Chapter Forty Five

Leea laid down on her bed, thoroughly exhausted. Who knew the boys, despite their lack of training for the past few months, would still be so formidable and persistent! She groaned as she rolled onto her stomach, so she could comfortably fold her wings to sleep. Muscles hurt she didn't know she had to hurt. She buried her face in her pillow, and she heard a soft knock on her door.

"What," she groaned.

The door opened and she saw Rowen, which only made her groan again, and he asked, "can we talk?"

"About," she sighed as she looked up from her pillow.

He came in and leaned against her dresser, "I just wanted to see how you were doing?"

"Better than you are," she chuckled burying her face back in the pillow, sleep was calling.

She heard him sigh, "I was a real jerk to you."

Muffled, she said, "you think?!"

"I just gave so much of myself to Hoshi, that...I lost myself, when I lost her..."

She rolled her head to the side, and brushed her golden hair out of her face, "she was my whole world too, Ro. She came to meet my family once, considering who they are, they loved her."

"You don't talk about them much," he said.

"My family is vanilla, Rowen," she chuckled. "Vanilla, in vanilla cake, with vanilla frosting. My dad is a detective, my mom is a stay at home mother with a million hobbies, and I have sibling but they're both girl obsessed boys in college. Vanilla."

Rowen smiled, "nothing wrong with that."

"They don't worry about me, Rowen," she paused, "they think I'm on some world vacation with Hoshi. They remember her. I was so happy they did."

Rowen smiled softly, "I wish she got to meet my Dad."

Leea nodded in agreement, "she had this charm, that if someone got past how she looked, she would be part of their lives. My mom would send her tea cakes, and she would go to my dad for information about police work."

"She was definitely persistent like that," he paused as he saw a tear run down Leea's cheek. "I didn't come to make you feel bad, Leea."

"No, Rowen, I just wanted her to be happy with you the way she made me happy," she sobbed into her pillow. "I wanted to see her happy like my mom is, you know, vanilla."

Rowen smiled softly, "vanilla is one of the most complex natural flavors in existence, it takes years to grow it, and even longer to make really good vanilla. Vanilla isn't easily obtained."

She paused to look up at him, and wiped her eyes, "Rowen, no wonder she loved you. You're such a nerd."

He looked out at the blood red moon, "I feel like the nether realm is going to open soon. I just want you to be prepared. We're going to do our best to train you, but...but if there's a moment we can't do anything, you have to leave us."

She starred up at him seriously, his face had hardened looking at the moon. She gulped, there wasn't blood lust there, but definitely something that reminded her of the warlords. "Rowen," she paused to sit up. "I'm not going to do that..."

"What?"

"I'm not going to be a burden," she said with a stern look. "I'm going to train hard, and learn to use this armor, so that you guys don't have to worry about me. I want to be able to keep up. I'm not good for much anymore, but learning how to use this ridiculous thing!"

He smiled at the girl, "it'll be hard.."

"I don't care."

He started to walk out, "I think there's one thing you left Hoshi with?"

"What's that?"

"Ferocity," he grinned and closed the door behind him.

She smiled to herself and fell back to bed. She was glad he was feeling better, she didn't like grumpy silent Rowen. She laughed softly into her pillow, and smiled as she felt sleep tug on her. Then a dream came...

The red moon was high over head.

She flared her wings, and she looked around the castle she was at. There was a battle on field far below the wall she stood on. She realized the wall she stood on was made of fire, and there was a great creature below. A white tiger, much like Blaze, but much larger and with six limbs rather than four.

You cannot hide it here!

She turned to see the beast chained in the wall below her. A giant black wolf with eyes burning red, there were "chains" that snared each of its legs. It roared in return, the Light has chosen a new home.

She looked back at the castle behind her, a young girl was starring at her with large eyes. She held the orb in her hands, and was so tiny. Leea didn't think that the first bearer of the armor had been just a child.

You can't let this happen again.

She whirled around again and the battle field was gone, it was just black night as far as she could see with the moon still above. Hoshi stood before her in a long white dress, and a twisted wooden staff in her hands that held a silvery crystal. Leea felt like she could actually talk to her but no words came from her mouth.

The Light in the right hands can heal damage, but in the wrong hands it can destroy us all, Hoshi said as she looked up at the stars. They Elders watch through the eyes of the ages, and they are sad.

Leea tried to walk forward but none of her steps could reach her. She looked down at her feet, they were bloody.

Hoshi came to her and knelt down in front of her. She lightly touched her feet, and they were healed. She looked up with eyes so blue, The Rage will consume you all if you do not go to Ruby. The Rabbit and the Lion can help you reach her.

Leea knelt down and hugged her, still unable to stay anything.

Hoshi smiled, and kissed her forehead, The Prince is coming Leea.