Twilight Shadows

Chapter 13

**Don't forget to read and vote! Thanks for all the amazing support you readers have given me!**

^^Caspian

"No!" Sylvia screamed as she ran over to Caspian. "You're the strongest healer we have! Please, please, please wake up!"

I was highly annoyed by now, and decided to take matters into my own hands. "Sylvia," I said in a mocking tone. "I think you should give him some space. Crowding around unconscious people isn't going to help them, nor is pleading for them to wake up."

Noah snickered behind me and even Peter let out a rare smile.

Sylvia glared at me. "If you're so knowledgeable, then GO FIX HIM!"

"But Sylvia..." I said in an even more dead-sweet tone. "Any sane person would know that waiting for an unconscious person to wake up is the best way to do it. Or, if you have a healer, which you don't, then we can just heal the person. Simple."

Sylvia screamed in frustration. "NOW WHAT TO WE DO THEN???"

"We simply wait for him to wake up." I said, annoying Sylvia even more. I have to admit, this was fun. "Well, you can wait here with Peter since he needs some healing done, and Noah and I will go outside to look for that Joshua."

"Sounds good to me." Peter said, limping over to join Sylvia.

"I'll see you guys later then." Noah said, putting his hand on my shoulder and leading me outside. 

~💖~

"Let's see you turn into a... tracking dog..." Noah winked as we got outside.

I snorted. "Why?"

"To track down Joshua, obviously. We have no idea where he went. So, let's take advantage of your awesome powers and go track him down! At least now we know that you're a double element Twilight. Very helpful." Noah noted.

"Um... but when we first met, you said something about... half-Twilights?" I asked curiously.

"Yes, that's true, but since it's now illegal, you won't be able to be a half-blood." Noah said surely. Somehow I knew that he would like to think that I was a legal double element Twilight than an illegal half-breed. "Anyways, let's get on with that shape-shifting training!"

In a flash, I disappeared in a swirl of silver and reappeared as a dog. A border collie, to be exact. I wagged my tail excitedly and pointed my nose up in the air, sniffing. I could distinguish Joshua's scent among the others because his scent reeked of Shadow-y essence. Don't ask how I know, I just do.

I galloped away into the woods, sniffing out his trail. Noah was right behind me, running.

~💖~

We found Joshua casually leaning against a tree. LIKE SERIOUSLY??? I was beyond angry; I was insane. We went all this way to find him, and he's just camping out? That was not fair. I had shape-shifted back into a human before running towards him, because he still didn't know about my powers. It would be dangerous to let him know, considering the fact that he's always off to something.

While Noah was busy criticizing Joshua, um, actually arguing with him, I thought about my family. My mother seemed sane, but my father... I actually never remember meeting him before. The more I thought about him, the more detailed his features became; dark, smooth yet short black hair, and... gray eyes. High cheekbones like royals, and tall and muscular like warriors. I remember the nights where he would always be off to something important, and not arrive back home until dawn.

Where could've he been off to? I wondered. Why always the night shifts for work? And where did he disappear off to?

Noah broke my thoughts when he called out to me. "Hey Steph, let's get going. Our..." Noah glanced at Joshua, looking to see if he was listening. He was. "... destination is waiting for us." I nodded and summoned my wings. Noah and Joshua did the same.

"Wait," I said. "Shouldn't we notify Sylvia and Peter that we're leaving?"

Noah hesitated. "We can't waste anymore time. Let's go." 

I nodded and took to the air. Next destination, I thought. The Gardens of Heaven.

~💖~  

We flew through the night, because that's when we were the most alert and the most powerful. I found out that one advantage of being a Twilight was the fact that you don't need much sleep and you're nocturnal. The same goes for Nightmare.

Joshua, Noah and I flew west, because that's where the Garden of Heaven was rumored to be. The next few days went by without much danger, which was good. However, on the third day, we came across a few soul-sucking ghouls, which we easily defeated. 

~💖~  

Noah decided to camp at the base of a huge, towering mountain which was supposedly higher than Mount Everest, but the mortals couldn't see it due to the Fog. My hypothesis was that if we scaled that mountain, we would reach the Gardens of Heaven, and find the nymph to cure the tree.

"Stephanie," Noah said quietly. "Would you like to be on night duty?"

"Sure, no problem," I replied. "You should go get some rest. Nightmare - " I quickly summoned my dragon. " - and I will be fine together, won't we, girl?" Nightmare nodded sweetly, her big innocent round eyes staring up at me.

"That's making me feel better. Please don't get into any trouble..." Noah began.

"I know, I know. Have a nice rest!" I called after him as he went into his tent. I sighed. "Out here all alone for another few hours. How's that going to feel, Nightmare?"

Nightmare nuzzled me affectionately. I lay down so that my back was resting against Nightmare's stomach. I have to say, Nightmare has grown a lot since I first bonded with her. She was now the size of an average pony, and once she grows twice that size, I could probably even take a ride on her!

Nightmare nudged my bracelet, motioning to the black feather charm.

"Oh, right..." I said, and immediately drawing out my balanced sword, Midnight. "Better have my weapon out just in case... But that's a rare chance, right...?" I laughed shakily. Nightmare gave me a look that said you-never-know-what-might-happen. 

As if I jinxed it, rustling came out behind Nightmare and I and before I had the chance to see who it was, the thing-person-creature (I don't know!) grabbed me and hoisted me into the trees. Nightmare returned back onto my bracelet as the dragon charm. I screamed and kicked, but the thing didn't seem notice.

Next thing I knew, a burlap sack went over my head and I saw nothing. I was still conscious though, but I didn't know who had kidnapped me and what was happening. I screamed, but the sound didn't go far with the burlap sack over my head. I started to panic.

I heard another set of running feet behind me, and a battle-cry. Someone had knocked down the thing that was dragging me, and it seemed like there were other people with my kidnapper. My rescuer, on the other hand, knocked out the kidnapper's henchman. I could tell because of the sound of somethings hitting the ground, hard. But I wasn't sure because I still had the sack on my head, and my hands were numb with fear.

Just before I passed out, the burlap sack was lifted, and I saw fierce blue eyes...

"Noah..." I croaked, and then slumped, unconscious.