Sunfire

Charter 1: It Happened One Night

It started in me, which is to say, July. That's me. July Cole. And yes, I do have sisters named April, May, June and August, because my mom was a smart ass.

Speaking of, my mom is dead. She died in a car crash. Don't worry, it happened when I was little, so I'm not all sobby about it. April and May have moved out of the house, so all you have to worry about is us summer months.

You're probably wondering about the protagonist of our story, aka, me. Well, I've got a little past shoulder length blonde hair and brown eyes. I'm kind of tall with fairly tan skin, though you couldn't tell my skin tone much that night.

I was in bed when it started.

I felt this pull, as if I were a puppet and all my limbs were attached to strings. It jerked me out, and unwillingly I opened my window, and jumped out. Now I was on the second floor of my house so there were a few seconds where I thought I was dead and tried to scream, but whatever was moving me was most definitely not letting me speak. The force slowed my fall somehow and I kept going in the direction of the park.

When I struggled against them I saw strings of golden light holding me.

I wanted to yell at the light, call it a few choice names, but there was a band of it around my mouth.

I couldn't tell where the light was coming from, but it was pulling my limbs forward, making me hover just an inch off the ground, my bare toes almost touching the grass blades.

I hovered like this for about 2 blocks until I arrived at this park.

I saw a boy, with dark hair, about my age (16) coming my way, floating like me. He tried to move his arms, fists clenched and I saw silvery stands of light around his arms. The boy shook his head, revealing a band of silver light on his mouth, which illuminated his face. I recognized him.

His name is Finn. Finn Parker. His blue eyes looked almost silver in the light.

Suddenly, we both dropped to the ground. There was a tree directly in the middle of us. The light that had been binding us flew up into the air and then crashed into the ground. Two figures formed in the spots where the two lights had landed.

There was a man, I'd say about mid twenties, in a gold suit that seemed to be made out of the Sun. His skin was a warm tan his hair was also golden and as were his eyes.

There also was a sleek woman with silver hair and eyes. Her silvery gray dress looked like it was made out of the Moon. Even though her hair was silver, she looked the same age, maybe a year younger than the gold man.

Both seemed to glow with matching lights.

Finn and I both backed up from the two, backpedaling towards each other. Now I didn't know Finn Parker very well but I'd rather be close to him than the thing that pulled me out of my room in the middle of the night.

"Be not afraid." Goldie said."I am here to-"

"Bring us great news and tidings of great joy?" I asked, my voice sounding braver than I was, but still shaking. "Yeah, no thanks."

"You don't understand. We are here to present both of you with great honors."

I didn't feel very honored in my jammies. I don't think Finn did either in his Batman sweatpants.

The silver woman continued, "My name is Selene, and this is my brother Helios." The names rang a bell, but I didn't know which one.

Helios spoke next, "You two have been chosen as the Preservers of Light."

"Why us?" Finn asked next to me. "We're just teenagers. And what do you mean Preservers of Light?"

"And why did you drag us out here in the middle of the night?!" I added.

Selene nodded. "I admit, this is not how we would have liked this to have been. But our enemy approaches quickly. You have been chosen, by us because your hearts are true and your souls are brave. Now come here."

"No!" I objected. "You give us more answers."

"There is no time, children." Helios continued. "She grows closer by the minute."

"Who?" Finn and I asked at the same time.

"Her," Selene whispered. A form came down.

A woman, cloaked in darkness, grinned at Helios and Selene. "Ah, Helios and Selene. Been a while hasn't it? And aren't you going to introduce me to your little friends?"

"Leave them alone Nyx." Helios said, stepping forward as Finn and I backed away from Nyx and towards Helios and Selene who moved in front of us. Right then, I trusted Helios and Selene more than this Nyx woman.

Nyx smiled with black lips. "I see, you're trying to find new Preservers." She turned to us. "They're just using you, you know. All that rub about honor, it's all naught but pretty words twisted like ribbon candy. Come with me, and you'll live to see darkness reborn."

"No." Finn said, his voice shaking. "I'll never come with you, and neither will she." He looked at me. "Uh, right?"

I saw his blue gray eyes were scared, and I couldn't say mine weren't, but I didn't take Nyx at her word that she'd let us live. "Right." I made my voice as firm as I could.

"Then you'll die with them." She held her hands out and knives of darkness shot at Helios and Selene. Helios brought his hands up and a gold shield of Light deflected them. Nyx kept shooting at us with her darkness.

"This won't last long Helios. We need to do it now." Selene whispered to him.

Helios nodded. Another blast shook the shield, breaking it. Nyx smiled like a mad woman. "Your light collapses. Darkness will overcome the world. I may leave your young Preservers live long enough to see it."

Helios stepped forward, brandishing a gold sword. "Stay away from them."

Selene stood beside him and took out a similar sword in silver. "Be gone, Nyx. You are outnumbered."

She laughed. "Yes, with you, your brother and these children. I may be outnumbered by you two, but you are far overpowered." She sent out spikes of darkness. The two light siblings took most of them except for the ones that missed, but still they stood in front of us.

Helios took out a bow and shot arrows of light towards Nyx and then so did Selene.

Nyx hissed. "I may not rise tonight, but I swear to you, soon the rivers shall run red with the blood of mortals." She disappeared in a pillar of dark smoke. Helios and Selene turned toward us. It was then I saw the gold and red liquid flowing from their chests. Selene put a pale hand to where a dark knife has been, the blood flowing freely onto her hand, like Snow White's mother's blood on the snow. She fell to the ground.

Helios had knives in several places in his chest. He staggered over to the tree, which he slid down. Blood came out of his mouth, staining his lips. "July," he whispered.

I ran over to him, while Finn was called to Selene. "Take my hand," he said. "I'm sorry that we cannot explain this more. I'm sorry that your destiny is being thrust upon you so quickly." He swallowed. "But it must be done. It'll be quick," He promised, "And painless, this process. I need you to take my hand." Blood was pumping onto his tunic as quickly as I made my next decision. His hand was warm, but turning cold as the blood ran out of him. "I entrust you with great power July Cole. Use it wisely."

The world turned into the back of my eyelids, as I unwillingly passed out cold...

Until, of course, I woke up in my bed the next day.