#10: Calgary

By: M Monroe Casey 

Part One

Snapping with her other hand only, Baleigh Sofia Luisa launched the starlight into the vastness of the northern Atlantic Ocean ahead. Taking a second to breath as she sat on CJ’s stomach victorious, the whole land around them sighed its own relief as well. She has successfully defeated the High Goddess in combat. For now, The Star Goddess was the victor but she was not alone. Using the combined powers of five Goddesses, she was able to best her. Five but not six. For another still walked in the shadows. Ever closer to a very precious hut.  

“Well… okay. I better get off of you,” she muttered. 

Helping CJ up from the changed ground and the divot in the churned earth that they created in her crash landing, Nathaly and Monica joined them in that moment as apologies were exchanged amongst them. 

“I’m sorry,” said the ashamed Goddess of Beauty first. 

“It’s fine. All is forgiven. Honestly, you lost someone important to you. You’re just lucky your friend was here to protect you.” 

With a smirk growing, she replied, “Yeah…. My friend,” as it turned into a full smile. Patting Baleigh on the shoulder, the Star Goddess then began to work that apology out of CJ, no midsection glowing this time. Just naturally. 

“Yeah… of course I’ll protect all my friends but is there anything you would like to apologize for?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Oh… I don’t know… how you basically called us all ‘your unworthy underlings’ or something along those lines?” 

“Yeah… My bad.” 

“That’s it?”  

“Okay. Fine. I was wrong to call you all lower than me. I am the High Goddess, yeah. But that doesn’t mean I’m automatically better than you. I was wrong. Is that okay?” 

“Almost. Now, apologize to Monica. Making her sit through that awful performance you just showed.” 

With a smile and a playful eye roll, CJ turned to her beloved and explained to her everything she felt. How she’s the most irreplaceable facet of her life. A true beacon of her life and that’s why she lost it. It was all just a response to a “Monica-Less” life that was being threatened to her existence. With the clear winner of it all, Baleigh, watched on and smiled. Knowing that this conflict may have temporarily turned lovers and friends on each other but the truest bonds will last among the thickest and hardest of circumstances. As the two of them kissed then hugged it out in the southern end of the world, she felt a deep wave of pressure in the air again. Coming from the other four Goddess slivers that still existed in her. They didn’t leave and they had something to tell her. 

“Ummm… y’all… why didn’t I lose the other powers yet?” 

Nathaly tried to answer, “Hmmm… well, I’m still here so obviously, you have mine but like the others? Maybe they sense a threat? Well… how did you get them the first time?” 

“I hope not but ummm… I just thought about how I wish for some more back-up. I just mainly accessed desires, I guess. Focusing really hard on what I wanted then I was able to use their powers as my own.”

“Wait… what was that you said to me in the fight?” 

“What part?” 

“About how the Goddesses just want a part of what I have… The world. Monica. Security. Think about it, Baleigh… There are six total and I stepped out and you hit me. I descended. So, that can only mean one thing…”

The other three replied in unison, “No…”  

“Accessories.” 

“She planned this?” 

“This was her plan all along. That’s how you can access their powers even though they aren’t here. She took them but you still can use them. But she took them first and crippled Nathaly so she would lose it and attack us…” 

Clenching her fist with great anger, Nathaly added to the commentary, “Roberto died for that… so, it wasn’t any of your faults. Or even Lighting. It was OMG… She turned us against each other… like little puppets…” 

Monica joined the conversation as the plotlines were finally starting to connect, “Yeah… from the very beginning, I think. Used Lighting to turn Rashid into his forms and used Design to deliver Smooth Stone back to Sionwonie. His father broke the bond but she reattached it. That’s who the shadowy force is on the Windowsill then. She must have her own Pyroclastian curse to avoid it. Which can only mean she probably cursed the others too…” 

Deciding to return back to CJ and Monica’s world together to formulate a better plan, Baleigh immediately froze in place as her senses of the pressures began to overwhelm her. 

Rushing to her side first, “Baleigh, what’s wrong?” asked Nathaly. 

“The hut. Cal. Tadala. In. Danger.” 

With CJ and Monica immediately opening a portal home for them to follow, they all stepped in as Delanie Evelyn stepped up to deliver a midnight black chain fist with the width of a small tree into the side of the hut, opposite of the Windowsill. 

Part Two 

With CJ and Monica Dancer landing first, they charged ahead at OMG as she loaded up another fist, manically laughing while doing it. A glow on her left and right hoop but before she could make anything from them, a blast of pink starlight from behind lightly pushed her out of the way. Looking back in confusion, Baleigh responded. 

“We got this. This is personal.” 

“You sure?” 

“Yeah… pretty sure at least.” 

With a smile about how the other Goddesses are proving to be stronger than she ever bargained for, CJ bowed her head out of the fight as Baleigh Sofia snapped and launched a super charged blast of starlight, converting it into a boulder-sized fist, using a wrapping of brown aura. Crashing into Delanie with a great velocity, she was slightly knocked to the side before the third, and the one that would proceed to decimate, hit could land on the wall. Turning her chain-mummy covered head towards her, a cackle was heard before the play’s “Demon” spoke for the first time to any of them. Nathaly wasn’t even Stained Glass yet when those “ties” were formed. Before the inevitable betrayal, of course. 

“Bales… doll. Hello.” 

“Don’t call me Bales. Or doll.” 

“Oh baby, why the hostility?” 

“Don’t call me baby either,” her second starlight aura fist was met with a chain shield. 

“Oh… you’re so serious. You’re no fun.” 

From her left came glass shards that were instantly met with another chain shield on the other hand, “Oh… hey. Nathaly. So, you two are friends now?” 

 “That’s one good thing that came from what you did,” muttered Baleigh as her midsection still didn’t glow. Just a blood red light erupted from her other hand as it too was blocked. 

“Oh? And what did I exactly do? Fight gallantly to free you all from the hierarchy and tyranny?” 

“Gallantly?! You betrayed us all and cursed poor Lenna-Anna and Vittoria!” 

“Poor Lenna-Anna and Vittoria? They chose this, same as I did. They got an upgrade by choice.” 

“ENOUGH!” 

More glass shards rained in from the left as her two lights came in from the right. Then, with a smirk hidden to all, OMG siphoned it into one “lightning rod” chain and proceeded to redirect their hits back to them. Sourcing the aura, she fashioned a shield while Nathaly used a palm like their own fight in Merida to block the energy. But before she could raise another hand up, an outstretched lashing chain landed into her exposed chest. 

Knocking her back into the ocean where she “telejacked” Monica not too long ago. With a swell of imploding waves and surging seafoam water, her cackle overtook the air around them, louder than ever. 

“No dear. I think that’s enough of you. Oh… Baleigh… I got something equally FUN for you.”  

Launching a similar lashing chain to her right, Delanie saw it get met by her aura shield once more then with a hole in it, red light launched back at her and the first hit to the Goddess of Accessories was delivered. Laughing at her own pain, they began to volley the cycle over and over again. Unknown to the chained one that her midsection started to glow now as they stopped and attempted to talk it out. 

“You are no match for five Goddesses, OMG. Just surrender.” 

“I’ll admit kid, this is more fun than I thought but I’ll never let Harold go. Not when I came this far.” 

“Harold? Who’s Harold?” 

“Harold is why I do this all, dear. You wouldn’t understand the sacrifice. You’re too young…” Her head sulked down towards the gold sands below. 

“The sacrifice? What makes you think I wouldn’t understand?” As she continued to have this talk, Nathaly began to walk on the sand once more. Towards them both. 

“Yes. That blonde haired real superhero didn’t have a choice. Harold and Delanie, high school sweethearts and all. It was so perfect. We just got married and we had plans to start a family. But we needed the money. We were so poor but so happy… We didn’t have much but we had each other. But it didn’t have to be like that, we could have had more but that’s just how our world was built, I guess. So, my man had to go to the service. It was the only way given the cards they dealt us. You understand dear, we weren’t one of those rich families who could afford to skip it. He had to go and early that next year, in March, I lost my beloved…” 

“I’m so sorry…” 

“But then, I learned of a legend in my very own city of Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The Chains of Eternal Life. So, I searched tirelessly. Library book upon mystical sage’s wisdom, I searched. It was there, I found it. My truest peace. My realest freedom. Every source told me that these chains take over unwilling hosts and use them to become a sort of “Demon,” or an antithesis of a Goddess hierarchy. But little did those sources know… I was probably their first willing host.”

Nathaly got closer. Closing in behind her. A fist clenched. 

“So, you gave yourself to them by choice?” 

“Yes. I found the lair under Cooper Avenue South and I performed the ritual. Offering my own soul as the ante. I said the little poem and donned my last great hope. Then, all I needed to do was get to the world of the High Goddess and then access the key to leave and go. Once I can do that, I can go back to before his death and get my beloved. Then, in that world, we can live out our days forever. Is that so wrong?” 

Two tears slid down Monica’s face as she realized just why OMG did all of this. Baleigh had no response too as Delanie continued. 

Raising her head up, she made eye contact with the Star Goddess now, “And… I didn’t notice right away. But now, I’m aware you are using our favorite little Jessica’s powers. Well, I wanted to finish my story anyway. I just wanted to tell you why before I completely end you all. It’s only fair and speaking of fairness…” 

Without warning, she abruptly turned behind her and landed the largest chain fist that any of them have ever seen yet into the unsuspecting face of Stained Glass. No launching into the distance as two chains caught her in place. All that was left in the impact was a pearl as she reached down and applied it to her necklace. Shuttering while doing it. 

“NATHALY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Yelled Baleigh from across the battlefield. 

“There… better. Five versus five.”

With a heightened rage from the Star now, they continued to fire bursts of power back and forth. Shields blocked each hit as they were perfectly matched. If it wasn’t for the power boosts of the others, Baleigh would be beyond low by now after the fight with CJ happening only a few moments ago. Moments to them but weeks to the outside worlds. For the time of two earthly weeks, they continued which the Cosmos would later describe as one of the longest fights between two forces. Stopping for a second, they sized each other up. 

Baleigh was able to wield their powers as her own. A list formed in her own mind. She had her own starlight, Vittoria’s powerful spotlight, Jessica’s conversational abilities, Lenna-Anna’s reshaping aura and Nathaly’s glassy coverings. She could use and wield them all but it seems Delanie didn’t quite get their blessing to do just that. She was merely using them as a very very STRONG battery. Amping up her own powers fourfold. 

With the calendars shifting to December 13th back on Earth, the light snowfall began to fall on Calgary’s city center skyline.    

“You want my powers too?” 

“Obviously, dear. It’s the only outcome. I get you and then I get everything.” 

“Well, come and get me.” 

Teleporting off-world as a chained fist was caught in her own glassy left hand, they both landed in Surabaya, Indonesia as they separated only for a second before the fists came swinging in once again. 

Part Three

Standing in the humid streets alone, the two of them held each other’s fists and stood for a second. Only analyzing. They both just wanted something so simple. Baleigh wanted time with her friends and family. Time to appreciate and share with them, just living. Delanie wanted something similar. Her beloved Harold and the security of each other. A family. Much like her own. Despite all that she has done, the lives she’s turned upside down, all Baleigh could feel is a sense of sadness for this even more sad soul. A single thought then rang through her mind, why does one of us have to lose? 

With the Windowsill recording no longer in its lonesome, Monica and CJ returned to Mt. Couch to see the outcome finally come to fruition. The War of Goddesses was finally going to come to its dramatic end “today.” With the one and only Star joining the roles finally, it was time for the truest ending possible. Then, as Monica pulled out the robust notepad for the War so far, she continued to add notes as a chain fist attempted to add an impact to her unprotected face. Determined eyes saw this and moonlight staved it off in a quick wall of defense. Retaliating, with a glassy punch of her own, it delivered and knocked Delanie back one centimeter. 

After all, that’s all they were fighting with at that time, centimeters and gaining only those. The empty streets and shops around the city center of Surabaya hosted none to watch her greatest triumph as Delanie abruptly decided that a change of scenery was needed. Grabbing onto Baleigh’s wrist, she brought them both to the busier streets in the northeast corner of Gaborone, Botswana and then proceeded to bring a deafening knee to her stomach. With a cough of pain, she then dropped an elbow into Baleigh’s back. With a yell of pain this time, the Star kicked down on her foot with a glassy boot wrapped in a heavy brown aura, grabbing Delanie’s wrist and transported them both away. Far away. Sharing that trip together. Knowing that she needed to get some more space to make a proper counterattack. 

Crash landing and then instantly separating in the sands of the Gobi desert near the outskirts of Tsogt-Ovoo, Mongolia, the two of them wasted no time in launching an assault in this new location. Lashing chains met an aura shield as neither of them was gaining any headway in this fight. They were too evenly matched and the plan to change the scenery was proving to mean nothing as the combination of starlight and a spotlight encased in a glass chute and amped up in brown aura was merely stopped with an extra large, two-handed shield. Watching the chains then rewrap themselves into fists before the next onslaught and glad she decided to sit this one out, CJ commented to Monica. 

“Woah… they are so… equal.”

“Yeah… What do you think of this?”

“What do you mean? You’re the Windowsill expert. You tell me.” 

Fists met each other once more. 

“It’s just a shame, you know. After hearing Delanie’s story. I won’t deny she’s done bad things but it just really sucks one of them has to lose, you know?” 

“Yeah. I mean look at what I did in Patagonia. Even thinking of losing someone like that really does mess with someone’s mind.”

“True.”      

The batteries are starting to drain now for them both as the shields and fist-catching are failing more and more.  Hits are getting through and seeing this opportunity, she knew it was time to take them somewhere she had the advantage. Purposely missing a hit and letting it smack her back a few breaths, she dropped to her knees and reached up to grab the midnight shaded menace of pain. Transporting them both to Seventh Avenue Southeast, Calgary, Canada. Arriving in the lightly snow-dusted streets, she stood up first in her now blue-sweatshirt and light blue pants. Brunette hair pulled back, a snap loaded and a smile on her face. 

“Thanks for the outfit change, Lenna-Anna. This is so much more Calgary in December.” 

Part Four 

Responding to her silly remark with nothing but confusion, it was becoming more and more clear that her curse didn’t affect just her stealth. There seems to be a big difference between the Delanie who told them that story and the one who did all that they did to the other Goddesses. OMG and Delanie. 

“You are going to die soon and you are commenting and wasting your energy on your outfit changes?! You don’t even deserve this power!” 

“Ummm… What?” 

“You have one of the greatest powers in the Cosmos and you waste it. You know nothing of sacrifice or the vision it requires to be unforgettable. I’LL REDUCE IT ALL TO RUBBLE AND REBUILD, AWAY FROM THIS CORRUPT AND PAINFUL EXISTENCE THAT WE ALL KNOW AND ARE FORCED TO SHARE! I’LL SHOW YOU ALL!” 

“Who’s all? I’m so lost…” 

“All is everyone. The sheep. For there is only power and those who are strong enough to seize it for themselves. Good and evil are a lie. But I’m awoken now. No snakes in my grass,” bashing her chain fists together to show in an intimidating force that she means business. 

“Ummm… again, I’ll ask, what?” 

“The world is pain and you just need to be stronger. You must hustle hard, Baleigh. No days off.”  

“I feel like you are just spitting out cliches off the internet right now so, maybe that’s the curse talking? But ummm… yeah? Fight me again?”

“YES!” 

“Okay…”

As the rage-possessed Demon charged her, she was ready this time with an aura wrapped glass fist to deliver to her gut. With an audible gasp from the impact, she then rapidly increased the aura output and sent the opposition crashing into the heart of her hometown city center. 

Sliding from a combination of the snowy terrain and the sheer force that forced her in that direction, OMG slid until she reached Centre Street South. Rushing her first as the small number of scurrying citizens fled the early morning streets in every direction, Baleigh attempted to further the attack with a starlight fueled hit now. Catching it this time, she then accessed the extra strength from the Goddess battery and tossed her southwards, a total of two city blocks. Hitting the pavement on Ninth Ave Southeast, she stood up in a flurry as the flurries began to pick up speed above. Ready with a hit of her own to OMG’s chainy jaw. Launching her east until she crash landed in the pavement this time on Fourth Street Southeast. Watching her opponent stand up in a hurry and land a kick to her that sent her crashing into the sidewalk near one of her own favorite places in the city, the riverwalk of the Bow. Without a second to waste, she returned the launching favor to OMG this time, soaring above the train tracks to proceed to create a divot in gray asphalt of Eleventh Avenue Southeast. Leaping above the same tracks, she was coming down with a massive aura attack in the shape of the brown boot she led with. Ready for it with her accessories taking the shape of her own hands but bigger and more metallic, she caught her and tossed her more to the south. Smashing hard into the ground on Saddledome Rise Southeast, she lay with eyes closed as her opponent quickly caught up. Standing at her feet like she was in a sunken-in grave of churned concrete, a smile sat underneath her hidden face as Monica and CJ gasped. 

With a cackle of laughter and a yell, Delanie proceeded to warm up a chain fist. Even larger than the one she used to take down Nathaly. With the width of a large car, it was intended for one thing and one thing only and with this blatant use of an “overkill attack,” she had to source a lot of her wrappings to do it. Leaving whole limbs exposed and just as she was coming down to deliver the hit, two eyes opened and a comment rang through the hallowed and serious battlefield. The type of comment that let you know that, “Oh yeah, this was definitely the real Baleigh fighting.” 

“You know… Nathaly fell for this too. You doomsday spreaders are always the same.” 

Grabbing her bare skin near the ankle, Baleigh then began to focus deeply. 

Inhale and exhale. 

Inhale and exhale. 

Inhale and exhale. 

Accessing Accessories powers, she reduced the size of the fist that inevitably met her back and with this reduction in protection to herself, Delanie was able to do the same. Before the next hit could land, an aura shield blocked it as she stood up and blasted her back with a combination of the starlight and spotlight once more. Feeling her own powers reaching a point of irreversible levels of low, she then sourced all the others there. Now, they were literally the same. One Goddess with five layers of battery power. Really only good for one thing now.   

“There… you wanted fair. You got it. Now, we couldn’t be more fair.” 

“Six versus six…” 

“Exactly. You ready to finish this, Delanie?” 

“Yes dear. Let fate decide which role will triumph.”

“So, let’s go. Let’s punch it out.” 

“For Harold.” 

“It’s on.” 

With great energy, they both charged forward. Each of them with a heightened fist of power ready and just before they could land them, Baleigh dropped hers and tackled Delanie. Sending them both flying into the southern suburbs. 

Part Five

Crash landing all the way down on Thirty-Fourth Avenue Southwest in another impact in the concrete, they proceeded to waste no time in the hits back and forth. Stomach and body hits rained in over and over again as each of them was digging deep to permanently quiet the other. 

“Baleigh! Why do you stand in my way? WHY DO YOU HATE LOVE?” 

“Delanie! This isn’t the way!” 

“IT IS! I MUST HAVE MY HAROLD!” 

With her rage at a permanent higher level than Baleigh’s, it was apparent as her hits seemed to be slowly winning out in their near even power levels to start. Aggressively grabbing her by the shoulder, she picked the Star up to just knock her back, further into the Southeast. With a chain fist launching her into a front yard just off Stanley Road Southwest, Baleigh recognized everything. Maybe it was just because she was from Calgary but it seemed truly fitting to fight for her life here. A place that literally made and shaped her life to start. She knew every road they warred upon and she knew exactly where she wanted to take this as she stood up once more, defiantly as always.     

Knowing that she had to keep the fight on the streets and away from the heavily populated and hiding civilians, she continued to fight her back towards the river as she tackled the unsuspecting OMG once more. Bringing them both to Third Street Southeast and with her opponent’s next punch, she herself was sent to Fifty-Eighth Avenue Southeast. Without a second to spare, she returned the favor with Accessories crashing hard into a tree just off of Seventy-First Avenue Southeast. Closer to her desired destination.

With a deep breath, she pursued her and as they turned the corner onto Blackfoot Trail Southeast, they began to follow the road further south. OMG would near a building with the intent to get a rise out of the Star and she would intercept her first. Preventing the unnecessary leveling of that building. Defending her fellow Calgarians, she was beginning to get flashbacks of growing up near here. The ice cream in the summer, hot chocolate in the winter and everything in-between. Flashbacks and amongst her tiredness, she was beginning to feel truly alone in this “Demon Hunting.” With the recent upgrades to them both, it was becoming more and more apparent to her that she was the only one who could possibly stop Delanie Evelyn now. A harrowing and solitary thought. 

With an intense pressure in the air, she could feel something was different ahead though as she rocked OMG’s stomach with a punch before she could do the same to an office building near the intersection with Southland Drive Southeast. Reaching that intersection, successfully providing a buffer to the destruction incarnate all the way, she saw what made the air pressure so different. In a row on the sidewalk, she saw them all in a line. Not hiding like all the others but cheering her on. 

Her parents, Heldum, KJ, Aunt Stephanie, Tiff, Kyle, Naj, Jack, Sionwonie, Smooth Stone, Roget, Rashid, Amaia, Dmitria, Habibi, Quinn, Tom Bradley, June Seventh, The Living Pine Tree of Kuala Lumpur, Count Oliver, G.P.S., The Witch of the Mountain, The Living Marble Fountain of Florence, Bobby Saya What? and Anna-Alice “Lantern” Johnson. 

Not even quite sure how they got there together in the first place either, the group watched on as she defended them too, launching the Cackling One further into the distance. Making eye contact with a wink to Heldum and KJ as she did it. With a cheer from them all, she felt a new surge of energy and with this coursing through her veins, she sourced it all into an uppercut to her opponent. Tossing her up and over the Bow River and into the Quarry Park neighborhood’s Douglas Glen Circle Southeast. Hot on her trail with an intent to finish this fight, here and now. 

Landing only a few steps away, they began to trade conversational blows once more. 

“You can’t save them, Baleigh. You can’t save them all.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yes. They are doomed. As long as this world continues like this, they will remain doomed. I lost my world the day he died. I lost my house, my security and belief that the world will ever change. He was an idealist like you and look where that got him. This world, THE WORLD THAT YOU DEFEND, took him from me…” 

Stepping forward, Baleigh confidently approached her opponent and the situation. Fully accepting just who the Star Goddess really was.      

“You can’t blame everyone else for his death. How was it Heldum or KJ’s fault he died?” 

“I LOST EVERYTHING! I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BLAME ANYONE I WISH!” 

“No. No, you don’t. I’m sorry for what happened to you, Delanie. I really am but you are being a coward and a child.” 

“What… did… you… say?!” 

“You heard me.” 

OMG’s rage was beginning to peak as she bashed her chain fists together once more. Her nervous reflex to deal with the peaking anger. She stepped forward too.  

“HOW DARE YOU!” 

“No. How dare you. Don’t sit there and act like you are the only one who lost something. WE ALL LOSE SOMETHING. People die every day and what? Is the whole world supposed to turn the rest of the world upside down every time random fate takes someone we love?! NO! We honor them and we continue to honor them by moving on and living for them. You can’t live in the past, even if for him. You need to live now. I need to live now. WE LIVE NOW.” 

“You are literally a teenager, there is no way you can possibly fathom… you can’t possibly know how I feel! THEY MUST PAY FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE!” 

“You’re right. I don’t know exactly how you feel but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re still wrong. What’s the plan if you succeed? Swinging the pendulum back and forth forever? They do something bad, new world or old world, and you just wipe them away? AGAIN AND AGAIN?” 

Stepping within each of their arm’s length, Delanie responded. 

“No. Because what I’m building will be different. No more war. No more pain. No more loss. I may be just a middle-aged housewife but I’ll change it all. AND you can’t stop me. Out with the old and all, dearie… but it’s for the best. A whole new build for you and a whole new world for me.” 

“Built from the destruction of everyone else’s Harold…” 

Baleigh’s fists clench. 

“Costs need to be made, kiddo.” 

Delanie’s fists clench too. 

“You know… I actually did feel bad for you earlier. Now, I just want to make sure you just know one thing.” 

Her overconfident and hyper focused eyes showed the under preparedness of a planner only, “Yeah, little one? And what’s that?” 

With a rapidly launched right-handed punch, she brought it to Delanie’s midsection as she doubled over, “Changing outfits with my magic was SO worth it…” In a spin like she performed on Mt. Aktau, Baleigh then heaved her opponent like a discus at a Track & Field Meet back towards the Bow and the lightly snow-covered grasses on either side.       

Part Six

All four of their feet landed on Riverview Close Southeast and not long after, all four of their fists returned to the mission at hand. End the fight. A left hand then a right hand by Baleigh. A left and right hand by Delanie. After the last long-distance heave from the Star, their power levels were back to close to even so the numbers weren’t going to tell the end of this. Only heart and the power of their conviction. 

With a drone staying the safest distance possible, the whole of Calgary, Alberta, Canada and now, the world slowly started tuning in to the live stream. Language broadcasts with all sorts of different word usage were being shown across devices all over. “Hero,” “Villain,” “Demon,” “So coooooool,” “Powerful,” “Doomsday,” etc. Without a clear line of sight on either of them, they could only see two blurry shapes move amongst the winter flurries. Two figures now warring on the Bow River Pathway. Two figures and a trail of kneaded earth, shattered trees and residual anger. 

As the snowstorm that was once in the distance finally landed, the developing weather perfectly complimented her outfit choice, a point she made to Delanie multiple times now. The blonde-haired chain-wielding monster then proceeded to return the favor by sourcing an incredible amount of her own energy as Baleigh could feel the shift in the pressure around her. With a cackling laugh that will haunt all of those who hear it for years to come, she left-hand grabbed her on the shoulder while the extra pressure-sourced right fist connected with her gut. Launching her into the deep deep distance. OMG had a deep exhale then before she instantly teleported herself in pursuit. Slightly reducing her power level below that of her opponent now. 

Crashing through a pedestrian bridge over the river, the Star flew across the early morning sky much like her namesake. Back over the same streets, homes and businesses they just traversed past, she briefly grazed the snowy skies themselves before her descent back to the powdery white earth below. Preparing a landing, she slid in the now ankle-deep coldness and let out an exhale of her own. After the big hit, she was at the same power level as her once again. 

Landing a few meters in front of her on Prince’s Island Park, it was fitting to end it all here. A place in her beloved city that she never visited yet. She got close but never had the chance to see it. So, the perfect place to end the conflict and start the next chapter for all. 

No more yelling or discussions. 

No more tricks or plans. 

No more running away. 

Charging ahead at each other with a battle cry, a small number of local citizens watched on from across the river, at a safe distance now. The twelve of them who were brave enough to brave whatever may come from witnessing two souls of this caliber duke it out. Baleigh’s friends and family quickly joined them there to witness it too, at 10:30 AM local time, as their two fists met each other. Knuckle to knuckle. Arriving just in time to see what would be later known as the Abby-Addison “Giggles” Dawson Effect directly from the source before it makes its way to the whole cosmos. 

With the perfectly even clash finally happening, an unseen-by-most ripple was then scattered across the entirety of it all. Even reaching CJ and Monica’s world, it was truly felt by every last soul alive or otherwise. Unseen but what felt like a weird, shared sensation on the nerves that lasted only one second. Brief and not super important except to anyone making a wish at that exact moment. 

Which happened to only a total of six souls amongst it all. 

Four of which were in a couple kilometer radius.  

With Baleigh, Heldum and KJ wishing the same thing that their big sister wished for them in Norway, to have a good night, Delanie just wished to see her Harold one more time. Her hyperfocus could only let her do that. He was the only thing that mattered right now. Him and him alone. 

Following up the scientific anomaly with two more normal hits to each other’s faces, the body shots era of this fight was over. It has evolved into face shots only as it was nearing the finale. 

Her chains on the face were beginning to break as bruises were beginning to show on the Star’s face too. Annoyed with the tatterings in her line of vision, OMG ripped them aside to show her face finally to all who could see. Green eyes with blonde hair and a burn mark from a cigarette above her lip. She smirked then cackled across the battlefield.  

The punches continued on now. Left hand then right from both as both nearly exhausted all the batteries and were down to their own strength now. Two more powerful face hits were delivered from Baleigh in direct succession. 

Kicking the Star off of her, Delanie could feel she was losing this battle of attrition as her much younger counterpart was proving to be the stronger of the two in this new era of the fight. A deep sigh was heard from her as Baleigh stood her distance, less tired. 

“You know… I can’t stop… even if I wanted too…” 

“What do you mean?” 

“My Accessories. I gave my soul as the ante they needed, remember? I belong to them…” 

“We’ll find a way. Just trust me.” 

“No, we can’t. It’s over… I made my choice. I chose my past and now, I have no future… Unlike you. You can move on and leave all of this behind. You really are incredibly lucky, you know that?” 

“Thank you but it’s not over…” 

“Yes. Yes, it is and I just wanted to tell you before I leave, you were right. I had no right to do what I did because of what happened to him. I can’t change what I did or stop myself now. So, with that being said, there is only one true way out…” 

“DELANIE!!!!!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!” 

Grabbing the chain closest to her with her free and exposed hand, she then began to pull them off of her. One by one. With them being her literal life-force, like a skeletal and nervous system all rolled into one, she began to rapidly age and deteriorate while she did it. Cracking skin from the Cackling One could be seen as the chains resisted their removal but still fell to the ground, one after another. 

With Delanie now slumping over as she weakly and painfully ripped them off, Baleigh had to think fast. It couldn’t end like this. She made that declaration to Rashid. She was going to change their roles. 

Looking ahead in a panic, she saw her answer as the necklace with four pearls entered her line of sight and she smiled. Lining up a rapid-fire snap, she sourced the last bit of excess power she had from the others into a beam of starlight, directly at the pearls themselves. Shattering them upon instant impact. 

With Jessica Maddy, Lenna-Anna Nicole, Vittoria Ivonee and Nathaly Queen joining them in their physical forms, they looked around in bewilderment and then at the Star. Lenna-Anna broke the silence first. 

“Baleigh? Wait… what’s happening?” 

 “I can explain later but I need you to source some of your power for her. Please!” 

“Ummm… she’s the enemy?” Said the still roma tomato shaded one. 

“She’s one of us. She’s a Goddess…” 

“But she hunted all of us…” 

“PLEASE!’ 

Hearing the urgency in her voice and trusting her friend the most, Nathaly walked the six steps and proceeded to lay a hand on Delanie’s exposed skin. Her rapid aging process was beginning to slow as the others followed suit, slowing it down even more. Then, as the last chain fell to the ground, all five of them held her tired body as the snowfall ended above as well. The chains began melting into the earth itself as their combined energy broke her bind to them, began to repair her form and save her life too. 

Opening her green eyes, Delanie looked up at them as they helped her to her feet. Brunette and red hair across them all slowly blew in the breeze. 

“I tried to hurt and kill every last one of you… Why?” 

“Even when one of us leaves and goes all crazy, we are still a family,” said Baleigh. 

“Family…? I have a family…?” 

“Yeah, you do. Just pretty please don’t do all of that again and we can sort out how you make it up to us later… Deal?” responded the smirking Jessica. 

“You… got… it.” 

With her strength recovering, the six of them now stood in a circle with her other friends and family cheering from the distance, her promise fulfilled. CJ and Monica cuddled up on the couch, watching all the while. One by one, she broke their roles and helped them rewrite their own futures but now, it was time for her to do the same. Because in classic Baleigh Sofia Luisa fashion, a single thought now entered her brain, perfectly breaking up the triumphant moment of an incredible soul. 

“Crap… I forgot about the Winter Formal tonight.” 

“Well… need a hand to get ready?” Responded Nathaly.

“Let me think about it…. Ummm…. YES!!!!!!!!!! Let’s go! NOW!” 

Then, in a swell of immense power, they were gone. Back to her house to search through dresses, repair their own bonds and help their favorite high schooler prepare her look and attitude for one of the biggest nights of her life so far. 

The End