Yuira grinned, delighting in feeling Coral'mi's frantic efforts to escape, the blood pulsing through the water horse's body electrifying Yuira, who began drawing Coral'mi's life force out – prolonging it to inflict as much agony as she could, relishing the rush of power she derived from this.  Blinking, she paused and her focus grew foggy and she turned her head, as if hearing something….

 "I sense something…a presence – " Yuira growled quietly, her body tensing.

Letting go of the nearly dead Coral'mi, Yuira twisted around and scanned the surrounding forest, her eyes narrowing into a predatory look of pure malice.  Coral'mi
struggled and pulled herself out of the water, then slumped to the ground, retching and gasping hoarsely.

 "Come out – " Yuira snarled, as she searched, her hate rising quicker and quicker.
 

Choking, Coral'mi expunged her flooded gills of the fresh water and then vomited helplessly, trying to gain enough strength to rise.  Yuira flicked an ear and shrugged, then turned back to the water horse and kicked her savagely in the belly, making Coral'mi shriek and roll way across the bank.

 "Oh – I am so going to enjoy this – " Yuira smirked, as she knelt over the exhausted Coral'mi and pressed her ebony paws against Coral'mi's cheeks.

As Yuira grinned and began sucking Coral'mi's life-force, feeling its intense nature flooding her body, Yuira writhed and moaned in ecstasy, savoring the feel of the energies once again flooding her – but it soon came to an end.

 "Get away…from her…you…bitch!" Came a weak snarl behind her.

 Yuira's head twisted about, then she shrieked and stared down at the katana's blade that had seemingly grown from her chest.  Dark blood poured from the wound, and Yuira screamed as Sable twisted it, scraping the blades keen edge against Yuira's ribs.
 

 "Awww…" Sable choked up blood and giggled weakly. "What's the matter? Does this hurt?"

With her newfound energies surging through her body, Yuira squeezed her eyes closed, then with one savage strike, tore the katana from Sable's weak grasp and backhanded him across the snout – sending him flying and thudding with a sickening crunch against a large tree.  Sable squealed in agony and crumpled, as Yuira retched and gripped the katana's hilt – and slowly pulled it from her body.  Turning towards the stunned Sable, Yuira glanced down at her oozing wound, and then waved her paws across her chest – and the grievous wound vanished without trace.

 "Not bad – ferret…" Yuira coughed and licked the blood from her paw.  "Not bad – at all.  You're not as weak as you appeared…."

Staggering to his feet, Sable grunted in pain and managed a sickly smile at Yuira.  Grimacing, Sable struggled to push himself up, but his knees buckled beneath him and he hissed in pain, gasping in exhaustion.  Flicking a glance to Coral'mi, his gaze beseeching her to run....

"You'll find," Sable gurgled.  "I'm just…full of surprises."
 

 Yuira raised an eyebrow inquisitively, as he stepped close to the ferret, holding the katana in one paw.

 "Really now?"  Yuira looked at the katana and shrugged, then threw it into the brush nearby.  "I do not need a weapon to kill you my dear Sable – oh no – its much more pleasant do to it…the hard way."

Yuira advanced on the still kneeling Sable, who struggled to draw enough of his energy reserves to rise to the challenge, but he felt his reserves rapidly draining away, whilst Yuira seemed to only be warming up.  A cruel, hungry gleam reflected in her black soulless eyes, as the sultry, almost lustful smile – was what chilled Sable's blood.  Sable tensed – then screamed as Yuira's paws snapped out, sending a sheet of lightning crackling towards him.  With speed born from desperation, Sable leapt up, grasping a branch and ten swinging up onto it, as he stared down at Yuira.

 "You missed – " Sable giggled weakly.

 Dropping back to the ground, Sable rolled away into the underbrush, then snatched up the katana and held it ready – for a do or die effort at killing Yuira.  He knew with merely a katana – he had little chance, but any chance he could give his friends to make their preparations – the better.  Yuira advanced on Sable, lightning crackling from her fingertips as she snarled and stared him down, her hate rising with each step she took towards the weakened Sable.

 "I should have finished what I began - " Yuira snarled.

 "If - " Sable choked.  "You think you're up for it - bring it on."

Yuira laughed, then her voice broke into a choking gurgle and she staggered, blinking and crumpling to her knees.

 "NO!" Yuira screamed - "Noooo...."

 As Sable blinked, Yuira's form writhed and flickered, then turned to smoke and blew away....

 "Hey – hey…wow…am I good…or what?" Sable giggled weakly, then his body flickered and vanished, the katana dropping to the loamy soil with a dull thud.
 
 

  Back in the summoning chamber, Diane placed her paws on the crystal and spoke the last words of the spell, then watched on with Savrin and Abbie, who stared at the bound and gagged filly, who lay helpless in the center of a glowing pentagram, surrounded by five candles and a double ring of powdered silver.

 "I've done - what I can." Diane coughed and staggered, gripping the lectern.

Abbie looked in concern at his sisters badly burned body, the angry red welts of the lightning burns radiating heat.  It was taking every last ounce of strength Diane had, to remain upright – let alone work the powerful spell.

 "Will...it hold?" Abbie asked, glancing nervously at the filly.

 "If it doesn't - then all hell is liable to break loose..." Diane admitted.   "I don't know - what is trying to control the filly - but I fear whatever it is - its strong...much stronger than we had realized...and it might already be too late."

Savrin suddenly squealed and jumped, then spun around, just as Abbie and Diane likewise felt the presence of another and turned.  Coral'mi staggered forwards, gasping and convulsing then slumped to the stone floor of the hallway, where she laid groaning and shaking as if stricken down by fever.

 "Mother Coral'mi – " Savrin wailed, as he ran to her side.  "What – what happened to you?
 

 Coral'mi wheezed and struggled to breathe, and weakly waved a webbed paw at her gill slits – the flesh around it red and angry.  With a choking gurgle, her eyes rolled back in her head and she began convulsing on the floor, her body bucking and the convulsions tearing her apart.

 "Her pool – quickly – we've got to get her into the salt water pool!" Diane screamed, as she instantly recognized what must have happened.

 Struggling to restrain the convulsing water horse, Abbie and Savrin somehow managed to drag Coral'mi down the hall and into her room, where they dumped her into her salt-water pool and looked at Diane, who sniffled and sighed.

 "Now – " Diane whimpered.  "Now we wait…."
 
 

 Four hours later…

 Coral'mi thrashed in the pool and broke the surface, then began choking and convulsing, screaming unintelligibly.  Quickly, Savrin, Diane and Abbie came running, but Coral'mi blinked and retched, clearing her throat and gazing around in bewilderment as she coughed and blinked, then massaged her aching gill slits.

 "What – who…Mother Coral'mi – what…what happened to you?" Diane sniffled.

Holding her inflamed throat, Coral'mi wheezed for a moment, waving back in the direction she had come from, trying to get her voice.

 "Back – the – she…Sable...." Coral'mi rasped, then shook her head slowly, her eyes watering with the exertion of trying to speak.

 Savrin laid a comforting hand on Coral'mi's shoulder and he squeezed tenderly, trying to give some strength to the exhausted water horse.

 "What, Mother?  We…we don't understand – please, you must try to tell us – what…did you mean?"
 

 "Yuira." Came a low gasp from the doorway.

Twisting around, the three students saw the weakened Sable, who clung to the doorframe, as if too weak to stand-alone.

His body looked – drained – his once glossy pelt now dry and wrinkled, hanging from his frame as if his very musculature had been somehow withered.  Savrin stared at Sable, who smiled wanly and waved a paw negligently.

 "No – you've got…to be mistaken…." Savrin moaned, as he slumped to the floor, eyes widening in shock.  "Sable – please…please tell me you're wrong…."

 "You're right Savrin – " Sable giggled weakly, then coughed and shuddered.  "I…like this new look I got – "

 "Huh?" Abbie and Diane grunted as they looked at each other, then at Sable.

 "Yuira – " Sable croaked.  "You remember her?  Well – guess what…the Ice Queen's back…."
 

Coral'mi wheezed softly, nodding her head and holding her gills.

"Sable – " Coral'mi rasped, her voice ragged and weak.  "Speaks – the truth…my students.  Yuira…has returned…."

 "Oh – " Sable grunted and coughed again.  "It gets better…my…sword – "

 Savrin's eyes widened to the size of dinner-plates as he turned his head slowly and stared at Sable.

 "You – have got to be kidding me – " Savrin grated out, as he stared incredulously at Sable.

 "Oh – I'm laughing wolf-boy – I'm laughing all the way to the hells….  Yuira's stolen my sword – and without it, I can not protect the grove…and if I can't protect the grove…"
 
 

 Savrin, Abbie and Diane all exchanged glances, and turned back to look at Sable.

 "What – what do we do now?" Abbie whimpered in rising fear.

 "Do?" Sable smirked and launched into a coughing fit.  "Do? Are any of you perchance religious?  No? Then I suggest you get so real fast – Yuira's already gotten a taste for her powers again…and this time – I don't think she's going to take no…for an answer."

 On the fringes of Sable's grove, Yuira paced in agitation, as the moment she had drawn near it, a silvery wall of flames had erupted from the ground, completely encircling the grove and keeping her out – but as Yuira watched the flames flickered and guttered, as if their source of spiritual energy were leeching away.

 "Ah – my dear Sable – for how the strong have fallen so far – you can not keep the power of the grove much longer, and you were unwise – to meddle in my affairs!"

Summoning her powers, Yuira glared at the flickering silvery flames and she grinned – a cruel, predatory smile, as she felt the newfound powers surging like fine wine through her body.  Lightning crackled from the tips of her fingers, as she smiled to herself, and then bent her formidable will towards bringing down the barriers that protected Sable's grove.

  Sable slumped down to the floor and shuddered, then flinched as Coral'mi knelt and laid her paw on his shoulder.

 "Sable," Coral'mi whispered.  "Please, you're hurt. Let me heal you."

 Sable laughed, then choked and coughed, the hacking barks tearing him apart, as he struggled to control it, before he spoke again.

 "Mother, I'm already dead – remember?  Besides – I'll do, all I can, to slow Yuira down."  Sable grinned weakly.  "I've still, got some tricks left up my sleeve."

Struggling to his feet, Sable sketched a weak bow to Coral'mi and the others, and then his form wavered and flickered – and vanished into the ether.

 "What do we do?" Savrin wept, as he slumped against the wall.  "We can not possibly take on Yuira alone.  We tried that once before – remember?"

Groans and whimpers came from Abbie and Diane, as they remembered the last time they crossed swords with Yuira.
 

 Stamping her hoof, the crack echoing like thunder, Coral'mi snorted in disgust at her miserable students.

 "What have you learned over these past years?" Coral'mi coughed and rubbed her burning throat, the anger blazing in her eyes.  "Yuira must be stopped! On this all
depends, as she has not yet gained her full powers.  Besides – she is still weak, and there is one of us who is giving her the strength she needs to destroy us…."

 "We know who it is – " Abbie growled quietly, his mane bristling in rage.  "Its that bitch of a foal who – "

 Coral'mi snarled, then her paw lashed out and struck the Coyote resounding across the muzzle, the sickening slap sending shudders through the group.  Abbie never even twitched, but the hate that filled him was matched by the glare from Coral'mi.

 "If I ever – " Coral'mi spoke in a faint whisper, her body shuddering with repressed rage.  "Ever – hear you blame my daughter again…."

 "Your daughter?" Abbie barked in contempt.  "Your daughter? Admit the truth Mother – that filly is not your daughter!  It is actually the hell-spawn of Yuira herself.  You know the truth mother, we all do.  Stop living your life in denial!  Yuira was dying, and you took the unborn child unto yourself…knowing what it was and what it was capable of."

 "You dare speak to me in such a voice – " Coral'mi ground out, her body shaking with the anger that seethed within her.  "Get out of my sight Abbie – now!"
 

Abbie spat on the ground before Coral'mi, and then stamped from the chamber, slamming closed the door behind him.  Diane looked at Coral'mi, who twisted away and both Savrin and Diane saw the strain the water horse was under – in the tightening of her muscles and the way her webbed paws began clenching.

 "Mother – " Diane wept as she stepped closer.

 "Get out…" Coral'mi growled, without even turning around.

Diane whimpered, then burst into tears and fled the chamber, leaving Savrin behind with Coral'mi.

 "Mother – you…knew the truth all along – didn't you."  Savrin spoke quietly, trying to keep his distaste from his voice.

 "Get out – " Coral'mi growled again.  "I will not repeat myself again."
 

"Or you'll do what?" Savrin snapped, losing his self-control.  "You'll turn on me and punish me? If it gets you to remove the blinkers that you've been wearing and blinding yourself to the truth – then I'll happily take anything that you care to hand out!"

With a scream of primal rage, Coral'mi snapped around and raised her paws, from which lightning exploded – streaking towards Savrin.  He screamed and dropped, rolling away from the explosive attack; feeling its trailing edge burn away the corner of his cloak.  Coral'mi growled, her expression one of pure, unbridled hate – as she advanced on the firewolf, who scrambled to his feet – but not quick enough.  Coral'mi's webbed paws locked about Savrin's throat and squeezed – making Savrin buckle and convulse – as Coral'mi began strangling him.  With a desperate move, Savrin brought his paws under and then up into Coral'mi's ribcage, striking as hard as he could.  Coral'mi grunted and was forced backwards, then tripped on the hem of her robe and crashed to the floor, striking her head with a sickening crack on the stone floor.  Seizing the opportunity, Savrin leapt on the water horse – then his own paws grasped her long tubular ears and twisted savagely, making Coral'mi whinny in agony.  Savrin's blood wrath filled him, and he help the water horse's ears in one paw, as he savagely tore her robes open – revealing the pale blue fur beneath, her body naked beneath the robes.

 "Savrin – no…please – " Coral'mi wept, as she seen the predatory look that came over the firewolf.  "No…please! I beg of you – you must not…."

 Savrin snarled and began slamming her head savagely against the floor, rendering the water horse almost unconscious, as he tore more of her robes open – his breathing becoming short and rapid, his pulse throbbing through his veins as he felt the passions burning within him.  Just as he was about to lunge – he snarled and felt freezing cold paws grip him by the scruff of the neck, and almost as if he were a feather, he was torn from Coral'mi and thrown across the room.

 He crashed down onto his back, where he laid groaning and gasping, as he stared at his assailant, only to see the sad, mournful eyes of Sable staring back.

 "I'll kill you – and what I'll do to that water horse – she'll beg me for mercy!" Savrin snarled, as he started to rise.

 "No – that won't do at all – " Sable spoke softly, as his eyes watered and he sighed. "I am sorry Savrin – but this is for your own good…."
 

 Savrin had no chance, as Sable sighed – then slammed his foot into the side of Savrin's head – rendering the firewolf unconscious. Glancing at the shaking and stunned Coral'mi, Sable moved towards her, then he screamed and writhed, as if stricken by some invisible assailant.

 "Yuira – no!" Sable screamed – then his form flickered and vanished.
 
 

  Sable reformed in his grove, just as the last wards that had been entrenched to protect his final resting place broke, and Yuira strode purposefully into the grove, the turf withering and dying under her foot paws. Sable crumbled like a house of cards and slumped beside his grave.  He stared up at Yuira, who grinned in malice at the pale, shuddering ferret.

 "What do you want – " Sable growled, and then coughed as if even the exertion of speaking cost him more energy than what he had left.

 "What do I want?" Yuira gloated as she ran her black paws down her ebony fur, feeling the slick material of her robe.  "What do I want? Oh yes - how about - vengeance?"

 Sable snorted and coughed again, a sickly smile touching the corner of his lips.  "You can't kill me Yuira - I'm already dead."
 

 Yuira looked back over her shoulder, and smirked - the look one of pure, unadulterated hate.  "Kill you?  Oh my dear, misguided ferret - whoever said I would kill you?  No - death should be a reward, not a punishment.  I fully intend to make you suffer Sable, oh, how I will make you suffer.  You shall know such tortures as only I can devise, starting with your friends. Especially - that little witch of a kitten - you're so obsessed with maybe?"

 Sable rose to his feet, shaking with rage that fuelled him, as his eyes blazed and he growled dangerously, taking a step towards Yuira, who laughed contemptuously and looked away.

 "You're beneath my contempt ferret - for without your precious sword - you're nothing.  No – you are less than nothing.  However - I do intend to make you watch, as with the fall of your grove - so shall the college fall.  It is after all, only a matter of time – and time is something I have plenty of."
 

 Helpless, Sable could only watch on in horror, as Yuira bent her will and powers towards her self-appointed goal, the sky visible through the dense foliage turned dark with ominous storm clouds, and a cold, fetid mist arose from the loamy soil.  Sable shuddered, feeling the corruption of the forest intently, his powers nearly completely spent.

Sighing softly, the withered trees moaned and creaked ominously, their lichen covered branches seemingly reaching out for the horrified Sable, seeking as if to draw him into some dark embrace.  Sable screamed and covered his eyes, averting his eyes from the torturous transformation, then he shuddered as he felt a sickening wrenching feeling in the pit of his stomach – his eyes cracking open to see a vision from the very depths of hell itself.

 Even his grove was not spared the evil forces Yuira had brought to bear, as he stared in horror around him, his once beautiful grove, was now a shattered wreck - something from out of a nightmare.  Where once the forest animals played - only their skeletal remains were left, twisted and broken.  The wise and powerful oaks, planted as acorns when sable was buried here – were now black and charred, as if struck by lightning.  Sable wept helplessly at the sickening feeling of palpable evil drenching the torn and trampled loam beneath his feet.  The once majestic waterfall and pool were now dark, fetid and stagnant.  Once a thing of beauty, Sable's grove had become a lifeless place – now defiled and shattered…
 

 Sable glared at Yuira, who slicked down her ebony fur and smiled, the cruel - mocking smile evidence of her malice and unbounded cruelty.  Sable coughed and glared, his own body having been nearly completely drained; his once glossy pelt now brittle; the musculature beneath atrophied after Yuira's attack.  Summoning his strength, Sable dragged himself back to his feet, but he wobbled uncertainly - and the exertion to stand was almost more than he could bear.

 "Go to hell Yuira – " Sable choked, and then slumped back down onto his knees, choking and retching pitifully.

 "I can't – " Yuira responded, her voice and expression one of innocent solemnity, as she stroked the ferrets nape, sending a cold shudder rippling through his body.  "Not alone."

 As Yuira's words sunk into Sable's mind, he shuddered violently and he struggled to marshal what little remaining strength he had, forcing himself to get back to his feet.  He took a faltering step towards Yuira, and then another – before his will broke and he crumbled to the ground, beating his paws against the fetid earth, the tears of shame and anger coursing down his cheeks.
 

 "Do not make promises – " Sable rasped, as he fought for control over his own body and mind, seeking deep within himself, for the last vestiges of his strength.  "That you can not keep – Yuira."

Yuira chuckled low in her throat, slipping her paw under the ferret's muzzle and forcing him to look up at her, into her eyes. Sable's pale, shimmering green eyes locked with those of Yuira's – which were a heartless, cold and empty black.  As Sable gasped, he felt Yuira's power flowing through him, chilling his blood as she leaned in close, their noses almost touching, before she spoke – her voice a soft, seductive whisper, as she scratched lightly under his chin.

 "Sable, for have you forgotten?  I always keep my promises."

 Sable drew deep into his fickle reserves of strength, and with a supreme effort, tore his gaze away from the inky black depths of Yuira's eyes, feeling the very palpable evil and coldness as it sought to crush him; both figuratively and literally. Sable recalled well, Yuira's abilities, and it sickened him to his very core.

 "It need not end like this - Sable – " Yuira purred, leaning in close and caressing his nape.  "Come - give yourself to me freely, fall at my feet and beg my forgiveness, and I shall spare your friends.  Once we were lovers Sable – "

 "NO!" Sable screamed, as he clenched his paws and fought down the memories that rose in his mind.  "No - we were not lovers! I was nothing to you...you hear me? Nothing! You used me for your own, dark twisted ends!  Then when I no longer pleased you, you threw me away like some discarded tool....  You never loved me Yuira - not now - and not then.  You used me for my knowledge and powers - "
 

 Yuira growled softly, then squeezed down on his nape - her grasp becoming more and more painful, making Sable gasp and shudder, as he slowly wilted under that grip, all volition in his muscles draining away as her chilling cold power swept over him.

 "You do not know what you deny yourself Sable – " Yuira snarled quietly.  "I promise you an eternity free from pain - from sufferance, yet you throw it back in my muzzle like a piece of rancid flesh?"

Sable laughed weakly, then he coughed and shuddered.

 "I've heard your false promises before Yuira – " Sable rasped.  "They won't work on me again."

 "You doubt me?" Yuira spoke softly, yet the steel in her voice all to evident.

 "I have no doubt's about you Yuira - none what-so-ever. I know that you'd never keep your promise.  I know – that if I joined with you – you would now keep that promise, to spare my friends.  I know what it is you want...its Coral'mi - isn't it? You want to finish what you began with her...."
 

 Yuira barked out in laughter, then wiped the tears from her eyes as she giggled.  "Oh, my dear - misguided Sable!  You have no idea what I want, and that water horse means nothing to me.  You hear me? Nothing! Oh, I might keep her alive - more for my own personal – pleasures, than anything else."

 Sable shuddered and looked away.

 "No Sable, you don't realize my plans - and even if you did, you're too weak to do anything to stop them!"  Yuira smirked, as she twisted his nape, making him scream.

 "Get away from him you black-hearted bitch!"  Came a voice from the edge of the grove.

Yuira blinked, then turned her head around and stared at the angry Abbie, who clutched his sword tightly, his body bristling with hate.

 "Abbie - no!" Sable croaked.

Yuira sized up the young Coyote and snorted contemptuously.  Within the blink of an eye, her right paw snapped outwards and then made a clenching gesture.  Abbie screamed in abject terror, then he began choking.  Crumpling to his knees, he clawed at his throat, as if invisible paws were slowly strangling him.  Yuira grinned evilly, slowly clenching her paw tighter and tighter, savoring the agonizing pain that she absorbed, feeling Abbie's pain flooding her; strengthening her and invigorating her body and spirit like a fine wine.  Yuira grinned wider, as she continued to use her evil magicks to constrict the coyote's trachea, slowly crushing it - and his neck.
 

 Sable's eyes widened at this development, and the ferret could do little more than stare in mute horror as Yuira tightened her magical grip on his throat. Something tickled his memory....

 Yuira holding Abbie by the throat, about to drain his life force…

Except this time, there was nothing he could do...the weakened ferret looked around for anything, be it physical or otherwise, that he could use to save the coyote...

 Yuira grinned, tightening the magickal grip around Abbie's throat, watching the Coyote's struggles growing weaker and weaker by the second, as she strangled the life out of him.  Abbie thrashed pitifully, helpless to do anything, as he felt the very vertebrae in his neck beginning to crack and splinter under Yuira's merciless magickal grasp.  Suddenly, Yuira's eyes grew hazy and distant, and in the blink of an eye she vanished - and Abbie crashed to the ground, where he laid choking and clawing at his throat, struggling to breathe.

 "Sable..." Abbie gurgled.  "Where...."

 Sable paused - then his eyes widened.  "Oh no...."