CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Bonnie wasn't thrilled when Judas summoned her, but she couldn't just ignore him. She reluctantly approached him at the secret location he'd put in her mind.

The clearing in the woods was warded by a tremendous amount of magick. As Bonnie entered, she noticed Luigi standing by one of the trees. Several shadow creatures stood waiting for her. They cleared a path as she walked closer to Luigi.

"Welcome, Bonnie!" Judas greeted her grandly as he stepped out of the trees. "I have wonderful news to share."

"What is it?" Bonnie asked cautiously.

"Dylan Messina is dead. The Southern warlocks took his life tonight."

She wasn't sure how to respond. Dylan meant nothing to her personally, but his kids were only fourteen. It seemed a bit cruel for them to lose their father so young. She kept that opinion to herself, however.

"That's great," Bonnie replied. "One less enemy to eliminate."

"Precisely! Now, my plan to lure Rikki into a trap seems to have failed. With this being the case, Camelot Bryce is fairly useless to me. I would like for you to help me destroy him. I'll absorb his power while you command the shadow creatures to kill him."

Bonnie tensed. "I don't want to do that," she protested.

"It's not a request, dear." He summoned Camelot to the clearing and handed Bonnie a dagger. "Use your blood to command them."

Bonnie knew that she had no choice. Camelot was half-dead. His eyes looked at Bonnie, pleading with her not to kill him. She cut her hand, but instead of commanding her army of shadow creatures, she cast a powerful healing spell.

Judas shook his head. "Such a shame," he said. "I had high hopes for you, Child... I see my faith was misplaced."

"Go to Hell, Judas," Bonnie replied. "I'm done being your puppet!"

"You will regret this, Bonnie Pierce," Judas said harshly.

Camelot stood up. He was still weak, but he grew stronger by the second. He moved protectively in front of Bonnie.

"If you want to touch her, you'll have to go through me," Camelot said firmly.

"Gladly," Judas replied. Before he could attack, a blast of magick sent him flying backward.

"And me," Rikki said as she stepped into view.

"Rikki, dear! What a joy it is to see you again," Judas asked. "Have you come to surrender?"

"Never," she replied as she moved beside Camelot.

"Do as you wish, but I have set something in motion that you cannot prevent," Judas said with a sadistic laugh.

Luigi revealed his bleeding hand. "Shadow creatures, eliminate your former mistress," he said.

The shadow creatures swarmed around Bonnie. She shrieked as a shadow wolf clawed her chest open. The former Master of the City, Jacob, tilted her neck and prepared to sink his fangs into her flesh.

"No!" Rikki shouted. She sent a hex at both the lycanthrope and vampire. The shadow wolf was killed immediately, but Jacob would not be so easy to eliminate. He fled as Rikki quickly cast a healing spell on Bonnie.

"Cam, take Bonnie and run!" Rikki said.

"We can't run," Camelot said. "He cast a barrier spell. We're trapped here."

"Actually," Judas said, "You're trapped here."

The woods vanished and they suddenly found themselves in a pocket realm. "Damnit!" Rikki cursed. "I should have seen that coming."

"He's going to kill us," Bonnie said nervously.

"No, he's not," Rikki replied. "Not yet. He's working his way up to something. This was all part of his plan."

"He didn't know I'd turn on him," Bonnie protested.

"You'd be surprised what Judas knows. His ability see the future is quite strong."

Camelot pulled Rikki into his arms and kissed her. "We'll get out of this," he said. "We're together. That's what matters."

"I was supposed to go see Addie in the morning," Rikki said. "She'll alert people when I don't show up. Help will find us. Just hang in there, guys. We're going to be alright."

~*~

The Salem Shadows gathered in their sanctuary early the next morning. Everyone was unusually quiet. No one seemed to know what to say.

Lyric was curled up on the floor between Jagger and AJ. She had Dylan's guitar with her, and she clutched it like the precious object that it was.

"As you guys all know, something really awful happened last night," Joey began. "I wish we could take time to grieve and process things, but Danika checked the scroll this morning and it warned her that this is it... We're about to face off against Luigi, Judas, and the invading warlocks. I think it's vital that we get to know our final member."

"Do you want me to bring her through?" Jason asked a bit awkwardly. He was still getting used to his new powers, although Trent had kind of helped him understand how they worked.

"I'm just going to open a door to her," Joey replied. He focused before doing that, stepping into the In-Between and finding her already waiting for him.

"Hi, Joey," Thyme greeted him with a warm smile.

"Hey, Thyme," Joey replied. "It's nice to see you again." He offered her his hand before guiding her through the door and into the sanctuary.

"Hey, y'all," Thyme greeted the rest of the Salem Shadows. She looked at Lyric and Jagger with sympathy in her eyes, and Joey knew she was fully aware of what had happened to Dylan. "I guess proper introductions are in order. I'm-"

"Thyme Kaida Saki," Danika finished for her as she read the words on the scroll. "Age sixteen. Daughter of Lou Anne and Mirror Josh Saki. Clairvoyant time traveler, empath, and healer. Bubbly, hyper, and kindhearted. Your talisman is an onyx hour glass." She produced the charm and passed it to Thyme. "Welcome to the team!"

"You got that from Rikki already?" Joey asked in surprise as Thyme put the talisman around her neck.

"My mom apparently knew we'd have another member come in later on," Danika explained. "Aunt Rikki already had this, she just knew she wasn't meant to give it to us until the right time."

Solstice looked at Thyme awkwardly. "Hi," she said after a moment. "I'm-"

"My cousin!" Thyme declared before hugging Solstice tightly. Solstice tensed at the unexpected physical contact. "Sorry. I know you're not really a hugger, but I'm excited to finally meet you."

"I never knew Valley's version of your dad," Solstice said as Thyme released her, "but my dad really liked him. He tells me about him sometimes."

"Do we have a plan of action?" Roxy asked. "Because I vote for smiting them all and calling it a night."

"It won't be that easy," Chris protested. "That Judas guy is beyond powerful, and Luigi's no joke, either. As for the warlocks from out of town, I say smite all you want. If they want to challenge Salem, they can find out the hard way what this place is all about."

"They killed our dad," Jagger agreed as Lyric nodded. "They'll pay for that."

"We won't let them hurt anyone else," Lyric added.

"Dylan will be avenged," AJ vowed stoically.

"We've been training hard," Killian said, "but are we ready to challenge a Power That Be?"

"We have to be," Echo replied. "We've already lost Jade and Dylan. We're not losing anyone else."

"When do you think the battle will be?" Angelina asked nervously.

"I have a feeling it's going to be today," Joey replied. "Judas is ready to move his chess pieces into place."

"How do we win?" Genie asked softly.

"Together," Joey replied firmly. "As long as we work as a team, we can do this. We just need to have each other's backs and make sure we stand united. Good is stronger than evil. We've got this."

"We need potions," Danika decided. "We're dealing with a bunch of powerful warlocks. Having pre-made spells on hand will help."

"I can help," Genie offered.

"I'm in, too," Killian added.

"You guys cover the warlock side," Echo said. "Me, Angelina, and Joey can work on the witchy one."

"I can contribute to that, too," Roxy said.

"Great," Joey agreed. "Thyme and Chris, do some training together. Cedric and Chris worked off of each other well, and I think the same will be true for Thyme. Sol, Jason, Jagger, Lyric, and AJ, work on a physical strategy. That's where you guys can shine today."

"Jag and I are good with magick," Lyric pointed out softly. "AJ's pretty good, too."

"You and Jagger are in a bad headspace. I know you're both capable, but asking you to work magick right now would be pretty bad leadership. As for AJ, while I know he's got the magickal training, he's most comfortable in a physical role, like his dad. We need to play to our strengths right now."

Angelina looked at him with a single tear in her eyes. "Alex would be really proud of you right now," she said.

"Thanks," Joey replied softly. He took a deep breath before saying, "Alright, guys... Let's get started."

~*~

Approaching Mr. Ko was a deeply intimidating act, even for his daughter. Still, she knew he needed to be made aware of what was happening.

The rest of the Conant High School Erica Vitti Society stood beside her, lending her strength as she looked at her father, Amos White, and Chad, three of the highest-ranking adult E.V.S. members.

"Why have you called us here, Heather?" Mr. Ko demanded.

"Bonnie's missing," Heather began. "Her mother and Giovanni can't find her."

"Giovanni?" Amos repeated in surprise.

Mr. Ko automatically looked at Chad suspiciously. "What did you do?" He asked.

"I righted a wrong at the request of the Vitti descendant," Chad replied.

Addison and Reid came running into the room with Imogen, Kelly, Gabby, Daisy, and Bev. "Rikki's missing," Addison blurted out. "And she told me yesterday that Judas has Cam."

"Are you sure about Rikki?" Chad demanded.

"She was supposed to come by this morning. She never showed up," Reid replied. "She never misses a visit."

Chad reached out to track Rikki. After a moment, he cursed softly. "I can't feel Rikki," he said. "Judas must have her now, too."

"He won't be dumb enough to use the same location he used with the rest of us," Reid said. "It might not be easy to find them."

"The warlocks from the South are steadily making their move," Gabby said. "I caught them working spells to claim the territory, so Rico, Kelly, and I sabotaged them. Renee and Rico are on their way here. All of us are ready to defend Salem from these out of towners."

"Call the others," Kelly added. "This is going to take all of the local warlocks."

"We can handle the invading warlocks," Chad said. "I'm more concerned about facing Judas to get Rikki, Camelot, and Bonnie back."

"I thought Bonnie and Judas were working together," Kelly replied in confusion.

"Rikki and I gave Bonnie the one thing Judas was using to control her," Chad explained. "I think she might have tried to switch sides, and I'm guessing he didn't like that much."

"Then we'll rescue her," Tristan said firmly. "Bonnie is our friend, and our chapter's leader. We'll help her."

"Tristan, please notify your immediate family and the New York Saunders warlocks that we require their urgent assistance," Mr. Ko said. "Rachel, Wes, and Renata may have questionable loyalties, but when it comes to defending our territory, they will be assets to us."

"Of course," Tristan replied, walking away to make the call.

"Daisy... Are you up for this?" Chad asked. "I know you're still grieving your son."

"Jordan died because of this territory war," Daisy replied somberly. "I have to be involved, if only to honor him."

Chad nodded and said, "Stay close to me, Girlfriend. We'll make them pay."

~*~

Luigi stood with Percival Blackrain and his two remaining children, Sylvia and Jasper. The three of them were his top allies from the South. Their army had lost several of their members the previous night, but there were still a large number of them who were ready for battle.

As Judas approached them, he wore the form of a tall, handsome man in a suit. His skin was tan, and his features were sharp and dark. He looked like a distinguished warlock, but his energy gave him away.

"The enemy has gathered nearby," Judas informed them. "Luigi, it is your time to lead. Percival will share that responsibility with you."

"We're ready," Percival promised. Sylvia and Jasper nodded in agreement.

"Some of you will lose your lives today," Judas warned them. "Be prepared for that, and do not let any losses make you hesitate or you may end up on that list as well."

"If we die, we die for our bloodlines to gain more power," Jasper said with a drawl that was strong enough to rival Lou Anne's. "I'll have no regrets!"

Judas smiled and said, "Then let the war begin."

~*~

Joey and Danika stood together in the clearing in the woods where Rikki's energy had last been detected. They joined hands, knowing they needed to work quickly. Danika focused on her blood tie to Rikki, tapping into Joey's gifts so she could track her in other realms. Soon enough, she sensed her.

"I've got her," Danika declared.

"Hold on," Joey replied. "I'm going to open a door."

He focused until he could feel Rikki through Danika. Opening the door, he sighed with relief as Rikki rushed out. Camelot and Bonnie were right behind her. None of them appeared to be seriously injured, although Bonnie's chest was visibly wounded.

"It worked!" Danika cheered.

Rikki hugged her niece. "I knew you'd find us," she said.

"Good to see you, kiddo," Camelot added.

Bonnie looked at Joey and Danika awkwardly before saying, "I come in peace..."

"We know," Danika replied, casting a quick healing spell for Bonnie.

"Joey, I... Um..." Bonnie sighed. "I'm sorry about your mom. And Dylan. And every messed up thing I did because Judas told me to."

Joey nodded. "You didn't kill my mom or Dylan. The rest, I can let go. I believe in giving people second chances. If you're standing with us now, then that's good enough for me."

"Guys! They're coming!" Angelina said as she rushed toward them. "This is it!"

"Is everyone in position?" Joey asked.

"The other Shadows and the Silver Society members are all where they're supposed to be. Conant High School's chapter of the E.V.S. just got here. The adult E.V.S. members are ready, too. Even four of the New York Saunders are here to help defend Salem. The slayers, witches, lycanthropes, and vamps are here, including Mom and my grandmother. Skip and the Unit are on their way."

They heard the sound of screams in the trees. "That's Audra!" Bonnie said in alarm. She raced toward the sound with the others right behind her.

They found a battle in full swing as the invading warlocks focused on the E.V.S. teenagers. Audra Preston was bleeding from her head. Tristan was trying to shield her with his body. Blake Mikhailov stood with his older brother, Dimitri.

"Dimitri's alive?" Reid asked in surprise.

"And ready to fight back," Dimitri replied.

"Take out Katrina's boys," Percival instructed one of the other warlocks.

"Watch out!" Bonnie cried in warning, but it was too late. Blake was hit with a spell that killed him instantly. Dimitri caught his brother's body in his arms before letting out a scream of rage. The warlock who had killed Blake exploded in a burst of flames.

Audra let out a second scream as a sword was shoved through her chest. She collapsed into Tristan's arms.

"Audra!" Tristan cried. He tried to stop the bleeding, but the younger warlock died in his arms almost immediately. He froze, staring at her, unable to process his shock.

Roxy wrapped her arms around him, pulling him away from Audra's body. "I've got you," she said. "Let's kill the bastard who killed her."

Tristan nodded, determination in his eyes. He took Roxy's hand. Together, they cast a spell that instantly killed the warlock who'd taken Audra's life.

Bonnie watched in horror as someone flung a powerful fire spell at Clarity Ferguson and Jocelyn Anders. She was stunned when it was deflected by the strongest protection shield she'd ever seen. What was even more shocking was who had cast it.

Lydia stood in front of the young best friends with her hands out, keeping the shield steady. She radiated with power, years of unused magick suddenly coming to the surface. She looked at the girls and saw their aunts, Monique and Kendra, smiling at her as they clung to each other.

"I saved them," Lydia whispered. She hadn't been able to save Monique and Kendra, but saving their nieces from ending up just like they had brought her a sense of peace she'd never thought she could find.

"Are you two alright?" She asked the girls.

"Yeah, I think so," Jocelyn said.

"Thanks to you!" Clarity added. They hugged Lydia tightly before rejoining their friends in battle.

Genie smiled at Lydia proudly. "You did great, Mom," she said. "But what are you doing here?"

"I had a vision... I saw them burn, just like Monique and Kendra... I couldn't let it happen again," Lydia replied.

"Come on," Genie said. "Stand with me and Killian. This isn't over yet."

As Lydia made her way to the others, Melanie, Shea, Lionel, and Bonnie joined forces and started taking down invading warlocks. Each was especially fierce in battle, and watching them work together, Lydia was sure they could handle themselves.

Arthur, Ronnie, Donnie, and Camelot worked with Deanna, Kit, Ro, Aurora, and Beth to cast spells to make things much harder on the "tourists." Just as when they were teenagers, they were basically unstoppable together, and that slowed the invading warlocks down significantly. Arthur was a power house. The twins unleashed prank attack after prank attack. Camelot cast every spell he could think of, not even pausing to catch his breath. Deanna electrocuted people. Ro set them on fire while Kit drowned others on dry land. Aurora took to the air and launched small tornadoes at their opponents. Beth began splitting atoms faster than she ever had before.

Chad and Kelly stood with Rikki, Danika, and Justin. Rikki and Danika began channelling the Vitti line together. They radiated with magick as they levitated into the air. As their eyes glowed white, Chad's glowed red.

"Ground Danika," Kelly told her son. "Make sure she doesn't go too far over the edge. I'm going to lend Chad an extra boost of power."

"You're not going to pull him back if he goes too far?" Justin asked.

"A proper best friend knows when to do that versus when to let their powerhouse bestie unleash everything they have. Today is time for the latter."

"Fair enough."

All of the closest invading warlocks began to collapse as too much power attacked them at once. The carnage was extreme enough to draw Judas straight to them. He watched the battle unfold with a detached expression on his face.

The Saunders family stood together as Roxy rushed to help the vampires. Alaric and Tristan worked with their immediate family. Percival scoffed at that until he spotted the four warlocks who stood behind them.

"Well, I'll be!" He declared. "Y'all brought in the big guns!"

"You have always been a fool, Percival," Rachel Saunders said firmly. "At least your one remaining sister's half of the bloodline had the sense to remain in Georgia."

Wes and Renata held identical spells in their hands. Phillip, who was younger than Wes but older than Renata, cast one of his own that was tinged with more light than his siblings' spells. Together, the family battled, casting more intense spells with each attack. Most of the invading warlocks stood no chance. The Blackrains held their own.

Percival targeted Phillip, which infuriated Wes. The older Saunders brother cast a death spell in defense of Phillip. Percival pulled a random member of his army in front of him, using him as a human shield. As the warlock dropped dead, Percival regrouped.

Nearby, Chad spotted his father working with Heather, Amos, Mary, and Cedric, taking out as many lesser warlocks as they could, but he didn't join them. Instead, he grabbed Kelly and they gathered their old chapter from Bishop High School. Chad, Kelly, Ronnie, Donnie, Reid, Addison, Gabby, Daisy, Bev, Rico, Renee, and Camelot had made an Art of working power boosting spells as teenagers, and that was what they united to do now, strengthening everyone who was on their side of the fight.

Luigi summoned the shadow creatures and everyone was forced to refocus their attention on the latest attackers. Fresh chaos followed.

The slayers focused on destroying the shadow creatures and freeing their souls. Solstice led the charge, giving strict instructions to the others. Kurt and Corey made sure everyone followed her lead and did what they were supposed to do. Adam easily filled in wherever he was needed. Lyric and Jagger stayed close to Adam and Logan, more focused in battle than they'd ever been before. Jason backed Solstice up, covering her as needed.

Trent, Logan, Kurt, Belinda, Thea, Timmy, Eddie, Ava, Nick, and Lexie led a coordinated lycanthrope assault against the shadow creatures. Roxy, Jason, Echo, Solstice, Danika, Lyric, and Jagger shifted form, fighting beside the lycanthrope leaders.

Annabella, Katie, Elena, Skeeter, Johnny, Gianna, and Courtney led the witches in a unified spell that counteracted the ones the remaining warlocks were trying to cast.

Kevin and Nyxie joined Beth and began working together, knowing they were stronger united. With his wife occupied with her siblings, Merrick made his way to Faith and Chester. They headed toward Joey, defending him from some of the shadow creatures as he did his best to keep the Salem Shadows focused.

Chris was holding his own beside Joey when Judas tried to kill him with a deadly spell. To Chris's great surprise, he did not feel it hit him.

"Get the hell away from my kid," Shooter said sharply as he deflected the attack. Tammy, Skip, and Susie stood behind him, ready to back him up.

"Do you need us?" Skip asked.

"I'm good, Boss," Shooter replied. "Go arrest some warlocks, if any are left who haven't been killed."

Susie grabbed onto Gigi, lending her daughter energy as she sent glitter attacks at the Blackrains. They cried out in indignation. Susie wrapped a shield around Gigi to protect her.

Skip covered Tammy, keeping her safe as she started helping the souls who were being freed from their shadow vessels.

Chris looked at Shooter and said, "I guess I should start calling you Dad."

"That's up to you," Shooter replied, taking his son's hand. "Right now, let's just show this asshole why you don't mess with the Berkely family!"

Cedric and Thyme made their way toward them. As soon as Cedric took Shooter's hand and Thyme took Chris's, pure power flowed through them.

"What the hell is happening?" Shooter demanded.

"It's a long story, but we'll work best together," Cedric replied.

"Just trust us, Sugar," Thyme added.

"Should the accent worry me, Southern Belle, or are you on our side?" Shooter asked her.

"She's one of the Shadows," Chris replied. "She's here to help."

"Then let's do this," Shooter said.

As they began working together, Judas tried to defend himself. He failed. The attack left him weak, and he quickly began shifting back into his true form. Left with no alternative, Judas fled before he could be identified.

The vampires swarmed around one specific shadow creature. "Jacob," Danny said sadly. "You've seen better days, buddy."

The former Master of Salem hissed in response. "You can't get by all of us, Jacob," Clarissa pointed out.

As Jacob lunged at Clarissa, she staked him in his chest. Danny followed this up by decapitating him. Several of the vampires looked horrified to see their former leader lose his head for the second time, but as his spirit lingered, he looked at Clarissa and Danny gratefully. It was over, and he could finally be at peace again.

Arnie let out a cry of pain as his shoulder was slashed with a sword. It dangled uselessly, nearly severed. He was gushing blood when a burst of light appeared and five people joined the fight.

"Hang on, Sugar! I've got you," Lou Anne said, rushing to Arnie's side and immediately starting to heal him.

"Randy!" Beth shrieked in warning as a spear flew through the air toward her husband.

Jonathan was the first to react. He pulled Randy to safety, nearly getting impaled himself in the process. "That was a little too close for comfort, Randy," he said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Randy replied. "Thanks!"

"Your baby girl needs her father," Jonathan replied with a kind smile.

A second attack was launched at Randy. As Jonathan shielded him with his body, Nathaniel turned toward the warlock who was attacking him.

With one swift blast of power, Nathaniel killed Jasper Blackrain. Lou Anne stared at him in surprise. "What happened to not interfering?" She demanded.

"It was his time," Nathaniel replied. "That's not really interfering."

James killed a couple of the remaining warlocks with a snap of his fingers. "It was theirs, too," he said with a shrug.

Carolyn smirked as Sylvia Blackrain lunged at Nathaniel in an attempt to avenge her younger brother. She grabbed Sylvia and snapped her neck.

"I don't know if it was her time, but I don't especially care," Carolyn said with a laugh.

Screams could be heard from the remaining invading warlocks as Roxy rode on the back of Sir Ignatius. The dragon seemed delighted to temporarily leave his post at Conant High School to assist Roxy in taking down the last of the invading warlocks. Roxy laughed as Iggy burned most of them while she hexed several others and took nearly all of the rest out with her sword.

"That is definitely the daughter of the warlock assassin," Amos mumbled.

As an ambitious warlock tried to decapitate Solstice, Genie knocked him backward with a spell. Genie immediately pulled Solstice into her arms protectively. As the warlock tried again, he suddenly spontaneously combusted.

"Carry on, girls," Lydia said with a smile.

"Mom, did you just blow up a warlock?" Genie asked in shock.

"It's okay, Little Wish," Lydia replied. "He was a tourist."

"It's just Percival and Luigi left now," Lou Anne said as Roxy and Iggy finally landed. Roxy and Tristan showered the dragon with affection before sending him back to the school.

In a sudden burst of power, Percival's atoms split apart. "Correction," Beth said. "It's just Luigi."

Joey, Arnie, and Angelina stood in front of Luigi. Although he'd tried to flee, Angelina had cast a spell that trapped him at the edge of the clearing.

"Angelina, sweetheart, think about this," Luigi said. "I'm your father... I'm your father, too, Arnie."

"I've had three fathers in my life," Arnie replied sharply. "The one who raised me for the first nine years of my life, Tommy Berlin, and Benny Phillips. Four if you count Alex, who was everyone's dad. You, however, rank nowhere on that list."

"You wouldn't exist without me!" Luigi snapped.

"Being a sperm donor doesn't make you a father."

"How dare you, you ungrateful brat?"

"You're no father, Luigi," Angelina said softly.

"You, too? I swear to the Gods, I'll kill you both!" Luigi declared.

Arnie shoved a sword through Luigi's chest as Angelina attacked him with a powerful spell that stripped away his immortality.

"Not if we kill you first," Arnie said firmly, pulling the sword out of Luigi's chest.

Luigi collapsed onto the ground. He bled out before he could do much except stare at his children in shock.

"Is he really dead?" Angelina asked.

"It's hard to tell with him, but yeah, I think so," Arnie replied.

Luigi's soul suddenly burst from his body. Still riding the power he'd gained during the battle, he tried to attack Arnie and Angelina.

Seeing his best friend and a man he loved as family in danger, rage overwhelmed Joey. Suddenly, strange power began flowing through him.

Chad smirked at him from nearby and said, "Yeah! Unleash that rage, Baby Reaper!"

Joey realized then what the dark power was. He'd finally unlocked his full powers as a Reaper. As Luigi attempted to murder his children, Joey grabbed onto his soul, holding him in place.

"How are you doing this?" Luigi demanded.

"You pissed me off one too many times, Luigi," Joey replied. He squeezed Luigi's soul, causing it to begin crumbling.

Luigi screamed in pain as Joey focused on unleashing the strange new power that lived inside of him. His hands began to heat up. With a blast of power, Luigi's soul burst into flames. In an instant, he was gone.

"That was for my mom," Joey said firmly.

"Holy crap, did Joey just smite Luigi?" Randy asked.

"He did more than that," Clarissa replied. "He completely destroyed his soul! That was a Reaper attack. Luigi won't be coming back ever again. His energy shattered and went straight into the darkness."

Corey grinned at Joey proudly and said, "That was impressive, Buddy. I didn't know you could do that."

"Neither did I," Joey admitted.

Arnie wrapped Joey in a tight hug. "Your mom is proud of you, Joey. I guarantee it," he said.

Beth soon joined the hug, followed by Randy. Surrounded by his family, Joey finally felt like things were going to be okay. They would never be the same, but his new normal wasn't all bad.

"We should go," Nathaniel said suddenly as he stared at Shooter, Chris, Cedric, and Thyme. "We did what was necessary to maintain the balance."

"Yes, we have work to do in the Light," James agreed.

Jonathan looked at the bodies of Audra and Blake. "I'm sorry for your loss," he said to Dimitri.

"They were warlocks," Nathaniel said dismissively.

"They were children, Nathaniel," Jonathan pointed out. "They shouldn't have had to die like this."

"Audra was a good person," Tristan said. "And Blake was misguided, but he could have changed."

"My brother was simply doing what he thought our mother would have wanted," Dimitri agreed. "Now, he is reunited with her."

"Any loss of a young life is tragic," Lou Anne said. "I'm sorry we got here too late to save them." She looked at Thyme, obviously wanting to go to her daughter, but she stopped herself.

She can't risk revealing Thyme's real identity, Joey realized. He felt bad for her and hoped he could help them have a proper reunion one day.

"My friends, we really need to return to the Light," James reminded them.

"Right," Carolyn conceded. "Come on, guys. Let's get out of here."

The Powers That Be left in a blinding flash of Light, just as they had arrived. "They sure know how to make an exit," Chad mumbled.

"So, that was productive," Shooter said. "Who's cleaning this mess up?"

Randy and AJ sighed in unison and said, "I'm on it."