*The Chronicles of F.R.E.E. Atania's Knight - Raquel Festow* Part 2

Chapter 18 - The Blues

*Tommy Hunter POV*

Following our devastating defeat against the Doppelgängers at rounders, we all traipsed back to sit with everyone else while the kids went to play with the Atanians. Raquel opted to sit with me rather than join in another game.
"I'm sorry you lost." She said to me as we sat down together to watch William, Ruby, Darren, Tyler, Carl and Todd play against Fabian, Clara, Clemency, Xavier, Grace and Natalia.
"It's alright. It was really fun to watch actually. Plus, Rebecca was hilarious!" I chortled, stretching my legs in front of me and leaning back on my hands.
"But you got hurt, Saltazeeb."
I shrugged. "It was more the shock."
"I can't believe you tried such a dirty move, you fucking cheat!" Watson snapped at Edwards. She stood, leaning against the boulder with her back to the pool.
"Excuse me? I remember you used to love a dirty trick when duelling back in the old days." Edwards smirked back, sitting beside me.
"You wait, boy!" Rebecca snarled, settling to watch Natalia play close to Watson. "I'll make you pay dearly for that. Resorting to such desperate measures to make sure you win. Pathetic."
"It's just a game Rebecca." Edwards mocked. "Don't take it so seriously."
"Hmmm. We'll see what you say about that tomorrow." Regina sneered. "I bet if you won and we were your slaves, you'd be using it to your full advantage!"
"Of course we would." Hodgson was leaning against the boulder, sitting with his legs crossed over in front of him. "We have to take their orders anyway."
"You do you mean." Harry told him bluntly. He sat with his back to the pool, close to Watson.
Rhianna cocked an eyebrow at him. "You're joining too, remember."
"I know I am. But until then, I'm a free man."
Watson hissed and grimaced at his words. "Here we go." She whispered to Raquel and Ruby.
"Well, you're not going to get very far with that attitude! If Tiana's still alive, no one will be free." Rhianna snapped at him. "You'll be better off learning that quickly, sir. Your Realm may be untouched for the most part, right now, but soon? Soon that bitch is going to resort to drastic measures like he did during that game, and that's when everything on your little Realm changes."
Regina rolled her eyes. "I thought this was a day off?" She mused, pointedly looking at Rebecca.
Rebecca was too busy watching Natalia to notice Regina mocking her.
I looked at Natalia myself and she was running with Todd, laughing and squealing as he chased her.
"Rebecca? Are you ok?" Raquel asked, putting a hand on Rebecca's shoulder.
"Hmm?" Rebecca snapped her head round to look at Raquel. "Oh. Yeah. Fine." She said, distractedly, looking back at her wife with a distant look.
"Rebecca I know when you lie!" Raquel scowled, sternly.
Rebecca sighed. "I just regret never adopting children from the wars over the years, that's all." She admitted. "Look at her. She's always so happy around them."
"Getting sentimental, Beccs?" Watson smiled at her, patting her on the head. "You'll have time to do it one day."
Rebecca slapped her hand away and stood up. She looked at where Watson was standing and smirked. "Oh, Ruth?"
Watson tore her eyes away from the game and looked at her. "What?"
Rebecca pushed her and Watson tipped over the edge of the platform she was standing on, grabbing Rhianna as she went.
The two of them fell into the pool with a big splash. Rhianna came up first gasping for air and scrambling to the edge.
"WHAT THE FUCK, WATSON?!" She roared furiously, looking back at the pool.
Watson surfaced and laughed. "Oh lighten up Rhianna."
"I HATE WATER!" Rhianna bellowed at Rebecca. "WHY DID YOU PUSH HER WHEN SHE WAS CLOSE TO ME FOR?!"
Rebecca shrugged. "Payback."
"For what?"
"Ohhh many things, Rhianna! Many many things!" She slurred, narrowing her eyes at her.
"Well I'm glad I'm out of the way here." Rosalie chirped. "I haven't been able to piss anyone off yet, so I'm safe."
"For now." Rhianna and Rebecca snapped at her.
Rebecca got called over by Jarod so she went to join her family while the rest of us rested.
"Babe? You going to get out of the water?" Hodgson called out, looking over the edge of the platform.
"In a bit, I've seen something on the bottom, trying to get it." Watson called back, before diving down.
Raquel lay on the floor, front down and kicking her legs, looking over the edge to watch Watson swimming.
"I wonder what she's found." She whispered to me, excitedly.
Watson surfaced again, panting and shaking her head. "Got it!" She cried, breathlessly.
She hoisted herself out of the water next to Rhianna, before looking at what she'd found with her.
"What was it?" Harry asked them.
Watson suddenly clutched what she'd found to her chest, staring crazily at Harry. "We founds it precious." She hissed. "No stupid, fat hobbitses can see the precious!"
Hodgson roared with laughter. "You found a ring?"
"WHAT?!" Rebecca cried, running over. "Give it to me!"
Watson hissed, violently at Rebecca. "MYYYY PRECIOOOUUUUSSSSS!" She shrieked, jumping back in the pool.
Rebecca dived in after her, following her down into the depths.
"Why do I get the feeling they're going to fight underwater?" Green sighed, looking down.
"I don't give a shit what they do as long as they don't drown to death." Rhianna mumbled, getting out of their way and walking back to Harry.
Watson emerged first. "Where is she?"
Before anyone could answer, Watson was yanked back under and there was a lot of thrashing, soaking everyone who was standing within two meters from the pool.
"HA!" Rebecca climbed out and slipped the ring on her finger. "Next time I ask for something, give it straight away!"
Watson splashed at her. "Don't lose your fucking wedding ring then!" She shouted.
"SHHHHH!" Rebecca hissed.
"Rebecca, what did she mean by that?!" Natalia asked, suspiciously, coming over to inspect.
"What does it matter? I found it now." Rebecca said, showing her her hand.
"How long ago did you lose it?"
Rebecca winced. "When we fell in?"
Natalia looked at Rebecca, flatly. "Considering you've been hiding your left hand from my sight for the past forty years, are you sure you didn't lose it when you came here to hide WhisperSong?"
Rebecca groaned. "Oh fuck. You noticed?"
"Of course I noticed! When you changed your writing hand to right after being left handed for years, you kind of notice."
Rebecca grimaced. "Bollocks."
Raquel gasped. "You didn't have your ring on for over forty years?"
Rebecca scowled at her. "Are you deaf?!" She snapped.
"But Rebecca!" Raquel cried. "If you don't have your ring on for a week, you're no longer married."
Rebecca groaned and slapped her forehead with her hand. "Actually, as long as there's a wedding certificate, then I am still married, you little snitch! Then again..." she trailed off, looking thoughtful.
Natalia stared, wide eyed at Rebecca. "Then again what?!" She demanded.
Rebecca grimaced, sheepishly. "Well, I kind of had to sort of actually lie on our wedding certificate for Neonia."
"WHAT?!"
Rebecca backed away from her, holding her hands up in surrender. "Same sex marriages aren't allowed on Neonia, darling. Besides they had had a death certificate for me since nineteen sixteen."
"Who am I married to then?!" Natalia shrieked, hysterically.
Rebecca scratched the back of her neck, awkwardly, avoiding her burning gaze. "Rupert Donton. My brother?"
"YOUR BROTHER?!"
"It was the first name I thought of when I went back! Remember? I had to cut my hair to disguise myself. I looked like Rhianna!"
"Fuck you!" Rhianna spat.
"Difference being I was pretending to be a man!" Rebecca snapped at Rhianna.
"I can't believe you lied on our wedding certificate!" Natalia weeped.
"I had to! I got the certificate then rubbed out Rupert's name and put my own when I came back. But according to Neonia, you've been married to him for... eighty seven years?" She grimaced.
"ITS NINETY ONE THIS DECEMBER, YOU VEXWRAITH!" Natalia shrieked angrily.
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "I'm not counting the years, darling. I'm living them, that's the big difference. What does it matter anyway?"
"Because you haven't worn your ring for forty years, and you lied on our certificate. I am so angry with you right now, Rebecca!"
Rebecca sighed. "Marry me again then." She said simply.
"What?" Natalia said, taken aback.
"Marry. Me. Again." Rebecca said, slowly. "If it means that much to you, then we'll get married again. Although I want a say in who comes to the wedding this time! And no more of those fucking figurines!"
We all chuckled at Rebecca but Natalia was staring at her, bewildered. "You said that once you were married once, you could never get married again." She said, quietly. "How comes you're saying that you want to do it again when you've always disapproved of it?"
Rebecca made a high pitched noise, thinking on how best to answer. "Because with you, it's not another marriage. It's a renewal. I was going to do one anyway when we reached a hundred years, but now seems a better time than any."
"And you're serious?" Natalia asked her, narrowing her eyes. "You actually mean you'll marry me again?"
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Who else would I marry? Clara?" She retorted.
"I'm flattered Rebecca, but I don't think we're saltazeebs." Clara replied, politely.
"I was being sarcastic you stupid bitch!" Rebecca snarled at her. "Look. You know more than anyone that you're the only one that made me laugh, you made me have fun again, you made me think differently and act differently because you believed in me when no one else would. I was very damaged when we met and now I'm whole but only when you're with me. The only person who has ever made me laugh that much, other than you, is Ruth. But that's because she's an imbecile."
"Love you too, Beccs." Watson spat, folding her arms. "Besides, I wouldn't marry you! You're far too old now. Plus you're not really my type."
Rebecca chuckled. "What do you say, darling?" She looked at Natalia sincerely. "Marry me again? Please?"
Natalia let out a soft sob and ran to her. "Iez!" She squealed as they both fell back onto the ground, laughing.
"Awwww. Romance isn't dead after all." Watson sighed, looking at Hodgson. "And I completely ruined ours."
"You didn't ruin it!" Hodgson told her firmly. "Atkinson did."
"Okay. I was referring to me threatening you for giving Christmas away, but if you want to blame someone else then fine with me." Watson smirked.
I put my arm around Raquel and held her to me. "What is an Atanian wedding like?" I asked her.
She looked thoughtful. "Well, the villages that the saltazeebs are from come together. The women of the village create everything and decorate the entire village to celebrate their marriage to each other. The ceremony itself is held in the centre of the village and the couple are stood up on a stage so everyone can see and hear their declaration of forever lasting love to each other then everyone eats what the women have made and there's lots of dancing and happiness."
I hummed. Watson and Hodgson sat close to us, listening in. "What dress would you wear?"
Raquel giggled. "Oh I won't be wearing a dress."
I frowned. "Why not?"
"The love for each other is shared with the lands, and clothing creates a barrier."
My eyes nearly fell out of the sockets. "What?!"
Watson laughed. "They do the ceremony as naked as the day they were born, buddy."
Harry roared with laughter. "Sucks to be you. What is a Rulidian wedding like, babe?" He asked Rhianna.
"Depends. If we manage to seize enough continents when we get back, then it'll be huge. If not, there'll be no point." Rhianna said bluntly. "Weddings are only held if you're important enough, and you, gruucick, are going to be king, so we may as well wait until then."
"Gruucick?" Harry attempted to repeat what she just said. "What does that mean?"
Rhianna blushed. "It means dearest in Rulidian."
Harry grinned at her. "We'll be giving you a wedding regardless of whether we're king and queen or not, you know that right? If we can't do it there, we'll do it on Earth. I won't have you missing on on being a queen, either on the throne or our wedding day."
Rhianna stared at him for a moment before yanking him to her and kissing him, fiercely.
"Who knew Harry was such a romantic?" Watson mused. "Makes me feel quite ill actually."
"What would you say about having our wedding on Earth baby?" I asked Raquel.
She shook her head. "I don't know. I don't know what your weddings involve."
Before I could answer her, a group of people behind us started singing a chanting song.
We all looked round to Rebecca, Jarod, Regina and Clive singing, clapping their hand and doing, what could only be described, as a type of line dancing.
"Ok, Rebecca really needs to stop drinking now." Rhianna cringed, watching her with a traumatised look. "This is like walking in on your parents doing the deed."
Watson howled with laughter. "I wouldn't have put it that way. I'd say this is more like your dad dancing to Elvis at your wedding and doing the chicken leg."
Those of us from Earth roared with laughter while those who weren't, looked lost.
We sat around chatting for a while, until Regina noticed it had grown very dark outside.
"It's time for us to head home." Regina called out. "The children are all almost asleep."
Some of us groaned. We didn't want the day to end, it had been so much fun and I, for one, had thoroughly enjoyed myself.
"We need to head back together, there's safety in numbers." Clive shouted, defending his wife.
"Welp." Watson popped the P. She shoved Hodgson's head off her lap and stood up, stretching. "Lets get heading back. It's been the best day ever. First day off I've had in years... at least, one that I was awake for." She scratched her arm where the welts were still fading away, and put her gauntlets back on. "Get up you lazy fuck. It's home time."
"I am up!" Hodgson grumbled from where he was lying on the floor, looking up at her. "I just have a really good view from down here."
Watson looked down and realised he was looking up the skirt of her armour. "You'll get a better view at home." She said, persuasively.
I'd never seen a man move so quickly before. One minute, Hodgson was laying on the floor, the next he had Watson squealing over his shoulder, marching towards the exit.
"While I want to go home and have our own private fun," I said to Raquel, pulling her to me and pecking her lips gently. "I don't want this day to end. This has been the best fun I've had in years!"
Raquel smiled and cupped my cheek. "There's a lot more fun days ahead of us, saltazeeb. You'll see. This is only just the beginning."
I pressed her to me and kissed her, tenderly. "I better get mum. I think she's been drinking the wine but hasn't stood up."
"I noticed you wasn't drinking. How come?" Raquel asked me, as I took her hand and led her to where mum was sitting on the floor with Fabian and Grace.
"I don't need to with you for company." I told her simply.
She yanked me to her and pressed her mouth to mine hungrily.
"You wait to see what I have in store for you when we get back. Do you think Rebecca will let us have our own house again?" She asked me innocently.
"I gave Tommy the key last night." Rebecca slurred behind us. She was staggering a bit, but still seemed to be relatively sober, at least enough to get home without being carried. "You'll be staying there until we go home."
I grinned eagerly at Raquel then took my mums hand to help her up. She almost collapsed as soon as she was on her feet, so I would have no choice but to carry her home.
After a quick check we had everything, and Rebecca almost forgetting her sword and phone, we started heading out of the grotto in single file.
Once we were all out of the grotto, we gathered then travelled in one huge group keeping our eyes peeled for any dangers and trying our best not to lose our footing in the darkness.
We hadn't even gone five minutes when the air filled with growling and snarling.
Rebecca, Ruby, Rhianna and Watson made their swords glow white, holding them up high, and from the darkness, over a hundred pairs of red eyes appeared, watching us closely.
Rebecca took a step back, assessing the situation before turning to everyone. "Back to the grotto! QUICKLY!"
We all ran back frantically, I was finding it difficult with carrying mum and trying not to trip over the roots and stones.
People were screaming and pulling each other along as the hounds took up the chase. I could hear Raquel calling out to someone and ran back to help them.
We all filed back inside the cave, our hearts racing from the fear. The children had all woken up in the commotion and were crying in terror from how the adults were talking in panicked voices at each other.
Natalia was trying her best to calm the situation as the doppelgängers tried to fend off the hungry beasts.
"Is everyone accounted for?" Natalia was asking.
"Yes. I think so. We don't seem to be missing anyone in here apart from the Doppelgängers out there." Jarod told her.
Hodgson, Thatcher, Harris, Styles and Micha and Oren were preparing to go out there and help them, but wanted to check on everyone else first. Suddenly, we heard Regina cry out from just outside the cave.
"Retreat! There's too many! We can't fight them off! Retreat and we'll have to do it the long way!"
The Doppelgängers all ran back inside, Rebecca staying at the mouth of the cave to keep the deadly hounds out of the cave and keep us all safe.
"There's hundreds of the fucking things!" Rhianna told everyone. "It's suicide to stay out there!"
Raquel reached me and hugged me tightly. My heart was pounding hard against my chest as I held on to her, feeling her shake from fear and worry about how we were going to get out of this situation.
"I've never seen so many! It's like all the packs across the entire realm have come together!" Regina exclaimed.
"There must be something we can do?" Ruby said, defiantly.
Watson suddenly gasped loudly and grabbed Ruby by the shoulders. "I fucking love you!" She said, kissing Ruby on the mouth and spinning round to run to where Rebecca was standing.
"Rebecca! Get out if the way!" She ordered, removing her glove from her left hand, and marching forward.
"What are you doing?!" Hodgson shouted at her, hysterically. "You can't fend them off on your own! Have you got a fucking death wish?!"
"I need to try!" Watson yelled back at him, putting her hand on Rebecca's shoulder and throwing her back, out of the way.
Rebecca stumbled to the ground but scrambled back up to her feet straight away, trying to stop Watson but Watson turned, kicked Rebecca in the chest and sent her flying back away from the entrance.
Watson slashed some of the beasts dead before bringing her blade across her hand and making her blade glow a bright white. The glow became brighter, brighter, brighter still, until it was blinding and none of us could open our eyes.
"SHIELD YOUR EYES!" Watson shrieked back.
Before I managed to raise my arm high enough to cover my eyes, the white light became blue and a huge BOOM filled the small cave we were huddled in.
The children screamed as the air around us became incredibly heavy, making it difficult to breath. It seemed to remove all the air from inside the grotto and cave, like a vacuum.
Then as quickly as it started, it stopped and the air returned to normal. Silence fell and we all looked towards the entrance of the cave. Watson wasn't there.
"WATSON!" Hodgson screamed, getting to his feet and racing towards the exit. "WATSON! RUTH!!"
Watson came back inside the cave just as he reached the archway, looking tired but incredibly happy.
"All... clear..." She wheezed, breathlessly before her legs buckled and she collapsed to the floor, exhausted.
Rebecca ran to her side. "What did you do?!" She shrieked. "You could have been killed!"
Watson didn't answer, she was more concentrating on getting her energy.
"Anyone have an energy potion?" Rebecca called out, looking around at us all.
We all shook our heads. Natalia knelt beside Watson.
"My love, we brought health potions, but not energy. We didn't think we would need them." She told Rebecca, guiltily.
Rebecca growled. "Fuck sake. Right. Darren carry her back. The rest of you, move out!"
Rebecca led the way back out of the cave and directed everyone out slowly. She advised those carrying the children to shield them from seeing the carnage around us and to hold them close.
Once outside, the horrid stench of burning, rotten corpses filled my nostrils, making me gag. I looked around, thunderstruck, at the sight that awaited me. The trees surrounding the cave had disappeared for at least a kilometre around us. Only singed stubs remained of the trees and the cremated corpses of the Coffinhounds coated the ground, meaning we had to tread on them regardless of how much we tried to avoid it.
Hodgson was standing there, carrying Watson, and watching everyone come out of the cave.
"How the fuck did she do this?!" He asked Rebecca, looking around at the incredible scene of carnage in disbelief.
"I have never been able to pull off this move. No matter how much I tried, I could never do it." Rebecca said, jealously. "Just look at what it's capable of! This will make battles very easy from now on. Think I may have to send Ruth in on her own first to take out as many as she can."
"I am awake you know, I can hear you." Watson mumbled, sleepily.
We all started clambering over the bodies, struggling to keep our footing. Raquel had to help guide me as I couldn't see past my mum. She would stop me and take great care to make sure the next step would keep us going than fall into the graveyard.
"I am so heading out to try this, Rebecca!" Rhianna shouted over. "You're not going to fucking stop me."
"No I won't be, because I'm going with you!" Rebecca grinned at her.
"Me too! This is absolutely amazing! I'd love to be able to do this!" Rosalie chipped in.
"You're lethal enough with your ground altering singing." Ruby reminded her, laughing.
"Seriously, Watson. How did you do this?" Rhianna asked, looking over to her.
Watson didn't answer. Hodgson looked at me with a small smile on his face.
"She's fallen asleep." He said.
"No vollang for you tonight." Raquel joked.
I laughed. "They'll just take a potion when they get home. It's what they used to do."
Hodgson stared at me. "How did you know that?"
"Goodwin caught you taking it on numerous occasions. Especially when you both used to sneak off for your 'day trips'." I smirked at him.
"Wow. And there we were thinking no one noticed."
"You still do that now!" Rebecca snapped at him. "You think we don't realise when you both piss off to Lisorix on your own? We've had to put a stop to visits to the Realm in case you're discovered."
Hodgson looked touched, and smirked at her. "Thanks for looking out for us Beccs. Watson will be pleased. FYI, we'll be heading to Lisorix as soon as we return for a day trip." He sniggered at his own joke.
"That's my stepdaughter you're talking about, mate." Steve shouted at him from the other side of the graveyard, glaring at him. "You're meant to be cherishing her, not seeing her as a piece of meat!"
"With all respect, young man." Regina looked back at Steve. "From what I have seen from Darren and Ruth's relationship is that he worships the ground she walks on. They were made for each other."
That reminded me. "Babe?" I hissed at Raquel. "Are Regina and Clive actually saltazeebs?"
Raquel looked over to them but shook her head. "They're connected from marriage, but they don't have the same latch as a saltazeeb latch. It's difficult. They seem to love each other, but appear to tolerate each other more."
Suddenly, Watson jolted in Hodgsons arms and he accidentally dropped her.
"Shit!" He hissed. "Baby! Are you ok?"
"Don't you hear that?" She said, frantically looking towards the mountains.
We all strained our ears and then we heard it. A cry in the distance. A roar even. It was very far away behind the mountains.
"Who is that?" Watson asked, getting to her feet, scanning the sky with her eyes.
"Who? I think you mean what." Rebecca corrected her. "I'd prefer not to find out what it is right now though. We have children with us."
"But it's hurt, it needs help!" Watson said, urgently, walking towards the roaring.
"No it doesn't. Come on. You need to get home to rest. You're thinking a murderous beast is in need of help. Can you hear yourself?" Rebecca said, pulling at her arm.
"Rebecca is right, Ruth." Natalia told her, firmly. "You're in need of a good nights rest. Especially after what you've just done."
Watson looked at the two of them then shook her head. "What did you say?"
"I said Rebecca is right and that you need a good nights rest after what you've just done." Natalia repeated.
"Rebecca is right about what?" Watson asked her.
I immediately looked at Raquel, who was frowning. "Watson. Can you repeat what they were saying?" She asked her, gently.
Watson looked at her, confused. "She said that Rebecca-"
"No. What the beast was saying to you?" Raquel said, growing more concerned.
Watson frowned. "What beast? Who's saying what now?"
Raquel bit her lip. "Rebecca, kenfiqaa benzi fa, pleize?" She said to Rebecca.
Rebecca nodded. "Iez. Fenziqaa xia aupa?"
Raquel looked extremely worried. "Iez. Ezerez fa bixa."
Natalia gaped at her and then back at Watson.
Watson raised her eyebrows. "Why do I get the feeling that wasn't a good thing you just shared with Rebecca?" She asked Raquel, anxiously.
"It's just confusing, Watson. That's all." Raquel smiled at her. "Let's get you home."
We thankfully made it through the rest of the forest without running into any more monsters.
Hodgson and Watson went straight into the house, although Hodgson had to drag Watson inside as she wanted to find out what was going on with Rebecca and Raquel and what they had been talking about.
We followed everyone else to the hall.
"What were you saying to Rebecca?" I asked her, quietly.
"Watson had a blue Aura then. When she returned from whatever she did, she had a normal Aura, although it's still deep red, but when she said she could hear someone hurt, she had turned blue."
"What does a blue aura mean? You said that there's only three main colours, gold, red and purple."
"There is. I've never seen a blue Aura before, and I'm really quite worried about it. Plus, Rosalie still hasn't got an Aura either. I don't understand what's happening."
I frowned at her. "Let's hope the others can shed some light on this."
I took mum to her room and kissed her forehead as I laid her down in the bed. "Night mum." I whispered.
Leaving the room, I head with Raquel to the hall where Regina, Rhianna, Ruby, Rosalie and Rebecca were waiting for her with their saltazeebs if they had one.
"So. Ruth's aura turned blue?" Regina asked straight away.
Raquel nodded. "She was red when she came back but when she said she heard the voice, it had turned blue."
Rebecca was frowning, trying to think. "Do you think it has something to do with that move she was performing?"
She shrugged. "I don't think so, but it was a similar blue, just slightly darker. And didn't you notice her voice had gone lower too?"
I blanched at that. Now that she mentioned it, her voice had sounded huskier and deeper than normal. I hadn't noticed at the time.
"Yes. I did notice that. That's why I asked her if she could hear herself." Rebecca looked at Natalia. "What do you think, darling? You heard anything about blue Auras?"
Natalia shook her head. "I'm just hoping it's not like a green Aura. I'm worried that Rosalie didn't manage to fully heal her like she had hoped."
Rosalie thought for a moment. "She accepted the treatment well. She was a lot more herself today."
Rebecca nodded. "Yes, She was. Not just a lot more, She was her normal self. Did you see how valiantly she took control of that situation?"
Rhianna hummed and looked at Harry. "She showed her courage alright. I've only seen her do that once before and that was when a group of villagers in Wacchica were in trouble. She tore away and handled it all herself."
"But She will be ok, right?" Ruby asked nervously, playing with her hair. "She's been through so much recently."
Raquel sighed heavily. "She has, and it's affected her Aura badly. But I'm also worried about you, Rosalie. You still aren't showing an Aura. It's really frustrating me, because you look like a Void."
Rosalie laughed. "Don't you worry about me, young one. Deal with one at a time. Ruth needs more attention than I do. I'll get one sooner or later."
Raquel hummed. "But I can't tell what colour you are!" She exclaimed, annoyed and stamping her foot. "I know you'll be the most brilliant gold aura I've ever witnessed but it's not there!"
Rosalie gave her a comforting smile. "Deal with Ruth." She told her firmly. "I'm not going anywhere."
Raquel sighed, deeply. "I just feel like I haven't fully fixed you, that's all."
"Is it tournaments tomorrow or the next day?" Rhianna asked, bored of Raquel's whining.
"It's tomorrow. So we best get some rest." Rebecca told her.
"Who am I up against?" I asked, quickly, eager to know.
Rebecca smirked. "Rhianna." She said, then looked at Harry. "Depending on how Ruth is tomorrow, I may have to change who you duel with. But if she's ok. We will go ahead and you and Hank will fight her."
Harry nodded. "I'm actually really nervous about this." He said to Rhianna.
Rhianna smiled at him and went up on her tip toes to kiss him on the cheek. "You'll be fine, gruucick. Just remember her signature move, that's the difficult part to get through."
"Rhianna! No sharing tips on how to beat her. He needs to do it his own way!" Rebecca snapped.
Rhianna smirked. "He's going to kick her arse anyway. You'll see."
Raquel and I wished everyone a good night and we left for our little house beside the hall. As I unlocked the door, the distant roaring started again and Raquel quickly grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the house.
We rounded the corner and the house came into view. Watson was standing on the porch.
"Is she blue?" I asked.
"No. But she's worried." Raquel hissed back, pulling us into the shadows. "I want to see what she'll do when she thinks no ones watching her."
Hodgson came outside and stood behind Watson, hugging her from behind. They talked in low voices, making it difficult to hear what they were talking about. Hodgson must have said something funny because Watson laughed loudly and turned to hit him on the arm. Chuckling, Hodgson went back inside the house but Watson hung back, looking at the mountains again.
Raquel gripped my arm tightly when Watson came down the steps, as if in a trance. We watched, anxiously, as she neared the forest but stopped dead just before walking into it.
"Darren!" She called out, turning round and walking into the house. "What's the plans for tomorrow?" She asked before closing the door behind her.
"She turned blue then, and it was very powerful." Raquel hissed at me. "Extremely powerful. I can't tell if it's good or not. It's trying to reach out to something but she's holding it back." She looked at me and I could see the concern on her face in the dim lights from the porch. "Thing is, when she turns blue, her latch's to us and Hodgson disappear."