The Fight Within

Chapter Nine

*Gabbie POV*

I'm in pain. My back burns. I didn't mean to take in that flame, it did it by itself like something inside me was calling to it and I didn't even think because I was doing so well but now I am starting feel a fluttering underneath and around my rib cage. It's almost sharp but kind on soft at the same time. I can't explain it in any other way.

I can hear Troy trying to get my attention so I open my eyes but all I see is memories.

Darling you will be special, just like us.

Gabbie whatever happens stay strong

We will always love you

Music tells others what you are feeling without you saying anything - if you can't talk... Listen or play

Your soul is flame sweetie, you must always protect it

These memories are painful and they make the fluttering worse. As if whatever is there is growing or trying to escape.

Wings.

They're early.

This can't be happening. I'm only just learning to use my powers, I don't have the energy to grow these things but apparently my body has other ideas... My ribs are creaking which causes me to whimper as the pain gets too much... It feels like its been hours but in reality its only been minutes, I can feel a tingling in my tattoo so I guess that Rick is nearby. Troy must have linked him no idea why but somewhere deep inside of me I'm glad, its as if my soul knows he will dull this torture. The feathers feel like theyre scrapping against my internal organs as the rearrange themselves into the layers obviously needed for flight. Warm arms wrap themselves against my curled and whimpering figure, trembling as the pain begins to subside leaving me shaking in the after glow that only pain brings, unfortunately I know that far too well.

Sighing I lean my head against Rick's firm chest listening to his steady heart beat that beats in a slow tempo dance with mine, he wipes his thumb against my cheekbone and its at that point that I realize that I've been crying. I haven't cried in such a long time, so why now? I've had worse pain, mental pain, but still pain right? Troy looks as shocked as I feel and is looking at me in a way that shows fear as well as admiration. Fear seems about right, I mean how often do you see a teenage girl scream and cry like that even though there is a reason for it, it must be scary. Admiration? Could it be my powers? He is a fire user after all... Surely he's seen someone else do what I did.

Swallowing I look up at Rick and notice that he's looking at me with a calculating gaze,

"Troy showed me what you did, you're powerful. Extremely, your wings shouldn't even begin developing yet but there's a first time for everything I guess"

Tilting my head to the side he sighs, stands up and offers me his hand in a way to say to follow him. My bones grind in protest but I am not going to be let down by my own body, not again. Rick pulls me to the other side of the sports hall and shows me a door that seems to blend in with the rest of the wall. Unless you knew it was there you wouldn't have noticed it.

"In here is a tapestry that shows what happened to the last one with the wings..." With that he pushes the door and a blast of cold air brushes my skin in a way that makes me shiver, I look behind me to see if Troy has followed but he has just disappeared.

Looking through the doorway I see that there are old fashioned oil lamps that line the walls, they're all lit so a soft glow is cast around the small room. On the back wall there is a piece of cloth - about twelve feet tall and six feet wide, mainly stark white with basic earthy colours as well as dull, deadly black thread. It seemed to be split into three section that told a story going downwards.

It started with a girl with menacing black head and icy blue yes holding the wooden plank for the wings, then it showed two season changes - spring and autumn - until her wings were fully grown. Hers were as dark as night and as large as ship sails. Following her story it showed how the darkness within her was caused by her past.

As a child she was left starved and alone, she stole to look after herself until she was found by the school. Her Power Pair found her but left her side when he discovered her past... She became trapped in her own mind as she had no one to talk to. 

The last section depicted what she did with her powers... She had the power of manipulating fears, she wanted revenge on her Power Pair. She became too dangerous, he wings magnified her powers and in the end only her Power Pair could defeat her. He did. But soon died of a broken soul.

Looking at Rick I wondered what this meant for me. He doesn't know of my past, would he hate me if I did? I've hurt people, I've got someone killed. Hopefully he won't leave, my battered sould couldn't take it...