The Journey Part 2: Out With The MJ & In With The Aja

They all looked at Aja worried. "There's something going on here. Something that you're not telling us. What is it?" Doc asked and Aja didn't answer. Then he took out the ring. "Then what about this? The other day you hesitated to grab it. Why?" Doc asked. "Doc, put that thing up," Aja said. "Why?" Jade asked. "Yeah, why don't you take it?" Shin asked and Doc tried to give it to her. She slightly reached out to grab it. But she stopped when she hand was over it. She grabbed her risk pulling it back. "Put it away, Doc," Aja said. "Why?" He asked. "I'm warning you. Keep that thing away from me. Trust me, nothing good comes from that ring. You have to keep that thing away from me at all costs," Aja said. "Aja, just take it!" He said but she slapped his hand away to make the ring fall to the floor. "I SAID DON'T BRING IT NEAR ME DAMN IT!" Aja said not look at them. They heard a slight sizzling sound then Aja yelled in pain. She fell to the floor in pain as she grabbed her arm. "AH!" She yelled as she pressed her head against the floor. They quickly removed her shirt and sweater to reveal the curse glowing and growing. "Aja!" Eva said. "My arm feels like it's on fire!" Aja said and they put her on the medical bed.

"We have to find a way to slow it down," Doc said as he grabbed the ring and put it up. The pain was so great that Aja could barely stay conscious. "We have to hurry!" Skyvern said. "Aja! Hang in there!" Eva said and Aja was in so much pain. The sizzling sound got a little louder. "AHH!" Aja yelled in pain. It looked like it was burning into her skin. "It's getting worse!" John said. "Aja! Hey, stay with us! Aja! Stay with us! Aja!" They called but it was no use. Aja slowly closed her eye and everything went black.

Aja fell into a dark void. She was floating in nothing. "Hello? Is anyone there?" She asked. Then she heard a laugh. She turned around but nothing was there. "Hey! Who's there! Come out!" She said and then something quickly flew past her. She started rolling around. "Woah! Guys this isn't funny!" She turned around and saw something that terrified her. Her breathing and heart rate sped up and then she yelled.

Aja shot up in her hammock and yelled. Everyone looked at her. She looked around then the back at herself. She was shaking in fear. Eva pulled her into a hug and Aja gripped Eva's shirt. 'What was that? Was that thing in me? What's going to happen to me? I'm scared to find out. What will happen to her? I don't want anything to happen to her. Anything but that. But I don't want her to be in love with a monster,' Aja thought. 

After that day Aja became more distant and secretive. She would disappear and then come back hours later without a word. She stopped going to the lab for check-ins. She was barely around the gang. She doesn't hang out with them. If she does, it's because Eva asked her to. But that hardly works. Even when she's with them it's always like she was deep in thought or not even there. They would sometimes find her trying to meditate but something was always stopping her. Or they would find her training.

One morning Aja and the gang were in the forest behind the base. Aja was sitting in a tree and she heard Eva scream. She saw a dark elf chase after her then she tripped. The elf was going to attack her. "Eva!" Aja said as she jumped down from the tree. She blocked the attack. "GO!" Aja said and Eva got up and ran. Eva went to grab everyone else. They ran over to see Aja fighting the elf. "Aja! Over here!" Shin said and threw her a wooden sword. She caught it and hit the spell away. She quickly got up and got into a sword stance. She put the sword in front of her and slid two fingers up. A light magic was slowly covering the sword and when it was covered her moved it to her side. She put both hands on the handle. A light surrounded her body. "Light Magic Sword Style: Purifying Slash!" Aja said and swung the sword. It hit the left and then it turned into ashes. Aja got up and they ran over to her. 

"I didn't think you could use a sword," Max said. "It's my best weapon," Aja said, "Eva, you good?" "Yeah, it burned my bow and caught my arm a bit," Eva said. "Let me see," Aja said as she looked at her arm. Aja took out a spray from her bag. "This might sting a little," Aja said and sprayed the burn. Eva hissed in pain. "Told you. You should have called me sooner. You even sprained your ankle when you tripped," Aja said and Eva was surprised. "I'm not that oblivious to not seeing when someone is hurt or to not see that my girlfriend is hurt," Aja said and put her hand up in front of her sideways. "Earth Magic: Earth's Embrace!" Aja said, and a green light surrounded the two of them. Aja started chanting and Eva smiled, 'Now that's an old memory, I didn't think I would remember. The first day I saw her use this spell,' "I asked the mother of the land to take Evangelyne into your warm embrace. Help heal her injuries," Aja said and then the light went away. "That should do it. Let's head back," Aja said and they went back.

Later that day they were looking for Aja when they heard something. They all ran outside to find her in the yard. She was in her sweatpants and workout bra. She was breathing heavily and sweating. She was also blind folded. "I can smell you all from here. What do you guys want, I'm busy," Aja said. "Would you act that way if I was asking?" Eva asked. "Depends," Aja said. "On what?" Eva asked and Aja smirked, "On what you're asking for." Eva blushed and everyone looked at her smirking. "A-Anyway, we heard a noise, but we know now," Eva said and Aja turned back to her training. She tossed up the pipe. They watched as Aja got into a new sword stance. She had the wooden sword in her hand like a dagger as she put it back behind her back. She was standing like she was getting a running start. Then her other arm was out in front of her. She waited until the bar was down to her level. Then took off like a torpedo. "Beast Blade Fury Slasher!" Aja said it didn't even look like it was sliced once until a second later. Aja smirked as the bar cracked and then burst apart into a million tiny pieces. "What?!" They asked. Aja got up and took off the blind fold. 

"Beast Blade Fury Slasher but it's not finished," Aja said and they were amazed. "You did that with a blind fold!" Vallen said. "Of course. You have to learn to use all six senses. Sound, Smell, Sight, Touch, Taste, and Instinct. I already know how to use my eyes so I have to learn how to work without my eyes. This move uses 4 of those senses: Sound, Smell, Sight, and Instinct. Like if Eva tried to sneak up on me from behind, I can't see her but I can hear her. But if I can't hear her then I can smell her. But if those don't work then I'm going to have to go off of clear instinct. Yeah, babe. You can't sneak up on me," Aja said but Eva still jumped onto her back anyway.