Heart of the First Shadow Queen

The scent of blood mixed in with that of ash angry clouds suck in the last rays of sunlight. The screams and cries of the fallen mixing with that of clashing blades, tearing flesh and breaking bones.

It seems no matter how hard one tries somethings simply cannot be changed. Ryan plunges his sword into the earth causing it to open and swallow up any who aren't fast enough to move out of the way.

Enrique's ice coats half the earth, trees, and buildings creating an eerie winter land. Few manage to get close enough to strike him and those that do don't live long their blood freezing in their veins.

Da-Xia forsakes her blades for her Shadow Wolf form tearing throat and limps apart. Her hounds follow at her heels taking out anyone that dares near her.

It seems, having Ruby Assassinate Nathalia was pointless, who would have guessed the Witches allied themselves with the Kingdom of Light. I let out a sigh and plunge a Shadow Frost arrow into a Witch's throat.

"It seems there was no point in reversing time," I send Ryan, "the outcome was the same."

He sends out a wave of darkness countering Olivia's attack, "I should have killed you all," Ryan says what I'm thinking.

To keep the balance and because even the Kingdom of Light had children and pregnant females, he spared them. Contrary to what mortals believe, the Seelie aren't all good just like the Unseelie aren't all evil; if they were the Dark King wouldn't be so merciful.

"Where the fuck are your proteges!" Alexander's sword connects with one of the Seelie's neck.

"Not long now," I say, Pearl should have gotten to them by now.

"They're almost here," Ryan sends, "I can feel them spiraling through the gateways out of control."

"Fuck, I'll go find them," I send wrapping myself in Shadows.

"Don't die without me," Ryan sends.

"Don't worry this time I'll take you with me."

###

Night barely dodges the falling shards of glass from the building resembling a kite. We try to fly higher, but the currents are too strong.

"The Gateway's just up ahead," he sends flying lower than preferred.

"I see it," I send praying my wings can get me to him in time one of his wings is barely holding on I send shadows to him wrapping them around his tattered wing.

Just when I feel like I'll make it the wind sends me tumbling back, I almost my grip on Pearl's body. There's no way I'm leaving her here especially when I know Master can bring her back, she has too.

"Must I do everything," a too-familiar voice is carried on the wind. Shadow chains wrap around Night and Katalina pulling them towards the Gateway in an inhumane speed. The chains come at me and I let them pull us into the Gateway.

The moment we're through the Gateway we are greeted by a bloody battlefield. There are corpses covered in frost missing heads and limbs. Anyone not turned into eerie ice sculptures is either ash, decapacitated, or simply dead. The corps of a dragon lays amongst the fallen claw outstretched towards a fallen mortal probably his mate or relative.

Princess Crimson takes Katalina from Night and sets her on the ashen earth, "look, tell me will you let my world become like yours?"

Katalina those a double take of her surroundings before answering, "what do you want from me?"

"Just your blood," the Dark King emerges from a cloud of darkness, "they're headed back this way."

"Perfect," Princess Crimson says, "it's time to end this."

"Wait before we die, bring Pearl back," I manage to lift myself up Pearl's body in my arms.

The Princess smiles, "who said anything about you dying and Peal will wake up when the time is right."

"Mother…

"Hand it over," she cuts him of extending one hand towards Night, he places the box containing the crystal from the Nether, "I'd say it's time we went home."

"I'd say I agree," the Dark King summons his Crown and places it over Nights head, "I crown you Night Dark King," the obsidian crown gives out a violet light as if showing its acceptance to its new regent.

"What have you done?" Raksha's scream has me spinning so fast I drop Pearl.

"Funny you care more about the child you took in then your flesh and blood," Princess Crimson says, "luckily I got to raise her."

Raksha spits on the earth, upper lip curled in disgust, "she is not my flesh and blood…

"Let me stop you there being as we are pressed for time, Ruby is very much your child. The moment you touched the spider lily you created a bond while you may refuse to acknowledge her she could only take a small portion of your life force because you let her," the old Dark King says, "you're just angry she's getting the ending you always wanted."

"Agreed," the Shadow Princess place a crown of spider lilies and silver daggers on my brow, "with we end the Reign of the Shadow Queen as my grandmother instructed I shall be the last Shadow Queen and you, my dear Ruby will be the First Queen of Assassins blessed by the shadows and Underworld," with those words the spider lily and dagger crown starts to shift until the lilies and daggers are one.

I can feel a pulse of energy stronger than the one I felt the night I came to be yet familiar none the less. The surge of energy made me close my eyes but the moment I open them I realize Princess Crimson was there the night I was reborn and with that realization a memory of a conversation I shouldn't have overheard resurfaces, "you're wearing yourself out just let your people know you are there one and only Queen; the soul splitting technique is wearing you out," the Dark King had said, "I'll be, find just keep making the concoctions let the world think the Shadow Princess is an alcoholic who cares not about her people. Its better that way," the Shadow Queen had said.

The moment my eyes met with theirs they smile, "I'd say she remembers," the old Dark King says.

The last Shadow Queen takes a step back then another until her chest is pressed against the Kings, "I'd wager you're right," she smiles with a flick of her hand she's slashes Katalina's arm blood dripping off her shadow sword, "as for you you'll live your remaining days as a mortal think this our mercy."

Katalina clutches her arm, "how dare you…

The King cuts her off, "we know what you did," he looks down at his Queen, "ready?"

"With you always," she kisses him as their sword merge I realize they are crafted from the items we collected the crystal from the Nether float from the Queen's hand hovering over their heads it starts to glow.

"The heart," I say, "it's missing."

They smile at us, "is it?" right before piercing their sword through the Queen's heart with enough force to hear the craking of her ribs. I don't need to look to know the sword has gone through her heart and into the King's the crack was loud enough to be heard a mile away.

Light and darkness spill from them, as they're lifted upward, the stone connecting with the radiating light, hues of indigo, violet, red, pink green radiate from them.

Gateways start to appear their Keepers falling to their knees the Gates shimmer curving this way and that as the worlds begging to merge. Pearl's body is lifted upward glowing light emanating from her.

"For your sacrifice, a new beginning," the Queen and King's voices echo all around us the earth begins to shift the Gateway to the Nether Realm collapses as the two worlds merge. Light and darkness wrap around Night and I as we too are lifted upward.

I feel myself lose consciousness the moment Night's hand comes in to contact with my own.