Chapter 1: The Planning

Sorry this chapter is short, I am just starting out they get longer, I promise.

It was dark in the little room, where big plans were being hatched. It was amazing, what was going to happen, and to be a part of it! My job was going to be difficult, but amazing. As the Paper magician, I was going to create a bunch of paper animals to in habit the forest we were creating. Lotus, who was a magician of nature, would be supplying the plant life, Skye, as a magician of water, would supply all the streams and lakes we'd need, and lastly Absinthe, will protect the forest with her blood magic. She was top of her class after all, and it would be easy for her.
Glacia, how long will it take you to create the animals?"
I smirk at Lotus's question, "It will take as long as it will. It depends on how much help I will receive, and if I can forget some of my other task."
She nods thinking, "Alright, and Skye where are you going to get the water?"
She sighs seeming bored, "Some where were it isn't needed. Don't worry 'bout it. I learned my lesson last time I got water."
"Don'tcha mean the last time you stole water?" Absinthe asked.
"I will fight you." Skye glares.
"You'd loose in an instance."
"Only cause of your illegal magic!"
"It is not illegal! Not here anyway, so shut your mouth you short-"
"Enough!" Lotus yells as I laugh, "What are you guys? Two? Come on and focus! We have a task at hand and your fighting is only going to slow us down. Jeeze, if I knew I would be baby sitting you two I wouldn't of asked you guys to participate."
I stand up still grinning, "Skye come with me to go get paper, and I'll help you find some water."
She nods and stands following me out, head down embarrassed after being yelled at. We were off to start our big project.

2: Chapter Two: To the Store
Chapter Two: To the Store

    I knew, looking over at Skye, why she was quiet, and it was awful. I couldn't blather insistently if she wouldn't even acknowledge me. I started nudging her with my elbow as we walked. She glanced at me, but otherwise ignored me, till I shoved her off the road.
    "What the heck was that for!?" She screeched picking herself up.  
    "I thought you'd like to be down, like your mood." Good witty response Glacia, you got this.
    She glared at me and said nothing. I sighed knowing she was going to be difficult. "Skye you and Absinthe both needed to chill okay? We've all done bad things with out magic. Well maybe not Lotus, you couldn't turn her bad if you threw her in Hell. It's un-nature-al how good she is!" I started laughing at my awful joke and so did Skye. I was so glad she had calmed down. Even if it was only a tiny bit.
    "Thanks Glace, I needed that horrible monstrosity we call a joke." I smiled as we walked down the road to the town.
    "I should've brought the car." I said looking up toward the sky. The car wasn't a normal car, no, it was a car made completely of paper. It didn't need any gas, or oil. It got all of it energy from me, which could be kind of dangerous, but it was quick. Only Paper magicians could control control them, or most people would probably own one.
    "Na, today's pretty. Walking's fun." Skye was grinning and looked absolutely happy as we walked.
    I rolled my eyes, "Our feet will disagree after we have to walk back. Oh I have an idea for the water!"
    "Really? What is it?"
    "Okay so we just take a little from each Great Lake in, and the Mississippi river, and basically we just take a little from each place until we got what we need."
    I watched as the pale witch nodded, "That could work, and it wouldn't cause to many problems."
    I jumped enthusiastically glad my plan could work, "We will ask Lotus as soon as we get back! Hey we are here." I said suddenly aware of the buildings in front of us.
    "Calm down you look half insane." She said stifling a giggle.
    "Good," and with that we ran off to the nearest paper store.

3: Chapter Three: Issues
Chapter Three: Issues

    As soon as the others left Absinthe stood up and shoved her chair making it fall.
    I stared at her then shook my head "Pick it up."
    "On it," she said as she bent down to grab the chair, "Now what are we talking about? "
    "Okay, so our forest will need protection, so no one can find us. I will make sure no one can get in."
    She pursed her lips, "What about other outlaws? We shouldn't just hide ourselves away."
    I nod thinking, "We don't want people with major issues. We will have Glacia review people, and their cases, and see who is fit to live with us."
    Absinthe grins, "Sweet, not that I don't love you and the others, but jeeze it'd get lame pretty quick."
    "Well after what just happened, I feel we will need people better suited to handling... outburst such as those. We can all be a bit much when we get upset."
    The blood witches smile faltered, and she nodded somberly. "Maybe some untrained then?"
    Nodding, I know that won't work. It'd be too dangerous for the normal ones, but I can't let her know I think they are dangerous, or we might have another melt-down. I shudder thinking of the big Mistake.
~~~~FLASH~~~BACK~~~~
    It was a boy that did this, he was around the age of twelve, which means he should know manners. He just shoved past as and Glacia happened to fall.

    Skye yelled at him to stop and to apologize to her friend, but he had laughed and said, "Why should I?"

    That's when I noticed Absinthe boiling, literally. Her skin was blistering and popping and fixing itself to repeat. The boy looked at her in horror. "What!" She shrieked, "Feel like you should say sorry now!"

    She was over reacting, and the situation could've diffused if he hadn't then screamed, "Freak!" After that everything's kind of fuzzy. I wanted to forget, the awful things my friends did, the pain of hiding afterwards. Me, being the only one able to go into public for a long time...

~~~~~~~~end flash back~~~~~~~~
    I shook my head trying to clear it. The past was the past, and the future was here to fix it. It'd be okay, everything had a good solution. Everything had to.
    "Lotus?" I look over at Absinthe, noticing she was messing with her like she does when she's nervous, "Is this going to work?"
    I nod immediately , "Yes, or I would of never brought it up. It has to work."

4: Chapter Four: The Past
Chapter Four: The Past

Soon all of us re-gathered to discuss what needed to happen first. I was sitting in my chair folding away, while Lotus and Absinthe chatted about protection spells. Skye sat beside me, humming, as she watched me work.

"Hey," Absinthe spoke up, "What will we do for actual food?"

I glanced up, "Fishing?" I said shrugging.

"Lotus can make plants to eat," Skye suggested.

"Can't you, like, make animals come to us?" Lotus questions, "That could also work."

Absinthe shook her head, "No, that won't work long term. We need a system."

I sigh, "We can buy some animals. I'm not killing them though, I refuse to do that."

Skye nods in agreement, and Absinthe huffs, "I don't want to kill them either, but I can't just eat fish and berries! That's unhealthy."

"You'll be fine. I only eat plants and I am a hundred percent fine."

We all look at Lotus and start laughing, knowing full and well she eats more than just plants.

"Lies!" Skye says giggling.

Lotus just simply rolled her eyes, "We need to go check on the land to make sure it is suitable for what we are doing. It should still be clear, asides from what I have started."

"Let's go tomorrow, I will pack us a picnic and we can make a day trip out of it." I said with a small smile.

"Lovely idea, I can't wait," said Absinthe as she walked away.

It was getting late, and I bet she was headed to bed. I looked over at my companion and noticed the drooping of her eyes.

"Skye, perhaps it is time for bed?" She simply nods getting up and heading off to the small room with four beds we had here. I knew Absinthe would actually get in bed, so I allowed my mind to focus back on folding.

"When do you plan on sleeping?" Lotus questioned.

"I have a few more foxes to make, and I want to start on the butterflies. So a couple hours."

She simply nods and grabs a book, probably wanting to stay up and make sure I eventually went to sleep. It was nice having a family in my friends. I hoped they felt the same.

5: Chapter Five: The Problem With Magic
Chapter Five: The Problem With Magic

I remember when I first met Skye, it was drizzly and I was around the age of eight, she was nine I think. I was lost in the neighborhood my parents had moved us to, and I couldn't find my way home, and then I saw her. She was sitting beside a puddle staring at it intensely. Right now, she kind of looked like she did then. She was staring at the line of trees in front of us that Lotus had made. She was trying to use her powers to create a dense fog around the area so no one who wasn't invited wouldn't find it just in case, but she was having issues. Today was a very dry, sunny day, it was pleasant, but also annoying. I was ready to head back to our shack we were calling home. I was not feeling quit well, and I could tell Absinthe was getting antsy.

"Lotus, Skye, can you two handle this? I really am not feeling good, and would like to head home."

Lotus nods, even though we both knew I should stay with Skye, "Maybe we should just try this again when it's raining or something. This is taking too long."

Skye sighs, "I'm sorry I am trying okay? There's not a cloud in the sky and it is freaking awful."

"Calm down, it doesn't matter, it can be done later." Absinthe shrugged, "We aren't even ready to go off the grid yet."

"It doesn't matter. I need to be able to do this! What if I can't when it comes time for us to go into hiding? Huh? What then?!"

I place my hand on her shoulder comfortingly, "Skye look, we can practice, and if you can't Abs spells will do."

She nods, now looking at the ground and I grab her hand, "Let's go." I said pulling her along, while Lotus and Absinthe trail behind us whispering about spells, and food sources.

I glance at Skye not exactly sure how to help, and also dreading the walk to our car. So instead, I flee back into the past. back to they day we met.

~~~Flash Back~~~

She was staring at the puddle, and i wasn't sure if she was friendly or not. She looked angry, and maybe sad? I wasn't too sure, nor was I sure about asking her for help, but I wanted my mother, and maybe she could help me.

"E-excuse me?" I called out, my hands shaking.

Her head snaps up, and her glare is turned on me, "What?"

I glance down trying to stay calm, "I I am um lost, and I'd l-like some help please..."

Almost instantly she smiles, "I can help!" She says jumping up.

I stare at her shocked by the sudden change, but then decide to not take it for granted. "Do you know were 231 North Wood Lane is?"

Her eyes widen, "Your the new family? I live like two house away," she squeals running over, "come on I'll show you."

I follow her, with a slight grin on my face, maybe I'd have a friend here after all.

6: Chapter Six: The Incidents
Chapter Six: The Incidents

    When we got home I immediately went to lay down, ignoring Skye and Absinthe calling my name. I laid down on my bed falling asleep quickly.
 

Lotus's POV


    "Guys," I said loud enough for them to just hear me, "let her sleep. She needs her rest."
    I quietly close the door to the room we share as Skye sighs, "She's probably sick again."
    "Should we get her some food? Maybe she used magic and we didn't know?" Absi suggested thinking of how maybe Galcia's energy was just gone.
    I shook my head, "No we were with her all day, you know how she is, it is fine." I knew the youngest of all of us wouldn't want us just sitting here worrying, so I had to take charge, "We need to focus anyway, we need to decide what our next step will be."
    They both sighed in unison and I had to cover my grin with a yawn, they acted so much like sisters, and they hated it. It wasn't that they didn't like each other, but they both wanted to be better than the other in small ways, and the fact they were so comparable upset them.
    Skye was the one who got us on track, "Alright, I think we need to start finding people to join us. I can work on my mist spells, and you guys can find the people. As soon as Glacia is up to it she can start the screening process."
    The blood witch shook her head, her black pony-tail following her comically, "I think we need to start set up in the settlement, no one will want in unless it is ready.'

    "It will take a while for us to find anyone who isn't a threat to us. We have time." I said, standing up, walking over to the small kitchen to find a drink. "You guys want something?" I ask while searching. Skye shook her head, and Absi asked for Koo-laid, which I grabbed while smiling.
    A quick glance at the clock reveals it is almost 5:30, which means almost time to wake Glacia. She would hate not being able to make us dinner, even though it scared the living day-lights out of Skye. She was afraid that Glacia may get emotional, and her powers would flare up and she'd start becoming more of her element. Because Glacia's powers came after she was fifteen, they were more apart of her than others. If you get your powers from the ages twelve to fifteen you are fine, they sooner you get them the harder they are to control, the later you gain them, they are more apart of your very self. Skye got her powers around the age of ten, getting powers early is rare, two years early is pretty unheard of. Absinthe and I got our powers around the same time, her at thirteen, and me at fifteen. Her powers are a little more wild, and mine our more like Glacia's, but not as extreme. She got her powers around seventeen.
    "Yo! Earth to Lotus, you okay?"
    I cast a quick look over at my worried friends, "Yea just thinki-" and suddenly I am cut off by a scream coming from the bed room.

Glacia's POV a few minuets before the scream

    I was with my friends, and something was wrong, I was about to cry and I felt just plain out off. I can't remember what went wrong, all I know is that it was big, and then Absinthe screamed. "Look at her arm!"

    I look down and gasp starting to hyperventilate, my arms looked paper thin, you could see all the veins, and the red tint from the muscles and such. I glance up at my friends to see a much more worrying sight. Absinthe is becoming hysterical staring at me, Skyes panicking and pacing, and all Lotus is doing is staring. I'm a freak I'm a freak something's wrong with me... And then the scene changed. I was back in the crowded location where the Incident occurred. I could see myself just getting up and everyone was yelling, and I knew Absinthe had used her magic, and I knew that she was going to get in trouble, and she the me in that time knew we needed an escape, a distraction. Before I knew it a guy was screaming, he was turning into... paper. I was turning him into paper. I was killing him for a distraction. The worst thing I have ever ever done. I noticed myself grabbing my awe-struck friends and I was screaming myself, telling her to stop, trying to tell her she could reverse it if she did it now, but she couldn't hear me. This is the past, and it was too late, I was too late. I kept screaming, I needed out of this dream, this nightmare I needed to wake up.

7: Chapter Seven: Intruder
Chapter Seven: Intruder

Skyes's POV
It took me around a hour to fully calm down Glacia, she was really upset. I could hear Absi and Lotus talking in hushed whispers across the room, as Glacia laid in my lap eyes closed, trying to keep her breathing even.
"Feel any better sweetie?" My voice was just above a whisper, and she hears me just fine, "Can you tell me that?"
She shakes her head no and I sigh looking over at Lotus I see her expression and it reassures me that it'll be okay. I go back to stroking my friends hair, as Absinthe suddenly, and briskly, leaves the room. Lotus follows right behind her looking worried. I see the pale girl in my lap open her eyes slowly and move off of me.
"Sorry," she says evenly, "bad dream."
"Wanna talk about it? I know you probably don't but I can guess what it was about."
She sighs, "It's the same stupid dream as last time. As it always is, they'll pass, we need to go check on them."
She cast a quick glance at the door as i shake my head, "Let Lotus handle it, it will be fine okay? You need to rest." No way in hell was she leaving this bed, or room. Not yet, not till I knew she was fine. She was always pretending she was okay and I knew she wasn't.
She groans, "Look you can't watch me all the time, and besides we need to get this place set up, maybe it will help the nightmares stop. Ya know less stress, so let's drop it and get to work?"

"I don't think you should get up just yet okay? Please, I know you hate just laying here, but we won't be able to work while we worry about you."

"Fine, then you should leave so I can get some rest of that's what you want."

I sigh standing up knowing she's just being difficult because I'm making her rest. I leave the room without a word to her.

Absinthe POV (When she runs out)
Oh shit shit shit shit someones here, "Lotus!" I whisper yell, "Someone is here!"
Lotus nods covering my mouth, "Quiet, if they hear, what is the first thing Glacia will do? Get up, and get hurt. We will deal with this."
I nod pulling her hand from my mouth, half tempted to lick it, "Who ever it is triggered the alarm to the north, away from the road, we need to start moving."
She nods, "Lead the way." and with that we are off.
We run for almost twenty-minuets (the boarders I set up are very extensive) and it is almost dark. I can practically feel the blood pumping through the intruders veins. Lotus is right behind me as I start to slow.

"They're a few steps away, in a clearing just ahead of us." I mumble.
She nods. "I am locking them in. Tree walls are pretty great."
"Can we just leave them here to starve?"
"No Absi we are already in trouble with the law. No more okay?"
I sigh, "Fine, can I hurt them?"
"Do I really need to answer that?"
"So I can?!" I asked getting excited.
"Apparently I do, you can't harm them in anyway, just put them to sleep. I will remove them. After that what happens will happen."
"You're no fun." I walk to the wall she made, and it opens as I walk in, and what I see shocks me.
"Damn," I mumble, "she is cute."