The Muses

Chapter 9

Maleficent glides through the sky dropping to the clearing. Her dragon, Miraak, is all black with green eyes and a green stomach. Miraak growls and huffs looking at everyone before Maleficent shifts back wearing black dress pants, a black blazer with a green shirt under it, and black heels. She glares at all of us staring at Elijah a good second longer before looking at me. For a split second I can see awe in her eyes. She looks me over, taking in my golden glow and she glares at me with so much hate in her eyes.

"Anastasia, What. Have. You. Done?" Maleficent asked taking a step towards me.

"Stand down Mother!" I say standing between her and Alpha Elijah. She watches me closely. "Help the Alpha, Pain." I call out to Deimos not looking away from Maleficent.

"Anya," Deimos starts to fight my command and I hold up my hand stopping him from talking.

"Pain. Do as I say." I glance back at him and then back at my mother. "Mother, you will never have the Ember. Give up now and Zeus will show you mercy!"

"I put up with Hades I deserve something. I thought you would be the trophy but you turned out as useless as your father. Always listening to Zeus." She looks at me with pure hatred. Maleficent summons a staff and cackles. "You are no match for me little girl!"

They sky turns a sick green with dark clouds coming into view as Maleficent swirls her staff around. She looks at me with a twinkle in her eye. My eyes flash purple as my sword and bow and arrows materialize. Maleficent looked at me with a glare and a sinister smile. Soon Maleficent started shifting again but not before I nocked my bow and sent an arrow to hit her in the right arm dropping her staff. She screams in pain and looks up at me as I am met with the green eyes of Miraak. Miraak shot into the air and circled above us before breathing, hot, neon green flames cover the clearing missing me by a hair.

I glare at her and my dragon wings come out of my back and you can see a moment of confusion in Miraak's eyes. I fly so I am leveled with her and I can hear noise coming from the cave to my left. I can only assume it's Jace. Maleficent glares in that direction and as she flies in that direction I take another chance and nock my bow again sending an arrow flying past her missing her by an inch. I glare and watch as I miss and her shifting back walking into the cave. I look down and I see Deimos looking at me shaking his head knowing what I was gonna do.

I ignored him and flew to the cave opening and hid my wings as I walked in. When I walk in I can hear Jace groaning and when I walked into a large opening I see Jace tied to a wall and Maleficent is no where to be found. I slowly take a step into the room looking around looking for Maleficent. Jace groans and I look over to see him looking at me. He looks like he's been through a few rounds with a dragon. Blood running from his head and his left eye is swollen and purple.

"Jace? Where is she?" I said slowly making my way towards him slowly looking around keeping an eye around me.

"Anastasia?" Jace croaks looking at me confused. "Are you really here?"

I look at him confused for a minute and thought about how when I was younger how Maleficent would conjure images of my dad and make him say some hurtful things so I can only assume that is what she has been doing. "Jace? Where is Maleficent?" My back is too him as I ask this again and suddenly I hear a cackle from behind me. When I spin around drawing my sword and Maleficent was behind me and not Jace.

"Anastasia, we could have ruled together. We could have been the most feared mother/daughter duo to walk this Earth." Maleficent says glaring down at me, her eyes glowing green.

"I never wanted any of this! You wanted this. You know this is beyond wrong! The ones you are trying to hurt did nothing to you!" I say backing up quickly sword pointed towards her.

"Anastasia you know that doesn't matter." Maleficent smiles and as she swings her staff rocks from above fall and I jump out of the way rolling off my left leg jumping onto my right foot watching her.

"If you surrender Mother I will suggest a lenient punishment!" I speak loudly standing up straight. Maleficent stops and makes a scene thinking about what I offered to her.

"Hmmm. As tempting as that sounds it doesn't sound like I win. I win when I have the Ember and Hades' power." Maleficent says taking a glance at the cave entrance. "Jace won't be happy to find out your with Pain."

"Jace has nothing to do with this. I made a sacrifice to save the Earth. He will understand." My eyes start to glow purple my golden glow shining a little bit brighter.

Maleficent's staff points towards me and green electricity shoots from the top straight at me and before I can get out of the way I hear a rock roll and I look away distracted. Jace laid against a wall. I'm surprised I didn't see him before. His hair was tussled and he looked tired but besides that he looked fine. Suddenly I am slammed into the cave wall and I hit the ground with a grunt. I snap my head up looking at her glaring.

I stand up wincing and I briefly touch my side. Damn that hurt. A purple glow radiates from my hands and when I extend my right hand a ball of purple light shoots out towards Maleficent who blocks it with ease. Maleficent cackles and lightening comes from her staff again and this time I easily block it as Deimos comes running into the cave closest to me in his Gladiator armor. Maleficent looks back at Jace for a moment and I take that time hitting her with a burst of purple light smacking her into the wall.

I don't waste any time hitting her again and shattering her staff. I walk up with my sword drawn and putting the tip of sword under her chin slightly touching her neck. She looks up at me blood running from the right corner of her mouth.

"I can see your just like your father. Standing strong with a punk choose by Zeus. Your Father choose that pretty b***h over you. Remember that? Now you make the same choice. Lost Jace for Deimos." Maleficent spits out. "Pathetic." Suddenly the room glows green and I get thrown across the room. Deimos is thrown to my left and Jace being chained to the wall doesn't move but the force knocks him out.

"Mother... I'm sorry." I say sadly standing on shaking legs. Maleficent gives me a glare using the wall to slowly stand, weak. I pull out the Ember from my pocket and Maleficent gives a smile before realizing what I'm about to do.

I hold it in my hand as my eyes turn purple and the blue ember starts to shine a bright blue. I look at Maleficent and it feels like time froze as I think of my life. My mother, betrayed by the man she loved turns evil and murders children. Growing up she was mean but she was mother. She could have abandoned me but she didn't. Using the Ember, I hold it out towards her and a mix of blue and purple shots out hitting Maleficent right in the chest.

A bright light encases the room and protrudes from the cave. When the light fades I look in the spot she just was one lone tear falling from my left eye. Suddenly I feel someone to my left and when I glance to the side I see it's Deimos. I don't say anything and I walk to where my mother was and I see her clothes bunched up on the ground and a small bearded dragon looking around. I quickly grab the lizard and look at it seeing my mothers green eyes.