Serenay Moon
Part 44: Mirror, mirror, on the wall...
©2001 Kitty Ocean

 

Tempus stepped through the bushes. "So." Courage started. "How went our meeting with the mighty queen of the NightWing?" She giggled just as annoying as when she was alive.

Tempus pushed away some branches. "Shut up! You are driving me crazy!"

"Well duh!" Courage floated upside down. "That's the point of haunting!" Courage turned herself around again. "I wonder where they are...."

"Then go and look for them!"

Courage turned around. "And giving you some rest? No way!"

Tempus became red and jumped at Courage. "Hang still!" He yelled, trying to grab her.

"You can't catch me!" Courage sang.

Tempus became even madder and jumped high! But he missed and landed on the ground. He growled, when he suddenly heard something cracking and the ground suddenly vanished under his feet. Courage leaned on the edge of the pit. "I can assure you that they are not there!"

Behind some bushes, a blond hair girl giggled and put away a shovel.

 

Not far away from Liz's trap, Zach and his friends were bathing in a small hot water spring. "Ah, this is so relaxing!" Zach sighed and leaned backwards.

"I totally agree." Mika combed her hair. "All that travelling is horrible for my looks."

Moka bubbled a bit because his mouth was under water.

"So true buddy." Derak agreed. "I can get used to this."

Zach looked at Kitt. "Something troubling you?"

"Well, actually, yes." Kitt answered. "We now tricked Tempus twice, and it was almost the same trick. He won't fall for that a 3rd time."

"But he won't trick us a 3rd time also!" Moka replied. "He tried to trap us twice by using innocent children. He won't do that again."

"And if he will, we will be ready." Mika smiled. "Don't worry so much Kitty, it's not good for your skin."

"Talking about your looks only won't be so healthy for your face either." Kitt growled softly.

 

Courage laughed while Tempus crawled back to the surface again. "Come on uncle!" She smiled. "Only 5 feet more!"

Tempus finally reached the surface. "This is so humiliating!" He growled. "I am the emperor of the Universe and I get beaten by 5 small brats!"

"Hey, don't tell me you like having me around!" Courage objected.

"Oh yeah, how could I forget my dead niece?" He yelled when suddenly a branch came straight at him and knocked him down the pit again!

Courage looked at her body. "Wow, that felt strange! So this is how it feels to get a branch through you. It tickled."

Liz giggled softly and let go of some leaves.

 

In the mean while Zach and his friends had got out of the spring. They dried themselves with towels. Mika looked at her pink bikini and whined that Kitt's blue bathing suit was totally out of style. "I'm telling you Kitt, when we get home I'm giving you a complete makeover!"

"Be careful or I'll give you a makeover right here right now!"

Zach stopped them. "Hey, if you'll be so loud, Tempus won't have any trouble finding us. Just get dressed so we can leave!"

 

Tempus growled as he finally reached the edge again. Liz was ready to throw a small rock at his fingers so he would fall again but suddenly she heard a voice in her head. "Return Liz, I need you."

"Already?" Liz asked disappointed and stood up. She threw away the rock over her shoulder. It hit Tempus and for the 3rd time, he fell in the pit!

Courage laughed. "Again! We want more!"

 

Finally, Zach and his friends were on the way again. They walked through beautiful meadows and Derak played a happy tune on his flute. When he was finished he cheered. "Thank you all, my fans!" He smiled. "I would like to dedicate this song to my biggest love!"

"Derak, get over it!" Kitt growled. "You will find someone else."

"Who said I was talking about you?" Derak asked sweating. "Okay, okay, you are right." He sighed. He looked sad and all felt sorry for him.

Mika tried to cheer him up a bit again. "Look Derak! Pretty flowers!"

"I don't care...." Derak sighed.

Kitt looked at the flowers. "They are really pretty." She bowed at them.

Derak took one of the flowers and sighed again. "Even the most beautiful flower couldn't bring sun to my darkness." Without realising it, Derak used his powers.

Kitt smelled the flowers, when suddenly they spit some pollen! Kitt coughed and Zach jumped at her. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Derak ran at them. "Don't breath in the pollen!" He yelled. "It's poisonous!"

Kitt coughed some more. "Don't worry." She started. "I don't think I breathed in any of that stuff."

"Are you sure?" Moka asked. "Maybe Mika should check you with her healing powers."

"No, really, I am fine." Kitt smiled. "Let's go on again. The NightWing Castle can't be far away any more."

So Zach and his friends started walking again. "My feet are tired!" Mika whined every 10 minutes. "My back hurts! Oh my god, just look at my nails!"

Zach turned to Derak. "I'm worried about Kitt." He whispered. "Most of the time she can't stand Mika's whining and says something about it. She's so silent."

"Maybe she gave up." Derak said. "She looks okay."

Suddenly they heard thunder. "U-oh!" Zach said. "It will start to rain any second from now!"

Moka looked around. "Look, a house!" He pointed.

"What's a house doing here?" Zach asked. "We are in the middle of nowhere!"

"Maybe it's a trap from Tempus." Mika clenched to Moka.

Zach looked at the sky. "I don't think we have any choice." He said. "Staying out here in the open with a storm isn't good either."

They all started running. The house was pretty old and all looked around. "Look at all those mirrors." Mika said when she was in. "I like mirrors, but you can overreact!"

"The person who lived here must have had one big ego!" Moka added.

"Zach...?" Kitt asked softly.

"Yeah, what's up?" Zach asked while he was still looking around.

"I'm... not feeling very well...."

Zach turned around quickly enough to see Kitt crash to the floor. "Kitt!" He yelled and ran at her. "Kitt! Kitt say something!" He said but Kitt didn't react any more.

"She must have inhaled the pollen any way." Derak concluded.

Moka looked at Mika. "Can you heal her?"

"I can try." Mika said and placed her hands above Kitt's body. "Healing Heart!" He healing powers got released, but Kitt didn't wake up. "It didn't work!" Mika cried. "This poison doesn't react to magic!"

"You mean Kitt is going to die?!" Zach exclaimed.

Derak stood up. "No! I can't allow that!" He walked at the door. "There must be a herb against the flower and I will find it! Now that the storm has cleared up, I will find it."

"But what if Tempus finds you?" Moka asked.

Derak opened the door. "Let's hope he won't find me."

 

While Derak ran outside, Zach looked around. "It's really cold here." He noticed. "We have to make a fire."

"Mika and I will go and look for stuff to burn." Moka suggested.

Mika followed Moka through the house. "He doesn't have to be so bossy." She mentioned.

Moka looked at Mika. "I know what he's going through." He only said.

"Oh, why?" Mika asked, but Moka didn't reply.

Mika decided to forget it and looked around. Suddenly she spotted another mirror. "Eek!" She screamed. "Just look at my hair!" She ran at the mirror and took a comb. She combed like her life depended on it! "There, now I look pretty again."

"No sweetie, I am pretty." Her reflection suddenly said.

Mika giggled. "But honey, you are my reflection." Suddenly she realised it and screamed!

Moka ran at her. "What's wrong Mika?! What's wrong?!"

Mika pointed at the mirror. "My reflection just talked to me!" She cried horrified.

Moka looked at the mirror. He only saw his and Mika's reflection doing the same things they did. "Mika, it's just a reflection!" He answered annoyed. He walked closer at it. "Just look at it and...." Suddenly his reflection punched him! When Moka crawled back up he saw his and Mika's reflection stepping out of the mirror. "This... this can't be happening!"

"It is... it is happening!" The Mirror Moka smiled. "Thunder Wings!"

 

In the mean while Derak ran through the meadow in the hope to find a cure for Kitt's illness. However, each plant he touched made him doubt he would ever find a cure. Suddenly he tripped and fell from a cliff. Derak screamed as he fell through the bushes and landed next to a young girl. "Who... who are you?" She finally managed to say.

Derak looked up and gasped. This girl was the prettiest girl he had ever seen! "I'm ehm... I'm... Derek... ehm Darak... ehm Derak! Yeah, Derak!"

The girl giggled. "Good thing we are here in the bushes. If my guards would have spotted you." She reached her hand out. "I'm Vena."

Derak became very red. "Ehm... hi Vena." He could only softly say.

Vena ignored her pretty dress and sat on the ground next to Derak. "So what are you doing here?"

"I'm well... looking for something."

Vena giggled more and released a charming smile. "You are funny Derak." She whispered while she blushed a bit. "What are you looking for?"

Derak showed the same flower that had made Kitt ill. "I need a cure against this plant." He said. "One of my friends got very ill."

Vena looked at the plant. "That's Reym. It's very dangerous."

"We know." Derak looked at Vena. "Do you know which herb cures it?"

Vena looked around and took a small plant. "This is Twijzelerheide." She said while she laid it in his hands. "It's very powerful so you don't have to use much."

Derak looked at the small flower. "Thank you... I... must go now."

"Can't you stay a bit longer?" Vena asked when suddenly she heard a horn. "You know what? Don't waste any time! Go, go!" She pushed him away.

"Thank you so much!" Derak said and ran away.

The next minute a few soldiers came through the bushes. "There you are princess." A servant said. "We had been looking all over for you. Come, my princess, it's time to go home."

Princess Vena nodded while she remembered Derak's sweet smile.

 

Tempus looked inside the house and saw Zach sitting next to Kitt. "If I can't defeat them, then they'll have to be defeated by themselves!"

Courage looked over his shoulder. "How did you planned to do that?" She asked.

Tempus folded his hands. "Like this." He focused and released his mental voice. "Look into the mirror Zach, look into the mirror."

Courage noticed that Zach looked around. "I thought I heard something." She heard him say.

"Oh no!" She growled. "Tempus won't win that easily!" And she flew towards Zach. "Don't look in the mirror Zach!" She ordered.

"Look into the mirror!" Tempus ordered.

"Don't look Zach!" Courage yelled.

Zach stood up. "What's so special about that mirror?" He asked himself.

"Don't look!" Courage screamed on the top of her lungs. "Damn! They can't see or hear me until Tempus is being defeated! Don't look Zach!"

Zach looked into the mirror. Tempus cheered, Courage was annoyed but nothing seemed to happen. Suddenly Zach's reflection made a small fireball. "Catch!" It said and tossed it at Zach. Zach caught it as a reflex but was astounded and didn't move when the reflection suddenly jumped at him!

 

Upstairs, Mika and Moka tried to defeat their reflections. "Whatever we try, it doesn't work!" Mika cried. "They are us! They know all our attacks!"

"Really?" Moka asked sarcastically. "How did you know?"

"Gem Shatter!" Mirror Mika yelled.

Mika placed her hands before her. "Cosmic Shield!" She yelled and shielded herself from the attack.

"Bear Crunch!" The mirror Moka said and dove on Moka. Moka pushed him away and Mirror Moka landed against the wall.

"How dare you hit Moka!" Mirror Mika yelled at Moka and dove at him.

"Splendour Sparks!" Mika yelled and blasted Mirror Mika against the wall too. "Did we win?" She asked Moka but saw their reflections getting up again.

"I have an idea!" Moka pulled Mika towards him. "We can't defeat ourselves, but maybe we can defeat each other!"

"What?" Mika gasped.

"Just aim at me!" Moka yelled and dove at Mirror Mika. "Bear Crunch!"

Mika obeyed and aimed at Mirror Moka. "Pretty Puff!"

Mirror Mika and Moka blasted against each other. "We won't be defeated so easily!" They screamed and dove at Mika and Moka again.

"Typhoon Rage!" Moka yelled aiming at Mirror Mika.

"Charm Chaos!" Mika yelled at Mirror Moka.

Mirror Mika and Moka blasted against each other again and screaming they blasted into shards. The battle was over.

Moka grabbed Mika's arm. "We must warn Zach!" He ran towards the stairs when suddenly a fireball burned his head.

"I guess he already found it out." Mika swallowed seeing the two Zach's fighting together. "Who's who?"

"Ultimate Zako Y Chosen!" One Zach yelled.

"Slash Bash!" The other Zach yelled.

Both boys hit each other and both slammed against the wall. "I am pretty strong." Zach said.

"You are mistaken, I am strong!" The other Zach snapped.

Mika jumped in between. "Okay, who is who? Who is the reflection?" Moka joined her.

"I am the real Zach!" One Zach yelled.

"He is the reflection!" The other Zach yelled back.

Mika and Moka sweated. "This is not working!" Both exclaimed.

Suddenly Mika got an idea. "I've got an idea!" She then started acting like a game host. "Welcome at 'Guess who's real!'. On the left side we have Zach and on the right side we have Zach again! But who is the real Zach? First question, what is Zach's element?"

"Fire." One Zach said.

"That is cor-rect!" Mika cheered.

"Duh, of course he knows that, he's my reflection!" The other Zach answered.

Mika felt down. "I thought that would work."

At that moment Derak burst in. "What the...?" He asked. "Zach times two?"

Moka ran at him. "This place is a trap from Tempus. Don't look into a mirror or your reflection will come alive!"

Outside Tempus grinned. "First I make sure they will destroy the wrong Zach and then I'll finish off the rest myself!"

Courage yawned. "It's not gonna work! As always."

"Shut up!"

Derak looked at both Zach's. "Mm, it would be easier if one started attacking the other so we would know who the false one is."

Both Zach's folded their arms. "I won't attack as long as I'm not attacked."

"This is going to take a while." Mika sighed. She stretched her arm up. "Gem Shatter!" She hit both Zach's.

"Mika!" One Zach crawled back up. "Why did you do that?"

"Because she wanted to find out who was the reflection!" Zach yelled.

Mika swallowed. "I hoped the false Zach would attack me."

"Of course he won't, he knows what I am thinking!" Zach growled. "I'm getting so tired of this!"

"Me too, Derak, did you find an antidote?" The other Zach asked.

"Hey, don't try to change the subject, it's more important that we find out who is the false Zach!" Zach yelled and pointed.

Derak gathered his green energy. "Pineapple Canon!" He yelled and aimed it at Mirror Zach. Mirror Zach got hit and blasted into millions of shards.

"Noo!" Tempus growled. "How did they know?"

"How did you know Derak?" Moka asked.

Derak looked at Zach. "Because the real Zach would think Kitt's health would be more important then finding out the truth."

Suddenly the wall got blasted. In the new opening Tempus stood breathing heavily, boiling mad. "This time I won't fail again!" He aimed his attack. "Electric Time Ring!" He yelled but he didn't seem to aim for any of the others. He aimed at Kitt!

Mika jumped in front of her. "Cosmic Shield!" She yelled and tried to stop the attack. It had taken much of her energy, but she succeeded.

"Future Fire!" Zach yelled and after much show he released a ball as small as a marble.

Tempus looked at it. "How is this going to defeat me?" He asked.

Zach and his friends hid behind a table and Mika shielded Kitt again. Courage put her fingers in her ears. The next moment the fire marble exploded and blasted Tempus away.

Courage giggled when she saw her uncle floating through the air. "Our queenie won't be happy! I wonder if she will give him one more chance." She went after him. "Wait for me!" She yelled. "And prepare some popcorn for me when you talk to Queen BlackHeart!"

 

Zach and his friends peeked over the edge of the table. "I thought I heard another voice." Zach mumbled. When they looked around they saw that all the mirrors had broken. They also saw Mika panting on the ground.

"Mika!" Moka yelled. "Are you all right?" He ran at her.

Mika smiled. "I don't know which attack was stronger." She said. "Tempus' attack or Zach's."

Zach looked at Derak. "Please tell me you found a cure."

Derak nodded and took the Twijzelerheide. Moka looked at the tiny plant. "That's it?"

"It's really powerful." Derak answered and prepared an antidote he gave to Kitt. Nothing seemed to happen.

"Nothing happens." Mika said. "Maybe it isn't working."

"Or maybe we were too late." Moka swallowed.

Zach grabbed Kitt. "No!" He yelled. "We can't be too late! It has to work, it has to!" Zach hugged Kitt and started to cry. "It has to work."

"What has to work?" Zach suddenly heard. He looked up and saw that Kitt was awake! "Why are you all looking at me? Oh my god! Don't tell me I fainted! How embarrassing!"

All laughed and Zach rubbed away his tears. "Welcome back." He smiled.

"Glad to be back." Kitt replied. "But I'd like to know what happened. Did you put something of fire again?"

Derak looked at the leftovers from the plant and thought back smiling. He thought of Vena and her miracle smile. He sighed and then realised... he was in love.

 

In the castle, Queen BlackHeart bellowed at Tempus one more. "This is your last chance Tempus!" She yelled. "You got one more day! If they aren't gone by then, then I'll destroy you!"

Tempus swallowed. "Yes... yes my queen."

Courage giggled. "Well uncle, how does it feel to have death breathing in your neck? Now you know how I felt...."


End of episode 44

<< Previous - Next >>