Yup…that happened. And now this.
[1st Person POV; Garret]
I stood on the cloud landing platform watching as Adelia ran from me on a rainbow. She looked back for a mere moment, a single tear rolling down her face. Then she turned away and continued her flight from the Cloud Palace. Soon she was gone and all I could do was wonder why she was so distraught that she fled. I know that Kuroi had talked to her during the fight; I could tell by the dark sphere I'd bumped into and the voices from within. But what did he do to her?
Right then one of the others ran up next to me. I didn't know who until they spoke to me.
"Was that Adelia?" Jack asked me in shock.
"Yes."
"Why did she leave? You guys beat Kuroi out and…you two didn't fight did you?"
"No. Kuroi told her something though."
"And that would be?" He questioned as I took a few paces away from the edge.
Looking to him I answered, "I'm going to find out." Then I ran forward as fast as I could and jumped off the landing platform, hearing his shouts behind me as I fell.
[3rd Person POV]
Adelia had decided to hide in the last place anyone would look for her. So she naturally chose a haunted forest in Romania called, "Hoia Baciu" where people were afraid to come in during the night and she would be safe from the other Guardians, especially Garret. Here in this dark and desolate place she couldn't hurt anyone.
Sitting down in a curve of an oddly shaped tree she just stared at her new home for the next few days. It was very somber, the trees starting to shed their leaves early in preparation for autumn. The ground was bland and lifeless in some areas and the overall feel of the place was blank and empty.
Adelia sighed, not happy with the environment she was stuck with but knew that it was better this way. With that she set her staff next to her and curled up into a ball. Then she fell asleep in the grim forest in the dark night.
[1st Person POV; Garret]
I stopped by a large boulder, panting and exhausted. It had been a whole seven days since Adelia had run away and every place I thought she would even fathom going to I couldn't find her. Then I started checking more obscure areas that didn't exactly scream "IMAGINATION". She, unfortunately, wasn't in any of those areas either and I had just started looking in, well, places that seem like Kuroi would be lurking in them. It was just as I got to Hungry that I needed a small break.
"Garret?" A small, quiet voice asked from behind me.
I spun around on my heel quickly only to find Toothiana hovering a few feet away. She looked concerned and…guilty of all things. Curious about her odd presence I straightened myself and went over to her.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back at the Tooth Palace? Or the Cloud Palace?"
"I…I was…well"
"How did you find me?" I asked her. "I haven't contacted anyone in a week so, how did you know I was here?"
She froze for a minute and then asked, "Why are you so intent on finding her? Adelia?"
Pausing I thought about it and answered, "I feel like I know her…from when I was human. But she had brown hair and green eyes and…we knew each other. I know it's not a lot to go off of especially considering I've only recently remembered all of that but, she's important to me and part of my past. That much I know. So I have to find her."
"I see. Your memory is coming back on its own."
"You know about this?"
Toothiana went quiet again and didn't make eye contact with me. She began fidgeting with her hands and looked like she was trying to find the proper way to phrase whatever she had to say. But, for once, I lost my patience. Going closer to her I grabbed her chin and made her look up at me, finding the pink eyes were watering.
"You know who she is don't you? Who she was to me when I was human? Tell me now!"
"She was you fiancé! You two were engaged but someone in your town that didn't like you and wanted her; They found out because she was careless. So he took her, got all the information he could out of her, and then set your house on fire…killing you. He shot her after that."
"…How long have you know this about me? How long have you actually known who I am and my past?"
"Since I met you 300 years ago. I couldn't risk telling you this when the time wasn't right. I'm sorry." Toothiana sobbed, tears freely flowing from her eyes and down her cheeks.
I let go of her and stumbled back, shocked by the betrayal and news I had just received. This whole time she'd known everything and lied to me about it. Straight to my face in front of the others too! And her excuse as to why is timing? Of all things, timing?
Looking from the ground to her I asked one last thing. "You know where she is, don't you?"
Toothiana gave a small nod, still gazing at the ground.
"Tell me. You lied to me my whole life; you're not going to anymore. You're going to tell me where Adelia is now so that I can get to her before Kuroi does."
"She's in the Hoia Bacui Forest in Romania. She plans on leaving when it's evening so hurry." Toothiana answered.
Without a word more I grabbed my staff and left the small plain I had been in. The Tooth Fairy stayed there and didn't follow me this time. I was more than glad about it and just wanted to focus on the problem at hand, not argue about past matters. Right now there are bigger problems at hand.
[3rd Person POV]
Adelia woke up to the almost usual darkness of the forest that surrounded her. Stretching her arms she got up, grabbed her staff and began to ponder where to go next. There were so many dark places in the world that she honestly couldn't decide.
It was as she made her decision on heading to Japan next that loud noises from the shadows stopped her. Holding up her staff and readying it for a strike the crystal on top began to glow purple. She waited as whatever it was got closer and pulled back her arms. Just as she was going to go for the hit however, she pulled back her arms in surprise of what it was.
Holding up his hands and with his hood up Garret carefully approached Adelia, flinching when she was about to strike him down. He looked up though when she pulled the hit and was still. What he found was her looking at him sadly and starting to take a few steps back from him.
"Don't run away again. Please." He said calmly.
She shook her head and turned to flee only to be stopped by him reaching out and grabbing both of her wrists. Trying to break free she struggled against him, sobbing out that she had to or else things would get worse. He was able to stop her thinking this with one phrase though.
"I know what happened. I know." He told her, looking her dead in the eyes.
Freezing in fear she waited for him to become upset with her for all the pain and grief she'd caused him in both his lifes. That never happened though. Instead he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry into his shoulder and telling her that he wasn't upset and didn't blame her for any of it. And most of all he made sure to let her know that it was alright.
"I thought you'd be so angry at me. But you're not."
"That's because you couldn't help what happened. Besides, it's in the past and done with. There's no point in dwelling on it now. Please don't run away anymore; I don't want to lose you." Garret told her.
"Okay. I won't." Adelia answered wiping away a tear still on her face.
Just as they prepared to head back to the Cloud Palace a deathly cold chill formed in the air around them and the shadows seemed to darken. The wind picked up and began swirling viciously, howling loudly in their ears. And from the tops of several trees came the whispers or distorted voices all saying the same thing over and over again: Die.
Garret stood protectively by Adelia and created a light orb above them. All of the voices hissed in what could only be pain and began screeching the one word louder. Then in the faint light The Guardian of Summer and Imagination could see a figure approaching them.
"He's here. Brace yourself." Garret whispered to Adelia just as the dark form leaped forward and attacked them.
Jumping back but still within the light Garret struck at the unmistakable form of Kuroi. He dodged and lashed out at the Guardian of Summer with what appeared to be a club of sorts. Ducking the Guardian attacked again but with a ball of light in his palm this time. The foe did not expect this and yelled out in pain as the bright orb hit his side throwing him to the ground. It was as the Guardian went for another strike that he fell right into the place his enemy wanted.
Instead of blocking him Kuroi simply melted into the shadows on the ground and caused the Guardian to become wary fast. He then began sending out projectiles at high speeds aimed at both of them. Adelia was able to block most of them since few went her way. Garret on the other hand seemed to be the main target and was taking the lot. It was only after a good three minutes of being barraged that he missed blocking one and was struck had in the head.
Falling down to his knees Garret tried to regain his senses and climb back up only to be struck twice more; once in the same place he'd just been hit on his head. With that the Guardian of Summer fell completely and lost consciousness, his staff landing beside him. Adelia ran over to him and crouched down, reaching to grab his weapon. Just as she did a black boot with smoke rising from it stomped down on it, cracking the wood and making her freeze.
Fear rising she gazed up in horror at a figure who wreaked of corpses and ash and sent chills down her spine; Kuroi Ruler of Death.
He reached down for Garret, darkness seeping out of him. Adelia reacted though and pulled the unconscious Guardian close to her and backed away with her staff held protectively in front of both of them. This did not seem to faze him however, as he instead reached down and picked up the Guardian of Summer's staff and source of power. With a grin he held the smooth wood in his gray clammy hands tightly and began to bend.
Right on cue Garret began to writhe in pain in Adelia's arms. She panicked and tried to soothe him and calm him down but nothing worked. He clawed at himself for abit more until Kuroi stopped; then he went limp again.
"Give up now. Both of you." He told her in a voice almost as sharp as nails on a chalk board.
"No. We won't!" She shouted and launched a violet ray of light at the fiend.
Evading it easily he simply looked at her and began to not only bend the staff again but also engrain darkness into it. As this happened Garret woke only to start screaming in agony and shake from the pain. Scared Adelia looked down at him and found that there were dark swirls encroaching on his eyes, getting closer and closer to his green iris's. His veins began to turn black as well and breathing was haphazard. It was only as it began to disappear that she cracked and looked back up.
"Stop it! I'll give up just don't kill him! Please." She cried out to the villain.
In response he gestured towards her weapon which she reluctantly threw to him. Kuroi walked forward and picked up the second staff. Then he released his death grip on the other and the Guardian of Summer fell unconscious once more. With a smile he now approached the two weaponless guardians and looked down at them. The girl was still holding tightly to the boy.
"You won't win. You may capture us but the others will stop you." She told him defiantly.
Crouching down so as to be eye to eye with her he replied, "No-one wins against me because no-one wins against Death."
With that everything went dark and the night was silent once more.
And creepy man is creepy. Hope you liked and leave reviews please. That'd be nice. Chapter 17 should be up soon.
