The Chosen And the guardians

by Liviu Costin Sociu

  Chapter 10: Reunion

  A new day was setting upon the girls, Lifia was napping a little, Reit and Iris were in stable condition and started to wake up. Lifia woke up as well and smiled upon seeing Reit and Iris awake and well "About time you 2 slackers started to come by and wake up!" Lifia smiled gently to the 2, Reit simply nodded half asleep while Iris was looking around confuse "Where are we?" Lifia put a hand on her shoulder "Home...we are at home." Iris nodded slightly "Drake! Where is he!?" Iris started to get a little agitated but her long sleep left her dizzy, calming calmed down out of a light physical pain and headache "He....is not here anymore Iris" Iris looked up at Lifia unsure on what to feel "But he promised to return...now we can only have faith in him..." Iris kept looking at Lifia, a little confused, but in the end she nod lightly and looked down on the bed. Lifia embraced Iris sweetly "Thank you, I waited so much to say this but...you saved me back then, almost sacrificing yourself..." Iris abandoned herself in that hug and hugged back smiling "You are part of my family and nobody hurts my family!" Lifia smiled and helped her get up, Reit in the meanwhile was simply looking at them considering such an extreme sweet scene a little too much for her taste. The girls went to eat something, Lifia and Reit were preparing while Iris was still trying to regain some of her former agility and movements by doing some warm up exercise. Iris's primal beast started to communicate with her "You should thank Reit. She shared her energy with you even if she could not manage to control such transfer, she risked her life...it's something that few would do..." Iris nodded and smiled gently "Reit...?" Reit at that moment turned around from cooking and looked at Iris "What's up?" Iris then smiled as sweet as she could "Thank you for saving me...and helping me out with your energy...." Reit became red "I...ehm...Didn't do anything special...." Iris shook her head "You did a lot, and not just now, but back then at the castle too. You took care of us while we were unable to do that ourselves, you are our sustain Reit..." Lifia nodded with a little smile "She has a good point there..." Reit became even redder and had difficulty answering "I...uh....just...hmm...Did what was right I guess...." Lifia and Iris started laughing seeing the confused Reit and simply let it slide, starting to eat together while exchanging a cheerful chat about the latest events.

  In the forest, Drake was waking up as well and decided to start to walk toward the city. Once arrived there, he started to simply look around, many students were leaving school or going home, and many housewives were going to buy necessary for their family. A familiar figure could be seen in the crowd and, once Drake noticed it, he started to follow it. The familiar figure entered a park and seated on a bench, the girl seemed a little lost and lonely so Drake decided to sit next to her and smiled slightly "Hi" the girl simply nod, being a little unsure about Drake and turned back to look at the sky afterwards "What's your name? What are you doing here all alone?" the girl seemed a little lost in thoughts but managed to answer while being a little distracted "Talah. I was just thinking...I come here a lot lately." Drake nodded calmly and watched the sky "What makes you think so much? Something happened?" Talah shook her head slightly "No...I just feel like...I am missing something, you know, like something from my life was taken away, I feel lost lately..." Talah smiled slightly "And I don't know why I am telling you this, I just feel secure looking at you...who are you?" Drake smiled back "Doesn't matter, consider me a friend....." Talah nod a little perplexed but Drake smiled after turning his head toward her "You know, I felt a lot like that too in the past, I felt incomplete, lacking vitality or even depressed, I was mostly alone and I could not do nothing about it. That's what was best for me...or so I thought. Then something occurred and it changed my life, it's like I found a reason to live and to fight on...you will find it too" Talah was looking at him all that time, hypnotized by his voice, and simply nodded "Yeah....I guess" Drake simply laughed a little while getting up "Keep hoping and never give up, fight for what you believe....search for your life objectives...and you will soon forget about those bad feelings" After that he started to walk away with a smile on his lips "Wait! May I know your name?" Drake stopped without turning toward her "It would be best to not know that....farewell" that said he disappeared in the crowd, leaving Talah wondering about him.

  Iris started to train with Reit and Lifia, a little movement could do very good for them now that they all recovered a little. In case of an attack it's important to be in good shape. "I want to search for him" Iris seemed focused on training, but her thoughts were somewhere else "I already told you Iris, he promised to come back, give him time..." Iris sighed "But why would he leave? He...." At that moment someone knocked at the door "I'll get it" Reit started to walk toward the door but no one was in front of it. "Damn pranksters..." while turning around she was surprised and went into a battle position, The dark figure smiled looking at her "We meet again my little pet" "Tch! How did you found us and sneaked in?" The dark figure smiled "You underestimate my powers" Iris and Lifia came hearing the commotion and started to prepare for the fight as well but the dark figure started laughing "Like you are in any condition to fight, you 3 are exhausted and weak to be fighting don't you think?" Reit was starting to get quite upset "What do you want!?" the dark figure smiled and nod "Oh I thought that maybe you would wish to accept my little proposal..." Reit was keeping an eye on him and was ready to fight at any moment now but she waited for him to speak "If you join me, I will not kill you or your friends, I will not enslave you but...you must obey my orders, otherwise I might get a little angry and start to hurt others...." Reit spitted on the ground near him "Do you really thought that I will accept that? I will personally beat you up until you regret your existence!" The dark figure laughed "In your condition? I would like to see you try" Lifia could not find anything to say and preferred to stay silent and idle since his presence was a great discomfort to her and she was barely resisting the urge of using all her power to disintegrate him. "Enough of you! EMBODY!" Reit immediately started to transform and fighting the dark figure, but his words were true, Reit and the other girls didn't fully recover and were no match for him, he was avoiding every attack "Let's have some fun shall we?" the dark figure went outside the window, followed by the furious Reit who was still trying to land hits upon him. Lifia and Iris nod to each other "I know it's hard for you Lifia, but you must fight with all your might all right?" Lifia nodded and they both transformed "EMBODY!". Outside, on the top of a tall building, Reit and the dark figure were exchanging blows, or better the dark figure was avoiding her attacks and was laughing about Reit's power "You are too tired to fight me my little pet, why don't you just give up and accept being my company lady?" Reit was starting to get even madder "NEVER!" An attack connected and the dark figure was shoved back by the powerful hit "Tch...good one bu.." Without even having time to finish, a energy blast hit him from behind while Iris attacked him and pushed him farther away. "The traitor and her friend joined the party it seems...." the dark figure laughed a little "Let's see if you can manage to fight US!" After raising his hand toward the sky, the dark figure punched the ground and a giant black creature started to form behind him while he was laughing. The creature started to take the form of a giant beast, similar to a bear but deformed and made of pure darkness. "I want to see how much you can resist with him!" The dark figure stood aside while the creature was charging the group, his powers were drained as well from the last battle.

  All 3 guardians rushed away to avoid his charge and started to attack him but with little results, his endurance seemed quite high and he was suffering little damage from the 3 combined attacks and, being weakened too, the girls could not seem to injured it enough to destroy it. The creature set his aim on Iris which started to pant a little from the effort of the fight in such a little time after waking up. The beast started to charge her but a huge energy blast destroyed the beast and obliterated it. "Quite unfair to pick on a weakened opponent, isn't it?" Drake jumped on the top of the building and was smiling toward his enemy "DRAKE!" Iris was happy to see
him and started to run toward him, but the Dark figure took this opportunity to launch a surprise attack against her "Dammit Iris NO!" Drake swiftly jumped on her and knocked her out of the attack "Tch....are you all right?" Iris simply nodded "Sorry...." Drake nodded back and got up "All right you filthy being, let's end this!" Drake charged him with full speed and strength, knocking him down in few attacks, seems like the episode at the castle helped him to become quite stronger "It's not over!" the dark figure started to glow and began attacking Drake with an immense speed and force, forcing him into a defense position. After many hits, he managed to kick Drake away but he got up very quickly in mid-air and charged back knocking the dark figure away "Not so strong now are we? What's the matter? You don't seem to be in your top form either, seems like you rushed too much without thinking about your plan filthy creature!" Drake started to rush toward him, but the dark figure disappeared and reappeared in the air and it was glowing with a darkish red "Hehe...it seems so, but if I must be defeated, then you shall die with me and so will half of the city!" his body started to glow stronger and faster "What? Are you crazy? What's the point of blowing up like that you idiot?" Reit seemed quite angry with him but no one could do nothing to stop him from blowing up. Drake sighed "What a loser...." The dark figure looked upon Drake and smiled sadly "Yes I am a loser, I never obtained what I wanted: the person I wanted to have, plans, powers....nothing was ever within my reach! What's the point of existing if whatever I desire cannot be obtained? You cannot understand me! You guardians just exterminate us dark ones without thinking and then you call us beasts!" Reit was a little surprised by his outburst of sincerity, in some ways, he reminded her of herself when she was younger, before joining party with Iris. Drake was preparing itself to counter attack and finish him off using all his power, hoping that will stop his actions, but Reit started to walk toward him and put a hand on Drake's chest, stopping him from attacking the dark figure "Have you ever tried doing things another way?" Reit seemed very calm right now and was getting near the dark figure without going into a defensive position "I know how it feels to never be able to have what others have, but have you ever considered that the problem is the way you try to obtain them?" The dark figure was perplexed by Reit, but could not answer back at the same time, his glowing seemed weaker and slower while he was getting on the ground slowly "Maybe you should think about how it's better to obtain things, forcing or using power won't help you obtaining them, and you surely will never obtain anything if that's the only way you trying to obtain them." The dark figure was in front of Reit while the others were ready to attack in case the worst would happen but...the dark figure calmed down and his glowing was already vanished, he was looking at Reit and listening to her in quite a confusion "You should try other ways, find other paths...as I found mine...." The dark figure stepped back from Reit and was looking at her silently but, after a while, he took a step forward her and the other started to get ready to fight but Reit raised a hand to stop them "...." The dark figure was silent, even if usually talkative, his expression was serious and confused "I could obtain you?" The dark figure looked Reit in her eyes and was waiting for an answer but Reit shook her head "You never know until you try, it doesn't mean you could obtain me, but doing as you did till now won't help you obtain anything..." The dark figure looked down a little, thinking about her words, leaning toward her and kissed her forehead afterwards "...Adieu..."After saying that he walk toward the end of the building and jumped off disappearing in thin air.

  Reit stood silently and watched him and nod "Let's go home..." The group nod a little perplexed but preferred not to touch the argument and let it slide by for Reit's sake. Once home Iris took Drake's by the ear and walked him in an empty room "Be right back girls, you can prepare something to eat in the meanwhile..." Lifia and Reit smiled to each other and nodded. "What the hell is wrong with your head?!" Drake was surprised by Iris's reaction and lecture "You went away without a reason or without talking with us, with me, and then you even went who knows where without giving any notice! What is wrong with you?" Iris looked at him quite serious but Drake simply looked down "I had my reasons" "What reasons could there be to leave and never give a notice all this time? What could possibl..." "DON'T talk like you know me...." Drake started to raise his voice, but immediately after, he adjusted it and simply sighed "I had my reasons...my only family betrayed me and we almost died, or end up under control of a freak...I was betrayed like this before, by other people....I don't want this anymore...I..." A slap instantly hit Drake on the right cheek while Iris was looking at him angrily "We are not your stupid friends or whoever betrayed you in the past! We are not like that! Yes, one of us betrayed you maybe, but it was not her intent nor choice! She even used up all her energy just to help you! How can you judge her so harsh!? Stop acting like a kid and act like a grown up Drake! I know how you feel and how much you suffered, I abandoned the only ones I loved just for their sake! But....but this is not the same...no matter where you are or what happens...I will never betray or forget you...." Drake looked Iris in the eyes silently and nodded faintly, embracing her by surprise "Thanks...." That was the only word that came out of him but Iris understood everything only with that little word and embraced him back smiling "Have faith in me, in us, Drake...." Then she went on caressing his head a little, awalking out of the room smiling after a while "Let's go to eat" Drake followed shortly after.

  That night Drake could not sleep well, he got up and walked toward the windows and looked out of it in thought "What's wrong?" Ryu was as well awake "I can't sleep" "That much I noticed....but why is that?" Drake seemed a little lost in thoughts "I can't say, much has happened, and still...it seems like the situation is getting a little to a dead end. The dark ones are defeated but I can't shake my mind from thinking that there is a far greater danger" Ryu nodded slightly "There is Drake, that one was simply one of their little pawns" Drake seemed surprised "What?" Ryu sighed "You see, the dark tribe, shadow ones, dark fighters or whatever you wish to call them, are like the human world and specie. They are many...they differ in strength and have many things in common with you humans. They have different rules, have different objectives and reasons to fight and usually prefer chaos, as where humans, usually prefer peace and calm" Drake nodded "There are humans who love chaos too" Ryu nodded once again "I know, maybe those could be called dark humans maybe, but I was referring to the very core of things...their chaos is some sort of personal order but for the dark ones it's not a "order" of some kind, they purely love pure chaos and destruction. Think about it like a room. Most humans love to have their own order or disorder. That's normal and understandable but, the dark ones, usually love it destroyed and in utter chaos which is usually what happens if a tornado would strike a room, and even then, it would be not enough for their taste." Drake was silently looking at the moon while listening to Ryu "So what can we do to stop them?" Ryu shook his head "I don't really know, in past we sealed them, but if they are able to break out of it then it's pretty pointless. They are dangerous and can get stronger as well, a little like you, by training or even absorbing dark humans feelings, which they try to obtain often...even suffering makes them stronger." Drake sighed "I see, Still we must find the source of their power and destroy it...there doesn't seem to be any other way." Ryu stood silently without answering, he knew more than he wished to and could not explain to Drake how that was difficult...if not impossible. Drake returned to bed trying to get a little sleep but with little results, spending most of his night thinking about the black threat.

  In the morning Drake was asleep, Lifia and Reit woke up first and started doing breakfast, Iris woke up a little later after them and joined them. Drake was still asleep when breakfast was ready so Iris went to wake him up. "Hey sleepyhead, wake up! It's morning and we must eat breakfast" Drake opened slowly his eyes, he seemed very tired and exhausted "Is everything ok Drake? You look awful..." Drake nodded slightly "I had just some difficulty falling asleep..." "Why is that?" Iris seeme
d worried about him but Drake shook his head and smiled faintly "Nothing really, just...thoughts." Then he proceeded toward the door but Iris put herself in front of him, denying him to exit from the room "I already saw you leave and suffer enough times, this time I'm not going to let you be until you explain to me what is wrong!" Drake tried to move her aside but he was too weak and dizzy from the early awakening "You can't even move me and we both know you are more powerful" Drake smiled slightly "Want me to use my powers?" Iris shook her head "What's wrong blockhead?" Drake smiled once again "What's this? The day of nicknames?" He tried to laugh a little but Iris was quite serious and kept on looking him in the eyes "I will not ask again, what's wrong?" Drake sighed and sit down on the bed nodding "Ok ok, I got it, don't start beating me up too now..." Iris nodded and smiled once again sitting besides him "Start talking now" Drake sighed again "Well...I am worried about our current situation and about all the shadow situation. We might had defeated the dark figure, which was pretty strong, but from what I learned from Ryu...he was just a pawn, maybe a bigger one, but still a pawn. To really end this threat we must do a lot more than just defeat one major shadow....This situation might be impossible, or very difficult to solve forever...also we can't seal them cause they will just return back like before." Iris listened carefully but, while time was passing, Drake was interrupted by Lifia who entered the room calm, with her old coolness but with a new spark of life in her eyes, shining more than ever before. With a gentle little smile she nodded to the 2 and put a plate near them with the breakfast and left without saying anything "Thanks!" Iris smiled to her and she just simply nodded back and left to have breakfast with Reit.

  Iris then took her mug and started drinking while Drake was looking on the floor still in thoughts "You worry too much blockhead" Iris smiled gently toward Drake and caressed his hair "The dark ones were a problem since the beginning of time, the ancient war should say a lot about that. But we are still here fighting at this day, we are keeping them at bay and defeating every one of them that spawns up. Many guardians are awaking their power, and many will keep awakening and will start defending this earth with every power they have! The dark creatures might be a difficult threat to eliminate but...we will not surrender until they are indeed vanished from this planet! So everyone will live their live at their own pace and without worrying about some dark monsters that wants them disappeared from this planet..." Drake nodded but was still a little down "Listen Drake, I know we fought a difficult enemy, but now our powers are enhanced and we could defeat him easier, without many problems, even if he was strong...we are stronger! We can accomplish more than that. Even if there were bigger threats, we could fight it together! don't lose your sleep over such a 'common' thing such as this. I know it's not easy, but this problems has existed ages before and might still exist from here on...losing sleep or anything over it won't help you get to the end of it in any way. You should try to calm down and just look after your life while fighting the right fight. This situation will become a common thing shortly, I had those questions and thoughts too, but I went ahead of them and did my best everyday. I tried to be at my very best and smiled everyday no matter what danger might come at any moment....do the same Drake" Drake simply smiled a little and nodded while taking his cup and started to drink its content "Thanks Iris, I guess I got what you are trying to say, I will be more careful with my thoughts and try not to be as worried as I was yesterday night..." Drake smiled to Iris and patted her head gently "You are a good and sweet kitten Iris" Drake then laughed at her "I am not a cat, well, not really....argh, guess that's what happens when you kid too much with nicknames" Iris smiled and laughed too while finishing breakfast with Drake in the room, together.