"Hey." He said. She grinned.

"Didn’t think you’d lose me that easy!" She proclaimed, and stood, offering an arm to help him up, he grabbed it and stood, as well. She smiled at him hugged him around the neck as tears ran down her face. He wiped them away gently.

"We’re really proud of you." He whispered

Carleigh smiled stretched her arms and wings. She smiled to herself again, she felt as if a grin was plastered permanantly on her mouth. What things faith could do for you. She knew in her heart she could not comprehend what had just happened, she could hardly remember what it felt like to be an angel. All she could remember was the utter peace, the utter passiveness, no matter what the world could have thrown at her, she would have caught it and put it down. She had only pure and utter love for everything, except for Marlon, she knew he had to die, either in Jesus, so he could be born again, or as he was, and go to hell.

"Hey Jesi!" She waved to her spellbound friend, who was slowly but surely advancing toward her. "Miss me?" This broke Jesi from her trance.

"Carleigh!" They grabbed each other in a warm embrace and then held each other at arms length, tears of happiness on their faces. "I thought you were dead!" She exclaimed breathlessly. Carleigh nodded.

"I thought I would have to watch you until you joined me!" She returned. Jesi and her friend squealed and hugged again. Uriel shook his head.

"Women. What are these things they have…what do you call them, emotions?" He commented. "What are those?" He grinned and held out a hand to Oz, who shook it. "I’m Uriel."

"Oz. It’s a pleasure." Oz greeted, watching the two girls reveling in each other. Suddenly Carleigh’s eyes went wide and she fell silent.

"Oh gosh…." She whispered.

"What, what is it?" Jesi interrogated worriedly. "What’s wrong?"

"Marlon…it’s not over until he’s gone. We’re finishing this tonight. " She set her face grimly. "You guys…transform… now!" She ordered. She got into a fighting stance as if to defend her friends should anyone attack.

"Fire Power!" Jesi and Uriel called, transforming into their alter egos.

"Magic power!" Oz shouted, also morphing. Carleigh grabbed her medallion.

"Earth…element..POWER!"

"…Warrior… earth?" Warrior Fire exclaimed in surprise. When Carleigh had transformed, her wings had remained, and instead of a katana, she now held a long sword with a crucifix-shaped hilt. Carleigh tested the sword absentmindedly, swinging it through the air like it was second nature to thrust long pointy objects at people.

"Hey!" She commented in approval. "I like this thing!"

"So…you got help from the angels did you?" A voice boomed, the entire room shimmered and the walls became empty night sky, void of stars, a blood red moon glowed over head, the floors became sand, the organ exploded. A large blackness, a shadow, a huge demonic monster, loomed out of where it had been. Two eyes like hideous pools of tar glistened on the evil creature. Carleigh took a step back, nothing but profound determination on her face, she held one arm out as to block her friends and held the sword up. The three others backed up as well. Carleigh extended her wings to the side, completely barring them off. The black creature rose into the scarlet sky and let out a hideous cry, it sounded like the howl of a wolf and the screams of terrified souls. Out of the ground below the monster, Demons of all kinds slithered, flew, crawled, galloped, ran, and staggered out.

"I’ll take the big one, you guys take the demons." Carleigh instructed, then with one beat of her wings, rose into the air.

"She is one crazy, stubborn, rude, foul-mouthed, insolent, violent, short-tempered-" Uriel began.

"Okay we get the picture!" Jesi said in exasperation. Suddenly a demon grabbed her from behind, one grotesque arm around her waist the other around her neck. She cried out in terror and thrust her leg backwards, the high heel of her boot catching the demon squarely in the groin. The demon screamed and stumbled backwards, screeching something awful. Jesi turned towards it. "God’s eternal Flame!" She cried, the demon burst into flames and fell, writhing grotesquely on the ground. Jesi took a step back.

"I don't care what they say, never kick a man there, Jesi!" Uriel exclaimed. Jesi grabbed him and flung him to the side, hitting four demons with another burst of fire.

"Cover me." She instructed, beginning to ruthlessly incinerate any demon within range.

"Yes ma'am." Uriel said and followed suit, blasting every monster that came near, not all the demons died with the first hit though, and within a few moments they both were beginning to tire. Suddenly, the ground below them cracked open, before Uriel could move, Jesi slammed her shoulder against him, knocking him away before the ground collapsed entirely. She screamed for a moment, then Uriel heard a thud, followed by the sound of debris hitting something soft. After the dust had cleared he peered down into the pit that had been created. Jesse lay at thebottom, covered in dust, bleeding. A huge boulder lay across her middle, other rocks, about the size of bricks, were scattered on and around her.

"Jesi!!" Uriel cried, he leapt down into the crevice and madly cleared the rubble from atop her, throwing his full weight against the boulder to roll it off of her. Finally, he knelt by her side, lifting her gently in his arms. "Jesi..." He shut his eyes as silver tears landed on her suit like raindrops. "JESSI!!" He sank to his knees and held her to himself. She opened one eye as a tear landed on her cheek.

"Why...are..you crying?" She whispered. He looked at her with such sorrowful eyes she felt she might cry herself.

"Because your...your..going to..." He whimpered, she put a finger to his lips gently to quiet him.

"Never happen." She assured with a sad smile. "Remember? I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and cleansed me of sin with his blood.....as long as I do, death will never touch me...." Her smile slowly faded as she relaxed into his arms, Uriel felt something leave him, a tiny beam of warmth played over his face and he felt a tender brush against his lips, and then he was left with only emptiness. He pulled her close and sobbed, like a child, into her hair.

"I love you..." He whispered. "Forever and ever, as long as I live."

"I guess that ends now!" A hideous voice hissed, Uriel felt something sharp and long thrust itself through his chest, in an instant the pain and the hot blood running down his back foretold he would join Jesi soon. A demon had stabbed him with a rusty sword. He let out a weak cry and fell onto his side, a few stray tears splashed onto the sand, and even as the end came, he still kept Jesi’s hand clasped tightly in his.

'For all eternity.' He thought one last time. 'I'll live forever for I believe in Jesus, and I'll love you for all eternity.'

Above them, her wings beating the air furiously, Carleigh fought against her urge to run.

'Hang in there guys.' She thought desperately. 'I'll come through for you, I swear. I'll save all you, even if it means my life, I swear it! I swear it!!' She held the sword in both hands, wielding it like a warrior, and rushed forward, the black monster dodged, she turned and charged again, this time the blackness loomed ahead of her and opened as if to swallow her. She furrowed her sweat coated brow and brought the sword down with all her might. It hit the mark but did not weigh heavily as to choosing the outcome. She growled.

The monster roared and with one mighty swipe of its shadowed claw, knocked the winged warrior to the ground. She landed on her back lay still for a moment, hardly breathing, a small trickle of blood ran out of her mouth, then she lifted her head and shoulders off the ground, stood, and positioned her sword in her hands again. She made a move as if to take flight again, then froze. Warrior Earth stood still for a moment, then slowly turned. A brief shimmer of air, like heat coming off the blacktop in august, rose from the sand nearby, and there were Jesi and Uriel, laying side by side, perfectly still. Their suits were red, but not like before, now they were red with blood, their own blood.

"Jesi...Uriel..." She said softly, the sword shook in her hands. Oz watched her, wide-eyed. "My...friends.." She whimpered, anguished tears rising like the tide in her eyes. "You took my friends...YOU TOOK MY FRIENDS!!!!!" She screamed, whirling on the shadow monster. "By the power of Christ!" She yelled, her voice boomed loudly across the desert with the force of a lions roar. "I vanquish all that trespass on his green earth!!" She rose into the air and swung the sword downward again. "This is my cross to bear!! YOU KILLED MY FRIENDS AND YOU SHALL BE PUNISHED FOR YOUR WICKEDNESS!!!!!!!!" The sword hit but still, left little damage. She looked at it in surprise and before she could dodge, the monster swung at her again, and she was slammed into the ground.

"Earth!!" Magic cried, he made a move to rush over to her, but many demons crowded around him, pressing in.

"Oh, lover boy." One hissed. "We have you now."

"Yes!" Screeched another. "Let us tear off his head!" This was followed by howls and jeers of agreement, then the first one that had spoken quieted them.

"Boy." It sneered. "You have a choice, kill yourself, or be killed by us." It grinned so horribly, he could see canals of rotting flesh crawling up it's gums. Oz looked at them solemnly, then held out his hands as if to attack them, they drew back a little.

"Lord's...light..BEAM!" He shouted, and at the last moment turned the blast upon himself and fell onto his back. The demon's cackles rose into the air and merged, becoming one horrible, familiar chuckle. The demons ran together and become one form, the form of Marlon. He stood there for a moment, laughing gleefully, then spit on Soldier magic.

"Trash." He said. "Garbage, shit. He doesn't mean a thing." He started to laugh again.

"Carleigh...I'm.........sorry....." Oz murmured, his vision blurred red, now, was that his tears? Were they mixed with blood? It didn't matter now. "I'm sorry......" His blurry vision slowly faded, and then lapsed into nothingness. Carleigh's eyes snapped open the moment his shut. She rolled her head to one side to see Marlon standing over the fallen form of...

"OZ?!" Earth screamed, she stood up, not heeding her own injuries, and stumbled over to him and knelt at his side. She raised his head gently and closed her eyes as it rolled limply on lifeless shoulders. She lay him gently down, she leaned over and kissed him gently on the forehead. "It's okay. Why is there a reason to be sorry.." She whispered. Her wings, although folded, drooped slightly. Marlon looked down on the two with some satisfaction.

"Want to follow?" He asked. She looked up at him with eyes full of tears.

"Did you do this?" She asked furiously, indicating the demons, the shadow monster, and the red moon. "Is this all yours?"

"Hell yes." He responded, he grinned. "Ready to die?"
"Never! I'll never die!" She hissed, standing, her wings unfolded as if by reflex, slowly unfurling their feathery span. "I cannot and will not die! Not as long as I have Christ living here!" She pointed to her chest. "My heart and my head are free of any fear! I’m not afraid of you! I’m not afraid to sacrifice anything for God! What would you give for Satan, Marlon? Your air? Your dreams? Your soul?!" She shouted. He wasn't phased.

"I would give whatever it took to be rid of YOU!" He held out his hand and a long black sword materialized in it. "Anything at all, Bitch!"

"Even deny our savior and spend forever in the depths of despair?" She asked.

"There is no way our savior can forgive what I have done! Murder a thousand, steal from a million, Satan has all the fun." Marlon laughed. "While little angels like you suffer and die."

"Is that so? Are you prepared for an eternity of suffering? God can still forgive you! You still don’t have to live that way forever! Take Jesus in! Can you hear him calling to you, his little lost lamb?! What happens when there are no souls to capture? Are you ready to burn in HELL for Satan? What has he done for you?!" She held out her sword. "Dear Lord, help me! How do I tell him......Marlon! God can save you! He's grieved you have forgotten him! But if you lose this fight, your chances at redemption are gone forever..." She narrowed her eyes and stood on the balls of her feet, ready to take flight, to thrust her sword into her opponent if she needed to. Marlon's face softened and his eyes began to shine.
"Do you really mean that? God will still love me, even after all I've done? Do you mean that?"

She dropped the sword.

"W-what?" She stammered. She turned her face partly away from his and narrowed her eyes slightly in suspicion.

"He'll still take me back?" Marlon repeated softly. His eyes peering pleadingly into hers. "Really?"

"Yes." She closed her eyes and smiled slightly. "Yes he will." She let her smile grow and opened her eyes again. "And all the angels in the heavens would come down right now, to take you back to our good Shepard." Suddenly her medallion emitted and intense glow and she threw her head back as it engulfed her. Marlon shielded his eyes and backed away.

And when the light faded, there stood an angel.

In front of him, in her long green dress and white wings, was Earth, her hands clasped as if in prayer, her eyes closed. When she opened them, tiny golden sparkles danced out of them, merging and becoming her halo. She smiled and reached out her hand.

"Will you join us, Marlon?" She whispered. He stared at her. He grinned and cackled.

"Hell no!" He shouted, and swiped at her with the sword.

One wing, solitary and light, floated to the ground, shimmered, and disappeared.

Marlon held the now one-winged angel by the neck. "Undo that silly, worthless transformation, so I can gut you in a more noble body." He rasped. Carleigh gasped for air and as if in response, began to glow faint gold, returning to her Warrior Earth persona. He grinned and let go.

Carleigh dropped to the ground, a bloody hole where her left wing had once been. He had tricked her. She shut one eye and grabbed her shoulder as blood ran down her back.

"Now the final blow, and this time I’ll make sure you stay dead!!!" He shouted, grabbing the sword and raising it. As I in recognition, a bolt of lightning cracked the sky behind him, making his eyes burn red. He grinned and it’s intense animal ferocity struck a cold steel shard of fear into her deepest being. "Demons, my servants, Hold her while I cut out her innards, and then we shall feast on the flesh of this little Goddamned Bible Thumper!!" He laughed as writhing, undead hands shot out of the ground and pulled her down so she was pinned, spread-eagle, on her back. A huge puddle of crimson blood pooled around her left side, and gray, undead tongues shot up out of the ground to lick it up. Marlon smiled.

"After I cut out all the good parts, I may keep your body as a toy." He licked his lips. She swallowed. "Oh, but believe me little girl, you’ll feel it when I cut you to pieces, I’ll make you suffer to the very end!" He plunged the blade down, it cut through her armor and pierced the soft flesh of her belly. She stiffened as she felt a sharp shock of pain go through her and explode in fireworks before her eyes and cried out, feeling she might be sick as she felt the blade being pulled out and a pair of hands reaching in to rip out her intestines. Carleigh felt her body giving up, wanting to say the oath that would end this and bring her a swift death. He body wanted to give into Satan, and be put out of misery. She felt her vocal cords cry out:

"I swear---"

"Archangel’s staff, shed light on the far reaches of the universe as God did that first day, I ask you almighty Lord to pause this moment in time and space! Now, Breathing Angels!!!"

Everything froze.

Carleigh opened her eyes slowly and looked around, the burning agony in her stomach and shoulder consuming almost all of her senses. She raised her head a little and looked down.

"What the...?" She slurred. Marlon was frozen, leaning over her with his hands in her open stomach. But what scared her most was that there was no blood flowing out of her wounds! The blood on her shoulder, the ground, and her abdomen was completely still, like dried paint! She sucked in a short, pained breath and moved her arm around, trying to work her wrist free of the death grip (no pun intended) that the hands had on her.

"Here, let me help you." A familiar voice said. Carleigh looked up. Her eyes widened as they traveled up the figure standing there. An armor suit like her own, except there was no medallion and it was solid pink, a large staff that looked like a clock with wings on an stick, pink hair, pink eye shadow, pink lips, brown eyes, and a face that looked somehow familiar. Carleigh narrowed her eyes.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"I," The girl said, pulling out a student ID card from seemingly nowhere, "Am warrior Time, also known as Jillyan Carlo."

"Jill?!" Carleigh’s voice rose and cracked. Warrior time nodded and handed her the ID card. Sure enough, there was a picture of Jillyan, and her name in bold print at the bottom. She stared at it in disbelief. "Jill, how’d you, when did you..." She began, but Jill shook her head.

"When God calls upon you, you can say yes or no. And I said yes." She smiled and took the card back, replacing it into the nowhere it came from. Carleigh felt her strength leaving her and her eyes began to feel heavy. She closed them and rested her head on the ground again.

"I’m tired, Jill, defeat the...demons for me while I..sleep..." She heard herself whisper. "I can’t keep my eyes open anymore...I’m so tired..."

"No, Carleigh, wake up! The battle’s not over for you! Remember?!" Jill yelled after an eternity of no time at all. "They took Jesi and Uriel! They forced Oz to take his own life! Carleigh!!" She yelled, shaking her friend. She jabbed at the hands with her staff and they shattered like glass, releasing Warrior Earth. "Wake up!"

"I’m awake." Carleigh whispered after a moment of silence. Her voice was calm yet full of rage as hot, bloody tears rolled down her face. "But what can I do, to bring them back?" She asked in anguish. " I am always the one dying! Before I was the only victim...and now I am the last to fall! I’m DYING! What can I do? "
Jill sighed and turned a little away from her.

"I could turn time back…But.." She looked at her a bit sadly. "It would change the past so greatly, you see, I have such a low amount of power now from stopping time, because every minute we spend now in nethertime takes some of my energy. I would have enough to transport everyone back to their original positions, but their memories would not be erased. That is a bit of an advantage, so I have no problem with it. But the greatest risk we have to take here is that I would not be able to turn time back on your body, you would still be wounded and helpless."

"I am willing to make that sacrifice. Change the past in order to save the future, it’s better than now…" Carleigh fought to her feet and finally stood, one hand on her stomach, the other at her side. "I’ll give you all I have within me, as long as it gives us another chance!"

"Okay, then. Hold my hand and focus your energy on my distaff, on the face of the very heartbeat of the Earth’s time..." Carleigh did as she was told, closing her eyes. "Here we go…" Jill held the staff up. "Lets use our second chance well, Archangel’s staff, Inhale!"

"So…you got help from the angels did you?" A voice boomed, the entire room shimmered and the walls became empty night sky, void of stars, a blood red moon glowed over head, the floors became sand, the organ exploded. A large blackness, a shadow, a huge demonic monster, loomed out of where it had been. Two eyes like hideous pools of tar glistened on the evil creature.

This time, they all stood in the same positions, but behind a bloodied, one-winged maiden, and in front of a warrior like themselves who held a staff, and had a uniform of pink.

"This time, we don’t make the same mistake." Oz said.

"Right, we all attack at the same time." Jesi agreed. "If one of us falls, the others have to keep fighting."

"This time you have one extra ally." Jill put in, also stepping foreward.

"Right." Carleigh nodded, hiding her pain for what seemed to be the thousandth time that night. She pointed her sword towards the demon. Jesi reached out and placed a hand on Carleigh’s shoulder, as did Oz and Uriel. Finally, Jillyan placed a hand on Carleigh’s arm, pointing her staff at the creature as well.

"Dust to dust!" She cried.

"Lord’s light beam!"
"Freedom Fireball furnace!"
"God’s eternal flame!"

"High… angel’s… Impale!" Carleigh’s voice, although that of the weakest warrior, echoed over everyone elses. Her rage bubbled inside her like a couldron of lava, and she yelled again. "Everyone, pray! Pray hard!" Everyone focused and prayed, huge balls of light began to form at the end of the sword and staff, then a bar of light connecting them. Soon, it was a bright line going from the staff to the sword. The light intensified, it was hot. Jesi, for all the heat she caused, all the brightness she controlled, had to squint. A dull roar rumbled forth from the energy, then it became louder, so loud it hurt their heads, then it became silence, and everything seemed to freeze.

"Take this, you underworld trash." Carleigh growled, and a huge beam of light exploded from the horizontal column. It burst foreward in a huge ribbon of power and hit the darkness head-on, turning it to light. The backlash was so powerful, Warrior Earth could not take it, and she was shoved backward, she slid along the ground on her side, then lay still. Still, the huge chasm of brightness ate away at the dark, the whole world around them shook, seeming to break apart under them. Uriel was knocked back by a large tremor, and hit the ground with such force it rendered him unconsious. Jillyan grunted, almost undable to hold onto the shaking power rod she now held. Sweat broke out on the foreheads of those still standing, tears formed in their eyes…the darkness reared, roared, the light burrowing a hole deep into it, causing it pain.

"This is it!" Jill yelled over the din. "Don’t let go! Not until the end!"
"What about the others?!" Oz cried. Carleigh had sat up and was breathing havily, one arm laying ove rher open stomach. Uriel was in the process of realizing he was awake.

"Not until the end!" Jesi repeated. The darkness came closer, the damage they were causing wasn’t enough. "Jill! This isn’t going to work!" Jesi yelled, realizing no matter how great their power was, there were still only three of them, and it would never be anough against the huge beast before them. Especially now, with their wounds, and lack of energy.

"No kidding!" Oz shouted.

"If you remember, call upon your angelic bodies to heal you now!" Jill proclaimed, her voice large, powerful. Jesse nodded, suddenly they all knew what to do.

"Fire Cherubim Power!" She Cried, a pair of thirty foot red wings exploded towards the sky from her back. She threw her head back and a red beam of light shot up from her forehead into the night.

"Fire Seraphim Power!" Uriel shouted, his wings unfurling towards the heavens, he threw his head back and an orange beam shot into the sky.

"Magic Seraphim Power!" Oz yelled, his black wings slowly extending, he threw his head back and a purple beam of light shot into the sky.

"Time Cherubim Power!" Jill screamed, her pink wings extended. She threw her head back and a pink beam of light shot into the sky. All four met at one celestial point and from that point exploded the healing and salvation of Jesus Christ. His power rained down upon them in four separate pillars of white light, each engulfing one warrior.

"Earth….angel…power.." Carleigh whispered, and her one wing stretched out, shaking feebly, and she threw he head back, from her medallion shot a blue light, and from her head a green one. They twisted around each other like a rope and met the other four celestial beams. One ball of shining warm light, like a tiny sun only it didn’t pain the eyes, appeared at the point where they met and the beams of light evaporated in it’s presence. It lowered into the medallion and a fierce shot of light engulfed the four pillars in a dome of expanding white. Carleigh shreiked as the very earth shook around them.

"The angel’s are helping you! Cowards! You cannot beat us alone! THE ANGELS ARE HELPING YOU!" The voice roared.

"No." A strong, fearless murmur escaped like a breeze from the light dome. "We are helping them."

The white suddenly blew away as if it were a morning mist, and Carleigh stood there, waving her wings to disapate it. She smirked., her body outlined in a soft glow. Quickly, like tendrils of aplant, they shot out and grabbed the looming terror. The darkness rose into the sky, trapped by this Holy glow. The light encircled it, became a shell. The darkness thrashed about, but it was already defeated, the huge, grotesque figure shrunk and became that of a man. A man, still and limp, rising upward into the night sky.

"Marlon!" Oz shouted, once again stating the obvious.

The light expanded, and once again everyone was forced to cover their eyes, it glowed so brightly even they could not look upon it. The roar of the darkness, the cracking and rumbling of the earth, became silent.

When everyone removed their hands they were in the mall, alone. Where the light had been a moment ago, ther was now the silouette of an Angelic figure. He smiled, turned a little bit away from them, and was gone.

A week later, on a Friday where the Jr.High seemed abandoned (how convinient!) the five sat quietly on the edge of the stage in the Jr.High room where Jesse and Carleigh had started so very long ago. It was the first time they had seen each other since the battle. Carleigh still wore the medallion, but now she dressed more maturely, more like she worried about more than looks. She wore what looked to be black combat boots that reached her ankle, some khaki shorts, and a loose fitting white tank top. The other two girls wore sneakers, jeans, and T-shirts, nothing different, nothing special. They has always known what Carleigh seemed to have just discovered. Jesse leaned her head on Uriel’s shoulder and reflected, sighing softly as Uriel put an arm around her waist. Carleigh would not let anyone touch her, when Oz tried to take her hand she stood up quickly and walked to the other end of the room, where she leaned her hip and shoulder against the wall and put her face in her hands and wept. Jillyan had her head bowed in prayer, whispering softly to the Lord her thanks. Thanks for Life, thanks for Victory, Thanks for his Son…and everything was peaceful in a mournful almost-silence.

"It’s Not Fair!!!" Carleigh burst out suddenly. "How can we still be alive?! How can we be standing here thanking God, when we killed a man! We may be on this earth but Glenn is dead!"

"It wasn’t our fault, Carleigh. He was called to the Lord’s side. There was nothing we could do." Oz said dully, his face blank, as if he had said this a thousand times.

" So! Who cares! I miss him, a lot! And there is no flippin’ reason for me not to be ticked off at that pansy-boy Marlon for killing him! I’m so glad we dusted him off!"

"Remember, Carleigh, don’t repay evil with evil…all we did was restore him to a normal human, we’ll be seeing him again." Jill said.

"Raise your hand if you care." Carleigh said boredly. Nobody moved.

"Carleigh, I’m sorry about Glenn. Really. But how do you expect us to help you if you won’t let us in?" Oz murmured. Carleigh clenched her fists and banged them so hard against the wall there was the sound of thunder and some plaster fell from the ceiling.

"Nobody, nobody, is ever going to come close to Glenn’s place!" She bellowed.