A/N: I'm not dead.

Really sorry about not updating for literally months but I have more free time now so more updates coming! I felt really bad about not updating but truthfully, I was spending time with friends before they all leave for University and I also was in a really bad writer's block. But recently, I went to an exhibit by a famous artist and I suddenly got an idea for this fic. Now that, I have a general idea for this, I'll be updating regularly again... Anyway, this chapter is kind of different from what the other chapters were like. I think the concept is changing a bit which I'm not really sure if I like... I'll bring it back to "reality" or as real as the series can get haha.

Hope you enjoy this chapter and REVIEW PLEASE! Also send me any plot suggestions or anything that you want to happen in future chapters and I'll try to make it happen ;)

~Harmony

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Chapter 29: Constructed by Liars

Neona P.O.V

Mai! What did you do? If you kill Phoenix….

'You know just as well as I do that anything she does from this point is all on her. She has to choose to fight it.'

I'm not sure she'll even go down that path.

'…'

Mai? Are you there?

'…'

Are you okay?

I glanced at Phoenix. She was on the floor breathing hard and her eyes were entranced in a strange gaze. I walked over to here. I thought of Nix and her powers and what she had done with them. I took the Ruby that Fern gave my in my palm and held it up to the moonlight.

"I think I can help her." All eyes turned to me. Max stood stone-faced hiding her fears under her poker face. She knelt down to Phoenix and nodded.

I took a deep breath. "Okay."

I rolled the stone in my hand around feeling its energy. "Fern I need your help since this was your sister's before."

Fern nodded. She knew what to do. I assume her sister and told her more information than she revealed to others. I placed the stone on Phoenix's chest. I held hands with Fern as we closed our eyes and felt the power radiating off of the stone.

Images of Ember, Fern's sister, played through out minds. From the moment she saw her little sister, to protecting her, to controlling her powers. The stone's power was nearing the climax but suddenly, it felt strange.

-Flashback Ember P.O.V-

I looked around the area. Dead, still, silent. I glanced at Fern and remembered that I vowed to always protect her. They weren't going to kill me and Fern was never going to grow up at the school. I promise.

"Ember?" Fern's tiny body shifted to face me while holding on to the branch.

"Yeah?"

"Do you hear that?"

I shot my head up and peered into the woods. The leaves ahead rustled and I narrowed my eyes. Fern unraveled the vines holding us in place and she stood behind me. I started to heat up my body in case they were here. I would roast them. 3 months without them and now they show up? Why?

Before I knew it, there was a pair of red eyes in my face. I immediately punched the eraser, making him fall 20 feet to the ground. I grabbed Fern and was ready to jump off when I heard a loud bang. A gun?! They never used guns. Erasers were their weapons… they must really be after us if they lost faith in their own creation.

I ducked as Fern cried out. I breathed out. We dodged the bullet. I felt the weight of the Ruby. I created a circle of fire around the tree and illuminated the area exposing hundreds of erasers surrounding us.

"It's time Ember." I swiveled my head. I clenched my fists. It was Jeb.

"It is NOT time. You said I had more time."

"Well unfortunately, we don't have the patience for you to dilly-dally around. I asked you to get the mission done and it's still not done."

"I said-" I eyed our escape routes.

"You say a lot of things Ember. Yet, you fail to act upon them. Why? Is taking care of your sister making you weak? Taking too much of your energy?" He spewed spit as he yelled.

"I will get it done. But you still haven't done what I asked."

"YOU work for US. You are in no positions to ask for favors." An eraser bellowed out.

"Either you get rid of your sister and kill Mai or we'll just kill your sister now."

Fern gasped behind me "You-you were going to kill me?" She looked at me with eyes of betrayal.

"No! I was going to take you somewhere safe. They said they'd keep both of us safe if I did the mission."

"What was the mission?"

I stared at Fern, at the fire reflecting from her innocent eyes. "You don't need to know."

"Enough! Now you come with us or she dies!" The erasers aimed a gun directly at Fern.

I furrowed my brow and thrust another line of fire directly at Jeb…. But I wasn't fast enough.

"SHOOT!"

I gasped as Jeb dodged the fire. "NO!" I pushed Fern off the branch, knowing she'd catch herself. The bullet dove in to the tree. In my panic, I subconsciously dulled the fire. I didn't have the energy to keep it up.

The erasers snapped their jaws at Fern as they ran towards her.

"OKAY! I'll do the mission!" Jeb put a hand up and the erasers stopped instantly. "But Fern stays safe."

Just like that, Jeb agreed. "Alright. Come with us." Erasers grabbed my arms and I heard Fern yelling for me.

She was yelling at the top of her lungs as tears rolled down her face. "Ember! Don't leave me! PLEASE!" I glanced at her, body limp from shock lying in a pile of charred leaves.

"WAIT!" I broke free of their grasp as I ran to Fern. "Fern, I love you okay? Be safe and everything will be all right."

I glanced as Jeb allowed me to have this moment. I whispered in her ear as I hugged her. "There will be a family for you in sometime. When you meet her, you'll know. But it's your responsibility to take care of her okay? Just know that I'll always be watching over you."

"What are you talking about?"

I placed my hand on her cheek and closed my eyes. I filled her thoughts with the best memories that we had… and the worst one that she'll ever have. She fell to the ground in a deep trance.

"Someday, when it's time, you'll see this memory and come find me."

I took the Ruby from my pocket and placed it in her palm. I felt the warmth of the stone as I passed it on to her.

I whispered. "See you soon Fern, and Neona. I'm counting on it." The Ruby was in her hands now.

-End Flashback-

I opened my eyes and stared at Fern. "Fern! Are you okay?"

"She's alive, Neona! My sister is alive!"

I started to breathe heavily again. No, no, no this can't be happening. I knew what I had to do.

"We can't use the crystal to save Phoenix anymore." I sighed.

Fern looked worried. "No! There has to be another way! Maybe it can still work?"

I shook my head. "No, we can't risk using it if there is a possibility that your sister is alive."

"She is alive! You saw!" Fern's eyes were filled with hope. "So basically, you're saying that we have to choose between Ember and Phoenix."

"Essentially." I clasped my crystal. "But I won't let you do that. There's another way."

I took off my crystal. Although my stone was almost black, there was a hint of blue that shined from the moonlight. I took a deep breath.

I'm sorry Mai. I'm really sorry… but I have no choice.

I placed the crystal on her chest and a tried to grasp what was left of Phoenix.

Come on, Phoenix! You can fight the darkness! Please do it for me!

'Neona?'

I gasped. Phoenix! I knew you were still there! Come on fight it!

'I don't want to fight it. I feel at peace here.'

That peace only leads to chaos! Come on! Think of your family…

'Family? Max… Fang…'

Yes, them! I can feel it Phoenix, please resist the darkness, I'm begging you. I'm giving you one last chance.

'Family… everyone underestimates me. Everyone tells me to control myself but here, I don't need to control myself. I can do whatever I want.'

I sighed. I had to do it. Phoenix was not herself anymore. I'm really sorry.

I felt the intense heat and power of Phoenix's aura. It was so strong I could almost see it. Blackness swirling around with only a hint of red. I reached out to the darkness, coaxing it in. The red became brighter and bigger until only a hint of darkness remained. Meanwhile, I could feel it filling up inside myself. The power that Phoenix felt, the power corrupting her, was now in me.

I opened my eyes as I watched the stone turn from the grayish-black with slight blue to an intense midnight black.

"Phoenix is alright." I gasped in exhaustion. "She fought the darkness off. It's gone."

Angel looked at me in worry. "Are you sure?" She handed to stone back to me. "You seem… different."

"I'm just tired now. Don't worry." I smiled a little. "We did it… Phoenix is going to be okay."

Phoenix will be okay. But I don't know if I'll be okay. I fought it off before, I can keep it at bay. I'll be fine. I repeated that to myself over and over again. I'll be fine.

I glanced at Fern who was still on cloud 9 after finding out her sister might still be alive.

"Neona, do you think my sister will be at the same place Mai is at? At Omega?"

"Probably" I tried to give a hopeful smile.

"Do you promise that we'll save her?" Fern clutched the red stone as if her life depended on it.

"Sure." I looked off into the distance as I lied through my teeth.

After all, we live in a world that is built on promises constructed by liars.

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REVIEW :)

~Harmony