Even through the darkest nights Wonder had found herself with at least a glimmer of hope to hold onto. Yet standing there in the bailey with the two soldiers she could feel it in the air. A distinct feeling like that of a sinking hole in the hearts of those around her. Hope was gone from the two people around her, as well as from her herself. Hope was gone from the air this night, and with its disappearance she found there was only the empty cold of the night sky to keep them company.
Wonder kept her wand tight in her hand and looked about the area casting judgment across every shadow. Fear of the enemy sneaking past them did worry her, but they’d only been in the bailey for a few minutes. The guards were checking each area they found to be a weakness. Truth was that the bad guys could teleport. With the new wards on the castle they couldn’t exactly teleport directly into it now, but they could get onto the walls and move from there. Still Wonder wished dearly that they’d still be too weak or injured for another assault so quickly, yet she knew better than to hope for that. She could feel it in the air. They were coming. She didn’t know how she knew it, just that she did.
Crow spoke, his voice was a little rough, “We should check inside the castle as well.”
Wonder replied, "Shouldn't we be a bit more careful, and watch the front door?"
Crow flashed a child like grin. "Careful is for cowards."
If Wonder hadn't been so scared, she'd probably have cared more about the old man using Rita's catchphrase. Of course she was much too worried about the attack she was sure was coming. Wonder followed them towards the castle door, they were only five feet away from the front doors when something made Wonder look behind her. A massive gray blocky blur flew towards Wonder making the young girl leap to the side in a roll while screaming. The two soldiers followed her gaze and each one jumped back just in time to avoid the massive thing. Rita’s truck smashed through the front doors and screeched across the smooth stone floor in the main entrance.
Wonder hardly noticed where the truck had gone, but was too focused on the hulking form of Noct standing there at the end of the bailey with Mind Sliver by his side. Noct was breathing heavily with his arm outstretched, and it dawned on her that he had just thrown a truck at them.
Firestorm and Crow had rolled into a firing position. While Firestorm was shooting green bolts of plasma, Crow was creating arrows of pure light energy from his fingertips and loosing them with his bow. Wonder stayed low to the ground and scampered away from the fire and towards a stack of hay. She threw a veil of magic around herself and disappeared from sight. The earth was cold and slightly damp beneath her as she crawled staining the lavender sweater and blue skirt she wore. Once behind the haystack she looked out to see Mind Sliver teleport away to the wall, and then once more out of sight. Noct however stayed behind, and was walking towards the two soldiers. Each one of the fired upon Noct but to little or no effect.
Once he was halfway towards the two soldiers Crow notched three arrows and sent them flying. Noct threw up his left arm in front of his face and each arrow landed with a thud into his arm right where his face would have been. Crow was talented, Wonder gave him that. What he was not, was invincible.
Noct charged forward once he set foot at the halfway point, his speed was not fast enough for someone to have a hard time avoiding when far away, however, the sudden charge through the fire was surprising enough to throw the soldiers off for a few critic cal seconds. Noct came in swinging his right arm and swatted Crow back into the castle like he was nothing more than a fly. Firestorm recovered and attempted to roll out of the way but was too late as Noct was already moving his left arm in to grab him.
Firestorm was grabbed and picked up by the shoulder, lifted off the ground like he was but a mere toy. Then he was thrown thirty or forty feet across the bailey, hitting the earth and bouncing a few times before coming to a dead stop against one of the stone walls. Wonder sat perfectly still, invisible and terrified.
Noct looked around a few times, shrugged and began walking into the castle. Wonder was convinced that the others could take him, for heaven’s sake the queen herself was here and she was known as the most powerful being in all of Silver Glow. Yet there were more dangerous things down there than all three of them could deal with. Nightmare herself could probably take on Saturn and Lamont. It did take the combined effort of everything Rita had plus Saturn’s strength to take her down the first time. Throw in Noct plus maybe the other two villains and the crap would have officially hit the fan spraying its vile material all over the good guys in this situation.
Not to mention that Lapis was currently unconscious in a hospital bed and easy pickings for a likely vengeful Noct.
Wonder couldn’t let that stand. She had to do something, anything really. After seeing how valiant Lapis was when she saved Rita, there was no way that Wonder couldn’t at least try to do the same. With no plan, little power, and filled with absolute terror, Wonder forced herself to walk up behind Noct and aimed her wand at his back. She dropped the invisibility spell and put all of her energy into her voice.
“Hey fatso!” Wonder cried.
Noct froze, and glanced back at her, rippling muscles flexing with just the tiny movement. “Tiny Human, go away.”
Wonder swallowed and took a page from Rita’s book. “N-not if your diet depended on it.”
Noct turned around to face her fully. His breath came out heavy like a monstrous beast, and its rhythmic patterns sent shivers down Wonder's spine that she couldn’t even begin to describe. Every muscle in her body screamed for her to run away, yet her heart, and her mind fought back telling her exactly what would happen if she failed yet again. This time the chips were on the table for grabs, and only the best, or the most cheaty would get those chips. Wonder wasn’t the best and she knew it, but there was one thing she was good at, cheating.
She called forth just enough strength to make it smart and put that energy into her wand. Small bits of electricity zapped off the wand as she cried out, “Prepare thy anus for a reckoning!”
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A bolt of electricity flew from her wand and flew true as it landed right into Noct’s chest. The zap left a scorch mark about the size of her own head, and made Noct take a step back. After that though he shook himself and growled.
Well Wonder had succeeded in doing one task for the evening; she pissed off the giant, super strong, and neigh invincible orz.
***
Rita woke up feeling like every muscle in her body was in agony. There was nothing to be said for what had happened other than her mind was reeling in pain. It took a few long minutes of lying there trying to collect her thoughts before she started putting things together. First off she realized she was in a cavern, the one with the dark pool of magic. Next she realized she was lying on the ground a few feet away from the pool. The pain in both her body and mind were fading fast. Once she pushed herself up once more her side exploded in pain. On quick examination she saw the dark lines had spread even further.
“Damn it!” Rita cursed. “I still have crap to do.”
It took her a moment to figure out what said crap was, and then it hit her like a car hitting a dear on a lonely dark night. Queen Solaria was coming here, and she was the last person that Nightmare wanted to see after the death of her apprentice… or possibly she was the exact person that Nightmare wanted to see.
Rita jumped up, cringing at the pain in her side but choosing to work though it. She looked back towards the puddle but no longer saw anyone’s reflection in the water, not hers nor Lunaria’s. She recalled the conversation she’d had with Lunaria, remembered what it was like to fully emerge oneself into the water a second time. Rita thought back to how Nightmare had looked at her once all the black tar had been wiped off with a light grenade. Fragile, sad, and hopeless. At the time Rita had assumed that the words Nightmare had spoke were a threat, but now she realized they were a warning and a plea.
A warning to Rita that Lunaria could not help herself, and a plea for Rita to runaway and live rather than die by her hands. If Rita’s hunch was correct, than Nightmare was a different entity which was in control of Lunaria. If not then Lunaria would be dealt with… but if she was possessed by an evil power…
Rita began running toward the stairs. Her pain faded into the background as she thought about what was going to happen upstairs as soon as the queen arrived. Nightmare would either kill the queen or the other way around, yet with the work Rita had been doing earlier she could prevent this from happening. Despite her best efforts she knew she was moving slower than before.
There had been an event like this in the past. A dark power which corrupted and controlled those it came into possession of. They had called it the Black Heart. Of course this couldn’t be the same thing, but it was still something she’d dealt with in the past. Sure she might have had a full group back then, but that wouldn’t stop her now. She was determined to save Lunaria before Nightmare had a chance to kill the queen.
Rita reached the old library room and hit the book on the shelf knocking it back up and into place. The secret door closed behind her and the library's door slid open. Just that run alone had Rita out of breathe but she didn’t stop now, she walked into the lobby area and froze.
Mr. Scuttles was lying on his side. His eyes were darting around like mad, but he seemed unable to move. Long red lines were cut across his underbelly. The lines looking an awful lot like claw marks. Rita looked around with no Fiona in sight.
“Hey, Mr. Scuttles, who did that to you?” Rita asked.
The spider for its part hissed out an answer in a slurred voice, “The human with black wings like a bat.”
Rita loosed a growl. “Damn it! I didn’t stop them from entering the castle… oh no!”
Rita looked up at the balcony. She didn’t know of any other way up to there, so she was resolute in climbing up there. Somehow…
She had to hurry though. The secret entrance entered in through the infirmary. Inside the infirmary was the injured and unconscious Lapis. There was no way in the seven hells that Rita was going to allow Nightshade to lay even a single claw on Lapis. No one touched her friends.
The coin once again grew warm in Rita’s pocket. She ignored it. It wasn’t yet time to sell her soul to some evil coin god… not yet.
A rope landed in a somewhat of a heap in front of Rita’s face. The other end was dangling up over to the top of the balcony where it was secured and held by Fiona. She offered a small smile down at Rita. “W-we need to hurry. W-were not far behind her.”
Rita grinned. “Well isn’t it just my luck to be saved by a guardian angel tonight.” Rita grabbed the rope. “This time, I’ll stop them.”
***
It took every ounce of Lapis's strength but she managed to roll out of the bed. She attempted to throw her arms out to catch her, but her limbs moved as if they were trapped in mud and the floor raced at her face. She landed face first and felt a fresh wave of agony wash across her entire body. After a second of lying there Lapis got her hands and feet under her and pushed with all her might in her slow but successful attempt to rise.
Now that she was standing, more or less, and having obtained the super power of wobbly feet and dizziness, Lapis made her way, one disoriented step at a time towards the infirmary exit. The last few steps were particularly difficult as they were at a slight incline. Lapis fell towards the wall and hugged it, using it to balance herself as she stepped around the doorway and into the hall.
Rita's truck was sitting on its side in front of the grand hall’s doors. Lapis was fairly certain that meant no breakfast any time soon. Judging by the darkness in the sky to her left she imagined it would probably be a late breakfast anyway. The hulking form of Noct was out there and chasing after the tiny Wonder. She was giving him one hell of a chase though; the small girl was fast when she wanted to be.
Lapis heard the sound of stone grinding against stone as something opened behind her. She wasted no time in going into the hallway at a limping half jog. She turned herself towards the most likely place to find help, which was also the most dangerous place to be; the dungeon.
Lapis reached the door just in time and pushed against it. The door didn’t budge an inch. Twisting the handle did nothing for her either. If she had her strength back it would be no challenge to merely bash the door down, but as it stood she was powerless to do anything against it.
Lapis turned back and saw Nightshade standing in the hallway a mere twenty feet away from her and licking one of those claws of hers. Lapis was still leaning against the wall for support, if she hadn’t been she would have just fallen onto the ground a second time.
Nightshade smiled wide, beautiful, and deadly. “Oh my, it looks like the guest service has improved since last time I was here. They’ve already prepared a supple, delicious, meal for me.”
Lapis felt the terror rising in the back of her mind, yet stood her ground. Her friends would be ambushed if she failed to do anything. She wouldn’t let that happen. Even if she was defenseless right now, she would still do her best. Her left palm began growing warm and newly found strength began leaking into her helping her to stand straight.
Lapis felt a growl escape her throat. “You’ll have to catch me first.”
Nightshade laughed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Lapis spun around and with what little strength she had been given from her Guardian Heart, she ran. Nightshade was true to her word and followed suit. This night was going to suck, all puns intended.