(A/N) Hey everybody! It's me, INFJwriter! I have some bad news: unfortunately, I am having to put Nightprowlers Part 2: 21st Century Ninja on hold for now. This is mostly because I don't even have chapters 2, 3, 4, or 5 even started, but also because it's getting close to finals and AP exams. I have to take a break, unfortunately. You may see me in a review or two, but I won't be updating much. I'm very sorry. I can't believe how many reviews I have already gotten for this fic (I even got a nickname: INFJ!), and I really don't want to put out a disappointing chapter. So that this doesn't break the rules, here's an exclusive look at an old chapter from the concept writing for Nightprowlers! This was from when I had planned five books instead of three parts. Read away!
Chapter 8
Battle Between Souls
Reed bolted across the meadow toward the monastery, which was now overshadowed by thick, rumbling, purple clouds. They flashed threateningly, but Reed kept going. He knew that something much scarier than the sky was waiting inside the building. He could hear Drew calling after him, trying to get him to stop.
"Reed! REED!" he yelled, trying to be heard over the storm. Reed kept running. He didn't have the time to talk things over.
"Reed!" Drew finally caught him by the arm, bringing him to a halt. Reed tried to pull his arm free, but his friend had an iron grip on him. "Reed, listen to me. LISTEN TO ME! You can't help her. There isn't enough golden serum to cure her. By now Gretta's probably already-"
"You think I don't know the serum is no good?" Reed shouted. "You think I don't know what state she's in? I'm her brother! If anyone should know these things, it's me!" The two boys were now in a game of tug-of-war with Reed's arm. It was hard for them to dig their heels into the ground, though, because the torrenting rain had turned it all into mud.
"How are you going to stand up to her?" Drew argued. "Remember what Lloyd said? At this point, without golden power, all efforts to save Gretta are pointless!"
"Are you telling me you've given up?! Whatever happened to 'Ninja never quit?'" Reed raged.
Then something very strange happened.
First, Reed felt his heart rate speed up. Then his veins started tingling. A surge from deep inside him shot through his arm all the way to his fingertips. With a yelp of pain, Drew jumped back, clutching his hand. But Reed didn't stop to think about what had just happened. He was gone before Drew even hit the ground.
"I've won."
As soon as Reed got inside, the wind blew the doors shut with a bang that echoed through the hall. That is, what used to be a hall. Reed stared with his mouth open at the destruction before him. The wind whistled through the broken windows, making the whole place freezing. The canvases of the paintings on the wall were torn and peeling, and the frames hung crookedly. Holes wider than doorways had been smashed through the walls between rooms. Long, deep claw marks were all over the floor, walls, and furniture. Debris from the destroyed entry hall was scattered everywhere. It was like a scene from a horror movie.
There was a bump from somewhere upstairs. Reed couldn't help feeling a little bit scared. He crept down the hall toward the stairs and began to climb. They creaked under his weight. It felt like forever until he finally reached the top. What he saw when he arrived made his face as white as a sheet.
His sister's body was lying on the ground, unmoving. Or was it his sister? She looked very different than before. She had a much thinner build. She had dirty blonde hair, and freckles on her pale face. The worst part was that she was quite visibly translucent. Reed would have rushed to her aid were she not being guarded by the most hideous sight he had ever seen.
It was a monster, the likes of which he had never seen. It was all black, and had long, pointy spines all along its back, a scaly body, three thick claws which could rip through the skin on each of its four feet, and a tail like a dragon. It turned its head around to meet him, revealing a face like a wolf, with a mouth bearing sharp teeth dripping with saliva. It flashed its red, cat-like eyes at him, stood up on its hind legs, and cackled like a hyena.
"So you've come to save your pathetic sister?" the beast sneered. "You are too late! I have already taken over her body and cast out her good soul! She was no match for me! See her poor, tired soul lying here before you. Now I, Gretta, have complete control! Emma is no more! Give up or die!"
"A ninja never quits!" Reed yelled back.
The creature cackled again. "Oh well. I have no problem killing you. But I'll have you know that I'm quite fond of playing with my food before I eat it."
With that, the creature suddenly disappeared into the shadows. Reed knew there was no getting out of here alive. But this animal was not going to take him down without a fight. And I'll give her a damn good fight at that, Reed vowed. He took out his throwing stars and got into fighting stance. A cackle echoed in the shadows. Reed readied himself. Suddenly he felt a claw scrape down his eye. He yelped in pain. The cackling grew louder.
"What's wrong, boy? Not strong enough? Or perhaps not fast enough?" Something charged at Reed and bowled him over. The creature circled back and snapped at his heels before disappearing into the shadows again. Reed touched his face. It was streaked with blood from the scrape. He could feel it going straight down from just above his eyebrow to halfway down his cheek. He shakily got up on his feet again.
"I may not be the strongest or the fastest, but I'm not going to give up!" he shouted into the shadows.
"Even now that you know you will die here?"
"That's right! And I'm not afraid either!"
"Fine then. I can't have fun with something that refuses to show fear. Any last words before you die, child?"
"He will not die today, Gretta!"
Reed gaped in awe at what looked like an angel. She was the same figure that had just been lying on the ground, but now she was wearing a white dress and practically shone. She wielded a white sword that seemed to be made of ice. She stood over Reed like a guardian. Emma's good soul had awoken.
"So it is once again a battle between the two of us?" the monster hissed. "I would have thought you would have given up, being the angel on an assasin's shoulder. She never listened to you!"
"Emma was never meant to be evil, and you know it!" the good soul shot back. "She has been plagued with having to listen to two voices in her head for too long! End your possession of her before I am forced to slay you!"
"NEVER!"
"Fine then! You shall pay the price for your crimes!"
The two souls ran at each other and engaged in battle, Emma using her ice sword and Gretta using her bare claws. As they fought, it became clear that they were both aiming to kill.
"What will happen to your little brother once you're dead?" Gretta sneered.
"You will not hurt him! And you have been in that body for too long! Goodbye, Gretta!" Emma shouted. Ice shot out of the sword, and the monster was caught in a raging flurry of the element. Black smoke billowed out behind the beast as it roared in pain. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, it screamed in agony, and a black smoky mass flew into the air and out the window, where it exploded in the sky.
The body morphed into a human form and fell to the floor, lifeless. The good soul flew toward it and settled down into it. After a moment, there was a blinding flash of light, and the body stirred. It slowly raised itself up, and the moment Reed saw the face, he knew it was his sister.
"Emma!" he cried, rushing toward her. Emma looked up and beamed at him. As he tackled her in a hug, they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Sensei Lloyd and Drew arrived at the top of the staircase and stared at the siblings in shock.
"By the grace of the First Spinjitzu Master..." Sensei Lloyd managed to whisper. "She's completely healed."
"But I thought only golden power could erase the venom," Drew expressed.
"Actually, I don't think it was golden power alone that took down the Overlord," Reed told him. "Power is strong, but love is stronger. It was only with the love Lloyd had for his father that he was able to defeat the Overlord the first time and free his father. Without love to counter the hate of the Overlord, he could not be defeated. That's why I came here. I knew that there was another way besides the golden serum to get her back."
"Well, that's all well and good, but you know what?" Sensei Lloyd interrupted. "This place is a mess! So let's start cleaning, everyone!"
"Uhh, Sensei? Did you notice I have a little problem with my face?" Reed pointed out.
For some reason, it appeared Sensei Lloyd hadn't noticed Reed's face injury yet. He gave Drew permission to help his friend get cleaned up. When they were in the bathroom and out of earshot, Drew helped Reed clean his face while the two talked about confidential matters.
"So we've finally gotten Emma on our side," Reed murmured excitedly while dabbing his face with a wet cloth. "That's good. Now all we have to do is get Mark on the team, and we're all set!"
"Dude, are you kidding?!" Drew hissed, getting out the gauze. "You can kiss that optimistic voice goodbye. Persuading Mark that the Black Dragons are evil will make Emma's case look like a walk in the park."
(A/N) So, I personally like this one because it's especially epic. I really wanted it to happen. The problem is it no longer fits in the outline anymore because this is no longer the five-book story it was going to be. Though the book this one was going to be in would have been awesome. The bolded words were the bad soul speaking and the italicized words were the good soul. There was going to be a whole struggle between the good and bad souls in this book, but since the book never happened, neither did the struggle. :(
Feel free to send any and all questions to me! And tell me what you think in the reviews! Sorry I have to take a break, but I will be back!
- INFJ