Daniel stared at the underground cavern, studying the stone steps that went down into the darkness. He had finally made it. Reaching into his tool bag, he pulled out a flashlight and started carefully going down. When he reached the last step, he was greeted with complete darkness even his flashlight couldn't light through. He sighed, 'Could this get any better?', and took a step forward. When his foot touched the ground, torches lit up along the walls, startling the old man. He grinned and continued walking ahead. When he came to an open area, his eyes widened, and he dropped his flashlight.

Before him, filling the entire room were nothing but jewels. Rubies, Emeralds, Silver, Gold… you name it. Daniel walked in, but the place suddenly started to shake. Dust fluttered from the ceiling.

"Who dareth enter?" a deep voice echoed.

Daniel looked around the cave with wide eyes, searching for someone, but saw no one. "W-who said that?"

"I am Gceshirra, protector of the jewels embedded in thee. State your purpose."

"I have come for the Eshire Crone."

Silence fell over the cave until the voice rumbled, shaking the area again. "Very well, however choose wisely for there is only one." The voice faded out and the rumbling ceased, leaving Daniel with silence again. He smiled a toothy smile and laughed. 'Yep, it just keeps getting better.'

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4

Choose wisely

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On the mountaintop...

Iilane smiled at the two girls and giggled. "Well, I must admit that you two are two of the most precious dolls that I have ever seen, but it is too bad I have to kill you. Well c'est la vie." She giggled again, batting her eyelashes.

"Just wait a minute now. Can we not come to an understanding agreement here?" Belle tried to reason. "We really don't have to fight."

"Really Belle?" Maya snapped, popping her knuckles. "If the bitch wants to throw down, who are we to stop her."

"Not if it could be avoided."

"Belle, look at her. Does she look like she wants to negotiate?"

Belle gnawed nervously on her bottom lip. This was unavoidable and she knew it.

"Alright miss lady. Let's find out who's the fairest of us all." Maya smirked holding out her right hand. "Dustin" she called, and a small vortex appeared over her palm. Sparkling lights poured from the vortex and formed into a shape. She grasped the figure, and the light broke off unveiling a wooden gavel twice her size. She pointed Dustin at Iilane. "Your turn wrench."

"Well, if you insist." Iilane replied, smirking as her whole body, clothes included, hardened into glistening diamonds.

Maya and Belle gaped at the scene.

"No way," Maya said. "You're friggin' gorgeous."

"Thanks doll, now if you don't mind," Iilane started and in a blink of an eye, she was in between them, whispering in both their ears, "I'd really like to get this over with." She moved so fast. She roundhouse kicked Maya in the side, knocking her into Belle and sent them skidding across the dirt. Iilane licked her lips at the sight.

Maya jumped up, grasping Dustin tightly. "You asked for it." She ran towards Iilane.

"Foolish," Iilane said, once again vanishing. Maya felt a boot connect with her spine and she went flying into a rock.

"Maya!" Belle called out, then eyed Iilane, who smiled watching her. 'How is she moving so fast made of diamonds?'.

Belle held out her palms and a blue aura glowed around them.

"Bubble beam" bubbles shot from her palms hitting Iilane, but they simply bounced off her armor.

Iilane laughed, "Aw honey, I hope you can do better than that."

"She can!" Maya screamed as she came down on Iilane, swinging Dustin like a golf club and whacked her.

Iilane arched in the air, but caught herself before she could crash, flipping down to the ground.

Dropping the gavel, Maya stretched her arms wide. "Wood splints" a red magic circle appeared in front of her, and tiny wood darts fired from it and aimed at Iilane, who stood up laughing. The darts simply bounced from her solid coat, not even leaving a mark. Maya gritted her teeth.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Bubble" Belle shouted. A big bubble appeared over her head. "Water beam" Water jetted from the bubble. The water pushed at Iilane, sliding her back just a bit.

Maya grabbed Dustin and joined the fight. Raising Dustin overhead, she brought him down on Iilane's head.

Clink. Wood met diamond, as Maya instead collided with a sword Iilane now held.

'Wha? When?', she thought as her and Iilane pushed against each other. The diamond lady's other arm was blocking the stream coming from the water mage.

"You have got to do better than this." Iilane said, then vanished again.

'The fu-' Maya stumbled forward but was blasted back by the stream.

"Really Belle?" She grumbled soaking wet.

"Sorry."

"This is really pathetic," Iilane said, standing on the tip of a rock. "I mean have you ever been in a real battle before? You poor, sorry little dolls."

"Come say that to my face, skank." Maya yelled.

"Tsk tsk tsk, such a filthy mouth you have. And here I thought this was going to be interesting. It's quite boring actually. No point in prolonging it so time to die."

"Yeah, you wait on it." Maya shouted kneeling down and slamming her hands into the dirt.

The ground started to shake, rocking Iilane and Belle back and forth. Thick tree vines shot through the ground at her. Iilane flash stepped backwards, slashing away pieces of the vines, but they keep coming. More sprouted from the ground.

Iilane stopped in midair. Her grip tightened on her sword, and she quickly sliced up the vines. Suddenly, small bubbles floated around her and exploded, sending her crashing to the ground.

Maya ran with Dustin and swung him at Iilane, only to connect with the sword again. The two weapons rebound from the other. Iilane jabbed towards the red head's face causing Maya to back bend away. She then brought Dustin up and collided with Iilane's downward swing, who gave her a sly grin. Maya glared at her. They continued swinging at each other, moving so fast Belle could barely keep up.

Belle didn't know how to help. She was never one for violence and would rather avoid conflict.

Iilane stabbed her sword outward at the red head's stomach, but Maya flipped back and brought Dustin down. Iilane blocked the hit, then spun around kicking Maya in her side hard. The kick sent Maya propelling off fast.

Belle ran to an oncoming Maya and let her flying body crash into hers. A bubble immediately formed around them, and they rolled back until they crashed into a rock. The bubble around them popped. Belle cradled Maya close as she held her throbbing side.

"Well, that was fun," Iilane said, slowly walking towards them.

Maya stood up on shaky legs and eyed Iilane, who stared back in surprise. 'Like she won,' Maya scoffed and tightened her hold on Dustin's handle till her knuckles turned white.

"Alright bitch, enough playing."

"That was you playing huh?" Iilane giggled, tilting her head sideways. "I thought you were being serious. Look at you, you can barely stand up."

"Mute it okay and get your sword up so we can end this. I have a date with the shower who is desperately calling my name."

Iilane's smile wiped from her face as she glared at Maya. "You little bra…"

"Didn't I say to mute!" Maya shouted suddenly over Iilane driving the gavel down.

Iilane barely dodged the attack as she slid backwards and stuck her right hand out. It glowed white and diamond spikes shot at Maya feet covering the red head in dust.

"Quit pissing me off!" Maya dashed through the dust, then slammed the gavel repeatedly on the ground, denting it in.

The ground shook and wooden blocks broke through the dirt and stretched to Iilane. Iilane stood straight and closed her eyes, bringing her sword in front of her face as her form glowed white.

"Crystal glaze" she pointed her sword out and the tip lit up bright before it fired a crystal ball. The ball exploded into small sparkles on impact, crystallizing the blocks down to their roots.

Maya growled as she saw her blocks state. She lifted Dustin, "Wood works 86" a red dove magic seal glowed on the head of the gavel. "Sniper viper". Slamming Dustin down, the seal spread along the ground and then seeped down.

Iilane tightened her grasp on her sword as she cautiously eyed the wood mage. This girl just didn't stop coming. All action and no time to think. In an instant, wooden snakes broke through the dirt and dove quickly towards her.

She skipped back, hurrying out of the snakes reach. Suddenly, more snakes popped out behind her and latched on to what they could bite. Iilane cried out when she felt the bites and pain between the folds of her arms and legs.

Her eyes widen at the realization. 'What?' she thought as blood ran from the wounds.

Maya held Dustin like a machine gun and cocked the handle. "Take form: woodwind whirly spin" the tip of the gavel started to glow, then a brown spiral beam blasted at Iilane.

BOOM

Belle blocked her eyes against the wind and dust and then looked over at Maya. 'She found her weakness. The snakes not only slowed her down but injured her too. Go Maya.'

Maya sat the head of the gavel on the ground and leaned her weight against the handle exhausted. 'Whew, that nearly drained me.' Maya's train of thought was cut short when she saw the dust clear up. Iilane stood there, a sword now in each hand. The snakes were diced up at her feet.

Chunks of her armor was missing in places showing the burnt flesh underneath. Her eyes were dark as she glared at the two girls.

"You know, I was going to give you two a quick and painless death, but now I'm going to enjoy cutting you into tiny. Little. Pieces!" A white aura burst from her as she crouched low and zoomed off in a blur toward Maya.

Maya took a breath to calm herself and started to whistle a tune. Her aura glowed brown as she raised Dustin over her shoulder like a baseball bat and swung him timing it perfectly. It struck Iilane across the face and sent her soaring into the clouds.

Ding

"Never mess with the star hitter in Kanon baby," Maya gloated, doing a little happy dance. "Good boy, Dustin." She petted the gavel and he hummed.

"We. We did it?" Belle said astonished as she sunk to her knees.

"Were you rooting for us losing?" Maya asked, as she walked over and fell down beside Belle.

Belle chuckled dryly, "Well, you don't call me a Debbie Downer for nothing."

Maya's lips twitched. "You're right about that," She paused then looked into the sky. "And I'm sorry 'bout what I said earlier. Nobody hates you. I didn't mean it. You're my big sis."

A small smile grew on Belle's face, "I know."

The ground suddenly shook violently, and a roar thundered loud. Tweets flocked from the nearby forestry.

"What the?" Maya said as her and Belle looked to the mountains, and their eyes bulged wide.

A black, misty creature rose through the rock carrying a screaming Daniel clenched in its fist.

"Oh. My…" Maya started.

"Sweet Arithe," Belle whispered.

The creature let out another roar.

Ending theme: I caught myself, Paramore