Chapter Eight

Shopping with Sapphire... and a sudden twist in the middle of their day out.

"Roxannaaaaa...!" 

I twirled around as the familiar voice sang my name from across the room. Sapphire bounded over, and hopped over the back of the couch with ease, flopping down next to me. Before I could ask what was up, the lightera answered eagerly.

"Get ready, we're going shopping!"

"...Huh?"

"Shopping!" She repeated. "As much as I would love if you did, you can't wear my clothes for the rest of your life." Sapphire stated, looking the simple grey minidress I was wearing.

"...True that. So I guess we're going today?"

"Why not? No class, we're free to do whatever." She grabbed my wrist and pulled me off of the couch, dragging me into the lobby without another word.

"W-We're just walking there?!"

"Yup!" the brunette replied eagerly, bursting through the front entrance, and leading me down a narrow dirt path which headed straight into the wooded area, that surrounded the entire campus.

Sapphire began to slow down as we entered the forest, finally letting go of my wrist... which had been turned a slight red color from her iron grip. She continued walking at a more steady pace... her footsteps were taken more carefully than before. She stepped in spaces that lacked dead leaves, and avoided the few patches of sunlight that made it through the tree cover. I followed with the same pace, observing her steps with a watchful eye.

Of course, I could only wonder why she was doing this... with the way she was walking, it didn't seem like the right time and place to ask. I just kept quiet and followed the suddenly cautious lightera until we reached the forest's end.

--

"I don't get it," I said as we walked towards the town as if it were an everyday thing. "The mortals hate our guts, how are we going to shop?"

Sapphire laughed. "They're mortals, Roxanna. They can't tell whether or not we're gaias. And if they do, usually it's only a few, and they don't take action. Sam says it 'cause they're afraid of us."

I blinked, but nodded as we reached the edge of town.

"Okay, just act normal. Like we've walked these streets millions of times before." The lightera instructed, before walking calmly into the town. I followed at a steady pace, although I was trying to take in all of my surroundings at the same time. 

The town was fairly small, but seemed so large on the inside. It had stone streets, houses looking like they were from an oldies movie... twists and turns were everywhere, with alleys hidden between the cluster of homes and shops. I felt like I would get lost if I didn't follow Sapphire, whom I hoped knew where she was going. 

And mortals. Mortals were everywhere. Although none of them seemed to find interest in us, I felt as if the whole town's eyes were on the two gaias wandering throughout mortal territory. I refused to make eye contact with any of them, keeping my eyes locked on the back of Sapphire's copper hair.

The lightera slowed down at something that looked like a small store, smiled at me, and stepped inside. I followed her inside hastily, relieved to feel less of the feeling of being watched outside. I sighed silently to myself, and looked around. Despite it's appearance outside, the shop was much larger than expected. Like any store on Earth, it was divided in half with the guys' and girls' clothes. About fifteen mortals at the most were scattered throughout the racks of clothing, minding their own business unlike myself.

"Well, go crazy." Sapphire said facing me, apparently expecting me to dive into the clothes. I blinked and nodded, and started to look through the rack closet to me awkwardly. I looked at the first one... a shirt. A very tight, black tank top with almost no stomach coverage whatsoever. 

Well then... Skimpy much...

I put it back without hesitation, and looked at the next shirt. It was white, strapless, cut way too far down in the middle, only to be sewn together by a few strings...

Once again, I put it back, and picked up the next one. Skimpy. The one after that, skimpy. The next one, Skimpy. After that? Oh look! Skimpy.

"What the hell..." I murmured through my teeth, picking up one s****y shirt to the next. 

Sapphire raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"

"These all look like some shirts that belong to a big-boobed character in a Final Fantasy video game!" I exasperated desperately. Oh please don't tell me I'll be forced to wear this stuff for the rest of my life...!

"...Final what? I dunno what in the hell you're talking about, but this is normal for us... You don't like it?" She questioned curiously.

"Well... they are cute.. just a little on the, erhm, skanky side." I replied quietly, muttering the last part.

The lightera looked at me and giggled. "If it really matters to you, don't think about it. We all wear it, so you'll just blend in anyway, like it wasn't like that in the first place."

I stared at her for a few seconds, but sighed and nodded, walking to another rack as my sanity melted into a puddle on the floor.

--

"You know, for someone who doesn't like this kinda stuff, you sure got a lot."

Sapphire and I wandered through the streets aimlessly when I finished my shopping. I really did get a lot of clothes... mostly dresses, skirts, shirts... the usual for me. I shrugged.

"Eh. I must have gotten used to the style after looking through too many clothes." I guessed simply, starting to think it was true. I must've looked through hundreds of clothes; we took hours in there. And most of it involved me digging through piles for some dresses that would make me look like I had the least bit of dignity. "Anyway, where are we going now?"

"Pfft, like I would know. But we would just sit and do nothing at the academy, so why not wander around town? It's not everyday we get to go here." The lightera responded, flipping her hair out of her golden eyes.

I nodded once, and felt my stomach rumble. "Hey... Could we eat something? My stomach just growled at me." I asked her, remembering the fact that I slept through breakfast this morning, purposefully missed dinner last night... My thoughts immediately locked onto last night's events at the thought of it. 

The beautiful clearing, the countless fireflies, laughing and smiling with Sora... My stomach ignored my hunger for a few moments, to let the butterflies loose, making my face turn bright pink.

"Oh yeah, we can eat if you want." The lightera answered, disrupting my awkward moment. I snapped back to reality, widening my eyes. What in the hell was that?! My heart felt like it was going to somehow friggin' flutter out of my stomach moments ago, and my cheeks still burned a little.... What the f**k?

There was a faint sound of a smack to my right, and despite my current train of thought, I stopped abruptly, my head jerking to the side.

I was looking down one of the alleys... it was darker, with boxes stacked on each other here and there. But what caught my attention was the flurry of trash in the center. It was spinning in a twister-like form, towering over the tallest stack of boxes, growing and shrinking gradually. But there was no wind. Even if there was, it wouldn't have caused a scene like this. I stared in confusion for a few seconds, filing through the possible conclusions in my head... until a loud gasp interrupted my thoughts, just like earlier.

I instinctively turned to Sapphire... who had disappeared while I stood here like a retard. If it wasn't her, then...

I turned my attention to the alley again. The trash twister had diminished, leaving the paper garbage scattered on the ground. There also a faint murmuring further into the alley, something I couldn't decipher from this distance. Hesitantly, I stepped into the alley, listening closely to the noises at the end. I placed each foot carefully, trying not to disturb whoever waited further back.

As I took another step, an abrupt shriek filled the alley, my eyes catching a glimpse of yellow from behind a large box. I stopped in my tracks at that moment, focusing on the box concealing the presence of another.

"Hello?" I finally said, and waited a few seconds, but without reply. "Who's there?"

A few moments after my question, a small head of blonde hair peeked out from behind the box. The young girl looked at me blankly, her eyes void of emotion.

"Who are you?" I asked simply, kneeling down to her level, although she was several feet away.

It took a couple seconds, but she finally answered softly, "Harmony."

I nodded. "That's a pretty name. What is a girl like you doing in an alley?"

Harmony simply pointed behind me, where the trash debris lay. "Please, I wasn't doing it in public. Please don't hurt me."

...Uhm, dahell?

Before I could answer, the blonde girl stepped out from behind the box, walking past me with her head down. I stood, dumbfounded, trying to process what was going on. A lone girl in hiding, no emotion, a twister of trash, thoughts of being abused... Oh god no.

"Wait!" I called to her, turning around to see her side facing me. "...You can control air, can't you?"

Harmony faced me completely, her eyes widening and filling with tears. That's when I saw the bright silver in them.

"No, no! It's okay!" I tried to reassure her, seeing her tears spill down her cheeks. "...I'm a gaia too."

The young aerora's head perked up at the response, her stare looking directly to my own eyes.

"...It's okay," I repeated, "I know where you can be safe, no longer the target of the people around you." I added with a soft smile, saying the words as they came to mind. There was a pause, until she suddenly threw herself upon me without warning, wrapping her arms around my stomach tightly and crying into Sapphire's dress quietly.

Uhm... uhm... uhm...

I patted her blonde hair awkwardly. How was I supposed to know what to do? I've never had to interact with younger kids like this. 

"Harmony, I'm here with another gaia, one who controls light. If we can find her, we can take you back to where we're from, free of mortals." I assured her calmly, the words coming out of my mouth without thinking. Was I even allowed to bring some girl into the academy? I mean... it couldn't be that bad... the poor girl is a mess.

Harmony clung to me for another moment or two of silence, as she cried softly. Then she stepped back from me, her head down, yet her silver eyes looked up at me through her thick bangs. 

Okay... now I need to find Sapphire. Fast. But where did that woman go?

I thought for a few moments, staring at the entrance of the alley. All I saw were mortals. I didn't really expect to see anything else... but it was strange to see them as my enemy now. I don't know how to "act casual" around them. I had no idea what could be in this town either, I've never been here before. Hell, I've only been in this damn world for a few days.

...I'm so fucked.

I took a deep breath, deciding that I would just have to look through the streets for Sapphire alone... and take the risk of being caught. Oh s**t... What would they do to us?

I shook my head, shaking the possible answering thoughts away, and held out my hand to the girl. Harmony hesitantly took it, and followed as I walked to the entrance.

But then she froze in her steps. I stopped and turned to face her; we were close to the street at this point. Harmony refused to go any farther.

"I can't go out there..." she murmured softly, so quietly that I could barely hear her.

I tilted my head to the side. "Uhm... why would that be?"

Harmony kept her gaze on the ground. "They'll see me... with you..."

My eyes widened, but I looked away quickly. Ugh I'm so stupid! It's obvious! People know she's a gaia... if those people see her with someone like me, it won't be pretty. Oh lord, what do we do no-

"There you are!!"

The sudden outburst cut off all thoughts in my mind. I just sat there, frozen in place, just like the small aerora that was clutching my hand as if her life depended on it... and it most likely did.

Oh no... no no no! That can't be someone who knows, we can't be caught now!

Before I could turn to face the person responsible for the exclamation, a hand grabbed my shoulder roughly from behind, and spun me around; I let go of Harmony in the process. And then, I found a pair of golden eyes staring back at me.

"Sapphire!" I gasped, jumping back from her a little. "You scared the s**t out of me!"

The lightera only laughed in response. I glared, flipping my bangs out of my eyes. "Glad to see you're amused!" I said sarcastically. "...But we have something more serious to deal with here!"

Sapphire's laughter ceased as I said this, and she gave me a questioning stare. "How serious?"

"Just take a look for yourself..." I gestured towards Harmony, who I expected to be behind me... but nothing was there. The little blonde was gone. My heart sank.

Sapphire continued to stare at me, confused. I looked around the alley wildly, and let out a high-pitched, frustrated groan, grabbing my hair as I began to panic. "She's gone! Oh s**t! She's gone she's gone!" I repeated continuously, my voice turning a bit raspy.

"Woah woah... who?? Who's gone?!" Sapphire asked, grabbing me by my shoulders.

My hands fell to my sides. "The girl! Harmony!" I shook Sapphire's hands off of me, and stepped past her. "She was an aerora, and people knew, and she just disappeared! We have to find her!"

Sapphire gasped softly, and murmured something I couldn't hear... then she grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the alley, into the throng of mortals.

"We're going to find her."

--

The two of us searched almost the entire town, but there was no sign of Harmony yet. It was as if she just disappeared in the alley, never to be seen again.

Sapphire and I were looking in a harbor-like area at that time, walking by the water's edge on the stone surface. There were less mortals here... that was a little reassuring, but I still couldn't manage to fully calm myself.

"You said she was young, maybe ten-ish... blonde and long hair, right?" Sapphire asked, her golden eyes roaming over the area subtly.

"Yeah..." I replied, nodding. I was still thinking about the way Harmony acted... she was so quiet, reluctant to go outside, basically freaked out when I saw her using her aerora abilities... "Uhm... Sapphire?"

"Mmhm?"

"...What exactly happens to infant gaias who are kept alive... like she was?"

There was a long pause, but the lightera finally answered quietly. "...They're basically tortured. Their lives are made miserable... I'm surprised this girl lived through it this long."

I blinked, casting another look around the area. "What do you mean by that?"

She sighed, but began to elaborate her previous reply. "Usually, the father abuses them. They usually enroll in school... why wouldn't they? But all the kids will avoid them... or bully them... even the young ones know what monsters we are... It's a lonely life. You can probably guess that, even if you aren't from here..."

Sapphire had continued from there, but I didn't hear anymore. She could have finished, but I didn't reply... I didn't have a reply. My pulse raced, teeth clenched, I could feel my body heat increasing rapidly, there was a slight burning in my chest... I clutched my torso tightly, feeling the anger rushing through my veins... I think I would have lost it if Sapphire didn't suddenly point out the little blonde head on a nearby flattened rooftop.

The lightera grabbed me by the arm and raced towards the small building hastily. I stumbled after her, almost losing my balance a few times as I clicked back into reality. 

What the hell was that just now? I've never felt anger like that before...

Sapphire ran to the right side of the building, the side Harmony was sitting on.

"Harmony!" I called, only able to see a bit of her strawberry blonde hair above.

A few seconds passed, but the girl looked over the edge hesitantly at the two of us.

"Please come down! This is my friend!" I explained quickly, hoping she wouldn't run off again. The blonde girl eyed Sapphire cautiously, but eventually smiled slightly as she looked at me again. She hopped over the edge of the rooftop with ease... coming to the ground slowly and gently as she controlled the air around her to keep her slightly afloat. I smiled at her, and pointed to the lightera beside me. "This is Sapphire, we're going to help you like I said."

I was about to explain further, but then it happened again. My vision blurred and shook, and flashed before my eyes, just like it had the last several times in the past few days.

When it was clear again, my eyes shot up to look into Sapphire's.

"...Run."

Without wasting another second, I grabbed both Harmony's and Sapphire's wrists and dashed away, just as I heard angry shouts from behind.

"Who are those girls?!"

"The air girl! The air girl is with them!"

"They're taking her away!"

"You don't think..."

"Get them! Make them cry! Filthy gaias!"

"Kill them!"

In just a few seconds, the small amount of quiet people at the harbor turned into a raging mob-like crowd... that was after the three of us.

Shhiiiitttt!!!

We all ran through the streets, trying to ignore the turning faces we passed, which were soon joining the chase as they realized what we were.

Oh f**k we're so dumb!!

I pushed past a large group of mortals, who had not yet noticed the scene we were causing, with the help of Harmony's air as she shoved them away with a quick flick of her wrist.

"Roxanna! Try and push them back please!" Sapphire begged me as we turned a corner. The mob was getting closer; we could die in seconds if we didn't hurry.

"What?!" I exclaimed in an immediate response, then said, "uhm... I can try!"

Oh lord, how do I work this fire thing again?

I turned my head around a little, let go of Sapphire's wrist, then thrust my hand out towards the raging mortals behind us. A flurry of orange flames danced out from the palm of my hand, stopping several mortals in the front, who stopped for a few seconds from the surprise. I could see their clothes were singed, and there were small gray splotches on their faces. Then they continued the chase after us... but at least they were a little further back now.

Sapphire smirked. "Getting the hang of it yet?"

"Uhm, not exactly!" My voice cracked slightly as I replied... it was still seriously weird seeing fire come out of my hand.

The lightera laughed. "You'll get it soon enough! We gotta get out of this mess first, though!"

She turned another corner, and the grasslands that we came from before became visible. As we neared it, Sapphire twisted her head back to the mob slightly. "Okay you two... keep looking ahead! This could be painful!"

Both Harmony and I exchanged a look of confusion, but then looked forward again. Sapphire threw a glare at the mortals behind us, and her golden eyes flashed white for a second.

There were immediate shrieks and groans of pain following that from the suffering mob. Sapphire smiled to herself, and looked forward again.

"Okay, you're free to look if you want."

I turned my head slightly, and saw every person standing in place, hunched over in some way, their hands covering their eyes. There were countless groans coming from them, caused by the apparent pain Sapphire gave them.

"Dude... what did you do?!" I asked, turning back around as we reached the grass, and started to run for the forest.

"Gave them a little surprise." the lightera replied bluntly, her eyebrow raising once. "I just flashed a light in front of them, so bright that it blinded them all temporarily."

I stared at Sapphire as she replied. "As much as that amuses me... why in the hell would you do that?" I questioned her, deadpanning.

"So they can't see what direction we're going?"

...Oh. Duh. ...Wait what?

Sapphire shook her head. "We'll just talk more when we can, right now let's just focus on getting back to the academy. We have a lot to explain..."

Author's Note

OH MY JESUS I'M WRITING IN THIS DAMN BOOK.
I'M SO HAPPY.
I don't care if it sucks! :D I'm not proofreading or anything! 8D I'M JUST GLAD I WROTE IN THIS THING AGAIN. LSNFSDFBSKDJBGSDJ,BGD,FJBGFD,JBGJFD,G. SO GLAD, I FELT THE NEED TO TYPE RANDOM ASS LETTERS.
GOODBYE.

Reviews

[r]

---Once again, I put it back, and picked up the next one. Skimpy. The one after that, skimpy. The next one, Skimpy. After that? Oh look! Skimpy.--- LMFAO. That made me laugh...giggle really. xD SKIMPY SKIMPY SKIMPY. D****T MOTHERFUCKING SONUVABI---

I'll go continue reading now, mmkay? LOL YOU REFERENCED FINAL FANTASY. I love you [nh]. xDDD.

---The beautiful clearing, the countless fireflies, laughing and smiling with Sora... My stomach ignored my hunger for a few moments, to let the butterflies loose, making my face turn bright pink.--- Hehehehehhee. ADORABLE. i luff that.

OHMYGAWD THAT WAS SO F*****G COOL WHEN SAPPHIRE DID THAT LIGHT THING WITH HER EYES. Fawking epic. ...I would LOVE to be able to control light or fire! YAYYYY. Harmony is adorable....but i have a bad feeling about everything thats happened.

SERIOUSLY THOUGH. WHY THE F**K HADNT I READ THIS YET!?!?! I love Roxanna's thoughts to herself. xD They're hilarious...and...that's about it. xD

[Rayne~Drop.]

I. LOVE. YOU. YOU. ARE. AMAZING. AND I LOVE THE CHAPTER.

Thank you for FINALLY POSTING THIS. -.- After forever. -.- lol XD

Harmony is adorable. Sapphy's light thing was fucktasticle.

I just love how EVERYTHING in the store was deemed skimpy, or skank clothing. XD The mortals' reactions to Harmony were depressing. HOW DARE THEY HURT THAT ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL WITH SILVER EYES.

But yeah, having fire come out of your hands would be odd. lol ^^

...Hm. Yeah. That's all...Probably...Maybe. XD

WRITE MORE BECAUSE I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER IF AND WHEN YOU DO. :D