Chapter 6

Jessica hummed a tune as she headed toward the Tripp's house. It was a sunny day and Jessica was the happiest she could possibly be. Suddenly she felt something move past her. Instinctively she turned around, but there was nothing there, except the shadow from a building. Shrugging her shoulders, she turned away, determined to reach her destination. Toby had somehow acquired two tickets for a concert featuring their favourite singers so it was at this concert that they planned to spend their first actual date.

The shadows behind Jessica suddenly began moving towards her before swooping around her, trapping her. They wrapped around her eyes, blinding her, so she couldn't escape and around her mouth so she couldn't scream for help. Frantically, Jessica struggled but the shadow was too strong for her. With a startled gasp, she went limp. The shadow began to dissipate, taking Jessica with it. The only evidence to suggest that she had been there was her wristband; a gift to her from Toby.

Meanwhile, at the Tripp's house, Toby was pacing back and forth nervously. The concert was due to start in less than an hour and there was still no sign of Jessica. Though he immediately cursed himself for thinking it, he wondered if she had forgotten. But that would mean she had let him down, and Jessica never let anyone down. In that case, the blonde wondered, where was she?

"Help me! Someone! Help!" Jessica screamed until her throat was raw. She couldn't remember being so scared in all her life. Nobody knew where she was; no one could save her. Before she could stop herself, she felt tears of desperation running down her cheeks.

"Pathetic." A female voice sounds through the cave, but there was no one there. "And you call yourself a Lord of Nature?" Shadows began whirling around, causing Jessica to cower, truly afraid, but they stopped in front of her and began to form the shape of a girl. Jessica's eyes widened when she saw what, or rather who, the shadows had produced.

"You!" She whispered. "Who are you? What do you want with me?" The girl smirked evilly, her black eyes, like bottomless depths, staring intently at Jessica.

The shadows whipped around the girl's form as she transformed into a Darkness Gormiti with horns, bat wings and a long spiked tail. "I am Nadia. I was caught in a slip rift many years ago. My father, Lord Obscurio, found me and raised me to follow in his footsteps. Your precious boyfriend destroyed the one thing I hold most dear, so I'm going to destroy the thing he holds most dear."

Jessica began to struggle, straining against her suddenly-conjured bonds. "Pain!" Nadia yells, hurling dark energy at Jessica. Immediately she starts to scream and struggles even more, wounds opening all over her body. Nadia laughs and repeats the attack until Jessica is laid unconscious in a pool of crimson.

Back at Venture Falls, Toby sadly threw the tickets in the bin. He wasn't angry, he just wished Jessica had phoned and explained why she hadn't shown up. Sighing, he headed up to his room and flopped onto his bed, falling into a deep sleep.

Dream (Toby's POV)

I don't exactly know where I am. Well, I do, I'm stood on a ledge, but I don't know where exactly. I hear voices below me and I realise that if I lay in the right position, I can spy.

I see two girls, both of whom I recognise. One is Jessica who is bound against the cave wall and the other is the girl who kissed me. Through snippets of their conversation, I hear that her name is Nadia. Suddenly she shouts, "Pain!"

Jessica begins screaming in absolute agony. I stare in horror as wounds appear all over her body. Nadia continues the attack until Jessica is lying unconscious in a pool of crimson. She's hurt. I have to help her. I turn and begin to stare at my surroundings intently so I can remember the place when I wake up.

End of Dream

Toby flung open his door and began hammering on Nick's door. Nick opened the door, blinking blearily. "Toby, what-"

"Phone Lucas. Get him over here. Jessica's in trouble!" Toby yelled, completely ignoring Nick. The bespectacled boy sighed, shaking his head at his older brother, but upon seeing his pale face and terrified expression, decided it would be best not to argue.

Within half an hour, Lucas had arrived, fully dressed and yawning loudly. Toby quickly explained what was happening and Lucas suddenly looked more alert. The three boys collected their elements and transformed.

"Judging by your description, Jessica has been taken to the Cavern of the Hidden Shadow, located in the Lava Nation." Nick informed the others.

"Well, now we know where she is. Let's go and rescue her; she could be dead by the time we get there if Nadia keeps up that attack!" Toby yelled desperately, not wanting to think about the possibility that Jessica could already be dead.

In no time at all, the trio reached their destination. Toby immediately took the lead, heading in the direction of the cave, determined to reach Jessica before it was too late. Nick and Lucas exchanged glances before speeding up to catch up with him. They found him stood outside a large cave entrance shaped like a fanged mouth waiting to swallow them up.

Lucas shuddered. "This place already gives me the creeps." Toby glared at him and advanced forward. However his foot stepped on a pressure pad and a huge stone dropped in front of the entrance, separating Toby from Nick and Lucas.

"You okay, guys?" Toby asked, before gasping with pain. He slumped against the cave wall, struggling to stay upright.

"We're alright. How about you?" Nick responded, sounding concerned.

"Never mind me!" Toby snapped. "I have to find Jessica!" He turned and staggered through the cave, every movement causing him immense pain. It was only a short distance to Jessica.

Nadia looked up as she heard heavy footsteps approaching. She turned to Jessica. "It looks like he hasn't died from the pain and desperation yet but don't you worry. Soon you won't be able to feel any pain."

"Oblivion." The powerful dark mass surrounded Jessica, robbing her of the little strength she had left and siphoned away her life, leaving her laid motionless on the cave floor.

Toby burst through the entrance, pain written all over his features. Nadia smirked. "Too late, she's dead and there's not a single thing you can do." She laughed maliciously as Toby sank to his knees, letting out a cry of desperation and pain. He then dragged himself over to Jessica.

He took hold of her cold hand,stained with scarlet and sobbed, before gasping quietly. There was a pulse; albeit a faint one but it was there. The pain in his heart began to lessen slightly.

Nadia narrowed her eyes as Toby visibly relaxed. "So she's still alive, is she? Well, not for long!" She murmured. She closed her eyes as she faded back into shadows.

Toby's head suddenly jerked back, his eyes flying open, but instead of being their normal ocean-blue, they were a soulless onyx-black. He walked stiffly toward Jessica, wrapping his arms around her neck.

As he squeezed, the last vestiges of Jessica's life began to slowly disappear. All of a sudden, Toby gasped as images began to flood his brain. They were primarily memories of all the times he had spent with Jessica. One of the more prominent memories was him confessing his feelings for her and her admitting that she reciprocated those feelings. He remembered the feeling of her lips on his, how good it felt to have her in his arms and how he never wanted to let her go.

His eyes faded back to their normal colour as the shadow left his body, unable to cope with Toby's love for Jessica. Toby turned back toward Jessica, ignoring the evil laugh as the shadow flew out of the cave.

He cradled her lifeless body, tears falling thick and fast. "I'm sorry!" He choked, grief making every thought painful. "I couldn't save you! This is all-all my f-fault!" His tears splashed onto her completely still body. Toby collapsed on top of Jessica, not noticing that he was no longer alone.

"Toby?" Nick laid his hand on his older brother cautiously.

"Don't touch me!" Toby yelled, wrenching Nick's hand off him. "S-She's dead! Because of me. I killed her! She was still alive when I got here and now, because of me, she's dead! I can't live without her! I can't live,not knowing or experiencing her love anymore."

Lucas gasped. Nick and Toby both whirled around so they were facing the same way as their friend. What they saw shocked them.

Jessica was surrounded by a blue glow and all her wounds seemed to be healing at a miraculous rate. Toby moved forward, barely able to comprehend what was happening. He remembered that Jessica had saved his life with her kiss, an act of love. Now it was time for him to repay the gesture.

He leant down, fingers stroking her face as his lips met hers in a gentle yet strong kiss, similar to the one she had given him. Within five minutes, he was ready to give up hope when her chest slowly began to rise and fall and her eyes slowly opened. He smiled into the kiss and pulled her onto his lap, their kiss becoming more passionate than it had ever been before at their utter relief that they were both alive and their renewed love for one another.

Nick cleared his throat loudly and the reunited couple broke apart, blushing furiously.

" Alright, break it up, lovebirds!" Lucas said, grinning. Both Toby and Jessica playfully hit him.

Jessica leant heavily on Toby as they left the cave and gated back to Earth, but Toby's mind was elsewhere. This-All this had happened because of him. How could she even bear to be near him?

"Something on your mind?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes.

"How can you stand to be near me?" He asked. "After what I did?"

"If you mean saving my life and the events immediately after, which you probably don't, then how would you expect me to stay away from the only person who I will ever love?"

"The only person you'll ever love can never stop loving you." He breathed, inhaling her scent; lilies, roses and a touch of lavender.

"I know what happened, Toby, and it wasn't your fault. She possessed you. I saw the shadows."

"Yeah, but I should have tried harder to resist. I only stopped because I remembered what it felt like when you kissed me. What if I hadn't been able to bring you back? Would you still love me knowing that I'm the one who nearly-"

Jessica smiled. "And if you think that would stop me from loving you, you've got another think coming!"

Toby smiled with relief, wrapping Jessica in his loving embrace. "I love you, Jessica."

Jessica rested her head against him. "I love you too, Toby." The couple stayed wrapped in their embrace as they watched the sun set together.