AN/ Just quickly like to thank my almost in tears reviewer and of course my scuttling one... THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS GUYS! *notices glare from readers* fine, I'll let you get on with the story, hope you enjoy! *crosses fingers and scuttles off stage*

There was something wrong – Dr Darkcauldron could sense it. What was it, what had been playing on his mind? Maybe it was a sign telling him that, asides the obvious all was not well at the academy. What if something had happened after he had left? With a long drawn out sigh, Dr Darkcauldron placed his fine tea cup onto its saucer and gently put it down on the side of his cluttered table. Lifting himself out of his burgundy red cushioned armchair, he made his way across the front room, being careful not to tread on any of the papers or equipment which took over the majority of his floor Dr Darkcauldron picked up his berry patterned doctors bag and took a final glimpse at his floor. If it wasn't for the odd little specs of cream poking through the endless mounds of prescription paper he would have completely forgotten whether he owned a wooden floor or a carpeted one. With yet another sigh – a shorter one this time he took hold of his Wizard staff with the blue flashing light at the end and materialised to the gate of the academy. Imogen came darting out of the gate, barely noticing the doctor standing there as she hurried past, Imogen looked back to where Dr Darkcauldron was standing.

"Oh, Dr Darkcauldron, I thought that I saw you there, thank heavens you are here, there's something wrong with Miss Hardbroom, hurry! She has no pulse!"

"Where is she?" Dr Dark cauldron asked concerned.

Imogen signalled for him to follow so he did, as they run around the halls of the academy Dr Darkcauldron began to notice just how fit a person would have to be to do this daily.

"In here," Imogen said undoing the door to let the doctor in. As soon as he had entered the room Dr Darkcauldron knew instinctively that there was something wrong; his stomach was beginning to loop its self into butterfly knots and his throat tightened to the point of suffocation as soon as he had seen the paled complexion of the motionless body sitting, slouched in the armchair.

"Dr Darkcauldron, good, you're here," Amelia began before she was completely ignored and was pushed aside as the doctor hurried past. Kneeling quickly down besides Constance he pulled out the stethoscope and placed it on Miss Hardbroom's chest. He swore inwardly as he heard no heart beat and removed the stethoscope from her skin; his face was solemn as he turned to Amelia. "She has had the Carixula for too long, it's shutting down her system as we speak. I have never known the illness to act quite like this though – usually, the Carixula will shut down the nervous system to your brain which will prevent you from thinking and moving, this, however, seems to be doing things vice-versa. Even though her heart has stopped and her pulse has disappeared, she is still alive; she is still able to think, still able to hear."

Amelia was in tears – why couldn't it have happened to her?

Her deputy was almost dead, and most certainly dying; and there was nothing she could do to stop it, no help or kind words that she could offer would possibly help in this situation. Despite what the doctor was saying – in the long run Amelia would have preferred her deputy's mind to go first; she would have preferred the part of Constance that made her who she was to have gone before the heart – maybe this would have spared her the pain and humiliation that she would be going through at this moment.

It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain

The Shadows and whatever was lurking in them would be coming to take their victim, the persons greatest fear would come out of the darkness and ensnare the poor woman like a fawn in a bramble bush, Amelia Knew it, Dr Darkcauldron knew it. The Carixula would be the cause of death, the shadows and the fear would simply be the passage, after all, can thins which we cannot see, feel or hear harm us? Fear can, fear twists our minds and beliefs and it is such fear which will sneak out of the shadows; bringing an end to all that was, little do people realise – the greatest fear is fear its self.

And your boat waits down by the quay

"How long has she got left doctor?" Amelia asked, hardly able breathe let alone speak.

"I honestly don't know, it depends on the strength of the illness, Carixula is a strange thing, you can never be sure. It's getting dark, the chances are – she won't make it to the morning." This was the hardest part of Dr Darkcauldron's job – telling a mother that there was nothing he could do to save their child. "She'll be at peace," the doctor said glumly, looking down the whole time; it wasn't this woman's time to go, she was far too young.

As Dr Darkcauldron left the small room Amelia whispered under her breath without even realising,

"she'll never be at peace, the wounds of her past were never healed, she will always be here, be my deputy," the door clicked shut leaving a teary eyed Amelia left standing alone in the room where Constance lay. "My daughter."

The winds of night so softly are sighing

All of Constance's troubles had been building up over the years, had been adding to the unsettled pool of unsolved problems, untreated wounds of sadness – the damn holding the river in place was finally broken the spirit was finally gone and, like all rivers it ended its course far out in the ocean... far away.

Soon they will fly your troubles to the sea


The final chapter is up next... trust a little Fairy when she says... not all is as it seems :D hope you enjoyed *casually prods review button with hope*