Their trek down the mountain ridge of Seren Saethu was far less arduous than their upward embark. Maybe it was their haste; maybe it was having already traversed the rocky trails and the mystic ways of such a spellbound peak. Yet more than these, it was the hope that Markl would be with them soon.

It was all for him, Howl reminded himself. Not Sophie, not Morgan, and certainly not himself. Had he known about Markl's past sooner, would he have made more of an attempt? Would he have tried harder to hold onto the boy? Or would that have become just one more secret he held captive?

Howl thought he knew his answer, and for certain he knew what his choice was now. He only wished he had seen it sooner.

"Ah!" Sophie tripped on a divet in the path, but Howl held her grip tighter and set her back on the path. While they had cleared the narrow slip and returned to the wider mountain pass, Howl was not taking any chances. Seren Saethu was still its own magical being with a mind of its own, and Ben was its only source of control. He doubted his old friend would be of much help now that they were long separated.

"Are you all right?" Howl asked. Sophie nodded and pushed him to continue their descent. Their current situation was far too dire to worry about simple faults. They had to keep moving.

Howl churned Gwenda's words in his mind over and over again as they hurried - Markl wanted to meet alone. He had wished for the same thing the night he disappeared, and how he cursed himself for belittling Markl then. Maybe this was his second chance - or rather, he presumed he was far beyond a second chance at this point - to make amends and set Markl on the straight and narrow.

Maybe fate would be kind to Howl once more.

As they crossed into a flatten spur, a crackle of light stopped the pair in their tracks. So sudden and fierce, they hardly had time to react. Howl cradled Sophie's shoulders, shielding her from the sparks as they spurted in various directions, feeling the stings on his back as they hit. The light was blinding, like a silver blade striking the earth from the sky.

Even as the darkness covered the earth, this burst was strong enough to blind anyone who dared to stare too long. When the sparks had ceased, however, Howl peered over his shoulder to see what had been left behind. It was not what, however.

It was who.

Sophie turned and recognized him right then and there. She shouted with the widest smile Howl had seen in weeks and with the purest intent. "Markl!"

Howl was stunned still. He was there. Right in front of him. Not the boy he recalled from years ago, not the teenager he butted heads with on a daily basis, but now a man of recent times. His unkempt red locks had smoothed out; his trickle of facial hair had become more prominent and trimmed; but the greatest change was that of the look in his eyes.

It was a look Howl had seen in many magicians before - far too many to count - and he was in disbelief that it now resided in Markl.

Sophie took a step forward, arms outstretched, but Howl pulled her back. Sophie glanced at Howl, watched him as he watched Markl without falter. She was confused until she recognized his fear.

"Get out of here, Soph." Howl whispered. He and Markl refused to break eye contact. Though a fair distance away, his energy was heavily potent. It carried him like a weighted blanket - a negative aura, shrouded in malicious intent and wicked thinking. This was Markl; this was all that surrounded his once dear apprentice.

If only Howl had known sooner how far he had fallen.

Sophie held Howl closer. "Why? What's wrong with him? Why is he looking at you that way?"

Howl waved a hand over her - this was not the moment to be taking any chances - leaving her with one message before she vanished, "Tell Ben and Calcifer."

And the two wizards were alone in the darkness of the night.

Markl scoffed with a side smile. "Smart move."

Howl was at a loss for words. Rather, there were so many thoughts and questions pooling inside that he couldn't pinpoint which one he wanted to speak at that moment. He was in utter disbelief that this boy, the child he had known, would choose this path.

"What happened to you?" Howl finally mustered.

Markl scratched his neck, protruding his jaw as if it was a question worth pondering. "Learned a few tricks, and a lot more about who I am."

Howl pressed a hand through his hair in defeat. He knew; he knew about his life and his story and his curse. This was supposed to be good for him to know, supposed to be healing, yet he hadn't learned these details from the people who loved him. He searched for answers, and he got them. Markl had sewn his own wound closed when no one else offered to help.

Howl tripped over his words. "I-I'm sorry that I never told you. I... Markl, I didn't even know the whole story until tonight. I wish I did, but-"

"Save it, Howl." Markl waved a hand and turned his attention to the gloves he wore, removing them casually. "I'm not here to chitchat."

"Then why-" Howl paused, his mind numb at the sight of Markl's stance. Knees bent, hands waving over each other, like he was about to cast a spell. And not just an everyday, run-of-the-mill spell - a spell meant for battle.

He intended to fight Howl.

"Markl, don't do this." Howl pleaded. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation with him. Markl, out of anyone he had known, was the last person he expected to fight. He was still a child to him, still so young and fragile and desperate. Never had he imagined this day when he would grow to hate him so much that he would challenge him.

"I won't fight you; I won't. I-I can't." Howl pressed further. He held his hands at his side, defenseless and with no intention of counterattacking. Maybe if he saw that Howl wasn't willing to return to the battle, he would stop this foolishness.

Yet Markl continued his motions, the spell almost complete.

Howl's pleas were fruitless, so his emotions turned to rage. A child wished to fight him, one of the most renowned wizards in Ingary. A child who was under his care since he could talk. A child who, on countless times, had been disciplined by him - a child who needed discipline once more.

Howl pointed his finger at the boy. "Don't you dare!"

Markl finished the spell. Silver light emitted from his fingertips. His eyes were deadpanned. "Or what?"

✧ ･ﾟ: * ✧ ･ﾟ: * ✧ ･ﾟ: * ✧ ･ﾟ: * ✧ ･ﾟ: * ✧ ･ﾟ: * ✧

Of all that frightened him in this world, of everything that caused him terror and strife, nothing compared to the beast before him.

A floating pool of green flames, Calcifer recognized his old friend immediately. Though their friendship only existed amongst the stars, his presence was far too familiar to ignore. The malice in his eyes, the crookedness of his smirk - Perseus was alive and present.

Yet he didn't care how this was possible. Stars were infamous for cheating death and their trio was far from the exception. No, how Perseus survived their Night of Falling Stars was the very last thing on his mind. All Calcifer needed to know at that moment was the answer to one simple question. "How does he know it's me?"

Perseus creased his smile further, his voice a terrorizing lullaby. "Your lovely wife played an interesting game, and she may have shared more than she wished."

Gwenda nestled Caclfier's arm, squeezing him tightly and cursing herself for such utter foolishness. At the time, it had seemed like a casual game. She even felt ahead for a while. By the end, she knew how sorely wrong she was.

"Cal-"

"Don't apologize." He waved her to stop, his eyes never parting from the demon before them. "You survived him, that's a feat on its own. Don't worry about what you've said."

Gwenda stared stunned. Hardly a week ago, he was furious at the very mention of anything that slightly ticked him off - the hours before their separation was a stark reminder of that. While she wondered what had changed, what brought him back to himself, she was simply grateful.

She took several steps back as Calcifer's skin began to glow. At first, it seemed like sunlight surrounded him, but then she realized the light was inside forcing its way out. His skin cracked from head to toe, like a volcanic eruption, and the fire inside burned with passion and vigor.

She had never seen this power in him - not in his human side at least - never knew it existed. He hadn't until he lost control, but he wouldn't lose control this time. He would channel it properly - and this time, he had a designated target.

"Vega," Calcifer bellowed, balls of flames igniting in his palms, "are you ready?"

Her fire beamed from Ben's staff. "I've been ready for over a thousand years."

Perseus' cackle echoed as he swirled out of the constraints of his prison and floated in the sky. Green flares shot one after the other, rotating between Calcifer and Vega. They were as quick as bullets how they flew, and he never missed a beat. Like cannonballs firing from the sky, his attacks were ferocious and savage.

Vega emerged from her staff as well, mimicking Perseus' attack as her defense. Each flare shot in her direction was met with one of equal weight. When they collided, bursts of green and blue light sparked like fireworks in the night. However, she was not as quick as him. After he fired his shot at Calcifer, he had just created one perfectly in time to meet Vega's.

Calcifer blocked the flares with his own, waiting until the very last second to pounce them with his fiery palms. If he timed it right, as he was able to on occasion, he forced Perseus' flames back against him. It sent a small spark of joy to watch the demon flinch from his own attack being redirected at him.

Even with this slight sense of content, he needed to take this seriously. This was the first fight Calcifer had commenced since his powers had gone haywire, and he wasn't taking any chances if he could spare it. With so many people still around, too, his precision needed to be perfect.

After he averted a shot, almost immediately one agile green flame aimed directly for his head. As he crossed his hands over his face for protection, Vega had sent her own to deflect Perseus' attack.

The swirling pool of green and blue scorched the brush outside of Ben's home, their flames spreading to the landscape around the humans who witnessed nearby. Kenta pulled Wynne away from a burning shrub, careful to be sure his little girl would not be hurt during this battle.

However, flames were the least of his concerns with a maniacal redheaded witch headed in their direction.

"Everyone, get close!" Ben called out. He waved for his cane and it returned in a swift motion. As the humans neared the elder magician, he twirled his cane three times above his head, then smashed the end on the ground below. From the tip where Vega used to reside, a shimmering, transparent orb trapped them underneath.

Noe halted several feet before the orb. In her younger years, she might have thrown a tantrum in the form of petty spells one after the other, but with her age and experience, she simply sat criss-crossed with her hands folded in her lap. Her decision was methodical and precise, so there was only so much time before her spell would enact.

"Ben, I'm here." Serena held his arm for stability and orientation.

"You and Wynne need to get out of here." He held her hand tightly, speaking faster than Noe could chant. "She's too young for this and you've never battled magic before, let alone a fire demon and his host. I'll enchant the front door to send you both to Lona, but you must stay away from this fight. We'll handle the rest."

Serena did not argue. She whispered sweet assurances into his ear while Kenta hugged Wynne tightly. As much as he yearned to see Lona and their other children, he knew where he was needed most. Wynne was safe as long as she made it home, and the rest of his family here needed his support.

Wynne hugged Aunt Gwenda next. While her niece shared sweet sentiments and goodbyes, Gwenda could not take her eyes away from Serena and Ben and their sweet sentiments and goodbyes and all she could imagine was the goodbyes she never sent that day. Those bygone years ago buried deep in her memory were resurfacing like a flood and repeating itself.

But not this time.

Serena, without a second thought or contemplation, reached for her daughter and embraced her. "This isn't goodbye forever this time. Just be safe." Gwenda stood frozen, unsure how to respond. She hadn't held her mom in years, hadn't felt the comfort of a parent in a very long time. Seconds passed like hours and she wondered if this was truly a mother's affection or an affectation of reality or simply just a farewell for now.

Before she could consider returning the hug, Serena already had Wynne's hand in hers and they were en route. Ben touched the doorknob, whispered a spell with Lona's name, then opened the door. Serena and Wynne were safe on the other side, while Ben's orb had finally been deactivated.

Noe twirled in her little black dress as she stood tall. "Quite a simple spell, I'd say, for a supposed master magician like yourself. Madame Suliman always told me she was most impressed with her first student, but I guess that was pretty pathetic."

Ben, poised and unmoved, spoke calmly. "You seem to think you've seen everything, child. Sometimes the simplest of spells are the most overlooked, yet the most necessary."

Noe rolled her eyes at the elder's brief pass at wisdom, yet it only took one step toward them for her to be thrust backward tenfold by an invisible spark. Kenta and Gwenda gawked as the witch flew not of her own volition near the edge of the mountain peak, slamming hard against the rocky ground.

Ben removed his glasses, placing them cautiously in the inseam of his coat. The glossy film that masked his sight was present, yet the way he stared at the ground made it seem like everything was visible. "Another piece of the spell you overlooked. Deactivating the orb doesn't disable its greatest feature."

Noe lunged forward, a gusting tornado trailing ahead of her in their direction. Kenta, though scoffing at her use of his specialty, focused his energy on calming the pseudo storm before it closed in on them. He didn't want Vega to be blown away from her position in the sky, either. He'd never seen fire demons strong enough to break free from their threshold, and he wasn't about to destroy her advantage.

Noe funneled in as much power as Kenta was relieving, her voice calling louder than the wind. "You should have seen the look on your face when you realized it was me behind everything, dear Kenta. I really played the part well, didn't I?"

Kenta gritted his teeth from the force. "Living under the guise of a dead girl to feed into your twisted plots? There aren't many magicians who would stoop that low."

"Ah, so you were expecting it to be me." Noe prided, "Did you miss me that much?"

"Honestly, I'd hoped you died with Nade all those years ago. I guess we all can't get what we wish for."

She laughed. "No, but I will." She gave one final side push and the tornado spun rapidly around Kenta. Rather than hit him head on, its new course went directly to Gwenda and Ben. Before Kenta could intercede, Ben's fingertips glowed white light. Each gleam grew larger and wider in size from each finger until they were precisely up to Ben's standard. Then, he flung them toward the oncoming storm.

The orbs encircled the tornado and pressed tighter and tighter along its form, forcing it to decrease in size while the orbs increased. The pattern continued until the raging funnel had turned into a wispy gust of wind.

Gwenda hardly noticed the tall, slender man standing next to her. Like a phantom in the night Ben seemed to appear at will. She wasn't sure if she should thank him or move on to guessing Noe's next move or rather, more importantly, figuring out how she was going to aid in this fight. Everyone around her had some inclination of magic to rely on while she was merely human.

Ben tapped the air in a strange order that seemed logical to himself. "You might need this. You might also remember it well."

And she did. It almost appeared the same way it had the last time, only without the raindrops manifesting its structure. A sword like no other, bonded with brutal fury and glorious strength, its shining white light returned branded memories of the Magicians' War into her forefront. Only this time, she didn't need two hands to hold its weight.

Gwenda glanced between the sword in her hand and Ben. "How did you know?"

Ben smiled. "I was there when she gave it to you the first time." Before she could ask again, Ben had disappeared and reappeared in front of Noe, lessening the battlefield and her combative advantage. Gwenda watched Kenta and Ben from afar as they cast spell after spell, blocked and defended while simultaneously preparing their next attack. It was like an orchestrated string of events with improvised motions, one concurrently occurring with either a friend or the enemy.

Magic was second nature to them, to all of them, and it amazed Gwenda how they accepted it so at will. Magicians, demons, witches, and wizards - she was surrounded by limitless power, yet that didn't lessen her own.

Perseus was quick to notice this as well. "I see our human has decided to play along as well."

Calcifer lengthened a flame into a string and he whipped it across Perseus' fire, urging him to fix his attention away from Gwenda. "She is not your human."

"No, I suppose not." Perseus said. "Then I'll have no trouble burning her to crisp, then." He fed his flames beyond whatever power he held against his former comrades, and in one swift motion thrust the magical energy in her direction. His sinister look matched her fury, and she would not waver.

Gwenda held the sword firmly over her center as the flames downpoured in a river of heat. She held on with both hands for a tighter grip, surprised by the intensity and endurance of such aggressive magic. His green flames turned blood red upon impact, attempting to incinerate the blade that protected her from death.

The sweltering heat was felt all the way on the other side of the peak. Had Ben and Kenta not been in their own fight, they might have shifted course. Noe was a feat in her own right, however. The way she cast spells was rhythmic, obediently precise yet enigmatic. There was no rhyme or reason behind her array of skill - namely due to her years dabbling in other source magic, another sign that should have alerted Kenta sooner to Lily's true identity - though she fought with all the training and vengeance of years ago.

This fight was personal for her, and she was fighting all the way.

"Is that the best you got, dear Kenta?" She spat with a growl. Kenta waved his hands toward the blackened clouds above, knowing that even with the absence of rain they still stored tons of water inside their fluffy vapor. Gradually, the clouds dispersed into liquified form and followed his designated path toward Noe.

All she could do was roll her eyes. "Not your greatest trick, Kenta. I've seen better from you." She dodged each whip of water he flung at her, throwing chaos like knives hitting the center of the whip every time. At the same time, Noe was quick to evade Ben's light traps. The moment he set them where her feet lay, she rabbit jumped over and continued her defense against Kenta.

"I can sense you're buying time for your little friend to show," Noe said in unison with the attacks, "but I'm not so sure you're ready to see him as he is."

Kenta seethed at her cloy manner. Sensitive matters only heightened her cruelty, and she built herself on eating away at others. His anger forced the water whips to conglomerate into one pool of water. In a quick series of motions, he wrapped the water around Noe until it completely covered her in a dome. Then, he froze it solid.

"We need a plan," Kenta said to Ben, "something better than just holding her off. She's too fast." As if on cue, a transparent form started to solidify outside of the icy prison. He couldn't imagine how she was able to remove herself so quickly, but Kenta prepared his counter nonetheless.

Ben paused Kenta's spell before he could cast. "It's not her." The transparent figure became a person, and Ben was correct in recognizing that it wasn't Noe's presence.

Sophie had returned.

Frantic, she rushed toward the magicians unraveling everything she witnessed - Howl, Markl, the look in his eyes. Everything.

"That was very risky of him to use transporting magic here." Ben replied, "I'm the only one with full control of this place."

"I think Markl's already turned for the worst."

"Well, we're not doing much better up here." Ben said. Noe was contained for now as long as Kenta held his grip on the icy prison. However, Perseus was the true menace.

Calcifer and Vega attempted to thwart his onslaught against Gwenda, and on occasion they were able to divert the core of his power in their direction instead of hers. After a while, it seemed as though Vega was unleashing more than Calcifer.

"Calcifer, don't quit on me!" Her blue flames screamed in an echo. He could hear her; he could see the battle; but his powers tumbled into an internal struggle. While he had only regained some semblance of control that very day, engaging in such intensity was probably too soon for his strength to be fully engaged. His soul had not completely healed from the month's previous turmoils.

Or maybe it wasn't his own power. He saw Sophie return, saw the look in her eye and the concern written all over her face. Had Markl finally appeared? Maybe his return hadn't been sunshine and roses like Howl wanted to believe. And since Howl hadn't come back with her, he wondered what tempted him to send Sophie away while he stayed.

And if Markl had turned away from the goodness in his heart, Vega's curse would surely reflect such a decision within Calcifer.

He glared at the beast in the sky. What had Perseus done to that child?

"What's wrong, old man?" Perseus shouted from above. "Can't handle a battle like the good ole days?"

Calcifer ignited the fire inside once more, orange flames bursting through the cracks. "I'm just getting started, you horrible wit."

Perseus cackled that same old style. He was never one for changing, not even a thousand years later. "I remember quite a few times when my skill outshone yours - literally. You were mad jealous, old Cal."

Calcifer narrowed his eyes. "I do not envy you."

Perseus dropped his smirk, finally taking this moment seriously. "That's where we differ."

✧ ･ﾟ: * ✧ ･ﾟ: * ✧ ･ﾟ: * ✧ ･ﾟ: * ✧ ･ﾟ: * ✧ ･ﾟ: * ✧

Light versus darkness. The way it always was, and the way it always would be. No amount of inner goodness or change of heart would ever push these oppositions away from one another. They fed off of each other's greed; they channeled each other's hatred; and they bred off of each other's weaknesses.

Such a fool, he thought, I'm such a fool. As bolts of silver light smacked against his shadow shield, he could only repeat this phrase in his mind. Xarx didn't help him; Howl didn't help him; even Sophie and Morgan didn't help him. But he couldn't blame anyone but himself for pushing Markl to this breaking point - a battle of light versus darkness once more.

The bolts hit harder and harder, as if Markl was saving the strongest for last. Howl heightened his shield to force the strikes of light to dissipate into the shadows that surrounded him. The evidence of his training was astounding. Xarx had done well to train him in the ways of the light, but this power felt different from the times they sparred in the past.

Maybe because he wasn't using hatred to fuel his source then.

"Markl, I don't want to fight you!" Howl repeated louder. No amount of pleading on his part had any effect on the boy. Like arguing with a boulder, nothing would move the boy to change his mind. Markl had motivation to start this fight, and now he was hellbent on finishing it.

"Where's the great Wizard Howl Pendragon I grew up hearing about?" Markl shouted. "From what I can see, it looks like he's a fucking coward!"

Howl expected another round of strikes, even harder this time, yet they ceased. Silence, which was more eerily disturbing than the attacks. With heavy caution, Howl peered over his shield. His hopes yearned for such pointless fighting to end, but it was nowhere near so.

This was only the beginning.

Markl pooled his energy together, infusing his source of light into one massive blow. Lightning crackled from within his power, silver blades of light dancing inside a starlight of intensity. His concentration, his anger, was completely unmatched.

Markl grunted as the lightning sped toward Howl. Before it could reach his core, he covered the lightning in a siphon of darkness. At first, it was resilient enough to encompass the light entirely and mask its power, but Markl continuously fed the sparks with more and more stamina. The light broke over the darkness until it poured over like the sunrise.

Howl could feel his footing begin to slip. He couldn't contain this energy and hold his ground simultaneously. He needed to force the light into the darkness, which he knew was possible. However, if he didn't control the ferocity of his strength, he could very well kill Markl.

Just like Owen.

Markl pressed into his power one last time, and once was all he needed. Howl's shadows dispersed like smoke and the lightning pierced Howl directly in his core.

There was no sound; no voice nor a whimper nor even an audible breath. Howl lay against the rocky wall, his body too weak to even muster a cry.

Markl strolled casually toward him, his eyes so bright they were like two moons of glory. At one point, he had wanted to grant Howl mercy. There was a point in his life where this fate had never crossed his mind, had never existed in his thoughts because the idea of Markl bringing Howl to his knees, begging for his life, was so inconceivable it would have been a pointless thought.

Yet here they were - Howl grounded, Markl risen. And mercy was the last thing he was going to offer.

Markl bent down to Howl, licking his lips before he spoke. His voice was ragged but methodical, as if he had rehearsed the words over and over and over again. "I used to be that kid who was always in the shadows. Always rejected, always tossed aside. Now, I have my story back. I found where I belong, and it was never with you. You were a roadblock that just wouldn't move."

Howl gasped for air amidst spitting out blood. "We care about you, Markl. We never meant to hurt you."

"And yet that's all you ever did to me." Markl spat back. "I had to leave everything behind. You, Morgan, Sophie - everyone! Just to figure out the truth of my life."

"Why did you feel like that was your only option?"

Markl seethed in a quick breath, clenched his fists, but then relaxed. "Because every day, every fucking day I had something to prove to you. I could never just be good enough on my own. Not like Morgan, who was practically born perfect. I always had something to prove. Now, I only prove my worth to myself."

"Markl..."

"See you on the other side, Howl." Markl said, the conversation done and over with in his mind. He stood tall and prepared his final blow. "Oh, and say hi to Suliman for me."

Howl stared, blinded by the overwhelming light and dazed by Markl's ultimate choice, yet he was too weak to stop it. Light and darkness were always at odds, and this was no different.

As Markl pushed with all the strength he had, the light beaming toward Howl was overcome by a golden beam equal in weight. They pushed and pressed against one another, with one another, two sides of the same source. However, gold surmounted silver as it drowned the inferior light with its own.

In an instant, Markl was blown aside as his new foe surpassed him. The beam struck the ground, sending dust clouds into the air. He couldn't see; he couldn't tell who or what was lurking about. Yet he knew - not just anyone could create a force stronger than his own.

With cautious steps, he walked through the dust. He listened quietly, soundlessly, for anything that would alert him to this intruder who ruined his vengeance. One step after the other, until a hand grabbed his throat and flung him to the ground below.