The late night, blue black sky was sprinkled with glittery stars. It was past midnight, and most houses were dark. Making her way to the center of the town, Tally Youngblood noticed dully that her old home seemed to be reverting back to its old ways. Anger bubbled up in her veins, making the world around her blur and spin. Within a matter of seconds, she was on the floor, coughing up blood. She whimpered in pain as the gash that stretched across her stomach pumped out blood. With shaky legs, she forced herself up, and continued to wander down streets, looking at names until she found one that she sort of recognized. Turning left, she stumbled aimlessly down a wide street, until collapsing at the front door of a large mansion, shared by many 'pretties.' Just thinking of the 'old ways' made Tally's stomach churn uncomfortably.
Someone inside the house must have heard her crash, because the door was opened, and out walked Peris, Tally's old guy friend.
"Oh my gosh Tally! Tally-wa are you okay! What happened to your-" He reached out to help her up, but quickly jerked his hand back when his fingers touched the slick, slippery blood.
"Oh...Oh my God Tally!" Then he turned towards the door and called out to someone for help.
"It's okay Tally-wa, your gonna be okay." Peris reassured her, though it seemed as if he was reassuring himself more than Tally.
"P-Peris, I...I'm okay. Jus...kina sleepy..." Tally slurred out. And that was the last thing she said before a warm world of darkness surrounded her.
In the dream, the world was of course, very dark. Rather than being warm though, it was cold. A shiver ran down Tally's spine as she stood up as tall as she could, trying to face whatever it was that surrounded her. She could feel cold, unfeeling eyes scan over her, analyzing and calculating her strengths and weaknesses. After what seemed like hours, a shadowy figure stepped into the clearing, and at just the right moment, a light was flashed upon his face. Tally had a hard time seeing who he was, because his face was changing rapidly. First, the figure looked like Zane, then David, then Az and Croy and Peris, and every other pretty, ugly, special she had seen. The figure took another step forward, and his face was final. It was...David?
"D-David, is that...is that really you?" Tally choked out, the words seeming unfamiliar to her ears. He smiled, a twisted grin, and took another step forward, closing the distance between them. Leaning forward, Tally briefly though he would kiss her. But that notion vanished when a sharp dagger like object was pulled from behind his back, and plunged into her stomach. Only, there was no pain. Just a small warmth, making her gasp. David didn't seem surprised that she didn't scream out. In fact, he pulled the dagger from her body, and let Tally have a good look at it. It was a rainbow of colors, and the tip was split in two, and curved off in two different directions. Tally shivered, and screamed when he began to thrust it into her heart. It never hurt, only left a satisfying warmth in its place. Finally, he spoke.
"Now, Tally, you can be one of us. You'll join me, won't you?" And then his face contorted into that of Zanes, and of many other men, and boys she'd seen. Tally, frightened by the sight, took a step back, falling over an unseen log. The man, who was obviously not David, or Zane, or anyone she had ever loved, stepped forwards, and leaned down, the dagger changing shape into a regular knife. With one last wicked grin, he plunged it into her heart, and this time she felt the pain.
And then she woke up.
When she woke again, Tally's world was still spinning, and her head was throbbing. She felt sick, and a warmth was spreading over her body. Even as a special, she knew she could get sick, only it was a lot harder. And sick she was. Except, while she was with David, she had experienced much worse conditions. So why was she sick now?
Shaking her head, Tally sat up, and remembering where she was, took in her surroundings. She was on a very comfortable bed, in a very large room, that was warm. She could faintly smell soup. Grumbling, she pushes herself from the bed and stumbles into a joined bathroom. Taking in her appearance, she shivers. Specials, her being the last one, weren't supposed to look so...vulnerable. Sighing, she searches around for a brush, finding one she assumed was Peris's. Before she left, Tally remembers, Peris had gone through a 'phase' Everyone said his style was lacking, and wasn't cool, but he loved it. He tended to wear red and black, and soon, a small group of friends caught on. Tally felt a smile crack, she couldn't wait to tell him, or show him really, what she had found in the ruins.
Just then, the door opened and in walked Peris, a warm bowl or soup in his hands. Tally's mind fogged, nothing but the smell of warm, chunky soup was floating in her head. It was Peris speaking that finally cleared her mind.
"Hey...So, Um I made soup. I know its probably not the best but...Its from a recipe that's been passed down in my family since the Rusty time...So I though maybe you'd like it." Peris offered her a weak smile, and placed the bowl on the table. Tally walks over to him and hugs him, causing him to gasp. When they pulled apart, he smiles and forces out a laugh.
"Gosh, Tally-wa, even when your sick you still manage to squeeze the life outta me!" He laughs again, and stepped away from her, toward the bed. Tally nodded to him, smiled, and set out to devour every last drop of the soup.
It took only ten seconds after she finished the soup and turned toward him, before Peris started asking questions.
"Okay Tally, I've let you be for long enough. I need answers. What happened? Where's David? And why were you bleeding! I managed to patch you up but...you scared me Tally-wa."
Tally sighed, and cleared her throat.
"Okay, well, David was captured by the people who stabbed me, which caused me to bleed. And what happened? Well, really I don't know. I mean, one minute we were just going through some awesome rusty stuff, and the next a group of guys fell out of the sky! Most of them went for David, but one of them, the leader it seemed, went after me. The managed to get onto my hover board and then he made us fall, While we were falling, he pulled out this knife." Tally shivered.
"He brought out this wicked knife. It was all colors imaginable, and it was long. About an inch from the tip, it split in half and both sides curled outward. It didn't hurt much more than a regular knife when he stabbed me, but when he pulled it out, oh my god. It punctured two holes into my stomach, which is where he stabbed me. Then, he laughed, and zoomed after the other guys in the group. By then, they had knocked David unconscious...and then I fell. I was knocked out for a day I think. Then I came here." Tally finished with a sigh, feeling very pitiful. Peris just looked at her for a moment. He opened his mouth, closed it and opened it again. He seemed to be thinking his words over. Finally, he spoke.
"Well Tally...It seems that there is a new clique. Or maybe a new type of Special. Whatever the case is, your staying here until your rested. And then, after laying low a bit, then and only then will we go out and look for David. IF they get you Tally...Problems will arise. Besides, maybe you could tell...but things are going back to their bubble minded ways. We need you Tally. Then after a while you and David can go back to the wild...or if you choose, you could stay here." Peris smiled, knowing she and David most likely would head out of town the moment possible. He and many of her other close friends had tried to bring her back home. She didn't ever comply.
Tally nodded."Okay, I wanna go outside. Have a look around Pretty ville. Just let me get cleaned up a bit...Oh yea, Peris...I need clothes." Tally smiled sheepishly at Peris. He smiled back and turned toward a corner in the room.
"Have you forgotten out little wall closet over here? Normally, the closet it used to making clothes for guys...but its not like it cant make any for you. So anyways, go on ahead and get ready. I'll wait downstairs. I know it might be crowded so just ping me when your done." Peris smiled and lean in towards Tally, about to kiss her. Then he remembered they were only friends, and pulled back. A slight blush creeped onto his face, but Tally had already turned to the bathroom. Letting out a sigh, Peris turned and walked downstairs, trying to recollect himself.
After an hour in the shower, then another thirty minutes of Tally ordering the wall around, trying to find something that wouldn't make her stand out, Tally finally settled on a pair of black skinny jeans and a green tank top. She slipped on a pair of shoes and used one of Peris's jackets. It was bulky and warmed her, while also looking ordinary. Peris had to admit, it looked great on her. The idea of Tally dressed in his jacket made his head spin. Taking her hand, Peris lead Tally out of the mansion, and they ambled down a street, headed to the Pleasure Garden, where Shay and the other Crims were bound to be. Peris talked most of the way, updating Tally on the styles and new surges, while also informing her of the building modifications coming out.
"I don't know why, but some of the mansions have been torn down and workers have started building tall buildings, taller than the mansions were. There were two building in particular, they said they were 'reconstructing' I don't know what their doing. Some of the building are offices, while others they say will be for communication with other cities and storage. When we asked what they would be storing, they ignored us completely. I think they're remaking a weapons room. I don't know why...They would have told us of any wars that are looming...right?" Peris had been talking excitedly, and Tally struggled to comprehend, even with her sharpened hearing.
"Well, who knows? If we are converting back to our old ways, that means other places are too. So maybe its a war of the bigger communities. I don't know, we'll have to see. Where did you say Shay and the others were going to be?" Tally was anxious to see Shay. Since her decision to leave, Shay and Tally's relationship had been strained to say the least. Even before then, they're friendship was on the rocks. It seemed they were just waiting for something to push them over the edge. Tally thought maybe her news of David would hurt their friendship. Tally always thought Shay still loved David, and resented Tally for it. Even a bubbly pretty could see it. But David seemed oblivious to it, and Shay acted as if nothing were wrong.
"PERIS! Come join us-OH MY GOD TALLY-WA WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!" A high pitched squeak came from Shay, who came barreling on her hover board towards them. Tally's smile widened and she laughed a little as Shay struggled to slow down. As soon as her feet were on the ground, Shay was tackling Tally to the ground in a bear hug. Tally groaned and Shay's bonny body blasted full force into her stomach.
"Whoa, easy there Shay. Ow, oh god that hurts! Watch the stomach!" Tally shivered a little, remembering the knife that did the damage.
"OH, god sorry Tally-wa! Oh my god you look great! Wow, look at you! I see a new style? It seems very...Peris." Shay laughed. Tally smiled.
"Wait, wheres David?" Tally looked away uncomfortably. She knew this was coming. Thankfully, she was saved.
"Tally! Is that you!" A very excited Fausto grinned as he came walking up.
"Wow...you look great! And Im digging the new look! Dude, its been ages! You cant just up and leave! Even if you are oh so icy and Special! Not a very happy making thing to do!" Fausto grinned and pinned her in a bear hug. Tally smiled a little, and looked at Shay, who was starring at her. Shay opened her mouth, obviously about to question Tally, but thankfully it was suggested that they get something to eat, so they could catch up. Shay shut her mouth and nodded once. The look she gave Tally said "We'll talk later"
It made Tally dread talking later. It also boiled her over with anger. It seemed she was having a problem controling her Special emotions again.
That was just one of the many problems to come.