Chapter Five

§Chapter§Five§

          The dark warriors appeared in front of a dark bar in black smoke, holding onto each other. Lydia looked up at the sign hanging above the bar. It read Twilight Moon.

            “We need to relax from all the stress.” Damien gave out a smirk and pushed the door open. As Lydia walked in and Damien following behind, she wrinkled her nose sniffing the air.

            “I smell vampires.” She mumbled and stared up at Damien. “Am I meeting your friends?” She smiled.

            “You didn’t even have to read my mind.”

  Lydia took a few steps further into the bar and two dark figures jumped in front of her.

            “You’re not from our kind, aren’t you?” One of them asked with black hair that spiked from the back and spiky chain hanging from his neck asked.

            “Are you human?” The other questioned with a pierce lip and an ear.

            Lydia stepped closer.

            “I know I’m not a vampire, but…” Lydia pointed one of her pointy nails at Damien. “He is.” The two figures eyes shot to Damien’s and immediately they knelt down on one leg and bowed.

            “Prince Damien!” They shouted. Damien smiled and signaled them to stand up.

            “We didn’t expect you to come here unexpectedly.” The one with the piercing said with shock. So you do know them, Lydia sent her thoughts to Damien’s and he nodded.

            “They’re just followers of mine.”

            “Really?” Lydia made a curtsy and giggled while showing her feline fangs. Suddenly there was a voice from a distance growing closer behind the two vampires.

            “Well, well, well, look what the dead corpse dragged in.” The voice showed its face, a woman about her mid 20’s, wearing a velvet top, with white sleeves, she had a long skirt with knee high boots. Her hair was brown, and curly as it fell to her lower back. She glared at Lydia with a sharp look.

            “Who are you?” Lydia asked and she took another step forward.

            “This is-” Damien was about to speak and he looked down, trying to avoid the woman’s eyes. “Jynx.”

            “That’s right, and you are?” Jynx still stood there impatiently waiting for an answer.

            “Lydia Hykate, not a vampire but another race of the lycanthropes.”

            “Lycanthropes?” Jynx eyes turned into anger. “Another race?”

            “Yes, I’m a jaguar. Want to see?” Lydia spoke softly and looked up at Damien. Showoff. She heard him say and giggled as she gently nudged him in the ribs.

            Then a group of vampire cuddled in around Lydia and Jynx folding her arms across her chest, raising a devilish eyebrow. Lydia raised her arms in the air and twists them over each other as her body began to slowly transform into a creature of darkness. Ears started to grow out of her head, her curvy body grew longer and wider as her legs began to shorten, her fangs lengthen as fur covered her body.

            “Here I am.” Lydia started to purr and circled around Jynx, like a predator ready to capture its prey. Slowly Lydia started to change back into a human then she stopped with feline like ears and a long tail appearing from behind. “I’m the only one that’s left, me and my family.”

            “So you are different.” Jynx paced around the circle as the crowd got thicker. Many eyes were on them now. Damien was still standing there, with his hands in his pockets glaring at Lydia with a smug.

            “What?” Lydia stared back at him and smiled wickedly.

            “You’re handling things on your own.” Damien mumbled and made his way through the crowd till he was no longer visible.

            “Fine, I will.” And she took a step back as the crowd reopened and a shadow appeared, standing there with eyes that glowed a steady darkness and a glint of shock.

            “Lydia?” The shadow spoke. Dash? Could it be you? She stepped closer and placed her soft hands against his cheek. “It is you!” Dash quickly hugged her and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.

            “This is all sudden.” Lydia smiled, Dash was one of the vampires she had dated back home, when the war between the lycanthropes and vampires were still at battle.

            “I know it is.” Dash looked behind him to find Jynx still standing there. “Don’t pay any attention to her, she seems to always picks fight on newcomers.” He took hold of Lydia’s hand and pulled her out of the crowd as everyone went back to their original places. “I heard you were here, so I came to see if it’s true.”

            “I guess it is.” Lydia smiled and sat herself down on one of the high stools nearby. “You’re protective as always.”

            “Yeah, I know.” Dash started to blush through his pale white skin. “What are you doing here in a place like this?”

            “Well, my-” A tall figure made her paused for a moment and she looked up to see Damien with two glasses of what seemed like blood or red wine. “Boyfriend, dragged me here.” Dash tilted his head to the side as his eyes looked up on Damien. He immediately stood off his chair and made a bowing posture.

            “Prince,” Dash said softly. “Wouldn’t expect you to be here, your highness.”

            Damien smiled and signaled him to sit back down as he placed the two glasses on the table.

            “Who’s your friend, Lyds?” Damien teased and kissed her on the cheek.

            “An ex, if you wish to know.”

            “Wait, then you two were together?” Damien looked surprised and laughed. “The servant and the goddess. Amazing.” Lydia gave Damien another nudged in the ribs and glared at him with anger.

            “Leave, Dash and I have a lot of things to catch up in…” Lydia stared at him in the eyes with deep anxiety. “ Now go.” She pointed to an exit and Damien quickly left chuckling under his breath with his hands in his pockets, still. That man. Lydia sighed and turned her body towards Dash again, folding her arms on top of the table. “I’m wondering if you gotten along with werewolves yet.” Lydia could see the sparks in Dash’s eyes, glowing like fire.

            Dash nodded slowly and his paused for a moment. His hair started to fall over his face covering his emotions. Dash wasn’t always quiet back when Lydia had known him. He was always loud and lively. She had missed that about him though she doesn’t know why. “I have actually, but they don’t seem to like me.”

            “Wonder why?” A voice popped up from behind Dash and Jynx started to walk forward like a vixen she is. “We weren’t meant to be with them in the first place, why make amends with them then, huh?”

            “Jynx.” Lydia sighed in frustration. “Go take a bat and shove it down your throat.”

            “Humph.” Jynx said and walked away flaunting about.

            Dash suddenly laughed and it got Lydia’s attention.

            “She doesn’t have the right to be rude like that.”

            “I know, but it’s funny how you show her.” Dash couldn’t stop laughing.

            “What?” Lydia became confused.

            “You’re the same as you were before.” 

            “Really? You mean I haven’t changed that much?”

            “Well you have, it just that the only thing you’ve changed about yourself is you got much stronger than before.”

            “Is that so?”

            “Unless you want to show me.” Dash urged.

            “No, I’m good. I don’t want to hurt you.” Lydia let out a soft giggle. She scanned the room for a clock and it read 10pm. “It’s getting late, but no matter. I prefer the night better than the daylight.”

            “Who doesn’t?” Dash replied and pushed himself out of his seat. “Well, nice seeing you again.” He smiled, did a salute and left her alone in her seat. When she smile she tried to get up with Damien was hovering above her.

            “Can I help you?” She asked.

            “Ready?” Damien didn’t felt jealous at all when Lydia was talking to Dash.

            “Aw, we’re leaving already?” She pouted and took hold of Damien’s hand. “Alright, let’s get going. I don’t want to let them waiting.”

            “Okay, let’s go.” He grabbed hold of Lydia’s other hand and they began to submerge into the shadows, as the shadows blended in with their skin. 

Chapter 4

§Chapter§Four§

Lydia asked everyone to leave her alone for a while, except for Damien who still sat there by her side. He grasped her hand tightly and kissed them gently.

            “You’ll be fine, I promise.” Lydia gave out a little smile and leaned against Damien’s shoulder.

            “Thank you for being there for me, even though-” Lydia stared at the ground for a moment thinking about her newly made friends and how far they’ve gotten to the surface world and almost finding the last of the elements. “We made it this far.”

            Lydia suddenly felt a sudden pull on her neck; she looked down to see the jewel glowing, again.

            “Look.” She nudged Damien next to her.

            “It’s glowing again.”

            “Ya think?” The jewel started to pull her neck, tugging it strongly. “It’s pulling me, this had never happened to me before.”

            “Maybe the element is closer than we thought it would be.”

            “Yeah, probably.”

            Damien still held Lydia’s arm and together, they disappeared in a bright yellow glow. They stood on black asphalt with the jewel still glowing.

            “What happen?” Lydia asked nervously.

            “I don’t know the jewel did something.” Damien paced around the unknown area until a shadow emerged from the air. A girl with wildly long hair, the color of burnt wood, she wore a long black skirt covered with a white ribbon surrounding her legs and a black top with large ribbons surrounding her chest, she wore a necklace in a shape of a crescent moon, her head was tilting and she smiled, a little wickedly. She walked closer and her mouth moved as if she was about to speak.

            “You must be Damien Erebus, prince of the spirit realm I presume?”

            Lydia still stood there, now frighten as ever she froze. The mark on her dress and the necklace, could she be? Lydia wondered and without thinking she charged aimlessly at the girl, but the girl’s hand stopped her and flung her against a wall, making a large dent. Lydia moaned as she slid slowly to the ground in pain.

            “And you are Lydia Hykate? Am I right?” She laughed evilly as Damien rushed over to Lydia’s aid.

            “What were you thinking?” Damien demanded.

            “I’m sorry, her aura isn’t human nor is it good.” Lydia let out a weak mumble.

            “What?” Damien felt a shock in his system. “Are you sure?” He took a glance back at the girl and stood up, his scythe appearing in his hand as he walked over to her. “Who are you?” He asked.

            “Who am I, you ask?” She walked closer to him and her long fingernails touched Damien’s face. “I am Lunar Eclipse, heard of me?” Damien’s body suddenly froze and Lunar glance over to Lydia, still lying there on the ground. “You can stay there for a while, prince.” She kissed him softly on the cheek and walked over to Lydia.

“I think that belongs to me.”

            Quickly she yanked the jewel off of Lydia’s neck and agony arises from her voice.  Damnit. Lydia thought and with the last of her strength she placed her hand over Lunar’s heart and pushed her across the street. She could her Lunar’s scream from where she sat.

            Lydia eyed over to Damien, still frozen there in the same spot. I’ll save you. She thought and tried to rush over as fast as she could, still limping from Lunar’s attacks, but when she could even get a chance to get near Damien, Lunar suddenly appeared again.

            “You think you could hurt me that easily, pest?”  She held Lydia by her neck and raised her above her head. What amazing strength. She thought and trying to struggled to get loose. She could feel Damien’s urged to get free. “Now hand me your soul!” Her strength weakened Lydia’s body and she movements loosen and then she became weaker as her soul surged out of her.

            Lydia screamed in anguish as she could her soul being pulled out of her.  Lydia fell to the ground and her eyes slowly opens to Lunar shocking eyes.

            “I wouldn’t be doing that if I were you.” A voice appeared from behind Lydia spoke. She recognized the voice belonging to Ember. Ember quickly threw her kunai at Lunar, and lucky for her she finally bled. Lunar held her hand to the points where Ember struck her.

            “Ugh, more elements!” She yelled. “You will die!”

            “Oh no she won’t” Ivy whipped out her snake blade around Lunar’s waist and pulled her till the poison starts to spread.

            “I can’t take this.” Lunar dissipated in the air with Lydia’s jewel still in her hands. “You’ll pay!” They could here her voice still hanging in the air around them.

            “Lydia, are you okay?” A cool sensation washed over Lydia as the pain started to fade. She opened her eyes to see Aimee hovering above her. “Tell me how you’re feeling.” 

            “Thanks, Aimee. I’m better now.” Lydia quickly got up and scanned the area. “Damien? Where is he?” Worry struck her mind.

            “Lydia, don’t move your injury may be minor but you should rest.” Aimee assured her.

            As Lydia collapsed to the ground, tears suddenly fell from her eyes. Are you gone? She asked him in her mind, hoping he will answer. Yes, I’m don’t worry. The sound of his voice brought a smile to her face. She got up and turned around, bumping into someone with scrapes on his body. She looked up to see a happy vampire. She giggled happily and nuzzled in his arms.

            “Thank the gods, you’re safe.” Lydia said.

            “No, thank the gods you’re safe.” He kissed her on the head.

            “C’mon you two stop kissing and let’s go home.” Lydia looked behind Damien’s shoulders to see an impatient Flare. They turned around, holding hands walking towards home.

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    “How you guys know where to find us?” Lydia questioned the elements and she looked at Aimee who pointed to a blue plate in her palm.

“This here was a gift from the goddess, it’s basically a tracking device. Just an case we got separated somehow.” She gave a big grin. What Aimee held seem like a piece of blue glass. She said a few words in a language no one seems to understand and then a blue sphere emerged from the glass plate. “See the different color dots?” Lydia nodded. “You’re the purple one. Trying moving to another area.” Lydia moved away from the sphere a little and the purple dot moved too.

“What was really strange was how where you were wasn’t on the map. You were on a different plane.”

“Yeah, I was wondering why that place seemed so empty.” Lydia grinned.

“Thanks you guys.” Damien smiled and let out tired sigh. “Now I’m hungry, have a bit of a craving.”

“Uh oh, someone wants to hunt.” Ivy teased Damien and licked her lips.

“Hunt?” Damien hasn’t fed on humans since the day I’ve met him. I wonder about him sometimes, he is a vampire after all. “Now that you mention it, Ivy. Maybe I will go out for dinner.” Damien’s eyes changed colors to jet-black; the vampire inside him is ready to come out fully once again. He suddenly glared at Lydia who stood there confused about the current situation.

“What?” Lydia asked walking closer.

“Will you, Lydia go out to dinner with me?” Lydia giggled as a sign of a yes. A hunt for Lydia was rare. She always lived like a normal human, eating animal flesh not thriving on humans. It wasn’t natural for her, since her father left this world.

Lydia’s father was the strong leader of her clan, till that one dreadful day. The humans accused her father of killing a human family, he plead of innocents. The witnesses made of humans brought lawyers and so did we. One of them said they saw a body lying in an empty ally. A worker nearby saw a trail of blood leading to Lydia’s house. He followed it and witness a man in black fur covered in streams of blood. He screamed in horror and ran away hoping to turn him in to someone who would believe.

Lydia would stand there beside the entrance of the courthouse, tears flowing down her eyes. She was young and didn’t understand why the humans are doing this. She walked near the benches, but as she could walk any further her father followed human police officers in handcuffs.

“Death sentence.” Lydia gasped up to the horrible words she just heard.

“What? You can’t do this! You can’t take my father away!” Lydia screamed and dashed forward to her father. Then a force grabbed her arms, she turned to see her mother also in dismay. “Let me go, they’re going to kill father!”

“No, you mustn’t interfere with the humans.” Lydia mother’s voice was sweet and kind, and her words were always wise.

“But, they’re going to…” Lydia collapsed into tears. “Kill father.” She cried for a long time till a voice entered her mind. Don’t worry about me sweetheart. Be strong and don’t hate the humans for killing me, hate me for the carelessness of taking care of you. Lydia started to whimper and her tears turned into sobs and she stopped with red eyes of sadness and a heart of emptiness.

“Oh I forgot that you don’t hunt.” Damien wrapped his arms around Lydia and kissed her on the forehead.

“It’s okay, I’ll still go.” Lydia smiled. “Where you want to go?”

“If we can’t hunt, then how about New York?” Lydia looked at him, and her fangs took a little peek from underneath her lips. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Okay you two, have fun on your date.” Ivy’s voice rang in their ears with joy.

Chapter 3

§Chapter§Three§

        The club, H2Purify was booming like a swarm off honeybees. A lot of people seemed to be having a lot of fun. Their smiling faces and their overjoyed expressions, Lydia climbed back on the stage and spotted Aimee right away bartending at the club’s bar. She nodded which means that let’s the music pump!

            “Let’s get this party on the road.” She exclaimed to everyone and she clicked her mike on as everyone stared at the group with anxiety. “A one, two, a one, two, three, hit it!” Lydia started to let her voice roam the crowds with soft music and slowly the music has gotten quicker, soon people were bobbing their heads, and some were even dancing next to each other. It was obvious that they were having a ton of fun. This is going great. Lydia thought and she kept singing till her last note faded into the skies. Damien who was standing next to her played his guitar solo, while the music vibrated throughout the club. It was quite intense, but as the music faded the crowd scream out for more. It was amazing, wasn’t it?

            “We are the elements! Don’t you forget it!” Aries shouted through her mike as she slipped off her guitar and set it on the side, and turned on the stereo behind her. The stereo was playing a variety of techno and hip-hop music and the lights changed colors. The water gods have such an amazing club, that this will probably last forever.

            Lydia walked down following Aries down the steps.

            “We were pretty good, huh?” Ivy jumped from behind Aries and tackled her, gripping on to her neck.

            “Yeah, it was.” Aries smiled. “We should definitely do it again sometime.”

            “Hey ladies.” A voice spoke from within the crowd got closer to Aries, showing himself as Chase. He let out his palm to her and she took it instantly.

            “Let’s dance.” He whispered in her ear and she nodded with a twinkle in her eyes. Then they faded into the dancing crowd, blending in with so many colors.

            Lydia looked behind her to a light tap on the shoulder. Aimee stood there, with a smiled of joy.

            “You were great!” Aimee smiled, while wearing a long blue blouse, with hippy jeans, and a pair of black boots. Lydia lost her thoughts to her voice and disappears into a dream. When Lydia first met Aimee, she saw her up above shore sitting on a rock; she looked fixedly at the moon and then to its reflection. There were tears coming from her eyes. Lydia peeked from behind a boulder as her jewel glowed bright blue. Another one, perhaps? Lydia wondered. Then a figure emerged from the shallow water and appeared a tall boy with soak blue hair. As what seems to be his feet, they were still underneath the water, only seeing his ankle. All of a sudden Lydia’s jewel glowed even brighter and it began to bounce drastically. What the? She questioned herself and resumed spying on the water warriors. She saw the figure, a boy walked over to Aimee and wiped her tears away and she fell into his arms immediately.

            “Love, how lovely.” Lydia spoke sarcastically as a blast of ice shattered the boulder she was hiding behind. I guess I said that a little too loud. She thought and stood up, the jewel slowly fading to its original color, gray.

            “What business do you have here?” The figure, known as Alec stood there angrily.           

            “Why have people always have angry looks on their faces whenever I appear?” She teased and stepped closer, but one painful vision hit her, hard. She saw a woman, a mother; maybe wearing a long blue gown and blood was stained all over, and looking around she saw a girl in shock and groceries lying on the floor. There was a knife in the woman’s heart and her eyes were open, filled with suffering. As Lydia collapsed to the floor, coughing harshly, trying to breathe, Aimee ran over and cover Lydia’s heart with her hand, it glowed a light blue, some sort of healing.

            “Are you okay?” Aimee asked worried.

            “I’m fine, and I’m sorry about-” Lydia stopped as she got herself up to stand. “Your mother.”

            Aimee’s eyes widen. “How you know?”

            “I’m gifted.” Lydia smiled. “I’m psychic.”

            “Oh, really?” Aimee eyes looked down at Lydia’s jewel and she pulled out hers from her chest. “I have one similar to yours, except it’s blue.” Aimee giggled and turned her head up, till her eyes met with Alec. “You hear the guardian’s voice in your head right?”

            Alec nodded. “Yes, if what you say is true…” He stared at Lydia with sudden shock in his voice. “Then we must leave, soon.” He walked closer and knelt down next Aimee, giving her a peck on the cheek. “Your father, too. Should we tell him?”

            “Fine, I don’t want to worry him but he’ll worry anyways. I am the king’s daughter and you’re the protector of the princess.”

            “I know, so that’s me I have to go with you!” Alec’s face grew with joy, and then he blushed quickly. Aimee giggled and their journey was set.

            Lydia glanced back at the crowd and stepped down from the stage. She danced through and sat down at a nearby booth, Damien sat down right next to her.

            “We were great.” Damien stated and kissed Lydia on her soft lips.

            “I know,” Lydia smiled. “It was fun.”

            Lydia got up again and took a hold of Damien’s hands. “Let’s dance.” She winked and pulled him on the dance floor. Together they danced closely and the strobe lights bounced off on the walls, it was amazing all right. Suddenly, Lydia collapsed to the ground with sweat coming from her forehead. There were gasps from girls and shock rose from everybody’s faces.  Damien got down and saw Lydia on the floor and shouted for Aimee, but by the time she had gotten there. They appeared in their living room. Damien laid Lydia on the couch with a damped cloth on her forehead.

            Lydia slowly opened her eyes to the sound of her name. 

            “Lydia.” A voice called and when her eyes adjusted to the figure she saw a girl with long green ivy hair. “Are you okay? You fainted again.”  

            “Oh, I did? Dang it.” Lydia said tiredly. “What happen?”

            “You were dancing with Damien and you just collapsed.” Ivy folded her arms and laid them there on the couch Lydia was lying on.

            “Too much dancing can make a girl sick.” Lydia looked up and saw Aimee holding a cup of tea. “Here take this. It’s something I made, with a little of healthy herbs. It’ll make you feel better.” She gave out a grin.

            “Thanks, Aimee.” Lydia said and sat herself up. She heard a soft tune flowing through her delicate ears and her eyes followed the sound to a boy with short blue hair, it was Chase who was sitting on a nearby stool. He was playing the harp, the instrument of peace.

            Chase was a boy of many wonders, and sensitivity. He lived in the wind country before he even met with Aries. He would always sit in front of the water fountain back home, playing his harp in the mornings and nights, and even through ceremonies the country held. It was long when Aries found him playing music of love. She walked closer to him as the soft music flowed through her body.

            “I love it.” Aries mumbled. Chase looked up and saw the eyes of the village thief and gave out a smirk. Aries was called a thief because she stole medicine from the medical estate. Her family wasn’t in the best shape, but she was. She tried her best just to save them, thinking that wearing a brown cloak would blend her in with the busy crowd in the bazaar. She thought wrong.

            “Why thank you, thief.” He laughed a little and resumed playing his harp.

            “Thief?” Aries crossed her arms and sat down next to him. “It’s over.” She stated. “I returned it.”

            “You’re still a thief in my book.” Chase smiled and started to hum.

            A voice cried in Aries’s mind.

            “Did you hear that?” She asked nervously.

            “Hear what?” Chase looked baffled.

            “It sounded like an angel.” Aries started to take a step forward slowly.

            “An angel?” Chase looked confused now.

            “Shut up and listen.” Find the girl, the goddess of darkness.

            “See?”

            “Yeah, find the goddess of darkness?”

Aries nodded and she stumbled upon a girl wearing a black cloak over her head. She helped Aries up to her knees.

            “Hi.” The girl said and pulled down her hood. “My name’s Lydia. I guess she called you recently didn’t she?”

            The wind warriors nodded, but Chase stood up from his seat.

            “Why are you so important?” Chase asked.

            “Why? I don’t know maybe because I have to go through all the trouble just to unite all the elements, but if you don’t want to follow me, that’s also fine.” Lydia grinned and slowly walked away. The wind warriors don’t know what to do, so they followed.

Lydia sipped the cup of tea Aimee gave her it was delicious as always.

“An illness can sure stop the fun from coming out of you.” Aimee joked as Lydia placed the cup on the table.

“Be careful next time, please?” Damien kissed Lydia softly on the cheek. She can tell that he was worried as usual. Lydia gave him a reassured kiss that she’s fine. Her illness won’t get the best of her. Damien smiled and sat next to her.

“Hey, you okay now?” A boy with red firey hair walked in from the kitchen, crossing his arms across his chest. “You kind of fainted… again.” And he walked over to her and flicked her on the forehead.

“Ow.” Lydia said in response. “Why you do that for?”

“Why? For letting us all worry about you, always.” He said in an irritated tone.

“Flare, you know I love you.” Lydia gave a winked and laughed. Flare turned around to the sound coming from the harp Chase was playing. The sound was still so soothing; then again it annoys Flare so easily. He snapped his fingers in order for the harp to stop making noise. Snap, snap, snap.  

“What?” Chase looked up and paused his fingers.

“Good, boy.” Flare smiled and patted Chase on the head. Chase gave out an annoying look.

“You don’t like my music?” Chase assumed.

“No, because it’s coming from you.” Flare snickered.

“Ha ha, very funny.” Chase stood up and his harp dissolved into nothingness.

“Bring it on wind boy.” Lydia knew that Chase and Flare barely get along, because of Chase’s music and Flare’s cleanliness. And the fighting begins. Lydia thought and leaned back on the couch.

Flare suddenly has a flame ball appearing in one of his palms and was about to flung it at Chase. He did and Chase ducked as he performed a ball of wind in his palm similar to Flare’s fireball. He also flung it at Flare, but Lydia stopped it by placing her hand in the air. That was also another power of Lydia, stopping time.

“Stop fighting.” She started to scold them. “We have better things to do than for you two idiots to fight, again.” 

Lydia stood up, but before she gets the chance her jewel glowed a bright yellow and the room went quiet. It hovered away from her chest a little then it stopped, and dangled on her neck. 

            “Isn’t this odd?” Aimee looked puzzled.

            “I think it means that we have found another element.” Alec stood leaning against the wall and everyone was gathering around the couch staring at the jewel.

            “But, it stopped suddenly.” Ember rubbed her eyes to get a clearer view of Lydia’s jewel. “Weird, eh?”

            “Yeah, it is.” Aimee said thinking aloud. “Maybe, Alec’s right you know? Maybe an element is closer than we thought. We just got to go and find that element.”

            “How?” Aries appeared in a whirl of air against the wall.

            “I don’t know.” Lydia looked down, thinking. “We’ll figure it out when it glows again.”

Chapter 2!

§Chapter§Two§

When the battle was over the elements walked down the streets heading back to the park, discussing the recent fight. Lydia paused her steps and listened to her surroundings, she felt uneasy and her weapons reappeared in her hands again. What now? She thought.

            “I don’t think we’re done quite yet you guys.” Lydia announced as a swift figure went past her from behind, she quickly whipped her body around using her blade and cut right through the figure that went past her.

            All of a sudden the figure emerge from invisibility and showed itself. This one seemed a little different than the last one they fought. This one was a female. She had long black hair, and skin pale as the moon; her outfit was also black ripped from her thigh and her chest to reveal some skin. She had red marks all over her body and her fingernails looked as sharp as an icicle.

            “What do we have here?” A girl with shoulder length hair that’s a similar color to Aimee, a dress like shirt going down to her knees, black shorts, and a giant boomerang that hung over her head. The girl started to float above Lydia and landed right in front of the assassin eager to battle her.

            “Aries!” Lydia smiled with joy as she jumped up and aimed her elbow blades right at the assassin. Then, the assassin dodges it with accuracy and slid further down the alley where they recently fought the other assassin.

            “Vengeance will be mine!” The assassin shouted as she appeared right behind Lydia really to strike a blow, but before Lydia could react a gust of wind pushes the assassin against the nearby wall, slamming her heavily.

            “I guess little miss darkness killed your friend.” Aries smiled wickedly. “I’m sorry, but taking souls of innocents is law!” Aries began to float up from an angle away from the assassin ready to throw her boomerang right at the assassin and it hit. “Score!”

            “Don’t celebrate yet, Aries.” Lydia indicated as Aries boomerang was still attached to the wall, until she gave out a whistle and her boomerang returned to her hands.

            “Huh? Didn’t I destroy her?” Lydia shook her head as she pointed to the assassin against the wall but she was gone. “What? Impossible!” Aries shouted as she surveyed around the environment.

            “Where she go?” Ember spoke up, preparing her kunai for action.

            “Don’t let your guard down!” Lydia commanded as her eyes scanned the alley and backed away from it till her back was facing the sunset light. Lydia started to breathe heavily as her mind started to spin in circles and the world around her started to blind her eyes. Lydia collapsed to the ground and her skin turned into a red color.

            “Lydia!” She heard a voice called out to her and it seemed like it belonged to Damien. She tried to speak but no words came out. An image then materialized in front of her, an image that looked human almost, no just a human that resembles something familiar but what could it be? It was blurry, not clear; the figure was wearing a long velvet gown, a woman perhaps.

            “Don’t let your illness prevent you from your destiny.” The figure spoke, her voice was gentle and friendly, however, Lydia realized whom it had belonged to.

            “Mother?” Lydia’s mumbled out loud. “Is that you?” She squinted her eyes and got to her feet and started to walk a little closer to the figure. The figure nodded and her arms spread wide as to embrace her in a hug that she wishes to be in. Lydia stopped herself and looked down, depressed.

            “What’s wrong honey?” Her mother asked sweetly.

            “My illness, it keeps me from protecting-” Lydia’s eyes started to water and her mother’s hand touched her tears.

            “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I’m here and always with you.” Her mother smiled. “Now, go save yourself and your friends, your destiny awaits!” And she disappeared before her eyes Lydia screamed out for her mother but she never came back. It was a message from home, something that her mother normally sends in through her mind whenever she faints. It would always make her happy.

            Lydia’s eyes began to slowly open up and found herself lying in Damien’s strong arms.

            “Are you okay?” Damien asked softly as he helps her up.

            “Where’s the assassin?” Lydia questioned as she rescan the area. “Is she gone?”

            Damien nodded as Lydia tried to get to her feet.

            “Oh, I see. What happen?”

            “You fainted again.”

            “Right.” Lydia sighed as she rubbed her forehead. “I fainted and I saw my mother, telling me, not let my illness get to me.”  An illness is what Lydia has and that she feared it very much. No one knows the cure for it, or how it even gets into her system. It wasn’t very strong, only if she over works herself, it can kill her. Not even Aimee’s healing powers can cure her; it’s an impossible disease. Now and then, Aimee usually gives Lydia some medication and some restore to her body after trainings and stressful times it helps a lot. Lydia looked around the park to make sure no more assassins will pop up and turned her face to Aimee standing next to her.

            “Maybe, we should get you home Lydia.” Aimee suggested and smiled. Lydia nodded with no more words coming out of her mouth. “Get you some medication and put you to rest.” Then Aimee evaporated into the air like water vapor and everyone else made their exits, except Damien and Lydia.

Lydia stood there, silently gazing up into the clouds and Damien wrapped his arms around her, embracing her in his arms and they vanished within black smoke.

They arrived at home, in their living room and Damien is still embracing Lydia tightly now.

“Let me go.” Lydia mumbled softly and Damien released his grasped. She went to the couch behind them and collapsed onto it with a few coughs.

Immediately Aimee raced into the room from the kitchen carrying a small cup with bits of smashed leaves from Ivy’s garden and some jasmine tea, you can see the steam rising from the tea and Lydia huffed in the aroma that breezed in from cup. Aimee’s special herbs, Lydia thought and smiled to herself. Aimee sat down the herbs on the table in front of Lydia and began to pour the tea into the cup, gently stirring it together with a spoon. Afterwards she poured the cup into a strainer and back into the teacup, so there’s only liquid in the cup and the leaves on top of the strainer.

“Here, drink this and it’ll keep your illness neutral for a while. Okay?” Aimee smiled and returned to the kitchen to clean up.

Lydia stared at the cup sitting on the table with steam rising from it still. She sighed and took hold of the handle and slowly took a quiet sip, gulping down little by little of it. The soothing sensation flowed through her body and warmth filled her insides.

“I’ll be right back.” Lydia muttered to Damien sitting on a high stool next to her and he nodded as he got up and went into the corridor.

“Me too.” He smiled and left.

Lydia stood up from the couch and went into the kitchen. The kitchen was like new, it sparkles with black and white tabletops, and there was a door that leads to the backyard, filled with herbs and flowers of all sorts. Many of those belonged to Ivy; she’s Mother Nature after all. Lydia looked around for a while, thinking deeply about something she can’t put her finger on.

“Aimee?” She called aloud. Aimee turned around from wiping the island with a dirty rag.

“Hm?” She replied and stopped wiping. “What’s up?”

“You know, you have a club right?” Lydia raised her eyebrow. Aimee nodded yes.

“Of course, H2Purify. Why? You want to go? Grand opening!” She chuckled and resume cleaning, and then she moved on to the sink to wash her hands.

“I was thinking about our band, if we can play it there, mind you?” Lydia smiled with glee. “Please?”

“Well, I don’t see why not? There’s no one playing here, but we did hire a dj…” Aimee let the thought fly over to Lydia’s mind. In an instant Lydia jumped up and clapped her hand in excitement. “But, are you sure you’ll be okay, after what just happen to you?” Then she stopped jumping and paused herself.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. We just need some fans that’s all.” She laughed and went to the corridor to tell the others. Aimee could hear all the girls screaming in enthusiasm and she laughed to herself. Sigh, might as well make Lydia’s joy go up. She thought.

ba

    Lydia walked out from her bedroom, dressed up in a goth like outfit. She wore her hair with three ponytails like her fighter image and a black corset that wraps around her waist and black jeans that have big holes at the knees, her arms were covered in long black gloves, and the fingertips of the gloves are fingerless. She wore a lot of black eyeliner, and black lipstick that shows off her personality and carried a guitar behind her back.

            “How do I look?” Lydia asked a girl standing across from her, wearing black caprice and a red rocker t-shirt, her fire hair was gelled up and a head band was holding most of the hair up from the bottom, and she was holding two drumsticks in one hand and scratching her head with the other.

            “Lydia, you look dreadful.” She said playfully and smiled as she headed out to the kitchen to grab a snack before their big opening.

            “Thanks Ember.” Lydia said as she followed Ember out. In the kitchen was Ivy holding a tambourine and her hair was in a long ponytail with braids coming out of the ends, and she spiked up her bangs on the sides, while wearing a long spiked necklace that dangles down her neck.

            “Amazing, drop dead gorgeous.” Ivy commented Lydia as she took a cookie from the counter. Next to her stood Aries with a bass guitar dangling from over her shoulder, as her eyes grew big with envy.

            “You look so cute!” Aries shouted and munched on a cookie as she slurps down a glass of water. “You really do.” She said between sips.

            All of a sudden two large arms wrapped around her neck and tighten his hold. Lydia titled her head up to see Damien and he leaned closer and gave her a kissed on the lips.

            “My guitar.” He stated as he took hold of the strap on her neck and put it on his.

            “I know, just holding it for you babe.” Lydia giggled as she laid her elbows on the counter and bending her waist down.

            “Where’s the party?” A voice asked as another one of Ember’s cookies got eaten.

            “They’re about to play their band.” Aimee explained. “Want to come Flare?”

            “Sure, a guy can have some fun and Ember’s in it.” Flare winked at Ember sitting herself on the counter and she giggled to herself.

            “Actually, everyone should come, living a night away from all the assassin fighting.” Aimee said as everyone nodded their head agreeing to her. “Well, I’m about to open up.” She looked at the kitchen clock above her and read it to be 6 o’clock. “Let’s get moving, I open it in an hour.” She stated and walks out of the room.

            “I’m driving!” Lydia exclaimed while dangling a pair of keys between her fingers, in a second keys were swiped off her hands and was carried away by Damien.

            “I’ll drive, just in case.” He teased and strolled away heading towards the front door.

            “Fine.” Lydia said rolling her eyes as she followed him and everyone else followed too.

            They arrived in Lydia’s black car and Aimee and the other boys drove separately, since they’re not enough room. When they got out, it start to line up and it was pretty crowded with two big body guards standing in front of the entrance. Lydia tried to squeeze through the crowd trying to get into the club, but when she looked behind her, her band members had disappeared until she bumped into the guards.

            “It’s not open yet.” One of the guards said in a tough deep voice.

            “Move, please.” Lydia said nicely and grinned widely at the guards. “I’m a member of a band that’s suppose to be playing in there.” She pointed at the entrance a head of her.

            “Not open.” The guard repeated himself.

            “It is now.” She gave a smirk and concentrated on lifting the two guards with her mind. As her eyes slowly opened, her eyes changed colors to black and the guards floated away from the entrance and she walked on, following behind her was the guards colliding towards each other. Lovely. Lydia thought and laughed to herself.             When she entered the club she took a look around and her gaze met with Aimee.

            “You could’ve taken the back door.” Aimee advised.

            “Yes, I could’ve right?” Lydia said sheepishly. “Oh, well.” She turned around and saw the guards with shear anger in their eyes. “Sorry boys, I just can’t no for an answer.”

            Aimee started to walk forward and went behind Lydia.

            “She’s with me.” Aimee assured and pointed them back to their post before more people came running in. Aimee started to head for the stage behind her and showed everyone where to place their instruments. Lydia climbed on the stage and connected the microphone to a nearby plug and started to tap the mike lightly.

            “It works!” She exclaimed happily.

            “Yes it does.” A boy with short spiky blue hair, wearing long baggy jeans revealing his blue-checkered boxers, and a long sleeve button up shirt said in an obvious tone.

            “Haha, very funny Alec.” Lydia stuck her tongue out at him and let out a big grin. She felt happy today, normally she’ll show no emotion at all, or depending on the day she’s having. She took a glance on the stage and noticed that all of the instruments were already set up. She tried to squint her eyes at the clock above her as it reads 6:55Pm. It’s about to open! She thought cheerfully as headed down of the stage and decided to search for Aimee to see when shall they start playing.