Chapter 6

Once the last morsel of breakfast was consumed, Natasha and I headed outside for a walk. The sky was cloudy, but no sign of rain. I then felt a pair of feet land on my left shoulder.

"Oh, its Cloud, I haven't seen you in awhile." I said surprisingly.

"Cloud has been very shy around you, you are new to him you know." Natasha said.

"So Cloud, how've ya been doing?" I asked him.

"I'm feeling as right as rain." He said in my mind.

"Wow, you can speak telepathically?" I asked.

"That's the only way he can speak Xero." Natasha said.

"Cool, so do all Djinni speak telepathically?" I asked him.

"Yes we all do, in fact my friend Clay is very eager to meet you Xero."

"Clay? Is that a Venus Djinni?" I asked Cloud.

"He sure is, but he wants to meet us at the Mercury Lighthouse."

"Can we go Natasha?"

"Sure."

So we quickly made our way to the Lighthouse. Once we made it there, there were only a couple of people drinking from the fountain. I guess they were sick.

"So where's Clay?" I asked Cloud, who seemed to love my shoulder.

"Don't know." He said as he hopped off my shoulder and into Natasha's arms.

"He loves making people work for what they want, so he probably left something around so we can search for him." Cloud said.

So we searched high and low for him, and yet there was no sign of him. The three of us were tired after searching for Clay, and still no sign of him.

"Hey lame brain, look up!" I heard a voice in my mind say. I was shocked as anything. So I looked up, and I saw an object at the edge of the lighthouse.

"Uh, Cloud, does Clay like to hide in places where it's impossible to find them?" I asked.

"Yes, why?"

"I think I found him." I said. Both Natasha and Cloud looked at me, then I pointed upward. Once they looked up, they saw the same distant object I saw.

"That stupid Clay, he knows we're not aloud in the lighthouse." They're not allowed in the lighthouse? Oh yeah, only people with the affinity of that certain lighthouse can go inside it, and Natasha is Jupiter, not Mercury.

"So I guess we can't go in?" Natasha said.

"No we can." Cloud reassured us.

"We can how?" I asked.

"You will." Cloud said.

"Me? How will I?" I asked.

"Do remember what Warren told you about part of the prophecy?" Cloud asked.

"Uh, yeah, what about it?" I said.

"Just go up to the door and open it." Cloud said with an irritation.

So I went up to the entrance to do what he said. He must've been insane, as I looked upon the doorway. It looked like it was sealed in with brick and clay, and I'm just human, or at least I thought that a while ago. I heard another voice in my head, but this one didn't sound human, or Djinni, or anything that I know of for that matter. It was almost like it was pure, peaceful, and most importantly sane. The voice told me to put my hand on the door, and to think that the door will open.

As the voice told me, I laid my hand upon the cold door. The icy sting was really painful, but in an odd sense relaxing. I don't know why, but it soothed me. So with all my might, I asked for the door to be opened. I was saying this in my head, and to no one unparticular. Anyone who's reading this might think I'm insane, but this next part will prove I'm not.

Without warning, the door vanished into thin air.

"X-Xero, how'd you d-do that?" Natasha asked. She's was definitely scared a bit.

"I just did as what he told me." I answered.

She thought I was talking about Cloud, but it wasn't him. I decided to shrug it off. So I grabbed Natasha's hand, and we ran off inside.

Once we walked in, a huge Lizard Warrior surprised us. It looked a lot different then what it did in the game. In the game his details were a bit hazy, but I do remember what he basically looked like. It was a green muscular lizard on his hind legs, wearing a chest plate, and wielding a Hand like weapon. This one though was much different, this one was red, wearing a skin tight chain mail, and he had a lance, but the blade looks thicker and heavier than normal ones.

"Uh, Natasha, ever fight one of these before?" I asked nervously.

"No, I've never been inside the lighthouse before because I'm aligned with Jupiter, not Mercury." She said.

Wonderful. The Lizard didn't seem to want to harm us, just to protect the entrance. So the both of us went into our stances, and readied to attack it.

"Hey Cloud, what's your specialty?" I asked.

"Well, I can envelope my wielder and allies in a thick mist, why?" He asked.

"Hurry up and please do so."

"I can't only Natasha can do it."

"Natasha!" I said.

"What?" She asked.

"I need you to…" I paused for a second. If that Lizard can hear us, then my plan will be futile.

"What Xero, what do you need?" She asked.

I had to hurry up and think. Wait, if I', aligned with Jupiter, can I do Mind Read, like in the game? It's worth a shot.

(Natasha! Natasha can you here me?) I said in my mind.

(Xero, is that you? How can you talk to me through telepathically?)

(I'll tell you later. I need you to use Cloud's special ability.)

(What, the mist? Why?)

(Once the mist is thick enough, you and I run through the door while he's still looking for us)

She didn't say anything back, so I assumed she heard me. She looked toward her Djinni, she must've told it through Mind Read. Then, without hesitation, Cloud jumped in front of us, and faded away into the air. Then a chill rose up my spine. I looked behind us and saw a really thick mist approaching very slowly. And in an instant, it rushed toward us like a rampaging stampede.

(Now's our chance, we have to hurry up and run past him) I told Natasha telepathically.

There was no response, but I quickly ran toward the entrance anyway.

Once I made it past the door I saw Natasha just sitting there waiting for me.

"How long have you been there?" I asked while catching my breath.

"Since the fog covered us. By the time you told me to run, I was already here waiting for you." She said. I'll never understand women.

"I heard that." Natasha said with a chuckle. I turned beet red.

"If your gonna read my mind, at don't say anything so I can believe I have a false sense of security." I said. The both of us just burst out laughing. Cloud seemed confused though, we decided to leave him out though.

Throughout the lighthouse, we met many types of monsters. Each one unique, and difficult in its own way. Eventually, we made it to a room with a small with a waterfall and an elegant statue.

"Hey, I know this room." I said.

"You do, what it is?" Natasha asked.

"Isaac used this route to get to the top of the lighthouse. But I can't remember how."

"Well, maybe we have to get up that waterfall somehow. It has to start somewhere, and maybe it starts at the top."

"I know that, I just can't remember how we get up there."

I sat down, in Indian style so I could concentrate better. Then Natasha went up to the statue, I guess to examine it.

"This statue is so beautiful. Bless the person who took the time to carve this masterpiece." Natasha said.

"…That's it!" I quickly ran over to the statue.

"What, what did you figure out?" Natasha asked.

"We have to cast Ply on this statue. The waterfall will then reverse itself allowing us to travel upwards. Just the only problem is, you can't use Ply, and I don't know how to."

"Wait, I think I know. When Xeal and I were young and our Psynergy was still maturing, he told me how it felt to use Ply."
"Well, how'd it go?" I asked impatiently.

"He said that you had to feel calm, relaxed, because that's what Ply does, it relaxes the body and mind, allowing it to heal faster."

"You think I should give it a try?" I asked.

"It's worth a shot."

So I did it. First I closed my eyes so I can block out my surroundings and concentrate on the statue. I then placed my right hand on the statue. It was a couple of seconds, and still nothing.

"What's wrong?" Natasha asked.

"I just can't concentrate."

"Well, think of something you like that relaxes you." She suggested.

"A suggestion would be nice." I asked.

"Think of something you really like." She suggested again.

I took a couple a seconds and I finally thought of something. Again, I put my hands on the statue, and closed my eyes. A bluish aura surrounded me, and the statue brightened up with a holy light.

"You did it Xero, what did you think of?" She said with interest.

"…Uh, you sure you wanna know?" I asked.

"Yeah, this is your first Ply, I want to know what you thought of, and seeing as you won't let me mind read you." She said.

"…You." I said quietly.

"What?" She asked.

"I-I thought about you." I said louder. Natasha went bright red. She was obviously taken by this. This was amazing, we just stood there staring at each other. Maybe, just maybe I had another opportunity to kiss her. Slowly we advanced toward each other, but before we could get a chance to even close our eyes, Cloud butted in.

"C'mon you two, we have to go and meet Clay now."

So without anymore distractions, which I'm gonna kill Cloud for, we headed up for the lighthouse, where I was about to personally meet my first Earth Djinni.