Third Person POV

Jazz, Tucker, Sam, Dani, Clockwork, Serenity, Fright Knight and Dan all exited the portal and flew towards the large castle. Lucky for them, Dan was still unconscious on Fright Knight's shoulder. They hoped he would remain that way until they could find a way to detain him, or at least until Clockwork went back to acting like his normal self and not this love struck version. The Time Master still held his long lost love in his arms as they entered the castle. Once everyone was inside, Clockwork whisked her away to the hospital wing. Tucker and Sam helped the Guardian to the hospital wing as well. Fright Knight took the unconscious Dan away to somewhere he claimed, 'Would keep him contained until Clockwork could deal with him'. That left Jazz and Dani. The two girls made their way to the guest parlor. When they entered the room, they saw that Talia, Nocturne and Scarlet were already in there. There were two cushions on the floor where Talia and Scarlet were sitting and talking, while Nocturne had himself draped across one of the couches, resting. They all jerked to attention when the small group entered.

Scarlet's eyes immediately went to Jazz, the only other human girl who she had grown quite close to. Jazz nodded at her and gave her a small smile. Dani moved to sit on the couch opposite to Nocturne, and Jazz noticed that the little ghost girl was slightly shaking. She moved towards the clone and sat down beside on the couch. "Hey, you okay?" She asked, lightly gripping Dani's shoulder. Dani bit her lip and continued to shake slightly. She wrapped herself in a self hug and leaned into Jazz. She shook her head no. Jazz was growing extremely concerned. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked. The older Fenton girl had realized from past experiences with her brother, that demanding to know the answers never helped. It was better to just let Danny come to her than the other way around, and since Danielle was a clone of Danny she hoped the results would be the same.

"V-Vlad." The small girl stuttered. "When we figured out he was the last piece of this messed up puzzle, I was so angry. He has haunted me for so long, I just wanted it to end." Jazz wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, pulling her into a partial hug. Dani continued. "I thought I was strong enough to go back to that place, but I guess not. The second we got there, I was scared. It was only because of Dan I didn't break down then and there. My fear of Vlad was swallowed up at the rush of energy I got from seeing that other fang faced freak." Jazz gently patted Dani's hair, noticing it was still white. Danielle was still in her ghost form. Normally, when she was at the castle she would go into her human form. That was due to her feeling safe enough to allow her guard to slip down. But right now, all she felt was fear. Being in her ghost form made her feel safe and powerful, Jazz realized. 

As the older girl continued to comfort the girl she saw as a sister, Talia gasped. Jazz and Dani split apart and zeroed in on the two girls sitting on the floor. Talia was slowly backing away from Scarlet, who's eyes were glowing bright red. "It's her!" Scarlet shouted, her voice echoing. "It's the ghost. I'm seeing through her eyes!" Nocturne sat up at hearing that. He slowly shuffled closer to Scarlet, though he still remained on the couch. Scarlet groaned, clutching her head. "It's too much! It hurts! Make it stop!" She screamed. Nocturne reached out to Scarlet and placed a starry hand on her head, closing his eyes as he did. Scarlet's screams died down and she took in deep, heavy breaths.

"Tell us what you see." Nocturne urged. 

Scarlet gulped. "I-I see a room. W-With lots of weapons and armor." Scarlet's fingers rose to her temples. "Wait! Now I see an army! Of... Oh my god." The human girl made a gagging noise. Talia rushed off to the side and grabbed a waste bin, bringing it back over to Scarlet. But Scarlet remained strong, she fought through whatever she was currently seeing to cause this reaction and continued to tell them what she saw. "The army is just... They look like zombies. I can hear cheering, and also screaming." Scarlet gasped. "Oh! Now I see the ghost boy you guys were talking about!" Jazz nearly fell off of the couch as she leaned closer to Scarlet. "He looks like he's sleeping. She's just poking her head in the room and checking on him I think. What's she doing now..." The brightly haired girl trailed off and her face instantly went pale. She began to whisper 'No' over and over again, each time she said it her voice increased in volume. Just as she was on the verge of screaming the word, the red glow faded from her eyes and she slumped back against the couch, panting and sweating. Talia held the waste bin out to Scarlet, which the girl accepted. Scarlet heaved into the bin, while Talia soothingly rubbed her back.

Jazz moved over to Nocturne. "What the heck happened to her?" She asked. Jazz could imagine that what Scarlet felt and saw during that little event couldn't be pleasant, but she wanted to know what caused her final reaction. What caused her to scream no over and over.

Nocturne sighed. "I cannot be perfectly certain about what she saw. The mind link she shares with Riona is very strong, but also weak. It is, in itself, an anomaly. But then again, so is Riona. The Elder Spirit dragged a hand down his face and sunk into the couch cushions. "I could only catch mere glimpses of whatever Scarlet saw through Riona's eyes." Dani floated to Scarlet's side, grabbing her brightly colored hair and holding it away from the bin she was currently still vomiting in. Nocturne and Jazz glanced at the girl.

Jazz frowned, "Will it be like this forever?" She asked the Elder Spirit. Jazz felt bad for Scarlet. She couldn't even imagine what Scarlet had been through while she was Riona's prisoner. The poor girl would most likely be scarred for life, and on top of all that she was still linked to the entity that had tortured her mind for so long. 

Nocturne shook his head. "No, in time it should wear off. A mind link like this is very finicky. It's weak enough that it should wear off within a few hours, days at the most. Yet it is still strong enough to have Scarlet's mind linked with Riona, who is now in an entirely different dimension." Nocturne had to admit the strangeness behind this mind link completely baffled him. Riona's mind must be incredibly powerful for this to be so. One could only wonder how long the effects of this would truly last.

Scarlet finally stopped heaving into the waste bin and wiped away a small trail of bile of her mouth with her sleeve. Her eyes were glazed over and she was shaking. Talia continued to rub soothing circles on her back. "There, there," she soothed, "it's alright. Just take deep breaths."

"That might be a good idea, since none of us are going to be breathing for much longer." Scarlet said, her voice hollow. The small group gasped at her words.

"What are you talking about?" Dani asked, floating a few feet above the ground. Jazz moved closer to Scarlet and noticed that even Nocturne inched closer to the girl.

"Riona... She's coming." Scarlet whispered. She ran a hand through her hair, looking up at the worried faces surrounding her. "And she's not coming alone."

IT IS I! THE ALL MIGHTY LINE BREAK! I BRING JOY AND LOVE TO ALL! NOW CONTINUE READING!

Sam and Tucker currently sat beside the bed of the Guardian. Guardian and Tucker were having a conversation, with Tucker roughly trying to translate what he said, with Sam's help of course. The Guardian knew only how to speak Esperanto, just like Wulf, but the two humans could tell that he was catching onto English quick, even saying small sentences in the language. They learned a lot from him. Most of it they didn't quite catch or understand, but what they did learn was extremely interesting. Guardian knew a lot about Riona and the Dark Castle, as well as the prophecy. After talking with him for about a half hour, Sam and Tucker were shooed away by a ghost nurse so that Guardian could rest. The two did as they were told and left the room.

They exited the hospital wing and started heading to the guest parlor, where they knew the others were waiting. "I wonder how Clockwork's doing." Tucker mused. Neither of them had seen the elusive Time Master ever since he had headed to the hospital wing with Serenity.

Sam nodded. "Yeah. But I'm sure he's fine." She said, assured. They entered the hall that led to the guest parlor, and just when they were a few feet from the doors the two friends heard a loud scream. They shared a look and ran straight towards the parlor.

Normal Line Break here! Hope you're liking the chapter! I'll let you get back to reading now :)

Clockwork held Serenity's delicate hand in his as he sat beside her bed. Her long white hair flowed gracefully around her head and her light blue skin look like it was glowing. The clothes the small group had found her in had been replaced with a white gown. A clean white blanket went up to her waist as she sat up, leaning against a pair of pillows. Nurses and doctors milled about, checking up on the two, but also taking care to respect their privacy. Serenity's silver eyes were smiling as she tightly gripped Clockwork's hand, as if clinging to him for dear life, and the Time Master did the same. All those years with Serenity being a prisoner and Clockwork blaming himself for losing her were torture for them both. They had missed each other in ways that couldn't be expressed by words. But there was one thing that could be expressed. It was that they never wanted to be separated again. 

Clockwork raised his other hand and gently caressed his love's cheek. Tears sprang to his eyes, "I have missed you for so long beloved. I feared that I would truly never see you again until my own time came." Clockwork tightened his grip on Serenity's hand and tears fell from his eyes. 

The corners of the female spirit's lips turned upwards in a small smile. She placed her other hand on top of Clockwork's hand on her cheek as her own tears began to spill. "I missed you too my love, but I knew one day you would find me. I never lost faith in you, not once."

Clockwork looked away from her. "How could that be so? I failed you Serenity. I was not strong enough then, and now..." The Time Master trailed off, his words hanging in the air. Serenity reached out to him and gently cupped his face, turning it back to her.

"It's not going to happen. No matter what, you'll always be here. And now I will be here with you." She placed her hand on Clockwork's glass chest. "Our love, like time will, go on forever. And no one can say otherwise." The two lovers stared into the other's eyes for a long time. Clockwork eventually stood, placing a gentle kiss on Serenity's hand.

"I will leave you to rest. I will come to see you again soon." He told her before leaving the hospital wing. Serenity sadly watched him leave, and then sank back into her pillows. She closed her eyes and called out to the closest nurse. She politely asked the nurse to have everyone leave the area where she was located. After much convincing, the nurse agreed and the entire area where Serenity rested was cleared out. The Elder Spirit was left alone, or was she?

Serenity opened her eyes, and narrowed them in anger. "You might as well come out. I could sense you the entire time." She hissed. Two figures shimmered into existence. The two winged ghosts of Life. Chiara and Lucian. Chiara smiled sadly at the weak Serenity, her golden eyes twinkling. Lucian looked mildly impressed, his feathered wings gently fluttering.

"You continue to amuse me Serenity. Not even Clockwork could sense us." Lucian commented.

Serenity sat up, grimacing in pain. "He could sense you. That is why he left so abruptly. Can't say I blame him though. I think we've all had enough of you two." The Elder Spirit turned slightly away from the two winged ghosts and adjusted her pillows. Chiara moved towards Serenity in a gesture to help adjust the pillows. But once she reached the bedside, Serenity turned and held up her hand, showing a soft silver glow emitting from her palm. Chiara immediately moved away from her and went to stand beside Lucian.

Chiara hung her head, her white hair casting a shadow over her face. "I am sorry my child-"

"I am not your child. None of us are." Serenity said sharply, her eyes narrowed in anger.

Chiara was taken aback by her words and shuffled slightly closer to Lucian, who merely chuckled. A smirk appeared on the winged man's face. "You are starting to act more and more like your sister, Chaos." He said.

Serenity felt pain clench her core. How dare he speak her name! It's his fault she's gone in the first place. While they fought for the after-lives against Pariah and Vizier, the Lord's and Lady's of Life and Death merely watched in amusement. Like children playing with their toys. Only this wasn't a game of pretend, it was real life. After the rise of Pariah and Vizier, the remaining Elder Spirits asked for help from their creators. But they were refused any assistance, as it was apparently not their mess to clean up. Because of their lack of responsibility, Umbra and Tynan were able to manipulate Vizier and in turn, Vizier created the cruel king Pariah Dark. Serenity was lost in the battle between Clockwork and Vizier. Her sister had mourned her and quickly became consumed by anger. Then she was lost in the battle against Pariah. The only ones who remained of the Elders were herself, Clockwork, and Nocturne now that he had fully reclaimed his title.

Serenity let her silver eyes flash red for only a moment, but it certainly got her 'creators' attention. "You may never speak her name. You have no right to!" She shouted. "And it is because of you both that she is lost to me! You refused to clean up the mess you helped create and you let all of you precious 'children' pay the price for your mistakes with your lives!"

Lucian's wings flapped in anger. "How dare you speak to us this way!"

Serenity bolted upright in her bed. "I dare, because I know you have no power over me now." Serenity smirked as she watched the looks of surprise appear on Lucian and Chiara's faces. But her smirk was short lived as she watched Lucian's lips turn upwards in a smile.

He turned away from her, folding his wings until they were out of sight. He placed a hand on his chin and closed his eyes. "True, we may no longer have any power over you. But we still remain in control of one pawn."

Serenity's eyes widened. She reached out to Lucian. "You wouldn't." She whispered.

Lucian turned to her and smiled. "Oh I would. Umbra and Tynan are not the only ones capable of cruelty." He winked and started to pace back in forth in front of Serenity's bed. "Yes, we are bound by different laws, but there is always a loophole. Or sometimes," he glanced at Serenity, "a well timed accident." Chiara turned to Lucian, shock the only emotion on her face. Chiara was not aware how close her partner was to their dark counterparts.

Lucian believed in the 'to beat your enemy you must know your enemy' tactic. He did follow the rules that were to be followed by a Lord of Life, but he did take advantage of every loophole he could. It was because of that, he was able to keep a few steps ahead of Umbra and Tynan. Though Chiara disapproved of this tactic, she did not interfere with his choices. She could only hope that his ways would not turn him away from his path.

Serenity's right palm glowed with a soft silver energy and her eyes briefly flashed silver. "If you lay so much as one feather on him, I will not hesitate to-" She began, only for Lucian to interrupt her.

"You have no need to fear child." He said, putting emphasis on the word 'child'. Serenity clenched her hands into fists at his constant teasing. "We will not harm him. For he is already walking the path to his own destruction." Lucian brushed his blond bangs out of his golden eyes, revealing a mischievous charm to them. "And he knows it." Lucian then turned away from Serenity and extended his wings, flying upwards and disappearing in a flash of light. 

Serenity looked away from the bright flash and growled. "Always with the dramatics." She hissed. The Spirit of Order looked back to the foot of her bed and saw Chiara still standing there. She bowed her head in shame and followed after Lucian, though she merely shimmered out of existence instead of the annoying light show. Serenity sank back into her pillows, quietly whimpering in pain as all the movement she did caused her wounds to flare with pain. Silent tears dripped from her eyes and ran down the sides of her face.

"We are all pawns in a greater game. And the pawns are always the first to be sacrificed." 

A/N: Hey peoples. Yes I know you are all probably yelling at me for not updating for so long but things have been a bit rough lately. But I'm back on track now and I will do my best to have a steady flow of updates. Thanks for reading and I'll see you all in the next one! :)

(Also good news for 'I'm Adopted?' readers! I have finished the rewrite of the story and the final chapter is being put through the final editing phases. I will be posting it as a completely new book as I made a lot of changes because, if I'm being honest, it sucked majorly. So I hope that all this work I have put into it has made it a lot better and you all will enjoy it! Thank you all so much for your patience in this! The new book should be posted very soon!)