The Power of the Spirit - part one

The Power Of The Spirit -  One and Two1

Created and edited by: Lyss Benavidez and “Lil’ Yami Lusciah”2

All rights reserved. No part of this story my be reproduced in any form without both of the authors permission. This book is a work of fiction and based upon a few real events, however neither author takes responsibility for any actions or similarities that may occur in death or life. It is not any part their fault for anything that may or may not occur. Thanks – Yami and Lyss3

Started 4 – 27 – 05 finished 9 – 22 – 054

Characters:5

Lyss – she is a strong Wiccan girl with the force of Earth backing her powers all the way. Lyss has beautiful long purple hair and pale skin. She is part Vampire, part guardian, and part other things that she has yet to become aware of. At this time, she is around sixteen, and is in love with her friend Steve.  She always spends time with him and his friend Eric. She loves writing notes to her friends – especially Steve and tries to look on the brighter side of things. She has a calm and understanding personality but she can also have a quick temper at times! Lyss’s ex Tim doesn’t make things easier for her either.  Lyss is friends with everyone among their Gathering and works hard to help them out in whatever way she can. Lyss has several guardians: Alara, Night Shadow, Evening Dream and Dralaar. Alara and Evening Dream are her female guides and the other two are males. Lyss’s vampire side – much like Tony’s – shows when out in the sun. Both her and Yami have ad notes written so that they don’t have to suffer the outside daylight. 6

Tim – Lyss’s ex boyfriend is Tim. He has severe temper issues and constantly causes fights with her. His friend Yami is like his sister and he often is found talking to her and shoving her or messing with her in whatever manner possible. He has darker features such as his eyes, and also a darker skin tone that brings out his Hispanic-Indian parts. Tim has no guardian and feels no need for one. Tim is about sixteen now and has just received his driver’s license.7

Yami – she’s a fiery Demon-child that was brought upon the Earth to do what Satan has ordered her and her guardian. She was souly placed on Earth as a thrice-cursed creature, who should never learn or practice the ways of the ordinary humans.  But curiosity has claimed her soul and she desperately wishes to get back together with her “Prep” ex boyfriend James. She loves playing with fire, lighters, knives – whatever she can get her hands on. Yami is an insane Vampire-Lycan-Demon creature with no mercy but for the ones she protects or cares for. Yami is usually seen with blue hair and wears outrageous black outfits like the rest of their clan. Her hot-shot guide Anubis runs her powers and tends to fuel her rage despite what one might say. Her other guardians are not Hell’s like Anubis is. Saint Merlin (Anubis’s mate…) and Saint Thunder (their son…) are White and Gray Majick creatures that care for Yami and her friends very much.  Yami’s stuck in a fifteen-year-old’s body but really she’s around 666 years old (or dead…)8

James – soon to become the Gang’s pet, James hides his feelings for the Satanist of the Gathering. He’s often paint balling with friends or pissing someone off in some way. He generally stays away from Yami, making it all too obvious at times. He tries to be popular and most kids think that he’s actually quite the Asian-Philippine Idiot. They say that whenever he jokes around he has to purposely make a fool of himself and no one really enjoys his jokes anyways. He tries all to hard and that’s what gets him into trouble. He is about seventeen now.9

Steve -  Lyss’s crush is Steve, the famous school skater boy with all the right looks. Steve is in love with Lyss silently and expresses it delicately. He’s around seventeen now and resents Tim’s behavior. He doesn’t seem to like Yami all that much, but he’s respectful of the entire Gathering none the less. He is a normal human and possess no knowledge, like James, of the Higher Forces. His best friend Eric is also friends with Lyss and they all tend to hang out and skateboard after school together. Steve has many friends and doesn’t like people that cause Lyss’s friends any problems. He and Eric both spend their weekends partying and doing what normal boys would do.10

Jaime – a crazy blonde-haired individual. Jaime is often seen with Cory – her shaggy-headed boyfriend. Like Lyss, she is a Wiccan and practices with the Earth elementals quite successfully. Unlike Yami, she is very cautious and believes patience will solve many problems. She is around sixteen and tends to be around Lyss a lot. Both she and Lyss have been friends for years and they’d die for each other of need be. Jaime has pale features and a strong backbone when it comes to things. She has a strong defensive power which seems to save the gang from many things. Jaime has three guardians of her own: Kataluna, Sonya (dark) and Silvia (light). Kataluna rarely shows up unless she absolutely has to and the other two take over and control Jaime’s mind at their own free will – they are connected to The Scale. Not much else is known about her at this time.11

Cory – Cory knows that there are higher powers, and in fact possesses two guides of his own that he never becomes aware of until well after this story. Like the lot of them he is sixteen and very interested in The Balance between God and Satan. He understands – due to Yami’s teachings that a Balance between everything that exists is a must and he often practices with her and Jaime. He has long brown hair that covers his eyes and whiter skin. Cory has also, like Tim, received his driver’s license. He loves his girlfriend very much and will do anything for her.12

Tony – a younger seventeen-year-old vampire that harbors a creature of his own inside him. Rarely is Tony seen with this guide (called Damien), but you can often tell between the two due to accents in the voice. Tony is a tall boy with a very good vampire-look that frightens many that doesn’t know him. He and Yami – along with Lyss, are often seen together wandering the halls during class time. Yami and him are fairly close, but not as close as her and Lyss are to him. Tony has a fiery temper like Yami but it’s only if someone has threatened he or his friends. He drives his friends everywhere and is usually seen dressed like Dracula. Both he and Lyss are vampires, along with Yami. The sun burns his skin and as a warning, he gets a painful red rash that causes his skin to peel off. As an excuse from gym outside, he had the doctor write him a Light Sensitivity letter and he turned it in so he doesn’t have to go outside. Tony usually is the one to pick on James and he acts as if he hates him because James often calls him “Wizard-boy” and other things that would be enough to make him mad.13

Prologue:14

A Gathering of teenagers stood in the park outside of their high school. It was just about nine o’clock and the summer breeze was shifting and whirling around them in an unsettling manner. The group was meeting for one of their chats about something that was far from natural to the world around them. This meeting was between them, their Guardians, and the forces of the Supernatural that so often threatened their existence. Among them were Wiccans, a  female Satanist, and a quick-tempered Pagan boy.15

The darkness drowned out their figures to where no one could see them unless they were less then ten feet from them. Everyone was silent, listening to their unsteady surroundings. They were listening for the footsteps of their missing member, The silence was broken about ten minutes later by shuffling feet. The person flicked on their lighter – their universal sign that it was only them – and moved in closer to the gathering. 16

“Bout damn time.” Said a Wiccan girl with purple hair, gray eyes and glasses. She looked annoyedly at the person that had just came into view. The Pagan boy ignored her disapproving look and instead walked over to another in the group.17

“Calm down Lyss, he’s only about ten minutes late.” This Wiccan girl had dirty blonde hair and green eyes that were reflecting in the darkness. She was sitting against a guy with shaggy brown hair that covered his eyes completely.18

“I wasn’t able to get out of the house, my sister was bitching and so was my mom, so let’s start the damn meeting already.” The guy who was late had black hair, and  had an almost Mexican-Indian look to him. Lyss, the purple-haired child, nodded finally. She and the guy shot each other bitchy looks.19

“Tim, Lyss don’t start your arguing now either – you can fight it out after we’re done talking.” Said the dirty blonde girl’s boyfriend.20

“Wait – where’s Tony?” asked a blue-haired child with piercing blue eyes. She was the Gathering’s Satanist. 21

“I’m right here love, I just went to dispose of my soda can. I also stopped to see Krissy and them by the football field.” A tall, pale vampire figure came into view. His hair was spiked straight upwards and his brown eyes gave him a dashing German look. His accent was but beautiful and he continued with his explanation. “You guys see that party over there? That’s where the whole damn school is right now.” He added. Everyone whirled around – to their shock, a party was actually going on.22

“Why don’t we meet another time – because at this rate we’re not going to get anything done.” Lyss suggested. She looked over at the party. There was a massive bon fire, that caught the Pyro Yami’s attention, and a large social gathering that caught everyone else’s eye. Lyss’s hearing tuned in and she smiled, hearing the music flowing to her ears.23

“Hey Yami – wanna go for a walk?” She asked, grinning at the Satanist child.24

“No, we have to continue this otherwise I came all this way for nothing.” Tim said. He and Yami actually had the same last name and looked very much alike. Both he and her had strong tendencies to try and control the other like brother and sister. Yami watching Tim’s expression, wondering if he was going to start fighting with her good friend.25

“Quit your bitch’n okay? We can make this for another time.” Lyss decided, running off towards someone she noticed from the party. Tim was going to remark, but Yami grabbed him by the arm and stopped him.26

“Hey you two need to stop this fucking fighting. It’s all you do now a days. Shit, you guys were fine a while after the break-up, but what’s the issue now? What happened?” He didn’t answer and turned from his “sister” and headed towards the party, tugging on Yami’s shirt as if to pull her along with him.27

“We can make for another time.” Tony said agreeing with Lyss. “Let’s go to the party, we can’t get any work done here with all them people anyways.”28

“You guys go on without us, Cory and I are going to stay her a bit longer. We shall be there shortly though so don’t worry about us.” Said the blonde girl.29

“Alright love, muah!” Tony waved and ran off to go and find Krissy again. Yami and Tim nodded and continued to walk towards the party and its dancers.30

“You alright now?” Yami asked her Pagan brother.31

“Fine, don’t ask now okay Yami? Why don’t you go and find that loser ex, James, of yours okay?” Tim had an annoyed tone of voice.  32

“Alright, but you’d better not bother Lyss too much okay?”33

“Whatever.” Tim watched the blue-haired girl walk away from him towards the parking lot directly behind their school.34

“Bye!” Yami waved and Tim signaled bye. 35

Yami walked closer to the fire pit that was slightly beyond the ending of the parking lot, on the other side of the wired fences. She noted that she saw Lyss and her friends Steve and Eric, and sort of grinned. Now only if she could find James. She looked a little further away and found Tim and his friend Iverson. They were just a few yards from Lyss and her friends and she watched them for a slight moment.  She was astounded that they weren’t trying to kill each other and tare the other’s throats out. She figured that her friends would defend her if need be and if more necessary, she would ring both their necks. When she found James, she wandered towards him. A few guys were messing with fireworks and James was watching them and laughing. She figured that if she walked over to him and said hi, it would be kind of weird. They’d been broken up for a long month or so and neither of them were seen together with the other’s friends. It was against James’s “standards” to be seen with a “Freak” or a “Goth”.  Yami cringed as the winds forcefully pushed her felt trench coat into the air. She stopped for a moment, and peered over the car before her. She recognized her senior friend’s truck and saw that the tail end was down. She jumped onto it and observed everything around her. She tilted her head feeling as if her spirit guide’s ears were curling upon her head. James looked around until his eyes fell upon hers. She snarled to herself – yet not herself – and watched Lyss and her friends. The others like her were laughing and having a good time, which made her wonder if she’d ever truly be like them. James snuck away from his friends, who were racing to the party’s bon fire as fast as possible. 36

“Hey you.” James appeared before her and interrupted her thoughts. She remained silent, but laid her eyes upon her ex boyfriend. Her head began to spin again.37

“Hey – Yami – is said ‘hi’.” He said holding a hand out to her. The wind thrust her trench coat into the air. She sat beside him, he was now on the tail gate, and watched everyone in the distance with her vampire-sight.38

Off in the distance her “brother” Tim was speaking to another in black, which she detected as Iverson – he best friend. His voice appeared to rise rapidly and his arms flailed up in the air, as the other nodded and spoke calmly in response. Iverson was also one of them, but choose to work along unless absolute necessary. 39

“What the Hell – she always does this!” Tim growled. “Plans a meeting and then runs off, bitch, I’m willing to bet that she does half this shit for attention.” Iverson nodded.40

“Could be, I heard she like Steve now – you do know that right?”41

“Yeah, that stupid ass skater kid, I know who that fucker is.” Tim and Iverson were walking in front of the parking lot through the back now. Iverson caught someone staring.42

“You know that girl – sitting next to that Prep kid?” He pointed in her direction. The blue-haired girl waved at them.43

“Yeah that’s fucking Yami – that girl you were obsessed with in the beginning of this year. Remember?” Tim laughed.44

“You used to always be like – ‘oh man I would so fuck her’, and all that shit.”45

“Oh, yeah I remember, damn she was hot. She still look the same now?”46

“Uh – no shit, anyways back to the point.”47

“Oh yeah, about Lyss right? I think that you two just need to stay away from each other in the long run. I mean all you two ever do is fight and bitch – why do you even attend their stupid meetings?”48

“Because if I don’t then shit’ll happen, besides I’m friends with Jaime and them anyways.” Tim muttered.49

“Yes, that’s true.”50

The dirty blond chick and her boyfriend slowly made way to the party. They were arm-in-arm and chatting about the next meeting. When they passed Iverson and Tim they stopped to check on them and then left again. Cory waved to Yami and frowned when he saw James, but thought nothing to much of it. Jaime insisted upon going to see their other friends Pat and Will and then CJ and some other kids. 51

Away – the most north, were Lyss and Steve – laughing their asses off at Eric. Steve and his friends were the funniest people anyone could ever be around.52

“What did God say when he created the first black person?” Eric asked.53

“I dunno – but that was very racist.” Lyss laughed.54

“What?” Steve asked eagerly.55

“Oops, I burnt one!” Eric said falling into the grass laughing. Lyss and Eric laughed so hard that their sides were aching and Lyss was in tears from the laughter soon after. “Oh wow that’s the best one ever!” Eric chuckled. They continued to joke and mess with each other until they got bored and went to dance by the fire with their school.56

“Hey Yami! What the Hell are you doing all alone out here?” The truck’s owner asked.57

“Yeah, and why were you off all alone? Where’s your Goths? Surely-”58

“James, shut it okay? And why the fuck are you on my truck?” Chris – Yami’s best friend from her seniors, asked. He loved to threaten and scare James in anyways possible. And of course, he’d always hated Yami’s boyfriends – especially the Asian ones!59

“Relax Chris, man it’s all good.” Someone behind him said. Another senior perhaps? Yep, another senior all right  -another wasted and smashed senior. This one was Chris’s friend Matt. Yami hadn’t bothered to say a word. Anubis was making her hold her tongue. It was as if her voice box wasn’t working. 60

“Well see ya later.” Chris jerked Yami’s coat and left them, Matt swaying behind him.61

“You okay?” James asked, breathing a sigh of relief. The seemingly dead girl ignored his question. He looked at her cold blue eyes that stared at the dark grounding below them. “Yami?” He whispered and rubbed her back.62

“I – I’m fine…just cold…” She replied. He placed a hand against her cheek and felt her frozen skin.63

“Wow, you weren’t kidding! What’s wrong with you?” He asked, it coming out all wrong.64

“A lot of things.” Yami said simply. “A lot of things.” This time she said it to herself. Anubis was sitting atop the truck now watching…65

Tim and the other walked over to the other’s girl friend. She was much more normal-looking then they, but then again she was so drunk she’d have never noticed a thing herself. She had curly blonde hair and laughed hysterically. Tim wasn’t too amused and Iverson was trying not to laugh. They were only friends, Iverson and this girl Bekki. But more often than not, that acted as if they were going out.66

Several kids danced and greeted each other. Several guardians awoke to the starling feelings around them and in the air. Their hosts felt the familiar tingle (all at the same time) that told them this was going to be another strange night. It would be here, it would be now. They knew, they all knew…67

And then it began.68

Chapter 169

The other friend’s of Yami’s felt it very strongly. Something was happening. Lyss told her friends that she had to go, as well as Tim and soon after – Tony. The three of them bolted over to the tail gate, where Yami and James sat quietly. The blonde child and her boyfriend appeared from the party soon after as well.70

“Jaime did you and Cory feel it too?” asked Tony. The couple nodded their heads. James was startled by the surrounding kids that so often scared him out of his thoughts and back again. 71

“What do you think it is this time?” Tim asked, glancing at Yami – who remained still on the back of Chris’s diesel truck.72

“I’m not sure.” Tony thought. Lyss sat down on the other side of the tail gate, making Yami feel “stuck in the middle”. Her long gray skirt was ruffling in the wind. She allowed her guide, Night Shadow, a ferocious black panther, to curl up next to her and rest his head upon her lap. Yami felt Anubis’s senses kick in fully and she naturally tensed up. Cory wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and she pushed closer to him. Tony stood beside Tim, both lighting a cigarette from nervousness. Tim gave Lyss an annoyed look as his lit up again. 73

The wind picked up just enough so the music was carried away from them. They watched as everyone was either dancing, drinking, or setting off some sort of explosive firework. Steve, who was sort of startled by Lyss’s rush to leave them, walked over to their group and pulled a soda from the nearby coolers of Matt and another’s truck. 74

“Hey can I talk to you quick?” He asked Lyss. “I’ll bring her back in a second okay?” This question was directed at Jaime. Jaime shrugged and Lyss got of the gate and followed her friend over.75

“Hurry back though okay love?” Tony advised. Lyss nodded. Yami felt Night Shadow’s attendance as if he was still laying there. “What’s going on that has awaken everyone?” Tony asked, with Damien in his thoughts.76

Yami remained quiet, trying to concentrate on what was possibly lurking around them. Yami knew that just about everyone was on edge about it.77

“Hey why the fuck are we discussing this with him here?” Tim asked, suddenly gesturing at James. James announced that he would leave, but Yami found herself holding into him. 78

“Forget it.” Jaime said. “We have more important things to figure out right now.”79

“What are they talking about?” James whispered into Yami’s ear. What’s going to happen now? Yami asked herself.80

“Uh – nothing.” Yami answered James. Her guide Anubis was looking at the panther, Night Shadow.  Both met each other’s eyes. Anubis allowed her lacy dragon wings to flare out and extend over her back. Yami grabbed her stomach, feeling an odd sudden pain. Anubis snarled and shook herself, the panther looking in the direction of where Lyss had gone. Yami got off of the tail gate and found herself lying on the ground in Cory’s and Jaime’s arms. Tony was freaking out and began threatening James. Tim watched and let a long drag of smoke appear around him. The blue-haired child was howling in pain now and James was about to take off, but Tony stopped him. She heaved and gasped for air, gagging as blood spewed from her mouth.81

The sky got suddenly cloudy. Anubis howled as the moon vanished. Anubis howled as the moon vanished within the clouds. The trees seemed to dance with the other kids at the social gathering.  Steve and Lyss bolted back in the picture, hearing Yami’s cries.82

“What the Hell’s going on here?” Lyss asked. Never before had she seen her friend in such pain. Yami tried not to tremble and shake, but it was of no use.  She looked up at James, who appeared to feel sick as well. Lyss shot Tim and evil look because he was arguing with Steve. Steve met up with his friend Eric and then appeared beside Lyss again. Eric said that he’d been with other friends and that he had to leave for home right then. So he said good-bye and then left a moment later. Lyss waved bye to Eric, trying to fight the urge to get sick as well. James and Yami were sitting on the grass now, Yami was trying to warm up. Lyss moved in closer to them two and felt Yami’s forehead.83

“Yikes! Your skin is like fire!” She exclaimed.84

“Shit she’s really burning up that bad?” Tony asked amazed.85

“Shit, what the Hell are we gonna do with her?” Tim asked. Cory suggested Jaime’s healing powers.86

“Nope, that’ll only make it worse because she’s a Black Majick creature – remember?” Jaime corrected. Cory shook his head. Tony and Tim watched Yami closely.87

“What’s wrong with her?” James asked quietly.88

“She’s been infected.” A voice said. Everyone fell silent in a frightened sense; James found himself wrapped around Yami and the same went for Lyss and Steve. Everyone exchanged looks. All was…silent…89

Chapter 290

Everyone looked around to find the unknown voice. Everyone, with the exceptions of James and Yami – who could care less who was there – knew who was at the party. They hadn’t recognized this person’s voice, however, if it was even a voice…91

When the voice didn’t speak again, the medium sized gathering relaxed. Though the clouds did not disperse, to go back to the navy blue sky, the rest of the people continued to dance without noticing in the sudden changes in the sky. Yami still wasn’t feeling at all too well, and she looked like she was going to barf again. She’d stopped spitting up blood, but her face still held a disgusted one. She wasn’t too happy at the moment. Everyone knew that the night was far from over – real far. Whether the problems happened all at once, or one at a time. Steve told Lyss that he was going to talk to his other friends and tell them that they wouldn’t be able to hang out tonight. He promised Lyss that he would return as soon as he could – hoping for no more than five minutes. She only nodded a response, but it was a good thing that at least, he hadn’t noticed her glazed over look. It was one of her “not really there” looks, and of course – Jaime caught wind of it really fast. She was beginning to become concerned and Cory grew aware of her stare towards Lyss. No one understood what was truly happening – all they could do was guess.92

“Shh, wait.” Was all Lyss said after. Yami and Tony brought their immediate attention to the situation at hand, as the others followed. James was staring off in the distance, wondering what was keeping him there after all. “Calm before the storm.” Was all Lyss managed a second later. She shook her head and blankly looked at everyone, now staring at her again. Yami frowned. Lyss’s eyes opened wider. “What?” She asked, confused.93

“What does that mean?” asked Yami, feeling James’s arms suddenly go around her frail figure. They were all standing just beside the forest of the park now. She was partially, Yami was, happy, that the guys were too involved in their own conversation to hear theirs. James and Tim were arguing something fierce, and Cory and Tony were in on it too. Lyss looked questioningly at the girls. She apparently didn’t realize what she had just said, but after a few seconds of digging into her thoughts, she was able to remember again. She realized that it was indeed another of her premonitions, and this being on of her stronger ones too.94

“Lyss, what does ‘calm before the storm’ mean?” Tony asked, Jaime filling the guys in. Night Shadow sat unmoving by her side. Jaime’s face gave an unsettling look.95

“Is it really that bad?” Lyss asked, dazed slightly. She looked downwards, sad-like and confused. Jaime shrugged.96

“You tell us.”97

“I’m…not sure, I’m going to go and walk on it.” Lyss, was literally going for a walk this time, she headed for the deserted track field just as fighting broke out. Cory said that he was going by the pond to drown out everyone’s voices.98

“What the Hell – don’t blame me for this shit!” Tony growled.99

“I’m not I only said that you were the last to appear here tonight before the party!” Tim growled.100

“Oh Hell no! Tim and Tony – knock it off! No one’s at fault for all this shit – now would you both shut the fuck up? I have a headache.” Yami whined. Jaime startled telling everyone to settle down.101

Suddenly, Cory returned to the gang. He brought something incredibly disturbing to their attention. 102

“You all might wanna come and see this for yourselves.” His voice sounded like he was quite unsure that he even wanted to say anything at all. He watched as disturbed faces met his eyes. Everyone got up and followed him over to the pond in which he’d been walking to. They defiantly weren’t pleased with what they saw.  Jaime’s stomach got the best of her, and she lurched over as blood erupted from her lungs through her mouth. Yami gagged at Jaime’s barf and covered her face and leaned on James, who was too startled to move. The scene was far from what they had expected. Everywhere, throughout the pond, dead geese and other birds floated upon the water. Their organs were hanging out of their mouths and some of them looked as if they’d exploded. There were a few hawks, sparrows, and seagulls lying at the edges of the pond as far as they could see. The most frightening of all was the massive pile of them at the very center of the pond. 103

Tony cautiously dipped his middle and pointer fingers in the pond’s water, and then drew them back.104

“The water is blood people.” He announced.105

“You’re joking.” James said, burying his face into Yami’s neck. Yami was fighting the urge to collapse and the fact that James was leaning on her wasn’t helping. She took his arms and placed them behind her so that he would hold her. He did automatically, like Cory found himself doing to Jaime.106

“I know blood when I see it,” Tony snapped. “Vampire – remember?” He directed his threatening voice at James.107

“I’ll bet it is.” Tim said, watching the blood and the floating creatures of the air. He pulled a long drag from his cigarette and handed Tony his pack. Tony took a cigarette and lit it quickly.108

“What the fuck did this?” exclaimed Cory. Sudden footsteps announced the arrival of another behind them.109

“The Scale, there’s going to be an uprising.” They all whirled around. They turned to see a guy about the age of seventeen standing there. James tightening his grip on Yami.110

“Oh shit.” He gasped.111

“You’re telling me.” Yami muttered, her arms around him protectively. The guy was wearing a black beater that had cool black matching parachute pants.  He had on a black trench coat that resembled Yami’s and long knee-high boots, also like Yami’s. His hair was straight, dark brown they guessed, and like Cory’s it covered his eyes.112

“Who the Hell are you?” Tim asked for his sister.113

“I am Antex, but everyone knows me as Andy.”114

“How do you know about the Scale and are you one of us?” Tony chimed in.115

“I am a vampire, like some of you here. The Scale is my enemy too, and you a common alley, though I think you may already know that.” Said the newcomer. He was mysterious in some way. Tony looked at him oddly. “Anyways I have only come to tell you that she and her are infected.” He nodded at Yami and then at Jaime. 116

“Two questions – what are they infected with and why has everything around us gone silent and disappeared? I can’t see the party anymore and this doesn’t look much like the park either.” Cory said suspiciously. He was right. Everything that surrounded them was an endless forest and that nasty pond water.117

“No one else here has the connections with the guides or the Astral, and their infected with a disease that can wipe out both them and their spiritual followers.”118

“But only Yami and Jaime are infected with it? What caused it?” Cory asked.119

“They’re not the only ones, and the infection naturally grows within them, it’s unknown to me at the moment, but I think it has something to do with their connection to the Scale. Each of you including the third Witch has a guide connected to the Scale – am I right?” The new person asked.120

“So what? What’ll that do?” Tim asked sarcastically.121

“A whole lot, because of their guides, Saint Thunder, Alara, Draalar, and Silvia/Sonya, they’re infected.”122

“How do you know about our guardians?”123

“I have my ways.” The guy said to Jaime. Jaime’s guides were rarely seen – and if they were they all had to be in ultra great danger. Jaime and Yami suddenly looked at each other.124

“Where’s Lyss?” They asked. “Is she sick too?”125

“I doubt it right now, sure she’s infected but she might be alright because Roshc would never want anything to happen to her.” The guys said. Everyone was bewildered. No one outside of their gang had ever mentioned Roshc’s name. Lyss was deathly terrified of him because he wanted her to bare his child and bring about the prophecy of the Human Scale Creature. It is said that if a human is born of the Scale that he/she will cause ultimate destruction to their world. It is also said that if this were to happen nothing would be able to stop this creature because it would have the power of the Scale itself. Antex was watching everyone’s expressions very closely, and that bothered both Yami and Jaime.126

“Has anyone seen Lyss?” Steve came running over. “Wow, it felt like years before I could reach you all.” He breathed. They all shook their heads and began to become frightened again.127

“Tim go with Steve and find her.” Cory said without thinking.128

“What?” Tim asked shocked.129

“Do it Tim – WITHOUT the fighting.” Said Yami. “She was headed for the deserted track field remember?” Tim grumbled and Steve looked pissed at him, and perhaps Yami for suggesting it.130

“Did you two fight?” Steve asked annoyed.131

“Fuck no she left all on her own!” Tim retorted.132

“GO!” yelled Cory and Tony. Tim and Steve began their walk through the seemingly endless forestry.133

“They always fight like that?” Andy asked.134

“Long story short – Tim, ex boyfriend, Steve – her new love.” Explained Cory. Andy chuckled.135

“Well then, good luck to you all – I must be going, however, I will return soon. But a fore warning! Danger is approaching.” Andy turned and walked into the vanishing party.136

“Strange guy.” Said James quietly.137

“Oh shut it you lame ass.” Tony scowled.138

“I can’t sense Lyss anywhere.” Jaime abruptly reported.139

“Neither can I.” Yami agreed. She felt James loosen his grip on her. Soon he moved aside from her and stood away from her. She felt lonely and broken right then. Cory looked at them three with shock and confusion. Tony lit up another cigarette and tried to calm his great nerves. The wind heaved their jackets and their hair around and they all began to shiver as the silence became all too loud for them. Jaime immediately looked at Yami just before feeling sickness again.140

“You don’t think Roshc…” She stopped short. Yami didn’t know what to say or to think. She just wanted to do two things: save her friend and try not to barf all over James.141

Chapter 3142

“Oh this isn’t good…” James said.143

“What is it now you pathetic human?” Tony snapped.144

“What…” Yami asked wearily. 145

“I think I can see Anubis.” James swallowed hard and stood behind Yami again.146

“Now at least if you’re afraid admit it – you don’t have to hide behind Yami, she won’t protect you. You don’t even care for her so what on or off this Earth thinks that she’ll protect you?” Cory added. Tony laughed.147

“What it called a guardian? Yeah I can see her.” James continued. Everyone’s jaws dropped.148

“The why can’t I see it right now?” Cory asked. “Oh, I mean her?” Anubis allowed her formation to become visible to Cory as well. “I take it back, I can see her.” Cory said quickly.149

“I could swear to it! S-She’s right there! Right beside the pond!” He shouted. Anubis nodded at him and fixed her cold blue eyes upon his dark eyes. He looked away and tapped Yami on the shoulder.150

“What?” Yami asked. “So you can see her – big deal.”151

“It is a big deal though because I’m supposed to be normal!” He complained. “And because of you I can’t be!” Anubis let out several loud barks that echoed in everyone’s minds. James cowered behind Yami like a young child does her mother. 152

“Where’s Lyss?” Jaime asked again. At that moment, Steve and Tim appeared again.153

“She not there.” They explained breathlessly.  Jaime was complaining to Cory that her head was beginning to ache with might and fury.154

“She probably ran off on purpose!” Tim growled.155

“Tim! Shut the fuck up! I for one am tired of your shit! I dunno if anyone else here agrees but me and Jaime and me are sick, Lyss still hasn’t returned, and James is seeing things that he shouldn’t be! So if you could just shut the Hell up and deal with the situation at hand! It would make it a whole lot easier on the lot of us! God fucking damnit!” Yami had never yelled at her brother like that, well her brother in quotes. She screamed her lungs out to the point where she fainted. James grabbed her and held her in his arms for the first time since they’d been dating. Jaime watched them and then was forced to breakaway from Cory and fell to the ground coughing. She grabbed her throat as she coughed so low that it was actually gross. James, who was also feeling the side effects of the darkness, appeared quite dizzy. He was trying to focus on holding Yami and cradling her while she was passed out. It felt super weird for him, but then again he was unseen by everyone else and he was involved in this so he figured, what the hell.156

Tony pulled he hand out of the pool again. Cory watched in disgust as he watched Tony lick his fingers and then the remainder of his hand. Jaime wondered what the point of tasting it was as Tony’s face exploded with repulsion. 157

“It’s indeed blood – but it’s decayed…” Tony said. He spit into the grass and growled.158

“Well no shit! There’s fucking dead shit in there!” Tim braked.159

“Dude – that was fucking sick!” Cory looked away.160

“No shit!” James agreed, feeling as if there was blood actually in his mouth.161

Yami unexpectedly revived herself screaming. “It’s coming! It’s coming! PAIN!!!”162

“Yami! Calm down!” James, grasping the fact that she felt safe in his arms, cradled her and rocked her like a baby again. Cory embraced his lover. 163

“We have really got to find Lyss and get the fuck out of here.” Tim suggested quietly. Lyss was no where to be found. Both Night Shadow and any other of her guides that may have been there, were gone.164

A white wolf with a glowing gold aura came into view. Saint Merlin was here now. Yami reached out as far as she could for Merlin. James sat down on the grass with Yami in his lap. Merlin walked forward to them all and greeted Anubis with a lick over the face. Anubis licked Merlin back and then he went in front of James and Yami. Yami reached out and stroked Merlin’s face. James swallowed hard. He said,165

“Can anyone else see this?!” 166

“I can, I can see her too.” Steve said, gesturing to both Merlin and Anubis. Jaime looked at him amazedly.167

“I can.” The remainder of the clique said. 168

Tony suddenly cried,  “Look it’s Lyss!” He screamed. He pointed to a tree and hugged it, scraping himself against the bark. He was indeed hallucinating. Jaime said calmly,169

“Senses impaired.” Tony whined. A sharp pain stabbed him in the gut. Yami watched him release the tree, wondering and waiting for the moment when she does something along those lines. Tony crumpled to the ground howling. Jaime tried to keep him relaxed, but she wasn’t focused herself. They suspected that they were both in tears by then. Tim was smoking heavily and Yami asked him to stop, but he refused.170

“I saw her! I saw her!” He cried. Yami went horrifically numb to the situation. Steve shuffled back and fourth uncomfortably. 171

1 hour later…172

“This is so fucking stupid.” Yami snarled. They all walked around until the somehow wound up at the pond again. Everyone sat together…thinking. And then it happened – like Majick.173

Out of nowhere a scream (which everyone recognized as Lyss’s) followed by two black shadows, echoed throughout the forestry. Lyss appeared from the darkness with thousands of black birds (which Yami detected as crows) flying all about around her. The birds continued to erupt and burst from the trees in a mad frenzy. Yam I and Jaime found themselves entranced as Lyss ran towards them. The trees blew in the wind as powerful gusts tried to take them off their feet. The clouds above thickened – like right before a hurricane – and leaves fell from the trees like fall sped up. The leaves and birds attacked the group. Lyss leapt into Jaime’s arms and then everyone huddled together.174

“Oh shit!” Yami screamed. She felt her wings lurch from her back in a painful manner. Merlin and Anubis were in standing form – both resembling Egyptian and Indian Gods. Night Shadow was in the center of the crowd hiding from the attacking birds. Merlin, Anubis, and Yami allowed their wings to spread and cover the entire gathering. Steve grabbed a hold of Lyss and refused to let her go. Tony was panicking and Tim was bitching again.175

Everything then, just stopped. Dead. Nothing. Leaves that hadn’t touched the ground hung in the air. The trees remained blown by the wind as if the entire thing was nothing more than a frozen photo. The ground had warped around them, forming several hills and the pond had became invisible thanks to the hills blocking it. Everyone froze, realizing that time had stopped. The winged creatures drew their wings apart and everyone looked around.176

“Wow, holy shit.” James mumbled, hugging Yami again.177

And then the ground gave way.178

“Oh shit!!!!!!!” Cory beckoned. The ground split and shifted until it was large enough to take the Gathering in. The darkness thickened as they fell below screaming bloody murder. Yami allowed herself to fall, stretching her wings out and around her and James.179

“EVERYONE HOLD ON!” Yami screamed. “WE MIGHT LOOSE EACH OTHER ON THE WAY DOWN THIS TIME!” 180

They all latched hands and formed a circle of people. The spiritual guardians were taken into the darkness, and were probably already taken to their destination. Yami’s wings extended and she realized that she was holding onto James and Tim’s arm. They went around in a circle, changing forms! Lyss and Tony went to their full-vampire forms, flashing fangs and glaring eyes, and claws. Cory’s body frame went from human to pure rock-hard flank that wasn’t easily destructible.  Jaime sprouted feline ears and a long tail. Yami’s tail lashed out in the air as they fell, and then her ears extended into long black jackal ones. Her claws were longer and her feet became the feet of a raptor. Her fangs hung just over her lower lip, like Tony’s and she howled full blast. She noticed Lyss’s and Tony’s eyes reflecting in the darkness, and figured hers were doing the same. Tim’s body became like Cory – virtually indestructible. They needn’t change their base form at all like the others did. James and Steve, still full humans, were unaware of the changes that had taken place in the darkness…181

They kept falling…and falling…and falling…182

Falling…into the black darkness…183

Falling below the Earth…184

Chapter  4185

The landed on the “ground” with a loud thump. Unable to move, and perhaps completely knocked out from their fall, their bodies laid scattered on a cold ground. About a half an Earth hour later, they started to shift and wake up. They sat up and each grabbed a different part of their bodies, complaining about a massive pain or two.186

“My ass! And my wings! Ugh!” Yami complained. She observed her fellow friends, not so much as shock coming over her. She could feel Tim and Cory’s changes, it was nothing obvious at all. Their changes were internal or hidden by their clothing. She looked around to observe everyone else. James and Steve, of course, didn’t change a bit. She met Lyss’s glassy eyes.187

“That was one Hell of a drop.” Lyss said, rubbing the back of her head.188

“Where the fuck are we?” Steve asked. He crawled over to Lyss, who was staring numbly at the ground again. He wrapped his arms around her body, she was shaking slightly.189

“Lyss, where did you go that Steve and I couldn’t find you?” asked Tim quietly. He was beginning to think that this was all her fault.190

“I was taking care of some business.” She replied,191

“Bullshit.” He mumbled.192

“Back the fuck off. I’m tired of fucking fighting with you. Grow up!!”193

“Will you two kindly shut up, right now we need to be finding out just where the Hell we are.” Cory snarled. 194

“Yeah, good question.” Tony thought aloud.195

“We’re in The Scale’s territory.” Yami announced. She felt James’s eyes on her and looked downwards. A flash of light appeared in front of Jaime and Cory.196

“Oh shit! Light!” Yami whined. As soon as the light had passed over them, it rested on them and when it vanished, they were gone.197

“Oh shit now we’re going to get separated?!” Tim growled. Soon more flashes appeared, taking two members at a time. Tony and Tim were next and then Lyss and Steve.198

“Fuck we’ve been separated, who knows where the Scale will put us!” Yami growled.199

“Wait, what are you? And the others? And why all of a sudden can Steve and I see the guardians?” asked James.200

“You really think that’s important right now?” Yami asked with a sarcastic tone. “Because it’s not. But I think that when you two started seeing them, the two worlds – Earth and the Astral plain, mixed, becoming one – that’s a bad thing. And now the Scale has sucked us in – we’re fully in the Scale’s territory now. And so you can see them.”201

“And the others?”202

“Never mind – here comes the light.”203

Yami grabbed James’s hand and allowed the light to transfer them. She covered her eyes and when she looked up they were sitting on what appeared to be, a huge ass cliff. James swallowed hard and gasped.204

“Wow.”205

“Shit – not ‘wow’.” Yami corrected him without thinking straight. “Wonder where everyone is.” She thought, starting to tremble again.206

* * * *207

Far away at West, Lyss and Steve were wandering through a massive forest. The woodlands were huge – and so were the giant red oak trees!208

“Lyss? What’s going to happen?” Steve asked, curiously.209

“I don’t know, wish I had the answer to that one, if you wanna learn more about this place either Yami or her guides, or Jaime and her guides could help you with that one. Go with Yami – she’s close to a member of The Scale, Saint Thunder.” She bit down on her lip until it bled. “Everyone’s split up – it could take forever to find them.”210

“So there’s nothing we can do?” Steve asked.211

“Nope, not at the moment, nothing except wander this place aimlessly.212

Jaime and Cory were stranded next to a beautiful beach. The only thing “ugly” about it was the blood water that resembled the water from the pond – just without the birds. It flowed into a crimson stream just before them.213

“Well, we’re screwed.” Said Cory as the two looked around. “Where the hell are we?”214

“I’m not sure.” Jaime said honestly.215

“Yeah, this definitely isn’t good.”216

“Come on, I can see a bridge up ahead, it we cross it we can follow the beach, which should hopefully lead to the others.” She suggested. They headed for the bridge.217

“I didn’t know that humans could even exist in the Scale’s domain, let alone live in it.” Cory thought. Jaime thought about the response. He was right, thought, but they didn’t have time to ponder the idea.218

“We must keep moving, we’ll discuss it with the others later on.”219

Tony and Tim looked around at their surroundings.220

“You have got to be kidding me.” said Tim. “We’re in the fucking desert. The desert. Of all the places to be put, it just had to be the desert.”221

“Would you shut up. Most of the deadliest creatures reside directly underneath our feet, and I really don’t wanna be lunch right this second. Are you trying to get us attacked or killed?” Tim looked at Tony, but didn’t say anything. “Good, now stay quiet.” Tony and Tim walked forward. “If we head in one direction, we’re bound to meet someone.”222

“Let’s hope that’s a good thing.” Tim muttered. 223

Lyss and Steve continued to walk through the forest. Steve stopped as he heard rustling ahead of them. He grabbed Lyss’s arm and pulled her to him. They waited and watched for whatever was blocking their way.  Out of the blue, a black panther emerged from the brush. Steve pulled Lyss behind him in response. He hadn’t seen this guide before.224

“Oh my God, Night Shadow! Steve you can relax, it’s only my friend Night Shadow.” Lyss walked around Steve to the guide standing before them on all fours. She knelt down a patted his head, stroking his ears. She looked back at Steve, only to see confusion in his eyes.225

“I’m sorry, I completely forgot. You don’t know.” Steve shook his head.226

“You’re right – I don’t, and after seeing Anubis and Merlin today I don’t know what to know, and we met this guy named Andy…the day couldn’t get any more insane.” Steve muttered.227

“You saw Yami’s guides? How?”228

“Don’t know, but that James kid – Yami’s boyfriend is he? He saw them too.” Steve explained.229

“James? Now that’s weird, no that’s Yami’s ex, they broke up about a month or so ago.”230

“Like you and Tim?”231

“Uh – yeah.” She stepped closer to him, only to have him move away. She felt hurt and held a saddened look upon her face. 232

“I want the whole story.” He replied carefully. Night Shadow watching Steve closely.233

* * * * 234

Yami and James walked along the cliff which showed that below them was a beach and beyond that – the blood stream. And to the North of both, was the forest. James peered over the edge and looked down.235

“Yami get over here quick.” She rushed to his side and saw Jaime and Cory walking along the beach. She and James started yelling their names and waving madly above them.236

“God, they can’t hear us.” Said James, practically out of breath.237

“We have to find a way to get their attention.” Yami pointed out, grabbing a rock. If she was lucky she could hit one of them in the head or something.238

“Allow me.” A black winged wolf figure opposed the sky as it landed at the edge of the cliff. 239

“Good idea – fly over.” Yami thought. She spread her wings again and glided down to part of their Gathering.240

Cory looked up and saw a dark form coming towards them from the sky. Jaime looked up as he pointed it out. The  two couldn’t tell what it was. As it got closer, the two could tell it was some sort of creature with lacy black wings, but they could not make out the individual’s features. Another guide appeared suddenly, wrapping its body around them in a perfect circle of scales. It was Athi.  Jaime’s friend guide, yet not actually a guide. It was always confusing to everyone. The creature landed a few yards from them, still hidden by the shadows. It began to walk towards them and finally it’s crystal blue eyes came into view, along with the thick black fur and scaly wings. Cory and Jaime recognized it and were able to tell who it was finally…Anubis.241

Chapter 5242

Tony and Tim continued to walk in the desolate land where all they could see in all directions was, in fact, sand. They were about to give up about an hour later, but then they saw something – like the edges of a forest. But it was well off in the distance, and they were tired now.243

“Let’s go find some food.” Tim suggested. “How long have we been walking?” Tony mindlessly grabbed his cell phone. “You have your cell the whole time?” Tim was slightly annoyed.244

“Wow, it has a signal finally.” Tony said happily. He dialed a number, that was Lyss’s. It was incredible – it actually worked.245

“Who you calling?”246

“Lyss.”247

* * * * 248

“Steve, please tell me you’re not mad!” Steve looked at Lyss sadly.  He could tell she was on the verge of tears.249

“I’m sorry…I don’t know what to say.”250

“I’m no different than from before.”251

“YOU’RE A VAMPIRE!” Lyss cringed at that comeback. 252

“I wish I could take it all back. to be normal.” Steve at least knew enough to realize that she was telling the truth. Lyss’s cell phone rang, causing them both to jump. She glanced at Steve and gave him a puzzled look.253

“It’s your cell.” She didn’t want to answer it because she desperately wanted to finish the conversation. “Answer it, it might be one of the others.” He said softly. He turned away from her and faced the panther, who was silent all the way before. 254

“Tony, yes, where are you?” A few seconds went by and Lyss spoke again. “I’m thrilled with the fact that these damned phones even work in the Scale’s territory – normally that shouldn’t be possible…but because the two worlds have partials combined…” she was talking more or less to Night Shadow. “Steve, c’mon we have to move on. Tony and Tim have just entered the forest.” He nodded and followed her and the panther. Soon the two caught up to her pace. Normally they would’ve been side-by-side, but Night Shadow remained between them. Lyss knew that Steve was uncomfortable, but she was scared now to even be near him.255

Jaime and Cory were able to join Yami and James again, with the help of Anubis. Anubis flew them down there and they were brought together.256

“So you guys haven’t found Lyss and Steve?” asked James. Jaime shook her head.257

“Gods, that fucking lame, we literally find Lyss and then we all loose each other anyways? The Scale’s got a funny ass way for doing things.” Yami complained.258

“Yes, the only thing that I know of her is that she’s experiencing pain in the heart.” Jaime said carefully.259

“Steve better not have - !”260

“I don’t think Steve would do anything to harm her Yami, so that’s outta the question.”261

“Well good because I’d cut his balls off and sever his head from his shoulders and then shove it up his ass!” Yami laughed insanely, everything around her was driving her nuts.262

“Wow, you’ve got too much time on your hands Yami.” Cory laughed.263

“You’re insane.” James whispered.264

“Yeah well deal with it.” Jaime sort of snapped. She turned to the red eyes black dragon, Athi. “Go and search for Lyss and them and then come back once you’ve found them.” Athi nodded and lifted off of the ground and into the sky, due east, or wherever he was going. For the first time since they had been there they noticed that the sky had two moons.265

Yami brought her attention to her quiet guardian. Anubis looked in her direction.266

“I will also search for your friends Tony and Tim?”267

“Very well.” Yami nodded. And with that the guardian lifted into the air and vanished into the clouds in the dark sky.  “Oh my fucking God!” Yami wailed suddenly.268

“What? What is it?” James asked. The blue-haired girl covered her head. 269

“My head it hurts!” She whined.270

“Shit – we’ve really gotta stop getting sick, because this will only do us harm here.” Jaime noted. Cory and James nodded.271

Lyss and Steve continued to walk in silence, until Steve couldn’t take it any longer. He stopped and turned to face her. She looked at him and studied him with caution. For the first time she was crying in front of him and he didn’t notice. She wiped her tears away and looked at him – her eyes rimmed with a red color.272

“I’m so-” He was cut off but a loud cracking noise. “What the?” The ground gave way beneath them and the fell into a very deep pit. Lyss landed partially on top of Steve, who landed on Night Shadow. The groaned and sat up, having an instant flashback from the last time that did that.  Steve looked upwards.273

“Fuck now what?” he asked.274

“Shh, someone’s coming.” Lyss whispered, hearing uncanny noises. Rustling was heard from above them. Steve grabbed Lyss’s hand and pulled her closer. Night Shadow moved his self into a protective stand.275

* * * * 276

Tim and Tony moved quietly through the forest, well, as quiet as they knew how. Tony stopped short and looked around. Tim turned to him right after.277

“What?”278

“We’re not alone.” Tony said feeling the presence of another close by.279

“Who could be following us? We should’ve heard them or seen them by now.” He said, looking around the trees and bushes.280

“Let’s move, the faster we find Lyss and Yami and them, the faster we can get the hell out of here.” Tony added. Everything around them was still. Too still. The ground burst and exploded from below.281

“Wow shit sucks!” Tim cried. He and Tony landed on their asses at the bottom of a cavern.282

“A tunnel?” Tony asked. Tim shrugged, realizing that there was now way for them to get out of there. They were much too far to run into Steve and Lyss…much too far…and the worst part was that they still were not alone…283

Chapter 6284

Anubis glided around, altering the direction of her wings in order to get better height. She noticed as awkward hole in the ground that seemed to lead somewhere. Out of curiosity, she forced her wings down and shape-shifted until her four legs were no longer like a wolf’s, but a werewolf’s. She spread her arms wide like her wings and then placed them in front of her like Superman does on the cartoons. Her tail thrashed in the air as she twirled in the air and shot into the tunnel. She folded her wings and landed in the center of the opening, staring up at the sky just a moment. Her keen senses detected two things: flesh and nervousness from two frightened someones.  Her night vision glowed in her eyes, so that she would see everything in the darkness. She could see the walls of the cavern ahead, wide and narrow. Her tail whipped about behind her as she touched the ground, using her right claw. She closed her eyes in visualizing a blue ring explode from her and out through the cave. She saw two vague human formations and another unseen creature in her thoughts. She opened her eyes and cocked her head to one side. She growled and soon barked so loud that the tunnel shook and echoed.285

“Oh shit! We’re definitely not alone!” Tony cried out. Anubis recognized his voice and followed the source to the left. Just then, a massive creature that resembled a millipede and a python exploded from one of the walls!286

“SHIT!” Anubis heard Tim’s voice and howled. The creature inside the cavern turned to her in response but still lunged at the two boys a second later. Anubis reached out and grabbed a hold of the creature’s tail. It lashed about and slashed open her ribs and chest. She growled and sank her teeth into his back. The snake writhed and latched its leech-like mouth to her ribs where her blood spewed.  She howled and shoved her hand through its chest. Blood – green glowing blood – oozed from the fiend. Anubis drew her paw from him and licked it to taste his power level. It wasn’t strong, surprisingly. She licked her lower lip and snarled.287

“Something’s…fighting it!” Tony yelled. Both he and Tim bolted behind a steady boulder as the tunnel’s walls erupted and cracked. Anubis was up against a wall until she threw the snake through it! She threw her head back into a powerful howl. The creature was weak, down on the ground. Now she would strike. Her howl echoed throughout the tunnel causing a serious cave-in at one end.288

“Anubis!” Tony screamed. He was right, only Anubis had the Jurassic Park T-Rex howl. She shook herself and reached into the fiend’s chest. She tore through it as the entire body began to glow with its acidic blood. When she pulled her hands out this time, a great pulsating device lay dead in her hands – the heart. She howled final victory as she ate the creature’s heart. After she was done she ate the lungs, the esophagus, and the  flesh from its chest.289

“Anubis! That’s fucking sick!” Tony cried.290

“Ugh – how the Hell did you just do that? Cool.” Tim laughed. Anubis swallowed its flesh and chewed on its bones. Pretty soon, it looked like a horrifically dissected snake project – gone wrong.  She heaved, snarled and threw some of it up, but ate it again to gain its full Majick properties. When she was done she shook her self and said,291

“That was great, now let’s get a move on before anything else wakes up.” Tony and Tim looked at each other and shrugged. Somehow, they managed to climb out of the cave thanks to the cave-in. 292

* * * *293

Athi discovered Lyss and Steve about an hour or two later, bringing everyone back together again. Yami and James were talking to Cory and Jaime when all returned.294

“I’m hungry.” Tony growled.295

“I’m full.” Anubis announced proudly. She perched in a tree above Yami and James. Everyone was in the forest now, by the beach, away from the sand lands and that blood water and the shifting grounds, below a giant cliff.296

“Whew,” Tim sat down in front of his sister.297

“Damn straight.” Tony agreed. Everyone sat down in a large circle. Then they exchanged thoughts.298

“Alright, what do we know?” Yami asked.299

“Did you know Lyss was a VAMPIRE?!!!” Steve blurted out. Yami’s eyes narrowed disapprovingly. Anubis muttered something and curled her ears in a negative manner. Jaime and Cory and Tony all nodded.300

“Yes…we all did.” Jaime said simply. Lyss wore an ashamed look.301

“Yeah is there something wrong with that? Cause I am vampire, lycan, demon AND Satan’s resurrected daughter!” Yami snapped. James and the others looked startled. 302

“Calm down, everyone -!” Jaime started.303

“What do ya mean ‘calm down’! What the Hell are all you?” This forced Jaime to flat-out tell Steve to shut it. Yami growled and spread her right claws apart like a cat. Steve fell quiet.304

“So the…?” James looked at Yami finally noticing why she looked so different to him – he’d never really focused on her until right then…and he never bothered to ask her about it either.305

“What?” Yami was beginning to get annoyed.306

“You’re…an alien?” 307

Everyone – except Yami and Tony – fell over laughing. Jaime and them weren’t laughing at Yami, they were laughing at James’s stupidity. James didn’t seem to get it. 308

“You fucking dumbass!” Tim growled. “You don’t deserve to breathe!” James put his head down as Yami got up.309

“Real funny huh?” She bared her fangs. “Fine – fuck you!” She forced her claws through her hands and pulled them from her fists. Blood was running from her hands now. Lyss was fixated on Steve’s laughter and also felt like leaving. 310

“Don’t wander – we’ll loose everyone all over again.” Athi said quietly, standing over Cory.311

“You fucking idiot!” Anubis lunged at James and caused him to lay on his back like a frightened puppy. She bared her teeth and prepared to disembowel him piece, by piece. 312

“Go Anubis!” Tony and Tim laughed. “Kill that fuck!” Cory added, all clapping.313

“Don’t disrespect what you have because what you have can easily be taken away!” Anubis barked. Her eyes burned into James’s, causing the Asian child to wince in fear.314

“Don’t kill ‘em, it wouldn’t help shit.” Yami said, not turning around to face either of them.315

“Hey – anyone wanna go swimming?” Tony joked, attempting to end further confrontation. on Steve’s laughter and also felt like leaving. 316

“Don’t wander – we’ll loose everyone all over again.” Athi said quietly, standing over Cory.317

“You fucking idiot!” Anubis lunged at James and caused him to lay on his back like a frightened puppy. She bared her teeth and prepared to disembowel him piece, by piece. 318

“Go Anubis!” Tony and Tim laughed. “Kill that fuck!” Cory added, all clapping.319

“Don’t disrespect what you have because what you have can easily be taken away!” Anubis barked. Her eyes burned into James’s, causing the Asian child to wince in fear.320

“Don’t kill ‘em, it wouldn’t help shit.” Yami said, not turning around to face either of them.321

“Hey – anyone wanna go swimming?” Tony joked, attempting to end further confrontation. “The water’s – or blood’s – fine…” He snickered. Jaime forced a laugh in attempt to help him out. Athi stood beside Anubis and said -  322

“We should get moving.”323

“Yeah we should – before I tare out his heart and make him eat it while he’s half dead!” Threatened Anubis. She glared at James harder. “Bitch.”324

“I think Athi’s right, I believe it’s in our very best interest to stay moving, and staying together while we’re at it. We’ll explain everything else on the way to the humans.” Lyss advised, watching Tony light up again. He passed it to Cory who took a long drag, and then to Yami who also took a long drag. Normally, Yami refused to smoke, but this was nerve-wracking. Tim shot Lyss a look, but before he could open his mouth, Jaime shut it.325

“And there will be no fighting.”326

“Yeah, I’m starting to get sick of everyone’s shit.” Cory chimed in.327

“Whatever.” Tim said. 328

Night Shadow, who’d seemed to fade from the gathering of kids, spoke up suddenly.329

“Fair enough. Now, which direction? We are literally in the midst of everything here…”330

“Who cares, let’s just go North, through the forestry.” 331

“No-no! Don’t, the floor cracks!” Tony said, stopping Yami. Yami jerked around and glared at everyone – especially James. How could he say that? When he was lucky enough to see that she wasn’t crazy? How could he? Just because she’s not human? She wondered how Lyss was taking Steve’s shit, and then continued walking North.332

“Anubis – let’s go.” She instructed. Anubis never took direct orders from anyone, unless it was Satan’s highest powers (which consisted of her anyways…). But right then, she didn’t feel like standing over James anymore. So she joined Yami almost immediately. 333

“C’mon don’t do this!” Lyss pleaded. Yami grabbed a hold of Anubis’s left wing and jumped onto the guide’s back. They continued to head North, never once glancing back. Jaime looked at Athi, he nodded and glided in front of them. Anubis was disgusted with this and barked.334

“Not a good idea! We mustn’t separate!” Athi called.335

“Yes, that would be going with the Scale’s plans!” Night Shadow added quickly. Anubis focused on Athi’s red eyes.336

She said in her head, her voice echoing through everyone’s thoughts. 337

“How’d she-?”338

“Thought speak.” Answered Jaime. Steve was astounded.339

“Wow.”340

Anubis was beginning to grow very impatient. Athi closed his wings and stepped aside. No fighting.341

“We don’t need the spirituals getting in this shit, so just back off.” Yami said, still facing North.342

“Well…” Night Shadow went by Lyss and Steve again, not bothering to ponder anything.343

“Very well, let ‘em go. They’ll be fine.” Jaime said finally.344

“You can just-!” James pleaded. “Don’t leave me here with them Yami!”345

“I can and I will.” Yami looked him dead in the eye. 346

“But!”347

“North!” Yami commanded. Anubis began walking, she after all, had to obey her host if she wanted to remain upon the Earth world.348

“Let us come!” Steve said abruptly. Lyss looked at him guardedly.349

“Shall we divide into two?” Night Shadow asked.350

“If you wish.” Jaime groaned. Cory stayed quiet as did Tony, as did Tim and Lyss.351

“Tony, Tim, Cory, Athi, me.” Jaime said. “Yami, Anubis, Lyss, Steve, Night Shadow, I suppose I’ll take James?”352

“I’m going by myself!” Yami growled.353

“Yami please!” Lyss said.354

“FINE! WHATEVER!”355

“Can I come…?” James asked quietly. Lyss and Steve climbed on Night Shadow.356

“Stop!” yelled a voice from behind them. A young woman with long black hair, purple eyes, and fair skin stood unwavering.357

“Alara?” asked Lyss, looking bewildered by her own guardian.358

“None of you are ready for this.” Said a male walking through the trees to follow behind this Alara. His hair was pure white – like Merlin’s fur, and very long (almost to the middle of his back). His eyes were a piercing green.359

“You fight rather than work together. You belch out orders as it you were elected leader and make foolish and thoughtless choices.” Continued Alara. The other guardian beside her nodded.360

“Dralaar, are you here to help?” Asked Lyss. Dralaar looked at her and nodded, but than he spotted Steve and James.361

“What are humans doing here?”362

“They were thrown into this by accident.” She explained.363

“Do you know of this land better than us?” asked Athi a moment later.364

“I do because I was born here, however, I am not a creature of the Scale,”365

“So just because you were born here makes you better than us?” Anubis snarled.366

“And just because you think you are fierce and strong, and hold a high title, that you are better than them?” retorted Alara. Jaime and Lyss found each other’s eyes.367

“This is the first time Alara and Anubis are arguing.” Whispered Lyss.368

“You of all people should know to back the fuck up and leave me the hell alone!” Anubis barked. “I’m leaving, and there’s nothing you can do about it!”369

Another voice shouted. Everyone looked around.370

“Great, not what?” Tim asked.371

Chapter 7372

Saint Thunder emerged from an electrical orb in the sky. He shook himself and landed on his hinder, before his mother Anubis.373

“I am part Scale creature, I know most about the Scale and can tell ahead of time what it plans to do with that Balancing and whatnot. I am pure Grayness. However, you’ll never stay together either, it’s impossible in these parts, so try to stay hand-in-hand with one other person, the Scale usually only take two at a time…In all honesty? Dividing up is probably safer, I mean the ground has trouble sucking a lot of people in all at once ya know.” 374

Alara looked questioningly as the younger spiritual. “Really now.” She breathed.375

“Just don’t go lone.” Saint Merlin emerged from some brushes to the far right. His white fur and wings made him look like an Angelic wolf. Dralaar watched everyone’s expressions.376

“What to do…” Tony and Cory thought.377

Lyss shrugged. “Beats the Hell outta me.” A few moments after, everyone was fighting it out again.378

“Yami – why the fuck are you so upset anyways?” asked Steve. Lyss looked uncomfortable beside him right then.379

“Steve – leave her alone! We’re not getting anywhere!” Tim snapped now.380

“SHUT UP!” Lyss yelled, not truly aware of how loud she was. Anubis was getting annoyed with Athi because he was in her  way again.  Merlin and Thunder were watching the wind blow the woodland trees around. It was loud. Thunder snorted and scratched his face, rubbing the dirt from his eyes.381

“Yami, what made ya mad?” Cory asked, knowing the answer in the back of his mind. Jaime knew the answer, but she wasn’t about to add anything to it.382

“It was me, wasn’t it?” James asked out of the blue. Yami was silent. That was it. Anubis let Yami slide down her back and onto the ground again. She walked over to Thunder and petted his face. Anubis licked him several times until he was “clean”. Merlin watched carefully. Yami stood aside from the Gathering with her arms crossed over her chest. You could see all of the slashes from her self-mutilation problem. James stared at her for a moment, then looked at the ground again.  Yami ignored James with a great effort that Jaime noticed only a second or two after. Lyss and Steve forgot about their own arguments.383

“So…what’s up?” Steve asked.384

“Nothing, just thinking.” 385

“About what?”386

“I’m not sure…” Lyss relaxed. She was glad to be talking with Steve again. “So, Dralaar? Alara? What do we do?” The two spirits were silent. “I see.” Lyss thought. “Shall we?”387

“We might as well just move on already.” Cory suggested. Jaime and Tony nodded.388

“Where to though?” Tony asked a moment later.389

“Let’s go East. Towards the…grasslands? That’s what it looks like anyways.” Tim suggested. “We’ll need a camp day, and then we’ll continue on.”390

* * * * 391

No one noticed that Yami was gone until well after nightfall, when the two moons vanished completely in the clouds…392

They had been lucky all day that the sun refused to rise over the forest, otherwise the three vampires would’ve fried to death in the sunlight.393

“Hey – where’d Yami go?”394

“You mean she’s gone?!” James asked. Everyone sat up.395

“So you do care!” Tim snorted.396

“Well – yeah!” James said fast.397

“Where was she last?” Cory asked, taking the words right out of his girlfriend’s mouth.398

Yami, unaware that she was being followed, started out to the bloody beach.399

“I knew you’d come here.” Lyss said softly, standing behind the other girl. She emerged as a shadowed figure and stood beside her angered friend. Yami arched her back until black wings spread open upon her. Then her wolf ears shot out of her skull and curled into the shape of horns.400

“James upset ya? Called you an alien? Don’t me mad, Steve announced to everyone that I was a vampire so loud that everyone who had already known stared at me! It was a horrible feeling.”401

The Satanist was silent, but listening. 402

“I saw you get up.” The beautiful Wiccan girl said. 403

“Lovely,” The Devil’s daughter kicked at the sand on the beach. Her tail curled and uncurled behind her.404

“James was up watching you, but he fell asleep – soon as the first moon’s light showed up.” Lyss added. “He kept asking me why you wouldn’t stop playing with the campfire and just go to sleep, and when I said I was unsure, he continued to watch you.”405

“I knew he was up. I was afraid he’d open his mouth, so I pretended to fall asleep and then after I was sure he was passed out, I left for a walk.” Yami replied. Lyss almost smiled. 406

“I don’t get it! Why’s Lyss gone?!! I know Yami took off because the asshole here called her an ‘alien’ and offended her time five, plus she’s all bitchy because she’s sick, but what’s Lyss got to do with this?” Steve blurt out. James sat alone and away from the circle of standing kids. He leaned against a tree feeling weaker by the instant. 407

“She went after her friend, duh, she probably knew that Yami left. Hell they probably took off together!” Tim said, exhausted.408

“The first moon – and the sun’s going to be up very soon, if we don’t get to them in time they’ll be in more trouble than they already are!” Tony warned.409

“Right,” Jaime thought. “Damned vampires.”410

“Anubis and Night Shadow are missing as well so they’ll be fine until daylight. Vampire and Lycans or even Demons, don’t do at all well during the daytime.” Alara softly.411

“If either of them get hurt I’ll kill you James!” Tony hissed. “It’s all your fault that Yami’s mad and Lyss went after her because she’s mad!”412

“Relax, Tony, my love.” Jaime tried.413

“I can’t!”414

“Try.”415

Chapter 8416

Yami and Lyss stood in a cave in order to protect themselves from the sun’s odd habits of daylight. Here in the Scale’s territory anything could happen – and the sun, came out at the most random of times. They stood out on the edge of where the darkness met the lightness.417

“This fucking sucks.” Complained Yami. “And James is SO going to pay for this!”418

“Would you drop the tough-chick act? Damn. James didn’t do this, you walked off, you brought yourself here.”419

“If he hadn’t offended me I wouldn’t have walked off!” Yami growled.420

“I don’t think he meant it as an insult, he was only shocked like Steve. You brought the rest of this on yourself.”421

“You must really wanna meet the sunlight – don’t you?” Yami snapped.422

“Stop being so arrogant. I understand why you act and feel that way you do – we’ve been through the same fucking things. You don’t have to treat your friends that way you do either. And you needn’t act so lonely and lone-wolf like.” Lyss paused to hear a response. Yami looked at her friend and thought for a few seconds.423

“Then you understand why I must remain the way I do.”424

“You and your big Satanist ego. ‘No one fucks with me’, or ‘I only care about a few’. And that’s it? Yeah, I understand it.” Lyss said.425

“There’s too much ego…in the both of you…” an odd voice said. It was a voice from the shadows and it was very wheezy. It ended in a low and crackly tone that bothered the both of them. Lyss and Yami backed up and got closer. Yami, still in her demon form, barked and howled fury. Lyss was flashing claws and fangs like the vampire. Lyss’s vampire form wasn’t like the ones on TV. with too many wrinkles, it was amazing. Her eyes reflected a deep ruby red and Yami’s a crystal blue. Blue flames appeared in spheres at the centers of Yami’s hands. Immediately, her fiend-like instincts kicked in. She was able to see an aura around Lyss now, representing a strong Earth-based Wiccan. This was new to her.426

“You are definitely no ordinary vampire…you have guardian blood…” It wheezed. “Who are you?” The voice still stayed well hidden in the darkness.427

“No one you know.” Lyss sneered.428

“You invade upon my territory and now you wish to fight? You are no match for my power level.”429

“I’d love to test that theory.” Yami snapped.430

“Surely my friend and I have gone through much worse.” Lyss said.431

“Why don’t you get whatever ass you have out here right this second so I can add another crack to it?!” Yami growled.  Lyss laughed and clasped her hands together. Her green aura grew into a deep olive green, she was gathering her strength. She watched Yami gather her strength too, an aura of blue flames circling her dangerous form. 432

* * * * 433

“Where the Hell could them two have gone?” Tim asked. Steve looked at him.434

“Are you worried about Lyss? Or your so-called sister?” Steve asked, receiving a dirty look from him.435

“No, I know she can take care of herself, she’s just valuable to the fight. Both of them are.” Tim mumbled.436

“They’re not fucking instruments, they’re our friends!” Cory said. “But they are valuable to the fight, Yami’s knowledge of the Scale’s rules and Lyss’s premonitions are important too however.” He added thoughtfully. Tim looked at him and then straight ahead again. Steve went to say something, but Jaime put her hand on his shoulder.437

“Hey – we’ll find her, just don’t bicker with Tim anymore okay?” He nodded slowly. Everyone walked along the beach searching for their friends. Anubis and Night Shadow were no where to be found. James was staying in back of everyone, talking to Saint Thunder.438

“So, what do you think they’re doing?” Thunder asked.439

“Hopefully nothing bad.” James thought, feeling as if he were talking to a younger child.440

“What do you have against them?” Thunder gestured to the gang ahead of them.441

“Nothing really…I just don’t like hanging around with them.” James lied. What he really wanted to say was “I hate them because they’re a bunch of Gothic freaks and they make me look bad to the other Preps that may or may not like me”.442

“Oh.” Thunder was looking at the ground. “Ya know, Yami really likes you, you made her mad.”443

“I know.”444

“So fix it okay?” 445

“I cannot do that if she won’t listen to me.” James said, realizing that he was talking to something not from Earth. 446

“She won’t let anyone get inside her head except us.” Thunder said. Everyone ahead of them stopped. Thunder watched Tim and Steve go at it alongside the bloody water. He watched as the other guides, Dralaar and Alara intervened. He noticed that Athi was gliding above them, watching, but searching for the other lost individuals. 447

“I think they’re really starting to get along.” James muttered. “I hate that Tim kid.”448

“That’s Yami’s really good friend ya know, they’ve known each other for years on end.” Thunder said.449

“Really?”450

“Yes.”451

* * * *452

A dark creature with black-veiled wings that drooped downwards at its sides emerged from the darkness. Yami counted its three tail in Spanish, and Lyss noted its scaly skin. It shined an electric blue that matched Yami’s aura of fire, and not to mention, her blue hair. The creature slinked out into full view. It stood on two legs shaped like a Lycan’s feet, and it had arms and hands almost like a humans, only scaly. Its torso consisted of scales and dragon flesh.453

“Your blood will spill on my ground tonight.”454

“Wonderful, thanks for the warning – I’ll buy a black rug as soon as I get home.” Yami sneered. 455

“Your mouth…will get you…into trouble…little fiend…” it wheezed.456

“You guys gonna keep talking? I don’t know about you two but I’d love to get this over with already.” Lyss yawned. 457

“You may be…different…little vampire…but you are no match for me…”458

“Oh shut UP!” Yami whipped a ball of he fire at the creature, so that a circle of flames swirled around it. Now they could see just how big it really was! It was ugly and hairy. It’s head was shaped like a dinosaur’s and it had many rows of teeth. The creature lunged for them and swatted at them. Yami glided over the fiend and slashed it across the face. The creature grabbed her with its tail and threw her through the wall! 459

“SHIT!” Lyss’s aura was almost red now. She threw some wind at the creature, attempting to confuse it with Yami’s flight patterns, while she searched in her mind for any symbol of the demon child. Yami, of course, got up and set the ground of fire. She howled with all her might and fury and shook the small cavern until rocks crashed onto its head, cracking open its skull. Lyss looked at the ground and an idea popped into her head.460

“Yami you’d better be able to swim!” Lyss called. “In the air girl!” Yami’s wings – broken and bloody – snapped several time before they were jammed straight. She flapped into the air numbly as Lyss bent over to place both hands on the ground. She closed her eyes and began muttering things regarding the elements. Yami noticed the rivets of water flowing from where Lyss’s hands were placed as the ground below them became liquid. The knocked out creature snapped back into reality as it began to sink! Yami cackled and laughed mindlessly. The creature’s tail suddenly bulged and slapped the walls furiously.461

“Oh shit! LYSS!” Yami howled. The ceiling was coming down! Yami swatted once more, slashing the brute’s throat. Then she kicked it twice in the throat, causing its head to snap and fall off! Yami grabbed Lyss by the arm, who was almost about to go swimming in her own Majick, and they erupted from the tunnel as the creature exploded!462

As they hit the light in the air they screamed in panic. Yami dropped Lyss in a bush and crashed into a tree because of her broken wings. Quickly, though, darkness consumed them, thanks to various jackets and trench coats.463

“Let’s take them back to Tony and the other guardians.” Said Jaime.464

“I just glad we found their asses in time.” Tim grumbled. James lifted Yami into his arms and completely covered her. Steve did the same with Lyss and they all bolted for a hide-out cave that Tony had discovered. Lyss and Yami were completely knocked out.465

Lyss woke up about an hour later, and then Yami right after her. Tony and Jaime were healing their skin and muttering healing spells under their breaths. 466

“Damn, you two must have destroyed an entire city block.” Cory laughed.467

“Nope, just a big mouth Scale creature.” They replied with a grin.468

Chapter 9469

“We have to wait here until the sun goes all the way down.” Said Tony. “The three of us could be in potential danger if we don’t. Yami can usually last an hour in the sun, what happened to that?”470

“That’s one Earth dear, here in the Scale’s Realm, there is no ozone layer.” Yami yawned. Jaime and the others nodded and thought about things. Yami looked over to Lyss who was still drowsy. Steve was speaking to her quietly so no one else could hear them.471

20 minutes later…472

the group was separated. Tony and Tim’s job was watching out for more of the Scale’s bidders. Lyss and Steve were outside the cave, hiding in the coolest of the shaded trees. Yami and James were hiding in back of the cave that Tony had discovered. Jaime and Cory decided to chill out around the other end of the cavern, still attempting to stay close to everyone else.473

The two moons rose quickly, as the sun vanished more willingly this time. Yami ad James sat quietly – never saying a word. Yami knew Lyss was right, but she knew that it was in her blood to be ruthless and cold blooded. Lyss and Steve were calmly talking and getting to know each other all over again. Steve was still nervous around her, but he desperately tried to understand it. He carefully asked Lyss questions and Lyss answered as honestly as she knew how. Cory and Jaime were over by Tim and Tony shortly after checking up on them, trying to figure their next move.474

Yami was still sort of dizzy. She shook herself and writhed painfully for a moment or two. She attempted to relax herself, by lying on her back and staring up at the ceiling. James was sitting against the wall’s corner, watching her and playing with his fingers like a child. It had gotten colder now, and the vampires were shivering. Tim and Cory were smoking it up outside along with Tony shortly after. They had discovered a plant that they could make into a blunt and they were addicted to it so much everyone else thought that when they returned to Earth (if ever at all possible) that they would die without it.475

Lyss found herself wrapped in Steve’s arms trying to fight the unsteady elements. Jaime and Cory were keeping warm by goofing off as much as possible, attempting to loosen everyone’s tense nerves, and enjoying themselves. Tim was amazed at a new discovery that actually consisted of food. He found pink berries  - yeah, they were pink alright. They tasted a lot like strawberries, and everyone had gathered up a shirt full. They were grown just about anywhere in the Scale’s forestry. The spirituals were in the clearings behind the cavern playing around and trying to enjoy themselves there for once. Lyss and watched Alara and Dralaar talk, each spirit speaking in an odd form of Astral Language.476

“…So…you’re still mad at me huh?” James startled Yami just enough that she was able to pay attention to him.477

“No not really.” She said, snapping from her daze.478

“Oh, then…”479

“Forget it. I was just…I don’t know.”480

“I’m sorry if I hurt you. I realize now that we may never get back to Earth and well…if I had to get stuck here forever I at least wouldn’t mind having you as an alley – or friend.”481

“Apology denied, don’t be sorry for what isn’t your fault, and don’t pity me either.” Yami said.482

“Well then who’s fault is it?”483

Yami stretched. “Mine.”484

“Surely you don’t mean that. Not everything’s your fault you now, Lyss says that you blame yourself for a lot of shit – no one should ever have that much to be blamed – or sorry, for.”485

“Ha! You make me laugh little one.”486

“Let me guess you’re ‘six-hundred-and-sixty-six year old and counting’.” James said. “You said that a lot back when we were dating.”487

Yami paused. Something startled the guardians. She bolted out of the cave and joined everyone, James at her heels. Smoke went into the sky as the sky darkened all too quickly. Thunder shouted. Fire writhed into the grasslands, spreading everywhere around the giddy spirits.488

“OH FUCK NO! EVERYONE MOVE!” Yami screamed. Lyss cupped her mouth and beckoned for Alara. 489

“Alara? Dralaar? Where are you?” The flames rose up all around them. Thunder backed into Night Shadow, but both made it over the circles surrounding them. 490

“What the FUCK is that?!” Cory and Tim screamed in unison. Everyone looked at the fire that had changed from red and orange to jet black. It seemed to thicken until it eventually became a mass of glob that reeked with a nasty stench. 491

“What the Hell is that?” James screamed. He grabbed Yami’s shirt and tugged on her.492

“Holy shit – look!” Yami pointed to the glob, which was quickly becoming something reptile-like. It lurched forward as eyes and claws exploded from its glob of mush. Its blackish flesh grew and changed until a huge acidic green dragon stood above the trees. Teeth ruptured from its blobby jowls and it released a piercing howl that hurt everyone’s ears. The flames around it grew and then vanished into his skin as two massive structures grew from his back. Wings unfolded upon his back causing him to arch forward.493

“OH MAN!” Tony hollered.494

“This really isn’t going to end well is it?” Jaime asked.495

The creature roared.496

“Hey you ugly fuck! Two words! FUCK YOU!” Yami said as loud as possible.497

“Fuck yeah!” Yami threw off her trench coat and warped wings. “Anubis – let’s go!” Yami figured that if she could warp and grow wings like in the Astral Realm, then there was no reason why she couldn’t combine herself and become one with Anubis’s formation. After all, she was the Guardian of Hell itself, and Yami – the daughter of Satan, reincarnated. And she, of course, was right. She began to thin out until she was but plain flesh and bones. Then she became hollow and ghost-like. Anubis leapt through Yami’s body and they erupted and recoiled back into two blue and red orbs. Then their forms got really interesting, the orbs became one large orb and began forming a new figure.498

Chapter 10499

Everyone watched as the formation of Yami-Anubis became. Four mechanical dragon heads came slithering out of the giant black wolf’s back. Her wings grew so that Anubis now had four.  Anubis’s four paws became long talons with black fur covering them. A long tail that resembled the Devil’s writhed about behind their massive frame.500

They howled in two different possessed voices, ending in a high pitched shriek.501

Alara, who stood beside Lyss and Steve, looked amazed at their ability.502

“How’d she…?”503

“Who cares! Look at them! That’s insane!” Steve yelled.504

“You’re telling me! And to think that I dated the partially human half!” James laughed. 505

“Well, we’d better get back and work on a defense for their power, they’re gonna need us because Anubis and Yami don’t care for shields and whether or not they can feel it, they could get severely damaged.” Jaime said.506

“Yeah, let’s get to it.” Cory and Tony suggested.507

“This is going to be good – I wonder if Yami-Anubis will be able to use them dragon heads to throw trees and shit.” Tim chuckled. Lyss and Steve looked at each other in awe.508

Yami-Anubis howled. Their four machine snake heads released a mechanical shriek that hurt everyone’s ears and sounded that the battle was ready to get started.509

“Hey – I wanna try damnit – no sense in letting Yami have all the fun!” Lyss yelled. “Night Shadow?” 510

It definitely would have been easier for Lyss and Night Shadow to merge if Night Shadow had been a female as well. Lyss ignored that fact though and allowed the changes to occur without complaint. At first their form was unseen because a tornado was lashing out around them (protecting them during the changes), but once it dropped what each person saw distorted everything.511

the dragon fiend cried.512

Lyss and Night Shadow were finally one. As soon as the auras around them vanished, their form was truly visible. Everyone’s mouths dropped to the ground.513

“ANDY?!” Shouted Jaime, confused off her ass. It was indeed he, the male that they had met just before their journey through the Scale. 514

“Yes, it is I, though my strengths have increased ten fold.” Andy bowed, his coat blowing in the winds around them. He – or she – was a beautiful sight.515

“Well…he said he’d come back soon.” Tony thought.516

“You’re telling me.” Steve and Tim looked at each other and then at Cory, who was as confused as they were. Yami-Anubis looked down at the creature at their feet, their jowl dropping. 517

“She’s…uh…a he!” Steve added, making everyone aware of it even more so than necessary. 518

“Yami always said that life was random, but this is insane!” James yelled. The dragon was tired of waiting. He opened his jaws and spit out some melting acid at the small gathering of humans. Andy put his hands in the air, palms out, and a bubble formed around them right before the acid hit. It sizzled on the bubble, which was starting to fade from it. Yami-Anubis took their tail and slapped the dragon with it until he fell over on his back.519

Yami-Anubis shrieked. The gathering grabbed each other’s hands and bolted back to the cave where it was safer to watch from. Jaime set up the area, they joined hands, and began chanting strength spells for both of the combined forces. 520

The dragon got up and shook himself. Lyss-Andy placed their hands on the ground, providing an amazing defense for Yami-Anubis’s power. The five-headed fiend shook itself absorbing their shield.521

“Be careful you guys, this shield’s not Black Majick based like you two are.” Lyss warned.522

“Way to work together!” Steve yelled. He and James were watching instead of participating in the Ritual. Jaime and Tony had started the chant, Tim and Cory began echoing it until their voices clashed. Their energy waves shot out to Lyss-Andy, causing the shielded force over the five-headed beast, to thicken and grow with force.523

“Anubis – watch it – you’ll need more than strength and hatred to beat this asshole. An acidic dragon has mad wits about ‘em and they’re usually quite strong.” Alara called out. The wolf head part nodded quickly and flared its wings out for balance. The dragon’s jowls opened, allowing acid to spray everywhere in order to set the staging on the field. He howled and lunged at Yami-Anubis, causing them to lunge forward too. It threw them to the side and they knocked over many massive red oaks.524

“Look out!” Dralaar called. The dragon’s claw reached out to grab Andy. Anubis forced them to get up and one of the four dragon heads grabbed its claw. The other three snapped its mouths twice and opened them, spraying the creature with a reddish acid. The dragon howled and slashed at his own face. Andy pushed more of his power into the shield and maintained it well. Yami-Anubis’s tail wrapped around Andy’s shield and curled around it carefully. They dug their paws into the ground so that they were unmovable. The dragon slashed at Anubis, causing her left top wing to ooze with blackish blood. He ripped her right bottom wing in half while they were using their dragon head’s to spray the creature’s chest. Anubis then leapt at the dragon and latched her mouth around his neck. The shield exploded everywhere out around everyone. The mechanical dragon heads screeched and shook the ground. The giant lizard sprayed them back and splashed their heads – which began depleting slowly and painfully!525

They cried. It was mostly Yami, Anubis was immune to pain. 526

“You two doin’ okay?” Andy yelled.527

Yami-Anubis lied. They rubbed their five heads into the grass and shook themselves. Their tail released the shield and swung at the dragon, they missed because the acid gave them poor judgment. So instead, they got on their hind legs and began fighting the fiend like human Sumo wrestlers did! 528

“C’mon we can do this!” Jaime was yelling. The dragon splashed acid everywhere and Andy’s shield was becoming evaporated! Jaime, Cory, Tony and Tim were in a circle chanting over and over.529

“James you dumbass – get over here and help!” Tim growled.530

“What am I doing?” James asked.531

“Just shut the fuck up and do it!” Tony bared his fangs. “Steve, you too.”532

“Repeat after me!” Jaime called. 533

“My friends need help,534

and help we shall offer to thee,535

our strength is now all in One,536

one and then repeating it from me,537

we ask that you save us,538

all mighty Gods; please,539

then thanks we shall give to you,540

we kneel for you on our very knees,541

and then for you we thank you,542

and then for you we’re satisfied,543

so with this I seal our powers for them,544

so mote it be!”545

They chanted louder and louder until another shield erupted up over Andy’s for extra support. Yami-Anubis and the dragon were still going at each other. Tearing, ripping, clawing – anything that would do it to make the other budge. Lyss-Andy looked around suddenly for anything that they could attack with, after all, this wasn’t working.546

“I’m going to drop the force on my shield.” They said loud enough for only the small chanters to hear. “Chant and say it louder, I need another force field first.” When they spotted the trees, they knew that would be a powerful tool. They turned back to the fighting creatures, removing their hands from the shield. It evaporated and sizzled with the acid, but they remained unharmed. The two entities focused on the roots in the ground, while closing their eyes. Both could feel that the roots were not only huge, but healthy and very strong. They slowly changed form, unbeknownst to the other fighting creatures. Yami-Anubis had it by the throat now, and their four remaining heads ripped the dragon’s wings out, tearing them into long streams of fleshy gore and blood. Veins among other nasty things were ripped from their gullet and then their forehead.547

“Yami-Anubis get down a little, but hold it steady.” Andy said calmly. For a split second on of their eyes fell upon the vampire. They no longer looked like the human Andy – they were even stronger, but with few obvious changes in the teeth and claws. The little vampire’s aura glowed a powerful green in color and Yami-Anubis prepared to hold the creature still. At just the right moment, they released the creature and leapt over Andy to the others in the cave. Yami-Anubis allowed the four dragon heads to slither into their back within a split second and then their wings did the same. The vampire below raised it arms high into the air as the trees came from the ground telekinetically. Loud snapping sounds and others were heard as the trees separated from the ground in which they grew. The trees shot out at the dragon, knocking it over. It howled in pain as the others landed on top of it like lumber. The vampire laughed and threw another at it, only this time the dragon recoiled with its tail, sending it right for Andy! Yami-Anubis did something that they never imagined was needed. They leaned over and wrapped their long tongue around little Andy and closed their jaws carefully. Andy sat inside her mouth as they lunged into the air at the fiend once again. Extending talons and claws they tackled the dragon and carved out its chest and then removed its heart. Anubis shook her head at opened her jowls, allowing Andy to leap from her mouth and land before the cave, where the others still remained in serious focus. Anubis, never truly getting over her urges, forced her and Yami to down the heart quickly and then the other organs among it. Jaime suddenly called off the chant and they all watched the giant black wolf use its claws to dig out its other insides.548

“Great – here we go again.” Tony said absolutely disgusted. The dragon’s tail  - because the hungry wolf hit a nerve – flew out at Andy and Lyss causing them to fly into a tree, break several bones, and explode from their forms and shoot in opposite directions! Anubis caught the tail a second after and ripped it off of the dragon so it couldn’t do that again.  The corpse of the dragon was cleaned inside out, but the funny thing was what happened next. After the fiend was done eating and Steve had dragged Lyss back to the cave, where Night Shadow was knocked out, the body of the dragon exploded! Acid erupted like a volcano, spraying everything in its path. Yami-Anubis howled at the sky, causing a powerful sound barrier to act as a fake shield for the moment. The acid melted away and everything stopped.549

Night Shadow and Lyss were slowing waking up. Rain was falling on them hard now and Yami-Anubis separated carefully, and then collapsed on the spot. 550

“Lyss, you alright?” Steve asked the girl.551

“Yeah, but I think I broke my arm, next time I’ll have to not stand in the way of Anubis’s dissection lab.” Lyss laughed.552

“Well, we’ll fix that arm of yours, otherwise, I think you’re fine right?” Jaime asked. Tim and James were watching over Yami and Anubis – who were both lying on their stomachs in a dead sleep. 553

1 hour later…554

“That was an awesome battle Yami – the way you ate that heart, was disgusting though.”555

“I was protecting a friend.” Yami snapped irritably. “In case you’re unaware, both her and her guide were injured, so if you’ll leave me alone I have to watch her a moment.” Yami forced herself up, aching in places she never thought were possible, and stumbled over to her other friends.556

“She has a broken arm and a nice sized gash, but other than that, she’ll be alright.” Jaime was explaining to Tony and Steve. Tim was sitting against the wall of the cave, watching everyone with Cory.  Lyss sat up against Steve, who was against the cool wall. Lyss looked at Yami with exhaustion. 557

“You did a kick ass job out there.” She grinned stiffly. 558

“Sure glad you had the power to pull them roots from the ground and shit, otherwise we’d still be fighting.” Yami laughed. “How’s that arm?”559

“Hold still.” Jaime said, preparing to heal Lyss’s wounds.560

“Jaime – thanks for that chanting, I never thought I would have had the energy to do so much.” Lyss said.561

“Always welcome.” Jaime smiled. She placed her hands just above the wound, allowing her hands to glow with fuzzy yellow light. The light spread out all over her arm healing the broken bone and the blood that dripped from it.  “Shit this is going to scar – damnit.” Jaime growled. The cut wasn’t able to heal over, so it indeed had to leave some notion. 562

“Why didn’t you tell us that you were in fact Antex?” Tim asked quietly.563

“Because she didn’t want you to know that she was a he!” Yami yawned. Everyone laughed and Lyss smiled widely. 564

“Eh – I literally just figured it out for myself so forget it.” Lyss giggled.565

“Now that I think about it – you two do look alike.” Tim muttered.566

“Actually they kinda do.” Cory added. Tony rolled his eyes.567

“Dumbasses.” Steve shook his head and forced a laugh.568

“So are you a guy or a girl?” James asked.569

“Yeah I’d even like to know that answer for myself.” Tim chimed in. Yami raised an eyebrow.570

“I’m all female.” Lyss laughed. Night Shadow looked up for a moment, then put his head down to rest again. “I’m only male with him I suppose…”571

“I’m so happy that you’re a girl.” Steve said relieved. “You don’t even know.”572

“Be kinda weird having sex with another guy…”James said.573

“Hey!” Steve glared at the kid.574

“You would know Asian boy!” Tim laughed. Tony and Cory laughed too. Steve and Lyss turned all red in the face. 575

The night went on without any further incident, which was good for them all. Yami had torn the bottom of her shirt and created a sling for Lyss’s arm, and using one of her chains from round her neck, to offer support for her arm. Saint Merlin, and his cousin Saint Diamond stopped by again for a chat with Anubis and then Thunder too. After that Merlin, Thunder, and Diamond left. “Duties in the Astral”, is what they called it. Cory, Jaime and Tony were too tired to think , so they curled up to one side of the cave. Tim was lying by himself across from Lyss and Steve and the remaining guides between them. After a while Dralaar and Alara walked in and outside the cave to keep an eye on things. Yami was lying at the back of the cave, far away from the others.576

“Hey  -why so far from them?” James asked, handing her a leaf that had those pink berries on them. 577

“Because I like it that way.” She said. He sat beside her and looked at everyone who was sound asleep.578

“You and them are so close aren’t you?”579

“Sometimes I doubt it.” She popped the berries into her mouth and sat up.580

“Why is that?” James asked, yawning.581

“Stop asking me stupid questions okay? You’ll only set me off again.” Yami growled. She finished the berries and turned over to sleep. She covered herself with her trench coat, and tried to close her eyes. James sat beside her for a moment longer, wondering if he should go somewhere else.582

“Can I sleep with you?”583

“What?” Yami’s eyes flashed open and she stared at him.584

“Oh c’mon Yami, I didn’t mean it like that and you know it!” James muttered.585

“Oh, well then…” she thought, looking at everyone snoozing. “Yeah…” James lied down beside her, using his letterman jacket as a pillow for the both of them. Yami snuggled right up to him like Lyss was doing to Steve. She covered them both with her jacket and fell dead to the world.586

Chapter 11587

Everyone woke up expecting there to be sun, but the weather remained very shitty. Night Shadow, Anubis, Lyss and Yami were refreshed, and all healed up again, being that they had gotten all slashed up the day before.588

“Ha! That was one Hell of a night! That mutherfukker’s dead as me now!” She yawned and stretched. 589

“Ya got that right!” Lyss laughed. “Good thing we work well together!.”590

“Yep.”591

They decided to gather everyone again, put on their coats, and head to the caves North of the forestry. Saint Thunder had told them the day before that there had been many there, and that they were fun to explore. They made it about a fourth of the way when they had to enter another cave to keep from the harsh rain.592

“Oh, this is SO much better.” Tim complained. “The rain sucks ass.”593

“Does not!” Tony danced around outside the cave, being the water element he was. His other half, Damien was experiencing the fun of it as well.594

“I’d prefer it out here too.” Cory replied. 595

Yami appeared to be in a better mood. Her sickness had faded, and she appeared “happy” for once in her life. She tore the rest of her Jnco shirt and finished the wrap around Lyss’s arm.596

“Thanks Yami.” Lyss said. Steve smiled and hugged Lyss carefully. 597

“Why so nice Yami? Where’d the Satanist go?” Tim laughed.598

Yami shrugged. “Do what ya gotta do I suppose.”599

“She can be nice.” James said, resting an arm on the demon child’s shoulder. 600

Everything was going good until there was an abrupt disturbance that shook up the whole gathering.601

“Hey! Hey! AHHH!” Tony was wailing. “SUN!” Jaime bolted from the cavern and helped Cory drag the weakened creature into the dark areas. There appeared to be a red rash all about his damaged skin. It unexpectedly got very hot. The three vampires took off their coats and laid them out on the ground to sleep because they gradually felt very ill. Lyss and Steve were hidden in the darkness while Tim and Cory hung their coats on pointed rocks to seal off the cave entrance. They went outside and grabbed sticks and then started a campfire in the back of the cave. Yami and Tony took off their lairs until both stood in a black beater and a pair of black boxers. Lyss did the same a moment later so that the heat wouldn’t affect her like it had the other two. Jaime and Cory sat up to watch everyone. The vampires were to sleep the day away. Anubis and Night Shadow were wandering throughout the cave, checking out what was inside there besides the Gathering’s kids. Alara and Dralaar were studying everyone with a very watchful eye. 602

“The Scale’s creatures are abnormally strong.” Tim thought aloud.603

“Weird – I noticed it too.” Jaime said with Cory listening in close.604

“What’s a Scale Creature?” James asked. Yami was lying on her back beside him, and he watched her breathe. 605

“You idiot! The things Yami and Lyss and them attacked! DUH!” Tim growled. “DUMB-ASS.”606

“Knock it off jeeze!” Cory snapped. “A Scale creature is basically anything here that doesn’t agree with us.”607

“Oh.” James said, feeling rather stupid. He looked over at Steve, gently covering Lyss with someone’s coat. She smiled in her sleep as the weather got colder. He looked at Jaime and Cory – always holding hands. He noted Tim’s jealously over Steve, and Tony’s kinkiness and love for all that were there. He thought about how angry Anubis was towards him. Then he thought about Yami helping Lyss…He thought…608

* * * * 609

Chapter 12610

Anubis and Night Shadow wandered into a cave that led into a cave…into another cave…into another…611

Anubis folded the wings a top her back. Night Shadow laughed. 612

Anubis retorted.613

They both kind of laughed. Anubis shifted her ears forward when she walked. She had a low voice that at the end it was high like a witch’s. Night Shadow kind of reminded her of Merlin’s laugh. It was slightly lower thought to her ears. 614

* * * * 615

The day began to fade and the heat died down more again. The sun was still visible, and all was up talking.616

“Weired weather.” James muttered.617

“Well no shit.” Tony grumbled; Jaime healed his skin the while before they got up. 618

“Damn Tony.” Lyss laughed.619

“Wow, does everyone here hate me?”620

“Yeah.” Tim snarled. James looked around at everyone.621

“Well, Yami doesn’t.” Jaime noted.622

Yami tiled her head and stretched. “No, I suppose I don’t.”623

“How long do you think we’ve been here?” Tony wandered.624

“If it’s anything like Earth, count how many times the sun’s been up. But the Scale’s Realm differs – it’s far from the Earth we live on – or lived on…” Yami pointed out.625

“Yeah, judging by just that, I’d say two or three days?” Cory guessed. Jaime nodded in agreement. 626

“Wonder where the Spirituals are I haven’t had contact with them for at least an hour. Can anyone sense them?” Yami asked.627

“I’ve been trying to call Night Shadow for  a long while now.” Lyss thought.628

“If we’re separated from the Guides that could pose as more than just a simple problem.” Jaime pointed out. She watched Yami a moment, who was slyly keeping her eye on James – who was sitting alone from all others. Lyss, who also noticed it, tried another approach.629

“What the…?” Yami looked at Lyss, who smirked.630

“What?” Cory yawned. Jaime’s eyes now fell on Tim, who was inside his own head, much like Tony at the moment.631

“Nothing.” Yami replied, figuring it out. “Just tired.632

Yami smirked to herself.633

Lyss looked away for a slight moment.634

Yami yawned and stretched, her wings spreading out widely through the den.635

“Hey watch it girlie.” Tony snickered.636

Lyss urged in their thoughts. She giggled in their minds.  Lyss exploded with laughter.637

“Wha…?” James looked around, rather confused. Yami and Lyss burst with laughter, unable to hold it in any longer. Jaime finally understood what they had been doing – thought-speak. She explained it to Tony, who exploded with the giggles. James put his head down ashamed-like. He crawled over to the corner of the cave and sat there by himself.638

“Aw, guys, look here – the big scary preppy’s gonna cry!” Tim laughed. Yami looked over at James and realized that he felt rather depressed. After all, how often do your average school Jocks get a chance to change worlds unwillingly? She felt that pain herself and noted that this was no longer funny.639

“Ha! Wow that kid is so stupid!” Tim was laughing.640

“For once I tend to agree with you.” Steve added. Cory watched Yami’s frame of mind, which rapidly changed.641

“Alright! That’s enough!” Yami’s voice echoed and bounced off the cavern walls, making everyone fall silent. “It was funny okay? Yeah, but stop harassing him alright – just…stop.” She lowered her voice and all was quiet. Steve looked at Lyss. Tim stared at James while Jaime and Cory stared at everyone else. Yami was going to prove one Hell of a point. She got up, grabbed her coat and sat beside James, baring her fangs for all to see. A threatening demon growl escaped her throat, allowing all to know that she meant business. Everyone then turned away from her and talked very quietly to themselves. Tony and Tim went to go smoke another cigarette. Lyss sat beside Steve and whispered random things into his ear. Yami curled up beside James and passed out completely.642

* * * * 643

Anubis said, thrusting her ears into a wicked curl.644

The male panther said. 645

She growled.646

Night Shadow thought.647

Anubis’s cold blue eyes met the panther’s. They both took off and ran through the tunnels like mad. When they saw daylight and came out to an open cliff – they instantly recognized it.648

Anubis grumbled. She howled and shook herself.649

Anubis asked without thinking it out.650

The panther demonstrated his bellow so that Anubis would distinguish it. Anubis gave him her best howl and he memorized it. 651

Anubis stood up on her hind legs. Black and purple wings incased her and formed her body like the Egyptian God. Night Shadow stretched and then leapt off of the cliff.652

Night Shadow called, falling several hundred feet. The Demon Wolf dove for him and swooped over him. She flared her wings and used her raptor talons to clasp him by the back. She glided off balance for a moment or two then got on a good thermal and went upwards. From a distance she resembled a hawk carrying a cat into the air. The only thing being was that she wasn’t a hawk – she was  winged Lycan almost.  Her black skin and fur took in the sunlight. She spread her wings as far as she could, casing a huge shadow over whatever she passed. Night Shadow’s tail curled up under him for a moment and he tensed up. When Anubis was no higher than six feet from the ground, she released her grasp and twirled into the air. The giant panther landed very well on his feet and roared. The female creature in the sky countered with piercing howl.653

Night Shadow, quick on his feet at all times, raced through the forestry, smelling trees and slashing over the marking from Jaime as he went. He looked up every now and then and tried to see Anubis flying overhead. Anubis, on the other hand, watched Night Shadow’s work down below. Being that the thermals died, she was forced to flap instead of glide easily through the air. This would be hard for one with such massive wings. Se retracted her feet, pulling her knees to her chest (which ended with two spears sticking from it), and flapped harder. Each flap became a burden, and she was slowing down – unable to keep up with the guardian below her. One of her wings began hurting and when she discovered why it hurt, she groaned.654

* * * * 655

“Lyss, how’s your arm?” asked Tim finally. Everyone looked at him oddly. This was the first time he had actually said something even close to caring or so they thought…656

“What – she’s a good fighter, we’re going to need her.” Everyone rolled their eyes. Lyss sighed and decided not to make a deal of it.657

“My arm is fine – thanks for asking.” Though she whipped the words at him, her focus was on Steve giving Tim a pissy look. As soon as he looked away and began talking to Lyss, Tim’s face flashed with jealousy. The only person aware of such a thing, was his sister Yami, she made a mental not to talk to him later. Tony’s keen hearing kicked in and then the other  two vamp’s did after.658

“Something’s coming.” Said Tony.659

“Something big.” Yami said, suddenly bursting with laughter. “Ha – my cock!” Yami laughed.660

“It ain’t your cock, Gods I  hope that it’s not hungry for  food.” Lyss growled. Everyone got off their asses to go to the entranceway where it was blocked by the coats. Tony carefully looked past them. Clouds of black covered the sky and he almost smiled. They removed the coats (Tony and Jaime did) and threw them back to their owners. Lyss knew exactly what he was thinking.661

“Everyone up against the walls – and hurry.” They all backed against the walls as instructed. Lyss, however, was in the center. They all observed her and several questioning expressions crept over their faces. She silenced them and with swift hand movements, wind began to pick up all around them. Her hair and her jacket lashed around on her, but still, she held her focus. In one quick motion, she blew the fire they’d started, out. She moved to the opposite side of the wall by Steve. Everything was darker. They waited for whatever was coming. Everyone could hear everything now. the Gathering stood there – silent.662

* * * * 663

Anubis didn’t have time to ponder on her wing. A howl came from below, and she jerked her head downwards to the black panther. A creature had popped out of the trees and began to fight the giant feline.  Anubis swooped down to offer help. Hopefully the kids would be able to hold off on their arguing and stay safe until they were done fighting. 664

* * * * 665

Lyss waited for the sound again. When she didn’t hear it, she spoke rapidly, but quietly.666

“Sun’s not out. I think we should go. Go in two’s.”667

“Why two’s?” asked Tony.668

“We are without the guardians – and of something springs up at us – we’ll all be at a different angle, so if one’s attacked, we’ll surprise ‘em.” Jaime explained.669

“Yep, that’ll do it.” Yami sighed. 670

“Wait – what if all those things get at all of us?” James asked, tugging at Yami’s shirt – almost to the point where it annoyed her. Lyss rolled her eyes and gave Yami and aggravated look. 671

“Let’s hope that that’s not an issue.” Tim sneered. He nudged Yami and leaned against the side of her. “He’s really starting to get on my nerves.” Yami shrugged and waited for Lyss to tell them to bolt out of the cavern or something. She raised her ears and froze.672

“Go!” Lyss called. The gang rushed out of the den, trench coats flying everywhere. Steve was complaining about something to Lyss, who giggled softly. They all came to a sudden halt and held each other back so that they wouldn’t go any further. Lyss reached for Yami, who’s knees gave out under her, causing her to fall.673

“NNNOOOOO!”  She wailed. “Thunder!!!!” Saint Thunder was lying on his side in the grass, a mass of fur, bones, and blood. His ribs were shooting through his sides, dead flesh curled at his sides. A blonde, long-haired figure with a black cloak, stood just to the side of him laughing.674

“The Blonde Witch!” someone yelped – this witch was pretty much Roshc’s slut. Yami howled again, causing the witch to release a high shrilled laugh. Lyss looked away from Thunder, and at the cackling figure.675

* * * * 676

Anubis yelled, a few feet from the panther and the Scale creature. She glided through the trees, trying not to smash her wings into the red oaks. The serpent – that the panther was now engaged with – slowly coiled around her friend. 677

Night Shadow roared.  The panther swatted at one of the coils, which withdrew and then tightened up again. 678

Anubis called.679

Night Shadow called,  trying to hold onto its tail with his mouth. Anubis circled above them and went as high as possible, then shot North so fast her wings tore at either side. She growled and felt the ooze of the creature (the glowing thing that she swallowed…) burn her slowly. She zoomed through the air, watching the panther rip the skin off of the snake. It was bleeding an odd purple color. She jerked forward and spilled air as she spotted the kids. When she saw her son Thunder and the Blonde Witch, she howled and released a cry that woke Hell itself. 680

“EURINA! YOU’RE MINE!” She sat, landing on her feet hard. She flared her wings and extended her claws.681

“Well well well…if it isn’t Hell’s guide Anubis…” She smiled. 682

Thunder cried. He wheezed and gagged until blood sprayed from his mouth. Yami couldn’t take seeing him like that and she appeared to be on the verge of tears. Lyss and Steve were standing closely behind her and James. James lifted Yami into his arms and held her tightly. He kept his eyes on the fiend Anubis, while making sure Yami was unable to face and look back at them all.683

* * * * 684

Night Shadow leapt into the air. He opened his giant jaws and a glowing beam of light shot from his throat out to the serpent. It struck the giant snake, which writhed with pain soon after. He landed on all-fours and shook himself twice. He slashed at the belly of the snake, who used its tail to wrap around the panther’s leg and throw him across the forest’s clearing.685

Cat instincts were to jerk and slash, surely he’d break that leg in doing so. Instead of doing that, he pried at the tail and bit the skin so deep that the snake let out a deafening dinosaur wail.  He tore with his teeth and refused to let go for any reason. The serpent finally released the panther’s leg. Night Shadow used this opportunity to leap again, and somehow managed to soar over the creature’s tail. He reached forwards and slashed at the fiend twice, then went straight for the throat. His giant fangs met its esophagus and he clamped down as hard as he could. The creature thrashed, howled, and failed around, but the panther didn’t budge. He flung himself back and ripped the snake’s throat completely open! Blood was spraying everywhere and the panther bolted to one side so that it didn’t get all over him.686

The panther asked himself. He was right. Everything that the blood touched dissolved into a thick whitish dust. That dust, was blown away by any winds that swirled around them.  He thought. He jumped into the air, waited for a the giant serpent to collapse, and then went into a tree. He watched as the oversized fiend warped and writhed around on the ground there. With each passing moment, it was slowly getting sicker and drained its own blood. The wounds only got larger as it slashed at itself from the pain. And then, something amazingly sick occurred within the forest. As Night Shadow continued to watch the dying serpent, another serpent exploded from the ground.687

the panther growled to himself. He grounded his paws into the tree branch and prepared to attacked yet again. The second serpent ignored the cat in the tree and actually attacked the dying monster beneath it. The dying one screamed in pain as its brother ripped its tail off and swallowed it whole! The panther almost felt bad for it. He watched as the serpent desperately cried for help, but the hungry one kept tearing it apart, each time, disemboweling a piece of the other’s insides. Night Shadow gagged as he heard the bones crack and crunch as the ravenous creature finished it off. It opened it serpent mouth and snapped the head off of the dead creature below its feet. After there was nothing but strings of gore and pieces of flesh lying on the ground, it released a piercing cry that even Anubis wouldn’t be able to make. It curled up and writhed with happiness and then returned to its tunnel. Night Shadow leapt down from the tree and walked around the remains of the dead snake. He stopped and bowed his head, hoping – that if he had a brother – it wouldn’t eat him. He quickly dug a hole about two feet deep and placed the remains (the heart and eyes) in the hole, using his paws. He turned around and buried it and drew an X in the dirt to signify anyone coming of the grave.688

Night Shadow said. He bolted straight ahead as fast as he knew how. He continued scratching and smelling the trees until he eventually reached Anubis and the others.689

“Night Shadow – you’re okay!” Lyss screamed as the panther leapt before her.690

Anubis hissed. The wolf gestured to the witch with long blonde hair.691

Night Shadow asked Anubis. The wolf nodded.692

“He might be okay, but you won’t be very soon!” She snapped. She tossed a blackish orb over at a nearby rock, and it exploded into a thousand pieces like dynamite. A giant arachnid (spider) appeared from the remaining mist of the orb. Tim and Tony grabbed everyone by the shirt and dragged them into the cavern. Lyss convinced Steve to stay there and ran out to her spirit guide. Yami, still beside Thunder and James, was still crying her eyes out. The sick spiritual howled and wailed in pain.693

“Am I gonna die?” He cried, in too much pain to think it. Yami rubbed her eyes and gently stroked  the fur on his snout. 694

“You’re going to be just fine.” James said, forcing himself to pet the lion-wolf-saber-fox. He got a single bolt of electricity from his fur, be ignored it with an effort. 695

“His ribs all are shattered.”  Yami wailed. James placed his hand on her shoulder.696

“He’s going to be okay.” Yami wiped the tears from her face again and fought the urge to throw up her stomach. She couldn’t believe her eyes, Thunder was a deadly wreck. His eyes were cloudy and blood spilled on to his yellow fur. She looked over at Anubis, who was distracted by the arachnid. Lyss and the witch were engaged in a battle of Earth and Winds. Night Shadow had shook off his wooziness and joined Anubis, who was getting very reckless. 697

“Yami,” James tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to snap out of her daze.698

“What?” She sniffled.699

“Why can’t we do one of the healing rituals that Jaime has us do?” He asked. Yami was bewildered. She watched the witch and Lyss throw orbs and shields at each other. “You would do that?”700

“I’ll do it to help him okay?” said the Christian-based James. His parents had always despised the “Goth” kids and brought him up to hate them. They talked a lot of shit about the ones they didn’t know, and he was forced to leave Yami over it a month or so back…701

* * * * 702

“Hahahahahahahahaaaah!” The witch cackled again.703

“You’re staring to annoy me!” Lyss growled, thrusting a blast of wind.704

“What are you going to do about it? If you think your orbs and winds will have any effect on me – think again you little bitch!” She called. Lyss, who was clearly irritated, ignored the witch’s stupid remarks. Instead she allowed her anger and rage to fly out on the battlefield. Her mind was locked on one thing, and one thing only: protecting her friends. With Jaime and Tony trying to keep everyone inside the cave, Yami in the worst of state, and the guides busy, she knew she was on her own for the moment. Surely, she could ask Yami for help and she would indeed snap to, but then fire would really singe demon ass and she would want the field catching fire yet again. So she focused on the blonde.705

“Well, what is your ass going to do? Standing there making your empty threats isn’t going to prove a thing you slut!” Lyss looked at the witch and knew an attack that would shock the shit out of her (and her friends if not careful) but she needed to combine her inner Wiccan side, priestess side, and finally – her guardian side. “I hope you’re ready!” She grinned. The winds swirled up around her, forming a giant funnel cloud. Her body slowly lifted off of the ground. Tony, Jaime and Tim, both looked over in her direction, feeling the fury grow from her. Her legs stayed together and her arms rose slightly, palms facing up. Her hair and her clothing lashed out around her body and face. As soon as she pulled enough energy together, she was able to allow wings (nearly the length of her entire body) expand and form from her delicate frame. The wings shot from her back so fast that when they flew outwards they forced the funnel cloud apart, revealing her formation. She began spinning in the air, until another tornado appeared – only this one, was made of fire. Her blazing anger rose like the flames that now surrounded her. She stopped in place again and the fire lowered to the ground circling around below. If she were to land on the ground she would be at the center of this fiery shield. Silvery streaks glowed in her hair, adding to the transformation. Her wings went from a golden-brown to black, developing more of these streaks. Her Mexican curls became long straight hair, just as her eyes became a striking and glowing green.706

“You’re a guardian – how cute.” The witch snapped her fingers, two orbs floated aimlessly around her hand. “No matter, when I destroy you I will claim your power and become as master Roshc has.” The witch giggled. Lyss cringed at the name. Not someone she wanted to run  into any time soon. She noted that her heart skipped a beat or two. Gods only knew what he would do to her this time. A shiver crept up and down her spine, causing the flames below her feet to grow redder. She had to stay strong – had to. Anger filled her body and she forced large fire balls at the witch, wondering if she could burn her to death. The balls grew and enveloped her body, then vanished. The witch screamed in anger. “You fucking BITCH!” She hollered.707

“Merely a simple message to your sad ass excuse for a master.”708

* * * *709

Yami was still really upset. She was trying to figure a way to heal Saint Thunder without causing him any more pain. Being the she was Black Majick based and Thunder was gray, it would’ve been much easier for her to have Lyss do the healing because she was gray also. She figured the closest to Lyss’s power was Jaime – she’d helped Lyss and Lyss had no side effects, so she figure what the Hell.710

“JAIME!” She called. Jaime looked away from Lyss, who was enraged over there. The witch wasn’t just going to back down. The witch was appalled with the fact that she had to fight Lyss and not Yami, being that she was jealous of anything the Demon Child had – especially the direct rights to Hell and the power she received from it.711

“Yeah?” Jaime began running over. Cory wanted to follow, but Tony stopped him.712

“Lyss and Yami and Jaime have work to do – we stay here for this round.” Tony warned.713

“Wow, that’s new.” Yami muttered watching Lyss. She shook her head. Jaime was directly in front of her now. Jaime allowed herself to search her memories from centuries before. When she dug the spell from her thoughts, she fell to her knees and began muttering old words from other witch’s spells. 714

“Can you heal him?” Yami asked impatiently. Jaime looked into Yami’s red eyes, she had never seen her like this before. She nodded, still muttering the words.715

She said in her head. Her Light Guide Silvia was controlling the words that spilled from her mouth. She placed her hands just above Thunder’s ribs and waited for the light to appear. Jaime grabbed James’s hand and then Yami’s (standing between them) and asked that they both repeat a verse of the spell along with her. Cory, Tony, and Tim were engaged in their own spells now. Tony had demanded that they used their powers to back Lyss’s energy up and so that she had more of it.716

* * * * 717

Lyss and the witch were still engaged in their squall. The witch used fallen boulders to smash Lyss’s right wing, causing her to fall to the ground (and probably brake her ass bone). The blonde bitch walked over swiftly and kicked her straight in the stomach. She gagged and coughed up blood. She heard random shouts and caught a glimpse of Tony and Tim and Cory, holding Steve back. She turned back to the witch, who now knelt beside her.718

“I remember you now,” She started. She watched the Vampire easy her way away from her. She weakly tried to sit up but the witch slapped her and forced her to the ground. Her wings exploded into feathers that had blown away into the air. The witch, thrilled with her work, spoke quietly. “You’re the little whore that the master has his eyes on. Heh, though he is persistent to have you bare his child, I will say that your death was merely an accident. Then I’ll get to of ridding the Scale of ALL the guides and that friend Yami of yours. We’ll strip Jaime of her soul and dispose of the remains, using Sony and Silvia to follow after and under us yet again. It’ll be like old times…” 719

“He’ll just kill you for killing me and then call it a day.” Lyss coughed.720

“And he wouldn’t kill you – why?”721

“Because I have something that he craves very much, and he’ll never get it either!” Lyss forced herself up and retaliated with a gust of wind that threw the witch to the ground. She grabbed at the witch, but the witch returned the attack with a blast of air so powerful that it sent her out into the bloody water beyond the cavern. She was a great amount of yards out. The blonde stood up, dusted off her cloak, and prepared to reap Hell. Yami, who had finally realized what had happened, snapped out of her daze, erupted with her Demon form, and attacked the bitch ahead. She had the witch by the throat in less than a second, but a blast of light appeared from the clouds hovering over the trees and beach area, and hit the both of them. Yami exploded with flames and the witch was released – vanished with the light.722

“NO!” Yami howled, feeling defeated. Anubis and Night Shadow knocked the spider over and caught glimpse of everything. Jaime stood in a daze. James was beside Yami, and Thunder was on his feet behind them. The huge spider threw the two guides off and shot a web netting over the cavern, sealing the three guys inside. Night Shadow was staring out at the beach – he couldn’t feel Lyss, was she dead?723

“She’s gone.” He said simply. Jaime screamed in agony. Yami  grabbed James and hugged him, crying and heaving with sickness. Saint Thunder laid on his stomach and nudged them both.724

Night Shadow saw Alara and Dralaar standing behind him. He put his head down sadly.725

“She’s gone.” Was the only thing that he could say. “And it’s all my fault.”726

END OF PART ONE727