The Cornerstone

[Starless::Night]

Meive heard Lila’s voice loud and clear in his mind, something he felt relieved for. He had begun to lose hope of finding her. Wiping his auburn hair out of his eyes, he rested against the nearby wall, gazing down at the mess of a wound on his leg. The young man could sense that she was slowly getting closer, so he thought it was better that maybe he should stay where he was, and reserve the little amount of strength he had left.

After what felt like a lifetime, Meive recognized Lila’s figure bursting free of the people, and quickly making her way towards him. When she got to him, she hunched over and stared up at him, her eyes wide with worry. He couldn’t help but smirk a little, knowing that he looked absolutely terrible.

“We’ll discuss our car insurance payments and the lack of a motorcycle later. Are you alright? My leg is probably as bad as it looks, I need to find either Aeya or Aurora and get healed.” He was out of breath by the time he finished, trying to slowly calm down his heart rate as well as his breathing. Finally getting it undercontrol he allowed his emerald eyes to look around, taking in the people and finally noticing the large hovercraft that loomed menacingly in the distance, “We also need to figure out what the heck is going on.”

__________________________________________________________

Cel rested his hands on either side of him, closing his teal eyes for a moment, drawing the power from deep within him. Kerin stood beside him, her arms incased in metal, her eyes glowing faintly the colour of her ruby hair.

When Cel opened his eyes, he relaxed and side glanced at the young woman next to him. Together, they stepped into the street and approached the large craft. The noises around them seemed to die away, until he was momentarily distracted by the voice from the young woman who he’d seen with the infant earlier. Putting it in the back of his mind, he raised his arm and pointed it up at the airship. Vines that lined the small garden patches and streets seemed to come to life. They followed the motion of Cel’s arm and began wrapping around the craft.

Kerin waited patiently, watching as the vines became tighter and tighter, as the metal beneath it began to groan.

__________________________________________________________

Aeya heard the baby crying before she saw anything. Desperation dumped more adrenaline through her veins. She was grateful for Mikke’s reassuring grip, as hysteria began creeping into the edges of her thoughts. They were almost there, where the collapsed buildings rested, the dust was still settling, as it filled her lungs.

When the two finally reached it, Aeya began searching for any way inside. The terrible feeling she had was getting worse. Tears started filling her eyes as she tried to remain under control. As she wandered farther down, the baby’s cries grew louder.

There was finally a large opening, and when Aeya peered inside she collapsed, her knees losing all their strength. Inside trapped underneath rubble was Anne, everything below her upper abdomen crushed under the building’s weight. Aeya crawled inside, approaching the figure slowly, unsure if she was still alive.

Getting closer, the half-mermaid disturbed a pile of rocks, knocking Anne into semi-consciousness. It took her a few moments to recognize the ebony haired woman coming closer, but when she did, a weak smile lit her face.

“H-hey y-you…are you alright A-aeya?” The woman’s voice was weak, tears now filling her eyes, mimicking Aeya’s. Trying to remain as calm as possible, she smiled in return.

“I-I’m alright. How about you? Where’s Corina?” She was barely able to keep from sobbing, already knowing the outcome of her friend, though she didn’t want to face it. During this time, the infant’s cries had died away, so Aeya was unaware of her status. Anne seemed to try to shuffle around a bit; her arms appeared to be wrapped around her body. Finally she stopped moving, and the other young woman could make out a small head.

“P-please Aeya, take her, I-I shielded her from the rubble. T-take her to her f-father. P-please?” The tears finally streaked down her dirt smeared face. Moving closer, Aeya finally let one of the sobs escape passed her lips. After a few minutes of struggling, she managed to pull out the crying baby, holding her gently against her shoulder.

Moving back a little, Aeya turned around to face her childhood friend once more, releasing her hold on keeping the tears and sobs back. Anne had gone limp, her eyes closed. She appeared to be sleeping, but the half-mermaid knew better.

When she got back outside, she saw Mikke standing there, watching her. She didn’t even try to stay under control. Pulling her knees up around the baby, she held it protectively and sobbed, her back heaving in turn. What was she supposed to do now?

[||Megs||]

Calmly, carefully, Mikke knelt down and wrapped his strong arms around Aeya and the child, his wings encircling them all from the outside world. He did not say a word--he had not followed Aeya through the opening, having already felt the outcome of her friend. But now he knew both she and the child needed a calm, in-control presence. He held Aeya to her, gently stroking her silky hair with one hand. After a little while, he carefully let her go and stood, smiling fondly down at her.

"I am very sorry for you friend, Aeya. But we now have a child to think about right now...we need to get you two somewhere safe." he glanced up at the aircraft, eyes narrowing. That thing had started all of this..."This needs to stop." he blinked, seeing something shoot up at the ship. Someone, not too very far away, was attacking the ship. The problem with that, Mikke thought, was that if it got damaged enough, it would crash down into the city...

-----

Aurora was in a panic, shielding herself as much as possible, she felt like a rag doll caught in the jaws of an energetic dog. All she had done was step outside the cafe to see what was going on, and now...

"Hey there, lady! Hold on!"

Who was that? Were they talking to her? It was hard to tell with all the screaming and shouting voices around her.


Finally catching her breath, Lila was able to stand upright. "Me? I'm fine--you, on the other hand, yes, need to see Aeya or Aurora--"

"Aurora! Here!"

Lila looked over her shoulder to see a petite Avian girl dive into the crowd. A moment later Aurora herself was led over to them, and Aurora looked relieved to see familiar faces and be out of the rush.

"Thank goodness--my stars, Meive!" she said, taking her hand off of her stomach she she inspected his leg. One touched down near Lila, instantly swiveling her gaze to look up at the large intruder. Something was wrapping around it? She grinned, and looked at Aurora for a moment. She seemed to know these people--they looked like Lila and Meive, whom she had seen a younger picture of.

"Uh, Lila and Meive, right? It's an odd time for an introduction, but I am One, Mikke's sister. I'll be back!" she said in a rush, leaping up into the air and soaring up to the tops of the buildings. She grinned as she floated above one, balls of pure light light forming around her hands. She thrusted her

[||Megs||]

Calmly, carefully, Mikke knelt down and wrapped his strong arms around Aeya and the child, his wings encircling them all from the outside world. He did not say a word--he had not followed Aeya through the opening, having already felt the outcome of her friend. But now he knew both she and the child needed a calm, in-control presence. He held Aeya to her, gently stroking her silky hair with one hand. After a little while, he carefully let her go and stood, smiling fondly down at her.

"I am very sorry for you friend, Aeya. But we now have a child to think about right now...we need to get you two somewhere safe." he glanced up at the aircraft, eyes narrowing. That thing had started all of this..."This needs to stop." he blinked, seeing something shoot up at the ship. Someone, not too very far away, was attacking the ship. The problem with that, Mikke thought, was that if it got damaged enough, it would crash down into the city...

-----

Aurora was in a panic, shielding herself as much as possible, she felt like a rag doll caught in the jaws of an energetic dog. All she had done was step outside the cafe to see what was going on, and now...

"Hey there, lady! Hold on!"

Who was that? Were they talking to her? It was hard to tell with all the screaming and shouting voices around her.


Finally catching her breath, Lila was able to stand upright. "Me? I'm fine--you, on the other hand, yes, need to see Aeya or Aurora--"

"Aurora! Here!"

Lila looked over her shoulder to see a petite Avian girl dive into the crowd. A moment later Aurora herself was led over to them, and Aurora looked relieved to see familiar faces and be out of the rush.

"Thank goodness--my stars, Meive!" she said, taking her hand off of her stomach she she inspected his leg. One touched down near Lila, instantly swiveling her gaze to look up at the large intruder. Something was wrapping around it? She grinned, and looked at Aurora for a moment. She seemed to know these people--they looked like Lila and Meive, whom she had seen a younger picture of.

"Uh, Lila and Meive, right? It's an odd time for an introduction, but I am One, Mikke's sister. I'll be back!" she said in a rush, leaping up into the air and soaring up to the tops of the buildings. She grinned as she floated above one, balls of pure white light forming around her hands. She thrust her arms forward, and many rays formed from the balls of light and darted to the tentacle things that were still snatching up people. The rays cut right through the grabbing tentacles, then quickly swirled around the falling figures, slowing them enough so that they landed softly on their feet.

Sweat beaded her brow, but One kept at it.

-----

Mikke recognized the light and swiveled in the direction of where it was coming from. In the distance above the buildings he could barely see the illuminated figure of his sister. What was she doing? Even though she was being a great help, she was making herself a very vulnerable target...!

[Starless::Night]

She felt Mikke wrap his arms around them protectively and reassuringly, as the tears continued to fall down her face. Aeya couldn’t stop them, even if she’d tried too, so she just let them go, knowing that the young man next to her didn’t mind at her.

Finally, a few minutes later, her tears ran dry, though her sapphire eyes were most likely puffy and red. Mikke had gently pulled away and looked around before looking back at her. Nodding her head in agreement, she let her knees fall away, Corina still whining quietly.

Gathering herself together, she stood up and wiped the back of her dress off with one hand, the other arm holding the baby expertly. When she finished cleaning off her dress as much as possible, she wiped at her face in an attempt to get rid of the tears.

“O-ok, I’m ready. What do we need to do?” Her voice was surprisingly much calmer than she felt, which seemed to happen often in these sorts of situations. Noticing Mikke watching something, she looked up and noticed that the aircraft was being attacked, by two different sources. Trying to get a better look, she moved next to the young man and her sapphire eyes went wide, “That’s another Avian! But she looks like a child!” The distant child seemed to be shooting rays of light at the metal monster, which could be either a good or bad thing.

Her mind suddenly popped into gear as she started calculating things. Grabbing Mikke’s hand once more, she turned and took off running down a nearby alley. She could sense the presence of water nearby, though she wasn’t sure if it was salt concentrated. The half-mermaid had no real idea of what the heck she was doing, but the voice in her head seemed to beckon her to go.

__________________________________________________________

Cel watched the young Avian girl soar into the air and nearly cursed. He appreciated her help, but she was making things a tad bit worse. The tentacles she was cutting off were still fully functional having sprouted legs and were now crawling around the streets snatching people and flinging them.

“Kerin, would you mind getting the girl. We don’t need her getting caught or making things worse.” His voice was deep, catching the young woman’s attention. She knew better when he was in this mode, and the metal platings on her arms peeled off, flattened themselves and became the shape of a large disk. It hovered a few inches above the ground, until she hopped lightly on top of it. Blinking, Cel saw she was gone zooming up towards the Avian.

He could sense the other girl moving around somewhere nearby, she was with another one of the special ones. He then remembered their names, the memories of their first encounter rushing back to him. Aeya seemed to have caught on to it, a little, and was doing what he’d hoped she’d do, though he could still sense the baby with her. This caused a frown to settle on his lips, but he quickly forgot it, in an attempt to overpower the aircraft again. The vines continued to get tighter, the groaning noises getting louder, as the metal was slowly buckling underneath the pressure.

__________________________________________________________

Meive smiled grimly as Aurora inspected his leg. He’d been surprised to find that Mikke had a little sister, which made his heart twist at the thought of his own. It was then that he sensed Aeya nearby, and the flash of Tara being with her overwhelmed him.

“Aeya! This is Meive, where’s Tara, is she alright?” Again, he hoped she’d been close enough to get it and tried to wait as patiently as possible. Looking over to Lila, he seemed to notice her attire for the first time. Although he was in agony, he couldn’t help but let the smart remark escape his lips.

“Is most of your crew by chance male?”

__________________________________________________________

Tara stood hiding behind Unity, the older woman talking with the others. None of them seemed to notice the younger girl’s presence, which was understandable under the circumstances. Peaking around the woman’s fiery hair, her heart began to race when she caught sight of one of the crawling tentacles. And it was coming straight for them. Tara froze, unable to move until the last second, and she knew she was too late. The claw had grabbed Unity and unlike the others the tentacle had grabbed, it didn’t toss the young woman away, instead it ran off with her. Tara backed into the front of the café terrified.

__________________________________________________________

Aeya heard Meive’s message faintly, and stopped in her tracks. She’s forgotten all about the girl, too worried about everything else. Turning around to face Mikke, she tried to keep it under control.

“I-I forgot Meive’s little sister Tara at the café!”

[||Megs||]

"Yes, she's my sis--ter!" Mikke's sentence was pulled along with him as, yet again, Aeya surprised him by pulling him along yet again. She could certainly pull herself together quickly! Mikke noticed, and couldn't help but grin. He trusted Aeya and let her lead him along. Just one of the many reasons why he liked her so much...

When she stopped, Mikke was forced into a funny pose in his effort to not bowl into her. When he was back on his feet, he blinked. "Meive has a little sister? Well, I'm sure she is fine--I'll direct One over to her. One, I know you are trying to help, but I need you to get back to the cafe." Even though he was talking to One's mind, he was saying the words out loud.

-----

One stopped the instant she saw that the dang tentacles grew legs and continued their terrorism. What the heck?! Her wing feathers ruffled, and she noticed someone approaching her on a...disc? That's when she heard Mikke, and she sighed. She didn't have time to greet Kerin at the moment, and flitted down back to the streets. Before she could reach the cafe, a pang of fear and alarm ripped into her. A crawling tentacle had grabbed a feiry-haired lady...Unity? Yes, her!


Razziel and Nolan had had no time to react, either. But Nolan sprang into action, following the bursts of flames and curses of Unity as she tried to get the thing to let her go.

"I found Aurora; she's with Meive and Lila!" One managed to say to Raz. Kita pretty much plucked One from the sky and forced her back into the cafe, where she noticed Terra.

"You two stay here--please?" there was an odd pain in her voice, and One nodded, crouching next to Terra, quivering a little. What had she done...?

"Kita, no," Raz said, grabbing onto the girl's arm before Kita could rush off after Nolan and Unity.

"What? No, we need to help--"

But...something didn't feel right.

-----

Aurora took a deep breath before she let her hands hover over Meive's wound, concentrating as the wounded area briefly flashed yellow. When the light was gone, the wound was healed.

"There will be an ache, but otherwise, it should be fine for now." Aurora said, standing. When Meive asked Lila the question, she then, too, noticed what the woman was wearing and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yes, why do you as--oh, ahaha, funny Meive. For your information, these suits are crucial to space survival." but Lila was lightly blushing anyways. "That's not important right now...what should we do?"

"Meive," Aurora said, looking at him in concern. "I healed your wund, but...there is something else, but I can't touch it. Just take it easy...okay?" though that itself seemed dumb to say, given the situation, she felt it needed to be voiced.

[Starless::Night]

Aeya watched Mikke called to whoever One was. She bobbed the baby in her arms in hopes of calming her down, talking to her in a soothing voice. When Mikke had finished, she paused and stared at him with her sapphire eyes.

“Who’s One?” She was hoping for the best that she wasn’t actually his girlfriend, but was too embarrassed to ask if she was, thinking it better to just ask. Waiting for his response, she continued caring for Corina, switching arms every once in a while when the numbness spread through her hands, “Oh Corina, I have no idea who your father is, let alone where he is. I hope he wasn’t anywhere near here though.” She gazed sadly at the infant, wishing for the baby girl to not be an orphan.

__________________________________________________________

Meive couldn’t help but smirk. His leg felt infinitely better, the soreness not even a problem. He looked over to Auroura with a gaze that was unsettling. He hadn’t meant too, but he didn’t want the young woman bringing up, not with more important things to worry about.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine. Thanks for healing my wound though.” His features had softened and he looked back over to Lila, taking note of her blush as his smirk from earlier returned, “Yea, I’m sure they were designed to be crucial. Most likely by some more guys as well. Survival of the fittest apparently. And you hit that one right on.” He refrained from sniggering, unsure of whether or not the ebony haired woman might punch him for his remarks.

“Meive, Mikke has sent someone to go get Tara, she’s not with me, we were separated. I’m sure she’s alright though.” Aeya’s voice drifted into his thoughts, mildly surprising him. His smirk turned into a frown. Worry for his younger sister was overwhelming. Pushing off of the wall, he took a step into the street and watched someone battle the aircraft, with vines. It seemed oddly familiar, the power of nature. Turning around to face Lila, his face was no longer amused.

“I’m going to the café, I need to find my sister.”

__________________________________________________________

Kerin watched the young Avian fly away as she approached. The young woman was mildly annoyed at having come all the way up, but was also relieved the girl was getting out of danger. Hovering in the air for a few seconds. She let her violet eyes fall on the hovercraft. Suddenly a piece of the disk separated itself from rest and turned into a series of small needles. Waving her hand towards the craft, the needles soared towards it, piercing it’s metal casing.

__________________________________________________________

Tara stared at the newly arrived Avian. She seemed to be around her own age, though she had no idea who she was. The young girl was still terrified from watching Unity being dragged off. Facing the Avian, she thought the only way to take her mind off of it were to talk.

“H-hello, who are you?”

__________________________________________________________

The tentacle dragged the young woman into a back alley, sensing that someone else was pursuing them. Calculating a strategy, it knocked the young woman unconscious and released it’s grip on her before climbing up the wall in hiding, waiting for the pursuant to turn the corner before pouncing.

__________________________________________________________

“…Come…Aenxye…” Aeya’s head whipped around at the sound of the voice. It had started calling her again, and she wasn’t too happy about having to follow it, but she knew she had too.

[||Megs||]

"One is my sister, the one you saw shooting the light...Aeya?" he looked at her, concerned. That look that passed across her delicate face was familiar...he gently set a hand on her shoulder. "What is it? You can tell me," he said softly, but felt her need to continue on. "I will hold Corina if you wish, and I'll follow you to wherever you feel you need to go."

-----

"I'm One, Mikke's brother." One replied softly, feeling a tear roll down her cheek. It was utterly her fault that Unity had been taken. "A-and you?"

-----

Aurora felt an odd shiver go down her back at Meive's look that he put on her. So, he didn't want to go into it...there was something more to it, after all. She nodded in silent agreement and managed a small smile at his softened expression. Lila was about to ask what was wrong, but Meive blew that thought completely out of the water at his next smart remark. She didn't even know what to say about it, but she did want to smack him...but then the air about them became serious.

"Right," Lila agreed. And nodding to Aurora, who decided to stick close so she wouldn't get washed away again, Lila led the way into the pulsing crowds.

-----

Nolan skidded around the corner, his ears perked up straight and trying to pinpoint any sounds in the alley way. But it was nearly impossible with all the chaotic sounds behind him...then he spotted Unity, and not knowing caution over than the need to help a friend, he hurried to Unity.


Kita felt like her heart was going to explode. Something was about to happen...! "Nolan, Unity...!" With a final jerk she got free of Raz, and slinked into the crowd before he could grab her again. Her sense guided her, and then she spotted Nolan's tail disappearing around a corner. Frantically she tried to push across the street to the alley way. No, no, no!

[Starless::Night]

When Aeya heard Mikke speak, she broke out of her trance like state, turning her sapphire eyes on him. Holding onto Corina, she smiled weakly, shaking her head. His words were a huge comfort, as she knew that she could tell him anything. The half-mermaid was also secretly cheering that One turned out to be Mikke’s sister, though that didn’t mean he still didn’t have one.

Turning away quickly, she was unsure of how to phrase what she wanted to tell him. Gathering her thoughts together, she shifted Corina onto her other hip and faced him once more.

“Do you remember that day four years ago, when we found that beach?” Pausing, Aeya tried to word the next part as carefully as possible, “You probably don’t remember, but I mentioned hearing a voice, that you couldn’t hear. Well, ever since then, I’ve heard it, sometimes it’s faint, other times it feels like it’s right next to me. And it’s calling me now, but this time, I feel the need to follow it. I don’t want to do it alone…will you come with me?” Her voice had gradually turned almost squeakish as she forced herself to ask the question.

___________________________________________________________

Tara let a small smile flash across her lips. She noticed the tear fall down the young girl’s cheek, and couldn’t help but let a couple fall down her own. She hadn’t been able to save the young woman, even though she’d been right there. All she wanted was to go home, and play with Meive.

“I’m Tara, Meive’s little sister. Have you seen him around by chance?”

___________________________________________________________

He grabbed Lila’s hand firmly but still gentle and made sure that the two women were ready before diving into the flood of people, maneuvering himself expertly through the throngs. It was a lot easier to travel with the flow than against it, although at a lot points they had to stop and regroup.

Suddenly an enormous claw with legs loomed in front of them. Seeing it in time, Meive was able to shove Lila and Aurora out of the while, himself narrowly escaping. Recovering quickly, he noticed that it seemed to be dead set on getting a hold of the three of them, something that he wasn’t too happy about.

Getting both young women back on their feet, he pushed them into the crowd, holding onto to Lila’s arm yelled, “Go find Tara and the others, I’ll take care of this alright, and be careful.” Before releasing her and letting her get washed away. Turning around to face the tentacle, he looked around at his surroundings. He had absolutely no idea of how to get rid of this thing…except to lure it over to whoever’s attacking the hovercraft, maybe they can help…now to get over there… Catching sight of a nearby sidestreet, he took off running, glad that at least his leg was well enough for some physical activity though he felt he was going to be paying for it later. Looking down each of the alleys passing by, he figured he was getting closer to the person, until a figure caught his attention. Making sure he was still being followed he made a sharp turn and went straight for the figure.

Meive froze in his steps when I saw who it was. It had been one of the people that had been with them last time, though he’d been with a companion then. Noticing movement from above, he saw the young woman with ruby red head flying around on a giant metal disk. Guess that’s her.


Cel noticed Meive coming towards him, though he didn’t know what the heck the young man was planning. Turning to watch the youth approach him with a tentacle thing in hot pursuit, he moaned mentally.

“Meive, use your ability to get rid of. You can control more than just stopping time and speeding yourself up. Concentrate!” The teal eyed man yelled, he couldn’t keep a hold on the ship and destroy the claw, that was asking for a little too much in his state.

Meive looked at Cel confused before turning around and watching the tentacle approach slowly. He had to figure something out!

___________________________________________________________

The tentacle pounced onto its new prey knocking the Bastet unconsciousness as well. Putting Nolan’s limp form next to Unity’s it didn’t notice Kita until she had turned the corner.

Hoping to get her as well, it lunged at her, Kita as its next victim in mind.

[||Megs||]

(Okay, I feel bad lol! We shouldn't '' Nolan and Unity, but rather '@_@' enough so that they are put out of commission for the entirety of the role play. I'm such a softy. XD! )


Kita finally made it to the alleyway, gasping as she saw both Unity and Nolan on the ground before a walking tentacle. She squeaked as it launched at her, but instinct flared in as a cold feeling traveled up her arm. One hand pointed out at the tentacle as a burst of cold air and ice wrapped around it, crinkling as it froze the joints and entirety of it in it's tracks.

-----

Lila worried for Meive taking up the task of protecting them by leading the thing away, but she trusted him. She took Aurora's hand, and they were soon in front of the cafe. Raz spun around at held out his arms to Aurora, who ran into them.

"Are you okay? The baby?"

The baby? Lila thought with wonder. When Aurora assured him, Lila peeked inside the cafe to see One and Tara.

"Yes, actually," One was saying with a nod at Tara. "He was with her," she said, noticing Lila. Aurora stepped in then.

"Unity was grabbed, Nolan chased, and Kita took after them as well...and haven't come back. Not to mention Meive is still out there, same with Mikke and Aeya. We need to join everyone--we work best together." Lila nodded, and Aurora held out a hand to each kid. "Just keep a hold of my hands and we won't get separated, I promise."

And she stayed true to that promise as they all headed out into the street, which was actually beginning to thin out since the people were getting away from the aircraft and walking tentacles rather than go at them. It was then that Lila noticed that Alere was gone, but couldn't take the time to worry about the wild child.

Soon they were at the opposite side of the street where Meive was facing off with the tentacle. Raz looked up at the ship, having recognized Cel and seeing that he was trying to damage the ship. His eyes flashed as he concentrated, controlling the air about the ship, increasing the pressure that Cel's earth power were making upon the aircraft. At least he could help now...

-----

"I remember that very well, actually." Mikke said, smiling gently. "Of course I will come with you--I always will. I can hold Corina if you get too tired, too." he said. He had practice with babies, since One had once been, well, one. But he was curious to see where this voice lead Aeya, to see if it was good or bad...and if it was bad, he wanted to be there for her.

[Starless::Night]

(Yea, I apologize now for the super LONG post. XD I thought we needed the story to move along a little bit. So I hope there's enough for you to go off of, since I did get a little carried away with my bit. Let me know :3)

Aeya was so grateful to Mikke, she couldn’t think of any way to thank him. So she did something she never thought she’d do. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and smiled, “You’re the best Mikke, you always were. Thank you so much!” With that, the half-mermaid turned around and took off once more, fully confident that Mikke was behind her. Cradling the infant in her arms closer against her, she vowed to find Corina’s father as soon as they got a chance as well.

___________________________________________________________

When Kita destroyed the walking tentacle, it crumbled into a pile of large chunks of scrap metal on the ground, a short distance from where it had leapt at her. What she hadn’t noticed when looking over the unconscious forms of Nolan and Unity was a small partial mark in the shape of an ancient dragon.

As soon a Kita left to find help, another claw appeared, looking at the pile of metal that had been it’s sort of comrade shortly before. Strangely enough, a small opening formed near the claw and sucked in the destroyed tentacle. When it had finished, it approached the two bodies, though unlike the first one, didn’t grab them or try to take them anywhere, instead, it found the dragon marks and made the marks bigger and filled it in. Sensing that there were people coming, it backed off and disappeared, leaving the two with an intricate design of a tattoo on their forearms.

___________________________________________________________

With the masses of people finally dying away, the tentacles seemed to be getting desperate. Now, whenever they plucked up a person, they carried it to the opening underneath the ship.

Tara was relieved to know that her big brother was alright, though she still worried for his wellbeing, especially when Lila came without him in sight. Holding onto Aurora’s hand, she stayed as close to the adults as possible. Every so often she glanced over to One, whom she felt was like her companion since they were around the same age.

As soon as they got near Cel, Tara saw her older brother and nearly screamed with terror. A large tentacle was charging him, and he wasn’t looking very good at all. She released her hold on the young woman’s hand, but knew better than to run off, instead, watching helplessly as Meive dodged the creature’s attacks.


Cel sensed the group of them coming up behind him, and was grateful for Raz’s added offense. Although they seemed to have it under control, he still worried about Meive, since the young man still didn’t seem to get what he was saying. But how else was he supposed to explain it?

“Meive, everything ages with time.” It was the only thing he could think of saying that would help. Now he had to hope that the youth would get it and actually be able to do it without killing himself.


Meive noticed Raz and the others show up, his heart fluttering when he saw that Lila and Tara were alright. The hovercraft noticed the new arrivals as well, it sending out a whole new load of claws to attack with, these a little more upgraded with teeth and spikes.

When Cel’s voice drifted into his thoughts, realization finally kicked in. He could manipulate the flow of time, but he’d never thought of speeding time up for something specific, as opposed to everything in general. It was a great idea, but he wasn’t sure what the consequence would be.

Dodging another attack from the claw, he kneeled a short distance away from it and figured that either way he was going to be suffering, and he’d rather suffer without this hunk of metal moving. Thrusting his right hand forward, he focused his emerald eyes on the air around the thrashing cybernetic, until he could see the particles spiraling around it.

In his peripheral vision, he could he that the rest of time had stopped around him, which he’d planned on so that nothing would go awry. As seconds slipped away, the claw quickly began disintegrating, as though each second were another century, until finally nothing was left except a pile of dust.

Feeling the use of his ability taking the energy out of him, he fought to keep his eyes open, as he released his hold on time, letting everything continue, knowing nothing had happened. But as soon as he let time go, he realized that nothing was happening. That time was still frozen. Confused he twisted around, looking for anything that would cause this to happen.

___________________________________________________________

Aeya had handed Corina to Mikke only moments before, when they’d arrived in an ancient blocked off area in the city. Walking down a narrow passageway, they had been stopped on their trek by a boarded up opening. The half-mermaid knew that whatever was calling her rested just beyond them.

Looking back at the young man behind her for reassurance, she gathered her courage and strength and started pulling the boards down one by one, until there was an opening big enough for the two of them to fit through.

Getting through to the other side, Aeya’s mouth fell open, her sapphire eyes gazing at the scenery around. It looked as though a small piece of time had been preserved for centuries. It was a small clearing, vibrant green grass and plants covering almost every inch.

Near the center of the clearing was a well, its base hand made with stone, and overgrown with ivy and wildflowers. Slowly walking towards it, the young woman stared at the cistern, waiting for something to happen, or to hear the voice once more, but there was nothing.

Peering over its edge, she looked down, into a long black abyss. Her mind was frozen, as she remained in that position for several moments, trying to figure out what was going on. Finally, her brain absorbed it all in. It was nothing…I really just was losing my mind. And now I’ve dragged Mikke along on a wild goose chase. I shouldn’t have listened to the stupid voices!

While Aeya was busy looking around, no one had noticed the tentacle that had been following them since they’d run off. It was crawled its way into the opening, and was gradually approaching the preoccupied half-mermaid.

When Aeya turned around to face Mikke and apologize, she didn’t have enough time to process let a lone react to the assault by the metalloid claw. Backing up, she leaned too far over the edge of the wall and felt herself falling, barely registering a scream, before everything went black.

As soon as Aeya was out of sight, the cybernetic turned its target to Mikke, slowly approaching its prey, until the ground around them started shaking, and a geyser shot out from the well.

___________________________________________________________

Meive detected something bizarre happening in front of him and whipped around quickly. His emerald eyes narrowing as he took it in. The air molecules were twisting around, just like when he’d used his power, only this time it was on a much larger scale.

Backing away slowly, he realized that a human shape was beginning to form, although an incredibly large human it was. When it finally filled in and the twisting faded away, it left behind an elderly man, hooded by a worn brown robe. In his hands he held a large hourglass, sand slowly spilling through the small opening.

Stunned, Meive could only stand there and stare, unsure of whether or not his eyes were playing tricks on him. Blinking a number of times and when the man finally moved, the youth realized that it was no illusion.

“I am the Keeper of Time, Kronos. You have been chosen to be the next Keeper Meive and to protect the flow of time from the terrible evil that is coming,” A strange silence ensued, as the young man could only stare, his mind working too fast to register anything. It all seemed so farfetched! “You have been chosen like your friends to carry on the legends. The legends of the Cornerstone, for without you, everything will be destroyed. You must take my place. Do you accept?”

Letting it all sink in, Meive knew he didn’t really have an option. Nodding his head, he was about to say something, when the old man starting turning into sand and blowing away. The only thing remaining was the hourglass, and soon that too began to change. It’s size decreasing to nothing bigger than a large coin, with a long chain attached. Holding it in his hand, Meive slipped the silver link over his head, and let the piece slide underneath his shirt.

Looking up, he finally realized that time was slowly returning to normal. And then he noticed the terrible pain. As it washed over his body, the only thing he could think of doing was glancing over to Lila, as he fell to his knees, and lost consciousness.

[||Megs||]

One stayed by Tara, also feeling that bond of companionship. Both of them had let go of Aurora's hands by now, and One's own hands fidgeted when she saw a claw charging at Cel.

Raz gritted his teeth and held one hand out to the thing that was rapidly approaching Cel, and it was lifted into the air with a burst of wind. He motioned sharply with his hand and the tentacle soared up and battered into the aircraft. As it sent down more, Raz grimaced. How much longer could they do this?

Lila blinked as Meive seemed to freeze and the tentacle wisp into ancient dust. Then...Meive collapsed as he looked over to her. She darted to him just as he fell to his knees, catching him in her arms as she slid into a kneel. He was heavy and limp, but she still held him. "Meive! Meive,"

Kita ran up then, and looked up just in time to see the airship release more tentacle, but she saw the gnash of teeth and the rasp of claws. Terrific. But it seemed there was no one who could help her with Unity and Nolan...

She came to stand beside Raz and thrust her arms into the air. The larger majority of the enhanced tentacles froze, then shattered into harmless, very tiny ice flecks that snowed upon them, leaving glittering trails in everyone's hair and on the ground. But she couldn't get them all.

Aurora stood by One and Tara, knowing she needed to be careful with her own unborn baby and the children beside her.

-----

Mikke held Corina carefully as they trudged along. He was curious, not only about where they were being led, but the area in which they walked. It was neat, despite the circumstances and the distant cries that carried on the soft breeze.

He was about to ask Aeya what was wrong as she turned to him, and then he finally noticed that dang tentacle. But then Aeya fell...things were happening much too quickly!

"Aeya!" he called, then had no choice but to whip around and face the tentacle. What could he do...? He was holding Corina, and if he used his powers, it would shock her as well...the ground started to shake, and Mikke felt a spray of water brush against his wings. What....?

[Starless::Night]

Cel dodged the claws that seemed to suddenly begin targeting him. He smirked to himself, still continuing to hold his grip on the hovercraft above him. It seems as though they finally figured out who I was. Took them longer than I originally thought. Now things are going to get much more complicated.

Narrowly missing another tentacle, he jumped on the disk that zoomed by with Kerin standing on top. Looking at the others who had joined him, his heart sank to see that another fighter was with child, though she wasn’t necessarily vital to the Cornerstone.

“I need you to distract the ship for as long as possible, we don’t want anything to happen to the others, alright Kerin?” His stern voice reached her ear, as she continued to concentrate on the metal needles that were constantly piercing the craft’s shell. The young woman had a plan, and it was all going accordingly…so far, and she hoped that it would remain that way.

Tara looked around, and noticed Lila run to her older brother’s side. Watching her sibling fall into the young woman’s arms unconscious tore at her heart, as she couldn’t help but call out his name. Temporarily forgetting what was going on, she ran for him, watching as Lila called her lover’s name in an attempt to stir him back into reality.

Meive could hear his name being called ever so faintly. Almost as though the voice’s owner was a long distance away. He was comfortable, and mentally wished for the voice to stop, so he could rest, and sleep, but gradually, the voice tugged more and more at him, until he thought he recognized it.

Listening closer, the voice became louder, until the familiar tone knocked him from his foggy state. Lila… Gathering all the energy he could, he felt his muscles scream in protest, opening his emerald eyes just enough to see what was going on. As awareness to his surroundings came back, he felt his body being held closely by someone else’s. He knew who it was automatically, and was very grateful for it.

Letting his eyes wander around, they caught sight of a small figure running in their direction. Blinking in order to focus a little more, he realized that it was his younger sister Tara, her face etched with fear and sadness. It was then he also saw what was behind her. The hovercraft had noticed her movement, and was attempting to attack her, the young girl having no idea what was going on.

Pushing himself out of Lila’s caring embrace, he threw one arm forward, in the direction of the ship and concentrated as hard as he could. Suddenly, everything seemed to go quiet, the hum of the craft muted.

Cel looked down and over to Meive with surprise. He hadn’t expected the youth to have gained that much power in the short five minutes it had been passed to him. Not that he was complaining or anything. Not letting their free time go to waste, Cel immediately signaled to Kerin to begin their attack, as well as motioning to the youth below with the power over wind.

___________________________________________________________

The geyser of water that erupted from the large well shot straight up almost fifty feet before stopping. Along the way, it started taking on a shape, until it became obvious was it truly was. A large water snake, more with the appearance of a dragon rose from the well, its lower body still hidden in its depths. As seconds slipped away, the water transformed into scales and what looked to be hair, covering the beast, making it look all the more powerful and elegant.

The tentacle seemed to sense the creature’s sudden appearance, its robotic movements immediately freezing as soon as the geyser had begun. Looking down at what lay before it, the water snake gave the presence of intimidation to the metalloid thing., while looking almost gently at the youth who stood there stunned.

“Do not worry boy, your lady is safe, nothing will happen to her. But right now, you need to call forth the power that is inside you. You are the chosen one of Tlaloc, God of Thunder and Power. Call upon him, and he will guide you to destroy your enemy. The infant will not be harmed.” A loud deep voice carried through the Avian’s thoughts, wisdom and strength apparent in the dragon’s demeanor.

___________________________________________________________

“Sir, it seems as though they have begun to awaken. It looks like the ancients have already chosen the descendants of their power. Should we pursue our mission?” The voice came in loudly over the speakers, the person it addressed hiding well within the shadows of the room. Silence enveloped the room, as the speaker on the other end awaited orders.

Suddenly a loud screeching noise broke across the transmission before static gradually came into hearing, signifying the signal had died.

[||Megs||]

Mikke was stunned beyond tangible reason, his arms only able to hold onto the child through hard-wired instinct. But he suddenly felt calm--he trusted this water serpent-thing. Aeya was safe...but then he got stunned all over again. The chosen one of Tlaloc, God of Thunder and Power? He turned to the robotic, everything suddenly clear, an energy like he had never felt before surging through every vein, ever inch of his body. His power no longer felt like it could strangle him with the tiniest slip of concentration...he felt in total control now.

Holding the child with one arm to his chest, he lifted his other one to point at the tentacle. The power he felt in his body rushed to his right arm instantly, he child not even feeling it. The crackling, terrifying raw energy of lightning built up in a mere second and zapped out at the tentacle, wrapping around it. With a dulled boom the tentacle exploded into sizzling pieces that did not hit him or the child, every wire the tentacle had left melting.

Slowly, Mikke lowered his arm, fascinated. Then he turned back to the beautiful water creature, the awe clear on his handsome face. But...

"What of Aeya?"

He was thankful for this 'gift', yes, but he did not know how to make it heard just yet.

-----

"Tara!" One called, flitting after her. No, she wouldn't leave Tara by herself...

Lila was surprised when Meive pushed away from her, but she smiled all the same, slowly standing. She looked up at the hover craft, but her powers couldn't help here. Kita didn't know what to do now, but seeing that Aurora was alone, she went to stand beside her to keep her safe.

Raz caught Cel's gesture and concentrated harder, the pressure around the craft increasing unbearably. The sides of it began to slowly implode...

[Starless::Night]

The water god looked down at the youth, and what appeared to be a smile spread across its scaled lips, revealing white, long and scary looking teeth beneath. Fortunately this creature meant no harm, so there wasn’t a real reason to be fearful, although its presence still demanded respect.

“Aenxye will be safe boy. In order to gain full control of your powers, you will have to call upon your descendant, Tlaloc. But at another time.” As the words faded out of Mikke’s thoughts, the dragon lowered itself, his mane falling to the side to reveal Aeya. She was curled into a ball, sleeping peacefully, a faint smile traced along her pale pink lips.

“She is stronger than she thinks, but she will still need your protection boy. You must make sure that nothing will happen to her.” The god’s voice boomed in the Avian’s thoughts, and although the beast never spoke with anything more than a calm demeanor, it was obvious what would happen if Mikke somehow didn’t fulfill this creature’s commands.

___________________________________________________________

“It is necessary for us to pull back for now. We were not expecting such opposition. We fall back and regroup, awaiting orders from the Commodore.” The voice came in crackled through the overhead speakers, but before any response could be issued, the metal of the ship finally buckled.

Cel smirked as the outer shell of the craft crumble like a paper ball. The efforts he and his comrades had been putting forth were finally coming through. With the ship destroyed, he took on full weight of the heap of junk; its ability to fly was no longer an option. Motioning with his hand, he let the others know to cease their assault. Letting all of his concentration go into the matter at hand, he gradually lowered the metal ball to the ground, before retracting the vines.

Kerin powered the disk to land on the ground, letting the young man standing behind her step onto the cracked concrete. She was curious, and Cel knew that from the look on her face, she wasn’t going to be able to retain her questions for much longer. He also noticed that the others’ attention was turned to him as well. Grumbling mentally he kind of regretted exposing himself, but he knew that if he hadn’t, things would have gotten a lot worse, much faster.


Meive let his hands rest on his knees for a moment, letting the dizziness and tingling sensations fade away. He was surprised at the sudden amount of power he contained, though he thought it was odd that even after the huge power surge, he was well in control of the craziness that usually ensued at this point.

Regaining control of himself, he stood up, and looked back to Lila. She was looking good as always, and he was ready to just grab her and go back home. Although the youth was still in control, his body was tired; all he wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep. But as much as he wanted too, he couldn’t. It was then he remembered his sister. Quickly, he turned to look for her, and seeing her running towards him, he scooped her up in his arms.

“Tara! I’m so glad you’re alright!” Stroking his younger sibling’s hair, he twirled her around a few times before setting her back down. The young girl was laughing and couldn’t hide her excitement at being reunited with her brother, “How did you get here?” The question wiped the smile from her face, as her eyes quickly looked around their surroundings for any sign of the half-mermaid.

“Aeya! But I don’t know where’s she’s gone…I think her and Mikke ran off somewhere. But I don’t know what happened to them!” Hearing this, Meive let his emerald eyes glance over to Lila before going over to Cel. There was a lot of explaining to do, but before that, they needed to find the others.