Conceal || ItsFunneh AU

20 | the final battle (pt. 1)

Abigale roars in pain. To my surprise, she doesn't faint or even stagger backward.

Well, that didn't work. I must've missed and hit the side of her forehead.

"Bet you didn't see that coming!" I yell smugly before sprinting to the forest where my siblings had just gone through.

I don't need to look behind to see that Abigale has followed.

Thick tree branches rain down around me like fists as I zoom past, trying my best to dodge them.

Are you serious? Has the kick to the forehead really done nothing? Maybe she's too old to feel it; her skin's wrinkles prevented my kick from doing much damage.

"Little girl! You will pay!" Abigale snarls from behind me, and a shiver goes through me at how close her voice sounds. She laughs, "That's right! You should be scared!"

Jumping over fallen logs, I sneak a look back at Abigale. She's close behind,

Very close.

How the heck is this century-old witch still sprinting, not even short of breath?

"Ah!" A yell tears out of my throat as my feet trip over a root. I hit the soiled ground, hard.

"You can only run so far, little girl." Abigale slows to a stop in front of me as I viciously tug at my foot, trying to free it from underneath the damned root.

With a grunt, I kick Abigale with my free foot. Thank God for heeled boots.

She stumbles back a few steps, but she only laughs and twirls her fingers. In an instant, the root trapping my foot turns into a knot and shoots upward, pulling my support out from underneath me, forcing me to dangle upside down.

As much as I try to keep the thought from bubbling out, my inner voice whispers a pained "Ow."

A side of Abigale's mouth lifts up in a satisfied smile. But unlike the warm half-smile I've grown to love, this one repulses me.

Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and envision the rope, including me, disappearing from view. I feel the grip around my foot slightly loosens as Abigail lets out a surprised grunt, her magic faltering.

"I can still hear your thoughts! Your little tricks won't work on me!" Abigale yells as I swing and tug as hard as I can, forcing the root to let me go.

Landing on the ground in a hard thump, I resist the urge to lie there and steady my spinning head.

Almost... there...

"There you are!" Abigale lunges for me, but I manage to stumble away from her. I run towards the centre of the forest as fast I can, not even trying to keep my path hidden.

Just when I thought Abigale's gnarly fingers would reach me, an arrow shoots out and pins her pointy witch hat to the tree behind us, momentarily stopping Abigale. Long teal hair spills out, but unlike my hair, it has streaks of black in it.

Funneh steps out, crossbow in hands, grinning. "I knew those archery lessons would come in handy one day. Get away from my sister, you witch!"

My feet stumble again and I fall in the clearing, panting heavily. I feel like I have too much air yet not enough air at the same time.

"Ah, you're the blue-haired one. I've seen much of you in Lunar's mind, you know. We can practically be sisters!"

"Don't degrade me like that," Funneh loads another arrow and shoots it, faster than I've ever seen anyone shoot, but Abigale is ready; a whirl of wind makes a shield in front of her, manipulating the arrow into turning course and aiming straight for Funneh's heart.

"Funneh!" Alec's voice reaches me moments after his lunging figure knocks Funneh away from the arrow. It pierces the tree behind with so much force that it shudders.

"Alec? But you—you're not supposed to expose yourself!" Funneh whispers, wide-eyed, as Alec stands in front of Funneh, whipping his glaive out, narrowed eyes set on Abigale.

Oh, that's not the look you want from Alec.

"Oh, how cute," Abigale remarks dryly, retrieving her pointy witch hat and putting it back on.

I force the panicked thoughts that are threatening to spill out away, focusing only on Abigaile. Still, one traitorous thought escapes.

If Alec is here, then—nope, nope, nope, not thinking about it.

"Oh? There are reinforcements, huh. I guess I should've expected that; Lunar's too weak to do anything alone." Abigale turns her dark purple eyes to me.

An arrow shoots out from behind Alec, straight at Abigale, who barely manages to dodge it. She isn't prepared for Alec though, who arrives right after the arrow and jabs at Abigale, forcing her into the centre of the clearing.

A block of ice shoots up from the ground, encasing Alec in it.

"Alec!" Funneh—no, Kyran, yells as he charges out from behind a bush. He doesn't get very far though, as a branch comes down and throws him into the forest carelessly. He disappears from view.

A gasp sounds from the bush across the clearing, and the same branch reaches in and pulls out a struggling Gold.

"Enough!" Rainbow yells, stepping out from behind a tree, her necklace held out in front of her like a shield. "Begone, witch!"

Abigale's eyes bulge and widen and she arches, choking.

Rainbow and I exchange wide-eyes looks. Did we do it?

INTERMISSION TIME

(Grab a snack, a drink, a pillow, whatever you need to survive the following intense bit)