Ch. 14 Breaking Out
We end up at Chaos' palace a little while later. We slip inside as the Guardians arrive, and I find that it looks like my old house on the inside. I cringe, trying not to think about it.
"Why does it look so simple? It's a palace on the outside, so why is it so plain in here?" Tooth's quiet musing almost ends with me giving myself a heart attack.
"It's built to look like memories, it's meant to be a personal slap to the face." I answer tonelessly, but Jack still glances at me, walking over as the others flinch away. I jump as his cold hand touches my shoulder.
"You recognize this place, don't you?" Jack's tone isn't accusing, but I flinch as though it is. I can't make myself respond, even when Cinderrose yanks Jack back and starts snarling curses at me. In that moment, she sounds just like my father, just like Chaos.
"Get away from me." I finally snap at her. She jumps in shock.
"Finally deciding to show your true colors, Shadow Witch?" Her tone is a sneer, and I just sigh.
"The only reason I'm here is because I care about that little girl just as much as you do, if not more, so shut the freak up for the Dark Forest's sake!" I snarl, my tone bristling with fury.
"Yeah, right, you care about Skylar…" I cut her off.
"YES, I FREAKING CARE ABOUT THAT LITTLE GIRL!" I give up on being quiet and scream the words at her. I see her expression flicker to shock and I turn my back on her and walk away from the Guardians, not letting them see my face as I pull my hood up.
"Cloudfire?" I hear Skylar's small voice and instantly bolt towards the sound. I arrive at the same moment the Guardians do.
"You want something?" Chaos asks boredly.
"Yes. I want Skylar and the little dragon in your dungeons." I answer before the Guardians can say a word.
"That's a high price to ask. I'll have to demand something in return. How about…one fire, shadow, and music spirit?" Skylar starts sobbing as the others look at me in surprise.
"No, Cloud, please no."
"Sky, I'll be fine."
"No, you won't! You said that last time, but you weren't! YOU FREAKING DIED! How am I supposed to just live my life knowing that you died because I was too much of a coward to face a little bit of pain?!" Skylar's sobbing cuts straight through to my heart, but I shove away my feelings.
"Let her go, Chaos." My voice is soft, pleading for a change.
Chaos laughs and cuts Skylar loose. I instantly pull her into a tight embrace and she hugs me back.
"Don't get killed again." She pleads softly. I stare right into her eyes. What had he DONE to her? She looks traumatized! Chaos pulls Starsong out of her cage and her gaze meets mine, brightening instantly. I silently shake my head, just barely noticable.
I gently let Skylar go and she hurries over to hide behind Riverlily. Chaos laughs wickedly as he pulls out his whips. I bite my tongue, trying to figure out why he hasn't made the others leave.
"This will be fun." Chaos announces and I see Jack wince at the thought of someone seeing this as fun. "Perhaps your little FRIENDS want to see what they're leaving you to." Chaos muses, sending pure terror down my spine.
"They're not my friends. I gave up on that from the first time Cinderrose's spear touched me." I answer coldly. I don't however, interrupt his boasting.
"To think, they thought Smokeheart was you! They must be feeling really guilty right now, realizing that you've been telling the truth all along." His gloating makes every Guardian turn about seven shades paler. "Oh, well, enough gloating." His eyes shine maliciously, and I wince before the whip even touches my skin.
I try not to scream as the shards of glass embedded in the whip slice through my back. Yay, new scars to think about. When will this particular nightmare end? I hear Skylar whimpering and it only stiffens my resolve not to make this any harder on her. The Guardians had pretty much stopped gasping after the first eight slashes, and now, I was a little more preoccupied at the rivers of blood running down my spine.
Chaos finally stops, growling in annoyance.
"You know this would be a lot more fun if you knew how to scream?" He offers casually. I use some of my little remaining strength to neatly punch him directly in the nose. Chaos soars back through a wall, cursing. I turn, grabbing the Guardians and snapping them out of their stupor.
We bolt to the sleigh, mostly because I can barely walk, let alone fly. I pull Skylar into a tight hug, but not one protests. Jack freezes my wounds without my asking and I send him a quick glance of gratitude.
"Are you alright?" I ask Skylar, ignoring the Guardians. She doesn't answer, just shrinks into my arms. I grimace, and Starsong lands on my shoulder.
"Are you okay? You seem worried, yet you're not showing the slightest bit of worry for your wounds. You seem more worried about your unharmed sister."
"Not all wounds are visible." I murmur, letting a bit of my own brokenness show through for a moment. I'm sure that no one else heard except Starsong. She shrugs, still curled on my shoulder.
"Would some fire help? I could probably melt the ice and heal the wounds with the same blast." I nod, careful to not move Skylar. Dream Sand is just starting to flicker around her head. Starsong easily breathes flames over my back, making me wince as I feel the wounds sting. Jack hops quickly away, and I grin as the gaping cuts shrink into small scar lines.
"Cloud, what in the heck happened to your back?" Lunasong's questioning demand makes me wince at my own stupidity. Should've kept the ice on till later when I could deal with this by myself.
"None of your business." I snip back, coldness flitting through my tone. I quickly whip my vest back on, but not before the others see the stunning array of marks over my back.
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE MOON HAPPENED TO YOU?!" Tooth shrieks so loud that I swear my ears start bleeding. Even North flinches.
"Tooth, a little volume control?" Bunny seems almost as ticked as me.
"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! DID YOU SEE HER FREAKING BACK?! HOW MANY SCARS ARE EVEN ON THERE?!" I lift my hand to silence her. I gently adjust Skylar so she's not leaning against me.
"About 285 give or take a hundred?" I offer my quick calculation before I jump, transforming into a Night Fury before anyone can argue/ start screaming. I flap my wings powerfully, Starsong flitting beside me.