When Kristen approached Karen, she teleported next to her and thrust her dagger into Karen's side. "Oh, nice try," Karen taunted as her body melted into water. "You've got to do better than that."
"Crap, it was a reflection of her," Kristen muttered with anger in her tone.
"Look out!" Courtney shouted, creating a water barrier around Kristen.
"Oh," Karen remarked as she appeared next to the barrier, "you're good."
"Thank you," Courtney replied with a smile. "Let's see if you can see this one coming." Karen disappeared again.
"Niall and Kristen, be careful," Courtney warned, scanning the area to sense Karen's presence. Suddenly, Courtney created a water barrier around Niall this time.
"Damn, you're good," Karen acknowledged as she reappeared. "Looks like I can't do that."
As the water barrier around Niall disappeared, the ground under Karen began to shake. "Oh, like a little boy quake," Karen laughed, throwing a water blade at Niall. However, the blade disintegrated right in front of him.
"This is going to be a pain," Karen said with anger in her tone. "I'm going to need a little help." She started pouring water all over the ground. "So, you're just going to try and drown us," Kristen teased as she looked at the water.
"You'll see," Karen responded with a smile. When she stopped filling the arena with water, the water began to float into the air. "Come to me, my pet," Karen commanded as the floating water formed a sphere in the air. "Come to me and kill what needs to be killed."
"What the hell is that?" Niall wondered, looking at the sphere.
"It is my water pet," Karen explained as the sphere made cracking sounds. Suddenly, the sphere shattered, revealing a water dragon. "It's a dragon," Courtney observed as she approached Niall.
"Meet my pet, Aqua," Karen introduced with a smile. "She is going to help me kill you guys." Aqua's eyes were as white as snow, and her body flowed like it was moving with the current of water.
"Aqua, kill the little Quake Boy," Karen commanded with a smile.
"Niall, watch out!" Courtney yelled as she created a water barrier around Niall again. When Aqua hit the barrier and exploded, Niall screamed in pain.
"Niall!" Kristen and Courtney shouted simultaneously.
"I'm fine," Niall reassured as the smoke disappeared around him. "It's nothing major."
"Oh my," Karen remarked as she looked at Niall, "it looks like your water barrier backfired." Courtney noticed cuts all over Niall's body. "I'm so sorry, Niall," she said, tears welling in her eyes.
"Let's try this again," Karen said with a laugh. "Aqua, attack the little boy again."
"No!" Courtney yelled as she ran to Niall.
"Courtney!" Kristen yelled as she started running to the others. Right when Aqua was close to Niall, Kristen appeared in front of him.
"Kristen!" Niall yelled as Aqua rammed into Kristen, sending her flying to the wall. "Oh, that works too," Karen commented, looking at Kristen, who lay on the ground. "Looks like Tinker Bell took the hit for you, Quake Boy."
"Niall, please go to Kristen," Courtney said as she looked at Niall. "I will take care of Karen."
"But what about you?" Niall asked as he got up. "How will I protect you?"
"I will be fine," Courtney replied with a smile. "You take care of Kristen."
"Fine, you be careful, okay?" Niall said, smiling, and ran to Kristen, who was still on the ground.
"Looks like it's me and you," Karen said as she smiled at Courtney. "Aqua, show her who is boss." When Karen gave the command, Aqua began flying towards Courtney.
"Come on, think, Courtney," she muttered as Aqua approached. "Think." Right before Aqua was two feet away, Aqua shot a huge gulp of water at Courtney. "Try blocking that," Karen taunted as the water hit Courtney. When the water surrounded Courtney, Karen could see that it was just swirling around her, not touching her. "What is going on?" Karen demanded with anger in her tone.
"Where am I?" Courtney asked as she looked around in the black void.
"You are safe," a girl's voice echoed.
"What? How is this here?" Courtney questioned, still surrounded by darkness.
"You are safe," the girl's voice repeated. "I saved you and will tell you how to defeat Karen."
"How can I trust you?" Courtney inquired, unable to see anything.
"You can trust me because I'm a piece of you," the girl's voice assured. The darkness was replaced by a faint light emerging from Courtney's chest.
"What are you?" Courtney asked, gazing at the floating light.
"I'm a piece of you," the girl's voice replied.
"So, how do I defeat Karen?" Courtney inquired as she grabbed the floating light.
"You need to use blood magic," the girl's voice explained. "Make your blood a weapon."
"What do you mean?" Courtney asked, still looking at the light in her hands.
"You have blood magic in you," the girl's voice stated. "You need to unleash it."
"How?" Courtney questioned as the light started to fade.
"You need to remove all of your emotions," the girl's voice instructed before disappearing. When the light vanished, Courtney saw a distant light growing brighter. As it reached her, Courtney closed her eyes from its brightness.
"Courtney!" Niall yelled, getting closer to her. "Courtney!" When Courtney opened her eyes, she found herself in a ball of water.
"Oh, look," Karen remarked with a smile. "She's awake."
"Courtney, are you okay?" Niall shouted from where he and Kristen were.
"Yes, I'm fine," Courtney replied with a smile. "I can do this." As the water around Courtney fell to the ground, she closed her eyes.
"Oh, what now?" Karen asked with anger in her tone. "You're just going to stand there?"
"No, I'm not," Courtney responded as she reopened her eyes. "I just had to remove all my emotions."
"What does that—" Karen began to say, stopping abruptly when she noticed Courtney's eyes were no longer brown. "Your eyes."
"So now you know you're screwed," Courtney said, smiling at Karen.
"No one told me you would have blood magic," Karen muttered with a pissed-off look. "Who cares, Aqua, again!" When Aqua flew toward Courtney, she gazed at Aqua, stopping her before she could get closer.
"Let's see," Courtney laughed, blood pouring through her eyes. "Oh, I know." Right when Courtney finished, Aqua exploded into raindrops. "No, Aqua!" Karen yelled as she ran to Aqua. "You bitch."
"Oh, Karen," Courtney said with a smile, looking like she was in a horror movie, "you're the bitch, and you're next."
"In your dreams," Karen retorted as she ran to Courtney and punched her in the face.
"Oh, that hurt," Courtney laughed as she grabbed Karen by the neck. "Let's see what happens when the water inside you dries out."
"You…fucking…bitch," Karen gasped for air.
"Oh, look, you're turning into a raisin," Courtney mocked as Karen started to mummify. Out of nowhere, Karen's body exploded into dust.
"Courtney?" Niall said, getting closer to her. "What just happened?"
"I used blood magic," Courtney explained as she turned to Niall. "And now I can't see."
"Courtney, your eyes," Niall observed as he tore a piece of his clothes from where they were cut. "Let's wake Kristen up and get the hell out of here."
"Okay," Courtney said, smiling at Niall. "Let's find the others."