Rise of the Gatekeeper

"The rangers… They need help." Clare said, looking at the crystal ball where the new knight wolf defeated the rangers. This time, the darkness had bestowed Koragg's powers to a werewolf and the dark creature's bestial strength combined with the dark spirit magic made him a force to be reckoned with.

"Lena and Daggeron are holding their own with Bandora." Udonna said as the monitor showed their battle with the dark witch.

"Something doesn't feel right about this…" Darien murmured before they felt the ground shake.

The alarms blared and the crystal ball showed Imperious and a pack of hidiacs in front of Rootcore's entrance.

"The attacks were just distractions!" Udonna realised.

As the hidiacs opened fire on the dragon head that guarded the entrance to their headquarters, the dragon snapped it's eyes open, bathing the villainous forces with red light. It roared, unleashing a wave of fire that incinerated the hidiacs. As Imperious blasted it with a blast of dark magic, the dragon flew out of Rootcore and attacked the intruders.

"Rootcore has defences, but I fear they won't hold." Udonna said fearfully. "We need to leave now."

"Rootcore is our home. We cannot let the Darkness claim it." Clare insisted.

"No. The only thing the darkness cannot be allowed to claim at any cost is you, my child." Udonna corrected her, raising her hands to cast a teleportation spell.

"Where will we go? If Rootcore falls, is there any place safe from them?" Darien asked, turning to Udonna. "You are the Sorceress Queen of Misthaven and with the Mystic Mother gone, you are the Sorceress Supreme of the Realm."

"I haven't been a queen in a long time. Misthaven fell during the first war and as for my magic, my Snow Staff is in enemy hands. Without it, my magic is weak." Udonna grimaced as Rootcore shook. Branches and wood dust fell from the ceiling and the crystal orb showed the battle between the tree dragon and the hidiacs outside. "The defences are strong but it won't hold forever."

"So, we just wait for them to barge in here?" Darien asked incredulously.

"There is another way we can be saved. Something I wanted to avoid at all costs." Udonna sighed, turning to Clare. "The powers of the Gatekeeper are passed down from one generation to the next. That power is within you but more importantly, is the magic and spiritual residues of the Gatekeepers who came before you. It will be dangerous but it is possible to untap that power."

"Why did you not do that before? I could have helped the rangers!" Clare protested.

"Did you miss the part where it is dangerous?" Udonna looked at her niece sternly.

"I don't care how dangerous it is. The darkness has taken as much from me as you. It is my fight too. You can't protect me forever." Clare said vehemently.

The white witch sighed, waving her hand and a silver tiara flew into her hands.

"This belonged to your mother." She told the apprentice, placing it around her forehead.

Clare touched it tenderly.

"I don't feel any different." She said.

"The tiara is just a physical tether to the spirits of your predecessors. We still need to spark that connection." Udonna said, extending her hands towards her apprentice. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"We don't have any choice." Clare said, placing her hands on top of Udonna's.

Udonna nodded. She turned towards Darien. "The ritual will take a few minutes to complete and should not be interrupted under any circumstances."

Her eyes wandered over to the crystal ball which showed Imperious reduce the tree dragon spirit to dust with a lightning bolt.

"I will hold them off." Darien promised. He gave a smile at Clare. "You are stronger than you know, Clare. I believe in you."

"Thank you." She said flustered before turning back to her aunt.

Just then, the doors to Rootcore were blasted open and hidiacs crawled in.

"Continue! I got this!" Darien shouted at them, punching the wooden floor with his hands and several vines erupted from the floor around the two witches, forming a dome around them.

Darien thrusted his hand at the hidiacs and a log of wood barreled out of the wall and smashed them out of the exit.

"Impressive!" Imperious smirked, entering through the smashed doors. "We meet again, young knight and this time, I am getting what I want."

"We will see!" Darien snarled, summoning his knight armour. He charged at the dark mystic, his hammer cutting through the bolts of dark lightning Imperious threw at him.

Clare tried to ignore the sounds of battle as Udonna continued to chant in the tongue of the Ancients.

Runes and mystic symbols hovered in the air around them and multiple spell seals spiralled around them as Clare felt the power of moon surge through her.

Her head rolled back and an involuntary scream escaped her as she felt her mind split apart ubder the strain of accommodating several lifetimes of memories… her mother's, her grandmother's, her great grandfather and going all the way back to Queen Serenity…

"Clare!" Udonna yelled concerned.

"Don't stop…" She gritted through her teeth as silver light illuminated her eyes.

Udonna nodded, resuming her spell and Clare felt the pain consume her. Her surroundings melted away and she found herself in a black infinitude.

"Hello?" She asked. "Udonna?"

The pain was gone, replaced by utter solitude.

"My child."

She turned around, tears spilling out her eyes. Even though she had never heard the voice before, she knew it.

"Mother!" She gasped as Niella embraced her in a warm hug.

"How is this possible?" She asked disbelievingly.

"Magic works in mysterious ways, Clare. Magic works in many ways, not just waving a wand but also in ways of the heart." Niella told her kindly as she took her daughter's hands. "You and me… We are forever connected. And I am so proud of the woman you have become."

"You are?" Clare asked hesitantly. "But I mess up spells. No matter how hard I try, I can't measure up to you or father."

"Silly child." Niella laughed gently, stroking her daughter's hair. "You don't have to live up to your legacy. You are our legacy."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You are trying too hard." Another voice said and she turned to see a man in jade armour walk towards them. She recognised him from the pictures in Udonna's album. He was Neville Langtree, Earth Knight of the Misthaven Royal Guard and most importantly, her father. "Let the magic flow into you instead of trying to control it. Surrender yourself to your magic."

"Father!" She flung her arms around him, crying.

Neville pressed a tender kiss on her daughter's forehead as Niella joined the embrace.

"We are so proud of you, Clare." Niella said as Clare wept in their arms.

"I miss you so much." She said tearfully.

"We know but you are never alone. We are always watching over you." Niella told her softly.

"We are always with you." Neville promised her.

Her parents looked at each other as they started to fade away.

"No… No!" Clare whimpered. "I just got you back!"

"It was truly a gift." Niella told her smiling.

"But our time is coming to an end. You are truly an amazing woman." Neville said.

"No…" Clare murmured, trying to hold on to them only to stumble forwards as their bodies became transparent.

"Clare, tell Udonna that I love her so much. Thank her for raising you with so much love and affection and tell her not to give up hope." Niella told her.

Clare nodded.

"We love you so much. You make us so very proud." Her parents told her, their voices melting together as they faded away and Clare fell to her knees, crying.

Just then, an intense white light devoured the void and her eyes snapped open.

Udonna was shaking her hysterically, calling out her name. She stirred awake.

They were still inside the dome. She was in Udonna's arms.

"Thank the saints!" The white witch gasped, hugging her. "I thought I had lost you."

Clare hugged her back tearfully. "I met them… my parents."

"You did?" Udonna asked.

The apprentice sniffed. "My mother and father… I talked to them. My mother... she had a message- She told me to tell you to not give up hope."

Udonna's eyes widened.

Just then, the vines that protected them dried up.

"There will be time for that later." Udonna said urgently. "Darien's magic is failing. We need to go now."

"No. We won't run." Clare said determinedly, wiping her eyes and standing up. "The ritual succeeded. I am ready for my destiny."

"Bored now!" Imperious yawned, papyrus tentacles lashing out at the earth knight, only for him to smirk as vines and thorns erupted from the floor, tearing the papyrus to shreds.

"You are not the only one with tricks, Imperious!" He retorted, leaping at the sorcerer with his hammer, only for the mage to erect a forcefield of condensed darkness.

"You are quite ingenious…" Imperious drawled, his eyes glinting with mania. "I quite like that in a man."

"You disgust me!" His hammer broke through the forcefield and slammed against the dark mage, sending him rolling down the floor.

"Ready to surrender?" Darien asked.

"Hardly!" Imperious grinned. "Things just got interesting!"

Dark magic dispersed from him, creating several mummified foot soldiers and Imperious reverted to his human form. "You are human?" Darien asked shocked.

"Why? Shocked by dazzling looks?" Imperious winked at him, and Darien made a disgusted face.

"You are a monster within and assuming a human form won't change that." The elf snarled, his eyes narrowing as the mummified minions tried to crawl their way towards the dome which protected Udonna and Clare. He tightened his fist and vines shot out through the wooden tiles and tore through the mummies. He didn't see Imperious sneaking up behind him until it was too late. Black lightning brought him to his knees, making him gasp for breath as Imperious kicked him.

"You will not win!" Darien said, writhing in pain, his armour shattering. Imperious scoffed as he grabbed the elf's head and Darien screamed, his head rolling back.

"I think I already have!" Imperious stated gleefully as the vines that protected Udonna and Clare withered away and dried. "Don't you agree?"

The elf stopped screaming, his face unnaturally calm and his eyes lighting up in purple magic.

"Yes, master." He said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Imperious smirked, patting his head. "See I knew you would come to see things my way. Now rise, my knight."

Darien stood up as Imperious grinned. He snapped his fingers and the mummies turned back into a dark mist that engulfed him, transforming him back to his monstrous form.

He aimed his staff at the dome, throwing a bolt of dark lightning towards it only for the dome to shatter before the lightning hit it. Silver light washed over Rootcore and Imperious and Darien were thrown back.

When the light subsided, Udonna and Clare stood unarmed.

Darien shook his head as Imperious' hold on his mind was broken and he quickly summoned his armour again.

"You have failed!" Udonna declared.

"Do you really expect her to defeat me?" Imperious scoffed, pointing at Clare. "She doesn't hold a candle to Niella's powers!"

"Wrong, Imperious. My mother's spirit lives inside me." Clare spoke, her voice carrying a gravitas that made the warlock falter.

"Bold words!" He snarled, swinging his staff and sending bolts of purple magic at the apprentice, who raised her hands and silver moonlight washed over her. Her skin exuded radiant light which shed off her simple robes, replacing them with a form fitting silver suit with purple highlights. White gloves wrapped around her arms and silver boots covered her legs up to her knees. A purple cloak flowed down from her shoulders to her knees. Her hair hovered back, growing longer before rearranging in an elaborate braid. She swatted aside the attack with the back of her hand.

"Power of the Shining Moon, behold the Gatekeeper!" She announced, glowering at the traitor. "You are going to regret coming here!"

Imperious threw another bolt of dark magic at her, which she blocked by conjuring a shield.

"My turn!" She smirked, placing her hand over her tiara and it slid off her head, shifting into a crescent blade of condensed moonlight. She threw it like a boomerang and watched with grim satisfaction as it tore through Imperious with miniature explosions before circling back to her hands.

"You…" Imperious coughed as his body began to unravel into individual strands of papyrus but managed to hold himself together with a burst of dark magic.

"This is not over!" He vowed, before sinking into a dark magic circle.

Clare heaved a sigh, looking around and seeing the ruins of her home before placing the tiara back on her head.

"Moon Miracle!" She thrust her hands to the air and a silver light washed over the ruins, restoring Rootcore.

"That was impressive!" Darien breathed and Udonna smiled at her niece.

"It is not over." She said, looking at the crystal ball. "The rangers and knights need my help."

"You go help the rangers." Darien announced. "I will help the knights."

"Be careful, both of you." Udonna said as the two teleported away.

Reviewer Thanks:

RPM Shadow: Thank you! I am planning to go back and forth between flashbacks and the story from now on because I want to explore the previous mystic team.

D.J. Scales: Thanks!

Miley Pinkys: Thanks! Funny you mention it because I am planning on doing a werewolf arc in my MF Au story "Mystic Force: A Different Destiny".

Ryu: Thank you so much! It's high praise coming from you. :)