First thing i'd like to say today: Happy birthday Lulu Bee! Ok everyone, she's my bestest friend and she posted on my birthday so i'm returning the favour. Go read her stories if you want to make her feel loved! :D

Next thing: This is it. This is the end of this story. Thank you a million times to Lulu Bee, Moment4Life and Ax, and MISSxMAGIC for your reviews and stuff. They made me smile. And thanks to anyone else who has read this at any point along the way, you make me feel so loved!

Ok, that's all I really have to say. Enjoy the ending, I enjoyed writing it. This whole thing's been fun! Love you all xxx

Chapter 23-

I don't know how long I sat there for, half listening to the muffled sounds of the battle still going on outside my hiding place and generally feeling sorry for myself. I knew that I should really get back out there, but I couldn't seem to move my legs and there was a gnawing emptiness inside me. That was a black moment for me; I was very nearly beaten, considering admitting surrender. Even if we succeeded here, nothing could go back to how it was. We couldn't even pretend.

I began to panic as I heard a tapping and scraping outside. I leapt to my feet, fearing a demon attack and bashed my head off the low ceiling. It really hurt. The noise stopped and I prayed that they'd given up and gone home. No such luck. Water started dripping on my head, and seconds later Grace was next to me. She'd melted through the ice cave and I'd sealed it up behind her.

"Blair. What are you doing in here?"

"Ed..." I couldn't finish the sentence.

"I know, I know." Grace had clearly been crying too. "I can't believe she's gone."

"Me neither"

We sat together with our arms around each other trying to be strong.

"Grace. I don't want to fight any more," I whispered.

"Blair." her voice stopped being tearful. "What would Ed say to that? We cannot give up the fight just because she is gone. Ed would never give up like this and neither will we. Look at it like this; it's sad that she's gone and we can be sad, but she would hate that."

I smiled remembering the day that she had told us that on no account were we allowed to wear black to her funeral. Also, she wanted party rock anthem played and 'Well, this sucks' written on her gravestone.

Grace continued, "Or we can be happy that we knew her and had such an epic friend and remember all the good things. We need to get out there and save the world for Ed!"

So Grace hadn't changed the way things were, but she'd pulled me out of my hole and I wanted revenge on the people responsible for killing my best friend.

I stood up again, being careful of the low roof/ceiling this time and sent the ice cave crashing to the ground around us. As soon as I had the space, I shot up into my giant form and smashed up a load of demons who were looking especially gleeful. It felt good.

After letting them have it, I looked back at Grace. She seemed to be having a vision and so couldn't see the demon with a sword coming up behind her. I dealt with it and grabbed hold of Grace who was looking slightly wobbly.

"What did you see?" I asked.

"I've been getting flashes since the battle started of what could have been our plan B..." she sighed, flinging a fireball at some demons, causing then to scatter and leave us alone.

"Wait. Could have been? What is it and what happened?"

"I don't know exactly. I'm only seeing flashes and I haven't put all the pieces together yet. But I do know this; it needed all 6 of us with our powers to work and now there are only 5 I don't think it will. We should keep fighting for now and ill see if the visions get clearer. Who knows maybe we can win."

So we kept on fighting the uncountable demon forces of chaos.

Chapter 24-

Death-eater guy (I refuse to call him Lord of Chaos) wasn't really getting his hands dirty. He appeared to be commanding the demon army and he opened a 3rd crack between the worlds letting even more goddamned demons through, but other than that he was just enjoying the show. Hallie and Jestein kept trying to attack him but he kept blocking their attacks.

It dawned on me then that, he was the one who wanted this fight; the demons were obeying him. Maybe if we picked him off they would stop.

I had a sort of plan, but it would require a little help.

I looked around, trying to catch Annie's eye. When I did I thought my idea at her and hoped that she'd pick up on what I wanted to do and tell the others.

"Message delivered boss," Annie's voice was back in my head. "But you're going to have to go find Hope."

"What do you mean?" I thought back.

"Well she was caught up in the explosion that kil-, you know... And she's lying injured on the field somewhere but she's invisible so she doesn't get attacked."

"Oh for god's sake. Where is she?"

"I dunno..."

"Thanks for the help Annie."

"No problem!" she said, not detecting my note of sarcasm. "By the way, do y-"

"Annie. Get out of my head!" I snapped.

"Ok, ok. I'm going. All systems go. As soon as you find Hope..."

I took a step backwards, beginning my search and nearly tripped over something big. I looked to see what it was but there was nothing there. At least there didn't seem to be, until I heard a moan. That was a lot easier than I had thought it would be.

"Hope?" I called, praying that it was actually her. It was. She made her face visible and gave a watery smile. "You do realise that I have to be able to see you to heal you right?" I asked.

Hope nodded. "I'm keeping my eyes shut however," she said. "I'm not good with gore and I have a feeling its pretty bad." What about me? I wasn't keen on gore either!

She reappeared fully and I let out a low whistle. She was right. It was bad. The entire right side of her body was covered in really bad burns. It looked excruciatingly painful, but Hope was putting on an amazingly brave face. Of course it was healed in a snap and she scooted off to join my plan.

I looked over to Jestein, who was trying to launch another attack on death-eater guy. She ran at him, but he simply raised a hand and sent her flying through the air.

"Want to switch?" I called.

She looked at me with disbelief, as if I was asking for a suicide mission which granted there was a chance that I was. "Are you sure?" she exclaimed.

I nodded, and something about the look on my face must have convinced her as she stepped aside and went to chop up some demons. I marched up to death-eater guy. He caught sight of me almost straight away.

"Ah, Blair," his condescending tone really pissed me off. "Having fun, are we?"

"What the hell do you think?" I spat.

"Yes. Well, I assume you didn't just come over here for a casual chat. I imagine you're going to try and launch a little attack on me, but I highly doubt you'll succeed. Especially seeing how your two friends over there have yet to actually hit me. I'm sorely tempted just to kill you now and save you the bother."

"But," I replied, my brain beginning to work. "If we die, the prophecy is fulfilled and you get sent right back to where you started!"

"Not quite," he sneered. "It doesn't work if we kill you. It only works if you give yourselves up; die at your own hands. And all of you have to do that, so I'm afraid that seeing as vie already finished off Edwina, you don't even have that option."

He was joking; he had to be just messing with my head. And bringing up Ed, that was low. Unfortunately he kept on talking:

"Enough chitchat. You came here for a reason. What is it?"

"To take you down."

"Alone?" he sounded amused. "God, even I didn't think you were that stupid."

I gave an amused smile back. During his little speech Abby and Hope had materialised either side of me and Annie and Grace had just walked round the back without him noticing. We had him surrounded. Tying to sound sweet and innocent I asked, "Who said that I was alone?"

He spun around, taking in this new turn of events and swore under his breath. "Perhaps I underestimated you," He sighed.

"Too right you did!" laughed Abby.

"Or maybe not." his hand shot out at lightning speed and coils of the red chaos smoke pinned Abby to the ground.

As she struggled to get out of it Grace screamed, "Let her go!" and sent a fireball flying towards the back of his head. He didn't turn quickly enough and it hit the target, burning away the cord that tied his stupid mask on. He put the flames out somehow, but it was too late. The mask fell to the ground and we finally saw the face of the Lord of Chaos.

I think it's safe to say that it was not what I expecting. In fact, so little was I expecting what happened I think my chin hit the floor. I knew the face behind the mask, which explains how I recognised the voice, and what's more I really wanted to smack it. Again.

That's right, it was Mr Jameson. He was the evil mastermind behind all our problems.

"You! You..." I spluttered.

"Yes it's me," he gave an evil grin.

"But why?" I demanded. "You were on the good side, and you betrayed us. You know, I used to think you were a cool teacher but now I just think you're sad."

"If you must know Blair, it's nothing personal. I've been double crossing the 'good side' for generations. It's so much more rewarding this way. However I think the time for talking's over now. As soon as you girls are out of the way the mortal realm will be ours!"

And he gave a maniacal laugh, a good one too. Mr Jameson kept laughing as he conjured up more chaos smoke and forced all 5 of us down. This was a much stronger variety; I was in agony, my life force practically being wrenched out of me. I screamed and screamed and I know that I wasn't the only one. It was so horrendous that words cannot describe the pain.

Then the world began to blur and I swear I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, but I never made it there (and no, it's not because I wound up in Everlost). I was brought back by a voice, and the pain stopped and I was able to sit up.

The voice was shouting, "Oh my God Dennis. Fuck off and die in a hole, you retarded creep!"

So great was his shock, that Mr Jameson dropped the chaos magic and spun round. But he wasn't quick enough, as before he could turn to see his new attacker, he was struck down by brilliant white lightning and fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. I have to admit, I was pretty shocked, stunned and amazed as well. Even more shocked than when Mr Jameson had been revealed moments earlier. But this was a good surprise. Better than good. Amazing!

I clambered to my feet, weakened by the effects of the chaos smoke as did all the others. And we ran over and enveloped her in a massive group hug. By some form of a miracle she was back from beyond. I started crying for her all over again, but this time it was tears of pure happiness. I had no clue how it was even possible but she was back from the dead. Ed was alive!

Chapter 25-

"How?" I gasped, hugging her super tightly.

"Can't breathe. You're strangling me!"

"Oops, sorry!" I loosened my grip slightly. "But seriously, how are you back from the dead?"

"Its simple chums," she declared. "It's because I didn't die."

I wasn't the only one who was confused by that.

"Wha?" cried Annie.

"I was there, I saw you die," said Hope.

"We all saw your charred and mangled corpse," said Abby.

"Ah, but you didn't." Ed was being annoyingly enigmatic. "Allow me to demonstrate my latest party trick."

She began to morph like when she shape shifted, but instead of becoming an animal she became two Eds. The copy then turned into a tiger and ran off to shred some demon butt.

The real Ed grinned, "So you see it was my not-so-evil twin that died and I had absolutely everyone fooled!"

It was a little weird to get my head round, but I think I did. I was just glad my best friend and facebook sister wasn't dead. I saw Hallie running over. She pointed at Mr Jameson lying on the ground and stared at Ed.

"Did you just kill him?" she demanded.

He gave a little moan.

"Nope!" grinned Ed. "But he's going to be out of it for a while."

"Great!" Hallie grinned back. She pulled a thick gold chain out of thin air and began tying up Mr Jameson. "He has a lot to answer for back home. I think he'll be locked up for life, which is a pretty long time when you're immortal." She looked over her shoulder. "Hey it looks like some of demons are starting to disperse! It could be nearly over."

Then there was a distant rumble of thunder and the ground began to shake and started to crack up.

"Or not."

"What is it?" I asked Hallie. "I thought the demons were going."

"Some of them are, bit they're only lesser demons," she replied. "There are worse things in the depths of chaos."

"No shit..." I muttered.

"Hey guys!" shouted Grace. "Let's not hang around to find out what's worse. The pieces have all fit together and I think I know how to end this. Come on!"

She whispered something to Abby, who beckoned us all over. We were teleporting somewhere. Where, I had no idea. Just as we were disappearing a giant blood-red tentacle snaked out of a crack in the ground and wrapped around her leg. She screamed but It was too late to stop so we teleported anyway.

We arrived on the main corridor of school, and it was silent as the grave. Time was still frozen and from where we were we could no longer hear the sounds of the battle. It was creepy.

The tentacle on Abby's leg had been cut off and was dripping thick black blood all over the floor. At least whatever the tentacle had been attached to had been left behind. She ripped it off her leg and grimaced in pain; red sucker marks were left all up her leg, but they were gone in a second thanks to me.

"Who'd have ever thought that splinching would come in useful?" said Hope, remembering the last time we'd had a splinching incident.

"Guys, we need to keep moving," called Grace, who was already half way down the corridor. "We don't have much time. If those bad things get though, there's no telling what will happen. But whatever it is, we won't be able to stop it. Come on, we need to get to the chaos gateway!"

We ran down the corridor to room 4, our echoing footsteps the only sound in the entire school. Thankfully when we reached room 4 it was empty so we had no problem getting into the cupboard and shutting the door.

"What now?" I asked Grace, who was the only person who had any idea what the hell was going to happen next.

"I ask you whether you want to go through with this," she replied.

"Why? What do we have to do?"

"Use every ounce of our powers to seal that gateway shut and make sure nothing can get in or out ever again."

"Ok!"

"Wait, I don't think I explained properly. If we do this, we give up our powers. For good. Everything will go back to how it was before. But it fulfils the end of the prophecy. By losing our guardian powers we can win the battle and sacrificing them to seal the gateway will save the world from falling to chaos. I'm not 100% happy with it, but it's our better option. Besides, a boring and non-magical existence is better no existence at all. I think the fate of the world outweighs everything here, really."

"What was the other option again?" asked Ed.

"We kill ourselves."

"Ok. I vote for Grace's new plan. Even if I will miss my lightning powers..."

"So do I," said Hope.

"Me too."

"And me!"

"Count me in."

"Looks like we're all agreed," I told Grace. "Now what do we have to do?"

"Give me your swords," she said. "We need them to channel the energy."

She then arranged them in a circle on the floor so that opposite forces were opposite each other. I had never noticed until that point that those pairs of opposite powers matched our pairs for best friends. I mean the 6 of us are best friends, but we each have a best best friend for when you have to pair up or can only invite one friend. There's Grace and me (fire and water), Annie and Abby (earth and air) and Hope and Ed (darkness and light).

Anywho, back to the story! Then Grace traced the symbol for the portal that was on the wall in the dust on the floor in the centre of the circle.

"Hold on," Annie had thought of a problem. "What about all the demons that are already out of the gateway? Do they get sucked back through the portal? Do we have to go back out there and kill them off? What?"

"Um... I don't know," sighed Grace. "I haven't seen that specific detail, but I know what we need to do ourselves, so can we please just stick to that?"

Nobody said anything.

"Good. Now we need to make a circle. Hold hands and put your right foot at the hilt of your sword."

We did what she asked and when we were all in place Grace took up a chant in the same ancient language that she had used to close the portal the last time we had been in the cupboard; only the previous night if that was at all possible. It felt like an eternity ago.

The rest of us stood there a bit awkwardly, unsure of what it was that we were actually meant to be doing. That is until it happened. I took up Grace's chant too. I had no clue what I was saying but it felt right. Call it what you want; fate, destiny, whatever. I knew in that instant that I was fulfilling whatever it was I was meant to do and that I was going to know exactly what to do when the time came. I think that the others had a similar experience there, because soon we were all chanting and the energy was building up and building up inside us, waiting to be released.

I had been secretly hoping for a while that our 'magical adventure' was going to end in some kind of seriously epic climax (fantasy nerd at work again, I know...). It looked like the time had come.

The symbol at the centre of our circle began to glow with a pulsing red light and we stopped our chant. Then we took a deep breath and let all the built up energy go.

It surged around the circle filling each of us. It was exhilarating; I held so much power in that instant, it was like nothing else. But it wasn't over yet. I channelled all the pure energy down my sword and focused all the power and energy I could muster on sealing the gateway. I had no idea that there was so much!

I carried on forcing all my power out. A blue haze had settled around me, and a different colour around my friends. I had no idea what this meant, but again it felt right. I don't know much time passed like that, but just as I was beginning to wonder how much more energy I had to channel, a bolt of pure energy shot upwards from the centre of the circle, completely obliterating the symbol that was there. A kind of shock wave of energy also radiated from the centre of the circle, travelling out and out and out, but leaving everything undamaged. I knew that it had destroyed what was left of the demons. I also felt a searing pain across the back of my hand. When I looked, it had left an intricately drawn design there. It sort of looked like it had been drawn with biro, but I knew that it wasn't.

I then realised that the vast amounts of energy had stopped flowing around our circle. The magical haze had gone too. The heat from the energy bolt had melted our swords into the floor, so we couldn't continue. But maybe we didn't need to. The gateway symbol had almost completely faded from the wall. Which must have meant we had succeeded.

"Did it work?" whispered Hope.

Abby opened her eyes. "I think it must have," she replied. "I tried to teleport outside to see, but nothing happened."

Each of us tried to use some magic, but our powers were well and truly gone. I felt different without them. Weaker, drained, as if some part of me was missing. Was this how I'd always felt before? I didn't know. Before seemed so long ago, but really it wasn't more than 6 months.

Hallie and Jestein then materialised in the cupboard. It was a little squished now, but they still squeezed us into a massive group hug.

"You guys did it!" squealed Jestein. "It was amazing! There was this bolt of energy and all the cracks just closed up, and then all the demons just disintegrated. Poof!"

"We lost our powers and our swords," said Grace. "But the prophecy is complete."

We got another hug.

"Wow..." breathed Hallie. There wasn't really anything else to say. I stifled a yawn. I hadn't realised how tired I was, after everything that had happened that day.

Hallie noticed my yawn. "You need to get some rest. We'll handle everything. Get it all back to normal."

I was grateful as I sank to the floor. As I blacked out, I gave a sad smile. It was finally over.

The Last Chapter- A week later

It was Saturday morning and we were heading up to the roof. Everything really was back to normal. We came around in physics, time exactly where it left off. You could almost pretend that the whole thing had never happened. Life was back to the mundane and boring. School was just school and bitches were still bitches.

But it did happen. We had the battle scars and bruises to prove it, and we each have the weird mark on the back of our hand which is definitely not biro. The school field was still wrecked. Hallie and Jestein may have forgotten to fix it when they removed all the other traces of what happened. The school were blaming the weather. What kind of weather does that? Although, they wouldn't believe that it was the result of an epic magical battle if we had told them.

Near the top of the stairs, Grace turned around. "Do you remember the last time we were up here?" she asked with a smile

"Christmas," I answered.

"With the snow!" added Annie. We had so many memories of all the fun things that had happened, as well as the not so fun. But I refused to dwell on those.

We came out into bright sunshine on the roof, and couldn't believe what happened next. Hallie and Jestein were sitting on the grass that was still on the roof.

"Hi!" called Jestein.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked.

"Well you're still the guardians and we're still your protectors," she explained.

"But, we don't have powers anymore."

"And?" said Hallie. "I once told you that a day would come when you would return to normality. And it has. I also told you that there will always be traces of your power because of the magic in the very core of your being that nobody can take away from you. You also have the guardians' mark, which you wouldn't have otherwise."

So that's what the thing on the back of my hand was...

"But since your main powers are gone," continued Jestein. "You're going to need these." she handed each of us a new sword; identical to the ones that were destroyed.

"But I thought that all the demons were either sealed in or destroyed," Annie chipped in.

"Not quite. There are still the frite demons that can triverse realms. You might see one occasionally."

I looked at my 5 best friends and we all grinned at each other. We'd thought that it was all over, but it wasn't. It was just a whole new beginning.