FireLeaf

Chapter Forty- Nine- The Cause

"What?" Firey gasped, "What happened? How?"

Firey's mom took a deep breath. "She was killed along with Forest and the Elders at the annual treaty celebration. They were deciding to pass the roles of Head of the Clan to them. Now, with no leaders, our too clans are in chaos and confusion."

Firey was speechless. Flame was such a nice grandmother, and she always looked at Firey with kind eyes. She couldn't be gone...

Firey felt a tear roll down his cheek, and he wiped it away. It glistened orange, a bright contrast to the darkness around him.

"We need a new clan leader," his mom summed up, "And we're considering you."

It took Firey ten seconds to process what she said. "Me?!" he asked in disbelief, "But I'm just a kid-"

"You're more than a kid now, Firey." his mom said, "The Fire Stone chose you. Anyway, you would have inherited the position, but we didn't expect the time to come this early."

"How come I never knew about this?" Firey demanded.

"Uh, well," Firey's mom looked uncomfortable, "We didn't want you to be burdened with the task of having to live up to our standards."

"Is Leafy going to be the leader of the Nature Elementalists, too?" Firey asked.

"Yes, she is also being considered. But I told her parents about the Evil Leafy problem and they were shocked. I don't think Forest ever told them anything, but I have no idea why."

"Why wouldn't he?" Firey murmured under his breath.

"Firey, I need to go." his mom said, "Good luck." 

"Wait, mom, are you crying?" Firey asked.

His mom sniffled, "After you lost your dad, you still didn't become depressed. You still stuck to me during those hard times and made me feel like living again. Now I can't even help you with this-"

"No!" Firey said, "You helped me a lot! I wouldn't know all about the cavern without you!"

"Not everything, though. And not as much as I would have liked." his mom said, "Firey, stay strong. Don't let the Shadow break you." And with that, she ended the call.

Firey stared at the phone in his hand, stunned. He was all along. He shivered and started heading back to his dorm. But his reflection caught his eye once again.

It still had flaming hair with sparks bouncing off. He leaned forward and touched the water with his hand. His reflection did the same, but it recoiled at the touch of the water, it's hand steaming.

It took at him with the same shocked expression and wonder. Firey then noticed the bush behind his reflection. It was identical to his, except it looked like it needed a trim.

"Huh?" 

...

"It's happening." Four said to X.

"What? The cavern?" X asked.

"Yeah." Four said. He looked at his palm. A vision of Flame and Forest's death appeared there like a hologram. "Damn, I should have protected them better, that devil still got the kill." He crushed his hand into a fist, his eyes shifting between his normal and demon.

X look at him, worried. He still remembered when Four's eyes had been red, and when he was a demon. Now, he was just a Number, but not all traces of his curse had faded.

I made them win the lottery with my magic, thinking they would be under my protection and I could help after this academy was over. In fact, I made this specifically for them. And now... Four thought.

"I don't think we have enough time. We need to end this as soon as possible."