The Island

	~New Crap~
~Laying the Track~	~Dreams in the Dark~	~Friendly Foe~
~Allies Gather~	~Gathering Dark~	~Advice from the Dammned~
~Distraction~	~Many Gifts Many Partings~	~Lessons in Rhyme~
~On Silver wings . . .~	~A New Power Rises~	~What If . . .
~Lesson Learned~	~Play Time~	~First Time~
~Chance Encounter~	~The Elf Knows~	~Powers Grow~
~ . . .And Dolphin Fins~	~Open up~	~WarRoom~
~Departure~	~Lies~

j o J 1 j o J

She’s not going to like this.
She doesn’t have to like it, she just has to accept it as her fate.
Legna, can’t Satana handle this one on her own?
Bob you know that, it didn’t end with Sana the chain can survive without its strongest link. And the chain of evil is building its strengths up to face the greatest threat they have ever faced.
The spell we cast went awry.
Time we’ll change
Yet another time
It is Our will
It is our Wish
That memories awaken
Secrets are stirred
The truth revealed
A Paradox of strength
Unlikely agent of good
Powers will now do what they should
not a child’s game
Today is not another day
For the daughter of flame
I never win first place
I don’t support the team
I can’t take direction
And my socks are never clean
Teachers dated me
My parents hated me
I was always in a fight
Cause I can’t do nothing right
Pyra pulls off the head phones.
“Okay, that was good we just have to lay the drum parts and we’re done.”JC says as he starts to label the day’s recording titled "Don’t let me get me”
“Cool.”Pyra says adjusting her black tank top with a red skull and cross bones on the front as she puts her bass in its case with her other hand. “I’ll do the drums after lunch, I’m starving. JC looks at Pyra’s stick thin figure and shakes his head, more active then most guys he knows she eats twice as much as most of them.
“One day you’ll be really fat.” JC says.
“Then it will just be proof I’m somewhere were they cook really good food. You shouldn’t be taking, you’re almost as thin as I am.”
“No way.” Pyra looks at JC who is close to her weight but is more muscle then she is.
“Whatever, all I know is that there’s a pizza in the fridge calling my name. Maybe I can find you a carrot.”Pyra says.
“Ha Ha.” They go up the stairs into the kitchen, and Pyra pulls out plates and Josh puts the pizza in the oven to warm.
They are halfway through their meal when the door bell rings. Neither one is willing to leave their meal, until JC finally gets up and goes to answer the door. At the door Pyra’s boyfriend Adam is standing.
“Sorry I forgot my key.” JC nods as Adam walks in and closes the door behind him.
“Pizza?”Pyra says holding up the last slice. Adam shakes his head and takes a seat on the couch and Lucky pounces on it. “Cat!”
“What? He didn’t want it,” Lucky says swallowing. “Anchovies please.” Pyra ignores him and he rubs against her. “Please?” She waves her hand and the talking cat is delighted. “Thanks!”
“Okay, okay let’s go.” The three of them go down the stairs leaving Lucky to his pizza and Adam sits on a couch behind JC. Pyra walks into the booth and picks up the drum sticks and takes a seat behind the drum set. JC starts the play back.
Its bad when you annoy yourself
So irritating
Don’t want to be my friend no more
The chorus starts and Pyra starts beating on the drums. JC is surprised when Pyra misses a few beats. She picks up again and almost instantly messes up. When she tries to start again she actually drops on of the drum sticks. JC stops playback, and turns on the microphone.
“Are you okay?” Pyra shakes her head as she stands and knocks over her stool in the process. She walks out of the booth into Adam’s waiting arms.
“What’s wrong?” He asks.
“I have this sharp shooting pain in my head. I think I’m going to lie ow!” Pyra says holding her head. Adam walks her back to her room as JC turns everything off and then follows. When he reaches her room she’s in a fetal position holding her head as Adam stands besides the bed not sure what to do. Pyra suddenly stops and opens hers eyes which were sealed tight, she sits up and looks at the two guys.
“And I thought cramps were bad.” Pyra is about to get off the bed when the pain starts again ten times more intense, she has to wonder if she’s having a stroke the pain in her head is so bad. Along with the pain she gets flashes of pictures that make more and more sense as the pain intensifies, when she feels like she is going to pass out, she can identify the images as memories that were buried deep in her subconscious. The pain becomes almost an afterthought as she starts to understand all the scene’s playing themselves out. When everything stops she is covered in sweat. Pyra is thinking about what all these strange thoughts mean when she is overcome by sense of exhaustion. “I’m fine, I just need some rest.” Adam sits on the bed besides Pyra and she is asleep moments later.
Pyra’s dream replays a set of events lost to Pyra for a long time. Starting with an weekend ski trip when she first encountered Sana because of that red headed retard’s lust, to her trip to England where she defeats Sana with the aid of the Phoenix. Pyra’s dream then goes to show her a group of scenes that don’t make any sense.
A group of women are standing in a clearing of some woods. They are dancing under a new moon as the place where the moon should be starts to be filled in with a dark red liquid, like person pouring juice into a bowl. A black mist rises out of the ground as the stars in the sky get snuffed out as the red in the moon escapes it to stain the sky. When she looks at the sky again their is an eclipse and the sky is completely blood red. Pyra finally realizes that the girls are dancing around her and she’s tied to a stake with kindling all around her. A bolt of black lighting strikes the kindling and black flames start burning her. She looks up pleading with the sky and it starts to rain blood that fuels the fire like oil.
The women become more lively as they dance in the blood and cheer about the onset of Pyra’s death. Pyra wakes with a start when the fire starts to burn her.
“Will this never end?” Pyra mutters. She stretches and for the first time notices that Adam is lying down beside her with his arm around her waist.
“What did you say?”
“You’re awake?” Pyra says turning to him.
“Yeah I was worried about you, how’s your head?”
“Fine, have I been sleeping long?”
“A couple of hours.” Adam replies.
“That’s all it feels like longer.”
“Maybe if your room wasn’t a tomb.”
“It’s not a tomb, its just solar challenged.” Pyra says as a bright streak of light enters her room from out of nowhere. Before she can say anything the light forms a woman. Pale as snow with jet black hair and eyes so dark they look black, dressed in all black Pyra still wonders if she wasn’t a model for Mortica. Pyra and Adam both shift to a seated position as Satana becomes whole.“Would it be too much if I asked that you game me some kind of warning before the skull splitting headache?”
You are growing stronger, that same spell would take its toll on you for days.
“What the hell is going on?!” Adam exclaims.
“My ears! Adam this is Satana, despite her appearance she’s a good guy.”
I have come to tell you of another battle you must face in the coming days.
“And if I said I was busy?” Pyra asks.
A coven has been formed. They are on An island off the coast of Greece.
“So what does that matter, Charmed has made covens mainstream.”
This coven’s leader has found the dark scrolls. The last know witch to possess those scrolls was Sana.
An involuntary shiver runs up Pyra’s spine. I see you remember her. You must also remember that you are the last hope, Put on this earth by the strongest forces of good, mankind has ever had the glory of knowing. For as long as you live, the scales are tipped in goodness favor. That witch has taken upon herself to become the next Sana. Her first step in ascending the ladder Is to kill you. She believes that she will then be able to absorb your power and be well on her way as a ruler of evil.
“Why oh why can’t your bosses handle this?” Pyra asks.
You know as do I they do not meddle in the affairs of earth personally they only can guide and instruct and at times that my be limited.
“And why is that?" Adam asks.
They relinquished many rights when they ascended and many more in creating the last hope.
“So I’m going to Greece?”
A coven is needed to face a coven. Alone at this stage in your development you have no hope of surviving.
“Oh, thanks, what do you mean at this level?”
Your powers can do a lot more then you allow. You keep them from being what they could be.
“Are there any Greek gods? I so don’t want to meet them.”
No, the Gods of old are no more though their memory and gifts survive both the good and the bad. Why? Do you fear them?
“Dude they were all powerful monsters and Zeus was no more than an immortal rapist."
Don’t ever tarnish the name of those you did not know. Zeus was a great god but not even a god has the power to hold every lying tongue.
“Okay, okay sorry. So where exactly am I supposed to find this coven of mine?”
Isn’t it plain to see? They are all right before your eyes. All unnaturally gifted, some by you. Some by their own celestial misadventures.
“Okay, so that’s Barbie, Nausi and Mystic?”
And the ones you call; Joshua, Shane, Shannon, Orlando, and Jeffery.
"Jeffery? Dude Jeff; Ana; never Jeffrey.”
As you will, they will be gathered in your living room. Do be quick and do not submit to the wiles of your lover.
“Dude!”
His mind is clearer then the windows you hide. Its quite simple to perceive.
“Oh, just stay out and no perceiving will be done.” Satana doesn’t respond as she vanishes to gather everyone. Pyra lays her head back on her pillow and Adam hovers over her.
“And what was that?” Adam asks.
“Large amounts of crap, dude I didn’t ask to be this.” Yes you did. Pyra hears the voice and curses. Adam stands and pulls back on his shirt and pants.
“And what were you planning?”
“I wanted to be comfortable.”
“Sure sure Barbie, let’s go.” Pyra stands pulling her pant legs back down and starts to walk out of her room.
“Can I come?” A tiny voice asks.
“I need to buy more red things you blend too well, come on,” Pyra says kneeling to pick up the cat.
They walk downstairs and the Josh is in the kitchen drinking some soda. Josh looks at Pyra funny when a rain of shimmering red glitter starts in the living room.
“Its not me, I swear,” Pyra says as everyone appears. No one looks confused or caught off guard so Pyra figures some explanation was made. Pyra looks at everyone and is surprised to see Shannon a little sad. She hadn’t talked to him for a couple of weeks and hadn’t seen him for much longer.
“Shannon you okay?”
“Yeah I’m fine,” Pyra turns to Jeff expecting him to know what’s wrong and he’s staring daggers at her. She sticks her tongue out at him.
Once Pyra is done with her childish, games we shall begin.
“Don’t let me stop you,” Pyra mutters annoyed.
A coven has formed . . .
“And will all of us go to Greece?” The door opens and everyone falls silent. Wade walks in with the mail his cell phone cradled to his ear. “I’ll call you later Britney, just practice and you’ll be fine.”
“Hey Wade, just tell her she couldn’t do the hokey pokey.”
“Lucky please anyone can learn to dance. Even her, eventually. What’s going on?”
Pyra has a task to perform for the sake of mankind and those assembled excluding yourself and the feline shall accompany her.
“Um Yeah," Wade says.
You also have a task to perform and for your own sake and you shall remain in contact with them all.
“Me but I’m 100% normal. Nothing off nothing even a little bit odd.”
All you need are eyes. Once they arrive on the isle I will not be able to see them but you will you will be our link. Satana makes a Grecian bowl appear. The designs on the side can all be linked to a god but Pyra is more drawn by the main picture. She leans in to get a closer look, it’s a thunder bold shattering a trident that is stuck in a pile of skulls.
It says love, knowlAdam, war, revenge, and power, combine to see to the truth in mortal eyes in the darkest hour.
Inside the bowl is a beautiful depiction of the sun with the rays crawling up the inside of the bowl. Satana fills it up with water and an image forms of a woman with short spiky black hair and naturally bronzed skin that reminds Pyra somewhat of Krystal Harris. She looks at her and figure that this is the new ‘big bad' Malsin’s skin pricks and she looks around and lets the feeling pass. She smiles, here she was on a mystical island in the middle of the Mediterranean with the real Mount Olympus with a coven of her very own.
Shari, Anika, Gabriel, Lola, and Constance all shown to her by the magical scrolls. She, Malsin was to be a great coven leader. She would destroy this Pyra girl to get the ultimate power. she walked into the temple where she had found the scrolls. Like any other temple you could find in Greece except for two major things. it was for 12 major gods and it hadn't been touched by time. the pillars were the same prestine white, the floor still shining marble with inlay gold. the statues were everywhere and the walls told what Malsin like to call the lost myth. what had happened to the greek gods.
Malsin hadn't been very good at learning mythology but she was pretty sure the stories just stopped. Weren't the Greeks the only people without an end of the world? Well here it was. The end of the gods at least. Malsin takes a seat below the statue of, Aphroditite. Love, Malsin could have laughed. It was a good thing that the godess had ceased to exist. Malsin's mind drifted to what had lead her here. sometimes she felt that her entire life had driven her here. She killed her mother in childbirth. Daddy had never let her forget it, the drunk bastard, that or the fact that she wasn't a boy. In the early years back when he had actually made a living she had worked like a slave on his ship. She had been a tomboy, she still refused to grow her hair long and she was still quite muscular. And no man she knew could master the islands like she could, she could read the sea like a book.
That's why she could never understand how that storm had caught her off guard like it did. She had steered to the nearest island and ran for cover. What she found was unimaginable power, just sitting there waiting for her. She had fallen asleep in the temple. The next morning, she woke up wondering how she was going to explain this to her boss at the resturant. Then she had looked around her resting place. She still didn't understand howw it had not been touched by time. The statue of Ares still had fresh blood on it, like someone had smeared it on moments before she woke up.
She had walked around. Each god had various statues of themselves strewn carelessly around and 12 main statues standing in a circle. Each with a hand reaching for the table that once held all 12 scrolls. She could identify a few and not laa the statues were facing the scrolls. Two were turned away in anger arms crossed ready to walk. The woman held a spear in her hand and had an owl perched on her shoulder and the male held an archers bow and on the quiver was carved the scales of justice. She had a vague notion of the woman being Artemis or Athena as for the male she was sure he wasn't cupid who was depicted as a cherub in his mothers arms but she had no idea where to begin.
She had picked up a scroll and it spoke to her. Not literally but words appeared on the parchement and she did the best thing she posible could have she read them aloud.
Scroll of power in your hand
Darkness shall rise
As we know it can
A new queen of dark
Magic and Coven to command
As she rips it from goodness hand
Almighty her power
As we reach the crucial hour
The blood
The double Adamd sword of power
Bring to her the witches this hour
Unleash their dark power
Ice in their veins
Stone for their hearts
On the main land it starts
The scroll had transported her to one of the seeider sections of the capital. She looked at the scroll and the outline of a beautiful woman was drawn. She had watched the drawing entranced and had almost missed the woman. She emerged from a hovel a sack heavy on her back, her face was smeared and dirty. She had on a horrid black wig and enough eye makeup on to make Cleopatra envious. Malsin looked at the scroll ans the next words glowed yellow as they appeared on the screen.
FOLLOW HER She did and the transformation as she walked was incredible. She lost the hunched over nervous gait of a criminal and held her head high like royalty. She discarded the black wig and showed off some dyed golden hair. Malsin waited as she walked into an abandoned building and the woman that reemerged was truly a shock to Malsin's system.
She was beautiful, the cheap unflattering makeup washed away to show her beautifully bronzed skin. She was in a short white spring dress that hugged each and every curve she had. her sandals were gold colored as was her small satchel. As this new woman walked into the slightly better area of the city and hailed a motor car, Malsin was again transported by the scroll she held.
She was in front of a beautiful and quite large house. Designed like a palace of old with white marble pillars. A replica of the Venus de Milo sat in the yard as a water fountain. The shrubs were all trimmed in the same S pattern and gave everything a picture perfect feel. She sat on the front steps and waited. The motor car pulled up and the woman stepped out. Malsin looked at the scroll and started reading the new words aloud.
Child of the gods
Zeus and Aphrodite alike
Time to learn your true power
Reveal your real might
Lost through the ages
Reborn in You
Father love
Mother ruler of them all
Your power we call now
To tear goodness' Throne down
Constance shimmered then if possible seemed to radiate an ethereal beauty. All of a sudden cloud gathered and lightning struck her and she smiled. She was Zeus' child, the new goddess of thunder and love. She was still smiling when Malsin approached her. Constance took her in and Malsin spoke, read, and Constance accepted. The appeared on the island together and Malsin caught her breath. Was she to collect more descendents of the Greek Gods? Then it hit her descendants of the Gods meant that at some point there were real Greek Gods. The Pantheon of Olympus had existed. Was she to make it all again as ruler of them all? Goddess Malsin, she could enjoy the sound of that though she might prefer the Great Almighty Goddess Malsin.
It seemed Constance was a widow of her own choosing and for fun she would clean out unsuspecting men and increase her own lavish fortune. The next girl she was lead to was Gabriel, she was a Gypsy and her power of curses so strong some of her own people feared her. All her life shunned through her travels as a Gypsy and she had a chip the size of Mount Olympus on her shoulder. She could as easily glare at you as wish you dead. Gabriel was a lot more weary than Constance, but it just took some time and then Malsin won her over also.
j o J 2 j o J
Pyra looked at everyone gathered. Satana had left promising to return before they all left for Greece.
"Um Look, seriously, I don't care what she says, you guys all know what you're in for . . . anyone who wants out."
"Sorry Pyra," Josh starts. "You just can't get rid of us. What are friends for if not saving the world with you?"
"This close to sounding like an after school special Joshie. All we're missing is a group hug."
"I will come over there and hug you," Josh warns.
"No threats please," Pyra touches the surface of the water and is bombarded with images.
Adam is lying in a pool of his own blood. Jeff is lying near him in a position that means most of his bones are broken. Shannon is howling or screaming at the sky holding a girl in his arms. She opens her eyes hoping for her visions to stop. The last thing she sees is Mystic and Nausi standing side by side ready for an assault. She didn't even want to think about what it meant that Shane, Orlando and Josh weren't there.
"Oh God," She moans. Try as she might she knows there is some truth in what she sees. Her friends were walking into eradication because of her. Hell she was going to be burned at the stake.
"What is it?" Adam asks.
"Nothing, so I'm guessing some of you people will be in need of beds? It is close to midnight."
"Could you just send us home?" Shannon asks. "Call us in the morning or something."
"Sure," She flames everyone back home and walks out to the playground area. She walks to the swings and starts walking across the top beam like its a balance beam.
David and Louis are coming back from feeding and see her. On one of her turns she loses her balance but regains it quickly. David tugs on Louis' arm but he continues to watch. Lestat who was coming back from the opera with Merrick joins the two vampires as Merrick goes into the house.
"What is so interesting?" Lestat asks.
"Can't you feel it?" Louis asks. "She's so sad."
"No but you've always been more sensitive to that sort of thing I suppose. Too bad we can't just peek into her mind.
"It's death," Louis says surprised. "It hangs over her."
"She's going to fall," David says matter of factly. As if on cue Pyra loses her footing once again and this time she does fall. Lestat and Louis both run to catch the 'weak mortal girl'. Leatat being infinitely faster catches her as David turns away from them knowing no slight fall can hurt her.
"I believe that is why they are made for sitting," Lestat says smiling.
"Thanks Quinn," Pyra says. "Hey Fabian."
"Hello Pyra, are you alright?"
Something about his tone makes Pyra know he doesn't mean the fall she sits on the middle swing and they sit on either side of her.
"Its not fair dragging other people into your problems."
"Telling us won't do that," Lestat says.
"You don't mean us do you?" Louis asks.
"No, they'll do it because they love me or at least tolerate me. Being my friend shouldn't cost them life and limb."
"Don't exaggerate you make your life sound like a nightmare."
"Why do you think whatever it it that you're going to do will cost you so very much? What could possibly do that?"
"I don't ask why you live with a Voodoo bitch or why I never see you pale folk during the day," Pyra replies.
"You have your secrets and we have ours. Fair enough, Why not tell them to leave?"
"Fabian you and Quinn are best friends right?"
"Yes."
"Would you let him walk into his death alone? Even if you being there wouldn't save him and most likely get you killed in the process."
"I wouldn't leave him, there's always a chance I could do something," Louis replies.
"And you Quinn?"
"No power on earth or elsewhere could stop me."
“Exactly I could tell them all to go to hell and they’d all show up ready to fight the good fight. I’ve seen it before and it’ll happen again. My friends really are the best kind a person could ask for.”
“No chance you could be wrong?”
“I tried that before, ignoring it swearing it isn’t happening, saying its just my imagination. It’s a warning and its about time I deal with it.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Go to sleep and pretend it was just a dream? I don’t know its been nice knowing you.”
“You sound like you’re not coming back.”
“Well Fabian I just might,” Pyra says standing and walking away with a wave.
“I don’t care what David says, she’s too sad to be a menace. And anyone all powerful like he claims wouldn’t see her death so clearly before her eyes,” Louis says.
Lestat remains silent, for a moment Pyra’s barriers had been down. Less than a few seconds he was sure but it was enough to know that she had seen her death and felt its pain. He assumed she had also seen her friends and Lestat was already positive that Talamasca knew next to nothing about Pyra’s power and her limitations. No one he had met in all his 200 years could claim to see the future as clearly as he must have seen it.
Pyra walks back into her house where Lucky and Adam were waiting. Pyra looked again Lucky was not one for silence and sure enough the cat was asleep on Adam’s lap. She lifted the cat and carried it to is bed by the den door.
“Have fun swinging?”
“How did . . .”
“Its where you always go to be by yourself.”
“I didn’t even think you noticed.”
“I did,” He says walking over to her, he stands behind her and wraps his around her waist placing his chin on her shoulder. “Did it help?”
“Not really,” he removes his hands from her waist and stands up straighter. She wasn’t going to tell him she wasn’t going. “What are you . . . woah.” Pyra says practically melting as he starts a backrub. Her knees were wobbly, with out a word he sweeps her up into his arms and carries her up to their room. He sits her on the bed and slips off her sneakers.
“Lie down please,” he says calmly as she does and he starts the back rub all over again and sometime during it she falls asleep.
Pyra returned to the property, it was in ashes. It was noon but blackness hovered around the area. The gatekeeper had plucked out his own eyes and then shot himself. The gate was rubble and no much she could see was still standing. She ran to her house and written on her door in blood was,
Now, will you face me?
She looks inside and sees where the blood came from, Wade was gone and Pyra could hear a baby crying, she looked behind the remnants of the sofa and saw that it was Lucky. His legs were mulch, his tail was gone and she wasn’t even sure why he was still alive. He looked up at her let out one last gasping breath and died. She stood and turned then and her heart hit the floor.
Adam was hanging on the wall ran through by some sort of spear and burnt like he was struck by lighting. She went up the stairs, just one more person to find. She opened the door to his room and saw him lying on the bed, eyes wide, jaw slack and blood pooling from his ears. It didn’t take more than that, Josh might still be alive but he was gone. She sank to the floor, knowing it was all her fault. That was when the house decided to fall in on itself. She woke with a start Adam was standing getting undressed. Going back to sleep wasn’t an option for her.
She looked at Adam who was climbing into bed with her, he kissed her cheek, that wouldn’t do. She kissed him and he took the hint. Pyra didn’t want to go to sleep until exhaustion meant no dreams. She thought about it as he settled down and smiled in the darkness settling to sleep. ‘Vampire” it was like a sudden scream through her head.
She did it focusing on making sure she didn’t just want blood. Maybe she did it a little to well cause soon she was the one complaining that she was tired. He relented a while later and she really did fall into a dreamless sleep for about an hour then it was morning. She went downstairs glad she didn’t wake Adam. In the den Josh had fallen asleep in front of the monitor. She moves around the mouse and the Star Wars screen saver vanished. He had done exactly what she was planning. He had gotten them a hotel. Some place in Athens, the more she scrolled the more she liked the place. It had recently taken on a more Mythological theme. She stops reading and lightly shakes him.
“Joshie wake up.”
“Morning,” He says rubbing his eyes, “it is morning right?” Pyra nods and rubs his hair.
“Why are you down here?”
“Do you have any idea how loud you guys were?”
If Pyra was lighter she’d be blushing. “Um, no.”
“Very loud, so since I couldn’t sleep I decided to do something.”
“Yeah I saw, so you made reservations?”
“Yeah I got rooms for everyone.”
“Come on I’ll make you whatever you want.”
They walk into the kitchen and Adam is starring into the fridge. He opens the freezer and stares into it for a while also, something entices him but then he shakes his head and closes the freezer also. He’s going through the cabinets when Pyra speaks up.
“Looking for something?”
“I’m hungry but I don’t know what I want.”Pyra pops a cup into his hand full of a thick dark red steaming liquid.. He takes a sniff of it and smiles. He drinks it down it one sip. “Got anymore? Its great.”Pyra smiles and refills the cup. Around his third cup he slows down. After five he puts the mug down. “What was that? It was really good.”
“Um, blood you’re currently a vampire.”
“Oh. Wait can I go outside?”
“Yes, the sun is your friend.”
“Uh huh,” He says staring at her. He walks to the other side of the counter where Pyra and Josh are standing. He gives Pyra such a passionate kiss that Josh is blushing.
“Um, innocent bystander here,” Josh says as Pyra reluctantly pulls away.
“Be good.
“Always,” Adam says.
“So shower and all that good stuff?” Pyra says to Josh.
“Than breakfast? Ok.” The three of them start going up stairs.
“And where are you going?” Pyra asks Adam.
“To take a shower,” He says innocently.
“Ha Ha Ha no.” Pyra says pointing to the couch, “Your new home.”
“Okay,”he says and goes back downstairs. A minute after Pyra goes into her room he follows. Much later the couple enters the kitchen with dripping hair and see Josh and Wade eating cereal and talking.
“I got tired of waiting and I figured you were otherwise engaged.”
“Having sex,” Lucky says jumping on the counter.
“Good morning to you too kitty dear,” Pyra says patting his head, “Haven’t I ever told you about tact?”
“No what’s that,” Lucky asks.
“Oh never mind,” Pyra mutters opening the cabinets and taking out a plate and some gourmet cat food. It was the only kind she could get Lucky to eat, since she knew that despite his talking abilities people food was bad for him she slipped him as much cat food as possible. Lucky happily digs into his meal right there on the counter.
“Is that sanitary? You don’t know where that cat’s been,” Wade says.
“I’m a lot cleaner than you. How many times a day do you clean up?” Lucky sniffs him. “Not enough.”
“Someone needs to teach you manners.”
“Whatever loser,” Lucky says going back to his food.
“I have to be left alone with that?”
”Lucky apologize,” Josh says.
“Sorry,” he mumbles mouth full of chicken. “But I’m still cleaner.”
“Lucky,” Josh says sternly, the parent in him coming out.
“Okay, I’m sorry I called you dirty.”
“Its okay,” Wade says as Josh pets the cat.
“See was that so hard?”
“Can I have some milk,” Lucky says looking at Josh’s cereal bowl.
“Okay,” Josh looks up as he walks to the fridge and sees that Adam has Pyra pinned to the couch. “Dude! Let her breath!” Adam looks over at him and smiles and Pyra uses the distraction to flame into the kitchen. Her boyfriend was insatiable and for some reason when they were in close quarters it took a lot of work to say no. She takes a bowl and pours herself some cereal.
“Don’t you dare come between me and my Lucky charms,” Pyra warns and Adam turns on the tv and starts flipping through channels, but he keeps casting glances at her.
Josh leans closer and whispers to Pyra, “Is it just me or is he even more friendly than usual?”
“Its not just you I may have over done it.”
“Over done what?”
“I can hear you two you know.” Pyra waves her hand and Adam was human again.
“Okay I have to tone it down.”
“Ya think?”
“Hmm . . . My vampire Barbie walks in day
No stake through the heart to take him away
A cross can repel him anyway
A wolf, a bat, a foggy mist he’ll be
Strength and power
Speed and Flight
Jumping easily from any height
The blood he takes everyday
Stronger and stronger that way
A warning from man to beast
Any evil power his hands can’t meet
Love in the heart is only right
But don’t let it keep us up all night
Josh snickers at the last line as Adam shimmers but remains human until Pyra waves her hands again. He looks at her smiles then goes back to the TV. Wade watches it all silently, mostly forgotten by his roommates or so he thinks.
“Wade, silence is golden and I like silver, speak.”
“Huh?”
“Do you have issues being bowl man?”
“No just try to remember I’m watching.”
“Eww, Stalker much?”
”No way, how about you give me some kind of warning?”
Pyra thinks about it and makes a ‘b'and a ‘w'in sign language. “Short for bye Wade I can’t believe I remember ‘w'“
“But, how will I know when to come back?”
“Hmm, good question, remind me to ask Satana if she ever shows up again.”
A shimmering flow of red glitter starts in the living room again, some on the furniture some behind. The luggage appears first then the people all sitting comfortably except for Jeff who had the bad luck of landing on Adam.
“Get off me!” Jeff jumps up looking annoyed. Satana is the last to arrive in the same speeding burst of light as before.
Pyra hasn’t opened her mouth when a remote appears in her hand. She looks at it and turns it around, on the back is the same symbol of a trident cast in skulls being hit by a thunderbolt. She wonders what it really means. She looks at the side with the buttons and shrugs. As she looks they swirl and change to current equivalents mute, channel (though there are letters instead of numbers all in two letter sets i.e. ‘MM' or ‘JC' the one button she doesn’t understand is the rating one. She hands it to Wade and he looks at it.
“What’s the rating button?”
It is the same as your movie system. If you were to be on the Mystic channel and switch to the Pyra channel and see an intimate moment you may be discouraged from looking again. So pressing the rating button will block out the entire scene with a rating from G to NC-17.
“Oh thanks,” Wade walks over to the coffee table and he sees himself hunched over the bowl from behind. He switches to the JC channel and gets a slightly different view of the same thing.
“What the? I don’t get it,” Wade says looking at Satana.
“What? It didn’t even show anything,” Mystic says.
When you press the buttons you look through their eyes so you see what they see and hear what they hear.
“Oh ok and the red button?”
Danger it will alert me and I will do whatever I can to help. You all should know those you will be facing in the coming days all have lived lives that lead them to Malsin. Anika is Malsin’s right hand, she can tear an unsuspecting mind to shreds. Her life has been harsh but do not pity her. She lived what you may call a Cinderella life. Place in place of a wicked step mother an aunt a uncle with a thirst for power, who gladly took Anika on knowing well what kind of wealth her parents left behind. Her prince came in the form of a young man her father had supported and sent to study law in America. When he learned what had happened he found Anika and told her the truth about the fortune her guardians squandered. In the weeks to come he helped her regain her legacy as a transformation occurred in her and her guardians.
Her uncle was found the day of the final decision hanging in his bathroom. Her aunt went mad and was placed y Anika’s own hand in an asylum. The testament to her buried power was seen from this. Anika visited her aunt once and only once when it was decided she was recovering well and may soon be allowed to reenter society. The women ran screaming from the visitation room clawed out her very own eyes. She lives out the rest of her days blind to the world.
“Eww!" Mystic exclaims.
Pyra I sense confusion within you what is it?
“She gouged out her own eyes? That’s it?”
“That’s it?!” Nausi exclaims, “What the hell else do you need?”
If you must know she was found throwing herself against a gated window trying to jump to her death. Why do you ask?
“Um do you know every power I have?”
The powers of light
The powers of good
The flame that burns on high
The marker that transcends space and time
The touch of shadow that can banish all light
Or give it greater might

“Um I was thinking more of a list, you know heat vision, flaming, blah, blah, blah.”
Your powers are innumerable.
The one that brings voice in the night
Traverse the land without sight
Where age defeats the normal passage of time.
“So can I say, see the future?”
You know the answer try me not. But, remember the is not certain it is judged by moments that define time. A change in path can bring about a more deadly time. The future is not meant to be avoided or diverted it is meant to be confronted.
“Fine, fine, is there a fire that can burn me?”
The dark flame fueled on the blood can conquer the light one
Not true fire
A sleep only a death can escape.
“By any chance you wouldn’t happen to know when this is going to happen?”
When the moon is conquered by blood
When the sin loses evil to the broken one
When purity brings death
In a change too late to save
The horror
The pain
The double Adamd sword of blood
In this the hope will lie
As the pyre rises high
Set her free
Let her fly
And lost to the world
She shall reclaim
Phoenix power
Will make it all fine
Unless she chooses to reside
In the light turned black
All the danger if she turns back
Heavenly joy if she chooses to stay
Angel eyes will haunt her
Knowing both ways
“In other words this is going to happen?”
It is prophecy written before ascension in the time of gods best left unmentioned. Pyra fear not what the future holds remember your fate is all your own.
Pyra nods never noticing that no one else actually heard this discussion. She climbs into Adam’s lap and he wraps his arms around her. She turns her full attention to Satana.
“Who else is there?” Shannon asks.
“And what about Malsin?” Shane adds.
“Where did they come from in the first place?”Jeff counters.
The witches increase in number as we speak, Gabriel, Lola, Constance, Anika, Shari, and Malsin an insidious six.
Descendants luck place and time
Powers lie dormant in many of their kind.
Constance
Daughter of Zeus
And love alike
Made to catch every man’s eye
Turn her away
And she’ll happily watch you die
Gabriel
Gypsy queen
Trained in flight
Curse your life
If you don’t treat her right
Anika
Pharaoh’s decent
When gods were might
Ra was the sun
Bird of light
She’ll take your mind
And noting will ever be right
Lola
A druid
Mother Nature is her way
Life in Green
Her time will come
Shari
Power in India
Caste can’t deny
The blue eyed one
That’ll make your very eyes tell a lie
Your very ears deaf to the truth
Malsin
The leader of them all
Would Sana have been that strong
If the line in her heart
Was traced back to an Amazon
In the very start

The dark book destroyed
The scrolls of power lost
Until storm cloud
And tempest tossed
Sent her to the deciding shore
Scrolls of power lost no more
Pulled together the six
Who’ll put fire to the styx
Fail in their plan
To drive out light from the land
“Do you have to do that? All the rhyming is making me dizzy,” Pyra says.
“Dizzy?" Adam asks.
“The words go round and round and I can barely remember some parts.
“Pyra, you’re just fudging weird," Nausi says. that it?" asks
For now I have told you all I'm allowed. the final thing I can say is love and trust will tip the scales. Trust your heart before all else fails. Satana vanishes then and there are a few moments of silence.
“So when are we leaving?” Pyra says turning to Josh.
“Me? I didn’t do anything plane related. I just got the hotel.”
“Ok where exactly is this hotel?" Mystic asks.
”Its in Athens, the one you said you would like to stay at if you ever went to Greece,” Josh says as Pyra gets off Adam.
“I shall return talk amongst yourselves.”
“So, what am I getting myself into?” JC asks being the only one to have never before partaken in an adventure.
“Who knows, Pyra might just try to kill us again.”
“What?” Adam and Josh exclaim?
“Oh yeah Pyra was still with Jerky back then, heh heh,” Mystic says.
“Can she?” Wade asks.
“Not me, well and Orli is immortal.” Mystic says, “I don’t know about you guys.”
"Yeah until Pyra kills him," Nausi says annoyed and throws a pillow at her.
”What its not my fault I’m stronger than her,” Mystic says.
“Keep dreaming!” Pyra yells from the den.
”Whatever Pyra,” Mystic replies.
Pyra arranges for a flight that leaves in three hours and gets them all first class seats on a flight to Athens. It has a layover in Italy then jumps to Greece.
The seating arrangements on the plane are as follows. On one side there are two seats and on the other three. In the last row to the left are Pyra and Adam with Pyra by the window. Across the aisle from them are Mystic, Josh and an empty seat. In front of Pyra and Adam are Nausi and Orlando and across from them are Shane, Jeff and Shannon at the window. Three rows up is a sharply dressed British man the group never notices.
Pyra curls up on the large leather seat and rests her head on Adam’s shoulder and is asleep before the plane takes off.
”She’s sleeping!? Already?!” Mystic exclaims waking Pyra, who has to buckle her seat belt anyway.
“Not anymore!” No more inhuman shrieks out of you okay.” The second the seatbelt light is off Pyra goes back to sleep.
“Wow,” Mystic says finding it nearly impossible to ever sleep on a plane.
“She was up all night,” Josh says.
“Doing what?” Mystic asks.
“Try who,” he replies.
“Oh Eww! Freak Barbie!”
“Shh!” Adam hisses. “Um stewardess?” She’s there in an instant smiling shyly at Adam. “Could I get a blanket for her?”
”Sure right away,” she returns with it and hands it to him blushing when they touch hands.
“Thank you he,” he says opening it and laying it on Pyra.
”No problem anything you need don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Okay,” he says as she smiles and walks away.
“Hey there Edgy she likes you,” Mystic says and he shrugs kissing her forehead.
“Cricket,” Mystic says turning to JC who is in the middle of a yawn.
“Are you tired too?”
“Yeah those two can be very loud.”
“Don’t they sound proof?”
”Sometimes but usually no.”
“Oh Mah God Sickos! Nausi are you hearing this?”
“Dude I shared a dorm with her, I was afraid to go in there every time Noah came down. Chazie I know how it is.”
“Could we stop talking about this,” Shane says.
“Yeah it falls into the way too much information category,” Jeff adds.
Shannon and Jeff have been having their own private conversation about the ‘break’ Shannon and Crystal were having and how much it was really bothering him. The sudden silence catches a few lines.
“ . . . other people.”
“Do you?”
“Like I said before, I’m not sure I know we needed this in a way but. . . “
“I understand,” Jeff says and now notices the nosy silence. “Do you mind?”
“Its okay. You guys know how me and Crystal decided to take a break a few week ago? Well I heard that last week she agreed to go out with this guy. Now I’m not so sure anymore.”
“Aw, Shannon.”
j o J 3 j o J
Malsin is standing at the top of Mt. Olympus and realized it was the only place on the entire island that had been ravaged by some force. But if the comic strip paintings in the temple were true there was good reason for it. The end of the Gods hadn’t been pretty. There were two clearings one where a large circle of pillars stood another was a blasted hole. The scroll wanted her to go to the hole.
In the pit
That blackness claimed
You’ll find power to reemerge
More powerful not the same
It lives it survives
In blackest night
Lost in cruelest times
She climbed in using the rope Anika was holding for leverage. Anika was the only one she trusted with this. She touched bottom and shined her flashlight around and saw the half buried bottle handle. In a move that would make any archeologist cringe she yanks the crater (that’s what its called I swear) out of the dirt. Barely noticing the pictures of the strange geometric figures. It had a crack in the bottom and some stick fluid ran out on to her fingers. She popped the cork and turned it over and nothing entered her mouth. She cursed that licked her fingers and everything sharpened. She felt like she wouldn’t even need the flashlight.
“Throw the rope down,” Malsin yells.
“Did you find it?” Anika asks once she’s out of the hole.
“Just barely I have to wonder what’s next she says opening a scroll.
Food of the gods
Not enough for immortality
But enough to gain powers
That 5,000 years old
Sana did not see
Now time for the fire
No turning back
As your flesh burns
You’ll be ready for the attack
This was the part that Malsin feared. She had to build a funeral pyre. Lola and Gabriel were gathering the necessary supplies worldwide with a scroll each to aid them. Shari had morphed into a giant and had pulled out two olive trees and was stripping the branches as she sat.
The spell would be read by all the girls as Malsin started to burn, which would not only infuse her with dark power but also some of theirs. Malsin hadn’t let them know that. Gabriel appeared once they reached the bottom of the mountain. She had a sack on her back and they marched over to Shari. Lola appeared as Constance and Malsin rubbed the branches down with the first set of herbs.
After the initial preparation the wood was spread out on a stone slab in direct sunlight as was specified. She spread Lola’s herbs over the logs and twigs. The smell was strong and pungent, as night falls in this fashion.
Malsin thinks about it for a while before she chooses the outfit she will spend eternity in. She chooses a white cotton short sleeved blouse and khaki capris and a pair of Constance’s white sandals. She lays on top of the pyre under the light of the last night of the full moon. Anika places the torch under her.
To this flame
A dark deed I call
The giver of light to do
Snuff out this weak mortal shell
Bring to this earth hell fire hell
Malsin spoke next coughing from the smoke here and there.
I call upon darkness most high
The very ones that made the immortals die
Darkness and war held up high
Bring to this Pyre
Magical power
Bring to this flame
The evil of Malsin’s name
The five women started chanting then
Earth Air Wind Fire
Control is her desire
Take what is hers no more
And give to her
Who death she will not know
Burn in the moonlights turn
Blood in the night
Take on the new fight
Old and yet again
The dark queen will rise again
Malsin’s final ear piercing human shriek travels straight to first class on a British Airways flight. Pyra sits up like a bolt of lighting her heart is pounding as Adam puts an arm around her.
“Your heart is pounding what is it?”
“I actually don’t know it just feels really bad.”
“You hate doing these things don’t you?” Adam asks.
“I hate dragging you all into it even more.”
“We can take care of ourselves you know,” Mystic says holding Josh’s head in her lap as he sleep the flight away.
“That’s not the point, its not fair okay,” Pyra says.
“Look here Pyra, we get sucked into this stuff no matter what. Dude the first retarded thing that happen with these folk was because of the Cow and they didn’t even want to deal with you.”
“Thanks Nausi,” Pyra says her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Well its true. Stuff even happens when you’re not around so stop sounding like you fell off a WB show or something.”
“Okay fine, I’m going to the potty now,” Pyra says stepping over Adam. She doesn’t notice him start to mist but Mystic does.
“You really are a freak Barbie.”
“I’m in love,” Adam says.
“That’s not love that’s being a whore.” He smiles as his face fades and he floats to the bathroom and under the door. Much later Adam returns first whistling innocently. “What did you do flush her?”
“No,” He says as she returns. She puts the arm rest up and goes to sleep the same way Josh is.
“Hey Edgy boy, what would you do if . . .” (we all know where this is headed). While Mystic is questioning Adam with impossible situations, Orlando and Jeff have switched seats, and Shane, Shannon, and Orlando are all asleep despite the fact that it looks like Orlando is flipping through a magazine as the eight hour flight starts to feel a little endless.
“Shan’s snoring,” Jeff says playing with the headphones around his neck.
“No I think that’s Shane,” Nausi says.
“You know he snores?"
“Whatever Jeff.” He grins at his best friend then yawns.
“Tired?”
“A little mostly bored . . . no wait . . . I don’t mean . . .” Nausi playfully hits him (which is still pretty hard) “Ow!”
“I’ll show you bored.”
“Don’t hit me!"
“Really now, You’d give your 15 year old son condoms?”
“Well I wouldn’t want him getting a girl pregnant. That wouldn’t be good at all.”
“What on earth? Can’t I even go to sleep safely anymore?” Pyra asks sitting up.
“Fine Pyra I’ll ask you,” Mystic ponders for a second. “What if . . . say you and Edgy boy are married and you find a condom in your 15 year old son’s things.”
“Dude what the hell?”
“And he has an older girlfriend.”
“That hooch, I’d be like what on earth where did you get this?”
“And he says Joshie.”
“What the hell then I’d go after Josh . . . wait is he lying?”
“Yeah, Edgy boy gave it to him.” Pyra flicks her boyfriend’s ear for the nonexistent crime.
“Hey we don’t even have kids.”
"Which is some kind of miracle, look at what you two freaks did to my cricket,” she says petting Josh’s head. “Soundproof you whores!”
“Back to your horrifying what if, After I kick Adam’s ass I’d sit my son down and ask him why he wants it.”
“And what if he says he had asked his dad for protection, but he meant from a bully.”
“Can I kick his ass again?” Pyra says looking at Adam.
“I didn’t do anything!”
“Well I show him some basic submissions and blocks and stuff, but nothing horribly violent and see if that works. And I’d tell him to ask Lucky for advice before his blonde father.
“Thanks,” Adam says.
“Hey as long as you don’t do anything blonde its all good.”
“Hey Naus, you awake?”
“No, I’m sleeping now.”
“Okay so what would you do if Lando gave your 15 year old son a condom?”
”Landie’s not a dumb ass like Adam, he knows better.” Nausi says glancing at the elf who was still out there.
"Heh Heh Heh.”
“Where do you come up with these things?’ Jeff asks.
“Jeff? Weren’t you sitting in front of me?”
“Oh me and Orlando switched.”
“Ah I see.”
“So?”
“I don’t know I just do,” Mystic says.
“Why are you people so loud?” Shannon asks sitting up and discarding his blanket. “Yuck! Shane’s drooling!”
“Eww! That’s nasty,” Mystic exclaims waking Josh.
“Huh? What? Are we there?” He asks groggy.”
“No cricket, go back to sleep.” He nods putting his head back down. After a few minutes he sits up knowing he can’t get back to sleep. He tosses his blanket on the empty chair.
“Poor cricket you shouldn’t let freak Barbie and Py Py keep you up.”
“I know but its not like I can soundproof their room.”
“Damn Scorpio and Leo, you two should not be allowed into a relationship.”
”Love ya too,” Pyra says.
“Uh huh, so Edgy, what would you do if you had a daughter and . . .”
“Hush, your what ifs are evil and stuff. Ana got a ghost story?”
“Well . . .” The next hour is spent with Jeff telling a story and Mystic sneaking her what ifs at plot twists since they are all the main characters. The story ends in a combination of the vast majority of them being dead (thanks to Mystic’s what ifs and Pyra's reluctance to answer) and the stewardess comes to inform them that they will be landing soon moments before the captain makes the same announcement over the loudspeakers.
They all buckle up for their first landing in Italy. Since refueling would take upwards of three hours the passengers were left to stretch their legs at the airport. Pyra and Mystic practically flew to the gift shop when they heard it had beautiful hand crafted rosaries. Adam slunk off somewhere when no one was paying much attention and the remaining people fled to bathroom on the ground that had not been desecrated by Pyra and Adam as Nausi yelled at them all to remember where to meet as she and Orland walked off together.
She was then lured away by what mysteriously smelled like tacos. She indeed did find tacos in an area that reminded her of Penn station but passed them up and walked with Orlando. He had found a vegan stand stuffed in a corner with no patrons, he shook his head walked pass McDonalds, and KFC and got himself a decent meal as Nausi did the same. As she sat to enjoy her non-plane meal they were joined by Jeff who by the looks of it had a little bit of everything.
“Isn’t this weird?” He asks.
“A whole bunch of restaurants in an airport? Yeah.”
“I’d say so,” Jeff says munching away.
”Hey there peoples,” Mystic says showing up with small blue gift shop bags.
“Good food?” Pyra asks.
“Dude they have mad good vegan stuff,” Nausi says as Pyra tries to steal one of Jeff’s fries.
“No way I’m starving,” Jeff says shoving her hand away.
“Fine, before this one bites off one of my fingers. Where's the vegan stuff?” Pyra asks willing to eat anything once and vegan food was quite good most of the time. Nausi points and Pyra pulling Mystic with her. They get their food as everyone seems drawn to the strange restaurant. Everyone except Adam.
“Hey has anyone seen Barbie?”
“Yeah . . . wait no never mind,” Jeff says.
“Dude where’d he go,” Pyra says annoyed.
“There he . . . no wait that’s a girl . . . no its him,” Mystic says laughing as Pyra makes moves to strangle her. “Dude he’s pale!”
Pyra turns and sees a lighter Adam walking towards them. He has his sunglasses on and indicates for Pyra to come closer. She walks over, wondering when he decided to trade in his tan for a pale look that just doesn’t suit him.
“Me and this place just don’t mix, everywhere I turn there is like an invisible wall and look,” he says lowering his glasses and revealing red eyes.
“Maybe this place is a little too religious for you. Are you hungry?”
“Very,” He says as Pyra leads him back to the table and hands him her drink which she discreetly replaced with blood. He drinks it so fast it looks like he’ll absorb the straw. Pyra makes the cup automatically refill itself until he puts it down. The color rushes back to his skin and when he sits down Pyra checks his eyes which are back to dark blue and for a second she is mesmerized until she pushes his glasses back up.
”Okay chock up paleness and red eyes to hunger.” Adam reaches for Pyra’s little blue bag and puts his hand in before she can stop him. He pulls out a sizzled hand.”
“Ouch,” Shannon says, “what is in that bag?”
“Two rosaries, a cool cross and a pocket book on gothic cathedrals. Adam pours some blood on his hand as it sizzles more than heals with him biting his tongue the entire time.
“Man are you lucky you didn’t go in my bag, I have holy water.” When everyone except Pyra looks at her oddly she continues, “its in this cool blue bottle that looks like an angel.”
”So I’m guessing we should send the bags home like now before we melt my boyfriend?”
"Yeah, why'd you make him weak to crosses?"
"Dude I don't need invincible vamp boy turning against me, besides its only that and I guess blood loss. None of that stupid sun or wooden stake crap."
"What about fire?" Shane asks.
"He asks the pyromaniac, of course he's not fire proof."
"Decapatation?" Nausi asks.
"I felt Mrs. Anne Rice's way was the best way to go." Pyra takes the two bags and puts them next to each other. Mystic is about to orb them away when Pyra stops her. "You don't think some one will notice blue lights floating to the ceiling?"
"Like they won't notice a fire ball?"
"Dude at least there's a chance I can explain that unlike magical floating lights.
"Fine you do it," Mystic says.
"Group huddle," Pyra says as she flames the bags away. "See that wasn't so hard."
"It wasn't your hand," Adam says.
Pyra takes his healed hand and gives it a kiss running her fingers across his life lines he smiles and lets Pyra give his hand a massage. "Better now?" She asks letting go of his hand. He nods and leans in closer to her.
"Hey Hey!" Josh exclaims. "Just turn that off for five minutes!
"Geez Josh chill."
"Hey Py, once we get there where are we going?"
"To the west of the sea
There is a land that should not be
A place only the Gods can see
A Home
Only the Gods should know
Lest tempest tossed the clouds will show
A land that time never did know
In this land the seeds are sown," Pyra replies than blinks. "What the hell? Okay its this fake island you can only find during a storm and apparently the home of the gods.
"Yeah okay, Py Py," Nausi says.
"And what was with the little song and dance?" Shane asks.
"Not sure a message from a gothy good guy?"
They all hang out in the resturant for the remainder of their layover never noticing the British man who is never too far away. But far enough away that you would never associate him with the group that he is watching.
j o J 4 j o J
Malsin was almost as giddy as a child let loose in Disney Land. She still hadn't found a limit to her powers. She could burn, freeze, melt, teleport, create anything, transform herself into monsters, read minds, etc . . . Anika was watching this calmly. Malsin was having a ball but Anika was wondering about what was to come. Malsin had mentioned this Pyra once and Anika didn't like her. Shari who had been living in America and watching some television vaguely remembered Pyra and couldn't believe this girl was their enemy. She had morphed into 'amnesiac' Pyra with curly brown hair and a dress. A boyfriend she had had at the time had been obsessed with the barbarianism that is Wrestling. She remembered her boyfriend insisting that it was all real and the Pyra she knew was docile and eager to please. Quite the woman they had expected her to be in India.
"Malsin when will we go after Pyra?" Anika asks.
"I'd like to get a better understanding of all this. She has had her powers all her life quite a head start."
"Malsin one of the scrolls is glowing."
"Bring it to me." Anika does and Malsin reads it aloud to the girls.
Time is on goodnesses side
You have no time
For goodness flies
The Adam at her side
More Magic
Than your forces combined
Secret eyes
For the burning times
Now or Never
This is the time
Goodness meets its fate
In three days time
Malsin looks at the scroll. Three days to learn everything she had to. She had already read up on Sana and knew the dumbest thing she could do was make Pyra angry and increase her power. She would have to divide and conquer. She needed to find a way to immoblize Pyra. Something so powerful it could ensnare the gods.
The forger made such a trap
To capture war in love's lap
Binds that the gods could not escape
Now binded for the forgers cape
"Constance, who is the god of the forge?"
"The lame and ugly Hephaestus."
"Alright go into the temple and bring me anything that he is wearing."
Okay," She says walking to the temple. She returns with something that makes a spider web look like titanium. Malsin takes it and shakes her head it was light as a feather in her hands. She throws it over her shoulders like a cloak and it feels like the weight of the world is on her.
"Take it off me," Malsin gasps and Constance does. "Wow its perfect, it looks so fragile. I wonder what else those statues are hiding."
The sword of Aries
Wounds no living man can heal
The girdle of love will increase any woman's appeal
The guise of Athena
The bow of Apollo
These are not for you to follow
The helmet of death
Shields all from sight
"We must prepare for Pyra, she is a strong adversary. And I'm not sure of all the gifts her companions have."
"Why not ask the scrolls," Anika says. Malsin picks it up and reads the lines about the weapons as the words shift. She reads it to Anika, Lola, Shari, and Constance, not noticing Gabriel is gone.
Their power's are numerous
And multiply with time
A match for each we'll try to find
Anika and the one the one who sings his heart
His powers of mind and metal
Are a double Edged sword to his enemy
Shari with a wolf she'll contend
The Gypsy's weakness in the end
A hurricane comes through
With a lantern Constance for you
Fool his heart and give it a shocking start
Lola the princess is for you
The one who helped Odysseus through
Beware her heart in the elven hair
Here but not there
Child of the old world beware
Powers over nature have no hold there
Lock you in time if you give her a chance
This battle will be decided branch to branch
Angel and God
None the wiser
On who holds the greatest skill
Has the greater power
A theif and a pawn
Mind them for neither is all they seem
Weakness of the heart
Best the Vampire
Dull the rainbow
Fear the touch or oblivion you'll know
In the blink of an eye
The change of tide
That is when to the dark flames she'll go
Dance in glee
Remember the other witch is free
We fear your blasphemy
Malsin didn't understand it, usually the riddles she got were esy to understand. This one was full of twists and turns. How was she supposed to dull a rainbow? And why on earth would she be afraid to touch a rainbow unless it was something that looked like a rainbow. she deciced to figure it out later as she picked up the spell scroll and made sure she committed the burning spell to memory.
She looked at the girls who had been rejoined by Gabriel and clearly saw that all the girls were itching to get off the island and try out their newly discoverd or enhanced powers. She used her telportation power to blink them all to Athens. She decided that they had two days then would return to the island and prepare for Pyra and company.
Gabriel went off on her own, Constance and Lola new found friends went off together. Shari morphed into a teenager and Malsin and Anika went off to a cafe together.
"So how worried are you about this Pyra character?" Anika asks.
"Not much we are pretty well prepared and just like her I don't work alone."
"Strength in numbers," Anika says nodding.
The waiter arrives then and takes their orders of tea and Sandwiches. The girls enjoy an uneventful lunch as Anika makes a few calls as Malsin turned a leaf into cash for the bill.
"Interesting," Anika says and Malsin smiles.
"Limits are so hard to find."
Constance and Lola were walk when they passed The Divani Caravel and there were some men helping load their numerous suit cases on various trollies. Constance caught sight of what she liked to call a luscious piece of meat.
"Look at that, I could eat him up."
"Which one?" Lola says looking at a dark haired one who reminded her of an elf.
"Which one?! My god the adonis!"
"Well go over there, you are love reborn!"
"I would but I don't want to accidently enchant his friends as well. I've had men fight over me even before meeting Malsin, I'm just not in the mood."
"Leave it to me," Lola says sad to see her elf entering the building. Adam returns to the taxi shutting the lid and taking his carry on and being the last to enter the hotel. Before he can reach the door Constance has a hand on his arm.
"Could you help me? I seem to have lost my . . .uh. . .cat," she says taking his hand and extending a huge dose of lust into him.
"Sorry, I have to go," Adam says turning to the vine covered door confused. "What the hell?"
"Well it seems like you can't get inside," Constance says trying again. Adam on the other hand wants nothing more than to rip the door off its hinges, he's about to do just that when the vines vanish and he opens the door.
"Bye." Constance fumes shocked at the door.
"What happened?" Lola says wallking over to her.
"Nothing! Who does he think he is?!" Constance exclaims as the sky darkens and the two girls stomp away.
Inside Pyra had just verified their reservation and was waiting for their key cards. Adam walks past everyone bumping into Nausi who's tempted to kick him.
"Watch it!" Adam just keeps walking to Pyra who is getting impatient waiting at the desk. He spins her around and kisses her catching her completly off guard.
cough "Miss,Eh hem" Pyra moves back and Adam just moves with her and she starts tring to push him away but his arms just wrap around her tighter.
"Mmmet mmoe," Pyra gurgles.
"I'll take care of it," Josh says pulling out the same debit card Pyra had been using except this one has his name first and he gives it to the man who finishes the transaction. He takes the key and whipers something to the man at the desk and he smiles glances at Pyra and Adam takes two key cards and returns with two more silver ones. Josh hands him a 20.
"Woah Joshie," Mystic says knowing Josh is on the cheap side.
"Those keys are for the one of the presdiential suites, far far far away from the rest of us."
"Should we help her?" Shannon asks as Pyra is still trying to shove Adam away.
"Well that is a first," Josh says as Mystic takes off her tiny platinum cross and shoving it at Adam who jumps away from it and from Pyra.
"Hey Py, that was a good idea," putting her cross back on. Adam steps towards his girlfriend.
"Stay don't move, she will kick your ass!" Pyra says standing behind Nausi.
"You got that right, the keys Chazie."
"Oh," Josh looks at the keys in his hand. He gives a set to Nausi and Orlando, one set to Shannon who hands the other key to Jeff, and Josh looks at Shane, "I guess we're . . ."
Mystic looks at Josh annoyed. "You want me to stay alone? In a creepy hotel in the middle of nowhere alone? What if something happens in the middle of the night, and I'm attacked and there's no one there to protect me, and then I DIE! that wouldn't be cool!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I guess we could share a room then," Josh says more than happy to do it. Lastly Josh hand the other silver cards to Adam who seems to be trying to figure out a way to get past Nausi.
"Don't be stupid," Josh says.
"Want to meet here for dinner in like 1/2 an hour?" Pyra asks.
"We'll be here, don't know about you," Josh says looking at Adam.
"Let's go check out these rooms," Shane says. They follow the bellhops with the divided luggage into the elevators.
"That didn't last long, Mystic says to Josh in the cramped elevator where Adam has his arms around a smiling Pyra and is whispering something to her. Shannon pulls Jeff's headphones on.
"Turn it on."
"But you don't like . . ."
"I don't care, I don't want to hear that."
"7th floor." Everyone except Pyra, Mystic, Josh, and Adam get off.
"What has gotten into you?" Pyra asks her beyond horny boyfriend.
"Nothing, I'm fine," Adam says.
"Here we are the Presdential." The bell hop says stepping out of the elevator followed by Pyra and Adam into a hall with two doors directly across from each other and are the only doors on the floor. "The president suites both right below the penthouse." He opens the door for the two of them and takes their luggage in.
"There's a hot tub a large bath and a few other things," the bell hop says clearly waiting for a tip. "And complemtary champange."
Pyra takes the bottle and hands it to the bell hop, “Enjoy I hate the stuff.” Adam gives the guy a tip as Pyra puts their luggage in two different piles.
”Thanks!” He says about both as he goes downstairs and another bell hop does the same for Josh and Mystic.
“Alone at last.”
"Ah Ah Ah. We have only like twenty minutes.”
“Plenty of time,” he says playfully spearing her on the bed. He looked at her in the eye waiting for her to give in, wanting for her to give in.
“Well I guess I’m not that hungry.”
“Oh brother! Those two will have lots of kids,” Lucky says as Wade presses the rating button which is getting higher and higher by the second. “Hey lets see what Mystic and Joshua are doing.”
“ . . . okay cricket?”
“Sure Myst,” says pulling off his sweatshirt, and accidentally taking the T-shirt he’s wearing with it and he starts blushing. “Um. . . uh,” He says getting redder as he separates the two shirts and pulls them back on.
“Dork!” Lucky exclaims. “Just have sex."
“Lucky behave,” Wade says standing.
“Where are you going?”
“I have to go to work, they’re not doing anything and will be going to sleep soon anyway.”
”That retard won’t learn the moves and you know it.”
“She will eventually. Look I have my cell and you can call Satana if you have to.”
“Hey did you leave me food?” Wade walks back to the kitchen. “Sure starve the cat.”
“Sorry,” Wade says putting Lucky’s food out.
“Don’t even give the cat food, ugh,” Lucky says turning his head up in the air like he’s too good for Wade. When he leaves Lucky picks a button at random and gets Shannon who is just stepping off the elevator. Lucky watches interested as Shannon sees something just outside the hotel.
A girl was fighting a guy that was holding her roughly. “What he hell are you doing?”
“Mind your business little man.”
“How about you let her go.”
“Look this trash is a tease and I’m gonna show her how to treat Jimbo right.” Shannon looks at the girl who is staring blankly at him.
“Jimbo? You’re parents actually named you that? You give Americans a bad name. No wonder people hate us when things like you leave the country.” His words have the desired effect as he lets Gabriel go and lunges for Shannon who easily doges the man nearly 2x his size. He looks at the girl and indicates for her to run as ‘Jimbo’ catches him by surprise in a bear hug and Shannon’s eyes glow red as he breaks the hold with inhuman force. He hears the girl whispering words he doesn’t understand as Jimbo runs being chased by demons. Shannon walks over to Gabriel who’s feeling quite lightheaded at the strong curse she cast, manifesting his demons and she was swaying on her feet and Shannon caught her as she fell and carried her into the hotel lounge. He put her down in a chair and watched until she woke up.
“Are you all right?” She responds in a language that Shannon clearly doesn’t understand. “Um was that a yes.”
“I’m fine,” she says in ‘perfect’ English she says starting to stand as Shannon moves to help her.
"Who was that guy?" Shannon says and Gabriel hears Romanian and as she replies Shannon hears English.
"Just some jerk." Gabriel replies wondering what Shannon really wants. "What do you want?"
"Excuse me?"
"What do you want now? I won't give you any money."
"I don't want any of that stuff from you, I just wanted to make sure you're all right. Would you like some water or something?"
"Fine," Gabriel says figuring she can try a curse on him to see if her strength is back already. She follows him to the dining area and he gets her a glass as they sit at a table and she tries a minor klutz curse and nothing happens. She frowns and tries it on a waiter who instantly trips on air and sends a tray of drinks flying. Gabriel is confused and decides to get Shannon back up to try again.
"I'm sorry for being so rude before, I'm Gabriel."
"Shannon," He says taking her extended hand and shaking it. Thanks to a scroll induced power boost she sees why a minor curse could never work on Shannon, she'd have to work up a monster of a curse to touch someone cursed with Lycantropy. And it had been for a long time, she could feel the wolf burning under the surface, it wouldn't be long before it resurfaced and since the full moon was weeks away, here he was sitting so calmly while he was losing the battle for being human. Gabriel almost felt sorry for him.
"Are you hungry?"
"What?"
"Hungry," Shannon says as a waiter crashes into a table dropping a soup order on the floor. "Maybe we shouldn't eat here." Shannon says hiding a laugh. Gabriel removes the curse for her own safety when the waiter comes towards them.
They spend the dinner vaguly discussing their lives both having some things in common and Gabriel feels comfortable around him and actually agrees to meet him in the morning. After all she would have the whole night to curse people, this was interesting. She had given her last "boyfriend" boils for cheating on her with one eyed Clarissa.
Upstairs . . .
"Landie what's wrong?"
"Something bad will happen, I can feel it."
"I think we all can. These things are always bad."
"And . . .nevermind."
"What is it?" Nausi says walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. He turns around and hugs her.
"There is something wrong with Pyra. Aside from her usual self, it's like a shadow has fallen over her, darker than anything before. I don't like it."
"Pyra does have that thing of not telling people how's she's feeling. It's like that whole not crying thing; it's not good for her."
"Maybe Adam can help her."
"Don't bet on it," Nausi says as a knock sounds on her door. "Yeah?"
"It's Shane . . . and Jeff we were wondering if you guys were ready."
"Sure," Nausi says. "{A shadow shall not fall over our friends as long as they have hope.}" Nausikaa whispered in Elvish as she releases herself from the embrace and opens the door. She and Orlando step out.
The gang pick up Josh and Mystic and head down to the lobby just as Shannon is walking Gabriel out. They just see the back of her head and wonder what is going on as Shannon returns smiling. Jeff approaches his friend with everyone close behind.
"Hey Shan who was that?"
"A new friend, she's really sweet once you get past the attitude."
"Uh huh," Jeff says nudging his friend, "You can tell me."
"Jeff. Hey, aren't we missing some folk?"
"Be happy, I'd like to keep my food down," Josh says.
"How can you live with them then?"
"Believe it or not they are pretty tame at home, usually turning up the stereo is all I need and I forget about them."
"Food! Not those sickos," Mystic says.
They have dinner and go to bed early; the jet lag finally catching up with them. They decide to figure everything out in the morning when Pyra is there since they're not really sure about this island thing.
j o J 5 j o J
The next morning Adam is holding a sound asleep Pyra in his arms. He wasn't really happy about the situation but she had said she would send him back to What? if he didn't let her sleep. He is wondering when he should wake her when her entire composure changers. Her entire body stiffens as her heart starts pounding. Adam doesn't think twice about waking her.
Pyra is strapped to the tree when she comes to a realization and smiles. Malsin was really dumb to let this slip past her. Then again she almost missed it. Pyra closes her eyes knowing this will take everything she has with this mesh over her. And then she is looking at Adam.
"Adam what?" Pyra says blinking as the dream slips away.
"You were having a nightmare. What was it?"
"It was . . .I don't know . . .weird." Pyra says sitting up.
How is it that she almost . . .
Her magic has a will of its own. It is fighting this.
Its for her own good.
We told her there would be choices.
If she chooses to stay . . .
We failed, Sana was a fluke and we wait another thousand years for true hope.
"So what are we going to do today?"
"Uh, get a boat, try to find the island and stuff."
"Do you mind being on a boat?"
"No, despite the fact that I can't swim, I have no boat issues."
"Okay," Adam says buttoning his shirt about half way before he notices Pyra watching. He grins and starts undoing the buttons and Pyra walks over.
"Let me help you," She buttons it all the way so that it looks like he could put on a tie. She pulls him to the elevator, "Behave." He crosses his heart and Pyra laughs.
In the lobby they are the last ones to join everyone else as Adam starts undoing the top buttons.
"Hey Py, Edgy boy is stripping," Mystic says and Pyra turns her head.
"I need to breathe."
"No you don't, don't lie."
"She's got you there," Shane says.
"Where's Shannon?"
"With a girl . . ."
"Um, okay. Joshie come here." Josh walks over and she hugs him. "So you shared a room with Mystic. Is a little Joshie gonna be around anytime soon."
"Funny," He says pulling away.
"So everyone eat already?"
"Yeah Pyra you're late as usual we were gonna call your room."
"Go get me a bagel and some juice thanks," Pyra says not even turning to Adam but he knows she's talking to him not Josh who she is facing and he walks off.
"Wow, Adam is so your bitch you know that right, Py Py?" Mystic asks and Pyra shrugs.
"Whatever, hey did you dudes do anything besides eat?"
"Not really," Josh replies as Pyra walks over to the information desk.
"Hey, where can I go to find out about renting a boat to tour the Islands?"
"Well there are many tour companies that will take you around such islands like Delos and through the ruins, but I doubt that there are ones that allow you out on your own."
"Well we don't need to be on our own. Delos would be nice to see."
"Okay when would you all like to depart."
"Well what's the weather gonna be like this week?"
"Well were're in for a major storm in two days I believe," the clerk says look at the computer.
"How about tomorrow?"
"We have boats leaving at 9:30, 10, 11, 12, and 12:30."
"How many people are on the tour?"
"It depends, and you can have private tours for groups as small as four."
They settle for a private tour the next day at 10:30 with the time repeated to Pyra so many times she wants to smack her friends.
"Oh shut up already," Pyra mutters pulling Adam towards the breakfast hall despite the fact he is holding her breakfast.
"See you guys later," Adam says waving.
The group splits up again everyone spending a day doing what they want. Shannon hangs out with Gabriel again, Shane, Jeff, Nausi, and Orlando go sight seeing and Mystic and Josh go visit vineyards and Pyra takes Adam to the Parthenon freaking out for a second when she sees it as it once was complete with an appearance by the goddess through the statue.
j o J 6 j o J
They were all sitting on a tour boat. Pyra told them to all have fun since they couldn’t do anything for a while. Shannon had almost opted out but Gabriel said she had plans. So everyone was sitting inside as Pyra sat outside staring at the water as they passed it over. Something about this entire area got to her and the things she had been seeing. She was starting to wonder how ‘dead’ the Greek gods were.
Adam sat inside sprawled out on a couch of sorts looking anything but his usual cheerful self. He was deep in thought, but would say nothing and he ignored the whispering around him like he couldn’t hear it. Josh looked at this and was confused, it was the first time since this entire thing began that Pyra and Adam weren’t all over each other and neither looked happy. He went out to Pyra.
“Why aren’t you and Adam making us all sick?” He asks smiling. When Pyra doesn’t respond his tone becomes more serious. “Did you two fight?”
”Huh? No, nothing like that,” Pyra says staring at the water.
“Then why are both of you so quiet.”
“Just thinking Joshie.”
“About what?”
“Here actually, how it used to be a playground for gods and stuff.”
“Yeah it is interesting.” Josh says.
*~*~*~*
“Hey there Sam,” Mystic says looking down at Adam.
“Mystic,” Adam says sitting up so Mystic can sit.
“What’s wrong?” She says sitting down.
“Nothing,” Adam says, looking up at the rest of the group. “Nausikaa doesn’t look happy.”
“Well, she doesn’t like the whole boat deal.”
“How is she gonna deal with the storm?”
“What storm?”
“Didn’t Pyra explain that we have to sail through the storm?”
”I just thought she could like flame us there, but that it had to be during a storm.”
“Nope we have to travel during a storm to the island she explained it all to me. If she can find it.”
“What else did she tell you?” Mystic asked and Adam’s eyes darkened and he looked past her to where Pyra and Josh were talking.
Mystic took the look as something else and shook her head and got up and walked away. What was wrong with Adam sometimes it was Joshua for crying out loud. Sure Pyra and Josh were going to run off together right after Adam made out with Nausi. Mystic thinks smiling to her self suddenly at the beating Adam would get if Adam were to ever do that.
She watched as Adam went out to Pyra and Josh and Josh came in a few seconds later.
“What’s going on with them?” Mystic asks Josh.
“Not sure, look at that they’re hugging.”
“Quick cover your eyes before it gets worse,” Nausi says.
“Heh Heh heh the freaks,” Mystic says.
*~*~*~*
“Why won’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?” Pyra says staring out at the water.
“Pyra, don’t you think I notice anything?”
”I don’t know . . . you seem intent on having sex most of the time.”
”Yeah, well now I want to talk.”
”About what?”
“Pyra,” Adam says exasperated as she turns to him but looks past him into the cabin and directly at Orlando, and blinked. He was standing in front of a mural and was clearly Legolas down to the tights with a golden bow and arrow that was made of light. He shot directly at her and she staggered back surprised and would have fallen overboard if not for Adam’s lightning quick reflexes as he grabs her and takes her inside.
“Pyra!” Adam says shaking her slightly on the violent side.
“Dude!” Pyra shrieks coming out of her daze.
“What was that?”
“One of those I’m awake, why not have a vision type thing.”
“What did you see?” Orlando asks and Pyra takes a step back as he comes closer followed by everyone else.
“Um . . . your bow isn’t gold right? And it doesn’t shoot arrows of light right?”
“Is that what you saw? Me shooting a golden bow?”
“More or less and this mural behind you, fresco I think. Some statues.”
“What was I shooting?”
”I don’t know, me maybe or something.”
“Why would I shoot you?”
“You’d be surprised, but I don’t think it was me.”
“But where would I get such a bow?”
“Dude I don’t know, its not like I get instructions with these things, but if you see one laying around go for it.”
“Mmm hmm Pyra,” Nausi says.
“Oh bite yourself,” Pyra says sprawling out on the same couch Adam was once on. He sits besides her. “Don’t worry about it I’m just in a bad mood. Here I am in a place I’ve always wanted to visit and I have to go find a freaky ass island.”
”We’ll come back one day, just for fun.”
“Yeah,” Pyra says having no heart to so much as look at Adam.
“We can still enjoy the next couple of days right?”
”Most definitely,” Pyra says smiling wondering if this really would be her last two days of life. Somehow she just couldn’t believe it, it just didn’t seem fair.
They arrived at the first of many islands on the tour and Pyra was looking off in the distance when she noticed a teenage boy standing there on the side of a rocky cliff face. The only thing was he had wings, Pyra stared making sure she wasn’t seeing things but yeah this kid had angel wings. He look towards her and his eyes widened as they met. It was like he couldn’t believe she was seeing him right before he vanished on the spot. Pyra blinked but it didn’t change the fact that he was gone or that she had seen him in the first place.
“Okay . . .” Pyra mutters turning back to the group.
”Another vision?” Adam whispers.
“No I think I’m hallucinating or I just saw a teen angel.”
”Maybe the sun is bad for you,” Shannon says smiling.
“Arg, what a teenager with angel wings is too farfetched for you, wolfy?”
“Pyra you were staring at nothing.”
“ . . .about that cliff over there. It is said to be the mountain were Psyche was left before taken to her husband Eros a.k.a Cupid.” Pyra blinks and looks back at the mountain.
“Oh no don’t even . . .” Shannon starts.
”Why not we were already told they were real.”
“And gone.”
“Its okay I believe you,” Adam says.
“But you always believe me. Hi Adam I have magical powers and you were just like ok.”
“I’ve seen some weird things in my life even before we met. It wasn’t hard to believe.”
“What’s going on here?” Shane says dropping back to the three of them.
“Pyra thinks she saw cupid,” Shannon says snickering.
"Shut up," Pyra says.
"Well if anyone would see him it be these two," Shane says. "Have you two ever even fought?"
Pyra and Adam exchange glances. They had yet to have a serious fight, simple things that could be forgotten with a kiss, what movie to see, who was going to cook. They couldn't stay mad at each other, well Pyra couldn't stay mad at him. Adam leans in and gives her a quick kiss.
"I'll take that as a no, hey Shannon you think maybe these two got an overdose?"
"I'd say they got an overdose of something," Shannon says walking back to the rest of the group with Shane.
Pyra remained a silent companion besides Adam, it was easy for him to see that she was interested in what was going on but couldn't focus on it. He figured she was thinking about what was to come. They had never faced this Malsin and were flying blind but he sensed a fear that went deeper than that.
"Keep my pendant."
"What?"
"If something weird should happen . . .anything, I want you to promise me two things.
"What is that?"
"You will keep my pendant, and you will live."
"You make it sound like you're going to die."
"Just do it ok."
"Okay, but . . . Pyra why can't you ever talk to me?"
"What do you mean we talk all the time, despite what our friends believe."
"No I mean really talk. Like now something is seriously bothering you and you won't say a word to me."
"I . . ." Pyra stops. "I . . . its, I don't know."
"Pyra why is it so hard for you to talk to me. Look at me," Adam says to Pyra who is more inclined to look at her feet. She glances up into his eyes. "Why can't you talk to me?"
"It's just hard, I never talk to people about anything. Its not easy trying to, and I always feel like I'm bothering people." Pyra stops as Adam looks away for a second and she tries to figure out why she just said that.
"Pyra you're not a bother, or a burden or anything else and that's exactly what I'm here for helping you though the hard times."
"It's not going to be me that needs the help," Pyra mutters but the vampire in him easily catches it.
"Why do you say that?"
"No reason, come on we're losing the group," Pyra says starting to walk quickly forward. Adam shakes his head, for a second he had thought he had gotten somewhere. He follows Pyra and notices she looks a little confused and he takes her hand and squeeses it forcing a smile for her which she hestiantly returns.
Back at the hotel everyone gathers for dinner in Mystic and Josh's presidental suite with some snide comments about the state of Pyra and Adam's. On the tour they had all been looking for a place to arrive and a place where a yacht can appear. Both had been found on a mostly deserted island that they had sped past during the tour. “Alright can anyone actually drive a boat?” Pyra gets a few strange looks.
“Pyra, this isn’t gonna end up like a certain 3 hour tour is?”
“No Joshie,” Pyra says smiling as she bites into another shrimp.
“Okay how are we gonna get there? Adam told me something about going through a storm . . .”
“Yeah, there’s no orbing, flaming, or anything else for that matter we have to be in the middle of a storm to get to the island. It won’t be pretty.”
“And why won’t this boat be sinking on us?” Nausi asks.
“You can’t even drown! What are you worried about?”
“I don’t know my friends who can’t swim? Like you Py . . .”
“I’m not gonna die like that.”
“Uh huh,” Nausi says.
“Its starting to rain,” Adam says since he was the only one not eating he had left the table. He had his cup of blood in his hand as was looking out the window. No one commented on how strange it was that the two weren’t draped on each other, but everyone thought about it.
“Is it really bad?”
”No just a drizzle so far, it looks like it will get worse soon though.”
”Okay, Pyra says waving him over as she shoves away her dinner plate and pulling to her a slice of cake. He doesn’t see or ignores her and she looks a little surprised. “Barbie?”
“Hmm . . .”
“You’re quite far away.”
“I’m fine I can hear you guys okay . . .”
“When are we leaving?” Shannon asks.
“Dawn, I don’t know, how about around 9 we all gather back here and flame to that lovely place. And work from there, bring umbrellas!”
“How will you know this island when you see it?” Orlando asks. Pyra turns her attention back to the group.
“I’ll know, I think we all will,” Pyra says glancing back at Adam. “But I’m guessing it will stand out in a weird way.”
“If you say so,” Jeff says.
“So these chicks they know we’re coming?” Shane asks as Adam walks into another room.
“Basically, and they most likely know exactly what everyone can do.”
“Great, sounds like fun,” Jeff mutters.
“Don’t be bitter Ana.”
Pyra starts answering random questions as Nausi leaves the table. Orlando takes her hand and she sees the question in his eyes. She points towards Adam and he kisses her hand as he watches her go. She walks over to a brooding Adam and pokes him in the arm and he turns to her. He looks at her and leans back on the wall crossing his legs and having all his hair fall over his face.
“Hi,” Adam says.
“So what’s going on?”
“We’re going to an island to fight some crazy witches, weren’t you paying attention?” Adam asks and Nausi can just make out his smile. He pushes his hair back behind his ears as he looks at Nausi.
“And you and Pyra aren’t fudging each other right here because?”
”No reason, didn’t know you all wanted to watch.”
”You know what I mean, is everything okay between you guys?”
“Same as always, I guess I’m just a good lay and little else.”
“You really think that? If that was true that little thing at the window wouldn’t have bothered Pyra one bit, as it was she looked scared.” Adam shrugs.
“What does it matter? Over and over again, what’s wrong Pyra? Is something bothering you? Are you sure you’re okay and the answer is always the same . . .”
“I’m fine,” Nausi says, “that’s just Pyra. Don’t let it bother you so much.”
”But she can talk to Josh? She even talks to the cat . . . the cat! But me . . . I get I’m fine.”
“I don’t know what to tell you . . . why not talk to her?”
“I tried that on the tour, just when I thought I was getting somewhere she closed up again. She had the strangest look on her face like she didn’t even know why she had said what she had.” Nausi nodded she understood how Adam was feeling and wondered if Pyra was even aware of how much this was bothering her boyfriend.
“Maybe I should talk to her,” Nausi says.
“I don’t know,” Adam says, “if you want,” He adds not really sure what Nausi would be able to do anyway.
They walked back into the main room of the suite and Pyra had taken up Adam’s place at the window and was drawing shapes on the fog covered glass. Nausi looked and saw that Pyra was drawing various weapons, a bow, a whip, a sword, a shield, and something he couldn’t make out when Nausi started talking to her. Pyra listened the expression on her face never changing. A look that usually meant she didn’t care what you were saying or she wasn’t even paying attention. Nausi seemed to sense it also and stopped talking and shook her head at her friend.
Pyra turned back to the window but most of the fog was gone and she just watched the rain fall. She placed her cheek on the glass and closed her eyes. She flamed out of the room without a word.
“Bye,” Mystic said shaking her head at Pyra’s rude departure.
“I guess I should go too, I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Adam says.
“Yeah we should all go,” Jeff says standing as everyone follows suite and leaves the room.
Adam walks into his and Pyra’s suite and sees his girlfriend sitting on the bed in pajamas her CD player was in her lap and she had her eyes closed. She wasn’t asleep just into whatever she was listening to, he wondered if he should let her be for at least a little while. He was still trying to decide when he realized Pyra was staring at him. She took the headphones off but said nothing. He waited a few seconds and decided to speak up.
“Don’t you think that was rude?”
“No,” Pyra says tossing the CD player aside with a lack of care Adam had never seen before. She lays down her legs still crossed and he can still see her blinking.
“Is it that . . .”
“If you say time of the month I will spear you. I don’t PMS, thanks.” Adam remained silent Pyra seemed immensely agitated and he had no idea what had caused it unless. . .
“Is this because of what Nausi said?”
“Huh?” Pyra says sitting up, “Nausi barely spoke.”
“Never mind,” Adam says finally sitting beside her and is taken by surprise when she hugs him. He returns the hug without question, as he moved his hand caressingly along Pyra’s back. As she turns slightly and rest her head on his chest her arms wrapping around him being lulled into calm by his heartbeat even though it was barely there. Adam sat there calmly running his fingers through her hair and smelling the faint smell of fruits. Pyra’s cucumber melon lotion, the closest thing to perfume she had. He lifted her still cradled against his chest and into the bathroom.
In the lobby Shannon had grabbed the complementary flowers from his room and practically flew down there. He was face to face with a slightly annoyed Gabriel who didn’t like to be kept waiting.
“I’m so sorry, things ran longer than I expected,” He presents the flowers and a shy smile and Gabriel nods. She found it hard to stay mad at such a happy man. One who had to be weighed down by what it was he was. Another reason she could barely frown at Shannon was his complete and utter respect for her. When she asked if he had a girl waiting back home he had actually told her him and his long time girlfriend were in a difficult phase where she wanted them to see other people. He had been honest, quite refreshing though she wanted him to kiss her already. She may understand his hesitation but she was still a woman.
They walked to the restaurant again and Gabriel smiled. After a day of seeing how well she could curse Shannon was a perfect way to relax and restore her balance. She turned to him, his eye wasn’t on her and she planted a quick kiss on his lips before he could protest or worse move. His eyes widened in surprise but he saw the smile that tugged at his lips. What was it about him that she was starting to like so much? It just didn’t make sense, but did love ever make sense. Gabriel stopped mid thought Love? Had she actually just used that word? She wasn’t a little girl and she had never had such a foolish idea in her head.
“ . . . last time?”
“What?”
“Do you want the same thing you had last time?” Shannon asks smiling.
“Yes that will be fine,” she replies wondering what her thoughts meant.
“Hey what are you thinking about?”
“You,” she replied truthfully and was delighted with the blush that touched his cheeks. Delighted at a blush? Get a hold of yourself Gabriel she told herself sternly. The rain had begun she had to make this quick and return to the meeting point by midnight. “Really? What about me?”
“Nothing,” Gabriel says her turn to blush.
“You’re blushing,” Shannon says leaning closer and Gabriel takes the opportunity to kiss him again in a not so chaste fashion. The kisses crossed the border to full flAdamd making out when they finally separate because the waiter returns with Gabriel’s food and a salad for Shannon.
“What is that?”
“I had dinner earlier,” Shannon explains.
“Alright,” Gabriel says as a few minutes of silence follow as they eat.
Their dinner is a fun few hours with them feeding each other desert laughing like little kids. Gabriel feels like a weight has been lifted off her and is actually not interested in going back to Malsin but knows she must as Shannon walks her to the front of the hotel and takes the complementary umbrella and gives it to Gabriel for her trip. The second he gets back to his room Jeff and Shane are waiting to accost him.
“So what happened?” Jeff asks.
“You kiss her?” Shane asks.
“We had dinner and yes now I’m going to sleep,” Shannon says tossing off his shirt and climbing into his bed and ignoring the rest of the questions from his two friends until Shane gives up and goes back to his room. Jeff lays down also turning to Shannon.
“Shan, you still awake?”
“No.”
“Do you feel better at least?”
”Yeah, I guess I do but I know I still love Crystal and no matter how great Gaby is . . .”
“I know the feeling,” Jeff whispers.
“You really have to get over Mystic. You know for a second I thought you and Nausi . . .”
“Don’t be sick, Matt dated her Matt and she’s Mystic’s best friend not cool.”
“She’s your best friend too.”
“Shan, I think you should go to sleep you’re losing it.”
“Whatever,” he mumbles already drifting into sleep.
“Nite Shannon.”
“Nite Jeff.”
The next morning Pyra woke up feeling amazing. And she turned and wrapped her self around the reason for it. When Adam had carried her into the bathroom she had no idea what he was up boy had he surprised her. He has treated her to a bubble bath and then a massage with the cucumber melon lotion she had brought along. How has he ever even guessed it was just what she needed she had no idea. She reached up and kissed his forehead. Followed by his nose, cheek, and lips where she was surprised by his arms wrapping around her and him taking over the kiss.
“How long have you been awake?” Pyra whispers when they break apart.
“Since you turned,” he replies. He had let it go after talking to Nausi. Maybe it did take a while for Pyra to open up. Sometimes he felt like Pyra didn’t tell him anything but that was a lie, she just didn’t share her problems. “What time is it?”
“Christ its like seven.” Pyra says turning back to her boyfriend. “How early did I sleep?”
“Around nine I think.”
“Well I doubt anyone is awake what time had I said?”
“Nine.”
“What could we possibly do for two hours?” Pyra asks sitting on Adam.
In the PG presidential suite Josh was still asleep as Mystic looked at her clock in disbelief. Why was she awake this early? She turned and looked at Josh he was so adorable. The only way he would be any cuter would be if he had a teddy bear. Mystic laughs at her thought and decides to shower and such. She calls down and orders breakfast for her and Josh knowing the food will wake him.
Nausi woke to an interesting site. Her boyfriend was standing with his back to her as Legolas. He drew his knives and twirled them for a bit before placing them when they belonged and he drew his bow.
“You should try to get more rest, it will be a long day,” He says turning and sitting on the end of the bed resting the bow on his lap. Nausi smiles at his concern but gets up anyway knowing more sleep is a lost cause.
“Its alright, I won’t be able to sleep anymore anyway.”
“Breakfast?”
“That would be so good.” Legolas nods as he picks up the phone and Nausi goes into the bathroom.
Shannon stretched as he heard a noise, Jeff was already in the bathroom. Shannon knew it could be years before Jeff emerged primped and shaved and whatever the hell else he did in the bathroom. Well he could eat as he waited for his friend. He called down to the kitchen and ordered enough food for five then dialed up Shane.
“Hello?” He asked groggy.
“Hey Shaney, I just ordered breakfast, for us.”
“Us?”
“Yeah come on get your superhero behind over here.”
“Fine let me shower and stuff.”
“Cool see you in a little bit..”
Malsin rose knowing today would be the day that changed her life. She would rise to become the most powerful woman in Greece, nay the world and what an easy road to destroy one fool and her companions. Life was good, it was raining everywhere but actually on the island. It made a nice indoor effect as she was joined by the other women. Lola and Constance seemed to have formed a tight bond in the days that passed while Gabriel was even more distant from the group. Shari was quite happy at discovering she could transform other things for a short period of time.
Malsin decided to gather them all for a small talk before the battle began.
“They day we were all brought together here has dawned on us. We have the power and strength to succeed. That fool knows not the danger she walks into.”
“Then why does she walk into it,” Gabriel mutters as Malsin continues as Anika glares at the Gypsy who returns the glare darkly.
“We have an advantage of knowing our ground and being prepared for what will be. We will succeed and be all the more powerful for it.”
Pyra hadn’t stopped staring at Nausikaa in her poncho, goulashes, and umbrella, since her friend had arrived. She finally starts laughing and Nausi pushes her into Adam. She looks up at Adam who grins at her and mouths the words thank you and she nods. No one else was as prepared for the rain as Nausi.
“For a water element you seem to have something against getting wet.”
“Have you looked out there? Its like some kind of hurricane,” Nausi says.
“The only Hurricane I see has green hair. Umbrellas up.” Pyra says as she flames everyone to the now deserted storm tossed island.
“Where’s the boat Pyra?” Mystic asks as her duck umbrella takes a beating. Pyra holds up a finger then takes out a pack of juicy fruit. She offers everyone some gum as they all turn it down annoyed.
“Suit yourself,” Pyra says taking a piece for herself. She starts folding the foil and reveals a little silver boat which she flames out of her hand. It reappears on the water much larger than it was before. It’s a silver racing yacht that can easily handle the elements and has most of the boat closed off to said elements. Though there is some outside space at the bow and most of the upper deck is exposed.
They all walk to the boat and give it a once over. “You sure this thing is safe?”
”Don’t ya trust me?” Pyra asks. “Oh get on the boat you doofs.”
The gang hops on and has to admit the boat is state of the art. Temperature controlled, separate cabins, and a throw back to pirate days a crows nest.
“Who is going up there?”
”Me,” Pyra replies. “Barbie have fun driving.”
”What? But I can’t . . .”
“If you can’t drive this boat you are no longer a male. Well maybe Josh would be better for it, though Lucky would be the best at it.”
“Your cat?!”
“Why don’t you dorks go check it out.”
Everyone goes to the control room and sees one button. Start. Adam presses it and a controller appears in his hand as a small screen that is a videogame reenactment of the area outside. All the button controls are straight forward and he takes the boat off the shore and into the storm.
“A five year old could drive this boat,” Josh mutters.
”That’s why Sam’s perfect for it,” Mystic says laughing.
“Ha ha,” Adam says as the boat sails across clear blue water. Pyra returns a few minutes later soaked to the skin as she shuts the door on the pounding rain and dries herself off.
“That seems a lot more fun in the movies.”
“What getting drenched on by rain and sea water?” Nausi asks.
“Yes of course my friend,” Pyra says as she starts to play with Adam’s blond locks.
“How do you even know if we’re going the right way?” Shane asks as he glances at the screen where all that can be seen is water.
“I just do sorta, just a whole vibe.” Pyra says looking out at the water. ‘Yeah a vibe of impending doom.’ She noticed Legolas looking at her oddly.
”Something wrong Leggy?”
“I . . . no I’m fine.” Pyra nods as she shivers.
“Cold?” Josh asks.
“No . . . Barbie slow down I think we’re getting closer.”
“Your not kidding, look,” Adam says as they are on a direct collision course with an island. The only odd thing is that over the island the rain surrounds it like it was inside a glass cylinder that you can’t see. Adam pulls them ashore on the dry beach and everyone exits the boat looking at the wall of rain and then at the island that looks perfect. Not overgrown worn by time or anything else.
Wade blinks as the bowl goes black. Even Lucky doesn’t understand what is going on and smacks the bowl with the side of his paw disturbing the water but nothing else happens.
“Try changing channels,” Lucky suggests and Wade does just that and still gets nothing.
“Its not working . . . I’m gonna press the red button.” Satana appears a few seconds later. “Um it went blank . . .”
I know the elders are looking into it now to see what the cause may be. For the girls do not have such power at their command.
“Will Pyra be ok?” Lucky asks and Satana strokes his head.
Pyra is strong little one.
“Okay, but she looked sad . . .” Lucky says going to his little bed and pulling out a toy to entertain himself like the cat he currently was.
Satana vanished then in the usual showering of red glitter as Wade was left wondering what to do. Lucky seemed to just want to be a cat at the moment and he was wondering if he should wait to see if it came back or go to sleep like he really wanted to do. He decided to take a little nap and was sure now that he should have told them before they left but what difference would a little magical trip make? They’d just come back and act like being able to walk through fire was normal and everyone should be okay with it.
He sighed not really wanting to admit part of him was glad that the bowl had stopped working. Well he had found his place. Life would be back to normal for him soon enough.
Its all for the best…I keep telling myself that but…
I know but she’s reached the crossroads. It will only get worse for her after this. And we must even keep Satana in the dark.
There are so many forks in her path, so many twists and turns. But I still feel this is the worst.
The worst is still far off. Her true destiny…
Let us prepare she will join us soon
“Pyra you ok?”
“Alive,” Pyra mutters as they all stand at the beach.
Pyra looks around the island seeing a path that leads to a temple of some sort and another that leads into trees. She grimaces at the second path.
“Which way Pyra?” Mystic asks.
“Pyra you ok?”
“Alive,” Pyra mutters as they all stand at the beach.
Pyra looks around the island seeing a path that leads to a temple of some sort and another that leads into trees. She grimaces at the second path.
“Which way Pyra?” Mystic asks.
Pyra looked again to the wooded path as her heart started racing.
It felt like her heart was pounding in her ears, she grabbed the nearest form which was of course Adam who was wondering why Pyra was trying to draw blood with the way her nails were digging into his flesh. That’s when he heard it, hearts weren’t supposed to beat that fast.
“You ok?” Pyra opened her mouth to respond and started gasping for breath. Nausi walked over to her knowing the symptoms easily. She sat her down as the panic attack subsided.
”Pyra you…”
“Just had a panic attack I know,” She mutters annoyed standing dusting the sand off her behind.
“Pyra…”
“Panic Attacks induced in moments of extreme stress or fear in other words panic. Moving on.”
“Moving on?!” Nausi starts to open her mouth when a rumbling is heard behind them. They turn and are greeted by the sight of what could only be a hydra coning down the hill.
“Hydra? A mother-fucking Hydra?!” Jeff exclaims.
“Why not? Greece dude, we’re in its home town,” Shane says as they watch the six headed beast.
Legolas draws his bow and shoots it square in the chest and it falls over. Everyone blinks.
“Anticlimactic much?”
“Uh Guys…. Its still moving.”
Sure enough the Hydra staggers back to its feet and everyone blinks now not exactly sure what to do. Seeing that Legolas’ arrow was clearly buried in the monster’s chest where the heart should be. Pyra’s looking at the monster trying to remember why she wanted to chop off is heads and at the same time knowing its bad.
”How do we kill this thing?!” Jeff exclaims as it comes closer.
“You’re supposed to chop it heads off but…” Pyra doesn’t get to finish as Shane uses a sword of green light to chop off three heads and has six replace the ones it sliced off. “Yeah that!”
“Then how the hell do you kill it?”
“I don’t remember was I the only one watching Hercules?!” Pyra yells.
Nausi looks at the hydra and the chopped off head and back at the hydra. The more she thought about it the more it made sense. “We have to cauterize it.”
”Cauter what?” Adam asks.
”Mah God! Chop off the heads and light them on fire.”
“Any one got a match?” Jeff mutters.
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that okay Ana,” Pyra says growing her wings and getting ready to take off. Nausi calls on sword and fly as Shane goes up as well. Adam, Mystic, and Legolas are trying to provide a distraction to the many heads and are doing a little too well when the Hydra turns violently and sends Josh and Jeff flying into the woods. Shannon with his animal senses dodged the blow not noticing his friends weren’t as lucky.
“Okay now!” Pyra says to Shane who again slices off three heads and Pyra burns the stumps though one head almost made it. “Three’s cutting it close! Nausi!” Pyra yells as all the heads turn on Shane. She slices off two as well and in about twenty minutes there is only one head left.
They slice it off and Pyra burns the wound and the Hydra seems to fall dead but quickly the head reattaches and it tries to attack Pyra who is pulled back violently by something in the air. No one notices it right away thinking she backed away not to get eaten.
“Damn! I remember this story now! That’s the immortal head we have to bury it….” Adam says.
”Fudging Hell!” Shannon starts digging a hole and Nausi and Shane chop the head off again and Legolas uses an arrow to seal the Jaw shut as Mystic uses a tornado to speed up the hole digging. Adam is the only one willing to lift the head and toss it into the hole which is quickly covered over. Mystic then orbs a huge bolder over it and everyone takes the time to calm down.
“Where’s Jeff?” Shannon says.
”Where’s Joshua??” Mystic adds.
”Hello?! Where the fudge is Pyra?”
“What do we now? Shane asks.
*~*~*~*
Satana opened her eyes and was in empty space. What on Earth? She tried dazzling out but the red glitter went no where. The more she stayed where she was the more confused she got. She was losing all sense of direction and time… she had to get to the elders…she had to get them to help Pyra before it was too late.
*~*~*~*
Josh stirred and slowly stood at about the same time Jeff did. They looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
“This way come on,” Jeff says starting to go in a direction.
”Uh no,” Josh says about as willing to listen to Jeff as go crowd surfing at one of his own concerts.
”Look I’m in charge here and I say we go this way.” Jeff says turning back to Josh.
“Says who?!” Josh exclaims.
”Says me little man,” Jeff says poking Josh in the chest.
”You really are dumb,” Josh turns his back on Jeff. “Or maybe you just forgot…” Jeff’s about to ask what when he’s lifted off the ground by his belt buckle.
“Put me down you ass!” Jeff says trying to remove his belt buckle when his hands are drawn apart because of the metal bracelets he’s wearing at the moment.
”Don’t you ever get tired of this?” Josh says annoyed barely glancing at Jeff.
”I’m warning you…”
”No!” Josh says pulling Jeff a few inches away from him never letting go of his magnetic hold. “You will follow me OK?!”
”Ok…” Jeff says and Josh puts him down knowing his other power worked.
“Good.”
Jeff follows Josh and soon walk into a slightly wider part of the forest with less under brush heading towards a mountain. They enter a small clearing and are walking past a tree when it grabs Jeff (and to think Mystic this could have been Colin)and again sends him flying. Josh while not the world’s biggest Jeff fan runs after him to see if he’s okay. He’s sliced by a vine he doesn’t notice multiple times as if some one is lashing at him before he makes it back to the group.
Jeff’s body apparently had gotten farther than that and he’s panting as everyone approaches him as he wonders why he’s so out of breath.
”Josh, you’re bleeding. What happened?”
“Jeff…” he gasps.
“There’s a foulness in the air,” Legolas says looking back the way Josh came hearing sounds he didn’t like. He looked at Shannon who nodded.
”Like munching,” Shannon whispers.
”What?! Jeff did this?! That….” Josh shakes his head pointing in the direction Jeff fell as he started to feel dizzy. “Cricket?” The last thing Josh saw before he passed out was Mystic’s concerned face and he tried to smile for her. Mystic was so shocked she didn’t catch him as he fell. She watched horrified as the small cuts in his arms started producing vines that rooted him to the spot. She tried orbing Josh but the vines were a part of him. She tried cutting them but they would move exposing JC’s body instead.
“Where the hell did Adam go?” Shane mutters.
“Eww!” Mystic exclaims as some ant/beetle like creatures start heading towards them and them she realizes they are eating everything in their path. “Crap!” She says trying to get Josh off the floor. Shane uses his ring to make a mallet mashing the insects.
”Go! I’ll watch Josh find Jeff, Adam, and Pyra.”
“Alright, be careful Shane,” Nausi says as the rest of them go off.
*~*~*~*
Pyra watches as a body goes falling at the Adam of the clearing she’s at. She blinks and realizes its Jeff who lands with a sickening crunch. She can do little else but watch. This net whatever it was had caught her in midair and sent her hurtling into a tree as it wrapped itself around like a coil. The only thing was it continued to tighten and tighten cutting off her flow of air little by little as she inhaled. Her magic was pointless against it.
“Pyra??” She snaps her head back towards Jeff as Adam steps out into the clearing.
“Adam?” She gasps as he starts walking to her.
“Behind you!” Adam turns and is face to face with Anika. She hands him the knife she’s holding.
”Silt your throat,” Adam stares in disbelief as his hand starts moving to his neck. “Now!” He has no choice but to do as he’s told and falls to his knees bleeding profusely.
“No no, let her see,” Adam turns around and Pyra screams his name trying at the same time wondering how that had been blocked from her memory.
A flock of birds goes flying away from the sight of the scream directly in the path of the everyone who figures this is as good as a time as any to pick up the pace. They reach the clearing and Legolas and Shannon start trying to free Pyra who they can see is having large problems breathing. Shannon claws at the net and pulls back a bleeding hand.
”Damn! They sliced my claws like they were butter.”
Legolas draws his knives and doesn’t even scratch it. “By the Valar…” He mutters and Shannon figures its some kind of elf curse.
Nausi approaches with the sword and it also doesn’t make a scratch. Mystic on the other hand is being detained by Shari and Anika. Shari who has become a creature much similar to Sabertooth and Anika who is trying to get her to fall into a mind trap. Constance, Malsin, and Gabriel appear and Constance sends a lightning bolt towards Shannon and Legolas who have their backs turned. With their heightened senses both jump away and it “harmlessly” hits the tree Pyra is tied too setting it on fire.
“That’s a man?!” Constance exclaims staring at Legolas with *lusty* eyes and almost gets blown up by Nausi but Malsin blocks the shot.
”Gabriel?” Shannon whispers and she looks up.
”Shannon?!”
Everyone freezes for a moment as they look between the two wondering how they could possibly know each other. Thunder and lightning start directly overhead and everyone looks up and Malsin smiles.
A big thick drop of rain blood falls as Mystic tries yet again to to get to jeff to see if he’s alive and Shari/Sabertooth sees what’s she’s going for and lunges at Jeff claws first.
“Constance…”
“Of course,” She raises her hand drawing more lightening to her and having it ready in each hand. Shannon and Legolas step apart and Gabriel sees that she’s aiming to the left the direction Shannon went. She’s about to throw it when Gabriel shoves her. She throws the other ball of lightening at Gabriel who screams in agony.
”Gaby!!!” Shannon yells though can’t go to her as Constance starts aiming for him again.
“You dare?!” Malsin shrieks.
”I dare! And I curse you! To fail, to fall, to die one by one by her hand!” Pyra screams then as the first of the dark flames start to touch her.
“She will die this night in showers of blood and so shall you!” Malsin yells throwing what looks like a ball of negative black energy at her and Gabriel dies.
”NOOOOOOOOOOO!” Shannon howls running over to Gabriel’s body as Legolas shoots Constance in the chest.
Mystic wonders where exactly she had orbed the Sabertooth wanna be but knew it couldn’t be far since they couldn’t orb or flame off the island. She kneels next to Jeff when she hears Shannon’s and Pyra’s scream. Pyra’s confuses her more since she’s quite aware her friend’s fire proof. She starts to heal Jeff’s broken spine when she’s attacked by a dark matter ball and gets pissed off.
“Sorry cutie…” Constance says as the arrow falls to the floor without having injured her. “I knew this girdle would come in handy.”
“It can’t be.”
”Ah but it is darling… that’s some pretty hair you have there.” Legolas watches as Mystic is fighting with Malsin, Nausi is attacking the newly returned Shari and Shannon is to grief stricken to do anything as another thick drop of blood rain falls on the back of his hand and he realizes them that’s it blood.
Legolas blinks as he starts to see double and the downpour starts. Pyra doesn’t has the oxygen left to scream as the agony intensifies The lack of air and the pain proves too much as she blissfully passes out as the flames consume the entire tree and her in the process. Everyone is left to fend for themselves and aren’t doing so well.
Legolas blinks rapidly as he feels like he’s been on his feet for weeks. He looks around sees everyone’s powers getting weaker though no where as severe or as quickly as he seemed to be.
”Nausikaa!” She turns slightly still focused on battling Constance.
“{This is no mere shower of blood. It drains us all. We need shelter.}” She nods as a charged object lands in Constance’s ridiculously accented breast line. Nausi jumps back as part of the girdle and Constance explode. She screams as her blood adds to the rain seemingly forgetting completely about her lightening power glaring towards Mystic and Jeff and her injured assets as she tries to fight Mystic.
While Mystic lays the smack Down on the blond. Jeff collapses from his already not fully healed injuries and the draining effects of the blood. Shari sees this as a perfect opportunity for extermination. She morphs into a giant as Nausi fights off Malsin and Anika taunts Legolas though she’s not doing very well not knowing much about elves.
Shari is about to step on Jeff when Shannon howls. Unlike most everyone else the werewolf in him seems to feed on the blood and only increases in strength as he quickly and carefully lowers Gabriel’s body to the ground and moves Jeff out of harms way. He topples Shari after leaning Jeff against a tree.
Adam’s mouth opens the vampire I him feeding on the blood and bringing him back to life as Legolas just seems to loose more and more life. Anika believes it to be her doing as he sinks to his knees not even pretending to try and shoot one of the 17 Anika’s that dance across his vision.
”Whatever you are you die today,” Anika says raising the same knife she had given Adam. She lowers it and is stopped by a blood covered hand. She’s whirled around and pulled into what could be an embrace if it wasn’t being given by an extremely ticked vampire. He lowers his head to bite her and she starts to scream and tries to kick him away he bites her as the kicks do nothing to harm him. He stops because of two things, the elf that looks like he’s going to black out and the pile of ash that smelled didn’t smell like Pyra at the same time.
He tosses the weakened Anika aside and turns to the elf first. Its clear that Legolas can tell its him though his eyes look lost and unfocused.
”Shelter…blood…” Legolas can’t focus enough to finish the sentence as Adam scoops him up into his arms. Legolas’ head lulls to the side exposing his pale neck. Adam stares at as the blood falls on it, he licks his lips as he’s tempted to taste him. Just one small bite he wouldn’t hurt. He leans down licking the side of Legolas’ neck before he bites.
Adam blinks as his mind spins. He looks down Legolas was still on the ground and seemed to be trying his hardest to breathe and he lifted his bow and shot past Adam before finally blacking out getting Anika in the leg, which wouldn’t have been a bad shot if he hadn’t been aiming for a mortal wound. While having no idea what Adam saw he had seen the effects on the vampire. Adam lifted him into his arms as he walked over to the pile of smoldering ash that used to be a tree. He watched the blood rain fall though it didn’t disturb the pile of ash. He stuck his hand into it and pulled out a closed fist.
Legolas’ slowing pulse got his attention again. He looked around and knew the only shelter was the temple they had seen when they first landed. He looks at everyone else. Malsin was fighting both Mystic and Nausi who were down to about half strength. Shannon was becoming a more and more vicious beast losing his humanity as he attacked Shari. Adam grabbed Jeff’s also limp body as he got the girls attention and they knew he was heading for the temple. Nausi looks horrified at the sight of Legolas’ closed eyes as her and Mystic start to retreat as well.
Shane is having his own problems. The bugs seemed to be like leaches sucking up the blood rain and growing to the size of squirrels and such. He had long since been using his hurricane powers to blow the bugs away from Josh and strike them down with lightning. He’s draining fast from the exertion and the rain when he sees the bugs start to grow again. He’s already wavering in his position in the air as he wonders if anyone is left after the screams he had heard.
They all enter the temple and Adam puts down his cargo as Nausi rushes to Legolas’ side. She is whispering fervently in elvish asking for any sign that he’ll be fine.
”It’s the blood,” Adam says, “Its sucking the life out of all of you.”
”What?!” Mystic exclaims from where she was trying to figure out why Jeff had passed out and gotten re injured.
“I can see it, its taking…” His words are cut off by a rush of water as Nausi douses everyone with watery. Legolas is the first to start to recover his eyes opening and giving Nausi a wry smile. She hugged him and noticed Adam was still blood covered.
”Works different for me, Shannon too,” Adam explains one hand still clenched in a fist.
“Shane!” Nausi exclaims bumping into a statue and knocking a shield from it as she stands along with Legolas. “You can’t come,” she starts before he can protest “This blood rain hits you the worst than any of us.” Legolas doesn’t respond and picks up the shield and hands it to Nausi. She holds it over her head and runs out to help Shane. Legolas sits back down more drained then he’d like to admit in front of his love.
Nausi ran as she heard the rain pelt the shield and she wondered why it sounded more like rocks than water was hitting the shield. She was disgusted at the sight she saw. Shane was bobbing in the sky fighting to keep Josh safe. Nausi had to turn the shield on the bugs as some turned to her and she was more than shocked as they turned to stone. She just kept aiming at the bugs with the shield as she wondered what could do that. Wasn’t it Medusa’s face that could do such a thing?
“Shane don’t look!” She warns as what seems like the last of the bugs are turned to stone. Shane lands barely able to stand besides Josh. Nausi turns the shield up as an umbrella and they both watch in relief as the vines in Josh retreat and die being choked by the blood rain and their controller Lola despite her evil disposition weakening from the rain as well. They both work together to carry Josh back to the temple and Nausi rinses them off but Josh doesn’t regain consciousness.
Nausi careful not to look at the shield places it back in its place in the statue of a goddesses hand. Once she takes a good look at the statue she remembers the story. The statue was clearly Athena with her helmet and Spear. Goddess of war and wisdom, she had been given Medusa’s head and had it emblazoned on her shield.
Shane sank down to the floor content to sleep there forever the way he was feeling. Nausi noticed that they were still missing two of their ranks. Shannon she knew was still fighting but Pyra had fallen out of her radar for a while now. She looked over at Mystic who was touching a part of a mural on the wall of a flaming whip. She gasped in happy surprise as the whip lifted from the painting and became real. She quickly saw why when a completely animalistic Shannon charged into the temple. She lashed her whip like a lion tamer when he went for the side by side still forms of Josh and Jeff.
“Man I hate that stupid shape shifting bitch!” Mystic exclaims wishing her energy balls were more than a bug zapper at the moment.
”That’s Shannon,” Adam says though he makes no move to help Mystic.
“How..” Adam points to his nose and Nausi figures this is another blood rain thing and drowns Shannon who becomes the young man and he blinks.
”I’m… I …sorry,” Mystic nods much too happy about her new toy to care.
”That just leaves Py…”
”We should go…” Adam says.
“Uh have you seen what that rain does? And the way our powers are we can’t even shield ourselves from it.”
Legolas is walking around the temple looking at the mural and the statues the way they tell a story reminding him of the walls in the last homely house. He freezes when he sees a golden haired archer shooting at the sky. While the hair is more like Adam’s then his own he follows as the arrow brings back light. He touches it but it doesn’t come out like the whip did for Mystic. He looks at the statue and sees the same blond but he’s holding a lute not a bow.
Legolas shakes his head knowing the idea was a long shot anyway. He plucks one of the strings and the statues move apart. A giant golden bow rises out of the ground. He stares it was almost as tall as he was.
“That’s the golden bow? How the F are you supposed to shoot that?” Mystic asks.
Legolas looks around and notices that the bow in the mural has become real though it’s the size for a child. He vibrates the string and the same happens for the giant bow. He draws the bow taunt aiming for where the sun should be if it was still out and shoots. A blinding beam of light goes flying from both bows. The smaller one arching into the sky and falling back down into the pile of ash that was Pyra. The larger starting a chain reaction in the sky. It looks like a tornado starts in the sky followed by a rain of fire.
Legolas steps back as the larger bow goes back into the ground and the smaller starts becoming 2-D. He places it back on the wall as everyone stares at the change in the sky.
Malsin and her girls have finally all gathered up and blink back to the mainland to repair their injuries glad that they at least got something done. The death of Pyra.
The temple starts to catch fire and everyone decides its time to head to the boats. The strangely detached Adam lifts both unconscious men into his arms and moves faster than the eye can see to get them into the boat. He’s back at the temple before Shane has gotten to his feet and he takes Shane next followed by Shannon. Mystic, Nausi and Legolas all refuse the help making their way to the boat safely on their own.
They are just starting out on the water when the sky clears revealing the sun and the island seems to magically restore itself before vanishing from their sight. Adam finally opens his fist looking at the pendant the only thing that had survived the bonfire those witches started.
“Uh Adam?” Mystic says walking over to him on one of the few outside parts of the boat.
“Yeah?” He says closing his hand again.
”What you got there?”
”Nothing now,” he says showing the pendant and Mystic blinks.
”But she never…”
”Takes it off? Truth is she can’t she told me once, she uses magic to hide it sometimes.”
”But if…”
”Haven’t you wondered where she was?”
“Yeah but everything was so crazy…”
”She knew!” Adam says suddenly angry.
”Knew what?” Mystic asks.
”That she wouldn’t leave that island alive.”
“She could be alive.”
”Mystic she was charbroiled. Even her bones were ashes, I could even still smell her fear.”
Mystic doesn’t know what to say to that and instead watches a bird flying towards them as she watches it increases in size until it becomes the size of something that couldn’t possibly be a bird. Mystic and Adam realize it’s a person at about the same time and Mystic has an energy ball in her hand but Adam holds her hand stopping her from attacking as the teenage boy with the white wings and blue cutoff jeans lands and hands his bundle to Adam.
He looks at a small pink baby with a small amount of black hair. Despite the fact that the baby is white there is no denying the fact that its Pyra. At least not to him.
”Who are you? Who’s that?” Mystic says pointing to the baby.
”I’m…I’m going to faint,” he says falling over. Mystic catches him and he’s actually very light. The four of them go to the cabin back to everyone else and the boy wakes a few seconds later.
”Sorry, its been a while since I was solid,” he turns to Adam, “She need sunlight and lots of it.” He nods going back on deck.
“Who…” Mystic starts again.
”Where are my manners? Though its been a while since I’ve been seen by mortals, I’m Eros, you may also know me by my Roman name…”
”Cupid,” Mystic finishes.
“Cupid? Where…” Shannon starts.
”It was my mother who never wanted me too grow up, I must have spent 10,000 years as that cherub child.”
”10,000 years how old are…” Nausi starts.
“Older than he is,” Eros says pointing at Legolas. “Much older, we were old when the Greeks took us on and nearly dead when the Romans did.” Eros says sitting down and folding his wings calmly. "One at a time he says right before Shane, Nausi, Mystic and Jeff start taking at the same time.
"Where did,"
"Who's the,"
"How are..."
"Why are..."
"Hey! You like read my mind..."
"I am a god, a very tired one but still a god. But I must commend you it took me a moment to get in," He says smiling at Mystic. "Now to answer your questions. I come from well let’s just say Greece, the baby is Pyra reborn, Valentine’s day is all that truly keeps me alive, and I did this because a force stronger than me asked me too, there is no one left on earth who could find that island now." He closes his eyes for a moment and sighs. He looks at Legolas and Nausi and grins. He looks at Shannon and the grin fades and confusion colors his features when his glance falls on Jeff and Josh. They had been dumped on the couch by Adam and no one had moved them. In their sleep they had shifted and their arms were around each other.
“Shouldn’t someone separate those two before they wake in about 5 seconds?” Nausi plops herself between them as they both start to stir.
”Nausi?”
”Hey Chazie how you feeling?”
”Tired but okay, what happened?”
”Who are you?” Jeff asks directly across from Eros so that he was the first thing he saw. Josh turned and blinked as he saw the winged man talking to Shannon calmly. Adam returns then with a fully grown Pyra wearing his dress shirt. He was carrying her and she just pulled at his hair.
“Pyra?” She doesn’t acknowlAdam Legolas saying her name as everyone turns to look at the couple. Adam looks anything but happy.
“Wasn’t she just a baby?” Mystic says noticing Pyra’s extra long hair.
“Yeah,” Adam says listlessly.
”Pepito shouldn’t you be happier?”
“There’s nothing there,” Adam says as Eros walks over to them. He puts a hand on Pyra’s forehead.
”Odd.”
“What?”
“She has no soul, not new not old, give her some time she must be on a journey. Pray it returns her to you all.”
Mystic notices Adam trying to keep Pyra decent and orbs some clothes on her only to see them fade away back into blue lights. Mystic watches in annoyance.
“You sure she’s not there?”
“Quite,” he says, if you want her dressed it will have to be the old fashioned way. It just solidifies the fact she may return and her body must be kept safe. No magic can touch her until then.”
“See invincible Pepito, you can put her down,” Mystic says.
“She can’t walk. She’s still like a baby.”
“Oh," Mystic says nodding looking at Pyra who's staring right back at her.

j o J 7 j o J

Pyra blinked as she was floating through a tunnel of some sort. ‘Light at the end of the tunnel?’ She stopped moving her mind a little fuzzy despite the pull to reach the end of the tunnel. It took another second but then she realized what had happened. She was dead. For some reason it didn’t disturb her as much as she thought it would. She starts moving to the light again and hears a strange whirring noise. Like a vacuum moments before she is sucked out of the tunnel through the side.
She sputters not knowing until then that she had been floating in water. She looks around her and sees a very white place. There were pillars all around and the ceiling looked to be giant shards of crystal.
There were colors in the crystal but she couldn’t make them out. They were just colorful blurs but they looked like pictures. She shrugged was this heaven?
Not quite
Yes you know us, though this is the first time you have actually entered our realm.
“Oh you’re the Elders,” Pyra says.
Yes and we brought you here to make a choice.
“What kind of choice?” Pyra says to the two beings of light.
It has come to our attention that you have suffered a great strain in being the last hope.
We offer you rest.
”Rest?”
You’re greatest task defeating Sana has long been accomplished.
There are others to deal with the witches. You would be replaced as the fighter on earth.
“Ok…what would happen to me?”
You have many choices on that matter. You could remain here and be like Satana.
You could go on to your final rest and remain there this time.
“What? What do you mean remain there?”
You could also choose to be born again, under much happier conditions. We would even give you the choice of choosing your life.
Finally you could choose to go back to your body and continue to fight the forces of darkness for us.
“Oh,” Pyra says wondering why this was taking any thought at all she wanted to go back didn’t she?
Do not be so rash, look at what we are offering you.
Legna has to force her self to remain silent at Bob’s words. He was just doing what they had to. They had to make sure there would be no coercing Pyra into returning and that the angels believed there was no coercing. Pyra had to know everything she was offered and had to weigh them equally or else. She sighed they knew they had Brody but there was something different about Pyra.
We will be providing you with a guide to aid you in your search.
Pyra turns as a person appears beside her. He looked about seven with short spiky black hair, green eyes and very pale skin and pink cheeks.
"Hello?" Pyra says looking at the boy.
"Hi, so come on its stuffy in here!" Pyra looks at the kid perplexed and he rolls his eyes. "What just cause I'm six I can't help you make an earth shattering decision?" He reminds her of another green eyed little guy.
"What's your name?"
"Don't worry about it you won't remember me anyway."
"What if I like choose to stay here?"
"Well then I'll tell you if you stay, come on what do you want to see first, Heaven, what you will have if you go back, the life you can choose or working here?"
"Working here," Pyra says becasue she still has no doubts she will go back and she's curious.
"Well hold on we're gonna do a little time-dimension altering."
They arrive back on earth a few months in the future in a demension where Pyra has chosen to work for the elders as a higher spirit. She is dressed in flame colored robes and she is talking to a boy who is stroking a black cat.
"Brody do I look like I care? The witches will come after you no matter what's in your schedule don't you think you should have told this Fiance of yours that you had magical powers and a destiny to..."
"Man don't you get tired of that?"
"Who's side are you on Jynx?"
"I've seen enough no thanks I couldn't be Satana, it just wouldn't work," Pyra says and the boy nods.
"Surprise surprise, well next we'll play pick a life. You seem to like fame let's see." They travel to a dimension were Pyra is a actress. She is Oscar winning and has quite a large amount of serious roles. Pyra realizes that they are in "her" living room in a mansion. One look out the window shows that she is on the west coast or Florida with the visible palm trees. She walks around the house not sure what she's looking for when she sees a photo album on the table. She starts flipping through it and is surprised to see that most of the pictures are of her and various hollywood celebrities with that 'we don't know each other but we're both pretty face'. There isn't a single picture of her and some one special like a friend or a boyfriend.
"This is way too Lucky-ish..."
"What?! The boy exclaims startled."
"You know that stupid Britney Spears song. It just screams the lines 'If there is nothing missing in her life why do tears come at night' I'm sorry I just can't see myself happy without friend. I know I want to go back do we have to keep doing this?"
"You have to see all the possiblities no rash decisions."
"Fine fine what's left?"
"Heaven and you returning to your life."
"Where are we going first?"
"To see your return first. This one will be a little different. You will experince one of your best moments and one of your worst."
Pyra was sitting on an examination table holding Adam's hand. They were both grinning madly. 'They were gonna be parents.' Pyra was still on that high when she was transported again.
She was suddendly standing in front of Adam and she couldn't do anything to affect what she was saying. "...I can't trust you any more I'm sorry." She watches as he nods and she can feel both her and his hearts ripping appart. Why was this happening to them? She blinked the tears away before they fell and she was in middle ground with the kid again.
He silently lead her to some golden gates and the moment they stepped inside she felt the glee from having a child multiplied a billion times over. She had never felt so complete and so at peace. She felt so relaxed. She didn't know when he pulled her out of it.
"But I..." Pyra starts then realizes its decision time.
Before it had been so clear cut. She wanted to go back. She knew she did or she had before.
She sat down, heaven had been so nice, she didn't have to worry about anything, she was so calm. And the happiness, only that feeling of having a baby could compare to it. She smiles her decision had been made for her.
"I'm going back, as me, good, bad, and blonds."
"Remember you won't remember anything, ever," the kid says.
"So how does this work?"
"Just go to sleep." Pyra stares at the boy as if he was mad and he takes something out of thin air and hands it to her. A small stuffed black cat with glittering green eyes. Pyra smiles as she sits down wondering where the tired feeling suddendly came from. She closed her eyes and never noticed when the little boy transformed into a cat and back into his kitty box with no memory of the events.
On the boat Adam was still cradling the empty Pyra as she started getting warmer. He instantly became more alert as she started to get a little bit too warm for his vampiric tastes but he was afraid to put her down.
He's staring directly into her eyes when she blinks and blinks again recognition and much more in her eyes.
The next moments seems to be in slow motion to Adam. Pyra goes flying out of his arms as her own trademark clothes and hair appear. She huddles in a corner covering her head shaking.
"Pyra?"
"What on earth is wrong with her?"
Adam starts moving slowly towards his girlfriend but jumps back quicly when the air around her starts to shimmer.
The clothes and hair vanish as she's back in Adam's shirt. The shimmering stops and Pyra sort of falls over into a fetal position.
She opens her eyes and she's on the floor clutching the teddy bear. She blinks she had seen Adam, then everything had started to hurt it had been unbearable like fire. She was in the white halls again looking at the crystal shards and she finally realized it was people traped in them. They were all wearing regal robes and looked like they could be from Rome or Greece way back when. What on earth was that?
Hello Pyra.
Well it seems sending you back may be a little more difficult then first anticipated.
"And what does that mean?"
Nothing to worry about, just that it will take our power and your strength to bring you back.
Please step onto the image of the sun.
Pyra does as she is told standing on the image as it starts to glow. Back on earth Adam's pocket catches fire.
"Eh Pepito your on fire," Mystic says as Adam jumps putting out his pocket.
"What the fudge is in your pocket man?" Adam shrugs and pulls out Pyra's pendant which is starting to glow.
"I'll take that," Eros says walking over to Pyra and placing it on her neck. No one had made a move to go to her since Adam refused to pick her up again and wouldn't let anyone else. The burns on his arms were just starting to heal and he hadn't bothered to ask Mystic to do it. He was in a very very bad mood.
Eros stood turning his head to the side as if he was hearing something. He sighs tiredly and picks Pyra up and walks out the door and takes off into the sky.
“He could have said bye I mean really now.”
“How about where Pyra was being taken?” Josh says annoyed.
“Yeah that too,” Mystic says.
“We’re almost there,” Legolas says pointing to the island Pyra had flamed them to before creating the boat.
Nausi lead the boat safely to the shore and they all got off for no other reason then they were lost on what to do. They couldn’t just lead a silver yacht back to the mainland when it had never left it. They all stand on the island and Shannon walks off looking towards the cliff where Pyra had claimed to see Cupid.
”Guess she was right,” he whispers as some colors catch his eyes.
”Uh, Legolas can you tell what that is?” The elf turns to where Shannon is pointing.
“Adam…you may want to take a look over there.”
”What?” The vampire says in quite the foul mood.

“You know you won’t remember this right?”
”Why not? I always wanted to know what happened to you guys.”
”Not my call,” Eros says to Pyra who sighs.
”So now what do I do?”
“I don’t know I was just told to bring you here.”
“Hmm, what’s so special about here?”
”To me everything, its where I met Persephone.”
”Aww,” Pyra says wanting to ask what happened to her but then thinking against it.
”She didn’t make it, very few of the untrue immortals did.”
“Not to interrupt…” Adam says fist clenched.
“Hey Barbie,” Pyra says calmly.
“Hey! Hey! You knew! I know you did!” Adam exclaims.
“Knew what?” Pyra says still very calm. She looks down the cliff towards, everyone else and stands. She takes Adam’s hand and shivers slightly. “You’re cold.” Adam stares disbelieving at Pyra as she leads him down the cliff. “Hey peoples.”
“Py…Pyra?” Josh stammers holding her in a crushing embrace, and Pyra gets a flash of vines and leeches. She blinks confused.
”Joshie let go,” Pyra says and he is instantly replaced by Shannon and she get an image of a tree and staggers back in horror.
Eros flies down then. “Don’t touch her its too soon.”
”Too soon for what?” Adam asks.
”If you haven’t noticed she’s a little confused. Her magic is overly sensitive and images from what happened triggered what you saw on the boat. Because of that we have blocked them until they reach a reasonable level.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Her magic will make her relive the pain of death until it returns to a stable level so the memories of such were blocked but your touches make her see your memories.”
“Still here, what death are you talking about?” Pyra asks.


Pyra climbed into the hotel bed ignoring Adam’s coldness. If he wanted to bitch he was free to do so for whatever reason it was. She didn’t even bother looking at him sitting in the chair on the balcony the bed much more enticing then her boyfriend.
She lay awake for a few minutes thinking of what had happened. After Eros’ little speech no one had come near her. She had just sat there as Legolas spotted a tourist ship coming. They were just going to blend in, to get back to the main land. He became Orlando again and she made the ship disappear. Adam refused to look at her the entire time and she didn’t have the energy to figure out why.
She had wished she could talk to Josh but he was wiped out. Mystic had to practically carry him to the boat then back to the room. But she had had some help, Jeff had pushed aside his rivalry to help, which made sense since he really had more to worry about from Colin.
Now why was Barbie in bitch mode? He rarely got angry at her, hell they rarely got angry at each other. Maybe this would make more sense in the morning. She closes her eyes and sleep claims her quickly.
She wakes disoriented, the room was bathed in early morning sunlight, there were strong arms wrapped around her and a voice in her head. No some one was whispering.
”Shh, its okay its over now,” Adam whispers.
Pyra blinks her mind clearing and she starts trying to push Adam away from her. “Let go.” She says getting nowhere.
“Pyra its me,” Adam says and Pyra uses magic to get away from him and Adam falls flat on his ass beside the bed.
”I know,” Pyra says standing.
”What you do that for?!” Adam exclaims.
“Why were you hugging me?”
“You were screaming, and crying out in your sleep, you wouldn’t wake up.”
“Oh.”
“Why’d you push me?”
“Clearly you’re mad at me, some bad dream doesn’t make everything better. You gonna tell me now why now?”
“If you don’t…”
”Fuck that!” Pyra yells walking out. What the hell was he a stupid tv girl? If you don’t know I’m not going to tell you? She flames her phone and sees its almost 10. She goes down to the hotel banquet room and finds all her peoples finishing their breakfast.
“Pyra, how are you feeling?” Jeff asks.
”Still alive.”
”Where’s-“
”Being an ass, he actually said if I didn’t know why he was mad he wasn’t going to tell me.”
“Do you, uh remember.” Shane asks.
Pyra shivers slightly and the ever polite Orlando gives up his chair and she turns it down, he frowns, and Nausi pulls her down. “Yeah,” she whispers as a cup of juice is shoved towards her and she smiles at Josh.
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk to him?”
”What’s he mad at? Me dying?!”
”Uh…he said you knew. Did you have a premonition before this?” Mystic asks.
“I had like four.”
”Did you know you…were gonna come back?”
”No,” Pyra says sipping her juice.
“But you knew you were gonna die?” Nausi asks.
”Yeah.”
“And you didn’t tell us?!” Josh exclaims.
“What the hell was I supposed to say? Hey guys if we go to this Island I’ll die; but if we don’t What? will be destroyed and people like Wade and the gate guards along with all of us will die?” Everyone is silent at this, they knew the predicting the future was iffy at best, but to actually see both alternates must be quite upsetting. “Besides, the closer we got here the less real it seemed and the harder to remember until it was just gone. Do you actually think I would have let Barbie in this hemisphere if I believed he would end up with his throat slit in a pool of his own blood?”
“I think we should continue this upstairs,” Orlando says glancing at a whole crowd of people starting to enter the once nearly empty hall. They go up to the top floor and Mystic indicates for them to go into the room Pyra and Adam share. Pyra shrugs but goes along with it. Adam is again a resident of the balcony and looks at everyone entering.
”Why you sitting out there?” Mystic asks.
“Why not?” Adam replies.
”Cause everyone’s out here, come on,” Mystic says annoyed and Adam sighs coming out to join the group.
“So is there a reason, you guys are all here?” Pyra asks as everyone gets comfortable.
“Well talking about all that stuff in front of regular people didn’t make much sense.” Shane says.
”No one’s talking now.”
“Well, you gonna tell us why you didn’t tell us about the premonition.”
“What part of unavoidable fate don’t you understand. What part of no matter what happened there’d be death, what part of me speaking fucking escapes you!” Pyra yells.
”Geez, Pyra, all he did was ask a question.”
”That I already answered,” Pyra says flopping down. “Besides, it was like intangible. It was like I knew I had to go and do this but why I couldn’t explain until too late. It was the weirdest set of visions I’ve ever had OK?”
“Pyra calm down,” Orlando says as he sees the fire in her eyes.
”Then stop asking me stupid questions!”
”I didn’t fucking ask!” Orlando snaps.
“Whatever,” Pyra says crossing her arms.
“Pyra…”
”What do you want?” She asks glaring at Adam.
”Forget it,” Adam says walking out.
”Ass,” Pyra mutters.
Everyone watches as Adam leaves glancing between one another all wondering who would go after him, if for no other reason to call him a retard. Shane and Orlando stand at the same time, look at each other shrug and walk out to the elevator. They speak as they wait for it to arrive.
”What are you going to say?”
”I can’t decide between stop being a fucking ass and thank you.”
”I think thanks might be better,” Shane says, “for what?”
”He saved my life.”
“Oh. Where did he go?” Shane ponders as they reach the lobby.
“There Orlando says pointing to a tourist shop outside the hotel. He was idly browsing the aisles and stopped to look at a display as they walked in.
”Go away,” Adams says as they approach him.
”You’ve been spending too much time with Pyra,” Shane says smiling.
“Shane, Please.”
”Man what the fuck is this?” Orlando says looking at the Renaissance style Cupid statues that had caught Adam’s attention,
“How are you a pure being? Shouldn’t you find cursing vulgar?”
”Fuck fuck fuck fuck fukity fuck fuck,” Orlando replies to the stupid question. “Shouldn’t you be burning in the light of the sun?
“Fine,” Adam says.
“Here this is perfect,” Shane says returning from another aisle.
“I can’t believe they have that here.”
”The many faces of Cupid. They also have this one but it kinda reminds me of you, not that it looks like you but…”
”No I’ll take this one.”
“Is that all a gift? Why not flowers?” Orlando asks.
”Pyra doesn’t like flowers, or most chocolate. And if I just give her this she’ll throw it at my head.”
“What are you going to say then?” Shane asks.
“That’s a good question,” Adam says as he charges the figurine since none of them had converted their money into the Greek currency.
“I’m sorry?”
”What would I do with out you Shane? Besides that.”
“I’m sorry I’m such a fucking ass who doesn’t…”
”Thanks Orlando.”
“Okay okay, maybe you should tell her what stupid reason made you mad in the first place, and then say you’re sorry for being an ass,” Orlando says.
”Sounds like a plan, but let’s hear this first. We don’t have the time to explain why you go flying out a penthouse window to the Greek Police.”
”Adam runs down his apology and after a few tries both Orlando and Shane approve. They go back to the hotel and Orlando and Shane clear out the room. Shane laughs looking at Jeff so that was why the boy hadn’t gone to talk to Adam he was sound asleep.
“Jeff wake up.”
”Huh? What its over?” Shannon shakes his head and leads his bewildered friend out of the room.
Adam enters and looks at Pyra who’s lying on the bed an arm over her eyes and another over her stomach. Her legs draped off the side as if she was about to stand.
”Pyra?”
”Nope the Queen of the Damned,” Pyra replies but doesn’t move.
“Uh can we talk?”
”You can talk.” Adam sighs sitting beside her on the bed and then laying down like she is his head turned towards her.
“Its just that, this entire time I felt like you were keeping something. And then, those little cryptic messages, then when you…it was like everything fell into place. I couldn’t understand why you would have done it. And what’s worse is I couldn’t understand why you refused to tell me anything. I never thought you might have been just as confused. What I’m trying to say is I’m sorry.” Adam says looking at Pyra who still hasn’t moved. “Pyra?”
”I can’t help it. You try keeping yourself a secret your entire life and see how well you let people know stuff.”
”But you don’t have to do that anymore.”
”Adam,” Pyra says finally turning to look at him. “Let’s say you never had to I don’t know brush your teeth again. Your breath wouldn’t stink your teeth wouldn’t rot, you’d wake up minty fresh, would you be able to just stop?”
“I think I understand,” Adam says leaning forward and kissing Pyra. He pulls away and stands walking back to the door and he lifts the gift he had purchased.
Pyra looks at him oddly but takes the gift and pulls out the figurine and starts laughing. “You’re a crazy boy.”
“I knew you would like it.”
”I think Eros would be insulted but heck yeah I like it, it’s the cat. Dressed up as the laziest cupid ever.” Adam laughs as Pyra flops back down.

j o J Epilogue j o J

Pyra, Josh, and Adam return to their house and Lucky runs into Pyra’s arms. Pyra feels a wetness on her cat and believe he’s crying. Did cats normally cry.
”Aww fluffy one, I’m fine.”
“But we couldn’t see you any more. And you were sad.”
“Its okay we’re all fine, see, not a scratch.”
”Where’s Wade?” Josh says looking around.
“Right here,” he says coming down the stairs. “I need to talk to you guys.”
”Okay,” Pyra says as Lucky moves to accost Josh.
”I’m fine, Lucky,” Josh says petting the cat as the three of them sit down and Adam makes himself scarce.
”Well you guys remember how I was just going to stay here until I found my place?”
”Yeah.”
”Well I found it.”
”Oh,” Josh says.
”When do you leave?”
”Uh, well actually the thing is…”
”His room is already empty,” Lucky mutters from JC’s lap.
“So you already moved out?” Pyra says a little surprised.
”Yeah, but I want to thank the both of you for letting me stay here like this and making me feel at home.” “No problem Wade.”
”Anytime, you were great company.”
“So you’re leaving now?”
”Yeah,” Wade says standing and Pyra and Josh stand as well.
He hugs Pyra first, then Josh and then pets Lucky. He walks out and Pyra and Josh exchange a look.
”Who thinks we were too weird for him?” Pyra and Josh raise an arm and Lucky raises a paw.
“And he was nice too, though I did have to keep reminding him to feed me, too much magic for him.”
”Yeah he was cool peoples.”
“So now what?”
“We sit? Our happy little dysfunctional family?”
”I’m in a broken home. I’m such a sad sad cat,” Lucky says pretending to sniffle.
”Too many talk shows for you.”
Pyra and Josh sit down and turn on the Tv and almost scream when an episode of Hercules stars. “Movies?”
”Movies,” Pyra says as they link arms and walk into the den to choose a movie. They choose, the Crow and head into the movie room, with the big soft chairs. Josh goes to make popcorn and Pyra goes to reclaim Adam.
They all sit down, Pyra and Lucky in between Adam and Josh.
“People once believed that when someone dies,
A crow carries their soul to the land of the dead
But sometimes
Something so bad happens
That a terrible sadness is carried with it
And the soul can’t rest.
Then sometimes,
Just sometimes,
The crow can bring that soul back
To the put the wrong things right.

The End