A/N: Well we're back! We have another riveting chapter for all of you out in fandom. I am back on my computer now that I have another charger for it! My old charger Elizabeth got a hold of it and made the wires fray. *Glares and the culprit chained to my wall.*

*Elizabeth glares back. The gag making impossible for her to speak.*

*I grin evilly as she struggles a little rattling the chains before giving up*

*snickers* It is your own fault for being a bad girl. You should have just waited until the story was finished. Than we could take a break, but nooo. You had to try and be sneaky. Nothing better happen to this one or I am letting mom have you for a while!

*Elizabeth looks horrified at the prospect and I nod as she shakes her head vigerously* Yup. So you better behave! Any way back to the chapter at hand and the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own the labyrinth nor any of it's characters!

Chapter Seventeen: Survivor!

Sarah gasped for breath as she was hit with the ogre's club. She fell back a few feet and groaned. Growling she rolled to dodge another swing. Even with her diamond armor that had hurt. She knew if she survived this war she would be just one big bruise. She rolled out of the way from another attack and getting to her knees she sliced through the brutes leg. It howled and fell while blood stained her face.

Sarah got to her feet and ran over to the giant smelly ass thing and with a powerful swing beheaded it. Feeling a presence behind her she met the attacker. It was a strange fae with marking tattooing his face and arms. She blocked his sword and attacked in a frenzy. Her energy was starting to wane but she couldn't afford to stop. "Why are you attacking me? Your fae too!"

The fae growled and took a step back as he grinned. "I will kill every last one of you! All of us that were banished to the aboveground will fight you to our last breath! You all will die! How long do you really think those ice fae can hold out? You all fight a losing battle. Only a dragon can kill a dragon! We have three! They will burn this world away and we will rule both realms!"

With that he charged at her again. She fought with renewed strength now that she knew what Canum's plan was. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach as she ran the fae through with her sword. She stared for a moment at the color staining her sword. It was black and it sizzled as it dripped and hit the ground.

A pixie flew to her ear as she attacked another ogre. "Why aren't they sleeping?" She growled.

"Our pixie dust only works on creatures with magic. Ogres are immune to it's affects. The fae you just killed has a toxin in his blood that cancels our dust's effects and is like acid to the touch! Be careful Lady Sarah. I go to tell the elves now!" Sarah nodded before continuing to fight. She dodged another swing from the lumbering olf and tripped. She closed her eyes and waited for the attack.

When the sound of the ogre cry of pain she opened her eyes and looked up in shock. There standing before her was a fae with hair the same color as Oberon's. It was pulled high and plaited down his back. She watched with surprise as he pulled his weapon from the ogre's neck. It was a golden staff that had a long blade on each end.

He turned and held a hand out to for her to take. She grabbed his outstretched hand a was hulled to her feet. "Duck!" She shouted as another tattooed fae swung her blade at him. Sarah reached behind the man's neck and rolling her hand flung him behind her as she brought her blade up to counter the attack. As she downed the fae she looked over her shoulder to see the silver-haired fae fighting another two fae. She kept her back to his as they worked together against the sudden on-slot of fae that appeared out of the portal.

The sinking feeling that she had came back. 'There's no end to this.' She thought with despair. She glanced at the Ice fae out of the corner of her eye. Their ice was closer to them now as the black dragon continued his fiery attacks. What the fae had said was true. She knew that they couldn't keep up with it much longer. They elves surrounded them and were taking out any that went for the ice fae so they were protected but for how long.

She looked to the sky for a brief moment. 'Maya where are you?'

Maya ran her gaze over Junia. She was truly a beautiful creature. She bowed low in respect. It did not escape her notice that the other dragon leaders gave them a very wide berth. They formed a loose circle around them. It made her slightly worry what the next test was going to be. She waited for Junia to speak.

"You have passed the first test little one. You have shown great wisdom and knowledge. Now it is time to see what you are made of. The second test is a test of will and power. Match my fire and you pass. Fail and you will die. For your sake I suggest you dig down deep into your very core. Now show me your true strength!

Maya didn't have time to dodge as Junia sent her fire Maya's way. She instinctively brought her hands up and called her ice to meet the dragon's flame. Her ice was weak at best but it had saved her skin for the moment. Steam rose high into the air as Maya fought for her very life.

'Junia isn't kidding around!' She thought as she put more of her energy into her hands. After climbing the volcano she didn't have a lot of energy left. Tome's icy breath had revived her but it wasn't enough to completely restore her. She winced as Junia's fire got more intense and hotter. 'what do I do?' She cried out in her mind.

Remembering what the dragon said about digging deep she thought about what made her ice so cold. Though she loathed to do it she recalled the past that she wished she could never remember.

*Freak*

*Demon!*

*Demon child!*

*Devil's spawn*

*Hell's Spawn!*

*Fridged Bitch!*

*Freak of nature!*

*Witch!*

*How could anyone love you, you are nothing!*

*No one will ever want you!*

*Your parents never wanted you!*

*You were a mistake!*

Maya let out a roar of fury as she flashed back to her days in foster care and revived all the pain, anger, hurt, and resentment that had made her heart so cold. All she had ever wanted was to be loved by someone... Anyone...but they all turned away, no one wanted her, even her parents. Some of the foster parents would laugh as the kids threw stones and dirt at her. The kids and a few teachers at school thought she was worthless and told her that on a daily basis. Running away at 16 had been the best thing of her life. She was a survivor...

Maya's head snapped up and her black eyes narrowed. She WAS a survivor! She survived were others would have DIED! They were WRONG! She WAS NOT worthless! She had a mate! She had friends! She was loved! She was STRONG!

Maya's body began to glow dark blue with black edging around the light. She lowered her hands and heard the dragons gasp as Junia's flame surrounded her. She looked with disinterested eyes at her hands. The fire licked her skin but there was no pain. The black in her eyes seeped back to white however where there was once honey in her eyes now flashed with a dark piercing blue. The same shade of the dark blue surrounding her. Her pupils slit as her head came up. The purplish red fire was repelled by the blue that licked her skin with her cold.

Maya let out a breath and watched as blue fire came out of her mouth. She smirked evilly as she embraced the darkness of her past, the darkness surrounding her seeped into her body as power filled every fiber of her being. She flicked her wrist out against the now almost all purple flame. She shot her energy out cutting like a knife right through the middle of it and into Junia's mouth. It was blue and cold as ice however it wove and flickered like fire.

As quickly as the dragon's flame had come it was gone and the beautiful copper dragon had steam coming from her mouth as she coughed repeatedly. Sorin stepped in as the light faded back into Maya's body. "The second test is over. You have passed. Congratulations, fire will never again cause you pain for within your skin, body, and bones lies cold blue flame." Sorin gestured over to the lake.

Maya walked over to the lake and peered calmly down at her refection. Her ebony hair was still streaked with white however from the corners of her eyes sparkled bluish sliver like a paint brush had drawn a long line over her eye lids across to the sides of her face. Her bare skin had streaks of the blue-silverish tint traveling down her arms to her hands, acrossed her breasts, down her sides flaring out and connecting over her stomach, and down her legs to her feet. In the middle of her forehead just lower than her crown lay a dark blue mark that glistened in the light. It swirled out to that of a flame.

For the first time in her life Maya felt beautiful and what's more she felt completely at peace with herself. She was strong and she was a survivor. She turned back to the dragons with a content smile on her face. She walked up to Junia and bowed. "Are you alright Lady Junia?"

The copper dragon had stopped coughing and she nodded. "You passed my test of strength. You have cold blue fire like Sorin said. It is the hardships of the past that make you strong, not strength itself. Your will is unbreakable. That is good. You can never know what you can survive until you go through it. You have realized this and accepted it. Thus you now have another strength. Tome will conduct your final test. I wish you luck." Junia bowed her head in respect.

Maya nodded and calmly faced the shimmering blue dragon. She gazed into his steel colored eyes and found respect there. She smiled back at him. "You are the second in all these years to pass even one test. Now the time has come for the final test. With the first test you showed your knowledge and your wisdom. The second test showed your will and strength. The final test will be the hardest thing you have ever had to do."

Maya nodded in acceptance. "I will do what is needed." Tome nodded. "First you must go back up to the mountain. You may have seen it as you crossed before. There in the volcano's mouth lies a blue flower. Take only one and bring it back here. Then your test shall truly begin."

Maya started to chuckle. She summoned her power to create a new outfit having realized upon seeing her reflection that she had no clothes covering her body. Waving her hand acrossed her chest, ice sparked from her fingertips and began to form around her. She trailed her fingers over her arms and down her body the ice and frost hardening and glistening in the sun's light. After she was done she went back to the lakes edge to study her appearance.

She now wore a hard frozen corset covering her breasts with soft frost sleeves falling down gracefully around her arms and light dark frost pants that did nothing to hinder her movement. Her feet were covered with ice slippers that were as clear as glass. Nodding in satisfaction she turned back to face Tome.

Maya chuckled and smirked at Tome before reaching in to her satchel and pulling out the frost covered light blue flower that she had already picked as Winter had instructed. She removed the frost and held it out for all the dragons to see. "Winter, the unicorn who took me to the mountain abb'it the wrong damn side of the mountain, advised me that I would need this blue flower. So I picked one and covered it with frost to keep it alive."

The other dragons began to murmur amongst themselves before quieting at Tome's glare. He returned his attention back to Maya. "You say a unicorn brought you to our mountain?" Seeing Maya nod he was silent for a minute before he spoke. "A pixie's flower, a pack alpha and a ally to elves. You are quite unusual to be sure. All accomplished while seeking us. Hmmm... Never mind that for now. Are you ready for your final test?" Seeing her nod. He sighed. "The final test is to consume that flower and should you survive with your mind intact you will be given our strength."

Maya had just chewed and swallowed the minty flavored flower as Tome's last words dawned on her.
"Wait what do you mean 'Mind intac... Woahhh..."

A/N: Whoa what? See you next chapter! Until then please leave a review!