Chrystal's Ball (Book 1 in the Shadow Chronicles )

Chapter 1- Once Upon A Time

A/N- ENJOY!

Rosalyn Dance

I dashed past the lush green trees, going as fast as I could, while stil dodging  low- lying branches. I glanced over my shoulder to see if the monster was still following me- it was. Silently cursing my sisters, I lept over a tree root. I had to have sisters, why couldn't I have had brothers? Brothers didn't like frilly dresses, jewels and balls, a brother would have liked fighting and weapons, plus they certainley wouldn't have gotten me into this mess.

Eventually, I reached a small clearing, its as good a place as any. I took my scythe out of my bow and expanded it, readied my stance and waited. The shadower burst out of the forest, it was ugly apperently evil creatures have an unlimited supply of ugly. Its face was contored and it was foaming at the mouth, it didn't have a nose, which I suppose was an adaptation so it couldn't smell its own breath. What really got me though was the eyes, souless and full of blood lust.

The shadower bolted towards me, but if four straight years of dancing had been good for anything, it did make me incredibly agile. I took a good swing at its back and in anger it whorled around and swiped its very sharp claws at me. I just barely managed to dodge it, and in the process I took the oppurtunity to cut off its leg. With only 3 legs to stand on the shadower lost its balance and tipped over. I  retracted my scythe and tucked it back onto the boow on the back of my dress. Even evil creatures bleed and this one would soon be dead from all the blood it lost.

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Crimson Rose

I sprinted across the forest, adrenaline pumping frompure nerves. Tonight is the night, I turned 14 last week but the full moon wasn't until tonight. Finally, I could go with the rest of the pack on their nightly hunts. Lena has been telling me all about the hunt's for years, can't you just imagine it. The wind whipping through your fur as you pounce on unsuspecting prey, ripping it to shreds, I'm bursting with excitement!

I make it back to the pack and immediately find Lena. Crimson you're going to drain all your energy, and then how will you keep up with the pack tonight?  She's right I know but I just can't help it, tonight is the NIGHT! Crimson calm yourself, come sit by me and we'll watch the sunset. I  go over by Lena and sit. The pack has always been there for me, but Lena is like my sister, she giudes me with her experiences.

As the sun begins to set, I can see the golden-orchid hues spread over the horizon, and Lena's right it is calming. The sun slowly sinks deeper and deeper into the sky, until eventually it dissapears completely. Then, finally the full moon rises and tonight it's even more beautiful than it usually is, the silver glow it gives off is enchanting, but if the moon is up why am I not changing?

Then, I feel something very small, very subtle, the faintest tug.I feel it again, stronger now, and again, and again until finally, I feel a pull so unbelievably powerful and gut renching that I scream, only it comes out as a howl, strong, clear, and free.

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 Belleflower Heire

11 years,105 days and 19 hours, that's how long I've been here. I haven't walked on the ground outside my tower since I was 3. It isn't really that bad though, mother makes things interesting, she teaches me to defend myself because, as mother would put it, "a young women should be able to ward off any danger, you especially." I love her defense lessons but I especially likeour potion lessons. Making potions are a trade secret among witches, I mean, I'm not a witch, but mother made an exception for me.

Mother attempts to teach me everything she can to protect me from him, it makes life in a tower interesting, I guess. Mother does let me keep all the potions I makes, I even have a utility belt to carry some of them around. So if mother ever does stop being so over protective, I'll be ready to go. Although the chances of that happening are, depressingly low.

" BELLEFLOWER, let down your hair, dear." Instantly I jump up, mother's home that means she brought home the ingredients we were missing for that potion. I walk over to the window toss my hair over the hook and unroll all 75ft.

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Chrystal Cinder

At this current moment in time, I'm sweeping the entryway. It's a pointless task really, why should I clean something that is only going to get dirty again anyway? Besides I just cleaned it yesterday. Mauvis, however insists that every inch of this house not have a speck of dirt or dust anywhere. Except of course where I live which is a dingy little shack off to the side of the estate.

Mauvis belives she did me a favor by adopting me, but to be honest the orphanage was way better than here. At least, at the orphanage, I had been fed regularly. Mauvis, on the otherhand has no problem withholding food every once in a while. One time, when I was 7, I had to go 2 weeks without food, luckily for me I had the birds who'd bring me berries and nuts, plus I could sometimes convince the bees to give me honey. Anyway it's not like Mauvis foesn't have a lot of food, she does, afterall Mauvis is a countess, she just believes that I'm noto deserving of her "good graces."

"CHRYSTAL," Mauvis' high-pitched voice screeches through the quiet. I dash towards the house, into Mauvis' room, where she stands tapping her foot next to my sisters, Patience and Charity. "Chrystal explain to me why it is you haven't helped your sisters get ready."

Because I'm not pyschic and you gave me a list of chares bigger than you ego." I apologize mistress, I was simply cleaning the entryway as you instructed me and-"

"I don't care for your excuses just do it!" With that Mauvis walks off and leaves.

"Me first!" Patience cries.

"Well? What are you waiting for, an invitation? Get on with it peasant" adds Charity.

 Sighing I get to work.

A/N

Hey guys so originally, I planned to do one chapter for each character,but when I wrote it out, I thought they came out kind of short. So I'm combining them all together. I hope you liked this first chapter. Which character do you like best so far?