The True Meaning of A Warrior

Chapter Twenty-One: How Battles End (ZARA)

My first thought, mixed with disgust and shock and still-dwindling (and shamefully) threads of pain, was, look where Copper got himself. In his quest for power, he'd even hurled himself off a cliff after his lost, stolen magic.

Our magic.

No matter. There's no hope. If he hadn't heard, the locket already shattered. And the magic...the magic is already free. It doesn't belong to us. Or Copper. Or anybody.

My second thought was something that I'm quite ashamed of.

Grief.

Copper was gone now, and even though everything he did...

I knew I would never miss his cruel, traitorous self that he'd revealed just a few minutes ago. But...I would maybe miss his antics from before. His funny, joking, teasing self. Even if that version of Copper had all been a lie.

And I'd fallen for it...

Before I knew it, I collapsed onto the ground. The moist dirt wetted my butt, but I didn't really care. All I did was wrap my arms around myself and shiver in betrayal and grief.

Stella and Eve rushed over to me, and took each one of my hands. With sharp tugs, they pulled me to my feet, gently, but guilt, sympathy, and betrayal still shone in their eyes.

I opened my mouth as soon as I stood up, wavering a little, and met each of their eyes. But no sound came out-my throat was completely dry.

Finally, it was Stella who spoke. "I'm sorry," she croaked out softly. "I just...I never would've thought..."

I pulled free from their grasp and hugged myself, finally finding words. "I-I shouldn't have fallen for his tricks," I began, my teeth gritting. Now that the misery was over, thin threads of anger had begun to slowly twine around me. "He was right behind me. All my life. The leader of the Dark, right under our noses the entire time! I just...uuuuugh." I hugged my arms around myself even tighter.

"Well, if it helps," Eve offered, her mouth twitching into a small smile. "Look." Her eyes glowed as she lifted her head and pointed to the sky.

We all took turns gasping.

It was...it was...it wasn't like anything I'd ever seen. Like a swirl of bright colors and sparkles and strength and warmth. Like a visible, beautiful breeze, twined with scarlet for Edera's fire, emerald for Eve's nature, gold for Stella's light, and pale blue for my ice. It was breathtaking.

Magical.

And it rode the wind straight to the battlesight between the survivors and the Dark.

We followed the magical, never losing sight of it. It was easy to track the glowing, sparkly, out-of-the-world breathtaking magic lofting peacefully through the air. Like everything was going to be okay.

After lots of running and tracking and a bit of time, we'd made it back to the battle site, the magic way in front of us by now. Bursting into the clearing, I gasped.

Stella froze, for once lost of words.

Eve let a slow smile unfurl on her face.

The magic had beat us to the clearing.

And, it seemed, it had beat the Dark once and for all, too.

All around the survivors of the S.M., The Magic swirled around the people. Sparkled in their eyes. Twined around their hearts.

And the Dark had just witnessed the wrath of stealing people's magic, kidnapping and murdering living beings, altering the course of life, destroying pretty much all the lands, and so much more. Some had been turned to stone with Eve's nature powers. Others were encased in a shell of ice. Even more had faded into millions of sprinkles of light.

All of the Dark gone, except for one being...

One dark smudge of a shadow dashed into the woods. I didn't have to squint to know it was the High General. He wasn't a bad person-that was probably why the Dark spared him. His backstory was grieving worthy. But I hoped that, one day, he would overcome his fears and return to where he belonged. To whom he belonged.

The Magic wreathed around us, all bright and sparkles and radiating warmth.

I trusted it to make the world a better place.