§Chapter§Two§
When the battle was over the elements walked down the streets heading back to the park, discussing the recent fight. Lydia paused her steps and listened to her surroundings, she felt uneasy and her weapons reappeared in her hands again. What now? She thought.
“I don’t think we’re done quite yet you guys.” Lydia announced as a swift figure went past her from behind, she quickly whipped her body around using her blade and cut right through the figure that went past her.
All of a sudden the figure emerge from invisibility and showed itself. This one seemed a little different than the last one they fought. This one was a female. She had long black hair, and skin pale as the moon; her outfit was also black ripped from her thigh and her chest to reveal some skin. She had red marks all over her body and her fingernails looked as sharp as an icicle.
“What do we have here?” A girl with shoulder length hair that’s a similar color to Aimee, a dress like shirt going down to her knees, black shorts, and a giant boomerang that hung over her head. The girl started to float above Lydia and landed right in front of the assassin eager to battle her.
“Aries!” Lydia smiled with joy as she jumped up and aimed her elbow blades right at the assassin. Then, the assassin dodges it with accuracy and slid further down the alley where they recently fought the other assassin.
“Vengeance will be mine!” The assassin shouted as she appeared right behind Lydia really to strike a blow, but before Lydia could react a gust of wind pushes the assassin against the nearby wall, slamming her heavily.
“I guess little miss darkness killed your friend.” Aries smiled wickedly. “I’m sorry, but taking souls of innocents is law!” Aries began to float up from an angle away from the assassin ready to throw her boomerang right at the assassin and it hit. “Score!”
“Don’t celebrate yet, Aries.” Lydia indicated as Aries boomerang was still attached to the wall, until she gave out a whistle and her boomerang returned to her hands.
“Huh? Didn’t I destroy her?” Lydia shook her head as she pointed to the assassin against the wall but she was gone. “What? Impossible!” Aries shouted as she surveyed around the environment.
“Where she go?” Ember spoke up, preparing her kunai for action.
“Don’t let your guard down!” Lydia commanded as her eyes scanned the alley and backed away from it till her back was facing the sunset light. Lydia started to breathe heavily as her mind started to spin in circles and the world around her started to blind her eyes. Lydia collapsed to the ground and her skin turned into a red color.
“Lydia!” She heard a voice called out to her and it seemed like it belonged to Damien. She tried to speak but no words came out. An image then materialized in front of her, an image that looked human almost, no just a human that resembles something familiar but what could it be? It was blurry, not clear; the figure was wearing a long velvet gown, a woman perhaps.
“Don’t let your illness prevent you from your destiny.” The figure spoke, her voice was gentle and friendly, however, Lydia realized whom it had belonged to.
“Mother?” Lydia’s mumbled out loud. “Is that you?” She squinted her eyes and got to her feet and started to walk a little closer to the figure. The figure nodded and her arms spread wide as to embrace her in a hug that she wishes to be in. Lydia stopped herself and looked down, depressed.
“What’s wrong honey?” Her mother asked sweetly.
“My illness, it keeps me from protecting-” Lydia’s eyes started to water and her mother’s hand touched her tears.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I’m here and always with you.” Her mother smiled. “Now, go save yourself and your friends, your destiny awaits!” And she disappeared before her eyes Lydia screamed out for her mother but she never came back. It was a message from home, something that her mother normally sends in through her mind whenever she faints. It would always make her happy.
Lydia’s eyes began to slowly open up and found herself lying in Damien’s strong arms.
“Are you okay?” Damien asked softly as he helps her up.
“Where’s the assassin?” Lydia questioned as she rescan the area. “Is she gone?”
Damien nodded as Lydia tried to get to her feet.
“Oh, I see. What happen?”
“You fainted again.”
“Right.” Lydia sighed as she rubbed her forehead. “I fainted and I saw my mother, telling me, not let my illness get to me.” An illness is what Lydia has and that she feared it very much. No one knows the cure for it, or how it even gets into her system. It wasn’t very strong, only if she over works herself, it can kill her. Not even Aimee’s healing powers can cure her; it’s an impossible disease. Now and then, Aimee usually gives Lydia some medication and some restore to her body after trainings and stressful times it helps a lot. Lydia looked around the park to make sure no more assassins will pop up and turned her face to Aimee standing next to her.
“Maybe, we should get you home Lydia.” Aimee suggested and smiled. Lydia nodded with no more words coming out of her mouth. “Get you some medication and put you to rest.” Then Aimee evaporated into the air like water vapor and everyone else made their exits, except Damien and Lydia.
Lydia stood there, silently gazing up into the clouds and Damien wrapped his arms around her, embracing her in his arms and they vanished within black smoke.
They arrived at home, in their living room and Damien is still embracing Lydia tightly now.
“Let me go.” Lydia mumbled softly and Damien released his grasped. She went to the couch behind them and collapsed onto it with a few coughs.
Immediately Aimee raced into the room from the kitchen carrying a small cup with bits of smashed leaves from Ivy’s garden and some jasmine tea, you can see the steam rising from the tea and Lydia huffed in the aroma that breezed in from cup. Aimee’s special herbs, Lydia thought and smiled to herself. Aimee sat down the herbs on the table in front of Lydia and began to pour the tea into the cup, gently stirring it together with a spoon. Afterwards she poured the cup into a strainer and back into the teacup, so there’s only liquid in the cup and the leaves on top of the strainer.
“Here, drink this and it’ll keep your illness neutral for a while. Okay?” Aimee smiled and returned to the kitchen to clean up.
Lydia stared at the cup sitting on the table with steam rising from it still. She sighed and took hold of the handle and slowly took a quiet sip, gulping down little by little of it. The soothing sensation flowed through her body and warmth filled her insides.
“I’ll be right back.” Lydia muttered to Damien sitting on a high stool next to her and he nodded as he got up and went into the corridor.
“Me too.” He smiled and left.
Lydia stood up from the couch and went into the kitchen. The kitchen was like new, it sparkles with black and white tabletops, and there was a door that leads to the backyard, filled with herbs and flowers of all sorts. Many of those belonged to Ivy; she’s Mother Nature after all. Lydia looked around for a while, thinking deeply about something she can’t put her finger on.
“Aimee?” She called aloud. Aimee turned around from wiping the island with a dirty rag.
“Hm?” She replied and stopped wiping. “What’s up?”
“You know, you have a club right?” Lydia raised her eyebrow. Aimee nodded yes.
“Of course, H2Purify. Why? You want to go? Grand opening!” She chuckled and resume cleaning, and then she moved on to the sink to wash her hands.
“I was thinking about our band, if we can play it there, mind you?” Lydia smiled with glee. “Please?”
“Well, I don’t see why not? There’s no one playing here, but we did hire a dj…” Aimee let the thought fly over to Lydia’s mind. In an instant Lydia jumped up and clapped her hand in excitement. “But, are you sure you’ll be okay, after what just happen to you?” Then she stopped jumping and paused herself.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. We just need some fans that’s all.” She laughed and went to the corridor to tell the others. Aimee could hear all the girls screaming in enthusiasm and she laughed to herself. Sigh, might as well make Lydia’s joy go up. She thought.
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