Okay, let's do this!
Chapter Nine: The Truth (Part One)
Allie launched another wave of fear bats, just before they did the shadow trick and popped up on a mountain nearby. Now at the level which Ray and Tatsurion were at, Allie instructed Squeaky to jump onto them.
Tatsurion yelped and started to plummet.
"Bob!" Ray cried. He turned to Allie and screamed, "Are you crazy?! We'll all die!" Allie glowered at him and she jumped off Squeaky.
"Squeaky, go home." Allie banished the poor darkness creature and advanced toward Ray. Tatsurion steadied himself as Squeaky faded into shadow.
"You...you banished her?" Ray asked, confused.
"I'd prefer if my creature didn't interfere." Allie said. "But I do think I will summon another." She thought for a second, then smiled.
"Necrodragon of Vile Ichor!" Allie called. The Terror Dragon materialized and roared a spirit shattering roar. Ray's eyes widened.
"How could you?!" he shouted. "That dragon...that's the dragon Fingers used to attack Sasha and the citadel! You're using a creature that hurt one of our friends!"
Allie raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious? That's your first thought?" She shook her head with a sigh. "Wow. Come on, let's just duel before you lecture me on the bonds of loyalty or whatever."
Ray growled. "Bob, she's making it REALLY hard not to hurt her."
Tatsurion just shook his head. "We have to duel. Aren't you trying to fix the friendship?"
Ray sighed. "I want to talk to her. But it seems like it's not going to happen."
"I'm right here you know." Allie said, twirling her gauntlet. "If you want to talk, I'm here. Not going to benefit you, probably, but I'm right here."
"Fine. Time out." Ray said. "You snapped at me and Gabe. Mind telling me why?"
"Because you were bothering me." Allie replied, coldly. Both Tatsurion and Ray winced at the cold, harsh response. It wasn't hard for that to hurt.
"Okay. Then why did it bother you so much?"
"Because I don't need you or Gabe to tell me who I am."
"We...we never were." Ray said, confused.
"Really!" Allie exclaimed. "She never reads books. She's some stereotypical teen girl who spends all of her time staring at herself in the mirror and depends on everyone else to help her!" She glared at him. "You don't know anything about me, Ray!"
"We don't think of you like that!" Ray exclaimed. "You're our friend! You're different from everyone else! Because you're Allie Underhill! No one can tell you what to do! You're independent, witty, kind and awesome! Why do you think...why do you think we think that about you?!"
Allie laughed incredulously. "You're kidding right? Do I seem that stupid?" She growled. "I saw the emails."
"Which emails?" Ray asked.
"The ones where you and Gabe were talking about me!"
"We weren't emailing about you!" Ray protested.
"Really!" Allie said. "How much longer are you going to lie?" She directed the dragon at Ray. "I would prove it to you, but there's no internet here, obviously. I guess for now, I just have to beat you!"
"Necrodragon of Vile Ichor, begone!"
Allie gasped as the darkness pulled her dragon into it. She glared at the voice. "How dare you, Gabe! I was in the middle of a duel!"
"With the dragon that hurt Sasha." Gabe added, glaring.
"That's what I said!" Ray shouted.
"What are you doing here, anyway?" Allie snarled. "Weren't you talking with your girlfriend?"
Gabe reddened. "I was! And she told me you have been letting off high amounts of chaotic brainwaves lately."
"What are you talking about?" Allie said, glaring.
"Wait...Allie, have you been contacting a darkness creature?" Ray asked.
"Yes, her name is Scaradorable of Gloom Hollow." she replied sarcastically.
"That isn't it." Gabe said. "Someone has been messing with your mind. Or rather: something."
"No creature, darkness or not, has been messing with my mind!" Allie screamed.
"Allie, calm down!" Ray shouted.
"No! I won't calm down!" she screamed. "The 'chaotic brainwaves' Sasha sensed are probably my thoughts about you two!"
Ray, Gabe and Tatsurion winced.
"We've been a little distanced lately, sure. School has us in different places all the time." Allie said. "We don't practice with each other anymore at the temple, and we aren't beating up the Choten." She snarled again. "But that is no excuse to have been talking about me behind my back!"
"What are you talking about?!" Gabe asked.
"That's what I said!" Ray repeated.
Allie screamed at the top of her lungs. "I HATE BEING LIED TO! THAT'S ALL I SEEM TO GET FROM MY SO-CALLED FRIENDS LATELY!"
"Allie, calm down!" Ray and Gabe cried at the same time.
"JUST SHUT UP!" Her chest was heaving. "I DON'T NEED YOU!"
"Allie, we never-"
"BONERATTLE DRAGON! COME TO ME!"
The beast came into the fire realm, shrieking and rattling a battle cry.
"She's snapped!" Gabe exclaimed, scared.
"She's usually pretty cool about all this," Ray began. "I don't understand why she thinks-"
"Attack!"
Bonerattle Dragon roared at each of them with its heads. The sonic blast in the roar pushed Tatsurion downward and Gabe to the ground.
"Allie, stop!" Ray screamed.
"NO!" she sobbed. "I WON'T STOP! I DON'T NEED YOU! I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!" She rose off Bob, hovering in midair. Ray's eyes widened.
The Cloak of Dark Illusion fluttered over her shoulders.
"Allie...did Queen Kalima give you the cloak?" Ray asked, softly.
"No." Allie said. "Megaria snuck into my house and put it back onto me." She was sobbing at this point. "I didn't want it, but the cloak won't leave anymore. Queen Kalima keeps me close because of it."
"That's why Sasha noticed chaos from you..." Gabe whispered.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Ray asked. Sadness clouded his face.
"Because you two think I need you to solve all my problems!"
"We don't think that!" Ray shouted.
"Why don't you see the emails!" Allie exclaimed. She brought them through the veil, regardless of what the masters said. She opened her phone and showed them to her.
"We never sent those." Gabe said.
"Allie, tell us the truth." Ray said. "Who sent those emails, supposedly from us, to you?"
"Fine. If you want to know so badly, I'll just tell you!" Allie screamed. She breathed heavily, clutching her chest. "The truth...the truth is..."
Very bad cliffhanger! Sorry! But I'm really excited to finish the next part. A lot of things come together. Anyway, chapter nine: done.
-Phantom
