Generations

Chapter 13: Protector

Chapter 13: Protector

She wasn’t sure if this was a trick of her mind, with her about to die, or if this was real. She couldn’t tell, but only stare as the sky lit up in the brightest light she had ever seen. She held her arms up, the pain from the slash across her chest not even hurting, she didn’t even remember it was there.

“I got you Heather,” the gentle, powerful, and all too familiar voice said.

She nodded, sat down, and too was overwhelmed to do anything else. This wasn’t her fight. Not anymore. And as the light faded, just enough for her to see, there was no doubt in her mind.

She was safe.

It may have been in the middle of a battle field. She may have been only seconds away from death. She may have given up.

But not now.

“Let’s go,” Greg said.

“I don’t think so,” Aaron said passing Simon off to Greg before flying closer to this stranger. “Snowball, tear her to shreds.”

The dragon flew at the shining warrior, who stood there, the light radiating all around her brightening up this dark night. The warrior held her hand out, a bow seeming to form in it made of pure light. Snowball let loose a mighty breath of fire, but she stood strong, the light encompassing her and Heather, shielding them from its fury.

“Down.” With the arrow drawn from her other hand, and her aim set, the arrow seeming to be made of pure light, shot out, the air shaking with its power as it sliced through the dragon, its mighty scales and flames unable to stop the powerful attack. The once ferocious dragon fell to the ground, a cry of anguish escaping its mouth as the warrior stood over her.

Heather couldn’t believe her eyes. That she could be so powerful, so brave.

“Mom,” she finally managed to say in no more than a whisper. She’d seen her fight during the battle against the Xyscons, how she kept them both safe so easily. But this wasn’t anything like that, this was a power that shook the very ground they stood upon.  It wasn’t a cheep trick with light, something that she could use only to defend herself. No, this was raw destruction, not even a dragon could stand against her might.

Dani’s eyes looked skyward, to the two Nightwings who seemed to be too shocked, too afraid even. Dani paused, seeing her son in Greg’s arms, she couldn’t risk hurting Simon, but that would mean she’d have to get closer, have to be right up next to them before she beat that crap out of them for daring to think they could touch a hair on her kids’ heads. She would rip them apart, crush them, reduce them to nothing but the smoldering remnants of what resembled the ashes of a mighty fire.

She rocketed up at them, the power of the light coursing through her body sending her higher, overcoming gravity as she flew. She had forgotten what it felt like to fly, to soar without limitation. It was fun, exhilarating, freeing. But that didn’t matter. No, nothing mattered but Simon at this moment.

They tried attacking, the dark blasts endlessly rained down upon her, but they were nothing, her aura of light disintegrating them before they could even get close. Aaron flew down at her, his sword brought out again, but as he sliced down at her, she countered with a blade made of pure light, just like her arrow. The clash of steel and light resounded, the steel shattering, and Dani pressed through, slicing across the Nightwing’s body.

He began falling, his wings slowed, his eyes glazed over as his blood poured out. He tried to stay up, though each beat of his wings grew weaker, as he descended despite every effort to stabilize himself.

“Aaron!” Greg yelled, causing Dani’s eyes to turn upon him. She’d let this other Nightwing slowly bleed to death, let nature take it’s course with him, but the one who held her son would be shown no mercy.

As she flew at him, the Nightwing held his hand out, dark flames racing out at her, her light kept them from getting closer; they smoldered out before they could even get close. However, as she got closer, the flames grew in number, and they closed in, cutting off any escape, enclosing her in a sphere of the blackened flames.

Though this wouldn’t stop her, nothing would stop her. Not the mightiest forces of hell, and certainly not this little fire. She unleashed the light around her, and it devoured the fire like a fog blown away on a windy day. He wouldn’t get away.

Greg noticed how she had broken free, and as he flew to his ally, Dani raced at him.

But then… he did the unthinkable.

Dani’s eyes went wide with terror as Greg held her son up, and with all the force he could, sent the boy plummeting to the ground below.

A thousand thoughts, ways to get revenge, and explicative’s where thrown at her mind. The only thing she could think was that her son was in danger. So pushing her powers harder than ever before, she dove after him, caring not for the fact that she too was falling to the ground. Nor that if she wasn’t careful she could kill herself too. But that didn’t matter.

She felt her body lighten, as her son start to slow before she collided into him, pressing the unconscious boy against her chest. She let a few tears fall, letting the rest come when the battle was over. The important thing was that she had her son back though, but her gaze once again looked skyward ready to make sure they never touched her kids again. Though as she prepared to charge into battle once more, the Nightwings went through a portal, vanishing from sight.

Seeing that the battle was over, Dani let her light fade. Exhaustion making itself known, she knew how out of practice she was. But that was okay.

Heather ran over to her mom, hugging her tightly. Dani took this all in, her family, they were alive. She had made it in time. Part of her wondered what would have happened had she been late. But that was all in the hypothetical, and in a war like this, a war she tried to deny was coming, all she could do was focus on what actually happened, and find a way to press through it.

“What happened to Jason?” Heather asked leading the way to her brother. Dani looked down at the teen who hadn’t moved since he fell victim to Greg’s attacks. Dani bent down, felt his pulse and he was still breathing. But it was as if he had fallen asleep, a deep slumber at that, She tried gently shaking him, calling his name, threatening to ground him, and even offer him cookies to wake up. But nothing worked; he just lay there, dead to the world.

“This is bad,” Dani finally conceded.

“What is?”

“It’s some kind of magic, his body is here, but his soul is gone.”

Heather looked up, her eyes wide. How could this be? Her mouth stood agape for a couple moments, wanting some more explanation, or anything.

But Dani just looked down in silence, her fears all too real at this moment. This was rare, only a powerful Nightwing could carry out such a spell. And as for reversing something like this, well that was beyond anything she could do. As she picked up her son’s lifeless body, she hoped her mom might know something, or someone that could help him. But the magic of the mind and soul was some of the most powerful, and also, the most mysterious.