Six

'Normal' is overrated

Aria couldn't sleep. Again. Apart from Mr Bowen's daughter making an appearance in her house, the drawing she left matched the one Quinn found in Sassafrass' journal. 'That means she's the darkness guardian,' the air user thought to herself as she soundless lay between Quinn and Phoenix. 'The bruxa did say that Marie would be "vital in our future and the future of souls and the rising sun." Two years later and I still remember her words by heart. Strange. Wow, two years! It feels like an infinity ago. I guess that's what a 'normal' school year does to you'.

Freya hooted softly on her perch on Aria's bookshelf. The white owl's eyes were fixated on the bedroom door which made Aria sit up. The air user petted the owl's head before opening her door to find nothing. Freya fluttered passed her and glided downstairs with Aria in tow.

Freya paused in front of the front door and Aria hesitated. The snow owl shrieked her urgency as she pecked at the door. Aria caved and wandered outside into the Seattle dawn.

Raquel stirred before bolting upright to find Phoenix and Quinn in death-like slumber. "Dumb nightmare," she vexed. She stood up as uncertainty veiled over her. "Aria?" Something inside the earth user was unsettled as the name escaped her. "Guys! Wake up." She shoved Quinn after compressing Phoenix with her weight. "Guys. Aria's gone." Quinn groaned as she turned away from the earth user. "Wake up!" The house trembled epically and Mr Sage soon came bolting in. "Sorry. Sorry! Unintentional."

"Where's Aria," he asked. The question made Raquel even more uneasy and she felt a surge of hurt swell inside her. "Aria?" He called throughout the house while Raquel got up.

"She's probably downstairs," Phoenix replied sleepily. "That kid's the earliest early bird I've ever met."

Raquel zipped up her jacket as she turned to her two friends. "I have a bad feeling about this." Before either one could respond, she hurried downstairs and found the front door open. "Not good. Aria!" She charged out the door, rampaging down the street as she called. "Aria!"

Raquel ran harborside and passed angry fishers returning from their recent departure and street vendors setting up for the day. She hadn't notice Quinn was behind her until the water user directed a wave towards the young woman a few paces away from Raquel.

The young woman had pale skin; just lighter than Quinn's. He had noodle limbs and piercings grey-blue eyes that were drowned out by her sleek black hair. "You killed her," the water user yelled at the confused woman. "She trusted you! You killed her. You killed Aria!"

The woman was panting and Raquel suddenly felt it dawn on her. "Quinn, don't," she stated ruefully.

Before she could go on, Phoenix barricaded her with her arm. "In Dracaena, disputes are settled with violence. Let her hash it out."

"She'll kill her and you know it," Raquel whispered. "You know what Aria means to us, alone. She was the first one Quinn truly bonded with. Imagine that pain."

Quinn gathered the stranger into a ball of water, drowning her in it. A black mist turned the water prison into vapor as she fell to the ground gasping. "We trusted you, Marie. Aria trusted you!" Ice shards gathered around Quinn while Phoenix stood and mutely watched while Raquel grew concerned.

"Quinn..." the water user didn't hear her and a glowing silver trident appeared in her hand. "No!"

A cloud of blinding light quickly spread around them as a man's voice hissed, "enough!"

Raquel gasped as she sat up, with Phoenix next to her and Quinn next to Phoenix with a gap between them. "Oh no," the earth user echoed as she ran downstairs. "Aria! Aria!"