Chapter 51: Inner Voice

MIDNIGHT

    "I see," said the wolf. "He... escaped, didn't he? I... I should have guessed. It's about time."

    The most logical thing to do was to report to Lambda after the transformation of Epsilon. The black wolf paced round.

    "Well, if he's out for Be- Rune, then very soon, that lizard would have been on it's way sniffing for any trail of magic it could find," stated Lambda.

    "Sniffing out for any trail of magic? He can do that?" cried Midnight.

    "Well," Lambda said after a short pause, "the Komodo Dragon has enhanced smelling senses, and with training to detect the faintest tracks of magic, I have no doubt that Epsilon can find Rune soon and be locked in a ferocious battle with him."

    Iota, once silent and shaken by the whole ordeal, cried out, "Is there a way to bring him back?"

    "As long as his bloodlust is high, then there's no bringing him back," Lambda said. "Possibly, only by beating Rune, then he can return to be calm, where Theta can cast her magic on him."

    Midnight and Theta were silent.

    "I shall see if Omicron could be of any help," said Lambda, looking at every one of them in their eyes. "While if there might be any other trouble, I expect you to call for Tresley, and he'll send me the message. If he is unavailable... I suppose that you should use your inner voice."

    While Theta and Iota nodded, Midnight stuttered, "I-Inner voice?"

    Lambda looked at the rest. "Go," he briefly said, "return to your duties."

    With that, Theta and Iota left. Lambda started to pace around Midnight, but, somehow, their gaze always met each other's. Lambda's steely grey eyes seem to study Midnight intently. "Now, Midnight," he said, "the inner voice I spoke of varies with each person."

    "You mean?" Midnight inquired, not understanding.

    "It's the voice of your soul. Everyone has it, but not everyone is able to project them. For example, a little bird who has been abandoned after feeling it's mother's love for a week. While all you can hear are it's noisy chirps, it's inner voice reverberates  within it's heart, wishing, hoping someone could hear it and save them. Often, I'm sure you have found yourself feeling that way in many situations."

    Midnight was silent. It wa true. Like that time when her mother was dead, and her father was so cold about it, she wished someone heard her lonely cries and comfort her. Instead, she comforted Wisp instead, and the young pup was incapable of doing so to her. Or the other time when she was upset on going for the Lone Quest, which she almost forgot at this point, and she wished someone else, like Shadow, would stand up to her and let her go with a pack. They never worked. They never heard her cries!

    "That no one... came to your aid."

    Lambda's voice sounded icy. Midnight knew it was true.

    "However, you can unleash that call, that cry for help," Lambda said, softer this time. "That is called your inner voice... unleashed."

    Lambda closed his eyes, and opened them, showing glassy grey eyes. Though his mouth didn't twitch, nor did he move again, there was an echoing voice that seem to come from every angle of the room.

    This... this is the inner voice.

    It was unmistakably Lambda's deep voice.

    "It is not only used to deliver desperate pleas, though often that is the use of our inner voice, the voice of the soul, but it can also be used to convey messages. However," Lambda said, eyes fixed on Midnight, moving his mouth as he spoke, "everyone has different ways to unleash them. This is the very first and basic step to magic. Unleashing your inner voice."

    "I'm nothing of magic!" protested Midnight.

    Lambda shook his head. "You don't have to be," he said. "Delta and Sigma started out clueless about magic, and yet, Delta is one of our most powerful healers. Someone's magic capabilities doesn't depend on their origin."

    "So... I can actually...?"

    When Midnight's words faded away to nothingness, Lambda continued, "Do magic, yes."

    "However, that would come later, only if you are capable to project that inner voice of yours, then it is time to continue to nurture the potential you have in magic," Lambda added, and Midnight nodded.

    Lambda started to pace around again. "How to project it, you might wonder?"

    Midnight was thinking about it, nodding furiously, her heart thinking, How I wish that I could prove myself worth to magic!

    Lambda stopped pacing around. "It depends on every individual."

    Midnight was about to question him, but Lambda continued talking, "Every individual has the will, the power, to do something, but often their inner voice cannot be projected, due to their shy nature, or the fact they don't want to seem desperate. Many factors make the inner voice unable to be extended to another individual, as due to that, it changes for every individual.

    "For example, mine is the fear that others would see me as weak. What hinders you to let go of this inner wishes? That is what you need to overcome to be able to release these desires, and that when you overcome it, only then can your heart feel free of any worries or restrains, and let it's voice tumble into the air, and it be known, as nothing else hinders you from saying it, or from it to be said, such as fear."

    Midnight was slightly shocked that fear dominated Lambda, but grasped the understanding easily. "It's that simple?"

    "It sounds simple, but it might not be as easy to execute," Lambda said. "Why don't you try?"

    The burning feeling in her heart, her longing to be able to perform magic, ached in her soul. She might have given hints to Theta and Zeta that she wanted to-! How was she being hindered? How?

    Then it struck her, that she would seem too desperate, loosin touch with herself.

    It can't be too desperate, it's only natural-!

    Midnight wa sure it'd work.

    Her heart was quick to lash back. Natural? Your wishes, desires, to become like one of them? Pah! You're no longer a wolf who stick to the rules of the Nyx Pack, Midnight, you've grown weak, ambitious, your mind poisoned by the words of those who reside here!

    It was true. All too true.

    I... but I-!

    She had no other words to rebel her heart with.

    "Don't worry," Lambda's voice suddenly said. "It's not as easy as it seems, and that for every situation, the requirements change, but I'm sure you'll do it fine."

    See? Midnight bitterly thought to herself. Even Lambda has confidence! That's not poison!

    Before any other thoughts could pass between her conflicting heart and mind, the panicked voice suddenly swirled in the air, speaking loudly, the voice echoing around.

    Lambda noticed it's presence before it cried.

    "Urgent! Epsilon is fighting Beta in the Dragons of Stone Hill!"

Author's Note: This is dim. There's no 'B' button there to bold my text. Ugh. Anyway, more magic concept! Yay! A longer chapter too. I might go on hiatus again... sigh...

Chapter 50: Potion Making

DUSK

    Could things get any worse?

    Dusk had to get lost, meeting Midnight again was great, but the attacks, the fact about magic, it was all so messed up. Then, she learned Shadow was an evil mage in the past, having meeting Lambda, who requested Chi to scourge through her memories to find out why Dusk lost part of her memories and what Shadow-Beta-Rune was up to. After all that, Chi was weakened and attacked, leaving Dusk needing to 'protect' her.

    "So, what are we going to do today?" Dusk snapped. She had escorted Chi home after going through the woods, picking various kinds of flowers and herbs, and then Chi asked Dusk to sort them out- as if she knows what's what.

    "I can't possibly be weakened anymore, Dusk, I need power," Chi said in a soft voice. "So I guess we'll have to make a strengthening potion."

    "We? You mean I," Dusk protested.

    Chi laughed. "I'll give you instructions."

    "I have no use for them, why don't you just wave your horn, chant a spell and get it done?" Dusk protested.

    Chi sighed. "See, Dusk, when I'm weakened, it's not easy to do things. When you create a potion, you use power in yourself to fuel it. It's not a fire you need, or moonlight, or something, to trigger it, but it's the magic in you."

    "So you're saying that I need to use my energy to power you up?" Dusk icily said. She was hating Chi more and more by the minute.

    Chi smiled. To Dusk, it was a rather sly smile. "Oh, you won't die, Dusk, it's alright."

    "Oh, yeah, sure," Dusk growled. "It's alright."

    Chi faced her. "Don't sound so upset, Dusk, it's not very complex, it probably won't require much from you."

    "Much?" Dusk snapped. "How much?"

    "Oh, not much, really," Chi said. "Let's get working."

    Sighing, Dusk agreed. Perhaps if that she strengthened Chi with a potion, Chi wouldn't be as weak and Dusk wouldn't need to protect her.

    Chi's cauldron was ready. The round pot was empty as Chi looked around for ingredients. Dusk found Chi eyeing most of the herbs she collected earlier. They were unlike Dusk has ever seen.

    "A pinch of powdered tree bark..." Chi said, passing the pot to Dusk and she tried to take a pinch, but failed. Her paws were useless to measure a pinch.

    Sighing, Chi strode forwards and measured the approximate of a pinch and handed it to Dusk.

    "Why can't you just dump it into the pot?" protested Dusk.

    Chi smiled sadly. "I'd love to, but for every ingredient added, a little of me is sapped into it. Once everything is complete, a spell is needed to fuse everything together, and it uses the power embedded in the ingredients to fuse."

    "So if I added the materials..." Dusk started.

    Chi continued, "While I say the spell, the power will come from you."

    "I... see..." Dusk muttered.

    "Anyway, let's not wander," Chi said softly. "A dash of salt."

    That one was easier for Dusk.

    Materials, one after another, went into the pot. Aside from the powdered tree bark and salt, crushed rose petals, fine cocoa, three coffee beans, such and such. The items got weird at one point, like ashes of a birch tree at it's first birthday, or the grounded molars of a dog at their 100th birthday.

    "Say... what's up with these weird ingredients?" Dusk said as she dropped a bowl of snake scales.

    "You mean?" Chi cooed as she reached out for another ingredient.

     "Just who burns a tree at their first birthday?" demanded Dusk. "Or grind the teeth of a dog?"

    Chi laughed. "The birch tree willingly sacrificed itself," she said, "because trees have consciousness too. Those who don't like their lives will decide whether to live it or just... die. It's complex for those who are new to this matter, I was confused at first, but if you delve into it, you'll understand."

    Dusk didn't want to. She's sure that'd make her mark her territories with too much worries next time.

    "The final ingredient," said Chi, passing Dusk something. It was a thin and semi-transparent elastic piece of leathery-skin.

    "What's this?"

    Chi smiled sadly at it. "It's... dragon wing skin," she said.

    "D-dragons?" stuttered Dusk uncertainly.

    Chi nodded. "Delicate subject, don't bring it around much."

    Dusk dropped the skin down into the pot. "OK, I'm going to say the spell now," Chi said. "Ready?"

    Dusk didn't get a chance to reply as the unicorn chanted. The soft whispers from her lips escaped and hung in the room, and Dusk felt something heavy on her heart. Dusk gasped for air as her heartbeat accelerated quickly, speeding, racing, and Dusk started to sweat.

    She blinked. The pot was glowing orange ominously. She inhaled, but her chest felt limp.

    All of a sudden, the feeling was severed. Blinking, Dusk looked round.

    Chi was mixing the potion with her horn to even out the solution. "Are you alright?"

    Dusk panted, but nodded.

    "Good," Chi said. "There's a clear spring nearby if you need to refresh yourself."

    Dusk didn't really want to part. She wanted to see the potion in action.

    Chi strode towards the potion, a laddle ready. Dipping it into the potion, she drank it, and the unicorn coughed.

    "Bitter," Chi gagged, but then her horn started to be tinge with orange.

    Chi smiled. "Well, seems like it's working," she said and uttered a spell. Glass bottles from the shelves flew towards Chi and the orange liquid filled in each and every one of them.

    Dusk didn't see what happened next, for her eyelids grew very heavy...

Author's Note: DARN I FORGOT TO POST YESTERDAY!! So, exams soon, won't be posting until 11th November 2016. Yeah, what an anti-climatic ending for this chapter pfttt...

Chapter 49: To Hunt Or Not To Hunt

WISP

    It took them a while to find a good place to settle. Mist had marked her territory and plopped down beside Wisp. "Now, we need to hunt," said Mist.

    "Should we?" inquired Wisp, not feeling particularly hungry.

    Mist yawned. "I'm tired, go hunt me a hare or something," she said.

    "Tch, as if," Wisp playfully said as he stood up and went off to search for food. As much as he didn't want to, the two needed to eat.

    Instead of setting in a hunting mood, Wisp decided to take a stroll instead. Losing his mother had been hard enough, needing to let go of Midnyx was even harder. Then, Dusk disappeared after they bonded, even if they had a lot of arguments, and then his father. Even if he doesn't really care for Darke, his father had been a pleasant break for him in life...

    Along with his father, the entire pack.

    The place they picked wasn't too grassy, more of a barren and rocky one, with dried grass here and there. Wisp didn't think that finding a bunny would be possible here, but he tried to search for one anyway.

    After all, he didn't want to lose Mist either.

    Wisp continued to walk down the barren hill, remembering that Darren, Terra and Escarda were just a few miles away, and that Darren was willing to help them if they couldn't fend for themselves. However, Wisp wanted to show the wolf that he was more than capable.

    More than his father was in leading his pack.

    There wasn't a bunny in sight, as Wisp has expected, but Mist wanted one. So did Wisp, but he wished for a drink too.

    How did Darren survive in the barren wild for such a long time?

    Hold on. The hill. Wasn't Escarda hunting beyond there?

    Wisp paused. Perhaps there was a grassy meadow beyond there, concealing prey.

    Darren was probably too upset about the death of Darke to remember- typical him.

    Wisp turned and ran towards the path he remembered to have taken to Darren. With luck, Mist wouldn't be dying of starvation right now.

    Wisp wandered around before actually finding the right spot. Darren and Escarda were talking about the possibilities of what happened to the rest of the pack. The wolf generals- probably Rocky and Nyxtryx already made out and probably made plans for an entire pack for the years to come. They laughed.

    Wisp didn't bother greeting them. He was sneaking away if anything.

    "Hey, where are you off to?" said a feminine voice. Wisp turned back and saw a brown wolf standing there, stiffly, looking at him.

    "Oh, Terra," Wisp said, feeling awkward. "Um, hi."

    "Yeah, so... what are you doing here?" she inquired. "Aren't you with your... soulmate?"

    Wisp stiffly laughed. "Soulmate? It's nothing of the sort... I- Is there food over this hill?"

    Terra shrugged. "There should be, we came from there, hunted there as well, but, as for now, I can't say."

    "I see, thank you," said Wisp and decided to head off.

    Wisp barely heard Terra say, "Be cautious and don't get lost."

    The fields were vast, tall grass sprouting from every inch of the ground. A few fowl sent shrill cries from the skies, but Wisp paid no heed to them. He had spotted a young hare between the blades of grass.

    Slowly... Yes...

    Wisp pounced, but the hare zig-zagged away, trying to throw Wisp off. He was getting frustrated and wanted that hare.

    Suddenly it disappeared. Wisp halted. It had jumped into a hole.

    Cursing the hole and the hare, Wisp slunk off. Just before he realised what happened, there was the sound of squealing. Wisp glanced back, a fox had the hare in it's jaws and ran off.

    Digging... Wisp cursed the fox and the hare.

    With those two around- and the hole as well- he might never get to taste anymore easily-earned food.

    Unless he stole from Darren.

Author's Note: Kyaaa sorry for not updating in forever! I'm horrible at keeping schedules oops... However, I assure you next chapter is coming in two weeks as scheduled! Sorry again!

Chapter 48: Transformation

MIDNIGHT

    Epsilon's laughter scared her. Even Iota looked shaken. "Epsilon! Pray tell what are you laughing about!" she cried.

    Everyone had stopped in their tracks now. Epsilon calmed himself down. It was his first outburst as Midnight had seen.

    "This is no laughing matter, Epsilon," Theta sternly said.

    Epsilon finally controlled himself. "Well, it's just that..." he said, laughing a bit more, "I've been waiting for this day... hoping it'll come..."

    Theta looked more than surprised. "Why? You know the extent of his powers, and yet...!"

    Epsilon smiled. "You won't understand..."

    Even Iota looked unnerved.

    He faced them all, and when he opened his mouth to speak, Midnight noticed something unusual.

    His teeth weren't like before.

    "Rune, ah, Rune," Epsilon mused, his tail twitching. "He thinks he can best me in magic? I who have trained underneath the King of Magic himself alongside Omicron?"

     Before Midnight knew it, Theta was growling.

     How is this happening? Everyone in the woods is locked in an unhealthy rivalry! Midnight cried.

    "Even Lambda could do little against me," scoffed Epsilon. "Rune couldn't even cast a spell if he wanted."

    "Epsilon! You've forgotten too much!" cried Iota. "You know that isn't true!"

    "Is it, dear?" hissed Epsilon, his voice dangerous and filled with suspicious sweetness.

    Iota blushed and looked away.

    "Epsilon, you know Rune almost casted the Rune Tower, he can cast spells, and even if you deny it, it is true," Theta growled.

    Epsilon paused. "I want to have a battle with him. A duel. Just the two of us. I, Epsilon, him, Rune-Beta and magic."

    Midnight looked trapped. This wasn't the Epsilon she knew!

    "T-that's dense!" piped up Iota. "Please don't do it, E-Epsilon!"

    "This charade has gone too far, Theta," said a low dangerous voice from Epsilon.

    Theta stiffened. "Your... teeth..."

    Midnight could see they were starting to grow sharper. Suddenly, the twitching tail grew, it became long. It was a long black tail.

    All of a sudden, Epsilon's fur all turned dark, and his hooves gave way, claws starting to form. Iota backed away cautiously as Theta's curve upwards. The majestic deer began to shrunk, and suddenly he was on his fours, baring his teeth towards Midnight and Theta before scampering away.

    "That's the real Epsilon."

    The lizard had skulked out of the forest, leaving Iota, Theta and Midnight frightened.

Author's Note: Short chapter. Running out of time. Not cool, sorry.

Chapter 47: Epsilon's Side of the Forest

MIDNIGHT

    Theta was running towards the flying creature. "It got Blaze! It got Blaze!" she shrieked, and Midnight was trying her best to keep up.

    "It's useless!" Midnight screamed, panting. "Blaze... has been taken away!!"

    She knew it's true. She knew Theta was concerned, but both knew that it was impossible to catch up.

    They know that it would be impossible to catch that thing, and once they step outside, they are vulnerable to any threats. Midnight's running started to slow down. "I'm sorry, Theta, we know what's going to happen..."

    Theta stopped running too. "Still... Blaze..."

    Midnight noticed tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry..."

     They stood there in silence, gazing at the sky. No longer was there even a speck of Blaze or the creature. Outside, the magical feeling seem to cease, and that the wind shifted, blowing the grass and their fur.

    "Why...?" Theta asked, and howled louder, "WHY??"

    Midnight didn't want to see tears, or more enemies. She coaxed Theta to return to the forest. At first, Theta didn't want to, but after hearing a beast call, Theta called Midnight to hurry up and take shelter in the woods. Despite her magic, she was not eager to face in battle with the brutes.

    Neither was Midnight, after she seen their power. The two rushed back into the forest.

    "What are you doing here?" a voice addressed.

    "I-!" cried Theta, looking up from her panting. She gasped. "E-Epsilon! I'm so sorry, I-!"

    "He asked you a question," an icy voice followed. "Answer."

    The voice seemed familiar... Midnight looked up. The magnificent white deer stood proudly, his long caramel horns crowning him. At once, Midnight recognised him as Epsilon. Beside him, a chestnut doe stood, her jade eyes glaring at Theta.

    "I was-! Iota!" cried Theta again, straying off topic.

    "Answer him!" barked the doe.

    "No, it's alright, Iota," said Epsilon. "It's been forever since one of you come over, except for Iota, of course, I'm glad you do drop by."

    Epsilon's friendliness never did waver. Midnight though he would chastise the two of them for trespassing, but that seem not to be the case. Epsilon was in his deer form, his regal and polite form. However... Iota...

    Midnight frowned. She remembered the doe apologising... right? Why is she so cold now?

    "Why are you here?" Iota asked instead.

    "We were chasing after Blaze," Theta explained.

    "Pray tell who this Blaze is," scoffed Iota.

    "Iota," Epsilon sternly said. "This may be my part of land, but they are welcome here."

    Iota didn't continue to ask, but hung her head down.

    Epsilon smiled. "Come, let us venture the woods. What worries do you carry?" he said. "I might be of assistance."

    "An outsider wolf... he was by the corner, the edge of the woods, and a creature carried them away," Theta said.

    As they paced forwards, Iota tried to keep pace with Epsilon, but he was interested in Theta's story. "Go on," he prompted.

    "We tried to catch up, but it had wings, the beast... It was out of a dark wispy material..." Theta continued.

    "Like beasts lurking outside the woods," Epsilon said.

    "Yes, those," Theta said.

    It was silent aside for the sound of their steps. "Pray tell why such a foolish creature would venture around here, and yet not enter it?" asked Iota.

    Theta shook her head. "I kept him too long waiting for nothing, he must have been starved," she said.

    "Sad lives, that they carry, like our friend here, Midnight," Epsilon said, remembering the black wolf, and she seemed to be surprised.

    "Secrets," scoffed Iota.

    Theta nodded slowly. "Not all is the same anymore. More secrets, more dangers..."

    She turned to face Epsilon. "Can I tell you something... Epsilon? It's not light, it can lead to our next war, and it be the reason to all our troubles."

    Midnight swallowed. She knew Theta was talking about the truth of Shadow.

    After a hesitant silence, Epsilon said, "Go on..."

    Iota tried to look uninterested, but it wore off as Theta said the words. "Beta has returned."

    "B-Beta!" cried Iota. Midnight knew she had heard stories.

    Epsilon suddenly stopped walking. "Beta..."

    He swung his head towards Theta. "You mean Rune...?"

    Theta nodded.

    Suddenly, the sound of laughter filled the air.

Author's Note: Guys, this one is a complete chapter. The ending is abrupt, I know. Also, I no longer am able to keep up with the story and studies, so I will be posting once in two weeks on Sundays.

In addition, chapter 45 has been updated, it has somehow been cut half way through at now the chapter is complete.