Racule and Heranna glared at Corazon. The battle had begun.

     First, Racule held out his hand with his palm facing Corazon. Suddenly, a large beam of intense energy flew at Corazon. Don’t think! Corazon closed her eyes and relaxed her mind. A shield of golden light appeared in front of Corazon in time to block the beam of energy. Corazon didn’t open her eyes for fear that she might betray her heart and think. She waited and felt.

     Meanwhile, the shadows that had emerged were becoming clearer. There were four of them, all men.

     Heranna held out her palm. Don’t think, Corazon, don’t think! Relax! Trust in yourself…

     Nothing hit Corazon. As far as she knew, Racule and Heranna were trying everything that they could think of to hit Corazon, but nothing was happening. Then Corazon realized how much she was weakening them. Still, she did not open her eyes, instead, she turned her thought to all of the people who were trapped by the monarchs. She turned her though to their escape.

     ‘I have what it takes,’ She thought to herself, ‘Because I have a piece of Him in me.’

     With that, Corazon thought all of the locks to be unlocked and all of the people to be free. She thought all of the guards to be powerless and all of the slaves to be revolting. Corazon thought her friends, including those she had left in the underground room, to be helping the others escape. She thought Dienna, Felicia, Giselle, Tia and Twilight to be fine and healthy.

     She had thought too much.

     The shadow-figures had now become clear to the five captives.

     “Matt!” Twilight exclaimed. “And Jerry, and Tyler and Steven! Are you alone?”

     “Alone and with the keys.” Jerry held up a steel ring that clattered loudly with all of the keys that hung to it.

     “Hurry and get us out!” Dienna whined. “I want to go and get Corazon!”

     “Why?” Tyler asked as Jerry began to unlock all of the cells that held the five familiar faces.

     “She’s battling Racule and Heranna.” Twilight replied.

     “You’re sure she’s the one?” Matt was surprised.

     “I’m positive.” Twilight answered. “I would not have left her if I thought otherwise.”

     “Go on ahead.” Jerry said when everyone else was let out of the cells. “I’ll stay here and get everyone else out.”

     “Me and Matt will stay with you.” Tyler told him as the others left.

     “Now what?” Steven asked Twilight as they left the torture dungeon.

     “We free everyone else.” Twilight strongly replied.

     “Agh!” Corazon hit the cold, hard floor. Her thought had wandered too far from the battle and Racule and Heranna had gotten a hit.

     It hurt terribly, but Corazon managed to stand up and not-think her shield. This time, she kept her eyes open so that she would not forget the battle.

     When her thoughts turned to the escape, she saw, in her mind’s eye, Twilight and Steven freeing some of the captives in the dungeon, Felicia and Giselle freeing the night-workers, and Dienna and Tia fighting off the guards who had grouped to go against the escape.

     If Corazon could keep the monsters occupied long enough…

     “Is that all of them?” Tia asked when the third guard she had fought had fallen.

     “No, here comes more!” Dienna replied.

     “Great.” Tia sarcastically huffed.

     “That’s everyone in the torture dungeon.” Steven told Jerry.

     “Good.” Jerry replied.

     “Let’s follow them all out.” Matt said.

     “Are you through, yet Twilight?” Steven asked as he knocked out a guard.

     “Almost!” Twilight called back. “This is the last one…done!”

     “There’s just one more field.” Felicia told Giselle as they carefully crossed the working fields in the dark of night.

     “Shh!” Giselle grabbed Felicia and hid behind a tree as two guards passed them by. “We’ve got to be more careful.”

     “Argh!” Corazon was beginning to have trouble holding up against the monarchs. Her shield was weakening, but, so was their power.

     “We’ve thrown everything we can think of at her!” Heranna bellowed angrily.

     “Twilight, Steven, come on!” Matt yelped as they passed the two on their way out.

     “Where’re the girls?” Steven asked.

     “And Ray?” Twilight added.

     “The girls are ahead.” Tyler said.

     “And Ray’s with them.” Jerry told the others.

     “Help!” Dienna called as three guards surrounded her.

     “Hey,” Tia yelped. “Don’t forget me!”

     “This is the last one.” Giselle said to Felicia.

     “Good, I want to get out of here almost as much as they do.” Felicia shivered in the cool night breeze. “Uh oh.”

     “What-oh?” Giselle inquired as she let the last field-worker out of his chains.

     Corazon let down her shield as the Bandaa Kind and Queen paused. Was it her turn for offense? If so, how would she attack? Don’t think?

     She knew that the escape was going very well, but should she turn her attention from her battle, now?

     Racule was grinning. This was not a good sign. What was he thinking of?

     “Ray, Tia, Dienna!” Twilight called as they approached the three teens. “Great job on the guards!” He had noticed heaps of bodies laying about them. “Meet us in the throne room!”

     “Where are you going?” Dienna asked as Steven stopped beside her.

     “To get Felicia and Giselle!” Jerry replied as the others kept going.

     With that said, Tia, Dienna and Ray followed Steven to the throne room.