New chapter!!! I TOLD you all that it was worth the wait! I own nothing but the girls and Hajime, please R&R!!!

Nature's Fury

Chapter 6

Smoke and ashes assailed Sage's body as he lay on the forest floor. The heat of the fire around him, oppressing his body as he struggled to stay conscious. He rolled to his side to shake off the blackness coming into his vision but was hit, hard, with a wall of flames and fire. He cried out as he rolled away from the flames, choking on the smoke in the air. He was exhausted, and he settled on his back, giving up, allowing the blackness at the corners of his eyes to creep across his vision. He turned his head to the side as the blackness closed in, thinking of his friends and family, his whole life.

Suddenly, a tiny spark of brilliant, white light shone in his vision, a single white spark alight in the darkness overtaking his eyes. It slowly grew in size until it's radiance chased away the darkness and Sage opened his eyes to light, white and glowing. He squinted through the light, musings of death and heaven flashing through his mind, but no. He wasn't dead, he could still hear the flames crackling close to his body, smell the smoke and ashes, but that light, it was so bright, and growing brighter. He nearly shut his eyes completely at the intensity of it, but just as the brightness reached a nearly unbearable level, Sage realized he could make out the shape of something coming towards him. He opened his eyes wider, for now the bright, white light had faded slightly, but still shone, lighting the burning forest with a light not created by fire, but by the shape coming towards him.

Sage gasped as the shape came closer and his vision cleared, staring in awe. A brilliant, white horse stood before him, so white it nearly made his eyes hurt to look at it. It walked closer, tossing it's pure white mane and brought it's fantastic white head down to his level. Then Sage saw it. A long, silvery white horn protruding from the forehead of the beast, long and sharp and thick at the base, slowly spiraling up to a point.

His head swam; surly this could not be. A unicorn? Unicorns were just myths, and myths of the western world, no less. His mind flew from explanation to explanation as he tried to comprehend what was going on. Suddenly, the unicorn knelt and lay down next to him, tossing it's head. Sage stared; what was it doing? What did it want? Suddenly, a soft, sweet voice rang clearly through his head.

Ride.

What? Surely he was hallucinating. First he sees a unicorn, and now he's hearing a voice, telling him to ride? His mind tried to comprehend the ridiculous scenario being played out before his eyes.

But the voice rang through his head again, it's tone kind, but commanding.

Ride.

Sage stared at the beast lying beside him, and then glanced around himself. The white light that had illuminated the forest still shone, but Sage could clearly see the burning forest slowly closing in on him. He pushed his questions and fears aside and hesitantly half rolled, half dragged himself onto the back of the unicorn. His exhausted and hurting body couldn't find the strength to sit up, but he lay on the beasts back, his face buried in it's white mane. He gripped the unicorn tightly as he felt it rise from the ground and gasped as it broke into a run. He could barely keep himself from falling from it's back as the creature galloped through the burning forest.

Sage felt the heat and intensity of the fire, but didn't feel the flames licking at his body as he clung tightly to the unicorns back. His perplexed mind gave up trying to understand how he was not being burned alive as the unicorn ran with him through the fire. As he felt the flames falling away, and the smoke clear slightly, Sage slowly lost consciousness, gripping the unicorn tightly, his last thoughts were of Rowen and Cye, who he knew had been deeper in the burning forest.

Rowen was lost in darkness. His unconscious state held him in a firm grip, oppressing him, tormenting him, giving him no chance to redeem his state of mind. He swam in a sea of darkness, buffeted by a loss of feeling, of emotion.

But suddenly, he heard a noise. A deep thumping, strong and powerful. He looked around his dark prison for the source of the sound, he could barely remember what it felt like to hear anything, but he knew what sound was, and his dark eyes searched vainly for it. The sound grew louder, filling his dark prison, thundering loudly, engulfing him in it's intensity.

Then, when the thumping, pounding, sound grew in a climax of power, Rowen felt it. It coursed through him, and he became one with it. It ran through his veins, down and up and through every part of his body. He struggled to understand this thundering, pounding, which had taken over him. He stared around himself. His prison of darkness seemed to grow lighter, still dark, but somehow, it felt different. He felt his body, he heard that thundering, and his emotions returned. He regained his thought and with his thought came his fear. He feared the darkness around him, and struggled to escape it's grasp.

For what felt like the first time, Rowen moved his physical body, weakly trying to escape the darkness crowding his vision. Suddenly, another sound ran through his mind. Not the constant thumping, thundering sound that seemed to become part of his subconscious, but a voice.

Be still. Do not be afraid. You are safe with me.

He froze, wracking his brain for an explanation. Suddenly, he truly became aware of his physical body, and what he found there caused both fear and confusion. He realized that he was curled up with his legs under him on the ground, but what scared him even more than that was that he could feel another person, another being, very close to his body. He paused, then strained his mind to discover more. He was snuggled up against someone, their arms wrapped around him tightly. Suddenly, Rowen realized what the thundering, thumping sound was. It was a heartbeat. The heartbeat of the other person was what had called him from his unconscious state, he had heard the heartbeat of the person whose chest his head lay upon.

Fear coursed through him for an instant, fear of his ignorance at the situation. But comfort as well. It had been a long time since anyone had held him in their arms, and Rowen took comfort from the arms encircling him and the steady thumping of his heart paced with theirs. But why was it so dark? Why couldn't he see? It was then that he remembered the fire. He started, straining his ears for the sounds of the fire which had nearly claimed his life. He found them, they were muffled, but strong, the sound of crackling brush and the roar of the flames surrounded him, and fear took the place of the comfort he had found once again. He struggled once more in the arms of the mysterious person who held him, but once again, the soft voice he had heard rang through his mind.

Don't be afraid. You are safe. Be calm.

Rowen started, then paused. The arms surrounding him tightened momentarily, then loosened, but did not depart. Rowen warily stretched his senses to the limit in an attempt to discover the situation. He could hear the fire around him, and the heartbeat of the person holding him; didn't they know about the fire? Were they just as blind as he? He slowly moved his hands around the arms of the person holding him. The arms didn't move as he ran his hands over them. They were strong, muscular, but soft, and Rowen moved his hands away again and outwards. Feathers. A wall of feathers, to his right. Bewildered, he stretched out his hands out the other way, and felt more feathers. He placed a hand against them and they felt warm and soft; he pushed against them slightly, but they did not give. He ran his hands up and down the wall of feathers and gasped in surprise when he realized that he and the other person with him were encased in a wall of feathers. He became confused, then realized something which he hadn't noticed before. He could breath freely. Before, smoke and ashes from the fire had caused him to suffocate and lose consciousness, but now, he breathed fresh air clean and clear of smoke and ashes. He breathed deeply, freeing his lungs of the last traced of the smoke he had inhaled.

Rowen could hear the fire nearby, confusion wracked his weary mind as he tried to comprehend the mysterious person holding him, the wall of feathers encasing them, and his safety from the fire and the smoke. He wondered for a while, but slowly, the thumping heartbeat of his companion lulled him to sleep, dreaming of his friends and their fates.

"Ryo, dude, you want a coke?" Kento called from the back of the RV.

He watched as Ryo shook his head and continued watching the TV screen. Kento smiled. He had seen this movie before, but Ryo hadn't. He was totally engrossed in it. Kento grabbed a coke from the cooler and gulped some down, strolling over to the window as he drank. He lowered the can and stared out the window in shock. He could see great clouds of smoke billowing out of the forest off towards the right of the RV, the wind causing the smoke to drift away. He knew immediately that he and Ryo were in no danger of the brush fire due to the winds direction, but hadn't Rowen, Cye and Sage gone out for a walk in that direction?

"RYO!!!!"

Cye coughed violently, spitting out water and choking. He squeezed his burning eyes shut, slowly becoming aware of his body. He could hear the river nearby, raging and running violently. He lay on something hard, and his whole body ached. He tried to move, but pain shot through his left leg like a razor and he gasped as he lay still once more.

"Stay still. You are injured." A soft, sweet voice rang through the air, difficult to distinguish from the sounds of the raging river nearby.

Cye opened his eyes with a start, squinting for a moment at the bright sun light from the sky. He stared about himself. He lay on a large rock near the shore by the river, the forest surrounding him. He could see the smoke billowing from the forest off to the left, a fair distance away. He turned to the right, and gasped.

A young woman sat on the rock cross-legged beside him, smiling down at him sweetly. She had bright blue eyes, completely blue, no white, no black. Where the whites of her eyes would have been was a pale blue, which grew darker towards the middle as it neared her dark blue irises. Her hair was long and pale blue, dancing around her face as if it blown by the wind even though not even a slight breeze rippled the air. She wore simple dark blue pants, no shoes, and a blue tank top. Her shoulders and arms were covered in dark blue tattoos which swirled and curved around her like waves.

"W-who are you?" Cye rasped, shrugging away from her slightly.

The woman smiled, showing him a row of brilliant white teeth. "My name is Crystal, Cye." She said.

Cye started. "How do you know my name?" He asked warily. He had just noticed a very large trident laying on the stone behind her, similar to his own, but older looking.

"Well, I've been watching you for some time now. Please, don't be frightened, I'm not here to hurt you." She added at his surprised look.

He looked at her incredulously, shrugging his shoulders after a moment. If she wanted to hurt him, she would have already. He thought to himself as he stared at his surroundings.

"H-how did I get here? Last thing I remember, I was falling from a cliff into the river." He slurred, feeling a bit dizzy.

Crystal smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. "I rescued you from the river."

Cye stared. "How? The river is strong, how could you rescue me?" He asked, amazed.

Crystal grinned mischievously. "I have my ways."

Cye opened his mouth to respond, but he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, my gosh!" He cried, sitting up quickly. "The guys!"

He leapt to his feet without thinking, crying out in pain as his injured leg buckled under his weight and he fell with a crash. Crystal was by his side in an instant, comforting him, but Cye shied away from her hands in wariness. She stared at him, looking hurt, but soon her smile returned and she spoke softly.

"Please, rest. Your hurt, and if you try to move too much, you'll injure yourself worse." She cooed, slowly resting a delicate hand on his shoulder.

Cye opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again as he glanced at his leg. A long gash decorated his calf from ankle to knee, deep and freely bleeding.

"But...my friends...the fire. I have to go to them." Cye stuttered and made to stand again.

Crystal's eyes became firm and she pushed him back into place with her hand. "No." She stated firmly. "Your injured. Besides," Her expression became soft. "Your friends are fine. They are safe. Don't worry about them."

Cye stared at her in surprise. "What do you mean they're safe? How do you know?"

Crystal smiled. "My friends are with them. Don't worry, no harm shall come to them."

Cye continued to stare, but let the subject drop. For some unexplainable reason, he trusted this mysterious and strange woman. He felt safe by her side and believed her when she told him his friends were safe. Cye shook his head, amazed at the situation. He watched as Crystal tore strips from her own shirt and gently bandaged his leg, effectively stopping the bleeding. She smiled at him and gently pushed him down, laying his head in her lap and running her fingers though his hair. Cye felt a little confused at the situation, but not anxious or embarrassed.

Suddenly, Crystal began to sing. Her voice sounded sweet and clear; it flowed softly over the air. Cye sighed in contentment as the song went on, the music sounding similar to the sounds of water flowing gently over rocks in a stream. His eye lids grew heavy and he yawned, feeling at peace and happy. As he slowly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, he pondered for a moment about his friends, but the sweet song and the woman caressing him soon pushed his doubts away to a far corner of his mind and he fell asleep.

Ryo and Kento flew out the door of the RV and stared in awe at the smoke billowing from the forest. They were about to armor up and run into the forest after their friends when they heard a sound, not created by the fire, coming from the other side of the RV. They looked at each other, then ran hastily to the back of the RV, staring at what they found there.

Sage, clothes and face black from soot and ashes, lay on the ground near the forest. His head and shoulders were cradled in the arms of the white woman, Rachel, who had visited their home so many days before. She gently rocked him back and forth, murmuring something as she held him.

"What are you doing!?" Ryo shouted.

Rachel looked up, surprised, and stared at him as though he was stupid. But she didn't answer, just continued rocking back and forth and murmuring.

Kento stared at Sage; he looked horrible. "What happened?" He was scared because Sage didn't move. "What did you do to him?"

Rachel paused, looking at him hard. "He is fine, just sleeping. He needs rest after his ordeal; please try to be quieter, we shouldn't wake him just yet." She went back to her rocking and murmuring.

Kento looked at Ryo who appeared ready to explode. "What ordeal?!" He shouted.

Rachel hissed, looking at him sharply. "Speak softly!" She hissed. "He was trapped in the fire, but I brought him out; now please! He must rest!"

Kento shook his head. "Wait. He was trapping in the fire?" Kento recapped, gesturing to the billowing smoke emerging from the forest.

Rachel nodded.

"And you brought him out?"

She nodded again.

"How?"

Rachel hesitated. "I...I cannot tell you. Not just yet." She hastened to add at the furious looks Ryo and Kento shot her. "I will tell everything, but not now. Sage should hear it too, and right now he needs rest. Later."

"Ohhhh, no, lady. Last time, you ran off, remember?" Ryo took a step towards her. "Not this time. You tell us what's going on right now."

Rachel sighed. "You won't believe me."

"Try us."

Rachel sighed again. "I am a unicorn. Made of pure light, I cannot be touched by anything destructive. I carried Sage, on my back, through the flames of the fire and back here to safety. He must have lost consciousness on the way here." She said.

Ryo and Kento stared at her, their mouths hanging open.

"I don't believe you." Kento said.

Rachel rolled her eyes.

"C-can you prove it?" Ryo said, his eyes wide.

Rachel sighed. "I could turn back into a unicorn, but I won't. Not until Sage is awake and well again." She went back to rocking and murmuring.

Kento looked at Ryo, who looked at Kento. They both started walking towards Rachel and Sage.

"Lady, your crazy. Now get away from him." Ryo said, coming closer.

Rachel looked up in alarm at the two men advancing on her and hugged Sage closer.

"Do not touch her." A firm, hard voice ran through the campsite.

Ryo and Kento whipped around.

There stood Jade, staring grimly at Kento and Ryo whose mouths had once again dropped to the forest floor, and another woman. The other woman appeared to have been the one who spoke, and she stepped forward calmly. She wore dark green pants and no shoes, and a red tank top. Her skin was a bright red color, not as if she were sun burnt but rather as if she had been dipped in fire and taken on the color of the flames. Her fingernails were black like Electra's and two black fangs protruded from her lip, curving down towards her chin. Her eyes contained fire, literally, the irises burning with tiny flames. Her shoulder length bright red hair was a shade never before seen by human eyes, and it danced about her face as though alive. It looked like fire, but still hung about her face like hair.

Ryo and Kento stared. This day just kept getting weirder and weirder.

"W-who are you?" Kento squeaked.

"I'm Rikka." The girl of fire said. "You already know Jade."

Kento nodded dumbly. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance." He said sarcastically. Ryo glanced at him. He looked ready to faint.

Rikka, apparently not noticing his sarcasm, nodded her head and walked towards the boys. They backed away slightly, but then held their ground, determined to face these two woman, or whatever they were.

"So you want proof that Rachel is a unicorn?" Rikka spat.

Ryo and Kento nodded, and Rikka smiled sadistically.

"She will not become a unicorn for you, only for Sage. But...it is true that she is a unicorn. In fact, Jade here," Emily turned slightly and gestured to Jade who stood off to the side, stiffly. "is what you humans call a 'mythical creature' as well. As am I," She added. "She is a centaur."

Ryo and Kento stared, lost for all words.

Emily continued, oblivious to their distress. "Also, our friend Crystal, and Electra, who you've met, are 'mythical creatures' as well. But it is not my place to tell you more about them. Jade?" Rikka turned to the other girl, backing away, slightly.

Ryo and Kento watched as Jade approached, feeling very much like they were in school.

Jade smiled sweetly at Kento and Ryo before beginning. "Yes, I am a centaur. As Rachel is a unicorn and our other friends are," Jade glanced at Rikka. "what they are. But, this I know is hard for you humans to believe. All your life you've been told creatures like us were fairy tales, made up stories. Well, that's a load of crap." Jade stated bluntly. "We are very real, although we are each the last of our kind. I will not tell you more until the others are here, but I understand that you want proof?"

Kento and Ryo nodded dumbly, all coherent thought fleeing their confused and perturbed minds.

Jade grinned and backed away slightly, standing alone, off to one side. Suddenly, the campsite was filled with a rich brown light, and the boys held their hands to their faces for the intensity of it. The light faded and they withdrew their hands, gasping in awe.

Before them stood Jade, but only from the waist up. She spread out her arms and smiled as the boys stared at the rest of her. From the waist down, she was a horse, a deep dark red horse with black hoofs. She shuffled her hoofs and flicked her black tail around, then pranced around in a circle, laughing at their shocked faces.

But Ryo and Kento didn't notice her laugh. They turned to each other as their eyes rolled back into their heads and they fell backwards simultaneously to the forest floor in a dead faint.

Jade stopped laughing and stared at the unconscious figures on the ground, then looked up at Rachel and Rikka who looked at her, grinning.

Jade smiled. "I hate it when humans do that."