United Once More: Chapter Four

==CHAPTER FOUR==
Two days later, the trio was back in Albion and Sparrow and Richard were currently sitting in the military training ground in Wraithmarsh.
‘I can’t believe how tired I am.’ groaned Richard.
‘Tell me about it. Normally I can go months with hard core living and without proper sleep, but I’ve never been like this.’ said Sparrow, glancing over at Richard’s comrades who were practicing their shooting. They had gotten a lot better, according to Richard.
‘What’s on your mind?’ yawned Richard, noticing Sparrow biting her lip.
‘Nothing. It’s just…I expected Theresa to come to us now that we have the sword, but she hasn’t.’ answered Sparrow. ‘She is the only one who knows about this enemy and she wants us to defeat it. Yet she hasn’t told us how or when it will come.’
‘Maybe she’s getting forgetful in her old age.’ shrugged Richard. He was too tired to worry about anything. ‘Besides, I’m sure she would warn us before it attacks.’
As soon as the words left Richard’s mouth, the warning bells sounded the camp, warning them of a dangerous threat approaching Wraithmarsh.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me. Couldn’t they have waited a few days before attacking Albion.’ growled Richard as all the leading officers and generals began yelling orders at the troops.
 When Richard was tired, it normally meant he was in a foul mood.
‘Who the hell would be attacking us anyway?’ he added to Sparrow as they headed to the meeting point to receive their orders.
‘You don’t think it could be the darkness, do you?’ said a worried Sparrow.
‘Better not be.’ growled Richard.
Moments later they were at the meeting spot and found out that it was the approaching darkness.
‘All right, soldiers. This will be your biggest challenge yet for it is an unknown enemy that we will be facing.’ said the major. ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen before. It appears to be a creature of legend for it is the size of a fabled troll which looks like a giant shadow. In order to defeat this enemy, we are going to ambush it from a distance with tanks and pray that it works.’
‘It will not work.’ said Theresa, appearing in blue light behind the major.
‘Wh – where did you come from?’ asked a startled major while everyone else gasped, except Richard and Sparrow.
‘Think your warning is a bit late.’ snapped Richard, glaring at Theresa. Everyone turned and looked at him.
‘Now is not the time to scold me, Reaver.’ said Theresa, making most of the soldiers gasp. 
Everyone knew the legend of the fabled pirate king who managed to stay young forever, but Richard couldn’t be him, could he? Reaver is just a fictional character after all, wasn’t he?
‘How long till it arrives, Theresa?’ asked Sparrow, walking forward with Richard behind her.
‘By sunset,’ answered Theresa.
‘Right. In that case, we will need to –‘
‘Last time I looked, Captain Sparrow, I was the one that gave the orders around here.’ snapped the major.
‘And how do you suppose you give orders when you don’t know what we are facing.’ snapped Sparrow. ‘Do you honestly think that you have enough experience against this sort of enemy?’
The soldiers and general gasped. No one had ever dared to talk to the major like that.
‘Watch your tongue, girl!’ growled the major. ‘I have been in the army for most of my life, which means I have more experience then you’ll ever have!’
‘Oh, don’t make me laugh!’ said Sparrow, firing up at once. Her temper was not to be pushed when she was tired. ‘Listen, I have been shot out the top of Bowerstone Castle’s top most window, fell down and bounced of the rooves of Bowerstone Old Quarter, before finally hitting the streets after watching me sister die! I have trained with sword and gun since I was nine! I have fought giant beetles, bandits, ghosts, shadows, statues, guards, hollow men, banshees, troll and balverines that many times that I have lost count! I have protected people, saved many regions such as Bloodstone from a vicious banshee! I spent ten years, ten years living in the cursive spire having to torture prisoners and recruits, even having to kill them. I have had to play ridiculous games with this idiot –‘ she motioned to Richard, who raised his eyebrows at her ‘– where I nearly had to sacrifice my youth to shadows to keep him young. I helped save Albion from a mad and dangerous lord, before finally uniting and ruling over Albion dealing with its politics, while going out protecting the people and raising two boys with one ending up slaying all the trolls in Albion and the other saving the world from darkness! So don’t you dare tell me that I’m inexperienced!’
‘That’s enough, Captain! Do you honestly expect me to believe what you say to be true? You were just repeating old legends!’ The major said coldly.
Sparrow stood there trembling with anger before sending fire blades either side of the major, making her blue will lines appear.
‘Oh yes. Legends.’ said Sparrow mockingly.
‘Enough, Hero.’ Theresa said firmly. ‘We cannot afford to fight amongst ourselves. We must all work together if Albion has any chance of survival. So tell me, Hero. Are you ready to become the mighty Lionheart once more?’
‘You bet I am.’ growled Sparrow. ‘With a Hero of Skill and me, it won’t stand a chance.’
Half an hour later, when everyone finally believed that Richard and Sparrow were in fact Reaver and Lionheart, an evacuation had begun to Bowerstone. Sparrow had a lot of trouble getting Logan to go there, but he eventually had to admit defeat when Richard flung him over his shoulder before throwing him into an evacuation car.
‘I guess that’s one way to do it.’ Sparrow muttered as the car drove off.
‘We have no time to be subtle.’ said Richard. ‘We should go and meet the darkness half way.’ he added.
‘Right,’ agreed Sparrow and together they began to walk off until they heard someone calling their names and the sound of running feet. It was Richard’s comrades and Mark.
‘What are you doing?’ asked Richard.
‘We’re coming with you.’ Pete said simply. ‘we know that it will be dangerous and we might not survive, but you’ll need all the help you can get.’
‘Just don’t get in our way!’ warned Richard, before walking off.
‘He’s happy to see you, deep inside.’ said Sparrow as they went after Richard.
‘Yeah. Deep, deep, deep down inside.’ muttered Mark. ‘Is he really the Reaver?’
‘The one and only.’ smiled Sparrow.
‘And you’re really the Lionheart, first Queen of Albion?’
‘Yep.’
Wow. And here I was thinking that they were just legends.’
‘History is laced with legends and myths. Things that have been forgotten over time.’ said Richard over his shoulder.
-----UNITED ONCE MORE-----
At sunset the group caught sight of their enemy.
‘The size of a troll, my ass.’ said Sparrow. ‘That’s got to be at least two meters bigger!’
‘And it’s completely alone.’ said Pete.
‘That’s because it has nothing to fear.’ muttered Richard. ‘It is immortal to all weapons except for the sword Hero is carrying.’
‘In that case, we’ll distract it so you can get a clear path.’ said Mark.
‘Sounds like a plan to me.’ said Sparrow.
‘Right, let’s move out!’ yelled Mark and together the troops ran at the creature shooting at it as they went, while Richard and Sparrow tried to go behind it.
Sadly, they were unsuccessful. The creature just ignored the soldiers as though they were nothing but pesky flies and attacked the two Heroes over and over again. Sparrow and Richard had to duck and weave passed its attacks and eventually they got separated.
‘Why is it ignoring us and only going after you and Sparrow?’ asked one of Richard’s comrades as Richard ran passed.
‘It is not after me.’ panted Richard. ‘It’s only after Hero for she is the biggest threat carrying that bloody sword!’
They watched helplessly as Sparrow narrowly dodged another attack.
‘This is ridiculous! Try and distract it again!’ yelled Richard as he ran towards Sparrow who had been knocked off her feet by the creature and was laying painfully on her back.
‘How? It just ignores our guns!’ yelled Pete after him.
‘Then give it a few grenades!’ Richard yelled back.
He began to run faster as he saw the creature of darkness pick something shard up and began to plunge it towards Sparrow’s body, and then…he subconsciously jumped in front of her and the sharp object pierced through his back. He gave a scream of pain and fell down next to a wide-eyed Sparrow.
‘Richard! No!’ gasped Sparrow as she removed the metal pole and took him in her arms. In the background the sound of grenades sounded and the creature had decided that it couldn’t ignore the soldiers any more.
‘Why?’ sobbed Sparrow.
‘No idea.’ Richard weakly chuckled. ‘Now don’t you let my sacrifice be for nothing. Kill that bloody thing while it’s distracted.’
Sparrow nodded and gently placed Richard on the ground before picking up her sword. She would make it pay for what it did to Richard.
Teeth gritted and with a determined look on her face, sparrow ran into the house closes to the creature, ran up to the top most window, broke the glass and stood on the window ledge judging the distance between herself and the monster. She then jumped off the ledge, sword at the ready and plunged it into the creatures back and fell back down to earth, ungracefully. Once safely on the ground, she slowly backed away toward Richard, waiting for something to happen to the now screaming creature.
Time slowly began to tick by and it continued to scream with pain as Sparrow sat next to Richard and then the sword began to glow. It caught fire, which soon spread across the creature’s body. It began to glow brightly and Sparrow protectively placed her body upon Richard’s. Then there was a final bellow of agony, a brilliant flash of light and then…nothing. Sparrow cautiously raised her head , only to leap back as her sword impaled itself in the rock next to her head.
The creature was dead. The creature with more brawn than brains was dead. The monster of all darkness, the mast of all evil and the master of all shadows was dead, clearing the world of all shadows, including the Shadow Court. Richard would not be pleased and speaking of Richard…Sparrow turned to look at her fallen friend and began to cry.
Richard’s face was a horrible pasty white colour and was drenched in sweat. His eyes were closed and his face troubled. His breathing was shallow. He was still alive, but he wouldn’t last long and there was nothing Sparrow could do. Modern medicine wouldn’t be able to heal him and healing potions disappeared years ago, with all the recipes lost.
‘We did it!’ cried Pete as he, Mark and the others walked over to them. ‘Sparrow! Richard! We did –‘ Pete fell silent as he saw Richard lying unconscious on the ground bleeding. The smiles from the other soldiers vanished as they too saw Richard’s broken body.
‘We have to get him to Bowerstone.’ Pete said urgently. He had been so happy when he thought that they had all survived with only a few broken bones and minor injuries, but that feeling no longer existed.
‘They won’t be able to do anything.’ muttered Sparrow.
‘You never know.’ Pete said quietly as the others gently picked Richard up and carried him to a nearby car.
Sparrow didn’t care if she became sick. She refused to leave Richard’s side. So she hopped in the back seat and cradled Richard’s head in her lap. Pete and Mark hopped into the driver’s and passenger’s seat.
The journey to Bowerstone was a quiet one, with all of them fearing for Richard’s life. It frightened them to see Richard the way he was, especially Sparrow. Richard always came across as someone who was invincible. Someone who would always be around with his arrogance and slightly twisted personality.
Hours later, they finally arrived in Bowerstone and after getting pass the military barricades that surrounded the city, they raced him to the hospital where he was seen to at once. Sparrow, Pete and Mark were left to wait in the waiting room. Sparrow paced fearfully up and down the entire time and then the doctor confirmed their worst fears saying that they would not be able to save him.
‘Surely you can do something!’ said a desperate Mark as Sparrow fell to her knees and began to cry.
‘I’m sorry. The wound is too deep.’ The doctor said quietly. ‘He won’t last much longer. If you want to say goodbye, now’s the time.’ He then walked sadly away.
‘Come on, Sparrow.’ Pete said quietly, helping her to her feet and leading her to Richard’s hospital room.
The moment Sparrow saw Richard laying there so vulnerable, she hurried to his side and sat down next to him, his hand in hers while she placed her head on the bed crying.
‘While he came across as arrogant, self-centred and cold, he really was a good man, and a very good soldier.’ said Mark sadly.
‘Mum?’ came a quiet voice for the door.
Sparrow looked up and saw a worried Logan standing at the door.
‘Logan. What are you doing here?’ asked Sparrow, quickly wiping away her tears.
‘Theresa told me what happened and where you were.’ answered Logan, going to his mother’s side. ‘Is there nothing the doctors can do?’
‘No. The wound is too deep. It would take a miracle to save him now.’ answered Pete sadly.
 ‘Or the Potion of Life.’ said Logan.
‘The what?’ said Pete and Mark.
‘Years ago it was a powerful health potion.’ answered Sparrow, sounding as though she had a head cold. ‘Logan, honey. You should know better than anyone that potions don’t exist anymore.’
‘No, they still do.’ disagreed Logan. His eyes were silver again. ‘They are right beneath us.’
‘Can you lead me there?’ asked Sparrow, jumping to her feet. Maybe there was hope.
‘Yes,’ said Logan, his eyes turning brown. He was starting to get the hang of these visions.
‘Right. We’re going to get the potion.’ Sparrow told the two other men, before saying to Richard. ‘Keep fighting. We’ll be back soon.’
She then followed Logan out of the room and down the corridor. They ignored all the “no unauthorised personnel passed this point” signs and all the nurses and doctors asking them to leave. In the end, they ended up calling security, but Sparrow just pushed them out of their way and drew her gun warningly telling them to stay back. They did as she asked fearing for Logan’s safety and eventually Logan and Sparrow arrived in the basement of the hospital.
‘Where to now?’ asked Sparrow.
‘If you destroy the concrete here, it will lead into the basement of Potions In Motion.’ Answered Logan, pointing down at the location he spoke of.
‘Right,’ muttered sparrow, calling upon her Will to destroy the concrete beneath her. It took her roughly five minutes to create a hole big enough for her to fit through and by the end, she was exhausted. She was yet to recover from the trip to Aurora and her last battle just made it worse.
‘Mum? Are you all right?’ asked a worried Logan, noticing how pale his mother was.
‘I’ll be all right.’ Sparrow said firmly, before jumping down the hole, which was nothing but a black pit.
‘Catch!’ said Logan, throwing down a torch that he had just found in the basement. ‘If you keep going forward, passed the broken shelves and potion bottles, you will come to a dusty old chest. You will find the key underneath the set of draws on the right, right at the back near the left foot. There is only one bottle in the chest which is the Potion of Life.’ said Logan, kneeling down by the hole.
‘Anything I should be wary of?’ asked Sparrow.
‘There might be a few giant beetles down there.’
‘Oh, that’s all right. I can handle a few beetles.’ said Sparrow. ‘I’ll be back soon.’
‘Kay.’
Sparrow turned around and switched on the torch. She hoped that it had fresh batteries in it for she didn’t feel like having it going off stranding her in the dark. Ever since her experience in Shadelight she had become less keen on the dark and she now understood why Logan hated nighttime.
As per her son’s instructions, Sparrow headed down the corridor passed broken shelves and bottles before scoffing at her son’s definition of a few beetles. There were hundreds of them breeding down there and they were all hungry. Each of them buzzed angrily at her and went to attack her.
‘Oh no you don’t!’ snapped Sparrow as she quickly began to shoot them all. ‘I am not losing Richard’s life to you!’
She eventually had to pull out her sword and use flourish attacks against them. Minutes later, there were the remains of dead beetles at her feet and she could slowly feel her strength leaving her. She shook her head and determinedly continued towards the chest. To the only hope for Richard’s survival.
She shortly found it and she found the old rusty key, exactly where Logan said it would be. She hurriedly opened the chest with trembling hands and found nothing but paper recipes at first glance, but after shifting through it all, she found a bottle right at the bottom of the chest. The last Potion of Life.
Letting out a sigh of relief, sparrow took it securely in hand and hurried back to Logan.
‘Did you find it?’ asked Logan as Sparrow climbed out of the hole covered in dust, cobwebs and Richard’s blood from when she first went down there.
‘Yes. And I found a lot more than a few beetles.’ she said as they hurried back to Richard.
As they hurried back along the hospital corridors, they saw that the security guards were still there along with the police, who tried to arrest Sparrow as they hurried passed.
‘Seriously, I know you are only doing your jobs, but move!’ snapped Sparrow, fighting them away while Logan stood calmly in the arms of a police officer. ‘You can arrest me after I give this to my friend. Now move!’ she added as she lightly pushed them away with magic and continued to run towards Richard praying that she wouldn’t be too late. 
She ignored the police running after her and she knew that Logan would be all right. Knowing him, he was probably already calmly explaining the situation to the police.
Sparrow tore into Richard’s room, startling Pete and Mark. Her hands fumbled with the lid of the bottle and was vaguely aware of Mark talking to the police that had followed her. She managed to open the lid and she slowly and carefully poured it in Richard’s mouth, while gently rubbing his throat to engage his swallowing reflexes. Once the bottle was empty, Sparrow put it on the table next to the bed and took one of Richard’s hands in her own. She prayed that the potion would still work, even after all these years. Did potions have expiry dates?
‘Come on, old pirate.’ whispered Sparrow. ‘You can beat it. You’ve cheated death for thousands of years, so you can’t give up now! You can’t leave me!’
As the seconds ticked by Richard’s condition remained the same and Sparrow began to lose hope and started to cry on his bed. As she cried, Pete and Mark bowed their heads, while Logan slipped into the room, followed by the rest of the police officers and the doctor who had told them Richard would not survive, and he went to his mother, hugging her lovingly and comfortingly.
‘I guess potions do expires after all.’ sobbed Sparrow, before looking at Richard quickly as his hand closed gently around hers.
‘Why is it every time we work together, I end up unconscious, injured or physically drained?’ asked Richard, slowly opening his eyes and smiling over at her.
‘Oh Richard!’ cried Sparrow, before gently taking his lips.
Richard’s eyes widened with surprise before he lightly kissed her back.
‘I’m the second love, aren’t I?’ muttered Richard, when they broke apart. ‘I can’t believe it took me so long to figure out. I mean, I’m always calling you a minx.’
‘Well, you know now and that’s all that matters.’ Sparrow said with a shaky laugh. ‘Oh, I was so afraid I’d lost you!’ 
‘It’ll take more than a wound to finish me off.’ answered Richard with one of his famous smirks playing at the lips. ‘You all right, Logan?’
‘Yes.’ said Logan. ‘I’ve explained everything to the police and doctor. I also promised them that I would lead them to where we found the potion so they can see if they can make more.’
‘Sounds like a good idea to me.’ yawned Richard, looking around. ‘Where am I?’
‘Bowerstone Hospital, sir.’ said the amazed doctor.
‘Really? Huh. Always wondered what a hospital looked like.’ said Richard.
Sparrow and Logan laughed.
-----UNITED ONCE MORE-----
TEN YEARS LATER
‘Logan! Ruby! Hurry up or you’ll be late for school!’ Sparrow yelled upstairs for the third time. ‘Honestly, what’s taking them so long this morning? Well, Logan anyway.’ she added to her husband as she turned her attention back to making breakfast.
‘I think I have a pretty good idea what’s going on,’ answered Richard as he read the morning paper.
‘Really? What?’
‘I’m not saying. I don’t want him sulking at me again.’ said Richard. ‘Drives me to drink when the kids do that.’
‘You already drink!’ laughed Sparrow.
‘You know what I mean.’ said Richard, waving a dismissive hand.
Sparrow glanced back upstairs as she heard her son and daughter coming down the stairs.
‘Morning Mum. Dad.’ said Logan, excepting some toast off Sparrow.
‘Yeah, morning.’ said Ruby, giggling slightly as she gave her father a kiss on the cheek.
‘What’s so funny?’ Richard asked suspiciously, automatically looking at his reflexion in a nearby spoon.
‘And you wonder why your daughter is so vain.’ said Sparrow, making Logan snort in his orange juice. Ruby stuck her tongue immaturely out at him, which he ignored. ‘Richard, for the last time, you have no wrinkles except in your imagination.’
‘So what’s so funny, then?’ Richard asked Ruby, putting the spoon down.
‘Logan’s got a girlfriend!’ she said in a sing-along-voice. ‘Which means he’s going to get in trouble, right?’
‘Oh that. You finally asked her out then?’ Richard said conversationally to Logan, who was currently trying not to laugh at the look on his sister’s face.
‘Yes. And we’re going out on a date to the movies this afternoon, after school, of course.’ answered Logan.
‘You went to your father for advice?’ said a disbelieving Sparrow and when Logan nodded she said, ‘Oh Avo help us all.’
‘And why shouldn’t he? After all, I’ve had plenty of experience with the opposite sex.’ said Richard, pouring Ruby some juice.
‘That’s what worries me.’ said a straight-faced Sparrow.
‘Hang on, why isn’t he getting in trouble?’ demanded Ruby.
‘Why would Logan be in trouble in the first place?’ asked a confused Sparrow, taking her seat in between Logan and Richard.
‘Because Dad told her that she wasn’t allow to date until she’s twenty.’ answered Logan with a smirk that could give Richard a run for his money. 
‘And he’s only sixteen! And the rules apply to him too, don’t they, Daddy?’ said Ruby.
‘No, they don’t.’ Richard said calmly.
‘But –‘
‘Ruby, don’t whine at me. You know how I can’t stand it.’
‘Fine.’
‘Don’t sulk either. It’s most unbecoming of a young lady.’
Ten minutes later, sparrow was standing at the kitchen window watching Logan and Ruby walk to school. Logan, by some miracle, had gotten Ruby laughing again. Normally her sulks lasted for hours.
‘Well, Ruby’s no longer sulking.’ Sparrow informed Richard. ‘I can’t believe you told her that she wasn’t allowed to date until she was eighteen!’
‘Then you shouldn’t have had that news report on about pregnant teenage girls.’ stated Richard, getting up and joining her at the window with his arms around her waist and chin on her shoulder.
‘Richard, Ruby’s seven years old.’ Sparrow said with a slight laugh. ‘Besides, what about Logan? He could get his new girlfriend pregnant.’
‘Are you forgetting who re-gave him the talk? Besides, I know Logan’s not stupid enough to do something like that and sex is the last thing on the kid’s mind.’ answered Richard.
‘Are you saying that you think Ruby is going to be stupid enough to do that then?’ asked a still amused Sparrow.
‘I didn’t say that.’ said Richard, before gently kissing her neck.
Sparrow closed her eyes and smiled.
They had spent a year dating before Richard proposed to her, which was after he discovered that he would no longer be able to remain young after the discovery of the Shadow Court’s destruction. It took him a while to adjust to the marriage life and being Logan’s stepfather, but when Sparrow announced that she was pregnant; Richard paled dramatically and dreaded the arrival of a baby, which amused everyone. 
When Ruby was born, Richard did everything possible to leave the house since her couldn’t stand her crying, but then Sparrow made him babysit her while she took Logan shopping to get him some new clothes. Then, when they came back, they found Richard holding a happy and giggling Ruby with a huge smile on his face. From that day on, he became very protective of her. However, this didn’t stop him being the old pirate they all knew and loved.
THE END