The Wicked End

For the second time that day, I brandished my sword and slowly walked the steps up to the palace. Once I was inside I scaled the large staircase, and this time I took the second staircase to the right on the landing, this time hoping my search would lead me to Matt.

The second set of stairs ended in another landing, with only a hallway going off to the left. Standing there a moment, the large sword held tightly in hand, I felt a presence in my mind, telling me to put my sword away. I did as it beckoned, feeling a dreamy state wash over my brain as I flitted down the hallway, stopping outside the door at the very end. Once I was there, whatever had invaded my mind vanished, and I knew when I opened the door that Matt would be waiting there for me on the other side.

Pushing against the hard wood of the door, I silently crept in, shutting it behind me. Matt was perched on a large bed, the mattress draped in dark fabrics. He didn't move, and I didn't know if he could feel my presence. I slipped up behind him, placing my weight on the edge of the bed, and crawled silently to him. Johnny had said I needed to trick Matt, and I had just the idea what to do.

Gently, I placed my hand on his thick, muscular shoulder. He didn't even flinch, but I had revealed to him I was there. I waited for him to turn around, but he never did, so I leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his neck. Memories flashed back to me of all the things Matt and I had done together, before he had shown me the monster he really was.

But even the kisses along his neck didn't stir him. He sat as still and rigid as a statue.

Not knowing what else to do, I slowly stood on the bed and pulled the large, jewel-encrusted sword from its sheath. I held it above my head, the blade pointed at the top of his back, and brought it down swiftly.

With a flash of movement, Matt quickly turned and grabbed my arm with his fist, his eyes glowing vibrant red as he looked deep into my own. He squeezed down hard, causing me to drop the sword as I whimpered against his power. He held me up in the air and then I felt a force come from his other palm, hitting me like a wall of concrete, slamming me against the wall on the opposite side of the room, adjacent to where the door was positioned.

I hissed in pain when my wings and back pounded into the stone slabs behind me and looked up at Matt to see him standing a few feet before me.

"You really thought you could trick me?" he growled, his eyes flaming. "Don't forget I can see you inside and out, Davy. You can't hide anything from me."

Trembling at the fact that he had me trapped against this wall, I caught a glimpse of silver just to the side of Matt's hip - the sword was lying on the bed. If I could get around Matt, I could get the sword and get out of there.

I summoned my strength and kicked off from the floor, my wings unfurling as I soared up and over Matt, up to the high ceiling, and onto the bed. Hastily I grabbed my sword and jumped off the bed, running out the door and down the hall. Once I got to the landing at the end, I glanced over my shoulder. Matt was nowhere to be found. But I didn't stop running. I ran down the two flights of stairs to the ground floor. The exit was right in front of me - just a few more steps.

In the blink of an eye Matt was stood before me, his arms folded, blocking the exit. He sent me an evil smirk and I skidded to a stop in front of him.

"You can't get away that easy," he snarled, but I gathered my courage and held my sword high. I charged him, ready to dig the blade under his skin. Matt shot his hand out before me, and in that moment I felt a tight grip on my neck, halting all movement.

I choked, struggling to breathe as Matt used his powers to grip my throat. I fought to keep a firm grip on the handle of the sword, but it was heavy and I felt it slowly slipping from my fingers.

Just as I felt I may pass out, Matt swung his hand to the side, catapulting me sideways into another stone wall. I heard a crack and cried out in pain when I landed in a heap on the floor. My left wing had nearly been snapped in half, but, like when I had been cut by Brian, my body began to heal itself.

My breathing was ragged as I tried to fill my lungs, the veins still pumping hard in my neck though the pressure had gone.

"Come on, Davy," I heard Matt tease, and he slowly walked over to where I was crumpled up on my stomach. He stuck his foot out and pulled me over onto my back, staring down at me with that sinister grin of his. "It's no fun when you don't put up a fight," he hissed, ad then stood back. I crawled onto my hands and knees, trying to get away while still holding onto the sword. Matt just howled out his demonic laugh, watching as I pathetically crawled to the doorway, hauling myself up onto my feet and stumbling out into the light. Overhead, storm clouds were brewing and I heard the rumble of thunder far off in the distance.

"You know what, Davanee?" I heard Matt's voice from behind me, and I whipped my head around as I walked, slipping on the top step and falling, tumbling down a couple of steps. He stood over me at the top, looking down.

"I think it's only fair to you that I fight your way," he said, and I watched as he pulled a black sword out of thin air. "Get up," he ordered, and as a flash of lightning struck the sky, I shakily got to my feet. It was time to face my fate - surely I was going to die by his hand.

Matt advanced down the steps quickly, his blade poised toward me before I was even fully standing. In a second before my body would be sliced, I slammed my blade into his, feeling the contact through my arm, almost jolting the sword from my grip. I steadied myself on the steps, slowly trying to push Matt back onto the top landing where the level would be even.

Matt moved quickly, faster than I could dream of, and I felt stinging in both my legs and across my cheek, burning hard when Matt halted, his sword held perfectly still and erect, blood trickling down from the point.

I glanced down at my legs to see various slashes across my skin, blood oozing from them, and then gingerly touched my left cheek, seeing blood across my fingertips. Matt started laughing, its deep sound almost matching the rumbling of thunder overhead. He stood unmoving, his head thrown back as he laughed - surely at how I couldn't get a blow in while he attacked.

Anger doubled with fear inside me, and I heard myself growl as I thrust the blade of my sword through his stomach. Matt's laughter stopped and he snapped his head back up, looking at me hard with a glare.

"You can't kill me, Davanee. No one can," he spat, and I pulled my sword back. I didn't know what else to do, so I pushed off the ground and shot into the air, trying to think of something to do to injure him. Nothing came to mind, and I realized Matt was right - I couldn't win.

Suddenly a flash of lightning bolted overhead, the thunder following it a second later, sounding louder than before due to how high up I was.

Use the lightning, I heard a voice flutter through my head, and I could unmistakably tell that it was Johnny.

"How?" I asked aloud over the crashing above me. "Use the lightning how?"

Your sword, he whispered, and for some reason what he said clicked, and everything made sense. When Matt had ascended his throne, the lightning charged all around him, into his body. If I could charge my sword with enough electricity and delve it into his heart, he would overload, and it would all be over.

Swiftly I soared higher, taking my sword and pointing it to the sky. Once I was high enough I stopped and waiting for the next bolt to strike. Seconds later, a thread of lightning dropped from a storm cloud and tethered itself to the tip, wrapping around the blade and coiling like a snake. I could feel the metal of the sword suck up all the energy it could, burning my hands, but I couldn't let go.

As soon as the lightning snapped back up to the cloud, I took both hands to my sword and dove, soaring faster and faster down to there Matt was stood. He pointed the pitch black sword he held at me, hoping to catch me on the fall, but I knocked it to the side and in one smoother movement, lodged the charged blade of my sword through his chest at an angle, piercing his heart.

Instantly I could feel the energy transfer into Matt, causing the coils to envelope his body. His expression went blank and with a jolt, he began to overload, the lightning possessing his body. I could feel the skin of my hands melting from the intense heat of the lightning, and then the muscles underneath began to go. I couldn't hold on anymore, but when I tried to let go, my hands wouldn’t move.

Matt's head snapped back, his neck arched as he let out a sound that matched that of nails on a chalkboard, only a million and one times louder, and I felt my head swim.

My eyes caught something bright at Matt's sides, and I looked down to see his fingertips glowing, shooting out tendrils of bright white light, and when I looked back at his face his eyes were clamped shut and his mouth shot out a beam of light. The light grew and fell upon his head and body, engulfing him, and a shockwave sent me to the ground, my hands finally free of the sword. I felt my vision going, my body growing weaker, and the last thing I heard was the sound of deafening explosion as I was blinded by a bright light.

I felt something wet pattering against my face and body, and when I opened my eyes, I saw grey rain clouds overhead, rain pouring down from them.

I felt a pain in my hands as I sat up, and I looked down to see the skin heavily scarred - burn wounds. Slowly I stood to my feet and looked around, seeing the lands deserted. I was all alone.

Hearing a small sound to my right, I looked down and saw Matt, lying motionless on the steps. Remember what had happened, I rushed to his side, seeing him move.

Crouched over him, I watched as his eyes opened, but this time they weren't clouded over in red or black. They were hazel, and when I held their soft gaze, I knew that this was my Matt. The evil spirit had abandoned his body once I destroyed it, but the physical wounds still adorned Matt's body, killing him.

"I feel so c-cold," he whispered, his lips trembling as she spoke, and I knew that he would be gone soon.

"Ssshh..." I cooed, "just close your eyes, Matty, and everything will be okay." He still looked up at me, and I heard him lightly gasp. I leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, and then passed my hand over his eyes, closing them, never to see the piercing hazel of his irises again.

And with one rattling breath, Matt exhaled, and was gone.