• The lion/eagle thing was beginning to emerge from the trees, which meant either that thing was going to get killed, or my friends and I are going to be kitty/bird chow. A plan needed to be made, now. Or we can kiss senior year, hell sophomore year, goodbye.
    I looked at everyone, “Guys! We need to use our powers,” I said. Then, sticking my hand up, a wave of water, it was like fifty feet high, shot out of my hand, and with the use of my powers, I got the water to make a ring around the creature.
    “How will that help?” Toby asked.
    I glared at him, “Don’t question it, just help!” I said.
    Toby sighed, then flames shot out, making the creature freak out and stepped back. Tahlia must have electrify the water ring because the creature then was shocked. Rocks shot out of the ground, attacking the creature. I glanced at Nico, who winked at me.
    The creature then manages to leap in the air, going after Millie, and just her. It knock Artemis and Tahlia down, but didn’t even give them a second glance. Millie stepped back, crashing to her feet. The creature lifted its paw, claws out, and swiped at Millie. I’m not sure where she got scratched, but I knew it had to of hurt.
    “Millie!” Tahlia and I cried.
    I could hear Millie scream in pain. I tried to get to Millie, but the creature roared and swiped its thirty foot long tail, knocking me to my feet. I landed on my head with a THUD! Note; do not try this at home unless you can control the elements, which I don’t think most people do.
    Nico was at my side, “You ok?” he asked.
    “Yeah,” I nodded, “but Millie…” I managed to get to my feet, with Nico’s help, my head hurting like hell, “Thanks.” I said to Nico.
    Wind began gushes through, it was so strong the creature couldn’t even move, it even tried to flap its eagle wings, but it didn’t move. Then, it was actually lifted from the air and slammed into the ground. I have Artemis to thank for that, and gave her a smile and then went in for the finale attack.
    “Tahlia!” I cried, and Tahlia materialized to my side. She nodded, already knowing what I wanted.
    We each stuck and hand out, and we combined our powers, water with electric charge shot at the creature and with roar, it exploded into dust and feathers.
    The dust and feathers flew away with the breeze, and I didn’t know if Artemis had anything to do with that, but I was sure Millie needed our help. She was on the ground, pale skinned and her arm bleeding like crazy. The material of her shirt was ripped and she was covered in fur and mud.
    “Millie,” everyone ran over to her, Toby and Nico lifted her up, I looked at her, “Are you ok?” I asked.
    Millie didn’t say anything, she tried to nod, but it seemed like too much energy would be used.
    Tahlia looked at both Millie, then me, “We need to get her to Mimiki.” She said.
    I nodded in agreement, then I heard a BOOM! and I shot my head around and saw Prim, our guardian fairy, brushing dust and powder off her clothes. She was three inches shorter than me, and was wearing a white t-shirt, jeans, and boots. Fairies aren’t the ten inch Tinkerbell we imagine in the media, they can shrink down that height, but most of the time they are normal height. Plus they can only have their wings when they’re in ‘tiny’ form. Her purplish hair was pulled in a ponytail and she had silver hoops stuck through her ears.
    “Hey guys,” she smiled and waved. She saw Millie and her expression changed, from carefree to serious. Prim pushed Tahlia and I out of the way and gently grabbed Millie’s arm.
    I managed to get a better look at Millie’s arm, it look terrible. The gash was about three inches long, and deep, blood still spewed out and I almost gagged.
    “Don’t worry,” Prim said, opening her Addias drawstring bag opened, pulling out gauze, “It’s not bad enough to need stitches, but we do need to get you to Mimiki.” Prim wrapped the gauze around Millie’s arm, and tapped it shut and secured.
    Toby and Nico gently helped Millie to her feet. They both looked at Prim, “Prim, what do we do know?” Toby asked, keeping Millie up.
    “First off, get Millie inside, make sure no one notices her,” Prim began, then paused, “and meet me at the entrance of the forest. I know an easy way to get to Mimiki’s.”
    Nico and Toby nodded, and helped Millie back to the school. Tahlia, Artemis, and I began heading back too, Prim followed.
    I turned to her, “Uh, Prim, won’t people ask questions when they see you?” I asked.
    Prim laughed, “Oh yeah, hold up,” she snapped her fingers, and shrunk to ten inches tall, “Here we go.” She said, still having her normal voice, not the high pitch squeal the media give tiny fairies.
    I smiled, and we headed to the school. As we grabbed our stuff from the locker room, Millie didn’t go inside, she stood out there, the teachers not caring, and I grabbed her binder and purse for her.
    When I walked out of the locker room, Millie was leaning against the wall, paler than ever. Prim was on her shoulder, well the one that didn’t have a bloody gauzed arm.
    “I have your stuff,” I said, showing Millie her binder and purse.
    Millie nodded, “Thanks,” she said, trying to keep her voice strong. She looked like she’d pass out in the hall way any second.
    Prim noticed that too, “That creature must have taken a lot of energy away from you, Millie.”
    I nodded grimly, “But the weird thing was, the creature only went after Millie. It basically ignored the rest of us, even when we attacked it.”
    “What did the creature look like?” Prim then asked, flying off Millie’s shoulder and landing on mine.
    I didn’t even have to think, “It was lion with eagle wings. And it was the size of a small house.” I quickly told her.
    Prim cursed, “Well, let’s just get to Mimiki’s, you can call your parents on the way.” Prim knew my parents were kind of over protective, so I knew I had to call soon.
    Artemis, Tahlia, Toby, and Nico were at my side. I freaked, and screamed since they were so quiet.
    “How can you guys do that?!” I quickly demanded.
    Artemis laughed, “I don’t know,” then she looked at Millie, “We just need to get her to Mimiki’s.”
    Everyone nodded, and Toby and Nico, who had just binders, gave their stuff to Artemis and Tahlia and gentle got a hold of Millie. We began to leave.
    As we got outside the school doors, Prim grew to her normal size and took Nico and Toby’s binders. She gave us a few minutes to call our parents, ugh, it sucks when you have to call your parents and tell them you have to go to the magical world and probably get attacked.
    I sighed, sliding my blue and black Samsung Propel cell phone shut. My parents are actually not concerned enough. They say, ‘You can control water, you can protect yourself’. Well, Mimiki said no one can find out, so I can’t really shoot an ocean of water at some dude stalking me.
    “Now can we go?” Prim demanded, impatiently.
    Everyone nodded, and Prim began hastily walking off. We scrambled to catch up to her, girl’s a fast walker.
    James Madison High and my old middle school, Washington Middle, were about half a mile away from each other. But, in the middle between the two schools, there was an alternative entrance to the forest, which was actually the magical world call the Kingdom. The Kingdom was actually five times the size of the forest, but they say it’s just an entrance.
    Prim stopped, and the rest of us did too. Millie’s head was down, her hair covering her face. I could tell she was getting worse, her skin was the color of milk and you could see blue lines going down her arms, her veins. Her skin is basically translucent. Now that part basically scared the hell out of me.
    Everyone else must have noticed it too, because it was very quiet, even Prim didn’t have anything to say, and she was one of the most loud mouthy people I’ve ever met, that’s not sometimes a bad thing.
    Finally, Tahlia broke the silence, “Ok, Prim, what do we do?”She asked.
    “Just take each other’s hands.” Prim said.
    We did what she said, and for Millie, she managed to get a good grip on Nico and Toby’s hands.
    Prim murmured something, and the next thing I knew, all of us were inside a large purple orb thing, like a bubble you can’t see through.
    I looked around, “Prim? What is this?”
    “A teleportation orb,” Prim said, keeping her hands up, “It’s a very complicated spell for young fairies, so it’ll sap a lot of my energy out, but it’s the quickest way to get to Mimiki’s.” Prim glanced at Millie, “and we need to get her,” she nudged her head at Millie, “to Mimiki’s, now.”
    I nodded, understanding. Prim was our guardian fairy, she was chosen to protect the Chosen Ones and to help us, I guess she has to protect Millie too, and seeing Millie being hurt like that, Prim probably was blaming herself, since she wasn’t there. But, it wasn’t her fault, she wasn’t even there. I wonder how she could just pop in right when she did, but I was glad she did.
    I placed my hand on Prim’s shoulder, “Prim, it’s not your fault, you weren’t even there when that creature attacked her.”
    Prim didn’t respond, but she didn’t have to. I just wanted her to hear my message. I looked at Millie, and she wasn’t looking worse, but she wasn’t looking any better.
    “Millie?” I looked at her, and everyone looked at me, I ignored it, “How are you feeling?”
    Millie looked up, and her face was so pale, her hair seemed dark, and red hair with platinum highlights is really hard to look dark, “I feel….feel weak, can’t…can’t move at…all.”
    I blinked, how could that creature make Millie so weak when Tahlia and I could destroy it so quickly? This was all confusing, but I know that Millie really needs help.
    Suddenly, the orb vanished and Prim collapsed to her knees.
    “Prim,” Tahlia and Toby went to her aid, but Prim shook them off.
    “Help, Millie,” she said, “I told you, making the orb to transport us saps out most of my energy. Millie’s the one that needs help,” she got to her feet, “C’mon; we need to get her inside.”
    I looked up and realized we were outside Mimiki’s house, a grand house that is so large it’s like a small palace.
    Nico and Toby gently lifted Millie, who was crumpled on the ground when we ‘landed’. Tahlia and Artemis held everyone’s school stuff, and I went to open the door. But, as my hand reached out to grab the handle, the doors flung open.
    Right in front of me, another friend of ours, Haven, was standing there. Her light brown hair was in soft waves, and they flowed down her elfish face. Her mossy green eyes had a wild look to them, as if something bad happened. Maybe she knew Millie had been attacked. She was wearing a dark but bright pink t-shirt with a large black peace sign designed to look like it was painted on, black jeans, and purple Converses.
    “Hey, Haven,” I smiled, taking a step back to let her out.
    Haven hopped down, “I felt a presents and came,” she smiled at us, “Sorry if I shocked you guys.” She blinked when she saw Artemis and Nico.
    “The ones we were looking for,” I said to her, with a smile.
    Haven gasped, “Omigod! You are the Chosen Ones we’d been looking for.” She stood in front of them, “I’m Haven, I’m Mimiki’s daughter, you already met her though.”
    Artemis and Nico nodded, smiling. “Nice to meet you,” they said in unison.
    “Ok, sorry to interrupt anything,” Toby said, trying to hold Millie since Nico had let her go, “But Millie needs help.”
    Haven caught a glance of Millie, “Holy crap!” she cried, seeing the gauze and the dry blood around it, “What happened?” she gently held Millie’s arm.
    I knelt down beside Haven, pulling my hair back in a ponytail, “We were walking around the track during the last hour of school, and this creature appeared. At first we didn’t notice it, but we saw a bunch of kids’ running back toward the school, and we saw the creature. We began to fight it, and it only went after Millie. It only scratched her arm, and Tahlia and I destroyed it. Its attack made Millie very weak, so I don’t get how it was destroyed so easily.”
    “Maybe we’re stronger than we think.” Nico said, shrugging.
    Haven shook her head, “No, it’s hard to explain, I’ll let Mom explain it to you guys.”
    Toby and Nico lifted Millie off the ground, and she looked like a helpless damsel in distressed, like in the movies, where the beautiful girl is helpless and needs protecting. That wasn’t Millie at all, she would probably try to walk if she had enough energy. That’s how bad the attack from that creature was, and it scared me. It makes me wonder what other creature are out there, and how strong or weak or helpful or dangerous they could be.
    “I’ll get my mom,” Haven stood up, and went for the door.
    Suddenly, there was an explosion, and Mimiki was in front of us. She was dressed in a dark blue shirt that flowed down to her hips, a white skirt that ended in the front at her knees, but flowed down to the ground in the back. She was wearing silver sandals, and had her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her mossy green eyes were dark with experience.
    Haven blinked, as if she was shocked as much as we were, “Mom,” she said.
    Mimiki went straight at Millie, picking her up as if she was a rag doll. Haven opened the door to let her mom in, and followed her inside. Toby, Nico, Artemis, Tahlia, and I trailed after her. Prim stood outside. ‘
    “You coming in?” I asked, being the last one out there besides Prim.
    She shook her head, “Naw, I’ll stay out here, I need some fresh air. It helps fairies regain some energy.” I forgot fairies were creatures of the elements, so I guess air would help her.
    I nodded, and went inside with the others. They were surrounding one of the leather old fashion couches in Mimiki’s living room. Millie was laid down on the couch and she was asleep. Her face was starting to retain its color, and I began to calm down.
    “How is she?” I immediately asked the closest person to me, which was Tahlia.
    Tahlia looked at me, “Good. Mimiki found something to heal her, and then she said she’d explain what attacked Millie.”
    I nodded, “Ok.” I gripped my bag. Millie was going to be ok, that’s all that mattered at the moment, we can figure out that creature later, the main priority is Millie is going to be ok.
    I got a better look, Haven scooted over a little to let me squeeze through. Millie looked so much better, and the gauze had been removed, but Mimiki must have done something because all that was remained of Millie’s scratches was three faint pink lines. Her shirt sleeve was even fixed.
    “You are good.” I said, smiling, glad to see Millie looking better.
    Mimiki sighed, and left Millie, shooing the rest of us off, showing so we won’t bother her anymore.
    “We must let her rest,” Mimiki had said to us and she led us to the other room, the kitchen.
    I’ve never been in Mimiki’s kitchen, and it was huge. There were dark oak cabinets with onyx counters, and a silver sink with one of those handle you can pull out. Above the sink was a silver and platinum microwave, Kenmore brand if I read it right. The fridge was on the other side, and it was silver-matching the rest of the kitchen-and it had that built in water dispenser. It was a normal kitchen; I thought it would be totally different looking. I thought that there would be like a witch’s cauldron in here, or something along the lines of that. I noticed that Tahlia, Artemis, Nico, and Toby were having the same ‘I didn’t expect this’ look. I laughed quietly. Mimiki looked up and I quickly stopped my laughter.
    Mimiki cleared her throat, and everyone snapped their heads around and looked at her. She seemed troubled, as if something was going to happen, which in our case, that probably will.
    “Ok, Primrose has told me what you had told her about the creature that attacked Millennium,” Mimiki said, and note, she is the only one that calls people by their full names, but she calls me Shay, “And this creature is an Ageleo, a creature that is created to hunt down a certain thing and won’t stop until the creature had attacked what it was sent to attack.” She explained.
    That’s why that creature only went after Millie, ignoring the rest of us, and that meant that Millie being its target, something is trying to hurt Millie. Or worse, kill her.
    “But doesn’t that mean something’s trying to hurt Millie?” Artemis asked.
    Mimiki shook her head grimly, “It is much worse than that, I’m afraid. We should have seen this coming, but it seems something is trying to kill Millennium.”
    Tahlia clenched her fish, “We can’t let that happen, and who the hell would want to hurt her?”
    I knew Tahlia was upset by this, she was very close to Millie even though we’ve only know her for a few months, she and Millie clicked when we first met her, like Tahlia and I. Tahlia was one of those types of people that look out for their friends, and I knew Tahlia would do anything for us.
    “I have an idea who wants to kill me,” I could hear Millie’s voice say.
    Everyone’s head snapped over to the entrance of the kitchen, and Millie was there, her skin pale but she looked so much better.
    “Mototo and Mina. They are trying to kill me.” Millie said, with no emotion or fear in her voice.
    But, the look in her eyes, all I saw was fear and brokenness, like she would break down any second and began crying. She just stood there, and I was surprised that she wasn’t crying and breaking down, I mean her brother and sister want to kill her! Sure they’re evil but no one usually takes it like that. Most of the time there is a mentally or emotional breakdown somewhere.
    Everyone was quiet, and Mimiki moved over and stood next to Millie. Her skirt flowed on the floor and twirled with her as she stood next to her.
    “I am afraid you are correct, Millennium,” Mimiki looked at Millie, then she looked at the rest of us. Her expression was grim, and the atmosphere was too.
    It was like a black aura, a cloud of smoke made of sadness and depression, crowded in the room.
    I wanted to say something, but what? I don’t have anything to say, really.
    Finally, I got the guts to break the silence, “We should’ve seen it coming.” I got surprised looks from everybody, “Well it’s true. Mototo and Mina are the Seekers of Death and Destruction. Millie is the Seeker of Light and the true ruler of the Kingdom. Right now, Mototo and Mina are ruling. Would they let Millie live if they know she should be the true ruler and the Chosen Ones are formed?”
    I looked around for an answer. Everyone was silent, even Mimiki. Then, Nico broke the silence.
    “She’s right, they’ll do anything to make sure they stay the rulers,” Nico stood next to me, nodding his head, then glanced at me.
    I nodded and smiled at him, then looked at the rest of them.
    “Yes, the both of you are correct.” Mimiki said, sighing, then looked at Millie, who seemed like she already knew. There was no emotion on her face, and it kind of made me sad.
    Artemis, Tahlia, and Toby nodded. Suddenly, Haven appeared at the doorway, next to Millie. I did a double take, dang the girl fast!
    “Oh, hey Haven,” I said, blinking, trying not to look like I was shocked.
    Haven pulled a ponytail holder out of her jeans and in a few quick movements, her wavy brown hair had been pulled back in a perfect ponytail. She nodded at me, which probably meant she was greeting me back, or recognizing the fact that I said something to her. I couldn’t tell with Haven, she had a strange way of hiding her emotions and what she was thinking at anytime she probably wanted to. I so need to learn how to do that, it would be great use to me.
    “Well, what do we do now?” Haven asked, and there was a little hostility in her voice. She shot her head around, looking at each of us, looking at us like she could get answers by just looking at us, getting the information out of us through her eyes. “Well?” she had wildness to her, her eyes, her tone of voice, and her body language. She was curling her hands in and out and her back was stiff. She seemed like a caged animal trying to escape.
    Mimiki didn’t answer, she just walked up to her daughter, putting her hands on Haven’s shoulders, “Haven, you must calm down.” She said, trying to calm her down.
    “How?” Haven snapped, “Millie is basically being hunted like a dog and we don’t have a plan. What if they succeed and actually kill….” Haven didn’t finish, she stared at her mother straight in the eye, like she telling Mimiki something through her eyes. I couldn’t even look, Haven had such intensity in her eyes it was intimidating.
    Everyone was shocked; we’ve never seen Haven like this. She’s usually bubbly and happy, or calm, but never this. I reached my hand out to try to comfort her, but I felt my hand staggering back, as if I was scared or skeptical to do a simple task as to comfort my friend. Then, I realized that I had an answer, and I gripped my hand into a fist.
    “They won’t.” I said, looking at Haven.
    She turned around, her eyes still having that wild and intense look. “What?” she asked, her voice sounding less harsh as before.
    “They won’t succeed,” I said, my words sounding more confident as more grew inside of me, I looked back at Tahlia, Toby, Artemis, and Nico, “We’re the Chosen Ones, we were chosen to protect Millie, so while we are around, Mototo and Mina won’t have the chance to succeed with their plans. I won’t allow it.” I gave a smile that was confident and serious at the same time. Looking back at everyone, I then added, “If we work together, we can stop them. Right guy?”
    “Right.” Tahlia repeated.
    Toby smiled, “Of course.” He said.
    Artemis and Nico looked at each other, then back at the rest of us, “As long as we’re here and together, nothing can stop us.” They said together and for once I didn’t get weirded out by that. To me, that sounded like unity, and I wanted to hear that.
    Then, like the classic movies where a group of friends or people agree to accomplish something normal people couldn’t, I stuck my hand into the center of the circle we were in. I looked up, and I got ‘What are you doing’ looks from everyone. Way to kill a moment.
    “What are you doing?” Toby asked, looking at my hand.
    I rolled my eyes, “Guys, it’s like in the movies, where the group of friends sticks their hands together then throw them in the air. It’s a classic, and it shows unity or something. Just do it, I’ve always wanted to do it.” I added a laugh.
    The others looked at each other, then one by one, they each piled their hands on top of mine. First Tahlia, then Artemis, Nico, and finally Toby. I smiled at them, then look at Haven.
    “Hey, get over here too.” I said.
    Haven looked at me like I was stupid, “Why? I’m not a Chosen One. I’m just, well me.” She shrugged.
    “Yeah, but you’ll still be a huge help. If you didn’t find us in the woods last summer, who knows what would have happened to us.” I said, the nudged my head. Haven can be so stubborn sometimes.
    Finally, she walked up next to me, adding her hand to the pile.
    “Now Prim.” I called, and Prim materialized from across from me, her hand in the pile. I smiled and nodded.
    I didn’t even have to say it, and Millie had her hand on top, and when I looked up at her, she had a confident smile and look in her eyes that just made me feel so happy.
    Then, we threw our hands back, and all eight of us said, “Break!” and we smiled and began laughing.
    “Why’d we say ‘Break’?” Toby asked.
    I shrugged, “Who knows, but don’t ruin the moment Toby.”
    Toby rolled his eyes and laughed, I laughed along with him.
    Looking around the room, I saw the faces of my best friends, allies, and knew that during this adventure, this journey, I knew I wouldn’t be alone. None of us would be, we had the support and powers of each other, and I knew we’d be ok.