Borderline

Nightmare’s Dreamer




Covers flew off the bed as bare feet slammed on to cold hard wood floors, she was moving before her eyes were even open, no time to grab a rope as her powers lashed out slamming the door almost off it’s hinges as she raced out the room down the hall and practically flew down the stairway. She rushed past her father who was drinking a cup of coffee leaning on the kitchen counter talking to Kade who was sitting at the table, an odd glint in her eyes. Gabrielle didn’t stop; another lash of power had the kitchen door sprung open before she even got to it, Kade jumped up saying goodbye to Gabrielle’s father as she put on her shoes but paused at the door eyeing the butcher knife in its wooden slab. Kade felt the lick of dark power brush over her, a disgusted shiver ran through her body by how it made her feel, she grabbed the knife as the approving red eyes of Gabrielle’s father never left her young innocent figure. When she got outside Gabrielle was crouched on the outer fence on the property facing the dark forest as the night’s cold air gave her a wild look as it tossed the waist length sunflower locks to the side, she wasn’t dressed to fight only wearing a tight pair of yellow lacy boy shorts and a yellow lacy tank top that hardly kept her gifted sized chest covered or her belly. Kade jogged closer to Gabrielle not sure what was happening or why the older girl was out here at 5 in the morning but her own powers were flicking against numerous auras yet could decipher who was a threat; Gabrielle…or the others.

On the edge of the forest was six figures, one was on their knees being held in a submission move by the biggest one as blood stained the once lush green grass, Gabrielle recognized two of them, they being the demon twins from the week before. The mother wasn’t with them this time it seemed but it didn’t make the situation any less dangerous, any of those males could be their father, taking a glance at the gapping Kade; Gabrielle couldn’t help but darkly chuckle. Now she was the mother protecting her child, and protect this special child she would! “What is it you require that forces you to disturb my lands?” Gabrielle commanded as she stood tall on the fence ignoring the bite of the wind that came with doing so. Kade said nothing laying a hand around her teacher’s ankle protectively, the tingle of a spell wove around the two and Gabrielle couldn’t help but smile proudly at what the little witch had learned and perfected already a wind blocking and skin barrier placement spell. Gabrielle’s own powers flickered in a natural reaction to another’s power wrapping itself around them but settled without a fight recognizing the person as friend, yet they were prepared like a crouching tiger to lash out at the intruders who were just standing there holding the bleeding one down. “State your reasons demons or I’ll be forced to react aggressively.” The reaction was swift, one moment they were all standing there next every one of them but the one holding the bleeding one down came dashing at them with speeds not capable of humans.


“Bad choice, stupid fools.” Her voice was feral sounding as her head dipped down, the golden lightening flared to life within her pumpkin gaze, unleashing the leash that held the full force of the Hourglass power back it fell into place throughout her body like a tight but well worn glove. Kade looked up at Gabrielle unsure what was fully going on but it was bringing the awareness of her own powers to a boil, unsure of what would happen if said powers boiled over she took her hand off of her teacher with a whimper backing up. *Embrace it, or it’ll crush you.* The whisper sound echoed within Kade’s head making the blue fire dance within her green eyes, nodding she got up on the fence next to Gabrielle grabbing her hand the boiling felt like it was spreading along her skin while the contact with Gabrielle felt like static licking her palm and fingers. She took no notice when Gabrielle wasn’t saying words but raw power ripped after the demons blasting them back without dealing killing blows, it was getting to be too much for Kade her breathing was becoming more constricted and there was a roaring in her ears, what was it saying? Closing her eyes the words came clearly now in screams, *EMBRACE IT!* With a choking gasp the boiling dulled as her chest felt like it was literally on fire, embracing the feel of it made it hurt less as the fire swam to her belly before spreading through the rest of her limbs. This power…it was incredible! Was this what Gabrielle felt like accessing her powers? Was this what the Hourglass promised to anyone who tapped into them? Opening her eyes she saw the world with a whole new look, the demon’s movements weren’t as fast anymore and the enchantment spells made sense and came with ease to the front of her mind, she felt almost; giddy.

Gabrielle didn’t have the luxury in focusing in what Kade was doing beside her, the demons were fast but the older two weren’t fast enough to escape the lashing of her power crashing into them again and again. The twin boys however, were much quicker but weren’t full out attacking like the others, they were shielding one another while slowly making their way closer to the fence itself. “CUT!” Gabrielle yanked Kade off the fence ruining her absent mindedly feeling out her power and the people around her. Kade was about to yell at the older girl when something crashed into the fence tearing it to pieces, Kade sputtered and fell on her romp wide eyed. “I didn’t…how the...uh?” Looking up to Gabrielle who was already retaliating back to the males and ignoring the stuttering girl, Kade shakily got back to her feet frowning deeply at not having done anything to help. “CUT!” Screamed out from the same man who threw the first one, Kade jump forward throwing out her hand that was holding onto Gabrielle, “SEVER!” Gabrielle blinked wide eyed looking down at the girl and gasped, Kade some how appeased the Hourglass watchers and gained her grains for the once empty gold hourglass was now the holder of blue crushed griffon bones, she wasn’t even fully trained yet. “AHHHHH!” The scream was filled with rage as Gabrielle and Kade jerked to look at the biggest male far back, orange energy was circling his body and concentrating into his hand forming a ball of power, with one more roar he unleashed the ball sending it speeding faster then even the demons could move toward the holy humans. It ripped the ground to shreds as it spun at them; Gabrielle was in action before Kade could even blink.


Hurling herself over the fence the Hourglass Priestess took off in a full sprint at the ball, she only managed to get a few meters before it was about to collide with her. Lightening crackled in the air as the ball came up out of the earth and circled around the priestess who had her wrists together above her head and the ball came to a stop hovering a foot above her hands Gabrielle’s entire body was glowing a golden tint which soon over took the demon’s powers and made it her own. Growling lowly she brought her hands down facing the ever so close two other males and released the ball, they had no time to react as the same speed used with first let go was still in full force. “I WARNED YOU DEMONS!” The ball tore into the two males exploding blood all over the field before turning the bodies into ashes their screams having died upon the winds as the ball wasn’t finished it task, it spun tearing the earth up again and followed the same path going toward the last adult and his prisoner. The free male pushed the person in front of him toward the ball cursing the holy priestess as he did, but the ball swerved around the bloodied figure and crashed into the back of the man splattering him against the trees before what was left of his body bursts into flames and shimmered into ashes. Kade’s jaw dropped, all her newly required powers forgotten as once again she fell on her romp shell shocked, clapping could be heard from the distance and she jumped up spinning on the balls of her feet and peered at the villagers who came to see what the screaming was about. Biting her lip Kade turned back to Gabrielle who was looking to the left of her instead of the injured person on the edge of the forest line. “Gabrielle, what are you looking at?” Instead of answering she pointed a sharpened nail to the twin demon boys sitting in the fruit garden up an apple tree that belong to Gabrielle personally. “Oh…shit. Are you really going to attack children…Are we supposed to destroy dark hourglass children too?” Gabrielle rolled her head to the side staring blankly at Kade; her once pumpkin eyes were a deep red as the lightening continued to thunder within their depths. At this moment Gabrielle was every dark user’s nightmare and every holy user’s dream.


“Is what's worth the prize, always worth the fight?” Both boys sing-sang the words, as one ended the other started repeating it a few dozen times as they pointed to the bloodied figure dying at the forest line. The wind shifted bringing the blood smell from the body toward them and within second’s Gabrielle left her post of being the barrier between demons and villagers and was sprinting after the figure as the boys jumped out the tree throwing their apples to the ground one began sprinting after Gabrielle his black oversized garments made it easy to spot him but his still brother had on matching white garments. Step by step he took coming closer to the power high Kade, whose eyes lost the blue fire in them and now she stand defenseless against even this child of the dark hourglass, but where was his hourglass? The question distracted her momentarily as she stared down at her pale hands, could she…could she destroy a child even if they were going to kill her? “Is what's worth the prize, always worth the fight?” His whisper was husky and breathed into her ear, in pure reaction she jerked, her head sending her oak colored curls flying as green eyes clashed into blue. He was crouching on the fence at head height with her his whole body looked relaxed with this action as they just stared at one another, his lip twitch showing unnaturally sharp canines well unnatural for a human at least. “What do you want…what prize?” Taking an unsteady step back it wasn’t registering in Kade’s mind the smoky fog filling her brain or Gabrielle’s blood curdling screams. “Well my little darling, follow me and you will see for yourself.” He spoke past his age but still who was he to call her little? It pricked her nerves but she couldn’t seem to piece information together properly, maybe Gabrielle would know why...she knew a lot of things.

Blinking rapidly as odd smells assaulted her nose, Kade stepped unsteadily back, a cotton feeling fogged her thinking and it seemed to have spread to the edge of her vision, “Gabrielle?” Whimpering softly her stomach fell as a feeling of doom began to fill her, a cold chill began to creep up her spine as the demon boy stepped off the fence a hand held out for her to take, his eyes unblinking as he kept her gaze. “She can’t help you little one, but I can. Take my hand.” Kade could feel her powers just out of her reach clawing to fight through the fog and cotton, they were reacting badly to this person but Kade couldn’t for the life of her remember why. It came to the point where all Kade could see was the blue of his eyes as her hand slowly reached out to take the one he had held out, an odd twinkle filled the blue before they were ripped from her sight and all Kade could hear was howling. As fast as it had come the cotton feeling eased up and her vision flooded with her surroundings, blinking Kade backed away looking around, she didn’t remember walking to the apple tree with the…DEMON! Sprinting wildly the younger girl caught her teacher releasing the black outfitted demon to a white and red regally dressed woman; no she was a DEMON just like him! Turning back to see if the boy was following Kade skittered to a halt seeing the dead eyes of the black outfitted twin, an arrow pierced the side of his head and was angled in a way that the tip slightly stuck out the corner of his eye on the other side. This is what made them dangerous; they could make you do whatever they wanted! They had to be destroyed! He could have ruined her, BROKE her even! Why wasn’t Gabrielle fighting the woman? Why is Gabrielle still wearing her night outfit…They both held wearily gazes for each other but not one that’d mean they were going to fight.


“Gabrielle?” Kade made a wide circle coming up behind the older girl and dug her nails into her left arm with needy comfort, her mind still reeling as it worked hard overcoming whatever the boy had been doing to her and yet touching Gabrielle’s chilled skinned figure had her powers washing over her in protection and comfort. “Hush now Lady Kadrelyn. It is not the time to pick fights in a situation you don’t fully comprehend.” Kade’s eyes flickered to Gabrielle’s hourglass pendant, it had drained and now the grains were moving upward filling it again, did that mean she was still fully equipped to fight after all that? Then why not fight! Slightly outraged Kade missed the wise warning in the priestess’s voice and turned her angry green eyes to mourning on the verge of snapping plum ones, the black garmented twin held his dead brother in his arms, who had fired that shot anyhow? Baffled she began looking around and spotted Gabrielle’s mother; Mila, who had the hand crafted bow her daughter made with holy enhancements for this purpose in her old hands yet was shaking badly enough that one of the villagers were now trying to hold her still as they waited for the demon woman and child to do something. “Little witch…you did well against those males…they attacked and you defended. I have done nothing to you, and have just come to retrieve my sister’s young.” Gabrielle raised a brow at the demon woman, so apparently SHE wasn’t their mother then, how interesting. “If your white garmented nephew would have kept his distance of the Holy Hourglass he would be alive right now. We can not be held responsible for defending our own when you were the ones that struck first, but I do mourn your loss. Please leave.” Gabrielle stood completely still her hands folded in a relaxed fashion in front of her body showing no intentions towards fighting them.


The woman nodded and turned her back on them ushering the demon boy to stay close, listening carefully Gabrielle could pick up the enraged growls and hisses the demon woman made as she quietly reprimanded the living twin. “Lady Gabrielle? What about the last person over there? The one they were holding… ” Kade respectfully nudged Gabrielle to the bloodied figure who was oddly still, slightly intimidated by the sternness of her voice. “We help and get answers as long as the person isn’t dead that is.” Kade uneasily watched the demon woman and child leave the area completely before following Gabrielle who was slowly making her way through the ruined earth to the person. “Gabrielle?” The sunflower blonde turned her head an annoyed look in her eyes, “Yeah Kade?” Kade smiled shyly placing a hand to the back of her head. “Um the sun’s coming up…are you going to keep wearing that?” Gabrielle cocked her head confused then stood up and looked down at herself, Kade could hear the grains of time move as Gabrielle’s head slowly tilted down and came back up bright red, with a shriek that echoed across the land every villager who wasn’t woken by the fight was now woken from the voice of Gabrielle screeching out, “VANITY!”