Prologue: Gone Forever

I was born, probably the biggest mistake I've ever made... Existing, being alive, because all it did was bring trouble. That's what I thought at first...

 

I ran around the field a bunch of times with Bella and Lucy, my best friends. We chased each other and laughed with shining smiles, the most precious smiles on earth. The sun was bright and blazing.

“Let's get some water!” I suggested with a wide grin.

“Good idea, I'm dying!” Bella replied. We walked over to an old dry water pump. I pressed the handle but no water came out.

“Let me try!” Bella said as she shoved me away. I smiled and watched her pump the handle a million times.

“It's the dry season, there won't be much water.” I giggled as I looked up at the sun.

“Hey, where's Lucy?” she suddenly asked.

“I don't know, she was right here.” I added. We looked around us, but there was only a dry field where we were playing. I turned around and saw Carl, another friend of mine, running up the hill.

“Hello!” he greeted.

“Hi! Did you see Lucy?” I said back. He shook his head.

“Wasn't she with you?” he explained.

“She was but she just disappeared...” described Bella.

“Anyway, your mom wanted us to collect some of the crops that are still fresh.” Carl remarked.

“Oh, well, we can look for Lucy later. She probably found some water.” I assumed. With that, we walked towards the crop field. Most of the crops were dry. I was only about five, short and adorable. All the kids in my village were cutest when they were five years old.

“None of these are fresh...” concludes Carl, as he picked up another dead crop. I looked at my friend's disappointed face, then at the sky. The sun was now blazing hot. I closed my eyes and felt something. Water... Water... Rain... I slowly rose my hand put them in the air. I concentrated harder... Something going to happen, something big. I opened my eyes and a droplet of water fell on my nose. I stared at it in awe. Another fell, then another. Soon, it was raining! I looked at Bella and Carl, with their mouths wide open. I broke the silence and smiled.

“It's raining again!” I cheered. They both smiled and we started to run around the field. I looked the sky once again. Did I make it rain? No, it's just a coincidence. Or was it...

Chapter 1: The Day Came

I was surrounded by water. Everything just wasn't clear. My life was ruined, my future, what was going on?! Suddenly, a splash of freezing cold water splatted on me.

“Wake up Jane!” said a familiar voice. It was Carl.

“Carl?” I moaned. Great! The man I liked was waking me up.

“Quick! It's time for the ceremony!”

“What ceremony?” I questioned.

“No time to explain. Just, dress up and get outside!” he called as he ran down the stairs. I looked confused. What ceremony? I got up and looked at my bandage from yesterday. Training, just training. I looked at a bucket of water. I thought back at my dream. Water... I concentrated and put my hand in front of the water. The water levitated. It was amazing. I possessed the element of water! As soon as I got dressed, I saw Bella.

“Bella!” I exclaimed. She turned around and hugged me.

“Hey!” she greeted.

“I have the element of water!” I jumped with glee.

“That's not new.” she sighed. I was confused. She grabbed my arm and brought me to the centre of the village where the Fountain of Beginning stood. There was a big crowd around the rim of the fountain. The whole village was staring at me. The mayor of the village brought me up in front of townspeople. I saw Shi Fu, my master, staring at me. What was going on? I looked at everybody.

“Jane, dip your broken arm in the water.” asked the mayor. I did as he said. The water soon was travelling up my arm. Little streams. I was amazed. My arm felt better. The crowd gasped. Next, the mayor asked me to try to levitate the water. I concentrated like in the morning when I just woke up. Water... Rise... Fountain... Beautiful... The water levitated again.

“We have an element holder!” announced the mayor.

 

                                                                                 **********

 

I went up to Shi Fu for some answers.

“Shi Fu, what is going on?” I asked, still surprised and confused at the same time.

“You're the chosen one, the one to seek the Diamond of Truth.” he explained, as he started to walk.

“What chosen one? What diamond?” I was confused. He sighed.

“Let's start from the very beginning Jane. Long ago, the world was created using four elements: water, fire, earth and air.”

“Continue...”

“But not everyone apprieciated the creation. There was also the Evil World, the demons and their Great Dark Lord, as you know. They were greedy and wanted to possess or control the four elements. So to keep the dark side from controlling the four elements, they have been passed down to four special people. Each possessing one element,” he paused for a moment. “One of them was your ancestor. So you possess the element of water.”

“Why do I have to find this Diamond of Truth? What does this diamond have that's so important and special?” I complained.

"The diamond is a symbol of peace and to show the truth. The demons could use it to find great power." explained Shi Fu.

"So I'm suppose to find this Diamond of Truth and protect it from the demons?" I ensured.

“Yes, the lessons we've learned was to prepare you for the day. The day you leave. The day you will start a new journey.” he added. I paused for a long moment.

“You mean, I have to leave? Forever?” I asked.

“No, not forever. But maybe for a couple of years. Ah, and your sword possesses the element of water too. Use it against demons like we practised.”

“When do I leave?” I asked my last question.

“Tomorrow.”

 

I walked slowly towards the streets. Everyone stopped and looked at me.

“Jane!” cried Bella. I looked at her. “Surprising, eh?”

“Yeah.” I replied. Suddenly, Carl came up to me. “Carl!”

“Hey.” he greeted.

“Oh, I need to help out with something...” added Bella, knowing that she was trying to say 'I better leave you two alone...'

“So,” said Carl, with his cheeks red and his hands in his pockets. His brown bangs blocked his eyes, like usual, trying to hide his emotions.

“Yeah, I'm leaving tomorrow.” I sighed.

“Wow. That's soon.” he said.

“Um, Carl,”

“Yeah?”

“Did you know about this?” I asked. Our eyes met each other and we gazed at each other.

"We had theories until that day you made it rain. Remember? You asked for rain when we were collecting the crops and it started raining." It was true. That day, so many things happened to me. For one, it was my birthday. My birthday, the day Lucy disappeared... The day I made it rain.

“Oh. Well, it was a funny moment!” I pointed out.

“Yeah,” he giggled. “I'm gonna miss you. You're funny, nice, the village won't be the same.” I blushed and looked back at him.

“I'll always remember the happy memories.” I admitted. He looked down at his navy blue sweater and moved his bangs. We looked at each other for a long time. There was nothing else to say. Everything I had learned in this village was to prepare me for tomorrow. The day I began something new.

                                                             *************************

“So I guess this is goodbye” sighed Bella. After I had found out I was the chosen one destined to find the Diamond of Truth, I had more respect than any person in the world.

“It's fine Bella,” I said to cheer her up, “I'll be back as soon as I find that diamond.”

“But Jane!” she argued, “What- what if you never come back?” I started to hesitate. What if Bella is right? What if I never come back alive? I didn't reply as if I didn't know. I grabbed my weapon and my bag and headed off into the woods. My village waved and it all went silent. I seemed to see Carl at the front, waving at me. Sixteen years of age... Chosen to find a diamond... Defeating demons and... with the element of water. Okay, okay. I get it! Ever since I was born, I had a relation with water. The village lived near a river. My village isn't very big. Just a little area in the West. As the West villagers say, “The smallest things are the most special in the world”. Our houses were ordinary ancient chinese houses. We have two levels and it's quite cozy in there...

 

As I walked farther and farther away from the West, it was getting dark. By now, demons would be roaming around looking for someone to take over. Demons belong to a different world, known as the underworld. Some would escape and enter our world, and take over human beings. It's pretty scary how they do it. They're like ghosts. They see heat, so whatever is hot or warm (like a human), what they see is a purple- red coloured figure. The rest shines blue or black. They make this heavy breathing sound when they're happy or hungry. They can make this rustling noise through the trees. Demons can take over any living or dead body. As long as it was once alive, demons have the ability to take over it. No one can perfectly describe a demon. They're sort of like black ghosts. When they are killed, they disappear into a black smoke. Demons can hurt you in 2 different ways: biting and taking over your body. Once you are bitten by a demon, you slowly turn evil. The only cure is to dip your injured body part to the Fountain of Peace. If not, you will be evil for the rest of your life. The bite turns permanent after 2 nights, after that, it becomes permanent. Demons can take over your body by simply just charging into your body. All of a sudden, your mind can't control your body. You don't know what is going on and what you're doing. I can't be demon possessed because I have special powers. I'm not completely human. I'm a element holder. It just means I can't be taken over. But I can be bitten. I can kill a demon when it is possessing a body. I just simply strike my sword at the human as if I were killing him/her and the demon inside dies. Demons are mostly active at night. That's why I better be careful.

 

As the sun sets, I gather fire wood, food and materials for a good shelter. I don't really need a shelter because I could just melt into water and sleep in the river bed. The river is my survival. I get healed, fed, protected by water. I make a fire and start to fall asleep. Suddenly, I hear a rustle in the trees. The demons have spotted me.

Chapter 2: Woods of Surprises

I was getting ready to draw my sword, and the rustling stopped. It all went silent. It was safe to sleep. I put out the fire and melted into water. Sleeping in the river bed is probably safer. I thought of Carl and my friends. I would miss them. That will never change me. Ever. I started to think of the day I would return and see Carl again. We would be so happy. Very happy. That night, I had a dream. Some say the dream watchers will come down to warn you or tell you the future. Dream watchers are spirits that warn you and can tell the future. And each dream they give you has a meaning. I in the middle of nowhere, sitting on a rock. I saw a reflection of me and 3 other people. They looked the same age as me. Two of them were smiling, but one looked ill. “Jane, Jane! Help me!” she whispered trying to scream. The other two who were perfectly fine were staring at me. One of them looked wise. The other had a pony tail. The one with the pony tail seemed nicer. That's when I woke up. I didn't understand what had happened. Was I just demon possessed? That's impossible. But there I was, sitting in the middle of the water, deep in. Fishes were swimming around me. An otter looked at me and swam away. I can breathe underwater like a fish, swim faster than a dolphin and yet, be dry. I can also walk, stand and run on water. It's just the awesome part of being a element holder. I got out and packed my items. I can also raise water, make a whirl pool and shoot water at enemies. But I only do that when the village has it's annual water fight. It's the best time of the year! Teams would come up with a name and they'd just blast themselves with water balloons. The winning team gets a trophy. I've won it may times. I always partner up with Lucy and Bella, my best friends. Lucy has blue eyes and blond hair. She is very funny but not much of a talker. Bella loves to talk and complain. She wonders a lot and she's very curious. Bella is fourteen years old and Lucy is sixteen. I really wish they'd come with with me. But like they say, learn from the past, live for the present and prepare for the future.

As I reached the deep dark parts of the woods, I started to hear growling and howling. I stopped and froze. I slowly looked up and saw an owl. A Wishing Owl. Wishing Owls are found flying through the trees and forests, seeking for prey and wishes to eat up. I stared at it and smiled.
"Boo." I said softly. The Wishing Owl looked down and gave me a weird look.

"Who?" it replied. I was surprised to see that it didn't fly away.

"Jane." I answered. The Wishing Owl looked away and flew. Suddenly, I heard a low growl from around me. I looked around and saw nothing. All of a sudden, a flash of darkness dashed passed me, giving me a bad scratch on my arm.

"Great, I just got that arm healed a couple days ago!" I complained. But it was no time to complain, the mysterious thing striked again, but missed. I stepped back and got my sword ready. The figure seemed to have red eyes, sharp white teeth and deadly claws. Finally, the monster revealed itself. A huge wolf like animal approached me. It was HUGE!!! I took another step back as the mouth full of saliva took a step forward. It growled and leaped towards me! I dodged just in time and the wolf animal landed on a tree. I threw my sword at the branch, which would cause the branch to break. But unfortunatly, that didn't seem to work. My sword missed and it fell on the gound, under the wolf creature. The wolf smiled evily and leaped down from the tree. It grabbed the sword and sat there. I looked around for another weapon, but there was nothing. I slowly backed off and closed my eyes. I imagined water. Water... Water... That's it! Water could save me! I reached my hand out and tought of water rising from the ground, splashing the wolf. Suddenly, there was a rumble. The ground shook and a huge fountain appeared and surrounded me like a shield. Another huge fountain urged up and formed a shape of a hand and grabbed the sword from the wolf creature. It wimpered and ran away. The fountains of water slowly descended and the ground went back to normal. I was breathing heavily, what just happened? I got up and grabbed my sword. I turned around and started to walk again.

 

I started walking for a couple of miles until I heard a noise in the trees. I thought there were demons and I got ready. I was in battle position, I was ready for any surprise. The wind blew harder and harder, but still no noise. I melted into water so the demons won't see me. Footsteps started to make their way closer. That's strange, demons don't walk, unless they possess a body. Still, I waited. Suddenly, something dashed right past me. And by me, I mean a puddle. There was something watching me. And whoever that is, I don't think I'll like them. A shadow flew over me. That could only mean one thing, I was being watched by two enemies.

I reformed and shouted, “Come out whoever you are! I'm not afraid!” The man, no wait, girl revealed herself and shot an arrow at me. I noticed the arrow was pure gold, and it had the same material my sword has, perfect for killing demons. The material is called copper gold. Only found and made in the Fountain of Peace. I looked back at the mysterious girl and saw that she was wearing a ponytail. She had black hair. Really black hair. So black, it was scary. I could see like a scar on her shoulder. She was wearing some green and some black. She looked serious and determined. I saw her brown eyes glow in the shadows of the trees. The girl immediately made a position with her hand as if she was grabbing something. Since the arrow missed me, the arrow came back to her hand. It was incredible. She was a element holder too! Our weapons can hurt each other badly, maybe even kill. She was more skilled than me. She put her weapon away (bow and arrow) and went in the ready position when you aren't using your weapon. I jumped into the air and drew my sword at her. She kicked me in the stomach and I was down. I looked up and got into ready position. She threw the back of her arm at me, I put my back of the arm to her's as a block. She was doing arm battling. It's when you and your opponent only use their back of their arm to block and attack. Each taking one step forward or one step back. Your hands must be in a fist at all times. Whenever you strike or block, They have to make a cross. That girl was a master at it. I was moving back every time she attacked. Suddenly, a flying ring (a weapon sort of like a boomerang but is the shape of a circle) shot both of us down. My head was hurting. The second girl dropped out of the sky. Her weapon was also made out of copper gold. She put her hair in a very fancy kind of pigtails. This girl had long black hair. She looked like and angel, wearing all white and a bit of light blue. She wore the same outfit we all wore, tight shirt which went up to our elbows, shorts, a belt, it was only the colour of the shirt and the hairstyle that made us different. The first girl and I both started to charge towards her with our weapons. She suddenly turned into mist and disappeared. The first girl and and I hit our heads again and this time, it hurt really bad. Suddenly, the first girl took her bow and slammed on the ground which caused and earthquake. I lost my balance. Since the other two were using their elements, why can't I? I called for a tide. It came and washed both of them away. I controlled the wave by using my hands. After the two couldn't move, a fire surrounded us.

“Great!” I thought. There was a fourth third too. Two daggers went through the fire and almost stabbed me. A girl came walking through the fire and shot a look at me. She lowered the fire by lowering her hands and the four of us started to fight. It was obvious, we were all element holders. One attacking the other forever till one struck behind us. It's just weird why they would end up here.

“Good job girls” the fire one said after we all landed at the same time.

“Phew! That was a good warm up!” added the wind girl.

“How about we introduce ourselves!” suggested the fire girl, “My name is Flame, not much of a girl name but good enough. I come from the South.”

“My name is Linda, but you girls can call me Liz,” said the wind girl, “element of wind. I come from the East. I can understand animals.”

“I'm Natalie,” the earth one introduced, “and I have a feeling I'm not gonna be able to cooperate with you.” She pointed at me. All of them were waiting for me to introduce myself.

“Um, hi, my name is Jane.” I stumbled, “I come from the West in a little village. My element is water. I'm sixteen. I was sent to find the Diamond of Truth. Are you girls all element holders?”

“You have a lot to say!” exclaimed Liz.

“Yeah, we're all element holders.” replied Flame.

“Strange, we're looking for the Diamond of Truth too!” added Liz.

“Hey girls, how about we work together!” suggested Flame. There was a long silence. We were all staring at Natalie.

“Oh fine, you got me! I'm also looking for the diamond and yes, I'm a element holder.” she groaned.

“So it's settled, we'll help each other to find the Diamond of Truth.” claimed Flame. We introduced ourselves more and talked about our weapons. Each of our villages had a special event. Flame's was the Crazy Hat Carnival, Liz's is the Dance of the Century, and Natalie's is the Great Hunt. I told them about the Annual Water Fight. I discovered that each of them had their hard times. Natalie doesn't have parents, Flame lost her best friend and Liz has barely any self confidence. By the time we finished introducing ourselves, it was dark.

“Time flies by pretty quickly...” said Liz.

“We'd better get ready.” said Flame. Flame made a fire, Natalie hunted, Liz made a shelter and me, I collected the water. Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice...

“Jane, Jane,” it said “be aware! One that you trust will deceive you and leave you guilty when innocent. That one needs your help...”

“Hello?” I shouted, “Please! Come back! Who are you?”

“Beware Jane, beware...”

“Who? Who will deceive me? Hello? Spirits?”

“Who are you shouting at?” asked Natalie, “I knew you were nothing but trouble.” I gave her a dirty look. But I had to understand, a girl with no parents is hard.

Chapter 3: The Voice

After an exhausting day, we finally decided to get some sleep. 

"Demons are everywhere, we better sleep in different forms." suggested Flame.

"Smart thinking..." agreed Liz. With that, she jumped up and a cloud appeared. As she landed, she landed on the cloud and fell asleep. I smiled at her and closed my eyes. I let myself relax and melt into water.

"I don't need to hide from demons!" Natalie puffed and climbed up a tree and fell asleep. Flame just sat on a rock lay on the ground, with worried eyes. That night, another dream watcher gave me a dream...

I was in the woods, just a normal day in the village. Suddenly, I heard laughing and evil whispers all around me. The sky went dark, darker than night. Smoke surrounded me. I was attacked by demons! There were so many of them! All charging towards me at once. I grabbed my weapon but it was too late. I fell back and I was cornered. I tried to defeat them but I couldn't move! They were surrounding me, I cried and sobbed. I couldn't defend myself. One demon came close and laughed at me. I saw an image of my parents, they disappeared into mist like how Liz did, except instead of turning into mist, they turned into smoke. Suddenly, I found myself hopeless and not able to control myself! Then, I saw Lucy and Bella being attacked by demons. I was destroyed. I started to scream. That's when I woke up.

“Sounds like a nightmare.” giggled Natalie.

“Why didn't you guys wake me?” I asked.

“We didn't want to wake you up, you don't want to mess with a dream watcher's dream.” replied Flame. Flame and Liz were training. Natalie was eating breakfast. I shook my head, thinking back at the dream.

“So what dream did the dream watchers give you?” asked Liz, landing in front of me after a hight jump. I told them all what had happened. The voice, the dreams, the noise, I was confused.

“Interesting, the dream watchers have more contact with you than anybody else!” exclaimed Flame.

“Jane can talk to spirits?!” Liz exclaimed.

“Sort of,” said Flame, “she can see spirits too.”

“It's just a dream.” argued Natalie. I just have a suspicious feeling with Natalie. She's always on the opposite side of me, like as if we were enemies.

“Well, we better be on the move!” said Liz. We all packed up and started to 'travel'. See, I travelled by river (swim or run on water), Natalie went by trees, Liz went by either flying or going on a cloud and Flame ran. Flame was the fastest out of all of us. I noticed that because she seemed to be ahead of us all the time... I was behind, because of Natalie. She kept throwing things at me. Twigs, branches, rocks and other things. It was a good thing I dodged them. She was a pain in the back! If we weren't gonna get along at all, I don't think we'll ever make it to the Diamond of Truth.

 

When we were walking on land, Natalie kept throwing rocks at me, again. I tried to stop her but she kept acting innocent. Flame was like the leader of all of us. Liz was my new best friend. She's nice and caring. Natalie is the total opposite. She threw mud at me and when we were crossing a bridge hanging above lava! Natalie actually pushed me and I almost fell. I'm telling you if I had the chance to hurt her, I will.

“Guys, will you stop fooling around like children?!” shouted Flame for the... ninety-seventh time (I think, I lost count).

“She threw a water balloon at me!” complained Natalie.

“She started by -”

“Enough of this nonsense! I don't care who started it! You guys are gonna have to behave or we'll never find the diamond!” cried Flame. Flame was probably about eighteen years old, there was always something about her that made her different from us. Liz gave me a sad look.

"I feel bad for you Jane, but don't worry, it'll get better soon..." she said patting me on the shoulder.

“Hey look! A bird!” cried Natalie all of a sudden.

“Where?!” I shouted. Natalie suddenly shoved my head down and threw me in the mud.

“Oops!” she said in an innocent voice, “I was trying to show you were it was.” I gave her a dirty look (then again, my face was covered with mud so I was dirty).

“Watch out! It's not a bird! It's a Triple Dragon!” warned Liz.

“Duck!” shouted Flame.

“Where?!” I gasped as I finished rubbing the mud off my face.

“No, duck!!!!!!!!” exclaimed Liz. She pulled my head down (which landed in mud, again) and the dragon missed.

“Close call!” said Natalie.

“Be careful, that dragon can kill you! It's weak spot is it's stomach.” informed Liz.

“Hey ugly! Over here!” I shouted to the dragon. The dragon started to charge towards me.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you! They're aggressive!” instructed Liz. The dragon raced towards me and whacked it's spiky tail against me. I was hurt.

“Bad idea...” I groaned.

“Hurry, we need a plan!” shouted Flame.

"There's no time for a plan!" Natalie denied as she dodged the dragon's breath of cold water.

"It's a Water Double Dragon! Just as I thought!" declared Liz. The dragon roared and flew towards Flame. She jumped up and landed on it's back. Suddenly, she created a fire ball with her hands and threw it at the dragon. The dragon cried in pain and stumbled down.

"That should do it." sighed Flame. But the dragon wasn't done. It slowly got up, only more angry.

"Don't kill it! Dragons are very rare! There must be something it wants from us!" indicates Liz. I got up slowly and trembled. My body was in terrible pain. Flame looked at the Dragon's tail, it had a thorn in it.

Liz looked at her, knowing exactly what to do. She jumped in the air and created a light breeze. Natalie gestured her arms and a huge hand made out of dirt rose from the ground and slowly pulled out the thorn. The Dragon roared and flew away. I looked around and smiled at Liz.

"You guys work well together, without me..." I whispered as I felt unconscious.

"Jane!" I heard Liz panic. Her voice slowly disappeared and I was left dreaming...

 

“Each day gets worse... Whatever you do, do not leave your friends... they need you...” That voice came back. I dreamed of me getting hit by a water balloon at the Annual Water Fight. But no one was laughing like they should. They were all angry. I get hit once, then twice, then three times and it keeps going on till I fall down a hole. I kept falling and falling till I woke up.

“Jane! Wake up! Jane!” shouted Liz dumping another bucket of water on me. “Thank goodness you're alive! How do you feel?”

“I – I feel okay.” I replied, “I had another dream!”

“What is with you and your dreams?!” exclaimed Natalie. I told Liz my dream about the water fight.

“Do you feel discouraged each day?” asked Liz.

“Well, sort of.” I said. Liz looked worried. She had tears in her eyes.

“What else did the voice say?” she asked.

“It said not to leave my friends, but I already did. I already left my best friends at my village. I can't go back.”

“I'm afraid I can't help you.” she sighed. I was starting to think I may never find a solution to my problems. Each time I tried to help turned out to be nothing but trouble. The team made the dragon fly away withoug my help, I was getting hurt and getting in trouble because of Natalie. I'm starting to think the girls don't need me.

Chapter 4: Gaining Trust

Two days past, there has been no rain since I met the gang. I woke up to the sound of Natalie screaming in my ear. Sometimes, I just wish some people never existed.

“Hey sleepyhead, had another dream?” she shouted.

“Not in the mood Natalie!” I shouted back.

“What's the matter? Too scared?” she giggled.

“I'm not falling for your tricks again!” I started to get annoyed.

“Why not? You never know! You're so clumsy!”

“Go annoy someone else!” To that, Natalie walked away. It was all silent. The trees that surrounded me (sleeping) stood still as ever. Not even the birds were singing. Something was suspicious. Suddenly, I heard a rustle in the trees. I thought it was Natalie so I just ignored it. Then, there was a heavy breathing noise...

 

I rose as quickly as I can. Liz had gone hunting and it was only Natalie, Flame and I.

"Flame!" I exclaimed as I shook her awake.

"What?! I'm trying to sleep here!" she shouted as she rolled around.

"We're being watched!" I cried.

"Of course we are. There's Natalie and the spirits who watch us."

"I meant by Demons!" A shadow crept behind us. I felt a shiver run down my spine. I nervously turned my head around and saw a huge black shadowy figure. Yellow glowing eyes glaring at me. I froze.

"Hey Flame, are you sure there aren't any demons?" I asked, frightened.

"Yes Jane, now leave me alone!" she groaned. I tapped her and she finally turned around. Her eyes went wide and stared at the demon, then me. I grabbed my sword and Flame took out her daggers. And it was HUGE! I forgot to mention that demons can form into one huge demon. Flame got her daggers ready. She and I went back to back.

"This is really bad... How did they follow us here?!" gasped Flame.

"You were the one sleeping!" I yelled back. I looked around. Natalie wasn't here.

“Oh no! She's gonna hurt Liz!” I thought. But I was stuck in the middle of a battle against a huge demon!

“Any bright ideas Jane?”

“Um, how about RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!” As soon as I was about to take action, Flame pulled me back.

“We have to work together!” she said. I stabbed the demon's arm but it just reproduced a new arm. Flame stabbed the heart but the demon just made a hole for the daggers to go right through. Flame and I were running out of ideas. Suddenly, something hit me... The demon (What else?!). It slashed me to the other side and I was left with a headache. I got up immediately and leaped towards it and sliced it's head off, but it just dodged.

Jane, use your element... remember its weakness... light The voice was helping me! I looked at the sun, it was blocked by trees.

“Flame, distract him, I have a plan!”

“What?!”

“Just do it!” I instructed. I went up to the trees and cut the branches that were blocking the sunlight. Suddenly, the light shined on the demon. The demon screamed and disappeared into a black smoke.

“Good job, Jane.” congratulated Flame, “Looks like you are worth trusting.” I blushed.

“What did we miss?” asked Liz after seeing a demon disappear.

“We battled a demon.” I said. Natalie gave me a dirty look (Now who's the one with the mud?!).

“We better be on the move before any other unexpected guests show up.” suggested Flame. I was just glad Natalie was mad. It's not like she can hurt me, right? I looked at Liz who looked a bit worried.

"Is everything alright?" I asked. She nodded nervously. I looked at Natalie who was smiling. I didn't like that at all.

Chapter 5: Just Beautiful

"Are we there yet?" I groaned.

"No." replied Flame for the fifty-first time (this time, I didn't lose count). Five seconds later, I looked at Flame.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are there yet?"

"No."

"Are we -"

"No."

"That's fifty-four 'no's from Flame in one hour!" chuckled Liz.

"Enough!" snapped Flame. There was a long moment of silence and walking.

"Hey Liz, why do you like people calling you Liz not Linda?" I asked (because I was so bored). She stopped and didn't answer.

"Don't ask about personal information people don't want to talk about." instructed Flame. I sighed and looked at the trees. After walking several miles, we finally arrived at our camp. It was the perfect place. A little water fall of fresh water that led to a little pool, a willow tree for where we're going to sleep, a little hill for star gazing at night, a forest of apple trees and a perfect place for the fire.

“Well girls, what do you think?” asked Flame. Liz and I were speechless. This place was amazing!

“Whoa! How did you find it?” asked Natalie.

“Welcome to Sparkle Waterfall,” explained Flame, “when you find this place, it means you're going the right path.”

“You mean we're almost to Mount Death where the diamond is hidden?!” exclaimed Liz.

“You can say that.” replied Flame. I've heard many stories about the Sparkle Waterfall. Some say it's magical. But what really caught my attention is how Flame always knows the way to our next destination. She told me she does it by instinct.

“How about we take a dip in the pool Liz?” I asked sarcastically.

“Fine with me!” she replied enthusiastically. We jumped into the pool with a big splash. I had to admit, the last time we took a shower was last week!

“This feels great! You try it Flame!” exclaimed Liz. Flame just gave a worried look. That's when I realized Flame was afraid of water. She probably has her own secrets about her own fears.

"I'm okay, you guys go ahead." she insisted as she headed off somewhere.

"Poor Flame..." we sighed. I looked at Liz and smiled.

"You look like you need a bath!" I pointed out. I splashed her with water. She laughed and splashed me back.

"No fair! You possess the element of water!" she complained. I laughed and swam away. Liz and I just splashed away. She put her face right into the sparkling waterfall.

"The water feels awesome!" she sighed. I followed her and dipped my head in the waterfall. The water rushed down like streams of relaxation. We jumped and dived. Natalie was out of sight, that was a good thing.

"It feels so refreshing!" I sighed. Liz nodded and dived down again. I followed. Under the water was amazing. It wasn't too deep. I saw some fish swim by and crayfish crawl on the sand that lied below us. I swam up and took a breath of air, even though I could breath underwater.

"You know, this could be the best day!" exclaimed Liz as she floated on the surface of the water. I got out of the water and dried myself up. Liz also climbed out.

“What are we having for dinner?” asked Liz.

“Duck, Natalie went hunting.” replied Flame.

"Uh oh!" I exclaimed as I ducked, not wanting to be mistaken like last time. They both laughed.

"I meant the bird!" laughed Flame. Back at home, we rarely ate duck. We ate chickens, rabbits and other little animals. Duck was just not our taste. We mostly ate berries and vegetables. It was our favourite.

"I'm okay with duck, I could go do some fishing! There's fish in the water..." I persuaded. But it looked like they were fine with duck. I sighed and sat near the fire pit.

“Guys! Look what I got! It's a purple duck!” shouted Natalie. Liz rushed over to have a look, knowing no duck is purple.

“That's not a duck, it's a phoenix!” exclaimed Liz. In Natalie's hands held a young little purple phoenix, bleeding badly.

“You must have shot her!” I exclaimed.

“Phoenix are really rare. You might have thought she was a duck.” concluded Flame. The poor little phoenix didn't know what was going on. She had a sharp beak, three talons, little feathers sticking up from the top of her head and she was completely purple.

“She's a dark phoenix from her characteristics.” added Liz.

“Whoa! Then I'm killing her!” reacted Natalie, getting her bow and arrow ready.

“Wait! She's completely harmless. She's really young.” explained Liz. Natalie gave it a dirty look (with no mud).

“Let's call her Lavender!” I suggested.

“It's a he.” corrected Flame. Again, Natalie giggled behind my back. But I knew, if I was with the phoenix, Natalie couldn't hurt me. That is, if Lavender likes me...

Chapter 6: Lavender

I woke up to the sound of the voice, “Jane, you're progressing... The animal will protect you... But, there are still obstacles that will force you to take the wrong path...” I started to feel confused. That's when I noticed Lavender's wing was bandaged, and there was a note attached to it:

 

Hi Jane,

 

The bird may guide you through and give you success, but that doesn't mean anything. I will still get that diamond for myself and I will make sure the blame shall be on you...

Your 'friend',

 

The last part was ripped off so I couldn't read the name. But I knew it was Natalie. I was angry. So that's how she wants to play! I look at Lavender and smiled.

“How are you doing?” I whispered in my mind. Surprisingly, I heard something back,

“I'm fine, just hungry.” whispered the phoenix. At first, I thought I was hearing things. But then I realized Lavender had some kind of relationship with me. Though I don't know what the dark magics have anything to do with water. I got up and stretched out my arms. I looked back at Lavender, remembering he was still hungry. I smiled and looked around for something for a phoenix to eat. Suddenly, a small mouse ran over and with a step, I killed it.

“Here you go.” I offered. Lavender gobbled it up with blood all over his beak. I noticed that and decided to clean it. So I grabbed a tissue and was about to wipe it when suddenly, Lavender ripped the tissue.

“I guess you don't like tissue paper.” I said. Lavender just smiled. I shook my head and looked around for the rest of the girls. They were all asleep. I heard a low grumble and looked at my stomach.

"I guess I'm a bit hungry too..." I remembered seeing an apple orchard not far from here. I grinned and started to walk. As I exited the enchanted forest, I was soon on an open field, walking down a path. Around me were beautiful flowers, all sorts. The breeze danced by and I closed my eyes. I had the feeling I was being followed. I turned around and saw Lavender using his dark powers on a mouse running by.

“You're not big on powers either, eh?” I giggled. Lavender was sort of confused. He didn't know why the mouse didn't die. Lavender was only about sixty centimetres. He was pretty big for a young phoenix. They don't usually grow up into a huge massive bird. But some do... I started whistling a little tune I learned back at the village. As we got closer to the apple ochard, I started to feel followed again, yet knowing Lavender was following me. I looked back at him, and he was waddling behind me. We started walking to an apple tree. I looked up and spotted the perfect apple. Lavender flew up and grabbed the apple with his talons.

“I guess we're gonna have to work together.” I thought. I started to climb a tree and settled myself. The branch was comfy. I could see the sun and the clouds. I started to pick some apples. Some were small, some were big, some were fat, some were skinny, and some were even awkwardly shaped. Lavender just sat right beside me and ate apples. After a couple of minutes, he fell asleep. Suddenly, I heard a rustling in the trees, that could only mean one thing: demons. I got up and got my sword. Lavender woke up and was scared. He was afraid of my sword! He screeched and flapped his wings really hard. My sword was glowing and it was uncontrollable! My sword can kill mythical creatures including phoenix! Since Lavender was a dark phoenix, my sword will react and kill him! So I was to face demons without using my sword. Great! I put my sword back and Lavender calmed down. But we were still going to be attacked by demons. I was ready. The rustling came closer, and there was some heavy breathing. Lavender got mad. He started to squawk as loud as he can. It was awkward how a phoenix is not afraid of a demon that can bite him. But it wouldn't do any harm because Lavender's a dark phoenix. Suddenly, a shadow jumped out and it gave me a heart attack!

“Ha! I scared you!” shouted the shadow. I couldn't believe it! It was Natalie!

“Natalie! How dare you scare Lavender!” I complained.

“Lavender?! Seriously?! Lavender?!” exclaimed Natalie. She started to burst into laughter. “Lavender's the best name you've got for a male phoenix?!” Lavender got mad. He doesn't want to be made fun of. So he jumped up and started to attack her.

“Lavender! Stop!” I demanded. Lavender looked at me and stopped.

"Keep your dirty pet to yourself!" she scowled and jumped off the tree. She took one last dirty look at me and grinned. I just hated it when she would smile like that, it gives me the creeps.

"Are you alright?" I heard Lavender ask silently.

"I'm fine. Thank you." I replied with a smile. I had a feeling Natalie wasn't gonna bother me for a long time.

Chapter 7: Friend or Foe

We started to walk a few miles north. My shoulder was tired since Lavender didn't know how to fly. She rested on my shoulder for the whole morning!

“Are we there yet?” asked Liz, panting as hard as she could.

“You've gotta do better than that to find the Diamond of Truth!” protested Flame. Liz was tired of carrying the items. She was sweating like crazy!

“I can help you!” I suggested. Without hesitation, she handed me all the bags. In the corner, I could see Natalie giggling behind my back. Liz went up to her and sighed. Liz had a worried face. Natalie patted her on the back and whispered her something. Liz shook her head then Natalie gave her a fist. Liz finally nodded. I didn't like a single thing about that. Natalie was probably trying to use her. Lavender seemed to understand too and sort of did a growl. I was glad Lavender understood me, like a friend.

We finally made it to Jonara Market. It's one of the busiest markets in the world! People come from all over the world to trade goods and sell items. Jonara market is busy day and night. That's why there's a lot of securities everywhere. Lavender was not a welcomed guest. So I had to hide him in my knapsack. We looked around for useful items but it seems that none of them are useful. I was looking at some apples Lavender might like. But the apples weren't as fresh as the ones in the apple orchard. Some of the apples at the market were rotten! It was really crowded in the streets. Lots of people were shouting and chatting. I decided to go look at the weapons. All the weapons were useless. They were all heavy and some did no use. I was about to pick up something when Natalie started screaming!

“Aaaaaahhhhhhh!” she screamed, “She is a murderer!” Everyone stared at me holding a weapon. I looked back to see Natalie holding her arm, which was bleeding.

"What in the -" I hesitated. I looked back at all the people, dead silent. I tried to say something but nothing came out of my mouth. The people came charging towards me and started throwing vegetables at me! I felt horrible. Liz just stood there, screaming with the rest of the crowd. There was nothing she could do. Natalie was actually bleeding though. Flame went up to her and gave me a dirty look. I felt ashamed.

 

***********

The next day, I was found in court.

"Jane, you were trying to kill her..." the judge continued after several arguments. I told them I was just browsing, but Natalie just told the judge that I was trying to hurt her.

“Jane would never do such a thing,” admitted Flame, “Natalie is part of our team.”

“J – Jane w – was trying t – to kill N – Natalie.” Liz stumbled. I was shocked. Liz actually decided to help Natalie lie?! She was my best friend and now she's betraying me?!

“She also has a dark phoenix in her bag!” exclaimed Natalie. The securities took my bag and took Lavender. I felt so ashamed! Natalie was going to kill me! I didn't want to go to jail!

“Natalie has weapons in her bag too!” I exclaimed, “She has a bow and arrow!” The securities took her weapons out and examined them. After taking almost all our belongings, the judge cleared his throat.

"In conclusion, you may stay and Jane is proved innocent, but I expect that I will not hear from such incident again." he concluded.

 

That night, I crew. I was sobbing as loud as I can. Looking at the stars was all I did that night.

“What's wrong with me?!” I thought. I had lost all of my friends and now I'm a criminal!

“Jane... Jane... You took the wrong path..." said the voice. I didn't want to stay ashamed. The voice just made it worse. It just didn't make sense, why would I end up with an evil element holder? What would make her so mean? I couldn't stop thinking. Then, I fell asleep with another dream...

 

I was walking to forget my shame. I had left my friends behind, thinking they would be better off. Then I saw Natalie, darkening the whole world. There was nothing I can do. But then, I saw another Natalie, a nice one, screaming for help. I was shouting to her saying I would help her. But she just screamed even louder. She was panicking. She was crying like I was. In the end, she ran out of breath and died. Demons surrounded her and took over her body.

“Could this be true?” I thought. Natalie is actually taken over by a demon after she had died? No, that would be impossible because she would still have a shield of magic since she once was an element holder. I woke up all of a sudden, feeling the answer was close. But I couldn't understand. Suddenly, I heard a rustle in the trees...

Chapter 8: Go on without me

I got ready with my sword. The demons would be near me at any time. Some black smoke appeared, that means it's definitely demons. But then, I heard a familiar squawk. I put my sword back and out hopped Lavender!

“There you are boy!” I exclaimed in tears. I was so happy to have him back! He must have escaped from Jonara Market. I cried happily and hugged Lavender. But it wasn't over. Something was still in the bush. The demons flew out and were charging towards me! I got my sword and sliced them. They disappeared into a black smoke. Lavender got braver and started to fight too. Instead of weakening the demons, he gave them more power. Lavender was a dark phoenix. Demons and dark phoenix are from the same world, the Devi's World. But that doesn't necessarily mean they're on the same side.

“Lavender! Stop!” I demanded. Immediately, he responded and stopped. One smiled and charged towards me. Knowing they were behind me, I swung back at the last second, slicing one of them. I jumped up and created a whirlpool that sucked all of them up. Finally, I stuck my sword in the whirlpool and held it there until all the demons disappeared in to black smoke. Without a drop of sweat on me, I smiled and looked at where the girls were sleeping.  I started to make my way to the others. The camp was right there, but no one was near. I thought they went hunting. They wouldn't lead without me, right? Lavender came hopping towards me with a note in his mouth. I started to read the note:

 

Dear Jane,

 

I'm sorry I helped Natalie. She was forcing me. She told me bad stories about you. She said if I wanted to help the world, I had to listen to whatever she said. We made a deal. That's when I realized it was a trick. I wish I had listened to you. Now, the team decided to leave you. I don't know how Natalie persuaded Flame but they decided to leave you. I still care about you. Be careful and forgive me.

 

Your friend,

Linda

 

P. S.

We're headed to A

 

 

The last part of the note was ripped off. I didn't know where they were headed. All I knew was that it started with and 'A'. Lavender pointed to some footprints which some more demons were following. They were following them. Wherever they're going, I'm gonna have to protect them. Lavender hopped on my shoulder and we set off.

 

I wished Lavender would just fly. He was getting pretty heavy. Then I realized, how did he come all the way from Jonara to me? I gave him a look. He jumped off. It was time. I grabbed him in my hand and held him. I threw him into the air softly. He tried to flap his wings, but he came falling down.

“At least you're improving.” I said to make him feel better. I thought about training him.

“Nah!” I said.

 

We started to make our way by following their footprints. Though the wind keeps blowing harder and harder. Lavender can smell their sent, even though they had left hours ago. It was a very humid day, fog was everywhere and we couldn't see well. Well, actually, I couldn't see well. Dark phoenix are use to the dark, the fog shouldn't be a big problem. Lavender stopped in front of a broken bridge.

“No way...” I thought. The other end was about 100 metres away. There was no way I could make that jump. The fog just made it worse. If Liz were here, it wouldn't be a problem. That's when I noticed black gooey stuff on some broken parts on the bridge. Demons. Lavender growled. Demons must have destroyed this not long ago. One of them probably got hurt and left some black gooey stuff, known as the demons blood. If you kill a demon right away, they turn to black smoke. This is different, one of them is injured and won't be alive for long. I looked at Lavender. He lifted both of his wings and gave me a look.

“I'm ready.” his face said it all. I wasn't so sure. It would be impossible for me to make it.

“Jane... You do the impossible... Do not stop... They depend on you...” whispered the voice. I took a deep breath. Lavender took a few steps back, and leaped and ran back.

“What a chicken!” I giggled. I opened my bag to see if we had any food. I thought it would power us up. All I found were some apples from the apple forest, still fresh. I gave one to Lavender and one to me. I wanted to fool Lavender by raising the apple higher and higher so he would have to jump for it. It was funny. When I threw it up into the air, Lavender flew up and snatched it. It was incredible! Perfect take off, perfect landing! The key to flying is to have a goal. You don't think about it, you just do it naturally without thinking too much. That's when I had and idea. I got a rope from my bag and hung it to Lavender's leg. He looked confused. I then showed and apple in front of him and waved it. He was ready. I threw it as far as I can. Successfully, it landed on the other side. My arm was hurting but it was worth it. Lavender ignored the emptiness below him and flew all the way to the other end. I tied the string to a tree. Lavender ate the apple and stayed there.

I tried to send him a message, “Lavender, tie the string to a branch.” I thought. Lavender tried to tie it but, he had no thumbs. He took one of his talons and circled the rope around a branch. Then, he used his beak to tie it, but, it didn't work. This went on for a long time... He tried his best and finally, it was secure. I put one foot on the rope, it was safe. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I put my second foot on the rope.

"Don't look down... Don't look down..." I said to myself a bunch of times. I started to walk across the rope, I didn't look down and imagined it was like an everyday walk. Something naturally we do without thinking, like flying. I guess I was pretty good at imagining things because I was doing quite well. I made it halfway went I heard a rip. It was the rope! There was too much pressure! If I run, I'll lose my balance and die! If I walk, I'll die! I screamed as I fell down to the endless bottom. The wind touching my arms, the sky flying farther and farther away from me... I didn't know what was going on! I felt useless and wanted to cry. I didn't say good bye to my friends, I can't die! Water... Bridge... Save me... Live... Friends... WATER! Suddenly, I felt a huge slap on my back! It was a geyser! I stood up, standing on top of the geyser. Looking around me, I still had a chance to make it to the other side of the bridge. I looked up and closed my eyes. Up... Raise... Lavender... Fly... Slowly, the geyser and I rose up and it formed a bridge. As I opened my eyes, I took a step towards Lavender. Step after step, I made it to the other side. I had almost lost my life! I stared at Lavender in fear. He didn't do anything. I smiled and looked back at the water bridge. Fell back down to the endless bottom, where it came from. There was no time to waste, I had to find the team before something else goes worse.

 

My heart was pounding even faster when I walked farther. Something wasn't right. “Jane... Be careful... The one who you despise is watching you... Each move, each step...” I started to get nervous. Lavender stopped waddling. He growled and looked around him. I stopped right beside him. I really don't know who I despised. Everyone is my friend. Suddenly, I heard laughing. It was like a witch. I didn't like the sound of that. I got my sword and stood in ready position. I took a step forward. Suddenly, an arrow shot right out of the trees, slicing through the air and the shadow was gone. I seemed to see it had evil red eyes. Whatever it was, it missed me. The arrow was stuck in a tree. I went to have a closer look. It was made out of copper gold!

“Natalie!” I gasped. Lavender even sniffed it and growled. It was Natalie in the trees. She can move very well in the trees. It's part of the element of earth. You move well on ground and any other surface, including trees. I wasn't happy about Natalie, making sure I couldn't make it to the rest of the team. The voice was right. She was watching my every step and every move. I just hope she doesn't show up any time sooner. I frowned at the arrow and put my hand on it. I ripped it off the tree and held it in my hand. It was light but hard. I took the arrow as evidence when I meet up with the girls. Lavender jumped up and fell. He was trying to fly but he was thinking too much. I glanced at the tree and saw black gooey stuff. Then, I froze with fear...

Chapter 9: Mambob

We started to walk more and more, leaving the woods. We started to get into the desert. Of course! Acamba! That's where they're headed! The note Liz left meant to say they were heading to Acamba! Acamba is a city that is situated in the desert of Mambob. Which we're entering. I looked up at the sky. The sun was setting. It would be cold and dark soon.

"Not a good idea to spend the night in a desert where demons can spot you..." I murmured to myself. I walked a little further until I found a dead tree, all dried up. I guess that's where we were gonna stay that because it was completely dark and I couldn't melt into water in a desert. Lavender followed me to it. I gathered some sticks and made a fire. Lavender found a lizard. It was poisonous. The little lizard was pretty ferocious. Lavender had to get food. He growled back at the creature. As soon as the lizard was about to strike, Lavender jumped up and stabbed it with his talons. That's how a phoenix gets their food. Lavender was working hard to fly and to have more dark powers. I just admired and giggled. Each time he jumped, he got higher and higher. He stayed in the air for longer time. I was proud of him. It was getting dark and Lavender was tired. He dug into the sand until his whole body was covered except his head. I thought it would keep me from the cold so I did that also. It was harder than it looked though. Each time I scooped a bunch of sand, some of it would fall back into the whole. Finally, after a long time of digging, I was buried except for my head. It did feel warm. I slowly fell asleep and dreamed. This dream was amazing. I finally made it to the gang and showed them the bow Natalie had lost. Or more like tried to kill me with. They sent her to jail and I was a hero. I got the diamond and I was happy. But I felt worried for Natalie. What would happen to her? What if she is innocent? What if it wasn't her fault at all? I was all confused. I woke up. It was dawn. I woke Lavender up and we started to walk. The only problem was that we didn't know which way to go. “I think Acamba is somewhere near the east.” I suggested. Lavender just followed.

 

We walked several miles, but all we saw was cactus, lizard, sun and sand. Lavender couldn't take much longer. Dark phoenix are vulnerable to light. The Mambob desert is one of the driest deserts in the area. Only 5 mm of rain per year. Not many creatures live here. I was not use to this weather. If I got hurt, I wouldn't be able to heal myself since there is no water. In Acamba, there is a well. A tiny well that serves the whole city. People go there just to get a taste of that fresh water. I saw that Lavender was exhausted. So I created some water and pored it on him. He felt much better. The sun was high up, shining on us. I couldn't handle it for long. I felt so dry. I shouldn't have went to the weapon shop. Wait, I shouldn't have been chosen in the first place! I wish I was never even born! If I wasn't born, none of this would've happened! I felt like crying. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that's why it's called the present.” whispered the voice. I wasn't in the mood for quotes. I guess it was trying to say that I should be grateful to live, but I wasn't. We walked and walked forever. I was starting to think we would never make it. Lavender probably thought the city didn't even exist since this is the habitat dark phoenix do not like. Soon, I saw a little pile of dust and sand. I started to hear chattering.

“We're almost there!” I exclaimed. Lavender and I were dashing towards the city. It was noisier than I expected, but I guess it's because there's a lot of people. Everyone was in a crowd. I told Lavender to hide immediately. There was something going on that scared them. 

Chapter 10: An Unexpected Visitor

 “The doom has arrived!” screamed a man.

“Save yourself!” shouted another. Everyone was panicking. Then I saw a man. Not an ordinary man, but a man. He had a hat, a flat hat. He had a long white beard and he was wearing black and white outfit. I suddenly realized it was my master!

“Shi fu!” I exclaimed, “What are you doing in Acamba?!”

“I appear when you need me child.” he giggled.

“Aren't you tired from following us? Here, let me get you something to drink.” I insisted.

“No child, don't you remember? I am your master and I know what you know.” he said, “I did not walk here, I flew. How about you come to the tea shop with me? We will settle things there.” After he insisted, I followed him around the city.

“This city is big.” I pointed, but Shi fu just kept on walking.

 

Finally, we got to the tea shop. We sat down and ordered some green tea. “So,” I asked, “how do you know I need help?”

“Child, I can see everything,” he explained, “I even told the great one to send spirits with you.”

“So that's the voice I heard!”

“Yes, you are not ready for the worst.”

“Did you know about the other three?” I questioned.

“Apparently, yes,” he sighed, “I have.”

“How did you know them.”

“You four were chosen from different tribes to unite as one team no one could separate,” he took a sip from his tea, “but I fear the darkness has found it's way.” There was a long pause.

“You mean I was supposed to be with Natalie?!”

“Yes, you are sisters no matter what.” he said.

“I do not understand Shi fu, it just doesn't make sense!” I argued.

“I cannot tell you more, you must discover yourself” he concluded.

“What were the people crowding around for?” I suddenly realized.

“Your sisters.” he said.

“What?!” I exclaimed, “Where are they?!”

“When they were visiting, they got attacked.”

“Demons?” I suggested.

“No, your sister went out of control.”

“What?!”

“She turned dark and attacked the city. She was a monster. Your two other sisters tried to stop her but it just got worse.”

“Natalie.” I growled.

“So I hear you have a phoenix with you.” he said, taking another sip from his tea.

“Yeah, his name is Lavender.” I admitted.

“Another key has been found.” giggled master. I didn't like it when Shi fu was telling me riddles.

“Do you know where the others are?” I asked.

“Hmm, I could give something that would help you.” he said. Out from a pocket, he took out a coin. It was made out of copper gold. I stared at it. On it, it had the four elements on it. On the top was earth, the right was wind, the left was water and the bottom was fire. They were symbols of each element. It looked like a compass.

“How will this help me?” I asked.

“I have to go now child. The rest is yours to discover.” And with that, he disappeared into mist. I stared at the coin for a long time. The water symbol shined blue and pointed to my left. I looked up and saw the door.

“Aaaaahhhh!” shouted someone. I immediately ran out the door.

 

When I got outside, everyone was staring at me. If they recognized me from the last incident, I was in deep trouble. I was ready to get smacked by vegetables. I was ready to handle any nasty tricks Natalie had prepared. Instead, the people cheered. “The water goddess has arrived!” they all cheered.

“What?” I said all confused.

“Before you came, a monster attacked us and two brave girls saved us. One of them told us that a water goddess would come and save our lives.” explained a girl. I looked down at the well since it was so close. There was barely any water. So I rose my hand and water came bursting out of the well.

“Beware...” said the voice. The people were cheering so loud, I couldn't hear the word the voice said. 

Chapter 11: The Prank

That evening, we had a feast. I secretly got some food for Lavender, but he didn't take it. That was strange though, he would never miss any food. We drank wine and ate meat and other yummy things. After the party, I fell asleep in a comfortable bed, snoozing. I had another dream. People were shouting at me, telling me to wake up. I saw Lavender tied up. People were getting killed. Suddenly, a dagger was about to stab me! I woke up. I heard some whispers. “Why do I have to go?” whispered a lady.

“Now is our chance and the girl gave us gold to kill her! Now take the knife and go!” demanded a man.

“But..” Suddenly, I heard a knife stab something. The lady just screamed for one second. She was dead. I could see blood from her hand. I slowly felt dizzy. They gave me sleeping wine so I wouldn't know what was going on. I had just felt for another one of Natalie's tricks. The man approached me and got the knife, I pretended I was asleep. As soon as he was about to strike me, I turned into water. He was confused. I was soon right behind him, staring at him. The man was shocked. I grabbed him and forced him to tell me everything. He said the girl gave him gold to kill you so you could die. The other girl said the goddess part. Now, since I'm gonna find them, he's gonna die.

“I promise you, your city won't die, neither will you.”

The man immediately stopped crying. I let him go. Now I had to find Lavender. He was not in my backpack where I was hiding him.

 

I went to the kitchen and grabbed Lavender who was just about to turn into a chicken. We soon ran out of the city and and ran. The compass I got shined. The wind sign was shining. I smiled. I forgive Liz. Lavender turns huge all of a sudden. Big enough to ride on. I never knew the compass could give powers. I hopped on and she jumped a couple times and flew off.

Chapter 12: Goal

It was soon dawn, and the earth sign was glowing. “Keep on going straight Lavender!” I directed. Lavender flew faster. I was starting to see a little light. It was glowing like fire. As we got closer and closer, I started to see two people fighting and one sleeping. It was them! Lavender landed and I jumped off. Lavender turned back to normal size and leaped on my arm. “Hi guys!” I ran with joy.

“Jane! I didn't think you would make it!” exclaimed Liz. We hugged each other and smiled.

“I see Lavender could fly now.” noticed Flame.

“We shouldn't have left you in the first place.” explained Liz.

“We're very sorry.” apologized Flame.

“No, I should be sorry, I shouldn't have been so clumsy.” I said. Natalie woke up and stared at me.

“You shouldn't have followed.” she said, looking at her arm. It was badly cut.

“Did you get that at Acamba?” I asked.

“How did you know?” exclaimed Liz in amazement.

“Fortuneteller.” I said, not trying to say Shi fu.

“Well, it's good to have you back.” concluded Flame. I was happy to be back on the team. I really wanted to tell Liz something.

“Liz,” I said, “can I talk to you for a second?”

“Sure!” We went somewhere the others couldn't hear us.

“I noticed that you're helping Natalie a lot.” I said. She froze for a second.

“I can't talk about it.” she explained.

“I just want you to know, you don't have to put yourself into this.” I told her. She ignored and went back. I couldn't let my friend handle this by herself. Why was Natalie like this? Why was she so mean? I didn't have much time to think because the gang was off.

“Everybody ready?” asked Flame. Natalie got her bag and started to follow Flame. Liz got her bag and did the same. I just stood there looking at Natalie. There was something strange about her. Why was she uncontrollable? I didn't want to be left behind again. So I followed them.

Chapter 13: The Chicken

We walked and walked for several miles. It was almost morning. Soon, the glaring sun would shine on the desert. We soon saw some blue in the distance. “The sea!” cried Liz. She ran faster and faster. Liz was right. We've arrived at the Tanmara Sea.

“Why are we here, Flame?” I questioned.

“We're gonna cross the sea.” she replied. Natalie was really odd at that moment. Her pupil darkened.

“Not again!” complained Liz. Flame got her daggers ready. I was confused. Not again? Why would Liz say that? Natalie finally was normal and ran off.

“I need to go.” she stumbled.

“Really?!” I said, “At this time?!” But she had already run off to somewhere where she can go to the washroom. Nearby, we heard whispering.

“Demons.” whispered Flame. We all got ready. Natalie had escaped and left us alone to defeat demons. There were no trees. The sun was almost up. The demons would soon disappear. One demon came out of nowhere and jumped on Flame! It bit her and the demon disappeared. She would soon turn evil.

“Aaaahhh!” she yelled, “I'm bit! Quick, get me to the water.” Liz and I did as she said. We dragged her to the water and I touched the bitten part with one hand and the other hand was touching the water. The bitten arm was starting to turn black. I concentrated and a fountain came up. The Fountain of Peace was created. The water poured on her arm and the darkness was gone. “That was close.” Flame said in relief.

“It's a good thing the fountain of peace appears whenever 2 elements are combined.” said Liz.

“Where's Natalie?” I asked. Natalie had left right before the battle. It was just strange for Natalie to run off.

“Right here!” she screamed as she ran our way, shivering. “What happened?”

“Why would you run off at a time like this?!” I shouted.

“Jane, it's just a coincidence.” said Flame.

“Okay! Let's move!” suggested Liz. I jumped into the water and started swimming. Lavender flew behind me. I whistled and a wave came up and I was surfing. Well, with no board. Liz jumped into the air and landed on a cloud. Natalie and flame went on a boat. They couldn't go anywhere. I pushed them with us. It seemed like we were heading east. Where the danger begins.

Chapter 14: Demons

The compass started glowing. The sky turned purple. I had a feeling demons were near. Natalie jumped up and looked at the water. She looked stressed. “What's the matter?” asked Flame. Natalie walked back and forth. Suddenly, a demon showed up, but he was tired and had no energy to fight. We just left him alone. Natalie started screaming! She tried to hide from it.

“What has gotten into her?” asked Liz with wide eyes. I covered my ears. The demon just flew off to prevent any fights. Natalie was unconscious. She was scared of a demon for some reason. I knew it was not a good time to laugh. I looked at the demon and used a stick and poked it. It got scared and flew away. I looked at Natalie with a confused look.

“You seemed to be pretty shaken up Nat.” I said. But Natalie just sat there, frozen like a frightened cat. We all stared at her.

“Natalie, it's alright, the demon is gone.” calmed Flame. With that, Natalie blinked and shook her head to get things straight in her mind.

“What happened?” she looked confused. We looked at her in disbelief. Was there some connection with the demons and Natalie? The purple sky cleared and the light blue sky revealed itself from the clouds and darkness. The sun was high in the sky. But Liz, Flame and I still looked at Natalie, who is still confused of what had just happened.

 

The night sky was above the blue sea. I looked up at the stars, wondering about the incident that happened today. Nearby, Natalie was crying. It was not normal to see such a strong girl sob that hard. I went to her and patted her on the back. She looked at me in surprise. “Shouldn't you be asleep?” she snarled.

“If I'm asleep, shouldn't you be too?” I asked.

“I don't rest that much.” she replied with a sniff.

“Why don't you tell me what happened and why you're crying.” I said.

“I'm a chicken. I can't see another demon in my life ever again.” she wiped a tear with her sleeve.

“And why is that?” I asked. She pause for a moment. Her eyes started to grow bigger. Her pupil turning smaller. She looked far to the horizon, staring at something. I looked at what she was looking at. There, all I saw was the dark sky meeting the water. I gave a confused look at Natalie. Suddenly, she let out a gasp and covered her mouth. She had seen something I couldn't. Or was she thinking? I took her hand and told her, “Tell me what you see.”

“Demon, pain, horror.” she mumbled still staring at the horizon. I looked at her in fright. Demons? Pain? What did she mean? Demons wouldn't follow us here since we have just scared one off today. I looked into her eyes, what I saw was frightening.

 

In Natalie's eyes, I could see demons surrounding her. Some were destroying her village. Fire was everywhere. The demons were closing in on Natalie. She started fighting. It was chaos. Then, I saw two people screaming as they disappeared into mist. Natalie stopped and froze there. That was all I saw in her eye.

 

I looked at her and managed to see a tear drop. She was probably startled by that experience. That's probably why she doesn't want to see a demon. But that doesn't explain why she's that scared. There seems to have a meaning why she is nice to me now, not before. I looked up at her. “Where's your parents?” I asked, thinking about the two people I saw scream and fade into mist. She looked up at me. Her eyes suddenly changing colour. It started to turn very dark blue. More like purple. There seemed to be a skull in the middle of her pupil. She slapped me across the face and went to sleep. I thought I heard her say I don't know.

 

I had another dream that night. This time, it was more like a memory, but not my memory. I was just practising some of my fighting moves with my friends. We laughed and played. It was perfect. There was also a man with a long white beard. It must have been Shi Fu. I ran up to him. He nodded his head. Suddenly, the sky turned dark. It turned into the purple sky I've seen before. The villagers in my village ran to hide. Yet, I was only a child. Maybe about 8 years old. My parents ran inside the house. We heard heavy breathing. Shi Fu told me to get my weapons ready. I did as I was told. My mom told me to be careful. Demons approached all at once. There were thousands of them. All attacking my village. I defended as much as I could. Suddenly, I was surrounded by demons. I looked around and saw my parents, suffering. They reached out and disappeared into mist. I was frozen. I couldn't concentrate. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I felt so powerless. No more mom or dad, no more friends, no more happiness. I was like dead. Suddenly, a demon lunged towards me and bit my arm. The pain the evil. I held it tight and looked at it. It was too late. I screamed in pain. I fell down in pain. More tears down my cheek. When I woke up, the village was gone. Everything, gone. Someone found me and took me to another place to live. I couldn't remember anything.

 

I woke up in horror. It's like I've had that dream before. Like, in the very beginning of this journey. I was so scared, I didn't have the appetite to eat. I stared at the fish, then Natalie, reading a book. She looked at me and scowled. I looked back at my fish and took a bite. I shut my eyes and thought back to the memory. Who was I thinking of? I had never had any memory like this before. I looked at Natalie one more time and left the breakfast table and went towards Lavender. “Hey boy! Want to practice some moves?” I exclaimed. Lavender looked into my eyes and saw something. I wasn't sure what but he kept staring at it. “Lavender?” I asked. Lavender finally got his mind straight and jumped up and down and squawked. I turned back at the breakfast table and saw Flame sharpening her copper gold daggers. Her dark brown hair covered her dark brown eyes. She still wore the red cotton shirt the day I met her. It had yellow decorations that seemed either like fire or flowers. I turned and saw Lavender still waiting for a lesson on how to make her more powerful. I sighed with a smile and bent my knees. “Let's test your reflexes.”

 

I got a stick and sharpened it with my nail. There has to be an easier way. I looked at the river nearby. Suddenly, it hit me. A grin spread across my face. I pointed my hand the the water and concentrated. This wasn't something new, levitating water, but I hadn't done it in a long time. I slowly rose my hand and a fountain of water followed. It was a masterpiece. It slowly came towards me and the water froze into ice. I took the piece of ice and it slowly became the shape of a knife. I took it and started sharpening the stick. “That's not what the powers are for, you know.” a voice crept behind me. I looked behind me and jumped. It was Flame. I was always a bit scared to see Flame. Whenever she talks to me, it's like I did something wrong. She was like the 'leader' of the group. I looked at her and just stayed in my position, hoping nothing bad would happen.

“I know.” I admitted, “It's not like I'm gonna risk a nail, right?”

She giggled and replied, “Your pretty interesting when people get to know you.” She took a seat beside me and moved her bangs back. I stared at her brown eyes. They were beautiful. I guess I never really got to see her eyes since her bangs always blocked the way. I saw that Lavender was just resting there, staring at the river. It was my chance. I threw the stick at him. He reacted and snapped it in half.

“Good job!” I said.

“You know, Natalie is great at aiming. You can use some practise from her.” added Flame. I ignored her comment and petted Lavender. Suddenly, the compass was glowing. I had totally forgotten about that! I took it and looked at it. The fire symbol shone.

“What's that?” asked Flame. I turned my head and trembled. She peeked over and looked back at me.

“Umm...” I stumbled, “Something.”

“I guess we all have secrets to keep.” she said. She lifted up her sleeve. I saw a burn. It was scary. The shape of a skull. I stared at it.

“What's that?” I asked.

“Something.” she replied. I sighed and turned back to her.

“Can you please tell me?” I asked. She sighed and looked down.

“Fine.”she sighed, “This happened a couple years ago, there was a fire at my village. It was terrible.”

“Wow.”

“And, there was this guy. He was my life.”

“Name?”

“Daniel. He was my -”

“Boyfriend.” I interrupted thinking of Carl. I hadn't thought about him in a long time.

“You can say that. Anyways, in the fire, I came out perfectly fine except for this burn on my arm.” she explained. I looked at her arm. Lavender looked at me and shot out some dark smoke. I smiled.

“Continue,” I said, turning back my attention to Flame.

“He didn't make it out alive. The fire, it was just, so, strange.” she tried to explain. I thought for a moment. Then thought that the dark lord must have something to do with this. I turned to her and just stared at her hair. I managed to see a tear, stream down her left cheek.

“We all have obstacles.” I comforted. She looked up and picked up a pebble. She threw it as hard as she could. I bounced several times and finally, landed in the water with a plop.

“I continued without him from that day on.” she concluded, and pulled down her sleeve. Flame gave the river one last look and walked away. Lavender looked at me, I think he was trying to say, “There's much more you don't know.” 

Chapter 15: Liz

At camp, Liz came up to me. It's been a long time since I last talked to her. “Hey.” she said. I looked back at her.

“Hi.”

“Sorry for the incidents.” she apologized.

“I understand.” I replied. There was an awkward silence for about ten seconds.

“You wanna practise our elemental powers?” she suggested.

“Sure, if there's really nothing to do.” I giggled. I got up and we headed towards a valley.

“Where's Lavender?” asked Liz, noticing that Lavender wasn't here. I looked around and found Lavender, jumping. No, more like trying to fly.

“There's that little chicken.” I joked. We laughed again.

“You're funny.” she added after the joke, “Lets start with levitation, well, for you levitation.”

“And you?” I added.

“Control.” she replied. So I started to make my way towards the river, till I felt a gust of wind blow behind me. I turned around and saw a mini tornado form from the ground. I looked at Liz, who was turning her hands and fingers. The tornado grew bigger as she lifted her hand. I smiled and continued to walk towards the river. My favourite part. Making a shape or masterpiece with water. I closed my eyes and reached out my arms. I slowly lifted my arms. The water responded and levitated. A little fountain rose. I opened my eyes and looked at the fountain. It wasn't surprising. I had done it before in the village. I spread my arms apart and the water divided into two parts. It was like a Y shaped tree. I started moving my arms and hands different directions. The water tree became a beautiful masterpiece.

“How do you do that?” Liz watched in amazement.

“Practice and concentration.” I replied.

“It's hard when your element is almost completely invisible.” Liz added, looking back.

“Air is a big part of the earth.” I said, trying to cheer her up.

“Not as important as water.”

“Look, human can survive without food or earth for a couple of months,” I explained, “human can survive without water for a couple of days. And air, only a couple of seconds.” She laughed and turned around.

“Now, let's try turning into our elements.” she suggested. I took a step into water and melted into water. It was calm and peaceful. Liz jumped into the air and disappeared. “Hey, lets try duet elements.” she exclaimed. I agreed and turned into solid form. Liz picked me up with a swift since she was still air, and I just let myself relax. We turned into a storm cloud. It made sense. Clouds were part of air for some reason and also water. We turned back to solid form and giggled. “Hey! We make a pretty good team!” she pointed out. I nodded and we walked back to the others.

“Do you know what's up with Natalie?” I asked. Liz just kept walking, as if she didn't hear anything. “She seems to be keeping something away from us.” I continued. Suddenly, Liz stopped walking. She turned around and stared at me.

“Why are you asking me?” she questioned.

“You seem to be the only person in contact with her.”

“I am a slave for her.” she admitted. A tear streamed down her face.

“You're no one's slave Liz, you're my friend.” I said, “And friends help each other in need.” She smiled and wiped her tear.

 

We kept on walking till we finally reached the camp. “Hi guys!” greeted Flame.

“Hi, do you know where's Nat?” I asked.

“Nope. She disappeared saying something about hiding.” she explained.

“Strange...” I said to myself. “Gather your weapons. Demons are approaching.”

“Why?” asked Liz.

“Whenever Natalie disappears, demons approach.” I pointed at the horizon. A dark blanket covered the sky. It was now full of purple. I got my sword and stood in ready position. “Anytime now girls, anytime...”

 

Suddenly, a huge swarm of like, a hundred or so demons, attacked us. “Whoa! Watch out!” shouted Flame. I stabbed a demon that was approaching me.

“There's so many of them!” exclaimed Liz.

“Keep fighting!” I shouted back. We dodged, blocked, stabbed, sliced until it was like, fifteen minutes later.

“Girls,” struggled Liz, “if we don't make it out alive, I'm just glad we're together as a team and that Natalie can continue the journey.”

“Look Liz, we either concentrate and win this game or we give up.” cried Flame across the chaos. I just kept concentrating like Flame told me to. One slash after another. The demons never stopped coming. I looked back and saw something in the shadows. A figure... It was looking at me in despair. I turned and continued fighting.

“Where in the world is Natalie?!” cried Liz. She took her copper gold bow and swung it in a demon's face. It cried and died off in a puff of smoke. From behind her, I could see another demon approaching her, trying to get a bite.

“Liz!” I warned, “Watch out! Behind you!” She looked behind and stabbed it just in time. If she were bitten, her whole life would turn evil. Flame just kept jumping, then stabbing, the dodging, then jumping. It went on forever. Suddenly, I heard a scream.

“Help!” cried Liz. Two demons grabbed her arm and disappeared into a vortex.

“No!” I shouted. I ran towards the vortex. It slowly got smaller, and smaller. I ran faster, and faster. All of the other demons disappeared. Finally, the vortex was gone. I was left, sitting on a rock. “No.” I whispered.

 

I couldn't have happened. It must be a dream. Liz, my best friend, gone... I sat at the rock for several hours trying to figure this out. Natalie approached me with a sigh. “She's gone...” she sighed.

“Because of you.” I grunted.

“Guys!” shouted Flame, rubbing her arm which had a cut on it, “Let's focus on saving Liz!”

“She's gone!” pointed out Natalie, “The demons took her to somewhere we can't go!”

“Correction, where mortals can't go.” I corrected. They took her to the Underworld. What would they want from her? Turning her evil? Forcing her to lead them to the Diamond of Truth? This was going to be a long journey...

“That's right, we have access to the Underworld, but we don't know how to get there.” agreed Flame.

“So what can?” questioned Natalie.

“A phoenix...” I muttered. They stared at me. I looked up, and saw Lavender perching on a tree. I gave him a smile.

“She's our way out of here?!” gasped Natalie.

“He” pointed out Flame. I nodded and reached out my arm. Lavender saw and came flew towards me.

“She can't even fly!” shouted Natalie.

“HE!” pointed out Flame, again.

“Whatever.” said Natalie. I looked at Lavender...

“You can do this boy.” I said. With that, Lavender jumped up and started flapping his wings. He was actually flying! He started flying towards the East. The wind sign started glowing on my compass. “Don't worry Liz, we'll get you back.” I whispered

Chapter 16: Saving Liz

We walked, and walked, but Lavender just wouldn't stop flying. “This is stupid.” whined Natalie, “We're following a bird that doesn't know where we're going!”

“Phoenix are mysterious creatures. They can lead us to the Underworld.” explained Flame.

“Also known as the Dark World.” I pointed out with a grin. We swam across rivers, climbed the great mountains, and ran through thick forests. By the time we were at the snowy heights, we were too tired. The phoenix flew to a stop.

“Why did we stop?” asked Flame.

“We're here.” I said. There, we were on top of a volcano. But not just any volcano. The lava was blue.

“The Sacred Volcano!” cried Flame.

“Now what?” groaned Natalie. I looked at the lava. It was a beautiful shade of blue, glowing silently. I took a step and thought. Suddenly, I took a deep breath and jumped into the lava.

“Jane!” screamed Flame. It was too late. As soon as I jumped into the lava, everything went black. Was I dead? I opened my eyes to find myself in somewhere dark. I made it to the Underworld.

 

I got up, a bit dizzy. I got my sword and started walking. Shi Fu taught me the way of the ninja, kung fu and inner peace. I sneaked into the big gates. I had to be careful and not be spotted. Suddenly, a demon started charging towards me. He shouted at me but I reacted fast. I jumped up and sliced him before the others noticed. He turned into a dust of black smoke. I kept on walking. After a few minutes, I found Liz. She was locked up, tied up, hanging above a blob of green liquid. It was just plain disgusting. I climbed to the top and thought. How was I gonna get her down? Suddenly, a brilliant idea came. I waved to her, but she didn't see me. I had to do this the way we did when we practised. I grabbed a ninja star that was lying around.

“Aim...” I whispered. I threw the ninja star and Liz started falling. I jumped off the ledge and turned into water. I grabbed her and she turned into air. We became a cloud.

“Thanks!” she said. Demons started charging towards us.

“We'll discuss this after.” I suggested. We travelled together and then we realized. Once you're in, there's no way out.

“Where did you come from?” she asked.

“A vortex volcano thing.” I explained. Liz started meditating and saying some words. Suddenly, a blue swirl of nothing appeared. We jumped in and ended in the other side.

Flame and Natalie were shocked. We came back alive.

“We thought you were dead!” sighed Natalie.

“Thank goodness you're okay!” cheered Flame. Flame and Natalie went to hug Liz. But they left me. I had a feeling I didn't belong.

Chapter 17: Ditching Friends

That night, I left my friends. They never needed me in the first place. I grabbed the compass and everything I needed. I felt a tug, I looked down and saw Lavender.

“Take me with you...” he whispered, more like mind read. I looked at him sadly.

“Protect Liz, I will always remember you.” I said. We hugged good bye and he promised to keep it a secret. I never wanted to see them again. They never wanted me. Why was I chosen in the first place? I started walking back the way we came. I was going home. I'd see Carl and my friends. My parents, Shi Fu, tell them they didn't want me, and live happily ever after.

“Jane, why did you leave your friends? They depend on you... The Diamond of Truth needs 4 chosen ones to work... Not 3, but 4...” whispered the voice. The voice wasn't going to stop me again. I kept on walking. Tears streamed down as I walked further. Why was I doing this? Was there a point? I couldn't remember. I got to the beach we fought the demons. I felt dizzy and collapsed down. I started dreaming.

 

All my friends, were on my shoulder. They were stacked on top of me. Then, I left. The whole tower fell down and everyone died. I tried to look back but I became weaker and weaker.

“Why?” screamed Flame.

“Why?” cried Liz. They all disappeared. I woke up in a bed. I looked everywhere. I was in some sort of tree house. An old lady approached me.

“Oh! You woke up!” she sighed with relief.

“Where am I?” I asked, still dizzy.

“Oh, the question is, where are you going? Walking 100 miles in one night can be pretty tough. You've been asleep for a week!” she exclaimed.

“A week?! Wait, who are you exactly?”

“The wisest fortune teller of course! Or you can say, Linda's great grandmother!”

“Linda? You mean, Liz?!”

“Who else?”

“Amazing!”

“Now tell me what made you leave your precious friends my dear.” she chuckled. I looked at her. I started from the very beginning. From my birthday, to leaving my friends.

“Now dear me! You've been through a lot lately!”

“Yes, and I don't know which way to go!” I sobbed as tears streamed down my eyes.

“Now dear, you might have let the demons get an advantage. See, you girls were gonna get the diamond first, but you decided to leave.”

“So?”

“I'm afraid the whole world is in danger. That diamond has more power than anything.”

“Oh no!”

“And that Natalie girl, she's demon possessed. The fact that her family died made her weak. The demons have an advantage. But she's strong, that's why you still have about 2 more nights before she becomes permanently demon possessed.”

“Will the Fountain of Peace work?”

“I believe that's our only hope. Now that the demons have control of her, and that you're not there, the demons can now locate the diamond!”

“This is all my fault! I should have listened to the voice!”

“Now hold your horses, that compass of yours can transport you anywhere you want, if you don't know.”

“Really?!”

“Of course! But you have to believe.” she concluded. I took the medallion compass and wished I could go to my friends. I thanked Liz's great grandmother and a sparkle of something went around me. Within a second, I disappeared.

Chapter 18: The Diamond of Truth

I made it where the gang was. We were on a mountain. They stared at me in surprise.

“Where have you been?” cried Liz while hugging me. I told them why I left.

“We would never leave you.” concluded Flame.

“Is is possible to get the Fountain of Peace here?” I asked. They shook their heads. I looked at Natalie, who was confused.

“The diamond is located up there.” pointed Flame. We looked up to see something shining at the top. We started climbing up. Lavender flew towards me. He was happy. I smiled back. When we were at the top, we could see the beautiful diamond shining in the light. Suddenly, we heard a loud roar. It was the guardian.

“Do not kill it!” warned Liz. It was too late, Natalie lunged towards the water dragon. I jumped up and grabbed her. Lavender went up to the dragon. They started communicating. After 5 minutes, we took the diamond. The Diamond of Truth was so beautiful. We held it all together. A rainbow flew out and struck upon the cursed cities and deserts. All went well now. I looked at Natalie, there was still one task to be done...

Chapter 19: Natalie

I took the diamond and placed it near Natalie. A light beam struck her and a demon came out of her body.

“I remember...” she said.

“She's back to normal! Amazing!” cried Liz.

“It's been a long journey.” I said.

“Looks like the purpose of this journey was discovering friendship and bravery. Well done guys.” concluded Flame. I took the compass and wished we went back home. After we blinked, we were home. It seemed like the 4 tribes united, and the water dragon came along too. It was all good.

“Jane!” cried Bella.

“You're back!” exclaimed Carl. I blushed and smiled.

“This isn't the end, there's always tomorrow. One day, I'll have to leave again. But I will never forget my friends.” I concluded.

“I have taught you well.” sighed Shi Fu. We watched the sun set, we would see it again tomorrow, hoping for a better ending, hoping for good.

Impressum

Texte: Mist Flower the Cat (another user)
Bildmaterialien: Mist Flower/ purplepandaj
Lektorat: Mist Flower and Emberdawn
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 18.06.2013

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