Absorption Distortion

Chapter 20

Present Day.

Luna left Elder Meeka's chambers, the necklace her mother once possessed being held together by a white gold chain. She looked at it as she waited to change floors in the elevator. As she walked into the training room Foyer, Payton stood there instead of Drake who usually waited for her. "Elder Payton?" she asked, stepping out of the elevator. She looked around the room but he was alone, "No Drake?" He grinned, "No, you're with me today," he opened his hand and directed Luna towards the automated doors. They stepped inside and it was a Forrest. There was no roof and the sun was beaming down. The floor beneath her were no longer tiles and she could see opaque forrest as fill the usual training "room". As Payton closed the door behind her, she turned to see it embedded into a rock wall. The Forrest was similar to Fernbrooke and she grazed her hands over some nearby plants. "What is this training?" she turned back to Payton. "We are testing your emotional restraint, seeing how well you can control yourself. I will remain here until you are done," he pointed into the forrest, "Follow that path," she looked at his line of sight and could see a small dirt path wide enough for only one person to walk. She bowed her head respectfully at Payton and made her way into the forrest. The long limbs of trees and plants were blocking her pathway which she had to push out the way to navigate through. As Luna walked, she looked around, curious what this training within Fernbrooke Forrest could bring to stopping Eville. As she moved through the forrest, weaving down the dirt track, she took a moment to look back and couldn't see Payton anymore. Luna was confused, but trusted the Elders in their training to help her. She made her way through the forrest some more and the dirt track ended, covered by shrubs. On the other side was a clearing, almost looking like a camp site with a burnt out camp fire in the center and large logs situated around it as chairs. Luna went to make her way into the clearing when she heard a familiar voice.

"When will she arrive?" Ryder asked, stepping into the clearing. "Oh, she'll be here once she realizes," Professor Eville said, walking behind him with Nick is his grasp. Luna's eyes widened as she peered from behind a tree. Eville threw Nick onto the floor, he crashed into the ashed camp fire with a groan. Luna could feel her adrenaline pumping and she felt a warmth rush over her. "Let me go!" he demanded, Eville laughing mechanically in response. "Let him go Eville!" Luna demanded, stepping into the clearing. She held her hands out to the side, both containing orbs of fire with her eyes glowing a deep amber to match. "Ahh, Luna," Eville beamed, seeing the object of his plan of destruction before him. "I'm so glad you joined us," Eville walked towards her and she held out her hand with one of the orbs, the fire slowly extinguished and descended back to being dormant in the other. "I would never join you," she declared, looking down at Nick who was holding his throat and coughing to catch his breath. Eville stood in front of Luna and held out his hand, his eyes looked charming as he gazed into hers, "Luna, you and Nick belong with us," She stepped back indignantly and used her levitation ability to move over Eville to be at Nick's side. She reached for him, helping him sit up. "Luna, get out of here," Nick urged, pushing weakly at her. Luna looked into his eyes, seeing bruising all over his face and neck with some dried blood coming out of his mouth. "No, I won't leave you," Eville clapped, "Ahh, young love," Ryder let out a laughing exhale as Apollo stepped behind him. "Sister!" He called out, catching Luna's attention with his voice. "Apollo?" She queried, he moved into the frame. His suit was not too dissimilar from Eville's, a deep blue with a tie. Apollo walked up to her and she stood up, he reached in for a hug which is begrudgingly obliged and returned. "Come with us Luna," he begged. She pushed him off her, "No!" he fell backwards, skidding along the floor as her strength had increased. "Huh?" She said, looking down at her hands. "You've taken some of my ability," Ryder advised. She clenched her fists, standing in front of Nick who was too weak to hold himself up and fell back onto his back. "Luna, you're my sister, we should be together like we once were with our mother, a family" She shook her head, not wanting to allow herself to be emotionally affected. "Apollo, Stop! I will never join him!" She growled, pointing at Eville who couldn't get the smile off his face. "Oh come on dear, it's not like you have anything holding you back now," he pointed to Nick and she quickly turned behind him. He wasn't moving and he wasn't breathing, she kneeled down beside him and listened for his breath. "Nick! Nick!" She cried out, feeling his body limp as she tried to shake him with the tears forming in her eyes. Nick was dead. Luna felt her hot cheeks stinging against the tears that fell. She breathed deeply, noisily, feeling a little light-headed as she let out an uncontrollable sob. The image of Nick reminded her of her friends from her 21st birthday. She felt numb and swallowed hard, trying to concentrate on the training and not being emotionally affected by Nick. "Sister, come with us," Apollo suggested, he walked over to her having been helped to his feet by Ryder. He placed a hand on her shoulder but she quickly shook it off and stood up with her back to him. "Luna..." he said with sorrow in his voice. Luna turned to face him, her face full of tears and showing signs of distress. He reached out to her face and wiped a falling tear. "Sister, come on," He held out his arms for a hug, a blank, emotionless expression swept over her face as the realization of the moment seeped in. The anger seemed to rise behind her eyes as he leaned in for the hug. "NO!" She screamed, pushing Apollo off her with her strength, forcing him to bowl over Ryder and Eville as his feeble body flies through the air. Her eyes glow red and she steps away from Nick, Eville pushes Apollo off him and stands up. He holds out his hand and Luna quickly under throws her hand, a fire ball hits the floor a few meters from her and rises up, the flames ignite and it spreads out, creating a wall between the two. She can hear the sound of a tree being ripped up from its roots and looks up, seeing the leaves and branches shaking erratically from an overgrown Oak tree behind Eville. As she her hands outstretched in front of her kept the barrier alive. She noticed the tree falling towards her, the sound of the branches snapping and leaves being shook filled the area as she turned away to shield herself and Nick. Her fire wall dissipated with her concentration taken, the tree standing about 20 feet into the sky crashed down. Luna quickly leaned down to Nick's stiffening body and teleported before the large Oak tree crashed down and consumed the camp site clearing.