Chapter 12
Sister of Miranda?

"I am the hero of Argos! I am Sara Maynard: Daughter of Hanemore; sister of Miranda!" Sara Maynard, her spirit inside the body of her sister, Miranda Maynard, who died recently, shouted at Meiko, the evil sorceress, inside the body of Mikoto Suo.

"You… you cannot be… I killed you!" Meiko/Mikoto shouted.

"I… I am amazed," Erika sobbed, "It's really Sara Maynard; in the flesh! (Sort of…)"

"What I like to know is how on earth did she possess Miranda?" Harima inquired, "Miranda's dead… I know it."

Sara/Miranda said to Meiko/Mikoto in anger, "Meiko… first, you came to this world and terrorized the heroic people of Argos; then, you killed many great heroes, including Jacob Avery and myself; now you had the gall to kill my kid sister! That ain't very cricket of you!"

Meiko/Mikoto shouted, "Why should I bother wasting my time with a git like you? All I wanted was your little sister's soul, so I can live again."

"Oh… Meiko," Sara/Miranda chuckled, "You are a damn bloody fool."

"Blast you!" Meiko/Mikoto shouted, "I will have her soul! I took part of yours, didn't I?"

"That's because I showed mercy and not kill you! I should've done it to you from the start!"

"Well, now you're dead. At last, the Maynard sisters have been reunited!"

Sara/Miranda wagged her finger and scolded her, "Tsk, tsk, tsk; that's what you think. I knew that she would summon me on that day…"

"Huh?"

Sara/Miranda then told her what happened days ago, when she went to the church:

At the church, Miranda entered the front door and saw Sara Adiemus in her robe.

"Sister, I need your help," She asked, "Can you do me a favor and let me pray for a bit?"

"Oh? Oh, right. Oh, hey! You're Yakumo's friend," Sara responded, "Sure, but make it quick; we are going close for the night."

"Trust me, I have four nights left; and I'll need the biggest help I could get."

Miranda approached the altar and kneeled down. She prayed for someone; who was it? I think we know who…

"Sara… please come here now. Sara…"

"Uh, Miss Maynard," Sara exclaimed, "I'm over here."

"NOT YOU!" Miranda shouted, "My sister!"

"Oh, sorry. Continue…"

"Please leave!" Miranda insisted to Sara.

She left the main area and headed to the door. Miranda prayed for Sara for at least a couple of minutes. But then, a sudden flash of light appeared and the entire altar shone a bright white light. Everything turned white; Miranda appeared in a huge white room. She looked around and found Sara, waiting for Miranda.

"Did you miss me, sis?"

Miranda smiled with tears of joy; but later wiped them, knowing that this is a time to be serious.

"Sara… I need your help; Meiko the sorceress, she's-."

"I know… I already heard it from God. Meiko Hildenhauser III, is it?"

"Oh? Is that her real name?"

"AHEM! Oh, uh, nothing important, I, er, um, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Sara then floated upward.

"Ooh, look at the time. Got to go! Say hi to your friend in Japan."

Miranda stomped her foot down.

"GET BACK HERE!" She yelled in anger, "This is NO time for eluding me! I don't understand anything since you died; but now, I start to remember everything that happened! You come here and tell me what the bloody hell is going on, and why are you hiding it from me?"

Sara floated down and approached Miranda, who was fuming.

"Miranda… I'm so sorry," Sara said in disdain, "I WAS gonna keep it under wraps, but…"

Miranda was angry at her sister.

"Sara! NOW!"

She gave up and told her about Meiko:

"Miranda, I know you hate evil, but I already know about Meiko from both the King AND Papa. Let's just make it quick, for the record straight… I ALREADY knew, before you joined me in the rebellion against Dark Argos! Meiko the Sorceress is NOT the daughter of Queen Isabella; she's the great-great-great-great granddaughter of the King! And if you don't believe me, ask your friends; THEY knew by looking through the records."

"Yes… but why would she have eight days to kill me, in order to live again?"

"That's the problem…"

"Why?"

"I never knew about it; but I DID know about being possessed by a body. I almost forgot that if you die…"

"Uh, Sara…"

"Right, right, evading the topic."

"Now, tell me: how come you made me become a hero now?"

"Well, five years after I died, I projected dreams of my death many times. I wanted you to remember, and it worked; though it lasted you five more years to be convinced."

"What? I was pregnant when I was in grief, and then I had those horrific dreams when Emily was 2."

Miranda then suddenly felt her memories returning, from her sister's death, to her battles with Meiko and Krauser.

"No… I don't believe it," Miranda gasped with her eyes watery, "No… I remember now! You sent me a message to-."

She was shocked and turned to Sara in a stern look.

"YOU! YOU gave me the memories to fight, even though I was a chicken!"

"Oops… I'm guilty," Sara snickered.

"But why?" Miranda asked.

"Because, Papa wanted us to continue the tradition of the Maynard Family!" Sara shouted, "I am a hero of Argos, before you; and you think your decision to be a hero was fate? You were too much of a crybaby!"

Sara started to grow tears from her eyes.

She continued, "Miranda… I wanted you to live on in your tradition of the bloodline, from father, from me, and from your daughter as well! You want me to say that I made you join the battle? Yes, I did! But, if my sister dies, without so much as a successful victory, I could be devastated by all this!"

Miranda was scared by Sara's anger.

"Sara…"

"And here's the worst part: you never wanted to be a hero, because of the many deaths! Here me out! You wanted to be a hero because of me!" Sara sobbed, "But here's a news flash: You saved Argos WITHOUT me! Don't blame me for killing a powerful warlock!"

Sara started to cry.

"WAH! I hate you and your attitude, Miranda!"

Miranda smirked and held onto Sara, who was wailing.

"I guess being a crybaby runs in the family; and I'm the younger sister. Don't cry, Sara. I learned a lot from you. I defeated Meiko for you, I defeated Krauser, only to save my daughter and friends, and I befriended a Japanese person, who visited my home. Harima, Yakumo, Eri, and that guy in the glasses are all great people. Erika, Kandy, Nick, Haruna, Mayu, Mike, Emily, and even Father… they all cared for me and my welfare of being a hero. I didn't understand why I want to avenge you; but when I remembered, I said to myself: "Hey, I wanted to defeat the Sorceress, but I have to prove it and have help like Sara!" Do you think it WAS fate? NO! It wasn't just fate; it was admiration… for you."

Sara calmed down and sniffed, "Miranda…"

Miranda wiped Sara's tears and added, "Right now… I need your help. You've always wanted your hands on Meiko; well, I'll give you the big opportunity. Sara, if I somehow die, you take my body and soul and replace me. But promise me that I must return; I have so much to learn, live, and understand."

Sara smiled… but then frowned.

"Miranda… now I don't understand; why would I do that?"

"Because… Meiko has owned the body of a girl from Japan, with the same wavelengths and measurements as her. URK! I mean, she's not as beautiful as you. I always say that you have a beautiful sunflower blonde."

"Go on…"

"Anyway, if I die, she'll take my soul. So, can you join my body, in the event it happens?"

Sara then asked, "Well… I'll do it; but will you do me a favor?"

"Name it!" Miranda nodded.

XXXXX

"And that's when Miranda decided to summon me," Sara/Miranda continued.

"O-M-G!" Hanai gasped, "She's possessed by a poltergeist!"

"Ack…" Eri yelped, "Sara, I mean, Miranda, was a hero?"

Erika was stunned by Sara/Miranda's story that she was frozen.

"You… little brat," Meiko/Mikoto yelled, "I… I killed both of you! You cannot be alive again! Miranda Maynard is dead! I killed her! I won! I WON!"

"You haven't won at all!" Sara/Miranda shouted, "You still have twenty minutes left! Miranda's soul is in me!"

"What?" Everyone cried.

"You may have killed Miranda, but her soul is with me," she continued, "It was all a very risky gambit. Miranda is still alive."

"BOLLOCKS!" Meiko/Mikoto shouted, "Even in death, her soul is in limbo!"

"HA!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Miranda was doing a favor for god! If we somehow defeat you and stop you from your evil deed, then Miranda returns to life and I return to heaven; how much time is left again?"

Meiko/Mikoto growled, "You're… you're stalling… again… you cannot…"

The night sky began to grow darker with thunder and lightning sounding.

"Sara Maynard! I will never surrender to you!" She shouted, "I will not let you take away my ambition of coming back!"

"You have been around for 500 years!" Sara/Miranda called, "But you cannot stop Maynard Tradition! We Maynards never give up!"

Sara/Miranda then spoke in Miranda's voice, "Whether we are dead or alive, we'll always look after each other!"

She switched back to Sara's voice, "And we have one thing in common: the end of you!"

Harima watched on in confusion, "Okay… is she some sort of alien?"

Yakumo was very astonished by Sara/Miranda. She approached Eri and carried her away.

"Eri, let's go…" She whispered.

Meiko/Mikoto started to grow angry. She clutched her fist and shouted, "YOU BITCHES, I MEAN BITCH! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!"

She launched a powerful knee to her stomach. Sara/Miranda collapsed on one knee. She started to groan and tried to get up.

"20 minutes… it's all I have left," Meiko/Mikoto sneered, "You are wasting my time! If I cannot claim your sister's soul, then I will have to make her body vaporware! Even if I fail to claim her soul, the both of you will perish!"

Sara/Miranda then spoke in Miranda's voice, "Try as you might, but you cannot defeat me with much time left."

"Beg pardon?" Meiko/Mikoto scoffed.

Sara/Miranda said in Sara's voice: "We may have the same wavelengths in battle…"

She continued in Miranda's: "But we never give up in battle."

In Sara's: "Whether I am Sara Maynard…"

In Miranda's: "Or Miranda Maynard…"

In Sara's: "It's all in our blood."

In Miranda's: "The blood of a warrior; a hero; a true champion and protector!"

In Sara's: "And if there is one thing I cannot stand…"

In Miranda's: "Is seeing people like you waste us."

She shouted in both sisters' voices: "YOU WILL PAY, SORCERESS!"

Meiko/Mikoto shrieked. She fired a black fireball at Sara/Miranda; she dodged it.

"Miss me!" Sara/Miranda taunted.

"THAT'S IT!" Meiko/Mikoto cried.

She ripped off some of her clothing and threw it at Sara/Miranda.

"YOU WILL DIE AGAIN!" She shouted.

She held up the middle finger at her and added in anger, "AND THIS IS WHAT I THINK OF YOUR BLOODLINE!"

"Come at me! Fancy a game of "Beat the Clock", Meiko?" Sara/Miranda jeered.

Meiko/Mikoto screamed and charged at Sara/Miranda. They began to fight.

"Harima! Avery!" Hanai cried out, "Let's get out of here!"

"What about Mira?" Erika asked.

"There's no time! Yakumo, Sawachika, and I are all for leaving! I suggest you go, too."

"Lead the way, Four-Eyes!" Harima shouted.

However, Meiko/Mikoto spotted them and halted them with a black energy wall, surrounding them.

"NO, YOU DON'T!" She shouted, "You're ALL witnesses to the death of the Maynard sisters! No one is going anywhere!"

"Blast it!" Erika cried, "She got us in a sticky wicket!"

"Harima, any idea what Avery said?" Hanai asked Harima.

"Beats the hell out of me," Harima responded.

"GOD! You guys are hopeless!" Eri snapped.

Erika then cried, "If Miranda, or Sara, can stall her for time, she'll succeed."

Eri then said in confusion, "Okay, it's go for broke! Miranda will save the day… uh, Sara will save the… no, wait, she'll save her sister's life… no, whose sister was it? Oh, god, I'm so confused!"

Yakumo shook her head and stated, "Miranda and Sara are one; but she's still Miranda."

They watched on as both women, who are possessed by their respective spirits, stared at each other.

"Is that your way of making sure our final battle will end? I must say that was noble of you… for a very evil woman."

"'Very Noble of you' says the girl with two minds who's about to die…" Meiko/Mikoto sneered.

They both charged at each other and brawled.

Who will win: Good or Evil?

The clock is ticking… can Sara and Miranda save Mikoto?

To Be Continued…

"Hey, this is Miranda, or Sara, as you can call me. Well, I finally at my chance Meiko the Sorceress: Scourge of Argos and the pain in my arse since my death! I can't wait to send her back to hell where she belongs! I have to stall her, in order to save not only my sister, but this Mikoto girl. But why and how? Miranda, I'm sorry, but even with help from your friends, I don't think I want to kill her."

Next Chapter: Countdown to Hell

"Don't miss it. Ta!"