Ever fight in a place where the laws of physics do not apply? Me neither. I slung a mass of anti-magic at Celia and the mass careened off to the right, ricocheted to the left, then down and right toward me. I went into a fetal position and it missed me by centimeters, if that.

How could anyone hope to win a fight in here? I rotated helplessly unable to stop. There was nothing to grab onto, nothing solid to bump into to stop this infernal spinning. Nauseated, I swallowed down bile but it kept coming back up.

My hands recharged, I launched a volley of magic at her. Most of it never touched her but some slammed into her chest. Not enough to knock her off her feet. She just laughed at my feeble attempts to destroy her. Enraged, I gave her everything I had sending myself into a helpless spin while she cocked her enormous head like a puppy.

I was doing my best and my best wasn't good enough. Nothing I did had any effect. How was she still standing? Weakened, I helplessly rotated in a place that had no gravity. She had her feet firmly planted on solid ground while I floated as if I were in space. I would rotate like this forever without an outside force to stop me.

It infuriated me that Celia held all the cards. When will I get the upper hand? Never it seems. At least Cynthia was safe. I consoled myself with that fact as Celia unleashed a barrage of magic on me. I couldn't stop it from slamming into me. Not fair. So not fair. Bullies shouldn't always win. 

I spun from one end of the portal to the other. It was charged with a polarized energy matching her magic. Same as the cocoon. My arms and legs splayed out. The force of the impact made the very molecules in my cells hurt with excruciating pain. I let out a groan which made Celia laugh.

"You'll never win," Celia said. 

I couldn't move, I was frozen place while my body absorbed every bit of the magic. Celia took advantage of my immobility. The same nasty gray tendrils enveloped me. Really? This again? Even as a monster she had no imagination.

I fought, struggling against the tendrils' tight hold on me. I refused to let her win again. "No!" I shouted. "You won't defeat me."

"I already have." Her voice was mellow now, husky and soft. "You never had a chance. Your destiny lies elsewhere." She paused for dramatic effect. "In a grave."

"My destiny is none of your damn business." Magic sputtered in my fingers. What the hell? I lost it again.

"I add a feature that I thought you might find interesting," Celia taunted. "Want to know what it is?"

"I can figure it out for myself." Why was I even talking to her? Talking got me nowhere. I refused to allow her to bait me further and closed my eyes. I concentrated with everything I had in me. Come on, I thought, it worked before.

I couldn't summon up the energy. I was fading fast. Celia had found a way to drain the magic right out of me. She had to have help. No way she was doing this all on her own. Mordok. I might have left him stuck in the ground, but he must have extricated himself by now. Right then, Mordok appeared in the Portal showing me once for all, that he had been adding his magic to Celia's all along. Damn, I hate it when I'm right.

His appearance emboldened Celia's resolve to finish me. Together, they aimed all they had within them to entice the tendrils to tightened their grip on me. Every bit of air was squeezed out of my lungs. My bones cracked and splintered. My muscles stretched beyond the confines of my body. I felt elastic and solid all at once.

I couldn't think fast enough. Nothing came to mind which would help me. I was fading fast into oblivion while Celia and her father cackled gleefully. I tried to summon up the anger I knew I needed to extricate myself out of this but even it fizzled out to nothing. Numb, I stared up at them helpless and frightened beyond words. If there was a God, I'd better be prepared for Him. If there wasn't, I would soon know nothing, feel nothing, be aware of nothing.

Father and daughter gloated in triumph. Alike in thought and deeds. They had a singular purpose, to defeat me then take over Earth. Sparks wove before my eyes. I got tunnel vision, seeing only a pin sized shape of light. I haven't long now. At least I would see Dad again. He believed in God, tried to get to believe it too but I was too stubborn.

I believed in science, not in things unseen. After he died, I mourned then moved on. A few days later, the dreams of Alluvia started up again. They'd stopped for a time while I was busy getting my PhD in Theoretical Physics. With Dad's absence, the dreams filled the void. I latched all my beliefs in finding Alluvia, certain the answers to the questions of the universe were there. All I ended up with were more questions.

I was a child of two worlds. How did that fit into the grand scheme of things? If there was a heaven, did Alluvians go there too? Mom said there was. If she believed it, so do I. Weird stuff to be thinking of as I was dying but that was the way my mind worked.

"One thing you should know," Celia gloated. "Before you die, I'm going to kill your Mom and Cynthia so you can watch."

God, could she be more trivial? Classic villain response from every movie I'd watched since a kid. Threaten to kill family members as a final triumph in exerting control. What would she do as an encore? Eat them? I shuddered at the thought, the tendrils quivering too.

Unconventional. That's what I am. Weird. Freaky. Unconventional. I never approached life the same way others did. So why didn't I put that to good use? Be uncoventional, once again? My mind went back to the Caverns when I first tried using my magic. I recalled the rocks falling down from the ceiling. Grendel and I almost got buried alive.

A shift in my thinking and I was back in the clearing face down in the dirt. I'd dug my hands deep into the soil, using it as a conductor for my magic. It had worked, trapping Mordok into the chasm I'd created. Even the water from the river had played a part. 

When Mom was trapped in a cocoon like mine, the tendrils were repelled by my magic, same as when I was trapped. I pressed further into the memories. In each instance, I never succeeded in defeating Mordok or Celia directly. I failed every time I channeled all my magic toward them. Maybe that's where the difference lies. I was connected to the environment. I used the things around me to enhance my magic. I would never win this fight thinking like Celia. I had to be better than that.

One more time. My broken bones shifted in my hands, some piercing my skin while the other rubbed against each other in an unnatural way. I hooked my smallest fingers in each hand around a tendril, maintaining a tenuous grip. This called for subtlety, not brute strength. With my nails I pierced the tendril and closed my eyes, imagining purple light pouring out of me and into the tendrils. 

I kept a light hold on them, allowing the purple light within me to do its work. This was born from generations of magicians, handed down to little old me. I took from my ancestors and melded their magic with my own. The real battle had always been within me. Doubts, fear, and the feeling that I was never enough warred with the confidence I put forth in my quest to become a Physicist. But that was not who I was. I was me, Macy Gray, daughter of Anton and Lyra Gray. Half human and half Alluvian.

This was no longer a fight but a surrender. Not to Celia and Mordok but to my true self, flaws, quirks and all. Me, the unconventional Macy Gray. I felt as if time stopped. It hung suspended with me in the midst of the Portal. I slowed my breathing, relaxing every muscle despite the pain. I gave in to the sensation of resting. Of being at peace. I had felt guilty for Mom leaving. Like it was my fault she left. I let go of the anger toward Dad who had been the one to send her away.  I made my peace with the resentment I felt toward Mom when I learned she was not dead.

I released the anger I had toward Celia who, sadly, never learned the true meaning of friendship. Nor the confidence that comes when one comes by accomplishments honestly. I allowed the rage toward Mordok dissipate as his singular pursuit to conquer the human world had begun long before I showed up. It had nothing to do with me. I forgave myself for not coming to this realization sooner. I could have possibly avoided all of this had I been more astute. But whatever. I think I have to work on that one a bit more.

When I opened my eyes, I let out a gasp. "Oooh," I breathed out. The entire Portal had transformed into purple light. Not a gray tendril was left. In fact, they exuded a healing warmth. I felt my bones get put back to rights. And my muscles too. I was healed of every pain and injury that Celia and Mordok had inflicted on me. Once done, they released me, setting me gently down on what felt like a hard surface. I fingered the spot where the scar was and felt nothing but smooth skin. 

I moved my hands into a dance as a conductor of a symphony would do. I directed the tendrils at Celia and Mordok who shied away, screaming. They had little choice but to submit as there was nowhere for them to go. I was in control of the Portal now. "Heal them," I commanded the tendrils.

Time had no factor in here. What felt like days was actually accomplished in a matter of minutes. When the tendrils finished their work, Celia was herself again. Mordok's gnarled fingers, wrinkles and deviated septum were whole once again. A little thing but he liked it.

We three stepped out of the portal into Alluvia. Celia gave me a bone crushing hug. No lie that woman was strong. "Thank you," she said. "I hated being that monster thing. I felt it hovering inside of me all of my life. I'd kept it at bay but it wouldn't leave me. Kept whispering the most awful things. I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

"You were its prisoner. It's not your fault."

"I'll do anything to make it up to you. Including retractions of all your research I'd published in my name. I'll resign. I might face jail time but I'll do that too. Just think what would have happened if I'd killed you."

"But you didn't."

"I almost did. I don't understand. How could I have done all those things?"

"You've been lied to your whole life. He manipulated you into thinking you could be the most powerful magician ever just so he could have control over you."

"Why?"

"Why do people do anything?" I glanced over at Mordok who was standing off to the side, looking all kinds of foolish. "He might not have been a very good father to you but at least he's alive."

Mordok took the opportunity to step closer. Despite my newfound attitude toward him, I stiffened. He paused without coming any closer. "Let me do this one thing for you," he pleaded. 

"What's that?"

"You'll see. I promise it is a good thing." He waved his hand over my head, golden light rained down on me.