Elements

Chapter 26

"No," Mother Nature came in between me and the Destroyer. Her eyes looked panicked, but she somehow maintained a steady voice as she said, "Ira, he is not your father." Mother turned away to glance at the Destroyer. "You can't...it's impossible...you can't be Father Nature!"

"Oh, but I am," The Destroyer began to circle around Mother. Both armies, our own and the evil, watched on, eyes widened, deathly still. "Sure, I might not be the real father of Goddess Crystal. But I am the father of these four."

His eyes were a dubious color palette. Scarlet, black, crimson. The colors that brought you visions of the malicious and sent a chill down your spine. Just venturing into those pools of malice caught you in his wrath.

Staring at them now, I was paralyzed. This man...he had once been Father Nature. A ruler of this kingdom. The father of my siblings...

My mind frantically rushed as realizations flood over me. The pupils of my eyes were thin slits, as thin as the ice between us and the villain who was a threat. I felt my lips tremble, but no sound escaped.

To my left stood my four siblings, their eyes as sharp as mine. Samantha even had tears in her eyes.

"Father?" She whispered. "It's you?"

Samantha tried to reach out, but Jane grabbed her hand and held her back. "No, Samantha." Her eyes were not emerald anymore. Instead, they stormed pine green, darkening by the second. I had never seen Jane so angry.

Jane gripped Samatha's hand tightly and continued, "He might be Father Nature, but he is definitely not our father."

"Oh forgive me, Jane," The Destroyer brought his eyes to her, giving her a small smile, "I didn't want to leave you. I didn't want to leave any of it. Your mother. however..." He gave Mother a stone-cold stare, "She's the reason I left."

"Rufus, you wanted too much power!" Mother backed up and shielded the five of us, "And you wanted to take their powers for your own benefit."

"Exactly. Think of how powerful we could've been!" Father Nature shook his head sadly, "Alas, you were foolish enough to swear to the heavens that you would never use their power for our benefit. And I was cursed into exile."

"Yet, here I am! After all this time, I found ways to come back, stronger, and more powerful than before. My loyal fairies have lended me their powers, thousands of elemental skills combined into one soul! I'd say I'm more powerful than you, Queen of the Elements."

I broke away from Mother's arm and faced Father Nature. "That's not true. Mother's the most powerful in the land!"

"Oh, is she now? Well then, let's see if she could do this!"

With that, The Destroyer slammed his scepter to the floor. Red wisps of magic twisted and turned, finding their way to my siblings, entering their jewels, reddening their eyes. Their heads dropped down and they closed their eyes.

"Descendants of the Destroyer, hail me!" The Destroyer yelled. The heads of my sibling snapped back up, their eyes gleaming scarlet. They started to circle Mother, clenching their fists, baring their teeth.

"I..." Mother shook her head, and said, "Ira, you go. I can handle these four. You need to defeat the Destroyer!"

Our eyes locked together for a split second, and Mother whispered, "I, Queen of the Elements, lend you my strength."

Suddenly, I feel a jolt through my body. I felt the roar of my blood, through my veins, pounding in my ears. I abruptly knew it wasn't my own.

"Ah, Ira, Goddess Crystal. The final fight. Perhaps we should continue this somewhere more open? That hill up there looks fine."

--------------------------------

I gasped as my feet landed on the ground. I look around to see the Destroyer standing in front of me, many feet away. He twirled his scepter, then pointed it at me.

"Well, let's start."

A red blast shot from the scepter, slamming into my chest and sending me backward. I struggled to my feet, then winced. The shot had left a bruise right near my heart.

"Bad luck. You're not my daughter, so I can kill you easily." The Destroyer laughed to himself.

I clenched my fists and charged, throwing shots of ice, aiming for his face. He easily dodged them, then send another shot towards me. This time, it skimmed my elbow. I gasped and fell to my knees, tears forming from the pain.

"Fight me, child! After all, you are the child of the prophecy!"

I rose once again and yelled defiantly, sprinting to him and jumping up, propelling myself with the ice. I flew over his head, aiming a deadly shot for the back of his head. But he was too fast. With his scepter, he slammed the point into my foot, stabbing into my skin. I scream and fall, landing on the ground. Blood trickled from my foot into the ground, the same color as the Destroyer's eyes. Holding back tears, I place a hand over my foot and try my best to freeze the wound over, numbing the pain.

"We don't have to do this," The Destroyer slowly approached me. He knelt down and placed a gloved hand under my chin. He lifted it and studied my face. "You could still be my daughter. Think of how powerful you and I could be, together."

I didn't meet his eyes. I had to get up. I had to. Mother....my siblings...everyone was counting on me. I had to defeat him, somehow.

"I already told you," I replied, and backed up. I limped a little, but stood my ground "I would rather die than join you."

"Such a shame." The Destroyer shook his head sadly. "Time for you to die, child."

Suddenly, I fall back down to my knees. The Destroyer began to laugh, then his smile faded and his eyes reflected his horror as he watched snow start to swirl around me. My eyes flashed with colors; magenta, purple, yellow, pink...and the colors, those same colors I saw in the eyes of Mother. My body surged with energy, all of it coming together, forming a tight ball in my chest.

I didn't see it, but the Destroyer started to expect what I would do. Without my notice, a force field forms around him, gleaming black. His eyes glowed with excitement, knowing what would happen if my power bounced back.

I lend you my strength.

"Ira, no!"

The energy escaped, blasting in the direction of the Destroyer. I hear it clang onto something, a BANG! sound, and then...silence.

If only I knew what I had done.