Next Mage
48.Just In Case

~Oliver's

POV

The eerie, screeching hoot of an owl echoed through the thicket as I watched Marilla and Emma emerge from the mansion, faces pale.

As I looked closer, I realized their noses were red and their eyes puffy, as if they had been crying.

I gazed expectantly at Marilla, but she just shook her head.

My face fell. I let go of the small thread of hope that I had been clinging to so desperately.

They had already been taken.

We ran through the darkness, the moon leering at us from above and a thousand tiny creatures fleeing from our footsteps below. The trees flew pass as we leaped back onto the main road. We crosses the street, and the sound of shouting drew nearer. I shivered.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack and tiny thumps, as if someone was running up to us.

Marilla and I exchanged frantic glances, with Emma in the middle, seeming limp and hollow. She looked like a puppet with no puppeteer.

The thumps drew nearer, and I readied myself for a fight, feeling the heat soak into my fingertips.

Crunch!

A shoe appeared, crushing the dead leaves below, then a leg, then another, and finally, a body.

It was too dark to see who it was, so I charged blindly, adrenaline causing me to act on impulse.

"Whoa! Ollie!" The dark figure exclaimed, and I felt myself being gently lifted into the air.

I flailed my limbs for a second in panic, before realizing who it was.

"Cam!" I gasped, and he grinned as the moonlight reflected off his square glasses. Someone else stepped out of shadows as I was slowly drifted back down.

"I'm here too," Carissa said, brushing a leaf off her shoulder.

"Carissa!" Both Emma and Marilla exclaimed, rushing over to hug their friend.

"I'm glad you're safe," Marilla breathed. "How's your family?"

Carissa nodded, letting out a relieved sigh.

"They're good," she said, smiling tiredly. "Scared out of their minds though. But I guess you would be if you were stuck in a real life apocalypse. They're hiding out in the bomb shelter... Dad had made sure our house had one in case of an 'emergency'. We thought we definitely didn't need it, we complained so much about it taking up the space...heh, Dad must be going on about it now-wait. Are you okay, Emma?" Carissa put a comforting hand on Emma's shoulder, a worried expression on her face, and little rivulets of tears began to slip down Emma's freckled cheeks.

"N-n-no," she hiccuped, and Marilla pulled her into a hug.

"What's wrong?" I said quietly, gesturing for Cam to follow me as I walked closer.

"They were taken," Marilla whispered, her voice hushed. "Only...o-only Alfred was left." Her voice cracked with emotion.

The night seemed to darken with the weight of the situation, threatening to pull me down into it's wide, gaping mouth. My body instantly turned cold.

We're going to be battling the Ragnarok, I thought, realizing just how much danger I was putting my friends and family into. The Ragnarok. The single entity that was responsible for the death of the Elders and destruction of the Academy, capable of wiping out nearly all the Mages, capable of wiping out the entire Earth. What chance do my friends and I have against that?

My hands shook.

There was a huge chance that we could not make it back from the battle alive, even with our Ultimates.

Right. I've got one thing to do, I thought.

Say goodbye.

dashy line thingo

We reached Marilla's house soon enough.

The door was unhinged, and we pushed it out of the way before entering.

It looked as though it had been ransacked. Upside-down furniture was everywhere, bits of food were scattered on the once-neat floorboards, and the TV had been ruined; there was a strange sizzling hole right through the middle of it that kept sparking at random moments.

"Mom!" Marilla nearly slipped on a torn-up carpet as she rushed to pull her mother into a tight hug.

"Marilla," Mrs Waterson's voice seemed distant and thin, yet so warm and full of love. Someone else hurried into the room. It was Terra, her white-blond ponytail ruffled and her green eyes bright, yet worried.

"Guys! It'sogreatoseeyou!" Terra exclaimed, her voice like an overexcited whirlwind.

Marilla, Emma and Carissa laughed, squeezing Terra in a big group hug, but I noticed some bitterness in Emma's chuckle.

"How are your sisters and parents?" Carissa asked anxiously. "Mine are okay, if you're wondering, but..." She looked over at Emma, unsure of whether to tell or not. Emma nodded with the slight bob of her head, and Carissa turned back to

Terra.

"Emma's are...not so good."

"Emma..." Terra said sympathetically. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"I'm okay, really," Emma whispered hoarsely back.

I knew she wasn't okay.

And to tell the truth, I wasn't either.

dashy line thingo

~Marilla's POV

I watched as Oliver hugged his mother, then each of his friends who had gathered.

Dark clouds gathered with us, covering the blood-red moon. I shuddered, half-relieved, half-frightened, as the clouds were both ominous and comforting as they covered the horrifying moon.

The other Mages hugged each other too, some wept bitterly, others simply looked on, faces impassive.

I could feel my heart sink a little further down with every breath I took.

At last, when I had said my goodbyes to the people all the people I loved, friends, family, Mages and all, Oliver walked up to me and we stood, watching the rest reunite and say farewell at the same time.

"I'm sorry I got you into this mess," Oliver said suddenly, and I looked up to find him gazing at me, not the crowd.

"Well, if I hadn't been in this mess, I wouldn't have met you," I said affectionately, before blushing. "Th-that is, I wouldn't have met any of you guys, really. Rika and Carissa and Terra and all the other recruits would just be, well, classmates and students that I wouldn't even have payed attention to, and you would've been...nonexistent..." I rambled, flustered. I could see a hint of that lopsided grin Oliver always had appearing, and I began to smile in response.

"Hey Marilla, just in case we don't....make it back, can I say something?"

"Sure, shoot," I replied casually.

Then, swiftly, Oliver leaned down and gently brushed his lips against mine. My whole body tingled in shock and some other emotion that I couldn't explain, and my eyes fluttered closed for a few seconds as I savored the moment. Finally, I realized what had just happened and recoiled in surprise.

Oliver was on the other side of the field in an instant, and I could still see his blush.

I flushed, smiling, my whole body seemingly vibrating with happy embarrassment. I put one finger on my lips and turned around to face away from Oliver, holding back a squeak.

Wh-what?! I felt my skin grow hotter as I recalled the feel, the taste, the shape of his lips.

S-stop it, Marilla! I gently slapped myself on the cheeks twice, before gathering up my courage and walking up to Oliver.

I tapped him on the shoulder, surprised at how warmer than usual his skin was.

He turned around to face me, but his vibrant blue eyes didn't make eye contact.

I wrapped my arms around him in a brisk hug, and I felt his skin grow hotter.

"Ollie?"

"Yeah?"

"You didn't even say anything," I said, feeling a smile tug at my lips as I felt Oliver return my embrace.

"I know," he replied, and I could hear the laugh in his voice. "I didn't have to,"