Jordan could hear his laughter before he saw him, the sound sending shivers down his spine.

He was leaning against a tree, tears streaming down his face as if he were drowning in his own amusement. Several large, bulging sacks sat strewn around, their contents hidden beneath the thick burlap.

Tucker and Nade were no where in sight.

This could not be good.

"Tom?" Jordan asked warily, stepping forward cautiously.

He had changed a lot since Jordan had last seen him.

Dark bags hung beneath wild and maddened eyes. Those eyes, normally brown, were now almost red. Jordan thought it may have been from the crying or.. something else entirely. The green palor of his skin had become darker, veins protruding in several places as if he were under great stress. His normally pristine clothes were wrinkled and his shoes were covered in splatters of mud and other stains that looked eerily like blood. He was completely different from the clean, cunning looking guy Jordan had first met.

I mean, sure, Tom was crazy, but this was on a whole new level.

Tom wiped his eyes, his grin still wide as he looked up Jordan, his next words surprising him.

"Yo Sparkles! Been a while!" Tom chuckled.

Jordan was taken aback, both by the horrible, rasping voice and the odd name.

"Sparkles?" He asked, as if unsure whether he had heard right. The guy was crying so maybe he couldn't see all too well.

Or he was just delirious.

Tom nodded sagely, though his twisted grin only ruined the image.

"Yeah! I mean, come on! Everybody has a nickname. So! I decided that you're like the little trail of sparkles following your little fairy." Tom's voice had taken on a mocking, childish tone. "Clever, right?"

He burst out in a fit of high pitched laughter at his own joke. His laughter, however, soon broke down into coughs, bringing only another set of painful laughter.

Yep, defenitely delirious.

Jordan frowned at the bent figure in front of him. What on Mianite had happened to Tom? This wasn't at all how Jordan pictured their reunion. He had pictured Tom being a little madder and less...insane.

"Tom? Are you okay?"

Tom tried to stop laughing as he replied, though his voice hiccuped constantly, as if the laughter was bubbling in his throat.

"I'm better than okay! Dude! You should have seen his face! HA!-Priceless!"

Jordan paled.

"What did you do, Tom?" Jordan spoke slowly.

Tom was bouncing on his heels, as if he was a kid eager to show off his art.

"Turn the corner and you'll seeee!" Was his only reply as he fell into another fit of laughter.

Reluctantly, Jordan brushed past Tom, towards the ocean, the echo of laughter following him as he went.

Jordan's jaw dropped. Had he really never seen this?

The temple was bigger than huge, made of gleaming white marble and gold. It looked like someone had dug up an old Greek temple and supersized it. Statues stood on each side of the entryway, taller than the building itself and holding large swords at attention in front of them. Their faces were neutral despite the dresses they were wearing. Who knew togas could be so intimidating? Hedges twisted in intricate patterns in the courtyard, their dark color seeming to only brighten the already gleaming pillars of the massive temple. Ancient texts, patterns, and glyphs were twisted into the walls in what seemed to be pure gold, making the building both beautiful and blinding. Odd, bright blue crystal blocks floated in a three by three box on each side amidst the hedges, giving the place an even more otherworldly look. It was in the middle of the water, connected to land by a bridge that looked to have been made by human hands, unlike the structure itself.

From where Jordan was standing, he could see a large statue of an eagle in the center of the temple, revealed by the open entryway.

Despite the size of the temple, however, Jordan spotted the destruction immediately.

The same, twisted red rock Jordan had seen at Declin's now crawled up the walls and pillars of the beautiful marble like a parasite. The marble around the rock looked as though it has been charred.

On the roof, Mianite's name was stretched across in obsidian black, a stark contrast to the white surrounding it. However, where the 'M' once was, the parasitic rock had twisted around it, making it read 'DIANITE'.

Not only that, but Jordan could see a phalice etched into the once beatifully painted ceiling as well as several large chunks of gold that had been stripped from the lower parts of the temple walls.

A couple hedges were even on fire.

Oh deer.

"Thomas! I'm going to f*cking murder you this time!" Jordan flinched as Tucker's spiteful voice echoed over the bridge Tucker was now stomping across towards Jordan.

Jordan stared wide-eyed as Tucker marched past Jordan without so much as glancing at him. His eyes widened as he noticed Tucker's sword was drawn, hands shaking in anger. Sonja wasn't far behind, pausing beside Jordan.

"Tucker..." Jordan whispered, horrified as he turned to look after him.

"He better freaking kill that bastard." Jordan heard Sonja mutter ruefully behind him.

"He wouldn't actually kill Tom, right?" Jordan asked hesitantly, turning to Sonja whose arms were crossed and looked properly pissed.

Sonja looked at Jordan as if he'd asked something stupid before walking after Tucker, the sounds of shouting eminating from the area.

"-motherf*cker! You promised you understood the rules!"

Jordan gaped as he came upon the scene. Tom's sword and armor lay abandoned in a heap on the ground while Tucker had Tom himself pinned to the tree he had been leaning against, a sword to his throat as Tucker ranted furiously. Tom, however, was still giggling ludicrously in that soft, high-pitched tone that gave Jordan chills.

However, Jordan was not going to watch this.

"Tucker! Let him go!" Jordan spoke up, his voice braver than he felt as he dtepped forward.

"Back off, Jordan! You don't understand what this idiot has done." Tucker's attention was completely on Tom who still seemed strangely giddy.

"He played a stupid prank, so what? It can be cleaned up, right? I'll help!" Jordan pleaded.

Honestly, Jordan couldn't see the big deal. Mianite could probably snap his fingers and fix it in an instant. If a dying goddess could bring Jordan from the brink of death, then surely the all powerful god could fix a prank?

After a moment of silence, Tucker let go of Tom, allowing him to sag to the bottom of the tree, which he did with little to no resistance. For safe measure, Tucker stepped harshly on Tom's leg and kept it there, causing Jordan to flinch. Tom winced, but otherwise seemed unaffected, even grinning despite the pain, murmuring softly to himself in a sing-song voice.

"Do you realize how hard it is to be given a giant temple full of gold to guard while doing our other duties to Mianite?" Tucker began, catching Jordan off guard.

"Uh, no.." Jordan scratched his head, "But it's just a temple!" He begged "Why would Mianite force you guys to protect his gigantic temple? Can't he protect it himself?"

All though, honestly, when Jordan thought about it, so far, he hadn't seen Mianite lift a finger, much less seen him. Sure, the guy had talked to him, so he definitely had the power to contact them. So why couldn't he smite Tom himself?

However, Tucker was shaking his head.

"That would be true, however, this is the freaking great temple of Mianite that connects to every temple in the world."

Jordan was taken aback. "What?"

"Basically Jordan," Sonja interjected, "whatever sh*t happens to this one affects the ones on the outside. In other words, it means a lot. And Mianite can thus, by some godly rule, not do sh*t. If he does something to Tom, it will give Dianite an excuse to wreak havoc." Sonja explained, causing Jordan to glance back at her. Her tail stood rigid behind her, looking for all the world like a fake one if Jordan hadn't known better.

"It's not something I can just pass off as a silly prank." Tucker's voice was low. "He knows the consequence and did it anyways! Now all of the temples have been desecrated. It will send people into a panic. This is.. this is a decleration of war, Jordan."

Tom suddenly began to giggle, and Tucker only pressed his foot down further.

Jordan's eyes caught something move behind Tom.

"No, no, no Jeriicho." Tom finally spoke up, his voice strangely calm.

Nade had appeared behind Tom.

Jordan's stomach began to sink as he realized what was about to happen.

Sh*t!

"This is a declaration of war!" He grinned.

Jordan cried out desperately, but Nade had raised the gleaming sword just as Tucker began to turn.

And plunged it through Tucker's chest.

"No!" Jordan heard Sonja cry out.

His ears began to ring.

For a moment, Tuckers face was full of confusion. Then, Jordan watched as Tucker looked down in almost fascinated horror at the silvery tip of death protruding through his chest, coated in his own blood.

He tried to speak, but only a gurgle came out. Sonja screamed, rushing towards Tucker as he began to crumple, Tom having removed his foot out from under him.

"Whoops!" Tom was giggling gleefully, muttering to himself in a cheerful voice.

Jordan couldn't tear his eyes off of Tom.

The man who had saved his life.

Jordan shook his head, he didn't want to look.

No.

This was not happening.

This can't be happening.

However, no matter how hard he tried to block it out, Tom's laughter crushed every hope Jordan had.

He had only known Tucker for weeks, but that was more than he'd spent with any person in years. He had once hated the thought of living with people, but now he felt like a large part of himself was dying with Tucker.

Sonja's knees buckled, her eyes not leaving the fading ones of Tucker as she gripped his hand. Her body was completely stiff, her tail limp and lifeless behind her. However, there were no tears. She simply stared, her eyes glazed as if she couldn't see him. As if she didn't want to see him. He tried to smile up at her, as if wanting to reassure her, but it only revealed bloody teeth. She sucked in a painful gasp at the sight.

Nade strut forward, chuckling nonchalantly.

"Excuse me." He spoke loudly as he walked up next to Sonja. "But I believe your boyfriend has something of mine."

With one, fluid movement, he pulled the sword from Tucker's chest, causing a spray of bright red. Jordan nearly threw up as several large drops hit him. Sonja, however, had gotten the worst of it, and this seemed to have finally broken her.

Jordan wanted to run to her, comfort her, but he couldn't move. He was frozen in place, his chest aching as though someone had punched him repeatedly.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

This wasn't normal.

Back in his forest, these things never happened. The most heated things ever got was when he began arguing with himself. He never determined who won, but that's besides the point.

This is why he had never wanted to leave, why he had never wanted to grow attached to anyone. It only caused pain. Unbearable, never-ending pain that followed you for the rest of your life like a ghost.

Like Jerry.

But losing Jerry hadn't been like this.

Jordan watched as Nade lifted the sword again, saw his line of sight.

He was going to kill Sonja.

Jordan wasn't sure how it happened, but somehow he had drawn his sword, the gleaming tip pointing towards Nade.

He couldn't think, even though his vision was strangely clearer than it had ever been, strength encompassing his body as he began to walk towards Nade.

Justice.

That word echoed in his head, multiplying until it filled every part of Jordan's body.

Bring justice.

Jordan sped up.

Justice!

Jordan drew back his sword.

Nade looked up at Jordan in surprise. Fear flickering across his face.

JUSTICE.

"Jordan?"

But Jordan was gone.

There was just the blade and that one word.

JUSTICE.

"Dude, what do you think you're doing? Why don't you just hang ba-" Nade began to step back, chuckling nervously.

Suddenly his eyes widened.

"You're eyes! What's wrong with your-"

And Nade was silent.

But Jordan only felt stronger, better than he'd ever felt in his life.

Despite himself, a grin formed on his lips. He felt powerful, his body so lighthe felt like he could fly.

He ignored the voices yelling. Ignored everything.

Ianite had told him how she ached to bring balance, but she never talked about how amazing it felt. The feeling was addicting. Despite himself, he felt his grin grow wider, and he began to chuckle. Softly at first, but slowly growing louder. Louder and louder.

Why wouldn't she want this for him?

He could get used to this.

He wanted more.

More power.

More balance.

Jordan turned towards Tom who was staring at him, his face devoid of any emotion.

Kill him!

How could Tom be so emotionless? One of his friends was dead and the other was following him with every raspy breath. The very thought only fueled his anger.

He broke the balance! Kill him!

Jordan raised his sword.

JUSTICE.

"You would have made a good Dianitee." Tom said quietly.

This froze Jordan in place, shattering the thoughts swelling up in his head.

He could see it now. What he had mistaken for emotionlessness in Tom's face had actually been acceptance, his eyes faded back to their normal brown.

He had wanted Jordan to kill him.

Jordan's vision began to clear, and he wished it hadn't. He wished he never had to open his eyes again.

He was surrounded in carnage.

Tucker had gone limp and Sonja was screaming. Nade lay crumpled behind her, a pool of crimson flowing from a deep gash across his chest. His eyes stared up, still full of surprise and fear.

Jordan wanted to throw up, to scream or to cry.

But that was the horrible part.

It still felt good.

"I- I-.." Jordan stuttered, his voice choking up.

His legs buckled, staring horrified at the ground before him, his hands clutching his head.

What was happening to him?

He had just killed someone!

He had fought people before, but it had never felt so... one-sided. And normally the people he fought lived to tell the tale. He had never...killed anyone.

"Calm down, Jordan. There is no more need for sorrow."

Jordan frowned.

Tom?

No.

That wasn't Tom.

Jordan looked up, but Tom was looking behind Jordan, his body temsed and eyes wide.

Jordan turned slowly to see what Tom was looking at, and his heart froze.

"My Lady?"

A / N

-3-

Hai.

You guys probably hate me.

But that's okay!

You're about to hate me more!

Because that whole "school will give me a good excuse to procrastinate and write" was a horrible... horrible lie.

I don't even have time to procrastinate any more XD.

So I apologize, but chapter releases will be EVEN SLOWER.

I understand if you give up.

But i won't ;)

I'll write every spare moment I get.

And I won't be this busy next semester, so hold on to your butts fellas.

We may finish this story yet.

So I can start one on season 2! :D

I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes. I write this on my phone and I was rushing to finish this for you guys. ;)

Oh, and btw. I don't know if it's a glitch or something, but for some reason I keep getting updates for every single thing some random person does on Wattpad...

And all they do is read 1D fanfic so it's kinda weird.

Welp.

See ya soon...

Hopefully.

~TuRtLe