My Sister, The Chosen One

Sixteen

The Neighbourhood- Female Robbery

Sasha:

I'm going to need help with this. The last thing I want to do is ask for it but this is bigger than my ego. Not by a lot but it certainly really makes me think. I haven't been to The Venue since I joined the military. I used to spend my days here waiting for a job, waiting for life, waiting for some kind of answer. The only thing I got here was the money to ensure Breeze's future. Which wasn't all bad. I'm still not sure what it is I'm looking for but it always seems to lead me here.

Concealing my wings isn't a difficult task but keeping them concealed after having them for such a short amount of time is. They've made me stronger both physically and mentally. I felt like hell when the skin on my back lifted and when they began to sprout, it was painful. Once they were out, I felt... free in a sense. All of my thoughts and the tightness of my skin. It all went away. Suddenly there was space for me to stretch. Room for me to spread my thoughts out and organize them. They were the only reason I was able to get out of the spell. I'm convinced.

"Spade," the bouncer whispered when I stepped down in front of him. There's a long line waiting to get inside. That's odd. I've never seen that before.

"Marcus. It's been a long time," I greeted him.

"Not long enough, princess," he bowed before stepping away from the door. "Do you want me to inform him?"

"Let's keep it a surprise," I winked at him. He chuckled reaching into his jacket.

"You're going want one," he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, tapped the bottom on the palm of his hand, and offered me one of the two that slid out. Classy. I took it. "Would you like a light?"

"No," I answered blowing at the end of the cigarette he put to his lips. The end of it lit up as he sucked the smoke in and released it out of his nose.

"New tricks?" he smirked.

"You know me," I shrugged.

I tucked the cigarette into my wallet purse and walked inside. At first, the only thing I could hear was the click of my heels on the glossed cement floor under my feet. The second bouncer's eyes widen when he caught me walking in his direction. He bowed and quickly opened the door. The sound of the live music blasted out from behind him like an explosion. I walked through the door to find why there was a massive line outside.

This place is nothing like I remember. It used to be a bar for high society elders to come and go as they please. Sesshomaru's father owned the bar and the two of us were simply spectators watching, waiting for him to snap his fingers and give us orders. The new ace is not as traditional as the former one. There are neon lights everywhere. Stripper poles with exotic dancers twirling around them. Those who are here for the raw entertainment have no idea that there's a light entrancement spell coming out of the fog machines along the floor. The scent is pleasant.

There's a massive dance floor that lights up-right in the center of the room. The stage all the way in the back wall is massive with a DJ setup that would make a professional salivate for it. The screen behind it is on and the patterns on it only add to the euphoric aphrodisiac spell coming out of the fog machines. The weaker minds are completely engrossed in the music and dancers. To the left, there are curtains with bouncers standing in front of them. My guess is that they lead down to the underground fighting rings. I hope that hasn't changed it was one of my favorite parts of this s**t hole. The second tier above is where the VIP section is. I looked up to see him sitting in the middle booth surrounded by some of his favorite soldiers. There's a woman sitting on his lap. That's what Marcus meant when he said I would be needing a cigarette.

I went over to the stairs, the female bouncer stopped me before she realized who I was and stepped away. Her massive wings sparked a pretty blue. She lowered her gaze and apologized formally before letting me through. I smiled at her without saying a word. She's practically panting with fear. I haven't been flattered this way in a while. I had forgotten why it was I fell in love with the life. Why I was able to let Sess in the way I did and why I haven't been able to let anyone else in after I walked away.

They were all laughing as I approached the booth. I stopped right in front of it. Those who were looking down at the dancers on the poles were the first to quiet down. As the seconds ticked by the laughter all began to die down. The woman on his lap paled when her eyes landed on me. I grinned loving the effect I have on all of them. It took him a second to realize what was happening. The woman stood up without saying a word and walked away. He bent forward to look back at her as she tried to get away as fast as she could before he turned his eyes to me.

"Sasha," he grinned, his eyes scanning my body. I regret wearing the fitted black dress but it's been a long time since I've gotten dressed to impress. I might have overdone it. "Wow," he cleared his throat. "I had forgotten how well you clean up. Your hair longer,"

"We need to talk," I glared at the others.

They quickly began to excuse themselves. He sighed waving them off. There's a red mark on his face. It's coming from under his collar going up his jawline spreading over his cheek. his left eye, stopping right under his eyebrow. The veins from being electrocuted by a lightning fairy stand out against his pristine skin and even brighter against his pale irises and white hair. It's an instinct to want to take care of him. I reached for him, the tips of my fingers lightly pressed against his cheek. He hissed as I pushed the spell I used on myself when I woke up from the loop. The redness retreated slowly before fully disappearing. He let out a sigh of relief. I didn't remove them from the rest of his body but I can't sit here seeing that mark on his face. I couldn't do it then and I sure as hell can't now that I know I can fix it.

"Thank you," he took a couple of deep breaths. "He didn't die, did he? I wasn't trying to kill him,"

"No, he didn't die. Wouldn't be much of an Elder if he had now would he?" I smiled. He sat down across from him. Ericson isn't someone who needs to be taken care of. I wonder how he would have reacted to my using magic to help him heal? Insulted, I imagine. I know I usually am.

"Are you here to scold me? Tell me to leave your new boyfriend alone?"

"I didn't ask that when I started dating, Rey,"

"We both know that was never serious. Rey is a b***h compared to Redwood. Never really posed a threat to me and what I want,"

"He's your king," I reminded him. He smirked.

"Only because the Queen can't sit still long enough to listen," he scoffed. "If you're not here about Redwood what do you want?"

"I want to make you an offer. I need you," I sighed. I can't believe that just came out of my mouth. He can't either. The shocked expression on his face turned into a grin and he laughed.

"f**k. You must be in some serious s**t if you want my help, baby. This merits a drink," he waved his hand in the air. The woman that had been sitting on his lap came over with two drinks. She set them down without looking at either of us before she walked away.

"New girlfriend?" I asked.

"Jealous?" he shot back. I laughed. "I had to find a way to entertain myself after your little visit. It's my first time,"

"Your first time?" I asked.

"Being rejected," he shrugged looking down at the glass in front of him. He's moping. How cute.

"I walked away from you," I reminded him.

"You did. It wasn't a rejection. You were upset and I understand why. I thought you would get over it. It never dawned on me that you would get over me," he admitted.

He's dead serious. The confidence of this i***t is unmatched. I have never met another person like him. Sess has always obtained anything he's set his eyes on. Including me. Once he has his hands on what he wants he never let's go. Not the way I did anyway. The only time he bids any farewell is if what belongs to him is no longer able to perform to the capacity of his vision. I've seen him rip fairies apart for thinking about leaving this life. He's not a very tolerant man. It took me so long to walk away because I was afraid he wouldn't let me go but under all of that, I know he's a good person. A crazy one but he means well despite it all. For the most part. We all have our vices and faults.

"Why do you think I walked away?" I asked curiously.

"Breeze," he shrugged.

"And you think I would get over it and come back?" I asked.

"Yes, eventually she's going to show you she doesn't need you to protect her. She has to grow up doesn't she?" he picked up the glass drinking the amber liquid in it with a single gulp. He growled before putting the glass back on the table gently.

"She's very grown-up. It has nothing to do with that. You don't understand the sentiment of it,"

"No, I don't," he shrugged. He's trying to be rude but it's not working. Maybe because I know him so well. He's a brat. How could he not be?

I placed the USB Ericson gave me earlier today between us and picked up the glass. I took a sip of the whiskey in the glass and placed it back on the table. It's sweet. Delicious. His eyes were on the silver round thing between us. He took it before leaning out of the booth. He waved someone over and a few minutes later a laptop was brought out along with the bottle of what we were drinking. The man even shut the glass door sealing us in. The silence is a little disappointing. I kind of like the music and the ambient he's created but this is better. We need this privacy.

"What the hell is this?" he asked after reading through the file on there.

"That's a full pardon. For you and the deck fifty-two," I confirmed what's in front of him. He shut the laptop looking up at me.

"f**k," he grabbed the bottle and served himself a full glass before drinking it all and serving himself again. "What did you get yourself into?"

"A loop," I answered. His pale eyes shot to mine.

"You said that before,"

"I figured out how to break a loop in the middle of an Emblem battlefield. It wasn't training,"

The temperature in the room dropped. The glass around us began to frost over. I looked up at him to see his wings are creating a snow flurry above his head. The black outlining his irises began to fade until his eyes became two white marbles. Even his skin paled a few shades lighter.

"Who did that to you?" he snarled. His hands smacked the table between us and he stood up.

"I don't know. That's why I'm here. I want you to figure it out. I want you to bring the fire fairy that created that particular spell to me. Alive," I answered him. He turned around to look at me. His massive wings are sharp. He's beyond pissed. He shook his wings causing the ice around them to break and shatter on the floor.

"Alive? Are f*****g mad?" he yelled.

"Sess, take a seat. Please, it's been a long time since we've hung out. I might not want to be with you anymore but I still trust you. We were friends once," I reached for the laptop to let him know I mean business.

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself but it didn't help. He calmed down enough to sit back down but the glass around us is completely frosted. His leg is bouncing up and down and his wings are piling up snow on his part of the booth. I placed my hand over his. I released the warmth I stored inside of the void for this. I knew I was going to piss him off. He looked up at me as the warmth spread up his arm and over his body. The frost around us began to melt away and dry along with the trail of snow he had sprinkled along the floor. His color returned. He's a lot stronger than I remember. The size of his wings and the way he used to dress weren't the only things he's changed. He's grown a lot as a person. Not too much but enough for me to notice.

"You don't change," he pulled away taking the glass again.

"Well," I shrugged. That's not entirely true, is it?

"What did you do to me?"

"Warmed you up. Let's talk about this. I want to,"

"Have you talked to anyone else about this, Sasha?" he asked worriedly.

"They wouldn't understand, Sess. Not like you," I shrugged. It's the truth. He's the only one that I've ever opened up to and I don't know Redwood enough to say anything, not like this.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his tone gentler now.

"Yeah, I mean I am now. I'm centered. I have a lot to do and I'm moving on," I cleared my throat.

"Tell me what you saw in the loop. What part of your subconscious did it prey on?" he in business mode. I felt heat rush up my neck and settle in my cheeks. This is my favorite side to him. He smirked knowingly.

"I was home. With my parents. It played out what I'm guessing my subconscious thinks that my life would have been like had they not died. It was amazing at first. I was back in galleries. School. You were there," I felt my face flare up more. "But it showed me something. Getting everything I wanted, defeated my purpose. The attention I got took away from Breeze. We grew apart and no matter what she did, my parents never acknowledged her as much as they did me and she hung herself from the chandelier in the middle of our mansion,"

"Sasha," he whispered. I took the glass in front of me and I drank all of it. I pushed it over to him and he served me some more.

"I figured it out. Why it was all so improbable. I was standing in the middle of the Aldea. You were across the room and you were walking in my direction. I took my paintbrush and I pushed it through the center of my throat. I choked on my blood until I was able to gasp for air when the spell broke,"

"It sounds like a time-reversal loop. An alternate life based on the traumas of the victim," he took a drink. Not a big one just enough to clear the ugly taste the story leaves behind. "It wasn't set by a fire fairy. Water fairies set it. They used the water in your body to prey on the memories hidden in it. Were you able to determine the perimeter it covered?"

"It covered thirty-six yards forward and across in a squared formation,"

"Squared?"

"Mhm,"

"There are six water fairies who work for their military that can do that. Only two use squared formations. When you woke up, were there any signs of blood? Blood spells?"

"No, it was all magic. Powerful magic. Nothing else,"

"One," he whispered. "If I bring him to you when you're done with him. What will you do?"

"Are you asking me if he's going to come out alive at the end of this?"

"Yes,"

"He's not. After interrogations, Breeze is going to open him up. She needs his brain for weird science s**t," I drank again finally feeling the effects of it. "That's why I need you to go in and bring him to me. How you do it or what you do when you find him is none of our business,"

"Really?" he smirked. "Your orders?"

"I'm a Guardian. I can't give an order like that outside of the battlefield. Elder Redwood gave me the order. After your little fight, he deemed you worthy,"

"Worthy?" he laughed. "Of what?"

"Rivalry," I shrugged. His eyes lit up with joy.

"Is that right?" he laughed. "Well, that's flattering,"

"You're an i***t. You both are," I scoffed.

"What does that make you?" he asked mischievously.

"A dumb ass," I finished the glass. I pulled the cigarette from my wallet purse out and put it to my lips. I touched the tip and lit it taking in the harsh smoke. My mouth instantly watered with the familiar taste of the Aldeaian tobacco. I let it out feeling like I've been missing it for longer than I care to admit. "How do you know so much about the loop?"

His eyes that have been on me from the moment he realized I was here turned away. He's done a lot of things that have hurt me but I can easily say that this one I'm going to remember for a long time. I just poured my soul out to this ass hole and he's not going to tell me what it is he's hiding. What's going to come out of his mouth next is either going to be a vague answer or a complete lie. He might even change the subject to avoid both lying and vaguely telling me a truth that has nothing to do with this. I took a deep drag and ashed it out on the table.

"I accept," he cleared his throat. He took the laptop from me. "Tell Redwood we'll be in touch,"

"That's it?" I asked.

"You made your choice. It wasn't me and I am in no way indebted to you," he shrugged. I flicked the cigarette into his glass.

"Right. Thank you for making this so easy, Ace Airington. You will be hearing from Captain Airstrike in a couple of days. She's going with you. Leave her behind and the Elder himself will accompany you. It's in the contract. They're just there to watch and extract the target," I stood up popping the stress in my neck and my shoulders.

"Sasha-"

"No, I get it. I read into it a little too much I think. I got swept up in an old memory. It's not the first time it's happened. Thank you, Ace, for the audience,"

"Sasha," he tried to stop me from walking out of the window-door. I released my wings letting the void put space between us.

"Touch me and the little lightning bolt he struck you with is going to feel the same way it did when I took what I wanted from you in comparison,"

"Why are you mad?" he laughed. "You came here to put me in my place,"

"Right. Mission accomplished. Just so you know, what I just told you is classified information. If it gets out, I will be hunted. Rey and Elias will be hunted. I trust you with that. With my life and theirs. I expected the same courtesy. I forget who you are sometimes. It was my mistake. One I won't be making again,"

"It's not like that, Sasha,"

"You don't owe me an explanation. You're not indebted to me, remember?"

As soon as the door opened the music blared into the small space we had been in. The woman from earlier froze when she saw me walking her way. I walked by her without saying a word and walked down the stairs. The crowd opened up for me as I made my way to the exit. The driver stopped in front of the club and he climbed out.

"You need to teach me how you snuck out of the house undetected," Rey smirked.

"It's a void thing. You'll never get it," I laughed.

He opened the passenger door for me and shut it once I took a seat. Sess walked out as Rey climbed into the driver's seat. He didn't see him. I turned away as Rey put the car into drive. All in all, I deserved that. I probably deserved a lot worse but it doesn't change how I feel. It's stupid but I can't help it. I'm a selfish person and there's not a single thing I would change. I laughed at myself.

"You okay?" Rey asked.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Let's go home. I think I'm a little drunk,"