"Goodness gracious!" I shouted as the earth beneath us began to rumble. The Songdragon whimpered similar sentiments, while shouts of panic echoed from Peak and Father.

     In front of us, the entire Dark Island stretched out. We could see the trees, the Overlord's camp from far away, and the ocean eating up the horizon.

     Then, there was our rock formation where the Bounty was hidden.

     It was crumbling back into the ocean.

     "How," Peak whispered, though it was more of a statement than a question. "It's... it's solid rock! That doesn't just explode!"

     "It was hit," Father said. "It was hit by the machine. I'm sure of it."

     I punched one of the Temple of Light's pillars, holding back bitter words. Towards the Overlord, towards the adults, towards everything. "That was our way back to Ninjago!"

     The Songdragon let out a mournful note, whistling as it watched the crumbling boulders sink beneath the sea. It whisked its white tail, sitting and standing like an impatient toddler. I realized its eyes were scanning the skies. It was looking for its companions.

     Companions that weren't there.

     I punched the pillar again, relishing the biting pain that jolted up my forearm. It was a good distraction from everything in general. I had told them. I had told them our lifelong training hadn't been enough. But they didn't listen. Now look at us.

     "Aurie," Peak said firmly, stopping my next attempt at beating the pillar to a pulp. "They aren't dead."

     "They're as good as dead," my voice broke, my fists trembling in Peak's steady grip. "I told you... I told you we weren't prepared for this. I told you..."

     Father wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "We have to keep going."

     I pushed him off, whirling to glare at him. "Now you want to be a father? Now?

     "Aurie..." Peak warned, but Father had already straightened his shoulders. He looked down at me sternly.

     "We've gone over this Aureole," Father said slowly, watching me with molten eyes, "I want to make amends for my behavior in the past. But if you are going to reject it, then I don't see the point."

     "I..." Hot tears were pearling in my eyes. Anger, stress, grief—oh! the bottomless pit in my chest as the despair grew—it was all suffocating. I wanted something to hold onto, something to cry against, something to tell me it was all going to be okay. I wanted my family back.

     Peak reached out to wrap his arms around me, silently being a pillar in my storm. Father watched us both, waiting for my answer with about as much patience as he had the nerve to give. I took strength from Peak's presence and readied new words. "I'm sorry. I just... this... this is going to take some time to... to get accustomed too. But if you really want to change... and you show me that you want to change... then I'll do my best forgive you."

     Father reached out to touch my shoulder. One hand rested firmly, a comforting presence, the other tussled Peak's bird's nest of a hair. There was grief in Father's eyes too. But also love. So much love.

     "Thank you," Father said.

     The Songdragon whistled again, nudging the back of Father's head. He let go of Peak's hair to pat its horns, attempting to comfort the dragon even though he had no idea what it was trying to say. We all eventually turned our gazes back to the horizon, where the crumbling stone smoked dust into the sky.

     "The hardest part of being a Ninja is knowing you can't save everyone. Just because they aren't flying through the skies doesn't mean they're dead. Your friends are resourceful, Aureole. You have to remember that." Father said quietly. "And if they are gone, then we keep fighting. We have to."

     Peak backed away, looking down at the floor. For a second he truly looked as young as he was. "We're not alone," he murmured, rubbing his arms. "Even if the others are dead, we still have each other. When... when my mother—" he nearly choked, but somehow managed to keep going, "—when my mother was dying she... she told me the best way to handle grief... she said it was to remember that you aren't alone. We still aren't alone. We have to remember that."

     Father nodded somberly, taking a step back to give us space. I massaged my shoulders, looking at my companions.

     A dragon who had given everything to take us here.

     A father who had gone through these things before.

     A son who knew what it was like to lose.

      I... I had to be stronger. The fate of this realm rested on us being able to take out the Overlord. Even if we couldn't get back to Ninjago, even if Shade and Morro were out all alone amongst the Overlord's playground, we had to keep fighting. Even if we couldn't win, we could at least die trying.

      A single sharp note echoed up the mountain, alerting the attention of the Songdragon.

      It cried out, bounding towards the side of the cliff that housed the Temple of Light. We, not sure what was going on, pulled out our weapons and followed it. The stone beneath our feet was steady, wearing the signs of use for many centuries. It was still hard to believe we were really standing at the foot of the famous Temple of Light, but the current catastrophes were keeping me distracted from childlike awe.

      The Songdragon spread its wings, blocking our advance past it. It cooed in a mournful tone, eventually allowing Father to push past its small barricade. He gasped when he took in the sight.

      I pushed past the white dragon, desperate to see what Father had. I wish I hadn't. Hundreds of feet below, in the thick trees, another Songdragon laid upon the ground. It was nothing more than a half-eaten carcass. Its blood had spilled down the side of the mountain and was now being relished by a swarm of Vermillion. I pushed a hand against my mouth, while Peak put a hand on my shoulder. Even the Songdragon couldn't seem to utter a noise.

      Then, it cried. Its mournful note matched the one we just heard, only louder and more dangerous. It spread its wings, its eyes flashing twice before it dove down off the mountainside.

      Father put his hand on my other shoulder—a protective gesture. I'd been about to step past him to see where the Songdragon was heading. It was good that he stopped me. In front of us, the cliffside steepened into a deathly fall. Another step forward and I would have tumbled off the edge.

      In front of us, the Songdragon flew back towards the crumbled rock, where the sea was turning grey. The clouds above us gathered yet again, though no rain fell yet. The world was just getting... darker.

      "KAI!" a faint voice called from below. Instantly, the hissing Vermillion turned to the mountainside. Their red-orange mob advanced towards the call.

      A grappling hook shot out of the air, burying itself into the top of the cliff.

      Father looked over the edge, his face lighting up with both excitement and terror. "Lloyd? Harumi! You're alive!"

     "You have to help us up!" Harumi shouted. "And fast! The Vermillion are coming!"

      Sure enough, the mob had reached the base of the mountain. There had to be at least thirty of them, and they were already starting to combine into bigger warriors and lob fallen tree branches at the group.

     "Peak, can you lift them up?" Father asked, grabbing ahold of the grappling hook.

     Peak closed his eyes, his brows furrowing. He pushed out his hands, causing the rocks to move beneath our feet. I could hear the group yelp in surprise from below, but after a second Peak shook his head. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead, his eyes glazing over in pain. "I'm sorry; I don't think I have the strength."

      Father nodded, gesturing for me to come over. "Help me pull them up." He yelled for Lloyd and Harumi to hold onto the rope. Together, Father and I began to yank with all our might. Peak raised the rocks from beneath the hook to help eradicate some of the force, then used the rest of his strength to help us pull. We could hear the shouts from below along with the hisses, but we had to keep pulling.

     Just as an arm grabbed a hold of the top of the cliff, a loud screech echoed through the area. The Songdragon flew from over our heads, nose diving straight down into the Vermillion mob. It must have circled around when none of us were paying attention. Its whistles met the slithering foes head on, buying Lloyd's group enough time to pull themselves up on top of the cliff.

      A very disgruntled Lloyd and Harumi helped their two sons climb, clutching onto them the minute they were safely on the cliffside. We all stood and watched as the Songdragon attempted to take on the Vermillion mob. It was able to knock some off of the mountainside, but their throwing spears did end up piercing the dragon's side. It let out a sharp note, then was forced to land in the trees below.

     Its eyes flashed with one final message before the Vermillion descended upon it like a pack of ravenous wolves.

     None of us had the stomach to watch as it was ripped apart.

      The next thing I knew, I was inside the Temple of Light with an arm around my shoulders.

     "She's in shock," Father's voice murmured from beside me.

      "I think we all are," Lloyd's voice responded.

      "Any word on Storm's group's situation?" Harumi asked. I couldn't see her; I really couldn't see anything. The world was a blur of indigo flashing eyes and a sea of red-orange snakes.

     "Assuming they made it off the Bounty, no."

     "What if they didn't—"

     "And what if they did?" Father cut off Harumi's quiet stresses. "Storm's resourceful, he'll figure out a way to keep everyone safe. Besides, he's got a master thief with him. If Carmen is decent at anything, its sneaking around. We have to keep faith that they're alive."

     I think I blacked out after that, because the next thing I remembered was waking up to a setting sun. Lloyd had one of the temple's massive doors cracked open, letting in some of the bitter night air. He was outlined in the glow of the dying sun, the light illuminating how tired he looked.

     Peak was asleep a few feet away from me, his dark hair spilling over his face as he softly snored. He must have been keeping watch over me to make sure I was okay but fallen asleep at some point. I didn't mind. Sleep was a blessing for Peak. He'd been through too much in the past few days for someone his age.

      Harumi was pacing around the large, stone area, staring up at the murals on the walls. It was too quiet in the room. I had never realized how much I appreciated Storm and Carmen's chatter until it was gone. Now, the silence was like an aching force of suspense, wearing down at my already battered soul.

     We weren't ready for this.

     "Hey, Shade?" Morro's voice cut through my mental fog, drawing my attention to the two brothers on a few pillars away. Shade was slumped against the wall in the fetal position. Even from far away the tear stains on his face were unmistakable.

     Shade didn't smile, laugh, or even make a joke. He scowled at his brother, then turned his head away.

     I got to my feet carefully (as to not wake Peak) and stomped right over.

     Morro weakly offered a greeting, but I waved him off. "Shade, what's wrong?"

     His scowl grew even worse. It might have been that he was thinking of Carmen's confession, and trust me, that wasn't making this any less awkward. However, Shade was my friend. He had always been my friend, and our friendship came before anyone's silly crush.

     Instead of speaking kindly, instead of giving us that familiar Shade-smile, he stared up at us and said, "Can you please leave me alone?"

    "I understand that you're not feeling your be—"

     "I asked if you could leave me alone." Shade glared at his brother, making Morro flush bright red. His voice had taken on a dangerous tone; the air became sharper with each word. "Did I stutter, dearest brother?"

     Morro was taken aback, flailing for words. I clenched my fists. "How dare you speak to him that way?"

      Shade shrugged, trembling as he turned away.

     "We're all hurting, Shade!" I burst out, the lump in my throat growing with each word. "I may have just lost my cousin, okay? You've always been so... so steady when it comes to trauma. You have no right to take this out on your brother."

    Shade groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Just get away from me. Both of you."

    "What's wrong with yo—"

    "I said, GET AWAY FROM ME!"

    Morro and I took a step back. The white-haired twin wiped his eyes and fled towards the doors. I could feel my own tears falling, dribbling down my cheeks and plastering my hair to my chin. Nothing had ever broken Shade. He had always been a steady and loving presence throughout his entire life. What had happened to him that had made him like this?

     Were him and Carmen really in love? Is that what this behavior was coming from, a broken heart?

     Like Morro, I bolted back to my corner, allowing myself to slump against the wall and silently sob into my soiled gi. My best friend was broken. My cousin was gone. We had lost the key, the sacrifice, and the voice that sings. Even the son of Oni and Light didn't even look like he could fight anymore.

     We weren't ready for this.

    Which side will prevail and which side will divide.

    We were divided in both mind and body.

    That could only mean one thing.

    The battle was as good as lost.

What in the world had happened to Ver?

    I knew she was off the hook (mentally), but this was a completely new level. Her skin was greying, her eyes flashing with what looked like murder. There was a certain prowl to her step as she advanced towards Carmen.

     She was nothing like the Ver of the past. Part of me wondered if that was a lie. There was no way little Ver could turn into such a monster. Yet, I'd seen it before. She'd been that way at the beach... but somehow this was different. Back then she was just angry, but this time she was positively murderous.

     I could feel the wind pick up as it gathered around her fists. Carmen lay writhing on the floor, attempting to get up and fight but only managing to tuck the fallen key against her chest.

     Ver kicked the side of her head, sending her tumbling to the side. Carmen cried out, blood leaking out of her mouth into the dirt. She coughed and spit a tooth out on the ground. Still, Carmen grasped the key, refusing to give up the last piece of herself over to Ver's torture.

     I wriggled against my captors, but their grip was too strong. I knew if I broke free they'd all swarm upon me. There were too many Vermillion here. I should never have let Carmen come here. She was going to die, and it was all my fault.

    Carmen took a deep breath and attempted to shove the key into her mouth. Ver responded by knocking the wind out of her, sending the key flying across the dirt. Carmen slammed into Vermillion armor, hacking up more blood as she attempted to get up.

     I looked around desperately for something—someone to save us, but no one was there. Nori had turned her gaze to the ground, refusing to watch Ver's actions.

     Another blow sounded and Carmen stumbled over to where I was standing. She was lying on the ground, sobbing, yet continued to pull herself towards the key. Right as she grabbed ahold of it Ver slammed her foot into the thief's chest.

     "Give. Me. The. Key," Ver whispered, her voice eerily calm.

     Carmen sobbed louder, shaking her head as mucus and dirt smeared her face. I felt that burst of affection rise in me again. Carmen may have had her heart broken and her hopes dashed, yet she was willing to do anything to keep the key away from the wrong hands. She was still that vivacious spirit rising up to do the right thing, even when it would result in her own pain.

     She met my eyes one last time, the light in hers going out slowly. She knew what Ver's next move was going to be. I did too.

     I wish I could have told her I loved her.

     Maybe then she wouldn't have to feel so alone as she died.

     "Stop."

     Ver raised her fist to deliver the final blow.

     "I SAID STOP!"

     Ver hesitated for a second, then turned to face the voice that had spoken. Nori straightened her stance, her watery eyes unwavering.

     "Let them go."

     Ver burst out laughing. "This is pathetic."

     "I am the Master of Communication. I am the voice that sings. That girl is nothing, just like the boy. They hold no weight to the prophecy. I, on the other hand, possess enough power to cripple you all with the force of my voice. And I will do, before you can think to gag me or cut out my tongue. I can call an army of dragons to my side at will."

     Ver ignored her, calling more wind to her fists.

     "May I remind you that the prophecy states that your side will lose," Nori said calmly. This got Ver's attention. The horned girl slowly tilted her head, keeping a wilted Carmen crushed beneath her feet.

     "Time's Overlord will fall to his end," Nori continued without pause, "and his allies will divide amongst themselves. If you kill that girl, then you are turning her into the sacrifice of the prophecy. Because the minute you lay one more hand on her I will not hesitate to burst all of your eardrums until all you can fathom is blood."

     Ver hesitated, then slowly rose from her position. She stalked over to Nori, snapping her fingers so a few Vermillion would keep Carmen from doing anything stupid behind her. The horned-girl faced the mountain-girl, the former looking on in suspicion, and the latter calmly staring back. I was too busy trying to figure out Nori's angle here. She was obviously bluffing about the eardrums thing, but her voice was so smooth that I was half-convinced myself.

     Was her plan to get Ver to let us go? Because I didn't think Ver was going to do anything without violence.

     "You're the 'Master of Communication?' You're the 'voice that sings?'" Ver said slowly, a catlike grin growing over her face. "Prove it."

     And Nori repeated the words back to her, matching Ver's tone and inflection perfectly. Ver's eyes flashed—only for a second—but Nori continued to mimic, only this time the Vermillion. Her hisses were throaty and wretched, sending shivers down my spine. The other Vermillion rustled when they heard her words, their eyes glowing violet with violence.

     Ver watched the whole scene unfold, her eyes narrowing. A Vermillion moved towards Nori with a sword outdrawn, but Ver held up a scarred hand. She looked back at Nori, her face setting to stone. The two held their silence, as the whole congregation waited with bated breath. Ver was waiting for Nori to crack, and Nori was waiting for Ver to give in. Only Carmen and I knew the bluff, but both of us would rather chop off our arms then give it away.

     Whatever Nori's plan was, this was our only hope to getting out of here alive.

     "Let them go." Nori was the first to break the silence. Even with the gravity of the situation her tone was still angelic, still perfectly hitting every note. "Keep me here—kill me if you'd like—and let them go. Allow them to go back into the woods; allow them to tell your brothers that they have lost an essential piece of the prophecy. A key can be won or lost, and a sacrifice made at any turn. But only one person holds the elemental power of Communication. And once I'm dead, that power is gone forever."

     "Nori—" I gasped, but I'd put the pieces together too late.

     "You'll have foiled the prophecy," Nori said firmly over my distressed noises, looking at Ver with a solid gaze. Somehow, all the tears had vanished from Nori's indigo eyes. "That's what you want, isn't it?"

     In the corner of my vision, Carmen, still lying prostate in the dirt, slipped the key into one of her hidden pockets. Ver hadn't noticed, nor had the Vermillion. The snake warriors were watching their master, and Ver's focus was only on Nori.

      After a second of suffocation silence, Ver gestured to the Vermillion holding Nori captive. "Take her to the Overlord."

     Nori's firm stance wavered, just once, as more Vermillion began to drag her away. We locked eyes only once, to which she mouthed, "Tell Morro I'm sorry."

      I could only nod as she was swarmed by the red-orange mob. They stuffed scraps of fabric in her mouth, beating her with their fists as soon as Ver gave them permission too. Whatever Nori had said in their language had infuriated them. Ver snapped back to us the minute the mountain girl was out of sight. She leered towards us, surprisingly graceful for someone so sickly.

      "So if I kill you, you become sacrifices." Her eyes flashed dangerously. "You would have died trying to distract me from your one greatest weakness. Very well. Go slithering back to my pathetic family and tell them the news. Perhaps it might dissuade them from standing against the Overlord in this final battle."

     "We'll fight until he's killed every last one of us," I hissed, but the Vermillion were already dragging me away. Carmen barely had enough energy to fight back as she was dumped into the outskirts of camp. I rushed to her side, leaning down to check her pulse to make sure she was still breathing. The Vermillion hissed as they backed away, and I could swear they had grins on their misshapen, slithering faces.

     The bleeding Carmen moaned, reaching out to grasp my arm like it was the last thing she had left. Carefully and quickly, I pulled her onto my back, gently leaning against her bruising face to offer wordless comfort. Without another look back, I ran from the camp, my footsteps echoing into the cold daylight.

     Every Ninja lesson I'd been taught told me to march back into the camp and try to save Nori from an untimely death. But my sense told me otherwise.

     Carmen was incapacitated, and while I was skilled, I wasn't a boss-level elemental.

     There was no way we'd get out with our lives.

     As harrowing as it was to admit it, I had to cut my losses now if I was going to get the most people out alive.

     Fight or flight, that's what they said the primal instincts were. I knew the Vermillion would be sent after us. Sacrifice or no sacrifice, they were out for blood. But by fleeing, we were leaving Nori behind for good. It only occurred to me once I made it meters into the forest that she had intended for this to happen. She had left herself behind on purpose.

     Nori was the sacrifice from the prophecy.

     That's why she'd wanted to be detached from the rest of us.

     That's why she didn't want to learn how to fight.

     Because she knew in the end, it'd be pointless.

     She had sacrificed herself, and she had helped us escape with the key.

     Along with the dragons that sang, it seemed like we had just met all three requirements of the prophecy.

     Which meant whatever happened to Carmen and I didn't matter.

     It meant that everything was in place for the son to beat the Overlord.

     All he had to do was fight.

>(<>)<

I was paranoid.

    Every single crack of a twig, every single swish of the branches had my head swiveling around to see who might be following us. I knew Ver clever, and that it wouldn't take long for her to see straight through Nori's bluff. Nori might be able to feign confidence, but in reality, she would not live up to her threats. Once Ver figured that out, Carmen and I were dead meat. My back ached from carrying said girl and I had already been reduced to walking. Carmen was as big as I was. It was hard to dash through unfamiliar terrain with a limp human on your back.

    Carmen moaned, dribbling more blood onto my armor. I looked around one last time, then gently set her down next to one of the tall trees. I needed to make sure her wounds were okay; she could be in serious pain or bleeding.

     Carmen slumped against the tree, her eyes too puffy to open fully. Still, she looked at me and patted one of the side pockets on her pants. Her grin was weak, but it was there. She had the key.

      I ripped my sash off (my gi was in pieces anyway) and folded it into a square.

     "Can you bite this?" I held it up to her mouth. "I don't have any water to help with where your tooth was knocked out. We'll have to stop the blood flow the old-fashioned way."

      While Carmen hesitantly bit into the fabric, I surveyed her attire for any dark spots. "Do you think you're bleeding anywhere else?"

     She opened her mouth, then realized if she talked the fabric would fall out. Carmen shook her head, wincing slightly as she reached up to brush her hair out of her eyes. I held out one of my hands. "Do you think you can walk?"

     She tilted her head side to side. I helped pull her to her feet, immediately rushing forward as she tumbled. Carmen leaned against me, using most of my weight to support herself. It occurred to me that we'd never been this close before, but I tried to shove those thoughts out of my mind. She was in love with Shade. We were trying to get away so the Vermillion wouldn't find us. There just wasn't time for love in moments like these.

      Right as we started to move forwards, a blast of wind shot through the trees and knocked us both over.

      "Master of Communication? Voice that sings?" Ver purred, floating over to where we scrambled to get back to our feet. In her gnarled fists was a crinkled piece of paper, and she held it with a death grip. "Nowhere in this little prophecy did it say anything about that. No no no. I think I've been duped. Because that selfless sacrifice was going to help you escape with my key. But I'm not fooled so easily. I'm going to need that back now."

     Fight or flight.

     I pursed my lips and jumped towards the girl. Ver twisted out of the way, her reflexes and sharp as iron. She shook her head at me. Crying out, I ran towards her again. There was no way Carmen and I would outrun her. I had trained my whole life to fight. This was the only option I had left.

     She grabbed my fist, twisting it and flipping me over her horns. One of my shoulder pieces of armor got caught on the horns and went flying off to the side. I hit the ground with a large thud.

     Ver advanced towards Carmen, holding out her arms like a demonic mother. Carmen held out her fists, not even glancing at where she'd hidden the key. She may have been using a tree to make sure she could stand up, but she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

      Ver responded by blasting another bout of wind, this one so hard that not only did Carmen slam against the trees, but her under-armor fell out from under her tunic in broken pieces. Carmen wheezed, struggling to even get up from her collapsed position.

      I desperately felt around for my katana, only to realize it wasn't there. One of the Vermillion must have taken it from me when we were apprehended. Clenching my teeth, I twisted, spun, and created a weak Spinjtizu tornado to attack Ver.

     She dodged, but I was ready to land a solid kick to her shins. She didn't lose control of the wind, countering to try and hit my forehead with the same blast she used on Carmen. Years of training started to blur together in my head. I jumped out of the way of the blast, tucking and rolling to the side before jumping at her again. Behind us, the poor tree that had been hit started to fall.

     Our movements were an intricate dance of blows and dodges. Ver was skilled, but I had been training longer than she. Her moves, though packed with power, were sloppy. I could sense the tiredness in her eyes, the weight of exhaustion she didn't want anyone to see. Rage couldn't fuel her forever. If I could just keep going, then perhaps I could wear her out.

     Slowly but surely, her feet moved closer and closer to the ground. Ver gritted her teeth, attempting to blast me with more wind. I tilted to the side, narrowly avoiding it, and delivered a solid blow to her nose.

      Ver stumbled backwards, crying out as blood began to smear across her scarred face. Never before had I realized how many scars she now carried. They were little marks of pain, showcasing on nearly every inch of her skin. It was terrible to look at.

     Unfiltered ire flashed in her eyes, yet she could only stand there, watching me with a catlike precision.

     I heaved for breath. "Y-you can... you can just let us go... you know?"

     "Imbeciles," Ver responded, her voice as breathless as mine was. "I cannot fail. This... this realm will fall if I fail!"

      I expected her to lunge at me, but instead I felt my feet lifting off the ground.

     No, no, no, no—

      I slammed my full force against the wind barrier as it started to rise. I had to get out of here. I had to get out because she was going to go after Carmen.

      Sure enough, Ver stalked towards the dark-haired girl, raising her arms to summon more wind. I battered myself against the bubble again and again, using every bit of my strength to try and break free.

      "Carmen!" I bellowed over the rushing winds, "You have to run for it!"

      But Carmen was too weak to stand up. She spit out the sash, flailing a stick around in hopes of warding off Ver. Ver merely caught the twig mid-swing and broke it over her knee.

      Was it... raining?

      Seriously, what was up with all these strange weather changes?

      I was pretty sure I'd busted my shoulder, but I kept slamming against the winds. There had to be a way out. There had to be a way to save her.

     Carmen yelped as Ver pinned her to the ground searched her pockets for the keys. Carmen attempted to resist when Ver found the artifact—grabbing ahold of the key—but Ver merely wrestled it from her hands with a firm snap. Carmen gasped in pain, and Ver stepped back to raise her arm.

     "I am a merciful woman," she said. "Your deaths will be swift and painless."

      I rammed forwards, sensing the weakening of the winds, and dropped from the sky.

      In that split second I was falling, I saw Carmen's eyes. She looked at me, and I looked at her. I hoped she could see the affection there. There was determination as well. I hoped I'd gathered enough momentum to survive the harsh fall. Even if it broke my legs, I would keep running, keep running until she was safe. There had to be a way to her.

     Ver pumped her fist, sending the blast that shattered metal armor straight through Carmen's heart.

     Crack!

     My body stopped an inch before touching the ground.

     In front of me, Ver slumped onto the ground.

     Twitching.

     Moaning.

     Incapacitated.

      I could feel myself rising; I could feel the forces of nature surrounding me. The magic lifted me higher, until I was hovering in the air like Ver once was. Only this time it wasn't her controlling the magic.

     It was me.

     The rain's trajectory started to shift. It stopped hitting the soaked dirt, instead moving to surround me like a bubble of rushing water. The storm above us roared, and for once, I realized why it had come. It wasn't because of some strange force causing weather changes. This storm came at my command.

     As my gaze switched to Ver, I could feel the roaring of the winds clogging up any other thoughts in my mind. She was the enemy. She had just tried to kill the one I loved. She needed to be taken out.

      There was a way to save Carmen.

      I took a step forward, and the waters moved with me. I snapped my fingers, sparking lightning around my hands. The elements were mine to control. They had been hidden from me for so long. They had forsaken me when I had needed them the most. But the minute I accepted that they wouldn't be there to save us, and that I only had myself to rely on, they came back.

     Mother and Father had spoken of this state before.

     They called it 'true potential'.

      Ver thrashed on the ground in front of me, mud staining her face and highlighting her bloodshot eyes. She screamed out in agony, her fingers grasping at anything they could get ahold of. I could see the smoke coming out of her boots; I could see the blood spilling out of her fingertips. She had been hit by my lightning.

      Carmen looked up at me with wide eyes, paling when she made the connection.

      I had so much power coursing through me. I could end our strife here and now by killing our biggest threat. The Master of Wind would be gone, and with her, the only hesitation Shade had against fighting the Overlord. And Carmen would be safe. Carmen would not die.

      I raised my outstretched hand, calling upon the lightning to strike Ver still.

     "STORM!"

     Suddenly hands were on my shoulders. Hands were shaking me like I was in shock. Fingers grasped at my face, turning it to meet their master's.

     "You can't kill her," she whispered. "You're not a monster; I know you. Think of the Garmadons. Think of Shade."

      Carmen's fearful eyes locked with mine, filled to the brim with pain and worry. I didn't know how that alone was able to stop the streamlined thoughts of pure, unblemished power, but they did. Suddenly I was concerned about Carmen and Carmen alone. Ver was nothing compared to the grief Carmen was showing me.

      After a second, the powerful feeling started to drift away. My feet gently touched back upon the ground, yet I was instantly met with lightheadedness. I toppled forward, and Carmen, who was still not in any sort of decent state to walk, collapsed to the ground with me.

     Ver's screams echoed through the area as my rain cleared, leaving behind only the terrible cries of suffering.

      I was the first to pull myself out of the muck, the elemental power coursing through my veins turning quickly to aching. I knew my battered face was caked in dirt. An earthworm slithered out of my hair, digging back into the mud below. Carmen laid still beside me, her back turned to my position. She didn't even stir when I moved.

      "Carmen?" I coughed, reaching over to shake her. Ver twitched again, attempting to angle her body to face us. She was fighting to get back to her feet. If she was able to do so before us, then she would kill us both. We had to get out now. "Carmen!"

      When I pulled Carmen onto her back, her face was red from sobbing so loud. Before I knew it, I was crying too, though I wasn't sure whether the tears came from fear, exhaustion, or adrenaline. I leaned down to pull her against my chest, knowing that I only had enough strength to get her to her feet. I wouldn't be able to do much else.

      "S-sh-she almost—and t-then y-y-you—"

     Ver's screams were starting to have a hysterical edge to them, as if the lightning had fried her brain. If she could regain her mentality, only for a second, then she would use the wind to kill us. There was no more elemental power for me to protect us with.

      In the heat of the moment, I grabbed one of Carmen's hands in mine, forcing out the words, "Carmen, I really like you."

      She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out.

     "I wanted to get it out before we both—"

     She cut off my words with a laugh-sob, burying her blood-covered face into my muddy armor. "I'm sorry," she cried, shaking with each breath, "I'm so, so sorry."

     I clutched onto her like she was the last person in the realm. We sat there, both an emotional mess, knowing that we were too weak. We were going to die here.

     "I WILL KILL YOU," Ver bellowed, thrashing harder than ever before. Tears caved ravines of water down her mucus-covered face. Her skin was pale and sickly, her eyes wild with insanity. The most horrifying part though, was the dying light in them. She had been struck by lightning. Ver heaved for another breath, barely being able to screech out, "I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU."

     She reached out a blistered, bleeding hand to summon the deathly winds—

     Then collapsed on the ground.

     And her twitching stilled.

     The only sounds left were the gentle drips of raindrops from the shedding trees above and the heavy breathing from both Carmen and me.

      We continued to cling to each other, mentally counting the seconds until Ver might spring up and attack us.

      She never did.

      After a minute Carmen gently pulled away, casting a quick glance at the battered girl before looking into my eyes. "I'm sorry," she said again, her voice considerably steadier.

      "I-it's..." my voice cracked; my head turned away. Ver was close to death. We were close to death. It was only a matter of time before the Overlord's scouts found us here, then took our lives just like Ver intended. Carmen was too weak to even walk properly. Yet, through all of that, she still found the strength to be honest with me. It was a quality I loved about her. She was always fighting, always fighting for what she believed was right.

      "I still love him. I still love Shade."

      "I know," my voice was small.

      She placed a blood-splotched hand against my cheek, using her thumb to wipe away the tears. "D-do you..." she hesitated, then bit her lip and continued. "...do you remember when we first met? You were able to make it past my beguiling and steal my key. I was... I was so mad."

      Was there a point to this torture?

      "But now you... you saved me and my key. I'm really... thankful. Yes, I'm really thankful that I met you."

      I reached up to cup her hand in mine. A light drizzle came from the sky, lazily dripping through the trees and soaking our hair. Slowly the grime started to flow out. The leaves chattered with their shower, filling the silence with the placid sounds of nature. In that moment it was almost hard to believe that we were in the middle of the Dark Island, fighting for our lives to complete a prophecy.

      "Carmen," I breathed, squeezing her fingers against my cheek. "Love isn't an emotion. Love is a choice. And I choose you. I'll keep choosing you, over and over."

      "Bluebel—"

      "Carmen," I said more authoritatively, "I want you to know that if you ever do choose me, then I promise to be ever loyal, ever faithful, ever caring. I'll be there for you, even if the fuzzy feelings fade and all that's left is cold, hard commitment. But I also want you to know that I accept your choice. Thank you for being honest with me."

      She flushed, then was silent. Neither of us moved from that awkward position of holding onto each other, probably because each of us couldn't find the strength to let go. It was easier to stay in the moment. It was easier to pretend that the world was a mess of feelings and sunshine and rain, rather than a dark place of Overlords and battle scars and bloodshed.

      After another second, she tugged her hand out of my grip and moved it to trace the curve of my crooked nose. "How did you break it?" she whispered.

      "It was a dumb sparring match," I laughed in reply. "I was too embarrassed to show my parents, and by the time they found out it was too late."

      She stared at me like I was the most interesting thing in the universe. Her different colored eyes drifted back and forth across my face. Her thick, dark eyebrows scrunched together as she thought about whatever was on her mind, and she faltered when she saw my free hand still hovering near my cheek. I hadn't found the courage to drop it.

      "Shade doesn't love me," Carmen said, the last vivacious spark in her eyes going out. She didn't wait for me to answer; she just took my hand in hers again. "I don't think he ever will."

      "Don't say tha—"

     "You said that love is a choice and that you'd choose me."

      I took a deep breath. "Yes."

      "Then..." she said, "...then I choose you, Storm."

      Storm.

      Not Bluebell. Not Sterling.

      Just Storm.

      She finally pulled herself away, struggling through the mud to find her dislodged key. When she found it, she cradled it against her chest with all the care she could give. "You did everything you could to save me," she told me as she found and put Ver's discarded paper into her pocket, "Shade... Shade ignored me because I wasn't part of his group. He never chose me; I was just dumb enough to believe otherwise. But you... you always chose me. Ever since the moment we met. I have a feeling that I... that I shouldn't let that go."

     "So we're official?" I grinned.

     She faltered but tried to her best to smile back. "Can we just... not move so quickly? This is going to take time... for me, anyway. So... semi-relationship... kind of?"

     Together, we started helping each other to our feet. I took her hands in mine, soaking in whatever weak strength I could. Carmen was an infinite source of courage, and I knew with her at my side, we could make it. I didn't know when or how, but I knew.

     "Whatever you think is best," I told her.

     She nodded appreciatively.

     The moment was cut short—I could hear the distant hisses of the Vermillion, and she could too. Ver was still a limp heap in the mud. There was nothing we could do for her now.

    "We always loved you, Ver," I whispered to her. "All of us—your family most of all—we all loved you. You were our little sister. I'm sorry it had to come to this."

     Carmen took my hand in hers, using her other free hand to grasp onto the trees for balance. Together, through the trials and pain, we limped away from the area.

     We had the key, but more importantly, we had each other.

     And that was going to get us through the island and to the Temple of Light.

     It was time to end this fight, once and for all.