A Powerful Secret

Chapter 35: Captured And Saved

This is dedicated to my BFF, because even if she isn't actually reading APS, she's always there for me and I appreciate it. Thank you, @Live2DreamT.

Enjoy xx

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"I can't do it!" I screamed, zapping another shadow creature with a beam of light. The wand, though it was still glowing, was becoming weaker; the shots of light were becoming smaller and less bright, the staff wasn't as smooth as it was before. "There are too many!"

"You have to!" Xeneya shouted. "They coming to me!" I looked around and realized she was right; most of the shadow men were heading for her instead of me. I was so wrapped up with my own worries and thoughts to notice that without any kind of real weapon, Xeneya was way more vulnerable than me.

"I'm trying!" I thrust the wand forward and knocked two more flying, but a helpless cry from my BFF stopped my short and I turned to her just in time to see it happen. No.

No!

"Xeneya!" I shrieked as a shadow man reached out to her and slammed into her. His body disintergrated, showing Xeneya's body with a black dust, and she gasped and groan in pain for a few moments. "Xeneya, talk to me!"

"Valentina," she croaked, falling to her knees. "Stay strong. Use the power of the Potea Creandi's in the wand. You can do it. It's all up to you now." With those last words Xeneya's eyes became completey dark; different than the brainwashed PC's. There was no white in her eyes at all. She dropped to the ground, unconcious, and slivers of darkness slithered around her like mean, protective snakes around their prey.

"No!" I howled, a tear falling. "Xeneya, come back! I can't do this alone!" No answer. So this was it.

It was all up to me.

A sudden chill washed over my shoulder and I whirled around, shooting the thing that nearly reached me. I thought about Xeneya's words, wondering what to do; there were still dozens of men coming at me, and I had the feeling the wand wouldn't hold out for that many beams of light.

Wait. She said something about using the PC powers inside the wand. My mind ticked as I thought of some of the PC's. Of course! Bambinia and Hadiya, who could become invisible and fly, had just the powers I needed to win this unfair, outnumbered battle.

Bambinia and Hadiya. Bambinia and Hadiya. Bambinia and Hadiya... I thought over and over again, my brow crinkling with the intensity of my determination, and just when three shadow men were about to reach me I pushed the staff into the air and waited for something to happen.

And it did.

I nearly jumped in joy as I felt my skin ripple and become transparent, proving to me that it worked. Well, at least, Bambinia's power. Now I have to try out Hadiyas.

I pushed my way through the men, careful not to touch them too much, though, and searched for a ledge to jump off of, because to be able to fly she needed to be one meter in the air. But the room was pretty much bare, except for the lonely -

Chair! I sprinted over to it as fast as I could, leaped onto the seat and breathed deeply once, twice, three times. And then I jumped.

At first, I thought I was frozen in the air, the men were shuffling along beneath me in slow motion, like someone was pausing a video to go to the bathroom. Then that person pushed play again and I was back in reality, soaring over their heads and stopping right above of the biggest hoard of men. With a victorious smile I waved the staff over the large group and a shower of sparkles washed from the gemstone, making light penetrate the shadow mens' dark coat and blow the fiends into a million specs of dust.

I'm a genius! Only... My eyes swiveled over the remaining men. Only twenty-five more! Yes, twenty-five that were quickly approaching the place where I was hovering. I hastily kicked my feet and sliced through the air to the other side of the room and rid myself of ten more, the dust like confetti congratulating me on my near victory. Xeneya was right. I can do this!

Xeneya. I looked down to see her, still covered in dark fog, curled up with a scared expression on her unusually dark face. I have to win! If I fail, it will be all my fault. They will all blame me. I will be the guilty one.

A rippling in my skin made my heart pound and I realized a horrifying fact; I was visible again. A shadow man grunted and pointed at me, and soon three of the remaining fifteen were flinging blades of darkness at me, the sharpness of the weapon unmistakable. I dodged the oncoming attacks as best I could, but there were too many; I couldn't prevent it hitting me. The impact of it on my arm threw me backwards and I nearly dropped to the ground, though I could control myself enough to stay a meter above it, screaming in agony at my throbbing flesh. There was no blood to be seen, yet I felt like my shoulder had been disconnected from my arm in a horrid, careless manner.

To summarize, it was not a pleasant feeling.

Focus, Valentina, I thought to myself, trying to ignore my arm. I need to beat these guys or I have no chance. Forget your stupid shoulder. You got this.

With an angry shout I jabbed the wand in the direction of the man that hit me and immediately a thick, white light beam shot out, more powerful than all the others. A light haze surrounded the remaining shadow men and they screamed, just before each and every one of them disintegrated. Finally, I dropped to the floor, my flying time running out and my arm paining horribly.

"Hhhh!" A loud, clear gasp swerved my attention over to Xeneya, who was sitting up and looking pretty disorientated. But when I stared at her eyes, I almost danced with joy.

They were white again!

"Valentina! What happened?" I was just about to explain when the voice toned from above once again and I shivered.

"You did well, you restless varmints. But if you still think you can win than you are strongly mistaken!" A square in the wall slid back to reveal a set of dark steps, spiraling somewhere upstairs to the unknown.

"Come on." I held out a hand to my confused BFF and pulled her up just as Nequitiam Mlaum added two words that made me want to cry and scream.

"Good Luck."

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Another short chappie! Argh, I can't seem to make them longer anymore ;)

Yuki xx