Discord Isles: Black Ice Island

Ch 22. Static Puppets

The whole scenario felt like static on a television screen. It seemed like they'd lost hope, but at the same time, they knew that it would be ok once the 'signal' came back. That signal was Scarlet. The one who tried to kill them, the one who'd been manipulating them for months, the one who killed her best friend, and the one who was about to save their lives.

Lily's life seemed to be fading quickly, blood trickling down her face from her forehead, her eyes rolling back in her head. Every once and a while she would twitch awake as if fighting for consciousness but it wouldn't last long.

Maya was slowly attempting to recover, ears ringing as she fought the static surrounding her.

Taube and Max were receiving hits almost at the same time. Each hit seemed to feel number and number and the floor had noticeably large puddles of blood on it. It was a gruesome sight, but to them, it was just static.

Valencia lifted Taube's head, which was bloodied and hanging weakly.

"Geez...these two didn't last very long, I don't want to kill them yet." She spat, catching her breath.

Indigo nodded in agreement and the two, cleaning themselves with a damp rag, filed up the steps and out of the basement.

"Max- Come on, stay awake, kid!"
Wilson said, attempting to grab her by the shoulders but fading through her.

Max was slouched against the wall, breathing raggedly and whimpering occasionally as she shifted for comfort.

Breeze came through the wall, blinking in slight disorientation as she still wasn't used to the whole 'being a ghost' thing.

"Scarlet's coming! You guys are gonna be ok!" Breeze said, ringing her translucent hands anxiously.

No sooner had she said that than Scarlet crept down the steps, peering over her shoulder.

As soon as she turned the corner at the bottom she stifled a gasped and her eyes widened. She swallowed, looking on the verge of tears before closing her eyes. Upon being reopened, her eyes were filled with fury, an icy blue escaping out of her iris's.

The air's temperature dropped and all the metal shattered, clanging as it hit the floor. Nobody moved.

Scarlet held a look of fear on her face as she gazed at the unconscious bodies of her frenemies. Then, she lifted her arm, and wincing, the bodies slowly floated into the air.

The cold, misty air combined with the flashing light of the basement and the eerie figures floating into the air created a rather unnerving and frozen feel as the two ghosts stood by and watched this moment anxiously.

Scarlet did seem to be struggling a bit, occasionally grimacing but she held her hand in the air as she crept back up the steps, the bodies floating like puppets behind her.

Peering around the corner, she saw Indigo and Valencia mingling in the broken down kitchen, rummaging through the dank pantry.

Scarlet fought the urge to manipulate them and, rather, turned the corner and levitated the borderhoppers silently out the open window, the boards having been broken. Then, she followed, climbing out.

Her feet landed on the ground with a muffled crunch, and she wasted no time in sliding down the rocky slope, both hands were in the air now, and shaking vigorously. Just as she reached the bottom, Scarlet collapsed, finally seeming to let herself breathe as the borderhoppers collapsed on the ground as well.

Oliver's head poked out from behind some rocks, his eyes widening at the sight as he scrambled to his friends and sister.

"O-oh, oh no no no no no no-"

"Oliver-" Scarlet gasped, "You need to heal them! That's why I saved you first! I know that you must know how!"

"Wh-What?! B-but I can't. They-"

"Yes you can! Just do it, and get them somewhere safe! I need to go distract Valencia and Indigo!" Scarlet struggled to her feet, trembling a bit as she climbed back up the slope.

Oliver remained wide-eyed, staring at the heap of bloodied bodies in front of him, hands shaking.

"Come on, Oliver.." Breeze muttered. Wilson continued to attempt to wake Max as he shouted at her desperately.

Oliver took a deep breath and raised his arms, vines and soil surrounding them and forming a mound, leaving just enough moonlight filtering through to see. Then the air surrounding them slowly began to glow green, specs of his aura surrounding their wounds as the blood seemed to dry and they seemed to sink slowly into the earth, hiding them beneath the soil.

"Wh-What is he doing?!" Breeze exclaimed.

"He's hiding them. He's probably going to hide with them underground while he heals them until it's safe..."

"What about Scarlet..?" Breeze said, and the two ghosts locked eyes with each other before Breeze flew to the Ascil Towers and Wilson remained watching the borderhoppers sink into the protective soil.