The Tests of Strength

You can't be powerful unless you let go

"Oh, my apprentice, you must stop your pathetic feelings of love for your moonshadow elf " he said, holding the back of her neck. "Let.Her.Go" Callum demanded. "Why should I? She would make a lovely vessel" he said with a smirk. "Wouldn't you?" he asked, lifting her head as her eyes flickered gold, like Aaravos's, and her regular, beautiful violet. "I wonder how long it takes to break you" Aaravos said with a smirk as he looked at Callum. "Shall we find out?" he asked as he fired dark magic into her neck and she screamed in pain, her body slowly going limp. Whimpers escaped her mouth as her pupils slowly were stained gold. "Here's a lesson, my apprentice. To be powerful, you have to let go." As he squeezed her neck tighter Callum's eyes glowed light blue, connecting to the sky arcanum. "You want to save her?" he taunted. "Do it!" he laughed as Callum cast the spell but Rayla somehow defected it. "You are going to have to use much more power if you want to loosen my grip on her. But I will teach you." As he snapped, Rayla fell unconscious into Aaravos's arm. "Au revoir, my apprentice" he said as he disappeared and Rayla collapsed. "RAYLA!" Callum exclaimed as he ran to her, the black star on the back of her neck visible.

"AHH!" Callum and Rayla screamed. As the sun rose, the ominous black star formed on the back of Rayla's neck shrank, now much less visible and covered by her long, white hair and beautiful jewel chains, hanging from her horns. As Rayla threw on her regular outfit, but with a back skirt falling to her calves, she ran to the throne room where Ezran, Soren, Opeli, and Corvus were. "RAYLA!" Callum exclaimed as he ran to her, hugging her tight. "Callum, was that real?!" Rayla asked, now panicked. "Rayla, Callum, whats wrong?" As Callum explained the dream, Rayla sat uncomfortably, feeling the back of her neck, remembering the control Aaravos had over her in that dream. "You don't have to worry, there is a good chance that it was nothing." "But, it didn't feel like nothing" Rayla said. "What do you mean?" "In a dream, it is usually a hallucination, so you can't feel anything, right?" "Yes" Janai said. "When....he had his hand on my neck, I could feel it. I could feel the magic in his hand surging into me. I couldn't control it but, if it was fake, I shouldn't have been able to feel his hand or the magic he was putting in my neck." "Rayla, you are right" Gren translated. "But you need to explain to us what he was doing to you." In her ear, she could hear Aaravos whispering to her. "Nobody is stopping you little one. But you don't want to tell them, do you? You don't want to go through it again. I can help you. Just close your eyes, and give me momentary control." As Rayla closed her eyes, she felt an unbearable pain. "Do not worry, it will all be over soon, little one." Whimpers escaped her mouth. "Rayla WHAT'S HAPPENING!?!" Callum exclaimed as dark magic swirled around her body. "Callum, I-I can't breathe." "Shh" Aaravos whispered in her mind. "The spell will be finished soon enough." "This isn't....." "What you thought it was? No, it isn't. I never said it was. You trusted me blindly, without knowing what would happen. Oh, how naive you are. You won't remember a thing, all you will remember is who you are." "So you can control me" Rayla finished. "Bravo, you figured it out!" "Why?" "Because little one, your precious mage would do anything for you, as would many others. You are valuable." "How?" "You also have powerful moon magic. If properly maintained, you could be much stronger than your precious mage." "So the dream was real." "It never wasn't! Ah, the fear in your mind is beautiful. How perfect of a vessel you will make. Five more seconds until the spell is complete and you are completely mine." "I'm not yours!" "Oh, destiny is a book you write yourself? Well, it looks like your destiny is under my will now. Au revoir, my puppet" he said as her mind went completely blank. "RAYLA!!!" Callum exclaimed as her eyes opened.

All she could see was several random people in front of her. "WHO ARE YOU ALL!?!" she asked, alarmed by several elves and humans surrounding her. "WHO.ARE.YOU!?!" she exclaimed, jumping out of the seat with her blades drawn. "Rayla...." Callum said as she looked at him with slightly golden-stained pupils. "How do you know my name!?!" Rayla Runaan said. "DON'T COME CLOSER!" she yelled. "Rayla, listen to me" Tiadrin said, removing her spear. Janai took her hand off her Sunforge blade as she approached her also. "Rayla" Gren translated as Amaya dropped her shield and sword. "WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING!?!" "Rayla, you need to breathe" Janai said. "And why should I trust you?" As Tiadrin and Janai took the swords from her hands, Rayla froze. "Why are you being so 'polite'?" As Rayla's arms dropped, Tiadrin, Janai, and Amaya held her close as Rayla was shocked by the gesture. "Thank you, my little moonlight" Tiadrin said, holding her close. Runaan ran to her as he held her tight, and even without being sure of who he was, she returned the embrace. "I missed you so much" Runaan said. "Runaan" Rayla whispered. His eyes dilated as he held her even closer. "My little blade" Runaan whispered, holding her head as everyone's eyes filled with tears at the unaware but loving reunion.

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"Rayla.........." a star-freckled smirk spoke. "Oh, Rayla..."