The Wastelands

The guard with cyan eyes… The only indication that he was aware of Rachel's gaze was a slight widening of his eyes. Other than that, he looked like a regular blank-faced soldier, nothing special.

But Druid knew better. A smile shaped her beautiful lips.

Things weren't what they seemed, and Major Hatten was utterly unaware. In fact, with his crazed, but a focused expression, his intention to kill was apparent.

'There was no reasoning with him.'

She furrowed her brow, trying to find every thread possible, seeing several, most of the scenes ending with one or more of her groups dead.

'That wouldn't do.; Each one still had an important role to play.

'Even Statson with his silly nicknames.'

Her eyes twinkled when she thought of her own nickname that the big man had slapped on her.

'Red Princess.'

Druid really, really like that name. It was so… fitting.

That was what she hated about relying too much on the future. Even so, in some instances, it was crucial to know every possible moment, every possible move, every possible motion, and then react.

Sometimes it was to do something unexpected, and in this instance, really, really stupid.

Bryson is going to be upset. She winced internally. Sorry, Lilia.

All she had to do now was to wait for just the right moment.

*Heather, we will need a little help,* Druid said telepathy. *On my signal...*

*On your word,* Heather answered in a flat, monotone voice.

"Now, we all die." The Major thumbed the trigger.

Well, almost thumbing the trigger. Because the man with the cyan eyes slammed himself into him, and the Major lost his balance and fell to the ground.

Druid shouted, *Now!*

A long ripping bang echoed before one of the guards fell with a bullet hole in his c.h.e.s.t. Heather had just shot him through the top window.

Bryson and Statson, with Rachel backing them up, jumped into action and took out the rest of the guards.

Everything seemed under control, but then the floor and the walls rocked and screeched with the pressure. Everyone was pushed off their feet.

*Sorry, I couldn't hold it.* Terran's strained voices came through the telepathic link. *Get out of there now.*

Druid looked around. Bryson and Statson were nearest to the exit with Bryson having his medium, a sword hilt in hand.

The cyan eyed guard was close by, a little out of Bryson's protective zone, but safe enough. Besides, if he was who Druid thought he was, he could take care of himself.

Druid turned. 'Now, this is the tricky part.' Rachel was thrown across the room; she couldn't get to the exit in time. If someone didn't intervene, then Rachel's life was going to be cut short!

The Major was already upon his feet, and he was pushing the button to make the bomb go boom.

Bryson was putting up an ice shield to cover his and Statson's retreat.

"Druid, come on." He gestured to Druid to follow him. He practically threw the big man through the cracked wall, while Statson fought to get to his doomed partner.

The guard with the cyan eyes jerked towards Rachel before he glanced at Druid.

*Don't worry, I got this,* she said through the telepathic link.

He nodded and headed towards the crack.

Druid took a breath, touching her own medium: a whip that was curled around her waist. As soon as Druid felt the leather, drawing power from it, she disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing in front of Rachel, right in the path of the explosions.

Druid held out her shaking hand, chanting in her head, 'Please! Keep the flames under control!' Her fire elemental was so volatile that it took a lot for Druid to control. Her forehead clenched in concentration.

Druid started to absorb most of the fire. Not only to stop it from touching Rachel, but she needed the energy for what she needed to do next.

The heat around her got hotter and hotter, burning some of the debris before it touched her, but not all. Some had gotten through and were leaving cuts and bruises in various places, including a slash across her ribs.

Druid gasped in pain.

When Druid felt the floor gave way. 'Okay, time to go.; Druid grabbed Rachel and teleported them both safe.

Almost to safety, that was. There was a reason Druid didn't make a suitable transport. Rachel looked like a slightly toasted marshmallow, with burn marks all over her.

'It could have been worse. Rachel could be dead.' Druid sighed in exhaustion.

'Nothing that Terran can't cure.'

She saw a touching, but the funny, scene where Statson came in like a mother hen, looking Rachel over, giving her a hug in relief, then he jumped back when Rachel gasped with pain.

Before Druid's injuries got the better of her, she fell into Bryson. "What were you thinking? You could have been killed. Just to save a human," Bryson said, and there was disbelief in his voice. "It's lunacy."

"You don't understand. My visions screamed at me that Rachel's important. I couldn't let her die; I can't let that happen again, not again," Druid said, shadowed with painful memories, that even now she couldn't explore more deeply.

His ice-blue eyes softened, and he took her in his arms for comfort. "I know, honey, I know. But please give me more notice. That almost gave me a heart attack."

She smiled sweetly back at him before snuggling within his warm embrace. "I make no promises."

Bryson stiffened, interrupting their sweet moment, his eyes became cold again. Druid followed his gaze, and there was the cyan eyed guard walking towards Rachel.

But he wasn't just walking; his form seemed to shrink. Curves developed in certain places. Hair grew longer and lighter. She, with red in her cheeks, stopped a few feet from Rachel.

Rachel gaped like a fish, recognition clearly written in her eyes.

"Li…iii…lll…iaaaa. How?" she managed to spurt out. Statson looked on in confusion.

Druid watched this while Heather dragged her younger twin brother down the hill.

'And Shadow?'

Oh, he was there. He already had the evidence he'd gathered and delivered to Headmistress Weatherly by one of his phantoms. Shadow shaped men who were able to function indirectly from Shadow. Even after all this time, Druid had a hard time figuring out how Shadow's abilities worked.

Though that wasn't what concerned her. Watching Shadow intently.

The scene of Rachel and Lilia's reunion unfold right before his eyes, his grey eyes lightened to almost white, and his fist tightened so hard that blood poured through his fingers.

'this is it.'

***

Lilia slumped down onto the ground after releasing her mimic ability. Rachel was in front of her, and she was calling out to Lilia in panic, but it seemed so far away. Lilia was a little confused to see Rachel, there of all places.

'I thought she wanted to be a teacher,' Lilia thought.

She didn't know much about Rachel after Mom took her in. After Lilia's breakdown, Rachel was like a breath of fresh air. Rachel helped her feel like a kid again, instead of a freak of nature. Lilia heard snippets and pieces about how Rachel was estranged from her family, and she was with Lilia's family to study to be a teacher, but nothing else. But still, Rachel shouldn't be here, and wearing that uniform…it was inconceivable. What happened?

Lilia wanted to shake her head in frustration, but she couldn't even lift her head. Terran came to Rachel's side. "Come with me, I need to bandage you up," Terran ordered with rare authority. Medicine and cooking were his domain, and that was where he shined. Good thing too, because the others in the group were not very good with either…especially cooking.

Rachel was hesitating. "No, Lilia looks much worse. Look at her first."

"Lilia's a Lumeye. She'll heal faster, and nothing's broken, so she'll be fine. But you…those burns need to be tended to immediately," Terran handed her his special home-made energy drink, "Here, this will help you," before dragging a protesting Rachel away.

'Yep, that would help…as soon as I can move.' Eying the drink.

Mimicking or copying another's form wasn't a picnic. Quite the contrary, Lilia rather avoid using that ability altogether, it made her feel too vulnerable. But after she ran away from the explosions, she found herself surrounded by guards. Unless Lilia wanted to fight her way out, she didn't have any chose, but It came with a load of risk.

First off, Lilia needed to be close to someone to scratch someone, to activate the ability. Then, after her transformation, all her Lumeye abilities were dulled. Except for her cyan and her telepathy, which was still on the fritz, even after she sent out her message to Bryson and Druid. If the form were female, it wouldn't be too bad, but apparently, Major Hatten didn't hire female guards. So, she was stuck mimicking a male. Male forms felt like she had worn clothes a couple sizes too small, and it was very itchy. It was not pleasant.

Lilia was on her way out, but Major Hatten tapped her, and there she was in quite a mess. Lilia didn't mean to transform right in the open…right in front of Rachel. Then her telepathic connection snapped, and the backlash forced her to change. She felt like a rag doll… A wounded, exhausted rag doll.

Lilia felt a furry something underneath her hand. She instinctively felt energy pouring into her body. *Va?* She questioned telepathically. *I thought I saw Sil, but you're here too?* Lilia was referring to the silver winged falcon.

The little cat purred, stretching underneath Lilia's hand. *Seriously? You gave us freedom. We can do whatever we want, you dimwitted girl. One of us is always nearby…all you have to do was call.*

*And the other...?*

*With the only unprotected human, we could access…Rachel,* Va said. *Boy, that girl knows how to walk on the edge of danger. That family of hers…* The cat made a tongue clinking sound.

*How did you know I was worried about her?* Lilia asked, a little embarrassed.

*We are part of you, silly girl, how can we not know?*

Lilia had enough energy to bury her face into the cat's soft fur. *Thank you.* In reply, the purring got even loud

"There's a damn cat!" Lilia heard the big man's voice, Statson. "No, Lazy Bones, you shouldn't do that, that cat's wild."

'Lazy Bones? How did he know?' Not realizing that Statson meant that she was just sitting there doing nothing.

"Don't worry about it, Lilia's good with animals," Druid said. "I have seen various kinds of animals just come up to her like it was natural." Envy was in Druid's voice. Animals had the tendency to run away from Druid."Ignore that." Bryson waved his hand in dismissal. He stood right in front of Statson, making sure that he was looking at him. "We need to decide what we are going to do with you two."

Statson, not one to back down, looked right up at the taller Bryson. "Ice Boy, I don't care if you use your Lumeye powers on me. Nothing stopping us from leaving…"

"I'd like to go with them," Rachel piped up but was ignored. She was still being treated by Terran.

"Besides, we can't be the only ones who saw you use your powers. We had a whole party of people who must have …"

"Everyone left," Heather interrupted, running up to meet them. "It's not surprising we're sitting ducks here." With the outpost gone, there was no protection from the Wasteland, and the noise of the explosion would draw wildlife to them. Not to mention that the Wasteland went hostile if there was significant damage. Even Lilia and the others wouldn't survive if the whole Wasteland were against them. "They left cars behind. Can I drive?"

Bryson sighed but consented. Heather squealed, before running back the way she came. Bryson called after her, "Load up the equipment!"

"Yes!"

Statson watched her go. "What is her role in all this?"

"Sniper." It was Druid who answered.

"Ha," Statson grunted. "It takes all kinds."

Lilia could feel her senses calling back, but what she heard, she didn't like. Lilia finally got up and gulped down her energy drink and walked towards Bryson and Statson. There was no cat in sight. "We need to leave! I hear the Wastelands moving towards us."

After hearing that, Statson relented. He may be stubborn, but it was glad to see he wasn't suicidal. It was safer with numbers. "Fine. I want to talk to your Headmistress anyways."

Everyone ran towards the cars.