Thanks to: Meg (who seems to like Riven's arse... or have I read that wrong?) and Spongey for their kind reviews, and for their new, slightly faster server for us Euro-types..
Random Quote: Henrietta we got no flowers for you, Just these three miserable cts sitting on the back seat (the opening lines to 'Henrietta', by The Fratellis)
Prince Phobos sat quietly alone in his throne room, his eyes closed as he pondered his next move. His plan to split up the Guardians had only been a partial success - without their leader, the remaining girls would be weaker but still no pushovers... but that wasn't his most pressing concern right now. He was the supreme ruler of Meridian, monarch of everything and everyone... well, not quite everyone, for a small but increasingly strong band of underground rebels had just emerged, threatening to break the peace and harmony that his absolute rule would otherwise bring to this world.
And that was what annoyed him so much.
In his arrogance he just couldn't understand it - why weren't these rebels content? Why wouldn't anyone be content under his glorious rule? Why would anyone want to break his total grip on his realm? Why would anyone want to deny his total majesty? How could anyone, least of all these disgusting lowlife peasants, dare to stand up to him?
How dare they? How dare they? HOW DARE...
His silent raging was interrupted as he became aware of somebody in his prescence. Some-BODIES, to be precise. And what's more, they were in his prescence without his express permission.
"Who dares to disturb my meditations?" he demanded, all the while keeping his eyes closed.
"Hmmph! Judging by your outfit, I'd say you were disturbed before we even got here!"
"WHAT?!" he snapped, his eyes now open wide in anger. He glared at the three young witches who stood cockily before him. "How dare you insult me!"
Icy smirked as she replied. "We dare because we can!"
Phobos' face darkened as he drew himself up. "Don't you realise who you're addressing?"
"We're perfectly aware of who you are," Darcy responded, "And that's why we're here - you have something we want."
"Really? And what would that be?"
"Your power."
"My power?!" Phobos replied, laughing hard at this sheer insolence. "You think I'm going to share Meridian with you just because you demand it?"
"Not THAT kind of power. We don't want your poxy little planet, just your powers!" Stormy yelled impatiently. "And whether you like it or not, we're gonna take 'em from you!"
"Really? Well, let's just see what my guards have to say about this!" he said, motioning towards the large oak door standing at the entrance to this room.
"I don't think so." said Icy with a wave of her hand. In an instant, the door and windows were blocked up with thick formations of ice, adding a distinct chill and an eery blue tinge to the chamber. "There, now nobody will disturb us. Let's see... where were we?"
"I do believe we were about to give this guy a good shoeing and take his powers." Darcy answered.
"You will NOT!" he roared as he suddenly unleashed a massive barrage of magical energy on the three girls, slamming Darcy hard into a nearby wall and knocking the others off their feet. Icy and Stormy quickly picked themselves up, cursing that they had been caught off-guard so easily.
"So, it looks like this guy means business... fine by me!" Stormy yelled as she fired off a volley of lightning bolts. Phobos didn't look in the least bit worried though as he raised his left hand, blocking them effortlessly with a sly smile on his face.
"I wonder how well you grin when you're frozen!" Icy growled as she launched her trademark Ice Coffin attack.
Again, the prince didn't flinch, but raised his right hand. He smiled with a smug sense of self-satisfaction as the bolt exploded off him in a shower of icy shards.
"Impossible! No-one has ever blocked my Ice Coffin before!"
"Is this really the best you have?" he gloated, revelling in the shock and disbelief of his opponents. "The way you were talking to me just now, I was thinking you'd be some sort of challenge, but alas it seems I was mistaken. Now I present to you a choice - either I allow you to walk away now, or you can remain here and be crushed by the hand of the all-powerful Prince Phobos. What will it be?"
"I pick choice number three - SHUT THE HELL UP!!" Darcy shouted defiantly as she hit him hard from behind with a dark fireball. He staggered momentarily before quickly regaining his composure, chuckling threateningly.
"Very well - if you're so eager to meet your end here today, so be it. But I won't be merciful and grant you a quick end... instead you will suffer a death by a thousand cuts!"
Phobos raised his hands slowly by his sides, and as he did so a sinister-looking armoury of ghostly daggers materialised behind him, all of them pointing in the witches' direction. With a flourish, he flung his hands in the witches' direction and the arsenal of gleaming blades shot off, bearing down on the Trix at lightning speed. However, Icy wasn't in the least bit worried - as cool as an ice witch should be, she threw up a frozen barrier and watched on as the knives bounced off harmlessly and vanished into thin air.
"Hmph! Well two can play at that game. Ready girls?"
Stormy nodded with a glint in her eye. As she raised her hands in the air, a strong gust of wind could be felt as currents of air started to swirl in from the four corners of the room, quickly getting stronger and stronger until a pair of tornados suddenly formed in front of them, standing tall and upright like an ominous pair of pillars, sucking up the chips of ice and other debris that had been thrown up in the battle so far.
"Now to give these babies a little boost!" said Darcy as she focused her attentions on the twin twisters. The tornadoes darkened, becoming stronger with each passing second and giving off an intense purple glow as her own dark vortexes became infused with them.
"And now to add the finishing touches!" Icy added, drawing in all her strength before letting loose a huge hail of ice darts into the middle of the two cyclones. The vicious spikes span around and around, absorbing the dark magic contained within the storm until shooting out the other end, their speed and strength greatly magnified.
Taken aback, Prince Phobos fired off bolts of his own, attempting to shoot the deadly darts down in mid-air, but it was no use - their sheer number and speed was simply too much and they easily broke through his defences, strafing him mercilessly, leaving him bleeding heavily with large rips in his robes and skin. He winced in pain as he picked himself up, gingerly putting his hand up to his right shoulder and snapping off a large ice dart that had embedded itself there.
"So, 'your highness'... where's this death by a thousand cuts you promised us?" Icy gloated.
"Just surrender now and give us what we want!" Stormy yelled, raising her fist.
But the prince wasn't in the mood for surrendering. Far from it in fact, as the witches were about to find out. They looked around in astonishment as the normally dull-grey stone walls took on a faint green glow, and their victorious laughter was replaced by the prince's quiet, sinister chuckle.
"You pathetic little girls - did you really think I could be defeated by a few icicles? Did you really think you could defeat me here?"
"Oh mark my words, we WILL beat you here," Icy replied. "Yes, and we'll have great fun in shutting your mouth up for good while we're at it!"
Phobos tutted and shook his head as the glow from the walls grew brighter and a slight rumbling could be felt through the solid stone floor. "Is that really what you think? Then it's about time you witnessed the terrifying true power of Prince Phobos!"
At that cue, immense bolts of green lightning shot from the walls, bathing Prince Phobos in their energy and healing his wounds before their eyes. His maniacal laughter rang out through the chamber, echoing around the castle and sending a shudder of fear through all those of his subjects who heard it - a shudder of fear, for they knew what was coming...