Hey hey hey! the stupid document problems are gone! I'm still kinda pissed though...anyway, chapter 3 is here!

Chapter 3: Communication

Bena didn't want to explain much, and night was already here, so they just decided to camp in the woods for the night.

Mickey volunteered for the first shift with Bena, and for the first few minutes, they sat in silence.

Mickey thought about Marigold and his flashback.

Why would the Dark Lords want her?...She's only a human...she has no special power or anything...

And what about that flashback? What was that all about? So many questions, not enough answers...

Mickey was thinking about all this, when he heard a clear, cool voice cut through his thoughts like a knife.

"You know...this is hopeless? Trying to actually...you know, defeat the Dark Lords?"

Mickey looked around wildly, until he noticed that Bena was gazing at him intently, with those piercing chocolate brown eyes.

"I...what?"Mickey asked stupidly.

Bena looked at the stars.

"I mean..." She sighed and looked back at him. "These guys are more powerful than the Dream Eaters. There is no possible way to kill them."

Mickey felt the words sink into him, like cold stones sinking into a pond.

"Um...well..." He had no idea what to say.

Bena looked at the stars again.

"It's just...I need Travis. He helped me grow as a leader, then...now he's captured and..." Her voice cracked, and Mickey looked at her wildly; she was silently crying.

"Bena, I-" He stopped when she surged forward and hugged him, sniffling into his chest, her tears soaking his shirt, making it cling to him.

"Oh, Mickey, I miss him, I don't even know what they are going to do with him, what if they...what if he..." She let out a sob, and hid the rest of her tears in his shirt.

Mickey was surprised, but slowly, he rubbed her back and hugged her back.

She eventually fell asleep in Mickey's arms, so he carried her into the tent and laid her in a sleeping bag, not bothering to wake up T.M. for his shift; he wasn't sleepy.

He walked back out, felt the soft breeze tug at his wet shirt, and wondered if Bena was right.

If they really could defeat the Dark Lords, then there truly wouldn't be any more evil, because they would also destroy the serum.

But if Bena was right...

They were all going to die.

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In the morning, Mickey took one look at Bena's blotchy red eyes and felt defensive for her.

He walked up to Ginger.

"Ginger. Do you know of anybody that could help us...possibly...talk to Violet, Travis, and Lily?"

Ginger looked at him and raised her dark eyebrow.

"Uhhh...why?"

Mickey resisted glancing at Bena, who was just a few feet away from them, listening intently.

"Just...because they can tell us where the Dark Lords are keeping them."

Ginger still looked sceptical, but shrugged her shoulders and said,

"I'll think about it."

She walked away, and as Mickey passed Bena, he tried to act casual.

"Hey." He said simply.

Bena gave a small smile.

"Hey."

Suddenly, Gabriel came in between them, put one arm in front of Mickey, and dragged him back about 10 feet away.

"Must be ten feet away at all times." He said gruffly, and walked stiffly away.

Mickey looked surprised, and Bena just rolled her eyes, and motioned for Mickey to come sit with her on the same rock Marigold sat on the day before.

He did, and they both sat down.

"What's up?" He asked her.

Bena looked warily at Gabriel, who was marching around the tent, guard-style, while Ginger imitated him behind him.

"Well, in case you were wondering, Gabriel is kinda...well..." She couldn't think of the right word.

"Messed up? Not right in the head? Kinda strange?" Mickey offered.

Bena nodded, then said hesitantly,

"Well, he wasn't like that before."

Mickey looked at her, those dark brown eyes scanning every part of her beautiful, sad, serious face.

"Before what?"

Bena looked down, her chocolate brown eyes wide.

"Before Travis's parents left." She whispered so quietly, Mickey almost didn't hear her.

Bena looked back up, and took a deep breath.

"Before Travis's parents left, Gabriel was just a normal guy. Then, when they left to try to kill Wither, a spy for Yirtanuoc sneaked into the castle and found out that Travis's parents were in trouble. Word got around Yirtanuoc quick, and everyone knew, including Gabriel. Gabriel sneaked into the castle to try and rescue them, but only found them dead. He was caught, and they tortured him for information on the location of Yirtanuoc. He refused, of course, to tell them, but luckily Enzo broke in and knocked out Wither before he could torture Gabriel anymore, and they both escaped. Gabriel was never the same again."

Mickey felt like he was just punched in the gut, and he looked over at Gabriel, who had just caught Ginger imitating him and started to yell at her, and Ginger was just smiling.

Then he looked back at Bena, and realized he had nothing to say.

"Bena, I...I'm sorry." He said lamely.

"That was lame." He said truthfully.

Bena laughed a little, and smiled at him.

"See, that's what I want to see. A smile. You look much prettier."

She blushed and looked away, then glanced at him, him staring at her.

"Stop it!" She smacked his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

She smiled again.

"For making me smile."

She got up and ran away, but Mickey knew she wasn't mad.

Suddenly, he felt a push from behind, and he lost his balance and fell into the pond.

"GAH!" He yelled, and saw Ginger standing there, a crooked smile on her face.

"Hey! I just thought you would want to know, I thought about it, and I know someone who can help us communicate with Violet and Travis and Lily!"

Mickey stared at her incredulously, then said loudly,

"Then what was the push for?!" He asked, annoyed.

Ginger thought about it.

"I don't know." Then she skipped away.

Mickey stared at her skip away, then rested his eyes on T.M. who was bent over, clutching his stomach, guffawing.

"What are you laughing at?" He grumbled, trying to get out of the pond.

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After Mickey had gotten out of the pond and gotten on some dry clothes, he and the rest of the group flew with Ginger, (Ginger helping T.M. and Mickey helping Marigold) who knew the way to the mysterious person who could help them.

They flew a long way, and eventually landed in a long field, as far as the eye could see.

Half the sky above them was bright blue with no clouds, and them the other half was midnight black.

Every single blade of grass was exactly the same, which was so unnatural it was almost creepy.

There was a soft sound of rushing water, yet there was no water in sight.

Everything felt strange.

Marigold looked around nervously.

"Are you sure this is a safe place?"

Ginger looked around.

"Well, this IS the place..." She murmured, not looking herself.

Suddenly, there was a dark shimmer in the air next to her, like something was there.

Mickey saw it, and yelled,

"Show yourself!"

The dark figure shimmered again, and did reveal himself.

He was a man, except with dark gray skin and no hair.

He didn't have an iris, just a pupil that covered everything in his eye.

He was tall, and extremely thin, with long limbs and a droopy posture.

He looked dead.

Mickey grimaced, Marigold shivered, and Ginger looked grim.

"Hey, Death, how ya doin?" Ginger said casually, and stuck out her hand.

Death looked at her, then touched her hand with his dark gray one, and her hand shriveled up and fell off.

It landed with a thud on the grass, turning the grass black and shriveled.

"Ah." Ginger said, as she stared at her hand-less arm.

Marigold yelped, and Mickey gasped.

"Ginger! Are you alright?" He stammered, looking at her arm.

Ginger waved him off.

"I'm fine! I'm left-handed, anyway..." She turned back to Death. "Jeez, don't be so dramatic. You could have gotten the point through WITHOUT singing my hand off, you know?" She huffed.

"Look, all I need is a favor. Could you do that for me?"

Death continued to stare at her.

Ginger rolled her gray eyes.

"Hellooo? Anybody there? Come on, say something!"

He continued to stare.

Then, as quiet and deadly as death itself, he spoke in an old, creepy, withered voice.

"Who are you?" He asked, his black eyes boring into her.

Ginger pulled something out of her pocket, something that looked like a business card.

Death read the card, then looked at Ginger.

"You're a Death Sorter? Age..."

Ginger took back the business card.

"I'm 16." She said.

Death slowly cocked his head.

"16...young..." He murmured.

Ginger stared at him intently.

"Oh come on. Please? My group and I just need to speak to someone." She pleaded, giving him a puppy-eye stare.

He stared at her for a while.

"It will come with a price..." He murmured again.

Ginger looked exasperated.

"Oh, COME ON! You already took my hand! Isn't that enough?"

Death's lips stretched into a thin smile.

With a wave of his hand, he conducted a portal, swirling black with speck of purple.

"To?" He asked hoarsely.

Ginger smiled.

"Violet, Child Of The Hero, Travis, Leader Of Yirtanuoc, Lily, Youngest Descendant Of Power." She recited.

Another wave of his hand, and they saw Violet in the portal.

But not the Violet they knew.

The Violet they knew had shoulder-length auburn hair, and hazel eyes.

The Violet they knew had a playful smirk, and definitely did not look like the Violet in front of them this very minute.

This Violet had messy, tangled, shoulder-length auburn hair, and one dark blue eye, and one pale hazel eye.

This Violet had a dull, lifeless expression, but, unfortunately, this Violet was the real Violet.

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Mickey shouted.

Marigold screamed.

Ginger tripped over her-self and landed with her butt on the field.

Bena gasped and covered her mouth, her eyes wide.

T.M. surged forward.

Gabriel looked surprised.

Enzo looked away, extremely troubled.

Violet looked at them all.

"You all look familiar...someone told me about you...someone..." She said in a dull mono-tone voice.

T.M. was hurt the most.

"Violet...oh my gosh...no..."

Violet cocked her head.

"Who are you?"

T.M. stared, hurt beyond belief.

"Violet...VIOLET! WHAT'S HAPPENED TO YOU?! WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU?!"

He barreled toward the portal, and it took both the guards to hold him back.

Violet stared at him dully.

The Dark Lord leader came into the portal and set a hand on Violet's shoulder.

"Who are you talking to, Violet?" He peered at the group and smiled a ghostly, unfriendly smile.

"What have you done to her, you fool?!" T.M. growled.

The Dark Lord leader stroked Violet's hair, still smiling.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Just injected her with ever-lasting serum that has complete control over her, a Dream Eater, for eternity." He traced a long finger over her spine, and she shivered.

"GET YOUR FILTHY PAWS OFF MY GRANDDAUGHTER!" T.M. barked, as he tried to free himself from Gabriel and Enzo's iron grips.

The Dark Lord leader merely narrowed his eye and smirked.

He traced his finger under Violet's changed, sunken eyes and murmured pleasantly,

"Such pretty eyes...don't you agree? I'm sure you've seen these eyes before...perhaps on your own daughter...now on your granddaughter...must hurt, hmmm?...I wouldn't know, I only know the emotions of anger and evil, not remorse...never remorse!" He cackled.

T.M. struggled even harder.

"I'LL KILL YOU! I SLIT YOUR THROAT AND WATCH THE BLOOD POUR-"

The Dark Lord leader cackled even louder.

"You think you can kill ME?! Look at yourself! You...are worthless! Look at Violet! I did this! I have complete control over her! I also did this to Travis, and Lily! It's all over already! You've already lost! AND I ALREADY WON!" He shrieked, and with a wave of his hand, he destroyed the portal.

Silence.

Death smiled at them all.

"Thank you for coming." He whispered, and then he closed his eyes and disappeared.

Well well well! Ick! That Dark Lord sure is creepy! And so is Death! Duh. Anyway, I hope you liked my chapter, and goodbye!