The Tribrid

Waking up

   
    Emily's POV
    "Emily" I hear someone whispering my name. I don't recognize the voice. I hear the sounds of water. I open my eyes and I'm laying on a beach. It's night time and the waves are crashing on the shore. The moon light is reflecting on the water. I sit up and look around me. There is no one else here.
    "Hello?" I say. The moon grows bigger and brighter in the starry sky.
    "Emily, my child." The moon says. "You have done wonderfully. I am so proud of you."
    "Mewa?" I ask.
    "You only have one last step to fulfill the prophecy..."
    "Make our people whole." A voice says behind me. I turn around and see and old woman with hair that falls all the way to the ground and trails behind her as she walks towards me.
    "Gaia?" I ask. They both laugh.
    "Stop the fighting. Make everyone equal. Bring them together, create a new world. An equal world." Mewa says.
    Gaia walks over to me and places her hand on my cheek. She looks at me with kind eyes and a sweet smile. I smile back and close my eyes at her comforting touch.
    I wake up to quiet and calm. I can tell I'm not at the beach anymore. I feel heavier and sort of grounded now. I flutter my eyes open to a blinding light shining down from the ceiling. I look around the room and I see Liam, my mom, Cyran, Marcus, and Sia all talking to each other. They haven't noticed I'm awake yet. I'm glad to see they have all made it out more or less unharmed. Tony walks into the room and looks at me.
    "Emily! When did you wake up?" Everyone's eyes turn to me.
    "Em!" Liam comes over and takes my hand.
    "How are you feeling?" My mom comes to my other side. Everyone is fussing over me and looking me over.
    "I feel a bit stiff, but other than that, I feel okay I guess." I answer my mother.
    "Thank Goddess." Liam says. He bends down and gives me a kiss.
    "What happened?" I ask everyone.
    "Well, a lot happened. But the main thing is that the war is over, and we are safe now." My mom says. I try to sit up more, but my body feels so stiff and something in my chest itches. I go to scratch it but my mom stops my hand.
    "There is something else.. I don't want to worry you, but something appeared on your chest when the fire happened."
    "Fire. What fire?" They look at each other worried.
    "What was the last thing you remember?" Liam asks me.
    "I remember getting the blood from Cornelius, and making it back out, but then nothing.."
    I will tell them about my dream later.
    "Wait, I do remember a really sharp pain on my head after I walked out of the door.." I say.
    "We don't really know what happened next, but Mike mindlinked me saying that you were in trouble and that Luther was drinking your blood."
    "Wait..Mike?" I figured he would be there, but I am surprised he would reach out to Liam of all people.
    "Yeah, but before we could get to you a huge fire broke out, it burned down the woods next to the headquarters and took out most of the Seeker's army. Then all of a sudden the fire just got sucked back up. When we came to look for you, you were just laying on the ground. We thought you were badly burned, but it all just washed off, except for the mark on your chest. We found Mike a little ways away from you. He was burned but it wasn't nearly as bad as it should've been." Liam says.
    "And there were some remnants of a girl right next to where we found Mike." Marcus says. "She didn't make it.."
    I look down and see a glowing circle on my chest. I touch it, it's warm but not hot. What is this?
    "Who was the girl?" I ask.
    "No idea."
    "And Mike?"
    "He's still unconscious." Liam says.
    "I want to go see him." I think I surprised them.
    "Honey, you've been out for several days. You need to take it easy." I sit up all the way and swing my legs over the edge. We have come so far, I want the truth.
    "Em he's still asleep, he was hurt pretty badly. What are you planning on doing?" Liam says.
    "I'm not sure, but I'm going to try. Now either help me or move back." I say. Liam helps me out of the bed. My legs feel a little bit like jello. I wait a moment for my body to adjust and then I start making small steps towards the door. Everyone follows me down the hall and in to Mike's room. I'm surprised to see a girl and a guy sitting in the room with him. I stop at the door and they stand up.
    "Oh I'm sorry. I don't mean to bother you."
    "Oh no! It's not problem, we're glad to see you're awake." The guy says.
    "Emily, this is Rain and Rue. They are Luna Maria's kids." Liam introduces them.
    "Are you guys friends of Mike?" I ask.
    "You could say that.. He's going to be my beta." Rain says.
    "Yeah and he's my mate." Rue says. That surprises me.
    "Oh well now I really feel like I'm prying." I say laughingly.
    "Oh no please! You're more than welcome. Have a seat." Rain says gesturing to an open chair. Liam helps me sit down.
    "Well I was actually wondering if I could have a moment alone with Mike?" I look around the room at everyone's face, and they all have mixed emotions. But no one says anything.
    "I know he's not awake yet, but  please. I really want to know what happened. I just need a few moments." I clarify.
    "Is that ok Rue?" Rain asks looking at her. Rue looks at me for a moment, She's studying my face.
    "Yeah sure, we'll be right outside the door." She says.
    "Same Em' if you need us." Liam says. Everyone leaves the room and closes the door. I look at Mike, one of his arms is wrapped up in a bandage and one of his legs is in a cast. Why were you there Mike? I need to know what happened. I take his hand and close my eyes. I try to tap into Mike's mind. I see a blurry scene. I need to concentrate. I focus my mind an the image becomes clear.
     Im in a field. Wait I know this field. I turn around and start walking, I know where he is. I walk to the lake and there he is sitting down staring at the water.
    "Mike?" He turns and looks at me.
    "Emily?! Are you dead too?" He asks.
    "Mike you aren't dead, you're just unconscious." I walk next to him and sit down. This is the exact spot we kissed the night before our eighteenth birthday. I look out and over the water. It glistens in the sunlight.
    "I thought we all died. Are you real? Or are you my subconscious?" He asks.
    "Oh I'm real. I just woke up today actually, apparently we've been out for a couple of days."
    Mike smiles at me. Then he looks back out over the water.
    "Do you remember this place? It seems like a lifetime ago we were here." Mike says.
    "Yeah, I remember." We are silent for a moment.
    "Do you remember what happened? At the battle. Liam said he heard you mindlink him that I was in trouble. And there was something about Luther?" I ask.
    "Yes. I saw everything." He says and then he pauses...
    "Would you tell me?" I say. Mike takes in a deep breath.
    "I saw you run behind the building. After I got Rue safe, I followed you. I saw this girl Bethany, she works with Luther, waiting for you. You came out of the building and she hit you on the head from behind. Bethany killed my parents. She picked you up and was taking you to Luther. So I shifted and rammed her body as hard as I could into a tree. You fell to the ground, and she died. But somehow she must have called her father, Luther, because he came. He used magic and knocked me back. I went flying and got slammed up against a tree. I shifted back and couldn't move. I called Liam for help. And then I saw Luther drink your blood. He started glowing and laughing like crazy, Then he was floating and then he just like exploded into flames. I don't remember much more after that. I woke up here. I thought I had died."
    "You aren't dead Mike. And there is a girl out there worried about you. Rue?" Mike smiles, like he used to, but his face is older now. There are so few of us left now. We need to let bygones be bygones.
    "Mike, I want to let you know, that I forgive you." I tell him. He looks at me confused. Then I see tears well up in his eyes.
    "I feel like it's all my fault. I broke the world. I caused all of this to happen."
    "Sometimes I feel the same. If I was never born, the world would be the same as it was before. Everyone would still be alive. But to quote my mom 'You are not responsible for anything those people have done. They have done this, and without a care of anyone else but themselves. Do not take on the burden of someone else's decisions.' Before our worlds were destroyed, we were best friends. Those people are dead now. Let's try to be friends again." I hold out my hand and Mike takes it. We are thrusted away from the lake and into the hospital room. I open my eyes and see Mike looking back at me.