Through The Darkness

As the night came rolling in, so did the still, stale air that was promised to come with every night. Normally this forest was silent, but on this night, a wolf, fox, and panther still stirred, running through the tangle of trees, making shore that they haven’t a-strayed from one another. But there struggle seemed pointless; the hyenas were gaining on them. Sheru, the wolf, noticed this, so she stopped running and turned swiftly around and charged at there enemy. "What on earth are you doing?!" called the fox, Kashema. "You'll be killed!" the panther, Allia added. Sheru turned her head and said, still running "I can buy you some time, so use it wisely!" Sheru turned back to look at her enemy, but Kashema and Allia glanced at each other and stopped running. They both yelled back "Were not gunna let you have all the fun! You jerk!" they turned around and chassed after Sheru, but as soon as they crashed into there opponents-
-"Aw crap!" said Sheru as she woke up from sleeping, "It was just starting to get good too!"... When she got to school, she met up with Allia and Kashema, but strangely, they had found out that they all had the same dream again. "I tell ya, this means something! I just can’t figure out what!" said Allia frusturatedly. Kashema replied coolly, "Well weather it means something or not... Sheru, I want you to let go of me..." Sheru had been clinging to Kashemas and Allias sleeves as she normally did when they were around. "Kashema! How can you be so mean!" growled Allia, Kashema roared back "What do you mean, how can I be so mean?! She’s a teenager like us and so she could at least not be clingy in public!" Sheru let go of Kashema and hid behind Allia "She’s scary sometimes, I don’t think that she’s had any sugar yet..." at Sherus remark, Kashema went weird... "SHUGAR!!!!!!!!....sugar!..." and she looked around as if she had some and she was afraid that someone would take it. Sheru and Allia just gave a sigh as they went to class.


All 3 of the warriors fought there attackers until the last of them were either dead or ran away, but at a price. All of them had serious injuries that would need tending to. So they stayed on the battle-field until there strength came back but they could argue well enough. "Sheru, your such an idiot" Kashema spoke first, but Sheru simply replied "perhaps, but none of our injuries are fatal, and only trying to run would have made us more tired, and so we would of not have had the strength to fend them off" Allia agreed "and we wouldn’t have been able to out-run them, they were gaining on us." Kashema sighed "oh well, what’s done is done. But it seems that were safer here, the smell of death should keep away most creatures that would attack us" Allia replied with humor in her voice "I agree, and not because we can’t move" all 3 of them laughed, at least until there wounds were effected by it.-
-"not to bad, I do like fight seines" said Sheru under her breath... at school, Kashema was the first to speak "I never did care much for fight seines" Sheru just noticed "now that I think about it Kashema, you’ve acted strangely for the past few nights, in AND out of those dreams, is something on your mind?" Kashema replied softly "these dreams are worrying me, that’s all" Sheru joked "maybe I should do a tarot card reading of it!" Allia screamed "SHERU! THAT’S THE BEST IDEA YOU EVER HAD!" Kashema joked, "Not considering that it has a lot of competition..." (LOL) Sheru freaked "Wha- that was only a joke!" but Allia continued, "You did tarot card readings for my past and you were right! And you also predicted that there would be new life in my family and my mom was pregnant! Your readings are accurate! I bet that you could figure out what these dreams mean!" Kashema agreed "its worth a shot" Sheru said stunningly "I’ll give it a shot but don’t hold your breath, I'm still a beginner ya-know."
...That night, Sheru got a very disturbing reading. She called Kashema and Allia and told them of it. "for the first time in all of my readings" Sheru began, "I got 'the fool'... witch means that were going to go on a journey, but along with it , I got cards that resemble danger and sacrifice" there was a long moment of silence until Allia broke it, "Do you have any idea on when this will come to pass?" Sheru replied, "I cant predict when, but lets see what the next card says to me...I see...this card shows a girl sleeping in bed... so our journey happens while we sleep...but...what! The death card!... so...were going to... die!?" Kashema said "what? Die? Ya right, like hell!" Sheru protested "I’m only telling you what the cards tell me!... But it does make sense, death is known for eternal slumber..." Allia said "oh well, what will be; will be, I don’t know about you girls but I have a ton of homework to do!" Kashema said glad that the subject was changed "me too, let me guess, your just gunna blow it off again, aren’t you Sheru?" Sheru giggled and Allia added "Ya well at least she doesn’t copy our homework!"  The three of them laughed and said there good-byes, but all of them were troubled by Sherus prediction.


The three warriors were finally back on there feet again, running towards some unknown place, but they felt that they must go.  After much running they almost immediately stopped, for they have reached the end of the forest, and just a rabbet-length away, the sky was as dark as the new moon, the only light for miles was the red lightning that struck at the sky, and even though the rain fell like thorns, the land was only dirt and dust, no life seemed to linger here. They stared out into the dark abyss, there eyes slanted, and they sprang out into it.  And even though the rain stung them, they neither flinched nor slowed there pace.  The lightning struck around them, and as they reached the center of the black lands, the lightning revealed a tall castle-like structure, they headed straight towards it.  When they did reach it, they ran up the walls, until they made one final leap to the top, then they stopped, there was no ceiling in this fortress, and when they looked down, they saw a giant green fire surrounded by hoards of hyenas, but a crow had spotted them, it cawed its discovery to the others, and as they looked up at there intruders, the three warriors stood tall, looking down at them as if they were powerful gods, about to smite them all in one desired blow.  The green fire gave them an eerie green glow, and as the red lightning struck behind them, the hyenas began to take a few steps back.-
-Sheru woke up, saying nothing, the dreams effects had not yet worn off.  When she got to school, she found out that there dreams effects have not yet worn off either. The silence was broken by Allia "So... We have a fight coming tonight?"  Sheru added "And this time it’s against the whole clan."  Kashema also added, "This fight will be harder than the others, do we even have a chance at winning?" Sheru snapped back quickly, "Of course we do! Don’t be so foolish! These creatures have been haunting our dreams long enough! Its time we put an end to it!" Allia agreed, "Yes, we won’t go down without giving it our all." 
The effects of the dream lasted through almost the whole day, they glared at the other kids as if they were enemies that were merely waiting for a golden opportunity to attack.  But once they snapped out of it, each of them wondered why it took so long to wear off this time, but they didn’t dwell on it.


With the screaming thunder, they plunged down towards there enemy.  They landed surrounded by enemy warriors, and dangerously out numbered.  But they showed no fear, they each headed off in a different direction, worrying about there own group of enemies instead of each other as they would have normally done.  With slashing claws and biting teeth, none of them cared weather there opponents lived or died, they just fought with all there being. They had fought for a long time, uncountable hyenas have either fled or ran away, but there were still countless more left.  When they seemed as though they could no longer fight, they gave out there deadly war cries, giving them more energy to fight on.  After a long while later, the last of the hyenas ran because even though all of them were covered in blood and had serious life threatening wounds, they rose to there feet, there eyes glowing with anger and an eagerness to fight on!  But as the last of there opponents fled, all three of them collapsed on the ground, exhausted and worn out, but they had the satisfaction that they had finally won.-
-Sheru woke up feeling weaker than usual, and when she got to school she found her friends the same way, but this time, none of them said a word.  They just stared unbelieving, as if they were in a completely other world.


The battle was over and they had strength enough to talk now, "Did you see the way they ran?! It was like they've never been that scared in there life!" said Allia, Kashema laughed "That will be a sight that I’m never going to forget! Just thinking about it gets me excited!" Allia added "Just don't get too excited, our wounds aren’t that healed yet" Kashema growled "Geese! since the fire died and the storm stopped, its so dark out here and on top of that I've got too much blood in my eyes, I can barley see my paw in front of my face!" Allia replied, "Chill, will ya? I still have one good eye free, so if your that worried, then about two fox lengths away to your right is Sheru whose still sleeping, the lazy bum she is, and I'm about 5 fox lengths in front of you, feel better?" Kashema spat "I never said that I was worried, I’m just annoyed about it!" Allia protested "Don’t snap at me! Its not my fault that you’re complaining came out wrong!" Kashema growled deep in her throat, but then she forced herself to crawl over to Sheru "Time to get up lazy one!" she nudged her with her nose.  "Or I’m going to... uh..." Allia continued "Call you fuzzy!"  But Sheru didn't stir, Kashema put a paw in her to shake her, "she’s cold!" she cried in surprise.  Allia gasped, and went over to them as quickly as her wounds would allow her.  She too touched the white wolf, hoping that it wasn't true, but she was only discouraged, Sheru was indeed cold, with no body heat.  Kashema was the first to wail, for she new Sheru longer than Allia did, with a few years in-between. Allia joined in as soon as her breath came back to her.  But after Kashemas mind cleared from the sorrow, she said with a voice so horse it wasn't normal "I swear by my entire being, I will destroy all the hyenas I can hunt until the day comes that I am to leave this world!" Allia responded "you can't do that-" Kashema snapped "are you going to stand in my way!? Because if you do, I will kill you myself!" Allia said coolly "you didn't let me finish, you can't do it alone; I will join you."  The rest of that night was spent silent, they laid there morning over Sherus death…-
- That day, both Allia and Kashema couldn’t wait until school.  but once they got there, Sheru was nowhere to be found Kashema said coldly "she probably decided to stay home to make us worry again" Allia replied "Ya, but its worken' for me though" Kashema added "give her a day or two, she'll be back, you can't be absent for more than two days without a doctors note, but we'll call her this afternoon.
The day had finally passed and Kashema and Allia kept calling Sheru as much as they could, but no one answered...


Both Allia and Kashema forced there wounds to heal at a dangerous rate, but didn't speak.  The sun had risen, giving the two warriors warmth that they accepted graciously, thankful that the cold night had finally ended.  But instead of resting they forced themselves up, and with a last look at Sherus body, unable to either carry or burry her due to a lack of strength, and whispering a silent prayer, they raced off to where the hyenas had fled.  There pace wasn’t as fast as they would have liked, but they lived with it.  Heading away from the rising sun, with only hatred in there hearts, they fallowed there enemies sent, it was strong but semi-old.  This went on for a few days, and there wounds have healed, but the fire in there eyes has not been touched one bit.  But up ahead, they saw volcano, so they stopped to observe, there were badgers guarding the volcano, but the hyenas sent mingled with it Kashema whispered "so we get to attack my own sworn enemy as well as Sherus, nice" Allia added "just try not to get carried away, once there dead you don't have to keep biting them" Kashema grinned and dashed outwards the guards with Allia close behind her.-
-Kashema and Allia awoke, but when they got to school, there was still no sign of Sheru anywhere.  So that night they went to Sherus house and banged on the door, almost knocking the door down, but there was no answer...



Kashema jumped on the closest badger to her, giving it one bite to the neck that made it go limp, then without a warning she bolted further into enemy territory, head butting anyone who was close to her, while Allia killed the ones that came to her, barely advancing.  Kashema quickly made her way to the entrance of the volcano fortress, but she was surrounded by many badgers, but she showed no fear.  All at once, they darted toward her, "Kashema!" called Allia, dashing towards her to her side.  Together they scared there opponents with slashes and bite marks, most of them fled, while others fought to there deaths.  Overall the badgers barely did any damage to the two warriors, so they headed into the base of the volcano, killing anyone in sight, by the time they got to the top; they saw the leaders of both badger and hyena on the metal platform that was built over the lava; along with the hyenas that had fled before and the strongest badgers.  Both warriors hesitated, they were the last enemies that were here, but one wrong move and they could be thrown into the lava. Kashema was getting into pouncing position when Allia protested "Kashema, even for one who is light on her feet, it’s still too dangerous! You could be killed!"  The leader badger, Kaze (I don’t know, I just came up with a name) said smugly "Oh, is the big bad panther scared that you'll fall to your death? Huh, were taking the same chance her-" Allia snapped back coldly "Shut up! I wasn't talking to you! Just give us Eric (leader of the hyenas) and the other hyenas and we'll let you live, fair enough?" Kaze laughed "Ha! You want him? You’ll have to take him by force!" Allia snapped back "Fine with me!" and without a moments notice, Kashema lunged out toward them, Allia right after.  They threw off the hyenas and badgers and the ones they bit, they savored the taste of there blood, but while Kashema and Allia were occupied with the body guards, Kaze rammed into Kashema, making her loose her balance, but Allia jumped to her just in time to pull her back up, but after she did, Kaze scratched at Allias eyes, forcing her over, Kashema caught her by the scruff, but a panther was too heavy for a fox too carry, "Kashema, let me go, or we'll both fall!" while this was happening, there wasn't enough warriors left to kill the fox off afterward so they took this chance to flea, "Kashema, I'll never forget the kindness that you and Sheru have shown me, and since I will be with her soon, we'll both watch over you" Allia used her paws to bat playfully at Kashemas eyes making her loose her grip "NO!!!" Kashema wailed Allia shouted back calmly “I shall pray for you!”  But with that, she was gone, Kashema roared as loud as her lungs would allow, before lying down to greave for another friend.-
-Kashema woke up with tears in her eyes.  She wiped them away before she got to school, neither friend showed up, but before she panicked, Nera, a friend of hers, came up to her "Hey, I’m not shore if you've heard yet, but Sherus mother reported her missing, it was a few days ago, but its the strangest thing, she didn't take anything with her, not even the cloths that she was wearing, and I also herd that the same thing happened to Allia this morning.  Seriously, I don’t know what this world is coming to..."  After that, anything else that was said that whole day didn't even enter one ear to exit the other, it was repelled back so that it didn't enter at all.  "… Missing?"

Finally, after Kashema had finished grieving for another friend, she slowly moved out.  This time, without too many wounds, but with a mind clouded with sadness and anger, mixed together, and her eyes were still filled with tears.  But they quickly faded as she reminded herself that she had to get revenge.  It took a long time at her pace to reach a field, the scents of the badgers and hyenas crossed it, so she set out to do the same.  The field was nothing but overgrown weeds, and the sky was still cloudy from a few nights ago.  The field seemed normal, she had walked a long way until she was deep in the field, but when Kashema again put her paw down this time, her paw met a thin layer of water covering the ground.  She thought nothing of it since the sky was cloudy enough to rain.  So she walked on, every now and then she stepped in a puddle of water, until the puddles grew larger and deeper, until she was up to her belly fur with brown water.  Only then did she notice that she was in deeper water.  "What the?" she gasped.  She looked around and saw a swamp ahead of her, but also the trail, "I’ve come too far to give up now!" she protested.  She went forward, making shore that she’s aware of her surroundings at all times, following the trail that was left behind so that she gets through without a problem.  She kept going until a boar met her path, it charged at her, she immediately went into fight mode, she growled and waited for the bore to get into her range, she braced herself and lunged at her opponent, sending him a little ways backward, but before he could get up, Kashema ran over and put her paw with claws unsheathed at his throat, "sworn enemy to Allia, take me to were your leader Jaken, and the others now!  I know your hiding them!"  The bore smiled "Shore, but don’t get the idea that you can escape afterward!"  Kashema took her paws off of the badger, so she could be taken as his prisoner. –
- Kashema awoke, for once she didn't go to school, that was very unusual in her case, she figured that she wouldn’t pay attention anyway, so instead, she went to go look for Sheru and Allia, in all the places that she thought they would be in, but still, no luck...


Kashema let herself be taken prisoner, with absolutely no intention of staying that way. She was taken a much longer way than she expected, going around the deadly parts of the swamp.  Later on, more bores came to guard her, looking as though they have triumphed, but Kashema thought to herself, "That’s right, keep thinking that I’m harmless, you'll get yours soon enough."  As she went, she found that there were a lot more bores were wandering about.  At last, they reached a cave that led under-ground, thankful that her battle has finally come. She was taken directly to the leaders, they were obviously told of her being there, for they were waiting there for her.  Kashema was thrown down in front of Kaze, Eric and Jaken.  Jaken was the first to speak "So then its true, Sheru was taken out at the hyena’s layer, and Allia at the badgers, Sheru died by her own enemy, and Allia by yours, and you by Allias.  What an odd way to go, but since Allia is gone, you, a mere fox, could never stand a chance agenized us boars" Eric added "If you surrender to our will, we'll let you live, as long as you do what we say"  Kaze yelled "WHAT!!! YOU’RE GIVING THAT MURDERER A CHANCE TO LIVE!?!?"  Kashema interrupted before any more could be said "You dare to threaten me? I shall guide you to hell!" Without even a moments hesitation, Kashema lunged with claws unsheathed, she landed on the boar, biting into his thick skin with her sharp fangs, making him yelp, but doing very little damage.  But instead of getting a good grip on him, she leaped towards the badger, but the hyena rammed her out of the air and chased after her falling body, struggling to gain control of her movements again.  She landed on all fours, but Eric pounced on her right after, sinking his teeth and claws into her.  Kashema screamed, then made it into a screech, knowing of there fragile ears.  But he didn't let go, so she kicked with her hind legs, trying to get him off of her, but then Jaken shouted "MOVE!!!" Eric immediately let go of Kashema, the next thing she knew, Jaken had rammed into her, sending her flying once again.  She again struggled to gain control of herself, she again landed on a four paws bracing herself for another attack, but instead, it never came.  She looked around and saw all three of them looking at her as if they had won.  "What’s the matter? Scared of me already? How pathetic" Kashema growled, but the only reaction that they gave was a smile.  Kashema then noticed that she was sinking! She had landed in a part of the swamp that sinks and kills anyone who enters.  "What!?"  Kashema struggled, but it was no use, it only made her sink faster, she was already halfway under when she spoke calmly, "Fine, you've won, for now.  But we will be back, and you best be ready, for we are the real guardians of heaven, earth and hell, so we can't ever truly die."  After that, Kashema broke out into an evil laughter, until she disappeared underneath the mud.  Eric, Jaken and Kaze watched the last of the air bubbles rise from the depths, but only a few seconds later, did a ghostly figure of Kashema rise up from it as well, it headed towards the sky, passing through the walls easily, without any hesitation.  They thought that they had imagined it until a few days later, some hyenas that were sent to there territory long ago, came back with a shocking tail, "Eric, Eric, something has happened!"  Eric snapped while Kaze and Jaken listened "Well what is it?"  The hyena blurted out, "Its Sherus body! It turned into a ghost and floated off! The bodies not there anymore!" A returning badger added "Allias ghost also rose from the volcano!"  Random worried voices kept asking, "What does it mean?!"  "Is it true that they'll come back?!" and other questions along those lines, Jaken demanded there attention "SILENCE! This means that they were not the true rulers of this world!"  Kaze continued for him, "they have passed on to the afterlife, which once we die, we shall rule as well!"  Eric added "we are the true rulers of all, and we have defeated the best defense that anyone has to offer.  This is our reign!"  Everyone cheered, while the three of them, slowly walked deeper into the darkness of the next cave with eyes meant only for the battle that has yet to come...-


- Kashema awoke, finding herself back in her room, dawn had not come yet because there was no light shinning in from outside. immediately she remembered that in the dream that she had died, like Sheru and Allia before her, but she wasn't missing, she was right were she was suppose to be, so she got out of bed in a panic and looked back to find that her clothes were still on it, she looked down at herself and found that she was wearing cloths that she had never seen before.  She ran over to the merrier and looked, it was like a fighting outfit, it kinda made her look like a fox, and she immediately fell in love with it.  "Awesome!" Kashema said to herself as she took random posses.  "Ain't it?"  "Wow Kashema, nice threads!"  Came two familiar voices from her window, "Sheru! Allia! Oh my god! I thought that you were dead!" Sheru jumped in her room and said "uh ya, about that, we tried to get your attention, but it seems as though the living humans-or dead, can't see, hear, smell, or touch us" Allia came in after Sheru did "ya, its weird, were neither living nor dead, but animals can see us as you do right now" Kashemas happiness was replaced by anger "Who on earth gave you permission to die!? I should kill you myself for that!" Sheru and Allia burst out in laughter, Sheru managed to say "You could try, but I can guarantee that you won't get anywhere!" Allia continued "were practically immortal now! And we've gained powers!" Kashema stared in a confused gaze, Sheru tried to explain it better "look at our cloths!" so Kashema looked at what they were wearing, Sheru looked like a wolf and Allia looked like a panther, "what’s that got to do with anything?" Kashema asked, Sheru and Allia looked at each other then back at Kashema, then they changed into a wolf and a panther, Kashema jumped back ten feet. "Wha?!" Allia continued "We are the reincarnations of the guardians, we have all there powers and much, much more" Sheru added on, "We have to restore order to this world, and kill Eric, Jaken, and Kaze, along with teaching the human race that they are not the alpha's of this world, by showing them that by killing nature, they are killing themselves, to hopefully make them live with us, instead of killing each other" Kashema remarked "But I’m shore that you would just like to get rid of them" Sheru replied "Indeed, but I shall give them a shot though, seeing as how I could wipe them all out with a flick of my tail now." Kashema said "Please tell me that you don't know that from experience..."  Allia replied "I don't know, she used the same example for me as well…"  They both glanced at Sheru evilly; Sheru had a smile on her face as if she didn't even notice them. Kashema asked "Hey, if the humans can't see us, how are we supposed to get through to them?"  Sheru said calmly "That my sister, is another story...”  Both Kashema and Allia hit Sheru on the head, Sheru continued "And it looks as though it won't be much different..."



                                                          THE END


Note that I made this a chapter thing and it was quick each time because I didn’t have a computer of my own back then so I will be coming back and correcting the grammar and such.  So hopefully it’ll make more sense soon.  Thanks for reading!

By: Alissia Cassell
Note: Do not copy or edit