Here's chapter 9 folks. By the way, I'm working on character profiles for this story, so you can check em' out.

Chapter 9

A second encounter

"Ha-ha! I'm winning! You're going down, man!" Jaden yelled.

"I don't think so" James said. The two of them were playing on a game station with an old classic: Mario Kart. James pressed a button, setting off a bomb on Jaden, making James take the lead and win the race. Jaden moaned and banged his head on the armchair he was sitting on.

"Yeah, undefeated!" James yelled triumphantly, standing up and punching the air. Aster and Daisy walked into the room that very moment.

"What are you up to then?" Aster asked. Jaden looked up.

"Mario Kart. And your dads thrashing me!" Jaden moaned and got back to his head banging.

"I love Mario Kart. COWABUNGA!" Daisy yelled as she planted her right arm on the sofa, leapt over it and landed on the cushions. She grabbed the controller from James. "You want a game Jaden?" Jaden looked up.

"I don't fancy being beaten by a girl, but okay" Jaden grabbed his remote again and started a new game. "Best two out of three, okay Daisy?"

"Sure"

Whilst Daisy and Jaden played, Aster sat down on a chair. He looked down at the floor. James noticed this and sat in a chair nearby.

"You look troubled, Aster. Anything wrong?"

"Everything." Aster replied. He looked up at his father. "First some strange woman comes along into my life, plagues me with these dreams, you've been resurrected, and you're saying I caused the resurrection." Aster closed his eyes. "So much is happening. I don't know what to do." James placed a hand on Asters shoulder, making him open his eyes and look up at him.

"Listen, there's something you need to know" James said.

James and Aster were sitting on a bed in Asters old bedroom, rockets and spaceships on blue walls, and glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. There was even a mobile on the planets of the solar system.

"So, what is it that you need to tell me then?" Aster asked.

"It's quite difficult to know where to start." James said. He looked at Aster. He noticed there was a plaster on his left cheek. "What happened to your face?"

"What this?" Aster pointed at the plaster. "I had another dream about that lady last night"

"You've had them before?" James asked, completely astonished. Aster nodded and moved his right arm in front of James. He rolled up the sleeve, showing the bandage. James stared at it, completely horrified.

"What happened?" James choked.

"Some ribbons grabbed my arm pretty tightly; most of the edges made a few deep cuts in my skin, quite a bit of blood, nothing major." Aster replied casually. James took a hold of Asters wrist gently.

"I never knew you were going through this much" James said quietly. He let go of Asters wrist. "What about the plaster?"

"Well…" Aster started.

Flashback

Aster opened his eyes. He was in the room with mirrors in the air and water for a floor again. He looked around, expecting the woman to be floating in the air again. However, he couldn't see her anywhere, just his reflection in the mirrors. Suddenly, ripples moved across the water, startling Aster. A figure rose from the water. It was still the same woman from his previous dream.

"Well, what you gonna do to me this time, eh?" Aster challenged. The young sorceress smiled underneath her veil.

"So glad you asked" She said icily. She outstretched her arm. A stream of water flowed towards her hand from the floor. She grasped it and froze it, creating a sharp, deadly dagger. Asters eyes widened and he took a couple of steps back.

"You may be glad but I'm sorry I asked" Aster said. The woman threw the knife at Asters head. He ducked to the right, watching the dagger break a mirror.

"OHHH! Seven years bad luck. Tough break lady" Aster joked.

Furious, she created another dagger quickly and threw it at Aster again, this time at his leg. He jumped to the left, doing a forward roll as the dagger slammed into the wall and smashed. The sorceress narrowed her eyes. She waved her hand around her, causing streams of water to form around her fingers, freezing into icicles.

"You're quite the athletic type, Phoenix" She said as the water froze around her fingers. "Pity you won't live long to show others" She threw her hand towards Aster, causing the icicles to fly off at a fast speed. Aster managed to dodge them, but barely. One of them even cut off a few strands of silver hair.

"I didn't really need a trim, but I had a couple of split ends. Thanks dude!" Aster said. Aster looked at the icicles stuck to the wall.

"Whoa! I'm sure glad that wall was there and not my face. Got any more tricks up your sleeves?" Aster asked, obviously enjoying this. The sorceress growled.

She thrust her hands behind her, making flames in her hands so she propelled forwards very quickly across the water. Aster cart wheeled out the way, so the sorceress slammed into the wall.

"Uh oh, that wasn't very smart was it? Looks like the seven years bad luck has already kicked in" Aster commented. The sorceress stood up and growled at Aster. She spun around and disappeared. Aster looked around.

"Where'd you go?" Aster wondered out loud. The sorceress materialised behind Aster, and created another dagger. Aster sensed the deception and turned around, only to be met with a sharp slash of the dagger across the left side of his face. Aster fell to the watery floor in surprise, his hand over the gash, ignoring the blood running down his face.

"Hey, that hurt" Aster said. Aster stared up at the sorceress, who was licking some of the blood off the icy dagger. She then raised her dagger arm, ready to strike. The dagger was brought down, with Aster shielding himself with his arm.

Aster woke up from the dream, sitting up in bed. He was gasping for breath like he usually did after having nightmares, but the left side of his face hurt. He placed his hand on his face and removed it, looking at his fingertips. There was blood on them. His eyes widened at the sight of the blood. He got out of bed, went to the kitchen and got out the first aid box. He started rummaging around for plasters.

These dreams are getting worse by the day. Aster thought. If I don't do something soon, these dreams could kill me, and I'll never wake up if that happens.

Aster finished his story, his fingertips touching the plaster on his face.

"I almost lost my life last night. Who knows what might happen if she comes again." Aster turned away from his shocked father. "Ever since day one, this woman won't leave me alone, and she's trying to harm me but I don't know why."

James pushed his glasses up on his nose. I know why. He thought to himself. Aster looked up at his dad with sad eyes. "What's wrong?" James asked.

"Dad" Aster started. "I'm scared" Aster said quietly. James wrapped his arm around Asters shoulder to comfort him. "What was it you wanted to tell me anyway?" Aster asked.

"Well…er…" James started, and then shook his head. "Nothing. You've got enough on your mind at the moment." Aster raised an eyebrow suspiciously, but then ignored it and smiled.

"Hey Aster" Daisy called out. "You want a game of Mario Kart? I just thrashed Jaden"

"Sure" Aster called back and he stood up and left the room, leaving James on his own. James listened to the three teens voices.

"I've got dibs on Mario" Aster proclaimed.

"Luigi's all mine" Daisy said.

"What can I be? The rest of the good characters haven't been unlocked yet, and there's no way in hell I'm being that guy with the mushroom on his head" Jaden complained.

"Oh, you can be Princess Peach" Daisy answered. Jaden threw a fit, and Aster and Daisy laughed. James stopped listening to them and took out his cell phone. He pressed a number, activating the speed dial.

"Karen?" James said, speaking into the phone. "You'd better send Asters cousin Hannah here."

"Why, what is it?" A voice at the other end of the phone asked. James looked at Aster, who was punching the air, indicating he had just picked up a bonus. "I've found the identity of the second Phoenix Warrior." James answered.

That's chapter nine for ya! Sorry if it was a tad bit short, but I'll make up for it. Brownie promise…Okay, so maybe not a brownie promise, but stay tuned for chapter 10 all the same! Also, no flames if I got the characters from Mario wrong plz!