Night Huntress Crystal Soul Prelude

Prelude

         Lifting my head slowly, I can see the light of the full moon hitting the glistening waters of Sloan Lake. With this feeling so weak and my vision slightly blurring, I am trying to get a grip on myself. As l lay face down, I feel that I can't shake. That feeling of anger, hatred, and hopelessness that I cannot do anything or help anyone. I have been asking myself, "Why am I one of the Night Huntresses when I don't have any special abilities?"
         I know that I am not like Ambrosia; she is the one who can make and control fire. I don't even come close to Lelana, who can handle the weather at will, the living X-men Storm, as I call her. Then there is Crystal, who can transform into anyone or anything to get information. Eva can manipulate demons and daemons to be able to do her bidding or whatever she wants from them. Last is Savannah, who can control the earth we stand on; to me, she is our earth bender, like in the Last Avatar series.
          All the Night Huntresses in the Denver Metro area have had unique abilities since they were 13 or even after that age. They gained their ability when something terrible happened to them in their past. Most Night Huntresses don't care to share their history with anyone except the Prior, who are the ones who look after the Night Huntresses. Even though something tragic happened to me, I still didn't gain any abilities at that age, yet Athen brought me into the Night Huntress group then. Not only did I become a Night Huntress, but the Prior appointed me to oversee the Night Huntresses, making me the leader at the age of 13 until the true leader, Kaleandral, could be found or brought back into the Night Huntresses. They upset the older Night Huntresses, and I didn't blame them. How can I be a leader when I don't have any powers like the rest? I am not a reincarnation of any of the past Night Huntresses before me, like most of them, and I have no memories of being a Night Huntress. The Night Huntresses who have been reincarnated have memories of their past lives. Some try to deny the fact of their past lives and fight against it.
         I was different because I had to train every day since I was 13 to fight and protect myself and others around me. And that is why I am a fighter with no strength or abilities. I learn to fight with weapons, fists, and legs, so how is that leadership? I know very little about fighting with powers as the others do. I also am ready to face the fact that Kaleandral will replace me as the true leader of the Night Huntresses Kaleandral; I am just a stand-in for right now.
         Why am I getting this way? I know that my emotions are getting the better of me right now. All these emotions that I am feeling are making me lose my concentration. If I can only focus on what I genuinely think, I can get a grip on myself. Since day one, I have been the key to bringing this Kaleandral woman out in the open. This woman they are looking for holds the key to this Crystal Soul, who has disappeared for centuries. I don't even know this Crystal Soul or why it is so important. I am the key to bringing her back into the light. She could be dead for all I know, yet these stupid demons and daemons believe she is alive. I don't know what is so special about this Crystal Soul, and I don't know what is so special about this Kaleandral, but I am temporary for her until she returns. What gets to me is that the Prior has used me as some tool to get her to come back, and there is nothing special about me. These are my emotions, and I want to feel something different than what I am feeling right now.
         I need to focus on something different; come on, Jessica, concentrate on something. Please, Jessica Summers, focus on the coolness of the grass and the smell of dirt as I lay face down on the ground. How did I get like this in the first place? How did this happen?
         A bad dream is what this is, a horrible dream, like a downward spiral that keeps spinning down and down. Is this truly my destiny to finally die right here? Well, I welcome it. I can't escape from this; then just let me die.
         I am losing control of everything that is going on around me. I am losing that power of control that I once thought I had. I am losing it again. I can't let that happen. I need to feel that control to keep me going to keep fighting. Everyone is counting on me to win this fight. Why can't I win this fight right now? Why can't I get up? Why can't I fight these emotions that I am going through?
         I am trying to figure out what happened or how I ended up like this on the ground. Right now, I can only vaguely hear my friends shouting and moving around me. Why do my thoughts have to run amuck like this? Come on, Jessica, get a grip on yourself! Why can't I get a hold?
         What battle are we fighting for, who was it for, and why am I even fighting? My friends are fighting because they are unique. They can protect the world from the paranormal world. They have the abilities, power, and magic to protect stupid people like me who get caught in the supernatural. I am not like them, and there is nothing special about me. I am just someone who fights with fists and weapons. I have no special abilities, no magic, but brought into this supernatural world for a reason. Why does this have to evolve me? I hate it; genuinely, I wouldn't say I like it; I am so tired of fighting for a world where I don't belong.
         I see my friends around me fighting for me and trying to protect me. Why are they fighting for me? I just don't get it; why would they fight for me? Why would they make me the leader of the Night Huntress when I am not even like them? I shouldn't be the leader of a super paranormal group like them. Most don't even listen to me when I give them orders. Yet some of them are here to help. Why?
         Slowly looking up, I can see that man standing before me, laughing like he has won against me. I have seen him before, but not just in Civic Center Park, but where? Where did I run into this man back then? Who is he to me? What is my connection to him? I know that he is not my type romantically. I hate guys like him with that slender body, the flowing dark hair, and those dark eyes, the kind that act like they almost have everything in the world. The type that can get whatever they want. The kind of guy that you only read in romance novels that don't exist. Yet this is the second time I have seen this man, and I am fighting him for some strange reason. That feeling that I know him, but I don't know where.
          I can hear my friend's shouting slowly fading as I lay on the ground, lifeless and unable to move. I can feel that my life will end here. I don't have the will to fight anymore, or do I?
         I can hear someone calling me in the distance, but I can't see where they are--I slowly lift my head to see where they are and who is calling me. A man's voice is calling to me. I know that voice; I heard it all my life. Why would he come for me? I am not the one he loves, nor his Kaleandral. I am no one to him, and I am no one to anyone. I realize that now. The pain and hurt I feel right now are more of my pride that I let myself get into this position in the first place. I could see him running toward me, and I didn't want him to come any closer. He would get hurt if he came to me right now.
         "Go away, don't come to me, just let me be. I can fight without your help." I shouted back to the man who was calling me.
         "You heard her, Ceron. She doesn't want you to help her. Her death will be your fault, just like Kaleandral's." the man spoke, looking at the other man running up to me.
         "Shut up, Maro, she is my woman, and Kaleandral is closer than you think," Ceron said as he came closer.
         I could see his reddish-blond hair dance in the moonlight while the moonlight danced off the shades he wore as he knelt to help me. I shoved him away from me. I didn't need his help. I didn't even want him to be here to help me. He just used me to forget about his Kaleandral. What the hell did he mean when he said that she was closer than what we expected? What kind of shit is that to say. I am his woman; that is also bullshit. That is all I was to him, someone to help him forget his true love. But why, when he is around, do I feel stronger? Why do I feel happy when he is around? Why are my feelings betraying me when he is around? How many times is he going to make me the fool? Yet in my heart, my heart tells me I am in love with and truly love him.
         I feel the grass through my fingers as I slowly try to get up while looking up still this man Maro, standing in front of me, laughing like he has won this battle against me. The feeling that I can't let Maro win over me. There is no way that I won't let him win. He hasn't beaten me yet. Slowly picking myself up, I could feel my energy coming back and the power to fight. Was it coming back to me, or was the anger driving me to keep going? Destiny is a funny thing; we never know where it begins or where it ends. I never knew that things would turn out like this, not knowing how it all started in the first place. How did all of this begin in the first place? If I recall, this is how it started......