Kali kept her breathing even and her body limp as Sebastian minions tied her to the post, they didn't seem to think she was much of a threat as they didn't bind her very well. She sliced her eye to see where Tor and Sebastian were, she could see them speaking but couldn't hear what they were saying and then Tor gathered up his brother and walked away.
Sebastian turned and started walking slowly towards Kali, he stopped a foot from her and spoke her name "Kalidescope, my dear sister." He struck out back handing her, her head snapped back and her eyes opened, reds swirling angrily in her eyes until she tamped down on her emotions and stared back at Sebastian.
"Sebastian" she said and spat at his feet, she tasted blood in her mouth. She longed to release her mist but knew she needed to wait.
"Ive been looking for you for a very long time, and nothing your blessed mother or our sainted father could do to stop destiny." He said and slapped her again, almost casually. He grasped her chin, painfully, and tilted her head up. The sky was a sheet of dark velvet, sprinkled with stars, with a big fat moon illuminating the world around it. She could feel the planets aligning and the stars slowly starting to circle the full blue moon.
"Once the stars of fate align with the moon, I'll slip the dragon dagger into your heart and become the one true king of Crystal Kingdom, and you shall be nothing but a pile of ashes." He released her chin and laughed as he walked away from her "Guard her well" he said to his minions "I have a coronation to prepare for."
Kali stared after the snake that called himself her brother, she couldn't feel anything but anger for the monster he was. She thought of Tor then, and hoped he had managed to escape with his brother. She didn't know how long she stood there, her eyes closed, senses alert. She felt hands at her wrists and stiffened. The bindings on her wrists loosened and dropped away. She didn't move, couldn't be sure that it wasn't Patrick, one more new torture her brother had devised for her.
"Kali." Tor whispered, he eyes snapped open nd stared into his, the swirling colors were to intense to decipher.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered back and quickly looked around, she needn't have worried, he had knocked out the two guards Sebastian had left to watch her.
"I came back for you." He said and grasped her elbow but when he pulled her forward she dug in her heels.
"Im not going Tor" she pulled her arm out of his grasp. "I told you I need to be here when the stars and moon align, its my destiny, the only way to free my people of that monster."
"Damnit Kali!" he said in an angry whisper "he means to stab you to get your power."
"I know, he informed me of this." She looked deep into his eyes "I have seen how it ends, Thats why you need to leave Tor, please, I don't want to be responsible for your death, I couldn't live with that on my heart." She hugged him, tight and whispered a spell, soft and gentle, that would hopefully compel him to leave and soon. She could feel the mist swirling in her, the planets had aligned and the stars were making their last decent, Sebastian would be back at any moment.
As Tor held her back he felt warmth envelop him and the urge to walk away, he fought the allure of the spell she had obviously attempted on him. "let me fight with you Kali, I couldn't live with your death on my heart."
Kali pulled back and looked at him. She grasped his face in her hands and kissed him, pouring every ounce of her love and hope into it. "I will not die tonight, but you will if you don't leave. Ill find you, Shadow Boy, wherever you go, you are a part of me forever. But you have to go, there is too much shadow in you and the fire mist will kill you."
Kali punched up the spell and felt tor disappearing "Kali, what the hell?!" He was fading into the shadows but not of his free will. "I will find you agin." and with that she sent him far away. She stepped back to the pole and Wille the ropes to wind loosely around her wrists. She did a quick spell to erase the guards memories of Tor. Then simply closed her eyes, gathered her power and awaited her destiny.
Sebastian stepped into the circle, that was now surrounded by his minions and other members of Crystal Kingdom. He smirked at Kali, tied to the post, and looked up at the sky. The stars were almost in perfect alignment with the moon, soon he would be the rightful ruler and all those who had opposed him would suffer his wrath. He faced them all and began the ceremony.
"People of the Crystal Kingdom, I give you Kalidescope the Usurper. She who stole my fathers powers from me, the rightful heir." He pointed at Kali, who held her head high, her eyes swirling madly as the first star linked to the moons power. "Today" he continued "as the stars of fate align with the full moon, I will use the same dagger that was used on my father and I will take back what was stolen." He turned then nd looked at his sister, his smile cold and malicious.
"Any last words, sister?" He asked
Kali eyes ceased their swirling and instead became a vivid blue, she smiled at him just as coldly, she felt the second star link with the moon, her eyes deepened further and she lifter her voice above the rumbles of the people gathered around.
"I am Kalidescope of the Crystal Kingdom, I am a princess of Royal Blood." She let her gaze travel over all the faces gathered, some were smirking but others were beginning to listen, she could feel the mist gathering, beginning to heat within her, the final star was circling the moon.
"I am Kalidescope of the Crystal Kingdom" She said again and looked at her brother with eyes so blue they were almost black, she saw the first licks of fear flicker in his eyes "Daughter of Malachai of the South Mists and Aria, Royal Guardian of the Light" she saw Sebastian jerk and anger flushed his face.
"You lie!" he spat, as the people gathered gasped "Your mother was nothing more that a pampered wench from a lesser kingdom."
From a shadowed corner of the West Tower, Tor surveyed the crowd below. He had managed to find his way back from wherever he spell had sent him and now watched as the others did as Kali all but glowed, he looked up and saw the final star making its final turn around the moon, it was almost time.
Once again Kali spoke, addressing the crowd "I am Kalidescope of the Crystal Kingdom, daughter of Malachai of the South Mists and Aria, Royal Guardian of the Light. I am a Guardian of the Realm, the mist is mine to command, I hold within me both the dark and the light." She looked at Sebastian as he stood there frozen.
"I am the vessel, the power and the truth." The last star aligned with the others and linked to the moon.
"I am your destruction!" and with that she thrust her arms skyward and met her destiny as the power flowed through her, igniting the fire mist. Sebastian lunged forward with the knife but was too late.
The fire mist ripped through her and out in a circling funnel, gods it felt like she was burning from the inside out, she never held such power before. At the same time, she felt a cooling sensation as the fire mist consumed every last dark entity within and without the pure white circle. Sebastian was no more, she felt his power drains nd disappear as her fire mist consumed him, she heard his scream and his curse as he told her that this was not his need, that she would see him again.
Kali lowered her face and arms and surveyed her surroundings. There were burning bodies turning to ash and disappearing, as the fire mist began to retreat back into her, she felt her heart rip in two. She stumbled forward crying "no, no, no, no" she chanted over and over again, as she skidded over ash and still burning bodies. She stumbled and righted herself several times as she made her way to a body that lay half in light and held in shadow.
Tor lay on his side, his arm outstretched sd if he had been trying to reach out to her a she ascended. Kali fell to her knees beside him and gathered him up in her arms. he was badly burned, his face red and oozing blood. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she rocked him back and forth and kissed the top of his head. "Tor, why?" She whispered "I told you to go, I made you go. How am I going o live knowing I killed you?" she sobbed quietly. She didn't know how long she sat there with the burned body of the man she loved in her arms, just rocking back and forth and sobbing.
There was a light that seemed to come from the shadows, it wasn't bright but almost foggy, as it cam closer a shape emerged in the fog. It was that of a man, tall and muscular, his features became more defined, he had a chiseled jaw, full lips and familiar green eyes. She tensed and held Tors body closer to her own.
"You have nothing to fear from me, my queen." He said as he approached her, his voice was low and gravely and again familiar. "I have travelled a long way to help."
"Who are you?" Kali asked, she shied away as he knelt down closer to her, her heart jolted hone she looked closely at him, he was an older version of Tor. She started to notice other shapes forming from the fog, there were several older men with the armor of the Crystal Eagles, one that brought back distant memories, not her own.
"Sir Michael" She whispered and fresh tears sprung to her eyes.
"My lady" He bowed deeply "I apologize for our tardiness but when young Alistaire found us we had yet to find Oren."
"Who is Oren?" Kali asked
"That would be me your majesty" The man at her side spoke up "You see I have been searching for Tor for many years now, although I knew that I could not stop his destiny here tonight." He laid hand on Tors forehead, his body began to turn to mist in Kalis arms. She sprung up and cried in outrage.
"What have you done with him?" She demanded
"I sent him to the healing plains, his sacrifice was necessary" Oren said as he slowly rose.
"Necessary?" she asked, incredulously
"He is of the dark, my lady." Oren continued and laid a gentle hand on her cheek. "He is the balance to your light. A Guardian of Royal Blood, my son."
Kali eyes widened and swirled madly, all the emotions twisting and turning in a riotess rainbow. "He was a Guardian?" she whispered.
"He is a Guardian, my dear. Where there is a great power of light, there must be one of dark to balance, and a melding of the two, to bring about the new power. He is meant for you as you are for him."
Oren turned and whispered something to Sir Michael, Kali didn't hear nor did she attempt to, it was too much, the ascension had filled her with power and now she felt drained. Tor was Royal like her, she thought and he was still alive, in the healing plains beyond the mountains of the mist.
"Will I ever see him again?" She asked Oren.
"Yes, you will your majesty." Oren said with a soft smile "In more ways than one." With that he lay a soft kiss on her cheek and vanished. Sir Michael approached and offered her his arm.
"Come my Queen" He said gently "Lets greet your people and let them know they are finally free of Sebastians tyranny." Kali gave the shadows one last look and then took Sir Michaels arm, walking away from the shadows and into the light of the moon ringed by three bright stars.