. ˚◞♡ ⃗ 🕊*ೃ༄
With a final exhale of the breath that Caragan didn't realise she was holding, the doors swung open, the Evers around her quickly getting into an attacking stance. Sophie stood at the centre of the hall, he yellow teeth grinding as she smiled wildly. "Everybody say hello to our guests" her voice echoed through the hall as she spoke, her hand swirling while flames circled above them, "Here's some party favours boys!"
Tedros quickly set into acting, yelling for the Evers to raise their weapons. Caragan lifted her bow cautiously, not wanting to fight this battle. The wood glowed a vibrant gold as she nocked the arrow, her hands shaking ever so slightly.
"Tedros - it's a trick!" Agatha yelled as she ran to the side, her hands gripping her dress nervously.
"Kill the witch!" Tedros yelled, ignoring his friend's pleas as the princes fired their bows. Caragan, however, held back - the glowing light from the bow emitting a slight hum. She lowered the bow, her weapon still ready and watched in shock as the soaring arrows turned to flowers.
Sophie's hand twirled delicately, the red magic furling around each finger before dissipating toward the sky. "Well now; If evil attacks and good defends, then it would appear that good has become evil." She paused as she began to spin, her arms outstretched, "And evil has become good! Oh so good!"
Black smog began to cover the Nevers and Caragan watched in shock as their outfits began to change. They cackled loudly as each outfit became a lighter shade, the room now littered with hues of blue, pink, white and gold.
Sophie stood in the middle, covered in twirling blood magic. She continued to twirl as it covered her features, her thin white hair returning to a shining blonde and her knotted hands becoming smooth as she moved them.
"Teddy, we have so much to talk about." Sophie said tauntingly as she approached the boy, two axes wedged beneath his neck as he raised his hands in fear, "You and your little army just tried to kill a roomful of innocent people."
The Nevers cackled as Tedros struggled against the blades his eyes flitting to Caragan who was standing slightly to the side, her eyes wide at the danger the prince was in.
"Now that is quite evil indeed." Sophie laughed as the magic swirled around her hand. Caragan screamed in agony as she fell to her knees, clutching onto her chest as a searing pain ripped through it. Her hands clawed at the ground as the same pain targeted her face, feeling as though a knife was dragging across it. The scarring travelled down her neck, pulling against the sides of her face as she screamed.
She tried to reach out for Tedros, her breath quickening when her left eye began to cloud over becoming like a grey fog as she tried to see anything in front of her. She screamed again as the same scratching pain scarred across her eye. She twisted in pain until it eventually subsided so she stood to help Tedros.
"Looks like the two lovers have been auditing uglification," Sophie stated viciously as the Nevers cackled.
They looked at each other in shock, taking in how dark each of them looked. Tedros rushed toward her, his hand gently cupping the side of her face, "Carrie, your eye." He whispered, his fingers tracing along the red scars on her cheeks. She winced in pain and he backed away, looking at her outfit. Her once blue suit was now a deep navy and was covered in rips, the silver embroidery now gold and slightly unstitched. Her hair was down, leaving only the messy plaits that hid part of her now wholly white eye.
Tedros had a similar affliction. His black suit was decorated with silver emblems and scars pulled against his face, which was pulled into a scowl, "Are you ok?" He asked quickly. She nodded in reply before turning back to Sophie and raising her bow once more, the wood glowing bright gold. The prince was filled with anger as he looked at the girl next to him, his eyes wrought with sadness as she winced at the pain from the scars.
He turned to Sophie and raised his sword before breaking into a sprint. Agatha sped forward yelling, "Tedros, No!" as she skidded to a stop in front of him. The girl turned to her old friend once the prince had stopped and begged for her to stop this, her voice rising in anger as Caragan moved forward to stand next to Tedros.
"It's too late!" Sophie mocked, "They attacked, now we defend!" she screamed as the doors swung on their hinges and banged shut. With a scream, the Evers ran forward, weapons raised as they started to attack. Caragan's eyes flitted around the room, noticing how it was the exact same shape as the ballroom she had just been in. Turning away, she ran up the stairs toward the balcony where she pulled her bow taught.
She caught Agatha's eye as she went to release her arrow and silent words were shared between them. Caragan nodded and re-aimed her bow, the arrowhead soaring through the air and striking a Never's sleeve, pinning him into the wall. She smiled to herself as he helped to disarm the battling people below her, finding that her clouded eye didn't seem to hinder her talent. Once her arrows dwindled, she placed her bow on the holster that sat on her back and pulled a long dagger from her belt and lept over the balcony, her hand grasping a curtain as she lowered herself to the ground next to Beatrice.
The dagger left her hand within an instant and soared through the air, where it knocked a spear that was flying toward Beatrice, its course now changing as it spun wildly, hitting a Never on the head with the wooden pole and knocking him unconscious. The two Evers turned to face each other. "Thank you, Caragan." Beatrice spoke as the girl quickly sprinted to get her dagger, collecting her discarded arrows as the prince made his way toward Sophie, his sword raised as he leapt from the ground.
"We may not be friends but I don't hate you enough to let you die." Caragan joked, her eyes filled with comfort as the once rude Ever laughed slightly. But that attempt at reconciliation between the ex-friend was squashed when Beatrice's eyes widened in shock. She watched in fear as Hort knocked Tedros to the ground, his head colliding with the hard marble floor.
"Go help him, Carrie!" Beatrice yelled, spinning to stop an attack from a Never, "He needs you."
Agatha and Caragan sprinted over only to be stopped by a furious Sophie, "Back off! This is my happy ending!" she sneered, turning toward Caragan, "Tedros belongs to me!"
"So this is how you change the world? This is what you've always wanted? To have the world at your feet?" Agatha bargained, struggling against the red magic that bound her. Luckily for Caragan, only Aggie had been frozen in place so she slipped away from the two quietly and made her way toward Tedros.
Caragan knelt down at the boy's side, her hands gently cupping his face as she tried to wake him. Tears formed in her eyes as she took his shoulders and gently shook him, begging for him to do something to show her that he was alive. "Tedros. Please." A cry suddenly ripped through her body as a dagger collided with her shin, the blade ripping her navy trouser leg.
"Oh, Beastie," Sophie began in a mocking tone, "I guess you can't help anyone." Caragan stood up, her tears flowing down her cheeks as fury coursed through her system. She went to get another arrow before Sophie flung her through the air, her back colliding with the marble walls as the doors closed in front of her.
She quickly stood up next to Agatha and sent her a worried look before the reader grabbed her hand and led her through the school, Caragan limping as they ran. Sweat beaded on the Loxley girl's face as her foot dragged behind her, the blood quickly seeping onto the floor and leaving a trail as the two entered a common room.
"Aggie, please. We have to stop. I can't." Caragan breathed out, her hand wiping the perspiration from her paling features. Agatha turned toward the girl in worry and caught her as she stumbled forward.
"You're ok Caragan." she paused, ripping a piece of fabric from her dress, "Here," she spoke calmly as she wrapped the cloth around the wound, wincing as Caragan hissed in pain. The Loxley girl smiled in thanks and brought Agatha into a hug.
"I'm so glad I met you." Caragan whispered, her head buried into her best friend's shoulder, "You've changed everything for me. Thank you." the two stood there in silence, wrapped in a warm embrace happily as Tedros ran in, his eyes widening as he saw the mock-bandage on Caragan's leg that was slowly turning a deep red.
"Caragan!" He spoke in relief as the girl pulled away from one hug and into another. Tedros pressed her into him, breathing a sigh of relief as his hand found a place in her hair, "Are you alright?" he asked.
She leant into his shoulder, "I thought you were dead and here you are worrying about me." he laughed slightly as he pulled away.
His hand gently settled on Caragan's waist as he turned to face Agatha, "Listen to me. I need to put an end to the Nevers, once and for all."
The two girls protested as Agatha rushed forward, "Tedros, this whole war thing between the schools, it's all wrong. If I can just get through to Sophie-"
Tedros scoffed in disbelief, "After what she's done? No point, no way. It's not gonna work!" he yelled but Caragan stopped him, moving to stand next to Agatha.
His eyes traced over his features, looking at the milky white of her left eye as she spoke, "She's being used by the School Master's brother. He's given her blood magic and it's too much for her, She doesn't know what she's doing."
Tedros kept protesting but Agatha and Caragan continued to interrupt, "The fights down here, Caragan. Let her go."
Caragan put a hand on his chest and sighed in annoyance, "Tedros, you told Agatha you were ready to see the world in more than just black and white." he hummed in agreement as the girl continued, limping as she moved closer to him. "This is your chance, I just need you to trust her. To trust us." he paused as she put her hand on the side of his face gently. An Evers cry of help echoed around the room as Tedros took off down the stretch of the hallway.
"Ok. Go to her. I'll be there as soon as I can. I promise you."
The two girls turned to face each other and Caragan nodded her head toward the large doors before beginning to run toward the tower, her gait wobbly as she tried to ignore the pain in her shin.
. ˚◞♡ ⃗ 🕊*ೃ༄
The two hid on the small balcony and watched as Rafal spoke, gasping quietly as the two schools began to crumble. "Agatha." Caragan began, her blood-covered hand gently gripping her friends, "I'm going to be useless in this fight." Agatha turned toward the girl and took both of her hands.
"Stay here. I'll come to get you when it's over," she whispered before leaping over the side and pulling Sophie into a hug.
Caragan gently held her bow, the arrow nocked as she aimed it through one of the gaps in the balcony walls, her vision blurring every now and then from the pain in her leg.
"Surely you know what happens to those who thwart love? Both of you know." Rafal spoke and raised his hand, blood magic spinning through the air. Suddenly Caragan was lifted over the balcony by her throat and held just above the ground. "Always the hero, Caragan. If you were a Never, you would've been revered!"
Caragan gasped in pain as the magic tightened around her throat, "Screw. You." she spoke as she weakened, her grip loosening on her bow allowing it to fall to the floor. Her breath slowly lessened as her vision began to darken, trying to stay awake to see what was happening. To the Loxley girl, it seemed like hours had passed when the quill from the storian pierced through Sophie's chest as Rafal's magic finally released her. She fell to the ground, clutching her throat as she coughed. The pain began to subside from her face as her vision returned, signalling that Sophie was growing weaker by the minute.
She watched from her place on the floor as Tedros descended from a rope, landing silently. He spans his sword as he neared Rafal, the sword glowing as he went to strike. But then suddenly the gold faded and wind furled as the prince was flung through the air, his back striking a large stone wall that the 'school master' had created.
He skidded to a stop next to Caragan, who attempted to stand as Rafal made his way over. "Did you think it would be that easy? In my school?" His boots echoed against the wooden floor as he continued to speak, "In your father's hands, that sword might once have vanquished me. But in the hands of his ridiculous whelp of a son, it is merely an oversized butterknife."
Tedros was flung up against the door as Rafal turned to Caragan. "And you! So full of fire, just like your father. But you are too angry. You are not worthy." he laughed as he continued, "The bow is called Noble Phantasm and you are hardly that." he pushed her so her back was pressed firmly against the wall. "Stay out of my way." he sneered as he pulled a dagger from his pocket and began to walk toward Tedros, who was struggling against the magic's grip.
Her eyes met Agatha's as the girl stood. "Or the tale of the girls who stopped you," she spoke as she sprinted toward him. Excalibur flew through the air, glowing as it reached Agatha's hands. She sliced viciously at Rafal as she passed him before skidding to a stop, sword still in hand. Tedros and Caragan fell to the ground as Rafal turned to a pile of raven feathers.
"The end," Agatha spoke, her eyes sparkling with tears. The reader immediately ran over to her best friend as Caragan and Tedros turned to face each other.
He sighed in relief and pulled her into a tight hug. "You don't know how scared I was that I'd never see you again," he whispered, his hands wrapping themselves around her lower back. Caragan breathed in deeply as he hugged her, the pain from being choked going completely ignored as they comforted each other.
They pulled apart. "It's good to see you without all the scars," she spoke jokingly. He sighed and placed his hand against his head dramatically.
"I bet they made me look hideous!" He said, feigning a sigh as they both laughed.
She grinned widely, her hands gently lacing themselves in his hair. "Quite the opposite. You looked very handsome." Caragan smiled at him as he pressed his forehead gently against hers. She muttered sweet nothings and sealed them with a kiss as she fiddled with his dark hair.
"I love you so much Tedros Pendragon." She spoke as the two closed the gap between them, pressing her lips against his in a soft kiss. The kiss didn't try to seek any sort of passion or aggression, instead, it was calm and flowing, the two holding each other gently as he pulled her in.
"Ok lovebirds pull it apart, you missed my grand revival," Sophie spoke as the two pulled away. They laughed as the once-evil girl approached Caragan.
"I am so sorry Caragan." She spoke, her eyes pleading for forgiveness. The Loxley girl simply smiled before bringing her into a hug.
"It's ok. You didn't get to choose this story. But you can choose your next one." she spoke calmly, before pulling away and rejoining Tedros, his hands taking hers as they walked out of the large doors.
Tedros and Caragan watched as the two readers spoke, staring forward into the large portal. Beyond it, they could see rows of lush green trees and a small winding dirt path. To Tedros, it looked like the woods, to Caragan; the comfort she had known from Nottingham but to Sophie and Agatha? It was home. Somewhere they both knew they had to return to.
Agatha walked over to her two new friends and took both of their hands in her own. "I love both of you." she smiled as the two watched her. "But I need to be with my best friend." with that she turned away, taking Sophie's hand in hers once more. The two Evers watched as they stepped through the portal and Tedros attempted to stop them as it closed.
"Tedros," Caragan began, "They're happy, let them be happy in their rightful home." he made his way back over to the girl and pulled her toward him.
"At least I still have you."
𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕰𝖓𝖉 - 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖓𝖔𝖜
A/N: THIS IS MY LONGEST CHAPTER YET! AND ALSO THE FINAL CHAPTER!!!! unless a second film gets made........ please let me know what you think and feel free to make edits or stuff like that! i love seeing them!!!
thankyou so much for all your support throughout this series i seriously could not have finished it without you lot so thank you for everything! new fics coming soon hopefully :]]]]]
thankyou Evening_Spider for writing this with me :)
bye guys :DD