Death was heading straight for me, and I can't do anything to stop it. . . To me, it feels like time has slowed and the world around me has vanished. The girl I was next to is gone, Liza, Xavier, Mina. None of them are here. I'm watching the fist slowly approach me but I can't do anything about it. . . To often do I. . . Find myself in situations where I'm helpless.
Suddenly I snapped back into reality. A force had pulled me away quicker than the Tolu could land the attack. . . My shirt is wet. Looking back I saw Xavier a couple inches behind me.
" You okay?" He asked in an concerned and hurried voice.
"Was that you." Did he use water to pull me away?
Before he could answer we heard a crash from were the Tolu was standing, it's fist pressed against the sword of Mina who was standing in front of the girl with to missing arms. With Mina holding the strike back, Liza attacked from the side aiming to sever the Tolus head from it's body. As the blade was approaching the Tolu bent backwards and flipped back onto it's feet avoiding the attack.
" Dame." Liza was frustrated in another missed shot." . . . What the hell. Tolu's aren't supposed to attack our carriers.." Liza awaited a response but didn't get one. She turned to look at Mina.
The girl missing was currently cowering in more fear then when the Tolu was attacking as Mina shot her sharp glare of anger and hatred. Mina took a strong step and grabbed her by the color lifting her up meeting her eyes only inches from her face.
" I-I'm sorry." The girl pleaded.
" Again! You always get in the way!" Mina pulled her even closer as she screamed in her face, her eyes were full of rage. " Your only here to provide me tools to kill Tolu." Mina let go of the girl letting her fall to the floor with a thud. " Maybe. I should follow the example captain Telon set." Mina looked down at the girl with a look that even scared me, a look that would send anyone who cared for their life running.
" Mina!" Liza and Xavier called out at the same time. Liza was watching as Mina terrorized the girl but had to shift her attention to the Tolu who was approaching fast.
The Tolu cocked it's left fist back and swung. Liza took a step to the left avoiding it, but before she could follow up the other strike with the right came. Unable to dodge, Liza raised her sword to block the strike. The Tolus fist struck the blade at an angle causing the blade to chip.
" Ah!" I dropped to one knee as pain flooded my right side. . . So I was right.
" Cash!" Liza called out while dodging the Tolus flurry of strikes. A kick landed on Liza right shoulder knocking her to the ground. The Tolu went to strike her while she laid on the ground. Before it could land Xavier flew in landing a kick sending the Tolu bouncing of the ground a good distance away from them.
" Liza!" Mina marched over to Liza with an angry look in her eye. The same she had with that girl. " Why did you stop using your sword for defense. It's only chipped." Mina reached out and grabbed the blade and squeezed causing blood to leak from her hand. . . This girls crazy.
" Uh I-" Lizas eyes darted avoiding eye contact.
" It seems to work just fine." Mina removed her hand from the blade and wiped the blood leaking from her hand across her black top. " If you hesitate you could get us all killed."
Liza didn't respond. Her eyes found mine while I was still struggling with the pain in my right arm. She pointed the blade at me and a flash of light blinded me. After a moment the pain in my right arm quickly vanished. Another flash and my left arm was now gone.
Mina watched as the new blade entered Lizas hand clicking her tongue at her. Xavier stood at the front seemingly ignoring their the commotion going on behind him. The dust had cleared where the Tolu had came to a crashing stop. It was still standing with not a scratch,
"Xavier." Mina spoke loudly from behind him. " Lets end this." Mina walked up on his left followed by Liza on his right. A sharp smile appeared across his face in response to this order.
" Okay then."
" You think it will work?" Liza asked.
" As long as you two don't screw up."
The Tolu was still approaching with small but strong steps, it's mouth full of razer sharp teeth pointed at them, the soul less eyes locked on them. Mina dug her feet into the ground as if a pro sprinter was getting ready to take off. Xavier shifted his weight to his front feet. Liza followed Mina, digging her feet into the dirt.
Dirt exploded into the air as all three launched at the Tolu. Xavier heading straight for it with Liza on the move to the right and Mina the left. Xavier approached quickly and the Tolu cocked back it's right fist ready to strike him. Xaviers eyes narrowed as he focused on the Tolus movements.
The Tolu lunged at Xavier with it's fist. Xavier saw the moment of attack and leaped over the Tolu landing behind it. Another smile pierced his lips as he dug his blade into the ground along with his left hand.
Under the Tolus feet a blue puddle of water appeared suddenly. The Tolus feet sank in as water shot up like webbing being controlled and wrapped around it's arms holding it down. Being water though it wasn't vary tough. The Tolu ripped it's arms out and forced it's feet from the puddle stumbling back onto land.
Before it could fully regain it's footing it snapped it's body to the right and swung it's hand to the right. Catching the sword of Liza, it prepared it's free hand for a killing blow. Before a strike could land though, rose pedals filled the air blinding it. Liza in the converge ripped her sword from the Tolus grasp. The rose peddles surrounded the Tolu on all sides spinning in circles around it.
The rose pedals left the Tolu blinded leaving an opening for Mina to land the killing strike. Though, as Xavier stated. It showed intelligence.
The Tolu stood in the middle of the spiraling rose pedals, and instead of lunging out in a desperate attack. . . It sat, and listened. Mina rushed in for the finishing blow stepping in the grass, giving off enough sound for the Tolu to locate her.
The Tolu turned a swung it's fist in the direction of Mina, punching threw the Rose pedals. Luckily, Mina reacted and raised her arm in defense causing the blow to miss it's true target.
The Tolu felt it's feet sink into the ground once again. Not from Xavier though, well not exactly. After the puddle evaporated it left mud. The Tolu steeped back into it causing it to sink up to it's ankles'. It tried to rip it's feet out but it wouldn't have time.
Using the opportunity. Liza dashed in through the pedals and cut the Tolu straight in half avoiding the mud on her way threw. . . I watched as she emerged on the other side next to Mina who was laying on the ground staring at her with an envious look. The pedals dispersed raveling the split in half corps of the Tolu slowly turning to dust.
Even before I knew she had these crazy powers, I've always thought Liza was strong, she always put others above herself and helped anyone she could in anyway possible. . . This especially applies for me. After my grandma died she did everything she could to make me smile, not allowing me to sulk. She told me " Grieving is something you can do without allowing it to effect your mood." I didn't really understand what she meant but that statement alone shows the type of person she is. Always positive and looking for the bright side.
The truly magnificent thing though is, she never let's her ideals change. She sticks to what she thinks is right, what she thinks is most important and doesn't let it change. Most people who put others in front of themselves end up suppressing their true emotions until they explode turning them into someone new. Not her. She always says what she's thinking. She enjoys helping people.
Still. Even with that knowledge, I couldn't help but feel bad for burdening her with myself and my depressing mood after my grandmas death. So after I moved back into my own house in middle school. I promised myself I would never sit on the sidelines. In everything I did I would be the best at it to show her that she doesn't need to worry about me.
Here I am again. Watching from the sidelines.