A collaborative story with AngelBlackwing,Prima Ballerina, MisoNinja, BBchan and dreaming eyes.

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Lady Midnight half glared at the queen as she disappeared, before turning her attention back to her friend. "My lady...? Are you all right?" she pressed the wound on her own wrist, trying to stem the bleeding. "Still your tongue, fool," said Marcella. "She will perish......words won't fix her."

Lady Leaf lay on the floor, smiling faintly towards the now emptied staircase. Though her icy shroud had melted, the coldness still wrapped her body, stealing each degree of her body temperature. Even the cold moon shone upon her felt like warm sunlight. Still the Dark Lady tried to comfort the frightened Lady Midnight, "Don't worry, I'm....all right..." Only her thickened voice betrayed her struggle, the pain from her back grew stronger. Not a good pain, but that kind of pain that weakens one's strength.

"Oh really?" Said Marcella. "You were deeply cut. I'm surprised you aren't dead..."

"I believe that's enough." The young girl Camile struggled getting up and approached Lady Midnight. "I think we all agree," Lady Mysa Nyna stepped from the crowd, moving forward beside the girl, no longer frozen in fear of the Queen. "That is quite enough, murderer." Soon many of the guests had gathered behind the brave young girl who faced Marcella. Others came to Lady Midnight's side hoping to offer aide to their hostess.

Marcella cocked her head. "You are foolish. You don't understand. I should be the Lady of Darkness!" She suddenly shouted. "You don't understand my power!!" Her hand suddenly lit up with bright red magic that illuminated the whole room. The guests stepped back in awe and fear.

Camile stood still, "I perfectly understand your power, that doesn't mean I am afraid of it"

Lady Midnight glared at her, getting to her feet. "You will pay for what you did to the Dark Lady and you will NEVER be ruler of this castle!" She summoned her rose vines, sending them toward Marcella with none of the subtlety she had used on the Queen.

Marcella sliced the vines as they moved closer to her. "Just you wait!" She cackled, her red eyes glowing. "YOU," she pointed to Lady Midnight and little Camile with her knife, "You disgust me. Acting ALL sweet and kind and caring--just so you get ACCEPTED into this world." She smiled with pure insanity. "Now it’s your turn!" she lunged forward again, with more force.

"Look out!" Lady Midnight gasped, quickly pushing the younger girl out of the way of the demon's knife right before it came down into her own side.

Marcella cackled and lifted the knife away from the Lady's side. "I WARNED you..." She said with a cruel smile. “Now," she said, red eyes glowing, "Who's next?" She pointed at the guests with her knife and scanned the audience. No one moved. "Good." She hissed.

"ENOUGH, she demon!" A sudden silvery flash illuminated the grand hall with great brightness, even the queen of night sky dimmed in this terrible light. All stunned in awe. This wave of light washed away the demoness' sinister red, swept through each one with stately force, lifting hearts and cleansing souls. As the light dimmed, the source of this brightness was revealed. The Dark Lady, standing straight, holding high the Midnight's queen's crystal vial, only a sainted silvery white had replaced its plutonium blue. "Long ago the unsealing of the forbidden gate has allowed too many of your kind walking the earth. If the gate was not sealed tight last time, I will make sure I do it this time!"

The Dark Lady stood firmly, her thoughts flashed back to a few minutes before. Lying on the floor, being enraged by the demon girl, Lady Leaf was frustrated by her weakness. A sudden comforting coolness tickled her hand, a chill went down the her s spine, the queen's vial! But as she looked down, a smile of relief was all she could give, "Oh Prima, we were all of us tricked by you..."

Courage returning, Lady Mysa moved to help Lady Midnight, using some of the brave Lady's roses to try to heal the wound on her side. "Stay awake, alright?" She wove her magic on the flowers, glad the Lady's roses were so like the one's she tended at home.

The Dark Lady scanned her guests, she was so glad that courage had returned to her guests. As her sight fell on Lady Midnight, she only saw this brave young girl, wounded, lying in the arms of Lady Mysa. A deep anger burnt quietly in the hostess' eyes, "What have you done, she demon!"

"I did what I had to!" Marcella shouted. "Let her decay like a rotting rose...."

Camile, curled up on the floor. She was certain that she's not afraid this time, it's just...this supposed to be a night of grandeur, isn't it? The young girl was desperately hoping someone, could take Marcella's fury away, someone could end this!

"Everyone, please calm down!" a soft voice called from the crowd, just as answering Camile's pray. A maiden in candlelight attire stepped forth, a paper lantern in her hand. Little balls of light floated and flitted around her. This was the legendary Queen Forgeia. She waved her hand and Marcella's fury dispersed and flew towards the queen as little red orbs. She caught them in her lantern and they immediately turned yellow-white and floated out, and around the queen. "Why must we all fight? Was not this a night of grandeur?"

Little Camile came running up to the queen, fear in her eyes. "What is it my child?" she asked softly, caressing the girl's hair. "Marcella wishes to take over, my lady!" she wept. The queen's silver eyes darted to Marcella, who was cowering in fear from the queen. She had more power than anyone in the room, even more so than the Chilling Queen. For this queen, alongside Ola, goddess of all the queendom of DollDivine, ruled and saw over all the lands.

"Is that so?" Queen Forgeia said. Marcella, mute, nodded. The graceful queen smiled. "WEll, we cannot have that here. Be gone she demon! "And with a wave of her hand and her powerful voice reverberating around the room, Marcella was gone. The Dark Lady walked up to the queen and bowed with what energy she had left. "Thank you my queen," she whispered. Queen Forgeia saw how she hurt and touched her shoulder. Immediately, a golden light traveled through the Dark Lady's body and glowed at the site of the wound. Not only did she carry souls to the Underworld, she could heal those wounded and cast those hellbent back to the fires.

Tears filled Camile's eyes and she whispered a blessing which came to the queen. She looked down, seeing little Camile sitting on the floor. The queen glided over and knelt beside the girl on the floor.

"My dear, how do you fare?" she asked. Tears are running down Camile's face "Yeah, I'm fine my lady..." she looked at her, "I'm sorry." The queen brushed her hand over Camile's face and smiled. "For what my dear?" Camile closed her eyes, "I caused harm." Tears are running into the floor, "Lady Midnight wouldn't get hurt if not for what I did." Camile looked down on the floor. "What you did was not your fault. You were entranced. Do not blame yourself." The queen's kind words echoed and rang in Camile's ears like a not er's comfort. "Thank you my queen," she replied, embracing Queen Forgeia, something the queen hadn't anticipated. But she smiled all the same.

The appearance of the legendary queen was beyond all expectation, with the chilling queen left and Marcella gone, there was one trouble left before the party could continue. Lady Leaf rushed to Lady Midnight, who was lying in Lady Mysa's arms.

Lady Mysa had been doing her best to hold back the wound. As Marcella had said, it seemed to be rotting Lady Midnight away. She could keep it from spreading, but not heal it completely, and to make things worse she was running out of roses. When the Dark Lady approached, Lady Mysa was relieved, hoping one of these two powerful women could heal Lady Midnight. But a shiver of dread went through her as the wound seemed to decay faster. Had Queen Forgeia really sent Marcella away?

The Dark Lady knelt down, took Lady Midnight in her own arms, "Oh Angel..." The lady lowered her head then turned to the legendary queen, "Please, my queen, allow me to heal her, she..." The Dark Lady couldn't finish her word with her broken voice. Queen Forgeia nodded as she smiled a compassionate smile. With the queen's approval, Lady Leaf held out the vial the midnight's queen left, "Prima," the lady whispered as she opened it, "I should have known," a stream of water rose as the lady's command, twining on her fingers. Glittering in the moonlight, the silvery water gave out an aura of peace.

By observing Lady Midnight's wound, Lady Leaf frowned. The demoness' blade contained power of decay, but it was no match of this silvery water, the Dark Lady knew it for sure. Muttering as she placed her hand on Lady Midnight's wound, the sliver light of the glitter liquid suddenly grew. The water gently washed through the rotten side, cleansing the evil power cast by the demoness, and reversed the decaying. The Dark Lady smiled in relief. "Prima, I should have known. This is no water of oblivion. This is the water of healing!" Lady Leaf thanked her long lost friend silently, she missed her, yes she did. As the healing continued, the process seemed to be slowed down by some unseen forces. The Dark Lady frowned again, she felt the same, 'Was the demoness really gone?'

Relieved that Lady Midnight's wound was finally being healed, Lady Mysa was able to focus elsewhere. Hearing the main doors open, she jumped and looked over. Relieved that she only saw a shy maiden in orange, she whispered hurriedly to the Dark Lady. "Are you sure we can trust Queen Forgeia? I fear Marcella is nearby, though I will admit, I cannot prove it." At least, that's what she tried to say. What came out of her mouth was, "Incredible... why would the Queen lie like that?"

Lady Leaf nodded slightly at Lady Mysa, for she, too, sensed lingering evil. "The legendary Queen Forgeia is a celestial being of Dolldivine, the bearer of souls. Of course under any circumstance we could trust her. Let not our suspect be so hasted." The Dark Lady placed her hand on Lady Mysa's shoulder, "I understand your worry, for I shared the same unease, stay alert, we shall see."

"I apologize, my Lady. You're right, there is no reason to think Queen Forgeia untrustworthy." Scanning the room, seeing guests start to resume their fun now that the danger seemed to have passed, Lady Mysa hoped her fears were unfounded. "Marcella on the other hand, she is devious, and I wouldn't put it past her to find a way to come after you both again."

Taking the last few petals available to try and help finish healing the wound, she asked, "Is there any way she could reenter the castle?" "The Full Moon Castle is ancient and mazed with secret tunnels, if I remember correctly..." Lady Leaf slowed her speech and turned to Lady Mysa worriedly, "There is one near the ballroom..."

Lady Midnight's eyes suddenly shot open and she sat bolt upright, only to gasp in pain and clutch her still healing side, coughing out a bit of blood. The ladies' attention was drawn to her. "Don't move too much, Lady. We've done our best but your wound is cursed." Lady Mysa helped ease her back down as all the women watched her with care in their eyes. Noting where the Queen had been looking, Lady Mysa stood. "I can't help here any longer, I'm out of roses, and I don't dare let you summon more in your condition. Queen, Dark Lady, I entrust her to you." 

"I-I'm all right..." Lady Midnight replied with another weak smile. She looked at Lady Mysa. "Thank you for taking care of my roses..." she coughed again, more blood dribbling from her mouth as Lady Mysa slipped into the frolicking crowd to check the grounds.

Lady Mysa felt a pang of guilt since she couldn't help Lady Midnight further, but nods slightly as she left. Others were better suited to help Lady Midnight now, she had to go protect everyone else. She wouldn't, couldn't, let herself be frightened as she had before. Nothing seemed out of place among the party-goers, yet she couldn't shake her feeling of dread. She held one last petal in her hand, just in case.

Just as the ladies feared, the demoness was sneaky, and even more, with power that cannot be underestimated. After a red flash, Marcella reappeared in the garden outside of the castle. She looked through the gallant windows and tried to find a way back in. She couldn't fail---success was her only option. Marcella searched around, she knew that a castle like this must be webbed with secret tunnels. Well, one thing must be admitted, nothing stands in the way of a willing heart. Behind some unpruned bushes near the end of the castle, Marcella finally found a secret doorway, and unfortunately, this tunnel led right to the ballroom, though she didn't know that, not at the moment. The demoness smiled, turned the door handle carefully. Making sure the doorway was unguarded, the demoness stepped through it and disappeared into darkness.

When reemerged, Marcella found herself on a hallway just outside the ballroom. Secretly and swiftly through shadow, the demoness made her way to the grand hall, dealing with anyone who unluckily spotted her in her ruthless way, and reentered the ballroom through a small side door. Queen Forgeia looked over the ballroom from atop the grand staircase, her silver eyes stood guard. Fear penetrated the demon's core. She knew the stories, heard the legends and had experienced the power that belonged to this celestial queen. Being frightened, the demoness slunk back into the shadow from whence she came.

"Stay still Angel." The Dark Lady summoned another stream of water from the vial. The power of the healing water weakened slightly when confronting the demoness, so Lady Leaf pulled a string of moonlight into the water. The visible wound seemed to heal completely. Drawing more strings of moonlight into the remaining water, the Dark Lady lifted Lady Midnight's head gently and dried her blood-stained lips, "Try to drink some Angel." The lady held the vial close to Lady Midnight's mouth.

Angel held the vial away for a moment. "You need it more, my lady...your wound is much worse..." "I'm fine now, Angel. Queen Forgeia has healed me." Lady Leaf smiled in gratitude, knowing this young girl was not only brave but also generous. "You are the one who need it most." Angel hesitated for a moment, but eventually let the Dark Lady ease some of the water into her mouth. After she swallowed, her eyes widened. "I-I was bleeding...did...did any of my blood get on the roses?" she asked worriedly.

"Angel, please calm down." Being confused by Lady Midnight's sudden worry, Lady Leaf tried to comfort her. "You are not completely healed yet, Lady Mysa was using some of the petals to stop your wound from spreading. I would trust your roses in her hand." The Dark Lady scanned the guests trying to locate the blue lady, "Lady Mysa knows the answer better than I do, I believe she still has some of your roses." "Oh no..." Angel paled, trying to get up. "We have to find those petals! If my roses are touched by my blood, they turn red and--"

"And let me out?" Another voice said, sounding a lot like Angel's, only darker and more sinister. "Did you really think you could keep me locked away forever?"

Clenching the petal in her hand, the cool blue slowly changed to a bloody red without Lady Mysa noticing. She was too focused on finding Marcella. Reaching the area the Queen had been watching, she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary at first, but soon whispers of missing friends started to reach her ears. Seeing a darkened hallway turn away from the ballroom, she considered gathering help before going forward. Looking back, her view of her hostess and the others was blocked by other guests. Lady Mysa couldn't drag Lady Midnight or the Dark Lady into this, she decided. They had been through enough this night. Perhaps the Queen could help, but asking would only worry the two Ladies. She headed cautiously into the hallway, alert to any sounds or movement in the dark. Unease came from all directions, front and back. What could the demon be planning...

The smell of death hung in the air, and Lady Mysa found the first body slumped against the wall, halfheartedly hidden behind a curtain. Shivering in the dark, Lady Mysa knew Marcella was to blame. Moving slower still, she found two more, a couple, sprawled in a corridor to the left. Fear was welling up in her once more, but she would not let it win. "Marcella!" She cried, clutching the petal, "I know you're in here!" She hoped one petal would be shield enough to protect her from the demon.

The demoness heard a faint calling from the hallway. Silently she sneaked in the shadow and found lady Mysa. Marcella drew her knife and chased her, and then cornered Lady Mysa and held her knife to her neck. "Any last words?" She said, smiling cruelly.

"You're going to pay for what you've done!" Lady Mysa used the petal to make a shimmering shield around her. Or tried. Instead pain shot through her arm. Finally looking at the petal, she found it had lost its blue hue. The spell had backfired, and Lady Mysa felt hopeless. Then a familiar voice rang in her ears. "I can help you..." It sounded like Lady Midnight! "Please..." Lady Mysa whispered back, "Help." Suddenly she felt strong, strong enough to rip from the demon's grip. Eyes flashing crimson, she eyed the demon. She had to put a stop to Marcella's rampage... but why? Things were starting to get hazy.

From the demon's eyes, she could see the change in herself. Eyes turning red, hair turning white, and stance become very dangerous. The last thing Lady Mysa remembered was a soft cackling that echoed as she fell asleep.

The red-eyed lady looked over the demon before her. Holding out a hand, she spoke calmly, with a hint of malice. "Shall we?" "We shall" said Marcella, and took the Lady's hand. Smirking, the red-eyed lady slammed the demon into the wall. "Then do not try to kill me again. You will not succeed." Then she helped Marcella up, leading her swiftly to the ballroom.