Chapter Fifty-Seven

Caltaya

“Interesting how?” I ask.

Manoa raises an eyebrow, like she was surprised that I was actually trying to get information. Or that I was taking the time to pretend I cared.

“Um Mutt,” Clato says. “We have some bad news.”

“Oh wonderful!” I say. “I’m sure that’s exactly what he needs! More bad news to go along with his death!”

“You’re frozen in a block of ice. Do you really think that you have a right to be talking?” Clato demands, turning to glare at me.

I blink, caught off guard before turning around and going back to look at Manoa. Who simply shrugs at me.

“What is it?” Mutt asks in a rather cheery voice for someone who just got warned that it was bad news.

“Godville has been destroyed,” Manoa states plainly. “Everyone’s dead.”

“Wait! WHAT?!” He shouts, his eyes widening, for a second there was nothing.

Then Manoa nods and Mutt sinks to the floor. He looked completely… gone. A look that I had seen before during the trials. I tilt my head to the side, watching everyone’s reaction.

“She’s not dead,” Manoa adds. “She’s just kind of frozen.”

Clato elbows her in the side. I refrain from gaping in shock. My sister, an all powerful immortal queen had just let someone jab her in the side and she did nothing about it. Something strange was going on there. Something terrible and strange.

“Everyone else is dead?” Mutt says, eyes wide.

“Save for one or two people that fled to the safety of the woods, yes,” Manoa say, staring me in the eyes.

I stare back, I knew that she would recognize the Fire Creatures and she would know that it had been me who sent them. This was just her way of letting me know that I hadn’t succeeded in killing them all like I had wanted. It didn’t matter though.

Since the last time she had played this trick on me, I have gotten stronger, and now I was better at fighting the ice with my own fire. Making it melt quicker. I just had to keep her talking. And then they will all meet their doom.   As if she could hear me talking, Clato looks up. Her eyes were calculating and full of life, not the type of thing you would normally see. I wasn’t really sure what to think about her. She wasn’t like any other human that I had ever seen.

“Maybe we should speed this up, just a teeny tiny bit,” she says. “You know just to prevent-”

She was cut off by a loud bang coming from the other side of the room as a door closed.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Clotho asks.

“That from happening,” Clato finishes, staring at Clotho.

“Clato, darling, looks like you were finally able to convince someone that you were on their team. Congrats. Though I was hoping that they wouldn’t. It would be a relief if you were dead by now,” Clotho says smiling at Clato.

“Yeah, well, believe me the feeling is definitely mutual,” Clato says.

“I’m sure,” Clotho says, turning to look at me. “Oh dear. Well we can’t have you stuck in that now can we?”

“I’m sure if you think very hard you might be able to access enough brain power to realize that yeah, it is indeed very possible,” Clato says.

“Do you know how easy it would be for me to cut the string that is attached to your life and take you from this world!” Clotho demands, turning to glare at her.

“Apparently it’s a lot harder than you’re caring to admit, since you haven’t done it already,” Clato snaps.

Clotho glares at her slightly, but doesn’t say anything. Just turns around and comes back over towards me.

“How exactly am I supposed to get you out of this?” she asks me.

“Well, I would hate to tell the all knowing genius what to do,” I say sarcastically.

“Are you trying to be funny? Because you’re not really doing that good of a job,” Clotho says, rolling her eyes at me.

“Just trying to be honest,” I say.

“So, are we supposed to be fighting them, or are they just going to be fighting each other?” Clato asks.

“I’m not entirely sure at this moment,” Manoa says. “I suppose that the best we can do is take a minute and wait it out. Maybe they will figure out what they’re supposed to be doing soon. If not, I’m afraid there might be some problems with many things.”

“Not really, we could get really lucky and they could end up killing each other,” Mutt says.

“Well, hopefully they do, but whatever they do they really need to get on with it. Because this is getting rather boring,” Clato says, yawning.

“Agreed,” Mutt adds. “They don’t even have any cake here!”

“Not everything is about cake,” Manoa says, giving him a weird look.

“HOW DARE YOU!” Mutt exclaims, dropping to the floor. “Do not worry cake! I still love you! You shall be free!”

“Is he always like this?” Manoa asks Clato.

“It’s best if you don’t ask,” was all Clato gave her for a reply.

“I see,” Manoa says.

“You two realize that we can hear everything that you’re arguing about right?” Clotho demands.

“Right back at you,” Clato snaps back. “Honestly, I was wondering what it was going to take to get you two to stop yelling at each other. It was honestly getting old.”

“And I’m assuming that you think what you’re doing is all sunshine and rainbows?” Clotho snaps back.

“Got any popcorn?” Mutt asks. “Cause I think that this would be a great time to bring it out. I really do.”

“Are you serious?” I demand.

“Yes,” Mutt replies.

“Get real,” I mutter.

“Is that a no on the popcorn then?” he asks, frowning lightly.

“OF COURSE it’s a no on the popcorn!” I snap.

“Oh, darn, okay then,” he says with a shrug.

“So now what the hell is happening between the two of them?” Clato asks, pointing at Mutt and I.

“I’d kind of like to know that myself, if we’re being honest, and we are. Right?” Clotho says.

“Enough!” Manoa shouts, stomping her foot, like she was about to have a temper tantrum.

Everyone goes silent, mostly because of the ice that was held within her words, growling at us through her voice like a demonic sting. I roll my eyes, this was a tactic that she had used a lot when trying to get me to follow directions and do things the way that she wanted them to be done.

“Did you really think that wouldn’t work?” I ask her.

“No, I was hoping that it would. Though I’m not entirely sure how much of a good thing it was, if I’m being honest,” Manoa says.

“Your honesty gets people killed,” I snarl at him.

Manoa closes her eyes for a second, and heaves a breath, before opening them again and looking at me. She doesn’t say anything, just stares at me with a rather sad expression.

Clato claps her hands, “So, what’s going to happen next?”

“You’re going to fight our army and hope that you survive,” I say, giving her my best smile.

Clato frowns, and then shrugs, “Okay. Sounds fun! Where and when do we start?!”

“Now,” Clotho says, clapping her hands twice and summoning a bunch of Fire Hounds and other creatures.  

۝

Clato

“Is it too late to say that I was just joking? Cause I really was, well not really, the thing is,” I rant.

“Silence!” Caltaya shouts.

I cringe back as she rattles my eardrum. “Ouch. That was rude,” I say, wiggling my ear.

“ATTACK!” Clotho shouts.

The creatures surge towards us as one, a fiery storm of claws and fangs. Manoa throws up her hands, creating a wall of ice.

“That’s not going to last long,” she says.

“Long enough,” I say. I turn to Mutt. “Moon needs you, Mutt. You need to go to her.”

He glances between me and the wall of ice, “I’m not leaving you guys. They’ll kill you”

“And you’re already dead,” Manoa says. “Go. We have no need of you here.”

“But-” he starts.

“I SAID GO!” Manoa shouts. “Now be gone and live your life before I end it myself on your stupidity alone!”

“You’re very rude,” Mutt whines.

Manoa turns her head slightly to the side to glare at him. Not moving otherwise. Not that it mattered, since she had already pretty much scared Mutt, crazy.

“Mutt, just go,” I say. “We can handle this.”

“You’re leaving too,” Manoa says, not even turning to look at me.

“What?” I demand. “Are you crazy? I’m not leaving you!”

“Yes, you are,” Manoa says. “I  can handle this well enough without you. Worrying about you will only slow me down.”

“Then don’t worry!” I snap.

The ice was slowly starting to melt, the top curling in and breaking off. The Fire Hounds were sacrificing themselves to break the wall, and they should, considering Caltaya could just make an entire army with a snap of her fingers.

“I can’t help it, you’re annoying, but you’re not that bad,” Manoa says. “Just go, both of you. Before you can’t anymore.”

I cross my arms over my chest, glaring at her in an act of defiance.

“Oh please,” Manoa says.

“Mutt, go,” I say. “You can save us all, but first, you have to save Moon. Do you understand me?”

“I can’t leave you guys here,” he says. “It’s suicide!”

“And it’s also not your choice,” Manoa says. “Remember the fairy tales Mutt. They’re more real than most things.”

Then Mutt was encased in ice and gone in seconds as he was teleported out of here. Manoa stares at the spot where he had disappeared for a second, and for the first time I realized that while she said she wasn’t Moon, she still was in a way. A way that included loving Mutt. Not that I could blame her, since I too had fallen under his charm multiple times. And had never really escaped either.

“You’re turn,” she says, turning to me.

“No,” was all I say.

“You have to leave! I do not want you to be here!” Manoa snaps.

I shrug at her, “That’s such a nice thing to say! Thank you! Truly! You’re still stuck with me. Better learn to deal.”

Manoa narrows her eyes at me, “Excuse you? I can send you away against your will.”

“Why haven’t you then?” I ask her. “Kinda surprised that you haven’t already yet.”

Manoa doesn’t say anything, just glares at me harder.

“You can’t do it can you! Not without my permission!” I exclaim. “Because of whatever magic has been keeping you from completely taking over Moon’s body all these years! You can’t make me do anything that I don’t want to do because you are me!”

“Great, you figured it out,” Manoa says, pretending to be happy. “Can you just say that you’ll leave already?”

“I’m not going anywhere. Sorry, but you’re stuck with me for now,” I say with a grin.

“But I don’t want you here,” Manoa snaps.

“Too bad,” I say giving her another smile.

“Fine, you can stay,” Manoa snarls.

“Obviously, I was going to do it anyway,” I point out.

Manoa groans, a slightly inhumane noise, but that could’ve just been because of how much she over exaggerated it.

“Ready??” I ask her, when the ice starts to crumble.

She glances at me out of the corner of her eye, and raises her hands, setting her left foot a bit behind her right one.

“Let’s do this,” she says.

I draw my sword, spinning it around in a circle and angling it at the ice wall, standing sideways with my feet spread apart past my shoulders.

The ice slowly crumbles away, falling away starting at the top. It was like the ice was in slow motion, descending down and piling on the floor. The minute it hit the floor it sizzled. Which made me bring attention down to the fact that the floor was heating up like crazy. As if she noticed my discomfort ice forms under my feet, protecting me from the fire that was on the floor.

I look over at her, knowing that it was going to take a lot of energy to keep the ice under my feet once we start fighting, keeping it from melting. I clear my throat, trying to give her a hint that I didn’t need it. She ignored me.

“Just so you know,” she says, looking up at the top of the ice. “Fire Hounds can fly.”

“Wait what?” I ask, but before she can reply there was a screeching.

Then a bunch of hideous creatures burst from the ice, screaming as they fly towards us. I inhale, holding my ground. For a second everything still and then an ice cycle flies through the air and lodges itself into a creature. She throws out her hands in a fast paced rhythm that I couldn’t follow.

Everytime her hand extended an ice cycle flew out of it, always hitting a creature even though they twisted and turned, trying to get away. I jump into action, swinging my sword around and slicing into creature after creature. Spinning, ducking and sliding across the floor. Manoa fought beside me sometimes.

Using an ice cycle and smashing it into one creature before turning to attack another. Eventually I touched her shoulder, she whipped around and barely stopped herself from stabbing me.

“Stop moving,” I say. “You can fight without doing so, and right now you’re using up a lot of energy that you can’t afford to waste.”

She gives me a look, almost like she wants to kill me. I smile at her awkwardly, and then she throws her hand out and an ice cycle imbeds itself in a creature that was about to take my head off.

“Thanks,” I say, before twisting around her and stabbing my sword into a creature that was coming up behind her.

But no matter how many we killed, five more always came back to take that one’s place.

“We’re not going to win this!” I shout.

Manoa doesn’t answer, I guess she wasn’t that used to losing, instead she just keeps throwing ice. But I could tell because of the ice that was melting under my feet before refreezing that she was getting tired.

I continue stabbing everything that I saw, when suddenly a creature roared at me and threw it’s legs up, knocking away my sword. It yips at me, baring its teeth. Manoa encases it with ice before it can eat me.

“WATCH OUT!” I shout, as one opens its huge mouth behind her, revealing pointy teeth.

It roars and this time breathed fire out, which hits Manoa square in the back, causing her to fall back. Another one knocks me down beside her. I shuffle away from the one that was coming at us.

My back hits the wall. Manoa glares up at the creature, but I could tell that she couldn’t do anything. The fire had temporarily dampened her powers. The ice underneath me starts to melt. Heating up.

“I’m sorry,” Manoa says, staring up at the creature.

“For what?” I ask, breathing heavily as it drew closer.

“Failing,” she says.

Before I could say anything, she leaps up and throws herself in front of the creature that was about to stab me.

“NO!” I shout, trying to get up.

But ice came up and grabbed me, trapping me to the ground and keeping me from moving. The monster’s teeth tore through Manoa, and then she was gone, and all that was left was the remnants of the melting ice and me.

I stare up at the spot where she had vanished. Then the creature that had inhaled her bursts into dust, I turn my head away so that I don’t get hit by anything. And then turn to look up again.

Waverly stood there, breathing hard, every single Fire Hound was completely destroyed. She closes her eyes for a second and then her shoulders slump.

“I thought I lost you,” she says, dropping the sword and pulling me up and into a hug.

“What?” I ask.

“I can’t explain it,” she says. “I just felt something terrible and I thought that you had died. I came as soon as possible. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

I cautiously wrap my arms around her. We had never hugged before and I was shocked that she had done it.

“I can’t believe she’s dead,” I whisper.

“What?” Waverly asks.

“Manoa,” I say, looking up. “She saved my life. She jumped in front of me. She died for me.”

“Clato, what are you talking about?” Waverly asks. “No one else was here. That monster nearly killed you.”

“Well yeah, but Manoa stopped it. She died for me,” I explain.

Waverly shakes her head slowly, “Clay, I’ve been here for the last six minutes. And you were the only one here. I’m sorry.”

“What?” I ask, frowning. “No! That’s great! That means she got away!”

Waverly sighs and hangs her head, “It doesn’t actually mean that. It might mean something else.”

“Like what?” I ask, tilting my head to the side.

“Clay, I think that you might’ve been hallucinating. I think that this Manoa is nothing more than a figment of your imagination. Someone that you created because you were scared,” Wave says. “And I just want you to know, that it is okay to be scared. It’s perfectly normal. Accepting the fact that you’re scared is what makes you stronger than those who don’t know their fears.”

“I didn’t imagine Manoa, Waverly,” I say. “Is that seriously what you think? Truly and honestly? You think that I make things up?”

“Yes,” Waverly says. “I’m really sorry. I never wanted you to find out this way. I certainly never thought that I would have to tell you.”

“Manoa isn’t imaginary,” I say. “Besides, you’ve never met her.”

“Which is what led me to suspect that she’s imaginary,” Waverly says. “Really sorry. But it’s the truth. One day you’re going to have to accept it.”

“What’s wrong with you?” I demand. “Really. What’s going on with you? First you hug me, and then you try and tell me that I’m four years old with an imaginary friend?” I frown, my face scrunching up. “Unless of course.” I slap my palm against my head. “Gods I’m so stupid, I should’ve seen this before. You’re not Waverly are you?”

“I must say,” Not-Waverly says. “It took you a lot longer than I thought it was going to.”

“And who might you be?” I ask pleasantly, pretending to smile and care. Clasping my hands in front of me.

“So glad you asked,” Not-Waverly says. “I’m your worst nightmare.”

“That’s so adorable,” I say, raising my sword. “You’re kind of cute. This will be a shame.”

“What will?” she demands.

“Your defeat,” I say simply.

“You think you can defeat me?” she snarls.

“I know that I already have,” I say.

She looks confused, not quite yet getting it. But I felt stronger, and better. I wasn’t tired anymore, and the heat didn’t bother me much. It was in that instant that I knew, Manoa wasn’t actually dead she was just suppressed. Like she had been with Moon.

Because like she said, she couldn’t die unless I too was dead. She wasn’t really gone, she was with me even now. I knew it. She wouldn’t leave me. Not if she had the choice. She wasn’t nearly as bad as I had originally thought that she was. She really did care.

Guess you’re heart's not that frozen after all, I think. Somehow knowing that she would hear it.

Not-Waverly runs at me, screaming. At the last second she leaps up, trying to jump over my head. I raise my hands and thrust them up, ice shoots out of my hands and hits her in the stomach.

Causing her to fly up and hit the ceiling, before slamming down on the floor again. I side step to avoid getting crushed. There was a groan and the mask of Waverly vanishes.

“Clotho,” I snarl.

“What?” she says. “No, I’m-” She glances down at herself. “Well then, guess there’s really no point in lying now is there?”

“There never was,” I say. “I saw right through you.”

“Did you really now?” she asks. “I’m afraid that’s not the way it went for me. It seemed like it took you a very long time to figure anything out. Tell me, why was that?”

I look down before meeting her eyes, “Because you acted the way I always wanted Waverly to act.” She grins, looking like she was about to say something but I cut her off. “You did what you were meant to do, when the Great Creator made you. You were meant to inspire hope and life. And in those last few seconds, before you tried to kill me, that’s what you gave me. Thank you for that.”

She blinks, and for the first time I can see the gears turning behind her eyes as she realizes something that I couldn’t explain. As she realizes that there is still hope. I smile at her and bow my head.

“My life is yours to take,” I whisper. “Thank you for showing me that this isn’t the life I want to have.”

What are you doing? Manoa demands, her voice shouting in my mind. Never stop fighting. Never give in. You taught me that. That some things are worth fighting for.

I don’t answer her. I’m sorry, I say instead. I’m not as strong as you.

You’re stronger, she replies. I knew that from the moment I saw you. Nothing has changed.

You practically died, so that I could live. I wasn’t worthy of that choice, I whisper.

Don’t you think that was my choice to make? And I made it. It was the right choice. I know that for sure. When are you going to start believing it?

The scrap of a sword being drawn fills the air. Apparently Clotho had figured out whatever it was that she was trying to understand.

You need to believe it, Clato. Believe in yourself. Manoa says, her voice growing more and more frantic.

I keep my head bowed.

You have to live, you have to save the world! I couldn’t do it, but you can. I know you can, she says. People need you now. People need you to fight. To believe to be strong. Clato. Please. Fight.

“It’s a shame really,” Clotho says. “Caltaya is on her way to kill your friends. The rest of your town. And then, the world will really be ours. It’s a shame you won’t be alive to see what we do with it.”

The world hasn’t given up on you yet, Manoa says. Why are you giving up on the world? Fight Clato. It’s not your time yet. Fix this, like you should’ve when it first started.

The sword swings down, aiming for my head, my arm goes up, an ice cycle forms and collides with the sword. Snapping it in half, I spin around and smash the ice into Clotho’s back.

She chokes, and sputters out blood, before falling down to the floor. I drop down with her, stabbing her in the heart three times, the only way to kill the Fate of Life.

“You can’t have the world,” I say. “I’m not yet done with it.”

She coughs and blood spurts out of her mouth, “You can’t stop Caltaya. Our plans are already finished.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” I say.

“You’re too late,” she coughs.

“No,” I say. “For once in my life, I’m right on time.”

I turn around, not giving her the respect to look at her as she dies. I take a deep breath.

I don’t deserve your belief, I think. But I thank you for it.

Stop my sister and save the world. Your friends never needed me. They needed you, Manoa says.

I smile and walk out of the castle.