"Mattey!" Mattey stirred on her bed, rolling away from Shika's voice. "MAttey!"

"What?" The thirteen year old yelled.

"Midnights," MAttey turned and looked at Shika her brows furrowed.

"What?" She asked more softly this time, sitting up and brushing her black hair from her emrald green eyes.

"There's Midnights on the border."

Mattey's eyes sparkled. A smile touched her lips, Shika nodded once then turned and left the room.



***

This was going to be her first real battl, and she was excited. Smokey just wished the battle could have been during the day, not some time after midnight.

She sighed.

"Oh, c'mon, Smokey. I know your excited about this! You're the first thirteen year old to ever go into battle!"

'Sana almost seems more excited about this then me'. Smokey thought as they continued to march. "What are you so excited for?"

"Oh i just can't wait to see the Princess in action, that's all," Sana said quickly, turning her face from Smokey's curious expresion.

Smokey faced forward as well. Although Sana was seven years older than Smokey they had become best friends during Smokey's training. And, like all best friends, they told eachother everything. So why did Smokey feel liek Sana wasn't telling her somthing?

It began raining then. It was coming down fast in bif, fat drops.

Lightning flashed as the soldiers marched on.


***

"Rachel!" Mattey bellowed, she flew down the hall, people moved out of her way just as fast as she was coming.

"Yes?" Rachel replied, stepping out slightly from her room.

"I get to fight? I heard that you're putting me in teh battle?" Mattey looked eagerly up at Rachel, breathing heavily.

"You need teh expirience, plus you just learned to control your powers, so why not?"

"Do you think i've gotten enough training?" Mattey questioned wondering if her first real battle could very well be her last.

"Of course. You're better than half the best here. You'll do fine." Rachels replied in a bored tone.

"Well as long as i can kill a few of those traitorous bast.ards, i'll be fine," Mattey smirked, deep in thought, as Rachel raised her eyebrows at her young niece.

Rachel stood watching MAttey for several seconds before saying, "go get dressed, we begin soon."

Mattey turned and walked back to her room where she lit a lamp which made the whole room glow in a pleasent light. Mattey pulled a large chest towards her, adn heaved the lid open.

Taking off her sleeping gown she replaced it with a fresh, crisp, blue tunic. She pulled black pants over her legs. The pants hugged her skin, and although they were tight she found it easy to move.

Lastley, Mattey buckled a sword and sheath to her waist. The sword was a beautiful silver, with a deyed blue hilt. Light and perfectly balanced. This sword was made specifically for Mattey when she had compoleted her training, she had practiced threee hours a day with it for four years, and no longer felt taht when she held it it was a piece of metel, but an extension of her arm.

Mattey looked to her window, as rain began to pelt the thick glass, a sound that matched her thrumming heart. 'My first battle' Mattey thought as she began to button on a thicker, warmer over shirt. 'Savior it Mattey, you will remember this forever.'

She turned away from her room and walked toward Rachel who stood in teh hall waiting for her. She took her designated position behind Shika who looked distracted and... concerned?

Mattey held her head high as teh Shadows marched out the big oak towards, towards the oncoming crowd of Midnights.


***

"Get Ready!" Captain Taylor shouted.

Mika stayed silent as she watched a sea of blue tunics rushing up to them. 'I cannot wait to see teh look on Rachel's face when she finds out I took one of Areah's daughters.'


***

Smokey's red tunic was soaked through adn mud was weighing down her boots as teh MIdnight army tensley waited for the coming battle. She held a heavy shield on her left forearm and a sleek blade in her right hand.

She stood trembling, anxious for teh battle to begin. Soon, veru soon, her balde would be coated with the blood of the enemy.


***

Mattey walked out onto teh front lawn of her home. Mattey smiled to herself. She looked out upon the red littering her grass. They carried swords and large metel shields. Mattey menatly checked her own side, who onlty carried swords. 'How pathetic that their so afraid for their miserable lives that they carry shields, at least my people will die with honor, not cowering behind a piece of metel.' Mattey mused, smiling again.

Rachel led their group, behind her to the left and right were Shika and Captain Lee, directly behind them, stood Mattey. Rachel halted their precession and the small, blue army tensed as tehir leader adressed her twin sister, who was dressed in red.

"I have a surprise for you Mika," Rachel smirked, irony dripping from her voice. "Mattey, to my side!" rachel barked without taking her eyes from teh identicle ones across from her.

'Rachel just asked me to break rank?' Mattey saw only a moment's hesitation before following the orders.

Mattey stepped forward and took her place beside Rachel. She did not hear the collective gasp from teh Midnight peopel.

Mattey had been taught extensivley about tehe Midnight team, especially their leader Mika. She had also been taught to keep herself secret, being told revealing herslef would mean distruction for the Shadow's, so when Mattey saw the look of sheer surprise pasted to MIka's face, she showed no emotion, she had expected this.

"Mika, meet Mattey." malicousness stormed from Rachel's words.

"A pleasure." Mika said, without a bit of it in her voice.

"Traitorous bit.ch, don't talk to me." MAttey spat, nothing but contempt for her other Aunt leaking from her other wise calm disposition.

Mika looked angry. Very angry, much to Mattey and Rachel's delight.

Not being able to take the crackiling silence, Mattey shot an ice-ball and didn't even have enough time to see who it hit before red and bluee mereged, beneath the stars and the omuniuous rain clouds.


***

The battle was relentless. Mattey would kill one person only to turn around and find siz more waiting. Occasionaly a fire-ball would light the deepning dark, but mostly she had only teh dim stars and moon to decipher freinds from foe.

Mattey plunged her blade into an attacking red form, and shot an ice-ball instentanoulsy at anothe red demon.

Mattey plucked her sword from teh dead enemy only to turn and find a Midnight about to kill Shika, teh soldier had his sword positiond just so thatteh ice riccocheted off, into teh night, but momentarily distracted, Shika was able to kill him.

MAttey's heart pounded and her breath was ragged as she pushed further and further into teh battle, right at the heart of all of it.

'Forty- seven' Mattey counted as she pulled her balde from another dead body, letting it fall among the dozens of others. Mattey incased another body in ice taht shattered into a million pieces when it hit teh ground. 'Forty-Eight.'

Out of the cornor of her eye, she saw a flayling soldier set fire to, and turned toward it, only to find Captain Lee, fire covering most of his body. Mattey tried to use her powers to smother it, but it was to late, he dropped, his body still smoldering.

While MAttey had been distracted someone had snuck up on her and swung her sword, grazing her left arm. She ignored teh pain and raised her sword to kill the perpitraitor , who had their own sword raised to attack again, only to relize they had tehy same face.

Mattey faintly heard the sword drop, as the battle around her seeemd to slow. Both girls fell to the ground, and only when the MIdnights had retreated, did anyone notice the girls were missing.

Mika sent someone back to look for Smokey her face a mask of terror and fright.

Rachel to tired to stand ordered the Shadow's inside, unaware that her nieces lay outside, looked upon by the rising sun.


***

Leo crouched between freind and foe. Enemies. Sister's. Twins.

With a smirk he stood and left.


***

Mattey groaned. A migrain already beginning to form.

"Ughm." She graoned again, willing her eyes to stay open, staggering to her feet, she glanced down at her arm. Blood smeared down it, mibgling with muddy-water. The blood looked faked to her, all peeling and cracked. Her clothes were soaked and caked in mud, it was still lightly raining although the sun was rising. It was almost freezing outside, but the cold didn't bother her, it never did.

"Ruhmbph." She grumbled again, only to be echoed.

Smokay looked up from the ground at a face identicle to hers. "Who are you?" Smokay asked the young girl who looked liek her twin. 'Except for the hair, her hair is long.' Smokey thought, thinking of her own, short hair.

"I could ask the same of you," Mattey replied aquiring a defensive demeanor.

Smokey growled, jumping to her feetand wishing she hadn't. teh pain in her right leg told her she'd been badley wounded by that Shadow soldier. She clenched her hands into fists to help ignore the pain, but she'd forgotten about the burns.

"A-!" Smokey bit down on her tongue. She didn't like people seeing her pain and this look-a-like was no exception. She reached to her hip for her sword, but her sheath was empty.

"Idiot." Matey breathed, looking at the sword behind the stranger. "Who are you to be on my territory, dressed in such filthy color, no doubt a traitor of Destiny, a Mika follower?" Mattey spat, as if her Aunt's name were poison on her tongue.

Mattey held such scorn for her enemies, led by MIka, a traitor not to be trusted. She focused again at the girl dressed in red. "Leave snake, before I change my mind and kill you."

"Do you know who I am?" Smokey demanded, hate dripping from her voice like acid.

"Uh? Do i care?" Retorted Mattey, raging hostility burning in her veins. She wanted to strike at this girl, to break her to a million tiny shards of Ice. Mattey began charging her ice, a smile dancing in her eyes.

'Dam.n!' Smokey thought. 'If I gight her it's going to hurt like h.ll.' Smokey back-flipped, landing her head on the hilt of her sword as she did. When she landed back on her feet, her wounded leg gave out. 'Dam.nit.' She quickly regained her balance and swung her sword at an advancing ice-ball.

After firing the ice-ball Mattey stood there, hands on hips, watching pain flick in and out of the other girls eyes. She started charging another ice-ball after the stranger deflected the first. The other girl started running at her with the sword. mattey began throwing ice-ball after ice-ball.

Smokey ducked, ( pain erupting anew in her hands), dodging a fleet of ice-balls. As she swung up her sword to bring it down against this girls neck an ice-ball slammed into her chest.

Smokey screamed as she fell back on the ground. She could feel the ice sinking through her skin, slowing her heartbeat and her breathing as the ice got closer to her organs. "NO!" She threw her hands to her chest and fire flew out of her palms and melted the ice. She stood and looked down at her chest with wide eyes. 'It doesn't hurt anymore!' The Midnight princess put her hand to her check, and laughed as the fire that blasted forth didn't burn a hole in her face.

"Are you leaving, fighting or losing your dam.n mind?" Mattey glared, "get off my land, Queen Rachel will not spare you, or show you near as much mercy as i have. Do not return, unless you wish your blood to be shed by my hand." Mattey scowled as Smokey stood there. Mattey could feel her power pulsing through her like a second heartbeat. "LEAVE!" She screamed her patience, with this scum running thin.

Smokey stood still. She could feel the blood draining out her leg. Her vision wavered.

"Smokey!"

"If you don;t leave, I will be forced to kill you, and besides your precious bit.ch needs you to check in, see she's already sent someone after you, I guess snake's only care for their own."

Private Sana ran up beside Smokey. "You're alive."

Smokey began to fall over.

"Smokey!" Sana grabbed Smokey's wrist and pulled, catching her in her arms.

"S-sana?" Smokey's eyes rolled back, and she fell limp and Sana's arms.

In the blink of an eye, Sana had drawn her dagger from it's sheath on her thigh and had thrown it at Mattey. Sana was gone before the hilt was even a foot from her fingertips, Smokey thrown over her shoulder.

Mattey dodged the knife, watching it fly past her to stick out of the ground several feet behind her. "Stupid Midnights." Mattey grumbled, stepping over bloody carcasses to get to teh house.

"Rachel!" She screamed once within teh large house, "we need to talk!"


***