The Adventures Of Mint & Coco

25: A Twist in Our Story (Mint)

Shadow and Niko stand in shock at their sister's return. "Elsa!" Shadow stammers, stepping forward. She looks at him blankly. "What is it you want with us?" Niko asks, finally seeing she wasn't interested in them at all. And she wasn't the same as when she left. She has wings, one red eye, and she's evil. "I'd answer that question, but it seems as though it's not the time for that." She swooshes her wings downward, and hovers five feet in the sky. I have all attention on her, but still my eyes shift over to the bird mutant side. Coco stands in awe. I guess she wasn't expecting this... or was she? Jared seemed as if he knew her personally. And I begin to wonder if she's had nightmares too. My eyes shift back to Elsa, who is grinning in satisfaction. Shadow has his eyes scrunched in concentration. "Elsa... what happened to you?" he asks the question for everyone, who is staring at her as if she's a god. "Ha, do you really want to know?" she leers. Shadow and Niko both nod. "I bet you do..." she chuckles. She drops to the ground, vanishing. Everybody looks around, silent as the night sky. She then appears, next to Shadow, who jerks his head to her. "It all started back in the pack..." she starts, menacingly, "Even though I was young, and I never said anything, I was majorly in love with ...a bird mutant." Some look at her, wondering why that was wrong. Then my heart starts pounding deep inside, and my eyes glide among everyone, until I spot Raven. Raven! I need to talk to him... I try to walk over to him, but people block me from passing. I growl, and shove through them. My armor clinks as I shift my legs, but I keep walking. He stands in the back of the birds, by himself. Head down, I linger through them until I finally reach him. "Raven." I say. I reach up to hug him, and unexpectedly, he hugs back, tighter than ever before. "I knew you'd come back to me." I hear him whisper in my ear. "I'd never leave you for good." I say. My eyes are full of tears, and I shut them tightly, letting them fall. He leans back, and rubs his thumb-tip on my cheek. He pulls me in again, and I shut my eyes, preparing to lock lips. Just as his lips meet mine, there's a shout from above. Both Raven and I jerk our heads away from each other's, turning back to Elsa. "You might want to listen to my next sentences," she hisses to us, "only some know, but there are different types of mutants. As in: different types of cat mutants, and different types of bird mutants. Let us say you were in love with a bird mutant as well. And you're a cat mutant. If his type was feather mutant, and yours was silent mutant, or something else... you couldn't be together. And if you kissed, you could permanently become a shadow person... and..." she slightly tears up, "If you do, they will pull you away, and force you to turn against your family and friends. They'll curse them, even by murdering them." Raven and I gaze at each other, hazed. "I... am I a different type than him?" I stammer, shuddering. Elsa gains back her powerful look, "That's correct. Now if you don't want to become a shadow, I'd say bye-bye." She grins, passing the look to Jared. Raven's eyes shine, "Mint... if I have to become a shadow to kiss you, I would." He smiles slightly. I'm speechless, He'd become a shadow just to be with me? I open my mouth to agree, when I remember what I would lose. They might kill Coco... or Shadow. Raven pulls me in by my waist, and I stop him. "I'm sorry Raven, but I can't be with you." I choke out the words as if there are cacti needles in my throat. Raven lowers his arms. "What?" I let tears stream from my eyes. I yank my head around, finding it hard to speak. "I love you Raven, but if I become a shadow person, they may kill Coco." I look over at her, sympathy clogged in my throat. I see her smile, and I smile back. I missed you. Raven looks confused, "Mint, I'd rather be turned away from everyone I love, than lose you!" he cries. I love Raven, but I can't lose Coco. Who do I love more? I think back to when we first got here. Coco and I were inseparable. I won't let a guy get between us. Not again. "I'm sorry Raven. I just can't." I state, swallowing my fear. He shakes his head slowly, and then glares at Shadow, who had been standing near me earlier. "You can't do this because you've fallen for someone else. Whoever it is... you love him, and you don't love me." I try to protest, but it's too late. His eyelids lower to a squint. He spreads his wings. "Fine with me, but I've waited moons to see you." He beats them, and flies upwards. He passes Shadow one last look, a look of hatred. He swooshes away, leaving me bewildered. Everyone stares at me. I notice Luke, biting his lip. I sigh, looking over my shoulder. That's the second time I've ran a boy out of my life. I crush everyone! And after all this time, I dreamed about me and him living happily ever after. I guess it doesn't work like that. I see Coco standing behind me. Kicking up dirt, she runs to me. We hug, and I feel relieved to be her friend again. Niko steps up beside her, and glares at me. I forget that we are still enemies. I can't fight Coco! Whose side should I be on? I hear someone snorting above. Elsa, Jared, and the other shadow people are watching us. Elsa swoops down and slides her claws across my arm. "Ouch!" I gasp. I cuff it with my hand. Elsa snarls, "How about you shut up for a while and let me finish my story." I hiss, watching blood trail from my arm. "I ended up kissing the bird mutant. After I did, I felt sick. I took a nap, and when I woke up, the shadow people had come for me. Jared said that I was near to death, and he saved me. After that I pretty much obeyed his every command. He told me to tell him where the cat mutants lived, and I did." Elsa explains. Wait... does that mean...? Elsa clears her throat to continue, "We came, attacked the Limber Lions' Pack, and murdered everyone... I felt guilty at first, that's why I kept saying sorry. But then I found out that you both survived, and I felt a little less affected." Niko and Shadow share a quick glance, than look back at her. "Now you are here to fight for something that neither of you did. And we have you right where we want you..." she licks her fangs. I see Shadow, standing in confusion. So it was the shadow people who attacked the cat mutants! That means we don't have to fight each other! But we might have to fight someone. I notice Stella irritated at Shadow for leading them into an unnecessary battle. She stares at him, and holds up a claw. He looks down, ashamed. Jared pushes Elsa aside. "Yes, we have you exactly where we want you. You've fallen into our trap!" he sneers. I finally see. He's the lifeless face that was in my dream. Telling me to combine and destroy, that darkness was coming. He is the darkness; the black fog in the sky. The one Coco's pendant and mine destroyed.
I growl, stepping up to him. "Why are you here?!" His eyes are slit, and he disappears. He reappears by my side. "Because, we want power... and once you all are gone, we will rule this dimension!" I look down at my arm, it is oozing blood. I feel my pendant pulsing, and touch it. The cut on my arm vanishes, and no pain is left. I gasp. What does this mean?! Jared smirks, "You see... your pendant holds more power than you imagine." I follow his gaze, looking at Coco's pendant, which is throbbing too. "Only your pendants hold power enough to destroy the toughest force." Jared says. I shuffle my feet, "Why are you telling us this?" I ask. He squints his piercing red eyes. "Because I know you won't figure out how to control it." He vanishes and again appears next to Elsa. I feel Shadow's presence and turn to him. In his eyes is shame. He flattens his ears, frowning. "It's not your fault Shadow. You didn't know." I say the simple words, but he doesn't reply. Jared throws a ball of fire, and people jump aside. It hits the ground, and sets fire to the grass. I hear Jared over the sound of snapping flames. "Meet back here tomorrow morning. That's when the real battle begins." Mixed cat mutants and bird mutants are scattered across the field. The shadow people all disappear at once. And as they do, so does the fire.
Everyone sits in awe, and no one makes a noise. Stella walks out into the center of everybody. They are circled around her. The bird tribe's leader does so as well. They stand in front of each other, talking too quiet for anyone to hear. After about three minutes they turn to us. "We are going to unite!" Stella announces. "Since neither of us have a reason to hate the other, we must." says the bird tribe's leader. "With Luna and me as your leaders, we will defeat this darkness together!" Stella declares. I see her glance at me, saying otherwise. She's looking at me like I'm the dragon slayer. "You all will stay with us at our plaza." Luna instructs, "Tomorrow we fight the darkness." Coco is standing beside me, and I have so many questions for her, I find it right to only ask one. "You ready?"