Chapter 7: Decisions

It took them awhile, but eventually everyone fell asleep, it had been a long hard day and everyone was exhausted. Soon night turned into day and when the morning came, they were in for a big surprise. For Clara's body had been stolen by none other than Chaos himself. Everyone took the news hard, but Rowen took it especially hard. For days he refused to eat as the others tried to console him but nothing seemed to work, finally Kayla had had enough.

"Rowen I know you miss Clara but you've got to move on." Kayla said compassionately as she sat down beside him and put her arm around his shoulders.

"I can't there's nothing left for me now…only death can ease my pain." He said in a hollow broken voice.

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT!!" Kayla screamed as she slapped him hard across the face. "Not when you have so much to live for. Instead you just sit here wasting away and I know that's not what Clara wants for you now."

"Your friend speaks the truth Strata, that is not what Clara wants for you." Immediately, Rowen turned around to see Anubis standing there patiently with his arms crossed over each other.

"Anubis I'm so happy to see you we've all missed you." Rowen said as he hugged his old friend, "But why are you here?"

"To help you of course." Anubis said as he looked into Rowen's eyes. "I know how much you miss her, Rowen, but simply giving up will not bring her back. Do you truly want to bring her back?"

"I would give my life to bring her back." Rowen said firmly as he clenched his fist. "But she is gone forever…nothing I can do would bring her back."

"That is where you are wrong," Anubis said as the others came closer. "there is a way to bring her soul back to this realm but the journey is very dangerous with many hidden perils, no one has ever succeeded in this task before."

"We're not afraid of the danger Anubis." Sage said as he stepped forward and stood beside Rowen.

"Clara's our friend," Cye said as he took a step forward and joined Sage and Rowen, "and my sister. I would do anything to get her back."

"She was like a sister to me," Kento said as he stepped forward to join his friends. "and that's close enough. I'm in."

"I didn't really know Clara that well but I know how much she meant to Rowen and I would do anything for a friend." Ryo said as he joined the group.

Then Rowen put his hand out and Cye, Sage, Kento, and Ryo did the same. They were all surprised when another hand reached forward and came to rest on top of their hands. Slowly they looked up to see Kayla standing with them.

"Clara's my friend too and I'm gonna help save her." Kayla said firmly as her gaze met with her new friends. "Anyone who says otherwise has to face this." Here she balled up her other hand into a fist and shook it threateningly.

Ryo took a deep breath as his gaze locked with Sage, Cye, and Kento then smiled at her. "All right you're in."