The Battle Begins.
I fell into a chair as soon as I was back in the tower. The boys smiled at
me for the last second of dawn. Then Dawn, no Taysta, smiled at me, then
growled as she saw the bruise. ÒWhat happened?Ó
ÒSuzi didnÕt realise Caro was to blame. She grabbed me, I burised.
She didnÕt know...Ó I sighed and looked over at my brothers.
Danny looked at me with hollow eyes then snaped them into focus and grinned.
ÒThat spell is working better then we ever thought!Ó Taysta
laughed happily. ÒDa was even talking to me!Ó Taysta grinned
over at Mike, who winked back. I smiled at my neice. I felt so old, that
spell took alot out of me. And with Caroline using my magic up... I am dying...
I do hope the elders get here SOON.
ÒOh and more good news, Whisper and Liz came home. The armys are
gathering.Mayra and Simon BOTH are back to normal. Only Whisper and Liz are
acting werid...Ó Taysta ploped down on the floor. ÒWhen do
you think SHE will call you again?Ó
ÒI donÕt know... I hope she thinks Suzi pulled the stunt with
the portal...Ó I patted TaystaÕs hair fondly. ÒSweetling,
have you figured out whoÕs watching us?Ó
ÒA old man, it looks like his essence is trapped in a mirror world.Ó
Taysta shrugged. ÒBUt I donÕt think he likes Caorline any more
then us. Joy? WhatÕs wrong?Ó
ÒI just got dizzy for a moment. Nothing more...Ó I stood up.
ÒMother wants me. Dawn, be careful...Ó I walked out of the
room carefully. The boysÕs gazes following me. Taysta looked over
to Mike.
ÒSheÕs worse...Ó Taysta sighed and straightenned in
her chair. ÒWe best tell the others...Ó
ÒTay, dearheart, go tell Mayra and Simon. IÕll get the boys
whenn they snap out of the farece6 .Ó Mike hugged his future daughter
as she walked past the cage.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
ÒDamn it to all hells!Ó Simon cursed as she stummbled past
some underbrush. ÒYouÕd think Dad would give me something FUN
to do... LIz and Whisp can take care of themselves.Ó Simon tossed
a stray lock of hair out of his eyes.
ÒOh great...Ó Simon came face to face with a polished opal
wall. ÒDamn it! They are with Caroline! But I thought Joy was holding
off the spell! Damn it Damn it Damn it Damn it...Ó He took off running
toward the moving army of the Elder Children and His father.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
Starlight/Suzi smiled up at Simon as he walked in. ÒWell where are
they?Ó
ÒIN the castle. JoyÕs spell failed.Ó SImmon sighed and
ploped into the chair next to his fathers. ÒItÕs almost
dusk...Ó
ÒYes we attack then.Ó
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
ÒATTACK!Ó The trumpets rang. The elder children strode/rode
into battle. Magic flared from both sides. Starlight, Endymion, Orcus, Matthew
and Kathrine found themselves in a tower. A group of monsters were caged
to the left. And Caroline, with black, pupiless eyes and blood red hair looked
at them from the right. JOy sat in the middle. As if balencing the two sides.
The thick rug reached up and grabbed the Elder children in itÕs embrace.
The curses, so lovingly given from sibling to sibling, too contorl. Nine
Children, now in one cage or antoher looked at each with empty eyes.
But something remained behind those eyes. And behind the large full length
mirror behind them. Caroline smiled wickedly and walked toward Starlight.
ÒMy daughter... My baby...Ó CarolineÕs hand snaked out
and slapped her across the face. ÒYou wench! You helped her..Ó
CarolineÕs hand reached out and grabbed JoyÕs hair. ÒBut
I donÕt blame you for leaving me all alone...Ó
ÒOF course not... My baby girl. My pride and joy, who will take over
for me when I am gone...Ó Caroline purred and threw joy into a wall.
She crimpled into a heap. ÒBut not her, not Spirit took my babies
away. THEN when I took them back she reclaimed them. Then denied them when
I asked for their lifes for hers... No she will NOT be apart of my
kingdom...ÓStarlight, now a vampire, hissed.
JoyÕs hair grew longer, her tattered clothes becoming a long flowing
black dress. As she looked up her eyes were more golden then before. The
mirror, that reflected her image glowed softly. ÒMother...Ó
She whispered softly.
ÒAh Spirit. What did I have to do to make you come out?Ó Caroline
laughed curely as the screams of dying men and woman reached the tower in
loud protest. ÒHow many times did I hav to hurt the harpeans, you
brothers and sisters...Ó
ÒI am here. So is father...Ó Spirit slowly got to her feet.
The mirror glowed and flashed lights around the room, turning the elders
and younger back to semi-normal forms. They were now the children of Merlin,
family, not friends or lovers.
Whisper, and the others, brust into the room. Then stopped in mid-stride.
ÒDa...Ó Whisper looked at Danny, dressed in armor, His sword
strapped to his side.
Liz gasped and stared at her father. HabibÕs (Scott) eyes didnÕt
even waver from Caroline, as she stepped closer toward him. Taysta put a
hand on her shoulder before she could get close to him. ÒNay my cousin.
Not yet. They must do what they see fit... I long for my father as well...Ó
TaystaÕs eyes flicked over to her father, Mimi (Mike) winked back
then turned back to Caroline.
Randell just stood their a dumb look on his face. Matthew (matt) was looking
at him with the same dumb look. It made Mayra laugh. It was thhat laugh that
stopped the stand offf. Mayra smiled and skipped over to her parents. Who
swoopped her up into their arms. ÒMummy, Da...Ó SHe looked
over at Caroline. ÒHello Grandma...Ó
Lost dreams.
Caroline Looked stunned for a moment. Then looked at Kathrine, (Kitty) with
flashing eyes. Her gaze locked with KathrineÕs for a moment. Then
she turned away to face Spirit. ÒWhat is this trickery?Ó She
hissed and sent a fireball straight at her.
Spirit was envolped by the fireball, then walekd of it. ÒNo trickery
mother. The child just said hello to her grandmother. If you had asked us
before, we may have let them vist...Ó
ÒA bunch of lies. YOU stole them away from me.Ó
ÒWe stole away to seal Earth away from Harpea. So They could be seprate.
NOT to you. It was our choice. Even Legon had agreed to it!Ó SPirit
sighed and turned to her brother. ÒLegon...Ó
ÒWe did agree to it Caroline. AS did Merlin when he died.Ó
Legon shook his head, as if to clear it. Suddenly he was Dannny again...
Whisper flew into his arms. ÒKyra... My little whisper...Ó
He looked up at Liz. ÒHey Liz. WHatÕs up?Ó
Whisper murmured something for her fahterÕs ears only. MiMI and Habib
also went back to normal. THey took their daughters in hugs. With murmured
apologies tied in.
ÒWhatÕ sthis? YOu canÕt keep up your own spell
Merlin?Ó Caroline laughed hashly, as if on the werge of tears. ÒYou
canÕt work behind the senes? My dear Husband. You are done. They know..
They know everything. ANd your plot as failed!Ó Caroline sank to the
floor as the mirror shattered. A large peice landing righyt in her back.
ÒMother! NO!Ó Spirit cried out and ran to her side. The fathers
and daugtherÕs looked up and ran forward. ÒMother please, you
canÕt die... YouÕre so old to begin with...Ó Spirit
smiled and brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. ÒPlease
Caro, you got to fight... You have done so much to protect us already...Ó
ÒProtect?Ó Danny squeaked.Ó ÒOh great you mean
she had a reason to make us monsters? Besides her own sick pleasure?Ó
Whisper reached up and put a ahnd over his mouth.
Òwe figured it out a while ago... Would a mother ever harm her children?
or her chilrenÕs children? Their is no sense in it... She did it to
protect us from that...Ó Whisper waved a hand over at the man, coming
though the mirror.
Mike and Scott looked over at the monster from the mirror and caleld their
armor. Starlight smiled. ÒWell at least some people remember...Ó
Robert stood sliently over the whole persendings. Mayra looekd over atr him.
Skipped out of her parnetÕs arms and, while they channged back, ran
to Robert. Gave him a hug and pulled him back to her mother and father.
ÒRobert, meet Kitty and Derrick. My parents.Ó Myara grinned
as Robert tossled her hair.
ÒHow could you be happy at a time like this?Ó The man from
themirror muttered. ÒYouÕre motherÕs dying, youÕre
family still is cursed, if not only temperay. YOu love the woman who did
it to you.. THIS MAKES NO SENSE!Ó
ÒEvil one... How nice of you to make you presence known... IT was
to bad we figured out mother was going away to undue your evil deeds. That
when we went with you we tore her heart in three...Ó Starlight changed
back into Suzi. Matt, Jim, kitty and Derrick all changed back as well. ÒWe
are happy because we are reuined with our familys...Ó Suzi slipped
her hand into MattÕs then found RandellÕs and grasped it as
well.
Spirit sat, cradlling Caroline. Muttering under her breath. Merlin, the man
from the mirror, smiled wickedly. ÒSo you think you can defeat me?
The best our families blood line can offer? Defeat me? Why not rule beside
me?Ó
Caroline and Spirit shimmered. Then Caroline disapeared and Joy sat were
Caroline was. ÒRule Beside you thats a joke.. I though I could do
it. But I ended up cleanign up after you. Then when it weas our childrenÕs
children? You thought I would stand by and watch?Ó Joy stood up and
looked at Merlin, fire dancing down her arms. Randell murmured something.
ÒWhat was that dear?Ó Suzi asked
ÒI thought I taught her better then to let her temper get the best
of her...Ó Randell chuckled.
ÒAh what have we here? The little wnehc who has single handedly mucked
things over?Ó Merlin laughed. ÒWho should I chose to be your
bane? You and Caroline need a formalable match...Ó
ÒNo, this is between you and me.Ó Caroline/Joy said and moved
closer to her prey.
ÒAh well, I had hoped it wouldnÕt come to this... Crystals,
capture!Ó Shards of glass sprang from the floor and surroned everyone
but Joy/Caroline and Merlin.
Joy/Caroline panted for breath. They too had almost been swept into those
crystals. ÒWhat have you done?Ó She asked looking at her friends,
family, children and grandchildren, trapped in crystals of many different
colors. All the size of her fist. ÒYou monster...Ó she fell
to her knees and wept.
Merlin just smirked and grabbed her by the hair. ÒOpen a portal. Open
ALL the portals to earth.Ó JOy/caroline shook her head. ÒOr
I crush them like a bug.Ó Joy/caroline stood shakily and sent the
command to open the portals.
On earth, portals sucked in some unsapecting cars, people dogs, animals...
You name I bet theres now one on Harpea. The battle, outside, and llong ago
stopped. The people cursed, and norms, ran away like peas in a whirlwind.
ÒNow one right here, to earth, so that I may go rule there as well
as here...Ó Merlin smirked.
ÒOf coures MÕlove...Ó JOy/caroline bent her head in
submisson and opened a portal righyt there in front of him. Right into (And
I mean into) A large Cacti. bLood, guts, you named it that catcti propby
had all the huiman attamy. JOy/caroline started to weep and gather the crystals.
ÒI will take care of you... And one day, this will all be over...
I swear it.Ó Caroline/Joy sighed and set the room to rights, to wait
for the people to come to the castle for knowlege to get back to earth. (Most
portals work one way...)
The End of Part 2, Book 2
The story of Time and ItÕs Lies.
Generations. Part 3, Book 3.
or
