//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12: All seems Lost 
// Story: The Witch of Darkness (#10) 
// by LightningStar626 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 12: All seems Lost.

"Stop!" The firm voice rang out across the clearing.

"It's Dalton!" cried Joskye.

~Hexia looked up suspiciously and grimaced. Dalton stood tall and noble in the sunlight, in vivid contrast to the crooked old Crone.~

He spoke again. "Leave the children be. I agree to your terms, Hexia; I will deliver myself up to you in exchange for their lives. See, my hands are bound." He began to walk towards the Crone.

"Dalton, no…" Lightning whispered. She went out to reach for him, but Sunset intervened.

"Stay where you are," Hexia demanded. "I want to be sure there's no trickery. You two!" she motioned to Wentor and Sireal who by now had joined her with the Cropers. "Go and check his bonds, and be quick about it."

~The wily wizards slunk from behind the guards and made their way across the clearing towards Dalton, all the while looking about them for signs of a trap. There was none. Dalton stood his ground while they checked his ropes. At Hexia's command, a Croper came running with a hank of stout rope. The wizards made doubly sure of Dalton's captivity by winding the rope several times around his body and legs, pinning his arms to his sides and making it impossible for him to walk.~

"Heh, heh, try getting out of that," Sireal snickered.

"It's alright," Wentor called out to Hexia. "He can't escape from us now."

"Very well," snarled the Crone, hiding her relief. "Guards, go, fetch him!"

~At a signal from their captain, half of the Cropers advanced on the bound man. The Rainbooms and Whites watched in silent dismay as Dalton was lifted from his feet and carried across to the Crone. Back in the gorse bushes, where the forest-folk looked on with horror, Alaxe and Tig fumed.~

"This is ridiculous! Here we are absolutely powerless while that scheming Crone gets away with it. It makes me sick. I mean, its stupid! She's got them all now. Why on earth did we give up Dalton as well?" Alaxe demanded.

"We had no choice really, did we?" Tig replied. "He was so insistent that it was the right thing to do that we couldn't have stopped him if we'd tried. What he would wish, he told us."

"Well, I don't know about that," said Alaxe. "I don't trust Crone as far as I can throw her. Tig, get the troops ready. I want action, no negotiations. We can't just sit here and do nothing."

~Tig ran off obediently. The Cropers reached Hexia with their burden and dumped Dalton on his feet in front of her. For a long time there was silence as the two stared at each other.~

At length, the Crone spoke. "So. We meet at last, Dalton, son of the King of Asteral," she sneered. "It's been a long time. You have changed very little by the looks of you. Just a bit older."

Dalton's face betrayed his sense of horror. "What has become of you, Orita?" he whispered.

Overhearing them from where they were, The Rainbooms, Joskye, Swift and Argie looked puzzled. "Huh? Orita?"

"What does he mean?" Argie asked.

"You have changed so much since I first knew you." Dalton shook his head sadly. "What is this evil that has ruined you?"

"I'm not ruined, Dalton. Fool! Do you think outward appearance is all that matters? My beauty lies in my power that will conquer the world. That is, when I've finished with you." She laughed in triumph. "Take him away!"

"Wait! You have my life in exchange for the children. That was the agreement. Release them!"

~The Crone still held the flaming torch. She stared at it for a moment, considering. Reluctantly, she doused it on the ground.~

"Your friends can get them down. Pah!" she spat. "I don't need them now. Not when I've got you, Dalton. Now, they can go back to where they came from. The other girls can too."

"Let him go, you rotten old rat!" Argie shouted. "You've no right to make him a prisoner."

The Crone spun around. "Right? Did you question my right? I hold the Islastone, fool. I have the might, so I have the right!"

~Hexia thought this sounded rather clever so she repeated it. She marched away from the despairing teenagers and back to the castle, followed by her guards, who carried the captive Dalton slung across their shoulders.~

The moment he saw that the Crone and her crew were well clear of the Whites, Alaxe spoke to Tig. "It's now or never. Do you agree?"

~Tig nodded. He glanced around at the creatures assembled behind them. They had armed themselves with sticks and stone, catapults and slings, spears and swords and just about anything else they could lay their hands on. It was time to engage the enemy.~

"This is it then. Charge!" Alaxe cried.

~Alaxe led his troops at full tilt across the wide clearing. Heedless of danger now and full of pent-up fury, the creatures surged towards the Whites and their retreating captors. They had almost reached Joskye, Swift and Argie when Hexia heard the commotion behind them. She turned and her face flashed with anger.~

"The cursed fools! Do they think to stop me now? I'll give 'em something to think about!"

~So saying, she drew her wand from beneath the folds of her gown and pointed it with cold deliberation of the captive teenagers. A blinding flash of fire shot from it's tip, bright as the sun. In the next instant the pile of gorse beneath them burst into flame.~

"Meddling fools. That'll teach them not to cross me." she snarled.

Dalton struggled vainly in his bonds as he realised what had happened. "Put it out, Orita. Please," he begged. "They haven't harmed you. What about our bargain?"

~The Crone laughed with harsh indifference and turned on her heel. Dalton groaned in anguish for the White's lives. There was nothing he could do to help. The gorse began to crackle into life as the fire took hold and smoke started pouring upwards, rapidly enveloping the White's. Swift screamed and the boys called hoarsely for help. Already they could feel the heat of the fire beneath them. Struggling in desperation, they began to cough and splutter and their eyes smarted in the smoke. The forest-folk, led by Alaxe, stopped short in their tracks when they saw what Hexia had done. For an instant nobody moved, each creature paralysed by his natural fear of fire. The Rainbooms froze also, then, Lightning Star, heedless of the danger, leapt forward.~

"Noooooooo!" She screamed.

~Equestrian magic overwhelmed her in an instant. Her jacket puffed up and with her hands glowing bright blue, she conjured a flurry of ice and shot it down towards the gorse. It burst with the flames on contact and it began to die down. It was spreading quickly, however. The nearby trees casted fire and began to swarm. The other Rainbooms reacted swiftly to their friends' example and rushed to help. Tad swiftly organised the remaining creatures into a chain to pass along bark containers filled with water from a nearby stream. Alaxe, seeing that the Whites still trapped, plunged into the burning trees and gorse. Frantically, he began scattering it as far apart as possible, pushing the whole mass away from the teens. Vast hissing clouds of steam soon mingled with the acrid smoke and the desperate helpers were soon coughing and spluttering. For a while, total confusion regained. Nobody could see a thing in the smoky fog and many of the creatures found themselves pulling one another away by mistake rather than grabbing the gorse branches. Orders were lost in the noisy chaos of shouting, choking and crackling firebrands, so that nobody really knew what was going on. It looked like a complete disaster.~

"Girls! Where are you?" Rarity cried, fanning the smoke with her diamonds.

"I- don't know!" cried Fluttershy. "Somebody help!"

"I got you, Fluttershy!" Lightning appeared from the heavy mist of smoke and put her arms around Fluttershy.

"Over here, girls!" Applejack suddenly called. "I think I found the rope securin' Joskye, Swift and Argie! Give me a hand!"

~With Rarity, Fluttershy and Lightning's help, Applejack released the rope. With cries of relief, Joskye, Swift and Argie tumbled out one on top of the other in a confusion of arms and legs and soot-blackened clothes. It had been a near thing and the teens were shaken and exhausted by their terrible experience. For a moment they lay on the ground among the sodden cinders just clutching at one another. Argie and Swift were still shuddering as Joskye slowly opened his eyes and staggered upright. His eyes stung horribly and to the Rainbooms' anxiously watching, they stood out pink and bloodshot against the blackness of his face.~

"Come on," he said. He pulled his brother and sister to their feet. Together, they tottered across to the Rainbooms.

"Are you three okay? We were worried." Lightning said.

Joskye put his arms around her and pulled. "I...don't know what to say." He gasped. "Just...thank you." Lightning smiled and patted his back.

Swift was still shaking from her ordeal. "I really th...thought we were g...going to d...die. " she shuddered. "It was terrible."

Argie was trying to brush some of the soot off his clothes. "Thanks for everything, guys." he said.

Applejack chuckled. "It was our pleasure, y'all. But, I think it's Alaxe whom you must thank rather than us." the cowgirl replied. "Why, if it weren't for him, none o' us would have had the courage to tackle this by ourselves."

"Incredible bravery, if you ask me." Rarity nodded. "He just charged straight in without any thought for his own safety."

"I've never seen anything like it." Fluttershy agreed.

"Yes, you're right. But really all of you were fantastic. You saved our lives." said Joskye.

"Where is Alaxe?" Argie asked. "I can't see him anywhere."

~The smoke had more or less cleared by now and the creatures were beginning to sort themselves out. Some stood back to admire their handiwork with satisfied smiles on their faces. Others, who bore singe marks here and there, were busy checking their tails and whiskers and hooves. Many were discussing the events in small groups.~

"Alaxe? Alaxe?" Joskye called.

"Alaxe, where are you?" cried Argie. In spite of their repeated calls there was no reply.

Rainbow Dash approached her friends. "Um, guys?" She called, her voice trembling.

"Whats up, Dash?" Lightning asked.

~She didn't say a word. Instead, she just led them to a pile of scattered gorse Sunset, Twilight and Pinkie were surrounding. Gradually, one by one, the creatures stopped their chattering. An ominous hush fell over the crowd.~

"Oh!" cried Swift. "Oh no! Look!"

~Everyone stared down at the gorse. There, badly burned and quite still among the ashes lay the body of the brave Alaxe. Tad hastened across and bent over the elf while everyone waited with bated breath, watching. Then, slowly, he raised his head to face the crowd. The manticore's old eyes were full of tears and he shook his head.~

"I am afraid our noble captain is dead," he said quietly. "I'm sorry. This is a terrible loss for every one of us."

~A stunned silence greeted the news. Then, as it sunk in, a great howl of sorrow and anguish arose from the assembled forest-folk.~

Swift burst into tears. "He was the bravest person I ever knew." she sobbed. "He gave his own life to save ours. Oh, I can't bear it! I can't bear it!"

~She stumbled away from the dreadful scene with tears streaming down her smoke-grimed face. Joskye and the Rainbooms just stared horror-struck at Alaxe's body. Fluttershy began to sob quietly and she clutched at Rainbow's arm for comfort. For a long while, nobody could do anything but weep and a cloud of utter despair seemed to settle over the clearing. At length, Tad pulled himself together. With a great effort he called for everyone's attention. When he spoke, his voice was grave.~

"Matters are very serious for us, friends. Our enemy has Dalton and we have lost our fighting leader. I know how hard it is, but we must not, we cannot, allow ourselves to go under." He looked about him. "Tig, you will assume Alaxe's role. Lightning, Joskye, Swift, Argie, Sunset, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, we must talk without delay. The rest of you must return home and prepare for war." He raised his paws. "This is a dark day. Come, let us all get to the safety of our own homes and remove Alaxe from this awful place."

~At Tad's command, four young elves bore away the body of their captain upon their shoulders. With slow and solemn steps they walked towards the trees and a place of burial. The sour stench of burnt and we wood hung in the air. Small burns began to sting in the cool wind. With aching hearts and weary bodies the sad procession wound its way into the cold shadows of the silent trees.~