Chapter 12

The ents reached up above the clouds one early morning and Starla could see it wasn't a social call. She flew over to them. "My friends, what happened?" She asked.

"The Lady," one of them said. "She's trying to set the forest on fire."

"She's figured out that the child she seeks is in the forest," another one said.

"How is Mom and Dad's magic holding?" Starla asked.

"Your parents' magics are thankfully strong, but the Lady is determined," said a third ent.

"You must warn your family, Starla," a female ent said.

The cyborg fairy nodded. "Stand firm and don't give in, my friends," she said. "The day of reckoning for my birth mother is soon."

They nodded and Starla flew quickly to the house, landing outside of it. A cloud person came up to her and cocked their head to the side worriedly. "It's the Lady," she said to him. "She's attacking the forest. She knows Isabella somewhere here."

Thunder began rumbling, but the cyborg fairy knew it wasn't directed at her. "Help me protect my family?" She asked and the cloud person nodded as more clouds began gathering, some connecting to form larger clouds.

Starla went inside, finding her parents in the study. "Mom. Dad," she said.

Susan looked up to see her eldest daughter's worried face. "What's wrong, sweetie?" She asked, setting her work aside and Tom looked up from his work.

"It's my former mother. She's trying the set the forest on fire. She knows Isabella is here somewhere."

Tom stood up, slowly closing the book he had been studying. "She is hurting our ent friends?" He asked, his voice low.

"Yes, Dad," Starla said. "They stretched up to the clouds and I went to see what was wrong. Your magic and Mom's magic is still holding strong, but that won't stop her."

Susan took a deep breath. "She's right, Tom," she said. "We know of the Lady's reputation. She will not stop until she finds a way."

"Or unless she is stopped," he said. "Starla, do you know of any weaknesses your former mother might have?"

"No, I don't," she said. "I do know that despite being vain, she doesn't like mirrors."

Isabella came in then. "Mom? Dad? Starla?" She asked, making them look at her. "What's going on? Our cloud friend seems really angry."

"He is," her older sister said. "The Lady is looking to burn the forest down, the same forest our ent friends live in."

The girl gasped. "She knows I'm here then," she said.

"Well, she must know you are around in the forest, but she doesn't know exactly where you are," Starla said.

Isabella hugged her. "No offense, sis, but that doesn't really make me feel a lot better," she admitted.

The cyborg fairy knew what the child meant and Susan took a deep breath. "Isabella," she said, getting her young daughter's attention. "If you came from the vessel, you must have defeated the Lady, correct?"

"Yes, Mom," the girl said.

"Can you tell us how you defeated her?"

The child nodded before looking at Starla, who knew what the girl was thinking. "It's okay, Isabella," she said. "I don't consider the Lady to be my mom anymore. If you found a way to defeat her, we need to know so that we can make sure she never comes after you again."

The young girl took a deep breath. "I found a mirror," she said. "And if the Lady looks upon it, it hurts her. It breaks her mask."

"Interesting," Tom said with a nod.

"So that's why she doesn't like mirrors," Starla said. "Because they reveal the real her."

"Then we'll use that to defeat her," Susan said. "Starla, get the children to the basement with Ogre and Python. They'll help keep the kids safe."

"Mom?" Isabella asked curiously.

Susan kneeled down and hugged the girl. "Sweetie, listen closely to me. Your father and I are going to do some powerful magic to keep that lady from getting to you, Mono, Dylan, and Amy. We're not going to risk any of you getting snatched by her and using you as leverage against us," she said.

"You're going to stop her? For good?" The girl asked.

"For good, pumpkin," Tom said. "Starla, are you willing to go into battle with us?"

She heard his unspoken words. Was she okay with going up against her birth mother? She took a deep breath and stood up. "The day she cast me out was the day she quit being my mother," she said. "Susan is my mom and yes, I will go into battle with you to protect my siblings."

Thunder rumbled outside omniously and Starla nodded. "I just gained a family that loves me and treats me well," she said. "I'm not letting some vain, selfish monster take that away from me."

"She will never take anything from you again, sweetheart," Susan promised.

Starla nodded and looked at Isabella. "Go get your siblings and meet me by the basement door," she said. "I'll get Ogre and Python."

As the girl ran to find her other siblings, the cyborg fairy went and found Ogre and Python, who looked at her and nodded, as if knowing what she was going to ask. "I have to face my birth mother," she said. "And I'm going to make her regret everything she's ever done to me and to Isabella."

The two nodded and Starla picked them up, carrying them to the basement where the kids where. Dylan showed them that there was a secret room in the basement and he opened the secret door, where they stepped into a large room that was good for taking shelter during major storms.

Or in this case, an upcoming battle.

As the kids gathered inside, Starla set Orge and Python down and the two took their posts as guards. "Okay," the cyborg fairy said. "Hopefully, the battle will not take long."

"Go get her, sis," Mono said.

"Kick that meanie woman's face!" Amy declared.

"We're rooting for you, Mom, and Dad," Dylan said.

Isabella hugged her. "Be careful, sis," she said. "Don't let her hurt you."

Starla nodded and hugged her siblings all tightly before heading out, the door of the secret room closing and keeping her siblings safe. She went upstairs and saw her parents getting ready and soon, they headed outside. Their cloud friend had gathered as many thunderstorm clouds as he could and the ents rose up high, ready to defend.

They glanced around and soon saw one ent bring up the lady, but the ent was burned badly. Starla growled as she saw this and Susan sent some healing magic over to the ent after he had set down their enemy.

The Lady looked at them all. "You really should command your tree pets better," she said. "Now...give me Six."

"Never," Tom said.

"You will never harm our daughter or any of our children again," Susan said firmly.

The Lady turned to Starla, who glared at her. "You're going to regret harming me and Isabella," the cyborg fairy said.

Thunder rumbled behind her before a loud crack of lightning split the air and Tom sounded out the call.

"Charge!"

And so the battle begins.

Please leave a review, but no flames!

GoldGuardian2418