Despair and Hope

Rebellion

I hugged Cyanide and we laughed together for a few minutes before I realized that the others were staring at us. I let go, embarrassed and brushed the dirt off my clothes.

I looked at Cyanide's wounds. They were still horribly painful-looking but they didn't seem to affect Cyanide at all. The cure really did work!

Tiny took the remaining two syringes and placed them in my hands. I looked at her confused then I understood.

She wanted me to have them.

I pocketed the syringes and smiled at the healer.

Then I turned to Scarlett.

"Really, thank you. Thank you for saving Cyanide's life." I told the conjurer, tears of gratitude brimming in my eyes as I grasped Scarlett's hands.

Scarlett grinned and replied, "It was nothing."

Zay Nin spoke up from the end of the crowd. "Can't I just teleport to the antidote and bring it back to us, then we can save a ton of casualties?"

Cyanide answered for me, addressing everyone. "Remember the magical barriers surrounding the cure? No one can get in without getting burnt to a crisp."

Zay Nin sighed and turned away.

"Tomorrow is the day, the day we take back the world. The day we save Earth from this madness." I declared loudly.

<>

All nineteen of us stood in what was now known as the assembly hall. I looked around at my teammates, their determined faces and I knew I was going to be okay.

We just had to do this.

There were only nineteen of us. Nineteen teenagers, to fight an army of ten thousand skeletal minions.

I had chosen this life.

Now I had to live it.

With a cheer to the sky, H.O.P.E moved as one, some flying, towards the obsidian headquarters of Ashley and Nightmare LA.

<>

Our group of nineteen teenagers approached the great doors and Cyanide blasted the door with fire. Before the skeletons stormed out, I pulled my group and Scarlett aside and whispered something to her, who nodded nervously and closed her eyes, waving, conjuring up something I couldn't see.

I had stayed human in this part of the journey but as we neared the building, I felt the need to turn into something. I turned into a black cat, which was helpful as I could blend into the obsidian surroundings.  

Skeletons poured out of the gates and we met them in battle.

I could see the first and second fleet doing their job. The Third Fleet was already making their way upwards to the top of the structure.

My teammates looked at me. It was now or never.

Shooting a last glance at Cyanide fighting with a blaze in each palm, we slipped past the guards into the tunnels.

<>

I was a cat, so I had perfect vision of the darkness and I could see a few skeleton guards ahead. I shifted into a dragon and roared, blasting fire into the darkness. 

At first, I was paranoid that the fire could rebound and harm my friends, but the obsidian walls absorbed the brunt of my blaze and the skeletons were incinerated.

I turned back into a cat and dove into the winding maze of tunnels, my friends right behind me.

After half an hour of searching, I saw what I thought was the Royal Chambers, as it had piles of gold all around and there was also a single throne at the back of the room.

Ashley sat on that throne and that was all I dared to see before I whipped my head back around the corner and reported the news to my friends in a controlled whisper.

Another quick glance by the invisible Natania told me that the Third Fleet had managed to open up the top of the roof somehow and were waiting for the Fourth Fleet to arrive. I gritted my teeth and whispered, "On three."

"One."

"Two."

"Three." I yelled and charged into the room.

The Third Fleet flew in at that call and Sara's wave swamped the room.

But Ashley stood unharmed at the top of the throne and I knew she'd expected this.

I sprang at her, claws slashing, but Zay Nin held me back. "We have to act as one, to subdue Ashley. Only the Elements can." she told me.

"How do you even know?" I asked puzzled. "I just do." Zay Nin rebuked. "Now let's do this. Summer, Natania and Desmond will fight her."

I watched as Summer threw herself at Ashley, Natania darting back and forth invisibly, trying to hurt Ashley but it wasn't doing enough. Desmond charged in with a sword and walked right through the wall that Ashley had thrown at him in rage.

I saw Summer get flung aside.

Natania getting thrown on a rock.

Desmond cowering before Ashley.

I saw my fellow Elements before me: Amanda, Zay Nin, Melody and Sara before me. They were holding hands, looking at me.

"Can we do this without Vivien?" I asked.

"We have to." Melody said determined and I stepped forwards.

Somehow, I knew what to say.

"My name is Kitty and I am the Element of Harmony. I am the Element which will unite us all against Despair. I will be the glue that holds everyone together as we win the fight against Ashley and Nightmare LA."

"Hope will save us all." I cried out the last line, hand-in-hand with Sara and Zay Nin, and I felt a bright white light bounce around all our bodies, crisscrossing between us, creating the white onyx star - the symbol of Hope.

Our power was unleashed as one as the five-pointed star arose into the air, spinning around like a ninja star as it flew through the air towards Ashley.