One More Forever... Chapter 7 and final Chapter.

Rachel held her hands over her stomach as the fire came towards her. She wasn't sure how much Eli could hurt her and her baby girl. The fire ball hit her in the chest, knocking her backwards. She saw her fire strike Eli hard, tossing him outside the cabin. She closed the door quickly and turned to her mother.



 "I am fine daughter, you need not worry for me. Protect that baby with all that you have. We can kill Eli but we must be smarter than he is. It isn't as much about brawn as it is brains. If we stay one step ahead of him, we can be ready for anything he tosses at us."


 "Well, mother, he just tossed one hell of a fire-ball at me. How do I fight him and protect Karen at the same time?"


 "With your mind, Rachel. He can not read your thoughts but... we can read his. You are the stronger in mind. Use your gift to find where he is and what he is planning."


 Rachel closed her eyes and focused on Eli. She could see him brushing the flames from his body. She knew then that he could be burned. She saw him calling out to someone in the forest. He was coming back for her with friends. Five witches joined him as he neared the cabin. His hands were already filled with fire as were each of his witches hands. She listen as they spoke to him.


 "It burns my hands, Eli. I can not hold this flame much longer."


 "Azelda, you whine far too much. I know it burns, you idiot, it is fire!!!! None of the others complain."


 "They are afraid of you."


 "I guess you should have been more like them, then. You should have been afraid!"


 Rachel watched him turn towards the witch. He thrust his hands forward as if he were handing off a ball. The flames that came from his hands were so hot they were blue. The fire struck Azelda in the face. She clawed at the fire, screaming, as her skin disintegrated. In an instant, Azelda's body was entirely consumed by the flames. Only ashes lay where a witch had once stood. Rachel cradled her belly and prepared for the very worst.


 "I am coming for you, Sister and this time I will not be pushed outside!!!!"

 "What do I do now, Mother? He is powerful."


 "Absorb the elements around you, Rachel?"


 "What?"


 "The cabin and the trees are your strength so use them. Set them on fire and use the powers of everything that is good."


 As the front door opened and fire rushed inside, flames engulfed Rachel. She could see and feel herself burning but there was no pain. She saw her mother move in to the flames.


 "What are you doing, Mother? Get out of here!!!!"


 "Absorb me, Rachel... take what power I still have and use it, Now!!!"


 Rachel breathed in the fire around her, feeling everything she saw. She watched as her mother was burned by the fire. She could feel her strength growing rapidly. "I love you, Rachel," were the last words Rachel heard from her mother.


 "I love you too, Mother and thank you"


 "Come on, witch, let's be done with this now!"


 "Yes, Eli, let's." Rachel raised her hands in the air, opening them wide. She swirled them in circles and walked through the cabin. A fire-ball struck her in the stomach and she winced in pain. She could feel a change inside of her. "Damn you, Hell Spawn, if you harmed my baby, I will make you burn slow and painfully!!!'


 The cabin was now consumed by the fire. The wood burned hot as the flames rose high into the sky. Fire-ball after fire-ball assaulted her body, each being totally received by her body. The heat caused her hair to move above her head and her body was now more fire than anything human.


 "Come on, dear brother, come and get some of what I have!" Wind rose all around her as she tossed flames into the trees. "Forgive me, my loyal friends, but I have need of you today." The trees, as if they heard Rachel's words, bent in to the flames, allowing themselves to be fully devoured by them. Rachel walked towards Eli.


 "You can not defeat me, Brother, for I have the powers of the cabin and trees and my mother with in me. You want what I have, Brother???? Here it is, all bundled up for you!" She felt another fire-ball strike her stomach, this one bringing with it severe pain. Rachel felt the burning inside of her. She fell to the floor, watching Eli move closer, like a hunter that had just shot a deer. The cabin was collapsing around her as she stood to face Eli. "Enough!!!!!," Rachel screamed out in pain as one last fire-ball struck her. "We are done here, Brother. I'll take your witches, if you don't mind." She pulled her hand back towards her and the witches felt themselves being pulled towards Rachel. Within seconds, they were gone, sucked inside of her being.


 Rachel walked to where Eli stood. She reached out and hugged him to her. He struggled to free himself but her hold on him was more than he could fight. "This is where you die, dear brother."


 Eli knew she had won the battle but not totally. He too had won a battle. "I will die here, sister, but I have taken from you something even more sacred than life. I have taken your Queen from you. Feel your stomach and you will know."


 Rachel touched her belly and knew something had changed inside. She wasn't sure what but she knew that Karen was no longer with her. She squeezed Eli tighter and just as he was going to be absorbed, she pushed him to the ground.


 "No-o-o-o-o-o, Witch, you are supposed to take me inside like the others! I will simply cease to exist if you do not! Damn you, Rachel."


 "I want no part of you left, Eli. Today, I take from you your One more forever. Now go back to hell where you came from!" Rachel pushed the flames from her body and watched as Eli was incinerated. The flames died with him. Now, only Rachel stood amongst the smoldering forest.



                                                           Final Chapter


  Rachel stood staring down at what remained of Eli. She bent down to scoop the ashes in to a container she found. She smiled as she sealed the top.



 "No worries, little brother, you wont go to waste.You will be my payment to a nasty demon that has my horse. You wanted one more forever and you can spend it where you belong. Share it with the foul creatures of hell."


 The cabin still smoldered as Rachel walked around the forest. Trees that had once stood tall and green now lay on the ground or leaning against each other, dead or dieing. Rachel closed her eyes as she ran her fingers over a huge trunk that still burned slightly. She could feel the words coming from inside the tree.


 "Do not cry for us, Rachel. In our death, new life will come forth. We will be re-born and the forest will continue to give to you and yours a hiding place from the evil that is always nearby."


 "I need to go and save my father. I can use the embers from the fire and then, we will find another place to stay, away from cruel people that do not understand."


 As she touched a cooled ember, she felt her mother's presence very strong. She looked around the debris and smiled as the image of her mother rose from the green branches on a live tree.


 "I know you have many questions, Rachel. There was so much lost here this day. The Sun fills the forest with it's warmth and lights your way back to your father.


 "I lost her, mother... I lost my baby." Rachel sobbed in to her hands as she felt the warmth of her mothers embrace.


 "No, daughter, you did not lose her. The battle shifted time a bit and it was not Karen's time yet. You will have another daughter before Karen. She will be born of you and a mortal man. She and Karen will work together one day to rid the world of another dark witch. The cabin will rebuild itself and the forest will be stronger in it's rebirth. Go now to your father and make him well. I love you daughter and will always be here in the forest, should you ever need me."


 Taking Jacob's horse, Rachel rode through the trees until she saw the demon. He blocked her only way out of the forest.


 "So, you did live, did you, little witch?!?" He breathed in her fragrance and smiled. "You have gained in strength and I fear, a battle between you and I would only leave us both bleeding. What did you bring me to trade for your horse?"


 "If I had the time, demon, I would fight you and win but, time I do not have. Here is a container with the soul of my evil brother inside. Take it and make him your slave. This will satisfy both you and I. Do with him whatever you desire... he is my gift to you."


 The demon took the container from Rachel. He held it to his nostrils and breathed in. "Ahhhhhhh, so deliciously evil." He opened the container and Rachel saw the image of Eli appear. The demon grabbed him by the throat and held him to his face. "Struggle all you want, slave, it will do you no good. You are mine now, a gift from your sister. I will use you for my slave and my pleasures. Pain like I will inflict will be like none you have ever known."


 "Enjoy him demon and dear brother... enjoy this forever from me." She took Lazareth and as she rode out of the forest, she could hear Eli's screams. She smiled and rode to the house.


 Her father laid in the bed, exactly where she had left him. He smiled a gentle smile for her.


 "I am going to lay these embers on your chest, Father. You will be well soon and then we need to go away from here. I will tell you all about the forest when you are well. Mothers says to tell you she loves you."


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 It had been a little over 2 years since Rachel had fought in the forest. She looked out the window of the cabin in the forest. Beauty surrounded her as she cradled her baby in her arms. Ellie was beautiful and looked like her father. She would have her mothers powers but not as strong as if she had been born to two with gifts. She thought seldom of Ellie's father, a man who thought to control Rachel's powers for his own use. Where she sent him, he would never return from.


 Night-fall came and Rachel stoked the fire. Though the forest protected her, the chill in the late Autumn air still made her shiver. As she watched the flames grow, Rachel saw the image of something inside the flames. Tears filled her eyes as she watched the hand reach out to her.


 "You are as beautiful as always, my darling. The little one looks like you."


 "I thought you were gone forever, Jacob. How can you be here?"


 "A gift from the forest and flames for what I gave that day. I can only be here for a short time."


 "Then we are wasting precious time talking. We could be..." Rachel smiled an inviting smile, "making a Queen, my Love."


 Pulling her in to the flames, her clothes burned away by the fire, Jacob smiled. He kissed her lips full and laid her down. "Then let us make One more Forever, now..."