Chapter 12
Watching so many die already and seeing the Magic Hunters put a perimeter around the old entrance to the cave the kids are devastated. Knowing the group needs a leader to get through this Jack slowly gets everyone's attention and doesn't hide the tears running down his face, even though some would call it weak.
"I know this looks bad. People we know and love are gone but we have a chance to fix this, Even if we don't make it back we can't let the Magic Hunters win. I'm going, who's with me?" Slowly everyone gains their composure, Lucy steps up beside him kisses his cheek and holds his hand. Hal punches him on the arm while holding Harpers hand and tells him he can always count on him having his back. The two sets of twins look at each other and smile softly. Alex and Sam at the same time say "We're always with you." Then grab the other twins hands and step into the circle.
"So" Jack said after a companionable silence, Looking at the magic twins "How exactly are we gonna do this…?" The twins looking a little green made eye contact, then Rachel answered "Well… we could go back to before your parents got captured and see if we could stop this with a little warning but the Magic Hunters would still be out there. Or we could go back to the beginning and see if we can stop them altogether." Before the magic twins could finish the shifters barreled on and decided to stop them altogether. To go back and make sure no one else would get hurt again because of those awful people.
Austin with a small show of power shot harmless sparks at the shifters to get them to shut up and listen. "Geez! You guys just grab something and run with it don't you? Let her finish, because the next part might change your freakin minds!!" With a sheepish look the shifter kids said sorry and asked Rachel to continue.
"So the problem is… ugh. The problem is, if we go back and stop this thing at the beginning we could never be born, our parents could never exist or even the people that we want to bring back. That is why we don't mess with time travel magic. It's too unpredictable!" Spending the rest of the night thinking the group decided they would choose when they woke up so they could sleep on it.
As the kids came awake in ones and twos, they talked and ate trying to come to terms with the decisions they were about to make. Once they were all up, stuffed and packed down full of everything they thought they might need, Jack told them he thought they should go all the way back. That they were raised to do what's right. They had a duty to do what's right. They all agreed with Jack even if they were terrified about what was to come.
Since the decision was made Rachel started telling the shifters what they would need to do to be a part of the ritual. Austin walked over to a chest on the far wall and started moving his hands in a hypnotic way. After a few minutes he said a sharp guttural word and the chest slowly opened. Austin reached into the chest as if it didn't have a bottom and pulled out a couple things the kids couldn't see. When he turned around Austin was holding a Pure black Medallion with a Lion on the front and little lights like stars shining over it, an old waterskin, a stone knife and two extendable brooms.
Before he could be bombarded by question Austin walked over to Hal and gave him the waterskin. "This will never run dry and if you concentrate will be whatever liquid you may need." moving on he kept a broom and gave the other to his sister, looking at the others he grinned and explained "Encase we need to fly." getting a little more somber He hande the Medallion and the knife to Jack. "This knife can kill anything but can only be used 10 times. Other than the Medallion it is the oldest magical relic we have, use it if you have to." Getting serious Jack nodded and Sam and Alex at the same time blurted out "What about the Medallion!? Why don't we get anything?"
Laughing, the Magic Twins said they didn't have anything else and that they needed a strong magic anchor. Even though they had magic, Jack was by far the strongest in their group. The spell would use his energy to get them to the past. With an apologetic air Rachel told Jack "We know you will be okay when we get there but we don't know what the Medallion will change about you. Everyone who has worn it obtains random powers. One of us would wear it but we aren't strong enough for this group size." Concerned about the possibility of random powers Jack is still resolute and ready to make things right.
Shuffling into a circle the kids join hands and the Magic Twins start to sway back and forth, taking their cue the shifters move with them. As the power in the room grows Jack starts to feel like he has been running for days, his throat is dry, his body is heavy and he starts to see stars. Just on the verge of collapse He is filled with a wild power like nothing he has ever felt before. He feels like he can do anything! With a Roar of challenge coming out of his throat the group is hit with a blast of magic starting with Jack so strong it knocks them out and pushes back them through the folds of time.