The Inventor and the Phoenix

The Spell Lifted

Warning: blood, temporary death.

A/n: Yes! At long last, I've finished it!

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Rodney tenderly held Aaliyah in his arms, afraid of hurting her any further. Cappy rushed into the balcony, only to stop in her tracks when she saw the Princess badly wounded and gasped. By then, the rose was soon down to one last petal, the rest fading to the dark color of red.

From below, the Castle staff, Rusties, and Gang all dashed outside and found Rodney and Aaliyah on the balcony in the West Wing. Nabel gasped with shock and heartbreak the second she saw her beloved sister terribly injured.

Aaliyah's underdress was covered in blood from the wound on her side. Even Rodney's hand was soaked in the red liquid as he tried to hold it in. The Phoenix weakly turned her head towards Rodney, her eyes already losing life fast.

"Rodney...you came back..." she gasped weakly.

"Of course, I came back. I swear I'm not leaving again," Rodney replied, his voice close to cracking.

"Maybe...it's–it's better this way."

"Hey, hey, c'mon. Don't talk like that. You're gonna be okay. You'll be alright. I'm here now, we're together. Everything's gonna be alright. I promise..." Rodney rambled, trying to hold back the blood from dripping more.

Aaliyah weakly placed a hand on his cheek and wiped a tear forming from his eye. "At least...I got to see you...just one last time..."

Rodney held onto her hand as tight as he could close to his cheek. His eyes squeezed shut to hold back the tears already breaking free from his eyelids. Cappy watched it all unfold as Wonderbot whined with devastation.

Aaliyah's hand slipped from Rodney's grip and fell to the ground as her last breath escaped her lips.

Rodney shook his head before he held her close, his body shaking with each shuddering breath he took.

"...and I love you.." his confession was barely a whisper.

Just as he said it, the last petal fell and finally joined the rest. Cappy covered her mouth to keep back her sobs. Wonderbot hung its head low as it whimpered.

Nabel sobbed and clung to Matt, who held her close as tears streamed down her eyes. Sam covered her face and did the same with Josh, who followed Matt's move. Lily whined as Caleb's tears silently streamed down his cheeks. Ginger wrapped an arm around Brittany comfortingly. The Rusties and Castle staff hung their heads in sadness.

Rodney quietly cried, holding onto Aaliyah, as the rain continued to fall from above.

However, a beam of light came in.

Then another. Soon more, joined one after the other.

Rodney saw what was happening and backed away as Aaliyah's body floated up in the air. His eyes widened with wonder and astonishment. Cappy silently gasped, and Wonderbot did the same as well.

A mist encircled Aaliyah as she was magically lifted and embraced by a cloud. From behind it, her body started to change physically. The red color of her skin changed to a fair tone from her neck down to her feet. The feathers of her hair melted away to long, silky auburn curls. The face soon changed back to the same color as the rest of her lower body. The wings disappeared from her back, and her body arched back. Gold tendrils surrounded her just as the cloud faded away, encircling her for a moment.

What seemed like eternity lasted for a moment. The young woman was soon let down and pushed herself to her feet. Her underdress was still undamaged, albeit a shred from the wound that was inflicted on her. The blood had disappeared from the side and Rodney's hand and shirt.