The Butterfly Girl: A Star is Born

#129 Shooting Stars

[Sophia]

I suddenly inhaled a lungful of air as the suffocating feeling ceased and my head stopped spinning. My body was gently released, but not completely. I didn't feel like I was being pressed to death anymore and the light of my crystal glowed softly as the wind of shadows finally stopped.
"What? What is this? What just happened?" the Demon glared at it frustratingly. I didn't care what it thought, all I could feel was a sense of relief both in my head and my chest. I took deep breaths and tried to calm myself.
"This was supposed to work! Why isn't this working anymore?"
The heavy atmosphere began to lift and even though I felt relieved to be free of the suffocation, I felt weak. As did the light of the crystal.
"You!" the Demon shouted at me, "What did you do? How did you do that?!"
"I don't know! I didn't do anything!" I replied quickly. If I actually did something to make it stop, I would know. And as I thought that, I had a sense that something else was the cause. 
"You did something! You were trying to stop me! I don't know how but I've had enough of your little tricks! You really thought you could stop me by yourself?!"
"No!" another voice yelled out. I tried to turn my head to the sound of the voice to see who it was, but the sticky ink could only let me move so much. The Demon looked behind me as well and I saw its widened eyes as it spotted something.
"She's not alone!" two voices cried out in unison. I recognized them instantly and another wave of relief washed over me. I heard footsteps and sounds of shuffling, followed but the Demon growling.
"Oh, of course. Just when I thought I had gotten rid of you. I'm not even going to ask how you got all the way down here and past my own defenses. But I won't allow you to walk away victoriously."
"We aren't letting you take Sophia from us again! She's our friend! Not your prisoner!" another light-hearted voice echoed. Their voices were unmistakable. A small grin began to grow on my face, and although I couldn't see them, I knew that all hell was about to break loose.
The Demon moved in front of me.
"If you refuse to accept defeat, then I will make you all my prisoners!"
"Where is Sophia? Let her go right now or else!" the first voice shouted and the grin on my face grew wider. The residue holding me up suddenly began to twist and turn me around. The shadow in front of me disappeared and I was finally revealed. Finally able to see something else in the darkness and I was seen by my friends. The Twins standing in front, their limbs growing with the strange pattern, ready to fight with all the strength they had. Teri on the right, fins flared and arms raised with her liquid fists, not willing to back down. Apollo on the left, glaring up at the Demon and me. I noticed something looked a little off, but I was just relieved that he was here. I heard them gasp as they saw me and I stared back at them. My arms stuck behind my back and my wings strung up and fully extended. I began to struggle again. Until I saw Apollo step forward.
"Let her go!"
The Demon hissed
"Even now your powers are fading without the light. There is nothing you can do to save her with your most powerful self spent!"
"I said... let her go!!" Apollo suddenly shrieked and a high pitched note rang out through the entire room. I watched everyone cover their ears as the Demon recoiled and hissed. But I was completely exposed and I felt a new pain in my ears. Something in my head vibrated with the strange frequency and I felt the ink around me begin to snap and drip off me. My wings detached and I fell to the ground. The high pitched note echoed for a while longer until everything went silent and a different ringing sound was heard. I grasped my head in pain, unable to understand what just happened and I started to crawl away. I felt something drop onto my head and I looked up to see my crystal had also fallen and bounced away from me. I started to follow it. Fear and confusion taking me hostage instead as I stumbled around blind and temporarily deaf in the dark as the battle between the Demon and my friends ensued. I felt rumbling and my eyes caught bursts of light from the distance. Something impacted with the ground and I fell over. My hand slipping and catching something soft. Something... leathery.
I touched around it and pulled it towards me. Looking closely I noticed that it was indeed my satchel laying on the cold ground. I hugged it tightly for a moment before throwing it around my shoulder before continuing to follow the light of the gem. I could see it somewhere in the distance, my hearing finally coming back to me. The rumbling and booming coming from the Demon as everyone else yelled and went on the all out offense. I shook my head and pulled my hair behind my ears, standing up and watching the fight from afar.
Ah, screw it! We need to get out of here now! No more holding back!
I crouched down and shoved my hand in my bag, shuffling around until my fingers gripped something familiar and I pulled it out.
The blue paintbrush.
Enough was enough, no more shall be a prisoner of shadows. We're getting out of this now!