Alrighty people! Here's the next chapter! Sorry if I grossed some of you out with my previous chapter! Anyways, enjoy!
Chapter 12
The Woodcutter
"Come on, Aster! I think you're over reacting" Jaden said.
"Well I can't think of anyone else with purple highlights, can you?" Aster responded, picking himself up from the ground.
"Uh…a girl? Jesse suggested.
"Wait!" Melody said. "Aster, wasn't there a path somewhere in your dream?"
"Yeah, but…I don't see it anywhere" Suddenly, some of the trees parted to reveal a long, winding path, leading to another location. Jaden peered down it.
"How convenient." He said, and started to walk down it, everyone else close behind. Without warning, Hannah tripped and fell to the ground.
"Ow!" She yelled. Everyone turned to Hannah, who was clutching her foot, and a thick wooden object was poking out of the ground. "Dammit! I am so sick of not feeling where I'm going!" She hissed through clenched teeth, slamming her fist into the ground. Jaden helped her up.
"Don't worry, Hannah. I'm sure we'll find a place with atmosphere." He reassured.
"I know, but tripping over handles is just ridiculous" Hannah exclaimed.
"I rather doubt that I-" Aster started. "Hold up. Did you say…handle?" Aster knelt down by what Hannah tripped over, examining it.
"Trust me. I whacked it hard enough to know what it felt like." Aster wasn't paying any attention to Hannah, and was easing the object out of the ground. Eventually, it emerged, but Aster ended up dropping it again in shock.
"What's wrong?" Chloe asked. Hassleberry glanced over Aster's shoulder.
"Sam Hill! It's an axe!"
"What?" Jesse exclaimed.
"Is that…dried blood on the blade?" Chloe pointed out.
"It's probably nothing, sister" Melody reassured.
"She's right. M-m-maybe its just paint" Syrus stuttered.
"Nope. It's definitely blood" Jaden confirmed.
"Oh, real helpful, Jaden. It's not like we're bugging out here!" Hannah said sarcastically.
"Urgh, I'm beat from chopping" A voice said. Hannah looked around for the source.
"Did you hear that?" Hannah said
"Hear what?" Hassleberry said.
"I thought I heard…never mind. It's probably my imagination."
"It certainly wasn't pretty cutting into their backs. Oh well, at least the job's done" The voice said again.
"Okay, that time it wasn't my imagination."
"Where'd Aster go?" Jaden said.
"Come on, you guys." Aster yelled from down the path. Everyone turned and noticed Aster running down the path.
"He heard it as well?" Jesse said.
"Eh…must be a phoenix warrior thing." Hassleberry said with a shrug. Everyone ran down the path, with Jaden holding Hannah's wrist. Eventually, they stopped in the middle of the path.
"It's from over there. Time to get some answers about Daisy." Aster said. His hand was over his water horn, but nothing came out.
"What the-" Aster started. "Oh yeah, that's right. My fight with Ember." Aster glanced at a bunch of creepers dangling down from a tree, stained with blood of course. He remembered the wet hand from Domino Cemetery, and an idea came to mind. "Well, plants are ninety percent water" He said with a shrug. He got ready to perform a technique, and drew the water from the creepers, making them turn black with lack of water. A long tendril of water rose up above Aster's head, supported by Aster's right palm.
"Syrus, get your sword out, I'll need your help." Syrus looked surprised, but got his sword out all the same, stumbling a bit due to the weight.
"So, what are we supposed to do?" Syrus asked.
"We're gonna cut through that" Aster said, indicating the trees, but not dropping his tendril. "Like this." Aster used the tendril to cut through the trees, causing about five of them to fall.
"Okay, but couldn't we just walk through it?" Syrus asked, but as soon as his grey eyes saw how thick the woods were, he shook his head. "Never mind".
"Okay everybody, stay behind us" Aster said over his shoulder. Syrus used his sword to cut through a couple of trees effortlessly. Aster, however, took down five times as many with his water whip, leaving all the trees dripping wet. Whilst the two of them were slicing the woods down, the rest walked behind them.
"Aster's pretty good. He sure will be fun to teach" Chloe said, observing a tree trunk he'd just cut.
"Nearly there" Syrus yelled, cutting through an extremely thick tree trunk. Aster blasted away the rest of the trees with his water tendril and ran into the clearing.
"Give up if you know what's good for ya!" Aster yelled. However, his fierce expression became rather embarrassed. A wood cutter of around 60 years old was standing in the clearing terrified, with a case opened filled with axes. "Oh…" Aster started. He dropped his water onto the ground. "I'm sorry. We thought you were…someone else"
"Won't happen again." Jaden said brightly, giving the man one of his famous peace signs.
"Oh, that's quite alright" said the woodcutter, his voice a thick country accent. "At least you got a job done for me, cutting down all those trees. My name's Mike" As the man spoke, Hannah narrowed her blind blue eyes suspiciously.
"Glad to help out" Jesse said laughing.
"You haven't seen any big gothic castles anywhere out of interest, have you?" Chloe asked.
"Uh…'fraid not, fellas." Mike said nervously, glancing around him. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm kinda busy." He turned back to his case. "I seem to be missing an axe." Hannah eyes widened after the last sentence.
"Well we saw an axe back over there if that's any-" Hassleberry started.
"Wait a minute, it was you. You were in my cousin's dream." Hannah exclaimed, pointing at Mike, who took two steps backwards in surprise.
"How can you be sure?" Melody asked.
"I never forget a voice" Hannah answered. "Besides, the axe was, supposedly covered with blood, and there just so happens to be blood on the trees. Coincidence? I think not"
"I don't know what you're talking about" Mike said, but he started to get frightened. Aster glared at Mike angrily.
"Did you see a girl with black and purple hair?" Aster snapped.
"Well, yes but I don't see how-" Aster took a step forward.
"And a guy in a red shirt who looks like me?"
"Yes but-Hey!" Mike was interrupted when Aster pinned him by the shoulder to a tree, his blue eyes flaring with anger and insanity.
"Where are they?" Aster demanded.
"Aster, take it easy" Jesse said
"Answer me!" Aster yelled into Mike's face, ignoring Jesse completely.
"Cool it, Private!" Hassleberry said.
"I'll ask you one more time. WHERE ARE THEY?" Aster shouted.
"I…I…" Mike stuttered, but Aster punched him across the face angrily. Mike fell onto the floor and stared up at Aster.
"Aster, you shouldn't have done that" Chloe said, horrified.
"Talk or loose teeth" Aster snapped.
"I don't know anything about-"
"You're lying. I heard you say that you cut into someone" Hannah said.
"You did WHAT!" Aster shouted, enraged. Aster blinked, and his eyes weren't blue anymore. Once again, they were glowing white, and Aster's hair blew around his angry face. The water he had dropped onto the floor picked up and spun around Aster in a sphere. The sphere suddenly expanded and destroyed tonnes of acres of trees.
"I'm sorry! Please, show mercy!" Mike begged.
"Tell me where Daisy is!" Aster demanded in an unearthly voice. His voice was almost like a demon, but somewhere in the demonic tonnes was his own voice.
"I had to take some of their blood to trick you and invade your dreams. They're probably back at the castle by now. They're okay, I swear it. Kagehoshi blackmailed me. I'll even help you get there, just please, spare my life. You'll destroy this entire forest if you're not careful,"
"Hear that, Aster? They're alive. You can calm down now." Hannah yelled. Aster ignored her, and wind spun around him, filled with green and blue energy. The wind picked up and formed a small tornado.
"But he can't control air. How is he doing that?" Melody shouted over the roar of the wind.
"He must be really angry." Hassleberry said.
"Just get out of here. Run!" Jaden yelled, grabbing Hannah by the shoulders and pulling her away from Aster. Melody ran towards Mike, helped him up and ran back to the others, who were trying to get as far away from Aster as possible. By now, Aster's anger was at its peak. The wind was so powerful, trees collapsed around the forest when they crossed paths with the wind. Aster's hair blew upwards as he started to slowly lift off the ground. The gang shielded themselves from the wind and the dust blowing around the ground. Jaden looked up at Aster sadly. Without thinking, he ran towards Aster.
"Jaden!" Jesse exclaimed.
"Is he nuts?!" Syrus yelled. Jaden reached Aster and grabbed his right wrist. Aster looked down with a face filled with anger and hate, only to be met with a sad expression from Jaden. The brunette grabbed Aster by both of his wrists, pulled him back to the ground and hugged him by the shoulders. The wind grew more and more powerful, and more trees collapsed with the force. However, some members of the gang stopped shielding themselves.
"The wind's dying down." Melody said. Aster expression was still enraged, and Jaden was trying desperately hard not to let go of him. Aster's face calmed down, and the wind stopped almost immediately. Everybody brought their hands down from shielding themselves and looked at Jaden and Aster. Aster's eyes were their normal blue colour again. He looked up at Jaden.
"What happened?" He asked. Jaden looked away, afraid to answer. Aster pulled himself away from Jaden, stumbling slightly. He looked at the others, who were slightly shaken from what had happened. Aster looked ahead of him and gasped. Trees had fallen all over the forest, making the clearing ten times its original size. Aster began to walk backwards in shock. He gasped, looked at his hands, and they clutched his head as he fell onto his knees, his entire body trembling.
"What's happening to me? I'm…I'm becoming a monster. Why do I feel like this? Why do I feel so…angry?" Aster said. Jaden kneeled down beside Aster and placed a hand on his shoulder
"It wouldn't have done any good keeping it in. You had to let your anger out somehow." He reassured.
"Tell me, Jaden. Was I like this facing Ember?" Aster asked, not looking at Jaden.
"Yes…you were" Jaden answered quietly. Aster was shocked beyond anything. He turned away from Jaden with his eyes squeezed shut. "I'm not saying that the weird glowy state is a bad thing" Jaden started. "I'm saying that it can be helpful. Without it, you wouldn't have defeated Ember. Maybe it can help defeat Kagehoshi as well" Jaden smiled after he said this. Aster looked up at Jaden in surprise.
"C'mon. Let's go" Jaden said, helping Aster up, his hands still on his shoulders. Everyone ran towards Aster.
"You okay?" Jesse asked.
"I'm fine" Aster answered. He moved away from Jaden and towards Mike. Mike stepped backwards, for fear he might do something else.
"Listen, I'm sorry about how I acted." Aster apologised, surprising Mike. "I know I shouldn't have acted like that, nearly destroying this forest, and I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, but I've been apart from the people I love for too long. I was just so angry that I couldn't think straight. I know that Kagehoshi blackmailed you to trick me into thinking that you did something horrible to Daisy and my father, and it's not your fault. I guess this proves that Kagehoshi really is a psychopath. Kagehoshi will regret the day she messed with me, but I can't stand thinking that something happened to you just for her own personal gain. I've had my fair share with Sartorius, but using it on someone else is another thing." Aster looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry about what happened. I hope you can forgive me." Mike looked surprised at what Aster had just said, but he regained his composure and smiled.
"No problem, sonny." Aster looked up at Mike, his blue eyes shining sadly. "Kagehoshi captured my family and she told me that unless I don't do as she said, she'd kill them. I had no choice."
"Don't worry old man. We'll rescue 'em." Hassleberry said.
"Just tell us where Kagehoshi is, and you'll have your family back in no time." Syrus said. Mike nodded.
"Her castle is down the path for twenty five miles, turn right at a fork and carry straight on until you come to a light. You can't miss it." Mike said.
"Thanks. C'mon, guys." Jaden said, and began walking off, the others following. Aster rubbed his head, trying to get the dizziness out of it from his attack and began to walk off.
"Hey, sonny." Mike said, stopping Aster. "I noticed you were a water manipulator. That's some fine skills you got there"
"Well, I guess I am kinda good" Aster said.
"But it'll take a lot more water than that horn you've got to defeat Kagehoshi." Mike pointed out. Aster looked at his horn.
"Yeah, it is pretty tiny." Mike walked up to Aster and slung a water skin, which had wound down his back from his right shoulder until the point reached his left hip, over his shoulder. He held it up to Aster.
"Take this." Aster looked at it surprised. "It's already full, and it provides a lot more water than that thing you've got there." Aster took the skin and slung over his own shoulder.
"You sure about this?" Aster asked.
"No, I insist. You're going to need all the fightin' you can handle to defeat that bitch." Aster checked the stopper was in properly and smiled at Mike.
"Thanks, dude." Aster said, and ran off to catch up with the others. Mike watched him run off.
"Good luck, sonny." He said, and walked back through the debris of trees with his case of axes.
TA DA! I think I may have added a bit of a heroshipping moment in that chapter, but let me know what you think folks. More coming up!