by H. M. Gooden
While Cat was speaking, Zahara had already transformed and her cute little big-eared self stood up on its back legs.
"Come on guys, it's this way."
It was weird hearing Zahara's voice coming from a fox no bigger than a house cat, but somehow reassuring. One by one, they all changed. Jake and Mai shimmered into their similar yet different dragon forms, while Vanessa jumped up, spiraling in a sudden vortex of air before becoming her giant raven shape. Cat took a breath and let the heat rise in her chest, feeling the power of the fire crawl into her face before it shimmered, red-hot into her phoenix form.
But the tunnel Zahara took them to was too small. They soon discovered that while they might be more powerful in their magical forms, most of them couldn't fit into small spaces very well. Zahara, being the smallest, proposed going inside first.
"Let me take a quick zip through and see what's in there. Maybe someone or something will give chase? Vanessa, can you fly over to the other side and see if anything comes out the other door?"
Cat didn't like the plan, but couldn't see any other way.
"Be careful. If you see anything, run. We'll be waiting here for you or whoever to come out and we'll take care of things, if needed."
Zahara twitched her nose, bobbed her head and took off. Cat and the others waited breathlessly for what felt like several minutes, but was probably only a few seconds before they heard a low rumbling noise and saw dust rising from the entrance to the cave.
"Oh no!" Mai gasped, her tail whipping in agitation behind her. "Is that a cave in?"
They ran over to the entrance where Zahara had been and saw rubble littering the ground where there had been an open space only moments before.
"Evelyn, see if you can find her! We can't leave her in there alone, it's not safe!" Cat's heart beat faster with worry.
Evelyn nodded before lifting her chin up and closing her eyes, like an animal smelling the air. She stayed like that for a few moments before opening her eyes again. When she did, Cat could see the same swirling colours of Evelyn's aura briefly reflected in her eyes. Cat's heart skipped a beat. Something was happening to Evelyn and Cat wasn't sure what it meant. Her aura was unchanged, but had begun to glow brighter, as it had during their last battle. She seemed bigger and more powerful since they'd gone out to the caves. Cat knew that Evelyn had been working on her powers at home, but she'd always been relatively weak compared to the others, even after her lessons with Mr. Grayson. Yet Cat saw that things were changing now. Evelyn was becoming something...different.
Evelyn began to walk determinedly towards the mouth of the cave and a concerned and bemused Cat followed her. She wasn't even thinking about what the others were doing, she was so consumed by her curiosity regarding what was going on with Evelyn. Cat could feel that the puzzle pieces were tantalizingly close to fitting together, that they were on the verge of a huge breakthrough, if she could just figure out what it was. Evelyn stopped at the mouth of the cave. Cat could tell by the way she was standing with her eyes closed again that Evelyn was sending her mind inside the cave to find Zahara and Cat was relieved to see a small pointy set of ears appear seconds later. A cute and unharmed small fox came out of the rubble, lightly running over the loose rocks.
"Are you okay?" Cat asked.
She stepped forward, stopping awkwardly, not wanting to pick her friend up or pat her. Cat suspected that was still considered to be inappropriate behaviour, even if Zahara was currently small, furry, and super cute.
"Yea, I'm fine. That was a bit of excitement! Like we thought, there's a bunch of dark ones waiting in that cave. The cave itself is somewhat menacing. I don't think they knew I was there, or else they likely would have followed me. I'm wondering if they can't sense animals? They were headed out away from me and I'm thinking they might be going to the other end of the cave, where we sent Vanessa. We should hurry over and make sure she's okay."
"Oh crap! Vanessa!"
Cat spread her arms wide, her wings snapping open. She launched herself into the air and over to the other side and saw that the beach was filling up with people. There were at least thirty, maybe more, and they were all heading toward Vanessa.
"Vanessa! I'm over here!"
Cat shouted to get her attention and Vanessa flew over, flapping her wings lazily in the air.
"What took you so long? I'm just wondering how these guys plan to do anything to me. They can't fly, or shoot laser beams last I checked, and I'm pretty sure they only have the power to do damage up close."
Cat laughed and felt herself relax as she realized that Vanessa was right.
"It's very useful being able to fly, isn't it? We probably could play keep away all day, but we should get rid of these guys and just end their suffering."
Vanessa gave her a naughty look, then pouted.
"You're no fun. I wanted to tease them a bit. But okay, go ahead and be all grown up and stuff. May as well send a message to Evelyn and get her to link us again."
Cat nodded before speaking directly to Evelyn.
We're on the other side. Vanessa's fine, but there's a whole bunch of evil dudes here. Can you link us again? Send the others over?
Evelyn sent back confirmation and Cat saw that Mai and Jake had already come around in the water, their sinuous dragon bodies slipping through the waves. In unison, they began to trap the dark ones as though they were fishing. Cat and Vanessa used their new air mobility to dive bomb and destroy. One by one, the dark ones fell, turning to dust, ashes, or mummies, depending on who got to them first.
Zahara had managed to move around the point of the cave to the other side and was swallowing up dark ones easily on the unstable sandy beaches. Soon, their numbers were depleted until they were gone and no more emerged from the cave. The girls and Jake waited a few minutes, but the battle was over.
Cat sighed in relief. The first part was done and the world would hopefully be a safer place without the dark souls to corrupt and steal from the soul energy of others. Yet as the one battle drew to a close, the tension rose in the air around them, seemingly from the sky itself. It was the same crackle of energy Cat could feel before a big thunderstorm and she knew that the others could also feel the pressure coming down on them.
"What the heck is that?"
Vanessa was breathing rapidly following the exertions of the battle, but Cat knew she was uninjured.
"I think that's her," said Cat. "She's awake and she knows we're here."
Evelyn looked worried. Cat knew that she agreed with her assessment, even if she didn't want to. A scream pierced the air, cutting through it like a bolt of lightning. They all dropped to the ground, covering their ears. It was an awful sound, sharp and full of such a deep anguish that it was painful on a cellular level, not just to their eardrums.
"Now what?" Jake asked, shouting over the noise while continuing to cover his ears.
"Now we go up. It's time. We have to go now and confront Carman, before she gets any louder. I think that sound could kill us if it gets any worse."
Evelyn pointed to the path and they started to move, as quickly as they could through the rocks and roots that blocked their way.
At the top of the path was a windy plateau with a clearing and some patches of scrubby grass that had held on through the harsh wind and water. There were patches of heather near the edges and the stark beauty almost distracted the team from the sight of the gnarled and twisted oak tree standing alone near the far edge, facing the cold ocean. As Cat neared it, she once again saw the face that haunted her dreams, with the dark blood- like substance leaking from the trunk.
The trunk shifted and eyes opened, dark obsidian and cold over an almost-mouth that continued to scream with rage.
"You! You are the one. You killed my son! Now you must pay!"
The tree that they knew as Carman had seen Cat and spat the words directly at her. Even though she was cloaked with her fiery phoenix finery, Cat suddenly felt cold. This was a creature far more powerful than Dub. Taking
another deep breath and feeling as though she couldn't get enough air, she stood straight and tall with her wings folded behind her as she approached, stopping about twenty feet in front of the dark trunk with its hideous face.
"Yes, I did kill your son. He was weak, and evil, and he needed to die."
Cat spoke the words as calmly as she could, knowing that she'd be triggering whatever came next, as they were fighting words, no matter who you were.
Carman shrieked again, causing them to all stop and cover their ears in pain. Then the tree moved. Cat watched in horror as the trunk split at the base. Next, the branches shook and stretched out, with some falling behind the main trunk and others to the side. In disbelief, Cat realized that Carman was shifting herself into human form.
Carman watched as Cat's mouth dropped and laughed coldly.
"Yes," she hissed. "Do you like it? You see, my helpers have been feeding me for a very long time. It would have been possible to transform sooner, if it hadn't been for that meddling king a few centuries ago. But no matter, I have enough energy now to complete the transition, due to all the souls they have given me in the last few years. You killed my son Dub, which slowed things, but hardly stopped them, as you can see. I owe you for that insult and plan to repay you all in kind. I think I will start with you and kill your sister, as she is the closest to you."
Cat looked around wildly for Vanessa, relieved to see that she was floating on the wind a few feet to her left, until she saw a dark tendril whip out and wrap around Vanessa's waist and pull her towards the witch.
"No! Let her go!" Cat screamed, feeling her fear choking her. The phoenix rose up faster than she could control and her skin felt as if it was burning as her power struggled to escape. She felt a soothing touch and realized it was Evelyn, reaching into her mind.
Calm down, Cat. Don't let her get to you so easily. We're all here. Zahara, can you get the tendril off? It looks like it may be part of the tree so you may have a chance. Quickly.
Zahara bobbed her head and darted closer, staying out of range of the witch's grasp by zigzagging towards the raven that was frantically flapping in Carman's trap, looking like a bird stuck in a house trying to find a window. Cat watched as Zahara climbed onto Vanessa, gnawing away the tendrils that were sapping her energy, letting her fall free of her bindings.
Carman let out a deep growl and Cat knew it wasn't pain but irritation that caused it.
"Fools! You think that mere humans can stop me? That golden god couldn't do it and neither can you! Finally, I shall be free to reign over this land and nothing you can do will change that."
Carman began to walk towards the line of girls and Jake, looking almost human if you only focused on the outline of her body. But her face was marble in its cruelty, the eyes dark and evil. While her body now appeared mostly human, the tendrils of her hair moved on their own, whipping the air independently as she walked.
Cat felt the power of her friends through Evelyn, who was joining them together in spirit. Cat knew that they were stronger together, but wasn't sure what they could do to beat Carman. She remembered King James and his emphasis on family and Robin telling Evelyn that her powers hadn't yet fully developed. As she looked at her friends in their true forms, Cat was both exhilarated and worried. Two dragons, a fox, a raven, and a phoenix. All of them powerful in their own way, all fighting against darkness for years now. She felt a new resolve strengthen her commitment to see it through and in that moment, Cat knew they would beat this threat as well.
Evelyn, what do we do now? Can you see anything?
Cat was hoping that Evelyn had received some kind of vision, something that would guide them in the fight, but saw her shake her head.
It's okay. We can always try to overwhelm her by rushing her together. Jake, Mai, when Evelyn gives the signal, I want you to charge. Zahara, I want you to come at her from below and try to sink the ground to trap her, while Vanessa, you use the air to keep her branch-thingies busy so she can't attack anyone. I'll come from this side and try to light her up. Does that work for everyone?
Cat felt the agreement of the others through their mental connection and saw Evelyn nod. Carman continued to approach, oblivious to their plan until Evelyn abruptly yelled inside their minds.
Now!
In unison, they rushed forward. The size of the two dragons caught Carman temporarily off guard and she stopped moving forward in surprise. Almost simultaneously, Cat saw the ground crumble underneath Carman's feet, dropping her about a foot lower into the ground. As expected, her branches began to whip around, seeking purchase on something solid, but Vanessa kept them wrapped up in a mini tornado, swirling just around her head.
Carman screamed.
"What are you doing? Let go! You have no power over me!"
But even as she screamed at them, Cat watched in horror as Carman broke free from their combined efforts, too quickly for Cat to fight her with fire. She threw a ball of crackling black light that hit Zahara, who fell unmoving to the ground. Another ball of the same energy hit Vanessa, knocking her out of the sky into a crumpled heap on the ground nearby. Cat rushed forward, knowing that she needed to stop Carman, trying not to think about Zahara so close and so still, or her sister on the other side of her looking so broken. Every fibre of Cat's being wanted to avoid physical contact, but she had to try to touch her.
Then the air around her lit up. Cat felt weird, different than when she'd fought Dub and went supernova. Instead of the intense burning sensation that had overwhelmed her back then, she felt peaceful and warm, like she was on a beach being bathed in the sun. She looked at her arm in puzzlement. She was still in phoenix form, but her body wasn't surrounded in flames.
Strange, this isn't how it happened last time.
She looked around to try to figure out what was going on and saw Carman in front of her. She was stuck in a silent scream and appeared to be frozen in the beautiful iridescent light. A glowing circle completely surrounded her, but it wasn't coming from Cat. This was a different light altogether. Cat looked around to see what was going on, but couldn't see anything past the light. She was immersed in the glow and could only see it and Carman at first, but that was already beginning to change.
As Cat watched, Carman began to disappear. Slowly at first, spots of the light seemed to stick to her body, like dandelion fluff on a black blanket. Then the fluffs of light coalesced more rapidly, becoming bigger and bigger patches. Carman remained immobilized in the static, silent scream as it happened, until the light began to overwhelm her. Carman's entire body was now surrounded. The light appeared to be completely melting the darkness of her soul and the body that held it. Within seconds, the witch vanished. The light continued to pulse and grow and Cat felt her retinas burn again. It was too much, too bright. She closed her eyes, trying to block it out, and then finally, the light faded away.
Cat carefully opened her eyes, sighing with relief when she saw her friends looking similarly stunned. Zahara had turned back into her human form, as had Vanessa, and while they were still on the ground, they were moving at least. Cat looked down in surprise to find that she'd returned to her usual body as well. Glancing to her other side, she saw Mai and Jake hugging in human form, obviously as relieved as Cat was to be alive.
In the middle of the clearing, where the gnarled and twisted tree trunk had stood only a minute before, was Evelyn. Cat felt her breath escape in a whoosh of surprise. Instead of her normally beautiful and confident friend, there stood a beautiful and radiantly iridescent goddess. It was Evelyn, but she was now so much more. She had the same aura Cat had always associated with her, but it was bigger. It now looked like a giant halo and she had mother-of-pearl wings tucked neatly behind her shoulders. They weren't those of a bird, more like angel wings, if there was such a thing. But it was Evelyn's eyes that captured Cat's full attention. They were magnificent, rainbow coloured and swirling, without any of her normal chocolate brown colour.
"Evelyn? Are you okay?"
Cat moved forward timidly, not wanting to startle her in this new, possibly dangerous form.
Evelyn turned slowly to face her, looking curiously calm. She didn't speak at first, but she did, her voice rang like a bell.
"My name is Olokun. I have been sleeping these many years, until now. I did not realize who I was before I awoke here today. Evelyn is part of me, but not the whole."
Cat felt an urge to bow to the majestic voice that belonged to her friend, but at the same time, didn't sound like Evelyn's voice at all. Cat knelt on the ground, partly to rest, but partly out of the same feeling of deference she felt whenever she'd spoken to Robin. This was not a regular human anymore, or even one gifted with powers like her own. In front of Cat stood a being of immense power. Cat was awed and also sad, as if she'd lost her best friend. And maybe she had, after all. This goddess didn't look like Evelyn, even though it had her form.
"Do you remember what happened? Can you tell us? One minute we were fighting Carman, and now she's gone and here you are, looking like this. Are we still in danger, or has the darkness truly passed?"
Cat did her best to speak deferentially, but her curiosity won out. The woman, whether it was Evelyn or Olukun, gestured for Cat to stand again. At least she hadn't angered her, Cat thought with relief, feeling more awkward than she'd ever felt talking to Evelyn.
"I remember everything. I'm still Evelyn but I'm also the goddess of dreams, or Yemaya, all-mother. I am worshipped by the Voodu as their moon goddess. I am married to Aganju, the god of the soil. I have been asleep for many, many years. I had forgotten myself for so long."
She trailed off thoughtfully, as though lost in her memories for a moment before she continued.
"With the rise of the darkness, I began to feel the stirring of thought. Then my feelings and dreams began to return. And then my old love reappeared to guide me in my dreams as your friend Evelyn, always waiting for the moment when I would return. It has taken longer than he'd hoped, so he didn't wait until I had my memories back before he declared himself. Aganju, Robin, as he has called himself to you, has always been there for me, guiding me without telling me what wasn't his to tell. Allowing me to find my own answers and own way. At times this was frustrating, but it was never for us to be told, only to discover in our own time."