“You had the power…you had it all along….you just needed to believe in yourself.” : Habib.
Scene setting: The Maze of Greed – Seven Sins series.
Co-written with Dessy, Artie and Phyln.
Dessy: Tessa heard Bandit mumble the words “fucking great”, but she didn’t say anything on the matter. She was pretty sure that she was the only one to have heard it, so she never said anything. But then all of them got distracted by the maze disappearing. They all seemed to have the exact same reaction… wondering what the fuck was going on. Tessa looked down, feeling the blood drip down her hand to see the pool of blood starting to form. “Shit.” she mumbled. They didn’t have much time left… and where the hell was Mariela?
“I’M NOT THE ONE DOING THIS!”
Raul roared, before sending the four women… girls… whatever they were… away. All of a sudden, a winged creature appeared in front of them, causing Tessa to widen her eyes and take a few steps back. He began speaking, and mentioned about the Princess of Greed being… dead? So, Mariela did it. She killed her. Honestly, this caused shocked expressions to appear on Tessa and the brothers faces. “She killed Lydia?” Tessa asked out loud, shocked. “I can’t believe it. She actually did it.”
He walked towards the boys, telling them to step aside, and they did. They then turned around to watch him walk towards Tessa. He bowed, before mentioning about how he could save Bandit. Tessa opened her mouth to speak, but Raul was already yelling about “Bandit was his”. Tessa stared at Raul, while slowly handing Bandit over to this winged creature. Raul then threatened to never let Mariela see Scar again, and then not being able to send Tessa and the boys back. He began yelling to Mariela, and Tessa closed her eyes, in hopes that her dear friend could indeed save the maze.
——
Mariela had a panicked expression. The maze, and the Giant, were all disappearing in front of her, and she had no idea what to do. “Shit, shit, shit.” she cursed in a panic, turning to look all around her.
“YOU ARE THE POWER, MARIELA!!!…….YOU HAD IT ALL ALONG!!!. YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE!!! REPAIR THE BROKEN MIRROR WITH THE SHARD!!!….BRING THE MAZE BACK!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!”
Who the hell was that? And what did he mean “she was the chosen one”? Mariela didn’t understand. She was under so much pressure, trying to save everyone and everything. Chosen one? Why was she the chosen one? How did she “have the power”? She sat here thinking about all of this, and also running out of the time.
She turned around, running back in the direction of the broken mirror. She stopped and stared at it, looking down at the shard in her hand. “How the fuck am I supposed to do this?” she mumbled, before getting down on her knees in front of the shard. She looked down at the shard again, before moving to place it by her side. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to do this… But it’s worth a shot.” she spoke. She held her hand over the pieces of the shattered mirror, the pieces falling back into place. Now, she needed to just take the shard and place it into the only open spot. Right? She hoped that was right. She picked up the shard… the blood now dried in place… before pressing it in place, like she was placing the last puzzle piece in a puzzle.
Artie: Bandit’s eyes had widened at the appearance of the angel-like male, larger than ever before. Her whole body had begun to feel numb, her breathing somewhat labored now. Oh god, was this how she was going to die.. Again? As she was cradled in the arms of the male, her body felt oddly warm… Though, a blinding white had begun to intrude on the edges of her sight, her lips parting as her eyes fluttered. It became hard to gaze around, her head becoming terribly dizzy as she felt a terrible surge of nausea… And then the sounds around her became muffled, as though she was underwater in a pool and listening to everyone talk. Not even Habib’s words were completely legible, despite how he would roar them..
Clang!
The dagger once in her hand fell to the ground as Bandit went limp, her head tilting back over Habib’s arm. Her hand hung over his forearm, her hand dangling with her wrist bent towards the ground and the fingers splayed as her grip on the dagger was lost completely. Bandit’s eyes were closed and she seemed still, despite her soft breathing. This was the only indication that she was alive, as her skin had begun to pale. Habib could feel the thick wetness of her blood on his hands. In the short time she had been held by him, her blood had already been spilt enough to drip onto the ground below her. She had succumbed to the tempting feeling of unconsciousness…
Bandit was going to die.
Razorbackwriter:
Greed : The Masquerade Ball – Maze
~Broken fragments~
It was a nightmare. People calling to the witch, begging for help and then those that roared from across the field where the maze was now flickering in and out that the witch had the power to save them all. The poor girl must have felt like her head was about to spin off her shoulders. Who to save first? Where to turn? How to use her magical powers to set things right again. The giant was now looking like a ghost as his form was fading more and more. One of his legs disappeared from view and the bulk of him crashed to the ground as though he was being wiped out of existence. The Scotsman tried to speak but now his voice was practically a whisper. Gone were the big booming vocals that they had all been used too. The very threads of magic that held everything together were snapping one by one like guitar strings. With only a few remaining as the wave of panic had hit the little witch. In her hand was the blooded shard, the final piece of the broken mirror puzzle. In that shard, you could see the eyes of the Alp – staring at her with a look of sorrow. He couldn’t hear what was happening, but had almost given up all hope.
“How the fuck am I supposed to do this?”
“Believe in yourself.” A ghostly voice whispered in her ear. A voice that she had not heard in the longest time. It was the voice of her Mother. Somehow, in another world she still had that loving connection that one does with the spirit world. In Bandit’s heart she would be able to feel the power of love that was now being sent through via this one connection that held firm
“Your greatest power…is the power of love.”
As Mariela swept her hand across the many shattered fragments that were strewn across the ground, they all began to shimmer and rise slowly into the air. Pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that were the mirror – the enchanted mirror. A strange pinky like aura swept all the pieces together and one by one they began to fuse as the mirror itself solidified and was becoming whole. The frame like a golden halo was being recreated in a blaze of fire and sparks as the magic became stronger and stronger. It was Mariela’s love that was the greatest power in all of Hell – something that Lydia never had, nor could possibly understand. With the final piece of the puzzle in her hand, she was able to place it into the middle of the mirror…..
A glowing radiated as the piece fell into place, and the roar of power continued to spread as if by magic, the entire maze came back greater than before. Green and lush, but instead of the dark thorns, radiant flowers came to grow in the darkest parts. Beautiful statues, and gushing water fountains were springing up as the Giant was picked up by this same magical aura and his leg popped back into being.
“You’re doing it, little witch!” The giant roared with a happy laugh that sounded out all the way to where the rest of the party were standing. It was the most beautiful thing to see in the gardens of Envy. The evil of Lydia washing away and being replaced by the balance that was the Witch. Did she truly deserve to be the Princess of Envy? No….she deserved to be something much greater than that. She had sinned, yes…..but all for love.
As the Giant landed on the ground with a thud, he stared forward and then trudged over to the Witch to pick her up in a sweeping hug and turned her around. “You did it!” then he looked over her shoulder and roared “LOOK!”
Inside the mirror, the Queen of Hearts was twisting and contorting, as the opposite of Lydia was now feeling the death of her counterpart. It was destroying the magic bond that she had and now that meant that the one that had been pulled into the mirror, could be freed. The alp’s head, which had been cut off by the Executioner’s axe rolled around and then sailed back up and locked back onto Scar’s neck. Twisting till the face came back around to face the view on the outside of Wonderland. Scar snatched up his hat and then placed it snugly upon his head. He could see his beloved Mariela, and with one last wink at the dying Queen, he stepped out of the mirror – and back into the maze of Greed.
“I’m back? I’m BACK!” Scar danced about all excited. “I have my head….and my hat…and…” he looked to Mariela and bowed low. “My Princess.”
Yes, it was a time of celebration – but on the other side of the maze, someone was dying.
Habib looked down, seeing the dagger fall from Bandit’s hand, and feeling her body slacking.
“No! Bandit…wake up!” Habib patted her face twice, before looking up at Raul. The Warlock was just as shocked at Habib was. For all the evil that he was, he didn’t want her to die. Forgetting himself, he moved to Habib’s side and waved his hand over the wounds that had caused her to bleed out. His hand tremored and shook as you could see he was trying to use his magic to seal her wounds closed…..but it wasn’t working. “Why isn’t it working?!” The Warlock had never had this experience before. He was gritting his teeth and doing his darnedest to make the bleeding stop.
“Because it was your poisoned soul that did this! You fool. You damned fool.”
“I love her! I always loved her!” The Warlock was now frantic as he racked his brain on how to help her.
“You have a sick way of showing it, Raul. We need to get her to the witch.” Habib gestured to the others, as the maze started to open to lead the group to Mariela and Scar.
~RB~
Phyln: Walking through the corridors of the maze Solomon was slightly surprised as it began to fade away. Ceasing his march he gazed around as the old walls of the hedges flickered Something had happened though he was unsure what but whatever had created this maze no longer had a hold over it, This was a rare occurrence that he had seen something of this scale exist solely through magic, this did however create an eagerness within him to find what he came for. Through the mild transparency he was able to catch a glimpse of his goal the force that drew him here, the death of a powerful being. Quickly approaching the corner he peered through at where Lydia had fallen, the power was still strong so her soul remained intact for him to gather. He contemplated trying to walk through the walls now that they were only partially in this world however saw too many possibilities for a negative out come from that. however being able to clearly see his goal he no longer needed to rely on it pull alone and was able to make work of the maze.
Finally reaching Lydia’s corpse, or at least what was left of it he began his assessment. Closing his eyes he began to feel around the ethereal for the spirit, his eyes snapping open as he found it. The soul of a prince of hell, this was a very rare and very powerful specimen and even more so than finding one he was surprised that someone had managed to kill her. he contemplated going to collect their soul too but that would be a task for later for now he needed this one. no ordinary vessel would hold the power of one of the rulers of hell it would simply burst and leave nothing behind, digging deep into the pockets of his coat he produced a small blue silk bag, adorned with beads, charms, and patterns stitched in gold thread. Not wanting to risk losing it by storing it in a weaker container his decision would be to use his best and hope he would not come across a stronger one. Closing his eyes again he now went after the soul with the intention of collecting it.
Dessy: Tessa’s eyes widened in panic as Bandit’s eyes started to close, the dagger falling out of her hand. The brothers turned to glare at Raul, Sean speaking up after he voiced his panic. “Your magic isn’t going to work to heal her.” Sean spoke. “A tainted and evil soul can’t heal someone who’s as bad as her, especially since you were the one who caused this.” he then spoke, receiving a nod from Tessa.
“He’s right. Our sister’s magic is the only way you will be able to save Bandit.” Sam spoke. “Guys, look!” Tessa then spoke, pointing to the maze as it rebuilt itself. But this time, it had water fountains, and flowers, and it had actual beauty that it didn’t have before. “Marie saved the maze.” she then spoke, before running in the direction the maze opened to. She gestured for the others to follow, before following the sound of the Giant’s voice. “Mariela! Bandit needs you! Now!” she called out.
——–
Mariela had heard the voice, and a shocked gasp came from her mouth when she recognized it as her mother’s. Sure enough, the pieces rose into the air and fit back into place like a jigsaw puzzle. Then she placed the final piece into the middle of the mirror, after watching the frame build itself back up.
Mariela would’ve never guessed her love was the secret all along. But it made more sense now. Her kindness, her heart, her love for every living thing. The love she felt for people close to her – it all made sense now. She stood up, turning as she watched the maze rebuild itself. A smile slowly apepared on her face as she saw the flowers, and the lush green, and the waterfalls. It was working.
She let out a laugh at the Giant’s voice, turning to face him as he, too, came back. She turned her head to continue watching the maze, before she was all of a sudden picked up by the Giant. “Woah!” she exclaimed, before laughing as she was spun around. After she was placed on the ground, she turned to look at where the Giant was looking at. She watched as the Queen of Hearts began dying, then watched as Scar’s head seemed to place itself back on his body, before he stepped out.
She watched Scar dance around, laughing as she did so. He then turned around to face her, bowing, and Mariela curtsied. “Hi, Scar.” she said with a smile. She didn’t say anything on his “my” comment this time. Not a single thing. She knew he said it… she just didn’t say anything. Before she could do or say anything else, she heard Tessa calling out to her. “Celebrate later. Bandit needs help.” she spoke, before turning around. “Come on!” she called to the giant and Scar, before running in the direction of Tessa’s voice.
Mariela stopped as they met up, immediately looking at Bandit. “Oh, god.” she started, before running towards the winged creature that carried her. “Let me see her. Quickly.” she spoke, holding her arms out to take Bandit from him.
Razorbackwriter:
Greed : The Masquerade Ball – Maze
Existing yet not. Caught between dimensions but able to see what is happening about her. It was a true nightmare. All her plans lay in waste and now the Witch was making the maze even more beautiful and lush than it was under Lydia’s control. Sweeping sad eyes could see the beauty, and she hated it. Hearing those that the witch loved returned to her as the mirror was fixed. The Death of the Queen of hearts in the world of Wonderland, meant that her hold there had gone. The maze’s resurrection was the true sign of her lost of power in this realm. What would happen to her now? Did the Devil laugh at this pathetic woman’s soul?
But little did she know that there was one moving through the maze, that had foreseen her demise and now was coming to collect the pieces. Pieces that were strewn about, but the one piece that was most vital to him. Her very ethereal spirit. Whether she realized it or not, that contained a great deal of power, but she simply could not use it, since her vessel was currently strewn about like a large tub of green goo.
Lydia had to turn away from the scene going on just a few metres away. They could not hear her, nor see her falling tears. But it was then she saw him The one that had come to collect. He was carrying a small blue silk bag, adorned with beads, charms, and patterns stitched in gold thread. Lydia watched him closely. He was not part of the Wtich’s party. She suddenly felt this strange sensation, that was like pulling on her very essence. Silently she started to scream as she was being sucked into the bag.
Scar and Mariela both ran for the spot where Habib was holding Bandit. Raul was not far in behind, but the look of devastation was clear as day. Scar snarled angrily when confronting the warlock again. If it weren’t for the fact that Mariela was so to the man holding Bandit, the Alp would have leaped past and tried to throttle the warlock for all he had done to them. Instead, they merely exchanged foul looks, while Habib was offering Bandit’s limp body to the young witch.
“She’s heavy like this.” Stating the obvious. He knew the witch’s strength lay in her powers, not so much physical. With Bandit having bled out, and Raul not being able to seal the wound due to his poisoned magic, she needed healing from one that had the human touch. For Habib to take Bandit to a place where he knew she could be healed, they may well be no coming back. The doorway to his world was fast closing. It was the way of magic. It always came at a price.
Raul came up alongside Habib, and though the two hated each other, the winged one did not protest. It was pretty clear that Raul’s feelings for Bandit, though twisted were true.
“I can’t fix her. Please…I beg you.” There were tears in Raul’s eyes as he cast his gaze over the dying Bandit. “I gladly give my life for hers.”
That was bound to bring a shocked gasp from those around, who had seen him at his worst. Scar snarled and then reached through to slam his hand around Raul’s throat. “You try anything….and I so swear, I will end you here!” Scar didn’t trust the warlock, even now.
~RB~
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