TDDUP: Chapter 9: Graveyard Showdown!

Dodge. Parry. Attack. Coleman Halliwell found himself settling into a nice rhythm as he bashed the hoards of skeletal minions. It had been a few years since he'd last used a sword but he was loving the opportunity to refresh himself. He swung his blade wide and gasped as it sent a wave of flames at the skeletons, a surprise from Sharon no doubt.

“I love being married to a witch” he laughed.

Sharon couldn't help but smile to herself as she moved gracefully around the gravestones, all the while firing hexes at her opponents. While it was true she was one of the most powerful witches in all Halloween, her status as an outcast prevented any chances to really utilize her power.

Her wand was practically humming in her hand as she kept volleying powerful incantations towards her foes, it seemed to be enjoying the spectacle just as much as it's owner. She turned and fired at the same target as her son and felt the rush as the two spells connected. His stream of blue light and her jet of red merged into one devastating jet of violet energy. The Dehydrating Hex Jonathan had fired caused the vampire target to shrivel up, and Sharon's own Blasting Curse reduced him to a pile of ash.

“Nice one Mom!” Jonathan cheered before dashing in the direction of several ghouls trying to escape over the graveyard wall. With the flick of his wrist, the vines and plant-life around the graveyard sprang up and began strangling the opposing forces.

Sam and Percy moved fluidly together as they took on several warlocks at once, Percy laughed as he fired a transmutation spell at one warlock. The spell knocked him backwards into one of the stone walls, and simultaneously brought the stones to life. He could only watch in horror as his body merged with the living stone, effectively turning him into a statue. With a swift motion, Sam shattered the statue and hurtled the fragments at the remaining warlocks, each falling with a nauseating crunch as stone impacted their skull.

One ghoul fled in an attempt to avoid his certain doom, only to be pulled into the darkness by a hoard of cackling Jokers. The masters of darkness were using the shadows all round the graveyard to pull unsuspecting victims to their doom.

Sharon and Victor stood side by side and allowed their powers to combine, both gasping at the sudden magnification of their abilities. A dim blue glow came from Sharon's eyes as the two shouted together “FROST SPEAR”

normally the spell would only produce a single icy projectile, but under their combined might twenty frozen spears hurtled forward. The few remaining assailants were swiftly stricken down by the barrage of icy death.

Spying that his forces were defeated, the Orange-haired Joker turned to run, only to be hit squarely in the back by a Stinging-Hex. Turning he saw the defiant stance of Jonathan Halliwell, “Going somewhere?” the boy asked,

In reply the Joker drew a wand of his own and returned fire against Jonathan, a spray of golden sparks lashed out, only to be parried by a swipe of Jonathan's wand. The Joker fired two more blasts in rapid succession, only to see them batted away harmlessly by Jonathan.

Jonathan stepped forward, his cape billowing as he fired a curse, the Joker ducked and a tombstone behind him exploded with a loud bang. Jets of white flame lashed outwards, forcing the Joker to leap atop another monument to avoid being burned. He returned fire literally with a jet of violet flames, Jonathan captured the spell and attempted to absorb the force, unleashing it in a wall of flames with a roar.

Sharon watched as Ranga and company finished off the last of the Skeletons, Thorn walked up to her and asked “your son is facing the assailant alone, do you think it wise to just observe?”

The witch smiled, “Jonathan has had quite a few dueling lessons, I think that Joker is in for a nasty surprise”

Continuing the fight, Jonathan cast another Plant-Control charm at his foe's feet and took advantage of his struggles to land a powerful jinx square to the Joker's chest. The force of the spell blasted the enemy backwards, freeing him from the vines, but knocking his wand away. As the Joker tried to scramble for the wand, Jonathan launched Blasting Curses at him, demolishing headstones and pelting him with burning rubble as he dodged out of the way. Jonathan launched a Torture Curse to try and incapacitate him, but was surprised when the Joker redirected the blast of red light, sending it back into him. Jonathan writhed in agony as the spell worked, taking advantage of the chance to escape, the Joker bolted through the gates to the Old Graveyard, in the direction of the Big Crypt.

Not wasting a second, Sharon fired a blast skyward, a transparent blue bubble formed over the graveyards, completely sealing the occupants in.

Noticing a random skeleton try to pass the barrier and disintegrate, the Joker ducked into the crypt.

Sharon arrived at Jonathan's side and removed his curse, dizzy with pain, but still eager to fight the Eldest Halliwell son bolted after his opponent.

Sharon was about to give pursuit until a curse exploded at her feet, turning she saw seven warlocks emerge from a hidden crypt, obviously waiting for an ambush. She turned to the others, “Coleman,” she addressed her husband, “I'm going after him, get the others to safety” she then noticed her husband's absence, “Coleman?!”

“SHARON!” came her husband's cry from the tomb, the seventh warlock pulled a chain and the form of the Halliwell patriarch staggered out, disheveled and bound. “They ambushed me, I couldn't hold off  their spells...” he was cut off by a wand jabbed into his throat,
“Drop your wand or he dies” the lead warlock sneered,

With a look of cold fury, Sharon Halliwell dropped her wand and raised her hands skyward.

Then the fog came.

Thick billowing clouds of snow-white fog rolled in and filled the graveyard, Ranga and company huddled together so they wouldn't get separated, even though she was only a few feet in front of them, Sharon was entirely invisible...

“Lady Halliwell?” Victor called into the fog, only to have his voice rebound at him then echo throughout the mist.

The fog was suddenly pierced by the hiss of flying spells, the screams of the warlocks, and the explosions at their spells missed their mark. Flashes emerald of light briefly revealed the silhouette of Sharon as she picked off the warlocks, each flash was accompanied by an agonizing scream.

All grew silent again, until the lead warlock burst into the clearing the others were in, screaming in horror. A single jet of emerald light streaked out of the mist and struck him squarely in the back, his eyes grew dark and he fell, cold and dead, to the ground.
The fog dissipated as fast as it had arrived, Sharon stood next to the now-freed Coleman who wore a look of utter shock and awe. The tip of her wand still burned green from her last curse.

“Who taught you how to do THAT?” Coleman asked,

“What? The fog?” she smirked, “Just a little trick I picked up from a very "Good" friend of mine” turning in the direction of the old crypt she strode forward and stated, “Let's go see if Jonathan is playing nice...”