Ella's P.O.V

I was overheating. I couldn't think clearly. The beating was achingly pleasurable. The words were frighteningly endearing. His gestures were deliciously sweet.

I excused myself to calm myself down. Being near him as of the moment was too dangerous I might burst. The indescribable feeling was building up inside me that I really needed to cool down.

I walked through the parlor and maybe grab something to drink in the kitchen. I wasn't walking straight and as I was about to trip on nothing, an arm wrapped around my waist. But I didn't recognize those arms. It wasn't the arms of someone who always did that.

I raised my head to look at the face of the person who caught me as I was about to fall and saw a guy with jet black messy locks with his free hand up and staring coldly at me.

"I apologize for this." he said in his low baritone voice and sent it crashing into my nape, taking me out.

I felt a painful throbbing in my head as I came to. I opened my eyes and a dark wooden ceiling greeted my vision. Gone were the canopy and white ceilings.

I pushed myself up with my right arm while my left hand went up to hold my throbbing head. I was in a sort of cabin-like house. Woods were everywhere. Wooden furniture, wooden bed, wooden window and wooden walls.

I brought my feet down and stood up. I held onto the bed for a while as my legs wobbled a bit. I carefully walked to the door and pushed it open softly. The hall was barren and there were no noises. It looked like I was the only one there.

Why am I alone? How did I get here again?

I thought and pondered on my last memories before I lost consciousness.

I remembered I was playing a tennis game with Jenny, then a guitar game, then Jem took over for Jenny and he beat me. After that, I walked out because of my unsettling emotions and then, I almost collapsed when an arm caught me.

I gasped when I finally remembered the events. There was this messy jet black haired guy who caught me before I collapsed and then he hit me in the nape with his hands and that's when I blacked out.

Could I have been.. kidnapped?

I thought and I immediately panicked.

What am I supposed to do in situations like this? Ah! Ce-Cellphone..

I thought and quickly fished for my phone. I fumbled through my left pocket but none, then to my right pocket but still none. I reached for my back pockets but there was no cellphone too.

Oh Goddesses! I left it at home!

I shrieked inside my head. I paced around the room and tried to think of ways to escape when a pair of light footsteps invaded my ears.

I quickly dove for the bed and pretended to sleep as I waited for that person to enter. The sound of the door creaking open soon filled the room and his footsteps came closer. I heard him stop just beside my bed and a hand pets my head.

"I couldn't believe we would see you again." A voice, I recognize as the one who hit me, said, sadness dripping in his words.

"Say Alex, do you really have to do that?" A much younger voice than the first speaker, referred as Alex, asked.

"I'm afraid she would not come quietly, so yes, it was necessary." He said and continued to stroke my hair.

"But wouldn't she be mad when she wakes up?" The second speaker asks again. "Wouldn't it complicate things more?" a more feminine voice added.

"Rin, Len, Could you just shut your mouth for once? I'll figure things out when she wakes up. Right now, I want her to rest without ANY noise." he said and no response came.

"Anyway, now that we got her already. Let's return at once." Another manlier voice suggested.

At the comment I suddenly bolt up and made a quick sprint towards the door. Unfortunately, a man who seemed to be around my age but much taller than me, with light brown hair and dark purple eyes blocked my path.

"You're not going anywhere." He said and looked down at me.

I shivered as I backed a few steps. There were four of them and I was alone. Even if I try to fight my escape, I would be dead even before I could take a single step outside the room.

"Wh-What do you want wi-with me?" I asked, my voice quivering.

The man who stood before me seemed like he was surprised and he looked past me with a puzzled look.

"What's the meaning of this? Did you hit her too hard to lose her memories?" He asks whoever was behind me.

"Don't be ridiculous, Zyll. Of course I didn't!" The voice I think belongs to Alex retorted.

"Then why can't she remember us?" The soft feminine voice asks sadly.

"Yeah. I know it's been quiet a few years already but a mere 9 years would not be enough to forget a person, right?" A soft baritone voice, much similar to the feminine one, asked again.

"I don't know, okay?" Alex exclaimed exasperated. A pair of hands grabbed my shoulders and I was spun around. I was facing the 'Alex' boy as he bore his gaze at me.

"Do you.. really not remember us?" He asks softly and slowly. I shook my head, unable to feel my voice to answer him.

"Why?" He whispers and lets go of me. He turned to each of the person with him. To the black haired twins and to the light brown haired boy behind me.

"Someone must've erased her memories." Alex suggested and each held a look of disgust, hate and anger.

"Vanirs." they all mumbled altogether.

"Vanirs?" I finally voiced out.

They all snapped their heads at me as the expressions they just had vanished altogether in a single instant.

"Do you know about Vanirs?" I asked them.

"You.. remember the Vanirs?" Alex asked.

"No, I don't but.. uhh.. someone told me about them." I answered.

"Was it Queen Elise?" the girl of the twin, must be Rin, asked. "Or perhaps Lady Eria?" The boy counter-part, must be Len, added.

What? Queen Elise? Lady Eria? who are those people?

I thought quizzically and glanced at each of their hopeful faces. I felt bad but they needed to know that they only mistook me for another person.

"I'm sorry but I think you got the wrong person." I told them softly, hating to break it to them.

They quickly shook their heads and they seemed more sure and determined.

"No! We are not mistaken!" Rin exclaimed and pumped her fists.

"Princess used to play with us a whooole lot." Len joined in and pumped his fists too.

Oh Goodness! Now I'm mistaken as a princess.

"Err.. Really.. I am not this 'Princess' you are talking of. You see, I am just a common nobody. Maybe I just look like her a lot." I told them as I held both of my hands upfront.

"We can't be wrong, because you see too, our Princess was the only one with this mark." I heard the guy behind me, who I remember as Zyll, say as he pulled my shirt's neck hem's corners down too revealing my upper chest area.

"Whaaa-!?" I exclaimed and covered the exposed upper part of my chest with both of my hands. "What do you think you're doing?" I screamed.

I was not the least bit happy about being here alone with these four strangers, how they kidnapped me, how I don't know where on green earth's place I am, and how they casually touch me with all familiarity.

I only allowed one person, even though he was a complete stranger of a hero, to touch me like we knew each other for a very long time. I didn't know why I usually don't feel repulsed when he does so, all I know is that whenever he touches me, exploding fireworks of pleasure diffuse all around my body making me want- no, even need them more. Only Jem was able to do that.

I don't understand what's happening with me but I sure do feel scared when I think about it rationally. It confused me too that even if Levi, someone I knew just as little as I do to Jem, touch me sometimes, there's this feeling of repugnance looming over my chest.

I stared at Zyll hard- glaring as best as I could without making it look like I was pouting. I narrowed my eyes at him and I felt him cower immediately in fear and knelt on the ground with one knee as a respect and compliance.

I felt a series of thuds after Zyll did that and I whirl around only to see the deeply bowed heads and kneeling figures of the other three.

"Oh gosh! Please don't kneel!" I fumbled and knelt in front of them too. "Please raise your heads."

"We are deeply sorry for being over-familiar! We didn't mean to offend you." Zyll apologized, not raising his head to look at me while he spoke.

"Oh Goodness Gracious! Come on! I told you to raise your heads!" I nearly screamed as I stomped my feet childishly and threw large gestures.

They all slowly raised their heads and watched me pout and sulk. They chortled and then went to full-blown laugh as they collapsed to the floor having fits of laugh.

"Why do I feel that everyone's always making fun of me?" I murmured and continued to pout.

"You still really didn't change, Ella." Alex said and he looked at me kindly.

I turned to him, shock and bewilderment etched on my face.

"Guess you really can't remember huh? Then, I think we should tell you." He said and glanced at everyone for their affirmation.

They all nodded their heads softly as they huddled closer to me and formed a ring around me, keeping me encased in them.

"I'll go first." Alex said again and looked back at me. "When we first met, you were still about 3, I suppose, and you were still blanketed against the kingdom. People didn't know of your existence except for us and your family.

"You were a very isolated little girl but even then, your sunny disposition always prevailed and the smile on your face never wore off.

"I was a silent child and I stayed by your side silently. Listening to you ramble on and on about different things and then you'd giggle. At first I thought 'Does she have a loose screw on her head?' and I continued to ignore you.

"The day came when it was decided that I be replaced since I never really talked plus I always ignored your rants and they thought I couldn't really give you good company. I was on the garden, taking an afternoon nap when a wreathe of flowers fell on my face.

"I opened my eyes and saw your smiling yet tear-stricken face as you told me that you would miss me terribly. It was then that I started opening up to you. Surely I wasn't replaced but there was an addition for you, then came in these twins." Alex ended and gestured for the twins.

"Yes! We were added onto the list and we were sent to you." Rin first narrated. "Len and I didn't want to be in there but we had no choice. We were sold out by our foster parents since our biological parents died in a war.

"We agreed that to escape the place and the destiny awaiting for us there, we needed you to hate us. So, we did lots of mean things to you. Tricked you, bullied you, left you alone all the time and even purposely getting you lost in a maze at night.

"Every day, everything we did escalated to the point that our conscience can't bear it anymore. We confronted you and insulted you verbally again and again. Yet, you would just smile and ask 'Have you had your meal yet?' or 'Isn't it a fine day to play? Do you want to?' and 'Hey! What kind of game are we gonna play again today?'" Len continued and smiled softly as he reminisced those times.

"It was really perplexing but somehow, as you ask us those things, we gradually wanted to be with you more. Later, we finally learned to accept that being with you was the reason why we existed." Len said and smiled together with Rin.

"A year later after that, I came into the picture." Zyll spoke and I turned to him. "It was your 5th birthday when I was sent to your side. I honestly didn't have a problem with being with you always wherever you went. The problem for me was.. them." He said and pointed at the three and they nodded solemnly.

"Eh?" I finally voiced.

"You see this guy is--" Alex stopped when he raised his gaze and he stiffened. I glanced back to Zyll and found him smiling kindly. I turned back to Alex and he slowly smiled awkwardly.

"H-He has.. uhh.. inferiority complex?" Alex finished, unsure and hesitatingly.

"Well, I didn't want any competition so I did mean things, not to you, but to them." He said and casually shrugged his shoulders. "They were an eyesore to me and they always will."

"HEY!" I heard the three protest at the same time.

"YOU were a bigger eyesore than any of us." Alex claimed.

"YOU were meaner than any of us!" Rin added.

"I wasn't too mean!" Zyll retorted.

"WHAT?! Is hanging us upside down for a day not 'TOO MEAN' for you?" Len argued.

"It wasn't a full day! Don't exaggerate! It was only 8 hours!" Zyll quickly riposte.

They bickered on and on about their differences that I couldn't keep the laugh continuing to build inside me that I laughed so hard and loud.

They all turned to me and smiled before they joined in the laughter.

"Anyway... Why were you always.. uhh.. beside this girl, who you thought is me?" I asked.

"We needed to stay beside you because we are your familiars or guardians if you would call it." Alex said and pulled the hem around his shirt's neck down to reveal a mark on the left side of his chest just above his heart.

The rest copied his movements and they all showed the tattoos engraved on their chest.

Len had the sign of Air, Rin had the Water's, Zyll had the Earth's sign and Alex had the Fire's.

The basic elements?

I thought as I scanned their marks once again. I covered my left chest area where my mark lay and felt incredibly confused.

What did Mom say about my mark again?

I tried to think back and searched deep in my conscious for that one particular conversation I had with Mom about my tattoo.

**

"Mommy! Mommy!" I called as I toddled near her.

"Yes dear?" she responded and closed the book she had her nose buried into.

"There's some dirt here!" I exclaimed and pointed to the dark round mark in my left chest area. "See it?"

She laughed at me softly before she placed the book on the table to pick me up and placed me on her lap.

"Oh dearest! This.." she started and traced the mark with her cold soft fingers. "..is not a dirt. It's a birthmark."

"Bir..Birma?" I tried to repeat and tilted my head to the side.

She chortled once again before she wrapped her arms around me ad rocked us back and forth. "It is a birthmark that is passed down to our generations, kind of like an heirloom." she explained and my face morphed into one of utter confusion.

"Eli dear, no matter how you explain it to her, she'll never understand." My Father, who was sitting on the couch situated directly opposite to where Mom and I sat, commented as he drank his coffee and gave me a teasing smirk.

"I-I understand what Mommy said!" I exclaimed as I pumped my fists. "T-The birma is an earloop, right?" I asked and turned to my laughing mother.

"Never mind. You'll understand soon, but Ella dear, you must promise me one thing. Never and I mean NEVER reveal your mark to any other else. Not to one you don't trust, okay?" she said and smiled gently at me. I nodded my head vigorously in response and she hugged me tightly.

"Hey! Let me join too." Father, mocking hurt, complained as he stood up and strode towards us.

"Hehe~ Daddy too." I called him and opened my arms wide and they squashed me in a tight bear hug.

**

"I'm sure I never showed anyone my mark. So why?" I murmured softly and kept my hands on my left chest.

"Because we were rounded to be with you. It was no mere coincidence that all of the bearer of the basic elements was gathered in one place. It was done to guard, protect and be with you; the princess and last element." Zyll explained.

"Me? The last element?" I asked and turned to him again.

"Yes. You hold the 'Void' element." Alex answered this time. His face returning to his serious expression.

"Void? Isn't that nothingness?" I asked again. Somehow, I was going along with everything they were saying.

"Yep. You don't belong to any category." Rin said.

"No one can deal any damage to you too since everything around you is nullified whether you do it unconsciously or consciously." Len continued.

I paused for a minute, letting everything they just told me to process and sink inside my brain. A part of me wanted to believe them, while the rational one bombarded me with facts that proved them wrong.

First was that I was just an ordinary human. It doesn't necessarily justify that because I have this birthmark in my chest then I have this so-called 'Void' element.

Second, I never knew these people from when I am a child. Surely I can't quite remember anything from when I was a child but who does? If someone do, then it's just little fragments of memories and in those little fragments, I never saw them.

Third, they kidnapped me for Goddesses' sake, how am I to know if what they're saying is true and not just because they've got loose screws in the head? What if they really did just mistook me for another?

I really need to go home now. Jem is probably so worried right now. Jenny and Levi would have to deal with his temper.

"Look here guys. I hate to say this but you know, I just don't see it. I mean, you could've took the wrong person, which is me. I need to go home too or no one would make a meal for those three." I told them and stood up.

I felt their gazes plastered on my retreating figured before I suddenly felt myself halt. I had hit something really hard that made me take a couple of steps backwards.

I arched my brow and tried to pass through the door again but failed. I held my hands up and touched the space between the door frame and sure enough I felt something invisible to the naked eye obstructing my way.

"What.. What is this?" I asked rhetorically and pushed that invisible wall. It didn't budge though so I started to pound my fists heavily on the wall. "Why can't I go out?" I screamed.

"We're sorry Princess, but we need to return at once even if we have to do it through force." Zyll said behind me.

I whipped my head to them. The look of horror, helplessness and disbelief dancing on my gaze.

AHHH! I'm updating again! Had enough of me? hehe, I hope not. Please comment your thoughts on this story so I'll know if I did good or bad and maybe adjust things. Okay? thanks in advance. It's very much appreciated.

xoxo,

Halloween Godspell