• F O R T Y • T W O •

"My lies are a habit, my crimes an everyday affair. I want to fix this, truly, but I can't seem to break my habits."

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Miles and miles, the sand seems to stretch on forever. My feet pound into the ground, sliding slightly with each step. Sweat is pouring down my face, and I'm not sure if it is because of the dry heat or the constant running.

I would just turn into shadow and travel back home that way, but I can't. The sun is huge, in the middle of the sky, scorching the land and scaring away any and all shadows. I can't travel via shadows if there aren't any shadows.

The sun.

Mentally, I roll my eyes and let out a snort. A couple hours ago, I was missing the sun. Wishing I could see it again. Now all I want to do is escape it. I can feel my skin burning up and my body getting hotter and hotter.

There is nothing here. Just sand, sky, the sun, and I.

And I keep running. And running. And running. Running until I am long past exhausted. Running until my bare feet are blistered and bleeding. I stopped after the third mile and ripped the bottom of my shirt and pants and used the rags as makeshift shoes. Every five miles or so I have to retie them to my feet.

My hair is held back just barely by another strip of fabric. For the most part, my hair stays out of my face so the rag does its job, I suppose.

Sweat gets in my eyes, so I don't even notice the town right away. But it is there, slowly crawling over the horizon. It's a small town, almost a ghost town it's so quiet.

I creep up towards the first building and began to search. I need water, shoes, and a way out of this place so I can get back home. I need to get back to my boys.

I slip through a neighborhood until I find a porch with shoes on it. Darting up, I avoid the windows and stay out of view. As I jam my feet into the shoes, a wave of guilt washes over me, but the shoes I chose are old and the house looks nice, not quite expensive but nice. The owners can afford to lose a pair of old shoes, I'm sure.

Scurrying away, I find a hose and drink from it, hoping I don't get too sick. As the water pours down my face and into my mouth, though, I don't have a single care about how sick I'm going to get. I'm too wrapped up in the amazing sensation of water, even if it is warm.

When I was running, I could've filtered through my sweat to make some water to drink, but that would've taken too long and not given me enough water. Besides, I didn't even think of it until now. Its been so long without using my powers that I'm not used to using them all the time either. Even though it was only a couple weeks or so without my powers, I spent so many weeks alone in that empty box with my powers blocked that I began to get used to living without them even before Kitrina took them away.

As I begin to feel almost normal, I use my ice powers to cool down the water and my water powers to filter through the hose water and remove all the impurities and germs that I can. The cold water feels amazing and instantly cools me off. I'm still exhausted, though, and using my powers on the water has drained me even more. Perhaps it was a waste to use my powers on the water, but it was worth it, at least at the time. However, it does mean that I won't be able to get home through the shadows.

Instead, I head further into town, looking for a bus or a train or anything really that would provide passage back home. I come across a bus stop eventually and quickly pickpocket a distracted man nearby. Discarding the wallet, I pocket his cash and board the train.

Clearing my throat doesn't do much. My voice is still rusty and gruff as I convey to the bus driver where I need to go.

"Will that be a round trip or a one way?" She asks, looking me up and down with a wrinkled brow.

"One way," I reply shortly before adding, "And I have money for it, don't worry."

She holds her hands up in a defensive manner and calmly says, "Just part of my job, darling."

I nod sharply. It makes sense. Not that it really matters. Handing her the money, I climb aboard and look around. The bus isn't too crowded, thankfully. There's a woman with two children playing video games, an old man with a cane and an open book, a group of teenagers around my age that are all wearing matching red shirts, and a few people scattered throughout the bus sleeping.

Ducking my head, I make my way to the back of the bus and find an empty seat by a window. I rest my head against the window and fall asleep as soon as the bus begins.

I only wake a stop before mine. The group of teenagers and the single adult with them, a tired looking woman, loudly get off the bus, startling me awake.

Realizing I am almost home, almost back to my boys makes my heart beat erratically with excitement.

"I'm coming home,"  I tell Asher over our mental connection.

I've been working on restoring our connection ever since I got my powers back, but apparently, I just needed some sleep. All of my powers seem recharged and back to normal. I no longer feel tired at all and know that my shadow powers must be working again. Sparks still running through my hands and jump between my fingers, but I have been hiding my hands under my crossed arms and no one can tell.

"Rage? Is that really you?" Asher replies, hope and emotion clear in those few words.

"How many people do you have telepathic conversations with?!"

"Where have you been?!" Asher demands. "It's been months! Are you alright?! We've been worried sick!"

"I was kidnapped, but I'm safe now," I tell him. "I'm coming back."

I'm coming back. After so long, I am so close to home. So close.

"I need to tell the others," Asher says. "Where can I find you?"

"I'm on a bus. I'll be at the station near 14th in about half an hour," I answer.

Wherever I am, it's beginning to look more and more like home. Desert is now forest, dunes are now streams. Clear skies are now slightly cloudy and darker as night gets closer.

The bus starts slowing down and I leap to my feet, my excitement growing and growing. I hurry to the door and arrive at it as soon as the bus comes to a full stop.

"Eager to see someone?" The bus driver teases with a laugh. "Or someones?" She corrects when she sees the boys.

I rush out of the bus. Only Gage and Asher are here, but I don't stop to ask why. Not yet.

I throw my arms around Asher who is closer and hug him tightly to me. I'm laughing and crying at the same time and I see that he is doing the same. Gage pulls me off of him after a minute and spins me around to face him. Cupping my cheek with one hand and pulling me closer with his other, he kisses me fiercely. I quickly begin to kiss him back just as hungrily, a fire burning in my stomach.

He jerks back, though, as a spark shocks him.

"Am I crazy or did I just feel literal sparks?" He asks tentatively.

Asher begins to laugh at him and I sheepishly smile at him.

"Sorry about that. I'm still getting used to my new power," I quietly tell him raising a hand.

We are positioned so that no one but the two of them can see the sparks that race and dance throughout my hand.

"I'll explain later," I promise. "But not here. And where are the others?"

Gage and Asher exchange excited looks.

"We have a bit of a surprise," Gage tells me with a small smile.

Taking their hands, I allow them to lead me to the promised surprise. My smile grows with each step until it hurts to smile. I am just so over the moon happy.

"How far are we walking?" I ask after a few minutes of walking.

I know I did all that walking and should be able to handle a few more minutes, but my feet are still sore and bloody and hurt with each step.

"Not too much farther," Gage assures me.

"Okay," I reply with a calm nod.

As we continue on, I see that we are headed to the cabin. The forest, though, has changed so much it is unrealistic. Unless I've been gone for a century, this is impossible.

The forest is twice as dense as it was. The path is the only way through the forest and cleverly hidden behind various plants and a den of skunks. The birds chirp loudly over the sound of a nearby waterfall. My eyes are wide with awe and surprise as I walk down the path, certain that the forest's growth is my surprise. However, Gage and Asher pull me along, promising that the real surprise is still to come.

The only thing that really keeps me from stopping and gawking at every beautiful thing is the fact that the rest of the boys are waiting for me at the cabin.

Soon enough, the beautiful path ends at the cabin. But the cabin is no longer a mere cabin. It is a beautiful house, almost a mansion, it is so large and grand. It is tall and made of stone blocks with beautiful flowers growing everywhere. Smoke billows out of a chimney and I know at once that Boaz is in there.

Unable to contain my elation any longer, I bound up to the front door and burst into the house. Immediately, I am picked up and spun in a circle as Darkon laughs and twirls me around as if I weigh nothing.

Nekoda pulls me from him and envelops me in a hug that is both warm and icy at the same time. Next, I am given a quick kiss from William and passed off to Kolton who almost literally blows me away. He is so excited, air is just bursting forth from him. Boaz is lingering in the back, staring at me with awe and hope. His hair is no longer singed and his hands are gently burning from whatever he was doing. Boaz has finally mastered his powers.

I rush to him and squeeze him with a bone-crushing hug, so happy for him. For all of them.

"What is this place? What happened?" I ask, astonished by everything.

They all exchange looks, but it is Boaz who answers first.

"After you went missing, we all looked and looked but couldn't find you. One by one, we began to shut down and slowly give up. Gage organized us a bit and we threw ourselves into work so we wouldn't lose ourselves any further," Boaz admits, looking at me with his dark, expressive eyes.

"We decided if you ever came back," William says, choking up a bit. "You would need somewhere to stay. You very quickly lost your house. Besides, Asher still didn't have a place to stay."

"Seraphina went home and eventually moved with her family to a different state," Adds Nekoda.

"So we worked. And worked and worked and worked until we couldn't anymore. Until this place was perfect," Darkon continues.

"It has ten bedrooms, a room for training, a small gym, five bathrooms, a kitchen, and a large living room where we currently are," Kolton proudly declares. "I helped with !moving the heavy stuff 'cause I'm so strong."

"You mean, your powers are," Nekoda snorts, rolling his eyes.

I let out a laugh. I laugh so hard I find myself crying. Then, I find that I am only crying, surrounded by my boys in a large group hug as they try and console me.

Quickly, I try and put an end to my tears, giving myself hiccups in the process which leaves us all laughing once more.

I think it's safe to say I'm an emotional wreck right now.

But it doesn't matter. I'm home, I'm with my boys, and everything is better. And things are looking up right now.

• • •

There will be an epilogue coming soon and then a few bonus scenes! Once done, Hue will begin updating (somewhat) regularly. Still out of town, but I hope to get the epilogue up soon.

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Q: What bonus scene do you want to see??

A: Comment your idea, or reply to a comment to let me know your vote! The top three ideas will be turned into bonus scenes!