Chapter 6: She

Her footsteps echoed through the cave, and her head ached. The rock walls began to pulsate with color. She was having illusions again. Her belt held a vial, and she yanked it up to her lips and drank it before these nightmarish visions got worse. The corruption had done a number on her, but it was only because she needed to find something precious out in its darkest areas, this specific jewel that only formed during a rainstorm, and those were rare in this desert. She grabbed her canteen to wash down the terrible taste.

"Damn," she muttered under her breath. She flipped a switch, and her lamps came on. It had taken her a miracle to get her here, and now she was here too. She hadn't seen her since her childhood, but that curly hair and freckled smile couldn't deceive her. And that Master of Lightning was wither. Jay, right? Yeah, that was his name. If Suzanne was here, though, in this wasteland, her plan had an unforeseen wrinkle.

She took out the jewel, and placed it on the table next to a strand of leather and a drill. She didn't want to lose it, so why not make it part of her outfit? The creature in the cage whimpered at the sight of it.

"Please, no more..." they begged. Their brown, yellow, and pink fur was matted from scratches. She glared at them. A lowly life form compared to the great beasts her father used to worship. She decided that this was as good a time as any to use her new-found powers on this cat demon. The crystal would let her do exactly what she wanted.

She held it in her hand, and focused. She willed her consciousness into the cat's mind, and unlike her previous times, there was no resistance. She thought, and the cat thought too, although it was forced.

"Tell me where the ruins are," she said, impatient, even if she knew that she would get her answer. "Don't make me ask again, Yoito." The creature didn't writhe like usual, and they barely croaked when they spoke.

"If I told you, you still wouldn't be able to get in," he said.

"That's not what I wanted to hear!" she hissed, and made the cat unsheathe its claws. It made a strangled noise as it scratched its own limbs.

In the beginning, she didn't use this method, but Yoi wouldn't budge. She admired this low creature for their protection of this sacred place. But if she was going to bring her dad back, she had to find this temple.

"I can lead you. You need me to get there," Yoi said. She had finally had enough, and released his mind. With this gem, the powers she had "obtained" from Neuro were heightened, and the blood on her hands seemed to disappear in a blaze of glory. She would force Yoi to lead her there. She wouldn't even give him the option to let him walk peacefully. She was finally getting the power she needed, and felt that time was going to stop if she didn't get it as soon as possible.

However, sleep was the first priority.

She could use Suzanne. She was a bleeding heart, and would never turn her down. They were still the best of friends. Besides, her powers were what she needed to fuel the temple's power. She knew that Jay was there as well, but it would be easier to use memories and friendship with her sister than just using him like every other guy she'd met.

She would set out tomorrow, and scout out where she could possibly be staying. The rain would have washed away the footprints, but if she knew Suzanne, she would love to explore the highest mesa tops, and perhaps even the nearby river, if she could find it. But maybe, just maybe, after Yoi got her in, then Suzanne would still be pure of heart enough to make the temple hers. She hadn't seen her in years, so she had hardly any heart left to give. Especially after she played her father for a pawn when he thought he was the king. She'd lost her kind instincts.

Oh well. As long as there was power in the world, people would fight over it. And she knew that well, growing up in a family of madness and worshiping vile, venomous creatures alongside her father, climbing through the ranks of the brotherhood until she was a special operative, a sort of double agent for her father... and herself.

So why not take it all for herself? That was her father's mentality, but she could easily play the game far better than any other man could.

Once she made it to the temple, she could show her father herself.

And Suzanne would be the one to do the deed. A small sacrifice for her great cause.

She didn't think it would be that easy to find her. She'd thought that this canyon had been completely abandoned, and that it was too steep to just live there, but perhaps Suzanne had gained some knowledge since her ignorant life as a child.

Then she took the thought back, because he was there too. The Master of Ice. Of course. Did that mean all of Wu's students were here? The thought put a grin on her face. Killing Neuro was one thing, but these guys were personal. It would certainly be a joyride.

Suzanne began to strap on a pair of leather gloves, and she adjusted her elbow and knee guards.

"Jay! Let's go!" she called back, practically bouncing into the sky with anticipation. The Master of Lightning came up over the canyon ridge, and she shrank back in an unknown version of recognition. Suzanne had hugged him.

She recoiled a little bit, and thought it over. Well, using Jay was now officially out of the question, and Suzanne only hugged the people she trusted the most. Sure, she was outgoing, but hardly understood the concept of love, and thought that hugs were more than a friendly gesture. This meant that Suzanne was attached to Jay. And she would have to find a way to pry her away from him. Perhaps Jay would be her first target.

People like him were overly kind, and would sacrifice themselves for the ones they loved. She thought of the many possible ways to go about it, because getting him alone was not very creative.

Skylor grinned beneath her cloak.