The Elements, Chapter 1

The Elements1

Chapter 1 - What you say?2

Having saved Ronelle from a very heartfelt and noble sacrifice we'd all have hurt her for trying, we take her home. Ursula carries her the entire way, not once complaining. Being Quake, Goddess of Earth, she's insanely strong, strong enough that we're pretty sure she could spin the moon on her pinkie finger. She blushes every time we say it. Ronelle, exhausted from the ordeal (and persistent nagging of her best freinds), sleeps soundly on Ursula's shoulder, parts of her body breezing away. It shows just how fatiguing an experience it was when Slipstream, Goddess of Air, can't even stay tangible. Ronelle has always kind of preferred being immaterial, the world being a different state of being to herself, the weight of responsibility drifting through her shoulders. Again, all this philosophy makes my head hurt. 3

Tuija's been fidgetty ever since the telepathy incident. Something is bothering her. I can feel her brain twitching and searching through our connection, the one we all now share. Ever since she was little, every time she is presented with a problem, her brain takes hold of it and sits there and tries everything it can think of to solve the problem. Sometimes, it's not even consciously. Right now, it's entirely her conscious mind trying to figure something out. 4

"Tuija, what's wrong?"5

"Nothing. At least, nothing I can put my finger on. Does this feel kind of strange to you guys?"6

Strange...like seeing your arm on fire and not burning for what felt like the first time. My mind flashes back to that. It did feel strange. It felt entirely beyond comprehension. I've always been Blaze, Goddess of Fire. Haven't I?7

A blank stare from Ursula quietens Tuija, but I can still feel that problem solving brain at work. She feels almost embarrassed for bringing the subject up, her subconscious spiking the humidity to hide it. Tidal, the Goddess of Water, is flustered and we all get to feel it. At least I'm not the only one who thinks something is wrong. 8

Silence dominates the remainder of the trek, and as we make Ronelle comfortable in her bed, I feel, for just a second, like I'm standing outside of reality looking in, seeing everything and everywhere all at once and seeing the invisible web that connects everything in the universe twisted beyond all comprehension. Before I can accurately assess what my minds eye is apparently seeing, I'm zoomed right back into my own body, with only the slightest peice of what I saw in my memory. It was too much information for anyone to handle. It was like I was in the shadow of something above and beyond all realities, like I touched it's mind for the breifest of seconds. I mentally tuck the thought under a rug, fully intending to review it later when I have energy. Looking around, everyone is a little drained.9

We all go our seperate ways, Ursula disappearing into the Earth that powers her without a word. Normally, we'd all think that a little rude, but I feel like I'm about to crumble from within. Exhaustion seeps into every bone, meaning this walk home is going to be a lot harder than it should be. Tuija looks like she hasn't slept in a week. She's still twitchy, her superspeed bursts uncontrolled. When she's not ten steps ahead suddenly, she looks like she's demonically possessed. Laughter escapes my lips and she smiles, sensing my thoughts through our bond. 10

"Sorry, Angela. I'm too tired to control my superspeed. I'm so tired I'm not sure I even remember how to control it," She says.11

"Tuija, I can feel that problem-solving brain of yours still struggling. Let it rest. Please. You're only going to tire yourself out more."12

I feel her brain slow, slightly. I decide that it's enough. She waves, then slices the air with her hand, opening up a tunnel of water to take her home. Being able to teleport anywhere where there is water must be nice considering the moisture in the air. I don't think there's a place on the planet Tuija couldn't teleport to. Wish I could teleport home...13

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Having braved the lone mile home, I find my bed and collapse into it. Something is not right, but I'm not about to figure it out when I'm this tired. Sleep claims me, and my dreams are on fire. I've fallen into my inner dimension, I'm so tired. Within every being on the planet is an 'inside' for lack of a better term. Everyone has a little mental habitat that is entirely theirs. For my freinds and I, it's a little more complicated. When we go off to that mental respite, we exist simultaneously within our own minds and within the force of our element. Right now, I'm standing on ground made of fire, seeing flaming flowers blow in a fiery breeze, witnessing blazing animals running along that scorching ground and leaping through the molten winds. Physically, my body is within a universe of fire. Which is what is inside my body. My body is inside itself and for all intents and purposes, not on the planet Earth. It's kinda difficult to wrap your head around if you think about it too much. Which I don't do, as it gets a little too philosophical for me and then my brain starts hurting. I've learned to just ignore the impossibility of it.15

Even inside my inner dimension, I can feel the sun rise and filter through my curtains. I guess it's time to wake up...16

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Waking early the next morning, I slip into some comfortable clothes and trek to Ronelles house. Yesterday took a lot out of her.18

Her house is little over a mile from mine and I make the trip in fifteen minutes. That's a lot of time to think about things. Like how odd this feels. Everything just feels so odd since yesterday. Why did Ronelle's telepathy activate yesterday of all days? Why was there no preperation? If this was a natural evolution of her powers, surely it wouldn't require all of us just to keep her sane...if it was natural, logically her telepathy would have developed rather than trying to make her head explode...the body will almost always act in its best interests, keeping itself from harm. It's just common sense... So, we'll continue to use that logic thing in the hopes it steers us right, logically, we're left with two options. Either her telepathy isn't part of her natural powers or her powers themselves aren't part of her natural self...which would mean, using that logic, that...most likely...all of us...all of our powers aren't our natural birthright...but that's rediculous. We've had our powers all our lives. So Ronelle's telepathy isn't natural? This is something we should really look into...19

Arriving at her home, it looks deserted, almost...haunted. No lights, no movement. No car is a pretty big indicator.20

Out of nowhere, a violent wind gusts from behind me and the door to Ronelles house bursts inward, revealing a dark, shadowy interior. As abruptly as it started, the wind dies and with its departure my hair returns its allegiance to gravity. What the Hell was that? My curiousity officially peaked, I rush towards Ronelle's room, mentally preparing myself for any and everything I can think of. Unfortunately, nothing can prepare me for the sight which greets my eyes.21

I'm stuck in the doorway, too spooked to move. Ronelle lies there on her bed, facing the ceiling as the various trinkets around her room float softly through the air. Her eyes are closed, as if she's sleeping yet I can feel...I can feel some sort of presence, some outside force pushing against my mind. It's almost like she's being possessed...the force bleeding out of her mind, pushing against my own. It's all I can do to keep myself from being overpowered. I try to go to Ronelle's aid, to reach her22

you can23

but a force, I think it's her telekinesis, it's so hard to think right now24

bear witness25

some force is preventing me from helping my freind. Not that I'm sure what I'd be able to do to help but it's the thought that counts, right?26

BEAR WITNESS!!27

I'm frozen again...that...that wasn't telepathy...that wasn't Ronelle...there's nobody else around here, I'd have sensed them by now......is there really a ghost here? Is my freind really being possessed?28

Without any warning, Ronelle is suddenly sitting up. She didn't move...she just...she didn't move. She was lying on her back and now she's sitting upright and she didn't move a muscle, she just suddenly was sitting and something is very wrong here and I'm entirely allowed to freak out by this point but I have to keep strong for Ronelle. Her eyes are open, again without any movement, and I'm swamped with a feeling of insignificance so strong it's like I cease to exist. Whatever is possessing my freind is so far above me, above all of us that I'm not even sure it's part of this universe. Ronelle's mouth opens and the words, the voice itself that comes out of her shakes the very fabric of our dimension. Whatever this is, this...thing is lowering itself so much just to communicate and it's words are being seared into my brain when it whispers.29

"Two girl goddess...fight each other...outer fight inner...dominance...whole...one element itself...elements in disarray..."30

And with that, Ronelle collapses. The presence is gone, it's message jarbled but recieved. I rush over to Ronelle, her eyes fluttering open to full consciousness.31

"Ronelle, are you okay?"32

"Uh...what...happened?"33

"You were being possessed by something...it's gone now. It wasn't something from this dimension, as crazy as that sounds. What it said...that concerns me."34

I give a quick recap of what was said and we both decide it's best to round everyone up. That ominous feeling from yesterday sparks into being again. Whatever it was, it mentioned two goddesses fighting each other. I don't want to believe it, I really don't want to believe that this is going to degenerate into some stupid fight. I hope we're not that cliched. 35

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We head off to Tuija's place, it being the closer of the two. Of course, with the Goddess of Air being able to teleport us anywhere that air is, it's a pretty short trip. A pang of jealousy arises, but now's not the time. Tuija's place is pretty deserted. Looks almost as much of a ghost town as Ronelle's. We can both feel our little water Goddess around the back of the house, tranquil as ever. We wander around the house, marvelling at the serene calm Tuija resonates. And then we see why.37

She's standing in the middle of the feild her house stands on, going through flowing motions that Ronelle immediately identifies as Aikido. The word slips out of her mind, and she gives me an apologetic look. Sometimes it's impossible for telepaths to keep secrets. Tuija's motions are as fluid as her namesake, and almost hypnotically beautiful. Just because it's used to harm doesn't mean it can't be aesthetically gorgeous. She hasn't noticed us yet, and as I near her, I begin to hear the oceans waves crashing against an invisible shore. We're miles away from the ocean, yet the sounds resonate from Tuija's lips all the same. Sounding out her name softly, I place a hand on her shoulder, making a very large mistake. She screams, and hurls an arm around as if to punch me, spilling forth the oceanic might of a tidal wave. My body's already collapsing my knees to dodge the blast, leaving Ronelle wide open in its wake. Thankfully, Ronelle is on the ball, sculpting the air into a tunnel, up and around, throwing all that water right back at it's owner, the water being drawn into Tuija's belly button as it returns to her inner dimension. 38

"Remind me never to sneak up on you."39

"Eek, sorry, Angela. I didn't mean to almost kill you on our first day of never ending summer. Are you okay?" she says, panic stricken, as she helps me up. Dusting off my clothes, I assure her I'm none the worse for wear, and point out she should really pay more attention. She blushes in embarrassment, and the humidity spikes again. As we head off to Ursula's house, just across the field, Tuija makes an attempt to explain. Having a seemingly endless supply of energy and super speed, it's apparently very difficult to calm down and let your mind sit. Aikido helps her focus and meditate, calm the whirlpool of thoughts that is Tuija. I can relate to a certain degree. I've always had a bit of a temper on me, I only recently learned to control it, but when I lose it, I'm lost in a blazing inferno of pain and suffering, whether it be mine or, more likely, someone elses. I've learned not to lose control, to let a lot slide before I get riled. It's pretty draining at times.40

Ursula's house comes into veiw, and we can already feel that she's not there. Our link is utterly silent. Still, maybe there's some clue as to where she is. Something seems wrong. Like we're being watched. Ronelle's already scanning telepathically for anyone but assures me we're alone. I believe her, though I still can't shake the feeling. And then the world falls out from under me...41

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Or I fall into the world. Hmm...somebody opened the Earth to throw me into the molten core. Now who could that be? Damn it, I was really hoping that presence was talking nonsense. Ursula must be behind this, seperating us so she can pick us off one by one. Why does she want to hurt us?43

"You know, this is the part of the story where we fight."44

That voice. Behind me. And I really don't want that voice to belong to who I think it does. Turning, as much as I can when I'm floating in magma, I see Chris, Ursula's date, his form jutting out of the tectonic plates that bar my way. He's standing there, arms crossed over his chest, which is bulging with newfound muscle, staring at me, his lips curled into a smirk I really don't like. Looks like Ursula's a giver. I'm really going to have to teach her the rules of dating once I've smacked some sense into her. Teeth gritted in frustration, my fist smashes upwards, a classic uppercut, which cracks painfully against Chris's chin. Ow. His skin is like diamond. With little more than a flick of his wrist, I'm pinballing backwards, practically unhurt, thanks to the surrounding magma. His fist is smashing into my back with enough force to break it when I hit the other side of the globe, and I understand. Since being gifted like us, Chris and I are both at our peaks when connected to our elements. This isn't a fight. He's turning this into a game. 45

So while he's down here keeping me busy, my guess is Ursula is up top, taking out Ronelle and Tuija. Or at least attempting. Tuija's shock drifts through the link, along with an explosion of warning about Ursula's appearance. Thanks, Tuija. Never would have figured that one out. I'd better think of how to get out of this cage. I would be trying to dodge Chris's hits but since I'm practically invulnerable while connected to my element like this...it's not something I get to experience very often so I'm enjoying the feeling. Let's see. Chris has made the tectonic plates impassable, so I can't go out through them. Of course, he probably hasn't thought about the fact that there are hundreds of volcanos around the world. Okay, let's aim for one of them. His right foot smashes into my face, and I'm completely ignoring his every attempt to provoke me. He wants me to fight, even though it would be pointless. We're both at our peaks, both nigh invulnerable, so what's the point in a thousand day showdown? Now that I think about this, maybe the best thing is to ignore him. He does seem very intent on getting my attention. Tuija would be so proud of me, keeping my cool like this. Anger would just work into Chris's plan. 46

With a thought, I halt my momentum, diffusing the excess energy into the surrounding magma, making it quiver with newfound power. Sitting there, with my legs crossed, my chin on my hand, I close my eyes. There are only around 20 volcanoes erupting right this moment. That doesn't give me very good odds considering there are approximately 1500 in the world. A shift in the magma below me flows through my senses. Maybe I won't need that volcano after all. A whisper in my ear of 'all your freinds are dead' and I know that he's not as smart as he would like to think he is. Silly child. He thinks he can fool me after what happened last night. 47

A fist materialises in my chest and he's beginning to realise his mistake. His diamond skin is already turning to graphite due to the heat, meaning he isn't burning, but he will. Right now, my body is as much magma as the surroundings, and his every punch, kick and headbutt is useless. A burst of pain from Ronelle gives me thier location, exactly what I was waiting for, and I absorb as much strength as I can from the magma that is my lifes blood as much as it is the planets. Pulling my fist back, Chris realises more than just his mistake. He realises that if he survives this, he is a very fortunate young man. Nobody attacks my freinds and gets away with it. The instant before my fist smashes into his chin, I feel it, I feel my fist approach the speed of light. I don't know how I do it, I don't know how I know I've done it, but it happened. Physics formulas fly though my brain and because of one basic principle, I know that Chris is very, very lucky if he lives through that. Very lucky indeed.48

********************49

Through my link with Tuija, I experience my entrance and even I have to admit that it was a little over the top. Out of nowhere, the ground starts shaking and the look on Ursula's face is a telling sign that it is not her doing. The ground swells and heaves, cracking and splintering, glowing with the lava it wishes to release. And the ground erupts, the lava turning into a blazing inferno of fire and light, an unearthly flaming column, out of which a charred and broken body tumbles. The body rolls once, twice and then stops, and Tuija sees Chris lying there, barely recognisable through the blackened and cracked skin. Blisters pop as he melts into the Earth.50

"Fire," she hears, my voice booming out of the pyre, "is not destruction. It is transformation," and she sees me flip out of the flames and land on my feet in front of Ursula, striking a pose in Tuija's mind that I'm not entirely sure I did. "Urusla, don't force me to transform you into a blackened husk as well. Stop this fight."51

I look at Tuija and see hundreds of scratches on her arms and body. Ursula looks like she's been torturing Tuija, Tuija's arm broken, her chest gulping the oxygen in shallow breaths. I can feel my cool of minutes before sliding. Nobody hurts my freinds. Not while I'm around. I turn to glare at Ursula and my heart almost stops. Ursula is standing there, a cocky grin on her face, her left hand clutching Ronelle's hair, Ronelle herself lying unconscious and bruised, cuts and gashes painting her body in blood. She catches my line of sight and her grin grows wider as she tosses Ronelle to the side, an irritation finally taken care of and Ursula's eyes, her eyes look into mine and I see bloodlust on her mind. The link is shut down tight from Ursula but I don't need it to read that expression. A line has been made in the sand and if I cross it, I have to be willing to take her life, because she will take mine if she gets the opportunity. Am I ready to cross that line? A final gesture from Ursula and the line is crossed. My mental barrier breaks and all the anger and hatred and repressed thoughts that I've bottled up over the years floods my mind. There is no going back.52

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With all my mental restraints releasing, I find a calm in the rage that my body has become. The pain Ronelle's body feels from Ursula's foot in her stomach strikes my heart, and I feel that I am about to lose a freind. Every particle of light on the planet at this moment shoots at me, into me, and I glow, a sun in the darkness of the artificial night. My fiery red hair bursts into flames, a halo surrounding my head. Fingernails spark and burst, glowing with newfound flame, claws against the black of the night. Through Tuija, I feel awe and familiarity that I identify as Scott. He may be called the Devil, but right now, he's in the presence of a Goddess. Every lick of flame, every spark of fire, every wave of heat and every beam of light lives within me, and I in them. Ursula's jaw is on the floor, figuratively speaking but give me a second and it might just be physically as well. I could hit her with more power than the sun right now, and that thought excites a part of me, even as it terrifies another. So much power, so much flowing energy that I can twist and turn to my every whim. I'm staring at my hands, noticing the way they leave light trails when I move them, little stars floating in their wake. Ursula's shock must have passed. Her fist just smashed into my stomach, but I somehow knew it would not hurt. And it didn't. Nothing she can do right now, and she's trying everything, can hurt me. I'm above her, above everything right now, and it's allowing me so many options, so much information, that I'm paralysed. And there's a burst of stunned shock from Tuija. My eyes turn to stare at her and I can feel the light particles vibrating with the sounds her voice makes, that Scott's voice makes, even if I can't seem to see him. Some part of me knows that that is impossible. And Ursula contines to punch and kick like a spoiled child. 54

Somehow my brain translates the vibrations into words, and I stop cold. Why do you have superpowers? Is Scott crazy? We've always had superpowers. But Tuija's already pointed that out. I'm so stunned by his question, my sense of time falls away. What he's saying is impossible, if for no other reason than it's true. Neither Tuija nor myself can remember ever using our powers before yesterday. My eyes are wide with shock as my newfound intelligence kicks in. Our entire lives have been lies? 55

Ursula's fist smashes into Tuija's face, the force of her punch sending Tuija flying. Scott throws himself in the way of Ursula, only to be...displaced two feet to the left. It's like someone froze time and picked him up and moved him. I must be going crazy. That's when I see Ursula's diamond bladed hand scything down on Tuija's heart, a death blow that will leave Tuija beyond help. My body's already moved by the time I've thought about it, a flying kick sending Ursula catapulting away. She's half a world away when I catch up to her, a silhouette of light mirroring my every move as I let loose a volley of punches and kicks sheathed in the purest fire in existence. It would be an amazing spectacle to watch if I weren't trying to reign some control of myself. Ursula's lip bleeds, her left eye bruised and swollen, both arms broken in sixteen different places and her legs lucky to still be attatched. What my body is doing in a fit of rage is worse than the holocaust.56

With what little control I have, I manage to let her fall to the Earth, her body crumbling to dust in the wind. She'll be back. A blink and I'm back with Tuija and Scott, Ronelle stirring even as Tuija's body heals. 57

"Did you...?" Tuija asks, hesitently.58

"...No. But it took everything I had not to. She'd better count herself lucky."59

Scott's features tense into terror for just a second. Somehow, he knows everything that happened. I don't care. I'm tired of fighting freinds, and I'm tired of real life right now. I just want to go home and sleep...60