James woke suddenly.  He could feel the Black Witch moving.  It was almost time to put a stop to her forever.  He slid out from under the covers of the bed and quickly dressed.  James smiled at Felicity, still sleeping curled where he used to be.  He found Felicity’s shift and put it over her head and dressed her the best he was able.  It was then he appreciated that she did not wear a corset, for he never would have gotten it on.  Felicity owlishly opened her eyes and smiled at James dreamily.
“The Black Witch is waking up,” James explained to her as he hauled her out of bed and stood her up.  “Put on your shoes.”
“I think I would rather stand on your feet,” Felicity said with a saucy smile as she proceeded to do as she said and wrapped her arms around James.
“Felicity,” James moaned as he kissed her neck.  “I promise that we will have real night together, but we need to finish what your ancestor started long ago.”
“You are right,” Felicity said as she kissed James again.  “I am sorry.  It is just…I never thought I would be able to keep you.”
James kissed her lightly.  “And now you have me.  I certainly cannot leave you now.  Edward would certainly kill me for sure.  Not to mention you.”
“Too true,” Felicity smirked as she finished dressing and put on her shoes.  She was about to put her hair up when James stopped her.
“You know, now that we are officially married and I am Prince of Laulao, I think I may make it a law that you must never tie your hair back.”
“So cruel,” Felicity sighed as she contented herself with brushing her fingers through her hair with James helping her.
“Do you hurt at all?” James asked quietly as he wrapped his arms around Felicity’s middle and rested his chin on top of her head.  Felicity leaned back into James and put her hands over his.
“There is a slight ache, but it is fine.  Do not heal it.  It is a mark of what happened tonight.”
“I love you Felicity.”
“I love you James.”
It is so beautiful.
Edward! James and Felicity yelled together.
And what about the two of you? Felicity teased.  It seems that you and Deborah have worked everything out.
We certainly have.  The moment we get back to Laulao, we will have a wedding, Deborah said happily.
I knew it would happen, Edward said smugly.
Twin, do not gloat.
Yes sister dear.  But on to more serious matters, does anyone else feel the Black Witch waking up?
Yes, the other three chorused.
Well this is not good.  We fulfilled at least part of the prophecy, Edward said thoughtfully.  Air and Earth are one in mind, Water and Fire are one physically, so what is left?
All four, Felicity answered immediately.
Excuse me? James asked.
It is not enough for the opposites to work together, but for all four of the elements to work as a whole.
Well, speaking as the first part of the twin team, I would say Felicity and I have learned long ago that we work well together to help run Laulao.  We could not have done it without each other, Edward said.  A cord between Felicity’s and Edward’s mind appeared.  Do the rest of you see that?
Yes, Deborah said.  Perhaps this is to help us know whether we are working well together.  Let me try.  Edward and James are best friends and work well to fight for a common cause.  A cord between James and Edward appeared.
Keep going Deborah! Felicity encouraged.
James and Felicity work well together when protecting others.  A cord between Felicity and James appeared.  Felicity and I work well when things need to get done in the castle.  A cord appeared between Felicity and Deborah.  Edward and I now know how to help others understand another’s point of view.  Another cord appeared.  Deborah paused.  James and I do not know each other well enough yet though.
But we do Deborah, do you not remember our conversation?
What conversation? Felicity asked.
Later Felicity.
Of course!  James and I are able to be compassionate about other’s problems they are having.  The last cord fell into place, creating a diamond with a cross in the middle.
But I can tell that is not everything, Edward said.  We all work together, coincide with each others.  There is something we are missing.
Well, how was the Black Witch defeated last time? Deborah asked.
Wizard Richard was the one who committed the act, but had the help of the elementals, Felicity said slowly.
It is dawn, James said.
Our time is up, Edward said as he banged his fist against the side of the bed.  In the next moment the four of them were whisked to where Christopher and Marie were.
“How is this possible?” Christopher thundered.  “None of you were supposed to be able to work together.  Marie?”
“I do not know father!” she stammered.  “I do not know.  They were arguing and resisting each other, I do not know—”
“Silence.”  The voice from the coffin was smooth and pleasant, though there was a hard edge to it.  The voice did not need to yell.  It had all the power it needed.  From the coffin rose the woman.  Her eyes sparked with anger and ecstasy at having been released from the long spell that made her dormant.  Her long black hair fell in waves as she gracefully and smoothly stepped from the coffin.  She looked around the room with a sweeping guesture.  Though she had not been born into royalty, she was one by her very stature and poise.  Her look, though betraying nothing, was firm and had lines of cruelty on her face.  Her lips pursed in the direction of the four, then she glared at Duke Christopher and Marie.
“And these are my descendents,” she said in an even voice.  “Pitiful.  Your magic is not even half of what my son had.  You did not chose mates well through your time without my guidance.  No matter.”  She looked at the cave in disgust.  “I have seen these walls too long.”  She moved her right arm in a sweeping arch over her head.  The rock of the cave broke apart while the four ran to find cover from the falling rock.  The four looked outside and discovered for the first time that they were on a mountain top, now completely exposed to the world.  The roof and walls of the cave tumbled down, causing a rock slide.  They could hear the echoes off of the mountain walls.  The woman breathed in deeply.  “It has been much too long since I have breathed fresh air.”  She turned to Duke Christopher and took one step towards him.  “Do you swear fealty to me?”
“With my life,” Duke Christopher said as he dropped to one knee and bowed.  “I searched the world over to find the human elements for you to destroy.  I hope you are pleased.”
“We shall see,” she said with an almost bored expression.  “And you, girl.  The first woman in my line since I was born.  Do you swear fealty to me?”
“All my power is yours,” Marie said as she dropped into a low curtsey.
She looked at her with narrowed eyes—the first expression in her face since she awoke.  “I do not believe you,” she said.  With a flick of her wrist, Marie flew across the room.  Her body made a hard thud against what was left of the rock wall.  “Your daughter planned treason against me.  Because she is of my line she will not die, but only because she is my own blood, however inferior, I will spare her life.”  She lifted up Christopher’s head.  “Do not make the same misstate.”
“No, your majesty.”
“I have never been, nor will I ever be called ‘majesty’,” she mocked.  “If you must call me something, call me Mistress.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
“Good.  Now, to take away your daughter’s magic.”  Duke Christopher’s eyes widened as he watched her stretch out her hand towards Marie and pull towards her.  In an instant, any magic in her body was gone with no chance of it ever returning.  “Excellent.  Now, to finish what was started two thousand years ago.”
The Black Witch walked confidently towards Deborah, Edward, Felicity and James.  Edward and Felicity held hands with each other, with Deborah and James holding their hands on their respective sides.  They looked at each other nervously, but held each other’s hands tightly.
“I see you have passed the first two tests to defeat me,” the Witch said casually as she began to circle the four of them.  The four of them stood in the middle of what used to be the cave, tensing each time the Witch walked by them.  “Water and Fire cooperating.  That in and of itself speaks of the power the two of you have,” she said, reluctantly impressed.  “Water and Air.  Well, considering the two of you are twins you had a head start on everyone else.  Air and Fire, again, not so difficult.  They are natural assistants to each other.  Air and Earth, however, is also quite impressive of a feat.  Earth and Fire work well naturally as well.  And of course everyone knows how important Water is to the Earth.  The four of you seem to have figured out how the balance works in nature now.  That is good.  It will not be enough to defeat me, but you certainly made an admirable effort.”
“We will defeat you,” Felicity said in the same even tone at the Black Witch.
The Black Witch looked at Felicity with a tilted head and stepped towards her.  She and Felicity were about the same height, and were able to stare into each other’s eyes.  “Impressive for one who is of water abilities.  Not many of your kind understand that you do not need to yell in order to be in charge.”  She walked away from the four of them and stared at the coffin.  “Wizard Richard was my only real challenge in those days.  But even he could not have defeated me without the help of the elementals.  Did you know that the elementals could once feel emotion?  The four elements worked well as one, and there was no tension between any elements.”
Deborah looked at the other three before she spoke.  “We did not.”
“Elementals were as emotional as humans at one point.”  The Witch trailed her fingers along the edge of the coffin.  “In order to put me under the spell, they poured all of their emotions into Richard to give him their power.  Richard defeated me, but he did not have enough energy to kill me.  The elementals paid a terrible price that day, though.  So much of their magic was poured into Richard that they no longer had any left.  Fire could no longer touch Water.  Water and Air were estranged.  Air and Earth could not tolerate the other’s presence, and Earth grew to fear Fire’s touch on the forest.  Even though I was asleep, I could still feel these things take place, and I reveled in them.”  She turned back around to face them.  “Richard decided to expel the elements in him, and send them out to find the four people who would embody them one day to ultimately defeat me.”
“And found us,” Edward said.
“And I have bided my time,” the Witch said.  “It is lucky for me that the elements chose such weak vessels.”
Without even thinking, James’s fire lashed out at the Witch.  She merely looked at it and it hit a black wall a foot from her face.  When it stopped, she looked at James with the first smile they had seen.  It was not a pleasant smile.
“You cannot beat me.  You have not fulfilled the rest of the prophecy.  Where is this Waef that is supposed to help you?  No Waef helps a human.”
“This one does.”  Davis appeared in front between Felicity and Edward.  “You will not win today.”
“So you have the Waef.  You have fulfilled the prophecy,” the Witch sneered.  “That means nothing.  None of you have the power to defeat me.”
With those words the Witch raised her hands and black lightening came down and prepared to strike.  Edward motioned with his eyes to raise the wind to confuse the Witch while Deborah used her free hand to block the lightening with the rocks.  Christopher rose and stood by the Witch and created lightening of his own.
“He killed mother and father,” Felicity said darkly as she and Edward raised their hands together.  Wind mixed with water droplets attacked Christopher.  The wind turned the water into ice shards that battered Christopher’s protective shield as well as the Witch’s.  James threw fire balls at the Witch and Christopher alternately.  Deborah alternated between throwing rocks at them and protecting them from the falling rocks.  Davis just stood in front of them and began to sing a song.  As Felicity used everything she had to hurt Christopher and the Black Witch, she knew Davis was singing in his own tongue.  She did not know how she knew that, but she wondered at it.Felicity then turned to look at Christopher.  His shield was failing.
“Help me Mistress!” he cried.
“Why?” she asked.  His shield fell and the four elements consumed his body.