ALL THE KING'S HORSES PART II
CROSSOVER
By: Joshua D. Schwartz "Flicker"
and Amanda A. Hilliard "Shadowstar"
<>

CHAPTER 1: Putting It All Together
~"There used to be a grain in time when I was alone on a sea.
You became the light on the dark side of me."~ Seal, "Kiss From a Rose"

~"Hand me your eyes. I will put them in front of mine.
You'll see a little better."~ Linda Perry, “Drifting”

Never had Flicker been so torn between anticipation and fear, as if they were two living things involved in a tug of war over his emotions. As Flicker looked down to the bottom of the torch lit marble stairs, he realized that big changes were about to take place and that his life was due for an overhaul. He knew that he was only a shard, a fraction of the person now kneeling near his feet, looking up with the same fear brewing in his eyes. This knowledge set him apart from his counterpart, who had a history of being misinformed. For 2000 years, the truth had festered in the back of Flicker's mind... and now it sat in front of him bleeding from one poisoned arm and breathing heavily, like a diver coming up for air. The truth was that the one who sat beside his newfound love was the true Flicker; he was but a fracture...

Flicker walked down the steps slowly, contemplating the situation as his eyes locked onto his counterparts'. It may have just been a stroke of luck that both pairs of eyes were a mellowish cyan color. Unpleasant thought crowded in Flicker's mind like students craving for a teacher's attention. If he merged with this other, joined his own memory and person to the faery on the ground, would there be any guarantee that his other would love Shadowstar as well? The whole cannot survive without all its pieces. Flicker's green cape rustled about him as he moved off of the last stair, and he smelled the stench of death about them, as if they had been in a slaughterhouse.

'What happened on the other side?' Flicker thought to himself. He observed the shattered mirror with a frown.

"At least you didn't use your other talon," he muttered, turning to tenderly lift up Shadowstar's scarred hand.

He hissed at the gash that showed on her abdomen from the spraying of glass that had torn through her skin easily from lack of cover.

"You gonna let that scar, too?" Flicker shook his head in disapproval, pulling a piece of glass from the wound as Shadowstar turned her head away and gritted her teeth.

"Oww!" she groaned at the sudden pain, then put her hand on Flick's shoulder. "We have more important things to worry about, Flick."

Flick pulled Shadowstar up to her feet and then stopped to stare down to his image on the floor. The other Flicker sat on the ground, nursing his own wounds. He looked up at his counterpart with a dumbfounded expression.

"I thought counterparts aren't allowed to meet," he grunted, struggling to his feet.

"I'm hardly a counterpart... we are one and the same, I am just another part of you."

"Geez, I never talk like that." Flicker attempted a halfhearted smile that folded in front of his other's grave expression.

"I think I took all the brains," Shadowstar's Flicker rolled his eyes in irritation. Their personalities were clearly different, and Shadowstar noticed right away how it took over the appearance also... one looked more mysterious and taller in structure... and the other seemed brighter in a way.

"Yeah, but mom loved ME the best," Flicker offered another lame smile.

“Let’s not go there,” Flick remarked.

The attention of both Flickers turned to the shattered mirror, the thing that had granted them both life. Looking at the broken shards that cast their expressions back at them, they realized glumly that it offered them neither advice, nor a way back.

"Can you please explain what happened? I was waiting for nightfall to come down here to check on Shadowstar, only to find the mirror rippling. I assumed she had found a way to cross realities again...," Flick said running his fingers over the few remaining pieces of mirror, careful not to cut himself.

"Well... I pulled her through... somehow... and then Avalon was attacked. Nobody... nobody's left. If it hadn't been for Shadowstar, I would have been dead too..." Flicker stammered, his head still swimming from the magnitude of the events unfolding. Hearing come from his mouth like that seemed to trivialize it, as if it were a page in a history book.

"Yea, she has a way of keep things together," Flick looked at Shadowstar who sat in a corner with her wings wrapped around her body.

"But, they're still there... Oberon is responsible for it all... he summoned the Horsemen. But... it's NOT Oberon..." he looked at Shadowstar for acknowledgment, "You said he was a Watcher."

Shadowstar's Flicker sighed. "I knew I'd hear their names again... the Watchers would do anything to have you, Shadowstar."

"What do you mean?" Flicker thought about this aloud. The first thought that came to his mind was a wild accusation that all of the death in his world had been Shadowstar's fault. Reason quickly banished that idea.

Shadowstar's Flicker took a deep breath. "The Watchers have wanted her to be a member of their collective since she was taken to Kindred soil... this could be one event in a chain of many. They had to have played off of Oberon's hate... They are ruthless, Flicker... very ruthless."

“Yea, I’ve seen one before,” Flicker answered recalling the last crossing over.

Shadowstar bowed her head, taking in the fact that this all could possibly be her fault. 'I can never escape the past... even if I am not who I once was,' she thought to herself, quaking with hatred for what the Kindred did to her.

"We have to get back and stop this... I can't leave my reality in such... such death," Flicker argued.

"I never said we wouldn't," Shadowstar's Flicker answered with a grim expression on his pale face.

"What makes you in charge? I'm the real deal, remember?" Flicker attempted a grin that managed to surface like a drowning swimmer coming up for air.

"Rub it in, why don't you? Do you really think losing my own identity is really sitting well with me?" Flick looked down at the sorrowful Shadowstar he had only known for a relatively short time but had formed an unbreakable bond with.

"No, but-" Flicker started.

"Flicker," Shadowstar spoke the word and creepily both Flickers turned their heads to fix silvery eyes on her.

"Yes?" The sight of two red manes of hair whipping around to face her almost made Shadowstar dizzy or sick inside.

"It's now or never," she said with tears welling up in her eyes, "you two have to become one."

"What if I don't want to merge?" Flicker answered.

"We have no choice... The whole cannot reach its full potential without all it's pieces..." Shadowstar's Flicker answered.

"But how do we know that?" Flicker continued in a purposeful attempt at making things more difficult.

"We're all afraid and uninformed Flicker... just wait and see what the merging reveals. You two are meant to be one..." Shadowstar choked a little on the ending, a tear trekking down her dirty face.

The thought of losing the Flicker she loved was so much more than she could handle at that point. It seemed to Shadowstar that there would never be a moment of peace for her... just more of the pain that was her constant companion in life. Pain and more pain....

Flicker didn't have to be a telepath to see how much Shadowstar cared for his other. Her tears told him the world of her heart. He lowered his head and knew what he would have to do.

"Ah, Shadowstar, don't cry," Shadowstar's Flicker said, walking over to kneel down in front of her.

She lifted her head as he pulled her gently into his arms. He held her tightly, knowing that this would be the last time he would hold Shadowstar in his arms as the person he was. As she cried on his shoulder, he rested his face against her raven hair and knew that his heart was breaking. A tear rolled down his cheek sympathetically, as the other Flicker turned his face away, feeling loss too.

"It'll be okay," he whispered, taking in her pained aura.

"Just don't leave me... Flicker..." she clung to his blue tunic.

"I never will. We need each other to survive."

Shadowstar looked into the grey-silver of her Flicker's eyes. He wiped away the tears that lined her pale face with one tender hand. She closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath, trying to take in everything that was happening.

"Be strong for me," he whispered as she opened her cobalt eyes.

She smiled and nodded, pushing her hair back from her eyes and drawing her face close to his. He kissed Shadowstar for the final time as tears continued to stream down her cheeks. Flicker watched the two feeling his own heart swell with jealousy. And yet, he never imagined himself loving somebody as much as he was beginning to love her that day. The first time Flicker had ever met this Shadowstar she had seemed like a stone-cold warrior who could never love anybody as much as herself. But the past day proved him wrong... very wrong.

"It's time," he broke in, almost wanting to break up the kiss before his heart burst.

Shadowstar looked across the dimly lit basement at him and nodded. She slowly stood up with Flick following right behind her, his hand squeezing hers tightly. She walked across to Flicker wiping away what was left of her tears, taking in a deep breath to calm herself.

"Ready?" She asked.

"I don't think I'm going to get much readier than this," Flicker replied smirking at this thought... something he never conceived as possible.

"I'm going to have to use my energy to create the mind link... I won't be there in your mind so you have to do this yourself..." Shadowstar placed her talons on her head to focus.

"I thought-"

"Flicker, we both know that my power isn't what it used to be... I have been weakened from my last battle with death... You fight one of Hestia’s viruses, a hell beast, and a Kindred... See how much power you have left," She then placed a talon on each of their faces.

"I love you," Shadowstar's Flicker had a frightened, childlike expression on his face as the telepathic energy started to stream from Shadowstar in a golden haze of light.

"Always and forever," she answered as all three were stuck by a telepathic surge.

The shard's essence poured through Shadowstar's link and into Flicker.

Flicker could see the beginning. A silvery, reflecting mist of churning images surrounded him in his mind, and he saw that two mirrors lay in parallel like doors in the waters of reality. Ladybug could be seen through them, and behind her the sunlight of a bright day on two Avalons, one doomed to hatred, the other to Olympus’ door... In Flicker's reality, her power touched the mirror with a spark, calling in some of the reflective stuff in between the realities into a human form... a being of light... Flicker was created in the mirror to his reality. Suddenly, the power from another reality and another Ladybug took effect. It touched nothing but the heated darkness that had been left from the void that had been made from the silvery stuff being gathered. Then somehow a coil of her power grabbed a strand of light from the forming Flicker and got caught in it like a fly in a web. There was a flash as her energy tore a piece of Flicker away towards her mirror. A piece of him went to another reality harshly, coldly... an mistake. An accident.

"I need... I need it back..." Flicker yelled, pulling against the power of the mirror, now taking what was... making it what will be.

Flicker suddenly reached backwards and tried to put his new formed fist through the back of the other mirror. "I won't let it happen..." The mirror didn't break. He pulled himself through the mass of tangled energy as he made his way closer to the shard that was leaving through the other mirror. He missed it by inches as he crashed against the solid mirror.

"This... This isn't how it happened!" Flicker yelled into the void, feeling himself tearing apart.

"You were never whole... you were destined to be divided, never realizing your full potential..." A familiar voice rang through the darkness.

"Shade?" Flicker craned his neck to see in the silvery light, feeling himself start to fade.

"I was never your counterpart... I was the truth... It is true I am your opposite, born to hate, but when that shard left you the hate poured out... and I formed. And I know the truth and will not let you be whole ever again. I am you." Shade could barely be seen against the silvery light, but his outline was there.

"Why do you care?" Flicker said, trying desperately to pull himself together.

"Because I hate."

"No, I cannot let you stop me." Flicker growled, his hands flying about to keep his essences together.

Shade grew closer and Flicker began to feel choked with blind hatred. "Does my being close to you make you uncomfortable? It should... in here I am as much you as you are." Shade grinned toothily. Flicker tried to fight with all that remained of him, but it was impossible. There was a sense of incompleteness... of dissolving...

"Flicker!" He screamed, calling for his shard that had broken completely free of him. "Why do you leave me?"

"Because you never called for me," The shard answered, "And I cannot be you until you let me be."

"And him?" Flicker asked, looking at the black form behind him in the void.

"He is as much a part of you as I am," the shard spoke with lips that had not yet formed. The voice seemed to come from the strand of light swirling about the mirror.

"But his body?"

"It is a soulless hatred in physical form. Be wary of it."

"Wait... what about Shadowstar?"

"This is not about her," the shard continued, and as it spoke Flicker felt Ladybug's energy calling to him to be born. "This is about us... about the whole. If we cannot unite then she will lose both of us... your already fading out of existence."

"So be it."

Flicker closed his eyes as a blinding light absorbed both of their beings. The light that had created them was now bringing them to a whole. The shard dissolved into Flicker's being and was swallowed up greedily. Flicker opened his eyes wide as the light gave him everything he had lost an unknown 2000 years. His eyes were perfect mirrors, casting back all the light around them.

He was the being he should be. Complete. As the light flickered away with the completion of the merge, Flicker heard the sound of a mirror exploding behind him in the distance with a crash in his mind scape. He heard Shade cursing and clawing towards him, breathing hot steam from his dark mouth. A blackened hand groped for Flicker's leg. Any power, any will that Flicker had shattered and ricocheted through Shade... Light... Darkness...

Suddenly Flicker awoke, his eyes flying wide open in amazement. The other Flicker, the one that was his shard in reality, fell down backwards, drained of its soul. It landed with a soft thud on the marble floor, its eyes shuddering and then laying still. Shadowstar took a backlash of energy and stumbled backwards. Flicker caught her and gently set her on the ground.

"Ladybug... she used way too much energy... Geez, this is so weird. I remember everything, his life and mine.. our lives. We are together..." his voice trembled with the strangeness of it all. "I feel everything he... he... I feel it. The love. It's... amazing..." Flicker spoke in a semi-trance, understanding fully who his other half was... what he saw, and what he loved.

She opened her eyes slowly after regaining her own mind and pushing away the echoes of a mind link. She sat up from the ground, feeling a massive headache setting in and looking with sadness at the lifeless body.

"For some odd reason, I expected it to just disappear, and make things simple," She muttered, looking away.

"It never has been simple, and at this rate, it's never going to be," Flicker answered her, putting his arms around her for the first time.

CHAPTER 2: From Avalon With Love
~"Self is the only prison that can ever bind the soul."~ Henry Van Dyke

It would have been comic, had the situation been less grave, to see the faces on the various faeries that Shadowstar and Flicker walked by as they marched straight for the throne room. Shadowstar bore Flicker's soulless body in her arms with the mournful expression of a grieving widow. This sight was enough to cause a stir of concern among passers by, who new Flicker very well and were suddenly stricken with dread.

The dread turned to downright confusion as they saw Flicker, alive and well, walking just behind her. Many of them did double-takes, rubbing their eyes to get a closer look at the body Shadowstar bore. But it was indeed Flicker's, and very quickly a line of gibbering, curious faeries had formed behind them.

Flicker almost gasped when he saw Cress chatting with Deloon off to his right down a hall. As they both turned their heads and took in the scene, they rushed towards them with looks of concern. Flicker shook his head, chasing out the horrible memory of their gruesome murders and remembering that they existed in this reality as well, and were in fact courting each other. They gazed worriedly and in confusion at the two approaching figures, but Shadowstar shook her head, looking tired and teary-eyed. "I'll explain this all... follow us."

And they did follow until a small procession had formed, not unlike a funeral march, right up to the throne where Oberon and Titania were discussing affairs with a troupe of guards. Titania looked up as the procession approached in silence, her eyes widening as they saw a still form in Shadowstar's hands. Oberon looked up in slight irritation, but that too faded when he saw Flicker's form.

"Flicker..." Titania stood up in disbelief.

"Is not as you know," the voice both interrupted her and startled the people staring at Flicker's corpse, because indeed it belonged to the deceased... yet it was different, less dark and serious.

"We would like to know what has transpired to cause such a... a thing,' Oberon dismissed the troupe with a wave of his great blue hand, and they parted like a steely sea.

Shadowstar knelt down to lay Flicker down. He was much lighter than he looked, but a burden to carry for so long nonetheless. "It will take some explaining," she started. Then she noticed Rhayna, her faery mother, in the crowd and her expression saddened. Her personal affairs would have to wait, this was not the time to face and deal with the mother she had only recently discovered... and had a major role in the pain of the past.

"We are waiting," Oberon strummed his throne with his fingers a little bit impatiently.

"You shall wait no longer," Flicker took a deep breath as he started to explain.

Every once in a while there were mixed gasps from the crowd and a great deal of mumbling. Shadowstar helped to explain how the whole thing had come about... how she had been pulled through the mirror and caught up in the madness. Flicker spoke more of the Horsemen and how they had slain the fae, up until the point that Shadowstar and he had barely escaped the iron scythe of Death. Oberon looked less pleased at the mention of the Watchers.

"Something must be done," Flicker looked exhausted after explaining, as if telling the story like that trivialized it all. "If we don't act, the whole of the human world will be destroyed."

"And why is this our concern?" came a voice in the crowd. Flicker didn't even bother turning to address it, but an unhappy expression crossed his face.

Shadowstar crossed her arms. "Because in my experience, human problems become faery problems." Flicker looked at her, impressed with her demeanor. She looked to him like someone greatly in charge of things, and a few fae nodded at her in approval.

"And a Watcher will not stop there. I know them... you know them. You all witnessed the Kindred try to force me back to their realm. You know what these people are like! This one may even be insane... I sense a madness in his eyes. Can any of you imagine this? Do you all remember Hellfury? Allison, Rhayna, I know you do. It's worse! Do not turn your back!" Shadowstar said forcefully losing her train of thought, "Perhaps controlling one such as Oberon WAS too much for him," Shadowstar finished taking in a deep breath, “After all, THEIR Andrian and Flicker helped save OUR Avalon from being destroyed... don’t you DARE ever forget what they did for Angela, for Avalon.”

Flicker arched his eyebrow in surprise of Shadowstar's harsh attitude.

Oberon thoughtfully stroked his chin. "And how would we help? With our armies? Do we dare send forces to another reality?"

"We must," Shadowstar looked at him urgently, "we must repair the mirror in the castle basement and send our finest through. Together we can easily defeat this foe... And no worry about counterparts meeting... everybody is dead...”

"What about Death?" Deloon's voice was unexpected, and Flicker turned to see his friend looking a great deal more focused on the conversation that usual.

"We'll avoid it if need be. It is persistent but not a menace if we act quick enough. I think an army of twenty should suffice."

Titania seconded her suggestion instantly. "I agree." Oberon squeezed her hand and nodded, silently agreeing with his wife. Titania smiled back, surprised by his sudden warmth towards her.

"What about..." Hermes pointed at Flicker's body on the floor.

"That..." Flicker started, "is too long a story to go into now. Let it be enough for me to say, this is the physical part of the Flicker you knew, and he is now a part of me. I still remember you all, don't worry."

"Our Flicker is this... other one... as much as the other is ours... if that makes any sense," Shadow sighed biting her lip as her eyes remained locked on the lifeless.

"I would say," Deloon grinned, "that one Flicker is quite enough in ANY reality."

This was met with laughter all around, and Flicker felt a wave of relief as he made the first honest belly-laugh he had in days. "Then it's settled. Hermes, you know the people, pick some warriors. I'll come too... but first I have another matter to attend to." Flicker looked at Shadowstar, who was still looking with remorse at the body on the floor.

Hermes nodded and took control of the situation in the throne hall, directing people into groups and sending unimportant from the throne room. Flicker walked over to his counterpart's body on the ground and scooped it up unsteadily. "Help me out..." he called to Shadowstar.

She shook her head to collect her drifting thoughts. Flicker glanced down uneasily seeing her lack of composure for the first time. He never imagined that she would become so affected. It wasn't like her, but then again, she had never experienced anything quite like this. She shook her head as Flicker attempted to lift the body. With the slightest though, her telekinetic abilities had lifted the body perfectly... looking more like a resurrection than a funeral march. "Where are we taking... this?" Shadowstar questioned losing her words to thoughts.

"Follow me," Flicker said as he started to lead them awkwardly down the hall carrying the body.

* * *

"Here?" Shadow huffed and put Flicker down on the pedestal. All about them there was a quiet, crystalline humming noise in the massive cavern. They stood on an island in the air of the cavern, connected to the main by a walkway of stone.

"The resting place of King Arthur. Strange... I thought the magus was supposed to be here."

"I believe he was placed in the slab at a later date to preserve him... for some reason Avalon's magic did not hold him as well as it had held Arthur," Shadowstar leaned against the pedestal tiredly.

"Strange indeed," Flicker muttered then stopped awkwardly to ask an awkward question, "You don't think I'm the Flicker you knew, do you?"

The question took Shadowstar by surprise, and she put her head in her hands in a gesture of defeat. "This... this isn't so easy for me to accept. I've..." she felt an unexpected wetness in her hands and realized that she was already crying... "I've never cried this much... This just... By the supreme..." She sobbed softly unable to mumble a word more and dropped to her knees in the ultimate weakness of the soul.

Flicker knelt down next to her, his gold-tinted eyes looking at her in concern. She was unable to meet his gaze, and continued to sob. In her heart, the pressure of all that has occurred to her made her feel the need to die... she wanted to find a peace, but it wasn't going to come to her.

"Don't be so down like this..." he sighed not completely knowing how to handle this. Never before had he been in this situation. Usually he was the one hurting.

Then his faery ears perked up and he smiled, "you could just think of me as the new and improved Flicker." He had hoped to make her laugh, but she clearly wasn't like the other faes. Life made her very serious... and in times like these, she never laughed.

'Stupid shard doesn't influence me as much as I thought,' Flicker thought to himself. Shadowstar looked up at him with glassy eyes that wanted to laugh, but she couldn't find it withing herself. She just closed her eyes as the tears streamed down her face. Flicker suddenly felt a dizzying urge to kiss her, to heal it all, and he stammered a little, his eyes flying all over the place in his nervousness.

Shadowstar opened her eyes sensing several prominent thoughts on Flicker's mind. She looked at him and laughed lightly, the smile forming on her face. She reached out and brushed a strand of his red hair away from his face and replied almost slyly, "You've never kissed a girl before, have you."

Flicker immediately turned red. "Well that is... I umm... not in THIS body."

"S'okay, I'll forgive you this once," Shadowstar whispered. Shadowstar leaned over and Flicker suddenly found himself in a deep kiss, his heart doing somersaults of joy at the touch of their lips. He kissed back, slowly putting a hand behind her head in the tangled web of her black hair. They were like that for a few minutes, breathing in each other's auras for the first true time. When their lips finally separated, he gazed into her eyes in a mixture of wonder and happiness. For the first time, he could also see the fae in her... he saw that she was softer, more gentle than other gargoyles... and he loved this.

"Umm... that was pretty good," he grinned unsure of what to say. "I might like to try that again..."

"No problems here," she grinned wiping the tears away from her face, "Just don't make a habit of it, or I might have to start loving you."

"And where's the problem in that?" Flicker smiled, his heart feeling lighter than it had for years. He was 2000 years old, with the memories of over 4000 years of two existences floating about in his head. And somehow she made him feel sixteen again... then again, he always felt sixteen. Shadowstar, herself was over 2000 years old, and she had gaping holes in a memory that was stolen. Only now have any of them started to come to light... and at the moment, none of that matter... to either of them.

Shadowstar laughed and pulled him closer by his tunic. "There's none at all..."

They kissed for longer this time.

CHAPTER 3: Crossing Over
~”And all the roads we have to walk are winding,
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding.
There are many things I would like to say to you,
But I don’t know how.”~ Oasis, “Wonderwall”

Time seemed to pass slowly, but they didn't care. In the surrounding of their love, the past events didn't matter. They didn't even care. Shadowstar opened her eyes and listened to Flicker's heart under her gargoyle ear. Flicker held Shadowstar contently in him arms and ran his fingers through her mane of raven hair. She rolled her body to look up at him. She didn't have to say anything to remind him of the mission ahead.

"You had to remind me," Flicker whined.

"Unfortunately," Shadowstar answered before kissing him.

Shadowstar pulled herself up from the ground and looked away from the lifeless body. She stretched out her talon to help Flicker up. He saw it in her eyes that she was still hurting from the past.

"Let's go. We don't need to be here any longer," Flicker wanted to get her out of this place.

"Let's."

Shadowstar took Flicker by the hand and enveloped them in a telekinetic bubble. Flicker was amazed by the rate of speed she used to get them out of there. 'She really must be hurtin,' Flicker thought as they neared the castle.

"Just don't kill me, okay?" Flicker joked.

"Don't worry."

* * *

Oberon waited impatiently on the throne as Shadowstar passed about the throne room.

"Hurry it up, Shadowstar. You may be good at war games, but my patience is lacking with you these days," Oberon replied.

"Don't test me, Oberon," Shadowstar answered continuing in her thought.

Flicker watched her almost amazed at the way she talked back to Oberon. Nobody was every allowed to treat him like that. Why could she? Deloon stood next to Flicker and noticed the questioning.

"You don't know, then?" Deloon questioned.

"Know what?" Flicker looked at Deloon.

"She's Oberon's grandkid."

"So."

"She's Rhayna's kid. That makes her more powerful that any of us... and she and Oberon cancel out each other's power. They've gotta fist fight to knock each other down. It's really fun to watch."

Flicker looked back at Shadowstar, "I bet."

"Okay, this is how we're going to do it," Shadowstar started, "The only way for us to get back there is to put the mirror back magically. Oberon and myself can pull it together but it will only give us a couple of hours and then if we miss is we're stuck there... for a long while."

"It's too risky, Shadowstar," Oberon told her.

"You can't deny this Oberon. You owe it to me."

Oberon rolled his eyes at the words of a child.

"You don't think so?" She started raising her voice.

"Uh oh," Deloon whispered to Flicker, "Now it's started."

Flicker smirked and watched the argument.

"You abandoned me Oberon! You and the rest of Avalon left me to the vultures. Don't be so quick to forget it!"

"Oh stop passing your problems onto us. Take some responsibility for your own problems."

“Oh, I have... I’ve been paying for the arrogance of Avalon for years,” She growled.

Shadowstar growled at the arrogance of Oberon and wanted to hit him more than before. She would have but something stopped her fist from flying through the air.

"Enough!" Flicker hollered as he pulled the whip yanking Shadowstar's arm back, "We have no time for this."

Shadowstar looked away harshly, "Flicker, myself, Allison, Deloon, Cress, Rhayna, Oberon, and Hermes are going over... smaller numbers maneuver better.”

"If anything happens to my children, it's on your head," Oberon sneered.

"Not on my shift," Shadowstar said and turned for the door, “You know me better than that.”

Flicker caught up with her quick pace and put on hand on her shoulder as they walked out of the throne room together.

* * *

Flicker knelt down and looked at the pieces of broken mirror. His eyes looked up at Shadowstar who was pacing around the hallway as their small army arrived.

“You’re going to put all these back together... you sure you can do this?” Flicker examined her almost blank stare., “Is your power-”

“Up to it? No, it’s not,” Shadowstar answered unsatisfied with herself.

Oberon put his hand on Shadowstar’s shoulder, “My power and yours will be enough to get at least 5 hours...”

“Let it begin,” Shadowstar replied and started to filter emerald energy through the tiny fragments of mirror.

The magic of Oberon and Shadowstar combined reflected off of Flicker’s pale eyes. He watched the shards come together slowly into the mirror of before. Shadowstar’s forehead started to bead with sweat as the concentration took over her mind. Oberon seemed unaffected by the task. He seemingly just supplied the power.

“Okay, start to cross over,” Oberon replied to the others.

As the mirror became faceted back into its frame, Flicker led Allison, Rhayna, Cress, Hermes, and Deloon through the mirror. Oberon slowly pulled himself through the mirror. Shadowstar waited for him to depart and walked into her burning energy. She stopped on the other side and kept the energy flow through the mirror.

“It should be good,” Shadowstar replied pulling her power away.

“What if it’s not?” Flicker asked looking at the fracture.

“Then we call this place home.”

Allison looked at Shadowstar gruffly after those words, “We better not.”

“Trust me, for once,” Shadowstar replied barely looking at her half-sister.

“Heh, yea, what have you done for this family?” Allison whispered under her breath.

Shadowstar glanced coldly at her blonde haired sibling. She heard the words clearly in her mind. Maybe they were true, but Shadowstar could never accept them. Her views were too high of herself. Allison’s blue eyes shot up to Shadowstar as a voice rang through Sun’s mind, ‘And what have any of you ever done for me?’ Shadowstar looked forward down the dark hallway as Allison lowered her head.

Suddenly, a presence could be felt down the hallway. Shadowstar grabbed Flicker’s wrist on instinct and turned around to run. Rhayna’s empathic senses told her as much.

“Go, now! Death is nearing!” Shadowstar said in a telepathic message.

She and Flicker led the ground in a quick levitating scurry down the hallway of darkness.. She could sense the presence moving steadily, but it became more distant as the faeries fled.

“We need to regroup,” Shadowstar replied.

“But where?” Cress questioned from behind.

“We’re not safe on Avalon. We have to leave it,” Flicker replied.

Shadowstar stopped dead in her tracks as Flicker turned around to look at her startled.

“No! I can’t leave Avalon,” Shadowstar replied with almost a fear forming in her eyes.

“Why?” Flicker questioned almost annoyed with her hesitation.

“Cause... I’ll die,” Shadow mumbled ashamed of her hideous past.

“What?! That’s ridiculous.”

“Check you other set of memories. Kindred curse... gone for more than a few hours, ultimately die... Look, don’t argue. We’re losing time,” Shadowstar sighed.

“I have an idea,” Oberon chimed in teleporting the group in a white light.

In an instant, they found themselves staring at the resting body of the Magus. “This will buy us time,” Oberon replied turning around to look at his subjects.

“Do you have a plan?” Cress looked immediately at Shadowstar, who was apparently appointed ringleader.

Shadowstar looked at Flicker as he looked back at her with greenish eyes, “Um...” She started knowing neither of them of them had any clue at the moment as to what to do.

Rhayna looked at her daughter... who she hardly knew at all... Her eyes grew wide and saw nothing but recklessness from a child, “Shadowstar, how do you expect to defeat Death? This isn’t a child’s game... this is a battle.”

Shadowstar almost became annoyed by their lack of faith in her, even after all she has proven of herself, “Will you all please stop treating me as a child... You all have ever since you found out who I was... Listen, This is neither death, nor a horseman... This is a sick game created by a Watcher... A Watcher who ultimately hunts the taking of this reality and of me... I’m taking him down... I stopped Corbeau, Lahcaer, Iara...”

“Shadow, I won’t let you do this alone... you’ve said yourself that you don't have that power,” Flicker interjected.

“I have the potential... I’ve always had it... as long as they hunt and hurt. I. HAVE to do this.”

Nobody argued... nobody COULD argue. She was Shadowstar, undoubtedly the most powerful of the clan. If anybody was going to beat this, it was her. It was a title that lately, she has felt that she has had to live up to... She came into their world with a bang, and nobody will forget her... even if she was not who she once was in its fullest.

“Then I go with you,” He said moving directly in front of her not standing down.

“I can’t let you do that.”

“I don’t give a damn whether you like it or not. If I’m going to die, I’ll do it fighting for my people.”

“But we’re your people too,” Cress replied looking somewhat hurt by his words.

Flicker looked down, his eyes shifting briefly to the grey that his shard usually wore... It hurt him beyond belief to be torn between two worlds, two people. Shadowstar sensed his pain with her ever strong telepathy... She place a hand on his shoulder and caught his eyes... Her simple gaze told him that things will be all right... she will help him, forever and always.

“Flicker and I are confronting Death and the Watcher...” She stopped... They all watched her eyes closely. She grabbed her forhead as she looked in pain. Oberon had enough experience to know that she was being flodded with images.

“He’s contacting her...” Oberon quickly assumed.

He was right... Shadowstar’s mind flooded with images... The Watcher was sending them to her... he wanted her to see its death trap... He wanted her to find him... He wanted their death in his hands.

“Oh god... the horsemen still live... Oberon and Hermes, find Famine... Rhayna, Allison, find War... Deloon, Cress, Pestilence... Remember: do not fear, do not become careless. They are working by the power of the Watchers and they will use ALL of your weaknesses...”

“Then how do we kill them?” Allison questioned ultimately trying to test Shadow.

“You can only divert them from killing this world... I must destroy that Watcher to destroy their power...”

“What if you die?” Flicker looked at her with his forehead wrinkled in trouble, half with her commanding approach forgetting this was HIS home and half with the thought of her dying as he has almost seen before.

She bit her lip and thought for a moment as the obvious struck her, “I won’t die... the Watchers won’t kill me, won’t destroy what I hold...”

“Because you are no longer Kindred,” Oberon finished.

“Flicker, their way of being is so complicated... twisted, corrupted...” She started seeing that he felt very hurt and left out of this.

“Yea, so I’ve noticed,” He said softly.

Oberon paid no mind to Flicker and snapped his fingers, handing each a small mirror attacked to a silver chain. He looked at Shadowstar, “Mirrors are the key... try to keep in contact.”

Shadowstar hooked it to her belt as she looked at Flicker, “Ready?”

He nodded and wrapped his arm around Shadowstar’s waist, careful not to touch the gash in her abdomine. They took from the cavern in a telekinetic sprint. The remaining faeries watched as they left to meet uncertain odds, uncertain doom.

Oberon looked at Rhayna, the eldest of all his children, and she nodded silently in the same fashion Flicker did. They clasped hands as their power surged around them lighting up the room. The other four watched in almost an awe at the grasp of power that they had... the power touched all ends of the Earth, searching for the Horsemen. When the power flowed out of sight and the light dimmed from their eyes, they stepped closer to their elders.

“Deloon, Cress... United States... Pestilence is taking to all farms... Hermes, we are going to Africa,” Oberon replied as they nodded to the sound of their orders.

“Allison,” Rhayna said putting her hand on her child’s arm, “Europe.”

And a blinding light took the only other signs of life from Avalon’s lands... Less than 5 hours to live...

CHAPTER 4: Hunters and Prey
“If I’m going to die,
I would rather die fighting!”
~Atreyu, “The NeverEnding Story”

Flicker looked up at the gargoyle as she set him down from her telekinetic hold. Her eyes stared out in front of her, searching... lost. As her white taloned feet touched down onto Avalon’s soil, she turned to look at him with emotional, blue eyes. He looked at her curiously, never being able to truly understand her. He stepped towards her as she lowered her face, realizing for the first time that she always was smaller than him... she just did not contain the pit of arrogance and strength that she had bore on her chest so brightly. He looked down at her as she folded her winds around her body. He saw it marked around her face, she wanted to speak but had no words.

“I’ve never seen you this quiet in my life,” He smirked lifting her chin up with his hand, “Even when I pulled you through that mirror, you still had that mark of arrogance on your face.”

“Yea well, when you brought me through the mirror, I thought this was a simple game... I just can’t help but think that this is all my fault. This Watcher, your pain... I’m sorry, Flicker,” She said softly.

“You’ve said yourself that neither of us Flicker’s could NOT survive alone. I don’t know about you, but life is so much happier than death.”

“Even after all this?” She questioned motioning her hand to the blood bath.

“What has happened to you? This isn’t the Shadow that stopped me from taking my own life.”

She turned silently to the castle.

“You doubt yourself,” Flicker replied.

“No, my powers.”

“Listen to me,” He said forcefully making her look towards him, “Don’t doubt yourself now... You know you have the ability, the strength...” He looked at her closely and realized this wasn’t it. He found it easier than ever to read her emotions, her eyes,” You’re afraid for me,” He said almost whispering.

“If I fail, your life- their lives- are on my blood...” She left the doubts strike her heart.

Flicker wrapped his arms around her and put his hand on the back of her head as she pressed her face against his heart and listened. As he ran his finger over the silver loop pierced into the cartlidge of her ear, the gentleness and love struck them all away... he became her strength, “I will not fail... afterall... to them, I am THE Shadowstar... they expect me to win... and I will not allow myself to fail them. That isn’t me.”

He smiled at her words but was alarmed at her sudden jumping back. She made no hesitation to grab his hand and run... No sooner than that, a scythe buried itself in the earth. She lifted them in a telekinetic bubble on instinct.

“You don't have a plan, do you?” Flicker questioned.

“Just about as much as you have one.”

“Didn’t think so.”

The magnitude of her telekinetic speed was nothing compared to Death’s slow but steady stance. She had them so far twisted through the forest that Death couldn’t locate them... at least she hoped that he couldn’t find them. They needed to buy time... and for the first time Shadowstar didn’t know how. She stopped their flight and tried to lock away their presence with her telepathic shields. Flicker looked around their area while concentrating on the events. There had to be a logical solution... There always was. It was a matter of finding it. Shadowstar watched the trees closely as Flicker started to mumble to himself, then looked directly at her, distracting her.

“We have to get Oberon,” Flicker said motioning towards the castle. She smiled flashing off her white fangish teeth and nodded very out of breath. She knew that he was finding the answers that she had overlooked.

“And where would Oberon be sitting?” She questioned coming to his logic.

Flicker looked up to a sky that he had always known. He watched the birds in the air and watched their movement. His eyes glanced down the path that they had come from. His eyebrows arched and he pushed Shadowstar down to the ground. She was startled by this but didn’t question as he snapped the color whip into a thicket of trees. It latched onto something strong and solid. His forehead wrinkled and he bit his lip as he used all his strength to pull it into a tree.

Shadowstar watched from the ground as Death’s mechanical-type body crashed against the strong bark of an Avalonian tree. She knew it would soon be running again... it wouldn’t stop this easily. Flicker looked at Shadowstar on the ground and made no hesitation to pull her up by the arm, injured or not, and led their flight to the castle.

She picked them up off of their feet and trees seem non existent as fear created the speed.

* * *

“Europe’s a big place, mother... How do we know where it is?” the blonde haired Allison questioned following her brilliant-eyed mother.

“If I have learned anything with my accounts of Apollo and Olympus... It will find us, Allison,” Rhayna replied with her years of wisdom, then looking at the fair-haired one.

Allison’s eyes started to become troubled by the mention of her father’s name... When Rhayna was banished to punishment from the Olympians, Apollo left Allison, his daughter. He feared revenge of the children... of the Faery/Olympian children. These children were stripped of their memories, had no recollection of their parents. Part of them was left very shallow and cold, not knowing. Allison and Asher were two of these children. Because Allison, Flicker, and Asher were not banished from Avalon they had time to allow the troubles to take over them. Asher left never to be seen again... and Allison instead fell in love with the gargoyle, Gabriel. Recently, Allison has been reunited with her mother... finds that she has a sister, half gargoyle nonetheless... and a missing child like brother. Clearly dysfunctional, and she was more bitter at Shadowstar than at her own mother.

Rhayna let the feeling of the land, the life, and the death take into her soul while she looked away from her daughter speechless. She then narrowed her eyes as the aqua energy poured through the slit. She silenced any words from Allison, “He’s coming.”

Allison looked around her surroundings quickly and teleported herself onto the branches of a tree. Rhayna quickly followed, gathering up the cloths of her cloaks. Allison’s black cape flowed across her back as she blended in with her neutral shades. They sat, staring down on the path... waiting...

Allison may have never harbored any skill at her fae abilities, but the feeling of the horseman, its undeniable presence, made her bones shudder. Sun had the abilities of her father and the fighting skill of her aunt, Brie... the exact opposite... and yet very similar to her sister, the one Shadowstar.

Allison watched and listened to his movement not needing to see him. The fiery sparks started to light her hands... she couldn’t help it. Her emotions ruled her abilities.

His harsh voice wove through the trees making Rhayna shudder with his words, “Come out, children... you seek war... Come out, Allison... look at your betrayer... who says she won’t leave you again...” His voice echoed circling the location.

“Look at yourself child... you are Shadowstar... she is you... you cannot hide from what your family did to you...”

Allison clung tightly to her cape not allowing his words to get to her emotions. She saw him directly under them and as his words further buried into her heart, she made no hesitations and leapt off the branch sending sharp streams of fire and sunlight through War. He half-expected her to come at him and was knocked of his horse with her momentum... but War was always prevalent.

“Allison!” Rhayna hissed teleporting out of the tree.

“Foolish child, you so think you are loved...” He replied cracking the girl across the jaw... gaining more life than Flicker and Shadowstar had seen in him before.

Rhayna immediately lashed back at him with the full magnitude of her regal power, but only to stun him. He was the work of a Watcher, after all... but she was buying them time.

* * *

“Man, Cress... Look at that. Rhayna and Allison are losing,” Deloon said looking into the mirror that hung around his neck seeing the two faes fleeing from War. He turned his face away from it, letting the mirror drop back down and tap off his chest. The sight sickened him, more than putting fear into him. “It makes you wonder what we could possibly do... We aren’t anything compared to Rhayna,” Cress told him as they stood on look out for Pestilence on the top of a rare prairie hill. She frowned as her eyes scanned across the horizon... nothing but the prarie wind caught her attention.

“Come on, you know Flick... well, he IS part our Flick...” Deloon shrugged not fulling understanding the situation, “Well, THEY wouldn’t have let us come if they didn’t think we could do this.”

“But you saw their reality... We’re dead there. WE got killed by these guys. Not even Shadowstar could do any damage... Deloon, you know that when Shadowstar fails, it’s a lost cause.” Cress, with those words, furthur proved Shadowstar’s feelings... even if Shadowstar never heard them.

“We can’t defeat ourselves now,” He said putting his arm around her as she looked out at the sunlight that reflected off of her faery eyes.

“Flicker and Shadowstar are a formidable team... and you’re right. THEY will help us...” She said hoping to convince herself that they weren’t going to die. They were immortal, death wasn’t supposed to be able to touch them.

His eye quickly caught a glimpse of something. Before words could come to his mouth, Deloon pointed outward as they watched a swarm of bugs lurch over the horizon attacking the plains with Pestilence following behind. They ate away at the thickets of flowers and the blades of grass... nothing was left untouched... it was a horror to watch the damage caused by a mandman.

“By Oberon... He IS ugly,” Cress said as Deloon quickly started forming a plan. She was hoping he would, he was the one better at making any type of plans. He whispered to Cress and she nodded hoping that it would work in some form.

He led Cress off of the small hill they stood on. He didn’t look paniced at all, but he looked more hopeful than anything... he tought they had a shot in hell.

They quickly fled to a nearby stream. Deloon nodded, and using their magical abilities, they grasped on the molecules of water, probably straining everything that they had. The molecules swarmed in the air around them... it was like a hurricane of a different substance, and a different need.

They chanted several spells and multiplied the magnitude of this sight. With one quick flick of their wrists and a burst of magic, the water poured over the fields as a great flood, covering over the bugs and flooded around Pestilence’s horse’s ankles. Pestilence watched the water that seeped around his horse’s ankles. He looked up at them with an unchanging expression. Cress was striken with fear at his glance.

The insects drowned as it fled over the fields. They had no fighting chance against the waters, like bugs drowning in a swimming pool. But that would be simple. He looked at the two faeries and laughed at them creating a swarm around their bodies. It took nothing but a few mumbled words and a motion of the fingers... He held the upper hand here.

Cress screamed as it took hold of her like a restraint. This sound made Deloon act as quickly as ever, he attacked Pestilence immediately. His sword was stretched infront of him, and he could only do one thing... hope that Flicker would find an answer for them.

* * *

Cress’s fear was all that Oberon saw through the mirror. He furrowed his brow in worry as he and Hermes hovered above the African lands. They had seen where Famine had been, killing tribes and animals. This sickened Oberon’s heart, he was nothing like the Oberon of THIS reality. He had humanity.

“Do you blame her, Lord Oberon?” Hermes questioned speaking of Shadowstar while watching the dying plains.

“Shadowstar has no fault in this. The Watchers are ruthless as are the Kindred. All are willing to fight for power, and do anything to get it... and if they conveniently killed Shadowstar or took her to their kingdom... it is a generous reward. But this Watcher seems more crazy, more fanatical,” Oberon continued to explain to Hermes.

“But she’s not Kindred anymore, so why would they hunt her?” Hermes questioned as Oberon started to descend them onto the earth.

“It’s a fight for power as always... she might not have anything to do with this reality... a very BIG coincidence it could be,” Oberon told as they hit the surface and stood behind Famine. He nodded to Hermes who quickly started to take flight around the horseman, confusing him slightly as he spun his horse in circles.

Oberon took the once second of weakness for Famine and raised it to minutes of hell for the demon. Oberon used any power he had within himself to lake the lifeblood from this land of Africa and start to pour it into Famine making him scream worse than he ever has... He electrified with the power of Oberon... a power that matches Shadowstar’s fae abilities... He was in power here. Famine was the one who needed to buy time.

* * *

The images of Famine flickered through Shadowstar’s mirror, but she hardly payed attention because they still had Death on their tail. By force of will, they bought time. They fear started to melt away as they found comfort in each other... as they found strength buried in each other’s hearts. As Shadowstar and Flicker sprinted through the castle, words of the past soared through their minds. Words of days past... both convinced they were invincible, very arrogant... younger. And as all things come to terms, they grew up... very quickly, very coldly. They realized that they could be hurt... that they could falter... and the only thing allowing them to pull through was the strength that lay in each other.

‘I refuse to be beaten,’ Shadowstar thought as they saw the throne room nearing them.

‘This is my home... He will pay,’ Flicker told himself completely denying his other Avalon, pushing away a very confusing and harsh fight.

The sites of death, bloody... cold, made Flicker’s heart almost burst with grief for those he lost... sure, they exist somewhere else, but these were the ones he grew up with... his friends, and he will never see them again... if they weren’t going to face this Watcher, he would cry... long and hard, just cry. He didn’t even realize how tight he was clinging to Shadow’s hand as they neared the throne room door. He never thought in his life that he would need a person so much... the entire deal with the shard is so beyond his belief... this entire deal was beyond his belief.

She looked at him with no sympathy in her eyes. He could see love clearly and fully. She loved, and she was determined... and he looked at her with the same eyes he did when she stepped through the mirror... she was Shadowstar... mystery always, and now, part of him.

She saw the pain written across his face. The other Flicker was always the jokester, the trickster. The first time she saw him was with Andrian when he crossed over before. Reality has been nothing but cold to him now... and somewhere locked inside was the ‘dark’ Flicker that she knew, who had helped her face her past, helped her to live. But she wasn’t concerned about the other... She was concerned with the Flicker who had just seen his family slaughtered and has to face the murder again. She kissed his forehead and stepped back.

“We can do this,” He told her softly.

“We WILL do this.”

Shadowstar unlatched the door, and it swung open, freely, to crack off the wall. They stared forward letting the mixture of darkness and light fill their eyes with the sinister work of a mad man... strung about the walls sprayed the blood and limbs of Flicker’s brethren. His knees almost buckled under his nightmarish site... twisted, corrupted, putrid... it wasn’t enough that they were all dead, but their bodies were desecrated even further. His eyes filled with tears as this sight stung as his soul, and Shadowstar felt the burning rage in his blood...

‘Talk to me... keep talking to me...’ she pleaded with telepathic thought afraid that she was going to lose him to his consumption of anger.

‘I...’ he started losing all words.

Theirs eyes focused on the eyes staring back at them... Sinister eyes watched their every movement. Like an almighty god on its throne, the Watcher stared back in the hideous form of Oberon... Her eyes looked onto his and narrowed its gaze.

“Do you like my new decorations?” He questioned trying to pour salt in Flicker’s wounded heart, “Enter... to your final fate.”

CHAPTER 5: Strength of the Other
~“Take me as I am. Take my life. I would give it all.
I would sacrifice.”~ Bryan Adams, “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)”

“It wasn’t enough that you killed them,” Flicker growled clenching his whip tightly in his fist.

“Boy! You know nothing of Watchers and Kindred... of the eternal battle,” He exclaimed trying to make Flicker clearly feel inferior.

“So why bring his people into this?! I have never known Watchers to be this distorted!” Shadowstar roared in clearly superior voice. Flicker was surprised at her... She seemed to gain a hidden strength that had gods coward.

“We get what we want,” He remarked standing from his throne.

“No! I am neither Kindred, nor am I Watcher! You have no claim to me or rue against me. If you threaten me, I will have no hesitation to fight back... and I will NEVER go back to that realm... and YOU can’t make me.”

“So you think...” Her replied as his eyes glowed fiery with Watcher power, “It’s always about you Shadowstar... maybe we don’t want you... maybe we just want to destroy...”

“Your lies are written all over your face,” She replied pulling a telekinetic shield over them in anticipation of what was going to happen. Shards of energy ricocheted off of them. As Flicker watched her pain ridden face, he set off a blinding flash of light that stopped the spray of energy briefly.

“You are weak, Shadowstar. Where is the loud mouthed, arrogant, girl?” He questioned taunting her. Flicker and Shadowstar relayed thoughts with each other telepathically allowing their next move to go through. She sent a great telekinetic push as Flicker wrapped his whip around the Watcher’s ankle causing him to fall onto his back.

‘These hits are too easy, Shadow,’ Flicker started, then his eyes became widened at what he saw behind her.

“Oh, sh-” He started not having the chance to finish before the roar of an injured gargoyle pierced through the room.

Shadowstar fell to her knees as blood rushed from her shoulder. Death had come through the doors and ran his scythe through her shoulder. Flicker tried to go to her, to protect her from further attack, but the Watcher wrapped a chocking grip around Flicker’s body. There was no way in hell Flicker was going to give this up... This Watcher was going to pay for all of this.

“Shadow,” Flicker said fighting for breath and fighting against the power with any fae energy he had.

She looked at the blood staining her hands, memories flashing back... through these thoughts of the past... Flicker saving her from Eutaru... Goliath, Flicker, giving her words to go on- not to give up.. Her strength, her power, her determination sparked through her eyes again. She may have grown up, but they were not going to put her down. Arrogance never dies.

“No on my watch,” She grumbled breaking through all personal weaknesses and Kindred curses...

She gritted her teeth and looked away from the blood and pain. As Death was commanded to take its final strike, Shadowstar wrapped her power around it and hurled it into the wall. Flicker’s eyes grew in amazement at the force of the blow... the mechanics broke... the head... Ladybug, rolled across the floor. Flicker gasped as its dead eyes seemed to taunt him. And he was not going to be thrown down.

‘You can break your bonds,’ She whispered in his mind giving him determination.

Flicker closed his eyes and in the confined, invisible space, He used every last amount of light bending energy to puncture through and distract the Watcher.

“Aarrgg!!” The Watcher screamed clearly blinded by Flicker’s force.

Flicker smirked and jumped up from the ground. He watched massive amounts of energy and magic pour from Shadow’s hands... this was the power he remembered. Contrasting the golden, greenish, and blue energy that she contained in her hands, crimson shards began to circle the room.

“Give it up, you will not take us down,” Shadowstar growled as she and Flicker stood side by side contrasting each other and clearly highlighting each other.

“Hardly,” The Watcher replied more annoyed by them than intimidated. Watchers usually are.

The bodies and pieces sprawled about the walls became entangled in the crimson. They started to dance with life... their mangled limbs encircled the two with the Watcher at the head. Back to back, they faced the hideous death. Their hands stretched out to dish a cold death...

“No more,” Flicker shouted attacking the dead.

Shadowstar aimed her power directly at the Watcher as he threw a stream back at her... they matched in strength. It was the will that would win. She felt Flicker fall into her back as a dead lunged at him. He kicked it back breaking its weak flesh. She looked into his mind, his soul and could feel the emotions that burned through his veins... through his will, she found the final determination to succeed. The Watcher’s power slipped and her momentum almost crushed his entire fabric of existence. Flicker briefly looked back at Shadowstar, how had found from his strength, the spark of power she had lost from pain.

“Come on, Shadow, we’ve almost got it,” He whispered slamming his fist into the jaw of the grotesque Nikki.

The Watcher, with his last attack, tore the ground up from under feet. Shadowstar fell forward momentarily but lifted herself up in levitation. Flicker used his strength to intercept one of the final dead from diving onto her back.

Flicker screamed as he was pierced by a lance held by a mangled body.

“Flicker!”

Her eyes burned with the anger and her might glowed from them. She stared at the mirror in the room and chanted the Kindred spell. The mirror started to ripple with her power. A quick motion of the hand caught the Watcher up in his power, tearing its being from Oberon. It screamed in aggravating pain as Flicker weakly battled the last dead... limping on one side but never giving up.

“You are done here... I am no longer of the immortal realm of corruption. Spread the word,” She snarled hurling his essence through the mirror into the Kindred realm.

Flicker looked up after being knocked to the ground. He saw energy start to pour from the mirror and try to entangle Shadowstar. She pulled back knowing they were trying to suck her back in.

“Flicker!” She yelled ultimately afraid that they would succeed.

He narrowed his eyes and pulled his whip up from the ground. With one clean shot, he shattered the mirror into a thousand tiny pieces... and the energy was gone... Shadow fell to the ground like the mangled bodies...

* * *

“Allison! Look out!” Rhayna hollered as War’s sword barely missed spearing Sun through the side.

Rhayna used all of her magical energy to push War off his horse as Allison moved out of the way. War’s horse was startled from this and he pinned Allison under him when he fell. Rhayna looked in horror as War raised his blade above his head ready to strike the helpless Sun.

Nothing... As if he never existed, War disappeared without a trace... became nothing but a memory...

Rhayna grabbed Allison up by the arm and teleported her back to Avalon without a second thought. When they landed back on Avalon soil, she wrapped her daughter in her arms. They both had fought War... and never cared to do it again.

* * *

Cress started to choke on the swarm that wouldn’t allow her to go... Who were trying to stave her, to wipe her of everything. She gasped for air as Deloon fell to the ground from Pestilence’s blow.

“We will not die so easily... None of you will take US again,” He said slamming his sword into the horse while Pest fell to the ground. Deloon pulled the blade from the horse and rose it above Pestilence body ready to strike.

“What?” He said sharply as he thumped to the ground as if Pestilence melted away. Cress slammed to the ground as the swarm disappeared... no trace, no nothing... non existent.

Deloon stumbled over to Cress to see if she was all right, to see if she was even alive. She looked at him weakly coughing and hacking trying to get back the energy and breath that was taken away. He put his arms around her as she weakly teleported them back to Avalon fainting after they hit its shores.

* * *

Oberon watched Famine flame with fury. He was no match for the power of this Watcher... this game was his... Hermes stood back in amazement at Oberon’s power. He was going to explode with the energy... what Famine stood for was totally reversed, and Oberon knew how to win the game. He had the knowledge, power, and experience. He was not easily matched.

Hermes knew the inevitable would happen... Famine was going to explode, to die... but the point of where Oberon’s completely surged to the victory never happened. Oberon stood back and smiled he knew that this was the victory... Flicker and Shadowstar had succeeded.

“Come, Hermes, they have won,” Oberon replied teleporting them back to Avalon.

* * *

Her eyes open to the silence of the throne room. Dried blood was spurted across her body and she felt very weak from the sudden exertion of her power. She became aware of her surrounding and became more aware of Flicker sprawled weakly on the floor.

“You did it,” She said softly pulling herself across the floor to him feeling the injury in her arm.

Flicker looked at her so thankful that she was all right, “No we did it.” He flinched slightly at the deep injury in his leg as she brushed by it.

“By the Supreme,” She gasped looking at the extent of the injury, then putting a small telekinetic shield over it not to allow it to be injured or infected.

“I’ll be okay,” He assured her letting her hold him in her arms, “Look at you, you’re still bleeding from the shot to the shoulder.”

“I’m fine. You know me.”

“Do I ever,” He smirked as he stayed contently there listening to her heart.

CHAPTER 6: The Mirror
~”Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did.”~
Elton John, “Candle in the Wind”

“Shadowstar,” Rhayna said standing in the doorway... she was now a mother relieved by the safety of her child. She ran across the flood and practically knocked Shadowstar over seeing her wince in pain. Rhayna looked at Shadowstar’s shoulder almost ignoring Flicker. Shadowstar motioned Rhayna away from her and to Flicker.

“He’s worse, I’ll be fine,” Shadow told Rhayna. Rhayna nodded and put her hands on Flicker’s wound as Shadow raised the field. Flicker closed his eyes in initial pain. Rhayna tapped into her powers and began to heal his wounds. She was not Ladybug, but she was all they had right now.

Allison walked into the throne room looking at the bodies thrown across the room. She looked like she was going to be sick at the sight of this... almost expecting to find another version of herself amongst the limbs.

“No worry, Allison,” Shadowstar spoke looking up from Flicker, “You, Rhayna... Asher, Brie, the Olympians... None of you are here.” She said softly looking at Flicker’s weary eyes. She put her hand on his face hoping to comfort him somewhat from this.

Allison lowered her head walking over to them as the other four faeries filed into the throne room. They all had the same sickened feeling going through their stomachs. Oberon walked slowly over to his ‘other’ self...

“How can I ever be so corrupted...” Oberon whispered as Flicker turned his body to watch Oberon.

“Hold what is dear to you, Oberon... Not power, but Avalon and your Family,” Flicker told him.

“And you, will you join our family on Avalon?” Oberon requested turning to face Flicker who Rhayna had just finished healing to the best of her ability.

Shadowstar looked down at him as Flicker looked away with no answer. He was fully torn between both worlds. Shadowstar said nothing to coax him into coming with her. She knew it wouldn’t be fair for her to do so.

“Lord Oberon, time is ticking. The mirror won’t be holding for much longer,” Deloon spoke up easing the tension on Flicker.

“You’re right,” Oberon said snapping his fingers. They all stood before the mirror that was being held together by the magic of Oberon and Shadowstar combined. Oberon nodded to Shadowstar who chanted a few words before anybody could pass through. The mirror rippled with energy and one by one Deloon, Hermes, Cress, Rhayna and Allison walked through the mirror. Oberon looked at the two.

“We need a little more time,” Shadowstar said softly.

“If it breaks,” Oberon started.

“I will fix it... Andrian has helped me in the past... if not, know I love you all,” Shadowstar replied before Oberon passed through the mirror.

“Flick,” A familiar voice echoed down the hallway. Both Shadowstar and Flicker looked in the direction of it.

“Speaking of Andrian,” Shadowstar replied softly. Flicker limped over to the teary eyed faery and hugged her. Shadowstar wished that the girl didn’t see all the death all over Avalon.

“Everybody’s dead,” Andrian cried.

“Not everybody, Andy... You, Puck, Me... and the others who remained off of Avalon... we live.” He spoke as they walked closer to Shadowstar. Flicker then started to explain to her what had happened and what had caused all of this. It was true that she and Shadowstar had differences before... they were settled, Shadowstar thought... until all of this looked more and more like Shadowstar’s fault. Everything from the shard to the Watcher pinned back to Shadowstar.

“Shadowstar...” She said accusingly looking up at the gargoyle/faery.

“I’m sorry,” Shadow answered pinning it on herself also.

“No, we’re not going to pin this on each other... this is the Watchers doing,” Flicker started then sighing, “Listen, I don’t know what to do. I have these two lives swimming up here in my head because of a freak accident... and I am both of them. I am this Flicker, and I am that Flicker,” He said pointing to Shadowstar and the mirror. Shadow looked away bitterly feeling it to be more of an accusation than an acceptance.

He looked back at her as she looked away from him. He had seen that look before. That was the look she had after accepting her two lives after Iara tried one last time to take her away. That was also the look he had seen earlier in the day when he was prepared to take his own life.

“I have two lives... to homes, but I have one Shadowstar who I love with both of my personalities. Goodbye isn’t forever... and we know how to cross back and forth...”

“I can’t believe you’re going to leave,” Andrian protested.

“What do you want me to do, Andy? I can’t deny them as much as I can’t deny this place... and everybody is dead here. I can come back to see you. You can come see me anytime you want.” He said making it sound more harsh than he meant to, “I’m sorry.”

“Andrian, help me seal the mirror together permanently... You know that we both have the power to do it,” Shadowstar said gently looking at her once friend.

Andrian looked at Shadowstar coldly at first, but then took a moment to think about what was going on. As selfish as she wanted to be, she knew she had to let go of him. She wasn’t on Avalon as much as she would like anyway... she was back in the city with her Goliath. She nodded and touched the mirror with her fingers. Thousands of tiny jets of magic swept across the mirror before Shadowstar could touch it. Shadowstar placed her white talon amidst the energy and Flicker watched as the telekinetic power sealed each fragment that was previously shattered... putting back the pieces again... all the kings horses and all of the kings men... and they will put it back together again.

Shadowstar stepped back as the final mists of magic released from the mirror. Flicker ran his hand over it... it was like it had never been broken... perfect. He looked at Andrian’s saddened face and back at Shadowstar’s mysterious one. He looked at the walls for one last time and turned to Andrian.

“My future is there...” He told her putting his hands on her shoulder. He was different now, she could sense it. It almost seemed that he had grown up in ways, but yet, he was the Flicker she knew in the past.

“Please, come back...” She pleaded not being able to bear another person leaving Avalon especially like this.

“I cannot deny them, nor can I deny my place here... I will return...” He assured her knowing that it won’t be as frequent as she may like. Andrian gave Flicker a hug and turned away from them not wanting to watch this, almost like a stubborn child. He looked down then back up to her wanting to say something, but knowing that she would never accept his decision... and Shadowstar remained silent through it all. It was his decision, she had no say in it.

He nodded to her as she touched the mirror making it ripple once again. Shadowstar silently looked at him. He could read what she was saying in her eyes. ‘She’ll be waiting for me,’ He thought to himself, ‘She trusts me.’

She turned away her head and walked through the mirror folding her wings around her body... disappearing almost as if she had never existed. He looked back at Andrian again and slowly started to climb through the mirror. Before he totally vanished from her Avalon, Andrian heard, “Smile a little. You have the power to make Avalon live again.”

Andrian turned back and looked at the mirror as it turned solid and smooth once more. She closed her eyes and teleported away from Avalon going to where her heart and love remained.

Shadowstar leaned against the wall, her talons still producing the power to keep the mirrors open. She was wearing herself out. When her mind became whole and the Kindred cursed her, Shadowstar thought that she had lost all of her power... especially since they had manipulated her own power... But today she’s proven herself wrong...

Flicker slowly stepped through the mirror looking at her as a great weight was lifted off of her mind. She released the power and then slid down the stone wall exhausted from the exertion that day. He smiled at her and sat down next to her resting his head on her shoulder. She leaned her pale cheek against his auburn mane as they looked at the reflections in the mirror. They looked different now... Like now, they had a story to tell...

“Shadowstar... tell me who you are... tell me about your life,” Flicker told her watching her closely through the mirror, wanting to know the story behind the face, behind the woman.

She kissed the top of his head and shifted the images in the mirror to start telling him a story... a story of pain and of triumph... of deceit and pain... of love and strength found, and will never be lost... ever again.

~Fin~

~The Next story of Shadowstar and Flicker is found in the Armageddon tales.~