I sat at my table bored as all hell. I was at a festival in my home town, eating lunch with a few of my friends. As I looked around something strange caught my eye. There was a young woman, about eighteen years old. Her image was very hazy and I could barely see her, even though it was a perfectly clear day. She had light, red hair down to her waist. She was standing alone on the side of the activities looking desperately for something. If that wasn’t strange enough, she was crying. Eventually she caught my eye and instantly brightened. She began to grow more visible and real. She signaled to me, so I stood up. She became even more solid. I walked over to her and she smiled.

"Do I know you?" I asked. She seemed very familiar to me.

"Yes." She whispered. Her green eyes flashed at me.

"What is your name?"

She smiled. "I am called Brillant Lune."

"Brie-yant Loon?"

"Yes, Michael."

"How do you know my name?" I asked stupefied.

"I told you, I know you. But that is not important right now. Is there a place where we can talk and no one will find us?"

"Yes, we can go to the orchard. No one ever goes there during the festival."

We walked to the orchard and found a seat underneath a thick stand of apple trees. She seemed so beautiful to me. There was a warm glow about her.

"Michael, my people need your help. I come from a very distant place that is being plagued by an evil sorceress. We need your help to defeat her and free our people."

"Where is this distant land?"

"Well," she paused to compose her thoughts. "It is here. But it is in a different-" Her voice faded off.

"It’s what?" I demanded softly.

"It is in a different time. It is in the future."

"How is that possible?"

"Let me tell you my whole story." Brillant said.

I sat enraptured by her voice. "Yes, tell me your story."

"Where I come from is very different from here. Things are more magical. How I came here was by magic. A long time ago a phenomenon occurred in my village on my birthday. All the children born in my village on this special day were blessed with incredible powers. The village people knew that these children would one day save them. In order to ensure their safety they hid two of the children where no one could find them. One was brought to a church and given to the nuns to raise. The other was brought to a different time. The nuns of the church taught the first child how to control her powers and raised her as their own. The other child was not allowed to know of his powers, nor was any one else in his new world."

"Then the evil came. It was only a short time ago, about a month. She is a beautiful, young woman. No one thought that she had evil dwelling within her. She learned of the our special powers and immediately wanted them for herself. She killed every one who had the power, trying to take their powers and use them as her own. She did not know that we have to be alive for our powers to work. The nun’s child was unknown to this monster so she survived. She's a young woman now."

Brillant broke off and began to sob. "She was so horrible to them." She cried.

"She tore their souls out of their bodies. I felt every ripped soul, every bitter tear. She robbed them of their souls and of their lives."

"I’m sorry Brillant. You do know that this story is very hard for me to believe though?" I felt bad for saying so, but I thought she should know.

"I understand. But you must know that it is your story too."

"How do mean?" I was even more perplexed.

"I am the child that was given to the nuns. You are the child that was hidden in another time."

I sat amazed at what she said. I wanted to believe her so badly. The connection I felt with her was too strong to dismiss. "So you’re saying I have magical powers?"

"Yes. You and I both do. Will you come with me?"

"Back to your village?"

"We desperately need your help."

"Why can’t you do it?"

She looked put off by my question. "That evil woman learned of her mistake before she found me. She knew she would have to keep the children alive in order to use their powers. Eventually she found where I was. She captured me and stole my powers. She has been using them against my people in order to enslave them. I escaped and this enraged her. She’s been destroying my village and threatening to kill my people. If I go back without you she will kill all of us, myself included."

"How did she steal your powers?"

"Michael, I don’t have time to explain now. I’m very weak and must return. Please say you’ll come with me?"

"Brillant don’t think that I don’t care, but I can’t."

She hung her head low and began to cry again. She started to fade very slowly. I gazed at her now transparent figure. I screwed up my courage and called to her.

"Brillant! Wait! I’ll come with you."

She looked up at me surprised. She stopped fading, but was still transparent.

"You will come with me?"

"I will. But you must promise me something."

"What?"

"You must never leave my side."

"I promise." She said.

I stepped over to her and kissed her tears just below her eye. "Don’t cry. We’ll make things right again."

I took her hand and we faded out of my world and into hers.

Getting back to the village hadn’t been difficult for us. Finding a place to hide was a different matter. The evil had ruined the church where I was raised in her search for me. I decided to try my father’s cabin in the woods. If we were lucky he would be there to help us.

Michael seemed scared as we entered my village. I understood that he found the whole deal hard to believe, I didn’t blame him. Every word I told him was, unbelievably, the truth. Now I had to teach him how to use his powers.

We arrived at my father’s cabin after a short walk through the town. We tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible. I found my father cutting wood in the back yard. I showed Michael inside and walked out back.

"Dad!"

"Brillant? Oh my god, it’s really you."

"Yes, dad. I brought back the other child."

"Brillant, neither of you are children anymore."

"I know. We must teach him how to deal with that witch."

"I’ll be right in."

When I went inside the cabin I found Michael lying on our couch fast asleep. I smiled to myself. He was a handsome young man. There was one thing that I didn’t tell him about our powers. We can read each others minds. At this point in time he was having a really interesting dream that I was "listening in on." In his dream we were back at the fair and I was his date. He made all of his friends do favors for him. Of course he used his powers to do this trick.

I had to laugh at him. He was too cute not to. "Michael, wake up."

"Brillant?"

"Yes?"

"I was sleeping, wasn’t I?"

"Yeah." I laughed again.

"What?" He asked, a little unnerved.

"I forgot to tell you, one of our powers is reading each others minds."

"You saw my dream?" He asked.

"Yeah." I said.

My dad came in and introduced himself to Michael. "I’m Brillant’s father. You can call me Bill."

"Nice to meet you." Michael said.

"Now, I’m sure Brillant left a lot of holes in her story…"

"Dad!" I yelped.

He laughed "As I was saying Michael. What do you want to know?"

"Who is this woman that I’m up against?"

"A sorceress. She is an evil thing. She came into our village as a beautiful woman needing a place to stay. She calls herself Ousilla, which means 'the desired one' She soon learned of our gifted young people. They disappeared one by one and were found dead in the far wood. The far woods start just behind our cabin. Anyway, she found Brillant and captured her. She stole her powers…"

"How?" Michael interrupted.

"It’s hard to explain. I’ll try. Imagine a glass ball, about the size of your fist. This ball holds all of your magical powers within it. This ball is in your chest. When Ousilla killed the others she ripped the glass out of their bodies. When she stole Brillant’s power she removed it with a spell so it wouldn’t kill her. Ousilla is a deviant young lady. She will lie, and act kind, and sweet to trap you. You mustn’t listen to her if you want to defeat her. She will try to trick you."

"Bill, why is it that things are more… oh I don't know, magical in the future?"

"Technology became so powerful in your time that it began to frighten people. We began to return to our roots, a time where superstition was law and magic was a powerful secret. Instead of the going to the doctors office to get flu shots, we go to the witch doctor to get medicinal herbs. It’s just the way that society responded to the new technology."

"I understand. My mom always told me that the future would return to simpler times. I never did believe her."

"Michael, you are our only hope now that my powers are gone." I said.

"I wouldn’t say exactly that." Dad responded.

"What do you mean dad?"

"You will know when the time comes."

I rolled my eyes at this and laughed.

"So, when do we teach him to control his powers?" Dad asked.

"Right now." I said

Brillant soon had me on a rigorous training schedule. She was with me day and night teaching me about my magic. She told me where it came from, and why we were the chosen ones, Mostly though, she taught me how important it was for us to support each other.

We had become very close to each other over the past few days, and I wanted to tell her how I felt for her. We were sitting on the couch in the basement talking. She smiled at me and joked around. I felt a strong attraction to her. I couldn’t tell if she knew for I had not yet mastered my telepathic communication.

I gazed at her for a moment and said "Brillant, we’ve become very close. I can’t pin point what it is that I feel for you, but I want you to know."

She put her fingers to my lips "I know." She winked. "You care about me."

That night I dreamt of nothing but her.

The next day was the hardest day of my training. Brillant had taught me the basic laws of physics, but I still didn’t know why. I learned that we would soon break all of those laws.

Brillant smiled at me as I woke up. "Hey sleepy." She said.

"I dreamt of you all night."

"I know."

"How did I know you were going to say that?"

"You have got a busy day ahead of you. You best get going."

"What are we doing today, Brie?"

She smiled a t me. "Moving mountains."

"Huh?"

I had been teaching Michael how to use his powers. He was a very good student, and a quick learner, but the hardest lessons were yet to come. I had to teach him how to move objects mentally, not physically. If this wasn’t hard enough, my father wanted me to teach him to focus on love. I understood how important this would be, but it was so difficult to teach. Michael found that it was difficult to learn.

I sat up with him all the night before and taught him all about physics. Now I was to teach him how to break all those rules.

We sat outside in the grass for a while before we spoke. It was a bright, sunny morning. It was warm and sweet smelling. I couldn’t have asked for a better day.

"Now Michael, do you understand what I’m teaching you today?"

"You want me to learn how to move objects mentally, right?"

"Yes. The hardest part is getting started. Once you learn the secret you will always be able to do it. Stand up."

Michael stood up and looked at me curiously.

"I’ve found that I can use your powers as my own." I said.

He smiled at me and asked, "Really?"

"Yes. I don’t know how, but I could read your mind the other day. I didn’t really think about it until last night. So I asked my dad. He told me that if I became close enough to you we could use each others powers. I’ve been using your magic without even realizing that I was. At least that’s what we think." I put special emphasis on the word 'could'. My father had been especially vague about the whole thing, so I had to draw my own conclusions.

"That’s incredible." Michael said.

"I’m going to lift you. If I’m using your powers one of two things will happen. Either I will feel it flowing from you, or you will become weaker."

I concentrated on his body becoming lighter and lighter until he began to rise off the ground. I felt him lifting, power flowing to me and then back to him. The power wasn’t coming from him. He smiled at me. Soon he was about ten feet off the ground.

"Brie, this is amazing! I feel so light."

"Do you feel any weaker?"

"No. But why would my feeling weaker tell you that you’ve been using my powers?"

"It just is. That's a way that you can tell if someone else is using your powers. You get a weak feeling. It starts around your heart and works it’s way out to your limbs."

"No. I feel great. I’ve never felt this good before."

I raised an eyebrow at this and grimaced. He should be feeling weaker if it is his powers that I’m using. I brought him back down to the ground by imagining he was getting heavier. It only took him a short time to come back down to earth.

"I’m going to try an experiment." I said.

"I’m game."

"Pick an object. Concentrate on it becoming lighter and lighter until it begins to float."

Michael picked a large rock about three feet in diameter. He looked at it intensely and it began to lift very slowly. The moment it came off the ground I began to concentrate on another rock. If I was using his powers he would become so weak that his rock would fall.

My rock started to lift, higher and higher. Michael’s rock stayed the same.

"Oh my god!" I yelled.

"What?" Michael asked panicked. His rock immediately fell to the ground.

"I’m not using your powers Michael. I don’t know how, but I have magic again."

I ran inside yelling for my father.

"Dad, I’m not using his powers." I explained to him what happened and he looked at me, curious.

"I don’t know Brie. You could have learned control over your powers with out knowing it. That witch doesn’t have power over you after all." He smiled at me vaguely, just as he had last night when I asked him about using Michael's powers.

"Dad, I just don’t know. It doesn’t feel the same."

"It must be your powers, Brie. It doesn’t feel the same because they aren't close to you."

We all sat in silence for a while. I didn’t know what to say. I felt stronger than I had in a long time. I could feel the power surging through my body. It felt good to have magic. I didn’t realize how much I missed it.

I had outsmarted Brillant before. I could outsmart her again. I had felt her presence in town for a few days, but I couldn’t pin point where she was. Strangely enough I felt another presence, even stronger than Brillant. This one was masculine, the same age as my little power source. I could only assume that these village people had hidden another child. They will not trick me again.

In my home on the edge of the village, I have a secret room. There I practice all my magic. In the center of the room is a hole with water filling it to the brim. When I look in the water I can see what ever I like. It hadn’t been working for a while because Brillant’s father had cast a monk’s spell to hinder it. I finally found a counterspell and made my well work again.

I saw Brillant out side of her father’s cabin teaching the boy to lift rocks. That’s when my troubles began.

I started to feel weak all over. I collapsed I had become so weak. In my well I saw Brillant lifting rocks with the boy. She had learned how to control her powers while I had them. There could only be one advantage to this. While my precious adversary connected to her power I could see her and hear her thoughts.

I was using my powers more and more every day, building myself up to what I used to be. I could feel myself becoming stronger. I could only imagine how Ousilla felt. I was beginning to worry though. She hadn’t sent out any warnings, or threats. I had no idea what she was planning to do.

Michael had mastered the art of tele-kinetics. My father was beginning to teach him how to use love to strengthen himself. He was almost ready to battle Ousilla. Almost.

At this point I was battling fear. I hid it as much as I could from Michael and my dad. I didn’t want them to know I was scared. I wasn’t even sure what I was afraid of. I think mostly it was that Ousilla hadn’t shown herself yet. I had enough faith in Michael to defeat her. But I had this nagging feeling something was wrong.

That evening I spoke with my father.

"Brillant, Michael is doing very well. I believe he is almost ready." My father looked down for a moment thinking. As he looked up he said, "You do know that he loves you?"

"No." I said smiling. "He’s infatuated with me. Not in love."

"I thought you weren’t a child any more. I see you need more guidance. That young man you’ve taught, he’s no longer a boy. He sees you as a beautiful, mysterious creature. He loves you. And you love him."

"Dad, you’re crazy."

"Brillant, I am an old man now. I’ve seen a lot in my days here. I know what love is between two young people. Don’t you feel more energy when he’s around?"

"Yes, but it’s just our powers connecting. Right?"

"Perhaps. Don’t you feel more beautiful around him?"

"Yes, but that isn’t the point."

"Don’t you want to be with him all the time? Do you miss him when he’s away? Do you need him? Do you worry about him?"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" I yelled frustrated with my father.

"Then, my dear daughter, you love him."

"Did you feel this way for my mother?"

"Yes. I’m sorry that you never met her. She would have loved you more than any thing else in this world."

"Why did she die dad?" I asked, tears welling up in my eyes.

"She was ill before you were born. Everyone in town believes that she was just to ill to survive the birth. I believe she loved you so that she gave you her magic, to add to your own. She knew how powerful you would need to be."

"Mom had magic too?"

"Yes. She had a power with in, just as you do."

"I miss her. I didn’t even know her, but I miss her."

"Just before she died, she told me she would always protect you. She said she would come back as the wind and kiss your cheeks."

We both laughed at this.

"Dad, why was I chosen as the child to hide?"

"It was hard on me to give you away, but all of the other parents would not give up their children. I knew what had to be done. I’m thankful for I have you now."

"Why was Michael chosen?"

"Just as your mother died, so did Michael’s. But Michael’s father left his mother long before he was born. Sending him away affected no one but him."

"I didn’t want to tell you dad, but I’m scared."

"I am too, Brie. I want to protect you, but I know I can’t."

"Dad, did you know about me being able to control my powers even though I don’t have them?"

"Yes. I didn’t tell you though. When I was taught the magic of the monks, I learned that everything we know is learned by ourselves. No one can tell us."

I thought about this for a long time before I spoke again.

"I love you dad."

Finally, I had that girl within my grasp. Brillant Lune would pay for leaving my home. She would pay for not respecting my power.

Her young gentlemen friend would be easy to coax and woo. He would be under my control within a few minutes. I only needed to look my best. I needed to get that damn Brillant out of the way.

Every time Brillant tapped into her power I could listen in on her thoughts. I learned that she was a frightened little girl, and that she had no clue what I had planned.

I would lure her out to the far woods like all the others. I would put her under a spell to trick Michael. She would be my pawn. I would control her again. There would be no escape for Brillant this time. None at all.

I had learned so much in the past few days that my head was swimming with ideas. I was trying to devise as many ways as possible to kill this witch, Ousilla. I also had a name for the feeling Brie evoked within me.

I was falling in love with her. I couldn’t tell if she knew or not. Every time I listened to her thoughts she was thinking of another training exercise for me. One time I listened to her dreams. She was thinking of her mother. She was a beautiful woman, exactly like Brie. In the dream, Brie was begging her mother for help. The older woman smiled and handed Brie a glass ball. "Here is my secret power." Brie accepted the gift; and the woman disappeared. I didn’t quite understand what had happened, but I knew now that Brie was scared. I would protect, and support her. No one would hurt my Brie.

I was feeling stronger and stronger with each new lesson. I felt the power surging through me. I had never felt so powerful. I still had doubts of myself though. Brillant’s father had taught me how important it was to remain in focus when fighting Ousilla. But every time I thought of battle, my mind wandered to Brie. I thought about her more and more every day.

I had also learned that by focusing on something you loved you could become stronger. Maybe that’s why my mind shifted to Brie so much. Feeling love for her had made me stronger already.

"Michael," she called to me from the kitchen.

"Yes Brie?" I answered her from the living room.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" I asked.

"Ready for me?" She giggled.

"What are you talking about?"

"You’ll see." She called.

Brillant walked into the living room. She was wearing a beautiful, emerald green dress. She had her hair in soft, red curls all down her back. She sparkled.

"Brie, you take my breath away."

"You flatter me sir."

"Where did you get that dress?"

"It was my mother’s. It’s something she wore to feel powerful."

"Your mother had the power too?"

"Yes. This was her favorite dress. She liked to dance a lot to make herself feel stronger. She always wore this dress. It works."

"I feel energized just looking at you. Would you give me the pleasure of a dance?"

"Why of course dear sir. What shall we dance to?"

"The music in my head." I said.

Brillant looked so beautiful and graceful in her mother’s dress. It fit her perfectly, clinging to every lovely curve of her body. I couldn’t believe I was lucky enough to be with this divine creature.

"Brie?" I asked as we whirled around.

"Yes?"

"I know you’ve been using your own powers now. Do you still read my mind?"

"Sometimes." She said. "Why?"

"Do you know how I feel for you?"

"No. I know you think of me often, and you worry for me. But I don’t know what that is supposed to indicate."

"I love you."

She gazed at me with a soft wide eyed look.

"I really do."

She spoke softly, "I don’t know what to say."

"Don’t say anything, just dance with me."

I had had enough of this waiting around. It was time for action.

Brillant was becoming stronger. Although each time she tapped into her power, I learned more about her. It will be much easier to outsmart her now that I know what goes on in her head.

I called upon the powers of evil to assist me in my the great task that lay ahead of me. I would need every ounce of my energy to fight my dear Brillant. She would never know how much I envy her strength. It doesn’t matter now though. She will no longer have her powers to fight me when I’m through with her. She won’t have anything to turn to.

I could feel the power swelling within me. Her strength had become mine. Her weaknesses were well known. My plan to use her against the boy was falling into place. The more they were together the more in love with her he fell. I couldn’t have asked for a better setting.

Even so, I began to send wicked little nightmares to my dear power source. I would frighten her so badly that her resistance would be weak. There would be no stopping me this time.

Michael had told me he loved me. My father was right all along. I care for him too, but I don’t know if I’m ready for love.

My fears of Ousilla kept growing all the while. I had horrible nightmares of battles and spells. I couldn’t go to Michael, or my father. They would tell me I was afraid of nothing but bad dreams. And so I was, but the fear wasn’t enough. I remembered the deaths of the others. I heard their horrified cries as that evil woman tore them apart one by one. Over and over the same images flashed in my mind. Each one carried a new wicked message. They all conveyed certain death.

I could feel her presence now. Ousilla had grown as strong as I had. I was frightened by her. Maybe more than I should have been.

I could see her now, tossing her long black hair over her shoulder. She had a pale Snow White complexion, and deep violet colored eyes. Her lips were dark red, like blood. She was standing before me in the dream, but she was changed into Michael.

It was time for action. I decided to lure Brillant away with a dream.

I called to her in her sleep, weaving a delicate dream spell. She tensed at first, rising with a moan, but she soon quieted. In the dream her boy was outside the window calling her to join him. He needed her help. As she dreamt this she stood slowly. She walked out to the yard, where I stood calling to her. The spell was so thick that she believed me to be the boy. I laughed wickedly as I wrapped her in magical vines. The vines would tighten if she tried to escape. I walked her to the far woods where I would prepare to trap the newcomer.

When Brillant came to she was all fire and brimstone.

"I’ll kill you, you evil witch. Michael and my father will find you, and rid of you forever. You will never win." She fired at me.

"Am I to be scared?" I asked.

"Yes. I’ll never let you take my powers."

"I already have, you foolish, little thing."

"You are not much older than I, why do you regard your self as superior?"

"Perhaps I am, Brillant Lune."

Brillant became silent. I could almost read her thoughts through the tension. She looked pale and wane. My dreams had worked in weakening her. She was a poor opponent to take down. I felt almost ashamed.

"Brillant, my dear. I will become you on this fine evening. I will steal your body for a brief while, and take your little friend's powers. I’m sure it will be interesting to live in that weak little body of yours."

"No. I’ll never succumb. You can’t."

"Oh, but I can. I’m sure you will enjoy my body while you are in it. Please be nice to it. There is only one of me, you know?"

"You. How can you be so brash, so evil? Have you never cared for another person in your life?"

"No. I only look out for me. All the rest of that love junk is just a silly cliché."

Brillant looked down. Tears flowed from her soft green eyes. I was almost starting to feel sorry for the poor thing. I had put her through so much.

I began to weave the body spell. A deep purple light shown on Brie as her body dissolved. In it’s place my likeness remained. I could feel my flesh melting away and the new skin forming around me. It was like a luxurious bath, but even better.

I laughed. It was not the laugh of a young girl, but rather the wicked laugh of the evil sorceress I had become. I felt free. I felt strong.

"Bye, Brillant. Be a good girl now. Your dear Ousilla will return soon."

I woke from my dream, sweat pouring off my brow. Brillant had fallen under a horrible spell, and the witch had killed her. It was the worst nightmare I’d had since I came here.

I thought I could hear Brie calling to me, but I wasn’t sure.

"Michael." I heard faintly.

I looked out my window and there was Brillant standing on the lawn. She looked especially beautiful this evening. But why was she outside?

"Brie, what are you doing down there?"

"Come and see." She giggled. She was wearing this huge, purple cape with a hood that covered her head. She ran out of sight, her cape billowing out behind her. She ran past a bunch of trees, and into the woods. I ran down the stairs and outside to catch her.

"Where are you my little sprite?" I called. I could hear her laughter not too far off. "Brillant, where are you?"

"Over here silly." She called.

I saw her standing by a tall oak tree. "Brillant, what is this little game we are playing?"

She smiled devilishly. "Just wait. Only a little bit more to go."

She ran off again, and I pursued her further. It seemed that the chase would never end. Until I found myself in a small clearing in the middle of a thick wood. Brillant stood before me, a wicked smile across her lips.

"Where are we Brie?"

"Enough about Brie." She said. "You have entered the far woods. Enjoy it while you can. Now, sit."

I looked at Brie confused. What was she talking about, and why, of all places, did she pick the far woods? I thought this was where the others with the power had died. Maybe I was confused.

Michael obviously had no idea that I was not Brillant. He sat there waiting for me to explain to him what I had planned. Strange how he didn’t see the character differences between Brie and me. I thought they would be immediately obvious to him.

I decided to play with him a little. It was almost like luring a mouse into a cage. Evil felt good. I pushed the hood off my forehead and smiled at Michael.

"Do you notice anything different about me?" I asked.

"Your hair." He said. "It’s darker than it used to be."

This was true. Not all of my hair had changed to Brillant’s red color. I could sense the boy was completely lost, so I indulged myself a little.

"Do you know why I brought you here?"

"No." he said.

"Are you confused?"

"Very. Please explain to me what is going on."

"It’s a game. You have to guess."

"Don’t I get a clue?"

"I’ll give you one." I said. "I’m not the Brie you know."

"What? That’s a ridiculous clue. Of course you’re the Brie I know." He stood up and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed my cheek, and smiled at me.

I looked at him darkly. I had played with him enough. I pushed him down and bound him to the ground with a spell.

"I can’t move!" He yelled.

"Of course not you foolish boy. Ousilla." I called.

Brillant began to appear slowly from through the woods. I had hidden her momentarily in another time. My plan was falling into place. Of course, Michael still didn’t realize that I was not Brie. When he saw Brie, as me, he went crazy.

"It’s you. You’re the witch!"

"Michael don’t listen to a word she says. She’s evil!" Brillant yelled.

"Michael, I trapped her." I said. "But I don’t have enough power to finish her off. You must do that." I released Michael from the binding spell.

"Michael, no!" Brie screamed, fear was rising within her. To be killed by her young friend. What a pity.

"Michael, kill her. Please." I begged.

Michael looked at me deeply. "O-Kay."

He took a deep breath and focused all his powers on Brie’s lungs. He was going to suffocate her. This was almost too good. He began to apply pressure with his power. She spoke one last time before all the air came out. "I love you." She said faintly. Michael pressed harder. After a few brief moments, Brie was dead.

I laughed wickedly.

Michael looked at me curiously. "Why are you laughing?"

"The witch finally got what she deserved."

He looked down. "I killed her." He cried.

"Why are you crying? That was what you were supposed to do."

"I killed her." He repeated more faintly. He fell to the ground.

I didn’t understand his actions, but I would question him no longer. I stood him up and walked him back to the house. Michael would come with me to my home. I put a sleep spell on Bill, so that he would not disturb my plans.

It was no easy task convincing Michael to come with me. Around dawn, he finally agreed to come with me. It was almost time to take his powers. What was odd, was that even though Brie was dead I could still feel her powers. I remembered that when the others died so did their powers, but Brie’s had not.

The witch had left me there, supposing I had died. I had enough power within me that I could hold back Michael’s power. He had not suffocated me, but I pretended to die. In this way I had fooled the evil Ousilla.

I read her thoughts. She didn’t know I was still alive. But she was becoming suspicious of my powers. Why would they still work if I was dead? Hopefully she wouldn’t realize it was because I was not dead.

I had to think of a way to save Michael. He was completely under her spell. And I still had her body. Strange as it was, I felt the beauty in her body. My father had always told me that when something is good, it felt beautiful on the inside. No matter what it may look like outside, a strong beauty existed within. It was almost as if there was some good in her, perhaps before she became a sorceress. She had hidden all of her good in a far little corner of her body.

I only wish I knew more about her. Maybe then I could defeat her. By learning her past I could learn how she thinks. I broke the vines that had bound me. It was getting close to dawn. I ran to father's cabin.

He was asleep when I found him, and he could not be woken. Ousilla! She must have cast a sleep spell. What would that evil, little thing come up with next? I had to find a counter-spell to undo her evil.

With a great deal of luck I found a spell in one of my mother’s books. In it there was a spell to wake anyone from even the most contrived of sleeps. I brought the book down and read the difficult text. I had to recite the spell at dawn, and my father should awake. I waited all day nervous that Ousilla would find me out. I sat up all night praying that the spell would work. I had visions of my mother dancing about in her green dress, she kept telling me to trust in myself and I would succeed. I prayed that she was right.

Dawn began, and so did I. I carefully recited the spell, intently watching my father. He began to stir only a few moments later.

"You?! What are you doing here?" He yelled, recognizing Ousilla's body.

"Dad, it’s me! She’s taken my body."

"You mean Ousilla?" My father asked groggily.

"Yes. She tricked me. She’s captured Michael, and put a spell on you. Most importantly, she thinks I’m dead."

"How can I trust you?"

"How can you not? I need your help. I need to know more about Ousilla’s past. If I can understand what she thinks from her past experiences, then perhaps I can find a weakness."

"You certainly are my daughter." He said proudly. "No one else would look into things so much as my Brie."

"Well dad, do you know anything about our elusive Ousilla?"

"Some. I know what little she told me herself, back before her sorcery days. Everything else I know, is from stories and gossip in the neighboring towns."

"Tell me all you know."

"She grew up in a town not far from here. Her mother was a healer, with talents like your mother's. Unfortunately, she died at Ousilla's birth. Her father was a priest at the church you were given to. She had twelve brothers and sisters (six of each). She was the youngest born, number thirteen. All of her siblings had incredible talents at one thing or another, almost like your powers. Ousilla was the most beautiful. She was also a very accomplished musician. She was insanely jealous of her siblings, and wanted to have their talents too. Being beautiful and musical just wasn’t enough for her. At least when she was a child. Sadly, her entire family died in a fire. She survived because she was sneaking downstairs to get a snack; she was pulled out of the house just as it was engulfed by flames."

"How sad."

"She skipped from town to town, living off the kindness of relatives for awhile. She found an uncle that lived here long ago. She moved into his castle, and settled into town life. She was nice enough, and very sweet. But something odd was going on at the secluded castle. She started to learn magic. By his art, her uncle was a sorcerer. He had many books on the subject, Ousilla read them all. She started to perform small acts of black magic. Then she discovered our secret."

"So she became jealous, just like she did with her siblings."

"Yes." My father said.

I thought to myself. She did have the capability of goodness. She only needed guidance. What about her mother? My father had said she was like my mother.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"What about Ousilla’s mother? You said she was like mine."

"Yes, she was. Why do you ask?" He smiled a secret smile of knowledge.

"Could Ousilla have her own power, without knowing it? It could be conceived. Maybe she has the same powers from her mother. If she had her own I’m sure she would no longer desire mine, or Michael’s."

"I have never come across such an eager student. Go to the castle. Michael needs you."

When I had captured Brillant’s power I placed it in a box. The box was made of a delicate, red glas s. I could see Brillant’s magic shining through it. I know that when the others died their magic became a dull, hard gray. Brillant’s still sparkled, as if she were still alive.

It couldn’t be. I watched Michael strangle her. I saw the air leave her body. She must be dead. Perhaps, her power was stronger than I thought. It survived even after she did not. To steal Michael’s power, I would use a spell just as I had for Brillant. I would entrap him in a picture with another spell, and keep him in a locket, where I could always watch him. This one wouldn’t escape.

There was an eerie feeling in my stomach as I entered her castle. I feared that she had already stolen Michael’s powers, and that I was too late.

I began to descend the huge spiral staircase looking for her room. I could feel her presence strongly now. From down the hall I heard a soft chant and a loud moan.

She was trying to steal his powers. Just as she had to me, she cast a spell on him. His cries were growing louder every moment. I ran down the hall and threw myself at her door.

"You!" She yelled. "I thought my young friend Michael had killed you."

"You were wrong." I said. "Thanks for the body."

"You’re quite welcome. Have a seat. I’ve just finished with Michael’s power. I put it with yours. I was just wondering, how I could ever have thought he could finish you off. He doesn’t have the expertise that you have acquired. It’s a shame, really."

"What do you want?"

"Well Brillant, my body for starters. Then I want to rule this little town, maybe even the world. Would you like to join me?"

I laughed. "No. I can’t picture myself teamed up with your evil."

"I’m not all that bad, you know? There are still some good qualities in me. You know, I do have an awfully nice body. I like yours even better though. If you want, you can have mine."

"You are too funny Ousilla. So tell me what you plan to do."

"If you won’t join me, I will kill you. Then I’ll kill Michael too. He’s no good with out you."

"You realize that our powers will die with us? Everything you have done will have been done in vain."

"It is a pity. I didn’t mean to kill all of you."

"Just send Michael back to his own time. Kill me, but leave him."

"I’m not that nice. Brillant, we could rule the world together. Your powers and mine combined, just imagine what we could do."

"I thought you didn’t have any powers."

"Not as spectacular as yours, I assure you. But I inherited a few from my mother. She was just like your mom, Brie."

"Why can’t you just be good? Ousilla, you have the capabilities. I can help you."

"Why can’t you just give up. My entire family died, and I should have died with them. Because of the kindness of some man who pulled me out of my house, I’m alive. I am alive and miserable. I want to kill everything good. I want to reek revenge for having been forced to live."

Michael lay on the ground only a short distance from my feet. He had passed out when Ousilla stole his powers. He was pale, and thin. He looked like a holocaust victim.

"Ousilla, please let him go. How can he hurt you now? Look at him."

She glanced at his frail body. "I will let him go, if you promise to be my slave."

I knew what she had planned for Michael, she would place him in a picture so she could be assured he would not escape. She planned the same for me if I agreed to her terms. She wouldn’t release Michael, no matter what. I had to think of a better plan.

So Brillant hadn’t died. She was staring at Michael, devising a better plan of action. It was strange to look at my own body, and not be in it. Brillant was unfamiliar, but beautiful. Her eyes were the deep violet color that I had only seen in the mirror. My eyes were now green, a brilliant shade that suited Brillant’s body.

I was almost beginning to believe what she had said about being good. I simply wanted to gain her strength. I had never known someone so strong.

"Brillant?"

"Yes?"

"Why haven’t you tried to attack me yet? You seem so calm."

"Ousilla, I don’t want to hurt you. I know there is good within you. I feel it."

"Why do you think I will change? I have my plans. Whether or not you chose to join me is up to you."

"Why must everything be about your plans?" She walked over to me, and put her hand on my arm. "You have a beautiful soul, let it shine."

"No!" I pulled away from this strange creature. Her touch was warm, and soft. Almost like a mother’s touch, which I had never known.

"Brillant Lune, if you do not join me you must die!"

"Ousilla. Please let Michael go. He is no good to you. You can keep his power, and send him back to his own time."

"I will let him go. But you must stay in his place. I will not release you."

"Agreed." She said.

I conjured up the time spell and Michael disappeared from our world. "May we never cross paths again." I said.

Brillant stood with her arms crossed. She looked as if she would cry if she thought about him much longer.

"So, do you want your body back?" I asked.

"I don’t care anymore. He made me promise. I broke my promise."

"What are you muttering about now?"

"He made me promise I would never leave his side."

"Looks like you lied. Doesn’t it feel good?"

"No."

"There is no hope for you, is there Brie?"

"Since when do you call me Brie?"

"Since I’m in your body. I feel I know you well enough to call you that."

"What do you plan to do with me?"

"What do you think? I’m going to kill you, or teach you, or enslave you. Your choice."

"I would be no good to you as a slave. I will never join you. So, you must kill me."

"What ever you like."

I raised my hand to her. I called upon all of my powers, and concentrated on her lungs, just as Michael had. Just then I had the most horrible feeling. It was as if I was reliving the deaths of my family. I dropped my hand to the floor. Brie looked up at me.

"Kill me." She said. "I have no reason to live."

"I can’t."

She looked at me curiously. She walked over to me, and took my hand in hers.

"What?" I asked.

"You have the power. I don’t understand." Brillant touched my hand, confused.

"It was like I was killing my family. I couldn’t do it. It was unbearable."

Brie’s father appeared in the corner. "I see you have finally learned."

"Father?" Brie asked.

"Do you know why I’m here?"

"No." Brie said.

"Ousilla can’t kill you, can she?"

"You’re correct." I said.

"It is because, you are family."

"What?" Brie and I asked simultaneously.

"That’s impossible." I said.

"Dad? You are my father?" Brie asked.

"Yes, I am. But it is not impossible. You are twin sisters. Born on the same day. Brillant was last, your mother died immediately after. Brie was given to the nuns in my church to raise. Ousilla with myself and your siblings. All of the other children died in the fire. I was saved by your mother’s spirit. She changed me, so no one would know me. She knew it would come to this."

"My mother, she saved you?" I asked. "Why did she not save the other children?"

"She needed her children with her. She left the strongest to carry on our family. She knew that you would one day meet, and quarrel over power. You always were the jealous one, Ousilla."

"She’s my sister?" Asked Brie, astonished.

"Yes. Your mother wanted you to learn from your mistakes. She gave most of the power to Brie, most of the talent to Ousilla. You look nothing alike, but you are."

"You‘re my father? Why couldn’t you tell me? Why couldn’t you love me?"

"I did, I do. You are both very precious to me. Your mother made me promise that I could only contact Brie. She wanted you to learn on your own. She knows you have good inside of you, but she wondered if it would automatically shine through."

"It didn’t." I said, sadly realizing my mistakes.

"Why do you speak of mother as if she were still alive?" Brie asked.

"She is not. But there are ways of communicating with the dead."

"What did you do with Michael?" Brie asked me.

"I sent him back to his own time. You yourself said that he doesn’t belong here."

Brie looked down sadly. "Father? May I go to him?"

"No, Brie. You must stay in your own time."

I hit the ground with a hard thump. I remembered Ousilla's cruel laughter as she tortured my body. Brillant had tried to save me, but she was in Ousilla's body. She's taken my powers, and now I'm back in my own time. There must be a way to get back. Now I only had to find it.

I thought all of this as I lay on the ground in a stupor. When I finally got up I realized I was in the orchard. It was almost as if no time had gone by. I stood up, weakly at best, and looked for the entrance. I walked back to where I had been sitting when I first saw Brie. My friends were still sitting there, as if nothing had happened. The festival was still going on in full force.

"Hey guys!" I called. They acted like they didn't hear me.

"Hey guys?!" I walked closer to them, they still seemed oblivious.

I stood directly in front of them and waved my arms around. Not a single one of them moved. It was almost like I was invisible. They were staring right through me. It had to be one of the most gut wrenching moments of my life, when I realized they couldn't see me.

What was going on? Was a trapped in some sort of alternate universe? Was I still in Brie's time? Or was I home? This can't be possible.

"Father? Did you hear that?" I asked.

"Hear what, Brie?" Ousilla asked suspiciously. She put her hands to her ears.

"I heard Michael, he was yelling my name! Ousilla, did you hear it?"

"Yes." She said.

"He wants to come back father. He wants to, but he doesn't know how!"

"That's not necessarily so, Brie." He said.

"Father, I know. Brie is right." Ousilla said.

I looked at her in surprise. She smiled at me shyly. My father looked at us.

"My daughters." He said. "You have made me proud today. I'll bring him back for you."

Ousilla and I smiled brilliantly.

Father set about to fixing the damage done. Ousilla sat down, and started thinking. I listened to her thoughts.

So it seems that I am Brie's sister, and Bill is my father. It feels strange to be in a family again. It's been so long. How could I have ever wanted to kill her? I guess the evil just took over me. I feel so badly for ever hurting her. I feel even worse about the others I had killed. I wish there was a way that I could bring them back.

"There is." Said Brie.

"Huh? Oh, you heard me thinking."

"Yeah. There is a way to bring them back, you know? It's just that it has to be done by the one who killed them."

I blinked back the tears that welled in my eyes. "Brie, I killed them, all of them. I feel so horrible."

"As well you should. But you can make things right again."

"How?"

"All you have to do, is go to the grave sites. Then place the power crystals… you still have them, right?"

"Yes. They're in the box with yours."

"Good. Then you place one power crystal on each grave. Everyone will appear unharmed the next day, in the exact place where they died."

"Do the crystals have to be on the exact graves of the children they belong to?"

"Well, no. They sort themselves out."

I stood up, and walked over to the shelf where I kept the special box. I opened it, and handed Brie's crystal to her.

"I don't know how to fix it, but at least I can give it back to you."

As soon as it touched Brie's skin it disappeared.

"How did you know it was mine?" She asked.

"What just happened?"

"You first." Said Brie.

"It was green. I remember that it shined a brilliant green when I took it from you. Michael's was yellow."

"That's interesting." Said Brillant. "Now, for my answer. When the crystal touched me it disappeared. Well, it knew it belonged to me. So it just found it's place inside me."

"Wow. I'm sorry, Brie. I've caused so much trouble."

"You've been forgiven."

Father walked over to us. "I started the spell. He isn't exactly in his world. He's trapped between the two times. It'll take longer than I thought, but he'll be back." All the while he was walking toward the door. As he finished he closed it behind him.

"I guess he thinks we need some time together." I said.

"I guess so." Said Brie.

"We should go to the far woods to free the children."

"Well, none of us are really children any more. Are we?"

I put my arm around her waist and smiled. "No, I suppose not. Hey, do you want your body back?"

"I thought you wanted to keep mine for awhile?" Brie said.

"I did. But I'm over it now." I smiled at her, still very shyly.

"Sure, but only if I can tie you down with those stinking vines for awhile. They hurt."

"I guess I deserve it."

- Carol LaFay