[endermage]

"What happened to that Twilight person?" said Jareth as his ribbons demolished several more Bog Spirits.

"I don't know...but we have to  just keep fighting." said Justice,"We will have to figure out what happened after."

"Okay..." said Sophia, she took her dagger and stabbed another Bog Spirit,"But these don't seem to end!"

[15].[200]

[Freezair]

"Sweet buttermilk biscuits!" I shouted. "They're attackin' everything! We'll be next, ladies!"

I shot at a bubble, but I could feel myself being driven back. A Bog Spirit glomed on to my arm like a tax collector, sucking corrosively at my flesh.

"YEAAAARG!"

"HOL' UP!" My sister rushed at me. My eyes went wide--what was she, crazy?--but she had a bit of ice in her step. A bit of cold hissed over from her breath to the creature attacking my arm, and it froze and shattered.

"Thanks, sis," I said.

"There's gotta be some better solution!" Pitaya said. She looked plaintively up at Big Yellow. "What kin we do 'bout these thangs?"

[16, 29]

[Queeny]

"well this is peachy! Where'd Twilight get off to again..?!" Batou was shooting bullets around like a little kid having his first bee-bee gun.
"..Aah!" Sopheria hid behind Batou, as well as being the eyes on the back of his head.
"..N-nyo! over there- Aaauugh!! There!! There!! Behind you!" Sophie was shouting a barrage of commands.
"..Im trying! Ah-! Im trying!! sheesh!" Batou struggled to keep up with demand.
All Luz would only be able to do is throw rocks at the bubbles.

[endermage]

"This is not a battle we can win I think..." said Justice,"Not that I ever imagined we could."

"What!", said Sophia,"Then why are we fighting them!"

"I was stalling for time," said Justice,"These are the dead, they are endless and meaningless with one purpose, to end the living. We can't out run them, there are far to many of them. I was hoping to come up with a more permanent solution, but no such luck."

Jareth flipped around as he bisected several more spirits,"Anyone else have a solution?"

[16],[201]

[Freezair]

I heard rumbling and thunder, and it wasn't coming from outside. Brainstorm! I'm no expert on these sort of things, but I've seen enough movies with zombies and ghosts to know a thing or two about the undead.

"We gotta satisfy their souls!" I said, shouting over the dannybrook. Not that I was helping myself be heard--still firing and all. "Send 'em to a better place! Convince 'em they ain't needed here no more!"

"Oh, REAL smart, bro!" Pitaya called out, her voice thick with exhaustion. "An' jus' how do y'all propose we do that?"

"Anybody got a Ballama?" I asked. "Get one of their own to lead 'em to a better place? Or how 'bout candles? We gotta invoke Zu'hai or Xai're somehow, an' get 'im to follow! Any kinda spirit would do, I bet!"

[17, 30]

[endermage]

There was a sudden horrible realization that Justice, Jareth, and Sophia had been somehow separated from the others. "What's the plan now?" said Sophia as she stabbed another Bog Spirit.

"Not sure," said Jareth,"But this would be a really bad way to die."

"Un-live really." said Justice," We'll be zombies if we don't make it out of here."

"Great." said Jareth.

"Do not worry," said Justice,"I'm sure we will find a way out of this.

[17],[202]

[endermage]

Justice looked around, "Sophia, Jareth....I can get us out of this but I need you to trust me."

"I trust you Justice" said the young refuge, her heart beating hard in her chest.

"I trust anyone who can save us..." said Jareth, beating back another wave of spirits.

Justice nodded and began to glow once more. "Gate Access. Pass Code: Vigorous Soul."

There was a flash of light, and all of them were gone. Jareth and Sophia would awaken several hours later in a field outside the swamp, not sure what exactly happened.


[18],[203]