MCSM: Shattered Souls [COMPLETED]

13- In Which We Finally Get a Calm Talk

For several seconds, all I could hear was my own heartbeat, thudding out a rabid, terrified, beat in my chest.

She's dead.

The second Shard gone, and it was only the first day.

I snapped myself out of my daze, slowly turning around to face the other Shards. Jandro was still holding the bow- Jenni's own enchanted bow that had ended her life. Jaq was looking at the ground, clenching and unclenching her fists. And poor Justin was staring straight forward at Jenni's inventory, eyes wide and horrified.

I looked up and met Jandro's eyes. "I had to. There wasn't another choice. I had to." He murmured softly, talking more to himself than me.

"I know." I whispered, nodding ever so slightly. I lowered my gaze back down to the remnants of the other girl, feeling my eyes grow damp. It had been different when Joss died. I didn't know him at all, and it was so sudden. With Jenni, her end had been steadily approaching for hours, and we knew it. She had become a friend to me, not just another Shard.

And now she was gone.

Justin leaned down and picked up Jenni's Aristan sword from the pile of weapons she had discarded earlier. He then lifted his head and made eye contact with Jandro.

"You killed her." He breathed, a devastated expression settling over his face. The dark boy averted his eyes, seeming distressed. "We didn't have a choice. It's what she wanted. She didn't want to become a monster, and it was the only way to save her."

"That wasn't saving! She's dead!" Justin argued. Jandro looked at him again, heartbreak visible in his brown eyes. "I didn't have a choice." He repeated quietly.

"He's right, Justin. There wasn't anything else we could've done." I said, trying to placate both boys. Jaq finally stopped staring into space.

"Are you claiming her sword?" she asked Justin. He glanced down at the dark blue sword in his hand. "Yeah, I guess so."

He took out his own Aristan sword, the shining green one, and touched the two together. A flash of green and blue light temporarily blinded me, and then, just like when Jaq had merged her weapon with Joss's, Justin was left with a single shining sword. He twisted it back and forth in his hand, examining the emerald and aquamarine tones that the blade had taken on.

"Oh my Notch. Of course." Jaq exclaimed, pointing to something a few feet away. The next portal had appeared, right next to Jenni's inventory.

Jandro gaped at it, looking horrified. "So the real trial...was to kill one of our own. That's barbaric."

Jaq shook her head in disgust. "No kidding. I hope the next one is a little less stressful." She walked forward and went through the portal without a second's hesitation. Justin moved to follow her, but Jandro grabbed his shoulder.

"Justin...please listen. I didn't want to kill her, far from it. It was just...so sudden, and she already told us we needed to stop her, and I didn't want y-anyone to get hurt...I hope you understand."

Justin looked up at him, studying the other boy's earnest, worried, face for a long moment. Then he managed a thin smile. "It's alright. I don't blame you."

Jandro exhaled a long, relieved breath, letting go of him. "Thanks."

I gave him a sideways glance as Justin went through the portal. He noticed my expression and replied with a slightly sheepish look. "What?"

"Nothing. You're just...he's...nothing. Never mind." I said with a wave of my hand. Jandro looked at me suspiciously for a moment longer, then shrugged. "Ladies first. You always seem to be the last one through, so I'm not holding you back this time."