•Azure•

The shade from the trees provided thick cover. I walked under the canopy of green, resting in the coolness it created. The air felt crisp here, it was almost refreshing to breath in.

The quaint forest sat across from Freemount High. It was a perfect place to retreat, take cover, or scope out the surrounding area.

It wasn't long before the edge of the tree line came into view. I could see a distinct separation where the shadows from the leaves ended, and the touch of sunlight began. The air suddenly felt warmer as the sun began to break through.

As I approached the edge, I was greeted with the view of Freemount. It was a grand looking school. It had a large parking lot that led up to a wide open space in front, and there were a few trees on the side that spilled into the courtyard.

The school was stapled in blue, a great choice of color if I do say so myself. The glass doors that led into the school had accents that were painted a cobalt shade, as were the outside walls.

My focus fell to the glass doors as a couple of students pushed it open and walked out. I felt my energy begin to shift as one of my blue crystal shards slipped out from the entrance behind them.

I waited patiently as it weaved quickly, but cautiously, around the few students loitering. Eventually the gem made its way to me- the cerulean color glinting in the sunlight.

I held out my hand in an open palm, and the crystal fell softly into it. The object was smooth and cool to the touch. I dissolved it, having no further purpose for the gem. Blaine had seen it, and that was all I needed to happen for now.

I took a breath and turned, walking back into the forest. I felt myself submerge into its cool shade once more as I passed by the various trees.

I retraced my steps to a clearing that was far enough from Freemount High to be hidden, but close enough to reach quickly. I let my senses roam as I approached. I checked for any nearby threats, whether that be earthly or of my home. However, I did have specific antennas up for a certain brunette vacating the area.

Fortunately, Cerise didn't seem to be in the immediate vicinity.

While I couldn't track her signature if she was covering it- which she always was when I was present- there was a chance I could pick up on the essence her crystal gave off when she used her powers. It was a good way to pinpoint the general location of an opponent, or at least limit where they could possibly be.

I needed time to speak with my boss. Needless to say Cerise's presence here would be disastrous. The little minx was clever and I needed to remain extra alert.

That in mind, I also allowed my senses to sweep for any Umbra. The grotesque monsters hadn't made an appearance since I arrived, which was surprising considering Cerise had been present for some time now. It was likely she had a system to take care of the lethal beasts, considering she hated any uncontrollable variables in her plans. However, I had anticipated running into a couple Umbra even if by sheer coincidence.

There was a high chance they were grouping together in order to gain an advantage in numbers though. The Umbra weren't intelligent by any means, but they worked to overwhelm. With both Cerise and I here, they likely wouldn't attack unless they're in a group of three or more.

While the Umbra were slow in traveling here, and it wouldn't be in large numbers, I was still surprised to not encounter a single party. But just like Cerise's signature, there was nothing to pick up on currently regarding the dark creatures.

Once sure I was in the clear, I lifted my hands and faced the small clearing I had chosen.

As I felt my power surge through my body and concentrate in my palms, pure sapphire crystals formed from the air. I watched as the sharp gems solidified together with a sharp cling, creating a full blue crystal. It turned and waded in the space before me. Its clear and pristine surfaces reflecting the forest around it.

I gently directed the gem to the ground before speaking a command.

"Call Vienna."

The crystal hummed in response. It began to glow a deep blue- flashing a beam that invaded all fields of vision before the light faded to a soft dim.

What emerged from the flash was the very image of my boss.

Her light eyes were filled with intent focus as usual, shining amongst her pale skin. There was a slight glow to her as if light was flooding through her veins and her blonde, almost white, hair was long and flowing- holding a wave like quality. She gave me a welcoming smile as she turned her heart shaped face to me and nodded slowly.

"Azure, it is good to see you," her even voice greeted.

"You as well," I acknowledged with a small smile. It offered me comfort to be able to speak with my boss. It was a reminder that I wasn't entirely alone despite being the only soldier in the field.

"I trust you're in decent shape considering you're still in one piece."

"That I am," I assured, "Although Cerise does present quite the challenge."

"How has your progress been since we last spoke?"

I frowned slightly at the question knowing the answer hadn't changed much.

"It's been slow," I admitted crossing my arms over my chest. "Cerise is a formidable opponent. While I managed to stop her from taking Blaine's crystal, it's nearly impossible to speak with Blaine without putting his life at risk."

Cerise was everywhere. I was at a disadvantage with her being here a couple weeks before me, but I didn't anticipate just how much of a problem that would prove to be. She knew Blaine's schedule, habits, hangouts, and the layout of the town. Anywhere I went to make contact she was more than prepared to dissuade me. She was always lurking, ready to attack if I exposed myself or tried to speak with Blaine.

Since we needed Blaine alive, I couldn't make any moves that would jeopardize his safety. I'd been able to hold her off that first night, but I didn't want to chance that same scenario again and risk a different outcome.

"I see." Vienna nodded slowly, "And her progress in taking Blaine's crystal?"

"Also slow," I provided that answer more easily. "I have a feeling she's too occupied worrying about me to devise another attack on Blaine."

We'd each been serving as an effective road block to one another. Neither one of us was making things easy, resulting in this state of nothing really progressing.

"I am concerned over how slow things are moving especially knowing Cerise's tendencies," I admitted. The more time that passed the higher the stakes seemed to be. It was like living with a ticking time bomb.

I'd known Cerise for awhile- or really I'd fought Cerise for as long as I could remember. We were pretty evenly matched, so we found ourselves pitted against each other often on the battlefield. I knew she wasn't a patient warrior. Cerise was cold, cunning, and highly intelligent but she was not patient. If I didn't give her what she wanted she'd soon resort to forcing my hand, which usually meant directly using innocent people against me.

Flirting with her- as entertaining as it was- only bought me so much time. I needed a new plan.

"Hm," Vienna hummed, "Have you been able to take any steps to reach Blaine's crystal?"

"I've been giving him glimpses of my crystal shards. It's not much, but it's the most I can do without alerting Cerise," I explained, "I'm hoping it'll force him to question the attack that night."

"Good," she affirmed, "Blaine needs to keep questioning his reality if he stands a chance at keeping his life...how long has it been since the attack?"

"A few days."

"And besides your crystal shards making an appearance in his life, Blaine has just been left alone?" Vienna pressed, her lips now pursed in thought.

"Yes," I confirmed, "He's very easily fallen back into his regular routine."

Which wasn't a good thing. If Blaine rested in ignorance, living life with no thought of the danger surrounding him- then his crystal would remain asleep and therefore be eligible to take.

It seemed Cerise had been weakening Blaine and keeping knowledge of his crystal power hidden- effectively making his crystal vulnerable and ripe for the picking. Now that Blaine had seen crystal magic in action, he stood a chance at awakening his crystal- but only if he recognized it for what it was. If it did awaken, Cerise couldn't take it anymore- that power would be bound to Blaine forever.

So the longer things remained stagnant, the better Cerise's position got. She needed Blaine to dismiss everything he'd witnessed.

"Your combined interference is likely stirring the power within him," Vienna reasoned, "But that will change if Blaine continues on as if nothing has occurred and you two remain on the outskirts. Cerise could start to simply bide her time and then strike at the perfect moment."

"Yes, and she's been encouraging this idea that everything that occurred was a facade." It hadn't escaped my notice that Blaine's injuries were healed after that night and that certain things had been conveniently placed to indicate a hallucination over reality.

"The Third Crystal does have a penchant for advancing time tables to her liking," Vienna noted. "Is there anything relatively soon she could manipulate in her favor?"

"The game," I muttered instantly. The answer flashing in my brain. "Blaine has a football game tonight. It would be the ideal time to attack. He'll be immersed in his human life."

"Then you need to ensure he can't fully focus on this game."

I nodded slowly, my brain already working out different strategies.

I needed Blaine's crystal to awaken. Unfortunately, awakening one's crystal wasn't a straight path. And from what I'd seen, Blaine was excelling at convincing himself he hallucinated everything.

That only left a couple of options. But if I could get Blaine to question things just enough, it would stop Cerise from being able to easily extract his crystal. The closer Blaine got to awakening his crystal, the harder it would be to obtain.

"He just needs to remain uncertain about the true nature of what he's seen," I stated, straightening as I turned to my superior. "I can make that happen."

"And if Blaine's crystal does awaken? Cerise might get more violent toward innocent bystanders in order to keep you occupied."

"Yes, but if she can't kill Blaine her whole strategy thus far is ruined," I pointed out, "I will have the upper hand in gaining his trust."

"Do you plan to barter or share this advantage with her?" Vienna pressed.

"Perhaps," I admitted, "But even if I offer her an even playing field, Blaine will start out subconsciously trusting her less. It's a little risk in order to protect the people here."

"I see your tactics clearly, but do not underestimate her," she advised, "Cerise has a way of getting what she wants, even if the path there was not what she originally intended."

"I won't," I assured.

"Very well," Vienna nodded, "I'll allow you to handle the details, but please contact me if you require resources or back up."

"Understood."

"Anything else to report?"

I thought over the chaotic past few days. I went over my mental check list to ensure I was addressing all that needed to be. These meetings had to remain on the shorter side due to the risk of being discovered and vulnerable. I wouldn't bring up issues that bordered on unnecessary.

"Nothing more to report," I stated. I unfortunately didn't have the luxury of time on this mission. The longer I was out here the more opportunity Cerise had to locate me.

"Then I will take my leave," Vienna said, "Good luck Azure and be careful."

"I will," I nodded, "And I'll update you as soon as I can."

With that I dispersed my crystal with a wave. The blue light dimmed completely and the image of my superior faded into thin air.

•••

I discreetly held out my palm, allowing my crystal shard that had just passed in front of Blaine to dissolve. All the while, my focus remained on the football field where Blaine was shaking his head and assuring his friend that he was fine. The wide eyed expression he was wearing spoke differently though.

This two second crystal reveal seemed to be working...I just hoped it'd be enough.

I pulled my attention away from the game to examine a faint, but familiar pulse of energy that had been calling for my attention. I had been attempting to track and pin point its origin all night, but it appeared to be moving rapidly.

It was definitely Cerise's essence, and it had been fading in and out since the game began. Her signature was still covered, but she was using her powers.

My mind whirled with the possibilities as to why.

I focused on her essence, trying to make sense of the speed and subtle fluctuations in her energy. Suddenly, her energy spiked and I felt a substantial trail to follow. I had what I needed to find her.

I scanned the crowd for Cerise's small figure, which I had been doing all night, but I was optimistic that she would unknowingly reveal herself while working before I revealed myself while working to push Blaine.

I needed to get a better vantage point.

I looked around the large stadium, trying to find a relatively safe spot that would allow me to view my entire surroundings.

This place was packed. There were tons of people here and I was becoming increasingly worried about their safety as the night went on. They didn't know it, but they were all residing on a battle field between Cerise and I.

The ideal spot would be away from human interference, but with a wide scope of the area.

My gaze landed on the announcer's booth that was slightly above the bleachers. Bingo. I got up and quickly made my way over.

I approached a crowd of people getting up on the way, and maneuvered around them.

"Pardon me." I nodded to a blonde girl, as I moved to walk around her. 

The girl glanced at me and did a double take.  Her brown eyes quickly went up and down my form. She then smiled up at me, a light blush forming on her cheeks. 

I smiled politely back, and then quickly walked past her. Human females were...unpredictable, especially with my kind.

I wasn't obscure to the female attention I attracted. It came with the territory of being gifted with powers such as mine. It wasn't something to pay mind to on a mission. Besides, tonight I was focused on a very specific, slightly scary, and not human girl.

I reached the announcer's booth and pulled myself onto the flat roof, swinging my legs up after me. At the top of the booth I had a wider viewpoint of the stadium. I looked around, taking in the scene before me.

People were screaming at the top of their lungs. They had horns and whistles, some were waving blue flags and other sparkly items. There were even some people with blue face paint on.

I switched to the opposite side of the stadium where people were decked out in crimson red. Their side was equally as enthusiastic and rowdy.

As I let my eyes wander over the crowd my attention was drawn to one figure.

Cerise.

She was positioned next to the bleachers, lurking in the shadow it created. She must have spotted me a second before I found her. Her amber eyes were already glowering back at me, framed by her dark wavy locks.

The advantage of surprise was no longer in my possession or her's. I could practically see fire dancing in her irises. That fire quickly morphed into annoyance.

Always so hostile...

I smirked at her and sent her a wink.

She glared back, her eyes narrowing into slits.

The deadly intent behind our stare was almost tangible. I felt my crystal energy stir, almost in preparation for the coming fight.

What was she up to?

After a moment, I felt the sound waves around me shift and there was a light prodding at my ear. My eyes widened slightly when I realized Cerise was reaching out to me through sound.

I was surprised. This kind of contact was usually used among comrades not opposition, and Cerise usually preferred action to talking.

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion at her, but she merely raised a sharp brow- her amber gaze daring me to engage with her.

Challenge accepted.

I completed the sound connection from my end allowing audio to flow between us. It was a faulty contact, rough and unstable. It indicated a distinct lack of trust from both ends.

"Cerise, missing me already?" I greeted cheekily, covering up my surprise and curiosity.

I could tell she was bristling, even from this distance. Call it intuition from years of experience in antagonizing her.

"Terribly," she grit out flatly.

The sarcasm was not lost on me.

"Look," Cerise sighed, "I've decided to contact you so we can stop this little dance."

"Ah but I so enjoy dancing with you."

"Then let's dance for real," she challenged, "Take care of this once and for all."

"Hm," I hummed. She was itching to fight and loosing patience it seemed.

She was blood thirsty. If it wasn't Blaine's it was mine she wanted. Luckily I took great joy in spoiling her plans.

"I don't think so."

"Why not?" She demanded, "We both know neither of us is accomplishing our goal with each other in the way. We should fight for the right to pursue Blaine and be done with it."

"I'm gonna have to pass sweetness," I gave her a smile as I watched her expression harden further.

"You always mange to be the most aggravating person in my life," she all but hissed.

"Aw," I cooed, "Your words fill me with warmth."

"Explains why you're always so full of hot air."

I couldn't help the smirk pulling at my lips, "Did you just call me hot?"

Cerise rolled her eyes, "If hot translates to an ignorant fool."

"All I'm hearing is that you think I'm hot."

"Well you're delusional."

"And you're in denial."

My smirk grew as I felt her energy begin to practically simmer in annoyance. She was too easy to rile up.

"I don't know why I even tried to converse with someone so clearly obtuse," she sneered. Cerise then straightened, her expression turning from fiery heat to chilling ice. "Fortunately I'm always more than prepared to deal with your insolence."

At that moment the lights flickered. It was so quick most people wouldn't notice, but I felt like I saw it in slow motion.

My attention shot back to where Cerise had been- but the shadowy corner she'd previously resided in was void of her presence.

I felt dread swarm in my chest.

"Disappearing on me are you? Gotta say I'm disappointed." I narrowed my eyes as I stood and began to scan the stadium for the lethal brunette.

"Oh don't worry," she chided, her voice echoing, "The night is still young. Unfortunately, this place seems a little unstable. But no need to fret, I've found a...creative solution."

"Is that so?" I questioned.

"Hm mm," she hummed, "Let's just say bright things are seen more easily in the dark."

I could feel her essence begin to pull back from me.

"Ceri-"

"Gotta run darling but I'm sure I'll see you soon."

"Wait a minut-"

"Goodbye Azure."

And with that Cerise severed the sound connection.

"Dammit," I muttered.

She had something in motion and I was worried I'd played into her hand somehow. My eyes went back to the game as I made my way closer to the field.

Blaine was looking to his players before he lifted his hands.

"Down! Set! Hike!"

The ball was snapped to Blaine before he stepped back, looking to throw it. He winded up, his arm moving to release- and just as the ball left his fingertips...

...the stadium went dark with a resounding shroom.

All the lights shut down, drenching the whole place in darkness. The people's cheers turned to panicked noise, reacting to the sudden darkness that had taken them.

"That's not good," I huffed.

I scoured the area for Cerise while letting my ears travel to make sure know one was hurt. My senses being heightened allowed me to see relatively clearly, even in pitch black.

As I pulled in different sound waves, I was relieved to here nothing immediately alarming. I moved through them, reaching all the areas I couldn't visually see.

"Where the hell is he?"

I came to a halt. My ears focused in on the audio flowing from a position near the end zone of the football field.

"I don't know man wasn't he just next to you?"

"Yea Blaine was right here a second ago."

Oh no.

I retracted my hearing and quickly felt for Cerise's essence. It was a spotty and loose location, but she definitely wasn't near in fact she was moving farther away...and so was Blaine.

I needed to get to them, and I needed to get to them fast.

The urgency bursting in my chest halted though as I watched an elderly woman almost trip down the bleachers. My eyes darted over the rest of the crowd that remained in complete darkness.

All these people were still in danger. I didn't know what Cerise did to the lights, but I had a feeling it wouldn't be as simple as flipping a switch to turn them back on.

As the herds of people began to panic, I knew I couldn't leave without ensuring their safety.

I moved quickly towards the elderly woman to help her down the bleachers, while simultaneously using my crystal to sort out any sort of emergency light or automatic protocol she might have disabled.

She may have bought herself some time sabotaging the stadium, but I was coming for her. Cerise wanted to play- fine. Game on.