Come together: Rebirth

[Black Widow]

The Elysian Fields

Amanda clearly liked to say that her mother had been Red Queen in London, and she wanted Haleigh to know that she’d been ‘on the fast track’ to Queen herself. Presumably, these assertions were to give her street cred and dispel the ‘vanilla’ label. However, even though she made sure to highlight her time in Hellfire, she also made a point to say she’d left. It was a curious detail to Haleigh, but in her experience the best way to get someone to clam up was to ask them something directly, so she avoided the temptation to pry. Instead, she just allowed that Hellfire wasn’t for everybody, and called Amanda ‘sweetheart’, because she’d had such a reaction to being called vanilla that Haleigh wanted to test her further. Amanda sounded suddenly like a cheerleader, and called Haleigh ‘honey’ in return. Haleigh smirked at such an ill-fitting pet name. The fake enthusiasm was telling. Amanda went on to say something about serenity and wisdom and moving on. Haleigh resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Amanda also seemed to think the world wasn’t defined by Hellfire.

“If you say so.”

Haleigh replied simply. Amanda might as well have tried to tell Haleigh that the hybrid’s existence wasn’t defined by Mystech. Maybe in London, the Hellfire branch was weak and permeable. In New York, the network of Hellfire was far reaching. Malice had made sure that Hellfire had connections to city, state and even federal government. They had tendrils reaching into Wall Street and within the UN. They had the clout to shape policy and manipulate markets and the ramifications of decisions made there affected the lives of almost everyone, whether they realized it or not. And all this was completely independent of the fact that Haleigh had been drawn into Hellfire quite reluctantly but out of necessity, and that simply walking away presented threats that were not acceptable to her. Nevertheless, Haleigh wasn’t about to explain all this to absolute strangers, and so she let them have their misconceptions. She didn’t owe them the truth or anything else, and she didn’t know them well enough to tell them her whole sordid story.

Amanda was a bit nosy about the issue between Hecate and Haleigh. Haleigh would’ve been quite justified to tell Amanda it was none of her fucking business why Hecate wasn’t fond of Haleigh, but instead she just shrugged and observed that Hecate wasn’t fond of anyone who didn’t immediately and continuously kiss her ass. From Haleigh’s perspective, that was as simple an explanation as could be offered. She didn’t care to get into the details of why Hecate was always so confrontational, she didn’t care to even remember. Hecate wanted very much to still be the Goddess of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but Haleigh wasn’t much interested in those things, and she had never been religious to begin with. Maybe Hecate hated her because she represented the pinnacle of science and technology, the very things that were making magic obsolete. Whatever it was, Haleigh didn’t care. All she knew was that THIS time, Hecate had gone full bore on her because she’d had the audacity to suggest Hecate actually get to fixing the issue Blaze had called her in for, instead of telling everyone about the lineage of her bloodline while Morgan was in the corner, giving up on life itself. But even if it was a HEINOUS OFFENSE to expedite the help that Morgan needed, then Haleigh was going to commit that offense, unapologetically. Haleigh didn’t need Hecate’s love or approval, she was just fine being the ‘tiresome gnat’, so long as it got Morgan’s recovery underway.

They went on to discuss other things, and Haleigh found Brenthon to be a lot closer to her style, so she paid him a bit more attention. She was interested to hear he had a connection to Alexia, and he indicated that he wanted to help her. While Haleigh didn’t know enough about him to trust him just yet, she would not dismiss potential assistance. If everything he’d said so far was true, he would be an indispensable ally. She flirted with him a bit more, asking how she might get a hold of him. He mentioned black sacraments, blood sacrifices and carrier pigeons. Haleigh smiled gently. She was definitely going to gift him a cell phone. Since Amanda had effectively survived the opening salvo, or what was essentially Haleigh’s soft perimeter test, Haleigh paid her the courtesy of suggesting that maybe she should be consulted before Beto ‘came out to play’. Neither of them had denied being together or really elaborated on the nature of their relationship beyond Amanda helping Brenthon escape Madripoor, so this suggestion of Haleigh’s was another attempt to determine just how strong the connection between the pair was. Amanda didn’t want to lay a claim, and Beto didn’t want to be claimed.

“Very well, I know where to find you.”

Haleigh replied, her eyes on Beto for a few seconds longer, and then Amanda was offering refreshments. Beto admitted that he never turned down a drink, and assured Haleigh that there was only a low probability that it would be poisoned, and Haleigh smirked.

“Poison would be wasted on me anyway.”

She replied, and then she accepted the offer, because if she was still on her honeymoon she would definitely have a drink in her hand by now.

“Thank you, Amanda.”

She said, and then Amanda told them that Hecate and Blaze would be joining them. Haleigh sampled the drink and found it to be better than she expected, while Brenthon commented that he hoped to return from otherworldly realms sooner rather than later. Haleigh nodded in silent agreement. Morgan peeled herself off of Nicolas, and Blaze literally leapt into his arms next. A few minutes later, he was looking at Haleigh, and so she excused herself from the group to walk over to him. Their last interaction had been violence and pain. He’d crushed her throat, broken her bones, crippled and very nearly killed her. She had stalled as much as she could, holding him off until finally driving the Soul Sword up through his heart. It was clear, though, that they both understood just what had happened and why, and that neither of them were mad at the other. Very little was said, because there wasn’t much needed. Haleigh bid him farewell and rejoined the group.

Morgan: Haleigh?? You’re here?!

“Yeah. The others would be here too, but we weren’t really invited.”

Haleigh’s gaze flickered over to Blaze before returning to Morgan.

“I just happened to check in on you at the opportune time. You may have missed Seph, she was down by the River.”

Haleigh said, and then Morgan realized Brenthon and Amanda were there too. After that, Hecate took them all back to the enchanted forest. Hecate had a lot more to say to Morgan, and Haleigh was glad to have a drink in her hand. She began to amuse herself with a game. Every time prophecy was mentioned, or lineage delineated, or blood relation revealed, she took a sip. If the word ‘legacy’ was said, she drained her glass. The game would have been over too quickly, except that this goblet seemed to refill itself promptly and soon, Haleigh was in the best of moods. If only her husband was nearby, she found she craved his close embrace. Morgan claimed her Soul Sword again and was suddenly clad in new armor, and Haleigh smirked as she shot fireworks from the palm of her free hand to add to the energy of the moment.

Hecate: Welcome BACK, my child!

“Yeah, you look great. Nice horns, very Rock N Roll. You should have a cocktail, or twenty. They’re quite good, much better than you’d think a Girl Scout could deliver. Or we could go home and get you a case of champagne, if you prefer.”

 

[Hecate]

The Enchanted Forest

<< Hecate triumphantly gestures toward a revived and restored Spellbinder.>>

Behold! ALL things are possible through the power of a god, the power of MAGICK!

<< Indeed, Hecate was the source of all magick and witchcraft, and had gone on to become a cosmic entity. Like Athena, the other Olympians, and other similar deities/beings, she was now beyond the binds of the mortal coil, and concepts such as time >>

No child of mine will suffer.

“Yeah, you look great. Nice horns, very Rock N Roll. You should have a cocktail, or twenty. They’re quite good, much better than you’d think a Girl Scout could deliver. Or we could go home and get you a case of champagne, if you prefer.”

<< Hecate would be delighted to simply erase Haleigh Davidoff from existence. SHE couldn't imagine that anyone with sense would actually MISS her, and she truly believed she would be doing Morgan a FAVOR by disposing of the hybrid once and for all, but it was clear that neither Morgan, nor her sister Blaze would understand why that was for their own good, NOR would they approve. >>

<< Persephone would also strongly object. There was that small part of Hecate that had considered, more than once, paying Persephone BACK for her role (unwitting as it was) in the destruction of the original Moon Trinity. But Hecate really HAD learned a lesson from the mistake she made in trusting/using Circe to exact her bloody, violent revenge on the Olympians and the humans who worshiped them.>>

<< As legendary as Hecate was for holding a grudge, There WERE some exceptions, and when Persephone actually apologized to Hecate after the Six's original "Red Moon" caper, Hecate FORGAVE HER, and from that moment of FORGIVENESS, the door was opened for Demeter to be RESTORED.>>

<<And so, Hecate checked her own violent impulse towards Haleigh, once more.>>

<< The minds, and hearts of humans were always...strange, and after Hecate's BRUSH with heart/feelings (Hades), she wanted nothing more to do with any of that. If Morgan and Blaze wanted this ridiculous creature around, so be it. If Haleigh ever posed a threat to Morgan on the scale of Black or Set? There would be no doubt what Hecate would do.>>

Brenthon Sandalwood, STEP FORWARD.


<< Hecate commands, before she turns her attention to>>

Amanda Sefton! Come to the center of the pentagram of power. Stand under the LIGHT and EMBRACE of the MOON.

<< Brenthon and Amanda move forward, with Brenthon stepping ahead of Black Widow, Spellbinder, and Firebird, and Amanda moving past him to take her place under the large, low hanging, glowing moon, now standing in the center of the same pentagram of power that Spellbinder had stood in moments before as the others watched and listened>>

Amanda Sefton: I present myself to you, Moon Goddess, and Foremother of my bloodline.

Hecate: << nodding and smiling with approval as she went over to Brenthon, looking him over, examining his aura, his very SOUL with her power>>Brenthon Sandalwood, favored by my Darkchilde, the APPLE of her eye. Your reputation with her earns you good standing with me, as does your bond with this beautiful, young witch, who is full of promise and POWER. Much like Amanda, and her mother before her traveled the Winding Way, you, Brenthon have moved through the Shadowed Path, a path and discipline that ONLY you, or a fellow Romani such as Amanda could access. When Amanda MOST NEEDED a confidant, you were there for her, and you connected with her in a most multifaceted way.

<< Looking at Amanda with approval, Hecate moves closer to her>>

Amanda, DAUGHTER of Margali Szardos, the gypsy mother, immortal Witch Queen, AND PREVIOUS SORCERESS SUPREME, you CORRECTLY stated earlier that there is more to your world than the Hellfire Club, a rather PEDESTRIAN entity born from the limited, avaricious minds of mortals.

You ALREADY occupy the TOP MOST spot on the Winding Way, making your far more powerful than any other magick user that ever graced the halls of that little mansion in London, save your mother, and my son, Ravena. You were on a global stage, and And you are ready to take the next step, BEYOND Hellfire, beyond the Winding Way, to the Otherplace (Limbo)

You had the wisdom, and the COURAGE to LET GO of that which did NOT serve you well, for you were being pulled in another direction toward a FAR MORE IMPORTANT purpose! Your mother made you not only knew your romani heritage, but your ULTIMATE roots, leading to ME, your Foremother. Though you did not wish to believe, the seeds were planted, and they did eventually take root.

You've always seen the world for more than most MORTALS, and non magick users, who are pathetically obsessed with science, would be capable of comprehending.

Soon you began having DREAMS of a violet eyed woman, a sorceress, and then, you dreamed, saw, felt YOURSELF wearing eldritch armor and wielding a sword.

<<FLASH!>>

<< A young Jimaine Szardos stands before her mother, who is cloaked in robes. Jimaine is unhappy that Margali will not let her daughter go with Kurt Wagner, her boyfriend, to the States.>>

Margali Szardos: You have BIGGER things to worry about, daughter. Your DESTINY dawns. Like me, and our foremothers before us, YOU are a woman, a SORCERESS on the Winding Way!

<< But Jimaine did not care about sorcery. She wanted to travel the world with Kurt. She protested, but her mother silenced her.>>

Margali Szardos: BEHOLD! <<The Witch Queen conjures an image, of a SWORD. >>

<<FLASH!>>

BEHOLD! a portent of the FUTURE!

<< Amanda is transfixed by the Soul Sword as Margali continues>>

Margali: This is the SOUL SWORD! This weapon is a threat, not only to MY place on the winding way, but to the MATERIAL WORLD as well!

Jimaine: But...

<< Margali silences her daughter once more>>

Margali: This sword, DAUGHTER, is a SYMBOL, the ULTIMATE [EVIL] EMBLEM of YOUR DESTINY!

Jimaine: My destiny...EVIL? But it...it's BEAUTIFUL.

Margali: Yes. As beautiful as the woman who CREATED IT from the DARKEST, MOST POWERFUL piece of her SOUL. BEAUTIFUL as HER foremother, OUR foremother....

Jimaine: You mean...

Margali: Yes. HECATE, the Goddess of WITCHCRAFT. ALL witchcraft, ALL MAGICK leads back to HER.

More than a mere dream, Amanda, a VISION of what was to come, for YOU. Your mother knew, and you began to suspect, and once you met Brenthon Sandalwood, something CLICKED, for HE TOO was being drawn to the same violet eyed sorceress, The Spellbinder, who reminded HIM of HIS Darkchilde.

And then, inside of Spellbinder's Sanctum Sanctorum...

<< FLASH!>>

Ororo: Do not punish yourself over this loss, my child. It has already happened, and Bretta HAS been safely guided to the afterlife by YOUR mother.

<< Amanda looks up...>>

Amanda: who!?

Ororo: I am Ororo, the Immortal Weather Witch, and guardian of the Dark Trinity. I stand before you, because the dawn of your true destiny is at hand.

Amanda: But I thought....

Ororo :: holding up her hand for silence:: You heard the Firebird's call for help, because you were meant to. But you were NOT meant to stop or even KILL those other two (Talisman and Enchantrah). You are meant to restore BALANCE and ENSURE STABILITY.

You HAVE the power to kill, that much is certain, but what sets you apart (from Darkchild and Spellbinder) is your willingness to HELP and PROTECT the weak, and to RESTORE that which is broken. When you wrested the Eye of Agamotto from Talisman, restoring it back to your family, your CLAN, you helped to bring increased function and balance to the overall order and flow of MAGICK.

Ororo: Your mother has been preparing you for this moment, this EXPERIENCE for some time, even though you have not always believed. I am here to serve as CONFIRMATION, and to GUIDE YOU forward.

Ororo: YOUR TEST is not whether or not you can overpower someone, or even save them. YOUR test is to prove if you have the wisdom and SERENITY to....

as the mortals would say

Ororo: ....keep your eye on the prize! Don't lose sight of why you are here, and do not get distracted by the wonders and intrigue in this Otherplace.

Amanda: But how can i find the Firebird? She has not answered my call.

Ororo: She will be along soon enough.

<< Ororo extends her hand to Amanda, who receives that hand, and stands to her full height>>

Ororo: Now, it is time for you to go where you are most needed in this house. The rest will unfold/be revealed to you in due time, and by the right person. We SHALL meet again.

:: Ororo disappears in a column of wind and dried leaves, while Amanda herself is surrounded by swirling sky blue orbs, and TELEPORTED from where she was in the house to somewhere on the 2nd floor::

...you were greeted by the multiversal guardian of the Dark Trinity, the powerful, immortal Weather Witch, Ororo. That she APPEARED before YOU, holding a SWORD, was the final sign, Amanda.

You're all aware of the original Trinity of the Moon, and that it was meant to be reborn across the multiverse, and so far, you've only see the Crone (Darkchilde), and the Mother (Spellbinder). Others among the Six, and their allies, had wondered about the identity of the Maiden, especially after multiple events across the Time Stream where the Six encountered Darkchilde herself, as well as "lesser versions" of Morgan.

YOU, Amanda, wondered why you had these dreams and visions, what YOUR connection was to Morgan.

The answer that it's YOU. YOU are the final 3rd of the Dark Trinity, the Maiden.

But BEFORE you can embrace your destiny and ascend to your rightful mantle and place of power, under these glowing moonlight, you MUST reveal your TRUE self.

<< She could see Amanda immediately tense up. The witch did NOT want the others (outside of Brenthon) to know her real name, OR see her true form. >>

It's ALRIGHT, my child. You are SAFE here in this enchanted forest. That creature (Haleigh) cannot harm you, even if she WANTED to, I would not allow it. And as for your SECRET? before I send them back to earth, I will REMOVE all knowledge of your secret from her awareness.

No mere mortal can access THIS realm, nor do they hold sway or power here.

Only your fellow romani, Brenthon, and your blood relative, Spellbinder, will know the truth, as it should be.

But in order to CLAIM your birthright, and take your rightful place, you must LET GO of the mortal tendenciesyou have relied so heavily upon throughout your world travels. FOLLOW in the path of your mother!

Now, Show us your true form, and tell us who you REALLY are...

<< the goddess of witchcraft commands, as Spellbinder and others watch>>

 

[Brenthon]

The Elysian Fields

<< As Morgan returned to the group, their gaze met and he watched the recognition spark in her mind. He could almost not believe it. During his time in Limbo, he encountered many incarnations of many different people, so much so that he developed a sense to know who was the original. The little girl he met in Limbo many moons ago, was the same sorceress he saved during his tenure with The Masters of Evil. Many of her memories of their original meeting and the things that transpired to get her back safely to Earth and in the arms of her mother were removed from her mind, in an effort to further keep her safe from the realm's clutches. It was bittersweet for him to watch as she took her place and called her sword back to her. >>

<< He had gotten her back to Earth so that she would not succumb to the same fate that Darkchilde had. Because her soul was different. She couldn't contain the darkness like Darkchilde could. He saw nothing but ruin for her. Part of him was relieved to have been wrong, but to see her alive, in the flesh, and like this, it would always be a bit unsettling for him. Darkchilde had been his mentor, to Spellbinder HE took that place, showed her how to craft the very blade she was wielding now in front of them. >>

I AM SPELLBINDER, QUEEN OF LIMBO, AND SORCERESS SUPREME!

<< And at that moment, the crystalline shard that sat at the center of his chest piece tattoo began to glow an ominous electric black, as his own SOUL DAGGER manifested in his left hand. >>

<< VOOM! >>

<< The buzzing eldritch energy snapped and crackled around the blade as it seemed to be welcoming The Soul Sword back into this place. He felt a wave of dark magick rush through his body, energy that was so similar to Darkchilde, and for a moment, he felt great peace. Dark magick hurt to wield, and Brenthon liked to be hurt. He centered himself for a moment, taking control of himself as the soul dagger dissipated as quickly as it manifested. >>

Hecate: "Welcome BACK, my child!"

Haleigh: "Yeah, you look great. Nice horns, very Rock N Roll. You should have a cocktail, or twenty. They're quite good, much better than you'd think a Girl Scout could deliver. Or we could go home and get you a case of champagne, if you prefer."

<< Beto grinned. She would have fit perfectly into his coven, and he would have paid a great deal of coin to watch Titania put Haleigh through her paces in battle. It would have been so brutal and so bloody. >>

Brenthon Sandalwood, STEP FORWARD.

<< He hadn't been called by his full name in some time, despite it being a pseudonym. His real name was something he kept to himself, because he believed that true names held power. Beto appreciated Hecate respecting that and using the name he blazed a trail with, despite how delicate it sounded. It was one of his first attempts at becoming ingratiating into a more modern, albeit more supernatural realm. He nodded to the goddess and stepped forward. >>

Hecate: "Brenthon Sandalwood, favored by my Darkchilde, the APPLE of her eye. You reputation with her earns you good standing with me, as does your bond with this beautiful, young witch, who is full of promise and POWER. Much like Amanda, and her mother before her who traveled the Winding Way, you, Brenthon, have moved through the Shadowed Path, a path and discipline that ONLY you, or a fellow Romani such as Amanda could access. When Amanda MOST NEEDED a confidant, you were there for her, and you connected with her in a most multifaceted way."

<< He was silent for a moment. He had reverence for the ceremony being brought before him. But he had no idea what was in store for him in this life, nor if he would ever be holding council with the goddess again, so he felt compelled to speak, for her to know him as a MAN. >>

"Hail, Hecate. Your words fill me to the brim. It was witches of the wilds, witches of Hecate, who gave me refuge as a child. It was there I learned who you were. My first coven. We gave blood and bounty in your honor..as I was bathed in the comfort of the darkest of magicks. Those witches were burned for who they were, some of the countless number who have fallen in your name. For them? I will always mourn. But it was through that loss that I crossed paths with The Darkchilde, who sought me out from another realm, and another time, because she could sense the strength and the warmth of your embrace..."

<< Much of Beto's mortal life had been colored by his time in the wilds outside of what was they now called Budapest. A ten year old boy who kept his campfire warm, and his pockets full of enough coin to eat. He had found The Witch of The Wilds, Almora, deep in the woods, initially planning to kill her and claim her homestead as his own. His life was spared and his dark nature rewarded as Almora brought him into her home and her coven, a place where he was taught magick and where the gifts that caused him to be outcast were celebrated. But just as the gypsy were persecuted, so were the witches. And once they were burned alive, he was alone again for several years, until a chance encounter ended up altering his fate. >>

"Through her...I was given family. I was able to rebuild a place for my own people. To become the myth and the legend of The Gypsy King, the last living link of power to a people long considered lost..."

<< His gaze remained intense but respectful at Hecate as he continued to speak, his thick accent and deep voice booming through the space with little to no effort on his behalf. >>

"You are of the crossroads, and I have always walked your darkest paths. I have lived in the bowels of Limbo, entrenched myself in total darkness, and I have SURVIVED. My victories are my own, but many would have not been afforded had we not danced in the dark many centuries ago. YOU have earned MY favor, Hecate. As has the trinity...and for that, you have earned my true name."

<< He took one step further. >>

"I am Boldizsár Meszaros, Exile of Buda and The Meszaros Clan. Keeper of The Shadowed Path. Disciple of Darkchilde. Evil Incarnate. The Shadowed Knight of Limbo. The Gypsy King..."

<< He bowed with reverence. >>

"May our tied favors keep our fields bountiful and our crows flying west."

<< Hecate nodded with approval as he turned up from his bow, his gaze returning to himself as Hecate called forthe Jimaine. His eyes met Haleigh who was watching the entire situation with what might not be called enthusiasm, but concern. As their eyes met, he gave her a wink. >>

"The Black Widow plays a game? Even now..."

<< He began to understand the pace of her drinking and realized she was playing some kind of drinking game. As an avatar of Wrath, it gave him great joy, and even he was curious how far this Haleigh could move the line forward before somebody struck. It seemed like she was begging for it, and he had to admit..he wanted to see how she handled it. She was fascinating. >>

The answer that it's YOU. YOU are the final 3rd of the Dark Trinity, the Maiden.

But BEFORE you can embrace your destiny and ascend to your rightful mantle and place of power, under these glowing moonlight, you MUST reveal your TRUE self.

<< She could see Amanda immediately tense up. The witch did NOT want the others (outside of Brenthon) to know her real name, OR see her true form. >>

It's ALRIGHT, my child. You are SAFE here in this enchanted forest. That creature (Haleigh) cannot harm you, even if she WANTED to, I would not allow it. And as for your SECRET? before I send them back to earth, I will REMOVE all knowledge of your secret from her awareness.

No mere mortal can access THIS realm, nor do they hold sway or power here.

Only your fellow romani, Brenthon, and your blood relative, Spellbinder, will know the truth, as it should be.

But in order to CLAIM your birthright, and take your rightful place, you must LET GO of the mortal tendencies you have relied so heavily upon throughout your world travels. FOLLOW in the path of your mother!

Now, Show us your true form, and tell us who you REALLY are...

<< the goddess of witchcraft commands, as Spellbinder and others watch>>

<< Brenthon leaned forward and whispered to Jimaine so that only she could hear. >>

"You are ready, Jimaine. This is your destiny, and destiny always has a name.."

<< He had hoped that in speaking his own name, she would feel more comfortable, but he could feel her hesitation. This was a path she had shared with him that she was scared of. And Beto knew the cost of this path, more so than many others as he had seen it play out in countless ways during his exile. >>

<< He watched. >>

 

[Black Widow]

The Enchanted Forest

Morgan made quite the spectacle in new armor, summoning her soul sword and all, setting the very air abuzz with eldritch energy. Haleigh could feel it in her bones, and she shot off some fireworks to lend her hand to the energy of the moment. The crack and boom resonated with some whistling pyrotechnics, and Haleigh smirked a bit, glancing around as radiant purple strands of burning potassium nitrate illuminated the sky. It was then, as the flashes faded, that she caught sight of the moonlight glinting off a blade in Brenthon’s hand. Her own hand dropped to the grip of her rifle, as she prepared to defend Morgan. The man’s blade had an energy signature much like Morgan’s own, it could very well hurt her, and Haleigh didn’t know enough of this man to trust him. She did not have a problem shooting him in the back the second he lunged toward Morgan. His blade disappeared, and Haleigh relaxed again.

Hecate: Behold! ALL things are possible through the power of a god, the power of MAGICK!

Oh for fuck’s sake. ‘BEHOLD!’

Haleigh thought, and again she resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Hecate’s pomp and circumstance. She wondered why these old gods were always so pretentious. Was Persephone the only cool one, the only Goddess who wasn’t insufferably ostentatious? Certainly her sister was the best of them. Hecate declared that no child of hers would suffer. It was a lineage reference that meant it was time to take another sip, which was good because it served to prevent Haleigh from scoffing.

Except for the several months she JUST suffered, you mean.

Haleigh thought, but didn’t say, because she had come here to support Morgan, not to argue with Hecate. So instead of challenging the goddess on yet another misrepresentation of the facts, Haleigh told Morgan that she looked nice, and that her horns were very rock n roll, which was about the best compliment one could receive from a ghoul like Haleigh. Then she suggested Morgan get a drink like the rest of them, because despite the garishness of Hecate’s ceremony, there was no reason not to enjoy oneself after coming out of a catatonic daze.

Hecate asked Brenthon to step forward then, and lavished some praise on him, for his efforts to support Darkchilde and Amanda. Haleigh found it to be utterly absurd that Hecate would make a show of extending her favor to Brenthon, while she seemed to delight in hating on Haleigh, regardless of the countless times the hybrid had laid it all on the line to help Morgan in the past. Whatever, Haleigh thought, because she didn’t value the opinion of ancient bitches and therefore didn’t want to bother with pointing out what a sophist Hecate was. Anyways Hecate mentioned Amanda’s mother and the winding way along with Brenthon’s shadowed path, which all sounded like reference to prophecy or destiny to Haleigh, so she drank.

Brenthon spoke of his first coven, witches of Hecate, who indoctrinated him into all things magick and taught him to worship this woman who claimed to be source of all magick. He talked about Darkchilde, and finding family, and the legend of the Gypsy King, to which Haleigh drank. Then he told Hecate that she had earned his favor, and Haleigh smirked, because while she could not stand Hecate herself, she could certainly appreciate the man for not groveling at the feet of a woman who was, at best, his equal — if all that he said was true, which seemed more likely with every passing second.

Amanda stepped forward and ‘presented’ herself to Hecate, acknowledging her as her ‘foremother’. Haleigh took a sip and then watched the glass refill itself again. Magick could indeed be delightful. Hecate announced Amanda as the daughter of Margali Szardos, a fact already well established by Amanda herself, and she heaped on a bunch of other descriptors while Haleigh was drinking to the mention of lineage. Then Hecate said something petty about the Hellfire Club, which she was likely only making a point to denigrate because Haleigh was currently at the helm.

I kinda wish my mother was still around to hear all these people talking shit about her organization.

Haleigh thought with amusement. Hecate mentioned her son again (drink) and then expounded on Amanda’s journey thus far, alluding vaguely to some important purpose and saying that it all brought her to her foremother Hecate. Drink. Then she made a derogatory and rather bigoted comment about non-magick users being obsessed with science, which struck Haleigh as sheer petulance. Hecate continued her elaborate monologue about dreams and visions and prophesies, while Haleigh drank some more and wondered when the woman would arrive at her point. She did, finally, declaring Amanda to be the last avatar of the dark trinity, the Maiden.

“Ooh, lucky you.”

Haleigh remarked, and then Hecate was telling Amanda that she had to reveal her true self. Amanda seemed a bit shy about that, but Hecate continued to push her. Inexplicably, Hecate told her not to concern herself with ‘that creature’, who would not be allowed to harm her. Haleigh looked around to make sure there were no other creatures here, and when she confirmed that, she wondered why the hell Amanda or anyone else would assume Haleigh wanted to hurt her, when Haleigh hadn’t threatened or even given Amanda a dirty look and the two had literally just met. Hecate assured Amanda that she’d get to keep her secret, which piqued Haleigh’s interest, mostly because she didn’t think sweet little Mandy COULD keep a secret, after how freely she’d spoke of her mother and her adventures in Hellfire and everywhere else. Brenthon supportively suggested Amanda do as she was told by Hecate, referencing her destiny, to which Haleigh took another long sip, watching the scene over the rim of her goblet with increased intrigue.

 

[Magik]

The Enchanted Forest

[to Jimaine] "She is the sister of Spellbinder. She answered the call just as we did. And she cannot hurt us here. And I am no doe in the woods, Jimaine. I may be new to THIS world, but I have crushed armies, survived Limbo, made love to gods..I am not afraid of a little spider bite."

[to Brenthon]: The Widow also has a problem with witches, magick, and magick users, it doesn't take a telepath to discern that. Her sister IS a witch, and her OTHER sister clearly has mystical accents. Her disdain for Hecate is quite pronounced, and its not unreasonable to assume that negative bias she has toward Hecate, and witches wouldnt effect her perception of Morgan and Blaze, or her treatment of them...

<< sigh>>

<< Beto reassured Amanda that he was quite capable of handling the Widow's "dancing" and web spinning, and she need not worry.>>

<< Amanda decided that there was little more to be gained from this interaction with Black Widow, and was already mentally pivoting elsewhere. Still, not wanting to be rude, she offered to conjure refreshments for Beto and Haleigh, and they both accepted, and Beto offered a joke to lighten the mood>>

"I never turn down a drink..."

[turning to Haleigh]

"How about you? I assure you, there is only a very low chance your cup might be filled with poison."

<< Amanda smirked. Sending a [poisoned] drink to someone was exactly the kind of thing that WOULD happen in the halls of the Hellfire Mansion, certainly in London. But Amanda had no desire to harm The Black Widow.>>

<< The widow and the gypsy king took their drinks, as Amanda enjoyed her's. Soon Hecate and Firebird rejoined them>>

Brenthon Sandalwood, STEP FORWARD.


<< Hecate commands, before she turns her attention to>>

Amanda Sefton! Come to the center of the pentagram of power. Stand under the LIGHT and EMBRACE of the MOON.

<< Brenthon and Amanda move forward, with Brenthon stepping ahead of Black Widow, Spellbinder, and Firebird, and Amanda moving past him to take her place under the large, low hanging, glowing moon, now standing in the center of the same pentagram of power that Spellbinder had stood in moments before as the others watched and listened>>

<< By now, Spellbinder and Firebird had made their way over to where Black Widow was standing. Amanda couldn't HEAR the "conversation" that Morgan and Blaze were having via their telempathic rapport, but she could certainly FEEL their eyes on her, the scrutiny was INTENSE.>>

I present myself to you, Moon Goddess, and Foremother of my bloodline.

<< She said as she FELT the eyes of the others, particularly Spellbinder, watching her. Strange...she REVELED in being the center of attention during her jet setting adventures, but in THIS moment she felt...ANXIETY. Beto knew. They'd TALKED about VERY personal feelings and issues during their time together on the Marauder ship, and so, Amanda, now standing in the pentagram of power, was GLAD Hecate focused on Beto...BRENTHON first!>>

<< Hecate voiced her approval of Brenthon, and he voiced his appreciation, and approval of Hecate. And though Hecate had chose NOT to reveal his BIRTH NAME to them in this time and place, HE made the choice to do so, sharing his BIRTH name with ALL of them out in the open!>>

<< He took one step further. >>

"I am Boldizsár Meszaros, Exile of Buda and The Meszaros Clan. Keeper of The Shadowed Path. Disciple of Darkchilde. Evil Incarnate. The Shadowed Knight of Limbo. The Gypsy King..."

<< He bowed with reverence. >>

"May our tied favors keep our fields bountiful and our crows flying west."

<< Hecate nodded with approval as he turned up from his bow, his gaze returning to himself as Hecate called forthe Jimaine. His eyes met Haleigh who was watching the entire situation with what might not be called enthusiasm, but concern. As their eyes met, he gave her a wink. >>

<< Beto was every bit as bold as he said he'd been the night he'd been found by the Dire Wraith, Darkchilde. But what really resonated with Amanda was his drawing a parallel between the persecution of the romani people, and the persecution of witches- descendants of Hecate- Amanda was BOTH of these things, and part of the reason why she, AND her mother, had become so accustomed to disguising themselves, and scrambling others' perception of them, even making sure that little-to-NO record of them could be found in most databases around the world.>>

<< And again, Beto had just chosen to share his BIRTH NAME with ALL of them!>>

<< Hecate confirmed everything- her mother's prophecies, her own dreams and visions, EVERYTHING. Her mother had always said she was destined for more than she could imagine, and she was right>>

The answer is that it's YOU. YOU are the final 3rd of the Dark Trinity, the Maiden.

But BEFORE you can embrace your destiny and ascend to your rightful mantle and place of power, under these glowing moonlight, you MUST reveal your TRUE self.

<< She could see Amanda immediately tense up. The witch did NOT want the others (outside of Brenthon) to know her real name, OR see her true form. >>

Hecate...forgive me...but I....I CAN'T.

<< Amanda was no shrinking violet. She was a glamorous woman of the world, but she also had a deep seated FEAR, one that thus far, ONLY her mother and Beto could understand. she FELT the eyes of Spellbinder, Firebird and Black Widow on her, and she did NOT want them to know her TRUE appearance, or even her real name.>>

It's ALRIGHT, my child. You are SAFE here in this enchanted forest. That creature (Haleigh) cannot harm you, even if she WANTED to, I would not allow it. And as for your SECRET? before I send them back to earth, I will REMOVE all knowledge of your secret from her awareness.

No mere mortal can access THIS realm, nor do they hold sway or power here.

Only your fellow romani, Brenthon, and your blood relative, Spellbinder, will know the truth, as it should be.

But in order to CLAIM your birthright, and take your rightful place, you must LET GO of the mortal tendenciesyou have relied so heavily upon throughout your world travels. FOLLOW in the path of your mother!

Now, Show us your true form, and tell us who you REALLY are...

<< the goddess of witchcraft commands, as Spellbinder and others watch>>

<< Brenthon leaned forward and whispered to Jimaine so that only she could hear. >>

"You are ready, Jimaine. This is your destiny, and destiny always has a name.."

<< He had hoped that in speaking his own name, she would feel more comfortable, but he could feel her hesitation. This was a path she had shared with him that she was scared of. And Beto knew the cost of this path, more so than many others as he had seen it play out in countless ways during his exile. >>

<< He watched. >>

<< Amanda heard Beto's words, FELT his "touch" and reassurance via that romani bond that they shared. In the absence of her mother, gypsy mother and immortal Witch Queen Margali Szardos, Beto's was the only reassurance she had in this moment>>

<< But even as she looked up above Hecate, and in the skies above, she saw a flickering image/form, of her MOTHER, like the GUIDING LIGHT in a thick, PARALYZING FOG, Margali Szardos, who had once been Sorceress Supreme, was reaching out to her daughter, even in this secret Otherplace, BEYOND the mortal realm and perception, and she was ADDING her voice to Beto's reassuring her daughter that it was TIME.>>

No more fear. No more hiding in plain sight.

I ....am....Jimaine....

<< Softly at first, still fighting through the anxiety, until her sky blue eyes looked up at her mother once more, before meeting Hecate's purple eyes>>

I AM Jimaine Szardos, member of the Szardos clan, Daughter of Immortal Gypsy Mother and Witch Queen Margali Szardos, I am She who stands at the TOP of the Winding Way, and I stand before YOU, Hecate, Moon Goddess, Goddess of Witchcraft, and the source of all magick, ready to accept my destiny and TAKE MY PLACE as the MAIDEN in the Dark Trinity!

EXCELLENT!

<< she gestures as she begins to conduct another rising symphony of mystical power!>>

Guardian of the Dark Trinity, COME FORTH!

<< Winds pick up speed, as the skies above and around the flickering form of Margali begin to swirl. Thunder rolls and rumbles as a column of wind with dried leaves spinning in it forms and soon, ORORO appears alongside Hecate. Like Spellbinder, Ororo now has a new look that is more BATTLE READY than what she is known for wearing. There IS a reason for that, but THAT is to be revealed LATER.>>

<< Amanda feels the wind all around her, the ANXIETY is gone, and she is brimming with ANTICIPATION, as a mystical chime, similar in sound to that sonic signature association with Spellbinder, is heard as Amanda lifts her hands, and in a swirling haze of sky blue orbs, she DISPELLS her her magickal disguise and reveals her TRUE form to everyone present.>>

<< and finally, Spellbinder and Firebird TRULY recognize Amanda....who's BIRTH name is Jimaine! But even as they react to this revelation, Jimaine's transformation continues!>>

<< The Goddess of Witchcraft lifts HER hands, and the symphony of mystical power begins to climax all around the Enchanted Forest, as the moon glows brighter than normal, and the the visages of Darkchilde AND Spellbinder can be seen in the "face" of the moon, with Darkchilde occupying the top CENTER, and Spellbinder the bottom LEFT>>

<< The Weather Witch moves toward Amanda, and extends her hand, holding out the SWORD for Amanda to claim and BOND with>>

You NO LONGER need hide behind the alias "Amanda Sefton", for you ARE JIMAINE SZARDOS. REACH OUT, and TAKE THE SWORD that is YOURS BY BIRTHRIGHT! CLAIM THE SWORD AND CLAIM YOUR POWER, as I now JOIN you to your multiversal counterparts, to COMPLETE the Dark Trinity, the ULTIMATE REBIRTH of the Moon Trinity, MY WILL BE DONE!>>

<< JIMAINE reaches out to Ororo's hand, and she TAKES HOLD of the Sword, HER sword, and Ororo gestures for Jimaine to lift her sword aloft>>

<< Spellbinder is now holding HER soul sword aloft, and Ororo has HER hands in the air>>

Jimaine Szardos! You are NOW MAGIK!

<< The symphony of mystical power CLIMAXES and both Spellbinder and Brenthon feel it, it's like being caught up in a RAPTURE>>

<< CLANG!>>

<< Jimaine Szardos, aka MAGIK>>

Hecate: JIMAINE SZARDOS! WHO ARE YOU?

<< and now, the visage of MAGIK is seen in the bottom RIGHT corner of the glowing "face" of the moon!>>

<< The resemblance between Spellbinder and MAGIK was quite noticeable now>>

I....AM MAGIK!

 

[Black Widow]

The Enchanted Forest

After Morgan returned to form, it was Brenthon’s turn. Hecate was nicer to him than Haleigh would have expected, given her storied hatred of men. Brenthon had some things to say for himself, and Haleigh paid attention because the devil was in the details. He seemed quite gritty and sincere, which Haleigh was still evaluating because regardless of Hecate’s acceptance of him, he still represented an unknown variable and Haleigh wasn’t going to give anyone a free pass, no matter how handsome he was. Of course, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t give him a coy smile when their eyes locked and he winked at her. She wondered what Cameron would think of this man, and looked forward to introducing them.

Hecate was delivering an epic and unrelenting monologue about Amanda, which Haleigh punctuated with draws from her glass where appropriate according to the game rules she’d set for herself, and this event wasn’t really all that bad. But then Hecate wanted Amanda to ‘reveal herself’, and Amanda was saying she couldn’t. She was so clearly uncomfortable and shy that Haleigh very nearly interjected to tell Hecate to lay off and stop pressuring the girl. The thought of doing so crossed Haleigh’s mind, but then Brenthon was encouraging Amanda to do it, and he was supposedly her friend, so Haleigh decided to just allow it. She wasn’t here to protect Amanda, she barely knew the woman, and just as quickly, the urge to step in passed from Haleigh’s mind.

Amanda was speaking so quietly that Haleigh might have missed it if she hadn’t had enhanced hearing, but after a few words she seemed to find her confidence and was again telling them all who her mother was and how she walked the winding way and that she was ready to accept her destiny as Maiden of the dark trinity. Drink. Hecate summoned Ororo and Haleigh felt a stab of concern that Alexia had been left alone in Limbo to fend for herself, but she took a deep breath and reasoned that Ororo must have left a billion protections on the girl before coming to chat about anyone else’s prophesies. So when she had sufficiently reassured herself that Alexia couldn’t possibly be unprotected right now, she took another sip.

Then Amanda Jimaine did some abracadabra trickery and shed her disguise to reveal she actually looked a lot like Morgan. There was some more ceremony about birthrights and a sword changed hands and there was lots of energy in the air again as Amanda Jimaine declared herself to be Magik, in a flashy new battlesuit to boot. Haleigh raised an eyebrow at that.

“Well, that’s a nice touch, with the metallic wonderbra, it really does your tits justice, and it’s not that I don’t like what I see, but— Morgan’s way hotter, just saying.”

Haleigh remarked in an icy tone, and then she turned her gaze to Morgan. She wasn’t entirely sure how this sibling bond thing worked, but Cameron had taught her plenty about telepathy, and the abilities she’d inherited from her mother, so she tried to think about reaching out to Morgan with her thoughts.

She totally copied you, with the blonde, the gold, the horns, and the sword and EVERYTHING. I’m NOT doing fireworks for this cheap knockoff. You want me to tell her to go change her outfit? I’m already the bad guy here somehow, I don’t mind telling her about her tawdry self. Even *I* know that’s a fashion faux pas.

 

[Spellbinder]

The Enchanted Forest

<< Spellbinder is ALIVE, WHOLE, RECONNECTED to her magick, and NOW, thanks to Hecate, she had access to her god-head, cementing her place as Sorceress Supreme in this time and space. Hints of her power at this level were seen in the Six's shared "DreamTime" event, and that potential was now a REALITY.>>

<< But more importantly to HER, She had finally been able to reunite with her soulmate, NICOLAS KING, aka RAMPAGE. She saw him, FELT him on all levels. She KNEW he was safe, okay, FREE of pain, FREE from the curse of his birth father, and now truly at peace in the ultimate warrior's paradise of the Elysian Fields.>>

<< And she stood before her SISTERS, along with Brenthon, and Amanda Sefton, wearing GOLDEN armor, with a headdress that was a homage to the horns she'd worn when she manifested HER "Darkchild" aspect during the Inferno.>>

I....I'm ME again!

“Yeah, you look great. Nice horns, very Rock N Roll. You should have a cocktail, or twenty. They’re quite good, much better than you’d think a Girl Scout could deliver. Or we could go home and get you a case of champagne, if you prefer.”

<< Morgan wasn't EXACTLY sure what Haleigh was saying entirely, but just to SEE her again was enough in this moment. To SEE and HEAR her, and Blaze, who'd never left her side, even as her heart and soul had broken, and she slid into OBLIVION.>>

Haleigh!?

...I don't know how you're here...but it's GOOD to see you again! BOTH of you, my SISTERS! I have QUESTIONS....I...

<< The look on her face said it all. Morgan may have been conscious, restored, and fully repowered again, but she had questions, like how was she going to navigate the world WITHOUT Nicolas. She truly HAD given up and was ready to LET GO, choosing to dive heart first into the blackness of oblivion, rather than be without Nicolas. And All her POWER as Sorceress Supreme didn't mean anything to her just now.>>

<< She knew that Hecate would never forsake her, or leave her to any sort of HELL, but She couldn't just...."GET OVER" her loss either. Nicolas wasn't JUST "some man" or a booty call. He was her BELOVED. They were MEANT to be together, to have a child...a child that even HALEIGH had seen in at least ONE timeline, while Morgan had NOT. There was STILL so much she wanted to say and express, but somehow she knew THIS was not the time and the place, and thanks to HECATE, she would HAVE the chance to live again, even if she wasn't sure just HOW that would work for her.>>

Firebird: We're here with you, Morg, and we'll talk about WHATEVER you want, but in PRIVATE.

<< The Fire Elemental stood beside Spellbinder, holding one of her armored hands, as she eyed Brenthon with suspicion. One of her mystical accents, defined and categorized by MysTech in HER native timeline, was a form of limited precognition, allows her to perceive the true evil/threat of any individual or object that is attempting to hide their true nature and intentions from her. There was much about this "beautiful stranger" that was rubbing Blaze the wrong way. But thus far he was NOT try to conceal his true nature either, which gave Blaze pause. He may have been the "Avatar of Sin", but his aura was far more nuanced that, and the way Amanda Sefton and Haleigh both related to him...that stood out to her as well. She would DEFINITELY be keeping a close EYE on him if HE planned on hanging around Spellbinder after this>>

<< Spellbinder and Firebird "conversed" via their telempathic rapport, reeling from Hecate's revelation about their bloodline which INCLUDED Harbinger AND Prophet, along with Amanda Sefton, who they STILL did not VISUALLY recognize>>

This woman, this...Amanda Sefton...I CAN'T place her....and yet, she FEELS familiar to me, Like I MUST have met her before, but her face, her features, I DON'T recognize them! And "Beto?"....that's BRENTHON....I REMEMBER him! He appeared in Illustra, and SAVED both Tinker and I from Black when he came after me AGAIN shortly after Valiant was disbanded, BEFORE I recovered from my injuries from the FIRST encounter I had with him.

<< Morgan said QUIETLY to Haleigh and Blaze as Hecate drew near, and called Amanda and Brenthon forward>>

<< Morgan NOTICEABLY did NOT remember her TRUE original encounter with Brenthon, when she was a little girl. It was shortly after her Grammie (the super witch, Verna, who was Morgan's great grandmother, and Karen's grandmother) had died under shocking and SUSPICIOUS circumstances (the details of Verna's death will be revealed at a later time). Morgan, quite distraught over her grammie's loss, unconsciously activated her soul-link to Limbo for the very FIRST time, opening a stepping disk that she immediately FELL into , arriving in the most terrifying place she COULDN'T have imagined at that young age.>>

<< Although she DOES remember Ororo from that time period, the memories of Brenthon had been ERASED, as were some of the details surrounding her SECOND encounter with Brenthon when he saved her from Black's 2nd attempt on her life. The only other thing she remembers about that, is her encounter with her cross-time counterpart, the Darkchilde!>>

<< HECATE calls Brenthon and Amanda forward. First addresses Brenthon, and HE responds to the goddess, somehow this whole exchange just FEELS "RIGHT" to her. Hecate bestows her favor upon Brenthon, and he speaks of knowing her AND her bloodline going back to HIS original/native timeline, on through when he was found by Darkchilde (in the MoE timeline), and then being found by Amanda Sefton in THIS current timeline. He speaks on Hecate being the Goddess of the Crossroads, and cites his own life and experiences , as well as his encounters with ALL parts of the Trinity.>>

"I am Boldizsár Meszaros, Exile of Buda and The Meszaros Clan. Keeper of The Shadowed Path. Disciple of Darkchilde. Evil Incarnate. The Shadowed Knight of Limbo. The Gypsy King..."

<< Spellbinder AND Firebird eyed Brenthon as he revealed his birth name, and his true origin>>

<< To Firebird and Black Widow>> - I....I haven't laid eyes on him in SO LONG, but I'll NEVER forget him saving me, and Tinker, from Black. If He is in GOOD STANDING with Hecate, surely you....WE can trust him [?]

<<Firebird to Spellbinder and Black Widow>> I know Hecate wouldn't KNOWINGLY set you or anyone else in her bloodline up, or expose you to harm...but...even the OLYMPIANS were noted for their....ERRORS in judgement, like what HECATE did when she cast the curse of the RED MOON, and used Circe to exact her revenge on the Olympians AND humans. Circe almost KILLED YOU in HER ATTEMPT to TAKE YOUR POWER, YOUR SOUL, AND usurp YOUR place as Hecate's living avatar!

<< A VALID point, one that Morgan didn't have a response for just now. She TRUSTED Hecate, but even gods, goddesses, and cosmic beings COULD be...FALLIBLE. STILL, this exchange between Hecate and Boldizsár Meszaros, aka Brenthon Sandalwood, it felt GENUINE. Whatever ELSE Brenthon was....he definitely was NOT coming across as someone like CIRCE.>>

<< Hecate moved on to Amanda Sefton, and Spellbinder watched HER intently.>>

I present myself to you, Moon Goddess, and Foremother of my bloodline.

<< the name Margali Szardos was indeed known to Morgan, and across the magickal community. She PRECEDED Morgan as Sorceress Supreme in a long ago era. But this woman didn't look ANYTHING like Margali....>>

...but then again, Margali Szardos COULD change her appearance, and was KNOWN for wearing "magickal disguises" quite often.

<< She said aloud, but QUIETLY, so only Blaze and Haleigh would hear her as she was "thinking aloud">>

You're all aware of the original Trinity of the Moon, and that it was meant to be reborn across the multiverse, and so far, you've only see the Crone (Darkchilde), and the Mother (Spellbinder). Others among the Six, and their allies, had wondered about the identity of the Maiden, especially after multiple events across the Time Stream where the Six encountered Darkchilde herself, as well as "lesser versions" of Morgan.

YOU, Amanda, wondered why you had these dreams and visions, what YOUR connection was to Morgan.

The answer that it's YOU. YOU are the final 3rd of the Dark Trinity, the Maiden.

“Ooh, lucky you.”

Firebird: Oh damn!? << the Fire elemental said outloud, a bit louder than she intended to>>

<< Morgan was stunned>>

Spellbinder: This WHOLE TIME, with all our capers across the time stream, knowing about Darkchilde, we wondered where the final 3rd was....and she was HERE in the SAME time and space as me!?

<< Hecate told Amanda she'd have to reveal her TRUE self, including her REAL identity, as she stepped into her role, her DESTINY as the "Maiden" of the Dark Trinity, and Amanda noticeably BALKED.>>

Hecate...forgive me...but I....I CAN'T.

<< Amanda was no shrinking violet. She was a glamorous woman of the world, but she also had a deep seated FEAR, one that thus far, ONLY her mother and Beto could understand. she FELT the eyes of Spellbinder, Firebird and Black Widow on her, and she did NOT want them to know her TRUE appearance, or even her real name.>>

<< Morgan FELT Amanda's anxiety, and she felt SYMPATHY for Amanda in this moment. They WERE related, after all, not just by blood, but by magick, and she didn't want Amanda to feel vulnerable or ASHAMED, if that was what she was afraid of. Morgan wanted to encourage her, but something told her that HER words weren't the ones Amanda needed in this moment.>>

<< She could see Amanda immediately tense up. The witch did NOT want the others (outside of Brenthon) to know her real name, OR see her true form. >>

It's ALRIGHT, my child. You are SAFE here in this enchanted forest. That creature (Haleigh) cannot harm you, even if she WANTED to, I would not allow it. And as for your SECRET? before I send them back to earth, I will REMOVE all knowledge of your secret from her awareness.

No mere mortal can access THIS realm, nor do they hold sway or power here.

Only your fellow romani, Brenthon, and your blood relative, Spellbinder, will know the truth, as it should be.

But in order to CLAIM your birthright, and take your rightful place, you must LET GO of the mortal tendenciesyou have relied so heavily upon throughout your world travels. FOLLOW in the path of your mother!

Now, Show us your true form, and tell us who you REALLY are...

<< the goddess of witchcraft commands, as Spellbinder and others watch>>

Ouch!

<< That "creature" comment was DEFINITELY directed at Haleigh. Hecate LOATHED her, and it went back to the ORIGINAL encounter with Set, and the devastating aftermath. There was NO love lost between the goddess and the hybrid, and not much had changed since. It did bother Morgan that Haleigh (and Cameron) seemed to have such a DIM view of magick, witchcraft and magick users. Cameron's sister was one of the five most powerful magick users on the planet, and Hecate and Ororo had saved the lives of various members of the six COUNTLESS times. Without Hecate- Morgan , her mother, Alison....none of the witches would be here! >>

<< Still, when it came to the dynamic between Hecate and Black Widow, There was little Morgan could do about this, EXCEPT to intercede on Haleigh's behalf should Hecate decide to make good on her promise to obliterate her, and Morgan knew Blaze would join her in that effort. But if NOTHING ELSE was true about Haleigh, this was a woman who PRIDED herself on being able to provoke anyone, from Imagiomg, the demonic mage in the Citadel, to Barbas, the immortal demon of fear, to a goddess or a cosmic being, and she would rise to ANY occasion or confrontation. >>

<< Spellbinder stood there, WANTING to comfort and ENCOURAGE Amanda to step forward, and reveal herself under the spectral light of Hecate's moon, BUT something told her that HER words were NOT the ones Amanda needed to hear just now, and true enough...>>

<< Brenthon leaned forward and whispered to Jimaine so that only she could hear. >>

"You are ready, Jimaine. This is your destiny, and destiny always has a name.."

<< He had hoped that in speaking his own name, she would feel more comfortable, but he could feel her hesitation. This was a path she had shared with him that she was scared of. And Beto knew the cost of this path, more so than many others as he had seen it play out in countless ways during his exile. >>

<< He watched. >>

<< Spellbinder nodded in agreement, and held her Soul Sword aloft as Hecate began to conduct a symphony of mystical power. The magick users, and those with mystical accents would FEEL the power that Hecate was calling and conducting as the Enchanted Forest began to sway in the rising winds, and the skies above began to swirl.>>

<< The flickering form of Margali Szardos could be seen in the skies above Hecate>>

<< softly, and with hesitation, at first>> I...am...Jimaine...

I AM Jimaine Szardos, member of the Szardos clan, Daughter of Immortal Gypsy Mother and Witch Queen Margali Szardos, I am She who stands at the TOP of the Winding Way, and I stand before YOU, Hecate, Moon Goddess, Goddess of Witchcraft, and the source of all magick, ready to accept my destiny and TAKE MY PLACE as the MAIDEN in the Dark Trinity!

EXCELLENT!

<< she gestures as she begins to conduct another rising symphony of mystical power!>>

Guardian of the Dark Trinity, COME FORTH!

<< ORORO appeared!>>

Firebird: Ororo! And she's wearing battle armor!

Spellbinder: That is DEFINITELY a new look for her, and she seems...much more BATTLE READY, even in her facial expression Usually...when she appears in something OTHER than her usual regal robes, that means there's been a shift, a change....and SHE is pivoting toward that. Is this related to Amanda....i mean Jimaine??

<< she looks at Haleigh and than at Blaze>>

Spellbinder: Something tells me no....

<< But if not this...than WHAT...or WHO was responsible for Ororo's change in appearance and demeanor? That was a question that would have to wait...as the show in front of them was REALLY getting underway! The symphony of mystical power was reaching its climax! and Jimaine revealed her TRUE self>>

<< Firebird to Spellbinder AND Haleigh>>- I've SEEN HER BEFORE, she's been in XS! She said she saved ME during the Inferno, but it was FOXFIRE she saved. I "saw" it in the holoempathic ruby of the ring my mom gave me

<< Spellbinder to both>>- I've seen her too, MANY times, INTERACTED WITH HER! all this time, the 3rd was RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!

You NO LONGER need hide behind the alias "Amanda Sefton", for you ARE JIMAINE SZARDOS. REACH OUT, and TAKE THE SWORD that is YOURS BY BIRTHRIGHT! CLAIM THE SWORD AND CLAIM YOUR POWER, as I now JOIN you to your multiversal counterparts, to COMPLETE the Dark Trinity, the ULTIMATE REBIRTH of the Moon Trinity, MY WILL BE DONE!

Jimaine Szardos! You are NOW MAGIK!

<< The symphony of mystical power CLIMAXES and both Spellbinder and Brenthon feel it, it's like being caught up in a RAPTURE>>
>>

<<Spellbinder instinctively steps ahead of her sisters, holding her sword higher still as she and Ororo join in the "chorus" of Hecate's symphony, and Jimaine takes HER sword from Ororo's hand>>

<< CLANG!>>

<< Jimaine Szardos, aka MAGIK>>

Hecate: JIMAINE SZARDOS! WHO ARE YOU?

<< and now, the visage of MAGIK is seen in the bottom RIGHT corner of the glowing "face" of the moon!>>

<< The resemblance between Spellbinder and MAGIK was quite noticeable now>>

I....AM MAGIK!

<< Margali Szardos, who was in attendance in the skies above, held out her arms signifying her approval and joy, and Ororo summoned the mystic lightning and thunder of Limbo to herald Jimaine's declaration of her new code identity, while Hecate voiced her approval>>

<< Spellbinder commanded her soul sword to glow and emit beams of light, celebrating the arrival of her Trinity counterpart, and mystic chimes sound off>>

HAIL, MAGIK!

“Well, that’s a nice touch, with the metallic wonderbra, it really does your tits justice, and it’s not that I don’t like what I see, but— Morgan’s way hotter, just saying.”

Haleigh, please!

<< Morgan said out of the side of her mouth, through gritted teeth, as she nudged Haleigh, trying to maintain appearance>>

Haleigh remarked in an icy tone, and then she turned her gaze to Morgan. She wasn’t entirely sure how this sibling bond thing worked, but Cameron had taught her plenty about telepathy, and the abilities she’d inherited from her mother, so she tried to think about reaching out to Morgan with her thoughts.

She totally copied you, with the blonde, the gold, the horns, and the sword and EVERYTHING. I’m NOT doing fireworks for this cheap knockoff. You want me to tell her to go change her outfit? I’m already the bad guy here somehow, I don’t mind telling her about herself. Even *I* know that’s a fashion faux pas.

<< To Haleigh>> - Haleigh, leave Jimaine be! She's....she's part of my FAMILY, just like you! & This is truly a LIFE changing moment for her. WE were in this same place the night Alison became HARBINGER, remember? Jimaine , Darkchilde, myself....WE are the three manifestations of HECATE, across the multiverse, so of COURSE she's going to have a smiliar look. And you're NOT the "bad guy", even if you sometimes enjoy PLAYING one a bit too much!

<< a not so subtle reference to her taking on the mantle of the White Queen, which was definitely a loaded one>>

<< To Haleigh and Firebird>>- This is IMPORTANT moment for Jimaine, as well as me, witches, and magick users, the magickal community! The Dark Trinity is WHOLE now. Hecate's Prophecy has come to pass, and the energy of MAGICK will continue to flow unimpeded throughout time and space! This is going to HELP many people, even those who not "the face" of magick.

<< Morgan didn't realize it, but THIS was but ONE part of how SHE would be able LIVE AGAIN, even without Nicolas by her side, leaning into her role as Sorceress Supreme, AND as the "Mother" in the Trinity>>

 

[Brenthon]

The Elysian Fields

<< He always felt unsure when faced with Ororo. Over the years, they had been enemies, confidants, friends, lovers. So often whenever he jumped through a disc, he was entwined with her. To many, she was an enigmatic figure. To him, she was a woman who found herself in Limbo in a very similar way to him. Mortals who became something greater by way of their length of time in the realm. >>

<< She stood there, ready to embrace Jimaine as Magik. And Brenthon was ready as well, but he would never forget Illyana Rasputina. The original Magik. The young girl who fell into Limbo when Ororo's precious X-Men were responsible for her. They had failed her. They had failed her brother. But she had worked hard. Been able to remove herself from the trinity altogether. Only Beto and Ororo would know that story. Would know the steps that Illyana had taken. Just as he had saved Spellbinder, he had also rescued Magik from her home in Melrose Place from a similar situation. >>

<< He cared about Jimaine deeply. It was bittersweet to see her take this mantle, knowing fully what would be required of her, of her soul. But that was her journey. Beto had heeded the words of Darkchilde, he knew that his ultimate destiny in this realm was to look after Spellbinder, to be a steward of faith and support. But he often found himself at odds with Ororo's dogmatic approach to things. She leaned towards acceptance of fate, and Brenthon had survived Limbo by defying it's rules and it's nature. Sometimes he failed and sometimes he succeeded. But he was very motivated by the fact that each of Limbo's rulers he encountered had a desire to do so. Magik was one who came to that conclusion by necessity, not necessarily by choice. And his closeness to Jimaine would cause him to keep a heavy eye on her. >>

<< Ororo may not have approved of his methods, but outside of her, he had been the one to live in Limbo the longest outside of her. He had played many roles, as she had in the creation and protection of the dark trinity. They were twin flames. Two sides of the same coin, and seeing her in front of him, donned in her battle gear, as if she were ready to test the blade of anyone who might not want to acknowledge this moment, it spoke to him. >>

<< He found himself moving towards her. >>

"The White Witch. Keeper of Limbo. It's been a long time. You look beautiful, though I much prefer the form you take during midnight swims in your garden...."

<< smirking. >>

"You appear ready for battle. Tell me, is claiming the soul of the spellbinder not enough for you? Are you worried I might try to wrestle her from all of this? I must admit, despite my reverence for ceremony, I've thought about it. Been waiting for you to show your face..."

<< pausing. >>

"Are you surprised to see me, chiovanni? Have you MISSED me?"

 

[Ororo]

The Enchanted Forest

<< He found himself moving towards her. >>

"The White Witch. Keeper of Limbo. It's been a long time. You look beautiful, though I much prefer the form you take during midnight swims in your garden...."

<< smirking. >>

<< Ororo looked upon Brenthon, he was as handsome as he'd ever been, but now, with his soul having been realigned and his memories/connection to them fully restored by Darkchilde, there was something more substantial about him. His reminiscing on seeing her swim in the nude in her Garden Oasis was significant but she would not indulge him on that in the presence of the rest of them>>

Ororo: Time is but an afterthought to those such as us.

<< she said as he drew near>>

<< Ororo, as she appeared in Otherplace, was unique across the sidereal string. Far more than any mere mutant or metahuman, in the cosmic hierarchy, (for the sake of comparison) she was more on the level of Circe, Margali Szardos, or Ravena, able to stand before deities and cosmic abstracts, and not only be acknowledged by them for her presence and RELEVANCE to the multiverse's cohesion, but also RESPECTED.>>

<< She was aware of ALL her other possible selves across the time stream, and beside the Trinity, she was the only other being who could move through/across Limbo without getting "lost". That was not the only unique thing about her either>>

<< The cost associated with the level of power, knowledge and awareness she possessed was too high for most to consider, much less be willing to pay. She had once been human, of the earth, but that was many, MANY moons ago.>>

<< Now she was the Immortal Weather Witch, Keeper of Limbo, and Guardian of the Dark Trinity.>>

<< When she knew Brenthon in the MoE timeline, as Darkchilde's Avatar of sin, she was his ally, but those in the highest echelons of the MoE knew that Ororo did NOT "Belong" to them. Her primary allegiance and favor was ALWAYS toward Darkchilde, and those associated with HER would BENEFIT from that. >>

<< The moment Brenthon was forcibly separated from Darkchilde, during the cataclysmic battle between MoE and the ORIGINAL Dire Wraiths, he was flung across the time stream of Otherplace. His relationship with, and understanding of Ororo changed forever after that. >>

<< True indeed, across the infinite realms of possibility, Brenthon and Ororo had been allies, friends, lovers, enemies, confidants. He found himself her honored guest in the Garden Oasis on some occassions, and on OTHER occassions, he found himself the object of her elemental and magickal WRATH as she hunted him across the infinite expanse of Limbo. He was FORCED to understand and perceive Ororo in a way that the other MoE, and most of the Six had not ever had to consider. That lead to him adapting. It was something much MORE than a mere "life lesson." >>

<< Few had ever crossed Ororo, and survived, but Brenthon had managed to best several versions of her in his seemingly endless journey across Otherplace. Darkchilde warned him that when he next encountered her, things would be DIFFERENT, and so he KNEW that her current appearance had something to do with HIM. He was RIGHT.>>

And I much preferred you, when you understood, and RESPECTED ORDER and STRUCTURE.

<< she said, coldly>>

"You appear ready for battle. Tell me, is claiming the soul of the spellbinder not enough for you? Are you worried I might try to wrestle her from all of this? I must admit, despite my reverence for ceremony, I've thought about it. Been waiting for you to show your face..."

<< pausing. >>

I am READY to protect the integrity, and ENFORCE the SAFETY of each woman the Dark Trinity. You know that.

You have played many games across Otherplace (Limbo). You've won some, lost others. That was then. THIS IS NOW.

<< Thunder rolls and rumbles in the skies above>>

"Are you surprised to see me, chiovanni? Have you MISSED me?"

<<There was not THAT much difference between them when it came to height, and Ororo looked directly at Brenthon. Her eyes were solid white one moment, then after a blink the blue eyes associated with her extremely long lived maternal blood line of witch priestesses returned. Brenthon was well familiar with the immortal weather witch's blue eyes.>>

<< He was trying to engage on a PERSONAL level. His CHARM was always one of SEVERAL weapons in his "war chest" but Ororo was no novice, or sprite. She'd played this game, danced this dance with him many times before.>>

All things, places, and people are possible via Otherplace. NOTHING surprises me.

<< After a few more moments of intense eye contact, where Ororo and Brenthon "spoke" to one another on a level that ONLY they could discern between them, She moves past him, toward Hecate.>>

Ororo: Hail, Hecate.

Hecate: Lady Ororo, you ARE truly the personification of your name's meaning (Beauty).

<< Hecate took Ororo's hands into her own as the women stood facing each other>>

Hecate: The powerful, immortal Weather Witch who exists outside of the lines of time, who IS, SIMULTANEOUSLY, across the Sidereal String of reality, The balance to EACH woman in the Dark Trinity as "SHE" reigns over Otherplace (Limbo). You, along with Brenthon have bore witness to the arrival and installation of the third and FINAL member of the Dark Trinity. At long last, the Trinity of the Moon is REBORN, and magick will continue to permeate the multiverse. You have executed your role as the multiversal guardian of the Trinity FAR BEYOND my expectation, and I thank you. You have MORE than earned my eternal FAVOR, White Witch. You have ONLY but to look toward the moon, and call for me, and I will answer.

Ororo: Hecate, original Moon Goddess of legend, Goddess of the Crossroads, and Goddess of Witchcraft, you HONOR me. I will continue to safeguard the lives of Magik, Spellbinder, and Darkchilde. Magick WILL continue to flow throughout this, and all other realms, as it was always meant to, and Destiny will continue to unfold as SHE is meant to. And now, I must go.

Hecate: May the light of the Moon guide your path, Weather Witch.

<< Brenthon, Spellbinder, Firebird, Black Widow, and Magik all knew they'd see Ororo again, and for some, that time would come far sooner than they expected.>>

<<Winds whistle as a column of wind with dried leaves swirling in it forms around Ororo, and she disappears in a swirl of glowing green orbs, returning to Limbo proper.>>

 

[Hecate]

The Enchanted Forest

<< Hecate noted Brenthon's interaction with Ororo. There was a story there, one that she could find out more about, if she wanted to. Ororo had earned Hecate's eternal favor, as had Brenthon. The rolling thunder in the skies above would seem to indicate that Ororo wasn't exactly thrilled by the sight of Brenthon. if there was conflict brewing between those two, Hecate would get involved when necessary, for BOTH of them held relevance and meaningful connection to EACH woman in the Dark Trinity, and NOTHING, NO ONE must post a danger to that. >>

<< As Hecate bid Ororo farewell, and the weather witch disappeared, Hecate turned toward Magik, and the rest of them.>>

And now, Magik, comes the most difficult part.

<< A lingering view of Brenthon, who watched Hecate and Jimaine intently>>

<<FLASH!>>

<< He had hoped that in speaking his own name, she would feel more comfortable, but he could feel her hesitation. This was a path she had shared with him that she was scared of. And Beto knew the cost of this path, more so than many others as he had seen it play out in countless ways during his exile. >>

As "Magik", the Maiden in the Dark Trinity, you must take your position in the Sidereal String of reality.

<< Magik looked at Hecate, not responding yet>>

That position is NOT in the same timeline as Spellbinder, the "Mother".

You must open a stepping disk, and take your place, in the HEROIC AGE timeline, where you will reign over that Earth as Sorceress Supreme, and you will rule Limbo (Otherplace) as it appears in that timeline.

<< Hecate saw, and SENSED Magik's surprise and distress, as did Spellbinder, and Brenthon.>>

<< at that moment a swirling flurry of Blue/Violet orbs forms alongside Brenthon, as Margali Szardos APPEARS, arriving in the Enchanted Forest via her own power.>>

<< Jimaine's mother , a former Sorceress Supreme herself, had bore witness to her daughter realizing her destiny, and NOW she was here to say goodbye to her as she prepared to take her place in the multiverse.>>

 

[Magik]

The Enchanted Forest

<< Ororo! Amanda had "seen" her in her dreams before, and then in Spellbinder's Sanctum Sanctorum, and now she was HERE in full form, presenting her with HER "Soul Sword". When Jimaine took hold of the sword, her connection was finally cemented. Hecate UNLOCKED her full potential, allowing to "step" PAST the top the Winding Way, and fully into Otherplace, where she, along with her crosstime counterparts, RULED. Hecate unlocked her "god-head", and she was now MAGIK!>>

<< This moment was like riding a wind, a WAVE, that she never wanted to end. She was flushed with power that had been brimming in her. Beto saw what she could do in Madripoor, and now, with her SOUL-LINK (which had been attempting to assert itself via her dreams that she confided in Beto about) to Limbo (Otherplace) was fully activated! In Limbo, ALL things were possible, and Limbo was now HER realm!>>

<< Spellbinder commanded her soul sword to glow and emit beams of light, celebrating the arrival of her Trinity counterpart, and mystic chimes sound off>>

HAIL, MAGIK!

HAIL, SPELLBIDNER!

<< Jimaine now looked at the full conscious, restored, and repowered Spellbinder, her Trinity counterpart, AND her blood relative! the bond was there>>

Haleigh raised an eyebrow at that.

“Well, that’s a nice touch, with the metallic wonderbra, it really does your tits justice, and it’s not that I don’t like what I see, but— Morgan’s way hotter, just saying.”

[Spellbinder to Magik, via their rapport] WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, Jimaine! in BOTH senses. And please EXCUSE Haleigh. She just can't help herself sometimes, but she IS my sister!

[Magik to Spellbinder] THANK YOU, Morgan. My mother spent so long preparing me, trying to get me ready for this moment, and I...didn't always believe. It wasn't till i met BETO, that I began to feel...to KNOW the dreams and visions I had were serious, and now...here WE ARE. I am PLEASED to see you WELL again, and I am TRULY sorry for your loss [Nicolas]. You MUST know that You won't have to navigate this world ALONE, and now, because of Hecate, Athena and Nut, you know that your Nicolas is SAFE and FREE of all pain and strife.

[ The two sorceresses look at each other]

<< Horizontal split screen view. With Spellbinder's violet eyes on the top panel, and Magik's skyblue eyes on the bottom panel.>>

<< The communicate, SILENTLY, on a deep level, as ONLY the members of the Dark Trinity could>>

[Magik to Spellbinder] Regarding Haleigh, NO WORRIES. She is an attractive woman, but she thinks everyone operates in the same narrow bandwidth that she does when it comes to personal interaction and relationships. She is still deeply entrenched in the culture and dysfunction of Hellfire. Perhaps you can help her to see there is more at stake, and a BETTER way to be. But regardless, meeting her has been...INTERESTING to say the least.

<< Magik smirked, and "laughed" softly, assuring Morgan that all was well, and there were no hard feelings where the Black Widow was concerned.>>

<< Beto went to Ororo, and the mysterious, regal, and beautiful Weather Witch regarded him rather coldly. There was DEFINITELY a story THERE too. Beto had mentioned her before. He knew her, she HAUNTED her. They had become intertwined in his seemingly NEVER ENDING journey through Limbo.>>

<< Ororo cut their reunion short, and went to Hecate, who honored and praised Ororo, and bestowed her eternal favor upon the weather witch. Ororo took her leave of them all soon after, but Magik knew she would be seeing Ororo again, VERY SOON, now that her soul-link to Limbo had been activated, fundamentally changing her innate movement/teleporting power, as she now had access to and COMMAND over the Stepping Disks.>>

<< Amanda...JIMAINE "dared" to exhale, as she stood there, in her own eldritch armor , with her own soul sword in hand.>>

<< But then Hecate returned to Jimaine again>>

And now, Magik, comes the most difficult part.

<< A lingering view of @Brenthon , who watched Hecate and Jimaine intently>>

As "Magik", the Maiden in the Dark Trinity, you must take your position in the Sidereal String of reality.

<< Magik looked at Hecate, not responding yet>>

That position is NOT in the same timeline as Spellbinder, the "Mother".

You must open a stepping disk, and take your place, in the HEROIC AGE timeline, where you will reign over that Earth as Sorceress Supreme, and you will rule Limbo (Otherplace) as it appears in that timeline.

WHAT!? But I....

My friends....my MOTHER....

<< Spellbinder and Beto would BOTH feel the shock and distress in Jimaine, as did Hecate. The goddess looked upon Jimaine with sympathy and patience, allowing her a moment (at least) to process the fact that she would have to LEAVE the earth, the dimension of HER origin, and take her place at an entire different point along the Sidereal String of reality>>

<< At this moment, more than ever, Jimaine wanted...NEEDED her MOTHER. If for no other reason, than to be reassured...and to be able to say GOODBYE.>>

<< As anyone who has watched Shadow Weaver and Spellbinder knows, a mother ALWAYS knows when her child NEEDS her, and this moment prooves NO DIFFERENT, as Margali Szardos arrives , via her OWN power, appearing right beside Beto.>>

MOM!

<< No one dared interfere, as Margali held her arms out and open, waiting for her daughter, who rain to her waiting embrace. Mother and daughter embraced under the glowing light of Hecate's moon as the others looked on.>>

<< Margali Szardos, Immortal Gypsy Mother of the Szardos Clan, powerful Witch Queen, and former Sorceress Supreme, held her daughter tightly, and she exchanged looks with both Hecate and Beto, before looking upon Spellbinder, who was her distant relative, CURRENT Sorceress Supreme.>>

Margali: It's alright daughter, I bore witness to your transformation, and I knew you wanted me HERE physically, and so I have come. I KNOW this moment is the hardest part for you, Jimaine, but REMEMBER all that I told/taught you through the years.

<<FLASH!>>

<< A rapid montage of Margali talking to, and teaching her daughter, sharing with her images and visions of things to come, including the image of a SWORD, HER Soul Sword. >>

Margali: Your walk, your ASCENSION to the TOP of the Winding Way has helped prepare for you for this moment, daughter. Hecate is correct, you CANNOT be in the same time/space as Spellbinder. the Dark Trinity must NEVER be in the same time/space all at once, in order to prevent what happened to the original trinity of the Moon from happening again. Just as I accepted the power and RESPONSIBILITY of being Sorceress Supreme long ago, YOU must do the same now. But be ENCOURAGED, Jimaine, for you will now have access to, and DOMINION over the Otherplace (Limbo) the GATEWAY to ALL times, places and PEOPLE. Between that, and MY OWN power, we WILL see each other again.

<< Margali looks over at Beto, and smiles at him, signaling her APPROVAL of him>>

Margali: And you will see HIM again too.

<< Margali and Jimaine finally let go of each other, and now stand before one another, holding hands, as Margali looks over her daughter in her eldritch armor and cape, and nods with approval.>>

Margali: You KNOW that there is no TRUE END for those such as WE. << referring to herself, her daughter, Beto, Spellbinder, and Hecate, specifically>> This is NOT "GOODBYE", this is simply "Till NEXT TIME."

<< Margali nodded with reassurance. She knew it would be NO problem, NO difficulty in finding/seeing her daughter again, when the time was right, and as Jimaine truly acclimated and settled into her new role and power level, she would know it too.>>

Margali: And who knows? I may grow BORED with this timeline, and decide to move over to YOURS, after all, I have done all that I wanted, and MORE in this one. What is life without adventure?

<< Margali and her daughter embrace tightly once more>>

Jimaine: I love you, mother.

Margali: And I love you, daughter. You have made me VERY proud.

<< Hecate looks on, holding out her arms and nodding with approval>>

Margali: And now, it's time to go!

Jimaine: Not just yet....

<< She let go of her mother, and moved toward Beto>>

Jimaine: We will NEVER be apart, bărbat chipeș (handsome one). The Winding Way, and the Shadowed Path are BOTH guided by the goddess of the crossroads, and we MET. And now, through Otherplace, ALL times and places are possible. Ours is a bond that can't be defined, OR broken, Beto. But before I go, allow me to leave you something to REMEMBER ME by.

<< ONLY the two of them knew of the night they spent together, in the carnal sense, HERE in the enchanted forest, and there was ALWAYS the chance they would have ANOTHER interlude under Hecate's moon, but for now?>>

<< Magik embraces Beto, and kisses him deeply, passionately, as they share a "riptide" moment SIMILAR to the one they had in Arena.>>

<< And as Beto and Amanda/Jimaine kiss "goodbye", winds pick up speed around them, and eldritch chimes sound off. a BLUE colored STEPPING DISK snaps OPEN at a vertical orientation just a few steps behind Magik.>>

<< That embrace and kiss between Beto and Jimaine ends, and Jimaine takes her final steps toward the disk, turning back to look at the others.>>

Margali: Let the light of Hecate's moon comfort you and GUIDE YOU, my daughter. I WILL see you again.

Spellbinder and Firebird: Blessed be, Magik!

Hecate: En Erebos Phos, Magik! My moon lights your way, and my magick carries on through you!

<< Magik waves goodbye, and enters the stepping disk. She will pass through Limbo, as it appears in her new timeline, and then arrive on Earth in the HEROIC AGE, where she will reign as it's Sorceress Supreme, and as the Maiden in the Multiversal Dark Trinity!>>

<< Her stepping disk closes.>>

<< Margali and Hecate enjoy a brief reunion, and Margali regards her successor (Spellbinder) as Sorceress Supreme, before whispering something in Beto's ear, and then the Witch Queen takes her leave as well, leaving Hecate with Beto, Spellbinder, and Firebird.>>

 

[Hecate]

From The Enchanted Forest back to the Sanctum Sanctorum

<< Darkchilde is confirmed to be alive and BEYOND her previous "peak" of power, as the Crone. Spellbinder, the Mother, is alive, revived, and repowered, with her god-head unlocked, and Magik, the Maiden has finally been revealed and installed.>>

<< Hecate's will be done.>>

<< The Goddess of Witchcraft is pleased and turns her pleasant countenance toward Spellbinder, Firebird and Brenthon.>>

Old wounds have finally been closed, and some old wrongs have finally been CORRECTED. There's been a reset, in some ways. A sign of things to come for more than one of you.

The Trinity is WHOLE once more, as I said it would one day be.

Spellbinder, I know you are still at a loss, and I know that in this moment, not even the POWER that you have access to can take the place of the COMFORT from Nicolas' touch and embrace, but BE ENCOURAGED, daughter, he IS safe, you've seen that for yourself, and you know he is in the ultimate, eternal paradise, as ONLY a warrior favored by Athena could be granted. You CAN see him again, when the time is right, and now you know, he is FREE from the curse Set. He can't be touched or corrupted!

But for NOW, your duty, your RESPONSIBILITY as Sorceress Supreme, and an extension of ME must NOT go unanswered.

It is time for you, and your companions to return to YOUR seat of power, as it appears on EARTH, your Sanctum Sanctorum.

And not a moment too soon...

<< As Hecate was beyond tired of seeing Haleigh's face, and STILL thought it would better for them ALL if she ERASED the hybrid from existence>>

Beto << She noted that he had taken to calling himself that in these modern times>>, you have served as witness to the dawn of Magik's reign over the Heroic Age timeline. Your bond with her, as a fellow romani, along with your individual gifts, will allow you to remain in contact with her. You will see her again, when the time as right. But for now, in THIS time, you have several MORE "firsts" to experience, including a meeting with another witch in my bloodline, the HARBINGER. The next stop on YOUR journey in this timeline is with HER. Spellbinder will see to it that you reach her.

<< Alison Marble, aka Harbinger, the Keeper of Time, and Guardian of the World's "Secrets", AND distant relative of Spellbinder and Firebird!>>

Firebird, yours is a soul filled with FIRE and PASSION. The very spark of energy that flows throughout the cosmos can also been felt in YOU by US (The gods/goddesses who still interact with those in the mortal coil) You are more than a mere "mutant"

<< The terms humans coined for THEMSELVES sometimes confused Hecate, other times they amused her. "Mutant" was a term rooted in science..."genetics" as they called it. But it still sounded crude to the goddess of witchcraft. Why would anyone WANT to be "only human", or have their status, their very identity determined by the narrow range of human perception?>>

<< "Science" made humans arrogant, made them think their reach was longer and more powerful than it really was in the grand design of the cosmos. Prime example- the FATHER of Spellbinder, Firebird, Frost and Black Widow. He was human, and BEYOND twisted in his mind and soul. He was driven mad by greed, and his lust for power, and he used "science" to achieve his goal at a high cost, as he nearly destroyed Shadow Weaver, and Spellbinder. Haleigh's existence was another example of Christopher's arrogance and overreach, and what "science" could do in the wrong hands. Hecate considered Haleigh an abomination to nature itself. >>

Your fire allowed you to burn brightly even as the darkness of oblivion closed in on Morgan and yourself.

Never forget that it was your faith, and belief in magick that lead to Morgan's salvation.

By Hestia's decree, your power, and it's scope are increased, and the Flames of Faltine are yours to access and command as you need to.

Stand strong and alert by your sisters side, comfort her and steady her when she needs it. Yours is a future FULL of adventure and PROMISE.

May the light of my moon guide you, and protect you.

<< Looking at Haleigh>>

Most of you, anyway.

<< She said with pettiness and a smirk on her face>>

<< And With that, Hecate lifts her hand and a chime sounds off, as the entire surrounding of the Enchanted Forest begins to glow, shift and SWIRL around them. A crash of thunder, and flash of purple light mark the "movement" of Spellbinder, Firebird, Black Widow and Beto back to Earth, back to Spellbinder's Sanctum Sanctorum.>>

<< Hecate did NOT wipe Haleigh's memory of Jimaine Szardos, because ultimately, Beto AND Hecate were right, Haleigh couldn't harm Jimaine/Amanda. The young sorceress had relied on an ages old tactic she'd learned from her mother about "hiding in plain sight", it stemmed from the very real and lingering trauma of persecution the romani people had endured, along with witches descended from Hecate's bloodline down through the centuries. But the time for her "hiding" was at an end as she took her rightful place in the Trinity reborn>>

<< Everyone else was gone, but Curiously, Hecate HERSELF did remain in the mysterious Enchanted Forest >>

<< It SEEMED as if she were the only one there, but in a place such as things, things are RARELY as they seem.>>

<< Hecate took a moment to admire her finely manicured hand>>

YOU can come out now.

 

[Black Widow]

The Enchanted Forest

Haleigh was trying to support Morgan, and she wasn’t about to let this little upstart Amanda Jimaine think she could hold a candle to Spellbinder, who was an actual supermodel. But Morgan apparently wanted to give the girl a free pass, because blood relation or some shit.

<<To Morgan>> Yeah, she’s not MY family, I just met this bitch and she’s SUSPICIOUSLY nice. Also, let’s not get too carried away with the blood relation pass. Don’t forget who MY mother was, or Cameron’s.

She thought back, and Morgan reminded her the this place was the same as where Alison had become Harbinger. Haleigh’s mouth tightened at the memory.

<<To Morgan>> How could I forget the night we lost her to her ‘mantle’ of the Keeper of Time?

Haleigh didn’t think of it fondly, she missed her friend, who’d never been the same after that, and had become basically a recluse at Minerva’s. Morgan reasoned that of course they’d look the same, they were manifestations of the dark trinity or whatever. Then she said Haleigh wasn’t the bad guy, it was just that she liked playing one a little too much.

<<To Morgan>> Oh yes, let me tell you how much I enjoy it.

She thought back in deadpan, and then went ‘silent’. Morgan admonished Haleigh that this was an important moment for the whole magick community because prophecy. Haleigh drank and did not reply.

Morgan: Hail Magik!

Jimaine: Hail Spellbinder!

Ororo: Hail Hecate!

“Hail Mary me the fuck out of here.”

Haleigh added, but no one seemed to notice since they were all too busy stroking each other’s egos. Haleigh actually yearned for a fight or a fuck or something more than all this peacocking. Brenthon moved in towards Ororo, talking of midnight swims and battlesuits. For a second Haleigh thought she might get her wish for a little more excitement, but Ororo just plain shot him down and then she left. Well, shit. Hecate told Magik it was time to go to her own timeline, but before that could happen, Amanda Jimaine’s mother showed up, and Haleigh had already heard so much about this woman’s legacy that she decided to drain her goblet entirely.

Then she waited for her magic crystal goblet to refill, because she was sure there’d be plenty of drinking opportunities in the ensuing conversation, but her glass remained empty. Haleigh’s eyebrows raised, and then a wide grin spread across her face, and she laughed out loud.

“Another challenge, conquered!”

She said, as a metallic table formed in front of her. She turned the goblet upside down and set it on the table triumphantly, while a bunch of goodbyes were traded. Amanda Jimaine came over and kissed Beto, laying on some classic lines that people about to embark on a long-distance relationship usually tell one another, all of which really meant absolutely nothing after a short stint of loneliness. Then she was hippity-hop skipping off through a stepping disc to join her next Girl Scout troop. Haleigh turned to Brenthon and looked almost sympathetic.

“Well, Mr. Sin. I’d say I’m sorry your cute vanilla girlfriend just left you, but I have to be honest. I’m not sorry AT ALL. Her loss is our gain and I know many hot women who would gladly FIGHT each other for the chance to let you do whatever you want to them.”

She told him, and then Hecate was saying her final words to everybody. She said something about the moonlight guiding and protecting them, or ‘most of them’, and she sneered at Haleigh. Haleigh’s eyes glowed green with her night vision lenses activated, because she didn’t need any fucking moonlight, and she patted her rifle because she could protect her damn self. And then she flipped Hecate off with BOTH middle fingers, smiling sharply back at the goddess. The next thing she knew, she was back in Morgan’s house.

“Alright, thank FUCK we’re back to a place with modern plumbing. Don’t worry, I remember where the bathroom is— and I swear if the house moves it to fuck with me, you will not be amused with how I improvise, so keep that in mind!”

She said as she walked off in the direction of the head. It was exactly where she recalled from her earlier short tour, and by the time she got there she was fully integrated back into the network. She shot off a quick text to her husband.

To Cameron >> Fuck me, that was a big To-do. Morgan’s okay now, and we’re all back. I’ll fill you in on the details later, too much to text.

Then she glanced at her ass in the mirror and snapped a ‘picture’ to send to him.

To Cameron>> In case you need a reminder.

 

[Persephone]

Persephone couldn't leave The Met fast enough. If she had stayed any longer, there would have been another ground zero in New York City. She couldn't believe the things Cameron had said to her - shitting on their twenty year relationship and not taking accountability for his actions against her. He didn't even seem to care what she had to say, only wanting to prove HIS point, like he always wanted to do. She was done with him, brother in law or not.

Persephone's heeled boots hit the cement sidewalk hard as she stormed down Fifth Avenue, passing a few corner markets before crossing the street into Central Park. Anger radiated off of her like steam as she found an empty bench in an area of the park where no one was at. Sitting down, she heavily sighed and slumped back, closing her eyes.

"Bastard."

She grumbled under her breath, trying to calm her ever growing anger. But what pissed Persephone off the most about Cameron's words was the fact he was right. For nearly two years she had kept the entire team - including her sister - at arms length. Pushing them away when they knew something was wrong with her, telling them she was fine or tired or overworked. Excuse after excuse instead of opening up to them and letting them help her. The only person she opened up to was Karen Victoria, and even then Persephone didn't fully detail what she went through. Then Hellfire happened, and her trauma had to take a backseat to other traumas - to grief and guilt. It was a vicious cycle that she couldn't pull herself out of, and Cameron calling her out on it made her furious. She wanted help, but she couldn't ask for it. How could she? After everything she had done to everyone? What would be the point now other than opening old wounds?

Persephone let her head rest back against the back of the bench, looking up into the grey skies above. A storm was coming, she could feel it in the air. But she could also feel something else. The familiar presents of mystical energy looming behind her. It was Hecate, not physically there, but there. A sort of sign that whatever was happening with Morgan was likely nearing completion, and she was being summoned. Persephone disappeared in a tornado of flames, reappearing in the Enchanted Forest, far away from the group. She could hear Haleigh speaking, then two women's voices she didn't recognize, and then Hecate. Passing through the trees, Persephone kept her distance as she watched a blonde women take on the mantel of Magik: maidan of the Dark Trinity. She was told she couldn't stay in this timeline, something Persephone was all too familiar with. Then Magik opened up a stepping disc, bid everyone farewell, and disappeared to her new destined timeline. It was then that Hecate gave her own farewells to the group before sending them back to Earth. Whatever had happened brought Morgan back from the brink of death, restored the Dark Trinity, and brought an old friend [Brenthon] into the fold.

Hecate: YOU can come out now.

Persephone stepped out from the shadowed tree line, in her true form as Queen of the Dead, Goddess of the Spring and bringer of Destruction. Her long black gown flowed behind her as she approached Hecate.

"You know I hate being summoned."

She lightly joked, a tug of her lips showing a faintest hint of a smile. It was hard for her to smile these days.

"I see the Trinity has been restored. I'm truly happy for you, Hecate. And I know my mother is as well."

Persephone's part in destroying the original Trinity was always a sore subject, despite her and Hecate repairing their relationship. She had been power hungry and naive two centuries ago, and she made choices that even to this day were coming back to haunt her. But unlike the girl she was two thousand years ago, she learned from her mistakes and grew from them. And she truly was happy to see the Trinity that she had destroyed, finally completed.

"But why do I have the feeling this isn't why you called me here?"

 

[Hecate]

The Enchanted Forest

<< Now that the humans, witches, Beto, and...whatever it was that Black Widow was... were gone, Hecate exhaled, looking up at her large, low hanging, glowing Moon, as she ran her hands through her blonde hair, which was blowing in the breeze.>>

It is done. FINALLY.

<< Hecate's WILL was done. The TRINITY was restored. Magick's place in the cosmos as a PRIMAL ENERGY that preceded what most historians, astronomers, and cosmologists labeled as the "big bang" was firmly cemented. Of COURSE someone like Black Widow, who had a dim view of magick and witchcraft, wouldn't understand, or care. But for every creature like HER, there was someone like Brenthon, or Spellbinder, Firebird, or even Persephone, who understood, and even respected the need for Magick.>>

<< And speaking of Persephone. That Goddess had arrived here some time ago, but masked her presence from the others, even her longtime friend and former MoE companion, Brenthon. It was a wise choice to make. Persephone would see Brenthon up close soon enough, without urgent matters pressing down on either one of them, allowing for a proper reunion.>>

Persephone stepped out from the shadowed tree line, in her true form as Queen of the Dead, Goddess of the Spring and bringer of Destruction. Her long black gown flowed behind her as she approached Hecate.

"You know I hate being summoned."

You always did.

<< Referring back to their ORIGINAL days in the halls of Mt. Olympus >>

<< Persephone, even in her original era, wanted to be free to come and go as she chose, like the winds she commanded. Hecate understood that about her even then. Both of goddesses were the "odd woman out" back then. Persephone, the rebellious young goddess who was often on the "WRONG END" of other Olympians' scrutiny, particularly her aunt Athena; and Hecate, who actually wasn't an OLYMPIAN Goddess by birth, but rather a TITAN, a fact that HERA NEVER let her forget.>>

<< But in an ironic twist that would earn Hecate notoriety with the Olympians, FAVOR with Zeus, the "ruler" of the Olympians, and in the the many notes, books and archives that humanity would document about Hecate, it was the fact that she was NOT an Olympian by birth that allowed her the advantage to help turn the tide of battle of the Olympians against their brutal, violent "all-father" Cronus. Hecate saved the Olympians from defeat, and a fate WORSE than death. it was one of the earliest examples of how MAGICK was an energy and a power in the cosmos that should NOT be taken lightly.>>

<< Persephone emerged from the the trees around the Enchanted Forest, in her ultimate form, a sign of her realizing HER potential, and having taken the power of Hades when she finally vanquished him. As Hecate looked upon the approaching goddess, she nodded with approval at her appearance. In some aspects, it reminded Hecate of HER OWN "classic" form and appearance , one that predated the present form she wore.>>

You look beautiful. Being the QUEEN of the Underworld certainly BECOMES you.

<< Hecate said as the two goddesses stood before each other in the Enchanted Forest>>

"I see the Trinity has been restored. I'm truly happy for you, Hecate. And I know my mother is as well."

Thank you.

<< Hecate said with a tone that conveyed a sense of RELIEF >>

At long last, the true balance and flow of magick across the cosmos has been restored. My will has been done.

<< Persephone would hear the relief and SERENITY in Hecate's voice, something she hadn't heard from her friend in CENTURIES.>>

Persephone's part in destroying the original Trinity was always a sore subject, despite her and Hecate repairing their relationship. She had been power hungry and naive two centuries ago, and she made choices that even to this day were coming back to haunt her. But unlike the girl she was two thousand years ago, she learned from her mistakes and grew from them. And she truly was happy to see the Trinity that she had destroyed, finally completed.

"But why do I have the feeling this isn't why you called me here?"

<< Hecate extended her hand, a swirl of purple orbs flowed around it as she conjured herself a crystal goblet with TRUE Hemlock. She offered/conjured Persephone a goblet of true Hemlock as well, Persephone being one of the FEW non-magick users who could drink this concoction that was simply DELIGHTFUL to witches and magick users, but utterly deadly and FATAL to all non-magick users. And, much like Magik's "touch" on the drinks she summoned for Black Widow and Beto, the goblets would REFILL themselves.>>

It pleases me to know that my blood line has CARRIED ON the time honored tradition of making Hemlock.

<< Hecate happily takes a drink, truly enjoying this TRUE Hemlock>>

I know you saw your Spellbinder here earlier, conscious, restored and repowered, but I wanted you to hear it from ME, that she WILL be okay.

When her sister, Firebird used the Mystic Flames of Faltine to send out a distress call, Hestia made SURE that I heard the call. I worked with Athena, and Nut ( "Newt"), from Isis' Pantheon, to arrange a reunion between Spellbinder and her champion and soulmate, Rampage. HE is safe in the favored warrior's eternal paradise of Athena's Elysian Fields.

Spellbinder's heart is well on it's way to mending now, and I not only restored and repowered her, but I UNLOCKED her God-head, placing her more in synch with Darkchilde, the CRONE in the modern Trinity, as she is now firmly the MOTHER.

You saw a GLIMPSE of what that would look like in your "DREAMTIME" experience.

<< An indication that even Hecate was aware of the Six's shared " dream" where they fought the celestial sorceress, Badiane, and MorningStar was transformed into a literal STAR in the heavens by Spellbinder and Harbinger.>>

She will recover, she will adjust....and she WILL thrive again, as she is meant to. And now, Magik has taken HER place as the Maiden...which leaves ALL THREE of them in a stronger position.

<<Another satisfying drink/refill>>

When you see Harbinger again, TELL HER that her friend, Nicolas, is SAFE now in the Elysian Fields. I understand, and EMPATHIZE with her marble hard HEART, AND I know she feels quite SAFE and AT EASE in YOUR presence.

She'll receive that much needed update from you, and it will allow her to face the others in her life who need her.

<< She took another drink and her crystal goblet refilled itself>>

On a personal level, I called you here, because I wanted to SEE you.

<< Hecate said, as her purple eyes looked Persephone over. The moment that Harbinger had SEEN for Persephone during their last interaction on Minerva's Aerie, six months ago, was now at hand.>>

It's been so long, for both of us.

Our journey has had it's peaks and valleys, but despite all the odds, and those who tried to use those odds against BOTH of us, we found our way back to each other.

Here WE stand, while many of our counterparts and peers have faded away in the aftermath of MUCH DESERVED humiliation, defeat, and PUNISHMENT.

<<She was certainly referring to the likes of Hera, Zeus, and HADES most of all. In these modern times, only Athena, Demeter, Aphrodite, Artemis, Hestia, Persephone, and Hecate herself remained, choosing when/where/how they appeared in the physical plane of existence.>>

<< Hecate raised her glass toward Persephone, and the two goddesses silently shared in a montage of memories>>

<< Like Persephone, Hecate had also come a LONG way since those original days in Mt. Olympus. Persephone, who had been abused and manipulated, made grave mistakes, but so too had Hecate. After the destruction of the Trinity of the Moon, and Hades' raping her, resulting in the birth of Ravena, Hecate's heart CRIED OUT for vengeance, and in the VERY SPOT where they both now stood, she cast the curse of the Red Moon, and then entered an unholy pact with the immortal witch priestess Circe, to exact bloody and VIOLENT revenge not only on the Olympians, but the humans who worshipped them.>>

<< That Red Moon would haunt humanity for CENTURIES, with Persephone being among the FEW to witness its dawn, and SURVIVE its unholy glow, corrupting influence, and bloody retribution with each deadly cycle. It struck FEAR into the hearts of even ZEUS and Hades, who went into HIDING for a time, until Hecate sent their son down to him, after Ravena proved to be TOO DARK and TWISTED for even Hecate to be able to tolerate.>>

<< It wasn't until the era of The Six, and Spellbinder having dawned in her destiny as Sorceress Supreme, that Hecate FINALLY realized the mistake she'd made in using Circe as her instrument of revenge. But with the Six's bravery, along with unexpected assistance from Athena AND Persephone, Hecate was able to finally SATIATE the Red Moon's never ending appetite for vegeance, punishment and blood. It truly HAD been a terrifying object lesson in the legendary GRUDGE HOLDING that Hecate was known for.>>

<< There was also the OTHER unintended consequence of the Red Moon...its NATURAL other side, the BLUE MOON, which adversely effected ALL magick users, and Circe, using a cosmic technicality to reach out and try to take Spellbinder's power and soul. Persephone once again offered a timely assistance- helping to ensure that Rampage and Spellbinder would triumph over Circe, closing that cosmic loophole on her, until it's next unavoidable cycle -which hadn't come around, YET. .>>

We've both had the privilege of learning, and recovering.

I only wish I could've been there WITH YOU, to get MY pound of flesh from Hades, before you finally destroyed him, and took his power.

<< Hecate said with deep seated bitterness toward Hades.>>

<< Before Hades' saga with Persephone, Hecate and Hades had once been betrothed. It was during the earliest days of Hecate's time on Mt. Olympus, when Zeus and the rest of the Olympian pantheon sang her praises for her key role in VANQUISHING Cronus, and leaving him in the form of tragic, old, gnarled tree, deeply rooted in the ground of the wasteland in the Underworld.>>>>

<< But Hera was INCREDIBLY jealous of Hecate, resentful of Zeus' adoration and favoring of the Goddess of Witchcraft. the irony of ALL of this is that everything BAD that had happened to Hecate, AND Persephone, was set in motion by a woman, a fellow goddess.>>

The only thing worse than Hades' "love" was his betrayal, his violence, his twisted brutality.

<< She knew Persephone would understand. Hades had kidnapped Persephone, MULTIPLE times, forcing Demeter to go and RESCUE her from his clutches - this story was even archived among humanity. Hades forced his attentions on Persephone, abused her mentally and physically, and manipulated her at a time when she was she was HUNGRY for POWER and STATUS, leading to Demeter's shocking murder by her daughter's hand, and the destruction of the Moon Trinity.>>

When the original trinity was destroyed, my place on Mt. Olympus, my POWER was weakened, which is what Hera wanted all along, and I was primed for Hades' assault (rape). Zeus knew this was coming...he pushed it, just like he pushed Hades to treat you the way he did. It was his way for getting BACK at me for rejecting HIS "affections" when he was flushed with triumph after *I* vanquished his father.

<< Sometimes Hecate DID regret leaving her OWN original pantheon to cross over to the Olympians', but as the original source of all magick and witchcraft in the cosmos, the stars had TOLD HER it was necessary to ensure the survival of "all that is", so she heeded the Olympians' distress call, changing the course of history, as well as her OWN personal fate.>>

Zeus REALLY thought that *I* would WANT him, or that I would be taken in by his overbearing ways, the way so many other women- from the humans on earth, all the way up to the deities in the Halls of Mt. Olympus did, INCLUDING Hera! and Zeus HIMSELF had been manipulated and goaded by that weak bitch HERA. Her jealousy was her greatest "weapon", and she ONLY had eyes for her wretched husband, despite him being as much of a monster as HIS father, Cronus was.

<< Persephone could see the bitterness and HATRED on Hecate's face as she slammed back her next refill of Hemlocked>>

<< Hecate hated Hera, Zeus, and Hades even more than she hated Black Widow. Black Widow was actually FORTUNATE because Hecate's most LEGENDARY act of WRATH (to date) had been the Red Moon. It was IRONIC that Black Widow was Spellbinder's SISTER, and it REPULSED Hecate that HER seed had ANY connection THAT creature, and all of that was due to "SCIENCE", so Haleigh WAS correct, Hecate DID have a STRONG bigotry toward science, and those who clung to it.>>

<< After gulping down the next refill, Hecate paused, taking a moment to breath, and looking up at the glowing moon which hovered above both goddesses.>>

But Zeus is gone, his power LONG faded, and leaving him in a state even more pathetic than that of his father's, and Hera, true to form, followed her husband into oblivion- where she belongs. And Hades... is FINALLY GONE, thanks to you! No more worries, no more lingering threats.

Demeter is alive, Artemis are still here, and The TRINITY is reborn, and secure! You and Athena are on good terms again, and are you and I are reconnected!

Here WE stand, you and I, as vital as we EVER were, our place, not only in the records and archives of the humans, but in the COSMOS, firmly secured, as we choose WHEN/WHERE/HOW we appear. The AMAZONS are a living testimony to Athena and Artemis' legacy and enduring presence on Earth. Hestia's cosmic Flames of Faltine have found a new WORTHY host and caretaker.

You now rule the Underworld, with my Moon still lighting that realm, as it did all those centuries ago, and I continue to touch all corners of the Cosmos.

The gods (Zeus, Hades in particular) FAILED and have fallen away, but WE GODDESSES (with the clear exception of Hera) endured, and TRIUMPHED.

To US!

<< Hecate raises her refilled crystal goblet, and extends it toward Persephone's crystal goblet>>

<<TING!>>

<< After they both drink, there was one other thing Hecate needed to discuss with Persephone, pertaining to the Underworld, but right now, they deserved THIS moment to revel in their overall ultimate TRIUMPH over the MEN (and Woman) who had used them, hurt them, abused them, tried to destroy them.>>

 

[Spellbinder]

NYC- Sanctum Sanctorum- 2nd Floor- Chamber of Dreams

May the light of my moon guide you, and protect you.

<< Looking at Haleigh>>

Most of you, anyway.

<< She said with pettiness and a smirk on her face>>

<< And With that, Hecate lifts her hand and a chime sounds off, as the entire surrounding of the Enchanted Forest begins to glow, shift and SWIRL around them. A crash of thunder, and flash of purple light mark the "movement" of Spellbinder, Firebird, Black Widow and Beto back to Earth, back to Spellbinder's Sanctum Sanctorum.>>

<< Back on Earth, NYC, the Sanctum Sanctorum, in Spellbinder's Chamber of Dreams >>

<< Spellbinder and Firebird IMMEDIATELY hug each other once more, almost forgetting that Beto was also present>>

Firebird: Welcome HOME, Morg!

“Alright, thank FUCK we’re back to a place with modern plumbing. Don’t worry, I remember where the bathroom is— and I swear if the house moves it to fuck with me, you will not be amused with how I improvise, so keep that in mind!”

She said as she walked off in the direction of the head. It was exactly where she recalled from her earlier short tour, and by the time she got there she was fully integrated back into the network.

<< While Black Widow was in one of the powder rooms elsewhere in the Sanctum Sanctorum, Firebird took a moment to exclaim now that Spellbinder was truly back among the land of the living, and Morgan? She was still reeling from all she'd heard and learned from Hecate!>>

Oh....my...goddess!

<< She whispered aloud, as she stood in front of a large, 3 way mirror in her Chamber of Dreams, looking at herself in her new golden eldritch armor, along with her headdress, and her soul sword still in hand. She then did a slow turn, to see herself from all sides, including the back. The golden armor fit and hugged her feminine form perfectly. And now that she realized this wasn't a death dream, she allowed herself to truly FEEL....>>

Beautiful!

<< She was conscious again. TRULY alive, restored, REPOWERED, and Hecate had UNLOCKED her "god-head", allowing her to tap into/channel her magickal power to a celestial scale, just like she had in the "Dreamtime" event the Six shared!>>

Firebird: Beautiful! Do ANOTHER turn, Morg!

Spellbinder, who was an actual supermodel.

<< a smile crept over Spellbinder's face, as she found herself REMEMBERING what it was like to be a SUPER MODEL, to be in the SPOTLIGHT!>>

<< She turns the opposite way, and strikes a model pose! Firebird claps her hands, and whistles with approval>>

Firebird: She's BACK! Spellbinder, Sorceress Supreme AND Super Model extraordinaire is BACK!

<< Spellbinder holds her newly redesigned Soul Sword up in the air, and it glows GOLD with her power and energy. She WAS back, and she was now in the seat of her power. >>

<< She mentally commands her sword to return its post in her Area of Consecration on the 3rd floor, and as she does that, she also changes her appearance, no longer in her golden armor, as she magicks up a different outfit and hairstyle ,one that Haleigh had seen her in when she was pulled into Limbo by Morgan, who confronted her shortly after she went first went to Hellfire.>>

<< Wearing this figure flattering outfit was a sign that Morgan was definitely FEELING better, and reasserting herself as Sorceress Supreme, now in the Seat of her power on Earth.>>

There!

<< She says as she does a turn in front of her three way mirror satisfied with her appearance. Her violet eyes fix their gaze on Beto, aka Brenthon.>>

Brenthon.

<< She moves toward him.>>

I'm sorry about Amanda...JIMAINE.

It was clear that you two were very close, and...she had to leave you and her mother behind as she took her place in the Trinity as the Maiden.

I CAN'T BELIEVE that this whole time, the "Maiden" was here in front of all of this, and we never realized!

Firebird: AND she's FAMILY!

Morgan: YES!? THAT TOO!

Firebird: She SAVED Foxfire during the Inferno Event.

Morgan: Which means she was probably one of MANY metahumans and/or magick users who was part of the effort to protect the civilians from the demonic invasion....that I caused.

<< Morgan was not ashamed to take responsibility for what she'd done>>


Morgan: She obviously was one of the few who RETAINED their memories of that event even after Ororo and Harbinger cast the city wide spell to remove all memory. But we never knew.

Firebird: And we've seen her, many times since, and we just DIDN'T KNOW.

Morgan: How COULD we though? We didn't even recognize her in the Enchanted Forest until Hecate made her reveal her true appearance.

<< Morgan magicks up a scrying POOL, that reveals a shimmering imagine of Jimaine Szardos, aka Amanda Sefton, BKA MAGIK >>

Firebird: She really DOES look like YOU, Morg.

Morgan: AND she's a sorceress. a POWERFUL ONE.

Firebird: Well duh, she descends from Hecate too, and look who her MOTHER is.

Morgan: I KNOW...I just can't believe she was here among us this whole time, and we never knew. I never knew. MY magicks can DETECT other magick users/beings/objects. And I...I would have LIKED to KNOW her better! You said it yourself, she's OUR FAMILY.

Firebird: But Jimaine didn't WANT to be detected, not like THAT at least, and she was powerful enough to mask herself from even YOU all this time, not to mention the rest of us. She came HERE to see if she could HELP when I called Hecate for help, and The HOUSE recognized her and let her in, just like it did Black Widow and....

<< Firebird's apple green eyes turn to>>

...Beto

Spellbinder AND Firebird: BRENTHON

<< The Fire Elemental gazes at him, as she too moves toward him. Both Spellbinder and Firebird look him over.>>

Morgan: You're HERE...AGAIN. WHY?

<< Morgan asked him directly. She'd had so MANY surprises since she was revived by Hecate, and she meant what she said earlier, she had QUESTIONS.>>

 

[Firebird]

NYC- Sanctum Sanctorum- Chamber of Dreams

::Firebird's gaze on Beto was calm, even, but unwavering. She was searching him with MORE than just her eyes. She was using her mystical accent. So far, he'd been transparent, but he WAS of an unknown quality.::

Morgan: You're HERE...AGAIN. WHY?

<< Morgan asked him directly. She'd had so MANY surprises since she was revived by Hecate, and she meant what she said earlier, she had QUESTIONS.>>

We know you've encountered him at LEAST once before, Morg, when he saved you and Tinker from Black.

AND we know he lived, for a time, in the same timeline as Persephone, and Darkchilde!

:: she continues to circle him. He IS handsome, SEXY even, and he smells nice too! ::

Several others came and went in the Enchanted Forest before Magik teleported to her "Heroic Age" timeline.

You didn't want to go WITH her, Beto?

:: Beto was the complete opposite of Rich, aka Matrix, who was such a modern being, even down to their being gender fluid. Blaze and Rich had grown quite close, and fond of one another, and had spent much time together, until the tragedy of Nicolas. She missed them. ::

:: It had been a while since she'd been in the company of ANYONE outside of her sister, and she found herself realizing that it might have been a mistake to shut herself in the Sanctum with Morgan for six months, but at the time, and in the throws of emotion, wanting so desperately to protect her sister from any more hurt, that was what she thought was for the best, and she wasn't going to beat herself up about it. In the end, when she knew that neither she, nor Karen could revive Morgan, she followed her heart, and her faith, and called for help from the one being she KNEW could save Morgan, Hecate. And her faith was rewarded several times over.::

:: The past 24 hours had been full of surprises, truth bombs, healing, restoration, revelations, and at least ONE mystery, this beautiful stranger that now stood before them. This Gypsy King who walked the Shadowed Path ::

:: Beto had a history with Spellbinder, as well as Persphone, and Darkchilde, and while others such as Ororo, Margali, and Magik all DEPARTED from the Enchanted Forest, BETO remained. WHY? Blaze would have thought he'd want to go with Jimaine, since they were both Romani, and he clearly had a bond with her. ::

:: aside from his history with Morgan and Persephone, he had no other binding connection to THIS timeline, BUT Blaze didn't hold this against him.::

:: When Blaze had the choice of staying in her native timeline, or following her heart and jumping through a stepping disk to reunite with Morgan, she chose to jump through the disk, and the rest, as they say, was HISTORY. She wouldn't change ANYTHING that happened to her since arriving in Spellbinder's timeline, and assuming the life of her crosstime counterpart, Foxfire::

 

[Brenthon]

NYC - The Sanctum

<< Haleigh hit on him and he liked it, but she evaporated as soon as they returned to the Sanctum. Something about having to urinate. Beto shrugged it off as he found himself alone with both Morgan and Blaze. >>

Morgan: "You're HERE...AGAIN. WHY?"

"Normally my presence invokes far more fanfare. But go on..."

Blaze: "We know you've encountered him at LEAST once before, Morg. When he saved you and Tinker from Black. Several others came and went in the Enchanted Forest before Magik teleported to her Heroic Age timeline. You didn't want to go WITH her, Beto?"

<< Brenthon cocked a bemused eyebrow. His very soul fully restored, as he looked upon Blaze he began to remember her. And mostly he remembered her as a thorn in his side. In many of the timelines he had seen, she had been killed. And it was often a turning point in that incarnation of Limbo. >>

"Where Morgan is now the mother, you CERTAINLY are a maiden, Firebird."

<<He smirked, watching her circle him as if she were a Great White Shark. Brenthon was not intimidated by Blaze. He had done this battle time and time again in multiple lives, through multiple discs he had jumped through. >>

'So much drama. So much emotion. You wish to invoke the flames of the faltine and not be burned. As if you can be.."

She was as true of an elemental as he was, though he felt his shadow could CHOKE her flames. Still, as always, when dealing with Firebird of Foxfire, or even the occassional appearance of FROST in Limbo, Brenthon knew how to handle himself. She was sizing him up.

"You would do well to worry less about who I AM, and more about who YOU are..."

<< Being back in The Sanctum, being back on Earth simply gave Brenthon a better understanding about himself, fulling being reunited with the entirety of his soul. Something that came as a surprise to him was that when he was called to serve in The Masters of Evil, he had lived here. In this very timeline he found himself in now. Darkchilde had visited both the past and future in her quest to create the strongest coven she could. And it turned out that the past she visited to recruit him, to find him, was from this very timelines almost 400 years ago. Brenthon was a temporal anomoly. He was the only version of himself that existed. There were no others outside of Limbo. And he realized in that moment why he had been able to survive in Limbo. Because his very fabric had not been pulled in a million places at once. There was no other timeline he existed in. There was no "other" Brenthon. The bones that Alexia AKA Nighsthade had sent him back to had been the ones of his closest lineage. He had not been able to escape from Limbo because there was no other "Brenthon" to escape to. >>

"Jimaine is of my blood, yes. But her destiny is not my own. Her destiny does not lie with the Romani, it lies with something different. Something that exists outside of her people. To serve that, she cannot be here, and to serve what I believe to be own fate...I cannot, nor do I wish to follow."

<< He began to follow her gaze purposefully. If she was going to circle him like a hyena on the savannah, he was not going to show her any fear. Firebird was formidable, but he would not let her derail his destiny with Morgan. >>

"Morgan is your sister. But she is my responsibility. I have known her in almost as many ways as I have known Ororo. I have seen her lose her soul countless times. I have been there before she lost it. I have helped her get it back. I have watched her lose herself. FIND herself. And I will do so in this timeline as well."

<< She didn't like the very idea of him, he could sense it. But Beto felt called to this timeline. To this life and purpose. Darkchilde had asked him a favor, and he would carry that out. Whether Blaze liked it or not. She was going to have to get used to another voice in Morgan's ear..one that 400 more years of experience than her. >>

"I can sense your emotional heat, Blaze. I might say it is misdirected, but part of me wants to see you in action. To see is the FIrebird with WORTHY of standing to the left of the SPELLBINDER."

[smirking]

"You know...I have seen you in Limbo many times. And many times? You die. You die because your passion BURNS too HOT. Because you are too protective of things. Because you feel like YOUR existence here, is owed to your sister. That if you do not agree with her, support her every measure, she will cease to exist. I have seen you DIE countless times because of a protectiveness your sister does not ask for, nor EXPECT."

<< His tenure with The Masters of Evil had caused a ripple effect in his own timeline. Once he took hold of the reign of The Shadowed Path, a place where no entity or being could control or consume him, not even that of the cosmic variety, he began to work on helping his people. After many years, the myth of The Gypsy King was born, and his name was still whispered in silent prayer to his oldest of descendants. >>

"Thread the needle, bid farewell to the spring. For now is the time of The Gypsy King. Bring your hungry, your wary, sing your blessings to thee, for all is taken care of by The Gypsy King. Whether broken or despot, bring your harvests of green, for we sing of the glory of The Gypsy King..."

<< One of the many nursery rhymes and oral stories spoken in his honor. He was a myth, a folklorian hero. And for the first time, he was in the very timeline that worsphipped him. That gave him offerings, that called his name for guidance and protection. Here, in his own, native timeline, he had power the like of which he couldn't believe. As a boy, he could conjure the flames of faltine. Here and now? He felt like he could extinguish them if he needed to. >>

"We've ALL had our reasons to GO, have we not, Firebird? I stay because I have been CALLED to stay, and because I have much GREATER stake in this than you can possibly understand."

<< He extended a hand and winked at Blaze. >>

"It is, however, good to meet you here, in my new home. In my original timeline. But I pull no punches, you'll find."

[shrugging]

"My allegiance is to the mantle of The Mother. Of The Spellbinder. And that's all you really need to know."

 

[Spellbinder]

Sanctum Sanctorum- Chamber of Dreams

<< Morgan and Blaze were "putting their heads" together, as they now had Beto standing in their midst. Blaze was always vigilant, and always ready to attack in the name of protecting her sister, or herself. Morgan could understand this, as she'd been the same with regard to Foxfire and her mother.>>

<< But Beto was clearly not accustomed to being questioned like this>>

"You would do well to worry less about who I AM, and more about who YOU are..."

Oh HELL no!?

<< Morgan lifted an eye brow, watching Beto as Blaze circled him. He would not be intimidated by Blaze, fair enough, but he was now trying to draw a line and bait her to cross it.>>

"I can sense your emotional heat, Blaze. I might say it is misdirected, but part of me wants to see you in action. To see is the FIrebird with WORTHY of standing to the left of the SPELLBINDER."

[smirking]

"You know...I have seen you in Limbo many times. And many times? You die. You die because your passion BURNS too HOT. Because you are too protective of things. Because you feel like YOUR existence here, is owed to your sister. That if you do not agree with her, support her every measure, she will cease to exist. I have seen you DIE countless times because of a protectiveness your sister does not ask for, nor EXPECT."

<< MORGAN would not stand for him speaking to her sister this way, taunting her with even the idea of her death(s)>>

Oh NO, Sir. Don't YOU speak to my sister that way, Beto...Brenthon...or WHATEVER you call yourself these days.

<< Morgan commands, as she slides right in front of Blaze to meet Beto eye to eye>>

Firebird is no helpless little sparrow, but please believe me when I tell you, if you raise your hand to her? You WILL have to deal with ME. I love my sister, and she loves me. We don't always get things RIGHT, but we're ALWAYS there for each other, we ALWAYS have each other's backs.

You're in MY house now, and as long as you're here, you'll show me and MY family respect!

You're the stranger here, and we have a right to ask you questions and determine how we will deal with you. The last time I saw you, you were FIRMLY aligned with an EVIL organization.

There are SOME things that go beyond "good" and "evil", Black being one of them. But HE is beyond dead now, and much has happened since you were last in THIS timeline.

Darkchilde asked you to stay here, just as she sent Persephone here. But YOU'RE the new comer. YOU have to adjust to US, not the other way round!

 

[Firebird]

Sanctum Sanctorum- Chamber of Dreams

'So much drama. So much emotion. You wish to invoke the flames of the faltine and not be burned. As if you can be.."

::Firebird stopped her circle, and stood there in a rather defiant stance, with her hands on her hips::

If you think that's ALL I can do, you really need to speak LESS and learn MORE about me.

"Where Morgan is now the mother, you CERTAINLY are a maiden, Firebird."

Fire comes in many forms, and it IS the spark that powers the cosmos, and a firebird will burn away LIES, and CONSUME what does not belong here.

:: her apple green eyes sparkle with defiance. she is soooo ready to meet him where he is!::

:: He explained why he did not follow after Jimaine Szardos and it was a valid explanation. He COULD have left it there, but he felt the need to test Blaze, and press her buttons. Blaze couldn't have known that he had an INCREDIBLE amount of PRACTICE of doing this in his previous timeline- baiting and taunting individuals, even if they were his allies.::

"You would do well to worry less about who I AM, and more about who YOU are..."

You're a stranger, and we dont know enough about you to blindly trust you. until I decide otherwise, I will continue to worry...or better yet, SCRUTINIZE you.

Your history with my sister doesn't mean she owes you ANYTHING TODAY.

"I can sense your emotional heat, Blaze. I might say it is misdirected, but part of me wants to see you in action. To see is the FIrebird with WORTHY of standing to the left of the SPELLBINDER."

:: Blaze continues to stand her ground, with her hands on her hips::

If you're trying to bait me, Beto, I'm not afraid to say that you just might get what you're asking for, but I assure you, this ISN'T what you want.

[smirking]

"You know...I have seen you in Limbo many times. And many times? You die. You die because your passion BURNS too HOT. Because you are too protective of things. Because you feel like YOUR existence here, is owed to your sister. That if you do not agree with her, support her every measure, she will cease to exist. I have seen you DIE countless times because of a protectiveness your sister does not ask for, nor EXPECT."

:: Firebird's apple green eyes flashed as she stared him down. Did he think he was going to SCARE her with "tales from Limbo?" but then Morg stepped in, allowing Blaze to "break the circuit" between herself and Beto for a moment::

Oh NO, Sir. Don't YOU speak to my sister that way, Beto...Brenthon...or WHATEVER you call yourself these days.

<< Morgan commands, as she slides right in front of Blaze to meet Beto eye to eye>>

Firebird is no helpless little sparrow, but please believe me when I tell you, if you raise your hand to her? You WILL have to deal with ME. I love my sister, and she loves me. We don't always get things RIGHT, but we're ALWAYS there for each other, we ALWAYS have each other's backs.

You're in MY house now, and as long as you're here, you'll show me and MY family respect!

You're the stranger here, and we have a right to ask you questions and determine how we will deal with you. The last time I saw you, you were FIRMLY aligned with an EVIL organization.

There are SOME things that go beyond "good" and "evil", Black being one of them. But HE is beyond dead now, and much has happened since you were last in THIS timeline.

Darkchilde asked you to stay here, just as she sent Persephone here. But YOU'RE the new comer. YOU have to adjust to US, not the other way round!

:: As Morgan stepped in, Blaze calmed herself down. She was ALWAYS ready for a fight, as Persephone found out in the not so distant past, and she was not about to cower in front of this newcomer, regardless of what he THOUGHT he knew about her. Others among the Six had complained about her steadfast defense of her sister, but she didn't care. They'd never understand what she lost in her native timeline, and the promise that she and mainstream Spellbinder made to each other when they first met THERE, before reuniting HERE. She didn't CARE what Beto, or any of the rest of them thought. Morgan was her sister, and they ALWAYS stood back to back for one another, no matter what!::

"We've ALL had our reasons to GO, have we not, Firebird?

True....

I stay because I have been CALLED to stay, and because I have much GREATER stake in this than you can possibly understand."

<< He extended a hand and winked at Blaze. >>

:: Blaze was...ASTONISHED just now::

"It is, however, good to meet you here, in my new home. In my original timeline. But I pull no punches, you'll find."

[shrugging]

"My allegiance is to the mantle of The Mother. Of The Spellbinder. And that's all you really need to know."

<<Blaze to Morgan>> It's alright Morg. I'm calm. Everything's good.

:: Blaze extends her hand to shake his, keeping eye contact::

And neither do I.

Your allegiance may be to the Mother, but I am her sister, and I WILL be present when my sister wants or needs me, whether you like it or not.

Welcome to OUR timeline.