Chapter 2: Destiny
The house was very big and imposing as the four girls stepped inside. They had been driven by Constance, Cassandra's mother. She was so excited to hear what the elders had to say about her daughter and her friends. She had the crazy idea that they were destined to save the world. Cassie kept on rolling her eyes every time her mother voiced out a crazy thought; each one crazier than the previous one. The ride was quiet which meant that Constance practically spoke to herself. It was not out of insolence but rather anxiousness. Usually Lilly adored chatting to Cassie's mother but she was as quiet as a tomb, at the back seat.
As the girls got inside, they noticed candles lit all the way to the big room they had to stop in. all the girls went in, except for Lilly who really looked scared before she walked in. silver looked very tense, Shanna was very poised and Cassie looked like she just did not give a damn. Lilly looked about to faint.
The room was huge with candles lining every wall. The girls could see their parents seated behind them. There was four big seats ornated in gold with statues of four awe looking people. In the middle right seat was the statue on an old man, patriarch looking with a white beard and a imposing stature. On his right, was a delicate woman sitting; strikingly beautiful with fine features. On the far ends were young looking handsome men with hair waved back. They were all in gold.
"Damn! Didn't get the memo!" Cassie murmured in Silver's hear who smiled.
"I bet we are in for a long time…" Lilly Sighed.
"Quit being such a pussy!" Shanna elbowed Lilly with a nervous smile.
"I wish we –"Silver never had time to finish.
"Silence!" A voice thundered.
All four girls watched horrified as the statues turned to life.
"Oh shit!" Cassie Whispered.
"Am I hallucinating?" Shanna said as she slightly clung to Silver.
"And they said The Lord of the rings was the best…" Silver said as the others watched them frowning.
"I'm going to faint…" Lilly whispered as she searched for a mother with her eyes.
They knew the elders but had never seen them. They only heard their voices.
"You have been summoned today for a special purpose." He went on.
The four girls simply stared open mouthed.
"Your destiny here is accomplished."
"What does that mean?" Shanna asked puzzled as she took a step forward.
"Are we dying or what?" Cassie snapped as she blew a bubble.
"Silence!" He thundered.
Cassie went dead white as her chewing gum got stuck all over her mouth. However Shanna never retreated.
"You are courageous." He said to Shanna who did not know what to reply.
"It is a quality indeed." He went on. "All of you have been given gifts."
"As you have already experienced, you can all read minds." The woman spoke in a soft but authoritative tone.
"You are able to control the elements." She went on. "But each one of you has her special element that no one can control better than yourself."
The four girls were now confused giving each other "What the hell" looks.
"Do not be troubled my children. During the first part of tonight you will be blessed with your gift and later, your destiny will be revealed to you." She finished.
"Liliana, step forward my child." She ordered. No one ever referred to her by her full name.
Lilly took an unsure step, her sandals carrying her until she was gestured to stop.
"My child, you are the caring and loving one. You never want to disappoint your friends even when it costs you but yet you are the most insecure one. As you go through life, you will have to learn how to depend on yourself and trust your instincts. Stop worrying too much about what people think about you and concentrate on what you can make out of it." She smiled.
"Your element though you control all is: Air. It is the most powerful of all elements and a pure heart had to be chosen for it. You will be able to control rain, sun, or like you humans call, the weather."
Lilly was now smiling. She felt an unexplainable joy.
"And as you care so much for people, my special gift to you is healing. You will be able to heal any disease or any wound." The woman said as she put a fine golden necklace around Lilly's neck.
"Be blessed." She said with a nod as Lilly stepped back.
"Silver, step forward." This time, it was the young man next to the woman who spoke with a thick voice.
"My child, you are the fierce one, though everyone thinks it is Cassandra. You always put up a fight and stand for what you believe. You are a reliable friend and protective but you have a selfish heart in that you believe that what is good for you must be good for all. You need to understand that people are different from you." He said not leaving her with his eyes for a second.
"Your element is water. You will find that water has a soothing nature to contrast your fierce nature. However you alone can use water as you will under all its forms: solid, liquid or vapor."
He put a necklace around her neck as he said "Your special gift is persuasion. You can persuade anyone to do anything. You are wise, you just need to find it and I know that you are perfect for it."
Silver blushed as she jumped back.
"Cassandra, please step forward." The man on the far right called.
He narrowed his eyes before speaking.
"You are a fighter. You work for what you have and never accept failure. You are compassionate and understanding though you do not show it however your careless attitude and reckless nature never gets you far. You always let your emotions get the best of you and you hardly think before you act. You need to learn to control yourself and learn to listen more and talk less." He finished.
He lifted his hand and a necklace appeared on her neck. She touched it with her fine hands.
"My child your element is earth. It is the source of life and everything that surrounds us. A vivacious heart was needed for this. You will be able to control everything arising from earth and made from it. I am sure you will live up to it."
"Your gift is premonition and vision of things to come. With this gift, you will help numerous people."
She tilted her chin up and gave him a short smile of relief as if she had expected worse.
"Shanna, at last." The patriarch called.
"You are the wise and courageous one. You are the protective one and watch over all your friends. You always give the best of yourself and you don't fear what people have to say however you expect everybody to push themselves and hardly give second chances. You must learn to accommodate and not have high expectations."
"You element is fire. No one's fire will be as fierce as yours. Fire will never kill you as you will be fire yourself and thus never get burnt. You will also control any source of heat whatsoever."
He put the necklace around her neck and carried on.
"Your gift my child is manipulate time. You will be able to stop time but never for the other three of your sisters. You alone will have the ability to go back in time or forward it and so the world will follow it."
The elders blessed the four some more before introducing the second part of the evening.
All the male elders disappeared as their fathers stepped out. Lilly looked at her father walk out with a quizzical look. "It will be okay" He said as he knew she would read his mind. She smiled
"Ladies." The woman said.
"You are now all almost seventeen, some of you already are. You are all very beautiful." She smiled in approval.
Cassie had a feeling that all the talk was to cover some bad news. She hugged herself even tighter.
"You are accomplished; however you will not be fully accomplished until you meet your soul mates." She spoke calmly.
"Our What?" Silver asked, seriously confused.
"Soul mates."
"I don't think the English is the problem here…what are…soul mates?" Silver asked as she folded her arms on her chest.
"You do not think that your mothers met your fathers by chance, do you?"
Lilly shrieked and Shanna gaped.
"You will need companions to get throughout all your trials as they will need you. You are dependent on each other as you are stronger together."
"You are kidding right?" Silver asked with a smile.
"Come on, you are! I don't need a "companion", no!" Silver said in disbelief.
"Your destiny is traced. As there are four of you, so are four boys who are living in Ipswich, living life and getting stronger by the day. They however need you because you will be the only ones able to control their addiction to their power as it is their side effects and it ages them. They will control you from slipping to the dark side because the more you use, the more power you will want to get."
Cassie could not believe what they were being told. How could she be so calm? She was signing their deaths and she was freaking calm about it. She wanted to scream.
Shanna felt that all her senses left her. What was this all about? What the hell? She was thinking. Was she being told that she had someone and no one else?
Lilly was in shock and wasn't thinking.
Silver wanted to kick ass. She didn't agree with anything that had just been told to her. She felt tears in her eyes but blinked them back.
"Why are you telling us this now, surely there is still time for us to meet?" Shanna asked with a glint of hope lighting her eyes.
"Alas, no. the rules are the rules. Upon the first one ascending, meaning fully embracing his powers. You have to meet."
"Whatever for?" Cassie enquired.
"Their bloodline needs to carry on. Yours being a pure one has been chosen as no better match was possible."
"Why us?" Silver asked.
"Because their generations are getting stronger. They need stronger mates. A simple human will never be able to carry a pregnancy to term from them and will not be able to protect herself nor the child."
"So we are just there for babies?" Shanna sighed.
"No, I told you about the addiction and all."
"OH" Was all Lilly could say.
"The prophecy is clear. You are made for the Ipswich sons. You are to leave next week."
"Wait! So I like waited seventeen damn years of my life to hear that I am getting hitched with some dude that I don't know?" Cassie was very angry now.
"Do they at least know?" Silver asked at last.
"No, they do not. You will have to find which one you are destined to give your lives to as I am not allowed to reveal that to you."
"Great!" Lilly muttered.
"There is Pogue Parry, Caleb Danvers, Tyler Simms and Reid Garwin waiting for you ladies…Good luck…"She whispered as she Faded away.
"Wait!" They all screamed in vain.
Silver turned to her mother, her eyes spitting fire.
"So much for meeting dad in the subway, I can't believe you lied to me!" She was crying.
"Mind your tone, as much as you are stronger I will still whip you!" An older woman dressed in a black suit approached her with a smile.
"It's okay sweetey, I know you are upset but the elders will never give something that you
Hate, okay?"
Silver merely nodded weakly as her mother took her in her arms. Cassie had already stormed out. Shanna as usual was making sure that she understood the whole situation like a science experiment. Lilly who understood exactly the situation waved the other two goodbye and left with her mother.
The girls decided to meet the next day at Lilly's house in her bedroom. It was a large with white walls and a big window opposite the door. Her walls were neatly stuck with posters of her favourite band the linkin park in concert or some other events. She had stuck one poster of minutes to midnight on her door and was her favourite because it was signed by Chester Bennington himself. The bed was perpendicularly placed between the window and the door. On the left of the window, was a small desk that had a laptop and books neatly placed on them as well as a chair. There were also few shelves with books on them.
"I can't believe it!" Cassie fumed. She was wearing black shorts well above her knees revealing her long toned chocolate legs; with black slippers and a baby pink T-shirt that said "Do I give a damn?" Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail; some strands of her hair tumbling on her forehead.
"I still haven't realized…" Lilly thought out loud. She was dressed in a burgundy pleated mini skirt and white short sleeved shirt. Her hair was kept in braids on the left side of her head with the left tumbling on her shoulders. She was bare feet.
"I am not going through with it!" Silver pouted with a decided look. She was wearing wide linen cream pants with a black top revealing her flat belly with sandals. Her brown hair was unkept.
"Girls, I don't think that the choice is ours…" Shanna sighed heavily. She was claded in black skinny jeans and a sleeveless grass green top. Her hair was parted on her right side of the head and was pulled back in a ponytail. Her feet were hidden in black loafers.
"I haven't even dated!" Cassie complained lifting her hands up as if to beg God.
"I can't believe you girl! We are about to be shipped off to Ipswich and all you can think about is how you haven't dated?" Silver asked, with exaggerated shock widening her crystal blue eyes. They were all seating on the carpet having formed a small circle.
"You will date the dude you get there." Lilly suggested only to be met with eyes spitting fire.
"And anyways who calls themselves Pogue?" Shanna asked as if it was the most unimaginable thing in the entire world.
"Losers if you want to know what I think…" Cassie finished with a bored look.
"I haven't met a single cute guy into magic and something tells me that they will be no different." Lilly thought out loud.
"Thanks for making it easier Lilly." Silver sneered with sarcasm.
"I just wish we will like them." Shanna sighed.
"So it's Caleb, Tyler, Pogue and Reid…" Cassie mouthed with disdain.
"I think Shanna will go with the Pogue guy!" Lilly laughed.
"Yeah what a name!" Silver fell into hysterical giggles.
"Oh yeah? How about Caleb and Lilly?" Shanna smiled.
"Too cliché!" Cassie joined in.
"Excuse you! I will have the cuter, smarter and -
"Loser!" Shanna finished.
The rest of the afternoon was spent giggling about what the guys must have looked like. They also had time to practice their powers for the few days that they had left with their families.
Before departing, they were allowed one last meeting with the elders. They learnt that the crossing to the dark side mainly arose when powers were used for oneself in a selfish manner. They had been told to never reveal their origins to anyone. They were not allowed to share the prophecy with the boys unless they really were sure that they were ready for each other. As the boys, they would be stronger together. They also had to beware of an imminent threat that was close and that they would need entire reliance on each other and the boys. Lastly, they were to watch out for each other and be careful not to cross to the dark side and could summon the elders with necklace given to them.
After the meeting, their mothers saw them off to the plane with tears and sadness in their eyes until they boarded and were out of sight.