Author's Note: Ladies and gentlemen! Chapter 37 is here! Sorry to ZazzyZ for answering your message, and again sorry Leaning Leon, I keep on forgetting to write buzz cut! (Thanks again by the way). To my reviewers, ZazzyZ, Leaning Leon, I'm Number Eleven, MichaelTheBoss, The Robot Reader, I am number 10 and all the Guests!
One POV
Landing in Kenya is boiling hot. The air seems to want to choke me and cook me. Eight is fine with it, Adam is as well, and the rest are trying to deal with it. Eight's probably fine with it because he lived in the mountains and India for most of his life – so I guess he can handle the heat to an extent. Adam on the other hand spent over 3 years in Kenya, so he kinda likes it here...
"OK, they're in an abandoned airstrip Malcolm" Six says, holding the tablet and showing it to him. Sam stands next to Two. I can tell straight away that Two hates this weather. England is very different from here. But I must admit her and Sam, get along very well.
A smirk appears on my lips and Adam raises an eyebrow. I look to him,
"They would make a good couple" he says, almost as if he was reading my mind – we did share the same mind for a few years, so I guess it's a thing between us. I grin and take his hand, walking towards the SUV we rented, it's a depressing looking grey colour, dark tinted windows and a skid mark across the left side door – I'm lovin it.
We pile into the SUV, everyone taking up space, a few grunts and complaints; mostly about Nine's way of taking up space – it's so hot and sweaty in here, it's kinda gross.
"TURN THE AIRCON ON!" Nine screams from the back, he sounds like a little girl and looks like... actually let's not go there. I sit back and relax, soaking in the fresh air conditioning from the small vent in the centre air-con panel.
We've driven about 2 kilometres since we rented the SUV. The air strip where Ella and Three supposedly are is about 18 km from the airport we left. It's been half an hour since we rented and drove. Adam sits next to me, Sarah on his other side. Malcolm is in the passenger seat with Six driving. Behind me is Marina, Eight and Nine. Behind them are Emily, Two and Sam, with the Chimæra.
"Guys I just realised something" Eight calls from the back, it grabs everyone's attention,
"What?" Emily says, leaning back to the small air conditioning vent behind her – it's a weird position.
"We will probably not make it to the air strip" he says a smirk making its way onto his face. Emily gets really worried about this and jerks forward to Eight,
"Why?" she says, the rest of us know what's about to come,
"Because Six is driving" he says, everyone besides Six cracks up, the air is filled with laughter – even during a war.
"Shut up Eight!" Six shouts from the front, some people crack up harder,
"Oh c-mon Sweetheart! You're a good driver... sometimes" Nine says, his mocking grin on his face, Eight laughs, and Marina face palms herself and cuts off Eight's laughing by kissing him. Nine gags and I make an 'Oooooo' sound. I giggle and take Adam's hand, I lace his fingers and place my head on his shoulder.
I like Adam – he's actually the person I care most about in the world. I just hope he feels the same way...
We reach the abandoned airstrip one hour earlier than expected. Mainly because there's no traffic – and by no traffic, I mean, no one wants to go to an abandoned airstrip. All of us have piled out of the car and stand in the once airplane runway. The deep orange ground has dust and dirt particles that fly float gracefully over the surface of the earth. The flowing movement makes me feel a bit at ease – but I definitely know something's not right.
"Well this sucks" Nine blurts out, earning a punch in the arm from Six, who has just punched Eight in the arm from the car ride. Eight and Emily grin and Nine's over reactive hurt look.
"OK we should stick together. Ra might have set up an ambush... Six lead the way" Malcolm says, giving the tablet to Six. We all follow Six, I see empty hangers up ahead, and some closed ones straight in front of us about a kilometre forward. We walk towards the closed hanger but Nine stops, we do the same,
"Wait... something's not right..." he says, his mocking grin has now gone, and is replaced by a battle Nine – a more cautious version.
"What do you here" Marina asks, looking around, Eight does the same. Sarah, Sam and Malcolm hold their guns firmly, turning around to see if there are any threats. Nine stops and looks into the distance,
"Oh sh*t" he says, I'm about to ask what, but then the closed hanger doors in front of us open. They reveal two Mog armies and Piken. The Piken roars an ear splitting roar that envelopes the whole airstrip in its monstrous sound.
And right there, walking towards us is the stupid leader himself, Setrakus Ra – his armies follow behind him. His golden cane in one hand and a whip like weapon in the other one – he wants a fight.
This is not good.
Five (clone) POV
I hover in the Kenyan skies, just reflecting...
I have no purpose in life, and I'm not even supposed to be alive...
I'm awaiting my next order. I know I shouldn't, but I have no choice, Yes you do! Help the Garde!
I fly back down to ground, the Mog base in Kenya to be exact.
Apparently Ella and Number Three escaped two days ago. Guess they didn't wait for an invitation for a goodbye. I'm still debating to myself about my decisions and life overall. I'm still in shock. I want to help the Garde...
If only if it were that easy. I do still keep the words that Rex told me. But how would I do it?
"Sir... Number Five?" a voice enters my ears, I cringe at the words Number Five. I'm not that anymore... I never was that.
"What?" I say, turning to face a vat-born soldier holding documents and a Mog blaster.
"Um... sir, you are needed in Sector 12348... the air base sir... the Garde are there" he says, I'm frozen with shock. The Garde are here? This could be my chance at redemption – but they would never welcome me back, not after what I did...
Instinctively I lean towards helping the Garde, but Ra is there, and if he finds out, he won't hesitate to kill me. But something clicks inside of me.
I have to do this... it's what a Loric would do...
I fly off into the Kenyan sky and zoom towards Sector 12348. The wind is in my face, it's hot while walking or running – but I'm flying very fast that the hot air seems cold to my body.
There are no clouds in the sky, just me the blue sky and a mission.
I'm not very confident for this, but I know what has to be done.
Emily/Five POV
"So it begins" Ra's voice rings out across the open Kenyan plain. The old air base ground flicks up the deep orange dirt and dust; it whips against my feet.
We're here.
All of us.
It's the beginning of the end. Great cliché Em!
As usual my conscious had to ruin it all, but anyway – I feel amazing. We are ready for battle – I've never felt so certain about something in my life.
Eight stands to my left, Marina next to him, Six next to her, Nine next to Six and the humans and Chimæra on the other side of him. To my right, One, Adam and Two stand tall. One is smirking for some reason – probably excited to kick Mog butt. Ra continues,
"Honestly I didn't expect the prophecy to be me... but Lorien had great potential-"
"So you destroyed it, hunted down the rest of its kind and are still trying to kill us..." One spits out before Ra can finish. Adam stifles a laugh, Two covers hers and Eight and I face palm. The others give small grins and return their attention to Ra.
A massive army stands behind him, Piken, Krauls and other weird looking beasts stand behind him. I look further down... oh sh*t. Brutes.
Probably the remaining Subjects – we've already killed brute numbers 1, 2, 5 and 8, so I guess these are the rest. Eight and One shift uneasily next to me, we've all had bad experiences with brutes...
"Yes indeed child... you are One; the unlucky first or the one who would save the nine... very ironic isn't it?" Ra shark grins, everyone looks confused, One looks a bit pissed off now,
"What's ironic?" Nine shouts out, Six elbows him for his stupid curiosity, I giggle. Em concentrate! Nine looks at me and winks, giving his mocking grin, but this one has something else behind it.
Ra grins at Nine's comment and slowly steps to the side, another figure is behind him. I can't get a good view on him, the figure becomes a silhouette under Ra's shadow, and it steps forward.
The battlefield is quiet for a good minute. No one speaks; no one moves... just silence and shock. The figure steps into the Kenyan sunlight, the yellow hue revealing the mysterious person.
Shocked expressions go round; I hear a choking sob and cry. Everyone is frozen with disbelief and shock.
"What. The. F*ck" Nine says, resting on each word and leaving them to hang in the uneasy air. Six speaks up,
"Impossible"
Eight POV
I'm shocked. I'm frozen. Can't move. What?!
"Son of a b*tch!" Nine says, trying to run forward, but everyone pulls him back using Telekinesis. He stops resisting and stands uneasily. We are all staring at the figure that step from behind Ra.
The figure we know as John.
"JOHN!" Sarah screams, tears are rushing down her face, I look to Six, she's shedding tears. John our leader, the Fourth is standing at Setrakus Ra's right hand. My fists are clenched so tight, that the blood flowing through my veins and into my hands has stopped. The air suddenly turns strange and shocking.
"Human he cannot hear you. He's opened his eyes to the truth of Lorien... the truth that the great planet full of potential is... dead" Ra's voice bellows, echoing throughout the empty plain. Two more figures step from behind Ra... Oh my Lore...I clench my fists even more, Marina does the same and Nine and Six are just really pissed off and shocked.
There standing beside Ra's ugly face is our sweet, innocent Ella and what seems to look like Three!
"ELLA!" Marina screams to her, Marina's eyes have become watery, I hold her back; she struggles against my strength. She ultimately gives up and cries into my shoulder. She pulls away and stares dead straight at the army in front of us.
"WHY?!" Nine shouts at Ra; Ra smiles an eerie expression, all of the Garde and humans are tense now, weapons drawn, and fists clenched, ready for battle.
"Number Three was always a part of Phase 2. Because of his age we could use his... service for great potential" Ra stalks around Three; Three just stands there still, not flinching – his eyes fully black and emotionless, his blank face creeps me out. Just like my vision...
"Brilliant isn't he? Inheritor to the great Velocitan, Elder of Speed... Three's Legacies did indeed far exceed Velocitan's; Super Agility, ESP and Supersonic Speed... amazing specimen... amazing Mogadorian soldier and room for more and more power..." Ra says, everyone flinches, Marina takes my hand, she now is standing strong.
"The Tenth... A legend or myth to you... well I can assure you Loric that he is no myth... I am the Tenth Elder" Ra says, a few gasps and a lot of frozen and shocked expressions paint our side of the battlefield. Six almost drops her sword and I almost trip. I've got a bad habit of doing that.
"Bull. Sh*t" One screams out, crossing her arms, and inclining her hips. Ra shark grins and steps forward.
"Dear Ella here is my heir – my... granddaughter" Ra plays, now he's done it, shock of the day goes to... Setrakus Ra! We are all speechless, Marina chokes and Nine doesn't make eye contact with Ra, he instead shouts out, and punches the ground – but is calmed down soon by Emily.
"As for the Fourth... it is said Pittacus is the only one strong enough to kill me... I have my predictions" Ra says, returning to his spot on the Mogadorian front. John could be Pittacus Lore?
We all get into battle stances and positions.
"First take out the Pikens and brutes. Malcolm, Sam and Sarah - I want you guys to cover us and kill any stray Mogs, we'll have the Chimæra help you. Marina I want you to take on Three – speedsters don't like cold; you've got the best of both. Emily, take on John; if John has memories of our Legacies, then I want you to fight him; he doesn't know yours. Two, One and Adam, take out as much and whatever you can. Six, Nine and myself will be taking on Ra, also trying to snap Ella's trance out" I finish, everyone looks at me surprised, Emily and Six raise an eyebrow and Marina smiles widely at me – her tears have gone.
"What? I had a vision on this battle" I say, Marina takes my hand and leans on me,
"Ohhhh" half of them respond, I smile and return to our awesome battle plan – made by me.
Ra stands back and time seems to slow down as he raises his hand for the indication of the start of our fight. Immediately Two grows to about 30 feet tall, she jump-smashes a group of Mogs, ash is thrown into the air, she then turns into liquid and is literally a 30 foot tall tidal wave that kills a Piken and about 30 Mogs, One and Adam sprint off in Two's direction and stomp violently. The tremors and earthquakes they create are deafening – it literally moves the bit of earth we're on, about 10 meters; it crashes over the Mogs and an unfortunate Piken.
At that second I see Three sprinting towards us – he's faster in real life, very fast. I look to Marina, she gives me a flying kiss them sprints off towards Three, a thick line of frost in her slipstream. She looks so good in battle... um...
The humans behind us are fighting off stray Mogs, I see the Chimæra fighting bravely, shifting between forms; I see a fat Chimæra – probably Stanley, turn into a hippopotamus and fatten a group of Mogs.
I look to Six and Nine – they both give me smiles and reassurance
"You ready?" I ask them,
"Let's do this" Nine says, and Six pumps her fist in the air. But I see some sadness behind her eyes – John probably. But I return my focus back to the fight,
We will get through this; we will win, we are the Garde, united we stand and united we fall: we will win this because WE STAND AS ONE...
Author's Note: YAYAYAYAY! That was the finale guys! I know you must be pretty mad right now – with the whole cliff-hanger and repeat of The Revenge of Seven – where Pittacus Lore ends the book during a battle; but it's seriously going to be an action packed, awesome sequel...
I am proud to announce the sequel to We Stand As One is...
THE STAND OF EIGHT!
YAYAYAY! You guys did vote for this title, so thanks so much!
It has been an honour writing for you in this story! The first chapter will be up ASAP (remember I'm consistent),
Now I'm going to thank every reviewer to every review this Fanfiction! (In order)
The Robot Reader, Cas, Lucy Mia Smith, MichaelTheBoss, I'm Number Eleven, I Am Number Eight, ChildOfChaos, I am number 10, thesecondgarde, Loricfan, SoulsOfStardust, ZazzyZ, Leaning Leon and all the Guests! (And thank you to my followers and favourites)
Thanks again – please review and tell me what you thought and what you want in the next book!
Until next time my fellow readers! (Paragon 8 for goodbye)
Paragon Eight