W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria
by Galistar07water
Disclaimer: W.I.T.C.H. is owned and copyrighted by the Walt Disney Company Italia and is in no way affiliated with the fictional works of Galistar07water.
Author's note: If you would like to see drawings of W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria, please visit my page and click the "W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria" folder in the gallery section.
Chapter 06: Reflection of Pain pt. III
Queen Sŏndŏk sat on her throne, her hands trembling. She could not believe her defiance has led to this. She had just witnessed a massive wall of dark waves rolling over the hills from a nearby dam, ready to flood her city and wipe out most of her people! The avalanche that stopped it was nothing short of a miracle. Yet, Sŏndŏk doubted it would last. One would have thought Xuan Wu would at least spare some lives in order to rule over them, especially those living in the capital and the royal city.
"Your Majesty," said Kyŏng-su, "Do you not see the folly of your action? We were fortunate these new Guardians from Earth were able to divert the water. You do understand that surviving this recent ordeal was merely luck? My Queen, the ultimatum's deadline is near! Xuan Wu will expect an answer and I believe you know what she wants. What is your decision?"
Sŏndŏk turned her attention towards him slowly.
"I have been a fool. I held on to my pride for the sake of my people these past few months, thinking they could withstand any forces Xuan Wu threw at them. As their Queen, should I really expect them to have the same strength that I possess?"
Kyŏng-su secretly smiled as he realized her decision.
"You are right to question me, Kyŏng-su. Is freedom for Joseon really worth the price when I am sacrificing the lives of my people to achieve it?"
Kyŏng-su held his breath as he watched the queen stood up. She raised both of her hands and gently lifted her crown off her head. "I, Queen Sŏndŏk of the Northern Water Kingdom of Joseon, have considered our country's dire situation profoundly and have decided to heed Xuan Wu's demand."
The Queen handed her crown over to Kyŏng-su. The sacred tree-liked gold crown glistened beautifully before his eyes with its encrusted sapphires and precious stones. To bear it requires great strength, both literally and figuratively.
"When one of her yuki-onas arrives, you'll know what to do," Sŏndŏk sighed darkly.
Kenji's disguise disappeared once he came back into the house of the real Counselor Kyŏng-su. Taking a seat, he cannot help but laughed at his success. He was too occupied with his good fortune to notice his fiancé and her twin entering, their winter clothes slightly singed from Taranee's fire attack earlier.
"And what do you find so amusing?" Kazumi demanded. "We've been out there doing our best to stop those corrupted Guardians and you're sitting here having a laugh?!"
"Our plan to destroy the city failed!" Kiyomi seethed. "Those blasted Guardians and that Basilíadian traitor managed to stop our avalanche!"
Kenji glanced over his shoulder at Kiyomi and smiled. "Do not fret, my love. You two have done more than enough. Thanks to you, my plan to coerce the Queen has resulted!"
The twins noticed the crown sitting comfortably on the table and gasped.
"Is that…?" Kazumi held her breath. "How did you get it?"
"The Queen has graciously handed it to me not to long ago," Kenji smiled coyly. Getting up, he grabbed the crown and admired his reflection. "Thanks to my charm and wit, I have convinced Sŏndŏk to hand over her crown to Kandrakar. They will send a dignitary spirit to retrieve it momentarily."
Sure enough, a sudden gust of cold wind rattled the building, putting both sisters on the defense. Kenji smiled and opened the door into the courtyard. There stood a snow woman in her elegant, pearly white kimonos complete with a hooded cloak, her beautiful ice-sculpted face frozen cold like her heart.
"A yuki-ona? I thought they were working for Xuan Wu!" Kazumi said.
"Not all spirits deserted to the dark side," Kiyomi reminded her younger sister. "This must be a pure one working for Kandrakar, surely…"
"Greetings," Kenji bowed. "Dignitary of the high one," he emphasized, careful not to say Xuan Wu's name in front of his bride. The two sisters must still believe he's working for the righteous side. "Queen Sŏndŏk, the wise ruler of the Northern Water Kingdom of Joseon has entrusted your lords and masters with her crown, and asked that you provide protection for her people. Until Joseon is safe and free, the crown and all of its magic will be under your leader's trusted care."
"Our leader will be pleased and the others will grant you and your accomplices great rewards in the future," the spirit replied.
"Accomplices?" Kazuki scowled once she left. "What are we? Your lapdogs?!"
Kenji smirked. "Kazumi-chan, my dear, you and Kiyomi just helped me deliver Sŏndŏk's crown to Kandrakar for safekeeping. Is keeping it away from those blasted Guardians a bad thing?"
Before Kazumi could answer, there was a sudden thumping sound in the other room.
"What was that?" Kiyomi asked.
"Stay here," Kenji ordered.
The sound came from the real Councilor's bedchamber! Pausing cautiously in front of the doors, Kenji pressed his ears against it and heard a moaning sound. He opened the door and saw to his horror, the counselor on the floor. Awoken from his slumber, the young man moaned as he tried to get up. Standing over the disoriented man in the shadow was Zhu Que, the Celestial Warrior of Fire. The demi-god said nothing and his face showed no expression, but Kenji knew that he was the one who broke the sleeping spell on his prisoner.
Zhu Que disappeared in a gulf of blue flame, startling both Kenji and the counselor. Getting up, Kyŏng-su noticed Kenji and blinked, "Wait…I know you… TRAITOR! IMPOSTER! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY QUEEN?!"
Kyŏng-su quickly deflected his opponent's meager attack before closing the door and freezing the lock.
"What is going on?!" Kazumi demanded.
Kenji grabbed his winter cloak and rushed for the door.
"We must leave!" he ordered.
The twins starred at him, confused. "We just got here! What about our plan?"
"It's been compromised!" Kenji retorted. "Do not question me!"
Kazumi wanted to disagree strongly, but the sound in the next room tells her otherwise. Using their magic, they covered themselves and Kenji in their light and dark auras and took flight.
"Now, would you care to explain yourself?" Kazumi demanded once she was certain they were safely in the sky.
Kenji's mind raced itself. He had to think up of another lie to cover for their hasty retreat.
"I saw Zhu Que," he said. "Or at least one of his apparitions."
That definitely got the twins' attention based on their fearful expressions.
"Zhu Que? One of the Celestial Warriors corrupted by the Darkness? Why would he shows up here?!" Kiyomi asked. She quickly glanced behind, afraid to see him in his giant fiery bird form chasing after them. To her relief, he wasn't.
"He stopped us when we were trying to kill Kimi and those filthy Earth-Guardians!" Kazumi noted. "You don't think he took notice of us?"
"It's a warning," Kenji reasoned, maintaining his lies. "If Zhu Que saw you the other day, he must've known you were helping me here and decided to send us a warning. We're lucky to be alive, but our personal plan for the future here in Joseon has been compromise."
"What do you plan to do, now?" You promise us a brighter future where we'll be the new twin Guardians and a new possible family for me!" Kazumi spat.
Kenji frowned, not liking this one bit, but there is always a back-up plan in mind should there be a debacle.
"We will return for Nihon for now," he said. "Then we'll make our way south to Annam."
Kiyomi and Kazumi exchanged looks of confusion at the mention of Annam. "Why are we going to the Southern Fire Kingdom?"
Kenji gave his fiancé a devilishly handsome and sly smile. "We have a royal wedding to attend."
Cornelia's plants and vines can't take root in the cold ground and all Hay Lin's wind could do is giving more ammo to their blizzard. There was a sudden beep in their comm. links and the last thing Cornelia needed was hearing Irma's bragging.
"Cornelia, we did it!" Irma beamed in her ears as Cornelia dodged a giant ice block. "Alpha Team rules! We just saved an entire city, not to mention everyone in the royal palace, from being killed by a giant flood! How's your team—"
Cornelia doesn't have time to hear all this so she cut Irma's off.
"IRMA, IF YOU HAVE THE TIME TO GLOAT, THEN GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE AND HELP UP!"
"Cornelia? Girls! Are you okay?"
"Will!" Orube's voice took over the comm. link as Will electrocuted another ice spirit dumb enough to wrap her up in a water tentacle. "Are you and the others alright?"
Will couldn't believe this! They barely made it in and already she's up to her neck trying to hold the enemies back and keep them away from the others. Some field leader she is! She'll have no choice but to call Orube for help.
"ORUBE! HELP US!" Will cried into her ear piece.
Suddenly, an icicle flew near for her face. Will dodged it quickly, but it somehow managed to pierce through her comm. link as it fell out of her ear, ending any further communication. Will looked up, expecting to see Xuan Wu, but instead it was another snow-woman, only this one is different. She seemed older, more elegant and has more ice crystals embroidered around her snow-white outfit. She was definitely going to be a powerful spirit like the White Snake.
"Surrender, Guardians," the leader ordered in a cold, but beautiful voice. "You are outnumbered. It's over."
Before Will could give her a defiant reply, a bright, white light emitted between them and out came Irma, Taranee, and Orube. They looked tired, but despite their previous effort, it was as if they were ready to face the world. Irma and Taranee quickly combined their powers to create a shield of vapor between the six of them against the spirits.
Irma spotted the leader and quickly fired ice projectiles at her. "Surrender? I don't even know the definition of that word!"
The leader didn't even flinch. Instead, she just wave one hand and a giant wall of ice rose up to block her attack.
"Hmph! Do you really think that your ice magic could stand against me?" she smirked. "I am Oyuki, one of the most powerful yuki-onnas you will ever see and admiral to Xuan Wu's army!"
Before Irma could snap back with a snarky reply, Oyuki waved her hand and the wall of ice quickly melted into water and it was going for them in a spiraling formation. In a split second, she turned it into a giant ice drill, ready to tear them apart.
"Move!" Orube ordered.
The six of them jumped back and the ice drill crashed into the spot where they were moments before, leaving a giant hole and a cloud of ice vapors in the air. Once the cloud has cleared, the Guardians found themselves surrounded by hundreds of snow and ice spirits.
Oyuki stepped closer and coldly eyed Irma. "Better to learn the meaning of that word now, Guardian, before you all drop dead from exhaustion."
It was way too much for them to handle. Will could survive on her own thanks to her new transformation, but it doesn't mean that she'll be able to protect the others once her back is turned for a second.
Will…Orube…what are we going to do? Taranee's thought raced through their minds. There's too many and this snow storm is making it harder for me to use my fireballs.
My earth magic can't take roots in the cold ground and Hay Lin and Irma's powers are doing nothing but tickle these spirits!
Orube and Will thought for a few seconds before they nodded in agreement. There's only one thing to do, girls. We have to surrender. It's the only way for us to find Kimi at this rate.
Before the others could object, Will raised her hands and shouted, "We surrender!"
Cornelia expected these spirits to laugh, but apparently they were too cold-hearted and refined for that. She watched as Orube threw down her sword and raised her arms up, urging the others to follow suit.
"What fools you little humans are. Behold, my sisters! This is what happens when your heart cares too much for others!"
Before the Guardians realized it, Oyuki flung her right arm the six of them were encased inside ice pillars. Only their faces were spared so they could breathe, but the rest of their bodies were immobile.
Oyuki grabbed Will's face with her flawless, manicured, cold hands and smiled wickedly. "It seems you're not as powerful as they say, nor as intelligent. Whatever death the great Kohaku suffered from our lady's wrath, you shall see worse."
Kimi was freezing inside Xuan Wu's block of ice. She usually doesn't mind the cold winter every year, but now it was starting to become unbearable. To make matters worse, Kimi could feel her chi being leeched by her icy prison, making her weaker by the hour. At this rate, she won't have enough magic to survive!
Her only comfort was the trickle of light coming from a hole in the center of the dungeon's ceiling. It doesn't offer her any actual warmth, but at least she doesn't have to be alone in total darkness. Earlier, the Celestial Warrior of Fire appeared before her and decided to melt the hole, making her only light source bigger. Why he decided to do that instead of killing her then and there was a mystery. But it gave her an idea of how to escape. This spell was extremely risky. She's never done it before and even if she managed to pull it off, it would leave her dead if not better. Still, she has to try.
For hours, Kimi tried to collect whatever chi and magic were left within her body for this escape. It was going to be painstaking, but by using it with the beam of light from the ceiling, it should enable her to escape. As she guided her magical energy into one point, Kimi continued to reflect on her pain.
She had been such a rotten and horrid child…to her Uncle Komei, the man who took her and her brother in when they lost their mother. He'd always treated her with understanding and sincerity…she had been cold and condescending to Orube and her fellow Guardians, who despite their negative feelings for her, still tried to help her find her brother. They even went as far as to stop her from going after Xuan Wu, knowing that her grief blinded her to the danger…and her father…why oh why didn't she forgive him sooner? Why couldn't Kimi have seen past her anger and realized he was a changed man? Could they had more time together if she did? And Kyochi? She hasn't seen him in months!
No! She has to escape and kill Xuan Wu! Make her suffer for all the pain and misery Kimi and the others had been put through! She will die at Kimi's hand!
Through the bars on the prison's door, Kimi could hear her guards whispering to each other. Xuan Wu has managed to coerce Sŏndŏk into surrendering her crown and worse, Orube and the Guardians have been captured! Kimi's heart beat faster. Gathering what little chi and magic she has left, Kimi began to focus it into one point. Her body temperature was dropping fast, and the cold is starting to kill her more and more. No, she can't stop now!
With one final thought, ice-block quietly shines with sparkling beams of light and Kimi was gone.
Xuan Wu's royal ice palace was actually quite beautiful and a magnificent feat of architecture. As they were being taken into the building, Cornelia noticed the enormous halls and the intricate arrays of wings and chambers. There were tapestries and moldings that bear the insignia of the element of water (with the occasional turtle figures here and there). There were lamps on the ice pillars and crystal chandeliers, but none were lit, adding more darkness to the cold building.
Will, I hope you know what you're doing, Cornelia said through their telepathic channel.
Getting captured is the only way to find Kimi, Cornelia, Will thought. This palace is enormous! We would have gotten lost trying to find the dungeon.
Right, once we find her, we'll take down that Xuan Wu for good! Hay Lin thought.
"In there!" Oyuki ordered as they arrived in front of two great double doors. Like almost everything else here, it was made of unbreakable ice.
The room was dark and the place was dimly lit to reveal a large, sparsely furnished room, saved for a single throne carved out of ice located on an elevated platform. There were several giant moldings of the symbol of the Celestial Warrior emblems visible on arches directly behind the throne, the same ones that they saw on those medallions weeks ago when they first fought against those corrupted spirits.
There, Xuan Wu sat to one side lazily on the throne. At first, she doesn't seem to be paying them any attention as she gazed upon the floating holographic interface screens that's surrounding the room. Each screen was like a video footage, showing them the destructions throughout the land. One showed a coastal city being flooded by a tsunami, and another of a village falling into a deep sleep from Xuan Wu's Sin induced blizzard. The screams and plea for mercy were unbearable and heartbreaking to hear, but it seemed to be making Xuan Wu smile with savage glee.
"Well, well, well," Xuan Wu mused lazily as she glanced at the Guardians. "What do we have here, Oyuki? Five Guardians and one Basilíadian trying to break into my home? What a laughable sight."
Oyuki nodded as she and the other snow spirits bowed respectfully to their master.
"My Lady, these intruders surrendered themselves willingly to us once they realized how hopeless it was."
Xuan Wu's eyes widen before she let out a maniacal laughter that chilled the Guardians' bones.
"What's so funny?!" Irma demanded.
"Why, your stupidity, of course!" Xuan Wu smiled as she glanced at Will. Before Will knew it, Xuan Wu grabbed her by the chin with her ice-cold hands and forced her to look into her cold eyes. "With all her new powers, your leader is quite foolish. My dear, did you honestly believe that you'll be able to find Kimi if you surrendered yourselves to my minions?"
Snapping her fingers, two of the interface screens flickered before showing two new footages. One the right, the Guardians could still see Kimi frozen in a block of ice somewhere in a lonely dungeon, unable to escape. The other shows on of Xuan Wu's minions slowly making her way towards the palace with something in hand. A closer look and they realized it was Queen Sŏndŏk's enchanted crown!
"No!" Orube screamed, trying to move and hit Xuan Wu, but being partially frozen in a block of ice prevented her from doing so.
Xuan Wu let out a shrilled laugh, basking in the glow of her victory. "Look before you, Guardians of Kandrakar, for you and Joseon have lost this war! I knew from the beginning that you care too much for each other. Your pathetic emotional concern for your friends has made you stupid enough to surrender yourselves to me. Did you really believe I would be so foolish as to imprison you together with Kimi? I've been using her as bait to lure you back here so that I can kill you myself!"
Before they even realized it, Xuan Wu raised her hands and the ice around their bodies quickly melted back into water, dragging them along in its powerful grip. They soon found themselves cuffed by powerful ice chains as they dangled helplessly from the ceiling. Will tried to use her new power to break free, but realized that she couldn't. None of them could!
"Don't waste your strength, Guardians. Those ice chains are designed to absorb your chi and magic, all thanks to my dark powers."
Xuan Wu laughed with glee as the floor beneath their feet moved to reveal a deep pool of glowing blue water.
"Oh, don't you worry your pretty little heads," Xuan Wu mused as she took a seat on her icy throne. "I won't kill your friend yet. We'll be needing her and her twin long enough to coerce Chancellor Komei for the upcoming siege in Nihon. But you six, however, I'll gladly torture one by one until you scream for your death."
Will…Orube…if you guys have any escape plan, now would be a good time to use it!
Before Will could reply, Xuan Wu dropped her into the glowing water without any warning.
"WILL!" the others screamed.
Will tried to swim for the surface, but found it impossible. The water itself seemed to be alive as it dragged her down. It felt like a million knives were stabbing her repeatedly. The painful sensation was agonizing while her lungs were crying out for air! She couldn't breathe!
"LET HER OUT, YOU WICKED—" Someone above her yelled.
Suddenly, the ice chains yanked her painfully out of the water. Will instantly gasped for air, coughing painfully as she tried to breathe. Before the others could ask her if she was alright, Xuan Wu pointed at Hay Lin. "Well, since you're so impatient…I'll let you go next, little one!"
"HAY LIN!"
Hay Lin screamed as her ice chain dropped her suddenly into the freezing water. Quickly, she managed to create an air bubble around her head so that she could breath. Unfortunately, she could do little about the freezing temperature. Hay Lin struggled to get free, but the water itself seemed to be alive, holding her down until her wings froze!
Surrounded by bubbles, Ha Lin could barely hear her friends' muffled screams. Thankfully, the chains painfully yanked her out of the water as well. Hay Lin gasped as her air bubble disappeared. She never felt so cold and exhausted her whole life.
"I could do this all day," Xuan Wu said, earning a poisonous glare from Cornelia and the others. "But I get bored easily…so how shall I torture you now while I wait for my new crown to be delivered? Let's see…" she pointed at Will. "Now how shall I clip your new wings off? Freeze it?"
Pointing to Irma, "And for you? I could always manipulate your mind and make you try to drown yourself in your own element."
Pointing to Taranee, she thought, "As for you, I could try to drop you in pool of boiling water. So hot that not even the Guardian of Fire can withstand it!"
Indicating Cornelia, she smiled wickedly, "Oh, you would be fun, definitely! I could drop you in this freezing pool right now and freeze the ice over and watch you drown!"
Glancing over at Hay Lin and Orube, she mused, "And for the youngest…I could impale you with my icicles while feeding the Basilíadian to my hungry sharks." She paused, thinking over all of these plans before she shrugged. "No, perhaps I'll just drop you all in acid and watch you dissolve in its corrosive properties. Your shrilled screams shall be perfect for my coronation as the new ruler of the northern hemisphere!"
"You're sick, you know that?!" Cornelia spat. "You're a sick, twisted, evil, lazy, bitch!"
Xuan Wu raised an eyebrow as she smirked. "My dear, you flattered me."
Xuan Wu let out a shrilled, maniacal laughter as her ice spirits watched quietly from afar. Their mistress raised her hands as she's about to begin her spell.
The entire room seemed to shake as several screams tore through the air.
"What's going on?" Taranee demanded. "What's happening?!"
"Put bluntly, we're screwed, that's what happening!" Irma screamed as she braced herself for the pain. But it never came.
Xuan Wu lowered her hand, as if she was confused by the shaking. She decided to brush it off and continued her tortured methods. She glanced back up at the Guardians and was about to drop Cornelia into the deep, freezing water when she caught something in the corner of her eyes. She turned to look back at one of her interfaces and then her eyes widen in shock: Kimi was gone! The only thing left was the block of ice that encased her. It was completely pristine with no visible marks or cracks on it, save for the cavity where Kimi's body was held. It was as if somebody magically spirited her out of the ice block without breaking it, but that was impossible!
"WHAT?! HOW THE HELL DID SHE GET OUT?! NO ONE ESCAPES MY ICE-COFFINS!" Xuan Wu screamed as she froze one of her snow-women, shattering her into pieces, much to the horror of everyone. "FIND HER IMMEDIATELY, OR SO HELP ME I WILL KILL EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU HERE UNTIL HELL FREEZES OVER!"
Orube and the Guardians glanced at each other hopefully.
Girls, if Kimi can escape, so can we! Orube thought encouragingly. Looking up at the ice chain that's binding her, she thought, If we can't use our magic on the chains themselves, perhaps we could use it on the air around it.
On it! Taranee thought as she tries to mentally heat up the air around one of Cornelia's chains to test Orube's theory.
A lone ice spirit appeared, donned in a sparkling snow cloak. Her hood covered her face but the Guardians could tell that it was the snow spirit that came from Sŏndŏk's palace. Oyuki turned to face her, surprised by her early arrival.
"Sister, you're early!" she noted.
"I flew as swiftly as I could to bring Sŏndŏk's crown ever closer to our Lady."
Hearing this, Xuan Wu rushed forward and instantly asked, "Do…do you have it? The crown?!"
With her head still down, the spirit quietly reached into her cloak and presented the crown to Xuan Wu. The Celestial Warrior of Water held her breath as she reached out to touch it. It was beautiful in her hand. Seeing her own reflection on its surface, Xuan Wu's lips curled.
"Sister, how did you get pass the escapee Guardian?" Oyuki asked. "Surely the Guardian of Light would have tried to stop you from reaching the throne room?"
Keeping her head down, the yuki-ona merely replied in what seemed like a weak voice, "I only saw yuki-onas on my way here and pushed pass them."
"Leave her alone, Oyuki! So what if she got lucky?" Xuan Wu laughed. "If that insect's still alive somewhere, she'll have no choice but to show up sooner or later!"
Now! Taranee thought as she managed to melt just enough of the ice-chain away. Cornelia gasped as she plummeted into the pool. She stretched out her wings and flew when Xuan Wu quickly turned around and blasted at her wrists again with a water whip and froze her hands into the wall.
"Going somewhere?" Xuan Wu smiled. "I think you would have known better than to leave in the middle of MY coronation! Look before you, Guardians! I am at my zenith! This crown that was forged by my father ten-thousand years ago has rightfully returned to its real queen! JOSEON IS MINE!"
Xuan Wu was about to crown herself, but then to her horror, Sŏndŏk's diadem dissolved into sparkling orbs of light in her hands.
"What…?" her eyes widen in shock right before she heard someone gasped. Turning around, Xuan Wu saw Oyuki with a sword blade made of light protruding out of her chest. Oyuki's face was in complete awe. She didn't have a chance to turn around to see who stabbed her. The assailant pulled the light saber back and dissolved it while Oyuki's body collapsed onto the cold floor. Everyone watched in horror as her corpse dissolved into liquid and snow.
"You?" Xuan Wu whispered.
The cloaked snow woman who delivered the fake crown nodded and with one hand, pulled back her hood to reveal a familiar face.
"Kimi?!" Cornelia gasped. Like her friends, she was amazed at what they'd just seen.
Kimi pulled out the real crown from under her cloak. "Looking for this?"
Before Xuan Wu could step forward and grab it from her, Kimi placed her fingers together and teletransport the diadem away. The simple spell seemed to have exhausted her as Kimi took a step back, her face sweating as she tried to catch her breath. "Now it's in Kandrakar with the Jade Dragon…and you will never get it!"
Without warning, Xuan Wu slammed one of her feet down and an ice pillar blasted Kimi across the room. "YOU ROTTEN LITTLE BITCH! HOW'D YOU EVEN ESCAPED?!"
Xuan Wu blasted her with more water, and one of the blasts knocked her disguise off. Without the cloak, Kimi stood to reveal herself in her human form. She struggled to get up, gasping for air.
"That's for me to know and for you to never find out," Kimi spat. Pointing a finger at her, she said dangerously, "I've warned you that once I got out, I'm coming after you!"
Kimi tried to summon her Jewel of Life, but before she could, two water streams knocked her down hard from the sides. The others gasped as they looked to see several ice spirits coming into the room, ready to aid their mistress.
"NO!" Xuan Wu ordered. "Stay back! I will kill her myself!"
Kimi huffed as she tried to get up. "So you've decided to stop being such a sloth and face me now? What a joke!"
That was the last straw. Before Kimi knew it, Xuan Wu appeared right in front of her and punched her with such force that she flew and slammed against the ice wall, leaving cracks in it.
"KIMI!" Orube and the others cried.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! TRANSFORM ALREADY!" Irma yelled.
Kimi closed her eyes and tried, but the transformation died around her. She was simply too exhausted.
"Why isn't she transforming?" Hay Lin asked frantically. "What's wrong with her magic?"
"I don't know, but I'm willing to bet it's Xuan Wu's fault!" Taranee replied with worry.
Kimi tried to run at her, but Xuan Wu merely knocked at her feet with a powerful water whip. It caused Kimi to slip on the icy floor and sprained one of her wrists.
"Oh, sorry. That looked like it hurts," Xuan Wu tsked. "THEN LET ME PUT SOME ICE ON IT!"
To their horror, the blue mist that reeks of the Sin of Sloth radiated from Xuan Wu's body like it did with Byakko's during his final battle. Seeing this, the Guardians braced themselves for an explosion that would surely destroy the palace. Instead, it just got colder as frost spread all over the room. The frost creeps down the prisoners' ice chains and a little bit around their hands. It hurts like hell and there's no way they could escape now.
Kimi tried to back away as quickly as she could. Xuan Wu's laughed even more as the evil blue aura of Sloth radiated from her like a great flaming monster. Worse, her voice changed as there seemed to be a second voice echoing over her own. It's as if she was being possessed by a demon.
"What's the matter? Can't handle a little bit of the cold?!" Summoning her talismans, the shield and spear, the Celestial Warrior of Water slammed the spear on the floor and a barrage of giant ice spikes jutted everywhere.
Kimi tried to dodge them as best as she could. She noticed Cornelia frozen to one of the walls. If she could get to her, perhaps Cornelia will be able to help her find a window of opportunity and kill Xuan Wu. Exhausted but still determined, she weaved her way through the iceberg spikes, although not as gracefully as she usually would.
"You shouldn't have come back," Kimi said when she reached Cornelia.
"And leave you in the clutch of that water demon?" Cornelia spat as she watched Kimi punched at the ice that's pinning her down. "If you haven't noticed by now, we're all in this together and we don't leave anyone behind, not even you!"
Kimi paused for a second, realizing that her vision was blurring. She quickly shook it off and took out a small orb of white light and tried to cut at it.
"Where are you, you little insect?" Xuan Wu's demonic voice sang in a taunting tone as she slowly weaved her way around the forest of giant ice spikes. "I'm going to get you!"
"Kimi, it's no use!" Cornelia said. "The ice is enchanted and Xuan Wu's getting closer!"
"No," Kimi seethed as she continued to try and cut at the ice. "I'm almost there. Just get ready to—"
"There you are!" Xuan Wu sang as she grabbed Kimi suddenly with a water arm.
Xuan Wu yanked her away from Cornelia. She looked up and saw Xuan Wu jumping down towards her from above, spear in hand and ready to impale her with it. Quickly, Kimi rolled away as the spear embedded itself right where her heart was two seconds ago.
Xuan Wu smirked. Deciding that her spear and shield were too boring, she abandoned them and switched to her second set of talisman, her bow and ice arrows. She quickly fired one arrow at Kimi's feet. Quickly, Kimi jumped back as the arrow exploded into a burst of ice crystal that would surely entomb her again. Xuan Wu laughed as she continued to fire them, trying to encase Kimi in her ice coffins again.
Orube and the others watched helplessly from above. The Warrior noticed Xuan Wu's abandoned spear and suddenly had an idea.
"KIMI, THE SPEAR! USE IT!"
Kimi heard her as she tried to dodge all the arrows.
"C'mon, little girl," Xuan Wu mocked. "Is that the best you've got?! Because I got more!"
Xuan Wu fired more and there were so much of them this time, they emitted diamond dust clouds once they exploded into crystal ice blocks! Kimi quickly dive into it for cover. Xuan Wu paused while her other prisoners held their breath.
"Where is she?" Hay Lin asked.
"I don't know," Taranee whispered. "But I hope that she has a plan."
"There's no point in hiding, little girl," Xuan Wu said. "I'll find you eventually, especially with all that coughing of yours!"
The clouds disappeared and there was no one. Xuan Wu raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, something flew and knocked her off her feet and she realized it's her own shield! Before she had a chance to get up, Kimi jumped in and impaled her with her own spear.
"Now you're mine!" Kimi hissed.
Xuan Wu gasped, looking down to see Kimi plunging her silver spear through her heart. It wasn't going to kill her…yet…but it was hurting like hell. "Using my own weapon against me?!"
"How does it feel to be on the receive end?" Kimi spat, twisting the spear and plunged it even deeper. The force should have made Xuan Wu grimace, but to her credit she didn't as Kimi pushed her back against one of the iceberg spike. "Now I am going to kill you the same way you killed my father!"
Xuan Wu laughed again, chilling everyone's bones. Kimi's death threat doesn't scare her.
"Oh, by all means, Light Guardian. I like to see you try. Granted, using my own talisman against me is clever, but it won't kill me. You and your little friends hanging above our heads there…you're all well aware of the Celestial Warriors being close to immortal gods! So go ahead, see if you can kill me with this!"
As if to mock her, Xuan Wu let go of the spear's shaft and spread her arms wide, giving Kimi all the better opportunity to plunge and twist the weapon deeper. From above, the others noticed Xuan Wu discreetly adding more layers to her frosts, making the throne room colder and colder. It was a trap!
"Kimi! Don't do this!" Orube yelled. "It's what Xuan Wu wants! If you kill her like this now, you're only doing it for vengeance!"
"Orube's right!" Taranee added. "Do you really think your brother and father would want something like this?"
"My brother isn't here!" Kimi cried. "And my father isn't either because of her!"
"Kimi, stop!" Cornelia yelled. "The others are right! If you do this, you can't go back to who you really were! Your heart will darken! You're the Guardian of Light! Do you really want to do this?!"
Before Kimi could reply, there was a sudden burst of pain throughout her body. She gasped, not noticing her hands trembling and her body shivering. Her vision began to blur, and soon an overwhelming feeling of fatigue took over. It was simply too much. The cold was getting too intense for her body to bear. Without being in her transformation, Kimi had no way to protect herself from the absolute sub-zero temperature. She finally collapsed.
Xuan Wu laughed maniacally at the sight. With one hand, she pulled her own spear out and kicked Kimi mercilessly several times. With every kick, the sadistic demi-goddess relished in Kimi's painful gasp and the angry cries from the others.
"Look at you! You don't have the strength to kill me!" Xuan Wu said, her demonic voice still ringing through the air. "It appears being in my ice-coffin had made you too ill and weak to continue fighting. Stupid, stupid, little girl. Coming here to face me when you can't even transform?" She gave Kimi another savage kick.
"Leave her alone, you wicked—" Cornelia yelled. She struggled to free herself from the ice, but it's no use! If only she had a little bit of heat.
It must have been her imagination, because strangely enough, she felt the ice around her melting! Cornelia thought she spotted something up at the ceiling. She didn't know what it was but the moment she laid eyes on it, it looked like fire sparks and smoke. Whatever was there, it discreetly weakened her chains.
"Poor, little Guardian. I should worsen your hypothermia by icing and shattering you like I did to your father…"
The others screamed and cursed at Xuan Wu as it seemed she was about to, but then she stopped and lower her spear. Kimi was too weak to even glare at her opponent defiantly.
Seeing this, Xuan Wu shook her head and said, "No…it's too easy. I'm not going to put you out of your misery…not just yet! I want savor it!"
Grabbing Kimi's chin, she forced the girl to look at her. "To hell with Hwang-Ryong's orders! I am going to make you suffer before killing you!" Xuan Wu quickly yanked Kimi by her long hair as she knelt down to toy with her victim.
"How does it feel to know how your father died for you? How he sacrificed himself to try and save you and your little friends? And you know what, little girl? I'm going to tell you about your twin brother."
Kimi gasped weakly, giving Xuan Wu more satisfaction. "It's all you ever think about, isn't it? Your twin's the first person you think of when you wake and the last before you slumber." Bending down to whisper into her ears, Xuan Wu continued, "Want to hear a little secret? How my siblings and I were able to capture your brother so easily was because his thoughts were plagued by you! The night we ambushed him in the Dark Forest, he whispered your name before he lost consciousness!"
"N-n-noo…" Kimi whispered weakly. She tried to look away but all she could do was closed her eyes so she doesn't have to see the twisted smirk on Xuan Wu's face.
"How does it feel to know that his capture was your fault? That's right, little girl. Why your precious brother isn't here, is because of you…and the reason why your father's dead…is because of YOU!"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" cried a voice.
Before Xuan Wu knew it, someone came in and kicked her so hard that she fell into the pool of glowing water.
"Cornelia!" The others gasped.
"Way to kick that demon where she belongs!" Irma cheered. "But how did you esca—? You know what? Never mind! Just get us down from here!"
"Cornelia, how's Kimi doing?" Will asked.
"Kimi, can you hear me?" Cornelia cried when she saw how pale Kimi's skin was. Her lips were turning blue as light layers of frost covered her body, causing her to shiver intensively. She was trying to say something, but her voice was too quiet and weak.
"My…fault…my…fault…Nii-san…Otou-san…gomenasai…" Kimi whispered, her eyes reflecting the mental anguish Xuan Wu has inflicted on her. Too tired, she started to close her eyes, causing Cornelia to panicked.
"No! Kimi, don't! Don't fall asleep! Stay awake! This is no time for you to reflect on your pain! If you fall asleep now, you won't wake up ever again!" Cornelia cried, shaking her hard and slapping her face. Kimi snapped her eyes opened, but all she could say was either "My fault" or "sorry" in Japanese. Looking up at the others, Cornelia cried, "Girls, I think the cold is killing her! We have to get Kimi out of here!"
"Get us down quickly, Cornelia!" Orube ordered. "We can take her back Kandrakar! Lady Freyja and the Jade Dragon can help!"
"Any time now, Corny!" Irma whined, irritated. "Before the rest of us freezes to death, if you haven't already noticed!"
Cornelia got up and was about to use some earth-based energy beams to get her friends down. Suddenly, Orube and the others noticed a dark shadow quickly emerging from the pool beneath them. They didn't have time to warn Cornelia before a giant hand composed of water burst out and grabbed Cornelia.
"HOW DARE YOU?! I AM XUAN WU, DAUGHTER OF THE BLACK TORTOISE GOD, CELESTIAL WARRIOR OF WATER, AND THE LADY OF SLOTH!"
"Cornelia!" The others yelled. "Fight back!"
Cornelia tried, but it was a struggle to even move, especially when she's being hold in a death grip. Rising out of the water, Xuan Wu's form glowed with an ominously shade of blue aura, saturating the atmosphere with her Deadly Sin. Before Cornelia knew it, the giant water hand around her froze solid and slammed her to the ground hard. The trauma to her body was too much, as she, too, reverted back to her human form. Without her transformation, the cold was freezing her limbs faster than she realized! Cornelia watched in horror as her hands and legs succumbed to frostbite. She couldn't feel anything! She couldn't move!
"Now you're nothing!" Xuan Wu growled savagely. She grabbed Cornelia by hair and forced her to look into her glowing blue eyes. "Now I am going to rip your mind apart!"
Cornelia gasped as Xuan Wu's mind invaded hers. The feeling of someone forcefully perverting into her mind, her own private place of security, was unbearable and mentally painful. Images of her life flashed by as Xuan Wu ripped through some of her happiest moments, such as her date with Peter, but they weren't the ones she wanted. No, Xuan Wu was looking for some of her most painful memories…and it linked to…Meridian.
No…no…not there! Cornelia thought frantically. Get out of my head!
It was a recent memory, one where Cornelia and her friends were trying to save Elyon from Miranda, whose was induced by Xuan Wu's Deadly Sin of Sloth! Xuan Wu noticed how Cornelia and Caleb exchanged glances. When she dove deeper, she found what she was looking for.
"Well, look what we have here!" Xuan Wu smiled. "How does it feel to have your heart broken by someone you love deeply? You risked your friendship and your life trying to save his life…and look what he did once he saw your true form: He broke your heart and now your best friend stole him from you!"
Cornelia wanted to retort, but found that she couldn't, especially not with her teeth chattering and her body shivering uncontrollably.
"Do you honestly believe that this new boy'll accept you if he finds out about your magic?" She paused and then glanced up at the others. "Then again, how will we ever know when you're swimming with the fish?!"
And with that, Xuan Wu threw her into the water. Before Cornelia could get out, Xuan Wu grabbed her spear and slammed it into the ground, freezing over the top.
"All that you've ever feared will come to fruition!" Xuan Wu laughed maniacally. "May the Darkness welcome you in a cold embrace, Guardian!"
Cornelia desperately tried to break the ice above her, but it was too thick and she was too weak and tired. Her worst nightmare, the fear of drowning, is coming true and there's no hope of escaping this time. She couldn't breathe…She was going to die here in this cold environment, alone and as a failure. Cornelia stopped pounding as she slowly sank to the endless depth of the dark pool. The last thing she would ever see is Xuan Wu's blurry image standing above her through the ice, smirking in victory.
Cornelia could feel her mind slipping as her vision faded away to darkness and nothingness…
…Nothingness and Darkness…
Is this what it feels like to die? What does it matter? She died a failure…she failed to protect her friends…to save Kimi…to save Lusteria…and failed to stop Xuan Wu…she should just give up right now and sleep forever…sleep away for an eternity and never had to worry about anything anymore…
"Are you, little one?" said an unfamiliar voice. "Sloth has made sleep beckons you and you would follow it?"
Cornelia opened her eyes. That voice! It sounded deep and powerful, and although she has never heard of it before in her life, Cornelia felt it was familiar…
"Who's there?" she asked. "Who are you?"
"I should be asking you that question, little one!" the deep, booming voice replied. "Are you NOT the wielder of my element of Earth?!"
There was a flash of yellow light, causing Cornelia to recoil instinctively.
"Do not look away, Guardian, for you shall respect me the same way you respect the earth beneath your feet!"
Cornelia slowly opened her eyes and gasped when she came face to face with a dragon! It was huge! So much so that it could stick out its tongue, grab her and gulp her down in a split second! It growled as it scrutinized her.
"I ask you a question, Cornelia Hale!" he said.
Cornelia gasped. "But…who are you?"
She must have insulted him somehow because he snorted and a puff of cloud flew out of his nostrils. "Look upon me, Guardian! You know who I am! I am the one who loves the earth! I cherish each seeds that sprouts into food and loved every flower that blooms in the spring!"
It took Cornelia a moment to realize who this creature is. "You…you're the Yellow Dragon?!"
The dragon nodded. "I am Huáng Hé, the Yellow Dragon of the Earth! Now, answer my question!"
Cornelia nodded hesitantly at first. "Yes, but what does it matter? I've lost! Xuan Wu has already killed me and no doubt she's going to kill the others soon."
Huáng Hé huffed, and another cloud puffed out of his nose as if he's scoffing. "Tell me, Guardian, why is earth more powerful than water?"
Before Cornelia could answer, Huáng Hé lifted his head and roared, causing the ground to shake. Cornelia gasped, thinking he was going to make the earth swallow her up as punishment. Instead, there were trees, vines, and flowers growing out of them in full bloom. At first, it was terrifying, but Cornelia couldn't help but gapped in wonder of its power and natural beauty.
"The Earth may be stark at its core, with all its majestic canyon and powerful mountains. However, there is great beauty from it," said the Yellow Dragon, his voice becoming gentler as he continued. "Many must die and rot in the earth for there to be new life…from the smallest flower to the biggest tree in the jungle. The earth provides us with gravity, a steadiness for everything to live on. Even all the waters of the planet must depend on it, for what would hold the water? And yet, as you mortals continue to live and die, you took the world you live on for granted…" He held up a claw and gently pointed at his heart and Cornelia's. "You, Cornelia Hale, have underestimated your own element."
Cornelia suddenly remembered what Will told her from her own encounter with the nymph Xin Xing. She now understood what Huanghe wanted her to do. She must look deep within herself and find her own Virtue…as well as her own Heart…
Cornelia closed her eyes and began to feel for it…Clasping her hands tightly together, she searched through her memories. To her surprise, it's the small, insignificant memories that came about: Out of all five girls, Cornelia was lucky to have parents with high income jobs, enabling them to live in a pent house. Her parents practically spoiled her most of the time, especially her father. Unlike her friends, Cornelia didn't really have to do any chores or part-time jobs for an allowance. Whenever she wanted to go shopping, she only asked and her parents just game her money. There were memories of her hanging out with her friends, while her parents did all the cooking and cleaning. Cornelia never thought it was a problem since her they never asked her to help. And her grandmother? The old snobby lady wouldn't let Cornelia get her own plate of food, seeing it was beneath her.
Many of her classmates, including the Grumper sisters, mocked and gossiped how easy Cornelia's life was compared to theirs. To them, Cornelia was a sloth. She was daddy's little princess who could have as many new clothes and shoes whenever she wants. She had her boyfriend, Peter, carrying all her purchases whenever she dragged him to one of her shopping sprees, much to Taranee's annoyance. Even Kimi looked at her with disdain when she arrived on Earth. Although she never said anything, Cornelia knew Kimi thought of her as someone who was quite lazy.
Cornelia may seem to have the easier livelihood than her friends, but by no mean does it make her lethargic. As a child, she dreamt of being an Olympic figure skater. She worked hard by training her spirit, her mind, and her athletic body to the limit. All her skating injuries and collection of trophies were proof! And when Caleb was in trouble, Cornelia worked furiously to bring him back and to save him from Nerissa's wrath. Even when he broke up with her, Cornelia didn't give up without a fight. She fought to convince him otherwise, and although she lost, she still managed to continue on and found new love.
Sloth is the Deadly Sin where people like Xuan Wu have become lethargic and would rather have others do most of the work for them. She had a whole army of ice spirits sweeping across nations and kingdoms, bringing down monarchies for her. Xuan Wu preferred to induce her Deadly Sin into the weak hearts, or putting them to sleep with her blizzard, making it easier for her to coerce Queen Sŏndŏk.
Was Cornelia like that? Granted, she did coerce her friends to do most of the car wash for their school's fundraiser that one time and didn't want to help, but still, Cornelia has demonstrated how talented, hardworking, and sensible she can be, just like the element of Earth.
The Yellow Dragon smiled as a bright, green light emitted from both his and Cornelia's hearts. She has not only discovered her Virtue, but the heart of her element from within as well! The two green lights became one and Cornelia grabbed it, and declared: "With the Heart of Nature and the Virtue of Diligence, I, Cornelia Hale, Guardian of Earth, will end Xuan Wu's cruelty and bring her to justice for her crimes against Joseon and save my friends! This is my dream for Lusteria!"
With that, a brilliant beam of white light came forward from somewhere in the distance and struck her Heart of Nature. Cornelia knew the light came from Kimi's Jewel of Life! Its light washes over her body, cleansing it with all its purity. Cornelia has discovered a new power.
"Thank you for all your help, Huáng Hé," Cornelia smiled.
The Yellow Dragon nodded, acknowledging her as a true wielder of his element. Raising a claw, he gently touched her Heart of Nature and suddenly, they both disappeared inside of her. He will always be a part of her, no matter where she goes. Looking on with determination, Cornelia ordered herself to wake up from this dream and save her friends.
This ends now.
"N-nooo…" Hay Lin whispered weakly, her voice shaken. "It can't be…Cornelia…"
"She can't be dead…" Taranee cried, helplessly. "She can't be gone!"
"Damn it, Corny!" said Irma, unable to fight the tears. "You weren't supposed to leave us like this!"
"That bitch is going to pay!" Will screamed. Her body quickly charged with lightning and she aimed for Xuan Wu. Instead, her target merely took a step to one side.
"Will, stop! You're going to hit Kimi!" Orube yelled.
"Dammit!" Will screamed in frustration. One would think that having a new transformation, Will would be able to break free of Xuan Wu's ice chains and take her out in a cinch! It appears Xuan Wu is more powerful than Byakko. "If only we could break free from these blasted chains, then we could have saved them both!"
"Anxious to die so quickly, Keeper?" Xuan Wu asked, her demonic voice echoing from below. "Fear not, I'll kill you and rip your Heart out once I'm done with this little brat here and all of your friends."
Xuan Wu looked down at Kimi's prone form and smiled. Brandishing her spear, she raised it up high and positioned over her heart. "And now to take your Jewel of Life and finish you!"
Kimi said nothing as she continued to shiver. Her mind was too full of anguish to care about certain death. Although she's unable to use her aura-reading magic right now, she could tell that Xuan Wu wasn't lying. It really was her fault that her father died and her twin brother captured by the Celestial Warriors. Perhaps it's better to just lie here and embrace her death. Blurry image of Xuan Wu standing over her gave way to the darkness as Kimi closed her eyes and awaited her end.
"DIE!" Xuan Wu said with glee, bringing the spear down hard.
Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light appeared between Kimi's heart and the tip of Xuan Wu's silver spear. Once Xuan Wu's talisman made contact with it, a shockwave pushed her back. The Jewel of Life shone brightly and sent out a beam of light into the pool. The Guardians and Orube held their breaths in awe as the light disappeared. A moment later, the pool glowed brightly, causing the ice to crack. A column of green light burst out, shattering the ice and blasting a huge hole through the ceiling. Vines and small trees grew out of the pool and intertwining themselves around the pillar of light. A familiar silhouette appeared from it and the girls couldn't be happier.
"Cornelia! She's alive!" Hay Lin cried joyfully.
"Yeah! That's my girl!" Irma beamed, kicking in mid-air with excitement.
Will noticed something and before she realized it, the Heart of Kandrakar emerged and it was glowing green! Cornelia has awoken the Yellow Dragon's power that lies within the Heart of Kandrakar: it was the Heart of Nature!
Cornelia smiled as she absorbed all the magic from the pillar of green light into herself. Combining it with the Heart of Nature and the light from the Jewel of Life, she has realized the true power of her element and her virtue: Diligence!
"Wow, she's really glowing…" Will said in awe. "Is that what I really looked like when I transformed?"
"Hang tight, Will, because you're definitely in for a show!"
Xuan Wu shook her head as she slowly got up. She noticed Cornelia and watched in horror as the Guardian transformed into something new. Cornelia could feel her old transformation falling away like leaves during the autumn, giving room for a new look to bloom. Her old wings wilted away, and immediately a new, bigger, more ethereal pair blossomed. Unlike Will's transformation, Cornelia's was entirely purple, with two green metal rings holding the pieces together at the neck and the stomach in a graceful fashion. Her boots matched Will's, but they were a much lighter lavender color and her wings were sparkling blue and green.
Cornelia took a moment to see her new transformation in the reflections of the water and ice pillars. She could not believe her eyes. She got her Power Girl transformation! Looking over at Kimi's shivering form, she waved her hand and a layer of soft, luscious, green grass and vines blanketed the girl. The frost melted away and slowly, Kimi stopped shivering. She opened her eyes slowly, but was still too weak to acknowledge Cornelia. Looking up at her friends, Cornelia waved her hand again, and this time, vines wrapped themselves around the ice chains to break them. Her friends were free!
Seething her teeth, Xuan Wu stood and summoned her secondary talisman, the bow and ice arrows. "NO! You're not going anywhere!" She fired her exploding ice-shard arrows, but Will easily blocked them with a wall of energy.
"Now that's much better," Will smirk. "C'mon, girls. Let's give Cornelia a ha—"
"No, Will!" Cornelia said, her voice serious. "This is my fight! You girls take care of Kimi. I'll handle the snow queen here!"
Xuan Wu laughed, not sure what's funnier. "You think you're strong enough to stand up to me now that you've got a new power? Well, then…let's see if you can handle this!"
To their amazement, Xuan Wu's entire body froze over as her limbs, clothes, and hair turned into ice-crystal. Will saw something like this before when Byakko turned his skin into pure gold. Will blasted at her with one of her energy spheres and knocked her back into the water. Before she could get out, Will sent lightning bolts into the pool. Unfortunately, Xuan Wu blasted her way out and flew straight for Will, managing to leave a deep gash in her shoulder with her razor-sharp ice crystal fingers. Will winced at the bloody pain and Xuan Wu kicked her hard.
"There are certain creatures in the sea that can conduct electricity. I'm afraid your little voltage magic won't have much of an effect on me," Xuan Wu laughed as some of the others went to Will's aid. Not wanting any more of them to interfere, Xuan Wu exhale and her breath instantly froze the other three Guardians' wings. Only Will's and Cornelia's were immune. "Now sit tight and wait for your turn while I'll handle the flower princess."
"That's enough!" Cornelia glared. With her new powerful wings, Cornelia flew straight for Xuan Wu, blasting her with her new earth's energy. Xuan Wu managed to dodged her attacks and block them effortlessly. Some of the energy that missed, went straight for the icy walls and iceberg spikes around the throne room. To their amazement, Cornelia's blast managed to thaw the ice, making their environment warmer.
"I'm ending the deep freeze, Xuan Wu!" Cornelia growled. "Your reign is over!"
"Getting a little too cocky, aren't you?" Xuan Wu sneered as she swiped her hand, flinging finger-sized ice bullets that definitely would have tear Cornelia's new wings off if they weren't ethereal. With a flick of her hand, Xuan Wu sent out an endless barraged at Cornelia, mixing them with her ice-arrows. There was nowhere to hide. "My ice crystals will shred you!"
Cornelia instantly created spheres of warm, glowing green energy around herself as well as the others to protect them from any ice attacks heading their way. Xuan Wu gasped when she realized all of her attacks are bouncing off of Cornelia's earthly force field. With a flick of her wrist, Cornelia expanded her shield, turning them into giant earth discs that sliced through the icicle spires. But Xuan Wu wasn't going to give up as she threw all of her attacks at Cornelia: hosing her down with powerfully pressured water, throwing more ice shards and giant icicle spears, and even throwing in a spiraling ice drill.
Cornelia was not afraid, because with her new power, she was able to block them all by raising a wall of green crystals. Frustrated, Xuan Wu emitted a cover of mist and tried to ambush Cornelia where she can't see her. Taking notes from Byakko, Cornelia tapped into her earth magic and felt for Xuan Wu's presence.
Xuan Wu flung her spear, aiming for Cornelia's heart at a high velocity that would surely kill her. "DIE!" She screeched.
To her horror, her spear shattered upon contact with Cornelia's silhouette. Once the fog evaporated, Cornelia's body was sparkling! Copying Xuan Wu, Cornelia covered herself in a protective earthy layer. It was as if Cornelia's entire body was made out of diamond and she was gorgeous!
"Wow, that's new!" Taranee gapped in admiration.
"You just had to be showy, don't you, Corny?"
"Well, what do you know?" Cornelia smirked, looking down at herself. "I guess diamonds are a girl's best friend."
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" Xuan Wu cried. "MY TALISMAN!"
Cornelia's magical aura grew bigger and bigger as it filled up the entire room and then the palace…and beyond! Her magical touch was thawing nearly all of the ice and bringing in flowers and trees and the warmth of a new season.
"NO! You'll pay for this, you little brat!" Xuan Wu roared.
Desperately, she gave everything she's got. All of her water, ice, and vapor attacks flew towards her opponent and would have killed Cornelia an hour earlier. Rather than dodging them quickly like Will did, Cornelia just stood there like the mountains and allowed Xuan Wu's attack to bounce off of her harmlessly. Seeing this, Xuan Wu tried to freeze the entire room, but winter was disappearing, making way for the spring.
In a last effort, Xuan Wu noticed Orube holding the weakened and exhausted Kimi to Cornelia's left. Without another thought, the Celestial Warrior of Water used her last remaining talisman, the bow and fired several deadly ice arrows.
"Orube! Kimi!" the others warned.
Seeing this, Cornelia erected a barrier of solid crystals in front of her friends. The ice arrows made contact and shattered. Cornelia glared at Xuan Wu and summoned vines of flowers to sprout beneath Xuan Wu's feet. They quickly crawled up and coiled themselves around Xuan Wu's bow and shattered it with a python-liked squeeze.
Xuan Wu didn't have time to react and mourn over the loss of her last talisman when Cornelia magically erected a cage of diamonds and crystals around her. Tried as Xuan Wu might, she could not escape. She tried pouring all of her Deadly Sin, but Cornelia has infused something into her crystals and diamonds to counter it.
"Nobody messes with my friends!" Cornelia declared. "It's over, Xuan Wu! Your Sloth is nothing compare to my Virtue of Diligence!"
Before Xuan Wu could make a good remark, Cornelia continued, "Xuan Wu, you wanted to be the ruler of the northern hemisphere, but you don't have the heart or the compassion to be a wise ruler. Surrender and I will take you to Kandrakar and the Elders might show you mercy."
Xuan Wu glared daggers at Cornelia and spat in her face.
"I don't need your mercy!" she screamed. "I only need to know how that little bitch," she glared at the weakened Kimi, "managed to escape from my prison and steal my crown! I will make her suffer for it and I will personally eviscerate you for this!"
Cornelia shook her head, disappointed. Suddenly, several gold-red feathers of flame dropped in between them. They burst into flames, pushing Cornelia back as the Celestial Warrior of Fire appeared.
Xuan Wu laughed. "Well, it looks like you won't be able to handle the powers of two Celestial Warriors simultaneously, Guardian. Zhu Que, free me and we'll kill them for sports!"
Zhu Que remained emotionless as he came closer to his sister. It looked as if he's going to use his fire magic and melt the crystals, but to everyone's shock, he broke off a piece of Cornelia's crystal spears and stabbed it into Xuan Wu's heart.
Xuan Wu gasped, too shock of his betrayal as her demonic voice faded away. "W-why..?"
Zhu Que's cold and stoic expression did not change. "I've warned thou before. If killing her," he glanced at Kimi, "wouldst jeopardize the siege in Nihon, I will doeth what wilt be done."
He thrust the crystal deeper into her heart, and leaned in to whisper into her ears, "Your treachery wouldst not go unpunished for Hwang-Ryong has made sure of that."
Xuan Wu's eyes widen as she realized it was Zhu Que who had helped Kimi escape and was the one who thwarted all of her plans! "You?!"
"May you embrace Byakko and Death today," he sneered, stepping back to watch his sister die heartlessly.
Xuan Wu could feel all the Darkness and the Deadly Sin of Sloth which have corrupted her entire being washing away…all of the cruelty and malice she has inherited from it has been cleansed by Cornelia's purifying crystal. Like Bykko's purification, the price for Xuan Wu's freedom will also result in her death. The ancient Black Tortoise god had sculpted Xuan Wu from the combination of the sea and ice. They say that all life begins with water, and now Xuan Wu will return to her true form.
Cornelia watched the Celestial Warrior gasped for her final breath while her body slowly became water, then ice crystal, and then diamond dust. In her last moment, Xuan Wu smiled sadly as she accepted her death. With all the evil cleansed from her soul, Cornelia's crystal was able to return Xuan Wu to who she truly was before her corruption. To die with a purified soul might not be so bad after all…at least now, she'll know she'll find peace before the very end.
Before she completely melted away, Xuan Wu turned to Kimi and whispered in a heavenly voice, "Forgive me, child."
There was a moment of silence as the last remnant of Xuan Wu faded away. Zue Que turned around, putting the others in a defensive stance. Luckily, there was no need for that as he gave them a gentleman bow before disappearing in a burst of flames. "Next time we shall meet, I shall not spare thee any quarter."
Suddenly, a beam of sunlight came in through the windows, lighting the entire palace. Cornelia sighed and watched Xuan Wu's remaining diamond dust, glittering beautifully in the sunlight.
Winter is over and spring has come early to Joseon.
Epilogue
"What the hell was that about?!" said Irma. "Why would that bird-beak give us any quarters?"
Orube sighed. "Quarter means mercy, Irma."
Irma shrugged and turned her attention back to Cornelia. "Cornelia, you were amazing back there!"
"And you got your Power Girl transformation and you look fabulous!" Hay Lin added.
After Xuan Wu's demise, her army of ice spirits flew off and returned to their realms in the forest and the tundra. The Guardians, tired but not defeated, are now at Queen Sŏndŏk's palace being welcomed with opened arms. Kandrakar has sent the crown back so they could return it to its rightful ruler in person and this time, Cornelia has the honor.
They quickly recounted their tales to the beautiful ruler. Most of it was told by the others perspectives, Kimi kept quiet about hers as she lean on Orube for support. Cornelia took a glance back at her and saw how exhausted she looked. She was no longer shivering, but she still didn't look too well. Her facial expression tells Cornelia that her mind was elsewhere. It seemed Xuan Wu's biting words still linger.
The real Chancellor Kyŏng-su cleared his throat, trying to get the girls' attentions. The queen was about to speak.
"On behalf of Joseon and its neighboring kingdoms, I thank you for saving us, Guardians of Kandrakar," Sŏndŏk smiled and gave them a bow of respect.
Seeing this, Counselor Kyŏng-su and everyone presented in the throne room followed suit.
"Wow, now this is what I'm talking about!" Irma said, basking in the glow.
Hay Lin rolled her eyes. "Irma, we barely did anything. It was Kimi and Cornelia who fought Xuan Wu to a standstill and she was actually killed by—"
Irma elbowed her. "Hey, did you forget that Orube, Taranee, and I saved this city from being swept away by a flood? You're welcome, by the way!"
"The new Guardians from Kandrakar and the Basilíadian have the strength to protect this country and my people from a powerful demi-goddess," said the queen. "You've stopped Xuan Wu from getting my crown, and you saved Joseon by ridding us of her and her deadly storms. And now, you've brought us an early spring."
"I'm pretty sure everyone is sick of all the ice and snow here by now," Irma whispered.
Counselor Kyŏng-su beckoned Cornelia to step forward. Taking a deep breath, she flew up to the queen, bowed and presented her the royal crown. Placing it on her head, it shimmered and produced an aura of protection. Soon, they could hear everyone, inside and beyond the palace walls cheering with joy.
"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN! LONG LIVE JOSEON!"
After an hour of shaking hands and accepting a few extravagant gifts from the queen and the royal court, the Guardians decided to go home. They had to walk a short distance to where they last saw the portal on a nearby hill just outside of the capital.
"Now this is what I called a happy ending," Irma smiled. "We just saved another kingdom and this time, we didn't blow up half the palace!"
"But there are still a few matters, like Zhu Que appearing out of nowhere! Why did he help us defeat his own sister and ally? And there was someone who disguised himself as Kyŏng-su so that he could coerce Queen Sŏndŏk into handing over her crown!" Will pointed out.
"Zhu Que's appearance was unsettling, since he seemed to be getting along well with Xuan Wu after Byakko's demise. Yet, I also find it quite strange the imposter was able to coerce Sŏndŏk right after the flood," Orube noted. "If I didn't know any better, he had those two girls planted the explosives there in the first place."
"So what if Xuan Wu enlisted a person to do her dirty deeds?" Irma shrugged. "No offense, but Byakko kinda did the same things with some of those corrupted officials we've encountered, remember?"
"Girls, I think something big is going on here and our enemies have enlisted a spy."
"Worse, this spy could be a member of the Kinomoto clan!" Orube said solemnly. Turning to the Guardian of Light who had been trailing quietly behind her, she asked, "Kimi, what do you think ab—?"
THUMP!
Hearing this, Will and the others turned around to see Kimi on the ground, unconscious.
"Kimi!" Orube cried, racing to her side. "Kimi what's wrong? Say something?"
Kimi breathed heavily as her face perspired with beads of sweat. Orube quickly placed a hand on her forehead.
"Orube!" Will cried. "What's wrong with her?"
"Is she going to be okay?"
"I thought she was better now after Cornelia thawed the ice!"
Orube's face frowned in concern. Looking up at the others, she spoke in a very serious tone, "Kimi's fever is extremely high. We have to get her back to Kandrakar and get some help. If we don't, she'll die."
To be continued…
Apologies for taking too long because my life has been extremely busy these past few months. This chapter was supposed to be done back in September.
Cultural references:
In the original Chinese myth about the Four Dragons, the Yellow Dragon turned into the Huáng Hé River (translated as Yellow River), so yes, that is Cornelia's dragon's name.
The Heart of Nature is actually that green auramere-liked drop of power as seen from the comics, representing the Yellow Dragon's power within Cornelia. I've decided to call it the Heart of Nature.
Story Trivia: Originally, Zhu Que wasn't supposed to be the one who killed Xuan Wu, but Cornelia. Either way, Xuan Wu got stabbed by Cornelia's crystal and is purified from all the earth magic and the Virtue of Diligence in it.