Chapter 18: Rise of the Phoenix

A bright spot of light shined far in the distance where Shego lay. She couldn't quiet tell where she was, darkness surrounded her. She felt too weak to stand, but she didn't want to lay in the dark anymore. Where ever that light was coming from it had to be better than where she was now.

She lazily pushed herself up to her hands and knees and began the long crawl toward the spot of light. She felt heavy as she crawled; it seemed her hands began to sink into the dark under her, the farther she went. The closer she got to the spot the more it expanded, but she found it harder and harder to move. With every inch her hands sank deeper until the only part of her body that wasn't engulfed in the thick black underneath her, was her head. She felt herself sinking farther and farther until finally she was once again surrounded by the dark. She felt as though she was moving through tar as she struggled to reach the surface, the light was so close all she needed to do was reach out and tough it. Her hand broke the surface; she clawed her way through until she felt the solid warmth of the light she was so desperately to reach.

She pulled herself up and into the blinding light; as she gasped for air she watched the black tar she pulled herself from leak off of her. As she curled up in the think black puddle around her she hoped for the return of her strength. She felt someone pick her up from the floor; she wrapped her arms around whoever was carrying her. She could hear them whispering to her but the words were almost inaudible. She strained to hear the words but only hear the last few sentences.

"Come away, O human child. To the waters and the wild with a fairy, hand in hand, for the world's more full of weeping than you can understand."

She loosened her grip on the person holding her. Trying to voice her protest but her pleas fell on deaf ears. She wasn't ready to die just yet. She curled herself tighter in her captive's arms and whispered her protests to the Ruby lion still perched on her finger. She was suddenly released, she slowly fell; past the ground her capture stood on through the light and over the darkness.

As she fell she became aware of the air around her as it began to heat up. Fire danced around her and swayed as they turned from red to orange, black to yellow. Everything was hot and smoky; she was the flames that licked that the star filled sky above her. She sat up and looked around her. She was relieved to be back on earth but she had no idea where she was. She stood up unaware of the audience gathered around the burning structure she had been placed on. They gasped and pointed as she leapt down and walked through the clearing that was slowly being made for her. Her audience now looked up at her with tear filled eyes in awe of her. As she passed; unaware of the flames that surrounded her were slowly dying out and leaving a faint glow on her skin. They bowed down to her, murmuring prayers and blessings as she walked by. She paid no attention to them but searched for a familiar face in the crowd.

She felt a painful sting in the pit of her stomach when she did not see Kim in the crowd. She spotted Ariel kneeling at her feet and placed a shaky hand on her shoulder. Without a word Ariel stood and beckoned her away from the crowd.

When they were far enough from the crowd Ariel gave Shego a quick embrace before removing her cloak and throwing it around Shego's shoulders. "You don't have time. The general and the queen were captured in the forest. I suspect it has something to do with whoever killed you, take my horse and retrieve the queen and the general before the second battle at dawn."

Shego didn't have time to focus on what had happened but only followed Ariel to her horse. They slipped between the shadows to the gates where Ariel gave Shego her sword and bow. She wished her luck as the gates opened. Shego raced out through the gates and down the path still trying to make sense of what had happened.

(AN: Sorry this one is so short but I've been working on this chapter for some time now and it's just hard to follow the first part up with anything really.)