Chapter Eleven
Wildfire's Test
This time Rena only slept for about thirty hours. They were all sitting around eating breakfast. The Ronins and Mia kept stealing glances at her. Lucio noticed and was getting annoyed at it. "Will you people relax? Rena is doing just fine. Her powers are starting to grow so she shouldn't be passing out anymore."
"That's good to hear," Ryo sighed.
"We just can't keep from worrying because we care about her so much," Rowen frowned.
- I'm fine, Ro. A little tired...but I feel my powers increasing. -
"I guess," Rowen nodded then smiled at her
Lira kept her eyes on Lucio. She studied his face for a few minutes before her eyes wandered to Rena.
"You alright, Lira?" She jumped when Ryo spoke to her.
"What?"
"You seem distracted about something," Ryo said.
"Oh, I'm fine. Really," Lira gave him a fake smile, that he saw through. Ryo narrowed his eyebrows.
"So, who's going on the next test?" Mia asked.
"That would be Sir Wildfire," Lira said, trying to cover her real concern. Lira got up and left the room. "You two should get ready."
"Right," Ryo nodded as he and Rena left the table.
Ryo walked through the palace by himself. He was looking for a certain fairy. He found her standing alone in a long corridor that he never noticed before. She was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. "I knew you'd come looking for me."
"What's going on? I can tell there's something that you're not telling us," Ryo said.
"What do you mean? We've told you everything about what's going to happened and what you have to do to stop the shadows," Lira said.
"You keep saying that but your eyes tell another story," Lira looked up at him. Ryo stared her down. He was trying to read what was really going on.
"It's really nothing. Everything is just fine. Come on. You have a test to take," Lira pushed off the wall and lead him down the corridor. Great. First Sir Torrent, now Sir Wildfire? How is it that they are getting so close to the truth without it happening first? None of the others have figured the truth out so quickly. I wonder if it has anything to do with Lucio having to protect Rena since she was take away from Sir Strata and Hardrock. Or maybe it's their armors? Could their armors be the real problem?
The two teens came into the throne room and found Lucio and Sage arguing again.
"She needs to rest!" Sage snapped.
"She's fine! I would never put her in danger! These tests are very important and you have to get them done before the enemy attacks!" Lucio snapped back. Rena was sitting on her throne with White Blaze still at her side. She gave a silent sigh. This was getting old.
"Ah! That brother of mine is really such a pain!" Lira growled.
"Brother?" Ryo asked.
"Yeah. Didn't I mention that?" Lira asked.
"No," Ryo shook his head. Now that she did, Lucio and Lira do look a like, sort of. But they don't act a like. Lira is more into rules and regulations while Lucio is well...Lucio.
"Huh? I guess I really don't want to admit it at times," Lira sighed. The group said their good lucks and goodbyes to Ryo and Rena.
Lira teleported them out of the castle. They reappeared at a forest that was on fire. Ryo immediately noticed there was no heat coming from the flames. "That's odd. How is this place burning if there is no heat?"
"Sir Wildfire, this is Fire Forest. For many a years it has burned without the heat of fire. Your test is to light the forest with the heat of the flame so it burns with the strength of Wildfire while not letting your own power get frozen or letting Princess Rena get hurt. For if this shall happen ye will no longer be able to control ye powers of fire," Lira spoke with the same determination that Ryo has hear in his own voice before. He suddenly felt a strange connection deepening between himself and this girl. "Heed the warns as before. Be not a destructive force or thou shall not pass this fateful test. If thou fail Princess Rena will no longer exist in the world of the living. Be not hasty. Think on this journey to the center of yourself held within thou armor bestowed."
With that, Lira left. Ryo ponders on her words. He wondered what she meant by his powers might get frozen. Will he no longer be able to control his armor?
Rena tapped his shoulder. - What now? -
"I'm not sure," Ryo replied. He walked up to the fire and reached his hand out to it. Much to his surprise, it pulled away from him. Ryo gave it a questionable look as if it was going to answer him. This was fire. Then why did it pull away from him? "I really don't know what we should do."
- If this is just like Kento and Cye's tests then you have to become your element to pass your test. -
"Become my element?" Rena nodded. "I understand. But I don't understand why this fire won't let me touch it."
- Maybe it's because this is a different world. Or maybe it's because the heat of the flame isn't there? Fire really isn't fire without heat, right? Or maybe it's alive? Maybe it don't like you? -
Ryo started to chuckle as Rena listed off suggestions.
- Or maybe it's just haven't a bad day and doesn't want us here? Or maybe it's just being difficult? -
Something started to make the ground rumble. Ryo and Rena looked around. They saw nothing. It happened again. Suddenly a giant ice monster appeared in the middle of the flames. "Or maybe it's him that's causing the trouble!"
The monster stood about the same height as Talpa. It roared when it saw the two teenagers looking at it. Ryo sense danger and summoned his sub armor. The ice monster brought its fist down to smash the two. Ryo grabbed Rena then jumped out of the way.
- I think you're right. I can sense something from that creature. -
"Sense what?" Ryo asked as they landed on the ground.
- I'm not sure. It's like it's getting strong and the Fire Forest is getting weaker. -
"It's getting stronger?" Ryo asked as if something in his mind clicked.
- What? -
"Then that's it! He's getting stronger and the forest is getting weaker," Ryo replied. "He's pulling the heat from the forest!"
- But why? -
"I'm not sure," Ryo said.
- What are we going to do? -
"Not really sure. There's two options here. One, he's doing it because he's cold himself and wants to warm up. Two, he's trying to expand his own cold territory,"
- Expand his territory? -
"Yeah. I sense it for a second when we arrived here. Ice and fire are boarding each other here in this world. When they come unbalanced things go awry,"
- I understand. So we have to get them back in balance and by doing that you have to become you element and bring heat back to the forest. -
"Yeah. And to do that, I assume, we need my gem,"
- Then let's find it. - Rena wiggled out of Ryo's arms. She held her hands down to her sides and her hands lit up.
"What are you doing?"
- Kento and Cye's gem appeared when they needed them the most. They were fighting. Since you can't... -
"No way, Rena!"
- I have to do this, Ryo. It's the only way. Trust me. My powers are growing. -
"Rena," Ryo tightened his hands into fists and closed his eyes. He was concentrating hard on whether or not to let her do this that he didn't sense the monster making another move. It brought down it's fist to pound them into the ground. Ryo sensed it at the last second but was too late. "Ren...un?
Rena formed a shield big enough to cover them both and stop the attack. - You guys really need to have more faith in me. -
Rena suddenly had a strange look in her eyes. It was like she was at peace with something. "Rena?"
She smiled then started to lift off the ground. "Rena?"
The monster pulled back when she did this. Rena raised her hands up over her head and brought the shield into an energy blast and hit the monster, knocking him back. - Ryo, go. I'll be fine. -
"Wow," Ryo stared wide eyed at Rena. Her power was increasing. Ryo took this chance to run into the forest while the monster was distracted. You better be ok, Rena. Kento and Rowen will kill me if you get hurt. Not to mention what Sage will do to me. Or Lucio. Ryo shook his friends out of his head. He didn't want to think about that.
Ryo's run slowed down to a fast walk then he stopped. The forest had a sudden shift in power. The flames seemed to be trying to reach out to him now. "What is it? What do you want me to do? Tell me. How do I get your heat back?"
Ryo closed his eyes. He started to hear distant voices calling out to him. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"Light... the... flame..."
"I'm trying. I don't know how. I need the gem. Where is the gem?"
"Gem... heart... she's in trouble..."
"Rena?"
"They... won't make it..."
"Who won't make it? What are you talking about?"
"Heat the flame... light the way... they won't survive..."
"What are yo...AH!" Ryo felt a mix of emotions hit him like a virus. It was feelings from the past.
Worry. Fear. Anxiety. Sadness. Relief.
"Who's emotions are these?" Ryo asked. "Stop it!"
"Worry, fear, anxiety, sadness, relief. Five steps that help defeat the shadows. Good will win if all of these are experience. Sacrifices are to be and will always be. Do not fall for a human. Do not fall for a human. Do not fall for a human. DO NOT fall for a HUMAN."
Mia read the words to herself as her eyes skimmed over the book. She had been in the castle library ever since they started this crazy thing. It took her forever to find this book and it didn't seem like there were any others to help them on their mission.
"Find anything yet?" Sage asked. The group was sitting in the library of the castle. It was one of the largest rooms they've been in and has books from floor to ceiling. Luckily they categorized it in a very simplistic way so finding whatever you were looking for you could go right to that section. It was surprisingly simple. Maybe too simple.
"Nothing that makes any real sense," Mia slammed the book closed. "I don't get it. They should have more information on the Shadow Creature."
"Maybe they don't need written information," Kento suggested. The group liked at him like he had two heads. He was sitting in a large velvet cover arm chair. He propped up on his right elbow and frowned. "What?"
"Everyone writes down their history, Kento. It's just human nature," Rowen replied.
"But they're not human," Kento whispered low, as if it was some big secret or a dangerous secret with life threatening consequences if someone heard him say it out loud.
"He does have a point. This is a magical world. Maybe we need magic to find the real information on the Shadow Creature," Mia said.
"And how do you expect to use magic to test that theory?" Sage almost snapped at her. "It's not like you can walk right up to the guardians and they'll willingly help you!"
"Calm down, Sage," Rowen said.
"Why? Something's not right here! I know you all can sense it too!" Sage stood up and looked at his friends in the eyes. He was right. Their eyes betrayed them. All but for Mia could sense that the fairies were hiding something. Even White Blaze looked like he knew something. Sage then noticed a strange look on Cye's face. "What's wrong, Cye?"
"I'm not sure. I feel like I'm forgetting something," Cye replied.
"Forgetting what?" Kento asked.
"I'm not sure. It's kinda like when you leave for vacation and feel like you've left something turned on at home. Or maybe like amnesia. You know your memories are there you just can't access them." Cye said.
"Well, there's only two more tests after Ryo and Rena get back," Mia said. They all look to her. "They might not answer us but they seem more likely to answer to Rena."
"You suggesting Rena ask them what they are hiding?" Kento asked.
"Yes," Mia replied bluntly.
"That means talking to Lucio," Sage hissed.
"Chill, Sage," Rowen said.
"What is it with you and that dude anyway?" Kento asked.
"I just don't like the way he gushes all over Rena. It's not like she can say here. I just don't want her to get hurt and he seems like type of guy who would hurt her," Sage clenched his fists.
"Well, there's nothing to do but wait until Ryo and Rena get back," Mia said.
The group changed the subject and started to talk like they normally did. White Blaze watched them before slipping out of the room. He stepped out into the hall to find Current and Sky standing there. Sky pat the tiger's head. "I guess we're busted. Don't tell. Ok, boy?"
White Blaze purred.
"I don't believe Sir Torrent is breaking my spell," Current said. "He shouldn't be able to do that. No one has ever been able to. Not from the human world."
"There is defiantly something different about these humans," Sky says. "I wonder what it is."
Ryo stood perfectly still, eyes closed. The voices had gotten jumbled up so he couldn't understand them now. But that didn't matter. Not anymore. He knew that they had to see this mission through to the end. A hand reached out and brushed against his cheek. Ryo opened his eyes. He was looking right into the eyes of a fire sprite. She was as tall as him and complete made of flames herself. She smiled at him with her orange eyes then leaned in and kissed him.
Her kiss didn't even last a second as her body seemed to turn into energy and enter into Ryo's body through his mouth. Ryo didn't fight it. He felt the warmth of her powers become his. Ryo became flames himself as the gem appeared on his circlet. Ryo flared up before taking to the sky to go back to Rena.
Rena was still firing attacks at the monster when Ryo arrived. Ryo could instantly tell that Rena was wearing down just seconds before she started to drop from the air. "Rena!"
- Ryo? - Rena looked up when Ryo seemed to appear out of no where and grab her in his arms. He was fire, it didn't burn her, yet she could feel heat coming from his body. It was a good heat. Warm, safe and full of love. Ryo sat her down on the ground before flying back up to the monster's face.
"It's over," Ryo said. He powered up again and fired a blast at the monster. The monster roared as the heat began to make it melt. The monster fired back at Ryo with its own ice blast but it wasn't strong like Ryo was now.
Ryo? What are you doing?
I'm sending this creature back to where it belongs. It doesn't deserve to be destroyed. It was just living.
I understand. Take care of things, Ryo.
I will. Ryo gave his blast a little more energy and the ice monster retreated back to its world of ice.
Rena watched as Ryo then turned to the forest. She felt the forest become warm as Ryo feed it life. Ryo finished the job then landed beside Rena, his body went back to normal. Rena leaned against him tiredly. Ryo put his arm around her. - It's over. You passed your test. -
"Yeah," Ryo nodded. I did pass the test. But it's not over yet. Not by a long shot.
Ryo and Rena returned to the castle. Lucio and Lira were the only one's waiting for them.
"Rena?" Lucio walked up to her.
- I'm fine. -
"Good. Let's get you inside to rest," Without any reply from anyone, Lucio swept Rena into his arms and took her into the castle, leaving Ryo and Lira.
"What do you know?" Lira asked.
"What do you mean? Is there something I should know?"
"No," Lira stepped up to his and reached out her hand to place her finger tip on his forehead. Ryo's hand shot out and smacked hers away. He narrowed his eyebrows at her.
"How could you sign off on a deal like that?" Lira noticed for the first time since she met this young man that he may hold the powers of a wildfire but his eyes and voice can be colder than the deepest depths of the ice caverns in her world.
"It's not our choice, Sir Wild...Ryo," Lira's hair fell over her eyes.
"Lira?" She actually said my name. Ryo couldn't help but reach out and pull her into his arms. He stroked her hair as she cried into his shoulder. Lira suddenly broke away from him and ran back to the castle. "Lira."
Notes: Oh. My. Gosh! o.O I thought I would NEVER get this chapter finished. SORRY it's taken so long! I've got writers block or something. And I still have to get through Sage and Rowen's tests...T.T... I am open to suggestion! What do you want to see happened in Sage and Rowen's Test? Help clean the writer's block! T.T PLEASE?