At those words, I leaned back in my chair and thought of home. My abuelita once said, "Fear can be your greatest enemy, but should you conquer it, fear can be your greatest friend." This was one of many things she told me that I never understood the meaning behind, that was until the moment Xuxa presented me with my ultimate fear, death. Sure my body wanted to run for the hills and my throat wanted to scream, but I understood that no matter how fast my legs could move or how loud my voice could carry, I was facing an inevitable situation, and I had only two options. I could either die today amongst a crowd of enemies and friends or I could win. The fear that would have paralyzed the most muscular men in the room was the same fear that gave me an overwhelming strength. Unlike those men who had a choice to fight for glory or riches, I was fighting for something more profound, my freedom.

Xuxa swirled her drink and took one final gulp. She looked at the empty mug and chuckled.

"That's the first time I've ever finished a cup of Vigor," she said sliding the mug across the wooden table. She looked over at the half full mug in my hand. "You finished?"

"Yeah," I said placing it down. "It was delicious."

"Well, it's time." Xuxa stood up and slapped the back of her hand against my shoulder. "Up. Up."

I rose to my feet and glanced across the room at the men nearby. They snarled and laughed. One jabbed his fist into the other guy's arm. The man pushed himself up from the table and approached.

"So you're the Mirrorbender?" he said in a deep voice. "A little girl. That's funny."

His crew burst into laughter. I didn't say a word. They reminded me of the bullies at school, only these were ten times bigger and with scars on their faces.

"Too tough to talk, eh," said the man leaning down. His breath reeked of old eggs. "I hear ya fightin' the beast? A little one like you going up against Onikuma. Tsk. Tsk. The men are making bets to see how long you last. I say fifteen minutes. Only because the beast likes to play with his food before he eats."

"I'm going to defeat him," I said clenching my fists.

"What was that?" said the man moving his ear closer. "Cause I thought ya just said you was gonna defeat Onikuma."

I looked away.

"Guys, guys! The Mirrorbender says she is gonna win! Oh lord! That's rich."

Xuxa pushed me to the side. In a flash her red blade was at the man's throat. The man stopped laughing and stared at the blade.

"I may not like the Mirrorbender as much as you," said Xuxa, "but the girl's got balls. More than you sorry lot." Xuxa removed her sword. "Now shut up and sit down before I slice off your head."

A small drop of blood seeped out of the cut Xuxa had made. The man cowered back to his friends and proceeded to ignore us.

"Thank you," I said to Xuxa as we neared the exit.

"I did it because it is my duty to bring you safely to the arena," said Xuxa pushing open the door.

"But you didn't have to stand up for me?"

Xuxa chuckled.

"I'm the Queen of Hearts and despite our differences, we are both strong, fighting women in a world of men," said Xuxa flashing her cloak. "I am always one to believe that enemies deserve honor before battle, even if that enemy is a mirrorbender."

Xuxa was not what I expected. At first I thought her to be cold, emotionless, and full of blind loyalty to her king, but as we paced through the colosseum's underground passageways, I got a sense that she was more than a sword wielding puppet. She felt like a protector who did not want me to know she cared. I thought of my mother and envisioned her wearing a cloak full of hearts with a sword strapped to her side. My mother did wear her heart on her sleeve, and while I did not care for her harsh love back then, I valued it now more than ever before.

We passed through an armory full of WEAKs. They flashed all colors and varieties. Their core crystals no doubt holding some powerful weapons. Next we came to a changing area. Xuxa looked at my clothes seeing if I needed a new outfit. She shrugged and we moved on. I guess dirty, slimy Mirrorbender would be my official fighting look.

When we reached the last door, Xuxa turned to me.

"This is it," she said. "The last stop before the big showdown." Light seeped in from the cracks in the door. A strong draft of warm air and a roar of voices entered from outside. Suddenly the voices quelled and the voice of King Cassius rang out over the assembly.

"Subjects of Blackstone, citizens of Juprus, I welcome you to this glorious occasion. For today we mark a turning point in history. A day your children will hear stories of, a day the bards will sing songs about, a day we will all look with favor as the day the Mirrorbender lineage ended. No more will they invade our world. No more will we dread the end times."

The crowd erupted in cheers. Feet stomped the stands and hands clapped in the air. My heart thumped to the malicious rhythm of the arena, and my breathing became shallow and steady. An unsettling anticipation began to set in and overtake my confidence. King Cassius continued.

"As a people proud of our traditions, we see fit to put the Mirrorbender on trial the way our ancestors did justice by a jury of swords. Should the Mirrorbender claim a shred of innocence she will survive this encounter and be granted an audience with me. Should she prove false and her intentions mislead, she will die today in blood and teeth. Bring out the Mirrorbender!"

Xuxa nodded at the guards by the door. In a strong push, the door opened. Light burst across my body. The heat burned by skin.

"Forward, Mirrorbender," said Xuxa pushing me with the blunt end of her blade.

I stepped forward into the arena as the doors shut and bolted behind me. The crowd screamed in anger and disgust. I scanned the rows of twisted faces for a sign of my friends. I found them seated silently by the king at the far end. The wall encircling me was high and plated in rusted metal sheets. The ground was littered with coarse gravel and black sand. Just like what Gorin described, giant rocky outcrops and stone pillars filled the center stage. Each stone was covered in chips and deep gashes from battles past. A small rundown building rested on top of the largest outcrop. Most of its walls had collapsed leaving open rooms and sharp ledges exposed. My mind instantly thought it a good place to hide.

High up in the stands, I saw men and women adorned in all manner of robes and gowns. Both the rich and the poor were here to witness my demise. Soldiers dressed in the Red Heart ensamble paced along the aisles policing anyone that got out of line. Among the crowd paraded server women carrying large silver trays full of food and buckets of water for the hungry and thirsty. But by far the most striking presence in the stands was the king and his throne. He sat on a large slab of carved black rock shaded by a white canopy. Clearly he possessed the best unobstructed seat in the colosseum. Two guards dressed in black flowing robes with white diamonds on their chests stood at the ready by the king. Lastly seated on the king's left and right side were his advisors. One leaned over and whispered into the king's ears. I couldn't make out what they were saying.

...

"Your majesty," said one of the bald twins. "Your people are overjoyed for this spectacle, but I must warn you what they will think when the Mirrorbender is victorious."

"What do you mean 'when the Mirrorbender is victorious?'" the king laughed in his throat. "You are surely lost, my friend. The Mirrorbender will not win. I'm sending out my toughest beast, and she has no weapon or armor to defend herself with."

"We are tasked to see her alive," said the bald man to the king. "It is the will of His Holy Divine."

"Screw his will," said King Cassius plopping a grape into his mouth. "I answer to no one, not even your lord."

"Need I remind you who made you king," hissed the bald man. "Need I remind you who gave you this seat of power? Our lord can easily take all that away."

"Then humor me this day," said King Cassius to his advisor. "If your Holy Divine wills the Mirrorbender to survive this battle, then show me what he is capable of."

The bald man leaned back in his chair.

"So be it," he chuckled giving his twin a side eye of approval. "Prepare for some entertainment, your majesty."

...

Owen twisted uncomfortably in his seat. He couldn't take his eyes off of Hope.

"I should be down there fighting with her," he said in frustration. "It's my job to protect her."

"The plan will work," said Gorin scratching his furry arm. "I designed it perfectly."

"I believe in her," said Zeno, his fingers weaving the thick thread in his pocket to a near invisible thinness. "She is stronger than she knows, and strength is not measured in muscle alone. Her mind is her greatest weapon, and it will see her through this trial."

"I wish I had your extreme confidence," said Owen. Zeno looked away from what he was doing and pondered a thought.

"I do miss the times of the old king," he said. "All this happened while I was trapped under Vanity's spell." Zeno shuttered. "To see where this once proud nation has led, I have no doubt in my mind that this is the Half-Lives doing."

"More than you know," said Owen with a sad look in his eyes. "More than you know."

...

The king stood and raised his hand to address his subjects. The crowd hushed. A cruel smile curled his lips.

"The time has come." Drums beat from all parts of the arena. Horns blared from the highest rows. The air itself vibrated like a thousand angry bees flapping their wings. I watched the king raise his fan above his head. Silence overcame the entire assembly. "Release Onikuma!" he cried waving his arm thus signalling the start of the battle.

A tremor shook the ground. Dust billowed from underneath the large metal door just below the king's throne.

I rushed behind one of the rocky outcrops and peeked over the edge. The thundering rattle of chains pounded the metal door, the scratching of large claws screeched down the iron walls, and the growl of a horrid monster boomed across the arena. My chest heaved and my eyes widened. The ground shook once more and the doors swung open.

From the darkness a gigantic brown bear charged forward. His unnaturally immense body was struck with many spears and arrows. He appeared like a tailor's pincushion or an oversized porcupine with anger issues. Scars covered his face; a big one cut across part of his snout and down his neck leaving an empty line where fur could no longer grow. His long, jagged teeth flashed in the light as he snarled and drooled. The beast sniffed the air. A faint purplish glow emanated from its glazed-over eyes.

"You can do this," I said to myself trying to usher a smidge of confidence. "You have to do this."

Onikuma carefully stepped forward; his nose searched for my scent. I could hear people in the stands yelling at the bear to look behind the outcrop to his right. Clearly, they wanted to see me mauled to pieces. To them this was just another day of entertainment. To me it was life or death.

I swallowed deep my fear and started to inch around a giant boulder. I had almost made it to the other side when my shirt collar snagged on a loose stone sending it tumbling to the ground. My position had been compromised.

In an instant the bear dashed around the rock. His great paws slammed into the earth and slid across the gravel. I barely had time to react as his teeth snapped at my arms, missed, and fell upon the boulder cracking its side. I screamed and started to run. My mind and feet focused on staying alive paid little heed to a rogue stone jutting out of the soft soil. I tripped and tumbled face first into the ground. The crowd cheered.

"Get up! Get up!" I told myself. "Get up now!"

I could hear the beast approaching. My legs wobbled as I regained my footing. I glanced behind me. The bear sliced the boulder with its claws. Small chunks of rock whizzed over my head and into the walls of the arena. I darted around a stone pillar pausing for a moment to catch my breath. The bear lunged. His teeth snagging my shirt.

Standing this close I could smell the creature's breath. It stunk of rotting flesh. I fought the urge to vomit at the putrid smell. Thankfully the teeth narrowly missed my shoulder. I tugged and ripped the fabric to shreds releasing me from the bear's jaws. I dashed away while the bear distracted by his prize chomped delightfully at the fragment of my shirt.

I reached the nearest rocky outcrop. Running was no longer an option. The bear was just too fast. I had to climb. Growing up and going to many state fairs, I had seen people climb the fake rock walls. I was always too afraid to attempt such an adventure, but now I wish I had. Marcus climbed the rock wall one year to impress me. He made it look so easy and safe. Yet in this instance I had no rope to help hoist me up, no one to cheer me on, no safety measure to catch me if I slipped. Only the welcoming jaws of a savage bear awaited to break my fall. If Marcus could see me now taking his advice on climbing, he would be proud.

First one hand found a grip hole, then a foot, then another hand, repeat. Adrenaline pumped through my veins allowing me to achieve the strength I needed to reach the top. At this point I had lost control of all conscious movements in my limbs and was acting solely on the pure instinct of survival.

The bear noticed me atop the rocky outcrop and roared. He swirled in anger up and around the rock. I tried to ignore the beast and focus on my destination. My goal was to reach the dilapidated stone building. My path was a series of jumps from ledge to ledge. I began.

The bear slunk between the rocks and swatted at me with its gigantic paws as I jumped. The crowd howled with each successful leap. "Fall, Mirrorbender, fall!" I heard them say. "You won't make the next one!" They predicted. But I did. I made every jump. By now I was smiling. I could really do this.

At last I reached the final hurdle. The distance for this jump was greater than the others. I calculated in my head it was at least a six meter leap. Impossible most likely, but today was not a day for the impossible to win.

"You can do this. It's just like gymnastics class." I tried recalling all my past knowledge from when I was younger. Except I had a trampoline then. This was a pure unassisted leap of faith. I turned my head down. The bear mounted his claws and twisted around the boulders. He was coming with full force. I let out a deep breath and summoned all the strength within me. I jumped.

My body twisted through the air; my arms reached for the ledge. The bear stretched his neck; his jaws aiming for my shoes. Then in a gut wrenching oomph I landed hard on the ledge. My leg bagged against the stone. My teeth clenched in pain. Warm blood oozed down my leg. I pulled myself up, letting out a harsh scream. I slid back just in time as the bear's jaws swished in the air again. I released a joyful sigh of relief. For the moment I was safe.

I glanced around. The building had few sturdy walls and fewer places to hide. I leaned against one of the solid walls and looked down at my leg. A large gash ripped through my pants. The blood trickled onto the stone floor.

"Damn it," I cursed, my chest heaving. "I can't run or jump with this leg."

The crowd booed and demanded I fight instead of cowering away. I looked over the ledge to see the bear pacing back and forth waiting for me to come down.

"If I leave these walls, I'm going to die," I said to myself. I wiped the sweat off my brow. My hands trembled and my leg throbbed. Grabbing my torn shirt I ripped off a strip and began wrapping the fabric tight around the wound. I didn't know anything about first aid, but I knew enough from TV and movies that I had to stop the bleeding.

I looked up into the stands. Gorin stood on his tip toes, his snout raised in the air shouting words at me. I could hear nothing over the roar of the crowd. Owen's face was flushed with anger and fear. I could tell he wanted to be here helping me. Oh how frustrated he must have felt to be my protector and unable to protect me. Zeno sat there next to Owen. He was concentrating on his fingers working tirelessly to make Gorin's plan a reality. The fate of this battle and my life lay with him and him alone.

Yet not far away my sight caught another familiar face. The girl in the white turban from the day before looked upon me with her bright green eyes. I had thought she was a figment of my mind due to the way she vanished into thin air when first I caught her gaze. Now she paced along the edge of the high wall; her gray robes flowed behind her. She was different from the rest of the crowd as she did not cry out for my death or encourage my suffering. Instead she gave off an aura of concern as her hand brushed across the wall's edge. She removed the cloth over her mouth and smiled at me. A server woman carrying a silver tray full of food scooted by. In a flash, the girl in the turban hit the tray out of the woman's hands sending the tray and the food tumbling over the edge and into the arena. The girl motioned to the silver tray resting on the ground and winked. She snapped her fingers and like before, vanished.

I got the message clearly. Whoever this girl was she had given me a new advantage, a weapon to fight back. She had given me a mirror.

...

King Cassius twisted his head at the fallen silver tray. He stood alarmed.

"Guards!" he screamed and pointed. "Get that tray out of the arena at once!"

The guards looked at one another.

"But, sire, the beast?"

"You fools, the Mirrorbender now has a mirror!"

Owen overhead the king and started to cry out over the ledge at me.

"Hope, grab the tray! Get us out of here!"

Xuxa appeared at his side.

"You would do well to hush your mouth," she said blocking his sight. Owen stood and curled his lip at Xuxa. He made ready a comeback, but Heist standing nearby was quick on the draw. He whacked Owen with the back of his hand.

"Sit down, Glasswalker," he said. Owen sat and Xuxa walked off. Heist leaned down and whispered into his ear.

"Sorry if that hurt," he said. "Gotta keep up the act."

"Yeah, but what about Hope?" asked Owen rubbing the spot where Heist had hit him.

"She has this under control," said Heist. "Look!"

...

This was my chance. All I had to do was reach that silver tray, and I could finally fight back. Onikuma jumped at the ledge and swung his paws towards me before sliding back down the steep rocky slope. He was struggling to find his grip, but I knew given enough time he would eventually succeed. I needed a distraction and quick.

Suddenly I heard the sound of men crying out and the popping of WEAKs activating. I looked beyond the wall and to my surprise I saw Juprus soldiers in the arena. The five men were rushing towards the wall where the silver tray lay. I figured the king had caught wind of the tray's importance and sent his own men to incapacitate me more. Sadly for them, these men were just the distraction I needed.

The bear noticed the men charging into the arena, and bolted towards them. I did not look back to see what was happening, but I did hear their screams of terror. I pushed through the pain in my leg and fell off the ledge onto the soft gravel. My determined mind wanted nothing more than to reach the silver tray. I hobbled and hopped. Closer and closer I came. The last of the soldiers screamed. The crowd above me buzzed with emotion. People tossed food and small stones at my head trying to slow my advancement.

At last my hands fell on the cold metal tray. The bright blue sky reflected on its surface. I immediately wanted to use it to scry away, far from this place, far from Blackstone, but the surface was fairly tarnished. Martha's words of warning echoed in my mind. She taught me never to scry through a mirror that was not pure otherwise parts of the body may be lost or left behind. While I could not use the silver tray to leave this city, I could use it for other means.

The ground shook as the bear stomped towards me. His paws were covered in bright red blood. I held my breath, closed my eyes, and turned towards the bear. I lifted the tray in front of my chest and focused with all my might.

"This is it," I told myself. "You either die right here or this crazy idea works."

The tray began to glow; its surface swirled and rippled. The bear charged forward. The entire crowd stretched their necks to see. I felt a gust of wind and then it happened.

...

Xuxa was standing next to the king. The round mirror she had confiscated was strapped to her hip. A sudden light engulfed its surface and burst from the folds in her robe.

"What in the world--" she cried out.

Before anyone could react, the head and arms of the gigantic bear surged out of the mirror and straight for the king. Its paws knocked over his throne; its teeth snapping at his frightened face.

"Guards!" he screamed curling up into a ball. "Help me!"

The guards sliced at the bear with their spears. Patches of the bear's fur and a couple of his teeth were missing, lost in the mirror passages. A look of pain and confusion filled the bear's eyes. Then as quick as the bear appeared he was sucked back into the mirror back into the arena.

...

I lowered the tray watching the gigantic beast fall back in fear; his face and arms bleeding. A smile filled my face. Oh if Martha and Daarith could see me now. A new fire filled my limbs. An end to this battle was in my sights. I started to run as best as I could back towards the rocky outcrops and stone pillars. It was time to finish this fight.

I began to zip in and around the columns. Gorin's plan was almost complete. I heard the bear roar and enter from my left. I made one last pass around the final stone pillar and stopped in the center of the arena. I looked up into the stands.

Zeno stared down at me; his hands at the ready. I reached down and felt for the thin thread around my ankle. It sparkled in the sunlight.

"I hope this works," I said falling on my back and raising my leg in the air. The bear approached. I placed the tray over my chest and shut my eyes.

Zeno twisted his fingers. The thread in his hands thickened to a large rope. The change started a chain reaction across the thread. It whipped through the crowd, down into the colosseum's underground, into the hall where Xuxa and I shared a drink, beneath the door, into the arena, zigzagging around the rocky outcrops and stone pillars, surrounding the bear, and finally around my ankle. From above it looked like a giant spiderweb had formed across the arena ensnaring the bear. Zeno, Owen, and Gorin grabbed onto the rope and tugged. The magic flowing into the thread pulled at the stone pillars. The bear looked dumbfounded as the pillars began to crack and lean inward.

In a thundering boom the great columns collapsed around us. Sand and dirt burst into the air. The bear cried out. Stone buried us both. I let out a joyful laugh as darkness took me. Against all odds, I had won.