Fight! Again!

Sitting on top of a floating rock, before we fall back down, I stared at the landscape around. The, already, collapsing castle is now in complete shambles, the battleground is split in the middle and the bodies have been unceremonious, falling in there every time Kefi moved. 

The three are nowhere to be seen and Aurora is still asleep on my lap. 

I sighed. When I told Kefi to show that she wasn't one to be messed with, this wasn't what I expected to happen. 

                  ___________________

A few minutes earlier,

"Hey! Come here and tell me what you just found out!" Kefi shouted at them but they only gave us a slight smile, by 'they' I mean Jasmine, and went back to talking. 

"They really respect you, don't they?" I couldn't help but tease Kefi, it's entertaining. 

"I get it now, this is the reason why everyone looks down on me. It is because I let them do nonsense like this." 

"Sure. But it is also attributed to the age of your host, isn't it? Just get used to it, Kefi." I tried to reassure her. "Once I get older, they will just naturally learn to treat us differently."

"Age has nothing to do with this, Meraki. They respect that they fear. That's the best way humans operate." 

"No. I really think age has something to do with this."

"Meraki. Meraki." She shook our head in disapproval like she was talking to a child. "No matter your age, you need to teach people to respect you. Once they are allowed to get away with the way they treat you, they will forever look down on you."

"I don't think-"

"Now, just watch and learn as I demonstrate to you what absolute power is like." 

"Ki-"

Kefi dug our right hand into the ground and tensed our fingers up. At that moment, the ground cracked beneath the three of them. This sudden change made them turn their attention back to us. 

With a bright smile, Kefi twisted our hand under the ground the cracks began to split to form a wide chasm starting from where our hand is to them. 

What the-?

The ground shook and groaned as it began to shift to break apart. Rose and Jasmine managed to steady themselves as the split happened, separating them to opposite sides, but Caris fell down the opening. 

Kefi seemed to busy laughing to notice, so I brought it to her attention.

"Kefi. I think Caris fell in."

"Really?" Kefi stopped laughing and glanced down the chasm at our side. "Oh well. He might be missed."

I turned my attention to Aurora, making sure she was ok and she was, fortunately, still sleeping. 

"What do you think you're doing?!" Rose shouted at us as she fumed with rage.

"What does it look like?" Kefi shouted back, amusement dancing in her voice. 

"I'm going to kill her." Rose tried to reach for the sword on her waist to only grasp air. 

"Did you forget that your sword is broken?" Jasmine asked, raising an eyebrow at her. 

"Right. I'll just have to stab her with the dagger again then."

"Rose!"

"What? We know that she isn't going to die from the poison. We'll just injure her a little bit." 

"Aurora will kill you. Remember how she reacted when Meraki was even in danger of being injured. Do you want to put her through that again?"

"I don't care. Does this look like the time to be worrying about Aurora? We almost died. Because of her."

"You know I can hear you right?" Kefi shouted to them, but she is still filled with glee over the fear that radiated off of both of them. I guess she can feel that too.

"She's dangerous. Just stab her to the point of immobility and it'll be fine."

"Are you challenging me?! Let's go!"

"Sure!"

"Rose!" Jasmine shouted at her, glaring. 

"What? If she agrees then it is like training practice. Right? Since both sides agree."

"You are much older than her and you are behaving like this? You know we don't accept duel requests from those younger than us." 

"She isn't younger than us. You know that right?"

"Rose." 

"Fine. I will properly challenge her to a duel and see. If she agrees then you can't do anything about it. OK?"

"Even if I say no, you will still go ahead with it, your incorrigible."

"I'll take that as an ok. Hey, you! Wanna duel?" Rose shouted at us, clearly enjoying herself.

Kefi took a deep breath in to answer but I stopped her midway through her shout.

"No," I said, to Kefi my other hand still resting on Aurora's head. 

"Ehhhh? You're no fun."

"You can have fun without moving." 

"Oh~ Right. Good idea. Hey, You! Meraki says 'no' so no duel!" 

Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

"What?! Just say yes and let me beat you to a pulp!"

"Meraki says 'no' so it's a no! But! Why don't you come here and try to touch me! I promise I won't even move!"

"Kefi, what are you-"

"Shhhh."

"What are you talking about?!" Rose shouted back, getting more and more agitated.

"If you can touch me, I will do one thing you wish! If not, you will have to treat me as an equal, not a child! Ok?"

"How can I treat you as an equal if you behave like this?" 

"Those are my conditions! Well, if you are really up for it that is! You can give up now, I'll take it as you surrendering and that you agree to what I say! Simple." Kefi shrugged her shoulders, "Either way I lose nothing!"

"No way in hell! Fine, I accept!"

"Rose!"

"I already accepted! We can't have me going back on my word now can we, Jasmine?" She said in a teasing tone while Jasmine continued to drill holes into her head with her frown.

There's something so comical about three people shouting something to each other from different ends of a chasm.

"How many minutes?" Rose asked. 

"You tell me. Take however long you need to so that you can ensure your victory."

"This little … Ok! One minute!"

"Wouldn't ten minutes be better?!" Kefi continued to tease her further. 

"Even one minute is too long! But I am giving you time to be able to process the shock you'll feel after seeing my skills!" 

"Sure! Miss 'someone who just collapsed'!"

"I was tired and all this was for you!"

"Sure! If you say so! Ok, let's start!"

"I Live!" Caris jumped out of the chasm to be right beside Rose, arms open wide and a bright smile on his face.

"Oh, you're alive," I said, seeing him unharmed. 

"Just the reaction I expected. You're doing great Meraki."

"Tch." Kefi clicked our tongue and turned away from him with disappointment. 

"Again, perfect reactions every time." He laughed, "Incredible how you two are."

"Oh, now I'm incredible? I thought you only thought that of Meraki, pedo!"

"Strong, childish words coming from such an old spirit. I just can't wait to bring you down one day!"

"Why wait for that one day when you can do it now! Join that woman in the game we are playing. You can join too." She pointed to Jasmine who only shook her head. 

"What do I get if I win?!"

"I will grant you one thing. But if I win, you are obligated to treat me the same way as everyone else is being treated. And by me, I mean, Meraki and I."

"Hmmmm~ Sure!" Caris agreed to it quickly and Rose begged Jasmine to join, which she did in the end. 

"Are you sure you can do this? It's three people against one." 

"Come on. Trust me, Meraki. I just want to show off a little bit too. We won't get hurt, I promise."

"It's not you I'm worried about," I said, looking at the three plotting their plans. Aurora teleported them to the side Jasmine was in. 

Kefi burst into laughter, "Don't worry, I will make sure to go easy on them. Let's just have fun for now. We've been asleep for too long. I feel dull." 

"Ready?!" Rose called out, as Jasmine created a kind of timer in the sky with her threads.

Sixty seconds. 

"Ready!" Kefi answered cheerfully.

"Then, let's go."

___________________

"What do you think, Meraki? I am extraordinary aren't I?" Kefi shouted, arms outstretched. 

We haven't moved from our position though the ground under us moved. Kefi immediately started destroying the ground as soon as they came running to us, throwing them off their balance. 

One hit from our hand and the ground we were sitting on became airborne. Kefi did something to make it float as we watched from all angles for their appearance.

It's been twenty seconds and they haven't even been able to touch us yet. 

Why does one minute feel so long? I thought as I looked at the timer Jasmine created, glistening in the sunlight like spider webs while the minutes ticked by slowly.

"Sure. Sure. Are you done? We can't even see them anymore."

"Meraki, Meraki. We are only getting started. The last few seconds, they will bring out their triumph card." Kefi laughed. "I can now understand why that woman did this, this game is fun, no matter what side you are on."

We felt a vibration on the air as the timer showed twenty seconds left. 

"Now. The fun begins."