Chapter 18 - Kerrin's True Intentions

"Kerrin's realm." Meira breathed. Stella glanced at the light fairy, taking in the look of absolute wonder and realization reflected on her flawless face. "I should have known. It makes sense. The dark is so deep, so mysterious, so unknown… of course Chaos' Dais would be hidden there. And none of us have ever ventured into the realm, save for Kerrin."

"Makes one wonder if she ever knew…" Eilian mumbled furiously. The gray fairy's simple beauty was marred by her sudden, dark expression. "And I'd been searching for so long. No wonder she always mocked me for trying to find the Dais. She must've known all along. She had the answers I sought…"

"Our answers lurk in the darkness…" Stella dryly mused, mindlessly fingering the Ring of Solaris on her finger. She shook her head to focus herself. "So we travel to Kerrin's realm." she said solemnly, breaking into the tense moment that had followed the revelation the Eternal Fairies had revealed. Her mind went back to the words Eilian had said minutes before. "Deeply rooted in Erebus…" She wrinkled her nose slightly at the sound of the name. For some odd reason the name made her powers tingle the slightest. "Why do you make it sound like it's impossible?"

"It's not impossible." Aetheria shook her head. "But if you recall Kerrin hasn't been very helpful or supportive when it comes to our mission. She fears the gods' wrath far more than she respects us enough to help. And we can't blame her…"

"Well, she can't just go kicking us out of her realm!" Layla proclaimed loudly, clenching her fists. Then she paused and looked at Meira. "Can she?"

Meira didn't say anything. She looked past Layla and stared off into the distance. Eilian eyed her nervously before she answered Layla's question. "She can. It's her realm. The unknowns of darkness are her charges, charges allotted to her by the great Erebus himself. She can deny us entrance if she feels it will be a threat to the aspects she swore to protect."

"But she won't be able to stop Diaspro…" Stella said suddenly, the thought dawning on her as she recalled how Diaspro fell into the shadows. "Her powers… they've changed. I can feel it every time we face her. They're so dark…" She turned to Sky. "You saw her enter the realm of darkness. That's how she and Baltor have been getting around so fast. Kerrin hasn't bothered to keep her out of the darkness at all!" Stella turned on Meira. "Whose side is Kerrin on!?"

"Calm yourself, Stella." Meira said quietly, her hand raised to indicate that Stella should cease her rant. She focused her gaze on Stella then, bright eyes knowing and confident. "Kerrin didn't allow Diaspro to do anything. Hecate did."

"Is she another Eternal Fairy? How many of you are there?" Tecna asked.

"There are only four of us Eternal fairies. She's not one of us." Meira stated. She gave Tecna an undaunted look, sounding sagely and all-knowing as she spoke. "Hecate's a goddess. The witch goddess. The magic goddess. The moon goddess. The crossroads goddess. She holds many forms and plays many roles." A pensiveness clouded her expression. "I'm thinking she's playing the role of crossroads keeper now. She's led all of us to a crossroads, where a number of different fates and destinies lie before us. It appears as though she's specifically been leading Diaspro. But I don't believe she's gifted Diaspro so out of spite for you or us."

"Hecate's always been a trickster goddess!" Eilian snapped angrily. It was obvious she didn't like the so-called goddess all too well. "I sometimes wish the gods would just deal with her already. She does nothing but cause trouble and grief with her sorcery and poisons."

"Easy, Eilian." Aetheria muttered, casting an anxious glance toward the sky. "Zeus is going to have to respond to your blasphemy sooner or later."

"Enough with the useless pondering about this annoying goddess." Stella stated, exasperated with the time that was being wasted. "Memories of Bloom are fading fast." She bit her lip and tears filled her eyes. "I can't remember how she and I even met. We need to get moving or else our universe is left at the mercy of an unraveling chain of events. If Kerrin wants to fight us once we enter her realm, so be it. I'm not afraid of her."

Eilian snorted. "Please… Solarians have always had a phobia of the dark."

Stella shivered, but didn't deny Eilian's comment. "Yeah… well whatever! My best friend needs me. My realm needs me. The fate of the present universe is currently in the hands of a couple of our worst enemies. I'll just have to overcome the darkness with a little light and determination. So…" Stella tossed back her head and met Eilian's look of amusement with her own look of sheer will, "… how do we get into Kerrin's realm?"

Eilian frowned then and looked away, a slight look of embarrassment overcoming her amusement. "Actually I don't know. I've never entered Kerrin's realm before. She glanced at Aetheria, who shook her head. "And neither has Aetheria. So I guess we've got no way of getting in…"

"I'll take you." Meira said quietly.

The whole group turned their attentions back on Meira. "What?" Eilian said, sounding more shocked than questioning. "You can get into Kerrin's realm? But you're a fairy of light!"

Meira's mouth quirked up into a wry smile. "And? I'm also the oldest of the Eternal Fairies. I was the first of us. The gods entrusted me with a lot more information than the rest of you. I've been to each and every one of your realms; granted I haven't explored them completely. But light does meet the darkness you know." She turned from them, her gaze landing on the ground where the shadows of the temple ruins gave way to the light. "The line where a shadow ends and light begins… I can cross it."

"Not in a quiet, peaceful manner. Not in a manner that could possibly safe. When light and darkness meet… your energies will be meeting your counterparts'. You'll be fighting through Kerrin's barriers." Aetheria whispered, fear crossing her delicate features. "Are you sure about this, Meira?"

Without a word, Meira held out her fist before her and quickly yanked down. As she did so a strand of light came into being, falling limp in her hand. Stella recognized the strand resembled a whip. Meira turned back toward the group of fairies and Specialists. She gave them a nervous smile, "Prepare yourselves." Then she snapped the whip of light and the group was thrust into total chaos.

As soon as Diaspro had escaped from Domino via the shadow network, she rushed to Baltor and told him where they were headed. Erebus was their destination; it held their goal. The fact it had always been within her reach was frustrating of course, but at least she could get them there and end the course her life had taken. Together, she and Baltor delved deeper into the darkness… only to be pulled from their path by an unexpected person.

"This is my realm! I will not grant you passage to Erebus!" Kerrin cried out as she summoned her black blade and threw herself into a parry with Baltor. Diaspro watched from afar as Baltor expertly handled the dark fairy's vicious attacks, fiery magic blade in hand. She had to admit his skill was impressive, but at the same time it was disconcerting. He moved almost too well, wielded the weapon with unreal skill. She almost pitied Kerrin for attempting to face him. "Tenebrous strike!" Kerrin screamed, finally resorting to magic. The shadows playing on the walls of Kerrin's cavern seemed to come to life and leaped at Baltor.

"Don't think so…" Diaspro muttered, dead-set on dealing with anything that could jeopardize her mission. She was far too close to lose now. She raised her hands and started a counter-curse, the Latin words echoing through the dark cavern Kerrin called home, "Hecate penes potentia a me jubes tenebris et in fide defecerint preceptum obserua. Et denudabunt te verto tenebris intentionem, ita quaero!"

"No!" Kerrin faltered in her block against Baltor's swing, thrown off by Diaspro's chant. She fell back into a kneeling position under the pressure of his blow, barely holding back the flaming weapon from her face. The shadows that were about to engulf Baltor halted for mere moments, then stormed the struggling Kerrin. "Stop! I command thee…" her words ceased and were replaced with an ear-splitting scream. Diaspro felt a sudden revulsion as she watched the shadows devour the helpless fairy.

As the shadows finished draining Kerrin of her energy, Baltor kicked forward. His foot hit Kerrin in the chest, throwing her back so she hit the rock wall hard. As she made impact with the wall, Diaspro heard a resounding crack. The shadows returned to their respective locations on the walls. Baltor walked toward Kerrin, weapon raised. "We will go on to Erebus. It has to be so." he stated in monotone.

"Over my dead body." Kerrin said, her voice heavy with pain and determination. Diaspro felt a sudden respect for the dutiful girl lying against the cavern wall. She was hurt and outmatched and yet she insisted on standing in their way. Kerrin was as determined as Diaspro, but Diaspro had Baltor. "You'll have to kill me…" the Dark fairy said solemnly, her eyes reflecting fearlessness.

"Huh." Baltor said. Diaspro's eyes widened as Baltor continued to approach the injured fairy. His eyes were cold and emotionless as he stopped before her, his mouth drawn into a thin line. "So be it." he said. Before Diaspro could say or do anything, Baltor thrust his magic blade into the Eternal Fairy of Darkness. "So be it…" he repeated.

Kerrin cried out in pain, struggling against the weapon that pinned her to the wall. "Baltor!" Diaspro screeched, nausea and terror filling her. She watched in horror as he removed the fiery blade from Kerrin's chest and it disappeared into thin air. "What have you…"

"I've done to her what you've got planned for Bloom. From now on all obstacles should be obliterated for the sake of time and effort. There's been quite enough useless interruptions." He answered her unfinished question with such nonchalance that Diaspro felt shocked and sick. "Let's move, Diaspro." Baltor said calmly and walked ahead into the depths of darkness of Kerrin's cavern. "It's only a matter of time before those pesky heroes catch up." he called, his voice phantom-like coming from the gloom.

Diaspro turned back toward Kerrin and carefully approached her, kneeling at her side. Her eyes locked on the bloody wound and she fought the urge to vomit. Killing wasn't supposed to play a role in her plan. She gulped down a breath and turned her gaze to Kerrin's face. "Kerrin…" she murmured. "I…"

Kerrin looked up, her dark, violet eyes sad and filled with pain. Her voice was soft and filled with acceptance as she spoke. "It had to be… Fate has decreed it so…" she reached out and took Diaspro's hand. Diaspro almost flinched and pulled away, but she willed herself to stay still. "Baltor is wrong… what… what you have planned for Bloom," Kerrin coughed a wrenching, wet cough, "…is far worse that death, Diaspro." The fairy's breaths were heavier and her gaze more unfocused. Diaspro felt her grip loosening. "You… you can't…"

"But my destiny… I want control of my god-damned destiny!" Diaspro said, her desperation evident in her tone. "My future was going to be perfect until Bloom came along. She ruined everything. My life after I met her was a living hell!" She saw the discarded sword at Kerrin's side slowly dissipate. "The only way I can get things the way they were, to retrieve my destiny, is if Bloom didn't happen."

"Your destiny… it has nothing to do… with the life you've lived, the past…" Kerrin murmured. She dropped Diaspro's hand and reached for the dark pendant around her neck. She wrenched it from her neck, snapping the chain, and shakily placed it in Diaspro's hand. "Destiny has to do… with the life you're about to live… holding onto the past does no one any good… it's only meant to be recalled once in a while… then left alone." Kerrin gave a knowing smile and Diaspro saw a brighter beauty in the Fairy of Darkness. "I should know…"

Diaspro furrowed her brow and looked at the pendant in her hands. She could sense the depthless powers within the smooth black circle of obsidian and her own powers responded to them. With a feeling of confusion and wonder, she looked up at Kerrin in time to hear the dying fairy's last words.

" Sit uobis servire Erebi bene, soror." Kerrin murmured. Then the dark fairy let out a shuddering breath and was still.

"Kerrin!" cried out a voice on the other side of the cavern. "Kerrin, no!"

Diaspro, reeling from the sudden turn of events, stumbled to her feet and sprinted off after Baltor into the darkness. She heard the footsteps and yells from the fairies and Specialists behind her, but she paid them no heed. As she pushed her way into the gloom, she clenched the amulet, struggling with the meaning of Kerrin's final words.

-Author's Note- Valete, Kerrin. Ut mortem misericordiam et det tibi pacem. And so we move onward into Erebus, where the Dais of Chaos resides. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter.