FireLeaf

Chapter Twenty-Three Point Five - A Girl and A Secret

Firey floated in darkness. He was peaceful there. Nothing was bothering him. He drifted around, quietly enjoying the darkness. But something seared his vision. He saw a red crystal in front of him. He tried to grab it, but a girl sprung out of it and knocked him away. Then he started falling.

BAM!

Firey yelped in pain as his head hit the stone underneath him. He lay there, gasping for breath. Rubbing his head, he sat up. He seemed to be inside a cave of some sort. It was pitch black except for two stones hovering in front of him. One red, and one green. The red one was his, he could tell. And the green one... was that Leafy's? Were they destined to be together? 

But when Firey reached out to try to touch the red one, the girl shot out of the green one once again and pinned him to the ground.

Firey looked at her in surprise.

"You're the one from the first day! When I was on the car!" he gasped.

"That's right." the girl tossed her hair. She looked so similar to Leafy that it was unnerving. Except for her red color scheme, this girl was like a doppelganger. 

"How did you get in here?!" she hissed, "You're ruining my plan!"

"I don't know!" Firey said.

The girl smiled slyly. "Look, Fire Boy. Soon you'll be powerless."

Firey shoved her off. He stood up and tried to summon his powers. Heat cracked through his body, but he kneeled over with a cry of pain. 

He couldn't summon his fire.

"What did you do?!" Firey asked the girl, gritting his teeth in pain.

The girl shrugged and skipped to the crystals. "See?"

Firey followed her with his eyes. He saw his crystal was surrounded with a bloodred mist, unlike the gentle red glow from earlier. He glanced at Leafy's stone, and saw that it was beginning to turn black.

"What's happening?!" Firey asked.

The girl ran her fingers along Firey's stone. Pain seared through Firey's chest. He could barely handle it.

"S-stop!" Firey choked out.

The girl turned towards him, her eyes glittering. I'm going to take over your powers, and there's NOTHING you could do to stop me. Then, if you manage to survive the pain, then I'll spare you. But then I'll have the power of the Leaf Stone too..." The girl reached out towards the green stone, and Firey felt panic run through his veins. 

If she touched that stone- would Leafy feel that pain, too?

Firey felt a tug at the edge of his brain. He knew how to control his crystal. Firey closed his eyes and concentrated. He felt heat build up through his veins. Even with his eyes closed, he could see his stone glowing with power. That red mist was nothing compared to his power. 

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" the girl screamed.

Firey ignored her. He let out a cry, and the stone glowed so violently that he felt his body burst into flames. He let the inferno expand and expand until...

"FINE!" the girl's voice ran through his head. "I'LL STOP!"

Firey opened his eyes. The flames were searing his vision. He commanded them to stop, and they started dying down. It was painful, but not as painful as the flames had been earlier.

"I won't hurt your precious Leafy." the girl said, "But only if you don't tell her a SINGLE word about this. Or else, you know, I'll kill her."

Firey clenched his fists. "And how are you going to do that?"

"I'll destroy her stone. After all, I can control it." the girl winked.

"Seriously?!" Firey asked.

"Yes, seriously, Fire Boy. Now, it's time for you to go. I think you've seen enough. But why don't you visit me again sometime?"

"Uh, I don't think I will." Firey said.

"I think you will." The girl leaned towards Firey and pressed her lips against his. Then Firey felt his eyes close and he fell into oblivion.

...

Firey felt his eyes open. Leafy's worried face hovered over him.

"Leafy?" Firey asked weakly.

"FIREY!" Leafy hugged him. "W-what happened? I was so worried!"

Firey remembered the girls warning. 

I'll destroy her stone. After all, I can control it.

"I was just tired." he lied.