The next day, after a breakfast of waffles, the Wibberly siblings, Wilamena, Abigail, and the two ghosts gathered in the small back room of Abigail's house. They were gathered there because it was closed off so no one could peep through a window and see what magic they were doing.
"Hey Abigail?" Michael asked, feeling more hopeful this morning than last night. He assumed it was the waffles. Waffles always brought a sense of joy.
The elderly woman turned to him, "Yeah?"
"Where are Jake and Beetles?"
Abigail sighed, "they went out to 'scout around' which more likely means fool around. I told them to pick up groceries on the way back though, so hopefully they do that one useful task."
"And what are we doing?" Emma questioned. She had spent a good portion of the night trying to puzzle out Rafe. He had been the Dire Magnus which should have made him automatically evil. But he had saved so many kids back in old NYC, and saved Kate's life too. That was good. So was he a good person or a bad person? Emma didn't know. She knew things weren't always black and white, but they weren't just shades of grey either. Humans were a rainbow of colors, and you didn't always know what those colors meant. It was all confusing and hard to puzzle out and it was frustrating Emma to no end.
"We're testing a theory of mine," Abigail said, "tell me, Michael, Emma, do you two have magic of any kind?"
"If we do, it's not been unlocked," Michael replied.
Abigail nodded, "I am presuming you do. So, we're gonna try and unlock it using a couple a' witch rituals I've learned throughout the years."
"This won't be dangerous for the children, right?" Gabriel said warily.
"Not at all," Abigail answered, "this won't hurt one bit. So, what'd ya say? You all up for it?"
"If the Michael and Emma are ok with it," the ghostly warrior replied.
The siblings exchanged glances. Emma answered for both of them when she said, "we'll do it."
"Alright," Abigail said, getting to business, "then I'm going to need you to stand in the center of the room. I'll light the candles, Wilamena, you find me some chalk. Hopefully the ritual works and your magic will be unlocked."
"It better," Emma said, "if we're gonna fight the Dire Magnus and get Kate back, we need all the power we can get."
Once all the candles were lit, and placed at specific points around the room, Wilamena and Abigail drew a quick ritual circle around the Wibberly siblings with the chalk. Then they stepped back, Wilamena to stand alongside Gabriel and Rafe to watch the ritual, and Abigail just outside the circle to conduct it.
"Alright children, when I say the incantations, they will draw out any magic within you. So relax and hold your hands out as a channel for said power," Abigail instructed.
"Shouldn't we try and control this magic?" Michael asked.
Abigail shook her head, "we can work on that later, right now we're working on bringing your power out."
With that, she picked up her spellbook and began muttering in Latin. Over and over, she read the incantation.
At first, Michael and Emma seemed confused, wondering what was supposed to be happening. But then the two felt heat inside their veins like a fire, like crackling electricity. It didn't feel bad though, it actually made them both feel good. Strong. They both closed their eyes to immerse themselves in their magic.
Abigail withheld her gasp so she could keep chanting, but still watched in awe as Michael and Emma experienced their magic for the first time. Sparks of visible power began to appear at their fingertips, red and orange for Michael and blue and purple for Emma.
The others watched in awe as this occurred. Wilamena's eyes were on Michael, and her mouth was open in shock. She hadn't realized he had magic of his own. Gabriel watched the children to make sure they were safe. But there was a hint of a proud smile on his face as he looked at the magic flying from Emma's hands.
Rafe, who had guessed about the Wibberlys magic, simply watched with interest, glad that Abigail's ritual worked.
Only then it stopped working. The candles blew out without prompting, the chalk lines fading from the floor. The sparks from the siblings' hands shot higher and became bigger and crackling. Abigail jumped back in alarm. Michael and Emma's power was getting out of hand, damaging the barriers of the ritual.
Abigail knew that for two so new to the power inside of them, without the ritual harnessing magic could hurt Michael and Emma. She screamed their names trying to break them from their trance. But she got no response and the magic kept sparking.
There was fear in the normally calm woman's eyes as she whirled to the others, "we need to get their magic under control, NOW!"
"How do we do that?" Wilamena panicked.
"I don't know," Abigail admitted, "the ritual should have held."
Rafe knew they had to act fast. Out of control magic never did anyone any good. He had to guide the Wibberlys, to get it under control. Quickly, he disappeared and reappeared between them, his hands just above their shoulders so he could form the magical links needed to connect to their magic and help tame it. He had done this a few times before, back when he was with the savages. He just hoped he could do it.
The magical energy of souls flowed between them and he attempted to grab onto it, to tie their power together like in a three legged race, so he could teach them to get it under control. But it was hard to make the connection. Magic was often an emotional thing, and while back in New York when he and the kids he cared for were under the same circumstances, it was easy to make a magical connection to a friend. But Michael and Emma were not his friends, in fact they hated him. All their history was that of enemies. He couldn't think of anything that connected-
His thoughts were cut off as he realized that there was one thing he truly had in common with the Wibberly siblings. Kate. They all loved her, and they all wanted to save her.
He pictured Kate then, and he thought of her so much he could picture her almost perfectly. It was almost as if she were really there, with them. And then he felt the connection between magic and he sighed with relief.
As Rafe began taming the Wibberlys out of control power - they both had quite a lot, though not as much as their older sister - all three people linked by magic thought of Kate. But each of them saw her in a different way. Michael saw the sister who trusted him, who protected him and forgave his mistakes. Michael saw the sister that was always there for him. Emma saw the girl who raised her, who taught her to be brave and more importantly, to be kind. And Rafe saw the person he loved most, his whole world, who he would do anything for.
It was interesting, how they could each see the same person so differently, and care for her in their own different ways, whether as their sister and protector, as Michael and Emma did, or as a true love worth everything, as Rafe did.
Their magic faded, under control, and the three of them came out of their trance-like state. Michael took several deep breaths, overwhelmed by the depth of magical power. Rafe was just relieved it had worked. But Emma was wiping away a few stray tears, tears that came from the so real image of her sister she had just seen. While she was trying to be brave, she really was worried about Kate. Whatever Kate was facing, she was facing it alone. Emma knew how hard it was to stay strong when you were alone.
Fortunately, Kate was one of the strongest people she knew. But that didn't stop her fear or her tears.
............
Across the city in a magical mansion filled with evil, Kate Wibberly was in pain. The constant torture of electricity zooming through her has been going on all night and all day. She had screamed through the night though no one was in the room with her to hear her. By morning she had lost her voice, and shed all the tears she could, and was silently writhing in agony.
Robert had come by to guard her and hadn't said a word. Seeing him- seeing him stand by like this while she was being tortured, all for power, was giving her anger. That was helping her stay strong. But she knew it was only a matter of time before, despite her conscious's decisions, her body and her unconscious gave in and activated her magic. No human could go on forever being electrocuted and left to suffer.
She needed to find a way out of this hell, but she couldn't even think most of the time, what, with the pain she was in. She could hardly remember what she was fighting for. It was so hard for Kate to keep the faces of her loved ones in her mind when energy wracked her body.
Gasping uselessly as another dose of the voltage hit her, Kate felt like giving up. Even though she was the strongest of souls, this pain was never ending. Though it wasn't the worst moment of her life, it sure as hell came close. And nothing she had experienced had ever caused her this much physical torture. Not even being shot.
As her limp body jolted in the chair, the restraints chafing at her, she wailed with what little voice she had. Robert just looked away.
Kate had never felt so alone.
It was at this moment, one of her lowest, that she felt the brush of magic. It was soft and comforting, a gentle relief in this hurt. It was not her own, she knew that much, but it felt familiar and good all the same.
Then she heard the voices.
Stay strong, Kate. We need you. I don't know what we'd do without you. Please stay strong. You're the strongest person I know. If you aren't strong, there's no hope left.
We'll get you back. I don't know how, but we will. After all you've done for us, we're not leaving you behind. Ever. We're a family, Wibberlys until the end. Hold on, Kate.
Kate, you can fight. You are brave and smart and kind and magic. Those fools can never break you, just remember that. And remember that we love you.
Michael, Emma, and Rafe. The three most important people in the world to her. She heard their voices, giving her hope. She wasn't sure if it was all a hallucination or her imagination, or if they knew what message they were sending. But she thought one of he one in response, the spark of hope that lived inside her heart having been rekindled by their care.
I'll stay strong. I'll hold on. I will fight. I love you all.
They probably couldn't hear her. But that didn't matter. What mattered was that there was something else besides the pain, a reminder of light and love in the world. What mattered was that Kate Wibberly would not break. Not today, and with a bit of hope, not ever.
A/N: A long, emotional, and magical chapter for you all. I hope you enjoyed it.