The Transformation

Keefe Sencen sat upon the throne, and of all things to say, he had to make a joke, just like earlier. "So... My Legacy is... King of the dwarves?" He tried to smirk but was more of a grimace.

Who wouldn't grimace, though, if they were trapped on a magical light chair about to be crowned King of underground short mole people?

But still, Lady Gisela sighed. "You really will make a joke out of anything, won't you?"

"Um... You just had King Enki shove me onto his throne and crown me—what else am I supposed to think?" Keefe argued. "Where is he, by the way? I feel like he owes me a bow—and an 'As you wish, King Keefe!'

"The king left," Lady Gisela said, gesturing towards a hole in the ground that was slowly filling up with dirt. "Said something about not wanting to witness the further desecration of a royal relic and dived into the floor—and I suppose I can't blame him. It is a lovely throne. But I need the magsidian. And the ethertine in your crown. I had that made especially for you, by the way. Just for this. And it wasn't easy. It was even harder convincing King Enki to wear it as his own to keep anyone from getting too suspicious. But it was worth it—everything came together, despite the few hiccups we had along the way."

"Am I supposed to say thank you?" Keefe asked.

"Yes, Keefe, you should," Gisela said. "And someday, you will. For now, you're welcome to keep hating me."

Faye almost laughed at that. She didn't know everything Lady Gisela had done to her son, but she knew he hated her—based on the conversations that took place earlier. Tam shot her a look.

"Didn't realize I needed your permission for that, but okay. Great!" Keefe tried to smile, but the magsidian must have been keeping his face still, too.

Lady Gisela sighed again. "I resigned myself to the role of the 'bad guy' long ago, Keefe. It's unfair. And inaccurate. But if that's how you need to see me process what's about to happen—so be it.

"Uh, it's not about what I need. Like... are you seeing this situation? You attacked all my friends. Left them all unconscious over there—"

"Not all of them," Gisela corrected, gesturing towards Sophie. "Sophie's still awake—for now. In case we need her.

That seemed to spark Sophie's attention, for she spoke up. "Need me for what?"

"To ensure my son cooperates."

Faye's suspicions were confirmed: Keefe really did care for Sophie.

Lady Gisela resumed, "Now that we understand each other, we should get started. The deal I made with King Enki only buys me so much of his patience."

"What'd you have to give him?" Keefe asked.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

Keefe struggled to make a pouty face. "Aw, come on—I'm curious! Like, what's the going price for ultimate betrayal these days? And was the 'ruining your son's life' part of the fee—or was that just a fun bonus?"

Faye could see how Gisela picked it apart bit by bit, slowly taking it in. Eventually, she stalked closer to Keefe, fists clenched. "For the last time, I'm not destroying anything. I'm allowing you to become something vital. And I need you to accept that, because the harder you fight what's about to happen, the more you'll suffer."

Keefe clearly didn't get the hint not to joke, and if he did, he didn't care. "That's riiiiight. I'm supposed to—how did you put it? 'Embrace the change'? Yeeeeeaaaaah. Hate to break it to you, but... I'm not feeling very embrace-y. Thanks for playing, though!"

Lady Gisela shook her head with annoyance, pinching his chin as she angled his face towards her. "This isn't a joke, Keefe. And it's time for you to stop thinking that you have any control over what's about to happen. You don't. There's no getting out of this. You can't stop it." She glanced over her shoulder in Tam's direction. "And neither can you."

Faye looked at Tam as he said, "I've resisted the bonds before." He has, but that's only because Faye had let him. Not that she's going to tell anyone that, though.

"Not for this firm of a command—but let's also not forget that I have your sister right there," she pointed at the girl with black hair and silver tips, curled up in a ball on the ground. "She's unconscious right now, but I can wake her up if you need motivation. Or maybe it would be better to make sure she never wakes up again—and you can drop those hands right now." She shook her head and turned it to Sophie. "Are all boys this stubborn and angsty?"

"Pretty sure they are when you're holding them prisoner and threatening to torture their friends and family," Sophie snapped back.

"Don't you get it? That's a gift. Freedom isn't always as wonderful as we want to believe. The choice comes with responsibility. With consequences. With guilt. I'm sparing all of you from that—yes, even you, Sophie. Why do you think I went to such ridiculous lengths to leave you completely powerless? Do you realize how challenging that is? You have five abilities! Honestly, if you didn't insist on working with friends, I'd probably never be able to thwart you. But all those moving pieces and variables give me room to play. It still takes time—this moment right now has been months in the making."

Has she really been planning it for months?

Lady Gisela continued. "And you're lying there hating me. Surely still trying to figure out some way to resist me—which doesn't exist, by the way—completely missing the fact that thanks to my hard work, you'll be able to go home tonight, comfortable in the knowledge that you truly tried your hardest and that it was simply an impossible situation. You're welcome."

Keefe laughed bitterly. "That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Mommy Dearest wants us to thank her for being so evil!"

Mommy Dearest. Faye repeated. She'll have to start calling her that if she doesn't end up escaping.

Lady Gisela rolled her eyes. "Never mind. Time to focus."

She waved Tam over. Once Tam got there, he glanced at Sophie for a second before turning his head in Faye's direction, a tear dripping down his face.

Faye wanted to make this stop. Her mom shouldn't do this to Keefe—or Tam, for that matter.

Gisela clapped her hands, demanding attention. "On my command, Tam, you'll launch a bolt of shadowflux at the stone in the wall that I showed you earlier. You shouldn't have to do anything else, but since this is all untested—and I'm assuming you'd prefer my son to survive this—"

Please survive this. Faye squeezed her hand into a fist and focused on the pain from her nails biting into her skin.

"Eh, I don't know if that's a safe assumption," Keefe interrupted. "Bangs Boy and I aren't exactly besties. Also, it's super awesome hearing how 'untested' this is."

Faye knew she should be worrying about Keefe, and she was, but she almost laughed at the name "Bangs Boy".

Gisela shot Faye a look as Sophie spat, "Still trying to convince yourself this isn't an experiment?"

"Assuming you'd prefer my son to survive this," Lady Gisela continued, ignoring Sophie and Keefe. "You'll monitor the reaction and step in as needed. The command I'll be giving you is to rely on your instincts—"

"And then you'll let me go?" Tam asked, cutting her off. "That's what you told me. I train with you. I hear you out about all your reasons. I do the thing. And then I'm done and my sister is safe and my friends are safe and these are gone"—he pointed at the bonds on his wrists—"and it's up to me if I want to come back."

Please don't go back to the Neverseen. Faye thought. He didn't deserve it.

"Yes, Tam, that's the deal," Lady Gisela told him. "While Tam is 'doing the thing', Glimmer will send a bolt of light at the crown to activate the ethertine to balance the reaction."

Great. Faye was going to help kill her brother.

"That's what the crown's for?" Sophie asked, struggling against her bonds.

"Ethertine only affects Shades the way you're thinking," Gisela replied.

What way was Sophie thinking?

"Back to what I was saying," Lady Gisela continued. "After Glimmer adds light to the reaction, it's a waiting game—don't ask how long, because I don't know, And Keefe: You already know your job. You have to embrace the change. Don't fight it. Don't fear it. Even when there's pain. Think of it as being forged by fire."

"Who's jealous of my life right now?" Keefe asked. Clearly, there was panic masked behind the humor, as there had been with previous jokes.

Gisela showed Tam and Faye where to stand and Faye noticed that Sophie and Keefe were staring at each other. Then she remembered that Sophie was a telepath.

Good. She was keeping him company while Faye had to flash light at a stone in the ceiling—probably to kill him.

"Are we ready?" Lady Gisela asked, clapping her hands again.

Keefe smirked—probably at something Sophie telepath-mind-reading-weird-trick-thing told him. "So here we are, Tammy Boy. It's just you and me in this epic showdown we always knew was coming. Bangs Boy versus the Keefster."

Tam's voice was raw as he told Keefe, "I tried to warn you."

The smirk dropped from Keefe's lips. "I know. And I tried to listen."

"I know. And... here we are."

Keefe smiled as he said. "I'm pretty sure it was inevitable. So I want you to know three things, okay? The truest things you'll ever hear"—Tam nodded—"Number one: I still don't like you," Tam's lips twitched at that. "Number two: I will always make fun of your bangs." That made Tam actually smile. "And number three: I don't blame you, okay? I get it. You have to do this. And I have to face my legacy. So let's stop being angsty and get it over with."

That made Faye feel a pang of guilt. It was her fault that Tam was in this situation. It was her fault that he has the bonds on his hands, forcing him to kill Keefe.

Sophie said something unintelligible from across the room to Tam as he said to Lady Gisela, "We have a deal."

Gisela nodded. "We do. But you still have to hold up your end."

Tam took a very long breath and pulled on his bangs as strings of shadowflux poured out of his hands and into an arrow. He launched the arrow at the magsidian stone on the ceiling, sparking a flash of black lightning.

The dark energy ricochets through the air, turning it shimmery. They blasted into the throne, shaking the room.

Silence. Nothing happened. Nobody moved.

And then the throne melted around Keefe, coating his skin. He should have fallen, but the liquid kept him suspended in midair, covering every inch of him.

"Embrace the change," Lady Gisela said, and then, almost hesitantly: "Now, Glimmer!

It was time for her to do it.

It was time for her to kill her brother.

She took a deep breath in as she felt the lights sink into her, then she thrust them out in a stream, into the crown atop Keefe's head. Just as Gisela had instructed her to.

The metal melted into a bright silvery syrup that fell down Keefe's face in thin strings, almost like tree roots in dirt.

Keefe started thrashing and flailing and he closed his eyes.

Please be okay.

He sat there thrashing for several minutes, but all that went through Faye's head was I killed my brother.

Faye squeezed her eyes shut to prevent seeing more of the gooey coating around his body.

She opened her eyes when Gisela asked "How is he?" She was looming over Sophie. "Don't try to deny it, Sophie—I knew you'd use your telepathy to stay connected to him during the transformation. Why do you think I left you conscious?"

"I thought that was so you could torture me if he wouldn't cooperate." Sophie snapped.

Lady Gisela would definitely do that too, Faye thought, and her mind flashed to after she learned the Spark had died, when Gisela tried to kill her.

"Well... I didn't say it was the only reason, did I?" Lady Gisela countered with an evil smile. "My point was: You're predictable. I knew you'd monitor Keefe's thoughts today. Just like I knew you'd stage a standoff in this room—exactly where I needed it. All I can do is not suggest something to you, and I can count on you to plan it for me since you and I think so much alike. So, I'll ask you again: How is my son?"

If you really care about how he is, Faye wanted to yell, then you wouldn't try to kill him!

Sophie stood there, looking like a deer in human headlights for a second, then said, "Untie me and I'll tell you."

Smart move.

Hopefully.

Gisela pursed her lips. "Nice try. I've experienced the wonder of your inflicting already—not interested in a repeat."

"What if I promise I won't inflict?" Sophie asked. "I mean it. Think about it: What good is inflicting really going to do for me? Even if I take you out, I'd still have Glimmer to deal with, wouldn't I?"

Not exactly.

"And how many dwarves are here?" Sophie asked. "Besides the one I'm really getting sick of, who's pinning me right now? I'm guessing at least a couple—and more can pop out of the ground anytime. Not to mention I'm stuck in the middle of a city run by a king who's already betrayed me, so..."

Faye glanced at Tam standing next to her. He was paralyzed, staring at Keefe—who was laying on the ground, not moving.

Not breathing.

Faye felt lightheaded.

She had killed someone.

She had killed her twin brother.

How did she go from a lackadaisical thirteen-year-old to a murderer in four years?

"Need I remind you," Sophie said when Lady Gisela thought about letting her go. "That all my friends are currently tied up and unconscious, and there's no way I'm leaving the, behind? And Keefe can't even survive a light leap right now, and—"

"He can't?" Lady Gisela asked.

There was always a flaw in her plan.

Sophie shook her head. "You just filled his body with an insane amount of freaky darkness and weird light—do you really think his body can break down and not fade away?"

So he isn't dead... But he's going to be.

"Probably not..." Gisela murmured as the blood drained from her face.

"So..." Sophie continued, "You don't have to worry about my inflicting. And if you untie me and get this dwarf off of my back, I'll tell you what I saw in Keefe's head during your creepy experiment—"

"It wasn't an experiment! It was a transformation."

"Yeah, well, I almost lost him during that 'transformation'—several times. And when the shadowflux sank in..."

"Yes?" Lady Gisela prodded.

"Untie me and I'll tell you. Otherwise, forget it."

That girl—Sophie—was smart. She knew how to bargain with Lady Gisela...

To a point.

Gisela sighed as she glanced at Keefe—limbs bent and twisted, skin pale and sweaty, eyes blank. "What's wrong?" Gisela asked Sophie.

"I don't know. You have to get him to a physician—and you're going to need my help, since I'm the only one who can teleport."

Lady Gisela barked a sharp laugh. "Do I really look that foolish?"

Yes.

"Do you actually want me to answer that?" Sophie snapped. "Do you think I like this idea either? Do you think I want to leave my friends tied up and unconscious?"

"I can't let you teleport away with my son—" Gisela started.

"LOOK at your son!" Sophie yelled. "Does he look okay to you?"

Faye couldn't be quiet anymore. "He doesn't." She said. She needed Sophie to take him—to keep him safe. "I think you should listen to her," because Keefe can't die.

"So do I," Tam said, stepping away from Faye. "Don't worry, I can keep everyone here safe until they wake up. You can just focus on getting Keefe to Elwin."

"I have to get to the surface," Sophie said.

Faye racked her brain for what she could say. "You should use the path we took. King Enki showed it to us—it's a straight shot once you go down one level. I'm sure the dwarf holding you will take you down."

"No, he won't," Lady Gisela said bitterly.

"Why not?" Faye asked.

Gisela dragged a hand down her face. "Because it's not part of our bargain."

"Your bargain," Sophie repeated. "You agreed to let King Enki keep the prisoners if he helped you trap Keefe on his throne."

"That was part of the deal, yes." Lady Gisela admitted. "And he was particularly clear about wanting to make sure you were among them. So there's no way that dwarf is letting me undo your bonds.

The ground-dwelling hairy creature shook her head. "There definitely isn't."

"But if you explained to King Enki that I'm the only one who can take Keefe..." Sophie cut herself off.

What could be going on in her head?

"That wasn't our deal!" Tam snapped.

"Oh, relax." Lady Gisela said. "I made an exception for your sister. You and she will be free to go with me and—"

"That wasn't our deal!" Tam insisted. "You said my friends would be safe."

"Yes, well, technically they are. As far as I know, King Enki has no intention of killing them—well, maybe the Councillors, but... You can't save everyone, Tam."

With that, she glanced at Faye.

Why?

"Maybe not," Tam admitted. "But that doesn't mean you stop trying.

"This is not a moment to mess with me," Gisela warned. "I'm trying to figure out a way to help my son—I don't have time for another one of your temper tantrums. So let me be very clear. If you make one more move against me—One. More. Move—I'll cancel our deal and keep you as my handy little Shade pet as long as I want."

"Shade pet?" Faye blurted. "You'd seriously go back on your deal?"

"Of course, she would," Tam said before Lady Gisela could answer. "That's what I keep telling you."

"I know. But... I want to hear it from her," Faye said. She could see Sophie twisting and turning out of the corner of her eye.

She stepped in front of Gisela and Tam, arms crossed. "You haven't answered my question. Would you seriously go back on your word?"

Silence.

"The thing about being the leader of a movement," Lady Gisela finally said. "Is that you have to be willing to do anything to further the cause. Alliances. Bargains. These things only work as long as they're useful. Once they're not... you make the necessary adjustments."

More silence.

Tam turned towards Faye. "See what I mean now?"

Faye nodded, realizing her mistake. "Yeah, I think I do..."

Gisela blew out a breath and shook her head. "I'll deal with you two later." She began pacing away from them.

This was Faye's chance.

She was going to rebel.

Her heartbeat raced as she turned around and grabbed Tam's wrists. Her palms flared with golden light and she ripped the bonds from his hands, letting them fall to the ground.

Lady Gisela had turned by then and was fumbling in her pockets for a weapon, but shadows crashed into her chest, causing her to do several backflips in the air until she lay crumpled on the floor.

"That one was for you, Keefe," Tam said. "And this one's for me."

Faye smiled under her hood as everything went dark. She could hear dwarves bursting through the floor as she created a small orb of light to find Sophie. She held up the dagger that was hidden in her boot. She could see the look of panic in Sophie's eyes as she cut the bonds.

"Thank you," Sophie murmured. "I need to get Keefe out of here."

Faye nodded. "Tam's making sure no dwarves carry him away. And I can help you get closer. But without a dwarf's help, I'm not sure how to get you to the path we used."

"Well... I guess I'll have to take him through the King's path... and run really, really, fast."

"I guess that's the only other option," Faye agreed, trying to keep her voice steady.

Keefe couldn't die.

She snapped her fingers and a silver orb hovered over Sophie's shoulder, giving her light to see. "Follow my light, and it will guide you through the safest path."

"You're not coming with me?" Sophie asked.

Faye wanted to. She wanted to get out of here, but she knew she couldn't. "I'll stay here and guard your friends until they're conscious."

Tam stood next to Faye and exchanged a few words with Sophie, who started down the corridor but then yelled "SHE'S ON OUR SIDE! IT'S OKAY! HOLD FIRE!"

At first, Faye wondered what she was talking about, until she saw the tiny dwarf walking next to Sophie, away from the room Tam and Faye were in.

THUMP!

Tam and Faye took their positions, ready for the dwarves.

But they didn't come.

What did come, though, were people from the King's Path, probably from Sophie's friend group, because Faye could see the relieved look on Tam's face.