Moonshade (Formerly Eclipse)

Chapter Nineteen: The White Queen

"Ivy, let's go back to the mirror pool. Please; I have to know for sure." Destiny was saying as they broke camp the next morning. It was chilly, as most winter nights were, but the air was fresh, and both girls knew that spring would come soon.

"Do you really want to risk being so close to your home? Not to mention the castle." Ivy went to the creek to splash some water on her face, immediately regretting touching the icy water.

"Yes. I'm willing to risk all of it. I have to know if she's gone, and maybe it'll help us find my sister too."

"Then that's what we'll do." Ivy gave in, and they headed to the moon pool. It wasn't a long journey, and the day was warming up fast under the sun.

"I hope she's alright." Ivy muttered to herself, and Destiny nodded.

"Me too. And if she isn't..." Balling her left hand into a fist, she pounded her right hand. Hard. Ivy grinned a little, and for the first time, Destiny noticed a light in her eyes, a happy, sparkling light.

"We're here." Destiny said solemnly, and she was right. It looked almost the same as last time, but the silver in it had faded to grey. A little anxious, she threw the leaf in once more, and the pool turned white, the color it had always turned for her - except for when she'd been with Fayte.

"Ready?" Ivy asked, and Destiny nodded, wading into the creamy water. 

"Ready."

Even as she said this, an image formed just under the surface of the water. The two looked at it, and watched as Fayte, and not Scarlett, appeared. She was being led somewhere, but before they could see where, the image changed again. This time it was the queen, smiling triumphantly. Her dark eyes glittered as Fayte was hauled into the room. She was asking her something, and this time Fayte smiled, her own cruel, piercing eyes meeting those of the queen with such bravery that Destiny almost wanted to smile.

The scene shifted, and now there was Scarlett, running for her life. Destiny wanted to close her eyes, but found that she couldn't so much as look away. One of the thousands of wolves changed shape, and anyone could have seen it was the queen. A sword appearing in her hand, a black, shimmering sword was in her mother's worst enemy's hand. Destiny couldn't watch. A tear fell down her cheek and she fell to her knees, her eyes closed, not seeing her mother too fall on her own knees, not seeing Ivy's eyes fill with tears, not seeing the pool fade to a deep red color before changing back to grey.

"Destiny." Ivy said, long after the pool was grey. Destiny did not respond, and hadn't moved since the last image had appeared. Small ripples danced into the middle of the pool where Destiny's tears had fallen.

"She's gone." She whispered finally, so low that Ivy could hardly hear her.

"I'm so sorry." Ivy wiped her eyes, and she could now see a clear picture of Destiny. Kneeling in the water, defeated but still somehow strong, Ivy saw Fayte in her more than she had ever seen before.

"We have to go after her."Destiny's voice was rough and hoarse, and Ivy could easily hear that her voice was clogged with tears.

"Well, well, well. I see you received my invitation. Come sit down, Dear." Jade's eyes glowed with pride, and Fayte knew at once that she didn't want to know why.

"Why am I here?" Fayte asked, straight to the point.

"Not one to mince words, I see. But then, you never were, Captain." Jade's smile grew as she said the word.

"And you, Your Majesty, have always been one to bide your time. Why am I here?" 

"I thought you might like to hear the good news." Fayte grimaced as the queen spoke.

"And what's that?" She asked.

"The war is over, Darling! Over! And we- I- have won."

"You will never be the White Queen so long as my mother lives." Fayte stood, defiant, and straightened up as she said this.

"Ah, but that's my good news!" Jade laughed. "Your mother isn't alive any more. And that makes me the Queen of the White Wolves, not to mention the Shadow Wolves."

"And that's where your wrong, my Queen." Fayte's smile concealed her true feelings as long as she could, but Jade knew when someone was rattled, and Fayte was shaking.

"The crown will pass to my sister." Fayte tried to keep it together, but when she said these words, she knew she'd faltered, put another scheme into the queen's head.

"Well," Jade spoke slowly. "I guess I'll just have to kill her too." That was it. Fayte didn't care what would happen any more; Jade had to be stopped. She kicked the two guards behind her, hands still tied, and hit them. She charged Jade, but the queen was too smart for such a savage move. She easily side stepped, and Fayte nearly ran into the stone wall.

"I thought you were smarter than that, Captain." Jade repeated the word with such polished hatred, Fayte growled. 

"Your a coward and a cheat." She replied. "You rely on your soldiers, but they won't do you any good. You'll never find it!" She snarled, referencing the ring. Her ring.

"Or so you think, my dear. We shall see." Jade's response was so calm, Fayte felt like kicking her. Then again, she usually felt like that.

"Do your worst." Fayte taunted. "You won't find it if you kill me. Face it: you need me. You need the traitorous captain that I am, and it's driving you mad." Finally! Fayte had gotten through to her, and the result was an explosion of fury.

"Your smart remarks won't save you, Traitor! Don't forget: you are in my  castle. Everyone here hates you, if you try to escape, how long do you think it will take to find you?" Jade fumed.

"A while." Fayte smiled. It felt good to get it out, to finally have a chance to fight. 

"ENOUGH!" Jade growled, her cry piercing and full of hate and rage. It was horrifying. Fayte froze in her spot, and with a snap of Jade's fingers they were back in Fayte's cell. A simple thought and a hand had reached out from the wall, an enormous, stone hand. With one surprisingly swift move, it had picked Fayte up, and was squeezing harder and harder. 

"You're right, Fayte. I do need you." The queen said, as cool as she had been when Fayte had first been led in.

"Alive, of course. But that doesn't mean you can't be hurt." She smiled, and watched with pleasure as Fayte squirmed and fought until finally, she went limp.

"Drop her." She ordered the hand, and when it did, it disappeared.

"Why must it always end like this?" She asked Fayte, who was just barely breathing. All it would take is a touch, a step, and she'd be dead. It was tempting, very tempting, but the queen resisted. 

"You really do need to learn when to give up." She laughed, and with those parting words, disappeared in a cloud of black, shimmering smoke.