Miles sighed, closing his locker as he now watched people pass him in the hallway. Things had certainly been interesting over the last few months.
After meeting Nat and Rei, Miles had discovered magic been shrunken down to fairy size, and even got to kiss a teenage girl/fairy. What he hadn't done though was find a steady girlfriend.
It annoyed the 15 year old, watching as his friends now found boyfriends or girlfriends as he remained single. The teens only prospect right now was a grown woman who happened to have been reduced to a teenage girl before returning to adulthood. Miles now wondered if he was doomed to be forever single.
Turning a corner, Miles gasped as he now ran headlong into a teenage girl, the duo dropping their books. "Sorry," Miles said quickly, bending down to help the girl pick up her things. Glancing at the girl, Miles eyes went wide as he got a good look at her. The girl was a very pretty teen around his age with light brown hair, a trim figure and sparkling eyes. The girl sporting a shy smile as she now locked eyes with Miles. "Thanks," she said softly.
"Um no problem," Miles stammered as the two teens stood. "I'm Miles, you need here?"
"Yeah," she said. "I'm Amara. Amara Szymanski."
"Nice to meet you Amara," Miles smiled. The teen now tongue tied as he tried to figure out what to say next. Maybe if he played his cards right he could finally find a girlfriend.
****************************
Glancing over some paperwork, Mary Elise furrowed her brow. The pop quiz she had given her class had not produced the results she wanted. The auburn haired woman sighed, realizing she would need to review the material before moving on. Looking towards the door, she now paused as Nat, Spark, and the others entered. Mary Elise concerned as she studied the damphir and fairy. "You two look awful is everything okay?"
Nat cast her teacher a weary eye, the last week had given the teen a host of nightmares making sleep difficult. "Just having a hard time sleeping lately."
"You too," Spark replied. "Thought I was the only one. Been having the worst dreams."
Mary Elise nodded, listening intently as the teens now talked. It struck her as odd that both girls would be having such vivid nightmares. "You mind if I help, " she asked. "I might be able to figure out what's going on. Maybe let you two get a good night sleep."
"I'm game," Spark replied wearily. Mary Elise now looked to Nat, the teenage damphir giving a small nod. Mary Elise now give the pair a reassuring smile, useing her magic to reach out and examine the girls minds.
Mary Elise frowned, her psychic abilities giving her a clear picture of the nightmares the teens were having. She could understand why the duo were not sleeping well, their greatest fears were manifesting every night. What puzzled Mary Elise though was a dark presence within the girls minds. The teacher couldn't quite put her finger on it but their was a dark, magical taint upon the teens. Mary Elise trying to pin down what it was. She had felt something similar before, remembering the succubus and imp from the other timeline when they rescued the infant Yuriko. This felt similar yet different somehow.
"Well I see why you two haven't been sleeping," she said. "That's quite a nightmare but there's something else. Something dark, almost demonic. I can't quite put my finger on it."
Nat and Spark cast eachother a concerned look. The idea of something demonic targeting them causing the pair to feel a chill run down their spines. As they were about to ask, they were interrupted by Miles entering the room.
"Hey guys," Miles smiled. "Hows everything going?" Mary Elise now studied the teenage boy carefully as well as the girl that now stood by his side. "Miles who's your friend?"
"Oh this is Amara," he said happily. Mary Elise nodded, pushing her wheelchair forward. Something was odd about this girl, Mary Elise sensing a dark magical energy emanating from her. The energy feeling far too familiar to the wizard. "Amara you said," the teacher asked rubbing her chin. Miles nodded yet Mary Elise kept her eyes fixed upon Amara, the teenage girl fidgeting nervously under her gaze.
Without warning, Amara now gasped. The teenage girl now suspended in the air unable to move. Mary Elise now approached the girl, a scowl on her face as her students now began to yell in alarm.
"Ms. McKinnon what the hell," Miles exclaimed.
"Ms. McKinnon," Nat yelled. "Stop what are you doing?"
Mary Elise said nothing, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the teenage girl suspended in the air. "What are you," she growled. "I don't know what you're talking about," Amara whimpered. "Please! Let me go!"
"Uh teach I think you get fired for stuff like this," Spark said nervously. Mary Elise wouldn't listen, instead useing her powers to now turn the teenage girl upside down. Amara letting out a gasp as she now found herself levitating 10 feet off the ground.
"Okay Amara," she said firmly. "This is the deal. Tell me what you are or I drop you. We both know you'll survive the fall and then we'll know for sure. So whats it going to be? Easy way or the hard way."
"You're crazy," Amara exclaimed. "Please let me go!"
Mary Elise was unmoved, Amara whimpering as she stared at the ground below. The way the teen was positioned she would certainly break her neck. "Last chance," Mary Elise said, Amara gasping as she felt herself jerked upwards bumping into the ceiling.
"Okay," Amara yelled. The teens now curious as to what was going on. In an instant they discovered what their teacher knew.
One moment a petrified teenage girl was suspended in the air. The next thing they knew they beheld a tabby cat. A tabby cat Nat immediately recognized as the stray she had adopted. The cat now turned to Mary Elise, her feline features appearing angered as she glared the teacher. "You happy now," the cat hissed.
"What the hell," Miles exclaimed. "What are you?"
"Shes a demon," Mary Elise stated. "What kind of demon I'm not sure. I could sense something dark about the girl as soon as she walked in the room. The magic she has feels like the magic that's been giving Nat and Spark nightmares. "
"Great," Amara huffed. "Of all the schools I have to go to I go to one with a freaking wizard."
"Shes a demon," Nat exclaimed.
"Yeah a demon," Amara huffed. "A Mara to be exact. I feed on nightmare energy."
"But I took care of you," Nat said, the teen feeling betrayed.
"Yeah thanks for that but I'm starving," Amara exclaimed. "A girl can't live on kibble you know. I needed some sweet, sweet, nightmare energy and boy you two are like an all you can eat buffet."
Nat and her friends now stared dumbfounded at the talking cat. Everyone wondering what they would do with a nightmare eating demon cat.