Hidden

Chapter 79

Emma made haste back in the forest, panicking as she tried to think of a way to defend herself. She tried her best to gather sharp sticks and dig them into a large tree, snapping off the long branches and pointing the sharp ends outwards, creating a safe climbing tree for her, but for any larger creature, it meant cuts on the body.

She wasn't very creative, and with the trees so spread apart from each other in this forest, gathering all the materials was more difficult and time consuming. When she climbed the tree, a small spark of hope fluttered in her chest, hearing a stick snap and small movment behind her. At first she thought it was one of her friends, and she called out each of their names before the fox scampered away, crushing the flicker of hope in Emma's heart.

The top of the tree were the sharp sticks had been replaced with a barrier of sticks woven together to make a large bird nest like barricade. The tree, with all the sticks put together, looked like a very broken umbrella, one that was flipped upsideown if you held it the wrong way. And yet, this was the girls only possible way to survive.

She sat alone in the tree with just her closed mind and thoughts for hours, listening for any sign of the reborns in the area. The voice tried to enter the girls brain only once after she told it off, and after its first attempt, it didn't try again. Silence was the only thing she was listening to, and it's loneliness was greatly affecting her human mind. She grew bored, letting her mind barriers drop and listen to the dragons and their riders conversations. They were all about fear, the magic in them trembling at the thought of death of each other.

But a few were shining, determination and love were in some connections, not worrying about death, but many others. One held some rage, but it was a painful rage. Emma gasped as she realized who they were, and she quickly used her mind to grab their links and create a mental world. She started with a grassy glade, surrounded with small bugs in the grass, then she darkened the sky to a black, the stars shining their light on the ground. A full moon was present, and fireflies flew around the grassy glade, lighting up there surroundings.

The dragons were the first to join Emma in the mental glade, Aqua running to the brunnete and hugging the girl with her feathered wings. Jole, Peter's dragon; greeted the girl with a hello and a breath of warm air. Electra was hesitant, saying that her rider was still angry, but the Dragon couldn't handle the pressure and nuzzled the girl, embracing her mind.

"You've had some great power to make a mental glade like this. I wish it was real, then we wouldn't have to worry about the reborns as much." Joel said in his gruffy voice. Aqua chuckled, but Electra looked nervous to say anything.

"How are things inside the school anyways? I was kicked out, and I didn't get much of the action inside." Emma joked light-heartedly. Electra cringed harder, but she stayed in the glade, not giving in to her desire to leave.

"The headmaster was out voted on your stay, no matter what reasons he brought up. It's mostly preparation in here, but fights have been breaking out often, and David...he's been trying to break out of the wall to get you. A teacher has always watching him now, and he's been really frustrated." Aqua said with a nervous chuckle. It was tense in the glade, everyone on edge for the upcoming battle. Emma's heart jumped at the thought at David coming for her. Both out of love and worry. She wanted to see everyone again, but she didn't want to risk David getting hurt or killed.

"And the book. No sign of it then?" Emma asked with some hope. The dragons looked at each other, then back to Emma with a shake of there head. The brunette cursed, thining of possible people that may have had it. Someone with red hair....the boy at the dragon daycare had red hair, but he didn't seem like the kind of boy who would do that.

Everyone's thoughts were interrupted when Jasmine entered the glade, her eyes gloomy and her body in pain. The two girls looked at each other, and Emma looked away with guilt. Her throat grew thight, not knowing what to say to her. Jasmine seemed to come closer without Emma noticing, and she placed a gentle hand on the brunettes shoulder. Emma flinched, looking at Jasmine with her grey eyes.

"Emma, I'm sorry...." Jasmine's words shocked the girl, not understanding why she was apologising. "I foolishly lost the book that we worked had to get, and then I got you kicked out of the school. I didn't mean to, I really didn't want any of this to happen-"

"No Jasmine. It's my fault. I should have opened that book sooner so you didn't have to worry about it. It should have been my responsibility in the first place. And that fight, that was my fault, you were apologizing, and I just, acted out on anger and hurt you. I deserve to get kicked out of this school for gifted students. I don't even have fucking magic!" Emma confessed. Jasmine turned the girl around, her neon yellow eyes staring into Emma's shining grey ones.

"I know. And I don't want this to do anything to out relationship. I want us to be friends. You were there when I was in the infirmary, and I'll be here in the glade, it's my turn to help you." Jasmine said while tightening her grip. The dragons watched in awkward silence, not knowing what to do.

"But my magic- my dragon-" Emma tried to finish her sentence, but was cut off with a large hug.

"You don't need any of those to be you. You don't need to keep those things hidden to make others happy. Emma, if You can survive this world without the very thing that defies a human here, then you can survive any thing that decides to lose its shit with you. Your fucking magical in your own way." Jasmine said, clutching Emma harder. The brunette hugged Jasmine back, and they simply embraced each other for a while before letting go, smiles plastered on their tear-stained faces.