The Sun

Chapter One

"Jack... Jack, wake up... please..."

I groaned and slightly opened my eyes. My body ached. I thought at least one of my bones was broken. I didn't know where I was or what exactly had happened.

"Jack? Please get up, please."

"Lydia?" I'd recognize that light Scottish voice anywhere, anytime.

"Yes, Jack, please get up. I love you, please, we need to move!" Wait. Did I just hear that? Did Lydia just tell me she loved me? Where did that come from? And why did we need to move? What are we running from?

I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was Lydias lovely emerald green eyes. And I got lost in them, like I always did. I had had a crush on Lydia since she moved to Haverston, at the end of the last year. We were both sophomores. Somehow she had gotten the same classes as me, so I saw her a lot and got to talking to her. I was her first friend.

"Lydia, what's happening? Why do we need to move?" I say as I realize we're in a forest. "And where are we?"

"Jack, don't you remember? We have to move. Get up, come on. Hopefully you'll remember soon, but for now, you need to trust me. Please, get up." Lydia pleaded.

I stood up and realized I had a sword strapped across my back and a dagger on my hip. Not only that, I also had a revolver strapped to my other hip, and a pouch of bullets hanging from my belt. Reaching down, I picked up my glasses and put them on.

Everything shot into focus. Lydia's blonde hair faded into its natural red color at the tips, which reached her shoulderblades. She was wearing my jacket and jeans, a faded blue tee which barely reached the waist of the jeans and a pair of tennis shoes.

She smiled at me and motioned. "Come on, Jack, hurry!" and she started running into the woods. I started after her and stepped on something very hard but very thin. Glancing down, I realized that I had stepped on the blade of a short sword. Snatching it up, I slipped it into the second sheath hanging from my belt. Then I sprinted after Lydia.

I caught up with her under some very large trees. Again I wondered where the hell I was. She turned. "There's a large hidden cave network network nearby. We'll be safe there!" Then she grabbed my hand and pulled me onward. I followed, still very confused.

The bushes next to us rustled, and something jumped out. It was black, almost shapeless, except for it's mouth. Lydia gasped and hid behind me. Out of reflex, I spread my arms to protect her. The shapeless creature lunged. And my body acted.

I leaped into the air and kicked its mouth, forcing it back, then I pounded all around its body with my fists. The creature fell. I stared at its motionless body. I had never taken fighting classes and I had never been very athletic, either, so how did I do that? Another mystery to add to my already long list.

Lydia grabbed my hand again and we rushed on. Eventually we reached a crack in the cliff face. Lydia quickly slipped inside and I followed. My eyes adjusted to the near perfect darkness immediately. The cave went down a long way. I turned and scanned the cave chamber. It seemed safe.

"Lydia, please tell me what's going on." I said as I turned toward her. "What the heck are we-" She interrupted me with a kiss. I kissed her back, stunned. When she broke the kiss off, she threw her arms around me and clung to me.

"Jack, I was so afraid of you dying... You took quite a hit. If you weren't what you are, you'd be shattered into fifty pieces!" she tightened her grip. "I don't care what could happen to me, please don't risk yourself like that again!"

"What I am? You mean human? A boy? What? And what happened?" I asked, utterly confused.

Lydia stepped back. "You really don't remember the past month? Jack, I'll explain. For now, let's get camp ready." She gathered a lot of sticks and threw them together. Then she looked at me expectantly. I stared back at her. She sighed, with a slightly disappointed look. "OK, I'll do it."

Lydia stared at the pile of sticks and pointed at it. then she uttered something in another language, but it sounded vaguely familiar. The sticks burst into flames. I stepped back and blinked, startled. Lydia sat down.

"Sit down, Jack, please, and I'll try to jog your memory." I sat across from her. "Jack, what you said about being simply human... Thing is, Jack, you're not. And neither am I. We are partially Fae. That makes us stronger, faster, tougher... and caught in the War."

"The War? I asked, still confused. A Fae? Like a fairy?

"The War. You know of the ancient struggle of good and evil, no matter how much you've forgotten. The War is that struggle. Since our families were Light Fae, we inherited their disposition of kindness and goodness. We are running from a great battle. I was about to be attacked by a great Dark Fae, Jacob. You stepped in the way and tried to block it with your short sword. The blow sent you flying. If you weren't a Fae Warrior-Protecter, you'd be destroyed. Oh, Jack, if you had died, I don't know what I would have done." And Lydia kissed me again.

"Why are you kissing me? I know I love you, but I don't remember saying anything." I asked, my confusion only slightly alleviated.

"That's right! Our engagement happened after our discovery! Of course you wouldn't remember it." Lydia held up her left hand and I saw an intricate ring in her finger. Glancing down at my own hand, I found a matching ring on my own finger. Thinking hard, I remembered vaguely flirting with Lydia, then asking her to marry me.

"I... I think I remember." I said slowly. "I love you, Lydia, but for now, let's get some sleep, ok?" She smiled and nodded. When I laid down, she laid down as well and snuggled up against me, so I slipped my arms around her and held her. Then I fell asleep.