Chapter 9
Gwen groaned as she started to wake up. Her eyes slowly opened up and she found herself in LeShawna's arms in some room she knew she wasn't in earlier.
"Gwen!" Several of the others exclaimed as she tried to sit up.
Gwen mentally winced as their voices rang loudly in her ears.
"You okay, girl?" LeShawna asked as she helped Gwen stand up.
"I'm fine now. What happened?"Gwen managed to stand up fully while looking around.
"You fell unconscious from exhaustion, not surprise since you fought about ten spirits in the last hour." Aurora replied making Gwen turn to her.
"Who are you?" Gwen looked at Aurora, getting herself ready if Aurora was a threat.
"Calm yourself, I am not a threat. I am Madam Aurora and I brought you here, to keep you safe from attacking spirits that were about to take advantage of your exhaustion." Aurora held up both of her hands. "You can tell I am not strong enough to be a threat. The drones I sent are no match for you."
When Gwen checked every corner of the room she decided Aurora was telling the truth but she also was staring at the crystal orb. "You've been watching me and everyone since we first came into this house and you probably sent those drones to scare the others back in here because you knew they would come looking for me. You're a seer, aren't you?"
Aurora smirked. "Well, that was a pretty well educated guess right there. Yes, I was the one who used those drones to scare them back into the house. I knew you would collapse from exhaustion after that battle in the graveyard. I figured it'd be better if my drones had somehow failed to bring you to me that I had a backup plan."
"Say what?" LeShawna asked.
"She means she can see the future." Harold said. "A seer is referred to a person who can predict the future."
"Except the kind I am talking about is a spirit that can predict the future but unlike how most people figure how future sight works it actually works because she senses emotions and sees intent. She can predict the future based on the decisions of the people she watches." Gwen explained. "If I were to guess you already explained to them what was going while I was out, didn't you?"
"Indeed I did. Even I get things wrong and if my drones failed I knew some of these contestants would never leave you to die."
"That was you?" DJ sat up. "You scared the living daylights out of me!"
"Well, it was better than wandering out into the woods. You think they'd let you leave? There are orders to kill anyone who leaves." Aurora's crystal ball showed hundreds of drones hiding in the woods. "They'd have drained you of your life energy and left your bodies to rot."
Most of the group gulped seeing the scaring looking spirits while Gwen just stared at the old ghost lady.
"You claim you can see what's going on, right?" Gwen asked.
"I have some talent." Aurora replied. "I also am capable of seeing things happen outside this house and can even see the past."
"I didn't ask for that. Seeing as you've decided to be helpful, maybe you can start by telling me where everyone else is." Gwen crossed her arms.
"You doubt my intentions?" Aurora asked.
"I just wonder what's in it for you." Gwen put her hands on the table and leaned forward. "The spirits don't bother you here, you don't seem like the type who wants to move on, and you're not a fighter."
Aurora smirked. "All right, I admit I have something to gain. I am unable to leave this mansion so long as the Master keeps me here. My skills are not needed here which is why if you succeed in removing the Master...I wish to travel through to where the Spirit Realm resides."
Gwen raised an eyebrow. "You want to hang around and become a free spirit?"
"In a manner of speaking, who knows one day I may even gain my own avatar." Aurora smiled.
Gwen scoffed and turned for the door. "Good luck finding someone who'd only want to be able to see in the future. I'm sure they'd become very rich."
"My powers may not be the best but I am aware of several things. One being that I know that you took the contract when you were six years old." Aurora did not brag about the fact that she knew so much about Gwen, she was stating cold facts. "And that you started training for actually slaying four years ago, and didn't stop until barely several months ago when you went on that reality show."
Gwen stopped in her tracks and turned around as Aurora revealed this to everyone in the room.
"Six? Whoa man Gwen you were just in first grade!" Geoff exclaimed.
"What makes a little girl agree to go and fight monsters and all these freaky spirits?" LeShawna asked.
"So you were a kickass fighter during both seasons of Total Drama?" Harold queried.
"I didn't have the Star Necklace on the show, and I didn't want it to look like I was...extraordinary," Gwen admitted. "It draws attention and I felt it would be cheating if I did that...except for that one time when that real chainsaw maniac showed up."
They all clearly remembered the surprise victory Gwen had when a real maniac had showed up on the island.
"You also didn't officially start until after the second season ended," Aurora pointed out.
"Are you done?" Gwen glared at Aurora. "I think you've proven your point now."
"Very well. You asked me if I could locate the others trapped in this mansion." Aurora held her hands out to her crystal orb.
The light lit up the entire room and everyone noticed their bodies were glowing light blue.
"What the-"LeShawna looked down at herself.
"Now what?" Heather asked seeing her body glowed.
"This allows me to detect the life energy of anything that is not a spirit in this house and can even detect avatars. The blue light is your life energy while young Gwendolyn's," Aurora pointed at Gwen who glowed blue like everyone else but her left energy had a mix of whitish silver energy. "Her life energy is currently mixed Andromeda's power right now, showing the link between the spirit and her avatar."
Her crystal ball now showed two life energy signatures on the same floor as everyone in the room.
"There two more of them still trapped on this floor, the others are either being held above. Take a right corner down the hall from this room and then a left until you come to a door. You'll find a door to the courtyard. There's another door that will lead to the two captives at the other end of the courtyard." Aurora looked up at Gwen. "Does this meet with your approval, avatar?"
"That depends on what they are like when I find them." Gwen headed for the door.
"One last question, Gwendolyn." Aurora said making her stop and turn to face the watcher. "The contract, was it worth the price?"
Gwen sent a hard look at Aurora. "If you mean that I've had second thoughts about this job I've had plenty of it, but I wanted it and have no plans to back out."
She turned and walked towards the door.
"Gwen, wait a second!" LeShawna and Bridgette got up and followed her out into the hall with some of the others coming along.
"Don't follow me, guys you're better off back in there." Gwen didn't stop as she walked through the hall. "Just stay there and wait for the others."
"Hell no on that girl!" LeShawna caught up to her and put her hand on the goth's shoulder to stop her. "You almost got killed in that last fight."
"And having you with me wouldn't have made a difference. Just another one for that guy to tear apart, you can't get involved or you'll die." Gwen stepped back getting LeShawna's hands off her shoulders.
"And what about you, Gwen?" Bridgette caught up with Izzy on her shoulder along with DJ, Harold, and Geoff while Justin and Heather hung back. "You could die too."
"We'll see about that." Gwen turned around to keep walking but this time Bridgette stopped with her hands on her shoulders.
"Is it true?" Bridgette asked, making Gwen turn around. "Is it true about what that ghost said? Did you really agree to this when you were six?"
"If you mean I was convinced to take this job it's the other around. It was kind of a quick thinking decision." Gwen shrugged Bridgette's hands off her shoulders. "If it makes you feel better Andromeda tried her best to discourage me even after she caved in and started teaching me how to do this job."
Then she left without another word, following the ghost's instructions and heading for the courtyard towards the back of the mansion. She stepped out into the cold night again and drew her katana as she walked along the back of the mansion. She passed an old gazebo that looked like it was about to collapse, and a swing hanging from a tree. The swing was moving by itself-oddly she didn't find this odd at all after seeing so many abnormal things.
Walking across the courtyard towards the other side as instructed Gwen took the chance to look around to see if any spirits had decided to sneak up on her. So far she was in the clear and preferred it to be that way.
"Work those bones you maggots! You call that a work out? I have seen a mice lift bigger weights than you two!" A very loud and masculine voice shouted from the other side.
"That didn't sound good." Gwen muttered as she started running and saw two windows with a door.
Walking to the window she looked inside to see what was going on. "Oh, boy."
Cody and Noah were being forced to lift weights that seemed to be very heavy to them while a very big muscular ghost stood over them, wearing a muscle shirt and track pants.
"Just what kind of exercise is this? Honestly what kind of gym teachers do they have these days?" The muscular looking ghost-who had an Austrian accent (a la Arnold Schwarzenegger) sighed in disappointment and flexed his muscles. "You'll have one foot in the grave before you even have one ounce of this!"
"Kill me," Noah groaned.
"Me first!" Cody whined, sweat staining the pits of his shirt so badly the whole thing was practically sticking to the boy.
"And now we're moving on to Cardio!" The ghost declared. "Starting by 20 miles on the treadmills!"
As Cody and Noah screamed in agony, Gwen pushed the door open. "Hold it!"
"Hm? Well lookie here you wimps, a girl has less of a problem coming to the gym on her own than you two did!" The ghost shook his head. "So shameful. Today's men are so lazy."
"I'm not here for a work out, coach," Gwen snapped. "Now let the geeks go!"
"Gwen?" Cody turned his head enough so he could see her and smiled. "Oh god you're here to save me?"
"You mean us, right?" Noah demanded.
"Uh...yeah, us." Cody nodded. "Gwen, help! He hasn't given us a break in three hours!"
"Yikes," Gwen winced, but drew her katana and faced the muscular ghost. "Alright buddy, these two are coming with me. Try and stop me and-"
"Don't mind if I do then!" Suddenly the ghost raised one hand. "Check out this, little girl!"
Suddenly all of the weights flew off of their racks and flew at Gwen. She slid to the ground so they all flew over her, and then she got up and turned in time to see them change course and come back at her! She threw herself to the right, only for a jump rope to come alive and snag itself around her ankles, making her fall to the floor face first. "Ow!"
As the weights closed in, Gwen hopped on both feet and threw herself over an exercise bike, making the weights angle up a bit to follow her trajectory. As she landed, she rolled aside and the weights buried themselves into the wooden floor.
"Hm...this one is fast," The ghost nodded. "Watch and learn puny children."
He flexed his arms and inhaled, only for Gwen to raise one hand in his face as she cut through the jump rope around her ankles. "Pardon me? One second."
"What?" The ghost demanded.
"You're a gym teacher, right?" Gwen asked.
"Yeah, that's the point of this!" The ghost snarled.
"What if I told you that I know an exercise," Gwen began. "Way better than anything you've ever done and can give you the workout of your afterlife?"
"...that is impossible!" The ghost scoffed.
"Oh, you're playing it safe?" Gwen asked innocently. "Well it's okay then, no big deal. Some people can do it; some are too scared to do it. That's totally okay!"
"I am scared of nothing!" The ghost growled. "Alright then little girl, tell me this exercise!"
"Alright I'll show it to you," Gwen stood up and cracked her knuckles and held up one hand, palm out. "Keep your eyes on my hand."
She formed the Seal of Constraint, which glowed brightly.
"What is this supposed to-" The ghost started before he was immediately sucked towards Gwen's hand. "What? Noooo-" Then he was gone.
"...that was a lot easier than the last few," Gwen muttered as she grabbed her new card, that of the ghost lifting a massive set of weights.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Both Cody and Noah shouted as they hugged Gwen.
"AH!" Gwen fell over. "What is it with you people and hugging?"
"We were stuck..." Noah gasped. "Three hours...nonstop...lifting...running...mommy?" He collapsed, snoring seconds later.
"He's right..." Cody nodded. "We're exhausted...tired...wanna die...momma?" He joined Noah seconds later on the floor.
"...you have got to be kidding me." Gwen groaned.
Xxx
"You have got to be kidding me," LeShawna said as she took both of the boys under her arms.
"You said you want to be helpful?" Gwen asked. "Then make sure these guys wake up somewhere safe, like Aurora's room."
"Alright, alright," LeShawna left the room with Bridgette and Geoff-who volunteered with LeShawna to help carry Cody and Noah back when Gwen came asking for help. "This night gets worse and worse."
"You have no idea how right that is," Gwen replied before the door shut. "Alright...I'll either have to talk to Aurora again or wait for those two to wake up-"
She heard multiple 'thuds' above her suddenly, along with muffle shouting. Looking up, she looked towards the door that was on the other side of the room from the one she had entered from. She stepped out into the hall and saw a set of stairs on her left. She cautiously walked up, her katana held in both hands as she prepared herself for her next attacker.
"Why are we sneaking?"
"AH!" Gwen jumped. "Izzy!"
"That's my name!" Izzy cheered as she popped out of Gwen's hair.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"I snuck off of Bridgette's shoulder and onto yours!" Izzy replied.
"Are you crazy!" Gwen shouted, shaking her head trying to get Izzy out.
"Whoa!" Izzy held on. "Izzy can't stand being shrunk like this!"
"Get out of here or I'll turn you into a card like those spirits!" Gwen shouted.
"We do not have time for this." Gwen and Izzy stopped when they heard Andromeda's voice from the necklace.
Izzy looked down to see silver smoke come out of the star on her necklace and floated above her with eyes that resembled stars looking at her.
"We just have to make sure she's not killed by rampaging spirits or by a mouse."
"Hey, you're Andromeda aren't you?" Izzy pointed at the spectre as it receded back into the necklace.
"Did the fact that I am talking out of a necklace tip you off?" Andromeda replied.
"Uhhhhh...yeah pretty much," Izzy nodded. "So do you know any spirits out there that Izzy could partner up with?"
"Forget it, Izzy!" Gwen snapped before calming down. "Look, so as long as you are with us you have to do two things. One: shut up and two: stay out of sight. Okay?"
"Okay!" Izzy pretended to zip her mouth shut and ducked back into Gwen's hair.
"I am so going to need a shower after this." Gwen said as she started walking up the stairs again.
She came upon a door at the top of the stairs and opened it to see a dark hallway with only candles as a light source. A drone hung down from the ceiling and tried to scare Gwen but it made a big mistake as Gwen swung her sword and slashed it in half.
"Whoa!" Izzy shouted as Gwen stepped into the hall, ignoring the drone's remains as it faded.
"Shh!" Gwen replied. "No talking. You want more of them to show up?"
Looking into the hallway Gwen released Andromeda's power and small orbs of light flew into the powerless lights in the hallway, lighting up the entire hallway and keeping drones from coming out.
"This should keep anymore of them popping up." Gwen walked into the hallway and looked around.
"Ghosts that hate light?" Izzy asked.
"Some hate light, don't ask." Gwen replied, trying to keep Izzy quiet while she listened for any sounds that could lead her to the others.
"Oh yes, don't scrubbing there!" A female voice shouted making Gwen stop. "Keep going!"
"I'm trying!" Courtney's voice was heard coming from the door at the end of the hall.
Gwen moved to the door and opened it slightly to peek inside.
"Whoa." Izzy peeked out of Gwen's hair to look inside.
Courtney was scrubbing the back of a pink glowing female ghost who looked almost has overweight as the ghost who forced DJ and Heather to serve it food non-stop. Her features were pig like with a snout and hooves. She was thankfully dressed in a bathing suit and showering cap. Courtney was scrubbing the back of the ghost, looking completely soaked.
"Ah!" The ghost sighed in relief. "It's so hard to reach back there now these days. I wish I had an assistant when I was still out modelling."
"Modeling!" Izzy and Gwen whispered at the same time.
"Keep going! There's still an itch back there!" The ghost yelled, making Courtney yelp in fright as she kept on scrubbing.
"I find it a little ironic that the bossy ones keep on getting forced to serve a spirit and treated like this." Gwen smirked as she opened the door. "Excuse me!"
"AH!" The ghost covered the curtains, knocking Courtney over. "Do you have any respect for anyone's privacy? If they sent someone else up here they should have told you to knock! Just pick up a sponge and get to work!"
"Okay, One: Can I get a Hell No from anyone?" Gwen asked with a frown.
"Hell No!" Izzy shouted, popping out of Gwen's hair.
"Thank you." Gwen held up two fingers. "And two: I don't know how you ever got to be a model or why you're forcing Courtney to be your assistant slash slave even though she probably had it coming."
"Hey!" Courtney sat up.
"But from where I come from we have certain rules about crazy spirits and slavery." Gwen pulled out her katana as the ghost snarled and fired a blast of water from her mouth.
Gwen ducked under the blast of water and quickly tried the Seal of Constraint but female ghost summoned flying bars of soap and sent them at her.
"Whoa!" Gwen ducked and took cover.
"This is not good." Izzy commented as she hid under Gwen's hair.
"You think?" Gwen peeked from her cover that was the table with the bathroom sink and hid to avoid a blast of water. "What's the best way to deal with a bathing ghost?"
"Take out the bath." Izzy guessed.
Gwen shook her head but decided to do it anyway. "Why not?"
She jumped out and aimed one hand at the bathtub. "Spectral Volt!"
A blast of lightning hit the bathtub and electrocuted the ghost as the tub was cracked open.
"AH!" The ghost fell over onto the floor.
Gwen quickly drew the Seal of Constraint and the ghost was pulled into the symbol and in a flash of light she was card like all the others. In it she was unfortunately posing like she really was a model.
"A real work of bad art," Gwen pocketed the card. "I think I have enough to play poker with now."
She looked to Courtney, who was sitting up on the floor rubbing her head. "Are you okay Courtney?"
"Yeah, but what the hell was that thing?" Courtney stuttered. "It looked like-like a-"
"A ghost?" Gwen finished for her. "Uh...yeah, it is-or...was."
"What's going on here? What is this?" Courtney shouted.
"You tell me, what happened?" Gwen knelt down in front of her.
"I came here looking for the money but there was no money!" Courtney stood up. "Instead these...these ghosts popped out of nowhere and started attacking us! I thought they were all some illusions cooked up by Chris but they were able to touch us and fly through the walls!"
"Courtney, Courtney, calm down!" Gwen put up both her hands. "All right, look there's no money here. It was a set up; did you see anyone before you got dragged in here?"
"I saw Ezekiel at one of the doors around that corner." Courtney walked outside the bathroom and pointed to the corner on the right side of the hall. "He ran in and shut the door. The next thing I know I'm in here scrubbing the back of that thing."
"Great. Okay, go downstairs and stay down there it's safe down there now. A few of the others are already waiting." Gwen walked down the hall but Courtney ran to catch up with her.
"Wait a second, is Duncan with them?" She walked along side Gwen.
"Sorry, I haven't found him yet. He should be around here somewhere and I'll find him." Gwen stopped at the door. "Is this it?"
"Yeah and I'm not going anywhere. I am going to be right with you when you find my boyfriend."
"You seriously going to bother me about this n...Actually forget it. I don't have time for this." Gwen opened the door.
"...then they voted me off first day, eh!" Zeke said. "I didn't even mean it!"
"Well Ezekiel, everybody makes mistakes at times," An elderly voice replied, coming from what looked like an old woman sitting on a couch with Ezekiel...knitting. Both of them were knitting scarves.
"Oh hiya Gwen!" Zeke waved. "Hey Courtney! Yo yo!"
"Uh...are we interrupting?" Gwen asked.
"Oh not at all dear!" The ghost shook her head. "Are these your friends Ezekiel?"
"Yeah! They're from Total Drama too eh!" Zeke stood up and folded his scarf. "What do you guys think? She taught me how to knit a scarf! Here!" He held out a scarf to both girls. Gwen took one, which coincidentally was a shade of blue like her hair.
"Zeke, are you okay?" She asked, putting the scarf around her neck and noticing how soft it felt. "She didn't do anything to you?"
"Aw naw! She's a lot nicer than the other ghosts," Zeke shook his head. "And hey, it was a lot darker out here before! And those freaky ghosties were everywhere."
"I found the light switch," Gwen said. "So uh...Zeke I need you to go downstairs. We're rounding everybody up. There's no money here so..."
"Aw, okay then!" Zeke said. "Sorry Mrs Collins, I gotta get goin'!"
"Remember to stay healthy Ezekiel!" The ghost waved as the three left the room.
"I get the fat wannabe model and you get the nice granny?" Courtney demanded.
"Courtney don't start," Gwen cut off any further arguments. "Zeke, did you see anybody else around here?"
"Uh...oh yeah! After Courtney got dragged off I heard Eva shoutin' and all," Zeke nodded. "Right down there!"
He pointed down to another at the end of the hall.
"She sounded ticked."
"All right, Zeke go downstairs, the others are down there. Go there and stay there." Gwen said.
"Got it." Ezekiel headed the hall towards the stairs and headed downstairs.
"Well that was easy, and the only ghost which was not hostile besides Aurora." Gwen shook her head.
"I keep telling you I ain't talking!" A voice shouted from down the hall, towards the front side of the manor.
"Eva?" Gwen ran in the direction the voice came from, reaching a door that was locked. She quickly kicked it open and leaped in...
"Ah, good evening," A ghost said, sitting behind a desk with a clip board in hand.
He wore a white lab coat while his skin was light blue and he had yellow glowing eyes like most of the other ghosts.
"Gwen get me off this couch!" Eva shouted from where she was tied to a couch near the desk.
"I have to insist that you don't, young Eva is extremely violent and her session is still ongoing," The ghost said gently. "Now Eva, what is it that caused you to revert to a lifestyle where you-"
"Psychiatrist!" Izzy popped out of Gwen's hair and pointed. "Evil psychiatrist!"
"Izzy?" Eva stared at the miniature red head. "What the hell?"
"Yeah, what the hell?" Courtney ran up to Gwen and stared at the small Izzy.
"A shrunken human. Clearly the work of Norman and Rita in getting a new playmate for their son. You shouldn't be here." The ghost noted.
"Gwen, destroy him! Psychiatrists are evil! Destroy him!" Izzy shouted. "Making you take all those mind controlling drugs, evil!"
"All right then, since you can't be reasoned with I shall have to force you to sit down." The ghost stood up and ropes started to fly at Gwen and Courtney.
"No thanks!" Gwen sliced the ropes with her sword.
"A weapon? Either you're a very dangerous threat to society or...you're an avatar." The psychiatrist put his board down.
"Give the man a prize! He guessed right!" Gwen cut Eva free of the couch. "Now unless you want to join the other 15 or so ghosts I had to fight you're gonna back off and let us leave without trouble."
"Sorry, but I need to renew my licence!" The psychiatrist ghost used his power to shut and lock the door. "Time to relax, everyone!"
"Relax this!" Eva charged at the ghost but her first went through the ghost since ghosts can go intangible.
"Eva, get back!" Gwen shouted.
Pills came out of the ghost's desk and flew at the humans.
"Mind controlling drugs!" Izzy ducked under Gwen's hair as she dodged the pills.
"If you simply calm down we can get this over with and I can move on with more patients who need help." The ghost said.
"How about this?" Gwen drew the Seal of Constraint and the psychiatrist ghost was pulled towards the symbol.
"But I like my job!" The ghost shouted before he was pulled into the symbol and turned into a card.
"Consider yourself fired." Gwen picked up the card.
"Yes! The evil has been thwarted!" Izzy jumped up and down giving Gwen a headache.
"Ow! Izzy!" Gwen picked up Izzy and dropped her on Courtney's shoulder. "My head is a not a water bed!"
"But it's so soft!" Izzy whined. "And bouncy!"
"Yeah well now you're going back down with Courtney and Eva," Gwen said sternly. "No arguments."
"Awwww!" Izzy crossed her arms, pouting.
"Hold it, Gwen!" Courtney put Izzy on Eva's shoulder. "I told you I am not going anywhere until I find Duncan!"
"And now I don't care anymore because every second you waste arguing with me makes it longer for me to track the others down. Now get out!" Gwen headed for the last door in the hall, kicked it open and slammed it shut when she was on the other side before Courtney could make it.
She broke the door knob on her side and used her katana to smash through the knob on Courtney's side.
"Open this door!" Courtney shouted as she pounded on it. "Open it right now!"
"See ya, Courtney!" Gwen waved goodbye as she turned and found another set of stairs.
"I swear when I get my hands on you, Gwen I'll-"Gwen drowned out Courtney's voice as she walked up the stairs.
"This will be fun when I head back down."
"Pay her no mind. You have other things to worry about." Andromeda said as Gwen came upon the door at the top of the stairs.
Reaching out to the door knob she opened it and stepped out onto a large balcony with a two large gargoyle statues. The moon shined down brightly on the deck as Gwen walked out onto the large balcony, looking around.
"It's a beautiful view." Gwen said as she stopped at the railing. "Where was this when it was storming and raining before?"
"The weather is whatever we want." A voice made Gwen spin around and pull out her sword.
Standing a few feet away in the center of the balcony was a tall man wearing a tuxedo and top hat, his skin was the same pale blue color as the humanoid spirits Gwen had encountered but his hair was pure white along with his eyes.
"Greetings, Gwen Rivers, Avatar of Andromeda." The man slightly bowed forward.
"You saw me coming?" Gwen glared.
"Of course. I was sent to wait out here for you while allowing you to take care of the weaklings of this mansion." The man stood up straight. "When we heard one of the contestants coming here was an avatar and that she was also the avatar of Andromeda you can imagine surprised we were. Seeing as how Andromeda never took an avatar again since around the 17th century."
Xxx
"So Gwen's now on the third floor?" LeShawna asked, everyone listening to Courtney, Ezekiel, Izzy, and Eva as they explained what happened.
"Yeah, she even stopped me from following her. If she and Duncan do anything..." Courtney started.
"Not now, Courtney! This is serious!" Bridgette yelled making everyone stare at her in shock. "Gwen's up there now facing some monster and we can't help her."
"It's not like you could do anything to help her anyways." Everyone turned to Madam Aurora, still sitting at her table.
"Another one!" Courtney shouted.
"Relax, this apparently is one of the good gh-"Geoff said but was cut off.
"Spirit!" Aurora spoke up.
"Spirit, right."
LeShawna turned around a marched to the table and leaned on it while glaring at Aurora. "If you know so much about you tell us what's going on? Why are these spirits doing this and maybe you can tell us just how Gwen got herself tied up in this mess?"
"You want me to give away Gwen's secrets? Don't trust her?" Aurora chuckled. "You should be thankful that she became what she is today. If she hadn't you'd have been trapped here forever."
"Forever?" Nearly everyone shouted.
"That's what I said, forever. It's fortunate that they never knew that one contestant was the avatar of a spirit that hasn't taken the contract with a human since the 17th century." Aurora smirked. "Or that she would want to take the contract when she was so young, but I guess when you go through something like that you only want to become something better than a victim."
"Victim? What do you mean?" DJ asked.
"You asked that question earlier. What makes a six year old want to risk her life fighting monsters and spirits?" Aurora smirked at LeShawna.
"Wait, six? Avatar? What are you people talking about?" Courtney demanded.
"How do you think Gwen saved all of you? She's an avatar," Aurora said to Courtney. "She carries and is linked to a spirit who taught her fighting styles and powers that you could never hope to use in your life time...or in ten actually."
"Going off topic here!" LeShawna raised her voice. "Why'd Gwen agree to all this anyway?"
Aurora chuckled lightly. "So that's the main question for today...the only question left is whether I will tell you her secrets or not. Doing so would not only hurt her, but you. It would twist and tear how you perceive the fabric of reality, like ripping you from this planet and having you live on Mars for the rest of your life without any time to prepare."
"...wowww...that's deep," Noah drawled. "Guys I think that it's pretty useless to ask her more, she's not gonna answer that question."
"Oh come on! We already know that all this stuff is real!" LeShawna said. "And this ain't a night we're about to just forget either."
Aurora snickered. "Wow, that just proves how little you know about Gwen's world, about my world. You really think an avatar and its spirit; the people that protected this dimension from rogue spirits for centuries would do this without witnesses...or ways to keep them quiet?"
Bridgette swallowed. "Gwen wouldn't hurt us."
"I know she wouldn't child, I only said she knows how to keep you quiet about this," Aurora replied. "When this night is over, nothing will change."
Xxx
"Do I get your name or should I just turn you into a card and get it over with?" Gwen asked the spirit standing a few feet from her.
"I'm afraid the outcome of this match will not happen the way you plan, Gwen, but if you must know I am Gilbert. And this..." He held up one hand that started to glow purple. "Is your going away present."
He fired a purple at energy blast at Gwen who cart wheeled out of the way and charged at Gilbert who simply raised one hand and created a wall of energy that blocked Gwen's sword as she swung it. Gwen jumped back and tried again but Gilbert blocked again easily. Raising his other hand he pointed his index figure at Gwen who jumped back just as he fired an energy blast. Gwen blocked the blast with her sword and jumped at him, swinging her sword.
Gilbert flew back, dodging the swing and fired a barrage of energy blasts at Gwen who dodged every attack. Gilbert simply created another energy wall to block Gwen's sword. Then Gilbert aimed his fingers at the two gargoyle statues. He fired a blast at them but instead of blasting them the energy blasts covered the statues a blue glowing aura.
Gwen watched as the eyes on the statues glowed orange and the statues started moving. One spread its wings and let out a howl that was heard throughout the mansion and the forest it resided in.
"The statues have been brought to life by using life energy. They are now alive like any living being." Andromeda spoke up.
"Terrific." Gwen muttered as one flew at her.
She ducked under its blow, dodging getting badly cut by its claws and rolled forward. She catapulted herself onto her feet as the second landed behind her and swung its arm at her. Gwen somersaulted forward, avoiding getting hit and spun around to face the gargoyle. She jumped up and aimed to slice its head off but the gargoyle raised one arm and blocked her sword.
It pushed back sending her flying through the air and the other gargoyle waited where she was going to land. Gwen flipped through the air and aimed her feet down on the gargoyle's head but it blocked her feet with his arms but before it could toss her off Gwen jumped over it and landed right behind it. She swung her sword and managed to cut its left wing before crouching down and rolling out of the way of the gargoyle's large foot trying to kick her.
Landing on her feet Gwen spun to see both gargoyles fly straight at her but aimed her free hand at them and drew the symbol of a spell. "Phantom Flare!"
A blast of flames came straight out of her hand and towards the gargoyles who dodged just before the blast hit them and burned away their life energy. They flew above the balcony and split up, both trying to divert Gwen's attention. One flew behind Gwen and straight down on her but she cart wheeled out of the way only for the other gargoyle to slam into her and send her skidding across the balcony.
"Oof!" Gwen shouted as she hit the railing and slid to the ground.
Knowing that she was dead if she remained still Gwen forced herself to look up in time to see the gargoyle that hit her flying at her. Gwen pulled herself up and jumped onto the railing just as the gargoyle was seconds away. She jumped up and the gargoyle slammed into the railing, sending debris falling to the ground below. Gwen landed on the back of the gargoyle and tried to stab it but the gargoyle aimed its back with her on it down to the balcony below and start to fall.
"Damn it!" Gwen shouted as she let go and quickly jumped away, landing a few feet away as the gargoyle crashed onto the balcony floor.
Gwen rolled across the ground and launched herself to her feet as the other gargoyle flew down at her.
"Spectral Volt!" Gwen fired a blast of lightning that blasted the gargoyle's left arm, which became a cloud of dust and fragments.
The gargoyle showed no sign it was in pain, simply flying up above Gwen and staying in the air. It looked like it was trying to look for a new way to attack her. The gargoyle that slammed into the balcony got up, not a single scratch on it and flew at her with its claws ready to shred her to pieces.
Gwen leaned back so far that the gargoyle flew over her and slammed into the railing lining the balcony. It spread its wings and managed to rise back up while the second gargoyle dove while Gwen placed the palm of both hands on the ground next to her head and brought her feet up off the ground. She pushed off into the air with her hands, completing the back flip in time so the gargoyle slammed head first into the balcony floor. It snarled and got up, pieces falling off of it.
It stepped forward, only for its left leg to fall off below the knee. It flailed and landed on its hands as Gwen smirked and faced the other gargoyle as it landed. It hissed at her as she held her Omni-Glove up and prepared to use the spectral volt spell, only for the gargoyle to pause in mid step and start chuckling.
"What's so funny?" Gwen demanded before the gargoyle pointed behind her. Keeping her sword pointed at it, she turned half way and glanced at the one behind her...
And saw it pushing its shattered pieces back into place. Every time a shard returned to its proper position it seemed to meld with the stone around it and become flawless and undamaged. Its leg reattached itself to its knee, and the gargoyle stood up on both feet. It then grinned at her, fangs bared in a sneer.
"...oh crap," Gwen looked at the other gargoyle, and saw that the pile of dust that its left arm had become was flowing up its leg and piling up on the stump of its arm. Slowly it shaped out and became solid. The gargoyle flexed its undamaged arm while the rest of the damage done to both of the statues vanished.
"...aw double crap!" Gwen groaned as they began to circle her. "Andromeda I need help, these things are piecing themselves back together."
"This one really knows what he's doing," Andromeda observed. "He has more complicated powers and methods at his disposal. Gwen you may have to call on my powers to beat these things."
"Sounds like a plan!" Gwen said, clasping the star of her necklace in one hand as she held her katana in the other, pointing it between the two gargoyles.
That was when a silver aura began to surround her, white energy flashed within the aura as Andromeda released her power through the necklace.
Xxx
Aurora looked down as her crystal ball started to glow.
"What's that?" Lindsay pointed the ball.
"Something is happening up there on the third floor. I am sensing the aura of a powerful spirit manifesting itself." Aurora looked down at the crystal ball.
"Is Gwen all right?" Bridgette hugged Geoff, not wanting to think Gwen was hurt.
"Yes...This spirit...It's Andromeda." Aurora looked up. "Gwen is using her power. Something must be happening to force her hand."
The mansion shook a bit, and everybody looked up.
"Whatever it is, it sounds explosive," Noah said.
Xxx
Gwen had come a long way in controlling the small amount of power Andromeda had given her. Training with Kurt and Carlos these last few months allowed her to handle about almost ten percent, but any higher than that might kill her. Looking up at the gargoyles Gwen raised her sword above her head. The gargoyles growled and spread their wings, taking into the sky and flying at her. Gwen swung her sword down and a blast of silver energy blasted from the sword, hitting the gargoyles and blasting them apart, burning the life energy used to animate them.
Gwen looked up, her body still surrounded by silver whitish aura as the gargoyles were now reduced to dust. Gwen turned when she heard a clapping sound and saw Gilbert still standing in the same spot he was in when he brought those gargoyles to life.
"Well done. I knew you might survive but I wanted to have some fun first." Gilbert stopped clapping and his hands started glowing again. "Now hold still and I might make it painless."
He fired more energy blasts at Gwen but with Andromeda's power she was faster. She moving like a blur, dodging the energy blasts and was in front Gilbert a second later. Gilbert barely had the chance to dodge as Gwen swung her sword, releasing a large blast of energy that hit the wall and left a large hole. Gilbert reappeared behind Gwen and tried to blast her head off but to his surprise a shield appeared behind Gwen's head and blocked the blast. Gwen took the chance to send a foot into his gut.
He let out a groan as he flew into the railing. Looking up he looked up as Gwen reappeared in front of him.
"The thing about being an avatar is that when the spirit decides to release its power to help its human partner in battle is that when you have enough experience you can even start to use some of your spirit's powers. I can sense where you are and I can create a shield. Pretty basic for a spirit like Andromeda but comes in handy." Gwen held out her sword. "You ready to just give up yet?"
Gilbert answered by firing a blast at Gwen but she created another shield that blocked it. She tried to stab Gilbert but he teleported out of the way and reappeared on the other side of the balcony. Gwen turned as Gilbert flew at her with a purple glowing fist. Gwen jumped back and the fist slammed into the deck, blowing a part of it in a blast.
Gwen landed and swung her sword but Gilbert created a shield to block but now that Andromeda's power was increasing her strength Gwen's sword shattered the shield and cut Gilbert's arm.
"Ah!" Gilbert flew back, clutching his arm.
He looked down to see it bleeding green ectoplasm. He looked up and glared at Gwen with a look of hate.
"You little..."
"That's what you get for not taking your opponent seriously. Now, you can either tell me what's going on or we keep on fighting until someone goes down. And this is your last chance." Gwen pointed her sword at Gilbert. "After that, I'm not pulling my punches."
"No! I will not lose!" Gilbert flew at her with a glowing sphere in his hand.
Gwen swung her sword and it left a large cut on his chest as he fired. Gilbert screamed as he clutched his chest giving Gwen time to draw the Seal of Constraint. Before Gilbert could even look he was sucked into the symbol and became a card. Gwen stood over the card and picked it up...and fell over.
She never noticed the large burn mark she was now sporting on her left shoulder and arm.
"Gwen!" Andromeda spoke, sensing Gwen's pain from the wound.
She was exhausted from the battle and the last few fights and the wound she had gained from fighting Gilbert was not helping. Gwen groaned as she put a hand over the burn, wincing from the pain that exploded from the touch.
"It's all right, Gwen." Andromeda's spectre form came out of her necklace and covered the wound. "I can heal it."
Xxx
The crystal ball stopped glowing and Aurora smiled. "It's over. She's victorious."
"Gwen's all right?" Cody asked.
"Yes, but she seems to be injured." Aurora observed. "Injured, but nothing to worry about-"
But by then the room had emptied.
"..." Aurora sighed. "Humans."