Gazing out at the suburban neighborhood, Kellie Pendragon couldn't help but feel a but of apprehension. What she had discovered could prove to be difficult for everyone.
As the guardian of light it was her job to simply observe how a Catalyst proceeded and to ensure their vision maintained the balance between the light and dark. However, this latest move by the Normal threatened everything. Darren needed to be warned. Approaching his hone, Kellie now took a deep breath before knocking.
For Darren it was just another lazy afternoon weekend. Both his parents, as well as Hannah's, had gone on a weekend vacation leaving the teens under Stephs care. While thoughts of the two teens getting in trouble were present, they were quickly dismissed. Darren and Hannah were responsible, good natured, and willing to obey the rules. They could be trusted not to get into trouble. This was how the three friends now found themselves lounging on Darren's couch, trying to find something to watch.
"I say just watch Fighting Monkey Bots the movie," Hannah exclaimed, the shape-shifting gynoid now shoveling chips into her mouth. "Eh seen it too many times," Darren scoffed. "Why not Death's Door 3? I mean the first to were really good."
"Yeah at scaring the pants off everyone," Steph grumbled. "Seriously, the three of us csmped out in your parents room after watching it. We got that scared."
"I don't remember us doing that," Darren grumbled, his face flushing in embarrassment at the faint memory. "And besides, we were what? Ten, maybe eleven?" The sound of a knock now drew the three from their discussion. Standing, Darren now approached, opening the door before curiously gazing at a middle aged woman with white hair. "Can I help you?"
"Hello Darren," Kellie smiled. "We haven't met before but my names Kellie Pendragon. I'm a friend of Yurikos."
"Okay," Darren said slowly, still unsure of this strange woman. "Is their something wrong with Ms. Yuriko?"
"No nothing is wrong," Kellie assured. "But I needed to talk with you. Its important."
"Darren who is it," Steph called, the Soul Drive now peaking around the corner. "A friend of Ms. Yurikos," Darren replied. "She says she needs to talk."
"You should check her I.D.," Hannah answered. "I mean you can't be too careful with the Normal running around."
Kellie chuckled at Hannah's response, the girl was obviously smart, if perhaps a tad annoying for that comment. Still, she did have a valid point. "The Normal are not able to attack you at home in case you're wondering," she said. "Between the enchantments Jack, Yuriko, and myself placed as well as an inter-dimensional restraining order, this is perhaps the most well protected neighborhood in the cosmos."
"You could have made that up," Hannah called back, the teen now poking her head around the corner. Kellie simply sighed, gazing at the bespeckled blonde teen. "If I made it up then how would I know that Hannah is a shape-shifting Soul Drive. Or that her biggest secret is that she sleeps with her baby blanket whether as a human, cyborg or Soul Drive."
Hannah blushed, her face a mix of anger and embarrassment. "Have you been spying me," she cried. "No," Kellie replied. "But I can see everything that transpires throughout the timelines. I'm Yurikos boss, kinda like the Yoda to her Obi-Wan."
"Who's Yoda," Darren and Hannah replied. Kelliea shoulders now slumped, feeling incredibly old that these teens did not recognize a reference to an old movie from her youth. "Can I just come in please," she groaned. "Its important."
"Um sure," Darren said softly. Kellie thanked him, entering the home as Steph, Hannah and Darren eyed her wearily. In retrospect she probably should have introduced herself sooner, however, she had no idea the Normal would make such a drastic move. "So," Hannah asked, the teen crossing her arms as she eyeballed Kellie. "After spying on us what have you come to talk about."
"Sorry," Kellie apologized. "I probably should have introduced myself sooner. I know you've already met my ex husband Jack."
"The theme park owner," Darren asked. "Thats your husband?"
"Ex husband," Kellie corrected. "Jack and I are close but we don't exactly see eye to eye. That's why he guards the darkness while I guard the light."
"Wait," Steph interrupted. "My memory banks state that Jack was the father of the last Catalyst. Does that mean?"
"That I was Katie's mother yeah," Kellie finished, sighing heavily. "Kellie Pendragon, daughter of Merlin, mother to the Catalyst, and guardian of the light."
"Okay," Darren replied, still confused by Kellies presence. "Why am I only meeting you now?"
"Also," Hannah answered. "Why is it that the last Catalyst left us all a bunch of naked apes with alot of prejudices?"
"HANNAH!"
Hannah shrugged as she now glanced at Darren, the teen appearing flummoxed by her outburst. "Oh cmon Darren we've all thought about it," Hannah said. "You, me, Steph, we all wondered why Katie, if she was the Catalyst left the world kind of as it was."
"While I wouldn't have been so blunt," Steph stated. "Hannah does bring up a valid arguement. From everything that I've discovered about the Catalyst they usually mold the world into a utopian society. That does not appear to be the case here."
Kellie nodded, a small grin spreading across her face. Darren obviously had made some very insightful and very smart friends. For Kellie, she would now reveal a secret that only she and Katie had ever been privy too. "You're right," she started. "In all previous cases the Catalyst did mold the world into a utopian society."
"So what happened," Darren asked.
"I happened," Kellie said. "It was my fault that the Catalyst wasn't able to fulfill her true calling." Steph, Hannah, and Darren now listened as Kellie told her tale.
Kellie told them everything, how she had been the mother of Katie before being aged into a teenager and becoming her own daughters girlfriend. The trio cringed slightly at the idea of a mother and daughter actually dating but moved on as Kellie continued. For a time, everything was good. Katie was growing in power, useimg the ring to create friends, better peoples lives, in time she would have found her calling. She would have discovered what it was she was meant to do.
"So what happened next," Darren asked.
"It was incredibly stupid," Kellie sighed. "A petty, teenage arguement. An arvuemwnt that fractured our relationship and in turn doomed us all."
Darren and his friends now listened as Kellie told her tale. Although Kellie had at one time been Katie's mother, the magic of the ring had changed her. She may not have been her biological mother anymore but she possessed the memories of her old life. It was what led to Kellie to sneak into Katie's home and use the ring for selfish reasons. Kellie recklessly used the ring to unbirth Katie and become her mother once more, effectively splintering the timeline in two and preventing Katie from reaching her full potential.
"As powerful as my daughter was," Kellie sighed sadly. "It was my actions that prevented her from reaching her true potential. It is also why the second timeline has found peace with magic, anthros, and mystical creatures living in harmony while this timeline continues to struggle."
"So everything thats happened since then has been your fault," Hannah asked. Kellie nodded, a forlorn expression upon her face. "In a manner of speaking yes. It has also been a highly guarded secret. If it were to ever be known their would be catastrophic consequences."
"For you," Hannah finished. "I mean just because you messed up two timelines doesn't mean Darren would. We wouldn't do that. Why should we keep this secret?"
Kellie furrowed her brow as she glared at Hannah. The teenage girl had a point, there was no reason to keep the secret, except that it would prevent Darren from achieving his full potential. "The only reason the secret has been kept is to make sure that it is not repeated," Kellie stated. "Do I know that my actions harmed not one but two timelines? Yes! But I also know that Katie, as well as her friends helped to strengthen both realities. If the secret were revealed ot would unravel the very fabric of two timelines, destroy everything, and prevent Darren from succeeding as a true Catalyst."
"Hannah," Darren stated. "Look, I get it. You're not a fan of what she did but can you get off the soap box for a second? Obviously she's here to help otherwise why would she tell us this?"
Hannah opened her mouth to respond before quickly closing it. After initially going after Yuriko and Lynne, maybe she should hold judgement on Kellie. She could see that the sorceress was remorseful, maybe it was her Soul Drive nature telling her to be patient and forgiving with Kellie. "Okay," she grumbled. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."
"And I wouldn't ask you too," Kellie said. "Hell, I've spent a century hating myself. I've tried to make up for my mistake but I know I have a long way to go. Thats why I've come today, to give you a warning."
"I hope its not a warning like Lynne," Steph replied, her wolf is face frowning. Kellie chuckled, shaking her head. "Lynne is a bit more theatrical and hot tempered," she smirked. "No, my warning is about a possible threat. One that I don't think even the Normal are aware of how dangerous she could be."
"Who," Darren asked.
"My granddaughter," Kellie stated. "Morgan Carlson, otherwise known as Morgan Lefay."
"Morgan Carlson," Steph asked. "Shes been missing for decades! I downloaded the information from the Spells r Us database."
"She was," Kellie said solemnly. "It appears the Normal had her. What concerns me though is what they may have done to her."
"Couldn't Ms. Yuriko or the others help," Darren asked.
Kellie shook her head sadly, they could, however, considering how close everyone once was ot could lead to them holding back and ultimately costing them their lives. "What you need to understand is that Morgan was incredibly powerful," she said sadly. "Before her disappearance she was considered one of the most powerful sorceress's alive, and I believe she was holding back. When Katie and her sister defeated her it was through sheer luck." Darren and his friends nodded, exchanging a concerning look between one another.
"If you were to face her in battle I fear the others may hold back due to their relationship with her," Kellie continued. "Keep this knowledge to yourselves, if they discovered Morgan was alive they would stop at nothing to find her and I fear the Normal would use that to destroy them, and you. Be wary Darren, you have thw potential to be a true Catalyst if your enemies don't stop you before you start."