Sunray felt like her heart was going to break. With fear. With shock. With horror. Because, no matter how much she tried convincing herself that it was just a nightmare, what had happened just a moment ago was real. She'd been about to be shot for the second time in two weeks, when out of nowhere her partner had thrown himself in front of her and taken the deadly hit for her.
Standing just a few feet in front of her, Night appeared stunned. He just stood there, staring in terror at Preciser for several seconds. Everything was tensely silent.
Suddenly a conflicted mix of emotions spread across his face, and his eyes widened for a split second, then shut tightly. He fumbled for his hood with something like a strangled gasp and yanked it tightly over his head with both hands, simultaneously grabbing his temples and doubling over. "N-no, no, no, no, no, you can't—!" he shrieked in a horrified tone, beginning to stumble wildly around the road. "I won't— won't listen. No. No!" He covered his ears firmly, but there was still a pressured and agonized look on his face. "You . . . will never . . . ch-change . . ." His voice trailed away into a distressed cry.
Sunray watched in alarm, not knowing what was happening to him and having no idea how to help him. This was not what had happened to her when she'd been shot the week before.
Night wasn't yelling out nonsense anymore, but she could see his teeth were gritted, and he was shaking violently. Her heart ached to see him have to fight this mental battle all on his own.
At least a minute later, he finally collapsed, his face buried in his arms on the ground and hunched over. She gazed at him for a moment, then moved hesitantly to his side and laid a hand on his back. "Night . . . are you okay?"
She immediately jumped back in surprise and shock, however, when his head jerked up again and his eyes shot open. She quickly drew further back in alarm, because they weren't the usual dark sapphire; they were glowing white.
He was staring forward at nothing, his face blank. Then he slowly lifted his chin to meet Preciser's eyes, which were glittering back at him and almost communicating something to him that Sunray couldn't understand. Obviously it was bad news, though; after a few more seconds' hesitation, her partner turned his head to the right, in Sunray's direction. His eyes met hers, but not with the usual warmth. Now, he wore a simple expression that she'd never seen him wear, yet chilled her to the bone: cold determination.
He rose smoothly to his feet and began walking towards her. Not knowing what exactly was going on but seeing Night wasn't himself, she started to back away, her eyes wide. "Night," she said quietly, raising both hands. "Stop it. You know me. I know you. You're my best friend. We're on the same side."
He kept walking, his eyes never leaving hers.
"You were my first friend ever," she went on, starting to grow desperate. "You . . . you call me Sunshine. Sometimes I call you Night Hawk." Her voice was growing panicked. "Preciser is our enemy. I'm your friend!"
But he didn't respond to her words. Rather, he closed his fingers around empty air and resolidified his seax, turning her blood ice-cold.
"Night!" she pleaded, close to tears. "Don't do this! Don't listen to him! I'm not going to fight you. I can't!"
Still, he remained frighteningly silent. He quickened his pace and suddenly leapt at her, his blade raised in the air for a strike. His quick movement nearly scared her into paralysis; as a guardian, she was used to being attacked, but never by him.
She dropped to the ground and slipped hastily under his swinging weapon, ignoring her instinct to counterattack when antagonized. His blade ended up sinking two feet into the cement building wall behind her.
YOU ARE READING
Where Light Meets Dark
Teen Fiction[COMPLETED ~ TO BE PUBLISHED... eventually] Sunray was the light, lonely and shining. She was a beacon of hope to the public, but quiet in her own life. To everyone else, anyway. Night was her shadow, sworn to protect her just as much as his home. H...
