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| - As she comes to a rise in the landscape, April is suddenly confronted by the Chaos Vortex, bigger than she's ever seen it. Using the Magic Binding Potion on her Talisman, April manages to capture the Vortex inside the Talisman itself. She has passed the Trial of Might - two more to go. As she walks, April wonders what the Trial of Spirit will be - she has to face her fears but she seems to have dealt with all her phobias. Image:ThreeTrials.jpg She is finally coming closer to the Tower. Then she realises that the desert has gone. She's standing in a kitchen, the kitchen of the family home where she used to live. Abruptly April becomes an eight year old child, facing her abusive father with nothing to defend herself. He threatens her, demanding she comes closer, but she shows him the gold ring he gave her when she turned sixteen. She says this proves he loves her after all. The spectre of April's father breaks down and confesses that when she was a baby, he came home after a few beers with his friends and he dropped her. Her legs were injured and the doctors said she might never walk again. He took out his guilt on her, and when she almost miraculously started to walk again, it was as if she was defying him, which only made him more bitter. April says it's all right now, that she forgives him, and the kitchen disappears, returning April to her older self again. She continues and, at long last, arrives at the base of the Tower. It is suspended high above the surface of the desert, and beneath is a deep canyon full of fog, with the Well of Making in the middle. There seems to be no way across. Realising she is facing the Trial of Matter, April plays her flute and Crow appears through a small Shift. He's rather confused about how he got here, but April just needs his help one more time. However, he's not happy about helping her. He's found out that crows are seen as carrion-eating scavengers, and he's offended by April naming him after them. April retorts that she actually named Crow after Crowboy, her favourite cartoon character. He was a hero who rode into town with a hat and a lasso, and always saved the day from the bad guys. Crow is taken aback, and agrees to help April. She asks him to scout for a way across and he flies away. Image:TrialofMatter.jpg He comes back with grim news. Below the surface of the fog in the canyon is... nothing. Literally. Crow says any sort of something is better than that Nothing. And the Well of Making makes him nervous. The water in it has "that stay-the-heck-away magical blue glow". April has a brainwave - what happens when water from the Well of Making meets the Nothing? Crow reluctantly agrees to carry some of the water in his beak and spit it out onto the Nothing. As soon as he does it, a bridge appears from the desert to the Well of Making, but Crow doesn't reappear from beneath the fog. Hoping he's all right, April runs across the bridge. Taking out the Stone Disk, she kneels beside the Well of Making and puts the Disk into it. A hand forms out of the water. April reaches down and puts her hand against it. And waits. Then another hand reaches over into the water. It's Adrian. His touch has activated it - they're about to enter the Tower. The circular platform of the Well of Making floats up, taking them into the base of the Tower. Unseen, Gordon Halloway is clinging to it from beneath. Image:AscendtotheTower.jpg April and Adrian emerge into the Guardian's throne room, seen at the beginning of the story. April is confused about why her hand didn't work on the water. Adrian is as confused as she is - he doesn't have an explanation. But they don't have time. The Balance needs a new Guardian. April tries to prepare herself, but she's torn. She doesn't want to leave all her friends behind and come back to a changed world. Finally she agrees, and Adrian asks her to stand by the stone dragons on the wall to begin the Changing of the Guard ceremony. But again, nothing happens. Adrian says there can only be one explanation, then - April isn't the thirteenth Guardian after all. April wants to know who is, if it isn't her. Gordon Halloway steps out of the shadows and says that he is the new Guardian. The Balance will have no choice but to accept him. But he doesn't seem to be quite himself - he seems distracted. Suddenly he says that there is a presence there, in the throne room, and that April brought it there. He tries to take the Talisman of the Balance from her but Adrian intervenes. As the two men fight, April uses the Talisman on Gordon, freeing the Chaos Vortex and fitting the two halves of his split self back together. Overjoyed, Gordon thanks April. He is himself again. He is in balance - he is Balance. And he's now prepared to take his rightful place, the place the Vanguard almost stole from him. He doesn't know what role is meant for April, but he believes her destiny is not yet complete. Adrian agrees that Gordon will become the Guardian now he is sane again. Image:Guardian'sRealm.jpg Leaving them to conduct the Changing of the Guard, April leaves the Tower, not sure where to go from here. But the Balance is safe, and she can leave. Behind her, Crow flutters after her, agitated, not wanting to be left behind in the Guardian's Realm. April stops on a rise and looks back. Two energy streams are coming from the Tower. As she watches, the clouds over the Guardian's Realm clear, and the land begins to green. With a last look April walks into a Shift and is gone: to where, we do not know. Previous chapter - Next chapter
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