Serene's view
Shouts are all over, taunting from us, claps of thunder when we get near enough. I lunge for Maleficent, holding the ember out. She pounds her staff on the ground. The shockwave sends Janessa and Eleanor backward, but I breeze right through it, tackling her to the ground and holding the ember firmly against her. It flares brightly, burning a hole in Maleficent's sleeve before Maleficent throws me off. I catch myself just in time with my shadows, shuddering madly again. Each time I use my powers, I can feel them cracking through the light part of me, infecting my thoughts and feelings again.
But this time I have something to hold onto.
My choices are mine, and mine alone, when I swipe my hand horizontally in front of myself, creating a blast of silver light that slams into Maleficent, just as Janessa darts forward and shocks Maleficent with her blue fire, and leaves two smoldering handprints on her shoulders. I'm also pleasantly surprised to see that a layer of frost spread from Janessa's hands, rooting Maleficent's feet to the ground with blocks of ice.
Maleficent throws Janessa off, but I catch her before she can hurt herself. Eleanor swoops down from above Maleficent, landing on her back and wrapping her arm around Maleficent's throat, shocking her with her bracelet.
"This is for Mummy and Seesee!" Eleanor shouts, raising her wand and waving it around, creating a golden rope that wraps around Maleficent, trapping her arms against her sides.
"Horrible children!" Maleficent practically spits. She keeps a firm grip on her staff, slamming it into the ground. Eleanor goes flying into the air, a cage appearing around her.
"Elea!" I hear across the room.
"Don't get distracted, Finn!" someone else shouts back. Probably Brietta.
I raise my hand, tightening my grip on the ember. Eleanor's cage dissolves, and she drops down easily next to me.
"She's almost down." I say under my breath. "I've got a plan, but I need you to use your wand. Create as much light as you can!"
Eleanor nods as there's another crack and wail of fury from Maleficent. Janessa gets thrown backward, landing heavily on one of my shadows. When she stands, her leg is smoking, her leggings burning away on the hem. Her skin is an ugly, raw red.
"She got me on my leg with her lightning." Janessa grunts, hopping a bit. "And melted the ice holding her feet."
Maleficent cackles, raising her staff high. Green smoke gathers quickly, spreading across the room.
"GO!" I scream, pushing off of the ground so hard into the air that I leave a crater behind me. Janessa (who I now realize doesn't know the plan, but adapts quickly) runs for her at the same time Eleanor does.
There's a flash of golden light from Eleanor at the same time that I crash into Maleficent, grabbing hold of her throat. The ember sears against her skin, glowing brighter every millisecond until it flares with a flash of light, creating a lightwave that runs through Maleficent and myself. I can feel my shadows retreat a bit as I lean back from the force. Maleficent's eyes widen as Janessa runs up on her right side, grabbing the scepter from Maleficent's weakened grip.
"NO!" Maleficent shrieks, but Janessa stumbles backward, holding the staff in her hands.
"We've got her!" I shout triumphantly, but even as I say it, I can tell---It's not enough. I try anyway, morphing my magic into a spell that should put her back into her magicless, lizard form.
But it doesn't work.
Maleficent's evil smile returns. She snaps her fingers, her scepter returning to her hands. The moment it touches her fingers, there's a flash of purple lightning, and it hits me dead-on. I'm thrown backward, slamming into a column. Blinking spots from my eyes, I try to stand, clutching a hand to my stomach. I slip, falling to my knees. The world is fuzzy, spinning.
"Serene! THIS IS FOR MY SISTER, YOU WITCH!" I hear, faint. I see Janessa run for Maleficent, holding her hands out with blue fire blazing from them.
"No..." I moan. But I'm too late, Maleficent holds her scepter out to meet my sister. Jenna doesn't stop in time, and the green jewel on top stops her mid-run.
"Stop your sister for me, will you?" I hear Maleficent say, a sly grin on her face. Janessa turns, her eyes blazing green, and rushes toward me.
That clears my thoughts, just for a moment. I barely have time to throw my hand up, creating a shimmering silver cage around my sister. The moment she touches the bars, her green eyes fade back to blue, and she shakes her head in confusion.
Maleficent scoffs, her horned silhouette growing larger by the second. "No matter. You're all too late!"
Time slows down.
I can see Janessa calling my name, trying to break my silver bars surrounding her. Eleanor is running for Maleficent, her wand held high. I can see Lucy shouting at Blake, who is working hard to keep Evan and Max from shocking him. Pitch is blocking spell after spell from Hayder, trying and failing to catch Brietta, Finn, and Danielle in bubbles or cages, but they're too fast for him.
On the surface, we should be winning. My plan should've worked. Light should've beaten back the dark.
So why didn't it?
Maybe it's my battered, weakened mind. Maybe it's something I knew all along. Maybe it's some other thing inside me, whispering instructions.
But I suddenly understand.
Pitch, Maleficent, and Blake have spent years preparing themselves for all of this. Even for me. The months I spent with them weren't just me learning from them. They were being taught my every side, my limits and power of both my light and dark, whether I knew it or not.
They can't be defeated by something they know well. The usual magic---Fairy Godmothers, mine, Eleanor's---is too tame, too predictable for them. We need something surprising, something they would never expect.
And luckily, I know just what that is.
Knowing full well I don't have the magic left in me to pull this off, I stand despite my exhaustion and thrust the ember into the air. "The time has come to lose your might, drown out the dark with life's pure light!" I shout, bringing my hands down. Silver light ripples from me in a wave of bright power, and I collapse to the ground.
It doesn't stop them. I knew it wouldn't. But it's enough to buy me time.
I drag myself to my feet, stumbling along and feeling the world fade around me just as I make it to the wand I dropped at the entrance. My fingers just barely clutch it when I hear Maleficent's bellow, and a burst of heat at my back from her flames. I turn, holding my wand in my hand, just in time to see Maleficent, in pure dragon form, flying straight for me.
"Brietta..." I whisper, falling to my knees. "Brietta. BRIETTA!" I shout, finally gathering all I have left in me to throw my wand her way. "CATCH!" Maleficent's dragon form crashes into me just as it leaves my hands, knocking all the breath out of me. My wand goes flying through the air, spinning nearly in slow motion. Maleficent's dragon claws crush around my stomach, lifting me into the air and then pulling back, throwing me down.
I land hard on the ground, creating a crater, feeling all of my energy give out as I lie limp while Maleficent's twisted green-and-purple lightning crashes around me, surrounding me in her magic. I should be burnt to a crisp, but my powers surround me with one last protection---a thin, flickering shield of their own combined efforts. I don't feel a thing, I can't anymore. I'm drained, too tired to feel any of it. I can barely see, barely hear, only the loud roar of Maleficent's triumph.
I close my eyes, preparing myself for whatever will happen when my shield finally breaks.
But it never comes. All I feel is a cool, calm relief. Something warm and comforting flows through me, sending sparks of energy singing through my veins until I finally open my eyes. Maleficent, Pitch and Blake are nowhere in sight, and everyone's staring at the rose-pink magic surrounding me, lifting me off the ground and setting me on my feet. The hollow, dead feeling inside me is gone, replaced with all the magic I had a few minutes ago, perfectly in balance again.
The room goes dead silent, and everyone turns slowly to look at Brietta Hook. She caught my wand, all right. But it's not mine anymore. It's pink and gold, and her hair has pink streaks in it as well, her silver eyes now with sunlight and rose flecks.
Brietta's earned her wand.
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EEEE!!!
I know not many people read this, but I'm grateful for every one. GodsEmojiGirl sorry I forgot to tag you before now!!
Also for anyone who didn't see my shpeil yesterday: i GOT UNLOCKED, KEEPER 8.5 YESTERDAY AND I FINISHED IT IN UNDER 12 HOURS BECAUSE I'M THAT FREAKING INVESTED IN THIS SERIEEEESSSSS MY LITTLE BABIES ARE ALL GROWING UP AND I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT AND AAAAAAGH KEEFE I WANT TO GIVE YOU A HUG!!!!
Someday I hope to write something as good as KOTLC. I'm sure trying! (not with my Descendants fanfics, those are more for fun. Not that I didn't TRY to do well with these)
BUT THE ART IN THAT BOOK!!! GAH!!!! I loved seeing Keefe's memories soooosooosooososososo much. My favorites were Keefe, Sandor, and Sophie light-leaping with the pink star----Keefe, Sophie, and Edaline after the fall of Lumenaria----and Keefe, Sophie, and Silveny from book 2. GAH! SO BEAUTIFUL!!!
*spoilers beware below*
I totally called Keefe being able to sense abilities tho. Like the minute I heard Lex's hands were freezing, I was like "He did NOT just do that. Lex is a Froster!" couldn't figure out what 'squishy' hands meant, but I knew what Rex's meant and it broke my heart. AND I WAS RIGHT!!!!! GAH!
Also Keefe at the end with Grady.... my heart.