(Author's note) Since I haven't been having these on my other stories I thought I'd put one in. I hope you all, or at least the ones that are reading this, are enjoying it thus far. I'm trying to make things more exciting so I hope it's working. I've been working on chapter four so it'll probably be up soon, hopefully.Well i'd best be off. Enjoy!
Chapter 3
"Why do we have to take a train?" Michelle complained, annoyed by the fact that they were cramped in a small area.
"Because this was thefastest way to get out of Japan without anyone knowing. This is the only train that takes us to where we need to go. We're basically being hunted nowadays."
"Yeah, and it's not a pretty thought." A long silence passed between them, only the sound of the train wheels keeping everything from being abnormally quiet.
"I'm taking this one, "Michelle spoke up at last. Her tone was stern, taking Amara off guard. "It's about time I proved my worth to both you and everyone else.
"What do you mean?" Amara asked after a short pause. She turned to look at Michelle who's face was contorted into a scowl. "You've never need to prove your worth to me or anyone. We all know you're a valuable asset to this team. Why would you say such things?"
"Have you already forgotten? Or do you want to forget…?"
Amara sighed, "No, I have not forgotten. You were not and still aren't number two, Michelle. Who would a father be if he labeled his daughters so?"
"It's not father that I'm talking about…" Michelle drifted off.
"Then who-" Amara began but was cut off by Tiamat.
" There's no time for chit-chat, ladies. We have a guest and she's not one to welcome you with open arms."
"She?" Amara asked and turned to Michelle who merely gave her a shrug in return.
"Bahamut doesn't know either."
"Well, then it's only proper that we have a formal introduction is it not?" Amara suggested.
Michelle gave a silent nod in return and looked elsewhere.
Amara noted her expression, "I do hope you don't have doubts, Michelle. That's not very becoming of you if you do. You've never had doubts before. I don't know why you do now."
Michelle didn't respond right away, thinking her response through carefully. "Because you've surpassed me."
"Michelle…" Bahamut said, feeling sorry for his friend and master, knowing that she's been trying to catch up to Amara for some time now,. She never had enough nerve to tell Amara straight to her face, even if she was the only one she could ever talk to. Now she had said it and he could just feel Michelle's insides twist as she spoke the words. She hated feeling inferior, but this time it was worse. It was to her own sister and friend.
§§
"I hope it's okay with you mom if we come this early," Kenny stated as he stared out the window at the scenery that was passing him by. He loved trains. Probably because of the fact that they stayed near to the ground and that way he could still enjoy the greenery outside.
"I doubt she'd mind," Max replied simply, slumping in his chair as a yawn escaped him.
"We can get some extra and better training in this way too!" Tyson announced, jumping up from his chair, but falling over the split second the train jerked beneath him.
The others let out a small chuckle from his clumsiness before settling down and each taking a small nap.
They awoke suddenly when the train jerked rapidly and the sharp sound of the wheels shrieking . "What was that!" Hillary shouted, rubbing her backside from the fall that she took when the train stopped.
They all waited a few minutes, seeing if the train would start up again, but it didn't.
"I'll go check it out," Kai stated and filtered his way through his teammates to the cabin door.
"Wait, I'll go with you." Rei caught up with Kai and they both left.
"D'you think we should follow?" Max asked and turned to the rest of them in the cabin. They all agreed and ran to catch up with Rei and Kai.
"Well, well, well isn't it the notorious BladeBreakers. I should feel honored to be standing in your presence, but alas, I am not."
The team ran up to the front of the train to see a tall, blonde-haired girl standing on the tracks. Her eyes connected with each of them, showing themselves to be a goldish color.
A smirk curled up her face. "I heard there were two others with you. Ones that I came here to see, but clearly they aren't with you. Tell me, where can I find the Wings of Chaos and the Wings of the Shadows?"
The BladeBreakers looked curiously at one another before Kai finally spoke up. "We don't know who you are talking about. Nor do we know who we're talking to."
"And it shall remain that way," she responded harshly. "Don't lie to me. I know you know of them. I saw you with them, just as I saw them on this train."
The BladeBreakers looked to one another again and shrugged.
"So, this is what the ruckus is all about? A girl blocking the tracks? Tell me, why was the train so honorable as to stop in front of you?"
Everyone turned to see Amara and Michelle walking up to the rest of them. They stopped by the BladeBreakers and sighed. "I hate coincidences," Amara muttered to Michelle who supplied a smirk.
"As do we," Tyson shot, a scowl plastered on his face.
"Why are you two here?" Rei inquired.
"Enough with the banter!" Everyone returned to regard the female once more. She pointed at Amara and Michelle, "So nice of you to join us, Wings of Chaos and Wings of the Shadows. I figured you'd be too afraid to step out of your little hole."
"Those are bold words coming from once such as you," Amara snapped, her eyes becoming a shade of Amber once again.
Michelle noticed this, but did nothing about it. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
"The name's Mirage," the girl replied briskly. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "And I have come to stop you and your quest."
"Quest?" Kai and Rei asked at the same time, but the girls ignored them for the time being.
"And why would you want to stop us? Or should I say, what power do you have to do so?" Amara remarked.
Mirage's eyes shown a bright gold, white even. "I do, Shringard." The voice was deep and raspy with a small hint of anger in the tone. This took everyone off guard.
"You are inside of her? How…?" Michelle scowled.
Mirage's eyes died down once again as she resumed her calm facade. "Shringard works through me just like Tiamat and Bahamut work through you."
"That's where you're wrong," Michelle shot. "They don't work through us, they basically are us. We work as one. That shows us how different we are, Mirage."
Amara laughed coldly, "You're merely being used, Mirage."
"Silence!" Shringard was now back in control and his anger hadn't lost it's fervor. "I will not be spoken to like that!"
"Apparently it's been a while since you have, huh?" Amara mocked, laughing once again. "I guess being one so high as a lord you've gotten soft to verbal abuse. Just like Tyson over there."
"Huh? Hey!" Tyson's anger grew at the statement, but Max and Kenny managed to settle him down.
"Lord? Quest? As one? I'm confused…" Hillary scratched her head quizzically. "It just doesn't make any sense."
"I second that," Kenny added, just as confused.
"It seems to me, Wings of Chaos, that you have gotten used to only using words instead of doing things yourself." A smirk curled up Mirage's face, Shringard knowing he had hit a soft spot.
Amara made no immediate response, only a dark, sold laugh. "Yo- you question me? Ha! You say that I'm weak and can't fight my own battles!"
"Amara…" Michelle warned.
"You will know how I handle things, Shringard!" Tiamat's voice broke through and mingled with Amara's making her statement send shivers down everyone's spine.
"Amara!" Michelle ordered again, but it was too late. Amara was already clad in armor with her sword raised.
"That looks like-" Kai was cut off when a blinding light surrounded them all. He shielded his eyes with a forearm.
Mirage was now covered in armor as well. Gold and white wings were spread out upon her back and golden armor enclosed her body. Her eyes were now etched in red, showing proving that Shringard was in control and not Mirage.
"You will pay for saying such things to us," Amara threatened.
"We have to stop them now, Michelle!" Bahamut informed her.
"I know, but are we-"
"Stop having doubts!" Their connection was severed when the ringing sound of blades meeting in combat echoed throughout the area.
"I'm impressed that you even had the guts to come here today, Shringard. I thought you were trembling in your cave like you usually do." Amara parried Shringard's thrust easily and jumped back a safe distance away.
"As I do recall, Chaos, you were the one stuck in a cave because you were weak."
"Why you-"
"Stop!" Michelle ordered and jumped in between Amara and Shringard , glaring at her friend. "Amara, this is neither the time nor the place."
"Quiet, Corrupt, and get out of the way, or I will give you a real reason to." The dragon thrust his weapon, a golden plated sword, at Michelle. Michelle evaded it easily, but then again Shringard never meant to harm her.
When Michelle tumbled out of her roll Amara and Shringard were already running off to the forest nearby. She cursed silently under her breath before turning to the speechless BladeBreakers. "Get out of here now. Tell the conductor to get this train moving as soon as possible."
"And what about you?" Rei asked, his expression showing his surprise at the whole ordeal.
"And Amara," Kai put in, wearing the same startled appearance.
"I'm going after them," She answered simply. She gave a solemn bow and ran off towards the progressing battle.
"I guess we should join in, seeing as speaking with them isn't working," Bahamut confirmed and Michelle nodded grimly.
The team stood in silence for a short while as Michelle ran off. "I'm lost…" Max said at length.
"I don't understand any of this either, Max," Tyson added and Kenny nodded.
"I say we do as she suggested and get out of here." Hillary turned towards the train, but was stopped by Rei.
"I'm going after them."
"Are you mad!" Tyson blurted. "After all they've done, after," He gulped, "seeing that you want to follow them!"
"I'm going too, " Kai announced and stood next to Rei, his arms folded across his chest.
"What!" Tyson and Hillary shouted simultaneously.
"It's the only way we can get answers," Kai confirmed and ran off, showing that there wasn't going to be any argument. Rei followed close behind.
"Then Max and I will try to explain what's been going on," Kenny said at last. "Tyson, you talk to the conductor. Hillary, you and I calm the people."
"Right…" Tyson and Hillary said soberly.
When the three of them reached the scene it seemed like a full out brawl. Michelle was now clad in her armor with her dual weapons drawn.
"That's looks like what she was wearing at the tournament," Rei verified. Kai looked at him suspiciously for a second before returning to the fight at hand.
"Amara stop!" Bahamut's voice now sounded with Michelle's, making the powerful combination like Amara's. "This is getting us nowhere."
"Silence! I'm tired of you barging in all of the time!" Shringard thrust his blade at Michelle and again she evaded it.
It was an ongoing battle of thrust and parry. Michelle got in as much as she could to try and calm down Amara, but nothing was working. Shringard seemed to be losing control as well. Mirage's armor was fading and her eyes didn't hold the same fervor as they did before.
As soon as she got the chance, Michelle got behind Shringard and held him in an arm lock. "Amara stop. I will not say it again." Her voice was dangerously calm and her face stern. "Cease this nonsense so that we can continue onward. We have things to do and this isn't one of them. Look, Shringard is losing control and Mirage will soon be back in control. Save this for another time."
Amara's blades went to her sides and soon disappeared entirely, magically going back into their sheaths. "Hmpf, fine."
Michelle sighed of relief and loosened her grip on the dragon lord. She yelped in pain soon after as Shringard's blade dug into her side. She released him immediately and fell to the ground, clutching her side.
Shringard laughed, "You've grown soft, both of you. Do you remember now, Chaos? How you lost our last battle." He held up his blade to prove his point. It was not glowing a bright silver and white. "How long, Chaos? How long can she stand it?" He laughed coldly once more before slinking away into the darkness of the trees.
Rei was the first to Michelle's side and Kai following close behind. Amara stayed off to the side, her eyes struck with disbelief. "I did it again…"
Michelle was no longer connected with Bahamut, the link severed when she received the hit. Her eyes grew cloudy as the pain shot throughout her body. Her vision began to waver, barely able to make out Rei's form anymore. Rei laid Michelle on her back and inspected the wound. "It's deep," he confirmed when he pulled away the bloodstained tee-shirt near the gash. "Amara, what should do." Panic was now entering his tone as he turned to the other Corrupt.
"Amara?" Kai asked when she didn't respond.
"Tiamat, I did it again. I lost it. An- and-"
"Amara!"
Amara jumped out of her thoughts as Kai shouted her name. She finally walked over and inspected her carefully. "She has to be taken back to out village."
"Wher-" Rei started, but was cut off.
"You carry her." She pointed to Rei. "Kai, help me." Kai nodded and followed Amara away from Rei and Michelle. "I'm going to do something that neither of you have ever seen before." Kai looked at her curiously, but said nothing. "I'm going to teleport us to my village. There is going to be a small amount of pain, since Michelle isn't helping me."
"Why are you only telling me? Shouldn't Rei know?"
"He probably won't feel it because he's holding Michelle." Kai caught on and nodded. "You are going to help me. All you need to do is stand opposite me. Yes, it sounds pointless, but we need a circle around what we are teleporting in order for it to work."
They returned to the two and did as was planned. Once everything seemed set Amara closed her eyes. Black flame engulfed the group and they vanished.