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Post by Lizzie (SmiLiza) on Jun 7, 2006 11:01:41 GMT 2
Wow! and I really found time to read them all!
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Post by Trinity on Jul 3, 2006 2:08:44 GMT 2
Isabel
Second period math stinks. Not only does our teacher expect us to do fifty million problems for homework, he also thinks that we should get every single one of them right! You know, one day, I am going to tell him to straight out shove those problems right up his big, fat hairy–––
I stop myself. Lord knows that Arkarian would’ve heard that, and wouldn’t be pleased. Or Matt, for that matter. Dillon is in this class with me, right beside me in fact. But its not like he’s actually doing anything productive. Unless you count flirting. What do you know, there just HAD to be a “hot chick” sitting right beside our table. Its really hard for one to concentrate on the lesson when the wannabe-stud is sitting at three o’clock.
It takes all of my will power not to tell Dillon off, and listen to Mr. Porter as he explains what Samantha did wrong on her homework, to see if I made the same mistake. So, it naturally satisfies me when the teacher threatens Dillon with a detention, and he stops immediately.
Is she better than the substitute teacher that you flirted with? I hastily write on a sheet of paper and tuck it in the middle of the shared table. Dillon sees the piece of paper and cheekily grins. When will he ever grow up?
He picks up a pen that has teeth marks on the cap, and answers his reply. Nah, that one was hot. She even gave me her phone number. Dillon grins defiantly, and jerks his head up as Mr. Porter gives him a question to solve.
Eww. How old was she?
She said she was only 28.
But you’re 17??!!
So? You’re going out with a six hundred year old.
But technically he’s only eighteen. That’s different. She was married.
This caught him on surprise because he blinked a few times, before he jotted down his reply. How do you know?
I thought the Mrs. was explanatory.
Ouch.
Mr. Porter looks at us from the head of the room, eyeing the slip of paper. I gracefully shove it under my text book, indicating that it is nothing. He nods. Just then, the door opens and a student assistant comes in with a small note. He hands it to Mr. Porter.
Mr. Porter reads the note for a second before nodding and addressing me. “Isabel Becket? I do believe that you are needed in the front office.”
I slide my papers into my binder, my binder into my backpack, and my backpack onto my shoulder. Dillon gives me a look, his eyes asking if I knew what this was all about. I trail my way from the very back of the school where my classroom was, all the way to the front office. I step in carefully, and to my surprise, the conversation that had been going stopped.
The school counselor walks up to me generously, and hands me a schedule. “We just got word from some of your teachers, dear.” She offers a smile. “Here is your new schedule. I hope that now you will have some better class choices.” She jerks her head, and I stare up into her eyes. It seems as though something strange is going on, for her eyes, which I once noticed were a deep blue, are now a vivid green.
There is only two people that I remember to have such startling green eyes: One of the Dillon. The other was Rochelle. Could this possibly be a relative of theirs? Or was it just a coincidence.
I try to shrug it off, but can’t, seeing the suspicious look the counselor gives me as I head out of the office. Something in her eyes makes me nervous. I look at my new schedule in my hand, and sigh as I see the class I have to go to next: Gym.
Arkarian
Isabel is worried about something, I can sense her suspicions, although she is keeping her thoughts hidden well. I sigh aloud. Sometimes it annoys me how I cannot get inside her head, but I know that as her boyfriend, I must keep my silence and allow Isabel to think without the caution of someone overhearing her.
I look up into the mirror before me, from my position inside the small bathroom. My newly-green eyes stare back at me blankly, from the color of specialized contacts. Black hair is also a new to me, but it is necessary for me to color it when I intend to go outside.
Isabel often teases me about my hair and eyes, and then she’d tell me that I should take her on dates more often with my natural colors. She says that some teenagers these days would kill to have their hair blue, and would dye theirs anyway. But she just doesn’t understand that an Order member would recognize me immediately, then we’d both be in trouble.
Speaking of the Order, I briefly wonder if the tiny, glowing ball had anything to do with them. I mean, most of these unusual situations would have been of my knowledge via the Tribunal. But this act was not something I was informed of. I also reach my thoughts out to the holographical sphere that was once in my Chambers, but now taken away. Could there be a connection?
I stalk out of the bathroom, my head still full of wonders, and pick up the bag that holds this item. It is a bit heavy with all I have packed, but all of it is necessary. Going outside today will be a bit of a treat, as I am meeting Isabel and company at their school for the hike back to the mountain. Leaving early is a must, as it takes a good two hour walk from the house to the school.
Carefully shutting the front door into place, I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Although I have learned the skill of soothing other people, it often takes awhile for my own nerves to settle. Lifting the bag up, I adjust the strap onto my shoulder, and prepare for the long journey ahead of me.
Matt
School does pass by fast, I must admit. Now I am in lunch period, sitting with Neriah, Dillon, and Isabel. The last of the bunch are having a very heated conversation about something or another. I honestly can’t concentrate on anything right now. Picking up my fork, I dally around the food on my plate. Maybe I’m so bored because since the battle nothing interesting has happened.
“Matt.”
I look up from my plate of the clumpy school mashed potatoes, and are met with my sister’s eyes. They are a bit intense for her, more than usual, so I know something is up. “What is it, Isabel?” I try to keep my voice even, so she won’t know that I’m aware that she feels something is wrong.
Isabel glances left, then right, to make sure that no one but us is paying close attention to our conversation. “Do you have gym this year?” She asks this in a quiet, strained whisper, an urgent hiss.
I was expecting something more deep than that, so I merely shrug. “No. Why? You don’t either.”
“Actually I do.” She pauses to dig into her front pants pocket to pull out a tiny schedule card. Neriah and Dillon are watching all this in little interesting, probably wondering why the hell we are worried about gym class. “I somehow got my classes changed this morning.”
I take the card from her as she reaches over and gives it to me. Sure enough, there it is, second period gym. “Okay, Isa. But what’s the big deal?”
“They are doing physical testing this week.”
I can’t help it. I snort. Loudly. “Okay? Why are you worried about that? You are physically fit.”
“They hire a professional fitness trainer for testing, so that he can assess all the students.”
Neriah nods, a bit quickly. “I know what she’s talking about. Me and Ethan had gym first period.” She takes a quick bite of her salad, then gives Isabel a sympathetic look.
I know that I might be wrong, but my mind jumps to quick conclusions. Jumping up from my seat, I can’t help but to call out, a bit loudly. “What did this guy do to you, Isabel?” Nearly screaming, this has caught the attention of the whole cafeteria, and they turn to stare at me. “If he did anything to you, I swear–“
“Matt. Sit down.”
It’s Neriah, pulling shortly on my blazer, motioning for me to retain my seat. I give her a short glare, before sitting back down. In a few seconds, the rest of the student body forgets about my outburst and resumes their personal conversations.
“Isabel, if he touched you in any way–any wrong way–then I swear to God that me and Arkarian will be on that guy like dogs. Same for you, Neriah.” I am staring Isabel down pointedly, to get my point across. I can’t help but protect my sister. She was all I had for my younger years.
She seems a bit annoyed. “Matt, if some guy did that to me, trust me, I would call Arkarian quick as a whip and he’d already be down there kicking his arse. Of course, that would be after I give him a few kicks myself.” Isabel then lowers her voice to the table. “But the real problem is: who exactly is this guy?”
I roll my eyes at my sister. “Well, did he tell you his name? Did he have a name tag? A calling card? Something.” I stand up to throw away my lunch, then return to the table. “We can figure out if he’s an Order member if you get the details, sis.”
“She got the details alright,” Neriah says, in a quiet yet firm voice. She shoots Isabel a look, and the blond nods, a sort of approval for Neriah to continue. “We think...that the trainer...may be Isabel’s father.”
Neriah
Normally, I would have laughed at Matt. The look on his face is just so funny. His eyes are wide, brown coming out. Mouth slightly hanging open. If I had a camera. But, oh well, this isn’t really the time for laughing and playing games. We have a real issue, here.
Or do we?
Is it possible that Mr. Becket had no clue that his daughter was here? That he was simply following a hired job that he was paid to do? Could he have forgotten about Isabel? Or did he plan this meeting, as to get a chance to see his daughter again?
Well, as for thought number one, as I think about it, its not possible. This is the only high school in the whole city, so of course she’d be here. And as much as she likes the outdoors, she would naturally be interested in taking a gym class.
Following his job? Sure, if he really was a professional sports player or whatever. I mean, he’d want to get paid just like any other person. So, he’d go where his boss tells him to go, and would come to this school to train some whiny teenagers.
Forgetting about Isabel didn’t seem like the case. How could someone who seems to be in his mid-thirties forget about his only daughter? Unless he remarried and had other kids of his own. Then he’d be too busy to remember the little girl he left behind. (I remember that Matt had told me the story of Isabel’s father once.) Isabel would have half-siblings then, wouldn’t she?
The only logical reason would be that he planned this meeting to see his daughter. A little memory, a photograph of her, or something to remind him could have set him off to see her again. Maybe even Isabel mother, Coral, too. But why now? Why not earlier, when the damage would not have been done?
I let Matt, Arkarian, and Dartemis hear my thoughts. They take this in for a moment, and I steal a glance at Dillon and Isabel. They both are quiet, unusual for Dillon, but apparently they realize that the Truthseers need some time to think on the matter.
Arkarian’s reply is the first I get. ‘Isabel’s father is at the school? Why didn’t you tell me?’ I quickly notify him that I was only aware of this matter this morning. ‘I see. But be careful to judge so quickly, Neriah. For we never really know a man’s true purpose.’
‘Purpose? That man has no purpose.’ Matt is soon to jump in. ‘He hurt my mother and Isabel all those years ago. Not to mention what he did to me.’ He pauses for a second. ‘How do we even know that this man really is our father. Remaining Order members could have shape-shifting as a skill. And then we’re screwed.’
‘Matt,’ I intervene. ‘Don’t be so negative. Maybe Isabel’s father wants to make amends.’
He tries to ignore me. ‘As I was saying, what if an Order member uses a shape-shifting skill to become one of us! Say I meet up with Ethan one day, you know, just to hang out. When suddenly, I am tossed into an endless pit of despair by “Ethan”, also known as a undercover Order member!’
I groan, not mentally, but physically. This causes looks from Dillon, who raises his eyebrows. I shrug in response. Isabel looks in her own zone, looking downcast at her paper tray, stirring around the remains of a taco salad, a content thinking expression on her face.
‘Be set, my son.’ Dartemis’ thoughts are the last to come through. ‘The man in there is really Isabel’s father, and as of now, we know that he is of no harmful purpose. But we are still suspicious, as he has formed a way to block his thoughts from us. Most mortals do not know how to naturally do that. Stay aware, but do not fret. All shall unveil as time proceeds.’
‘Like it always does,’ Matt thinks, a smile on his physical features.
Arkarian comes through, extremely close by measure. ‘I’m heading on my way to your school now, so that I can meet you all afterwards for our little hike to the mountain. I’d better go now, so I’ll see you all later. Tell Isabel I love her for me.’ And with that, his thoughts fade away.
Matt comes out of his trance with a small scowl on his face. I give him a look inquiring if he is going to tell her, but by his obvious annoyance, I doubt it. I turn from him to the down form that is his sister. She still looks a bit sad.
“Isabel,” I gently call out. She looks up, a small frown on her face. “Arkarian told me to tell you that he loves you.”
Almost instantly, her frown fades into a smile, one clearly full of love and admiration. I can’t help but smile at her, as she cheerfully throws her trash away, and files out of the room, joining her classmates as she walks back to class, her lunch period clearly over.
I turn back to Matt, who still has a sour temper. Turning around slightly, I place a light kiss on his cheek. He looks at me, then softens his features, before hugging me. “I don’t like it when you get cross,” I tell him, and he just winks at me.
Arkarian
Its now about five minutes after the school lets out. I’m waiting at the front of the high school for the crew. They must be at the back of the building, still making there way outside. I can’t help but notice the slight stares I am receiving. I’m used to them by now.
A group of giggling girls pass me, and they give me a short stare. I can hear their whispers and thoughts about how cute they think I am, and can’t help but frown. Whenever I disguise myself and go out, I always hear the same thing from teenage girls. But the only one I want to hear those phrases from is my soul mate.
“Hey.”
A voice purrs from beside me, and I am curious as its not Isabel. A female with long brown hair is standing beside me, slightly pulling on my shirt sleeve. She’s twirling her long hair around her manicured finger and is looking at me with slight lust in her eyes. “Hey sexy. What are you doing all the way over here?”
I am uncomfortable with this situation, and try to squirm away from her, but she grabs my arm, and twists me so that I am pressed up against her. Once more, I try to use force to shove her away, but I am not that rude to any woman, even slutty ones.
“My name is Celeste. What’s yours?” She leans over so that her mouth is on my neck, and she’s lightly blowing on my ear. I try to wiggle away again, but she’s got me cornered. I send a distress signal to Matt, via Truthseeing. Apparently, it works.
“His name is none of your business,” a voice from behind this girl says defiantly: Isabel. “But, he is my boyfriend after all, so I guess I should let you in.” She’s standing with her hands on her hips, slightly glaring at the girl before me. I hope she thinks that Celeste came onto me, not the other way around.
Next thing I know, I feel Celeste’s arms being ripped off from me, and then a slight crunch is heard. Then, I feel Isabel’s lips envelop themselves into mine, and I don’t hesitate to kiss her back. I know she’s doing this so that Celeste will get the picture. And I don’t mind adding a couple surprises of my own. I open my eyes for a second to see that Matt isn’t present. So, I let my hands travel from her waist to her bum, letting them rest there.
When Isabel breaks away, she looks at me a little bit questioningly. I just wink and mouth to her, “Later.” She nods, before turning back to the girl who had thrown herself on me. I notice that she’s on the ground, clutching her nose. So that crunch I heard was really a punch. Nice.
“You know, that’s just a warning,” Isabel countered, smirking triumphantly. She leaned over Celeste before saying this next part. “And if you ever think that you are going to seduce my boyfriend again–rather try to seduce–then there will be a lot more than that.”
Score for Isabel.
But then I watch as Celeste rises up from the ground and looks my girlfriend straight in the eye. “I guess you better keep him on a leash, then.” She smirks through her pain. “A very tight leash.” And with that, she stalks off, still clutching her nose, and rejoins her small group of friends.
Isabel turns to me, glaring now. “If a girl ever comes on to you, screw your politeness and push them off. Next time, I’ll get you, too.” But her scowl becomes a grin, and she pushes me into another heated kiss.
A loud cough breaks it up, and I realize that the rest of the gang has joined us, Matt slightly sneering. I break it off with Isabel, but sling my arm around her shoulder. “So, you guys ready for this hike?”
Isabel
After that last encounter with my female arch nemesis, Celeste Roman, I am ready for anything. Especially this hike. I hate everything about that girl, from her long, fake brown hair to her faded green eyes. I keep the fact that I hate her not so secret, as its apparent in my last showdown. I should have known that she’d try to pull something like that. I’ve told Arkarian many times that most teenage girls would go crazy for him. Including me. And that’s the honest truth.
I didn’t plan on him coming up to meet us at the school, but by looking at the non-surprised faces of Matt and Neriah, they knew he was gonna meet us here. Damn you Truthseers. I notice that Arkarian is carrying an old duffle bag of mine, and it looks as though its packed to the brim. Giving him an inquiring look, he just winks back. I’m not sure he knows what I’m wondering about.
I expect that Matt would have thought him in on my whole “father” business. Also, I guess pretty soon they are gonna want me to tell what happened at my gym class. It wasn’t that much of a show, though, so they shouldn’t pull out their bags of popcorn just yet.
Ethan jogs up to the back end of the gang, a grin on his face. “Hey guys. What’s up?” He seems to be getting better over Rochelle’s death. It must be the first time I’ve noticed this. But then again, I’m not ashamed to admit that lately I’ve only been in contact mostly with Arkarian, seeing as he is my boyfriend.
“Hey Ethan,” Arkarian greets, smiling one of his famous grins. His hand slips inside mine, moving from my neck down. “We were just going to re-visit the mountain, you know, for old times sake.” He glances around nervously, before adding, “And I have something I need to show you all.” This was added in an undertone, as to not cause suspicion by an onlooker overhearing. Or so, that’s what I thought.
Ethan shrugs, then comes into the pack, standing by Dillon. Dillon immediately turns and starts to chat with Ethan about some guy thing or another. Probably something stupid like Pokemon or Digimon. I mean, come on, this IS Dillon we’re talking about here.
And so we walk.
Arkarian and I lead the way, the others following. Well, actually he’s leading and I’m standing beside him, but any who. Ethan and Dillon are chatting in the middle; Neriah and Matt doing God-knows-what in the rear. I find it funny how we seemed to have arranged ourselves in a rectangular formation.
I glance over at my significant other just as we all cross the intersection. Unlike the others, he hasn’t said anything since telling Ethan what we were doing. That was a full twenty minutes ago. Gently squeezing his hand, I try to get him to look at me. It works, and I give him the ‘what’s-wrong-sweetie-tell-me-so-I-can-help-you’ look. He gives a small, and quick grin, knowing my trick, before replying with a ‘sorry-dear-but-you-will-find-out-soon’ look of his own.
I groan slightly under my breath. He gives a small laugh. Arkarian knows me too well.
We stop for a short break, tired after traveling already a long distance. Its then that a sharp cry of pain is heard. It comes from Arkarian, who is clutching the tight bag strap over his left shoulder. What is most strange is that the strap is glowing a bright green, which must be an effect of whatever is causing the pain.
Stopping, I run over and help him pry the cloth off of his shoulder, getting stung myself in the process. He gives a great intake of breath as he tries to calm himself down. Gently, I raise up his shirt, revealing his smooth muscles underneath. Near the shoulder blade, a great black mark is where what seemed to be a burn happened.
I quickly get to work. “What did it do to you?” I ask him tentatively. Arkarian gives my hands a squeeze once I relieve him from some of his pain. He replies simple enough: the strap became red hot very suddenly, and burned him. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ethan cautiously pick up Arkarian’s shirt, which I had discarded. Sure enough, there were black marks on it, too.
“Are you sure the bag did it?” This came from Neriah, and Arkarian shakes his head. She continues. “I mean, an ordinary bag can’t contain any power, even if it is a source of evil. Is there anything inside the bag that would’ve caused it?” She looks around in a circle. “Or maybe any Order members nearby?”
My soul mate shakes his head, and glances behind her to Matt. I follow his gaze to see that Matt is in deep conversation in his head, probably with his father. He is frowning slightly, and shaking his head. Neriah and Arkarian both look at him worriedly, and I pull my boyfriend into a hug. “Are you alright now?”
He smiles into my hair, and pulls me closer. “Thanks to you, Isabel.” He gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, before we both break apart. “I think I know what caused the power infliction. But I can’t talk to you about it here. It’s not safe.” I can’t help but notice the sharp frown he has, as we ascent farther into our journey.
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Post by Trinity on Jul 3, 2006 2:09:23 GMT 2
Matt
My father thinks that the accident with Arkarian is just some sort of power overdrive. That having two immortals, a Truthmaster, a healer, and an animator so close together around the central part of the city could have caused a sort of surge, and that the bag being a sort of conductor, picked up on the powers. Therefore, inserting it into the nearest versatile component, that being Arkarian.
Dartemis also says that its nothing to worry about. I try to sense into what Arkarian is thinking, but at the current moment, all he’s thinking is of how much he loves my sister, and how he’s lucky that she’s a healer. Blech. Sometimes he makes me sick with those thoughts. But I do have to admit, Isabel can come in handy every now and then. Thanks to her, he’s in no pain.
Looking back on what my father has told me, and Neriah of course, I think that this is exactly what Arkarian will tell us when he explains his theory. However, when we safely get to the mountain, its not what he tells.
“I found a sphere.” He says this in a soft voice, still cautious of security. I wonder, if he’s talking about the holographical sphere that was used to monitor the past. He catches my eye, and slowly shakes his head. “I’m not sure, Matt. But I’m positive that this might be just as important. You see what it did to me earlier.”
At this point, he reaches over and cautiously takes the bag that he had been ignoring for the past twenty minutes. The zipper makes a loud sound as he opens it. Fumbling around inside, his hands withdraw with a small bundle of clothes. I can tell that these are Isabel’s, and are probably the ones she keeps tossed around her dirty room floor. She’s blushing slightly, as if realizing this too.
We are all quiet as Arkarian slowly unwraps the clothes that are wound around like cloth to a mummy. Soon, he reveals a small, black box: Isabel’s jewelry box. Having most of these objects from Isabel, I begin to think as to where he found this ‘sphere’. By the looks of it, in Isabel’s room. He gives me a quick glance, and communicates with me. “I’m getting there.”
Everyone’s attention is on the box, as he slowly opens the lid. As soon as he does, an attendance of brilliant, swirling light comes forward. The colors dance around on our faces, although it is daylight; we can see them very clearly. In the midst of these brilliant lights is a small ball. It must be the sphere he was talking about. I look around, to see that we are all in spectacle of this wonder.
Soon, Arkarian gently closes the lid of the box. It would be the smart thing to do. As long as we’ve gotten a taste of it, we’ll know enough. Right now, we aren’t even aware if it is harmful or otherwise.
I am the first one to speak up after this, returning to my previous question. “Where did you find it?” I add in as an afterthought. “Or where did it find you?” Arkarian nods at me, suspecting this question again. Its an obvious ‘yes’ to Isabel’s room. “But why would it be in Isabel’s room?”
At the mention of her name, or her room rather, Isabel snaps her head up. “What? My room?” She gives Arkarian a look. “Why would it be in my room? I don’t even know what that thing is!” She is acting as if she is to defend herself. I do not blame her; she would be the one with the most suspicions.
“Isabel, we’re not playing the blame game here.” Neriah voice radiates out into the open. I silently thank her. She looks at me before moving on. “All we know is that this ‘sphere’ thing turns up out of no where, and ends up in your room. We don’t even know if it’s a good or bad thing.” She reaches out a lays a hand on Isabel’s shoulder.
Ethan is next to join in. “That’s the whole problem.” I turn to look at him, with a ‘duh’ expression on my face. He rolls his eyes. “I know its obvious but its more than that. We have to do something about it. If we sit and keep it here, then it might make something happen, as it did with the bag straps a few minutes ago.” He glances at Arkarian before continuing. “If we wait, and it really is a bad thing, then soon something will happen that IS bad.” He has a point.
“So, what do you propose we do with it, Matt?” Isabel is looking at me with her usual smirking eyes. I know what she likes to do: peg every tough situation on me, just for the hell of it. And in almost every other tough situation, I know what to do. As in this one.
“I think–“
Neriah
“I think–“
But Matt doesn’t get to say what he thinks we should do in our current situation. For at that moment, we once again become familiar with the open swirls of blinding light that had emerged from the small black jewelry box. Sure enough, there it lay, open clearly, with the small ball of light misting in its container.
“Why did you open the box, Arkarian?” I say this to him, peering at him through curious and suspicious eyes, through the misty gazes. He shakes his head no, and tells me telepathically that he didn’t open it. “Then who opened it?”
“I opened by itself,” Arkarian replies, his voice gentle and calm. Isabel takes his hand, and nods her agreement. Ethan too, is having a sort of agreement of his own. I take it that I must’ve been the only one not to notice. (Hey–is it a crime to stare at your boyfriend while he talks?)
We all back away slightly, as afraid of something more to happen. And it does.
Suddenly, all I am aware of is Matt’s hand taking my own, as a black cloud emerges from the small box that contains the sphere. It surrounds us like a tornado, blocking our view of not only each other, but ourselves. A thick, heavy fog is all we see, but we smell a foul odor of something that has rotten.
After this blackness has surrounded us, I feel a short pulling on my body, as if I can no longer hold up my own weight, and Earth’s gravity is now reacting on me. I cannot even scream; this pressure is so intense. And that’s when I get that first wave of unconsciousness.
When I awake I am not on the soft ground anymore. Nor am I with the company of my friends. I am laying on a suspicious soft and silky surface, yet I cannot see anything. A moment of panic comes over me, and I try to calm my thoughts. I try to call out for Matt, but to my surprise, my Truthseeing skills do not seem to work.
It takes me a moment for my eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness, but when I do, I realize that I happen to be sitting on an enormous bed clad with silk sheets. No wonder I felt oddly comfortable. Sitting up from my laying position, I can also notice that this is a very fancy bedroom that I am in. Certainly not the one I share with Matt back at home.
I wish to see my captor–that is, if I do have one. So I carefully push my feet off of the soft surface, and onto another, the floor. The light carpet bounces under my feet as I pad out of the room quietly, in slippers I wasn’t aware I was wearing.
I am met with the sight of a long hallway, one ware in darkness, too. Its night, apparently. But for how long have I been out. I remind myself to ask my kidnapper if I find him. Or her. The sound of a male’s singing and the smell of good food meets me, and I scurry to find the source.
When I do, I cannot believe my eyes. There is a man in front of me. I recognize his face, although it has changed immensely. His height is the same, but his enormous weight isn’t. This man is now skinny, but filled out. His rancid yellow eyes have changed to a gentle blue, and there isn’t any disfiguration in his face at all. When he sees me, he smiles. Something that he, my father, has rarely done in sincerity.
“Hello, Princess.” Marduke greets me cheerfully. “I just came down here to make a midnight snack. Did I wake you?”
Arkarian
I am in wonder when I become into consciousness from my venture from the sphere’s strange mist. It is night, so most people would be in bed by now in this place. I hope that the others are also in the same predicament as I am–nice and warm in a soft bed.
It doesn’t take me long before I realize that I am not the only one in this bed. Curiosity gets the better of me, as I roll over to face whoever I am sleeping with. I pray that it is a girl. Isabel, preferably. But I can’t help but wonder: where am I and where are the others?
Rolling from my back, onto my side, a pair of slender arms snake around from the other side of the bed. They fasten themselves gently around my neck, and the figure settles her head into the crook of my neck. This figure has long dark hair; I can tell even in the dark. I know that this is not Isabel. But who it really is, I cannot help but reveal my shock.
“Rochelle?”
She leans her head up from under me, and gives me a curious stare from her deep emerald eyes. “What is it, baby?” Her voice is full of phlegm, but its obvious that it is full of emotion. “What’s wrong?”
“Where’s Isabel?”
I get straight to the point. If Isabel saw me in bed with another woman–let alone a dead woman–I’d be grilled for sure. And if Ethan saw me...well, I couldn’t even imagine what kinds of things he would do to me. Death isn’t that big of deal for Ethan, when it comes to Rochelle. Although, I have to admit, she looks very sexy in the deep darkness.
“Isabel?” Rochelle sits up in alarm. Her hand flies up to my forehead, and she frowns. “Are you okay? I mean, honestly, Arkarian. Its been three years since you’ve mentioned Isabel.” She lifts me into a small hug, her head resting on my shoulder briefly. I become very tense upon such close contact.
“What?” I can’t help but to exclaim. “Isabel was just right beside me. Why would I ignore her for three years? She is my girlfriend after all.”
This has Rochelle backing away from me very quickly. “What? Your girlfriend? First of all, mister, I am your wife. Second, we have been married for a year. Third, don’t you remember that I am pregnant?” She pauses, takes in a steady breath before continuing. “And now, you tell me that you have a girlfriend?”
This has me in jumbles. I have no idea what the sphere did to me, but how did it bring Rochelle back from the dead? And why is she now my wife? And... she’s pregnant? What the hell? This must be some sort of joke! Where is Isabel?
I try to come to the meaning of this, so I excuse myself after a quick sorry that has her in temperamental sobs. Pulling on some regular clothes out of a closet that I’ve never seen before, I march out of the house, and make my way toward the mountain, where hopefully someone important will be there, ready to give me some explanations.
When I arrive to my chambers, I see that the old equipment was there again. I open the door freely for myself, and take a step inside. There, in the center room with the swirling monitor sphere, sits two people: my dead father and a young woman with long black curls. I recognize this woman, although it takes some difficulty. It is Sera, an older version.
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Post by Trinity on Jul 3, 2006 2:09:52 GMT 2
Isabel
When I awake from my sleeping state, I can’t help but notice the darkness around me. Even with my ability to see clearly in the dark, I cannot see in this river of black. From my position, I can scarcely tell that I am seated on a cold floor, one that is so hard; it must be made of stone.
My thoughts shift back to the mysterious sphere that Arkarian had found in my room. I wonder what happened to the sphere, or what it did to us. Certainly this happened because of the sphere? I have no where else to turn the blame. I am alone in this place, so where are the others?
As on purpose, a flaming blue light appears in my vision from the corner of my eye. Being the odd color blue (reminding me slightly of my boyfriend’s hair), it is obvious that this is a supernaturally made element. This means two things: a person is in here with me, and they know a great deal of magic.
Maybe if I go towards this mysterious source of light, I can find the company I am here with. It is about ten feet away, but something seems to block out my lighting power, so I can only see the three feet of light extending from the flame. Soon, I am standing right next to it.
Scrambling to my hands and knees, I take a short breath. I have found a sort of wound in my side. Bringing my hand to it, I realize that it is a deep puncture. Red blood has spilt out of the wound, but it is not drizzling nor dry. It is just there: in a single place, like it had been frozen.
Yet how could I have attained this wound? It is deadly thick, something that I would have had to heal right away. However, it seemed that if I left it alone, it would be fine. What’s mostly on my mind is this: How did I get this wound?
“You got that painful wound four years ago,” says a voice in the dark, somewhere to my right. I don’t have to guess on who it is. I could recognize that voice anywhere. Matt turns out of the shadows, and steps into the light so that I can see him more clearly. “I’m sure, sister, that you remember what happened.”
I barely stifle a head shake, as I am shocked of his appearance. When he stepped into the light, I could see that his once blonde hair was now a shaded of deep red; his brown eyes an icy blue. All of this could be concealed in a hood, which hung limp on the back of a long cape that adorned him.
“You don’t like it?” Matt sneers, twirling like a supermodel for annoyance. He crouches low beside me, so that I could be able to hear his whispers. “It’s the newest in fashion around here. I mean, the evil Immortal always had a great sense in style, didn’t she?”
Evil Immortal?
Why was he talking about Lathenia? I mean, she is dead. And the way he said that about her, like he admired her or something? Does this have something to do with his new looks? Honestly, I liked his blond hair better.
“I never had blond hair,” Matt’s voice comes out again. Damn you Truthseers. “In this world, I have always had this hair color.” He snaps his fingers impatiently, and behind him something moves across the hard floor, making a squealing sound as it makes its way to Matt. “Have a seat, Isabel.”
I feel around in the darkness, and notice that a dark stone chair had appeared directly behind me; the same having been done to Matt. He has already seated himself, so I take the time to do the same, myself.
“Where am I?” I let the curiosity in me show, as I try to get to the point. Matt is Immortal, not to mention a Truthseer, so he should have a pretty good idea of what is going on at that point. “Why am I here? With you? Did the sphere do this to us? And what’s with your hair?” I can’t help it; the questions just started spilling out.
Matt lets out a snarled laugh, one that I can see is not that pleasant. What got his knickers in a twist? He starts to answer my questions. “You are, of course, in the Underworld.” He leans back into his chair and watches me closely for my reaction.
It’s obvious of course. “Does Arkarian know about this? And why is it so dark?”
“Arkarian does not know that you are in the Underworld; but rest assured that my sources have told me that he will be soon. And it is so dark, because it always has been. The first time you came down here, your powers were fully working. They have temporarily been put on–hold, shall we say–and you shall get them back when you are ready.”
“But why are my powers on hold for? Is that even possible.”
“Ah, more questions. Yes, it is possible for someone’s powers and skills to be put away for safe keeping, most specifically when one does not wish to waste them. But when those do that, when they get the powers back, they are ‘recharged’ and ready to be used.”
“O-kay. But why are they on hold again?” I am getting really confused. I mean, my healing powers were working fine this morning when I had tripped in gym. And last night, doing my homework in the dark before bed shows that my light affinity hasn’t gone out.
“They are on hold, because one cannot put them to much use in the Underworld. Here I was thinking that you would understand at least that part of the story.” Matt is getting irritated, I can tell. But hey, I don’t remember any of this stuff, so give me a break.
“So... why am I in the Underworld? I mean, I’m sure Arkarian would have something to say about this...”
Matt sighs, a deep long sigh. “Because... first and foremost, sister... you are dead.”
Dead?
Whoa, what? I mean, the dead are corpses in the ground. They are the restless souls that roam the Middle Realm, (as said by Arkarian when Rochelle died.) They stay in coffins. They don’t smell, eat, touch, taste, or hear. So, please elaborate.... how exactly am I dead?
“Please, sister. Calm your thoughts. You’re giving me a headache.” He rubs his temples gently, as if trying to soothe them. But you know, I would heal that headache if I only had my skills with me. “I will add that to the rest of your questions. And I will get to that when your other ones are finished.”
“Now,” Matt waves a hand to shrug off it all. “Your next question I believe was, ‘Why am I here?’ Well, as you know, the dead can enter the Middle Realm, find the light, and be all fine and dandy. Well, after you died, I decided that you would still be needed, with your advanced knowledge and visions. So, I brought you down here.”
“Hold on a minute,” I ask him gently. “None of this happened before we got the sphere. So what exactly are you talking about now? Did the sphere do something to us?”
“Impatient aren’t you?” Matt gives a snort. “Yes,” he answers the question blankly. “The sphere did do something to us. While it is unlike the holographic sphere in Arkarian’s chambers, it is of more importance. For while that object can take us through time, this one could take us through dimensions.”
“Dimensions?”
“Yeah, like you know how people say that your soul mate is “The One?” Or have you ever wondered what would happened if you woke up on the other side of the bed this morning? Would the things you do during the day be different, too? Well, that a dimension. A dimension is basically a world where your body takes and chooses a different path in its life. Therefore, one of the many factors in the new world we’re in is that you are dead.”
“But that still doesn’t answer why or how I am dead.”
Matt pauses to shrug here. “Its simple. In a new world, we got a new Prophecy. And new roles to fulfill. If you want to know why you are truly dead, then please, come and see this newer prophecy.” At this point, he hands me a piece of paper, or rather, what feels like a piece of paper. I really can’t tell in this darkness. He lights a small Immortal-ic flame so that I can read what was written down.
In this new world, a chosen few shall know Of the reality that was supposed to be And the magical sphere that brought them here Must be found before it can be restored
And so the Named have turned around Identities shall have to be rediscovered Secrets and memories of what wasn’t there Implant themselves in the minds of nine
The first shall find his true calling For a mistaken heritage he is to see Yet now, as he condemns the ones around him He feels nothing but hate towards the Guard
The second and third were soul mates As were the fourth and fifth But in this pair, one had mistaken The love of a friend for the love of a life
The second person is this duo Confines in another mourning For in death they came together But now they shall come apart
The one in loss had another before But the genetic works were against her And so, being demolished by all means She is banished to the world of the Dark
The sixth person in this group Was the joker of them all When the truth of his job came out He turned and took a plunge
Seventh is an older one A warrior from long ago He returns to fight the Battle And seems to be the only one unnaffected
The eighth person is a special one Given a special gift She watches as her love turns to hate So she returns to depress herself
The last and final of the nine Is one who was thought to be evil Deep down it was not he Who decided the Final Outcome
And so there you are The fates of the new persons So discover and recover the truth But be warned: things are not as seemed
“What does it all mean?” I ask Matt, a slight hint of anger and annoyance in my voice. “You were there at the final battle; you should know what happened! Where is Arkarian? And Ethan? And Neriah? You too are always together!”
Matt frowns, a slight worry line coming on his forehead. “I know all of this because my mother restored my knowledge of it when we all entered this dimension. My spirit that is now did not witness any of these events. But my mind and body are aware of them. And if you want, I shall explain everything to you so that it is clear.”
“The first paragraph of the Prophecy is what it states. It tells of our coming from another world–dimension, where the world played out the real fate. Yet here we are, in new situations. Its simple–Don’t interrupt, Isabel.” For I had opened my mouth to speak.
“Second is how we are to rediscover ourselves. You see, some lines refer to now, while most refer to the Final Battle, and its outcome. You shall see that it would take an extremely long prophecy to tell how to return home.
“Then comes the explanations, I believe.’The first’ is me, of course. Before the actual Battle began, Lathenia had a private conference with me, as I was leader. She told me of my true heritage, and then... she lifted a finger and traced a symbol on my forehead. Instantly, all I could feel was hate for the Guard. In the end–we made an agreement. I would stay and fight with the rest of you, but I would secretly fight for her side.
“The next part explains about two people, Rochelle and Ethan. You see, sis, that Ethan had not loved Rochelle all along. In fact, the one he adored... was you. And for that, he and Rochelle had a rift, as did he and Arkarian–your soulmate.
“Coming then is another part about Rochelle, and how she joins another in mourning. For when you died, a part of Arkarian died too. Rochelle understood that, and as she and you had become friends, she went to comfort Arkarian. But who would’ve known... they shared their first kiss that same night. He forgot all about you, and went on to marry not his soul mate, but the love of his life.
“Your part is next, Isabel. It tells of your death and how you were banished to the Underworld, instead of the Middle Realm, where all souls go. The ‘genetic works’ was of course referring to me, who was the one who ended your life. A stab in the side is a powerful thing, don’t yo agree?”
“What?” I can’t help but ask. My own brother would kill me? And why would he send me here, instead of letting my soul settle? This was too much for me to handle. I start to vomit.
Matt flares a hand and instantly the mess is gone. I also feel semi-better. “I had to kill you. I had no choice. The prophecy had said so, and we were all aware of this new one. No one knew the real people it tells about, but your death clicked it all in place. Besides, it is said that you being in the Underworld will have a greater purpose later on.”
“Moving on,” he says briskly, turning back to the prophecy. “Then says about the joker, Jimmy. He wasn’t Dartemis’ protector but Lathenia’s to come watch over me. So when it was revealed of his true position, the Guard was furious with him. Not wanting to endure punishment, he jumped off the hill to his death.”
Jimmy? Are you kidding?
“Shaun is mentioned next, and he is the only one whose destiny was not altered. He fought, he survived, he got back to normal. Then comes Neriah, my soul mate. She had the special gift, yet no one knew what it was. She saw me turn to the Order, and she fled from me. Neriah set up a special house where her and her father could live in peace away from me.”
“Marduke comes last in this Named. For he was thought to be evil, yet all he wanted was his daughter back. Neriah saw this, and she and him now live happily together, learning of the family that never truly was.”
“But where are all these people now?” I wonder aloud.
“You are here, of course. I alternate between this world, Earth, and Lathenia’s realm, taking over for her since she and Lorian still died. Arkarian and Rochelle live in Arkarian’s new chambers, as his one in the Citadel was destroyed. I do believe it is somewhere near the mountain. Shaun still lives with Laura...did I mention Sera’s not dead? Anyway, Ethan is at the local apartment complex, which happens to be next door to the cemetery which holds your body. That leaves... Neriah and Marduke, and well I told you that they live together, in a house that is unplottable or untraceable.”
For an instant, I think of Jimmy, only to remember that he committed suicide. But why would he? Could this world be so cruel to cause a gentlemen to create his own death? It just seems weird.
“You said Sera is alive?” I ask curiously, remembering when I met her ghost form while rescuing Arkarian from the Underworld. “How?”
“As Marduke is not as evil, he didn’t take revenge on Shaun. So Sera survived that night when she went to see the flower. It bloomed, and the two returned home. Hence, Ethan wasn’t initiated into the Guard until he was ten. There was no need to save him from insanity. He and his sister worked together on various occasions before you became his partner.”
Matt suddenly stands from his seat, allowing my father to stand alongside him. “That’s all for today, dear sister. I’m afraid I must leave. Business to attend to. But don’t worry–I’ll be sure to tell Arkarian you say hi. I’m going to see him next, you know...”
And with that, my evil half-brother disappears in a dark swirl of light. The wind coming from the swirl is so powerful, that it causes the flame to disintegrate, and once more I am left in darkness.
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Post by Lizzie (SmiLiza) on Jul 3, 2006 12:17:35 GMT 2
Jeez, that's uhm...LONG!
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Post by Trinity on Jul 9, 2006 4:09:36 GMT 2
Hah. Yeah, it actually is.
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Post by Lizzie (SmiLiza) on Jul 15, 2006 14:32:55 GMT 2
My eyes hurt! LOL!
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