"Mind explaining to me how you can do all this too?" I ask Patrick. We're hiding in the school's boiler room, trying to make some sort of escape plan. The Mogs have us pinned down and every attempt to escape results in a fight.
"Same as you, dude. Paiute, Sora's friend, came to me in a dream last year and told me everything. He said to look out for you, which I think I've been doing a mighty fine job if I do say so myself," Patrick flashes one of his trademark "good guy" smiles and makes me laugh a bit.
"Makes sense. Now we have to find Angel," I tell him as I stand up. We've been here long enough.
Nodding, Patrick says, "We should focus on getting out of here first."
"But how?"
"With these Legacies," Patrick closes his eyes and places his hands on his temples. After a few moments, he tells me, "I don't know how, but all the students and faculty are… gone."
"Gone? How can they be gone?"
"I can't see them clearly, they come to me as colors. They keep fading away."
"Are they…" I don't finish the sentence, fearing the worse.
"No, I'd be able to tell."
"How about the Mogs?"
"Still searching. But I can't get a read on the number; I think… I think they're blocking me somehow."
"Wonderful," I mutter in disdain. "Let's just make a move."
"Right behind you."
I slowly open the door to the boiler room and check out the basement. The lighting's dim, and I can hear the machines whirring and sputtering.
"Let's move." Together, we sprint down the musty corridor, hoping we won't bump into anymore freaks. We're about to reach the stairwell when we feel the building quake. Falling onto our sides, we stare at each other with worried expressions.
"That does not sound good," Patrick points out jumping to his feet. Another shake rocks the building, making him lose balance once more. "We need to bolt."
In no time, we throw open the door and find that the halls are eerily silent. The lights flicker and it feels like something out of a horror movie. The sky is already dark due to the seasonal change, so the scary factor boosts up.
"Let's move," I whisper. I turn the corner and gasp. I find myself face to face with the end of a Mog cannon. As a reflex, I erect a telekinetic wall as soon as the weapon ignites with a green glow. I'm okay, but the force sweeps me off my feet. The raw power sends me into a wall of lockers and I feel the wind get knocked out of me. My back aches from the impact and my vision begins to fuzz up.
The Mog attacker is slammed into the wall and floor repeatedly until he bursts into ash.
Pat hoists me onto his back and sprints down the hallway.
My head continues to swim and I feel my body growing heavier and heavier.
"Hang in there, Skye," Patrick beckons me. "We're almost out of here." I look over his shoulder and see that we're in the back stairwell of the school. This one is the only one that has large windows that look over the football field. "Alright, we can make it," Pat tells me. However, he screams in pain when the wall beside us explodes. Next thing I know, we're free falling. Lucky for us, Patrick raised his own telekinetic shield.
The colliding forces sent us through the window and onto the grass below. Pain rockets through my body, but at least we're out of the building. The drive to survive keeps me awake, but my muscles are still screaming and I can't move them. Patrick somehow hoists me up bridal style and sprints for the field.
I can see that he's bleeding in multiple places, but he's trying so hard to protect me.
He's always been like this; throughout our time growing up together, he's always been the one who would save the day. He was there for me at all times and I… I can't remember an instance where I was there for him. He just seemed to be okay all the time.
Why I'm thinking about this now is beyond me. Maybe it's a side effect of dying? We suddenly hear a monstrous war and for the second time, I feel myself flying through the air and landing on my side. I'm far away from Patrick. A Piken is standing over him, its huge mouth salivating. Its eyes wander over his body and its big beefy hands slowly reach for him.
"Patrick," I mutter in pain. "Patrick!"
Images flash through my mind as I struggle to get myself up. Patrick protecting me from bullies on my first day in kindergarten, Patrick helping me ride a bike for the first time when we were seven, Patrick giving me a birthday cupcake when we were ten.
"Patrick… Patrick… Patrick!" I force myself onto my feet and limp toward him. By now, the Piken has him in its grip and slowly squeezes him tighter. However, the Piken drops Patrick back onto the turf ground. It backs up to reveal a Mog soldier pulling a sword from his holster. The sword comes to life with a sickly purple and it glows brighter and brighter as it gets closer to Patrick like a hunter stalking its prey.
No! I won't let this happen!
More memories of Patrick flow through me, forcing me to limp forward. The Mog looks up, sees me, and grins. He knows he has us beat. He raises his sword into the air, ready to impale Patrick.
I. WON'T. LET HIM. DIE.
"NO!" I scream at the top of my lungs. I raise my right fist and feel it burn with power. I punch forward and I gasp; my fist is literally burning with power. A fireball launches from my knuckles and collides with the sword, disarming the Mog.
"I can create fire," I whisper to myself. I was no accident like at the party. I repeat louder, "I can create fire!" With that, my strength returns and my mind focuses. For the first time tonight, I feel powerful while the Mog looks on in fear. I punch my left fist forward, sending another fireball. The Mog jumps into the air and dodges. He snaps his fingers and the Piken charges at me.
I fly above it out of its reach and rapidly punch, sending flames upon the beast. It drops in seconds, burnt to a crisp. I speed down at the Mog and move my arm forth in a rigid motion. I feel the ground move on command, and with another rigid movement, a stone slab rockets upward and smacks the Mog in the back. It stumbles forward and I land right in front of it. I kick forward and blast it into a fence with a stream of air.
"You can take this to the grave," I tell the battered soldier. "You will never win this war." I raise my right hand and create icicles in mid air. I throw down, and impale the soldier. It bursts into ashes and I sigh with relief. This time, I carry Patrick bridal style and make my way away from campus. Unfortunately, I hear the wind whistle behind me.
I catch a dagger with my telekinesis and turn around. A young soldier charges at me, his hair waving in the wind. He yells with a ferocious sense of vengeance within him. However before he can get to us, a large purple hole opens behind him. The purple disappears and is replaced by an image of trees, as if it were a mirror from another world. I then hear a loud, unnatural scream echo forth. The Mog clutches his ears and falls to his knees, only to explode into dust a moment later. The sound's force knocks me onto my back.
The sonic scream is also loud enough to wake Patrick up and he darts into a seated position, him still in my arms. "What happened?" He asks me. He follows my gaze and gasps. The wormhole of sorts disappears and reveals a beautiful girl about our age. She has dark hair and brown eyes. At first glance, she seems to be of asian descent and she wears black jeans, boots, and a sweater with the hood over her hair.
"Who're you?" I ask.
"My name is Mia. But I guess in context I can be called 'Number 11.' Nice to meet you guys."
A/N: And our three reincarnation/hosts unite for the first time. Next chapter, we learn a bit more about Mia and what our trio will do to meet up with the Loric! Please Review!