Bladewarriors Book 1: Refresh

"This doesn't seem like a very good idea…"

The comment was one of the rare intelligent things Myst had heard Frost say since she had met the boy, and to a large extent, she agreed. This really didn't seem like a very good idea.

The four of the stood on the beach, near the center of the city's docks, faced out to the churning sea. The clouds above mirrored the ocean, swirling amongst themselves – dark and ominous, as if warning that their work was not yet done, and the brief lapse in rain would not last.

Myst gripped tight at the hilt of the Aqua Saber, staring out toward the center of the bay that the city was built around, squinting as she focused on the distant and tiny figure that was The Sentry. Facing a beast of his strength so close to the ocean was by no means a good idea – it was verging on insanity. But Myst surely wouldn't be able to say it was the first crazy thing she had done that week – possibly not even the craziest thing so far. Besides, compared to the alternative of sailing a ship out to fight the monster in the middle of the ocean, the nymph was pretty confident this was the more rational solution.

"We don't really have a choice in the matter." Myst answered, letting out a long breath as she tried to steady her nerves.

Time was of the essence – the deadline to turn herself in was nearly up. And when it was, The Sentry would sweep the city from the realm, along with all of its inhabitants. Given more time, a better approach could probably have been found. But time wasn't on their side.

"Sure we do!" Ivy shouted, her voice quaking as she spoke. "We could not fight the crazy powerful squid thing. We could just make sure everyone evacuates!"

"That's why we are fighting." Flare responded. "We need to distract The Sentry long enough to give The White Priest time to get everyone out of town. With some luck, we'll beat the bastard down, too."

"Or we might die in agony at the bottom of the ocean." Frost countered, still sounding less than thrilled by the whole idea.

Myst wouldn't argue that the alternative the fool suggested wasn't exactly unlikely, but once again, there really wasn't much other choice.

When they had told The White Priest they would fight, the man had been against the idea. Myst got the impression it wasn't necessarily because he didn't think they stood a chance against The Sentry – the power of four Mystic Blades was nothing to scoff at, after all. He seemed more resistant to the idea because of the risks and the potential consequences.

As part of his role as one of The Three Priests, one of the White Priest's main duties was ensuring the safety of the people – domestic tranquility as it had often been called. It was his job to establish the rules and laws to protect humans from each other, and in times of emergency, it was his duty to ensure as little human life was lost as possible. So while the idea of defeating The Sentry once and for all had definitely appealed to the man, it was also his job to consider the consequences. And the most obvious consequence would be that such an act would invoke the wrath of an already enraged Creature of the Gods. The man had no desire to bring The Serpent's wrath down on his people.

Then, when Ivy had asked why the man didn't simply evacuate the citizens of Sentinel Bay, the man had revealed that if The Sentry spotted any such movement, he would flood the town immediately. That was why the beast was stationed out in the center of the bay – not to received Myst if she decided to turn herself in, but to make sure the humans sat patiently and waited to die if she didn't.

It was then that Flare had made the suggestion that put them all on that beach, facing out at the monster, about to challenge the beast to combat. He volunteered them to fight The Sentry – distract the creature – while The White Priest led the evacuation of the town. Myst had expected the leader to refuse such a plan, but… he had agreed. She turned, briefly staring at the Flamian as his fire-like hair was tossed about by a gentle sea breeze. The man seemed to have a way with his words that people found hard to counter. Or maybe it was just the passion with which he spoke. She couldn't be sure, but either way, it had lead them to where they were standing, and what they were about to do.

"I don't think we need to worry about that." Flare grinned, trying to allay Frost's concerns of their impending defeat. "Weren't you the one saying he didn't look so tough?"

"I… well… yeah." The Arctican replied, suddenly at a loss for words. He frowned to himself, sighing as he hefted The Arctic Blade in front of him. Sometimes he wished he didn't always try and treat things as a joke.

"Are we ready, then?" Myst questioned, turning to look at each of her companions.

"Not in the slightest."

Myst frowned as Ivy responded, looking at the girl as the sword held before her shook, shivering from the girl's fear. She had to wonder how ready the girl from the Plant Realm really was for this. She had still never wielded that blade in battle – she had been resistant to the idea of holding it in her hands at all over the past few days. As the nymph watched the quaking maiden, she had to wonder whether it was the impending battle or the weapon in the girl's hands that was causing her such terror.

"Sure, why not?" Frost replied, breaking her moment of thought as he did. "We all gotta die sometime, right? Now's a good of a time as any!"

"Don't say things like that." Myst scolded the fool, sneaking a glance back at the worried expression covering Ivy's face. Though, as she turned back to the ice blade wielding jerk, she couldn't help but think she saw a bit of the girl's concern reflected in his own eyes.

"Let's do it!"

Myst turned to the fire-haired teen as he shouted, seeing a look brimming over with confidence reflected in the man's smile. His eyes were steady, his hands solid and stable. There was no fear in the Flamian as he stared out to sea. Of all of them, Myst was certain he was the only one who was really prepared for this – and she included herself in that thought.

She turned forward, gulping as she gripped tighter on her blade's handle. She tried to summon up that same passion and strength she had found when she had been confronted by The Serpent, The Sentry, and that strange other girl, but she couldn't seem to find it inside her anymore. All that appeared behind ever corner of her mind was doubt – worry that she… no, that they would fail. She had no idea what happened to that version of herself that had stood against certain death without hesitation, but with it gone, all that was left was her self. And she wasn't nearly as confident as Flare seemed to be.

"Alright then…" She stated, despite her concern. "Let's do this…"

The Bladewarrior lifted her saber, holding it out before her, parallel to the surface of the undulating sea. She took aim, shifting the blade to the side ever so slightly to ensure the point of the weapon was aimed directly at the squid-like beast resting in the center of the bay. The nymph took in a deep breath, attempting to steel herself for what was sure to follow, and then sent a message the only way she could.

Water began to flow down the length of Aqua Saber, emerging from some unseen crevice in its hilt. The liquid swirled around the sword, ignoring its normal urge to flow down and join the ocean below as it followed the gently undulating edge of the weapon. As it reached the tip of the blade, the water welled up, forming an almost perfect sphere that, despite the ever increasing amount of water it contained, never grew larger than two inches in diameter. As Myst willed it, the water stopped, the sphere completed its formation, and the orb shot off of the blade with a speed beyond what even the nymph expected.

The shot was met nearly instantly with an explosion of water out at sea, encompassing the distant figure of the Sentry. The liquid leapt outward for dozens of feet, creating a thick mist as it spread, blocking the squid creature from view. But the mist did not fall as it settled, instead bending together to form quivering letters of water:

"Come and get me, if you want me."

Myst and the others stared out into the bay, watching as the squid-headed man came back into view, his head scrolling across the message. Though the monster was hundreds of feet away, Myst still had no doubt that the next moment, when the beast's head twisted ever so slightly, that The Sentry was turning to stare directly at her.

"No turning back now, I guess." Frost stated as the water of the ocean bent upward, twisting into a strange column, The Sentry atop it. The column turned and bent, much like a snake, stretching out toward them, delivering it's passenger in a matter of seconds.

"You've decided not to forsake your fellow man?"

The Sentry hopped down from atop his transportation, addressing the Bladewarrior or Water as his feet crushed into the thick sand of the shore.

"Noble…" The beast added, "but foolish."

"I'd rather be a fool than a coward." Myst seethed, scooting back a bit as she did.

"I'd rather be coward." Frost commented, raising a hand into the air. "Does that mean I can be excused?"

The Sentry turned from his focus – the Aqua Saberess – and toward the strange teen that was standing with her. As he did, the beast noticed the white-headed boy wasn't the girl's only companion, either. Two others stood nearby, brandishing blades at him.

"You mean to fight…" The Sentry thought aloud, turning his eyes back to the girl. "Where in the realm did you manage to find others as foolish as you?"

"She didn't." A strange redheaded boy responded for her, grinning as he stared upon the awesome figure of the majestic beast before him. "We came here special – all the way from other realms – just for a chance to kick your ass."

"Big words, child. Can you live up to them?" The Sentry narrowed his beady black eyes, glaring down at the teen and the odd blade he held.

"I guess we'll see!"

Flare wasted no time, pressing off the sand and kicking up a cloud of dust as he dashed toward the Sentry. The Sentry's eyes widened a bit, surprised by the speed of the child as he approached, reaching him much quicker than the beast would have originally thought. The flame-haired boy swung down with sword as he grew close, looking to cleave the squid-faced beast in two. But the Sentry would not be so easy to defeat.

Shifting his weight quickly, Sentry stepped back, swinging his body out of the way of the vertical strike. He raised a hand, ready to counter attack when he noticed something strange. The boy's eyes were clearly following his movement – the redhead could certainly tell that his strike had missed the mark. Yet, despite that, the boy grinned confidently, continuing the downward slash toward the ground. The squid beast swung his gaze to the boy's strange, flame shaped sword, an ominous feeling washing over him as it plummeted to the sand.

The moment the edge of that fiery blade touched the earth, the beach was rocked by an explosion. Fire welled up around Flare and the Sentry, and the force of the blast kicked a large cloud of dust into the air, veiling them from view.

Myst raised an arm, protecting her eyes as sand was tossed every which way. She gasped at the sheer force the strike had held, watching as the sand and dust gathered in the air, tendrils of flame slowly dieing within the thick screen of dirt. For a moment, a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. For a moment, she believed they stood a chance. If Flare's sword could manifest that sort of power every time he swung it, a few good hits would be all they needed.

But, that thought only lasted for that moment, because a moment later Myst was made to realize how small of an effect the fiery blast had really had. The nymph gasped, barely stepping out of the way in time to avoid be struck as Flare was suddenly sent flying from within the confines of that dusty cloud. She turned, shocked, as the fiery youth flew passed her through the air, her eyes falling on the gripping pain that covered the boy's face. She twisted her head around, watching as the Flamian crashed into the white-haired member of their group, leaving both of them lying prone on the ground.

The nymph twisted her head back towards the explosion's cloud, knowing her companion's flight meant one thing: The Sentry would be quick to follow. As if the beast didn't want to disappoint her, he burst from the veil of dust the next instant, howling in his odd gurgling voice as he rushed towards her. The witch had not much time to act, and not much room between them, so she went with her instincts: she swung the blade in her hand.

The Sentry stretched a hand out as she did, slapping his slimy fingers around her wrist to instantly halt the slash. Myst's eyes widened as her blade stopped, turning to focus on the malicious stare of her opponent as his mouth twisted into what she assumed was a grin. With his free hand, the beast thrust an open palm toward her chest, but no impact came. The nymph gasped, turning to look down at the hand held less than an inch in front of her, wondering why it hadn't struck. As she turned her eyes back up, though, she got her answer.

The dust and sand in the cloud behind The Sentry gave way, suddenly pushed aside as two jets of water, fed from the ocean beyond, shot through the air, twisting on their wild path before crashing into the swordswoman. Myst coughed, the air was forced from her lungs by the insane pressure of the strike. A moment later, without realizing how or when she had been freed from the monster's grip, the girl found herself spiraling through the air before crashing to the sand.

The Sentry let out a dry laugh as he watched the blue-haired witch crash to the ground and skid through the sand, quickly turning his eyes to the last of the group still standing – the girl with braided green hair. He sneered as he looked her way, eyeing the strange double-helix blade she held. There was no doubt as he looked at it: it was another Mystic Blade.

That made three for sure now, and he'd wager the boy with the white hair wasn't lugging around cutlery in that sheathe on his back. All four of these children had somehow found themselves one of the legendary swords. Not only that, but they had also managed to join together. The squid couldn't help but wonder what force may have made such a group possible, and he couldn't help but consider the power of the collection they wielded. Despite that, though, he wasn't worried. From what he had seen so far, these children were just that: children. They didn't have the required skill yet to use those swords properly. All the more reason for him to end them all right then. Grunting, he dashed forward, eyes focused on the last warrior still on her feet.

Ivy's eyes widened, her hands shaking as the monster suddenly darted towards her. What the hell was she supposed to do now! It had knocked Flare and Frost away in one strike, and countered Myst without breaking a sweat. What the hell was she supposed to do against that sort of strength!

The tomboy gritted her teeth, fear bubbling in her belly as she tried to steel her nerves. Whether she liked it or not, she was part of this. And whether she wanted to or not, she had no choice but to fight. Holding back the urge to scream and run away, Ivy clenched her eyes shut and swung up with her blade, hoping for the best.

A gurgling holler of pain echoed across the beach, prompting Ivy to open her eyes. Had she hit it!

The tomboy blinked, staring at the mane of fiery red hair that stood in front of her. She hadn't even gotten close to hitting The Sentry, but she had at least been saved. Flare stood between her and the beast, sword raised up above his left shoulder, a few drops of strange bluish blood flying from the very tip of his sword. He had managed to get a hit in.

Flare grunted, trying not to waste time as he took a step forward, bringing the sword back down once more. The Sentry growled – or as close to a growl as he could make – and thrust a hand towards the boy. Before the blade could touch his flesh again, a burst of water surged up from the ocean, crashing into the Flame Swordsman's side and sending him flying away once more. He raised his other hand, clenching at the small, shallow gash in his chest the boy had managed to give him. Perhaps he had underestimated that one.

He flung his eyes back toward the girl with green hair, sneering. He hadn't been wrong about this one, though. She was no warrior – he could see the fear and inexperience in her eyes. He would take her out first.

The Sentry pushed off, but his feet didn't move. The beast's momentum nearly caused him to topple forward before her regained his balance, turning his eyes down to see a thick layer of ice around his feet.

"Prepare to feel my arctic bite, you… squid!"

The Sentry spun his head back, eyeing the white-haired member of the group of warriors as he screamed out, rushing toward him with a strange translucent blade. He took a small bit of solace in at least knowing he had been right about the man carrying a sword. He took a larger bit of comfort in the fact that he appeared to be an idiot, though, as he dashed forward, swinging his weapon wildly.

The Sentry spun around as best he could with his feet frozen in place, thrusting a palm toward the idiot. The water in the ocean pooled upward, creating a hill in the sea as the white-haired fool leapt toward the squid. Grinning, the squid clenched his hand into the fist and tugged it back toward him. The ocean responded in turn by reaching out with incredible speed, the mound of water forming into more of a claw as it swung around the attacker, encircling his waist. The liquid gave Frost little time to react as it suddenly pulled him back, flinging him out into the bay.

"Good riddance."

The Sentry began to turn back to the girl once more when he felt something swing around his wrist, tugging his arm and forcing him to spin around, contorting his body. If he had not once been a squid, the twisted position he was forced into would have been incredibly uncomfortable.

The beast turned his eyes to his wrist, staring at the tendril of water that held it. He tried to will the water to release him, but the liquid would not listen to him in the same way the ocean did. Gurgling a growl, the beast traced the path of the water to its source. He wasn't sure what to think as he watched the water flow straight into the hilt of the blue-haired girl's sword, having somehow replaced its blade entirely.

"What's this!" the beast exclaimed, attempting to tug his arm free. The girl held tight, pulling back to keep him in his distorted form. "How is this possible!"

Myst grinned, trying to appear confident as she struggled to hold the Sentry in place. With every tug the beast made, she slid a little in the sand, forcing her to renegotiate her balance with the ground below as she stepped back a few steps. Still, she had been lucky enough that this little trick worked – she couldn't afford to let the monster go free now.

"How are you doing this!" The beast bellowed, still struggling to get free. "What happened to your blade!"

"The Mystic Blades are magical embodiments of the elements." Myst replied, gritting her teeth as she turned her focus for a split second to Ivy. The girl was collapsed on the ground, staring up frightfully at the squid beast not five feet from her. But the tomboy was her only chance to finish this now. Ivy had to get up. She had to attack before the Sentry simply overpowered her. And until she did, Myst could only try and stall the beast.

"They may be blades, but each sword has a special form that's more characteristic of their element." Myst continued her explanation, turning her eyes back to the Sentry. "This if the Aqua Saber's; this is the water whip."

"Interesting." The sentry gurgled, tugging still on the strand of water that bound him. "I will admit… I didn't think you had advanced that far with the swords. I seem to be underestimating you all ever so slightly."

Ivy stared up from where she had fallen back on the ground, staring at the squirming tentacles that covered the beasts chin. Her eyes lowered, finding the thick sheet of ice that encased the monsters feet and a good portion of the beach, too. It was partially thanks to that ice that she was still alive – she'd have to remember to thank the pervert for his help later. The girl's green eyes then rose to the magical stream of water that was binding the Sentry's wrist. She had been as surprised as the beast to see it come from Myst's sword – or rather, replace Myst's sword. It just made her realize how much she didn't know about the blades.

Ivy began to scoot back, trying to put distance between herself and the beast as Myst held it in place. No point in staying in harm's way. She turned, about to run, when a thought struck her: at the moment, she wasn't in harm's way. She spun back, looking at the squid-faced beast as it screamed across the beach at her ally.

That's right… Myst was her ally.

Ivy clenched down tight on her sword, pushing to her feet. Myst… Frost… Flare. They were all giving it their all to defeat this monster. What was she doing? Cowering? Running? She looked at Myst, seeing the swordswoman give her a quick glance before turning her eyes back to the creature in her clutches. Ivy nodded. It was the least she could do.

The tomboy dashed forward, pulling back her blade as she prepared to thrust it into the monster's chest. If Myst could hold the beast, then she would finish it!

Unfortunately for her, Ivy waited a bit too long to act. As The Sentry struggled, he raised his eyes to the woman binding him, spotting the quick glance she made to his side. Peering through the corner of his eye, the squid realized what she was waiting for. She was waiting for the other girl to strike. He had no time to waste. For a moment he let every muscle in his body relax, letting them go languid for a split second. In that moment, he spotted the blue-haired witch stumble back just a step, and took the opening.

Mustering up every ounce of his strength, the Sentry ripped on his bound arm, pulling on the water whip that encircled it. Surprised by the sudden burst of power, and weakened by her momentary loss of balance, the motion was enough to yank the witch from where she stood. The squid spun around fully, dragging the blue-haired swordswoman through the sand in a circle around him before swinging her toward the approaching brat with the double-bladed sword. The two crashed together, entangling themselves in one another as they rolled through the sand. In the same instant, the whip around the squid's wrist released, freeing him from one of his bonds, and only leaving the one at his feet.

The Sentry's tentacles quivered rapidly as he stared at the ice, prompting the beast – danger was approaching. He lifted his head, swinging a hand upward. The water from his previous attacks soared in front of him, creating a liquid wall an instant before a wave of flames struck it. The water sizzled, letting out a bit of steam as it doused the fire. The Sentry stared beyond the shield, eyeing the fiery headed youth as he raised his sword again. The sword slashed toward him, sending out a wave of fire in the shape of its swing, cascading through the air toward him. The Sentry dropped his shield, raising a had as he quickly traced the approaching flames with his finger in the air. As he did, a stream of water shot up, following his motion to engulf the flaming slash before it crashed down to the ground about his feet.

The boy didn't let up though, gritting his teeth as he slashed again, and again, and again. Wave after wave of fire flew through the air, coming faster and faster the more time past. But the Sentry remained calm, quickly drawing an arc in the air in front of him that matched the approaching flames, summoning up the water around him to absorb the fire before crashing it back down around his feet. The boy showed no signs of slowing or stopping, though, continuing to send wave after scorching wave his way.

He was a fool, too.

With every slash the boy sent, a stream of water rose to absorb it, dousing the flames, and taking in the heat. When the water fell, it fell around the squid's feet – cascading over the ice. The Sentry only needed to hold out for a short while as the heat transferred to the frozen surface, warming it – weakening it.

The beast heard the first crack, and he made his move. He pulled free his back foot with a grunt, spinning forward as he waved both of his arms, calling out to the sea at his side. The ocean responded, following his movements as it lifted up, rushing toward the Flame Swordsman as he continued to slash wildly. The wave crashed into the teen, dousing his flames as it threw the boy inland.

"This is the most awesome thing I've ever done!"

The squid shot his eyes toward the ocean, as he heard the familiar sounds of the fool, spotting the white-haired idiot… riding his wave?

Frost perched atop a sheet of ice, riding on the force The Sentry himself had created by pulling in the water of the ocean. He grinned, lifting his sword up as he rushed full speed toward the beast, his board of ice gliding atop the water's surface. He bent slightly to the side, steering the piece of ice in the direction he wanted to go as it crashed onto the film of frozen water he had created earlier, carrying him forward. He watched as The Sentry stared at him – frightened by his incredible-ness – and as the beast raised a hand, gently flicking it upwards.

The squid shook his head as a geyser burst up beneath the fool, sending him careening a good twelve feet into the air, flipping head over heels. He turned away, not bothering to watch as the boy crashed head first into the sand, burying him far into the beach's depths.

As he turned, a blast of water struck the beast square in the chest, causing him to slide backward along the icy surface he stood upon. He grunted in pain as the salty liquid invaded the fresh gash there, turning his eyes to look at the blue-haired witch as she dashed towards him. He groaned, growing tired of playing with these children. He thrust a palm forward, summoning another jet of water from the ocean toward the nymph.

Myst eyed the approaching pulse of water carefully, freeing one hand from her sword as it approached, and as she closed the distance between her and The Sentry. She swung out, crashing the base of her palm against the edge of the horizontal geyser, willing it with all her might to move. And move it did. Responding to her thoughts, and the pressure of her hand, the blast of liquid bent away, cascading harmlessly to the side of the girl as she finished closing the small gap between her at the squid-faced monster. She tightened her grip on her sword, seeing the look of surprise in the beast's eyes as she reached him, and swung hard toward the beast.

Something glimmered at the edge of Myst's periphery as she attacked – something she couldn't identify, and something she didn't have the time to concern herself with. But it was something that was going to force her to pay attention to it. For this strange object was quickly thrust upward, piercing the nymph just below the ribcage where it pushed straight through her torso, stabbing all the way out the flesh on her back.

The nymph coughed as the power of her swing was lost. She felt the grip on her sword wane before the saber clattered to the ice below. She screamed – she hurt. Something… something was in her chest.

"Myst! No!"

She heard Ivy's panicked scream as she coughed again, feeling something splatter against her lips as she stared into the eerie grinning face of The Sentry. The nymph struggled, raising a hand up to wipe the substance from her mouth. It was warm. She held her hand up in front of her. It was red.

"No way…"

She heard the shocked, disturbed voice of Frost as she stared at the substance. He seemed panicked too. The nymph gulped, knowing full well she did not want to look down, but also knowing she had to. She almost laughed – she wasn't sure why – as her eyes gazed down at her chest. Her clothes were soaked with blood, and in the middle of the stain… there was a long piece of coral. It was bright red, but she wasn't sure if that was its normal color, or if was simply drenched in her life fluid. Either way, it stood out greatly on that dark, dreary day.

The Sentry swung the sword of coral in his hand downward, flinging the girl impaled upon it to the ground with a loud thud. She bounced once off the hard icy ground before sliding away from him, leaving a crimson trail in her wake. He raised the sharpened piece of coral, eyeing his specially crafted sword. The innards of the blade were filled with water, allowing him to control its movement. He grinned, turning to look at the dying girl on the ground. Oddly enough, it had been her who had given him the idea when she had summoned her blade back in Dalga when they first met. What an amazing ability that was.

Once again, though, the Sentry's tentacles began to quiver, alerting him of some sort of approaching danger. As he began to wonder what it could be – which would-be warrior wanted to die next – the whole beach suddenly quaked as the sound of a massive explosion filled the squid's ears. The beast stumbled a moment, trying to regain his balance as he spun toward the source of the blast. A wave of steam washed over him as a heat pulse flew across the beach. He hissed as the super-heated vapor burned his flesh while passing.

The Sentry blinked, staring forward, eyeing the fiery redheaded boy. Around the teenager had been born an inferno. Flames lashed out at the beach and the sea as a whirlwind of heat rose into the air. The boy howled, his hair whipping about wildly – almost as if it really were made of flames. For a moment, The Sentry felt afraid – he stared at the boy and felt the power overflowing from the child's sword, and for a moment, he was worried.

"You son of a bitch!"

The boy's scream seemed to make the whole world shake as he burst forward, vanishing from where he stood with a puff of kicked up sand before reappearing directly before The Sentry with his blade raised. The beast gasped, raising his own Coral Sword to defend. As the weapons clashed, the boy's flame-shaped edge exploded, pushing The Sentry back as flames and heat brushed his face. The child left him no time to recover though, rushing forward with another powerful swing. This time the Sentry dodged, leaping back as the boy attacked. He wasn't sure how, but this fiery child had suddenly become much faster and much stronger. The Sentry's only saving grace was that the warrior seemed to be blinded by rage, swinging his blade wildly. Had the boy possessed the same calm mind of moments ago, The Sentry wondered how well he would fare.

Dodging another strike, the squid swung an arm toward the infuriated warrior, the ocean responding accordingly. However, his wave never reached the enraged swordsman. It instead froze in mid air before crashing to the ground. The Sentry's vision twitched to the side, spying the white-haired fool as the boy rushed up to join his companion. They had finally decided to work together.

Ivy rushed forward, turning to glance at Frost and Flare as the two began to push the squid-like monster back. Flare attacked wildly, leaving little opportunity for the beast to counter. And when the creature did try and attack, Frost would swing his sword, freezing the jets of water the creature would create. They were definitely holding there own, but despite the turn in battle, Ivy wasn't sure how long they could maintain it.

But that also wasn't her main concern.

Ivy fell down, sliding on her knees across the ice before coming to a stop near Myst. The blue-haired girl laid face down on the ice, the only sign she was still alive being the sound of her coughing up blood. Ivy tried to calm herself, telling herself she had to do something as she quickly but gently flipped Myst over.

"Myst! Hold on, Myst!" Ivy called out to her as the girl looked up, dazed. "I'm… I'm going to…"

Ivy paused. What was she going to do? What could she do! She wanted to cry in frustration – anger at herself. Why was she so useless!

"Ivy…"

Ivy shook her head, pushing back the self-degrading thoughts as Myst called out to her.

"Sword…"

Ivy stared at the girl, unsure what she meant.

"Sword…" Myst repeated, slapping the ice weakly with one of her hands. Ivy gasped, glancing about before she spotted the girl's Aqua Saber.

"R-right!" Ivy responded, not sure what good the blade was at the moment. "I'll get it!"

"Ivy…" Myst called out weakly as Ivy pushed away, scrambling across the ice for the wavy blade of the long sword. She slapped her hand down on its handle, turning to drag it back with her.

"O-okay! I got it!" Ivy stated, carefully lifting the dying girl's hand and placing the sword in her grasp.

"No, Ivy…" Myst pushed the sword away feebly, barely causing it to slide an inch as she shook her head. Her face was growing deathly pale as she continued to loose blood. "Sword…"

"I don't understand." Ivy replied, trying hard not to cry as she shook her head. "I got your sword! Isn't that what you wanted!"

"No." Myst gulped, weakly lifting her gaze to look the tomboy in the eye. "Ivy… Sword."

Ivy gasped, suddenly understanding. She lifted her own blade up, showing it to Myst as she nodded.

"This is what you mean, right?" Ivy asked, hoping she understood this time. "You mean my sword!"

Myst slowly nodded, trying to lift an arm up to touch it before the limb collapsed to the ice.

"J-just tell me what to do!" Ivy shouted as the girl's eyes began to close. She reached out, slapping the witch on the face, trying to keep her awake. "Don't go, Myst! Don't go to sleep! You need to help me! You need to tell me what to do!"

"Ivy…" The girl's eyes slowly drifted closed again as she said the tomboy's name. "Help… me…"

The green haired girl felt a tear roll down her face as she saw the girl struggling to stay awake, pleading for her help. But Ivy didn't know what to do. What was so important about her sword! What was she supposed to do with it! How was she supposed to help!

"I don't understand!" Ivy screamed, tears beginning to flow as she watched this girl she had just met slowly die in front of her. "I don't understand what you mean! Please, Myst! Please! Just tell me what to do!"

Heal

Ivy raised her head, spinning it from side to side as a strange voice called out to her. No one was around. The closest souls to her were Frost and Flare, and they were a good twenty feet away at that point, still battling against The Sentry. But... she had heard someone.

Heal

She gasped, hearing the voice again, but still finding no one around her. Ivy turned her eyes down, staring at Myst as the girl began to slip into unconsciousness. It hadn't been her, either.

Heal

Ivy lowered her eyes further, staring at the double-helix blade gripped in her hands as it pulsed, letting off a faint green glow. Was it… the sword?

Ivy gulped, staring at the blade, uncertain if she had gone mad from the stress of the moment, or if the voice was real. But, either way, she decided to trust it. She lifted the weapon up as it continued to pulse, moving the tip of the sword close to Myst's wound. As it came close to pressing against the hole in the girl's torso, the blades of the sword quivered.

A noticeable wave ran along both blades, bending the metal like it was a vine. As the waves crashed together at the tip, the sword split, its blades squirming wildly a moment before they plunged down, poking into Myst's body.

Ivy gasped, nearly ready to pull the sword back when a green glow began to flow down from the hilt, running through the blades, and then cascading over the blue-haired girl's body. The tomboy raised her eyes, looking up at Myst's face as the twisted expression of pain began to fade. The green haired girl spun her eyes back down to the wound, watching in awe as the flesh quickly began to rebuild itself, sealing up the hole. After a few moments, the glow stopped, and with a deep gasp, Myst sprung up.

Breathing heavily, the blue-haired witch turned to face Ivy, smiling.

"You figured it out."

Ivy stared dumbfounded at the girl a moment before turning the confused stare down to her blade. The double-helix sword had reformed, reverting to its original shape, leaving no sign of what it had just done. The girl raised her eyes back up, staring at Myst.

"My sword… can heal?"

Myst nodded.

"How did you know?"

"There are some elements that are common in healing magic." Myst answered as she picked herself up from the ground. "The Plant Element is – more closely than any other element – tied to Life itself. I figured it had to have some sort of healing powers."

"So you didn't know!" Ivy asked, put off by the revelation. "You put all that stress on me and you weren't even sure!"

Myst laughed, shrugging. "Sorry… but I was right, wasn't I?"

Ivy didn't answer, lowering her head instead to look at her Mystic Blade once more. Suddenly, she felt like she had a purpose in the group. Maybe she wasn't a warrior yet, but she could at least help them with this new power.

"Come on." Myst stated, reaching down to drag Ivy to her feet. "This isn't over yet."