Chapter 9 is here! Last chapter, the teens battled Saige, only to be easily defeated and, in the end, launched off of the tower that they fought on top of. This takes place where it left off. On with the chapter!

Chapter 9: Corruption

*Dina's POV*

Saige launched us off of her tower, throwing us all the way back to Ilium Village. We ended up landing safely in the ice. I landed safely using my rocket boots, Lacu just landed on her feet, and Argis teleported shortly before impact to reduce her injury.

I still could barely move due to my injuries, but I had enough strength to use my rocket boots and powers. I was almost sure that my back was broken at this point.

"Here, let me help." Lacu said. She touched my back and a green aura engulfed her hand and spread through me. I couldn't feel the pain anymore, so I knew she had healed me.

"Thanks." I said. "What are we going to do about Saige, though? I mean, she's almost invincible!"

"I don't know." Lacu said. "Even I couldn't hurt her much."

"Who made you the ultimate fighter all of a sudden?" I said jokingly.

Lacu was about to say something, but then we heard a strange noise and saw a flash of light in front of us.

Saige had teleported right in front of us.

"You freaking psycho!" Lacu shouted. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Saige didn't seem to like that comment.

"What can you do?" she said. "You barely even gave me a nosebleed! What makes you think you can stop me?"

An evil grin crossed Lacu's face. Suddenly, Sky blue wings appeared on her back. I was so shocked that I couldn't even speak.

Seriously, who is this girl?! I thought.

She got in a fighting stance and so did Saige.

Saige charged at Lacu and tried to attack, but Lacu dodged all of Saige's attacks. Lacu Launched several ice and energy blasts, but Saige simply absorbed them all.

Saige then used the energy from Lacu's attacks and combined it with her own dark energy. She formed a scythe with it, then raised it to attack.

"Aw crap!" Lacu shouted. She kept dodging as Saige swung several times at her. Saige tried one last swing. Lacu tried to dodge, but she wasn't quick enough. The scythe slashed a large hole in her stomach.

"LACU!" I shouted.

Saige turned her scythe into a sword and stabbed Lacu in the chest. Lacu gasped for air, but she couldn't hold on any longer.

She fell to the ground and died almost instantly.

She let out a weak laugh as she died.

"NO!" I shouted. Saige walked to Lacu's dead body.

"HA!" she shouted. "You call that immortal?! Pathetic!"

She turned to me and summoned a new sword.

"Now it's your turn!" she shouted. She charged at me and swung her sword.

Luckily, Argis teleported in front of me and blocked it with her own sword. I summoned a chaotic staff and swung it at Saige's head. It hit and knocked her down, but she rolled out of the way of my second attack, then shot an energy blast at me. I was knocked back a few feet, but I quickly recovered. I felt a strange energy pulse in my body, then my eyes started to glow gold. I knew what was going on and how to use it to my advantage.

I ran over to Saige and swung at her. She blocked, but I channeled the new energy into my attack and her sword shattered. I swung again and knocked her back several feet.

But just as I was about to charge again, Saige pointed at me staff, which exploded into pure chaotic energy. She absorbed it and shot it at me. I used my new power to counter it, but that used up the rest of the strange energy. Saige started to walk towards me, only to stop suddenly.

Just then I heard something. It sounded like an evil chuckle.

I looked in the direction of the sound. The only thing I saw there was what shocked me the most about this day.

Lacu was getting up, despite having a sword in her chest and being covered in her own blood.

She laughed evilly, then grabbed the sword that was in her chest and pulled it out.

What the hell is going on?! I thought. But then I noticed that she looked very different.

Her blue wings were now black, her eyes and hair were dull, her clothes were red and black, her eyes were blood red and her pupils were reptilian slits.

"Lacu?" I said. She didn't respond.

I could tell what was happening.

She was corrupted by the dark side of her powers.

She was now Shadow Lacunae, Bringer of Darkness.

That's all for now! Some of you may noticed that I changed "Dark Lacunae" to "Shadow Lacunae, Bringer of Darkness." Let me know what you think of the change! I'll work on getting the next chapter up soon, so keep reading and reviewing!