Tenebras

I woke up that morning with a splitting Headache.

I rubbed my eyes and tried to sit up but that was when I noticed two arms wrapped around me.

I was alarmed at first before I noticed it was David.

The activities of last night came rushing back to me.

Which led to this morning having a sleeping David cuddle with me.

Eeew.

And with that thought I bolted upwards causing him to jerk out of his sleep.

"What?what? I'm up" he said still sleepy.

I got off the bed and folded my arms across my chest and said "um you need to leave".

"Oh I see the mean jewel is back"

"Yes she is and she wants you to leave"

He got up and stared at me before saying "well I'm glad that you're okay I don't exactly like vulnerable jewel"

He smiled and left.

Vulnerable... He called me vulnerable.

Me.

Waving off what he said, I went about my morning routine Before going down for breakfast.

+++++++++++

The atmosphere around the table today was tense and awkward as the girls avoided each other's eyes.

Etim sensing the tense atmosphere around the table tried to break the ice "so... Your first training with your weapons isn't that something?" He chuckled nervously.

"Yup it sure is something" Hailey said in an attempt to start a conversation.

But it didn't last as the atmosphere around the table grew even more awkward.

Everyone finished their food quickly so they could leave the table as soon as possible.

The girls all headed to the training room and the boys went out to the courtyard for sparring.

Zack and Arthur were already waiting in the training room and there weapons were laid out on the table including jewel's plain old sword.

"Hey girls...hi rebby" Arthur said lingering on the 'R' in rebby.

She Blushed before saying "hey Arthur"

"Hi Zack" Cally said walking up to him.

"Hey boo" he turned around to face her then planted a kiss on her forehead.

She Blushed and held his hand and they started talking.

"Are we gonna train or not?" Jewel practically yelled.

"Woah jewel chill" Arthur said startled "we aren't training here today though, we're using the TARANA so grab your weapons and let's go"

The girls all took their weapons and started towards the televator.

"Oh and lest I forget" Arthur went to retrieve a black box.

He opened it and handed them their very own flash watches.

Jewel already had one so he didn't give her one.

"Woah our very own flash watches" Cally said putting it on.

"Cool" D.F said while closely inspecting it.

"Okay...okay... Let's keep moving"

Arthur said "solitary room please"

The televator started towards the solitary room and soon the doors opened to the familiar empty room.

Arthur got out and stood in the middle of the room and shouted "TARANA room activate training scene 31"

The room then began to transform but not into that jungle but instead into a place that seemed like it had been ravaged by war.

"Welcome to your first weapons training" Arthur said getting the attention of the girls who were all wearing their matching jumpsuits now.

"Woah how did we change our clothes so fast" rebby said looking at her clothes.

"Better question where the hell are we?" Hailey said still looking around.

"And why is Zack still hear?" D.F said pointing in his direction.

"Calm down girls. This is an abandoned town on the outskirts of lucem it has been this way since the last war with tenebras and Zack is still here cause he is not only an expert in designing weapons but also in using them"

"Woah zackie you are? You didn't tell me" Cally said with her arm locked with his.

Trying to seem cool he looked off to a distance and said with a poker face "well girl there's a lot of things you don't know about me"

"Uck barf" Jewel said not looking at them but at Arthur "can we start training now"

"Sure" he then faced the girls and said "okay girls to avoid distractions Cally, jewel and D.F are with me while Hailey and rebby are with Zack"

"Sounds like a plan" Zack said then kissed Cally's forehead before saying "okay Hailey rebby we are taking the west side while the rest of them will take the South"

++++++++++++

After about what seemed like an hour of Arthur talking and explaining hour to use the weapons he finally said "now enough talk let's see what you got"

Cally put on her laser wrist band thingies and D.F on her head band slash neural transmitter while I just held on to my sword.

"Starting with Cally" she stepped forward and he gestured towards the targets that were shaped like people.

She looked back at him and he nudged her forward "go on don't be shy just try and hit the bulls eye at the head"

She set the lasers to light and positioned herself then fired.

"Oh that was so close you are a natural" she had hit the target close to the neck which was actually pretty good considering this was her first practice she seemed excited "but work on your elbows because you need to keep them straight if you want to get a good hit"

She high fived D.F and nods "okay Arthur"

"Alright D.F your turn"

He gestured for her to hit the other targets "okay now you use your rings to hit the other two targets and make them return to you"

She took a deep breath with her eyes closed before she opened them and threw the first ring in her right hand taking the head off the target clean she threw the one in her left hand at the other target and missed before making the two rings return to her.

"That was a great throw I mean you took of its head so that's wow but you are obviously not so good with your left hand and that's going to take a lot of work"

She nodded before going back to meet Cally.

I expected him to call me now but he just kept on practicing with Cally and D.F that I thought he had forgotten all about me.

I was about to say something when he said "okay girls so I want you to keep practicing with the pointers I gave you while I have a private session with jewel"

'about time' I thought but didn't say.

He led me away from Cally and D.F before stopping at a distance where I could no longer see them.

"Why aren't I practicing with them?" I asked.

"Because the Queen wanted me to teach you specially she said something about you being different"

Different? what did she mean by that? Did she mean mentally or ...

"Okay let's start with the simple stance" he drew me out of my thoughts as he removed his sword from the sheath and I did the same.

I hadn't looked at the sword before but now that I am looking at it, it looks so beautiful.

I mean sure it looked like a normal sword except for the dark color of the metal the blade was made of but I just couldn't help but fall in love with it.

It felt like I had been reconnected with a lost part of me and I couldn't help but smile something I haven't done since I got on this planet... But the smile faded just as quickly as it had appeared and was replaced by my ever so familiar poker face.

"I am gonna call you fright" I whispered to my sword.

"What'd you say Jewel?" Arthur asked raising his head slightly from the sword he had been cleaning.

I cleared my throat and said "shall we?"

He stood up straight and we practiced for more than hour before we made our way back to Cally and D.F who had been waiting for a while now.

He practiced with them some more, giving them pointers before it was time to go.

+++++++++++++

They all met up in the banquet hall for dinner and the girls except Jewel talked about how their respective trainings had been.

"Oh that Zack guy knows his stuff" Hailey said with a mouth full of bread.

"Yup I thought he was just a nerd but man was i wrong" rebby said laughing as Cally blushed at the mention of her boyfriend's name.

Jewel couldn't help but stare at them until she heard a familiar voice which brought her out of her thoughts "you know you could join them"

She snapped her head towards David the source of the bad advice.

"Yeah and next we could ride on unicorns and jump over rainbows Right" she rolled her eyes.

"You know you don't always have to push people away those girls love you and sometimes it's okay to let people see inside your heart"

"You see that's the problem you have always sticking your wise guy mouth wherever you like " she turned so she could face him fully and watch his reaction "well no one needs your advise. okay!?"

"There you go, doing it again pushing out the people who want to help you" he waved his hands in the air dramatically "but you should know by now that it doesn't work on me"

She rolled her eyes.

"I am not giving up on you jewel"

"Well then you are wasting your time"

And with that she walked away towards SOLITARY.

++++++++++

The girls were done with dinner now and were in their room playing a board game called lucem bondage

While Cally and Zack were sprawled out on the sofa acting all cute and couple like.

"Ah you landed on a land mine so all your properties go to me" rebby said laughing and taking the make shift houses.

"That's it I'm done with this game" Hailey said as she got up angrily and stormed towards her bed.

"Don't blame me cause you're terrible at this game" rebby said laughing at a pouty faced Hailey.

"Only because you cheated" D.F pitched in.

Rebby made a dramatic gasp and held her chest "I did not"

"Yes you did" Hailey said from her bed where she is facing the ceiling.

"Cally?" Rebby said looking at Cally for support.

"Well rebby, you have been known to cheat sometimes" Cally said giggling.

"Well I never" she whipped her hair dramatically and went to her bed "hmph"

"Guys have you checked your schedule tomorrow it says we have training with Penelope in the Evening" D.F said packing up the game.

"Oh really... it does." Cally said checking her schedule on her flash watch.

"Why in the evening?" Hailey said directing her questions to Zack who was playing with Cally's hair.

"Don't look at me" he said with his hands up "I have no idea what's in Penelope's head"

"Well I guess we'll find out tomorrow" D.F said collapsing on her bed.

"But in the mean time Zack it's time to take your leave we have to sleep" Hailey said with her eyes fixed on him.

"Awwwn so soon" Cally said pouting.

"It's okay babe I'll call you first thing in the morning" Zack said standing up.

"Bye baby miss you already"

Cally said blowing him a kiss.

"Bye love..." He pretended to catch the kiss before turning to the girls "bye girls"

And they chorused a sleepy "bye Zack"

++++++++++

In the morning they all went through their morning routines and went down for breakfast.

"Okay since we have the whole morning and afternoon to ourselves what do you guys think we should do?" Hailey said while busy munching on the lucem version of an apple.

"Well I don't know about you guys but I have a date with Zack" Cally said in a sing songy way "we're going on a picnic"

"Uh again?" D.F says irritated.

"Yes again, he just can't get enough of me"

"Well Arthur is going to teach me how to ride a horse today" Rebby says blushing.

"But you already know how to ride a horse" D.F stated.

"Yeah, but he doesn't know that" she let out a mischievous chuckle.

"Whatever I guess that leaves you and me, D.F" Hailey said patting D.F on the back.

"Actually I have plans too"

"What sort of plans could you also possibly have?" Hailey asks frustrated.

"What? I'm going out to study the planet's Various wildlife" she quickly sipped her drink.

Hailey knew she was lying but she didn't want to push it so she just nodded because she knew that D.F wouldn't lie unless she had a good reason.

"Well then I guess I'll just sleep all day right?".

Just then Etim walked in with David and jewel trailing behind him whispering things to each other.

"What's up girls!" Etim says in a loud voice.

"Hey etim" the girls replied as he took an empty seat next to Hailey and flipped it around before sitting.

David and jewel also sat opposite each other.

"Hey etim are you busy today?" Hailey asked.

"Nope, why'd you ask?"

"Great cause you are coming with me then"

"Wait where are we going?" Etim replied with a terrified look.

"I don't know yet but let me tell you it's gonna be awesome"

"Okay I don feel safe...."

"Can we come?" Jewel asked from the far end of the table where she sat opposite David.

There was a sudden silence as all the girls stopped laughing and looked at her in shock, even David was surprised.

"Can you repeat that question?" David said giving her his full attention.

"You heard me" she said with a shrug.

"Yeah sure you can come with us and you too David this is gonna be great"

Hailey said excitedly.

"Here's an idea how about we go to the lucem park and waterside" Etim said not minding the fact that jewel just said she wanted to go.

"Sounds like a plan"