THE SIX POWERS
By Emerald Demuria
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Gundam Wing, so please do not sue me for writing this fan fiction. I am only using the characters to write an interesting story. All you will get is the fruit that I have in a bowl in the center of the kitchen, because that is the only thing that I value that I have.
Hello once again! I hope that you like this piece of fan fiction, for it has been something I have been hoping to write for quite a while now. Please, please, please read and review this story. I know that the title may not be that attractive, but don't just judge it by that. See what's on the inside! Also, there are a few things that I have to clear up. It seems that I was having trouble describing the characters that I made up in this section, so I guess that I shall have to do that here to spare you the trouble of wondering who is who. If I don't do that, many of the people that read this story may be wondering what is going on. Also, please tell me if I should take the character description section down, because it is something that was a spur of the moment idea done so that I wouldn't confuse myself. These characters are copyrighted by me, as are Ivan and Markus. Ganandorf has just been used for the purpose of this story, and I will not take any credit for his creation.
Augustus is a man with yellow hair and coffee colored eyes, rather smart in the ways of the world. He has a yellow star on his forehead. He has a rather mysterious harp at his side that has been rumored to do strange things when he commands it to. This man is one of the kindest, holiest souls in the entire world. Abigail, his twin, is the exact opposite. Evil through and through, she will only do things if it threatens her life. She carries an evil dagger, which got the name Nightshade because it has a chance of killing the person that it strikes. It comes back to her after each throw and is extremely valuable. She has a black star on her forehead. Damien Westly is a man that can do many things. He has perhaps the swiftest bow in the land at his side and can use fire, light and ice arrows. Each one of those arrows glows a different color when he strings it across his bow. This man has a blue star on his forehead. Kelily is different from all of the rest, and has a white crystalline ball that she can use once in a while. It has six golden stars on it to represent the main group of people that were given powers. She has a white star on her forehead. Evaline is a strange girl, with feelings raging inside of her that many people can't understand. She carries a bunch of mysterious fluids, herbs and medicinal things in a pouch at her side, and can also plays a small flute that hangs at her side. It has been rumored to do mysterious things. This girl has a pink star on her forehead. Emerald is perhaps one of the strongest of the group, and holds a staff with a red crystalline ball on it. This one also has six stars on it and can help her do many strange things. She has a red star on her forehead. And finally, there is Clyde, who has a strange sword at his side. It can help him do many strange things when he chooses to use it. He has a green star on his forehead. (The words that are in bold letters are there just to let you know what color the character that is being mentioned has.)
PROLOGUE PART I Night Riders
Abigail Abernathy, bending over the back of her sweating horse, rode swiftly into the port city of Zindane, her medium length curly strawberry blond hair whipping furiously back and forth in the ice cold sea breeze that rattled through the town. Her deep-set brown eyes had a determined look to them as she galloped forward through the small city, the harsh rays of the noon sun illuminating her figure. The lush green trees and bushes whipped past her, recognizable only as blurry dots on the horizon. Reaching the top of an enourmous hill, she reined in her foaming horse by the side of a tree.
After a few seconds, another few sets of hoof beats echoed from behind her. Turning around, Abigail noticed that six more riders had pulled up besides her.
"So, this is the place then!" Augustus, a male with blond hair and coffee colored eyes said in a deep voice.
"Quite a quaint little town if you ask me," Clyde Forester, an energetic youth with reddish brown hair and laughing blue eyes responded.
Augustus nodded and, along with the others, began to scan the horizon.
What little there was of the town, all the ramshackle villages and what not, were clustered in a tiny semicircle next to the ocean. A huge field of green grasses and trees covered the short distance to the entrance of the market place, which lead to the center of the village. A long, winding road off to their left lead towards the exit of the village, and another one down the side of the hill lead towards the village. Motioning forwards, Abigail once again hopped on top of her horse and coaxed it into a slow trot down the hill. The others followed.
After a few minutes, they reached the marketplace and were forced to dismount their horses in order to avoid being jostled by the monstrous crowd. All around them, stands and stalls of varying sizes and widths cluttered the ground. People ran forward, arguing violently over the latest goods that had been brought in. The fresh, tantalizing aroma of fried fish and other delicacies wafted up to tickle the seven bone-tired rider's noses.
Clyde Foresters stomach grumbled loudly at the sight of all the food they were passing. "We have to stop somewhere before I die!" He dramatically clutched his stomach and leaned forward. "I haven't eaten for days!"
"This inn looks like a good place to stop," Evaline, a girl with wavy, shoulder length red hair and sea green eyes remarked. Stepping forward, she pointed to an inn that looked fairly new. A stout sign that read the Penny Pincher's Inn & Tavern hung over the door, swinging in the breeze from the booths.
Following suit, the other riders stepped forward as well and handed over their horses to three hostlers who looked as if they were centuries old. Then, hesitantly, Evaline pulled open the door and was immediately rewarded by the sight of a cheery looking fire burning in the fire pit at the front of the room. A few tables and chairs were scattered in random places around the room along with two couches and a rug by the fire.
A kind, gentle looking man with gray hair and a wrinkled face looked up, acknowledging their presence and came over towards them from behind the receptionist's desk.
"What can I do for you on this merry day?" He asked.
"We'd like to stay in your inn for a few days," Answered Damien, a man with almost black hair and dark black eyes.
"Fine with me," The man answered. "As long as you don't cause any trouble and you pay your lodging fee when you leave. Rumor has it that there are strange folk abroad and I wanted to see if I was letting in the right sort of people."
"What do you mean, the right sort of people?" Augustus asked, a worried look in his eyes.
"Well," The old man responded hesitantly, leaning towards the 7 teenagers in a secretive fashion. "You know of the town Polineptus, a few days march from here to the east?"
All of the teenagers nodded eagerly. The town had become all too familiar to them within the past few days.
"Recently, there had been a dreadful disaster there. Everyone and everything that could not make it out alive had been burned to the crisp. Destroyed. No trace of that town has been left." The old man continued.
Abigail began to shake nervously. Where had he heard about this? Sweating and silently swearing, she quickly excused herself and headed for the restroom in the back of the inn. Turning around, she saw Augustus flash her a worried look before he once again faced the old man.
"Refugees have been pouring into the town in swarms lately, most of them too poor to afford a stay in an inn or a hotel. Some of the survivors have said that before they left, three men and a shadowy figure could be seen galloping away from the scene of destruction." He turned and began to leave.
"But what would four strange people like that be doing around such an innocent, peaceful town anyway?" Emerald, another girl with jet-black hair and glowing green eyes answered.
"Beats me," Answered the old man, turning around to face the teenagers again. "Just taking precautions. Can't be too careful now, can we?" He chuckled and shuffled slowly away.
Surprised, the 6 teenagers stumbled wearily over to the nearest table that they could find.
"So, apparently we are not the only people that know about this!" Keilily Beaumont, a girl with curly chestnut brown hair and sea green eyes stated.
"And it may not be the best thing that other's know about this," Piped up Augustus. "What if they happen to be the same people that were chasing after us last time?"
A sudden noisy entrance caused Augustus to turn his attention to the front door. Three men, arguing in loud, overbearing voices, pushed their way past the kind old man, whom had come to greet them, sending him sprawling across the floor. One of them, with a large, pointy nose, strode forward just as Abigail came out of the bathroom and dashed around the corner.
"What did you do that for?" She snapped irritably. In no mood to be toyed with, she stepped forward and extended her hand towards the old man. "Are you okay?"
"Fine, thank you, young lady," He leaned over and whispered, "Punks like these are no commodity in the marketplace of this town,"
Another one of the three men, with a wild shock of green hair, leaned forward with a searching look on his face. After a few seconds, he pulled his two friends in close and whispered something in their ears.
"Ahhh!" the man with the pointy nose cried. Leaning towards Abigail, he pulled her in close and whispered in a breathy, malicious voice, "So, we meet again?"
Startled, Abigail let a small cry escape from her lips.
[Flashback] Abigail rode determinedly up towards the three men on horsebacks that were standing in a large grove of trees. One of them, called Ganandorf had a huge, pointy nose and bright, beady eyes. The others, Marcus and Ivan, had delicate, elfish features with long, flowing green and red hair. Abigail reined in her horse by the side of one of the trees and hopped off.
"So, this is the town Polineptus?" Ganandorf asked Abigail. Illuminated by the dim light of the moon, he could see nothing but row after row of houses and large, vacant fields of lush grass. It made him sick thinking about how pretty this place must look in the morning.
"Yes," Responded Abigail. "And this is also the town that those six teenagers are staying in. Those people are the only ones that can stop us from proceeding with our plans. They have the last six stars and items that we need,"
"Six?" Marcus questioned. "I thought there were seven!'
"Oh, don't worry, there are," Abigail said smugly. "The first pair has been delivered into our hands quite nicely," Reaching into one of the side pockets of her outfit, she pulled out a black hilted dagger that gleamed with an evil glow in the moonlight.
"The legendary dagger nightshade!!!" Ivan breathed in awe.
"So, you have the first pair of items then?" Ganandorf paused, endless possibilities running through his head.
"Of course, I've had it all along. Just makes things a little bit easier," Smiling, Abigail once again sheathed the dagger, throwing the top of her skirt over it. "All we need to do is strike down the other six people and we shall posses one of the most legendary powers in the world. I know just how to go about doing it too," Abigail smirked and moved to the other side of the grove, out of earshot from the other three.
Ganandorf motioned the other two men forward. "Don't let her out of your site! She is very valuable to us. Alone, we cannot handle the great powers that would be given us. Unless we have the star insignia as proof of our legality to posses it, drastic results and much pain on your part will be the only thing that shall happen. If she can wield the power and channel it properly, all we will have to do is strike her down and make sure that she will no longer have any will of her own. We will guide her in using the power to our full advantage. Think of the possibilities!" His eyes gleamed excitedly. "Lets just hope all goes according to plan!"
With that said, he released a bright ball of energy at the sky, causing it to light up. Within a few seconds, bolts of lighting came down and struck the ground and a couple of the houses, causing them to catch on fire. Abigail, at the same time, began to chant an ancient spell that engulfed a six-foot radius in a glowing ball of energy. The dull black star on her forehead light up with tremendous power. When she was done, it burst open and changed into a monstrous wall of fire. It advanced forward, engulfing everything in its path. Smoke began to pour out of the ground blinding everything. Citizens, now fully aware of the dangers that were awaiting them, dashed out of their smoldering houses and ran hither and thither like scared chickens. Screams and shouts from the people echoed everywhere.
Abigail laughed evilly. Ganandorf smiled and looked over at Marcus and Ivan with an excited sparkle in his eyes.
Suddenly, from amidst the smoke, there came a shout and a blinding ball of golden light came up, hitting Marcus on his forehead. Blood oozed out from a deep cut on his forehead.
"Augustus!" Murmured Abigail. Concentrating intensely, she let loose to another ball of power, this one so strong that it caused the ground to tremble. At the same time, another ball of energy was released, causing a blinding explosion to rip through the area. "Damn it! He's going to get away!"
"I didn't know that so-called Augustus was so powerful," Ganandorf mused.
"He will surely pay for spoiling our plans!" Sneered Abigail. "But for now, I have to make it to Zindane along with the others. That happens to be the nearest town," Once again, Abigail climbed up on top of her horse, coaxing it into a trot. "Meet me there, boys!" she shouted as she picked up speed. The other men followed for a short distance, until Abigail turned left and headed out of the city. [End Flashback]
"Young lady! Young lady!" The old man shook Abigail's shoulder violently until she jerked out of her reverie with a start. "Do you know these people?"
"Watch whose business you choose to poke your nose in old beggar!" Ganandorf cried out, shoving the old man rudely aside.
"I think you had better go," Abigail said to the old man. She smiled as he shuffled back to his desk and once again turned around to face the three men.
"Marcus? Ivan? Ganandorf?!" She said, the expression on her face growing more and more unhappy as each one nodded once their name was mentioned.
"That's right," Ganandorf watched her expression fall and sneered.
"What are you doing here? I thought that you wouldn't make it for another couple of days!"
"Things got a bit more difficult back at the town so I thought we would stop by and pay you a visit," Ganandorf brushed his hand gingerly over Abigail's face, brushing her curly bangs away from her face. Abigail shuddered and drew back.
"So, are we going to go ahead with our plans?" Abigail asked. Ganandorf nodded.
"Just meet me and the others on the outskirts of the town at midnight. We will further discuss our plans there. I'm afraid we've already drawn too much attention to ourselves here." Ganandorf turned around and faced Augustus, whom had begun to stare at him intently.
"Agreed," Abigail turned and walked back to the table, aware that Ganandorf's gaze did not leave her until she had sat down with the rest of her group.
Within seconds, Ganandorf, Ivan and Marcus turned and headed up the stairs.
"Who were those guys?" Augustus asked curiously.
"Just some old acquaintances. We were catching up on some business and I was really surprised to see them here," Replied Abigail smoothly without hesitating. "I wonder how much Augustus knows that he is keeping hidden? What did he hear and why was he looking at me and the other guys all that time?" Abigail thought to herself.
"Well, I was just going to head upstairs to check out the new quarters with the other guys. Are you going to come, Abigail?" Augustus asked kindly.
"No thanks. I think I'd rather stay here. I'll come up when I'm ready," Replied Abigail.
"Suit yourself then!" Augustus said as he and the others bounded up the stairs and disappeared around the corner.
* * * * *
For a long time after they had gone, Abigail sat there, sadly looking out the window at the now darkening night sky.
"I can't turn back on what I have done. But what will happen when the other's find out? What will happen to Augustus? He has been so kind to me and all I have done is repaid him with hatred and violence! He was so kind to me when we left the colony." Groaning, Abigail cupped her head in her palms and sighed.
"Is anything the matter?" asked the old man, stepping out from behind his desk to come stand next to Abigail. "I could get you a warm drink if that would help cheer you up,"
"Thanks! That would be really appreciated," Abigail replied sullenly. She watched as the old man shuffled behind the counter and brought out a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Grabbing it with her hands, she thanked him kindly.
Watching the steam curl up from inside the cup, she groaned out loud, putting the cup down and dropping her head, which felt as heavy as lead, on the table. This was going to be one hell of a long day.
* * * * *
Abigail slowly climbed into bed on the second floor, careful not to disturb the other sleeping forms around her. The sky, a couple of hours ago, had turned completely dark, the only light available being from the moon. Try as she might, Abigail found that sleep was alluding her. Sitting up and clasping her arms around her knees, she sighed.
After sitting in that position for a few more minutes, she pushed aside her covers and tiptoed towards the only window in the room. Flinging open the screens, the black mage jumped out into the crisp, bitter night, her skirt billowing out around her as she landed.
Wasting no time, she dashed over to the stable area and quickly picked the lock to her horses stall. Jumping on top of him, she coaxed him into a gallop and fled towards the outskirts of Zindane.
* * * * *
About halfway there she was met by the three other riders: Ganandorf, Ivan and Marcus. Mere shadowy figures against the darkness of the night, they continued on until they had reached a gigantic fork in the road. All three of them hopped off of their tired horses and strode towards the top of a small hill.
"So, are we going to go ahead with our plans?" Abigail asked Ganandorf for the second time that day.
"Yes, of course we are. Who do you think I am? A weak, pathetic fool that backs down from his plans every time they go astray?!" He snapped irritably back at her. Ivan and Marcus slowed down a bit.
"Well, I'm sorry that things didn't work out so well last time, Ganandorf," Abigail replied sullenly. "I wasn't expecting him to counterattack me with such force!"
"Listen, girly!" Ganandorf stopped walking and jerked Abigail's head towards him forcefully, leaving her looking helplessly up into his eyes. "I don't tolerate failures. You said that you would help us capture the seven stars and items the last time that we met in Polineptus. You failed in doing that,"
Abigail struggled to find the right words to defend herself but found out that she was helpless.
"If I were to attack you then you would win, but with the added powers of my two other allies, Marcus and Ivan, you would be nothing but mince meat. Keep that in mind!" He stopped talking and let go of her chin. Abigail gasped and stumbled backwards. "At sunrise, our plans will go into action!"
"Sunrise?!" Shocked, Abigail gazed up at him. "But that doesn't give us much time to prepare!"
"Don't worry. This time, I'll make sure that everything does go according to plan!" Ganandorf sneered evilly. "Until then, you'll stay here with us,"
Abigail looked from Ganandorf's face back to Ivan's and then to Marcus's. Neither one of them seemed to be giving her much choice. "Agreed," She said quietly. Sighing, she leaned against a nearby tree, crossed her arms, and closed her eyes.
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Gundam Wing, so please do not sue me for writing this fan fiction. I am only using the characters to write an interesting story. All you will get is the fruit that I have in a bowl in the center of the kitchen, because that is the only thing that I value that I have.
Hello once again! I hope that you like this piece of fan fiction, for it has been something I have been hoping to write for quite a while now. Please, please, please read and review this story. I know that the title may not be that attractive, but don't just judge it by that. See what's on the inside! Also, there are a few things that I have to clear up. It seems that I was having trouble describing the characters that I made up in this section, so I guess that I shall have to do that here to spare you the trouble of wondering who is who. If I don't do that, many of the people that read this story may be wondering what is going on. Also, please tell me if I should take the character description section down, because it is something that was a spur of the moment idea done so that I wouldn't confuse myself. These characters are copyrighted by me, as are Ivan and Markus. Ganandorf has just been used for the purpose of this story, and I will not take any credit for his creation.
Augustus is a man with yellow hair and coffee colored eyes, rather smart in the ways of the world. He has a yellow star on his forehead. He has a rather mysterious harp at his side that has been rumored to do strange things when he commands it to. This man is one of the kindest, holiest souls in the entire world. Abigail, his twin, is the exact opposite. Evil through and through, she will only do things if it threatens her life. She carries an evil dagger, which got the name Nightshade because it has a chance of killing the person that it strikes. It comes back to her after each throw and is extremely valuable. She has a black star on her forehead. Damien Westly is a man that can do many things. He has perhaps the swiftest bow in the land at his side and can use fire, light and ice arrows. Each one of those arrows glows a different color when he strings it across his bow. This man has a blue star on his forehead. Kelily is different from all of the rest, and has a white crystalline ball that she can use once in a while. It has six golden stars on it to represent the main group of people that were given powers. She has a white star on her forehead. Evaline is a strange girl, with feelings raging inside of her that many people can't understand. She carries a bunch of mysterious fluids, herbs and medicinal things in a pouch at her side, and can also plays a small flute that hangs at her side. It has been rumored to do mysterious things. This girl has a pink star on her forehead. Emerald is perhaps one of the strongest of the group, and holds a staff with a red crystalline ball on it. This one also has six stars on it and can help her do many strange things. She has a red star on her forehead. And finally, there is Clyde, who has a strange sword at his side. It can help him do many strange things when he chooses to use it. He has a green star on his forehead. (The words that are in bold letters are there just to let you know what color the character that is being mentioned has.)
PROLOGUE PART I Night Riders
Abigail Abernathy, bending over the back of her sweating horse, rode swiftly into the port city of Zindane, her medium length curly strawberry blond hair whipping furiously back and forth in the ice cold sea breeze that rattled through the town. Her deep-set brown eyes had a determined look to them as she galloped forward through the small city, the harsh rays of the noon sun illuminating her figure. The lush green trees and bushes whipped past her, recognizable only as blurry dots on the horizon. Reaching the top of an enourmous hill, she reined in her foaming horse by the side of a tree.
After a few seconds, another few sets of hoof beats echoed from behind her. Turning around, Abigail noticed that six more riders had pulled up besides her.
"So, this is the place then!" Augustus, a male with blond hair and coffee colored eyes said in a deep voice.
"Quite a quaint little town if you ask me," Clyde Forester, an energetic youth with reddish brown hair and laughing blue eyes responded.
Augustus nodded and, along with the others, began to scan the horizon.
What little there was of the town, all the ramshackle villages and what not, were clustered in a tiny semicircle next to the ocean. A huge field of green grasses and trees covered the short distance to the entrance of the market place, which lead to the center of the village. A long, winding road off to their left lead towards the exit of the village, and another one down the side of the hill lead towards the village. Motioning forwards, Abigail once again hopped on top of her horse and coaxed it into a slow trot down the hill. The others followed.
After a few minutes, they reached the marketplace and were forced to dismount their horses in order to avoid being jostled by the monstrous crowd. All around them, stands and stalls of varying sizes and widths cluttered the ground. People ran forward, arguing violently over the latest goods that had been brought in. The fresh, tantalizing aroma of fried fish and other delicacies wafted up to tickle the seven bone-tired rider's noses.
Clyde Foresters stomach grumbled loudly at the sight of all the food they were passing. "We have to stop somewhere before I die!" He dramatically clutched his stomach and leaned forward. "I haven't eaten for days!"
"This inn looks like a good place to stop," Evaline, a girl with wavy, shoulder length red hair and sea green eyes remarked. Stepping forward, she pointed to an inn that looked fairly new. A stout sign that read the Penny Pincher's Inn & Tavern hung over the door, swinging in the breeze from the booths.
Following suit, the other riders stepped forward as well and handed over their horses to three hostlers who looked as if they were centuries old. Then, hesitantly, Evaline pulled open the door and was immediately rewarded by the sight of a cheery looking fire burning in the fire pit at the front of the room. A few tables and chairs were scattered in random places around the room along with two couches and a rug by the fire.
A kind, gentle looking man with gray hair and a wrinkled face looked up, acknowledging their presence and came over towards them from behind the receptionist's desk.
"What can I do for you on this merry day?" He asked.
"We'd like to stay in your inn for a few days," Answered Damien, a man with almost black hair and dark black eyes.
"Fine with me," The man answered. "As long as you don't cause any trouble and you pay your lodging fee when you leave. Rumor has it that there are strange folk abroad and I wanted to see if I was letting in the right sort of people."
"What do you mean, the right sort of people?" Augustus asked, a worried look in his eyes.
"Well," The old man responded hesitantly, leaning towards the 7 teenagers in a secretive fashion. "You know of the town Polineptus, a few days march from here to the east?"
All of the teenagers nodded eagerly. The town had become all too familiar to them within the past few days.
"Recently, there had been a dreadful disaster there. Everyone and everything that could not make it out alive had been burned to the crisp. Destroyed. No trace of that town has been left." The old man continued.
Abigail began to shake nervously. Where had he heard about this? Sweating and silently swearing, she quickly excused herself and headed for the restroom in the back of the inn. Turning around, she saw Augustus flash her a worried look before he once again faced the old man.
"Refugees have been pouring into the town in swarms lately, most of them too poor to afford a stay in an inn or a hotel. Some of the survivors have said that before they left, three men and a shadowy figure could be seen galloping away from the scene of destruction." He turned and began to leave.
"But what would four strange people like that be doing around such an innocent, peaceful town anyway?" Emerald, another girl with jet-black hair and glowing green eyes answered.
"Beats me," Answered the old man, turning around to face the teenagers again. "Just taking precautions. Can't be too careful now, can we?" He chuckled and shuffled slowly away.
Surprised, the 6 teenagers stumbled wearily over to the nearest table that they could find.
"So, apparently we are not the only people that know about this!" Keilily Beaumont, a girl with curly chestnut brown hair and sea green eyes stated.
"And it may not be the best thing that other's know about this," Piped up Augustus. "What if they happen to be the same people that were chasing after us last time?"
A sudden noisy entrance caused Augustus to turn his attention to the front door. Three men, arguing in loud, overbearing voices, pushed their way past the kind old man, whom had come to greet them, sending him sprawling across the floor. One of them, with a large, pointy nose, strode forward just as Abigail came out of the bathroom and dashed around the corner.
"What did you do that for?" She snapped irritably. In no mood to be toyed with, she stepped forward and extended her hand towards the old man. "Are you okay?"
"Fine, thank you, young lady," He leaned over and whispered, "Punks like these are no commodity in the marketplace of this town,"
Another one of the three men, with a wild shock of green hair, leaned forward with a searching look on his face. After a few seconds, he pulled his two friends in close and whispered something in their ears.
"Ahhh!" the man with the pointy nose cried. Leaning towards Abigail, he pulled her in close and whispered in a breathy, malicious voice, "So, we meet again?"
Startled, Abigail let a small cry escape from her lips.
[Flashback] Abigail rode determinedly up towards the three men on horsebacks that were standing in a large grove of trees. One of them, called Ganandorf had a huge, pointy nose and bright, beady eyes. The others, Marcus and Ivan, had delicate, elfish features with long, flowing green and red hair. Abigail reined in her horse by the side of one of the trees and hopped off.
"So, this is the town Polineptus?" Ganandorf asked Abigail. Illuminated by the dim light of the moon, he could see nothing but row after row of houses and large, vacant fields of lush grass. It made him sick thinking about how pretty this place must look in the morning.
"Yes," Responded Abigail. "And this is also the town that those six teenagers are staying in. Those people are the only ones that can stop us from proceeding with our plans. They have the last six stars and items that we need,"
"Six?" Marcus questioned. "I thought there were seven!'
"Oh, don't worry, there are," Abigail said smugly. "The first pair has been delivered into our hands quite nicely," Reaching into one of the side pockets of her outfit, she pulled out a black hilted dagger that gleamed with an evil glow in the moonlight.
"The legendary dagger nightshade!!!" Ivan breathed in awe.
"So, you have the first pair of items then?" Ganandorf paused, endless possibilities running through his head.
"Of course, I've had it all along. Just makes things a little bit easier," Smiling, Abigail once again sheathed the dagger, throwing the top of her skirt over it. "All we need to do is strike down the other six people and we shall posses one of the most legendary powers in the world. I know just how to go about doing it too," Abigail smirked and moved to the other side of the grove, out of earshot from the other three.
Ganandorf motioned the other two men forward. "Don't let her out of your site! She is very valuable to us. Alone, we cannot handle the great powers that would be given us. Unless we have the star insignia as proof of our legality to posses it, drastic results and much pain on your part will be the only thing that shall happen. If she can wield the power and channel it properly, all we will have to do is strike her down and make sure that she will no longer have any will of her own. We will guide her in using the power to our full advantage. Think of the possibilities!" His eyes gleamed excitedly. "Lets just hope all goes according to plan!"
With that said, he released a bright ball of energy at the sky, causing it to light up. Within a few seconds, bolts of lighting came down and struck the ground and a couple of the houses, causing them to catch on fire. Abigail, at the same time, began to chant an ancient spell that engulfed a six-foot radius in a glowing ball of energy. The dull black star on her forehead light up with tremendous power. When she was done, it burst open and changed into a monstrous wall of fire. It advanced forward, engulfing everything in its path. Smoke began to pour out of the ground blinding everything. Citizens, now fully aware of the dangers that were awaiting them, dashed out of their smoldering houses and ran hither and thither like scared chickens. Screams and shouts from the people echoed everywhere.
Abigail laughed evilly. Ganandorf smiled and looked over at Marcus and Ivan with an excited sparkle in his eyes.
Suddenly, from amidst the smoke, there came a shout and a blinding ball of golden light came up, hitting Marcus on his forehead. Blood oozed out from a deep cut on his forehead.
"Augustus!" Murmured Abigail. Concentrating intensely, she let loose to another ball of power, this one so strong that it caused the ground to tremble. At the same time, another ball of energy was released, causing a blinding explosion to rip through the area. "Damn it! He's going to get away!"
"I didn't know that so-called Augustus was so powerful," Ganandorf mused.
"He will surely pay for spoiling our plans!" Sneered Abigail. "But for now, I have to make it to Zindane along with the others. That happens to be the nearest town," Once again, Abigail climbed up on top of her horse, coaxing it into a trot. "Meet me there, boys!" she shouted as she picked up speed. The other men followed for a short distance, until Abigail turned left and headed out of the city. [End Flashback]
"Young lady! Young lady!" The old man shook Abigail's shoulder violently until she jerked out of her reverie with a start. "Do you know these people?"
"Watch whose business you choose to poke your nose in old beggar!" Ganandorf cried out, shoving the old man rudely aside.
"I think you had better go," Abigail said to the old man. She smiled as he shuffled back to his desk and once again turned around to face the three men.
"Marcus? Ivan? Ganandorf?!" She said, the expression on her face growing more and more unhappy as each one nodded once their name was mentioned.
"That's right," Ganandorf watched her expression fall and sneered.
"What are you doing here? I thought that you wouldn't make it for another couple of days!"
"Things got a bit more difficult back at the town so I thought we would stop by and pay you a visit," Ganandorf brushed his hand gingerly over Abigail's face, brushing her curly bangs away from her face. Abigail shuddered and drew back.
"So, are we going to go ahead with our plans?" Abigail asked. Ganandorf nodded.
"Just meet me and the others on the outskirts of the town at midnight. We will further discuss our plans there. I'm afraid we've already drawn too much attention to ourselves here." Ganandorf turned around and faced Augustus, whom had begun to stare at him intently.
"Agreed," Abigail turned and walked back to the table, aware that Ganandorf's gaze did not leave her until she had sat down with the rest of her group.
Within seconds, Ganandorf, Ivan and Marcus turned and headed up the stairs.
"Who were those guys?" Augustus asked curiously.
"Just some old acquaintances. We were catching up on some business and I was really surprised to see them here," Replied Abigail smoothly without hesitating. "I wonder how much Augustus knows that he is keeping hidden? What did he hear and why was he looking at me and the other guys all that time?" Abigail thought to herself.
"Well, I was just going to head upstairs to check out the new quarters with the other guys. Are you going to come, Abigail?" Augustus asked kindly.
"No thanks. I think I'd rather stay here. I'll come up when I'm ready," Replied Abigail.
"Suit yourself then!" Augustus said as he and the others bounded up the stairs and disappeared around the corner.
* * * * *
For a long time after they had gone, Abigail sat there, sadly looking out the window at the now darkening night sky.
"I can't turn back on what I have done. But what will happen when the other's find out? What will happen to Augustus? He has been so kind to me and all I have done is repaid him with hatred and violence! He was so kind to me when we left the colony." Groaning, Abigail cupped her head in her palms and sighed.
"Is anything the matter?" asked the old man, stepping out from behind his desk to come stand next to Abigail. "I could get you a warm drink if that would help cheer you up,"
"Thanks! That would be really appreciated," Abigail replied sullenly. She watched as the old man shuffled behind the counter and brought out a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Grabbing it with her hands, she thanked him kindly.
Watching the steam curl up from inside the cup, she groaned out loud, putting the cup down and dropping her head, which felt as heavy as lead, on the table. This was going to be one hell of a long day.
* * * * *
Abigail slowly climbed into bed on the second floor, careful not to disturb the other sleeping forms around her. The sky, a couple of hours ago, had turned completely dark, the only light available being from the moon. Try as she might, Abigail found that sleep was alluding her. Sitting up and clasping her arms around her knees, she sighed.
After sitting in that position for a few more minutes, she pushed aside her covers and tiptoed towards the only window in the room. Flinging open the screens, the black mage jumped out into the crisp, bitter night, her skirt billowing out around her as she landed.
Wasting no time, she dashed over to the stable area and quickly picked the lock to her horses stall. Jumping on top of him, she coaxed him into a gallop and fled towards the outskirts of Zindane.
* * * * *
About halfway there she was met by the three other riders: Ganandorf, Ivan and Marcus. Mere shadowy figures against the darkness of the night, they continued on until they had reached a gigantic fork in the road. All three of them hopped off of their tired horses and strode towards the top of a small hill.
"So, are we going to go ahead with our plans?" Abigail asked Ganandorf for the second time that day.
"Yes, of course we are. Who do you think I am? A weak, pathetic fool that backs down from his plans every time they go astray?!" He snapped irritably back at her. Ivan and Marcus slowed down a bit.
"Well, I'm sorry that things didn't work out so well last time, Ganandorf," Abigail replied sullenly. "I wasn't expecting him to counterattack me with such force!"
"Listen, girly!" Ganandorf stopped walking and jerked Abigail's head towards him forcefully, leaving her looking helplessly up into his eyes. "I don't tolerate failures. You said that you would help us capture the seven stars and items the last time that we met in Polineptus. You failed in doing that,"
Abigail struggled to find the right words to defend herself but found out that she was helpless.
"If I were to attack you then you would win, but with the added powers of my two other allies, Marcus and Ivan, you would be nothing but mince meat. Keep that in mind!" He stopped talking and let go of her chin. Abigail gasped and stumbled backwards. "At sunrise, our plans will go into action!"
"Sunrise?!" Shocked, Abigail gazed up at him. "But that doesn't give us much time to prepare!"
"Don't worry. This time, I'll make sure that everything does go according to plan!" Ganandorf sneered evilly. "Until then, you'll stay here with us,"
Abigail looked from Ganandorf's face back to Ivan's and then to Marcus's. Neither one of them seemed to be giving her much choice. "Agreed," She said quietly. Sighing, she leaned against a nearby tree, crossed her arms, and closed her eyes.