Enemy of My Frenemy (John Smith 10)

Story
At night, Gwen sneaks into an old fashioned mansion. She enters a library.

Gwen: Ortis. (A book off the bookshelf flies at her. She skims through the pages.) This is what I was looking for. (Then, Gwen is caught in a mana bubble, which was shrinking.) Ugh! What?

Hex: Foolish girl! You thought that you could sneak in and steal my book undetected. Don’t forget that I’m a master magician. (The bubble was continuing to shrink, and Gwen was squirming, trying to use her powers.) Don’t bother. It is draining you of your powers.

Gwen: I need it to find out Ledgerdomain’s true name, to find Charmcaster! (Hex was surprised, and releases her.)

Hex: Charmcaster is in Ledgerdomain?

Gwen: Yes. She had us help her fight Adwaita, and she obtained the Alpha Rune. (Hex takes the book out of her hand.)

Hex: The book won’t do you any good. The true name to Ledgerdomain has been changing every few seconds.

Gwen: Come with us. Help us find her.

Hex: My brother, and Charmcaster’s father, sacrificed himself to get us out of that dimension. I’m not going on a suicide mission to defy his last wish. Do what you will. But leave me out of it. (Gwen nods, and leaves.)

End Scene

Kevin: Hahahaha! You actually want to go back to Ledgerdomain? Hahahaha! Hilarious. (The group is hanging out at Kevin’s garage.)

Gwen: I’m serious. Charmcaster is still in there, and we’ve left her there for too long now.

Kevin: Why would we help our enemy, again?

John: Because we promised that we’d go back for her.

Kevin: Isn’t that a conflict of interest, now that you’re back with Julie?

John: What are you talking about?

Gwen: He does have a point.

Kevin: Yeah. Wait, I do?

Gwen: It did seem like you two have more than a “just friends” relationship.

John: There’s nothing going on between us. Let’s go.

Gwen: (sighs) Fine. (Gwen creates a mana dome around them, and they teleport away. They arrive in front of the Door to Anywhere.)

John: You said the name changes every few seconds. How do we get in?

Gwen: I wrote an algorithm to figure out what the name will be before it changes. (She pulls out her laptop, and starts typing. She gives it a couple tries, and after a few failed attempts, it works, and the Door opens.)

Kevin: It worked.

John: Let’s go. (The three walk into the door, which closes behind them.) End Scene

They walk down the stone pathway, when Scrutins appear in the sky, firing mana blasts from their eyes.

Kevin: Oh, come on! We haven’t even been here five minutes. (Gwen fires a mana blast, destroying a large group of them.)

Gwen: Whoa! I forgot how powerful my powers are here.

John: There are more of them coming.

John turns into Articguana, firing his freeze ray at the Scrutin. The Scrutin scatter, but continue to attack. Gwen fires more mana blasts, creating explosions on everything it hits.

Kevin: Shouldn’t they be reporting back or something? (He absorbs stone.)

Gwen: Not if their orders are to eliminate.

Articguana: Hey cool cats! (Gwen and Kevin turn.) There’s a cave over on the next rock over.

Articguana fires his freeze ray, creating a path to the cave. The three slide down the ice path, and enter the cave. Kevin slams his arms into the ice, destroying it. They retreat into the cave, and the Scrutin follow. Gwen fires a mana blast, destroying them all. Articguana reverts.

Gwen: Whoo! That was close.

Voice: You’re telling me. (The three turn, seeing a stone creature, though he has no runes covering his body.) I’ve been hiding here for months now, and I’ve never had a problem until you appeared.

Kevin: Another one?

John: Stand down, Kevin. (Turns to the stone creature.) Sorry if we intruded. We are looking for a girl named Charmcaster. Can you help us?

Voice: Maybe. I am known as Ignatius. After the fall of Adwaita, a great civil war began to see who would take his place. I decided not to take the office, so I’ve been living quietly here. I may not be able to help you find who your looking for, but the ruler of Ledgerdomain is at Adwaita’s old palace.

John: Can you help us get there? We need to see if she’s alright.

Ignatius: Very well. However, I make no promises on what we will find. Or if we will survive. End Scene

They are walking along the stone path, when they find Adwaita trapped in a device that was draining his mana. His head isn’t on fire.

Kevin: Looks Adwaita’s down.

John: That means that Charmcaster could still be alive.

Ignatius: Let us keep going. We shouldn’t trouble ourselves with him.

Gwen: No. We should free him. Not even he deserves this.

Kevin: You’re kidding, right? (Gwen stares angrily at Kevin.) Fine, fine. But I still think this is a bad idea. (Kevin absorbs stone, and morphs his hand into a mallet. He breaks the device holding Adwaita, freeing him.)

Adwaita: You freed me.

Gwen: Doesn’t mean we trust you. Necte Artes Magicas! (Mana handcuffs are created around Adwaita’s hands.) You’re coming with us.

The group continues to walk, and they arrive at a watering hole.

John: Finally! I’m thirsty. We’ve been walking for hours.

Ignatius: I suppose that we can stop for a little while. (The group stops to get a drink, Adwaita going a little ways away from them.)

Adwaita: '''Abrogo Necterendum. (The mana handcuffs disappear.) Noukarandam.''' (Mana travels over the mana, hitting a floating mountain. Then, the water turns into a giant monster, with several tentacles.)

Kevin: Whoa!

Ignatius: Adwaita! (They turn, and see Adwaita running off.)

Gwen: Come back! Ahh!

The four are grabbed by water tentacles, held down. Ignatius has an arm out of the water, and points it at the water monster. He fires a white blast of mana at it, but it regenerates. The water monster slams Ignatius into the ground, and he tears through the ground, his body cracked. John turns into Water Hazard, and the water trapping him is separated from the water monster, Water Hazard standing on it. He then fires his water cannons at the floating mountain in the distance, destroying it. The water monster falls, and the three fall into the water. The three get out, Water Hazard reverting.

John: Ignatius! (The three run over to him.)

Ignatius: Relax, I am fine. I’ll be able to heal in a couple of hours. If you follow the path, you’ll reach the castle. But be careful

John: Of course. (Turns to the others.) Let’s go. End Scene

The group are on a cliff overseeing Adwaita’s old castle, where they see Adwaita approaching it. In the distance, is a giant machine, firing a tower of mana into the sky.

Adwaita: Come out, sorceress! I challenge you for my throne!

Gwen: I wonder who he’s talking to.

John: I think I have a guess. (Out of the castle, comes a Palorfang, with Charmcaster riding it. Around her neck, is the Alpha Rune.) As I thought.

Charmcaster: So you’re free. I was hoping to drain more of your mana, but oh well. (Charmcaster fires a blast of mana at Adwaita, which hits and knocks him down. Then, mana flies out of Adwaita, and flies into the tower of mana in the distance.)

Gwen: She just. Killed him.

Kevin: And he’s immune to mana.

Charmcaster: I know your out there! John Smith! Come out! I can add your souls to the numbers.

Gwen: How does she know?

John: Don’t know. (John turns into Terraspin.)

Terraspin: Meet you down there. (Terraspin spins, and flies down. He then stops in front of Charmcaster, and releases a large gust of wind at her. Charmcaster yawns, and swings her arm, hitting Terraspin with an invisible force, forcing him to the ground.)

Charmcaster: Come on, John. Surely you realize that that form won’t work anymore. It didn’t protect Adwaita. (Gwen and Kevin arrive.) And you will all die.

Terraspin: Why, Charmcaster? You are a caring girl. You’re not a murderer.

Charmcaster: With the Alpha Rune, I can accomplish my life long goal, to revive my father.

Kevin: But he’s dead.

Charmcaster: Not for long. I will offer the Lord of the Dead the souls of Ledgerdomain, and bring him back to life. That includes you three. (Charmcaster levitates, and an army of stone creatures rise out of the ground.) Destroy them. (The army charges. A stone creature reaches Terraspin, and he knocks it aside with his flipper.)

Terraspin: Distract them! I’ve got the machine. (Terraspin takes to the air.)

Gwen: I’ve got Charmcaster. (Gwen turns into her anodite form, and flies off. The Palorfang charges Kevin, who absorbs stone.)

Kevin: You guys are seriously leaving me to fight this thing again? I can’t believe this.

Terraspin makes it over to the machine, when a stone creature appears and hammers its arms into him, sending him into the ground. From the smoke, Rath comes out, surrounded by stone creatures.

Rath: LEMME TELL YA SOMETHIN’ STONE CREATURES FOLLOWING CHARMCASTER! YOU’RE ABOUT BE BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, AS NOTHING’S HARDER THAN THE IRON FIST OF THE RATH!

Rath charges through the stone creatures, punching them aside and they go flying. Gwen fires several mana blasts at Charmcaster, but she dodges with ease, firing lightning blasts at her. Kevin is running from a charging Palorfang, which then breathes fire at him. He dodges, and jumps, and lands on its head. It swings its head, trying to swing him off. It works, and Kevin goes flying, hitting the machine. He sees Rath punching the machine.

Kevin: Rath? Seriously? You could’ve picked any alien, but you picked Rath?

Rath: LEMME TELL YA SOMETHIN’, KEVIN E. LEVIN! RATH WILL DO WHAT HE WANTS, WHEN HE WANTS! AND IF RATH THINKS THAT A DIFFERENT ALIEN CAN HANDLE THIS BETTER, THAN RATH WILL TURN INTO THE ALIEN THAT RATH THINKS CAN HANDLE IT!

Gwen and Charmcaster both fire mana blasts, their attacks deadlocking.

Charmcaster: Give up, princess. You may be naturally gifted, but I have the Alpha Rune. (The attack pushes through, and Gwen is knocked down. Rath turns into Chromastone, and flies up to the top of the machine.)

Chromastone: If destroying the machine won’t work, then I’ll simply absorb it. (Chromastone enters the tower of mana, and screams.) Too, much, power! (Chromastone is shot out of the tower, and hits the ground, and reverts. His soul leaves his body, and enters the tower.)

Gwen: John! (Gwen turns, and sees Charmcaster fire a mana blast at her. Kevin comes in, and pushes her out of the way. He’s hit, and he falls, his stone layering disappearing. His soul leaves his body, flying to the tower.) NOOOO! (Gwen takes to the air, and fires her most powerful mana blast. Charmcaster raises her hand, and absorbs the attack. Charmcaster uses this to drain Gwen, and she reverts to human form, and she hits the ground, her soul leaving her body.)

Charmcaster: Now. Aprituon Paddi Lebbirditti Erkum Kunkim! (The Alpha Rune glows brightly, as a tear in the sky forms.) Lord of the Dead! I demand my father’s, Spellbinder’s, soul back.

Lord of the Dead: Life must be paid with life. What do you offer in exchange?

Charmcaster: I offer you every soul in Ledgerdomain, 600,000 souls! Exigei Animus Omnivus! (Souls from all around Ledgerdomain fly into the tower of mana, which shoots up to the tear in the sky. After a few moments, the tower of mana is completely sucked in.)

Lord of the Dead: Offer accepted. (A single soul comes out of the tear, and takes a human form. He looks to be in his 40’s, with white hair and beard.)

Spellbinder: What, where am I?

Charmcaster: Father! (Charmcaster hugs him, crying.) You’re alive. You’re really alive!

Spellbinder: Hope. I don’t understand. How am I here? I’m, dead.

Charmcaster: I did it! I traded all the souls in Ledgerdomain to bring you back.

Spellbinder: What!? Oh, Hope. I’m so disappointed.

Charmcaster: What? But, but.

Spellbinder: I sacrificed myself to get you out of Ledgerdomain, so you could live a fairly normal life. Now, you have become an even crueler ruler than Adwaita ever was. (Puts his hand on her shoulder.) I love you, Hope. But I can’t stay knowing all those souls were sacrificed. (Spellbinder turns back into a soul, and flies back to the tear.)

Lord of the Dead: The deal has been cancelled. And all souls offered will be returned. (Thousands of souls fly out of the tear, returning to their bodies. John, Gwen and Kevin wake up, and see Charmcaster on her knees, tears flowing down her face, as if her mind was destroyed.)

John: Charmcaster? Are you alright? (Charmcaster was unresponsive.) We were, dead, right?

Gwen: Yes. Her father was revived, but apparently, he was returned.

Kevin: We should go.

Gwen: What!? She should have to (Kevin stares angrily at Gwen, shocking her.) Okay. (The three walk away, leaving the castle.) What was that for?

Kevin: She just lost the one goal she had in life. She’ll need time to recover, and it won’t be easy. It’s best right now to leave her alone.

John: I wish we could help her. End Scene

Back at Hex’s mansion, Hex is meditating. His eyes then opens, and he swings his staff, opening the door. Outside, is Animo.

Animo: Hello, Hex. My old acquaintance.

Hex: (slightly surprised) Dr. Animo. What a surprise.

Animo: I’m sorry to disturb you, but I have found myself in a predicament. A predicament that will take too long to solve with science. So, I thought that a little magic would be able to do the trick.

Hex: Hm. What kind of help do you need?

Animo: I will explain everything to you.

Characters

 * John Smith
 * Gwen Tennyson
 * Kevin Levin
 * Ignatius
 * Hex
 * Lord of the Dead (voice only)

Villains

 * Charmcaster (main villain)
 * Adwaita
 * Palorfang
 * Scrutin
 * Dr. Animo

Aliens

 * Articguana
 * Water Hazard
 * Terraspin
 * Rath
 * Chromastone

Trivia

 * Animo asks for Hex's help.
 * John, Gwen and Kevin all die, then are brought back to life.
 * This is the 100th episode of John Smith 10.