From (PERCY'S POV)
I had breakfast and then we set sail. Cupcake and I left the house and went past the gate. He transformed into his mutant form and turned into a 50+ foot giant. I used my wind manipulation power to fly in the air and he gestured me to sit on his back. I patted his soft fur and as I sat we sped up. He had sniffed the letters I had from Aana and we headed towards her location. He went slowly, but his height and size made him cover long distances with each leap. He ate and tore any undead that came in our way and I handled the gifted undead. The road was full of them and I knew it was Axel who had sent them to slow us down.
I thought of Aana as we got closer. I wondered what Axel had told her to make her leave me. I felt sorry and guilty, but also hopeful. Maybe she still loved me, maybe she was just confused and scared. I wanted to talk to her, to explain everything, to bring her and her friends back home with me.
We stopped at a distance from them, where they were staying. Cupcake showed me his paw and I slid down from his back, thanking him for the ride. Suddenly, another mutant cat appeared. It was also a 50-foot giant, but I thought to ignore it as I knew my pup would handle a kitty easily. It snarled at us and charged towards us, ready to attack. Cupcake roared back and met the challenge head-on. They clashed like two titans, creating a lot of noise and destruction. I decided to leave them to their fight and focus on my mission. I used my wind power to fly over the houses and avoid the debris from the mutant battle.
As I reached there, I saw Aana standing on the balcony, looking at what caused so much chaos. She saw me too and our eyes met for a brief moment. She had no expression on her face, but I could sense her emotions. She was hurt, angry, confused, and maybe even afraid. She turned around and went inside, closing the door behind her. My heart sank after seeing her blank face which once smiled heartily whenever we saw each other.
I burst open the door with a blast of wind, startling everyone inside. They were all there They looked at me with hostility and suspicion. I didn't want to fight them, they were my friends. But they didn't seem to feel the same way.
I said calmly, "I don't want to fight you. I just want to talk to you. Please tell me why you left me. What did Axel say to you?"
Aana glared at me and said in a taunting tone, "Why are you afraid? Are you scared of fighting us? We know everything you betrayed us, you lied to us, and you are working for the enemy."
I felt a surge of anger and disbelief as I heard her words. How could she believe such nonsense? How could she think that I would ever do something like that? Axel had twisted everything around and poisoned their minds against me.
I said firmly, "You are wrong, Aana. You have heard only one side of the story, and it's not the true one. Axel is lying to you he always has lied to everyone, and he uses everyone for his purposes. He doesn't care about anything else."
Aana's eyes filled with tears and disbelief. She couldn't control her emotions. She said in a pleading voice, "Please stop it, please go away. I don't want to hear any more lies from you."
I knew she was hurting inside, but so was I. I loved her more than anything in this world, but she had pushed me away without giving me a chance to explain myself.
I said in an authoritative voice, "No, Aana. You have to listen to me. You have to come with me. We all are going home together."
They all looked at me with defiance and anger in their eyes. They were ready to fight me if I tried to take them away from here.
Hannah spoke up first, "We are not going anywhere with you. We are staying here ."
She was always the most sensible one among them, but now she seemed brainwashed by Axel's lies.
I said challengingly, "Fine then. If you won't come with me peacefully, then you will have to face me in a fight. Are you ready for that?"
Hannah smiled wickedly and said, "Happily."
The battle started and I was in the middle of a fierce battle with Emma, Della, Aana, and Hannah. They thought I had betrayed them and joined the dark side, and I had no choice but to fight them as they won't listen. Emma and Della stood behind, watching the scene with cold eyes, while Aana and Hannah used their opposite powers of fire manipulation and ice manipulation to attack me. I only used wind manipulation as my defence, and I tried to dodge their blasts of flame and frost. But they were stronger than I expected, and they soon overpowered me with their relentless assault.
I realized I had to fight back, or I would be killed. I gathered all my strength and unleashed a powerful gust of wind that knocked them all down. They fell to the ground, unconscious, and I quickly ran to them. I felt a pang of guilt and sadness as I saw their faces. They used to be my friends, my family. How did it come to this?
I used my healing ability to mend their wounds, hoping they would forgive me when they woke up. I knew they would be out for a while, so I decided to take them back home with me. Luckily, Cupcake, my loyal pup, had also finished his battle with the undead kitty mutant. Cupcake was a mutant beast who could transform into a monstrous form when he wanted. He smiled at me with his fangs as he saw Aana. He loved her just like she loved him infinitely.
I used wind manipulation again and lifted the four of them onto Cupcake's back. Then we set sail on our way back home. We arrived at the edge of my mansion, where I used wind manipulation once more to transport them into their respective rooms through the open windows and balconies. I didn't want anyone to see me bringing them back forcefully. as I didn't want to answer any unwanted questions. I felt relieved as they were all safe and sound in their beds sleeping peacefully.
But as soon as I finished one task, another one came up. I saw a couple running towards me from the street, looking terrified. They were chased by a horde of undead, who were the minions of the dark side. The wife looked pregnant, and they begged me for shelter. I told them not to worry, and that Cupcake would protect them. They looked even more scared when they saw Cupcake's monstrous form, but I assured them he was friendly. Cupcake ripped all the undead to shreds with his claws and teeth, while I led the couple inside.
Cupcake transformed back to his original form, a cute and fluffy pup, and followed me inside. I showed the couple the way to the hall and told them where the guest rooms were and told them to freshen up and join us for lunch later. After an hour, Emma, Della, and Hannah had woken up from their slumber, but Aana was still asleep. She was always a sleepyhead.
I told them the truth about what had happened and showed them Aana had written letters to me in the timelines before this one I showed them Aana's handwritten letters in her perfect cursive calligraphy handwriting as proof.
They believed me, but they were still confused and hurt by Axel's actions. They wondered why he manipulated Aana's mind making him appear as a childhood friend of hers.
But then what I feared most happened. Aana woke up with a scream of my name.
"Percy!" she yelled with so much anger that it shook the whole house.
She came down the stairs in a blaze of fury, literally. Flames erupted from her eyes and hands as she glared at me.
"How dare you!" she spat at me.
Her friends tried to calm her down, but she wouldn't listen. She threw fireballs at me with no mercy, trying to burn me alive.
I dodged her attacks as best as I could, but I was running out of energy.
"Aana, please stop!" I pleaded with her.
But she didn't hear me. She was too consumed by rage.
And then she collapsed suddenly on the floor.
I jumped and caught her before she hit the ground.
I was terrified.
What had happened to my Aana?
She had just woken up from unconsciousness, and now she was out again.
Was it because I had hurt her?
I held her in my arms feeling guilty for hurting her.