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

View Cemetery.”
“What did she do to you?” Toby growled, getting mad.
“Calm down, Toby.” Ariana playfully commanded, taking a seat at the table across from him. “Sabrina just roughed me up a little, that’s all.”
“She’s not finished with us, is she?” Luna was beginning to get scared of the Dominionite Maiden. If Sabrina could do that to Ariana, what would stop her from killing them all – for good?
“Not a chance, dear sister, not a chance.” Ariana sighed, and the Crusaders gave each other looks of utter fear.
Fear of Sabrina, the Dominionite Maiden.
Once a nuisance, now a mortal menace . . .

II

Back in the Dream Realm, O’Dell paced the Sisters’ Palace, worried for his successor’s safety. His image of an Immortal male made him look disgruntled. At least as an Immortal, he had an expression, and worried lines framed his Immortal face.
“O’Dell, why are you pacing about?” Challandra was tired of watching him pace back and forth. It made her dizzy.
“Young Guardian is in danger and I cannot even get to her.” O’Dell muttered. “There has to be a way.”
“Well, keep in inside for now.” Challandra replied, a little tart for even her own tastes. “Young Guardian Ariana is with the other Crusaders – including Sister Shannon, Protector Nick, and Protector Shane. No need to worry for her safety. She is okay.”
“I cannot help feeling there is something going on in the Outer Realm she cannot control.” O’Dell stopped pacing enough to face her. “It has something to do with Orthos, I know it.”
Challandra took his arm. “O’Dell, stop worrying so much about Young Guardian. I am sure with her Ancient Mystic Magic, she will be able to beat out anything. Even Sabrina.”
“That’s it!” O’Dell cried suddenly, facing her. “Sabrina is behind this. Why, I cannot get the Oracles to visit!”
“I am sure the Oracles are just too busy growing up, O’Dell.” Challandra replied. “Why not go and check up on your people? I am sure they need some guidance.”
O’Dell didn’t move.
Challandra kissed his cheek and traced it with a finger. “After all, are you not their Lord Guardian?”
O’Dell sighed, leaving. “Thank you, Challandra. I knew I could count on you to put me back on track.” O’Dell thought of something before he left. “Where is Enchantra, by the way?”
“She is busy.” Challandra didn’t want to give Maximaniac’s secret away just yet. “I will tell her you stopped by.”
He shifted into a white Pegasus and flew away.
Challandra was suddenly worried for the Young Guardian now herself. She held her hand out, palm up, and did what her sister had done earlier. She made a white ball of energy appear and made it float by tossing it into the air like a baseball.
“Show me what I wish to see.” She whispered to it.
She saw Ariana with her friends around her. The Crusaders have reunited with Ariana’s group, Challandra thought. How fitting.
She listened in, and didn’t like the words she heard coming from Young Guardian’s mouth.
“I want to give up.”

Chapter Fifty-Four:
Quick Surrender

“You want to what?” Derrick’s voice was insistent, astonished Ariana, the Young Guardian of the Dream Realm, with Ancient Mystic Magic Power beyond her own belief would just give up. “You can’t!”
“We’re so far!” Luna continued, amazed herself. She put her forefinger and thumb together with half-inch to spare. “The Crusaders are this close to defeating Sabrina and her Warriors, and you want to quit!”
“No, Lu,” Ariana tried to say, but was interrupted by Shannon’s angry voice.
“System Agents of your caliber are not quitters!” Shannon cried, pounding her fist on the bedpost. “You are a Dream Realm Crusader with a mission: kill the Dominionite Master and stop him from haunting Dreamers. You can’t just quit!”
“What would the Sisters think?” Mark asked her.
Ariana just smiled. “Will you listen to me for a minute?”
“Is there a reason for your insanity?” Shane demanded, folding his arms.
“You bet.” Ariana’s smile stayed. “That’s what Sabrina wants us to do, right? Well, we’ll just give her what she wants.”
The other Crusaders looked at her inquisitively, and Katherine grinned, knowing what she was thinking.
“What do you have in mind, big sister?” Luna’s mind was turning, and she believed her twin was finally capable of a plausible scheme.
The twins wore identical grins, and Ariana told the group her plan.

II

The next time Sabrina looked into the Magic Mirror in Bonnie Marie’s room, she saw Young Guardian in it. She watched and listened as the bruised and cut Ariana Woods stood in the image, torn of all her dignity.
Sabrina smiled.

“I’ve used the last of my Magic against you, Sabrina. Now I want to surrender your powers back to you.”

She liked what she heard.
Maximaniac knew exactly what Young Guardian was doing, but went along with Sabrina anyway.
In an instant, Young Guardian was gone, and Sabrina stole an evil grin from Max – still known as Grand Psycho to her.
“I have a fabulous idea.” Sabrina cooed. “Where are Lady Caroline and the Oracle Children?”
“They are still being taught in the Dominion of the Power they possess with the Crystals, my perfect little devil’s empress.” Max cackled in his hyena-beast voice, nuzzling her neck seductively.
Sabrina turned to meet his beady eyes, kissing his lips.
“If Young Guardian is truly giving my powers up, what am I to do but take them back gracefully?” She crooned, taking his hand.
He sent Young Guardian a secret message, I am ready when you are, Young Guardian Ariana.
Anytime now, he’d be rid of Sabrina, his brother Orthos and nephew Damian. He hated being bad as much as Sabrina hated to be an Earthbound with limits. Max smiled a secret smile as he followed at her heels.

III

Damian, stuck in the Dominion, heard Young Guardian’s words loud and clear.
“She wants to give up, does she?” Orthos asked with a snide grin once his son told him. “She has never been that easy to defeat.”
“I heard it with my own ears, Father.” Damian replied. “She said, ‘I want to give up.’”
“I wonder, what is on her mind?” Orthos pondered. “What does O’Dell has up his pitiful sleeve.”
As Orthos said his brother’s name, O’Dell appeared in front of him as a unicorn-dragon. Orthos turned and frowned, rolling his eyes.
O’Dell wasn’t smiling, and never did when it came to his evil brother Orthos. “You called?”
“Actually, no.” Orthos replied. “But as long as you are here, what are you up to? Young Guardian has surrendered to Sabrina and you know your own successor is not easily defeated.”
“I was wondering the same thing.” O’Dell sneered as he shifted to his Immortal male form.
Orthos stared in mock amazement. “You mean to tell me the great Lord Guardian of the Mystic Realms has not been keeping track of his own successor’s fight against evil? Dare you jest?”
“Just answer the question, Orthos.” O’Dell demanded. “What are you up to?”
“As usual, Uncle O’Dell, we are up to no good.” Damian sneered.
O’Dell was silenced. If Orthos didn’t know what his own daughter was up to, who knew what kind of surprises the Dominionite Maiden held for Young Guardian and the Crusaders?
“I will deal with you later.” O’Dell replied, disappearing.
Damian and Orthos laughed heartily. Only Sabrina knew what she was doing.
Or so they hoped. 
PART 3:
A New Challenge

Chapter Fifty-Five:
Sabrina’s Surprise

Sabrina the Dominionite Maiden was furious now. Her mood changed as she began to think over Young Guardian’s surrender in her deranged mind.
Quickly, Sabrina imagined herself in the same room with Young Guardian. She saw her nemesis, with her Crappy Crusaders, gathered. Ariana herself looked war-torn, trying to rest from the battle.
Instantly, Sabrina was in front of them, and they noticed her, gasping.
“What do you want, Sabrina?” Mark asked, getting a headache, thinking of his own battle with Damian.
“Silence, peasant!” Sabrina screeched. “I have no need for you! I come for Young Guardian.”
“You’ve already done your damage, Sabrina.” Ariana protested, standing up slowly. “I’ve accepted defeat, and am willing to give you back your precious powers!”
Her wounds were still healing slowly but that didn’t mean she wasn’t still shaken up. She had a feeling the Dominionite Maiden had something else up her sleeve to defeat the Crusaders.
“I am not done with you yet, Young Guardian.” Sabrina crooned in Ariana’s face. “I have your precious Oracle Children for my own Earthbound Warriors.”
“What have we done to you?” Derrick demanded, jumping to Ariana’s defense but he was ignored.
“Meet me at the Hill View Cemetery in one hour. Bring only yourselves.” The Crusaders were speechless, scared. This pleased Sabrina, so she went on. “We shall soon see who the better race is: Crusaders or Dominionite Warriors.”
Sabrina disappeared then, and left the Crusaders staring in horror.
They just hoped whatever she had in mind wouldn’t make them lose their lives.
“We have to find their weakness and use it against her to destroy them.” Shannon announced, taking charge.
“Let’s play CASE.” Shadow suggested.
“Maybe we’ll stumble on some clues?” Luna reasoned.
“It’s worth a shot.” Derrick shrugged and Ariana nodded.
Mark was confused. “What’s that?”
“CASE stands for Crime, Alibis, Suspects, Evidence.” Shannon told him. “An old detective game the original Crusaders came up with to help on their assignments.”
“You told us already, Ariana.” Aaron said. He turned to Mark. “You must have been so out of it, you didn’t remember.”
Mark shrugged.
“That’s okay, Mark.” Ariana smiled at him. “You were still weak from using the necklace’s magic.”
Shannon nodded. “First, Crime.”
“Sabrina’s Earthbound to destroy us.” Shane supplied. “Damian and Orthos are in on it, too, only we don’t know how.”
“As for Suspects, there are only two for now. Sabrina and Grand Psycho,” Ariana started. “They can’t cover their tracks, so there aren’t any alibis.”
“Lord Maximaniac is on our side, but is faking his affections for Sabrina.” Katherine put in.
“Right. He wants to destroy Orthos.” Ariana continued. “As for Sabrina, where’s the evidence? So far, all she’s done is shake me up a little.”
“Using some spell, she’s turned your own Oracle Children and Lady Caroline into her Earthbound Warriors.” Wolf replied.
“She’s invaded our dreams, trying to turn us against each other.” Mark supplied. “Or at least, me against Ariana. Her brother tried to turn me into one of his Warriors, using her love and my own jealousy as ammunition.” He turned to Wolf, smiling. “If it hadn’t been for Wolf, I wouldn’t have been able to see the evil in Damian’s eyes.”
Wolf growled his agreement.
“Whatever she has in mind, she’ll use it against us.” Derrick replied as he stared into space, rubbing his Pendant in thought. “We can’t let her have the advantage.”
“What do we know about her?” Aaron asked.
“We know Sabrina wants her power back.” Luna said. “Of course, she has her own, but forgot about it. Maybe she wants more?”
“Why not?” Nick asked. “If you had an enemy with more of something than you had, wouldn’t you want it, too?”
“Good point.” Luna said. “Anything else?”
“Did you know Damian came to Aluna and me when I was testing to come home?” Kit spoke up, asking Shannon, Shane, and Nick.
“Not until now.” Shane supplied. He turned to Luna. “What happened?”
“He just told us uncle Orthos had Young Guardian in one of his dungeons.” Kit replied.
“Yeah, he also reminded me our great magic can’t kill anyone indefinitely.” Luna said. “Our power binds it from happening.”
Ariana was confused. “How was I able to do what I did,