Wizardess Heart And The Dark Unicorn

Chapter 33

Dark versus Light

The door to the court room opened and a small group came pouring out of it, with the Minister at the lead. Yes, this is what we need. A gathering while all of us are still processing everything. "Randolph, how are you..." He stopped when he saw Salazum standing there. Yeah, this is going to be hard to explain. "What's going on?"
Randolph said nothing which made Salazum look at him with curiosity. I wonder what he was thinking, or was it simply him wondering what Randolph was thinking about? "Kayle's slipped into some kind of magical coma." I answered getting surprised looks before what I said beyond Kayle's name sunk in. It's not like it's been that long since I've said her name.
Salazum moved to stand beside me. He seemed to want to get this set straight and hurry us along. "I need them to come with me to help. I had no choice but to wait until now to come because I couldn't find Randolph before, but now that I have...." Right, we have been away from Gedonelune for a while. With everything coming to a head, it felt like all of this happened one right after another. I need to shake this feeling.
Thomas interrupted him. "We'll handle the trial. Go save Kayle as she once did for us." He was quick to tell us to go. Deep down I was happy to know that I could still help her.
I turned to look at Randolph as he had a strange expression on his face. Why'd he look conflicted? Salazum noticed it too and moved to stand in front of him. "The circumstances in how she came to be in the world doesn't change who she became. I may be her body's father, but you're her heart and mind's father and right now she needs you. Erin chose to abandon her. You had no choice then and now you do. I understand why it was that you didn't follow me to the fairy kingdom, you wanted her to have a better life and you didn't believe after everything that you could give that to her. Don't choose to abandon her now." Randolph sighed softly so Salazum continued. Wait, he wasn't thinking on what happened in Erin's memories was he? I understand his confliction but Kayle is still his daughter. I hope he remembers that. "I can't save her from what plagues her. She's fighting with her memories of her past and her body can't cope with it being so new. I don't have that strong of a connection to who she used to be, but you and Klaus do."
All eyes moved to Randolph and I. I don't really see how her memories started to come back if we weren't around to cause any kind of confusion. I mean that's why we let her go to begin with. "I'll go." I mentioned softly. I wouldn't be stupid enough to walk away again, especially not when she needed me most and when I need her.
Randolph still remained quiet, which made all of us extremely nervous. "Randolph, don't let Erin win." My eyes drifted to my father's in surprise. Has he stopped hating her? Or was this because she saved Elias?
"I'm not going to..." He remarked looking around at all those who were waiting with baited breath. He sounds lost and confused. Was even he starting to come to terms with the fact that we thought we had lost her forever? "I'm just worried that I'd make a mistake and she could die for good this time."
Salazum smiled kindly. It's good that he still wanted to save her even after realizing that Erin took advantage of him. My respect in him was well placed. "That's why Oberon and I will be personally overseeing this ritual ourselves. If something starts to not add up, we'll pull you to out until it's safe to try again."
I nodded feeling hope for the first time in a while. Were we really going to get her back? And not just another copy with her features. I mean the real Kayle. "What the heck are you waiting for, a written invitation? Go!" My mom asked urgently and shooed us with her hands. Heh, it's good that mom and dad are pushing us to go, because I wouldn't have let them stop me.
Salazum gave a wide grin as he moved to lead us from the group. He must be happy that dad finally stopped trying to prevent me from help her. "Good luck everyone!" Vincent yelled happily.

On yet another train ride back to Gedonelune, had me recalling all of times Kayle and I had ridden together. I'm beginning to think that this will be my destiny for a long time. To save her after she's saved us.
Salazum was sitting in front of Randolph as he watched out of the window. "How did her memories start to come back anyway?" Randolph asked breaking a long silence. That is a burning question that even I've wondered about.
Salazum looked to meet his eyes. He wasn't offended thankfully, but he did look worn down. "We believe it had something to do with this..." He pulled out Kayle's old glass wand from an inner pocket of his robes. I believe he noticed it when my eyes widened. That means that even without meaning to, I already started the ball rolling on her road towards remembering who she used to be. "The both of you used this to save my life. I believe that it unlocked some of her memories. Otherwise it wouldn't have worked. Now if you'll indulge me, try to use it."
He held the glass wand out for me. Why would I try to use it? All of us know that I won't be able to.
"Salazum, you know that was made by Kayle and David. My magic shouldn't be able to cast with that." How could he have forgotten about that very important detail?
He nodded patiently and understandingly, but also slightly impatient. "And yet I still want to satisfy my curiosity." He remarked calmly. There was no point in trying, but then again there was no point in not trying when I know that it wouldn't work anyway. I reached out and grabbed it. My fingers could feel some sort of tingling where I touched the warm glass. That's weird. It felt like the wand was welcoming me. I pointed it towards ceiling of our compartment which instantly burst with the night sky. It was my favorite that was over the family manor. The same one that was hanging over Kayle and I when we were in the maze garden after Azusa attacked us, but this never should have worked. "It's just as I thought."
My eyes met a pair of smiling red eyes. Salazum seemed pleased with this. "You thought this may happen?" Randolph asked for me.
Why in the world did he think that this would happen?
"I had a hunch. That night both Kayle's and Klaus's hands were on her wand. Hers was to activate the wand. His was to help hers use it and the combined power of both saved my life that night, but it did so much more than that. Kayle used this since she and David made it and her magic. It being advanced with the unicorn magic that Alickzander and Hayzel gave Kayle, it was able to recognize it even when she was a unicorn herself. So when she tapped into your magic to focus hers through the wand and it recognizes your magic as another accepted user for it."
So her wand now thinks that I'm it's owner? I'm not sure how to react to that. "That's all very fascinating, but why do you look pleased with this revelation?" I asked moving to hand the wand back to him.
He took it from me gently and held it up so it caught the light just right and made light Ray's dance around the compartment. "Because this is the anchor to her past and being that you can use it, it'll be easier to allow you to go into her mind." Hold up, go into her mind? Is there even magic for that? Seeing memories yes, but not enter the mind of another. Or at least I think there isn't magic for that.
Randolph and I both locked eyes and then looked back at him. "You mean you want us to connect with her mind?" Randolph asked seeing exactly what I did. Too many wholes that this idea is starting to look like Swiss cheese.
"Well she is in a coma and I doubt you'd be able to help her even if she was awake." What does that mean? As if to answer us, he continued. "The last time she woke up. She didn't recognize anyone. Not even the picture she had of David. She collapsed after looking at all her old stuff still in her old room and she hasn't woken up since. We have no choice but to do the memory trial for her and help her cope with her old memories." Not even David? I may have been jealous of how he was able to be close to her where I was struggling just to know her and her thoughts always seemed to go towards him in the beginning. Huh, now that I think of it, near the end after that night in Nightingale, she stopped mentioning him. "Yes, but isn't going into someone's unstable mind dangerous? Not only for her but for us too?" I asked worriedly. I may not have any knowledge in that field, but it has to be a danger, right?
Salazum nodded without breaking his teacher/student attitude. "Yes of course it's dangerous, but not doing anything is killing her. She's at war with herself and not in the figurative sense that she used to be. Her old self and her new one are attacking each other and violently. It would be because past Kayle was human and new Kayle is a unicorn."
I stopped him quickly with a frantic wave of my hand. "Wait, she was half human and half unicorn at the end there." She wasn't just human after being brought back the first time.
"And half dark magic user..." He added quickly like he knew I was going to rebuttal. "All four sides of who she was and is are trying to kill the other for possession of her body and I don't need to tell you what would happen if the dark magic side won. However with her mind being in its fragile state it's more likely that she'll die before anyone wins if we do nothing."
I waved my hand through the air again feeling like I was fanning the air than trying to get him to stop. "But she doesn't have any dark magic in her." There's no way that something that is now none existent could take over, is there?
Salazum nodded, making me even more confused at this topic. "But I don't need to tell you how easy it would be for her to get some. That was a part of her for a very long time and became a part of her late teen, early twenties mindset. You remember that she was constantly fighting it, even in her sleep. That will help her in the long run, but even that may have a draw back that I can't see."
I looked towards Randolph feeling anxiety build up in my heart and mind. "This is going to be a bit harder than I expected." I admitted getting a curious expression to flicker across his face. "I could barely help one Kayle, now there's going to be four to try to figure out?"
He smirked now finding something funny, but it only irritated me to see how he could pretend to be so calm. "Klaus, you and Kayle had an emotional bond. If anyone can reach her it's you." That was before she was a complete unicorn and different person. Without her memories, she isn't anywhere close to being my Kayle anymore. "Kayle and I never were actually together. The only emotional bond we have is the buddy thing that wore off once I graduated."
Salazum moved to speak now. He looked aggravated towards me for being cautious. "Clearly I was mistaken. I was looking for the man she loved and loved her. Apparently he vanished somewhere due to her absence." His eyes searched my face as he said that.
I don't really know if he was trying to rile me up or actually meant that. "I do love her still. I just don't know if my bond with her will help much." I admitted as I looked down at her wand in Salazum's hand which laid on the seat beside him. "I mean just because I can use that doesn't mean that I'll be able to help save her."
That's what I'm afraid of more than anything. That I'll screw up and will be the reason why she suffered from it.
Salazum laughed at my comment. "You're undervaluing your bond? That's a mistake, which can cause problems like an unstable connection that can lead to her death or yours. Before we move onto entering her mind, you should try strengthening your bond with her until you're sure about saving her." Yes, that's exactly what I needed to hear right now. That if I'm not connected to her enough, we could kill her. Perfect.
Randolph looked at me worriedly as he scanned the side of my face for answers. "I know that there are alot of possibilities and dangerous ends, but remember that Kayle was once faced with this and she came through for us every time."
This isn't me being a coward and running away. This is me considering the fact that it's not just our lives in danger but hers.
I shot him a look of irritation to relay what I didn't dare to say. "I'm, however, not like Kayle. I can't just throw caution to the wind and hope that I'll come up with a plan to get out. Which she was uncannily good at." Hmm....that sounded like I called her past attempts just luck and not her wit.
Randolph now shown surprise. I think her personality kind of wore off on me and simply hid while she was away. "That's exactly what you did when you followed her into the maze at your family manor, or into the other dimension and even trailing back to Nightingale with her."
I did follow her around alot and we did go through dangers that we didn't account for, but I only did that to keep her safe.
I shook my head sharply as his words began to sink in. "Yeah and look how those ended. Apart from the manor, of course." I pointed out more than a little frazzled at how cool they were about this. How can they think that forcibly breaking I someone's mind was a good idea? "And all of that revolved around her stepping out of the fairy kingdom and she never made it back from that, not the woman she was when she left." She left alive with a death clock and returned dead, only to be turned into a unicorn to live again.
Salazum sighed as his eyes searched for answers in my eyes. "I know that you're not the type of person to run from danger, especially if it involves someone you love. So why the hesitation?" Salazum asked upon not finding the answers to his inquiries.
I leaned forward to stress my opinion in hopes that they'd listen now. "It's just, this is a life or death situation and not just anyone's life either. It's her life... Wouldn't it be better to get the two people actually bound by blood to her? The father of her past and the father of her now?" I asked confused. The strongest bonds would be family right? The unbreakable bond of family by blood?
Salazum nodded, seeming to finally understand what I meant. "Yes, usually you're right and that would be the best choice, but she's a very different woman thanks to everything she went through. A blood bond isn't as strong as it would be if she was raised in a happy family with her parents. We're talking about a girl who was alone and grew up way too fast. Who's incredibly independent and yet still has a fragility towards those she cares about, like Randolph and you. She leads with her heart and sometimes that got her into trouble, but while she was as Gedonelune there was one person that she could always count on while she was there. You." He pointed at me with a smile on his face. "She needs to count on you again."
I couldn't keep the confusion off my face. "When did she tell you that she was counting on me to help her all that time?" That doesn't even sound like the Kayle I knew. She was always trying to do everything herself.
He merely chuckled before answering. "She didn't have to. You forget that I carried her soul away from the spring that night. I felt it whenever you came running out of the woods. What I felt from her was overwhelming trust, love and pain from seeing you mourn her."
He's probably just saying that to make me feel better, but I couldn't help but wonder if he was telling the truth.
Randolph moved closer to him as he perched on the edge of his seat. "Her soul was awake after you pulled it from her body? And how were you able to carry three other souls at once?" He asked with his hands squeezing into fists. Yeah, he doesn't exactly have a history of being able to do so... From what I know anyway.
"She never told you....?" Now it was his turn to be confounded. Told us what? Kayle kind of seems like she had more secrets than the Ministry. I'm surprised that she was able yo keep them all. "I'm one of the original unicorns. She knew this because I told her after she showed a tolerance towards the darkness in her. I also borrowed some of Oberon's power to contain her soul that night. See she was able to hold more than one soul because she was dead whenever she was shoved back into her body with Alickzander along for the ride, and when it came to Hayzel, her body was already used to carrying multiple souls. Not to mention women's bodies are naturally compatible with carrying multiple souls already, simply due to the fact that they can be mothers."
That kind of makes sense as much as it confused me and it doesn't explain why and how Salazum was able to hold three extra. Even with all Kayle's power she was still having trouble. "So she'll be able to withstand having our minds touch hers?" Randolph asked slowly and hopeful. He brought us back to this... I doubt there is an actual safe way of entering an already fragile mindset. Even one that's perfectly healthy still seems risky.
Salazum's eyes looked down towards our feet. "That's a whole different area than a soul joining a body already inhabited by one. A body can go through a lot and become stronger for it, but a mind can break and fracture into millions of pieces. Her mind is already dangerous enough and adding more minds that she's either unfamiliar with or unbound to can make her hostile towards those who enter and even herself. Which would result in the death of all those involved. Alickzander and Hayzel have already tried and even with sharing a body, their bond wasn't strong enough." They already tried to delve into her head? Maybe that's why she ended up in a coma. They should have been one hundred precent sure before making a dangerous call like that.
"Are they alright?" Randolph worriedly. His compassion sometimes astounds me, but in this case I found myself also worried.
Salazum nodded with his face once again melting into a calm almost blank expression. "Yes, Oberon pulled them out before any damage could happen to any of them, but that's when our hunt for you two came up. Though neither of you were at Gedonelune anymore. It took me a while to realize that you were traveling and Klaus was at the human Ministry, but when I heard that you were going to go to Erin's trial, I took the opportunity and went to find you. Now you're all caught up on the recent adventures."
I sighed softly and looked out of the window. Sounds like Kayle's reputation for finding trouble is still in full swing. "Let's just hope that we fair better than Alickzander and Hayzel did."
Salazum now nodded in agreement. "I'm hoping you do too."