"Oh my gosh! Guess what, everyone!" Ara yelled. "Kylie's a mindbreaker!"
"What?" All the girls quickly gathered around.
"It's true!" Ara shouted again, and pulled the small, brown-haired girl out from behind her. Everyone stared, waiting for a confirmation.
"It's true," Kylie said quietly, but with a proud smile on her face. "Jasper told me."
"Whoopee!" The girls clamored around, patting her back and congratulating her, looks of awe and reverence on their faces. Who would have ever thought that shy Kylie would be a strong mindbreaker? It was simply amazing!
"You know, the guys will eventually find out," warned Natalia. The girls quieted for a second, considering, then continued their shouts of praise.
"What are you so worried about?" Ara asked. "You know they have no mindbreakers. No one around here will want to challenge her. And why would she ever want to challenge someone/"
"I don't know," Natalia answered. "I've just got this really foreboding feeling…"
The girls and the boys lived in separate camps, pretty close to one another. They were classmates from school, on a class trip in Section A, the mountainous region. Despite having scheduled lessons every day from different teachers, the students had plenty of time for themselves. Most of the students were regular humans, but enough students were faction members for their class to generally understand the faction world, and its conflicts. Of course the girls were so pleased they had a mindbreaker in their midst—nobody knew when a fight would break out at any time between factions, and it was good to know they had someone who could fight everyone.
However, Natalia was still worried. Just because they had a mindbreaker didn't mean that all their problems were solved. The teachers and the rest of their class were bound to notice at some point, and maybe start problems. Besides, why did all the girls seem so happy? Certainly some who had factions would be worried or angry…Natalia herself was afraid of Kylie now. And if it was Jasper who found out she was a mindbreaker…was he mindbreaked, then? He was not someone she trusted, though he had always seemed to care for Kylie.
"I don't know," she said aloud again, and the girls stared at her.
"Ahh, don't listen to her," Ara said. "She's just worried as always."
Ara steered Natalia clear of the throng of girls, and led her back to the main hall.
"What's the matter? You're sure putting a damper in everyone's spirits," Ara remarked. "I know that having a mindbreaker could cause problems, but what can we do? If she's a mindbreaker, she's a mindbreaker, end of story."
"I know, I know. But…. Do you think there could be another mindbreaker in our class?" Natalia looked over at Ara worriedly. "I'm not sure of it, but I thought I felt something."
Ara stopped, and closed her eyes. She stood that way for about a minute, before opening her eyes and turning to Natalia.
"I don't feel anything. Are you sure? We should be able to sense them. Or maybe there's a way for a mindbreaker to shield their power, though I've never heard of it. Ah, no use worrying. "
"Okay," Natalia sighed. "But we should still keep an eye out for trouble."
"Sure. And we'll keep it quiet from E.G.O. I don't want them hurting her."
"Fine."
In her cabin room, Kylie was finally alone with her thoughts. She wasn't sure how she qualified to be a mindbreaker, but apparently she was. She felt she was too weak and shy to be a mindbreaker. She didn't have half the confidence Ara had! How could she possibly be stronger than Ara? She wouldn't believe she was a mindbreaker, except for the fact that she had mindbreaked Jasper. It was so strange…she shook her head. Her sister had been a mindbreaker, but she had been destroyed. Kylie didn't want to remember. She didn't want this pressure. She had wanted to live a normal life! Tears streaming down her face, she flung herself on her bed.
"Knock, knock," said a voice. "Are you in there, Kylie? Will you come out?"
It was not a voice she really wanted to hear. Arvin was a guy known for his partying and playing at being Romeo. She opened her door and came out anyway.
"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" he asked concernedly, seeing her tearstained face. "Did I come at a bad time? I'm sorry. I just wanted to talk to you."
"No, it's okay," Kylie said wiping off her face and smoothing her hair. She sighed. "I'm okay. What did you want?"
"Um, I was just wondering, if you knew anything about he factions and the war," Arvin stated. "You've only been here a couple years, so I just wanted to get to meet you a little better. Okay? Want to get drinks?"
Kylie considered. It was true she didn't know a whole lot about the factions and the war, especially, because she didn't want to think about things her sister was involved in. And Arvin really isn't so bad, now I really got to talk to him, she thought. He feels a little strange, though. Like he has power but it's not quite there…
"As long as it's not illegal," she joked slightly.
"Relax. I'll take care of you. Let's go."
I'm sure you will, she thought. Factions won't mess with mindbreakers, right?
As if he heard her, he smiled. It was an eerie smile.
"Hey, Kylie!" Ara called softly. "Kylie!"
Kylie turned to see Ara and Natalia hiding behind a bush, Ara gesturing fro her to come over to them.
"Um," she said.
"Kylie? Did you want to say something?" the teacher inquired.
"May I please go to the bathroom?' Kylie asked.
The teacher sighed. "Yes, go."
Kylie carefully got up, dusting off her skirt, and headed for the bathrooms. Ara and Natalia beat her there.
"What's the matter?" Kylie asked. She almost felt embarrassed to talk to them. Kylie had mindbreaked them a couple nights ago, which had been a very odd experience. She wasn't used to being so close to girls. Nobody picked on her, but it didn't mean she had close friends. She was amazed that she could mindbreak them, or how really, until she had talked to Arvin.
"We were thinking," Natalia started. "And, well…"
Ara butted in.
"We thought that maybe we should test your power some, since you just found out you're a mindbreaker. What do you think?"
"Well, okay, I guess. But, does Jasper know about this?" Kylie asked shyly.
Ara looked at her, then smacked her forehead. "I forgot you mindbreaked him.
Kylie looked down. "I mindbreaked three other girls, too."
"WHAT!" Ara shrieked.
Kylie leaped back.
"No, no, sorry, it's just that I didn't know you mindbreaked anyone else! Jeez, six people! And three more girls…that's really different. I guess I'm just jealous, huh?" Ara laughed. "Who are they?"
"Nari, Cera, and Mel."
"Hmmm. How did you manage to mindbreak the shiftiest girls in our class?" Ara asked, puzzled.
"It just sort-of happened, I guess," Kylie answered.
It happened when I ran into them with Arvin.
"Huh. Well, why don't you call them? And then we can test you out some. See, I discovered these funky glowing rocks…"
"Glowing rocks? What in the world are you talking about?" Natalia snickered.
"That's exactly my point. Those rocks aren't from this world, I think. They feel kind of like a comet that broke."
"A comet? Is that even possible?"
"Here," Ara pulled a shard out of her pocket. It was translucent blue, and it was definitely glowing. "I don't know what they are, but they sure are powerful. That's why I think you should let us find them for you. We don't want these in the wrong hands," Ara finished, glancing at Natalia.
"Okay. I'll do it," Kylie assented, nodding.
"Then call them so we can have fun!"
Kylie sighed. She had sent Jasper, Natalia, and Cera together to search the nearby woods, where she had felt a shard. Nari, Mel, and Ara were working together near the buildings. She felt worried. She never trusted Cera, Mel or Nari that much, and it made her feel uneasy. There was something else, too, that kept bugging her. She felt a very faint power somewhere nearby, that dull power again….
"What? Gone again!" Ara growled angrily. Every time they felt a shard, by the time they got to the place it was gone.
"I don't understand it!" Ara snapped. "I know I'm not wrong. I know she's not wrong. Why, then, aren't we finding anything?"
The other two looked at her mutely, shaking their heads. Ara looked at them suspiciously. They were acting so dull. Where was their usual backbiting nonsense? She decided to let it slide.
"Come on."
They kept searching.
While searching in the woods, Natalia's group ran into a group of guys. They made a few comments about Jasper's having two girls with him, but only in a halfhearted way. They seemed on edge, tense underneath their jocularity, waiting for something. In contrast, Arvin seemed more confident than usual.
"Well, well, looks like Jasper's on girl patrol today, eh?" cracked Arvin. "And with one of my girls, too."
"We were just going for a walk," Jasper defended.
"I see," Arvin said. He turned his attention to Natalia. "Hey, babe, I'm having a party tonight out here. You're welcome to come if you want. Plenty of fun to be had." He winked at her, glared at Cera and Jasper, then turned and left.
"What a jerk," Jasper remarked.
"I don't like this. Since when does he ever like me?" Natalia said, walking on. Jasper glanced at her. "I'm getting this feeling…"
"Ah."
Simultaneously, they looked at Cera. She was very pale. Her eyes widened, as she tried to look innocent. "What?" she glared.
"Is there something you want to tell us about?" Jasper asked dangerously.
But even as he spoke, a shocked look came over Cera's face, and she grabbed onto a tree for support. "Go! Go! Leave me alone. Tell Kylie she needs to—˝
She broke off, screaming, as she threw herself into the tree.
"Cera!" Natalia shrieked, and ran to her. She was unconscious, but fine. "What could have possessed her to throw—oh, no."
Jasper had already started to race back to the cabin where Kylie was sitting. He had just realized why Kylie had mindbreaked three girls so easily, girls who were not fond of her, girls that were already mindbreaked by someone else!
Natalia was searching for Ara, who had already started to run back to Kylie. Once Nari had decided aloud that they wouldn't need to search for the shards anymore, Ara had knocked her out, then trapped Mel before she could fight back. Even so, pressed to her limit, she would not answer Ara's questions, finally shouting, "I will not answer to that master!" then gasping and covering her mouth.
Why did she say that, Ara wondered. Everyone should answer to their masters…wait. She said, "that master?" Ara had broken the bonds, and ran into Natalia, slowing them both down as they sprinted back to the cabins. They still managed to catch up to Jasper when he flung the door open and all stumbled inside. Sitting by herself at one of the tables, Kylie looked up in mild surprise. "Who are you?" she asked dreamily. "Oh! That dull power. It's so much stronger. Where is it coming from? Where's Arvin?"
Just then, Arvin appeared, carrying two drinks and wearing a smile. As soon as he saw the three figures in the doorway, he threw the drinks down and grinned maliciously at them.
"Speak of the devil," Ara snarled. "It was you all along, you slimy lecherous prig!"
"Name-calling won't help you!" he remarked. The dull power suddenly grew to fill the room, making them wince. "She thought you'd abandoned her, poor thing, when she couldn't feel you." He ducked as Ara threw a bolt at him. "So of course she turned to me. And of course I'm going to get rid of her. Who needs two mindbreakers in one spot?" Jasper dove at him, while Natalia tried to shake Kylie out of her state. Students, feeling the power struggle, began peeking in the open window. Seeing a fellow E.G.O., Ara shouted, "Come on! We need help!" The fight grew larger and more dangerous as more students joined in.
WHAM! The door flew open once again. "That is enough!" a voice boomed, a bright flash of light filling the room.
Time froze. A tall Eraser stood in the doorway.
"I cannot possibly teach with this going on. There should not be two mindbreakers here," he said calmly. He scrutinized the room. "This has been distracting all of you for quite some time, and this needs to end here and now." He stalked over to Arvin. "You there. Stand up!" Arvin stood angrily, and intense look on his face. "Don't even think about mindbreaking me," the Eraser snapped. "You, sir, are a disgrace to our school. Drinking, parties, law breaking, and now this! It's too much. Consider yourself expelled. Now get out. I don't ever want to see you again," he finished.
Full of rage, Arvin lashed out once more—and the Eraser picked him up bodily and hurled him out the door. "Take him home," said the tall Eraser to four other Erasers waiting outside. They bowed and left, Arvin hollering in their midst.
The tall Eraser looked around once more. "Everyone out," he said, and the students meekly filed past him. All except Jasper, Ara and Natalia. Natalia was still trying to wake Kylie. The Eraser walked over to her and put his hand on her head. She glowed, and seemed to come back to herself.
"What's going on?" she asked. "Did you find all the shards?"
The Eraser gave Ara a stern look. "Those shards were part of the necklace my master used to wear. I was sent here to gather them. You should not have tried to take them. They corrupt those who want them for their own benefit. As it affected Arvin. Do you still have any?"
"Here, sir," Ara answered, looking abashed. "I only had one. I didn't know."
"You need to be more careful. You cannot risk leading your master into danger. After all, you are the ones who are supposed to protect her."
The Eraser bowed slightly to Kylie, who returned the favor, then perambulated to the door.
"Wait. Who are you?" Kylie asked.
'I am merely a student teacher, whom no one will remember shortly," he said. He paused, then turned back to face her. "Your sister would be proud of you, for taking on the responsibility of a mindbreaker. Just be on your guard, and stay out of trouble."
Kylie blushed, and nodded.
"And you three. Take care you do not wander so easily again."
Ara, Jasper, and Natalia nodded too.
The Eraser bowed one last time, then left.
The four classmates hugged one another, glad their ordeal was over.
"All right, master," Jasper said, grinning. "How about we get something to eat? I'm a little hungry after all this excitement!"
Fin! (lol)