"Bay!" Oslac screamed as he watched his best friend plummet from a great height. Ethan then stepped forward, lifted his hand and in a sudden flash, violet magic lit up the sky. Beanni was then held peacefully in the air. A calming breeze played with her hair as she slowly began to float down, she landed gently in Lorrus' ready arms. Oslac then watched Claudia Slànacus make her way to the head of Draoicis-Lus through the sudden chaotic movements of the dispersing crowd. They were all moving to find their loved ones among the dead. She reached Lorrus and pulled him towards the palace. Oslac started to run after them but a tight grip on his upper arm made him stop. He turned to look at Ethan and saw solemnity seated in his violet gaze.
"What are you doing?" Oslac questioned the ancient magic incarnate, struggling against his iron grip. "Let go, Ethan! Beanni needs me!"
"No, Prince. Natanstrelle needs you."
"But..."
Without saying another word, Ethan turned his focus to the many grieving civilians, wailing over the lifeless bodies of the once darkness possessed palace guards and Emerald recruits. Amongst them crouched Beanni's mother, Lorren, rocking her youngest son back and forth in her arms as her eldest cried by her side. Oslac's heart broke for them. It broke for Beanni as he played in his mind how devastated she was going to be to find out Dillan, the one she was so determined to rescue, had been taken by the darkness. Taken and torn apart just like the rest of the Emerald army. Tears streamed from his eyes and his lips trembled as the dark reality of all that was lost clawed at his mind.
"Come Prince, they all need you now," Ethan now spoke with urgency.
"What can I do?" Oslac snapped in panic. "I'm not the King, I'm not anybody!" He looked around, desperately searching the crowd. "Where is he? Where is my father? Why isn't he here?"
Ethan didn't say a word in response, he just took him by the wrist and led him through the devastation.
"Ethan, what are you doing?" Oslac questioned as he got dragged to a lone guard slumped upon the palace steps. He took a step closer and took in the man's features, it was Dìl-Dìon. The pang of hatred Oslac felt at the sight of him made him numb as he thought about how this guard betrayed him. He, of course, knew deep in his heart that it wasn't him but the darkness who tricked him and broke his arm not only once but twice. However, he couldn't help but look at him with disgust.
"Why did you bring me here?" Oslac muttered. "How is looking at a dead guard more important than helping Beanni?"
"I brought you here to show you the truth," Ethan said in that annoyingly vague way that he always liked to speak in. It made Oslac's blood boil.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm sorry, Prince, I'm so very sorry."
"Ethan, can't you ever just talk plainly? I don't understand you!"
Ethan let out a sigh and held his hand out over the body. Violet rays streamed from his palm and engulfed Dìl-Dìon. A bright flash then revealed the truth as the possessed guard dissolved away, and there, lying dead upon the palace steps, was the king.
"No." Oslac sank to his knees. "No! Father, no!" He shook in despair, the numbness he felt only seconds ago erupting into excruciating pain. Everything he was taught in his royal lessons could not have prepared him for this. His father was taken. It was him all along, his father broke his arm, manipulated him, he took him to face Genelle - the day he found his mother. Oslac couldn't stop his thoughts from spiralling. Did he know his mother was hanging there? Did he stand idly by and watch Genelle kill her with his own hands? Did he care? Did he laugh?
"Prince Oslac," Ethan's voice dragged him back to the present. "It is time. You must take your place as the next king."
Oslac's heart leapt to his throat. He didn't feel ready. Of course he wasn't ready, not for this, he was only sixteen years old!
"Oslac, take your place." Ethan instructed in a gentle tone that was laced with the authority of the ancient power.
Oslac was not able to argue anymore, for the violet magic in the man's gaze pulled him to his feet and made him walk to the top of the palace steps, where all present could see him. He took out his light orb and made it grow to fit his palm. He held it above his head, just as he was told he must do the day his father died. Ribbons of violet light left both Beanni's comatose body and Ethan's eyes. They danced in the air, grabbing the attention of all whom the darkness did not kill with a graceful and warm caress. Everyone present then watched the violet magic enter Oslac's orb and once the very last ribbon joined the glittering pollen that swirled in his palm, a bright beam of violet light shot into the sky. It lit up the whole sky before it broke up into countless, twinkling stars. The beauty of the full night sky filled the eyes of the crowd and brought peace to their hearts. A serene silence took over the once despair filled atmosphere, until a great portion of the stars rained down upon Oslac's head - blessing him within his new role as king.
"Stars shine upon you," the crowd called out in perfect unison. "Your majesty, King Oslac!"
Oslac lowered his orb slowly, held it in front of his mouth and addressed the crowd. The magic made his new courageous tone project to all corners of the palace grounds.
"Natanstrelleans, my heart breaks for our loss, we have lost so much. But we must not give up on our society and our Terran. The light will bring restoration to Natanstrelle. Before anything else we shall bury our dead. Take them to Na Dèan Oblivi and let them lie there where we can remember their sacrifice alongside our taken ancestors. Follow my lead, we will all go now."
He then walked back down the steps, held his orb over his father's body and made it levitate before him. He took him first past the History teacher at Amber Academy, who he knew to be Nani Fiosolim. She was kneeling beside her deceased, misled sister and two cousins. She solemnly got to her feet, made all three of them float in the air beside her and followed closely behind her new king. All the Natanstrelleans followed suit as Oslac led them out of Astrid Palace's gates.
Beanni blinked her eyes open, she looked down, and there, with his head lying on the mattress beside her, was her dozing father.
"Dad?" she croaked, making him sit up with a start.
"Bay! Oh my Bay, you're alright!" he said as a tear trickled down his cheek.
"Yes, I'm fine." She then took in her still surroundings. "Are we in the palace?"
"Yes, Claudia brought us to the healing chamber. She's going to take care of you."
"No, there is no need, I'm..."
Suddenly a deep rumbling yell filled Beanni's mind. It was so loud it felt like it was tearing through her.
"Beanni, what is it?" Her father looked so worried. "Claudia! She's hurting!"
Beanni knew that there was nothing that Claudia could do to relieve her pain, for what ailed her was beyond Natanstrellean healing practices. The darkness was imprisoned deep within her mind. It raged, trying its hardest to break free, but it had no strength compared to the power that the moon blessed her with - all the magic left of the Sìthicris was inside her holding Noir-Astra in a cage. Although it had the power to keep the darkness trapped, it could not silence it. In order to destroy the darkness once and for all Beanni needed to finish what she was prophesied to do.
She moved to leave the bed where her father lay her, but was met by his strong hands, which grabbed her around the shoulders.
"Where do you think you're going?" He asked and pushed her gently back down onto the bed. "You must rest."
"No Dad! I can't! I need to find Ethan!"
"You're not going anywhere until we know you are alright." Lorrus said, looking towards Claudia for support.
"Your father is right, Beanni," Claudia said, not missing her cue. "You've saved Natanstrelle from corruption. You've done enough. It's time to rest now."
"No! It's not over yet! There's something much bigger coming! I must find Ethan."
"Who is Ethan?" Lorrus interjected, not able to hide his frustration.
"I need to take him to the Trolls!"
Hearing this made her father gasp - of course he didn't understand.
"You'll do no such thing!"
"Dad!"
"I will not lose another child to that Noir corrupted race!"
An evil delight filled the dark prisoner's core as it heard its influence was still present within the Terran's people's prejudices. It filled Beanni's mind with a loud, rumbling laugh.
"Dad, you don't understand!" she said, sitting up in the bed again.
"Please, Beanni, lie back down!" He tried to push her back down, but she fought against him.
"Let me go, Dad, you have to let me go!"
"No, Beanni!"
Suddenly the door opened and the room was filled with a violet glow, which made both Lorrus and Claudia freeze in place.
"Ethan!" Beanni managed to wriggle out of her father's frozen grip and get out of the bed. The whole way across the room an unbearable screeching pierced through her mind as Noir-Astra tried his hardest to deter her from reaching the other source of violet magic. Ethan met her half way and caught her before the pain in her head made her keel over.
"Beanni, are you alright?" he asked as he helped her straighten up.
"Yes, yes I'm fine. It's just there's so much noise," she explained whilst fingering her temple.
Ethan gave her an understanding nod and took her hands in his. The violet glow they displayed brought out the magic within Beanni; it shone bright within her irises and along every strand of her hair - making it glow once again like her Sìthicris ancestors.
"Better?" Ethan asked with a smile. Beanni wasn't sure what he was talking about at first, but it didn't take her long to realise that the glow he brought out quietened Noir-Astra's voice.
"Yes, that is better." She let out a deep sigh. "I can finally think." After she said that, she felt a slight twinge, which let her know that Noir-Astra was still there. The violet light had not vanquished him, not yet.
"Beanni, you must come with me."
"Yes, I know, I am ready."
Ethan sighed through a relieved smile. He then took her by the hand and led her out of the chamber.
"We're not going alone are we?" Beanni asked between breaths as they ran down the corridor. They stopped at the front door and Ethan peered out.
"No, Oslac is coming too. We need royal representation if we are to do things properly."
"Shouldn't it be the king who represents Natanstrelle?" Beanni asked, a flutter of fear making itself known within her stomach as she thought of her best friend having to face such danger. Trolls were hostile and unpredictable and she couldn't bear the thought of Oslac getting hurt, perhaps even killed.
"The king is representing Natanstrelle."
"Oh? Oslac found him?"
Before Ethan could answer her, violet ribbons danced in the air in front of them and Oslac materialised upon the palace steps.
"Great, you're both here, ready to go?" Oslac said as he placed his orb back in his pouch.
Beanni glanced at Ethan who grabbed her hand again and reached out his hand towards Oslac, ready to transport across the wilderness to Troll land in a blink of an eye.
"Wait," Beanni stepped back, breaking the triangle. "Ethan, you said the king was coming."
"He is."
Beanni looked around her, searching for King Tellum's face. Was she missing something?
"Bay, I am the king."
"W-What did you just say?"
"Bay, my father is dead. The darkness took him along with the Emerald recruits." Oslac explained sombrely. "The violet beam blessed me as Natanstrelle's new king."
Beanni couldn't believe what she was hearing, she also couldn't bring herself to say another word.
Suddenly the earth beneath them shook, making Beanni lose her footing. Oslac caught her before she tumbled down the palace steps.
"What was that?" Oslac asked Ethan, worry plaguing his eyes.
"Time is running out," Ethan said, whilst grabbing Beanni's hand. He motioned to Oslac to do the same. As soon as they were all connected the violet light shone brighter amongst them all, then the palace and its grounds disappeared.