Well, 'cause last chapter took so long, I'll try to write this one as quickly as I can (without rushing through it).
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...
So yeah.
I own nothing.
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Chapter 5: This is About Your Destiny
Monica gaped, and stifled a scream. The fire.. had just stop! Right in mid-air! Literally inches from Willow's little pug nose. She, and Aleena, both suddenly whipped around, looking for the source of the voice. And they saw it; right away, in fact. And they both grinned.
"Josephine!"
Yes, there stood Josephine; massive ponytails, too-big pants coated in pockets, stubby spiked knuckles, all the works.
Josephine didn't reply to her cousins, though. In fact, she didn't even open her squeezed-close eyes. She stood firmly, her heels dug into the ground. Her hands were out in front of her. And she slowly raised them above her head. Monica and her younger cousin both turned back to Willow at the sound of a sudden loud sizzling behind them. The burst of fire, almost shaped like an arrow, slowly turned, and, grazing Willow, it shot right back up into the night.
Monica, and, though she didn't notice, Aleena, Willow, and Arthur, all craned their heads back to watch the fiery arrow soar high into the sky, and, once it was almost out of sight, explode.
Monica turned back to her hedgechidna cousin, and she saw Josephine's body un-tense and her eyes open.
"... Hi." She began awkwardly.
"Josephine!" Aleena cheered excitedly and ran over to hug her. Monica ran over hurriedly and slung her around Josephine's skinny shoulders.
"Josie!" Monica grinned. She noticed out of the corner of her eye, Diamond, Willow, Arthur, and Basil all hurrying over. Willow gave Josephine a little hug, too, and Diamond gently patted her shoulder before drawing away.
Of course, Monica thought in amusement. Then, Aleena then asked exactly what was on everyone's mind.
"Josie, what are you doing here?" Josephine blinked.
"And how did you do that?" Diamond piped up.
"Well, it's kind of a long story, but..." she paused. "Oh, wait. I almost forgot!" She glanced behind her. "There's someone with me who wants to meet you."
As the little hug-fest broke apart, Josephine gestured for Aleena, Monica, and Diamond to follow. What's this all about? Monica thought wearily. The four or them turned around the corner of the building and into a dot of woods beside it.
"Hey, they're here!" Josephine called. Monica blinked and look confusedly at Diamond. Who was she talking to?
Then, she saw him. Although, she didn't know it was a 'him', at first. All she could see was a green shape moving from far off towards them. As he drew closer, Monica saw it was some sort of short, scaly ant-eater with pale green skin and a flowing purple robe. She glanced at Josephine, who ginned in response.
"Oh, cousin's mine, I introduce to you... The Oracle of Delphius."
"Hey, and me!" a voice piped up from the darkness. Monica, Aleena, and Diamond all looked up at the sound of a rustling up above. Soon, they spotted a shape perched on a branch of one of the trees. The shape stood up, and then hopped out of the tree, landing gracefully on the ground.
The newcomer was some sort of cat. She had light, golden brown fur and colossal pink eyes, not to mention about a million beaded braids in her short hair. Josephine stifled a giggle.
"Oh, yes. And Oracle-in-training Clarity!" She added. Clarity just huffed. Diamond cleared his throat.
"Well, that's all fair and well, but what is this all about?" He crossed his arms and scowled. Monica blinked. Yeah, she could understand why Diamond was a bit ticked. Diamond was the genius, the brains of the little group they and their friends had formed. When he had something to say, the others usually listened. Monica herself was the oldest of the royal cousin, but Diamond was always the mature, responsible one. And, he got the best grades at school, and was quite popular. He was used to being on top of things. And know, he had no idea what was going on.
The Oracle took the pleasure of answering the purple hedgehog prince. "This... is about your destiny. And your cousin's." Monica felt Aleena grab her hand. She glanced down and saw her little cousin was wide-eyed; not necessarily frightened, though...
Monica glanced back at him as the Oracle continued speaking. "If I am correct" - Monica heard Clarity grumbled something along the lines of "And he always is." - "then, all three of you have been experiencing unusual things in the past few weeks." Monica, Aleena, and Diamond glanced nervously at each other, before finally speaking up quietly.
"I've had these strange dreams... and I think I started that fire during lunch a few days ago."
"I think I had some sort of vision back in the gym a few minutes ago... and, uh, this dress just changed color a few hours ago. I used to be green."
"... I-I've practically been controlling everything, just by wanting it."
The Oracle nodding knowingly. "Yes, that is your power at work." Monica eyes widen a little. Power? Diamond practically echoed her thoughts.
"Power? Power? What power?" Diamond grumbled. Then, he just exploded. "Okay, what is this all about?! Insane, and impossible, things happen to all us, and you act like's it the most normal thing in the world! And what all this 'destiny' nonsense!?!" Aleena quickly stepped forward and grabbed his arm, as if to restrain him or something. Monica couldn't help but giggle.
"Y'know, that would has been a lot more commanding if you weren't wearing a bow tie." Diamond turned his head to glare at her, but he blushed the slightest bit. The Oracle raised his hand for quiet, and all three cousins fell silent.
"Yes, I know this may come as a shock for you... but there is great power in your veins." He snapped his fingers, and three gold, faintly glowing, rings seemed to float up from the ground right in from of Monica, Aleena, and Diamond. The three, instinctively if nothing else, grabbed them as the passed by them. Monica studied hers a little. It had some odd marks carved on the inside. She shrugged and slipped it on her finger.
As soon as she did, though, felt what was almost like an electric surge... Not a shock, really, more like a sudden pulse of... Power? Pleasure? She wasn't really sure...
"Up until now, your powers have simply been acting instinctively upon your wishes, but these should help you channel them in whatever way you will." The Oracle explained calmly as Monica re-examined her ring.
"Cool.." She breathed.
"But," Aleena said softly. "Why do we have these 'powers' and what are we supposed to do with them?"
"Yeah." Monica blinked in surprise, and glanced up at Josephine, who had been standing nonchalantly beside Clarity the whole time. Her almond-shaped violet eyes were oddly steely. "That's what I've been wondering, too..."
The Oracle nodded calmly. "Sit." The Monica exchanged glances with Aleena, Diamond, and Josephine. She shrugged, and they complied. "Let me tell you four a story..."
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On top of the school's roof, at tall, lean, black-furred wolf perched cautiously near the edge of the rough grey tile. He gazed almost sadly down at the burn grass as school faculty rushed around, desperately snuffing out the last of the flames. He sighed and swung his head around to one side. "The party's over, m'lady."
Off in a more shadowed portion of the tile roof, a figure in a hooded cloak stood, watching the scene bellow with little interest. Although her face was hidden, two piercing olive-green eyes were slightly visible, as was the subtle, and oddly playful, smirk across her ruby red lips. She chuckled softly.
"No, you're wrong, Schatten. The party..." She she stepped forward, into the moonlight, and pulled back her hood, revealing her particularly pale skin and long, orange-brown hair. "The party has just barely begun."
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Hmm, you'll hate me for the epic cliffhanger-ness, but that seem like a dramatic place to stop. And shoulder hurt from all this typing... *whimpers*
Yeah, I did most of this all in one day, with no breaks. I really wanted to get this done as soon as possible.
Well, this chapter is probably my favorite, so far. We're finally getting into the plot, Josephine finally re-appears since the prologue, and our villains appear.
And, wolfie has a name! It's the German word for 'shadow'. I'm not sure how it's pronounced, but I've been saying it like "sah-chen" in my head while writing.
Flames-the-Rabbit344, signing off!