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Chapter 2: The Blue Hour
2 Years Later
Lucy POV
I love Kiara. She's like a second mother to me. I love to train with her and learn cool new attacks with my magic. But I'll tell you what, her training was brutal. I train with her every single day and by that end of the day my muscles are swore. My every day routine goes like this: Run for 7 miles in the morning (each month another mile is added till 20 miles,) 70 pushups and sit ups (10 more added each week till 150,) practice hand-to-hand combat with mom, go over already learned magic and once I mastered a attack we move on with the next one, meditate (Kiara and mom would say it's good for my magic,) then run for another 5 miles.
It was tough, but we would have days off from training every once in a while. We would go camping in the woods that were over the cliff every month to learn survival skills. We also just have swimming days -even if the water is near freezing.
Kiara and mom had taught me how to use daggers, swords, and the bow and arrow that mom had brought to our training sessions. "Everyone should know how to use the basic weapons. When I was younger I was taught how to use them, it teaches you control and makes you think more," mom would say as we slashed at each other during sparring. I became ferly good and soon did better than mom. Mom had also gave me her keys and belt that held them saying she was retiring for some reason. She had given me Aquarius, Cancer, Lyra, and Crux. I Just got Horologium for my 9th birthday.
I had just started my morning routine with only less than half a mile to go. I often ran in a tank top and yoga shorts. The tank top was light pink with black strips running across it. My yoga shorts was black as well and I had on a pair of pink running shoes. My blonde hair tied back in a high pony tail that it was always in. I had my mother's light brown belt slung across my hips with the keys I had jingling to my steps.
I was happy today. Today I was going to learn the last of the dragon slayer magic: Secret Dragon Slayer Art: Zodiac Dragon. I couldn't wait! Finishing my run and I hurried to do my 150 push up and sit ups. I did my hand-to-hand combat training with Cancer, because my mom stopped saying she was getting to "old" for it anymore, and I was now doing my already learned magic.
A single tree stood out from the rest of the woods. It was enchanted to never die and stand against my attacks without any damage done to it. I circled the tree like it was a deer and I was the hungry wolf waiting to pounce. I rushed forward yelling out, "Iron Fist of the Celestial Dragon!" My fist was engulfed in a bright golden light and I brought it down on the 50 foot tree making it shake violently but it still was undamaged. "Roar of the Celestial Dragon!" A large golden vortex went flying at the tree from my mouth. The tree shook violently again.
"Wing Slash of the Celestial Dragon!" "Claw of the Celestial Dragon!" "Golden Ray of the Celestial Dragon!" I continued to attack the tree but there was not even a scratch on it. My knuckles were slightly bleeding form the tree's rough bark, but I went to attack it again and again.
While beating the tree senseless, Kiara had gotten up from her sitting position from the edge of the meadow that was near her cave and called me over to her.
"Two are you ready for the last lesson?" She questioned in my head.
Kiara always calls me Two because I'm the second Child Of The Great. Which means I'm/will be the second strongest out of the other Children. Though I don't know how many Children there are.
I walked over in the center of the field facing towards Kiara. "I'm pumped," I say. An arrogant smirk played on my face, my slitted eyes danced in eagerness for the new and final trick. Bending my knees and shifting my feet the way Kiara taught me how to, I balled up my hands and put them to my side; I was prepared in my fighting stance.
"It's called Secret Dragon Slaying Art: Zodiac Dragon. To perform this you need to call upon one of the 12 Zodiacs, push your magic into the key and chant the said Zodiac and say Dragon Embodiment."
"Then what happens?"
"That's something you'll find out for yourself," Kiara said devilishly or as evil as you can get from a voice in your head.
"Aye." I turned to the Immortal Tree taking out Cancer's key and felt its hum. A way to say that he was ready to go. I closed my eyes blocking out the cloudless sunny sky and the dragon in behind me. The birds and trees around me seemed to become silent. I pushed a large amount of magic from me into the key. "Secret Dragon Slaying Art: Zodiac Dragon..." I whispered to the key. I opened my brown slitted eyes to look at Cancer's Glowing key. Instead of glowing only a glittering gold, the gold was tainted in a violet-blue color. I looked forward -some of my yellow hair streaking across my face- as if seeing an enemy in front of me instead of the tree.
"Cancer! Dragon Embodiment!" I yelled out. A sound of door bells and a flash of violet-blue light blinded me for a second but then died down as quickly as it came. Where Cancer should have stood, a ten foot tall dragon appeared with a loud roar. I silently thanked that the closest house from us was ours, which was a good 45 min walk from here.
The Dragon A.K.A. Cancer was a dark purple with light brown armor plating and metal pieces to protect the dragon's underside. Large fat spikes were on his back and the base and tip of his tail. All though his back had no plating or metal, his tail seemed to be surrounded in its beautiful design. Four thick legs propped him up in the air and instead of wings he had two large meaty claws on his back. The claws were adorned in Cancer's purple scales, brown plating, and metal works. Cancer's head had big horns coming out of his head and cheeks. A single horn above his nose and lower jaw. Most of it was covered in the brown plating again but a gap of purple was seen near his pupiless neon blue eyes and his upper jaw. His mouth was the same neon blue as his eyes and his teeth was the same purple as his skin.
After Cancer's war cry, he looked back at me waiting for my command. "Cut down the Immortal Tree," I said. The magic power that came from Cancer was indescribable. Leaping into the air, the dragon cut down the tree with ease. He landed behind the tree with a big thump, dirt flying in the air. When dust settled down, I could see the Immortal Tree still standing with only a scratch on its lower body. I was disappointed that the tree didn't fall from Cancer's attack.
The tree started to creek, bring disbelief to my eyes. The Immortal Tree leaned to the right towards the cliff and the waterfall. It fell with a large snap and crash, thunking onto the ground.
The Immortal Tree...Fell?!
I jumped up in the air cheering. "Damn right that cursed tree fell down!" Cancer let another loud roar out and I roared with him like a dragon as he left to the spirit world to rest. I was drained of magic and super tired but my success gave me a burst of energy. I did a victory dance around the tree a couple of times and then danced around Kiara, who showed her fanged teeth at me in a smile.
"Well done for your first try, Two. I have something special to show you after your meditation as a reward for completing your training." The two horns above her gold head started to glow a white light. The Immortal tree started to lift back up in the air and float back in place, the wood mending back together as though it was never cut.
"Remember, the stronger you become the stronger you magic becomes too. At some point you will be able to bring out more than one Zodiac for this move. But my praise comes with a warning, do too much and you will run dry of magic and this move is only used for emergencies. It is very powerful and will destroy anything around you. It was not bad of a destruction because you are still young and the tree was enchanted immortal. Take these words in mind when you use Zodiac Dragon next time, Child Of The Great."
"Yes, Miss Dragon," I teased a bit. I wouldn't let her warning ruin my mood by I did take it under consideration for next time. I walked away from the Celestial Dragon, with my hands behind my head, towards her underground cave.
The cave was larger than Kiara with boulders of rocks pressed together up high and gradually went down as the cave went beneath the Earth. I walked to the side of the cave and began to scale it. At the top I had a flat rock razed in the air to do my meditations on. The rock had engravings that I had put there. "Kiara, Layla Heartfilia, & Lucy Heartfilia." Under the names was a small dragon flying in the wind, its wings gliding with ease. I sat down on top of the writing with a sigh. Closing my eyes and crisscrossing my legs, I shut out the afternoon day.
"Lucy, come here," the voice of Kiara said.
I opened my eyes to a setting sun that over looked the waterfall and 60 foot cliff. It was a natural wonder. Getting up I ran and jumped my way down from the top of the cave and strutted over to the said dragon.
"Yup," I said popping the p.
"Clime on up" she flicked her gold tail at me. Using her spines that were along her tail I got up and sat down above her wings, my legs on either side of her long neck. Her scales were smooth and warm under my touch. I placed my hands on the lowest spine on her neck.
"What are we doing?" I questioned.
She looked back at me with a toothy smile and took off at a run for the cliff. I clung to her neck for dear life, afraid of what she was planning to do. When get were reaching the cliff she didn't stop, but ran faster. Her wing behind me perking up into position as the dragon leaped off of the cliff.
My eyes went wide, my mouth in an "O" shape. I was flying...We were flying. I looked behind me and saw Kiara's wings fully extended slicing through the air, the cliff far behind us, and her tail trailing after us. I looked down and past Kiara's legs to see the ground far below. We were up so high that it was difficult to pick out the trees with the ground.
The cold wind was whipping my hair around and caused it to come out of its pony tail. It kind of looked like Kiara's golden tail. I closed my eyes and tilted my face up, catching the smell of the soon to come rain with my heighten dragon senses. I took in big gulps of the fresh air and opened my eyes.
To my right I saw the coming rain clouds and to my right the setting sun. The sky was painted with orange, purple, red, and pink. I stared at the sky till the sun went down. I looked at Kiara to see her looking at me out of the corner of her eye. She bared her teeth at me and looked in front of her to focus on flying.
I turned my body around and lied down on my back, resting my head at the base of her neck, below her lower spine. I looked at the sky. New colors had painted it. Instead of the fiery colors when the sun was setting, it was now different shades of blue. Stars poked out like a hopeful beam.
"You know, Mom called this the 'Blue Hour.' I'd ask her 'Why blue?' And she'd say 'This is the time were sadness prevails... and because it's blue.' She would never tell me why this is the time sadness prevails. I never quite understood what she meant either. But whatever."
Kiara didn't respond, but kept flying. I looked to the side. I didn't notice we were getting closer to the ground and that we were approaching the manor. Kiara landed near the manor, but far enough to not be spotted by the groundskeeper.
"Good night Two. See you in the morning." Kiara said and flew off into the night towards her cave.
Sighing I walked across the yard to the back door of the manor. Once I opened it and stepped on in, the atmosphere felt... different. I couldn't pin point what it was, but it was anything but good. I began to run down the halls fallowing blindly to the strange feeling, forgetting to close the door. I skidded to a stop at a door. I felt more than nervousness. I felt fear at what was behind of this door.
The door of my parents' bedroom.
Walking up to the door, I hesitated at the door handle and pushed it open. Time seemed to be slower than usual. There on the bed of my mother and father's, laid a small women. Golden blankets wrapped her body, but her arms were out on top of the sheets. The woman was deathly pale to the point you can clearly see her veins. Her closed eyes had large shadows under them and her lips were the same color as her skin. Her hair a dull yellow. An IV bag that hung near her was attached to her arm.
My father held the lady's hand and stared at her with sad, painful eyes. A saddened smile forced upon his lips. His hair looked like her raked it with his fingers over and over. He looked like he was in hell. I looked back at the lady and walked over to the bed, the opposite of my father and sank to my knees.
"Mom?" I choked out. I couldn't believe my eyes. My Mother, who I saw and seemed to be perfectly fine this morning before I left to Kiara, looked like a corpse. The only thing that told me she was still alive was her chest that moved with her breath and the faint heart beat that my sensitive ears had trouble hearing with.
"She's sick. With What, I don't know," My father said. "She's been sick for a while. I had had doctor after doctor -even a few mages- come here to find out what's wrong with her and in hopes for a cure... But nothing was known about this sickness. She didn't want you to know. I guess because at the end of each day, coming back from your play dates with Kiara, you had a shining smile on your face. She didn't want that smile to fall into the darkness" I remembered that mom had never told anyone who Kiara truly was. It was meant to be a secret between us. We just played it off that she was a little girl who I hung out with.
"But each day it got worse and worse. This morning, right after you left for Kiara's house, she collapsed and said to let you be. Your mother didn't want to worry you. But now... she is on her death bed..." He said. Then he left the room.
I let my bangs from my loose hair shadow over my eyes. I registered what he had said and now it all made sense. Why mom retired, why she gave me her keys, why she didn't practice with me, and why she didn't go to the cave anymore. The feeling that I felt by the backdoor came to my mind. I couldn't decide what was wrong then, but I did now. It was death.
A ruff quite voice spoke out against the silence. "Lucy?"
My head shot up. Mom was looking at me with an expression I couldn't read. I gripped the hand that my father had let go of and said, "Mom?"
"Lucy, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you any of this," she said. "You're strong Lucy, but I need you to be stronger right now. Promise?"
I nodded "I promise...and Celestial Mages always keeps there promises." I will not cry. I will keep my promise no matter what and not cry.
Mom laughed at that, but it was weak and ended with her coughing. Each coughs shaking her frail body. "Good. Here take this," she said, taking her hand away from mine to her neck. From under her shirt she pulled out a black key attached to a metal chain. The key was like my other celestial keys except that were others were decorated to their assigned Zodiac, this one had no decoration. The bow of the key just a simple back oval with a blank black pearl in the center. The shaft was a black cylinder and the bit was full, no carvings in it at all. I took the weird key from her shaky and stared at it.
"With this key you can make something or someone into a sprit. You will know what to do when the time comes to use it. But be careful, there are only 12 in existence and once the sprit is in that key, you can't choose another to occupy the key. It will take a lot to summon the spirit so only use them in emergencies. Ok?"
"Yes Mom," I said, still staring at the key.
"I love you, Lucy. Become the heroine I promised you to be..."
I looked up at my mom. Her eyes were closed and she had a faint smile on her lips. But I couldn't hear her faint heart beat anymore. It was silence.
"Mom," I said, panic filling my voice. "Mom? Mom!" I stood from my kneeling position and shook her shoulder. Mommy!" I yelled and hugged her; my hand still clutched the key that she gave me. She's gone...
From outside of the room, I steps running towards me. Father busted into the room and ran to the side of me.
"Layla? Layla!" Panic filled his voice too. He gripped my arm hard and through me away from mom. I landed on my butt, a few feet away from him. I stared at the figures wide-eyed for a few seconds and ran out of the room. My feet carried me back to the still opened back door and across the yard into the woods.
I ran and ran till a uprooted tree root on top of a hill tripped me and I went tumbling down to the bottom. I didn't get up from the grassy ground, just rolled onto my back and looked up. I will not cry. I will be strong. I chanted to myself. That's when I noticed the sky.
It was still different shades of blue. Stars shined more brightly then before though. It was as if the constellations were trying to comfort me. I took the black key and slipped it around my neck and under my tank top, while still looking at the sky.
"I guess I now understand what you mean mom," I whispered to myself. "It truly is the Blue Hour." Darkness creped on me and I was out like a light.
Hi my Dragonlings,
This was a fun chapter to wright. I came up with the idea of Kiara calling Lucy Two from my little sister because I always call her Two, so I thought what the hell. I will post new chapters every Sunday if not sooner.
I have a picture of what Cancer, Kiara, and Alec looks like on my Pinterest if you are interested.
Pinterest is The Reaping Dragon If you wanna see the dragons!
Hoped yall enjoyed! See ya next chapter!
~ The Reaping Dragon