The Sage and Shield

Chapter 10 (Done)

Faith squirmed back and forth.

Her father and mother were surrounded by several others, and a fire quickly spread across the insides of their house. She remembered dashing in to save them, trying to put it out, when one bully pinned her down near the flames.

She kicked, screamed, but saw the flames about to reach her parents. The next thing she knew, she slammed her fist up at her pursers, revealing her scars and screamed.

She woke up. Laila burst into the room, rightfully scared.

"Had a nightmare about the fire."

"It's okay," hugging her daughter. "I'm just glad we all made it out alive."

She sighed. "I couldn't protect either of my friends."

"You did your best."

Faith shook her head.

"There's a spell I could've used."

Laila's eyes looked down at the grimoire page she had open.

"Hey, fire spells are the most dangerous."

"But I almost hurt you all."

Her mother laughed. "You also saved my life, and stopped the people who tried to end it. If you don't want to use it, it's okay."

"I could've melted the grim reaper's scythe," getting up. "I have to help him."

"You're not going anywhere, miss!"

"But those Sorrow Seeds are still out there. If they blossom, they'll really be like those drugs!"

She sighed. "That boy was just as stubborn as you."

Her cheeks grew. "Mikey was here?"

"Yeah you don't remember? He brought you into bed."

She covered her face with his pillow. "What did he say?!"

"That he wasn't going to let you get hurt anymore. You two really are two peas in the same pond."

She barely recollected her holding his hand, slapping it.

"I can't let him get hurt like that again either," triumphantly picking her torso up and using a healing spell to get her body back in decent shape. "Mom, let me pass."

"I won't let you go."

"I have too!"

She sighed. "Look at that time."

Faith turned to her clock. Eleven pm.

"Oh."

"Go back to sleep. Just be careful tomorrow."

The next morning, Jake was told by two siblings someone had a surprise for him in the computer room. He opened the door to find Mikey waiting for him after he closed it.

"Hey Jake."

"You told Demean and Dahmir to come up here?"

"No of course not," sarcastic. "So, apologized to Rebina?"

"Leave me alone!"

"It's funny how you used her and Abdul how many times to help you for this long, and yet you can't even say sorry to her the one time you messed up!"

"Who asked for your opinion? You're just jealous they hang out with me instead of you!"

"Because I thought they'd teach you how to be a good person. You were so jealous of Maria that you wished she was dead!"

"What are you talking about? Maria's not even that smart, she's just a teacher's pet!"

"Better a pet than a pest."

The door opened up as the two were about to wrestle.

"Rebina?"

The wavy ponytail girl with light olive skin stumbled into the room with both of them.

And Mikey saw a purple-black aura around her.

"You're?"

"I did my best, Jake. Your family's bigger than mine," clearly panting, "I have to take care of them, clean, cook with my parents, and work on it. Abdul and I even called you. You barely listen to us and now you want us to stop being friends?"

Jake backs up with Mikey as the aura take the form of a grim reaper floating above her.

"I'll make you forget Maria scored higher, then Mikey, so you won't be mad at me anymore!"

The light was burning the ghostly terror, which immediately slashed Jake's soul out of his body. The young boy fell to the floor, completely dazed.

"Jake!" He backed up, knowing he was next and picked up a large ruler as it approached him, like it was under Rebina's orders.

He gulped, picking up and throwing a stapler at Rebina, but the creature cut it in half before it could reach her.

"Ah crap. Rebina, you don't have to do this! We'll help you study for the next one!"

He had to duck from the blade, running through the hall while hoping the light would burn it out.

"You all stopped talking to me because of Jake! I'll make you forget that ever happened!"

He turned into the middle of the aisle, punching her down. He looked back: the reaper mirrored her chest clutching, but Rebina flailed around.

And the spirit slashed around randomly. He tried to get Rebina out of the room, and let it burn, but it struck the lights towards the door in a frenzy.

With no other option, Mikey jumped to the reaper, catching the pole of the blade. He held on. This time when he was being jerked around, he kicked off the ceiling and walls to stop himself from getting hurt, trying to pull him to the light.

However, Rebina's reaper copied her and shook him off, making him fall towards the computer. The weapon rose above his head, launching down.

"Flare!"

A burning sphere struck the metal of the scythe, melting it fast enough the pole hit the desk. Mikey turned back to see Faith in the room.

"You came!"

"Get Jake's soul back," trying to pull the seeds out of Rebina.

"On it!"

She used Vine to restrain Rebina's arms from each other, allowing Mikey to smack the scythe out of the reaper's control. He ran to Jake's body, slashing his soul back into him.

It flew at the four kids, prompting Faith to shoot Flare again. It got dodged, but restored the lights back into the room, causing the phantom to burn even more.

She took the scythe and slashed the Sorrow Seeds out of Rebina, destroying the phantom before it could touch them.

They took a massive sigh of relief.

"That was too close."

"You knew it was weak to light?"

"And the farther it was, the weaker the control."

They tried to help Jake and Rebina up, happy to be safe.