Chapter 11
Typhoon
"So Yami, you have found the third stone?" Fatima asked, smiling at him.
Yami grinned and nodded. Reaching into is pocket; he pulled out the ruby and handed it to Fatima. "Glorious," Fatima said as the ruby disappeared, " Hakan's stone is safe."
She looked at the group before her. They were so much like the originals. Joey was funny and kind, but strong like Nitesh. Mai was strong-willed and nice with snips of attitude here and there, much like Veata. Yami was tough and already was skilled in magic. He understood what his firepower could do! He was a leader and would make a good king someday. Exactly like Hakan. The other's…
Well, she still hadn't decided yet. They needed their powers so she could truly understand who they were. Fatima could open the doors of the element minds and see who they truly were. Until the others found their stones, their minds were behind locked doors.
"Friends, you have a challenge ahead. To find the next stone, you must use this...erm...raft…and make it to this part of the ocean not to far from shore. Good luck," Fatima said, and waved.
"Well," Mai said, when Fatima had gone, "Let's get that stone."
The six were on a beach. The beach stretched to the left and right of them for about six or seven miles give or take. Behind them stood a forest of palm trees. In front was the light blue sea.
Anzu sighed. She loved the water. She loved taking baths and being outside when it was raining. It was almost a punishment to be inside when it was. Though she loved the water, she had never once been to the beach, much less see the ocean.
The sand was pearly white grain that made her boots sink in every time she took a step. She also had seen plenty of shells in the sand. The last time she had seen shells was at the marketplace in Arilea.
She breathed in. The salt in the air made her sneeze. Anzu smiled; she liked that smell.
Anzu heard splashing and she opened her eyes (which had been closed) and watched as Serenity, who was barefoot, running into the ocean. She had pulled her dress up so it wouldn't touch the water. She screamed in laughter as she ran back out. "It's so cold!" Serenity shrieked and ran back in, giggling almost insanely.
Anzu heard Joey chuckle and followed his sister in. Serenity began to splash him. She watched as Mai joined them, splashing Joey right in the face. Seto followed and stood and watched. He even splashed Joey. Yami was about to follow, when he noticed Anzu hadn't come yet. "C'mon Anzu! I haven't seen the ocean in years! Come in with us!"
Anzu watched as her walked over pulled her up and told her to take off her boots, "Royal Order," he had said.
Laughing, she took of her boots and followed him in. When she reached the water, she shrieked and jumped back. It was FREEZING! Taking a deep breath she walked ankle deep and stopped.
This was so nice. Anzu was getting used to it now. She smiled contentedly and watched as Joey managed to get Seto's hair wet. Seto threw a shell at his head. Anzu laughed along with the others.
Seto couldn't remember the last time he had seen the ocean. It was nice to get away from the land, even if it was on this stupid raft. If you could even call it that.
The so-called 'raft' consisted of 12 logs tied together with some rope. Yes, Seto thought, highly safe. In the center was the mast with a few pieces of cloth to capture the wind with. He was sitting with his back on the mast facing west, watching the golden sunset. The sky was pink behind the sun. It faded into a dark violet. The clouds were large and fluffy looking like a sweet he had seen at the market when he was little.
Seto was watching the waves as well. The waves were pink from the light. He breathed in and sighed, he liked this smell, it was rejuvenating after three days of nonstop searching. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Seto jumped slightly. Turning he saw Serenity sitting next to him on her knees. Her chocolate eyes were on the ocean, watching it. He grunted in reply.
She only giggled and shook her head slightly. She gave him a sidelong look before shaking her head again and averted her eyes towards the ocean.
Seto looked at her in the corner of his eye. He saw her auburn locks waving gently in the ocean breeze, bangs falling slightly in her face. Her hands were clasped in her lap. She looked completely relaxed.
Just looking at her made him feel like he was as well; relaxed, just watching and being peaceful, he felt together and whole. He shook his head and his usual frown deepened. He didn't have feelings! He was too strong for that kind of thing! "Hey Serenity! Do you want some dinner?"
Seto held back a sigh of contempt. The mutt. Serenity sighed audibly and replied saying," Coming Joey."
She turned to Seto and smiled and said, "C'mon, dinnertime."
He could only nod and she left to go sit next to her brother who was stuffing whatever they were eating down his throat. He turned back to the sunset and watched it sink even further. The ocean was a deep violet. Seto frowned deepened again. He felt different. He felt…
Empty.
That night Joey was restless.
He had so many things on his mind. First was this whole element thing. According to Fatima he was the reincarnation of the earth sprit, Nitesh. He felt a deep rumble in his chest like a purr from a giant cat.
Joey knew the tiger he had seen in the jungle was his sprity thing. Was it also the soul of… Nitesh? He felt the purring again and guessed it was a yes.
He thought harder. His friends. Joey was extremely worried about them. His new friends Yami and Anzu and…okay Seto where becoming very important to him (Seto was only a little). He was also worried about Serenity and Mai. What would he do if either of them got hurt in a battle? Joey had only been able to use his magic when he received it and when one of the others wasn't getting theirs. How could he save them?
Joey also worried about would be next. Anzu, Seto and Serenity still hadn't received their magic or found their stones yet. What if Serenity got hers next? He wouldn't be able to help her!
Too many thoughts at once, he thought and groaned and rolled over to the right. There was a sharp intake of breath.
Joey had accidentally hit Mai. She grunted and before Joey could move had nudged in closer to Joey so her head was on his chest. Joey didn't move.
He waited a few moments and sighed. She wasn't going to move anytime soon. He relaxed and closed his eyes.
They flew open.
He sat up, gently holding Mai and gasped.
He shook Mai. "MAI! WAKE UP!" He turned to the other's sleeping around him. "Guys! We need to wake up!"
Anzu groggily got up from her spot near Yami. Serenity yawned and asked, "Joey, what's up?"
"That's what's up!" he shouted over the increasing wind.
"Shoot," Mai, who had woken up, and Seto chorused.
Three columns of water were approaching them. They were huge! Each of them was touching the black clouds above. They were thin little cyclones and they were coming at them fast. "We need to get out of her," Yami shouted.
Mai nodded and threw hr arms forward. They were thrust forward a few feet and then stopped. Mai shook her hands and stomped her foot angrily. She tried again. Zilch.
"My magic is gone!"
"That mean's ours are probably gone as well," Yami said. Joey nodded.
"Than what in the name of Sekina are we going to do!" Serenity cried fearfully.
Anzu screamed. The first cyclone was in front of them. Anzu watched as Mai started lifting in the air. Mai's scream's tore through the air. She was lost in the cyclone
Joey was next. The first one left with the two of them heading east. The second one swept Seto and Serenity. The third nabbed Yami. "NO! YAMI!" Anzu cried.
"Anzu," was the weak call she heard.
Anzu fell down on the raft and watched it head east. Head east with Yami.
Yami…
Serenity screamed. She was going so fast! Around and around and around and around and just thinking about it made her want to throw up her dinner. She had her eyes closed, she was too afraid to open them.
Wait. Was Seto with her?
"Seto?" she croaked out. Her voice was sore from crying out. "SETO!"
"What?" came the strangled reply.
"SETO!"
Serenity opened here eyes and some him swirling across from her. She squealed in delight. Someone was with her! And it was Seto! He would help her. "I'm coming over to you," she shouted over the wind.
She noticed that her clothes were soaked because this was a water cyclone. Rain was pelting her skin like small stones. It seemed to come down harder as she 'swam' towards him. "Almost there," she whispered, "Please Seto, grab my hand."
Seto growled and pulled her in and held her by the shoulder so she wouldn't blow away.
Now I'm safe, Serenity thought, smiling.
Anzu wept and wept. The tears just kept on falling.
Her friends. Yami. YAMI.
She needed them. They were her life now. After all the things they've been through she knew, she just knew, that they would be friends for life, even Seto.
Maybe even more than friends.
I can't think of that now, Anzu thought, because I…I might never ever see him again. This thought made her tears fall harder. She looked up.
After the waterspouts had left, the sea had become utterly silent. No sound, no waves. Except…Anzu had just heard a splash. Turning to the east, she saw the most beautiful she could possibly ever see.
The sun had started coming out a few minutes ago, she had really noticed. The waves were moving now. And the sea was a golden color. The stars were blinking out, one by one. The most beautiful creature Anzu had ever seen had just jumped out of the water.
It had a bottlenose and a sleek gray body with a tattoo with what looked like a wave on it. It had a dorsal fin on it's back and a tail like a whale only smaller and more agile. It looked made for speed. The most magnificent thing about it though was how gentle it's crystal blue looked. The sea spray behind it looked like gold.
She hadn't noticed that she had run to the very edge of the raft to watch. Anzu kept her eyes on the dolphin (she knew what it was called since she had read about it in the Arilean libraries) as it swam closer. It stopped a few feet in front of her.
Anzu made eye contact with those amazing eyes…and watched as it jumped in the air, did a back flip…and passed right through her.
She fell to her knees. Her insides felt like a hurricane!
Her eyes turned a brilliant sapphire, a color to even rival Seto's. She focused her attention east.
Yami felt himself grow closer and closer to unconsciousness. He felt his eyelids flutter shut. He couldn't make it.
His last thought before he slowly felt himself go was, Anzu.
Her face flashed through his mind and he was gone from the real world. "YAMI!"
Anzu? Yami thoughts came back in a flash. ANZU?
"YAMI!" Anzu cried, "I'M HERE! PLEASE HOLD ON!"
"Anzu," he whispered and managed a ghost of a smile.
Anzu was outside of the spout. Her azure eyes were concentrated in the spouts in front of her. It was spinning clockwise. Anzu felt the water pelt Yami's skin, heard Mai's shouts, Joey's cries, and Seto's strangled breathing. She felt the rise and fall of Serenity's chest as she was calmly breathing. Anzu heard her thoughts.
Anzu, Serenity thought, we believe in you.
Anzu had a sudden rush of strength. Her arms turned pale blue as she began to spin counter clockwise. Her spin, much like the dancer she admired, was becoming faster by the second.
The first spout came lose. Anzu's stopped and lifted her left arm up. Joey and Mai landed on the water pillar. Anzu began to spin again. The second one came lose. Anzu lifted her right arm and then pulled it towards the other column. She began to spin again.
Yami finally broke free!
As he fell onto his watery cushion instead of floating towards the others he floated towards Anzu. She lightly touched the water. She was walking on it.
"Anzu…" Yami said.
She only smiled. He got up and hugged her violently. She blushed.
"Look," Mai said, interrupting.
They looked west. A whirlpool was forming in the water. A single rock column rose from the center. On it was a sapphire. It floated on air towards Anzu. She turned to see Mai making pulling motions. It stopped in front of her.
Anzu reached out and grasped it. The others cheered (Seto grunted) and she smiled. The fourth stone!
Black clouds formed above them. Thunder rumbled. Black lighting laced out of the sky and hit the six. They were gone.
Okay! Please review! Thanks!
-Em