Royal Blood

Chapter 18 True Love's Kiss

"Hahahaha!" The shadow King cackled. "I am your King!" He declared. "And soon there will be no more light in this world and the next, and every realm in exsistence!" from the balcony, he began to release a surge of darkness into the sky. Clouds of darkness began to form at his fingertips and the skies became blacker than night.
"'And the next'... Does that include our world?" Zane wondered worriedly.
"Of course it's ours, what other worlds could he mean?!" Amber snapped.
"Actually, there's Wonderland, Oz, Neverland, Narnia," Kris began.
"Ok I get it Kris."
"Really guys?! Can't you see Jake laying up there, not moving?!" Luna wept.
Milo was on his knees staring at the lifeless Jake.
"What can we do with the Shadow King guarding him." Zane said.
"Oh he looks a little busy trying to open portals to THE OTHER WORLD!" Amber shouted sarcastically and then poof, she disappeared.
"Where did she go?!" Zane said in shock.
"Um up here!" She waved from the balcony confused on how she got there. She looked down to see Jake, he was growing paler each second. Amber took of her jacket and put it on him, his skin ice cold. Using her telekinesis she formed a staircase using debri from pieces of the castle broken from battle. With a fireball blast she broke some of the railing off. With a heave she picked him up and quickly carried him away from the shadow king to his brother.
"Oh Jake, what have I done? I was supposed to protect you and now you're, you're gone." He wept.
"What if he's not." Amber spoke up.
"What do you mean?" Milo said, tears streaming from his eyes.
"We've all heard of the classic fairy tales. Remember in Snow White-"
"But Amber this is real life not a silly fairy tale." He cut her off, "They don't mean anything."
"But they're not silly, they give us all something."
"What?"
"Hope. You heard him earlier. He's not dead, its a sleeping curse, like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty were under."
You might be onto something Amber." Kris said lighting up.
"And what was the one thing that saved them all?"
"Amber please! What is it!" Luna pleaded.
"True love's kiss."
Kris face palmed. "Oh why haven't I thought of this before! Love is the most powerful magic in all the lands."
"You're gonna rely on some silly fairy tales?!" Zane snapped.
"There not just stories, they're our history."
"History? As in it happened in the past! For real?"
"Yes, those tales are all real."
"Guys! Jake!" Milo cried once more.
"It's true loves kiss, the most powerful magic that can break any curse."
"What?" Milo said in disbelief.
With all the yelling it had drawn the shadow king's attention back on them. He had nearly tripled in size since Amber had pulled Jake off of the balcony.
"There's no use in trying to wake him! By midnight he will be dead, and his powers, mine!"
"True love's kiss." Milo muttered. "True love's kiss!" He said again but loud enough for the shadow king to hear. "It can break any curse."
"Twu love! Ha ha ha! You orphans have no love. Never have, never will!"
"Luna!" Milo said! "You can break his curse! You need to kiss him!"
"What! Me? But. . . But I-me no no I'm not his true love!" Luna shrieked.
"Well he loves you! All he did was talk about you, how your eyes sparkled your hair glistened! Oh Luna! Please Luna you're his only chance!" Milo begged. "But-"
"Luna the past couple of days we've all gotten closer. ALL of us and I noticed something in your eyes when you look at him, it's the same look when he looks at you. Now tell me do you don't love him?" Amber said.
"I-I don-"
"LUNA DO YOU LOVE HIM?!" She shouted. This drew back the attention of the humongous shadow king. He wasn't about to let some kids ruin his plans.
"Yes yes I do!" She said "Well I think so..."
"Well kiss him already!" Milo pleaded.
She leaned in to kiss his cold icy lips. As she was inches away from his lips she's was torn away. The shadow king was now big enough to hold Luna in his hands as if she were a doll.
"NOOOO!" Both Luna and Milo screamed. The clock was only minutes away to strike for the midnight hour.
"No it's too late!" Milo cried.
"I'm sorry Milo I wish I could do something to save your brother, I know how much you love him." Kris said, his heart now weighted with sadness and hopelessness.
"Wait! Kris that's it! Have-" she was cut off by Kris who pushed her out of the way as the shadow king grabbed him with one of his hands. He then sprouted another one.
"Milo it's YOU!" Amber cried as she was grabbed with Serina.
Now it was just Milo, Zane, and Dennis.
Zane shielded them with a weak wall of water which could only hold off the shadow King for so long.
"Milo, I get what Amber was trying to tell you. For the past fifteen years you and Jake have been inseparable. I know between Mr. Gusterson and I, we've put you both through hell. But you both stayed strong to support one another. That's love, not romantically but brotherly. Which might even be stronger than any kind of love out there."
The clock began to sing, the final strokes to midnight were striking.
"Milo now!" Zane yelled as the shadow king finally slashed through the wall of water, flinging Zane out of the way and then Dennis. He formed a shadow dagger and threw it at Milo
Milo leaned in and kissed his brothers icy forehead.
As the dagger was an inch away from Milos back it froze in mid air, ice completely covering the dagger.
"What?! IMPOSSIBLE!" The king roared with rage.
Jake's eyes fluttered open, gasping for air as he sat up.
"Oh god! Jake! You're okay!" Milo grabbed Jake and pulled him into a tight hug, "I thought I was never going to see you again. But you're okay, oh my god you're okay! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Jake I-"
"Milo it's okay. I've found you. That's all that matters."
Both brothers were bawling and hugging at thr sight of each other.
"Hey guys! A little help would be nice!" Amber shouted.