Chapter 3: Ancestral Grudge

"Man," Techna groaned as she rubbed her back. "That's definitely one of the rougher landings I've participated in."

Stella looked back at the Hecate. The planks had splintered in several places from the impact, most of the bottom had been worn off by sliding across the ground, two of the masts had broken and numerous other things were nothing short of irreparable. "Like, what would be a worse landing than that?"

"Prototype wingpack testing," Timmy remarked. "Good thing we had doctors on hand to handle the spinal injury."

Bloom winced. "I don't want to know any more details, thank you very much."

Around them, yellowed grass billowed in the cold wind. The skies above were dark with ominous storm clouds, which only occasionally let the sunlight through. And when it did, it was a painful, hazy light, almost feverish. In the distance, Havram towered over the horizon, ornate buildings reaching for the skies.

"Sure looks creepy," Riven noted.

"Yeah. Not exactly welcoming," Helia agreed. "Beautiful architecture though."

"Well, whatever else happens, we're stuck," Brandon noted, securing his blade. "We'll worry about getting off the island once we have found the sprig." He nodded in the direction of the cursed metropolis. "Let's go. See if we can find an entrance."

As they approached, Bloom looked up at their destination. The great city was surrounded by a massive wall, tall enough that she couldn't even imagine her behemoth leaping over it. Still, these impressive defences seemed to have done nothing to protect the metropolis against the Ancestral Witches.

"There," Timmy noted, pointing. "Seems to be the main entrance."

The group paused. In front of them, a massive staircase ascended to an equally massive gate, its golden doors wide open, as if inviting them in. Great statues of imposing figures surrounded the opening, so well-made they looked ready to step off their pedestals and greet the group.

"Man, like, somebody should have invested in an escalator," Stella groaned.

"So what kind of place was Havram?" Flora inquired, looking to Sky.

"I mean, I only know so much," he admitted. "Used to be an independent nation. Very good traders if memory serves."

"Yep," Brandon agreed. "The island only held so many natural resources, but through their trade networks, they built this city."

"Then Eraklyon got interested, but instead of attacking the city directly, my ancestors conquered several smaller neighbouring countries," Sky continued. "Which they then used to cut all trade with the island, forcing them into surrendering. I seem to remember they managed to set up a fairly okay deal."

"The grand bishop of Havram, as well as his council, could remain in charge and retained the right to govern, as long as nothing they did went against Eraklian law," Brandon elaborated. "In return, they paid a small part of their trade as taxes. It was a practical deal and helped ensure Eraklian dominance of local trade and military control of the ocean. The loss of the city was not only a great tragedy, it blew a giant hole in our economy. Only barely managed to keep out of a complete freefall recession through a lot hard work."

"Wow. Grand bishop," Bloom echoed. "They were very religious?"

"Yeah. Though I am no expert in their faith. Heavily based around saints, mortals who had ascended into the Heavenly Kingdom through their achievements in life," Brandon stated. "But if you want more, I suggest you read up on it in history books. I'll just get it wrong and Sky knows less than I do."

"It's true," the blond confirmed.

"Enough chit-chat," Riven said, stepping forward. "No reason to drag things out. Shall we?"

"Sure. Though this place does give me the creeps," Musa noted, as the group began ascending the stairs.

Bloom eyed the statues as they passed them. She could almost believe that the rocky colossi would step forth to oppose them.

"If only I had the time," Helia sighed wistfully as they passed the marble giants. "This imagery would be a boon for my portfolio."

"Eh, I'm sure you can portfolio them on the way back," Riven noted with a shrug.

They passed into the gatehouse. Several portcullises hung from the ceiling, as if ready to slam down at any moment. Bloom noted that the wall had to be at least fifteen meters thick. She wasn't even sure her behemoth could punch its way through after failing to leap over the wall.

Exiting on the other side, they descended another flight of stairs into a plaza. The roads were made of stony bricks, while the towering buildings were decorated with images and statues of important looking people. A sickly, yellowish fogs billowed through the streets, obscuring their vision.

"Over where?" Bloom asked and turned around. As she did, one of her feet found no support and she almost fell, if not for the timely intervention of Sky.

"My father's notes said the central plaza," Sky responded.

"Man, the fog here is tots ugly," Stella remarked.

"I doubt that would be a good idea," Timmy replied. "With the way the city has been affected, we don't know what will happen."

"Obviously not here," Brandon noted. "We should try to navigate towards the centre of the city."

Bloom had to agree with Musa. The fog seemed to be thickening.

"Should we try to split up?" Aisha asked. "We could cover more ground."

"I think so," Techna replied. "Probably about to be jumped or something."

The redhead stepped backwards, only to bump into something. She turned around. "Sky?"

"Sounds good," Musa remarked. She paused. "Is the fog thickening?"

"Should be easy to find in theory," Helia remarked. "But with this fog..."

"Agreed," Flora added. "If things go wrong, we stand a better chance if we can work together."

"So, where would the sprig be?" Riven asked.

"Oh, hey," the blond said, turning around. He looked confused. "Weren't you over there?"

The group slowly drew together, as if expecting an attack at any moment.

As the fog began lifting, the redhead noted that she was standing on a bridge connecting the upper floor of two of the buildings, its railing long worn away.

"Ho-how did we get here?" Bloom asked confused, as Sky helped her get back on stable ground. "And why do I have such a headache?"

"I don't know," the Eraklian prince admitted. "Though I don't feel good either. Let's go inside for now. I'd rather not get dizzy and take a plunge."

Far below them at the plaza, Techna sat down on the tiles. "Okay, does anyone else feel like they've just been on a fucking weekend bender?" she asked, slightly swaying. "Because, man, I tell ya, my stomach is doing an entire ballet routine."

"I concur," Flora noted unsteadily. "My head feels... Disoriented."

"It's, like, nothing made sense," Stella groaned, massaging her temples. "It's, like, I try to remember and it's tots a mess."

"The fog... Did it do something?" Brandon wondered. "Wait, where're Sky and Bloom?"

"I think I saw them up there," Musa said, pointing at a faraway bridge. "But I'm not certain."

"The city is playing tricks on us," Riven said, trying to keep his nauseous stomach under control. "The sooner we find the sprig, the better."

"But what about Bloom and Sky?" Aisha asked.

"King Erendor's scroll noted that the sprig seemed to diminish the curse around it," Flora remarked. "He hoped it would eventually dispel it."

"Exactly," Brandon agreed. "If we can find it, we might stand a better chance of finding the two. And we'll have an easier time navigating the city."

Musa folded her arms, looking conflicted. "Alright, I can see why that makes sense," she sighed. "Just don't like it."

...

Oritel held on tight to the reins, as his mighty behemoth Atlas charged down the road as fast as it could. As soon as he had managed to get back to Domino, he had decided to contact King Erendor, only to learn that the king had set off with some of his soldiers. And Oritel had a feeling he knew where they were going. Now, he hoped to catch up to his ally so that they could join forces and hopefully assist his daughter and her friends at Havram. This time, he was determined to do things right.

But his quest for redemption was brought to a halt when him and his mount suddenly came upon a convoy of military vehicles, all of them standing still. In the middle was the armoured limousine that the king recognised as Erendor's usual mode of transportation.

He slid down from his behemoth and advanced slowly upon the convoy, hand resting on the hilt of his blade. "Hello!? Anyone there!?" he called.

"Oritel?" came a familiar voice, as Erendor poked his head out of one of the cars. "Dragon's breath, what are you doing here?"

"I... I've learnt about Havram. And... Everything else," Oritel slowly said.

"Oh," the other king responded quietly, his gaze falling to the ground. "I see."

"And... And I've come to lend my assistance. In any way I can," the king of Domino insisted.

Erendor looked surprised. "Really? I'll... I'll be honest, I didn't expect that."

"Neither did I," Oritel admitted. "But I heard about your convoy and rushed here to join up."

"Well, my convoy is going nowhere fast," the king of Eraklyon replied, gesturing the other king to follow him, as he jumped out of the car. "I've only just fixed the radio and managed to get a call for help out."

"Call for help? Erendor, what happened?" Oritel inquired.

"The Usurpers," he replied. "Ambushed the convoy. That damn Isabella used her magic to reduce my men to idiots." He paused. "Got in my head too. Until I couldn't resist. They're heading for Havram too. I'm sorry."

"Then we must hurry," Oritel insisted. "Bloom and the others are already there."

"I know," the other royal agreed, as they reached the front. Several soldiers were standing, frozen up to their waist in ice, with others trying to free them or resting by the campfire they had started. "But my men are in no condition to leave and Maria ruined the cars. They made sure we wouldn't follow." He paused. "So there went that plan. It'll be a while before more of my men can show up and my son and his allies need help sooner rather than later."

"Atlas can carry the two of us," Oritel suggested. "But we won't be able to bring any men. And he'll never make it to Havram."

The Eraklian king stroked his beard. "He won't need to. My men can tell any reinforcements to follow. The two of us will take your behemoth to the coast. I got some smaller vessels there that should be able to handle the trip to Havram."

"Should?" Oritel asked nervously.

"Yes. Outdated and obsolete. But the only vessels that will make it in." The king grabbed an assault rifle from one of his men and checked its ammo. "So, ready when you are."

...

Riven held a hand up to shield his eyes from the harsh sunlight, as he glanced at the clouds. "I think the clouds are gathering. Might be in for some bad weather."

"Seems to be the only weather you get around here," Musa noted annoyed. "Anyone got any idea how far from the middle we are?"

The group was walking down one of the paved roads, scouting both for the sprig and their vanished companions.

"Well, according to the map we should have been there three streets ago," Timmy noted. "Which just confirms that we can't really count on the map."

"Most frustrating," Flora noted. "Perhaps from a point of elevation, we would be able to pinpoint where the middle is. But even were we to do so, I suspect the curse would work its magic to confound us once more."

"Look, if Sky's dad can get there, so can we," Techna stated.

"Yes, but perhaps the hourglass helped him," Helia suggested. "Remember, it did have a weakening effect on the curse."

"Sure wish we had that with us. I tried to use echolocation, but my magic just wouldn't work," Musa added. "I swear, every street we take just leads us somewhere random."

Brandon signalled for the group to halt. In front of them, a building blocked the road, its gaping dark doorway inviting them in.

"Why is there a building, like, tots in the middle of the road?" Stella asked frustratedly. "Nothing about this place makes sense."

"Should we go inside?" Riven asked. "Because this smells like a trap."

"I concur. But it appears we have lost the option of backing out," Flora remarked, looking behind them. "Look."

The group turned around. Where the road had been, there was now only a wall, boxing them into a little courtyard, the dark doorway their only exit.

"The curse is rather insistent," Aisha noted. "And very perplexing in its nature."

"Guess we should just press on then," Techna remarked with a shrug.

"I don't like it, but... I agree," Brandon said. "Let's go."

Together, the group entered the building.

Inside, the darkness immediately gave way to a cool blue light. Brandon observed the scene with some confusion. The room was large, lit by azure flames. There was multiple stairways, floors, doorways, even furniture. But what caused him to pause was the utterly random layout, most of the room seemingly being designed for completely different directions of gravity. Stairs were sideways, doors in the floor, tables on the wall. It was a mess.

"I mean... It's unique," Stella tried. "But it's not my style." She looked around. "Hey, like, where'd the others go?"

The squad leader looked around. They were indeed alone by the entry way.

,,Wɐu' ʎon ƃnʎs sonup ʍǝᴉɹp',, ɔɐɯǝ ┴ǝɔɥuɐ,s ʌoᴉɔǝ ɟɹoɯ nd ɐqoʌǝ˙

Stella and Brandon looked at each other in confusion, then looked up. They could see Techna and Timmy standing on the ceiling, looking at them. The scarred girl was enthusiastically waving, while the sharpshooter looked a mite concerned.

"Wait, what did you just say?" Stella asked.

,,pᴉpu,ʇ nupǝɹsʇɐup ɐ ɟnɔʞᴉuƃ ʇɥᴉuƃ',, ┴ǝɔɥuɐ sɐᴉp' sɥɐʞᴉuƃ ɥǝɹ ɥǝɐp˙ ,,pɐʇɐqoʎ¿,,

,,No' I pᴉpu,ʇ ɔɐʇɔɥ ᴉʇ ǝᴉʇɥǝɹ',, ┴ᴉɯɯʎ ɐpɯᴉʇʇǝp˙ ,,I ʇɥᴉuʞ˙˙˙ I ʇɥᴉuʞ ʇɥǝ ɹooɯ ᴉs ǝʌǝu ʍɐɹdᴉuƃ ʍɥɐʇ ʍǝ sɐʎ˙,,

"Well, this is giving me a headache," Brandon admitted.

.eciov s'arolF emac ",era uoy erehT"

Stella and her boyfriend looked to the new sound. On the wall stood Flora and Helia. "Oh, hey."

".hguoht erutcip doog a rof ekam dluow tI" .dnuora gnikool ,desuap eH "?siht si moor fo dnik tahW" .selpmet sih gnibbur ,dias aileH ",driew gniklat dna sllaw eht no gnidnats er'yeht oS"

.sdrow 'ssecnirp nairaloS eht hctac ot gniniarts ,deirt arolF ",su deteerg ehS ...kniht I"

Stella threw her hands in the air. "I give up. I don't get anything."

"Hey," Riven called, arriving from the other side. "How did you all...?" He and Musa looked around, bewildered.

"Spirits," Musa sighed. "What's this all about?"

,,Mɥɐʇ po ʎon ʇɥᴉuʞ ʍᴉll ɥɐddǝu ᴉɟ I ʇɹʎ ʇo ʍɐlʞ ouǝ oɟ ʇɥosǝ sʇɐᴉɹs',, ┴ǝɔɥuɐ sdǝɔnlɐʇǝp' looʞᴉuƃ ʇo ɐ sʇɐᴉɹʍɐʎ ʇɥɐʇ ʍǝuʇ ɟɹoɯ ʇɥǝ ɟlooɹ ᴉuʇo ʇɥǝ ʍɐll˙ ,,┴ɥᴉuʞ I ɔɐu ʍɐlʞ lᴉʞǝ ɐ sdᴉpǝɹ¿,,

,,I ɯǝɐu˙˙˙ פnǝss ᴉʇ,s ʍoɹʇɥ ʇǝsʇᴉuƃ onʇ',, ┴ᴉɯɯʎ sɐᴉp˙ ,,ſnsʇ qǝ ɔɐɹǝɟnl˙,,

,,Mǝll' ɟᴉɹsʇ ʇᴉɯǝ ɟoɹ ǝʌǝɹʎʇɥᴉuƃ',, ┴ǝɔɥuɐ uoʇǝp' sʞᴉddᴉuƃ oʌǝɹ ʇo ouǝ oɟ ʇɥǝ sʇɐᴉɹs˙ Ɔɐɹǝɟnllʎ' sɥǝ ɯɐpǝ ɥǝɹ ʍɐʎ nd' qǝɟoɹǝ dlɐɔᴉuƃ ɐ ɟooʇ ou ʇɥǝ ʍɐll˙ Sɥǝ ɟǝlʇ ɐ sᴉɔʞǝuᴉuƃ lnɹɔɥ ɐs ɥǝɹ dǝɹsouɐl ƃɹɐʌᴉʇʎ sɥᴉɟʇǝp˙

.dias ehs ",dekrow ti ,kool ,yeH"

,,Mɐᴉʇ' ʍɥɐʇ ɥɐddǝuǝp ʇo ʎonɹ ʌoᴉɔǝ¿,, ┴ᴉɯɯʎ ɐsʞǝp˙ ,,⅄on sonup ʍǝᴉɹp˙,,

.detseggus anhceT ",pu teem ot yrt su tel nehT"

".ytivarg ,lleW ...s'moor eht yb detceffa eb osla lliw gniyas era ew tahW .detceffa si taht ytivarg ruo tsuj ton si ti taht snaem tI"

.dnuola derednow yriaf deriah-atnegam eht "?naem lla siht seod tahW"

".niaga gniyas era uoy tahw dnatsrednu nac I ,anhceT" .deton arolF ",ees I"

"This is a fucking nightmare," Riven groaned. "Brandon, any ideas?"

"Yes," the brunette replied. "I can see from Techna that gravity is less than constant. Perhaps we can navigate the room in such a way as to meet up."

"Let's give it a shot." Riven turned to Musa, noting the intense look of concentration. "You okay?"

"Yes. I'm trying to force their voices to make sense, but..." She sighed. "It's no use. The curse here is stronger than my magic by far."

"I see." He shrugged. "Nothing to do about it then. Let's try to meet up."

Even unable to communicate, the groups began moving around, trying to meet up.

.shtap wen ,sriats wen ,syawrood weN .stecaf wen delaever moor eht ,tuoyal eht tuo derugif dah yeht thguoht yeht emit yrevE .stroffe rieht yfed ot demees flesti moor ehT .egnellahc eht etiuq saw tI

Ǝʌǝu ʍoɹsǝ' ǝʌǝɹʎ ʇᴉɯǝ soɯǝqopʎ slᴉddǝp onʇ oɟ sᴉƃɥʇ' ʇɥǝʎ,p ɐddǝɐɹ soɯǝʍɥǝɹǝ ǝlsǝ' ɟɐɹ ɐʍɐʎ ɟɹoɯ ʍɥǝɹǝ loƃᴉɔ ʍonlp pᴉɔʇɐʇǝ ʇɥǝɯ ʇo qǝ˙ Oqʌᴉons dɐʇɥʍɐʎs ʍonlp snppǝulʎ qǝ pᴉsɔouuǝɔʇǝp ɟɹoɯ ǝɐɔɥ oʇɥǝɹ qʎ ᴉɯdɐssɐqlǝ qɐɹɹᴉǝɹs˙ ∀up ǝʌǝɹʎ ɐʇʇǝɯdʇ ɐʇ ɯɐƃᴉɔ ɟɐᴉlǝp ʇo dɹoʌᴉpǝ ʇɐuƃᴉqlǝ ɹǝsnlʇs˙

˙ʇɹoɟɟǝ ɐɹʇxǝ ǝɥʇ uᴉ ƃuᴉʇʇnd ɹoɟ ƃuᴉʇɐlnʇɐɹƃuoɔ ɥʇɹoʍ ǝq plnoʍ os ƃuᴉop uosɹǝd ∀ ˙ʇxǝʇ ƃuᴉsnɟuoɔ ɐ ǝpoɔǝp oʇ ʇɹoɟɟǝ ɟo uoʇ ɐ ɥƃnoɹɥʇ ƃuᴉoƃ ǝuoǝɯos ǝʞᴉl ɥɔnW ˙ʎʇᴉsɹǝʌpɐ ɟo ǝɔɐɟ ǝɥʇ uᴉ pɹɐʍuo ƃuᴉɥsnd 'dn ǝʌᴉƃ ʇou pᴉp ʎǝɥʇ ʇnq 'ɯǝɥʇ pǝuǝʞɔᴉs ʎʇᴉʌɐɹƃ ɟo ʇɟᴉɥs ʎɹǝʌǝ puɐ ɯǝɥʇ pǝʇsnɐɥxǝ sǝsɐɔɹᴉɐʇs ssǝlpuǝ ǝɥ┴ ˙uo dnoɹƃ ǝɥʇ pɐǝl uoᴉʇɐuᴉɯɹǝʇǝp 'sdᴉɥspɹɐɥ ɹᴉǝɥʇ ǝʇᴉdsǝp ʇnq

And then finally, they met up on the same platform.

"Dragon's. Scaly. Ass. I'm dizzy," Riven gasped, leaning against a wall. "What kind of demented lunatic came up with this?"

"The Ancestral Witches," Brandon said. "Though whether they decided for it to be this way or the curse is just random... I don't know."

"Wait, hold on a second," Flora said. She looked around. "Where is Aisha?"

"Crap, she's right," Riven said, looking around. "Aisha is not here. Did anyone see her?"

"No. Then again, everything was totally confusing," Stella answered. "Maybe she's somewhere else now?"

"Is this place trying to split us up?" Musa asked, scratching her head. "You know what, I'm almost happy the Ancestral Witches are back. Gives me an extra opportunity to kick their asses for this." She looked to Brandon. "So, what now?"

The squad leader sighed. "We push onwards," he said, turning to the doorway. "Hope we can find our way through all of this. And find the others."

The group continued down the hallway in silence, leaving the weird room behind.

At the end of it, they entered another hall. The ceiling was far above, hidden in a thick layer of darkness. The walls were decorated with mirror after mirror, their frames made of gold and decorated with precious stone.

"Wow. I like looking at myself, and even I think this is tots too much," Stella remarked as they entered the room.

"Hey, isn't that Aisha?" Helia asked, pointing.

Indeed, the princess of Tides was studying one of the mirrors. Upon hearing the noise, she turned around, her face becoming an expression of relief. "There you are. I got so concerned when you vanished."

"How did you get here?" Brandon inquired.

"I don't know. We entered the doorway together and on the other side was this room," she explained. "But I remembered that Flora had once told me that the best thing to do in such a situation is to stay where you are."

"You have done well to remember that," the Limphean noble added proudly.

"So, what's with the mirrors?" Riven asked.

"Good question. I don't know," Aisha replied. "And honestly, I am not certain that they are truly mirrors at all."

"She has a point," Timmy said, looking into one. "It doesn't reflect the room at all."

In the glass surface, all that could be seen was a dark passageway, as if they were actually windows.

"Huh. And there's so many of them," Musa noted. "This is... Eerie."

"Perhaps we better move on now that we're all together," Helia suggested.

"You know what, tAAARRGGHHH!" Stella screamed as something slammed into the other side of the mirror.

It looked vaguely humanoid and seemed to be composed of pure shadow. Two blue pinpricks glowed in its head and an even darker void opened below it, as the thing moaned pitifully.

"What the fuck?" Techna exclaimed, stepping back.

"I think... I think it's one of the citizens," Brandon said, starring at the wraith. "It's like Erendor's scroll said. Stuck between life and death."

The shadowy being began hammering on the mirror with mad fury, each slam marked with a dull thud.

"I'm starting to like the whole getting out of here idea," Riven said, backing away from the mirror with a hand on his blade.

As the spook punched away, the sound seemed to echo.

Musa looked around, eyes widening. "Oh no."

At each and every mirror, a similar being was wildly slamming against the glass, trying to get through.

"Can they...?" Aisha nervously asked.

With a final slam, the first apparition forced its arm through the glass pane. It grabbed hold of the other side, forcefully pulling itself out through the mirror.

"MOVE!" Brandon yelled.

The group began running, as more and more of the haunts made their way out of their prisons, raining down and slamming against the floor.

Flora looked behind them as they ran. The spectres that had freed themselves began pursuing, hovering above the ground, arms desperately outstretched.

"Maybe they just want help?" Techna suggested, even as they kept fleeing.

"Yeah, well, I'm not staying around to find out," Riven replied, as they escaped from the room down another hallway.

...

Sky folded his arms, looking down the street, as behind him, Bloom exited out the building.

"Something wrong?" the redhead asked.

"I mean... Look, I know I'm not always the most observant, but..." He gestured with his hand. "What do you see?"

The Dominian princess raised an eyebrow. "The street. I guess. Why?"

"Well, where do you think we are?" the blond asked. "In relation to everything?"

Bloom looked around. Everything seemed normal, from the cobbled road, the decorated houses and above them the towering spires. "We're on a road," she slowly said. "You seeing something else?"

"Well, how many stairs did we just climb in that tower?"

"Too many," the redhead sighed. "My legs hurt."

"Right. And how many stairs did we go down."

"None. Wait... Oh..." Bloom blinked. "You're right. This doesn't make sense. We even started on a high bridge, but now we're on ground level again." She scratched her hair. "Does anything around here make the least bit sense?"

"Don't think we should count on it," Sky noted. "But not much we can do about it. We better keep moving."

The two of them began walking down the road, their footsteps echoing through the misty air.

"I wonder if we can even find the others?" Bloom commented worriedly. "We can't trust anything in this city."

"True, but... Still. If we can just find the sprig," Sky said. "Then I'm sure we can make it. My father did, after all."

"Let's hope we can replicate that feat, then," the redhead commented. "Because I don't exactly..." She stopped, the sound of stone scouring against stone interrupting her. "What was that?"

The two royals looked around.

"I don't see anything," Sky remarked. "But I did..." The sound repeated.

"Was it from over there?" Bloom asked and pointed, only for the sound to repeat from a different direction.

"This is driving me nuts," Sky admitted, scratching his head. "Dragon's breath, what's with the noise?"

Bloom turned around just as the sound repeated, her eyes widening. "Sky? Did that... House just scoot a little forward?" she asked.

"The entire house?" Sky asked, turning around. "I mean... Maybe?"

There was a moment of silence. Then, all the buildings began slowly moving forward with a grinding cacophony, the path growing slimmer with every second.

Without a word, the two lovers began sprinting down the rapidly disappearing road, as the massive structures closed in to smash them.

Bloom leapt over a protruding stairway, her legs pulsing with pain. The path was now more like a narrow alley, but even this space was rapidly vanishing. Up ahead, the street seemed to end, spurring the two into trying harder, even as the looming walls closed in. Sky was forced to dodge the statue of a saint as it shot out in front of him, barely avoiding smashing into Bloom in the process.

"Almost... There..." he gasped.

The pathway was now so narrow that the two had to turn sideways to not grind up against the enclosing walls, slowing them down just as they were on the cusp of getting out.

With a final push, Sky got out, closely followed by Bloom as the buildings slammed into each other with a terrifying sound.

But the relief earned was short-lived. As he got free from the enclosing deathtrap, Sky suddenly found himself without footing under one of his legs. He began swinging his arms around as he tried to get back to safety.

"SKY!" Bloom yelled, trying to grab him.

But it was too late. He lost his balance and with a yell fell into the thick mist and the unseen hole it covered.

"NOOO!" Bloom yelled. She dropped down on all fours, desperately grasping at the ground, trying to find the edge they had both missed, hoping she could climb down, that it wasn't too deep. She found it. It was like somebody had cut through the road with a sharp knife and removed a part, leaving a smooth and definitely unscalable surface.

The redhead got up, thoughts racing to figure out what she could do. She took a step back, only to bump into something. She turned around.

The houses had moved closer. The grinding noise resumed as the buildings slowly approached, pushing the panicking redhead closer to the pit. She tried to focus her magic, tried to melt the stone wall, tried to do anything.

But it didn't work. Her magic wouldn't respond. Tears bubbled from her eyes, memories sparking in her brain as she tried to come up with something to save herself.

And then she was pushed over the edge, descending into the thick, yellow mist with a scream.

Then something grabbed her arm.

She was yanked in, stumbling into Sky.

"Bloom, snap out of it," he implored, holding her shoulders. "It's okay."

"What? Why? Cliff?" she tried, completely flabbergasted.

"We didn't fall," Sky insisted. "It's okay."

Confused, the redhead looked around. They were at the end of the street, the houses now back where they were before. "Wha... Was that even real?" she asked, drying her tears away.

"I'll be honest... I don't know. Maybe." The blond shrugged. "Felt real enough, but... Here we are." He looked into the mist. "But more than that, can you see that light?"

Bloom followed his glance. It was faint, but deep in the mists, she could see a faint shimmer. She felt herself calm down. There was something nice, soothing even, about it.

"That," Sky said, nodding. "Is the sprig. I'm sure of it."

"But how do we get over the chasm?" Bloom asked.

The Eraklian prince rubbed his chin. "We close our eyes," he insisted. "And then we walk hand-in-hand forward."

The redhead stared, before incredulously asking: "That's your plan?"

"Yeah. This pit... I think it might be a trick. Despite falling... We ended up here. So maybe... I dunno. Call it a gut feeling. I know, not good enough, but... I just know this will work." He reached out with his hand. "Do you trust me?"

The redhead paused, then smiled, grasping his hand. "Of course I do."

They both took a moment, then closed their eyes, walking into the mist together.

...

"Did we lose them?" Aisha gasped, as the others paused.

Brandon and Riven peered down the hallways they had just exited.

"Seems that way," the brunette finally concluded. "But let's be careful with any mirrors we see from now on."

"Don't need to tell me twice," Stella added. "So, like, what do we do now?"

"Don't think we have much choice but advancing," Timmy said, looking around. They had managed to escape into another big hallway, the floor tiled like a chessboard. There were pillars, torches blazing with fire, a balcony up above and a stairway to break up the monotony, though it all seemed to be arranged without much rhyme or reason.

"So, what kinda room was this back in the day?" Musa wondered. "Because I don't see the point."

"It's like the room exists to be a room. You know, like a game," Techna said. "We open the next door and encounter d6 frost wolves."

"I'm inclined to agree. It does feel like this place is playing games with us," Helia said, looking around. "And I don't think I've seen as much as a single bathroom or kitchen while we've been here."

"Wait. I hear someone coming," Brandon said, holding up a hand to gesture for silence. "Get ready."

"...as well just get it over with," Stormy complained, as she, Darcy and Icy entered the room from a different doorway. "Barely escaped that fucking deathtrap, and we still..."

Darcy cut off her companion's ramblings by grasping her and Icy's shoulders, getting their attention.

The two groups stared at each other.

Then weapons were drawn.

"What are you three doing here?" Musa hissed, fans ready.

"Looking for a plant," Icy coldly remarked. "But perhaps you've already found it? Would make things so much easier."

"I cannot believe you three would stoop so low as to work with the Ancestral Witches," Aisha noted, unsteadily holding her weapon.

Stormy paused. "Oh, well, we aren't. I mean, I guess we are, but if we don't, they'll kill us."

"Really?" Riven asked sceptically.

"Indeed. While we have often felt that circumstances have forced us into certain positions, never has it been truer than in this case," Darcy elaborated. "We have only agreed to serve insofar as not doing so would result in our demise. And no, being here does not in any way protect us from that, before you suggest it."

"I am sorry to hear that," Flora noted. "I wish we could help. But as it stands, we cannot allow you to hand over the sprig to the Ancestral Witches. The fallout from such a course of action could devastate Magicalis for centuries, if not more. Quite frankly, I believe the multiverse has had enough of such sad events."

"Well, tough luck, I'm not dying for that!" Icy spat. "Now do you have the sprig or not?"

"Doesn't matter. We'll kick your asses either way," Riven said, twirling his sabre for good measure.

Stormy looked hesitant. Then she turned to the others and started: "Maybe we should..."

"I don't wanna hear anything that even remotely sounds like a suggestion to sacrifice ourselves," Isabella cut her off.

"You think you'll have better luck fighting us?" Musa asked.

"It doesn't matter," Darcy said. "We do not have any choice in the matter. Even as we speak, the Ancestral Witches watch us. So if we tried to pull a fast one, they'd know. And we'd be dead."

"Man, I actually feel bad for you three for once," Techna noted, checking her pistol. "I mean, still gonna fucking shoot you, but I'll try n' make it less painful."

"Gee, that makes me feel better," Stormy deadpanned, before letting a charge of electricity run through her mace.

Nobody needed to say anything else. They all knew the battle had begun.

Techna and Timmy raised their weapons to fire, but Darcy was quicker, conjuring a thick layer of darkness to hide them.

"Great. Their magic remains unaffected," Musa noted annoyed.

"Solaris burn it all," Stella hissed, as she tried and failed to concentrate her magic. "I tots can't do anything about it."

Brandon and Riven charged forward, weapons drawn. A barrage of icicles shot out of the inky depths, forcing them to evade.

Helia grabbed a small canister from his belt, pulled the ring on top and threw it into the cloud.

There was a soft thwump as the grenade exploded.

"DRAGON'S SCALY ASS!" Stormy could be heard yelling. "IT'S EVERYWHERE!"

"JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!" Icy yelled furiously. "STORMY, STOP PULLING, YOU'RE GOING TO RIP MY HAIR OUT!"

"Impact foam," the artist noted to the others. "Also good for pacifying people."

Riven eyed the wall, where a shadow slid along. "Think you missed one though." He turned, pointing his sabre at her. "Come out, Darcy. We're not going to fall for your old tricks." He hissed when a thrown dagger slammed into his shoulder.

"I don't have to rely on old tricks," Darcy noted from the other side of the room, before sinking into the floor, blooming into several different shadows as she did.

"She's trying to confuse us," Brandon noted, eyeing the numerous shadows sliding across the room's surfaces. "Helia, help Riven. The knife was probably poisoned. Everyone else, be on guard."

Meanwhile, the layer of darkness faded, revealing the two other witches, still caught in the foam. Icy concentrated cold into the mass, freezing it solid, before with a move forcing it to tear itself apart.

"Dammit, you ripped my pants," Stormy complained.

"Forget your pants and focus on bludgeoning them," the white-haired noble retorted, forming a large axe-blade on her staff, before charging the group.

Aisha noted the approaching witch and stepped forward, her polearm ready. As Icy brought her weapon down, the princess of Tides countered it, stopping the blow mid-air. She could feel her muscles protest and the wooden shaft vibrated as she tried to hold her opponent back.

"Aw, isn't that cute," Icy taunted, pushing harder. "You really think you've got a chance?"

"More of a chance than you," Stella declared, rushing in from the side, readying her staff.

Icy tried to raise her weapon to both keep Aisha at bay and block the incoming strike, but Stella brought the blunt weapon down hard on the white-haired woman's exposed fingers.

Isabella yelled as she lost her grip, destabilising her defence. Aisha's own blade came down immediately, forcing the Usurper to leap to the side to avoid injury, right into the path of a follow-up attack from Stella, as the Solarian princess slammed her staff into the witch's head.

Seeing stars, Icy fell on her behind. As the blonde princess rushed in to attack again, Isabella counter by blasting a ball of ice from her hands, catching Stella in the stomach and launching her backwards.

Stormy, meanwhile, charged at Musa. The musician readied her combat fans, stepping out of the way of the wild-haired witch's first strike.

Stormy capitalized on the momentum to lead into a follow-up swing, which was also dodged.

Musa took the initiative, stepping forward just after Stormy's second swing and slammed her folded fan into the side of her opponent's head.

Stormy stepped back with a dazed expression, as she tried to reorient herself. She swung her arm, generating a powerful blast of wind that forced Musa back.

Not far from them, Techna noted the the two fighting and raised her gun to assist.

Just as she did, Darcy popped out of the ground behind her, dagger raised.

Having foreseen that, the scarred inventor spun around, slamming the gun into the witch's head.

Having foreseen that, the illusion of Darcy shattered.

"Oh come the fuck on!" Techna cursed exasperated. "Let me punch you just this once."

Meanwhile, Icy was fending of Aisha as Stella was trying to recover. The princess of Tides was more inexperienced, but Isabella had still yet to recover from being hit over the head. Still, having more skill with her chosen weapon, Isabella begun gaining the upper hand.

That's when Brandon stepped in, swinging his massive blade. Icy was caught off guard and conjured a shield of ice to block the incoming attack. The force of the blow made her knees buckle.

Aisha followed up by drawing her weapon back, then jamming the blunt end into the white-haired witch's stomach. She bent over, her eyes looking ready to pop out of her skull.

Then Brandon hammered the pommel of his sword into the back of her head, dropping her to the floor.

Stormy stepped forward, trying to get to Musa while the latter was still trying to get up.

Flora rushed in, machete drawn, swinging it in an upwards motion.

Maria tried to block it with the metal shaft of her mace.

There was a shearing sound and the Usurper watched as half her weapon sailed through the air, before landing on the floor with a clonk. She looked at what remained in her hand, before squeaking: "What?" She looked up at the Limphean noble threateningly pointing her blade at her. She backed up, only to feel Timmy's rifle poke into the back of her head.

Meanwhile, Techna swung her pipe through the sixth of Darcy's illusions. "I'll get you eventually," she declared. "Just you wait." She noticed Darcy popping up and got ready to swing her pipe at her.

"I surrender," the illusionist said, dropping her weapons.

Techna blinked, before disappointedly asking: "What, really?"

"Yeah. You've already defeated my allies," the dirty-blonde said, gesturing to the groaning Icy and the surrounded Stormy. "Even without your magic, a three versus nine fight was never going to be a favourable one."

Techna bit her lower lib. "Can't I hit you just a little bit?"

"No," she responded as she walked over to her comrades.

"Aww."

"IMBECILES!" an otherworldly voice thundered.

"What now?" Riven groggily groaned, as Helia did his best to support him.

"Oh no," Stormy whispered. "Not good."

The three great shades of the Ancestral Witches manifested in the room. "Your task was simple, yet here you are, defeated by these pathetic fairies."

"You're witches. You're better than them," one of the other spectres indignantly stated.

"I'm feeling slightly ignored here," Helia commented.

"It's those three shady assholes," Techna remarked. "What, come back to get your shit wrecked again?"

"Watch your tongue, girl," one of the wraiths snarled. "Neither your dragonflame carrying friend nor that damnable sword is here to protect you from us."

"Is that so?" Brandon asked nonchalant. "What a shame. Guess we're about to be vaporised." He paused. "Come on. What are you waiting for?"

Icy looked up at the hesitant spectres. "Yeah, what are you waiting for?"

"BE QUIET!" came one of the three's loud answer.

"It is simple. You do not have a source of magical energy to parasitize," Flora stated. "That means that any magic you do use will drain you of your existence. You are afraid of overextending yourselves, are you not? I imagine you hoped just showing up would have us fleeing. But that is not the case." She levelled her blade to point at them. "We do not fear you. Your time ended long ago and the era you desire shall never come to pass."

"BE QUIET!" one of spectres roared, raising a shadowy hand. "I SHALL ERASE YOU FROM EXISTENCE, FAIRY." Magical energy gathered in her palm, as she prepared to blast the group.

"Well, like, now she's mad," Stella commented, as she and the others prepared for the attack.

A figure sailed through the air. There was a flash as metal was brought down.

The witch wraith howled in pain and rage, as her ghostly hand was cut off from her body, dissipating into smoke.

Oritel landed, before turning around, brandishing his enchanted blade. "Your plans will not come to fruition, witches. I swore I'd hunt you down and I have to come to fulfil my oath and obligation."

"King Oritel?" Brandon said surprised.

"Wow. I'm actually kinda glad to see you," Musa noted.

"Yes. Sorry for the delay. I should have been with you from the start," the king replied, turning to face the ghosts.

"Do not just stand there," one of the wraiths ordered the Usurpers, while her companion cradled her arm. "Destroy our enemies. Or we will snuff your life out like a candle."

"Really know how to get us fucking motivated," Stormy groaned, as she began charging magic.

There was a clicking sound.

The three looked up at the nearby balcony.

Erendor aimed with his assault rifle.

"OH SHIT!" Stormy yelled.

Icy managed to get a barrier up just in time as the gun began blaring at full auto.

"I think he might have taken offence to our interrogation," Darcy noted, as the white-haired witch struggled to keep the shield from shattering.

...

"We should have fallen by now, right?" Bloom asked, eyes still shut.

"I mean, if the chasm was really there, yeah," Sky replied.

"So... Do we just keep walking, or...?"

"I guess so. At least until something happens."

"Like walking face first into a wall you mean?"

"If we're careful, theoughuuh."

The redhead could feel the prince tip over, yanking hard at her arm. She grabbed his wrist with both her hands and prevented him from tumbling down, opening her eyes in the process.

The obstacle that had so suddenly surprised them was three steps for a staircase, leading down into a big and round depression. Around them, important looking buildings towered, even more elaborately decorated that the ones they had previously seen. Withered patches of grass bore witness to the now bygone beauty of the place. The swirling yellow fog surrounded the place, but seemed unable to truly enter it. And in the middle, gently glowing, was a little plant, its leaves hanging limply as it struggled to endure.

"It's the sprig," Bloom exclaimed excitedly, getting closer.

"Yes. We found it," Sky said, crouching down beside it. "Hmm, looks rather weak though."

"Probably not the most fertile soil for any plant, magical or not," Valtor noted.

"You're right. Maybe we..." Bloom blinked, then looked up. "Valtor? You're here? I mean... Wait... You were... Where did you... Go?" She clutched her head. "Oh God, I feel a migraine incoming."

"Well, it is nice to be noticed again," the dandy noble remarked. "Ever since we landed, everyone has completely ignored my existence, seemingly forgetting I was even supposed to be here." He made a dismissive gesture with his hands. "How uncomfortably familiar that felt. But if this cursed city thinks its cheap tricks will get under my skin, it has no idea who it is dealing with."

"I still feel bad about... Forgetting you," Bloom mumbled, twiddling with her fingers.

"Hey, it's okay," Sky reassured her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's not you. It's the city."

"I know." The Dominian princess sighed. "So what do we do?"

"Well, we'll have to get the sprig back to the Tree of Life," Valtor said, studying the tiny plant. "Gotta be careful. This poor thing is barely hanging on as it is. Maybe we can have Flora and Aisha help. The sprig's aura should stop the curse from..."

"Halt it. Right. There," a voice hissed.

The trio looked up to see Icy stumble out of the fog, using her staff to support herself. She had a notable yellow-blue bruise on her head, she was bleeding from the side and she was slightly limping on her right leg. Behind her hovered the shade of one of the Ancestral Witches.

"I've been kidnapped. I've been threatened. I've been forced to go to this stupid, stupid city. I got beaten up by that dumb airhead friend of yours, then shot by your boyfriend's stupid father. I have no idea where Darcy or Stormy are and that bitch Musa nearly broke my knee with a kick. So I'm in a very, VERY foul mood." Frost formed in her hand as she aimed a cluster of icicles at them. "So just shut up and hand over that sprig before I lose what little patience I have left."

"That's one of the Ancestral Witches," Valtor noted. "So it was true. You didn't die."

"Unfortunately for you, traitor," the witch replied grimly. "You could have had everything had you stayed loyal. But now, you'll have death."

"We've defeated you once," Bloom said, shakily drawing the axe she had been given. "Magic or no magic, we'll still..."

"SHUT UP AND STOP IGNORING ME!" Icy yelled. She took a couple of rasping breaths. "Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!" As if to punctuate, she fired the cluster of projectiles. Sky raised his shield, protecting him and Bloom as the ice shattered against the plate.

One sliced Valtor's arm as he dodged, leaving a cut in both his jacket and skin, causing him to emit an annoyed mumble about his sleeve.

"Be CAREFUL, you stupid girl," the shade hissed. "You almost hit the sprig."

"So what? I thought you wanted that thing gone anyway," Icy retorted.

"NO! It must be corrupted for our plan to work," the wraith insisted.

"Isabella, listen," Valtor said, stepping forward. "You do not have to do this. I know what you want and trust me, the Ancestral Witches are not the way to get it."

"Like you're one to talk. You joined the Coven too," the white-haired witch replied.

"True. And it was a mistake. I was blind to the reality of things." Valtor eyed the shade. "That there would be no room for me in the world they envisioned."

"A weakling like yourself? Dabbling in that frail, inferior faerie magic?" the shade mockingly asked. "No. Your loyalty would have been rewarded with the only true magic. Witchcraft. And soon, all non-witches will bow down to us as our slaves. As it should be."

Icy paused. She seemed to lose focus as her mind began going over what had been said. "Slaves?"

"Yes," the spectre purred. "All of those weak, inferior beings, submitting to us. The true sovereigns of the world. They shall bow and scrape and yes, even die for us."

"That's what this has always been about," Bloom insisted, as she stepped out from behind Sky. "Them wanting to feel superior to everyone else. I don't care how cruel you are, that cannot be what you want. You don't have to..."

"I THOUGH I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!" Icy yelled, rearing her hand back and unsteadily flinging a large icicle. Bloom barely had to sidestep to avoid it.

Allowing it to slam into the sprig, snapping it in half.

"NOOO!" the wraith howled. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"I, uhm, missed," Icy tried, nervously eyeing the ghost.

The broken sprig began glowing, then exploded in a flare of light. Around them, the yellow fog evaporated, the grim skies above shattered and the oppressive atmosphere was vaporised.

Bloom took a deep breath as she felt the magic in her flare to life. "The curse," she said, looking around. "The sprig's release of magic broke it."

"Bloom!" somebody called and the redhead turned around to see her friends rush in.

"Dad?" Sky and Bloom said surprised.

"Son," Erendor said, as Oritel went over to his daughter. "You did it. You broke the curse."

"Ehm... It's a little more complicated than that," the blond admitted.

"You... YOU... YOU...!" the wraith sputtered, looming over Icy. "EVERYTHING! YOU'VE RUINED EVERYTHING!"

"Holy shit, what is going on here?" Stormy asked, as she and Darcy rushed in.

"I... Might have... Ruined everything," Icy nervously tried.

The two other wraiths manifested, looking very much like thunderclouds.

"It's over," Oritel declared, lifting his magic sword. "Without the sprig to corrupt, you can't fully corrupt the Tree of Life. And without that, you cannot fully corrupt Magicalis. That was your plan, wasn't it? To create a world where you three could exist in perpetuity, without having to rely on hosts. So you would become eternal."

"We WILL become eternal!" the three shades declared simultaneously. "There are other Trees of Life. We will succeed. But you lot won't be there to stop us." The undead trio looked down on the suddenly very nervous witches. "AND YOU THREE WILL PAY FOR YOUR FAILURES!"

"Wait, hold on a..." Icy tried, before she felt something deep inside her burn. She fell to her knees, gasping for air. As she did, one of the Ancestral Witches dissolved into dark mist, before seeping into her.

Beside her, Darcy and Stormy were in similar predicaments, forcibly converted into hosts.

"Oh fuck," Techna cursed, as the three Ancestral Witches rose up in the bodies of the Usurpers. "They definitely didn't deserve that."

"What do we do now?" Riven quickly asked.

"NOW YOU DIE!" the three possessed witches yelled, as each began flinging a flurry of empowered spells.

Musa and Brandon dodged to the side as shards of razor ice peppered the area. The musician focused and fired a blast of sound, which the possessed Stormy countered with a thunderclap of her own.

Sky and Aisha tried to rush in from the side, but massive tentacles of darkness rose up and attempted to crush them. One smacked into Aisha's midsection, knocking her down. It reared up to flatten her, but Sky stepped in, slicing through it with a single swing.

Timmy ran out of the way, the place behind him shattering as lightning struck it, sending smouldering pieces of stone in every direction. He raised his rifle and aimed for the possessed Stormy. He fired, but the bullet was knocked out of the air by a powerful gust of wind. The controlled Icy fired at his spot, but Valtor pushed him out of the way.

"You okay?" Timmy asked, as he got back on his feet.

"Yes, yes. Just got some dirt on my pants," the dandy noble replied.

Stella ran into cover behind a bench as the world around her went mad. She peaked over and noted that the possessed Stormy got ready to blast Techna, who was preoccupied with dodging attacks from Icy. Just as the wild-haired witch got ready to fire, the blonde interrupted her with a flash of light. The lightning she had charged went wildly off course, slamming into a nearby building and shattering the wall.

Bloom flung a couple of fireballs, before ducking into a doorway. She paused, noting her dad was also there.

"Just waiting for a moment to dash in," he said. "Downside of a sword I guess." He eyed his blade. "But if I can hit them with this, it'll be over."

"What about the Usurpers?" Bloom asked.

"At this point, we'll be doing them a favour," Oritel replied. "Death is preferable to being the slave of the Ancestral Witches."

"But there must be something we can do," Bloom tried, focusing her mind on the problem. "Wait. The spell I learned from Maia. It was meant to break Valtor's control, but I'm sure it could work here."

"Bloom," Oritel sighed softly, as outside Erendor, Techna and Timmy formed a group and began gunning for the three witches. "Look, I know you want to help, but the Ancestral Witches are very powerful. There's no guarantee it'll work. And even if you could make it work, are you really going to risk yourself for those three? After everything they've done?"

Bloom paused, as a cursing Riven ran by outside, dodging blasts of lightning. "I know," she sighed. "But... I don't think they wanted to serve the witches. The way Isabella talked... I think they were shanghaied. Ehm, press ganged," the redhead clarified, noting her father's confusion. "They don't deserve this. If I can gather the others, we can try to create a fusion spell to eject them."

"And if that doesn't work?" Oritel asked.

"Then... Then I guess you'll be right," Bloom sighed. "Just... Give me a chance to try."

The king paused. "Alright. After everything I've done, it's the least I can do for you." He lifted his enchanted weapon. "I'll distract them. You gather your friends." And then he rushed out.

"The sword," the possessed Darcy hissed. "Kill him. Kill him now!"

The controlled Icy stopped trying to hit Flora with frozen boulders and changed target, firing away at Oritel as the king tried to close in.

Bloom, meanwhile, rushed out. "Stella, Techna," she gasped, getting the attention of the two fairies, plus Riven, who was there with them. "I have a plan. Follow me. Now."

"Wait, like, what's this about?" the blonde asked, as the redhead ran by.

"Who the fuck cares? Let's see where she's going with this," Techna said enthusiastically. "Grumpy, you do your thing."

"Sure. Whatever that is," he replied with a shrug.

Oritel kept running closer, sword drawn. If he got close enough, he might have no choice but to attempt to harm the witches. He hoped Bloom could try her idea before then, successful or not. He saw the possessed Icy get ready to fire and prepared to dodge. This caused him to overlook a shadowy tendril summoned by Darcy. He tripped and fell to the ground with a thump.

"NOW! FINISH HIM!" the dirty-blonde demanded, as she used more shadows to prevent the king from getting up.

Stormy charged and fired a blast of lightning.

Oritel held up a hand, desperately trying to shield himself.

Then someone stepped in front of him.

The bolt struck Erendor in the chest, launching him backwards and slamming him into a building.

"DAD!" Sky yelled in horror. He gritted his teeth, eyeing the witches. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" With a roar he jumped towards them, as Darcy summoned several more massive black tendrils. The blond jumped out of the way of one attack, ducked under another, then sliced two tentacles apart with a brutal sword swing, blocking the slam from a third with his shield.

A fourth got ready to attack from behind, but fell as Brandon cut it down. "I've got your back."

"I know you do," Sky replied with a nod. "And I've got yours." The two stood back to back as more tentacles manifested, trying and failing to attack the two, as the soldiers cut them apart in a flurry of blows.

"Oh no," Bloom gasped, having gathered the others. "We have to hurry."

"Hurry with what?" Musa asked. "You just gathered us here."

"I'm gonna try to banish the witches from those three," Bloom said. "But I have no idea how strong they are. I'm gonna use the dragonflame, but..."

"But you want all of us to contribute to a fusion spell," Flora surmised. "It could work."

"Are we really going to try and save those three? Again?" Musa asked.

"Considering their unwilling servitude, I feel it is warranted," Aisha said sternly.

The musician sighed. "Can't argue with that. Alright, let's try." The five focused, trying to merge their energy with Bloom. The princess in turn let her dragonflame blaze, building up magical energy as she focused on the spell Maia had taught her.

"The girl," Icy hissed, paying attention to Bloom again. "STOP HER!"

The three witches concentrated their magic, before firing off a fusion spell of their own, a dark icicle charged with electricity, shooting towards the fairies.

And hit Valtor in the stomach.

"VALTOR!" Bloom yelled in shock, still concentrating.

"Well... This hurts..." he gasped. "Wish my dragonflame wasn't still doused..." He coughed while falling to his knees. "Do your best, Sister. I believe in you."

Bloom nodded and focused.

The three Ancestral witches tried to focus again, but it was too late.

The combined energy of Bloom, Stella, Musa, Flora, Techna and Aisha, boosted by the dragonflame, blasted out from the redhead.

The three Ancestral Witches screamed as the spell hit them, forcibly ejecting them from their hosts, black smoke pouring from the three Usurpers' orifices as the wraiths were left hanging stunned in the air.

The dark tentacles faded and Sky saw his chance, rushing forward.

"SKY!" Oritel yelled from his position on the ground. "HERE!" He threw the magic sword.

The prince of Eraklyon let his own shield and sword fall to the ground, before catching the blade. He leapt off a bench, sailing through the air.

One of the Ancestral Witches looked up, seeing the incoming attack. "NO! NO!" The enchanted blade sliced through her and she screamed in agony as it ate away at her essence.

Sky didn't halt, rushing forward, blade held low. "That was for my father. And this." He sliced upwards at the second spectre, who desperately and futilely held up her shadowy arms to protect herself, before the blade bisected her. "Is for my beloved."

And rushed onwards, leaving the dying ghosts behind, as the third one tried to flee into the sky. "And this," he said, before hurling the blade. "IS FOR EVERYONE ELSE YOU'VE HURT!"

The magical blade slammed point first into the escaping spectre's back. She howled as it pierced her bosy. She clawed at her chest where it stuck out, its magic ripping apart her ghostly form, cracks of light splitting her apart. With a final echoing scream she disintegrated and the blade fell to the floor with a clank.

The blond paused, then turned around, rushing over to his father's prone body. Desperately, he grabbed the old king's shoulder and turned him around. And jerked away as Erendor coughed loudly. "I'm getting too old for this," he wheezed.

"Dad!? You, you're alive," Sky said surprised, as he tearfully hugged his father.

"I'm quite surprised. You must have gotten lucky," Oritel noted, as he approached.

"No. But Eraklian noble clothes are enchanted," Erendor explained, as Sky helped him stand up. "Practical stuff. In case of assassins. Not like the frilly nonsense you lot wear that couldn't even take a single bullet."

"I suppose there's room for improvement," the king of Domino admitted. He paused. "Why'd you do it?"

"Well, figured you wouldn't survive. Besides..." Erendor looked glum for a moment. "I owed you. For what I did."

Oritel placed a shoulder on his hand. "You never owed me. You did right by your people. And today, you've done right by me. And Sky." He turned to face the blond. "Thank you. For everything."

"You're welcome, Sir," the prince replied with a smile.

Not far from them, Icy groaned as she sat up. It felt like her entire body had been massaged by a steamroller.

"So, how are you feeling?" Bloom asked, walking up to her.

"A lot better if you weren't here," the white-haired witch hissed.

"You know, you should be more grateful. I did just save you," the redhead insisted. "The Ancestral Witches would have drained you of life. Or you would have been cut down by my father. Either way, you'd been dead if I hadn't learnt that spell." She looked over her shoulder, where Helia, Timmy and Flora were tending to Valtor's wound. "Funny how that works."

"Well I didn't ask for your help," Icy snarled.

"Oh come on. Be nice for once in your fucking life," Stormy groaned, still lying on the ground.

"Anyway, is it true? That the Ancestral Witches forced you into serving?" the redhead asked.

"Very much so," Darcy replied, rubbing her sore wrists. "We did not have much choice."

"I think that'll be to your advantage once this is all being resolved," the princess of Domino remarked. "I'll vouch for you. You'll still have to serve time for everything else, but... Not this."

"What, you expect me to be happy?" Icy asked coldly. "Just go away. You're lucky I missed you and hit that stupid plant instead."

"Yep. Missed," Bloom repeated and nodded. She turned around, before pausing. "Eugene. I've never seen him do magic. Can he?"

Icy was quiet for a moment. "No," she finally sighed. "Not a drop of magic in him."

"I thought so." Then she walked off.

Down by the plant, she inspected it and sighed. "Now what?"

"Worried about the plant?" Flora asked, walking over to her.

"Yeah. The sprig was supposed to cure the tree I guess. But now..." She shook her head. "Maybe there's another way."

"Or maybe, now that the curse has been lifted..." Flora suggested, kneeling down. "We can fix it."

Bloom crouched down. "You think so?"

"Maybe. Do you think you can handle using a bit more of your dragonflame?"

Bloom nodded. "Yeah. That spell took a lot out of me, but... I think I can do this."

The two held hands, focusing. Bloom let her magic seep into Flora, who focused on the plant. Slowly, it moved, fibres reknitting and cuts closing, as the little plant healed and began gently pulsating with light again.

"Much better," Flora said, smiling. "Now we just need to get it back. It will take a long time for the tree to heal, but it will happen."

"Thank God for that," Bloom sighed happily, sitting down on the floor.

...

"Finally home," Sky groaned, as he and his father walked into the throne room. "Ancestral Witches gone, the Usurpers back in jail, Havram curse free and the Tree of life healing." He stretched his arms. "I think we've earned a rest."

Erendor gave a confirming mumble.

"It's funny though," Sky continued, looking at some of the stained-glass windows. "You think the past is something you put behind you and then... It just keeps rearing its ugly head."

"You've gotten unusually philosophical," his father remarked.

"Heh. Don't expect me to make a habit of it." He scratched his head. "It's just... I was just thinking... Wondering... What will I leave for people in the future? How will I be remembered? The past is the past, but... We're still tied to it. The choice you, Oritel, the Ancestral Witches, all of you made. It's still affecting things. I mean, maybe it's not even truly over."

Erendor paused. "You're right," he said. "Yesterday's actions lay the foundation for tomorrow. You never know when you'll find yourself visited by the ghosts of years long gone." He paused, looking uncertain. Then determination manifested on his face. "Sky. There is one more secret of the archives. I doubt you'd find it on your own, but... You deserve to know. And someday, it may even be important."

"Should I be getting nervous now?" the blond asked worriedly.

"I don't think so. The thing is, as you maybe remember, your mother Samara was once my concubine. And I did have a wife before her."

"Vaguely," Sky said, racking his memory. "Never seemed important."

"And for a good reason." His father sat down on the throne. "Her name was Sinope. We were good friends. Families closely related. And then we were chosen to marry. Part of a business deal."

"Yeah?"

"Well, Sinope always saw me as more of a friend than anything else. As a sibling, really. And she decided that if our marriage was a business transaction, then she'd treat it as such. We agreed that we'd officially marry, but that we each were free to take concubines. Then, well, she got pregnant."

"Oh. So I have a half-sibling?" Sky inquired.

"As a matter of fact, yes, you do," the king said. "But, ehm, the thing is... She was pregnant with you."

"Oh... Really?" Sky asked confused.

Erendor leaned forward. "Ever wondered where you got your blond hair from?"

"I really hadn't."

"No surprise. It was around that time I got into a relationship with Samara. Sinope chose to pursue a career as a diplomat and started performing administrative work in the western parts of our country." The king sighed. "Then some three years later, she got pregnant again."

"Oh. With somebody other than you, I take it?" Sky guessed.

The king was quiet for a moment. "Yes. The three of us agreed that the best way to handle things was for her to step down as queen and have Samara take the spot. Officially, it's because the post we gave her on Harmony left her no time for queenly duties, so it made sense to have Samara take over as my wife." He sighed. "But the truth is, it's because that if people had known she had gotten pregnant with somebody other than me while we were still married, it could lead to potential problems. Inheritance and such. And further investigation might have uncovered facts that could have shaken the kingdom to its foundation." He took a deep breath. "Sky, I am sterile. I can't have kids and have never been able to. Neither me nor your mother are your biological parents. If that had been found out, that Sinope got married off to someone who couldn't even produce an heir... It could have been a nightmare. So this is how we handled it."

"Wait... Then..." The Eraklian prince stumbled a bit. "I'm not..."

In an instant, his father was in front of him, his hands on the blond's shoulders. "Sky, no matter who gave birth to you, you are my son and I have always seen you as such. You are my heir and a worthy king of Eraklyon. And I will fight anyone who wants it to be otherwise." Then he pulled the shocked blond into a hug.

"I... I love you, Dad," Sky said, as he returned the hug.

"I love you too, Sky," the king replied. After a moment, he let go. "But let's try to avoid having to fight anyone and just keep this quiet."

"I know. I..." Sky paused. "Always did wonder about some of those presents I received."

"Well, I couldn't very well deny her the right to send her kid presents," Erendor remarked.

The prince nodded. "Makes sense." He paused. "Do you think... It would be okay to visit her?"

"It is entirely your decision," Erendor stated. "You're a man now. You make your own choices. You said the past keeps popping up. True. But you still get to decide the future."

Sky smiled. "You're right." He turned, looking out the window. "Wonder what's next."

"Good times. Bad times. And everything in between," Erendor remarked. "Now then, you said something about relaxation." He put an arm around the blond's shoulder as they walked on. "How about a vacation?"

"Can I invite the others along?"

"Of course you can. They've earned it."

Second movie done. Thanks to you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. We'll be taking a short break and then we'll be back with more of the Naruto rewrite, for those who follow that. Take care everybody and a big thanks to Warlord1 and Rhanar for proofreading, as well as to Fluttersniper13 who joined in from the second chapter onwards to help co-author the whole thing. See you all around.

ArachCobra and Givenea