• Tested Bonds

    John told us to meet him there. Alone. Jessica follows behind me cautiously. She was still afraid of me, my power.
    We make our way to the designated place. It was located in the middle of a grassy plain. Great. I just knew he had to pick a flammable area. Note to self; refrain from using my power unless necessary.
    John stands with his back facing us. I motion for Jessica to find a safe place to hide and I move closer to him.
    Sensing me, he turns slowly and a familiar smile flashes from his face. “Never thought you would come. You are clueless as always Aiden” He sounds like he did before all this happened. He looks like the friend I had lost. His expression then changes to an unfamiliar one.
    I hear rustling behind me and I turn to see Jessica inching closer. “Stop this John. Why did you call us out here? Are you still angry about what our parents did? Why take it out on us? Your friends?”
    A cold laugh erupts from him. “Friends? How can I consider him a friend?” He thrusts his hand out towards me. “Our parents used us to keep him in the dark. Basically to tame him. A worthless beast”
    My hands clench in anger. I have to keep calm. This is my friend. “John, I’ve known you and Jessica for all my life. You are the only friends I have” For a second his expression changes to sadness, but reverts back to it’s indifferent state.
    “I believe what you say is true, but I can’t accept it. I still see you as a monster and something like you should not exist.” The air around him solidifies into a great dark black aura. The darkness twists around his fingers in a fluid-like motion. “I will break you Aiden” The sky grows dark with stormy clouds.
    Approaching him slowly and warily, I call out to Jessica. “Stand back. I’m going to talk some sense into him.” The ground beneath me trembles. “John, I don’t want to fight you. Come back to us.”
    Smiling he casts a sinister look in my direction. “Then this will not be a problem. I see no friend of mine here.” The darkness darts towards me and grasps my arm, an icy cold feeling burns my skin as I free myself.
    I knew I had to use my power. John’s anger and hatred has taken over him, the darkness is his only power now. I will set him free from it.
    The ground underneath my splits open, as I launch myself towards John. A ball of fire flares up inside the palm of my hand and I thrust it at the dark aura. The darkness solidifies and forms a protective barrier around John and the fire disperses on contact. The darkness then curls itself around my arm again and I cry out in pain. My friend only smirks at this. “You’re holding back. Hit me Aiden. Hit me with all you’ve got!!!” The darkness engulfs his fist and he punches my chest. Something breaks under his fist and I gasp, falling to the ground. He gives a cold laugh. “You’re nothing compared to me now.”
    I see a figure dart towards him and a large object collides onto his back. He stumbles forward in shock. I catch a glimpse of Jessica standing behind him clutching a broken branch. “I’m sorry John, I can’t stand seeing my friends fight.”
    He gives a small chuckle. “I have no friends. How many times must I repeat myself?” He twists around and grabs Jessica by the throat. She gives a cry of surprise and pain and starts hitting his arm. He lifts her off the ground and the darkness flows from him like a black cloak on a windy day. It moves close to her mouth and covers it like a gag. “It will be best if you die now.” Her struggles become short and quick till she just slumps unconscious in his hands.
    The wind picks up and the grass becomes waves of green. I slowly stand up and look at my friend. He turns, his face full of glee. A blast of air slams into John, loosening his grip on Jessica. He stumbles back as another one knocks him down. Jessica falls to the ground gasping for air and I inch closer to my lost friend. He is pummeled by more blasts of air and he finally looks up at me. The ground beneath him rises and cracks. A barrier of fire erupts from me and the flames lick him ever so often.
    The darkness surrounds his fist again and he swings at me. I grab his hand and absorb the force behind it. I counter it with my own force as I bring my fist into the ground. Rock chunks burst from it and I look at my friend. “Surrender now, I will not lose you again”
    Shaking his head, he turns away. “Why do you fight? Why would you risk your life for me, even when I hurt you both?”The darkness starts to fade around him.
    I smile and hold out my hand to him. “Because you’re my friend, no matter what.”
    John looks to the outstretched hand and he gives a bright grin. “Alright Aiden.” He grabs my hand and pulls himself up. “Thanks for giving me this chance.” With a quick motion of his hand he stabs me.
    Pain erupts through me, as I look down to see his hand embed in my stomach. Blood leaks out onto his arms and all I see is pitilessness in his eyes. Far off, I hear Jessica’s scream. I open my mouth to speak, but it only comes out broken in between breaths. “T-this...w-won’t stop...me.” My body shudders. “I will find and save you.”
    John smirks. “I’d like to see you try.” He pulls his hand from my stomach and the darkness engulfs him. He disappears into it.
    Jessica runs over to me. I turn to her and smile. “Shouldn’t have started a fight.” I fall backwards and land with my back to the ground. The wound hurts more than when Jessica had stabbed me a while back. Jessica takes off her jacket and presses it to my wound. All I could say was, “Sorry.”
    She smiles. “Don’t worry about it. He is just a little lost and hurt. He will come back.” Her gray eyes shimmer as tears fall from them.
    I sit up and wrap my arms around her. “I hope so.: The clouds begin to clear and a single ray of orange light pierces through the darkness. It was sunset. Kind of ridiculous, but it was beautiful. It lights up the destruction we had caused, all the chaos for one friend. I will do it all again, to protect these chains that bond us.