Young Guardian Trilogy by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (read aloud .txt) 📕

then?”
“Some of your anger throughout the years,” Shannon said. “It grew enough for your Ancient Mystic Force to come out.”
“The Ancient Mystic Force is a very powerful thing if used right.” Luna told her sister. “If you called it at will, you must have been really angry at her.”
“It’s the only way.” Shannon said. “How are we going to use the Ancient Mystic Magic to kill her?”
“We’re more powerful in the Dream Realm with it.” Luna’s face lit up. “Just imagine if we could use it here?” She turned to her sister. “I mean, you yourself have used it against Sabrina not two days ago!”
Ariana nodded. “Have you ever used it against an enemy?”
“I’m not as powerful as you. I only have clairvoyance, remember?” Luna told her sadly.
“I’m sure you will be someday, Lu.” Ariana consoled, wrapping an arm around her sister’s shoulders. “For now, what would be Sabrina’s weakness?”
She looked around the room, with the Crusaders each deep in thought. Ariana’s eyes spied Derrick, Aaron, and Mark. She loved each boy in different ways, with Derrick as her true love, Aaron her best friend, and Mark her confidant.
Ariana gazed at Shannon and Nick, who were holding hands. Luna and Shane sat together as well, with Mark and Aaron sitting with the Companions across from them.
She caught Katherine’s eye, remembering everything the two girls had gone through together. When Lord Guardian gave her the Locket and taken her to the Dream Realm for the first time, she’d met Katherine in the Garden. Ariana was only a scared seven-year-old back then, and Katherine had been kind enough to become her friend. Shortly after, her beloved friend had disappeared. Ariana was depressed until the one night, when she was twelve. That’s when she found Katherine had been banished to her.
That was the beginning of Orthos’ revenge against his brother O’Dell, Ariana thought. That was also when I wanted to get back at Orthos myself for what he’d done to Katherine and Kitten’s Claw.
Ariana sighed, looking at her sister now. She knew her twin was hiding something else besides her short relationship with Derrick back in the System. Whenever she’d brought up their childhoods, and how Luna arrived at the System, Luna would change the subject, claiming she didn’t want to talk about it.
She thought about the stories Derrick and Mark had told her about Sabrina invading their dreams. Sabrina had told them Ariana claimed to love one over the other, playing games of the heart. They also noticed a strange force of power they’d not seen from the Maiden before. Where it came from, who knew? She tried to envision Sabrina going to each of them. Where did she get the new power?
Ariana delved into the mind of her true love, Derrick. She brought up the dream, and the visions he’d seen in it. The one thing that stood out was indeed a new power. She recognized the same necklace around Sabrina’s neck as the one she’d seen in their battle.
“That’s it!” Derrick cried, snapping his fingers.
They all looked at him strangely.
“What’s it?” Ariana asked, dreading the answer.
“That dark crystal thing she has around her neck.” Derrick replied. Still, they stared. He was frustrated and let a breath out. “Don’t you get it? That crystal is their weakness!”
“Of course, the acclaimed Dominionite Crystal!” Shannon folded her arms under her breast, shooting Nick a glance. “Anything else, Reading?”
“Stop the System act Shannon, we’re not in California anymore!” Luna shot, making Ariana jump. “Right now, we’re all on the same team, with the same mission. Destroy; no, totally annihilate Sabrina and the Dominionite Warriors.”
“How do you figure the necklace is their weakness?” Wolf cried.
“Sabrina has a segment of the Dominionite Crystal, and so does Lord Maximaniac. That means there are only three pieces of it left.” Shannon tried to explain.
“Right. If they’re put together, there’s nothing but disaster for everyone around them.” Shane replied, thinking. “The Dominionite Crystal is capable of giving great power to whatever evil source it comes in contact with.”
“Oh no!” Luna cried. “We’re doomed.”
“Not unless we can figure how to destroy the necklaces.” Ariana said, hopeful.
“You cannot destroy them for good, Young Guardian.” Wolf was serious, bursting with information. “That Crystal itself belongs to Lord Maximaniac. He and Master Orthos invented it to travel to the Outer Realm together.”
“Aye, and since Lord Max is on our side,” Katherine said. “He probably wants to get it back in his possession.”
“The entire Crystal disappeared after the Wars for Power.” Nick supplied.
“Where did it come from?” Ariana asked.
“A place known as the Abyss.” Shane said.
“The dimension between the worlds, time and space?” Derrick asked.
“How do you know about the Abyss?” Nick asked him.
Derrick looked at Ariana sheepishly. “We, uh, had to Crusade back to our own bodies using it.”
Nick was confused.
“On one Crusade for Shannon,” Ariana began, nodding to her cousin, “we somehow became one another. Again, Sabrina was behind it, switching us.”
“It took some fast thinking, but they returned to their own Dream Realms using the Abyss as a doorway.” Shannon told him.
Nick laughed lightly. “There was so much you kept from me.”
“I kept it from the Network mostly.” Shannon smiled, kissing his cheek. “I would have told you anything.”
“Getting back to the original subject.” Shane eyed them with a grin of his own. “How can we use the Crystals to defeat them?”
The twins looked at each other. “Good question.”
It took a moment, but Wolf yelped his excitement. The Crusaders all looked at him, wondering what was on the Companion pup’s mind.
“If we can get it back before Sabrina realizes how much power she holds, we can transport her back to the Dominion.” Wolf suggested.
Katherine felt defeated. “Sabrina demands we meet her in the Cemetery,” She turned to her friend Ariana, “the same one where you two fought. What are we to do?”
Katherine began to sob, and Wolf was there to comfort her.
“We have to come up with a surefire plan.” Nick replied softly, clearing his throat.
Ariana sighed, wondering what they were going to do. “Leave that up to me.”
All the Crusaders and Companions hoped the Young Guardian of the Dream Realm had a plan . . . Otherwise, who knew? 
Chapter Fifty-Six:
Disillusions

“This is so spooky,” Luna clung to Shane in fear. “I’ve always hated cemeteries.”
“You’re safe with me, my love.” Shane smiled in spite of his own fear. “I’m here to protect you.”
Luna smiled happily, relaxing.
Shannon glanced at Nick, who was trying to get the flashlight to work. She could sense the sadness he’d had over his father’s death. It had been Sabrina to kill Mick, Nick’s dad, and not Nick himself. Her boyfriend still blamed himself for his father’s death.
Would he be able to handle anything Sabrina dished out? Shannon thought to herself, thinking of his hatred of her using Magic around him.
Shannon’s attention stirred when she heard Ariana groan softly.
Ariana was holding her head, her eyes closed.
“What’s wrong?” Derrick was at her side instantly.
“It’s too quiet.” Ariana remarked. She looked to her sister and cousin. “Don’t you think?”
Both Luna and Shannon nodded.
“Got it.” Nick showed them the flashlight.
“Hey, can’t you use your powers to make your own light?” Luna asked.
Ariana shook her head. “I haven’t been all that strong since Sabrina attacked me here.”
“Don’t let her hear you say that,” Shane replied. “She could use that against you.”
An owl hooted above them, freezing them in their tracks.
Katherine purred softly, scared. “I have always hated the dark.”
Kitten’s Claw nodded, sticking closely to her beau Toby. Katherine stuck to Wolf like glue, and the boys thought they felt safer with the kittens at their sides.
A hound in the distance bayed at the moon. That’s when Ariana noticed it.
“Wait a minute,” She pondered out loud.
“What is it, Ariana? You sense something?” Derrick asked her.
Ariana shook her head. “The moon was full when Sabrina shook me up. How can it be full tonight?”
Shane cleared his throat, and his voice peeped out softly. “Usually, a full moon would last for a few days, turning into the Last Quarter moon as the nights progressed.”
He always sounded like a professor when he was nervous or scared, and Luna knew it. Luna took his hand and squeezed it, smiling at him.
“Give me the flashlight, Nick.” Ariana commanded absently.
“What do you need it for?” Nick demanded, a little harshly than expected.
She turned to him.
“Please?” Ariana was begging now. “I can sense someone over there, in the shadows.”
Nick hesitated, looking to Shannon. He obeyed, once catching her warning glance.
Ariana took the flashlight from him and pointed it in the direction of the noise she’d heard. She gasped, not believing what she saw. In front of her, stood a little girl with blond curls, red eyes, and Dominionite Crystal segment around her neck.
“Tart!” Ariana cried softly, heart beating faster in fear for the girl.
“Who’s that?” Luna asked her sister.
“One of the Oracle Children I told you about. She was the tiniest of six.” Ariana turned back to Tart. “Tara Mae, what are you doing here? Are you okay?”
Tart’s eyes glowed red as she held her hands out. “You must die.” She began to chant. “You must die.”
The little girl’s voice sounded mechanical, like she wasn’t herself. Ariana immediately knew why when she caught the red glow of Tart’s bracelet.
“I’m too late. Sabrina’s already got to her.” Ariana said sadly.
“What about the others?” Aaron asked, sticking closer to her other side.
Ariana shrugged.
From the dark came a flash of light and none other than the Dominionite Maiden herself appeared.
“Welcome to my parlor, said the spider to the fly.” Sabrina crooned.
“Real original.” Mark cried sarcastically.
Sabrina met Ariana’s gaze and sneered. “I see you have met the leader of my new Earthbound Warrior team.”
Aaron wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She shook in his embrace.
“How could you?” Ariana asked, nearly in tears.
“I simply could not resist a good fight.” Sabrina fixed her dress, which had bunched up on her. “Tonight, Young Guardian, you die.”
“Not if I have anything to do with it.” Shannon shouted, thrusting her arm out. A spray of colored light came from her palm and hit Sabrina in the leg.
“You must be joking.” Sabrina laughed, brushing it off. “If you believe your feeble power is enough to damage me, I suggest you think again.” She thrust her own arm out and aimed a red beam of Magic at Shannon, hitting her arm.
Shannon fell, with Nick at her side instantly. Even in the dark, he could see the wound wasn’t as deep as Ariana’s had been.
“You’re insane, Sabrina!” Nick yelled, taking a kerchief and wrapping it around Shannon’s arm to stop the bleeding.
“Oh, I see we have a new Crappy Crusader with us.” Sabrina crooned. She gestured around the cemetery, at no one in particular. “Ladies and germs, we now introduce the murderer of his own father, Nicholas McNathaniels!”
She clapped her hands as they gasped. The Dominionite Crystal segment around Sabrina’s neck glowed as she sauntered over to him.
The Crusaders could do nothing but stand and watch, fearful. 
Chapter Fifty-Seven:
Personal Strength of the Mind

Sabrina addressed Nick solely now, meeting his angry eyes.
“Remember the day your father went away, never to be seen again?” Sabrina taunted in his ears.
Nick stood in his spot, covering his ears. “Stop it!” He yelled. “Don’t do this to me!”
Sabrina came closer to him, as did Ariana and Shannon