Alright. Before I start this fic off, I want to take some time to review other author's stories. I don't have the net so I can't read and then review. I have to take the story home by Word® and read it there, not giving me a chance to review. So here are the stories that I haven't reviewed for, that I recommend, and that I like A LOT:
Understanding Helga By ~*~C.D~*~ (My fav. ^_^)
Cocoa Love By CoåCoå Lov£ (My second fav. ^_^) (And all the rest are in third…I guess…Aw heck…I can't decide who gets what place. They're all great stories!)
Hidden World By ~*~C.D~*~
Magical Love and Magic Remembered By Stargaziey (I want to know when the next chapter is coming out)
Hey! Remember me? By Anne Anime and Cecile
Love Doctor By Anne Anime and Cecile
Lights…Camera…Arnold? By Anne Anime and Cecile
Shiver, Sigh, But Never Die By ~*~C.D~*~
And if I haven't mentioned your fic, it's because I didn't read it or it might have been a long time since I read it so I simply don't remember. I usually read the end to see if it has an Arnold/Helga ending where they kiss or say, "I love you" or where they actually get together. If you didn't have that kind of ending, then I didn't read.
Quick note: Someone (when they reviewed "A New Life") said that I used the name "Arlusa" at first but then changed it to "Ardine". Hehe, sorry about that. I was thinking about "The Adventure of a Lifetime" while I was writing the rest of "A New Life" and I didn't notice. So, her name is ACTUALLY Arlusa, kay?
Another quick note to the person who said that Helga got over her family's death to fast. I'm sure we all agree that the reason Helga was able to get over it was because of the way they treated her. She cared in a way but not enough to suffer forever. You (the one who reviewed) said you had that experience but you probably loved your mom and dad. Helga didn't (all that much). She cried for them sometimes in my story but not as much as if she would have loved them. Sorry, had to point that out because I don't like getting reviews where people tell me things I mentioned. They seem to be as dense as Arnold. It should have been obvious as to why Helga was able to get over her family's death, OKAY? And I'm not trying to be mean but before you tell me something that I already mentioned, you should read the story thoroughly and THEN tell me what you think. If I put something in, I eventually explain it and it's your job to read that I did in fact mention it.
Okay, now that that's done, I can go ahead and get the show on the road! Here's the sequel to "A New Life". I hope you all enjoy it!
A New Life: Arnold's Turn
By Hitomi_Fanel
Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold!…blah, blah, blah…I don't even get why we have to put these on. As long as we're not SELLING the story, it should be okay to share it with the world. Oh well…
Guide:
… = thoughts
"…" = dialogue
(…) = notes by me
*…* = sounds made by the people in the story (doesn't happen that often)
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"Strike three!" Helga yelled to everyone as they played baseball in Gerald field. It was a warm Saturday and all the kids were on summer vacation. They were going to enter their fifth year of school and many of them didn't want to go back. It was natural to feel that way since summer barely started. However, by the time school WOULD start, they couldn't wait for it (only for them to wish that summer was back ^_^. It happens to everyone).
Everyone knew about Arnold and Helga by now and it took a while for all of them to get used to it. Now everyone went around thinking that Arnold and Helga were the cutest couple in the school.
"Sorry Gerald," Helga said sympathetically as he walked off the plate. She wasn't about to let her team down just because he was Arnold's best friend.
To her relief, he smiled and sat down.
Helga had entered a real baseball team and many of her friends joined her, even Arnold who wanted to be on the same team as her. Helga knew he didn't want to compete with her and she thought it was a good idea. Competing against your girlfriend was not a good idea.
"Good job Helga," Robert Burdenane shouted, Helga's "dad" and the captain of the "Little Angels" team (yeah, you guessed it. Helga chose the name). He clapped and beamed at how well of a player Helga was.
Helga gave him a smile, then went back to her position as pitcher.
Right now, the Little Angels were separated into two teams and practicing for the championship game that was taking place at the end of summer. They had been practicing for only a couple of weeks but they were doing very well.
Who were they playing against you ask? If you guessed "The Large Devils" then you're right. (Author's note: I'm totally taking ideas from movies and so far I've used the idea of "Angel's in the Outfield" and who knows what other ideas I may take. If you remember from "A New Life", you can see that I took the movies "Anastasia" and "Jungle to Jungle" so I guess I'll do that here too ^_^).
"Well, well," said a voice at the entrance of Gerald field. All of them turned around and saw Wolfgang with his team, "The Large Devils". All of them had sneers on their faces as the sun gleamed on them, making them look intimidating. Wolfgang was the captain (no adult wanted to become a captain and besides, the ones in charge of the baseball department (I guess you call them that) said he could handle it) and he was a good captain.
Part of "Helga G. Pataki" was still there as she glared at them, her hands on her hips. "What are you doing here? You have no right to be here. This field BELONGS to us."
"Helga," Robert said calmly as he gazed at the team they were playing against. He felt they had a good chance against this team. "Would you please leave?" he asked them kindly, yet firmly. "We're practicing here."
Wolfgang and his team laughed and walked off, with Wolfgang giving them one last statement: "See ya later, losers!"
Helga kept her hands balled and fisted at her side as she fought to control her anger. She didn't like getting angry anymore but there were just certain circumstances that made her boil. She turned towards everyone as they stared at her with calm looks. "Alright then," she started. "We're going to have to practice good if we want to beat them."
Everyone cheered and got back into position.
Arnold smiled from his seat on the bench. (You were wondering where he was huh? ^_^)
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At around 8 that night, practice ended and everyone dispersed to their own homes. Helga stayed behind with her dad and helped to pick up the equipment. Arnold decided to help as well.
"Ugh!" Helga complained said, frustrated. "The nerve of Wolfgang to try and intimidate us! But it won't work!" For reasons unknown (maybe Helga's slight change in attitude), Helga had begun to hate Wolfgang. Perhaps it was her change in attitude and how she had begun to defend the "little guy's" that she had started to despise him. The same went for Wolfgang. He had started to hate the second person to stand up to him (second to Arnold). Or maybe he hated her even more than he hated Arnold (because he doesn't hate him all that much).
"Don't worry Helga," Arnold said as he was bending down to pick up the gloves and put them into a bag. "With all the practice we'll put in, we'll beat them."
Simply hearing Arnold's voice was enough to make her hate calm down. That was just one of the billions of things she loved about him. She looked up from collecting some bats and smiled. "I hope so."
Robert sighed and stood up from his sitting position on the bench. He had been trying his best to come up with good plays but he couldn't seem to think of anything that would blow their mind (alright, I admit it. I don't know much about baseball so if you see anything wrong with what I write, please don't flame me for it. I'm at least going to try, kay?). Robert turned to look at them. "I'm going back. I need some sleep." He directed Helga and said, "Don't stay out too late."
Helga smiled and shook her head. "I won't."
He walked off and Helga giggled when she heard him yawn and mumble about not being able to come up with anything.
"There goes that split personality thing," Arnold said as he smiled as placed the bag of gloves in the storage room (they have one now).
Helga looked at him, perplexed. "Split personality?"
"Yeah. One minute you're mad and hateful towards Wolfgang and the next you're giggling and being happy."
Helga sighed with mock irritation as she looked up at the wonderful stars. They looked so beautiful tonight, like little white balls of light twinkling as if they were guidance lights. "Everyone has a right to be mad you know."
Arnold chuckled. "Yeah but with you it's different." Helga looked at him curiously as he continued. "It's almost like you were two totally different people."
"Oh come on," Helga said as she crossed her arms across her chest. There was no anger in her voice…only humor. "Do you mean to tell me that you haven't gotten angry? It can't possibly be that different with me. I've changed for the better but I can still get irritated like everyone else."
Arnold smiled at her and approached her, taking her in his arms (*sigh* Cute huh?). Helga blushed. "You're right," he said softly. "You have changed and now you're a totally different person but that doesn't mean that you'll be little-miss-happy-all-the-time like Lila was." He said it in a way to show Helga that he was annoyed with Lila for being unreal.
Before Helga could say anything, he kissed her deeply, transferring all his love into her.
Helga kept quiet and instead melted under his touch.
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They practiced well into Sunday and on Monday, Arnold got a bit of news that would change his life forever…
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"Sorry for the interruption," announced Principal Wartz on the intercom. Mr. Simmons class stopped what they were doing and listened. "Would Arnold please come to my office please? There's someone here who wants to meet him."
Arnold had a confused look but he got up anyway and headed for the office. He wished Helga could go with him since she always gave him strength but the principal's office was not a place he wished for her to go, no matter what the cause.
He knocked on the door.
"Come in," came the muffled voice of the principal.
Arnold took a deep breath and walked in. When the door was opened all the way, Arnold saw a man with the principal that Arnold had never seen before. He was tall and skinny, with tanned skin and black hair that was tied into a ponytail behind him. He wore a Hawaiian style shirt and blue pants. He was smiling as Arnold entered.
"Hello Arnold," he said softly as he extended his hand out for Arnold to shake. They shook and the man spoke again. "You probably don't remember me but I remember you when you were just a small baby. You've grown."
"Who are you?" Arnold asked as he looked up at the man. He did look a little familiar, like he was part of a distant memory or something.
"My name is Alonzo (I'm not sure of that's his real name. I'll say why I don't know when he talks some more) and I'm here because I have a bit of news to share with you."
Arnold waited patiently as the man sighed contentedly. "Arnold, you're parents have been found." (Okay, that's why I'm not sure. There was a guy who looked like him who worked with Arnold's dad but I wasn't sure about his name or what he looked like so I made him up like this. If you know what he looks like and what his real name is, then tell me. I haven't seen the Parent's day episode in a long time and Nickelodeon doesn't pass the "special" episodes anymore (especially the valentine one that I want to record grrrr…)
Arnold's eyes bulged as he took a step back. He was too shocked to even speak. His parent's? Alive? Was this a dream? If it was, he never wanted to wake up. Let it last forever.
Alonzo continued. "We found them in the rainforests or Africa. They have been living with a tribe for the past eight years. After they helped that one village, they left but along the way of flying back to you, their plane malfunctioned. You already know that their plane was found but they weren't there so we looked around that area and eventually found them in a village, living with the people." He paused as he sighed sadly. "They…don't remember who they are."
Arnold tried to speak but no sound came out. No wonder his parent's hadn't been able to try and come back! They had no memory! Arnold had always hoped they were alive but then that made him ask why hadn't they come back? Now he knew the reason.
Alonzo smiled at him. "I've already come up with the perfect plan on how to make them remember. If you go to see them, they'll remember you and who they are. Do you want to come with me Arnold?"
Arnold didn't trust himself to speak so he simply nodded. He was going to see his parent's! This had to be a dream! Please don't let it be a dream he begged mentally, wishing with all his heart.
"Alright," Alonzo said. "I shall pick you up tomorrow morning and we'll board a plane to Africa." He shook Arnold's hand one more time and left. He knew this would work and he couldn't wait to have his friend back.
(Quick note: Like I said before, I haven't seen the episode in a long time and I don't remember if his parent's names were mentioned so in this story I'm calling Arnold's mom "Lily" (and I didn't really like it because it almost sounds like "Lila" but his mom seems like a "Lily") and his dad will be named "James". I kinda took the names from the names of Harry Potter's mom and dad since I like their names and Arnold's mom and dad seem like a Lily and a James)
Principal Wartz turned to look at Arnold. "You may go back to class now son."
Arnold walked out and head for class, his mind reeling from all the information that had just been given to him. He was going to see his parent's tomorrow. He still couldn't believe it.
When he entered class, he saw all the students talking and Mr. Simmons reading. He was wondering what was going on.
Helga approached him. "What did he say Arnold?"
"What's going on?" Arnold asked, avoiding the question. He wasn't sure how to tell her that he was leaving tomorrow to look for his parent's.
"Mr. Simmons gave us a free period," Helga responded. She could tell something was bothering him. "What happened? I won't stop asking until you tell me."
Arnold smiled at her stubbornness and sat down at his desk. Phoebe and Gerald joined them to hear what happened. Arnold sighed. "A man came and told me that they found my parent's."
Everyone's eyes bulged at the news. Gerald smiled wide. "That's great man!"
"Yeah," Arnold said softly, "but they don't remember who they are. That's why they haven't been able to come back."
"So, are they coming back?" Helga asked as she took his hand in hers to give him strength.
Arnold shook his head. "I'm going over there to where they are. It's a better idea. It wouldn't confuse them as much as bringing them here."
"You're leaving?" Helga asked as her eyes and voice grew sad. She looked downward.
Arnold looked at her with sadness, yet love. "Maybe I can convince Alonzo so you can come too. It wouldn't be the same without you."
Helga beamed and hugged him while Gerald and Phoebe smiled as well.
"Maybe all four of us can go," Gerald suggested. "You'll need as many friends with you as possible."
Arnold nodded.
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They prepared that afternoon. Gerald, Phoebe, and Helga asked their parent's for permission to go while Arnold told his grandparent's the news. Both of them were glad to know that their son and his wife were alive and well. They were saddened with the fact that they couldn't go but they wished Arnold all the luck in the world.
Tuesday, with the parent's giving the phone calls to school, Gerald, Phoebe, Helga, and Arnold were ready to leave. All four of them gathered in Arnold's room and kept reassuring him that everything would go fine. Arnold smiled.
"Arnold!" Grandpa called from downstairs. "Alonzo's here!"
All four picked up their bags and headed downstairs. Alonzo didn't even look shocked to see that they were joining Arnold.
They put their suitcases in the trunk of the taxi and headed for the small airport (not the international one).
"We've located you're parent's in a tribe called (sorry, making it up) Tomksha near Lake Victoria (at least that exists ^_^) in Africa. We'll fly there with a small, personal plane. It should take us 10 hours (I'm guessing) to get there," Alonzo announced.
Everyone expect Alonzo and Arnold groaned. That was a long time to be up in a plane.
The sound of the propeller was loud and Alonzo directed the four of them towards the plane while some men stuffed their bags in the luggage compartment.
They sat down on the leather chairs and strapped their seat belts on.
Within minutes they were up in the air.
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The trip was long and boring. Phoebe had brought along a book to read, Helga slept during most of the trip with her head on Arnold's shoulder, Arnold thought about anything he could (the important stuff mostly), and Gerald had brought along his hand-held video game.
Finally, Arnold was able to see the beautiful shores of Africa. The trees were deep green and they crowded the land, making it almost impossible for you to see the ground. When they reached clear land, Arnold saw tiny gray dots that he thought were elephants and he was awed to see them in their natural habitat.
In a few more hours, the thick rainforests were back and the plane began to descend in a clearing at the entrance of the rainforest.
"We need to walk the rest of the way," Alonzo said as the plane landed softly, not even stirring Helga.
Arnold woke her up reluctantly and they got off the plane. Arnold began to feel a little nervous at the thought of what he might find. How could he possibly make them remember when he didn't even remember anything about what they did when they were with him?
They were all handed their bags and they saw that a horse was there. They figured it was going to carry their luggage while they had their backpacks on their backs.
When everything was loaded, Alonzo addressed them all. "Let's go. We should reach the tribe in a couple of hours."
Helga, Phoebe, and Gerald seemed reluctant to go since it was more hours of boredom but Arnold went ahead. It didn't matter if they followed or not. All he thought about right now was finding his parent's and making them remember who they were.
The trees of the rainforest were thick and it was hard to walk through them. They had to squeeze through without their backpacks and then they dragged their backpacks through.
They heard the sounds the monkey's made and they even saw the different versions of butterflies that they had only read about. One even landed on Helga's head, making it look like a clip.
The terrain was rough since they had to walk over thick branches and be careful not to step on anything dangerous like poison ivy.
Everything was pretty bearable. The only thing that wasn't was the heat. After half and hour, the sweat began to pour down their faces. They had to dab themselves with wet cloths to keep cool.
About an hour since they entered, they began to hear a growling sound that was deep and dangerous. They stopped to listen and heard how close it was.
"What's that?" Helga asked, trembling and scared for her life.
"It sounds like a tiger," Alonzo answered quietly, hoping the tiger wasn't after them.
Suddenly, a blur of orange and black was seen as it leapt up from the shadows and pounced into view. It was a large, common tiger, the kind you see on the TV, only that it was larger than the kind you see on TV. It was larger than Arnold and it looked hungry.
"Run!" Alonzo ordered them as he swiftly made his way further down the forest, trying hard not to trip on the thick branches.
The four children followed him, their hearts racing and their breaths hard so they wouldn't get tired. With the weight from their backpacks, it was hard to keep up with Alonzo who seemed to be used to this sort of thing.
"This way!" Arnold ordered as a large rock came into view. There was a clearing and there was the rock. Arnold had spotted a hole where they could go and where he was sure the tiger couldn't.
They raced as fast as they could, hearing the growling and roars from the tiger behind them. It was farther away now because it had wanted to get Alonzo first before giving up and chasing the slower children.
They reached the hole and Arnold ordered all of them to dive into it before him. When he was sure they were safe in the hole, he dived in and held Helga close because she had started to cry out loud in fear.
He soothed her back as she cried. "It's okay Helga. It can't get us in here."
They jumped when the tiger reached the hole in the rock and began swiping at them, hoping to grab one of them so they could become its late breakfast. They all cowered back in fear.
If asked later, Arnold wouldn't have been able to explain what happened to the tiger. One minute it was swiping at them, and the next they heard a loud roar from it before it ran off, as if in pain.
When Arnold was sure it was safe to go out, they climbed out slowly from the hole and looked around at the calm rainforest. The only sounds they heard were the birds in the trees.
Arnold suddenly heard his friends fall and he turned sharply, seeing them on the ground. They seemed to be unconscious.
Arnold walked over and approached Helga's limp body. When he was close enough, he saw what it was that had made them unconscious. Arnold reached out and took a small arrow with a feather sticking out of the end.
Suddenly, Arnold felt a pain in his side. It felt like someone had just jabbed a medicine needle into him rather fast.
He began to felt dizzier than he had ever felt before. Whatever the arrow had on it seemed to be taking affect as his eyes became droopier. Helga, Gerald, and Phoebe had already collapsed and now it was his turn.
He felt the ground coming up to meet him.
The last face he saw was that of a white man that he had seen many times in his dreams and in the picture he had. Blonde hair like his and chiseled features. He was tall and broad and on his handsome face was a half-smile. Arnold knew who it was.
Dad.
Then everything went black…
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"Wake up Arnold," a soft voice called out to him.
Arnold's eyes tightened as he tried to open them.
"You've got to wake up man," another voice ordered, sounding deeper than the first.
Gerald? Arnold questioned as he slowly opened his eyes. He saw four curious faces staring at him as his eyes fought to focus.
"Are you okay?" a concerned Helga asked when he was able to see again. Arnold looked at them and saw that they were all tied up and in a circle. There was a crowd around him and Arnold looked around, hoping to see the face he saw last before he passed out.
Surely enough, there was his dad, next to his mom. His had looked pretty much the same as in the picture, only that he was wearing blue African style tribe clothes that had black triangles on the edges. Next to him was his mom, who was wearing a red tribe dress. She also looked as young as in the picture. Surrounding them all were all the tribe people in different colored tribe clothes.
James (Arnold's dad) stepped towards them. He was not grinning like he had been before. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
Arnold didn't know what to say. For one thing, this was the first time he had heard his father talk. For another thing, he didn't know if he could just go ahead and say who he was.
Helga seemed to do it for him. She sounded angry when she spoke. "Don't you even recognize your own son? I know you don't remember him but shouldn't seeing him be enough for you to remember who he is?"
James looked confused. "I have no son."
Although Arnold knew that his dad and mom had amnesia, that comment still hurt him worse than any pain he had ever felt. They were here, in front of him, yet they didn't remember him. Tears began to form at his face.
Lily looked at the small boy with the tears and she saw an image in her head. She saw a baby with a blue shirt who was walking towards her. Who was he? She approached him and wiped his tears. "Don't cry little boy. No ones going to hurt you."
The kind gesture should have felt wonderful to him but since she didn't remember who she was or who he was, it felt terrible. The tears continued to fall.
"Nokshima," James called to Lily. Obviously that was her tribe name. "Stay away from that boy. He'll cause a curse upon this village."
Lily faced him. "Look at him Dutikna," she said angrily to James. "What kind of curse could a boy like him cause? He's just a boy and he and his friends are lost."
Helga turned to Arnold. "Tell them Arnold. Say you're their son. Make them remember."
Arnold didn't get to respond as James called the attention of the tribe. He spoke in the native tongue (I'm making it up. I swear I know nothing so I'm just going to make it all up). "Sodtyu ligutir sevmo awtop mejiom zaklip fehutad maklopanatarg ertong!" he yelled out to everyone. He was received with a cheer.
"I wonder what he said," questioned Phoebe, who seemed to be impressed with seeing a whole new culture.
Lily turned to them. By the look in her eyes, what he had said didn't seem to be very cheerful. "He said that one of you needs to pass the test if you are to be accepted in the tribe. He's going to choose who right now."
"What test?" Helga wondered aloud as James passed them, his gaze penetrating into them. He kept walking back and forth until he finally landed on Helga. He pointed to her. "Zeem!" he yelled to all of them. Another cheer from the tribe.
Everyone's eyes bulged, especially Helga's. "W-What?" she yelled out. "I'm not doing any test!"
"If you don't pass the test," started James, looking at her with a mean look, "then all of you will die. It's a rule in this tribe."
"Rule shmule!" she yelled again. "I'm not doing it."
James clicked his fingers and one of the villagers came forward. He had a knife in his hand and he brought it up to Phoebe's neck (I have nothing against her but since James *kind of* remembers Arnold, he decided to choose the next one in line as the ones who Helga cares about).
Helga freaked. "Alright! I'll do it! Don't hurt Phoebe!"
James clicked again and the villager backed off. Instead, he went ahead and cut Helga free before he disappeared into the crowd.
Helga stood up and glared at James. "What do I have to do?"
All he did was hand her a piece of paper. "You have two days to complete this assignment. If you fail, then all your friends shall be killed."
Helga took out the letter and began to read. It said:
Get the Ditumitap flower, the rarest flower in the village that rests upon Mount Ditumitap. Come back in two days and your friends shall be spared (If your wondering how he wrote the letter when he was clearly talking to them, well, he had one other person in the tribe who writes these up and he knows english).
Helga looked up from the letter. "Where is this mountain?"
James pointed towards the mountain that was taller than all the other ones and thick with trees. It looked like a giant grass hill. "The flower rests on the very top of the mountain. Go and get it."
Helga was given her bag with some food and she grumbled as she set off.
Arnold watched her go, deciding that it was best he find some way to make it up to her when she came back. He was going to need *A LOT* flowers to get himself forgiven.
Lily came over and untied them. "While you wait for your friend to come back, you may want to get something to eat. I'm sure you're all hungry."
Their stomachs rumbled and they decided that something to eat would be the best thing for them right now. They followed Lily into a hut while James watched with a curious look. The look was for Arnold.
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Lily was cooking something that smelled good but by the time she served to them, they felt like puking. It looked like caviar, only that instead of looking black, it was green.
"It's lizard guts," she said with a smile. "It's very healthy for growing children."
Phoebe and Gerald pushed back the plates while Arnold just stared. It was something his mom had made, even if it was a tad strange…He shook his head. There was no way he was going to eat this.
"So what's with this whole test thing?" Gerald asked, his stomach still rumbling.
Lily gave them drinks and at least these were normal. It was mango juice and it tasted quite sweet. "In this village, you have to prove your bravery. You are given a random test and if you pass, you are accepted, if you fail, you die."
"I hate hearing that," Gerald said with nervousness.
Lily continued. "Since it was the four of you, Dutikna decided to go easy on all of you so he chose the one who looked the bravest. Although it isn't really allowed for a girl to go alone. She supposed to go with a boy."
James suddenly came into the hut. Like always, he wasn't smiling. "Nokshima, come with me. I've discovered something."
Lily excused herself and followed James out the door.
Gerald turned to Arnold. "You've been pretty quite man. How come you haven't said anything to them? How come you haven't told them that you're their son?"
"Gerald's right Arnold," Phoebe said. "Why haven't you spoken to them?"
"I try but nothing comes out," Arnold answered sadly as he took a sip from his drink. "And without Alonzo here, I'm not sure what to do. He was the one who was supposed to tell us."
"What DID happen to Alonzo?" Gerald wondered aloud. "I haven't seen him ever since the tiger chased us. Shouldn't he be able to find us since HE was the one who was supposed to lead us to this tribe?"
"You're quite right Gerald," answered Phoebe. "Perhaps he will come."
Arnold's mind was elsewhere as he wondered how Helga was doing. If only I had accepted to go with her he thought. With every passing second, he grew increasingly worried.
Phoebe and Gerald noticed his look and seemed to know what it meant. It was the same thing they were thinking about.
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Meanwhile, James had led Lily to their own hut, the biggest of the village. It had two rooms, one was the living room (you could call it) and the other was their bedroom. James led her to the bedroom.
"Look at this," he said as he brought out a picture. In the picture was him, Lily, and a small, smiling, baby boy. All three of them were laughing and happy being together. "I knew that boy with the hat looked familiar. He looks like the boy from this photo."
Lily looked at him, questions as well as hope in her eyes. "Do you really think he's the one in the picture?"
"It could be. He matches the baby so much."
"Then perhaps he could help us discover who we really are and what our dreams mean."
James walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Did you feel something when you met that boy?"
Lily nodded as her eyes fogged up with tears. "I felt like I've known him forever but that I haven't been with him for very long. I felt like his presence has filled a missing part of myself."
James nodded. "I felt it too. I say we spend some more time with him to see what we can remember, if we can remember anything at all. Perhaps this boy is the key to our memories."
Lily nodded in agreement and stuffed the picture in a place where she could have it close to her heart (a pocket in her dress).
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(I'm trying to speed things along here. Please don't flame me for this. It would have been boring to read anyway).
Lily and James went back to the hut to tell them that they were going to go out and fish for the day. As chief of the village (yes, he's chief), it was his job to hunt for food and he chose to supply the tribe with fish.
They had all agreed and Arnold had felt a happiness that seemed to fill an empty part of his heart. Now he felt like his heart was complete (before, his heart was missing two pieces, then when he got together with Helga, one, and now none.)
They had spent the day laughing and having a grand ol' time. For James and Lily, the more time they spent with Arnold, the more familiar they felt around him. They also had the same feeling of completeness that they hadn't felt in a long time.
It was dark by the time they got back to the village and the first thing they saw was Alonzo with a crowd. He was holding someone and everyone was gasping.
Arnold put the basket with the fish down softly and ran over to the scene, to see what was going on.
When they saw him, they parted and Arnold halted in his tracks, gasping.
Alonzo was holding Helga, who was breathing heavily. Her face was red and she was sweating.
"She was bitten by a snake," Alonzo announced to them. "I found her out in the woods while I was making my way over here."
"Helga," Arnold breathed as he knelt down and took her hand in his. He picked up the other hand and brushed some hair that fell into her face. He withdrew that hand. She was burning up! She was running a fever!
"The girl seems to have completed the test," James commented softly, concern in his voice. He was still awed that Helga had come back in only a day.
Arnold grew angry. Whether he remembered or not, he still risked her life and now she was sick and Arnold didn't know what to do. He stood up and faced his dad with fury. "It's all your fault! If you hadn't sent her to do that stupid mission, she would be okay!"
"But Arnold," Lily defended, "it's part of the-"
"I don't care!" Arnold yelled. He turned towards Alonzo. "Can you heal her?" he asked, still angry but calmer when talking to Alonzo.
Alonzo stood up. "I don't have the medicine. However, it is in this rainforest. I could go look-"
"No," Arnold said swiftly yet seriously. "I'll go. I don't care what it takes. I'm going to heal her."
(Yikes. Forgot to mention. If you know about poisonous snake wounds, you have to suck out the venom. Don't worry. Alonzo did that already.)
"I'm going too man," Gerald offered, seeing how important Helga was to Arnold.
"Me too," Phoebe joined in. "I'm not going to watch around and let my best friend die."
Arnold smiled kindly at them. "Okay."
"We're going too," James announced. "You'll need a guide and someone to take care of you. Besides, I feel responsible and I want to repay you. Obviously this girl means a lot to you."
Arnold blushed and he nodded. He turned to Alonzo. "Take care of her please."
Alonzo nodded.
Arnold, Gerald, Phoebe, Lily, and James went into the forest.
They had no idea that green cat-like eyes were following them…
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They had walked for what seemed like hours. Everyone was tired and they hadn't even found the medicine that was needed for Helga. Arnold wasn't going to give up however. He was going to save his love (^_^) no matter what. He had just barely discovered that he loved her and now he was going to loose her? He didn't think so. He was determined.
"The flower should be this way," James said as he pointed to the left. They all followed him in that direction. They didn't seem to care that it was way past the hour for sleep as they continued onward, determined to get that flower.
They stopped at an entrance to a cave that was covered in moss and seemed very dark in the inside. The tall trees surrounded them and didn't seem to spread in any place of the rainforest.
"It should be in there," James announced. "The legendary Picoto flower, said to cure almost any type of fever, rash, and ailment."
Arnold didn't wait. He walked inside the cave and took out his flashlight so he could see. He noticed that his ball of light wasn't the only one, meaning that everyone was following him. He smiled and continued inside.
They had barely begun to enter when they heard a familiar growling noise that was deep and dangerous.
The tiger! Arnold thought in alarm. "The tiger's back," he announced to everyone.
"That's impossible," James slightly yelled as he turned around to look at the entrance, taking an arrow out in the process (I always seem to forget to mention stuff so I forgot to say that James and Lily brought along their bows and arrows). "I shot it. It should have been dead."
"Obviously not," Gerald commented with dread. How much he wished it HAD been dead.
"What are we going to do?" Phoebe asked, worried for everyone.
James turned and addressed Lily. "Take them to the flower. I'll hold the tiger off."
Without thinking, Arnold yelled out, "No dad! You can't do it!"
James stared at Arnold at the mention of the word 'dad'. Why did it affect me when he called me that? Is what the girl said true? Is he my son? How could I have said I had no son when I don't even remember my past? He smiled at Arnold. "Just go. I'll be okay. I've been in worse situations before."
Arnold didn't say anything as Lily guided them deeper into the cave. He only looked back longingly at his dad, wishing he could stay and help. Be careful he mentally said.
Once deep enough, they couldn't hear any of the sounds near the entrance or what was happening to James. Arnold and Lily were both worried as they reached the last hole in the wall.
Lily turned to look at Arnold, a smile playing on her face. Arnold could tell that she was trying to hide her worry for James. "You can have to pleasure Arnold. With that flower, you can save your friend." She ushered him forward. "Go on."
Arnold's face set in determination, he walked inside slowly, hoping with all of his heart that with this flower he could save Helga.
He reached the end of the cave and saw a glowing, pink flower with a yellow center (can you tell WHY I decided for them to be those two colors? Tell me what you think in your review. It should be pretty obvious).
Arnold gaped at the lovely flower and how bright it glowed. It lit the whole room as it gave off golden sprinkles. It looked like it had a rocket in the center that gave off a tiny blast of golden dust every while.
With a shaky hand, Arnold reached out and plucked it. Even plucked from its place, the flower still glowed and gave off sparks. A little bit of it went on his hand and he could feel the healing power it had. What was such a powerful flower doing here and why wasn't it sacred?
Arnold held onto it as if it were made of glass and he walked back to where Lily, Phoebe, and Gerald were waiting.
Arnold looked at Lily, wanting to get some answers. "Why was there only one? Isn't this flower sacred?"
"In a way it is but when plucked, the flower can be used for healing purposes. It's alright to take once in a while since it grows back in about a week. But if picked too often, the seed that is there will whither and die and the flower will never grow again. So we use it only for emergencies."
Arnold nodded and the four of them made their way back to the entrance.
When they were almost there, they began to hear groans coming from a very familiar voice. They all ran and saw James on the ground, clutching his bloody side.
"Dutikna!" Lily yelled as she ran to him. She knelt down at his side and held his hand. Not to far away was the tiger, now dead and defeated.
"Dad!" Arnold yelled. "Are you okay?"
James groaned and chuckled weakly as he looked at everyone. "I-I've been in w-worse situations. *groan* Don't worry about me."
Arnold looked at the flower. He was beginning to rip inside. He had one flower, and two injured people. What was he going to do?
James caught the look in Arnold's eyes. "D-Don't you even think about using that *groan* flower on me. I-It's supposed to be for you friend."
Lily helped him get up. "Come one. Let's go back to the village and I'll treat you there."
Together, they all headed back to the village.
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It took them a while but they were able to get back okay. Gerald and Phoebe headed off to sleep (with Phoebe and Gerald telling Arnold that he needed to be strong), Lily took James to their tent where she began to heal him, and Arnold took the flower to the tent where Helga was.
He entered and found her mumbling in her sleep as the sweat poured down her face. Her hair had been freed and was all around her head in waves. A chubby black woman was dabbing at her face with a wet cloth and singing a very beautiful song in the native tongue while Alonzo sat. He seemed to be deep in thought.
He looked up when he noticed Arnold. "Arnold. Did you get the medicine?"
Arnold held out the flower. "Will she be okay now?"
Alonzo took the flower and went to retrieve a bowl from a shelf. "She will be now that you've brought what she needed to heal."
Arnold approached her bed and once there he was able to hear what she was mumbling. "Arnold…don't go…I love you…"
"Shhh. It's okay Helga," Arnold said as he took her hand and brushed some hair out of her face. "I'm here. I'm not going to leave you."
Alonzo smiled as he crushed the flower into a powder. With it like that, he walked over and began to form a heart on her face. Then he dabbed a dot on her nose.
"Why a heart?" Arnold asked curiously as he watched Alonzo work.
"The heart is the sign of love and healing. Since it is love that awaits her when she wakes up, it'll be love that shall heal her. And the dot on her nose represents you. You are the center of her heart."
Arnold blushed but he stayed quiet as Alonzo finished. He set the bowl down on the table. "You'll be staying here to watch over her I presume?"
Arnold nodded. He was too tired to think or speak.
"Goodnight then," he said as he exited the hut.
Arnold looked at Helga again. With her hand still in his, he laid his head down and fell asleep…
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The night was restless for James and Lily. As if linked, they both shared the same dream. In it, they were in a park that was surrounded by buildings and people. They were totally oblivious to them, however, as they played with the same baby boy who was in the picture. He laughed joyfully as he was lifted in the air and then brought back down again. They seemed like a happy family.
Then they saw themselves in a house with an old man and woman who appeared to be sobbing softly. Both James and Lily saw themselves near the door with coats on and suitcases. The little baby boy was being held by the old man and he was looking at Lily and James curiously. He didn't seem to know what was going on.
"Be a good boy Arnold," James heard himself say as walked over to the little boy. He took out a blue hat and placed it on the boy's head. Tears were threatening to roll down his cheek. He walked over and urged Lily forward.
"We'll be back soon honey," she said with a strained voice. She couldn't really imagine life without Arnold but she knew they couldn't take him with them.
They stood under the doorframe as they looked at their son one last time…
Baby Arnold eyes saddened as he made a cute little wave with his hand (like when you try to clap with only one hand). "Bye mommy, bye daddy." (*sob* I swear, I remembered that part and it made me cry. Arnold was such a cute little baby and to imagine him saying goodbye to his parents in his cute little baby way, it just made me cry *sob* I need a tissue. I can't stand this)
They walked onto the rain, not knowing that instead of only being gone for a few months, they would be gone for a few years…
James and Lily woke with a start.
"James!"
"Lily!"
They said at the same time. They turned to look at each other with wide eyes.
"I remember!" exclaimed James as he winced in pain from his wound.
Lily nodded. "Arnold IS our son and we're actually named Lily and James, not Dutikna and Nokshima."
James stood up from the bed and began to pace around. "We need to tell his we remember. We need to be with him now. We were gone for so much of his life."
"I know," Lily commented softly. "We should wait until morning. He's probably still asleep. We'll have a long talk with him in the morning."
James nodded and climbed back into bed. Weariness overtook them both and they fell asleep…
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The sun peaked through the sky as the morning fog began to disappear from the ground. The loud sounds from the rainforest woke everyone up.
Arnold's eyes quivered until the opened fully. He picked his head up and looked around. He seemed to forget for a while where he was until his gaze fell upon Helga who was still asleep. Her breathing was normal and her face appeared less red, although it still had the crushed flower in the shape of a heart.
Arnold smiled. She seems to be okay now
He turned his head when he heard someone enter. It turned out to be Gerald and Phoebe, both still looking tired.
"Good morning," Arnold said cheerfully.
"Good morning," they chorused. They walked over and stood near the bed.
"She seems better," Phoebe breathed out in relief.
Arnold nodded. "The flower helped." He squeezed her hand softly.
As if that were some sort of signal, Helga moaned and opened her eyes. She sat up rather fast and looked around, as if searching frantically for something. Her gaze fell on Arnold and tears threatened to roll down her cheeks. She flung both of her arms around his neck. "Arnold!" she sobbed out. "You're here! You didn't leave me!"
Arnold smiled soothingly and wrapped his own arms around her. Gerald and Phoebe could tell that they needed some "alone" time so they walked out of the hut. Both wanted breakfast but they were hoping they were going to get something else that wasn't lizard guts.
"I never left you," Arnold said softly. "And I never will."
"I-I had this dream where you did. You laughed and told me you didn't love me. That I was…*sob* the most disgusting thing in the world and that you never wanted to see me again." She paused and sobbed again. "I-It was horrible."
Arnold continued to hold her close.
"Those are the affects of a snake bite," a voice said from the doorway. Both of them turned to see Alonzo with a smile on his face. "The person sees their worst nightmares and it feels so real. But you must remember that it is only a dream."
Suddenly, James came by. He looked at Arnold. "Will you come with me?" he asked softly.
Arnold looked at everyone before he decided to walk out and see what he wanted. Lily was outside waiting for them. She seemed to be trying to hide a smile.
"Show him Lily," James ordered.
Arnold looked curiously at them. Did he hear right? Did he dad call his mom "Lily", her real name? Did this mean that…?
Lily brought out the same picture Arnold had, only that this one was a little worn out and dirty. "We've had this since we can remember and we've always wondered about who the boy was." She smiled wide, a few tears beginning to fall from her face. "Now we know why." She wept as she walked up to him and took him in her arms.
Arnold got a few tears as well. "Does this mean that…?"
James nodded. "We remember who we are and we remember you. We just hope you can forgive us for everything."
"I-It's okay mom," Arnold choked out. The word 'mom' sounded foreign to him but he knew he would have to get used to it. "All that matters now is that we're together."
James ruffled Arnold's hair. He couldn't stop smiling. "And that's the way it'll be from now on."
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For the next two days, everyone began to pack their things and get ready for the plane ride home. James and Lily decided to go back with Arnold and they left the care of the tribe with Alonzo, who turned out to be the rightful chief.
Helga was fully strong in two days and she forgave Arnold's dad for making her do that dumb test of bravery. James himself got slightly better in those two days and then went the day when they were ready to go home.
The reunion in the boarding house was grand. They held a party and Arnold's grandparents hugged Lily and James over and over again, as if they never wanted to let go.
Of course, they never would have to again…
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The day of the big game. They had practiced for weeks and it all came down to this.
(Typical tight game probably) There were two outs, the bases were loaded, the game was tied and it was Helga's turn up at bat. Arnold was one third and he winked at her. She winked back knowingly. They were up to something…
"You can do it Helga," Robert Burdenane said softly, hoping to encourage her.
The ball came towards her…
Everyone stepped back. Helga was known for hitting the ball way out there…
She gripped the bat tightly, glaring at the ball, as if challenging it…
It came…
She swung…
Everyone on the outfield was ready…
…And Helga hit the ball softly and ran towards first base. No one expected it. The ball went a little bit forward but landed far away from the pitcher, the infielders, and the base people. All of them gasped and made a move for the ball.
Arnold ran as fast as he could towards home plate. He was almost there…
He could see the pitcher throw the ball towards home plate…
Everyone in the stands stood up in anticipation…
Arnold slid…just as the ball was a mere inches away from being there first.
"SAFE!" cried the umpire repeatedly.
Everyone cheered and James and Lily whistled. It was the first game they had ever seen Arnold play and it was the first he had won in front of them. They were beaming in pride.
Wolfgang, the coach of The Large Devils, chewed on his hat and even smacked Edmind (not sure if that's how you spell his name).
Lily and James came down from the stands and lifted Arnold and Helga into the air as everyone cheered.
"You guys did it!" James yelled in excitement. He was so proud of his son.
He knew it wouldn't be the last time…
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Yay! I finally finished it! It took me many days but I did it! I hope you like it. It's probably not as good as "A New Life" but I tried. It wasn't easy writing this without accurate information. Well, tell me what you thought. Go ahead and review!
A note: I'm leaving for Mexico next week and I'll be gone a month so I won't be able to post "The Adventure of a Lifetime" episode 2 until I come back. I will, however, work on it while I'm over there. I'll come back and post episode 2. I'll miss of all of you (~*~CD~*~, ~*Silver Kitten*~, and Roxy. The three of you especially. I luv u guys!). I'll send out episode 2 when I come back and then you'll know that I have returned. Until then. And please review this story!