Young Writers Society

Ryouku saw Luna falling from the sky after he got his 'passengers' safely on the ground. He ran to where Luna would hit the ground. He didn't have enough time to jump back into the air and start flying.

His feet thudded loudly as he ran. When he got close he jumped, spun his body and caught Luna in his arms. His stomach had broken the fall because it was soft, unlike the rest of his body.

He landed with his back to the ground. His rough body tore up the ground as he slid. When he finally slowed to a stop he looked at Luna and said, "Are you hurt?"

Tyrin

"Quick Seeker! Drop me on the gargoyle if you can!"

Seeker clammed his beak shut and pounded his wings quickly. We began to rise. As soon as we got high enough I yelled and the creature came toward us. I dropped and Julia phased her hands into my back, taking a firm hold. I stretched, gropping and reaching hard. Finally I managed to wedge my roots in a bit and I began to grow more. Slowly, so slowly, the stone began to crack.

Julia

The gargoyle resumed it's circling but I clung tight both to him and to Tyrin. Soon Tyrin began to extend his roots and they pushed their way into the cavices of the gargoyle's body. The roots expanded and the stone beneath me began to crack. The gargoyle let out a piercing shriek of pain and made a violent twist in the air. For a moment I thought I would lose my grip but then I regained it, just in time to see that we were falling rapidly through the air as the gargoyle's wings broke into fragments that were scattered by the wind.

"Jump!" Ryouku shouted from somewhere below us.

"Go on you damn fools," A voice above us murmured as Seeker swooped closer.

"Are you ready?" I asked, turning to face Tyrin.

Karana

I rushed to where Ryouku had landed, Luna on his stomach. She was in a lot of pain, blood seeping from beneath her fingers, which were pressed against her own abdomen.

"Move your hand," I told her. I had to see the wound.

She slowly revealed her injury. It wasn't deep, but it was still a ragged gash that passed over a scar she had. Painful. Those always hurt more. Being in the general area, the bleeding was fast. I would have to heal her quickly to save her life.

"Ryouku, how do I use magic?" I asked, thinking fast, heart pounding in my chest.

"What?"

"How do I use magic! Just - "

I held my hands over her wound, emphasizing my point. All I could think about was healing her, healing that wound, saving her...Images ran through my mind, of the wound sealing and the flesh growing back too quick to be natural...

"Focus. Just focus!" he urged me on.

"I'm trying..." I exhaled...my hands grew warm. Inhale...exhale...the warmth grew intense, and my fingers began to glow...inhale, exhale, inhale...was the flesh rejuvenating itself?...exhale, inhale, exhale...All I knew was the wound, nothing else existed; I had to heal her...inhale...almost there...exhale...

I was dizzy, but it had been done. The bleeding had stopped, and Luna lay on Ryouku's stomach, panting, her stomach more than half healed.

I did it...I did magic! I gasped in my mind as I sat down on the ground beside the dragon, head between my knees.

"Thanks....Kar...ana," Luna gasped, inhaling deeply, and wincing at the pain that followed.

"Be careful," Ryouku warned. "You aren't fully healed. Good job, Karana," he added. She smiled and looked at Luna.

"That was quite a scar," she commented as Luna examined her stomach.

"Yeah, I know. It's going to be about ten times worse now."

"A funny shape too," she added, as if trying to pry the information out without being rude.

"A crescent moon...like my name," Luna answered quietly, only half listening.

"How'd it happen?" Luna looked over at Karana, their eyes meeting. Karana's were full of hesitant curiousity, Luna's full of sorrow.

"My dad...he wasn't exactly a nice person. Very powerful with magic, but didn't control it well. He went on a huge rampage one day, and.....killed Mom," she answered quietly. Karana gasped approprietly when Luna paused. "I tried to stop him; I didn't know enough magic then; he nearly killed me, but I managed. His wound left that scar. I haven't seen him since." Silent tears were streaming down her face as she spoke, and she wiped them away. "Someday, I'm going to find him though; and I'll make him pay for what he did." she said, putting on her bravest face.

Karana

I stared at her. Her father had gone on a rampage. Her mother was dead. She had been scarred by her own father.

"I thought I had problems...that's worse than not knowing your own past," I breathed, staring at her. The thought of one of my parents killing the other...it brought tears to my eyes.

"It's really not that bad," Luna answered, still trying to seem brave. She didn't want to show her raw emotion to all of these people. She didn't want to be judged by every tear, and she wasn't sure if they would or not. "I never liked him anyway; I miss my mom horribly though..." she trailed off again. "Ok, new subject, if you don't mind."

"Um..." Karana went silent, trying to think of something else to say. Before she could speak, Warren ran over.

"What were you thinking?" he exclaimed, looking down at Luna. "You could have been killed!" Luna smiled up at him; it was nice having people who cared about you.

"I wasn't though, was I?"

"But you could've been!" Luna rolled her eyes.

"i'm fine Warren, I promise. I'll still be able to carry you around, as an amazing black stallion, and everything will be alright. Although a hug would help a lot..." she smiled up at him. He leaned down and gave her a big hug. "Thank you, I'm feeling much better now."

"Good," Warren answered, still trying to look unnaturally mad.

"If you don't mind, I would very much like to get up now." Everyone looked at Ryouku. They had all been too busy worrying about Luna that they forgot it was him who saved her in the first place.

Luna carefully slid off Ryouku's belly. The dragon rolled onto his feet and shook his body, trying to get most of the dirt and grass out of his scales.

"Thank you for saving me," Luna said.

Ryouku smiled at her. "I know you would have done the same for me."

Karana

I smiled. Everyone was safe, I had discovered my magic, we were growing closer as friends...what else could I ask for?

My memories. I still had no clue about my past, but everyday I was getting closer...

I stood up, shakily. "Shall we go then?"

Tyrin

We marched through the forest, the line of questers stretching out behind me. The tunnel was drawing near. I knew that once we entered, whatever or whoever guarded the library would know of our presence. There would be no turning back. I threw a glimpse at the people behind me and shook my head. What were we doing? There were so few of us. I looked grimly ahead. I had to go though; I could not pass up what could be my only chance at...at my goal. I sighed. Things did not look good...they never had.

Karana

I walked alongside Ryouku. I felt the most welcome and safest there, beside a mighty dragon and a friend.

I was sensing that power again, that strange, dangerous power. "Ryouku?"

"Yes, Karana?"

"What am I sensing? What is this power that keeps making me feel like this?" Then I thought about something else. "Is it because I have magic? Is that why I do sense it?"

"Magic works in mysterious ways," Ryouku told her. "I am not sure what it is you're sensing. Magic is based on faith, and since I don't use magic myself I have no faith of it." He turned his head to look at her. "Do you think it is magic?"

Karana seemed to think about it for a minute before saying, "I think so."

"Then it is magic."

(That's all I have right now.)

***I have to make the comment that, Dynamo, I LOVE YOUR SIGNATURE!!! Ok, now...to post!***

"Are you sure you're ok with this?" Warren asked, standing next to Luna and looking very worried.

"It will be fine!" Luna answered, changing back into a human before he could argue again. She place two fingers on his lips warningly. "I've been through much worse, trust me. Now stop arguing!"

"Make me," Warren said teasingly. Luna leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips. She changed back into the sleek black stallion before he could see her blush.

"Get on," she ordered, trying to keep her tone light and unnervous.

Julia

I giggled as a crimson blush streaked across Warren's face and he seemed even more reluctant to climb upon Luna's back but in the end he sighed and climbed up.

"Everyone ready?" Tyrin asked.

"Oh yeah," I replied cheerily with a beaming smile.

"It's about time," Seeker mumbled as he launched his body into the air and spread his wings wide, beating the wind back and forth to stay aloft.

Luna galloped ahead of the rest of the group, Warren holding onto her mane for dear life.

"Stop going so fast!" he called out.

"Ok," she replied, slowing to a trot before jumping over the nearest log.

"Don't do that either!" he yelped, pulling her mane tighter.

"You wuss!" Luna teased, turning around and trodding slowly back towards the rest of the group.

"You're a maniac!"

"I know," Luna replied. "Don't worry though, this is perfectly safe," she assured him. Just then an unbearable amount of pain shot through her stomach. "Ahh..." she moaned.

"What?" Warren asked worriedly.

"Nothing, I'm fine," she lied.