The group sat down at the table once again.
"Okay Jack lets here it,"Kat demaned. Jack made a face at her."Now Jack!"
"Okay Okay!! It started on a rainy night. I remember this because I really like the rain. When all the grown ups were alive, I use to..."Jack started to say, till he looked at Kat's face. Yep, he thought. Lex's for sure."Anyways I was walking up the North Hill, I just came from visting Dal's grave. If I had known he was a ghost at the mall, this might have never happened!"Jack looked at the sit on his left which Dal had sat in."Well up on the other side of the hill comes Luke! That jerk acted like he ruled the world. Like killing a bunch of people was no big deal! I guess the older me took over then. At that moment I was left behind as the grown up Jack took a swing at Luke with the sickle. We just sharpened it for the farm, that was our next stop. Dal was always complaining about it not being sharpend. Luke's head just flew off like it was tied there with a thin piece of string. I couldn't believe what the grown up Jack had done. He didn't either. He stood there stunned. Then, wouldn't you know it the Guardain came trotting up the hill too. "Luke one more thing. When you get to the mall I need you to.." That was all he said when pop went his head. So you see he was planing something with Luke! The grown up Jack took the sickle and threw it off the cliff into the ocean below. As he threw it I saw it glow a white color. I knew something bad was going to happened,"Jack paused and looked around the table.
~*~
Jack looked at everyone at the table. Boy did he felt guilty!
"I kept walking back to the beach where the sickle fell. Thinking that something would happen there it did, some bum of a kid was weaving on the beach. He tripped over the sickle and just stared at it. It was rusty and the handle was rotten. It was under the ocean for two years, I suppose. The kid started to talking to it then. I felt something weird coming from the sickle. You know, like a gut feeling. The kid picked it up, his eyes were glassy looking. You could tell that something else took over his brain, if the kid had any. So he takes the sickle to the mall and starts hanging around everyday and night. He was a rude guest, I'll tell you that. It would be quiet and then all the sudden the guy would run down the hall screaming and pulling his hair out. I'm not kidding, this guy actually had bald spots on his scalp! He would scratch at his eyes talking to someone, asking. No! He was begging to be left alone. I can still hear him screaming,"Jack shivered."That's when I knew the Guardian came to stay. The guy would rant "Power and Chaos" all the time. Then he started plotting my death. Well the grown up me. I was in power of the whole country at that time. So I locked him up in Tai-san's bedroom. It was selfdefence. That guy was gonna kill me! It was quiet for awhile so I looked in the room. Just popped my head through the wall. The Guardian took Tai-san's form. Telling me that she forgave me. You see I killed Tai-san too. Stuck a poison spider in her herb dish. I could see past him. That guy, that came in with the sickle, the Guardian will still try to use his body. It's gross. Think about a hundred year old dead body running around that room. Well its not as bad as it was the first couple of months. No more worms and maggets hanging off his cheek. His eyes disolved, so they don't fall out of his eye sockets anymore. His teeth had fallen out and no more green stuff oozes out of his mouth..."
"You say anymore about that corpse I'll send you to he11!"Kat said.
She was a bit green. That kinda of stuff, she will never get use too. Yuk.
~*~
"So the kid brought the sickle to the mall because the Guardian told him too. After the kid went out of his mind, you locked him in that room to die. The sickle is in there too? Why doesn't the Guardian come out? I know I felt him when I first came into the mall, Jack," Kat took a breath. Jack just made a face at her.

"I did lock him in that room, but he was beyound help. It might have been his body but it was not his brain. You gotta believe me. The way you make sound, it was like torchure,"Jack glared at her."The Guardian was a nut case but not a very smart one. He doesn't know how too unlock that door, so he can't move stolid objects from there. For some reason, I don't know why, he thinks the only time he can appear is when he is in that room with the sickle but he does leave the room once in awhile."

"Okay, it sounds as if he doesn't want to be cought with out his engery source. Jack, have you ever felt or seen another spirit here. I mean besides the Guardian and Dal," Matt asked him.
Jack's eyes grew like saucer, he looked away from Matt.

"I don't know who it is. He stays in the shadows and won't let himself be known. I do know that Tai-san brought him into this mall. She was practing dark magic. She had a book under the floor board, where the sickle is now. It was called, "Practice of Controled Spells for the Mordern Witch". I got rid of it when I got rid of her,"Jack told them.

"So what do we do now,"Tina Ava asked the group. She was in too deep. This stuff scared her. There is no way she would be able to take on a walking zombie. She would most likely faint. Tina Ava felt a small squeeze on her shoulder. It sent chills down her spine. This time it was okay, she smiled. Dal was going to stay with her. Maybe he couldn't protect her, but he was going to stay with all the same."Can't witches cast spells on things?"

"Not when there dead! You only need a brain to figure that out, Tina Ava,"snapped Kat.

"You must forgive Kitty Kat, she gets grumby when things don't go smoothely. I do believe she is right. Once a witch is dead she can't cast a spell,"Matt gave Tina Ava a smile."Although, lov, they can cast a spell before they die. If Tai-san was any good at being a naste witch, she might have made a safe zone for our shadow spirit. I just don't know why the spirit would let the Guardian in his safe zone?" Matt told the group. Great! Kat thought, just what we need.
~*~
Kat pushed herself away from the table and went towards the locked door. This wasn't happing. Her grandfather would never marry a witch. Jack's child spirit was lying, he had to be. She reached the door's handle to turn it . She was only able to turn it half way before she heard a click. She turned and slid down the body of the door. Holding her hands up to her face, she began to cry. Matt came and kneeled beside her, petting her hair. Jack came and stood beside her.
"I'm sorry Kat. Really. You have to remember that Lex never knew what she was. He never knew. Now that he had passed away, he will never fine out, Kat." Jack told her. Tina Ava came to stand near the group. She leaned against the wall, never seeing the ghostly hands reaching out to close around her neck.
"Tina Ava!" she heard a voice cry out. She looked down and saw the arms coming closer to her neck. She was too scared to think clearly. She just stood there, her mouth came open but no words came out. She jumped up and down her hands open but her fingures stiff in front of her. She started to see black spots in front of her, then the whole room grew dark as she started to fall in a faint. Dal took that moment to appear in front of them, he cought her before she reached the dusty, bug ritten floor. Dal carefully set her down on the floor. Holding her head up as Kat took off her jacket to rest her head on.
~*~
Tina Ava's eyes flutterd opened. Before her stood a new face, but instanly she knew who it was. She smiled. So this was my Dal, huh. Then the image of the ghost hands came back to her. She left out a horrorable scream, Matt even but his hands over his ears. Then there heard a haunting laughter filling the mall.

"Lov, there's alot of energy building up,"Matt told Kat as a breeze started to fill the hall way.

"Tina Ava! You need to hold on to something fast!" cried Kat. The breeze grew stronger and the paper littering the hall started to scattered. Tina Ava turned on her belly and hung onto the rug that was nail to the floor. Soon chairs began to slid down the hall.

"Come on Jack and Dal. We need to do a disapearing act or he will use our engery too."Matt said slowly fading."Kitty Kat, hang on. I will be back okay!" He said looking into her eyes. She nodded her approval. She didn't like him leaving, but knew he had to get Jack and Dal away. Matt was stronger then the other two and could take the engery force. Jack and Dal didn't know their ablities yet, if the guardian were able to get there engery field, he would be able to turn them against Kat. Matt knew if he had stayed the other two might think they could take the heat also and make a surpise appearance. The breeze turn into a strong gust. Kat dropped to the floor beside Tina Ava and hung to the carpet also. Face imprints started to fill the wall. Hands started to reach for them from the walls. Tina Ava screamed out as the carpet started to rip from the floor. A hand reached out and bruched against Kat's leg. She slid her leg closer to Tina Ava, which made Tina Ava start to scream again, thinking one of the hands had gotten a hold of her. A hammer started to float to them. It stopped in front of the frightend girls and started to pull the nails out of the floor, which was holding the carpet down. It was like an invisible hand holding the hammer. With the last nail out the carpet and the girls slid down the hall. The girls turned around to see where they were going. Hands reaching out to them, were kicked aside by the Tina Ava and Kat. Faces on the wall grin and laughted at them as they slid by. The girls hit the end of the hall and slammed into its wall. Watching the wall come closer, the girls were able to brace there legs for the impack. Catching the wall with there feet, the girls protected them self from what could have been a naste crash. The air began to die down, and once again they were able to hear laughter of the past made my little girls running though the halls.

"That was Cloe and Patsy,"Jack said, appearing after the storm. Matt and Dal following close behind him.
~*~
"They made that storm?" Tina Ava asked, starting to stand up.

"No! The laughter that you heard was Cloe and Pasty,"Jack told them.

"Jack, where is the key to that door?"Kat asked him.

"What key? I never used a key,"a smile played on his lip."I used a door pick to lock it. Sometimes if you can pick a lock open, you can also unlock it."he answered her. She glared at him and with a face he made his door picks appear by floating them down the hall.

"Thank you,"She said, grabbing the picks. She went over to the door and with a little jiggle and a bit of turning she was able to open the door. Hot air blasted out of the room. Years of decay of cloth and a dead person, filled their nose.

"Becareful lov,"Matt called.

"Here let me go first,"Dale volunteered. He tried to walk though the threshold but was unable too. He looked at the group. Matt's eye brow shot up. He walked over to the door and felt in front of him.

"It's a curse. Tai-san must have made a barrier. I can't get through the door. Most likely it's all over the room,"he gave them a weak smile. "I guess good spirits can't get through."

"I got through!" Jack told him.
"That should tell you something!"Kat shot at him. Jack stuck his tongue at her.
"Hey, hey. Behave you two. Jack your not a normal spirit. More like it, your not complete. Your other half didn't behave himself either, so that could be it. Anyways the point is that your on your own girls. Well, you might have Jack."Matt told them.The girls looked at Jack, who just shrugged in a take it or leave it fashion.

"Okay. Tina Ava you want to come?"Kat asked.
"If you don't mine, I'll watch from here. You and Jack can have all the fun."She told Kat.

~*~
Kat took a big breath and walk in the room, Jack following her. The door slammed behind her. Kat turned to face the door, watching the door handle jiggle in Tina Ava's effort to open it for her. A deep laughter came from inside the room. Black candles could be seen on table tops and shelves. There was a skeleton laying on the bed of decay and mold. Flies had found a way into the room and where breading happily, except for the ones that found themself stuck in a spiders web. Big fat spiders dance on their webs to collect their feast. They bit into the flies and sent their vedom into the flies system. The fly didn't suffer long, soon the spiders started rolling the fly in a nice wrap, for a left over snack. Mothes also have found life in this empity room. They flutterd out of the darkness haven ate some find clothing. Kat took a step and looked down as the floor made a crunching sound. She had step on a naste spider, Jack thought it had a respemblance of the one he had (sort of) given to Tai-san. From the bed the skeleton of the madden child raised it's arm. Jack gave a groan, he we go he thought. The skeleton sat up in bed. Maggots where still feasting on its remains, the jaw bone fell on the skeleton lap and a spider made an exit out of it's head by way of the eye socket. Dust and stench rosed from the bed as the skeleton bought it's feet to the floor. Kat's heart began to race and she reaced for a match. The skeleton's clothing began to fall off, as it took the first step towards Kat. The laughter grew, bouncing off the walls. Kat broke a leg off a chair she stood beside. She took off the top layer of her shirt and wrapped it around the chair's leg. Catching the shirt on fire, she was able to use it as a torch. Out of her pocket she had a packet of salt which she made a circle aroung her. Jack made a face and jumped into the circle, since he wasn't causing her any harm, the circle accepted him.
The skeleton was now at reaching distance of the circle. It tried to step over the circle, but like the room, it acted as a barrier. Protecting Kat from evil. The skeleton reached its hand towards Kat. Kat slashed at it's arm, missing it. Kat turned to Jack.

"I need your help. We both know it's the Guardian. A skeleton can't hurt you, since your dead. The Guardian would love to get his hands on you for taken his head off. So I need you to step out of the circle. When the Guardian sees you, he will let go of the skeleton's form. The skeleton will drop and I'll drop the tourch on it. This will burn the skeleton and send it's soul away. Now the Guardian will try to hurt you, so as soon as I drop the torch you need to get your sorry a$$ back in the circle."Kat told him. Jack rolled his eyes but nodded. That was something he could never change in himself. In Jacks own mine, he has always done what he thought needed to be done. Even if he was against it. This is what made him be a great leader. Jack did as Kat told him to do. The plain worked as Kat said it would. Jack made it back in time before the Guardian could even graze him. This enraged the Guardian. He tried to take the skeletons form again, but it was burning, becoming useless to him. The room grew quet after the Guardian threw his fit. Then after a moment, a figure started to emerge before them. Kat could fill the Guardian's engery in the smokey figure, but wasn't expecting to see Tai-san infornt of her. It's true the Guardian was using her image, but the shock was still there. Jack rolled his eyes at Tai-san.
~*~
On the outside of the room, Matt was calling Kats name. He closed his eyes, how was he to help her. He had to think. Tina Ava came towards the door with a hammer she found on the hall floor. The same one that pulled the nails out of the carpet she and Kat hung to. She was determin to get that door open. She slammed the hammer on the door handle. It bent under the pressure of the blow, but didn't do any good for them. She raised it again, getting all her strength behind it. Just before the head of the hammer came crashing down on the nob, something grabbed a handle full of her hair and pulled.
"Matt let go!" she cried dropping the hammer. She lost her balance and fell on her butt, dust lifted off the floor a bit.
"Tina Ava!" Matt cried her name as she was dragged past him by her hair. She was screaming because of the pain, when she saw Matt, she screamed even louder, realizing Matt didn't have her hair at all. She begain to kick, her arms reaching out to grab something, anything. Matt and Dal watched as she was dragged around the corner. They turned and looked at each other, Dal had his mouth open in a surpise gester and Matt had an eye brow raised. Then at the same thime, they took off around the corner chasing after Tina Ava. Her yells were echo's in the mall. The two spirits found themselves down the stairs.
"It's taken her in the sewers,"Dal said. Matt looked at him and nodded. Matt didn't know this place like Dal.
"Dal, you go after her. I'm going back to Kat and see what I can do to help her,"Matt told him.
"Me! What can I do to help her? I'm dead, remember!"Dal said stunly.
"I am too, Dal. Who ever that is, well they are dead too. I bet it's the shadow spirit."Matt said, wishing he could go after him instead."Dal, you can do this. You don't have to defeat him, just get her away from him. Okay."Matt said looking into Dal's eyes. Dal looked back at Matt and felt something go through him. It was like he was given extra powers of some sort. Da nodded at Matt. Matt smiled back and tilt his head towards he sewer. Dal took a deep breath and begun his search for Tina Ava. He smiled, it wasn't hard, she smelled like a rose. He took a deep of her perfurm and smiled again thinking how soft her hair felt. Dal shook his head, what was he doing! Tina Ava needed help and he was standing there thinking about her hair.
"She won't have any hair left if you don't get a move on!" Matt's voice echoed in his head. Dal looked around to see if he was near."Go!" Matt's deep voice boomed in his head once more. Dal broke out in a run to fine his beloved one.
~*~
The sewer was dark with spiders and rats. Dal had found out( by opening the door to the sewer) that he could make himself transparent or solid. That would explain how Matt had voided the playful punch that Kat tried to deliever earlier that day. Also how Matt could wrap Kat in a hug, with out going stright though her. Dal stopped and looked at the end of the tunnel. The wall had cought his eyes. There was something about it that didn't set right with him. He walked over to it and touched the hard, slimey wall. He couldn't find anything wrong. There was no brick that moved loose or anything. Dal gave a sigh and looked down. On the floor there was a path in the dust as if something had been dragged and it ended in front of the wall. He gave the wall a hard push calling out Tina Ava's name. He heard her voice, muffled through the wall. He pushed again, this time it slid slightly. A secret room. He never even knew! He pushed it till it gave and opened with a groan. Inside, indeed, was a room hidden from view. Tina Ava sat on the middle of the room. Tears striked down her cheek.
"Dal!" she cried in a quivering voice. He came over to her, look around the room as he did. He couldn't feel anyone there. Dal knelt down beside her in a solid from, wrapping his arm around as she weeped on his shoulder.
"Are you okay Tina Ava?" he asked her. She nodded into his shoulder. Dal looked around the room, still holding on to her. The room had a few chairs and tables. There was alot of candles, some burnt down to the base. On one of the tables was a black book with a leather covering. He helped Tina Ava up and walked towards it. Dal picked up the book to peer inside. The book's cover felt like human's skin. Tina Ava wrickled up her nose in disgust. He blew on the cover to see the what the title was. It was blank. With a puzzled look, Dal open to the first page. In a red ink, boldly across the top page read "A Witch's Tale, by Tai-san." Dal and Tina-Ava looked at each other. Matt would love to see this.
~*~
Dal and Tina Ava made their way up the stair, with no trouble at all. The shadow spirit had his fun and decided to leave Tina Ava alone for awhile. Or perhaps he didn't want her to bust open the door and try to save Kat. Or was it because he wanted Tina Ava to find the book? We won't know just yet, but I can tell you that they had no trouble leaving the secret room in the sewer.
"Matt look what we found,"Tina Ava rushed to him. Matt looked over at her as he stood infront of the door. He still couldn't open that door.
"You okay Tina Ava? That spirit didn't hurt you two, did it?"Matt said with concern.
"No, I didn't even see him. I did find a room in the sewer's passage. I didn't even know it was there. I doubt Jack even knew,"Dal told him. " I found Tina Ava in there and this book." Dal handed the book to Matt.He reached his hand out to take the
book and open the cover of the book. Matt's eye brow shot up as he read "A Witch's Tale by Tai-san". The corner of his lip turned up as he flipped through the pages.
"She was writing a story about her self. I bet she was going to hand these out before Jack took her life,"Matt's eye's grew wide as he read a paragraph from her log."She had a baby. She gave it away early in the virus stage. She goes to say that she doesn't regret what she had done."
"I'm sure alot of young mom's did that, Matt."Tina Ava said.
"Yea I guess so. She goes on to say that the father of her child, Zoot, was very dissapointed in her. How Zoot still had feelings for Trudy and her baby that she carried." Matt looked at Tina Ava and smiled at her stunned look."From what this story tells, Tai-san ran into the Guardian and brain washed him into believing Zoot still had the power. That they should get Brady away from Trudy. Later finish both of them off. She writes how she plains on bring Zoot back from the dead. She would have to become a Mall Rat to get passage way though the Mall, since Zoot die here.'' Matt paused. So that was their Shadow Spirit. Yet, Matt got the impression Zoot was trying to help. Matt thumbed through the pages looking for something that stood out. A photo slid from the fold of the pages. Matt stopped and picked it up. He saw a picture of a little girl around to staring back at him. It was old and he handled it carefully as he turned it over. On the back it read "Dawn at age to with mommy and daddy" Matt flipped it back and looked at mommy and daddy. Dal's mouth dropped as he peer at the picture from Matt's left.
"That's Tai-san and Zoot!"Dal shouted.
"I know who that little girl is. Oh, this can't be true!" Tina Ava cried with her knowledge. Matt looked at her as she looked up at him, her hand cover her mouth and her eyes wide opened."That was my great-grandma!"
~*~
"That would make Tai-san your great great grandmother,"Dal said.
"Blood related! Do you know what this means, lov?" Tina Ava shook her head at Matt's question."To make a curse, a witch needs a little bit of her blood. To break the curse, you need a little bit of that same blood. We can't get it from Tai-san, she's dead. We can get it from you, both share the same blood,"Matt told her. Tina Ava's eyes grew wide."We don't need alot, just a drop. Then we smear it on the hinges and the lock of the door. I know that much, we might be able to find the counter curse in this book."Matt said as he took glances at the pages. "There is one thing that concerns me though. Does Zoot want to help us or does he want you, lov, to finish what Tai-san didn't." Tina Ava and Dal exchanged looks. This is just what she needed.

"Ahh, here it is lov."Matt looked at her. She looked so scared, her eyse wide in fear, he could sence her heart beating. "It's okay lov. I'll stay with you and so will Dal." He gave her a smile."Now we need to prick your finger. You say these words in here and at the same time, touch the hinges and the lock with the same finger."Tina Ava nodded and took her City's name tag out of her jacket. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The needle pirced her skin, a round red dot appeared at the tip of her finger. She walk towards the door, Matt holding the book open so she could see the words.

"Door Door, Lock and Key, open the hinges and let me free." She said as she touched the top hinge then the bottom, at last the lock itself.The door opened for them to view inside the room. Kat and Jack still stood in the circle of salt. A dead body lying on the floor, burning slightly. Matt and Dal took a step in and Kat smiled. Tina Ava followed behind them. The Guardian went towards Tina Ava in a rush, to use her body against Kat. Dal yelled and stepped between them. The Guardian's engery sent Dal flying into the wall. Dal smacked the wall and went straight through it. He found himself in the hall, he picked himself up and back into the room by way of the door.
"Why didn't you just come back though the wall, Dal?"Jack asked him. Dal shrugged, he was use to using the door. The Guardian came at Tina Ava again, but before Matt could stop him, Zoot appeared in front of him.
"Master!" the Guardian cried, kneeling on the floor. Kat took this moment to creep over to the bed and kneel on her knees. She began moving the floor boards apart, why was The Shadow Spirit helping them she wondered. Kat was able to make a good size hole under the bed and reached her hands though the floor, Zoot keeping the Guardian busy. Her fingers closed around the metal part of the sickle. Kat smiled as she pulled it out of it's hiding place.
~*~
Burn it Kat!" yelled Tina Ava.
"She can't the fire isn't hot enough to burn metal."Matt told her. "We have to take it down to the furnace. Jack and Dal, do you guys think you could get down there and get it started. We need to get it really hot! Burn anything you can fine,"Matt asked of them. Jack and Dal slipped through the walls. Kat came running back to the circle of salt and meckon Tina Ava to join her. Matt looked over at Zoot, his eyes growing huge. He knew exactly what was going through Zoots mind. Tina Ava had the power to use Tai-san's spells. Now, Zoot wanted her, to use her to bring him back from the dead. Tina Ava would never agree to it but if the Guardian could get in her head, Zoot could commain her to work the spell. The Guardian, after all these years, will do what ever Zoot wanted from him and the Guardian would have control over Tina Ava.
Tina Ava ran pass the two spirits, Matt was to far away to stop her. Zoot lashed out and but his arm around her waist.
"Give your Great Granddaddy a little hug, sweety"He said as he held her so the Guardian come slip inside of her body. Kat called out her name and ran out of the circle. Matt held on to Kat, it was too late to try and stop what was taken place. What they had to do was destory the sickle and make the Guardian weak and give Tina Ava a chance to break free.
~*~
Kat looked at Matt, what should she do? Tina Ava's eyes begain to glow a white color. As long as Kat was inside the circle, nothing with bad intentions could harm her. She held the sickle close to her chest, woundering what she should do.

Dal, coming from the celler told Matt,"The furance is running, it might take awhile for it to get hot. Jack said that if we could just throw it in now, when it's hot enough it will melt." Dal looked over at Tina Ava, she looked really weird, he thought."What just happened here?" Matt frowned at Dal and filled him in.

"If Kat leaves that circle, The Guardian or Zoot will go after her. I'm going to take the sickle down stairs, you try to help her. If Zoot comes after me, I can handle it. You just make sure they don't hurt Kat or Tina Ava. They'll try to use your engry, to drain you. Don't let it happen, you can fight it if you really want to."Matt told him in a stern voice. They couldn't touch Matt, he wasn't a normal spirit, he never was. He was a Soul Reader when he was alive, he just never knew it. When the illness started to get the best of him, he was able to see spirits. They even talked to him, always thinking he was some kind of an angel. He had the looks and heart of one. Matt appeared beside Kat in the circle and held out his hand. Kat looked at him and nodded, she handed the sickle over to him. Tina Ava started gatherning old herbs that over took the room. Some how the herbs Tai-san had hanging in the room, begain to flower and spread through the bedroom. She found a herbal bowl (checking it for spiders) and begain to mix and chant some kind of non-sence words from the book "A Witches Tale". Kat closed her eyes, she saw other people who believed in the dead coming back. The main ingredit in the spell was alive body,"To bring a life back from the darkness, you need to make room for it, you need to take a life away from the light of day," was the common belief. They would use Tina Ava for that, she would have to find away to fight them. Kat tooked over at Dal, he would help her no matter what. His soul was a loyal soul, when he becomes your friend, he would be your friend till the end and beyound.
~*~
Dal walked over to Tina Ava (which the Guardian prossessed), he knelt down to where she was kneeling.
"Tina Ava can you hear me? Please Tina Ava, you have to fight him,"Dal saw her eyes turn a bit to the person he knew. It was only a split secound though, the glassy white eyes came back and out of Tina Ava's mouth barked the Guardian.

"Get away from me! Tina Ava is gone, she has left this body! Zoot will make sure she is in a better place, won't you Master Zoot,'' Tina Ava's eyes looked up at Zoot with love only the Guardian could had ever given him. A small grin came upon Zoot's lips. This didn't help his appearance any. Zoot raised his arm, hand and fingures spread out flat, towards Dal.
Dal felt weakened, he became transparent, the engery was being drained from him. Dal looked at Zoot, the evil smile still playing on his lips.
"I won't let her be hurt by you, Zoot."Dal cried to Zoot.'' You were only a little boy who lost his mommy! You took advanged of the weak and gave them something to believe in. But you were wrong! When you died The Guardian was the only one that cared! Noone else did, not your followers, not even your lover! No, she took your place. Then Ebony married Jack, she never even loved you, not even a little bit. She never shead a tear the day she found out you died! No, the only one that you had left was The Guardian, and he became a everyones fear . He over powered you for his own glory. Do you really think he wants you to come back? If you come back, you will bring him back too. But when he does live again, The Guardian will get rid of you, so that he can rule again." Dal paused, his strenght was coming back. It worked, he was able to distract the Guardian and Zoot. Now the two evil spirits locked eyes. The Guardian begain to shake his head.
"Don't listen to him, Might Great One! I am your loyal servent, I would never try to harm you,'' cried the Guardian.
~*~
Down in the basement Matt and Jack were building the fire that surrounded the sickle Matt had just thrown in.
"I hope this works,"Jack told Matt.
Matt just updated Jack in the events that had taken place upstairs.
"It should, Tina Ava is the one that needs to show strength now. I hope she is strong enough to fight him off,"Matt said with a grim smile.
"She is. Don't ask me how I know . It's like I can feel it,"Jack told him. Matt looked in Jacks eyes and nodded. He understood what Jack ment, even though Jack didn't have a clue, yet.
"Well, we are doing all we can for her, the rest is up to her. No one can help her but herself, now. Not even Kat,'' Matt said softly.
~*~
Up stairs in Tai-san's old room, the Guardian felt a weakness over taken him. Zoot stood before him with a frown on his face. What Dal had said sunk into Zoot, everything he said could be true. Was the Guardian trying to let Zoot bring him back, later to destroy him? Tina Ava grabbed her head as the Guardian's screams came out of her mouth.
"The sickle Master, they are destroying the sickle! Help me!"cried the Guardian.
"You Fool! You don't need that! You clinging to it makes you weak! "Zoot watched at Tina Ava begain to roll around the floor. Dal was beside her.
"Fight him Tina Ava! You can do it! We can't let Zoot come back! We need you to help us, please fight him!"Dal said, trying to give her courage. Tina Ava's voice could be heard under the Guardian's, filled with pain of a fight. An image started to spilt from Tina Ava body, the image of the Guardian begain to take shape before them.
"You are a fool! A stupid useless fool!"Zoot yelled at The Guardian. Tina Ava, being free of The Guardian now, slid her body over to the circle of salt, thier safty zone. Kat and Dal hugged Tina Ava in relief, her body shaken and her limps heavy from fight. Tears of fear and joy rolled down her cheeks. She smiled at the two firgures in front of her.
"What do we do now?"Dal asked Kat.
"We wait for Matt, he'll know what are next step is."Kat told the others."We are safe in this circle. Jack will be safe with Matt. Nothing can harm him,"she told them."Unless they want an army of angels to battle with. It would be one fight they would win, Zoot knows that. I can sence it from him.''
~*~
Like if Kat had made a wish, Matt came thourgh the wall close to her, Jack following. Matt watched Zoot, not trusting him. The Guardian's spirit laid motionless on the floor. Jack looked at him like he was the most stupidest person that ever walked the earth.
"Why does he act as if he is dying? The idiot is already dead,'' Jack asked as he walked into the circle of salt. The others just shugged their shoulders.
"What do we do now Matt? They have us trapped in this circle, if we step out they will try to take over our bodies again,"Kat asked him. Matt looked at Tina Ava closely, a small smile lifting up the corners of his mouth.
"Did you know, lov, that a mother witch will pass her traits on to her first born girl child?"Matt said to Tina Ava, lifting up his eye brow. Tina Ava looked at him like he said the most stupidest thing.
"I am not a witch. Even if I were I would never bring back Zoot!" She told him.
"I said traits, lov. Not personalities. You see, you can condure up some spells, you can make them work, you can even call apon other spirits for help. Other spirits that Zoot would never expect. You could call apoun the spirits of the sea, lov. They are a stormy bunch with good souls."Matt said looking at her intensily.
"How could I do that?"she asked of him.
"I'm only an angel, lov. Your the witch."Matt told her as he watched her roll her eyes in frustion.
"Some Soul Guide you are,"she told Matt.
"I'm not your Soul Guid, lov. He his, maybe he can tell you how."Matt said with a nod to his left.
"He is her Soul Guide! Why not me! I care for her more then he will!'' Dal said, standing before Matt with fire in his eyes.
"For one thing, you didn't kill anyone. I didn't ether, but I'm differnt story all together. Secound, You have been on this earth long enough and third, you have someone waiting for you, someone that is waiting for you to go home,"Matt told him.
"Who?"asked Dal.
"You won't know till you go home, Dal. You could go home right this minute if you want. You just need to try to open the portal with your mind and soul,"Kat told him careful.
"No! I don't want to go.Not yet anyways. I want to stay to help you guys out,"Dal told the group firmly. They all smiled at his choice.
~*~
"Don't I have a choice about this whole Soul Guide thing?"Jack asked them.
"NO!" Matt and Kat said at the same time.
"Once we get you completed with the older you things will look better,"Matt told him."So, what would you suggest Tina Ava to do?"
"Who is waiting for Dal?"Jack continued with his questions.
"Will you get off that already, if you haven't notice we need you to think!"Kat shot at him.
"Kitty Kat, remember he thinks as a child."Matt scolded her.
"Yea!"Jack said thrusting his tongue at her. Kat took a step towards him, Jack hid behind Matt.
"Come on Jack, what shall we do?"Dal asked him.
"Oh, I don't know. I don't like to be put in a spot,"Jack said in a sulken voice. "I don't think it would be in the book, that would make it to easy, although the counter curse for the door was in it. So maybe we should look into it,"Jack grabbed the book from Kat and started to thumb though the pages."Blood is needed, we know that since that was the whole reason the Guardian tried to take over Tina Ava's body,"Jack looked over at The Guardian once again, with a shake of his head. He looked back at the book, hating touch the skin of the cover. Then Jacks eyes grew as he found the passage he was looking for."Here we are, Tina Ava look at this and tell me what you think, don't quickly look at it. You need to feel if it's right. I think Tai-san wouldn't want someone to find the counter curse, this may be the curse itself." Jack handed the book over to Tina Ava, then made a face at the Guardian as he made a twitching gester. Idiot, Jack thought as he shook his head.
~*~
"I think some of it is right. All except the usage of a body, I'm sure thats not right. It says that I need to lite a single candle, say the chat as I turn clock wise. I bet I should go counter clock wise. It would make sence to go the oppisit way, besides, that's probley why they call it a counter curse,''Tina Ava started to read a line from the book." The candle should be on a small plate, at the bottom of the plate should be filled with blood from the body of the victum,"She stopped and let it sink in."No that's not right. I don't know how I know this, but this should work by spearing my bl00d in a small circle on the plate. I place the candle in the middle of the bl00d. I then move slowly, calling help of the sea spirits, then when I finish and when the melted wax reaches the bl00d..She looks at the group." I should work."
"Well then, I'll go get a plate and a candle, maybe a small knife or a needle if I can find one so you can prick your fingure. Since we arn't calling evil, we still can use the circle,"Matt told her and as he walked though the wall. Jack had found a small bag of peanuts in Kat's purse and he began to toss them at the Guardian, who still layed on the floor jerking a foot now and then.
"Jack stop that!"Dal told him.
"Look I got one in his mouth, do you suppose he'll thank he is choken?"Jack asked Dal.
"I still can't believe he is her Soul Guide!"Dal said, shaken his head as Jack through another peanut that hit the Guardian in the eye. The peanut went straight threw the Guardian, however he jerked his head back as though he was struck by a rock. Jack gave over in to a child's laughter. Zoot looked on, completly disappointed in the Guardian and unaware of the plan the other group had made.

Matt came back, thought the door, with the things that they needed. He walked into the circle, glancing at Zoot now and then. Matt then notice peanuts flying in the air and at finding the source, took the peanuts away from Jack.
"Watch it or I'll put you in time out,"Matt told him, with amusement in his voice.'Here you are Tina Ava,"Matt handed the stuff to her.
"We should all sit in a circle, Tai-san was always making us stand in a circle,"Jack said.
"Yea, he is right. That would make the spell stronger,"Tina Ava said, her eyes growing large.
"What are you doing!"Zoot called from his spot in the room."Answer me now, what are you doing!"
"Don't listen to him, he can't come near the salt circle,"Matt told the group as he sat on the floor. Kat , Dal and Jack followed suit, leaving Tina Ava to stand in the middle of them.
~*~
With a small dagger that Matt had found, Tina Ava held up her palm to make the cut. She was scared of the pain that she knew would follow the slicing. It made her heart pound, she could fill the blood racing through her veins. She made the cut fast so the pain wouldn't linger. To her surprise, it didn't hurt as nearly as she thought it would. Tina Ava smeared the her blood on the plate, in a circle. She then placed the candle in the center of the bl00dy plate.She then lite the candle and holding the plate in front of her, she begain to move counter clock wise. Zoot took a step near, but couldn't get close enough to stop her.
"What are you doing!'' He called out to them."Stop it. I comman you to stop this now," he looked down at the Guardian and gave him a kick in the ribs."Get up you fool!"
The Guardian just whimpered, before becoming still once more. Tina Ava begain her chant, not paying any attention to Zoot.

"With my blood I hold the key,
to call for help from the souls of the sea.
To help me guide these
darken souls to be free
For help in guidance of flight
as they pass the gates of light."
She paused to wait for the results. Zoot stood there, with a smug on his face. They had failed, so they thought.
Till the winds of h.ell could be heard against the closed door. The pounding of thunder shook the mall, rain begain to fall from the ceiling, as though is was the clouds of heaven. The ocean sounded as though waves crashed against the floor beneath their feet. Moaning sounds drift into the room with a heavy fog. Soon, other spirits poured into the wet room. Some had ragged clothes, as if they had been ship wrecked, perhaps lost at sea. They circled Zoot as he screamed in terror. Closing around him. Zoot stood frightened. He moved closer to the Guardian, to protect him. The Guardian didn't even notice the commotion that stirred in the room. The souls scoop their transparent arms around Zoot and the Guardian, souring them upwards, thourgh the ceiling over head, to slip into the light before them. Matt turned his head, for he knew what would happened next. Zoot had no good within his soul. For the time he ruled, it was all for himself. He didn't even care for the Guardian, who Zoot ment everything to him. The Guardian had given Zoot his soul, the Guardian had played a game with the devil and lost.
Now he and Zoot will forever be in a place of sorrow and pain, together they had destroyed, together they will suffer at the hand of the devil. The spirits that had lifted Zoot and the Guardian off the floor of the mall, had dropped them from the air. Zoot and the Guardian fell towards the floor, arms reaching out for something, although there was nothing for them to hold on to. The floor begain to open up, heat rising from the depth of the crackes. Flames whip up at them, as a massive hand grabed them from the air, pulling them down within the earth's belly. The floor then closed around and the souls of the sea departed, to return till they are needed again.
"Will I share the same fate, Matt" Jack asked in stunned daze.
"No, you ruled for others. You were wrong and will be given a chance Jack. As long as you do your best, within your heart, you won't fail."Matt told him, with a grib on the shoulder.Then the ceiling opened up one last time and bright light excendit down towards them.
"What's that,"Jack asked.
"That is our ticket home, Jack. Those angels will guide you to your other half. Once you have connected, you will find yourself back here, to help Tina Ava,"Matt told him.
"Help me! With what?"Tina Ava asked.
"Oh, come on. Didn't you find any of this exciding? Besides, you never know when you might need a good witch at your side. Me and you could become parnters,"Kat told her, as they begain to walk out of the room."You don't want to watch them, the brightness hurts your eyes, can't see for hours."
A angel rested on the floor, causing Jack and Dal's mouth to fall open from her beauty. Matt looked at them peevished.
"This is my WIFE, Beth"he said with a smirk as he stood up to hold his little boy that she cared and give him a kiss on the forehead."That angel is yours Dal."
Dal turned and stared at Ellie, with pearls braided in her long hair and a white flowing gown.
"Ellie!' Jack and Dal said at the same time.
"I've been waiting for you Dal,"the spirit of Ellie raised her arm for Dal to take it."It's time to go home."
"Dal and Ellie?"Jack turned to Matt.
"So. Who would have thought you and Ebony,"Matt said with a grin.