Vanished

Loralle’s words stopped Mitch’s thoughts completely but made no sense.

…Was this what she was thinkin bout, while ma mind and body were only wantin her? Cold water, yet again aye!

"They were in earth. Out, now."

Mitch finally snapped out of feeling sorry for himself and tried to focus on her words. "Uh?"

Loralle looked up at him sadly, "I just frighten. But not kill. They meet, I drank."

Putting a hand to her face, he tried to understand. Was what she did...Not real? "So..."

Loralle interrupted him, "I got mad!"

She stamped her foot in irritation and folded her hands in front of her.

She was just too damned cute!

"Then they wun wanna make ya mad again!" He said, smiling down at her.

He was actually really glad about this news!

Losing her angry face, she stared at him.

There simply was no helping it whatsoever, he grabbed her and kissed her passionately.

Her reactions were completely different. As a minx, she had been hungrily devouring, but as sober, she seemed to be leisurely curious.

When he touched a sensitive spot, she would look at where it was, seemingly questioning to what he had done.

Having more confidence, he continued, watching her curiosity grow more and more silently.

She was so cute, as though experiencing this for the very first time…And that only made Mitch happy to indulge her curiosity!

Being patient with Loralle, slowly seemed to work in Mitch’s favour, as lust started to dance in her eyes.

Mitch wanted to take the plunge. Sober or intoxicated, she was still so beautiful, and he could not help but want her!

He was lucky indeed, as her curiosity took them to a new level of intensity.

...What curiosity took them...Was days away, but he couldn't seem to break away from her!

At times, even he was bashful, as she would do things that he hadn't even thought of!

Then, at one moment he was as pale and speechless as a ghost, as she had innocently said that she had wanted ‘it’ for herself and wanted to chop it off him!

After he asked her if she wanted to hurt him, she then just looked up at him and then asked where she could get one instead...

She really did like it so very much! Compared to her curiosity on how each tribe lived and ate, and even her powers...This thing seemed to make her feel really great and she wanted one. That was it! But his face and silence had told her that it couldn't happen...

Mitch was a bit scared but was able to forget it, after a much-needed sleep.

He came to realize that her curiosity was that of a child's...That he probably shouldn't continue being intimate with her as she didn't totally understand what it was that they were doing...

What was he supposed to do?

Loralle, seeing Mitch acting strangely, wanted to make things better, but didn't know how…

Mitch ended up shrugging his cares away, not wanting to worry, and decided to continue. If something were to happen later...Ah, it can be dealt with then! He simply just wanted to enjoy their time together.

He may seem like he was having a small break from his duties...But, she continued to keep him really busy!

Loralle awoke, to see Mitch beside her sleeping. She hadn't been touched by someone before he came along. What had surprised her, was that she hadn't hated it. She questioned what it was the day after she had drunk ‘booze’, and found that she simply just wasn't used to it in the slightest.

Curiosity had led her wanting to try it, more and more, and found that she really liked what they were doing! She had missed hugs from her father, mother, brothers and sisters...So, she made Mitch make up for all of that!

Beyond that, she was curious upon the opposite gender, not knowing anything about it. Mitch showing her a few things that had enlightened her to a point, but she still didn't quite understand everything.

She had even tried her powers on his skin, to find that his skin was very different to hers...

And...It became such an exhilarating exercise!

When she got sore, she would bathe with him in warm water. When they grew tired, she demanded his arms around her while they slept and when they got hungry, she stole food to bring to them!

She liked it very much and he seemed to be happy to oblige her, letting her do whatever she wanted!

It was a different lifestyle, yet again, and it made her forget her mission. She felt like, at this point in time, she had everything she needed!

A smile played at her lips often and unnoticed by her. It was a nice feeling. Whatever it was...It was nice!

She felt...Special.

***

When several days had passed, their happiness became interrupted when a few Metal Tribesmen came after following a stolen meal.

Unknowingly, they had finally found their missing boss!

They were unsure on how to react when they see him happily conversing with his woman, but they all wanted him back!

"Boss?" They called carefully.

After a startling silence, a voice came back to them, "I'm er."

They ventured a little closer to the voice, one stating, "When will boss return?"

"Mmm, tell em not ta worry. I'll come back tamorrow."

They peeked further towards their boss’s voice and saw the two cuddled up together on an earth chair.

"Ye...Yes, Boss!"

After they left, Mitch heard Loralle's little, "Humph!"

He brought her closer to him and said, "Is ma woman not happy?"

Loralle looked at him unhappily, making him let out a small laugh, "Ma dear, jus follow me back. We'll play again."

He kissed her on her downward curved lips, already anticipating on making her smile instead.

Why don't I want this to end? Don't I have things to do too!?

Loralle was a little upset with herself on totally forgetting her mission, but...She looked at Mitch and remembered the last couple of days of...Harmony and Bliss. Nothing else had mattered. It was so...Good. Free...

One more night...She will think about that later...

Making the best of her time left, Loralle became happy again and Mitch obliged to more of whatever she wanted, which ended up with him getting what he wanted in return anyway!

***

Loralle might have been upset the next day but she accepted the change of leaving her earth house. She's had to adapt to different situations ever since she was born, and this was just another thing that she had to adapt to.

She had made Mitch sit on the ground, then she put herself directly onto his lap! Then, she let the earth slowly take them back to the Metal Tribe...

Mitch knew he had a lot to do but found himself happily dawdling to get back to his chores. Luckily, he knew that the Air Tribe were quite a quiet bunch that don't attack, so he wasn't too worried if war had happened or not in his absence.

"Why not come with me?" He asked Loralle, still holding onto her tightly.

"I come, find you later." She said, as she cuddled into him.

Sighing, Mitch stopped himself from picking her up and forcefully taking her with him. He kissed her briefly and let her go, thinking, if I dun get away soon, then I’ll probably wun get away at all!

"Ok, find me later then!" He said and started to walk away.

Not looking back, as he didn't think he'd be able to bear seeing those seductive eyes, he disappeared into a cave…

Loralle watched him leave, then sighed. How was it possible that she already missed him?

Making a strange face, she stood there, trying to understand her feelings...

After a couple of minutes, of trying to answer her questions, she frowned and found herself scratching her head.

There was no reasonable answer! She just missed him...That was it!

Was there some kind of other power?

A power...That made you happier...Made you forget about the rest of the world and made you miss someone that wasn't near you?

Loralle widened her eyes, maybe that's it!

What kind of power is that!?

If Mitch had heard these inner thoughts of Loralle's, he would probably have looked at her in complete astonishment! He wouldn't have known whether to laugh, cry, shake his head or get angry!

Finally, Loralle continued to the field of flashes, situated in the middle of the Metal Tribe village. It wouldn't be long now, she thought, till I'd be able to get the approval of the metal element. The final element...

Then what?

Uh?

Loralle blinked and scratched her head again, what was she going to do after she had each element’s approval?

She was supposed to have found a way by now to end the hatred...But she still had no idea upon how to do it! She had...Totally forgotten!

Thinking back, it had completely slipped her mind, even before meeting Mitch...

Felling bad for drifting away from her mission, she sat down and continued to get the metal power.

Going into the metal flying thing over a week ago, she had felt that she hadn't been quite ready yet to go into the field of flashes, because it had hurt her...

What was strange, though, was that she had already found the yearning, that led into the big field of flashes...Didn't you only get that when you were ready for it?

Nonetheless, she continued to think that she needed more power!

***

Three hours later, Loralle didn't feel any different. Why had she felt pain then?

Yet, now and before, she seemed to have the immunity needed for the metal power.

…It didn't make any sense!

Of course, the reason that she was looking for, but couldn't find, was because the flashes that were needed for the metal flying thing, were those from the field of flashes and not the usual metal power that everyone in the Metal Tribe had. Loralle hadn't thought that even other Metal Tribal members had felt the pain from them also, thinking that she had been the only one.

Looking out, into the big flashes, Loralle shuddered.

The water tried to drown me, earth tried to bury me, fire tried to turn me into ash and wind cut me all over...

These flashes...What will they do?

She winced when she remembered what the metal power did to food.

Standing up, she went closer...Then put her hand out to be inside of the field.

…Nothing happened, at first…The flashes continued to happen, but her hand was untouched…It seemed that the flashes randomly go anywhere.

With a bit of hope, Loralle wondered if gaining the metal elemental’s approval would be easier then the rest! She remembered going in the cyclone and the volcano, wanting to come out almost straight away…What if she didn’t have to do that with the metal power?

For a good minute or two, nothing happened, and Loralle was starting to smile, hoping that this was all she had to do to get the approval…But…

Suddenly, a flash reached over to her, as fast as it was, and hit her.

It disappeared just as quickly as it had come, but the damage had already been done...

Once the flash had touched her body, Loralle completely lost her consciousness...Her eyes rolled back, and she heavily fell to the ground. Her nerves, muscles and flesh were all convulsing!

Her body trembled to such a high degree that her body, in which fell outside of the field of flashes, had trembled and convulses to be on the inside of the field.

Another flash came in a quick instant, five seconds later...

Her body started to show signs of the elements, as the flash went through her body.

Water was seen in her veins, fire in her skin and earth in both her skin and muscles. A mixture of blue, light brown and orange flowed over her whole body, making her look like she wasn't human at all, instead, she looked like some divine being.

Her hair, that had cringed and puffed out, continuously was being combed by the air, but would puff out and cringe again within a second or two.

Frothing at her mouth, Loralle continued to convulse and tremble...Even though her heart had just suddenly...Stopped beating!

…It was at this very point in time that the earth mound of fresh, green grass, reached to the other elements very quickly. The sudden change to the continent of Mondal scared everybody, as the earth mound came into each and every tribe and spreading a lovely green color everywhere!

What happened afterwards, got the people more frightened as they watched their very own tribe continue to change!

The menacing lake was drained of water, the magma came through the earth, the giant cyclone stopped and evaporated.

The magma pools, the air and flashes around the caves, all of the defenses of each and every tribe...Disappeared!

Then, each and every single person fell unconscious as their powers were zapped from them as well!

The earth mound started to retreat then, to go with the powers it had taken to a particular destination and flew defyingly fast towards the still green earth mound that was still within one tribe...

The earth, water, fire and air elements all raced together, making a very unique spectacle if seen…Yet no one was there to see it…

Earth was covered by water on one side, magma on the other and steam in the middle. The steam ended up becoming a miniature cyclone that rose up and it truly was a sight because of the separate colors of brown, blue, orange and grey…All of them were combined yet distinguishable, in their haste to go across the continent towards the rest of the flash of lights that seemed to be surrounding one little area…

This all happened in a space of ten seconds, as all this power came together, and a big blinding light covered the entire continent of Mondal!

With no one able to witness this spectacular event, they didn't see that the one who took everything...Was none other than Loralle...Who was still unmoving, still not breathing and her heart, still not beating, laying still upon the ground.

When the light entered her body, the light then disappeared, to see normal light return to the continent of Mondal...But, to Loralle...Changes were happening, and one of those changes, was her coming back to life!

***

"Finally, Freedom!"

"Yes, we have been returned to our natural state."

"Yeah, was fun though aye!?"

"To be put here and used like that! Blasphemous!"

"Now that we are together again..."

"No! You wanted to be the leader! You're always the leader!"

...

"It doesn't matter anymore!"

"You always take his side!"

"Let's jus go n have some fun aye!"

"Agreed, I want to get out of this dump of a land!"

"Agreed, we have spent enough time here."

"Hey! Hey! Let's go see Arculas!"

"...Very well."

***

One day later, everybody on the continent of Mondal awoke…And it was a worldly catastrophe!

There was no water power, no fire power, no metal power, no air power and no earth power!

Dead fish, squid and other water creatures were found at the bottom of where the menacing lake used to be. The volcano, that had blown up the top of the earth that was covering it, no longer had magma at all! People who were in their magma homes when they fainted, found themselves in empty pits and the woman were crying over their lost homes.

The Air Tribe gathered together and looked around with a little bit of fear. They looked at their earth homes, seeing them still there, and remembered Loralle. Luckily, they had a lot of fruit and didn't have to worry about relocating their tribe, even though now they couldn’t become the wind.

The lights in the caves no longer worked and Mitch found himself in the complete darkness upon waking up. Following the light that was outside of the cave, he looked around, to see the changes in the Metal Tribe.

…What was goin on?

"Ah...Boss...I can't..." That person didn't continue to speak.

The boss looked over to the field of flashes to see...Nothing. No flashes anywhere!

"Go n find out what's goin on! Nathan...Go n find Loralle!"

"Yeah, Boss!"

He had...A really bad feeling about this!

"Boss...Someone...Someone from the Air Tribe has come to stand in the middle of the tribes!"

Mitch bit his lip, for an hour there were no answers, none! And now...

What could they do if the Air Tribe came onto their land…It wasn’t like they could use the metal power to defend themselves anymore…

"Jus let em stand there fa now...We might av weapons but...If they still av powers..." This…

Mitch was really worried that they could be the only ones that had lost their powers, so to not get into trouble, he could only state to everyone to make sure they had some type of weapon on them or close by, just in case.

But Mitch was getting really antsy now…He really had no idea upon why the metal flashes were completely gone!

Never…Never had he been told that this has happened before!

"Yeah...I'll jus watch em then!"

Mitch nodded, then looked around, wanting to see Nathan but he hadn't returned yet...

Turning to another suburbanite, he said, "Help Nathan find Loralle."

"Yeah, Boss!"

He had a niggling feeling ever since awakening...What was goin on!? Why have the Air Tribe suddenly come? Perhaps...They are having troubles too?

Mitch sent another person towards the Air Tribe, to spy on them, strangely enough this person seemed happy to do as told...As Mitch wasn’t the only one wanting to know if the Air Tribe had the same problems as them!

***

Daniel, who had been confined, had felt a change in his body as soon as he had woken up.

But he didn't care...He was put into this cell, for what felt like a long time ago, and still thought he was the reason everyone had died, not knowing that they were, in fact, still alive...He had...Willingly gone into confinement because he felt like he deserved it.

When the Fire Tribe had came out to meet up with the rest, who stayed at the Water Tribe village, Daniel's father had heard everything from his eldest son. On purpose, they hadn't told Daniel anything and no one was to go down to see him as punishment...Until this day.

Both his father and brother came running to him, and asked, "Have you lost your powers too?"

Daniel looked up, blinking...Was he perhaps dreaming? Did he...Die?

"Daniel! Speak!" His father's voice! His father's body!

"Daniel!" His father's angry, familiar voice!

Without knowing, Daniel had slowly come to stand and be at the front of the cell. "Fath...er?"

Actually, his father loved his children, he was just lazy, "Yes, we lied to you, so you would learn your lesson...Quick boy, answer my question!"

A tear ran down Daniel's face, as he answered, "No...I lost the powers..."

Daniel smiled and wiped his tear away. Right now, the powers were nothing, he was just so glad to see his father again!

His father sighed and looked at his eldest son, "Let him out."

It was a reunion that Daniel would never have thought, in a million years, would happen!

He hugged his father until he was pushed away, then he hugged Emily, not letting her go for hours!

It felt like it had been years, but it was only days. Ten days of thinking that he had killed the whole Fire Tribe! Days of loathing himself and Loralle! Days without anybody to talk too!

He had never known what loneliness was, or betrayal or losing something precious.

And now...He was just so damned happy!

He also came to know that what Loralle had done was all an act! That she hadn't intended to kill anyone! So…He wasn't sure if he wanted to thank her or to call her a bitch!

***