The Power in You

Chapter 5

Lexie marched through the conquered town, rounding up the last of the rebel insurgents. Thus far, she had only sustained minor injuries from the battle but she knew she was preoccupied and distracted. She's lucky she had not sustained anything worse with where her mind was.

Calliope... She still had heard nothing about her friend and it was making her stomach crawl with anxiety. It had already been a couple of days since she had disappeared and the longer it took to find her... Lexie shook her head to get rid of the pestering thoughts. She couldn't dwell too long on the possibilities, she had a mission to fulfill.

"Lexie!" She heard a voice call out and turned around to see Terra standing beside a smoldering building, holding a spear in her hand. "Come on! We're being called back to camp!"

Lexie gave a nod and followed after Terra, who rounded the building and disappeared from sight. She continued through the ruined town, catching glimpses of Terra here and there and trying to keep up.

"Terra, wait! The camp is the other way!" Lexie shouted, stopping near the Whispering Woods. She looked around, a bad feeling settling in the pit of her stomach.

"I know. I just needed to talk to you, alone," Terra said, coming out from behind a tree.

Lexie narrowed her eyes, gripping her own weapon. "What do you want?"

"I want Calliope. And you keep getting in my way," she smirked.

"Calliope doesn't want anything to do with you, so back off." Terra chuckled at her, circling her slowly like a predator sizing up its prey. Lexie was on edge.

"She doesn't because she wants you. Everyone sees it. And you? You've been off your game since she disappeared. You want her too."

"No, I don't!" Lexie screamed, lunging at Terra who sidestepped her.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Sloppy. With you out of the way, she can be mine. And no one will suspect a thing, they'll think you died during the siege," Terra said triumphantly, finding an opening and thrusting her spear into Lexie's side.

Lexie screamed out as white-hot pain scorched through her. She fell to her knees as Terra pulled the spear out and pinned her down to the ground. Lexie breathed heavily, feeling blood pour from her gaping side as she weakly struggled to throw Terra off her.

"Lights out, Lexie. I'll take good care of her for you," Terra chuckled before taking the end of the spear and knocking Lexie unconscious.

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"We need to go back for my friend," Calliope insisted, sitting in the war room with Queen Angella, Adora, Glimmer, Bow, and the rest of the princess alliance.

"It is absolutely out of the question. We can't risk more lives for your friend. Besides, you have no control over your powers, you need more training," Queen Angella told her.

"No one here can train me! Anyone who could have trained me is..." Calliope trailed off, looking at the table. "Please... she's all I have. Besides, I have horde training. I know how to fight, magic doesn't always save you. Adora," Calliope turned her head to the taller girl, eyes pleading. "You know what it's like. If someone you cared about was trapped there, wouldn't you do everything you could to save them?"

"W-what? I-I don't have anyone..." Adora chuckled nervously, looking flushed. Glimmer rolled her eyes and nudged Bow knowingly.

"But yes. If I did, which I'm not saying I do! I would do everything I can to save them. Queen Angella is also right, you need more training as well," Adora finished.

"I say we put it to a vote!" Glimmer interrupted. "All those in favor of raiding the Fright Zone, raise your hands!" Calliope raised her hand along with Adora and Glimmer. Everyone else looked around the table, contemplating and unsure. Calliope clenched her fist by her side, turning and storming out of the meeting.

She stopped in the hallway outside of her room and sniffled, wiping away the stubborn tears. She was tired of crying. Footsteps ran up behind her and Calliope twirled around to find Adora standing there, Glimmer and Bow trailing not too far behind.

"Hey... I'm sorry for how things happened back there. Are you okay?" Adora asked, looking her over.

Calliope shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself. "If the roles were reversed, she'd come back for me. I'm not weak. I have the same training as you, I have powers like the other princesses. I can hold my own. Back in the Horde, I never said anything to anyone. I have talked more in the last couple of days than I have my entire lifetime. I am done letting them control me."

Bow stepped forward and put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Then we are by your side. We won't let you go by yourself and you obviously care deeply for your friend."

"Some would even say that it sounds like you loooooove them!" Glimmer giggled, hugging Calliope.

"I do love her but not how you think! Glimmer! Let go!" Calliope laughed, being surrounded by the other two who engulfed her in a hug. "You guys are the best!"

"Before we go anywhere!" Bow said, pulling away from the group hug. "We don't know what she looks like. How are we gonna help you find her?"

"Easily. I can show you," Calliope said confidently, pulling away from the hug as well. Calliope let out a sweet little tune, putting power behind her tune as her voice conjured an image of Lexie in all her tall glory.

Bow let out a low whistle. "That's a cool trick!"

The others examined the figure, which Calliope had only learned to hold for about thirty seconds before it would evaporate but as she looked at the misty figure of Lexie that she had conjured, she started to wonder.

Could we be in love?