Chapter 14
I flickered my gaze up and around the doorway, the door seeming to have vanished. "We're sealed in!" The cry was amplifed with magic. Teddy. I cursed, slamming my fist againest the door. "Mommy! We need help!" There was a frantic note to his voice.
"Mandies!" I looked over my shoulder, we had problems of our own. Kai, the unicorn prophet and Mandies were protecting the prone forms of the five children, againest some sort of over grown lizard. I muttered a curse, this is what the green mother had meant about choices.
"Oh it gets worse..." I whirled around, Justin was there, leaning on the wall, casual as can be. He waved a hand, and I could see the ones who had gone after him were laying on teh ground not moving, the bomb clearly visable near by. "You have to deside, do you save strangers?" His finger pointed toward the five children. "Your friends..." He pointed to the doors. "Or your honor guard?" He didn't have to point to the image floating at eyelevel.
I just stared blankly, one thought after another running through my mind. Like what force could take out some of the best people of my whole army, when they were together? Who to chose? "Come now, Love..." I growled in the back of my throat, something I only did when I was seriously pissed off. "You can always save them all.. Join Me.." He offered his hand. "Together, we can save them from the Black King... We could rule the world together, bring your people peace.. Mine sancturary..."
I looked over my shoulder, so far Mandies and Kai were holding their own. I looked at the door, if I used all my magic, at least the little i have left, I probably could get them out. But that left my friends... I snarled, tossing my head to the side, knowing my rainbow colored locks covered my face. I stared holes into the ground. I didn't know what to do, and every second I didn't make a desision lowered the chances of surival for anyone.
"Come Love... between us we can save them all..." Justin's voice barely made it past my anger.
"Alright." I looked up at him, I could feel my heart, almost litterally, sink into my belly. "Alright... I have no choice..."
Justin's lips pressed into a thin line, he turned and slammed his staff againest the door. As the dust cleared, I saw the children stummbling out, Teddy right on their heels. Sean and Eva were forcing some more of those lizard creatures out into the light. I turned to look at Mandies. Kai was down to her knees, a lizard's mouth aruond her neck. I sent a bolt of lighting out at him.
"Get the kids out of here!" I screamed over the noise at Sean. I knew he could get Eva to go, drag her if he had too. Mandies too. I looked over at Justin. "The Others." I motioned to the image. Then it clicked, the bomb was on two seconds. "JUSTIN THE OTHERS!"
He just smirked. I knew I only had enough power to teleport the rest out of here, not enough to save Jewls and them. I closed my eyes and made my choice, teleporting teh kids a safe distance away. I fell to my knees, black tugging on the edge of my vision. I had over extended myself.
"Damn.." I whispered, looking up into the sky, it was dark, stars twinkled over head. "DAMN" I slammed my fists into the ground, head lowering. The explosion rocked even our spot, miles away. My eyes flickered to the horizian. I pressed my lips together, willing myself not to cry, even though the tears were already sliding down my face.
"Damn..." I whispered, getting to my feet. Usagi... Jewls... guys.... "DAMNIT" I slammed my fist againest my thigh. The children we had saved, scrambled back away from me. Even Teddy stepped back. I looked over at Mandies, Sean and Eva. I licked my lips slowly, making more of those damned desisions. "I'm going to send you to the outpost. When you get there, Stay there, no coming after me. I will come back to you."
"Are you nuts?!" Eva was on her feet, moving toward me at a rapid rate. "You can't go back there!"
"Eva.." I smiled and shook my head. I knew I looked like a maniac, knowing the odds she's going to face n going n doing it anyway... I sighed. "Take this.." I grabbed the sword strapped to my back and handed it to her, the old prophet resting inside grumbled. "If I do not come back, your the next Iris, Eva." I reached over and pressed the hilt into her hand.
"Cj..." Sean stood and moved over to us. "You got to be nuts, going off by yourself." He shook his head and motioned. "You can't possibly transport us the way you are now, your wavering on your feet."
"Let me worry about it.." I motioned to him. "Please... don't do what my heart did.. Protect her by being by herside.." I closed my eyes and Willed them home. I didn't open my eyes after that.
Chapter 15
(Picken up aint' it? lol, now it's Bsb (backstreetboys) first album (mostly as long as you love me LOL LOL)
I was floating? I cracked open my eyes. "bright, to bright.." I whispered to myself. It was the morning after, and I hurt everywhere. It didn't help I had fallen in my current postion. "Owwie..." I sat up slowly, to look into the face of the man I had been missing for the last 3 months since this whole thing had started. I just sat there, fish outta water kind of look on my face.
"What?" His eyes were brown, the deep brown pools I had grown to love. His hair was longer then I had ever seen it, down to his shoulders. It was almost red in the morning light. Same light build, same almost six feet frame. I just stared at him.
His finger tapped my nose, starting me out of my daze. "You look like you've seen a ghost." He smiled, just a ghost of a smile really. My jaw unhinged again. "Will you stop that?" He chuckled, that soft rummble. I just about died right there. Happily so.
"I.. Just can't beleive it's you..." My reactions caught up with me and I flung myself into his arms. Buried my head in his shoulder, and cried the pent up tears of being alone.
"Shush..." His fingers combed through my locks with gentle pulls. "It's alright... I'm here... I won't leave you again..." I took a deep breath, there was something wrong with the smell. It was leather, something musky...
"Musky..." I whispered, opening my eyes and looking up at him.
"hmm?" His voice sounded odd too, just a hair deeper, not his usual tenor.
"Your not..." I jumpped back, eyes narrowing into slits. "How Dare you Impersonate him!" I reached for my sword.... Oh yeah, gave it to Eva.... Shit!
"Now, that is no way to talk to your lover." He stood up slowly, but something was wrong with his stance, it was kind of off, leaning to one side. His voice was hallow, echoy almost. "Oh come now.. you really think he woudl come back to you that easily?" The new voice was Justins. I growled. "You promised yourself to me.."
"YOU Didn't save them!" I motioned a hand over the grassy plain. I noticed, dully, the flowers were starting to bloom.
"Ah, but who says I didn't?" Justin motioned, and pulled a baby out of his jacket. "Look familar?"
White blond hair poked out of the bundle. "Usagi..." I whispered, stepping closer, only to have Justin whisk the baby out of my hands.
"Ah ah ah... Now.. who did you think I was? Hmm?" Justin's fingers played on the little girls hair.
An Illusion spell, only I keyed it to memories, he had no idea who... Now I smiled. "Someone important, who would never, Ever play with my daughter." I motioned, only tp find my powers even lower then before. "Shit.." I mummbled, fumbling for a weapon, anything, to protect my daughter.
"Oh, you won't find anything..." Justin sat down carefully, stillplaying with Usagi's hair. "I made sure of it.."
"Yeah! Well Buster, you forgot one important Key Factor.." I looked up, just about giving myself whiplash, that voice was... Jewls!!! I broke out into a grin, there she was, with a big stick, looking horribly torn up, but alive. "Me"
"Jewls!" I cried, stummbling to my feet, if she was alive... Yep! There was Scott, one pant leg gone, shirt ripped to shreds. Robert... Mike... Everyone!. I grinned widely, suddenly feeling much better. "Give me my Daughter." I advanced on Justin, Jewls coming up from behind and knocking his knees out form under him.
"YES!" I scooped Usagi up out of his hands, craddling her close. I slammed a foot onto Justin's chest, forcing him back onto the earth. "Look Little Man. My heart is my protecter, NOT YOU. So bite hell." I rammed my foot into his throat, choking him slowly.
"Ummm Joy?" Robert rested a hand on my arm, I shfited only slightly. "I don't think you should kill him.. I mean..."
"Bite me Robert... He hurt those little kids, Remember? He left them Alone! Without anyone to say it would be alright! Sticking needles into their skin! What if it had been your sisters?" My words stung, I knew it, only this guy had hurt little children! I had felt their pain, and this creep was going down.
"Yeah.. but there are better ways.." Josh chimmed up from the back. I left my foot off, leaving Justin coughing for breath. "That's a girl..."
I spit down on Justin. "Your cursed. Everytime you touch a child you will feel the pain you caused them. Every breath you take will remind you of the lonelyenss, of the pain." I turned and stalked away, I wasn't satsified, but it would do. His Screams already were echoing out againest the empty buildings and grassy knolls.
"Lets go home..." Jewls leaned on my shoulder, about five mintues later. I was craddling Usagi chose, healing the wounds, trying to heal whatever emotional damage he had caused. "Come on... The Rides on us.."
Chapter 16
"Yeah, so we followed the red dudes out." Robert, his arm around Heidi, was resting on the couch. We had baths, new clothes, food and sleep. It had made me in a much better mood. "Then, we had to fight some werid looken Lizards."
"We faught those too..." Sean chimed up, sending giggles through the girl parts of the gathering.
"Yeah..." Scott, leaned his head on Jewls' shoulder, ruffling Damons hair lightly. I made a silent note to threaten both of them, that if they wanted to live, they would make what they have work, cuz no more hurting for either of them. "Uh oh.. She has that look on her face.."
"Give it a Rest Matchmaker." Jewls grined at me. I tried to look innocent behind my desk.
"I'm not a matchmaker.." I waved a hand. "Nope, not me..." I pouted slightly, only people missing were Karlacakes and Him. I smiled to myself, soon enough...
"OH no... We're in trouble.... Quick Danny! Hide!" Mike grinned over at Danny from over Mandies head. She was snuggled safely in his lap.
"Will you give it a rest!" I threw a pillow at Mike. Of course, my aim was slightly off and it hit ken and his daughter. "Oppsy.. Sorry!" I dived under my desk as a volley of pillows from chairs and couches sailed after me. "I"M SORRY!!!"
Laughter erupted and chaose insued intoa pillow fight, which lead to who could get Cj to drown first in the pool... Who could push her in first....
I stretched out on the pool deck, everyone else had pretty much gone to bed, Usagi was crawling around near me, and I had Jana, (the raven), keeping her eye on the baby. Teddy, Annabelle, Rachel and Kelsi were sleeping in lawnchairs. I crinkled my nose, getting to my feet and sliding back into the cool water of the pool. Really it was an undergound lake, we had reformed into a pool.
I was in my uniform, pleated black skirt, gray unitard (pretty much a swimsuit for you males). My black sweater was on the chair near the baby. The skirt really was too, I was just in my own creation of a swim suit. I smiled under water. Letting the water caress some of the stress away. Soft music played on the deck, jazz it sounded like. I surfaced, taking in a deep breath.
The Clapping was barely heard over the music. Not loud enough to wake the children. "Whos there?" I swam to the shallow end and then up and out. I looked around the deck, no one was there. "What the?" I leaned down and caressed Usagi's head. "Well Buns? did you start clapping? Hmm?" I smiled at her cute chubby face. I rested my fingers on her cheek. My amber eyes, no longer the muddy hazel they had been in my youth, echoed in her own eyes. "Ah Bunny.." I kissed her head, sending happy coos from her small form.
"Touching" I turned to the voice, everyone had gone to bed? Luke stood there, wings wrapped around his shoulders. Dressed all in black, looken like the archangel hismelf. I shivered something was very wrong, can't I have one night of peace?
I wrapped my arms tighter around Usagi. I scowled at him. "Is there a perticular need for you scaring me out of my mind tonight Luke? Or is this just a speical occasion.."
"Your out of Line, Joy." Luke motioned a hand, the little light in the cavern reflecting of metal. I set Usagi down on the nearest lawnchair. Even his darkside wouldn't harm the children. "Who gave you the right to judge people?"
"I did." I crossed my arms lightly around my waist. I was unarmed, half naked, and cold. My children were sleeping near by and blood shed was starting to look imposible to dodge. "Who gave you the right to come after me in the night with a bare sword?"
"What you did to Justin..." He pointed the sword at me, dark bangs falling into his light graygreen eyes. "It was just wrong." I shifted only slightly on my feet. I couldn't hear anything but the sleeping shuffle of the Outpost, I doubted anyone was going to come to my rescue.
"He harmed children, I merely gave it back to him. You would of destroyed him. His special spark, when he still had a part to play..." I absently leaned down slightly, shifting Usagi back onto the lawnchair were she had started to crawl off. My eyes never leaving his.
I moved swiftly, the sword stroke almost to fast to see as it moved for my throat. Luke never had gotten a good control of his darkside. I shifted on the balls of my feet, sending a kick for his lower midriff. He blocked, of course, almost grabbing my ankle for the trouble. I glanced to the children. Usagi was watching with wide amber eyes. The others were still sleeping.
"Shit..." I muttered and danced out of his range again. This wasn't going to last every long at this rate. Another sword came out of no where, catching Lukes in a parry. I blinked in surprise, the new sword was a black metal. THe figure's back was to me and I couldn't tell who was the person.
"I told you not to harm her." The voice was familar, light, with a hint of seriousness. I watched the figures muscles shift under the plain black clothes. I shivered, stepping back againest the wall. Somehow, I think Luke had forgotten about me.
"She must be stopped." Luke's wings helped him hover out of the way of a downswing. His sword came down in an arch, slicing air, the figure was already gone. "Why do you still defend her?"
"That is none of your concern, you and Justin both were to watch, not act." His sword snaked up Luke's in a desperation move, sliding it out of his hand. He stood over Luke, sword moving in closer.
"Rook..." I whispered eyes widening. The figures head turned to face me, just as a dagger plunged up and in. I screamed, closing my eyes, oh please say that wasn't James.. Please please please... My scream woke up Rachel and the kids. Rachel's lithe frame moved quickly, grabbing Luke's arm and teleporting him out. I pulled myself together and moved to the bleeding figure.
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