Astrea's Ghosts (Ash Princess fanfiction)

Chapter four: Yana

A/N Warning, this a longer chapter than I normally do and quite a bit of it explains some stuff about the gods so bare with me, it is important. As always, disclaimer applies.

Yana felt dizzy and horribly sick. Waves of nausea rolled over her as she lay on the cold hard, floor. Eventually, her head cleared and she lifted herself up into a sitting position. Where am I? Looking around she found herself in the centre of a large room, marble columns, decorated with patterns and swirls of silver paint, reached up to touch the high, domed ceiling, seemingly made out of clear crystal. There was a gasp and Yana turned her head to see two others, young men both around twenty five. One had long brown hair that touched his shoulders and smooth, light brown skin. A strand of hair fell over his hazel eyes and Theo other man, seemingly his friends, brushed it away. He had porcelain skin, blue, almond shaped eyes and short, straight black hair. Seeing him sent a thrill through Yana's bones. Maybe she was the only one here without Astrean skin. He caught sight of her and whispered something in his friends ear. "Err hi, do you know were we are?" Asked the blue-eyed one. The other seemed wary of her. Yana shook her head. She began to stand up but the world tipped suddenly side ways as a last wave of dizziness swept her over. But before she could hit the ground, strong arms caught her and pulled her up, into the body of a young man. She looked up. His face seemed familiar, sharp green eyes and olive skin, but she couldn't place him. "Thank you," Yana stuttered, "I'm fine now." Gently, he let her go, but still had an odd look in his hard face. She couldn't seem to let it go. "I'm sorry but have we met?" The corner of his mouth twitched into what might be a smile, "Not really but... I know you, sort of," Yana watched as the mysterious man struggled to put it into words. Instead he just smiled uncertainty, "I know Theo has mentioned me a lot, you mother I mean. I'm Blaise." And then it clicked into place. Blaise. Of course, she understood how he knew her, he probably watched her from the After. The thought unnerved her, but only a little. After all, she had done much the same with her own family.

"Welcome," said a soft voice, "I do hope you journey wasn't too unpleasant, I'm not so good at summoning." Yana looked up to see a young woman with earthy brown skin and wild tawny hair. Ivy curled through her locks, swaying and slithering around in the air like an inquisitive snake. Yana shivered. "I presume you know who I am." She said, walking towards them. "Glaidi." Blaise breathed, slightly stunned. "But...but I thought the Gods didn't exists?" Glaidi smiled sadly, "We do exist, Blaise, but I understand why it may not have seemed that way to you." She gestured with one, ivy covered hand to a small, marble table and a set of chairs, "Come, sit down and let us talk." They had no choice but to do as they were told. "It's a pleasure to meet you all," the Goddess said, suddenly all-business, "but I'm afraid you have been called here for rather an urgent matter so if we could get the introductions out the way that would be good." She gestured to the blue-eyed boy, "This is Alexsares," she said, seemingly doing the introductions for them, "and his lover, Rowan." She pointed to the brown haired boy, who blushed. It was only then that Yana noticed the two boy's clasped hands under the table. She then introduced Yana and Blaise in turn. Then, Alexsares spoke up, "I prefer Alex," he said, a little embarrassed. "Just getting that out of the way." Glaidi nodded. "Anyway," she said, "now let's talk about why you are here. I must explain more about the Gods purpose on this earth and why we didn't interfere with the Kalovaxians when they invaded." She threw a pointed, slightly regretful look in Blaise's direction. "You see, we Gods and Goddesses are not the all powerful, immortal beings you make us out to be. We too can die, but I shall come to that later." She paused, as if readying herself for something painful. "Me, Suta, Houzzah, and Ozam were all once normal Astrean's like you. We lived, loved and died many millennia ago and after we died, we went to the same heavenly paradise in which you all resided, until recently. That, is because we were guardians. All guardians live in their elemental paradise, each one tailored to their individual desires. The perfect paradise. But then, the first generation of Gods reaches their peaks, they could not sustain themselves in balance any longer. They needed new bodies. So we came to replace them, as you will replace us. You see, the gods can't interfere with matters on earth, we exist only to fuel the power inside spirit gems, and that's it. We're useless. But spirit gems are not, so, in a way, we were there for you, Blaise. You just didn't know it." Blaise looked away. He wasn't sure how to feel. He was angry at the gods for not doing more to help them. To save thousands of innocent lives. To maybe save his life, in a way. But at the same time he understood. He himself had had to watch many a tragedy unfold on earth, helpless to stop it. Why, he had watched Yana kill herself, every bone in his ghostly body hating himself for being unable to help her. For being useless. So he understood it, really. Still, it was hard not to feel a little hateful. Yana, felt for him and decided to steer the subject away from the Kalovaxians, "So why are we needed?" She asked. Glaidi sighed, "As you have probably noticed, I am becoming my element, earth," she gestured to the ivy, splayed around her head like a corona and now, curling around the legs of every bodies chairs. "I am becoming wild, all is Gods are. Houzzah's eyes blaze and shift life flames inside his irises, Suta's skin has turned blue and her hair rolls like the ocean, waves of it break against her shoulders." Glaidi looked grave, "Poor Oz sometimes moves in sudden gusts and her clothes have turned into thick mist that coil around her body. But we didn't used to be like that. We used to look just like normal, mortal human beings. It's a sign we are corrupting and need to pass our power onto new bodies. New gods. That's where you come in.""Wait," said Rowan, "you mean to say that we are the new gods and goddesses!?" Glaidi nodded,"You Rowan, are an air guardian and will take Ozam's place. Alex is a water guardian, Blaise is earth, like me, and Yana is fire." Blaise frowned,"But I'm not a guardian." Gaidi shook her head,"You are," she said, " albeit a very strong one. As is Yana." She smiled warmly at he. But Yana was in shock. She was a guardian? Her? But of course it all made sense. The volcano. She was a fire guardian. The burnt sheets! So I wasn't going mad..."But we must focus," Glaidi said urgently, "if we continue to corrupt we will go berserk, unleashing immeasurable, incredibly destructive power of Astrea. Think gigantic tsunamis, uncontrollable wild fires, tornadoes that destroy all it their path and earthquakes that split the ground apart.""So the exchange of power prevents this, already for another couple millennia. But how to exchange the power?" Rowan asked. Glaidi's eyes turned sad, her ivy crowded around he face, leaves pressing comfortingly against her cheeks. "You have to kill them."