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Enchanted Night	By : EmpressMoonchildOfFantasia Category: M through R > Neverending Story Views: 3814 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: The names, people, places, etc of The NES are all owned by the late Michal Ende & Warrnor Bros. Copyright � 1984. I'm just borrowing them for fun. I do not own anything but the plotline of this fic.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Chapter Rating: M [For Dark Theme & Profanity]
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This Chapter is a Dream Sequence. So Please Don't Freak Out My Readers! I Repeat, This is a DREAM SEQUENCE! IT IS NOT REAL! Now that has been said, On With the Story! :) Enjoy My Lovely Reviewers!
There was a deep booming sound as thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, illuminating the sky. Moonchild rose from her bed, moving towards the window so she could look out at the night sky. But all she could see was blackness. The dark, grey foreboding clouds growing more and more intense as they slowly stared to swirl around the very tip of the Ivory Tower.
With a gasp of horror The Empress realized what was happening... This wasn't any storm she was seeing at all!
It was the Nothing Once More.
Smothering a cry of disbelieving fear emerging from her throat with her hand, she slowly backed away from the window unable to believe this was happening to her and her world for a Second Time.
"NO... Oh, Dear Gods...No...Please, No, Not Again...!"
These words died on her lips through a strangled sob emerging from deep inside as her legs gave way and she sank to the floor, her head in her hands, her mind gone numb with shock. As she crouched in a huddle in the middle of the room, fighting to keep her emotions under control, The Empress was nearly thrown off balance as the floor beneath her gave a violent shake and the walls of the Magnolia Palvialan shook slightly from the vibrations passing through.
"Oh, My Fucking Gods..." Moonchild breathed, her eyes widening as the realization of what she was experiencing truly hit her. "The Nothing is attaching the Tower Itself!"
Swallowing hard she pressed the tips of her fingers to the sides of her forehead as her heart hammered in her breast.
'Stay Calm.' She thought 'You've Got...To...Stay...Calm. This is No Time to be Going into a Panic.' Moonchild squeezed her eyes shut as she forced herself to think clearly despite the fact she was frightened beyond comprehension. 'The Auryn. You've HAVE to get the Auryn...' The second this thought presented itself The Empress's eyes snapped open. She knew what she had to do.
Carefully holding her arms out on either side of her body to steady herself and keep her balance, Moonchild gingerly rose shakily to her feet and began to make her way back across the room towards her bed. One Minuscule Step At A Time. As the structure around and under her shook more and more violently, The Empress of Fantasia inched her way across the room. Never taking her eyes off her feet the entire time.
Her head snapped up as another earthquake-like rumble nearly knocked her off her feet. Uttering a squeak of surprise, she wobbled crazily like a trapeze artist on the high-wire, struggling to keep from falling, her eyes wide, her mouth open despite no sound coming out of it.
"Whoa...That was Close..." She whispered to herself as her feet once again regained their steadiness..
But She Had Spoken Too Soon.
Within mere seconds of the sentence being uttered from her lips, yet another quake-like rumble-this one much harder then the last-shot itself across the floor of the Magnolia Pavilion.. This time Moonchild was thrown off her feet completely. Her body collided with the side of the bed she'd been less then a foot from. Crackling sounds from above informed her something was Very Wrong Indeed...
Feeling small particles of dust upon her face and in her hair, she dared herself to look upwards...
Her Blood Ran Cold at What She Saw:
Large cracks had started to appear in patches of the roof Some were directly above her head.
And They Were Growing Larger and Wider With Every Thunderous Shake.
Without pausing for even a millisecond The Empress of Fantasia pushed herself to a standing position once again before throwing herself, face-down, in the middle of the large, rounded bed. [if the bed hadn't been fixated to the floor she would have dove under it-but there was not even a inch of space between the foundation of the bed and the floor so she knew she had no choice but to go in the middle of the bed instead] Instinctively she assumed the fetal position and covered her head with both her hands. Clenching her eyes tightly shut, to keep any dust out, Moonchild's heart thundered in her ears as loudly as the real thunder outside while dust and minuscule pieces of foundation rained down upon and around her barely-five-foot frame.
A tremendous CRASH! nearly made her leap out of her skin. But she stayed put while siding a quick glance to her left. There. Less then two feet from where'd she'd been moments ago a chunk of foundation, no doubt from the ceiling above her, lay. It was almost as tall as she and about twice as wide. The Empress sent a silent prayer of thanks to whatever ones of her Seven Powers and Senses her soul had assigned to be on Duty and had raised the alarm for the Other Six Powers and However Many Senses she possessed to be on High Alert. If she hadn't moved from where she did at the time when she did, she would have been flattened.
Feeling no more shaking beneath or around her nor cracking of wall or ceiling-for the moment at least-Moonchild took these moments-however precious few she had to use she did not know-to sit up. Snowy dust streaked her face and from her hair. Hair, once, pulled back tightly away from her cherub face-the sides and her bangs held back with a plan but nevertheless elegant clip while the rest of the straight chestnut strands, sparingly streaked with dark golden highlights, long enough for her to easily sit on, were tied back and fastened with a band the same shade as her hair at the nape of her neck-was now in disarray. Soft tentacles of hair, pulled loose from both clip and band, speckled with white dust from rainfalls of crumbling foundation from above, lay softly against her cheeks and both sides of her neck. Unconsciously running the tip of her tongue over her dry lips, she raised a shaking hand to push those strands of hair out of her eyes so she could see clearly.
Then, Quick as a Flash, The Empress of Fantasia scrambled to the edge of the bed-despite her stiff muscles screaming in protest-and dropped to her knees back onto the floor. Here, she yanked open the top drawer of her nightstand. Reaching into the farthermost part of the drawer her fingertips furiously ran themselves over the wall that made up the very back of the drawer.
'Come, On, Come On...' Her mind screamed 'I Don''t Have Time For This!... Where is it!?...' After what seemed like endless minutes of searching, her fingers brushed against a section of wood that felt different then the rest of the drawer-but just barely. Breathing a sigh of relief she muttered a spell under her breath as she ran her hand from the middle to the top of the section then back again to the bottom then left to right, and back again to the middle in one swift, fluid motion. There was a noiseless 'pop' and one side of the back drawer wall gave way-revealing a hidden compartment embedded in this back section of the drawer. Thrusting her arm forward, her hand closed upon and dragged out a box, like what one would find in a High-End jewelry store, made of the finest polished wood in All Fantasia, encased in black velvet. Holding this box in one hand, she shut the compartment door and muttered yet another spell while moving the hand that was still inside the drawer in the opposite direction then before-thus noiselessly sealing and locking the compartment shut.
Though she was disturbed by the slight vibrating of the floor every now and then Moonchild ignored this factor for the time being as she focused her energy on the box she now held in both hands. Light as a feather, swift as a whisper on the wind, her thumbs moved from one side of the edge of the front of the box to the other. All the while her mind spoke the words of yet another unlocking charm. As the last incarnation left The Empress's lips, she felt the lid loosen.
Quickly, she completely flipped the lid open all the way.
There In the Middle Of This Box, Laying Safely in a secure nest of crushed black velvet, Was the Auryn.
A sound from the floor below made Moonchild's head jerk up. Through the combined roaring of thunder from outside, the resumed cracking of the Magnolia Pavilion, and the overall power of the Nothing she thought she could hear the faintness of growling along with the slight clacking, scraping sound of claws upon the smooth polished floors of the Tower.
With trembling hands Moonchild fastened the Auryn around her neck and slipped the medallion beneath the neckline of her dress. Tearfully choking out an Invisibility spell she let the box fell from her grasp as it vanished into thin air, hitting the floor with a soft thump. Dropping to the ground as low as possible, while still being able to see, Moonchild scampered as fast as she could go on all fours around the nightstand to the back of the bed. In less then thirty seconds of reaching the back of the bed, she sat straight up and pressed her body up against the back of the bed's headboard. Not daring to breathe let alone move a single muscle, The Empress's dark blue eyes scanned the room searching for an escape route while from below, the soft growls and scraping nails told her that whatever was out there had now started to climb the staircase leading up to the Magnolia Pavilion.
'Oh, Sweet Gods and Goddesses of Fantasia!... I Have to Get Out of Here!...'
She swore softly under her breath as tears rolled silently down her cheeks. "'Oh, Hell..." She chided herself angrily, "This is Not the Time Nor the Situation to start Fucking Crying! Come On...You Have to be Be Really Brave Now...Come On... You Can Do This..." Digging her nails into their palms, Moonchild fairly quickly managed to regain control of her emotions.
A Strong Sense of Dread chose this moment to pass itself over her wildly beating heart. Trembling all over, Moonchild swallowed hard as, slowly, she turned her head sideways to look in the direction of the doorless entryway leading into the Magnolia Pavilion.
Her Heart Nearly Stopped Beating Altogether.
There. Standing Eight Feet Tall-if not more-the whole frame of It's body covered with sable, shaggy fur as black as the darkest, deepest midnight, filling the Entire Width of the Magnolia Pavilion's arched entrance, It's eyes an unearthly green, Was the Half-Werewolf: Grmork.
All the blood drained out of The Empress's Face as she slowly, VERY slowly, turned her head back to stare almost blankly at the wall opposite her. Her eyes were so wide they nearly were popping out of their sockets while her mouth was agape. The whole of her lovely and usually calm face was now frozen into an expression of the Utmost Horror.
'Oh Shit... This is Bad...This is VERY Bad.'
The Empress remembered Atreyu speaking of this Gods-Awful Dark Creature that Wasn't Even Part of This World. But... Atreyu said he'd killed Grmork with a pointed stone moments before the Nothing took over Spook City years and years ago!...
So How In All of Fantasia, Could This Half-Werewolf Still Be Alive!?...
Then She Remembered Something. Something Very Important.
Not long after Atreyu has gone back home to the Great Plains. Moonchild had come across some information in a book she'd been reading on Magical Dark Creatures: Here, she had read that the ONLY way to definitively kill a Werewolf was by an object made of silver. It didn't matter what shape or form it came in. Silver WAS Silver. Thrusting this metal into the body of a Werewolf would ensure this Dark Creature's Death.
Grmork was a Half-Werewolf. But He was a Werewolf Nonetheless.
And Atreyu, having hunted nothing but Purple Buffalo all his life, Would Not Have Known This.
How Could He?
Before the Great Quest the Plains Warrior had never dreamed such a Creature could exist. Let Alone Come Face to Face with One with none of his weapons at his disposal. Seconds from being torn to shreds by the enraged Grmork, the Buffalo Hunter had to think quick on his feet and use whatever sharp object that was available within his reach. Moonchild was absolutely sure the stone Atreyu had used to kill Grmork had not a trace of silver of any kind within it. Bastian had confirmed this when she questioned him about it a few years ago while Atreyu was out of earshot.
Now this bloodthirsty Creature was Here. In the Tower. And Blocking the Only Way in OR out of The Magnolia Pavilion.
'Oh, Fuck!' Moonchild thought. 'Now How Ami I Going to Get Out!?' Mentally scratching Plan A off her Chart of Escape Plans. Moonchild's keen mind raced as she scrambled to come up with a Plan B.
"All right." She told herself, "What I'm going to have to do is keep my eye on Him and track his movements, and wait for 'just the right time' to make MY Next Move. Just like in a Game of Chess: You Watch Your Enemy and Wait to see What He Does, How He Does it and When He Makes his Move. And, Never, Ever Take Your Eyes off Of Your Opponent."
The Latter Was Going to be a Bit Difficult Though.
If Grmork caught even a millisecond glimpse of her or if he caught her eye-even for Half-of-a-Millisecond... The Half-Werewolf Would be on Top of Her Before She Could Even Blink. And She'd be Dead Before She Could Breathe Her Next Breath.
And That Would Be the End of Fantasia.
Without moving Anything but the merest bit of her head Moonchild glanced back over in the direction of the entryway. Focusing her dark blue gaze on the predator looming in the doorway, she took notice of the fact that although he was still directly in front of the archway, he was no longer fully blocking it. The Half-Werewolf was now just a few feet away from the threshold. She also took note that there was JUST enough space-maybe three or four feet at most-between HIM and the doorframe for her to dash through. But again, She'd have to exert EXTREME caution and meticulous planning if she were to have even the SLIGHTEST chance of getting out of this room alive.
Sucking in her breath to gather strength, she let her eyes slide close. A moment later Moonchild heard the soft clacking of claws upon the floor. Her eyes opened to find the Half-Werewolf had now begun to circle the outer parameter of the Magnolia Pavilion, his long snout inches from the ground.
Grmork was Stalking Her. She Knew It.
But there was a silver lining in this: With the Half-Werewolf's attention solely on the ground, he would not be able to see her. She decided Then and There to make her move. As soon as he passed by where she was hidden she'd make a break for the wall directly across from where she was sitting.
'Thank the Gods there are few feet of shadow enclosing both the back of the circular headboard I'm up against and the edge of the walls!'
With Luck [and a shitload of it] she calculated that she'd then be able to press her body against the smooth ivory foundation and slink down the side of the room to the elegantly curved end of the wall. Hidden in the shadows Grmork would not be able to see her. Nor would he be able to hear her even if she stumbled-which she Prayed would NOT happen-with all the racket from the shaking of the floors, the cracking, falling ceiling and roof and the Nothing wrecking Its own havoc outside.
It seemed to take forever for Grmork to pass by, he was moving so slowly. Moonchild held her breath as hard as she could when she saw the great hulking monster come into full view directly across from her. He was not looking left nor right but straight down at the ground.
In a moment or two the tip of his bushy tail disappeared from view.
She Must Act. Now.
In One Swift Motion, as silent as a cat, The Empress launched herself across the room on all fours. Her gaze fixated solely on the wall straight ahead of her.
The side of her body collided with the smooth surface of the other side of the room. She whipped her body around so she was now facing the backside of her bed. Flatting herself against the wall as hard as she could, Moonchild rose to her feet an inch at a time. At last she was on her feet, Within the safety of the shadows The Empress slid sideways along the wall mentally keeping track of how many steps she'd taken so far and how many she had left to go before she made contact with the curved comer of the wall. All the while never taking her eyes off of the prowling Grmork going around and around outside of the shadows, his snout never leaving the ground. Finally her left hand brushed the edge of the curved corner of the wall. It must have only taken her less then five minutes to reach it-though it felt like much longer. Sliding gratefully into the space between the curvature that stretched from the ceiling to the wall, Moonchild let out the breath she'd been holding the entire time she been 'crab or spider-walking' [she didn't know which of the two slid sideways on a wall] along the wall. But she forced such trivial things from her mind. She had to check on the status of the Half-Werewolf in her 'bedroom'. Ever so cautiously Moonchild turned sideways to her left which was the direction she knew that faced the whole of the Magnolia Pavilion. Keeping her entire being ramrod straight she looked out from her hiding place.
The Grmork was now lying just beyond the other side of the bed across from her hiding place. His eyes were closed, his enormous head resting on his paws.
Was The Great Beast Asleep?
She Waited. Listening for the deep slow breathing of sleep.
But No Such Sound Reached Her Ears.
He Wasn't Asleep-Not Totally. Just Resting His Body and Eyes.
NOW WAS HER CHANCE.
Seeing the archway directly next to her, not even half a foot beyond her hiding place, Moonchild drew in another deep breath, held it, then slipped out from within her hiding place, crept along the short distance between the corner and the edge of the doorframe and out through the archway itself.
She leaned against the wall outside the Magnolia Pavilion for just a few seconds so she could have half a chance to breathe somewhat normally again. She then crept to the top of the staircase and looked downwards at the twists and turns of stairs framed by delicately carved-but sturdy-railings on both sides. Moonchild took one cautious step, then two, then three, then four and five and six and seven steps more down the vast winding the eighth step she paused. Listening. Waiting. She heard nothing-at least not yet: It would only be a matter of time before Grmork would open his eyes to scan the room once more and realize she was gone.
She Began to Run.
Like the lightning flashing outside the Tower's windows, The Empress of Fantasia flew down that staircase as fast as her feet could carry her. Never looking back.
She Didn't Have To.
Fifty feet down her descent of the hundred foot long staircase, the Thunderous Roar of the Outraged Grmork nearly split her eardrums as it shook the already crumbling Ivory Tower.
The Empress Moved Faster.
For the Half-Werewolf was Hot on her Trail and They Both Knew It.
Moonchild's screams of terror were drowned out by the sound of meteors colliding with one another as well as the outer walls of the Tower. More then once The Empress's body was slammed into one staircase railing or the other as the Nothing sent waves of quakes throughout the entire Ivory Tower. Gritting her teeth bravely against the flashes of pain she received each time she crashed against the railings, Moonchild kept moving forward. No matter HOW much pain she was in, she never stopped her flight for her life down that winding staircase.
At long last her feet made contact with level ground. Though she was winded she didn't stop to catch her breath till she'd run across the hall and hid herself behind a very thick set of curtains covering a set of open French Doors. Stepping guardedly out on to the surprisingly sturdy balcony, Moonchild bent over gasping for breath, hands on her knees and a Bitch of a Stitch in both sides.
She was Aching So Much She Wanted to Throw Up.
Silent tears of agony and fright coursed down her cheeks as she stood there hunched over like a crone on a lone balcony of the Slowly-Collapsing Ivory Tower. But even through the haze of pain and tears she was experiencing Moonchild thought she heard someone shouting her name. She shook her head to clear it and limped on aching feet to peer over the edge of the balcony railing.
There, in what was left of the Royal Gardens, was a figure moving in her direction. She couldn't make it out completely through her veil of tears... But the voice she kept hearing below sounded a great deal like Atreyu's...
With one hand she rubbed her eyes and looked again.
Her legs nearly gave way as fresh tears, this time, of hope rather then painful fear, streamed down her face as she gripped the balcony railing firmly to keep herself from fainting.
She HADN'T been imagining things. The lone figure below really WAS Atreyu.
And he was calling-almost shouting at times-her name over and over. His voice nearly cracking with worried fear of his own.
Despite her own hoarseness from endless screams not long ago, Moonchild answered him in a loud whisper, informing him she was above her. She saw him look up and gallantly climb up a tree growing next to the balcony.
'He looks absolutely ridiculous doing that.' Moonchild thought to herself. 'It really is a sweet gesture on his part. But also VERY cliche!'
"Are You All Right?'
Moonchild nodded.
"What can I do to help?" He was now balancing on the very highest part of the tree, his hands holding firmly to a branch on either side of him, his legs spread apart as they braced his body on the wide branch beneath his feet.
"Is there any way you can get to this balcony from the inside? It's too risky and dangerous for me to climb over."
Atreyu shook his head. "No. I checked. All the doors leading into the Tower from the Gardens are blocked by debris."
"What about the windows looking out towards the Gardens?"
Another shake of his head. "There's debris there as well. Both Inside and Out. And all the windows are too high for me to reach. The bushes alongside the windowsills are too unsteady for me to climb. And even if I managed to get onto a window-ledge without falling trying to reach it I wouldn't be able to get in. They're all locked from the inside." Atreyu shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry My Angelic Empress."
"Don't be." There was a pause. Then she said slowly, "I think I know how you can get in..."
"'How?"
"Do you know where the outer door leading into the Kitchens is located?"
Now it was his turn to nod. "I think so. It's not far from here is it?"
"From my standpoint, Yes. From yours, No."
Another nod, this one of understatement. "All right."
"You can get into the Ivory Tower through that Outer Kitchen Door. Only the servants use it. So it's never locked. I'll meet you in the Dining Room located just outside the Kitchens as soon as I can."
"Good idea. I'll see you there." He bent his head to check for a branch he could use first on his downward descent out of the tree.
"And Atreyu?"
He looked back up at her.
"For the Gods Sake, Please be Very Careful when you get inside."
"I Will. But Why?" His handsome face held a look of puzzlement.
Moonchild took a deep breath. She hated telling him this but she had no choice. "Grmork is in there." She said slowly.
Atreyu's look went from one of puzzlement to one of pure shock as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are You Serious!?"
"I'm afraid I am."
"But...But I thought..."
"You only severely wounded him Atreyu, not kill him." Her face was grave, her dark eyes troubled.
"But Why?...How?" Atreyu was baffled
"Werewolves, Both Full and Half ones can only be mortally killed with silver." Moonchild explained.
"Moonchild...I'm so sorry...I didn't know..."
"Hush my love." She soothed. "There's no way You Could Have Known."
Their gazes met and held for a long moment.
"Now Go, Hurry!" The Empress whispered.
Atreyu nodded.
"Atreyu?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
The Plains Warrior's heart melted. "I love you too Ogliglewakan,"
Then he was gone. Climbing down the tree as expertly as he'd climbed up it.
Hearing the howls of Grmork in another part of the upstairs Tower as he roamed the halls searching for his prey, Moonchild took the opportunity to run from the balcony through the heavy curtains shielding it and sprinting down the hallway to yet another flight of stairs. She knew she didn't have much time left before the Half-Werewolf finished his search of the upstairs and made his way down to the floor she'd just left. Sprinting down one staircase and along one corridor to reach another staircase, Moonchild tried to calculate how long it would take her to reach the Main Floor. Ten, fifteen minutes at most her mind rapidly concluded for her. She repeated the same pattern over and over and still over again: Run down a staircase, then down a corridor to yet another start all over again.
"I REALLY need to ask Bastion to draw up plans to have those lifts Humans use indoors to get from one level to another by pressing a button installed alongside the walls next to the staircases..." She wheezed. "Because what I'm doing now, the way I'm going about getting down to the Main Floor is fucking ridiculous..." Her stomach lurched as she struggled to breathe as she ran. "Oh, Gods... I don't know how much more of this my body can take..." But The Empress bravely pushed herself forward. On and On, Staircase after Staircase. Hallway after Hallway. She kept running, never ceasing her pace even though her body screamed out for relief.
It Was A Matter of Life or Death.
A Race Against Time.
And She Knew that That Time was Gradually Running Out.
At Last. At Long Last Moonchild caught sight of the Main Floor before her. Her whole body-especially her legs and feet-were screaming as white-hot burning pain shot through her aching muscles even as her figure relentlessly propelled itself forward down the very last staircase. Her feet hit the ground of the Main Floor so hard she nearly tripped. But before she could go sprawling, she caught herself with her hands brushing the floor even as her feet took off once again before she even straightened up.
"Almost There..." She told herself. "I'm Almost There."
Across the Main Hall, through the Throne Room The Empress ran.
Throwing open and slamming doors shut behind her as she went-always remembering to lock them behind her back seconds before she took off again-she made her way through Welcoming Rooms and Reception Halls. All the while the echos of Grmork's Howls and Growls of frustration echoing in her ears as he pursued her-always four or five floors above taking no more then five to ten minutes per floor to comb through and tear apart as he continued to hunt her down.
Then There It was: Up Ahead. Moonchild could see the doors leading to the Main Dining Room and beyond it The Royal Kitchens.
Wrenching one of the two double doors open The Empress sprinted through it and slammed it shut behind her. She turned around long enough to lock both doors together with a chain she'd conjured up out of thin air.
A door at the end of the enormous room burst open then slammed shut as Atreyu changed in.
Oh Thank the Gods! She had never been so happy as to see him then she was at that moment.
But That Moment of happiness was shattered as a CRASH! followed by a blinding flash of bright light that made both of them throw up their arms to protect themselves.
"MOONCHILD!"
Lowering her arms at the sound of Her Atreyu's bellow Moonchild could not belive her eyes.
A Wall of Fire, ignited from a VERY strong, VERY large bolt of lightning breaking a hole in the Dining Room's ceiling to strike the carpet below, had sprung up between The Empress and Atreyu.
And it was Growing Higher Every Second.
Desperately trying to peer over the flames Moonchild could see that huge pieces of roof had crashed down upon the long Dining Room table. smashing it and whatever glassware and china had been laid out upon its surface along with all the matching chairs set around the edge of the once beautiful piece of furniture to the ground. There were broken and crushed furniture all over the place buried under piles and piles of roof that kept falling more and more.
"MOONCHILD!" Atreyu shouted as she covered her head again as good chunks of roof rained down around her-barely missing her by mere inches.
"ATREYU!" The Empress dove out of the way just as yet another piece of roof came tumbling to the ground-right where she had been standing.
They stared at One Another from their standpoints across the room.
Dangerous as it was. They Both Knew Moonchild couldn't stay on her side of the room for much longer.
Not with Grmork Closing in on Her.
Two pairs of eyes met and locked for a long moment. And in That Moment They Both Reached the Agreement that they'd climb over the piles of debris on Each Others Side. and meet on Atreyu's side of the fiery wall.
"You Don't Have Much Time Ogliglewakan."
"I Know. It's either risk Getting Burned by the flames. Crushed to Death by the roof falling in completely. Or Being Eaten Alive by Grmork."
"I Understand." Atreyu's voice wobbled slightly, awed at the amount of danger The Empress was willing to brave herself through in order to get herself, and eventually, himself as well, out of the falling Ivory Tower, to safety.
'I'm Coming Over Now.' Her eyes told him.
'I'll meet you on the Other Side of the Fire.'
'I love you So Much...'
'I love you as well Ogliglewakan. Be Careful.'
At this last thought from her hunter-warrior, Moonchild steadied herself and walked to the right side of the room where she could see that the flames were not so high at the moment. She backed up a few paces, took a running leap and landed, head over heels on the other side of the firewall. She saw that her guess about the distance had been a good one for she had landed on a small section of rug not yet barred by debris. Moving gingerly over plies of broken glass, china and splintered wood Moonchild made her way across the room. Reaching a larger hill of debris, she worked her way up only to find the top of the hill had a good sized chunk of roof blocking her pathway down to the other side.
Suddenly, Atreyu was there, his head looking at her from his side of the hill.
"Give Me Your Hand." He said, stretching his arm out across the wide slab of roof. Moonchild leaned forward and she could feel his strong, loving hand close on her fingertips. "All right. Good. Give Me the Other One,"
Moonchild did so.
"Perfect. Now, push yourself up with your feet and your knees and I'll pull you over this slab."
The Empress of Fantasia did as she was instructed.
With a groan and a tug Atreyu pulled her up and over to the other side of the hilltop and into his arms.
"That's my good girl!" He kissed the top of her head as she leaned against him. Carefully he then guided them both down the other side of the hill.
With his arm protectively around her shoulders and her arm around his waist, they began to make their way towards the Kitchen Doors.
Atreyu was reaching out for the curved wooden door-handle when there came a deafening sound behind them that shook the whole room. The pair whirled around in time to see both doors leading into the Main Dining Room fall to the floor with the Dark Hulking Form of the Half-Werewolf on top of them.
He Had Smashed His Way Straight Through the double locked doors as if They Were Made of Nothing More Then Toothpicks Glued Together.
With amazing speed Grmork lept from the fallen set of doors to land atop the hill of debris. He stood there, motionless. All four legs spread apart with his great teeth bared as his unnatural bright green eyes landed on not only The Empress but Atreyu as well.
"So...Brave Warrior...Atreyu..." Grmork's voice came out as a low growling sound, his nose twitching with every word he spoke. "We Meet Again."
Atreyu Stared Right Back at the Half-Werewolf. Not Saying a Word. His Heated Gaze Never Wavering as He Stared Down His Old Foe.
"HaHaHa..." Grmork continued. The chuckle from his throat made Moonchild's blood run cold for the second time since this whole ordeal began. "Two For the Price of One..."
All Three Present in that Room Knew He was referring to the Death of The Empress. Whom was still very much Alive and standing beside Atreyu, her hand still around his waist and his arm still protectively around her shoulder.
"Don't You Dare Come Near Her..." The tone of Atreyu was quiet, with a hint of warning in it. Moonchild felt his arm slide from her shoulder along her slender back to her waist where it paused for a fraction of a moment. Then, in a voice so low not even Grmork could hear, she heard him address her. "Get behind me." Atreyu's lips barely moved as he spoke. But Moonchild was able to lip-read him easily, having seen him do so with Carion or Brijatte in their midst so many times before in the past. "Move as quietly as you can," he continued. "and make as little to no movement as possible."
Heart in her throat Moonchild nodded, barely moving her head as she did so. Gradually she relaxed her grip on his waist, a little at a time, until it hung at her side. Then, as she had done in the Magnolia Pavilion, Moonchild's feet moved a minuscule inch at a time, to the right until her whole frame was completely hidden by Atreyu's lean mid-back. Her fingertips brushed against his palm to let him know she was safely behind him. Atreyu's own fingertips, also barely moving an inch, gently squeezed hers in return letting her know he understood.
Standing still as a statue, the top of her forehead barely reaching the middle of Atreyu's spine, The Empress used the corner of her left eye to look through the space between his arm and ribcage to where Grmork still stood on top of the debris pile looking right back down at them his nose still twitching from time to time as he continued to growl softly between long, panting breaths.
It was as if she was once again in a Chess Match. Only this time, It was Her and Atreyu against Grmork instead of just Herself Alone opposite this Half-Werewolf.
A cold sense of icy dread settled in the pit of her stomach as she came to the realization of why Grmork was still standing where he was: It was HIS turn to 'play' in This Chess Match of Life and Death. And He was Studying His Opponents while he calculated his next move. She could almost see the wheels behind those unearthly bright green eyes spinning as they ran over the many different possibilities. Panic, like a fountain spout, threatened to bubble upwards from deep inside and burst its way forth and it was all she could do to keep this panicky feeling deep in her soul where it belonged. She nearly winced as a flash of pain shot across her heart as though it has been electrocuted. Within this moment of quick, sharp pain, The Empress's gut told her that Something Unimaginably Tragically Horrible was About to Happen.
And There Would be Nothing Within Her Powers She Could Do To Stop It.
Her hand reached for the curved doorhandle behind her. Her fingers closed around the smooth carved wood.
But It Was Already Too Late.
Within the Moment of her body's weight throwing itself against the Kitchen's door and it giving way, she could see the body of Grmork launch itself from the hilltop into the air. His Jaws Opened Wide, baring even more sharp teeth as he seemed to hang in the air for a long, long moment. As the Huge Beast seemed to hover in space for that long, long moment, Moonchild, her hand now gripping the back of Atreyu's belt, had dragged them both backwards through the wooden door into the Kitchens. Atreyu's moccosoned feet, unused to the ground beneath them, went haphazardly every which way, his arms flailing for a second before he managed to regain his footing.
"GO...GO!" He shouted to Moonchild who now was holding him by the arm as they both moved backwards across the Royal Kitchens as fast as they could, dodging around or across whatever was in their way. The Half-Werewolf by now was mere feet from them despite the fact his path was blocked by all the furniture and equipment bolted to the floor of the long, wide yet VERY cramped quarters.
Suddenly, without warning, Moonchild tripped, landing hard, sideways, on the tile-bricked floor. Her heel had gotten caught on an uneven tile jutting up a few inches from all its other companions.
Atreyu, unable to see where or how she'd fallen, felt the ankle furthest from him make contact with the very same jutting tile The Empress herself had encountered seconds beforehand. He too, fell backwards, a cry of astonished pain escaping from him as his tailbone struck the brick floor. The back of his head made contact with the thick, high wooden wall behind them, making him see flashes of bright spots of light in front of his eyes for a few seconds. Dazed from the force of the impact, strands of long dark hair obscuring his full vision, Atreyu shook his head to clear both his head and vision just in time to see the vast form of the Half-Werewolf standing no more then five feet directly in front of them.
And There Was Nowhere Left for Them to Run.
For the Outer Door to the Kitchens was still a good one hundred feet away on the left hand side beyond the Royal Pantries and their way was blocked by the tall ten-foot long wooden wall separating the Royal Pantry from the preparations section of the Kitchens.
They Were Trapped.
Moonchild, having pulled herself out from underneath her Atreyu, hooked her arms under his shoulders and, straining, lifted him to his feet as she, herself rose from the Kitchen floor.
A low predatory growl made The Empress raise her head. Her blue orbs met those of Grmork's and her hands rose to her open mouth in horror at what she read in them: The bloodthirsty look in the Half-Werewolf's eyes told her He was Going to kill the Great Plains Warrior.
Moonchild's hand brushed up against something leaning against the wall. Sensing her thoughts, Atreyu followed her eyes out of the corners of his own. What they saw was a long steel firepoker close enough for him to close his hand around it without being seen by Grmork. Very slowly, the Plains Warrior stretched out, those few inches between his backside and the wall, and closed one hand around the long, smooth steeliness of the weapon behind him, pulling it discreetly against the side of his leg ready to use at a moment's notice. His other hand slid into that of The Empress, thus silently telling her for them to run the instant the Half-Werewolf came at them. This time, it was the gentle squeeze of The Empress's hand telling Atreyu she had read his unspoken gesture and understood its meaning.
Grmork's Back Arched. His Whole Body Going Tense As He Prepared to Spring Forth.
'Run. I Won't Let HIM Hurt You.' Atreyu's eyes told her..' Run Now!'
The Empress Took Off Running.
Hearing Atreyu's footsteps right behind her she cast a hurried glance over her shoulder as she ran alongside the wooden divider of the Kitchens. Atreyu, his back still towards her, was holding the firepoker sideways at upper chest-level with both hands gripping both ends and using it to ward off the snapping jaws of the Half-Werewolf as he attacked again and again. The howls of frustration coming from Grmork made both their ears ring as the Dark Creature lunged at Atreyu from different angles. But no matter which way the Half-Werewolf came at him: the Plains Warrior was there to block him each and every time. Keeping her eyes forward, despite the danger at her heels, Moonchild kept on running down the length of the wall-divider.
Then There was Silence.
Moonchild looked behind her shoulder again to find no sign of Grmork.
That was Odd...
Atreyu and Moonchild stopped in their tracks. Both of them turning around and around in a circular motion all the while looking in all directions for the vicious beast.
Suddenly Moonchild looked up...and screamed.
Balancing itself atop the wide wooden wall-divider was Grmork. Neither of them had seen him jump up to the top of the wall.
Before The Empress could react, the Half-Werewolf Attacked.
Vaulting off the top of the wooden wall at lightning speed his body plunged straight down at her with all four claws bared and jaws full of razer-sharp teeth open wide ready to tear her apart the second he pinned her to the ground.
She felt Atreyu's body slam against her knocking her off her feet as he threw himself between her and Grmork, his howl of rage echoing in her ears.
The last thing she saw before her head hit the brick-tiled floor was the sharp tip of the firepoker being driven deep into the Half-Werewolf's heart-just as he pinned Atreyu beneath him. His claws embedding themselves deep into nearly every section of Atreyu's body before collapsing to the Kitchen Floor and moved no more.
Then She Blacked Out.
. . . . . . . .
A few moments later, though it seemed like hours, her eyes opened to find both Hunter and Half-Werewolf laying motionless on their sides upon the floor in a pool of blood.
Crawling on her hands and knees Moonchild reached Atreyu's side and turned him over onto his back, his head in her lap.
'Oh, Gods...Please...No...Please...'
The Empress could no longer hold back the ocean of tears that gushed forth as she gazed down upon the sight before her: Atreyu, his eyes half-closed, his breathes coming in short and ragged as he struggled to breathe properly, was covered in blood that was both of Grmork's and his own. She tenderly stroked his hair, smoothing the strands off cheeks growling paler with every passing moment from loss of blood. His eyes lifted to meet hers and She knew that He knew that Nothing, Not even her Powers would be able to stop Death from Claiming him Once it Had Taken Hold.
Weakly Atreyu raised himself enough to where he could lay his head under her chin as he took her into his embrace for what they both knew would be the last time.
Overcome with grief Moonchild buried her face into his dark hair weeping. Her silent sobbing shook her whole body as many more oceans of tears rained down her cheeks to fall upon his pale face and dampen his hair. "Don't Go...Please..." Her whispers were broken as she silently cried on and on.
"I'm Sorry..." Atreyu's voice was barely a whisper itself "I don't want to leave you either..."
"You Didn't Have to put Yourself in front of Him!"
"I Know...But He was going to kill You..."
"It's Not Worth Sacrificing Your Life to Save Mine!" Moonchild was crying so hard she was having trouble breathing herself.
"We Both Know What Would Haven Happened if Grmork had killed you..." Atreyu pushed himself up further so his face was on the same level as her own. He leaned his forehead against hers, his hand cradling one side of her cheek soaked with tears. Moonchild could only nod in agreement. Her shattered heart mixed with grief had made her nearly mute. Blindly she mimicked him by placing her hand upon his cheek not caring if there was drying blood on it from turning him over onto his back minutes ago.
"I love you..." His breath was against her forehead as they held each other close. "Oh, Gods...How I love you..." Gradually cooling lips brushed against the tip of her nose before descending upon her mouth.
The feeling of his breath, however little he had left, mixed with the softness of his mouth on her own sent wave after wave of undying love pouring from his heart into hers. In spite of his life ebbing away bit by bit they sat there exchanging soft kisses and words of comfort, next to the 'dead' Half-Werewolf, not caring they were both covered in Atreyu's blood. All that mattered to them at that moment was being there for one another till Atreyu's last breath left his body.
A distant BOOMING from outside vaguely reached their ears as did the sounds of the Tower crumbling down piece by piece above and around them.
"The Nothing's going Obliterate Fantasia soon..." She choked out tearfully even as she kissed him softly, passionately some more.
"I don't think I'll be able to last that long..." Atreyu admitted, his own heart in shambles thinking of his Angelic Empress having to face her own life and their World's being snuffed out in a single moment all alone. "But even if Death takes me before the Nothing does...my spirit will stay with you till both your life and that of Fantasia's no longer exist...So...you...won't...be...alone... not...completely..."
"I'll Never Let You Go..." She vowed. "Even if it means holding onto your lifeless body as my own is being extinguished." Their lips met in yet another kiss tasting the salt from each others neverending rainfalls of tears on their lips and tongues..
"I love you My Atreyu..." the Empress whispered against her lover's lips. "Thank You for Everything You've Ever Done for Me Now and in the Past..." They both knew She meant The Great Quest. "You Truly Are My Guardian Angel..."
"And I Thank You my Angelic Empress...You Honestly are the Best Thing to Enter My Life..." They shared one last kiss before wearily, Atreyu laid his head upon her breast, over her heart.
"If Fantasia is ever reborn again...Will you still be here by my side? Will you remember the bond of love we have shared?" Moonchild's hand had resumed stroking his hair and pale face despite the fact her quiet sobs never ceasing.
Struggling to keep his eyes open Atreyu nodded as if making a vow to them both: "I'll ALWAYS Be By Your Side Ogliglewakan...As both Your Guardian Spirit and Your Lover..." He took her hand into his own "Our Bond of Love We share between us will Never be forgotten by either of Us. Nor will It Ever Die for It cannot die even if Fantasia is Obliterated numberless times over. Out love for each other is NeverEnding..." He shivered as a chill from more loss of blood slowly seeped from his many fatal wounds.
"If only you weren't so cold..." She wept.
Atreyu, still holding her hand, now placed it over his dying heart giving the top a loving pat. "Your love for me is keeping me warm..." He murmured.
All Moonchild Could Do Was Sob.
'Oh, Gods...' she thought hearbreakingly, 'How can this be happening...? He's too Good, Too Brave, Loving and Kind for This to happen to him...' Taking Atreyu's free hand in he own she pressed the front of it once more to her tear-soaked cheek, covering the palm and fingertips with a million soft kisses as she rubbed her cheek against the nearly cold skin.
A flicker of a smile appeared on Atreyu's pale lips as slowly he turned to look up at his Angelic Empress. He didn't have too much longer...a few moments at most. He sensed that she too, knew this was the very end. She could feel his heartbeats grow fainter and fainter. "I...I need...You..."
"What is My Atreyu?" Her tear-choked voice was soft as she did her best to comfort him in his last moments. "What is it you need me to do for you?"
Atreyu looked deep into His Empress's dark blue eyes. "I...Need ...You... To...Be ...Strong...Brave...For...Me ...When...I'm...Gone..." He whispered.
"I Don't Think I Can..." A fresh wave of tears made their appearance.
"You...Have...To...For...When...The...Nothing...Takes...Your...Existence...From...You...And...From...Fantasia...Promise...Me...You'll...Do...This..."
She rubbed her cheek against his palm, damp from her tears, covering it with new featherlight kisses, "I Promise..."
The Great Plains Warrior slowly turned his head away from her, lifted the hand that lay over his heart and brought it to his lips placing his own set of farewell kisses to its palm for the last time. "I love you Ogliglewakan..." He turned back to look up at her."Remember...I...Have...Always...Loved...You...I Love...You...Now...And...I...Always...Will..."
Moonchild never took her gaze off of his face for even a second as she spoke the last words they both knew he would ever hear: " And I Have Always Loved You My Atreyu..." Her voice quavered but she forced herself to be strong for him. "Even Before We Met I Loved You. I Love You Now and I Always Will Love You..."
Atreyu, smiling softly, lifted her hand to his lips and lay the back of it against his cold lips, kissing it softly before turning his face inwards to rest his cheek against her beating heart, his eyes softly sliding closed for the last time as the very last breath left his parted lips. His hand fell gracefully from her cheek to lay quietly against his body.
Lifting her head towards the Heavens The Empress of Fantasia let a Wail of Anguished Grief like one she'd never known erupt from deep within her soul.
"NO!...OH GODS...WHY!?..."
Her Mind was Screaming. Begging. Pleading. Asking the Fates as to Why They Had To Be So Cruel. Her Anguished Sobbing, no longer soft and bravely silent, reverberated around the room over and over again as she bent over the lifeless body of Atreyu: Her Very Best Friend, Lover, Protector and The Love of Her Life, choking on endless sobs now, not caring if her own heart stopped from the endless river of tears robbing her of her own ability to breathe.
A Loud CRACKING from above made the grief-stricken Empress look up. Her expression went from one to Anguished Grief to Horrified Disbelief:
A section of roof, larger then any she had yet seen this night was plummeting though the air directly above them. In spite of the overwhelming agony her shattered heart was feeling, Moonchild knew she had to get both herself and Atreyu's body out of the way before they were crushed! Struggling with Atreyu's literally dead weight Moonchild tried to drag his lifeless form while moving backwards as fast as she could, all the while screaming in horror as this chunk of ivory foundation, as wide as a Purple Buffalo, came hurling towards them at unspeakable speed.
Coming Faster...Faster... Even More Faster.
There was No Way of Stopping It...
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Enchanted Night