On the beach, Friday late afternoon
It hadn't taken long for the three of them to get out there, after Wyatt had called Michael and filled him in.
In light of where Ronan had found Isabel, they'd headed for the beach first. Just in case she had come back.
"We were over here," Ronan said, leading them to the spot where he'd encountered Isabel. The sand was still disturbed from their... altercation.
Wyatt looked around, frantic with the need to see Isabel himself. "Isabel!" he called out.
With no where else to go, Meris had returned to the beach. She gazed out at the water, wondering if there was peace to be found out there, beneath the dark surface. Inside her head, Isabel still fought for control, horrified by what had happened to Clayton and desperate to protect the people she loved.
She heard the voice calling her name and recognized it immediately. Meris wanted nothing more then to shrink back into the small alcove of rocks that hid her, but for once Isabel was stronger, forcing her to stand up and step forward onto the beach.
Wyatt's heartbeat quickened when he saw her. He started to run toward Isabel, heedless of any danger.
Michael reached out to grab him.
"Wait! We don't know what's going on."
Ronan started lining up a few defensive spells in his head, just in case. "Isabel?" he called. "We're here to help. Can you tell us what's wrong?"
"She's in my head. I'm in her head...I just don't know anymore," she cried.
Wyatt shook himself free of Michael's grasp. "Isabel, honey, come here," he said, holding out his hand. "We can help you."
Michael stepped up to stand beside him, at least.
"We want you to come back with us."
Isabel took another step forward and stopped once more as Meris pushed forward in her head. "No. I don't need help. Everything is just fine."
"Well, then," Ronan said, slowly, carefully. "There shouldn't be any problem coming back with us, right? Heading back to the school, going to the dorms. I'm planning to make sweet and spicy pork tonight."
Wyatt moved forward and grabbed hold of Isabel, hands gripping her upper arms. "Isabel, look at me," he said. "You know who I am, right?"
Bringing her hands up, she tried to break Wyatt's grip on her arms and pull away. "I do. It doesn't matter now."
"Wyatt", Michael started, then turned his attention to Isabel. "It doesn't matter? Okay, who are you?"
Ronan frowned, pulled spells up in his head -- the Knowledge fed him what he needed, fed power through him, offered him what it could for this -- and opened his mouth to speak. "You're... you're not Isabel," he said. "Not..." He stopped, and a few short words narrowed his sight, cast a spell to make it clearer. "Guys!" he said, stepping back. "It is Isabel -- but there's someone else in there. Someone... old. I can't tell much more."
Possession? Okay, that he could deal with. That meant there was definitely a chance to save Isabel. "Come back to the school with us," he pleaded. "We can help you. We can make the confusion go away." He hoped that idea would appeal to the presence inside Isabel's body as well as Isabel herself.
"I'm not confused," Meris insisted, trying to step away. "I just need to break the ties. Break them and be free."
"You think that'll make Isabel shut up, if she's still in there with you?" Michael demanded. "Dream on."
"Isabel, listen to me," Wyatt said urgently, stepping closer again. "You're stronger than this bitch. She can't tell you what to do. She can't make you do anything you don't want to do."
Worried because she could feel Isabel fighting desperately to assert control, Meris shook her head. "I'm the one that's strong now. Like I never was before." She raised her hand, using her powers to try and shove him away.
Ronan reacted quickly, nearly shouting the final word of one the defensive spells he's prepared -- a shield designed to reflect attacks back at an opponent. He prayed it was enough: that it was strong enough; that it would even work against Isabel's powers.
It did work and she staggered back, landing on her ass in the sand.
The shock was enough to confuse Meris momentarily and allow Isabel to take control. "She's going to hurt you," Isabel cried out. "I can't stop her. I'm not strong enough."
"Isabel, you are!" Michael told her hastily, hoping she was still there. "Hold on."
Wyatt lunged forward and sank to his knees beside Isabel, grabbing hold of her again, hoping the contact made her stronger. "Yes, you can!" he insisted. "How many times have I told you that I love how strong you are? How proud I am to have a girlfriend that kicks ass? You can take her, Isabel. She's nothing compared to you."
"I can't," she said, shaking her head. "She killed him. And I couldn't stop her. She'll do the same to you."
Isabel could feel Meris recovering in her head and knew she didn't have much time. "It's like what happened with Kivar. I'm not strong. Not really. I'm so sorry."
"Don't you dare give up!" Wyatt said, fingers gripping Isabel tighter. "You are strong, I know you are. You've survived so much already, and this bitch is not going to win. You won't let her. I won't let her."
Ronan stepped forward, his gaze strong, power in his voice. "You can do this, Isabel," he said, in the Speech. It wasn't a spell, nor any kind of command, just... belief. "You can fight this. You are strong enough."
Isabel didn't understand the words, but the feeling was there and god, she wanted to believe him, she really did. But the events of the last two days still had her mind in turmoil and control was something that seemed to constantly be slipping out of her reach.
Her hands raised as Meris once again became dominant, and she fought to pull away.
Wyatt wasn't letting go. "Fight her, Isabel!" he yelled. "I am not going to lose you!" His eyes were glistening with tears that he fought not to shed.
Michael moved to his side, reaching for Isabel's hands.
"Izzy, I know you can still hear me. Stay with us."
Meris didn't have Isabel's control. The blast of power was strong and directed right at Michael and Wyatt.
Wyatt's shield protected him from the brunt of the blast, but the force of it still sent him tumbling back. He recovered quickly and grabbed for Isabel again. "Let me in, Isabel," he said. "Let me help you." He wished he had his aunt's empathic powers, but for now he just tried to will Isabel to drop her shields and feel what he felt, how much he loved her, how much he admired her strength, how he wasn't going to give up and let her go.
Michael, sadly, did not have a shield. The blast hit him full-on, sending him flying into the rocks several feet away.
He didn't hit head-first, but there was still a nasty crack audible, and he didn't get up after hitting the ground.
"No," Isabel whispered, her gaze focused on where Michael was sprawled on the ground. "No. You can't do this."
She ducked her head and closed her eyes, determined to take control. It was hard, and Meris fought her every inch of the way, but Isabel focused on Ronan's belief in her, on Wyatt's obvious pain, and her horror at what she'd done to Michael. It gave her the strength to push Meris to the back of her mind.
Powerless.
"Isabel!" Ronan said. "Isabel, come back with us. We can get you help." Already, he was lining up in his head spells that might work to hold her, if he got a chance to use them.
Wyatt could sense the shift in Isabel. "C'mon, baby, come back to us," he encouraged her. "Come back to me."
She was back. And it took every thing in her not to cling to Waytt. But at the moment, Michael was more important. "Take care of Michael. Please?"
Wyatt did not want to let go of Isabel, but the fact she wanted him to heal Michael meant she really was herself again. He looked at at Ronan to silently ask him to keep an eye on Isabel, then scrambled over to Michael's side, holding his hands over Michael's prone body so that he could heal his injuries. Gold light came from his fingers and swept over Michael, healing him.
Ronan stepped forward, to Isabel, but didn't get too close -- and he had another shield spell at the ready, just a syllable short of being cast. Just in case.
"Isabel, why won't you come back with us?" he asked, softly. "If anyone's going to be able to help you, it's us. You know that."
He wouldn't need it.
Focused on watching Wyatt heal Michael, Isabel was too distraught over what she'd tried to do, and what she'd done, to put up any kind of argument. "I know. I will."
He came to after a few moments, blinking. "...where's Isabel?"
"I'm right here," she said, hugging herself as she slowly crossed the sand.
Wyatt held up his hand to her, then wordlessly rose to his feet and pulled her into his arms, holding her fiercely.
Michael was okay. Meris was silent.
Now she'd cling.
"Take me home? Please?"
Wyatt had no intention of letting go. "Okay," he said. "Let's go home."
[Pre-played with izzyalienqueen, blessed_twice and hotceltogoth, NFI, OOC = <3 ]
In light of where Ronan had found Isabel, they'd headed for the beach first. Just in case she had come back.
"We were over here," Ronan said, leading them to the spot where he'd encountered Isabel. The sand was still disturbed from their... altercation.
Wyatt looked around, frantic with the need to see Isabel himself. "Isabel!" he called out.
With no where else to go, Meris had returned to the beach. She gazed out at the water, wondering if there was peace to be found out there, beneath the dark surface. Inside her head, Isabel still fought for control, horrified by what had happened to Clayton and desperate to protect the people she loved.
She heard the voice calling her name and recognized it immediately. Meris wanted nothing more then to shrink back into the small alcove of rocks that hid her, but for once Isabel was stronger, forcing her to stand up and step forward onto the beach.
Wyatt's heartbeat quickened when he saw her. He started to run toward Isabel, heedless of any danger.
Michael reached out to grab him.
"Wait! We don't know what's going on."
Ronan started lining up a few defensive spells in his head, just in case. "Isabel?" he called. "We're here to help. Can you tell us what's wrong?"
"She's in my head. I'm in her head...I just don't know anymore," she cried.
Wyatt shook himself free of Michael's grasp. "Isabel, honey, come here," he said, holding out his hand. "We can help you."
Michael stepped up to stand beside him, at least.
"We want you to come back with us."
Isabel took another step forward and stopped once more as Meris pushed forward in her head. "No. I don't need help. Everything is just fine."
"Well, then," Ronan said, slowly, carefully. "There shouldn't be any problem coming back with us, right? Heading back to the school, going to the dorms. I'm planning to make sweet and spicy pork tonight."
Wyatt moved forward and grabbed hold of Isabel, hands gripping her upper arms. "Isabel, look at me," he said. "You know who I am, right?"
Bringing her hands up, she tried to break Wyatt's grip on her arms and pull away. "I do. It doesn't matter now."
"Wyatt", Michael started, then turned his attention to Isabel. "It doesn't matter? Okay, who are you?"
Ronan frowned, pulled spells up in his head -- the Knowledge fed him what he needed, fed power through him, offered him what it could for this -- and opened his mouth to speak. "You're... you're not Isabel," he said. "Not..." He stopped, and a few short words narrowed his sight, cast a spell to make it clearer. "Guys!" he said, stepping back. "It is Isabel -- but there's someone else in there. Someone... old. I can't tell much more."
Possession? Okay, that he could deal with. That meant there was definitely a chance to save Isabel. "Come back to the school with us," he pleaded. "We can help you. We can make the confusion go away." He hoped that idea would appeal to the presence inside Isabel's body as well as Isabel herself.
"I'm not confused," Meris insisted, trying to step away. "I just need to break the ties. Break them and be free."
"You think that'll make Isabel shut up, if she's still in there with you?" Michael demanded. "Dream on."
"Isabel, listen to me," Wyatt said urgently, stepping closer again. "You're stronger than this bitch. She can't tell you what to do. She can't make you do anything you don't want to do."
Worried because she could feel Isabel fighting desperately to assert control, Meris shook her head. "I'm the one that's strong now. Like I never was before." She raised her hand, using her powers to try and shove him away.
Ronan reacted quickly, nearly shouting the final word of one the defensive spells he's prepared -- a shield designed to reflect attacks back at an opponent. He prayed it was enough: that it was strong enough; that it would even work against Isabel's powers.
It did work and she staggered back, landing on her ass in the sand.
The shock was enough to confuse Meris momentarily and allow Isabel to take control. "She's going to hurt you," Isabel cried out. "I can't stop her. I'm not strong enough."
"Isabel, you are!" Michael told her hastily, hoping she was still there. "Hold on."
Wyatt lunged forward and sank to his knees beside Isabel, grabbing hold of her again, hoping the contact made her stronger. "Yes, you can!" he insisted. "How many times have I told you that I love how strong you are? How proud I am to have a girlfriend that kicks ass? You can take her, Isabel. She's nothing compared to you."
"I can't," she said, shaking her head. "She killed him. And I couldn't stop her. She'll do the same to you."
Isabel could feel Meris recovering in her head and knew she didn't have much time. "It's like what happened with Kivar. I'm not strong. Not really. I'm so sorry."
"Don't you dare give up!" Wyatt said, fingers gripping Isabel tighter. "You are strong, I know you are. You've survived so much already, and this bitch is not going to win. You won't let her. I won't let her."
Ronan stepped forward, his gaze strong, power in his voice. "You can do this, Isabel," he said, in the Speech. It wasn't a spell, nor any kind of command, just... belief. "You can fight this. You are strong enough."
Isabel didn't understand the words, but the feeling was there and god, she wanted to believe him, she really did. But the events of the last two days still had her mind in turmoil and control was something that seemed to constantly be slipping out of her reach.
Her hands raised as Meris once again became dominant, and she fought to pull away.
Wyatt wasn't letting go. "Fight her, Isabel!" he yelled. "I am not going to lose you!" His eyes were glistening with tears that he fought not to shed.
Michael moved to his side, reaching for Isabel's hands.
"Izzy, I know you can still hear me. Stay with us."
Meris didn't have Isabel's control. The blast of power was strong and directed right at Michael and Wyatt.
Wyatt's shield protected him from the brunt of the blast, but the force of it still sent him tumbling back. He recovered quickly and grabbed for Isabel again. "Let me in, Isabel," he said. "Let me help you." He wished he had his aunt's empathic powers, but for now he just tried to will Isabel to drop her shields and feel what he felt, how much he loved her, how much he admired her strength, how he wasn't going to give up and let her go.
Michael, sadly, did not have a shield. The blast hit him full-on, sending him flying into the rocks several feet away.
He didn't hit head-first, but there was still a nasty crack audible, and he didn't get up after hitting the ground.
"No," Isabel whispered, her gaze focused on where Michael was sprawled on the ground. "No. You can't do this."
She ducked her head and closed her eyes, determined to take control. It was hard, and Meris fought her every inch of the way, but Isabel focused on Ronan's belief in her, on Wyatt's obvious pain, and her horror at what she'd done to Michael. It gave her the strength to push Meris to the back of her mind.
Powerless.
"Isabel!" Ronan said. "Isabel, come back with us. We can get you help." Already, he was lining up in his head spells that might work to hold her, if he got a chance to use them.
Wyatt could sense the shift in Isabel. "C'mon, baby, come back to us," he encouraged her. "Come back to me."
She was back. And it took every thing in her not to cling to Waytt. But at the moment, Michael was more important. "Take care of Michael. Please?"
Wyatt did not want to let go of Isabel, but the fact she wanted him to heal Michael meant she really was herself again. He looked at at Ronan to silently ask him to keep an eye on Isabel, then scrambled over to Michael's side, holding his hands over Michael's prone body so that he could heal his injuries. Gold light came from his fingers and swept over Michael, healing him.
Ronan stepped forward, to Isabel, but didn't get too close -- and he had another shield spell at the ready, just a syllable short of being cast. Just in case.
"Isabel, why won't you come back with us?" he asked, softly. "If anyone's going to be able to help you, it's us. You know that."
He wouldn't need it.
Focused on watching Wyatt heal Michael, Isabel was too distraught over what she'd tried to do, and what she'd done, to put up any kind of argument. "I know. I will."
He came to after a few moments, blinking. "...where's Isabel?"
"I'm right here," she said, hugging herself as she slowly crossed the sand.
Wyatt held up his hand to her, then wordlessly rose to his feet and pulled her into his arms, holding her fiercely.
Michael was okay. Meris was silent.
Now she'd cling.
"Take me home? Please?"
Wyatt had no intention of letting go. "Okay," he said. "Let's go home."
[Pre-played with izzyalienqueen, blessed_twice and hotceltogoth, NFI, OOC = <3 ]