Twisted Trials

Day 1

Ashlyn's POV:
I wake up to someone shaking me and calling my name. My vision is a little blurry, but I can make out the messy white hair and baby blue dress of my friend Grace.
"Ashlyn, Ashlyn..."
"No," I mumble and attempt to push her away, but my arms feel heavy. Straightening myself, I can see more clearly. I look around the dark metal room, and see my other friends shuffling around in the shadows. Annalisa, our brooding warrior in a ruffled, royal purple dress tied up to her knee and long lilac hair half pulled up in a messy bun. Rachel, our quiet and timid lovebird in a short satin blue dress that tightened around her waist with a sliver chain belt, and crisp white braids laying over her shoulders. Julie, a fiery heart with a mind of her own, in a crimson red dress and a mop of cherry colored hair hanging over her bright red eyes. And Grace, our overly concerned healer. But I still felt like I was missing something. The feeling got pushed aside, as the rocking room made me feel nauseous.
"Are you okay?" Grace grabbed my wrist as I spun back to her.
"Yeah, I-I'm fine. What is-"
"We're in The Box, heading towards the Glade. Remember anything?" Anna cuts me off with a glare. She stands near the wall, leaning on a nearby crate to support her. I frown, trying to remember what she's talking about, and my memory slowly shows long dim hallways, doctors in scrubs yelling, and my dearest friend...Skylar. A fluttering starts up in my chest as I realize he's not here in the room. I do another scan of the room, uneasy looks are given to me from my friends.
"We are missing one," A panic fills me. Rachel clears her throat, and from reading my emotions, she knows something is not right.
"I'm sure Skylar is safe." She takes a few steps forward and rests a hand on my shoulder. I still feel a little dazed, and this anxious nausea isn't helping. A cold feeling runs around my neck. I reach up and find a chain. Looking down I see I'm wearing a beat up white dress, and a pink rustic key attached to the chain around my neck. I can only vaguely remember the past events leading up to the box-

A dim but beautiful forest, full of colorful people of all shapes and sizes. My friends and I, gathered together in the middle of the party with big smiles on our faces, and light-hearted music drifting through the breeze. An older man in dark robes approaches me and extends his hand. In it is the key, and my smile disappears.
"This, is the key back home. It will bring you back here after your quest." I then recognize the man as Mystic, Father of Time himself. He gently clasps the chain around my neck and disappears into a puff of smoke. Wrapping my hand around the key, I wonder how dangerous is this quest going to be?

I look up to see my friends now gathered around the center of the room. I remember now. We were brought on this quest to take down one of the most evil corporations ever created by man. They have taken too many of our people and killed one of Peridite's most cherished children. We are the Everlasting Faeries. Shape shifting children of our Goddess, Perdite. And we will destroy WICKED.

The room stopped moving. We stand waiting in silence as we glance around the room for any movement. Then, the sound of gears erupt throughout the darkness. A tear of bright light showers down to us from the ceiling. The two halves of the ceiling pull apart until all of us are squinting at the new scenery. Once my eyes adjust, I see little shadowy figures crowding around the opening. Unknown faces pop out of the crowd. Then there's yelling and a ripple in the crowd as the only familiar figure pushes their way to the edge. It's Skylar.

"Ashlyn!" Skylar cries as feathery black wings stretch out from his back. Short chestnut hair in a styled wave and shimmering blue eyes that radiate happiness. His clothes were much more worn and beat up than ours. Sky had a jet black feather capelet around his neck and waist, with a black tight tank top and pants underneath. The faces around him shriek and back away in surprise. He flutters down into the box, wings disappearing as quickly as they appeared. Rushing toward me, we embrace in a tight hug as wholeness washes over us.
"You-You came back!" He pulls away but holds onto my hands, unable to process the moment. Skylar pauses, notices my new key accessory and his smile turns into a concerned frown. I put my finger to my lips, pleading with my eyes to not say anything.
"Can you help us out of here?" I ask. Skylar's smile slowly spreads across his face again as he lets out a light laugh.
"Yeah yeah, I just need some help moving those crates and we'll be home-free" I turn back to the others and see Grace shifting her weight from one leg to another, finding interest in the floor. The others are staring up at the figures who have doubled in size. My grip around Skylar's hands tighten, as my stomach does a double flip.
"Looks like we're trapped in a zoo" Anna mutters throwing a dull look at me.
"Anna, Grace, could you help me move those crates?" Sky steps in for me and gently drops my hands. He starts to wander to one of the walls, but stops to turn and place a light kiss on my cheek. Anna rolls her eyes and whispers something to Grace. Grace shakes her head and reluctantly follows Anna to help move crates. I float over to Rachel and smile,
"Well, just like the books huh." I jab my elbow into her arm. Rachel stifles a laugh. "Would've been better if they added our perspective." I turn back to the three making a makeshift staircase. Motioning for Rachel and Julie to follow, we help push crates together until we have a way out. Anna is the first to climb up, barking at the girlish looking figures to move out of the way. The rest of us climb up, Skylar taking my hand once I climb up the last step. There's yelling coming from the back of the crowd, and a muscly teenage girl with a half shaved blonde head pushes through. The girl looks pissed, in her form fitting green shirt and camo pants. Grace's face flushes bright red.
"And what do you think you're doing, showing you're face around here, freak?" She jabs her finger at Skylar's chest.
"Move out of the way Gaia," Sky rolls his eyes at the huffy commander.
"You don't give orders around here, and you don't go terrorizing my people with-with whatever which-craft you use!" I could tell these two had a history of arguments. Skylar pushes Gaia aside and the crowd parts for our group, shocked that someone talked back to their leader. Gaia didn't seem pleased about this, but scanning our group, she seemed to falter once her eyes met Grace's.
"Gaia?" Grace's eyes full of mist, tentatively putting her hand out.
"Who- what are you?" Her face hardening back up, embarrassed. Grace simply smiled, tears welling up in her ocean blue eyes.
"Grace no!" Rachel quickly rushes toward her, trying to drag Grace out of her trance. The crowd quickly closed in on the two, people pushing, trying to see what was going on. The rest of us already made our way through the group of girls, but Rachel and Grace were surrounded, a few hands reaching out to their brightly colored fabrics. Rachel pulled on Grace's arm, trying to wave through the people, with no luck. Grace struggles out of her grip and cries out in agony, a horrible sound I've never heard her make, as if a part of her is being ripped in half. I felt adrenaline pulse through me, and I pat down my waist trying to find my sword hilt. It seemed to be gone, and I cursed WICKED for taking away my weapon. There's no time to waste, as the rest of our group is wide-eyed in concern and basically helpless. I begin to push through the crowd, trying to get to my friends before they could get themselves hurt.
"Ashlyn wait!" Skylar calls. I ignore him and push on.
"Please! What happened to you?"
"Grace come on! We have to go!"
"No let me go." The two are fighting and struggling among each other.
"Stop! Both of you!" Gaia's voice is firm.
"I don't know who either of you are, or why you're here, but you aren't like us," I slip through people, but one grabs my arm. I spun back to see a tall asian girl with long dark hair pulled up in a pony tail.
"Don't." She shakes her head as a warning, her hazel eyes drilling into me. She releases her grip from my arm. I turn back to see my two friends frozen in fear, as Gaia grips onto a borrowed spear.
"No!" I yell, running and pushing people out of the way and stand in front of my friends. This takes Gaia by surprise, as she thrusts the spear at me in defense. I watch her eyes fill with fear.
"I'm sorry," she stumbles away, back into the crowd. I gasp out and crumple to the ground, clutching my side, where my new wound burns with pain. The crowd backs away, and I see Grace and Rachel hunch over me. Grace's hand is covering her face while tears flow down her cheeks. Rachel holds my head. I here yelling and crying as black spots dance across my vision. Skylar appears at my side, and holds me as I gasp for air.

Is this how I die? Before my story has even started? No. I wouldn't do that.
"You're going to be ok." His voice cracks, and my eyes droop, and all goes dark.