AN: Twas an epic battle! The mighty forces of fanfiction Authordom fought valiantly against the evil forces of Writer's Block and his Muse kidnapping demons. An epic battle was raged that shook the Earth, flattened mountains, leveled valleys, and destroyed beautiful, scenic beaches. Many died in the attempt to free the Muses and bring forth mindless entertainment, but they shall not die in vain. For readers will sing the praises of this great chapter and keep the spirit of the fallen Warriors alive!

XOXOXOXOXOXXOXOXXOXOX

I stepped carefully along the path, trying not to step on the cracks. I noticed that some of the stones were just a tick darker than the others. I began hopping from the lighter stones and trying to not step onto the darker ones.

I'm a dork, sue me.

Skye chittered as she darted around my ankles (she suddenly decided that she was going to walk instead of having me carry her) and was greatly affecting me not stepping on the spots of lava.

"Skye, the dark stones are lava. We can't step on them." I told her.

She gave me a confused look.

"It's a game." I said.

She chittered. She gave me a picture of some fast flying dragons.

I sighed. "Fine, we'll hurry." I skipped forward.

Everyone was already gathered in front of the bus. I even saw Snap pacing in front of the bus.

What the hell does she do when she's not babysitting me? She keeps telling me she tags along to keep an eye on me, but I never really see her.

"About time you showed up." Aphrodite said.

"I got distracted." I protested.

There was a red fledgling I didn't know whose eyes suddenly widened.

Skye chittered and pawed at my leg.

"You wanted to walk!"

She warbled at me and tugged at my jeans.

I sighed and picked her up. She climbed onto my shoulders to curl around my neck. I scratched behind her horns and she purred loudly.

"You're so god damn spoiled!" I said.

"Um, Shaylin this is the Mediator Raven and her hatchling Skye." Zoey said to the unknown red fledgling. "Raven, this is Shaylin. She was just newly marked."

"Hiya." I'm so glad I'm not her. Could you imagine being just dropped into the middle of this mess? And since when have people starting introducing me as the 'Mediator Raven?' Come on! It's not like I've done any major mediatoring!

"Oh my god you're pretty." Shaylin said.

I blinked. That's…weird.

"Thank you?" I tried to make it not sound like a question, but that didn't work at too well.

"It's just that, I've never seen so many colors together! Not that I've seen very many people so I can't say for sure that you have the most colors. And they're so pretty! You're this rusty color, no rusty is not right, more like the color of brown autumn leaves. And there's some black, but when I look closer it's a lot of darker colors shifting around and this prismatic color is really entwined with it and there's some of this really nice, warm gold color and flecks of silver blue. And some leafy green color and this really pretty aquamarine color. And there's this really weird string of purple-red color too!" She took a deep breath. "You're just pretty." She sighed.

My eyes flicked over to the others. Colors? Was there something wrong with this girl? Please, a hint? Someone?

Aphrodite sighed. "We think Shaylin has been gifted with True Sight. If you had shown up a bit earlier then you would already know this."

"There were pockets of lava I had to avoid." I blurted out.

She frowned at me.

"Haven't you ever pretended that the floor is lava?"

She rolled her eyes. "Would you grow-up? You're supposed to be the Voice of the Fairies and shit."

"I think that being a child would help me in that regard." I said. Something suddenly stood out about Shaylin. I pointed at her forehead. "Did someone die recently?"

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Again, if you weren't off being all pretending and shit, then you would have already know that Shaylin was Marked red by Mister Erik here."

I looked at Erik. I thought red fledglings had to die first?

"Wait, you just cussed!" I said. "And the time before that!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Ah! I knew I felt a new fledgling!"

Why does her voice seem to throw a bucket of ice water onto us?

"Merry meet, I am Neferet, your High Priestess." She turned to Erik. I thought I saw a flash of anger. Whoopsy, someone's in trouble because they didn't do what the overly controlling High Bitchess wanted him to do. "Professor Night."

Whoa, Erik's a teacher? Who knew. Probably everyone, but me.

"You should not have brought the child here." She stepped closer to Shaylin and reached out towards her in an apologetic gesture. "Young fledgling, the Tracker should have instructed you to come to the female dormitory where you will join the rest of the-" She suddenly stopped and stared at Shaylin's red Mark.

"Yeah, She's red. Which means she is in the right place." Zoey said, a bit smugly I might add.

"And I'm her High Priestess. Not you." Stevie Rae said.

"Oh! You're…oh, I don't feel well." Shaylin suddenly collapsed. My fingers tingled and glowed gold, but Erik caught her and shook his head slightly. The glowing stopped.

"She's been through a lot." Aphrodite said. She stepped right in front of Neferet's face. "She needs to go home. To the depot. With us. Now."

Neferet's eyes narrowed and then she quickly looked around our group. Skye growled when Neferet looked at her.

Her suspicious face suddenly broke as she tilted her head back and gave a cruel laugh. Why is evil laughter such a villain cliché?

"She was blind." She was?! "That's why she's been Marked red. She's broken."

What a bitch!

"She just didn't have to die to get that way. Well, at least not yet she hasn't died."

Kramisha gave a little jerk of fear. Neferet gave a small smirk when she saw her reaction. "What is it? Did you actually believe that red outline guaranteed you the Change?"

I would have assumed that since they already died they were incapable of doing it again. How do you kill something that already died?

"Yes, I can sense your shock and fear." She looked like she was enjoying it! I felt anger building up inside of me. What a bully! "You hadn't thought of that. Your body can still reject the Change."

"You don't know that." I said. I couldn't put up with her anymore. "You are a not a goddess, so it would be incredibly arrogant of you to assume you know everything."

Her eyes narrowed and I saw her blood tainted darkness flicking around her like it was reflecting her rage.

"And may I give you tiny bit of advice." I said softly, stepping toe to toe to her. We were the same height, although I was a fraction of an inch taller, so I was looking right into her dead eyes. "If you're going to pretend to be a High Priestess, you really need to work on your people skills." And with a little mental shove, I banished the darkness hanging about her. She stepped back, her eyes narrowing in anger, but I saw a flash of fear. She had no right to think she was more powerful than me. She was nothing, but a fake.

She looked at Shaylin, who was still passed out in Erik's arms. "Take the new fledgling with you. She glanced at me. "Her home is with you and the rest of the misfits, not here. What in the name of the gods will Nyx come up with next?" She walked away laughing.

"You really shouldn't antagonize her, Raven." Stark said.

I rolled my eyes. "Am I supposed to just stand her while she bullies people and is all High Priestess of all things Bitchy?"

Aphrodite glared at me. "You're the mediator. You're supposed to promote peace and all around good stuff."

"There's no point in promoting peace among those who do not want it." I said.

Stevie Rae snorted. "And she definitely doesn't want it."

"She scares me." Kramisha said in a small voice. I put my arm around her.

"It's okay to be a scared of her." Stevie Rae said giving her a hug. "That'll just make us fight harder against her."

"Or run faster." Erik said. Is he always a party pooper?

"Some of us aren't running away." Stevie Rae said.

"Are you sure?" Shaylin asked.

"Hey are you back with us?" Erik asked.

"Actually, I never went anywhere. Um. You can put me down now. Please."

"Oh. Right. Yeah." Erik gently put her down.

"So, you faked a faint. Why?" Aphordite asked.

"Well, it wasn't hard." She glanced at Kramisha. "I agree with you. She scares me." She looked at me. "And I think you're psycho for provoking her."

I shrugged. "Me no tolerate bullies so wells. Knock them off high horse, I will. And step on their faces too cuz I'm a bit of a bitch."

She smiled. "I acted like I passed out because it was either that or run screaming away from her." She shared a look with Erik. Do I detect the hints of young love? Or am I just assuming things? "Yeah, I agree with you too." Then she shrugged a shoulder. "But she said she's a High Priestess."

"Lies." I coughed.

"I don't know much about vampyres, but everyone knows High Priestesses are in charge. Running screaming away from one my first day as a fledgling didn't seem like a good option."

"So you figured you'd play opossum." Stevie Rae said.

"Play what?"

"That's a bumpkin way of saying that you pretended to be out of it so Neferet would live you alone." Aphrodite said.

"Doesn't knowing that make you a bit of a bumpkin?" I asked.

"No, just means I have very good people skills." She snapped.

Stark snorted.

"Yeah, I played opossum." Shaylin said with a small smile. "I guess it worked out pretty well."

"Not a bad plan." Stark said. "Meeting Neferet and being Marked all in one day sucks for you."

"What did you see?" Zoey asked.

"Right before I went blind I was at Nam Hi, that big Vietnamese grocery store on Twenty-first and Garnett, with my mom. They had whole fish for sale in giant bin of ice. They scared me so bad I remember all I could do was stand there and stare at their milky, dead eyes and their horrible slit open bellies."

"Yikes." I said.

"Neferet's dead fish belly color?" Stevie Rae asked.

"No. Neferet's color is the same color as dead fish eyes. That's her only color." Shaylin said.

"That can't be good." Kramisha said.

No dip. Seeings how she said I looked like a rainbow.

"What can't be good?" Darius asked. I jumped. I didn't realize he wasn't there. I really need to work on my attention skills.

"Darius, stud Warrior,"

Gag me.

"Meet Shaylin, newly Marked red fledgling who didn't die to be red and who has True Sight. She just 'saw' Neferet and apparently her true color is like dead fish eyes."

Darius bowed to Shaylin. "Merry meet, Shaylin."

"We need to learn more about True Sight," Damien said. "It's sixth former and beyond level information. Do you know anything about it?" He asked Darius.

"Not a lot. I focused mostly on knives, not vampyre sociology." Darius said.

"Well, I have the stupid advanced handbook." Aphrodite said. She frowned at the others who were gawking at her. "What? I was a sixth former before this happened." She pointed at her bare forehead. "Sadly, I had to rejoin my old schedule today." She rolled her eyes. "Oh, for shit's sake, I have homework, that's all. The book's in my extremely attractive Anahata Joy Katkin bag in the retard bus."

Who cares who designed the bag?

"Aphrodite, stop sayin' retard." Stevie Rae shouted at her. "I swear you need to check out www. . Maybe you'd learn that some people get their feelin's hurt by the r-word."

I sighed. I sense a fight between them.

"I'm going to go get my car." I said to Zoey.

"You have a car?" Zoey asked.

"Yeah, that's how I got here in the first place." I said digging out my keys.

"How are you going to fit?" Stevie Rae asked.

"I'll figure out something. I was able to sit in a bus seat without much problem." I said. "I'll follow you guys back." I waved bye and walked out into the parking lot.

I was so relieved to see that it was still there. I kinda of figured that parking security would have had it towed. I unlocked it and tossed my purse into the back and placed Skye onto the passenger seat.

She warbled and sniffed at the seats. I held my arms out and wrapped my wings around my torso. It was really uncomfortable.

"I need to talk to someone about inventing a car for winged people." I muttered. I slid in it and shut the door. I uncurled my wings slightly and turned the key.

Skye squealed and shot up my shirt. She dug her claws into my bra and my boobies and that really hurt.

"Ow, Skye. It's okay. All right. We're okay." I gasped as she curled up, clinging to my bosom. Her hot breath tickles too. I can't tell which was worse, the pain or the tickling.

"You probably should have one of the other kids drive your car." Snap said.

"Probably." I said. I yanked the car into reserve and pulled out. I pulled behind the bus and followed it back to the depot. The whole time Skye never let up even though I was being totally nice and telling her how everything was okay and so on.

I parked in the parking structure next to the bus and got out.

"What's with the face, Ray?" Stevie Rae asked.

"Do you not see the huge growth on my chest?" I asked. I reached under my shirt and tried to pull her out. She dug in harder and tried to fit herself into my bra. Yeah, um, I doubt bras were made for baby dragons.

"What's a matter with Skye?" Stevie Rae asked.

"She doesn't like human machines." I said. "I thought she would be fine since she did okay with the bus, but…" I gestured to my chest.

Zoey looked at me really weirdly. She looked like she wanted to laugh, but something was holding her back.

"I'm going up to my room and try to calm her down." I said.

"Kay, we're going to have a meeting after sunrise." Zoey said glancing at Rephaim and then at Shaylin.

"Okie dokie. I won't make any promises." Again gesturing to my dragon.

I waddled up to my room and tossed my bag onto my bed. I tugged off my shirt. Skye slid down a bit, but she continued to try and get into my bra.

"Come 'ere Skye." I tugged her out and cuddled her in my arms. "It's okay, all right?"

She warbled pitifully and nuzzled against my neck. I wrapped my wings around her. I started humming and she did her purr.

"Are we okay now?"

She chirped.

"You want food?"

She warbled and wagged her tail.

"Let's get food." I pulled the shirt back on and carried her down into the kitchen.

Zoey, Damian, Aphrodite, and Darius were the only ones in there. They weren't eating either, but looking through a stack of books.

"Everything taken care of?" Damien asked.

"Yeah. She's hungry now." Skye chirped and tugged on my hair. I sat her down on the ground and began digging through the cabinets.

"What do you feed her?" Damien asked.

"Chunks of meat soaked in warmed milk." I said shrugging.

"Do I even want to know how you came up with that?" Zoey asked.

"Instincts?" I said putting a pan on the burner. Skye pranced around my ankles, chirping. "I'm hurrying!" I told her. I poured the milk into the pan.

"Can't you muzzle her, oh powerful dark one?" Aphrodite asked.

"If she gets a muzzle, so will you." I said slicing up some meat.

"Who's getting a muzzle?" Stevie Rae came in looking like a half-dead zombie.

"Aphrodite." Damien, Zoey, and I said together.

"There's lots of pop in the fridge." Zoey said.

Stevie Rae peered over my shoulder on her way to the fridge. "Dinner for baby dragon?"

I nodded. Skye clung to my leg and I reached down to scratch behind her horns. "Dinner for the spoiled baby dragon."

Stevie Rae opened the fridge and gawked. "Where did all this stuff come from?"

Zoey sighed. "Kramisha. She said instead of going to third hour she 'field-tripped' to Utica Square and just happened to run into some night shirt guys stocking the shelves at Petty's grocery store."

"Uh-oh. She red vamp zapped them?" Stevie Rae asked.

Would red vampyre zapping work on me? I mean, I'm not human, fully, so wouldn't I be safe? Where immortal and mortal brain waves the same?

I tossed the meat into the pot only sorta of paying attention to their conversation. Aphrodite was bitching about red vamps zapping and shit and Stevie Rae was getting pissed and blah blah blah.

I filled my makeshift bottle with milk and sat down. Skye curled up and began suckling.

Um, yeah, I wasn't paying attention to what they were arguing about anymore because Skye was being majorly cute. I think it was about Rephaim, maybe.

I fed Skye her meat and she yawned loudly. I yawned as I threw the dirty dishes into the sink.

"I'm going to take Skye for a pee break and then I'm going to bed." I said. It kinda of dawned on me that last night, um morning, Dominic was revealed to be a jackass and I found Skye. It feels like it's been a few days rather than one.

"Kay, night Ray." Damien said.

"Night." The rest echoed.

I carried Skye down the tunnel and back outside. The sun was slowly turning everything golden and beautiful. I stood for a minute and breathed in the warmth.

"Okay," I set Skye down near some bushes that were probably decorative, but now they're eating the space up. "Go pee." She grumbled, but slipped into the bushes.

I sighed and yawned. Gods, I was tired. Hopefully there would be no astral projecting tonight and I would just sleep like the dead.

I felt a sharp pain near my shoulder.

"Ow!" I brushed my hand against my shoulder and pulled a small dart.

My heart thumped loudly. I heard gravel crunching behind me. I whirled around and saw some guy in a robe was walking slowly to me.

"Who are you?" I immediately called upon my powers and starting panicking when I felt nothing. My powers were gone.

Great! The one time I probably will need it (cuz this guy looks really ancient and creepy) and it's gone.

"You are the Mediator, correct?" He spoke English, but it was pronounced strangely like English hadn't been his first language or even second, but I couldn't detect an obvious accent.

"Depends." I said. Nuggets. Big, huge, stinking nuggets! I'm in soooooo much trouble.

He pressed his fist against his chest in the vampyre greeting, even though he had no tattoo. I saw on his breast was the image of some kind of bird with its wings spread high above its head.

"It is a great pleasure to meet you and I'm sorry for my rudeness." He looked up at me with really pretty blue-green eyes. "The dart has a potion that will keep your powers suppressed for a little while."

"How long?" I asked getting really nervous. I could only think of bad reasons as to why he wanted my power suppressed.

He looked down. "Long enough." He had a sad look on his face when he looked at me. "I am very sorry. From what we've been taught about Mediators, you are truly a pure and true hearted soul and this will be a great loss for this world."

Shit.

He slowly drew out his sword. "But, the Phoenix must remain hidden."

My heart pounded violently in my chest. "What?" What the hell was the Phoenix?

"The Immortals that have entered this world must not gain its power." He began walking towards me. "Please, understand. It's for the greater good."

I had no idea what to say. There was a part of me (a very small part mind you, I'm not that depressed, yet) that kinda of wanted to die because then I wouldn't have to make the choice to help Damascus find the Key knowing that if I didn't my friends were doomed. But if I died then no one would be here to help ease the humans, vampyres, and Fae into a state of peace and Damascus would still be here to egg things on.

"No, you don't understand." I said. "Without my help, the humans and vampyres and Fae won't get along. The Fae will go back into hiding or worse, they'll wage war on the mortals. And that Immortal won't help things at all."

"The consequences of the Immortals using your power to their advantage are far too great." He said still descending on me. "We have wanted peace be the vampyres and humans and for the Fae to return. Please, understand, none of us want you dead for selfish reasons and it pains us beyond understanding that we must kill you."

"Sorry." I lunged at him.

Surprise lit his features as I dodged around his sword and nailed him in the face. He stumbled back and then waved his sword at me. It whistled over my head as I ducked. I lunged again and wrapped my arms around his legs.

He fell backwards and I could hear the sword clanging against the road. I crawled up and put my knee on his chest.

"Look, as much as I would love to just…give up and end this, it won't solve anything. If Damascus truly wants this Phoenix, then he won't stop just because I'm dead. He'll find someone else to help him find it. He's immortal, he's got all the time he needs to find it."

He gave me a sad look. "You're so young."

He shoved me off onto my butt. He sprang up with a knife in his hand.

Skye came out of nowhere and latched onto his leg with a vicious cry. He shook her off. She scrambled over to me and stood on my chest, hissing at robes man.

"A dragon?" He looked happy. I stood up clutching Skye tightly. "She's more beautiful than the old scrolls described."

"Can you just tell me who you are?! Or who this 'we' is?" I yelled flaring my wings.

You know, it just occurred to me that I'm a fucking winged Immortal and I could fly away.

It must have registered on my face that I suddenly remembered that there are two wings on my back because his face got scary dark and his hand lashed out.

White hot pain dug itself into my chest. I screamed out and Skye echoed my cry. I suddenly couldn't breathe and my chest felt tight.

There was a shriek and I saw something black flying around robes man. I stumbled to the ground trying to breath. Skye chirped anxiously, her eyes filled with fear.

A petrified screamed erupted the air, but it wasn't mine. I looked up and saw the robes man feet dangling in the air. I tilted my head up more and saw a silver horn protruding from his shoulder.

"Cander?" I called out.

The unicorn tossed him to the ground and pounded the man's head into the ground. He tossed his black mane and shrieked to the heavens.

A picture of a raven flew around my head and made it pound. I opened my eyes and everything was dark and fuzzy. My body felt so heavy.

"Little Mediator."

I turned and saw a shadow glowing.

"I need you to pull the dagger from your heart."

I blinked. Didn't that crocodile guy die because he pulled the barb out of his heart? My teacher said he would have survived if hadn't pulled it out.

"I need your wound open so I may clean your blood of the poison. It's the only way you can heal."

Skye bit my hand and place it on my stomach. She screeched and nudged my hand towards the blade.

As corny as it sounds, I honestly found the will to pull the knife out because of the fear in Skye's eyes.

And, my advice: don't get stabbed and don't pull it out. It hurts and then pulling out hurts worse.

I watched a glowing horn descend down and touch my chest. My blood boiled and fizzled. Black smoke rose from the hole in my chest and left a pungent odor in the air.

Almost immediately I felt my power rushing through me. Warmth filled my chest and golden flames erupted from my heart. It curled around my body filling every cell with warmth and my heart gave one painful thump before beating regularly.

I sighed and closed my eyes.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO XOX

Take up arms gentle readers and fair reviewers. There is an evil in this world and it taken many authors and muses prisoner. I was a prisoner and have seen its evil. Now, I implore you to join me to destroy this evil and free everyone from its constricting ways!

Um, yeah. Sorry it took me so long to update. I had a massive case of writer's block. I don't even understand why this chapter was so hard to write. I'm not making any promises for when the next chapter comes out since I have no idea if I truly vanquished Writer's Block, or if it's only bidding its time to strike during my crucial hour. So, please review cuz it'll make me feel better that people are reading my stuff even after my unscheduled hiatus.