Hey guys! So this chapter is fairly long so I hope you like it :) Lots of information and plot twists.. hopefully, it's not too confusing!
I love everyone who reviewed and thank you so much!
Please Review! It's where I get motivation to write haha ;)
~Harmony
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Chapter 28: It's too soon to leave yet.
Neona P.O.V
Something was wrong…. There was something off about Phoenix. Generally, I can sense people's emotions because I'm very intuitive and Phoenix can do it too… I just haven't taught her. But I guess that's a good thing now because she can't block out her aura. I was scared for her.
Ever since we met, I've sensed her aura getting darker and darker. Now, I can feel a darkness slowly starting to creep in. I know what happens when people lose control of their powers. It happened to Mai and that's how she ended up at Omega.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked Phoenix.
Max was filling up a couple water bottles with Fern inside the cave and everyone was waiting outside to get ready to take off. I decided to use this opportunity to calm Phoenix down.
"No." She let her long black hair fall over her face, creating a shadow. Nothing like the bright Nix that I always saw in my visions.
"Something happened. Remember, all you have to do is control." I touched my crystal.
"Easy for you to say. You've been locked up all this time. All you could do was control." Her tone shifted to defensive.
"You know my friend, the one I talked about?"
"Yeah the one you wouldn't stop talking about? The one we're going to save.."
"Mai. But do you know her real name? The whitecoats gave it to her because they thought she was evil. She's the most powerful hybrid."
"No I am. Jeb said that I was always the most powerful… the mot successful mutant ever. But I guess it both of us now cause we're basically the same."
"That's what they want you to think. Our powers alone are very special- and yes powerful. But there is more than just that. Control. Some one who doesn't have control will show no mercy. Mai- she didn't show any Mercy. Probably killed 100 whitecoats when she was born."
"She doesn't sound very dangerous…"
"Exactly. One of the biggest mistakes is to underestimate another. Her powers are deadly… more dangerous than ours. She had a family once, but killed them. That's when the whitecoats found her. She was only 4. The school made her do their dirty work for them and she killed many other mutants because of it."
"So then why are we going to save her because obviously, she's a threat."
"She's learned to control. The white coats forced her to do horrible things… when her part of the building mysteriously burned down, I knew that she had to be alive and responsible… but the leader of the whitecoats' body was never found. That's when they had no one but me to do the dirty work instead of her."
"What kind of things did they make you do?"
"I can't tell you. But lets just say that I've had a lot of regrets. Truth be told, we are not that much different from the whitecoats." Phoenix's eyes went wide. "We're exactly the same, but with a different cause. We are on this earth to save people from the damage they have already done and to save future victims... not to get revenge."
"I am the same as them. What if we lose control? I'm never going to gain control... and all I want to do is get revenge."
"You say that now. But you will learn to control your powers. Because if you don't, you'll end up like Mai. Alone, and scared. I said I would help but you have to be willing to receive it."
Phoenix looked at me reluctantly. "Everyone is probably waiting for us." She started walking to the front of the cave. "We should go."
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Phoenix P.O.V
To be honest, I didn't want the help. I would figure this out myself. If I needed help, that would mean I was weak. I looked at Neona. She was the epitome of calm and serene. Although she says her power is deadly, I'm skeptical about it. My power is fire. Hers is ice. Mine is more dangerous… how can she possibly teach me control.
"Ready?" Mom walked up to us and smiled. She mentioned for us to follow her so we did. She walked over to Dad and took his hand. If I was in charge, we would have already saved Mai by now and killed all the whitecoats.
"A lot of memories in this cave. The second place I'd call home. But don't worry. If we get the chance, we'll be back." She put her hand with two fingers out in the middle. "For old times sake?"
Everyone put their hands in. Gazzy smiled mischievously... "Lets blow this popsicle stand."
But then again, did I really want to be alone when I have a family who loves me?
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Neona P.O.V.
We had been flying for almost the whole day now. Our wings were aching but we had gotten pretty far. Omega was in a secluded island in Hawaii so we were headed southwest from Colorado. We decided to stop in Los Angeles and taking a break before crossing the ocean, which would probably take about half the day.
Suddenly, my head started to hurt and Mai's voice boomed into my head.
'Neona! You must save Phoenix before they take her completely!'
Mai! Are you okay? We're coming to get you!
'Yes, yes, I'm okay for now but Phoenix is in danger! I know you've been sensing it… and if you don't teach her to control her powers in time... well you know what that did to me but she won't be able to bring goodness back into her heart. Her power revolves around death. Finding a balance is harder for her if you don't help.'
I'm trying but she's reluctant! She won't take my help.
'Maybe I can help.'
No! Mai! You'll hurt her… I know what you want to do and it's not a good idea. If she really is being consumed by the darkness, it'll only feed into her ego more. This is not a good idea. She has to fight it herself or I could lose her forever!
'Well I have to try.. otherwise, you know she'll become bad herself. I have to go now. Keep an eye on Phoenix, please. You know that once they take her, you'll never get her back.'
"Neona? Neona! Are you okay?!" Nudge was holding me as we were descending.
I looked around… "What happened?"
"You were holding your head and yelling in pain… is everything okay? You stopped flapping your wings and you started to fall."
Fang looked at me with worried eyes. "Why don't we stop here for the night…" He took my hand and helped me stand up.
"No… no… lets get the L.A first. Then we can rest. Mai can't wait. I was talking to her and that's why I fell." I looked up at the flock. "She needs us and she's in terrible danger… we can't wait any longer."
The others looked at each other and Fang asked, "Do you think you can hold up for just an hour more? We'll be there soon."
I nodded. "Yes. I can fly. I'm fine now."
As we took off, I noticed Phoenix at the corner of my eye. She was becoming more and more erratic. Her temperature kept rising and falling judging from her putting on her jacket and then taking it off 5 minutes later and repeating this multiple times. I glanced at Fern who met my eye.
Fern shrugged at me with worried eyes. I knew that Fern knew. She nodded at me in acknowledgment and held up a red stone in her hand. I caught my breath.
"Is that…" I whispered in awe, "… a ruby?"
She lowered her voice and flew out of formation a bit before responding. "I've had this since I met Phoenix. It's my sister's. When she was killed, she left this for me. She said it would be of good use to someone else in my life. I didn't realize until I met you and you had a crystal to help you control."
I touched my pendant. "This is a hawks eye. It used to be a light blue but over time, it turned black. Hawk eye's often do that but oddly enough, it coincided with the lowest time of my life. When I worked for the school- when they made me do… bad things... now, it only has a hint of blue."
"It's so pretty..." She looked down at the ruby. "I think this can help Phoenix."
"I think so too. It's like it was meant to be." I looked at Phoenix. She was closing her eyes and shaking her head as if she was having a battle with herself. "Oh no. Mai's done it… "
"What? What has she done?"
"Mai's power is one of the most dangerous powers… no it is the most dangerous power- Darkness in all aspects. I've been sensing Nix's aura and it feels off… it feels like Mai's."
"So she's becoming dark?"
"More than that… once the darkness consumes you, you can never go back to being good again. Mai lives in that darkness but has chosen to live in the light but the aura aura around her will always be black. I was once almost consumed by that same darkness but I had already begun to gain control of my powers by then. Phoenix has never had to struggle with that before because her power is naturally destructive so she is at more of a risk. Once she loses control of her power for good, she'll never be Pheonix again."
"But the crystal can help her right?"
"I don't know. Mai is dangerous; she can control anything that has a dark aura, which means she can control everyone- not everyone is good you know. If she penetrates Phoenix with the same feelings of loss of control, and Phoenix fights it, she will have gained control and will never be consumed by the darkness."
Fern looked hopeful. "So Phoenix can fight it, and she'll be normal again?"
"See, the powers of hybrids are very different- personal. They coincide with personality. Phoenix goes through mood changes quite often. When she's in charge, that's when her powers are the strongest and she is the happiest… and that scares me."
"Yeah! She'll be completely normal and then when she feels threatened, she can't stop hurting the other person." Fern looked into the distance. "She killed two erasers who were begging for mercy. She was completely out of it… like someone was controlling her. She doesn't know I know."
"Oh no." I shook my head. "It won't work then. Phoenix will be consumed... she'll never be good again!"
"What... what are you talking about?!"
"I'm talking about Mai! Once she penetrates Phoenix with darkness, she can choose to fight it or give in to it. Based on her actions thus far, I'm certain that she'll give into it… instead of making her feel what dread and guilt are, it'll only feed into her ego and power and make her stronger and more dangerous."
"No…" Fern gasped. "You don't possible think that she'll give into it right? She can fight it!"
"She could…" I took the ruby in my hand and held it up to the moonlight. "But Fern, you're very intuitive, so tell me. Has there ever... ever been a time where Phoenix hurt someone or wanted to hurt someone and she never even once thought of feeling guilty?"
Fern was silent. The only sounds that we could hear were the wind rushing past out wings and the cool mist of the clouds.
Suddenly, Phoenix yelled a blood-curdling scream. She was holding her head and dropping- fast.
"Phoenix!" I angled my wings down and shot after her. I furrowed by brow and tried to get into her head.
Fight it Phoenix! You can do it! Please fight it! Think of your family and Fern... and me. We just found each other. I already lost you for 9 years and I'm not about to lose you again.
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Hope you enjoyed and it wasn't too confusing :)
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~Harmony