetic at Starlight, "I am so very sorry about this!" Without further ado the cat opens its mouth and sinks its teeth on the girl's arm.


A loud painful scream reached both Albus and the chimera. The beast turns its heads to the woman he had been ordered to guard. She was kneeling on the ground holding her arm close to her and a woman stood next to her.

Albus noticed the way the animal ready itself to leap into the air and towards Minerva and Starlight. He took out his wand, "Stupefy!"

However the chimera's eagle head saw the attack coming and blocked it by releasing from its mouth a gush of crystal ice shards. Dumbledore jumps to the left avoiding being hit, but as he is falling back down something wraps around his legs and lifts him up face down.

"You have come to take, the girl!" the dog spoke angrily.

"Her time in the world of the living is done," the lion says.

The dragon-snake tail turns Albus around so that he is facing all three heads. "She is far too precious to die. She has much to live for."

The chimera gives a loud laugh. "Many like her have come our way. What makes her any different?"

Albus did not answer.

"Let us just get rid of this pest!" the eagle exclaimed.

"Yes, let us feast on his bones!" the dog snarled.

The soft voice of a woman singing stopped the chimera as it raised its huge paw. The voice was soothing and mellow with a hint of pain in it. The Chimera immediately released Dumbledore who fell to the ground with a big thud.


Minerva shook Starlight lightly by the shoulders. Soon after she had bitten her, Starlight had fallen to her knees with a scream. For some reason or another, her Animagus form had be undone and she now was in her human form.

She could also see that the power the chimera had on her was becoming less. The blackness in her eyes had begun to fade and little by little the speckles of her eye color could be seen.

"I know you can do it! Just fight it. Don't let it take over you again. You can't give up! You can't…I won't let you!"

The words had barely left her mouth when a blue light glowed around Starlight. The darkness in her eyes vanished and an invisible wind swept all around them. To her amazement Starlight's eyes changed back to their normal state. Her left eye was a deep blue while her right was an emerald green. Slowly but surely a soft voice of a woman singing caught her ears. She looks all around to see where it's coming from, and its surprised to find that is coming form Starlight herself.

Starlight blinks a few times before staring at the woman in front of her. "Who are you? Where am I?"

Sighing for what seems a long time McGonagall wraps her arms around Starlight, "Thank Merlin!" She pulls back, "I thought we'd lost you!"

"Lost me? I don't understand."

Minerva shook her head, "You don't need to."


"She has awakened," the three heads of the Chimera spoke in unison.

Albus turns towards the Oak tree, "She did it!"

Silently the chimera steps back into the shadows from where it came from. Dumbledore stands from the ground, shaking of dirt from his robes. Once he was done with that he walks in the direction of Minerva and Starlight.

"You were able to break her free."

Minerva bites her bottom lip, "Yes…" After I bit her that is…

Starlight looked from the woman to the man. There was something oddly familiar about them. Something that made her feel safe and protected. But she knew she had not seen them before today-or tonight?

Albus kneels next to McGonagall. With the tips o f his fingers her moves s tray strand of hair behind Starlight's ear. A small smile appears on his lips, "At last we meet again."

Neither of them is allowed to speak, for suddenly the explosion of a white light blinds them all. The ground underneath them disappears…

Poppy had not moved from where she stood. She found that as much as she'd tried, her body did not respond to any of her commands. And while she watched the bodies of the three people surrounded by the golden light, she could see the scratches on Dumbledore's face healing by themselves, the bullet wound on the girl's side closing as the bullet was pushed out of her body.

And just as suddenly as the golden light had appeared it vanished as it spun around and broke into millions of fireflies that flew out the closed windows; as if the glass did not hurt them at all. With a big draw in of breath Dumbledore and McGonagall pulled away from each other. Their breathing was fast and forced.
The med-witch was finally able to move her body, "Minerva, Albus, are you okay?"

McGonagall nodded, "Yes…just give us a few minutes."

Pomfrey nods back and moves to the other side of the bed. She checks the pulse of the young woman. Then the now closed wound. Once she is done with the check up, she pulls the bed covers up. "She will be fine now. But she will need rest."

Dumbledore helps Minerva up at the same time the doors open. Severus Snape comes back in a small letter on his hands. "Head Master, this arrived a few seconds ago by owl."

Albus takes the letter, "Who send t?"

"There is no address or name on it."

Minerva stands besides Dumbledore as he opens the letter. Within is a lotus flower with a sapphire on its center. The flower falls to the floor as words become visible in the paper.

My dearest Dumbledore and McGonagall,

I suppose that by now, she his with you. A shame I most say, for she is quite beautiful. How much fin I had killing the muggles she was with…I dare say I found it most amusing! You should have heard the way they pleaded or their lives. How they begged that I not take their daughter!

I am sure happy that thanks to me you two have her once again by your side. Thing is…how much are you willing to reveal to her before she hates you? Oh well, finding her yet again comes with a price does it not?

Can you imagine what she will do? Such great power lies within this girl. Power that I assure you will be mine once her blood runs in my veins!!

Funny don't you think how such a beautiful creature born of such powerful love can be the death or life of the universe? And that you two were the ones responsible for her birth!

Hugs and Kisses,

N.

TBC